Saga - ST Call to the Force, OCs, TFA spoilers - Completed 6/23

Chapter Eleven

The long window in his private dinning area had allowed Mosney to see the small red speck appear from what used to be the Hosnian system. What should've taken centuries to reach his vision in this spot of the galaxy came within moments of its appearance just spoke in volumes of what the First Order had accomplished.

The Republic, a sorry excuse for a governning body, was in shambles. It's senate, it's armada, gone. What shreds were left would soon come to realize what true leadership was, and that it only existed in the First Order. As it did in the Empire.

From the holo projector in his table he had gotten to watch General Hux give his speech to the forces at Starkiller Base just before it fired upon the Republic capital. His words were sound, but his tone had lacked a calm and professional demeanour Mosney would've preferred.

Beside him, two others stood watching the distant sign of annihilation. Officer Nimuk, and Sela. A faint whimper escaped from one of them. It was from his first officer. At her young age it was understandable that such destruction might leave her shaken, no matter now justified the destruction.

She just needed time. If not, then she wasn't the of the worthy stock he initially believed.

When he finally turned away from the window he eyed Sela. The woman's head had dropped, her long neck bended forward half way. Even then she still towered over them.

"I hope you understand why I brought you here to bare witness to this."

Without looking at him she spoke, "To make me see reason. To make me see that refusing to reveal what I know is fruitless. At least that is what I assume."

"Yes. The First Order, in one single act, has regained control over the galaxy."

Closing her eyes, she shook her head. "Oh, you pour, pour, child. How tragic a path your people have taken."

Child? At the age of seventy it wasn't everyday that Mosney was called a child. At first, he felt offended to be talked down to in such a way, but then he thought how in the centuries of living this woman had over him even he would appear as youthful to her as a newborn infant.

"My people are on the path of true order in the galaxy."

She raised her neck back up straight, but still kept her eyes closed. "For five hundred plus years, I have seen plenty others like you and your First Order carryout what you believe to be acts of valor cloaked in atrocity for a misguided idea that the galaxy would ultimately be the better for.

"But it won't be. Yours is nothing but a toxic crusade in the name of greed, entitlement, and darkness. Complete and utter darkness." She finally looked at him, her eyes watered, but only a single tear breaking free down her face. "How my heart breaks, not just for those countless innocents in that system, but also for all of you. It is a true tragedy when such a monstrous act can be justified. You pour, pour, man."

It was all in her eyes. Her expression of heartache for them was genuine. How sad. Even someone as old and seemingly wise as her couldn't see what they were accomplishing.

"Nimuk, give the order for the jump."

"Yes, sir."

Now that the Republic was taken care of, only the few limping enemies needed crushing. Organa's pitiful Resistance. Luke Skywalker. First though: Misael. He was finally within the general's grasp.

----------

From the cockpit Kym watched as the Starblazer was pulled into the freighter's hangar, where a group of Crescent pirates were waiting and surrounded them, blasters raised.

"What do we do?"

Misael said nothing. He was still kneeled down on the deck, barely aware of where he even was.

R4 appeared at the door, asking what was wrong with him. "I don't know."

One minute he had been flying them to safety; the next minute he was dropping to the floor, his face losing all of its color and face consumed with terror. It was as if his mind had disappeared some place else completely.

Then when Misael finally came back he made a crazy claim that Hosnian Prime was gone. Along with his family.

Kym honestly didn't know what to make of it, and right now she wasn't in a position where she could make something of it. The Crescent pirates had them, and they would soon be delivered to the First Order.

"Get up." She took him by both arms to force him up. "We have to go."

"They're gone, Kym. They're all gone."

What could she say? Whatever Misael had just experienced it had left him in a state of shock. So she needed to take the lead on this. They got to the ramp just as it was pried open and a pair of pirates came, guns raised.

"We're not armed," Kym promised.

They were led outside into the hangar and made to sit down on the cold deck. A trio of men walked over, a Faleen holding a small hand blaster at the lead. "Check the rest of the ship. Make sure nobody else is hiding."

"Yes, Captain." The other two disappeared aboard.

"Which one of you totaled one of my ships?"

By the sound of his tone he wanted to know who it was he needed to deliver the payback to Kym only tightened her lips even closer together.

"No matter." He pointed his blaster at Misael. "You, I can't lay a finger on him anyway. First Order wants you alive." The gun barrel than pointed over to her. "You, on the other hand, are fair game."

With a single wave the two pirates who led them out of the Starblazer each grabbed one of her arms and started dragging her across the hangar. Kym struggled against them. She kicked, pulled back, tried to yank herself free, but there was no real point.

Her mind began to agonize over what they might do to her. For the first time she wished she were back home in Terru; in her boring, unimpressive life with her family. Now she might never see them again. That possibility made her fruitlessly fight against the two pirates even more as they forced her towards the hangar door.

"No! " Misael jumped up to his feet. "Leave her alone!"

The Faleen captain leader swung his free fist into Misael's gut, and then on his back, forcing him back onto his knees. "You're in no position to be given demands."

Almost within the single second that followed Misael was back up standing, shooting an arm out towards the captain, taking the small hand blaster and pointing it at its owner's head.

All eyes fell on Misael - along with blasters. Both pirates holding Kym also released their grips on her to put their attention on Misael.

The captain wasn't panicking, however. Hands raised to his head he looked at Misael with confidence. "You know this won't end well, no matter what you do. Sure, you might be able to shoot me before any of my boys can pull a trigger on you, but i don't think you'll do it."

"Oh, yeah. Why do you say that?"

"Because I've seen into the eyes of more killers than I've ever bothered to count." He tilted his head to one side. "You, young man, are no killer. You could've killed my guys down the surface, but instead you stunned them. You could've completely destroyed those other two ships, but instead you chased one off, and clipped the other's wings.

"These are the actions of someone who just can't bring himself to take a life, no matter's who's it is. You just don't have it in you."

From the hangar door the dotted stars stretched out into the bright tunnel of hyperspace. Kym wanted to drop back down to the deck in defeat, but found enough strength to stay standing. Wherever they were going, it was a safe bet that the First Order would be there waiting.

In the minute that followed, no one said anything. Everyone just kept their eyes fixed on Misael; they all waited to see what he would do next. Meanwhile he kept his eyes fixed on the captain, who showed no ounce of fear over having his life threatened; Kym could tell that he was every bit confident that Misael wouldn't pull the trigger.

What no one expected was for him to then turn the barrel of the gun towards his own head. Suddenly the atmosphere completely changed from panic, to disbelief. Even Misael's would-be victim's expression flipped from calm to dread.

"Yeah, that's right." Misael looked around at everyone present. Except for Kym. "I'll do it. I just lost everything that's ever mattered to me, so I'll do it. I'll take my own life. How much do you think the First Order will pay for a bounty they wanted alive?"

Kym couldn't believe this was happening. In the short time she had gotten to know him, Misael never struck her as the suicidal type. Not even in this kind of circumstance. He had now taken a complete turn since whatever it was a few minutes ago that had caused him to believe his family dead.

He pointed over to her. "Nobody can touch her. She stays with me."

The captain said nothing. Made no move.

"Look at my eyes and tell me I don't have it in me to do it."

From where Kym was watching she saw know hint of a bluff in Misael's face. He meant it. He would burn a hole in his head. The Crescent leader believed him too, because he waved her to be brought back beside Misael. He then put his hand out; Misael hesitated, but then moved the blaster away from his head and handed it back to its owner. Kym finally released the breath she had been holding.

"Sit tight," he told him. "It won't be that long a jump to the First Order."

They sat down for the trip, in which the Crescent captain took personal watch over them. His eyes remained fixed on Misael; as if he was giving him a hard study. "In all my years I've never seen someone ready to take their own life that ay. You're a bit damaged aren't you?"

Misael remained silent. So did Kym.

"Whatever the First Order has planned for you, I wonder if it will actually have an effect." He looked outside into the lightspeed's bright, zooming tunnel. "You'll know soon enough, I guess. We should be there in a few more minutes."

"Captain!" One of the pirates who had almost taken Kym away came rushing back into the hangar. "You won't believe what we just heard through the HoloNet about the Hosnian system."

Kym jerked her head up at this.

"It's gone."

"What do you mean gone?"

"Every single planet in the system has been obliterated. The chatter is that the First Order was behind it."

Kym looked back to Misael, who showed no ounce of shock over this news. Because he had already known; he had told Kym as much. She just didn't really believe him.

How had he known?

 

Chapter Twelve

As soon as they were back in real space Kym and Misael were shoved back into the Starblazer. One quick flight later they were tossed back out into the docking bay of a Star Destroyer. Kym had never been in such a grand ship. Too bad that the ship was of the First Order, and that they were being brought aboard as prisoners.

An aging man stood waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp.

