My pen name is Lola Jeery. I'm a 25-year-old man from Ohio. Here is my storywriting history.

I've been writing since I could read. My first book was Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham, which I read when I was only 3 1/2! In kindergarten, I wrote a picture book with two stories featuring me and my three friends. Then in first grade, I wrote a fully-illustrated chapter book bringing us all together for the first time, along with some new friends from my imagination! As I got older, I wrote more stories featuring more friends and enemies (school bullies). After a while, I began to act out stories with my best friend.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. I soon learned that my best friend would be leaving in the summer after fourth grade. As a farewell, I decided we would act out one final story which brought back all of the friends and enemies ever featured in my stories. In the end, there was a battle in which the bad guys were defeated once and for all, our imaginary utopia was destroyed, and everyone in the gang parted ways and never saw each other again.

It seemed like my story writing career was over. I went back to a regular life, becoming a fan of Harry Potter, Star Wars, and The Lord of the Rings. Then, after the release of Star Wars: Episode III, I became inspired to write Episode VII! It started out as a hand-drawn comic book until 2007, when I rewrote it into a short chapter book, about 15,000 words long. However, I was a dumb schoolkid at the time, and didn't know anything about proper grammar or other storywriting techniques. Also, all of my information for the story came from what I had seen in the movies and read in the junior novels, so it was completely inaccurate.

In 2008, Star Wars: The Clone Wars was released. After watching the first three seasons, I decided to write my own series of episodes leading up to and coinciding with Episode III. You guessed it - The Clone Wars: The Final Season! Just before the final Harry Potter movie came out, I read a magazine article about fanfiction.net, and decided to post the chapters of my story here, beginning in September 2011! What makes writing the most fun, after all, is being able to share it with people who enjoy it. After twenty months of writing and editing, The Final Season was completed just before Thanksgiving 2012.

I then began writing another story called Star Wars: The Civil Wars. However, in September 2013, just before I had planned to begin posting it, I had an issue with my computer which caused me to lose all of the data! So, I started over, finishing the story in January 2014. I then wrote a sequel called The Civil Wars: The Liberation of Coruscant, which I finished in May 2014. I am now working on a new Star Wars story project titled The Sith Orb, the first part of which I began posting on March 2015. After finishing it the day Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released, I began working on Part 2, which I posted from September 2016 to August 2017. I began posting Part 3 on September 22, 2018.

I am thankful to everyone who has read my stories and provided such positive feedback. I am also grateful that The Civil Wars became immensely popular so quickly. I plan to continue to write Star Wars fanfiction until the stories are finished.

Keep reading, keep writing, and keep reviewing!

NOTE: All of my stories are original works by me. While I have taken inspiration from other works of fiction, I alone came up with the ideas. As seems to be happening a lot lately, official Star Wars media contains events very similar to events in my stories. This is purely coincidental, at least on my part. I came up with these ideas before the official works were published. I will allow other writers to use characters and events from my stories as long as they obtain my permission and credit me in their stories.

Please do not use any elements of my stories without my permission!

Below I will write updates that may contain spoilers for previous, current, or future stories. You have been warned!

Table of Contents for The Clone Wars: The Final Season:

I realize that some people don't have the patience to read the entire story, so here is an overview of all of the episodes for your convenience.

Episode 1: Father Jedi: Anakin argues to Padmé that he would not be a good father. His views change, however, when bounty hunter Aurra Sing infiltrates the Jedi Temple, and he is forced to protect a group of Jedi Younglings.

Episode 2: Supply in Demand: Anakin and Separatist Admiral Don Dain battle for control of supplies. Their fight takes them to Hoth, where they encounter Hondo Ohnaka's band of pirates.

Episode 3: Secrets of the Trees: Believing that General Grievous has a secret base on Kashyyyk, Masters Yoda, Windu, and Ki-Adi Mundi, accompanied by a squad of elite Star Troopers, embark on a covert mission in an experimental starship.

Episode 4: Biological Weapons: The Jedi have found Grievous' base, only to find that he's using Wookiee prisoners in experiments involving genetically engineered monsters.

Episode 5: Kidnapped King: The Jedi track down Grievous, who has kidnapped the Wookiee king. A battle rages over Kashyyyk and the experimental monsters are set loose.

Episode 6: Prison Break: Padmé and a group of Senators investigate a massive prison break, in which all of the Separatist war prisoners escape. Inspector Tan Divo believes a Jedi is responsible.

Episode 7: Volunteer Army: Darth Sidious hires an army of bounty hunters and mercenaries. Their first mission is to help the Death Watch kidnap Duchess Satine. Anakin and Obi-Wan are called upon to investigate.

Episode 8: Inner Conflicts: While Anakin and Obi-Wan infiltrate the Death Watch base to rescue Satine, Ahsoka captures Boba Fett and learns that Nute Gunray is plotting something. The two teenagers develop feelings for each other.

Episode 9: The Unexpected Ally: Ahsoka and Boba help Padmé attack Gunray's palace. Their feelings continue to develop into trust, but an undercover clone traitor suspects that Boba will betray their secret boss.

Episode 10: Return of the Zillo Beast: Jedi Masters Shaak Ti, Oppo Rancisis, and a squad of clone troopers are forced to team up with a band of bounty hunters, including Cad Bane, to escape an island populated by cloned Zillo Beasts.

Episode 11: Korriban Missile Crisis: Shaak Ti, Ahsoka, and Boba go to Korriban to destroy a Separatist base containing nuclear missiles. Darth Sidious becomes aware of Boba's treachery and sets a horrifying trap.

Episode 12: Order of Extinction: The Battle of Korriban continues, and Anakin sets out to find the Sith Lord who nearly killed Ahsoka. Sidious summons all Dark Force users for a test, leading to an epic six-way lightsaber duel.

Episode 13: Advantage of Coruscant: General Grievous leads a full-scale invasion of Coruscant. The Jedi and Republic forces fight back nobly to protect their home.

Episode 14: Opportunity of Coruscant: Darth Sidious sends his volunteer army to join the Battle of Coruscant. Boba is threatened into killing Ahsoka.

Episode 15: Diversion of Coruscant: The Jedi try to stop Grievous from kidnapping Chancellor Palpatine. Contains throwbacks to the Clone Wars microseries!

Episode 16: Heroes of Coruscant: The Republic fleet makes a final stand to defeat the Separatists and prevent Grievous from escaping with Palpatine.

Episode 17: Out of the Ashes: Ki-Adi Mundi and Commander Bacara lead the clone army to repel the Separatists on Mygeeto. They encounter Lurmen survivors and become entangled in a moral debate over whether or not to help them rebuild.

Episode 18: Shadowland: Aayla Secura and her clone forces must endure the horrors of Felucia to rescue Barriss Offee and capture Separatist leader Shu Mai.

