Saga - OT Midquel Trilogy

This is a story I've been working on for a while. I know I have other works I'm in the middle of, but I've been busy since the new school year started.
Here is my idea for a "prequel to the sequel" trilogy, set between ROTJ and TFA. It will serve the same purpose for the sequels that the prequel trilogy did for the original trilogy.
Without further ado...


Star Wars: Balance to the Force:

It is a period of peace for the New Republic. After the Battle of Jakku, the Imperial Remnants on Courscant officially surrendered to the New Republic, declaring the Galactic Civil War over at last.

Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker, son of the Chosen One and the last of the Jedi Knights, has established an Academy on the planet of Ossus. Seeking to revive the Jedi order, Luke trains a new generation of Jedi to fight for peace and justice in the galaxy....

However, in the depths of the Unknown Regions, a military force known as the First Order is growing stronger, led by the Imperial Grand Admiral Rae Sloane. Remaining hidden from the Republic and the new Jedi Order, the First Order prepares to carry on the legacy of the old Empire and strike at the heart of the new Republic.



14 ABY
All the teenage boys and girls wore identical uniforms, and they all stood at attention in two rows as the designated alpha of the group walked across the metal floor, not making eye contact with any of them. They had all known each other since early childhood, and they'd all grown up on the Star Destroyer Eclipse
The fourteen year old boy who led the group stopped at the end of the command bridge and said, "At ease." His fellow First Order junior officers relaxed. They'd all grown close to one another during their years on the Eclipse, but they feared the boy known as Armitage Hux. For whatever reason, the Grand Admiral had placed Armitage in command of the other children, and it was Armitage who decided which of them would stay and who was too incompetent to lead the First Order.
In the nine years since they'd all been together, the young Armitage had executed seven of the original twenty-four orphans that had been brought with the Imperial remnants after the Battle of Jakku. The boys and girls strived to be competent First Order officers, having been taught by both Armitage and the Grand Admiral to hate the New Republic. Each of the youths brought with the First Order had learned advanced combat and tactic skills since they were toddlers, with Armitage as the appointed leader. Each of them had the ambition to command the First Order fleet and bring down the corrupt Republic and its Senate.
"The Grand Admiral has decided that the time to act will be soon," the lanky, red-haired Armitage said to his uniformed peers, "Today, you will conduct your final test to be qualified to help lead our battle fleet."
The twelve-to-fourteen year olds all looked at one another curiously, wondering what they'd have to do. They'd all faced one another in both weapons and close quarters combat, and had learned one another's strengths and weaknesses. What could Armitage have in mind that would test them any more than before.
"You shall conduct a raid on a New Republic outpost on Bespin," Armitage explained, with the demeanor and discipline of a much older officer, "A critical weapons facility lies on the resort of Cloud City. Expect resistance from the Republic presence there."
A short Corellian boy raised his hand.
"Rivas ," Armitage addressed the younger child by name.
"With all due respect, sir," the young boy Sol Rivas said with chilling calmness, "Are we certain that such a small raid is worthy of the attention of the Senate?"
Armitage put his hands behind his back and walked back through the rows of preteens standing before him.
"It will send them the message that the Empire will not be forgotten," the older boy replied, "And we, the next generation, will bring an end to the evil Republic and restore the glory of our military!" The last sentence, he said with an increase of enthusiasm. The others felt as are excited as he did, but they dared not show it in the presence of their tormentor.
"The Eclipse is en route to the Bespin system at present," Armitage Hux explained, "A fleet of TIE fighters is at the ready. I will assign units, and command you from my own fighter. A drop ship will be carrying a unit of stormtroopers to the surface, while we carry out our raid."
As Armitage walked out of the command station, the other youths followed him with excitement, anxious to make the Empire proud.
Hosnian Prime
In the Solo's high rise apartment in Hosnian Prime's capital city, nine year old Ben swung the training saber given to him as a gift from his uncle Luke. His mother Leia, aged thirty-three, watched fondly from the couch as Ben pretended he was a Jedi Knight of old.
From an early age, Ben had shown signs of the special talents present in both Leia and her twin brother Luke, who had established a Jedi Academy on the old sanctuary world of Ossus. Grand Master Skywalker had promised to begin training Ben when the time was right, but he understood as well as Leia that Ben should not be exposed to the family burden before he was ready, one that had fallen heavily on both Luke and Leia.
Although young Ben Solo was aware that his maternal grandfather Anakin Skywalker had been a legendary Jedi knight and hero of the Clone Wars, he had not yet learned the truth about Darth Vader and his role in the Empire, though it had all happened less than a year before Ben was born.
"You're getting much better with that thing, Ben," Leo's marveled as she clapped for her son. Leia had constructed a lightsaber for herself, and trained with her brother Luke, though she'd largely chosen to focus on her duties to the Republic and the Senate.
"Do you think Uncle Luke will let me go to the academy this year?" Ben asked as he switched off the training saber and turned to face his mother. Leia's smile faded as she thought about the risks of sending him to Ossus.
"Over my dead body," General Han Solo said with his usual sarcastic air as he walked into the living room, "Ben, put that thing away before you get us all killed."
Ben looked down with disappointment, knowing full well what his dad thought about the Jedi and his Force powers.
"No Han, it's okay," Leia said quickly as she stood up to greet her husband, "I let him practice with it for a while."
"Ben, will you excuse us for a moment?" Han asked impatiently. Ben put the training saber on the floor and hurried out of the room. Mom and Dad are about to fight again.
"What are you thinking, letting him use that... thing?" Han demanded as he rounded on Leia. "You know what will happen when Luke does his hocus pocus on our son!"
"He's going to have to deal with it sooner or later," Leia replied firmly, "I don't want him to ignore his Jedi heritage forever."
"I just don't want to put him in danger," persisted Han, "Even Luke almost fell to the dark side, back on Endor."
"Luke will be able to guide Ben," Leia argued, "He knows what it's like to go there, and he's stronger because of it."
"Does the name Vader ring a bell?" Han snapped back at her, pointing his finger. "Remember how he turned out?"
Leia crossed her arms and sighed. This was still a delicate subject for her; she'd long come to terms with her family past, yet she still felt conflicted about accepting her father's legacy, especially concerning Anakin's grandson Ben.
"He was a monster, I know that," Leia said after choking, "I still remember what he did to Alderaan. But it'll be different for our son, I know it. He's been raised by his two parents who love him very much and Luke will take great care of him."
"He won't be going, and that's final," Han growled, turning away as if preparing to storm off, "We don't need another Sith Lord in the family."
Leia opened her mouth to argue back, but Han had begun to stomp back out of the apartment, always having to have the last word. She returned to their living room, feeling more hopeless then she'd felt in a long time.
Han marched into the hangar of the apartment building, towards his beloved Millennium Falcom. His faithful Wookiee companion and copilot was doing repairs on the hood engine. At the sight of his partner, Han's tense feelings were briefly pushed aside.
"Manage to make a dent in this bad girl?" Han asked with his usual banter.
Chewie responded in kind.
"Yeah, I could use a break from all the family drama," Han sighed as he climbed onto the hull of his old Corellian freighter, "Leia's allowing Ben to be influenced a little too much by Luke's Force."
Chewie growled sympathetically. He didn't know much about the Jedi, but he knew how protective Han was of his son, and how the last thing his oldest friend wanted was for his son to turn out like Vader.
A loud, familiar beeping sound rang from inside the Falcon.
"Better see what this is," Han muttered as he hopped down and went into the ramp of his ship. Chewie followed him to the cockpit where the radio was blaring a transmission.
When Han activated it, a hologram of his old friend and former enemy Lando Calrissian came into being.
"Lando, you couldn't possibly be calling me for a favor, now could you?" he asked teasingly.
"Actually Han, it's pretty serious," Lando said with a note of concern, "Our satellites have detected a Star Destroyer approaching Bespin, and we're afraid of an attack."
"A Star Destroyer?" Han asked incredulously, "Haven't seen one of those in ten years. I thought the Empire's fleet was disbanded after Jakku."
"Whatever's going on, I don't like it," Lando said, "We aren't prepared to deal with that kind of threat on our own."
"All right, I'll be there with help," Han promised, "My fleet will get to you as soon as we can."
"Thank you, Han, I appreciate it," Lando replied, trying to mask his genuine fear. His hologram flickered out.
"Chewie, get Wedge on the line," Han ordered, "We need to get the whole fleet together. It looks like we're in for a rough fight." He wondered why the Empire could possibly be attacking such a remote colony as Cloud City, now of all times.
As Leia examined the training lightsaber her son had abandoned, her loyal but fussy protocol droid See-Threepio slowly entered the room.
"Mistress Leia, that is, Senator Organa," the droid said, "is there anything I may do to help?"
"No thank you, Threepio," Leia sighed as she put down the training saber, "You can take an oil bath if you want."
"Leia, I have to go with the Squadron," Han said as he barged back into the apartment, "Lando's in trouble."
"What is it?" Leia asked in alarm.
"He says that an Imperial Star Destroyer is heading towards Cloud City," Han replied.
"I knew that the remnants couldn't be trusted," Leia said bitterly, "I'll have to inform the senate."
Han darted back out towards the Falcon, where Chewie was waiting.
By the time Red Squadron arrived in orbit of Bespin, a swarm of TIE fighters were engaged in a dogfight with Cloud City's local security vessels. Han shuddered at the sight of the massive Star Destroyer.
"Never thought I'd see one of those again," he muttered. Chewie signaled his agreement.
Han switched on the intercom and said, "Red Two, keep the fighters busy. Chewie and I are going down to Cloud City to get to the bottom of this."
"Copy, Red Leader," replied the voice of Wedge Antilles from his X Wing fighter. As Chewie steered the Falcon down towards the clouds, Wedge and the other New Republic pilots began firing on the TIE fighters.
Down on Cloud City's surface, the blue shirted security guards were engaged in a shootout with a squadron of white armored Imperial stormtroopers.
"Great," Han muttered as he took in the sight of his old enemies, "just what we need right now. Chewie, go to the main cannon and see if you can take out any of those guys." Chewie roared as he got up from the copilot's seat and hurried out of the cockpit.
As Han took the controls of the Falcon, Chewie directed the freighter's lasers and shot directly at the stormtroopers. The Imperial soldiers turned their attention to the aircraft and began shooting at the Falcon above. Chewie picked them off one by one as they flew off the bridge into the gas giant below.
At last, Han docked the Millennium Falcon onto the landing platform. As he and his Wookiee friend exited their craft, Han looked up at the sky above, where Wedge and his men were still doing battle with the Imperial pilots.
His signature cape flowing behind him, Lando came rushing out of Cloud City's gates with his blaster drawn.
"You made it," he panted, "They've destroyed a lot of our equipment."
"How bad is it?"
"Sixty-six civilians deaths counted so far," Lando stated grimly, "the Empire hasn't tried anything like this in years."
Back on Hosnian Prime, the Republic Senate was assembled in the capitol building, in the giant, circular chamber where representatives sat in the pods designated for their respective systems.
"The attack on Cloud City is a sure sign that the Imperial Remnants cannot be trusted," Leia said from the Alderaan booth, addressing the entire parliamentary body, "We must reassemble our full military strength and prepare for war."
"We're on the path to political suicide!" exclaimed Bothan Senator Borsk Fey'lya, "Waging war against a small terrorist threat will bring back the chaos of the Galactic Civil War! Thousands of systems will rally against us!"
"The chair does not recognize Senator Fey'lya at this time," Chancellor Mon Mothma chided from the chancellor's podium that hovered in the center of the Senate hall. Beside her stood her Grand Vizer Crix Madine and the Mon Calamari Admiral Ackbar.
"Senator Organa," Mothma said to the Alderaan delegate, "I shall contact Mas Amedda on Coruscant and ensure that he is following the terms of the surrender. Until then, we shall wait on a military decision."
Senators all across the Hall were shouting at Leia, calling her a warlord, an Imperial, and a gung-ho woman. The former Princess put her head in her hands in distress as Mothma subtly looked at her apologetically.

 

