Soldiers of the Stars

Chapter 16: The Consequences of Krell

CORUSCANT SYSTEM

GENERAL ACRUX

     Medic or not, I was tired of all this resting. This bed was the only thing I knew for days now. It was foolish of Fisher to leave me unattended. Carefully I swung my legs over the side of the bed and dropped my bare feet to the cold floor. I hurried to the bedside table to get my clean, neatly folded Jedi robes on. I grinned. No wrinkles. I soon found my armor in the medical unit's footlocker and threw it on as quickly as my sore body would let me.

     The hardest part was avoiding everyone as I made for the bridge. I made it but came to a stop before entering. A transmitting voice, cutting in and out every few seconds, echoed into the hall. It was a clone's voice. I stepped lightly, trying not to disturb the conversation. I was surprised to find Rook, Ward, and Gunner at the holotable, talking to the Captain of the 501st.

     "General Pong Krell is dead."

     The words stiffened in the air. The room swayed under my feet. My stomach dropped. 

     "How?" The word barely escaped my chapped lips. They all snapped their attention to me. Ward and Gunner took a step back. I studied the clone Captain with the blond hair and blue painted armor. My heartbeat pounded in my head. 

     "He was charged with treason against the Grand Army of the Republic, and executed." 

     I covered my mouth. "Tell me everything," I ordered.

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     I stared blankly at the stars, unsure of what to believe. My face was hot from the boiling anger inside. I knew Krell was scheming something, but this?! All those missions he'd assign me. Were they a part of his plan too? Did he even have a vision at all? If he had every intention of bringing down the Republic from the inside, why did he warn me? His vision was fake. It was nothing more than for me to play a part in another of his schemes. So why did the Council ignore me? Why didn't the Council inform me of Krell's betrayal?

     There was a knock against the paneled door. I couldn't face anyone right now. The door opened. "Gunner. Now's not a good time." He didn't say a single word but closed the door behind him and sat down beside me. 

     My eyes watered. I couldn't cry. Not in front of Gunner. I turned my head to acknowledge him, but the tears began to pour. I jerked my head away. Two hands gently cupped my face, pulling my attention back to him. He wiped away some tears, then pulled me in for a hug. I held him tightly, afraid to let go. "Why would he do this?" I asked hoarsely. Gunner didn't respond. I realized he had every intention to be more upset than I. I looked upon him with teary eyes. His face went soft as we pressed our foreheads together. We held them there as I reached out into the Force. Darkness. Wild wind thrashing around, the pounding of war drums, the screams of soldiers. Then everything grew silent. The distant sound of white noise grew into rushing water. Peaceful, tranquil, yet powerful. Then there was nothing but us. Gunner and I, sitting in a small rotunda with a few books. 

     "There's a transmission waiting for you," Gunner stood, offering a hand to pull me up.

     "Why didn't you tell me the moment you came in here?"

     "You needed a moment," He gently smiled. "And needed a friend."

     I limped back into the conference room. The holotable illuminated the walls. Master Plo Koon and General Skywalker were displayed in the hologram. Rook turned to Ward, and with a single nod, they exited the room, leaving me alone to converse with the other Generals. General Skywalker went into details of the Umbaran Campaign and the unfortunate events that accompanied it. My focus, however, was not on his words but on my memories of Krell. Ever since I became Shaula's Padawan, he was there, a part of my family. But when I needed him the most, he pushed me to the side, ignored me, turned me into this, the galaxy's worst Jedi! And to think that he cared for me. He fooled me in the end. The vision he informed me of was nothing but a cruel tactic of the dark side, a front to hide the monster that he was. He was dead, and I was free, so why did the pain linger?