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The Battle of Geonosis was a bitter victory for the Republic…
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…as the prospect of a full scale war with the Confederacy became inevitable.
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As the Clone Wars spread throughout the galaxy, millions of clone trooper units departed from Coruscant on missions to find and defeat the Separatists.
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They were led into battle by the Jedi Knights; the first time that the Jedi Order had taken up arms en masse for a thousand years…
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…and the Grand Army of the Republic engaged the droid army across hundreds of star systems.
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Early in the conflict, an ordinary man rose from the ranks of a Coruscant peace officer…
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…to lead the Republic to victory in countless battles.
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Commander Rykrof Enloe became a name of legend in the officer ranks…
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…always standing shoulder to shoulder with his men.
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But once captured by Badoo Corba terrorists, all hope for his safe return seemed lost.
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While one dear to him relied on faith…
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…the other sought strength through the Dark Side of the Force.
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But against all odds, Rykrof cheated death, turning the table on his captors…
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…and escaped from the clutches of the Badoo Corba!
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But the forces of darkness continued to plot against the Republic.
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All the while the war continued…
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…with no end in sight.
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With the Clone Wars stretching the Republic’s resources thin, there is a growing sentiment that Naboo has become vulnerable to attack.
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At the capital city of Theed, a new day begins.
Tensions have escalated as the threat of a Separatist invasion weighs on the minds of the planet’s citizens.
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“One Venator-class Star Destroyer is simply not enough protection,” Rykrof insists as he exits Theed Palace with Commander Brennan Kiltu, Chommell Sector Bureau Central Commander.
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“Regardless of what intelligence indicates, I believe Naboo is a prime target for invasion by the Confederacy,” he says.
“Rykrof, you’re not listening to what I’m telling you,” Brennan argues, lowering his voice.
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“The Republic can not send additional forces here,” he insists.
“I can’t go into details, Rykrof, but I have assurances that this planet will not be targeted for an attack.”
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“Trust me on this. And I understand your concerns. This sector is under my watch; I won’t allow any planet in the system to go unprotected,” Brennan says with a smile.
“Alright,” Rykrof bitterly concedes.
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“Rykrof, hey!” a familiar voice hollers as the former commander walks away from the argument.
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“What was that all about?” the young man asks.
“Oh, Palom. Hi. It’s just Commander Kiltu,” Rykrof says to the Naboo technician.
“You don’t need to get involved.”
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“Why were you saying there might be an invasion by the Separatists?” he asks.
“If that starts going around, the entire city could go into a panic!”
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“Maybe they should…” Rykrof replies in a dark tone.
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“…we can’t rely on the Republic to provide protection forever,” he continues as a pair of clone troopers looks on.
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“Do me a favor, Palom,” Rykrof says before leaving.
“I’m sure it’s nothing, but let me know if you notice anything out of the ordinary.”
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“Of course, Sir,” the helpful technician says.
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Back at the Enloe homestead, Rykrof explains to his friend Freelo of the potential threat he sees facing the planet.
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“I don’t believe this,” Rykrof grumbles after sipping on some homemade kardrum.
“The Security Council is blind. After what happened with the Trade Federation invasion, they should realize the need for a larger military.”
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“You’re blowing everything out of proportion!” Freelo exclaims as he throws his arms into the air.
“Commander Kiltu told you that he has assurances that the planet won’t be attacked.”
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“Exactly,” Rykrof says.
“Which means he might be hiding something.”
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“And if he is, I intend to find out what it is, Freelo.”
“First thing tomorrow, I’m applying to be reinstated with my command.”
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- CRASH! - Rykrof is startled by a noise from the other room.
“Aw, damn!” Rykrof curses, jumping out of his seat.
“Freelo, go ahead and get your stuff out to the speeder. I’ll be ready after I clean up this mess.”
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“Caldin,” he scolds his son, “You know better!”
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As the toddler smiles at his father, Rykrof tries to hide his frustration over the incident.
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He then carefully inspects the model starship for damage, and places the prize of his collection back on display.
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Realizing that Caldin was only trying to play, Rykrof can’t help but laugh to himself over the mishap.
“It’s okay buddy,” Rykrof says with a smile.
“Mommy’s right. After all, they’re only toys.”
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“Only toys?” Alyssa repeats sarcastically as she enters the room.
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“Can’t get mad at him for taking after his old man,” Rykrof laughs.
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“I overheard what you were telling Freelo,” Alyssa says sadly, changing the subject.
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“I haven’t made any decision yet,” Rykrof admits.
“You don’t need to go back into service,” Alyssa snaps at him.
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“Honey, I promised Freelo I’d scout with him today,” Rykrof says, changing the subject.
“So we’ll talk about it tonight, okay?”
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Rykrof then finds Freelo outside the homestead.
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“This is so exciting!” Freelo exclaims as he turns to his friend.
“I can’t believe the Gungans have granted us permission to dig at Otoh Osakaar. Who knows what relics we will uncover!”
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Pretending to sound interested, Rykrof then turns to his loyal friend, Ralbarr.
