Private The Last Knights Return (A Solo Story)

[Barrien Siegfried]

32 Years Ago
Kammia

A storm raged on the planet. The former Ssi-Ruuvi stronghold had since been reclaimed by men, its dirt rich with nutrients essential for crop growth. Now a bastion of food output for galactic consumption. The crops needed the rain to survive, but the people who called the place home had shelters barely built to withstand the tremendous winds that came with them. People hunkered down inside, praying that their homes wouldn't be torn apart by a tornado or set ablaze by lightning.

But not everyone on the world was a farmer. Some were transporters of goods. Some were mechanics. Some were pirates who still, hundreds of years after the fall of the Galactic Empire, found themselves embroiled in combat with them. A world existed not too far away from theirs, one barely known and non-existent on most star charts. That was intentional. It's position had been strategically lost even prior to the gulag plague. People with power had wiped it clean from just about everywhere in order to create for themselves a haven for their Imperial proclivities. They kept it in the dark ages, barely technological aside from droids. Its people were unable to fight back.

That world was Oaken Dawn. But there were people that did know of its existence, a small pirate group that called itself the Red Eye Armada. These weren't the pirates most people thought of. They didn't plunder and attack ships or settlements. They were pirates who fought against the Imperial garrison on the world of Oaken Dawn, trying to find a way to free the world from the occupation of the Imperials that called it home, Imperials that increased in number by taking women from the world and using them as breeding tools.

It was these people that had gotten Barrien off of the planet before, and it was these people that he now returned to as a Jedi Knight. It was time to return home.

He ducked inside one of the buildings in the village center, lowering the hood of his cloak after doing so. A smattering of people sat around a dejarik table, and looked up at him as he entered. They hadn't expected anyone, especially given the storm that raged outside. He looked amongst them, but didn't recognize any of them as the few that had helped him escape Oaken Dawn in the past. Likely they had been lost.

"Who are ya?" one of them asked, hand sliding towards his blaster.

Barrien held up both of his hands to show they were empty. "I am one who would return to a world nearby in order to see it freed. One who is one with the eye."

The others looked at the one who spoke, but he didn't look away from the Jedi that stood in his doorway. There was something about the way he watched him that made Barrien wary, but it was undoubtedly just caution. A smart man knew better than to be taken advantage of.

"You didn't really answer my question," he said again.

"My name is Barrien Malfus Siegfried and I am a Baron of House Siegfried of Oaken Dawn," he said, looking amongst those gathered. "I am also a Jedi Knight. I seek passage to Oaken Dawn so that I might make right what is wrong."

 

[Barrien Siegfried]

The one who'd done the talking so far chewed on the chaw inside of his mouth before spitting a wad of it out into a container, eyeing him up and down as he did so.

"Think I've heard that name before," he said before standing up and walking to a ledger, an actual paper one, and turning several pages in it. "Yeah, here ya are. Looks like we took you off that world a few years ago."

"You did," Barrien said, lowering his hands.

"Why ya wanna go back? Place is a mess."

He couldn't help but wince when he heard it referred to that way. It had been long enough since his departure that a lot could have changed in his absence. They might all be slaves by this point, not allowed even the false pretense of freedom that they'd had when he was still living on the world. His whole family could be dead, which hurt him to think about even though they hadn't been overly kind to him or his mother. Some were better than others, and they were still his kin. Didn't matter how much they liked him; he still loved them.

"Someone has to return and clean up the mess," he said. "I know you cannot do it; you do not have the reserves for it. I can, now. With my training and experience I can find a way to bring an end to the Imperial stranglehold of the world."

"Ya think so?"

"I believe so."

The man took a deep breath in and out and then motioned with a hand for Barrien to follow him while turning about. They headed further into the building, down a short corridor, and into a mess of a room that looked more like a scrapyard than a functioning room. There were bits and piece of machinery, droids, and everything conceivable scattered around the room in various states of disassembly. An ugnaught was busy tinkering with some parts at a long worktable, a series of schematics on blue paper laid out before him.

"Bortil."

The ugnaught looked up. "Hmm?"

"This fella needs to get onto Oaken Dawn."

The ugnaught turned his attention to Barrien. "Dangerous place to get to. Most get shot down. Harder and harder it is."

"I understand it will not be easy," Barrien said. "But I must return to the world, and I need someone to fly me there as I cannot pilot a ship."

He regretted never having learned to fly from someone amongst the Jedi. If he survived his return to Oaken Dawn he should probably rectify that. The ugnaught made a noise under his breath and the other guy, who still hadn't given his name and probably wasn't going to, shook his head and left the room, clearly leaving the negotiations between the two of them.

"You have money?" Bortil asked.

"I have credits I am willing to exchange for your efforts. Alliance credits."

"That will do."

The ugnaught beckoned him over and then proceeded to push what he was working on out of the way, uncovering the full breadth of the plans on the blue paper. Barrien stepped to the side of him and looked at the drawings. They appeared to show a long, needle-like ship. It was clearly small, designed for one person. This was not something that Barrien could fly on his own. He'd end up splattered across the stars or the planet itself. He'd just said as much.

