Welcome, one and all, to a rather different kind of Star Wars story. This story is a what-if scenario. What if Star Wars took place in our galaxy? With Earth as the capital of a vast Republic? Where the Sith are as numerous as the stars in the sky, striking with a vengeance at their bitter rivals, the Jedi.
While it does not contain any connections to the official Star Wars universe, save for elements of the lore and certain adaptations of characters that we have woven into our story, we hope that you will be able to enjoy the story on its own merits, both here and in the sequels that we have planned.
(Complete details for the stories we have planned in this series can be found on our page)
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Resurgence, A Star Wars Story:
Book I:
Dawn of the Sith
Synopsis
For a millennium, the Sith have been thought extinct. The Galactic Republic grew and prospered in their absence. They flourished. But the Sith do not die. Cut off one head, two more shall take its place. They have waited, preparing for the chance at their ultimate revenge. Now they strike from the depths of history. With an army arrayed against them and the deepest secrets of the Dark Side unleashed, the Jedi must stand firm in the face of the storm. Will anyone survive the Dawn of the Sith?
Character List
Matthew White: Grand Master, Jedi Order (human male)
Caleb Temple: Master of the Order, Jedi Order (human male)
Raymond Shearin: Senior Council Master, Jedi Order (human male)
Maya Temple: Council Master, Jedi Order (human female)
Motodata: Council Master, Jedi Order (human male)
Kiyomasa: Council Master, Jedi Order (human male)
Masamune: Council Master, Jedi Order (human male)
Jacob Haywood: Jedi Spymaster, Jedi Order (human male)
Sylvia White: Jedi Master, Jedi Order (human female)
Alex Argo: Jedi Master, Jedi Order (human male)
Fal Kooru: Jedi Master, Jedi Order (Mirialan male)
Jeremy Temple: Jedi Master, Jedi Order (human male)
Ayrin Beals: Jedi Knight, Jedi Order (human female)
Joshua Cornette: Jedi Knight, Jedi Order (human male)
Taria: Jedi Knight, Jedi Order (Twi'Lek female)
Shia: Jedi Padawan, Jedi Order (Mirialan female)
Eelya: Jedi Padawan, Jedi Order (Twi'Lek female)
Natalie Portlandia: Chancellor, Galactic Republic (human female)
Richard O'Hare: Senior Admiral, Republic Navy (human male)
Zun'Bando'A: Admiral, Republic Navy (Kaminoan male)
David Smith: Admiral, Republic Navy (human male)
Emma Yates: Captain, Republic Navy (human female)
Michael Richards: General, Republic Army (human male)
Wolf: Commander, Republic Army (Clone human male)
Cody: Commander, Republic Army (Clone human male)
Rex: Commander, Republic Army (Clone human male)
Adrienne Fowler: Republic Intelligence Operative, Lieutenant, Galactic Republic (human female)
Tyrannicus: Dark Lord, Member of High Council (human male)
Thren Vari: Sith Lord, Grand Admiral, Sith Empire (Sith male)
Tal Koridan: Sith Lord, Grand Admiral, Sith Empire (human male)
Kornath: Sith Assassin, Adjunct, Sith Empire (Sith male)
Part I
Shadow of the Force
Prologue
City Chase
The sun was shining brightly over Washington DC. A sprawling network of buildings ranging from homes and apartment complexes to businesses and skyscrapers all of which emanated in an almost flower-shape from the White House, the capital of an ancient but well remembered nation called the United States of America. Eight million people of species ranging from humans native to the world to Twi'Leks and Togrutans from the far reaches of the Republic worked and lived there. Most were normal citizens, but many more were military officers, government officials, senators and so on.
DC was merely the capital of Earth, an important role in galactic affairs. But next to it. Oh, next to it was a sight even more grand. The New Coruscant, a circular city that sat on a massive floating disc in Atlantic with a smaller disc jutting into the Chesapeake Bay. The buildings stacked on top of each other, apartments, businesses, government buildings, with vertical and horizontal elevators and trains connecting each network of buildings, linking them all into a vast sprawling web that was the galactic capital.
