Nerra (novel)/Chapter 1

Gri-Ch Firev stared in horror at the grim scene below. The Jedi Temple was in ruins.

He activated his comlink and sent out a distress call as he parked his airspeeder on a landing platform outside the Temple.

Gri-Ch spotted a clone troop as he dismounted his speeder.

“What happened?”

“There’s been a rebellion, sir. Don’t worry, the situation is under control.”

“I don’t understand. What are you talking about?”

“The Jedi tried to kill the Chancellor.”

“I don’t believe that. What would the Jedi have to gain from Palpatine’s death?”

“I’m sorry, sir,” The soldier leveled his gun at Gri-Ch. “It’s time for you to leave.”

Suddenly, a loud blast knocked Gri-Ch to the ground as something inside the Temple exploded. When he recovered, he noticed that the group of clones blocking the entrance was dead.

He reached for the blaster he kept hidden in his cloak and rushed inside, wondering if there was anything he could do to help the Jedi.

. . .

The corridor shook as an explosion sounded somewhere far-off.

The clone attack had caught Charlie Griffin off-guard. He had been in the Temple library when a company of clone troopers marched into the library and opened fire.

Charlie had been able to escape, however, his friend Wisha Wyckr hadn’t. He had felt Wisha’s death moments after the assault began. They had grown up and trained together, forming a strong bond in the process.

Charlie realized he had let himself be distracted by the memory of Wisha’s death.

There will be time to mourn him later, thought Charlie, Right now I have to find Ray and get out of here. . . .

Ray Andrews gasped for air as he tried to defend himself from the barrage of blaster-fire. He had expected there to be an attack on the Jedi Temple for a while, but had never imagined that it would be the Republic’s own troops who attacked it.

Ray was only twelve years old, but he knew that the clones wouldn’t attack the Jedi without a reason to. He didn’t know how, but Ray believed that someone had convinced the clone army to attack the Temple.

Ray flinched as a laser-bolt whizzed past his head, grazing his cheek. He knew that if he didn’t find a way to escape, he would most likely be killed.

The Duros raised his lightsaber and lunged at the clones.

. . .

Captain Rex jumped out of the way as the young Duros attacked. He had almost killed the Jedi with a shot to the head, but the Jedi had managed to dodge it.

Rex wasn’t sure why they had been ordered to kill the Jedi, but he couldn’t disobey a direct order any more than he could change the fact that he was a clone.

I just hope this ends soon, thought Rex as he fired at the Jedi once more.

The fact that he was a Jedi did nothing to lessen the surprise Rex felt when the blue-skinned, red-eyed Jedi managed to kill three of the clones, leaving only Rex and one other clone to face him.

Rex fired at the Jedi’s hand, hoping to disarm him, but his shot was effortlessly deflected as the Jedi moved closer.

The Jedi swung his weapon at Rex, literally disarming him. Rex preferred to fight using a blaster in each hand, and was now missing both hands and part of both arms.

Rex cried out in agony as he slumped to the floor, unable to do anything else as he watched the Jedi deflect blaster-fire back at the clone-killing him-and ran off.

One day, thought Rex, I will ''find you. And when I do, you’re a dead man.''

. . .

Gri-Ch ran through the halls of the massive Jedi Temple. He hadn’t encountered any more clones, but, unfortunately, hadn’t run into any Jedi either. He wondered if there were any Jedi left the Temple who were still alive.

Seconds later, Gri-Ch heard a scream, and the sound of blaster-fire. A Jedi with a scar on his face raced around the bend of the corridor and spotted Gri-Ch.

“Who are you?” asked the Jedi worriedly.