Chapter 13: Chapter Thirteen. What it means to underestimate a Mandalorian

The Jedi Temple loomed up in the small transport shuttle's left side view-port. The ancient building stood majestically in the distance, the sunlight gleaming off of its smooth surface. Jared leaned back as the pilot bought the ship down in a slow descent. He hated flying, actually he hated someone else piloting the craft that he was in more. The feeling of having to trust someone else with his life almost was too much for him. "Well, I will report in to the council, you should get some rest while you still can. The next few days are going to be rough. If what the Chancellor said is true, that bounty hunter will be attempting an assassination when Palpatine gives the speech about the matter of slavery and prostitution on Republic worlds." Obi-Wan said from his seat across the other Jedi. He sighed and continued, "it won't be that easy even getting close to the Chancellor, even the Jedi can't just walk up to him. A sniper is the only way for him to pull it off." Jared shrugged. "I don't know, he seems to be pretty good at giving us a whole lot of surprises. He might be able to get close to the Chancellor if he really is good as everyone is making him sound. A sniper isn't out of the question either. Too be honest we don't know what he will do. Or who he might have helping him." Kenobi rubbed his eyes, he couldn't keep the look of absolute exhaustion from them. "The Jedi who fought against him and nearly defeated him, he seems to be able to think there is a way to take him on. Well, a way that doesn't require about six Jedi on one man." He chuckled. "His name was Chad Cerro, correct? The Jedi who fought Stilco." "Yes, he is quite talented with the Living Force as my master called it. He said he was able to actually deflect the Mandalorian's blaster attack with a Force shove. I've never heard about a Jedi doing that besides Master Yoda. Or the Jedi of the Old Republic." Jared glanced at the pilot who hadn't said a word since they had boarded the shuttle earlier. The man was focusing on something to the right of them, he appeared rather nervous. Jared followed his gaze and saw a small crescent-shaped star ship following behind at a slow pace, not too fast to cause much concern but obviously trailing them. "We are being followed, Master Kenobi." The words were barely out of his mouth before the other ship fired its twin-barreled cannons at them. The first shot hit the shuttle's underbelly, not doing much damage but still causing the shuttle to dip forward from the impact. The next shot tore the left wing away. Smoke bellowed from the cockpit and Jared realized the engines had been hit as well. "Get us down to ground!" he shouted. The pilot didn't answer and the shuttle continued its descent at an alarming rate. Kenobi jumped up and ignored the red flashing lights from the alarms. He stumbled into the cockpit, the pilot was slumped over the controls, blood pouring from his side where a large piece of gunmetal had entered. The view-port was shattered, the wind howled and screamed. "Jared, he is dead. Get in here and help me land this ship." He didn't have to say anything because the young Jedi was already at the co-pilot's controls, fingers flying over the buttons. "Its no good. The stabilizer fin is gone. We've lost too much fuel and our guidance system is gone. How is he?" Kenobi shook his head grimly, the pilot's head was smashed from the impact of slamming into his control console. Blood splattered the walls and floor, still pooling below. He was dead, there wasn't a doubt. "I think I've got the controls back. Or some of them. Enough for a crash landing." Jared said, he pulled the dead man's body out of the seat, quickly sitting in it himself, he cringed at the blood as he literally sat in it. "Ok, take a seat and strap in. Only thirty seconds before we hit a building or something." Kenobi quickly followed his advice, watching as the young Jedi strapped himself in and continued pushing buttons and flipping switches. "This is not going to be an easy landing." He muttered. "I've got a bad feeling about this." Kenobi said. The ship continued its sharp crash course, Jared couldn't even twist the shuttle to the side as it went through a wide traffic sky lane. Hundreds of speeders, cargo haulers and even space yachts whizzed past at alarming speed. "Watch out!" Kenobi shouted, he pointed to the huge ore hauler that was on a collision course with them. Jared pulled on the control yoke, coaxing the ship to obey. With a loud groaning roar, the shuttle somehow managed to avoid the hauler, screeching as the transport's underbelly lost its thick metal plating. "Stang!" Jared cursed, he tried to pull the yoke again, but this time nothing happened. He realized he wasn't going to be able to avoid the next collision course. He gulped and noticed that crescent-shaped star ship was still following them. Why it hadn't fired again was beyond him. Who were they? What did they want? He realized that he may not even get to ask that question, because racing toward them, not slowing down was a Hark- three class star fighter. Its laser cannons aimed right at them. The console beeped in alarm, noticing that they had a solid missile lock on them. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to go. It was over.