The Jedi Academy was a massive stone temple build in a clearing between groves of forest trees. A group of young Padawans practiced were practicing blindfolded against hovering training remotes while Grand Master Luke Skywalker watched, walking up and down the grass.
Luke had established this Academy after finding Ossus following the Battle of Jakku, wanting to distance himself and the revived Jedi from Galactic politics. A major role in politics had led to the downfall of the old Jedi Order, Master Yoda had once explained. Luke had taken the mantle of Jedi Master now, and had found many Force sensitives over the years to train and to help him teach.
"Luke!" shouted Master Mara Jade Skywalker as she came bounding out of the temple gates, looking excited. Luke smiled and rushed over to greet his wife of seven years. Mara had been the daughter of an exiled Jedi, born about two years after Empire Day, but she'd been orphaned at a young age. Luke had rescued her from a band of Imperial terrorists on abyss and trained her as a Jedi.
"Mara, I'm kind of in the middle of a lesson," Luke chided, but he was unable to contain his joy at seeing her. He sensed that she had news for him, wonderful news.
Mara wrapped her arms around Luke's neck and whispered, "Something wonderful has happened."
"Wonderful?" Luke asked her, his grin as wide as the diameter of Ossus.
"Luke, I'm pregnant," Mara whispered.
"Pregnant?" Luke repeated, unable to believe his ears, "That's...that's wonderful!"
Several curious trainees turned to look at their revered master become giddy with excitement.
"Our lives are about to change," Mara said as Luke stroked her red hair with his hand.
Luke squeezed his wife as hard as he could. Nothing could go wrong, nothing except...
Luke felt a strange, cold feeling rush through him. He sensed something, a dark presence he hadn't felt since...
Luke's second in command on the Jedi Council, the giant humanoid Master Snoke, came out of the Temple as well.
"Congratulation, Master Skywalker," the alien Jedi said, "You two must be very excited. Perhaps you would like to relax for the rest of today."
"That's okay, Snoke," Luke replied, feeling increasingly uneasy, "I can handle the class."
"No, allow me to take over," Snoke said, "You both deserve to celebrate."
"Thank you, Master Snoke," Mara chimed in, pulling Luke away by the arm, "We appreciate it very much." They went into the temple and through the wide hallway towards the Council chamber.
The dark feeling left Luke's mind as Mara led him into the circular chamber, which seated twelve Jedi Masters.
"So... another Skywalker," Mara chuckled, "I'm guessing this one's going to change the galaxy in some big way." Luke chucked nervously as she sat down on her Council seat. Yes, another Skywalker. That dark feeling came over him again. What was it?
"Are you all right, Luke?" Mara asked with worry as she saw the distant look on his face. Luke suddenly saw a vision, far away, of a group of dark knights, weilding red bladed lightsabers similar to that of the old Sith Lords. Was this the past he saw; or the future.
They'd worked so hard to achieve the peace and happiness they'd earned, it couldn't possibly end now, not with a baby on the way...
"Yeah, I'm fine Mara," Luke said, "We'd better contact Han and Leia and tell them the good news."
Hosnian Prime
Chancellor Mon Mothma sat at her desk above the Senate Hall, General Madine and Ackbar standing beside her. Two uniformed bodyguards also stood at attention as Mothma prepared to send a holographic transmission to Coruscant.
In the center of the room, the magnificent yet diminished image of the horned, blue skinned Chagrian Mas Amedda appeared.
Amedda had issued for the Empire's surrender after Rae Sloane's Imperial fleet had fled Jakku, yet he'd also been one of the Emperor's most trusted aides since before the Clone Wars.
"Chancellor Mothma," the Grand Vizer acknowledged her as he bowed through the hologram, "I trust you are doing well."
"Grand Vizer," Mothma replied sternly, "I would like to raise issue regarding an attack by a small Imperial armada against our outpost out on Cloud City."
"I assure you, Chancellor, I know nothing about such attacks and I had nothing to do with it," Amedda said quickly, without taking time to process it.
"Until this move by the Imperial remnants is fully investigated," Mothma declared, "I will have to send additional Republic forces to enforce your cooperation with our treaty."
"Chancellor, please," Amedda reasoned, "You can't possibly accuse me of a rogue terrorist strike so far out of reach."
The way Amedda had phrased his argument further solidified Mothma's decision. "I shall send a deployment immediately." Before the Grand Vizer could protest further, Mothma ended the communication and turned to General Madine to give further instructions.
Coruscant
The metropolis planet of Coruscant was a shadow of its former self. Once filled with constant air traffic and civilian activity, the skyscrapers, lavishness, and general activity had been afflicted by civil war and poverty following the power struggle resulting from the Emperor's death.
In what had once been the Chancellor's office on Coruscant, Mas Amedda stood beside his desk and pulled a small comlink from his robe. Amedda looked around to make sure no spies were watching, then he stepped into his smaller, private office. Activating the device, he said, "Senator Fey'lya? Yes, it's Amedda."
"Is it time to go ahead with our plan?" asked the Bothan Senator.
"Yes, it happened just like you predicted," Amedda replied, "Princess Leia cries out, Bail Organa's old friend rushes to make sure the pampered brat is satisfied."
"With this information, she'll be ruined forever," crowed Fey'lya, "Slowly, the influence of your administration will fall back into the New Republic."
Amedda smiled. "I shall transmit the data immediately. I can just imagine the look on their faces."
Hosnian Prime
While young Ben played with a toy X Wing on the living room floor, Leia sat thinking about the situation. Though she had a deep, long standing personal relationship with Chancellor Mothma, it was no secret that she was unpopular in the Senate for her advocacy to keep a functioning military. Though Mas Ameeda had been allowed to run a provisional Imperial government on Coruscant, under Republic surveillance of course, the remaining fleet, led by Grand Admiral Rae Sloane, had fled beyond the known regions of the galaxy, out of range of detection.
The current crisis on Cloud City convinced Leia further that she'd always been right.
As she continued to ponder the situation, the holoprojector next to the couch began beeping. Leia leaned over and activated it. Her heart warmed as she saw her brother Luke and her sister in law Mara, the latter of whom was clutching her stomach.
"Leia, we have some exciting news from Ossus!" Luke exclaimed as he patted Mara's belly.
"I could use some good news," Leia said as she sighed in exhaustion, "Ben, come say hello to Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara."
Ben came running over to the holoprojector, full of youthful energy.
"Hi Uncle Luke, hi Aunt Mara!" the young boy exclaimed. He flashed the same cocky grin that was a trademark of his father.
Luke wore the traditional robes of Old Republic-era Jedi, and he'd grown a mustache during the years since Endor. Mara was likewise dressed in traditional Jedi gear, lightsaber hanging from her belt.
"I'm going to have a baby!" Mara gushed, rubbing her belly with excitement.
"Mara, that's so exciting!" exclaimed Leia, feeling better than she had in a while, "Ben did you hear that? You're going to have a baby cousin!"
Waving this aside, Ben blurted out, "Uncle Luke, do you think I can come to the Jedi Academy this year?"
"Ben!" Leia scolded him as Luke and Mara's smiles faded slightly. "That's not polite!"
"I don't know, Ben," Luke said regretfully, "Both your parents have to be on board, and I don't want to put you in any danger."
"I can handle it!" Ben protested, "I'm the same age Grandfather was when he joined!"
Luke and Leia cringed. "We'll talk about another time," Leia said impatiently, "now we need to be thinking about Luke and Mara."
"I'm sorry," Ben said quietly, looking down at his feet.
They didn't understand, he thought, being a Jedi meant everything to him. He knew that he had the potential, Luke had always told him that. But he was nine now, and he couldn't wait forever. I'll make it soon, he promised himself as he brooded quietly, No matter what Dad or anyone else says, I will become a Jedi.
In the Senate Hall the next day, Senator Borsk Fey'lya addressed the assembled body.
"Granted, I want what is best for our safety as much as anyone," he said, his whiskers twitching as he spoke, "yet I wonder if the Chancellor's decision to act militarily was quite...rational."
Hushed whispers and mourners rang about the chamber. Leia glowered at the grinning Fey'lya, heavily reminded of Tarkin and other corrupt political and she and her adoptive father Bail had dealt with over the years in the old Senate.
"I would like to remind us all that Chancellor Mothma is an old friend of Senator Solo , and her foster father, Bail Organa." Leia felt herself choke up at the memory of her last conversation with Bail Organa, before she'd left for Scariff. I have complete faith in you, my dear Leia. I'd trust you with my life. Just a day later, she'd seen the entire planet of Alderaan reduced to atoms by Tarkin's Death Star. Not now, she told herself, this is not the time to show weakness.
"I believe the Chancellor's decision was based more on...emotion rather than solidified logic," Fey'lya continued, "I believe Senator Solo's stance on the issue is based more on family concerns than what is best for our young Republic."
"Objection!" hollered Naboo Senator Ryoo Naberrie.
Many other senators began shouting their approval or disapproval of Fey'lya's statement.
"Order!" shouted Madine as Mothma anxiously clenched the rim of the chancellor's booth, looking down at the bottom of the chamber.
"As you all will remember, Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master and founder of the New Jedi Order on Ossus, is confirmed to be not only the brother of Leia Organa Solo, but also the son of the deceased Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, hero of the Clone Wars and savior of the Naboo people at nine years old."
"What does that have to do with Leia's motion?" demanded Luke and Leia's cousin Ryoo with obvious anger at Fey'lya's reference m. She remembered meeting Anakin as well as anyone alive, and she was affected perhaps the most personally, save Leia.
"Allow me to present certain... recordings... I have come across," Fey'lya said, pulling out a small recording device, "here is footage I have obtained from the old Republic capitol building."
A large archival recording appeared in the center of the Hall, depicting a colorized image of the Coruscant capitol building. Gasps and shouts of surprise rang out as the delegates recognized the appearances of not only Anakin Skywalker, but also of the late Emperor.
"Oh my!" See Threepio exclaimed from next to Leia. The Alderaan Senator put her head in her hands as she watched the story she'd avoided her whole life play out in front of her.
"To cheat death is a power only one has achieved," the scarred, deformed figure of the Emperor was saying to a kneeling Anakin, "but if we work together, I know we can discover the secret." The Emperor was not wearing the cowl he'd always been seen with during his reign, but his white hair and grey, haunted face looked as shriveled up as Mothma, Leia and the other Senators who'd served in the Imperial congress had remembered. Many of them had also seen historical recordings and photos of the young Anakin, but this was a complete revelation. Most of the public had assumed that the "Hero With No Fear" had perished along with most of his Jedi comrades after the Emperor had declared them traitors.
"I pledge myself to your teachings," replied the kneeling Anakin. Leia recoiled as she heard her real father speak for the first time. Not the artificial, hollow voice of her tormentor Vader, but the good man whom Luke had saved from the darkness. The young Anakin appeared very scared and anxious but also determined as he knelt at the feet of his new Sith Master.
"Good, good," the Emperor said in his disheveled, gravelly voice, "the Force is strong with you. Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth... Vader."
Leia wanted to rip her ears off as she took this in. Thisbhad to be a nightmare... she was not seing this in front of the entire Senate. And Ben, he'd surely see this on the Holonet. The gasps and screams from the Senators made Leia feel even worse, she could have just jumped off her booth. Fey'lya was laughing and Mothma's face was the color of her silk white gown.
"I will do whatever you ask," Anakin said to the Emperor, panting with both exhaustion and terror of his own future, "Just help me save Padme's life. I can't live without her."
"Padme?" shouted out the obese Twilek Senator, "Does he mean the deceased Naboo Senator Padme Amidala? They were in love, she bore his children! Leia Solo is the child of Darth Vader!"
"Anakin Skywalker was Darth Vader!" yelled the Hutt Senator Zorba in his native language Huttese, "This explains everything, how he suddenly appeared in the Emperor's court, how the Jedi disappeared, how Amidala mysteriously died when she gave birth to Leia!"
The Senators shouted hell at Leia as the Emperor ordered Anakin to massacre the Jedi at their Temple, and kill the Separatists on Mustafar. Leia felt as though her head would explode with shame and humiliation. Ryoo burst into tears from the Naboo podium.
"And so, I suggest that both Senator Solo, and her longtime associate Chancellor Mothma, are unfit for their offices!" Fey'lya shouted vigorously as he turned off the archive footage, "They have dominated our Congress for too long. We need new leadership, stronger leadership to deal with the crisis effectively!"
From three hundred meters away, Leia could see a tear coming down Mothma's cheek. She'd been elected democratically, of course, twice since the foundation of their New Republic, but the last thing she wanted to be accused of was being a dictator.
"Order!" Madine yelled, banging his gavel on the chancellor's booth, "Order!"
But the Senate Hall was erupted with so much noise and pandemonium that Leia couldn't make sense of what anyone was saying, except the smile on Fey'lya's furry face.

