"General, the fleet is about to drop out of hyperspace above Raxus Prime," said Commodore Jarid Sykes.

Opening his eyes slowly and looking up from the mat he was meditating on, Senior Jedi General Anakin Skywalker acknowledged the report and slowly stood, stretching after spending the last several hours in meditation. Ever since the twins had been born, he found himself meditating more often. Raising twin Force Sensitive children was difficult enough. Raising children that combined his and Padme's personalities was almost impossible. They were both suffering from a distinct lack of sleep and rest. Meditating helped to refresh him, often times even more than sleep did. He had even taught Padme the basics of meditation with the Force. Once she was off Tython, she wasn't really Force Sensitive, but was aware enough of the Force for it to be useful to her in things like meditation and sensing being's moods and ferreting out deception.

Walking out onto the bridge of the Redemption, Anakin asked for a status update on ship's systems and to ensure they were at battle stations when they reverted to realspace. Raxus Prime was a junk world. It was where old ships, droids and tech went to die. However, it was also used as a storage yard for decommissioned ships of the Imperial Navy. According to Commodore Sykes, the Navy was retiring Acclamator and Venator class starships just as soon as new models could be introduced. The earliest members of both these classes were now approaching between ten and fifteen years of age, having been built at the same time the GAR had been ordered. They were here to "borrow" an Acclamator to use as a training academy.

Master Kenobi, along with his Padawan and members of the 501st and the Commandos, would lead the assault to capture one of the ships. Master Fisto, his Padawan and the rest of the 501st would be in reserve in case resistance was stiffer than expected or a diversion was needed. Anakin would remain with the fleet and provide fire support, suppression of defenses and interdiction to keep Imperial ships and fighters away from the strike force. Once Master Kenobi secured one of the ships, all three frigates would have shuttles standing by to ferry roughly two hundred and thirty personnel from each ship to the prize, giving their prize a full complement. Master Kenobi would then jump the ship to hyperspace and bring it to Corellia to be refitted by CEC. Supposedly under the guise of an Imperial Contract, the documents had already been forged by collaborators in both CorSec and CEC.

The attack went smoother than anyone had a right to expect. The boneyard they were raiding had very little security, one ageing CR70 Corvette that the Redemption disabled in under three minutes, a half squadron of Z-95 Headhunter fighters and a dozen Theta-class shuttles for maintenance and the transport of the security force. The Protector took care of those. Her brilliant green bolts of energy lancing out to blow up the shuttles as they left the surface. That left the Defender to take on the Z-95s. Her turbo and quadlasers were busy engaging them, laying a blanket of fire between the fighters and their strike force, preventing them from attacking. Eventually, the last of the Headhunters was destroyed just as the shuttles were leaving the frigates for the Acclamator that had been captured.

As soon as the crew had been transferred, they began the process of starting up the assault ship. Fortunately, she had been laid up with her fuel tanks topped off. They'd be able to reroute several times to hide where the ship came from. They were taking several shortcuts in the power up procedure as they didn't want to stay there for longer than they had to. Two hours later, and the captured Acclamator along with the other three Jedi ships jumped to hyperspace. The Acclamator would be arriving at Corellia in five days. The frigates headed back to Tython.

_

Jedi Master K'Kruhk, recently released from the Halls of Healing in the Temple, peered through the trees of the farming planet he was on. The planet was known as a source of Kyber Crystals. That his first mission back on active duty after being grievously wounded on Jedha was another mission to secure Kyber Crystals before the Empire did brought a brief grimace to his face. But he was a Jedi. And once he had learned what the Empire planned to do with the Kyber, he had readily accepted the mission. Thinking about Jedha did sadden him though. So many Jedi fell that day. And Master Hett was still not cleared for active missions. His spine had been shattered, and even healing trances and submersion in bacta couldn't heal him overnight. It would be some months yet before he was well enough to leave the Temple. Wrenching his mind back to the mission at hand, Master K'Kruhk surveyed the farm below him. It was a quiet, peaceful place. If he wasn't a Jedi, it was the kind of place he would very much have liked to live himself. It also sat directly over the only known source of Kyber on the planet.