Episode 19: War of the Wookiees: The Separatists invade Kashyyyk, and the Republic army joins forces with the Wookiees to hold them back.

Episode 20: Grievous Raid: Commander Cody leads an attack on Utapau while Obi-Wan attempts to defeat Grievous once and for all.

Episodes 21 & 22: Knightfall: Parts 1 & 2: In a shocking twist, clone forces attack the Jedi Temple. Captain Rex doubts his orders, and Ahsoka joins the defense. But a shocking discovery awaits her. The Empire is born as the Clone Wars end!

As you know, The Sith Orb takes place in an alternate expanded universe, with several details changed. You may also have noticed that some of the dates and character ages are off. The reason I did this was because I needed some of the older characters to be younger, and the younger characters to be older, in order for certain aspects of the story to work. I have prepared a revised timeline with notes to help readers understand how my alternate universe is different from the expanded universe. All dates given in years ABY (After the Battle of Yavin)

0 – A New Hope

1 – The Civil Wars

3 – The Empire Strikes Back

4 – Return of the Jedi

5 – The Liberation of Coruscant

6 – Thrawn's attempted coup begins

7 – Thrawn dies, Jacen and Jaina Solo born

9 – Anakin Solo born

16 – Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade married

21 – Yuuzhan Vong War begins, Chewbacca dies

22 – Ben Skywalker born

23 – Anakin Solo dies, Sacking of Coruscant

25 – Yuuzhan Vong War ends

30 – Killik Crisis begins

31 – Allana born

32 – Killik Crisis ends

37 – Second Galactic Civil War begins, Jacen Solo becomes Lumiya’s Sith apprentice

38 – Jacen Solo becomes Supreme Chancellor, kills Mara Jade Skywalker

39 – Darth Caedus killed, Don Dain becomes provisional Chancellor

40 – The Sith Orb: Part 1: The Hunt for the Orb

41 – The Sith Orb: Part 2: Exterminators of Peace

42 – The Sith Orb: Part 3: Wrath of the Sith

Notes:

1. Upon the founding of the New Jedi Order, Ahsoka Tano was Grand Master. Under her guidance, both the Jedi and the New Republic grew quickly. During Leia Organa Solo’s political career, Ahsoka began her Jedi training until Leia decided to become a full-time Jedi. In spite of her high approval rating, Ahsoka relied on Luke Skywalker’s advice in the most difficult matters. After the Yuuzhan Vong War, she ceded her title to Luke, although she remained one of the leading members of the Jedi Council and Luke’s chief advisor. When the Jedi suspected that Jacen Solo was turning to the dark side, Ahsoka wanted to give him the benefit of a doubt, partly due to Anakin Skywalker's redemption. She advised the council not to take action against Jacen until they were certain he was beyond saving. Mara Jade Skywalker ignored her, resulting in her death. After Caedus' death, Luke wanted to promote his son, Ben Skywalker, to the rank of Jedi Knight, but Ahsoka was wary of Jacen's influence on him, and advised Luke to wait. She said that she foresaw a trial in Ben's near future that would determine if he was ready to be a Jedi.

2. Don Dain was also instrumental in the growth of the New Republic, serving as an advisor for Chancellor Mon Mothma and later becoming Senator for Malastare. Using his political skills and favorable public image (and a certain degree of manipulation), he managed to be re-elected more times than was customary. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, he was one of the leaders of the anti-Jedi sentiment, believing that they were not doing everything in their power to fight the invaders. When Darth Caedus became Chancellor, Dain fought in the Senate to circumvent his control. Again, he held the Jedi responsible for Jacen Solo’s turn to the dark side. After Caedus’ death, he was chosen by the Senate to be provisional Chancellor until a replacement could be elected. He decided to run for office, and won by an overwhelming majority.

3. After the Liberation of Coruscant, the Rebellion was reorganized into the New Republic, and peace negotiations with the Empire ensued. Ysanne Isard, the Imperial Head of Intelligence and de facto leader at the time, hated the idea, but was forced to go along with it. However, unbeknownst to the New Republic, Grand Admiral Thrawn had assumed command of the remaining Imperial forces and attempted to overthrow the New Republic and reassert Imperial rule. During this time, Isard subtly undermined the negotiations to buy Thrawn as much time as she could give him. His attempt was very nearly successful, until the New Jedi Order, led by Ahsoka Tano, finally managed to outmaneuver him and he was betrayed and killed by his Noghri bodyguard. When Isard’s role in the coup was discovered, she was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment. With the coup thwarted, the Empire had no choice but to resume negotiations, leading to the formation of an alliance between the two groups. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, the New Republic, the Imperial Remnant, and several other groups joined to form the Galactic Alliance.

4. After Boba Fett left Ahsoka when she came out as a Jedi, he avoided contact with her for the next forty years. He tried to force himself to move on by marrying and impregnating Sintas Vel. He soon realized that he could not love her the way he had loved Ahsoka, so he left. Sintas believed that Ahsoka had stolen her husband, and vowed revenge. She was killed trying to hunt Ahsoka, leaving her young daughter, Ailyn, an orphan. Due to the absence of both her parents, Ailyn became pregnant as a teenager and married the father of her child. When she was tortured to death by Jacen Solo, Boba met his granddaughter, Mirta Gev, with whom he formed a complicated partnership. He is currently the ruler of Mandalore.

5. Emperor Palpatine kept DNA samples of all his Force-sensitive servants, and decreed that, in the event of the Jedi’s return, they should be cloned and raised to be dark side assassins. When he died, the Kaminoan scientists proceeded with this plan. Shortly after the clones were born, however, the Empire formed an alliance with the New Republic, and the clones were never trained. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, the cloning facility was destroyed, and only three clones escaped. They called themselves Sinestro, Volatis, and Masculous. They decided to rebuild the Empire and reassert Sith rule over the galaxy. To accomplish this, they traveled the galaxy, gathering allies to aid in their cause. Eventually, they met the Dark Lady Lumiya, who trained the clones in the ways of the Sith and recruited Jacen Solo to their cause. Using his power as Supreme Chancellor, Jacen gathered even more allies and resources, secretly building an army for the clones. After he and Lumiya died, the clones continued to operate on their own, finally revealing themselves at Don Dain’s inauguration.

6. Darth Hatus’ new order was not the only group of Sith operating in the galaxy at the time of the New Sith War. There were a few people scattered throughout the galaxy claiming to be Sith, but Hatus did not judge them to be a threat to his designs. Just to be safe, however, whenever rumors sprung up about other Sith, he sent his apprentices to either recruit them or kill them. One of the largest groups in existence was the Lost Tribe, the descendants of the survivors of the Omen, a ship the crashed on the planet Kesh. After Darth Caedus’ death, the Sith Meditation Sphere known as “Ship” arrived to help the Lost Tribe build an armada so that they could reassert Sith rule over the galaxy. Neither they or the New Sith are aware of each other’s existence, as of yet. In addition, Darth Krayt had already begun to secretly build his own Sith Empire, called the One Sith. They were hidden in secret catacombs beneath the tombs in the Valley of the Dark Lords on Korriban, not far from where Hatus would eventually establish his own base. Knowing that he did not have the strength or numbers to fight this rival group, Krayt decided to conceal his order from Hatus, believing that, in time, the Force would judge which group was worthy to rule the galaxy.

