TFTC-TC 12: Out of Time: Far From Home

General Information

Title: Out of Time: Far From Home

Number of Missions: 4

Original Upload Date: 2024-11-24

Author: Jagged Fell III

Old Republic Service Medal

Winner of the 2025 Mission Creation Competition.

Readme Background

Newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel Jagged Fell III and the R/CRV Lightning find themselves somewhere they never could have dreamed of and need to make it home. They are in possession of information critical to the survival of the Emperor's Hammer and have to get home in time, some how...

Script

Mission 1: Journey's Start

Commander's Briefing

Jagged Fell entered the Senior Officer’s lounge looking to enjoy his last evening of leave before going back out on patrol. He had decided he wanted to try his luck at the Sabacc tables rather than be alone at home, as his wife was away on business.

“Is this seat taken?”

“No, join us, we could use a fourth,” said a Naval Commander at the table.

“Thanks.”

“Standard Kessel Sabacc,” the Commander added as Jagged sat down.

As Jagged waited for the hand to be dealt he took in the room around him. It was of obvious Imperial design, the walls were Imperial grey with mostly hard edges and straight lines, but the tables were surrounded by colorful, cushioned chairs and loungers that offered comfort that was rarely experienced aboard a Star Destroyer. The view port beside him offered him a marvelous view of Aurora below and he could just see the bow of the Challenge as it was docked to the adjoining Triad Platform for reprovisioning.

Jagged threw in his first chip and, as the game moved on from one hand and one game to another, he struck up a conversation at the table to get to know his fellow gamblers. It turned out that the man who had welcomed him to the table, Navy CM Bron Lantill, was the captain of the R/CRV Lightning, one of the escort ships of Jagged’s own ISDII Challenge.

“I have not seen you at the tables before, young man,” Lantill said. “What, pray tell, brings you to this fine establishment tonight?”

“My promotion to LC just came through and wanted to celebrate. But my wife is away on business and the squadron won’t report back from leave until tomorrow. So, I came here, as a treat to myself.”

“Well, congratulations my boy. I must say, you look rather young to be putting on that rank plaque, if I may say so. How long have you been serving in the EH?”

“I joined the TC about 2 years ago.”

“2 years?! Oh, I forget how quickly you TIE fighter pilots are allowed to rise up the ranks. I was serving aboard navy ships here in the Fleet for almost 15 years before I got my CM’s plaque."

"15 years! I didn't know the Navy was so slow to promote. Why didn’t you just transfer to the TC?"

"Oh, when I first joined the EH it was with the TC.”

"If you joined the TC, how did you end up in the Navy?"

"All was well with my training, at first, but that was when it was all academic course work. Then came the day of our first simulator exposure."

"What happened?"

"All was going well until a pair of X/W were added to the test. The moment I tried to follow their maneuver, and the stars spun around me...I became violently ill. I began to retch into my mask. And of course, once I was started, I couldn’t stop."

"You’re kidding.”

"Oh, I assure you I am being quite serious. That was the end of my career as a TIE Fighter pilot. I transferred to the navy, and I began my career with a bit of a cloud over me. But that was a long time ago, and I am quite content with my lot in life."

At that, the hand ended and Lantill busted out yet again. "More content than I am with my luck this evening, you win again, LC."

"Just luck, I think. I think I will call it a night while I am ahead."

"As will I. We must play again together, my boy. But next time we should play Pazaak. Now there is a game I could win.”

"Pazaak? Never heard of it."

"It is an ancient game, from the era of the Old Republic in fact."

"Old Republic?"

"Long ago, thousands of years before the Emperor brought order to the galaxy, there was the Old Republic. Pazaak is a game from that time. The time of Revan and Malak. The time of the Mandalorian crusades, of the Jedi Civil War and the first Jedi Purge.”

"Never heard of any of that. How do you know about any of those things?"

"I have always been fascinated with the period and have collected all the information I could find over the years. Look at the time, I really must be going, and so should you. We go back out on patrol starting the marrow."

---

Two weeks later, Jagged entered the briefing room of the Challenge for the morning briefing of the day's patrol.

Tactical Briefing Text

Alright, settle down. Today our mission is to investigate reports of New Republic activity in the Alzoc III system.

