Star Wars: Fading Hope

by The Official Ahsoka Tano

part 2 of 3

207

Star Wars: Fading Hope

1

After the Battle for Coruscant

Kylo Ren meditated on the dark side, felt its power flow through his veins. Around a year and a half ago, he had left his old life behind and joined Supreme Leader Snoke in his quest to rule the galaxy. The young Kylo still felt great resentment towards his uncle, Luke Skywalker for lying to him about his heritage, but he felt even greater resentment towards Snoke, who had tortured him brutally until he submitted, which he eventually did. His meditation was interrupted by Snoke's lightsaber swinging at him. With the speed of a blaster bolt, Kylo's crossguard saber sprang to life and intercepted Snoke's blade. Kylo growled as he pushed Snoke back.

"You really want it? Show me what you're made of! Come on and take it up a notch!" Snoke yelled.

Kylo slammed his saber at Snoke, driving the elder darksider backwards. Snoke felt Kylo's rage as he smashed his saber at him. He was growing stronger every day, so strong that Snoke was starting to view him as a legitimate threat. But not for today. Snoke gripped Kylo with the Force and hurled him across the room, but Kylo regained his footing and kicked Snoke back.

"Impressive! You didn't last this long the last time we fought."

"You'll find I'm full of surprises."

Kylo activated his second lightsaber, or rather Darth Vader's lightsaber. The young darksider growled in anger as he unleashed a barrage of attacks against his master. Each of his two sabers came at Snoke with the ferocity of a wild animal and the precision of a sniper. Snoke took on the role of defender, redirecting Kylo's animalistic attacks until he noticed a flaw in Kylo's technique. As Kylo reared back, Snoke froze him with the Force and tossed him across the room.

"Surrender!"

Kylo regained his footing once again and unleashed a torrent of Force lightning at his master. Snoke's smug grin was quickly replaced by a look of concern, fear almost, as he raised his hand to absorb the lightning. He felt himself being slowly shoved back by Kylo's bolt. Time to fall back to… less honorable methods of victory. He pressed a button on his gauntlet, causing Kylo's cybernetic legs to shut down. Kylo fell to the floor, giving Snoke the chance he needed to hoist him with the Force, pummel him with lightning, and slam him into the wall. Kylo tried to get back up, but he couldn't.

"That was cheap," he growled.

"Cheap? Maybe. But when the day comes for you to challenge me for right as master, know that I will not hold back. I will do anything to maintain my position of power, including shutting your cybernetics off. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, my master."

"Good," Snoke said as he pressed the button again. "Get up. Your legs are reactivated."

Kylo did so, grunting with pain.

"You are improving, my apprentice. Your power is growing faster than I anticipated, but do not lose sight of this one simple fact: until you are stronger than I in the Force, as well as with the blade, you are my slave. You do my will. Understood?"

"Yes, Master."

"Good. I have a gift for you."

"What is it?"

"A holocron."

"Who made it?"

"Darth Malgus. You know of him?"

"I know a bit, not much though."

"You will learn his secrets and put them to great use. Listen to all he says. It will come in handy."

Kylo nodded as he put the object in his cape.

"On a different note, I can sense your uncle and Tano. There resolve is fading by the day. It is only a matter of time before we destroy them and what they stand for."

"Good, but I still need something from you."

"What?"

"Back when I first became your apprentice, I asked if you were Sith. You said no, but you once were. You never said anything more and I'd think a year and a half into my apprenticeship, that you would tell me something."

"I see. It will be years before I reveal my origins to you, but I can tell you this much: I have seen many Sith Empires rise and fall. I was there when the Jedi Order was constructed. I was there when the Sith Order formed. I was there when your grandfather was found by Qui-Gon Jinn. I have seen much. I have learned much from all that I have seen. I know what not to do by observing the mistakes of past Sith and Jedi."

"So what are you?"

"I am a living Force nexus."

"So…"

"No more questions, apprentice," Snoke said, cutting Kylo off. "I always reveal what is needed. No more. No less. For now, my origin does not matter. All that matters is the destruction of Tano and Skywalker."

"Last time we tried to kill them, I lost my arm and you nearly died. What's to say that won't repeat itself?"

"Because this time we will train longer. We will fight them on our terms."

Kylo nodded.

"You are becoming powerful, but you need to be patient. Your time shall come soon enough."

"I know."

"When was the last time?"

"The last time what?"

"You touched Vader's helmet."

"I haven't touched it since the first time, back when I was a Jedi."

"Why, might I ask?"

"I'm afraid of it."

"Afraid?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I have never felt that… that cold, that helpless. I lived all that. I didn't just see it. I felt Vader's pain as he burned on Mustafar. I felt his sorrow when Ahsoka left. I felt his rage as Palpatine revealed he had killed Padme'. I can't do that again."

"Hmm. I understand your fears, but you must confront them. You are stronger now than you were then. You have the strength needed."

"I will try."

"There is no try, apprentice."

"Fine. Then I will."

"Better. That will be all."

Kylo put his sabers back in his cape.

"I will be calling a meeting later today discussing the threat that Tano and Skywalker pose to the Order. Feel free to come along."

"It's been years since we attacked Coruscant. Who all knows that you were there, on the front lines?"

"The crew of the Supremacy. They know to keep quite if they want to live."

"And you're sure that no footage from the New Republic has reached the First Order?"

"Yes. I am very sure."

"I don't mean to pry, but what all does the Order know about the attack?"

"Even a year and a half into your apprenticeship, very few in the First Order know you even exist. We will change that today. I have felt a disturbance in the Force. The Jedi Ezra Bridger is quite powerful, almost as powerful as Vader. He is on the old Jedi world of Tython. Go there and kill him. I will send a camera crew to capture footage of you killing him."

"You want me to kill him? If he's as powerful as Vader…"

"Your power is sufficient. Now go. The coordinates to Tython are already in your new ship."

"My new ship?"

"Yes. It is called the TIE Silencer. Cardinal."

Captain Cardinal made his way into Snoke's throne room.

"Take Lord Ren to his new ship."

Cardinal nodded and made his way to the turbolift.

"So," Kylo said as the doors closed. "What exactly did Snoke do to punish you after the invasion? He said he'd punish you, but you and your compatriots seemed fine."

"He has the ability to… shall we say, invade minds in the most twisted and sickening of ways."

"I know that all too well."

"You ever think of overthrowing him?"

"I think of it every single day. I have for the past year and a half."

"Why don't you?"

"I'm not powerful enough?"

"I could help. My troops, too."

"I thought you were loyal to him."

"I was. He gave me a home, a purpose, but he also invaded me in ways I can't explain. It makes me sick to think about it."

"I understand, even sympathize with you, but I must kill him myself."

"Why? Is that some dark side code of honor?"

"There is no code of honor with the dark side. No, this is something more. If I were to kill him with help, I'd know that alone, I would not have the ability to overthrow him. Remember that Ahsoka and Luke need to die. If I lack the strength to kill Snoke, how could I ever hope to kill Tano and Skywalker, two of the most powerful Force-users in history?"

"I see."

"I sense your loyalty to me, or at least to killing Snoke. Rest assured that when I become Supreme Leader, that you will be rewarded."

"Thank you," Cardinal said as the lift stopped and the doors opened.

The two made their way to what looked to be a cross of a TIE interceptor and Vader's TIE Advanced X1.

"It's huge," Kylo said. "Looks like it's at least two X-wings long."

"It is. Its shields are state of the art, capable of taking several point blank missile or blaster shots. Its hyperdrive is also state of the art. For weaponry, it is equipped with four SJFS L-s9.6 laser cannons, SJFS L-7.5 heavy laser cannons, one Arakyd ST7 concussion and magpulse warhead launchers, and one proton torpedo launcher."

"I don't know what any of that is."

"Everything I've just listed is state of the art, designed by most intelligent weapons designers in all the galaxy. This ship and its weapons were designed specifically for you."

"Good. The specifications sound good, but we shall see when I actually fly it."

"I understand."

Kylo nodded and sprang into the cockpit. Once it closed, he removed his helmet. The less he had to wear that thing, the better. He looked down at the navicomputer as he flew the ship out of the Supremacy's hangar bay. The coordinates to Tython were there, just as Snoke said they'd be. Kylo pressed the coordinates on the comp. and the ship jumped to hyperspace.

The frustration of looking for something and finding absolutely nothing. That was exactly how Ezra Bridger was feeling right now. He'd come to Tython a few months back, hoping to find some secret knowledge of the Force that would help him defeat Snoke. Ahsoka and Luke had warned against it, but he disregarded that advice. Foolish? A few months ago, he'd have said no, but now that he'd found nothing, he could see Ahsoka and Luke's point. He sighed as he looked at the Phantom II. Time to just cut his losses and move on.

"Ezra," Sabine said as she put her hand on her shoulder. I think you've tried your best to find something, anything here. But Ahsoka and Luke were right. We need to go."

"You're right. Wait."

"What is it?"

"Kylo Ren is coming."

"Well, you can beat him… can't you?"

"No. He's grown too strong, but I have a plan."

"What is this plan of yours?"

"You see that ledge up there?" Ezra asked as he pointed at a small ledge in the mountain.

"Yeah."

"You're going to go up there and on my signal, you're going to let him have it. Blaster's, rocket launchers, everything."

"Got it."

Kylo's TIE dropped out of hyperspace to Tython. Time to prove his skills, both to himself and to the First Order at large. This would be his introduction to the First Order as a whole. He needed to make a good impression, needed them to fear him as the Empire feared Darth Vader. He landed his ship by a shuttle of some kind, put his helmet on, and sprang out of the cockpit, camera droids filming.

"Hello there," Ezra sighed. "I see you and your master have found me. Waiting until I was alone because you're scared to fight Luke and Ahsoka?"

"Silence," Kylo said as he activated his crossguard saber.

"I know you're Luke's nephew, but I won't hesitate to kill you."

"With what? I don't see a lightsaber on your belt."

Ezra suddenly yanked Kylo's saber out of his hand.

"You were saying?"

"Good thing I carry more than one," Kylo said as he activated Vader's saber.

Ezra tried to yank this one away, but Kylo was ready this time. He clenched it tight and it did not fly towards Ezra.

"Nice try, Jedi," Kylo said as he yanked Ezra his way with the Force.

Ezra made some kind of hand gesture Kylo didn't know the meaning of and not a second later did countless blaster bolts come whizzing Kylo's way. A few bolts struck him square in the chest and head, but his chestplate and helmet took the brunt of the energy. He was distracted, allowing Ezra to go for a slash up his back, but Kylo, at the last possible instant, spun around and blasted Ezra back with a blast of Force lightning. He set his eyes on the sniper. Ah, he'd seen her before. Sabine Wren.

He yanked the Mandalorian from her hiding place and froze her in place with the Force, leaving her utterly helpless and at Kylo's mercy. He'd let her stay like that, make her watch as he killed Ezra. Ezra sprang back to his feet and knocked Kylo down with a kick straight to his helmeted head. He stabbed Kylo with his own saber in the chest, but like a machine, Kylo kicked Ezra off of him and yanked the saber out.

"That was a foolish move," Kylo said. "Now you're weaponless."

"In hindsight, yeah. It was."

Surprisingly Kylo tossed the saber back.

"I want to see what you're made of. I can't do that if you don't have a weapon."

"I'll take whatever I can get."

Ezra pressed the attack and Kylo moved Vader's saber to redirect each attack. Ezra managed to break past Kylo's guard and slash his mask, which only seemed to anger Kylo more as he tossed Ezra back with a blast of lightning. He sprang over to Ezra, lifted him with a Force choke, and pummeled him with lightning for several minutes.

"Ezra!" Sabine yelled. "Stop! Please!"

Surprisingly, Kylo did stop, only to stab his saber straight through Ezra's chest.

"You'll regret that!"

"Will I, though? You stand no chance against me, but I will let you try."

He unfroze her and the instant he did, she pulled her pistols out and unleashed a frantic barrage of shots Kylo's way. He casually deflected them back at Sabine, but her Mandalorian armor protected her. She pulled out what looked to be a lightsaber.

"That's a foolish move. Don't die like Ezra did."

"I will avenge his death."

Sabine smashed at Kylo's guard with surprising strength, but he swatted her attacks aside. Playtime was over. He ducked under one of her blows and impaled her through the heart, killing her in an instant. He looked up at the camera droids as they lowered themselves to his level.

"You've just witnessed what will happen to those who dare to defy the First Order. I am Kylo Ren, grandson of the Sith Lord Darth Vader and I am the fist of Supreme Leader Snoke. If you do not submit to him, I will track you down and kill you. If you dare to support the Jedi or their pathetic New Republic, I will kill you. Resistance will be met with consequences."

He nodded once, signaling the droid to stop filming.

"Broadcast this on all First Order, Jedi, and NR feeds."

The droid nodded in its droid like way and began the broadcast.

Luke looked down at his datapad. Intrigued, he clicked on it to see a recording of Kylo Ren facing off against Ezra and Sabine. Luke already knew how this was going to end. Several minutes into the broadcast, Kylo killed Ezra and a few seconds later, Sabine. The darksider turned towards the camera, his flaming yellow eye glaring out of his mask.

"You've just witnessed what will happen to those who dare to defy the First Order. I am Kylo Ren, grandson of the Sith Lord Darth Vader and I am the fist of Supreme Leader Snoke. If you do not submit to him, I will track you down and kill you. If you dare to support the Jedi or their pathetic New Republic, I will kill you. Resistance will be met with consequences," the holo Kylo said before the feed ended.

"No," Luke whispered. "Ben…"

Kylo felt Luke tugging at him. Wait. This was… wrong. Luke was right in front of him. How?

"What do you want?"

"I want you to come back, Ben. Come back to your mother."

"After I killed my father? No. She'd never accept me."

"Yes, Ben, yes she would. So would I. I understand…"

"You don't understand anything. You didn't suffer what I've suffered."

"I know that, and I am so, so sorry that you had to suffer, but if you come back, we can fight Snoke together. We are stronger united than divided."

"No. I am too far gone. I'm sorry, Uncle Luke. I never wanted this to happen. I never wanted Jaina to die."

"I know you didn't. That's why you need to come back, so we can fix this."

"There is no fixing this, I'm afraid."

"Vader came back from the darkness and into the light. I know you can do the same."

"It isn't that I don't want to, it's that I cannot. I physically can't. The dark side is like a drug. Once you take it, you can never go without it. No matter how hard you try, it won't let up. It chases you down until you submit to it. There is no freedom in the darkness. Only pain."

"Ben, please come home. I can help you. Snoke is twisting you into something you aren't."

"You want to know the sad part? It feels like Snoke is all I have left. I want to kill him, but I don't. If I kill him, then I'm all I have left. He planned this since day one. I was never safe from him. This was destiny."

"No. No it wasn't. I know that."

"It was. I made my choice. I'm sorry, but I cannot come back. I am too far gone."

"Ben…"

Kylo ended whatever strange connection he had just felt with his uncle. What was he thinking? That was his chance to go back, to start over, to escape Snoke's grasp. No. If he did that, Snoke would track him down and punish him, holding back nothing. Once he killed Snoke… no. He could never turn back. Ever. He needed to pull himself together. He was not controlled by weak emotions like compassion. No. He was Kylo Ren, apprentice to the most powerful dark side user in history. Love was for the weak.

His TIE dropped out of hyperspace and he landed it in the Supremacy's bay. The second he exited his TIE, he heard gasps. Clearly the officers and troopers had seen the broadcast. Troops bowed their heads slightly as he walked their way and officers lowered their eyes.

"Lord Ren," Phasma said as she walked by.

Ah. He'd earned the respect of Phasma, something very few in the Order had.

"You think I am supposed to fear you?" a voice asked.

He turned around to see General Hux.

"If you knew what was good for you."

"You won't kill me, Ren," Hux taunted. "I'm too valuable to Snoke."

"Krayt dragons aren't threatened by flies, General."

"I'm to assume that I am the fly."

"For once, you are right about something."

"Don't get too full of yourself, Ren. You may have the power to kill me, but you won't."

Kylo made a noise that Hux assumed was a laugh, but it was distorted because of Ren's damaged mask. The enforcer stretched out his hand, invading Hux's mind with the Force.

"You carry much anger in you, General. Why is that? Oh. I know. Your father, Brendol Hux, right? You are nothing, the illegitimate son of a greedy Imperial officer, a coward who has others do his dirty work. Like father like son, hmm? You have no place in the predestined story of the Force. You hate yourself more than anyone or anything. I don't even have to put you through physical pain to torture you. I simply claw up all those memories you've tried so desperately to hide from me. Know this, General Hux, there is nothing, nothing that you can hide from me. I can read your thoughts like a book. Your darkest secrets are not safe from me."

He released Hux, causing the officer to fall to the ground in terror.

"Get up," Kylo grunted.

Hux did so.

"I will tell the Supreme Leader of this," Hux whimpered.

"Go ahead. He thinks even less of you than I do, if such a thing is possible. Deny it all you want, but you do fear me. We both know it's true."

Hux said nothing as Kylo shoved him aside like the insect he was. He made his way to Snoke's throne room.

"Young Ren, why must you treat General Hux as you do?"

"Because he's an arrogant coward who needs to learn his place."

"That may be true, but I do need him."

"Why? What does he even do?"

"He is one of my best strategists."

"That's all?"

"Yes. Not everybody in the First Order is meant to kill Jedi. That's your job, remember?"

"I'm not saying everybody in the First Order needs to go kill Jedi, but they need to know how to fight, to put themselves on the frontlines. That's why I respect the stormtroopers, but not to officers."

"I share your viewpoint, but officers that do the planning are a necessary evil, I'm afraid. Be patient. I will toss Hux aside when his time is up."

"Good."

"And Kylo, try not to keep damaging that mask. You might not know this, but the more it gets damaged, the more of Ren's spirit it loses."

"I've purposely kept Ren's spirit at bay. If anything I just want it gone."

"My young apprentice, you must learn to learn from Ren. He is very wise, my friend."

"You've worn my mask?"

"Yes. Ren's power is great, but it is worthless if you do not learn from it. Learn to accept and embrace Ren."

"But he'll take control of me."

"Not if you are strong enough to resist."

"Am I?"

"Find out."

Kylo nodded.

"Where are Luke and Tano?" Kylo asked.

"I… I can't sense them."

"Strange."

"Yes. Very strange. They cannot sense us, I have made sure of that, but it seems as if they have turned the tables on us, but that does not matter."

"What about Starkiller? You stopped construction on it, but you haven't destroyed it."

"Yes. I have had… uncertainties about destroying it. Before we fought the Jedi, I would have thought we had no need for the Base, but now I have my reservations about destroying it. I actually need some help on this, my apprentice. What would you do in my situation?"

"Hmm. I don't know. I suppose it is a flawed design. The principle is sound, but it will only have the same problems of the Death Star. It may be mobile, but its hyperdrive is incredibly slow. It's impractical in design. Having to drain an entire star for just one shot is a terrible design. It takes all the worst parts of the Death Star and mashes them into a mangled mess. I say we cut our losses and terminate the project."

"Just blow it into oblivion?"

"Not necessarily. We could harvest the kybers to improve the weapons on our ships. And we could use it as a permanent headquarters for the First Order. Despite its size, the Supremacy is not the ideal capitol."

"I see. I will take your opinions into consideration. You may leave."

Kylo nodded, turned away, and made his way into his private quarters. He closed the door and yelled out in rage. He felt so… so… worthless. He knew when he was gone tomorrow, nobody would care. He knew that if he wasn't here tomorrow, nobody would lose any sleep. What if he pulled himself back together, went back to Luke? What if he gave it one more try? Would it even matter?

He looked at his lightsaber, his mangled, hideous lightsaber. What a perfect illustration it was of him. He was mangled, broken, shattered, and patched together. He shook his head as he took his helmet off. He was worthless. No. No.

"Quite wallowing in your own self-pity. Love is for the weak, the ones who can't do things for themselves."

"You know that isn't true," a voice said.

"Show yourself."

A ghostly figure with long hair and Jedi robes appeared before him.

"Who are you?"

"I'm your grandfather, Anakin Skywalker."

"What do you want from me?"

"If you live long enough, you see the same eyes in different people. You know what I see in your eyes? The eyes of a man torn between light and dark. Your eyes are yellow, bloodshot, but not pure yellow like a Sith."

"I… I'm empty. I'm so lost, lost and confused. I threw it all away. How can I be powerful when I am so afraid? Never reaching what I want to reach! Never being who I want to be! Snoke is blaming me as I fall and fail! All my dreams are splintering under my fingernails!"

"I know, Ben. I was in your shoes so long ago. I know what it's like to be conflicted. But you have a choice. You don't have to let the dark side control you."

"I…"

"Ben, go back to your uncle.

"You know what he did to me."

"I know he lied about your heritage, but Snoke has done far, far worse to you. Face it Ben: you are his slave, his plaything to be case aside when your purpose has been served. I know all too well. I thought my Sith master cared about me, but the second he saw someone who could become more powerful than me, he tried to toss me aside. Snoke will do the exact same thing if you stay. What is stopping you?"

"I could ask the same. Why didn't you turn away as Vader?"

"Because I had no one who loved me, but you are different. My son and daughter will welcome you back with open arms if you just let them."

"Hypocrite. I know what you did on Malachor. Ahsoka. She fought you there and once she learned the truth, she refused to leave you, but you wanted to kill her. You say you have no one who loved you, but there she was, willing to lay down her life to redeem you."

"I'd been a Sith Lord for fifteen years at that point. I knew nothing other than darkness, but how long have you been using the dark side? A year and a half? Two, tops?"

"But you haven't felt like I have."

"You forget who you're talking to. I was Darth Vader. I killed because I enjoyed it. I sat idly by as an entire planet was wiped from existence. I tortured Jedi for my master's entertainment. I hunted Obi-Wan Kenobi with hell-bent, blind determination because I wanted to crush him. I think it's fair to say I've done more dark deeds than you."

"You say that like you're proud."

"No. I am not. I hate myself for those dark deeds, but my point is that anyone can be redeemed, no matter what you've done."

"Leave me."

"Ben."

"I said leave."

"Fine, but I will always be here if you need me, but if you want to make a choice, you need to do it soon. My former Padawan is ready and willing to kill you if need be. You don't stand much of a chance against her."

"I've nearly defeated Snoke. Ahsoka will be child's play."

"Keep telling yourself that," Anakin said before he vanished.

Luke sighed as he felt Kylo drifting further and further away from the light.

"Your nephew?" Ahsoka asked.

"Yeah."

"I am so, so sorry about what happened. I wish I could have helped you."

"Thank you. I think Snoke is the key to all of this. We need to find out what he is, where he came from."

"I agree. Before I entered this fight, I've never heard the name Snoke. He must be ancient."

Luke nodded.

"When I fought him, I noticed his saber was black, like the Mandalorian Darksaber. That must mean something."

"I agree. I've done some research on the Darksaber, and I believe that the black crystal within meant the one who built it was very, very strong with the dark side."

"But wasn't the Mandalorian who built it a Jedi?"

"Yes, but for all we know, Vizla merely constructed the hilt and used the crystal from another saber. Think of it like bleeding a kyber, only on a much deeper level. Whereas bleeding a kyber bleeds the life from it, I think whatever Snoke did to his crystal sucked the lift out of it."

"That's an interesting theory, but I see a few flaws in it."

"Such as?"

"Well, a kyber crystal is a living thing," Luke explained. "Emphasis on living. So if Snoke sucked the life out of it, then how is it still, well, alive?"

"I think it's… in a state of living death."

"A what?"

"I don't know how else to put it."

"I think I get what you're saying."

"But if I'm being honest, I don't think the origin of his saber is near as important as his origin," Luke said.

"I know that, but if we know a bit of his lightsaber, we might find out a bit about him."

"Fair enough. Although I am curious about one thing."

"What is that?" Luke asked.

"I couldn't help but notice that Snoke does not have a "Darth" title in his name. Neither does Kylo. So I am curious if they are Sith, or something else entirely."

"Well, not all Sith used the Darth title."

"True, but only very, very ancient Sith," Ahsoka said.

"But Snoke is ancient. The first time I felt him, he felt so primordial, so raw. Do you think Sidious or Vader knew of him?"

"Sidious knew of some dark, primordial being, but Vader didn't."

"Did he know where Snoke came from?"

"Deep in the Unknown Regions, but he didn't know exactly where."

"Hmm. That's not very good," Luke sighed.

"No. Do you know about any Sith worlds in the Unknown Regions?"

"There're aren't any, not that I know of."

"So that just confirms that he's not Sith," Ahsoka said. "Right?"

"I don't know what he is, but it's possible that he predates the Sith Order."

"That would make him over…"

"Twenty thousand years old," Luke finished. "Yes. I know it sounds crazy."

"Nothing sounds crazy to me anymore. I've lived through a lot of crazy things."

"You and me both," Luke laughed. "But if my theory is true… then do we even stand a chance?"

"We do and I believe that for one reason: Snoke opposes the will of the Force, whereas we work with the Force. Despite Snoke's power, he will one day be defeated. If not by us, then somebody else."

"We are the last of the Jedi, well, I am. Seeing how you aren't a Jedi."

"There is always the next generation."

"Snoke killed them all, remember?"

"Who knows? Maybe we'll find someone. Maybe we will find the one who will bring balance once and for all."

"Wasn't that the purpose of the Chosen One?" Luke asked.

"Yes, but sometimes destiny can be swayed. The Force is beyond complex and destinies are not set in stone."

Luke sighed.

"Luke, we will defeat Snoke and, if possible, redeem Ben."

"Thank you."

Ahsoka nodded.

"We at least have a start: The Unknown Regions. There might not be any Sith worlds there, but it is possible that there are worlds strong in the dark side. I say we start there."

"You realize going into the Unknown Regions is borderline suicide, right?" Luke asked.

"Well, Ahch-To is in the Unknown Regions. So you're familiar with it."

"Ahch-To called to me several years ago. That was the only reason I was able to find it."

"That's why we won't be going in alone."

"What do you…?" Luke put the pieces together. "Thrawn. You want Thrawn to help us."

"He's perfect for the task."

"I understand. I'll contact Leia. I'm assuming he's still on Coruscant."

"Thank you."

Luke nodded.

"I'll be here meditating."

Luke nodded again.

2

Guide into the Unknown

Thrawn's fists tightened as he rewatched the footage of Kylo Ren killing Ezra and Sabine. The Chiss was not one to get emotional, not at all, but he couldn't help but feel a little anger as he watched Ezra, someone he considered a true friend, be killed by the soulless abyss that was Kylo Ren. Ezra was Thrawn's only true friend. Ironic, considering that three decades ago, they wanted nothing more than to kill each other. Mortis changed all that. Mortis had forced them to work together out of necessity, but they'd come to know each other. Friendship: something Thrawn had only possessed once, and would most likely never regain.

Why was he being so emotional? He was an Imperial Admiral, well, former Imperial Admiral, but the point remained. He was known for his calculating, some would say cold, nature. Well, it was in the past. Thrawn knew he could do nothing to reverse Ezra's death and he accepted that. He heard a knock on his door.

"Enter."

"Hello, Thrawn," Leia said.

"Chancellor. What is it?"

"Luke just contacted me. He and Ahsoka think they have a possible lead on Snoke's origins."

"Fascinating. What does that have to do with me?"

"They know Snoke came from the Unknown Regions and…"

"They want a guide," Thrawn finished.

"Yes. They think you'd be the perfect candidate."

"I will go on this journey."

"Thank you, Thrawn."

"You are welcome. Thank you for ensuring that I am not rotting in some New Republic prison."

"Ezra and Ahsoka trusted you. That was reason enough for me."

"But do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

"Ahsoka and Luke should be here in a few hours."

"Very well."

Leia closed the door, leaving Thrawn alone in his apartment. He knew his former protégé Gilad Pellaeon was a part of the First Order, so it might be possible to get him to divulge some of Snoke's secrets. No. That wouldn't work. Pellaeon was loyal to Snoke, not Thrawn. And on the off chance Pellaeon actually did try to leak information to his old Imperial comrade, Snoke would discover. If Snoke could peer into the minds of Force-users, how easy would it be for him to peer into the non-Force-sensitive mind of Pellaeon? No. Thrawn would just have to do things the hard way: going straight into the Unknown with Ahsoka and Luke following him. Nothing too difficult, he supposed.

"We should be at Coruscant pretty soon," Luke said.

Ahsoka nodded.

"You alright?"

"Yeah. Just tired. I'm hoping that once we pick up Thrawn, we're able to find a world with a strong dark side nexus in the Unknown Regions and finish this fight for good, but things rarely go as planned, I'm afraid."

"That is the sad reality of things, I'm afraid."

"Indeed," Ahsoka said.

"I never asked you this: why the white lightsabers and robe? Do they symbolize something?"

"Yes. My kyber crystals once belonged to an Inquisitor who bled them, making them turn the crimson of the dark side. I killed him and felt his kybers calling out to me. I poured the light side into them and cleansed them of their pain. You'll learn everything with me is symbolic is some way."

"Your ship's name is symbolic, too, isn't it? I highly doubt you gave it a name like the Forgiven flippantly."

"You're right. I named it after Anakin, how I have forgiven him for all he did as Vader."

"Interesting. So you had different sabers as a Jedi?" Luke asked, still curious about the sabers.

"Yes. I had a pair of green lightsabers. When I went to help Anakin on one last mission, he gave them back to me, but they had blue blades that time."

"Any reason as to why?"

"The kybers within were damaged, so Anakin replaced them with blue ones."

Luke nodded.

"I abandoned them on Mandalore after Order 66. They're most likely still there."

"Very interesting. If we go to Mandalore after this, we might look for them."

"If that is what the Force wills, but I highly doubt that the Force really cares about my old lightsabers."

"We'll see."

The Forgiven dropped out of hyperspace to Coruscant.

"Alright," Luke said. "Let's pick up our blue friend and get out of here."

Ahsoka nodded as Luke landed the ship by the Senate building.

"It looks like our friend is ready," Ahsoka pointed out as she followed Luke down the ramp.

"It seems so. Thrawn," Luke said as he stuck his hand out to shake the Chiss's hand. "Nice to see you again."

"Ah, yes. Master Skywalker, Lady Tano. Let us be on our way."

The two Force-users and Thrawn made their way up the ship's ramp.

"You believe you found a lead on Snoke?" the Chiss asked.

"Yeah. Ahsoka and I are going to need your help on this. No one knows the Unknown like you do."

"That is true," Thrawn confirmed as the Forgiven jumped to hyperspace. "But isn't your Jedi headquarters deep in the Unknown?"

"It is, but the Force called me there. That's why I found it."

"I see. So, do you know what exactly Snoke is, do you?"

"No," Ahsoka said. "But we have some ideas. We think he might be an ancient Force-user, as old as the Jedi Order itself."

"That would make him very ancient indeed."

"Do you know anything about him that we don't?" Luke asked.

"I might know something you'd find helpful."

"That being?"

"On my world, Csilla, there is a there are tales, legends of a shadow, a Snoke, that is the oldest known Force-user, the Prime Jedi."

"The Prime Jedi," Luke repeated.

"Does that mean something to you?" Ahsoka asked.

"Back on Ahch-To, in the temple, there is a mural of the Prime Jedi. Half his face is light. The other half is dark. Somehow, he found a way to use light and dark without falling to either. He is beyond mortal. I can't believe that I didn't put the pieces together. Snoke is the Prime Jedi, the one who can use light and dark."

"What does that mean for us?" Ahsoka asked.

"We stand no chance. The most powerful Force-users are the ones who can use both sides. Their power dwarfs ours."

"No. Together we can stop him. You're a Skywalker. Your bloodline has given you great power and even greater potential."

"But have I reached that potential?"

"From what I've seen, yes. Yes, you have."

"But what baffles me is Ben's ability to use light and dark. Not even Vader could do that. Ben is the first Skywalker to achieve such a fate."

"So, Thrawn," Ahsoka said. "What, if, anything, do you think we'll find in the Unknown?"

"There are no known Sith worlds there, but there is a temple of some kind on my homeworld."

"What kind of temple?"

"My people do not know. Any who have ventured to it have died."

"Just dropped dead?" Luke asked. "Sounds like it could be a Sith temple."

"We do not know what it is. When we sent in surveillance drones, they exploded."

"Shouldn't be too difficult," Ahsoka said.

"Let us see if you are correct," Thrawn said as he put Csilla's coordinates into the navicomputer.

"I'll be in the back meditating," Ahsoka said as the ship jumped to hyperspace.

Luke nodded as Thrawn took Ahsoka's seat.

"I sense fear in you, Thrawn," Luke said. "Unusual for you."

"This temple has done horrible things to my people."

"It's more than that. It did something to you, didn't it?"

"Yes."

"Care to tell me what?"

"It showed me a galaxy in chaos. It showed me a war unlike anything I'd ever seen. Entire worlds were conquered by Kylo. Coruscant was in flames. That was one of the main reasons why I joined the Empire. I wanted to prevent this war and was willing to do whatever it took."

"I understand. If this temple shows us a vision that aligns with yours, we'll know that we need to do more. If it's different, we'll know we're making a difference."

Thrawn nodded.

"My people will be hostile towards Jedi, I must warn."

"I assume you're going to talk them out of killing us."

"I will. We Chiss hate what we do not understand. Needless to say, the Jedi are not popular on my world."

"You seem to be of a different state of mind, a more enlightened state of mind."

"Mortis did that to me. I don't know if I'm grateful or resentful for that fact."

"Understanding is not something to resent. Chiss have knowledge. Jedi have wisdom. I think you can embody the best of both."

"Perhaps," was Thrawn's only response.

Ahsoka closed the doors behind her and sat down to meditate. She focused on the current state of the Force. It was slowly but surely tipping towards the dark side. Kylo was growing more powerful by the day, but what intrigued Ahsoka was that Snoke's power seemed to be fading. He was still far more powerful than Kylo, but his power was fading nonetheless. She felt Kylo's stability fading. Luke had claimed he was a 'focal point' in the Force, a perfect balance between light and dark. That balance increased Kylo's power, yes, but he seemed to be losing his sanity in the process. That could be used against him, Ahsoka supposed, but oftentimes the most powerful darksiders were those who lacked control. Darth Nihilus was one such Sith Lord who was able to drain entire worlds of life in an instant.

Kylo growled as he slammed his saber against Snoke's, driving him backwards, but Snoke quickly overpowered Kylo, breaching his defenses with a blast of lightning. Kylo let his saber fall to the floor, allowing Snoke the chance to yank it from him using the Force. He overwhelmed Kylo with a more powerful bolt of electricity, so powerful that Kylo's legs began to short circuit. Showing no mercy, Snoke continued the barrage until Kylo could no longer move.

"I yield," Kylo sighed.

"I thought you were stronger than this," Snoke said, no anger in his voice, only disappointment, a strange kind of sympathy.

"I haven't been able to focus as of late, my master. I don't know why."

"I think I know the source of the problem. I've been teaching you in the ways of the dark as well as the ways of the light. That can take a great toll on a mortal being such as yourself."

"So you're immortal?"

"Possibly. Possibly not. That is for you to discover in due time. For now, though, I recommend one of two things for you, my apprentice."

"What?"

"Here," Snoke said as he handed Kylo a holocron. "Open it."

Kylo did so. When it open, it projected an image of a long-haired, petite woman in her early twenties.

"She's beautiful," Kylo said, so awestruck by her beauty that he didn't even realize he'd said anything.

"Indeed she is. Her name is Satele Shan and she could be your guide in mastering the ways of the light side."

"I'd like that."

"Do not let her beauty fool you, apprentice, she was a powerful Jedi Master and she learned a great deal over her life as Grand Master."

"So she's dead?"

"Yes."

Kylo's head lowered.

"I sense something more than mere physical attraction, my apprentice, although that does have a fare bit to do with it. Tell me what you see in her."

"Even though she's dead, I can… feel her in the holocron. She feels…"

"Go on. I don't care why you find her attractive. Just tell me."

"She feels… sweet, caring, and selfless."

"And you're attracted to that?"

"Yes."

"I see. Perhaps that's why your power has not been progressing these past few months."

"Perhaps."

"See, you must learn to use the light side and its emotions, but by the same token, you must not let those emotions yank you away from the dark side."

"That's almost impossible."

"For a normal Jedi or Sith, but not for you. Here," Snoke said as he pulled a lightsaber out of his robe and handed it to Kylo. "Master Shan's lightsaber."

Kylo activated its twin blue blades.

"You feel her in there like you did the holocron?"

"Yes."

"Good. For a while, I think it best you fight with that than with your normal saber. After a few months, we'll see if you need to keep using it or if you can switch back to your old one. I have one final gift for you."

"What is it?"

Snoke handed Kylo an elegantly crafted lightsaber.

"This is the lightsaber of Darth Nihilus, Lord of Hunger and Devourer of Worlds."

The second Kylo grasped Nihilus' saber, he fell to the ground in agony. He tossed it aside instantly.

"What did I feel?" Kylo asked.

"You felt a wound in the Force."

"What's a wound in the Force?"

"A wound occurs when massive amounts of death occur in a very short period of time. For instance, a wound occurred after the destruction of Alderaan. Nihilus was a rare being for the reason that he was once a person. He was on a world targeted by a weapon known as the Mass Shadow Generator, a weapon capable of weaponing mass shadows, space anomalies capable of yanking ships out of hyperspace. The Generator targeted Malachor, and killed most of all life on the world, but Nihilus remained. Only the fate he suffered was far worse than death. The Generator gave Nihilus a craving for Force energy. He tracked down all remaining survivors on the world, draining them of the life Force.

"For but a moment, he was satisfied, but after he devoured a person, his craving only returned, this time stronger than the last. It was an endless cycle. Every time he drained someone, the energy he drained satisfied him less. Eventually he found Darth Traya who trained him to harness his innate gift. He was eventually able to use his drain on a massive scale, a planetary scale. Nihilus was nearly omnipotent. Only another wound could hope to defeat him. And that's exactly what happened, but he refused to die. He bound small parts of his spirit to his mask and lightsaber."

"Was that the pain that I felt? Was that Nihilus' spirit?"

Snoke nodded.

"Keep that saber. Learn from Satele's holocron. Once you master both sides of the Force, you'll become one of the most powerful Force-users in history. And remember, do not get too attached to Satele."

"She's dead. I know that I can't…"

"Oh, dead she may be, but you'll find her in another way. Don't let her sway you, my apprentice. Beauty is the one universal weakness. Everyone in this galaxy, smuggler, politician, Jedi, Sith, is inherently weak to it. Understood?"

Kylo nodded.

"I'll leave you be to study," Snoke said as he left the room.

"You don't have to let him control you," a titillating and seductive, yet somehow sincere, female voice purred.

Kylo turned around to see a glowing visage of Satele Shan. He felt his knees wobble a bit. She was even more beautiful in person.

"I…" Kylo fumbled for words at the sight of Satele. "I… don't have a choice."

"We all have a choice," Satele purred as she put her hand on Kylo's shoulder and massaged it. "I could help you."

"Please, take your hand off my shoulder."

"Why?"

"Um… It feels… wrong."

"Wrong?"

"Don't act like you don't know how beautiful you are," Kylo said as he took his mask off. "It's just unfair."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… arouse you. I've known about your existence for a while and I want to help you come back to the light. I could help you," she said as she put her hand on Kylo's face.

"Please. Take your hand off me."

Satele did so and Kylo growled at his own weakness to her beauty. Surely Vader never had this problem with beautiful women. Vader was beyond such things. Kylo knew he should be too.

"You're angry at yourself," Satele said. "Why?"

"Many reasons. For one, you're the most beautiful woman I've seen in my life. I shouldn't be so… seduced by you, but I can't help it."

"You're too kind," Satele said, sincere care in her beautiful voice.

"I don't even know why I'm telling you all this," Kylo growled. "I don't even know you, but you're so easy to talk to."

"I'll listen to whatever you have to say, Ben."

"You're beautiful in so many ways. You're so pure in the Force, so warm. After being Snoke's apprentice for the past year and a half, I've grown so accustomed to darkness. Your light feels so sweet and warm."

"Thank you," Satele said as she wrapped her arms around Kylo. "I want to help you. I've been watching you from the Netherworld of the Force for the past two years. You're a good person, Ben and I know you still crave one thing: acceptance. Luke will still accept you."

"No. I don't want to go back to him."

"Do you want me to help you?"

"Yes, but I can't."

"Why?" Satele said as she caressed the back of Kylo's head with her smooth, small hands.

"Please, stop touching me like that!"

Satele removed her hands and took a step back.

"Why do you insist in touching me like that?" Kylo growled. "It's making things worse."

"You feel great attraction towards me and I feel like that attraction, that love, almost, could be the first step in redeeming you to the light."

"So you're playing on my emotions? Using your aphrodisiac, seductive voice and body to manipulate me."

"I don't want to manipulate you, Ben. I just want you to learn to embrace the light again. Please."

"I know," Kylo sighed. "I just…"

"I can't help my beauty, Ben. I just want to use it show you, I suppose, the light side again."

"I know, Satele. I know. Maybe I'll take your help after I kill Snoke, after I can be free of him."

"I'd like that. We'll meet again, Ben. I know it."

"Goodbye, Satele."

"Goodbye, Ben."

Satele suddenly disappeared, leaving Kylo alone and longing for her. He heard a clapping like noise and looked behind him to see a clapping Snoke making his way into the room.

"You saw all that?" Kylo asked, rather embarrassed.

"I did."

"How am I to know that wasn't the real Satele, not some illusion you casted over me?"

"I've met with her Force ghost before and I know she thinks you can be 'redeemed,' as she likes to say, from the ways of the dark side."

Kylo nodded as he redrew his helmet back to him with the Force.

"Do you feel the same way about Satele as you did before?"

"Yes," Kylo admitted.

"Good."

"Good?"

"I knew that her ghost would come to you as soon as I left. This was a test and you passed with flying colors."

"What exactly was I being tested on?"

"I knew she try to seduce and manipulate you with both her words and her beauty to manipulate you to return to Luke. She failed, which is why you passed."

Kylo nodded.

"I may have passed this test, but I feel weaker than ever. I'm in between worlds. I connected with her in a way I can't explain. I felt such warmth and love from her that I've never felt. I want more and I know I shouldn't. I'm not the apprentice I ought to be."

"That turmoil, use it. Use your longing for Satele to fuel your anger to feed your power." Snoke looked at Satele's duel bladed lightsaber in Kylo's hand. "Do you love her?" Snoke asked.

"I…" Kylo stumbled, completely caught off guard by Snoke's question. "I don't exactly know how I feel about her. She's beautiful, both physically and in the Force, but I wouldn't say I love her. I don't know her that well."

"Hmm. She will visit you again, rest assured. Remember where your loyalties lie: with me."

"I will, my master."

"Good."

"I do have a question."

"What?"

"Why? Why would you give me that holocron? Why would you let Satele come and visit me, knowing I would never get to know her?"

"Because I know that she is a beacon of light and that you need to relearn the ways of the light. She will try and teach you to redeem you. Learn from her, but do not forget that the darkness is required too. You need to master both."

"I understand, but I can't promise I'll do it. Just after meeting her once, I'm more conflicted than I've ever been. After I killed my father, my power in the dark side grew exponentially, but now my power is slipping through my grasp. I think trying to learn from Satele will just make me weaker."

"At first it will, but as you learn from her, you'll grow stronger, but also grow closer to the saber of Nihilus. You let go of it the second you grasped it. Learn to hold on to it until you've felt all the pain Lord Nihilus suffered. Once you've learned all you can from Satele and Nihilus, you will have two final tests. First, you will need to demonstrate your mastery of the light side by using your compassion in a way that I will not yet reveal to you. Second, you must demonstrate your power in the dark side by using it to drain an innocent being, making it as painful as possible."

"I will do what is required of me, my master."

"Yes, we shall see soon enough."

3

Temple of Revan

The Forgiven dropped out of hyperspace over the snowy world of Csilla.

"So we're going to this mysterious temple, are we?" Luke asked.

"That's the plan," Ahsoka confirmed.

Thrawn landed the ship by what looked to be a military base of some kind.

"Stay here while I try to convince my people not to murder you," Thrawn commanded as he made his way down the ramp.

Ahsoka nodded as she put on her white robe and Luke put on his black one.

"Let's hope these robes will keep us warm," Ahsoka said.

"They'll have to. We don't have any other clothes."

"Hopefully Thrawn's people will have something else."

"Hopefully."

"Hello," a female voice said.

Luke looked at Ahsoka.

"It wasn't me."

"Don't let me startle you," glowing female said.

"Hello there," Luke said. "Who exactly are you?"

"I am Satele Shan and have some news you might want to know."

"Do tell."

"I spoke with your nephew a few days ago."

"Wait. How exactly do you know my nephew?"