The Sith Orbs were invented by ancient Sith alchemists. They are the result of focusing dark Force energy and corrupted midi-chlorians (that only respond to dark Force energy) into quarter-meter-diameter spheres. They do not appear to be made of matter; they look like balls of red gas with swirling eddies, but they feel like glass, even though they are not. A person who holds a Sith Orb can focus and amplify their Force powers, accomplishing amazing and terrible feats. These include: transforming matter by rearranging subatomic particles, which leads to creating objects out of thin air and even creating living organisms; enhanced Force perception allows users to more clearly sense the future or across great distances; and controlling even the strongest of minds. Some Sith have been known to infuse an orb's power into his/her bloodstream, resulting in the ability to tap into their powers directly.

The Jedi tried to hunt down and destroy all of the orbs, but it was much more difficult than they thought it would be. The corrupted midi-chlorians allow the orbs to communicate with the midi-chlorians in other living things via a dark Force aura that can be sensed by Force-users. The orbs can use this ability to plant thoughts in people's minds, subtly coercing them to do what they want. Although the orbs are meant to serve Force-users, they have the ability to think for themselves and use their own powers intelligently. Jedi have been seduced or killed by the Sith orbs. In the Seventh Battle of Ruusan, when the Sith tried to destroy the Jedi by creating a thought bomb, they gathered all of the orbs and used them to feed the bomb's power, reducing the risk of the Sith themselves being killed. It did not work, however, and all of the Sith were killed and the orbs were destroyed, along with 100 Jedi who tried to stop the bomb. The bomb left behind a large, silver ovoid containing the anguished souls of all of its victims. Because the orbs were also sacrificed, the ovoid eventually transformed into a single Sith Orb with the combined Force auras of all of the orbs and victims.

While visiting the battlefield, Yoda discovered the orb and brought it to the Jedi Council. The masters all disagreed on what to do with the orb, but Yoda created a compromise; the orb would be hidden by two Jedi, who would never tell anyone else its location. Whenever one of the secret-keepers died, the other would share the secret with another Jedi so that the orb was never lost. Jedi Master Demood Elppirc was one of the last secret-keepers. After he was arrested for sedition against the Republic, the other secret-keeper told the secret to another Jedi. During the Great Jedi Purge, both secret-keepers were killed, and it was believed that the Sith Orb would be lost forever. But Elppirc still knew the secret, and he survived...

The Sith Orb: Part 2: Exterminators of Peace, Chapter 18 is one of my favorite chapters because it includes a long flashback to my first story, The Clone Wars: The Final Season! In this chapter, Luke has discovered that Don Dain used to be a Separatist admiral, and Dain is explaining why he doesn't trust Jedi, and how he left the Separatists. When I came up with this idea, right when I started planning the story, I knew instantly that I wanted to explain it in flashback. Here, I'm going to delve further into the writing process and point out some of the Easter Eggs I've included!

I'll begin by explaining the origins of the chapter. As you know, Dain, Demood Elppirc, and AO-327 were all introduced in The Final Season. At that point, I was already planning The Sith Orb, so I thought about writing an episode that would explain how these characters would come to be in that story. However, I decided against it, as I felt that it wasn't important to the story I was currently telling, and I still wasn't sure if I would end up writing The Sith Orb. But I kept the ideas for that episode in my mind so I could use them in this story.

The flashback begins with Dain and a squad of MagnaGuards infiltrating the Republic military base to kidnap Elppirc. This is the same base that Ahsoka escaped from in the Season 5 finale arc of The Clone Wars. Since those episodes aired after I had finished my story, there was no way I would have been able to use that base. However, it was perfect for the flashback. After the MagnaGuards leave Dain in the prison cell, he's arrested by Commander Fox, who was also in that Clone Wars arc, and taken to Admiral Tarkin. How could I write a story set in the military base and not include that character? I tried to write him with the same arrogance and authority that he possesses in the TV series. And then, Tarkin subjects Dain to an interrogation droid, which is meant to be a precursor to the droid Darth Vader uses on Princess Leia on the Death Star in A New Hope. Later, Dain is rescued by AO-327, which explains why they know each other in The Sith Orb. The bounty hunter then takes Dain to meet the person who hired him to break out Elppirc... Darth Maul!

One of the biggest criticisms I received for The Clone Wars: The Final Season, was that there wasn't enough of Maul. I had originally planned for more Maul, but I had to cut his role significantly to make room for the other stories I needed to tell. When I planned this flashback, I decided to incorporate Maul into it, but I had to do it in a way that makes sense. At first Maul wanted Elppirc to tell him secrets about the Jedi Order that Maul could use to take over the galaxy. Later, I decided to change it so that Maul wanted to use Elppirc to lure Obi-Wan Kenobi into a duel. This isn't specifically stated, but it can be implied from information later on.

When Dain meets Maul, he's terrified of the half-droid, half-devilish creature, along with his hulking brother, Savage Opress. Also, he's not comfortable around the cyborg bounty hunter, so Dain is in way over his head. But he convinces them that he's useful and tells them where to find General Grievous, who has Elppirc. Upon arriving at the Separatist fleet, Dain, Maul, and AO-327 crash-land onto a frigate in a stolen ARC-170 starfighter. It's then that Maul reveals that he left the ship's homing beacon on to lure the Republic fleet, creating a distraction for them to recover Elppirc. Small details such as this go a long way to show how intelligent Maul is, which is what made him such a great villain in The Clone Wars. Also, I gave Maul a double lightsaber in this story because he had one in The Final Season. In the actual TV series, this is not true, but I really wanted him to have that signature weapon. My theory is that Maul reconstructed his lightsaber after he was found by Savage.

When the trio finally find Elppirc, Maul uses the Force to restrain and interrogate him, much like Kylo Ren did to Poe Dameron in The Force Awakens. I know that the Force only influences the weak-minded, and not Jedi, but I decided to make an exception for the crippled, depressed Demood Elppirc. At one point, Maul says "Peace is a lie; there is only passion." EU fans will recognize this as the opening line of the Sith mantra. As Maul probes deeper into Elppirc's mind, he discovers that Elppirc knows the location of the Sith Orb, which Mauls sees as the perfect tool for his revenge. I also used this moment to imply that Maul caused Elppirc's madness exhibited in Part 1.

