Star Wars Character Cafe - The Hidden Master Chapter 2

THE HIDDEN MASTER

CHAPTER 2

Maxx shook his head as he made his way across a trackless forest on the uncharted world that TC-23J had directed him to. It all seemed to be so unreal. How could such a wonderfully habitable world exist so close to an existing shipping route without anyone finding and attempting to colonize it? He had visited several worlds that had been colonized during Imperial times and while most of them weren’t as hostile as Ryloth or Tatooine, he couldn’t remember any of them being as pleasant as this world. The climate seemed to be very temperate, warm enough that Maxx didn’t need a jacket, but not so hot that he felt uncomfortable. The soil was fertile enough to support an abundance of plant life and while he could sense insects and a variety of animals around him, nothing seemed inclined to bother him in the least. How could such a world be near a shipping route and yet escape the eyes of would be colonizers?

Maxx stopped for a moment, closed his eyes and used the Force to check his bearings. TC-23J told him that his mother’s Jedi friend had lived in a cave in a cliff near a waterfall. Maxx had sensed a slight disturbance in the force by that area and had landed the Nerf in a nearby clearing. There were no pathways in the forest but Maxx didn’t need one, all he had to do was walk towards the disturbance. Lo had wondered why he had decided to go on foot. He would have had an easier time riding his swoop above the tree line, but it just seemed wrong to do it that way. Max was going to visit someone who would hopefully change the course of his whole life. He thought it might be best to take his time getting there.

Maxx had a strange feeling that this Jedi or whoever was in the cave was watching him. It went beyond the obvious logic; of course his mother’s Jedi would be aware of Maxx’s presence and would be expected to follow his progress with great interest. It was more than that. Maxx could almost feel himself being watched. He would have ignored this kind of thing in the past, but Master Yodale had instructed him to pay close attention to his intuitions, this was supposedly how the Force communicated with him. It wasn’t always easy to take this kind of thing seriously. Maxx may have been subconsciously using this Force since his childhood, but his conscious mind was used to going on observation and analysis. It seemed weird to go entirely on instinct and yet his experience over the past year had proven that his feelings and instincts were shockingly correct. Thus, Maxx took it seriously when he had this feeling that something in the cave had been watching him since the Nerf had fallen out of hyperspace. Maxx didn’t sense any malice in this presence, and if it was this Jedi he was seeking, there was no reason to be worried. Still, he carried his old Tapani hunting pistol and the special blaster carbine that Lo had built for him. A little caution never hurt anyone.

***

Maxx took a deep breath and let it out when he reached the mouth of the cave. As he connected with the Force, he felt instantly refreshed, as though he hadn’t been climbing up a sheer rock wall for the past hour. He tried to use the Force to inspect the cave but he wasn’t able to learn very much. The presence that Maxx had originally sensed seemed to use its own considerable abilities to prevent Maxx from learning what was inside the cave. The only things that Maxx could discern were that this presence, whatever it really was, didn’t want him to know what was in the cave and that it was much stronger than he was. Maxx spent less than a minute pondering why he was being kept in the dark. There were several possibilities and, beyond his hope that the master he was seeking was still inside, there was no way of telling which was correct. In the end, there was only one choice, to enter the cave and face whatever was inside or turn back. Maxx had gone too far to turn back. He took out his blasters and examined them. He then holstered the pistol, and raised the barrel of his carbine and slipped inside the cave.

The interior of the cave was dimly lit by large glowing worms that slowly crawled along the dank walls. Maxx slowly made his way deeper into the cave using a form of stealth step that Master Yodale had taught him. He kept his blaster pointed ahead of him. As Maxx turned a corner, he saw that the corridor opened into a brightly lit area as though sunlight had made its way into the cave somehow. Maxx quietly stepped towards the wall of the corridor and slowly moved along it towards the opening. He then narrowed his eyes and slipped inside.

The small cavern that Maxx had entered was lined with gems that reflected the shaft of light that had entered through a small hole in the ceiling. This made the room as bright as the outside. There were several ancient cargo chests lined up against one of the walls and a very large bookcase. There was also a smaller chest that seemed to be used as a writing table. Maxx hadn’t noticed any of this at first. He was too busy staring at the room’s other occupant. What the Sith was a Hutt doing in a place like this?

Once Maxx had gotten over the shock of seeing a member of a species known for its greed, spitefulness and gaudy materialism in such an unusual place, he started to realize just how strange this particular Hutt was. The wrinkles and skin coloration suggested that this Hutt was ancient even by Hutt standards. Maxx estimated that he had to be at least 900 years old but that he could easily be over 1,000. The strange thing was that he was incredibly small for a Hutt of such advanced years. Standing semi erect, this Hutt was no taller than Maxx and his hands seemed to be only a little larger than Maxx’s. It was Maxx’s understanding that Hutts usually exceeded this size by the time they reached their first century of age. By that time, a Hutt would have started binge eating and experienced the resulting growth spurts. Maxx frowned as he examined the Hutt. At least the lack of size would have explained this Hutt’s calm demeanor. Maxx had heard that a Hutt’s food induced growth spurts produced the aggressiveness and short temper that Hutts were legendary for. This Hutt seemed to be content to stand there and calmly gaze at Maxx with no sign of anger or malice in his features.

As he stood there trying to figure out what was going on, Maxx suddenly noticed that he was pointing his blaster at the Hutt. Maxx quickly lowered the muzzle so that it pointed to the floor of the cave. If Maxx had learned one thing, it was that it was never wise to provoke a Hutt, even one that was apparently so even tempered.

“That’s better,” the Hutt said, “now would you be so kind as to tell me what brings you to my home?”

Maxx could hardly believe his ears. The last time a Hutt had addressed him in Basic, the language of humans, was three years ago and then only out of sheer desperation; and Maxx had never heard any Hutt speak so politely in any language.

“I guess you could say that I’m looking for someone,” Maxx answered with a nervous smile.

The Hutt chuckled but it was a strange kind of laughter for a Hutt. It was warm, gentle and full of mirth.

“You seem to have found someone,” he replied warmly.

Maxx smiled nervously.

“That I have,” he replied as warmly as he could. This strange Hutt was making him feel increasingly uneasy with his polite behavior. “Are there any other intelligent beings on this world?”

The Hutt chuckled again.

“Other than you and the woman who is on board your ship? Not really.”

Maxx winced. How could this Hutt have scanned the Nerf thoroughly enough to have taken life sign readings without him knowing about it. Surely Trouble would have alerted him to an active scan unless… Suddenly Maxx understood. His expression grew firmer and more resolute. This wasn’t going to be easy.

“I am seeking a Jedi Master,” Maxx said with a firm finality.

The Hutt nodded.

“Then you are the son of Tamrin Kjell?” He asked. “You don’t bear any resemblance to her.”

Maxx’s eyes widened, even though he had half expected this he was surprised to hear it.

“You knew my mother!?” He asked in reply.

The Hutt nodded.

“A short time ago, and remember forty years is a short time for me, a young Jedi Knight traveled to this world. She had been flying by, sensed an unusual disturbance in the Force and decided to investigate. She was a bright young woman who was very perceptive and perhaps a bit more open minded than her son. We became good friends and she used to stop by and visit me when Jedi business brought her reasonably close to my world.

“A little more than thirty years ago, Tamarin visited me and told of a series of frightening visions. She had foreseen the rise of the Empire and the extinction of the Jedi order. She had reported this to the Jedi Council and although they listened with great interest, they didn’t seem to be convinced. She had a plan to help prevent the Jedi’s flame from being completely extinguished, and she needed my help.

“Thirty one years ago, you were conceived and Tamarin secretly retired here to give birth and make preparations. I have been watching over you for the past thirty years, waiting for you to return and complete your training.”

Maxx stood there staring at the Hutt. It seemed weird to trust a Hutt, but he had already known quite a bit of this story and his feelings told him that he was hearing the truth.

“Then you are the Jedi Master that my mother mentioned in her hologram?” He asked.

The Hutt let out a rueful laugh.

“I doubt that the Jedi Council would have ever elevated me to the rank of Master,” he replied sadly. “I may be knowledgeable in the ways of the Force, but I lack two important characteristics that are essential to becoming a Jedi Knight.”

Maxx blinked as the Hutt stopped speaking.

“What characteristics?” He asked.

