Jedi in Exile Episode 1 - "A Forlorn Hope"

[Zixinus]

I love where this is going.

Although, I have to ask how did the Jedi girl know to ride a completely alien creature?

I also assume that the new Darth-whoever has gone slightly insane during the lone months.

[bilateralrope]

Although, I have to ask how did the Jedi girl know to ride a completely alien creature?

How different would riding a horse be to riding any of the creatures ridding in SW ?

How many of those differences can be overcome by the Jedi watching the horses mind and/or giving it a few force suggest nudges ?

[Steve]

Huh? When did Zeala ride a horse?

[Zixinus]

How different would riding a horse be to riding any of the creatures ridding in SW ?

How many of those differences can be overcome by the Jedi watching the horses mind and/or giving it a few force suggest nudges ?

First off, I am no expert, but I am pretty sure that riding any different creature is a different practise.

Second, its not only controlling the animal that's the problem with riding. There are several small things about riding, most people can't sit unto a horse stabely without help, let alone know how to keep themselves while the horse moves.

Huh? When did Zeala ride a horse?

Mz mind accidently read "stallion" instead of "saloon". Nevermind.

[NecronLord]

Qui-Xi considered the news carefully. It certainly didn't bode well, in a fashion, since such a government was not compatible with the Jedi Code and was definitely a threat to any attempts to rebuild the Order. Though to hear of a resistance to them...

I almost pity the Alliance.

[Steve]

Chapter 7



Diya was at the ramp when Qui-Xi opened it, but she was surprised to see he was not alone, nor with the others. A brown-haired creature she'd never seen before was beside him, a riding animal of some form. Qui-Xi motioned forward and the creature bounded up into the Lightrunner, making a "whinnying" sound as it did so before snorting.
"is the ship ready to depart?" Qui-Xi asked Diya.
"Well, I finished the critical maintainance an hour ago. The hyperdrive's got a couple components about to burn out that I had to replace, and our fuel reserves are very low..."
"But enough to get us where we're going now," he remarked, motioning to the reins of the horse. "Secure the horse in the cargo bay for the moment."
"Yes, Master Jedi."




The open pasture was clear of spacecraft at the moment, leaving the assembly now gathered alone. Carts of food - smoked meats, bread, various dairy items - picked to replace the rations that were depleted during the voyage, as well as most of the town's remaining stock of anesthetic for Trina Gibbons, now passed out upon a stretcher with bandaging to cover where the skin had been flayed from her body. Silas and Zeala stood at each side of her, ready should she begin to gain consciousness to send her back into a merciful sleep.
A distant light grew brighter in the sky, and in very swift manner. Within moments the Lightrunner came down securely upon her lowered landing struts. The ramp door opened and Diya was there. The two Jedi sensed the surprise and astonishment of those town people gathered around them; non-humans did not exist in their area of the galaxy and were still the thing of legend and fiction.

"Diya, help secure our supplies," Silas said to her without needing to consult Qui-Xi. He nodded to the assembled volunteers of Mayfair, who picked the unconscious girl up and carried her up into the Lightrunner with Zeala following. Qui-Xi emerged past a file of men carrying boxes of food aboard and looked to Silas. "I want you to monitor the fuel reserves and engine closely, we lift off as soon as the supplies are aboard."
"Yes, Master," he answered, entering the ship and heading to the cockpit to begin the launch checks.

As the loading came to an end, Qui-Xi was approached by Alston, Coughlin, and the town's physician Doctor Pell. Alston handed Qui-Xi a box. "This is straight from the town bank, met for Trina's healin'. We're tryin' to send out a radio message ahead of you, but if that doesn't work, there's a letter inside from me and Doc Pell informin' whomever you meet of the circumstances and offer of more payment." A concerned look was on the woman's face. "I needn't say, sir, that this is most of the coin the town's got."
"I will see that it gets spent for the purpose it was put together for," Qui-Xi said in assurance. "Is there a contact I can meet to arrange a meeting with these groups you say would cover the rest of her medical expense?"

