Star Wars: Legacy of Solo
Chapter 1: Stranger in a Strange Future
Disclaimer: Star Wars, in all its myriad incarnations and offshoots, does not belong to me or to my partner JOUNOUCHI-sama. It belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney, and since neither JOUNOUCHI-sama nor I are associated in any way, shape, or form with Lucasfilm or Disney, we gain no profit from the writing or posting of this story. This is done purely for personal satisfaction and enjoyment.
Author's note: I'm gonna try something new here. Star Wars! Specifically, set in the original Expanded Universe, but with Anakin Solo, the youngest child of Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo and one of the heroes of the New Jedi Order series, sent to the future as depicted in the comic series Star Wars Legacy. He will be in for quite the shock when he sees how the galaxy has changed since the day of his death. Let's begin, shall we?
Where . . . am I . . . ? Anakin Solo wondered. I feel . . . heavy . . . trapped.
His eyes opened, though with great strain, and he could discern his environs, a medical bay of some kind, guarded by red-clad individuals with hoods that obscured their faces. "Where . . . ?" he tried to ask.
"You're awake," one of the hooded individuals said. "You shouldn't talk. Save your strength."
"How . . . where am . . ."
"We found you off Myrkr, barely clinging to life," another hooded individual replied. "By how your lightsaber is constructed, we figured you for a Jedi."
"I . . . I am . . ."
"Yes, but you need to save your strength and focus on recovery," a third hooded individual advised. "We'll answer your questions, and then hopefully you'll answer ours later."
"Your . . . armor . . . are you with . . . ?"
"Like I said, your questions and hopefully ours will be answered when you've recovered your strength." No argument would be permitted at this moment, such was the tone of finality in the hooded individual's voice.
"Fine . . . just tell me . . . one thing . . ."
"What is it?"
"Jacen . . . Jaina . . . Tahiri . . . Lowbacca . . . did they make it out all right?"
"I'm not familiar with those names," the hooded individual directly hovering over him replied. "You kept mumbling them."
"What kind . . . of Jedi . . . are you?" Anakin asked.
The hooded individual chuckled slightly. "I'm not, actually. We're not."
"Hope . . . you're not Sith . . ."
Anakin could feel a chill as soon as he uttered the word "Sith." "No. The Sith are our enemy," answered one of the other hooded individuals, her tone cold and hard.
"Then who . . . are you?"
"We are the Imperial Knights," another hooded individual replied.
"Imperial Knights . . . I didn't know Grand Admiral Pellaeon started training Force users."
"Grand Admiral Pellaeon? Have you been in the historical archives too long?" the Imperial Knights' apparent leader wondered, sounding confused.
"Historical archives?" Anakin repeated, just as confused.
"Yes, the historical archives, because Grand Admiral Pellaeon has been deceased for decades now," the Imperial Knights' leader, who had been closest to Anakin, stated.
"Decades?" Anakin asked. "So . . . what year is this?"
"What year do you remember it being?" a third Imperial Knight asked back.
"27 ABY," Anakin replied.
That floored the Imperial Knights, who all stared at him with unblinking yet uncomprehending eyes. "But this is 137 ABY," one of them finally answered.
"137 ABY? That's more than a century since . . ." Now it was Anakin's turn to be so stunned that all he could do was stare unblinkingly and yet without comprehension. "What happened to everyone?"
"Grand Admiral Pellaeon died in 41 ABY, the price of his refusal to support Darth Caedus's rise to power," another Imperial Knight replied.
"Darth Caedus?"
"Formerly known as Jacen Solo," added another Imperial Knight.
Anakin's eyes widened in shock, surprise, horror, and dismay. What!? How is that even possible?!
"Wait . . . 27 ABY . . ." one of the other Imperial Knights said. "You must have been part of the Myrkr strike team. A little more than half of them died or were captured, though some simply went missing in action. You must have been one of the ones who went missing."
"Really . . ."
"And since you are still very much alive . . . well, much is possible through the Force, and perhaps it is the Force that saw fit to spare your life."
"The Force does work in mysterious ways," another Imperial Knight said.
"All right . . ." Anakin took a moment to center himself. "How and why did my brother become Darth Caedus?"
"You say Darth Caedus is your brother?" the Imperial Knights' leader asked curiously.