“Courage and selflessness,” the Hutt replied. “To be a Jedi Knight you must not only be able to feel and control the Force, you must be willing to act when the situation requires it, even at the cost of your own life. I was never able to do that, thus while the other Jedi who trained with me traveled the galaxy and did great things, I retired to this world to commune with the Force. I have done my best to do no evil, but I have done little good.”

Maxx nodded thoughtfully as he listened.

“Then will you be qualified to help me complete my training?” He asked.

The Hutt nodded.

“I should be able to,” he replied gravely. “I have a thorough knowledge of the Force and while I may be lacking in courage, you have proven to have all the courage you need, and perhaps a bit more. You have even displayed selflessness on several occasions. If you apply yourself and work hard, you could become an excellent Jedi Knight.”

“Thank you,” Maxx replied feeling relieved. “When can I start?”

The Hutt eyed Maxx thoughtfully and then closed his eyes as his face took on a peaceful expression. He spoke as soon as he opened his eyes.

“I think it would be best if we started your training tomorrow. You have been away from your ship for several hours and your lover is beginning to worry. You would be wise to return to her soon. Still, before you leave, there is something I must give to you.”

With that, one of the smaller cargo chests opened and a cylindrical object floated out of it. The object floated over to Maxx who wrapped his hand around it and examined it.

“A lightsaber?” He asked.

“Your mother’s Padawan lightsaber,” the Hutt replied. This was the lightsaber that your mother constructed while she was a student at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. She has since constructed an improved lightsaber, but this one is sturdy and served her well during her early adventures. It should serve you well.”

Maxx switched it on and watched the purple energy blade appear. He closed his eyes and lazily twirled the blade through a figure eight using the Force to keep track of what the blade was doing. He opened his eyes and smiled.

“This is unbelievable!” He exclaimed enthusiastically.

The Hutt’s smile broadened.

“A weapon this precise is not easy to learn, but master this and you will have the power to defeat an army. But beware; such power comes with great temptation and great responsibility.”

Maxx nodded and gave the Hutt his full attention.

“There will always be temptations to make use of your new abilities. The question you should always ask yourself is whether your intent is to serve your selfish interests or the greater good.”

Maxx nodded thoughtfully as he listened to the Hutt’s words.

“How am I to be certain that I am serving the greater good?” He asked.

The Hutt chuckled.

“You will know when your mind is calm and peaceful,” he replied. “That is why the Jedi devote so much of their time and energy towards meditation, so that they can be certain that they are doing what is right.”

Maxx nodded thoughtfully and pondered the Hutt’s words.

“Do you think my actions have been serving this greater good? Or have I just been looking after myself?” He finally asked.

The Hutt listened carefully and nodded gravely.

“This is an important matter for you to ponder. The Jedi of your mother’s time would have frowned on many of your actions. However, they had an order to provide for their needs and to provide guidance and protection. You, on the other hand have been forced to find your own way and fend for yourself. Given those circumstances, you could have done much worse. I will leave it for you to ponder how you could have done better.”

Maxx nodded gravely as he listened. He was beginning to understand the deep responsibility he was taking on. For a short moment he wondered if it would have been wiser to have returned to smuggling as he had originally intended but as he gazed at this serene Hutt, Maxx knew he had made the right decision. One question lingered.

“What should I call you sir?” Maxx asked.

The Hutt stared deeply into his eyes before answering.

“You could use my given name, Durgon the Hutt, but I would appreciate it if you could find it in your heart to call me Master. I may not have earned that title but I promise that I will do my best to fulfill my role as a Jedi Master and teach you to the best of my ability.”

Maxx nodded earnestly and bowed.

“And I will do my best to be a good student and learn all that I can from you, my Master.”

The Hutt smiled.

“And work hard you should, young padawan,” he replied. “We live in dangerous times and when you leave here, you will be very much on your own.”

Maxx nodded gravely. He wasn’t exactly certain what his new teacher was warning him about, but he knew enough about the galaxy he lived in to know that being a Jedi Knight was never going to be easy.

***

“Can you sense any sign of him Trouble?”

Maxx’s modified R5 unit spun his head around and bleated that for the fifty thousandth time, he hadn’t been able to pick up any sign of Maxx, and that with the large number of life forms in the surrounding forest, the sensor array that Lo had designed was practically worthless. The droid went on to say that Lo should just shut up and go back to drawing spaceships so that she would leave him alone.

“Look, I’m sorry okay!?” Lo snapped back as she returned to her datapad. “I’m just sorta worried.”

TC-23J sighed and sat across from Lo at the ship’s table.

“We’re all sort of worried,” she gently said to Lo.

Lo nodded, it had been almost six standard hours since Maxx had left the ship to look for this Jedi Master of his. Since then, she hadn’t heard so much as one peep from Maxx on the comlink. Lo couldn’t help wondering if something had gone horribly wrong.

“Do you think he’s alright?” She asked nervously.

“I suspect that he’s fine,” TC-23J replied as reassuringly as she could. “Knowing Maxx, he probably just got so engrossed in what he was doing that he forgot to contact us.”

Lo turned to the protocol droid.

“But what I he’s not!” She wailed. “What if got hurt!? What if he’s lying alone somewhere dying!?”

“In that case,” the droid replied calmly, “he probably would have remembered about the comlink and called for help.”

“But what if he can’t!? What if he was knocked unconscious before he could call for help!?”

TC-23J sighed and put her hand on top of Lo’s, gently caressing Lo’s hand with her fingers.

“I know,” she replied gently. “I used to worry about Maxx when he was a swoop courier. Every night I’d wonder if this was the night when the odds would catch up with him and all of our hopes and plans would be for nothing. I knew that the Force was strong in him, but he wasn’t adequately trained to use it properly. Still, in the end, he always made it home safe and sound.”

Lo’s eyes narrowed as she listened.

“Is that all he is to you!?” She asked pointedly, “a piece in your Mistress’ game?”

TC-23J shook her head as she listened.

“No,” she answered gently, “as desperate as our times were and as desperate as they are now, Maxx has always been much more than that. I remember when Mistress Kjell gave birth to Maxx thirty years ago. She would hold him and agonize over her plans to send him away. She didn’t want to do it, and brooded about the suffering he would go through without a mother to love him and watch over him. In the end, she sent him to Tapan because she knew that Maxx would be safest there. I have watched him grow from a lonely child to a rebellious youth to a strong young man who is increasingly full of purpose. I have agonized over is pain and rejoiced in his triumphs and I have always loved him, just as his mother did.”

Tears started welling up in Lo’s eyes as she listened.

“I wish I had someone like you when I was growing up,” she said.

TC-23J nodded slowly as she listened.

“You have me now,” she replied gently. “I hope that helps.

Lo was about to say something when she heard Maxx’s voice over the ship’s com system.

“I’m back; could somebody please lower the boarding ramp?”

Trouble erupted into a series of hoots, blats and squawks the like of which Lo had never heard before. Trouble had often been angry with Lo during their first year together and he had often used unbelievably harsh language when communicating with her, but he had never been this creative when stringing together obscenities insults and accusations before. Maxx waited several minutes for the astromech to calm down before speaking.

“I’m sorry buddy,” he said apologetically. “I know I should have checked in with you, I’ve just been a little preoccupied. Could you please lower the boarding ramp?”

Trouble bleated that Maxx deserved to spend the night outside to pay for all the grief he had caused them. Still, he lowered the ramp and Maxx slowly walked on board. Lo stood up without even thinking and stalked off towards the boarding ramp. She saw Maxx in the circular main corridor. She just stood there, fists planted on her hips, and glared at him. Gazing at Lo, Maxx could see past the fury in her eyes and see the pain and tears. He sighed.

“I’m sorry,” he said sadly. “I should have checked in with you and I blew it. I guess I was so wrapped up in this Jedi business that I forgot to think about you. I was wrong. I’ll try to do better.”

Lo just rushed at Maxx and threw her arms around him.

“I was so worried…I thought you were dead…please, please don’t do anything like that to me again!”

As Lo sobbed, Maxx held her in a firm embrace. It seemed strange that a woman who was often so aloof and abstract needed to be held so often. He occasionally wondered if she was like this with the strange men she used to follow home from the clubs but something told him that this was new, that this love between them had broken down many old barriers. They held each other for several minutes before Lo spoke.

“Did you find him?” She asked.

“The Jedi? I think so,” Maxx replied, “if we could go to the lounge, I’ll tell you about it.”

