A New Beginning by TealKeeper (both halves of him)

Part 1: Closure

The following tale chronicles how one Jared Smith ceased to exist, and became one Mark Brown, under the same call sign. It is not true at all, but is being used for a reason to slip this MIDI in and for a reason why someone’s name would change in the Star Wars Universe.

Jarol Smyth, TealKeeper of the United Pilots Alliance, sat in his quarters on the UPA Flaming Cow. It was done the repairs from all the damage it had suffered during the Epiclesis saga, and a few other various misadventures. He was alone in his office, and he sat, contemplating what he could do. He hadn’t been home to Corellia in a long time. He put in a call to the Supreme Council and requested leave. His request was granted, but they asked him to take his Frigate, since there were many Imperials lurking about. He agreed and headed off towards Corellia. The hyperspace trip went rather smoothly, as he had Fenix and Aramos training the other Rogues for the next Week of War engagement. He just sat alone in his office, until when they arrived, Fenix came on the communication system and told him so. Jarol strolled up to the bridge, not really paying attention to anything. It was rather apparent that he had something else on his mind, but he didn’t care to share it with anyone.He arrived up on the bridge of the Flaming Cow, and he went over to the viewscreen, looking down at his homeworld. He told Fenix and the rest of the squad to remain on alert, he was going down in his shuttle to visit some old friends. Fenix and the other Rogues happily obliged. He took his shuttle, Graceful Swan, and headed down into the Coronet City Spaceport. Upon his arrival, he headed to where his favorite cantina used to be, in hopes that he might run into some of his friends. He reached the spot, and when he arrived he found a used speeder lot. Damn I hate change…he thought. He went back into the spaceport, and found a decent room for not too many credits, and checked in for the night.He got into his room, and called the Flaming Cow. Fenix and Aramos told him that it had been attacked by Uglies, and that the hyperdrive engines would be out for a day. This normally would have made Jarol angry, but at this particular time, he wasn’t really worried about anything else. He flicked on a newsvid, caught up on a small bit of local news, and turned in for the night.He awoke three hours later. He wasn’t sure why. He went up and grabbed a snack, and tried to go back to sleep. But as he closed his eyes, he heard something. Something that scared him more than anything. He had a vision of Luz Cox in danger, her house under attack by stormtroopers. Jarol was ready to dismiss it, but then he felt something. It told him he had to go check it out. He hopped in his speeder, making sure he had a blaster and lightsaber ready, and headed to Luz’s family’s house.He arrived, and from the outside, it seemed pretty deserted. But that feeling was inside of him again, and it told him to go inside and investigate. He went up to the front door, and knocked. The door was unlocked. He knew something wasn’t right. Quietly he snuck in the house. It was obvious something had happened in there. He shuddered as he saw eleven dead stormtroopers in a pile, and there were a few dead or dying Cox Corp. bodyguards on the floor as well. He walked over to one of the ones who was still alive barely. "Minions of Xendor! What happened here?" The guard barely acknowledged him. "Imperials…attacked…wanted to hurt…UPA…help…family…." Jarol froze. They wanted to hurt UPA? Wait a minute, that means they’re here after… "LUZ!!!! NO!!!!!!!" he screamed as he charged up the steps, lightsaber ignited. Stormtroopers tried to take shots at him, but he cut them all down