On the dull, and otherwise unimpressive planet of Danuta, a small ship lands on the outskirts of an Imperial research station. "This is the Ravens Claw to the Home One. I've landed near my destination. I repeat, this is Kyle Katarn to Poe Dameron. Are you reading me?" The man said into his communicator.

"This is Poe Dameron, reading you loud and clear. Now according to our Intel, the Imperial's are holding all of their technical data regarding the Starkiller and Death Star projects inside that base. We're not entirely sure how that much data is being held there. Or why it's been moved way out here. But your mission remains unchanged. We engage Imperial forces, and while there distracted. You'll slip in; take anything else of interest EXCEPT for planet-killers. Then set the explosives, and leave nothing of that base behind but a crater." Poe Dameron said.

"Yeah I got all that during the briefing... also, I should have asked this earlier. But how strong are these explosives?" Kyle asked, looking over one of the explosive devices.

"Strong enough to turn that base into a crater now begin radio silence... I've got an aerial assault to lead." Poe said.

"And I take it you'd want me to destroy any anti-aircraft guns I come across?" Kyle asked.

"That would be appreciated, Poe out." Poe said.

XXXX

Kyle Katarn made his way through the base, effectively butchering Imperial forces with nothing but his Bryar pistol and his wits. Eventually he arrived at an Imperial officer at a console. "Kyle Katarn... what took you so long?" The officer asked.

"I'd have gotten here sooner Meck, but this base is like a maze... took me ten minutes to get here. Because virtually all Imperial architecture looks alike, it's a pain in the asteroids trying to remember where I've been. Had to blast gaping holes just to mark places I've already been. Now, do you know where the bases databanks are?" Kyle asked as Meck changed from a Human, into a Clawdite.

"Good news is the databanks themselves are lightly defended. Everyone else is either busy with the Resistance attack, dead, or staying at their posts. Bad news... I don't have the credentials to get to them, and most likely there locked behind heavy encryption. And I don't see an AstroMeck droid with you." Meck said in disappointment.

"Don't need one, most Imperial officers carry keys. They'll be what get me into the databanks." Kyle said.

"I'm not certain if that'll actually work. But you've always delivered despite the odds being stacked against you. Speaking of the mission... the bombs you're supposed to be leaving around this base, there not on a timer are they?" Meck asked.

"Of course not, I got the detonator on me. Now... about the databanks?" Kyle asked.

"It's down that hallway. But it's a bit tricky to remember where specifically the databanks are. So I made up a little rhyme while I was scoping out the way." Meck said.

XXXX

"-and then finally, when you get to the databank. You will want to say a thank... that doesn't even really make sense." Kyle said as he entered the bases databank room. He quickly shot up the Storm Troopers and officers inside. "This feels... too easy." Kyle said to himself as he shot a prone Storm Trooper in the face. "Probably just being paranoid, but still, data about the most powerful weapons the Empire ever produced... and ONLY a ground garrison to keep the whole kit and caboodle safe from scum like the Resistance." Kyle said to himself as he placed the last of the bombs. "Now to copy every file that can't destroy an entire planet in the wrong hands." Kyle said as he took out a datapad. "Kyle to Poe, I've got the last bomb in place and I'm just now going to download the databanks." Kyle said into his communicator as his datapad started downloading the files.

"Good, we should be finishing up shortly up here and-... oh no." Poe said, his tone quickly changing from confident to worried.

"Imperial reinforcements?" Kyle asked.

"Worse... it's the First Order, an entire fleet of Star Destroyers. Kyle, rap up what you're doing quick. Get out of there, detonate the bombs. Leave nothing for these fascists to find by a crater." Poe said.

"Wasn't planning on lingering anyway, with any luck the Imperials won't try-"

"Hold it, Resistance scum!" A Storm Trooper said, followed by about a dozen other troopers.

"SPAST!" Kyle shouted in aggravation. And... Without warning, with his hands raised up. He thrashed the Storm Troopers into a wall. "Wh-What... what did I just do?" Kyle said.

"Whatever you did do, we'll figure out when we get out of here. Poe out." Poe said.

XXXX

"Okay, now to see how strong those bombs are." Kyle said as he detonated the bombs... and in a blinding flash. Nothing was left of the base but a crater.

"Holy- how much did Poe have packed into those things?" Kyle's co-pilot, Jan Ors said.

"If I were to hazard a guess Miss Ords... I'd say enough to turn an Imperial base into a literal crater." Meck said from the Ravens Claw's hold.

"We can ask Poe about the explosives when we rendezvous at the Home One." Kyle said as the Ravens Claw made a hasty flight into hyperspace.

XXXX

Eventually, the Ravens Claw landed in one of the Home One's hangers. "Kyle, thank the Force we all got out of that alive." Poe said in relief.

