Even the Mighty Fall

[GreyJedi]

Jax Wofrus, a direct descendant to a survivor or the Jedi purge, Galen Wolfrus, had been discovered to be Force Sensitive when he was only three years old. He had been taken to the main Jedi hub upon the Galactic Government ship THE PROVIDENCE. As a young man he was trained to hone his powers as a Jedi and be put into what was called a Jedi Sect.  Now; Jedi these days didn’t have one particular Jedi temple where they all trained. Unlike back on Coruscant, where ALL Jedi trained under one room with multiple masters, Jedi would train on THE PROVIDENCE and then be shipped off to a particular temple to train their particular skills. Some Jedi would be sent, because of their particular usage of Force abilities such as MIND TRICKS and Force Manipulation, to a temple for PEACE KEEPERS. Some, due to their strong will and determination would be sent in as JEDI GENERALS. With all the Different sects no one Jedi knew exactly where they would end up to train.

Jax Wolfrus had trained, and excelled in pretty much all aspects of the Force, and got accepted into the Senate Security Corps. The S.S.C were almost along the lines of Jedi Temple guards but they were assigned to a particular Senator to watch and protect at all costs. At the age of 29, Jax had been the youngest guard accepted into the Corps. Of course right off the bat Jax was assigned to Senator Marcus Li.

Marcus had been a Senator on THE PROVIDENCE for going on 35  years now. He had seen it all. Of course he was also what they called a Historian and had done a lot of research on the ways of the Republic and The Empire as well as First Order and Resistance. He was very verse in all things and had managed to get a lot of bills passed for the future of the Galactic Republic. Jax had stood outside the door of the Senate Room protecting the doors. Since the government ship had been constructed no one had managed to do anything to any of the senators. The meeting had ended and Marcus Li had come out of the chambers and walked up to Jax

“Jax my boy. Come with me! It is time to run the errands the wife needed for our dinner party tonight!” Marcus Li had been a native of Dantooine. He had been elected as Senator 35 years ago and had been re-elected ever since. Usually running unopposed and with good reason. Marcus had managed to be on the board when THE PROVIDENCE had been commissioned and as well as was very year just 20 years AFTER the fall of Emperor Palpatine. Marcus was older, wiser and more versed in the universe then any one Jax had met.

“Where to then Sir?” Jax had asked Marcus.

“The Shopping level. I need to pick up Porg Chops as well as some Dantooine sour berries for a reduction my wife is making. It goes over the Porg chops.” The shopping level was 1 of at least 50 levels with in THE PROVIDENCE. There was the Shopping level, which is pretty much self explanatory, the Entertainment Level, Medical Level, Residential Level, Maintenance Level and so on. Each level had a particular thing for workers, residents and every one a like that visited or lived on THE PROVIDENCE.

“Porg Chops? I mean Senator Li that’s not very elegant. Why not Burra Fish? I think that would be much more refined for a Dinner Party full of Senators!” Jax explained

“Oh Jax my Boy! You know Margaret! If I don’t return with what she wants, it'll be hell to pay! And then she’ll be cooking us for dinner!” Marcus laughed as they headed down the hall  towards the Lift. As they entered the lift sped down level after level until they reached the Shopping level. Marcus and Jax had gotten off and Jax followed at the same pace behind Senator Li. “Over to that merchant Jax. I will be right here” Marcus had made his way over and started to haggle with the vendor. Jax had looked around. Keeping a sharp eye out for anything suspicious.

After about 5 minutes Marcus had walked over to Jax with the Berries and Porg Chops and smiled. “OK Jax. Lets head back up to the Residential Level and get these to Margaret. The Party is only in a few hours and these Porg Chops have a lot of marinating to do in the Berry Reduction.” Jax nodded as Marcus started to walk off. As Jax followed he could feel something off. Something not right with in the area. As they got closer to the lift a man, cloaked in a black, what looked like, Jedi Robe stepped directly in front of Marcus. His face was covered and no facial features could be seen. The man reached out with his hand and began to force choke Marcus.