Cloud City, Bespin
"Red Two, what's the situation?" Han shouted into his comlink, as he, Chewie, and Lando darted into Cloud City's gates, pursued by additional TIE Fighters swooping down out of the mystical illusion of heaven.
"We can't hold them off for much longer," replied Wedge from his X Wing, "not with that Star Destroyer. I don't think our entire military is prepared for that!"
"We're running out of options!" Lando shouted as he dodged a laser blast from a descending shuttle. Lando's wife Tendra came running down the staircase as civilians scattered for cover and Republic troopers began firing at the shuttle.
"Lando!" Tendra shouted as the ramp to the shuttle opened, and small uniformed figures emerged.
"Tendra, is little Solo alright?"
"I've shipped him off to stay with Leia until this is over," replied Tendra, "Han, I hope that's all right with you."
"Ben could use a playmate, to be honest," Han remarked as he dodged a deathly laser blast, "Little junior will fit in nicely."
Solo Calrissian was the three-year-old son of Lando and Tendra. Luke had said that little Solo already showed signs of Jedi potential, just like Ben. Who didn't nowadays, according to the kid?
"Red group, retreat and return to ground control ," Han barked into the comlink, "There's nothing we can do now."
"Sorry, Red Leader," Wedge replied, "Red group, prepare to make a full retreat.
Above them, the remaining X Wings went into light speed, fleeing as far away from the Imperial fleet as possible.
"Brace yourself," Lando said as the black uniformed people came closer. He raised his pistol then stopped.
"Wait, they're children!" he shouted as he saw the boy's and girls more clearly. Han, Chewie, and Tendra all lowered their weapons upon that realization.
A big boy in a black uniform stepped forward and addressed the adults.
"Surrender all weapons and come with us," he demanded, waving his blaster at them. Chewie roared at him but did not attack.
"Look, boy, you're in the wrong place at the wrong time," Han said gently, "how about you all put down your blasters and we talk it out?"
"Not a chance," a girl around thirteen replied, "Stand and deliver, or we'll shoot."
Seeing no other choice, and not willing to hurt such small children, Han, Chewie, Lando, and Tendra all set their blasters on the floor and raised their hands.
"Come with us to our shuttle," the big boy said calmly, "We're going to have to detain you for a while."
As they proceeded back down the bridge towards the Imperial shuttle, Han whispered to Chewie, "This has got to be the most embarrassing capture of all time."
Eclipse
The tall, red haired boy in his cap and unifom entered the conference room of the Eclipse, saluting the senior officers seated at the rectangular table. Armitage Hux dared not look the head of the table, which seated then being he feared the most. He never showed it to his runty subordinates, but Armitage constantly lived a life of terror.
His life depended on his smooth commandment of the young trainees, and thus the preparation for the future of the First Order. Even before the First Order had been established, his father Commandant Brendol Hux had made it clear that anything less than perfection was risking death at his hand.
Armitage had always known that his father Brendol had always regretted his existence, considering he was an illegitimate child. This cost him all the more sleep at night, and put even more pressure on the fourteen year old to command his child officers to perfection.
To the left of Brendol sat Armitage's protector and mentor, Grand Admiral Rae Sloane. Sloane was a physically imposing woman who was skilled in martial art combat as well as wepaonry, and has served with the likes of Vader, Tarkin and Thrawn. Though she'd served both the Empire and the First Order ruthlessly. she'd always felt an affection towards young Armitage that Brendol never had. She was like a mother that he'd never really known, and she'd protected him from the worst of Brendol's brutality.
"Ahh, the little General has come to the grown up table," Brendol mocked drunkenly. He'd begun his career with the Old Republic's navy during the Clone Wars, and had been a drill sergeant and a harsh commander throughout the Emperor's rein. Brendol had the same bright red hair as his son, though his was considerably streaked with grey.
"I am pleased to report that our raid on Bespin was a success," Hux replied tonelessly as the veteran officers guffawed at him, except for Sloane, "Our young officers have captured General Han Solo, as well as his Wookiee companion and the Calrissians."
"Well done, Armitage," Sloane said proudly, "You've proven to be a great military leader. You'll rise to the top of the command chain in no time."
"Don't you dare praise that..." Brendol began, but Sloane's glare silenced him.
"With such valuable hostages," Captain Pellaeon stated, "We should be able to send a grave message to the New Republic, that we will stop at nothing."
"Indeed," replied Sloane thoughtfully, "this will leave them no choice but to declare war and recognize our threat." To the intimidated but stony faced boy standing at the front of the table, the white uniformed Grand Admiral said, "Armitage, you may retire for the time being. I'll go and see you later."
"Just a minute, boy!" Brendol slurred, standing up from the table. The other officers watched intently, hardly daring to exhale.
Brendol slowly walked over to where Armitage stood.
"You've shown us just fine how you give orders from behind a surveillance camera," Brendol snarled, waning nothing more than to see the look of terror on that young, rosy, despicable face that represented all his shortcomings, "Maybe you want to show your boys over here how good you are in the real world."
"Commandant, I don't..." Armitage said, not calling his father by the normal moniker.
"To determine if you are truly qualified to lead our First Order to victory," Brendol sneered circling around his son, "We need to make sure you are the best of the elite. And there is no way to do that than to put you an a real, life or death predicament like you did with your little friends."
Armitage's face darkened at the slur, but he remained silent and at attention, like a proper First Order soldier.
With no warning, his father's heavy fist came flying out of nowhere, into Armitage's nose. The boy did not cry out at the pain that inflicted his face as he fell onto the steel deck.
The officers shouted and stood up to fully witness the spectacle.
"You and me, to the death, boy!" Brendol yelled, kicking at Armitage. As his father's blows struck him rapidly, Armitage could feel the taste of blood on his lips. He rolled out of the way and tried to stand, but Brendol struck him at lightning speed.
"How's our little General when he's not at the computer?" laughed Brendol as he kicked his son in the head, the torso, the groin.
Armitage was in so much pain that he couldn't even feel his own body. As he lay on the deck of the conference room, the senior First Order officers leering at him, Armitage Hux felt his soul begin to leave his body as Brendol knelt down and seized his neck with his sweaty hands.
His father's breath reeked of ale and his eyes reflected the black holes in the deepest corners of the universe.
Yet despite his great and sudden suffering, Armitage did not cry out. His face was covered in blood and his arms, legs, and stomach felt the pain of a thousand clubs, but he would at least maintain his military discipline as he proved incompetent to command the army of the Second Empire.
It was all over, but his suffering would end soon.
Yet as his strong father squeezed Hux's throat, Sloane came out of nowhere, tackling Brendol off of Armitage and releasing a great weight in his body. The bleeding boy gasped and sputtered for breath as he tried to sit up.
Sloane picked up the enraged, struggling Brendol and held him against the wall.
"You don't ever touch him again," she whispered, but said it loud enough for all the assembled brass officers to hear, "If you even think about harming him again..."
Brendol fell silent and limp as Sloane released him.
Though Armitage couldn't stand up or speak, the greatest pain to him at present was the embarrassment he had been made to be in front of the First Order's highest ranking personnel. They all knew now what a failure he was, how he couldn't even withstand his unarmed father in melee combat.
Through his intense aching and bleeding all over his damaged body, Armitage felt Sloane's hand touch his shoulder with surprising gentleness from such a staunchly disciplined officer.
His pride, that was the biggest thing at stake right now.
"Just take it easy," Sloane said with a softness that completely contrasted the tone she'd used with Brendol, "You'll be all right."
She pulled Armitage to his feet, and he felt the ground leave his senses as she began to drag him out of the conference room.
"I need..." Armitage finally managed to say, "to finish it..."
"You're safe now," Sloane soothed as she clutched his arm and shoulder with her strong hands, "Nobody will hurt you now."
"I don't deserve..." Armitage sputtered unintelligibly, "I have to do it."
Brendol glared at him with anticipation, though he didn't dare to say anything in front of Sloane.
"Armitage, you're in no condition to fight," Sloane said, holding him close, "You've already proven yourself beyond anything he can throw at you."
Armitage knew that was true, but he couldn't walk away now and deal with this incident forever, General or not. If he died fighting his father, that was better than the alternative.
"I need this," he said stubbornly, feeling his muscles return. Three ribs, his jaw, and his left arm were broken, but he had to prove that he was really the man that he'd been groomed to be by Sloane and all the others.
At last, Sloane let go of him, and Armitage crumbled back weakly onto the floor. Sloane's expression remained blank, but her heart ached for the boy she'd come to feel responsible for.
Brendol and some of the officers laughed.
Summoning anger that he'd never even knew he'd had, Armitage slithered his body towards his father, who stepped towards him slowly, savoring the satisfying moment of the kill.
When Armitage reached the booted feet of his father, Brendol looked down on him mockingly.
"See you in hell," Brendol said gleefully. As he brought down his foot onto Armitage's head, the boy rolled to the side, and with his broken arm, elbowed his father in the knee.
As Armitage cried out involuntarily from the pain, Brendol groaned as he tripped over his son and fell onto the floor. Deciding that he was stronger than his pain, General Armitage Hux climbed onto his father and began striking him with his elbow in the back of the neck.
Brendol struggled to get up, but Armitage was hitting him too fast. The senior Hux's chin and face banged against the floor as the brass officers looked on.
"DIE!" Armitage screamed, taking out the long years of terror and hatred on the man that should have been a figure of guidance rather than one of oppression.
At last, Brendol was completely still, and a stream of blood trickled from his neck. Pellaeon immediately knelt down and felt Brendol's pulse.
"Definitely dead," he reported. The other human officers backed away from Armitage's badly injured body.
A/N I realize that Brendol Hux appears alive in the novel Phasma, set a decade after my story. I'm sure a lot of ideas in my story will be proven false, that will not deter the plot's present course. Read on. A/N
Sloane came up and wrapped her arms around the beaten, broken Armitage and hauled him to his feet. Armitage panted as blood came down his face and his broken bones screamed at him. Rae Sloane supported his weight as she led him out of the conference room, determined to get him to a medical center.
The other green-uniformed First Order officers merely stared from dead father to wounded son in sheer disbelief. There was no question that this boy had what it took.
Ossus
Luke and Mara walked hand in hand deep in the forest of Ossus, immersed in their happy utopia, free of any problems in the past, present and future.
"I want to have the baby on Hosnian Prime," Mara said as she stroked her growing belly, "That way the whole family can be together."
"Have you thought of any names?" Luke asked.
"I was thinking if it's a boy, we'll name him after your father Anakin," Mara replied, her enchanted red hair illuminating the dark forest, "and for a girl... I like the name Rey."
"Rey?" Luke allowed the name Rey to repeat itself in his head.
"Like a ray of sunshine," Mara said.
Luke thought it over more, then said, "I like the sound of it. Rey Skywalker."
Suddenly, he felt the vibration of his comlink, and the happy, light hearted mood shrank into the trees.
"Luke Skywalker, Ossus," he said into the comlink.
"Master Skywalker, this is Chancellor Mothma," the former Rebel leader replied, "We have a terrible emergency, one that will hit you quite personally."
Luke suddenly had a terrible vision in the Force, one similar to what he'd experienced in Dagobah when Han and Leia had been captured by Darth Vader, who had then revealed a truth to Luke that haunted him to this day and had changed the course of both his personal life and Galactic history.
"Is Leia all right?" he asked immediately.
"She's in the middle of her own crisis, but it is General Solo, as well as the Wookiee Chewbacca and the Calrissians who are in danger now," Mothma said gravely, "The Imperial Remnants have attacked our facility on Cloud City and taken them prisoner. Our current military is unequiped to deal with such a threat."
Luke knew where this was going, and he didn't need any request or command to take action. "I'll be on it right away Chancellor," he said, stuffing the comlink back into his Jedi robe.
"Stay here Mara," Luke ordered as they started running back to the Academy.
"I'm just as capable of carrying out a rescue mission as you are," she replied, "The Grand Master isn't supposed to play favorites."
"You have another member of the family to protect," Luke pointed out as they reached the perimeters of the massive structure.
Mara looked down glumly at the mass growing in her stomach. "I don't want to stay here while you go risk your life."
"I promise I'll be safe," Luke replied as he kissed her in the lips. He began running into the Temple gates towards the main hangar.
"Master Skywalker, do you need backup?" shouted Master Ezra Bridger as Luke hurried past him into the hangar.
"Yeah, come with me," Luke said, "Get Snoke too."
"Yes, Master Skywalker," Ezra said, and hurried towards the Council chamber. Ezra had been involved with the Rebellion from its early stages and had trained as a Jedi under the slain Kanan Jarrus, as well as Ahsoka Tano, who had been killed by Vader over Scariff.
Luke climbed into the cockpit of his X Wing, where his loyal astromech droid Artoo Deetoo was waiting in the socket.
"We have a bit of an emergency," Luke said as Artoo beeped in greeting.
Ezra rushed back into the hangar, followed by the towering Master Snoke. The two Jedi climbed into their Stealth Xs.
"Fire it up, Artoo," Luke said to his little droid. Artoo beeped his affirmative and fired up the X Wing's engines. The three small fighters blasted out of the hangar towards the horizon above and for all Luke knew, a death trap.

 

A really interesting look at what could happen between the OT and the ST!
I like how you layer in old EU characters and new characters in this, along with characters from Rebels.

It's hard to see Han and Leia at such odds, I know from what we learned in TFA that had to happen, but it's still a bit painful.
Poor Luke, just got such great news and then such a foreboding vision on top of that!

One tip, if you don't mind... if you double space your paragraphs it makes things much easier to read on here. A lot of times people will open up a story and if there isn't double space between the paragraphs, it looks like a big wall of text and they'll just move on rather than read and comment.

 

Wow I like it! It's not long but really gave me a sad vibe as I pictured Kylo --er uhm Ben acting like his father and smiling like Han as a little kid -- only to think of what he did to him later you did a good job of conveying Ben's innocence that fans haven't seen yet.

I also think you nailed Han's lines like when he said "He won't be going, and that's final," Han growled, turning away as if preparing to storm off, "We don't need another Sith Lord in the family."

I could easily see Han being that blunt after all Vader did to him and Leia.

Also the reveal before the Senate was a good idea to use the footage of Anakin kneeling to Palp and we see Leia's thoughts as she sees her dad (who she has been told was a good man) pledge out of his own decision to become a Sith. Obviously Leia seeing the footage would be Sickening. Good stuff!!

 

If you let me know when you have put in some lines between paragraphs, and what people say, I will come back and read.

I cannot cope with an unbroken wall of text, sorry.

 

Hosnian Prime
As Ben swung his training saber in the living room of the Solos apartment, Leia came in with Threepio, who in his golden arms carried a small black boy.
"Ben, this is Solo," Leia said quickly, as though she had somewhere else she needed to be, "Lando and Tendra's little boy. He's going to be staying with us for a while."
"Jedi!" little Solo exclaimed as Threepio set him on the floor.
"That's right," Ben said in baby talk as he held the training blade in front of him so Solo could look at it better, "Jedi."
Leia sighed and said, "Threepio, look after them for a while, I have to leave."
"Mistress Leia, might I inquire where you are going?" asked the golden Threepio anxiously.
"I have a general to rescue," Leia replied as she hurried away towards the hangar, where her starship was waiting.


Eclipse
The two female leaders glared at one anotherover holoconference, Rae Sloane standing with her arms crossed in her private office aboard the Eclipse.
"Grand Admiral Sloane, you have violated the terms of the Imperial surrender," Mon Mothma said with barely disguised hostility, "by attacking New Republic property unprovoked."
"May I remind you, Chancellor," Sloane replied with the charisma that had gotten her through the Imperial Military Academy and to her present rank, "that it was Mas Amedda who signed your silly little paper, and allowed himself and his false version of the Empire to submit to your games. We, the First Order and the true successors to the Emperor, did no such thing."


"Nonetheless, you and your forces will pay gravely," Mothma replied, her hologram shifting, "If you do not release the hostages, we will be forced to take military action against your Imperial remnants."
Sloane thoughtfully paced the room as she regarded Mothma's hologram. "I don't believe you will be authorized to take any executive actions for long," she replied with a slight mocking tone, "I hear you've been impeached by the Senate."
Mothma appeared to flush with humiliation at those words. So Sloane had hit a weak point. She smiled with satisfaction.
"The future of my position has little to do with the action I could take now," replied Mothma, "and you, Rae Sloane, have finally gone too far."


"Perhaps that was my intention, to finally seize back the glory of the Empire. I don't want peace with the New Republic, I want war, and I want the galaxy to realize that the First Order is the legitimate government, not your guerrilla rebellion."
Mothma looked down sadly, obviously dreading the inevitable. "So be it then," she said sadly, "If we cannot find a diplomatic solution to this, I will have no choice but to declare war."
The door to Sloane's office flashed. Sloane waved a hand at it as she deactivated the hologram, ending the communication. Captain Pellaeon entered followed by Moff Lesercen.
"Grand Admiral, we have detected three small vessels coming our way, including the X Wing of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker."
This is perfect, Sloane thought, Who better to send a message to the New Republic than the Jedi leader himself, the one who destroyed the first Death Star.
Very good," she replied, "our first catch of the day. Are the prisoners secured in the detention level?"
"They are secured in our maximum security cells," replied Lesercen, "We believe that will be the Jedi's first destination."
Sloane had prohibited the officers or guards from torturing the hostages, there was no use for such uncivilized tactics for intimidation. Their firepower would be enough.



Outside the Eclipse, the two StealthXs and the Yavin-era X Wing fighter engaged in combat with the swarm of TIE fighters hovering around the Star Destroyer.
"Master Skywalker, I have two fighters on my tail," Ezra Bridger said as he was pursued by the Fighters.
"I'll cover you, Bridger," said Snoke as he piloted his Steath X around to be able to destroy the TIE Fighters, "Master Skywalker, you go on ahead. You have a mission, let us deal with the fighters."
Luke never would have left his comrades out into battle, but he felt a strange compulsion to do what Snoke told him.


"Wish me and Artoo luck," he said as he maneuvered downward to avoid the green colored lasers.
Luke took a deep breath as he approached the open hangar of the Eclipse. It suddenly dawned on him that it had been over a decade since he'd last been on a Star Destroyer.
"We got this, Artoo," he said confidently as the little droid whistled anxiously. Several rows of stormtroopers were firing their blasted at Luke's X Wing as additional TIE Fighters were launched into space.


"We should go and help Luke," Ezra said as he blew up another Fighter. "He can't deal with Sloane's troopers alone."
"He's the Grand Master," replied Snoke from his own StealthX, which was accommodated to suit his height of seven feet, "He's doing his duty and we should do ours." To himself he thought, everything is going according to plan. Snoke blasted another TIE fighter as he pondered his next move.
"I'm going to help Luke in there," Ezra said stubbornly, "We can't stay out here forever, they need us." He began to fly his StealthX towards the hangar, dodging the lasers coming from the Fighters and the stormtroopers inside.
Snoke closed his large, alien eyes, concentrating with the Force. He'd watched this Ezra Bridger for a while, and he'd long outlived his usefulness.

As he steered his Jedi fighter around the enemy ships, Ezra sensed that something was wrong in the Force. Remembering Kanan's training, he reached out and tried to extract the disturbance. Before he knew what had happened, Snoke had blasted his StealthX to nuts and bolts and Ezra Bridger was no more.


As Luke's X Wing touched down on the hangar floor, under fire from the stormtroopers, he felt a terrible disturbance in the Force. Ezra had just died somehow, he knew that much. Of course, it had to have been from a TIE fighter, but Ezra had always seemed to capable of a pilot and a warrior to be die by such a common Rebel death.