As they are about to make their escape, General Grievous himself arrives! He was the most featured villain in The Final Season, so I was excited to have him appear in this flashback. I also introduce a duel that I had wanted to see for a long time - Grievous vs. Maul! Originally, I was going to show more of the duel, but I decided to focus on Dain and AO-327 trying to escape with Elppirc. Along the way, they are pursued by a group of Jedi and clones - including Obi-Wan Kenobi, in case you missed that. In the end, Dain and AO-327 escape as the frigate blows up with Elppirc still inside. This leads to him being discovered in the wreckage of the ship on the Dead Planet in Part 1.

This chapter was very difficult to write, but it was also a lot of fun and very nostalgic revisiting the Clone Wars era!

I was first introduced to Star Wars when I was 10 years old. My older sister had just gotten the Original Trilogy DVD box set, and I watched it with her. First, we watched A New Hope. Back then, I had a very limited attention span, so many of the finer details went over my head, but I was able to follow the story miraculously well, and I was captivated by the blaster battles, the cantina aliens, the lightsaber duel, and the space battle. I then started watching Empire Strikes Back, expecting even more excitement! Unfortunately, I was bitterly disappointed. The first half-hour or so bored me, because of the lack of excitement. Then, the Battle of Hoth began, and I loved it! After that, however, began the long stretch of film where nothing happens. I stopped paying attention until the lightsaber duel at the end, so I missed most of Dagobah, the Millennium Falcon scenes, and Cloud City. After that, I watched Return of the Jedi, which I absolutely loved! Even though most of the action is concentrated at the end of the film, I was still able to follow along the beginning and middle fairly well. The visual and sound effects were much better, the space battle was bigger, the emotional stakes were higher - pretty much everything was better than the previous films! Also, I thought the Ewoks were awesome, the way they defeated the Empire! To this day, Return of the Jedi is my favorite of the original films!

After the original trilogy, I went back and watched Episode I. Even though it's regarded as the worst Star Wars film, I actually like it! The visual and sound effects took a major leap forward, which made the movie look more realistic than the previous ones. That was enough to keep me interested through the first half of the film, but, as you might expect, I lost interest when they were on Coruscant, and I didn't understand what was going on. The multiple action sequences at the end, however, grabbed my attention! Also, I loved Jar Jar Binks, and I have an even greater appreciation of him now. I see him as a survivor of bullying, which is very relevant for a lot of people, myself included. In Episode II, half of the film was basically romance and mystery, which did not interest me at all. However, I was able to keep up with the major points of the story, and everything from the droid factory onward was amazing! At that point, Episode III hadn't been released yet, so I was forced to wait like everyone else. I actually read the junior novel before I saw the film, which really helped me to follow the finer details of the story. When I finally saw the film, I was in total awe! The amount of drama in the film made all of the action, and even the non-action scenes, more exciting and easier to follow. The darkness of the film was like I had never seen before, and I loved it! I also loved how there were some many lightsaber duels throughout the film, and the duel on Mustafar was my favorite. Also, the music that reflected all of these emotions was superb! From then on, Revenge of the Sith was my absolute favorite movie ever!

After a long wait, when The Force Awakens was finally released, I loved it even more than Revenge of the Sith! People have criticized that the movie was too similar in story structure to A New Hope, but that's what I loved about it! Everything I loved about the first movie was present in this one, except it looked and sounded better. It was like discovering Star Wars for the first time all over again! Only, this time, I was able to follow the story more easily! I also liked the grittier feel of Rogue One, although I still prefer The Force Awakens. The first time I saw The Last Jedi, there were a few things that confused or disappointed me, but I liked it better after seeing it a second time. Possibly, it's because I watched it without thinking about what I wanted to see, which allowed me to better appreciate what I actually saw. On the heels of The Last Jedi, my expectations for Solo going into it were too low, so I wasn't very interested in the beginning. But, as the movie went on, I really got into it, and ended up enjoying it!

The more I saw the movies, the more I understood and liked them. I think, in time, people will come to like The Last Jedi better, too.

UPDATE 2/25/18: Sorry this update is a little later than I wanted. Spring break just started for me, and I got so caught up in getting my homework done that I forgot to update my profile page! I'm almost finished with Chapter 1 of The Sith Orb: Part 3, and it's turning out to be so long that I might have to divide it into two! This happens a lot in my stories. I generally try to keep my chapters between 3,000 and 4,000 words to provide readers with enough break points that they can take a break from reading before they get too tired, thus allowing them to retain information better. I've only broken this rule a few times when I felt it was necessary for the flow of the story.

In recent Star Wars news, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the creators of Game of Thrones are going to write and produce a new series of standalone films! I am a fan of both the books and the TV series, so I am very excited to see what kind of stories they are going to tell! It has also been revealed that there are multiple TV shows in the works, including a live-action series that will debut on Disney's upcoming streaming service! With so many new Star Wars projects in the works, I've decided to use this update to list some potential ideas for new stories.

With Star Wars Rebels ending next week, there's now room for a new animated TV show. Personally, I would like them to continue The Clone Wars, which I still think should not have been cancelled. At the very least, they should finish the episodes that they already have story reels for, including the ones available on starwars.com. Otherwise, they should release them in some other format. It's been three years since the last Clone Wars story was released, so I think a new one is long overdue! Recently, I read about a rumored animated series called Star Wars Resistance, which would take place pre-The Force Awakens. This sounds like it would be similar to a mix between Rebels and the Poe Dameron comic book series. That being said, I think there are other options that would be more original, but it could still be a good show.

We know that George Lucas had planned a live-action TV show called Star Wars: Underworld, and had gone so far as to schedule it for release in 2009, but he decided to shelve the project because, at the time, TV budgets weren't high enough for Lucas to tell the stories the way he wanted to. Now, with highly expensive and highly successful shows like Game of Thrones, this show could be produced. Based on what I've heard about the proposed show, I think it has the makings of a great crime drama, like TV's Gotham.

There are a few stories I would like to see told in the form of novels. One of them would be about Kylo Ren; specifically, how he turned to the dark side and joined the First Order. We could learn about his childhood, Luke's new Jedi Order, and possibly even Snoke. With Episode IX being released later next year, that seems like it would be the perfect time for this story. Another idea I had is a book about the Siege of Mandalore (which would have been the series finale of The Clone Wars) and its aftermath. Rebels has done a great job showing how Mandalore has been affected by the Empire, and, with the show ending, now is the perfect time to tell the story of how it happened. The story could feature characters from the show and explain what they were doing at the end of the Clone Wars and how they got to be where they are in Rebels. These could include Bo-Katan Kryze, Gar Saxon, Fenn Rau, and Clan Wren (we could even learn about a younger Sabine). I'd also like to see the Darth Plagueis novel return to canon, or else an update version of that novel. A few elements from that book have made their way into the Tarkin novel, so maybe there's a chance that we'll see that story retold.

