Author's note:

So, first of all, I wanted to thank for that one little review. Thanks. Really.

Second of all, I apologize for taking so long. I'm sorry to say that the chapters will most probably be posted irregularly.


1. Not In Kansas Anymore

This is not real.

After I gathered my jaw from the ground all I could do was gape dumbly at the barren wasteland surrounding me. As you can see, I was pretty much shaken by my current situation, as well as by the fact I was alone in the middle of some god-damn nowhere. Really, who wouldn't be? But there was apparently an even more pressing matter - the sky. The sky on which brightly shone not one but two suns. I felt my stomach do a few flip-flops as my thoughts started swirling in my head, leaving nothing but a tangled mess.

I'm dreaming. This is a dream, a very realistic dream, but a dream nevertheless. Don't freak out, don't freak out, this isn't really happening!

The mantra I kept repeating in my head helped me soothe my nerves at least to a small extent. This couldn't possibly be real, could it? I must've hit my head on the way downstairs or something. Maybe I slipped and fell off the stairs? Just a few more minutes and I'll wake up, safe and sound.

I couldn't remember much from after my sister called me. There was a blank spot in between my conversation and... that darkness. That terrifying, suffocating-

I really must've hit my head. Hard.

How do I wake up?

That was a good question. A good question, I, unfortunately, didn't have an answer to. Had I broken something? Maybe I'm in a coma? I heard that people who fell into comas had pretty realistic dreams - it would match my situation fairly well. So what do I do? Do I pinch my arm and poof?

Out of curiosity and with a hint of hope I tried it. Didn't work.

So what now? I couldn't just stand here forever - it was getting hot. And by hot, I mean really hot. Like, impossibly hot, even. Is it even supposed to get hot in dreams?

Because if this is not a dream, there is a pretty high chance I'll run out of fluids in my body rather quickly.

That thought gave me shivers. I had to find civilization. Or at least a shelter, preferably with access to TV, cold drinks and a shower. That should be easy enough, right? Since it's just a dream. Because logically, this can't be anything else. People just don't pop up on other planets. Right? Right...?

If I don't wake up from this nightmare soon, I'll be pretty much screwed.

So I set off into the unknown, hoping all of this to be nothing more than a product of my imagination.

...Why does my dreamscape have to look like a desert of all things?


My throat was dry. Probably drier than it had ever been in my life. I hadn't drunk anything since- since I don't even know when. I was marching for what felt like hours. Or days. Or ages. I could say one thing for certain - if this isn't real, I don't know what is.

My surroundings were nothing more than a sea of sand. Sand to the left. Sand to the right. Sand behind me, sand in front of me. Sand in my shoes. Sand freaking everywhere.

I had a very nasty, pounding headache. I was also slowly starting to get more and more light-headed. This couldn't be good. I was walking for god knows how long and yet I haven't passed by even a single settlement.

I was starting to greatly regret ever leaving my previous location. If I stayed there it probably wouldn't be much different after a while, given the fact that I still didn't have any water or basic resources necessary for survival on a god-darn desert, but at least I would have some kind of shelter to shield myself from the combined power of two suns! It was worse than on a frying pan up here.

I honestly didn't know how much longer I would be able to pull through.

I don't want to die. I really, really don't want to die.

Don't think like that, don't think, focus on walking...

I had to stop for a minute. Or two minutes. Or five. I was panting and my muscles protested after every single move I made. My arms were probably covered in burns but I didn't look at them, fighting to stay awake. My eyelids were sliding down every few seconds and I had to forcibly keep my eyes open.

It's gonna be okay, just stay up for a few more minutes!

My legs buckled from under me and I fell on my knees. I couldn't stand straight anymore. After that, my vision went completely black. Am I lying down? How did I-?


Warm, dry wind blew over vast wastelands that housed mostly nothing in particular, save for a few skeletons of long-dead specimens that once lived on this Force-forsaken planet. The day was exceptionally hot, even for Tatooine's standards.

I'm guessing it's 'high time' I head back home.

She almost scoffed at that thought. Her father worried way too much, even though it indicated he simply attempted to be a good parent. But for kriff's sake, I'm practically an adult now!