Ezra had been a good man and friend, but Luke needed to focus on Han and the others now.
He unsheathed and activated his green bladed lightsaber as the cockpit to his fighter lifted off of him.
Deflecting fire from the stormtroopers, Luke leapt down from his vehicle and onto the hangar floor, swinging his lightsaber in all directions.
"I have a bad feeling about this Artoo," he muttered as the lifting TIE fighters began firing in his direction as well.
He felt the heavy vibrations on his crystal blade as hundreds of bolts hit it at once, but Luke remained steadfast as he returned fire to the Imperials.
As he fought his way through the stormtroopers, Luke took care not to strike or cut any of them with his saber. He was by all means prepared to kill, but Yoda had told him on Dagobah years ago that a Jedi should use the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack. Of course, Luke had occasionally been forced to take the offensive in combat, but he tried to limit those occasions as much as possible.
What's taking Snoke so long, he wondered as Artoo trailed among behind him towards the corridor past the stormtroopers bodies that had fallen to their own laser blasts.
As he stepped into the corridor, Luke used the Force to summon four blasters from the hands of slain troopers. One by one, the blasters flew into the corridor and Luke caught each one and clipped it to his belt.


Artoo wheeled around to face the pursuing stormtroopers, opening a small compartment in his domed head. Thick gas immediately emitted from the compartment and sprayed towards the imperials.
"Poison gas!" shouted one of the soldiers. "Get out of there!"
As the stormtroopers coughed and gagged, they continued to shoot at Luke, who deflected the shots with his lightsaber.
Reaching out with the Force, Luke found that when he connected with Han telepathically, he could sense the direction in which he was being held. As he and Artoo proceeded down the hallway, a squad of heavily armed elite Shadow Troopers appeared in front of them.
"It's Skywalker!" the sergeant yelled, "Don't let him surrender!"
As the men fired their rifles, Luke raised his free hand and redirected the heavy shots back to their origins. In less than thirty seconds, the black armored Shadow Triopers were a pile of body parts and scrap metal.


"This way, Artoo," Luke said as he hopped over their remains. Artoo hovered over them as well. At the end of the corridor was a balcony overlooking a TIE Fighter production facility. Down below, a young man was shouting orders to mechanics, who were scrambling with the TIE Fighter parts.
On either side of the doorway were two units of stormtroopers. Luke observed for the first time that the design on their helmets had changed since the height of the Empire's power, so that the masks appeared to be almost smiling. Ironic, he thought.
"Stand down, Jedi," one of the stormtroopers said. Luke dipped his blade so that it was pointed horizontally.
Fifty streaks of lasers flew across the gantry towards Luke. Artoo squealed as Luke swung his blade and Force-backflipped away from the hail of blasterfire.
By this time, alarms had begun to ring throughout the Star Destroyer. "Code red!" yelled the factory director as his workers scattered. Luke ignored them as he darted for the nearby turbolift.
Artoo hovered right behind his Master, perfectly dodging the red lasers heading his way. He landed beside Luke inside the turbolift, which Luke then used the Force to slam shut.
Luke closed his eyes as the laserfire pointlessly rattled against the sliding steel door, using his personal Force connection with Han. Han had no Force potential, but Luke was attuned enough to his best friend to develop a telekinetic Force bond. He sensed at the moment that Han was very worried, but not for himself. Han's thoughts dwelled on Leia and young Ben.


"Artoo, see if you can get a blueprint of this thing," Luke ordered his astromech droid. Artoo opened a hatch in his head and a screwdriver emerged. Artoo stuck into the outlet in the turbolift and got to work, getting a reading of the Eclipse's structure.
The blue and white astromech droid then pulled out his built in screwdriver and a hologram of the entire inside of the Star Destroyer emerged over him.
Luke studied the blueprints, ignoring the blasterfire that continued to rain on the bulletproof door.
"The detention level should be eight stories above," Luke determined as he analyzed the data. As Artoo deactivated the hologram, Luke punched in the proper code into the panel. Immediately, the turbolift launched upwards towards the prison where Han and the others were being detained.
"I don't remember them being this big," Luke said. Not even the Executor, Lord Vader's personal Super Star Destroyer, had been as massive and complex as this. Then again, the Eclipse had belonged to the Emperor before Sloane had become the de facto leader of the Imperial Remnants.
At last, the turbolift halted at the detention level and predictably, Luke and Artoo were greeted by blaster shots from the ensemble of stormtroopers waiting in the surveillance room.


"This looks very familiar," Luke remarked to himself as he skillfully used his blade to redirect the lasers. Indeed, he felt just like he had years ago, when he, Han and Chewie had embarked on the life changing mission to rescue Leia from the Death Star.
None of them had known then how much that adventure would change all of them, and this time Luke needed no disguise or trash compactor. He had the Force as his ally, and a powerful ally it was.
Once the stormtroopers were all dead, Luke proceeded into the corridor containing the prison cells.


"Han?" he called out. A Wookiee's bark responded, followed by, "Luke! You're here!"
His lightsaber still activated, Luke hustled over to the barred cell, where Han, Chewie, Lando, and Tendra were all locked up.
"Everybody okay?" he asked.
"Couldn't be better," replied Lando sarcastically.
"How we doing?" Han asked, his family worries masked by his usual perfectly timed humor.
"Same as always," Luke replied as he used the Force to break the bars down.
"That bad, huh?" Han said as Luke handed each of them a blaster.

Just like old times.


"Look out!" Tendra shouted, but Luke was on it. Several more stormtroopers had appeared behind him, and he deflected their fire as usual, but this time he had friends to shoot back.
"Let's get out of here," Luke said, leading the big group towards the damaged surveillance room, over the pile of stormtroopers.
"Do you have a plan to get out of here?" asked Lando.
"Yeah, it shouldn't be hard for us to get to the administration level and sort things out with Sloane and her crew," Luke replied, "We're going to take control of the ship.


"You won't have to look very hard," a voice said from above them. A trap door opened above the surveillance room and dozens upon dozens of stormtroopers, Shadow Troopers, and armed officers poured out onto the floor. Nobody dared fire at the large swarm of Imperials, but rather they lowered their blasters reluctantly. Only Chewie made a sound, growling in anger.
Finally, Grand Admiral Sloane herself climbed down the hatch, supporting the weight of a red haired teenage boy, whose face was badly bruised and who wore a cast on his left arm.
Luke had never seen Sloane, but he knew that she had essentially taken over the Empire's military after the Emperor's death, and had been the New Republic's greatest enemy ever since. She was tall, and appeared strong, and was about the same age Anakin Skywalker had been when he died.
"Ahh, Master Skywalker," Sloane said with charisma, her pistol aimed at his chest. "I am pleased to call you our guest of honor."


Luke waved his green blade defiantly, willing his Jedi calm to remain. He sensed that Master Snoke was still alive, but could not detect his whereabouts. The others put down their weapons silently, except Chewie, whose blaster was disproportionately small for his huge hairy arms.
"Make your Wookiee drop his weapon, or he dies," Sloane threatened.
As Han yelled out, "Chewie, no!" his large hairy friend lashed out and before any of the stormtroopers could react, had his arm wrapped around Sloane's neck.
Sloane laughed, even though her face was already beginning to turn red.


Suddenly, the young boy bent down and, with obvious pain, picked up Sloane's blaster with his good hand.
"Put her down," he ordered with surprising ferocity.
"What're you playing at, having a kid out on the front lines," Tendra said angrily.
"My age is irrelevant to the matter at hand," General Armitage Hux replied, "Release her or you all die."
"Kill..." Sloane managed to get out as Chewie's embrace squeezed the air out of her.
"
You heard her!" Hux yelled as the crowded assembly of Imperial personnel shot out all at once. Luke held up his blade with one hand, and held up his other hand to Force-deflect the hundreds of streaks coming his way. Tendra cried out as a blast hit her in the stomach.


"NOOOO!" Lando cried out as he dove after her. Luke continued to redirect the fire with both his saber and the Force. Chewie and Han both dove for blasters as Lando vainly tried to tend to his wife.
"Tendra, stay with me," he begged as several stormtroopers fell dead at once. But the life had already faded from her.


With a yell of anger, Lando picked up his blaster and wildly opened fire, all else but justice wiped from his mind. His wife was dead, it was the Empire's fault as usual, he needed to kill as many of them as he could, it didn't matter if he died in the process.
As a deadly bolt crossed the room toward Lando, Han yelled his old friend's name and ran to push him out of the way. It seemed to be happening in slow motion, the red jet streaking across the seemingly empty space, hitting Lando square in the forehead. Lando spread his arms as the shot made contact, and sprawled backwards onto the prison floor.


No, Han thought, it can't be happening. They'd had their differences, but Lando was among the best friends he'd ever had, and he was dying right before his eyes. Just as he'd found true happiness, he'd married Tendra and had little Solo Calrissian, and all that was cut short by a blaster shot.


Han broke down as he knelt by Lando's body. As many remaining Imperials were fleeing the scene, Luke deflected the last of their shots as he turned his attention to the scene. Apparently Sloane and the teenage General had escaped during the confusion.


Chewie had an arm around Han's shoulders, Artoo was wheeling around the room in confusion, Lando and Tendra both lay dead, their three-year-old son an orphan.
Luke found himself tempted to give up and bow down to his emotions, but he knew that now wasn't the time.
"I We have to go on," he said softly, "they'd have wanted that."
Han stood up and stared at the motionless bodies. It looked almost poetic, they'd loved one another since they'd first met on the battlefield and they'd fallen side by side in combat
"We can't just leave them," Han said quietly.



Home One
Senator Leia Solo stood at the command center of the former Rebel command ship, Home One. There was
only a limited number of crew members aboard, and Leia had been rushed as she'd assembled a small militia that included several combat soldiers and veteran Rebel pilots that stood at attention. At her side were Mon Calamari Admiral Ackbar, the Sullustian pilot Nien Numb, and Wedge Antilles.


"This is a grave emergency, and many lives are at stake," Leia explained to the assembled rescue strike team. "As always, we must expect the Empire to be more equipped than ourselves, and we must rely on our wits to navigate a successful mission."


"I'm picking up a lone vessel coming our way," Ackbar reported as he observed the holodeck. Indeed, a single Jedi StealthX fighter had been picked up on the scanner, and was coming towards Home One's docking station.
"Allow it to land," Leia commanded. She sensed that Han was not in immediate peril, but he was still in pain somehow. What was it he was suffering? It was grief, he had just faced a terrible loss... Lando.


Leia cringed as she took in the loss, but hid her emotions from the Rebels in the command center. She hurried out of the large circular room towards the landing facility, where a tall, alien figure was climbing out of an unusually shaped fighter.


"Snoke!" she called out, recognizing one of Luke's Jedi Academy instructors. The humanoid Jedi staggered towards her, a look of sadness on his face.
"We lost Ezra," Snoke reported without delay, "and the Calrissians."
Not Ezra too, Leia thought. She'd known the young Jedi since before the Civil War, and he'd been a valuable ally and Rebel Alliance member.
"Luke, Han, and Chewbacca are all right, but trapped aboard the Eclipse," Snoke went on.
"I'm on my way to rescue them," Leia replied. They started back to the command station. "This is an unexpected move from Sloane."



Snoke took in what Leia said, but wasn't really listening. In reality, he was secretly probing her mind at the moment, reaching into her thoughts. Obviously she was worried about her brother and husband, but there was a son.


So the rumors were true, there was still hope for a descendant of the Chosen One to achieve what Anakin Skywalker had not, like the dark side prophecy had said.
As Leia's thoughts dwelled on the small boy, back in the urban apartment on Hosnian Prime, Snoke reached out and detected that boy in the Force.
Ben Solo.


At the moment, Ben was thinking about his grandfather, Skywalker. Yes, he'd grown up hearing stories about Anakin's legendary Clone Wars achievements, and wanted to be just like him.
You will be, Snoke promised him through the Force. Ben would soon hear his voice in his mind, but he wouldn't know that Snoke was influencing his mind.
It's your destiny. You will fulfill your grandfather's legacy.
How? a voice responded, not knowing the connection that it had established.
I will show you, replied Snoke, all the while hiding the Force-communication from Leia, but first you must know the truth.


What truth, Ben Solo replied through the Force.
As the ship Home One headed for the Imperial Star Destroyer Eclipse, Snoke tapped into his newly established connection with Ben Solo, summoning a vision from the Force.
And through their newfound connection, Ben saw his grandfather in the flesh. Anakin was fighting against Separatist forces, alongside his fellow Jedi. He was facing the wicked Count Dooku, and bringing peace back to the galaxy. He was bowing before his new Sith Master, adopting the name of Darth Vader.


Hosnian Prime
"Vader?" Ben Solo said aloud, his forehead pounding in agony at what he'd just seen. "No, not Grandfather! That's impossible!" But was it? Whatever he'd just seen, it was real. His grandfather Anakin Skywalker, the man whom Ben had always strived to live up to, had in fact been the infamous Darth Vader, the Empire's most evil enforcer.
The addition of information overwhelming him, nine year old Ben fainted and fell onto the floor of his apartment.

A/N I know a lot of these events in the story will conflict with current and future canon, but that will not deter the course of my planned story. Stay tuned for appearances from Maz Kanata, Lor San Tekka, and other familiar faces.