We don't expect much, as our reports are unreliable, but will deploy Flight 1 of Typhoon Squadron all the same.

You are to travel ahead of the Challenge and Lightning to Alzoc and begin your search of the area.

We will arrive sometime after you and will have the rest of Typhoon Squadron on standby if the New Republic has a sizable force in the area.

As the situation may be fluid today, pay particular attention to your datapad for any change in orders and listen closely to all radio messages.

Let's get to it.

Radio Messages

<Challenge> Ok Typhoon Lead, head on into the system and we will follow

<LC Fell> Roger

<Challenge> LC, you were given an order to scout the area ahead!

<LC Fell> Woah! That is a New Republic base Alright! Challenge this is Typhoon Leader; we have a sizable New Republic presence here. They seem to be guarding some sort of base

<Challenge> Work on clearing the entry area of enemy craft. The Challenge will be there shortly

<LC Fell> You heard the AD. Let's take care of these fighters and worry about those capital ships after the Challenge arrives

<Challenge> Deploying the rest of Typhoon Squadron now. Continue to stay close to the Challenge and the Lightning to provide us cover from those bombers

<Challenge> Our shields are almost down, get those bombers off us!

<Challenge> There go our shields!

<Challenge> We can take much more of this!

<Lightning> We need some help over here, Typhoon

<Lightning> Our shields are out!

<Lightning> It has been an honor to serve

<Lightning> Looks like the New Republic is retreating, multiple ships have fled into hyperspace

<Lightning> Getting strange sensor readings from inside that base

<Challenge> I don’t like this. All fighters fall back to the Challenge or get into hyperspace!

<Lightning> Our hyperdrive isn't online yet, we need another minute

<Challenge> Typhoon Leader, stay with the Lightning until she is ready to jump, everyone else jump out now

<LC Fell> Hurry it up Lightning! <30 seconds>

<Lightning> That's it we are ready for hyperspace <30 Sec>

<LC Fell> What just happened?

<Lightning> Don’t know, come aboard and we will see if your sensor logs can be combined with ours to make sense of it all

MISSION FAILED YOU WERE DESTROYED BY THE EXPLOSION

<Challenge> The Lightning has been destroyed!

<Lightning> The Challenge is gone!

Victory Briefing

It turned out, to come aboard the Lightning took a fair amount of work to accomplish. The Lightning still had both of the standard TIE Fighters normally assigned to it aboard. There wasn't room for Jagged’s Defender until the Hanger crew moved them both to the sides of the hangar deck to allow just enough room for Jagged to set down on a temporary landing cradle.

The crew chief came up to Jagged. “The Captain has requested your presence in the Command Staff meeting he is holding in the Officer’s Mess. They are trying to figure out what the kriff happened out there.”

“I'd like to know the answer to that myself,” Jagged said and then headed for the hangar exit.

—

“Thank you for joining us, Colonel,” greeted Commander Lantill as Jagged entered the room. “And thank you for what you did for us back there, we likely would not have survived those bombers if not for you.”

“Just doing my duty. Do we know where we are yet? My nav computer couldn't make heads or tails of the star locations after we got kicked out of hyperspace.”

“No, the ship's navigators are still working on our location,” replied a lieutenant commander, who seemed to be the chief engineer. “Also got reports of possible damage to our long-range communications as we can't seem to pick up any comm traffic or navigation beacons. But the crazy thing is the repair crews aren't finding any obvious damage to those systems.”

“How curious,” answered Lantill. “Keep me informed of the results of their inspections. In the meantime, what can you tell us of what happened at that New Republic base, Lieutenant Commander Jast?”

“Best I can figure it, the New Republic has been working on reviving the Sun Crusher technology,” answered Chief Engineer Jast.

“Sun Crusher?” asked Jagged. “I don't think I ever heard of it.”

“You’re too young, and not from the Original Empire,” replied Lantill, wearily. “About twenty years back, the New Republic got their hands on a technology that allowed them to explode stars and they used it on the Imperial world of Cardia. They say it wasn't them, but a rogue jedi and that they destroyed the weapon. But the evidence speaks for itself. They blew up that star back there, certainly enough. They must be planning on using it on the Emperor’s Hammer, knowing that our Fleet, anchored by the SSSD Sovereign, is too strong for them to destroy any other way.”

