Star Wars: The Order of the Balanced Knights
Summary: A lone survivor from Luke's Academy sets out to follow the path seen in a vision. On the way, she encounters force ghosts who teach her to find her balance and teach her force powers that have long been forgotten. Along the way, she is joined by a mishmash group of force users and they dub themselves The Order of the Balanced Knights, barely formed they must decide if they will stand with the Resistance or Join with the First Order. As the names of their soulmates appear is anything a simple as it seems and how will this mishmash group of force users affect the coming battle?
Will contain slash and multi-pairings. Pairing will be listed later to avoid spoilers.
Will switch between first and third person POV.
Notes on the Story Star Wars Setting:
Starts 4 Years before the Force Awakens (34 ABY) in 30 ABY
Character Ages; Hux (Born 0 ABY), Kylo ( Born 5 ABY), Rey (Born 15 ABY), Poe (Born 2 ABY), Finn (11 ABY) – as going by dates listed on Wookipedia.
Notes on the AU and Crossover Elements:
Everyone receives the names of the soulmate(s) on their wrist on their 18th birthday. Except for the Jedi who would block theirs – a practice which Luke uses with his students. It can be reversed by using a dark side technique.
Prologue: The First Knight
3rd Person POV
Yavin 4: The new Jedi Academy under Master Luke Skywalker. 30 ABY
The group of students is seated in a semi-circle around their master; Ben Solo is seated next to a girl the same age as him. The two are slightly separated from their peers, most of the others being cruel out of jealousy for the ease that the pair has picked up new techniques. Right now the meditation is aimed at manipulating the environment, Ben has managed to create a small cycle and manipulate vines from the forest to wrap around himself. Kida with her natural ability for elemental manipulation is dancing balls of fire in the air in front of her. None of the other students have managed to manipulate an element let alone more than one on this first lesson.
Coming in a 5'6 with wings that appear from a tattoo like a brand on her back Kida is the only member of her species at the Academy. Other than the wings and the natural purple that streaks through her blond hair, there is very little that would point to Kida being anything other than human. From the tropical and volcanic planet of Phoenix, the native humanoids are referred to as Phoenixes sharing many of the traits of the mythical creatures; tears with healing properties, abilities to manipulates the elements (mainly fire), rapid healing and regenerative abilities and longevities that span hundreds of thousands of standard years that they can 'share' with their soulmates.
The lesson ends and the students go their separate ways to study or practice. Kida and Ben head to one of the practice rooms for a sparring match that last half an hour with Ben winning narrowly.
First Person POV – Kida
I pull out my personal data pad and check my messages, three are marked as important and I start with replying to them. Before Master Skywalker found me I had studied and graduated with degrees in computing and engineering while working part time as a mechanic to earn credits to pay for tuition and accommodation. I'd just started working at a technology firm as a junior research and development technician.
When I came to the academy the firm agreed that I could work remotely from here and submit my designs to them. The data pad I am using is one I had just finished designing before I was invited to the Academy. It's become a popular design as it has the highest memory capacity of any data pad available largely due to the redesigned memory chip that I created. Due to the designs belonging to me, I get a reasonable share of the profits of any sale.
One of the emails is in response to the modifications to the hyperdrive engine that I have been working on, it should maintain the same top speed but take up 60% less space than the engine design I was working from. Testing indicates that I got the space saving calculations right but that I was wrong about the top speed being unaffected though since it is an increase in speed rather than a decrease the design is an overall success.
Another email is about the diary/day planner application that I designed for the data pad which can be linked to other people's diaries if you have the friend code (with settings to indicate which entries are private, shareable with friends or shared only with your soulmate(s). When I came to the academy shortly before my 18th life day Master Skywalker performed a ritual that all new Jedi undergo, he didn't tell me that it would block my mark from turning to the name of my soulmate(s) or I would have waited to join till the names had come in.
The app has become a top seller and is already in use by 75% of the data pad users. With a rating of 3.9 stars, the company has sent me the feedback so that I can create an update with features that users of the app would like to see; these include group events and an event planning function which should be easy enough to add. Opening my copy of the app I look at my schedule for the next couple of days for a free spot to work on the updates; the day after tomorrow just after sparring with Ben.
The final email is from a classmate from university telling me that her soulmate has proposed (finally) and that she would like me to be her maid of honor when they get married next year; she includes a date and planet – Naboo. Adding the date to my diary I then go through the rest of my messages.