Finally, there's the Old Republic, which fans have been begging for since the canon reset. Of course, that is such a broad subject; it's hard to choose which stories to tell. Personally, I would like to see a novel (or series of novels) about Darth Bane and the Rule of Two. We know from The Clone Wars that he does exist in the new canon, so that story is very likely to be told at some point. The Knights of the Old Republic era would be great material for a live-action TV series. So many Legends stories for that time period have been told, and I think those stories should be made canon again. Over the past few years, most of Star Wars media has been focused on the Original and Sequel Trilogy eras, and now that those movies are ending, the Old Republic seems like the perfect opportunity to tell a whole new slew of stories.

UPDATE 3/23/18: Surprise!!! I just posted a new story: The Sith Orb: Part 2.5: The Lost Tribe! It's listed as "Part 2-and-a-Half" because fanfiction.net won't let me use a period or a forward slash in the title. Originally, it was supposed to be the first chapter of Part 3, but it became too long and I couldn't find a good place to split it into two chapters. Plus, it actually takes place halfway between Parts 2 and 3. Therefore, I decided to make it into a story of its own! The biggest advantage to this is building anticipation for when Part 3 is posted this Fall! As a bonus treat, here is an updated synopsis of the upcoming story!

As the New Sith War rages, neither side appears to be gaining any ground. Darth Hatus, formerly Demood Elppirc, continues to grow more and more powerful thanks to the Sith Orb. Hoping to learn more about their enemy, Luke Skywalker travels with R2-D2 and Tahiri Veila to the isolated planet of Latru, where Elppirc was born and supposedly visited as a Jedi Knight. There, they meet King Cresta Joisür, the benevolent ruler of a peaceful and prosperous civilization that has not been affected by the wars of the galaxy. During their visit, the two Jedi get a taste of true peace and happiness, learning more about themselves in the process. But, Tahiri suspects that not all is as it seems.

Meanwhile, Ben Skywalker's experiences on Dromund Kaas have impacted him more deeply than he will admit, and Ahsoka Tano, going against Luke's wishes, pursues drastic preventative measures. Nysilla Zabeth returns to Coruscant, and Ben sets out to repair their relationship. But, his plans are interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious, seductive girl named Vestara Khai, who subtly pushes Ben to embrace his inner darkness. Unbeknownst to everyone else, she is actually a Sith apprentice sent by Darth Volatis to assassinate Ben. All the while, the Jedi continue to fight the Sith. However, they have underestimated Hatus' influence and ruthlessness, and they are unaware that a great tragedy is about to befall the galaxy...

Star Wars: The Sith Orb: Part 3: Wrath of the Sith, coming to fanfiction.net on September 22, 2018!

UPDATE 4/21/18: With the end of the school semester approaching, projects and papers are piling up, and I haven't gotten a lot of writing done lately. Also, I need to study for my final exams, so I'll make this update brief. I'm working on a new Chapter 1, since the old one was posted as a separate story. Originally, after the Lost Tribe chapter, the next chapter would focus on the Jedi talking about the state of the war. After my recent decision, I realized that it would be more effective to show the state of the war rather than tell it. Therefore, I came up with an outline for a new Chapter 1 on the fly. This will make the beginning of the story much more exciting. It will feature a space battle above the planet Gederon, which I have used in previous stories. For this story, I have updated my vision of the tidally-locked planet to make it more realistic while still maintaining some of the characteristics I defined in previous stories. I've also created a new Sith battlecruiser called the Leviathan, which is similar in function to the Malevolence in The Clone Wars, only more terrifying!

I hate that it's taken me so long to get so little done, and there's still so much more to do! I wonder if this is how George R. R. Martin feels writing The Winds of Winter?

UPDATE 5/20/18: We are less than a week away from Solo: A Star Wars Story! After the disappointment of The Last Jedi, I am being much more cautious about getting excited for Star Wars movies. Still, I am looking forward to it. In other news, it was recently announced that the next animated show will be Star Wars: Resistance. It will reportedly be inspired by Japanese anime, which I am not a fan of. But, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised. Also, Star Wars Celebration will be coming to Chicago next year! Unfortunately, it's in the middle of April, when I'll be in school! Why would they plan it that way when younger fans can't attend? They're throwing away a key demographic! Still, this is the closest it's been to home in 20 years, and it would be foolish not to take advantage of that. Hopefully, I will be able to attend, if only for the weekend.

Last month, I mentioned that it's taking so long to write The Sith Orb, and, based on the current outline, I may only be halfway through the story! Not a lot of people are reading it and, to be honest, I'm starting to get tired of writing it when there are other things I want to write. That is why I am currently working on another outline for a compressed version of the rest of the story. If I decide to switch over to the compressed version, certain plotlines would be trimmed down or removed entirely, certain characters' fates would change, and even the ending would change. Some of these changes would make the story better, others may not, and it would be a shame if I couldn't finish the story the way I would like. Luckily, I still have quite a ways to go before I have to make that decision.

UPDATE 6/23/18: I'm still writing the first chapter of The Sith Orb: Part 3, but it's long enough that I will most likely split it into two chapters once I'm finished with it. Now that I'm at the really exciting part, it's become much easier to write!

I've seen Solo: A Star Wars Story a couple of times, and I really enjoy it! It's at the same high quality as Rogue One, and it definitely feels like the kind of adventure that Han Solo would have. My favorite part of the movie was the Kessel Run, which has great visual and sound effects, a breakneck pace, high stakes, nostalgic music, and fun character interactions! I especially appreciate the cameo at the end that ties the film in with the animated TV shows! All in all, it's a great movie! Unfortunately, I think it was released too soon after The Last Jedi, so audiences have not quite gotten over the disappointment which may affect how they perceive Solo. I would have happily waited until the end of the year for Solo to be released, and I think that would have improved audiences' outlook on the film.

UPDATE 7/21/18: A war left unfinished... until now! At SDCC18 on Thursday, at the Star Wars: The Clone Wars 10th anniversary panel, it was announced that the show has been revived! When the panel was announced, I thought, "You know what would be awesome? If they announced that they were bringing back the series!" I hoped it would be the case, even though I knew it was unlikely. Thankfully, my prayers, and those of countless fans, have been answered!

There will be 12 new episodes on Disney's upcoming streaming service, including the Siege of Mandalore arc, which was intended to be the series finale! The question is, which other episodes will be included? Based on the new trailer, it's implied that the Bad Batch story reels will be completed, which would leave only one more story arc. Which one will it be? For a full list with descriptions, go to I would like to see the Bounty Hunter and Return to the Jedi arcs. But what I'd really like is if they finished ALL of the episodes they had written! Will there be more episodes after the first 12? If not, do they have plans to release those episodes in various media? So many questions! I hope they get answered soon!