"Welcome," he said smiling, as if to guests who were just stopping by for a visit.

His eyes were immediately fixed on Misael: the real prize. The man's eyes scanned him, from top to bottom. Maybe he was trying to get a measure of him. Of what it would take to get him to talk. If Kym were a fully grown rancor this man would've probably still only noticed Misael.

The Crescent captain took her by the arm. "Since the girl wasn't part of the bounty, I'd like to keep her with me, along with the ship."

Now, Misael finally came out of his drone-like state he had been in since his suicide threat, and made a move for the Faleen, only to get held back by two of the Captain's men.

"No, we will be taking her into custody. As well as the ship."

The captain groaned. "He destroyed one of my own ships, and heavily damaged another. "

"You will be compensated, on top of the bounty reward. If that will be all." The old man wasn't so much as asking this as he was ordering it. "That shuttle will take you back to your freighter. Your reward is already aboard."

At first Kym worried he would argue with the man to keep her, but then he finally released his hold on her arm and led his men to the nearby shuttle. She didn't give the pirates another look. The shuttle was gone in the next minute, leaving her and Misael with this man and half a dozen stormtroopers.

"Misael." The man walked up to him, going as close as a step away from his face. "I have been most looking forward to meeting you. I'm General-"

"I know who you are," Misael said coldly. "General Alaris Mosney of the First Order. Formerly Admiral of the Galactic Empire."

Something about the way Misael said this made Kym wonder if this wasn't the first time he'd had run ins with these people. How much about his life did she really know, anyways? Obviously not enough. She was still trying to wrap her head around how he threatened to burn a hole in his head over her, and before that somehow knowing that the Hosnian system had been destroyed.

"So you know of me." Mosney seemed quite pleased by this. "Well, I know much about you, too. Born on Coruscant twenty-five years ago. Top marks in piloting, and galactic history. In the last five years you have been travelling known space in the pursuit of Jedi lore."

He waved to the squad of stormtroopers; all but two disappeared into the Starblazer. "I hope you don't mind we check your ship for anything of value."

Kym immediately panicked about R4, who still had the list of Jedi temple planets on her, but forced herself to relax. It was all out of her hands now.

General Mosney waved for them to follow him out of the docking bay. Not that they had a choice, seeing as the two remaining stormtroopers stepped behind them to make sure they started walking.

Finally, Mosney looked over to Kym. "May I ask how a young woman such as yourself got caught up in such a complicated situation as this."

It took her a moment to find her voice again. She hadn't spoken since the Crescent pirates had captured them. "Wrong place; Wrong time."

They walked down a few corridors until stepping into a lift that took them to a detention center. Its long corridor had a line of cell doors on either side with stormtroopers patrolling them.

"You'll find yourself in familiar company here." He showed them to one of the farther cell doors at the end where they looked inside through the window, and saw Sela laying on a hard-looking bunk at the other end of the cell.

"Your friend is quite a strong-willed one," Mosney explained. "Nothing we did broke her. She wouldn't give up a thing. Not that it matters, now that we have you."

From the door's small window Kym noticed a bruise on Sela's cheek. So they had tortured her. Where before Kym hadn't had any personal reason to hate the First Order, now they had ignited an exploding fury from within her.

"Now please, step inside."

The doors to the next two cells opened. Without resistance they both walked over to them. While Kym stepped inside hers Misael instead turned around to face General Mosney again.

"The Hosnian system being destroyed. That was you." he proclaimed.

"Yes."

Kym turned around to look at Misael's face. He was now looking at this man with utter shock and disdain. As well as - betrayal. In return, Mosney offered only a slight bow of his head in dissatisfaction. For what exactly, though?

"What are you planning to do to us?" she asked.

"We are all going to bear witness to another step in the First Order's ascension to absolute authority over the galaxy." That vague explanation gave Kym shivers. "The trip won't be too long. So don't get too comfortable."

Misael still hadn't stepped into his cell. He remained fixed on General Mosney, his eyes seemingly attempting to pierce into the man's soul.

"If you don't fight any of this, I will be able to promise yours, as well your friends' safety. You'll have my word of this, Misael."

It took Misael a minute to finally relent and take a few steps backwards, into his cell. For a second there, Kym worried he might do the stupid thing and attack the General.

"We will speak again, soon, Misael," Mosney assured him.

"Thank you . . . Grandfather."

 

Chapter Thirteeen

"Grandfather!"

Kym had repeated the word in her head few times after Misael said it. Replayed it in her head, over and over, to make sure she had heard him right. He had indeed referred to the First Order General as his grandfather just before her cell door slid down closed.

Which begged the question: who exactly had she been travelling with over the last day? Because she obviously didn't have a clear picture of her companion.

She needed answers, and she needed them right now.

Luckily, there was an air vent connecting the cells at the bottom of the adjoining walls, allowing them to speak to one another.

"I wasn't sure if you had heard that," Misael said from the other side.

"Oh, I heard." She sat herself down next to the vent. "I need an explanation, Misael. What haven't you told me? Why are we really sitting in these cells?"

"I haven't been lying to you about Skywalker, Kym, really. Though, I'm guessing Mosney used it as an excuse to pull every resource he had into capturing me."

"Mosney, you're grandfather?" she questioned again.

"Yes, my grandfather. My mom's father, to be specific."

"I got the impression that the two of you had just met now," she said.

"Because we did just meet now. Aside from a few holos my parents showed me I had never laid eyes on the man, until just now," Misael explained. "Both of my parents had broken all contact with their families years ago, before they were even married."

Kym remembered Misael mentioning his parents had been in the Rebellion. Just now he had said his grandfather had been an Imperial admiral. So it wasn't that hard to figure out what caused the falling out.

"Both their families had strong ties to the Empire on Coruscant," Misael went on to explain. "My dad's family were involved in politics. My mom's had almost every member in the military, but they both saw it for what it really was, so they defected to the Rebellion."

"I take it that would've made for awkward family get togethers." She tried making it sound like a joke, but fell short of the humorous tone she was going for.

Misael just went on. "After the Alliance won, and Coruscant was claimed, both of their families left with other loyalist. They didn't know where they were - until the First Order started stirring up trouble. They did some investigating, and found out that both their families were now with the First Order. Including that my grandfather was a general."

"Now here you are," she added. "Meeting him for the first time."

"Not exactly how I'd always picture it happening." He paused before adding, "If I'm being honest, though, meeting him has never mattered to me as much as meeting Luke Skywalker, again."

"Again?" Just when Kym thought Misael wasn't keeping anything else from her. "You didn't say you'd met him already."

"Didn't see the point," he reasoned. "It was only one time. When I was a little kid, not that I'll ever forget it. That one meeting is what put me here today."

"Do tell." Despite their situation Kym found herself trying to get comfortable; as if she was still a child, getting ready for her bedtime story.

"My parents told me all the stories about him. I guess they had a few more of them to tell than most, since they were in some of them. They had flown in a few battles together. Gotten to know him a little bit.

"After the war ended my parents settled back in Coruscant. Then years later he popped in for a visit, and had dinner with us. I was so excited to meet him. He was nice, and happy to let me drag him to my room where I showed him my toy lightsaber, all my starship models, and a few holos of Jedi, including him.

"At dinner I asked about his lightsaber - not that my parents let him turn it on for me, but he did let me touch the handle for a second. I asked him about the Force and if he could really do what everyone says he could do.

"Putting his hand up he lifted a piece of bread from the bowl, without having to touch it, and put it down on my plate. I was so mesmerized by that one little trick, like any kid I suppose. I asked him to do something else. So he told me to close my eyes and relax my mind, and think about something that made me happy.

"I thought about when my mom would let me sit on her lap and pretend I was flying when we went off planet. He described the memory back to me, in perfect detail. As he saw this I also felt connected to him in away I never experienced before. We were bound by something that was all around us. It was after this that Luke took my parents aside to talk to them.

"When they finished all three of them talked to me about what Luke had felt when looking into my mind. He had felt that the Force was strong in me. Strong enough to be trained as a Jedi. As soon as Luke asked me if that was something I would like to become someday, I jumped off my seat and shouted yes.

"Luke promised that when I was ready, and my folks gave their consent, I would have a place in the new Jedi Order."

Kym had a guess as to where the story was going. "But that never happened?"

"No. My parents agreed that I could go train with him after I finished my regular schooling - but before that happened, the new Order Luke was building was destroyed, by Kylo Ren. A student of Luke's, until he turned to the dark side and joined the First Order. All the other students were killed. My parents saved me by not letting me go sooner than I wanted to. I would've been killed with them if they hadn't.

"Luke disappeared after that. So did my dream of becoming like him. Becoming a Jedi Knight."

"That's why you want to find him." Now Misael's quest to learn all he could about the Jedi ways was completely clear. "So you can convince him to train you."

