DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters. Disney does, because Disney owns all.

So yeah, I always loved the Force Unleashed, and Starkiller is one of my favorite SW characters, so I figured an AU involving him would be fun to write.

Chapter One: Choice

The last thing Galen Marek recalled was the almost incomprehensible pain he endured from the Emperor's barrage of Force Lightning. Slowly pushing himself forward while his friends escaped on the Rogue Shadow. The full, infinite power of the Force flowing through him as he willingly gave his life for the Rebellion he had created.

And then nothing.

Now, the powerful young warrior stood in an endless void of white, with nothing but the robes on his back. This place felt very strange, almost as if it were alive. It almost felt like being in the belly of the sarlacc again, but instead of pain and darkness, there was calm and peace.

"Where am I?" he asked aloud.

"Everywhere, and nowhere," came a voice from behind him. Galen's hand instinctively reached for a lightsaber that wasn't there as he whirled around, ready for anything.

A few meters away, a man of advanced age stood, wearing what appeared to be Jedi robes. He had long brown hair and a beard, and his face bore a warm smile that seemed somewhat paternal.

Galen recognized him immediately. "You're Qui-Gon Jinn," he almost whispered.

The stranger raised an eyebrow. "I had forgotten that your holodroid had a module of me."

The man formerly known as Starkiller jumped to one conclusion. "Am I dead?"

Qui-Gon did not answer at first, instead turning his head to glance around the featureless void. "It certainly appears so, doesn't it?"

"That's not an answer," came the young man's retort, though it lacked any bitterness. He knew going into the Empire's space station that he would likely die so his allies could live, and he had never feared death anyway. After nearly twenty years of PROXY's constant assassination attempts and Vader's unrelenting sparring sessions, Galen had come to terms with his mortality long ago, at an age no sentient should have to.

But he knew that he was going to miss friends, old and new. PROXY, Kota, Bail, Leia...

Juno.

"True," Qui-Gon admitted. "But your situation is a rather unique one, Galen. The Force is giving you a second chance."

Galen's question of how the long-dead Jedi Master knew his name was quashed by the bigger inquiry on his mind. "What do you mean? What second chance?"

Instead of a verbal answer, Jinn nodded his head behind the young Marek before fading and disappearing. Turning once more, Galen felt his eyes widen and his heart race.

Two figures stood before him. One was a man wearing brown robes with a hood up, and the other a woman with short black hair wearing what appeared to be a kind of camouflage armor. They both smiled at him, and the young man immediately knew who they were.

"Father... Mother..." he managed to say, though it was more of a croak as he found it hard to talk. A mixture of emotions roared through him; joy, disbelief, sorrow, regret, shame.

His legs betrayed him, causing Galen to land on his knees, trepidation burning into his soul. How could he face them? He had been a murderer, a slayer of Jedi, a Sith. He had no right to be here, and he most certainly did not deserve the loving gazes they were giving him.

The woman, his mother, approached him, kneeling down once she was close enough. Mallie Marek reached out and brushed his cheek, staring into his brown eyes with her emerald ones. "It's okay, Galen," she said, and her voice was so beautiful, so melodic, so understanding, that the former Sith lost all control and allowed himself to weep.

His mother embraced him, allowing her grown son to cry into her shoulder, even as she herself felt tears escaping from her eyes. Looking up, she saw Kento, her beloved husband, approach and place his hand on Galen's shoulder.

For the first time in nearly two decades, the Mareks were together again.

Even though it felt like an eternity, a few minutes passed and Galen stood up, drying his eyes and allowing himself to regain composure. Looking once more at his parents, he wasn't sure what to say.

Fortunately, Kento spoke up first. "You've come a long way, son," he said, a mixture of pride and sadness seeping into his voice. "Even though I could not protect you from Vader, you've grown into a powerful Jedi."

"I'm no Jedi," Galen said, surprised by the bite in his tone. "I've slaughtered Imperials, rebels, droids. I killed Kazdan Paratus and Shaak Ti, and I took away Kota's sight."

"You can't blame yourself for those acts," Mallie chastised. "You had been made into a weapon by Vader; you didn't know any better."

