A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

STAR WARS: EONS

Episode I

THE CLONE WARS

The galaxy is divided. After many unsettling events triggered by the sinister Count Dooku, thousands of systems are threatening to leave the Galactic Republic.

After an attempted assassination of Senator Padme Amidala, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi discovered Separatist factories producing the largest droid army in history. During his investigation, he was captured, gripping the Republic in fear of an armed conflict.

In a daring move to rescue the Jedi Master and quell the Separatist uprising, MACE WINDU leads all available Jedi to the desert world of Geonosis…

Mace Windu's lightsaber cut cleanly through his neck, and the bounty hunter's head tumbled through the dirt. He died instantly, his decapitated body uselessly sprawling out on the ground.

Jango Fett was dead.

Hundreds of now-Separatist B1 and B2 battle droids surrounded the few dozen Jedi Windu could scrape up back on Coruscant. The Geonosis arena was filled with the sound of continuous blasterfire and screeching from the thousands of Geonosian insect-like creatures witnessing the battle take place. The sound was deafening, but Windu kept his mind focused on his aggression, using the Vaapad lightsaber form to guide his strikes through the Force.

After striking down the bounty hunter responsible for the attempts on Senator Amidala's life, he turned to reinforce the remaining Jedi, feeling satisfaction with each droid he cut down. The sound of their metallic parts collapsing together fueled his rush, and he let the Force protect his every flank.

"Eon!" he shouted over the noise. "To me!"

His red-skinned zabrak Padawan was engaged with a few B2 battle droids, his rare-colored orange blade moving too quickly for his opponents to dodge. The black Jedi robes he wore were covered in brown sand, as well as riddled with scorch marks when Fett had unleashed his flamethrower upon the two of them. Nonetheless, the young Jedi looked fearless, embracing the chance at a real battle after thirteen years of training.

Windu had discovered him when the boy was only three years old, left at the steps of the Jedi Temple shivering and crying in fear. At first, he had believed him to only be a young boy who had lost his way, but after closer examination, he uncovered something revolutionary about him. His midichlorians were not only high in number but vaccinated in a sense. An event of some kind had exposed them to enough darkness that his young body was able to engineer an immunity to the corruption that had taken many Jedi to the Dark Side.

This young boy had an incredible ability to dive into the teachings of the Dark Side and come back to the light with the snap of his fingers.

After months of convincing the Jedi Council, Windu eventually was approved to take the boy as his personal Padawan, forgoing the youngling stage entirely so his training could be specialized. Thus, at the age of sixteen, Windu had already taught him everything he knew, and Xur Eon was already being considered for Knighthood, especially at the eve of an imminent galactic war.

Windu's Padawan rolled away from blasterfire and backpedaled until he reached the back of his Master, and they both deflected blaster bolts.

"Ready to give it a try?" Windu said, stopping a bolt with his purple blade before it burned through his skull.

"Ready!" Xur shouted back, doing his best to put a cap on his aggression.

"Now!" Windu ordered, and both Jedi collapsed their lightsabers and stretched out their hands. A shockwave ripped through the air as the Force rushed forward, and the first few lines of droids surrounding them were disassembled violently, while the ones behind collapsed to the ground. There was a slight asymmetry to the attack, as Windu's side had reached out farther down the ranks. "Don't ever cap your aggression in the middle of a battle!" his Master critiqued. "You're spending energy and focus that can be used to strengthen your attacks!"

"I don't want to lose control, Master," Xur countered as they reignited sabers to continue defense.

"A reasonable concern," Windu admitted. "But in battle you can expel your aggression through your attacks. That's the key to staying in balance, as well as maintaining your highest power."

Xur tried it, cutting down battle droids with merciless fervor, but eventually found that his desire faded in time, and the Force granted him the powers of both the light and dark. He knew this was something one could only learn in the heat of a major battle, which he had not been exposed to many of.

In this time of clarity however, he had lost track of his Master, but ran into another familiar face. "Skywalker!" he recognized the fellow Jedi Padawan carrying a green lightsaber.

He had known Anakin Skywalker since he had first come to the Temple with the late Master Qui-Gon a decade ago, and while the two hadn't spent copious amounts of time together, they had developed somewhat of a healthy rivalry. It was a positive one, both special cases made by the Council with a desire to be the best that they could. They had bettered each other in many ways, even if Master Kenobi found it to be somewhat 'trivial'.

