X-Men/Star Wars: The X-Over

UP! UP! UP! UP! UP! UP! UP! UP! UP! UP! UP! UP! UP! UP!

 

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POOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTT!!!!

 

POST!!!!

 

This is a great story! Please don't stop!

 

POST!!!

 

Finally, after a long hiatus and after endless drafts, I'm back. Now to continue with the story.

On the _Death's Head's_ bridge...

"WELL, WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" the Phoenix asked.

"I'm Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight". He tried to put as much authority and confidence as he could in those words. But he knew, deep in his heart, he was terrified at the sight before him. 'Calm', he said to himself. 'Control yourself. Don't give in to fear. Fear is the path of the Dark Side...'

Of course, the Phoenix was unimpressed.

"PLEASED TA MEETCHA, LUKE SKYWALKER JEDI KNIGHT", she simply said, her booming voice dripping with sarcasm; her fury no less scathing. "NOW WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT? I'M BUSY HERE."

"I want you to stop", the Jedi Knight simply replied. He was centered and calm now, facing her with confidence in his motives and abilities. Confident like the time he willingly walked into Jabba the Hutt's den on Tattooine and came face to face with the gangster, demanding the release of his friends.

Then, he had failed to...persuade...the Hutt crimelord and nearly gotten himself and his friends killed. Now, at this moment, failure was not an option. Not with all that is at stake. "I want you to let go of your anger, before you make a terrible mistake."

?LET GO?OF MY ANGER?? she asked, looking at him in utter disbelief at the audacity of his request. ?ARE YOU FOR REAL?!? she shot back at him, the sound of her voice almost making falter in his stance. ?DO YOU HAVE THE SLIGHTEST IDEA WHO YOU?RE TALKING TO?? She laughed, although Luke could have sworn she sobbed as she did so. ?YOU PRESUMPTUOUS LITTLE MAN, DO YOU HAVE THE SLIGHTEST IDEA WHAT THIS SCUMBAG HAS DONE TO ME?!?

Her radiance ? just like her fury ? flared. And she held the Grand Admiral tighter in her grip. Thrawn said little. In fact, he had nothing to say. Nothing that the Phoenix would want to hear, in any case. So he stayed quiet, enduring the pain as best he could, watching the scene ? his fate -- unfold.

?Why don?t you tell me?? the Jedi knight asked her.

?HE KILLED THEM! MURDERED THEM! HE BUTCHERED MY FAMILY IN COLD BLOOD! THAT?S WHAT HE DID. AND NOW, NOW I?M GONNA STOP HIM FROM EVER DOING IT AGAIN!?

Her family? Whom did she meant? Relatives she had planetside who died during the initial attacks? He stared at her: her face, her red golden hair, those same green eyes. It was all there, her resemblance to Jean Grey was uncanny. Could it be possible --? Yet he knew the Starchilde before him meant and believe every word she said. As improbable as it sounded, Jean Grey and Scott Summers were her parents.

?What will you do, child?? the Jedi asked her. ?Kill him? He?s powerless before you. You?d murder him in cold blood??

She stared at him, her eyes burning like twin furnaces. ?IT?S NO LESS WHAT HE DESERVES!? the Phoenix raged. ?HE MURDERED THEM. SPILLED MY BLOOD, THE BLOOD OF THE PEOPLE I LOVED THE MOST IN THIS OR ANY OTHER WORLD!?

She smiled; an otherwise beautiful smile twisted by hatred and the thirst for vengeance. ?AND FOR THAT, HE?S GONNA PAY. AS IN RIGHT NOW!? She held Thrawn tighter, hoisting him higher as she crushed him in her telekinetic vise.

Luke ignited his lightsaber and stepped closer to her. ?I?m sorry, but I can?t let you do that. For the sake of your soul, for the sake of the Force, you will stop this now!?

?OR WHAT, LITTLE MAN? YOU?LL STOP ME?! DON?T MAKE ME LAUGH. GET OUT OF HERE, OR I?LL SEE YOU BURN ALONGSIDE HIM.?

?Perhaps that is my destiny then?Rachel?, said Luke, his gaze unflinching, his words firm and with conviction. She wasn?t Palpatine, but she was just as powerful or more. And in her own way, just as terrifying. However, he felt that his words could reach her, something he wouldn?t have hoped against the long dead Emperor. ?But if you murder him, if you strike me down, you will betray everything that your parents lived, fought and, yes, died for. And you will damn yourself, becoming an instrument of evil. An instrument of death and destruction.?