"And the reason those explosives were so packed was because...?" Kyle asked of Poe.

"I was being serious about turning that base into a crater. I wasn't going to risk the Imperials getting the data out of the system, and into a more secure spot. Like Bastion, or the Supremacy for example... leave nothing behind for the Imperials to find but a big hole in the ground. Now... about what happened in the databanks itself?" Poe said.

"So just avoid the question?... well I was cornered by Storm Troopers. And I held out my hands and, somehow they flew into the wall." Kyle explained.

"Hmm... Kyle, I'm going to need you to submit to some medical tests." Poe said.

XXXX

"Okay Doc, what's the verdict?" Kyle said sardonically to a medical droid.

"Relax Mr. Katarn, it takes time to analyze blood... though if it were up to me. You'd get a full medical examination." The surely droid said.

"Ah, you care." Kyle said.

"Mr. Katarn. You do understand that would involve an extensive cavity search, yes?" The medical droid asked.

"I didn't even know you were programmed to be a dentist." Kyle said.

"I'm not... most I know about teeth is there general composition and basic maintenance. Now, the blood analyzer should be done momentarily. It would help if we had more up to date equipment." The medical droid complained.

"Yeah, we could probably use a new medical dro-"

"And analysis complete. Now, let us review the data." The medical droid said as he looked over the analysis device. "Hm... very interesting." The medical droid said.

"Give it to me straight Doc-"

"Mr. Katarn. Off hand, could you tell me your midi-chlorian count?" The medical droid asked.

"What?... I don't even know what one is." Kyle said in surprise.

"Well to put it simply, midi-chlorians are small, barely noticeable bacteria in organic cells. They can allow an organic being to use the Force if they are sensitive enough to there midi-chlorians. How exactly this even works, I do not fully comprehend." The medical droid said.

"And that's 'interesting' because?..." Kyle asked.

"Let me put this into perspective." The medical droid said as he displayed two holograms. "The hologram on your right was your midi-chlorian count from when you initially joined the Resistance. The hologram on the left is your CURRENT midi-chlorian count." The medical droid said.

"Do... do those natural spike like that?" Kyle asked.

"As far as conventional science would say, no, what has happened here should be impossible. How this is even possible-"

"I know how Doc... he's Awoken." General Poe Dameron said, entering the medical bay.

"Awoken?" Kyle asked.

"Yes, somehow, the Force has chosen to make you sensitive to its power." Poe said.

"That... that doesn't seem right General. Conventional wisdom regarding the Force says that a being has to be born sensitive to it in order to use its power." Doc said.

"So what? I'm a Jedi now?" Kyle asked.

"That depends... you willing to go on a little 'special' shore leave?" Poe asked.

XXXX

The Ravens Claw descended to a landing pad at the Jedi Academy on C'hol Palentine. "So, you must be the one Poe told me about. One of his best commandos... and an Awoken, same as I am?" Rey asked as Kyle disembarked the Ravens Claw.

"And you must be the scavenger from the nowhere that stood up to Kylo Ren... and lived to tell about it. Kyle Katarn at your service." Kyle said.

"Rey... and I can sense that you are strong with the Force Kyle." Rey said.

"That's what Dameron thinks. So when do I get the fancy weapon?" Kyle asked.

"When you prove to me at least, that you could handle a light saber responsibly, and of course actually learn how to properly USE the Force. Until then, you should at least learn some basics." Rey said anxiously.

"Rey... I can sense your suspicion regarding this man." Luke said, arriving on the academies roof. "But I can sense that he is honest... and the potential of becoming a great Jedi is there." Luke said.

"Well I'll be... so your Luke Skywalker. I had always assumed that you were a myth." Kyle said.

"So you believed that the first Death Star blew itself up then young man?" Luke asked.

"No, I just didn't believe that one man, even a Jedi could do as much as you did during the war." Kyle said.

"Well every bit of it is true... especially the exaggerations and falsehoods." Luke said.

"And the truths?" Kyle asked.

"Oh those are especially true... except for the anywhere I killed Darth Vader and the Emperor. My father was ultimately responsible. But I imagine you didn't leave the Resistance fleet just to hear an old man jaw on about the old days. Let's get your classes started properly." Luke said.

XXXX

"Congratulations Kyle Katarn, in less than a week, you have already learned the basic skills of a Jedi Knight. We're most of our students have struggled, you have excelled." Rey said to Kyle as the two stood near a cave.

"Guess I'm just a fast learner." Kyle said.

"Perhaps... but now comes the key part of any Jedi's journey. Inside of this cave are kyber crystals. The main component in a Jedi's light saber." Rey said.

"So I'm finally going to make myself a light saber? About time." Kyle said.

