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Star WarsThe Last of the JediBook 8Against the Empireby Jude Watson###############################################################################GUIDE TO CHARACTERSTHE LAST OF THE JEDIObi-Wan Kenobi: The great Jedi Master, now on exile on TatooineFerus Olin: Former Jedi Padawan, once apprenticed to Jedi Master Siri Tachi, currently a double agent against the Empire, on the planet Bellassa.Solace: Formerly the Jedi Knight Fy-Tor Ana; became a bounty hunter after the Empire was establishedGaren Muln: Weakened by long months of hiding after Order 66; resides on the secret asteroid base that Ferus Olin has establishedRy-Gaul: On the run since Order 66; found by SolaceTHE ERASEDA loose confederation of those who have been marked for death by the Empire who gave up their official identities and disappeared; centered on CoruscantDexter (Dex) Jettster: Former owner of Dex's Diner; has established a safe house in Coruscant's Orange DistrictOryon: Former head of a prominent Bothan spy network during the Clone Wars; divides his time between the secret asteroid base and Dex's hideoutKeets Freely: Former award-winning investigative journalist; now hiding out in Dex's safe houseCurran Caladian: Former Senatorial aide from Svivreni; cousin to deceased Senatorial aide and friend of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Tyro Cafadian; marked for death due to his outspoken resistance to the establishment of the Empire; lives in Dex's safe houseKEEPERS OF THE BASERaina Quill: Renowned pilot from the planet Acherin's struggle against the EmpireToma: Former general and commander of the resistance force on AcherinTHE ELEVENResistance movement on the planet Bellassa; the group is beginning to be known throughout the Empire; first established by eleven men and women but has grown to include hundreds in the city of Ussa with more supporters planetwideRoan Lands: One of the original Eleven; friend and partner to Ferus Olin; killed by Darth VaderDona Telamark: A supporter of the Eleven; hid Ferus Olin in her mountain retreat after his escape from an Imperial prisonWil: One of the original Eleven and now its lead coordinatorDr. Amie Antin: Loaned her medical services to the group, then joined later; now the second-in-commandFERUS OLIN'S FRIENDS & ALLIESTrever Flume: Ferus Olin's thirteen-year-old companion, a former street kid and black market operator on Bellassa; now an honorary member of the Bellassa Eleven and a resistance fighter, undercover at the Imperial Naval Academy on Coruscant.Clive Flax: Former musician and corporate spy turned double agent during the Clone Wars; friend to Ferus and Roan; escaped with Ferus from the Imperial prison world of DontamoAstri Oddo: Formerly Astri Oddo Divinian; divorced the politician Bog Divinian after he joined with Sano Sauro and the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars; now on the run, hiding from Bog; expert slicer specializing in macroframe computer code systemsLune Oddo Divinian: Force-adept eight-year-old son of Astri and Bog DivinianLinna Naltree: Medical expert who helped Trever escapeFlame: Mysterious and wealthy friend to the Eleven and other resistance groupsCHAPTER ONEHis short life had been marked by megatons of bad luck, but at least Trever counted himself lucky in one respect: Regular attendance at the Ussan Day Academy was no longer required.When his father and brother were killed by Imperial forces after the Clone Wars, his world had imploded. Everything had stopped making sense, and going to school had made the least sense of all. So he had closed the door to his old life and left it forever. He'd become a street kid, a thief, a con. Then he'd found out that Ferus Olin, the guy who let him sleep in his back room, used to be a Jedi, and the next thing he knew , . . wha-woosh, he was running blockades and dodging stormtroopers.Top of the list of things he never expected to do again: go to school. So much for that idea. He was now a fresh recruit at the Imperial Naval Academy on Coruscant.Why couldn't he have gone undercover someplace fun, like a space station cantina in the Outer Rim?Because Lune Oddo Divinian, the Force-sensitive son of Astri Oddo, had been kidnapped by his father and sent here. And Astri was frantic to get him back. So Trever had offered to enroll, make contact, and get both of them out in a couple days' time. At least that was the plan.To Trever, school had always felt like jail. But the Imperial Naval Academy really felt like jail. There were no stun cuffs or energy cages, but there was a state-of-the-art security system, ID badges, and old B-l series battle droids from the Clone Wars that had been reactivated and reprogrammed for security. They were still in temporary quarters that the Empire had requisitioned, an old hospital built of