UPDATE 8/18/18: I am currently working on Chapter 3 of The Sith Orb: Part 3. This is the first "lull" chapter, in which there is little to no action and the chapter is mostly dialogue. These kinds of chapters are usually the easiest to write. I still plan to post the first chapter next month, although I can't guarantee that I will be able to post a new chapter on a regular basis.

Earlier this week, August 15, was the tenth anniversary of the release of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars feature film! I remember seeing it on opening night and loving every minute of it! Now, having watched it again for the first time in years, it's clear how much the series has developed over time. In celebration of this anniversary, I have decided to write about my first story, The Clone Wars: The Final Season! Ever since the series began, I wanted to write a fanfic based on it. My first story idea was Count Dooku kidnapping members of the Jedi Council for some evil purpose. After a few false starts, I finally managed to get pretty far into the story. However, I ultimately abandoned it when I decided it didn't flow right. I had tried to incorporate too many elements, and it caused the story to fall apart.

As the series was halfway through its third season, I decided to try again with a new story, in which a group of Jedi Masters and elite clone troopers fought General Grievous on Kashyyyk. I had so many ideas I wanted to use, but I had learned my lesson from my previous attempt at writing, and that I couldn't use them all. So, I considered writing multiple stories with their own unique plots. This led to my decision to write an entire season of episodes that would lead up to the end of the war! That summer, I read a magazine article about fanfiction.net, and I decided that I would share my story here! I posted the first chapter on September 17, 2011, and 39 people read it that day (according to the traffic stats). In the seven years since then, the story has 20 reviews, been viewed 25,321 times, favorited by 45 people, followed by 26 people, and been added to two communities! This past June, the month before the revival announcement, the story was visited 94 times, with the first chapter accounting for only 14% of those visits! That may not seem like a lot compared to newer stories, but the fact that The Clone Wars: The Final Season is still enjoyed by multiple people seven years later is very humbling. I think the story's success is owed mostly to George Lucas, Dave Filoni, and everyone else who created such a great TV series, as well as the loyal fans whose unwavering dedication has kept the series alive. Thanks you all!

Next month, I will post some behind-the-scenes trivia about The Clone Wars: The Final Season!

UPDATE 9/22/18: I just posted the first chapter of The Sith Orb: Part 3: Wrath of the Sith! Also, I recently finished writing Chapter 3. And now, as promised, some behind-the-scenes trivia about The Clone Wars: The Final Season!

In Knightfall: Part 1, it is revealed that the Jedi younglings Anakin kills offscreen during Revenge of the Sith are the same children he saved from Aurra Sing in the first episode, Father Jedi. This idea did not come about until I was in the middle of writing the finale. It connects the first and last episodes nicely and makes Anakin’s fall to the dark side even more tragic. Ironically, had I not decided to kill off Youngling Luke in the first episode, he would have died an even worse death later on.

While not originally intended, Supply in Demand is filled with fun callbacks to The Empire Strikes Back, including Hoth, the asteroid chase, and the space slug. It also features the introduction of Don Dain, who went on to play a major role in all of my subsequent stories. At the time this episode was written, I had only just begun thinking about the possibility of writing Star Wars: The Civil Wars and including Dain in that story. With that in mind, I gave him only a basic backstory and characteristics, which I ended up refining for The Civil Wars.

The Kashyyyk Trilogy was the first thing I wrote for this story. In fact, I had begun writing it even before this story was even conceived! It was originally going to be a standalone story, but when I decided to write an entire season of episodes, the Kashyyyk plotline was integrated into it. For a long time, Secrets of the Trees was going to be the season premiere, even though Father Jedi and Supply in Demand take place before it. Eventually, I decided to reorder all of the episodes to be in chronological order.

The J-16 Wampa Hunter was based on a LEGO model I had created when I was 16. I would swoosh it around, pretending to attack my puppy, who I called a Wampa because he is white and fluffy. That is how the name came about. While I wrote the story, I used LEGO Digital Designer to build digital models of certain vehicles and locations from the story, including a new version of the J-16, the MP-CT, Darth Bane’s tomb, and Grievous’ monster arena.

Prison Break is a unique episode, in that there are several scenes described in flashback. Even though it was pretty obvious whodunnit, I wanted to add some mystery to the episode. In hindsight, this episode bears many similarities to the 5th season finale arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars; There is a bombing on Coruscant, Ahsoka is suspected and forced on the run, and a traitorous Jedi turns out to be guilty. This episode also introduces Demood Elppirc, who was originally supposed to die at the end. However, I loved the character so much, I decided to keep him alive so I could use him again later….

Next month, I will post some more trivia!

UPDATE 10/21/18: I've posted Chapter 3, and I am in the middle of writing Chapter 4. Earlier this month, the new animated series Star Wars: Resistance premiered. Having seen the first few episodes, I can say that I still don't like the animation style, though not as much as I did before. Also, while the story isn't particularly exciting, I think it's appropriately funny and lays the foundation for better things later on.

Now, more The Final Season trivia!

The Volunteer Army arc was originally conceived as a trilogy, comprised of the episodes Volunteer Army, An Unexpected Ally, and Korriban Missile Crisis. The first episode is the only one that turned out exactly the way I had planned it. The second episode was supposed to have the rescue of Satine as the A-plot and the capture of Boba Fett and infiltration of Gunray’s palace as the B-plot. When I got to the end of the episode and the characters had not even landed on Cato Neimoidia yet, I decided to make the subsequent mission its own episode. Return of the Zillo Beast was added to the arc after a crucial revision. When I finished writing Korriban Missile Crisis, the Separatist base hadn’t been destroyed, so I was forced to revise Order of Extinction, a standalone episode, and add it to the arc. That is how, what began as a three-episode arc ended up being a six-episode arc. If these were actual 22-minute episodes, this arc could have been adapted into a 2-hour-and-15-minute-long movie!

When writing The Final Season, I adhered to established canon for the most part. The biggest creative liberty I took was with Darth Bane’s tomb on Korriban. According to the Legends timeline, Darth Bane could not have had a tomb in the Valley of the Sith Lords, since the Sith had stopped entombing their dead there about 2,000 years prior to Bane’s death. But, when I was writing Volunteer Army, I wanted the tomb to belong to a famous Sith Lord, and I judged Darth Bane to be the best choice. Two years later, the Season Six finale of The Clone Wars had Yoda visit Darth Bane’s tomb on Moraband, which is another name for Korriban! That was an annoying coincidence!

The relationship between Ahsoka Tano and Boba Fett was one I had been thinking about long before I started writing The Final Season. It went through many iterations, from love at first sight to complete loathing, before I settled on the final result. Some of the people who reviewed the story said that they liked how I handled the relationship, and I think I did a great job with it. One of the problems I encountered was the age difference between the characters. At that point in the timeline, Boba was 13 and Ahsoka was 17, which made it hard to craft a genuine relationship. The solution I came up with was for Boba to have himself aged through some genetic process to make himself more intimidating as a bounty hunter. There are a lot of problems with that solution, but no one has criticized it so far.

