Fragments in itallics are used to dive into specific characters' heads throughout the narrative.

Chapter 26: "New Beginnings"

Years ago, in Yavin-4, a young Ben Solo laid on his bed, facing upwards, with three blankets covering him. It was, after all, a cold night, even having a fireplace nearby. He had a hard time falling asleep.

Are you there?

"I'm always here," a voice responded in his head, "How are you, boy?".

Cold and tired. Mostly tired. No, mostly lonely, really. I really just need a hug right now, but it's been a long time since I've felt one of those.

"You want to feel loved. That's fair. Isn't your teacher literally your family?"

He is, but…

"But… what? But not on this planet? It looks like he sees you as a monster as well, if you ask me".

Well, I don't think he does. He's my uncle, you should have some respect…

"I should have some respect? I, who listens to you and supports you despite being unable to be with you? I should respect the guy who treats you like garbage? Am I wasting my time here?"

That's not what I meant-

"Take care".

No, wait!

Snoke!

"…".

No, no! What have I done?! He was the only one who cared about me! Genuinely cared! What th-

Ben hit the wall beside him.

What is wrong with you? He's the only one who treats you well! You're an idiot!

Galaxies away, Snoke himself had just found the first men to train for his own Order of knights. With Luke orchestrating the return of the Jedi, and Snoke slowly building the rise of a new Empire in the shadows, he needed some kind of personal defense and, more importantly for his own ego, he needed disciples. Thus, in the distant planet of Exegol, where the Sith were essentially born thousands of years earlier, Snoke sat down on a throne inside a disfigured but haunting castle. Before him, three young men stood, wielding swords.

"My Knights…" Snoke said. He wore a very eccentric and extravagant, bright red robe, which made him look like royalty. Coupled with it, he wore black clothing underneath. His face, though already bald and wrinkled, was virtually symmetrical, with no noticeable wounds or disfigurements. He sat on the throne, looking upon his disciples, and knowing each step he took was definitive. If he could turn the young Ben Solo and destroy the Jedi, while at the same time installing his own personal police of Knights with a religious backdrop, he could very well replicate the order and control that the Old Jedi Order once maintained, but for his new Empire, for the First Order, "This is the beginning of your real life. Everything before today was just your path to get here, but we must leave it behind. A new world, a new order approaches… you were all born and raised in unfortunate circumstances. This allowed you to see how cruel and chaotic the world is. And it is up to us and our new order to bring meaning to all of this. The galaxy needs to evolve".

Years later, Ben has breakfast in the kitchen of the small house he's been resting in for the past month. It seems very humble. There's a small table on the center, surrounded by four chairs -though one of those has been moved aside, to make room for Ben's wheelchair-, and the walls are almost entirely covered by furniture holding either food or the utensils and tools necessary to cook it. Soon, Burnhar walks by the door frame and notices Ben, so he walks in.

"Ben," he says, "Surprised to see you here. I was just going to wake you up".

"I'm glad you're here," Ben has been eating some sort of glassy breads himself, but beside his dish, lay another one with more of them. He grabs this second dish and puts it on the seat perpendicular to him, inviting Burnhar to eat alongside him, "I made some Bolles for you".

Burnhar walks over and sits down beside the youth.

"Now, I don't know their taste yet," Burnhar says, as he grabs a fork Ben had laid for him nearby, "But if they're not good, don't take it too personally. Cooking is not synonymous with character".

"That's all right," Ben responds. He's stopped eating, despite his dish still having plenty to grab. Instead, he just stares at Burnhar, as if trying to look past his pupils. Burnhar notices this as he chews his first bite.

"Everything okay?" he asks. He then cleans himself up with a napkin he pulls out of his pocket, "It's really good, by the way. Very sweet".

"Why do you do this?" Ben asks.

"I'm confused as to what exactly you mean," Burnhar responds, "You don't mean eating".

"You care about people around you more than anyone else I've ever known," Ben confesses, without an inch of dishonesty, "How? Why?".

"Well, because it's the right thing to do. We come into this world, not even by our own choice, and we have to live alongside other people, millions of people! We're not alone. We can't be. We have to be there for each other".

