On the third day there were no more pirates—only civilian traffic moving in and out of the Lantilles sector toward the Roche sector along the Perlemian Trade Route. Freighters, bulk haulers, passenger liners… the usual commerce of the Republic.
For once, the scanners were quiet.
I leaned over the tactical console on the bridge of the *Terminus*, studying the star charts.
This galaxy… I knew far more about it than anyone here should. Most of my knowledge came from what would later be called Legends, though several worlds also existed in canon. Lothal. Takodana. Even Atollon—where that ancient being, the Bendu, would someday dwell.
Best stay away from that one.
If anyone could sense something… off… about me, it would be a creature like him. A being tied directly to the balance of the Force might not appreciate someone like me altering events.
Still, the galaxy was vast, and knowledge was power.
As I continued scanning through sectors and planetary systems, eventually I found what I was looking for.
Gorian Shard.
The pirate king.
In later years he would become infamous for terrorizing trade routes along the Hydian Way, his influence stretching dangerously close to the Corporate Sector. But his territory for now lay within the Dalicron sector—an isolated, poorly charted region of the Outer Rim. Most of the inhabitants were Belters, miners who lived among asteroid fields at the edges of scattered star systems.
And there it was.
A bounty notice.
Ten million credits.
"Well… that's generous," I muttered.
Unfortunately, being a Jedi meant I couldn't exactly collect it. And if it became public that a Jedi had personally hunted down a pirate king, it would attract far too much attention.
However…
His ship was another matter entirely.
The **Cumulus-class Corsair**.
A light cruiser used by pirates and privateers. Roughly dagger-shaped with a blade-like prow and a small command tower at the aft. Its compact bridge glowed with red internal lighting. Armament included four quad laser cannons and fourteen ventral turbolasers, with capacity for at least ten starfighters.
Crew requirements were surprisingly small.
Seventy crew… plus ten pilots.
A useful ship.
Not for me.
But for **General Rham Kota**.
Kota was unique among Republic generals—he refused to use clones, instead leading militias, mercenaries, and freedom fighters such as the **Antarian Rangers**, who in another era would become legendary commandos.
Helping him now would strengthen the Republic in ways few understood.
I turned toward Ahsoka.
"Ahsoka, you're in charge of patrol."
She blinked in surprise. "Me?"
"Yes. Continue standard inspection patterns. Listen to Captain Ragnos and Commander Blam during boarding procedures."
"Why, Master?" she asked suspiciously. "Where are you going?"
I gave a calm, perfectly practiced Jedi answer.
"The Council has informed me of a small diplomatic matter. I'm not authorized to discuss the details."
Ahsoka crossed her arms.
"That sounds like something Master Obi-Wan would say."
"Then clearly I'm learning from the best."
Behind her, Captain Ragnos and Commander Blam exchanged a knowing glance. They had seen Jedi disappear on mysterious missions before.
I turned slightly.
"Ethan. Ready my fighter. Load the droid shuttle with fifty battle droids. No clones."
Ragnos nodded immediately.
"Understood, General."
Blam added quietly, "Sometimes Jedi prefer droids for… sensitive missions."
"Exactly," I said calmly.
Ethan's metallic voice answered from the terminal.
"Fighter prepared. Awaiting coordinates, sir."
"Asteroid fields at the edge of the Nevarro system," I replied. "I'll go ahead. You arrive later to clean up… discreetly."
---
Three hours later I arrived in the system.
The moment I dropped out of hyperspace I activated the Sith stealth technology integrated into my fighter.
A relic of ancient designs.
The tragedy of the galaxy was that technology had stagnated for thousands of years. The Republic had simply stopped pushing forward.
As I drifted deeper into the asteroid field, the sensors finally located it.
The pirate king's ship.
The **Cumulus-class Corsair** floated lazily between several massive rocks.
About 120 meters long.
A respectable vessel.
Too bad destroying it with missiles would ruin such a useful prize.
I sighed.
"Guess I'll have to do this the hard way."
I sealed my armor and activated the vacuum systems of my suit. My fighter attached magnetically to the hull of the corsair.
A moment later I cut through an access panel and slipped inside.
A pirate rounded the corridor corner.
"Halt! Intrud—"
His neck snapped with a soft crack as I clenched my fist through the Force.
"Seventy-seven left… approximately," I murmured.
Part of Sith training was learning to kill using nothing but the Force.
For the next five minutes I moved through the ship like a shadow.
Invisible death.
Some pirates collapsed as their throats crushed silently. Others were struck by concentrated bolts of Force lightning, their bodies turning instantly to ash. A few I drained of life force entirely—strength stored away for later use.
No alarms.
No blood.
Just quiet.
Eventually I reached the bridge.
The doors slid open.
Inside stood a massive alien with a jagged beard and pirate armor.
Gorian Shard himself.
He turned toward me.
"Who the hell are you?"
I ignited my lightsaber.
"Gorian Shard… in the name of **Jedi Grand Master Yoda**, you are sentenced to die."
He frowned.
"Who the hell is Yoda—"
The lightsaber flashed once.
His head hit the floor.
---
Shortly afterward Ethan arrived with the droid shuttle.
Battle droids moved through the ship efficiently, collecting bodies.
One B1 droid looked down at a pile of pirates.
"Statement: This organic cleaning assignment is unpleasant."
Another replied.
"Observation: At least they are not shooting at us."
Within minutes the bodies were dumped into the ship's incinerator—reduced to dust.
No witnesses.
No evidence.
The ship was now clean.
I stood on the bridge and gave the final order.
"Set course for the Antar system. Deliver this vessel to General Rham Kota."
"And what shall I tell him, sir?" Ethan asked.
I smiled slightly.
"Tell him it's a gift… from Jedi Marek."
---
### Antar System – Kota's Flagship
General **Rham Kota** stood on the command deck as the strange corsair vessel was escorted into formation.
One of his captains frowned.
"General… unidentified cruiser approaching."
Kota narrowed his single eye.
"Not a Separatist design."
Another officer ran a scan.
"Minimal crew… all droids."
The ship transmitted a short message.
A captain read it aloud.
"Delivery from Jedi General Dagon Marek."
Kota crossed his arms thoughtfully.
"Hm."
"What should we do, General?" the captain asked.
Kota smiled faintly.
"We accept the gift."
The captain chuckled.
"A pirate ship, General?"
Kota shrugged.
"War makes use of many tools."
He turned toward the viewport, studying the newly arrived cruiser.
"And something tells me… Jedi Marek understands that better than most."