"Look for a Mr. and Mrs. Santori when you get to Persephone," Pell said. "They run a charitable organization, Mercy United, that will provide a hospital bed and the rest of the bill for the treatment."
"I shall do so." Qui-Xi saw the last boxes getting loaded aboard. "Perhaps we shall make our way back out here."
"We'll be glad to have you."
"Thank you, Sheriff Coughlin. Mayor, Doctor, take care." Qui-Xi bowed respectively toward them and returned to the Lightrunner.

A multitude of townsfolk were now arriving, eyes fixed on the small spacecraft. Qui-Xi was visible in the side cockpit of the ship, manipulating controls. With a rush of air and a roar the Lightrunner lifted off, sending dust everywhere. The engine on the back lit up with a bright white, nearly bluish color and the vessel soared into the distant sky.
"Godspeed," Coughlin whispered softly, after which everyone dispersed to continue cleaning the town up.




Diya had joined Zeala in keeping watch over the sleeping girl, carefully kept on a makeshift bed in their dining area. The wounds on their passenger and the stories she'd heard of the attackers made her quiver. Sensing Diya's fear, Zeala smiled at her and affectionally laid a hand on Diya's shoulder. "Don't worry. We would sense them," she said to the frightened girl.
"So, what's going to happen now?" Diya asked.
"We are traveling to a planet called Persephone. The people at Mayfair say it is a more developed world and will have the facilities to care for this girl. But that brings up another matter, Diya." Zeala looked at her with a hint of sorrow. "It appears there are no non-humans here. I'm.... not sure what will happen to you."
"You're not saying I'm going to be stuck on the ship all the time, are you?"
"I.... do not know. Master Qui-Xi might find a solution I've not thought of."

Silas emerged from the rear of the ship, carrying a large plate with him. On top were three smaller plates, each with a mix of vegetables, a mass of white food matter with an orange-yellow colored sauce or mix on it, and a slab of what looked to be meat of some sort. "These foods are unfamiliar, but I believe they have been cooked properly."
Diya and Zeala each took a plate and began eating. "What of Master Qui-Xi?" Zeala asked.
"I have given him a meal already, but I do not know if he wants to have it given how he set it aside." Silas found a seat opposite them. "He is troubled by this galaxy. Something that the leaders of Mayfair told him have disturbed him."
"The people here seem friendly enough. Though how they will react to Diya..."
"I don't wanna be stuck on the ship all the time," Diya complained. "I mean, I like ships, but..."

"Do not worry about it, Diya. I am certain Master Qui-Xi will find a way to deal with the situation." Silas took a moment to check the sleeping girl and make sure another dose of anesthetic was ready to keep her asleep. "I do wish we could have stayed on Mayfair. It seems like a simple enough place."
"It was beautiful. I wonder if Persephone will be the same?"
They resumed their meal, the two older Jedi sharing slight grins when Diya proved unwilling to eat the bitter-tasting green vegetable meal, only doing so after being coaxed into it by Zeala. When she finished persuading the younger Twi'lek girl to do so, Zeala looked up and saw Silas looking at her. A smile crossed her face, and the affection in it was rather clear. And with it, perhaps, a bit of hope, a hope that maybe the fresh start of the Jedi Order may make possible the feelings that they had been expected to neglect.
Of course, one didn't need to be a Jedi to sense what the two thought toward each other, and Diya noticed enough to smile herself. She really did like them both and hoped they could be happy.




Qui-Xi had started to tire a bit earlier than he thought. To ensure himself of rest during the flight he began to meditate lightly, clearing his mind, calming his thoughts. He felt the Force flowing around and through him much as he always did in this state, his body and mind at rest.
An image flashed before his eyes, suddenly, intensely. It lasted just long enough for him to see the face of a Human girl, long dark hair down past her neck. The image held only a second before vanishing, but it would come back a few times in the next minutes. Then it changed. He could see the eyes of the face shining a bright yellow, the expression darken and the Dark Side manifest.
Feeling the Dark Side snapped him, for the moment, out of his meditation. He looked about the cockpit, noticing the planet beginning to loom ahead. A radio signal was coming through, detectable by the ship's systems, and a voice informed him that they'd been cleared for landing and an address for Mercy United supplied upon arrival.

