Harrower-Class Chaos - Chapter Six (Patreon)

At some point during the first day of travel, Jedi Master Plo Koon seemed to finally realize that I hadn't been joking when I said I knew very little about what was going on. He asked about the ship, about where it came from, about why I didn't have weapons, about the ice and about the wolves, and while I ventured a few guesses, most of it was answered with a shrug and an apology.

He also asked about me, about before I was a ship, and while I shared a few tidbits about my past life, I was very circumspect about details. Not only was I not really interested in revealing I came from a place very unlike this one, but… that life was over and done with. No doubt that with how long I spent floating in the void, whatever life had existed around me had long since moved on, and… well, I was okay with that.

Better to leave it in the past, then be stuck grasping at grey and faded memories.

Eventually I was able to turn the questions around and start to get some answers of my own. I got a brief, if surprisingly candid, explanation of the war he and the clones were fighting, as well as the state of the galaxy as a whole. Depending on how honestly he was speaking, all of it was best described as a grade-A shit show. 

Don't get me wrong, it was so much better than plenty of stories I could recall, but a whole galaxy at war, droids and clones, neither side really in the right… It didn't seem like much fun. 

On one hand, the CIS was fighting for the rights of the downtrodden living in the Outer Rim, two words I now had context for with the basic astronavigation map I now had access to. The problem was that all of the people at the top of the CIS were, according to the Jedi, greedy, evil corporations and some bad, dark Force users. I didn't have much context for the latter, but the former wasn't exactly hard to believe.

On the other hand, there was the Republic, which was one, using an enslaved clone army, and two, basically fighting to repress a rebellion born from mistreatment, heavy taxation, and misrepresentation. But, according to the Jedi Master, they were the good guys, with genuinely good people leading them, for the most part. In his words, while he knew the system was not in the best shape, there were better ways to solve them than just splitting the galaxy in two.

On top of that, according to him, dark Jedi, or Sith as he called them, were dangerous, the kind of people I would lump in with some of the crazier, megalomaniac dictators from back home.

I still withheld my final judgment, but his open admission of the Republic's faults made me think he likely wasn't lying. Naive, lied to, or misled maybe, but in my experience, bad people hardly showed remorse for things they couldn't control themselves. He also showed genuine concern for the clones he was leading, which was a good sign.

The fact that Nix and Nox were both happy with the Jedi Master, and tolerated the clones, was also a good sign for me. Still, as we started to approach our destination, days after setting out, I was tense. I still had my ice control slotted in, ready to use to attack or defend if the need arose.

Our destination, according to Plo Koon and the navigation data, was a planet called Foless. It was under the protection of the Republic Navy, was only a few deviations off the Corellian Trade Spine, and had a large enough spaceport and enough resources that they would be able to repair my damage, without actually being a large-scale military world. 

Essentially, it was perfect for our purposes, especially once we were able to use a comms buoy and the communication equipment from one of the escape pods to let Plo Koon contact his people. Another Jedi was even stationed in the area and was moving to meet us when we arrived. Plo Koon admitted that while he found me interesting, his honor demanded he stay on the path of finding and stopping the ship that destroyed the three starships under his command. 

It was respectable, though I was a bit nervous about who I would be liaising with next. I was fully prepared to run if need be, but actually getting some repair work done would be nice. My injuries didn't hurt as much as they did, but it would be nice to get them taken care of.

As we dropped out of hyperspace, we "landed" quite some distance from Foless, so I took a moment to orient myself and scan the system before pushing forward. I unsealed the hangar that contained the escape pods, moving them to the side to make room for any newcomers. I also doubled the thickness of the ice covering my other hangars.

For now, that veil was my cover for the ship forms of Nix and Nox, as well as the Black Knights, should I need them. I had already explained to Plo Koon that the corvettes that had rescued them were tucked safely in the hangar below theirs, and were linked to me so I could direct them, which was why he didn't sense any crew. 

Those hangars would stay sealed until I was ready to admit just how bullshit my abilities were. Or until I didn't have any choice but to reveal the truth.