"And fulfill a childhood fantasy that some have told me to give up on, more than once already."

The door to her cell came open, and a young human woman on the other side waved her over. Kym stood up, and cautiously stepped back out into the corridor, as did Misael and Sela.

General Mosney stood at Misael's door, a squad of stormtroopers behind him. "We've arrived."

"Arrived where?" Kym asked.

"Starkiller Base."

 

Chapter Fourteen

Kym, Sela, and Misael stared out from the cockpit of the Starblazer, completely lost for words.

The planet they were staring at, if it could even be called that anymore, had a grand, red, pit in it that was surrounded by a structure that could be seen from space.

Such an architectural achievement would be commendable - if it this wasn't for the purpose of destroying entire star systems.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" General Mosney said from the pilot's chair. "From this point on the galaxy will know where the true power in the galaxy lies, without question."

Misael could only continue staring in silence as they approached the terraformed planet. This was the thing that destroyed the Hosnian system. The thing that killed his parents, and his sister - and his own grandfather was admiring it as if it was some kind of cosmic treasure to be worshipped.

His grandfather, who sat right in front of him on his chair, flying his ship. A ship his family had literally rebuilt, piece-by-piece. It would be so easy to make a move on him, but then he thought of the stormtroopers right behind them at the doorway. His own life wasn't of much concern now -but Kym and Sela's were, and a stupid move like that wouldn't end well for them.

The planet's shields were lowered. They flew down to the surface , and into a docking bay in the massive structure. Starkiller Base his grandfather called it. Close to a fitting name, he supposed.

They were led outside the ship where general Mosney gestured to a nearby door. "Take the women to the nearest detention center," he said to the female who hadn't left his side since they had been delivered to the Star Destroyer. "Have this squad escort you."

"What of him, General?" She nodded.

"We have much to discuss." He eyed Misael, grinning. As if this were some joyful meeting that they had both been waiting for, for so long. "I am in no danger. I promise you."

She nodded, but with obvious reservations. "As you wish, sir."

Kym and Sela were both immediately led out of the docking bay. Kym had to be pushed two or three times by one of the stormtroopers. She kept looking back at Misael, afraid. He was afraid too. Mosney had him now. So what else could his friends be to him but dead weight.

Mosney seemed to have read his mind. "No harm will come to them. You have my word."

Even if his word meant something to others, it didn't mean a thing to him, whatsoever. "So you wanted to have some one-on-one time, then. Let's get it over with."

"Follow me."

Together they walked out of the docking in another direction. Strange how the old man was trying to make this seem as if was anything but his prisoner.

----------

"What did your parents tell you about your family?" he asked Misael.

They were taking their time down a long and empty corridor. He hoped the privacy would give his Misael the courage to drop his guard with him. Maybe it was expecting too much from him too soon, but they needed to start somewhere.

"Everything." His eyes looked all around the corridor - except at him. "Growing up on Coruscant during the height of the Galactic Empire didn't leave either of them with anything less than a totally clear picture to that regime, in all it's horrors."

So as expected his parents raised him with the Rebellion's polluted perception of the once grand Galactic Empire. Already, just by seeing the cold, stone-wall, stare Misael was now giving him, he could see the same stubborn defiance as his mother. Oh how that stare infuriated him. Because there would be just no breaking through it so as to get her to see reason.

"Your parents both had the unreasoning beliefs that the galaxy was better left in the hands of one too many fools, rather than the few capable of holding its entire weight on their shoulders."

He laughed; it was the same laugh as his mother. Half humored, half defiant. A laugh that had regularly infuriated him, but he had come to miss over the years. "The few being people like Palpatine, or Tarkin."

"Truly great men. Despite what Republic history has told you."

"I didn't need anybody to tell me anything. " His eyes were now enflamed. "All I needed to do was go to places like where Alderaan used to be to tell me what the Empire stood for."

No surprise he would bring Alderaan up; after what has just been done to the Republic capitol. That's how it started with his mother. "It stood for the good of plenty above the good of the few."

Once more, his grandson laughed. "An entire planet of people doesn't constitute 'the few'. No matter how big the galaxy is."

So disappointing. He just refused to see the bigger picture. The greater good in what the Empire was trying to accomplish. What the First Order now wanted to accomplish in its place. "Alderaan was destroyed in the name of order and stability. So that no one would think to go against the better of the masses for the sake of their own personal agendas."

Misael shook his head. It was because of arrogance like this that such stability was never accomplished. Arrogance that couldn't be extinguished within his daughter, sadly leaving her able to pass it on to his grandson.

"How can you stand there and call yourself the good guy?" Misael asked him.

"How can you?"

"I don't commit genocide, for one." He stopped walking, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then finally faced him. "They were there. On Hosnian Prime. My mom, my dad, my sister. They were all there when this place destroyed it. They're dead."

The agony in his grandson was evident as he said this. Msoney stared at him for a long moment before saying, "I know."

He stopped, dead in his tracks. Mosney saw the agony in his eyes be replaced by a concentrated fury he had only ever seen once before: The last time he would ever lay eyes on his daughter in person.

"You knew they were there, and you did nothing to save them." His grandson said this in such a calm and cold manner that actually made him want to take a step back. The air around them had become slightly colder.

"There was nothing I could do for your parents," he explained to Misael. "They made their choices years ago. I grieved for the daughter I knew long before you were born. There was no saving them."

He saw the fist coming before Misael even raised his arm. Even at his age his instincts were still plenty sharp that he could've blocked it or dodged the attack, but instead he allowed his grandson one grief-stricken blow - but once the second punch came his way he grabbed the boy's wrist, directing the arm away from his head. Turning him around, he then used his other arm to wrap it around Misael' s neck and then pin him against the wall.

"One free blow is all you get. The next will cost you." Misael struggled against the hold. Mosney was no fool. Despite his exceptional combat abilities for a man his age, his young grandson could ultimately beat him. His element of surprise as a frail old man was gone.

He let Misael go, and thankfully, he didn't attack again.

"You can hate me for now - but eventually, you'll see the truth. I promise I won't fail in guiding you like I did your mother."

----------

Back in the docking bay, where the Starblazer sat, nobody was paying any attention as a small hatch in its center quietly opened, and R4 dropped down onto the deck. She took a minute to examine her new surroundings. Her friends were nowhere to be seen, so that left her with the task of finding them.

As she started away from the ship no one took note of her presence. She was just one of many service droids moving about-

-leaving R4 free to find Kym and the others.

 

Amazing!!!!! The revelations especially about Miseal's back-story. Terrific small twisty there, what he thought with frustration was his parents' stepping on his dreams really turned out to save hislife after all. Intense there with Mosney and yay for R4. The resourceful droid(s) to the rescue.

 

Chapter Fifteen

His grandfather led Misael into an empty conference room where a long window on one wall showed a view of the winter wilderness of the planet that didn't get destroyed to make this monstrous base.

Starkiller Base, his grandfather called it. This was the place that destroyed an entire system of planets. Killed billions upon billions of people - including his family. He kept thinking of Kiera. What had she been doing when Hosnian Prime was decimated? Asleep, maybe? At least she wouldn't have seen it coming. The image of her helplessly watching in terror at her coming demise made him grateful not have actually seen her, or their parents, in his vision.

"You know you're not alone, Misael," his grandfather said as they walked up to the window, both looking out at the view. "You still have a family, and I'm not just talking about myself. Your grandmother will be happy to finally meet you. You also have aunts, uncles, cousins - from your mother and your father's side."

Misael almost laughed, but it dropped back down halfway up his throat. The way he was talking about this was as if his family had died in some speeder accident, and as if he was nothing but a loving grandfather, who was reaching out to his grief stricken grandson. The man had just admitted to him that he knew his own daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter were on a planet that was about be destroyed, and he did nothing to save them.

Growing up Misael would often ask his folks about when Alderaan was destroyed, all those years ago, but it wasn't until he was a teenager that they finally spoke to him about it. Mainly about how both of their families not only expressed their acceptance of what the Empire had done, but also their horrifying support of the planet's destruction.

"We will reduce however many planets to ashes that it takes, in the name of obedience." He looked away from the window to the old man, who faced him in turn. "Do you remember when you said that."

He nodded. "To your mother."

Even after all these years, Misael could still remember his mom's face as she told him this. Clearly, it hadn't been one of her fondest memories. "When news about Alderaan reached Coruscant you all sat down for dinner that night, and she couldn't hold it in how shattered she felt about what the Empire had done. She couldn't fathom how anyone in galaxy could justify the destruction of an entire planet, and its people."

"And I told her it was justified because the galaxy needed to know there was a price for going against the Empire, and disrupting it's peace and prosperity."

