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

Chapter Thirteen: Mutiny

Chapter Thirteen

Mutiny

Shain docks his ship in the hanger-bay. He climbs out of his ship to see Cassandra, Jacklinea, Eve, Jordin, Sara, Luna, Elena, Dudley, Anthony, Andrew, Carl, Paul, Michael, Elizabeth, Sarah Joel, Aria, Ben, Jacob, and Jordan standing spaced about fifteen feet apart with their hands on their heads.

The only lights that are on are the individual spot lights on each person. He notices not one of them have a lightsaber on them. He reaches around for his lightsaber when he feels a blaster press against his back. It is taking every bit of strength in him not to jump and laugh because he is so ticklish.

Suddenly about three hundred clones, rebels, and old republic troopers drop from the ceiling supports.

Shain: Oh, wow... I totally wasn’t expecting a surprise birthday party!

Aria: Shain... Don’t do anything crazy. Just drop your saber.

Jacklinea: Yeah, or I’ll kill you before they do.

Joel prays he will do something crazy.

Shain: (turning around and facing the clone trooper with his hands out.) Guys, you didn’t have to go to the trouble. Really. It’s not even my birthday!

Scorch: (annoyed) Move.

Shain drops his head forward and lets out his breath loudly.

Shain: The brig?

Scorch: The brig.

Shain: (turns around and starts walking though the crowd with his hands on his head.) You guys throw the worst parties ever.

Willie: Shain.

Shain: Yeah?

Willie: Shut up.

Thirty-six troopers, including Scorch lead them to the brig. They split the Jedi into three different cells then, Scorch orders all but two of his comrades to leave.

Scorch: I want a twenty-four hour watch on them. Watch out for their dirty tricks, especially Purinton’s.

He turns to leave.

Shain: Wait! (Scorch turns and looks at Shain) Aren’t you at least gonna tell us why you are doing this?

Scorch: We feel that it is time to end the alliance with the Sith. You are obviously all traitors; we know you just went and met with Josh’s killer.

Shain: Oh, and who's idea was this?

Scorch: Admiral Carth S--...

Shain: Thank you.

Scorch leaves the room.

Shain: (telepathically) Guys, I need a distraction. Make it loud and have it last a while.

Aria starts singing “Billy Joe McGuffrey” from the Jonah movie and everyone joins her. Shain goes to the far left corner, grabs his comlink out of his pocket and calls Revan. Revan answers the call.

Shain: Revan, I don’t have much time. You need to take the Sith fleet and go into deep space. There’s been a rebellion; we Jedi are all locked up right now. I have a way to retake our ship, but for now, it’s best you leave. I’ll call you when its safe and the troopers have calmed down.

Revan: My sentiments exactly. Thank you for the warning.

Revan takes off into deep space with the rest of the Sith half of the fleet. Carth is on the bridge.

Carth: No!

Eighty republic ships drop out of hyper space. Carth gets on the com.

Carth: Forget it; somebody tipped them off. They got away.

Scene changes back to the cell. Almost everyone is sitting on the floor. The girls have the benches and Shain is laying right smack dab in the middle of the floor.

Shain: (whining) I’m hungry.

Trooper Copy: Didn’t you get breakfast this morning?

Shain: No...

The group looks at Shain like he’s crazy.

Copy: (groans in annoyance) Waxer, go get the baby Jedi a bowl of cereal or somethin’.

The group laughs. Shain picks his head up off the floor and raises a eyebrow. Then he lays his head back down. Five minutes later, Waxer comes back with a bowl of Captain Crunch. A twelve-by-twelve hole opens in the force field keeping the Jedi locked up.

Shain gets up and goes to take the bowl when he grabs Waxer’s arm, pulling him into the force-field. Waxer hits the field head-first and is electrocuted.

Copy: Hey!

He starts for the control panel when, with one swift motion of Shain’s hand, Copy hits the wall, then the force-field.

Shain: Michael? Will you please turn off the force-field?

Michael uses his power to shut down the field. The kids walk out and grab their weapons off the wall.

Elena: Clones are so gullible.

Joel: Your mom’s so gullible.

Elena smacks him.

Sarah: You’re not really hungry, are you? We just ate, like, two hours ago.

Shain: Eh, a little.

Eve: Boys... Always hungry.

Jordin: Quit complaining. You know you’re happy; we eat everything so you don’t have too.

Jordin gets smacked by four different girls.

Dudley: Uh, guys, we have a ship to take over here.

Shain: Right... um... Paul, how is your ionize frequency of electricity?

Paul: Nothin’ like it use to be, but it works.