"I met your father in the Netherworld of the Force. He told me of Ben, and I've been watching him for several months now. His master Snoke has been blocking me out, but I was able to speak to Ben for a few minutes the other day."

"What all did you say to him?" Ahsoka asked.

"I told him he could be redeemed."

"Did he ignore you?" Luke asked.

"No. He listened to me. He is not redeemed yet, but he's starting to realize that this might not be the path he wants to take."

"How did you, a stranger to Ben, have more of an impact on him then his own uncle?" Luke asked.

"What can I say? I do have something in my corner that you don't."

"That being?"

"By most people's standards, I'm considered rather beautiful."

"Oh, boy," Luke said. "So let me get this straight…"

"Ahsoka, Luke, let's…"

Thrawn let his sentence drop when he saw the glowing visage of Satele.

"What Jedi devilry is this?" Thrawn asked.

"Thrawn, um, this is Satele Shan," Ahsoka explained. "She's with us."

"She is?" Luke asked.

"I am," Satele confirmed. "Who are you?"

"He's with us," Luke said. "His name's Thrawn and he's an expert in military tactics and the like."

"Alright. So who is this Satele?" Thrawn asked.

"I'm a Jedi Master from the Old Republic, but that isn't why I came here. I came to inform Luke that his nephew is reconsidering his choices to join the dark side."

"How?" the Chiss asked.

"I spoke to him and…"

"She tried to seduce him to the light," Luke interrupted.

"I wouldn't call it seducing," Satele said.

"Well it'll have to wait," Thrawn sighed. "My people are not patient. We need to go inside and explain to them why we're here. Now."

"Wait," Satele said. "You're a Chiss. You said something about your people. Are we on Csilla?"

"Yes."

"What exactly did you come here to find?"

"A temple," Ahsoka said. "Why?"

"I know how to get inside it."

"Wonderful," Luke said. "That's a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one."

"Great," Thrawn growled. "Explaining why we were here was going to be difficult before your Jedi Force ghost friend showed up."

"We don't know her any better than you do," Ahsoka said.

"Fine. I'll just tell them that they can accompany us if they wish."

Luke nodded as Thrawn made his way down the ramp again.

"He seems like an unlikely ally for the two of you," Satele said.

"We think the same thing sometimes, but Luke and I agree that Thrawn's been a great help. You know of Snoke, that he came from the Unknown Regions. We thought that if we were able to find something that could give us a clue to his origin, we could better know how to defeat him."

"Do you know anything we don't?" Luke asked.

"No."

"Alright," Thrawn said as he got back on the ship. "I assume you and your new friend are ready to go."

"We are."

Thrawn took the controls of the ship and flew it a few kilometers east towards the mysterious temple.

"What all do you know of this temple?" Ahsoka asked as Thrawn landed the ship.

"It is very ancient and was build by one of my great ancestors Darth Revan."

"I thought it wasn't a Sith temple," Luke said.

"It is and isn't. You see, Revan was a very… complicated man."

"I know of Revan and his exploits," Luke said. "He walked a very fine line between light and dark. Some said that made his wise, others say that made him a fool."

"And what is your view, Master Skywalker?"

"The light side is like the human body and the dark side is like a cancer. Anyone who tries to use the darkness in moderation will eventually fall to it."

"The very first Jedi used light and dark," Satele said.

"Yes, and I have no clue how they managed to do that without falling."

"Well, they did eventually."

"I know that, but it's amazing they were able to do that without falling. Granted, they did fall, but still."

"I think the reason they were able to use the dark side without falling was because they used it either in small amounts or for selfless reasons," Ahsoka said. "My master Anakin was at his most powerful when he was angry, but more often than not, that was a righteous anger, anger at the suffering caused by the Sith. It made him strong and gave him focus. He only fell when that anger was turned into something selfish rather than selfless that he lost himself. Darker emotions are what make us sentient, but it is when we let those darker emotions consume us that we run the risk of losing ourselves to the dark side."

"That's what caused the formation of the Sith Order," Luke said. "They let their emotions overwhelm them."

"Come on," Satele said. "I'll show you the way inside."

"I suppose I'll join you," Thrawn said.

Satele smiled as she made her way down the ramp, followed by Ahsoka, Luke, and Thrawn.

"Wow," Ahsoka said. "This temple feels like nothing I've ever felt. I feel such anger, yet such love."

"It was Revan's creation," Satele reminded. "He walked many paths in his very long life."

Ahsoka nodded.

"Ahsoka," Luke said as he pointed at a small lock similar to the one on the Ahch-To holocron vault. "That lock looks like it can only be unlocked using the Force."

"Good idea. On my count. Three. Two. One."

The two powerful Force-users reached out. Nothing.

"Hmm," Luke mused as he rubbed his bearded chin. "That should have worked."

"Allow me," Satele said as she effortlessly opened the door.

"How did you do that?"

"This temple was designed to resist any not of the Shan bloodline."

"Ah."

"So what exactly are the three of you looking for here?" Satele asked as the group made their way into the temple.

"We know Snoke came from the Unknown," Ahsoka explained. "We thought if we could find a dark side nexus, we could learn more about him."

"Well I don't think you'll find anything here," Satele said regretfully. "This is Revan's temple and Revan knew nothing of Snoke."

"Maybe there's still something we can find here," Luke said.

Satele nodded.

"One of the reasons we came here is that several decades back, I saw a vision of the future," Thrawn said. "I saw Kylo, or Ben, as you like to call him, ruling the galaxy. We thought that if we were making a difference, the vision would be different."

Thrawn's eyes suddenly went black.

"Thrawn?"

"He's going back his vision," Ahsoka said.

Thrawn saw a dark masked figure lifting Satele, Ahsoka, Luke, and several masked figures wearing masks and wielding lightsabers. The figure tossed them all back with ease.

"You cannot face me! I feel your fear of pain! Fear of death!"

"No!" Satele yelled. "We don't fear you!"

"Let us see if that is true," the figure said as he yanked Satele his way, her neck in his clenched hands.

"No!" one of the masked figures yelled as he leaped Satele's way, severing the figure's hand.

Thrawn gasped as he awoke from his vision.

"What did you see?"

"I saw a dark, masked figure. He was so… powerful. He was godlike. He fought you, Ahsoka, and Satele with ease."

"Was it Kylo?"

"No. He also fought a figure with a white mask with red markings and black eyes, a figure with heavy Gray armor and a respirator, and a final figure with a purple lightsaber and a Mandalorian mask."

"Revan," Satele whispered.

"Is that possible?" Ahsoka asked.

"Yes. Revan learned how to become a Force ghost, but the one with the respirator, I'm certain that was Malgus."

"The Sith who stormed the Coruscant temple?" Luke asked.

"Yes."

"But that's impossible," Ahsoka said. "Sith can't become Force ghosts. Can they?"

"Nothing is truly impossible," Satele said. "It is possible that he somehow discovered a way to maintain his life after death. Thrawn, did you say you saw a figure with a white mask?"

"Yes."

"Nihilus. This is very, very bad."

"Who Nihilus?" Thrawn asked.

"He was the Sith that brought entire worlds to their knees," Luke said. "Why would we be working with him?"

"I have no idea, but this vision is different from the last one," Thrawn said. "So we are making a difference, maybe just not the one we want to."

"Satele, do you think you'll be able to convince Ben to come back?" Luke asked.

"I will try my very best, but I cannot guarantee anything."

"I understand."

Satele suddenly vanished, leaving the trio alone.

"So, do you think there is anything here for us?" Ahsoka asked.

"I'm afraid not," Luke said as he reached out with the Force, attempting to locate anything of value. "Come on. There's nothing here for us."

"When do you think Satele will return?" Ahsoka asked.

"I don't know. I can see why Ben is attracted to her."

"You find her beautiful as well?"

"Yes, but in the Force, she is far more beautiful than she is physically. She was light, not a light, but light."

"I sensed that from her as well," Ahsoka said. "It was refreshing."

"I found her beautiful, too," Thrawn said.

"Wow. I thought you were beyond such things," Luke said.

"When did I ever claim that?"

"Well…"

"Exactly. Now, if we're quite finished, I suggest we make our way back to the ship."

"Um. Thrawn."

"What?"

"Don't turn around," Ahsoka whispered.

"There's someone behind me, isn't there?"

"Yeah."

"What does he look like?"

"I think it's Darth Revan."

"Fantastic."

Thrawn, against Ahsoka's advice, turned around to see a dark masked figure.

"Why do you come to my temple?" Revan asked.

"To learn," Ahsoka said.

"You are Jedi?"

"He is," Ahsoka said as she pointed to Luke.

"And what are you?"

"A student of the Force."

"Ah. So you have discovered true wisdom like I have. You are bound by no laws, no codes, and no regulations. You are Gray. You are free."

"What do you mean by 'Gray'?"

"Gray. You use the light and dark without falling to one or the other."

"No, no. You have it all wrong. I follow only the light, but you were correct that I am not bound by any code."

"Ah. So if you only use the light, what makes you any different from a Jedi?"

"I… I'm not sure."

"So, Ahsoka Tano, who are you?"

"How did you know my name?"

"I know of those who follow the Force alone, like you. See, you are not like the Jedi of your Clone Wars, but rather like the more ancient Jedi. While they did not follow the dark side, they listened to the Force and it went well for them. So, like it or not, I would consider you a Jedi, an even truer Jedi than your friend Luke."

"Maybe you're right, but that doesn't matter right now."

"Doesn't it? How can you know who your enemy is if you don't even know who you are? Hmm?"

"I… you're right. Can you teach me?"

"Your friends must leave us."

"How long will I be here?"

"As long as it takes."

"Oh, great," Luke sighed.

"Luke, Thrawn, go back to the ship. Leave me here and I'll call when I need a pickup."

"Ahsoka, you realize that you have no food or water, right?" Thrawn asked.

"I am quite aware."

"So you're just going to use the Force to survive?"

"No. I suppose I'll take whatever rations you can spare."

"I suppose I'll make myself useful and go get them," Thrawn said as he exited the temple, leaving Luke, Ahsoka, and now Revan.

"So this is goodbye?" Luke asked.

"No. We will meet again, my friend. Your father gave me the task of looking out for you, and I intend on following through."

"May the Force be with you, Ahsoka."

"Thank you. Discover what you can about Snoke, and we'll regroup whenever the time comes."

She wrapped her arms around Luke, embracing the Jedi Master.

"Goodbye for now, but we will meet again."

Luke nodded as Thrawn came back in.

"Here are your rations," Thrawn said as he came in, several crates in his hands.

"Thank you."

Thrawn nodded.

"Thank you, Thrawn. I know you didn't have to come here, but you did. I don't see you as an ex-Imperial. I see you as a trustworthy ally and a friend. Take care of yourself."

"You too, Lady Tano."

Thrawn and Luke made their way back to the ship as Ahsoka looked at her supply: around a year's worth.

"So, my new master, what do you have to teach me?"

"Your lightsabers, give them to me."

Ahsoka tossed Revan her sabers and he activated their white blades.

"White. Hmm. Care to explain to me what that means?"

"Yes. I took them from a dark side user. Those kybers, they called to me. I'm sure you know how a kyber can sing."

"I do."

"It sung to me and I responded by relieving them of their pain. In the same way Sith pour their anger into their kybers, I poured my compassion into mine."

"I see. You are purity, Ahsoka Tano. Purity is not bad, it is even ideal, but do you not understand that the Force is total?"

"Explain what you mean by total."

"The Force existed long before the Jedi and Sith split it into light and dark. You must learn to embrace… a larger view of the Force."

"What do you mean?"

"The dark side by nature is corruptive, but you said it yourself: your very own master was incredibly powerful when he tapped into his darker emotions."

"I did say that."

"The light side is innocence. The dark side, despite what you've heard, is not guilt, per say, but rather reality. The dark side is our darker tendencies as humans, or Togrutas in your case. We all have anger. We all have jealousy."

"So you're telling me to give into those things?"

"Not at all. Anger, like you yourself said, is not evil."

"Everyone who uses the dark side risks falling to it. There are reasons for the Jedi sticking to their code."

"But you are no Jedi."

"I am not."

"Then why do you follow their code?"

"I don't know."

"You are a living contradiction, Ahsoka Tano. You say you are no Jedi, yet you act like one. You must learn the Gray path, the path of light and dark."

"How?"

"I admit, it will be difficult for you because you are so pure, such a light. But there is a fire to you. You have anger. What makes you tick?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Surely there is something that unlocks your rage."

"See, I don't have a deep rage like you speak of. I am slow to anger, even when I was a young Padawan. It takes a lot to make me angry."

"You left your master, didn't you?"

"I… I suppose I did."

"Are you not angry at yourself?"

"I learned to let go. I can't go back, so what good is worrying over it?"

"The Sith and Jedi are two sides of the same coin, Lady Tano. The Jedi are light, but lack any real emotion, any passion, any love. And the Sith are passionate and emotion driven, but they let those emotions dictate their actions. They are two extremes, two flawed extremes. A Jedi willing to embrace passion can become powerful and a Sith willing to embrace love can be unstoppable."

"The Jedi are selfless. They are the embodiment of love, and the Sith do not love. Sith are selfish creatures."

"Lord Malgus was not."

"What do you mean?"

"He had a wife, a wife he adored."

"I never knew that."

"Do you know how he found her?"

"No."

"He was Geonosis when he met her. He saw her master mistreating her and, using his rage towards the slaver, Malgus killed him and set his future wife free. He treated her like a queen, giving her everything she ever wanted. When she was injured by a Jedi, Malgus snapped, his love gave him power to kill the Jedi."

"So what happened to her?"

"He killed her."

"Oh."

"He realized that she was his one weakness, so he killed her. He hated himself for it and it made him stronger."

"So you're telling me to find someone to love just to kill him?"

"No. My point was that, had he not been a Sith, Malgus, his wife by his side, could have become one of the most powerful Force-users ever, but because he was bound by the Code of the Sith, he was limited."

"I see, but you must know I have no one like that, no one I love like that."

"Your master?"

"What? No. He was my master and my good friend. There was nothing between us."

"Are you certain?"

"I felt something towards him, but I knew it would never amount to anything."

"What do you mean?"

"I felt some… feelings for him, but he was married. I couldn't come between him and his wife."

"I see. Do you still have feelings for him?"

"To be honest, I don't know. Yes and no. I have always loved him, but I began to have feelings for him towards the tail end of the war, but whatever remnant of those feelings I had is gone, or less present than they were before."

"You are incomplete, aren't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You are alone."

"I'm not alone."

"No. You have allies, friends, even. However, you do not have someone who cares for you in a deeper, more personal way."

"I know that and I've come to peace with it."

"The loneliness, does it not take a toll?"

"You have no idea, Revan."

"I think I have a very, very good idea, an even better idea than you do. I was kept alive and tortured for 300 years, kept away from my wife, who eventually died, having no clue what happened to me. I know exactly what loneliness feels like."

Ahsoka nodded.

"That's enough for today," Revan said.

"So where exactly am I supposed to sleep?"

"This is a temple very similar to the Jedi temple on Coruscant. I'm sure you will find a bedroom or something."

"Do you know where the power switch to this place is? It's rather dark and cold, wouldn't you say?"

"I am a Force ghost. I cannot feel cold or warmth."

"Of course you can't," Ahsoka sighed.

"The temple's power source is dormant. Follow me."

Ahsoka followed Revan to a darkened room in the lower levels of the temple.

"Here," Revan said as he pointed his glowing hand at what looked to be a generator of some kind. "This is what powers the temple. It should be able to restart if it is jump started by a bolt of Force lightning."

"Force lightning?"

"You heard me."

"No. I'm not going to use Force lightning. It leads to the dark side."

"You passed your first test," Revan said after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. "That test was refusal of the quick and easy path that is the dark side."

"So why have you been telling to learn it?"

"To test your resolve. See, what I am trying to instill in you a balanced view. The Jedi do not accept love, passionate love, but the Sith do not accept selfless love."

"Luke accepts both, and he's a Jedi."

"I know that full well, but what are you? You are no Sith. You are no Jedi. So what exactly are you?"

"I follow the Force."

"Then by definition, you are a true Jedi. It is a Jedi's sole purpose to follow the Force wherever it leads."

"So I am a Jedi?"

"That is for you to decide," Revan said as he powered up the temple. "But for now, you need rest."

"I agree."

"I look forward to training you."

"What else do I have to learn? I've already accepted the ideology that love is strength, not weakness."

"You are powerful, incredibly so, but there is always more to learn. You are a master of Forms V and VI are you not?"

"Yes. I implement elements of Form IV in my style as well."

"Do you know the basics of all Forms?"

"Yes."

"You are an expert acrobat, but you've come to rely on your secondary lightsaber too much. You need to be just as deadly with one saber."

"I see."

"I must tell you this, I have seen your feats. Dueling Lord Vader, very impressive. Do you know why you were so powerful in that duel?"

"Why?"

"You wanted justice for Anakin. You wanted to avenge him."

"Yes."

"Revenge is not the Jedi way. Vader himself said that."

"That's why I'm no Jedi."

"You wanted revenge because you cared for Anakin. You loved him. Your love gave you power."

"So the reason I'm not a Jedi is because I wasn't afraid to embrace passion?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. Tomorrow I will teach you more."

Ahsoka nodded.

4

Weaker Alone

"Ah," Snoke smiled.

"What?" Kylo asked.

"Ahsoka is alone on Csilla."

"Why? What is she doing there?"

"She is in the temple of Revan."

"What about Luke?"

"He's several parsecs away from Csilla. This, my apprentice, is the opportunity we've been looking for. Ahsoka is weak and alone. Come. We must leave now. Bring no reinforcements. We will deal with her alone."

"Are you sure?"

"I am. She doesn't have Luke by her side. I have many lifetimes of experience. Your natural talent is incredible. We should be quite capable."

Snoke and Kylo boarded the Supremacy II, Snoke's personal shuttle, and jumped to Csilla.

"Why is she alone, anyway?" Kylo asked.

"She is unsure of herself. She doesn't know who she is."

"What do you mean?"

"When she confronted Lord Vader on Malachor, she declared that she was no Jedi, yet she seems to follow the Jedi Code. She is trying to discover who she is. I'm sure you can identify."

"I can indeed."

"Has Satele spoken to you again?"

"No. Not yet."

"You long for her to?"

"I wouldn't be opposed to it, but I wouldn't say I long for her."

"Do you have her saber with you?"

Kylo pulled Satele's double bladed saber out of his cape.

"Good. Have you trained with it at all?"

"Yes."

"Good, but I can sense you are still more comfortable with your old one. Use that one during our duel with Ahsoka. I need you working at your best."

Kylo nodded.

Ahsoka looked inside Revan's temple's holocron vault. Revan had not visited her in the past few days, so she decided she's attempt to uncover some secrets of the temple by herself. Hmm. Something felt off. She sensed… oh, no. Kylo and Snoke were on their way. She sighed as she went towards the temple door, readying herself for the soon to be arrival of Snoke and his apprentice.

Several hours later, Snoke's ship dropped out of hyperspace to the icy world of Csilla.

"Remember what our plan of attack it. We go to the temple and kill Ahsoka. She is powerful and is a quick learner. If we take too long, she could see flaws in our fighting styles and exploit them."

Kylo nodded as the ship landed by a dark temple.

"Oh, great," Kylo said as he pointed at Ahsoka through the window. "She's already ready for us. There goes the element of surprise."

"We don't need the element of surprise. We have the numerical advantage."

Snoke lowered the ramp as Kylo followed him, putting his helmet on.

"Ah, Lady Tano! How nice of you to welcome us!" Snoke said.

"I am not your welcoming committee, Snoke. I know you've come to kill me. You won't succeed."

"Are you certain?" Snoke asked as he activated his black saber.

"I am," Ahsoka responded as she activated her twin white sabers and shoved the two darksiders back with a Force push.

Kylo and Snoke looked at each other and nodded. They both conjured a blast of lightning and combined it, making an even bigger bolt and sending it hurtling Ahsoka's way. She raised her hand to block it, but the power of two bolts overwhelmed her defenses, knocking her to the ground. Master and apprentice focused their powers, overwhelming Ahsoka's defenses with a Force choke and tossing her backwards. Ahsoka quickly regained her footing and shoved Kylo back, but Snoke held firm. He hurled his saber at Ahsoka, but she easily ducked beneath it.

"I expected better," Snoke taunted.

"I'm sorry to disappoint," Ahsoka said as she sent Snoke hurtling backwards with a Force push.

Kylo suddenly sprang to his feet and, much to Ahsoka's surprise, broke her Force shield. However, she quickly broke free of his grasp and slashed him across the chest, dropping him to the ground. But Ahsoka left herself open to an attack from Snoke, who slashed her across the leg.

"Ouch," Ahsoka said. "I actually felt that one."

Snoke smirked as he launched an unrelenting advance on Ahsoka. He focused on overwhelming her defenses. A right slash here. A left cleave there. He kept his attack patterns unpredictable. He slashed the ground, his saber going for Ahsoka's legs, but she managed to jump over it. She quickly regained her footing and sprang backwards several times, avoiding three sweeping swings. Snoke reared his blade backwards and smashed his saber against hers, the blades clashed. Neither one gained ground.

Ahsoka shoved Snoke to the ground with the Force and stabbed her saber through his chest. Snoke yelled in agony and used that agony to toss Ahsoka backwards while he healed himself with the Force. Kylo attempted to pull Ahsoka his way, but her Force wall held strong. She resisted the pull, instead, yanking Kylo her way and sending her foot on a path straight to Kylo's face. Kylo sprang back upwards and over to Snoke.

Snoke nodded and master and apprentice attacked in tandem. Kylo from the right, Snoke from the left. Ahsoka redirected several heavy slashes from both before Kylo slipped past her guard and kicked her leg out from under her, dropping her to one knee. She shoved Kylo back with a push and leaped to her feet while Snoke continued his attacks. He slashed left, right, down, up, right. Ahsoka redirected each and every attack, but Snoke managed to penetrate her guard, his hand finding its way to Ahsoka's face. He shoved her into the temple wall and reared his saber back to kill her, but she stopped it with the Force and ripped it from his grasp. Snoke growled and began smashing his fists into Ahsoka's face. After several punches, Ahsoka saw a pattern and capitalized on it. She caught Snoke's fist and shoved it backwards. Snoke's face betrayed his shock at Ahsoka's machine like durability and resolve.

With renewed determination, she threw two quick jabs to Snoke's stomach, a kick to his face, a swift and powerful backhand to his face, a lightning fast uppercut, and a kick to his legs. The tide had turned. Snoke hit the ground as Ahsoka retrieved her sabers with the Force.

Suddenly, Kylo came at Ahsoka from behind, attempting to slash her back. Ahsoka kicked Snoke backwards and redirected two heavy blows from Kylo. Kylo jabbed his saber at Ahsoka's stomach, only for her to duck under it and smash Kylo into the ground a few times before letting him drop. Snoke made the most of Ahsoka's preoccupation with Kylo to grip her throat with the Force.

"Ren! Now!"

Kylo, along with Snoke, blasted the now defenseless Ahsoka with Force lightning for several long moments before letting up. She slowly got back to her feet. Snoke let her. He wanted to see what she was made of. She took a sloppy swing at Snoke's head. The darksider casually redirected it and kicked Ahsoka to the ground. Several seconds later, she rose to her feet once again and activated her lightsabers, holding them in a defensive position.

"You don't know when to surrender, do you?" Snoke asked.

"I can do this all day."

"I admire your relentless intolerance, your refusal to give up despite all odds. You are a fool, but a brave fool."

Snoke, now taking on the role of aggressor, rose his saber above his head and brought it crashing down on Ahsoka. She formed an X with her sabers, catching Snoke's blade and forcing it back. Taking advantage of Ahsoka's exhaustion, forced her blade aside and removed her right arm. The Togruta instinctively clutched at her wound, opening up herself to another attack from Snoke. He grazed her leg and slammed her to the ground with the Force. He, along with Kylo, resumed their barrage of lightning for several more minutes until Ahsoka couldn't move. She tried, but couldn't.

"You have my respect, Lady Tano," Snoke said as he lifted her up. "Which is why I'm sparing you."

"What?" Kylo yelled.

"You heard me, my apprentice."

"You said we were going to kill her!"

"I changed my mind."

Kylo shook his head in frustration, but said nothing.

"Come now, Lady Tano. Despite all your power, there is still much you do not know."

Ahsoka couldn't respond. She was hardly breathing.

Snoke gently lowered Ahsoka on the Supremacy II's seat.

"Type in the coordinates for Starkiller," Snoke commanded.

Kylo did so and the ship jumped.

Several hours later, the Supremacy II dropped out of hyperspace. Kylo landed the ship at the First Order base on the world.

"How is she?" Snoke asked.

"Still breathing," Kylo said. "But barely."

Snoke nodded as two stormtroopers came out to greet him.

"Ah, Supreme Leader. This is a surprise to be sure, but…"

"Dispense with pleasantries. Get me a medical gurney. Now!"

A minute later, the troops sprinted out, hovergurney in hand. Snoke lowered Ahsoka on to it, using his compassion and the light side to heal her broken body. The gurney took her to a surgical room where she was put under heavy sedation. She was in worse shape than Snoke had first thought. The Togruta had internal bleeding, damaged lungs, a shattered skull, and nerve damage, not to mention her missing arm.

"So what's going to happen to her?" Kylo asked as he saw a new arm being attached to Ahsoka's stump.

"That is up to her."

"What do you mean?"

"She can join us or die."

"Join us? You've lost your mind!"

"No. She is far, far too strong to just cast aside. She could be a powerful ally."

"You know she won't join us."

"You once said the same thing about yourself. And look where we are now."

"So you're going to torture her like you did me?"

"If it comes to that, but that is not what I want to do."

"Hmm. I got the feeling that you enjoy torturing people.

"No," was Snoke's simple response.

"So if she doesn't join us?"

"She will. Eventually."

Ahsoka's eyes opened. Where… where was she? What happened? Ah. Now she remembered. She had been taken by Snoke and Kylo, but she didn't know where.

"Ahsoka, can you hear me?" Snoke asked.

"Yes," Ahsoka said as she felt a respirator on her mouth.

"You have one of two choices."

"Join you or die, I assume?"

"Yes."

"So, how do you plan on torturing me? Are you going to beat me until I can't breathe? Are you going to probe my mind with the Force?"

"I'd prefer to do neither one of those."

"Where are we?"

"Starkiller Base, but I think you know it as Ilum."

Ahsoka's eyes widened.

"What happened to me?"

"A lot, but you're back in one piece."

"I like the respirator," she sarcastically said.

"We tried our best. Now join us, or I will have to do what I do not want to."

"Go ahead."

Snoke looked at Kylo and the two linked their minds, prying at Ahsoka's mind.

"No," Ahsoka growled. "Get out of my head!"

Snoke and Kylo pushed harder, increasing their Force probe and causing Ahsoka to cry out in agony.

"NO!" she screamed. "GET OUT!"

Snoke began to pull at her mind. The Togruta spasmed in anguish as master and apprentice increased their attack.

Ahsoka's fists tightened in anguish. Without warning, she gripped Kylo and Snoke in a Force choke, both darksiders squirming helplessly in her grasp. More out of instinct than planning, she tossed them backwards and sprinted out of the room.

"No!" Snoke yelled. "Get her! Now!"

Kylo nodded and sprinted after Ahsoka. She looked behind her to see Kylo running her way. Ahsoka saw her sabers dangling on Kylo's belt, so she yanked them out of his grasp and activated them.

"Stand down," Kylo demanded. "My master doesn't want you dead. I disagree with him."

"I don't want to hurt you, but I will."

"Aww. So sweet of you."

Ahsoka slammed Kylo against the ceiling several times.

"That's it!" Kylo growled as he sprang at Ahsoka, crossguard saber activated.

Ahsoka's two sabers formed an X and caught Kylo's unstable blade. She took advantage of the blade lock and shoved him backwards, but he quickly resumed his attack. He slashed upwards with the ferocity of an animal and it took everything Ahsoka had to keep it from killing her. The Knight of Ren showed no mercy, slamming down on Ahsoka with heavy attacks. She ducked and weaved under two sweeping swings. Kylo's frustration was growing, as was his power. But Ahsoka noticed that the angrier Kylo got, the less focused he became.

The apprentice redirected two lightning fast reverse slashes from Ahsoka, much to Ahsoka's surprise. Ren had grown stronger since she'd last fought him on Coruscant almost two years ago. She slashed at his head with her left saber and aimed for his legs with her right, but Kylo redirected the one at his head and jumped over the one at his legs. This dual was lasting longer than Ahsoka would have liked. Kylo seemed to sense Ahsoka's thoughts, as he doubled down on the attack. Ahsoka thrust her left saber at Kylo's face, and Kylo used his superior strength to disarm her of her weapon. Now for the kill. Kylo reared back and thrust his lightsaber at Ahsoka's chest, but, somehow, she absorbed the blade with her hand and shoved it back.

"How?"

"Experience," was Ahsoka's simple, yet confident response as she yanked Kylo's saber from his hand and tossed it aside with the Force. "And in my book, experience outranks everything."

Kylo growled as he pulled out Vader's saber.

"Where did you get that?" Ahsoka asked, mesmerized by the saber of her former master.

"My master gave it to me, and your sabers shall soon join it in my collection."

"Aww. You have a collection. I should start calling you Grievous Jr."

Kylo yelled and tried to kick Ahsoka's face, but she caught his leg with the Force and tossed him aside. The defender was now the aggressor. She came at Kylo like a tornado of orange and white, sabers spinning too fast for Kylo's eyes to follow. He managed to deflect a few quick thrusts, but Ahsoka's onslaught eventually overwhelmed him and she slashed him across the back, dropping him.

Kylo got back up and retrieved his saber. Ahsoka flipped over a heavy right slash and ran her saber across Kylo's armored chest, nearly killing him. Kylo growled with anger and broke Ahsoka's Force wall, gripping her throat with the Force and squeezing harder as she flailed helplessly in his grasp. As Kylo reared his saber back for the killing blow, he was shoved back by a desperate blast from Ahsoka. Kylo yelled in rage and smashed his saber against Ahsoka's and drove her back several steps before he managed to graze her leg. Ahsoka unexpectedly sent Kylo flying backwards with a Force-enhanced kick that would have killed to young darksider had it not been for his helmet. Not wanting to stay around long enough for Snoke to come to his apprentice's aid, Ahsoka sprinted out the base doors and jumped into a shuttle similar to the old Imperial Era Lambda shuttles.

She quickly closed the ramp and typed in the coordinates to Csilla.

Kylo ran outside the base, but it was too late. The Supremacy II had already jumped to hyperspace.

"No. NO!" Kylo yelled as he attempted in vein to yank the ship back.

"Well done," Snoke sarcastically said as he clapped his hands.

"Well, where were you to help me? You knew I was no match for her!"

"I thought you were. She was exhausted and still recovering from her wounds! You should have killed her, but, as you usually do, you failed!"

"NO!" Kylo yelled. "This is where I draw the line! You've set impossible standards for me!"

Kylo blasted Snoke back with lightning and gripped his neck with the Force, squeezing until Snoke's blue eyes began to turn black.

"ENOUGH!" Snoke yelled as he broke Kylo's hold.

In a second, Snoke yanked Kylo his way, gripped his neck, and pinned him to the ground.

"You know what the punishment for striking out at me before you're ready is, don't you?"

"Death."

"Yes, but… I will make an acceptation this time. I still need your help."

Snoke released his hand from Kylo's neck, causing the young apprentice to gasp for air.

"I won't challenge you again until I am ready."

"I know you won't. Now come with me."

"She stole our ship."

"No worries," Snoke said as he pointed towards another First Order ship a several meters away.

"Ah. So what now? Are we going back to Csilla?"

"I think not. You were unprepared, some of that is my fault."

Kylo nodded as he took off and inspected his cracked helmet.

"You really need to stop getting that thing nearly destroyed."

"I know. I think I'll just leave it like this."

"Very well. Just make sure it doesn't shatter. That is so much more than a mere helmet. It has the spirit of Ren hidden inside. Speaking of which, when was the last time you spoke with Ren?"

"It's been a few months."

"I see. Have you been blocking him out?"

"I suppose. I've had rather… unpleasant experiences with ancient Sith spirits."

"Do tell."

"Around two years ago, Luke and I went to a Sith temple on Yavin IV. It was home to the spirit of an ancient Sith called Exar Kun. He tried to possess me, but Luke managed to destroy most of the spirit. A small part of it clung to me for serval more months before I managed to destroy it. I'd prefer it if I didn't have to relive that."

"I understand. Perhaps Satele can ease your mind."

"The less I see of her the better."

"Why so?"

"Seeing her is a totally different, yet equally painful experience."

"So, how exactly do you feel about her?"

"A mixture of emotions. I admire her power and purity in the Force. Her beauty is undeniable. I know, however, that if I want to stay your apprentice, I must not give into her."

"It hurts, doesn't it? Knowing that you will never be with her?"

"In a way, but I know where my true loyalties lie: with you, my master."

"That's right," Snoke smiled. "Your loyalty has been great, so I think it is time I reward you."

"With what?"

"It isn't a physical thing. You asked me long ago who I was, where I came from. I'm still not ready to reveal everything about my past, but I'm going to take you on a little journey to a place very significant to me."

Kylo nodded.

"Come," Snoke said as he made a summoning motion with his hand. "You'll want to see what I have to show you."

"Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see."

The Supremacy II dropped out of hyperspace to Csilla. Ahsoka activated her lightsaber and removed the respirator Snoke had put on her. She rubbed her hand across her mouth. Her cheeks were scarred, but nothing major. Other than a few cybernetic enhancements, she was just fine, better than fine, actually. The enhancements made her nearly as strong as Vader, while she still retained the speed she once had. She landed the ship at Revan's temple.

"I see you managed to escape your captors," Revan said the second Ahsoka entered the temple. "Well done."

"Thanks. Unfortunately, I tapped into the dark side to do that."

"How so?"

"I choked Kylo and Snoke."

"Out of planning? Or out of survival?"

"Survival. I acted. I didn't think."

"I see. Well, you know that you shouldn't use the darkness, but sometimes things are out of our control."

Ahsoka nodded.

"Tell me, Ahsoka, what are you?"

"I… I'm a Jedi."

"Are you? Do you follow their code? Do you abandon emotion, forsake passion?"

"No, I don't."

"Then you are no Jedi."

"I am no Clone Wars era Jedi. I am a true Jedi like Anakin's first master, Qui-Gon Jinn. I follow the Force alone."

"You have passed this test, the only test that matters. You know who you are. You are proud of what you are."

"Yes. I am a Jedi. Like my master before me and his master before him."

"You come from an incredible line of Jedi. Master Yoda, Count Dooku, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and then you, Ahsoka Tano. Each generation of this line, this dynasty of Jedi, has been more powerful than the last, in terms of potential I mean. You have nearly equal, if not slightly greater potential than your master had. You've reached that potential. There is nothing more I have to teach you. I redeem you, Ahsoka Tano, a Jedi Master."

Ahsoka nodded.

"You are wise. Pass on what you have learned."

"I will."

5

Renewed Identity

Luke checked his comlink.

"Ahsoka?" Thrawn asked.

"Yeah."

"What does she want?"

"She says her training by Revan has been completed."

"Hmm. I'd have thought it would last longer."

"It's been six months."

"True. Does she want us to come back for her?"

"Yes."

"Do we not need to discover more about Snoke?"

"We haven't made any actual progress on that, so I don't see why we wouldn't go back to get her."

"Fair point."

"What all do you think she learned from Revan?" Luke asked.

"I haven't a clue. That's your area of expertise. Mine's strategy, not Jedi and Sith lore."

"True, true," Luke said as the Forgiven jumped to hyperspace.

Ahsoka closed her eyes to meditate. At first, Revan's temple felt like a dark side nexus, but the more she felt it, the more it began to feel like a light side nexus. Strange, the way anything having to do with Revan seemed to change from light to dark. Revan himself had been both Jedi and Sith in his long life. Ah, she felt Luke's presence. Looks like now was the time to leave Revan behind.

"Lady Tano, remember who you are," Revan said as he appeared behind her.

"I will. Thank you for your teaching, Revan."

"You are welcome. You have grown powerful and wise over your life. I only added to that."

"Looks like my ride's here," Ahsoka said as she saw the Forgiven land by her.

"Goodbye, Ahsoka Tano."

"Goodbye, Revan."

"Ahsoka," Luke said as the ship's ramp lowered and Revan vanished. "Oh, your face? What happened to you?"

"I'll explain on the ship."

Luke nodded as the two Jedi boarded the ship.

"Greetings, Ahsoka," Thrawn said. "Good to have you back."

"Thank you."

"So where to?" Luke asked.

"Hmm. Ilum, I think."

"Why?" Luke asked.

"While I was training with Revan, Snoke and Kylo came. They attacked. I did my best to hold them off, but the two of them together were too much for me. They took me to Ilum, or Starkiller Base, as they called it. They attempted to turn me to the dark side. I managed to escape and they haven't pursued me since."

"Starkiller," Thrawn said to himself.

"Does that name mean anything to you?" Luke asked.

"To an extent. While I was in the Empire, Palpatine always spoke of creating a weapon that could destroy not just a planet, but an entire star system at once. However, the Empire did not have the necessary technology to create such a weapon. I fear that the First Order does."

"And they're converting Ilum into this base?" Ahsoka asked. "If that's their plan, why haven't they used it already?"

"It would be a foolish move," Thrawn said. "It has the same flaws as the Death Star. It's an easy target and would make even loyal First Order supporters turn on them."

"I see."

"So what exactly is your plan for Ilum?" Luke asked. "Are we somehow going to try to destroy it?"

"I don't know."

"Master," Kylo said as the Shadow's Wrath, Snoke's other personal ship, dropped out of hyperspace to a world strong in the dark side. "What exactly are we going to do about Starkiller?"

"I do not know, but for now, I have something much more pressing to tell you, my friend."

"What?"

"Do you know where we are?"

"No."

"We're on a world called Scaron VI. It is very important to me in that fact that this was my birthplace. Tell me, what do you see? What do you feel?"

Kylo closed his eyes, although they were hidden by his helmet.

"What do you feel?"

"Darkness, unfathomable darkness, but also… light. The darkness is far stronger, though. What happened here?"

"I was born here, my apprentice. That is why you feel darkness and light. I made my mark on this world. This world, to a certain extent, is me."

"Your parents?"

"They're long gone, I'm afraid."

"Did you kill them?"

"No. They caused their own deaths in their blindness." Snoke paused. "Is this world trying to show you something?"

"I see two figures with red lightsabers. They attacked you, but did not deform you. They defeated you… but spared you. Either out of sympathy or disgust. Which one, I do not know. This confrontation, did it take place here?"

"Yes."

"Who are the figures?"

"I will not tell you today, my apprentice."

Kylo nodded.

"Do you know how my saber got its black crystal?"

"I don't."

"When I constructed my lightsaber, the Force itself fell into a moment of pure darkness. It infected this world and the kyber within my saber. It was unintentional, I might add. It just happened."

"I see."

"Do you know what the ultimate purpose of the Chosen One is?"

"To bring balance to the Force."

"Yes. Do you know what balance is?"

"According to my uncle, light and dark, but the light is the only side actually being used."

"Hmm. Yes. That is the Jedi view. The Sith have the opposite view, thinking that total darkness is true balance, but I see things in a different light. The Force has two sides for a reason. They are both meant to be used and learned from, you see. If that weren't the case, there would only be a dark Force or the light Force, not two sides of the same coin."

"My uncle always compared the Force to the human body. He always compared the light side to the antibodies and the dark side as a cancer that was not meant to belong. Another example he liked to use was an ecosystem. The light was life. The dark was death. Each were required to feed new life, but when things got out of balance is when that death was caused unnaturally."

"Yes, but your uncle's understanding is finite of the Force. The Force is like an ecosystem, but sometimes a mass execution is required to prevent overpopulation. The dark side is no cancer. It is the pathway to strength. I was a master in the ways of the Force before your uncle was even born. I think I am the superior in knowledge and in power."

"You are, my master."

"Tell me, when do you use the light side?"

"Me personally?"

Snoke nodded.

"Hmm…" Kylo said. "Never. When exactly do you use it?"

"Healing, for one thing. Compassion, not hatred, heals the wounds of one's allies and one's self. You must respect your enemies and those under your command. Tano and Skywalker are incredibly powerful and devoted to their cause. They deserve our respect for that. The troops under your command, they serve you loyally, so return that loyalty to them."

"I understand."

"Who do you have compassion or respect for?"

"Hmm. I suppose I have some level of respect for my uncle and Ahsoka, but I have no compassion for either of them. Satele… I suppose I have some form of compassion for her."

"Good. Start with that. I know you also had compassion for you sister."

Kylo's fists tightened in anger. He remembered Snoke killing his sister like it was yesterday.

"Yes. I did," Kylo growled.

"Use that compassion for her, you care for her to fuel your power. Use your hate of me and your love of her, and you'll be unstoppable."

"Mixing love and hate never ends very well."

"Doesn't it? Love and hate are the two most powerful emotions. Combined, they make their wielder's power unrivaled."

"So if that's true, who do you love?"

"I have no love."

"So you're a hypocrite?"

"No. My respect and compassion has taken the place of actual love, but you have your sister's memories to remember your love of her."

"Yes."

"Come. We are done here."

Master and apprentice boarded the Shadow's Wrath and jumped to hyperspace.

"Hmm," Luke said.

"What?" Ahsoka asked.

"I sense a disturbance on a faraway world. It's deep in the Unknown."

"Where exactly?"

"Hmm," Luke said as he began typing in the coordinates. "I'm not exactly sure, but I have a general idea. Once we get closer, I'll be able to sense it more clearly."

"Alright," Ahsoka said.

"What do you suppose we shall find there?" Thrawn asked.

"I have no clue, but I know that there is something there that we need to see," Luke said. "Something that will give the Jedi Order, which just consists of me, I guess, hope."

"It's not just you," Ahsoka said.

"What do you mean?"

"I am a Jedi."

"Why the sudden change of heart? When we first me, you adamantly told me you were no Jedi."

"Yes. My vision was somewhat clouded. Revan taught me that I am in fact a true Jedi, one who embraces emotions, but doesn't let them dictate my actions."

"So you'd be willing to take over as Grand Master?"

"Oh, no. I'm quite alright being under your command."

"Why? You have more experience?"

"Yes, but unlike me, you always knew your path. You never lost faith in the Jedi."

Luke laughed a bit to himself.

"Oh, how very false that is," he said glumly.

"How so?"

"Several times over the years, I've considered leaving all behind. If you hadn't found me on Ahch-To, I wouldn't be in this fight. I'd begun to lose faith when you arrived. I don't think that happened by chance. You deserve the title of Grand Master, Ahsoka. Grand Master Ahsoka, hmm. Has a nice ring to it, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes," Ahsoka smiled. "Yes. It does. Well, I suppose that once this conflict is over, I will take on the responsibilities of Grand Master, but for now, I cannot afford to be the only one in charge. Your opinion is just as valuable as mine. We'll be, shall we say, co-Grand Masters?"

"I'll agree to that."

Ahsoka smiled.

"If we are going with the whole, no ranks command structure, might I suggest something?" Thrawn asked.

Ahsoka nodded, her lekku bobbing with her head.

"Not to brag, but my strategical abilities far outweigh both of yours, so I propose this: I believe I should be made in charge of all planning one we launch the all-out assault on the First Order."

"I'll agree to that," Luke said. "But when we launch that attack, we'll have the New Republic Navy by our side. I'll do my best to convince Leia of your idea, but I can't guarantee anything."

Thrawn nodded as the Forgiven exited hyperspace. Luke stretched out with the Force, searching for the mystery planet he felt calling him.

"We're close. One more small jump, and we're there."

"Define small," Thrawn said.

"Here," Luke said as his Force guided hand inputted the coordinates.

The ship jumped and almost instantly dropped out of hyperspace to a world swathed in darkness, physical as well as in the Force.

"Ah," Ahsoka said as she rested her head on her hand. "This world is far, far stronger in the dark side than anything I've ever felt. Luke? What about you?"

"Yes. This makes Moraban seem like a tropical paradise."

Luke landed the ship by what looked to be a lake of blood.

"That's nice," Ahsoka said sarcastically as she pointed at the river.

"Indeed," Luke said as he bent down to stick his hand in the river.

Without warning, he suddenly fell back, his eyes black.

"Luke?" Ahsoka asked as she gazed into his blackened eyes. "Luke!"

"What is it?" Thrawn asked.

Ahsoka put her hand to Luke's forehead.

"He's in a coma of some kind."

"Can you get him out of it?"

"No, not if I want him alive. He's experiencing something right now. We need to let him if we want him to come back to us."

Luke's eyes opened, but he did not see anything. All that surrounded was blackness. Pure blackness.