Return of the Zillo Beast was conceived as a sequel to Prison Break. In the original outline, the Jedi would have gone to Brentaal IV to track down an escaped Demood Elppirc. Upon arriving, they would have found him killed by Zillo Beasts. When I decided to keep him alive to appear in The Sith Orb, I was suddenly left with an episode with no plot. Eventually, I decided to add the bounty hunters to the episode and make it part of the Volunteer Army arc. Unintentionally, the episode turned out having similarities to Jurassic Park, just like The Zillo Beast and Return of the Zillo Beast were inspired by Godzilla and King Kong!

One of the biggest complaints I got about the story was that there wasn’t enough of Darth Maul or Asajj Ventress. I originally wanted Order of Extinction to be the finale of an arc that focused on all of the Sith characters, but I abandoned the idea. I didn’t feel like I had enough ideas at the time to make that a reality. Besides, The Clone Wars isn’t about certain characters; it’s about everyone. Writing an entire story arc whose sole purpose was to include these characters would have been a waste of time and story length.

Next month, I will post even more trivia!

UPDATE 12/21/18: I apologize for not posting an update last month. I was so busy with work and school, and then I got sick, so it just slipped my mind. Here is the last set of trivia for The Clone Wars: The Final Season!

For the second half of the season, I took inspiration from various media that was canon at the time. At that point in the series, I was under the impression that The Clone Wars would conform to previously established canon with only a few changes. Therefore, I believed that, in order for my story to feel authentic, it had to conform to canon as well. Much of the Battle of Coruscant arc was obviously inspired by the final season of the original Clone Wars microseries and the Labyrinth of Evil novel, and the subsequent episodes shared similarities with Battlefront II. Despite all of these things no longer being canon, I still believe these episodes turned out great, and I would not change them.

Originally, Cad Bane was supposed to die at the end of Opportunity of Coruscant. At the end of his fight with Jar Jar Binks, he was supposed to fall from the balcony to his death. I scrapped that idea mainly because, according to canon, Bane survived the war and continued to work for the Empire, so I thought I couldn’t kill him in my story. Also, it felt like a cheap way to go. When I made the decision to spare him, I decided that he would meet his end in Star Wars: The Civil Wars. I just wanted to show people that Jar Jar is a hero! Of course, having him accidentally kill Bane wouldn’t’ve changed people’s opinion of him. Maybe, one day, everyone will learn to appreciate Jar Jar!

Heroes of Coruscant is the first episode that coincides with Revenge of the Sith. From that episode onward, there are several scenes from the movie that appear in the story, although not all in the same way. Some scenes were shot-for-shot, such as Anakin and Obi-Wan flying into battle; others show the events from a different point of view, such as the Invisible Hand going down; others have extra material packed within the scene, such as General Grievous commanding the battle. Interspersed among original material, this creates a story that is fun to read!

Originally, there was another episode planned, called Survivor. It would have featured Stass Allie and a few clones alone on Saleucami, thinking the droid army had been defeated and coming across a battalion of inactive battle droids. The droids unexpectedly wake up, and the heroes have to fight to survive. Order 66 would have happened during this episode, leading to the death of Stass Allie. When I realized Knightfall would be longer than I originally planned, I decided to separate it into two parts. Then, to keep the episode count at 22 (following the pattern of the previous seasons of the series) I dropped Survivor from my plans because I felt like it had the weakest story.

Prior to posting Knightfall: Parts 1 and 2, I edited the entire final season for the first time, adding new material to several episodes in the process. They are as follows:
Father Jedi: Anakin juggling the Younglings’ lightsabers to keep them entertained.
Supply in Demand: Dain escaping from the space slug (to ensure his survival so that I could include him in future stories).
Secrets of the Trees: Anakin and Obi-Wan talking about Ahsoka at the end.
Biological Weapons: Grievous being contacted by Nobit (who was originally created for War of the Wookiees) and Fives sacrificing himself to kill one of the monsters (his death originally was more grotesque and pointless).
Kidnapped King: Nobit fights Yoda and loses.
Prison Break: The flashback showing how Demood Elppirc bombed the prison.
Inner Conflicts: Obi-Wan scouting an escape route from the Death Watch base while Anakin fixed the generators.
Return of the Zillo Beast: Dengar and Bossk meet up with Greedo on Tatooine.
Korriban Missile Crisis: Shaak Ti saves Ahsoka and Boba from the tomb.
Order of Extinction: Obi-Wan takes down the Separatist missile base.
Heroes of Coruscant: Anakin kills Count Dooku.

Rex originally had a much different role in Knightfall. I had planned for him to follow orders unquestioningly and fight against the Jedi. He would have fought Ahsoka, who would then have regrettably killed him. After his character evolution in the Season 4 Umbara arc, I decided to change this to make him more honorable. In hindsight, I wish I had portrayed him differently in Part 1 and the beginning of Part 2. I was trying to show that he’s a good soldier who follows orders, even if he has doubts about them. In the end, though, he did the right thing and died a hero.

As we head into the new year, anticipation is building for the Clone Wars revival! Also, we are now less than one year away from Star Wars: Episode IX, which I am looking forward to despite the disappointment of The Last Jedi. I am still working on The Sith Orb: Part 3, and will post the next chapter when it's ready.

UPDATE 4/15/19: Sorry it's been so long since my last update. With everything going on in my life, my fanfiction has mostly fallen by the wayside. Once I'm finished with school, I hope to have more time to write.

I've decided to write this update to talk about Star Wars Celebration! In the past, I've watched the live stream on YouTube and commented on it here, but this time, I'll be doing things differently. I am about to describe my own experience when I attended Celebration in person on Sunday! Since this is the first time since 2005 that Celebration has been within driving distance of my home in Ohio, and I have the financial stability to spend money on the trip, I decided to seize the opportunity! It didn't start out well, as the unexpected snow and a mishap with my parking reservation nearly derailed my plans. However, I did manage to get into the convention (getting waved in by a snowtrooper!) just in time to watch the Mandalorian panel streamed to the Star Wars Show Live stage! Based on what was shown and what was revealed, I'm looking forward to the new series when it arrives on Disney this November.

After that, I decided to wander the exhibit hall. What stood out to me the most was the sheer number of booths that were all about selling vintage or discontinued merchandise. Since I'm not a collector, nothing really stood out to me. I did stop by the Del Rey booth and looked at the Star Wars novels available, and I also went to the LEGO booth, where they had a LEGO Star Wars 20th anniversary display, and I was lucky enough to have won a lottery to buy an exclusive LEGO Darth Vader bust! I also went to the Her Universe booth to buy a pair of shoes my sister requested. Then, I went to the Celebration store (after standing in line for half an hour to get in) and browsed the exclusive items for sale. I was tempted to buy a plush Loth-wolf, but I decided only to buy a Clone Wars Saved T-shirt with the Ahsoka paint-job Clone Trooper helmet on it! Unfortunately, by that time, all they had left was size 3XL! I decided to buy it anyway because I loved the design so much! I'll have to try to shrink it in the wash before I can wear it, though!