"Yes I did," he replied quietly. "I reveled in it. The power, the conflict, the thrill. I cut down everything in my path without a second thought, and I enjoyed every second of it."

A silence quickly descended upon the family.

Kento stepped forward. "Son, look at me."

The son locked eyes with the father.

"Yes, you did commit reprehensible crimes in the name of the Empire, there is no denying that. What you have done would have more than likely have haunted you for the rest of your life, correct?"

A nod was his response.

"And that, my son, makes all the difference in the universe."

Galen did not understand, and said so aloud.

"A Sith would brush off such violence, claiming that it was for the greater good, or that it was for amusement. And at the time, you felt that way. But now, you have accepted your mistakes, and have done all you can to make up for them. You freed Wookiee slaves on Kashyyyk, saved Bail Organa's daughter from the Empire, and sacrificed yourself to save the Rebellion and bring hope to the galaxy. Those sound like the actions of a Jedi to me," Kento explained, turning to his wife with a small smirk. "Wouldn't you agree, Mallie?"

"Indeed," she smiled back.

Galen was speechless. How could they just accept him like that?

"Plus, I'm rather pleased that I have a son that can tear a Star Destroyer out of the sky," the father added, grinning like a fool.

The young man gave a small chuckle at that, before a thought came to mind. "Are they here? Paratus and Shaak Ti?"

The parents glanced at each other, and Mallie spoke up. "They are beyond here," she said cryptically.

Galen frowned, remembering a similar comment from Master Jinn earlier. "What does that mean?"

"You stand at a crossroads, my son," Kento said. "You must make a choice, and whatever you choose, it will decide the fate of the galaxy."

The former Sith assassin stood straighter at his father's serious tone.

"Your first option is to come with us, and become one with the Force," Kento explained.

"The other is for you to go back to your body, and continue the fight against the Empire," Mallie added, smirking playfully. "Not to mention give us some grandchildren with that pilot of yours."

Galen blushed at his mother's insinuation, though he quickly regained his seriousness.

"What happens if I go with you? Will the Rebellion succeed? Will the Empire fall?"

"Yes," Kento answered. "They will succeed. But the Emperor isn't the only threat out there."

"What are you saying?" came the Starkiller's worried question, taking note of his parents' tensing up.

"I cannot say any more. All you need to know is that something terrible is coming, no matter what you choose."

"And if I go back? I'm pretty sure the Emperor has my body," Galen pointed out.

Mallie shook her head. "Kota fought tooth and nail to retrieve you before they left the space station, actually."

The son smiled, honored that his informal Jedi Master cared that much. Even though he acted like a grizzled old rancor, the old man was a softie at heart.

"But what happens if I do return?" he asked.

"That's completely up to you. Lead the Rebellion or run into the Unknown Regions, it's your choice," Kento said.

"I'm hearing that word a lot lately," Galen snorted.

"As well that you should," Mallie said, her voice becoming like Mandalorian Iron. "Choices make us who we are. I chose to fight Trandoshan slavers, your father chose to duel Vader, and you chose to give your life for trillions of others. Those three decisions have impacted the galaxy in a way that you could not comprehend. Just like the one that lays before you now."

The last member of the Marek family locked eyes with both of his parents, knowing that the time had come for him to make his decision.

The Rebellion was going to succeed if he did not return, he had confirmation of that. He could move on, find peace in death that he never could in life. To finally be with the parents that had been taken from him far too early.

But he felt a responsibility now. Just like his parents had given him life and watched over him, he had given birth to the Rebel Alliance, and he had an obligation to nurture it and help it grow. Not only could he lead their forces, but he could use his considerable power to show the rest of the galaxy that the Empire was not all-powerful. Morale would definitely approve among the ranks at the sight of AT-STs being cut down like womp rats.

And he had Juno...

Galen glanced at his father. "You'd go back for Mother, wouldn't you?"

Kento gave a simple nod.

Well, that was all he needed. He was being given a second chance, and damn if he wouldn't take it.

The son approached his parents and embraced them. "I love you," he said to them, feeling a small thrill at being able to say those words for the first time.

"And we love you," Mallie responded.

"We're proud of you, Galen. And we will always watch over you," Kento added.

The embrace broke, and the young man took a few steps back. He blinked once, and his parents were gone.