"The Force was never meant to be controlled by mortal beings!" a dark hooded figure shouted. "But in your idiocy, you failed to see that!"

"No! The Force will bend to my will until I achieve what I desire!" another dark figure yelled.

"I am your failure!"

Luke turned around to see Snoke clad in a dark robe, blood dripping from his mouth and running down his face.

"I am the result of your arrogance! You have created your own death! I will…"

Luke's eyes shot open, this time to the real world.

"Luke, what happened?" Ahsoka asked.

"I saw a vision of two dark figures I didn't know and Snoke. Snoke claimed he was the failure of these two figures, figures that tried to bend the Force to their will."

"Were they Sith?" Ahsoka asked.

"I think so, but I'm not sure."

"It's possible that Snoke is from the Lost Tribe," Ahsoka proposed. "The two figures could be Lost Tribe leaders. Snoke is their failure because he didn't follow their rules. He probably killed these two figures and escaped to where he is now."

"I thought we agreed that Snoke was one of, if not the very first Force-users."

"We were throwing around ideas, but I think we're on to something. Snoke, I believe was, at one time in his life, a Sith Lord, but when he saw things in the Sith Order he didn't agree with, he walked out. Or more accurately, killed those who opposed him."

"I see both sides of the equation," Thrawn said. "However, I see a few glaring weaknesses in the theory that Snoke is the first Force-wielder. For one, I'd think that in the course of twenty-five thousand years, somebody would have felt Snoke in the Force. Also, I think he'd be much more powerful than he actually is. Ahsoka has been a Jedi for her whole life, seventyish years. I'd think someone with nearly 350 times the experience would decimate Ahsoka, yet here we are.

"In fact it took Snoke and Kylo to defeat Ahsoka. It was difficult for them to do so, yes?"

"Yes," Ahsoka said.

"Which leads me to believe that Snoke would have lost had he not brought Kylo along. Why else would he? If he's so powerful and experienced, why would he need help?"

"Good points," Luke said. "But I still think he's very ancient."

"I do not dispute the fact, but I do not hold the opinion that he is the very first Force-user. I'd think there'd be at least one mention of him in Jedi or Sith teachings about a being called Snoke. Is there any?"

"No."

"Exactly."

"I think this world might be the key to discovering who Snoke is," Luke said. "This world… it feels like an extension of Snoke. It is Snoke, from a certain point of view."

"I agree with Luke," Ahsoka said. "That blood in the water. It has to mean something. Luke, I think I have a way to discover more about Snoke."

"What is it?"

"We both stick our hands in that blood. You experienced a vison, but I feel it might have been incomplete. If we both focus, we might be able to see a complete, or at least more complete version of the vision."

"Alright," Luke said as he bent down to the river.

"Here," Ahsoka said as she held out her hand. "Take my hand. On the count of three, we're going to stick our hands in the water."

Luke nodded as Ahsoka knelt down beside him.

"One. Two. Three."

The two Jedi plunged their hands under the blood.

Darkness. Ahsoka and Luke opened their eyes to darkness. A few seconds later, their vision cleared and they saw two dark robed figures on a desert world said.

"Your grand plan has failed!" the shorter of the two figures yelled as he pointed out into the desert. "See what you have brought upon us, you fool!"

"No," the taller of the two said calmly. "This could still work in our favor."

Ahsoka and Luke's eyes opened, for real this time, and they saw Thrawn calmly standing over them.

"What exactly did you see?" Thrawn calmly asked.

"Not much," Ahsoka said. "We saw the same two dark figures that Luke first saw. They were discussing a grand plan of some kind, but I don't know what they were planning."

"So do you think that extra knowledge will help us in any meaningful way?" Thrawn asked.

"I'm not sure. I have to think that the waters showed us what it did for a reason," Ahsoka said.

Thrawn nodded.

"Wait," Ahsoka said as she bent down to touch the ground. "Snoke's been here recently. So has Kylo."

"What were they doing here?" Luke asked.

"I'm not sure, but I feel like Snoke took Kylo here to teach him something," Ahsoka said.

"Like?"

"I'm not sure, but this is Snoke's homeworld, and the dark side nexus here is very strong," Ahsoka said.

"Yes, but there is also a light side nexus here," Luke mused. "Granted, it's not near as strong, but it is here, nevertheless."

"Somehow, Snoke has managed to harness both sides of the Force and I fear he's trying to pass on that knowledge to Kylo," Ahsoka said. "I think there is nothing else here for us. Luke? Thrawn? What do you think?"

"I do have one question about this world," Thrawn said.

"I don't know much more about this world than you do," Ahsoka responded.

"Yes, but look around. Do you feel any other life on this world?"

"No. No I don't."

"I thought that the Force fueled life, that the Force was life. If that is the case, then how is the Force so strong on this world?"

"In some areas of the galaxy, the Force exists in its purest, or most potent, state. Nexuses. Dark side nexuses tend to be on barren, lifeless worlds like this one. As for how there's a light side nexus here, I'm not sure I have an answer, but I think we've learned what we need to learn from this planet."

"Fair enough."

Without a word, the trio boarded the ship and jumped to hyperspace.

6

Origins

Kylo flipped over a sweeping attack from his training droid and quickly blasted it backwards with Force lightning. But it didn't matter. Another droid came at him from behind and smashed his electrostaff into Kylo's back. The apprentice growled in pain, kicked the droid to the ground, and removed its head. The surviving droid took on the role of defender as he redirected Kylo's furious cleaves away. Kylo noticed a flaw in the droid's technique. It would deflect Kylo's saber away without much thought as to where he was directing it. Kylo faked a heavy right slash, but executed a powerful Force push that sent the droid hurtling backward and into a wall, destroying it instantly.

"Well done," Snoke said as he entered the room. "But you lost your focus. Had that staff been a lightsaber, you would not be standing here."

"I know."

"Something's shifted in the Force. The Jedi have been to my world."

"What did they see?"

"A vision, I suppose. They know that the world is connected to me and they are looking for more knowledge of me."

"Will they find any?"

"No. I've been very careful to keep any… unwanted secrets away from their prying eyes."

"You still haven't told me where you came from."

"Yes I have. We've been there."

"Yes, but how did you come to be?"

"Hmm. I suppose it is time I tell you who I really am."

"Please do," Kylo said as he deactivated his saber and put it on his belt.

"I am not the first Force-user as many believe. I've seen the Empire rise and fall because I knew Palpatine."

"How?"

"Around 100 years ago, Sidious and his master Darth Plagueis attempted to tip the cosmic balance of the Force. They reached out to all life and attempted to shift the alignment to the dark side, clouding the Jedi's vision and increasing the Sith's power. They also planned to bring into being the perfect Sith, one who would destroy the Jedi. I was supposed to be that perfect Sith, but something went horribly wrong.

"The Force itself did not want me to be, but my will proved too great. You may have thought that I wasn't always deformed, but I have been like this since the beginning. My birth infected the world the Force chose for me. I killed everything there simply by existing. I feared myself. I didn't know what I was. Soon, Sidious and Plagueis discovered my birth and came to kill me.

"They called me their greatest failure, the mistake of the Force itself. Unlike humans, I was simply created, not truly born. I've never been a child. I've always looked like this, always had my intelligence and power in the Force. Sidious and Plagueis attempted to kill me, and very nearly killed me. But, out of compassion, sympathy, or pity, maybe a combination of the three, decided to spare me." Snoke laughed a bit to himself. "It was the greatest mistake they ever made, and they did not live to regret it. I have a deeper connection to your grandfather than you know."

"What do you mean?"

"Not long after Sidious and Plagueis spared me, they attempted their experiment again, but this time it worked… from a certain point of view. A Forceful being was brought into existence, but not out of the darkness, out of the light. The Force struck back at the Sith for attempting to overcome its will. The Force has a will, my apprentice, only those with incredible power can bend that will. Unfortunately for Sidious and Plagueis, they lacked that power, thus your grandfather was born. In a strange way, we are brothers, Anakin and I."

"How did you grow to be this powerful?"

"The light created Anakin to bring balance. The darkness attempted to create me, but the light interfered. The two sides of the Force collided at my birth and the power within is what deteriorated me. Mortal beings are not meant to wield both sides of the Force, but I am no mortal being. In a way, I am the anti-Chosen One. In the same way that Anakin was meant to bring balance, I was meant to bring imbalance. But Anakin failed in his task. It is now up to me."

"I thought that you were meant to bring imbalance," Kylo said.

"I was, but I refuse to accept my destiny, for there is no such thing. The Jedi fail to understand what balance is. They think it means equal sides, light equaling dark. Dark equaling light, but they think that they must only use the light side. How very, very wrong they are. A true master of the Force must learn to use both sides in tandem. The Force has two sides. Why not use both?"

Kylo nodded.

"Do you hate Anakin?"

"To some extent, I suppose, but I respect the power he wielded, both as Anakin and as Darth Vader."

"How did you avoid detection by the Empire?"

"I learned the secrets of Force cloak, an ability that hides its user's Force signature from all who might want to find it."

"I see."

"That's how I was able to avoid detection for all these years."

"What if Ahsoka and Luke discover your origins?"

"Let them. What power over me will that give them?"

"None, I suppose."

"Exactly. Hmm."

"What?"

"I just realized something: the New Republic is weak now that their Jedi protectors are out looking for us."

"I… actually never really considered that."

"Well now is the time," Snoke said as he got out of his throne and pulled out his com. "Cardinal."

"Yes, Supreme Leader?"

"We're taking a little trip to Coruscant."

"Shall I make the jump?"

"Yes. Yes."

The Supremacy jumped to hyperspace.

"Come with me," Snoke commanded.

Kylo followed his master to a small briefing room. A few moments later, Cardinal, Phasma, and Sion entered the room. It seemed like 1000 years ago that Kylo first attempted to invaded Coruscant, but it had only been two years ago. Time seemed to take a backseat when he was training with Snoke.

"Ah, now that we are all here, I think we should go over our plan of attack. I will not be joining you on this mission. This assault will be led my apprentice. He will lead a full on assault on the capitol building. You should have no problem overcoming their meager defenses. Take as many troops as are required. No more, no less. Once you breach their defenses, Kylo will execute the Chancellor and Coruscant shall be ours. Once the Jedi here of our attack, their hope will be shattered. That's our plan. Stick to it. Understood?"

The troops and Kylo nodded their heads.

"You're dismissed until we reach the capitol," Snoke said. "Hmm. But not you, my apprentice. Troops, leave us."

"What?" Kylo sighed.

"I know that this seemingly simple mission will prove difficult for you, my apprentice."

"No. It won't. I've severed all ties to my past self. I killed my father. I wish my uncle dead. I have no more connection to Ben Solo."

"Really? I don't believe you."

"Why?" Kylo snarled.

"Has Satele visited you?"

"No," Ren growled. "She hasn't. Please, the more you bring up my past, the more I remember it. I thought the goal was to forget it."

"You can never truly forget your past, my friend."

"Don't call me your friend. We're not friends. We are master and apprentice. I only restrain from murdering you because I know I lack the power. That'll all change when I grow strong enough to challenge you. Master, yes, but friend, never."

"Very well," Snoke said. "So you do hate me?"

"I despise you with my every living cell."

"I expect nothing less. Although I do admire you and the power you command."

"I couldn't care less about what you think about me."

Snoke nodded his head.

"When you kill the Chancellor, you will be one with the dark side."

"I thought we utilized both sides of the Force. How will I tap into lighter feelings such as love if I murder the one person left that I care for?"

"Good question. See, you must use compassion, but not attachment. You must be willing to shed those attachments. Once you kill the one remaining person you love, your self-loathing will give you power you have never felt."

"I see. So, what exactly is our endgame?"

"We capture the capitol and I claim leadership. The people have one of two choices: die or submit. The Jedi will come, but they will not arrive in time. The defense fleet of the Republic will be ours. They will have no choice but to run. To attempt invading a capitol defended by both First Order and Republic fleets would be suicide."

"My uncle has attempted several missions that could be considered suicidal, yet here we are."

"True, but your uncle has never faced a foe as powerful as me, now has he?"

"I suppose not."

"You suppose?"

"He hasn't."

"Ahsoka and Skywalker have grown powerful, very powerful, but if they come, I do not need your help in dealing with them."

"Why not?"

"The times I've fought Ahsoka, I always held back. I wanted to see what she was made of. Now that I know, I can use my full power and should not require your help."

"Fine."

"I'm assuming they will arrive after the conquest, but there is always a chance they will arrive sooner than I anticipated. If they do, then I will need your help."

"Understood."

"My lord," Cardinal said over the com. "We're here."

"Good. Prepare a dropship for Lord Ren and his squadron."

"On it, my lord."

"Do what as I've instructed," Snoke said. "And you will be fine."

Kylo nodded.

"Ship's ready, Supreme Leader," Cardinal said over the com.

"Go," Snoke commanded.

Kylo did so, making his was down the hangar bay. He saw Cardinal, Sion, Phasma, and a few hundred stormtroopers.

"We are at your command, sir," Phasma said.

"I know. Get on the ship. You know your mission."

The troops boarded the transport ships. Kylo boarded as soon as the last troop got on board.

"What is to be done about the defense fighters of the Republic?" Phasma asked as she made last minute inspections on her blaster.

"A squad of TIE fighters will be escorting us. Major Vonreg is leading them."

Phasma nodded her helmeted head.

Leia felt a deep disturbance in the Force. Her son was here, here to decimate Coruscant for the First Order. The Chancellor pulled out her holoprojector and called her brother.

"Hello?" the small holo Luke said.

"Kylo's here."

"What do you mean?"

"He's leading an invasion of Coruscant. He has the better part of the First Order navy and army by his side. I'll deploy our fighters, but I don't know how much time that'll buy us. Where are you?"

"In the Unknown Regions."

"So we're alone?"

"I'm afraid so, but I will do everything in my power to get there. I'm sure Ahsoka and I can make some modifications to the hyperdrive to get to you faster."

"Thank you. Like I said, our fighters should buy us a little bit of time, but get here quick. Kylo's grown stronger, much stronger."

"I know. I'll be there soon. May the Force be with you."

Leia nodded and ended the transmission.

"Poe," she said as the Commander came in. "The Order's returned."

"You're kidding."

"Not at all. Go. Take your pilots and hold off the incoming TIEs."

"Oh, wow," he said as he saw the squadrons upon squadrons of TIEs out Leia's window. "That's a lot of ships."

"Yes, yes it is, but Luke and Ahsoka will be here soon."

"How soon is 'soon'?"

"I have no clue, but your goal is not to destroy all the TIEs, it's to keep the occupied for as long as possible. Once Luke and Ahsoka get here, the battle is ours. But until then, it's your goal to hold of the TIEs."

"Got it," Poe said as he ran out the door to assemble his squadrons.

Kylo growled as he saw the New Republic launching their X-wings.

"Get someone on the Supremacy to bring me my fighter," Kylo commanded.

"But, sir, how are you going to get to it?" Phasma asked.

"Let me worry about that."

"Phasma to Supremacy, Lord Ren has demanded his TIE. Bring it here by the transport ship."

"How does he plan on boarding it?" the officer on coms asked.

"He said he's got a plan."

A few moments later, Kylo saw his TIE flying towards the ship.

"Open the doors," Kylo commanded.

"But… but that'll make all the troops fly out," Sion said.

"Do it. Now."

The door opened and Kylo held the troops in place with the Force. He leaped on top of his ship, opened the hatch, and got inside, flying the ship off to engage his foes. The transport ship's door closed, much to the troops' relief.

Kylo turned on his ship's targeting system as he set his eyes on his first target. He pulled the trigger and the laser cannons shredded the X-wing's shield, destroying the ship in an instant. He repeated the process several more times before he came on another X-wing. He pulled the trigger, but the enemy pilot rolled out of the way. Ren growled in frustration as the pilot evaded another barrage.

"Stay still," Kylo muttered under his breath.

"Wow, who is this guy?" Poe asked as he evaded a quick series of laser bolts, albeit barely.

He looked behind him. The TIE was still on him. Poe sighed in frustration as he evaded more blaster shots. He couldn't keep at this forever. The TIE pilot was far more skilled than any Poe had ever faced. His X-wing beeped as a missile from the TIE locked on.

"No! No! No!" Poe yelled as he attempted to avoid the missile.

But it hit its mark, colliding with Poe's engines. Fortunately, his shields still had some juice left in them. He flipped several switches, converting all weapons power and most of the engine power to the failing shields, but it wasn't enough. The TIE launched another missile, this one destroying the shields.

"Time for the kill," Kylo said to himself as he locked on to the X-wing.

The moment he went to pull the trigger, he felt his TIE shaking. He looked behind him to see several more X-wings. He'd become tunnel visioned. He spun his ship around, destroying his pursuers, but his original target was gone.

"No!" he yelled as he slammed his ship's instrumentations. "No!"

Poe's X-wing was in very, very bad shape. He looked out the window at his flaming wings. Meh. He'd taken worse before. Using every remaining ounce of strength, he pulled up on the joystick. Hard. He avoided a fatal collision, managing to execute what he liked to call a controlled crash. Leia had always said if it was a crash, then it wasn't controlled. Poe begged to differ.

"Another one of your 'controlled crashes'?" Leia asked through the ship's com.

"I suppose you could say that," Poe said as he kicked the cockpit open. "Who was that?"

"My son," Leia said regretfully.

"Kylo Ren?"

"Yes."

"That explains his skill. Seems like Force-sensitives always make better pilots," he said as Leia came out to meet him. "And I was so close to getting away!"

"You got away with your life. I'd be grateful for that if I were you."

"I am… I just want him to pay for what he did to Han."

"I know you do, part of me wants him to, also. But I still feel some good in him."

"There's no good in him," Poe said, a tinge of vengeance in his eyes. "No good in him."

Leia said nothing to that. She knew how Poe was. Once he was convinced of something, there was no changing his mind. Stubborn, very much like Han. Perhaps that was part of the reason the two pilots got along so well.

"Poe," Leia said as she pointed upwards to Kylo's TIE. "We need to get inside. It's not safe out here."

Poe nodded.

"Hold them off as long as you can," Leia commanded the guards.

"Ren to Demon Squad, all X-wings have been taken care of. Now we storm the capitol building."

Kylo flew his ship up to the capitol building and sprang out of the cockpit, the troop transports right beside him.

"Kylo Ren, with the authority of the New Republic, we order you and your forces to stand down!" a guard yelled.

Kylo responded by instantly crushing all of the surrounding guards' skulls. He heard a vomiting like noise and looked behind him to see Cardinal struggling to keep his lunch down. The trooper wiped his mouth as he put his red helmet back on. Kylo yanked the doors down with the Force.

"Open fire!" another guard commanded.

Kylo saw fifty more guards spring from the stairs and surrounding doors.

"I expected more of you," Kylo scoffed as he centered himself in the darkness.

His hands sprang forward, massive bolts of lightning crackling from his fingertips. The bolts bounced from one guard to the other, killing all of them in a few seconds. The room now reeked of burnt flesh.

"Stay here," Kylo commanded. "The rest is my job."

"Didn't look like he actually needed us," a stormtrooper mumbled under his breath, a sound of disappointment in his voice.

The Forgiven dropped out of hyperspace above the raging battle of Coruscant.

"Hmm. Looks like the battle is not in our favor," Thrawn said as the ship breached the atmosphere.

"It never is, but that's never stopped us before," Ahsoka said.

"Let's hope that track record keeps in tack," Thrawn said.

Ahsoka nodded as she landed the ship by the Senate building.

Leia closed her eyes, letting the Force soothe her. She knew that if Luke did not arrive, she would not last long against her son. The doors vaporized before her and Kylo walked in.

"Hello, son," Leia said. "Please, sit down."

"I'm not her to negotiate," Kylo said as he took his helmet off.

"Of course not. But can you please here me out?"

"Go ahead. Try to change my mind."

"I know you want to be free of Snoke. This, Ben, this is your chance! Luke and Ahsoka will be here soon. Together we can defeat Snoke. Surely that's what you want."

"Yes, but I want more than just that."

"What do you want, Ben?"

"You and Luke lied to me. I still haven't forgiven you for that."

"I know. I don't expect forgiveness, but I know you understand why I did what I did."

"Yes, and unfortunately for you, this is where you die."

"If that is my destiny," Leia said calmly. "Please, Ben."

"Oh, it's far too late to beg for mercy."

"I'm not doing this for me. I'm doing it for you. If I die, I'll be at peace. I'll finally be able to rest."

"You and Luke have haunted my dreams. No longer."

"If you kill me, you might be able to sleep. But will you be able to rest?"

"Goodbye, mother," Kylo said as he raised his lightsaber above his head. "I will make this quick. I'm sorry, mom. I love you."

"I love you too, Ben."

A tear steaking down his face, Kylo brought his lightsaber down, beheading his mother. He fell to his knees, cradling his mother's arm in his body.

"No!"

Kylo looked behind him to see his uncle, a yellow blaze in his eyes.

"Oh, no," Kylo said as he attempted to retrieve his saber.

Luke quickly overwhelmed his with a torrent of Force lightning, flinging him out the window. He sprinted over to the window to see if Kylo had fallen to his death, but no. He was clinging on to a small handhold on the building. Slowly and deliberately, Luke raised his foot above Kylo's hand. Both of them knew that if Kylo let go, he'd surely plummet to his untimely demise.

"Give me one reason not to cut off your hand and send you to your death," Luke said.

"There isn't any, except for one."

"And what would that be?"

"You'd be giving into your hatred of me. You'd be no better than me. Killing me won't bring her back."

Luke extended his hand to help Kylo up, only to slam his fist into Kylo's face, causing him to stagger backwards into Leia's desk. Showing no mercy, Luke reached out in the Force, seizing Kylo's neck and slamming him into the wall a few times before bombarding him with lightning. Kylo slowly rose to his feet, only for Luke to remove his arm and kick him back to the ground.

"Why?" Luke growled. "Why did you kill my sister?"

"You seem to forget that she was not just your sister, but also my mother. You think I enjoyed doing that?"

Luke responded by hurling his fist into Kylo's face, drawing blood from his nephew.

"I don't care how you felt," Luke said as he gripped Kylo's neck again. "You murdered her."

Luke squeezed harder, Kylo trying desperately to brake his grasp. To no avail.

"Luke!" Ahsoka yelled. "Let him go!"

"Why? He murdered my sister!"

"I know, I know," Ahsoka said as she held her hands up in a placating gesture. "But this is not the Jedi Way. We destroy the darkness with the light. We don't embrace the dark."

Luke slowly let up on Kylo's neck. The young darksider coughed as oxygen came back to his lungs.

"He still needs to be dealt with," Luke said. "He is a threat to the galaxy at large."

"I know. Let me. I will give him a painless death."

"Ben, please. This is your final offer," Luke said. "You can turn back."

"I refuse."

Luke nodded and Ahsoka raised her saber above her head and brought it down on Kylo, but the saber stopped a centimeter short. Ahsoka looked behind her to see Snoke, gnarled hand outstretched. Not wasting a moment, Kylo got to his feet and reactivated his lightsaber. Snoke activated his black blade and held it in a defensive posture.

"I'll take Snoke," Ahsoka said. "You handle Ben."

Luke nodded as Ahsoka sprang at Snoke. The Togruta back flipped over Snoke and tried to remove his head. Snoke swiftly caught Ahsoka's twin blades and forced her backwards. She staggered backwards, but she quickly recovered and resumed her onslaught. Ahsoka had one thing on her side that Snoke did not: speed. She used that speed to flip over and duck under several quick thrusts and swings from Snoke. The darksider reached out his hand and let loose a blast of lightning. Ahsoka's blades moved to intercept, deflecting the lightning straight to Snoke's chest. He winced as his hand went to the wound. He used that pain to fuel his rage as he crushed Ahsoka's Force wall and tossed her back.

Kylo, with a renewed anger in his eyes slammed his saber against Luke's. The Grand Master guided all of Ren's rage filled blows to the ground, which enraged Kylo even more. Luke breached Kylo's defenses as he ducked under a heavy slash and grazed his leg. Kylo continued on like a machine, keeping on the offensive. He batted aside Luke's feeble attempts to cut him down. Time for the kill. As Luke reared his saber backwards, Kylo moved his to Luke's heart, but a white saber came flying his way. Ahsoka guided her saber with the Force to bat Kylo's aside. She then yanked it back to her, forming an X with her twin blades. Luke rose to his feet and used Kylo's distraction to crush his Force wall and hold him to the ceiling.

Snoke, drawing on his power in the dark side, seized the Jedi's throats and bombarded them with lightning.

"Kill them!" Snoke demanded as Kylo dropped from the ceiling.

Kylo swung his saber to the Jedi's necks, but dropped it as his back had a sudden sharp pain. He looked behind him to see a New Republic X-wing pilot, Commander Dameron, judging by his nameplate.

"That was a foolish choice," Kylo said as he nonchalantly yanked Poe his way and seized him by the neck and kicked him to the ground.

"Yeah," Poe said. "But it bought my Jedi friends some time."

Kylo looked behind him to see Luke and Ahsoka with their sabers to Snoke's neck.

"Told you."

Kylo tossed Poe back in the same way a child would a small toy. He yanked Ahsoka and Luke away from his master and helped him to his feet. Luke looked behind him to see three stormtroopers. One with silver armor, one with red, one with black. The one in black aimed his blaster at Poe. The pilot let loose with his blaster pistol, but the trooper's armor deflected it as he marched towards Poe. He backhanded the young pilot and smashed his foot to Poe's neck.

"No!" Ahsoka yelled as she yanked the black trooper away from Poe.

The red and silver troopers set their sights on Luke and opened fire. The Grand Master, hand behind his back, moved his saber up, down, up, right, down, left, deflected every blaster shot with the accuracy of a sniper. The bolts hit their mark, but did no damage to the troopers.

"Luke!" Ahsoka yelled. "Get Snoke! I'll handle these guys!"

Luke nodded as Ahsoka stepped forwards, sabers deactivated. She reached out her hands, absorbing what must have been at least 100 blaster bolts. She spun around, almost like she was winding up for a throw, and redirected the bolts back at the troops. They hit their mark and would have killed the troopers, had it not been for their armor, but they were down for the count. Ahsoka looked over to Luke. He kicked Kylo back and deflected a few quick thrusts from Snoke. The Jedi overwhelmed Snoke's defenses and disarmed him of his weapon as Kylo drew his helmet to him with the Force and put it on.

One of the troops pulled a grenade and hurled it at Luke, forcing him to break off his attack on Snoke. Ahsoka focused on the battle around her and centered herself in it all, letting the energies of the light flow through her veins. She hovered a few meters off the ground and pulled all her enemies to the center of the room, held them in the air and overloaded them with immensely powerful blasts of light side energy that manifested itself into bolts of white lightning. She tossed them out the window, and presumably, their deaths.

Only when she looked down did she see them, alive, perched on the top of a First Order dropship. Snoke and Kylo sprang back up as the troopers got inside the transport.

"That was quite the display of power, Lady Tano," Snoke said. "Where was this fire when I fought you here two years ago?"

"I've always had this fire," Ahsoka responded as she hurled pieces of furniture Snoke's way. He casually raised his hand and tossed it out the window, what was left of it. Snoke looked at Kylo, signaling him. Master and apprentice began to form what looked to be a miniature black hole, but the process was cut short as Poe fired a perfectly aimed shot at Kylo's forehead, but his helmet absorbed the brunt of the attack. It didn't kill him, but it was enough for Luke to send him out the window with a Force push, but at the last possible second, Kylo pulled himself back up with the Force.

"We really need to fight in a room without a massive open window," Poe mused.

"A little too late for that now."

Poe looked behind him to see Thrawn, blaster in hand.

"Thrawn, where've you been?" Ahsoka asked.

"A small squadron of First Order troops tried to murder me."

"And you killed them all?"

"I did."

"Wow," Poe said. "That's impressive."

"I know," Thrawn said as he fired several shots at Snoke, but the Supreme Leader effortlessly absorbed the shots and redirected them at the Chiss.

Luke reached out and redirected the shots away from his Chiss ally.

"You have my thanks," Thrawn said.

"Yeah. Don't mention it."

Ahsoka and Luke charged Snoke as Thrawn looked at Poe.

"You and I will take Ren. Deal?"

"Deal," Poe said. "Any ideas?"

"Aim for areas of his body that he can't easily defend, keep your distance, and hope we don't meet our end today."

"That's encouraging."

"The odds are not in our favor, but we must try."

Poe nodded and, in tandem with Thrawn, let loose a barrage of shots at Kylo's legs. Surprised by his enemies' tactics, Kylo attempted to deflect the shots. He managed to deflect a few, but the next five or six hit his legs, dropping him to the ground. Poe and Thrawn sent several shots into Kylo's relatively underprotected stomach instead of his fully armored head. He winced in pain as he tanked the bolts, using the dark side to keep himself alive. He tapped into that pain and pinned his attackers to the ceiling with the Force. He quickly dropped them to go aid his master.

Snoke grunted as Luke's fist slammed into his stomach. The two Jedi quickly crushed Snoke's Force wall and pinned him to the ground. Luke quickly turned around to see Kylo sprinting their way. Luke tried to break his nephew's Force defenses, but failed. Kylo, hand outstretched, blasted Luke and Ahsoka with lightning. Snoke likewise attacked the Jedi with lightning of his own. The two twitched uncontrollably as the electricity coursed through their system. Snoke kicked the two of them several times while Kylo kept up the barrage. The Jedi lay still, unable to move. Master and apprentice swung their sabers at the Jedi, but Luke managed to hold the sabers back with the Force.

He and Ahsoka pushed their enemies backwards.

"Ahsoka! We need to run!" Luke yelled.

"What about Thrawn and Poe?"

"I'll hold them off," Thrawn said as he helped Poe up.

"You must be joking," Luke said. "You know you stand no chance."

"Yes, but I'll sacrifice myself so you can live."

Ahsoka nodded.

"Go," Thrawn said as he pulled out a spare blaster. "There's no time for hesitation."

Ahsoka, Luke, and Poe sprinted out the door as Thrawn aimed his blasters at his targets.

"Luke was right," Snoke said. "You stand absolutely no chance."

"Oh, I know the probability of my victory are slim to none, but I also know you are stronger than the Jedi are. For now. They will escape and grow strong enough to challenge your rule and bring it to an end."

"Ren, give me Vader's blade," Snoke commanded.

Ren did so and Snoke tossed it to Thrawn.

"What's this?"

"Show me your skills, Chiss. Prove to me your power."

Thrawn tossed aside his blasters and activated Vader's red blade. He held it in a defensive position, forcing Kylo to make the first move. Kylo crashed his blade down on Thrawn's, but the Chiss managed to guide it away. Even more surprisingly, Thrawn managed to glance Kylo's side and kick him back a few steps.

"Enough games," Kylo growled.

He increased his attacks' speed and power and quickly overwhelmed Thrawn's defenses. He froze Thrawn in place with the Force and went to behead him when Snoke called out: "Stop!"

"Stop?"

"Yes. You know of the Grand Admiral's reputation. He could be valuable to the Order's goals."

"We have Coruscant. The Jedi are running in terror. We have all we need," Kylo protested.

"No. Thrawn will make a fine ally."

"I see that there is no other way out," Thrawn said. "I pledge myself to you. You have my undying loyalty."

Thrawn suddenly pulled a knife and attempted to impale Snoke, but he casually raised his hand and stopped it with the Force.

"Undying?" Snoke asked. "You really should choose your words more carefully."

He ripped the blade from Thrawn's grasp and gripped the Chiss by the neck, lifting him high. Thrawn spasmed helplessly as Snoke squeezed harder. The Suprema Leader dropped Thrawn. The Chiss gasped for air.

"I'll give you one more chance. Follow me or die."

"I," Thrawn struggled for breath. "I pledge myself to you."

"Good. Now get up."

Thrawn did as ordered.

"You will make quite the powerful ally, Thrawn, but if you forget where your new loyalties lie, then you will suffer a fate far worse than death. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good," Snoke purred. "Today is a great day for the First Order. We've claimed the capitol and broken the Jedi's morale. That is enough for today. You may leave."

Thrawn did, leaving master and apprentice alone.

"You really think he won't betray us?" Kylo asked.

"He won't if he knows what's good for him, and I think he does, but I still want you to keep an eye on him."

"I will, my master."

"I know you will."

7

Captured Chiss

"So what exactly do you think will happen to Thrawn?" Ahsoka asked.

"He's either dead or with the First Order," Luke sighed.

"So what's our plan?" Poe asked as the Forgiven jumped into hyperspace.

"There is no plan, no strategy, and no path to victory. Zip, zero, nada," Luke said. "Leia's dead. Snoke now has the center of the Republic under his thumb. Can't you see? We lost, Poe."

"Luke," Ahsoka said.

"I don't need your optimism, Ahsoka," Luke growled. "You saw what he did to us. He mopped the floor with us." He took his saber and gave it to Ahsoka. "There. You take that and go fight Snoke, because I'm done."

"Luke…"

"No. Take me back to Ahch-To."

"Might I ask why you're so ready to give up?"

"I've been ready to give up for the past few years. It stated when Ben left and it only got worse when I found out he'd become Kylo Ren and killed his father and my best friend. Now he's killed my sister and helped that monster Snoke claim the Republic we swore to protect, not to mention Snoke butchered my niece. The optimism I had in the Civil War, I realized how foolish it was. At the time, the fact that my father was a murderous Sith Lord didn't weigh on me as much as it does now. I didn't know all he did. A human can only experience so much death and loss before they break. Back then, I had something to fight for. What do I have now?"

Ahsoka said nothing for a while.

"Luke, buddy," Poe said as he laid his hand on the Jedi's shoulder. "We need you pal. The galaxy needs you."

"No. The galaxy needs a savior and I am not that savior. I could have done more. I should have done more, but I failed. I blew it. Please, just take me back to Ahch-To."

"If that is what you wish," Ahsoka said.

"It is. I failed, Ahsoka. We failed."

"Luke, failure is the greatest teacher."

"Your Jedi sayings aren't helping. Just be quite until we get to Ahch-To."

Ahsoka could have retaliated, but she didn't. She knew Luke was in pain that she couldn't imagine. She'd never had family, true family like Luke did. She understood she couldn't understand how he felt. All she could do was respect his wishes and take him to Ahch-To.

"If you ever reconsider joining the fight," Ahsoka said as she pulled out a holoprojecter. "We're always here. I'm always here."

Luke said nothing, but he did take the projector.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more to protect your sister and Han," Ahsoka said as she put a comforting hand on Luke's shoulder.

Luke said nothing as Ahsoka turned around, heading to her meditation room. The Togruta sighed as she closed her eyes. She couldn't afford to lose Luke and his power. He was her greatest ally in this fight… and there were no more Jedi left. Poe wasn't much help either. She'd have to carry the weight by herself and she wasn't sure she could, wasn't sure she wanted to.

"Ahsoka."

"Anakin. What is it?"

"Something's changed."

"Changed? What do you mean?"

"I… I feel him. Vader."

"What do you mean?"

"When I died, Vader died too, but a part of him clung to me. I've been able to keep him in check for the past thirty years, but he's been growing strong…"

Anakin suddenly growled as the right side of his face slowly and disturbingly morphed into Vader's mask.

"Anakin…"

"What is it?" he asked in a half man, half mechanical voice.

"Anakin, feel the right side of your face."

Anakin's hand made its way to the right side of his face. He did not feel his eye, but rather the lensed eye of Vader. He did not feel his mouth, but rather the grill of Vader. He did not feel his hair, but rather the domed helmet of Vader.

"Oh, no," Anakin said.

"Anakin, tell me something: do you feel any different?"

"No," he said as his hand unknowingly made its way back to his right side. "I still feel like me."

"Can I feel?"

Anakin nodded and Ahsoka's orange hand made its way to Anakin's face. She quickly yanked it away.

"What is it?"

"I feel Vader in there."

"How strong?"

"He's faint, but he's there."

"You were a chain on me," Anakin said, this time in a fully Vader voice.

"Anakin?"

Vader gripped Ahsoka's throat with the Force and shoved her to the floor with lightning.

"Anakin, what's gotten into you?"

"Ahsoka… he is strong…" Anakin began.

"I killed Anakin…" Vader finished.

Vader threw Ahsoka up in the air and sent electricity coursing through her veins.

"That's it," Ahsoka growled as she lifted Anakin up and slammed him against the ceiling several times.

Once he reached the ground and remained still, Ahsoka ceased her attack.

"Hmm. What… what happened?"

"You really want to know?"

"Judging by the look on your face, maybe not."

"Well, I'll tell you anyway. You snapped."

"Snapped?"

"You went full Vader on me."

"How?" Anakin asked as Ahsoka helped him to his feet.

"Well, the right side of your face is, well, let me just get a mirror."

"Oh," Anakin said as he looked at his face in the mirror Ahsoka handed to him.

"You snapped when I touched you and said I felt Vader inside you."

"That's not good."

"Yeah. You know what else is not good?"

"What?"

"We lost."

"What do you mean?"

"Snoke's taken the capitol and… and Kylo killed your daughter."

"No," Anakin whispered. "No."

"I'm sorry, Anakin. I wish I could do more, but I can't. Her death hit Luke pretty hard. He's quitting."

"Quitting?"

"He's done. He wants out of the fight."

"Why?"

"He's broken. Snoke has now taken everything from him, his niece, his nephew, his best friend, his sister, and his Order. Luke has nothing left. I can't convince him to stay. It looked like this lack of faith was sudden, but the more I think about it, I see that it's been going on for a while. I see it in the little things. He's been less eager to fight Snoke for a while. His hope has been slowly fading away. You know much better than I do how hard a life Luke's had. I think all of it is starting to catch up with him."

"I can see that," Anakin said. "I should have better prepared him."

"What more could you have done?"

"Nothing, I suppose, but you should ask yourself the same question."

"I guess we can both be a bit too hard on ourselves," Ahsoka said. "Will you talk to him? When he feels a bit better, maybe?"

"I will."

"Do you think he'll come around eventually?"

"I don't know. I can only hope."

"Hope. It's gotten us through a lot. I think it will get us through this, as well."

"I think so too. I have to go now, but I'll be back."

"I know," Ahsoka said, as small, hopeful smile on her face. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For your training, for your faith in me, for your understanding, for your patience, for your compassion. You trained me well. You taught me who I was. I thank you for that."

"You're welcome, Ahsoka. It was the least I could do."

Ahsoka nodded.

"Goodbye," Anakin said before he vanished.

Ahsoka sighed as Anakin vanished. She knew she shouldn't want him to stay. He was part of the Force now. She should be happy for him. He was at peace, but the selfish part of her wanted him back. Selfishness. The very enemy of light, but it was a part of all sentient beings, Jedi included. No. She had a job to do. Her emotions couldn't get in the way, but she would use the emotions from her friendship with Anakin to keep her focused. It was defiantly a balancing act, embracing emotion, yet not giving it complete control. The Force could never fully be comprehended, but Ahsoka felt it necessary to learn as much as she could in order to better serve the Force's will.

Several hours later, the Forgiven exited hyperspace to Ahch-To. Ahsoka opened her eyes and made her way to the cockpit.

"We're here," she said. "Luke…"

"I've made up my mind," Luke said, knowing Ahsoka would try to convince him to stay.

"What happens if I need you?"

"You won't. Ahsoka, if you knew what was good for you, you'd hide."

"Maybe, but that doesn't change the fact that we have a job to do."

"And just what is that?"

"To bring balance."

"I thought that's what my father was supposed to do, because if it is, he failed miserably."

"The prophecy of the Chosen One was always complicated, but we're Jedi. We need to follow the Force and where it calls us."

"The Force isn't calling me anywhere. I had my chance."

"Luke, this is… this isn't like you. Leia…"

"Don't," Luke said as he pointed an accusatory finger at Ahsoka. "Don't say her name."

Ahsoka remained silent until Luke landed the ship by the temple.

"What do you plan to do here?" she asked.

"Live a peaceful life, the one thing I've always wanted, and never had. I will die here, and I can finally sleep."

"You might be able to sleep, but will you truly be at peace, knowing there was something you could have done to make a difference?"

"It's time for you to leave, Ahsoka."

"It seems that is the case. Goodbye, Luke. I hope you find what you're looking for here, my friend."

"Please, Ahsoka. You have to hide. You have to get as far away from Snoke as you can."

"Luke, where is the hope you used to have? Where is the hope you had when you set out to redeem your father? You redeemed the unredeemable. You did the impossible. I need that hope."

"That hope started to fade when I lost Han and Jaina. But now's it's crushed with my sister gone, killed by my nephew, no less."

"Here," Ahsoka said as she tossed Anakin's old saber towards Luke. "Keep this. I have no need for it."

Luke put this saber on his belt as Ahsoka pulled her hood off and embraced him.

"Goodbye, Luke. I'm sorry I couldn't have done more."

"I'm sorry too."

Ahsoka broke off the embrace and got back on the ship.

"You think he'll ever rejoin the fight?" Poe asked as the Forgiven jumped.

"I don't know, but I can't do this alone. I need his help. I have no idea what we should do. I don't think a single Jedi and a New Republic pilot can do much against Snoke, Kylo, and his army."

"Yeah. I agree. So what do you think we do?"

"I have no idea. You?"

"No."

"Our only option is to go into hiding. We will strike back, just not now, maybe not for several more years, but we have to try."

"So for now, we wait?"

Ahsoka nodded.

"For what?"

"I don't know, but I know we can't go back with just you and me. These are trying times, Poe, times that will test us."

"I know."

"Is there anybody you know that might be able to help us?" Ahsoka asked.

"No. All my pilots were either shot down or captured when Snoke invaded. We're on our own."

"Well… that might not be entirely true."

"You know someone?"

"Yes. I'm sure you knew Han's Wookie companion Chewbacca."

"I did. Last I remembered, he went back to Kashyyyk to be with his people."

"I wonder why exactly he did that. I thought he had a Life Debt to Han."

"He did, but the two agreed it would be best for the two of them to part."

"I see, but how do you know Chewbacca?"

"I met him during the Clone Wars. He was captured by Trandoshan slavers, as was I. I eventually found him and we managed to escape together."

"I see. So Kashyyyk is our next stop?"

"I think that's our best course of action. If Chewie agrees to help us, then he might be able to convince several Wookies to join us. It's not much, but it's a start."

"Yeah, I feel like we'll need to do better than that."

"As do I, but this is a good first step," Ahsoka said as she typed in the coordinates to Kashyyyk and pulled the lever. "I think he will come with us and after that, it's possible the Force will reveal to us something or someone else that can help us."

"How do you know that?"

"I just have a feeling."

"I really hate it when Jedi say that," Poe sighed.

"I know, but you have to trust me on this."

"I do, I just wish I had a better understanding on things like this. Luke tried to explain how the Force works to me a while ago. It still makes no sense to me."

"I understand. The Force is an infinite mystery," Ahsoka said as the ship jumped. "I hope Luke will come to understand the Force's will for him. Only he can know what that will is and only he has the power to follow it."

Poe nodded.

Luke sighed as he looked at Anakin's lightsaber. He had failed his father and his sister.

"Luke."

"Hello, father," Luke said as he turned around to see Anakin. "How nice of you to come and visit me."

"I know…"

"Let me stop you right there. You don't know anything I've been through."

"Don't I?"

"You don't. You… you could have helped me save Leia and Han! But you didn't!"

"Luke…"

"No! I've gone through more than you can imagine or understand! You failed to help me! You…"

"NO!" Anakin yelled. "Who grew up a slave, Luke? Who saw their first Jedi Master butchered by Darth Maul? Who saw their mother murdered by Tusken Raiders? Who trained a Padawan and grew close to her, only to have her taken away for a crime she didn't commit? Who was used as a pawn in Darth Sidious' game? Who burned in agony on Mustafar, waiting to die? Who suffered two decades of hell being Palpatine's slave? Who had to see the agony on Ahsoka's face as she discovered what I had become? Who learned that Palpatine had lied to them about his children? Who was forced with the impossible task of killing their son? Who gave their life to kill Sidious, only for a more powerful darksider to rise in his place? ME! You didn't suffer this! I did! You think you have things so bad? Your life is a cakewalk, Luke! You don't know what it is to suffer!"

Luke remained silent for several minutes.

"I… I'm sorry," Luke said. "I guess I'd forgotten all you've been through."

"Yes. I'm glad I was able to remind you. Luke, what are you doing here? Why aren't you out there fighting Snoke?"

"I know all you've lost and I'm sorry I forgot, but I can't go back. At least not now."

"I understand and I know I cannot change your mind on this. That choice is yours and yours alone. I trust the Force to guide you, my son, but I hope you know this: hiding from your fears won't make them go away. Believe me, I tried that as Vader, but I never escaped my past."

"I'm sorry, father, but I'm not going back."