"No, Jacen Solo is," Anakin replied. "Or was. I have no idea where you got Darth Caedus from."
"Whatever the reasons or explanations for Darth Caedus's descent, they have been lost to the sands of time, I'm afraid," the Imperial Knights' leader said. "As far as most would be concerned, it was very likely the stresses and horrors of warfare and conflict that twisted his mind and drove him to the Dark Side of the Force."
"That's enough," Anakin said. "This is . . . this is . . ." He couldn't quite come up with a word, so he settled for gritting his teeth and trying once again to center himself.
"I am sorry for your distress," the Imperial Knights' leader said, a genuinely contrite tone in his voice as he and the others drew back from Anakin. "We will let you rest, and soon, when you're able, we'll tell you more of what's become of the galaxy, and why your help will likely be needed."
". . . Thanks," Anakin grunted, and lay back on the medical cot provided for him, reaching out to the Force and letting the Force reach into him while the Knights stood by to let him recover. All except the leader of this mission, who went to a different room to access a private communications link.
"He's awakened," he said.
"The Jedi you found? The disturbance in the Force we sensed on Myrkr?" the man on the other side of the link asked.
"Yes," he replied. "He claims to be a Jedi from the Yuuzhan Vong War and that the last he remembers is the mission to Myrkr back in 27 ABY."
"Really? That is curious, Antares. Why would he claim such a thing?"
"I sensed no deception from him," Antares replied. "Only confusion. As if he was a total stranger to this era."
"The disturbance we sensed did feel as if time itself had been ruptured," the man admitted.
"When we found him, he was barely alive. He seems to be healing now, but he was uttering names that belonged in the history books, names like Jacen, Jaina, Tahiri, and Lowbacca."
The man on the other side of the link seemed to pause from hearing that. "Very well, then. Keep a close eye on him as he recovers. I wish to see him for myself when we make contact."
"As you wish, Emperor Fel," Antares answered.
It wasn't too long before the Imperial Knights spotted their Emperor's vessel. Immediately, they opened a communications channel to it, a Pellaeon-class Star Destroyer. "This is the Imperial Knights, requesting permission to board, Emperor."
"Permission granted. Bring your guest with you."
That was when one of the Imperial Knights went to find a meditating Anakin. "We've arrived. Please come with us."
"All right," Anakin replied, rising to his feet and picking up his lightsaber with a mere exercise of will through the Force, clipping it to his belt. He followed the Imperial Knight until they reached the bridge, where he saw the Imperial vessel they were about to board. "A Star Destroyer?"
"You're about to board the Jagged Fel," Antares answered.
"Jagged Fel actually got a ship named after him . . ." Anakin murmured, a bit stunned by what he'd just heard.
"The Emperor is his descendant," Antares said. "We will introduce you to him when we board."
"Yes, I understand," Anakin said, following him as the Imperial Knights went aboard the Jagged Fel. Upon boarding, they were all greeted by a man who obviously resembled an emperor, though a tad more subdued in comparison to emperors Anakin had seen and met before.
"Emperor Fel," Antares greeted, leading the other Imperial Knights in saluting the man that stood before them.
"At ease, all of you," Emperor Roan Fel said. "It is good to see you." Then he turned to Anakin. "And you as well. Your survival was most fortunate, thank the Force."
"Emperor Fel," Anakin said, trying to be respectful. He held no animosity for the Imperial remnants of his day, though it was still a bit jarring to sense no evil or ill intent from the leader of the Galactic Empire, albeit an Empire that had been exiled and overthrown by the Sith.
"Antares has told me much about you," Roan Fel said. "At least, as much as you've been able to tell him and the rest of my Knights. Rest assured that we mean you no harm, young Jedi."
"I believe that, Emperor Fel," Anakin answered. "It's just so confusing, being in this time when the Empire has reformed itself as a force for good in the galaxy."
"As we were, and perhaps with your help, we can be again," Roan Fel said somberly. "First, could you tell me your name?"
"It's Anakin Solo."
"Anakin . . . Solo . . ." Fel seemed to practically taste the name on his tongue, contemplating deeply of what it meant. "Then I'm in the presence of family." A small smile crossed his face.
"Family?" Anakin repeated curiously.
"Jagged Fel's wife was Jaina Solo," Fel explained, "which makes you and I family, however distant across time and space. Come with me. I have much to discuss with you. Antares, stand guard with the rest of the Knights."