"Go on…" Ben says. He finally grabs another bite from his bread.

"Before all of this, when we were under Imperial Rule… I tried to be a responsible citizen. I knew the hardships of life from my own experience and I tried my best to help people deal with them. People trusted me and wanted me to be the governor, and I realized that perhaps there was a lot that I could do for the world if I agreed," Burnhar stands up and grabs a cup, which he then fills up with some greasy-looking red milk, "See, people thought I had a knack for understanding the roots of the problems of everyday life, and for proposing solutions. Gladly, a lot of people studied and grouped and discussed and worked hard to be able to do the same, but they still campaigned for me and with me. Somehow, against all odds, I won, and I served as governor for ten years". Ben nods in understanding so far. Burnhar comes back to his seat and gets comfortable again.

"So, you know, if you have any kind of special skill or advantage…" Burnhar explains, "I believe it is a moral responsibility to use it to make the world a better place, for people".

That sounds a little like the skeleton of the Jedi philosophy as outlined by Luke all those years ago.

"And, of course, right now I may not be governor, but my time as governor allowed me to see how a lot of things work in a structured civilization," he continues, "So it was only natural to help this little family we had here become sustainable. It isn't always easy, of course, but wouldn't you want someone to help you if you were the victim of injustice?".

Ben nods, as he processes all he heard.

"This notion of trying to make the world a better place… of responsibility and what not…" Ben says, "I've noticed you don't really have a wife or children here. Is that because the duty of making the world a better place necessitates not being distracted by emotional attachments?". Burnhar's eyebrows raise like never before, and his eyes are wide open.

"No, no, no, absolutely not," he resopnds, "I used to think that, a long time ago, but no. You can't be a person in charge of helping people without yourself having intimate connections with people… You can't have one without the other. Those attachments are what allow you to know what others feel, and it's only knowing how they feel that you can make the best choices to help them. Severing attachments leads to dehumanizing, leads to saying something like 'Go ahead, sacrifice those ten people, so long as the other ninety live'".

"Is that not how it should be?" Ben asks.

"If you're talking about fruit, ninety fruits are more valuable than ten," Burnhar says, "But you're not talking about fruit".

"So if you have to choose between saving ten people and saving ninety?" Ben asks, "What would you choose?". Burnhar tightens his lips and shakes his head.

"That's not the right question to ask," Burnhar says, "Why are we at a point where we have to treat lives as if they were baskets of fruit? What can we- what should we do to stop being at such a point?".

"But how would you deal with the immediate situation?"

"I live in such a way that the world will never force me to make such a decision," Burnhar responds, "I'm aware that it is a reality for some, elsewhere, but what that tells us is that there are bigger problems that need to be addressed, so that it stops being the reality for anyone. We need to be better".

Ben does not respond any longer. After that conversation, they talk much more casually. And, across the galaxy, in the Fegwet system, the Rebellion prepares for its next move. Over the past week, every single Stormtrooper they'd captured had come to realizations about wanting to be free, and most of them had voluntarily decided to additionally become a part of the Rebellion. It was hard not to turn. Realizing the trauma they had gone through, as well as the trauma they had caused on others, realizing that the best hope to end this cycle of nightmarish violence was not to run away from it or repress it but to fight it, realizing that they had the power to save future generations from the pain they were both victims and perpetrators of… and to see each other go through similar processes… everything favored their switching paths. There were now approximately ninety active Rebels in Fegwet, counting both civilians and deserter Stormtroopers. It wasn't yet a tide, but it was a drop of water. Enough drops can change a current. Hope abounded.

Rose entered the base, followed closely by ten Rebels. Leia, Lyn, Chewbacca, and Finn awaited on the now-commonly-called the "Table of Maps".

"It's working!" Rose says, drawing their attention. She arrives at the table and leaves a list of names and signatures, "Now can I tell them my plan?" she asks Leia.

"Go ahead," she responds, "You're free to show off". Lyn rings a small alarm bell for everyone inside the base to listen. Everything quiets down and the attention centers on Rose.