He looked at him as the his grandfather said this. Misael couldn't find a hint of uncertainty, nor the slightest bit of regret in what he said. He truly believed in what had been done to Alderaan all of those years ago to have been the right thing, and he felt the absolute same way about the entire Hosnian system's destruction.

"You never learn. You didn't after the first Death Star. Then you just went and built a second one. Now here we are - again. You people here just can't stop finding worse ways to express your complete lack of value for life."

"We do value life - but we value the masses over the few." His voice became like that of a superiors officer's tone, speaking down to a subordinate. "One system like Hosnian's destruction is meaningless, next to the stability of the entire galaxy. A single planet like Alderaan's destruction was meaningless in the grand scheme of things."

There was a fire in his eyes as he said this. A fury that Misael's mom had described more than once when recalling one of numerous arguments she had gotten into with him. A fiery resolve that there was no swaying him of. Misael could see now that this sorry excuse of a man he had the misfortune of sharing blood with would never apologize for the Empire's, nor the First Order's, atrocities. Especially those he carried out in their names.

But that wouldn't stop him from speaking out, like his parents did back when they were even younger than him now. "Have you ever been to the Campea system?"

"No."

"I was there a year ago. I actually stayed there for a couple of months, looking for the Valley of the Jedi in it's one habitable planet. I didn't find it, but I did find a lot of little jewels all over the place. The Hydra Falls make a wall of water that is so thrilling to walk beside of. Then there's the Trisal Forest. All the different animals that roam that place alone. You could get lost in the planet's Mashigon Caverns forever. Then there's the capital city. The architectural achievement of building so much with stone and marble material. I missed it a lot after leaving."

"You're reaching a point, I am sure."

He took a step towards him. "The beauty and wonders that come from a single planet, alone, is unmeasurable - and for a single one to be reduced to space debris by anybody is the kind of monstrous act that can never be undone. You talk about my parents, your own daughter, in shame - but you're the one who brought shame on this family. You and all the others I've never met, who refused to stop and consider that anything they've done has been wrong."

"Your mother said something along that line, more than once."

"She was a smart girl."

"No. She was a stupid girl, and now she's dead."

All the lights in the room stared flickering, but Misael barely even noticed this, as his eyes remained fixed on his monstrous grandfather, who looked around he room, panicked for the most fleeting of moments Then he looked back at him with curiosity. "You just did that."

Did he? He couldn't say. In all his attempts to develop some kind of Force ability over the years, nothing had ever come of it. His vision of Hosnian Prime's destruction had been the first time he had ever experienced a real connection to it like a Jedi was probably supposed to. And just now, with the lights, it must've been him. The fury over this man's coldness towards Misael's mom, his own daughter, lit an infuriated fire in him that he didn't think was possible.

Misael began to wonder what if he could focus that fury hard enough on him-

"You have the Force. Just like I suspected." his grandfather smiled. "All this time and effort that you've spent looking for Skywalker. So that he could teach you - but all you had to do was come to me. The First Order has a place for your kind, my grandson."

Was he talking about the Knights of Ren? From what few whispers Misael had heard, they were a ruthless group of dark side users who were led by the worst one of all.

"Kylo Ren is here, in this station, right now. You can meet him. He can give you what you've always wanted. He can teach you the ways of the Force."

"The ways of the dark side."

He snorted. "Nothing but labels. From what I know of this mysticism, it's a source of power. A tool to be used as you see fit. To accomplish the extraordinary."

"There's nothing extraordinary about what you people are doing." Misael's temper was still present in his voice, but much more controlled. That was probably what his grandfather wanted from him. "You represent nothing but death, destruction, and horror. I'd rather die than join you."

"Would you rather your friends die?"

His fists were beginning to shake angrily, with his fingers digging into his palms. "They feel the same way. That's why they're my friends."

"Don't do this." The old man put his hands on his shoulders. "Don't turn your back on everything you could have with us. Don't let your parents' delusions keep you from achieving more than you could ever hope to achieve on your own. It's all here, waiting for you. You just need to accept what's coming. Accept the reign of the First Order."

For all his years of service, and experience in separating emotion from duty, Misael saw his grandfather's offer for what it truly was - a plea. Somewhere, deep down, in this morally bankrupt old man was someone hoping to make a connection with a long-lost family member.

And in truth, Misael had longed for that connection, too. Despite what he knew him, and the rest of his family, to be he wished things could've been different. He wished they could've all been a happy and unified family, rather than one that was separated by differing ideals.

But they weren't even just ideals. They were moral standings. Humanity. Things that Alaris Mosney sadly lacked far too much of for him to ever be able to see the man as anything more than a member of a disheartened regime. It truly did pain Misael to see him in that way, but there was no other way he could see him. Especially after what had just happened to the Republic capital - and to his parents and sister.

"No."

 

Excellent! A wonderful contest of wills and clashing of ideologies and moral stances. Bravo for Misael.

 

Chapter Sixteen

For an entire minute, Misael and his sorry excuse for a grandfather just stared at each other, without making a sound. It was if they were competing to see who could stand their ground over their clash of ideologies the longest.

Until finally, the older man said, "Maybe you'll come to feel differently about us once you see, first-hand, what this base is capable of."

A cold chill of dread went up Misael's spine. They were going to use this horrifying thing again? So soon after destroying the Hosnian system? And Misael would have to stand here watch it happen. No, he couldn't. He had to do something.

"We know where the Resistance is based, and soon enough all opposition against us will be extinguished," the General explained with pride. "We are also on the verge of discovering where Luke Skywalker is, and the last of the Jedi will finally be eradicated, forever."

Now Misael really needed to do something. He may not be a soldier, or a Jedi, but he had to believe the Force was at work in putting him here. So now it was up to him to make something of it.

He needed a plan. First thing that he needed to do was get out of this room.

"I want to see if my friends are okay" he asked. "Can you take me to them?"

His grandfather nodded. "Yes, I can take you to them."

"Okay then. Let's go."

----------

The control room to the detention center, where Kym and Sela were being held, had two officers on duty at the consoles, as well as two stormtroopers patrolling the long corridor of cells.

Its one entrance opened for R4 to roll inside, casually chirping.

As she passed through the control consoles, heading towards the cells, both officers stood up. "Hold it," the female one called. "What are you doing here?" Both officers stepped moved in towards her.

R4 gave a long and deep whistle before opening one of her compartments, from where three small marbles popped out and dropped onto the deck.

----------

From her bunk Kym thought she heard the someone running passed her cell in a quick haste. She would've asked Sela if she heard it too, only these cells didn't have sharing vents where they could talk to each other through. So that left her alone with her thoughts.

She wondered about Misael; whether he was okay. His General grandfather got him out of having to be locked up, which made her ponder what other special treatment he might also be getting. An offer of freedom, maybe?

If that was the case, then might he have taken it? No, Misael hated the First Order. Especially after their destruction of the Republic capital - and his family along with it. But his family was here too. What if he decided to cling to what blood he had left, regardless if their allegiances?

If that was the case, then where did that leave them? After all the close calls in the last few days, might Kym's luck have finally run out? Was she going to die?Her thoughts went to her family, who she hadn't seen in two years; because she just had see more of the galaxy other than her own homeworld.

It wasn't as if she didn't bring this on herself, really. How could she be so stupid and impulsive as to jump into the aid of a stranger, then jumping aboard his ship, and then tagging along on his little race against a regime with the power to destroy entire systems? Why had she thrown away all of her common sense in the name of adventure?

Her self-loathing kept her from barely noticing when her cell door opened. She looked up expecting a stormtrooper outside, ordering her out. Maybe lead her to her execution -

- but instead an all-too familiar looking astromech droid stood at the doorway, whistling in high pitching joy.

"R4!" Kym jumped off the bunk and out of the cell. Kneeling down she gave the droid a tight hug. She had ordered her to hide in the secret hatch Misael showed them aboard the ship for her own safety, but Kym hadn't expected her to come to their rescue like this.

"We have to get Sela out."

R4 connected to the console of the cell door next to Kym's and instantly got it open. Sela was already waiting right on the other side, smiling. "I was wondering what that commotion was. What a valiant little droid you have here."

R4 nodded her whole body, beeping in flattery; sure enough, Kym wasn't going to hear the end of this rescue for a while, but that was only going to happen if made it off this planet.

"We need to get a move on. Now!"

At the end of the corridor both stormtroopers and officers were on the floor, unconscious and a little bit smoky. Kym saw a few marbles on the floor that were the same as the one Misael used on those bounty hunters at Minuroid. According to R4, he'd had a couple of more on his work bench that she thought would come in handy. After blinded the officers and stormtroopers, R4 had no problems stunning them all at high voltage.

"Take their blasters," Sela suggested. Kym nodded and grabbed the guns off the floor. "It won't be long before somebody comes in here and sees what happened. So we need to get going."