The pure whiteness of his surroundings grew brighter, until there was a bright flash, and then darkness.

The first thing Galen was aware of was the fact that his body hurt like hell. Taking so much Lightning and opening himself up to the Force had apparently done quite a number on him, so much so that opening his eyes caused a twinge of pain that slightly blurred his vision.

"By the Force," a familiar voice gasped, and the familiar form of Rahm Kota hovered over his informal apprentice, shock and disbelief etched over his features. His worn face then split into a grin that made him seem a decade younger. "Seems like there's nothing in this galaxy that can kill you, boy."

Galen chuckled, then winced. "Not for lack of trying."

The former Sith assassin glanced around his surroundings, noting how familiar it looked and... felt. Oh yes, he recognized this place. "My home," he whispered in disbelief.

Kota nodded. "It seemed the safest place to hide until we could get our forces to regroup."

The boy sat up, groaning at his body's protests. Fortunately, this wasn't anything he hadn't felt before. Being stabbed through the back by Vader and flung around with the Force made his current pain seem downright comfortable by comparison.

"Do they know?" he asked, referring to the leaders of the Rebellion.

Kota shook his head. "Actually, we were planning on having a funeral pyre for you tomorrow morning. It's how Jedi were sent off in the days of the Order. Seems like that won't be necessary now."

Galen was silent as he pushed himself off of the table he had been 'resting' on, his legs beginning to buckle from the weight being put on them. The old Jedi quickly moved forward to assist his student.

"You might find it interesting that the leaders of the Rebel Alliance have taken your family crest as their official insignia," Kota informed him.

The former Starkiller let out a chuckle. "I think the gesture will mean less after they learn that I'm still breathing."

"Not necessarily. You're one of the most powerful Force users the galaxy has ever seen. The symbol will serve to remind everyone of that fact."

A brief pause followed as Galen separated himself from Kota and managed to walk a few steps without falling over. He then flexed his fingers before glancing down, seeing that he was still wearing the white robes Kota had given him. He also noticed something missing.

"Where's my lightsaber?" he asked.

"With Juno, on the Rogue Shadow."

The Sith-turned-Jedi straightened up at that, and reached out with the Force in order to sense her. It didn't take long, as she had set the ship down not too far from Galen's current location. He also sensed Bail, Leia, Garm, and Mothma a few rooms down inside the hut.

"I need to see her," he said, determination reverberating through that simple declaration.

Kota grinned. "I was waiting for you to say that. Needless to say, she missed you."

The young man nodded as he prepared to exit the room, though he paused at the door once he remembered a crucial detail. "How did you retrieve my body?"

The Jedi Master shrugged. "After you unleashed that blast of power, you killed every single stormtrooper that tried to follow us, and you managed to stun the Emperor." He briefly paused. "And I felt something, as if leaving you there would be a horrible mistake. So, I took your lightsaber, sliced off my cuffs, and went back for you."

"What about Vader?"

"He tried to stop me, but you did a number on his circuits. I managed to fight him off enough to get you back to the ship," Kota explained, wincing as he rotated his wrist. "He packs a powerful swing. Makes me wonder how you ever survived training under him."

"Nothing in the galaxy can kill me, remember?" Galen quipped, causing the two to share a quick laugh. "But regardless, thank you. If I had woken up in the custody of the Empire..."

He didn't have to say anymore; no doubt Palpatine and Vader would have either killed him outright or tortured him until he embraced the Dark Side once again.

"Don't mention it, boy. Buy me a drink sometime and we'll call it even."

"Deal."

And with that, the last of the Mareks left the room, feeling a sense of nostalgia as he travelled through his childhood home, and a shiver down his spine when he walked past the area where he and Vader had met for the first time.

While he had felt a sense of overwhelming hatred and vengeance before, now he could only pity the helmeted Sith Lord. He was the Emperor's slave, who he had been willing to cast aside without hesitation if Galen joined him.

He would confront Vader once again, that much was certain. But if he had to strike him down, it would not be for revenge, it would be for mercy.

It wasn't long before Galen left the hut and quietly walked through the forest of Kashyyyk, gazing up at the stars and appreciating them in a way that he had never felt before. When your whole life was centered around death and cruelty, you tended to forget how wondrous the galaxy was, and how even the smallest of things could make one forget their pain and just enjoy their surroundings.