“We don't have much time then!” exclaimed Jagged. “We need to warn Aurora.”

“Agreed, that is why the work crews are working to find the problem with our comm system,” calmly replied Lantill. "If it is not repaired soon, we will need you to go and try to make contact as our TIE Fighters do not possess hyperdrives.”

“At your orders, sir,” Jagged said simply.

“Anything else you can tell us of the events that brought us here?” Lantill asked towards Jast.

“Just that we detected a huge spike of chronal radiation when we got hit in hyperspace. Still trying to make sense of what that could mean.”

“That will be all for now then. You are all dismissed. Colonel Fell, please stay so we may discuss where you will be sleeping tonight.”

After the rest of the officers had filed out of the room Commander Lantil turned to Jagged, “I think the simplest solution for where to have you stay is in my cabin.”

“Sir, that really won’t be necessary. You are the Captain and shouldn’t have to share your quarters.”

“You are correct, I am the Captain. And therefore, I decide what is necessary on this ship. It will cause the least disruption. The other cabins on the Lightning are too small for two senior officers to share. So, putting you in the XO’s cabin will cause a cascade of my officers being displaced out of their quarters. This way only I am inconvenienced.”

“Well, thank you sir. Hopefully I am out of your hair soon anyway, we got to get back to Aurora to warn them about the Sun Crusher.”

“We first need to determine where in the galaxy we are, until then it is best you remain with the Lightning. Besides, now we can play that game of Pazaak we spoke of back in that Sabaac den.”

Mission 2: Search for Clues

Commander's Briefing

Twelve standard hours later, the situation had not changed. The Command officers of the Lightning had gathered once again in the Officer’s Mess.

“Report, Lieutenant Commander Jast,” ordered Lantill.

“Sir, I don't know what to tell you,” reported Chief Engineer Jast. “I have had my crews going over every millimeter of both the comms systems and the navigation array. We are still not receiving any hyper comm traffic or hyper buoy data. On top of all that, the nav computer still hasn't been able to get a fix on where we are in the galaxy. Without knowing where we are, we can't plot a course back to Aurora.”

“We must report the New Republic’s revitalized Sun Crusher project before it is too late, " stated Lantill. “Now is the time for anyone to suggest any ideas they may have to solve our dilemma.”

The room broke out in discussion of various ideas while Jagged sat and pondered the situation.

Sometime later Jagged broke in, “Engineer Jast, did you say that your crews believe there is nothing wrong with the hypercom?”

“They can’t find anything obvious but that we…”

“So, we don't know if there is anything wrong with the Lightning? That it isn't some jamming field created by the New Republic?”

“I have never heard of a jammer that could block a hypercom signal when not in line of sight to the jammer.”

“Okay, maybe it was the supernova then.”

“Normally I wouldn't say it was possible, but there definitely was something weird about that explosion.”

“And we can't jump home because we don't know where we are and can't just jump to a random star we see because we don't know how far it is away,” continued Jagged.

“Aye, but we already said all of this…hold on, I think I get where you are going with this,” said the engineer, brightening to the subject.

“Do you think you can make it work?” Jagged asked excitedly.

“Yes…I think we can make it happen.”

“How long would it take to get my fighter set up for it?”

“Few hours, tops,” Jast said as he got to his feet, obviously about to leave the room to get to work on whatever he and Jagged had been talking about.

“Care to elaborate for the rest of us in the room what you two have in mind?” asked, pointedly, Captain Lantill.

“Well sir, the main barrier for us to get home is finding out where we are,” explained Jagged. “And we can't even start jumping to the stars we can see as we don't know how far away any of them are. But, if the hypercom is actually working on the Lightning and my Defender, I can jump my fighter away a known distance, and then we can combine the star positions from my new location and that of the Lightning to determine how far away all the stars really are.”

“With that, sir,” chimed in Jast, as he sat back down, “we can send the Colonel to the stars around us to try and find an inhabited world where we can get new nav data. The only real challenge is knowing the exact position of the fighter relative to us and his orientation in space, but my boys can get around that, no problem.”