It was a normal, peaceful day. Just another day to go to work, pay the bills, get some ice cream or perhaps go to the park. Or visit a museum left over from Washington DC's days as the capital of America. No one expected their peaceful day to be disturbed. No one expected to hear the whine of a speeder engine, nor to have to duck in alarm and fright as a landspeeder tore through the streets to the western quarter of the city, where speeders were forbidden. Speeder traffic was strictly kept in the skies, away from walking civilians.
This speeder seemed not to care. Several people screamed. Others shook their fists at the hooligans before checking on their loved ones.
More speeders came blazing in, kicking up dust from the streets and rustling banners and flags. Emblazoned on the sides of each was the circular white and black emblem of the Republic. In the speeders sat men in white armor, their helmeted heads focused on the rogue speeder they were chasing. It was a yellow Mobquet model, open canopy revealing three men dressed in black flight suits.
"Rogue speeder! You are violating traffic laws! Power down and prepare to be taken into custody!" The voice of the lead Clone Trooper was drowned by the roar and whine of the engines. It was not even certain whether the criminals had heard him. Whether they did or not was irrelevant. They continued flying, beginning to shift to the left and right as though they were evading blasterfire. Not one clone opened fire. Their orders were to capture the speeder, not risk killing citizenry or damaging property
The chase took them to a three-way intersection. Directly ahead was a long apartment complex that extended in both directions along the street. The clone driving the speeder increased his speed, attempting to close the gap. It didn't work. Someone in that speeder was desperate.
A little too desperate. With a boom, they flew directly into the apartment. Fire blossomed and both apartment and speeder vanished in the inferno. Smoke billowed. Flames licked the walls and spiraled up high above the rooftop for a brief moment before simmering down. The buildings not hit were shaken, cracks appearing in several.
"Get out! Move it troopers! On the double!" Commander Wolf bellowed at his men. "Get a medical team and an ambulance. NOW!"
The military speeders landed, parking in a semi circle to block off the street. Clones ran out and immediately set to work. Some directed civilians away from the carnage. Others grabbed what fire suppression equipment they had, standard extinguishers issued by command to be carried in speeders at all times, and charged into the wreckage. Wolf commed the military headquarters and informed them of the situation.
Within minutes, more sirens began blaring as ambulances and fire speeders flew up to park within the clone formations. Wolf directed men and women to assist his troops in battling the fire, which had spread to several surrounding apartments. While the fire fighters got to work, the clones began rescuing trapped civilians. Their armor afforded them just as much protection as fire suppression suits, enabling them to stride through flame and smoke without hesitation. Which they did. The people in the apartment hit by the explosion were dead, likely disintegrated or torn apart. But others were now trapped behind debris or hiding in locked rooms in hopes of survival.
Clones battered down doors and shifted debris, herding the terrified families out and to the ambulances where medics draped shock blankets over their shoulders and treated their burns.
As this went on, another, unmarked speeder drove up. The traffic clone's first impulse was to wave it away but then he caught site of the driver and passengers. The driver was a man dressed in black robes with piercing blue/grey eyes and long, dark blonde hair that fell just past his shoulder. His companions were a man with short dark brown hair, with brown eyes and black robes that were almost Samurai in design and another man with long, dark dreadlocks, a fierce countenance and dark grey robes. Matthew White. Caleb Temple. And Raymond Shearin. The leaders of the Jedi Order.
The speeder landed and the Jedi got out. Matthew immediately strode to the nearest clone trooper, his cutlass-styled lightsaber bouncing against his right hip. "Take me to Commander Wolf, please."
"Sir, yes sir!" the trooper barked, snapping to attention before leading the Grand Master to where Wolf was urgently speaking into a comlink.
Meanwhile, Raymond and Caleb grabbed masks and hurried into the nearest fire-fighting zone. The clones did not object. In fact, they welcomed the presence of the Jedi Masters at their side.
"Commander, status report?" Matthew asked calmly. As he waited for the clone to gather his thoughts, he began subtly drawing on the Force, centering himself in it. Calm was needed for this situation. He could sense panic and terror in the air. He cradled the Force to his chest, infusing its power with the calm he needed to feel in order to be the Jedi he knew he was. Then it was released, scattering into the air.
Instantly, the atmosphere seemed to shift. Rapid breathing slowed. Urgent orders were issued in a calmer tone. Crying babies stopped crying and nestled against their mothers.