Affirming his descent, Qui-Xi followed the requested entry pattern, intentionally lowering the speed of his ship to match that of a couple others coming down beside him. The Lightrunner lit up from re-entry forces. It was an uncommon sight, given that the ship was capable of plowing straight into the atmosphere before the red-hot aura of re-entry appeared.
Below he could see the main city of this planet. It was a combination of what looked to be barely habitable hovels and shining buildings, magnificant estates also visible as the Lightrunner flew on toward the starport. The facility was bustling, filled with vessels of varying size and shape that reminded Qui-Xi of the spaceports along the Inner and wealthiest Outer Rim planets.

They made a comfortable landing in their berth. Qui-Xi checked to make sure Zeala and Silas were ready to transfer the unconscious girl Trina before exiting the ship. A uniformed woman was present, a customs official he suspected. "I've never seen a vessel like your's, good sir," she remarked to him. "Do you have a cargo manifest?"
"Here." Qui-Xi placed a list down, written by the people of Mayfair in the alphabet they used for what, to him, was clearly Basic. "Our cargo is entirely composed of foodstuffs for our own use, and a young lady we have brought here for treatment after a Reaver attack with funds from the town of Mayfair to finance her treatment."

"Reavers?" The customs officer looked at him. "Then Mayfair is destroyed?"
"No, it was not. The attack was thwarted."
The admission brought a look of surprise to the customs officer, and their conversation was clearly overheard by the berth's porters checking the outside of the ship. "Well, aren't they lucky? Individual survivors are one thing, but I've never heard of a settlement surviving a Reaver attack."
"All things are possible," Qui-Xi said as a simple reply. "I was informed that an address for Mercy United would be available to me upon arrival. The girl we're carrying must have treatment very soon."
"Of course."



As it turned out, Mercy United was a hospital, but not a normal one. It was on one of the private estates ringing the capital, an expansive estate complete with mansion, numerous adjacent wings and buildings, and a finely-crafted stone driveway with a marble fountain before the front door.
The ambulance that had been arranged pulled up. Two paramedics from this hospital came out, carrying Trina Gibbons with them, and headed toward a side door. Qui-Xi and Zeala stepped out behind them. The vehicle pulled away afterward.
The two Jedi followed the paramedics bearing the girl into an intensive care wing in what obviously used to be a guest house. Once inside they saw her whisked away to a private room in the care of a doctor. When they were about ready to depart a voice called out, "Please, a moment." Qui-Xi and Zeala turned back and faced a portly, bearded man with a slimmer woman on his arm. "I didn't quite catch your name, sir."

"I am Master Qui-Xi Lao. This is my apprentice Zeala Del." Qui-Xi considered the richly-dressed couple for a moment. "Mr. and Mrs. Santori I presume."
"Yes," the man replied. "We were curious to meet you when we got word you were seeking the aid of our organization. I have to admit to some curiosity, as you don't sound like any settler I've heard."
"Oh, dear, please, it's quite obvious that they're monks living out amongst the settlers," Mrs. Santori remarked. Looking to Qui-Xi she asked, "Though I'm not sure what kind. Clearly not Buddhist."
"We are followers of the Force that flows through all living things," the Jedi Master answered, somewhat obliquely, but he desired to be far more discreet with the people of this world.

"Ah, a sect of Taoism then," Mr. Santori said with a triumphal air. "Have you any room to stay on Persephone, good monk? We do have a couple spare rooms in the main house."
"I thank you for your hospitality, but I must decline, we have already begun making arrangements for a stay in your planet's countryside."
"Of course, of course," Mr. Santori answered. "How many survivors were there from Mayfair, if I might ask? We would be pleased to arrange an expedition to help rebuild the settlement...."
"The town survived," Qui-Xi said to them. He could see in their reactions the same hints of disbelief as the customs officer had shown. "The defense was... well-fought and the attacking force was destroyed."