Jax sprung into action and with a flick of his hand, the man in the black robe was flung into the lift doors. Jax had managed to reach for his Light Saber and get it out but the figure had managed to get away. Marcus lay in the ground unconscious.

~~~~MEDICAL LEVEL~~~~

Jax had been standing outside of Marcus Li’s Medical Room door. He felt horrible that in the 35 years that Marcus was a Senator, this was the first time, under his watch, that anything happened to a Senator in general. Jax stood there at attention as people, Doctors, Medical Droids and other walked past. How could this happen? Jax managed to feel the presence but couldn’t see it until it was too late. Could Jax be slipping? Was his training failing him? Jax had so many questions running through his head it was making him sick.

Being the youngest guard of course all the blame was going to fall on him. Commander Wolffe Talos hadn’t really liked Jax since day 1. When Jax had joined nearly 10 years ago, Commander Talos strongly advised against inducting him into the S.S.C. Now that this happened, nearly ten years later, this was going to give Commander Talos the excuse he needed to expell Corporal Jax Wolfrus.

After about 3 hours of standing in front of Marcus Li’s door, Commander Talos walked up to the door. Jax immediately snapped to attention and saluted him. The Corps was almost a military installation with in the PROVIDENCE but was used as just Security. Being as the wars had pretty much be contained to a few small out planets, those were worked on internally.

“What in the hell happened here Corporal!? How could you let this happen!? Senator Li is one of our most oldest and distinguist Senators! I am going to have your badge for this! You will be DONE! DO you understand!?” Talos yelled.

“Sir, Yes Sir!” Jax was angry, annoyed and frustrated.

Commander Talos had pushed his way passed Wolfrus and went inside the Medical Room. Jax was just distraught. What was he going to do? He’d be removed from the S.S.C and removed from THE PROVIDENCE and this was the only place he knew. Would he be shipped to another temple? The thoughts had started to flutter around in his head.

About 20 minutes Commander Talos had walked out of of Marcus Li’s room and gave Jax the dirtiest look any one could be given. Jax was davastated. What was he going to do? Jax Wolfrus would have been literally the youngest officer of the S.S.C and also literally the only one to ever be tossed out. Suddenly Jax felt something funny. He entered Senator Li’s room to find him dead. His pillow had been placed over his head and his machines had been unplugged!

“This is Corporal Wolfrus! All Available agents down to the Medical Wing@ This is a Code Red! Code Red! Commander Wolffe Talos has murdered Senator Marcus Li!” Jax screamed over the radio!

“What in the hell are you talking about!? I haven’t even been down there!” Commander Talos had chimed in. The alarm had been established in the medical wing and Jax had left the room and ran westerly through the halls of the Medical wing. He ran down the hall way and dodged past droids and doctors. As he got towards the end of the hall to the view port all that was left was a pile of Commander Talos’ uniform. Jax was dumbfounded. He picked it up and looked around. There was no escape. Where did this impostor go!? As Jax turned around other guards had blasters pointed at him. Commander Talos had walked between the guards and laughed.

“Trying to pin this on me? Youre done here Wolfrus, DONE!” The guards grabbed Jax and placed vibro-cuffs on his wrists and escorted him to the lift.

“I didn’t do this Sir! I swear! Marcus Li was my friend!” Jax had pleaded as they entered the lift.

“Oh, So that is why you attacked him in the Shopping Level this afternoon!? Disgusting!” Commander had shook his head and escorted Jax and the other Guards to the Security Level. “Youll be spending a lot of time here in the brig until your sentencing! SCUM!” Jax had felt even more horrible. Why was this happening to him? Why? He had no idea and he knew he would never attack Marcus Li. He did all he could to protect him. 

A few days later, Jax Wolfrus had been exorted to the sentencing room where Commander Wolffe Talos and other high authorative figures with in the all sat around behind a semi-circle type table. In the center Jax stood before them.

“Against my better judegment, after a long deliberation, I, and my fellow collegues, have decided DEATH was not the right course of action for you. We have discussed and determined that stripping you of your rank, your uniform and you dignity as well as sending you down to work on the planet Maridun. There you will be subject to work in their smelting factory breaking down remnants of the wars past. Old Star Destroyers, Star Fighters excetra! This will be your fate!”

Jax shook his head and was grabbed by the other guards in the room. He was escorted out and brought to the lift.

“Jax, Sorry man! I am telling you this is not right. I saw those holo-tapes. It clearly showed Commander Talos entering the medical room and then leaving a bit later. But when the Camera catches his uniform it’s a different person. Of course I am just a private so saying anything to any one else is going to get me in trouble. I figured id tell you. Give you something to work towards!” Private Eckhardt spoke. It wasn’t usually for a private to speak up but Jax had known Eckhardt since they were kids. Jax entered the lift and was immediately shot down to where the Escape Pods were. This would be the last time Jax Wolfrus would see THE PROVIDENCE.

[GreyJedi]

~~~~5 Years Later~~~~

 

Exactly 100 years after the fall of THE FINAL ORDER and Emperor Palpatine, Jax Wolfrus worked in the smelting factories on Maridun. There old dura-steel pieces from the destroyed star destroyers were brought in via construction droids and dismantled by torch droids. The pieces hauled over to the conveyor belts and then ran through the machines and turned into liquid dura-steel. The dura-steel girders that were created from the remnants of the ships were then used to repair cities that had been devastated from the previous wars, settlements that had been decaying and homes in need of repair. This factory, and many others life it, was the backbone of rebuilding the republic back to what it formerly was.