"Xur, nice of you to drop by," Anakin nodded, deftly defending himself.

"I guess we have to pull your sorry state out of the fire again," Xur joked. "Just like on Kamparas."

Anakin scoffed. "Says the one with burnt clothing!"

Xur and Anakin dropped their banter and defended each other as the droids were beginning to box the Jedi in. Then, as suddenly as the fighting had begun, the droids stopped firing. All that remained was the low hum of lightsabers as each of them looked around, waiting for the droids' next move.

"Master Windu!" Count Dooku, the fallen Jedi called from a perch above the arena. "You have fought gallantly. Worthy of recognition in the archives of the Jedi Order!" he congratulated, and then Xur noticed droids escorting captured Jedi into the circle they had been boxed into. "Now, it is finished. Surrender, and your lives will be spared."

Xur had known his Master for over a decade, and he knew exactly what his response would be.

"We will not be hostages to be bartered, Dooku!" Windu rejected, and Xur felt a bit of pride swell inside him as he gripped his lightsaber a bit tighter.

"Then," Dooku sighed, almost with a genuine sound of regret. "I'm sorry, old friend."

The B2 blaster arms suddenly cocked back into firing position, and Xur twirled his lightsaber in his hand with anticipation. Anakin did the same, holding the blade above his head as he prepared to charge, Senator Amidala right behind him.

This was not where they die. Engines began to sound in the distance, and Xur smiled to himself.

"Look!" Padme shouted.

Above, Republic gunships rumbled into the arena, kicking up dirt as their laser cannons cut through the droid battalions surrounding the Jedi. With cover, Xur and Anakin resumed hostilities, their lightsabers arcing through the air as they deflected bolts back at their attackers. The gunships established a perimeter and then landed at the edge of their circle, the back doors serving as cover as the Jedi jumped aboard.

Clone troopers in shining white armor poured out for cover, and Xur heard his master's voice again. "Eon, with me!"

Xur nodded. "Good luck, Skywalker, I'll see you when this is done."

"That you will," Anakin agreed, and Xur sprinted to his Master, who was boarding a gunship on the far side with Master Yoda. Xur picked up the pace, clone troopers covering him until he hopped aboard, sitting on the platform for speed.

"That's it, let's move Pilot!" Windu shouted, and then the gunship took off, Xur watching the ground leave his feet faster and faster as they ascended above the arena. The zabrak rose to his feet and grabbed ahold of the nearest handle as the gunship banked away from the arena and towards the other Republic forces.

"If Dooku escapes, rally more systems to his cause, he will," Yoda said, stamping his cane into the metal flooring of the gunship.

"Then let's go after him," Xur suggested.

"No," Mace shot him down, the gunship turning again as its engines heaved. "We'll send Skywalker and Kenobi. I need you with me, leading the assault on the starships. Every single one we can take down is thousands of less droids for the Separatists."

Xur huffed in disappointment but saw the significance of the task he was given regardless.

"Powerful warrior, you are, Padawan Eon," Yoda said. "But ready to face Dooku, you are not. Needed here, your talents are."

Xur tipped his head. "If that's what's best, Master, of course."

One day he would be.

Because this Clone War had only just begun.

A Few Months Later…

Christophsis was one of the most aesthetically pleasing planets Xur had ever visited, but that didn't mean it wasn't getting on his nerves. The droid army had only just retreated after their second attempt to break the Republic lines, but the zabrak had a hunch that they would be back for another round. Heavy cannons bringing up the rear defense were the lone bright spot, as it had torn through the droids faster than anything he had seen before.

Their troop numbers were another matter, but to their luck, a Republic Shuttle had just flown overhead. Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was in joint command with Anakin Skywalker for the invasion, and Xur had been assigned to join them last minute. The zabrak had only spent time with his master Mace Windu at the beginning of the war, but the senior member of the Jedi Council found more of his time spent on Coruscant coordinating the war effort. Thus, to use Xur to his fullest potential, he was signed off under Anakin's 'command', not like he actually took orders from him.

Even if he was still just Commander Eon.

