Silent Jedi

Rescue at the Jedi Temple

Jett pulled into a lane of speeders on Coruscant, trying to blend in with everyone else. Everything looked pretty much the same. The Jedi Temple, however, did not. It was swarming with guards.

    "We can't park here, Breezy. We're parking down the street and I'm going in through the tunnels."

    "Burr burr!" said Breezy.

    Jett parked the ship in the garage for the general public down the street. She went over the plan one more time with Breezy, who was alert and ready. Then, it was time to get moving.

    She walked down the street, slipped into an alley, and into a manhole. She coughed and held her breath in the sewer system. It was just as bad as when they'd have practice fire drills. This was the escape route from the Tech Center.

    She felt her way through the darkness and found the entrance to the Temple. She reached out and focused her mind. She couldn't sense anyone above the door. She raised the lid, moved the carpet, got out, closed the lid, and put the carpet back over the trapdoor.

    The power must be out.

    She lit up her pike so she could see. She went up the stairs and through the not-so-empty halls. She covered her hands with her mouth to try not to vomit. The halls were littered with the rotting corpses of fellow Jedi. 

    Focus. I have to focus.

    She held tightly to her pike as she rounded the halls and made her way up to the daycare center. From there it was easy: use the force, move the debris, and scoop up Grogu, who was laying on the floor.

    He looked cute as ever, but smelled awful. He had a diaper so full that it looked like it was about to burst. But that was beside the point. They needed to leave before anyone saw them. She was feeling a deep, deep disturbance in the force.

    Jett scooped up Grogu and pressed a button on her commlink. Breezy would be able to track their every move and pull the ship up to the nearest window. All Jett had to do was give her one more signal. 

Everything seemed to be smooth-sailing until she rounded the corner to the stairs. She'd take the tunnel back out and then Breezy would scoop them up on the street. Suddenly, Jett heard a whooshing sound. It sounded just like a chest panel.

    Puzz. Is that you?

    The presence was coming closer. She felt it. She knew it. She knew it extremely well.

    Anakin! I can't believe you're here! No answer. Just breathing. W-what are you doing in that funny costume? You don't seem like the kind of guy who plays dress-up.

    The figure lit up a red lightsaber.

    Anakin, what are you doing? Did the dark side get a hold of you? You have to resist! This isn't you! You're a hero!

    "The Anakin you knew...is dead," said the figure, it's voice deep and cold.

    No. You're alive. I can feel that you're alive, Anakin. You're standing right in front of me!

    "Darth Vader, Sith Lord, is alive. I cannot believe you survived...Silent Jedi," he said. "If you hand me the child, I may even consider sparing your life."

    No. Way. I'd never let you take Grogu!

    Darth Vader put both of his hands on his lightsaber. Jett should've ran, but she didn't. Adrenaline was overpowering her. She put Grogu down.

    Looking at Darth Vader, she saw visions of him killing younglings. She could no longer restrain herself. She took out her pike and went right at him. After a few swings back and forth, a deep cut was made across Jett's abdomen. She choked and fell to the floor. Grogu started crying.

    "Your attempt to battle me is pathetic," said Darth Vader. "You will die in the same fashion."

    "No. It is you who will die, Lord Vader!"

    Sha? Is it really?

    I set a trap for him, Jett. She saw the figure of Sha Koon appear in the darkness. Take the child and run. He's mine.

    Jett could hear the menacing groans coming down the tunnel. Cthons, the zombielike bug creatures that lived in Coruscant's lower levels, were coming. Lots of them. Jett could feel the force emanating from Sha. She was controlling them. This was going to be an ambush.

    She used the force to lift the wailing Grogu into Jett's arms.

    "Jett, you have to go!"

    Sha, no! I can't!

    "Get out of here with the child!"

    Jett got to her feet, stumbling. She made it all the way upstairs, finally collapsing against a wall in a brightly-lit hallway. The sun was setting. Orange rays were coming through the window. She coughed up a big clump of blood.

    Grogu. You have to listen to me.

    She pressed another button on her commlink. She looked out the broken window. She could see Breezy coming with the ship. The guards were blasting it. Jett's vision was filled with spots. Breezy was right next to an open window. One swift throw and Grogu was safe.

    Grogu...you have to let me throw you to Breezy. It's your only hope.

    No. Me help! he said.

    He reached over and put his hands right above her wound. He closed his little eyes and started to concentrate. Jett was gasping for air. She was going. This was it.

    No. It wasn't.

    Grogu grunted as he focused. The taste of blood vanished from Jett's mouth. There was nothing remaining from her wound, just the slash in her clothes from Vader's lightsaber.

    Speaking of which, she could hear the whooshing of his chest panel again. He was already on his way to finish her off. Had the battle between him and Sha really ended that quickly? How could anyone be that strong?

    You're a healer, Grogu? That must be why they want you. Come on! Jett got to her feet and held tightly to Grogu when she jumped into the ship.

    "Meh meh!" she said, slapping the controls with her palms.

    Jett breathed many, many sighs of relief as the ship fled the grounds. Darth Vader watched the ship leave through one of the hallway windows.

    "Pathetic prey like you, Jett Ranger, is not worth my time," he said. "The child is a different story."