Rumors in the nearby town said that the occupants of the farm were very vocal in their criticism of the Empire. But only a fool would base his movements on rumors. Smiling ruefully to himself, K'Kruhk decided he was a fool. Because he was planning on doing exactly that. He was going to openly walk right up to this farm, as a Jedi, and ask for their help. Of course he had another seven Jedi still hidden in the woods, just in case. But he truly felt that they wouldn't be needed. The Force was reassuring him that he was making the right decision here. He stood, straightened his robes, and walked confidently toward the farm below.

_

Inside the farmhouse, a young couple stood nervously. The being walking toward them looked like a Jedi. He was certainly dressed as one. And that was definitely a lightsaber at his belt. Normally, they would have opened their door wide to a Jedi. But they had been hearing far too many disturbing reports of beings who used the Force just as the Jedi did, but served the Empire. They were also indescribably cruel in all the reports they had heard. How could they be sure this being wasn't one of those?

"I think he may actually be a real Jedi," whispered the man.

"How can you be sure? He could just be trying to trick us because of what we've been saying," replied his wife.

"Why would they need to trick us? We're not soldiers. We're common people. If this was one of the Emperor's minions, he would have just smashed the door in and either arrested or killed us. What could we do to stop someone like that?"

The wife sighed and nodded her head, knowing that her husband was right. If this was one of those dark Force users, there was nothing they could do about it. Nothing, but accept their fates. As the maybe-Jedi knocked on their door, she and her husband shared one last look before he moved and opened the door.

"Can I help you?" the husband asked.

"Yes, you can. My name is Jedi Master K'Kruhk. I was wondering if we might sit and talk for a bit. There's a matter that the Jedi Order would like your help with."

Letting out a huge sigh and visibly relaxing, the man nodded his head and with a welcoming motion of his arm said, "Of course, Master Jedi. Please, come in."

With a brief bow, K'Kruhk offered his thanks and entered the small but comfortable home. And abruptly stopped. Looking at the young couple, he asked, "Is there anyone else in your home?"

Looking at each other with a mixture of alarm and confusion, the wife finally responded. "Yes. Our son. He's in his room in the crib, sleeping. Why?"

"May I meet your son, please? If it's not too much trouble?" asked K'Kruhk.

"Let me see if he's awake," said the husband with no small bit of confusion. After all, why should a Jedi Master want to meet his infant son?

"You have my thanks," said K'Kruhk.

"Master K'Kruhk, may I ask why you want to meet our son?" the wife asked.

"Oh, I apologize for any confusion I may have caused. But when I entered your home I sensed the presence of another being here. One that has a strong connection to the Force. I must confess, at first, I though this may have been a trap and I was about to find a Sith waiting for me here."

As he spoke, K'Kruhk watched the woman's face. First shock then anger crossed it as he provided his explanation. Before she could reply, her husband reappeared. Carrying a small bundle in his arms that most definitely was not asleep. Instead, the infant was staring at his visitor with eyes wide open. K'Kruhk chuckled as he realized that he was very likely the first being the child had ever seen who was not human. It was just the child's misfortune that Whippids were considered some of the fiercest looking species in the Galaxy. Especially when they showed their teeth in anything approaching a human grin. Mindful of that, he carefully kept his facial features neutral.

Reaching out with the Force, he gently caressed the child's Force Signature. Doing this, he confirmed his initial reaction. The child was amazingly strong with the Force. Stronger than many that had been brought into the Order in recent years. This caused another thought to cross his mind. Perhaps this was how the Force was nurturing the Order? First with Young Skywalker being found with the highest midiclorian count ever, then his children being born with identical counts to his. Then Master Yoda finding young Galen Marek who's count was just slightly below Master Yoda's. Now this young child. He hadn't done a blood test yet, but his initial impression was that he would be a very powerful Jedi.

Realizing that he must appear a bit odd just staring at the infant, Master K'Kruhk refocused his gaze on the father and said, "I apologize. But as I was telling your wife, when I entered your home I sensed a very powerful Force User here. Your child is very strong with the Force. I was measuring his aura just now and, judging strictly from that, he could be one of the more powerful Jedi in the Order. Perhaps that is something we could discuss in addition to my other business here?"

Looking somewhat puzzled, the father nodded his head and motioned to the couch. As they sat down, Master K'Kruhk asked him what his name was. The man replied, "I'm Ephraim Bridger. This is my wife Mira. And our son, Ezra."