Going over my day planner for the rest of the week I then flick over the last six years thinking about the Jedi training I have received since coming here. When I came here I had a level of martial art skills and along with the same friend due to being married the two of us attended lessons where we also learned how to use a whip. Since then I've learned to use a lightsabre which at first felt strange being used to a fluid weapon and I've learned how to channel the force to enhance my blows and improve my accuracy when fighting hand to hand. Finally seeing the time I turn off my pad and settle into a meditative position to meditate before I get ready for bed.
The room is unfamiliar the view outside the viewport is a city as far as the eye can see, I'm alone in a room meant for 12 the chairs in a semi-circle are empty. I move to the window, I'm alone now Master Skywalker has left, unable to handle the devastation we found at the Academy. "Alone you are not, the force is with you." A voice speaks from behind me.
Before I can turn I am no longer in the unfamiliar room, instead I am in a spaceport on Tatooine getting off a Protector Class Corvette. A Twi'lek maybe two or three years younger than me crashes into me and it is only my force reflexes that keep us from falling to the ground.
Another change, another spaceport, this figure a female Zeltron. Twin Togruta. Hoth, a male Zeltron. Another cold planet, the five unfamiliar faces follow me into an old Jedi Temple 'Telos' a voice speaks.
Space; a star destroyer commanded by a red haired general, Ben's force presence shrouded in darkness. A red lightsabre it's blade crackling and unstable.
The vision ends and I'm back in my room filled with a sense of dread, why would Master Skywalker abandon us? Is Ben really going to fall to the dark side? I should consult Master Skywalker but can I tell him of the dread I feel without telling him of Ben's fall. Getting up I search for Master Skywalker in the force and follow his presence to a small meditation garden. Ben is with him and the two look up as I approach.
"Something is troubling you, Kida. Would you like to talk about it?" Master Skywalker inquiries.
"I can go if it would be more comfortable for you." Ben offers.
"You're my friend Ben, you're welcome to stay," I respond sitting down next to the two them.
"I had a vision just before I came here." I start before explaining the vision as far as Telos.
"I can't imagine why I would leave the students." Master Skywalker comments.
"In the vision, I felt alone, I got the sense that the Academy was lost along with the students," I comment.
"Do you think something happened to me?" Ben inquires.
"Maybe I got the feeling of great loss and my best friend would be a great lost," I reply.
"Whatever happened, it sounds like you find your way to the old Jedi temple on Coruscant the person speaking to you the way they spoke sounded like Master Yoda it is possible his force ghost finds you there. There was an old Jedi Academy on Telos as well so you seem to find yourself at former Jedi temples. The others you saw, could you tell if they were forced sensitive?" Master Skywalker inquiries.
"They all were. I think." I answer.
"It is possible that after whatever happened, the loss of the students or Academy, my disappearance that you will find yourself the instructor to a new group of Jedi students." Master Skywalker muses.
"Is there anything we can do to prevent the loss?" I ask.
"As there are no specifics in the vision there is nothing we can do but be watchful and trust the force." Master Skywalker responds.
"Don't worry Kida, we're aware now that something will happen we'll keep our eyes open and stop it." Ben comments.
First Person POV – Ben
Uncle Luke will be watching now, Kida's vision will have made him weary the Knights will have to wait, the attack can't happen this month, not with Luke so watchful I doubt he'll leave the academy he'll probably ask Han to bring supplies to the temple rather than leave to get them himself.
Kida will survive; it's the will of the force. Will she train her students to attack me, renounce our friendship and pretend that things haven't changed? She could be so strong in the dark side if she chose to see it. Her death would be something I'd regret, she's the only friend I have in this place. The only one isn't bothered by my temper or jealous of how quickly I learn the new force techniques.
First Person POV – Luke
So Ben is going to fall to the dark side, I doubt he picked up on the end of Kida's vision the part she withheld in her retelling of it. Her thoughts were loud and jumbled and I doubt she noticed when I read the vision from her mind. I can't tell Han and Leia yet but maybe if they bring this month's supplies they can talk to Ben, spend time with him and remind him that he has family that loves him.
3rd Person POV
There is a tension over the academy over the following month, most of the students picking up on their Master's worry. The arrival of Han and Leia is a source of delight for the younger students who crowd Han asking for stories. The visit doesn't last long and changes nothing in the foreseen course. The attack happens the following month when Luke leaves for supplies.
First Person POV – Kida
The masked men that attack the Academy are both a surprise and yet an expected horror. Younger students are running trying to find places to hide. Older students, the ones with their own lightsabres fight back against the masked men. My own purple light saber lights up the night as I join the fight. I cut down one of the men and lead a group of the youngsters to the hanger bay. Leaving them there I run back to the temple and escort more students to the hangar bay.
