Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi: A Knight of The Order
Disclaimer: I do not own the Star Wars it is owned by Disney, I am however borrowing it for my use of amazing fanfcition.
(Ok before we get started let me lay everything out, this fic is a near identical alternate universe for star wars. It's a universe where the jedi were more prepared for something like order 66. Instead of 98% of the jedi order being massacred in "Revenge of The Sith", its more like 40-60% were wiped out. More jedi are alive and the order survived. But that's the only thing that's different everything else I will try to keep canon…Actually all that's going to happen in another prequel side fic, I will write alongside this one. This is after said preparation is almost done, during the issuing of order 66. I want to keep them separate in beginning, and just gradually expand on the survival plan)
Chapter 1: Execute Order 66
Kalen Starr leapt out of his bed, after being awoken by his older sister Karia's holo message alarm.
"Kal-Kal its time to wake up, and go greet the day my little jedi master."
It had been years since Kalen's sister recorded that message for him, but he still loved it like he'd just gotten it yesterday. Karia had recorded it for him, when the order came and took him away to be trained as a jedi when he was five. it used to be the only thing he had left of his old life, and the orders rules be damned he'd never get rid of it.
"Hey sis thanks for the wake up call, and good morning to you to." Kalen said back to the hologram of his smiling sister after opening his room's curtains, and letting Corusants brilliant golden sunlight in. After doing the hologram waved back to him, but Kalen didn't notice, because he was to busy staring at a wall poster which listed the jedi codes.
Kalen had never liked that poster, it was just another reminder of his struggles with the code. It had been thirteen years since Kalen was taken in by the order. The hardest day of his life, had been when they told him he had to cut all ties with his sister, and break his bond with her. But this was impossible for Kalen, because Karia was more his mother than sister. It had been her who raised him, after they're parents died.
Life with his sister before the order had been so much different for Kalen. Karia always tried to keep a smile on Kalen's face, and to make sure he never felt different or alone. No matter how hard times became, they always got through them together. Things were simpler then, Kalen never had to struggle with the strict jedi code, the only thing that had mattered was his sister, and him. The thing Kalen missed most form those days, were the talks he used to have, with Karia. She was very stubborn and opinionated, and loved to talk about everything with Kalen.
It wasn't until Kalen was thirteen that he finally saw his sister again. Karia had become a senator in the republic, to have the authority to force the order to let her see Kalen. To this day that was the happiest moment in his's life, when Karia met him outside the temples gate, and they hugged each for the first time in years…The huge party, Karia threw to make up for the missed birthdays didn't hurt either.
"Later sis hopefully, I'll see you later today?" Kalen said to the hologram after he finished reminiscing about his past. He then turned the hologram off, finished getting dressed, and walked out of his room.
After leaving his room Kalen, walked through one of the temples great halls, that gave him a wonderful view of Corucant busy city skyline. The hall turned a corner and connected through a jedi training room. And of course the moment he walked in who greeted Kalen, but his padwan friend Jack Karr.
"Well good morning, "General" Starr, how are we feeling today?" Jack said to Kalen with his trademark sly grin.
"Don't call me that here Jack, it makes me feel way older then I am, we're the same age for pete's sake." Kalen said to Jack whom only smirked back in response and gave him a slap on the back.
"Come on you've got to get used to being called that now buddy. You're not a padwan anymore you're a full-fledged knight, a jedi master, and soon too be general in the republic. Not to mention you're a hero, you definitely passed one hell of a trial." Jack said after tossing Kalen a training saber, not giving him a choice in the matter about their daily sparring session.
"…Hero huh? I'd hardly call what I did heroics, I was just doing what an jedi would have done." Kalen said as he did a few practice swings switching between saber forms to use.
"Yeah but what you did, was take back a whole planet from the separatists, with nothing but your two squads of clone troopers. Man that was a huge explosion, I still can't believe you were able to pull that off. I bet your pretty high on Count Dooku's hit list…oh yeah I forgot Master Skywalker killed him…I guess you "were" is what I mean…ah you know what I mean. I'm sure master K'Kruhk, was just as proud of you as we all were." Jack said to Kalen, as he too started practice swinging.
"You'd think so wouldn't you? Actually master was really angry at me, I wasn't supposed to stay on the planet…But I knew what I was doing their was right, everything I was ever taught about being a jedi screamed for me to help those people. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I wouldn't have made it without master teachings, and my two commanders "Jackpot" and "Damper." I don't regret helping them, but still I'd rather not go back and face the council and master like that ever again…now are you ready to get taught a lesson?" Kalen said before pointing his practice saber at Jack.