"See," Rose explains, "Now that we have former Stormtroopers on our side, they can help us get out of minor issues with the First Order should the situation arise. So I thought, why not start spreading the word? Get people to know and to hope, and to want to participate. We tell them about our long-term uprising, how far we've come in so little time, with roughly two hundred mine workers having already agreed themselves, and with the promise that this won't be serious enough to get them in trouble for a long time, and, hopefully, by the time we get to the actual uprising, we'll have enough Stormtroopers on our side for people here to be safe. And it's working. Thirty seven people signed over the course of three days," Rose says, shocked, as she shows the list of names and signatures, "Of course, that's thirty seven out of a hundred and twelve we talked to, but it's good, it's progress. The more this grows, the easier it is for it to keep growing". People cheer and clap briefly. Finn searches for Rey from the table and locates her sitting down near a corner, as she, too, smiles.

In one corner, R2-D2 beeps in excitement.

"You too, Artoo?" C-3PO asks, "What are a few hundred against millions of Stormtroopers? We're still doomed".

A moment later, as Rey broods on her own, Finn approaches.

"Hey," he says, "Why don't we talk?".

Rey stands up.

"Hey, what's going on?" she asks.

"What's going on?" he repeats, "What's going on is that we're more hopeful than ever and you look like you wanna throw up. I'm worried, and you've always been quiet when something bothers you, so how about a change of pace with that?". Rey just tightens her lips and turns her pupils elsewhere, "Why don't we go grab something to eat and you tell me what's going on?".

Come on, you're not alone anymore. Stop trying to push yourself back into a life that isn't real anymore.

"All right," Rey says, "I am hungry". The two walk out of the base.

Meanwhile, back in Neast, Burnhar rolls Ben on his wheelchair through the village. Some of the villagers wave at them and they wave back.

"Burnhar, I've been thinking about what I told you the other night," Ben says, "About killing myself".

The two arrive at a small house with a thick door.

"What have you been thinking?" Burnhar asks, as he then knocks the door, "By the way, remember, Ferrin doesn't understand our language, he can only communicate through feelings".

"I picked an excellent time to start talking about this topic, then," Ben remarks, "Hopefully this won't overwhelm him".

The door slides open and a creature like Ben has never seen before walks out. He is as tall as Ben's knees when he's sitting down. His body is almost spherical, with no legs. His two arms are as thin as a pencil, and so are the three fingers on his hands. His face is part of the spherical body, with the eyes and the mouth at the very top. He wears a robe that covers everything except his face and hands. His skin looks soft and pale, though it has a slight purple hue. He looks severely worried as he opens the door and sees Ben. He guides the two guests to a table, as he rests on a seat with adjustable height opposite Ben and Burnhar and elevates it to reach the table. There are clothes and sewing machines on the table.

"Ferrin discovered his talent for sewing when he was very young," Burnhar explains. The host nods along as he grabs a piece of cloth and dynamically sews a sleeve onto it, "Unfortunately, the massacre destroyed any universal translator he could've used to understand our language. His physiology doesn't allow him to detect vibrations, so he can't hear. That makes matters complicated, but he's never let that be a real problem. I can't tell you how much I'd like to be able to feel as much as he does. It's hard to tell what people feel sometimes. For some reason, people repress their emotions a lot. It's baffling to me".

"Speaking of which," Ben comments, "I was gonna say…" Burnhar turns to him and nods, while he grabs pieces of cloth for himself and for Ben to work on, "I think dying is good for me. The truth is that I can't live with the weight of my own actions, and it would be best for everyone to just put a halt to this whole thing".

"What, your life?" Burnhar asks.

"Yeah," Ben responds, "End my life".

"So you couldn't think of anything worth living for?" Burnhar asks.

"I don't know what the point of that would be"

"Because what you want is peace," Burnhar says, "But the problem is that you think that that peace is incompatible with your continuing life. You think you can only find that peace through death, but it's not true. You told me you have a voice inside your head that tells you to go the wrong way. This is just another tactic it has. It sees that you can change and doesn't want to allow that… It wants you to be either bad or dead".