Lo slowly released her embrace and led Maxx to the ship’s lounge. Feeling Maxx’s embrace had reassured her. Whatever had happened to Maxx out there hadn’t changed him too much. He still loved her the way she needed him to.

As the walked into the lounge, Trouble whistled and beeped saying that he was glad to see Maxx again.

“Then you don’t regret letting me in?” Maxx chuckled. He knew that Trouble never stayed angry with him for long.

“Did you find him?” TC-23J asked.

Maxx turned and gazed at her.

“I think so,” he replied. “He is a Hutt, isn’t he?”

Trouble bleated in surprise and Lo turned to stare at Maxx, she couldn’t believe it.

“A Hutt!?” Was all that she could think to say.

TC-23J peered deeply into Maxx’s eyes.

“Was he very old and small for his age?” she asked, Maxx nodded.

“Over one thousand years and still counting,” he replied. “He was unbelievably thoughtful for a Hutt, I’ve never seen anything like him.”

The droid nodded thoughtfully.

“I’d be surprised if you ever saw anything like him again,” she replied. “Hutts aren’t usually very strong in the Force and the few that are, are not inclined to study the Jedi way. Even Durgon was not inclined to take the risks that life as a Jedi Knight demands. He retired to this world to commune with the Force and welcome the occasional visiting Jedi. Your mother used to call him ‘Jedi the Hutt’.”

Maxx chuckled thoughtfully.

“’Jedi the Hutt,’ I like that,” he replied. Still, I shall be calling him ‘Master.’”

Lo frowned as she listened.

“Do you think that’s wise?” She asked.

Maxx nodded.

“There are times when you have to put aside old preconceptions and go with what you know. My gut tells me that Durgon is on the level, so I’ll trust him.”

Lo shook her head.

“You still asked Mother about him,” she replied.

Maxx shrugged.

“It never hurts to get confirmation in times like these, and she confirmed my instincts.”

Lo looked deeply into Maxx’s eyes as she listened. Their experience with Hutts had never been good.

“Do what you must,” she finally said, “but be careful, I can’t lose you again.”

Maxx gazed deeply into her eyes and nodded.

“You have my word,” he said firmly.

***

The next morning was spent making preparations for their stay. Maxx lifted the Nerf out of the clearing and flew over to a dormant volcano where he could hide the ship from hostile scans.

“Did this Hutt Master of yours say why he wanted us to hide the ship?” Lo asked.

Maxx nodded.

“He was concerned that our training activities might disturb the Force enough to catch Vader’s attention. Given the situation, I think his caution is more than justified.”

Lo shuddered, the thought of her love confronting the Dark Lord of the Sith was more than a little disturbing. It made her think of the terrible things that this Jedi business could lead to.

After a light lunch, Maxx gave Lo a private kiss goodbye, climbed on his swoop and rode off for his first lesson with his new master.

***

The afternoon’s lesson involved practicing with a remote, a small spherical device that flew around and fired low powered stun bolts at the trainee. Maxx was familiar with remotes from his blaster training. With blasters, the idea was to shut the remote off by hitting it with a low powered stun bolt before being shot by the remote. In this way, Maxx had learned to react quickly, use available cover and hit a small moving target. With the lightsaber, the idea was to stand out in the open and use his lightsaber’s energy blade to deflect the remote’s shots away from him and ideally send a few back to the remote itself.

This was one of those things that was much easier said than done. Maxx had little trouble using the Force to sense where the remote’s shots were going and with a little practice, he was able to bat the shots away from him. It was much harder to control where the deflected stun bolts were headed. At one point, he accidentally deflected two shots towards his teacher, forcing the Hutt to reach out and stop the shots with his hand to keep from being hit in the eye.

“Sorry,” Maxx said as he lowered his blade and got hit by two shots from the remote.

Jedi the Hutt chuckled warmly, as he used the Force to switch off the remote.

“Most students do no better at their first time against a remote,” he said. “The only difference is that most Jedi begin lightsaber training before they are ten years old.”

“Ten!?” Maxx exclaimed, the incredulity clear in his voice.

The Hutt roared with laughter.

“I keep forgetting that you know little of Jedi history. In your mother’s time, most Jedi left their families at a very young age to study at the Jedi Temple at Coruscant. Your mother left Corellia at age six to be enrolled at the Temple. She constructed the lightsaber you are holding when she was only thirteen.”

Maxx sighed as he gazed at his teacher.

“I wish I knew more about her,” he said wistfully.

The Hutt smiled and motioned for Maxx to sit down.

“She was a very good friend and a fine person, though a little unconventional as Jedi go.”

Maxx leaned forward as he eagerly took in everything he was hearing.

“How so?” He wondered aloud.

“Most Jedi of that time preferred to live at the Jedi Temple and were transported to where their services were needed. Your mother had a strong independent streak and the use of one of her family’s ships, a Corellian YT-1210 if I remember correctly. She used to roam the galaxy, counting on the Force to lead her where she was needed. She had a reputation for showing up in the nick of time and saving the day. She performed rescues, fought pirates, negotiated truces and did what she thought needed doing. Spacers used to call her “the little angel” and offered prayers of appreciation for her appearance.”

Maxx smiled sadly.

“I remember my father telling me about the ship, and you’re right, it was a YT-1210,” he replied. “But I don’t remember him referring to her as being all that angelic. That sithspawn called her his little whore and bragged about what a great lay she was.”

Jedi the Hutt frowned thoughtfully as he contemplated Maxx’s words.

“I wish you’d think more kindly about your father,” he gently reprimanded. “He may have been selfish and thoughtless, but remember that your mother was using him too. I think she tapped into the Force to show him a good time to compensate for the burden she would soon leave him with.”

Maxx grimaced.

“Thanks a lot,” he grumbled.

The Hutt shook his head.

“Sorry, but it’s the truth,” he replied firmly. “Unexpected children are often considered to be a burden by selfish individuals and though he may not have seemed like much of a father, he did take you in and provide you with some support. Your heart should hold some appreciation for that.”

Maxx’s expression softened a bit as he listened.

“You may be right,” he said quietly, “I guess I’m just bitter that he never treated me like a real son, like Vicky.”

“I know,” the Hutt said gently. “Its not easy growing up the way you did. Your mother is mostly at fault for that. Just remember that she was desperate and had few options and that she did what she could.”

Maxx smiled weakly.

“I know,” he said, “and my life hasn’t turned out that bad, all things considered.”

Jedi the Hutt beamed warmly.

“No it hasn’t,” he replied. “Now are you ready to resume your training?”

Maxx nodded.

“I am.”

***

Maxx devoted himself to lightsaber training and his abilities improved rapidly. By the end of the second day, he had managed to bat two of the remote’s shots back at the remote and caused it to switch off. By the end of the third day, he was “hitting” the remote with such regularity that his teacher had to reprogram the remote to bob and weave more erratically. By the end of the tenth day, Jedi the Hutt started having Maxx practice against two remotes.

“I still can’t help but wonder why you told Jay to bring thirty remotes,” Maxx commented after his first time against three remotes, “these things are so reliable that failure is almost unheard of.”

Jedi the Hutt roared with laughter.

“Wait till you see my final exam,” he answered slyly.

***

The two of them talked between practice sessions. Occasionally Durgon would tell his student about the Force or of an important part of Jedi lore. More often he would answer Maxx’s questions.

“During my time with the Rebellion, I often thought of transferring out of Marrelt’s group to a more important part of the Rebellion like maybe the fleet,” Maxx said one afternoon between practice sessions. “Every time I considered this, I was instantly filled with a sense of dread as though I was on the verge of making a catastrophic mistake. Was the Force trying to warn me about something?”

Jedi the Hutt chuckled warmly as he listened to his pupil.

“You were wise to listen to your feelings,” he said. “Moving up in the Alliance would have exposed you to grave danger.”

Maxx frowned thoughtfully as he listened.

“But I’m an outlaw with a death mark who is fighting against the greatest Navy the galaxy has ever known,” he replied. “Doesn’t danger come with the territory?”

The Hutt chuckled ruefully after Maxx had finished.

“It does,” he answered, “but there are dangers that you are ready to face and dangers you are not ready to face.”

Maxx narrowed his eyes as he listened.

“I don’t understand,” he finally said.

Jedi the Hutt smiled.

“You have survived all of your adventures because you are strong in the Force and because you have never had to face an enemy who could be considered your equal. If you had moved to a different unit, your ability would have been recognized and you would have gained a most dangerous enemy.”