"Well, I shall have to send the town a suitable reward then." Mr. Santori looked to his wife. "A few containers of fine wine, Antonia?"
"Of course," the wife agreed. "And maybe funds for new school textbooks."
"Perhaps you can take such cargo back on your return trip?" Santori asked Qui-Xi.
"We will have to overlook our ship first, our engine was barely sufficient for us to get here and will likely have to be replaced."

"Oh, don't worry, we shall pay for a new one for you," Mrs. Santori remarked happily. "Isn't that right, dear?"
"Of course, dear, of course." Santori's smile did have a hint of falseness to it. Qui-Xi sensed that his wife was starting to spend more money with her promises than her husband would have preferred. "Well, Master, I shall arrange for you to be returned to your ship, and if you require any transportation at all to your new lodgings you need merely call me. I would be happy to take you myself and hear more of this successful defense against Reavers."
"Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Santori. I shall keep that consideration in mind."




Qui-Xi and Zeala stepped back aboard the Lightrunner. "Silas! Diya!" Qui-Xi's voice echoed through the halls of the ship. The two were soon coming to him. "The Santori family has generously offered to replace our engine with a new one. Can the ship's engine be replaced as such?"
"I suppose it can," Silas replied. "The Corellians designed this type to be highly modifiable."
"This will include a new power plant, I suspect, with fuel that we can use. If you believe this can be done, I want you to drain the fuel from the ship and set it aside in one of the hidden spaces, and to rig the ship to look like our primary fuel was exhausted entirely and that we landed on battery power. Diya, please get Zeefive and aid Silas in this task, I sense time is of the essence."
"Of course, Master," Silas said.

As he and Diya headed off to do such, Qui-Xi turned to Zeala. "I shall place you in charge of arranging tonight's meals, Zeala."
"Of course Master."
"But in the meantime, I believe there is training for you that must be seen to." Qui-Xi's thoughts went back, briefly, to his images in meditation. The sense of the Dark Side being close at hand had convinced him that preperation was going to be a greater manner than he had earlier considered. "Your skill with a lightsaber must be honed, for I fear that this new galaxy may prove a far rougher and violent place that we'd hoped for."




Travis Mountcliffe watched a planet begin to loom in the front window of the dark-colored vessel that Darth Vindis had brought him to after leaving the Heavenly Grace. The "Sith Lord", as he called himself, was seated in the cockpit, manuevering his ship slowly toward the planet. "What is this backwater place?" Vindis asked him.
"Mayfair. A minor settled world out here on the fringe of known space. Bunch of backward Independents."
"The Jedi have been here," Vindis remarked. "We will land and seek out information on them."
The ship moved in closer to the atmosphere. As they did so, a vessel moved up a bit beside them, about the same size but clearly inferior in construction. The cockpit was placed on a head-like structure attached to a main body with twin engines along the sides and a bright glowing yellow drive on the rear. "A Firefly," Travis said. "Rinky-dink little transport class, lots of outer world captains have one."

Vindis looked at the ship and an expression of some surprise and interest appeared on his face. "Is there any way you could know what was aboard that vessel?"
"Well, if she's notorious enough, I was probably briefed on her. Think you can show me any markings on her?"
Vindis pressed a couple keys off to the side and brought up a holographic image of the ship. It zoomed in close, and though the bluish tinge of the projection eliminated any hint of alternative color, he could see what was obviously a brightly-colored disk - of what color he couldn't tell - with a name emblazoned in English lettering and backset by Chinese characters.
Serenity.




The scene was one of fire and destruction. A city burning to the ground, bodies strewn everywhere. Utter and complete ruin.
Qui-Xi's eyes moved about. He stepped by the shattered, burnt husk of R2-Z5 and looked down at the dead body of Diya Suun, her face showing the fear that struck her at death. His eyes noticed the wounds she bore were those of a lightsaber.
Further steps brought him along the ruined landscape. And then he saw them. Zeala's body was laid out on the ground, her outstretched hand lacking the lightsaber it once held. Beyond her there were flashes of red, purple, and blue. Qui-Xi could make out Silas in combat with a merciless foe, Zeala's lightsaber and a red one battering away at his student's defense. He fought back furiously, but a swing went the wrong way, and Zeala's lightsaber was plunged into his chest. He cried out and fell to his knees. He looked to Qui-Xi and a sad expression crossed his face. "I'm sorry..."
"I'm sorry, Father...."