"And that is your choice. I understand completely. I love you, my son."

"I love you too, father."

Anakin vanished, leaving Luke alone. He sighed as he rubbed his eyes. No. He'd fought the good fight. He'd done all he could. He deserved to live out the rest of his life in peace, here on this beautiful world.

"So, Grand Admiral, what exactly do you know about our Jedi enemies?" Snoke asked.

"I know a great deal about them."

"Tell us where they are," Kylo demanded.

"I'm not a psychic," Thrawn said. "I thought you and your master were able to track them with the Force."

"It doesn't work like that," Kylo growled. "Tell me where you think they would have gone to. Now."

"Fine," Thrawn sighed. "Luke's hope was fading, I noticed. A few months after the first time you and your forces invaded Coruscant, I noticed a shift in Luke's personality. He seemed less focused, more eager to end this conflict. I pointed this out to Ahsoka, but she dismissed it as no big deal. She was wrong, very wrong. Luke is most likely hiding on some faraway world, far out of reach of the First Order."

"What world?" Kylo asked.

"I don't know."

"You need to do better than that," Kylo said as he activated his saber and held it to Thrawn's throat.

"You think I am intimidated by you, Lord Ren? I'm not. You forget that I worked with your grandfather, many years ago. He attempted to intimidate me in similar ways. He failed to frighten me, but he earned my respect for his cunning, power, and loyalty to the Emperor. You, on the other hand, have neither my fear, nor my respect. Your lightsaber is a perfect illustration of you: unstable, erratic, unpredictable, and sloppy."

"The Chiss is right, my apprentice," Snoke said. "Perhaps it's best you step back and let me handle this."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'll find something to do."

"Run along, now," Thrawn said. "Chop chop."

Kylo growled in defiance, but he followed Snoke's wishes and left the room.

"I'm sorry for my apprentice's ignorance."

"It's quite alright. His grandfather was a tad on the impatient side, too, but what set the two apart was how they went about their tasks. Lord Vader could be patient when he wanted to, but he was a man of action at heart. I can tell Kylo is the same way, but if I were you, I'd teach him to better use his focus. No disrespect to your training methods of course."

"I'm not offended. Kylo is stubborn, just like all in his bloodline. Seems to be an inherent trait the Skywalkers have, but he's making progress. You should have seen him two years ago. He's improved."

"Improvement is the key to success in anything."

"I am aware of that. Would you like something to drink?"

"No. I'm quite alright."

"Very well. So, you said Luke would be hiding out. Where do you think he would go?"

"I don't know. He never told me."

"What about Ahsoka?"

"She will hide for now, but she will return someday to avenge Coruscant. You and she are two sides of the same coin. Your power comes from your iron will. Your strength of will is equal to hers. Willpower is Ahsoka's greatest power, which is why she is so dangerous. Luke might be more powerful, but Ahsoka is more determined, making her a far greater threat."

"I see. When do you think she will return?"

"I don't know, but I know she will try to try to find allies. She is a natural leader, so that shouldn't be much of a problem."

"I see. Do you think Luke will ever rejoin her?"

"No. He's a broken man. There are few things that will be able to motivate him."

"Good. We now stand more of a chance against our enemies, seeing how one of them has given up and we now have the entire New Republic fleet under our control. I think Lord Ren and I have learned from our past attempts to kill Tano and Skywalker. They are dangerous. As long as Luke is alive, he poses a threat to my Order. We need to track him down and kill him. I think, Thrawn, that you know more than you're letting on. Where is Skywalker?"

"I don't know."

"Hmm," Snoke laughed as he stretched out his hand, searching Thrawn's thoughts. "I think you do. So tell me."

He crushed Thrawn's mental shields and peered inside, but Thrawn fought back. His mind resisted Snoke's attack for several minutes.

"Ren. Help me."

Kylo stretched out his hand, master and apprentice worked in tandem to try and extract the location from Thrawn's head.

"I see an island," Kylo said. "A world strong in the Force. I see a Jedi temple, an ancient one." It dawned on him. "He's gone back to Ahch-To. Of course. I should have known he'd cower back to his precious world."

"That settles it," Snoke said as he flung Thrawn back with the Force. "We're going to Ahch-To. Take the whole fleet! We bombard that world!"

Kylo kicked Thrawn down.

"Don't go anywhere," Kylo said.

"Oh, I won't."

Kylo and Snoke made their way to the Supremacy's bridge.

"We've just received the location of Grand Master Luke Skywalker of the Jedi Order," Snoke said. "He's on a world deep in the Unknown Regions called Ahch-To. We will go there with the whole fleet and bombard that world to smithereens! Make the jump!"

A First Order officer typed in the coordinates Snoke provided and the Supremacy and the rest of the fleet jumped to hyperspace.

Thrawn grunted as he got back to his feet. Snoke and Ren were preoccupied with their journey to Ahch-To that they'd forgotten to take away his comlink.

"This is Thrawn to Luke, Snoke knows of your location. He's coming to Ahch-To with the entire First Order fleet. You need to get out of there! Call me back if you get this message."

Luke checked his com. He clicked it and heard a recording.

"This is Thrawn to Luke, Snoke knows of your location. He's coming to Ahch-To with the entire First Order fleet. You need to get out of there! Call me back if you get this message."

Luke put the com down. This was how he would meet his end, at the hands of the First Order.

"Luke."

"What now?" he asked as he turned around to see Anakin.

"You may have chosen to separate yourself from the conflict. That's fine, but you are not about to let yourself die without a fight, son. At least try to defend yourself!"

"Why? I failed. I deserve to die."

"No. No you don't. I know you won't go back unless you chose to do so, but you need to stand your ground today. The First Order will show no mercy, so you need to show them that this is your world and you won't let them take it without a fight."

Luke looked at Anakin's saber.

"Fine. I'll fight this one last fight, but I'm done after this. Forever."

"I understand. Be ready for them when they come. They have a fleet of Star Destroyers, but you're strong enough to hold their fire back. This planet is one of the strongest Force nexuses in the entire galaxy. Use it to increase your power. Draw from my power. I will give you what you need."

Luke nodded.

The Supremacy and its fleet dropped out of hyperspace to Ahch-To.

"Alright," Kylo said as the ships entered atmosphere. "You know what to do."

He looked out the viewscreen and saw Luke, saber activated.

"I want every gun we have to fire on that man. Now!"

The gunners activated the Destroyers' laser canons and fired at Luke for what seemed like eternity.

"Cease!" Kylo commanded.

He looked down to see Luke holding his hand out, the turbolaser blasts suspended in midair.

"How?" he yelled. "Fire again!"

The gunners resumed their fire, but Luke stretched out his other hand, stopping the new barrage in its tracks. He spun around and hurled the bolts back at the Supremacy, crippling it.

"No!" Kylo yelled.

Luke, eyes closed in focus, began to pull the Supremacy, no, the entire fleet towards him.

"This shouldn't be possible," Snoke murmured.

Luke pulled harder, the fleet nearing him. He began to crush the Destroyers with the Force, crippling their engines and weapon systems. He searched for Snoke in the Force. Bingo.

Snoke yelled in agony as he felt Luke invade his mind.

"Launch all TIE fighters! Now!"

Two squadrons of TIEs led by Major Vonreg, dived towards Luke, laser cannons firing away. Luke casually deflected the bolts with his lightsaber. They bounced back at the TIEs that fired them, bringing all of the ships, save for Vonreg's, to the ground. As Vonreg attempted to fly back the safety of the ship, his TIE was seized by Luke.

"Now!" Kylo yelled. "He's distracted! Fire!"

The Supremacy fired a single warhead Luke's direction, forcing him to let Vonreg free in order to stop the warhead. He did so, but with visible effort.

"Fire again!"

The remaining Destroyers fired at Luke with a variety of weapons ranging from turbolasers to warheads. Luke felt the power of his father and the planet flow through him as he reached out to seize all the incoming bolts and missiles in their tracks. With a great deal of effort, he turned them around and shot them back at the Destroyers. His eyes glowed a dark yellow as the very power that defined reality rushed through him.

"No!" Snoke yelled as the bolts collided with the ships, weakening their already damaged shields. "Drop the new weapon! Now!"

"The laser isn't ready," a technician said.

"Drop it! Now!"

He did as he was commanded, dropping the new laser the Order had constructed, only this laser held the same power that the Death Star used to bring a planet to its knees.

"Oh, great," Luke said.

The laser fired, the red bolt coming at Luke quicker than lightspeed. The Grand Master raised his hands, desperately attempting to hold back the blast that would surely obliterate him. Somehow, he managed to hold the blast back. His yellow eyes now began to glow a pure white. He had never felt this power before. It was almost as if the Force was using him, instead of the other way around. He shoved the laser blast on a straight trajectory towards the Supremacy.

"Raise the shields!" Snoke yelled. "NOW!"

The damaged shields raised, but the bolt was coming in too hot.

"Ren! Help me!"

Kylo stretched out his hand and, along with his master, managed to divert the bolt away from their ship, but it crashed into another Destroyer, destroying it in a second.

"Jump to hyperspace!" Snoke ordered.

The crew punched in coordinates and jumped, except they didn't. Snoke looked down to see Luke holding them back. This… this shouldn't, couldn't be happening. But it was. With the very power that held all reality together, Luke yanked the capitol ship downwards. He had one thing on his mind: murder, but not of the malicious kind. He simply wanted to be rid of the infection he viewed the First Order as. For just a fraction of a second, Snoke breached Luke's mind. It wasn't much, but it was enough time for the Supremacy and the few remaining ships to escape into the safety of hyperspace.

"H… how did he do that?" Kylo asked.

"He is far, far more powerful than I thought, but he was aided. He had the very power of that planet flowing through his veins. I also felt the presence of Anakin within Luke. It seems the father aided his son. But I also think Luke was warned of our coming."

"What makes you think that?" Kylo asked as he and his master walked away from the bridge.

"The second we got there, Luke already had his lightsaber activated, like he was expecting us. Somebody warned him."

"Who?"

"Hmm. I think I know," Snoke said as he opened the door to Thrawn's small cell. "Greetings, Grand Admiral. I do believe you've something to tell us."

"I felt the ship being bombarded. Seems you overstepped your bounds."

"You warned Luke. Don't deny it."

"Congratulations, you found out. Would you like a medal?"

Kylo angrily swung his now activated lightsaber at Thrawn's face, but the Chiss ducked beneath and swiftly kicked Kylo to the ground. He quickly relived Kylo of his lightsaber and held it to Snoke's neck.

"It seems the tables have turned," Thrawn said. "Now release me or I end you."

"As you wish," Snoke said as he backed up, hands raised in submission.

Thrawn looked behind him to see if any troopers were coming his way. Fortunately for him, none were. Snoke, taking advantage of Thrawn's distraction, blasted him with lightning, but somehow Thrawn caught the bolt with Kylo's blade and redirected it towards Snoke's face, dropping the Supreme Leader. Thrawn quickly sprinted away from Snoke and Kylo. He needed to find the hangar bay, but first he needed to get the Supremacy out of hyperspace because trying to fly a TIE in hyperspace would be suicide. Hmm. What to do? First he needed to find a way to get the ship out of hyperspace. But how?

Thrawn saw his answer as a First Order stormtrooper walking his way. Moving swiftly, Thrawn sprinted at the trooper and quickly removed his head with Kylo's lightsaber. Thrawn took the next several minutes to remove the trooper's armor and put it on. Now to make his way to the command room. He did so, blending in perfectly. No one payed him a second thought. He could do this one of two things. First, he could attempt to ask the technicians to drop the ship out of hyperspace. Or he could pull the lever himself and run off to the hangar bay like a madman. No. No. No. That wouldn't work at all. Ah. He knew what he should do. He'd convince the technicians and officers that there was some malfunction in the command room.

"Trooper!" an approaching officer said as he approached Thrawn. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been informed that there has been a radiation leak. You and all troopers in here need to leave. Now."

"I'm going to have to call that in."

"Please, we don't have very much time. It's a code J66-EN-SK8L-LT."

"Hmm. Listen up! We need to leave this trooper to his work! Hurry up! Get out now!" the officer yelled.

Thrawn inwardly smiled to himself. Ah, the predictability of the First Order was painfully predictable. The code Thrawn said was the exact same code that the Empire used for radiation leaks. Snoke hadn't thought to change the codes, it seemed. Thrawn quickly pulled the hyperdrive lever, yanking the ship out of hyperspace. He didn't have much time now that the entire crew was aware. He looked upwards to see a small opening in the ceiling. Ah, it seemed Snoke also kept the same safety features of the old ISDs. He crawled up the small ladder and into the air ducts.

Snoke growled in frustration as he pinpointed Thrawn's location: the command center.

"Why are the blast doors closed?" Snoke asked angrily as he and Kylo saw all the crew gathered outside the command center.

"A trooper came in and said there was a code J66-EN-SK8L-LT. So we promptly evacuated."

"Well why don't you promptly get the doors done?" Snoke growled.

"We can't sir," the officer said. "The doors can only be opened from the inside."

Kylo shoved the officer aside and plunged Vader's saber into the door, attempting to carve his way through. Snoke likewise activated his lightsaber and plunged it into the door.

Thrawn heard lightsabers cutting through the door as he crawled through the air ducts. He was almost to the hangar. Ah, ha. He saw a small dip down in the duct. He went down it to promptly end up the Supremacy's bay. A TIE pilot in a red suit approached him, blaster drawn.

"What are you doing here?" the pilot asked.

"Lord Ren went crazy, sir. He just snapped and… well… he killed all my troops."

"That's not unlikely for Ren, I'm afraid. So… you just came here to hide out for a while?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry for Ren's behavior," the pilot said as he put away his blaster and walked away from his red TIE interceptor. "He can be very unpredictable."

"Yes. Yes he can."

"What's your name, trooper?"

"Don't have a name, just a number: CT-5555."

"I'm sorry to hear that. It has always pained me how the First Order never gave many of its troops actual names. I'm Major Vonreg."

As much as he hated to do it, Thrawn slowly began to draw his blaster.

"Hey, what are you...?"

Thrawn fired a shot at Vonreg's leg, dropping the pilot and allowing Thrawn to spring into the red TIE and take off. Vonreg grunted in pain as he put pressure on his wound.

"This is Vonreg to command, we have a rouge TIE on the loose! I repeat, a rouge TIE has escaped."

He turned around to see Snoke, Kylo, and several stormtroopers sprinting into the bay.

"Sir, I…"

Snoke shoved Vonreg aside and attempted to pull the TIE back with the Force, but it was too late. Thrawn jumped to hyperspace. Snoke's hands balled into fists as he stared at the empty space.

"How did he escape?" Snoke asked, clearly struggling to keep his anger under control.

"He shot me and took off."

"I will deal with your incompetence later," Snoke said as he walked away, Kylo close behind.

8

Gathering an Army

The Forgiven dropped out of hyperspace to the Wookie homeworld of Kashyyyk.

"Alright," she said as the ship entered atmosphere. "Our plan is simple: we recruit Chewbacca and any other Wookies that want to join our fight against the First Order."

"Got it," Poe said.

Ahsoka landed the ship atop one of the landing pads perched on top of the Wookie trees. She lowered the ramp and walked down, followed closely by Poe. Ten Wookies with raised bowcasters raised made their way towards Ahsoka and Poe. Poe began to draw his blaster, but Ahsoka motioned for him to stop. The lead Wookie growled something at Ahsoka.

"I didn't come to harm you," Ahsoka said. "I came to speak to an old friend. Do you know Chewbacca?"

The Wookies growled and grunted amongst themselves for a bit before the lead Wookie turned back to Ahsoka. He nodded his massive, furry head.

"Can you take me to him?"

He nodded again and led the way up a wooden ladder up to a hut like structure high in the treetops. The three reached the top and stood on a wooden platform.

"Is he in there?" Ahsoka asked as he pointed to the hut.

The Wookie nodded and Ahsoka knocked on the wooden door. It opened to reveal Chewbacca. He roared in a mixture of excitement and curiosity as he embraced his Togruta friend.

"Yes, it's good to see you to, my old friend," Ahsoka said. "I wish I came to you in more joyful circumstances."

Chewbacca tilted his head in confusion.

"A powerful dark side user named Snoke has taken over Coruscant and… I'm so, so sorry to have to tell you this, Leia and Han, they're dead."

Chewbacca roared in anguish as he punched a wooden wall, breaking a hole in it.

"Han's son killed him."

That seemed to make him even angrier as he roared louder.

"He was corrupted to the dark side by Snoke. Snoke is more powerful than anything I've ever seen and I need all the help I can get to take back the capitol."

The Wookie roared something that sounded somewhat like the word 'Luke'.

"Luke's given up. He… he's lost so much in the last few years. Once you look back and see the memories of discovering his father was Vader… well… I don't think I'd be the same if I lost my sister, best friend, nephew, and niece. He's broken."

Chewbacca hung his head in sorrow.

"But we can avenge them," Ahsoka said. "We might not be able to take back this galaxy, but you can be sure we'll avenge it."

A small Wookie came running towards Chewbacca. He picked him up and roared with joy.

"Your son?" Ahsoka asked.

Chewbacca nodded his head.

"Oh, I'm sorry for asking this of you. I never knew you had a family. You don't have to come with us."

Chewbacca shook his head vigorously. He wanted to fight, Ahsoka saw.

"Alright. Would you like to say goodbye to your family?"

Chewbacca nodded and shut the door.

"That… actually went better than I expected," Poe said.

"Yes. Chewbacca has always had the heart of a warrior. I can't imagine what this is like for him. He lost one family in Han, Luke, and Leia. Now I'm asking him to risk losing another family. I could never live with myself knowing I'd caused the death of that small Wookie's father."

"That's how war goes, I'm afraid."

"I know. I know all too well."

The door opened and Chewbacca, bowcaster in hand, came out.

"You ready?"

He nodded.

"Alright. Before we leave, I need to ask you a question. Are there any other Wookies who would be willing to follow us? Snoke has an army. It's only fitting that we have one to boot."

Chewie nodded again as he suddenly jumped down off the platform, landing in the center of what looked to be a gathering center for Wookie warriors. He growled, gathering the attention of the Wookies below.

"What do you think he's saying to them?" Poe asked.

"I can't discern all of it, but the gist of what he's saying is that we need the help of the other Wookies."

"And what are they saying?"

"They're talking amongst themselves. I don't know what they're saying."

Several minutes later, the Wookies roared up at Ahsoka and Poe.

"What did they say?" Poe asked.

"They're in and their entire army is as well."

"That… is good news. How big is the army?"

"Chewie, how big is the army?"

The Wookie roared.

"200,000 strong."

"That's a lot."

"Yes, it is a very good start."

"Alright, people," Ahsoka said as she leaped down, "Do you have transportation?"

They nodded.

"Alright. I think I have a plan. As big as this army is, I don't think it's enough to challenge the First Order. Once I am able to find more volunteers, I will come back here and tell you when we're ready to take back Coruscant."

Chewbacca nodded.

"We'll be back soon, hopefully," Ahsoka said as she wrapped her arms around the Wookie. "May the Force be with you, my old friend."

Chewie roared as he squeezed Ahsoka and lifted her upwards.

"Okay," Ahsoka wheezed. "You're squeezing a bit too hard."

Chewie let Ahsoka down.

"Goodbye, old friend," Ahsoka said as she turned around, Poe following behind her. The two made their way back to their ship.

"200,000," Poe said. "Wow."

"Yes, it is much more than I anticipated, but we still need more."

"How many more? 200,000 seems like quite a bit to me."

"Yes, but you have to remember that the First Order rivals the Empire as far as troop count is concerned."

"That is true. So where exactly do you think we need to go next?"

Ahsoka closed her eyes, meditating on the Force, feeling its ripples. Jakku.

"Jakku," Ahsoka said. "There's something, or someone on Jakku that we need to find. The power… I've only felt such raw power in one before."

"Who?"

"My master."

Poe nodded as Ahsoka typed in the coordinates to the desert world.

"So… should we go after the Jedi again?" Kylo asked.

"You idiot, you saw what happened when we tried to kill your uncle," Snoke said.

"Yes, but what about Ahsoka?"

"I can't track her, you fool. I told you that."

Kylo tightened his fists in anger at Snoke.

"Tell me something, my apprentice, how powerful do you think you are in comparison to me?"

"I don't know, but I think I'm approaching your power level."

"Hmm. Do you think so?"

"I do."

"Ah. If that's so, then why did your lightsaber get taken by a non-Force-sensitive?"

"I was caught off guard."

"Well, now it seems you're going to need a new saber."

"Yes. I noticed that."

"Alright. Until you're able to construct a new lightsaber, I suggest you use the one I gave you a while ago."

"Which one?"

"Satele's."

"Why?"

"It is a light side nexus."

"You're hoping she comes back to visit me?"

"If the Force wills it so," was Snoke's cryptic response.

Kylo took out the saber and activated its twin blue blades.

"I will leave you to reacquaint yourself with the weapon," Snoke said as he left the room.

The second Snoke left, Satele appeared before Kylo.

"Oh, great," Kylo said.

"Ben…"

"No. No more," Kylo said as he swiftly drained most of Satele's life Force in a second, causing her to stagger backwards.

"You have no hold on me," Kylo growled.

Satele vanished before Kylo could drain her again. He'd learned all he could from her so she served no more purpose. He may not have killed her, but he knew she wouldn't come back, unless she wanted to die. He looked at Satele's saber in his hand. The light side was strong in it. He was now in a place of balance. He understood the purity of the light, how to use compassion and selflessness, but he also knew the power of the dark side and its selfish nature. Snoke entered the room.

"And?"

"She won't come back if she values her life."

"Good," Snoke smiled. "You learned all you can from her?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now give me the other saber I gave you," Snoke demanded.

Kylo pulled out Nihilus' saber and handed it to his master.

"You demonstrated a power I never thought you would learn so early on. You used Force drain on Satele. That takes skill and natural talent. Nihilus also possessed an innate talent with the ability. As you know, he drained entire worlds of life. You could learn to do the same with some training."

"And you'll teach me?"

"Force drain isn't my area of expertise. You will learn from this." Snoke pulled out a white mask and handed it to Kylo. "This is Nihilus' mask. It will teach you all you need to know."

"I see. With this knowledge, will we be able to defeat Luke and Ahsoka?"

"Hopefully. The one downside of Force drain is its addictive nature. Once you drain someone, you start to crave Force energy. You desire it more than anything else, so use it when all else fails."

"I will. Can it be resisted?"

"Only by those incredibly, unnaturally strong in the Force. I'd say Luke and Ahsoka fit that bill, wouldn't you?"

"I would, but would it at least weaken them a great deal."

Kylo nodded.

"You've passed today's test, apprentice. You're free to do as you wish. For now."

Kylo nodded once again.

Luke sighed as he ate the fish he'd caught in on of Ahch-To's oceans. It had been a few months since he'd decided to hang up his robes and settle into a new life, a simple life. Somehow, he'd felt a new sense of freedom, yet a new sense of captivity. He had trouble sleeping some nights. Sometimes he was haunted by his sister in his dreams. Other times his nephew came to plague his dreams, causing many sleepless nights for the ex-Jedi Master. He looked at the cracked kyber crystal of Revan he'd found several years back.

It seemed he had many similarities with Revan. Both tried to live a quiet and simple life, but, in Revan's case at least, he couldn't ignore a greater purpose the Force had for him. Luke couldn't help but want to still fight. But why even try? He failed. Miserably. He'd succeeded when he redeemed Vader, but he failed to prevent the next Vader from rising to power. If he somehow managed to destroy Kylo, Snoke, and the entirety of the First Order, which was extremely unlikely, what then? Would he kill one threat only for a greater one to rise in its place? He'd done all the good he could have. And where did it really get him? Nowhere.

He'd still be out there fighting if not for one thing: the loss of his sister. Han's death had been the catalyst for Luke's fading faith in the Jedi. Leia's death had been the last straw. In some ways, Ahsoka had things easy. She had no family, no real family at least. Everybody Ahsoka ever loved had died and they weren't even her true family. Luke had lost everybody he ever loved. His aunt and uncle, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Han, Jaina, Ben, and Leia. And the worst part was that Luke could have saved most, if not all of them.

"Luke."

"Leave," Luke growled as he looked at Anakin's Force ghost.

"No."

"No?"

"You're going to hear me out on this."

"Stop treating me like a child."

"Stop acting like one," Anakin retorted.

Luke remained silent.

"That's better. Now, I know…"

"You know how I feel?"

"Yeah, but that wasn't what I was going to say."

"Then what were you going to say?"

"Luke, you are in a position of great power. It's your duty to those not so fortunate..."

"Fortunate?" Luke interrupted. "Is that what you call losing your entire family?"

"Don't lecture me about loss, boy," Anakin growled in a Vader like voice.

"Sorry."

"Luke, Jedi often have to suffer things no one else could ever hope to endure, but we are never given anything more than what we can handle. Look at it like this: do you want what happened to you to happen to countless more people in the galaxy?"

"No."

"That's the goodness in you that you've forgotten. You might have lost everyone, but you haven't lost your purpose."

"Why does it matter what I do? The Force doesn't give Bantha dropping about what I want."

"Maybe. Maybe not. We fight because it is what we were made to do. Every being in this galaxy has a role to play in bringing balance."

"I thought that was your job."

"I did bring balance… for a time, but my point is this: we use the light and fight on the side of the light not to win some cosmic game, but for the simple reason that it is the light. We don't fight for ourselves, Luke. We fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. The galaxy needs a hero to save it now."

"Why can't Ahsoka be that hero?"

"Because that is not her role. The galaxy needs Ahsoka Tano, but it needs Luke Skywalker more. Who, Luke? Who's going to fight for what's right? Who's going to help the galaxy survive? Who's going to fight for the weak? Who's going to make them believe? A hero's not afraid to give his life. Obi-Wan knew that. Han knew that. Leia knew that. They gave their life. They're heroes because of it. Will you be like them? Or will you stay here and wallow in self-pity? What do you have to lose?"

"I…"

"You have nothing to lose. So go, go and fight, Luke."

"I'm… I'm afraid."

"Fear is natural. It's what makes us human, but what separates us from others is that we have the power to overcome that fear. So Jedi every said it was easy. If they did, they'd be lying to themselves."

"Where is Ahsoka now?"

"She's on her way to Jakku."

"What's on Jakku?"

"I have no idea, but that's where she's going. Kylo will be there too."

"Oh, no."

"Hey, Kylo is nothing you can't handle."

"It's not his power I fear," Luke said. "He represents my failure."

"Failure is the greatest teacher, son. It is the only teacher. You have to keep on fighting while there's breath in your lungs. You have to. Start fighting by getting up. If you stay down, Kylo and Snoke have already won."

"If Ahsoka and I fight, we'll lose," Luke said.

"You might, but you have to try."

Luke sighed as he picked up Anakin's saber and turned on its blue blade.

"Alright, let's go to Jakku."

Ahsoka focused on the power she felt radiating from Jakku. It was so… unnatural. She'd only felt such power in two places: in her master Anakin and on Mortis. That had to mean something. This was a nexus of some kind. Ahsoka was sure of it. She knew that the Force sometimes manifested itself in people. It was possible what she was feeling now was one such instance.

"We're a few hours out from Jakku," Poe said.

"Alright."

"What are you thinking we'll find?"

"I'm not sure."

"Will it help us take back Coruscant and kill Snoke?"

"The future is unclear, but I think we'll be grateful we went. There is something there for us."

"Alright. After we find whatever it is on Jakku, do you think Luke will join us again? We have 20,000 angry Wookies on our side and whatever this thing on Jakku is."

"No. I don't think Luke will ever come back to the fight, but I guess no one's ever really gone."

"What about Snoke? What even is he?"

"I don't know. Luke and I tried to figure that out. To no avail."

"If you knew what he was, would you stand a better chance?"

"It wouldn't hurt," Ahsoka said.

"Do you think that's why we're meant to go to Jakku? To learn more about Snoke and where he came from?"

"It could be. It could not be," Ahsoka cryptically responded.

Several hours later, the Forgiven dropped out of hyperspace.

"Here we are," Poe said. "Jakku."

Ahsoka landed the ship at what she assumed was a local spaceport.

"Alright. Jakku's not exactly the nicest of places. Keep your eyes peeled," Poe said.

"I will."

Ahsoka put on her white robe, pulled the hood up, and walked down the ramp, Poe following close behind.

"So where do we start looking?" Poe asked.

Ahsoka reached out her hand, searching for the nexus that called her here.

"A few miles west. Follow me."

"Can we not just take the ship?"

"I suppose we could."

"I'd prefer that."

Ahsoka nodded and got back on the ship. She activated the engines and flew in the direction of the nexus.

"Could you take control?" Ahsoka asked. "I can better focus on the nexus if I'm not concentrating on anything else.

Poe took the controls as Ahsoka further focused on the nexus. They were close.

"There," she said as she pointed at what looked to be an old AT-AT walker. "That's our nexus."

Poe landed the ship by the abandoned walker. Ahsoka swiftly descended the ramp, white robe trailing behind her like a white phantom. She saw what looked to be a makeshift door and knocked on it. Nothing.

"We're not here to hurt you," Ahsoka comforted. "We just need to talk."

The door suddenly opened and a human woman in her early twenties, possibly late teens, sent Ahsoka flying back with a kick.

"I wasn't expecting that," Ahsoka said calmly as she reclaimed her footing. "Trust me, you don't want to fight me."

"I doubt that," the girl said as she thrust a staff like weapon at Ahsoka.

The Togruta effortlessly evaded and promptly kicked the girl to the ground.

"Stand down," Ahsoka demanded as she held one of her sabers to the girl's throat. "I just came to talk."

"You must be new to Jakku. Nobody just comes to 'talk'."

"This is a harsh world. Were you born here?"

"I'm not telling you. I don't even know you, not to mention you held a lightsaber to my throat."

"In all fairness, you attacked me first."

"You tried to break into my house."

"If I wanted to break in, trust me, I could have, but that isn't the point," Ahsoka said. "I came here because your strength in the Force is… it's more powerful that anything I've ever felt."

"Are you a Jedi?"

"Yes."

"I thought the Jedi died out."

"You must not get much news here on Jakku," Poe chimed in. "The Empire's destroyed. Sort of."

"What do you mean by that?"

"That's part of the reason we came to you," Ahsoka said. "The First Order, that's what this remnant of the Empire is calling themselves, has taken the Republic capitol. They're lead by a powerful Force-user named Snoke. We need you help…"

"Rey. My name's Rey."

"Will you help us?"

"No, I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Why?" Poe asked. "I'd think you'd be eager to get off this dust ball."

"No. I'm waiting for my parents, you see," Rey explained.

"I see," Ahsoka said. "How well did you know them?"

"I didn't."

"Not to be blunt, but what makes you think they're coming back?" Ahsoka asked.

"I don't know exactly."

"Will you at least consider coming with us?" Poe asked.

"I'll consider it, yes."

"We'll stick around Jakku until you've made your choice," Ahsoka reassured.

Rey nodded.

"Ahsoka," Poe whispered. "I really don't want to stick around Jakku for… however long it takes for her to make her mind up."

"Do you have anywhere to be anytime soon?"

"No," Poe sighed.

"Alright, then it shouldn't be any trouble waiting around."

"Sorry, I've just never really like rules," Poe said. "Always had trouble following them."

"Yes, I can see that. I recognize a rebel when I see one. My master was a lot like you, reckless, had a bit of an ego, but he was willing to give his life for what he believed in, as are you."

"Thanks, I guess."

"You're welcome, but remember that we can always do better."

"Not to challenge your authority, but if we're going to work together, I really don't want you treating me like I'm your Padawan or something."

That drew a laugh, a true genuine laugh from Ahsoka.

"Oh, no, I've never trained a Padawan. I'm hoping Rey will be my first."

"What?" Rey asked, intruding on Ahsoka and Poe's conversation.

"I was just telling Poe how I've never trained an apprentice. You could be my first."

"I'll consider it, but I need a few days."

"Fair enough," Ahsoka said.

"Feel free to stay here."

"We have a ship, but thank you for your offer," Ahsoka said.

She turned around, white robe now somewhat dirtied by the sands of Jakku, and boarded the ship. Poe followed suit.

"Looks like your robe needs some cleaning," Poe said as he pointed at Ahsoka's sandy robe.

"Yeah, reminds me of how Anakin felt about sand. He always complained about it whenever we were on a sandy world." Ahsoka smiled in fond memory. "He always said I don't like sand. It's coarse, and rough, and irritating, and it gets everywhere. I always laugh when I think back on that."

"Well he isn't wrong. I don't know anybody who likes sand."

"Neither do I, but what I always found amusing was how many times he'd nearly died over the war, yet he complained more about sand."

"I guess that's true."

"Well, we've gotten to Jakku. Now we just wait for Rey to make up her mind."

"I don't think she will."

"Why do you say that?"

"The look in her eyes. She looked… lost. She doesn't know her family."

"No. I sense a deep loneliness in her. Hopefully that doesn't deter her from coming with us."

Poe nodded.

"I sure hope you'll convince her to come with us. We need all the help we can get."

"Yes, yes we do," Ahsoka said.

Snoke reached put with the Force, trying desperately to find Ahsoka. Hmm. She'd let her guard down for a split second, but it was enough. The Togruta was on Jakku, although Snoke had no clue as to why. He was about to com Kylo, but something stayed his hand. If he tried the same method he had with Luke, he'd get no results. What exactly was the best course of action? If his entire army wouldn't work, what else would? He supposed he could send Kylo along with some of the Knights of Ren. Yes. That would be the best plan. It seemed like an eternity since Kylo worked with his nights.

"Lord Ren."

"Yes?"

"Take your Knights to Jakku. Ahsoka is there."

"Will we actually kill her? Or will this go as well as when we tried to kill Luke?"

"You will succeed, I know it."

A few minutes later, Kylo came into Snoke's throne room.

"Good. Now, this mission will be a good way for you to reacquaint with your Knights. A master must know his students."

The Knights, what was left of them, appeared from seemingly nowhere.

"You still haven't told me much about these Knights of mine."

"It isn't your concern where they came from. It is your concern to train them. I have given them lightsabers, a far better weapon than the ones they had when you first met them."

"Good. We'll need them to kill Ahsoka. Come on."

The Knights followed Kylo to a transport ship. The ship jumped to hyperspace.

Ahsoka felt Kylo and several more dark presences approaching.

"Poe, I think Rey's going to need to make her choice pretty soon."

"Why?"

"Kylo's coming."

"What? How did he find us?"

"I have no idea, but all that matters is that he did. We need to convince Rey to come with us."

Ahsoka landed her ship back by Rey's AT-AT home.

"What is it?" Rey asked as she walked out the door.

"Kylo Ren."

"What's a Kylo Ren?"

"It's a who. He's Snoke's apprentice," Ahsoka explained.

"Why is he coming?"

"To kill me and Ahsoka," Poe said. "We kinda got on his bad side a while back. Or I guess he got on ours. What's the difference?"

"Is he coming to kill me too?" Rey asked, a look of concern on her face.

"I don't know, but it's possible. We need your help to fight him and his Knights off." Ahsoka pulled out a spare lightsaber and gave it to Rey. "Use this."

"I don't know how to use this thing."

"You're skilled with the staff, right?" Ahsoka asked.

"Yeah."

"This is the same basic principle."

Rey activated the lightsaber and twirled it around.

"Use a two-handed grip for now. It's easier."

Rey took the saber in two hands and swung it back and forth. Ahsoka nodded approvingly.

Kylo's transport shuttle dropped out of hyperspace.

"I think I have a plan that will ensure our victory," Kylo said. "Every time we've tried to fight Ahsoka or Luke, we've done so on their terms. How about we change that? Jakku has no shortage of potential hostages or victims. The main city, how about we go there and make an example of them?"

The Knights nodded as the ship landed in the spaceport.

"Can I help you?" a local asked.

Kylo casually beheaded him and tossed him aside with the Force. Ah, ha! He saw his target: a local market place. Several more locals looked over at the strange new visitor.

"Portions for sale," a repugnant creature running a small shop, said.

Kylo yanked him out of his little stand with the Force and crushed his skull. The crowd gasped in utter terror. Kylo fed on that terror as he lifted them with the Force and brutally smashed them to the ground several times, killing all of them. Except for one, an old man in a Jedi like robe. The man crawled back to his feet. Ah, Kylo recognized this man. Lor San Tekka, a friend of his mother.

"I know you," San Tekka said. "Or at least I knew who you were."

"Look how old you've become," Kylo snickered.

"Something far worse has happened to you."

"Do you know what I've come for?"

"I know where you come from, before you called yourself Kylo Ren."

"This world has something that I want and now you'll give it to the First Order."

"The First Order rose from the dark side. You did not."

"I'll show you the dark side."

"You may try, but you cannot deny the truth that is your family."

"You're so right," Kylo said before beheading San Tekka. "Come on. Ahsoka's this way."

"He's here," Ahsoka said. "But something's changed. He's… he's killed the village, all of them."

"Why? What purpose does that serve?" Rey asked.

"Ahsoka by nature is a Force empath," Poe said. "She has the natural ability to feel feelings. Massive amounts of death cloud her senses."

Rey nodded as Kylo and his Knights approached. Ahsoka activated her saber, as did Rey. Poe drew his blaster.

"You're always so hard to find," Kylo said as he pointed at Ahsoka. "But not impossible, it seems."

"I'm glad I gave you something to look forward to."

"Who's the girl?" Kylo asked as his attention shifted from Ahsoka to Rey.

"She's an ally."

"She's unrefined at best," Kylo said as he tossed his cape aside.

With that said, Kylo and his Knights charged. Ahsoka pushed the Knights back with a Force blast, but Kylo's Force defenses were unfazed. He yelled as he activated Vader's saber and leaped at Ahsoka. She back flipped away from Kylo's fury, but Ren was undeterred. As Ahsoka attempted to push Kylo back, Kylo removed her hand and grazed her leg, knocking her to the ground. Just before Kylo killed Ahsoka, Poe unloaded on him. Several shots hit Kylo square in the face. Thankfully his helmet took most of the attack, but he was still fazed, fazed enough for Rey to graze his leg.

Without a second thought, Kylo backhanded Rey, drawing blood from the young girl. One of the Knights charged at her, but Poe shot him square in the unarmored back, killing him instantly. Kylo pulled Poe his way and tossed him several meter back and into the ship. His head hit the metal with an audible 'clang'.

"Ouch," Rey said.

"You're next," Kylo taunted.

He pointed at Rey, causing his Knights to charge her. He wanted a real fight, and this scavenger girl was not it. Ahsoka was the fight he wanted.

"I will finish what my grandfather started," Kylo said as he smashed his saber against Ahsoka. "You were the reason he returned to the light, or at least part of it."

"No. I may have helped, but it was Anakin's choice alone."

That seemed to anger Kylo a great deal. He launched a frenzy of swift two handed attacks, trying to wear down Ahsoka's defenses. She swiftly used one of her sabers to guide Kylo's down and use her other saber to slash him across the chest. She went for the kill, aiming her saber at Kylo's heart, but he yanked one of his Knights his way. Ahsoka impaled the Knight instead, allowing Kylo to regain his ground and flip away from Ahsoka. Ahsoka looked over and saw a Knight about to impale Poe, who had now regained his consciousness.

"Poe!" she yelled as she tossed him one of her sabers.

Poe caught the saber and impaled the Knight's face, killing him.

"Wow," Poe said. "I need one of these."

"Maybe after we get done here."

Poe tossed the saber back to Ahsoka. She looked around. Three Knights remained, along with their master.

"Rey," Ahsoka said. "Get to the ship."

Rey nodded.

"I think you'll need my help on this," Poe said.

"Poe, you need to leave."

"No. We lost Luke. We can't afford to lose our last Jedi."

Ahsoka nodded.

"You realize how little this fool will actually help, right?" Kylo asked as he pointed to Poe.

"No, it is you who is the fool. You turned you back on your family and the Jedi. You're so lost in your own darkness, Kylo. You're a shadow of your former self. Why did you go down the dark path?" Ahsoka asked, true concern in her voice.

"I… Snoke tortured me. I'd already begun my decent into darkness before I met Snoke. Snoke just unlocked the darkness."

"So why don't you run from him?"

"I can't. I need to kill him. That's the only way. Wait."

"What?"

"You're getting in my head," Kylo growled. "You're trying to appeal to the light still left in me, aren't you?"

"By admitting there's still light, you've only proved me right," Ahsoka said. "Let me help you, please. I don't want the same thing that happened to your grandfather happen to you."

"You happened to him. If you didn't exist, he'd have never been conflicted."

"There was good in him, just like there's good in you."

"Enough," Kylo said as he broke Ahsoka's Force wall with a choke.

"Ahsoka!" Poe yelled as he fired at Kylo's unguarded legs.

The bolts hit, dropping Kylo.

"Kill him!" he yelled.

The Knights activated their red sabers and charged Poe. Ahsoka quickly shoved them back with the Force. Kylo looked back at his Knights, allowing Poe to fire five shots straight to Kylo's helmet. His helmet was barely holding together and it shattered completely as Ahsoka aimed a Force-enhanced kick at it. She went for the kill, but Kylo crushed her Force wall and squeezed her windpipe for several long seconds before he was slashed across the back by Rey.

"Rey, didn't I tell you to stay on the ship?" Ahsoka asked.

"I thought you might need help."

"Yes, thank you for the help," Ahsoka said, her voice conveying thankfulness, but at the same time conveying the message of if you disobey orders again, I won't be too happy about it.

Kylo made a hand gesture, causing an until now unseen First Order ship to reign fire on Ahsoka, Poe, and Rey. Ahsoka put up a Force shield that absorbed the fire. She redirected it towards the ship, damaging its shields. Kylo sprinted Ahsoka's way and aimed straight for her heart, but she dodged and pushed him backwards. He went for straightforward, yet effective attacks and slashes, a direct counter to Ahsoka's meticulous and seemingly rehearsed movements. Ahsoka made up for her lesser strength with finesse and grace, while Kylo made up for his lack of grace with raw power and rage.

He saw an opening in Ahsoka's defenses and capitalized on it, removing her leg, slashing her chest, and slashing her across the face.

"Contain them!" Kylo yelled as he pointed at Poe and Rey. "NOW!"

The Knights froze Poe and Rey with the Force while Kylo paced over Ahsoka in the same way a predatory bird would swoop over its helpless prey. Kylo removed her right arm.

"You're weak!" he yelled as he slammed his foot into her face.

"No. It is you who is weak. The dark side is for the weak, for those who refuse to be selfless and choose to be selfish."

That angered Kylo even more as he kicked Ahsoka again. Ahsoka saw a black droid sprinting from the First Order ship. She focused on its arms and legs, yanked them away from it, and fused them to her own limbs. She yelled in anguish as the metal connected with her flesh, but she could fight. She had to. She redrew her lightsabers and charged Kylo. She went for an all-out attack, leaping all around Kylo, trying to confuse him, but it didn't work. He saw through her fakes and shot her square in the chest with lightning. She fell to the ground as Kylo picked her up with the Force and slammed her into the ground several times. He focused on her Force signature and began to drain it. Yes! He felt her power surge through his veins! It was so invigorating, so intoxicating! Ahsoka managed to break his hold, but some damage had already been done. He'd taken away nearly a quarter of her life Force and she could never regain that.

"Give up yet?"

"I… I'm still alive."

Kylo growled and kicked Ahsoka several more times. He heard bone crack as he pounded his fist into Ahsoka's face, the orange skin was now covered in red. He grabbed her by the lekku and slammed her head on the ground several times. Kylo looked down and brought his saber down on Ahsoka, but it was blocked by a green saber. Luke? Ahsoka looked upwards to see Luke clad in his black robe. He forced Kylo's blade upwards and kicked him to the ground.

"WHY ARE YOU HERE?" Kylo yelled.

"To stop you."

Kylo snickered, only for Luke to overwhelm him with a devastating blast of electric judgment. He unfroze Poe and Rey.

"Poe! Get Ahsoka to the ship!"

"On it!"

Poe and Rey picked Ahsoka up and made their way to the Forgiven.

"So you want to rejoin the fight, huh?" Kylo asked. "You just can't make up your mind, can you?"

"Oh, Ben, you know how unpredictable I can be. Besides, somebody needed to teach you your place."

Kylo growled and thrust his saber at Luke's face, but Luke easily deflected it and glanced Kylo's leg. Luke, a look of pure serenity on his face, targeted Kylo's heart with shatterpoint and attempted to shatter it, but Kylo's Force shield held strong.

"I'm impressed," Kylo said. "You tried to kill me. Guess you're not as soft as I thought."

"I don't have time to deal with you now," Luke said as he used Force repulse to knock Kylo off his feet.