Shain: Good. Mike, Paul and Willie are gonna be our guides. (Shain looks at the three, then looks at Elizabeth.) You know what? I got a better idea. Willie, you are gonna go out first. Use the sand to cover the cameras. Keep movin’ and don’t slow down for nothin’. Mike, you’re goin’ the other direction. Paul, you are leadin’ the rest of us out of here to the bridge. Liz, you follow Mike’s route

Michael: Whoa, wait a second. You’re not gonna send Lizzy out on her own in a ship full of enemies?

Shain: Fine. Andrew and Sarah can go with her. Will, you’re up.

Every five minutes, they send someone out. After Willie leaves, Aria asks about Shain’s elemental lightsaber and its history. Shain explains Zacar’s history with the lightsaber - only leaving out that Zacar was Yoda’s padawan - until it is time for the group to go.

The group follows Paul, who is short-circuiting each camera temporarily. After a few close calls, they make it to the to the bridge.

Dudley: The bridge door is locked.

Elena: (sarastically) Maybe you should try knocking?

Dudley: Ok.

Dudley pushes the door open with a Force-blast; shrapnel and metal goes all over the deck. Joel laughs.

The group: No!

Dudley opens his black lightsaber.

Anthony: I could have sliced it, you know...

Dudley: Oh, well.

Nobody was injured on either side of the door; they were all able to duck and take cover in time.

Carth: What the --? How the heck did those kids get out? Blast ‘em!

Troops on the bridge start firing. The group dives over into the the cracks of the walls for cover. Dudley moves into the bridge. Shain and Paul take their positions out in the middle of the hall. Clone and rebel soldiers round the corner from behind the group, cutting them off.

Aria and Jacklinea join in the fray, guarding Shain and Paul’s backs.

Eve: This isn’t going well!

Ben: Ya think?!

Dudley makes his way up to Carth, who is on the observation deck of the bridge. He gets in behind him and holds his saber up to his throat.

Dudley: Call them off, or I’ll peal your headoff from your shoulders.

Carth hesitates. Dudley jerks him, pulling the saber closer to his neck.

Dudley: Do it!

Carth: (grudgingly) Cease fire!

Carth’s command slowly echos though out the ship as the men send the order down the line.

Dudley: Now, you guys get the heck off this bridge.

The men start leaving, and the main group walks in. Aria, Paul, Shain, Jordin and Jacklinea turn off their sabers. Joel shuts the blast doors. Dudley shoves Carth away from him.

Eve: (stepping towards the downed commander) I think we need to talk to you...

Dudley: What the--

Eve: Dudley, we’ll handle this.

Dudley looks over at Shain, who waves his hand, signaling him to let her take it. Dudley walks away with a major attitude.

Eve: Do you have any idea what the heck we are up against?

Carth: Yes--

Aria: (grimly) I don’t think you do.

Suddenly an air vent is kicked out onto the floor. Willie, Michael, Elizabeth, Andrew, and Sarah all fall out, one by one.

Shain: (not telling the whole truth) Only six of us Jedi have ever faced him. Five of us at once and only four of us are standing here. And Aria wasn’t one of that five that took him on at once.

Andrew:  You guys are lucky to have made it out of there alive.

Ben: The guy took over the temple by himself in like, twenty min and then the entire galaxy!

Aria: The Republic alone can’t take him on. We need allies, even if they are Dark Side.

Jacklinea: (coldly) I suggest you step down from your command and get off this ship.

Carth: Those Sith betrayed us, and corrupted her! (Points at Aria)

Eve: They did no such thing! That was Censes and she had no idea that Censes was going to take over her mind! She’s fine now and won’t do it again! So you leave her alone!

Carth: What about the darn Sith!? I can’t trust them and neither should any of you. The Sith are nothing but low life back-stabbing scum.

Aria: (coolly) And what does that make you?

Paul: (mocking Carth) Jedi, seeing how we’re on the same team, let me go lock you in the brig!

Carth: Ok, ok; I know I shouldn’t have locked you up but I was afraid you would stop me.

Andrew: Well, duh!

Joel: Guilty?

Carth: Look, it will never happen again. You have my word.

Shain: Darn right it won’t. ‘Cause as of now, you’re banned from this ship.

Carth: You can’t do that!

Shain: I think that being your Jedi commander and fleet admiral, I can.

Willie: Whoa, Whoa... This kid... This kid right here, made fleet admiral?

Aria and Anthony: Congratulations!

Shain: Thank you. Now, I think you should get out of here.

Carth leaves without saying anything.

Shain: I’ll be right with you, guys.

Shain walks out of the room and calls Revan.
Revan: Greetings.

Shain: Hey, Revan it’s me. I just took care of Carth.We retook the ship and now have command of the fleet again.

Revan: Ok. We will be back in a few hours to help you.

Shain: Alright. Just start hitting the Mid Rim territories pulling the back over. No need to waste time coming back to Dantooine.

Revan: On our way. May the Force be with you.

Shain: Good luck.

Shain heads back onto the bridge.

To Be Continued