"But where? The Starblazer? To find Misael?" R4 explained that she didn't find any record of where he was being held when she plugged into the base's computer records. "Assuming Misael is even a prisoner, like we were."

"So you question Misael's loyalties?' Sela looked down to her, frowning. All Kym could think to do was shrug. "I've come to know that boy quiet well, and I can say, with confidence, that his principles and morality are of the nature that is worth admiring, Kym. Don't lose faith in his resolve to stay true to them, no matter what methods of persuasion he might be facing."

Kym never got to know Sela, despite both residing at Minuroid for the last two years, but she knew of her reputation for being a good judge of character. So she had to at least give Misael the benefit of the doubt, until proven otherwise.

"So I guess that settles it. We have to find him."

R4 gave a supportive whistle.

"Lead the way."

R4 stepped out of the detention center, looking down both sides of the corridor before beeping that it was clear, and they followed.

----------

"The detention center is just around the corner," his grandfather said.

During the entire walk there Misael had been trying to come up with some sort of plan to break his friends out, and get away, but so far he had nothing. His grandfather was too on alert for any surprise attacks, and on top of that two stormtroopers were escorting them to the detention center.

"General Mosney!"

All four of them turned around. The young officer who had escorted Kym and Sela away from the docking bay earlier came sprinting towards them, obviously worried about something. "General, I just received an alert that the base's planetary shields have been shut down."

"What? How's that possible?"

"We have intruders, General," the officer explained. "A Corellian YT-1300 was found near the base. It's the Millennium Falcon, General."

Did Misael hear her right? The Millennium Falcon was here, but did that mean-

All around them a siren went off. The kind of siren that was probably going off all over the base. A voice went out over the speakers. "Enemy fighters have jumped out of lightspeed! All personnel, report to your designated stations!"

"It's the Resistance," Misael's grandfather said.

Yes, it had to be. With the Republic fleet in shambles, the only ones capable of engaging the First Order now was the Resistance. They were attacking the base, which meant it might not be here for much longer. So that also meant that Misael needed to get to his friends, and escape, as soon as humanly possible.

Without even thinking about it, Misael reached out for the armed stormtrooper right next to him . Grabbing his blaster, he forced him to fired at his fellow stormtrooper, hitting his shoulder, while at the same time, also kicking the young officer in her gut, sending her falling back onto his grandfather, and knocking them both into the wall. Still sharing his hold on the blaster with its owner, he pulled out the trooper's arm, and forced it to bend in a way it wasn't able to bend.

While distracted with the pain, the man wasn't able to keep Misael from pulling his helmet off and punching him, square in the face, repeatedly, until he dropped to the floor, barely conscious.

The second stormtrooper was back up on his feet, pulling out some kind of electric baton; ready to fight, despite his injury, but Misael shot him back down, again, after quickly changing his blaster's setting to stun.

His grandfather and the officer were both getting back up, and on the verge of pulling out blasters, but neither moved another inch once Misael had the barrel of his gun pointing at them. Misael gave a silent thanks to his parents. He might not be a soldier, or a Jedi, but his parents made sure both of their children were anything but helpless against armed men.

"Sorry, Grandad, but we're going to have to cut this family reunion short."

 

Excellent and the crucial moment of choice has arrived.

 

Chapter Seventeen

Sela, Kym, and R4 were only two steps out of the detention center when the alarm went out, warning of an incoming attack.

"Well, how's that for timing?" Kym remarked.

"If this base is on the verge of being destroyed, then all the more reason that we find Misael, and escape. As soon possible," Sela insisted.

A shot ran out nearby, followed by the sound of some kind of struggle. Without even worrying about what she was walking into, Kym rushed down the corridor that the fighting was coming from to investigate. Sela and R4 following suit. They turned the corner to the sight of two unconscious stormtroopers, General Mosney, and the officer who escorted them to their cells earlier, down on the floor with their hands up. Standing above them was Misael, with a blaster at hand.

"Misael."

He grinned once he looked over to see that it was them. "I guess you girls are good at getting out of a bad situation, all by yourselves."

"Back at you."

The alarm was still going off, and somewhere in the distance they heard the sound of the base taking fire from Resistance ships.

"Alright, the Resistance is most likely set on blowing this place, sky-high," Misael declared, still keeping the blaster pointed at the General and officer. "We need to get back to the Starblazer."

"Misael."

It was General Mosney calling to him. Almost pleading to him, in truth. It was sad, Kym couldn't help but think. "Don't do this. Don't make the same mistakes as your parents."

"The mistake would've been standing by you," he told his grandfather. "I would rather have died with them and my sister than ever join you."

That heartfelt desperation was automatically replaced by cold ruthlessness. "Then you will join them in due time." Kym was starting to see why Misael's parents abandoned their families.

"We have company, kids," Sela announced before sending shots down the corridor they'd just come from, which was given a response of returning fire that forced Sela away from the corner for cover.

"We've gotta' go!" Misael waved them to follow him.

Kym nodded over to General Mosney and his officer. "What about them?"

"They're deadweight. Leave them."

So the four of them raced back for the docking bay as they could, only turning back to start returning fire at the squad of stormtroopers once they were back in their sights. The situation was only made worse when they passed a corridor with another squad that nearly shot them all down. Kym felt a laser bolt miss her ear by only a hair. It actually felt as if it were melting away for a moment.

Misael shot at the light panels above, causing a rain of sparks to distort them, but only momentarily. He then fired a few shots at a wall panel, just as they were charging passed it, that blew up stopping the entire squad in their assault.

R4 remarked that there must've been a gas pipeline on the wall.

"That was lucky!" Kym remarked.

"Maybe, or maybe it was something else," Misael suggested.

But the other squad was still on their tail, and now General Mosney was leading the charge,. Firing at them all. He almost hit Sela, right in the head, if Kym hadn't pulled her away at the last possible second. "He seems angry."

Misael shrugged. "He doesn't take rejection well, I guess."

More appeared from other corridors to join in the pursuit, which motivated them all the more to make it to the docking bay. As soon as they stepped through the doorway, the blaster fire drew the attention of all personnel in there.

Misael looked over to a dozen stormtroopers who were racing towards them, blasters being raised. Then he saw the giant fuel tanks nearby. So he fired on it. The giant explosion spread far enough to cause those troopers to halt and back away to avoid being burned alive.

Before she stepped into the docking bay Sela put a shot into the keypad, then crossed through and locked the door. "That will buy us a minute, or two."

R4 beat them all to the Starblazer's ramp, while the others made their way in a joined group, backs to one another, trading shots with the other stormtroopers in the docking bay.

"This takes me back," Sela boasted. "I haven't been in a firefight in decades."

"Really, well, I'll be fine never to be in another one for the rest of my life," Kym declared.

Kym sighed in relief as soon as made it up the ramp and inside the ship - but then shuddered at hearing blaster fire hitting the freighter. Misael led them to the cockpit, where he and Kym both immediately began prepping for take off as soon as humanly possible.

There was a direct view outside of the door they came in from, which was already forced open. General Mosney was at the lead, firing at the ship with the rest.

"And we're out of here!" Misael gleefully announced, raising the ship off the deck - only for it to rock in a mad stop.

"You were saying?" Kym wailed

"I believe I see the problem." From her seat, Sela was looking at a screen that showed a camera view beneath the ship. There was a thick, metal, cable harnessed to the Starblazer, keeping it from flying out of here.

Misael turned back to the front console. "Leave it to my granddad to be prepared for if we made it this far." He keyed for what Kym saw was the proton torpedo launcher, but a beeping sounded off rather than the torpedo launch they were expecting.

"Oh, you've got to be shrapping kidding me!" he checked on the console. "He had the weapons systems shut down. By the time I get them back up, they'll have already forced us back down, and gotten inside."

For a flickering moment, Kym thought all hope was lost until she remembered that she and R4 had made use of the time that Misael spent wandering the Jedi temple before those Crescent pirates had arrived.

"I have an idea."

----------

"Aim for the starboard." General Mosney pointed to the spot on the Starblazer where he wanted a stormtrooper to fire with the portable missile launcher he had just set down. "That will leave the ship crippled."

"Have your blasters set for stun," Numik ordered the squad beside her that was set to board the freighter as soon as it was back down on the deck. "The General wants them alive."

But then General Mosley corrected her, "Only the boy. You can kill the others."

If his grandson wasn't going to see reason, then he needed to understand that there were consequences for going against the true power that the First Order held. He would show the boy the brutal reality of disobedience that he should've shown his daughter right from the start. If Misael still resisted even after that then there was no place for him.

Mosney would put the blaster bolt in his grandson himself. He would not have his family's legacy tainted by anymore fools. No one could say he didn't try t save his grandosn from himself.

"On target," the shooter announced.