 

Eclipse
Han's face was still tear-stricken as they proceeded towards the hangar, battling all Imperials they came across. Chewie carried the bodies of Lando and Tendra as Han angrily fired at the stormtroopers and Luke fended them off with his lightsaber. Artoo tried to help in any way he could, spraying gas at the Imperials and releasing his flame throwing rockets at their feet.
Luke's X Wing was still intact, but obviously it couldn't fit all of them. It seemed difficult now to hijack the entire Star Destroyer as originally planned.
Indeed, to all of them, there seemed to be no way out. Even Luke, for all his power and strength in the Force, was beginning to tire out.
Eclipse
Just then, Luke felt a very familiar presence in the Force, one he'd connected with once before in a time of great peril, one he had unknowingly been bonded with his entire life. Looking at Han, he knew that his old friend could feel it too. Although Han had no Force sensitivity, he was as connected to Leia as anyone could be.
Sure enough, a moment later, the hangar shook as a blast hit the roof of the Eclipse.
"Look!" Han yelled as Home One approached the Star Destroyer hangar.
Luke breathed heavily with relief. Once again, Leia had shown up just in the nick of time to save their lives.
On the administration level of the highest tower of the Star Destroyer, Grand Admiral Sloane stood viewing the security recording of the escaped enemies, young Armitage Hux at her side.
Captain Pellaeon entered Sloane's private office and said, "Grand Admiral, we've picked up the Rebel capital ship Home One zeroing in on our location."
"Destroy it," Sloane replied immediately, "No survivors."
As several fighters emerged from the Rebel command ship, a swarm of TIE Fighters began to engage them in combat. Likewise, the masses of stormtroopers turned their attention towards the gunship that was streaking from the distant Home One towards the hangar. Chewie still carrying the Calrissians, the group raced towards the gunship as it entered the hangar, dodging the hails of laserfire flying towards it.
In the passenger compartment, several more Rebel troopers were positioned to shoot down at the Imperials, while Leia and Snoke both wielded their lightsabers, deflecting the assault headed their way. Much like Luke's former lightsaber that had previously belonged to his father, Leia's saber blade was colored blue, while Snoke's shined violet from a rare crystal.
"Leia!" Han exclaimed in a wave of emotion, having never been so glad to see her. Their disagreement earlier didn't matter, nothing mattered except that they were together again, after coming so close to losing her forever...
"Hurry!" Leia beckoned them towards the gunship as the stormtroopers began to overwhelm them.
"You two go ahead, I'll cover you," Luke yelled as he deflected the rain of laserfire with his blade. The sounds of TIE Fighter guns, blaster rifles, and starship engines all rang loudly, along with Chewie's roars.
Artoo stayed beside his Master as the others dashed for the gunship. Leia used the Force as well as her lightsaber to deviate blasterfire as the gunship descended towards the scorched metal hangar floor, now a chaotic exchange of ammunition.
Luke began to run towards the gunship himself, continuing to block enemy fire with his green blade. As Artoo lifted off the ground with his rockets, Luke closed his eyes and summoned an extra burst of adrenaline.
Using Jedi superspeed, Luke sprinted to the ship, then Force-jumped aboard. With a sigh, he flicked off his saber and clipped it. A moment later, Artoo impressively glided through the streaks of crossfire and landed magnificently on the deck of the gunship.
"Pilot!" Leia yelled. The Rebel pilot in the small, round cockpit nodded and began to steer the gunship out of the hangar. By this time, Chewie was gently setting the lifeless figures of Lando and Tendra onto the gunship deck as TIE fighters chased it back to Home One. The Rebel Command Ship opened fire on the incoming fighters and immediately blew them up.
Han gazed at Leia, yearning to embrace her right then and there. But he knew that she would not appreciate a display of her vulnerability, not while active on the field.
So he would wait until they were home, with their little boy, who would never be exposed to the horrors of war, he'd stay with them on the peaceful capital forever...
Hosnian Prime
Mara Jade Skywalker had arrived on the metropolitan capital world, and stood with Threepio, Ben Solo, and Solo Calrissian as the newly recovered Millennium Falcon approached the landing platform on the balcony of the Solos high rise apartment.
"See, Ben?" Mara whispered gently as she patted the silent, pale faced boy on the arm. "Your mom and dad are just fine."
They watched the aircraft approach the landing platform and touch down. While Mara had been trying to soothe young Ben about his parents, Han and Leia's well being had not been on his mind at all. Rather, he was thinking about the dark images he'd seen about his grandfather, the Sith Lord Vader.
So the man he'd grown up admiring, whom his Uncle Luke had held in high regard, the Chosen One who'd brought Balance to the Force, that had been the man who'd carried out mass murder, enforced the oppression of the evil Empire.
As the hatch to the Falcon lifted, Luke came jogging out and into Mara's waiting embrace.
"Ben!" Han yelled as he rushed over to his son, "Oh Ben!"
"We didn't know if we'd see you again," Leia cried as they fonded over the silent boy, "but mom and dad are home." Leia also scooped up little Solo Calrissian, yet unaware of his parents' tragic fate, and rocked him.
Ben hugged Han and Leia back, but his expression remained coldly empty as he looked up at them.
"What you've been through?" Threepio was saying fussily to Artoo, "you don't know what's it's like to look after two children. We protocol droids were not designed for such daunting tasks." Artoo beeped a witty reply.
"Mom, Dad, can I ask you something in private?" Ben said quietly to his parents as the group proceeded into the large apartment. An observer might have wondered why he showed little emotion at a time like this, but Han and Leia paid it no mind.
Luke, Mara, Chewie, and the droids got settled in the living room, while Leia set little Solo down on the floor. The two parents followed Ben into the hallway, and he stopped and stared at them with a coldness disturbing in such a young boy.
"I know Grandfather was Darth Vader," he said bluntly. Leia flinched and put her head in her hands. Whether it was from Fey'lya, the Holonet, or some other way, Ben knew the truth. The moment had come that she'd always dreaded, the truth that she herself still struggled with accepting. First the Senate, then her own son.
"Nonsense, Vader was your grandpa's worst enemy," Han immediately replied without hesitation, "Anakin defeated both Vader and the Emperor."
"No, Han, it's time," Leia said firmly. It may have brought her great pain, but there was no point in hiding it any longer.
Han tried to protest, but Leia then bent over so that her face was level with Ben's.
"Listen Ben," she said gently, "Your grandfather Anakin Skywalker was raised as a Jedi Knight. You know about the prophecy and how he was supposed to bring balance to the Force." Leia gulped as she continued. This was going to be harder than she'd thought. Then again, it was happening years earlier than she'd hoped.
"Your Grandfather... fell under the influence of the Sith," Leia went on, after choking up, "the Emperor lured him to the dark side and for a long time, he lost his way."
"But why did he turn?" Ben asked persistently, his eyes boring into Leia's. "how did he become so...evil
Leia was afraid to ask how much he knew, and how he'd learned it. "He was afraid... of losing those he loved," she went on, remembering what Luke had explained to her. Luke had gotten the full story himself from the Force ghost of Ben Kenobi, his deceased Jedi mentor. "Including your Grandma Padme. The Emperor promised to save her from dying, and convinced Anakin to join the dark side."
"But why did he kill all those people?" Ben asked, sounding almost tearful now. "The children?"
Leia felt her insides ache up. Her heart sank as she struggled to explain. "Anakin was a good man, deep down," she said, "for a long time, that part of him was lost, lost to the monster called Vader. It was only when he met your Uncle Luke that the goodness deep down inside him was rediscovered. Eventually, your grandfather did turn back to the light side, and sacrificed himself to defeat Emperor Palpatine."
Ben took all this in, while he merely looked down at his shoes. He closed his eyes in pain, trying to accept what he'd heard. Leia winced in sorrow, desperately willing him to forgive her and accept the truth.
"You lied to me!" Ben yelled at them, stomping his foot, "Both of you!" As Luke and Mara looked on in concern, Ben ran from the hallway towards the doorway.
"Ben, wait!" Leia pleaded. She chased after him and grabbed his arm. "Please, give us a chance," she said.
"Let go!" Ben said with incomprehensible anger. He pulled away from Leia's grip and ran out the door and out of sight.
Leia blinked and held back tears as she watched her little boy run away from her. Behind her, Han grumbled something unintelligible. The rest of the family tried not to stare, though they'd witnessed the entire incident.
Leia began to walk back towards fhe bedroom, holding back as best as she could.
As soon as she entered, Han came in behind her and shut the door. "This was a mistake, a terrible mistake," he said quickly. The loss of Lando was clearly still affecting him along with Ben's outburst.
"There's no way he can be a Jedi now."
"Han, now is not the time to discuss that," Leia snapped back, "We are having a serious family crisis!"
"Yeah, because of your Jedi dad!" Han yelled, "next thing we know, he's going to be wearing the mask and waving the red lightsaber around!"
"Don't you dare say that!" Leia cried, "don't you dare!" The thought of Ben turning like that was too much to bear. Her sweet little boy would never...
"The way he's always excited about the Jedi!" Han said, "He's always using that toy, wanting to cut people up! The Jedi are a dangerous cult, and I will not have my son be any part of it!"
"The Jedi can quell any darkness in him!" Leia argued back, "especially Luke! He'll help Ben see that his grandfather chose light in the end!"
"But did he?" Han shot back, "All he did was save his own son, then throw an old man down a hole! That doesn't make up for all the murders, all the horrors. Remember our little vacation with him in Cloud City?"
Leia stammered, but found herself speechless. She didn't know whether to be angry with Han, her father, or herself. Finally, she just sat down on the bed and started to cry.
Han immediately softened, and sat down beside his wife.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
Ben stormed into the vast apartment hangar, where he could hide among the various ships and speeders docked.
As he roamed around the chamber aimlessly, Ben struggled to process it all. His ambitions, to become a legendary hero like his grandfather, were a sham. Anakin had not been a hero by any means, he'd been a traitor. Why? Ben wondered. Maybe he'd wanted to save his wife, but she'd died anyway, and Anakin had chosen to continue down the dark path.
Had he seen something on the dark side, something superior to the way of the Jedi? What had made his idolized grandfather turn, and kept him for so long. The question screamed in Ben's mind as he pondered the issue.
"I know what you are going through, young one," a voice said behind him. Startled, Ben whipped around to find a tall, white-skinned humanoid alien standing in the hangar, wearing bright yellow robes and with a lightsaber clipped to his belt.
"Who are you?" Ben asked automatically.
"I am Snoke, an instructor at your uncle's Jedi Academy. I understand you wish to train as a Jedi."
"I do," Ben said hesitantly as he approached the hulking alien, "its just that... I'm not sure anymore."
"If you like, I can begin to show you the ways of the Force," Snoke said, "Just the two of us."
Ben thought about this in his mind. He wasn't sure why this Jedi Master was so interested in him in particular, but maybe he was Ben's best chance of figuring everything out; his destiny, his grandfather's legacy, his own hopes and ambitions.
"I sense great power in you, young one," Snoke added, "The Force is strong with you. You have the potential to be a greater Jedi than your grandfather ever was."
Ben thought about it some more. "My dad doesn't want me to train at all," he said, "he doesn't want me to turn to the dark side."
"And now, it is time for you to decide what is more important," Snoke replied, "the wills of your father, or your own will. Look into your heart, and tell me what you want fulfilled more."
"My own wills," Ben replied, finding himself boosted with confidence that seemed to come out of nowhere.
"Good, then you'll allow me to show you the Force, and help you forge your own path."
"I accept your offer," Ben said without any further internal debate, "my parents don't need to know."
"I look forward to watching you grow into a formidable warrior," Snoke remarked as Ben started back towards the apartment building, "You will do well as my student."
Flashback: 1032 BBY
Ruusan
It seemed that the entire planet of Ruusan was consumed with smoke and ash. In better times, the lush world was filled with green flora and fauna, but it was riddled with war, and destruction with it.
For the millennia-old conflict between the Jedi and Sith had reached its climax, on the world of Ruusan. Lord Hoth had lead his brave army of Jedi warriors to defend the Republic against the Brotherhood of Darkness commanded by the Sith Lord Kahn.
Now Kahn was dead, along with his entire legion of Sith Lords. Most of the Jedi had perished in the catastrophe as well, and the survivors were scattered.
During the final stages of the epic battle of light and darkness, Lord Kahn had put into use a thought bomb, programmed to destroy all Force users within its radius. Although it could only be activated by the dark side, the Sith could not escape consumption by the terrible weapon.
In a tunnel deep in the caverns of Ruusan, a bald man lead a ten-year-old girl through the passageways towards his secret lair, where he was prepared to hide for decades, even centuries.
"There is no time to waste," Darth Bane said to Zannah, the little girl he'd salvaged from the battle, "we must get to safety before the Jedi pick up our trail."
"I'm tired, and hungry " complained Zannah as she clutched her new Master's hand.
"You'll eat and rest once we get to our shelter," Bane promised her.
They continued to flee deeper into the network of cave passages until they reached a simple, stone entranceway. Bane waved his gloved hand and the stone slab slid downwards, exposing a massive fortress filled with Sith Holocrons, crystals, and additional passageways and trap doors.
"Welcome to your new home," Bane said as he and the girl Zannah entered, "this is where I shall teach you all I know about the Force. We will travel as well, when the time comes."
"Are you sure the Jedi won't find us here?" asked Zannah fearfully, looking up at the man who'd taken her under his wing.
"They'll fall into a thousand death traps first," replied Darth Bane. "You will find food down the corridor, at the end. Get rest, tomorrow you will begin rigorous training."
Without another word, Zannah hurried towards the secret passageway and disappeared inside.
Bane silently looked around at the holocrons, pondering his next move. He'd suggested the thought bomb to Kahn with the intention of exterminating his fellow Sith Lords. As soon as he'd been inducted into the Brotherhood of Darkness, Bane had seen the flaws of the organization.
By nature, the dark side was selfish, and Sith Lords were doomed to turn on one another. That was why he'd conceived the rule of two, the principle that the only two Sith were a master and an Apprentice. The Master would teach the Apprentice in order to pass on the knowledge of the dark side, but they could not give away too much so that the student would become powerful enough to overthrow the master.
The Apprentice, however, would learn all they could from their Master, with the intention of becoming the master themselves. Bane had plotted to kill his own mentor from the very start, and foresaw that in the far future, Darth Zannah would seek to destroy him to take on her own Sith Apprentice.
Bane picked a holocron off the shelf and set it on the wooden table. The chamber was lit by torches and resembled an ancient dungeon. Bane raised his hand and summoned the deepest nature of the dark side in order to activate the holocron.
The holocron began to shine bright red. Bane's own face appeared in a transparent scarlet image above it.
"I will now split my soul in two," Bane said aloud, "and transfer a half of it into this sacred, holy Holocron of the Sith. In the event of my physical death, my soul will be released from this holocron and shall assume a new body. I will wait until the time is right, revive the true Sith order, and ensure that the Jedi will never return."
The holocron blinked on and off as it obeyed his commands. Bane felt a rush of air inside his own head as a part of his soul migrated into the ancient Sith artifact. He realized that even he, the founder of a new era of Sith, would not escape his unavoidable fate. But he had ensured that no Sith would surpass his genius, which would keep him alive for centuries after Zannah and her successors died out.
The height of my powers are ahead of me, Bane told himself. He allowed himself a satisfied smile as he picked up the holocron. He needed to conceal it so that it was never found, and he'd be able to execute his ultimate plan...

A/N
If any of you see a story very much like this one on fanfic.net, it is me, just to clarify.

 

Eclipse
Han's face was still tear-stricken as they proceeded towards the hangar, battling all Imperials they came across. Chewie carried the bodies of Lando and Tendra as Han angrily fired at the stormtroopers and Luke fended them off with his lightsaber. Artoo tried to help in any way he could, spraying gas at the Imperials and releasing his flame throwing rockets at their feet.
Luke's X Wing was still intact, but obviously it couldn't fit all of them. It seemed difficult now to hijack the entire Star Destroyer as originally planned.
Indeed, to all of them, there seemed to be no way out. Even Luke, for all his power and strength in the Force, was beginning to tire out.

Just then, Luke felt a very familiar presence in the Force, one he'd connected with once before in a time of great peril, one he had unknowingly been bonded with his entire life. Looking at Han, he knew that his old friend could feel it too. Although Han had no Force sensitivity, he was as connected to Leia as anyone could be.
Sure enough, a moment later, the hangar shook as a blast hit the roof of the Eclipse.

"Look!" Han yelled as Home One approached the Star Destroyer hangar.
Luke breathed heavily with relief. Once again, Leia had shown up just in the nick of time to save their lives.
On the administration level of the highest tower of the Star Destroyer, Grand Admiral Sloane stood viewing the security recording of the escaped enemies, young Armitage Hux at her side.