I head back to the temple to find other students. The hum and hiss of an unstable lightsabre, I turn facing the masked figure wielding a red saber. The blade crackling with exhaust ports on both sides looking like the ancient Sith design.
"I don't want to fight you, Ben," I state deactivating my saber.
"My name is Kylo Ren now. Come with me, you could be so strong in the dark." I am offered.
"You know my path. I will go to Coruscant from here and seek out the others in my vision." I respond.
"Will you teach them the ways of the Jedi? Teach them to attack me if the encounter me?" Ben taunts.
"I will teach them what I learn and I will teach them to avoid you, tell them that I am the only one that can find a balance with you," I reply.
"Run into the woods, hide from the others or go to the hanger take a ship and escape." Ben orders before turning to walk in another direction.
"We'll meet again. The others from my vision will be with me. You will be working on a star destroyer with a red haired general. " I advise. "Till we see each other again old friend. May the Force be with." I add snapping out my wings and taking to the skies to return to the hangar bay.
When I get there and find that the students I had hidden there have been killed. There are no signs of anyone else. The sound of a ship taking of fills the night, along with the hiss of fires. Reaching out my elemental power I extinguish the fire. I walk through the ruins of the academy searching my fellow students for signs of life.
I find Milo dismembered and remember how he was the cruelest of those that bullied Ben and me, I shudder remembering how he'd told me that there are wing collectors who pay a pretty price from my wings – he'd laughed saying he'd take a saber to them and sell them. Ben had lost his temper and knocked three of his teeth out in the resulting fight, Master Luke and Ben's parents were so angry with him yet Milo got no reprimand for his threats to me.
By the time Luke returns I am gathering bodies of my fellow students, placing them into the specialized bags that we have for the rare deaths we have seen. Luke joins me in the grim task and soon we are arranging for the families to collect the dead. "Ben was the only one using a lightsaber the rest had swords," I comment as Luke observes the blood spatter on the walls of the temple.
"We couldn't have persuaded Ben to stop, there's too much Vader in him." Luke comments.
"He spared me." I counter thinking of the traces of light that I had felt in Ben's aura, even in the future when we meet again there are traces of the light.
"I think that you are the only person that Ben has any true attachment to," Luke responds.
"Most of the deaths that were caused by a lightsabre a clean, Milo is the only one who would have suffered," Luke observes.
"Milo once threatened to cut off my wings to sell to a collector that's why Ben fought with him and knocked out his teeth," I state.
"I wasn't aware of that, Milo said he was inviting you to join a trek with the other padawans and that Ben didn't like that you agreed," Luke responds.
"You never asked us for our sides of the story," I argue.
"I could not sense any deception from Milo." Luke comments.
"It isn't infallible if the other person knows how the sensing ability works," I observe.
"You're right I'm starting to get the feeling that I've missed a lot of things were you and Ben are concerned." Luke agrees.
"The other Padawans bullied Ben a lot. They mostly left me alone but if they could use me to get a rise out of Ben then they would." I explain leaving out the truth I have spent my life concealing.
Luke walks with me to the hanger bay. "I intend to seek out the first Jedi temple follow your path Kida and form a new Jedi order. When the time is right I will return and help you." Luke instructs.
"Very well Master Skywalker, I will take my Protector Class Corvette so you know how to reach me when you return," I advise.
"If I can't reach you, I'll look to Telos for clues to your location." Luke offers.
"When I move on from there I'll leave you a message hidden in a model x-wing," I state.
"Until we next to me, may the force be with you." Luke comments.
"May the force be with you, Master," I reply. "I will leave for Coruscant now," I add turning towards my ship.
"Kida, remember that the light is always there inside you. It always will be." Luke advises.
"I know master, you're teaching has taught me that much." I smile.
Boarding my ship, I settle into the pilot's seat and start firing up the engines. When I came to the temple, all my possessions were packed onto this ship and I never really unpacked. The few items in my room I had taken to carrying in my bag, except my clothes and those I don't mind leaving behind as I've never felt comfortable in the tunics that make up the Jedi uniform preferring backless dresses and top so that I can release my wings if I need them.
Once I find somewhere to dock my ship I use my pad to organize some supplies and then head into Coruscant towards the old Jedi temple. On the outside, the temple looks to be in good condition aside from a few scorch marks from blaster bolts. "You don't want to go in there, love that's the place of those hockey Jedi people." A passerby comments.
"You don't believe in the force?" I inquire.
"Never seen nothing that could suggest such a thing, lass." The man responds.
"I have, my path leads here. I intend to search the temple there may be things that can help me in my journey." I offer.
"Really, the force is real? I doubt you'll find anything in the temple though a few brave relic collectors have scavenged the place." The man states.