The three Jedi approached the shuttle as it landed. "Our cruiser must be back," Obi-Wan figured.

"Which means we'll be able to get our reinforcements," Anakin said with a smile on his face. "And someone can finally pick up Xur's slack."

Xur batted him with his elbow. "Very funny," he said sarcastically. "That's why I took out one of those walking spiders on my own."

Obi-Wan chuckled to himself. "If the two of you were as good with your lightsabers as you are with insults, this battle may have been over by now," he said. "I'm just hoping for fresh troops and supplies, and perhaps my new Padawan."

Anakin narrowed his eyes. "You really think it's a good idea to bring a Padawan learner into all this?"

"I spoke to Master Yoda about it. You should put in a request for one. You'd make a good teacher," Obi-Wan suggested.

"Yeah, he'd teach them how to disobey orders, be overly arrogant, and get shot down on a regular basis," Xur mocked, and Anakin narrowed his eyes.

"I don't get shot down that much," he denied. "I don't want a Padawan, they'd just slow me down."

As soon as they stopped, the loading ramp opened, revealing a togruta youngling at the top. She descended the path, and she was met with three faces filled with confusion.

"A youngling?" Obi Wan asked, an eyebrow raised.

"I thought you said Padawan," Xur tried to whisper by covering his mouth, but he knew the youngling probably heard him anyway.

"And, who are you supposed to be?" Anakin asked.

She looked slightly uneased by their reactions, but confidence shown through in the end. "I'm Ahsoka," she greeted. "Master Yoda sent me. I was told to tell all of you that you must get back to the Jedi Temple immediately. There's an emergency."

Anakin shook his head. "Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but we're in the middle of an emergency right here."

"Yes, our communications have been a bit unreliable, but we've been calling for help," Obi-Wan followed up.

Ahsoka cocked her head, unsure of what to tell them. "Master Yoda hadn't heard from you, so he sent me to deliver the message."

Xur pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "So, they don't even know we're in trouble?"

Ahsoka had a thought. "Well, maybe you can relay a signal through the cruiser that just dropped me off?"

Anakin gave the young girl a look, slightly embarrassed he hadn't thought of that himself, but then turned his attention to Xur. "Why don't you check up on Rex and the others? We'll take care of this."

Xur wanted to object, feeling left out of the Command routine, but was aware of his place. That didn't mean he wasn't going to make Anakin pay for it.

He mockingly saluted him. "Sure thing, General."

Xur did as he was instructed, making his way up to the scouting outpost atop one of the tallest crystal towers. Captain Rex was waiting there for him, along with a few dozen troops recuperating after the last attack from the droid army. From just their body language, he could tell the situation was beginning to get to some of them, knowing full well that the droids had far more troops.

Rex pulled down his thermal binoculars to greet the young Jedi. "Commander."

Xur held out his hand, which he had tried to do with as many troops as he could. He prided knowing the men under his command, as he felt it greatly improved their performance when he began giving orders. "Hanging in there, Captain?" he asked as Rex shook his hand.

"I'm fine, sir," Rex nodded. "Just making sure the clankers don't sneak up on us. It looks like they're gearing up for another assault."

Xur stepped aside as some troopers carried supply crates past him. "How are the men?"

Rex shrugged. "Some are anxious to get back to fighting, but I'd say most are trying to gather themselves."

"Good," Xur praised. "Skywalker should be here soon. They're trying to make contact for some support."

Suddenly, Rex's eyes looked behind Xur, and the zabrak could sense Anakin's presence as he approached.

"What's the status, Rex?" Anakin asked, tailed by Ahsoka, which caught Xur by surprise to have a youngling up in a scouting outpost.

"Quiet for now, sir," Rex reported. "They're gearing up for another assault."

Xur gave Anakin a funny look. "You're a youngling tour guide now?" he asked, motioning towards Ahsoka.

She turned in his direction, again with anxious determination. "I'm Master Skywalker's Padawan, Ahsoka Tano."

The zabrak held a look of skepticism, cocking his head towards Anakin. "She's joking, right?"

Anakin let out an annoyed sigh, looking as if he'd dealt with a lot recently. "There's been a mix up, the youngling isn't with me."

"Stop calling me that!" Ahsoka shouted. "You're stuck with me Sky-Guy."