A loud, metallic ?SNIKT? pierced the air, f

 

WOoooohoooo! YEAH!!!

Now I hold more respect for Luke Skywalker....

MORE!! Great post! EXCELENT! ENCORE!!!! [whistles]

 

Wow! I just came in here for a peek. Your work is very good and the plot is much better planned than mine! :-D

Now I have to go back and read . . .

 

Thank you kindly for the praise. I've been working on and off on this story for about a year now. I knew how it would start and how it would end. I also knew that getting from point A to point Z was going to be the tough part. Two more posts and at long last I'll be able to put this to sleep.

 

Up with ye!

 

Continuing with the story already in progress...

Rachel Summers placed her hand on her ?father?s? forehead, gently rubbing it with her fingertips. The skin felt cold at her touch. Cold and clammy. Lifeless. It felt wrong, no matter which way you put it. Tears welled in her already raw eyes at the sight of the dead young couple. Her would-be parents.

It wasn?t fair. It just wasn?t. She still remembered the day she lost her parents ? the Jean Grey and Scott Summers that had been her parents, in any case. The devastation of the moment, the utter loss of love and hope, scarred her soul for many long years. Even now, in this time ? this new world -- it was a memory she could barely glimpse. And now, all hope was gone. The reality that she would now never be born ? never truly exist ? mattered little against the overwhelming loss she felt.

It?s not over for them, Rachel, not yet. Psylocke?s ?mental voice? chimed inside Rachel?s head. A rather unwelcome intrusion in the midst of her sorrow, she thought angrily.

I apologize child, thought Psylocke. But it?s true. You must feel for them. Even now, Jean?s struggling to keep both of them in this plane. But their light is fading out. I?ve tried to help them, but this is beyond my scope now.

Rachel touched Jean?s temple, feeling for the essence that gave Jean Grey?meaning. She felt it. A frail glimmer in the astral plane, like candlelight flickering against a strong breeze.

?I?can feel it,? Rachel whispered. ?God, I can feel them. Fading away??

Luke Skywalker walked towards her from the main bridge, where Han and the rest of the X-Men were keeping watch on Thrawn and the few remaining -- and conscious --Imperial officers. He looked at the unconscious bodies and then back at her, nodding softly. ?You could rekindle that flame, Rachel. You could show them the way back.?

Rachel turned towards him, a half confused, half annoyed and more than a little annoyed look on her face. ?And how am I supposed to do that? They?re dead!?

?And you?re a child of the Living Force, Rachel?, the Jedi simply said. ?It flows through you -- from you -- like a tidal wave. You wield the energy of life, created by all living beings in the universe, at the same time binding them all together. I think, I believe, that nothing is beyond the scope of your power.?

?From my experience -- from what I?ve seen -- I would have to concur with that statement, Mr. Skywalker?, said the Beast, stepping away from Wolverine and Gambit. ?In the past, Phoenix?s power has proven to be?miraculous.?

Rachel sat still, watching her ?parents?, understanding fully well the meaning of Henry McCoy?s words. The power of the Phoenix, inherited from her mother along with her mutant potential, had indeed proven to be miraculous in the past. It had hideous destructive potential. Yet at the same time, that same power flowed from the fiery hearts of stars; from LIFE itself. As so, it could replenish -- even potentially -- restore life. As she once did with some of her dearest friends, many months and alternate Earths in the past.

?I?I should be able to do it, shouldn?t I?? she whispered, her eyes still fixated on the still bodies. ?I should at least be able to try??

?No?, said Luke. ?Try not. Do, or do not. There is not try,? said the Jedi, remembering his Master?s powerful words of wisdom. ?Especially not for you, Child of the Force.?

?Do, or try, I don?t care what?, Psylocke snapped, eyes shut tight, her face wracked by strain. ?We?re losing them. I can?t keep them tethered to the Astral Plane for much longer!?

Luke removed his gloves, placing a hand on Jean?s forehead, offering the other to Rachel. ?Come, Rachel. I will help you every step along the way.?

She took his hand, and knelt right beside Cyclops, placing her left hand on his forehead, completing the circuit. Luke closed his eyes, and Rachel followed. The Jedi was breathed deeply, and spoke softly.