Maxx shuddered as he listened.

“Vader!?”

The Hutt nodded grimly.

“A Jedi should fear no one, but you are wise to be cautious about confronting Darth Vader. Even before he fell to the Dark Side, Anakin Skywalker was one of the greatest Jedi ever known. He was extremely powerful in the Force and became a legendary hero during the Clone Wars. After he fell, Lord Vader hunted down and killed many powerful well trained Jedi, including your mother. He would have had no trouble slaughtering a partially trained Jedi like you.

Maxx’s features became grim as he listened.

“Then how will I defeat him?” He asked nervously.

“Hopefully you won’t have to,” Jedi the Hutt replied gravely. “Your mother wasn’t the only Jedi to take precautions. After Anakin Skywalker fell, his master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, learned that Anakin had secretly married and that his wife was expecting. The mother had died in childbirth and the children, fraternal twins, were placed into hiding. Obi-Wan hoped that one of them could be trained to become the Jedi Knight that could defeat Vader and his Emperor.”

Maxx frowned thoughtfully, this was better news than he had expected.

“And if they fail?” He asked.

“Then that burden will fall upon you,” his teacher replied. “Train hard not so young padawan, everything may depend on what you learn here.”

Maxx stared bravely into Jedi the Hutt’s eyes.

“I will,” he replied.

***

Once during lightsaber training, Maxx was overcome by something terrible. He felt as though he heard millions of people cry out in terror and felt their pain as they were destroyed. Maxx bent over in agony, oblivious to the six remotes that were raining stun bolts down on him. For a moment, Maxx couldn’t feel anything but the suffering of those distant millions. Then the moment passed and Maxx opened his eyes. He saw that the remotes had shut off and were grounded and that his Master had a concerned expression. Maxx switched off his lightsaber.

“You felt it too?” He asked.

His teacher nodded gravely.

“I only wish I had not,” he replied, “I fear something terrible has happened. I have felt things like this before, but never on this scale.”

Jedi the Hutt took a deep breath, let it out and closed his eyes. Maxx watched nervously, wanting to know what was going on, what had caused this agony. At first, Jedi the Hutt looked serene, but soon his features grew agitated and he started talking in a soft child like voice.

“No…no…no…”

The voice felt incredibly pained, then the Hutt’s features writhed in agony and his eyes opened. He looked extremely tired.

“It’s worse than I ever could have imagined,” he said in a soft, pained voice. “Alderaan has been destroyed.”

“What!” Maxx yelled, he just couldn’t imagine how a planet the size of Alderaan could be destroyed, or why anyone would want to destroy it. Maxx knew that there were a few prominent Rebels on Alderaan, like Princess Leia and her father Bail Organa, but most of the people of Alderaan were pacifists, they had even disarmed. It just didn’t make any sense.

“I understand your disbelief,” Jedi the Hutt said softly. “It is just so horrible, so shocking. Still I saw it. A space station the size of a small moon approached Alderaan. The station reeked of arrogance and malevolence; I sensed that Vader was there. It fired one shot and the planet exploded.”

Maxx shook his head in disbelief. He knew that something terrible had just happened, he had felt the victims’ agony himself, and yet it was beyond belief that an entire planet could be destroyed so quickly. Why it would take more firepower than he could imagine. He stood there staring dumbly at Jedi the Hutt. Suddenly an idea hit him, he pulled out his comlink.

“Jay? Could you please get on the com system and see if you can learn anything about a disaster on Alderaan? Don’t transmit anything, get on the holonet or do anything that might reveal our position. Just program the com station to passively monitor the hyperradio for anything regarding Alderaan and check the stored transmissions.”

“Will do sir,” TC-23J replied, “but why do you want me to do this?”

Maxx sighed.

“I’ll tell you when I get back, though you’ll probably know more than I by then.”

When Maxx shut off the comlink, he looked at his teacher.

“Please forgive me, my Master. I don’t mean to disbelieve you. It’s all so, so unbelievable.”

Jedi the Hutt bowed solemnly.

“I know,” he said grimly, “I’ve never wanted to be wrong so much in my entire life.”

***

Maxx felt nervous as he raced home. On the one hand, it seemed so unbelievable that anyone could destroy an entire planet and unthinkable that anyone would choose to vape a peaceful world like Alderaan. Still, he had seen enough of the galaxy to know that nothing was really unthinkable.

Besides, he had no good reason to believe that his Master was lying. Jedi the Hutt had been an excellent teacher. He may have been demanding, but he was also gentle and encouraging and always honest. Maxx sensed that he was telling the truth this time as well. Still, it seemed to be so unreal.

***

Lo felt curious as she waited for Maxx to return to the ship. She had been so excited earlier. Her attempt to design a compact shipboard fighter using a Y-Wing forward cockpit module was going well. Her layouts and control systems schematics were finished and her initial simulations were very promising. She had desperately wanted to share her excitement with someone but TC-23J was hunched over the com station and she appeared to be in no mood to talk. Lo had asked Trouble about this and the Astromech replied that Maxx had radioed back two hours ago and asked TC-23J to seek out news concerning Alderaan. Ever since then, the protocol droid had been sitting there like a statue monitoring hyperradio communications.

Lo didn’t give the matter much thought at first, but the more she thought about this, the stranger Maxx’s request seemed to be. Maxx had become so absorbed in his Jedi training that he was even a little distracted when they were alone. Why would he call TC-23J during his lessons to ask about news concerning Alderaan? As Lo pondered this, she used the encyclopedia on her datapad to see what she could learn about that world. The first thing she discovered was that Alderaan was considered to be extremely peaceful. They had disarmed right after the Clone Wars. She also learned that it was represented in the Imperial Senate by Senator Leia Organa, daughter of former Senator Bail Organa.

Lo suddenly remembered that they had been to Alderaan last year to ferry Leia Organa to a series of meetings on several Rebel bases starting with the main one on Dantooine. Lo had never paid much attention to politics, but this “Princess Leia”, as she was called, made a strong impression on her. Lo was surprised that someone who was still in her teens could be so formidable. Even Commander Marrelt, who seemed to have a low opinion of women, showed Princess Leia a great degree of respect. Lo wondered if Maxx’s curiosity about Alderaan had something to do with this Princess Leia. Eventually she gave up wondering and returned to her design work.

***

Lo looked up from her datapad as she heard Trouble lower the boarding ramp. She turned her head in time to see Maxx push his swoop past the lounge and into the main cargo hold, his face troubled. When he returned to the lounge, he ignored Lo and turned to TC-23J who was still sitting at the engineering station.

“Any news Jay?” He asked, his voice radiating concern.

“I don’t know what to make of it sir,” the droid replied. “There’s nothing in the official media, but the hyperradio was full of chatter, mostly about the lack of news from Alderaan. There were many reports of transmissions from Alderaan terminating abruptly, all about the same time, and there were several inquiries about vessels that were supposed to leave Alderaan that seem to have disappeared. Do you suppose that the Empire has learned of Princess Leia’s activities and imposed a lockdown on Alderaan?”

Maxx gazed at the protocol droid and sighed.

“Have you picked up any transmissions from Alderaan?”

TC-23J shook her head.

“No sir, but we aren’t able to monitor all signals.”

Maxx lowered his head and sighed.

“I don’t think we’ll ever receive another signal from Alderaan, I fear it has been destroyed.”

“Destroyed!?” Lo blurted out, her eyes wide with shock. “That’s impossible!!!”

Maxx shook his head as he turned towards his companion.

“I wish it were,” he replied sadly, “but as an engineer, you know it isn’t. As long as you have enough energy at your disposal, you can blow anything up.”

Lo’s face flushed a bit as she listened.

“You don’t need to lecture me about engineering,” she snapped back at him, “I’ve written several papers on the physics of energy weapons and I can tell you that the Imperial fleet doesn’t have that much firepower.”

Maxx sighed.

“I should know better than to argue the finer points of engineering with you,” he replied softly. “My Master and I felt something terrible this morning as though countless people cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. My teacher accessed the Force and found that there was an asteroid field where Alderaan once was. He looked into the past and saw a battle station the size of a small moon approach Alderaan and destroyed the planet with one shot.”

Lo shook her head, it all seemed to be so unreal.

“How could he do that?” She asked.