“Sounds like the best chance we have to get back to Aurora in time to save it,” decided Captain Lantill. “But, Colonel Fell, you will be taking a great risk making all those blind hyperjumps.”

“Better one man than this whole ship. And I must get back home, my wife could be there when the New Republic makes their attack.”

Tactical Briefing Text

Well, this is actually your own plan but to state it all again.

Lieutenant Commander Jast's technicians have finished their modifications to your fighter.

You are to jump 2 light years away and then send back your ships telemetry so that we can map the local area.

Then you are to proceed to different stars in the area looking for any inhabited system that could tell us where we are.

Remember you are our only eyes out there, so prioritize gathering data and retreat if under threat, understood?

Good luck.

Radio Messages

<LC Fell> I am ready to head out

<Lantill> Good luck Typhoon Leader

<LC Fell> Ok, jump successful. Activating the advanced navigation scan now

SCAN ACTIVE…SCAN IN PROGRESS…

SCAN COMPLETE…SENDING DATA

<LC Fell> Scan complete and data on its way

<Jast> Hold one Typhoon, data coming through

<Jast> Transfer complete and data is processing

<Lantill> Typhoon, we have jump coordinates for your first star system

<LC Fell> Jump successful. Scanning the area...Showing some ships in the distance...they are not responding to hails…closing in for a closer inspection

<Lantill> Be careful Typhoon

<LC Fell> Scan completed for both ships. They aren't familiar to me but they *look* old. At least in their styling and design, the ships themselves look new enough

<Lantill> Send back what you have found. Anything else?

<LC Fell> Just that the planet below sure LOOKS like Eriadu, but it can't be as I am not detecting any pollution in the atmosphere. Jumping to the next system on the list

<Lantill> You don't say…

<LC Fell> Lightning I have come upon a running light fight between unknown ships

<Lantill> Send us your sensor readings

<Lantill> I believe I know what happened. We are on our way to your location. Stay clear of that fight

That hammerhead ship just finished off the of the other

HEY! They just turned hostile to me!

Well, I know Lantill said to keep clear, but they are leaving me no choice!

That's all their fighters

There goes their carrier

That's it for them

<Lantill> Typhoon! What happened here?!

<LC Fell> They attacked me, I had no choice

<Lantill> Come aboard. We have a lot to talk about if my suspicions are correct. We will send out ships to investigate the wreckage to confirm what has happened here

Victory Briefing

Jagged entered the bridge of the Lightning and reported to Commander Lantil.

“Sir, I know you ordered that I stay out of the fight, but when they got done destroying their primary enemy, they turned and attacked me,” justified Jagged to the older man. “All I did was defend myself.”

“Be that as it may, we very well could wish that you had stayed with the Lightning today if what I fear is true,” responded Lantill.

“What is it that you fear?”

“Well, I believe that we have been sent into the distant past, and our actions here could cause irreparable harm to our timeline. Resulting in who knows what possible changes to the future we know, and the ones we love.”

“What?! How?”

“Let me first explain my reasoning for believing we are in the past,” began the Captain. “When you sent your scans of those merchant ships in the Eriadu System.”

“I mean, it looked like Eriadu but the scans showed that it couldn't be,” interjected Jagged.

“Please, may I continue to explain?” Lantill said with an annoyed expression.

“Sorry sir, please continue.”

“As I was saying, when you sent back the scan data on those merchant ships, I knew them at once.”

He entered a command on his console and a hologram of one of the ships Jagged had scanned appeared.

“You said you did not recognize the ship type, but I do,” he entered another command, and a new image appeared of the same ship, but this one was obviously from a craft specification datasheet. “It is called a Dynamic Class freighter. A bit of a forerunner of the Corellian YT-series.” Then he flashed another series of images, showing the second craft Jagged had scanned. “This one is a Coruscant Heavy Courier. Both ships are from the Old Republic Era. The two of them combined with the appearance of Eriadu, but without its modern pollution gave rise to the suspicion in me that we could be in the past, but then you continued your patrol and removed all doubt.”

“You mean you also recognize the ships that were fighting?”

“The ship that attacked you was an Old Republic Hammerhead Cruiser, supported by Aurek Fighters. The ships they destroyed before turning on you were a Sith Interdictor and its supporting Sith Fighters.” He again manipulated the hologram display, showing reference images of each of the craft as he spoke, and Jagged was left with a sinking feeling in his heart. Could it be true?