Captain Pellaeon entered Sloane's private office and said, "Grand Admiral, we've picked up the Rebel capital ship Home One zeroing in on our location."
"Destroy it," Sloane replied immediately, "No survivors."
As several fighters emerged from the Rebel command ship, a swarm of TIE Fighters began to engage them in combat. Likewise, the masses of stormtroopers turned their attention towards the gunship that was streaking from the distant Home One towards the hangar. Chewie still carrying the Calrissians, the group raced towards the gunship as it entered the hangar, dodging the hails of laserfire flying towards it.

In the passenger compartment, several more Rebel troopers were positioned to shoot down at the Imperials, while Leia and Snoke both wielded their lightsabers, deflecting the assault headed their way. Much like Luke's former lightsaber that had previously belonged to his father, Leia's saber blade was colored blue, while Snoke's shined violet from a rare crystal.

"Leia!" Han exclaimed in a wave of emotion, having never been so glad to see her. Their disagreement earlier didn't matter, nothing mattered except that they were together again, after coming so close to losing her forever...

"Hurry!" Leia beckoned them towards the gunship as the stormtroopers began to overwhelm them.

"You two go ahead, I'll cover you," Luke yelled as he deflected the rain of laserfire with his blade. The sounds of TIE Fighter guns, blaster rifles, and starship engines all rang loudly, along with Chewie's roars.

Artoo stayed beside his Master as the others dashed for the gunship. Leia used the Force as well as her lightsaber to deviate blasterfire as the gunship descended towards the scorched metal hangar floor, now a chaotic exchange of ammunition.

Luke began to run towards the gunship himself, continuing to block enemy fire with his green blade. As Artoo lifted off the ground with his rockets, Luke closed his eyes and summoned an extra burst of adrenaline.

Using Jedi superspeed, Luke sprinted to the ship, then Force-jumped aboard. With a sigh, he flicked off his saber and clipped it. A moment later, Artoo impressively glided through the streaks of crossfire and landed magnificently on the deck of the gunship.

"Pilot!" Leia yelled. The Rebel pilot in the small, round cockpit nodded and began to steer the gunship out of the hangar. By this time, Chewie was gently setting the lifeless figures of Lando and Tendra onto the gunship deck as TIE fighters chased it back to Home One. The Rebel Command Ship opened fire on the incoming fighters and immediately blew them up.

Han gazed at Leia, yearning to embrace her right then and there. But he knew that she would not appreciate a display of her vulnerability, not while active on the field.
So he would wait until they were home, with their little boy, who would never be exposed to the horrors of war, he'd stay with them on the peaceful capital forever...

Hosnian Prime
Mara Jade Skywalker had arrived on the metropolitan capital world, and stood with Threepio, Ben Solo, and Solo Calrissian as the newly recovered Millennium Falcon approached the landing platform on the balcony of the Solos high rise apartment.

"See, Ben?" Mara whispered gently as she patted the silent, pale faced boy on the arm. "Your mom and dad are just fine."

They watched the aircraft approach the landing platform and touch down. While Mara had been trying to soothe young Ben about his parents, Han and Leia's well being had not been on his mind at all. Rather, he was thinking about the dark images he'd seen about his grandfather, the Sith Lord Vader.

So the man he'd grown up admiring, whom his Uncle Luke had held in high regard, the Chosen One who'd brought Balance to the Force, that had been the man who'd carried out mass murder, enforced the oppression of the evil Empire.

As the hatch to the Falcon lifted, Luke came jogging out and into Mara's waiting embrace.

"Ben!" Han yelled as he rushed over to his son, "Oh Ben!"
"We didn't know if we'd see you again," Leia cried as they fonded over the silent boy, "but mom and dad are home." Leia also scooped up little Solo Calrissian, yet unaware of his parents' tragic fate, and rocked him.

Ben hugged Han and Leia back, but his expression remained coldly empty as he looked up at them.

"What you've been through?" Threepio was saying fussily to Artoo, "you don't know what's it's like to look after two children. We protocol droids were not designed for such daunting tasks." Artoo beeped a witty reply.
"
Mom, Dad, can I ask you something in private?" Ben said quietly to his parents as the group proceeded into the large apartment. An observer might have wondered why he showed little emotion at a time like this, but Han and Leia paid it no mind.
Luke, Mara, Chewie, and the droids got settled in the living room, while Leia set little Solo down on the floor. The two parents followed Ben into the hallway, and he stopped and stared at them with a coldness disturbing in such a young boy.

"I know Grandfather was Darth Vader," he said bluntly. Leia flinched and put her head in her hands. Whether it was from Fey'lya, the Holonet, or some other way, Ben knew the truth. The moment had come that she'd always dreaded, the truth that she herself still struggled with accepting. First the Senate, then her own son.

"Nonsense, Vader was your grandpa's worst enemy," Han immediately replied without hesitation, "Anakin defeated both Vader and the Emperor."
"
No, Han, it's time," Leia said firmly. It may have brought her great pain, but there was no point in hiding it any longer.
Han tried to protest, but Leia then bent over so that her face was level with Ben's.

"Listen Ben," she said gently, "Your grandfather Anakin Skywalker was raised as a Jedi Knight. You know about the prophecy and how he was supposed to bring balance to the Force." Leia gulped as she continued. This was going to be harder than she'd thought. Then again, it was happening years earlier than she'd hoped.

"Your Grandfather... fell under the influence of the Sith," Leia went on, after choking up, "the Emperor lured him to the dark side and for a long time, he lost his way."

"But why did he turn?" Ben asked persistently, his eyes boring into Leia's. "how did he become so...evil?"

Leia was afraid to ask how much he knew, and how he'd learned it. "He was afraid... of losing those he loved," she went on, remembering what Luke had explained to her. Luke had gotten the full story himself from the Force ghost of Ben Kenobi, his deceased Jedi mentor. "Including your Grandma Padme. The Emperor promised to save her from dying, and convinced Anakin to join the dark side."

"But why did he kill all those people?" Ben asked, sounding almost tearful now. "The children?"

Leia felt her insides ache up. Her heart sank as she struggled to explain. "Anakin was a good man, deep down," she said, "for a long time, that part of him was lost, lost to the monster called Vader. It was only when he met your Uncle Luke that the goodness deep down inside him was rediscovered. Eventually, your grandfather did turn back to the light side, and sacrificed himself to defeat Emperor Palpatine."
Ben took all this in, while he merely looked down at his shoes. He closed his eyes in pain, trying to accept what he'd heard. Leia winced in sorrow, desperately willing him to forgive her and accept the truth.

"You lied to me!" Ben yelled at them, stomping his foot, "Both of you!" As Luke and Mara looked on in concern, Ben ran from the hallway towards the doorway.
"Ben, wait!" Leia pleaded. She chased after him and grabbed his arm. "Please, give us a chance," she said.

"Let go!" Ben said with incomprehensible anger. He pulled away from Leia's grip and ran out the door and out of sight.

Leia blinked and held back tears as she watched her little boy run away from her. Behind her, Han grumbled something unintelligible. The rest of the family tried not to stare, though they'd witnessed the entire incident.
Leia began to walk back towards fhe bedroom, holding back as best as she could.

As soon as she entered, Han came in behind her and shut the door. "This was a mistake, a terrible mistake," he said quickly. The loss of Lando was clearly still affecting him along with Ben's outburst.

"There's no way he can be a Jedi now."

"Han, now is not the time to discuss that," Leia snapped back, "We are having a serious family crisis!"

"Yeah, because of your Jedi dad!" Han yelled, "next thing we know, he's going to be wearing the mask and waving the red lightsaber around!"

"Don't you dare say that!" Leia cried, "don't you dare!" The thought of Ben turning like that was too much to bear. Her sweet little boy would never...

"The way he's always excited about the Jedi!" Han said, "He's always using that toy, wanting to cut people up! The Jedi are a dangerous cult, and I will not have my son be any part of it!"

"The Jedi can quell any darkness in him!" Leia argued back, "especially Luke! He'll help Ben see that his grandfather chose light in the end!"

"But did he?" Han shot back, "All he did was save his own son, then throw an old man down a hole! That doesn't make up for all the murders, all the horrors. Remember our little vacation with him in Cloud City?"

Leia stammered, but found herself speechless. She didn't know whether to be angry with Han, her father, or herself. Finally, she just sat down on the bed and started to cry.
Han immediately softened, and sat down beside his wife.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Ben stormed into the vast apartment hangar, where he could hide among the various ships and speeders docked.
As he roamed around the chamber aimlessly, Ben struggled to process it all. His ambitions, to become a legendary hero like his grandfather, were a sham. Anakin had not been a hero by any means, he'd been a traitor. Why? Ben wondered. Maybe he'd wanted to save his wife, but she'd died anyway, and Anakin had chosen to continue down the dark path.

Had he seen something on the dark side, something superior to the way of the Jedi? What had made his idolized grandfather turn, and kept him for so long. The question screamed in Ben's mind as he pondered the issue.

"I know what you are going through, young one," a voice said behind him. Startled, Ben whipped around to find a tall, white-skinned humanoid alien standing in the hangar, wearing bright yellow robes and with a lightsaber clipped to his belt.

"Who are you?" Ben asked automatically.

"I am Snoke, an instructor at your uncle's Jedi Academy. I understand you wish to train as a Jedi."

"I do," Ben said hesitantly as he approached the hulking alien, "its just that... I'm not sure anymore."

"If you like, I can begin to show you the ways of the Force," Snoke said, "Just the two of us."

Ben thought about this in his mind. He wasn't sure why this Jedi Master was so interested in him in particular, but maybe he was Ben's best chance of figuring everything out; his destiny, his grandfather's legacy, his own hopes and ambitions.

"I sense great power in you, young one," Snoke added, "The Force is strong with you. You have the potential to be a greater Jedi than your grandfather ever was."

Ben thought about it some more. "My dad doesn't want me to train at all," he said, "he doesn't want me to turn to the dark side."

"And now, it is time for you to decide what is more important," Snoke replied, "the wills of your father, or your own will. Look into your heart, and tell me what you want fulfilled more."

"My own wills," Ben replied, finding himself boosted with confidence that seemed to come out of nowhere.

"Good, then you'll allow me to show you the Force, and help you forge your own path."
"I accept your offer," Ben said without any further internal debate, "my parents don't need to know."
"I look forward to watching you grow into a formidable warrior," Snoke remarked as Ben started back towards the apartment building, "You will do well as my student."

Flashback: 1032 BBY
Ruusan
It seemed that the entire planet of Ruusan was consumed with smoke and ash. In better times, the lush world was filled with green flora and fauna, but it was riddled with war, and destruction with it.

For the millennia-old conflict between the Jedi and Sith had reached its climax, on the world of Ruusan. Lord Hoth had lead his brave army of Jedi warriors to defend the Republic against the Brotherhood of Darkness commanded by the Sith Lord Kahn.
Now Kahn was dead, along with his entire legion of Sith Lords. Most of the Jedi had perished in the catastrophe as well, and the survivors were scattered.
During the final stages of the epic battle of light and darkness, Lord Kahn had put into use a thought bomb, programmed to destroy all Force users within its radius. Although it could only be activated by the dark side, the Sith could not escape consumption by the terrible weapon.
In a tunnel deep in the caverns of Ruusan, a bald man lead a ten-year-old girl through the passageways towards his secret lair, where he was prepared to hide for decades, even centuries.

"There is no time to waste," Darth Bane said to Zannah, the little girl he'd salvaged from the battle, "we must get to safety before the Jedi pick up our trail."

"I'm tired, and hungry " complained Zannah as she clutched her new Master's hand.

"You'll eat and rest once we get to our shelter," Bane promised her.

They continued to flee deeper into the network of cave passages until they reached a simple, stone entranceway. Bane waved his gloved hand and the stone slab slid downwards, exposing a massive fortress filled with Sith Holocrons, crystals, and additional passageways and trap doors.
"Welcome to your new home," Bane said as he and the girl Zannah entered, "this is where I shall teach you all I know about the Force. We will travel as well, when the time comes."

"Are you sure the Jedi won't find us here?" asked Zannah fearfully, looking up at the man who'd taken her under his wing.
"They'll fall into a thousand death traps first," replied Darth Bane. "You will find food down the corridor, at the end. Get rest, tomorrow you will begin rigorous training."
Without another word, Zannah hurried towards the secret passageway and disappeared inside.

Bane silently looked around at the holocrons, pondering his next move. He'd suggested the thought bomb to Kahn with the intention of exterminating his fellow Sith Lords. As soon as he'd been inducted into the Brotherhood of Darkness, Bane had seen the flaws of the organization.
By nature, the dark side was selfish, and Sith Lords were doomed to turn on one another. That was why he'd conceived the rule of two, the principle that the only two Sith were a master and an Apprentice. The Master would teach the Apprentice in order to pass on the knowledge of the dark side, but they could not give away too much so that the student would become powerful enough to overthrow the master.

The Apprentice, however, would learn all they could from their Master, with the intention of becoming the master themselves. Bane had plotted to kill his own mentor from the very start, and foresaw that in the far future, Darth Zannah would seek to destroy him to take on her own Sith Apprentice.

Bane picked a holocron off the shelf and set it on the wooden table. The chamber was lit by torches and resembled an ancient dungeon. Bane raised his hand and summoned the deepest nature of the dark side in order to activate the holocron.
The holocron began to shine bright red. Bane's own face appeared in a transparent scarlet image above it.

"I will now split my soul in two," Bane said aloud, "and transfer a half of it into this sacred, holy Holocron of the Sith. In the event of my physical death, my soul will be released from this holocron and shall assume a new body. I will wait until the time is right, revive the true Sith order, and ensure that the Jedi will never return."

The holocron blinked on and off as it obeyed his commands. Bane felt a rush of air inside his own head as a part of his soul migrated into the ancient Sith artifact. He realized that even he, the founder of a new era of Sith, would not escape his unavoidable fate. But he had ensured that no Sith would surpass his genius, which would keep him alive for centuries after Zannah and her successors died out.
The height of my powers are ahead of me, Bane told himself. He allowed himself a satisfied smile as he picked up the holocron. He needed to conceal it so that it was never found, and he'd be able to execute his ultimate plan...

 

One Year Later (15 ABY)


Naboo

Luke and Mara sat together on the lush, exotic field, deep in the meadows of Naboo. Around them was grass and accompanying flowers of all sorts of unimaginable colors, and in the distance, towering mountains and waterfalls. The Jedi couple were enjoying a nice, peaceful picnic, no worries or hardships on their minds.


"I think we're all starting to move on," Luke said somberly yet serenely, gazing into his wife's eyes, "from what happened Cloud City."

"This baby will bring a new chapter in our lives," Mara added. "We'll have to..." she paused and clutched her stomach.


Luke looked around the scenery, seeing if any others were around. Not now, he thought
"Luke..." Mara gasped.


Moraband

In a massive fortress built within the mountain tops of the ancient Sith planet of Korriban, a massive castle had been built to house an elite army of dark side users.


It had been centuries since a Sith Lord had last lived on Moraband, but a new legion known as the Knights of Ren had been founded and taken residence on the haunted world.