"I cannot fly that."

The ugnaught looked up at him. "You will. I have spoken."

 

[Barrien Siegfried]

It didn't seem there was any persuading Bortil otherwise. The idea of flying a complicated craft such as the one shown didn't sit well with him, but as the ugnaught would explain, there was actually very little for him to do. The ship, it seemed, was a prototype, which he wasn't fond of, but it had already been tested with no one inside and succeeded, so it should be safe enough. Keyword was should. They also hadn't tested it by sending it to Oaken Dawn so there was no way of knowing if it would end up being detected by the Imperials there.

It was a self-flying needle. One passenger. AI pilot. Small engine, no hyperdrive. The exterior was coated in reflec and the engine burned so coolly it was almost impossible to detect. With no hyperdrive, it meant that it had to be launched from a vessel already in the system, and he would have to wait, cramped in a tiny space, for an excruciatingly long flight to the world. It was not a thrilling venture, but it had to be done.

"Storms breaking," the man from upfront said. "Ya wanna launch, now's the time."

Bortil pushed an old TIE pilots' suit into Barrien's arms. "Wear it. No oxygen in the ship."

Barrien took the outfit and found his way to the fresher, where he changed into it before standing in front of the mirror and looking at himself. It felt all wrong, being dressed in Imperial garb. But, if he wanted to make it to Oaken Dawn on a ship with no life support systems, he didn't have much of a choice. Robes could be replaced. He'd opt for something more traditional when he landed and made it back to his estate anyway. The only thing he needed to bring was his saber-pike.

With the others he boarded a small transport, an older YT freighter that had served its life hauling goods, now a decrepit vessel with barely any life in its bones. It whined when the engines started up. The number of modifications that had been made to it to make it able to launch the needle-ship probably didn't help with its structural integrity and he had to consider that he might die before he even launched, but Bortil and the others didn't seem at all worried, so he trusted in their faith in the ship. He certainly didn't have any of his own.

The whining got worse when the ship lifted off, and she added groaning to the mix that was so loud Barrien clung to a rope net as if it would somehow save him. But the ship settled once they entered space and made the jump to hyperspace. Gravity was her enemy, but the near vacuum of the stars seemed to even her out.

"Short flight," Bortil said as he wandered in and started prepping the needle cockpit. "Get in. Time to prep."

Barrien put the pilot helmet on and immediately regretted it. The lack of visibility was astounding. Still, he didn't actually have to fly, and walking over to the needle to climb inside was easy enough. Once he was cramped in, his saber pike beside him, Bortil stood above, hand on the hatch.

"Good test pilot. Don't screw up. I have spoken."

The hatch shut, and he saw nothing but dark.

 

[Barrien Siegfried]

It wasn't like he could really screw things up considering the piloting was automated. Well, he supposed he could if he pressed any buttons or something, but he resigned himself not to do anything at all but meditate for the whole flight. If he did anything else he'd wind up worrying himself sick with whether or not he was even going to make it. Serenity. He had to remember to focus on being at peace with the situation. If the Force decided he should not make it, then so be it. That was the way it would be.

While he felt the initial launch of the vessel, after that it was smooth. There was little for him to even notice that he was in flight. With the lack of a viewport it wasn't as if he could see. Instead, he focused inward, dwelling within his own mind, seeking peace for he knew he would find little of it when he made it onto Oaken Dawn.

After some time he felt a deceleration and was jostled a bit. Despite his misgivings, the needle really was well put together. Probably should have expected nothing less from an ugnaught. They did nothing unless it was absolutely impeccable. There was a lot he had learned about the galaxy since leaving his home years ago, and one of them was that you didn't doubt an ugnaught's ability to build things. He should have remembered that before instead of worrying so much.

The deceleration ended when the ship struck the ground. That part he had not been expecting. True to its nature, the ship was designed to pierce the soil and embed itself rather than relying on slowing down in the atmosphere. This kept it from getting easily targeted while landing, and made it seem more like a natural falling object. Actually impressive when one thought about it.

He reached out with the Force to feel the area around him, but felt nothing out of the ordinary save for plants and animals. Touching the release, the hatch popped off completely and landed on hard ground outside. Trees dotted the landscape, which did not look familiar to him at the moment, but he grabbed his saber pike and climbed out of the vessel, booted feet landing lightly on the ground. It was the first time he had been home in several years, and setting foot upon the soil felt a lot different than he expected. This time, he had the skills to back up his goal.

Pulling an old map from his pocket, he opened it up to reveal a meticulously hand-drawn description of the main continent that everyone resided upon. Surveying it, he studied his surroundings and the worlds sun for reference of time of day and direction. He was a good days walk away from his land, assuming it was still his land. It belonged to his family no matter what, though. He'd be able to find some familiar faces, and possibly get squared away on what he'd missed.

Folding the map away, he lay his pike over his shoulder and started walking after removing the tie helmet and tossing it aside. No sense being blind.