Luke knew he had two choices: kill Kylo and risk precious time, time Ahsoka desperately needed. Or he could go back to Ahsoka and allow Kylo to escape. He could end this conflict here and now, or he could save his friend. He reluctantly deactivated his saber and leapt onto the Redeemer.

"COWARD!" Kylo yelled as the ship jumped to hyperspace.

"Ahsoka!" Luke yelled. "Hey, hey, can you hear me?"

Ahsoka moaned.

"We need to get her to a medical facility, now!"

"Hey, calm down, Luke," Poe said.

"No. We need to get her somewhere she can be put back together!"

"Where, Luke? Huh?" Poe asked. "Coruscant's way, way too far away! Jakku has no hospitals, no advanced ones anyway. Where's the closest planet with advanced medical stations?"

"Csilla. We need to go to Csilla," Luke said.

"The Chiss world?"

"Yeah," Luke said as he input the coordinates.

"You think Thrawn's people will let us in?"

"You," Luke said as he pointed at Rey. "Take over the ship while I try to put Ahsoka in a Force-induced coma and ease her pain."

Rey took the controls without a word while Luke laid his hand on Ahsoka's forehead, sending healing, calming waves of Force energy into her. Hopefully that would keep her alive until they reached Csilla.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Forgiven emerged over Csilla.

"Give me the controls," Luke said as he moved Rey out of the controls.

Rey moved and Luke took the controls and landed the ship at a spaceport. He put Ahsoka's white robe on and put his own black robe over her.

"Alright, I'm going to go find the nearest hospital," Luke said as he hopped on the speeder bike in the Forgiven's bay. "Stay here."

Luke took off. He reached out with the Force, hoping to find an area full of life, fading life. Hopefully that would end up being as hospital. A few minutes later, he saw a large white building. He quickly parked his speeder and pulled out his com.

"Poe, I'm sending you my location. Get the ship here."

"On it."

A few minutes later, Poe landed the Forgiven by Luke's speeder and walked down the ramp with Ahsoka on a hovergurney. Luke took the gurney into the Chiss hospital.

"How may I…?"

The Chiss receptionist trailed off when he looked down at Ahsoka.

"Follow me."

Luke followed the Chiss, Ahsoka's gurney behind them.

"What happened to her?"

"Long story, but what matters is she needs to get into surgery," Luke said.

The Chiss nodded as he stopped in front of a door. The door opened and the Chiss took Ahsoka and lowered her onto an operation table.

"You're going to have to leave, sir," the Chiss said as he put an anesthetic mask over Ahsoka's mouth.

Luke nodded and left the room.

"What…?" Ahsoka asked.

"You've been seriously injured."

"Who… who are you?"

"My name is Ren'hosu'ossa, but you can call me Hosu."

"Hosu," Ahsoka repeated.

"Alright. Now we're going to get you into surgery."

Everything went black as the anesthesia took effect.

9

Shattered

Several days later, Ahsoka opened her eyes.

"Where am I?"

"A hospital on Csilla," a female Chiss nurse said. "You were in very bad shape."

Ahsoka tried to sit up, but collapsed back on the table.

"Please, you need to rest."

"What happened to me?"

"Let's just say you're lucky to be alive."

Ahsoka felt her mouth, except instead of her lips, she felt a respirator.

"We had to replace your limbs with cybernetics. You took severe nerve damage. It looked like some kind of metal became fused to your nervous system, so we had to amputate your remaining limbs to attempt to get rid of the shrapnel."

"Where's…?"

"Luke," the Chiss finished. "He's in the waiting room along with a human male and a human female."

"When will I be able to walk?"

"A few days," the Chiss said as she, with the help of another Chiss, lowered Ahsoka into a hoverchair."

The door opened, the light nearly blinding Ahsoka. The Chiss maneuvered the chair into the waiting room. Luke, Poe, and Rey all got out of their seats when they saw Ahsoka.

"Ahsoka," Luke said.

"Hey, Luke," Ahsoka wearily said.

"Thank you," Luke said as he looked at the Chiss.

Both Chiss nodded as Luke took the chair's handle and maneuvered it into the hospital's hangar bay. He lowered the ramp of the Forgiven and lowered Ahsoka onto one of the ship's beds.

"Thank you," Ahsoka whispered as she closed her eyes.

Luke nodded as he closed the door and turned on the ship.

"You think she'll be alight?" Poe asked.

"I hope so." Luke looked over at Rey. "Who is she, exactly?"

"I'm Rey. Ahsoka found me on Jakku. She wanted to train me as a Jedi."

"Yes, I can feel the Force in you, but it's raw and unrefined."

"I know."

"You don't look very old at all," Luke said, his eyes narrowing as he examined Rey. "Where are you parents? I'm pretty certain Ahsoka wouldn't just kidnap you."

"I didn't really know my parents. I don't think I knew them at all, actually."

"So you raised yourself?"

"I remember two people raising me for a while, but I don't think they were my parents."

"Hmm," Luke said as he stroked his beard.

"Luke, why did you come back?" Poe asked.

"I remembered my true purpose. I just needed some time."

Poe nodded.

"Um, I do have some good news. Ahsoka and I went to Kashyyyk. We managed to recruit Chewbacca and an army of 200,000 Wookies."

"That… is good news." Luke turned towards Rey. "I sense something familiar in you, young Rey. I know you."

"I don't believe we've met. You've never been to Jakku, have you?"

"Once, but that was before you were even born."

"I don't know what to tell you, I'm afraid," Rey said, sincere regret in her voice.

"It's quite alright," Luke said as his eyes locked on the saber on Rey's belt. "Is that my lightsaber?"

"I don't know. Ahsoka gave it to me, so I assumed it was one of hers."

"It's mine. Could I have it back?"

"Of course," Rey said as she handed the saber over.

"Thank you. Ahsoka and I will teach you to build your own soon," Luke said. "Poe, put in the coordinates for Ahch-To."

"I don't know them," Poe said. "Jedi secret, remember?"

Luke smirked as he put in the coordinates and the Forgiven jumped.

"Well done. Well done," Snoke sarcastically said, clapping as he did so.

"Shut up," Kylo growled as he dropped the shattered remains of Ren's helmet.

"You did so fantastic, my apprentice! I'm so proud of you for letting Ahsoka and Luke escape! Congratulations you pathetic failure! Are you happy with yourself? Hmm?"

It took every ounce of self-control Kylo had to not lash out and grip Snoke's windpipe, but he knew that would not get him anywhere. He had to bide his time and unleash that anger only when he was powerful enough to challenge his master for position as leader of the First Order and the galaxy at large.

"Also, fantastic job on letting Thrawn escape. Your lightsaber is still with him, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"So I'm assuming you've been using Vader's saber."

"Yes."

"Hmm. You need to make your own."

"Why? I have three sabers: Vader's, Satele's, and Nihilus'. I don't think I need four. I'm not General Grievous, after all. It's not like I can use four at once."

"A collection of lightsabers can be a great display of power, but every Force-user needs at least one lightsaber they've constructed themselves."

"Fine. I'll make a new lightsaber. On one condition."

"You're in no place to barging," Snoke growled.

"Try me."

"Very well. What is it you want?"

"The Knights of Ren? Who are they?"

"This is what you want to know? Not more about some Force power? Not more about my origins and how I formed the First Order? Not how to kill Luke and Ahsoka? Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Yes."

"Very well," Snoke said as the three remaining Knights and a few more Kylo had not ever seen walked in. "Knights. Take off your masks."

The Knights, six in total, took off their masks and Kylo nearly feinted as he saw who they were.

"Is that… Ahsoka?" he asked as he pointed to one of the Knights.

"Not the Ahsoka you and I know," Snoke said as he put a hand on Kylo's shoulder. "Do you know what the World between Worlds is?"

"I guess not."

"It was a dimension between time and space. It's how Ahsoka was saved from Vader's wrath, but the gate way was destroyed during the time of the Empire."

"Did you use it to… to go and… change the past?" Kylo asked, visible confusion plastered across his face.

"Yes and no. Since the portal was destroyed, I could only partially rebuild it. Time is a tricky thing. The Force will not let you change things that aren't meant to be changed. The only reason Ahsoka was saved was because it was destiny. Some events can be changed. Others cannot. I went back to several points in time. I created alternate timelines when I plucked these Knights from their own. There is a reality without an Ahsoka Tano. See, you cannot change the past, you only make a new reality. The only exception is destiny. Ahsoka was only saved from Vader because she was meant to be. She was never not saved from him. It is an infinite loop."

"This is… really confusing."

"Yes. Yes it is."

"If you could go back in time, why wouldn't you just murder Ahsoka when she was born?"

"Time doesn't work like that."

"You're going to have to explain better than that."

"I tried. The Force wouldn't let me do that. It only let me pluck her and others from certain points in time."

Kylo shook his head in confusion. That confusion was only amplified when he saw that one of the Knights was none other than Luke Skywalker. Kylo's breathing quickened.

"And that's Luke?"

"Not your Luke."

"How did you get them to follow you?"

"The same way I got you to follow me."

"Do you just torture everybody who doesn't agree with you?"

"No, just the ones I see potential in."

"That doesn't feel like Luke," Kylo said as he reached his hand out to sense the dark Luke's Force signature.

"That's because I've… persuaded him to see things my way."

"This… this is just… wrong," Kylo said.

"How so?"

"I hate Luke, with a passion, but I still have a small amount of respect for him, same goes for Ahsoka. This is robbing them of… well… themselves. I need to know one more thing."

"What?"

"The exact moments you took them from."

"You want to put them back, don't you?"

Kylo nodded.

"No. I will not tell you that. I will tell you that once you have grown to be more powerful than me. Until then, this is all I will tell you. Now hold up your end of the deal and construct your new lightsaber."

Kylo nodded and left the room. Once the door shut, Snoke looked over at Ahsoka.

"See if you can put this mask back together."

"Yes, my master," the dark Ahsoka said as she reached out her hands, levitating the shards of the mask and weaving them back together. "It is finished, my master."

Snoke took the mask and looked it over.

"Well done," Snoke purred as he caressed Ahsoka's lekku, causing her to twitch uncomfortably.

Thrawn jumped out of hyperspace to Csilla. Ah, no place like home, he supposed. The Chiss landed the ship at one of Csilla's countless spaceports, but he knew he was not out of Snoke's crosshair yet. Thrawn looked under one of the floor's panels, searching for a tracking device. He found a small circular disk and pulled it out.

"So predictable," Thrawn murmured.

He tore off one of its small panels and rewired it to say he was on Tatooine. Thrawn couldn't help but smirk at Snoke's stupidity. For someone so powerful, the Supreme Leader wasn't the exactly brightest lightsaber in the box. Thrawn knew he needed to find Ahsoka and Luke. That wouldn't be too hard. He pulled out his holorecorder and called Luke. He made sure that the recorder was encrypted. Fortunately, it was.

"Hello, Master Skywalker. This is Thrawn. I managed to escape the First Order and am now on Cislla. Would you be able to send me your coordinates? Thank you."

Hopefully Luke would respond soon. Thrawn had done everything possible to keep the First Order from discovering his position, but there was one thing he could not do: shield his Force signature.

Luke's holorecorder buzzed. He pulled it out and hit the replay.

"Hello, Master Skywalker. This is Thrawn. I managed to escape the First Order and am now on Cislla. Would you be able to send me your coordinates? Thank you," a small hologram of Thrawn said.

"Hey, Thrawn," Luke said into the recorder. "We're going to Ahch-To and should be there in a few hours. I'm sending the coordinates now."

Thrawn checked the recorder and played the message. The holo Luke said he was going to Ahch-To.

"Alright, then," Thrawn said as he put in the coordinates in.

Now. Now. Now. Now was the time. Kylo knew it for sure. He had to challenge Snoke. Now. He slowed his breathing as he walked up to Snoke's throne room. The doors opened to reveal Snoke. It looked like the Supreme Leader was already expecting him.

"So the time has come?" Snoke asked, no surprise in his voice, just amusement. "You really think you're ready? If you're not, back out now. Because I will kill you if you lack the power to kill me. Play it safe and stay my apprentice, or gamble on your chances at destroying me."

"You're always taken out your anger on me," Kylo growled as he activated his new lightsaber. "I'd rather rot alone than spend a minute with you. No matter what I do, I'm never good enough! You can't stop me from falling apart because my self-destruction is all your fault!"

With that said, Kylo charged Snoke, rage in his yellow eyes. The master flipped over two sweeping swings from the apprentice. Kylo growled with frustration as Snoke blasted him back with lightning. He used that pain to break Snoke's Force barrier and hurl him backwards.

"Impressive. Most impressive."

"You haven't seen anything."

Kylo extended his hand and let loose a barrage of black lightning. Snoke likewise extended his hand, creating a bolt of his own. The bolts collided, neither one gaining any ground, but Kylo's bolt eventually proved the greater, as it flung Snoke backwards. Showing no mercy, Kylo smashed his saber against Snoke's as Snoke stepped back a few paces. Snoke saw the twisted look of determination and rage on Kylo's face. It was taking everything Snoke had just to keep Kylo from crushing him. Kylo kicked Snoke to the ground, smashing his saber against his master's. Snoke blocked both attacks, but Kylo' hand found its way to Snoke's throat. He squeezed. Hard. And Snoke felt the air leaving him. More so out of desperation that thought, Snoke yanked Kylo's hand off his neck and blasted him back with lightning, knocking him into a pillar.

Snoke used Kylo's momentary lapse to hoist him up and pummel him with lightning.

"No savior is here for you, boy!" Snoke growled as he increased the barrage. "This is how you die, Kylo Ren! This is how you die!"

"You will not defeat me!" Kylo said as he broke Snoke's grip. "I am my own savior! You cannot chain me! Luke could not chain me! Now it's my turn to show you what it feels like to be helpless!"

Kylo yanked Snoke his way and slammed him into the floor. Once Snoke regained his footing, Kylo kicked him back down and tossed his saber aside, opting to pummel Snoke with his fists. As Kylo reared back for another punch, Snoke pressed a button on his gauntlet, shutting down Kylo's mechanical legs and dropping him to the ground.

"You fought with courage," Snoke said as he looked Kylo dead in the eyes. "But you were never my superior, or even my equal."

Just as Snoke reared his lightsaber back for the killing blow, Kylo blasted him back with lightning and used the Force to move his robotic legs.

"How?" Snoke asked.

"You underestimate my power."

Snoke smirked and rushed his apprentice.

"You think you're thriving, but you're decaying!" Kylo yelled. "You think you're living, but you're dying! You can't get away! Get away! Get away! You've released my panic! Every curse, lie, violation of my life! Sometimes I close my eyes to escape this messed up place, but I can never escape."

"You pretend that you're something special! Any flaw will expose your weakness! You want a perfect life! But all I see in you is a perfect lie!" Snoke taunted as he tossed Kylo back and forth. "You are a catastrophe! You are a failure! You are Luke's failure! You are your parents' failure! You are your grandfather's failure! You are the Force's failure! And you are my failure!"

"I am no one's failure," Kylo growled with the voice of the dark side itself. "Don't you lie to me, because I see through your poses! I am damage! I was damaged by you!"

"You were strengthened by me!"

"Take your pride take your vanity!" Kylo yelled as he rose to his feet with the determination of a machine. "Can't you see that your ego's empty? I know who I am inside! I won't fall for your lies! I know you hate me! I never thought I'd feel like this! I can feel your madness now! So let me go! Tell me why you broke me down and made me suffer!"

"I made you suffer to make you strong!"

"Lies! I cannot live! I cannot breathe! I cannot take this agony! I cannot hate, but I cannot love! You tore me in two!"

"You were quite easy to tear," Snoke laughed. "You coward, it's a shame I will have to sacrifice you to feed my own power."

"I am not your gateway! I am not your sacrificial lamb! I am not your shelter! Just who do you think I am? I am the darkness give form! I am death!"

Kylo focused on the darkness inside him, but also the light. He remembered back to the love he had for his sister. He let that love feed his rage, which fed his power. His eyes turned red as he broke Snoke's hold and removed his arm with a slash from his saber, dropping Snoke to the ground.

"This is where you die, my master. This is where you die."

"Is it?" Snoke asked as he made a fist, gripping Kylo's neck with the Force.

Kylo dropped his saber, allowing Snoke to plunge his saber into Kylo's chest, but the young apprentice stopped it with the Force and shoved it backwards, kicking Snoke to the ground.

"You've trained me well," Kylo panted. "Too well for your own good."

"You've made me proud, my apprentice. It is our way, but remember who I am. I am the one who will bring unbalance. If you kill me today, I…"

Those were the last words Supreme Leader Snoke ever spoke, as Kylo removed his head with a swift swing. He thought he'd feel better, but he only felt more… empty. He looked down at his master, former master. He couldn't explain it, but he had a strange bond with Snoke. Even though he tortured Kylo, Snoke held some sort of twisted respect for the young ex-Jedi. Kylo shook his head. No. Snoke was a monster and he deserved what he got.

"My grandson," Anakin's ghost said.

"Anakin."

"It is over, my boy. You've done it. Now you can go back to your uncle."

"I… I want that."

"He's waiting for you."

"No. I've solidified my place as Supreme Leader."

"Ben, you know that this isn't what you want."

"Yes it is."

"Then my grandson is truly dead," Anakin said before he vanished into the Force.

Kylo fell to his knees in exhaustion. He looked over to see Satele.

"Oh, great," Kylo said.

"Ben, I…"

Kylo yanked Satele's life Force away from her, nearly killing her and causing her to vanish.

"I hated you even more than Snoke," Kylo growled.

He looked down at his new saber. In many ways, the new saber represented the new him in the same way his old saber represented his former self. The old saber was unrefined and unpredictable, just as Kylo had been. But his new saber, one with a simple, yet elegant hilt and no crossguards, represented what he'd become. When he killed Snoke, he killed his flaws, or most of them. He took Snoke's lightsaber and put it in his cape. He'd earned this trophy.

He marched outside Snoke's throne room and into his chambers. He looked at Ren's helmet, then Vader's. Hmm. He wondered how Ren's helmet would look with a dome like Vader's. Snoke had encouraged Kylo to learn from his grandfather's example. At first, Kylo feared his heritage, but Snoke had taught him to embrace it, one of the few things Kylo appreciated Snoke for. Yes, Kylo thought to himself. Ren's helmet had always always looked a little empty to Kylo. It might not be a huge, important act, his first act as Supreme Leader, but it was one he wanted to do.

Wait, no. He had a better idea. He focused on the remnants of Ren's spirit left within the helmet. He used a variation of Force drain to pull the spirit out of the mask. Yes. He would simply transfer Ren's spirit into whatever helmet he wanted.

Kylo went down to the armory. A First Order armor maker looked over at him.

"Can I help you, Lord Ren?" he asked as he put down what looked to be a prototype stormtrooper helmet.

"Yes. I need you to make a helmet."

"What kind of helmet?"

"One like this," Kylo said as he showed a hologram of Vader's helmet. "But make it look more… aggressive. I'm sure you'll figure something out. Also, the dome needs to be made out of a durasteel plastoid alloy and line it with cortosis."

"I'm afraid we don't have any cortois."

"Very well."

"It will be done in a few hours, Lord Ren. Shall I put it outside your chambers when I've finished?"

"Yes. That would be fine. I need something else, too."

"What is it?"

"I need a suit like this," he said as he showed a holo of Darth Vader. "The chestplate must be able to withstand lightsaber strikes and instead of gloves, I need stormtrooper armor for the arms. The boots need to be able to clamp onto a metal surface. And I need a more durable cape. Can you do all of that?"

"Yes. The helmet should be done in a few hours, but the suit will take a little longer to put together."

"Alright. That'll be all."

"Lord Ren, where is the Supreme Leader?"

"You're looking at him."

Before the man could ask another question, Kylo was already heading out the door. He went back to his quarters and shut the doors. He put his gloved hand on Vader's helmet.

"Teach me, grandfather."

Kylo's eyes suddenly closed and then opened to a world of fire.

"Go to Mustafar. Bring this helmet with you," Vader's voice said.

"I will."

Kylo took his hand off Vader's helmet. After he made his announcement of Snoke's death, he'd set off to Mustafar to learn more from Vader. Kylo couldn't shook the feeling that he'd not seen the last of his old master.

"No," he said to himself. "I killed him. He's dead and he won't come back, can't come back."

A few hours later, he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in."

The door opened to reveal a young woman with long red hair holding Kylo's helmet.

"Put it there," Kylo demanded as he pointed over to a shelf.

She did so and went to leave when Kylo put his hand on her shoulder.

"What's your name?"

"Mara."

"Hmm. That'll be all. You can leave now."

She nodded and left the room. Hmm. Mara held a connection to the Force. That could make her a powerful apprentice. No, not an apprentice. He would never train his apprentice. An apprentice meant death. He knew he'd only train the one who would kill him, but she could be a powerful assassin. Yes, that could work very well. He looked over at his helmet, a smile unknowingly making its way on his face. He took it in his hands and looked at the dome. Yes, that looked good, even better than he expected. The helmet's eyes were narrow and angular. They would be the eyes Luke looked into as Kylo killed him.

The helmet's angular grill had two fang like protrusions. That was an unexpected, but welcome surprise. Now came the tricky part: putting Ren's spirit into the helmet. He focused on the spirit and seized it, forcing it to go into the new helmet. At first, it resisted, but Kylo's will eventually won out.

He went back down to the armor shop and saw Mara looking at a gauntlet of some kind.

"How's the armor coming?"

"It's almost complete, my lord," Mara said.

"What's lacking?"

"We're just finalizing the gauntlets, trying to make them a bit more durable."

"Can I see one?"

Mara handed over the gauntlet and Kylo slashed it with his saber. It was relatively undamaged.

"It's durable enough."

"If you say so."

"Where's the armor?"

"This way," Mara said as she made a summoning motion with her hand.

Ah, Kylo recognized this tactic all too well. She was trying to pull a Satele on him, trying to use her looks to manipulate him. That would end very badly. For Mara, but he didn't really care right now. All he cared about was seeing his new armor. Mara typed in a code, causing a door to open and revealing the most beautiful thing Kylo had ever seen.

The chestplate was an almost perfect replica of Vader's. The robes and cape were a matte black.

"It's beautiful, much more beautiful than you," Kylo said, making sure Mara knew that her looks meant nothing to him. "You've done well. You can leave now."

Mara turned around, angrily so, and left the room, leaving Kylo to admire his new armor.

10

New Leadership

"Ready?" Kylo asked as he looked at the cameraman.

"We'll be live in one minute."

Kylo put on his helmet and reclined in his throne. He'd killed Snoke, now it was time to let the rest of the galaxy know who its new master was.

"We're on in three, two, one."

"Hello, citizens of the galaxy," Kylo said. "You probably remember me from the footage released several months back, the footage of me murdering Jedi Ezra Bridger. Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Kylo Ren and I am your new leader. Supreme Leader Snoke is dead, killed by my hand."

Kylo tapped his finger once, signaling the cameraman to broadcast the footage of Kylo beheading Snoke.

"As you can see, I am not to be trifled with. I do not wish to make you my enemies, in fact, I will let you continue your menial lives as if there'd been no change, but know this: attempt to rebel, you die. If you know where Jedi Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano are, come to the Senate building, alone. Do this, and we will have no problems. The Jedi are to be killed and you will be killed if you hold back any and all information."

Kylo tapped his finger once again, cutting off the feed.

"Not everyone will take to this kindly, sir," the cameraman said.

"They didn't take kindly to Snoke taking Coruscant in the first place. They learned to adapt. They will do the same here if they wish to survive."

Kylo strode out the door. Oh, great.

"Hux," Kylo growled.

"You think our loyalties are to you, Ren? Snoke was our rightful leader and you are just a…"

Kylo's hand found its way to Hux's neck.

"Let… me go, Ren!" Hux wheezed.

"Why should I? You serve no purpose to me and you're a thorn in my side."

Hux reached for his blaster, but Kylo slammed his knee into Hux's stomach before the officer could retrieve his blaster. Kylo looked behind him to see a small mob of troopers around him, anticipating what would happen next. Time for his first display of dominance. He let Hux go, only to place his hand on Hux's forehead, sending powerful dark side waves into the officer's brain. Hux shrieked in anguish as he fell to his knees. Kylo strode away without a word, cape flowing behind him.

He looked behind him to see Cardinal.

"Hello, Captain," Kylo said.

"Well done on killing Snoke," Cardinal said. "You have my loyalty."

"I know I do."

"Where are you going now, sir?"

"Mustafar."

"Why, might I ask?"

Normally, Kylo wouldn't waste his time telling some measly trooper why he was doing something, but Cardinal was different. Cardinal was the closest thing Kylo had to a friend. Maybe calling Cardinal a friend was a bit of a stretch. It wasn't like they went to the cantina together, but Kylo did hold respect for Cardinal, and respect was something Kylo didn't give out lightly.

"I'm going to learn something. I don't know exactly what."

"Should I send a squad of troops along with you?"

"No. That should be alright. Until my return, I place you in charge."

"Me?"

"Yes. You're respected here."

"Yes, but the troops seem to respect Phasma and Hux more."

"You'll have to prove yourself a better leader than Phasma to the troops. You and I know who the greater leader is, but the rest of the Order doesn't. And I think I've done enough to Hux to make no one pay him any respect."

Cardinal nodded as Kylo climbed up the ladder to his TIE and jumped into the cockpit.

"Cardinal, I might be gone for a while, so make sure you know what you're doing. Understood?"

"Yes."

Kylo took something out of his cape and tossed it to Cardinal.

"What's this?"

"The lightsaber of Satele Shan. She was a powerful Jedi during the Old Republic and her weapon is very similar to a staff, a weapon you're already quite familiar with."

"Thank you."

Kylo nodded as the hatch closed. He flew his ship out the hangar bay and jumped to hyperspace, bound for Mustafar.

Luke felt a disturbance, a shift in the Force. He looked down at his holoprojecter to see that he had a notification. Poe's com buzzed too, as did Ahsoka's.

"What the…?" Poe asked.

"Should I go tell Ahsoka that her…?"

"No," Luke said, cutting Rey off. "She's still recovering."

He pressed the play button to see what looked to be Kylo Ren sitting on a throne.

"Hello, citizens of the galaxy," Kylo said. "You probably remember me from the footage released several months back, the footage of me murdering Jedi Ezra Bridger. Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Kylo Ren and I am your new leader. Supreme Leader Snoke is dead, killed by my hand."

A recording of Kylo killing Ezra played.

"As you can see, I am not to be trifled with. I do not wish to make you my enemies, in fact, I will let you continue your menial lives as if there'd been no change, but know this: attempt to rebel, you die. If you know where Jedi Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano are, come to the Senate building, alone. Do this, and we will have no problems. The Jedi are to be killed and you will be killed if you hold back any and all information."

"Oh, no," Luke said as the call ended. "That… that…"

"That was Kylo," Poe said. "He… he did it. He killed Snoke."

"How? Even Ahsoka and I weren't able to do that," Luke said.

"So this Snoke character Ahsoka was telling me about, he's dead now?" Rey asked.

"It looks to be that way," Luke said, disbelief in his voice. "I don't know how to feel about this. Snoke is dead. Kylo just did Ahsoka and my job for us, but that means Kylo has grown to be even more powerful than Snoke. That's very concerning for a lot of reasons."

"Yeah, but, knowing Kylo, he won't be as good a leader as Snoke. Kylo's irrational at times, right?" Poe asked.

"Yes, but… but I sense a change in him," Luke said. "His mind feels so much more focused now. I think killing Snoke awakened him somehow. He's… yes. That's what I feared."

"What is it?" Rey asked.

"He's blocked me out. I can't feel him anymore."

"So we have no idea what his next move is?" Poe asked.

"Yeah. He wants to murder all of us. That's the one thing I do know," Luke said. "Rey, we can take you back to Jakku if you like. You only really came with us because Kylo was on your world. He's gone now, so you have no reason to stay with us… unless you just want to, but I don't see any reason for that."

"I've been waiting for my family to come back for… forever, it seems like," Rey said. "I don't think they'll return any time soon."

"I can't ask you to leave your life behind," Luke said.

"I've wanted to be a Jedi for as long as I can remember. I used to hear stories about you, Master Skywalker. I've always wanted to you to train me, but I feel like it's more than just that. I feel like… this was destiny, like you were meant to find me."

"Maybe we were," Luke said. "I suppose you can stay with us if you want."

"I'd like that very Much," Rey said, a small smile on her face.

Luke looked over at the door to see Ahsoka, white robe wrapped around her like a blanket. Her eyes were nearly closed, but she was awake.

"Ahsoka," Luke said.

"Hey, Luke," Ahsoka said, a tired smile on her face. "What happened? You look worried."

"I don't know how best to explain this…" Luke said.

"Kylo's killed Snoke and is now the Supreme Leader," Poe said.

"Alright, I know that's not how I would have said that."

"So… what now?" Ahsoka asked.

"He's blocked me out," Luke said. "So that leads me to believe he's up to something that he doesn't want us to know about."

"Any ideas as to what that is?" Ahsoka asked as she rubbed her eyes wearily.

"Hey, right now, you're in no shape to even think about fighting," Poe said.

"Maybe not, but I want to know our plan."

"First you need more rest," Luke said. "Kylo didn't just hurt you physically, he drained a lot of your life Force. I felt your life Force, and… there's a lot gone. I don't think you'll ever be as powerful as you once were. You'd be lucky to be half as powerful as you once were and luck hasn't been on our side recently, I'm afraid."

"I understand," Ahsoka smiled. "I'll probably go back to bed."

"Okay."

Ahsoka made her way back to her room, using her staff as a makeshift cane. The Forgiven dropped out of hyperspace. They'd finally reached Ahch-To. Luke took the controls and landed the ship by the stone temple.

"This is where Ahsoka and I will be training you," Luke said to Rey. "We'll start when Ahsoka is fully recovered."

Rey nodded.

"Hey, Luke," Poe said as he pointed upwards at what looked to be a First Order ship. "Looks like we've got company."

"No," Luke said as he reached out with the Force to sense the pilot. "It's just Thrawn."

"Oh."

The ship landed by the Forgiven and lowered its ramp. Thrawn walked down the ramp.

"Thrawn, welcome back," Luke said.

"Yes, it's good to be back."

Luke wrapped his arms around the Chiss, much to Thrawn's surprise, but he returned Luke's hug.

"Any reason for that?"

"I nearly lost Ahsoka. And, even though I hated you when we first met, but I consider you a true friend now."

"That's all good, but I have a lot to tell you."

"I dunno," Poe said. "I think Luke's news takes precedent over yours."

"By all means."

"Snoke is dead," Luke reported.

"What?" Thrawn gawked, his red eyes wide in confusion. "H… how?"

"Kylo killed him."

Thrawn was speechless, dumbfounded by the news.

"Is that good or bad?"

"Both," Poe said. "On one hand, Kylo did our job for us, but in doing so, he proved himself more powerful than Snoke, which only makes our job harder."

"I see. Who's the girl?"

"My name's Rey. I'm Luke's new Padawan."

"I see. Where is Ahsoka?"

"She's in pretty bad shape," Luke said. "Kylo nearly killed her. She's stuck with a respirator, cybernetic legs, and that's not even the worst of it. Kylo used Force drain on her. He took at least twenty percent of her life Force."

"Hmm," Thrawn said, his hand stroking his chin as he thought. "So I'm to assume that she'll never be as powerful as she once was?"

"Yeah."

"I think I have a solution to that."

"You?" Poe asked. "You don't know much about the Force, not that I do either, but still. If there's something that can be done, I think Luke would have already done it."

"This isn't directly tied to the Force, but it will compensate for her diminished Force abilities. You forget that I worked alongside the best of the Empire's weapons makers. Tell me what all she could do and how those abilities might be diminished."

"Well, she's very skilled at Force heal," Luke said. "That takes a lot of effort and I'm sure she wouldn't be able to heal major wounds like she once could."

"I can do something about that. What else?"

"She often used the Force to enhance her reflexes and I think she won't be able to enhance them near as much."

"Understood."

"Why exactly are you asking me this?" Luke asked.

"Let's just say she'll be grateful I asked you. I'm going to Coruscant to pick up some supplies for her."

"You want to go to the First Order capitol alone?" Poe asked. "That's a pretty stupid choice for a smart guy."

"Who said I'd be alone? I need New Girl to come with me."

"This might actually work," Luke mused as he stroked his bearded chin. "Rey, I think you should go with Thrawn."

"Alight."

"Thrawn, will you be able to find parts to make say… a lightsaber?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Get those parts so I can teach Rey to build a lightsaber when you get back," Luke said.

"Will do. It will take a few days, possibly a week for me to travel there, get the parts, and get out, all while evading the First Order."

"Got it."

"Alright," Thrawn said. "I think I'll take this ship. It is a First Order ship, after all."

"Good idea. May the Force be with you, my friend."

"It will be."

Thrawn and Rey made their way up the ship's ramp and jumped to hyperspace a few seconds later.

"What do you think our Chiss friend will bring back for us?" Poe asked.

"I have no idea," Luke admitted. "Hopefully something that can help Ahsoka get back on her feet."

"Agreed. We're going to need her in this fight." Poe looked downward, then straight into Luke's eyes. "I need to ask you a serious question."

"What?"

"If it comes down to it, will you be able to kill Kylo?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said. I know you still have an inkling of hope that he can be redeemed. Maybe he can. Maybe he can't. But if you have a chance to kill him, you need to take it. Can you do that?"

"I will do what I must. No more, no less."

"That doesn't answer my question, Luke."

"I will do what I must," Luke repeated. "If that means killing him, I will kill him, but I will follow where the Force takes me."

"I hate you when you're cryptic."

"Yeah. I know," Luke smiled.

"So, it appears we have much to discuss," Thrawn said.

"Yeah," Rey said.

"So, let's start with why exactly you're here."

"It's a long story."

"We have time. A long time. So let's start this again. All I know about you is your name. I know nothing else. Let's change that."

"Alright," Rey said, a look of clear uncomforted on her face. "I'm from Jakku."

"Oh, that dirt ball."

"Moving on. Ahsoka came to me because she said I was incredibly strong in the Force. Kylo Ren and some of his Knights followed us and nearly killed us, but Luke arrived in time to stop that from happening."

"Why are you here?"

"I came because Kylo would have killed us if we stayed."

"No. There's more to it than just that. Enlighten me."

"I… I never knew my family."

"So… it's acceptance you seek," Thrawn concluded. "That can be a powerful driving force behind one's actions, but it can often could one's judgment. That acceptance, will it be a powerful enough motivation to stay around when things are… less than ideal? Or will it set like the sun and fail you?"

Rey remained silent for several minutes.

"How… how did you know all that? Can you feel all that in the Force?"

"No. I can just read people. Very well."

"I've always been afraid of being alone, and I've been on my own for as long as I can remember."

"You want Ahsoka and Luke to be your family? No?"

"I suppose."

"Why them?"

"I don't really know. They just seem… real. They're compassionate. That's something I've never really felt from anybody."

Thrawn nodded.

"But you've only known them for a few days. How do you know that?"

"I can feel it. I don't know how."

"I see, but what all do you know of the First Order and of Kylo Ren?"

"Not much."

"I'm sure you've heard of the Rebellion. Even Jakku knows about that."

"Yes, I know about that."

"To make a long story short, General Han Solo and Leia Organa, after the Empire was defeated, Han and Leia had a child. That child was named Ben Solo and was trained in the Jedi Way by Luke, but Kylo was in fact the grandson of the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Do you know who he is?"

"I've heard stories, rumors, legends. I never believed any of them."

"You should. Vader's power was incredible and Luke knew that Ben would be seduced by that power. He was proven correct when Ben touched Vader's helmet and learned of how Vader fell to the dark side, which is another story for another time. Ben left Luke and the Jedi Order behind and set off to find a dark looming presence which he would discover to be Snoke. Snoke eventually corrupted Ben to the dark side and Kylo Ren was born.

"Kylo and Snoke attempted to take Coruscant two years back. They failed, but at the cost of Han's life. Kylo murdered him out of loyalty to Snoke. Around a year and a half later, Kylo killed his mother. By killing his parents, he shed the ties he had with his former self. He eventually grew strong enough to challenge and kill Snoke. You're now completely up to date on the major galactic events of the last three years."

"That was… a lot," Rey said.

"Yes. Now you have a more complete view of what exactly you're walking into. So do you still want to do this?"

"I think so."

"Think? You must know for certain."

"Yes. I do."

"Why?"

"For family and… I just feel like it's what I was meant for. I've always wanted a purpose and a family. I think Luke and Ahsoka can give me both."

"What do you think of Kylo?"

"I… I don't really know what you mean by that."

"To defeat an enemy, you must understand them. Do you hate him?"

"I don't know him well enough to hate him, but I sure don't like him."

"He is powerful and ruthless. He is to be feared."

"I saw how powerful he was on Jakku."

"Tell me about your life on Jakku."

"It wasn't a good life. At all."

"How did you survive if you had no family?"

"For the first few years of my life, I was raised by two ex-Imperials."

That genuinely surprised Thrawn, but he soon recovered from his surprise.

"Do you know who they were?"

"No, but when I was about five or six, they left me in the care of Unkar Plutt. He sold food on Jakku, which not might not seem like much, but on Jakku, food is very hard to come by."

"I see. Did these Imperials care for you?"

"I think so."

"They must not have cared about you too much, seeing how they left you."

Rey's eyes lowered in embarrassment.

"How did they find you, exactly?"

"They told me that they found me in some old temple."

"How long had you been there?"

"Not very long at all. They said I'd only been alive for a few days."

Thrawn stroked his chin in thought.

"How did you survive with no mother there to care for you?"

"I'm not sure."

"Hmm. Is there anything else interesting that I should know?"

"Why are you asking me all these questions anyway?"

"I like to know who I'm working with. Makes things easier for everyone."

"I really don't like you."

"Because I'm not compassionate like Luke and Ahsoka?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much why," Rey said.

"Be that as it may, I am on the side of order and peace. Once, many moons ago, that meant being on the side of the Empire, but things have changed a great deal since then. The First Order is not the Empire and it doesn't function in the same way. Kylo Ren is a maniac and has no concept of order and peace. He will only bring chaos upon the galaxy. Luke and Ahsoka do not wish for that. They want peace and Order. The First Order destroyed the rightful government and have driven the galaxy into a state of panic. We can't have that. So, I may not be the most compassionate person you'll ever meet, but I want what is best for the galaxy at large. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

"I know that all too well."

"Explain."

"On Jakku, I had to look out for myself for most of my life. The desert is ruthless."

"Yes, but you are not the only one who's faced hardships."

"I never claimed to be."

"No, you merely implied that is how you feel by your choice of words. By saying you know all too well, you're implying that you believe your struggles were more difficult than, say, mine. Let me assure you of this: they weren't."

Rey remained silent until Thrawn said: "How did you first hear of the Force, anyway?"

"I never really heard of it, but I often had dreams, or visions."

"And what did you see in these visions?"

"Flashes, just pictures, really."

"Pictures of what?"

"Places and people. There is one thing that's been in all my dreams: fire."

"Fire?" Thrawn asked, intrigued.

"Yeah."

"What do you suppose that fire represents? Visions are often more symbolic than they are literal."

"I don't feel like it symbolized anything. I think it just means fire will somehow define me. That's just a total guess."

"Or it already has defined you in some way, shape, or form."

"I think you're right. I've always felt a strange connection to fire. I've never really known why."

Thrawn nodded.

"What else did you see in these visions?"

"I usually saw a dark… realm with many stars surrounding gateways."

"Hmm."

"Any idea what that is?"

"I think I have an idea. There was once a Jedi temple that contained a veil between time and space called the World between Worlds. You're describing exactly what it looked like, but it is no more. It was destroyed during the time of the Empire. That's concerns me because you weren't born yet. How could you possibly know of this?" Rey attempted to answer, but Thrawn carried on. "It is possible that the Force is showing you the past to help you find your future." Rey tried to speak again, but Thrawn once again ignored her. "The future and the past are often dependent on one another."

Rey remained silent for a few seconds, waiting to see if Thrawn had something else he wanted to say. He didn't. So Rey said: "How do you know so much about the Force? You're not a Jedi."

"No, but I've known many Jedi and Sith in my lifetime. They've told me much of the Force and its ways, but I still do not understand everything. I'm not sure the Force is something one can ever truly comprehend. Luke informed me that full understanding of the Force only comes when a Jedi becomes on with it after their physical death."

Rey nodded.

"It is confusing, yes. Admittedly, I'm not the most qualified to explain the Force to you. That task falls to Luke and Ahsoka. I'm just here for tactical reasons. They do the fighting, I do the planning."

"So you don't fight?"

"I do, but my skills are in the analytical area. I generally form the plan, but I also help Ahsoka and Luke execute it on the battlefront."

"I see. So what exactly are we going to Coruscant to get? It better be worth it if the capitol is really as locked down as you say it is."

"It will be worth it. And we're going to get some parts to form a suit for Ahsoka. If Luke is not overstating her injuries, which I believe he isn't, you'll be happy we went."

"Who are we getting these parts from?"

"You'll see," Thrawn smiled.

"You can't give me any ideas?"

"Let's just say that he's a colorful character."

Ahsoka groaned as she got out of bed. She opened her door and went to the cockpit of the Forgiven.

"Luke?"

She looked out the window to see Luke meditating outside. Ahsoka made her way down the ramp and to Luke. Luke opened his eyes as Ahsoka neared.

"Good morning," Ahsoka said.

"Hello there. I see you're up and about."

"Yeah."

"How are you feeling?"

"Still tired, but alright."

Luke closed his eyes again, but they soon reopened, a look of fear in them.

"What is it?"

"Oh, no. Ahsoka, I told you Kylo drained about a fourth of your power, right?"

"Yes."

"He did more than that. He drained half."

"Half?" Ahsoka asked, baffled by Luke's words.

Luke nodded, regret clear on his face.

"That explains why you've been so tired."

"What do you think will happen?"

"I know that you'll never be near as powerful as you once were, but I think Thrawn can help with that."

"What did Thrawn do?"

"While you were still resting, Thrawn and Rey went to Coruscant to get some supplies. He said that they'd help you."

"What supplies?"

"He didn't really tell me, but I think these supplies, whatever they are, will help you a great deal. At least that's my hope."

"I think they will. Thrawn's not one to make thoughtless choices," Ahsoka said. "I think we're in good hands."

11

Fortress Vader

Kylo's TIE jumped out of hyperspace to the volcanic world of Mustafar. He reached out with the Force, searching for a powerful dark side nexus. Several minutes later, his eyes focused on what looked to be a fortress or castle of some kind. That was the nexus he was looking for. He landed the TIE in the castle's hangar. He grabbed Vader's mask and sprang out of the TIE. He felt a powerful pull in the Force and made his way down a series of stairs into what looked to be a chamber of some kind.

"Bacta chamber?" he asked himself as he ran his gloved hand over the chamber.

He looked down at Vader's helmet in his hands to notice it was glowing and then looked over at a helmet stand. He put the helmet on the stand, causing a simmering red visage of Darth Vader to appear before Kylo. Kylo lowered himself to one knee, head bowed before Vader.

"So, you made it to Mustafar?" Vader asked.

"Yes, Grandfather."

"Good. I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I can sense Ahsoka, and more importantly what you did to her. She is weakened."

"I drained her, but I didn't think it was that much."

"You drained half of her power."

"Half?" Kylo asked, astonished.

"Yes. You have become more powerful than I could have ever imagined, but that is not what I wanted to tell you."

"What did you want to tell me?"

"The girl you met on Jakku, I sense something very familiar in her. Do not underestimate her."

"She's nothing, a scavenger."

"Do not let that fact be your undoing. She is a greater threat than you realize. I sense she has a larger role in this, a role that I do not yet understand."

"I see, but I can kill Luke and Ahsoka. I'm strong enough."

"No. You are not, not yet."

"What more do I have to learn? I've learned everything."

"No you have not. You must learn to further master your skills."

"How so?"

"Let me show you," Vader said as he touched Kylo's helmet, knocking him to the ground. "Do you know why I want you to fear Ahsoka?"

"No."

"She isn't to be feared because of her power in combat, or her decades of experience. It is because of one trait that you can never take away from her: her relentless intolerance, her refusal to surrender no matter what. Luke's will is strong, but not unbreakable. Ahsoka is different. She is just like her master was, stubborn and fearless. In terms of Force powers, she is now much less powerful than Luke, all thanks to your draining her, but it is her will that gives her power that Luke does not possess. Her will was strong before you drained her of some of her life Force, but it has only been strengthened after you nearly killed her. If you do not fear her power, fear her iron will."

"How do you suggest I defeat her if her will is so strong?"

"You need a will of equal strength. You have great willpower, but your sense of control is much less than Ahsoka's. She has a mastery of self that is rare even for a Jedi. You can only match her if you gain her level of self-mastery."