I wanted to go to the Worldbuilding panel on the University Stage, since it was aligned with my writing interests, but I got lost looking for it, and didn't get there until the room had been filled. So, instead, I went to the Celebration Stage in the Wintrust Arena to save my seat for the Clone Wars panel, which is what I was looking forward to the most! After the Alan Tudyk panel ended, I picked a seat off to the side but close to the front so that I would have a good view of the panelists! Then I waited for an hour for the panel to start. But, thanks to Mark Daniel and DeeJay Elliot working the audience, I was not bored! Then, the panel began with host Warwick Davis and panelists Dave Filoni, Dee Bradley Baker, Ashly Eckstein, and Sam Witwer! I don't normally get overexcited about a lot, but seeing these amazing people live, watching their hilarious playful banter, listening to them talk about The Clone Wars, and being surrounded by thousands of excited fans brought out that part of me! By the end of the panel, I was yelling my voice raw and clapping my hands sore (literally, they had turned red!). To top it all off, everyone at the panel walked away with a mini-poster showing Ahsoka during the Siege of Mandalore! Well, not exactly; we all got voucher cards that we had to take to the hotel across the street. That must have been a sight - a few hundred people crammed in front of the hotel entrance in the snow and trickling through the door to form a single file line going up the escalator and winding back and forth through the grand ballroom to pick up their posters!

After the Clone Wars panel, I went back to the exhibit hall to take one last look around. I arrived back at the Star Wars Show Live stage just as Andi Gutierrez started interviewing Matt Lanter and Sam Witwer, and I actually got to stand less than 10 feet away from them! In fact, I think I might have appeared on the live stream at one point during the interview! After that, I went back to the store to see if they had gotten any more of the aforementioned T-shirt in smaller sizes so that I could exchange it. Unfortunately, they were completely sold out. After that, I decided I was ready to leave. It had been such a great day! I am very glad I decided to attend Celebration, but if I ever go again, I don't think I'd want to go alone. I feel like I would have had more fun if I had been with other people. It just goes to show that Star Wars is better if you share it with family and friends! If you are a Star Wars fan, I recommend you attend at least one Celebration in your lifetime. Well, I'd better get back to work. I have homework to catch up on, a project to finish, and finals to study for!

UPDATE 9/1/19: At long last, I have completed Chapter 7 of The Sith Orb: Part 3! I am so sorry that it's taken so long; I've just been so busy. Hopefully, once I finally finish grad school in December, I will have more time to write. Part of the reason Chapter 7 took so long is because it ended up being twice as long as I intended. Once I was near the end, I decided to break it up into two chapters. Furthermore, Chapter 8 is already finished, and I plan to post it sometime within the next couple of months, depending on how fast I can write Chapter 9. I know it's been a while, so here is a summary of Part 3 so far in case you've forgotten what's been happening:

A fleet of Sith battlecruisers, commanded by Darth Sinestro, arrived to destroy a crucial Galactic Alliance space station orbiting the planet Gederon. As their attack commenced, a fleet of Alliance Star Destroyers, commanded by Admiral Mo’Ari on the flagship Reliant, arrived to reinforce the station. Jaina Solo led a squadron of starfighters against the Sith fighters and bombers attacking the station. It soon became clear that the Sith’s shields were being drained more quickly, making an Alliance victory appear all but certain. But then, Sith reinforcements arrived in the form of a new cruiser, called the Leviathan.

Having the appearance of an alien sea monster and bristling with weapons, Mo’Ari ordered a retreat. However, the ship’s gravity well projectors prevented the Star Destroyers from jumping to hyperspace; the first ship that attempted to do so was immobilized and destroyed. The remaining ships turned to try and outrun the Leviathan at sublight speed, but the monstrous ship also had ion pulse cannons that drained the Star Destroyers of their power, leaving them dead in space to be destroyed by the Sith battlecruisers. Meanwhile, the Leviathan launched hundreds of Sith fighters that swarmed the Alliance fighters, destroying most of them and severely damaging Jaina’s X-Wing. Fortunately, her fighter drifted into the hanger of the Reliant and she was pulled alive, but comatose, from the wreckage. The heavily damaged Star Destroyers was the only Alliance ship to escape, leaving Gederon and the space station to the Sith.

After the disastrous defeat at Gederon, the Jedi decided that they needed to end the war quickly by killing Darth Hatus and destroying the Sith Orb. Ben Skywalker volunteered to infiltrate the Sith headquarters and assassinate Hatus, but Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano said no. Afterwards, Ahsoka expressed to Luke her concerns that Ben may be turning to the dark side after his experiences on Dromund Kaas. She had already seen two members of Luke’s family fall to the dark side, and she was not about to let it happen again. She suggested sending Ben away so that he could vent his anger in a safe environment, but Luke refused to allow it.

That night, Luke dreamt that he was Anakin Skywalker, who had just won a Clone Wars battle on an isolated planet called Latru. In the dream, he confronted a vain and temperamental king named Monad Joisür, who attempted to bribe and blackmail him into giving the planet Republic membership. He mentioned that Demood Elppirc had been born there and had lived there for a year while on an assignment for the Jedi Council. He also said that Anakin’s mother, Shmi, had grown up there as well, but that her pregnancy with him had brought shame and scandal to the Skywalker family. Losing control of his emotions, Luke snapped the king’s neck and had the royal palace destroyed to cover up the crime.

Upon waking, Luke believed that the dream had actually been a Force vision, and he was troubled by the idea of his father murdering King Joisür so brutally. But he was more focused on the revelations about Demood Elppirc, which led Luke to believe that there might be something on Latru that could help the Jedi defeat Hatus. After making a strong argument, he was able to convince the Jedi Council and Chancellor Don Dain to allow him to go investigate. He did not, however, tell anyone about Anakin’s murder of the king. Before he left, Luke tried to talk to his son about Dromund Kaas, but tempers flared, leaving father and son bitter with each other.

While visiting Jaina in the hospital Tahiri Veila told Han and Leia Solo that they should be prepared for the possibility that their daughter might not wake up. After regretting her bitter reaction, Leia asked Luke to invite Tahiri to accompany him to Latru to keep her preoccupied while Jaina recovers. Luke told Tahiri about his vision and iterated that the people of Latru might want to hurt them. Understanding this, and welcoming the change of pace, Tahiri agreed to go with him, and together they left aboard the Jade Shadow.