Star Wars : New Jedi

"Master Jedi, will you meet with me in the Wardroom for a quick meeting?" Corvell asked Katarn. "Then I can see you off."

"Very well," the Jedi wasn't pleased with the delays, but wasn't going to fight it. "Lead the way."

"Commander, you have the bridge." Corvell nodded to his XO.

"Aye sir. I have the bridge."

As the captain stepped out, he saw that two Marines were shadowing them. It looked like another of the Jedi's observations had come true, though he noted they were quite relaxed around the Jedi. It was only natural, given what he had done for them. Things could have been so much worse.

He stepped into the room, now badly disorganized by the manoeuvres in the battle. "A simple question, Master Katarn, if I may."

"Go ahead."

"Why are you so interested in not being recognized?"

"What's the question? I'm just a retired Merc. Not someone special."

That answered the question then. He was on a secret mission and wanted to keep his cover. And there was little he could do about that. "The record will show that the crew of a civilian shuttle we had aboard for repairs when the rally call came out assisted in repelling the boarding droids." He didn't bother to sit. "There will be no official mention of your rank."

"I'm sorry to put you through all that." Kyle was honestly apologetic. "But there are things, you know...."

"Yes, secrets and lies." Corvell sighed. "I cannot keep your help secret, though I will impress on the crew the need to keep the full extent of your contribution a secret."

"That's all I can ask," Kyle said. "Thank you."

"No, thank you Master Katarn" Corvell stumbled, "Kyle. Thank you Kyle. And may the Force be with you."

"And also with you, Captain."

...

( Raven's Claw )

"Raven's Claw, this is Astute Control, you are clear to depart at your discretion."

"It's about time!" Jan wanted to yell back, but professionalism held her back. That, and Kyle wasn't back yet. "Thank you, Astute."

"No, thank you, Raven's Claw. You're welcome back on this ship any time." That was definitely not professional.

"Hey Jan!" Kyle called out through the comlink. "You there?"

"Yes, I'm here." She slightly hissed. "What kept you?"

"Oh, this and that. Look, I'll buy you an extra bouquet of flowers when we get to Coruscant. We're clear to leave, and I'm headed for you now."

Jan looked out the cockpit window and saw one of the doors further up the ship open to reveal Kyle. He waved. "I see you." She switched frequencies at the same time she hit the button to open the loading ramp. "Astute Control, this is Raven's Claw. We will be departing in two minutes, please."

"Understood Raven's Claw. We will open the doors in 90 seconds."

"Thank you, Astute. Thank you for the service." Out the window, she could see Chief Saew's deck crews working to remove the magnetic clamps that held her ship in place.

"At least he made some friends," she muttered to herself as Kyle reached the ship and climbed in.

"Hey Jan, you missed me?" He said jovially as he stopped by the armory to return his weapons, shield belt and spare power cells to be recharged. He took the droid head off his belt and set it down on her workbench. "I got you that droid head, to look at."

"Thanks." She replied, giving him the cold shoulder for leaving her behind like that. She couldn't keep it up, but it would be enough to know that he needed to be extra nice to her for a while. "Where too?"

"Coruscant," Kyle said. "But take the scenic route out of the fleet," he added. "I want to see if there are any modern ships around."

"Don't tell me you're buying the time travel theory!" Jan exclaimed. "Even I think it's stupid!"

"That's why I want to look," Kyle repeated calmly. "Any further problems with the engine?"

"No," she said. "No problems. Once I set the course, we'll be at Coruscant within a day."

"Good to hear," Kyle said as Jan expertly pulled the Claw out of the Astute's shuttle bay and into the void. "Now, what do we have here?" He looked over the sensor returns as the ship navigated through the rapidly crowding space lanes between the ships. Shuttles moved people and supplies, debris still sometimes flashed by, all the detritus of battle surrounding them. "Sithspit, ain't no way this is all fake."

"And I'm not seeing anything newer than a... Venator?" Jan pointed out the proto Star Destroyer as it passed them by. "I thought they were all scrapped!"

"I heard a few got sold to local governors, those whom the Empire found trustworthy enough when they were replaced with the Imperial class," Kyle said as he looked around for anything himself. "No X-Wings. No Headhunters. Not even a frell'n TIE!"

"This is scaring me, Kyle."

"I can feel it, Jan." Kyle knew he needed to be the calm one here. "Let's go to Coruscant and away from this madness."

"Are you sure the Force is alright?"

"What? Yes." The Jedi had been keeping an inner sense on his connection to the Force, and while something did seem a little off, it wasn't anything really worth bringing to Jan's attention. "Let's just get out of here."

"I hear you." Jan set the NavComp, most of the calculations done already aboard the Astute. "Next stop, Coruscant!"

...

Couruscant System

The Raven's Claw reverted to realspace well inside the Coruscant arrival zone, the appearance of one small shuttle not going unnoticed with all the other traffic coming and going from the capital world of the Galactic Republic.

They were hailed very quickly by Coruscant orbital control, Kyle picking up the Comlink while Jan focused on flying the ship. "This is the Raven's Claw," he read out the ship's registry, "We're on our way to the deliver a package to Mon Mothma at the Senate."

"Raven's Claw, the airspace around the Senate building is closed off due to the declaration of War. You will be directed to a nearby starport where your ship will be inspected before we can allow you go further."

"Wow, someone's paranoid. Wonder if there was a bomb threat," Kyle wondered aloud as he and Jan cast worried looks at each other. He turned the Com back on. "Understood, Coruscant Control. Our package isn't vital, or perishable. Raven's Claw out."

The navigational computer beeped as it received an automated flight plan to a port a dozen kilometers from the seat of government. "You heard the nice man," Kyle said. "Nice and easy."

"I know how to fly the ship, Kyle. You can stop telling me what to do." Jan teased back at him.

"I know, I know." Kyle got up. "I'm going to check our cargo and get ready for the inspection." Thankfully as a member of the New Jedi Order, there wouldn't be any problems with the guns on his ship as long as they were properly secured and unarmed. Announcing they were going to see the former head of state of the Republic meant that they could be sure they would receive a proper inspection.

The small crate was still safely locked, and he was sure that Mon Mothma knew the code. Although if he used the Force, he was sure he could crack it open.

Or use his lightsaber to cut it. That was always an option. He had that still clipped to his belt, while his jacket and the holster for his pistol were where he left them, in his bunk. Luke was right, he reflected, as usual. A lightsaber was a natural extension of his status as a Jedi. After making one last sweep to make sure everything was tidy – Jan still hadn't sliced the droid's brain, but after everything they had seen it didn't seem necessary, so he tossed it in a bin of other spare parts.

Back up in the cockpit, he sat down. "Ship's secure, nothing out of place."

"Thank's Kyle. We'll be down in about an hour or so."

"Nice. I think I'll check the news broadcasts." Kyle dreaded what he would find, as unless he and Jan were caught in an illusion of some impossible-to-conceive-of degree, there was no way to fake Coruscant, or what came from it.

"Kyle?" Jan said, a little bit of fear in her voice. "What do we do if it really is the past?"

"I don't know, Jan. I really don't know."

...

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