 

The even bell had rung. Jax Wolfrus, now 34, managed to get himself a somewhat cushy job. After arriving here five years ago, Jax had taken every shift offered, every piece of overtime and every “special assignment”  given. This landed him a foreman job. Jax had watched over all the new workers and workers who did just enough, not to get escorted off world, for about three years now. After shift Jax, as usual, was exhausted. 13 hour days on the floor to come back to his quarters and literally pass out until the next Day. Jax had reached his quarters.  Saying good night to a couple of the other workers he entered his quarters and closed the blast door behind him. He crashed out on his bed and closed his eyes

 

A few hours later Jax awoke to hear a rapping on the door to his quarters. There was a mail slot, that honestly never got used, attached to the door. Suddenly a piece of paper had fluttered from the opening and onto the floor. Jax looked puzzled. He got off his bed and walked over to the piece of paper that had hit the ground. Grabbing it he walked over to his desk and sat down. He opened it slowly and looked at the writing on the inside: “Meet me By Smelting Line 4! COME ALONE!”. Jax rubbing his stubbled face. He was not sure how to take this. He grabbed his boots and put them on and out the door he headed.

 

The common area of the Smelting Factory always had someone in it. There were 2 major shifts within a day: The morning, from Sun up until Sun down and then from Sun down. People would always take their breaks, eat their lunches or just shoot the shit when they weren’t on shift. Jax walked through and lunch area and proceeded onto the floor. He looked around and grabbed a hard hat and managed to keep his face concealed with a re-breather. He walked casually through the floor and towards the last row towards the end of ROW 4.

 

As he got towards the end of row 4 he saw no one. He looked around and literally had no one anywhere to be seen working or otherwise. Jax had shaken his head and then noticed something a bit out of place. He walked over towards the wall and saw a vent cover had been taken off the vent itself. He looked around and saw a figure behind a pipe in the maintenance area.

 

“Hey, Who is hiding back there! Show yourself!” Jax had blurted out. The figure had slightly moved out of the shadows and instantly Jax knew who it was

 

“Corporal Wolfrus. It’s been a long time” The figure said.

 

“Eckhardt?! What are you doing down here? Why aren’t you on THE PROVIDENCE?” Jax inquisitively asked.

 

“Well, years ago when you had been blamed on the death of Marcus Li and I told you about the holo-tape, Not long after that, I was in my quarters, in the residential sector, when there was a bang at my door. I opened it and Commander Talos busted in with about 5 or 6 guards and proceeded to blame me for treason. How I was in contact with you, feeding you information about the locations of THE PROVIDENCE and training schedules of other Temples all over the galaxy. Of course I denied any of that but when they pulled up my holo-deck there was information sent to someone here on Maridun. I still denied it all but they convicted me to death. I managed to escape THE PROVIDENCE and get onto an escape pod and head to Coruscant. From there I purchased a small ship with some money I had stored away for a few years.” Eckhardt explained

 

“Jesus, something isn’t right on that ship. I have done a lot of thinking and I am pretty sure the person I saw enter Senator Li’s room was in fact a shape shifter. That is the only explanation as to what happened. “ Jax looked at Eckhardt and shook his head. He was dumbfounded but he was also glad that someone else knew the truth.

 

“That does make sense. Look, we got to get out of here. We need to head to any outer-rim territory to get as far away from THE PROVIDENCE and their grasp as we can.” Eckhardt shrugged.

 

“Only place I know that is still out of control of THE PROVIDENCE is KALEE. This is the home-world of the feared GENERAL GREVIOUS from the CLONE WARS. The Providence has NO hands there. It’s in WILD SPACE and is pretty much left alone. I do know there is a small colony of Humanoid types there. About 5000 or so. They are on the westerly part of the planet and pretty much keep to themselves. That might be a place we can look into. “ Wolfrus explained.  

 

“That might work out. KALEE is far enough out of their grasp and if people living there aren’t fans of the government then we should be able to blend in with out an issue. We just need to not have any insignia of being former employees of THE PROVIDENCE or to be honest any type of anything that is even remotely part of THE PROVIDENCE.” Eckhardt explained.