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“Hey, watch over Alyssa and Caldin today for me,” Rykrof tells the mighty Wookiee.
“And try contacting Kala again.”
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“Ready?” Freelo asks impatiently.
“Yeah, let’s get moving,” Rykrof says.
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Early that afternoon, Rykrof and Freelo arrive at their destination.
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“This is it,” Freelo proudly announces.
“The ruins of Osakaar!”
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“I can hardly contain myself,” Rykrof mumbles.
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Soon after, Rykrof finds himself hauling more equipment than he can muster.
“Geeze, how much further do we have to go?” Rykrof gasps.
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“I don’t know,” Freelo says cheerfully. “We’ll know when we get there!”
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After finally agreeing on a dig site, Freelo activates his personal assistant droid, RKE-O1G.
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“Rykrof, hand me the hydro pliers,” Freelo requests as the droid chirps to life.
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“Sure, no problem,” Rykrof says as he begins to look for the tool.
“What box are…”
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“…oomph!”
“Quiet,” Freelo whispers. “You hear those voices?”
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“…barely …but yeah, I hear them too,” Rykrof whispers as he scans their surroundings.
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“We’re not alone,” Rykrof says quietly.
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“Stay here while I check it out.”
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Cautiously, Rykrof approaches the origin of the voices…
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… to discover a rough looking group of Rodians communicating with a masked warrior.
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Realizing immediately that the group of aliens have infiltrated the planet illegally, Rykrof gathers what he can from the conversation.
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“Boo’ta mees’kay,” the warrior says darkly.
“Won bon tune Kiltu ma konsey lo kee tay.”
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“Taun Korba la Kiltu so mee lo peesay,” he continues.
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A dark, cold chill runs through Rykrof’s body as he realizes the masked warrior has mentioned Badoo Corba terrorists and Commander Kiltu in the same sentence.
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Rykrof then quickly heads back to the site to find Freelo.
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To his surprise, Rykrof stumbles upon a dead Rodian alongside an ATL Interceptor!
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“There you are,” Freelo says with excitement.
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“Freelo, you could have gotten yourself killed,” Rykrof says sternly.
“I told you to stay at the dig site.”
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“But look what I found,” Freelo eagerly points out.
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“This recording mentions Theed Palace.”
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“It’s a scrambled message …but I think that might be Commander Kiltu,” Rykrof says grimly.
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“Why is he on this recording?” Freelo wonders out loud.
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“Hey, who’s that?” Freelo asks.
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Rykrof quickly turns around…
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…as the masked warrior from the holo transmission opens fire on him!
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“BYAAAAAHHHHH!!!” Freelo screams as he dives out of the way of the laser blast.
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“Freelo, get to the speeder, now!” Rykrof yells as he fires back at the warrior.
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As Rykrof and Freelo attempt to escape, the warrior begins to pursue them!
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“Who are they?” Freelo hollers over the blaster fire while sprinting toward the speeder.
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“I don’t know!!” Rykrof shouts.
“Just keep moving!”
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“Kill them both,” the warrior instructs the Rodians.
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“Get in!”
“I’ll hold these slugs back!” Rykrof yells as he fires at their pursuers…
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…striking one in the chest!
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“Hold on Freelo, we’re not out of this yet!” Rykrof says.
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Meanwhile back at Theed, little do the citizens know of the sinister plot unfolding…
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“Rykrof, this is Palom,” the technician says into his comm link.
“Where are you at?”
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“I’m with Freelo. We’re about five kilometers southeast of the ancient Gungan site of Osakaar,” Rykrof tells him.
“And we’ve got a major problem on our hands.”
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“My speeder’s been damaged by a group of warriors that might be affiliated with the Badoo Corba; so I need you to send out an armored patrol with two squads to pick us up.”
“But keep it quiet …I think that Commander Kiltu might be connected to all of this!”
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“You might be right - something’s going on here in the city too,” Palom reports.
“Kiltu’s called for your arrest…”
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“…and he’s about to put the capital on lockdown.”
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“What the hell are you talking about?” Rykrof demands.
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“Rykrof, I don’t know what’s going on! But I can’t send help!” he insists.
“Stay away from here; you’ll be arrested on sight!”
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“Copy that. Keep your comlink on, Palom,” Rykrof says.
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“Is there a problem?” Freelo asks innocently.
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Soon, the entire city of Theed is put on lockdown.
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“Commander Kiltu,” communications trooper NK-28 says as he approaches the senior officer.
“I have Gamma Unit reporting in with Enloe’s last known location.”
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“And where would that be?” Kiltu asks.
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“We’ve located his speeder approximately five point two kilometers southeast of Otoh Osakaar,” the patrol trooper reports.
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“But there’s no sign of him or the Mon Calamari. By assessing the damage their speeder sustained, the speeder hasn’t been here long.”
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“I want a 20 kilometer radius of the speeder site searched until Rykrof Enloe is arrested,” Kiltu demands.
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“If he resists…”
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“…shoot him.”
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