in a blood rage that would scare even the most highly trained Jedi Knights. He switched off his lightsaber and ran to the master bedroom. He found Luz’s parents shivering in a corner, one weary bodyguard remaining to keep them safe. They were whimpering, and they recognized him "Jarol…please…see if Luz is ok…" Jarol slowly stepped down the hallway, into the room he remembered was Luz’s. He walked in, expecting to find a similar scene as in the parents bedroom. Instead all he saw on the bed was one non-moving female figure. He froze. No…no…it can’t be…He walked over, and his heart sunk as he realized it was her. There were about five blaster wounds on her, and he realized she wasn’t going to make it. He whispered to her. "Luz…can you hear me?" The eyes opened. "Who…who’s there?" She said, hacking and coughing. "Luz…it’s me…Jarol…do you remember me?" She looked at him for a second, and a tear formed in her eye. "Jarol….of course I remember you…before I go…" Jarol interrupted her. "Nonsense! You’ll be fine, Luz!" Luz eyed him, and continued. "No…I know I’m dying…please…let me tell you something…I’ve wanted to tell you for along time…Jarol…I…I lo…I love…I love you, Jarol." Jarol sat there and looked at her stupidly. All he could say was "I…I love you too, Luz." And with that, the beautiful Luz Cox passed away. Jarol closed her eyes, and he sat there crying over her for an hour. His lifelong dream had come true, and then ended just as fast. He walked back into Luz’s parents room, and shook his head, still crying. They walked over to him and embraced him, and they all sat there mourning together.Jarol swore revenge on the Imperials who did this. He knew who it was, too. He had learned that a Captain Maerik was the officer in charge on Corellia nowadays. That, in itself, meant nothing, except Jarol was responsible for Maerik’s discharge from the Imperial Navy, when Jarol caused Maerik’s ship to be destroyed by friendly fire. He bidded farewell to the Cox family, telling them what he was going to do. They only nodded and wished him the best. He went outside, tears still streaming down his cheeks, and got back into his speeder, blaster and lightsaber still ready. Jarol activated his lightsaber, and took his speeder to the local Imperial garrison. Convincing the guards he was an old friend of Captain Maerik’s, he was able to get in and meet with the Captain. He told the Captain it was private business, and the Captain had his bodyguards leave. Jarol pulled out his lightsaber and said "You’re going to die, Maerik. Nobody does this to me and lives." Maerik realized too late with horror who it was, and then he was on the floor in two pieces. Suddenly alarms went off and Maerik’s bodyguards came charging in, where they were cut down by Jarol’s blaster. He didn’t think he was going to make it out of this one alive. He stepped out into the hallway, firing at everything he could see. He had tears streaming down his cheeks, because he knew it was going to be the end. But nothing would stop him until he was physically unable to keep killing Imperials. He was possessed with rage, wanting revenge at any and everything he could get. He kept firing, firing, and firing his blaster at whatever came after him. Eventually he was overwhelmed, and finally one of the stormtroopers hit their mark. He kept shooting, to his credit, and never stopped until the blaster got knocked out of his hand. Then he used what Force energy he could muster, activated his lightsaber, and killed all of the stormtroopers around him. But he had already been hit, he knew he was doomed. He used the Force to call to his childhood friend, Marco Bruenner. Then he flicked on his holorecorder, and recorded a message to those on the Flaming Cow. Then he sat and waited, dying.