A masked figure sat on the throne of the castle's highest tower. Two red armored Praetorian Guards flanked the Dark Commander as a Knight entered. The Commander had been the first one recruited by the Supreme Leader over a thousand years ago, and had slain and the Force to extend his life.

"It has happened, Commander," Talon Ren reported. She was a red-skinned Twilek with the tattoos of the old Knights of Ren. "The child of Master Skywalker is born at last."

"And?" Commander Krayt

"A girl, I believe named Rey," Talon replied, "the Chosen one now has two potential heirs. Just as you predicted all those centuries ago."


"I will contact the Supreme Leader immediately," Commander Krayt replied. "This is important news."

Talon Ren bowed and exited. Krayt pressed a button on the arm of his throne and a tall, imposing hologram appeared of the Supreme Leader.


"I have news for you, mighty Leader," Krayt said, "Skywalker's wife Mara Jade has given birth to a girl. Rey Skywalker."


"Another potential piece in our grand scheme," replied the Supreme Leader, "It is likely that her mother and father will want her to be trained as a Jedi early."

"What of the boy, Ben Solo?" questioned Krayt, "Is he still a candidate?"

"Indeed, I have watched that one a long time," replied the humanoid Supreme Leader, "As I continue to train him in secret, young Ben continues to fall under my influence. But if Ben Solo should fail to be worthy of the title of Kylo, then the girl Rey will be just as powerful."


"Perhaps the two should be pitted against one another," suggested Krayt, "in order to determine which grandchild of Anakin Skywalker truly is the strongest."

"It will take many years before either of them is ready," replied Supreme Leader Snoke, who was working undercover as a Jedi Master in Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy, "but eventually, the two will battle and I shall select my ultimate Apprentice to eliminate the Jedi Order once and for all."


"At last, our years of waiting is paying off," said the Krayt, "The ultimate scheme you started all those years ago is coming to a head."

"Indeed, the Sith served their purpose, as did the Rule of Two," the secret Supreme Leader Snoke replied, "but now a new era will rise, one millennia in the making. Soon, Ben Solo will be seduced by the dark side, and succeed where his grandfather failed."

"The Knights of Ren will not stay hidden for much longer," declared Krayt, "We will rise from the ashes of the old Sith Order, and crush the Jedi once and for all."


Hosnian Prime

"Have all systems collected their votes?" former General Crix Madine asked the assembled Congress. It was time to elect a new chancellor, as Mon Mothma's impeachment had taken place several months ago. Among the top candidates were Borsk Fey'lya, Lieutenant General Brockway, Ransolm Casterfo, and Carise Sindian.


Leia stood not at the Alderaan booth but on a balcony overlooking the Senate Hall, next to Mon Mothma.
"
I wonder by how much Fey'lya will win this election," Leia remarked to her longtime colleague, "He's sure to have it rigged."


"The only contact of his who can do that is Mas Amedda," Mothma replied, "The New Republic still has a strong presence on Coruscant."


"Still, Amedda can be sneaky when..." Leia was cut off by See Threepio and Artoo Deetoo, both of whom came barging up the spiral staircase leading to the balcony.


"Mistress Leia!" exclaimed Threepio, "Mistress Leia! Master Luke has most urgent news!"
Without waiting for an answer, he activated a comlink in his hand, and a hologram appeared of Luke and Mara, the latter of whom was carrying a small, quiet baby.


"Meet Rey Skywalker," Luke said, beaming, "Born right here on Naboo."


"Oh congratulations!" Leia gushed, immediately forgetting about the political arena.


"Is this a bad time?" Mara asked as she stroked the newborn Rey's hair. Amazing, Rey didn't seem like she'd cry anytime soon, nor had she in the hour she'd been alive.

"Nothing is more important than family," replied Leia, "I'll get Han and the kids and we'll be right on our way."
Threepio turned off the comlink and started back down the staircase leading to the lobby:

"I'm sorry, Chancellor," Leia said to Mothma, "I wish I could be here for you now, but I have to think about my family too." Mothma had never thought about starting her own family and has never seen the importance of one.


"I understand, Senator Organa," the deposed chancellor Mothma replied, "but it's not me who you should pray for now. I hope the Republic can survive this."
As Leia hurried down the stairs, Mothma looked down sadly as the assembly shouted their support for Fey'lya.


Young Solo Calrissian watched with interest as Ben Solo spared with Master Snoke. While Ben still used the training saber given to him by Uncle Luke, Snoke was using his very real lightsaber to spar with his unofficial student, who could have been badly damaged if Snoke wasn't being gentle.
"
You're improving your technique, young Ben," the tall alien Jedi said, "You've come a long way since we started."

"Do you think I'll be ready to build a real lightsaber soon?" asked Ben.


"Jedi..." muttered the orphaned Solo on the couch.


Before Master Snoke could answer, Han barged into the room, followed by Chewbacca.


"Just what do you think you're doing?" Han demanded, shaking with rage, "you're gonna get my son killed with that thing!"


Snoke said nothing in his own defense, but Ben said defiantly, "Father, that's no way to speak to a Jedi Master." Not Dad. Father. Han took that painful form of address in before replying.


"You get out of here now!" he yelled, as Chewie growled threateningly and patted his strapped crossbow.


"With all due respect, Mr. Solo," Snoke said, "it is ultimately up to your son whether he is ready to be trained, and I respect his decision first and foremost."

"Now you listen here..." Han began, drawing his blaster, but was interrupted by Leia.


"Han, Mara's had the baby, they're on Naboo..." she stopped as she took in the scene. Snoke and Ben had their lightsabers ignited and Han had his pistol aimed at Snoke's head. A shiver went up her spine.

Han holstered his weapon in shame and while blushing, said, "That's wonderful, Leia."

"We're going to see little Rey now," Leia said as Snoke turned off his lightsaber.


"Do I have to go," Ben complained, "I'd rather stay here with Snoke!"

"You're coming whether you want to or not!" snapped Han. Leia scolding shook her head at him, then said to Ben, "don't you want to see your baby cousin Rey?"


"Fine," Ben scoffed, deactivating the training saber.

Without another word, Snoke folded his hands together and walked out the door to the apartment.

Leia picked up little Solo from the couch and the family headed towards the docked Millennium Falcon, followed by Artoo and Threepio.


Through the Eclipse's security cameras, Grand Admiral Rae Sloane musingly observed the blaster training of a fresh recruit of First Order stormtroopers.

It had been a year since her forces had seen combat, and she'd been thinking that it was about time to send another message to the New Republic.


She had confidence in the abilities of her soldiers and officers, but she knew that in order to succeed, the greatest threats to her victory, the Jedi, needed to be eliminated.

She knew that Darth Vader had been a Jedi knight once, and had been a useful weapon in wiping out the survivors of the Jedi Purge. Perhaps a new Force sensitive individual would be handy to the First Order, or even several that could take on Luke Skywalker and his Jedi Academy.


As Sloane considered the possibilities, Captain Pellaeon entered her private office.

"Grand Admiral," the black uniformed officer reported, "Our intelligence reports that the Bothan senator Borsk Fey'lya has been elected as the next Chancellor of the New Republic."


Sloane allowed this to process then said "I believe Fey'lya is in alliance with Grand Vizier Mas Amedda still?"

"That is correct," replied Pellaeon.

"Excellent," Sloane replied, "he will be a useful pawn in instilling doubt in the Senate." She'd seen the Republic and Imperial senates and how easily they had been influenced by foreign powers. This body should be no different, she thought.


"Our scouts have also detected the Millennium Falcon en route to Naboo," Pellaeon continued, "we believe that the Solos are going to rendezvous with Luke Skywalker."

Sloane was silent for a moment, then said, "Get all fighters and units ready, and set this Star Destroyer's course for Coruscant. I will contact Mas Amedda."


"As you wish," Pellaeon replied, and he quickly exited.
Sloane turned to her holoprojector and typed in the code for Coruscant's administration office. A moment later, the hologram of Amedda appeared.

"Grand Admiral Sloane," Amedda said startledly, bowing his head, "a pleasure to see you again, if only through hologram."

"Greetings to you, Vizier," Sloane replied, "Has the New Republic removed its troops from Coruscant?"

"Fey'lya has just recalled them this morning," replied Amedda, "I have a secret legion of troopers prepared, as well as a fleet of Old Imperial battleships.


"Perfect," said Sloane, "We're on our way to your location now. Together, we shall launch a preemptive strike against Hosnian Prime and restore our administration to its former glory. It's time at last."

"It will be a pleasure to serve the Empire once more," replied Amedda.


Naboo
Luke, Mara, and Senator Ryoo Naberrie, as well as Rey's great-grandparents Ruwee and Jobal Naberrie stood on the terrace of the old Lake Country Villa as the Millenium Falcon appeared out of the dazzling blue sky. In Mara's arms, little Rey outstretched her tiny hand toward the approaching vessel.


As the Falcon docked on the very same balcony where Anakin and Padme had been married in secret, the Solo family, including their adopted son named after them, exited with Chewie and the droids.

"How lovely it is to be back here," Threepio remarked, "so much better than that awful city world."

"Oh my, is that the baby?" Leia said excitedly, "little Rey!"

"She's beautiful," Han said, managing a smile despite his earlier outburst, "she's got the same eyes as her Aunt Leia."


"Say hi to your cousin, Ben," Leia said, ushering the silent, moody boy towards Mara, who fondly rocked the baby in her arms.


Smiling, Mara bent over and held the bundle to Ben. "Want to take her?"
A Dark look crossed over Ben's face, as though he was suspicious of the baby. Then he took his newborn cousin and said, "Hello" without much enthusiasm.
"Aww, how sweet is that," Mara said as she took back the bundle.

"Luke, can I talk to you in private," Han said.

Luke silently nodded and the two men walked into the kitchen where Anakin had once entertained Padme by using the Force to levitate a piece of fruit. Leia looked on warily, then turned back to fawn over her niece.

"Ben's been spending a lot of time with Master Snoke lately," Han said bluntly, "and frankly, I don't like it."

Luke frowned, furrowing his mustache, and said, "I know Snoke has taken a special interest. Is he training him?"


"He's teaching Ben to use a lightsaber; and little bits about the Force," Han replied as he paced the kitchen floor, "Ben's in more of a hurry to be a Jedi than ever."

"And about my father?" Luke asked, "how is he handling that?"
"I don't know," Han said, sounding almost scared, "I'm his father, and I don't understand him at all." He croaked, as if something was caught in his throat.
"I will talk with Snoke," Luke assured him, "and make sure he isn't pushing Ben the wrong way. If it really bothers you, I'll have him stop."
"Thank you," Han said, and he started back to the balcony. "Hey kid?"


Luke smiled and turned around.
"You're gonna be a great dad." Han flashed the old cocky grin Luke had been missing and walked out.


Luke walked away from the glass doorway towards the fireplace. Thoughtfully, he knelt by the fire and said, "I'm scared. I know everything is good right now, but I know it's all going to go wrong. I've had visions, terrible visions." He'd never told Mara this, it was best not to upset her now. But there was one person who'd understand him now, one man who'd been down the same path.


The shimmering ghostly image of Anakin Skywalker floated out of the fire and appeared before his son. Anakin's ghost wore the traditional robes of a Jedi, and he appeared the way had in his early twenties, during his days as a Jedi Knight.


"You have every reason to worry," he assured his son, "you have a child now, another person to protect. When your mother told me she was pregnant with you and Leia, I had a terrible vision of her dying in childbirth."

Luke knew the rest of the story, and it pained him to think about it. "What do I do?" he asked desperately, "I don't want to fall into the same trap..." he stopped, uncomfortable saying the next words in his sentence.

"That I did," Anakin finished for him. He looked very somber, but also calm.


"Your visions will pass in time," the blue, transparent Anakin said to his son, "enjoy your time with Mara and the baby. Be ready to protect them if necessary, but don't let it consume you. That's..." Anakin paused, suddenly on the verge of ghostly tears, "how I made the worst mistake ever. I lost... I lost my beloved Padme forever."


"Not forever," said another familiar voice, one that both Luke and Anakin had found soothing, and looked to for guidance at various points in time.

The apparition of Master Obi Wan Kenobi shimmered out of the fireplace as well. Obi Wan appeared wearing similar robes to those of his two former students. His beard and hair appeared white like it had when Luke had first met him, many years ago as a teenager on Tatooine.

"I am very proud of your successes, Luke, both as a Jedi and a family man," the elderly spirit of Obi Wan said, "your father is right. Trust Mara and Rey look after themselves, but be prepared to defend them."


"Master..." Anakin said, "What do you mean, not forever?"
"
Padme awaits you, in the Netherworld of the Force," Obi Wan explained, "it is where all beings go once their material selves die. You are now ready to go on, if you choose. You have served your time in the physical realm, and you are free to move on into the Force."

Anakin looked from Obi Wan to the solid being that was Luke. "My son, I have watched over you proudly all these years," he said, "You have created a better legacy than I could have ever hoped for. But it is no time for me to cross over to the metaphysical realm, and reunite with my gone loved ones."
Luke did not like what he was hearing. "But Father..." he said anxiously, "Will I see you again?"


"Once Anakin has chosen to enter the Netherworld permanently, he can not come back," Obi Wan replied sadly.

"You can't leave me, father," Luke begged, looking up desperately at the ghostly figures above him, "I need you, I'll be lost without you."

"I have complete faith in you, my son," Anakin replied warmly, "you have done so much good on your own, and I know you'll do so much more."
Luke accepted this with the discipline of a true Jedi, then asked, "Will I ever see you again?"
Anakin closed his transparent eyes, recalling a small boy who had asked that question to his mother before leaving her to become a Jedi.

"One day, in the far future, you too will enter the Netherworld," Anakin said, "and then yes, we will see each other again."
Luke felt the same sense of loss that had ached him when he'd burned his father's armor on Endor. He'd just saved Anakin from the dark side, and had lost him so soon. Now he faded yet another loss in the harrowing journey of life.

"Be brave my son, and don't look back," Anakin said with pride and reassurance. They were the wordshis own mother had said before they'd parted on Tatooine. He'd see her again too, whole and happy once more.

Luke sighed and stood as the ghost of Anakin faded into the air for the last time.


"I will continue to guide you," Obi Wan assured his old pupil, "and your father will continue watching over you, even though he cannot visit you. His heart and soul go with you."



"I know, Ben," Luke replied, using the alias Obi Wan had adopted during his exile from the Empire, "but it's just not fair." Inside, despite his maturity and progress as a Jedi Master, Luke felt like the same kid who'd wanted to go to Tosche Station and escape the daunting tediousness of Tatooine.


"I know, Luke, I have experience my own share of loss during my lifetime," Obi Wan replied, thinking of Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore, as well as his own Jedi mentor Qui Gon Jinn. "But when you allow the ones you love to pass into the Force in peace, you are doing them the greatest service possible."

"I understand, Obi Wan," Luke replied, bowing his head, "and I am grateful for your help."