 

“Well of course! I leave here and I won’t want ANYTHING to do with THE PROVIDENCE or even wanting to even be associated with that place! Commander Talos did me wrong and I will find out how to prove him wrong! As well as getting my status back in the Jedi Order but elsewhere. I want nothing to do with THE PROVIDNCE.” Jax Wolfrus was adamant on note stepping foot on THE PROVIDENCE again. He would figure out though how to get back at Talos and the rest of the team that betrayed him.

 

“Well, Jax, I do have a shuttle awaiting us to bring us to my ship. So I suggest we hurry along if we are going to get off this planet today.” Eckhardt

 

Jax and Eckhardt entered the vent in which Eckhardt had snuck into the Factory off hand. They made their way deep into the vent until they came to a service tunnel, about 200 meters from the smelting floor. They entered the Service tunnel and about another 75 meters was a later leading up a drainage pipe. Eckhardt and Jax climbed the ladder and Eckhardt opened the drainage lid and looked around making sure no one was on patrol.

 

“Ok, coast is clear! Come on!” Eckhardt opened the lid and climbed out. He ran quickly into the brush that was about 10 meters from the opening. Jax Wolfrus climbed out and managed to also get his way into the brush. “Come on, this way. The shuttle isn’t too far off now.” They wormed their way through the heavy brush around the Factory.

 

Suddenly the sound of the alarms could be heard throughout the factory grounds. The sounds of employees and security guards scrambling and yelling filled the air. Blaster bolts had shot past them but the direction they were going didn’t seem as if they were AIMed at them. Jax and Eckhardt managed to make their way a bit further until they came to a small ship.

 

“Here it is. This ship got me here and this ship is going to get us out of here.“ Eckhardt explained. Jax didn’t seem to keen on the whole small ship thing. He knew what it was like on escape pods, the close proximity to everyone and no room to work. Jax remembered Survival training when 15 of them managed to stuff themselves into a one of those escape pods and crash landed on a planet that, well, no one knew. It was an exercise before ANYONE was accepted into the Security Corps. Jax shook his head, getting back to reality as a blaster bolt barely missed his back.

 

“I am pretty sure getting out of here sooner than later would definitely be in our best interests Eckhardt! What the hell is going on at the factory!?” Wolfrus yelled.

 

“No Idea! But it looks like Rebels are attacking the South side of the compound! Quick get in!” Eckhardt had the hatch open to the shuttle and Jax had jumped in. Eckhardt made his way to the control panel and started her up. Blaster bolts managed to start bouncing off the hull of the ship. “I am putting shields at maximum and here we go!” Eckhardt managed to get the shuttle off the ground and out into the sky. Before they knew it, they were in the depths of space and then, BOOM, the hyper drive kicked in and away they went, heading towards KALEE.

[GreyJedi]

Not long after they had entered hyperspace, Jax stood up from the co-pilot seat and headed to the rear of the cockpit. Eckhardt soon followed and got in front of Jax

"Ya know, before I got off THE PROVIDENCE I managed to grab some supplies. I entered the armory and managed to grab some armor and well, a few lightsabers. I figured I would need them if things got hairy. I actually never expected to really run into you on Maridun. I had heard you were there but the reputation that smelting factory has definitely proceeds itself." Eckhardt explained. Both him and Jax both knew that that factory was not one that would let you get away with much. Jax witnessed it first hand. 

"Oh I know that. That's why I kept my head down, did what was asked of me and more and kept to my quarters." Jax Galen looked at the supplies stocked away in the spare quarters "Lightsabers and Armor huh? I haven't used my force powers in years. They had me with a device that squashed my powers. If I used them, it would some how, no idea how, know and would shock me. I haven't even thought about using them lately. Or in years for that matter." Jax explained

Jax Galen has been a prisoner on Maridun for 5 years. he had been removed from THE PROVIDENCE for something that he did not do. In his head of course, even after all these years, he still wanted to prove himself innocent. This was going to difficult and he knew that but he was going to try any way. Jax had made his way into the quarters and looked at the gear. The armor had the insignia of THE PROVIDENCE still on it and so did the hilts of the lightsabers. 

"Well, we are going to have to work on that. When I escaped THE PROVIDENCE and ended up on Coruscant to purchase my ship and other supplies I had stayed there a little bit. I explored some of the lower regions of the city and stumbled upon an entrance. I had heard rumors of an old Temple that was around during the Clone Wars so i thought MAYBE this was an entrance for it. Unfortunately it was blocked off by rubble and what looked like blaster marks and lightsaber cuts into the durasteel. I examined the Entrance a bit more but I heard guards rustling about about 200 feet from me so I left as quick as I could." Eckhardt explained. 