“He could do that because he is very strong in the Force,” TC-23J replied seriously. “He may not have been much for action, but Durgon has been watching over our galaxy for centuries. The future may be hard for even him to divine, but the recent past would be transparent for a being of his ability. I’m afraid that Maxx is probably right, that the Empire has found a way to destroy a planet and has tested it on Alderaan.”

Lo just stared blankly at Maxx and TC-23J, it all seemed so unreal.

“I know how you feel,” Maxx replied softly. “I felt it happen and even I find it unbelievable. I can imagine what it must be like for you.”

“But why would anybody do this?” Lo sputtered. “I thought that the Alderaanians were pacifists!”

Maxx shook his head.

“I feel that Princess Leia might have been involved. It’s just a feeling and I wouldn’t have given it much thought except…”

Lo nodded gravely. Ever since Maxx had started training with Master Yodale, they had been treating his little intuitions very seriously.

“Then you think that the Empire may have destroyed her home world as a warning?”

Maxx nodded solemnly.

“Perhaps,” he said.

“Then what are we going to do!?” Lo asked.

“For now I’m going to continue my training,” Maxx replied solemnly. “I want the three of you to get the Nerf ready in case we have to raise ship and do something about this thing.”

Lo nodded firmly.

“Will do,” she replied.

***

That night Maxx dreamed that an enormous spherical battle station appeared near the Rebellion’s main base on the Moon Yavin IV; forcing the Rebels to scramble their fighters in a last ditch defense. Maxx watched as the fighters performed a few initial strafing runs and engaged in dogfights with Imperial fighters before three Rebel fighters broke off from the main group and started racing down a trench that ran along the battle station’s equator. The three were soon joined by an advanced TIE of some sort that was flanked by two standard TIE fighters. The Imperial fighters chased and destroyed the Rebels before they could reach their objective. Maxx watched as wave after wave of Rebel fighters raced down the trench, only to be run down and destroyed by the Imperial TIEs. One attacking Rebel even managed to get a shot off at their intended target, a small thermal exhaust port that was barely one meter in diameter, but it didn’t hit.

Maxx watched as the last trio of ships entered the trench. There was something odd about the leader of this particular trio. He was obviously inexperienced and yet there was something strangely familiar about him. Soon the trio was joined by the TIEs. They winged one of the ships and it pulled out of the trench. The second X-Wing was destroyed. Then as the TIE advanced was about to destroy the remaining X-Wing, laser cannon blasts rained down on the TIEs causing one of the standard TIEs to collide with the lead ship and send it careening out of the trench. The lone X-Wing was able to hit the exhaust port and start a chain reaction that led to the battle station’s destruction. As the few remaining Rebel fighters raced away from the exploding battle station, Maxx noticed that they were joined by an oddly familiar YT-1300.

Suddenly Maxx awoke drenched in sweat. Lo was sitting next to him, her eyes filled with concern.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

Maxx sat up and stared at her feeling uncertain of what had just happened.

“It may have been nothing,” he said, “but then it may have been everything.”

Lo stared at him in confusion.

“I dreamed, or I think I dreamed that I saw the battle station that destroyed Alderaan destroyed by a Rebel attack. The crazy thing was, Han Solo was with them.”

Lo’s eyes narrowed for a second, then she burst into laughter.

“Han Solo was with the Rebellion?” Lo asked, unable to contain her amusement.

Maxx frowned thoughtfully. Solo may not have any love for the Empire, but he never struck Maxx as being idealistic enough to join a hopeless cause like the Rebellion.

“I thought I saw the Millennium Falcon with the Rebels,” he said unsure of whether he was dreaming.

“Now I know you’re dreaming,” Lo replied. “Don’t worry, we’ll have the Nerf in tip top shape in case you have to do something.”

With that, she gave Maxx a kiss, stretched out on their bed and closed her eyes.

Maxx sat there for a few seconds, wondering if it was more than just a dream. Suddenly he heard a familiar laugh. Maxx closed his eyes and saw his teacher.

“She’s wrong; you did see the Death Star being destroyed.”

“Death Star?” Maxx asked feeling confused.

“That is what they call the battle station that destroyed Alderaan. I have been keeping tabs on it ever since you left.

“But Han Solo?”

Jedi the Hutt erupted into a hearty laugh.

“There is much more to Captain Solo than even he can imagine, he is like most beings in that regard.”

Maxx nodded wearily.

“I guess I have a lot to learn,” he replied.

“You do,” his teacher answered, “but then, so do most beings. At least you know that you have a lot to learn.”

Maxx smiled as he listened. He felt a lot better knowing that this “Death Star” had been destroyed. Then a discomforting thought hit him.

“Do you think they’ll build another one?” He asked.

Jedi the Hutt nodded thoughtfully.

“You can bank on that,” he replied solemnly. “There is no way that the Emperor could resist the power of such a weapon. Still, it will take many years for that to happen; even the Empire has its limitations.”

Maxx nodded.

“And then?” He asked.

“And then the Rebellion will have to destroy that one as well,” the Hutt answered. “Hopefully they will be stronger by then.”

Maxx nodded, his face looking grave.

“Hopefully…” he echoed.

“Remember that you will have finished your training by then and will have the opportunity to join that fight if you choose to.”

“I’ll be there,” Maxx vowed.

“I know you will,” his teacher replied. “You make me proud to be your Master.”

“Thanks,” Maxx replied smiling. “By the way, the pilot who fired that last shot.”

Jedi the Hutt smiled, his student was beginning to catch on.

“Did you notice that he switched off his targeting computer?”

Maxx nodded.

“That was Luke Skywalker,” Jedi the Hutt continued, “Darth Vader’s son. Now that Luke has joined the Rebellion, it is certain that he will face his father.”

Maxx nodded, it seemed as if things were beginning to fall into place.

“But who will teach him?” He asked.

Jedi the Hutt smiled.

“The greatest Jedi Master of all is waiting for that task, Yoda.”

Maxx nodded thoughtfully, that was very good news.

“And if this Luke Skywalker fails?”

“Then it will be up to you. Now get some sleep, we have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow.”

***

Victor Tekel fought to appear calm as he rode the elevator to the upper floors of the Imperial Palace. The place was dark and imposing and had a feeling of decay that would have bothered Victor under the best of circumstances. Being pulled out of a meeting where he was briefing Fleet Command on Captain Price’s raid on the Rebel base in the Ambolin Asteroid field by one of the Emperor’s red guards made the whole thing downright unnerving. What did the Emperor want with a mere Lieutenant? Victor may have seen more than his share of success in the two years that he had been working for Fleet Intelligence but he had done nothing THAT extraordinary during that time. Why his half brother and that Wild Nerf of his was better known by the Admiralty than he was. Before he had started his presentation, several Admirals asked Victor if Captain Price had finally put an end to that Rebel pirate and his jumped up cargo ship. Victor sadly shook his head. Destroying several Imperial warships with a light freighter can do quite a bit for one’s reputation.

Victor suddenly felt his blood freeze. Surely the Emperor wasn’t summoning him to be punished for Marcel’s misdeeds. Victor knew that Emperor Palpitine had a reputation for cruelty and vindictiveness, but he certainly wouldn’t hold Victor responsible for the actions of his half brother, particularly since Victor had done everything in his power to make that arrogant swine pay. Still, he doubted that the Emperor was interested in Victor’s report of Price’s botched raid. As the elevator reached the top floor, Victor knew that he would have to accept whatever happened and be grateful for any consideration that he was shown.

When he reached the proper spot, the guard silently tapped Victor’s shoulder and Victor dropped to one knee and bowed his head. He heard foot steps and a command from a raspy voice.

“Rise Commander Tekel.”

Victor stood up and raised his head, immediately shifting to the “attention” stance he had learned at the Imperial Academy on Cardia. As he beheld the Emperor’s face, Victor appreciated the strictness of his training as it was the only thing that allowed his face to remain passive. Victor had known that the Emperor had been disfigured by a Jedi attack eighteen years ago, but it had never occurred to him that anyone could be so disfigured and remain alive. The man appeared more terrifyingly alien than any alien Victor could think of. His face reminded him of nothing as much as a growth of fungus. the skin was unnaturally loose and was draped across his features in a way that produced more sags, bags, wrinkles and lumps than Victor could imagine on a living human and its color was a pale yellowish gray that was more horrifying than anything Victor had ever seen on a rotting corpse. The pupils of the Emperor’s eyes were a frightening shade of yellow. In spite of all this, the thing that terrified Victor the most about the black robed figure was the sense of menace that radiated from his very being and permeated everything in the Imperial Palace.