"Oh, come on, how can you even-" Ben responds, but is interrupted by Ferrin stretching his arm and touching him on his chest. Shockingly, Ben doesn't react aggressively. His breath just softens and his eyes drift away. He no longer sees his surroundings. Now, all he sees is that old house in Organa City, as he dines with his parents. The droid 5-06 is there, too. Then, he senses himself sitting on his mother's lap, while she's in the living room arguing politics with fellow senators. Out of the blue, he's with Han Solo and Chewbacca, in the woods, exploring. The two of them argue about who gets to take Ben along for their respective path. Next, he sees a silhouette of a man with dark hair choking the woman he loves in a volcanic land. Thousands dead and then the man feeling regret, getting to see his son one last time, and wishing he'd turned earlier, atoned for his sins, and found peace with his family. He then sees himself, solid as a rock, choking Rey in an icy forest, with his parents already dead on the ground. He feels it. They didn't want Ben to be corrupted, not just to protect themselves, but to protect him from losing himself. He remembers Han Solo trying to save him and Leia believing he wouldn't kill her when he had the chance. They were misguided when they raised him. But they loved him. He then sees Luke on a salt planet saying he's sorry, admitting his mistake rather than accusing Ben of his crimes. He sees all the times Luke played with him before taking off with him. He sees Luke wrestling with himself, having difficulty teaching the strict Jedi way, but doing it because he thought he was doing the right thing. He didn't want to hurt Ben. He felt pain as well. He, too, was misguided. Yet he, too, deeply loved him. Ben knew it. Ben had been right in feeling betrayed by all of them, but they also had motives to do what they did. He had felt that love from all three of them, at times, but clouded it with an overwhelming cloud of hate. Still, though, it was there. And it wasn't gone forever, it could be salvaged. There was also Rey. She cared for him. She believed in him and even rebelled against her master out of pure faith in him. She believed in Ben every single time, and he kept letting her down, pushing her away. But when their hands touched, he realized that there was love to feel with her as well. He had both lived a terrible life and done terrible things, but he was able to remember now all the times he felt life was worth living.

Then, Ben came back to the real world. Ferrin pulled his arm back, with a moderate smile on his face.

"I didn't know you could do that," Ben says. He still looks to be in the middle of ecstasy, "Thank you…".

The sewing continues, as Burnhar exchanges looks with Ferrin, and ben remains quiet, thinking of what his mind just experienced.

In Fegwet, Rey and Finn walk into a dinner and sit down opposite one another on one of the very few tables that isn't already occupied. It's loud enough that they can talk about whatever subject they'd like.

"But, really, I think I was a slave since I was eight," Rey recalls, "Not how people usually imagine slaves, I imagine, but… circumstances made me a slave".

"I understand, yeah," Finn responds, "We're a couple of former unconventional slaves, I imagine. Now…" Finn waits for a few seconds, hoping that Rey will speak up, "Tell me what's going on".

I have to. I have to. I have to. Could be nothing; surely is nothing. It's still best to externalize it.

"I guess I'm just… a little caught up in part of the Jedi myth…" Rey says, "It's going to sound incredibly selfish, I know, but… I almost wish this whole thing was just my fight. I started out just wanting to know where I fit in, hoping someone would hand me my place, but then I realized I can't live like that. I have to choose my place… but part of me, I think, wants that place to be the savior, you know?".

"But you can rationalize this, right?" Finn asks.

"Yeah, no, I can understand that this has to be collective, and it's good that it's collective," Rey explains, "But… I don't know, I just wish I saw my part in this a little more clearly. Right now, it just seems to be vaguely 'being a part of the Rebellion'… and that's fine, that's important, but… I don't know… I guess this whole notion of being the last Jedi really got to my ego or something. I felt like a complete idiot when I was going to welcome Leia and the Rebels and I couldn't make it halfway even… it just maximized these feelings".

"I'm sure things will be cleared up," Finn says, "Who knows? Maybe as we get closer to the actual uprising, you will find something that suits you more comfortably".

"Or, you know," Rey responds, "I could just not be so self centered in my quest".