"I understand. Did you know about the planet Kesh?"

"I heard rumors of that world and the Lost Tribe of Sith that inhabited it. I never believed any of it."

"Well, the rumors you heard are true."

"Explain."

"Several years back, Snoke and I…"

"Who is Snoke?" Vader interrupted.

"Do you want me to explain his full origin?"

"Please do."

"He's dead now, so I really don't think it matters, but alright. Long story short, he was the first attempt of Darth Sidious and his master Darth Plagueis to create the most powerful Sith Lord in history, but the Force wouldn't have it. Snoke was created, but he was a failed experiment, terribly scarred and deformed. Sidious and Plagueis rejected Snoke and tried the process again, creating you."

"What?" Vader asked. "What do you mean he created me?"

"You never knew that?"

Vader's mechanical breathing stopped, a result of his utter shock at learning of his creation.

"H… how is that possible… wait. The ability to create life. Of course! The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise. Palpatine. That's why he treated me like my son. I was his son. He…" Vader's hands clutched his helmet as he processed everything Kylo had just told him. "So you're saying that Snoke is… my brother?"

"I suppose that's one way to look at it, yes."

"Very well," Vader said, his composure now regained. "The Lost Tribe? What were you saying about it?"

"It's real. I saw them and they were very, very powerful."

"How did you survive?"

"Snoke and I were able to cause a diversion that allowed us to escape custody."

"Why exactly are you asking me this?"

"I'm thinking of going back."

"That is a stupid choice. You barely escaped alive."

"True, but this time I'll have an army supporting me."

"And what do you wish to accomplish on this world?"

"The Tribe has great power," Kylo said. "I wish for that power to become mine."

"You want them to be apprentices?"

"Some of them, yes, but the rest exist only to feed my power."

"You speak of Force drain, do you not?"

"Yes."

"That's a very, very dangerous game, my grandson," Vader warned. "Force drain is addictive by nature. That is why so few Sith use it."

"I am no Sith."

"Then what are you, grandson? Do you not follow in my footsteps?"

"I do, but I also follow in Anakin's to some extent."

"No," Vader growled. "Anakin was weak, pathetic."

"Snoke taught me that the only way to become truly powerful in the Force is to master both sides."

"That is impossible. One can only master the light or the dark. Not the light and the dark. If mastery of both sides is the key to power, then why have so few Force-users ever learned both? In fact, Force-users who use both are typically less powerful than a Jedi or a Sith. They try to use the strengths of both sides, but only end up being plagued by the weaknesses of both."

"Only the truly gifted can learn both."

"You're saying that Jedi who followed only the light like Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi or Sith who devoted their life to darkness like Nihilus and Sidious weren't powerful? No. The reason they were so powerful is because they fully embraced the side they chose."

"Yes, but you know of beings like the Father of Mortis and the Bendu."

"I do."

"They had godlike power because they learned to use both sides."

"Yet they still died like all the rest," Vader pointed out.

"I didn't come here to have a debate with you."

"You came here to learn from me," Vader said.

"Yes."

"Then you will accept that the dark is the only way."

"The only time I use the light only to heal my comrades and I do not kill because I enjoy it. I do only what I must to bring peace to this galaxy. No more no less."

"Fine," Vader growled, clearly disappointed that his grandson did not view the Force as he did. "At least make sure that the light does not make you soft. Kill any who dare to oppose you."

"I will."

Kylo suddenly fell to the ground in pain. He looked up at Vader and asked: "What was that?"

"I gave you a small part of my spirt to give you power. I will continue to give you more, but for now you are not strong enough to contain my entire spirit."

"Thank you."

Vader nodded and then fell to the ground himself in pain.

"What is it?" Kylo asked.

"I… Anakin," Vader growled.

"Ahsoka," Anakin said.

Ahsoka turned around to see Anakin.

"Hey, Anakin."

"Ahsoka, I am so, so sorry that I couldn't protect you."

"I'm still alive and that's all that matters," Ahsoka said, a warm smile on her face.

"I know, but…"

Anakin growled in pain as he fell to the ground.

"Anakin! Are you alright?"

"Vader," Anakin whispered. "He… I don't know how. I can feel him, like he's… now alive, no longer dormant. He's fighting me."

"Anakin, hey, I'm right with you," Ahsoka said as she helped Anakin to his feet. "Stay with me."

"I feel him. He's trying to take me."

"Fight him, Anakin. Fight him."

"So, he's on Ahch-To," Vader said. "Skywalker."

"Should I got attack?"

"No. Let me."

Vader reached out his hand, attempting to pull Skywalker's spirit into his own. He felt Skywalker fading away, but he felt Ahsoka stopping that.

"Ahsoka," Vader growled.

He let go of Anakin. He knew he wouldn't win this fight, for now at least.

"I have a question." Kylo said.

"What?" Vader barked.

"I've seen Anakin's Force ghost, yet here you are, not as Anakin, but as Vader. Explain that."

"The device you put my helmet on is designed to take the power of Mustafar's dark side nexus and channel it into my helmet. I put my spirit in this helmet, but I lack the power to manifest unless I'm boosted by Mustafar's nexus."

"So is your spirit the same as Anakin's?"

"Yes and no. We shared the same body, but in the Force we are two different beings, but one cannot exist without the other. We are eternally intertwined. What effects my spirit will most likely effect his."

"I see."

"Take my helmet, but know that you can only talk with me in the physical form if you come back here and connect the helmet to this device."

"I understand," Kylo said before he took the helmet off.

"What happened?" Ahsoka asked.

"I felt Vader, but it wasn't like last time. This time I didn't just feel a bit of him. I felt all of him. I think it came from Mustafar."

"What's on Mustafar?"

"Fortress Vader."

"The castle?"

"Yes. I think I know what happened."

"What?"

"When I was Vader, I designed a device that was capable of harnessing Mustafar's nexus to amplify my mask. You see, my spirit, or Vader's, bonded with that helmet, but the bond was too weak for Vader to manifest himself, but that's what the device was for. That's the split I felt. I think… I think that whenever the helmet was placed, it ripped the Vader out of me, but… it's hard to explain. But my spirit is divided between Vader's mask and my soul within the Force. When it was put on that device, it overloaded me, so it took Vader out of me."

"That is confusing, but I think I get the basics of what you're saying. Vader's spirit is alive, but can't be in his most powerful form if the helmet is not on the device."

"Yes."

"So why don't we destroy the device?"

"We can't. When I was Vader, I put a protection spell of sorts on it. If it were to be destroyed, it would bring the entire castle down. If that isn't bad enough, it will also unleash the full power of the nexus, trapping everyone inside in a state of living death."

Ahsoka looked down, contemplating.

"I feel Vader's helmet. It's not on Mustafar anymore."

"Do you know where?"

"No, but I know Kylo is in possession of it."

"That's not good."

"No."

"Thank you for coming to see me, Anakin. I needed a little reassurance."

Anakin nodded appreciatively before he vanished.

Thrawn's stolen First Order ship dropped out of hyperspace to the First Order capitol Coruscant.

"Remember what I've told you," Thrawn advised. "Lay low and follow my lead."

"I will," Rey said.

"First Order ship Legendary, send us your clearance codes," a voice said over the com.

"Transmitting clearance codes," Thrawn said as he pressed a button.

"Codes accepted. Continue on your way."

"Thank you, Command."

Thrawn landed the Legendary by what looked to be an apartment complex.

"Follow me," Thrawn said as he tossed Rey a blaster pistol. "Keep that. You might need it."

Rey nodded as she put the pistol on her belt.

"Well don't show it," Thrawn growled as he looked around the ship for an outer garment he could use to conceal Rey's weapon. He found what looked to be one of Snoke's robes and tossed it to Rey. "Put that on."

Rey did so and followed Thrawn down the ramp. The Chiss waltzed into the complex like he owned the place.

"Uh, can I help you?" a woman asked.

"Yes, I need to speak to a friend of mine."

"Who are you again?"

"I'm Luke Skywalker," Thrawn said.

"You have a bounty on your head, Master Skywalker.

"Oh, I know it, but I came to visit a friend."

"What's the friend's name?"

"Chad."

"Last name?" the woman asked.

"Vader."

"Chad Vader?"

"Yes."

"Apartment number 26, second floor."

"Thank you," Thrawn said as he made his way to an elevator, followed by Rey.

"Miss, who are you again?"

"Say you're Ahsoka," Thrawn whispered.

"Ahsoka Tano," Rey said.

The woman nodded as the elevator doors closed.

"Do you know why I had you say that?" Thrawn asked.

"To make the First Order think Luke and Ahsoka are staying on or near Coruscant."

"Correct," Thrawn said, a small smile of appreciation on his face.

The elevator stopped and Thrawn walked out, quickly locating the apartment he'd been looking for.

"Just let me do the talking," Thrawn said as he knocked on the door.

The door opened to reveal what looked to be Darth Vader, but Thrawn knew full well was his far less dangerous brother Chad.

"Oh!" Chad yelled as he saw Thrawn. "Hey, I know you, you're… you're… I don't know who you are."

"Thrawn. Do you not remember me?"

"Nope."

"You don't remember me at all?"

"Um… no. Oh! Yes! Yes I remember you now! Come on in!"

Thrawn and Rey walked inside the apartment.

"Looks like you've made quite the life for yourself," Thrawn said as he looked around Chad's apartment.

"Yeah," Chad said before a door opened to reveal a scantily clad Twi'lek woman, causing Thrawn to shake his head in frustration.

"Oh, this is…"

"I don't care who she is," Thrawn growled, his patience wearing thin. "Get her out."

"Fine," Chad growled. "Baby, I need you to, um, leave for a bit. This stupid Chiss wants to talk to me about something."

"Fine," the Twi'lek sighed. "But when I get back we're gonna…"

"I don't want to hear the details of your sex life, Chad!" Thrawn yelled.

The Twi'lek turned to leave, but not before blowing Chad a kiss.

"This is how you spend your time?" Thrawn asked, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Hey, it's actually really hard to… you know… because of the suit."

"Chad. Shut up and let me speak."

"Okay," Chad said, losing the joy in his voice.

"I need your help on something."

"Oh, I know what you want! You wondering where I found my girlfriend, aren't you?"

"NO! CHAD!" Thrawn yelled before regaining his composure. "Do you remember the project that you and some of the Empire's best weapons makers made?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with me?"

"The nanotech armor. I need it."

"I don't have it."

"This is serious, Chad," Thrawn said. "A friend of mine needs that armor."

"Who's that friend?"

"Her name's Ahsoka and she…"

"Ahsoka Tano?" Chad asked with renewed enthusiasm.

"Yes."

"Alright! The armor, um, let me go find it."

"That was… interesting," Rey said as Chad left the room.

"Yes. Chad is an interesting character."

A few minutes later, Chad returned with a small triangular object in his hand.

"That's better," Thrawn said as he took the object from Chad. "Does it still have to bond with the user?"

"I think so."

"Good. I need your help with something else."

"What?" Chad moaned.

"We need you to come fight with us."

"Nope," Chad said. "That's never going to happen."

"Why?"

"What are you even fighting?"

"The First Order. Do you not remember when this was the New Republic capitol? Now it's not because the First Order murdered the Chancellor."

"Yeah. I remember that, but it's not my problem."

"This galaxy needs you, Chad," Thrawn said. "Luke and Ahsoka can't do everything themselves."

"The First Order's done nothing to me."

"Chad, you're afraid."

"I'm not afraid," Chad snapped. "Well… maybe. I've built a life for myself here. I've got a nice apartment and a hot girlfriend. That's about all I need."

"Your brother was a flawed man, Chad. I'd know because I worked with him countless times. But he understood one thing: duty. He'd do whatever it took to do what he felt needed to be done. Where is that fire in you, Chad?"

"The only thing I have in common with him is the suit. I'm no hero."

"None of us are heroes. We fight because we can, not for glory or honor, but because it is our purpose. Fear is natural, but what separates the strong and the weak is the ability to fight that fear and do their job. You can live the rest of your days here, fading away without having lived or done anything to help anyone besides yourself, or you can come with us and follow your brother's legacy."

Chad remained silent for several minutes.

"Fine. I'll come with you, but what about…"

"She stays here," Thrawn said, already knowing what Chad was about to ask.

"Why? She'll be pretty upset if I just ditch her."

"How long have you known her?" Thrawn asked.

"A week."

"Then you'll be fine."

"Fine," Chad growled.

"Alright. Are we ready then?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, Chad," the Twi'lek purred as she walked back in the room, much to Thrawn's anger.

"Oh, hey, baby. Um… I gotta leave."

"What?" she yelled. "Why?"

"Um, uh. You will go to sleep," Chad said as he waved his gloved hand in front of his girlfriend's face.

"I will go to sleep," she said right before falling to the floor."

"Impressive," Thrawn said. "Now let's go."

Chad nodded and followed Thrawn and Rey to the elevator.

"Actually, I'm glad you came. That relationship was bad," Chad said. "You know, she's really good in…"

"Chad," Thrawn said. "I don't need to know. She is irrelevant."

"Fine."

The elevator stopped and Chad followed Thrawn back outside to the Legendary.

"So where are we going?"

"Ahch-To, homeworld of the Jedi," Thrawn said.

12

Invasion of Kesh

Kylo looked down to see his holoprojector flash.

"What?"

"Supreme Leader," a stormtrooper said. "We've received a lead on a possible Jedi sighting."

"Where?"

"It's at some apartment complex on Coruscant."

"Send a squad of troops there to apprehend them. Get the surveillance tapes."

"The complex's owner says the cameras weren't working at the time."

"So you have no clue where they are?"

"No."

"Then why did you call me?" Kylo growled.

"Because we think they might be close to Coruscant."

"No. They're not near Coruscant. At least I thought they weren't. Send troops to all surrounding planets and tear them apart."

"It will be done."

Kylo shook his head in frustration. He couldn't go to Coruscant to look for the Jedi even if he wanted to. He'd already been in route to Kesh for about a day and it was too late to turn back now. He'd already called for most of the First Order military to meet him on Kesh, so he knew his resources had been spread thin, but if all went according to plan, the power of Kesh would be his. One way or another. He'd most likely drain the majority of the population and leave a few alive to become his apprentices.

His TIE emerged from hyperspace to Kesh. He looked out his window to see dozens of First Order transport ships flying alongside him. Good. His reinforcements were here. He landed his ship and a few moments later, the transports landed. Kylo descended from his ship as the transports opened their ramps, stormtroopers, Knights of Ren, and Praetorians coming out of them.

"Not all of you know why I've asked you here," Kylo asked. "Some of you do. For those who don't, this is the homeworld of the Lost Tribe of the Sith. Our plan is very simple. We storm the capitol just like we did on Coruscant. Once we've made our way inside the building, I will offer the Tribe a chance to join me. If they accept, spare them. But if they refuse, leave them to me. Any questions?"

"If I may, what is your goal here, Supreme Leader?" Cardinal asked.

"To have the power of this world for my own. I lack the strength to kill the Jedi, but that can change today."

Cardinal nodded.

"The capitol isn't far, just under a mile," Kylo said as he pointed at a building in the distance. "Follow me."

About half an hour later, Kylo and his army arrived at the capitol. He casually killed two guards.

"So what do we do?" Phasma asked.

"We wait until they send out the Sith Lords. All of them."

"Ah," a voice said. "I remember you."

Kylo looked to see the building's doors open, a small army of Sith marched out.

"Where's you're leader?" Kylo asked.

"You came here two… three years ago?" an elderly man in a dark robe asked. "I Darish Vol, am the leader of the Lost. Why did you come back? We nearly killed you and your master. Speaking of which, where is he?"

"I killed him."

"That's good to know," Vol said as he pulled out and activated his lightsaber. "Now you will join him."

Kylo said nothing, letting his lightsaber speak for him as he hurled it at Vol. All hell broke loose as Kylo's troops began firing. Kylo's saber was deflected by Vol, but Kylo quickly redrew it with the Force and clashed against Vol. The blades locked and Kylo used his far greater strength to shove Vol to the ground. The second before he freed Vol of his head, his saber was blocked by another crimson saber. Kylo looked up from Vol to see a stunning woman in her late twenties with long purple hair. For a split second, Kylo was taken aback by her beauty, but that second was enough for her to send him hurtling back with the Force.

"I don't believe we've met," Kylo said. "I'd have remembered such a beautiful face."

"You won't live long enough to remember my face," the woman said, her words were spoken with a slight Coruscanti accent.

Kylo smirked under his mask and charged the woman. She ducked under his lightsaber and kicked his back.

"Impressive."

He spun around, backhanding his foe to the ground, but she sprang back up and attempted to slash Kylo's mask. He deflected the blow and shoved the woman back with a blast of lightning. He set his eyes back on Vol. The elderly Sith Lord was powerful, but his age hindered him. Kylo's youth aided him as he used his speed to deliver a barrage of swift stokes. A swing to the left. A thrust to the right. An upward slash followed by a blast of lightning. Vol deflected all of Kylo's attacks… all expect for one. Kylo swiftly removed Vol's head.

Cardinal ducked under a swing from a Sith Lord and kicked him back. He quickly shot the Sith right between the eyes, killing him. Suddenly, he was shoved the ground by another Sith. The moment before he was impaled, Phasma shoved her spear into the Sith's stomach.

"Thanks," Cardinal said as Phasma helped him up.

"I don't need your thanks," Phasma growled.

Sion tossed a grenade at a small cluster of Sith. It exploded, killing all surrounding Sith. Sion, Phasma, and Cardinal stood back to back in a circle, shooting down all Sith Lords who approached them. That, however, did not last, as they the stormtrooper trio was hoisted up by their throats. They looked down to see a Sith Lord wearing a black mask and armor. He slammed the troops to the ground several times, nearly killing them, but several Praetorians tossed their spears at the Sith, causing him to lose focus on the trio. He caught the weapons with the Force and tossed them back at the Praetorians, killing several of them.

Ten Sith Lords broke Kylo's Force wall, but it was futile. Kylo obliterated their meager defenses as he sized the Sith by the throats. They squirmed around, trying desperately to escape Kylo's retribution. They were still alive, just as Kylo wanted. He dropped them and drained them of their life Force, instantly killing them. He felt the power of ten Sith flow through him. It was intoxicating and he wanted more. Fifty more Sith sent a blast of combined Force lightning Kylo's way. He threw up a shield, absorbing the blast with his newfound power. He laughed as he effortlessly crushed the Sith's shields and drained them.

We went to drain more Sith, but fell to the ground in pain. Why was he feeling such pain? He was more powerful than ever. He should have felt invincible, but he was in agony.

"Supreme Leader!" Cardinal yelled as he sprinted over to Kylo and helped him up. "What happened?"

"I… I don't know."

"Do you want to retreat?"

"No. We stand and fight," Kylo said as he reactivated his saber and charged the nearest Sith Lord.

Cardinal looked behind him to see a Knight of Ren impaling a Sith. The Knight turned around to reveal… Ahsoka? Cardinal nearly feinted from surprise, but he didn't have time to process what he'd just seen as a Sith swung his lightsaber at him. The dark Ahsoka blasted the Sith back with lightning, saving Cardinal.

"Thank you."

Ahsoka nodded and spun around, killing another Sith Lord. Cardinal made his way back over to Phasma and Sion. Sion kicked a Sith to the ground, opening him up for a shot from Phasma. Cardinal rolled away from a sweeping swing from a Sith, allowing Dark Ahsoka to impale him. Ahsoka helped Cardinal to his feet.

"This isn't looking good," Sion growled as he was shoved to the ground by a Force push from a Sith.

Phasma rolled away from a bolt of lightning and blasted the Sith with her rifle, only for it to be yanked from her grasp by another Sith. Cardinal pulled a grenade and tossed it his way. The Sith tried to absorbed the blast, but the grenade proved too powerful, exploding and killing its target. Suddenly, at least 100 Sith sprung from the upper levels of the building.

"Oh, no," Cardinal said.

Without warning, the Sith conjured what looked to be a small black hole and launched it at the army. Much to the army's relief, Kylo absorbed the blast. He conjured a black hole of his own and sent it the Sith Lords' way, consuming all of them. He looked around to see the survivors, around fifty. He saw the woman he'd seen earlier look over at another Sith Lord. They shared a look, a look that suggested they were more than mere friends. They activated their lightsabers and charged Kylo, the remaining Sith right behind them.

Cardinal, Phasma, and Sion fired at several Sith Lords, killing them. Kylo yanked the woman his way and blasted her with lightning, causing the Sith she looked at earlier to go into a rage. Somehow, he managed to crush Kylo's shield and grasp him by the throat.

"Cardinal," Kylo wheezed. "Kill him! Kill him now!"

Cardinal blasted at the young Sith, causing him to drop Kylo and deflected Cardinal's shot's back at him, knocking the trooper to the ground.

"I'm impressed," Kylo said as he held his hand up, signaling all his troops to stop. "How did you manage to do that to me?"

"You hurt her," the Sith growled as he pointed at the purple haired female Sith. "So I hurt you."

"Interesting."

Kylo reactivated his lightsaber and charged the Sith, both warriors yelling in fury. Kylo ducked beneath a sweeping blow, but the Sith backhanded Kylo, causing him to stagger backwards and allowing the Sith to impale Kylo. He wheezed in pain as the Sith shoved the saber even further in Kylo's chest. Kylo clawed at the saber, but the Sith kept pushing. Kylo had to use all his newfound power to blast the Sith back and heal what would have been a fatal wound. He slowly got back to his feet, but the Sith froze him in the air and bombarded him with lightning, not Force lightning, actual lightning from the sky. Kylo floundered around in agony as the Sith increased the intensity of the electricity. Kylo had to use a great deal of his new power to increase his durability. He still had a great deal of his new power left, but he'd burned through at least half of it keeping himself alive.

He sent the Sith back with a blast of lightning and sprang his way, quickly kicking him to the ground and holding his saber to the Sith's neck.

"Yield," Kylo panted.

The Sith looked over at the woman. She was alright.

"If you spare her," the Sith said.

"I can do that. What's your name?" Kylo asked as he helped the Sith to his feet.

"Riveced. Riveced Shargel."

"Very well." Kylo looked at the remaining twenty or so Sith. "All who wish to join me, step forward."

Five Sith, including a familiar looking brown haired female Sith, stepped forward. Kylo faced two choices as to what he could do with those unwilling to join him. He could either drain them or simply kill them. He would drain them, but he deduced that the severe pain he'd felt earlier was because he'd been overloaded by the amount of power he'd taken in. He might kill himself if he took in more.

"Kill them," Kylo said.

"On my command," Phasma said as she raised her blaster, all the troops following suit. "Fire."

The troops fired, killing all the Sith that did not surrender. Kylo looked at the seven survivors.

"You've surrendered to me. Wise choice. Come with me."

The Sith followed Kylo back to the transports. Success, Kylo thought as his TIE jumped to hyperspace. He'd gained seven powerful new students and he'd become more powerful after he'd drained multiple Sith. He supposed he was grateful to Riveced for bombarding him with lightning because if he hadn't, Kylo would have probably died because of the immense power in him. The transport ships jumped soon after Kylo did.

13

Apprentices, Dreams, and Nanotech

The Legendary dropped out of hyperspace to Ahch-To.

"So this is the Jedi homeworld?" Chad asked.

"Yes. Hopefully Ahsoka and Luke can train you to become more powerful in the Force," Thrawn said. "If you have even half the power your brother wielded, you will be a powerful ally."

"Thanks. I guess."

Thrawn landed the Legendary by the temple.

"Alright," Thrawn said. "Let me get this nanotech armor to Ahsoka. Then I'll come back and get you, Chad. Rey, come with me."

"Why do you want me to wait?" Chad asked.

"Because I don't think Luke or Ahsoka will act kindly to someone who looks and sounds identical to Darth Vader."

"Fair enough."

Thrawn lowered the ramp and went down to meet Luke, who appeared to meditating.

"Hello, Master Skywalker," Thrawn said, causing Luke to open his eyes. "We've returned with the device."

"Device?"

"Yes. Do you know what this is?" Thrawn asked as he held out the triangular housing for the armor.

"No."

"It's a nanotech armor piece. This suit of armor is more durable than Darth Vader's armor, is less than a fraction of the weight, is capable of self-healing and weapon construction, and enhances the user's reflexes and strength."

"And the whole suit is in that?" Luke asked in disbelief.

"Yes, but there is a cost."

"Of course there is," Poe sighed.

"In order to connect with the user, the housing unit must bond with them."

"What do you mean by bond?"

"It needs to burrow its way into the user's chest, to put it bluntly."

"Oh, great."

"Luke?" Ahsoka asked as she slowly walked outside, white robe pulled over her head. "Oh, Thrawn's back."

"Indeed I am and I have something that will help you."

"What is it?"

"This," Thrawn said as he held out the piece.

"What is that?"

"A nanotech suit that is stronger, faster, and more durable than Vader's."

"How do I put it on?"

"Well… it's not going to feel that good," Rey said. "Apparently, the thing has to burrow its way into your chest."

"Oh."

Luke looked over to the ship to see… Vader?

"Look out!" Luke yelled as he leaped towards Vader and shoved him to the ground with the Force while Poe shoved his blaster in Vader's face. "How are you here, Vader?"

"Luke," Thrawn said calmly. "This is not what it seems. This is not the Vader you're thinking of. This is his brother Chad."

"Chad?" Luke asked. "Chad Vader?"

"That's my name, don't ware it out," Chad said, Luke's lightsaber still near his neck.

Luke sighed as he deactivated his saber and allowed Chad to get back up.

"Why did you bring him here, exactly?"

"I'll explain everything after the nanites bond with Ahsoka."

"Hold on," Luke said. "Who said she was going to do this?"

"She's going to need to if she wants to be even half as powerful as she once was," Thrawn said, his eyes narrowed to drive home the point.

"Alright. I'll do it," Ahsoka said.

"Good," Thrawn said. "We need a droid to do this. None of our hands are steady enough."

"I guess we'll use the old surgical droid, but that's probably not the best idea," Luke said.

"It's a safer bet than any of us doing it," Rey said.

Luke nodded as he led the way to the temple's surgical room. Ahsoka got on the surgical table as Thrawn turned the droid on and explained the task to it. The droid took the housing until in its metal hands.

"Should we put her under?" the droid asked.

"The nanites are constantly moving," Thrawn said. "The first few days will be incredibly painful. Yes. Put her under."

Ahsoka woke up several hours later. She felt a deep pain in her chest and looked down to see a small triangular object, the housing unit Thrawn had called it, on her chest. She touched it and felt a sharp pain in her chest.

"It would probably be best if you didn't do that."

Ahsoka looked over to see Thrawn.

"Oh, hey Thrawn."

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired, but fine."

"Good. You'll need about a day of rest, then I will teach you how to use the armor."

Ahsoka nodded and closed her eyes to rest.

"How is she?" Rey asked as Thrawn left the room.

"Tired, but fine, to quote her."

"Good," Rey said as she turned to go back to her quarters.

She was quite tired too and since Luke and Ahsoka weren't training her right now, she supposed it would be a good time to rest. She closed her eyes and drifted to sleep. Fire. She saw it again, felt it again. She saw a tall dark building and a desert world. She felt a dark presence trying to consume her. Rey gasped as she awoke. She looked at the chrono, seeing she'd been asleep for several hours.

"Can't sleep?"

"Who's there?" Rey asked.

A shimmering figure appeared before her wearing long black robes.

"Hello, Rey. I'm Anakin Skywalker. I think I know something about the dreams you've been having."

"What are they?"

Kylo looked down at Vader's helmet. He'd only spoken with his grandfather a handful of times via the helmet. He channeled a small bit of his new power into the helmet, causing Vader's spirit to appear.

"What?" Vader asked.

"I want to learn more."

"Wait," Vader said as he held his hand up. "Anakin…"

Anakin yelled in pain as he fell to the ground.

"Anakin!" Rey yelled. "What happened?"

"I…"

Yes! Vader had him now! He focused on his other half and began to drain him. His power was fading, but that was not what interested the Dark Lord. No, his interest was on a similar yet familiar presence with Anakin. He shifted his focus to the presence, a young girl.

"Hmm," Vader said as he began to drain the girl.

Vader had not anticipated on one thing: Anakin's ability to quickly regain his focus. Anakin shoved Vader out.

"What happened?" Kylo asked.

"Anakin's Force ghost appeared and I tried to kill him. I failed."

"That's all?"

"No… but I do have a gift for you."

"What?"

Kylo wheezed as the wind was suddenly knocked out of him.

"What was that?" Kylo wheezed.

"I gave you a small bit more of my spirit. You've gained the strength to possess more."

"Thank you."

"Yes. I've now given you enough that you will no longer need the helmet to communicate with me."

Kylo nodded.

"What happened?" Rey asked as Anakin got back to his feet."

"The spirit of Vader tried to consume me, but I was able to get him out because he began to focus on you, losing his focus on me."

"Why would he try to focus on me?"

"You have great natural potential in the Force and it's possible that Vader wanted you as a host body."

"I see."

"What was I saying?"

"Something about my dreams."

"Oh, yes. I think I have an idea, but I need more time to make sure I'm right."

"Why can't you just tell me now?"

"Because the fate of the Force depends on it. If I tell you something that is not true, than your destiny, as well as many others' will be drastically altered."

"I understand."

"I will tell you as soon as I learn more."

"Thank you."

Anakin smiled before he vanished.

Kylo put his new mask on as he sat on his throne in the capitol building and looked down on his empire. If someone had told him five years ago that he'd be the leader of the entire galaxy, he wouldn't have believed them. Ah, destiny was often not what it looked to be on the surface. It wasn't the fact that he was the ruler of… well… everything that would have disturbed his past self, more so how he got to that position of power. He tried to convince himself that he was trying to bring peace to the galaxy, and that was true to a certain extent. He truly did want peace.

But he also wanted to prove his uncle wrong. Luke had always said if Ben tried to kill Snoke, he'd fail. Luke had been proven wrong. Kylo knew he could go back, turn away from the path he'd gone down, but if he was being honest with himself, he didn't want to. He like having the galaxy under his thumb. Luke and Ahsoka were a threat to that rule, so they had to be eliminated.

Kylo didn't want to kill them, not out of hate, at least. If they wanted to join him, he would let them. Ah, but he knew the chances of that happening were less than likely. The girl, however, the one Ahsoka had taken on as a Padawan, she could be turned. But none of that mattered in this moment. His new apprentices were supposed to be here any minute.

"Supreme Leader," a Praetorian said as he walked into the room "They are here."

"Let them in."

The seven survivors of the Lost Tribe made their way into the room.

"Leave us," Kylo said.

The guard did so and once he shut the door, Kylo said: "You've made it this far, unlike the majority of your world. You are powerful, but remember your place."

They nodded.

"You," Kylo said as he pointed at the brown haired woman he'd seen on his first visit to Kesh. "We've met before."

"Yes. I remember you."

"What's your name?"

"Vestera Khai."

"You have a strong connection to the dark side and through me, you can unlock that potential."

"Thank you, my lord."

Kylo's eyes locked on Riveced and the purple haired woman.

"Leave me."

The seven got up, but Kylo told Riveced and the woman to stay.

"You," Kylo said as he pointed at the woman. "What's your name?"

"Jyn Lazora."

"You're quite the fighter, Lazora. You have a great deal of darkness in you, but not like Vestera. You have a light in you, a bright light, as does Riveced. The two of you are more than mere friends. You have a love for each other, a passionate love. That fuels your power, doesn't it?"

"It does," Jyn said.

"This love of yours, how did the other members of the tribe view this?"

"They shunned us," Riveced said. "They claimed we were weak."

"They failed to see what I can," Kylo said. "Your love give you more power than your hate ever could. You've learned that the light and the dark both have their uses."

"Yes."

"Your love, is it just passion? Or is it selfless?"

"Both," Riveced said.

"I believe you," Kylo said. "Why are you attracted to each other?"

"That seems like quite a personal question, don't you think?" Riveced asked.

"I am your master. I can ask you any question I want."

"Fine. I fell in love with Jyn for a lot of reasons. Her beauty is what first drew me to her, but it was her compassion and selflessness that truly won me over."

"Compassion? That doesn't sound like a very Sith like trait," Kylo said.

"It isn't, but we're different."

"So I've noticed. And what about you, Jyn? Why did you fall for Riveced?"

"The story didn't go quite like Riveced said. I could tell how he felt about me, although he tried to deny it. He eventually told me how he felt and I could sense that he meant every word. He would do anything to protect me."

"I see. Loyalty is what bonds the two of you," Kylo said. "I respect that and I need that loyalty in you… my new apprentices."

"What do you plan to do with the other survivors?" Jyn asked.

"They will join my Knights of Ren, but they will not be true apprentices like you. You are my true apprentices. You are no longer Sith."

"Then what exactly are we?"

"You are simply Force-wielders, not Jedi or Sith."

Kylo's new apprentices nodded.

"Leave me. I will tell you when you are to receive further training."

Kylo smiled under his mask as his apprentices left. They would become powerful indeed. They shared his mind. They saw value in the light and in the dark, not possessing the dogmatic views of the Jedi and Sith. Open minded Force-users were always the most powerful.

14

Through Passion, I Gain Strength

Ahsoka slowly got off of her bed. She'd rested for at least a day and now it was time for her to get back on her feet and reclaim her power, or at least some of it. She heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

"I see you're up," Thrawn said.

"Awake and alive."

"Then let's get started."

"Where's Luke?"

"He has his hands full with Rey and Chad."

"I understand."

"I think I am the most qualified to train you. I helped design that armor and I know how it works."

"Good idea. If I might ask, what exactly is Luke doing with Chad and Rey?"

"Training Rey in lightsaber combat and trying to keep Chad from accidently detonating the temple."

Ahsoka laughed at that.

"Alright. Now to summon the armor, focus on the nanites. They are almost like living creatures and they respond to your thoughts, so make sure your thoughts are always precise."

Ahsoka focused, in her mind's eye she saw armor wrapping its way around her. A few seconds later, a layer of crimson armor wrapped its way around her, a helmet soon following.

"Good. Now comes the fun part," Thrawn said.

Without warning, Thrawn tossed a grenade at Ahsoka. She put a small Force shield over the grenade and it detonated harmlessly.

"That worked for now, but in the heat of battle, you need to be able to conjure a shield."

"Why can't I just use a Force shield?"

"You could, but you have to remember that you are far less powerful than you were before, not to mention that missing power now belongs to Kylo."

"Got it."

Thrawn threw a kick at Ahsoka's face and she conjured a shield. Thrawn's foot made a loud clang as it collided with the metal, but he didn't let up as he threw several quick jabs at Ahsoka. She conjured another shield in her other hand, blocking several more jabs from Thrawn.

"Good! Now conjure a weapon."

"What kind of weapon?"

"Any kind!"

Ahsoka conjured a sword and swung at Thrawn. The Chiss ducked underneath and attached a small EMP to Ahsoka's leg. He detonated it, dropping Ahsoka to her knees. Thrawn showed no mercy, kicking Ahsoka's face and causing her to fall to the ground. He threw several more kicks before Ahsoka conjured a shield. That shield quickly transformed into a blaster cannon. Thrawn, taken aback took several steps backwards.

"You're doing better than I thought you would," Thrawn taunted.

Ahsoka said nothing, not falling for Thrawn's taunt. She conjured two massive blaster canons and shot them at Thrawn. He ducked beneath, causing Ahsoka to shoot a massive hole in the wall. She payed it no mind as she conjured two small shields and charged Thrawn. Thrawn weaved around two swift slashes from Ahsoka and shot her in the back with his blaster. She fell to the ground as her suit began to malfunction. She really didn't like that Thrawn had full knowledge of the suit and its weaknesses.

She used the Force to move the damaged machinery and shoved Thrawn back with a Force push.

"Good job," Thrawn panted as he got back to his feet. "I think you've mastered the basics, but there is still much you do not know."

"Thank you for teaching me," Ahsoka said as she commanded the suit to dissolve back into its housing unit.

"What the…?" Chad asked as he poked his helmeted head in the hole in the wall.

"Oh, hello, Chad," Ahsoka said.

"Chad!" Luke yelled as he snuck up behind Chad.

"What?" Chad yelled back.

"What did you do?"

"What did I do? You think I did this?"

"Yes, I think you did this."

"Chad didn't do it, I did," Ahsoka said. "But it was a reasonable assumption that Chad would do it."

"Why does everybody blame me for everything?" Chad asked in a melodramatic manner.

"We don't," Thrawn said. "But you're quite clumsy, so it is rather easy to place the blame on you."

"This is just ridiculous," Chad sighed, his head hung low. "I doubt Rey has to put up with crap like this."

"Well, she doesn't destroy everything she touches," Poe said.

"You don't even know me, guy," Chad said as he pointed an accusatory finger at Luke. "I think you forget that I was Day Shift Manager at Empire Market. That is a position of great power."

"Oh, I'm sure," Poe said.

Chad sighed in frustration, but said nothing more.

"Well, the good news is that Ahsoka now has a decent grasp on how her armor works," Thrawn said. "Which is the only reason Chad is even here."

"Hey, you asked me to come here, remember?"

"Yes, but that was only because the armor pieces was in your possession."

"How did you come across that thing anyway?" Rey asked as she walked in the room.

"I had it built for me…"

"You stole it," Thrawn interrupted.

"Well… yeah. I stole it, but the point is that it's here and Ahsoka has it. See, everybody's happy."

"You have a point," Luke said. "Well, today's been an eventful day, so I suggest everybody get some rest. Tomorrow, I'll start training Chad, sadly. Ahsoka, are you alright with training Rey?"

"I'll begin teaching her the basics, but I still need time to get to know my new suit better," Ahsoka said.

"Got it," Luke said. "Thrawn, what about you?"

"I will continue to train Ahsoka how to utilize her new suit."

"Alright," Luke said. "Tomorrow, we start the first step to take back the galaxy for the Republic."

Jyn caressed RIveced's face as she slammed him against the wall. The two ex-Sith gave each other several kisses before Riveced sensed something behind him.

"What's your deal, Ren?" Riveced yelled.

"How long have you been in here?" Jyn asked.

"Not long. Your love is a passionate one, isn't it?"

"Why are you even in here? Can I not have a second alone with Jyn?" Riveced yelled.

"You can. I wasn't in here the whole time."

"Creep."

"Creep? No. Unlike you, I don't have much care for the… desires of the flesh."

"You probably don't have someone because you're a creepy stalker," Jyn said.

"No. I don't have someone because I am far too focused on my goal to make time for a lover. Your passion gives you strength. Don't just feel that passion here. Use it on the battlefront when you are fighting with your enemies."

"That's not quite how passion works," RIveced said. "The adrenaline surges you get from killing someone and from being… intimate with someone, is entirely different."

"Is it?" Kylo asked, genuine curiosity in his voice, although it was somewhat muffled by his mask.

"Yeah. It's a lot different."

"Maybe, but it is passion. Passion gives us power," Kylo said. "Get dressed. I need to train you."

"Now?"

"No. Tomorrow. Yes, now. Hurry up."

Kylo left the room.

"I really hate him sometimes," Jyn said as she kissed Riveced again.

"I do too, but we'd be dead if we didn't surrender to him."

"I know," Jyn said before she kissed Riveced again, this time for several long seconds. "Come on. We don't want Kylo getting too mad at us."

Kylo couldn't help but be perplexed by the passionate relationship that his apprentices clearly had. He supposed he could somewhat relate, although the closest thing he'd ever had to a girlfriend was the spirit of a long dead female Jedi Master. Not to mention that Kylo tried to kill her. Twice. He accessed his passion through rage, not through… very personal physical relationships. But what worked for one Force-user might not work for another. Passionate love granted just as much, if not more power than passionate rage. So more power to Jyn and Riveced, Kylo supposed.

But he'd also began to introduce the concept of resentment to his new apprentices. They did not outright hate Kylo, but they sure weren't fond of him. In some cases, resentment could be more powerful than outright hatred. He heard a knock on his door.

"Come in."

Riveced and Jyn entered and lowered themselves to one knee.

"Rise."

The apprentices did.

"I think we should talk about the tauntaun in the room," Riveced said.

"That being?"

"Don't play dumb. You were in Jyn and my room while we were being… very passionate with each other. Normal people don't do that."

"Maybe not, but I am no normal person. I'll have you know that in one way or another, you are being watched."

"Why?" Jyn asked.

"Because the two of you are powerful alone, together, you pose a threat to my rule. The Jedi pose a great threat on their own and I don't need anyone else trying to kill me. I'm sure you can understand at least that much."

"Yeah," Riveced said.

"Jyn, leave us," Kylo said.

Jyn did so, leaving Kylo and Riveced alone.

"What is it?"

"I sense something in you. You know something about Ren."

"Wow. Referring to yourself in the third person, huh?"

"No. Ren as in the ancient Sith Lord. I took my name from his."

"Oh. That makes since."

"Yes. Like I said, I think you know something about Ren that I don't."

"What all do you know about Ren?" Riveced asked.

"All I know was that he was an ancient Sith Lord, but that's about it."

"He was, but he was the first Grand Lord in the Lost Tribe's history."

"So he was from Kesh?"

"No. He was a general in the Old Sith Empire. A small group of Sith lead by Ren discovered Kesh and crash landed. Ren knew there was no hope of returning to the main Sith Empire, so he began his own. He changed our culture. His hope was that we'd grow so powerful that we'd create a dark side nexus so powerful that the Sith Empire would feel it. That clearly didn't work, seeing how that was nearly 5000 years ago."

"I found his mask on Dromund Kaas. How did it get there?"

"I don't know. Ren tried to create new ways of using the Force, like teleportation. It's possible that he teleported the helmet there."

"Why? What's the purpose?"

"Maybe he thought the Sith there would see it as a sign. I don't know. You wore his helmet the last time you came to Kesh, but you're not wearing it now. Where is it?"

"I destroyed it… from a certain point of view."

"Meaning?"

"I transferred Ren's spirit into the mask I'm wearing now."

"Oh."

"Tell me, what would you do for Jyn?"

"That's kind of a broad question."

"I know. Now answer it."

"Anything."

"Anything?"

"Yes."

"You love her that much? What if she betrayed you?"

"I'd still love her and only her."

"Hmm. Sith are generally only loyal to those who are loyal to them."

"She is loyal to me, and I to her, but if she betrayed me, I'd still be loyal to her."

"That's admirable," Kylo said, true admiration in his voice. "I need you to be that loyal to me too."

"You have my loyalty… on condition: you will never, ever harm Jyn."

"What if she tries to kill me?"

"You kill her, I kill you."

"I'd like to see you try," Kylo taunted.

"I won't fall for that. I know I am not your equal, but you have to remember that I nearly killed you when you hurt Jyn. Imagine what I could do to you if you killed her."

"She will be unharmed."

"Then you have my undying loyalty."

"Good. If she is killed by the Jedi, show them the power of your wrath."

"They will suffer if they hurt her."

"Good. You can leave. I feel like you need no training from me. You're already incredibly powerful."

He nodded and left the room.

"What happened?" Jyn asked.

"He just asked me a few questions about Ren."

"Oh. Anything else?"

"He asked me what I'd do if you were to be killed."

"And?"

"I'd lose it. I'd go berserk on whoever killed you."

"Riveced, I've told you how I feel about that. I don't want to be the cause of you fully falling to the dark side."

"We're Sith. We've always served the dark side."

"Yes, but we're more loyal to each other than we are the dark side. I love you, not the dark side. You know that if we were fully devoted to the darkness, we'd have no room for love. That is a light side emotion, you know?"

"I know."

"I want you to love me selflessly, not possessively. If I were to die, I want you to accept that. I'd do the same for you."

Riveced nodded as he gave Jyn a kiss.

"Sometimes I think you're secretly a Jedi," he said.

"Don't insult me."

Riveced laughed, causing Jyn to do the same. A red stormtrooper approached.

"You are Lord Ren's new apprentices, right?"

"Yeah," Riveced said, somewhat angered by the stormtrooper interrupting a tender moment between him and Jyn.

"Ah. I'm Captain Cardinal."

"You're Kylo's finest trooper, right?" Jyn asked, being her naturally pleasant self.

"I'd like to think so," Cardinal laughed. "But no, probably not."

"You seem different from other stormtroopers," Jyn said. "I sense an innate goodness in you."

"Uh. Thanks. I guess."

"It's a complement," Riveced said, now somewhat warmed up to Cardinal. "She doesn't say that about many people."

"Then thank you," Cardinal said. "You two seem rather nice for Sith Lords."

"We're different," Jyn said, a small smile on her face.

Cardinal's com buzzed.

"Yes?"

"Come in here," a hologram of Kylo said.

"Goodbye for now," Cardinal said before he walked in Kylo's throne room.

"I like him," Riveced said. "Nice guy for a stormtrooper."

Jyn nodded.

"Yes, my lord?" Cardinal asked.