Shiri truly loved Vuren - the dedication with which he always performed his work, his caring nature, his honesty. But she couldn't stay on this hellhole of a planet forever. She thought that he, being a wonderful parent and all, would understand. It was apparent that she was wrong. Her dad has always stricken her as a bit of an overprotective type, at least as overprotective as a merchant living in the middle of Mos Espa can get. But planning out her life, giving her his shop and indicating she'll spend the rest of her life as a vendor on this insufferable dustball?

No… just no! Why can't I chose how will my life proceed!? He thinks he knows better, but what about my needs? My plans, my dreams?

She turned her swoop bike around, blowing the dust from the ground. It billowed and coiled around her, obscuring her figure. She let her feelings of aggravation disappear onto the back of her mind, replacing them with the thrill of driving full-speed on the sandy surface of the Dune Sea. As the wind whipped past her lekku she felt the adrenaline rush through her veins, draining all of her worries away. This is what one needs when overly depressed, living on a scorching pile of nothing but sand.

Force, she hated sand. It was so coarse and it got everywhere!

Riding a swoop bike was one of the few pleasures of living on Tatooine. She could go wherever she wanted and as fast as she could, without having to worry about all of her chores or boring tasks. She had to watch out for Sand People and other dangers, granted, but she never ventured far enough from Mos Espa to actually get in some kind of trouble.

Other than that, Shiri enjoyed meeting with the few friends she had or practicing shooting from a blaster on the small hill situated nearby the capital city. In general, she liked anything that presented her with some kind of risk or thrill. It was not something her father approved of, to say the least.

Normally, she worked as a shop assistant at her dad's store. They mostly sold junk that they got from the local scavengers. The process of preparing it for sale was rather tiresome - first, you had to clean it, then possibly repair what was left of it and after that, it was finally ready to be put on display. It was good to take a break from all the work once in a while.

She really couldn't imagine herself doing this her whole life. Didn't want to, either. She craved adventure, she wanted to see different planets, she wanted to explore. She didn't want to stay trapped, bound to one place for the rest of her existence.

She was so lost in her thoughts that at first she almost didn't register a small, humanoid-shaped spot slowly forming on the horizon.

Wait... is that a person?

She slowed her swoop bike, not wanting to get too close to this mysterious being. It could have been anyone - a lost Tusken Raider, for example. Is it possible I ventured a bit too far from Mos Espa this time?

She didn't get much more time to think because suddenly she saw as the figure collapsed onto the ground. She waited several seconds for any sign of life from them but they remained unmoving. Whoever this was, they were lying unconscious in the middle of the most scorching desert on Tatooine.

Shiri carefully inched a bit closer to where the person was lying on the ground, both curious and anxious about who this might be.

From where she was standing she could make out that it was a human male with brown, unkempt hair. He looked rather young, if not like a teenager. He was dressed in a simple, plain-white shirt and blue pants made of a weird material unknown to her. There was also some kind of cloth tied around his waist.

To put it lightly, he was not dressed in something someone sane would wear if they wanted to take a stroll in a desert. Not that anybody sane would want to take a simple stroll on the Dune Sea in the first place. Something seems really fishy here...

He was obviously dehydrated and probably also suffered from a heat stroke.

She couldn't just leave him to die... could she?


She groaned as she lowered the mysterious man to the ground. Force, her new acquaintance was heavy. Thankfully, aside from that, the ride back home went rather smoothly. The only thing she was worried about now was how her dad will react when he sees her dragging an unconscious man through the front door. Hopefully, he will be too busy cleaning the droid parts to notice...

Is it just me or are the streets more quiet than usual?

She felt about a dozen eyes on her back. Most likely everyone, from smugglers to slaves, was staring at her. She stopped the swoop bike in front of what was both their house and workplace, so in the middle of a fairly busy street. It was hard not to notice a young Twi'lek girl carrying around a comatose man, even in such a shady place as Mos Espa.

She stepped up to the entrance and opened the door. There was no one at the counter, which meant that her dad was somewhere in the back, probably fixing something that broke down or cleaning the mess she left after her little 'project'.

Ouch... I forgot about that. Man, dad's gotta be furious...