The young man smiled once he saw his ship, the only place that had ever truly felt like home. The ramp was down, and Galen felt a growing nervousness in his gut as he ascended, sensing Juno in the crew quarters. His heart thudded in his chest, seemingly louder than anything he had heard before.

He blinked, suddenly realizing that he was standing in front of the door that separated him from Juno. How long had he been standing there?

Shaking his head and steeling himself, Galen lightly reached out with the Force and made the door open, allowing him entrance into the darkened room. He didn't need to look for her; he could sense her on a bunk to his left.

And there she was, as beautiful as he remembered. She was clad in her uniform black pants and the white top she usually wore under her jacket, which was currently not present. Her wonderful blond hair was no longer tied up, which gave Galen pause. Had he ever seen her with her hair down? He honestly couldn't remember. Her full lips were slightly parted, making him recall that instance before he dived into the space station, where she had given him his first kiss.

Moving silently, as he had been trained to do his whole life, Galen kneeled down on one knee and gently brushed a lock of hair out of her face.

Juno's eyelids fluttered, and she locked eyes with him almost instantly.

By the Force, were her eyes beautiful, a bright blue that would put even the most refined of lightsaber crystals to shame.

Time itself seemed to stop. There was no war, no Jedi, no Sith. Just these two beings that were currently gazing into each other's eyes, something they thought they would never be able to do again.

"Galen?" she whispered, sitting up. "Is this a dream?"

He smiled. "Force, I hope not."

The ace pilot reached up with trembling hands and placed them on Galen's cheeks, disbelieving at the fact that he was alive. He idly noticed that her palms were very warm.

"How?" she breathed, the only word she could manage.

"It's a long story."

Juno let out a tiny laugh, which Galen took as a good sign.

"You really are just full of surprises," she said.

Galen found it difficult to retort to that statement, as the former Imperial suddenly mashed her lips against his, wrapping her arms around his neck.

No more words needed to be said that night.

Felucia, two months later...

The young woman sprinted through the jungle, panting heavily as she did so. No matter how fast she ran, she could still hear her pursuers not far behind, their boots making wet splashes when they hit mud and their chatter serving to disrupt the quiet of the surroundings.

How had things gotten so bad? After Shaak Ti had been killed, the planet had fallen into darkness. But after that powerful warrior defeated her, Felucia had gone back to the Light.

Of course, that didn't stop the Empire from showing up and mercilessly gunning down the Jungle Felucians. And when she had tried to fight the invaders, one of the natives had knocked her down a hill, away from the fighting. Which is how she ended up currently fleeing from her life, a powerful sense of guilt settling into her stomach.

She then sensed another patrol of about a dozen coming from her left, forcing her to turn and head right.

Just need to find a ship, that's all, she thought to herself, reaching up to wipe a bead of sweat from her brow. Sneak onboard, take care of the crew, then go back for her allies. Simple, easy to remember.

The woman ducked under a branch and leaped over a boulder before stopping dead in her tracks.

In her hurry, she had forgotten exactly where she was, and such ignorance had cost her. Behind her, a large number of Imperials were converging on her position. And in front of her...

A ravine that she had no doubt surviving if she jumped.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't, she thought bitterly as she sighed in resignation. Holding her head up high, the woman known as Maris Brood turned around, taking note of the twenty-eight stormtroopers that were currently pointing their weapons at her.

"Men!" the leader barked, lifting his hand in the air and preparing to give the order. Maris clenched her hands into fists and refused to close her eyes. She would face death with a calm acceptance, just like Shaak Ti had done before her.

As the leader was about to thrust his arm downwards, he froze, causing some of the white-clad troopers to look towards him in confusion.

That confusion turned to horror when the leader's head twisted sharply to the right, a sharp crack emanating from his neck. The now-lifeless body tumbled forward, leaving everyone in the clearing in shock.

And then Maris sensed it. That familiar, unyielding presence that had cut down rancors without much effort.

It was him.

Before any of the remaining troopers could take command, a figure in white robes leaped from the jungle and landed a few meters behind the Imperial soldiers, his hood masking his identity.