"Yes, my Emperor," Antares replied.
Emperor Fel led Anakin to what could be considered his official chambers, the area where he conducted the business of maintaining what was left of the Galactic Empire. Once inside, he turned to Anakin with a rather curious expression. "What is the last thing you recall before my Knights found you?" he asked.
"The light of a thermal detonator," Anakin replied.
"And yet, you are still alive . . . and here before me now." Fel pondered this for a moment. "When we sensed you, it was as a disturbance in the Force, a disturbance as though time itself had been rent asunder to bring you to this point."
"Time travel?" Anakin asked. "You're saying that instead of killing me, that detonation somehow sent me forward in time, to this era?"
"Yes. The Force does work in mysterious ways. Perhaps it sensed you would be more needed here and now than you were at the time you supposedly died."
"The Force guides us in many ways, doesn't it?"
Fel smiled slightly, pondering this. "Yes, it does. What I see before me, and I hope this is what you see as well, is opportunity. Anakin, we can learn very much from each other, and in what we learn, we can perhaps find the means to overcome the Sith Empire and restore justice to the galaxy."
"How did the Sith Empire come to power?" Anakin inquired.
"In a way, we brought this evil upon the galaxy," Fel admitted. "It started with the Ossus Project's sabotage, discrediting the alliance between the Yuuzhan Vong and the Galactic Republic and causing planets and systems to lose faith in the Republic. The Imperial Moffs believed they could exploit this crisis of confidence to reestablish the Galactic Empire, and they led us into war with the Republic."
"Wait," Anakin interrupted. "What was the Ossus Project?"
"An experiment to see if the Yuuzhan Vong's Shaping could be turned to the benefit of long-ravaged planets, cultivating life once more on those worlds," Fel explained. "Unfortunately, the Vong were still distrusted by much of the galaxy, which made it easy for saboteurs to twist the Ossus Project into a blight upon the worlds that the Vong tried to reshape. When the Republic refused to abandon its alliance with the Vong despite the clamor against them from around the galaxy, several planets and systems chose to join with my empire instead. However, it wasn't enough to overcome the Republic, thanks to the Jedi remaining loyal and bolstering the Republic's forces. The Moffs wanted me to enlist the Imperial Knights in the war, but I refused out of concern that the bitterness of war would lure the Knights toward the Dark Side. Because of my refusal, the Moffs turned to the Sith Order –"
"The Sith?!" Anakin interrupted more harshly. "You joined with the Sith!?"
"The Moff Council overruled me," Fel tried to explain.
"But you're the Emperor!" Anakin persisted.
"Emperors do not rule absolutely in this empire," Fel explained. "That was a necessary reform to keep from repeating the excesses and atrocities caused by Sheev Palpatine. I could be, and I was, overruled by the Moff Council, who eagerly dove into an alliance with the Sith Order because all they cared about was using the war as a steppingstone to restore the Galactic Empire. As it turned out, the Sith were the ones responsible for inciting the war by deliberately sabotaging the Ossus Project, and they were also using it to worm their way into my empire and remold it in their own image."
"Your empire sounds awfully rotten if the Sith could infest it," Anakin spat.
"So was the Old Republic . . . and the New, I'm afraid," Fel retorted somberly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Anakin asked harshly.
"The historical databanks will tell you," Fel replied, his tone still somber and grim. Continuing where he left off, "By the time we realized that the war was a manipulation by the Sith, it was already over. We had 'won,' for what it was worth, trouncing the Alliance at Caamus and conquering Coruscant, but such victory was hollow, given how we had simply played into the Sith Order's hands. I pleaded with the Jedi to surrender in the hopes of averting further bloodshed, and while some of them did surrender, most refused, so I ordered that they be allowed to return to their temple on Ossus. I even called for a diplomatic mission once they had done so in hopes of later establishing an alliance against the Sith Order. Unfortunately, one of the Moffs, alongside a Sith working under the Sith Order's leader Darth Krayt, countervailed my orders and the diplomatic mission instead became the slaughter of the Jedi on Ossus, scattering the remnants of their Order across space. One of the Jedi who fell . . . was Kol Skywalker."