She was working on a few adjustments to her blaster. Nadee once showed her how to effectively increase the power of the blaster bolts by manipulating the... actuating module? She tried to do the same but... let's just say it didn't go well. She had an argument with Vuren right before she hopped on her swoop bike, seething with anger. Cleaning up wasn't exactly on her mind at that moment.

Now is not the time to think about this.

Right. She had to get this man some medical attention. She would take him to a med center if there ever was one.

Shiri supported the weight of his limp body on her side. She slowly dragged him through the small doors leading to her room and carefully put him on her bed. His breath was shallow and ragged, his lips were dry. Generally, he didn't look so good.

She had to hurry.


My back was hurting, as well as the majority of my muscles, and I felt as if someone just dumped the entire Sahara desert into my throat. Other than that, I had an itch on both of my arms. I was too exhausted to even reach out and attempt to scratch myself. Now that's just peachy, isn't it?

I was lying on some kind of material. Someone must've found me! I was both relieved and anxious at the same time. I still didn't know who exactly stumbled upon my unconscious body or where the hell they took me.

Or on which planet I was in general because this definitely wasn't Earth. I still kind of needed to get over this fact...

"...all I want to know is what were you thinking!" My musings were cut short after I heard a male voice. It sounded as if it was muffled by a wall. "What did I tell you about bringing strangers to our house like that?"

I opened my eyes. At first, I didn't get to see much, having only brightness flood my vision. After my eyes adjusted to my surroundings a little I saw a sandy-colored celling. I slowly tried to push myself up but failed miserably. I was simply too exhausted to even do that. So I can't move at all! Fan-fucking-tastic. It hurt like hell, too. I almost gasped in pain but managed to control myself.

"What was I thinking?! This man would've died if I just went on my merry way!" This voice belonged to a female. Someone was arguing. It was rather clear over what...

"I'm just trying to tell you that this man... we don't know him. This might be anyone, Shiri, and I mean anyone. People just don't end up stranded on the Dune Sea for no reason. He might bring us trouble and you know we can't allow any more missteps. Not after that stunt that you pulled with Nadee." A stunt?

"That stunt I pulled!? That bastard got what was coming to him! You side with the slave owners now, dad!?" Slave owners? They have slaves here!?

"It's not... no, I don't side with those greedy... It's not what I mean! I mean- We need to be careful, Shiri. There is no law here, sweetheart. Money and connections are what matters. If we screw with those who have them, we might not be able to come out on top."

"I get it, I get it! But... we can't just let these scumbags treat living beings like this! Okay, I may have overstepped a little but I promise it won't happen again. I'll... try to tone down. I think you understand what I mean, dad. I think you feel it, too. And what exactly does all this it have to do with this guy, huh? What's wrong with helping him? He doesn't seem very menacing or like a runaway slave. Just look at him! Maybe 20 standard years of age, he's dressed in really weird garments, maybe he's just an off-worlder that crashed here by accident?"

There was a slight pause in the conversation, followed by a long, deep sigh.

"Shiri-"

"Don't 'Shiri' me-"

"Alright."

"Alright?"

"I'll let him stay."

"Wha- really?"

"Yes, of course! We can't just let him die now that he's here. I'll ask him questions when he's up and about. Maybe we'll find out who is he and why he ended up on this hell of a desert all alone."

Okay. I had to pause for a second. I just overheard a conversation about slavery, criminals, anarchy, some kind of a stunt and the Dune Sea. It gave me a lot to process. Dune Sea, slavery, a desert, two suns. Don't I remember this from somewhere?

But... no. No, no, no, no. This is impossible!

A wave of disbelief washed over me again. Normally, to this point, I should've already accepted my situation. But I didn't. I couldn't do it. Accepting it would mean I'm on Tatooine of all places. Tatooine, a fictional world from Star Wars!

But the facts speak for themselves. Oh god. How the fuck did I get here?!

My musings were cut short by the sound of footsteps. Someone was approaching the room I was in. What do I do? Think! Quick! I closed my eyes and started pretending I never woke up. This might not have been the smartest thing to do, but can you really blame me? I just found out I'm in another fucking universe. I was in shock. And scared. Really scared.