"Master Jedi," Wolf said evenly. It was no secret he did not like Matthew. They had butted heads continuously during the long Mandalorian War. "A speeder piloted by unknown persons flew through Fifteenth Street and crashed here."
"What do we know about the speeder?"
"Mobquet. We first received reports of it on Nineteenth, near the military outpost in that district. By the time we got troops after it, it was in the civilian sector."
Matthew tilted his head. "Then they were definitely up to something more than normal teenager activities."
"It appears so." Wolf continued his report, but Matthew had already heard all he needed to know. The clones would tell him nothing useful. But the Force could. His eyes remained open, giving the impression he was listening, but in reality his mind was elsewhere. Drawing on the currents of the Force. Matthew pictured the speeder's impact in his mind's eye. The angle of impact, the flames that gushed forth. But something was wrong.
Every Jedi knew that death unbalanced the Force. Few had died here, causing little ripples in the ebb and flow of its currents. But not enough ripples. Not as many as there should have been.
"They're alive."
"What?" Wolf sighed. "Who is?"
"The pilots of the speeder," Matthew said as though it was obvious. "They weren't in the speeder when it crashed?
"How do you know?"
"The Force." With that, Matthew walked away and pulled out his comlink. "Ray! Caleb! We have another situation. The occupants of the speeder are alive. Find them." He layered his words with enough urgency that they got the hint. By the time they had finished whatever task they were currently engaged with, Matthew had already powered up the speeder.
They ran and got in. "What's this about?" Caleb didn't bother with his seatbelt. Nor did Raymond.
Matthew took off, taking the speeder high above the buildings. There had been enough terrorizing for one day. "The speeder's pilots were seen near the military outpost."
"They aren't just reckless idiots. They wanted something. They were escaping."
It was the simplest explanation. While Matthew flew, Caleb began seeking out with the Force. The only way to track down these pilots before they escaped into the millions of people in Washington DC was to find their auras, read their thoughts. To hope that they could find them, three minds among thousands.
To Caleb, reality became a blur. The bodies of his fellow Jedi seemed almost unreal, as though he existed in a world that they did not share a part of. He was open to thought. Emotion. It blazed through the Force. He accepted it and shifted aside the distractions to find what he sought. Worry about the bills, anger at a boss, irritation at an expensive product, all this became a jumble, a meaningless blur that Caleb pushed through until he found what he sought.
Exhilaration. Tinged with fear, but also with malice. Three signatures with these emotions. Moving fast. And in different directions. "Matt, they've split up."
Matthew nodded acknowledgement. "Which way."
Caleb stood up. The speeder immediately jolted and Matthew turned the wheel hard to the other side to compensate. "We split up. Raymond, you go right. You'll know him when you find him." Then Caleb leapt, summoning the Force. He let it flow through him, effortlessly turning his body into a somersault that ended with him landing in the center of the road. Raymond landed a split second later, bounding eagerly forwards.
Passersby gave them nervous looks. It was rare to see a Jedi in action. For four years peace had reigned in the Republic. And in the capital especially no one dared to disturb that peace. Very few people had seen a Jedi in action unless one counted Holonet newsfeeds every now and then.
They ignored them and ran, bolstering their speed with the Force. Caleb went one way, Raymond another. Down a side street he went, twisting and turning through alleyways that emerged onto another street. Some citizens cursed under their breath as he pushed through them. Ahead of him, he could sense the sudden fear that spiked in the Force. It wasn't just apprehension at seeing a Jedi in action. This was fear. The knowledge that he was now the hunted and the hunter was rapidly closing in. Raymond could sense his speed pick up in desperation.
It took a second for him to spot the criminal. The man did not blend in with the crowd. It was almost comical. His black flight suit and the way he moved, pushing aside people in his haste to find a vehicle. Raymond grinned and slipped into the crowd. When the man turned, he saw nothing but civilians. With Force-enhanced sight, Raymond saw his brow furrow in concentration.
What was interesting was the way the Jedi Master suddenly felt he was being watched and the sense of darkness that accompanied it. The realization hit him like a brick. This criminal had Force training. How this was possible, Raymond didn't know. Who could have trained him? Surely not any of the Grey Jedi cells that existed throughout the Republic and Lawless space. They had no motivation to attack the Republic.