“Do I frighten you Commander Tekel?” The Emperor asked.

“No my lord,” Victor lied crisply, “and it’s Lieutenant my lord.”

The edges of the Emperor’s mouth curled upward in cruel amusement.

“There is no point in lying to me COMMANDER Tekel as I can see right through you. Fail me once, and you shall have a REAL reason to fear me.”

“I shall not fail you, my lord,” Victor replied briskly.

“Good,” the Emperor replied sharply. “I am promoting you to Commander because I have an important assignment for you. There has been a troubling disturbance in the Force and I believe that the Jedi are plotting against me in the Outer Rim.”

Victor was shocked; he thought that all of the Jedi had been hunted down by now.

“You doubt me Commander Tekel?” The Emperor replied harshly.

“No my lord,” Victor replied crisply, “it’s just that I was under the impression that the Jedi were extinct.”

Victor heard harsh laughter and was stunned to see that it came from an elderly man in a gray suit that was standing next to the Emperor. Victor was so horrified by the Emperor’s presence that he had not even noticed the man. The Emperor’s companion appeared to be in his seventies but his gaunt figure and wasted appearance made him appear anything but grandfatherly.

“We have done our best,” the stranger replied with a chuckle, “but the Jedi are resilient and clever. They keep popping up from time to time, and it’s our job to stamp them out when they do.”

The Emperor nodded towards the man.

“This is Varden Krusche, a retired Jedi hunter. I would not have called him out of retirement, but Lord Vader is missing and my other capable servants are busy. I have thus been forced to call Commander Krusche back into my service.”

Krusche bowed towards the Emperor as if to say that he was always happy to return to Imperial service.

“Unfortunately,” the Emperor continued, “Commander Krusche is no longer healthy enough for field duty so I need you to be his eyes and ears on the ground. The two of you will take one of my personal shuttles to the Bentrada system. There you will find Captain Price and the Invincible waiting for you. With the Invincible’s might, Krusche’s experience and your ability we can bring this Jedi problem to an end. Do not fail me.”

“I won’t my lord,” Victor and Krusche replied simultaneously.

“Good,” the Emperor replied. “Now go!”

***

As the Imperial shuttle sped through hyperspace, Victor Tekel sat on the far side of the passenger compartment from where Krusche had been sitting and examined the contents of the satchel that the Red Guard had handed him. He had already donned the new rank insignia. Victor had initially felt a little uneasy with his new promotion; he had only recently been promoted to the rank of full Lieutenant. Still, if they succeeded on their new assignment he would have more than earned his new rank. Victor nodded thoughtfully as he examined the BlasTech DH-17 pistol. The DH-17 was a good all around design, but it wasn’t terribly common in Imperial service. Stormtroopers rarely used anything lighter than the standard E-11 blaster carbine and officers usually carried a much lighter weapon as they preferred to let the Stormtroopers do their fighting for them. Victor had often carried a DH-17 during undercover assignments and noticed that this weapon had been carefully modified. He smiled as he attached the new holster to his belt and slipped the blaster into it. It would be interesting to see how this new blaster performed at the Invincible’s firing range.

Once he sat down again, Victor pulled out the last item of the bag’s contents, a black metal case about 15 centimeters by 15 centimeters by 50 centimeters. He recoiled as he opened it and saw the shiny metal cylindrical object that lay inside the box. Why in the Emperor’s name had he been given a lightsaber? Victor’s understanding was that even being seen holding a lightsaber was punishable by death. Once Victor had gotten over the shock, he gingerly lifted the weapon out of its case and carefully examined it. It was very beautiful, if anything associated with the Jedi could be considered that. The cylindrical silver handle was covered with intricate etchings and terminated with a spherical cap with a belt ring on the lower end. There was a focusing cup built into the weapon’s business end, along with a button, a rocker switch and a knob.

Victor pushed the button and was rewarded as the purple energy blade of about one meter long sprang to life. He pressed the button again and the blade died. He then pushed the button again and played with the rocker switch. One direction created a blade that was over two meters long, while the other created a blade that was only about .7 meters long. Victor stood up, clasped the weapon in the standard two handed grip that he had used when fencing with sabers and practiced some of the fencing moves he had remembered from his youth. The weapon felt light and was extremely well balanced. Victor was suddenly startled by Krusche’s voice.

“You may want to be careful with that thing Commander. A lightsaber blade is very powerful and it would not be good if you sliced through the hull with it.”

Victor quickly switched the weapon off.

“I’m sorry Commander Krusche,” he replied repentantly, “I was examining the lightsaber in my satchel and I guess I got carried away.”

Krusche smiled, looking almost grandfatherly as he did.

“A lightsaber can be a very intoxicating weapon,” he said. “I’ve seen many young Jedi hunters lose their heads while examining one for the first time. May I see it?”

Victor walked over to Krusche, clasped the top part of the lightsaber and extended the lower part of the hilt to the older man. Krusche held the weapon gingerly in his fingers. He turned it around and held it within a few centimeters of his face to examine specific areas.

“This weapon was made by a female Jedi; few males would have wasted so much time with such intricate design work. It was probably built later in her life; the multi phase blade would have been too much for a beginner to engineer. She also spent a lot of her time around spaceships, the shorter blade was said to be ideal for fighting in close quarters. There are only a few scratches on the hilt, suggesting that our Jedi was very careful and only dropped it once, when she was finally killed.”

Victor was astonished.

“You could tell all that by just looking at it?” He asked incredulously.

“That and more,” Krusche answered nonchalantly. “When I was a young detective on Coruscant, I was mentored by an Inspector who taught me that every action leaves tell tale signs behind. Learning to read those signs was invaluable for detective work. When I became one of the first Jedi hunters, I went out of my way to learn everything I could about the Jedi. There were many in the Empire who criticized me for that, but my vast knowledge of my prey has made me the most effective Jedi hunter in the galaxy. Only Lord Vader has managed to dispose of more Jedi than I.”

Victor nodded thoughtfully.

“What made you decide to become a Jedi hunter?” He asked.

“The challenge,” Krusche replied matter of factly. “As a detective I have always savored the most difficult cases. Most criminals were not terribly bright and posed little challenge to a mind like mine, but occasionally I have had the pleasure of finding a case that pitted me against one of the best minds the criminal world had to offer. Hunting Jedi allowed me to bring my game to the next level. The Jedi Order contained some of the brightest and most resourceful beings in the Old Republic and their ability to use the Force gave them a definite edge. Never in my career was I challenged to the degree that I was by my efforts to stamp out the Jedi.”

Victor nodded thoughtfully.

“Then this is just a game to you?”

Krusche smiled coldly.

“All of life is ‘just a game’ as you put it,” he replied matter of factly. “There are rules and objectives and everyone is trying to win. The main difference from lesser games is that different people often have different rules and different objectives.”

Victor nodded as he listened.

“What’s yours?” He asked.

“My objective?” Krusche asked in reply, “merely to be remembered as the greatest Jedi hunter who ever lived.”

***

Captain Nathanial Price frowned thoughtfully as he waited in his ready room. He knew that there would be trouble over his failure in the Ambolin asteroid field. The Empire had been searching for that band of Rebel pirates for over a year. They finally discovered their base and what did he do? He let them slip away with only four casualties. It wouldn’t be long before the Rebels had replaced their losses and started raiding convoys in another sector. When he had heard that Lieutenant Tekel had been summoned to Coruscant to report on his failure to Fleet Command, Captain Price knew that his days as a captain were numbered. Lieutenant Tekel was a good man, but it was clear that he thought that their failure was his fault. Still, he was surprised with the speed that he had received orders to move the Invincible to the outskirts of the outer rim to wait for a shuttle from Coruscant. He had been certain that the shuttle would bring court-martial papers and the Invincible’s new captain. He was surprised when the shuttle had landed and only two passengers had disembarked, Commander Victor Tekel and Commander Varden Krusche.

At first Captain Price was relieved, neither man sounded like a likely replacement captain, but then new questions started forming in his mind. What had Victor Tekel done to be promoted so quickly? The man was very bright and trustworthy but he had only recently made Lieutenant. Captain Price was familiar enough with the Imperial Navy to know that such rapid promotions only happened in unusual circumstances and unusual circumstances were rarely comforting. The bigger question involved Commander Krusche. What in the Emperor’s name was a legendary Jedi hunter doing on board his ship? Well, they would soon be here and he would have his answers soon enough.