* * *

Marco Bruenner sat in his home, not far off from the garrison. He was watching a newsvid. He wasn’t really listening to it, but then something told him to start paying attention, and he saw a picture on there that made him listen to it. "…child of a corporate family, the Cox’s, was killed by attacking Imperial stormtroopers this evening. This reporter has not yet learned why the Imperials would attack the Cox estate. On a related matter, the local Imperial garrison came under attack this evening by an assailant who could not speak coherent words, he was under such a blind rage. The garrison says it’s chief, Captain Maerik, was killed by this terrorist. We have received word that the attacker is on his deathbed, expected to pass away within the next couple hours." Marco sat there, in the dim, ambient light of the newsvid. He knew who the attacker was. It could only be one person. That meant the garrison must be all but emptied, because he knew Jarol wouldn’t leave any alive, until he couldn’t move anymore.Marco went out of his home, hopped in his speeder, and went to the garrison, where Jarol would be still. All of the rent-a-guards had deserted, and even the indoctrinated stormtroopers were afraid to come out of their hiding places. He walked through the hallways, seeing stormtrooper bodies everywhere. He saw a blood trail, which he was sure must have belonged to Jarol. He followed it, until at one point he saw twelve stormtroopers on the ground. At least, he thought it was twelve. He looked closer, and saw it was six, and they had been sliced in half. He knew Jarol couldn’t be far, he never used that lightsaber. He walked around the next corner, and there he found Jarol, with about eight blaster holes in him. He was still breathing somehow. Jarol looked over and saw Marco. He nodded. Jarol started talking to him. "Marco…they killed Luz…" "I know, I heard on the newsvid. I saw the garrison attacked…I knew it had to be you…" Jarol paused, and gave Marco a canister. "I’ve recorded a message to my Rogue Squadron pilots…please…see that they get it. And stay around on my ship…you’ll like what it says…" "Alright…I think I know where your shuttle is, if it’s the same as old times…" Jarol answered him, vaguely in case any stormtroopers were lurking. "Yes, it is indeed in that place where I put that thing that one time." Marco stifled a laugh. Jarol addressed him again. "Glad we could see each other again, Marco. It’s been a pleasure knowing you." Marco looked at him. "It’s been a pleasure knowing you, too, Jarol…" Jarol looked at him, smiled, and he died, completely content with how he had been.Marco watched in amazement as Jarol’s body disappeared, as that of a Jedi Knight would. He never had even known Jarol was training as a Jedi. Marco decided he should pick up Jarol’s lightsaber, and he carried it with him out of the complex. Marco was still in a state of disbelief. He found the shuttle in the place he thought Jarol was referring to. He hopped in, and took off, flying up to Jarol’s squadron’s flagship, the Flaming Cow. A strange sounding voice addressed him over the comm. It must be that alien, Fenix, Marco thought. "En Taro Adun, sir! How was your trip?" Marco wasn’t sure how to address him. "Um…this is not Jarol Smyth. This is his childhood friend, Marco Bruenner. I have a message for you from him…if you will allow me clearance to land you can all see it." Fenix addressed him. "You have permission to land. Please land our commander’s ship safely." Marco looked at him sadly, and ended the transmission.Marco piloted the shuttle into the hangar bay, and stepped outside, where he found all of Rogue Squadron standing before him. He produced the holocube from his pocket, and it flicked to life. His departed friend Jarol Smyth appeared in front of all of them. "My Rogues…if you are viewing this, it means you’re there in the presence of my good friend, Marco Bruenner. If you’re viewing it, it also means I’ve died. I can hear your gasps from where I am in whatever life I’m in now. I am now going to explain to you the circumstances of my death. While I was visiting people, I felt something inside of me…and it told me the person I have loved all my life, but never loved me, was in danger. I went to her house and I found many dead stormtroopers, and some of her family’s security guards dead or dying. I found her parents alright, but I went in her room, and there she was, lying motionless. I went over to her, and she opened her eyes, and her last words were ‘I love you, Jarol.’ And then she died. This drove me off the wall. I knew who did this to her. The garrison captain was a guy who I screwed out of the navy at the Battle of Torros. He decided to take revenge on me when he heard I was in town. Well, I, ever vengeful, went and cut him in half with my lightsaber. Then the alarms went off. I pulled out my blaster, never stopped firing to the end, just like you’d expect me to. At the moment I’ve got five blaster shots in me, and I’m going to die, except I’m waiting for one person. He should be the person standing in front of you. My friend, Marco Bruenner. If you could please deliver this message to the UPA High Command, I would like to request that Marco be commissioned into UPA, and take my place. I can see that look on your face from here, Marco. No, I’m not kidding. Marco is a very exceptional pilot; I’ve known him all of my life. No offense to any of you, but if he takes this spot, it’ll almost be like me having it still. Well, that’ll be about it. It’s been a pleasure knowing you all and having you serve with me. Fenix, En Taro Adun. I never figured out what that meant, but let me say it to you for the first time ever. Aramos, continue training the new guys well. I never got a chance to tell you how much I appreciated everything you’ve done for Rogue. To everyone else, good luck, and may the Force be with you. Signing out for the last time, your commander, Jarol M. Smyth. A.k.a. TealKeeper." The holo flickered off, and Jarol was gone again. He thought he saw a tear coming out of Fenix, the odd-looking alien, and everyone else was sobbing. Aramos came and shook Marco’s hand, and took the holocube from him. Marco produced the lightsaber and said to him "Hey, this was Jarol’s…you might want it for something…" Aramos took it and inspected it. "No, I believe this is yours now…" He stared at Aramos blankly, and then read an inscription on it. To whoever reads this…give my lightsaber to my friend, Marco Bruenner. He’ll know why eventually. Aramos and the Rogues went off, leaving Marco alone, and to deliver the cube to the UPA command.

TO BE CONTINUED…

IN A NEW BEGINNING PART 2: REBIRTH

The midi you are listening to is from the game Chrono Trigger. I can’t remember what part it’s from. Please e-mail my real e-mail (forcemaster@hotmail.com) or my real ICQ # (201949) for comments.