"Your so obvious you know Kalen, I knew you'd be using your personal Jar'kai saber style. I'll never understand your love for having two sabers, you trade power for multiple weaker attacks." Jack said after blocking Kalens first strike once he whipped out a second training saber.
"Its only weaker if your not used to using both your hands, and adjusting for the extra weight of the second saber. And your one to talk using your Juyo form, you trade speed and maneuverability, for power and what you think is a guaranteed hit. Relying on power is a losing bet with a saber, you don't need it to cut through the saber!" Kalen said to Jack. He then took one saber clashed it with Jack's one saber, and while doing that took his free one and nicked him in the chest. The jolt from the training saber knocked Jack down onto his back laughing.
"…Man that was faster then usual, so that makes 50 matches, and 50 loses for me. But I'll get you one day just you wait, when I become a knight to I'll beat you once and for all." Jack said to Kalen whom cheerfully laughed back at him, before helping him up.
"Of course you will, of course well I'll be waiting for the day, you come and challenge me. When you become a knight to we'll settle things and then go out celebrating…But until then this knight needs to go meditate." Kalen said to Jack after taking a bow with a cheerful smile, before turning another corner and leaving.
The corridor Kalen was walking down now neighbored one of the temples many meditation rooms, that several padwans called the "think tank." That name had always made Kalen laugh, when he'd first heard it. He didn't particularly like staying in one place and meditating for hours…but lately he'd been having horrible nightmares that the masters, said might be visions from the force.
Before entering the think tank, a red skinned female Twi'lek master, named Zelsada opened the door and walked out.
"Oh good morning Master Starr." Zelsada said to Kalen after noticing him, and bowing politely to him.
"And a good morning to you master Zelsada…" Kalen said rather awkwardly to his fellow jedi knight.
"Is something wrong master Starr you seem distressed about something?" Zelsada said to Kalen, before placing a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.
"…Yeah I'm fine its just I'm still not used to be called, "Master" Starr. It was only a few days ago I was still, "Padwan" Starr. I'm just so much younger then all of my other knights, that part of me feels like I'm not ready yet." Kalen said to master Zelsada purposely avoiding looking her in the eyes.
"Master Starr this is not uncommon for some after reaching Knighthood, and yes you are younger then most of your predecessors. But that doesn't make you any less worthy, or prepared then they were. Reaching adulthood is difficult for everyone, but its how we learn and adapt to these hardships, which helps make us better people, and great jedi. You'll find your place very soon I promise you. Who knows maybe even, before this horrible war with the Confederacy is over, you just might have your own student?" Master Zelsada said to Kalen, before making way for him to enter the think tank room.
After walking into the meditation room, Kalen got into a crossed legged position, and began to commune with the force. It was difficult at first to empty all his thoughts to do this, especially master Zelsada's joke about Kalen getting a padwan. The thought greatly worried him. He'd been such a stubborn student, and he refused to cut his emotional ties, did he really have what it took or deserve to teach the next generation. Regardless Kalen let the thought go for now, and emptied the rest of his thoughts to connect with the force.
Once a few minutes passed Kalen finally was successful, and let his mind wander with the force as his guide. The force showed him is continued nightmare with each trip to the think tank; he'd made it clearer and clearer. Now it was almost completely visible to him and…and it was indeed Kalen's worst nightmare. For what he saw with the force was the temple in flames, as many many jedi voices were being silenced each one stabbing into him like a spear to his heart.
"…NO THIS CAN'T BE POSSIBLE…NO!...WHY BY THE FORCE WHY?" Kalen yelled his voice echoing loudly off the think tanks walls.
The hellish vision got even clearer, for Kalen as he tried to look away, but was unable to stop the vision. He saw that it was an army of shadows, being led by a man drenched in the darkside, and they were cutting down his fellow knights and…the younglings as well. Then it sped up, and Kalen saw himself, staring the dark man down with rage boiling in his heart, and both his lightsabers brandished in his hands. He struck out at the man, and they engaged in a saber duel, Kalen's two meeting his one. The duel was a flurry of clashing sparks, and burning smoke, but then abruptly came to an end in a matter of seconds. Kalen's sabers were ripped out of his hands, and he was pulled with the force onto the dark mans lightsaber. As he felt a small ounce of what dying felt like in that instant he woke from his deep trance like nightmare, short of breath and very sweaty.
