Imperial Chronicles/Prologue

A dark figure burst through the double doors of a Lower City Coruscant Cantina. A Stormtrooper ran in behind him. He scanned the room, and slowly backed out. The dark figure, cloaked in a long, black overcoat and wearing glasses that hide his eyes, looked back at the door. His mouth made what seemed like a smile.

He walked over to an alcove just beside the door. There was another man there, who was also covered up. The firstman nodded to the second as he sat down. The first man took off his glasses to reveal dark amber eyes. One eye was closed from a scar that swelled it closed; he had an eyepatch over that eye. His eyes hid the deep regret and torment of year past.

His mouth was an expressionless feature, occasionally forming into what seemed like a smile. He was clean shaven, though now stubble was starting to show through. He had a tattoo on his righ cheeck; the Jedi Order symbol. His hair was a firey red that was combed to hide his forehead, where he had a number: 66. Oder 66 to be precise.

He leaned down on the table as the waitress brought two cups to the table. The first man took a drink of it, and put it back on the table. He looked over at the other man, who still had his glasses on with his large-collared overcoat.

"You can take that off," the first man said in a young, sturdy voice. "Maxx," he added softly.

Maxx nodded, and slowly took his disguise off. His face was revealed to be an expressionless blur; something that hid his stone-tough attitude below. "Are you sure this is safe, Trent?" Maxx asked in a stone-tough, yet caring voice.

"Yes, I'm sure," Trent replied. "Just because Kris gave up doesn't mean I will." He looked out a window and saw the Emporer's huge tower. "We're going to take him out, even if it's the last thing we do."

"But this has never be done before." Maxx leaned on the table; this had become something for him to get emotional about.

"That's exactly why we're doing this now." Trent rushed out from the booth he was sitting in, the overcoat falling off, revealing a green-and-black Jedi Tunic, worn out, with armor on the hands, legs, and shoulders. His hands had black gloves on, covered by white armor not to reveal his bionic hands. On the top of the gloves were the words "We Will Not Be Silenced."

Maxx got up also, keeping his overcoat on. His brown face was finally revealed in the light of a lamp, his black hair almost blending in to his head. He almost couldn't stand up straight, because he was so tall.

Trent gestured for them to leave, and they headed out the door. "Where do we go now?" he asked himself. They started walking down the street, away from the Emporer's tower. These were the times of the Galactic Empire, and you could never be too careful. They hid in tiny alcoves, behind boxes, and even inside shops whenever they saw even one Stormtrooper.

These were wanted men, sentenced to execution because of treason. Well, they didn't really care. They attacked an Imperial base on Yavin Four as their base, the three of them; Trent, Maxx, and Kris. But, unfortunately, Darth Vader himself came to their location and took Kris prisoner. Maxx and Trent were fast enough to leave the base before Vader arrived. They watched from a tower as Kris was carried into a Prisoner transport, and taken back to Coruscant.

After that, they returned to Coruscant, leaving the Base unused. The Imperials didn't even think to take that foothold back, and it was technically still under the rule of Trent. But right now he didn't care, because he would never return there as long as he lived, and he had to rescue Kris, before it was too late.

Trent looked up at a holoboard, which had their faces on it, with the text saying "These are wanted men. If you see them, bring them to authorities immediately." Trent looked back down at the ground and saw a book -- old-fashioned, he thought -- blowing down the street with the wind. He grabbed it, and lookedat the cover. "Journal," it read in clear Aubresh.

He opened it to the first page, read the first couple of words, and closed it immediately. He grabbed Maxx and they went into another bar. They sat down in an alcove, away fromeverybody, so they could not be heard.

Trent began to read out loud, "Journal of CT-55, AKA Fives. I wrote this down in an effort for someone to find this. If you're reading this, you found it. In just a couple of days, as a spy I have in the Senate Guard says, the Chancellor will initiate Order 66. Order 66 is that all Jedi are killed. I can't let that happen, but it's going to. This is the journal of the last few days of the Galactic Republic."

Trent looked over at Maxx, who looked back at him in shock. "You know what this means, right?" Trent said. Maxx nodded, and they took off to their tiny hideaway.

They walked down a few steps, about two meters below ground, and entered a door. Trent flipped on a light, and it lit up their tiny living space. It had two beds, a bar that they used as their kitchen, a table, and a small bathroom. It used to be a bar, but it got abandoned and they just found it. Trent went behind the bar, as Maxx shut the door, locking it down. Trent hit a button below the bar, and the wall behind him turned slightly, enough for a person to walk through.

They both walked back, and Trent flipped the lights on. The door closed, and the light flickered on. Then the multiple screens turned on. A protocol droid, with mixed parts, awakened are rolled over to Trent. They used this as their actual base, for every day operations. It had a main control area, a desk with mutliple screens on it and around it, a communications center for holograms and transmissions, and a workshop area, for working on droids or anything.

The droid looked up at Trent. "How may I help you?" it said in a high, yet masculine, voice.

Trent threw the book to the droid, who just barely caught it. "Put this data into the computer, RC," he said. The droid went over to his workstation, and input the information. A hologram of an ARC Trooper Clone appeared behind Trent. This must have been Fives, Trent thought. He spun around in his chair and pressed a couple buttons. Soon the hologram started to talk.

"We're on Utapau today, thwarting off the last of the Seppie forces here," he said in a highly accented voice. Trent looked on closely as he continued. "Two days till Order 66. I have shared this information with General Kenobi, but he just brushed it away. If you are reading this, get prepared. The Chancellor is planning the entire takeover of the Republic. He's been talking with General Skywalker a little too much, in my mind. They're making a plan for something."

The hologram flickered, but continued, "Rex, if you're reading this, I can't go through with it. I cannot kill my own General. You're on your own. I have to go now, General says there's a battle to be fought. Until later, be safe."And the hologram shut off.

Trent looked over at RC-17, their protocol droid. He was fiddling around with smoking components. It puffed smoke out, which pushed RC backward. RC looked over at Trent. "The equipment won't letme play anymore, and that was the end of the first date." Trent nodded, and looked over at Maxx, who was sitting in the Communications Center chair. Maxx had his hands on his lips, thinking.

They exchanged looks, and Trent spun back around. He mashed buttons, pressed a few, tapped at a datapad, and finally the hologram came back up. He spun back around as Fives started talking again.

"It's D-Day; Order 66. I can't go through with this, which is why I'm currently on the surface of Utapau, watching General Kenobi battle General Grevious. I'm getting a transmission on my communicator; it's the Chancellor. He's initiating Order 66." There was a long pause, and Trent was about to do some more work when the hologram finally continued, "It's official. All the Jedi are killed. The Chancellor has won. If you read this right now, you are probably under the rule of the Galactic Empire. But no matter what, do not give up. This is all I can say."

The hologram faded, and Trent stared at the place where the hologram was in shock and horror. He looked over at Maxx with his one good eye. Maxx was still in the same position, though Trent could see tears forming in his eyes.

"Maxx," Trent slowly said. "We have to find Fives." Maxx still sat there, thinking. He slowly turned his head to Trent, and nodded.