“Hopefully the destruction of that Old Republic patrol can just be chalked up to the Fog of War of the war that they are currently fighting, and its disappearance can go unmarked by history at large.”

But their hopes were dashed as soon as the crews investigating the wreckage returned to the ship. They had found the data logs of the Republic ship, and armed with the knowledge of their ancient origin the engineering crew was able to access the ship's log. What he read there made Captain Lantill lose all color in his face.

“It is even worse than I feared,” croaked Lantill. “That ship you destroyed was the Ursa, and she was on her way to make history. Our future may forever be lost to us now.”

“What was so special about that ship?” Jagged asked quickly.

“The Ursa played a pivotal role in the capture of Darth Revan. Without the Ursa, the Jedi strike force attempting to steal onto his ship will never make it through the Sith’s defensive lines. And without the capture of Revan, the entire Old Republic may be destroyed in his war of conquest.”

“With it gone, won't the Jedi just send another ship in its place?”

“Per the ship's logs they have already split off from the main assault force to be in position to come out of hyperspace in a flanking position on Revan’s fleet to provide cover for the strike team's transport. The Jedi will never know the Ursa is gone until it is too late.”

Jagged sat in stunned silence for a long time. It was Lieutenant Commander Jast who broke the quiet of the room.

“What if we provide the cover for the Jedi strike force?”

Mission 3: Setting Things Right

Commander's Briefing

“What if we provide the cover for the Jedi strike force?” posited Lieutenant Commander Jast.

“What?” replied Jagged. “I would think that the Jedi might notice we aren't a Hammerhead Cruiser. And what happens after the battle when the Ursa doesn't rejoin them?”

“No…” said Commander Lantil, slowly, “the Ursa was lost with all hands in the operation. Their being missing from the post battle retreat wouldn't be an issue.”

“But still, we aren't a Hammerhead Cruiser, and our fighters are not Aurek Fighters,” responded Jagged.

“True,” granted Lantill, “and I shudder to think how the sight of our craft could alter the course of technology development, but the failure to capture Revan, and the likely death of Bastila Shan, would reverberate through history in cataclysmic ways.”

“So, we are going to do this?” questioned Jagged. “How, and do we even know where and when?”

“We know from the Ursa's logs what today is now, and that tells us we have 2 days to arrive in the Tammar system to rescue the Jedi strikeforce and help deliver Revan into their custody.”

“How would we get there?” Jagged persisted. “Our navigation system is down.”

“Now that we know the date, and approximately where we are in the galaxy, it shouldn't be a problem for the nav computer to make the adjustments to the star positions in our map,” answered Chief Engineer Jast. “Give my people an hour, sir.”

“Get them moving on this, as quick as they can,” ordered Lantill.

As Jast hurried from the room Lantill turned to Jagged and continued, “As to your other concerns about how we are to do it, I think in the heat of battle, a small craft flitting about, protecting their assault, while perhaps will not go unnoticed, but nor would they overly concern themselves with questioning it.”

“So, the Lightning would stay back and only the fighters would engage?” asked Jagged.

“Unfortunately, I think only your craft is suitable,” answered Lantill. “We cannot afford to leave any wreckage behind, and the Defender is shielded, while our two TIE Fighters are not. Additionally, all our pilots are inexperienced in battle and may fail in their mission. No, this is something you, and you alone, will need to do. Otherwise, all that we hold dear may be lost to us.”

“I won't fail.”

Tactical Briefing Text

The R/CRV Lightning will remain on the outskirts of the Tammar system as you jump into the on-going battle.

Your primary objectives will be to protect the Jedi strike team’s shuttle until it can board Darth Revan’s flagship, the Reaper.

Also, you will need to ensure the survival of the Jedi’s ship, the Strikefast.

Likely, your best strategy for protecting the Jedi will be to disable the Reaper so that they can board without coming under its guns. All the while you must protect them from the Sith Fighters that will be in the area.

Additionally, you CANNOT destroy Darth Malak’s ship, the Scourge.

I will be following the battle through your sensors and order a retreat when the situation has been restored.