***

Captain Price was struck by the difference in the dispositions of the two men as they walked into his ready room. Commander Tekel was clearly uncomfortable with whatever it was that brought him to the Bentrada system. Captain Price had seen the former Lieutenant often enough in the past year to know that he was doing his very best to not appear as nervous as he felt. That itself was reason enough to worry. Krusche, on the other hand, seemed to have changed little from the last time Captain Price had seen him. The twelve years may have made Krusche much more frail than Captain Price had remembered, but his eyes still held the same keen excitement that they always had when he had a case to solve.

“It is an honor to see both of you again Commander Krusche and Commander Tekel,” Captain Price said as jovially as he could. “Can I offer either of you anything to drink?”

“Let’s dispense with the pleasantries, Captain Price,” Krusche said. “The Emperor has sensed a disturbance in the Force and believes that there is Jedi activity in this area. Lord Vader is indisposed, so he sent me and Commander Tekel to stamp them out. I expect your full cooperation in this matter.”

Captain Price nodded; it would have been suicide to argue with the Emperor.

“It goes without saying that you have it,” he replied crisply.

“It is my expectation,” Krusche continued, “that our Jedi are hiding on one of the uncharted worlds near this system.”

“Excuse me Sir,” Commander Tekel said, “but couldn’t the Jedi be hiding on one of the nearby inhabited worlds?”

Krusche nodded thoughtfully.

“It is possible Commander,” he answered, “but highly unlikely. The Jedi are extremely clever and hiding on any inhabited world carries the risk that one of the inhabitants would see something and report it. Hiding on an uninhabited world eliminates that risk. Hiding on an uncharted world would make them even harder to find. That’s why my last five Jedi kills occurred on uncharted worlds.”

Victor shook his head and frowned thoughtfully.

“But how do we find someone who is hiding on a world that doesn’t exist on our charts?” He asked.

Krusche favored the younger man with a wolfish grin.

“That is the problem, is it not?” He asked in reply. “Fortunately, I have developed a few resources that may prove beneficial. During the time of the Old Republic, an uncountable number of probe droids were used to seek out new worlds for colonization. Many of the worlds that the droids found were barely inhabitable and deemed unsuitable for colonization. They do not exist on most star charts. I have gone over the logs submitted by a large number of these droids, compared them to current star charts and built an extensive database of uncharted worlds.

“When I examined my database for worlds in this sector, I came across something rather unusual. There was a record of a probe droid that had found what appeared to be a habitable planet and then immediately malfunctioned. Several other probes were sent to the same coordinates, but they all disappeared after coming out of hyperspace. I had wanted to investigate this matter for a long time, but my superiors were reluctant to release the men needed for a full scale assault, particularly when the probe droids failed centuries before the Jedi went into hiding. This is where I want to begin our search.”

Commander Tekel nodded, he was more than happy to let Commander Krusche take the lead, particularly as he seemed to have some understanding of what needed to be done and how they could do it.

***

Captain Price looked at his chronometer as the Invincible prepared to revert to realspace. He may have been uncomfortable with Commander Krusche’s request to commit such a large percentage of his forces to searching the area, but he knew better than to argue the point. The Captain was painfully aware that he was in enough trouble over his failure in the Ambolin asteroid field, the last thing he needed was for Krusche to say that they failed because Captain Price was stingy with his resources. As it was, he didn’t mind the request that he commit eight thousand ground troops to the search. The remaining stormtroopers should be more than enough to man any boarding parties that he might need. Still, he didn’t like committing three squadrons of TIE fighters and all of his TIE bombers to patrolling the planet’s surface. That left him with only two squadrons of TIE fighters for ship defense, which meant that he could have only one squadron active at any time. Still, he didn’t think he had a choice in the matter.

As soon as the stars stopped moving, Captain Price started barking out orders.

“Launch all available fighters and landing craft, the interceptors are to create a perimeter around the ship and the other craft are to proceed to the planet’s surface and await orders from Commander Tekel! Move the ship in range and prepare to scan the planet’s surface! We shall not fail this time!”

***

As he struggled against the remotes, Maxx was so focused on detecting and deflecting the stun blasts that he was shocked when all of the remotes suddenly switched off and grounded.

“A Star Destroyer has just come out of hyperspace; we will soon be under attack!” Jedi the Hutt Bellowed, “you must go now!”

“What!” Maxx cried feeling confused.

“Focus your mind and listen to what I have to say,” Jedi the Hutt replied firmly. “I have known for a long time that our training activities might eventually attract Imperial attention. It seems that a Star Destroyer has come to finish us off. You must return to your ship and leave while you still can.”

Maxx shook his head.

“I can’t leave you like this,” he said firmly.

Jedi the Hutt narrowed his eyes.

“You must!” He ordered. “Fighters and shuttles have already been launched. If you don’t leave now, it will soon be too late.”

He used the Force to fling Maxx’s comlink at his apprentice. Maxx caught the comlink and switched it on. He soon discovered that all the civilian frequencies had been jammed. There were a few Imperial frequencies that were active. Hopefully, TC-23J would be monitoring them.

“Jay!” He called.

“Crew out!” The droid quickly replied.

Maxx frowned, that wasn’t good.

“Call back and hotst…” and with that, the frequency was dead.

“I’ll come back for you,” Maxx told his teacher as he raced for the entrance of the cave.

“Be careful!” Jedi the Hut called after his student. “Remember your vow! You can help nobody if you die here!”

***

Maxx cleared his mind as he fired up the swoop. As he lifted off, he could sense TIE fighters and shuttles penetrating the planet’s atmosphere. “Crew out”, meant that Lo had left the ship, probably taking a walk to unwind from her design work. Maxx had to find her before the Imperials did. He focused his mind and used the Force to seek her out. As soon as he felt her presence, Maxx adjusted the swoop’s course to steer straight towards her.

***

Maxx hadn’t been flying long when he suddenly sensed laser canon bolts rain down on his position. A pair of TIE fighters had spotted him and were beginning their strafing runs. Maxx veered sharply and quickly used the Force to kick one of the fighter’s yaw pedals so that it swung sideways and was torn apart by aerodynamic forces. The other pilot had managed to avoid crashing into his wingman, but Maxx was able to shove his control yoke forward and send him diving into the ground. He then dove for cover. It was going to slow him down some, but Maxx didn’t want to risk another encounter with the TIEs.

***

When he reached Lo, Maxx saw that he was late. She was surrounded by forty stormtroopers and was being marched towards an Imperial shuttle. “The Force had better be with me now,” Maxx thought as he threw the swoop into a climbing turn and dove on Lo’s captors. Maxx had equipped his latest swoop with a pair of hidden blasters and he was able to pick off ten stormtroopers on his first pass. He climbed out, swung the swoop around and was able to clip twelve on his second pass. Two more passes like that, and the two of them would be home free. Unfortunately the stormtroopers were ready for his third pass. Maxx tried to zig zag the swoop as he fired blindly at the troops but someone managed to hit one of his control vanes. As Maxx sped away, struggling to control his damaged swoop, he felt glad that he had replaced his old Overracer with the more forgiving Mobquet Flare-S. If he had been flying his hotter Overracer, he probably would have crashed. Maxx struggled to bring the bike to the dormant volcano where the Wild Nerf was hidden. If he was quick, he might still be able to rescue her.

***

Trouble lowered the boarding ramp as Maxx’s swoop limped into the crater where the ship was hidden. Maxx slowly rode the bike up the ramp and slammed it down in the main corridor. As soon as he fastened his crash webbing, Maxx lifted off and shoved the throttle forward. He took a deep breath and cleared his mind as he raced towards the clearing where the shuttle waited. “There still might be time,” he thought.

Unfortunately there wasn’t. As soon as he had exited the volcano, Maxx saw the shuttle climb out. He sensed Lo’s presence on board. He couldn’t risk shooting the shuttle down and attempting to board it in space, when it was full of stormtroopers and under the shadow of an Imperial Star Destroyer was suicide. Maxx turned the Nerf around and hurtled toward the cave where his Master was waiting. He had one last thing to do.

Maxx’s old freighter was anything but aerodynamic and all of Lo’s clever modifications did nothing to change that fact. As Maxx raced the ship close to the ground, the atmosphere grabbed at it and tried to throw it out of control. TC-23J held onto the engineering station and silently prayed that Maxx’s ability to connect with the Force didn’t let him down now. Trouble swiveled his head towards her and squawked, “does he think he’s piloting a landspeeder?” TC-23J turned to him.