Shrugging, Raymond decided he would figure this out later. His dreadlocks swung back and forth as he picked up speed. With a snap-hiss, his lightsaber sprang to life. People on either side of him gasped or shrieked, ducking away from the white blade. As the blade extended, he sprang into motion, leaping high and somersaulting to land in front of the criminal.
He appeared young, early twenties at most. The face barely had any stubble and a visor that wrapped around the back of his head concealed the man's eyes.
"Stand down." The lightsaber he pointed left no room for argument. Raymond would either take him down or kill him. Obviously, taking him alive would be preferable. He hoped that it wouldn't come down to a fight to the death.
The man looked at him. Resignation was in his eyes. "No point running anymore."
Raymond cocked a brow. "Then why did you try?'
The man shrugged. "Thought it might work. Crazy plan."
Raymond sighed and deactivated his lightsaber. He still kept a wary hand raised, ready to freeze him in place with telekinesis if he tried to escape. But the man didn't. No escape attempt was made as the Jedi cuffed him and led him through the streets to where Wolf was still battling the fires. It was nearly put out by now, and most of the civilians had been transferred to the medical center.
Clones took him into custody, shoving him into a speeder and guarding him with raised blaster rifles. Raymond watched him from afar and thoughtfully rubbed his chin. He had a feeling that there was more going on here than met the eye.
Caleb leapt from rooftop to rooftop in hot pursuit of a long-legged, very nimble criminal. Above them, circling like a vulture, the speeder Matthew piloted flew. Caleb knew he was searching for the third man responsible for the explosion. From what they could sense, the two tried to separate, but remain close enough together to help each other if needed.
The man he was chasing leapt down, grabbing onto an insulated power line stretching from one house to another. It snapped, the forward momentum swinging him through a window. Without hesitating, Caleb leapt after him. The window was narrow, the sharp edges of glass providing an extra danger. He spun in midair, igniting his lightsaber in a whirling motion designed to cut the glass away and landed lightly on his feet, spinning up
Blasterfire rang through the air as deadly bolts of orange streaked towards him. Caleb swung his yellow blade, batting the bolts harmlessly into the floor. In front of him stood his quarry, holding the gun to a small child's neck.
"Drop the weapon, Jedi." The man's voice was gravelly and he pressed the muzzle of the gun deeper into the child's neck as the Bith child whimpered and tried to pull away. But the man's grip was too strong and the child ended up crying out in pain.
With a glare, Caleb dropped the lightsaber.
"Good." The criminal smirked and stepped back, heading to the front door. He didn't get far. In a whirl of black robes, the Grand Master surged through the door and aimed a kick at his knee joint. With an angry cry, the criminal staggered and pulled the trigger on the blaster. If not for Matthew quickly sweeping the man's legs out from under him, the bolt would've blown a hole through the child's head.
A disturbance in the Force alerted Caleb to the danger a split second before a grenade blast tore the wall apart. As he flew through the air, propelled by a shockwave, he saw Matthew grab the child and shield her with his body, protecting the small one from the debris and shielding himself with the Force. They both hit the wall, Matthew spinning to gently push the child into the nearest closet and Caleb surging forwards in a blur of motion to intercept the blaster bolt that had followed the explosion. With no lightsaber, he reached out with the Force and willed the bolt to freeze. It did, a sizzling, crackling orange light that seemed to hang suspended in midair.
Meanwhile, Matthew sprang forwards, his lightsaber weaving a blue arc that deflected several follow-up shots. The shooter took off running, leaping from rooftop to rooftop on the other side of the street. Caleb released the bolt and followed after making sure the family was ok.
Summoning the Force, Matthew sprang high, leaping and twisting to bring his lightsaber down at his adversary's shoulder. He had been intending to nick him, make him pause long enough to take him down, but somehow the blow was anticipated. Somehow the criminal dodged the strike and spun, his leg out in a roundhouse kick. The Grand Master threw his head back to avoid and crouched low. When the attack failed and he was off balanced, Matthew rushed him, spinning his lightsaber around his body to create a deadly blur of energy. They both ducked and weaved around each other, looking for weaknesses. Matthew struck first, moving so fast he was a blur. The criminal didn't stand a chance. He fell like a sack of potatoes under the impact of Matthew's fist.
