War had a rhythm, Jason Shan had come to learn—a thundering pulse that drove itself forward across star systems, burning in the hearts of Jedi and clone alike. And it was a rhythm he was beginning to feel from within.
On the bridge of the Resolute, his eyes swept over the star map as blue and red blips lit up—Republic forces clashing with Separatist destroyers above the colony of Quell.
"We're outnumbered," Captain Rex said flatly.
"That's never stopped us before," Anakin replied, striding across the command deck, arms crossed.
Ahsoka leaned on the edge of the tactical console beside Jason, brow furrowed. "But if we lose Quell, it'll open a corridor straight to the Core Worlds."
Jason nodded. "And I'd rather not have Separatists partying on Coruscant without an invitation."
Rex smirked faintly. "So we hold."
An alert pinged. Master Aayla Secura's voice came through the comms, slightly distorted by battlefield static.
"This is General Secura. Our cruiser has taken a hit. We've got wounded—Anakin, we need assistance."
Anakin's expression shifted instantly. "Set course for the Liberty. Now."
[The Battle Over Quell Begins]
The Republic fleet emerged from hyperspace in time to see Aayla Secura's ship, Liberty, under heavy fire. Droid cruisers swarmed around it, unleashing torrents of red light.
Anakin took command.
"Ahsoka, Jason—you're with me. Rex, hold the line until we're back."
Jason clipped his saber to his belt, heart steady. "Rescue mission under fire. Why do I get the feeling this is going to go sideways?"
"Because it's us," Ahsoka muttered.
The three Jedi boarded a shuttle, flanked by clone troopers, and sped toward the Liberty as droid fighters shrieked past.
[Aboard the Liberty]
The blast doors hissed open into smoke and chaos. Wounded clones lined the corridors, med droids moving in a blur. Jason saw the signs instantly—power grid failing, engines offline, hull stress fractures.
They were on a sinking ship.
"Aayla!" Anakin called out.
She appeared through the haze—graceful as ever, her blue skin dirtied by soot, lightsaber in hand. "We've stabilized the reactor for now. But we need evacuation."
As the Jedi began coordinating the extraction, Jason stepped into the communications hub, sitting cross-legged in the center of the room. He exhaled deeply and opened himself to the Force.
[Jason's Battle Meditation: Improved]
He didn't reach to command.
He reached to connect.
The clones under fire suddenly felt clearer in purpose. Officers moved with more cohesion. Gunners tightened their formations. The wounded—some near collapse—found breath and determination.
Even the droids began reacting slower, their patterns slightly disrupted—not directly, but because the humans fighting them were no longer clouded by panic.
In the medbay, one clone lifted his head as though waking from a trance.
"Feels like… like we're in sync, sir."
Jason remained still, the holocron's teachings flowing through him.
"Not control. Resonance."
[Disaster Strikes]
The Liberty shuddered violently.
A Separatist cruiser smashed into its flank—a glancing hit, but enough.
Jason's eyes snapped open. "Hull breach incoming—!"
Anakin's voice roared from the corridor. "All teams, back to the shuttle! This ship's going down!"
They ran.
Jason moved alongside Ahsoka and Aayla, helping wounded clones through the failing hallways. Behind them, metal groaned and fire erupted.
The Jedi barely made it to the Resolute's hangar as the Liberty finally tore apart behind them in a storm of flame.
[Bridge of the Resolute]
Jason caught his breath beside Rex as Anakin leaned over the command rail.
"We're not out of this yet. Enemy ships closing in fast."
Ahsoka frowned. "Can we jump to hyperspace?"
"No," said the tech officer. "The navicomputer's down."
Jason's stomach dropped. "We're flying blind."
Aayla stepped up beside Anakin. "We have no choice. If we stay, we die."
"Prep emergency jump," Anakin ordered. "Random heading. We'll figure out where we are after."
Jason muttered, "I hate surprises."
[Hyperjump—and the Crash]
The Resolute vanished into hyperspace in a burst of blue.
But the navicomputer hadn't finished calculating.
They emerged in the atmosphere of an uncharted planet—too low, too fast. The gravity well grabbed them like a vice.
The ship tore through the upper sky. Alarms blared.
Anakin slammed into the control panel, blood on his forehead. "Brace for impact!"
Jason gritted his teeth, locking himself with the Force as the Resolute came down.
[Silence After the Storm]
The remains of the ship sprawled across the jungle below. Debris smoldered. Metal groaned. Clones dragged the wounded from the wreckage.
Jason staggered from the wreck, helping a medic stabilize a trooper.
"We're down," he said to no one in particular. "But we're alive."
Aayla appeared beside him. "And now, we find shelter. Regroup. Survive."
Jason looked up at the unfamiliar sky.
The Force pulsed around him—unsteady, ancient.
"Something's… odd about this place."
Ahsoka joined him. "More odd than usual?"
He didn't answer.
He was already listening to something far older than the planet beneath their feet.