Years prior Jax was told a story from his Mother about her Great Grandfather Galen Wolfrus. He had traveled to the temple on Coruscant to retrieve an old Jedi Artifact that had been locked away in the bowels of the temple. The artifact was said to be the lightsaber of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, the master to the infamous Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi. Jax mother told him that her great grandfather retrieved this artifact and then went into hiding because The First Order had also been looking for it. No one knew what had happened to him or the lightsaber. 

"Funny you say that Eckhardt because I was told a story as a kid about a relative of mine that actually made it into the temple on Coruscant. He was sent there to retrieve an old lightsaber that belonged to a Jedi Master named Qui-Gon Jinn. My mother would tell me this story and told me that he retrieved the artifact and disappeared. No one knows where he went to or what he did with said artifact. Its been a family mystery for years!" Jax had explained the story to Eckhardt. It was interesting that Eckhardt had gone to Coruscant Temple but couldn't get in. Jax had picked up one of the Lightsabers when the danger alarm had sounded. Eckhardt and Jax moved quickly back to the cockpit to see they had come out of Lightspeed early into a debris field. 

"Good God, its a Debris field! it looks like there was a war here!" Eckhardt panicked as he grabbed a hold of the controls and started to maneuver through the field. 

"Just take your time and slow us down a bit! We don't want to get clobbered by a piece of a ship's hull. It would obliterate us. At least if you slow us down, we'll have a better chance at avoiding anything huge!" Jax looked up to see another ship above the Debris field. He looked a bit closer and realized it was a Scout ship from THE PROVIDENCE. "Quick! Shut down the engines all together! A scout ship! If they haven't already got our signature, once we shut down, they wont be able to! They'll think we are just floating Debris." 

Eckhardt nodded and quickly maneuvered the ship and then shut the engines down. They were still moving at a considerable speed and Eckhardt was still able to move through the debris field. Jax kept his eyes up on the ship and watched to see if any fighters had been dispatched. Suddenly the ship took off into hyperspace with out a single word. 

"Well that was a little isane. I wonder what pulled us out of hyperspace? I've never seen a ship just flop out of hyperspace unless pulled out. Which if that was the case, wouldn't we be in a few thousand piece by now?" Eckhardt wasn't wrong. When on THE PROVIDENCE jax had seen a ship that was capable of pulling other ships right out of hyperspace. it would instantly tear the ship into piece, or layers like an onion, and kill whom ever on board. Jax thought to himself and went to the navi-computer.

"So according to the computer, The coordinates you put in were for KALEE and well, we came out right where KALEE should be but looking at there, I don't see KALEE at all. It's like it just disappeared. There isnt even any traces of like meteor debris, just ship debris." Jax was very dumfounded. he continued to look through the nav-computer thoroughly. 

"So wait, you're saying that the planet is gone? Like no trace of it at all? How is that even possible? A planet can't just up and scram Jax! Even if OBLITERATED there would still be particles, rock particles, left behind hitting my ship like it was a Hydro Storm on Kamino! Where the hell did it go?!" Eckhardt asked. Jax looked at him and shrugged his shoulders. Both were lost and had no idea where the planet  had gone to. Jaz continued to look through the navi-computer but was coming up with nothing. 

"I do not know Eck. This is the weirdest thing i've ever seen. Not even a Jedi can make a planet disappear. Not now and not years prior. Do you have any equipment to scan for a celestial body? A planet, peice of a planet or otherwise?" Jax had asked. 

"Nothing that big, no. Hell, I don't even think a scout ship has anything that big! Maybe a destroyer or super destroyer but not a small little ship like this. Plus, since THE PROVIDENCE is seemingly now out in Wild Space, i am not sure we can't even operate something like that with out them finding out!" Eckhardt had started to show signs of being nervous. Jax looked at him and placed his hand on his shoulder and looked at him. 

"We will be fine, trust me. If the scout ship had seen us right off the bat, they would of sent down fighters and a boarding ship to retrieve us. Neither of that happened so for now I think we are in the clear! Though, I do suggest keeping the ship shut down, for a bit longer, just in case." Jax was serious. He had been on a few ships when THE PROVIDENCE had him on scout detail that was hunting a runAWAY or some sort of outlaw and just when the outlaw ship thought they were gone their fighters intercepted and destroyed it. Literally the minute it restarted its engines. Jax had told Eckhardt this to keep him a bit calmer. Wasnt sure it worked.





TBC