"I want you to begin training Mara Jade with the lightsaber."

"Uh, wouldn't you be better fit for that task?"

"No," was Kylo's simple answer.

"Um, I'll start tomorrow."

"Good."

"Was that all you wanted to say to me?" Cardinal asked.

"No. I sensed you taking to my apprentices outside."

"Yes. They seem nice."

"Nice," Kylo said.

"I'm sorry?"

"Nothing. That's just not a word I hear a lot."

"If you want to be called nice, you might want to stop murdering everyone who fails you."

"I don't. If I did so, you'd have been dead a long time ago."

"Fair point."

"That is all," Kylo said. "You can leave."

15

Training Chad

"So, where did you get this, anyway?" Luke asked as he looked at Chad's lightsaber.

"My brother made it for me."

"Oh, great. Vader had to kill another Jedi to make this."

"What do you mean?"

"Typically, a Sith makes their lightsaber crystal red by killing a Jedi and using the dark side to corrupt it."

"Oh. I just asked him for a saber. I didn't know he had to kill a Jedi."

"It's fine. So, what experience with the Force do you have?"

"I usually just used the Force to open the door to Empire Market so I'd look cool when I walked in. Oh! I remember something super cool I did with the Force! My mortal enemy, Clint, tried to kill me, but I used the Force to hurl melons at him. I was triumphant."

Luke sighed. This was what he had to work with? Why couldn't Ahsoka train Chad?

"Alright. So you're somewhat experienced with the Force. How skilled are you with the lightsaber?"

"Well, I was the best lightsaber duelist at Empire Market."

"That's probably not saying much," Luke sighed.

"Hey!"

"Alright. I suppose I'll start there. I'll teach you the basic movements. Activate your saber."

Chad did so.

"We'll start with a few slashes. Watch me."

Luke slashed upwards, down, right, and then left.

"You try."

Chad did so, guiding his saber through the air as Luke did.

"Now do that again, but faster."

Chad swiped up, down, left, right in rapid succession.

"Good, now switch things up."

"Huh?"

"Random patterns, but with the movements I just showed you."

Chad swiped left, down, right, and up.

"Good."

Luke suddenly sent a Force blast Chad's way, causing Chad to throw up a Force shield, albeit a weak one.

"I see you know how to shield yourself."

"Yeah. It was more instinct than anything."

"Do you know how you did that?" Luke asked.

"I guess I just thought of a shield."

"Exactly, but for now at least, your will isn't strong enough to produce a very powerful shield."

"Gee. Thanks."

"It takes time, a lot of time to become a Jedi. Ahsoka's seventy and…"

"Wow. She's old. I thought she was like thirty," Chad interrupted.

"Togrutas age slower than humans," Luke explained. "But my point still stands. She's been learning for most of her life and she's still not done. The Force is infinite and we can never truly master it."

Chad nodded.

"Let's focus on your saber skills for now. I think you'd be best suited to Form V, the same one your brother used. Your suit is identical to Darth's, right?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, then you have super strength. So make sure to use that in a fight… wait. No. Wait. First I need to know why you have the suit."

"Oh, that's a very long and confusing story, but the condensed version is that when I was a child, I was playing by a volcano on Mustafar and… well… I fell in."

"Oh, great," Luke sighed.

"So… that's why I have the suit."

"Oh, brother. Well, scratch the whole plan about using super strength to fight. The strength came from Vader's mechanical limbs. You don't happen to have mechanical limbs, do you?"

"Nope."

"Alright. Um, I guess you still have Vader's durability, at least for the helmet and the chestplate. So you can afford to make a few mistakes in a fight. I think Form II would be best for you. Let me show you a few sequences."

Luke put his left hand behind his back and thrust his saber forwards. He took a step backwards, making a quick left swipe as he did so. He then took a large step forward and thrust his saber downwards, swiftly guiding it up.

"You try."

Chad put his left hand behind his back and thrust his saber forwards, taking a large lunge forward. He stepped back and jabbed his saber forwards then down.

"Good. Now do the same thing faster."

Chad thrust his saber forward, stepped back, brought his saber up, left, right, and down, then took a final step forward as he jabbed his saber towards his nonexistent target.

"Better," Luke said. "Perhaps there is some hope for you."

"Thanks. I guess."

"Tell me, Chad," Luke said. "Why are you in this fight?"

"I… I really don't know."

"I just need to know because I won't train you if your heart is not in this fight. I don't want you to become the next Darth Vader or Kylo Ren."

"I guess I'm in this fight because… I just always wanted to prove myself, but there is more. My brother showed compassion to me when he didn't have to. I've felt the need to do the same for a long time and this, this is my chance."

Luke smiled at Chad's answer.

"Anakin would be proud of your choice," Luke said as he placed his hand on Chad's armored shoulder. "This has been a good first day of training. We're done for the day."

"Alright," Chad said.

Luke went to his chambers to meditate. He needed some silence for a bit. He felt the Force flow through his veins, refreshing him. Chad had done far better than expected. He had a surprisingly noble heart, but typically masked than with sarcasm and bragging, at least that's what Luke gathered. But he had what it took to become a powerful Jedi. He sighed as he thought on what he could have done to stop Ben from falling into darkness. No. No. He shouldn't think about what could not be undone. He had done everything he could, but the choice was Ben's alone.

He opened his eyes as he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in."

It was Rey.

"Hello, Rey."

"Hey. I have had a… vision. I guess."

"What was it of?"

"Well, it might not have been a vision. A glowing man in black Jedi robes appeared before me. He said his name was Anakin Skywalker."

Luke didn't respond right away, a mixture of emotions on his face.

"Are you alright?" Rey asked.

"Yes. Anakin was my father," Luke explained. "You must have seen his Force ghost. What exactly did he tell you?"

"I've had dreams, visions, since I was very young. I usually saw fire and a dark helmet in most of my dreams. Anakin told me that he might be able to figure out what the visions meant, but he said he needed some more time."

Luke rubbed his head, trying to process all he'd just heard.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Luke said, although he didn't really mean that.

"Alright," Rey said. "How's Chad doing?"

"Oh, he's been much easier to train than I first thought," Luke said. He knew Rey was trying to change the subject, but he let her. No need to dwell on what he could not control. "But he still has a long way to go, as do you, young Padawan."

Rey smiled.

"I sense turmoil in you," Luke said. "What is it?"

"It's nothing… it's just that… I still want to know who my parents are."

"That's natural," Luke said in a reassuring manner. "I promise that I will do everything in my power to help you find out."

"Thank you."

Ahsoka formed a shield and blocked a saber strike from a Jedi training droid. She then formed a cannon and blasted the droid backwards, but it quickly sprang back at her, causing her to intercept the blade with her lightsabers. She slashed the droid's leg and removed its right arm, but it dodged a blow at its head. Ahsoka ducked underneath a right swing from the droid and blasted it back with a Force push. It sprinted at her, but she picked it up and held it to the ceiling with the Force, crushing it.

"Well done," Luke said as he walked in the room.

"Thank you."

"It looks like your mastering your new suit."

"I wouldn't say I've mastered it," Ahsoka said as she dissolved the suit. "But I'm learning."

Without warning, Luke activated his lightsaber and swung at Ahsoka. At the last instant, Ahsoka activated her sabers and blocked Luke's. Luke shoved her back with a Force push and threw his saber at her, guiding it with the Force. Ahsoka conjured a nano shield. The saber went through it, but it shielded her face. Luke drew the saber back to him and sprang at Ahsoka again. He aimed a blow for her legs, a blow she managed to jump over. She flipped over Luke and attempted to slash him across the back. Luke spun around and guided Ahsoka's twin blades to the ground, allowing him to backhand Ahsoka's helmeted head.

She took a few steps backwards as Luke aimed a blow straight at her head. She formed a nano cannon and blasted at Luke, only for Luke to redirect the blast right back at Ahsoka's head. Dazed, Ahsoka took a few steps back. Luke resumed his attack. He slashed upwards as Ahsoka stepped away from him. Ahsoka twirled away from a heavy right cleave, but Luke broke Ahsoka's Force wall and pinned her to the ceiling.

Ahsoka focused her mind and blasted Luke to the floor with a Force push from one hand and a nano blast from the other. Luke quickly got to his feet and redirected two quick thrusts from Ahsoka. She blocked Luke's saber with one of hers and used the other one to graze Luke's side. Luke unleashed a torrent of electric judgment. Ahsoka raised her nano shield in time to block the blast until Luke let up. She slashed to the right with one of her sabers while aiming for the head with the other. Luke blocked the first strike and ducked under the second, causing Ahsoka to overcorrect. Luke used Ahsoka's overcorrection to his advantage by kicking her to the ground.

He aimed his saber at her face, but she blocked it with her own sabers and used the extra strength granted by the suit to push Luke backwards. She thrust her sabers right at Luke's stomach, but he redirected both of them, leaving Ahsoka open for a Force push from Luke. Luke knew Ahsoka's weaknesses. She was still just as skilled in saber combat as she was before Kylo drained her, but her Force power had been significantly reduced. And Luke knew that. Ahsoka stumbled to the ground as Luke overwhelmed her with a barrage of electric judgment until she couldn't move.

"Looks like you still have some work to do," Luke said. "Before, you would have been able to beat me."

"I know," Ahsoka said. "But I guess this serves as a lesson. Sometimes we need to be reminded that we're not invincible, even though we think we are sometimes."

Luke nodded.

"How's Chad coming?"

"Much better than I thought, actually."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. He has his brother's heart… Anakin's, not Vader's."

"Thanks for clarifying."

"He actually told me something I never knew about my father."

"That being?"

"Vader showed compassion. The reason Chad wears the suit is because he was… being stupid by a volcano when he was a child. Vader had sympathy for Chad, so he gave him that suit. It just goes to show that there was always good in him."

Ahsoka nodded.

"He's powerful and will become a fine Jedi," Luke said. "Rey told me something that you might find interesting."

"What is it?"

"She said that Anakin visited her."

"What did he say to her?"

"Rey has had dreams, visions, since she was very young. Anakin thought he might be able to find out what they mean with a little more time."

"That is interesting," Ahsoka said. "I wonder why Anakin didn't come to me. Did he visit you?"

"No. Just Rey."

"That has to mean something. Right?"

"My thoughts exactly."

"Your thoughts on what?" Thrawn asked as he walked in the room.

"Anakin's Force ghost visited Rey, but not Ahsoka or me," Luke explained.

"Ah."

"Anakin shared a deeper connection with Luke and me than he does Rey," Ahsoka said. "That's why we're confused as to why he didn't tell us of this."

"I'm no expert in the Force, but it's possible that maybe Rey is the only one who needed to know. Speaking of which, how do you know of this if Anakin spoke only to Rey?"

"She told me and I told Ahsoka," Luke explained.

Thrawn nodded.

"I'm sure Anakin knows what he's doing," Luke said. "Force ghosts can't exactly visit any time they want. They can only be in the physical realm for a few minutes at a time before they must return to the Force. Maybe he needed those few minutes to talk to Rey and not us."

"It's possible," Thrawn said.

"We're on the right track," Ahsoka said. "I'm certain Anakin will visit us soon and explain what's going on."

"I hope so," Luke said.

16

Starkiller

Cardinal made his way down to the armor shop to get Mara Jade, one of the armorsmiths, for training. Kylo had instructed him to begin teaching Mara in lightsaber combat. Cardinal assumed he wanted Mara as an apprentice, or at least an assassin or agent of some kind. The more Cardinal though about it, the more the second option made since. Kylo already had two apprentices, two very powerful apprentices who, knowing the Sith and their typically selfish ambition, would try to kill him. He really didn't need three powerful individuals vying for his throne. Cardinal saw a woman dressed all in black with long red hair inspecting a piece of armor. That was her.

"Hello, Captain," Mara said.

"Hello there. I'm just going to bypass the pleasantries and tell you that the Supreme Leader has asked me to train you."

"Train me?"

"Yes. He wants me to instruct you in lightsaber combat."

"Why wouldn't he just do that himself?"

"Because he's too busy training his actual apprentices."

Mara narrowed her eyes at Cardinal.

"Explain."

"I said exactly what I meant," Cardinal said, refusing to give any ground. "Now come on."

Mara, eyes still narrowed in frustration, followed Cardinal to a newly constructed sparing room.

"Here," Cardinal sighed as he tossed Mara a lightsaber and retrieved one for himself. "Now do as I do."

Cardinal activated his lightsaber and made an upward slash followed by a forward thrust, a right slash, and finally a left slash. Mara did the same. Cardinal did the same movements he just demonstrated, only faster. Mara did the same. Cardinal's eyes narrowed, although Mara couldn't tell because of Cardinal's helmet. He noticed something. Mara had experience with the blade. Things weren't adding up. Mara was an armorsmith, so her combat experience should have been very low, but that clearly wasn't the case.

"Hmm."

"What?" Mara asked.

"You have trained with a lightsaber before, haven't you?"

"No. This is my first time."

"I don't need the Force to tell that you're lying," Cardinal said as he backed Mara into a corner, both physically and mentally. "Tell me."

"I am not lying," Mara growled.

Cardinal looked at a small emblem on Mara's chest and pulled it off. What he saw shocked him. It was the logo for the Jedi Order."

"You're a Jedi spy?" Cardinal asked calmly. "Really?"

"It's…"

"Not what it seems," Cardinal finished.

"Yes."

"Explain."

"I… this is a complicated story."

"Then I suggest you make it simple… for your sake," Cardinal said as he held his spear to Mara's neck. "Now."

"Alright. About fifteen years back, I had only ever had one dream: to become a Jedi. Luke Skywalker was on a mission to my world. He came to find Force-sensitives he could recruit for his precious Order. He eventually found me and it was my only wish to go with him, but he said he felt a great darkness in me and that he could not train me. He left me there. It wasn't until years later that Snoke found me and offered me what Luke would not.

"He trained me in the ways of the Force, the light as well as the dark. And this isn't the logo for the Jedi Order. It's the logo for Snoke's Order: the Order of Chaos. Snoke, in a strange way, was like a father to me… until Kylo. Kylo stole Snoke from me. The only person who ever cared about me cast me aside for Kylo. So, to answer your question, I received my training from Snoke."

Cardinal didn't know what exactly what to say. He supposed that, being one of Snoke's most trusted troopers, he'd have known about an apprentice such as Mara. But he also knew how much Snoke liked to keep secrets, and a great many of them he kept.

"I see."

"I still hate Kylo for what he did to me."

"He did nothing to you. Snoke chose Kylo."

Mara wanted to lash out and strangle Cardinal, but she restrained herself. That, and she knew she was rusty and Cardinal was one of the most dangerous troopers in the First Order.

"I still can't believe you're loyal to Kylo," Mara spat. "He murdered our rightful ruler."

"Snoke knew that he was creating the instrument of his own destruction when he took Kylo on as an apprentice. It was always supposed to be this way."

"I really don't like you."

"A lot of people don't. You're just the latest in a long line."

Mara said nothing more as Cardinal turned around, cape trailing behind him.

Kylo heard a knock on his door. He looked on his video monitor to see Cardinal. He lowered the door for the trooper.

"Did you begin Mara's training?"

"About that…"

"Cardinal?"

"She told me a number of interesting things about her past. She claimed that Luke Skywalker visited her world about fifteen years ago and that she wanted to become a Jedi. Unfortunately for her, Luke said he saw great darkness in her. Then years after that, Snoke found her and offered to train her. She was Snoke's first apprentice and claims that you took Snoke away from her."

"What do you mean?" Kylo asked.

"She said that Snoke was like a father to her."

"She must be on death sticks if she thinks that," Kylo said. "Snoke was a sadistic, twisted, and selfish monster. I did her a favor by riding the galaxy of Snoke."

"She doesn't see it that way."

"So you're saying she's already fully trained?"

"I wouldn't say fully, but I do know that she hates you."

"So how powerful do you think she is?"

"I think she's fairly powerful, but she's no were near you or even a high level Praetorian Guard."

"Good. Keep her that way. Don't train her again. We don't want her becoming powerful enough to rival me, now do we?"

"No."

"Good. You're dismissed."

Cardinal nodded and left the room. A few seconds later, Kylo heard another knock on his door. He looked on his monitor to see it was Phasma. He pressed a button on his throne that opened the door.

"What is it, Phasma?"

"I was simply wondering when we're going to attack the Jedi again. We know Luke was on Ahch-To last and I am of the opinion that he is still there. So my question is this: why don't we just take Starkiller there and blow the planet to smithereens?"

"I've been debating if we should do that," Kylo said. "I think now is the time. I'm leaving for Starkiller. My apprentices will be coming along, as will Cardinal. Feel free to join us. We plan to leave tomorrow."

"Very good, sir, but might I ask something else?"

"Fine."

"Why have you waited this long to use the Base? It's always been ready and operational. We could have ended this war years ago had we simply used the Base."

"Yes, but back then, the New Republic was still the main power in the galaxy and if we used Starkiller, the New Republic would have launched their fleets to destroy us. Now we are the prominent power in the galaxy and we can do whatever we want."

"I see."

"We leave for Starkiller first thing tomorrow. I've yet to tell Cardinal and my apprentices. I will do so soon."

"Very good, sir."

Phasma left Kylo's throne room as he pressed a button on his throne to call his apprentices.

RIveced looked down at his com. It was Kylo.

"Yes?"

"Come to my throne room. I have something to discuss with you. If you find Cardinal, tell him to come too."

"We will," Jyn said.

"I wonder what he wants now," RIveced sighed.

"I don't know. Must be important."

The apprentices saw Cardinal just up ahead.

"Cardinal, Kylo wants to speak with us," Jyn said.

Cardinal nodded as he, Jyn, and RIveced made their way to Kylo's throne room. All three lowered themselves to their knees before Kylo's throne.

"I believe we now have the chance to destroy the Jedi."

"How?" Jyn asked.

"There is something that Cardinal and I know that the two of you do not."

"And just what is that?"

"Snoke, my former master, had a world called Ilum turned into a weapon capable of destroying entire star systems. I held off using it out of fear that the New Republic, the main galactic power before the First Order took Coruscant, would strike out at us and destroy us. But now I rule the galaxy and can do more or less, whatever I want. We leave for Starkiller tomorrow and then we destroy the Jedi."

Jyn and RIveced nodded.

"After we kill the Jedi, what then?" Riveced asked.

"We have peace."

The apprentices said nothing.

"Leave me."

The trio did and Kylo could not help getting excited at the prospect of finally ridding the galaxy and himself of the Jedi. They'd been a thorn in his side for far, far too long. That would all change tomorrow. Wait. He thought of something, a way to certainly destroy one of his enemies: Rey. The girl was inexperienced with the Force and could be easily fooled by someone as powerful and experienced as Kylo. In the brief time Kylo fought Rey, he had felt something familiar about her.

He stretched out with the Force to find her. Yes, he'd lure her to Coruscant and either kill her or make her his apprentice. Ah, ha! He had her. He planted suggestions in her mind to come to Coruscant and that doing so would help end the war.

Rey felt a disturbance in the Force, a sudden urge to go to Coruscant. Her lapse in concentration allowed Ahsoka to shove her to the ground with the Force.

"Wait," Rey said.

"What is it?" Ahsoka asked, deactivating her lightsabers and helping Rey to her feet.

"I felt something in the Force. I feel… I feel like I need to go to Coruscant."

"Do you know why?"

"No. Not really."

"It's most likely a trap, then. Kylo's probably trying to manipulate you," Ahsoka said.

"Ahsoka."

Ahsoka looked over to see Anakin.

"Anakin?"

"You need to let her do this."

"Why? Kylo will kill her."

"No. I will make sure that does not happen.'

Ahsoka looked down.

"You have to trust me on this one, Snips. Please."

"Alright."

"Thank you," Anakin said before he vanished.

"Well, lucky for you, Anakin thinks it best that you do walk right into this trap," Ahsoka said. "May the Force be with you, my Padawan."

"Thank you."

Thrawn walked into the room.

"Hello, Thrawn," Ahsoka said. She quickly noticed the look of dismay on Thrawn's face. "What is it?"

"Remember when I told you that Mortis changed me, allowed me to feel the Force in small ways?"

"Yes."

"I had a vision. I need to go to Coruscant with Rey. I don't know why, but I know that I need to do it."

Ahsoka closed her eyes for a second and opened them again.

"Alright. Go."

"There is another thing," Thrawn said. "Chad needs to come too."

"Oh, brother."

"I was equally surprised, but I know that he needs to come with us."

"Alright. Take Chad along."

Thrawn nodded and, along with Rey, went off to find Chad. Several minutes later, they found Chad outside practicing his lightsaber movements.

"Oh, hey guys," Chad said.

"Chad, we need to go to Coruscant. Now," Thrawn said.

"Um. Why, exactly?"

"Let's just say the Force has a mind of its own," Rey said.

"Alright, I guess I'll go along on this little adventure."

"Good," Thrawn said. "We're taking the Legendary. The fact that it's a First Order ship means it should be able to get us onto Coruscant."

"Should," Chad said.

"Come on."

Thrawn, Chad, and Rey boarded the Legendary and set off for Coruscant.

17

Spring the Trap

Kylo felt Rey and Thrawn coming to Coruscant. He knew his ploy would fool Rey, but Thrawn? Surely the Chiss Admiral knew this was a trap. Kylo thought maybe Thrawn had come along to make sure Rey didn't get captured. But even that didn't make since. Thrawn was first and foremost practice. If he was unable to convince Rey that it was in fact a trap, he would probably just let Rey go alone and find out the hard way.

But then again… Thrawn wasn't heartless either. Kylo suspected that something more was at play here, although he didn't exactly know what. Something else that intrigued Kylo was a third presence he felt in addition to Rey and Thrawn. This third mystery man felt somewhat like Vader's spirit, although nowhere near as powerful as the Dark Lord. He was supposed to leave for Starkiller in a few hours, but first he wanted to make sure Thrawn, Rey, and the third being made their way to Coruscant.

The Legendary dropped out of hyperspace.

"I still think it's a really bad idea to come here," Chad said.

"From a logical perspective, I agree with you," Thrawn said. "But the Force wants nothing except balance. Sometimes achieving balance means doing things that may not look logical from face value."

Chad nodded as Thrawn landed the ship by the First Order palace.

"So we're just going to stand here and wait for them to capture us?" Chad asked.

"Yes," Rey said as she closed her eyes, seeing a small bit of the future. "That's exactly what we're going to do."

Thirty seconds later, twenty stormtroopers sprinted out the front door, blasters aimed at the trio's faces.

"Lower your weapons and put cuffs on them," Kylo said as he came out of the palace.

"I see you've got a new helmet," Thrawn said. "I like it, although it seems like you're trying to copy your grandfather. I guess dark helmets and capes runs in the family."

"Silence." Kylo's head tilted his head in confusion when he looked at Chad. "You're not Darth Vader. Who are you?"

"I'm Darth's brother Chad."

"Chad Vader?"

"Yep."

"You're not my concern," Kylo said as he turned his head towards Rey. "Rey, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Take them to the transport ship," Kylo ordered.

The troopers shoved Thrawn, Rey, and Chad into the hangar bay and into a transport ship.

"Where are we going?" Rey asked.

"The Supreme Leader will tell you," a silver armored stormtrooper said.

"Ah, I think we've met before," Thrawn said. "How long ago was it? Three, four years? Maybe five?"

The trooper said nothing.

"You and another stormtrooper chased Ahsoka and I down, along with two of our friends Kylo murdered a while back," Thrawn explained.

"Oh, now I remember you," the trooper growled. "You're Grand Admiral Thrawn, traitor to the Empire. Disgusting."

"Your First Order is a pathetic attempt to replicate the Empire," Thrawn said. "Your leader is an unstable maniac that allows himself to be controlled by his emotions. He will bring chaos to the galaxy."

The trooper said nothing to that.

Kylo marched to his apprentices' chambers and made sure to knock on the door this time. The doors slid open as Riveced and Jyn came out.

"Thanks for knocking this time," Riveced said.

"Yes. Come on. We're leaving to Starkiller."

The apprentices followed their master into the hangar bay an into the transport ship. Riveced looked over at Rey, Thrawn, and Chad, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. Thrawn countered by narrowing his own eyes. It was a small gesture, but a powerful one that said Thrawn was not one to back down, even to a Force-user.

"Who are these guys?" Riveced asked.

"They are our guests, it seems," Cardinal said as he walked into the transport.

"Cardinal is correct," Kylo said as the ship left the hangar and jumped to hyperspace. They are indeed our guests."

There was an uncomfortable silence for several minutes until Chad, in typical Chad fashion, broke the silence and said to Jyn: "You're very beautiful, aren't you?"

Riveced wanted to knock some sense into Chad, but restrained himself.

"Thank you," Jyn said, although Thrawn could tell Chad's statement made her uncomfortable.

"Are they your apprentices?" Thrawn asked as he pointed at Jyn and Riveced.

"Yes," Kylo said. "They've served me well. So far."

"Is this guy your boyfriend?" Chad asked as he pointed at Riveced. "You could do better."

Thrawn punched Chad's chest, eliciting a wheeze.

"I must apologize for my comrade's stupidity," Thrawn said.

"I really want to kill him," Riveced growled.

"I share that sentiment sometimes," Thrawn said.

Kylo looked at Rey, trying to get a sense of her. He sensed something deep inside of her that even she was not sure of. Hmm. He'd have time to discover more about Rey once they reached Starkiller Base.

"I do have a question for you," Thrawn said as he pointed at Riveced. "Although my asking of it may or may not offend you."

"What?"

"Is this woman indeed your lover? Before you get mad at me, let me explain why I want to know. If you are indeed Kylo Ren's apprentices, why do you feel light side oriented feelings such as love?"

"Our master teaches us to embrace both sides of the Force," Jyn said.

"Interesting," Thrawn said. "That is all I wanted to know."

Kylo suddenly wheezed in pain as he felt something latch onto his spirit.

"Lord Ren? Are you alright?" Cardinal asked.

Kylo grunted in pain as he got back up.

"Yes," he wheezed. "I'm fine."

He looked over to see Chad laughing to himself.

"What's the matter? Did you choke on your...?"

Kylo cut Chad off by actually choking him with the Force. Chad squirmed around, desperately trying to escape Kylo's grasp. Kylo then let Chad drop.

"You're not worth my time," Kylo growled.

"Apparently I'm worth some of it because you almost killed me."

Kylo wanted nothing more than to murder Chad, but he was able to stop himself.

"We should be there in a few hours," the pilot said.

"Good," Kylo said.

"So where exactly are we going?" Rey asked.

"You'll see."

"Hey?" Poe asked. "Where is Chad? And Rey and Thrawn, for that matter?"

"Coruscant," Luke said.

"What?" Poe all but yelled. "What are they thinking? They're going to get themselves killed!"

"Anakin told Rey that she needed to go to Coruscant," Ahsoka explained.

Poe shook his head in frustration. Ahsoka knew full well that Poe was not very fond of Force visions and such.

"Any idea what exactly they plan on doing there?" Poe asked.

"No."

Poe ran his fingers through his head, but said nothing.

"I'm just as concerned as you are, Poe. But we have to believe there is a purpose behind this."

"Alright," Poe said.

The transport ship dropped out of hyperspace to Starkiller Base. Thrawn looked at the planet. He'd been here before.

"You said this world is called Starkiller Base?" the Chiss asked.

"Not it's real name, no," Kylo said. "It was once called Ilum: home of the kyber crystal."

It clicked. Thrawn had been here several years back when Ahsoka said she felt the need to visit Ilum. The First Order had been there and attempted to destroy Ahsoka and Thrawn. He supposed it made since to turn such a world into a superweapon. The kyber crystal was a powerful energy conductor and was what gave the Death Stars their destructive power, but at the same time, he saw the same weaknesses in Starkiller as he did the Death Star.

Thrawn's thoughts were interrupted as the ship landed in a hangar bay.

"Come on," the stormtroopers growled as they kicked Thrawn and Chad down the ramp.

"Go with the troopers," Kylo said to his apprentices. "And tell the Base controllers to make the jump to Ahch-To. Convert all unnecessary power to the hyperdrive."

They nodded and left.

"What do you want from me?" Rey asked.

"There's something deep inside you that I want and you're going to give it to me."

"I don't even know what you're talking about."

"Not now, you don't. But you will."

Kylo reached his hand out. Rey tried to resist him, but she didn't have the experience to do so. Kylo invaded her mind, clawing for something, something Rey didn't even know existed.

"I see… a desert world," Kylo said. "I see fire, Vader's castle, Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber."

He let Rey go. She gasped in pain as he hands went to her head.

"You've never been to Mustafar. How have you seen Vader's castle?"

"I… I didn't even know that was in my head," Rey gasped.

"That desert world wasn't Jakku, was it?"

"I don't think so."

"Hmm. Tell me, Rey, why are you in this fight? Surely not out of the goodness of your heart?"

"I… all I've ever wanted was to know who my parents are."

"Hmm."

Kylo reached back out, invading Rey's mind once again. She screamed in pain as Kylo kept searching. Kylo turned his head in confusion as he saw the mask of Darth Revan buried deep in Rey's mind. Now he was even more confused. He looked deeper and what he saw shook him to his core. He saw Anakin's Force ghost… inside Rey? How? Anakin shared a deep connection with Rey… almost like he was Rey. Kylo let Rey go.

"No," Kylo said to himself. "No, no, no."

He looked deep within himself to the small part of Vader's spirit.

"What is this?" he asked.

"I told you she was dangerous," Vader said.

"Why did I sense Anakin in her?"

"Wait. Anakin. Yes, of course," Vader said. "Rey has no parents."

"What?" Rey asked.

"She was created to counter the darkness in you," Vader explained to Kylo. "She is Anakin. Kill her now."

Kylo activated his saber and swung it at Rey's neck, but she was able to send him back with a Force push.

"Ben, listen to me," Rey said, although it wasn't Rey doing the talking. Rather, it was Anakin. "Don't make me kill you."

"You don't have the power to do so because your host is poorly trained," Kylo taunted.

"I've fought Sith Lords, boy," Anakin said. "You'll be child's play."

Kylo growled and charged Rey.

Phasma kicked Chad and Thrawn to the ground.

"On my command," she said.

Two executioner troops lowered their laser axes to Chad and Thrawn's necks.

"Three. Two. O…"

Thrawn kicked the troopers backwards, allowing Chad to draw his lightsaber to him with the Force, cutting off Thrawn's handcuffs.

"Kill them!" Phasma yelled.

Thrawn rolled under a swing from an executioner trooper as Chad sent several more First Order troops back with a Force repulse. Phasma took out her staff and swung it at Thrawn. The Chiss dipped beneath it and kicked Phasma's stomach, knocking her backwards. Thrawn threw several punches at Phasma. She stumbled backwards as Thrawn began to overwhelm her. But that did not last.

As Thrawn reared back for another punch, Phasma caught his fist and flung him to the floor. Showing no mercy, Phasma kicked Thrawn back to the ground. Thrawn got back to his feet and dodged away from two punches from Phasma, but he failed to avoid the third. Phasma slammed her fist into Thrawn's cheek, drawing blue blood from him. Just as Phasma reared her staff backwards, it was caught by Chad's lightsaber. Phasma growled, angered at having her kill be interrupted.

Chad swung upwards. Phasma diverted it away from her, but it lowered her guard enough for Thrawn to knock her to the ground with a laser axe from one of the dead executioner troopers. Chad swiftly impaled Phasma straight through the chest.

"Oh, oh no. I think I just killed her," Chad said.

"Yes. That was the goal."

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

"Wait," Thrawn said as he felt a vibration in the planet. "I think we've just jumped out of hyperspace."

"Attention all occupants of Starkiller Base," an automated voice said over the intercom. "We have now arrived at Ahch-To. The Base will open fire in two minutes."

"Come on," Chad said. "We need to go."

Thrawn's eyes lowered in sadness.

"What is it?" Chad asked.

"This is why I needed to come."

"What do you mean?"

"This Base has a thermal oscillator."

"How do you know that?"

"The Base is based on an alternate design for the Empire's Death Star. I know how it works. The oscillator isn't far. This is… this is my destiny."

Chad nodded and ran off as Thrawn made his way to the oscillator. This was the end of the line for him. It was almost like… he was born for this, to make the sacrifice play. But that was what he had to do.

"Purpose before feelings," Thrawn said as he pulled out his blaster and fired at the oscillator.

Kylo stumbled backwards as the entire planet shook beneath him.

"What did you do?" he yelled.

"Me?" Anakin said, still in control of Rey's body. "I didn't do anything. Thrawn. This was his destiny. It always was."

Kylo growled and shoved Rey into the wall.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you."

Before Kylo could remove Rey's head, he was impaled through the stomach by Chad. He growled in pain as he shoved Chad back with the Force.

"Attention all First Order troops," a voice said over the intercom. "The thermal oscillator has been damaged and the base will explode in five minutes."

Riveced looked at Jyn.

"We've got to get out of here," Cardinal said.

"Yeah," Jyn said. "Come on. Kylo's transport shuttle is still outside."

Riveced looked around to see stormtroopers and officers running around in a panic, tripping over droids and each other. He shoved a stormtrooper aside as he, Jyn, and Cardinal made their way outside to the transport ship. Riveced yanked the door down with the Force to see an injured Kylo kicking Chad to the ground. Jyn yanked Rey and Chad out of the ship with the Force.

"We need to go," Jyn said.

"Not before I kill them," Kylo growled.

"No!" Cardinal yelled. "She's right. The Base is about to blow."

"Fine," Kylo said. "Get in!"

The ship took off, leaving Chad and Rey behind.

"Now what?" Rey asked, no longer under Anakin's control.

"We need to get off this planet. I think I saw a ship in the hangar bay. Come on."

Rey followed Chad to the nearby hangar bay. Chad set his eye on what looked to be a heavily modified Upsilon-class command shuttle.

"That'll do," Chad said.

Chad fired up the ship as Rey gathered her thought. She couldn't remember what happened after Kylo looked into her mind, only when Chad came. She remembered flashes, though. Kylo had said something about her parents, but she could remember what. Chad flew the ship out of the planet's atmosphere.

Thrawn closed his eyes as the oscillator started to explode. He knew that he would die in a few short seconds, but that was alright with him. This was his purpose, his destiny.

"Goodbye, Luke. Goodbye, Ahsoka. I'm grateful to have known you."

Those were the last words Grand Admiral Thrawn ever spoke. The oscillator exploded, engulfing the Chiss and everyone on the planet in a fiery inferno.

Ahsoka gasped in pain as she felt a wound in the Force form just above Ahch-To.

"I felt it too," Luke said.

"What do you think happened?" Ahsoka asked.

"I have no clue. There aren't any planets near Ahch-To. So I don't know what exactly we felt."

"Wait," Rey said. "Where is Thrawn?"

"He… he didn't make it."

"What?"

"The Base? How do you think it blew up?" Chad asked, a tinge of anger and loss in his voice. "Somebody had to stay behind to sabotage the oscillator. That somebody was Thrawn. He sacrificed himself to destroy that base."

Rey said nothing as Chad landed the ship by the Jedi temple on Ahch-To. Chad lowered the ramp and Ahsoka, Poe, and Luke quickly made their way outside the temple, a look of concern on both Jedi's faces.

"Chad, Rey," Luke said. "Wait… where's Thrawn?"

"Thrawn's gone."

"He died?" Poe asked.

"Yeah," Chad said.

"Wait. How?" Ahsoka asked.

"We went to Coruscant to get capture," Chad said. "Kylo took us to superweapon called Starkiller Base. He said it could destroy entire planets and just a few minutes ago, it was parked over this world about to destroy you, but Thrawn knew the Base's weakness. He stayed behind to make sure it was destroyed. His sacrifice is the reason this planet isn't space dust."

For several minutes, all was silent as the group tried to process what they'd just heard.

"So he died when the planet exploded?" Poe asked.

"Yeah."

"Do we know if he had family?" Luke asked.

"Yeah," Ahsoka said. "Us."

"I mean, we knew the guy, but I'd hardly say we were his family," Poe said.

"I think in a way we are," Ahsoka said. "Thrawn never really had anyone before us."

Luke nodded.

"He's with the Force now," Ahsoka said. "He's finally able to rest."

18

Funeral

Kylo took his helmet off as he sat in his throne. He sighed as he thought about what he'd lost, what Thrawn had taken from him. But that wasn't what was on the forefront of Kylo's mind. No, what concerned him was his encounter with Anakin. What did Vader mean when he said: "She was created to counter the darkness within you. She is Anakin."

How could Rey be Anakin? Kylo sensed that she shared some of Anakin's memories. But she wasn't Anakin. It was beyond difficult to explain. She was Anakin, but she wasn't. Kylo shook his head in confusion. But there was nothing he could do about that right now. However, he had made himself a promise quite a while back. After he learned the Knights of Ren were originally taken from other timelines. Kylo was ruthless, some would say heartless, but there were some things that even he saw as immoral. Taking beings from their timelines was one such thing.

But this presented a dilemma: the Ahsoka and Luke taken by Snoke were not the same Ahsoka and Luke that Kylo knew. Their minds had been twisted and broken by Snoke. Even if Kylo found a way to remove their memories of Snoke, he had no clue how to put them back in their timelines. Snoke said that he was able to take the Knights from their timelines by using the World between Worlds, but he also said that it was destroyed. So that wasn't going to work. He scrolled through Snoke's holojournal, looking for any hint as to the World between Worlds' fate. Something caught his eye.

He saw an entry on the World between Worlds. Apparently Snoke had saved a few portals in one of his storehouses on Scaron VI, Snoke's homeworld. It looked like that was his next stop. He got out of his throne and put his helmet back on, making his way to the Knights' chambers. The doors opened and Kylo saw Ahsoka, the dark Ahsoka, not the normal one, leap over an attack from Luke, likewise dark and not his light side counterpart. They suddenly stopped when they saw their master, instantly lowering themselves to their knees.

"Rise," Kylo said. "There's no reason to fear me like you did Snoke.

They rose, but said nothing, their eyes lowered out of fear and a habit of submission.

"Look up. I won't treat you like Snoke did."

The Knights looked up. Kylo had one thing he had for the Knights that he did not have for many others: sympathy. He himself had been on the receiving end of Snoke's wrath and knew how it affected the mind.

"Do you know the exact moment from which you were taken?"

"We do," Luke said. "But even if you take us back, our memories will still be the same."

"I think I can do something about that. I can sense your memories from your original life and I can sense the memories you formed after Snoke took you."

"You can erase them?" Ahsoka asked.

"I think so. Relax your mind."

Dark Ahsoka and Luke were the last of the Knights of Ren – for the rest had been killed by the actual Ahsoka and Luke. So Kylo didn't have to worry about returning other Knights to their timelines. Ah, he found Ahsoka's memories – the ones formed after Snoke had taken her. Kylo knew he couldn't truly erase the memories, but he could place them behind an unbreakable mental barrier. He quickly placed them behind the block and rendered Ahsoka unconscious with the Force. He repeated the process with Luke.

He knew he had a limited amount of time to act before they woke up and began to form memories that would ruin the timelines they would be returned back to. He lifted them up with the Force and swiftly made his way to the hangar bay, drawing many strange looks from the stormtroopers and officers around the palace. He lowered the ramp on his personal Upsilon-class command shuttle, the Retribution, and put Ahsoka and Luke on the ship's passenger seats.

Kylo then activated the ship's engines and typed in the hyperspace coordinates. The ship jumped soon after.

Several hours later, the Retribution emerged over Scaron VI. Kylo landed the ship near the blood river. He didn't know where this storehouse Snoke kept his artifacts in was, but he thought he could find it soon. He reached out with the Force, looking for anything unusual. He found it. The storehouse was… under the river? That can't be right, Kylo thought. Can it?

He stuck his hand under the blood and quickly pulled it back out. He'd forgotten what an unpleasant experience that was. Kylo pulled the Knights out of the ship with the Force and leaped in the river. Much to his surprise, he fell down into a cave like structure. The Knights – still unconscious, fell in after him, causing him to lift his hands and lower them to the ground.

He looked around for any artifacts and such that would help him return the Knights to their proper times. He suddenly looked down. Why was he even doing this? He owed nothing to them. By putting Luke back, Kylo was sealing his own fate: becoming the very thing he swore to destroy. But Snoke had taught him that time was a fickle thing. In a timeline without a Luke Skywalker, the galaxy could be even worse. He was doing this out of compassion, he supposed, but also to assure he still rose to power. And he couldn't do that in a timeline with no Luke to train him.

Ah, now he saw the portal. It was apparently right before him. He saw into the portal. Darth Vader was about to kill Luke, but suddenly there was no Luke, much to Vader's confusion. This was apparently where Snoke had taken Luke from. Kylo had to be swift. In the span of a few seconds, he awoke Luke and tossed him into the portal before he had a clue what happened.

"What happened?" Vader asked.

"I… I don't know," Luke said.

"It matters not," Vader said. "There is no escape. Don't make me destroy you. Luke, you do not yet realize your importance. You've only begun to discover your power. Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict, and bring order to the galaxy!"

"I'll never join you!"

"If only you knew the power of the dark side! Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father."

"He told me enough! He told me you killed him!"

"No," Vader said. "I am your father."

"NOOOOOOO!" Luke wailed. "NOOOOOOO!"

"Luke, you can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen this. It is your destiny. Join me, and together, we can rule the galaxy as father and son! Come with me. It is the only way."

Luke looked up at Vader and then down at the reactor shaft. He leaped downwards, much to Vader's dismay.

Alright, Kylo thought to himself. That timeline is now fixed.

He now saw another portal before him. In this one he saw an injured Vader rising to his feet. Kylo knew this was on Malachor, so this was the battle of the Sith temple, where Vader and Ahsoka crossed blades. He saw Vader turn his head in confusion. Ahsoka was nowhere to be found. Kylo swiftly awoke Ahsoka and tossed her in the portal. She landed gracefully on her feet, much to Vader's confusion.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I… I don't know." Ahsoka looked into Vader's exposed eye. "But I know that I won't leave you. Not this time."

Vader looked down, clearly conflicted, but that conflict soon turned to anger.

"Then you will die," he growled as he activated his crimson saber, the red glare reflecting off his gloss black mask.

He marched towards Ahsoka as she shoved a much younger Ezra Bridger away from the temple. Vader brought his crimson blade clashing down on Ahsoka's. She activated her sabers, still the crimson ones she'd used in Kylo's timeline. Vader was thrown off for a second, but he continued his assault.

Good. Now Kylo had put the timelines back to how they should be, more or less. He looked over to see a small holoprojector blinking. Intrigued, he turned it on to see a hologram of Snoke.

"Hello, my apprentice," the holo Snoke said. "If you're seeing this message, you know my origins and have most likely already killed me. Know this, Kylo Ren, if you have indeed killed me, know that I will never really be gone. I will remain until my ultimate purpose is complete. Do you hear me? You can never kill me! You…"

Kylo crushed the device with the Force. He'd already had to endure several long years as Snoke's apprentice. He didn't want to hear Snoke blabber for one more second than he already had. His mission here was finished. Using the Force to aid him, he leaped up out of the cave and back onto the planet's surface. He got back on his ship and left Scaron VI behind, hopefully for good this time.

Luke lowered his head as he, Chad, Ahsoka, Rey, and Poe honored Thrawn with a small memorial service in the gardens of Ahch-To. Luke was going to saw a few words, but he didn't know exactly what to say. Rey had suggested they honor their fallen comrade and friend simply with silence. So that was what they ended up doing. Thrawn would have wanted it that way. In many ways, Thrawn was a better being than Luke and Ahsoka ever were. In the past, Luke and Ahsoka had allowed emotions to dictate their actions, more often to not leading to dire consequences.

But not Thrawn. Thrawn had always done what was best for the greater good, even when he was with the Empire. He was, Luke supposed, the truest form of good. He considered the whole, not just himself. And that was why he would be remembered not as an ex-Imperial Admiral, but as the hero who had destroyed Starkiller Base.

Chad, Rey, Luke, and Poe turned to leave, but Ahsoka stayed behind. She said a few words in a language nobody else understood.

"What did she say?" Chad asked.

"I said that life is a path, death a destination. It's a saying we have on my homeworld. It means that we will all die one day, but it's our choice how we die. We die having lived and made a difference in others' lives, like Thrawn did. Or we die knowing we could have done more."

Chad nodded.

The Retribution emerged from hyperspace to Coruscant. Kylo had done what he set out to do on Scaron VI and now it was time to return to business: the business of eradicating the Jedi. The only problem was that virtually everything he, and Snoke, for that matter, had failed. Orbital bombardment had failed. Starkiller had failed. A ground invasion had failed. There weren't many other things he could think of that would work any better.