"It won't hurt to have a look." I return.
"I guess it won't there ain't gonna be anyone in there to give you trouble." The man replies. "You planning on stayin' in the area long?" the man quires.
"A week at least, maybe more I have a lot to do," I respond.
"My wife and I own a hotel down the road if you're looking for a place the stay, we don't charge much cause the area ain't that popular and my wife does a mean breakfast." The man suggests.
"Thank you, if you give me your address I'll head there after I have a quick look inside," I respond pointing to the temple.
The man gives me the name of their hotel and its location then heads of whistling a jaunty tune. With one last look at the scorned entrance, I cross into the temple. Littering the walls is the scorned evidence of the massacre that took place here, a sense of tragic gloom pervades the air.
Guided by the force I find my way to the council chambers. The room is unfamiliar the view outside the viewport is a city as far as the eye can see, I'm alone in a room meant for 12 the chairs in a semi-circle are empty. I move to the window, I'm alone now Master Skywalker has left, unable to handle the devastation we found at the Academy. "Alone you are not, the force is with you." A voice speaks from behind me.
"The force may be with me but my master and my friend are gone," I reply.
"See your friend again, you know you will." The person responds.
Turning round I reply "I know but I'll still miss them till we meet again, Master Yoda."
"Busy you will be, much to learn there is." Master Yoda comments.
"I have no teacher." I counter.
"Spare part am I, the teacher I was, taught your master, Luke, I did. Ghost I may be but teach you I will." Master Yoda responds.
"I look forward to learning from you." I smile, the first it feels like since my vision.
"Safe there is, found it no one has." Yoda comments.
"In here?" I query.
"Here it is," Yoda responds tapping a point in the center of the room.
"How do I open it?" I inquire.
"Open it you will once you learn how to find that answer yourself." Master Yoda comments.
"Is the knowledge stored in the achieve computers?" I ask.
"Use the force you will. Postcognition you will learn. Draw on the memory of the force you will. See last events you will." Master Yoda answers.
"Tomorrow return, the first lesson I will teach you." Master Yoda instructs.
"See you tomorrow then Master," I comment.
I leave the temple and head towards the hotel, the woman behind the counter smiles when she sees me. "My husband told me we might be seeing you." She greets.
"I'd like to rent a room for a couple of weeks, maybe more depending on how long things take to organize." I request.
"Of course dear." The woman replies. "I'll just need your name and your details." She adds.
"Kidagakash but I go by Kida" I state before giving her my credit details.
"No last name love?" the man inquires.
"Richard, you know not all race have last names." Scolds the woman.
"It's ok really, I look human and they have last names," I comment.
"What are you then?" Richard inquiries.
"I'm half-human. My father was human." I answer.
"Humans have last names," Richard observes.
"I don't know mine; it was lost to me a long time ago with my parents," I respond.
"How can you lose a name?" the woman inquires.
"Now who's being nosy Tina," Richard argues.
"It's fine, I'm pretty open with the story. I was in a shuttle crash with my parents in 13 ABY, they were killed and the bodies weren't recognizable. Our DNA isn't in any database that could be found so no one could identify if I have any living family. Since I could only remember my first name and some of my interests and my date of birth I was sent to an orphanage on the planet the shuttle crashed. I grew up on Naboo." I explain.
"Have you tried to have your memory restored?" Tina asks.
"The process doesn't work on mixed races like me," I answer.
"Same that do you have a nice family now? Your soulmate?" Tina inquiries.
"Only some close friends. Mia who lives on Naboo and Ben who I was learning the ways of the force with on Yavin. I haven't found my soulmate yet." I respond.
"I heard there was a massacre there like the one at the temple here." Richard states.
"The temple was attacked when Master Luke was of the world," I confirm.
"That's terrible, did your Ben survive?" Tina inquiries.
"He did," I reply.
"Richard said you intend to explore the temple here, what are you hoping to find?" Tina asks.
"I don't know what I'll find but the force guided me to Coruscant in a vision so there must be something to find. A better understanding of the force would be nice." I comment.
"Well, I hope that you find what it is you're looking for," Richard states.
"Thank you," I respond taking my room key from Tina and heading upstairs to my room. I could have chosen to sleep on my ship but I get the feeling I'll be doing that a lot soon enough so if I can enjoy the luxury of a hotel for a few weeks I will.
I spend the next week training with master Yoda and downloading the data from the archives onto a data card.
In my search of the temple, I find a hidden storage cupboard containing a case of training sabers, training remotes, a case of supply belts and equipment, a box of lightsaber parts and some kyber crystal. In the archive, I find a hidden sub vault in the main artifact vault that contains a number of holograms and some Sith artifacts, the most interesting to me is the Sith Abattar, which translates any language spoken or written.