Of course, the stormtroopers were more preoccupied with the glowing sapphire lightsaber in his hand.

"Shoot the Jedi!" one of them yelled, though it didn't do any good. What happened next was a slaughter. The figure moved in a blur, slashing troopers with such ease that they might as well have been practice dummies. Heads and limbs went flying in random directions, as did pieces of blaster that had been sliced off as well.

In less than a minute, the entire squad of troops had been wiped out, leaving only Maris and the very familiar stranger. Her eyes widened in fear when she noticed something horrifying.

He's become even more powerful! her mind screamed. Just being near him feels like I'm standing next to a star!

The Zabrak woman took a step back, fearful of his intentions. Had he returned to kill her? He had beaten her before, while she had had the assistance of a bull rancor! Now, she was without weapons or a lumbering beast, and his power had skyrocketed.

The man deactivated his lightsaber and clipped it onto his belt, removing his hood immediately after.

"Are you here to kill me?" she asked, her voice shaking from fear. In the back of her mind, she felt a sense of shame. She had been prepared to die at the hands of the stormtroopers, but as soon as he appeared, all of that courage was thrown out the airlock.

His eyes narrowed. "No. I'm here to make you an offer. The choice is yours, but bear in mind that I will not give you this chance again. It's now or never."

Maris blinked in surprise. "What might that be?"

He straightened. "I want you to join me, and help fight the tyranny of the Empire."

The young Zabrak took a moment for that to sink in, then let out a disbelieving snort. "Why would I do that? Nobody lasts long against the Empire, and if any Jedi reveal themselves, Vader shows up to silence them." She then raised an eyebrow. "Or he sends someone else to do it for him."

He understood her meaning perfectly and sighed. "Look, I've done things I'm not proud of. That's something we have in common." He paused, and Maris gave a nod of agreement. He then continued. "But I plan on doing everything in my power to make up for my mistakes."

His eyes and tone softened. "And I know that, deep down, you want to do the same thing."

Maris looked away, unable to look into the powerful warrior's eyes. "You're right," she admitted. "But what chance do we have? You're the most powerful Force user I've ever seen, but you're still just one man. If you want to take on the Empire, you need an army."

He smirked. "I've managed to put together a Rebellion. We have considerable funding, and we're gaining more recruits every day."

To say that Maris was surprised would be an understatement. But she could sense the truth in his words, along with a sense of confidence that was somewhat comforting.

"You actually believe you can win," she commented. "Why?"

The man shrugged. "I've done the impossible before."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I managed to pull a Star Destroyer out of the sky on Raxus Prime," he said, speaking casually, as if he was talking about the weather.

Maris was stunned, but again, she could hear the truth in his words. And besides that, she could believe it; his power was absolutely monstrous.

There was a moment of silence, and the Zabrak woman pondered her options. Staying on Felucia was suicide, there was no doubt about that. Finding a ship was a possibility, but she wouldn't make it long on one that was no doubt registered as Imperial. If she went with this man, she could actually make a difference. Everyone knew that a single Force user inspired a great amount of hope or fear, depending on which side they were fighting on. If this man could recruit a decent number of them, the results would be impressive.

In the end, the choice was quite obvious.

"Alright," she said. "I'll join your Rebellion."

The man smiled and stepped forward, extending a welcoming hand, which she shook. "I don't think we've been properly introduced. My name is Maris, Maris Brood."

"Galen Marek," he responded, releasing her hand. "Now let's get back to my ship. Your new master is eager to meet you."

Maris cocked her head in confusion, but followed the leader of the Rebellion nevertheless.

Oh, we're off to a good start, aren't we? Starkiller's alive, he's recruited Maris, and I'm really hyped to write this! Star Wars was my first ever love when it comes to science fiction (in case my author name didn't tell you that), so I really hope I do this story justice.

Anyway, I may incorporate the crew of "Star Wars: Rebels" down the road. The premiere wasn't bad; gives off a "Firefly" vibe, which I like.

Also, Starkiller is still the original from the Force Unleashed, but he has the power of the clone from the second game. How is this possible? I'll explain in the next chapter.

Leave a review or I'll have Vader break down your door and give you a stern finger-wagging.