As we slowly approached the planet, I was a bit sad to find that I didn't get any new tickets. Apparently, my version of the Chaos Gacha was a bit stingy, so the tickets would likely come in slowly. 

After getting closer to the planet, a single dagger-like capital ship moved to intercept me. Thankfully, it approached more gently than previous ship encounters, and its weapons weren't charged. The ship was very angular, like me, but its bridge, which took the form of two unconnected pods, was raised even higher than mine. Plo Koon explained that it was a Venator-class, the same type as the three he'd had in his fleet before they were destroyed. It was accompanied by two blockier ships, much smaller than the Venator, with three primary thrusters at the back, and a few smaller weapons along the sides. 

They were called Consular-class cruisers, and they bore some resemblance to what Nix and Nox looked like before they shifted into the wolf-like design.

Once the trio of ships was in range, they greeted me formally, explaining that they were my escort to orbit. They also asked rather nicely if one of the Consular-class cruisers could land in my hangar. After I gave my permission, Plo Koon and a few clone troopers headed down to greet them as the cruiser slowly entered the top hangar and landed cleanly. Once they were on board, we picked up speed, all ships now in tandem towards the planet. They fed me all the information I needed, and I set a course that followed their lead.

With the destination set, I turned to Nix and Nox, using them to direct myself without pulling all of my attention away from flying. The two large canines were walking alongside Plo Koon, who was just entering the hangar. All of the clones I had rescued were also with him, some of them being supported by their brothers. 

Once the cruiser had landed, a boarding ramp descended, and down it walked around two dozen clone soldiers, marked with yellow accents on their plates. Among them was another alien, one who stood out quite a bit from the armored men. She, because they were definitely a she, was dressed in mostly leather and showed off a lot of her blue skin. She also had two tail-like growths hanging from her head, down her back, which looked normal, though honestly I had no way of knowing if they were. She moved fluidly, surefooted and confident in her steps like a cat.

As the two aliens approached each other, the clones moved around them, the new arrivals rushing forward to help the rescued ones. The injured ones were carried inside the ship, while the other made their way on their own two feet, escorted by the new arrivals. By the time they were on board, twelve of the new arrivals had formed a patrol around the ship, watching my hull, even though there wasn't much to watch in the hangar.

"Master Plo, it is good to see you," the blue-skinned alien greeted as the two approached, her voice tinted by a French accent of all things. "I must say, your message explaining the situation was an interesting listen. You survived the unsurvivable menace haunting our forces, and arrived on a… living ship."

"Indeed. I find myself wondering if I have traded places with Knight Skywalker," Plo Koon responded, both of them bowing slightly as they got closer. "It is good to see you as well, Master Secura. Were you able to feel it?"

"I was. As we approached, I could feel the life of the ship," she responded, looking up at the top of my hangar. "It is… like nothing I have ever felt."

"I have struggled to define it as well," He admitted. "It took me the better part of a day to feel it from inside. Shall I introduce you?" 

"Yes, please. But first… what are these?" she asked, gesturing to Nix and Nox, who were sitting patiently by the hangar door, just in case they got lost.

"Companions of Oliver," Plo Koon explained. "He called them wolves, a type of canine."

"Truly?" she asked as they approached the door. "They seem remarkably… calm, friendly even."

"Oh, they are," he confirmed. "They are smarter than simple animals, and follow his directions exceedingly well. He treats them as pets, calls them Nix and Nox, though I'm honestly unsure which is which."

As they moved, a quartet of clones followed after, silently keeping pace as they reached the door. As the door opened to reveal an empty hallway, the new Jedi Master paused by Nix, slowly reaching out her hand and letting the wolf sniff it. The white-furred canine leaned forward, sniffed her carefully, then leaned in further and licked her hand. 

Mentally, I chalked up another tally for the Republic being the nominal good guys, as not only was the newcomer apparently a dog person, but neither of the dogs could identify any truly negative emotions coming from her, other than stress and weariness. The clones were alert, nervous, but nothing extreme. 

