Star Wars: The Jedi Chronicles:Enter The Shadows (Books 1-4)

Chapter 7 A Galactic Conquest

Scene: the following morning; the sun is just coming up. There is still a slight mist over the hillsides and the clearing where the Jedi camped. Anthony wakes up to see Shain packing his supplies.

Shain: Good morning.

Anthony: (yawns, stretches) Hey. You’re up early? Whatever happened to the guy who sleeps till noon?

Shain: Well, we‘ve got a galaxy to save, and we’ve got three hundred and seven days to do it. Thought I’d get an early start this time.

Anthony: (laughs)

Shain: I wonder if Censes realizes he’s broadcasting everything that’s going down on Coruscant.

Anthony: (getting up) What do you mean?

Shain: You remember the radio remainder on Coruscant, right?

Anthony: Yeah; it’s the traffic control for the planet.

Shain: Well, the station is still up and broadcasting a high alert for two teenage Jedi.

Anthony: That’s not very smart of him; one would think he would’ve shut that down.

Shain: Yeah, really.

Anthony: So, what are we going to do first?

Shain: Well, seeing as how Coruscant is locked down and we can’t get to the Temple without getting blown out of the sky, we’ll go get the others.
Anthony: The other temples?

Shain: Nope; the other kids.

Anthony: Why us kids?

Shain: Before all this started, Master Yoda told me that together we Earthlings are unstoppable, that the bond between us can’t be broken, and we can do anything together. So, we’ll get everyone together, then strike AND we have a God on our side!

Anthony: But Katy’s on Coruscant with Censes!

Shain: We’ll have to get her last, then.

Anthony: Sounds like a plan.

Shain wakes up Cassandra as Anthony begins packing.

Shain: Now, you were there for this whole take-over thing, so this is where you lead. Where to first, Antwan?

Anthony: (thoughtfully) I think we should get Eve first. She got the power to fly.

Shain: Ok... where is she?

Anthony: (smiling) Well, where would you send someone who can fly?

Shain: (grinning) Bespin!

Scene change: Bespin, a swampy gas planet, uninhabitable on the surface, but in the upper atmosphere, a special floating city has been constructed. It is dusk, and the cloudy skies are shades of orange and purple as the three Jedi starfighters approach

Cassandra: (over the comlink) Wow, look at that!

Anthony: (over the comlink) I know; isn’t it great?

Shain: (over the comlink) Yeah.

Suddenly, six control ships fly up beside them, two ships covering each fighter.

Bespin control officer: (over the comlink) State your business.

Anthony: (over the comlink) Message for the Jedi in command of the system.

The radio is silent for a moment.

Bespin traffic control officer: You are clear to land on platforms 423 and 424.

The control ships veer off and resume their patrol.

Shain: (under his breath) Well, that was easy.

Shain and Cassandra land on platform 423; Anthony lands on platform 424. As the Jedi are climbing out of their starfighters, the door at the end of the platform slides open. In the doorway stands Eve and her padawan, Jacklinea Michaelsonee.

Eve is wearing the traditional tan Jedi tunic with a hood; her head is bent down, so that her face is hidden. Jacklinea wears a dark brown tunic and holds her head high, a smile playing over her lips. Her black hair comes all the way down her back Slowly, the two begin walking towards their former friends.

Shain: (whispers to Anthony) This is where the fun begins.

Anthony: (smiles) Hey, Eve! Why don’t you just take off that crystal?

Eve: No bloody way. This crystal gives me power beyond your imagination.

Shain: Yeah, well, we’ll see about that.

Jacklinea: (laughs) You two are so naive. Shain, you could’ve had second in command! And Anthony, you could leave that stupid moron and the Master would take you back at any time... but we know you neither of you will come. So we’re going to end this right now.

Anthony: Hey, he let me go, remember?

Shain: (acting dumb on purpose) Hey! I may be stupid, but I'm not a moron!

Anthony: (laughing) You do realise they’re the same thing, right?

Shain: Yup!

Jacklinea: My point has been proven.

Shain: Cassie, you’re sitting out on this one.

Cassandra: (slightly embarrassed) Ok.

Cassandra hops up onto the wing of her blue Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor to watch. The two Dark Jedi walk about two yards forward and drop their cloaks. Shainopens his blue backhand lightsaber, holding it with his right hand down and to the right of him.

Anthony opens the right side of his yellow double-staff, holding it beside him with his knees bent. Eve ignites her light blue double-staff, holding it in one hand so that it points towards her foes. Her padawan duplicates her master’s actions, igniting her own staff.

The Dark Jedi start hovering a couple inches above the ground, then move slowly towards their enemies. Shain runs to meet them, but Anthony stays by the ships. Eve tries to thrust at Shain but he jumps over her with his favorite one-eighty flip.