Despite all the power he'd drained from the Lost Tribe and from Ahsoka, for that matter, he still wasn't powerful enough to face Ahsoka, Luke, Rey, and Chad. He supposed with a ground Force, he could kill his enemies, but Snoke had tried that several years back. It failed. What could he do? What could he do? Well… there was one thing he hadn't thought of. It had been several years since he'd spoke with Ren's spirit. He supposed now would be a perfect time.

He tried to tap into the helmet, but Ren was resisting him. He supposed part of the reason might have been because he hadn't been in contact with Ren for so long. Kylo growled in frustration as he failed to access Ren's spirit. He remembered back to what Riveced had told him about Ren. It was possible that he might now what the dilemma was.

He got out of his throne and strode towards Riveced and Jyn's room. He knocked and a few minutes later, Riveced came out drenched in sweat. Kylo saw Jyn in the back of the room, also drenched in sweat. He didn't need to ask what the two of them had been doing. He knew full well.

"What is it?" Riveced asked.

"I need your help on something."

"What?"

"It's about Ren."

"Alright."

Riveced closed the door and followed Kylo to a meditation chamber.

"What exactly is it you need help with?"

"I tried to contact Ren's spirit, but I can't seem to do so. Any suggestions?"

"Hmm. How long has it been since you've spoken with him?"

"Several years. Five at the most."

"That might be why," Riveced said. "See, after long periods of time, Ren doesn't like to talk with people. He requires a blood sacrifice."

"Shouldn't be anything to difficult," Kylo said. He'd endured injuries unimaginable to any other being in the galaxy. A blood sacrifice would be a cakewalk.

"You can't do it with just any blade," Riveced said. "You need to use the Dagger of Ren."

"Do you happen to have this dagger?"

"Yeah," Riveced said as he pulled a small blade from his robes and gave it to Kylo. "Once you've drawn the blood, let it drain on the helmet. That should do the trick. Well… since this isn't Ren's original helmet, that might also have something to do with it."

"I'll take my chances."

"Very well."

"Oh, there is one more thing I forgot to mention. There's a spell, of sorts. Basically, you say 'Mors, obitus, decessus' until Ren speaks."

"Alright. That's all I needed. Go back to whatever you were doing."

Riveced and Kylo exchanged a look before Riveced went off. Kylo took his helmet off and put it on the floor. He then grabbed the blade and impaled himself through the stomach, wincing in pain as he did so. The blood ran down onto the helmet.

"Mors, obitus, decessus," Kylo said. "Mors, obitus, decessus. Mors, obitus, decessus. Mors, obitus, decessus."

"Why do you come to me?" Ren's voice asked.

"To learn. It's been several years since you taught me anything."

"I know. What more do I have to teach you? You've grown more powerful than I could ever thought."

"Yes, but I'm not strong enough. I need more."

"What is there to teach you?"

"I don't really know. I was hoping you'd have the answer to that very question."

"Hmm. Do you know the power of memory walk?"

"No."

"It is a very, very powerful ability. It forces the target to relive their most traumatic experiences. Here, let me show you."

Kylo yelled in anguish as he felt Snoke stabbing his back and pummeling him with Force lightning. He shrieked in the voice of a demon as he felt Snoke's torture all over again. He saw Luke standing over him, lightsaber crashing down on him. Then he saw himself caught in a Force choke from Snoke as Snoke laughed sadistically. He felt Anakin tugging at his heart. It was too much. Kylo covered his eyes, trying desperately to avoid his past. But he could not. It felt as if his face was falling apart from the agony. He saw himself killing his mother and father. Again. He still hated himself for that and seeing himself do that again was too much. Wait. This wasn't real. This was a reality of his own creation.

"No," he said. "NO!"

The reality suddenly faded away. He looked around to see he was back in his throne room on Coruscant. He was alright.

"What… what was that?"

"You just relieved all your memories you tried to burry for so many years," Ren said. "You see, no memory is ever truly erased, no matter how hard you try. Luke and Ahsoka have no shortage of regrets and bad memories that you can pull from. Ahsoka's regret is your most powerful weapon against her. To this day, she blames herself for Anakin's fall to the dark side.

"Weaponize her regret. Luke also lives with regret, but he's moved on, more than Ahsoka, at least. You drained Ahsoka, right?"

"Yes."

"She is weaker now than she ever has been. She's half her former power and now you know how to get inside her head. She should prove much easier to kill this time."

"Maybe. But I have another question."

"What?"

"There is a girl named Rey. She… she is Anakin."

"What?" Ren asked, confusion in his voice.

"She is Anakin, but at the same time she isn't."

"Oh, no."

"What?"

"The Chosen One…" Ren said. "You know of the Chosen One prophecy?"

"Yes."

"There's more to it. Every generation, or most, have their 'Chosen One.' Anakin is not the only one."

"Wait. You're not making any since. The prophecy says one being will bring balance to the Force. Not multiple."

"Yes, but that one being is many, if that makes since."

Kylo said nothing, in a state of pure confusion.

"Reven. Anakin. Rey. Revan brought balance in his time. Anakin brought balance in his. Now Rey will bring balance in hers."

"But Anakin himself told me that he is Rey. Does that mean Revan is Anakin? Or Anakin is Revan? Or Rey is Revan?"

"Yes and no."

"I need more than that."

"They all share core memories. A hive mind, to some extent."

"That would explain why I saw Reven's mask in Rey's mind."

"Indeed."

"So Rey is the biggest threat?"

"Yes. The prophecy says that a final battle will take place in a world separate from others, that the Chosen One will take a new vessel to destroy the darkness. The Jedi and Sith will unite to vanquish the Invader."

"I'm assuming that means Anakin will take Rey as a vessel?"

"Yes."

"So she needs to die."

"Yes. There is another part of the prophecy you might want to know."

"What?"

"The Invader will try and take control of a vessel."

"That doesn't help much."

"That is all I know."

"Fine," Kylo sighed. "Thank you."

"Yes. Make sure you kill Rey."

"I will."

18

Chosen One

"Master Skywalker," Rey said. "I have something I think you should know."

"What is it?" Luke asked.

"When Thrawn, Chad, and I went to Starkiller Base, Kylo looked inside my mind and he… I… I felt Anakin, like he was me. I can't explain. It was like we were one."

"Hmm."

"And… I found out the truth."

"About what?"

"I… I have no parents."

Luke said nothing for a while. He couldn't imagine what Rey must be feeling right now.

"I… I don't know what to say," Luke said. "I'm sorry."

Rey said nothing. Silence. Luke, not knowing how else to know his sympathy, embraced Rey in a hug. Rey returned the hug. No words were exchanged.

Ahsoka flipped over a training droid and blasted it back with a Force push. Another droid wacked her helmeted head. Ahsoka growled in anger and crushed the droid with the Force.

"Ahsoka, that's not a very Jedi like thing to do."

"Hey, Anakin," she said. "End simulation."

The droids shut down as Ahsoka walked over to Anakin.

"I'm sorry," Ahsoka said. "I'm just frustrated about Thrawn's death. I wish I could have done something to save him."

"I'm lost inside a memory buried deep inside of me!

"I know you do, Snips."

Ahsoka couldn't help smiling at her nickname.

"There is something important that you must know."

"What is it?"

"It's about Rey. She is the Chosen One."

"Wait. What?"

"Let me explain. You see, there is no Chosen One. Most generations have a Chosen One. Revan was one of the first. I was the latest. Rey is the next and the final one."

"Wait, you're not making any since. I know that prophecy and it said nothing about multiple Chosen Ones."

"It's complicated. Revan, Rey, and I all share certain memories. I know of Revan's past like it was my own, because it was… from a certain point of view."

Ahsoka shook her head in confusion.

"I know it's hard to understand, Ahsoka. Know that Kylo will be doing everything in his power to kill Rey. Make sure that doesn't happen."

"I will, Master."

"It's kind of adorable how you still call me that," Anakin laughed.

"I guess I can't help myself," Ahsoka laughed.

Anakin smiled, as did Ahsoka.

"Goodbye, Ahsoka. I'll see you soon."

Ahsoka nodded as Anakin vanished.

"Let me get this straight," Luke said. "You found out that you were Anakin, but you yet you weren't, you saw Revan's mask, and that…"

"Luke," Ahsoka said, interrupting Luke, albeit unintentionally.

"Yeah."

"A word, please."

"Just a second," Luke said to Rey as he walked outside the door. "Yes?"

"It's about Rey. She's…"

"Anakin."

"How did you know?"

"She told me."

"Anakin told me just a few minutes ago. Did he tell you there were multiple Chosen Ones?"

"What?" Luke asked.

"Yeah."

"That…"

"Makes no since. I know. Basically, every generation has its Chosen One. Revan was one of the first. Anakin was the most recent and now it's up to Rey."

"Oh, boy," Luke breathed.

"Kylo will be trying his best to kill her, so we need to train her to her full power. Fast."

"If she's Anakin, then shouldn't she have his skills?"

"It's not that simple."

"Of course it isn't," Luke sighed.

"I'm not any happier about it than you are."

Luke rubbed his head as he processed all he'd just heard.

"Wow."

Ahsoka and Luke looked over to see Chad.

"Oh, hello, Chad," Luke said.

"That's some deep philosophical shit," Chad said.

Ahsoka laughed.

"It is indeed."

Kylo grunted in pain as he felt Vader tugging at him. A while back, on the way to Starkiller Base, Kylo had experienced a similar injury. At the time, he thought nothing of it, but now he was certain Vader had something to do with it. He knew Vader gave him more power, but he felt his control of that power beginning to slip away. He focused on Vader and tried to hold him in place. Vader didn't like that. Not one bit.

He flung Kylo into a wall, much to Kylo's anger. Kylo growled as he tried to remove Vader, but failed. It seemed he'd have to live with Vader in his soul for… well… ever. But this wasn't the first time he'd had to live with the spirit of a long dead Sith Lord inside him. Five or six years back, he'd been possessed by the spirit of Exar Kun and he'd made it out of that alive.

He used shatterpoint to destroy the spirit of Kun, but he knew that Vader was far too strong for that. So he supposed the best he could do was try to keep Vader at bay. At least until the Jedi were destroyed. He'd go from there, he supposed.

The whole Rey dilemma made things even more complicated. Kylo knew that Vader and Anakin, although they shared the same memories, were two entirely different beings. Now there was Anakin, Rey, and Vader. They were all three the same, yet entirely different. Well, right now the only things that mattered were making sure Rey died and making sure Vader didn't gain control over Kylo. Everything else was secondary.

Revan closed his eyes. It was peaceful in the Netherworld of the Force, peaceful beyond peaceful. But even here, he felt major disturbances. He felt the time was drawing near. He knew that the Chosen One, the latest one, was about to come into power. Hopefully she would be the last and finished what Revan and Anakin had started. It was her destiny, as it was Anakin's and Revan's before him.

"What is it?" Satele asked.

"She has awakened, Revan said.

"The Chosen One?"

"Yes."

"Does she know that she isn't the first, that she is you and Anakin?"

"Yes, but she is confused," Revan said. "But she will learn. Ahsoka and Luke will train her."

"And what of Vader?" Satele asked.

"I'm not sure. I sense a great conflict between Vader and Kylo Ren. Is there any way you can try to redeem Kylo? You came very close in the past."

"No. He is irredeemable. It's a miracle he didn't kill me. If I go back, I know he'd end me."

"I see, but thank you for trying in the past."

Satele nodded.

"When will the Final Battle take place?" Satele asked.

"Soon, but not too soon. You will know when it is time."

"Yes," Yoda said. "Approaching us the Final Battle is. Ready we must be."

Revan nodded. He'd been in the realm of the Force for… well… he didn't really know. Time worked differently here. He'd grown to know the Jedi Masters Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi during his time here. He'd grown to respect both of them. And it was… interesting to say the least when he met Anakin, seeing how they were the same being… sort of. Nevertheless, he'd grown to respect Anakin.

He'd also heard Anakin's many stories of Ahsoka. During his lifetime, Revan would have visions of a Togruta. At the time, he had no idea what the visions meant or who the Togruta was. But when Anakin first took on Ahsoka as an apprentice, everything clicked for Revan. Ahsoka was, in some ways, Revan's Padawan. He'd trained her as Anakin and he'd trained her as Revan on Csilla. Having trained her, both as himself and as Anakin, he'd grown to massively respect Ahsoka. She was the definition of a Jedi, embracing emotions, but not letting them consume and control her. Her iron will gave her power few Jedi had even known and even fewer could ever hope to learn.

But this was not up to Ahsoka, or Luke, for that matter. This was Rey's fight. Only she would bring a lasting balance to the Force, something he or Anakin were not able to do.

Kylo looked on as Cardinal parried an attack from Sion. After Phasma's death, Cardinal had taken over her duty of training the stormtroopers. He was a much better fit for the job, in Kylo's opinion. Phasma only cared about herself, but Cardinal had a genuine care for his troops, not dissimilar to how a father looked out for his children. Sion kicked Cardinal back a few steps, but Cardinal quickly recovered and kicked Sion back. Cardinal swiftly slammed his staff into Sion's mask, knocking him to the ground.

"Good," Cardinal said. "You're getting better."

He extended his hand to help Sion up. Sion took the hand.

"Good job," Kylo said.

"Thank you, my lord," Sion said. "I live to serve."

Kylo nodded. Blood. He needed blood. Suddenly Kylo sprang at Sion, knocking him to the ground. He ripped the trooper's helmet off and tried to strangle him, but Cardinal wacked his staff against Kylo's helmet. His mistake. Kylo lifted Cardinal up with the Force and hurled him several hundred meters back. Sion could not escape. Kylo went in for the kill… wait. Where was he? Why were his hands around Sion's neck?

Kylo slowly let go of Sion when Cardinal suddenly kicked the back of his head. Cardinal pulled out his blaster and tried to kill Kylo, but Kylo quickly yanked the weapon away.

"Stand down!" Kylo yelled.

"Why did you attack us?" Cardinal asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You tried to strangle me," Sion said.

"I… I did? When?"

"A few minutes ago."

"Why?" Kylo asked.

"We were hoping you could tell us," Cardinal said.

"I have no… wait."

Kylo quickly got to his feet and made his way to his chambers. He grabbed Vader's mask and tried to contact Vader.

"What?" Vader asked.

"What just happened to me?"

"How should I know?"

"Don't give me that," Kylo growled. "I know you had something to do with that."

"Did I?"

"Yes."

"Perhaps you're losing your touch, my grandson," Vader said.

"No. It was you. You tried to take me over."

"Now why would I do that?"

"Because you need me as a host body."

Vader said nothing.

"I'll take your silence to mean I'm hitting pretty close to the mark," Kylo said.

"You know, I really didn't want to have to do this," Vader said. "But now I suppose I have to kill you, your soul, at least."

"That won't happen," Kylo said as he plunged his lightsaber into Vader's helmet, causing Vader to howl in pain.

Kylo felt Vader beginning to fade away, both from the helmet and from Kylo himself. He searched deep within himself. Vader was gone. Seriously? He thought. It couldn't have been that easy. Could it?

He supposed that maybe things didn't have to be as complicated as he sometimes made them, but he felt certain that he hadn't vanquished Vader entirely. The best he could do was continue to grow his power to keep whatever small remnant of Vader remained, at bay. Although Vader might not be gone entirely, he was a much smaller threat than he first was. Now Kylo could focus all his efforts on destroying the Jedi, Rey in particular.

Wait. He thought of something. Back when Snoke tried to invade Coruscant with the First Order ground force, he'd failed, but that wasn't all of the First Order military. That was a mere fraction. What if Kylo sent every First Order trooper? That could work. The First Order had millions of troopers. What could a few Jedi and… whatever Chad was, do against millions of troopers?

Ahsoka felt a warning in the Force. Now was the time to summon the army she'd amassed.

"Luke, I'm going to Kashyyyk."

"Why?"

"Remember awhile back when Poe and I went to Kashyyyk?"

"Yeah."

"I sense that we're about to need that army of ours. The First Order's about to send their entire military here."

"Oh, boy. How long do we have?"

"A week, give or take."

"Alright. You go to Kashyyyk and I'll do my best to teach Chad and Rey all that I know. We're going to need them at their best if we want to hold the Order off."

"Agreed," Ahsoka said as she put her hood on and made her way to the Forgiven. "May the Force be with you."

"Thank you, Ahsoka. May the Force be with you."

Ahsoka smiled, shut the ramp, and took off to Kashyyyk.

19

Last Minute Preparations

The Forgiven dropped out of hyperspace to Kashyyyk. If all went according to plan, Chewbacca and his army would be coming back with Ahsoka to Ahch-To. She landed the ship atop one of the many tree platforms of Kashyyyk. Several Wookies came out to meet her, Chewbacca among them. Chewie roared.

"Yes," Ahsoka said. "It's time. I need you and the army to come back to Ahch-To with me. The First Order is launching an attack and we need all the help we can get."

Chewbacca roared again.

"Alright. Do you have transport ships?"

Chewie roared 'yes'.

"Good. Let's go."

Luke looked at his father's lightsaber. This was more than a weapon to Luke. It was the last tangible reminder he had of his father, but he thought now there was a better use for it. He made his way to Rey's room and knocked on the door.

"Yes?" Rey asked as she opened the door.

"I have a gift for you."

"What is it?"

"This weapon," Luke said as he held out Anakin's saber. "It was mine and my father's before me. Now it calls to you."

Rey took the saber.

"It belongs to you," Luke said.

"Thank you."

Luke nodded.

"The First Order's launching an attack in a week. I need to train you as much as I can within that time. So let's get started."

Rey nodded and followed Luke outside.

"Do as I do," Luke said.

He swung his lightsaber upwards, diagonal, downwards, to the right, and then a thrust to the left. Rey did the same.

"Now do it faster."

Rey drew her saber upwards, slashed downwards at a diagonal angle, guided her saber right and then thrust it forward.

"Good. Repeat those movements a few times."

Rey repeated the same movements for several minutes until Luke stopped her.

"You're doing the movements right, but your mind isn't in the right place."

"What do you mean?"

"You're focusing on aggression."

"Isn't that kind of the point of you training me?"

"No. Fighting is a last resort. I will try my best to reason with Kylo, but we need to be prepared for a battle. If you're using anger to fuel you, then Kylo has already won."

"I don't understand. How do I fight with the intent to kill while being calm?"

"You remember what you're fighting for. Jedi fight for peace, not for the sake of fighting."

"I suppose that makes since."

"Clear your mind of all but the Force. This planet is strong in it, rich with life. Feel that life flow through you, Rey. At the end of the day, you're fighting for life."

Rey nodded.

"Feel the life flow through you as you do those movements again."

Rey did the movements again, but her face, unlike last time, was in a look of pure serenity.

"Better, but I still sense anger in you. You must not let that anger control you."

"How?"

"Remember, turning to the dark side isn't something that happens overnight. It starts small, like any virus or cancer. But before you know it, it's spread throughout your entire body. You ask how to vanquish anger, fear? You can't. They are human emotions that cannot be removed. But you must learn to control them because you'll become something horrible if you don't."

"Something like Kylo?"

"Yes. Kylo started out a Jedi, a Jedi with a pure heart, but the darkness has twisted him into something horrible. He is now the very thing he swore to destroy."

"I see."

"Good. Now, do you feel the Force?"

"Yes, but it's not focused."

"That's because you haven't learned how to channel and focus it."

"How do I do that?"

"Your mind has to focus. You need to block out all distractions." Luke pulled out his lightsaber and put it on the ground. "Here. Pick this up with the Force."

Rey stretched her hand out and tried to move the saber. It moved a few centimeters. She tried again. This time it moved a few more centimeters. She sighed in frustration, but she kept herself in check. She tried for several more minutes. To no avail.

"You're not focusing. You're holding your emotions in check by bottling them in. That's not how it works."

"Didn't you tell me that I needed to keep my emotions in check?" Rey asked, irritation creeping its way into her voice, albeit slowly.

"You have to be at peace with your emotions and know when to use them. Anger isn't necessarily evil, but by its very nature, it is a temptation to the dark side. Righteous anger is the key. But selfish anger is what leads to the dark side."

"Alright."

"Right now, you're angry that you can't move the saber, correct?"

"Yes."

"The more you get angry at it, the less control you have."

"So I move it by not wanting to move it?"

"No. You move it by wanting to move it, but also staying calm. Try again."

Rey reached out and tried to move the saber for several more minutes. Nothing. She took a deep breath and tried again. This time it shot up to her hand, but fell to the ground at the last second.

"What happened? she asked, more curious than angry.

"Your pride got in the way. Once you saw the saber coming, you felt certain it would come, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"And that's exactly why it didn't come. You have to be confident it will come, but at the same time, not demand it come. If you are one hundred percent sure that it will come, it will not come. Try again."

Rey closed her eyes and focused for several minutes. For a while, nothing happened, but the lightsaber slowly levitated upwards and into Rey's open hand.

"Good," Luke said, a small smile working its way onto his bearded face. "Try it again."

Rey put the saber down and tried it again. It didn't move. At all. She slowed her breathing and focused on nothing more than moving the lightsaber. It slowly rose, but suddenly fell. She quickly grabbed it again with the Force and brought it up to her hand. Luke nodded approvingly.

"Alright. I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?"

"I need some help for this next exercise."

A few minutes later, Luke came back outside with Poe.

"Alright. Poe's going to fire his blaster at you and you're going to deflect them."

"Wait," Rey said. "I can't do that. I don't know how."

"Relax, kid," Poe said. "It's set on stun."

"Um, how exactly do I do this?" Rey asked.

"The stun projectiles are much slower than actually blaster bolts," Luke said. "Focus on them and let the Force guide your blade."

Rey nodded.

"Ready?" Poe asked.

"Ready."

Poe fired a few shots at Rey. She deflected the first few at the ground, but the last few struck her arm, causing her to drop the saber as her arm went numb. She winced in pain as she tried to pick the lightsaber back up.

"Your mind's not focused," Luke said. "Control, control. You must learn control."

Rey reactivated her lightsaber and nodded, signaling Poe to start firing again. Rey deflected the bolts for longer this time, but she was eventually overwhelmed as several bolts struck her square in the chest. She nearly fell to the ground in pain.

"Here," Luke said as she put a bandana around Rey's eyes.

"How am I supposed to fight if I can't see?" Rey asked.

"Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them. Let the Force guide you."

Rey nodded as Poe sent a few shots her way. She deflected them away at the last possible second. Luke smiled as Poe continued his barrage. Rey deflected several more shots before one managed to penetrate her guard, but she quickly brought her saber back up and continued her deflection for a few more seconds.

"Stop," Luke said. "Well done."

"Thanks," Rey smiled.

"Your power is growing quickly, but I will teach you much more before Kylo and the First Order come along."

Rey nodded.

Kylo smashed his saber against Jyn's and kicked her to the ground. The second he could deliver the killing blow, Riveced clawed at his throat with the Force and slammed him against the wall. Kylo smirked under his mask as he felt Riveced's anger. He was protective of Jyn. Riveced yanked Kylo his way and slammed his foot into Kylo's helmet. Kylo staggered backwards, but quickly regained his focus. He extended his hand to send a bolt of lightning Riveced's way, but Jyn sent him back with a Force push, her purple hair flowing as she did.

Kylo picked himself back up and charged his apprentices. He kicked Jyn aside and focused all his efforts on Riveced. Riveced redirected several of Kylo's thrusts and jabs before a blow grazed his chest armor. As Kylo reared back for the killing blow, Jyn sent him back with a blast of purple lightning. She really liked purple, it seemed. Kylo conjured a black hole and hurled it at Riveced and Jyn. They extended their hands and threw it back at Kylo. He ducked beneath it and tossed his saber at Riveced's face. He batted it aside with his own saber.

Kylo focused on Jyn's shatterpoint and poured the dark side in it. She screamed out in pain as Kylo kept up the attack. Riveced growled and yanked Kylo his way. He caught Kylo's neck in his hand and squeezed. Hard. Kylo kneed him and sent him back with a lightning blast. He wheezed as he tried to regain his breath. He conjured another black hole and tossed it at Riveced. The apprentice shattered it with lightning and marched towards Kylo.

Kylo, starting to panic, took a few cautious steps back. Riveced came down hard with a heavy overhand strike. He backhanded Kylo and slashed his stomach, downing him. Before Riveced could behead him, Kylo shot him with lightning. He kept up the barrage until Riveced didn't move. He looked over at Jyn. She slowly got to her feet, her eyes glowing red. She growled as she activated her saber, its red glow bouncing off her face. She charged Kylo, screaming with rage. Kylo redirected several frantic and rage filled attacks. Despite her petite stature, Jyn packed a punch.

She managed to break Kylo's guard and slash his arm. That only increased Kylo's anger as he broke her Force wall with a choke and tossed her into the wall. She didn't get up. He looked over at Riveced. He was still alive, but couldn't move.

"You've done well, my apprentices. You are ready for our invasion."

They nodded, albeit from the floor.

"I'll give you some time to rest."

Chad ducked beneath a blow from a Jedi training droid. It managed to slip past his guard and slash his chestplate. Chad growled as he fought the pain. He kicked the droid back and fried it with Force lightning.

"Chad… was that Force lightning?" Luke asked.

"Yeah. Why?"

"That is a darker ability, Chad. It requires a great deal of anger to use."

"Hmm. I've used it before, mainly to zap people who got on my nerves, but I've never felt any deep hatred or anger when I've used it."

"Use it again. I want to see something."

Chad shot a bolt into the air as Luke looked in his mind.

"Interesting," Luke said. "I felt no anger when you used that. Forget what I said. Keep using it because we're going to need every weapon we can get."

Chad nodded.

"Your saber skills have improved. Been practicing?"

"Yeah."

"I can tell."

"How's Rey doing?"

"Good. She's learned the core basics of saber combat and blaster deflection."

"Ah."

"Keep up the good work, Chad."

"Hearing you say that reminds me of my days at Empire Market when my manager used to say the same thing. What a jerk, that guy."

Luke laughed a bit.

20

Assault on Ahch-To

Kylo stood before the entirety of the First Order military. Now was the time.

"Here me!" he yelled from his platform, his apprentices by his side. "Now it the time to claim your glory and serve your Order to the fullest! Today you destroy the Jedi and the threat they pose!"

The troopers erupted in applause.

"I will lead you to your conquest, my friends! Stories will be told of your bravery! Your children will see you as heroes! You will bring peace to a galaxy that needs it now more than ever!"

The troops erupted again. Even Jyn clapped a bit.

"Board your transports! We leave now!"

"Now?" Riveced asked. "I thought you said we left in a few days."

"I did, but I feel the Jedi have discovered our plan and sent for backup. Better for us to get there before that can happen, would you say?"

"Good point."

"Come on. We have some Jedi to kill."

"Oh, no," Luke breathed.

"What?" Poe asked.

"Kylo's coming."

"Now?" Chad asked.

"Yes."

"That makes no sense," Rey said. "I thought they were coming in a few days."

"I think Kylo's caught onto our plan."

"When will Ahsoka be back?"

"A day at least," Luke said.

"So we're on our own?" Rey asked.

"It looks to be that way, I'm afraid."

Kylo closed his eyes as he saw his triumph.

"Do not let your ego get in the way of things," Ren said.

"I won't."

"Remember what I taught you. Make them suffer. Make them relive their worst memories."

"I will."

"We should be there in a few short minutes, my lord," an officer said.

"Good."

"So this is the day," Cardinal said as he strode up beside Kylo. "Today is the day we take back this galaxy."

"Do not let your future glory cloud your judgment, Captain, but if all goes according to plan, yes."

Cardinal nodded.

"Captain," Kylo said as Cardinal turned to leave.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for your loyalty." Which was Kylo speak for 'thanks for being a good friend.'

"You are welcome, my lord."

The Destroyers dropped out of hyperspace.

"Alright. Launch the ground forces!"

"Um, guys," Poe said as he looked upwards. "They're here."

"I know," Luke said as he saw several hundred thousand troops marching his way. "I know."

"So what do we do?" Rey asked.

"We fight."

Luke activated his saber and held it in a defensive position. He'd made peace with the fact that he could very well die today. The troops were getting closer. Luke's grip tightened. The first shots rang out from the troops. Luke began deflecting the bolts as Poe fired back. Several dozen troops made their way closer, close enough for Chad to catch all of them in a lightning bolt and toss them backwards. Luke saw a red trooper sprinting his way. He fired several shots at Luke. The Jedi deflected all of them, but the bolts bounced off the trooper's armor. Luke picked up several troops and tossed them backwards, but there were too many of them. The fired in all directions, grazing Chad and Rey. Poe ducked behind a boulder.

"This isn't going that well!" Poe yelled.

"Yes, I've noticed!" Luke yelled back.

He saw Kylo marching his way with two other beings wielding red sabers.

"Great. Now Kylo has apprentices," Poe said. "This is getting better every minute."

He looked upward to see what he thought was Ahsoka in her new suit. She unleashed a devastating blast, killing several dozen troopers. She landed, her fist colliding with the ground. She stood up as he mask faded around her. Kylo's eyes locked with hers. Both combatants were ready for battle. Luke looked over to see several transport ships land. Out of them leaped the 200,000 Wookies Ahsoka had recruited, Chewbacca at the head.

"Chewie!" Luke yelled. "Oh, boy, am I glad to see you!"

The Wookie roared.

"Oh, no," Riveced said. "They aren't supposed to be here."

"Yes. We'll have to change the plan," Kylo said. "Attack."

The troops, Riveced and Jyn marched toward their enemies. Ahsoka, Luke, Rey, Chad, and Poe strode their way, the Wookies behind them. That march quickly turned into a full on sprint, Ahsoka taking off the ground with her jet boots. She flew high into the air and brought her fist down on Kylo. He blocked with a Force shield as all hell broke loose around them. Ahsoka ducked under several sweeps from Kylo and blasted him back with her cannons.

"Nice new toy, you've got there."

"Compliments of you," Ahsoka said as he mask wrapped itself around her head.

Kylo smashed his saber against Ahsoka's twin white blades. She blocked with her right blade and slashed Kylo's chest with the other. Showing no mercy, she blasted him back with a Force push followed up by a nano blast. He staggered backwards. Ahsoka sprinted him, sabers aimed for his face. He dodged, but Ahsoka kept coming. She swung left with her sabers as Kylo panicked as he redirected the attacks.

He launched an attack of his own, poking at Ahsoka's defenses with quick jabs and thrusts. She blocked several of them before she saw a pattern. As Kylo reared back for another swing, she caught his blade with the Force and yanked it away.

Luke leaped over a missile from a rocket trooper as Poe shot said rocket trooper in the face. He held up several troops, allowing the Wookies to blast them. Chewbacca knocked a few troops to the ground with a punch, roaring as he did. Luke smirked. The tide was turning in their favor. Rey deflected several blaster shots from the troopers, but one managed to graze her arm. Chad threw up a Force shield to guard Rey until she picked her saber back up. Poe rolled under a shot from a stormtrooper and sent his own shot back, killing the trooper.

Chad deflected several bolts back at the army of troops. He smiled under his helmet as he dodged a shot from a panicking stormtrooper. He seized a jet trooper and hurled him backwards. His confidence, however, was shattered the second he saw Kylo's new apprentices. Ah, now he remembered them.

"Oh, hey, it's you," the male apprentice said.

"Oh, yeah… I'm Chad, if you forgot. Riveced, was it?" Jyn stood by Riveced's side. "Ah, what's a girl like you doing at a battle like this?"

Riveced growled as he tossed Chad backwards with a Force push. He sprinted for the kill, but was tossed back by Luke.

"Ah, you must be Luke Skywalker."

"Indeed I am."

"Finally, a challenge!"

Jyn went off to fight Chad and Rey as Riveced stared down Luke, sizing up his enemy. He launched a series of attacks. Luke guided the blade at his head downwards and parried the blow at his stomach. Riveced took a few steps back.

"I sense great darkness in you, but also great light." He looked over at Jyn. "You love her, don't you?"

"I don't have time for this."

Riveced brought his lightsaber above his head and crashed down on Luke. Luke casually deflected the blade and sidestepped another slash. Riveced extended his hand to blast Luke back, but Luke's hand shot forward, absorbing the blast and sending it back at Riveced, knocking him down.

"Stay down, kid," Luke said. "This isn't your fight."

"The hell it isn't!"

Luke dodged another attack and kicked Riveced to the ground.

"Why are you doing this?" Luke asked. "What reason do you have to hate me?"

"Lord Ren wants you dead."

"So? Why do you care?"

"I…"

"Exactly," Luke said. "You don't know why you're in this fight. What do you have to gain from this?"

Riveced said nothing.

Ahsoka flipped over an attack from Kylo and sent him back with a Force push. Kylo rushed Ahsoka and sent a bolt of lightning her way. The bolt collided with her chest piece, short circuiting her suit. She quickly leaped back up and shoved him back with the Force. Kylo returned the favor, crushing Ahsoka's weakened Force shield. She crashed on the ground, dropping her sabers as he head smashed the ground.

Kylo brought his saber down on Ahsoka, but she managed to conjure a nano shield, redirecting Kylo's blade down and allowing Ahsoka to reclaim her footing.

"You're weaker than the last time we fought," Kylo taunted. "You're more dependent on that suit than you are the Force."

Ahsoka responded by breaking Kylo's Force wall with a Force push, much to Kylo's anger. He yanked Ahsoka his way and kicked her helmeted face.

"Jyn!" Kylo yelled. "Get over here and help me!"

Jyn rushed over to Kylo's aid, leaving Riveced to face Luke alone. Jyn blasted Ahsoka back as Kylo shoved her to the ground. Kylo punched Ahsoka's face and Jyn kicked her stomach. Ahsoka quickly took Jyn out of the fight via a nano blast to the chest. Kylo swung at her twice. Ahsoka dodged both blows, but Kylo broke her Force wall and shoved her to the ground. He clawed his fingers into Ahsoka's chest piece, trying to claw it out. Ahsoka tried to take Kylo's arm off, but it didn't work. Ahsoka slowed her breathing as she tried to think.

Ah. She had it. She emitted a massive blast of energy from her chest piece, knocking Kylo to the ground. He remembered what Ren told him about Ahsoka's regrets. He focused on her mind and pulled her darkest memories to the forefront of her mind. Ahsoka yelled in agony as she relived her worst memories all at once.

"I won't leave you!" Ahsoka said. "Not this time."

Vader looked downwards, but soon looked back up with a renewed hate in his eye.

"Then you will die."

"Ahsoka!" Anakin yelled as he ran down the stairs of the Jedi temple. "Ahsoka, wait!"

Ahsoka came to a stop.

"I know what it's like to want to walk away from the Order," Anakin said.

"I know," Ahsoka said, sorrow on her face and in her blue eyes.

She turned around and walked away from the Order… forever.

"NO!" Ahsoka yelled as she stepped back from Kylo. "You will not take me."

Chad grunted as Riveced kicked his face. Luke quickly returned the favor by slamming his foot into Riveced's face.

"Flametroopers! Now!" Riveced yelled.

Suddenly, thirty flametroopers sprang out of seemingly nowhere. They activated their flamethrowers, encasing Luke. He threw up a Force shield, stopping the flames. He was effectively out of the fight. Riveced tossed Chad aside. His target was Rey. He thrust his saber her way. She guided the lightsaber away and took several cautious steps backwards. She deflected a few shots from several stormtroopers, but was quickly overwhelmed, allowing Riveced to break her guard and remove her left hand. She fell to the ground, grasping her wound.

Before Riveced could kill Rey, he felt himself fall to the ground. He looked downwards to see his legs separated from his body. Surprisingly, the one how removed his legs was not Luke or Ahsoka. It was Chad, of all people. Chad lifted Riveced with the Force and electrocuted him with a blast of lightning. Before Chad could kill Riveced, he felt his back flair in pain. He looked behind him to see countless stormtroopers firing at him. He tried to turn around to deflected, but was knocked to the ground by a staff strike by Cardinal.

Cardinal fired several shots at Chad's head. If it wasn't for his helmet, he would have been dead. He kicked Cardinal's leg and got back to his feet. Cardinal swung his staff at Chad. He guided the staff away from him and swung his lightsaber in a downward slash. Cardinal moved his staff to intercept. He rolled away from a right sweep from chad and stabbed him in the stomach. Chad wheezed in pain as he fell to the ground. Cardinal shot Chad's helmet several more times before it cracked, exposing Chad's right eye. Showing no mercy, Cardinal shoved the end of his staff into Chad's eye. Chad yelled in pain as Cardinal pushed the staff deeper.

Cardinal grunted as he was suddenly knocked to the ground by Poe. Poe propped Cardinal up and slammed his knee into the trooper's stomach several times. But Cardinal quickly grabbed Poe's arm and hurled him to the ground. Cardinal looked over to see Luke grasping fifty troopers with the Force. He tossed the troopers in all directions and made his way over to Cardinal. Cardinal took several steps backwards. Luke could sense his fear. However, he also sensed Cardinal's determination and belief that was he was doing was truly right.

Luke could have easily killed him, but he simply incapacitated the trooper.

"Chad?" You alright?" Luke asked as he helped Chad up.

"Not really," Chad growled. "I kinda lost my eye."

"Chewie!" Luke yelled.

Chewbacca sprinted over to Luke and Chad.

"Here," Luke said as he picked up Chad and handed him over to Chewbacca. "He's in bad shape. Get him to shelter."

Chewbacca nodded and sprinted off with Chad. Luke looked over to see several Wookies crushed by Riveced. It took all Luke had to not explode in anger as he saw innocent Wookies killed. Apparently, Riveced sensed Luke's anger.

Kylo growled as Ahsoka slashed his mask. Ahsoka went for the kill, but Kylo yanked a stormtrooper his way, causing Ahsoka to kill the trooper and not Kylo. Ahsoka swung her sabers at Kylo again, but Kylo yanked yet another trooper his way. Ahsoka ended up beheading the trooper. She took a few steps back and unleashed a devastating nano blast, but Kylo formed a shield from ten or so stormtroopers. Kylo was beginning to panic, Ahsoka could tell. He clearly wasn't thinking, because if he was he'd know that he was killing his own troops. So Ahsoka let him continue.

He pulled ten or fifteen more troopers in front of him. Ahsoka slashed all of them to pieces with her lightsabers. Ahsoka slashed her sabers along the ground and quickly brought them upwards, batting Kylo's blade aside.

Chewbacca roared as a blaster bolt struck him in the back. He stumbled forwards as several more bolts struck him, causing him to drop Chad. He tried to get back to his feet, but was knocked down by Sion. Chad growled as he activated his saber. He might be without an eye, but he could still fight. He felt the Force flow through him as Sion slammed an electro baton at Chad. Chad guided his blade upwards to deflect the blow. Sion, growing more frustrated by the second, slammed his baton against Chad's saber. Chad put one hand behind his back as he brought his elbow up and his hand down, guiding the baton away. Sion kicked Chad's stomach and caused him to stumble back a few steps. Sion smashed his baton against Chad's already damaged helmet, cracking it even more. Chad new Sion was the better fighter, but Chad had one thing Sion didn't: the Force.

He sent a bolt of lightning Sion's way, shocking the trooper and hurling him back several meters. Chad looked over at Chewbacca.

"Chewie, you alright?" Chad asked as he helped the Wookie to his feet.

Chewbacca roared.

"Guess I'll help you back to the ship, alright?"

Chewie roared.

Kylo recognized what Ahsoka was up to now. She was making him kill his own troops. How about he turn that around? He focused on a dozen nearby Wookies and pulled them his way. Ahsoka beheaded all of them. She fell to the ground, crushed by what she had just done. Kylo wasted not a second, swinging his lightsaber at Ahsoka's face, but she remained focused, bringing up her lightsabers and pushing Kylo's back. He staggered back and yanked several more Wookies his way. Ahsoka caught them in the Force, saving them, but allowing Kylo to grip her neck with the Force and slam her to the ground.

Luke deflected dozens of blaster bolts back at the stormtroopers, killing them. He saw Riveced lying on the ground, legless. He knew he shouldn't kill an unarmed man, for it wasn't the Jedi Way, but… he knew what a threat the young apprentice posed. He brought his saber down to kill Riveced, but his saber was deflected by Jyn. Luke used his greater strength to force Jyn's blade upwards and focused on her shatterpoint, pouring the Force into it and knocking her out. Before he could kill her, he had to deflect several bolts from the remaining troopers, of which there were well over 100,000. He guided several bolts back, but the sheer number of bolts knocked the saber out of his hand. He panicked for a split second, but he quickly regained his focus. He threw up a Force shield and absorbed the bolts for several seconds, but he soon felt himself sliding backwards.

He looked over at Ahsoka. She was doing badly to say the least. Kylo slashed her back and overloaded her suit's circuits with lightning. Luke took a dozen steps back, absorbing the blaster shots as he did. He yelled in pain as he exerted everything he had to keep the blaster bolts at bay.

Ahsoka looked over to see Luke holding back the entirety of the First Order army. She knew she had to get over and help him. As Kylo reared back for the killing blow, Ahsoka generated a foot restraint from her nano tech and shot it at Kylo's feet, pinning him to the ground. She flew over to Luke and put up a Force shield of her own. She quickly felt her energy fading away as she absorbed the bolts. Before she and Luke's defenses failed, Chad extended his hands, lightening the load for the two Masters. Rey got to her feet and extended her hands. The four Jedi held back the barrage for several minutes

Kylo pulled his saber to him with the Force and cut Ahsoka's restrains off, but he hadn't counted on one thing: the restraints having a nano bomb hidden inside them. The bomb went off and the blast rendered Kylo unconscious.

Cardinal shook his head as he got back to his feet. Things were not going well at all. Kylo was knocked out, as was Jyn. Riveced was half of the man he used to be, quite literally. Things went from bad to worse as the four Jedi shoved the millions of blaster bolts back at the troops, killing most of them and injuring the rest. The second he got to his feet, he was once again knocked down by Poe. Poe pulled his blaster and shot Cardinal several times point blank in the helmet. Cardinal kicked Poe off and sprinted over to Kylo.

"Troops! Over here! Now!"

Two stormtroopers sprinted over to Kylo and picked up the unconscious Supreme Leader and took him back to the ship.

"Get them, too!" Cardinal yelled as he pointed at Kylo's apprentices.

A few more troops sprinted over to Riveced and Jyn and rushed them to the shuttle.

"We can't let them get away!" Poe yelled.

Luke and Ahsoka reached out with the Force, trying to pull back the ships, but it was too late. They'd already jumped to hyperspace.

"That's just fantastic," Poe sighed. "Now what do we do?"

"Well, we killed most of their troops when we redirected their fire back at them," Luke said. "So now we're on a more even playing field."

"Yeah, but…" Poe trailed off as he saw a black armored stormtrooper twitch. "Hey, looks like they forgot someone."

Ahsoka bent down and put her hand on the trooper's neck.

"He's still alive. We might be able to get him to tell us Kylo's plans."

"His plans?" Poe asked. "His plans are about as simple as they come. He wants us dead."

"Yes, I realize that. What I'm saying is that maybe we can get him to tell us about, say, Kylo's apprentices. If we knew more about them, we might be able to sway them to our side."

"That's really our only option," Luke said. He looked over at Chad, blood surrounding what used to be his eye. "We'll get you fixed right back up, Chad."

"Oh, I don't doubt it."

Luke and Ahsoka looked downwards, both crushed by not being able to end the threat of Kylo and his apprentices here and now, but both Jedi were grateful to be alive.

21

Failure

Riveced sighed as he took his first few steps on his new robotic legs. He made it forward a few steps, but he stumbled to the ground after a few steps. Jyn quickly bent down to help Riveced back to his feet.

"Hey," she soothed as she gave him a quick kiss. "You'll be up in walking in no time."

He smiled a bit as he gave her a kiss.

"I know."

He took a few more steps forward, Jyn supporting him as he did so.

"You're doing better," she comforted. "Just keep stepping forward."

She slowly let him go. He took several steps forward. He turned around and nodded, signaling he was able to walk. A smile stretched itself across Jyn's face. Riveced walked back to her and wrapped her in his arms.

"We'll kill the Jedi soon enough," Riveced said.

"Only if we have to, love," Jyn said as she rubbed Riveced's scalp. "Only if we have to."

Kylo sighed as he contemplated on his failures. He'd failed to do the one thing he'd set out to do: kill the Jedi. To make things even worse, he'd lost most of his military. He'd gone backwards. Well, he'd also killed Snoke and Vader, so it wasn't like he'd been a complete failure. Well, he'd noticed that Ahsoka was indeed weaker than the last time they'd fought. She was still a deadly duelist and her new suit gave her durability she'd not had before, but she was still weaker. Kylo had taken away Ahsoka's greatest weapon: the Force. She could still use the Force, of course, but it was to a much lesser extent.

No amount of nano technology could make up for that. Kylo could still grow stronger, as could his apprentices. They would become stronger and they would destroy the Jedi… and bring… peace.

To be concluded in Star Wars: Destiny's Way