"Interesting the Abattar is." Master Yoda comments.
"Especially for people like me who struggle with languages," I reply thinking how helpful it could be translating some of the holocrons.
"Intend to use it you do. Careful you must be." Yoda warns.
"I will be, if possible I will find out how it was made and make a version that is more suited to the light side of the force or if not possible at least make it more balanced," I reply.
As I find anything I transfer it to my ship so that it won't be taken by anyone else. In the evenings I often talk with Tina and Richard about the force and daily topics of conversation. Richard is skeptical at best about the force but Tina believes; her great uncle was Mace Windu and she has seen holo vids of Jedi battles. I demonstrate some basic abilities like sensing emotions and telekinesis.
Master Yoda has me learning the Postcognition ability and practicing it on items in the temple. During the times I practice I witness many scenes of the massacre and often have to practice quieting my emotions. Three days into my second week on Coruscant I manage to find out how to open the vault in the council chambers. It contains a number of chests.
"Left lightsabers some masters do, held here they are. Found Mace's I did, bring it here I did. This chest holds them. Holds Sith artifact this one does. Copies of important Jedi and Sith documents, the rest," Master Yoda explains.
"This is impressive; are all the records on data cards or are some of them on paper?" I question.
"Data cards, all documents scanned onto the computer they were," Master Yoda answers.
I move all the chests to my ship, in all, there are five chests that were hidden in the secret vault. "Found all hidden stashes, you have now." Master Yoda states. "Head to each of the Academy worlds, show you hidden stashes I will. Finish at Telos, Academy there most easy to make inhabitable again. New base it shall be." Master Yoda continues. "Different your order will be. Both sides of the force you shall use. Will of the force it is. The balance you will need to find," He finishes.
"Is that why I feel a call to the dark side?" I quiz.
"Feel call to the light you do. Dark you were born," Master Yoda responds.
"So you know who I am then?" I inquire.
"The forces hides nothing from the dead," Master Yoda answers. "See what's been left for you, you should," Master Yoda instructs.
"Shall I plan that into my route when I travel to the Academy worlds?" I ask.
"Wise it would be." Master Yoda agrees.
"When do you think I should leave?" I ask.
"Planning you have, supplies to gather and shopping for your students you must," Master Yoda muses. "Four days, you should leave." Master Yoda answers.
"What do I need to get for my students?" I question.
"Little they have, clothing they will need. A trunk for their things. A data pad. Comlinks they will need. Need one you will." Master Yoda comments.
"There are comlinks in the field equipment supplies," I observe.
"Surface to orbit at best, need longer range you might. Transceiver can't be used, no temple staff to man the station. Transceiver based comlinks you will need. Better range too. Old those comlinks are a 100km range, they have," Master Yoda explains.
On my last day in Coruscant after a meal with Tina and Richard before I check out and knowing that they have been struggling for money due to Richard has recently been very ill and requiring expensive medical care I decided that upon leaving I will do something to help them out.
"The two of you have been very kind to me these two weeks. I'd like to do something for you. I know you've both been curious as to what race I am. I'm a Phoenix" I inform them, stepping from the table and snapping out my wings. Carefully I remove several feathers that are due to shedding.
"Those are some mighty fine wings you got there" Richard comments.
"Thanks" I smile. "I thought you could keep one of these and sell the rest to collected, I've heard Phoenix feathers fetch a pretty good price." I offer.
"A pretty good price, she says. Girl, a single feather worth nearly a million credits!" Tina exclaims.
"I've no need for them they were going to come off in a couple of days anyway and the new feathers are due to come in and replace them." I shrug.
"That's very generous of you. Even if you don't need them," Richard mutters.
"I usually keep them and drop them into passing prams," I explain.
"You always so generous?" Tina inquiries.
"I can usually tell which parents will need the money for the child or will set it up in savings account for their education later if they don't need it," I elaborate "it's hardly generosity if the item holds no value to me," I add.
"It's still generous even if they hold no value to you," Tina argues.
"Very well, yes then because that's always what I do. I've given away 8 feathers to babies since I was here," I respond.
Leaving Tina and Richard I head to the spaceport and board my ship setting out for the first of the Academy worlds. At each temple Master, Yoda shows me the hidden safes and I carry on after downloading the archives computer databases to data cards. The biggest prize comes in the form of the crystals of fire hidden in a vault in the healing based temple on Rhinnal. After stopping at the hidden vault I finally make my way to Telos after stopping to resupply I head to the Jedi temple, the crew quarters of my ship doubling as storage rooms now.