"What in the name of force was that? The vision was never that clear before…it was horrible they were all dying and I…I couldn't do anything. I…I felt them die I felt their voices become silent, dear god that horrible silence…Who was that dark man with the lightsaber who…who killed me? I need to go find one of the masters now…and tell the…" Kalen said frantically to himself before passing out from exhaustion.
Two days passed before Kalen awoke in the temples infirmary, again short of breath and sweaty.
"Master Starr how are you feeling, you had us scared. Other knights found you passed out in the think tank. You were rushed here after that, as per your request we notified your sister, but unfortunately senator Starr is in a meeting with the rest of the senate, and cannot visit today." An elderly jedi-healing master said to Kalen after he awoke.
"…H…how long was I out for?" Kalen asked the master who frowned back at him.
"You were unconscious for almost 3 days Master Starr, that's why due to the seriousness we informed your sister, again as per you standing request involving your health." The healer said back to Kalen whom was shocked he'd been unconscious that long.
"…Master I need to contact the council…I had a vision that they "NEED" to know about. Are any of them here currently?" Kalen asked the healer, who went silent after he did.
"…No I'm afraid the council aren't here at the moment, neither are most of the padwans, and elderly masters." The healer said back to a very confused Kalen.
" WHAT WHERE HAS EVERYONE GONE THEN?" Kalen frantically asked the master.
"…Well Master Starr you see the "dark hand has shown itself", and Zero Hour has been put into effect, while you were knocked out. I know this must be very confusing for you as a recently knighted master, but this is very serious, and the order is about to face grave danger. That is why as we speak preparations, are being made to evacuate the temple." The healer said to Kalen, whom only became even more lost.
"What do you mean "zero hour" I don't understand, this is the first I've heard of it?" Kalen asked the healer whom only continued to frown at him.
"It is to much for me to say, you must go and speak with the council. Here is the holo frequency for Master Plo Koon. Go to the com tower and call him, the council was awaiting for you to reawaken, they'll explain everything there." The healer said after giving Kalen a holo communicator, and helping him walk out the door.
"You seen better days haven't you general. Then again anything better then the stuff we had to go through on that planet." Republic Commando Captain Damper said to Kalen after he walked out of the infirmary. Damper wore the standard snow white, bulky commando trooper armor, with unique round t-visor helmet. He also had a design of the republics symbol blazed onto his helmet, and chest piece.
"That's for sure I'll take Corucant over a dirty, jungle covered planet like that any day. My luck almost ran out, I'd have been a goner if you hadn't been there general." Arc Trooper Commander Jackpot said to Kalen. Jackpot was wearing his favorite sleek Phase 1 trooper helmet, and double yellow pauldron. His helmet also had a triple yellow stripe design that went down his cheeks and straight down the middle of the helmet, it was also completed by a galactic credits "7" symbol plastered on the top, and on his pauldron.
"Damper…Jackpot what are you to doing here?" Kalen asked rather confused that his two hand picked commanders, were here at the temple.
"We came to see you general, and its not just us our whole squads are here in the hangars waiting for your orders. We just got the orders to ship out, the Republics got the seppies on the run, and we can't leave without our general." Damper said to Kalen after taking his helmet off.
Kalen was truly touched by his mens loyalty to him, they didn't have to wait for him to recover. But they waited for him to recover out of respect for him. Their time on that kriffing hellhole, had earned Kalen their respect and loyalty a thousand times over.
Kalen then began walking down another hall with Damper, and Jackpot towards the coms tower.
"Well if its an order then lets go, I just have to stop of by the com tower to make a call to the council. Then we can get going…" Kalen said but was interrupted by Damper pointing and aiming his weapon at him, while shouting;
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING JACKPOT?"
Kalen didn't need to turn around to feel the barrel, of one Jackpot's twin blasters touching the back of his neck. Damper wasn't aiming at Kalen he was aiming at Jackpot, who'd lost his mind.
"…Jackpot do you mind telling me, what the hell you are doing?" Kalen said to a silent Jackpot, as he discreetly palmed one of his lightsabers waiting for a chance.
"…I'm sorry general I really am…but orders are orders…and a good soldier follows orders!" Jackpot said before Damper shouted at him again, and the hallway erupted into the sound of blaster fire…
(And done I hope you guys like this fic so far. If you did please show the love by either favorite/follow, and better yet leaving a review. I open to all good or bad, if it helps mt write this story better XD)