A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

STAR WARS

THE ANCIENT EMPIRE

It is a dark time for the galaxy. For nine months, the GALACTIC EMPIRE has ruled with an iron fist. The Jedi have disappeared into hiding, or have been exterminated. Any rebellions that have risen have been crushed in days, and most systems have lost any hope of freedom from this new force.

Unbeknownst to the galaxy, EMPEROR PALPATINE has been slowly building a powerful superweapon that will guarantee his rule for years to come. While progress is slow, each day it grows larger, and the DARK SIDE of the FORCE grows stronger. But the Emperor has felt a tremor in the Force, and fears something is stirring that will threaten his rule.

Unwilling to let anything stand in his way, the Emperor has sent his right hand, DARTH VADER, to the planet LURAT V to hunt down and destroy the source of the tremor. As an Imperial starfleet descends on the planet, a hidden Jedi attempts to flee with his family and knowledge the Empire cannot gain….

Lurat V was a rocky planet, dotted with mountains and valleys between them. Towns were nestled in these valleys, surprisingly advanced for a planet in the Outer Rim. The weather was calm, with a gentle breeze, but the warm sun was blocked out by the impending threat overhead that had the townspeople panicking and screaming. Far overhead, the Exactor loomed. Three Lambda-class shuttles descended towards the planet. Within the village, one family was frantically packing their belongings. A woman with brown hair and grey eyes helped her younger son pack his toys, while the family's protocol droid helped the older son.

"Lerin, we need to leave," the woman called to her husband, who was in the other room. He hurriedly closed a small metal container, and, walking over to his dresser, he opened a secret compartment on the side, pulling out a small, silver cylinder. Walking out into the entrance hall to meet his family, he heard the three shuttle touching down in the village square and tensed slightly.

Outside, Imperial Stormtroopers rushed out of two of the shuttles and began restraining all the villagers. They ran into homes and dragged families out, pushing them to their knees in the square. Suddenly, all the troopers snapped to attention as the third shuttle's boarding ramp lowered. Steam hiised from exhaust panels on the ship's underside as a strange, inhuman, mechanical breathing noise emanated from within the shuttle.

Down the ramp came none other than Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith. He surveyed the village with little interest, scanning for the presence he'd felt from orbit that signified a Jedi. he pinpointed it almost instantly; a house on the outskirts of the village. He gestured to a squad of troopers and began heading towards the house. The squad followed behind.

Lerin paled as he felt Vader's presence approaching. Any thought of escape for him faded in that moment. He turned to his wife and handed her the metal container. "Keep it safe," he said. "Keep the children safe, too." She seemed to be on the verge of crying. "Lerin…" she pleaded, but they both knew there was no escape for him. "Use this communicator to call for help. A friend will pick you up." He handed her a small comm device, then kissed her quickly. He hugged each of his children, the older's face set in grim acceptance and the younger's blank, as he was too young to understand this would be the last time he saw his father. Then Lerin turned and walked out to meet his fate.

Outside, Vader approached the house, his breathing cutting though Lerin's resolve. He stopped a couple meters from the entrance, where Lerin stood, lightsaber in hand but not yet turned on. "Lerin Striker," Vader said, a simple statement. "Lord Vader," the jedi greeted in an equally blank tone. "So the Emperor finally found me."

"You cannot hide from the Empire, or from the Dark Side," Vader replied, still not moving. "You have a Jedi holocron in your possession. You hid it well, but now I can sense it. Surrender it, and your life may be spared." Lerin ignited his lightsaber, the neon blue glow hitting his face. "You're a fool if you think I'd fall for that. I won't give you anything." Vader drew his lightsaber, igniting it and holding it in front of him. "Then you will die." Then the fight began.

Lerin lunged forward, slashing sideways. Vader blocked the attack effortlessly, and the next several attacks afterwards. He began pushing Lerin back, eventually cornering him against the wall of the house. Vader raised his left hand and made a choking motion. Lerin dropped his lightsaber and gripped at his throat. Vader crushed the weapon with his foot and raised Lerin into the air. "Disappointing," Vader rumbled. "It seems I overestimated your abilities, Jedi." He squeezed his hand into a fist and jerked it slightly to the side, snapping Lerin's neck. Then he let the lifeless corpse fall to the ground. He turned to the squad. "Find the family," he commanded. "Bring me the holocron." The troopers entered the house.

They searched it up and down, but the family was gone. They were fleeing through the small woods outside the village, the mother ushering the children and droid along frantically. With one arm she clutched the box that held her husband's holocron. She looked over her shoulder to see Stormtroopers running towards them through the trees. Clearly, they'd found their escape route and followed. She turned towards the droid and, removing the holocron from the box, handed it to the droid. Stopping, she crouched down and hugged her younger son. She stood up and, placing her hands on the sides of the older child's face, she met his eyes. "Take care of Andus. Please." The boy nodded. She kissed him on the forehead, then straightened up. Pulling a blaster from her belt, she turned around. The droid quickly pushed the children into a run again.

They were still running when they heard the blaster shots. They kept running even as they heard the Stormtroopers gaining again, the empty box not having fooled them. Suddenly, a bright light shone overhead. A ship hovered above them, lights shining through the trees. Lasers burst from guns on the wings, mowing down the troopers. The ship landed, and the ramp opened. A man in black armor and a cloak came down, firing a rifle at the remaining troopers as they took cover behind trees. "Get on the ship!" he yelled to them as he fired, his helmet's vocoder amplifying his voice over the sound of the blasterfire. The three figures began moving up the ramp.

A red blade emerged from the shadow of the trees, reflecting off black armor. Vader marched steadily forward, blocking the lasers fired at him with ease. Holding his left hand out to the side, he ripped a tree from the ground and threw it at the ship. The cloaked man ducked up the ramp, closing it behind him. A moment later, the ship raised off the ground and flew away. Vader watched it go, the only noise his breathing and the rustling of he leaves in the wind. Then he retracted his blade and turned, heading back towards his shuttle with what remained of his squad.

He hadn't failed, not really. After all, there was one less Jedi in the galaxy, and he knew now what he needed to find. Whatever was in that holocron was important, that much was obvious. But there was something more as well. That holocron was the key to changing the fate of the galaxy.

And Vader was determined that it would be changed in his favor.