"Remember, the Force will be with you always," Obi Wan said, and he too evaporated on the spot.

Luke looked out fondly at his happy family. Smiling, he set out to join them on the balcony where it had all begun. Allowing his fears to seep from his mind,
Luke decided that the future looked brighter than ever now.

Coruscant


Accompanied by two red robes bodyguards, Grand Vizier Mas Amedda stood on the otherwise vacant landing platform of the old Republic Senate building as an Imperial shuttle descended from the Star Destroyer high in the afternoon clouds.


Amedda stepped forward to greet the shuttle as it landed, steam emitting from its jets. As soon as the shuttle docked, the hatch slid open and Grand Admiral Rae Sloane came walking out, accompanied by Captain Pellaeon and a teenage boy in a General's uniform.


"Grand Admiral Sloane," Amedda said, bowing his blue horned head, "Welcome to our old sanctuary city."


"It's about to be a war zone," Sloane replied, "We've brought our entire military along with our ammunition. We're launching an all out assault against the New Republic on Hosnian Prime."

"Excellent," said Amedda, looking around at the ruined Galactic City, "at last the true regime will regain what rightfully belongs to it."


"General Hux, return to the Eclipse and make sure all units are accounted for," Sloane ordered the boy, "Take all fighters to Hosnian Prime, and prepare for massive assault."

"Yes, Grand Admiral," the boy saluted her with a completely blank expression and went back into the shuttle. A moment later, it was taking off back to the Star Destroyer that had once belonged to the Emperor.


The adults proceeded into the Senate building.

"We will command the defensive units here on our capital," Sloane declared, "Amedda, are your units ready?"

Amedda nodded and retrieved a comlink from inside his chest plate. He spoke into it, "Commander Cody, its time to execute Operation Doomsday."

The voice of an ancient clone officer replied, "Executing Operation Doomsday."

As Sloane, Amedda, and Pellaeon reached the Chancellor's office, hundreds of TIE Fighters and old Republic gunships launched out of a massive secret bunker underneath the city level and batallions of fresh stormtroopers came marching out of the decrepit city buildings.


Naboo

As Luke went to rejoin his family, he felt a terrible disturbance in the Force. At that moment, his comlink buzzed urgently. He saw Leia reach for her comlink as he did the same.


"All fighting units, report to Hosnian Prime immediately," said the anxious voice of Chancellor Borsk Fey'lya, "We are in danger of a massive invasion, collaborated by Grand Vizier Mas Amedda and Grand Admiral Rae Sloane. I repeat, all fighting units report to Hosnian Prime right away!"

Without another thought, Luke said, "Mara and I will go to Ossus and collect all the Jedi we can. We'll see you on the capital."

"We will look after all the children," Ryoo said. She took the bundle enclosing baby Rey from Mara, while Jobal Naberrie picked up little Solo Calrissian.

"Artoo," Luke beckoned his little astromech droid to the shuttle that had taken him and Mara to Naboo. After saying goodbye to his family, Luke, Mara and Artoo boarded the shuttle and took off. As Ruwee, Jobal, and Ryoo led the children away, Han, Leia, Chewie and Threepio hurried into the Millennium Falcon, which then blasted into the ironically peaceful sky as well.



Moraband

Accompanied by four Praetorian Guards, Commander Krayt bowed as the Jedi StealthX carrying their Supreme Leader docked on the secret landing platform deep in the caverns of their hidden fortress.

"Welcome home, Supreme Leader," Krayt said as Snoke climbed out of the fighter.

"It is good to be back among my bretheren," the Supreme Leader replied as they proceeded into the entryway, "Soon, the New Republic will battle the Empire, and a new opportunity will arise."


"Luke Skywalker's Jedi Knights may take heavy numbers during the ensuing showdown," added Krayt, "they will be crippled by the time we face them."


"I shall go collect Ben Solo from Naboo," Snoke said, "he will want to join the fight and prove himself a capable warrior. In the meantime, rally all the Knights of Ren and prepare to attack the Jedi army."

"With pleasure," replied Commander Kryat.

Ossus

At the New Jedi Temple's strategy room, Luke stood at the Holotable accompanied by Mara and Artoo, with the Jedi Council assembled around them.


"Master Horn and Master Sebatyne," Luke addressed the human male Jedi Corran Horn and the female Barabel Saba Sebatyne, "will take a unit of warriors to Hosnian Prime to assist the New Republic fleet. Meanwhile, Mara and I will lead a team to Coruscant to deal with the Imperial administration. Any questions?"


"What of the Padawans and Younglings here at the academy?" asked Kyle Katarn.


"They'll have to look after themselves and one another for a while," Luke replied, "we can't spare any able Jedi."

"Speaking of which," spoke up Kyp Durron, "has anyone seen Master Snoke?"

Luke and Mara exchanged dark looks. It wasn't like Snoke to disappear during a time of emergency,but there wasn't time to address that now.

"I'm sure he'll turn up," Luke replied, "Everyone to your shuttles and fighters!"

The Jedi Masters rushed to gather all the Knights as Luke and Mara went back to their shuttle, Artoo following faithfully behind.


Coruscant
In the chancellor's office above the empty Senate arena, Sloane, Pellaeon, and Amedda addressed a hologram of an enraged Borsk Fey'lya.

"Amedda, I would never have expected this treachery from you," Fey'lya said, furry arms crossed, "I'd have never made that deal with you if I'd known what you were plotting with that...filth." He gestured through the hologram at Sloane and Pellaeon.

"Well it's too late now," Amedda replied, "There is nothing you can do to save yourself."

"Do not expect any mercy from our courts," Fey'lya warned, pointing a finger at him, "you will surely be sentenced to death for your crimes."

As Chancellor Fey'lya's hologram faded, Amedda declared, "Once we have dealt with the New Republic and the Jedi, the Old Empire will return to its former glory."

Sloane quickly glanced at Pellaeon and nodded. Pellaeon lunged and snatched the pike of one of the two royal guards. As the guard fought back, Pellaeon drove the pike into the other guard, who let out a scream from behind his mask and fell onto the floor immobilized.

Mas Amedda gaped in shock, unable to react in time. Sloane drew her blaster and shot Amedda twice in the head. Dramatically, Amedda spread his arms as he stumbled backwards into the wide, rectangular window that separated the office from the barren city below.

As Sloane quickly shot the other guard, the window shattered, sending chards of glass flying all around the large room. Mas Amedda, the Empire's greatest and longest pawn, fell into the war zone below.

"That takes care of that problem," Sloane said, "this is our Empire now, and we will be an improvement over our predecessor."

Palpatine had ruled with an iron fist, but he had made the mistake of dividing his populace through bigotry. Under Sloane's rule, all the people of the galaxy would be united and the Rebel terrorists would crumble through patriotism and loyalty.

Naboo

Through the window of his great-grandparents' villa along Lake Country, Ben Solo watched as a large, round shuttle descended onto the balcony. Excitedly, he sensed the presence of Master Snoke and came bounding out.


"Wait, Ben," Great-Grandpa Ruwee called out as he ran out to greet the humanoid Jedi, but Ruwee was ninety-two and couldn't catch up.

"Master Snoke!" Ben said as he greeted the old Jedi, "What are you doing here?"


"I'm sure you're aware of the forthcoming battle between the Imperial Remnants and the New Republic," Snoke replied, getting right to the point, "Your parents and your aunt and uncle are all participating."


Knowing that Snoke was reading his mind, Ben became serious and said, "I know I'm supposed to go help them. If they saw me out fighting, they'd see that I'm ready to be a Jedi."


"I shall take you to Coruscant, where an assault is being made on the Imperial capital," Snoke said, beckoning Ben aboard his shuttle, "Defeat the Empire right at their heart and no one will deny that you are stronger than any Jedi before you. Your grandfather will be prouder than ever of his legacy."

He'd said the magic words. Without hesitation, ten-year-old Ben ran up the ramp to Snoke's shuttle.


"Come back!" Ruwee yelled as he came out the glass door. But Snoke had gotten in as well and the shuttle was taking off into space.


"What'll I tell Leia and Han?" Ruwee wondered as he went back in.


Ben looked around the chamber inside Snoke's massive ship. Red-armored figures weilding deadly blades stood at attention as Snoke sat down in the command chair.

"Ben Solo, these are my personal Praetorian Guards," Snoke explained, seeing the look of uncertainty on the boy's face, "It is time that you learn about my past as what I truly stand for."

Ben gazed up at Snoke's pale face, intrigued. "What do you mean, what you stand for?"


"As you know, your uncle Luke Skywalker recruited me to his New Jedi Order after the truce on Jakku," Snoke began, "but for many years I have been part of another Force-using organization, called the Knights of Ren."


Ben looked up at him and allowed that name to process in his mind. "What are the Knights of Ren?"


"You'll recall that your grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, was the subject of a prophecy about one who would bring balance between the light and dark sides of the Force. You will also remember that as Anakin trained as a Jedi before joining the Sith, where he stayed for decades.

"As you know, your uncle Luke turned your Grandfather back to the light, and he sacrificed himself to defeat the reigning dark lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious, also known as Emperor Palpatine. Now, your uncle leads the new generation of Jedi Knights, believing his father had succeeded in bringing balance to the Force."

"But didn't he?" questioned Ben, "By killing the Emperor, Grandfather ended the rule of the Sith and brought back the Jedi."

"Think about it, boy," Snoke said from atop his mighty throne, "Are the Jedi and the Sith really different? Both use one side of the Force and each has competed over the course of history to dominate the galaxy. Each thinks they are stronger than the other, but both are blinded by their use of only one side. "

As Ben listened with intense curiosity, Snoke related the history of the Knights of Ren. "The Knights of Ren were founded by a Sith Lord named Darth Bane, who abandoned the Sith after his apprentice betrayed him. He saw no purpose in serving an old, dogmatic Order with a narrow view of the Force, and founded a new group of warriors, who seek balance by using both the light and the dark. That is why they are more powerful and have stayed hidden for a millennium. Does that make sense to you, Ben?"

Ben thought about this information, closing his eyes. He'd always learned that the way of the Jedi was the right way, the only way. But now, hearing this about the Knights of Ren, and true Balance to the Force, he was reconsidering all he'd been taught by Mom and Uncle Luke.

"I want you to have this," Snoke said, reaching into his yellow robes. He stood from his throne, bent down, and handed Ben what was unmistakably a lightsaber hilt, in the shape of a cross.


"It's yours to keep," he said, "you'll need it. Go ahead, try it."


Ben flicked on its power, and gaped as a long red blade came out the middle, and two smaller blades emerged from the sides. He listened to the melodic him as he waved his new weapon, its crimson glow lighting up his face. As he wielded his new weapon, Ben already felt stronger with the Force than ever.


Coruscant
The Millennium Falcon was followed by an array of Rebel vehicles, commanded at the helm by Han Solo.

"This is going to be rough," said the captain of the Falcon as they maneuvered into the awaiting fleet of Imperial Fighters.


"Take us down to the Senate," Leia said as the TIE Fighters opened fire.
"I'll cover you, Rogue Leader," Gold Leader said over the intercom.


As the Falcon passed through Coruscant's laser-stricken clouds towards the run-down, deserted metropolis, Leia stared through the window at the domed building that she knew well. All the assemblies, painful early declarations against the Rebellion, even the denouncement of Bail and his allies.


Leia recalled the first time her adoptive father Bail Organa had taken her to meet the Emperor and Darth Vader. She'd felt a dark, cold chill as that gnarled old man had spoken to her, failing to sense her true heritage. The breathing from Vader's mask rang into her ears now the same way it had back then.
She felt scared now too, as they entered the war zone, but she wasn't sure exactly why. She'd been in worse battle situations with worse odds. Something about this particular confrontation.

Then Leia saw the round ship emerging from the far side and it made sense.
"
Han!" she exclaimed, "Ben's here!"

Han turned around in the pilot's chair. "Ben?"

"Somehow, he flew himself here!" Leia felt a panic overcome her as she imagined her son in the middle of the battlefield.


"If that kid doesn't get himself killed, I'll do it for him," Han grumbled as a laser hit the roof of the Millennium Falcon.



Hosnian Prime


Underneath the overbearing shadow of the Eclipse, General Hux sat in the cockpit of his personal TIE fighter as their mass armada reached the orbit of Hosnian Prime. Civilian ships were fleeing in all directions, while all the available New Republic aircraft was coming to meet the First Order fleet.

Hux immediately recognized Home One, the Rebel command ship. "Concentrate as much magnitude as possible on their main ship," he said into the radio,
"Once we penetrate their aireal defenses, we will commence a ground assault."


"Understood, General," the deck officer's voice replied. Hux set his fighter's sights on Home One, dodging fire from incoming B and Y Wings.

All his military training had led up to this moment. More so than the confrontation with his father, this was Hux's moment of truth. Like Brendol had wanted, Hux would now prove himself in the heat of battle, not just behind a desk.
From the control station of Home One, Admiral Ackbar watched as the Rebel fleet took heavy losses.

"I don't think we'll be able to defend against them much longer," he said to the hologram of General Crix Madine, "We may have to order a mandatory evacuation of the entire planet."

"We don't have time to organize a retreat," Madine replied, "The Senate is in chaos and we are using all our resources to create a perimeter around the city."
Ackbar closed his large round eyelids. The room shook as a blast from the Eclipse hit it again. "I hope our friends on Coruscant are doing better."

"General," said the deck officer into the radio, "It looks like our central forces on Coruscant are having trouble."

"How bad is it?" Hux asked. He now thought of Grand Admiral Sloane, and that for all her military strength, she may be no match for the Jedi.


"We've spread our resources too thin," the officer replied, "I'm afraid the base is completely surrounded by the Jedi and Rebel fleet."

Hux thought about this as he continued firing at the Rebel ships. An X Wing fighter locked on to his TIE Fighter and began shooting directly behind him.


"I have a hold on this one," Wedge Antilles reported as he fired at the lead TIE Fighter, "We're not going down without a fight."

Hux maneuvered his fighter down and felt himself flying upside down as he steered his ship behind the one attacking him.

"It's got me, I need assistance," Wedge reported, growing anxious. Hux fired with all of his might and Wedge's X Wing exploded right in front of him.

"We've lost Red Leader," Ackbar said grimly. Wedge had served the Rebellion well for years, and he'd be greatly rewarded with high honors.

Hux closed his eyes and remembered how despite the usual military protocol, Sloane had stepped in to save him. Since he was a little boy, Sloane had taken him under her wing, offered protection from his father in exchange from protection against the other children they'd taken from Jakku. Sloane and Hux had formed a strong, unexpected bond from their shared experience and predicament, and Hux decided that he couldn't leave his mentor and mother figure to her fate.


"A Group, B Group, come with me," he declared, "we're going to provide assistance on Coruscant."

A large portion of the attacking fleet proceeded to join Hux's fighter as he entered light speed, allowing his personal feelings to get in the way. As he streaked across the vacuum of space, Hux had never felt less worthy of his rank.