Numik stepped up beside him. "General, I just recieved word from the command center. There's been an internal explosion that's left the base's thermal oscillator-"

"That can wait!" he insisted. As soon as the Starblazer was disabled, then he could put his attention on the Resistance attack.

Something then dropped down from the Starblazer, but stopped midair before hitting the deck. It was a small fighter, a model Mosney hadn't seen since the Clone Wars. It turned its nose in their direction, revealing the pilot to be his grandson; his eyes fixed right at them.

He pushed his first officer out of the way before the fighter's laser shots took out the missile launcher, the resulting explosion taking out its shooter, along with those in its vicinity. Following shots blew all the other stormtroopers surrounding the ship off of their feet; as Misael rotated around he also shot out the cable holding the Starblazer down. Now free, the freighter flew out of the docking bay's opened doors, with the fighter right behind it.

 

Chapter Eighteen

When they had gotten here it had been the middle of the day, but now it was pitch black. Which was odd. They hadn't been in the base long enough for the day to have ended. It had barely been passed noon. He could feel it in his bones that there were too many unnatural things about this place, because of what the First Order had done to it.

From her socket in one of the wings R4 made the same observation that translated on the computer screen. "Considering what this place is capable of doing, we shouldn't be to surprised by much of what happens here."

From his headset Kym's voice popped out. "Misael, are you seeing this?"

From the cockpit of the Interceptor he could see in the distance where a fire had been lit in one of the base's complexes. His long range sensors also showed that a group of starfighters were descending down towards it from space.

"Yeah, and it looks like the Resistance is moving to take it out."

"All the more reason to clear out while the First Order forces are distracted with them."

The Starblazer moved to fly out into space, but Misael didn't follow.

If the First Order was on the verge of destroying the Resistance's base of operations, then they needed all the help they could get to bring this weapon down before that happened. Up until this point Misael's first instinct was to clear out and run, but he couldn't do that. Not here. Not now.

His parents faced their moment of choice long ago, when they were even younger than him, whether to keep away from the fight or step up and play a part in it. Now he was at that own moment.

So he turned towards the complex and hit the throttle.

"Misael! What are you doing!" Kym sounded completely petrified. Touching.

"You guys clear out of the planet. I'm going to help out."

"You're insane."

"Well, being level-headed all the time gets boring."

"You know, those parts I took out of that other fighter might not hold for long," she pointed out. "I just gave them a quick scrub before putting them in there."

He shrugged. "I have complete faith in your abilities."

The tactical display showed his freighter continuing towards space. He was okay with them leaving. After what they had been through with the First Order, because of him, the last thing he wanted was to force them into another life or death situation. He was making a choice for himself; they had the right to do the same.

R4 alerted him to an attack. The display showed it coming from below, so he spun and avoided the cannon fire coming from the station. More cannons fired as he continued towards the complex where the Resistance had now reached.

Again, R4 gave him an alert but this time to TIE fighters closing in on them.

"Shields up, R4. Hope you're locked in tight." A long, rough, whistle told him she was pumped for a fight.

Rather than having to rely on the sensors to tell him how many enemy fighters he was facing, Misael could see them coming directly towards him, dead ahead. Half a dozen of to be precise. So Misael didn't have the best odds, but if they were going to end up shooting him down, he was going to make it as hard as hell for them.

It was a charge that he had no intention of pulling out of. So either they would have to, or this was going to end without a single shot being fired. R4 squealed in what might've been either terror, or excitement. Misael couldn't tell.

In just a few breaths the TIE were completely covering his view. He could see inside one's viewport, at its masked pilot - only to have them all suddenly yank away from their course. At the corner of his eye he saw one fighter crash into another that was a miller-second slower in changing its trajectory. He could feel the other TIE bouncing back down right behind him. His sensors showed both fighters dropping down.

So that left him with four to deal with.

As he made a turn around back towards the remaining ones, R4 commented whether he was in fact, being suicidal rather than daring. It was a good question, and he couldn't honestly say, for sure, which one it was.

This time, the TIEs fired at him as they approached. As he evaded them, Misael became more attuned with the Jedi Interceptor's capabilities. Kym had done quick work in installing the parts it needed, but that didn't mean there still wouldn't be complications. This thing hadn't flown in over five decades, after all.

Yet, so far, she was handling quiet well. Its small frame left it with much agility and maneuverability.

Two of the TIE fighters broke off from the other pair so that when Misael passed them they would immediately be on his tail. Misael dropped all the way back to the surface of the base's trench that led to the complex where the Resistance was closing in on, where cannon fire was waiting for him. Because of his close proximity it was harder for him to avoid the laser shots.

On the plus side, the First Order personnel operating those cannons didn't seem to have a problem also sending fire on their own pilots who were pursuing him. Misael risked slowing so that they were right on his tail, putting all power to his rear shields. He took a few shots, but held his course, and to his delight the other pilots were too focused on him to watch out for the friendly fire. One of the TIEs was blown apart, and the other pulled away.

Misael pulled back up, turning towards the retreating TIE to see that it giving off smoke from friendly fire and was limping away. But as it retreated a larger ship was advancing towards him. It was a dark, long winged, shuttle that gave him a sense of familiarity. A communication's signal came in, so he opened a channel to the shuttle.

"There is no saving you, is there?" It was his grandfather. "You're as foolish as your mother."

His grip on the controls became chokingly tight. "You say foolish. I say strong-hearted. My mother saved herself when she broke free from you. You were never able to take that away, grandfather. Not even in death."

"Then I will be giving you one gift today, my grandson." The shuttle fired on him. "I will be reuniting you with your traitor parents."

If that's how the General wanted to settle this, then Misael would comply.

Rather than simply evade the shuttle's attacks, he delivered his own rain of returning fire. It was a colliding stream of green that got smaller as the two ships closed in on each other. Misael held his course until the last possible second and barely managed to pass over it. The belly of his Interceptor scratched across the head of the shuttle.

So his grandfather wasn't one to cower from a death charge. R4 expressed his concern over how far he will go to shoot them down.

"I think I might have angered him to the point of not staying rational." Misael looked up to the sky and got an idea. "Let's take advantage of that." R4 expressed her agreement.

Rather than moving back against the shuttle Misael set a course for space. In turn, the shuttle followed, as he expected.

"Coward!" By the sound of it his grandfather wasn't happy with him already making a retreat. after that one charge. Good. Let him lose his cool even more. "At the very least you could face me, rather than run, like your mother and father did."

"You want to talk about running. You guys are the ones who bolted out of Coruscant as soon as the Emperor was beaten. You should've all just decided to play nice after that, but no. You just had to put however much money and manpower it took to make this place and damage the galaxy even more. I mean, can't you guys ever come up with something else. This was virtually a third Death Star. I see zero imagination here. You're just completely incapable of thinking outside the box."

The shuttle started firing at him. R4 asked what he was thinking in regards to riling the old man up. "You just get ready to shut off the thrusters when I say." The translator gave him a single question mark. "Just be ready."

The dark and cloudy sky made it difficult to see, but Misael wasn't worried about that. Neither was he worried about how his shields would eventually break under the continuing fire from the shuttle. He just continued to ascend, while counting down under his breath as he watched the sensors.

And just before he was to breach the atmosphere, he shouted, "Now!" and the thruster went off, and gravity reclaimed the Interceptor, pulling it back down. Misael maneuvered it over the shuttle as it continued towards space, now putting it right at his range. Misael predicted his sudden fall would leave them slow to change their course, which gave him a clear shot at the spot where he knew its engine likely was, if the structure designs were still similar enough to the Imperial ones.

A pair of ion shots into the shuttle proved his guess right. The shuttle immediately lost all acceleration, and also became a slave to the pull of gravity. As it fell, R4 restarted the Interceptor's thrusters, allowing Misael to follow the shuttle's descent.

As they fell back to the surface they were shown a now depleting landscape. It was breaking apart all around them. Entire terrains were collapsing, or disintegrating. From where the complex was that the Resistance had attacked, there was now a fiery ruin. The Resistance had done it. Starkiller Base was being destroyed - and the entire planet along with it.

The First Order's prized weapon was done.

For the Hosnian system. For his family.

 

His grandfather is totally obdurate in his worlds-view. Yay for Misseal. His choice is dictated by scruples and conviction.

 

Chapter Nineteen

It was over. The First Order lost today. The power they had hoped to gain with this base was gone from their grasp. Misael felt like jumping up and down however ever much he could inside the small fighter.

Only that this planet was on the verge of breaking apart. So he needed to get out of here - but then he looked over at the trail of smoke from the fallen shuttle. Misael followed it down to where it had crash into the woods. Even if his grandfather had survived he would be dead soon enough.

Unless someone saved him.

Why should I do anything for him. This base meant more to him than his own daughter and her family. Let him die with it.