?Concentrate. Focus on the here and now, Rachel. Let the Force flow through you. Open your mind, your soul. Let my words guide you on th

 

Is there more? Where did the Imps end up? Who's gonna erase the Rebel's mem of these events? I WANT TO KNOW!!!!!!

 

Patience...patience. All will be revealed in good time. The next two posts should be the conclusion and the epilogue to the story, so stay tuned.

 

Found this thread not to long ago, THIS IS GREAT!! Every one's in character, which is great. And my interest in X-Men has skyrocketted! MORE! UP! TOP! POST! Please?

 

It is 1:53AM

MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE!

[holds small bag of folgers coffee over mouth, finds no more coffee] Awww....outta coffee....[whines]

 

Aftermath: One week later.

As far as the X-men could appreciate, the world kept on turning normally as if nothing had happened in the last two weeks. This wasn't difficult to imagine, especially in a world that had been visited in the past by a planet-devouring space god or by a multitude of alien invasion forces. All this without including the daily, run-of-the-mill mutant, paranormal or superhuman menace. The Imperial threat had come and gone; the invasion force thwarted and driven off by forces or persons unknown. There was a frenzy of speculation in all global media about this particular mystery, but no one had come forward. When inquired about this, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nicholas Fury offered a curt but tact "No Comment" as he dodged the mass of busybody newshounds.

The X-Men didn't mind. Usually, their exploits were usually unsung; their acts of heroism often dismissed because of their status as mutants. A week after the Amazon forest had been set ablaze by Grand Admiral Thrawn's opening salvo, many fires were still burning out of control. Countries like Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Brazil -- their resources already strained combating the disaster -- had requested international help, but the response had been slow; the supplied manpower and materiel insufficient for the task. Then one night, a freak storm materialized itself over the Amazon basin. Monsoon-type rains drenched the fire-ravaged forest, putting out the last few remaning fires. The windless rainstorm offered blessed relief to harried fireteams and, more importantly, providing the forest with the precious water it needed to heal, blossom and prosper once again.

That night, Ororo Munroe flew back to New York satisfied, if not happy. Precious lives had been destroyed by the indiscriminate attack, lives that she could not bring back, even with all her power. But at least, with her selfish act, she was giving the forest -- the entire world -- a second chance at life. It did not surprise her when the following day, an early morning news show's reporter speculated that Thor had been responsible for the miraculous rainfall that had put out the last of the Amazonian fires.

Storm sighed and shook her head in resignation. Sometimes she wondered if it would ever change, if the X-Men would one day be acknowledged by the world as the heroes they were, instead of as outlaws. But then she remembered Professor Xavier's words. And more importantly, the Dream that had brought the X-Men together: a world were human and mutant could live together in harmony, as the brothers they all were. More often than not, it seemed like an impossible dream. But she knew -- all the X-men knew -- it was a dream worth living for, well fighting for. She smiled softly and turned off the television set. She did not mind much if Thor received the credit for her actions. She had never told a living soul about it, but she always had a certain...liking...to the Asgardian Thunder God.

Ororo walked to the secret elevator in the main hallway and proceeded down to the hangar. There were more important concerns now. Namely, bidding farewell to the newly found friends that had helped them these past few weeks.

The X-men?s hangar bay was crowded this morning. Every current resident of the school, as well as former schoolmates and associates from other teams, were gathered around the Millennium Falcon, biding farewell to the trio of strangers that had dropped into their midst some weeks ago.

?Well Captain Solo, I think she?s ready to go?, said the X-men?s resident technowizard, Forge, as he stepped out of the Falcon?s boarding ramp along with Chewbacca. ?I must say, your ship kinda grows on you. She?s truly a piece of work.?

Han Solo grinned a lopsided smirk and gently patted the battered old freighter?s hull. ?I know. I get that a lot. The old girl?s got some mileage on her, but she?s still the fastest ship in the galaxy.?

Chewbacca growl or muttered something under his breath, gaining a quick reaction from Solo.

?Hey!? he snapped, pointing a finger at the Wookie. ?I don

 

Very good very good! Now the Imperials turn!

 

Sure thing. You'll find out their fate in the epilogue.

