Empire Reborn: What Episode 7 should have been
Author's notes I don't own Star Wars.
I was very unhappy with what Episode 7 was when I saw it in the cinema and the decision to make the Expanded Universe non canon. I've had this idea for this one-shot for a year and have decided to write it.
This one-shot is AU after Return of The Jedi, so The Force Awakens never happens and is a minor crossover with Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic.
Now enough with the Author's notes on with the story.
The Unknown Regions, Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera flagship of the Seventh Imperial Fleet
On the command deck of the Star Destroyer the second in command Captain Gilad Pellaeon was notified by a young man on communications that a message had arrived from Imperial Centre which was for the Grand Admiral's eyes only.
The message was put on a datapad and Captain Pellaeon brought it to Grand Admiral Thrawn's quarters. The Chiss Grand Admiral was sitting at his desk reading reports from the scouts sent ahead of the fleet to survey nearby planets to see if what was out here was nearby.
Thrawn thought back to four years ago when he was tasked with dealing with the Rebels and before he could take them out, the Emperor sent him and the entire Seventh Fleet on a secret mission to find something which according to the Emperor could help secure the dominance of the Empire for all time. They'd been in the Unknown Regions for the last few years and found nothing.
Captain Pellaeon entered the room and said "We've received a communication from the Capital for your eyes only sir." Pellaeon handed the datapad to Thrawn who read it before a look of complete shock was on his face.
Curious, Pellaeon asked "What is it sir?"
Thrawn answered "Something awful has happened. Send a message to the other ships. I want all commanding officers here within the hour. Then I will tell them what happened and reveal what we are out here looking for."
Pellaeon nodded and left to carry out his orders as Thrawn looked at the statue on his desk, a lovely piece of artwork given to Thrawn by the Emperor personally after Thrawn was promoted to Grand Admiral.
Within an hour all twelve of the ship captains in the fleet were waiting for Grand Admiral Thrawn to arrive in the briefing room when the Chiss entered the room with Captain Pellaeon in two along with curiously 2 members of the kitchen staff holding trays bringing bottles of Corelleon Ale and drink glasses.
Drinks were poured out on the desk as Thrawn and Pellaeon sat down, the kitchen staff then left the room with Thrawn thanking them for the drinks, knowing the others would need the drink after what he was about to tell them.
Suddenly the captain of the Death's Head, Captain Harbid asked Thrawn "Sir why have you asked us all here?"
Thrawn picked up his glass and said with sadness in his voice "I received a communication from Imperial Centre. The Rebel Alliance has destroyed the Second Death Star, most of the fleet there has been destroyed. The Emperor and Lord Vader are dead."
Everyone was in shock at this and Captain Brandei, the commander of The Judicator said "Rebel filth."
Thrawn stood up and raised his glass as he toasted he said "To our Emperor, Lord Vader and all our fallen comrades." Everyone else toasted and drank the Corellion Ale before Thrawn said "The new Interim Emperor Sate Pestage has ordered we head back to Imperial Space to aid other Imperial forces in striking back against the rebellion. That is an order I intend to disobey."
Everyone was shocked at this and Thrawn continued by saying "The Emperor sent this fleet here on a secret mission, I intend to follow those orders."
Captain of the Star Destroyer Relentless, Captain Dorja asked "Why are we out here in the Unknown Regions sir? What are we looking for exactly?"
Thrawn activated the holographic projection in the middle of the table and the hologram of a large structure was shown. All of them knew what it was. It was the Rakata space station known as the Star Forge.
The Grand Admiral said "The Emperor wanted to use the power of the Star Forge to ensure the Empire's invulnerability. With the Emperor gone we must carry out his wishes. The Rebels might have won this battle, but the war is far from over."
The captains nodded in agreement and Captain Dorja said "Let's find the Star Forge and make the rebels pay for what they done this day."
With that the briefing was over and the latest scout ships that were searching ahead for the Star Forge reported in that they found something he needed to see.
Thrawn ordered the fleet to head to the coordinates the pilots had, hopefully they were now one step closer to finding the Star Forge. They arrived in orbit of a large planet and Thrawn gave the order for a shuttle to be prepped. He was going to go down to the planet and see what the scouts found.
The shuttle landed near some ruins on the planet, Thrawn and his squad of Death Troopers looked around and Thrawn was pleased to see the ruins were from the Rakata Infinite Empire, this meant they were on the right track.
Suddenly a voice said "Like what you see?"
Thrawn and his men turned around and saw a man in black robes emerge from the forest, Thrawn was in shock, it was a man he had read about and who was considered one of the greatest military minds in the galaxy. Darth Revan himself.
Thrawn had to be sure and asked "Are you Darth Revan, the famous Jedi who lead the Republic to victory against the Mandalorians during the Mandalorian War and became the Sith lord who was betrayed by Malak, captured by Bastila Shan and eventually slayed Malak becoming the Dark Lord of the Sith once again with Bastila as your apprentice?"
