Among the usual stream of traffic going on and out of Yavin IV was a nondescript bulk freighter and two old transports. The small convoy was carrying foodstuffs and replacement parts. Nothing spectacularly important. They were given the usual "All Clear" signal from the guardian space station, and three X-wings as escort.
"Green Two, this is Green Lead. Tighten Up that formation a little, huh?"
"Roger that green one. Why do we have to come all the way out here to baby-sit a bunch of grain hurlers and barge drivers? We ain't had a single incident since the Shadow Academy."
"What’s the difference? We get paid don't we?"
"Yeah, but I hear the old timers always tell about Endor, Bakura and all those others. why c----w----ny act---?"
"Green two? Your brea---g up."
"S--- ---- -f jammin- -----"
Green Two began to adjust his com when he looked up, and suddenly the engine of the transport ahead of him exploded into hundreds of shards of supersonic shrapnel.
"Oh Sh-" A four-meter long scrap hit directly at the base of his S-foils, ripping them off, turning the X-wing into a giant fireball left to plummet into the jungle.
"PULL UP!!" Green three yelled just as the burning transport veered to the side, slamming into the bulk freighter. It completely disintegrated, raining both X-wings with debry. They both went crashing into the trees. As the freighter went spinning of control, the second transport dipped down, its cargo bay explodes, and a single, deep blue TIE-interceptor streaks out, noiseless, and completely sensor stealthed, it flies low to the trees, heading for the volcanoes. The transport drops from the sky, slamming into the ground. The freighter crew desperately tries to make a controlled crash near the temple.....
* * *
Jaina Solo Pushed her way through the underbrush of the jungle, her friend Zekk following close behind. They had been taking walks alone together more frequently in the past few weeks, and Jaina was glad that Zekk finally had diverted his attention away from girl, Anja and back to her. It was nice to have Zekk back again.
"Lets stop and rest here for a second. My feet are killing me." Jaina said as she sat down on a boulder and started to rub her feet. Zekk started to massage her shoulders. Jaina shot a smile at him and closed her eyes and relaxed.
They sat there for several minutes when Zekk started stroking her cheek. Jaina smiled and opened her eyes.
"What?" she asked, when she saw Zekk looking down on her.
"Nothin'...." He said, smiling back at her.
"What?" she asked again, smiling sweetly at him.
"You just look really beautiful right now."
Jaina flushed and gave a snort. Zekk lifted her chin and leaned forward. Their lips were about to touch when a bang shook the ground and a huge ship and two out of control transports flew overhead. They were followed by a pair of X-wings that were in flames.
"C'mon!" Zekk yelled and ran toward the temple. Jaina jumped up and followed, cursing her luck, and the timing.
Back at the Great Temple, Jacen was siting outside the great stone walls trying to catch a small gliding rodent that had landed in the courtyard. Tenel Ka and Lowbacca were dueling on the other side with a pair of stun sticks. The rodent ran between Jacen's legs, mainly because he was to preoccupied watching the duel. That's code for "Admiring Tenel Ka".
Suddenly he felt a tremor in the force, a split second before he heard the bang. The three friends ran for the sound, arriving at the landing field just in time to see the bulk freighter slam into the ground outside the treeline. There were already emergency rescue crews swarming around the wreck.
"We must see what we can do to help!" Tenel Ka yelled. They all started rushing toward the wreck. When they were almost there, Jaina and Zekk came rushing out of the jungle towards them, and veered to the freighter when they saw what was going on.
An hour and a half later, the fire was out, and the wreck had been investigated.
There were no survivors.
They were all in Skywalker's office reviewing the flight data.
"Why is all this cut out?" Zekk asked when the recording was done.
"Looks like some kind of jamming." Jaina replied.
"Oh really? yah don't say?" Anja said in her usual sarcastic manner. Jaina just looked at her briefly and tried to forgive her. It was getting tougher.
"We could try searching the wreckage." Jacen suggested
"They did that already, I think."
"I meant of the transports."
They all agreed.
They didn't find anything on the first transport, and they were searching the second transport, when Jaina suddenly looked up at them.
"What was this supposed to be hauling?" She asked.
"Tallgrain I think." Jacen replied. "Why do you ask"
"Its empty."
They all looked in the cargo hold, and sure enough, it was empty. No ashes or remains of anything, just empty.
"Master Lowbacca says he sees something under that bent deck plate"
It took a few minutes but they managed to pry the plate off, revealing four high-powered thermal detonators. The trigger circuit was blown. They all looked around with a new suspicion, but they found no more bombs. Jaina found something more interesting.
"Braces, and clamps, like the kind that hold small crafts like Combat Utility Vehicles, or Space Tugs or-"
"TIE-Fighters?" Zekk asked.
Jaina looked at him, puzzled. "Yeah, I guess, if the wings were bent..."
"Like a TIE-Interceptor??" Zekk asked, More worriedly.
":Exactly....why do you think that?" Jaina asked, seeing the expression on his face
"Nothing....." Zekk muttered, and walked out. They went back to the temple to report their findings to Master Skywalker. Jaina wondered what made Zekk think of a TIE- Interceptor, and what had made him seem so.....scared.
On a ledge on the opposite side of the closest volcano to the Great Temple, a single TIE-Interceptor sat under a camo net. its owner was laying equipment out on the rock floor. Leather body armor, a TIE pilot helmet with built in night vision and macrobinoculars, three blaster pistols, one concussion grenade launcher, a hunting knife, carbo protein biscuits, a water purifier, a medipack, a large sniper rifle....and a lightsaber. He strapped on only the lightest things and secured the helmet over his head. He quietly slipped off into the jungle.