 

Epilogue:

Deep space. Somewhere near the boundaries of the Unknown Regions and Imperial Space. At least, that's what Astrography had managed to determine from their current position, thought Admiral Voss Parck as he leaned on a status display on the Death's Head's bridge. 'We should be so lucky', he added. 'As things stand, it's a miracle we're able to see the stars to guide us.'

A week after the...'incident' that had driven them away from that alien world and had mysteriously transported the Death's Head to this spot in space, many of the starship's systems were still down. Captain Ardiff was personally supervising the repair crews that were working around the clock to bring the Star Destroyer to full operational status. But the latest set of reports indicated that it would not be until another 48 hours before Engineering could be back on-line, and not another 48 hours before the main navicomputer could be operational in order to plot a hyperjump back to the Empire. Such extensive damage on an Imperial Star Destroyer was intolerable. Just as intolerable as spending the best part of another week in the veritable middle of nowhere until repairs could be completed. Parck expressed his displeasure to Ardiff, letting it be known that the Grand Admiral's displeasure could be far worse if his flagship wasn't up to speed sooner than estimated. Ardiff grimaced, but promised to do all he could do to bring the Death's Head back on-line in less than two days. Parck was not the kind of officer that liked to threaten junior officers for any reason. But the need was pressing, and after 5 days of isolation in his private quarters, one could only speculate on Mitth?raw?nuruodo?s mood.

Still, if HE did not want to talk to Parck, Parck very much wanted to speak to him. This exile had gone long enough, and overall morale was beginning to falter, delaying things all the more. Surely HE must be aware of that.

?Major Dunin, continue scanning along the sentry line. I?m heading down momentarily. Notify me at once if we receive any signals from the rest of our fleet.?

?Yes, Admiral,? replied Dunin.

Parck headed down to the secondary bridge, which Thrawn had also converted as personal quarters and meditation chambers. He pressed the intercom on the anteroom?s door. ?Admiral Parck to see Grand Admiral Thrawn.?

?One moment, Admiral?, replied a steely, feline voice.

A few seconds passed and the anteroom?s door opened. The aging admiral straightened his uniform and walked in. As soon as he stepped into the dimly lit room he said out loud. ?Rukh, I so much as hear you breathe, I?ll risk your master?s displeasure and have you shot. Don?t play games with me.?

Silence only followed, and a scant seconds later the door to Thrawn?s quarters opened.

?Thank you,? Parck muttered as he stepped in.

The room was almost completely dark. Some of the repeater displays that encircled the Grand Admiral?s chair were softly lit with blinking status lights. But otherwise, he would have had a hard time making his way into the room in this darkness.

Parck stared at the center of the room, and there he found him. His glowing red eyes were opened to slits, and he seemed to be staring at a small holoprojection right in front of him. Parck stepped closer and cleared his throat. ?Admiral??

Thrawn did not budge, did not seem to acknowledge the man?s presence in any way.

Parck frowned, his temper flaring somewhat. ?The hell with formality, since he?s not giving me any? he decided. ?Thrawn??

The glowing red eyes opened a fraction more and stared at Parck. The older man stiffened. Old acquaintances or not, Parck thought, perhaps he will not look kindly on insubordination or the interruption of his meditation.

?How goes the repairs?? asked Thrawn in his usual cool, modulated voice. However, it sounded strange, almost croaked, to Parck?s ears. It seemed as if the Grand Admiral hadn?t uttered a single word since last week. ?That?s not reassuring at all.?

?Captain Ardiff assures me the ship will be fully operational within 48 hours. On

 

Bravo! Encore Encore! [claps]

"THE BEGINNING"

is there going to be a sequel?

 

*Takes a bow*
It took me almost a year of on and (mostly) off work, but the story's now done. I had some help along the way and I give the persons involved my sincerest thanks.

A sequel? Hmm...I'm not thinking of one right now. The epilogue was meant as a lead in to HEIR TO THE EMPIRE. Let's say that Mr. Zahn wrote a very nice sequel for me already.

 

Yeah..except at the end of TLC he kills Thrawn off...and he cant keep his promise that he'll be back to conquer the Xmen .....

 

Mmmm...no, he had no intention of conquering them or Earth. As I wrote, the moment he'd return to Earth (possible with a gigantic fleet), he'd open fire and scorch the world without uttering a single warning or threat. He's not stupid, nor would he repeat any past mistakes. A preemptive strike does have its advantages, after all.

 

Ah i see now