If I'm really in Star Wars (god this sounds ridiculous), then just exactly when? In the Rise of the Empire era? It seems like it... While I liked Star Wars (mostly because of Kate, she was the one that made me watch every and each of the six movies three times), I wasn't really an all-out lore nerd. I could ponder like this forever but I had other things to worry about.

"It seems he hasn't come to yet. I gave him some water and put ointment on his arms. He has some nasty burns." It was the girl's voice. This... what was her name? Shiri?

"Let me look at him."

The footsteps ceased. I could feel someone standing over me.

"It seems he's stable now." It was the guy she was arguing with. Her father. "But..." Huh? "he isn't sleeping anymore."

"What?"

"Hey, you! You're breathing a little too quickly for a man that's out cold." Damn it!

I begrudgingly opened my eyes once again. I didn't expect to see an alien. I almost did a double take. He was tall, green, with two head tentacles and yellow eyes. Is that a... Twi'lek?

"Shiri, pass me some water here."

"All right, just wait a second." After these words the girl stalked to another room, leaving me with the Twi'lek man. She was also an alien. Just like her father, she was green with yellow highlights on some parts of her body. I couldn't see much of her face from where I was lying down, but she seemed rather pretty, with the kind of exotic beauty... But what am I thinking right now!? I should get my act together!

"So, let me ask you a question first. Just how long have you been awake?" Oh well. Should I tell the truth?

"Umm... for a while..." Jeez. My voice sounded raspy and quiet. Almost not like my voice at all.

"And just how long is a while, huh?" His tone was stern but he had a look of sympathy on his face.

"Long enough... to overhear... your conversation...?" I managed to rasp out. It sounded more like a question than a statement. Somehow I felt a little bit guilty about having listened in their argument.

The alien sighed. "Sorry that you had to hear that. I really didn't mean... you know what." He sounded apologetic. He also seemed rather distressed about the whole situation. Well, this is very, very awkward.

Before I managed to reply to him the girl, Shiri, entered the room. She was carrying two bottles and a cup on a tray.

"Here you go." She said while setting the tray on a low, stone table. She flashed me a smile and retreated. She settled on a chair that was situated next to the door, probably intent on listening to our conversation.

"First have a sip, boy. Then we'll continue our talk."

I nodded to him, grateful. How long ago have I had a drink? I didn't even remember.

He helped me sit up. My muscles were still numb and I had difficulty moving. He poured the contents of one of the bottles into the cup and gave it to me. Finally. Oh god, what would I give for some lemonade with ice cubes inside...

After emptying more than one cup I was refreshed. My lips weren't dry anymore and I didn't feel like I just ate a plate full of sand for breakfast. I must thank them when I have a chance... They practically saved my life. The entire idea of almost dying still made me go cold. If not for them, I would be a dead man now...

"So what's your name? Where do ya come from?" The girl asked with a tone of genuine curiosity.

"Emm..." I started saying, but I was quickly interrupted by her father.

"Let me handle this, Shiri. Don't you see our guest is confused and exhausted?"

"Um, no, it's okay! I actually feel a lot better now." I cut in before Shiri had a chance to protest to her father. My voice finally sounded normal. Thankfully. Okay. So... what do I tell them? It was something I had to do, sooner or later. Better sooner than later.

Well, that was the part I hadn't thought out. I couldn't simply tell them 'Hi, I'm Josh, I'm from Earth. Haven't heard about it? Oh, no, it's not anywhere near here. It's actually in another galaxy that is also probably a part of another universe!', could I?

"My name is Josh. I'm from..." Insert an awkward pause that totally didn't make me sound suspicious. "...Alderaan."

There. I said it.

They say that lies have short legs...

The alien-whose-name-I-still-didn't-know looked at me intently, as if considering what I said. Then he extended a hand to me.

"Vuren. And I presume you already know my daughter's name?" He smiled politely, although there was an undertone of wariness in his voice.

I shook his hand and nodded.

"So... what happened?" Vuren asked, concern evident in his voice.

Right, what happened Josh? I had to make something up. Quickly.