gray synthstone. The place had no windows and still smelled of bacta.He looked like every single one of these other recruits, with freshly-trimmed hair cut close to his skull, tunic and pants the color of a swamp, and the stupidest little cap he'd ever had the misfortune to have plopped on his head. Trever slipped it off and crammed it into his pocket. He had left behind his clothes and possessions at the check-in, and now he had to find his quarters.The halls were empty at the moment. It was class time. All of the recruits were sweating over holo-books, and soon he'd be joining them for some new-moon fun."Hey, gravel-maggot!" the sharp voice called from behind him.Trever kept walking. He wasn't here to become involved in student disputes.'I'm talking to you, gravel-maggot!"Unless, of course, some idiot bully tried to get in his face.Trever turned. A tall recruit with three silver bars on his chest stared him down.Keep your cool, Keets Freely had instructed him. Keets had researched an article on the Imperial Academy when it was still in the planning stages. Back when Keets was a journalist, before he'd managed to get a death-mark on his head after he'd angered the Empire several times. You're a new recruit. You're the bottom of the heap. Just about everyone is allowed to torture you. It's part of the process. They want to turn you into an Imperial. They want to break you down and build you up again. Whatever you do, don't lose your temper,"Where's your cap, gravel-maggot?"Oh. The cap. Trever reached into his pocket and took it out."You're required to wear it at all times.""Nobody told me. Sorry. I just got here a couple of minutes ago," Trever said."Put it on now, gravel-maggot!" The tall recruit slapped it out of his hand and it fell on the floor."Now that was counterproductive," Trever said.An interesting thing happened when this particular recruit got upset. His cheeks went pale but his neck flushed. If Trever had been on the streets of Ussa, he'd comment on it. Call the guy a ruby-throated kete and take off. Trever was a better runner than a fighter.What bullies didn't understand was that you had to particularize your insults. Anybody could call anybody a gravel-maggot, for moon's sake.But he wasn't supposed to lose his cool. He was Lune's best hope of getting out of here."Pick. It. Up." The other student spit out each word. Trever picked it up. He put the cap on his head. "Uniform delinquency and insubordination." The recruit's lip curled. He moved closer. "Bad luck on your first day. You're dead." And suddenly there was ablaster barrel pointed at Trever's chest.The guy wasn't just a bully, he was a lunatic! Trever's knees almost buckled. After all this, after all he'd been through, this couldn't happen. Not here. He felt an unpleasant sting. "Ten degrades," the student said, and strode away. What just happened? Trever wondered. What was a degrade? Sweat trickled down his back. He thought he'd stared death in the face.Shaken, he made his way to his quarters. He had his own small room, just enough for a sleep couch and a small dresser.They isolate you first, Keets had explained. Part of the breakdown of your personality. They don't want you to have personality, kid.Shelves flipped up and down for work spaces. Trever stowed his gear and bounced on the sleep couch. Not very comfortable. The small pillow was like a rock.He had noticed a supply closet on the way in. Trever slipped out and went down the hall, alert for other students and that fake blaster. He pushed open the supply closet door.Ah. Stacks of blankets and pillows. He quickly snatched a few pillows and went back to his room. He tossed them on his bed. Might as well be comfortable while he was here."Activate message unit." The voice was insistent and came from a control panel near the door. A red light was blinking. Trever pressed his thumb onto a sensor panel to identify himself."Recruit Fortin, report to Lieutenant Maggis, Guardian Advisor, for orientation interview," the voice said.Fortin was the name on the false ID docs Dex Jettster had gotten for him. Dex and Keets were both members of the Erased, who had obliterated their former identities in order to hide from the Empire. Dex had set up a safe house in Thugger's Alley in the Orange District, a place buried so deep in the Coruscant underworld that even the Empire didn't want to go there. They'd drilled him back at the safe house, calling him by the name over and over, going over his story until he thought he'd dive out the window.Trever left his quarters and headed for the turbolift. He had been given the lieutenant's office number when he arrived, and he knew it was close to the office where he'd first checked in. He'd taken a placement exam just that morning, and the results had been tabulated. H...
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