She pet the canine for a few seconds before Nox approached and demanded some attention as well. After a minute or so of scratching, the group got moving again, with both of the divine canines following after the blue-skinned alien.

I chuckled to myself as I watched all of this, occasionally checking to make sure we were still heading towards the planet on the right trajectory. I was glad that people reacted well to the Divine Dogs, as there had been a worry they would come off as a negative entity. I didn't know much about the anime the wolves were from, but I did know most of their magic mambo jumbo came from negative emotions, which was concerning when I was meeting with empaths. Plo Koon had reacted well, which was a good sign, but having another empath react well was even better. 

Eventually, the group reached the bridge and headed straight for the raised platform. Unsurprisingly, as they crossed it and began climbing the stairs, the new arrivals looked around, surprised by the bridge's size. 

"Much larger than a Venator," Secura commented, glancing at her peer. "Any idea why?" 

"Unfortunately," I responded, catching her off guard as I appeared on the holoprojector. "There is a lot about my situation without any answers, at least as far as I know."

"Oliver, this is another member of the Jedi Order, and a friend of mine," Plo Koon revealed.

"Oliver, it is good to meet you. My name is Jedi Master Aayla Secura," the blue-skinned woman responded, stepping forward as she did. "I lead the 327th Star Corps, which patrols and protects this area. The ship just beside you is our flagship, alongside the two cruisers, and two ships about half your size, which are currently in orbit."

"It's good to meet you as well," I said with a smile and a nod. "I appreciate that you have kept the welcoming committee small. I…find myself feeling nervous with no shields and no direct weapons on board."

"I would imagine it would be like waking up to find my lightsaber had been stolen," she commiserated. "It would make me feel on edge as well. We will refrain from crowding you too much."

I nodded, but before I could ask a follow-up question, she turned to Plo Koon. 

"Knight Skywalker and the 501st have been assigned to hunting down this mystery ship you reported. He is on his way here to pick you up." 

"Hmm… it seems like I will be stuck in the middle of the chaos," he said, though he did not sound upset by it. "Good, Anakin Skywalker is a fine Knight, and it will be good to see Padawan Tano." 

Filing the names away for later, I listened to the two Jedi talk about this other combat group's arrival time, which was apparently only going to be two days. It would have been longer, but the fleet was already working a defensive line and considering starting to hunt down the mysterious ship. After a few minutes of discussing the handover, and what would happen to the surviving clones, Plo Koon turned to me.

"Apologies, Oliver, it is rare that we get to see our brothers and sisters in person," he explained. "We are generals in a war that spans the galaxy, so our time together is short. For now, I must check on the last of my soldiers." 

"Understandable, good luck," I said. 

"Your words are welcome," he responded, before bowing deeply. "And thank you once again for rescuing us. Knowing what I now do about your circumstances, your bravery is even more appreciated."

"Just trying to help where I can." 

"A goal worth striving for," He said with a nod. "May the Force be with you, Oliver. Master Secura." 

With a final nod to his fellow Jedi, he made his way down the stairs. As he walked away, Nox stood up from his spot beside my projector to follow along after the alien Jedi. Meanwhile, I turned my attention to Aayla Secura.

"So, I was told I would be meeting someone as well?"

"Yes, Master Plo's report created quite the stir. It seems that a few of the more scholarly Jedi were quite interested in the description of your hull," She admitted. "Grand Master Yoda also wished to see you for himself. Master Yoda rarely leaves the Jedi Temple, so there will likely be some people traveling with him."

"And the Grand Master is…" 

"The head of the Jedi Council, the group of masters who guide and lead the Jedi," She explained with a smile.

"Oh boy, so the pope himself wants to come visit," I muttered to myself, continuing before Aayla could ask about what I said. "I don't suppose you could answer some more questions? Master Plo was quite open, but I find that new questions pop up quite often."

"Of course, I'm happy to help," She said with a nod. "What would you like to know?"