"Don't get cocky. It won't be as easy as just plucking a crystal off of the cave walls. The crystal that you'll use as the heart of your light saber has to pick YOU. Not the other way around." Rey explained.

"Hmm... sounds like something I red in a children's story once." Kyle said.

"Katarn, just get into the cave, and don't come out until you find one that speaks to you." Rey said sternly.

"And if it's more than one-"

"Then take that as well. Now go, and may the Force be with you." Rey said as Kyle entered the cave proper. Followed by Rey closing the passage behind him with a boulder.

"Well... hopefully this won't take too long." Kyle said to himself as he descended into the labyrinthine cave system.

XXXX

"Crystals, crystals everywhere... and not a one I can just take!" Kyle said in frustration as he passed a large cluster of kyber crystals. "I've been down here for hours, thankfully not going in giant circles. And still, I haven't found my crystal!" He said in irritation. "Come on Kyle... there's got to be something I've overlooked." Kyle said to himself.

"I imagine so; you've been in this cave system for most of the day. And you still haven't found the crystal. Still, back during the Old Order, it could sometimes take days for a youngling to find there's amid the frozen caverns of Ilum. So really, you're on a good start." A Force Ghost said.

"And now, I'm hearing voices and seeing things. I knew I should have packed a lunch." Kyle said.

"No, I'm pretty certain I'm not a hallucination. I'm Anakin... Anakin Skywalker." Anakin said as he revealed himself fully to Kyle.

"Okay... I'll bite. Why are you even here right now?" Kyle asked.

"Well it's like this... your lack of patience is why you aren't finding your crystal. All you have to do is calm your mind, and focus. Do that, and you'll be on your way to finding your crystal, getting out of these caves. And getting back to saving the galaxy from the dark side, that's your main ambition right? Saving the galaxy? Toppling the vestiges of the Galactic Empire?" Anakin said.

"Let's just say... the First Order made it personal for me." Kyle said.

"Well that's Darth Sideous and his mindset in work. He was a petty creature that cared only for power for its own sake. Anyone he felt didn't respect him, he would kill to make an example for others and... Sorry I'm distracting you. I'll leave you to it, Kyle Katarn." Anakin said as he disappeared, leaving Kyle alone.

"Alright, just gotta calm down and focus... maybe the Force will tell me where to find my crystal." Kyle said as he sat down, and proceeded to meditate.

XXXX

Rey was sitting by herself outside of the cave, sitting on a rock eating a sandwich. "Oh boy... this is so good." Rey said as she enjoyed the taste of the sandwich. "Well, if Katarn never comes out. I can at least say that I've-"

"Hold the water works Rey. I got my crystal." Kyle said as he used the Force to remove the boulder. "Now let's... are you going to eat all of that?" Kyle asked, noting the sandwiches Rey had brought with her.

"I... I assumed that you would take longer." Rey admitted.

"So none of those are for me?" Kyle asked, his stomach growling.

"Well... if you want some-"

"Good, cause let me tell you something. After several hours down there, I could just eat an entire Banthaa raw." Kyle said as he went to the rest of Rey's sandwiches.

XXXX

"Good work Kyle, you got your crystal from that cave in record time... now it's time for you to actually construct your light saber." Luke said to Kyle.

"I take it you don't just have spare parts lying around?" Kyle asked.

"Not really... it's more of very eclectic materials from around the galaxy, along with a very old droid that can help you. How Gcarin even got his hands on them in the first place, I... haven't had the chance to ask him. He's been out of the system, organizing the Ash Companies of the Phoenix Legion across Republic space. Touring our half of the galaxy, to make sure that we'll be ready for the war to come with the Empire... sorry I'm rambling. Point is, go see Professor Huyang. He'll help you." Luke said.

XXXX

"Hello? Is there a Professor Huyang here?" Kyle said as he entered a workshop. All he saw was an ancient looking droid, along with drawers and tables. "Hey, droid, you know where I can find Professor Huyang?" Kyle asked.

The droid sighed. "Young man... I AM, Professor Huyang. I have helped, and taught Jedi to construct there light sabers, from the orders infancy on the forgotten planet of Typhon, to the twilight days of the Clone Wars. And thanks to Master Luke, I can begin again with the task of rebuilding that which the Empire sought to stamp out. So do not refer to me as 'droid'. Do you understand?" Huyang said harshly to Kyle.

"Alright, I'm sorry... now, can you help me turn this into a light saber or not?" Kyle said, presenting the crystal to Huyang.

"I just said I could. Now the main thing is that your weapon must reflect you." Huyang said.

"So what, you got a database of light saber-" Huyang then displayed holograms of various light saber designs.

"I've had millennia of experience with this young man... so I've had time to collect quite a few unique schematics for light sabers. Now take your time, see if you find any components that you like. And then, we can begin making the light saber proper." Huyang said encouragingly.