"Ray apprehended the third one. That's all of them," Caleb told him.
Matthew had not seen him approach. The Jedi could be sneaky when he wanted to be. "Good. Let's get these to the outpost. Wolf can decide what to do with them." He turned his gaze on the unconscious man, a Mirialan, and wondered what he was. Force sensitive. Some sort of mercenary?
He was jerked out of his reverie by Caleb nudging him hard in the ribs. Glancing up, he saw that military and medical speeders had arrived. Oh right...grenade explosion. That would tend to draw attention. One wouldn't even have to read Wolf's Force aura to sense his anger. Even though the white helmet masked his face, the way he carried himself and barked orders spoke of anger.
Sighing, Matthew leaped down, landing lightly with the regality expected of a Grand Master right in front of the clone. "Commander." He nodded respectfully.
"What's this, Jedi?" Wolf snapped.
"Well, we call this arresting."
Wolf's Force aura crackled with irritation. "Next time keep the grenades to a minimum. I've got too much work to do as it is without cleaning up a Jedi's mess." He turned and strode away, then paused to glance over his shoulder. "In the speeder. Standard procedure to get a report from any involved. That includes Jedi."
Matthew knew this, but scowled anyways, disliking being addressed like some incompetent civilian. He swallowed his irritation and got in the speeder with Caleb.
"Wolf seems cheerful." Caleb rolled his eyes. "Does that soldier even smile?"
"Nope."
A trooper got in and powered up the speeder. He flew over the tops of the buildings and joined the sky traffic, making tight turns from lane to lane. The journey lasted briefly, with none of them speaking, not even with the speeder touched down on the roof of the outpost.
Instantly, both Jedi got the sense something was wrong. Raymond's agitation blazed through the Force. Matthew got out of the speeder and immediately saw why. The door had been blasted off its hinges. A thin trail of smoke trickled out from inside.
Caleb and Matthew exchanged glances and stepped towards the door. "Trooper," Matthew called over his shoulder. "Get Wolf. Tell him the outpost has been attacked." Then they went in.
The first thing they found was the smell. It was a smell of death, of charred flesh and of smoke. Here and there were bodies of clones and officers. Some had been shot only once, others had been riddled with blaster fire until there was hardly any way to recognize them as having once been alive.
At the command center, Raymond was attempting to get a computer working. Soon as he entered, Caleb moved to help, rewiring several key circuits. Raymond proceeded to punch the computer. To their surprise, it whirred to life and a grey loading screen appeared.
Matthew suppressed a snort. He shrugged when Raymond shot him a look and went back to looking for survivors. He moved cautiously, wary of remaining traps, or a survivor he might miss if he was being to quick. Finally, his senses picked up a faint moan. "Who's there?"
The moan came again. Someone was in pain. No, not just pain. This one was dying. It came from the left. Matthew whirled and found a pair of legs sticking out from under a burnt terminal. "Hang on!" He ran forwards and used the Force to lift the terminal off the clone. "We got you." He knew it was an empty promise and felt guilt settle in his gut. No matter how many he had seen like this, Matthew always felt guilty.
But a small smile graced the wounded clones face before he coughed up blood. "Master...Jedi." Another cough, blood trickled down the corners of his mouth. Matthew helped him sit up. He had mere moments to live.
"Trooper, can you tell me what happened?"
The clone seemed to realize he was beyond saving and nodded. "Mercenaries...Attacked. Caught us...By surprise." He shuddered and moaned in pain. By now, Caleb and Raymond had halted trying to reboot the computer and walked over to hear. "Didn't...Stand a chance...and the...leader." He broke off.
"Yes?" Matthew prompted him gently.
"Red...blade. Moved...like a blur...Sent men flying...wave...of hand..."
That sent shock through Matthew's mind. Red blade. And capable of wielding the Force? The only Force wielders that wielded red lightsabers were long gone. It could not be. It was not possible.
"Thank you, Trooper," Caleb murmured.
The clone gave one last gasping cough and went still. His eyes stared at Matthew without seeing. Sightless. Lifeless. Each Jedi contemplated what they had just been told in silence until Wolf arrived with more men. Something was at play. Something sinister.