Regret was transparent in his voice, especially when he saw the cold rage in Anakin's eyes at the slaughter of the Jedi, particularly upon hearing that a Skywalker was one of the victims. "So once again, the Sith destroy the Jedi, and the Empire is the means for them to do it," Anakin spat out his grim assessment of this era.
"There was more betrayal in store, though, with Grand Admiral Morlish Veed and Darth Krayt plotting against me," Fel continued somberly. "I decided to strike first by having Veed arrested, and it was then that I was informed by Grand Moff Nyna Calixte that Krayt intended to assassinate me at a meeting I was going to attend. Of course, she was merely trying to save herself, as my death would render her usefulness to the Sith Empire outlived, but in this era, I couldn't be so begrudging about where help came from. I had a double take my place at the meeting, while my loyal apprentice Antares Draco, the man who led the expedition that found you, helped me escape the attempt on my life."
"And here I am," Anakin muttered bitterly.
"Yes, here you are," Fel said stoically. "And at possibly the most fortuitous time for the galaxy. I understand your sorrow and anger. I want to help you harness it into something that can help us free the galaxy of the Sith."
"And then who rules the galaxy? Your Empire?" Anakin asked skeptically.
Before Fel could answer, or come up with an answer, Antares interrupted. "My Emperor, we've arrived in Bastion space."
"Bastion space?" Anakin repeated.
"Thank you, Antares," Fel said, before turning back to Anakin. "We'll continue this discussion later. Right now, there are pressing matters for all of us, and I am still hopeful you will help us."
"I'll help," Anakin answered. "A galaxy in the grip of the Sith is good for none of us."
Fel nodded briefly, and then marched out of his official quarters with Antares and the other Imperial Knights following, and Anakin following as well. After all, there was nowhere else he could go, given he was in a strange time when so much had clearly changed from what he'd known. For the time being, it was best to stay close to the Emperor, even if he didn't exactly trust him yet.
The Imperial Knights and Anakin arrived on the planet Bastion, dominated by a sprawling militaristic megacity. However, when they arrived, they were met with some uninvited guests, namely five Sith – one Apprentice, four Acolytes, and they were all brandishing their lightsabers.
"Sith . . ." Fel hissed, vibrating with contained but evident fury.
"Roan Fel," the Apprentice sneered. "Hiding behind your Imperial Knights as usual?"
"Are you supposed to be our welcoming party?" Fel asked, sneering back.
"You will be buried here," the Apprentice taunted. "You and your Knights. The Sith will rule forevermore, and your weakness will be blotted out from the galaxy."
"If you've come to posture, I suggest retreating," Antares answered icily. "You won't take this one."
"We'll see, Imperial dog," the Apprentice retorted. "And what's this? You have a Jedi among you . . ." He smirked sadistically. "Jedi fetch a high price in this galaxy." He then turned to the four Acolytes with him. "Whichever one of you can take him will earn my favor."
Immediately, Fel and Antares shifted into a defensive stance, as did the rest of the Imperial Knights, around Anakin, their lightsabers unclipped and pulled into their hands through the Force. Anakin let out a low sigh of bemusement at being protected by Imperials, even Force-using Imperials. At the very least, it meant that Fel was sincere when he said he needed him, Anakin mused as he Force-Pulled his own lightsaber into his hands.
The Apprentice flicked his lightsaber on, a pillar of crimson light rising from the hilt and halting at one meter, the glowing plasma blade fully active. The Acolytes flanking him did the same, nearly identical pillars of crimson light rising from the hilts of their lightsabers and stopping at one meter as well. With violent, burning whooshes through the air, the five Sith attacked, leaping and swinging with incredible speed and ferocity. The Imperial Knights turned on their lightsabers, moving just as quickly to block the Sith warriors' attacks with lightsaber blades glowing azure. Anakin was somewhat surprised, but he put it aside, seeing no time to ponder lightsaber colors as he defended himself with his own lightsaber, clashing against a Sith Acolyte's blade.
"The Jedi's time has come and passed," the Acolyte sneered. "It is the age of the Sith, now and forevermore."
"Not while there are Jedi still," Anakin retorted, pushing back against the Sith Acolyte both physically and with a pulse from the Force. The Acolyte twirled and spun in midair, landing on her feet and lashing at Anakin with a Force Push of her own. Anakin recovered quickly, twisting in midair to land on his feet and slash upwards at the Acolyte dashing in with a burst of Force Speed to finish him while he was unbalanced. She swerved out of the way of a slash that could have cost her an arm and darted to his other side, only for him to quickly parry her blade, crimson and violet clashing violently, carving the air with vibrating hums.