There would be some satisfaction in knowing the man would die along with the weapon that he had put all of his faith in. A fitting end for a life dedicated to a meaningless crusade.

Then Misael began to feel a presence. A presence of someone who was out there somewhere, reaching out. Opening herself up to the Force, and for some reason Misael was picking up on her tapping into the life energy. What was happening to this person? He didn't know, but Misael knew she was calling out for strength - much needed strength.

How Misael thought he could do anything for her, from where he was, he couldn't explain. On instinct, he reached out. Don't fall. Push back.

He could feel a struggle. A fight against something overwhelming - but not unbeatable.

Don't fall. Push back!

The wave of power Misael felt coming from this person was intense. Like a brightening star. Whoever this girl was, she had found the strength she needed, and Misael was glad to have maybe helped in a small way.

"Misael!" The panicked voice in his headset belonged to Kym. "Please. Please tell me you're okay."

"Yeah. I'm still breathing."

Sela then said, "We can see the entire planet imploding from up here. You might want to catch up to us."

"Actually . . . " Misael looked back down at the crashed shuttle. "I was hoping you might make a quick trip back down here."

----------

Physically, Mosney wasn't in any immediate danger. He had been tightly strapped into the shuttle's pilot chair. He was sore, to be sure, but it was nothing a week bed wouldn't cure. Still, Nimuk had to support him as they made their way out of the cockpit, and to the shuttle's emergency hatch.

Winter environment would've been hard enough to endure, but then there were the continuing earthquakes that immediately told Mosney something had gone terribly wrong.

"General, I had received a report from command just before we were shot down,"Nimuk informed him. "The base's thermal oscillator was destroyed by the Resistance forces."

That meant that the base's fuel cells were ruptured, and the entire planet would collapse in itself. All that had been put into this grand weapon - and it would be gone in a manner of minutes. Along with them.

No rescue party would come for them. Anyone who made it into a ship would fly out into space right away. He would.

Nimuk kept him in her hold; maybe out of concern for him, or dread for what's she knew was coming. Either way, he looked to her, then over to the one surviving stormtrooper out of the four who came aboard the shuttle. No longer wearing a helmet, he looked into the terrified face of a girl who couldn't be older than his granddaughter Mira. Probably barely out of the academy.

So this was how it would end for him? In the woods of a burning planet, with two young women. Defeated by his own grandson. Well, it beat a soft bed ,like some sad man who had no place better to be in those final moments.

Right above them, a shinning light then appeared. It was a ship. A familiar one. As it came down the ramp opened, where Misael's companion in blue stood, blaster in hand.

"If you're not interested in dying, then I suggest you step aboard." She raised the blaster at them. "Without any trouble, of course."

----------

The Starblazer landed on and took off from the ground within twenty seconds. Good thing, because it was barely cleared out of the woods before the entire area around them collapsed into the abyss.

"They're on board, and being tucked away in the bathroom," Sela reported.

It was probably going to be a little tightly spaced, but there was nowhere else in the freighter where they were likely to cause any problems.

"Then let's clear out of here." R4 concurred with a long whistle.

The two ships flew, side by side, out the planet. Putting a great deal of distance between themselves and the quickly inflaming world. Even facing the opposite direction, Misael's vision was blinded by a growing light that could only come from a star. R4 informed him that this was exactly what the planet had now become.

How ironic that the thing that was meant for destroying systems had now giving birth to one.

Misael came below his freighter and docked back into its place with the escape pods. As soon as he gave Sela the okay, she jumped them into lightspeed.

----------

"Alright, hop on board." Misael pointed down t the opened escape pod. "This is your stop."

Sela and Kym were both pointing blasters at his grandfather and his two companions, and when none of them a move towards the pod, Kym poked the now unarmored stormtrooper in the back to get them going. He stepped inside first, never letting his eyes off of Misael.

Once they were all seated, Misael set his hand on the control pad, but didn't close it right away. Instead he looked down at his grandfather. His face unreadable. It wasn't until now that he noticed how they resembled each other, around the eyes. His mind flashbacked to numerous times when his mom would stare at his eyes for an unusual amount of time and looked like she was about to cry. Now he understood why.

He was grateful to this being where their similarities ended.

"You asked me how I know I'm on the right side," Misael reminded the old man. "This is how I know. I could've left you, and your people, to die today. Nobody would've held it against me - but instead I saved you. I decided to give your demented lives an ounce of value, because life matters more to me than anything your people value. Power, superiority, dominance. I know there are far more better things treasure than that."

The old man said nothing. Only continued to stare at him.

"The escape pod has a homing beacon," Kym informed them. "You can use it to get a call out to the First Order. I'm sure they're get around to rescuing you after they've licked their wounds."

"The planet we're leaving you in isn't colonized," Sela explained, "but there's plenty of water to drink, and wildlife that you can hunt for food. Think of it like a camp out."

"Grandfather." Misael said in a manner that made it clear he did not give that word any kind of real meaning. "Don't ever come after me again. You lost any chance of being my family along with you daughter a long time ago."

He pressed on the keypad. As the pod's door revolved over them, he said a final, "Goodbye," and once the it was sealed shut he set the escape pod free from the ship's hold.

Kym stepped beside him. "Are you sure about letting him go? He might just end up coming back after you, with a vengeance."

"Let him try. I'll be ready."

"Now where might we be going?" Sela asked with enthusiasm. "I don't mind a long trip. I could use the long-needed rest."

He looked at his friends, who both looked like they could sleep for an entire week. "How about I get you ladies back to Minuroid; where both of your lives got a little sidetracked by me."

----------

It felt strange to be back on Minuroid. Even though it hadn't even be that long since leaving with Misael, it didn't feel like the same place to Kym.

No, that wasn't right. It wasn't Minuroid that felt different. She felt different. In the short while since all this craziness had started she been chased off world by bounty hunters, been in a firefight with Star Destroyers, was captured by pirates, imprisoned in a planet-destroying base, and only barely escaped its destruction with her life.

Now she was back to her life. Kym wasn't sure how to feel about going back to her working-class routine. She was definitely grateful to be alive. So would her family. Though they might have trouble believing anything about what had happened to her.

From the bottom of the ramp she looked back up at Misael, who stayed at the doorway. Her concern about whether her family would believe her fell away when Kym compared it to what had only just happened to him.

Up until now, Misael had put all that pain and grief aside for their sake - and now that they were safely back on Minuroid it looked like Misael was allowing himself star breaking apart. He looked a lot older than he did yesterday. A lot more weary. Who did he have waiting for him now that his parents and sister were gone.

Kym thought back to the conversation she had gotten to have with Kiera before Hosnian Prime's destruction. She had seemed like an inquisitive and joyful teenager. A teenager who would now never grow until an insightful woman. Along with countless children who had been on the capitol. All gone.

At least the horrible base that was cause of all their deaths was reduced to fire, and it could no do to anymore systems what it did to Hosnian. They could all find solace in that.

"Where will you go now, Misael?" Sela asked from beside Kym.

"Home. To Coruscant." There was a hollowness to it in saying this. "With my family gone, I have to handle a few things there. I'm sure our friends would like to have some kind of memorial."

What could be said? What could be done? Kym wanted to be able to take all of his pain away, but it just wasn't possible. So instead she just walked back up to the ramp and wrapped her arms around him, and she kept him in that hold for a long time.

"Thank you," he said when they finally broke apart.

"You always have friends here."

"They are one with the Force, Misael," Sela put a finger to her chest, "and they are always right here."

Misael managed a grateful smile; for her benefit, Kym knew. Next to Sela, R4 said her own goodbye and a nod of her whole body. "She says she enjoyed the ride in your Interceptor, and wishes you the best."

He waved to the droid. "Thanks for having my wing, R4."

The astromech droid gave a long, heartfelt, whistle.

With an arm still over his shoulders, Kym gave a tight hard hug, and then kissed him on the cheek before walking off the ramp. Before he turned away from them, she yelled back up, "hey, Misael. I'm really glad I followed you onto this ship. I always will be."

He smiled. "So will I."

With those final words, he closed the door and raised the ramp. Sela, Kym, and R4 all backed away before the Starblazer came on, rose up from the deck and slowly flew out of the hangar.

A sad whistle from R4 was all any of them said after Misael was gone. Kym stayed where she was for a little while, wondering what would come next for him. What sort of life lay ahead for him? Maybe it was the Force, or just her own intuition, but Kym had a feeling that Misael's life wasn't going to become any less complicated, or less dangerous. Probably the opposite.

But Kym had seen what Misael could accomplish, even after losing what mattered most to him. His strength, courage, and compassion would guide for the rest of his days without fail.

"Be safe," she whispered before turning to catch up with Sela and R4.