You must retreat from the area so that history can play out as it was meant to.

Good luck.

Radio Messages

<Lightning> Ok Jagged, head to Tammar and ensure that the Jedi capture Revan

<LC Fell> Understood, help the Jedi...that sounds SO weird to say

<Lightning> It can’t be helped if we want our future to be safe

<LC Fell> Alright, I am here

<Lightning> Focus on clearing those fighters off the Jedi shuttle first

<Lightning> Better help the Strikefast and disable the Reaper before it can attack the Jedi shuttle

<Lightning> Jagged! The Reaper is about to fire on the Jedi, I doubt they would last long under its guns

<Lightning> The Republic ship is in trouble!

<Lightning> The Strikefast is about to be destroyed! Save her!

<Lightning> Revan’s ship is now vulnerable, good work!

<Lightning> Bastila’s team is on Revan’s ship, the timeline is almost restored, just protect that Republic ship a little longer

<Lightning> That should be enough, come back before you do too much

YOU HAVE 2 MINS TO GET BACK TO THE LIGHTNING

<Lightning> You have been scanned by the Scourge. History is forever changed

<Lightning> You have killed Darth Malak, forever changing history

<Lightning> The Republic ship has been destroyed, history has been forever changed

<Lightning> You have killed Revan, history has been forever changed

<Lightning> Bastila has been killed, history will never recover now

<LC Fell> I am back, did it work?

<Lightning> I...believe so, come aboard and we will discuss what we must do next

Victory Briefing

Jagged entered the improvised conference room to find most of the command staff already present.

“So, did the rest of the battle turn out as the history books say that it did?” Jagged asked.

“Yes, the probe droids we placed in the system report that the Scourge fired on the Reaper, dealing a crippling blow prior to being driven off by the Steadfast,” answer Lantill.

“All of that for the Reaper to be hit by their own? What was the point of it all?” asked Jagged.

“Malak turned on his master like all Sith of this era when they think they can get away with it. The Jedi have captured an injured Revan and taken him back to Dantooine to be brainwashed into supporting their cause in this war. He will now go on to lead the Jedi’s efforts to destroy his former Sith Empire.”

“It feels so wrong that we of the EMPEROR’s Hammer have helped the JEDI,” said an exasperated Jagged. “Are you sure that this was what we had to do?”

“I am. All of this needed to happen. Revan had to be turned to the Jedi’s cause, he needs to destroy his Empire. And he needed to father a dynasty with Bastila that will lead the Old Republic, and the Jedi Order, for generations to come. All of this will lead the galaxy to be ready for Darth Bane in 3,000 years or so as our beloved Emperor is of Darth Bane’s order.”

“Okay, we have fixed the damage I did to the past by defending my self from some Jedi sympathizers. What do we do now?”

“I don’t know. We must remain away from anywhere that could impact our future,” answered Lantill. “And hope that the Challenge will be able to make it back to Aurora in time to save it in our original timeline. Suggestions on where we can settle down to live out the rest of our lives”

The room broke out into a fatalistic discussion of where the optimal place would be to die.

Mission 4: Journey Home

Commander's Briefing

Two weeks later, as Jagged and Lantill were settling into yet another game of pazaak, Lieutenant Commander Jast rapped on the door to the Captain’s Cabin.

“Enter,” called Lantill as he examined his cards. “Ah Chief Engineer Jast, what may I do for you this evening?”

“Sir, I have been thinking,” replied Jast, timidly.

“On what subject have your ruminations fixed upon?”

“Sir, I don’t want to die here in the past, away from my family.”

“None of us do.”

“Sir, I was thinking if I am going to die, I rather it be trying to get back to them, rather than of old age.”

“Do you think that is possible? Us getting back to our families I mean.”

“It is a longshot, but if flying away from a newly formed supernova is what threw us into the past, maybe flying into, or at least just to the side of, a supernova could allow us to go back.”

Lantill ponder this for a time. “What makes you think another supernova would send us through time at all? Could it not have been a result of how the New Republic’s Sun Crusher technology affected that star that brought us here?”

“Yes, their tampering could have been the reason chronal radiation was released by the explosion. But maybe not. Maybe all supernova release chronal radiation at the moment of their creation. Maybe the only reason no one has ever reported on it is that no one has been close enough to detect it and live before.”