Rex and Xur couldn't stop themselves from laughing and Anakin snarled at her. "What did you just call me?! Don't get snippy with me little one! You know, I don't think you're old enough to be a Padawan!"

"Well maybe I'm not," Ahsoka admitted. "But Master Yoda thinks I am."

"Well, you're not with Master Yoda now," Anakin had relatively calmed himself quickly after the laughing from Xur and Rex had stopped. "So, if you're ready, you better start proving it."

He then raised his hand. "Commander Eon will show you how to acknowledge and obey your superiors."

The zabrak glared at him, and Anakin shot him a knowing smile. "Ugh," he grunted, looking to Ahsoka. "Fine," he flicked his head. "Come on, kid."

"Have you thought about moving the gun emplacements back?" Ahsoka suggested as she and Xur walked behind the heavy cannon line back on the ground. "They'd have better cover that way."

Xur shook his head. "I think it'd take too long. The droids are probably going to be coming back soon, and they're too important to have inoperable. Besides, Anakin's the one in charge."

Ahsoka kept looking around, taking in new sights outside of the Jedi Temple. "You're Master Windu's Padawan, aren't you?"

"I was," Xur corrected. "I'm a Jedi Knight."

"Already?" she asked, looking surprised. "But…you don't look much older than me."

Xur didn't answer right away. It wasn't uncommon for fellow knights to disregard him because of his age. While his special case singled him out, it didn't warrant special treatment and he constantly faced scrutiny regardless. Even so, he faced the trials and passed them, just as Windu had trained him to.

Ahsoka becoming a Padawan at her age didn't seem too odd for Xur, as he had become one as soon as he was accepted into the Jedi Order over thirteen years ago. In a sense, Mace Windu was the closest thing he had to a father…unless his real father still existed. He didn't know much about his real father, just that he had killed Xur's mother, and dumped him at the Jedi Temple.

He was dead to him as far as he was concerned.

"Ummm…Xur, was it?" she asked, snapping him from his trance. "Is everything alright?"

He nodded, rubbing his nose with his thumb. "Yeah, I'm fine. What about you? What's your story?"

She thought for a moment. "I don't think there's much to tell. Master Plo Koon found me and brought me to the Jedi Temple. I've been training to be a Jedi ever since. I was the top of my class before they assigned me to Master Skywalker."

"Interesting," Xur noted. "Fighting style?"

"Ataru. You?"

"Vaapad," he answered. "Mace Windu's signature."

Ahsoka's eyes suddenly widened. "You're that special Jedi, right?" Xur nodded, and she stopped in front of him. "Everyone at the Temple says you're scary. You don't seem that bad."

Xur looked away. He didn't like being labeled as a threat, and only Windu, Anakin, and Obi Wan seemed to argue in his favor. Hearing it from one of his closer peers was oddly assuring.

"Thanks," he said, looking back to her. "I have to keep a positive outlook, or…well,"

"Or what?" she asked, crossing her arms.

He hesitated. "If you're going to be Skywalker's Padawan, then you'll see one day."

It was her turn to look away, and it was the first time he had seen the young togruta look uncertain of herself. He crossed his arms. "You want to impress Anakin? Just give him a reason to care."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"He likes people that can think for themselves but do what he asks of you. It may seem like he doesn't like you, but I think he's just getting over the fact that his life as a Jedi is changing. The two of you have too many things in common," he suggested, and then held out his hand. "And if all else fails, I'll vouch for you. I think you'd be good for him."

She looked at his gloved hand, a smile working its way over her face. "Thank you," she said, shaking his hand.

Neither of them would ever truly understand the magnitude of that handshake.

Welcome to Star Wars Eons. If you're returning, then I applaud your patience as I finally got out a proper beginning for this story. If you're new, then welcome, and I'm happy to have you here. This is the first of four episodes covering The Clone Wars to the fall of the Galactic Empire, and detailing the story of Xur Eon.

As of now, the next few chapters will jump ahead in time and are a little weak in writing quality, as I am in the middle of remastering this story, but I insist you power through them. I promise this story will be worth the read.

If you enjoyed, then please follow/fav and leave a review! Thanks for reading, and again, welcome to Star Wars Eons!

P.S. I intend to overhaul the Mortis chapters soon. Stay tuned.