"We should or-" Finn is interrupted. A humanoid with ears the size of his head -which is the size of Rey and Finn's heads- and green skin sits down alongside them, and aggressively enters the conversation.

"So, it's you!" he says, admiring Rey and Finn's faces. The two look at each other nervously, with their hands vigilantly preparing to strike if he threatens them somehow, "You're the ones proposing to take down the First Order, aren't you?".

"What do you want?" Rey asks.

"Oh, I just wanna contribute to the discourse, friend," he responds, "My name is Uritia. As you can see, I'm cursed with hearing everything," he points to his large ears, "And I heard you speaking the other day on a mine. I recognized your voices here today. You've been firing up everyone around here, haven't you? Telling them to fight and so".

"They want freedom," Finn says, "We're just presenting a new shot at it".

"Oh, I know," Uritia says, holding back laughter, "I'm not here to question your methods, I'm here to tell you that your goal is bad. More accurately, it's dumb and pointless," he rests back on his seat, "Yeah, I said it".

"So you come here, knowing we're trying to save the galaxy," Rey says, "And literally the sole purpose of your intervention is to give us your discouraging thoughts?".

"Real dirty work, man," Finn says, shaking his head, "Very bad first impression you're giving us".

"If you don't think this fight will work," Rey adds, "Just stay out of it… I mean, you'll be supporting the First Order if you do so, but that's really the easy answer".

"Oh…" Uritia responds, "I assumed my points were clear. See, you're all wrong not because I think you'll lose, though that's still very likely, but because it's not something worth pursuing. Think about it. Most people in the galaxy are not in the First Order, and yet it keeps thriving. You gotta wonder why… It's because people don't care. Or they're bad. Or cowards. Any number of these, really. Do they really deserve to get rid of something they've supported themselves through passivity and impartiality? I think not. We are exactly where we deserve to be.

"You're wrong!" Rey responds, aggressively.

"And also intrusive," Finn adds, "We just came here to eat".

"Are you creating new people?" Uritia asks, "I don't think so… Everyone who you hope will be a part of this already existed and lived in this system for a long time, and they never fought to take it down, not really. So yeah, I'm not wrong. In all honesty, you should take over Starkiller base and just kill us all. The whole universe".

"Starkiller was destroyed," Finn says, "By people who rebelled and fought".

"Was it really?" Uritia asks, "I wasn't aware. Anyway… death to all of us! The majority is okay with all of this suffering. Might as well kill us," he then stands up and puts his seat back in place, "Just some food for thought. I hope we'll see each other again". And he leaves.

"What was that?" Finn asks.

"I don't know," Rey responds, "But I really want to believe he's wrong".

"Me too," Finn nods, "Now let's… let's actually order something".

Finn looks confident. I hope so do I, but I can't help wonder. What if this is a mistake? What if we take down the First Order and it's just substituted by another dictatorship? He's right that we've allowed awful dictatorships to take control a couple times already and for far too long, but… is that all he's right about? How can we make sure it doesn't happen again? Is it even possible to do so?

And the answer will keep Rey guessing for a long time, still. Across the galaxy, back in Neast, Ben stares at himself in the restroom mirror, sitting down on his wheelchair. He continues thinking of all the feelings he had, of all the memories that made him consider that maybe life was worth living, after all.

"What is wrong with you?"

You should be dead.

"No, why?"

Remember what you really want: power…

"Why? What for? It's meaningless! No, in fact, it does mean something: it means the death and suffering of millions, and that's not okay".

You were okay with it when the New Republic was destroyed. You were okay with killing your father.

"No, I wasn't".

You're weak!

"I don't want you inside my head anymore. You want me to die, and life is worth living it".

It deserves to be lived, but not by you.

"You're wrong".

You don't deserve to live. Look at the mess you've made.

"I'm more than what I did in the past".

Are you, really?

Ben remains silent, struggling to breathe.

"My fate isn't sealed".

You don't deserve to live.

Ben now felt that he had to prove to himself that he deserved to live. If his actions in the past were what held him back, perhaps it was as simple as becoming a better person in the future. Hopefully, one day he would believe that he deserves to live.