“Alright,” Jagged interjected, “say that you are right, how does that help us? We would still need to know EXACTLY where and when a star was going to explode to be able to even try this idea of yours. Unless you are suggesting we figure out how to destroy our own star.”

“No, nothing as crazy as that,” replied Jast.

“Then I doubt even Captain Lantill’s records are so complete to know when and where a supernova occurred, nearly 4,000 years in our past.”

“I am afraid I don’t know of any supernova from the past,” Lantill supplied.

“I might know of one,” Jast said hesitantly.

“How?” asked Lantill.

“I grew up on Lysatra, out in Wild Space. We are a small world but long in history and there is a legend we all grew up on that came to mind for me yesterday. In the night sky there is a large nebula that the elders always said came from this time. Came from the gods protecting us from a Sith invasion by destroying the star in the system they were staging in before expanding into our region of space. I never believed the story, thinking it was just normal Wild Space superstition. But it stuck with me as the story was weird in that it gave the exact day and place of the explosion, not something you would expect in a 4,000-year-old legend.”

“Not much to go on,” Jagged said. “A legend.”

“Agreed,” answered Jast, “but what do we have to lose?”

“What indeed Lieutenant Commander, what indeed,” said Lantill pondering what he had been told.

---

While the Lightning was a military ship, and not ordinarily a place of democratic decision making, Captain Lantill put forth Chief Engineer Jast’s idea to a vote by all the ship’s compliment, everyone agreed that it was better to die trying than to waste away in the past. So, six months later, in 3956 BBY, the Lightning was sitting in the system Jast’s legend said was to explode that day, hoping against hope that legends could be real.

---

“What do you think the chances are that the legend is correct that a Sith Fleet will be here when it blows?” Lantill asked Jagged as they stood on the bridge of the Lightning, looking out at the fated star in front of them.

“One would think it was merely something added to the legend of the supernova,” answered Jagged, confidently. “Something to make it memorable for later generations. I mean what are the chances they could even have known?”

“Sir, I have ships existing hyperspace!” called the sensor operator. “I read four Sith warships.”

“It would seem that the legend maybe all true after all,” Lantill said dryly to Jagged.

Tactical Briefing Text

You must protect the R/CRV Lightning until the time is right for our jump.

Yours is the only hyperdrive equipped fighter available to us, and the time it would take to recover the other fighters would doom us all, so you will be alone in defending the Lightning.

Listen closely to the radio and be prepared to fall back when I message so that you will be in position to jump when the time is right.

Good luck.

Radio Messages

<Lightning> The Sith ships are launching fighters, keep them away from the Lightning until I message that it is time to go. Stay safe

<LC Fell> Will do my best

<Lightning> 1 minute until the star explodes, fall back to the Lightning

<LC Fell> On my way

<Lightning> Hyper buoy active, jump now

<LC Fell> Did it work?

<Lightning> We don’t know, we took some damage in the jump. Come aboard and we will discuss

MISSION FAILED YOU WERE DESTROYED BY THE EXPLOSION

Victory Briefing

Jagged landed back on the Lightning, with a sense of deja vu. It wasn’t that many months ago that he had first landed aboard the Lightning after a jump out of a supernova. He devoutly hoped that this would be the last time he had to jump from a star exploding.

He hopped out of his Defender and walked the now familiar corridors to the Lightning’s Bridge where he found Captain Lantill reviewing the damage reports streaming in from across the ship.

“We definitely took a significant hit from the explosion this time,” Lantill said as a way of greeting. “Systems are down across the ship.”

“Is the hypercom responding? Did we get home?”

Lantill pressed a command on at his station and Chief Engineer Jast appeared on the console’s display.

“Lieutenant Commander Jast, report, if you please on our mission.”

“Sir, the sensors definitely recorded a similar chronal radiation surge as we traveled through hyperspace. I think it worked, or at least we are no longer in the same year as before.”

“And the hypercom? Are we able to reach Aurora?”

“Still nothing on the hypercom, but I have a crew investigating it now to make sure it wasn’t damaged by our latest jump.”

“So, either it is damaged, or we are again lost in time?”

“It would appear so, Captain...”