The red lightsaber sliced cleanly through his neck, and his head rolled off. Qui-Xi screamed, "NO!" and reached out toward his fallen apprentice. The figure that had slain his students turned toward him. It emerged from the shadows, revealing itself, and Qui-Xi recognized the figure as the dark-haired girl from the earlier flickers of vision in meditation. Her face was locked in an expression of mute rage and hatred, her eyes lit up with an unnatural yellow.
The lithe figure rushed toward him with an inhuman speed, Qui-Xi barely bringing his lightsaber up in time to deflect a vicious flurry of attacks. His attacker was masterful, nearly striking him several times in the first few seconds, his arms having to move at the highest possible speed just to avoid her vicious and brutal onslaught.
Then the purple lightsaber went through his wrist, severing his hand and sending it and his lightsaber flying. Before the pain could register the red lightsaber moved in for the kill and pierced his chest.

With a sudden cry Qui-Xi sat up. He looked about and found himself in one of the cabins on the Lightrunner, his body sweating hard. His eyes went to his right hand as if to ensure himself it was intact. He was only assured that he still had it by the sight of his shaking hand moving at his command.
The door opened and Zeala was standing there. "Master Qui-Xi?" she asked. "You cried out, is something wrong?"
For a moment he remained silent, trying to quiet his mind from the sensations of his nightmare. "I.... I believe so. Zeala, where is Silas?"
"He is about to begin draining the fuel core...."
"No. Tell him to stop and get the engine ready for immediate departure."
"But, our fuel...."
"We do not have time to let them rebuild the ship," Qui-Xi said insistantly. "We must return to Mayfair immediately."

[Hawkwings]

Oh man, this is getting intense! And now we have Serenity making an appearance. I look forward to the confrontation to come!

[Gerald Tarrant]

Ahh, it looks like River may have access to the Force, a far more satisfying explanation than cannon Firefly/Serentiy offered.

[LadyTevar]

River was bad enough without the Force, thank you.

[Steve]

River was bad enough without the Force, thank you.

Do I detect a hint of dislike for the character or is just me taking your wording the wrong way?

[Hawkwings]

My favorite episode was "Objects in Space" because River finally did a ton of cool stuff. That trick with the ship's comm system, very cool, and messing with the guy's mind was awesome.

[NecronLord]

May the Goddess Santori bless you!

[Zixinus]

Do I detect a hint of dislike for the character or is just me taking your wording the wrong way?

Think, we are talking about a girl that beat up a small horde of psychotic madmen without the Force. Give that to her, give the Force to a woman who's head been throughout messed with and your results will not be pretty. In fact, it will be scary as living hell.

[Steve]

Do I detect a hint of dislike for the character or is just me taking your wording the wrong way?

Think, we are talking about a girl that beat up a small horde of psychotic madmen without the Force. Give that to her, give the Force to a woman who's head been throughout messed with and your results will not be pretty. In fact, it will be scary as living hell.

And consider that, for the purpose of this fic, she was using the Force to slaughter those Reavers.....

[Gerald Tarrant]

I've been wondering if the Alliance School For Gifted Youngsters will have more force users, or if River is just a singular individual that the Alliance's net happened to catch.

[Steve]

Well, we won't be seeing that. After some thought I've decided I'm not going to finish this story. It was a mistake.

I may yet revisit the premise, and even recycle the first four chapters and the title. But this story is over.

[Hawkwings]

You can't do this to us man... It's like Starcrossed all over again! (hint hint)

[Steve]

I'm sorry. Last night I was feeling very depressed, and some nagging concerns of mine on how well I can do the Serenity characters - and how much work it'd require when my motive for writing the fic was to do something fun - ballooned into that announcement. Though there might not be an update for a while, I think I'll try to finish it sometime.