Revan lifted two of the Death Troopers into the air sucked the life out of them with Force Drain as Grand Admiral Thrawn and the rest of his men watched. Once he was done Revan asked "Does that answer your question?"
Thrawn nodded as Revan said "Now answer some of mine. Who are you and why are you here?"
Thrawn said "I am Grand Admiral Thrawn, a member of the Galactic Empire. My fleet was sent into the Unknown Regions by the Emperor, Darth Sidious to find something you're familiar with. The Star Forge as the Empire is facing a great threat from another galaxy and need to use its power to ensure these invaders are defeated. The Emperor was tragically killed along with his apprentice Darth Vader when rebels destroyed the ultimate weapon, the Death Star, well the second, the first had been destroyed by Rebels over a two years ago. Darth Revan, I read about you, your tactics. You were the greatest military mind of your time, possibly of all time, even now nearly 4,000 years after you killed Darth Malak."
Curious Revan asked "Yes, what are you suggesting?"
Thrawn stepped forward and said "Lead us to the Star Forge Lord Revan, I will tell you all about these invaders, my people the Chiss have fought them off when their threatened our territory. They seek to conquer the galaxy and make it theirs, with the Empire leaderless we need a strong leader to lead us against these invaders. I believe you are that leader Lord Revan who can lead us to victory against the enemies of the Empire."
Revan was silent for a moment before he asked "What do you want in return Thrawn?"
Thrawn replied telling the truth "I want to serve as your right hand man, I believe that to defeat these enemies the galaxy must be united under one leader,"
Revan than said "How many ships do you have in your command? How many soldiers?"
Thrawn replied "I have 13 Star Destroyers under my command, each Star Destroyer has a crew of 9,700 Stormtroopers, 27,850 enlisted crew and 9,235 officers. That gives us a grand total of 126,100 Stormtroopers, 362,050 enlisted crew and 120,055 officers."
Revan smiled and said "It's a start. Let's get back to your fleet so you can inform your top officers of their new Emperor."
Thrawn bowed his head and said "Yes Emperor." As they headed back to the shuttle.
When they arrived back at the fleet, Thrawn summoned all the ship captains and their first officers as Revan gave Thrawn the location of the Star Forge as he had moved the station after defeating Malak and destroying the Republic Fleet, it was only a hyperspace jump away.
Thrawn then showed Revan all of the information that the Empire had on this external threat to the Empire which was referred to as the Far Outsiders by the late Darth Sidious himself.
As the other captains and their first officers started to arrive in the briefing room, all of them were curious who this man in black robes was sitting at the head of the table as Grand Admiral Thrawn and Captain Pellaeon sat down.
Captain Dagon Niriz the captain of the Star Destroyer Admonitor asked Thrawn "What did you find on that planet sir?"
Revan answered "He found me, Darth Revan, the true lord of the Sith. Your Emperor is dead as is his apprentice Darth Vader. The Empire needs new leadership. Thrawn wants me to lead and I accepted. I will lead us to the Star Forge and we will use it to create enough ships to conquer the entire galaxy. Swear loyalty to me and when we conquer the galaxy, you will be rewarded. Refuse and you die."
Captain Pellaeon and several others immediately swore loyalty to Darth Revan followed by their first officer, when the captain of the Star Destroyer Araxis stood up and said "I refuse. My loyalty is to the Emperor's chosen successor. Not someone claiming to be Revan, a Sith Lord who was too stupid to see Malak would-"
He was silenced as Revan killed the man by decapitating him mid-sentence with his lightsaber. Revan looked at the first officer of the Araxis and asked "What say you captain?"
The newly promoted captain of the Araxis immediately swore loyalty to Revan as the others did quickly. With that a broadcast was made to the fleet letting them know about Emperor Revan.
Once that was done, the fleet arrived at the Star Forge and there Thrawn observed as Revan activated the factories to start making new Star Destroyers and Revan said to Thrawn "I'm naming you the supreme commander of the Imperial army. You'll answer only to me. With this fleet of warships. We will destroy the Jedi, the Rebels and these invaders. All our enemies will fall before us."
Thrawn smiled and watched as a Star Destroyer was now being built before he asked Revan "How did you manage to live so long?"
Revan replied "There are some abilities that can be used by the Dark Side that most consider to be unnatural. I learned how to achieve immortality. When we conquer the galaxy. I will need to find a new apprentice to learn from me."
Thrawn thinking of the assassins the Emperor had who could use the Force said "I know where you can find one."
Nothing else was said as the building of the Infinite Fleet began.
The End
Authors notes Well that's the end of this one-shot let me know what you think of it read and review no flames though ok.