----------

It was a late night. He would usually be long since asleep, but duty had demanded more of his time today. The First Order was scrambling after reports reached them of the destruction of Starkiller Base. All of that time, effort, and money that had been put into creating that place, and now it was gone. What had been meant to be their tool as an ascension to power in the galaxy was shattered by a small band of fighters.

Though Aeryn never voiced it, except to the few closest to him, he had always felt that banking so much on a superweapon was foolish and devoid of sound strategy. The First Order was meant to succeed where the Empire had failed, and yet history repeated itself. It was embarrassing.

At the very least the Republic capitol, along with the senate, was gone. So the base hadn't gone to complete waste. Remnants were likely to scramble to restore some kind of governing body, but for the large part the galaxy was likely to be in a disconnected state. With no mass body responsible for its stability.

In time, the First Order would take that position. It would take longer without Starkiller Base, though. Then, of course, they still had the Resistance to deal with. More signs were now pointing to an all out war. A war they would win. By any means.

Even as he heard a pair of footsteps coming into his sitting room, he did not turn away from the view of the moonlit beach seen through the wall-length window. A glass of twenty-year wine in one hand.

"We received the reports," one the new arrivals said. A woman. "Many personnel weren't able to escape the base's destruction. General Hux and Kylo Ren did survive, though."

Hux. An entitled man. Too arrogant in his abilities. As he understood it was a stormtrooper from under his own command who helped a Resistance prisoner escape, delivered the map to General Organa, and also played a part in Starkiller Base's demise.

His guests came to sit down on he long arced sofa with him. Both human women: Alyra Mosney, the young one with ash-blonde hair in a bun as regulated while she was still in a lieutenant's uniform. The much older woman, her grandmother Elva, was in a simple grey gown. Both were as exhausted as him, but remained properly mannered.

"Please, relax. We're both off duty, Alyra, and you have long since retired from service, Elva."

"We haven't been able to find, or learn anything about my grandfather." Alyra said this with open worry. "The Instigator's logs say he went down to the base, and was still there when the Resistance attacked."

"I'm sorry, but we may have to prepare ourselves for the worst." He had known Alaris Mosney for his entire life. Had admired his discipline and strategic mind since the days of the Empire. He wanted to find him alive as much as anyone, but someone needed it be a realist.

"I have reached out to my contacts," Elva informed him. "I will have people searching all nearby systems for any sign of him. I know my husband. He would've known to abandon the base when its fate became sealed."

"Then we will hope for the best." He took a zip before sharing what news he did have. "The reason I asked you over this late is because I received word from our friends on Coruscant. Our dear Misael has returned home."

"He's alive?" Alyra asked in disbelief. "The last report said he had been in custody."

His information was sketchy, but what he was hearing was that during the Resistance attack he and his friends escaped imprisonment, shot their way back to his ship, and made it out before the base was destroyed.

Alyra seemed distressed by this news. Maybe she was unsure how to feel about the survival of her estranged cousin. Like her grandfather, she was hopeful that the young man could've been swayed to their side, but that didn't look to be the case. Elva, on the other hand, looked completely relieved. It was understandable; she would never admit it, but the pour woman had never gotten passed the betrayal of her daughter. The idea of forging a bond with her grandson would've been a gift, but there seemed to be no chance of this.

A shame. From what he knew of his dear nephew, he seemed like a young man with much potential. Well-educated, exceptional piloting skills, and apparently a sensitivity in the Force. Too bad Aeryn's little brother had filled his head with wrong ideas of how the galaxy was meant to be run. If Misael had no interest in cooperating with the First Order once it took its rightful place in the galaxy, then he would die like his traitor parents.

Aeryn felt no grief in his brother's death on Hosnian Prime. The traitor had been dead to him for well over thirty years. Both the Lerus and Mosney family would do good to be rid of that shameful branch of their family trees. If he did anything now, though, Elva would surely find out and wreak havoc on him. She just needed time to see that her grandson was the same lost cause as her daughter.

"As long as he is on Coruscant, he will be watched from a distance, " he told them. "Now that the Resistance has the map to Skywalker, we could be seeing the reemergence of the Jedi.."

Aryna looked over to her grandmother, taking her hand in hers. "If he joins with Skywalker, and becomes a Jedi. We will have no choice but see him as the enemy."

The old woman took a moment before nodding, but Aeryn wasn't convinced of her complete agreement on the matter. Only time would tell. For right now, they had other concerns. The fate of Misael Lerus would have to wait for another day.

 

I burned through this story--you had me hooked in from the first few sentences. I must say, I greatly enjoyed it!

All of your characters were well crafted and believable. I don't know why, but Kym in particular I liked upon first mention.

I hope Misael finds his way to Skywalker! I look forward to seeing if he becomes a true Jedi. He has flashes of anger, but he seems to be able to get it under control.

Great job! Please let me know if you continue this story!

 

Excellent wrap up.

 

Epilogue

It was a while before Misael could bring himself to leave the Starblazer. He had parked in the hangar of his family's apartment complex two hours ago, but he stayed aboard. It had been two whole years since he had set foot back in his family's home. Now that he was finally back, it was to an empty home that would never be filled with his family again.

His parents, his sister would never be back here with him.

He didn't know how, but eventually he was able to find the strength to leave the freighter and take a slow walk to the apartment. Even when the door opened he stayed out in the hallway for a moment, then took one careful step inside, followed by the other.

"I'm home!" he called out, knowing no one would answer.

The living room was the same as he last saw it. The glass table in front of the sofa had a model of an X-Wing fighter from the days of the Rebellion. It had been a wedding gift from a friend they had flown with during the war. Misael and Kiera had both played with it as kids.

The kitchen had been painted a new color of fiery red. The circular wooden table was their oldest furniture. He brushed his hands over the table. On the edge there was a deep carving that he did himself, little-by-little, as he was growing up. No matter how many times his parents yelled him when he was caught carving into it, he would always start at it again until it was as long as a finger.

His parents' bedroom was left neat and clean. The long drawer opposite to the bed was filled with picture holos that showed the history of their family. Starting with his parents marriage. Followed by the one of his parents holding him when he was just a few minutes old. One showed him holding a newborn Kiera. Another was of the whole family standing in front of the Starblazer just after they had bought it. Then there was the one a few years later, after they had finally finished rebuilding it.

The last one showed them only a few years ago; just before Misael left for his travels. After that, he would only come back to visit a few times. Why didn't he come back more? Why did he have to give so much devotion the Jedi ways? And for what?

On one of the nightstands next to the bed, there was another holo. This one showed his parents as teenagers, before they joined the Rebellion, or became a couple. A time when all was right in their world. He wished he could somehow know them from back then.

Ever since he first left home Misael had told his parents he didn't mind them turning his bedroom into a guest room, or something, but they never did so. It was still just as he had left it from his last visit.

The room was covered in all things Jedi. Shelves filled with toys of Jedi Knights, starfighters, a replica of a holocron and model of Coruscant's Jedi Temple. On his desk laid a toy lightsaber that his parents gave him for his birthday that followed Luke telling them he could become a Jedi one day.

On one wall there was a long green banner with golden writing on it: There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no arrogance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no death, there is the Force.

All these things used to mean everything to him. Now they were all just - things.

All his hopes for his life seemed meaningless now with his family gone. With the First Order now probably in a state of recovery from their superweapon's destruction, there was the possibility they had also lost their chance finding Luke Skywalker. So he was still out there - not that Misael was any closer to finding him either. Maybe it was time to accept that searching for him was a lost cause.

Kiera's room was what he expected it to be when being occupied by a teenage girl. Clothes had been left scattered around the floor. makeup and accessories on the drawer. A tall mirror in one corner. Holos of her with smiling friends. A poster over her bed of some all-girl twi'lek band she worshipped. He had intended to surprise her with tickets to their next concert in Coruscant as an belated birthday gift.

Now she was never going to go to any concert. Or dance to her music here in this room, like he had often heard her through the adjoining wall of their bedrooms. She was never going to grow up into the confident, strong woman Misael knew she would become.

Sitting down on her bed, Misael closed his eyes, inhaled the faint scent of a perfume she liked to wear, and called to her in a soft whisper, "Kiera."

"Misael."

Then he was no longer in her room. He wasn't sure where he was; he couldn't actually see anything, except Kiera, who was scared and alone.

"Misael."

He jumped up from her bed, out of breath. She' was alive. His sister was alive.

THE END
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Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and comment on my story. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Keep a look out for my next story. I've only just began writing it. It's a tie-in to Call to the Force, and that's all I'll say about it. See you all around the boards.

 

Excellent conclusion with the wistfulness tinged with nostalgia and regrets. Until *gasp* - superb lead-in to the sequel!

 

Great wrap up! You could feel his sadness, and the change in him after the loss of his family. Great touches of learning a little bit more of the recently deceased family.

I'm excited about another chapter! Please PM me or tag me when you post the next story!