Dark Jedi I've fought . . . but these Sith . . . they're something else, Anakin thought. Yes, the Sith were indeed something else; never taught in the ways of the Jedi, only in the ways of the Dark Side of the Force, and more savage and deadly for it. A Jedi could fall to the Dark Side, but would always be, however slightly, tempered by the pull of the Light Side. These Sith had never had Jedi training, and so there was no Light Side to hold them back at all.
Anakin wasn't the only one fighting for his life, though. The Imperial Knights had their hands full with the other Sith Acolytes, and Fel and Antares were both dueling the Apprentice. The Imperial Knights might have been more martially minded than the Jedi, but they were still users of the Light Side of the Force, while the Sith were pure ferocity and hatred channeled through the Dark Side. Flashes of blue and red lit the air and vibrating whooshing noises reverberated from the lightsaber blades clashing against each other.
Meanwhile, Anakin was still fighting hard against the Sith Acolyte that had met him, violet clashing with scarlet, leaping and darting around the area as they slashed at each other. The Sith Acolyte lashed out at Anakin with as much power as she could draw from the Dark Side, while Anakin defended himself with all the power he could draw from the Light Side. It was an actual struggle for Anakin to draw on the Force, compared to before, feeling like treading through thick, heavy sand.
"I'm going to take your head, Jedi," the Acolyte taunted, bearing down harder on Anakin, who struggled to defend himself against her unrelenting attacks. Just as she was about to slip past his guard, a bolt of blue slashed her, giving Anakin a chance to dodge and counter with a slash of his own.
"What was that about taking my head?" he taunted back, before looking to his rescuer, Antares Draco. "What about the Emperor?"
"See for yourself," Antares replied.
Indeed, Roan Fel was gracefully, agilely darting around the Sith Apprentice's slashes and retaliating with slashes of his own. Every attack the Apprentice made was met with a parry and a counterattack, and it soon became clear that Fel was wearing the Apprentice down, despite his foe's persistence. A very few Force users were on the same level of skill in lightsaber combat as Fel, and Anakin found himself honestly impressed. Perhaps I could learn a thing or two . . . he thought.
However, he didn't have time to continue awing at Fel's prowess with a lightsaber, as he sensed the Acolyte he had fought preparing another attack, and he whirled into a counterstrike. Unfortunately, he overshot and would've left himself open for a killing strike from the Acolyte if not for Antares parrying her with his lightsaber and then impaling her. At the same time, Fel made his own killing strike upon the Apprentice, as the other Imperial Knights similarly dispatched the remaining Sith Acolytes.
"Bastion . . . is ours . . ." Fel declared. "Not yours."
"Thanks . . ." Anakin said to Antares.
"It seems you've lost your equilibrium with the Force," Antares mused.
"I think I have," Anakin admitted. "It felt so much harder to draw upon the Force than before. My lightsaber . . . felt so heavy."
"You are still disturbed in the Force," Fel explained. "You are from an earlier time in the galaxy, somehow transplanted into this current era. That will of course create imbalance and disturbance in your connection to the Force. You must rebalance yourself, if you are to help in freeing the galaxy from the Sith."
"And how do I do that?" Anakin asked.
"Perhaps . . . you find a different kind of balance," Fel suggested. "You may have been trained by the Jedi, but your training was incomplete, wasn't it?"
"Are you offering to finish my training?"
"Yes, but it will not be me who guides you in that. It will be Antares Draco. I've taught him everything he knows. I trust he'll do the same for you."
"I shall," Antares said. "What say you, Anakin?"
Anakin just stared at them both for a long time, and then he proclaimed his answer.
Endnotes: And here we go, the first chapter of my first Star Wars fic, set in the original Expanded Universe canon. JOUNOUCHI-sama and I had a lot more in mind for this chapter, but we'll just have to save it for a later expansion, as time is very much of the essence and I'll admit to being sidetracked once too often. I'm not exactly as well-versed as I should be, so if there's any inconsistencies in this fic with what you know from the novels or from the Legacy comics, feel free to tell me and I'll do my best to correct them. Until next time, hope you all had a happy May the 4th and may the Force be with you.