“I think I know what he’s trying to do, and I fear it’s a mistake,” she replied, the tension dripping from her voice. “Watch his control movements carefully and be ready to intervene.”

Trouble beeped affirmatively.

Maxx was aware of the troopers by the mouth of the cave as he backed off on the throttle and prepared to open the gunports. Suddenly he was wracked by agony and might have crashed if Trouble hadn’t taken over the controls and carefully brought the nose up.

“Thanks buddy,” Maxx said as he cleared his mind and eased the throttle forward. He knew immediately what had just happened in the cave. There was no point in remaining on this world.

***

Maxx felt a grim sense of relief as he sensed the Invincible sitting between him and the spot he wanted to be in when he entered hyperspace. The Empire may have taken Lo and killed his master, but this time Maxx was in his element. He relaxed and focused his mind, strengthening his connection to the Force. It was time to dance.

Maxx quickly threw the Nerf into a quick series of pitch and yaw oscillations coupled with the occasional quarter roll. The idea of a weave was to fly randomly in such a way as to give one’s ship a definite course and yet make it impossible for the enemy gunners to guess where one would be at any given time. This was a skill that few pilots had. Most would fall into a pattern of some sort, they might not recognize it, but the enemy usually did. Maxx had been developing this particular skill since his early youth when Vicky and his friends started firing pellet guns at him while he was flying his first scooter. Years as a swoop courier and a smuggler had honed that skill and his training with Master Yodale had perfected it. He didn’t have to worry about the TIEs this time. Now that the Nerf was down to fighting weight she could handily outrun any ship that Captain Price was able to launch and any shots that the TIEs were able to get off would be easily be absorbed by the Nerf’s powerful deflector shields. As he raced towards the Invincible, Maxx was entirely focused on the job at hand. Nothing was going to hit his ship.

***

Captain Price and Commander Krusche were glued to the bridge’s holographic display as they watched the small freighter approach the Star Destroyer. Captain Price couldn’t believe the ease with which the small cargo vessel managed to dodge the withering volley of turbolaser bolts and ion cannon fire that were directed towards the small ship. If he hadn’t known better, Captain Price would have assumed that his gunners were being lazy and careless. As it was, he couldn’t image any pilot from his Interceptor squadron getting this far against his ship.

“How in the Emperor’s name does he do that?” He asked in disbelief.

Krusche smiled coldly.

“Our man was obviously a talented pilot before he started Jedi training,” he said, his voice full of cruel amusement. “His ability to sense the Force has honed his skills to the point where he’s almost unstoppable.”

Captain Price suddenly felt his throat tighten.

“Will he attack!?” He asked.

Krusche chuckled.

“I doubt it,” he answered. “He may be showing off, or he may just be using the most direct route. Still, I can only hope that he’s foolish enough to attack a Star Destroyer single-handedly. I imagine he’ll be wise and run off to fight another day.”

Captain Price shook his head.

“The Emperor won’t like that,” he replied softly.

“I know,” Krusche replied calmly, “but I have a plan. We’ll get our Jedi yet.”

***

Maxx leaned forward and held his head in his hands as the Wild Nerf sped through hyperspace. The best part of having to fly past that Star Destroyer was that the concentration required to dodge so much incoming fire crowded out the sense of hopelessness that was now washing over him. His failure to rescue Lo and protect his Master sliced deeply into him as he wept. “Some Jedi,” he thought bitterly as the tears dripped from his eyes. “At least Lo was probably still alive,” he thought trying to salvage some hope from this mess. He had to rescue her, but as he pondered how he was going to slip aboard a Star Destroyer, sneak into the brig and rescue a heavily guarded prisoner, the hope died. He wondered if he should just forget about his beloved and just return to the dreary routine of smuggling.

Suddenly he heard a familiar voice in his head.

“It is not a good thing for a Jedi Knight to be so bewildered.”

“Master!?” Maxx cried out, some small bit of hope returning to him.

“Join me in the main cargo bay,” the voice replied. “There is much that we need to discuss.”

Maxx stood up and raced toward the main cargo bay. It seemed to be beyond belief; he had felt his Master’s death. How could he be hearing his voice? As Maxx entered the lounge, he saw his teacher and he sort of understood. The figure standing at the edge of the cargo bay couldn’t be alive; he was translucent and had a greenish brown glow.

“Master!” Maxx cried out as he dropped to his knees.

“Get up!” Jedi the Hutt commanded. “The Sith may show respect for their masters in that way, but the Jedi do it by becoming outstanding individuals and protecting others!”

Maxx stood up and gazed at his teacher. He may not be alive, but he was still there, he was still there!

“I’m sorry,” he replied still feeling shaky. “I…I thought you were dead.”

Jedi the Hutt chuckled warmly.

“I am dead,” he answered. “Fortunately your mother wasn’t the only one who took precautions.”

Maxx stared blankly at his teacher.

“I may be too lazy and cowardly to be a true Jedi Knight,” the Hutt continued, “but my understanding of the Force is as vast as the universe itself. I have known for some time how I could become one with the Force at death so that my spirit could survive and communicate with the living. Ever since I made my vow to your mother, I have known that a day like this would probably come, and I have prepared for it. When the troopers arrived, I performed my final meditation so that I could be here to guide you.”

“Thanks my Master,” Maxx replied, “I was beginning to feel lost.”

Jedi the Hutt chuckled sadly.

“That’s putting it mildly,” he replied, “and it is not a good thing for a Jedi Knight. Soon people will be looking to you for direction.”

Maxx sighed, that was the scariest thing he could imagine.

“What should I do?” He asked.

“You want to rescue your lover,” Jedi the Hutt said.

Maxx nodded.

“How in the galaxy am I going to do that?” He wondered aloud, “I mean sneaking aboard a Star Destroyer isn’t the kind of thing one does every day.”

Jedi the Hutt chuckled.

“You might be surprised at some of the things a fully trained Jedi would be able to accomplish,” he replied.

Maxx’s face brightened a little.

“Really?” He asked.

“There were no Star Destroyers during your mother’s time, but the rescues that she was able to perform weren’t that far from what you are going to attempt.”

Maxx smiled.

“Then there is hope!” He exclaimed.

Jedi the Hutt chuckled.

“There is always hope,” he replied. “But we shouldn’t make light of your situation, it is much worse than you might imagine.”

Maxx pressed his lips together as he listened. He couldn’t imagine how that situation could be much worse.

“Your Lo is in the hands of three men who wish to destroy you,” his teacher continued. “The most dangerous is Varden Krusche, a notorious Jedi hunter. He is extremely brilliant. He knows a Jedi’s strengths and how to work around them. He also knows a Jedi’s weaknesses and how to use them. He will try to lure you into a trap using Lo as bait.”

Maxx frowned as he pondered his teacher’s words.

“Then are you saying that I shouldn’t try to rescue Lo?”

Jedi the Hutt shook his head.

“You should never TRY anything, either DO it or DON’T,” he said firmly. “And I don’t think you have a choice in the matter. If you do the sensible thing and leave her to die, it will haunt you for the rest of your days. I’m just saying that you should not rush off to save her until you are ready. You have made incredible progress while we have been together, but you are still not ready for this task. Train with me until I say you are ready, and I will forge you into a formidable Jedi Knight.”

Maxx’s eyes blazed as he listened to his master.

“Will she die before I am ready?” He asked firmly.

“I doubt it,” his teacher replied. “Varden Krusche, Victor Tekel and Nathanial Price all know that they will face the Emperor’s wrath if you survive. The best way they have to get to you is through her. Lo will be made to suffer greatly while she is in their hands but she should remain safe while you remain at large.”

Maxx frowned and shook his head.

“I have other friends they could use,” he said somberly.

Jedi the Hutt nodded.

“I know,” he replied, “but they know that nobody could possibly mean as much to you as she does. Besides, acquiring the others will force them to communicate their difficulties to their superiors and that is one embarrassment they would rather not face. I will be keeping an eye on them and I should be able to warn you before that happens.”

Maxx nodded gravely.

“I will continue my training,” he replied firmly, “and I will remain with you until you say I am ready.”

Jedi the Hutt smiled warmly.

“Excellent!” He said. “We shall need a place to train; it should be spacious and secluded.”

Maxx nodded.

“I know just the place,” he replied.