 

[Barrien Siegfried]

The trek took the entirety of the day, as expected. He could have cut the time down by using the Force to speed his trip, but he chose not to use it for such a mundane task. Walking was good exercise and kept him in shape. He needed the time to think about what he was going to do anyway. He had to find a way to peacefully, or at least somewhat peacefully, resolve the situation between his people and the invading Imperial forces. Doing that was going to be difficult and probably put people in danger no matter how he went about it.

He thought about going to the family home in Hearthwyn, the seat of their power, but doing so dressed as an imperial would set a bad precedent. Instead, he headed for Ashwick, which was his own Barony, or at least had been when he was still living on the world a few years prior. The people there had always been sympathetic to him because he was nice to them and did his best to keep them as safe as he could from the Imperial intruders, and from the other noble houses on the world.

What he found was a nearly desolate village. A few people milled about, lanterns in their hands as they walked through the shadows of the night. It seemed to have fallen into a state of disrepair. Many of the buildings were now empty, and those that weren't barely looked kept up. He was disheartened to see the village in such tatters. How could Gabriella have allowed this to happen in his stead? Were things that bad?

He slipped through the shadows, doing his best to go unseen, making his way towards his old manor on the edge of the city. Even here the light was incomplete, barely used. No guards stood outside, but light flickered within. He moved to the door and opened it, stepping inside, expecting to find the place overrun by some other noble house, but what he found instead were a few people huddled around the fire for warmth, including a couple of soldiers wearing the family crest. He recognized a woman standing among them, a childhood friend who had been the daughter of the manors caretaker.

"Aveline," he said, sighing in relief.

The others looked at him confused, even she did at first. It had been years since they had seen him and his appearance had changed. The clothing he wore also made them wary. The soldiers drew their swords and moved in front of her.

"Who art thou?" one of them asked. "Thy Imperial masters do not trouble these halls."

Aveline stared at him and then recognition grew in her eyes, which widened, and then her face lit up in a smile. "Hold, Sebatus, tis our Lord, Baron Siegfried!"

"It is, indeed, I," he said, smiling as he stepped across the room, clasping the arms of the soldiers, who were shocked at the revelation. "Returned from afar with new knowledge and the intention to help our people."

He moved past them and wrapped Aveline in a hug. She held him close and then pushed him away, poking at the device on his chest that was part of his suit. It was not something she had ever expected to see him wearing, and frankly not something he enjoyed being clothed in. She looked up at him questioningly.

"Oh, this. I will explain, I assure you, but please allow me to change out of this before we speak further."

"Of course, m'lord," she said, stepping back and clasping her hands. "Thou knowest where thine wardrobe is still, yes?"

"I do," he said, winking at her. "I will return shortly."

He left them to speak amongst themselves, while he went to change. He intended to burn the imperial suit. He wanted it nowhere near his home.

 

[Barrien Siegfried]

He returned to them a short time later dressed in a tunic, pants and boots that were more fitting to the world. It wasn't as though he intended to walk around in Jedi garb, and he definitely wasn't going to do so in an Imperial outfit. As someone of station on Oaken Dawn, he was expected to dress more lavishly, but even when he'd been there as a younger man he hadn't done so. The notion of dressing of wealth while others struggled to survive had just never sat well with him.

"This should suffice for now," he said, tugging on his sleeve.

"Thou hast ever appeared fair, no matter what garb thou dost wear, m'lord."

"Thank you, Aveline."

Picking an empty seat near the fire, he settled onto it. It was old, made of wood, not the most comfortable, but it worked, and it let him warm his hands which was nice since it had been quite cold outside. His eyes searched over the three with him, noting that their clothing looked worse for wear, and they all looked skinnier than they should have considering they were in the worlds bread basket.

"I have missed much," he said, looking between all three. "I apologize for having left you as I did but it was of certain import. I would not be as capable as I am now had I remained."

"What is it that thou hast returned to do?" one of the soldiers asked.

"We did not reckon thou wouldst return at all. I had thought thee gone for good," Aveline said, casting her gaze to the fire.

"I should have found way to get word to you that I would return. I am sorry. As for why, I intend to end the Imperial occupation here. I have learned much in my time away, and believe that it is possible now."

"But, m'lord, their ranks have grown apace since they have taken more of our own," the second soldier said. "How couldst thou hope to vanquish them alone?"

"Not alone, no. But with the Force on our side, much is possible that was not before. And if we unify our forces, and allow me to confront them in a way that disarms them, I know that we can get them to surrender. But I need my cousins assistance. I assume Gabriella is in Hearthwyn?"

Aveline shook her head. "Nay, she is the Duchess now and dwelleth nigh wholly in Niamathia. She is our seat upon the council."

He sat back in his seat. That was news. Something must have happened to her brother if she had been elevated. Perhaps he had been executed by the Imperials. That didn't bode well, but she had always been more partial to him than her brother had been anyway. If she was in charge, it meant a more powerful ally than he had expected to have. This was both good and bad news. He would mourn the loss of her brother, but he marked this as advantageous to him and to their people.

"Well, then I must travel to Niamathia. Time is of the essence."