"I... I mean we... me and my droids... we crashed." Droids? What droids? Just where I'm going with this? As you can see, I was improvising. I seriously suck at improvising. "I was heading to Aldeeran... but something in the hyperdrive broke down. I had to make an emergency stop and I ended up orbiting Tatooine... and that's when the engines failed. The last thing I remember is my ship falling down. After that, I remember waking up... in some kind of a cave, with my ship not in sight. If I stayed where I was my chances of survival wouldn't be really high so I decided to look for a city or a settlement or anything at all..." Let's mix in some truth. If I'm lucky (like really, really, lucky, almost insanely so) maybe they'll buy it...

Vuren looked at me with raised eyebrows, arms crossed, a frown on his face. He didn't look like he believed me much (if at all). "Fine, so let me get this straight... you crashed because your hyperdrive and engines failed."

I nodded once.

"And then... you woke up in a cave. And your ship just disappeared. Just like that."

I smiled nervously, vainly trying to cover up my rising panic. Before I managed to say anything, Vuren interrupted me again.

"Okay... let's say that I believe you." For a moment I couldn't comprehend what was I hearing. Then relief kicked in. He believes me! Oh wow- But before I had time to even to finish that thought, I was asked one last question. "So... what are you going to do now?"

Oh boy. I had no idea how to answer that.


Meanwhile - Republic Space, Tython

The halls of the Jedi Temple of Tython were just as busy as on any other day. Although much changed after the destruction of its predecessor, the Jedi Temple of Coruscant, the Jedi Order wasn't vanquished and it still firmly held to its principles, growing from day to day, slowly restoring itself to its previous glory.

Jedi Padawan Riyan Navaro casually strolled next to his Master, the togrutan female named Ametta Nyr while dozens of Knights, other Padawans, and even initiates were passing them by. They were just heading back to their quarters after they were summoned by the Jedi Council and tasked with something rather... unusual.

One would think that at the brink of war with the Sith Empire they would be sent out to some military compound, or on a remote world to ensure its collaboration with the Republic. That was what most of their missions consisted of, but not this time. This time they were ordered to investigate a disturbance in the force. Yes, only a simple disturbance. It was something that bothered Riyan greatly. The disturbance has occurred a few hours ago and could be felt by every Jedi in the Order.

The entirety of the Jedi Order is a lot, granted, but sending out a Master and a Padawan to inspect it? The peace is hanging on a thread! The Council is just wasting its resources while we could be doing something useful!

"I sense your distress, Padawan. Is it our task that bothers you so much?" The Jedi Master asked, sternly but with a tinge of understanding. She probably didn't even need the Force to tell that he was discontent, having spent with him more than 8 years, teaching him everything she knew so he could make a fine Jedi Knight and protect the Republic. And peace, of course... as long as it lasted.

"I simply can't believe the Council has assigned us to something so... petty. Can't the Masters just meditate on this? We have bigger concerns than this, like the Empire!" He said, aggravated.

Master Ametta only smiled softly at her Padawan. Riyan almost groaned internally, already knowing what was coming. Every time his Master had that look on her face, it meant he was about to be lectured. Thoroughly. "The Council has better things to do than to look for the source of an unknown disturbance, that's why they have ordered us to do it for them, Riyan."

"But Master, they said themselves that this wasn't a very pressing matter! And we have been stuck at the Temple for almost a year now, while-"

"It is not our place to defy the Council, Riyan. As I said before, the Council has greater matters to attend to, and we have been assigned what they are too busy to conclude. It may be nothing of importance, but we don't know that. It may as well be something life-changing. You are too young and inexperienced to know better, trust me. You still have much to learn, Padawan." She swiftly cut in with a tiny smile on her face, leaving no room for further discussion. Ametta Nyr was very patient and kind spirited, but when she had to she could be stern, demanding and she always had to abide by the rules.

Riyan only sighed in defeat and ran a hand through his hair. He knew he couldn't convince his Master that this entire thing was a waste of time. I guess I'll have to 'open my mind' and accept the will of the Council. Again. Sometimes he wished his Master was a bit more unconventional. Though he was still grateful that she decided on teaching him. He didn't know what he would do without her.

So they continued their walk in silence, unbeknownst to what would they discover.