Back in Fegwet, a few days later, there would be an emergency assembly. The Rebels organized and had their Stormtroopers be in the town hall in advance, while easily taking down and capturing, one by one, most of the troopers who were originally supposed to be there. By the time the assembly was actually starting, there were only about ten genuine First Order Stormtroopers and three officials on the stage. In the crowd, there were about fifty Rebels among the three hundred or so who attended. Rey again awaited her moment, sitting down wearing her robes. The highest ranking official stepped up to start the assembly.

"First of all," he began saying, "As you may know, this is an emergency assembly. We heard some reports that there wasn't one last week, and that the one before had had some sort of… odd ending. No one dared explain what this meant. So… if there's any of you who knows… and he doesn't speak up right now… make no mistake, it will mean pain and death".

Rey turns to one of the Stormtroopers on their side from afar, and he subtly nods at her. She grabs her saber, preparing to stand up and start the strike, but then, the official has another announcement.

"There's something else," he says. Rey remains sitting down, "With joy, I must now let you all know that the First Order has officially finally destroyed its opposition and consolidated itself structurally," Rey is paralyzed.

What does that mean?

"After finally destroying the corrupt and inept Republic, the First Order took some time to expand its reach, free the planets that were affected by its damaging influence, and organize itself internally. Snoke's vision didn't go far enough, but under the leadership of our new Supreme Leader Sidious, we've made a significant step forward," Rey continues to wait. A part of her knows what he's about to say next, "Your patience has allowed us to get here, but make no mistake, it has also meant a significant human cost. The long-abandoned son of General Leia Organa, Ben Solo Organa, gave his life destroying the last remnants of corruption in the Republic. And what a title, right? 'Republic'… let us remind you what it really is, for we are henceforth to be known as the United Galactic Republic".

Ben died… destroying the Republic? Is that a lie or did he live on after I last saw him?

"You will be notified of further democratic procedures through the next few days," the official concludes, "Long live the order of the United Galactic Republic!".

What? What now?

Act! The plan goes on!

Rey stands up, takes off her robe, and lights up her saber, pointing at the officials on the stage.

"Your branding will not change anything!" Rey yells, "The First Order falls today!".

Slowly but surely, the Rebels stand up and join her chant, as most of the Stormtroopers surrounding the assembly aim their blasters at the stage. Some of the loyal Stormtroopers play along, assuming that this is an order of some kind, and two or three simply remain confused. Many people's heads turn and their mouths open in awe. The officials surrender and are taken in by the Rebels. The loyal Stormtroopers are disarmed and captured as well. Lyn against gets on the stage and essentially echoes Rey's words, that this idea of a new Republic being formed is a lie to cover up their true face. History repeats itself; most people just leave in fear, but several stay and decide to join the Rebellion. They all go back to base. Rey intentionally avoids talking to her friends, as she continues to process what just happened.

What does this mean now? Is Ben even really dead? No, focus! Focus on the bigger issue!

Back in base, the captured troopers are put inside a room with most of the rebelling troopers. Outside, in the main area, Lyn updates everyone on the apparent changes regarding the First Order. Rey awaits, sitting down all curled up, against a wall. Leia approaches her and sits down beside her.

"Why did you come here and how did you know we were here?" Rey asks. She's been wondering this for a while, but hasn't really felt comfortable with the idea of talking to Leia until now.

"Oldocia used to be completely free from First Order influence," Leia responds, "But a few days ago, a Star Destroyer came and they took over the planet, for its resources I imagine. We managed to escape with a ship. I guess we should've known they were expanding". Rey expresses her understanding just by raising her eyebrows.

"I don't know what to feel, lately," Rey admits, "And with these news, it's even worse".

"They know exactly what they're doing," Leia says, "With the story of Ben, they get the people who follow me to think they're on the right side, and they get the people who hate me… for my ties to Darth Vader and for abandoning my son… to see him as a noble martyr, so, again, it tricks them into thinking the First Order fights on the right side".

"I didn't know people hated you," Rey admits, "I couldn't imagine".

"Well, as I said," Leia explains, "My heritage and… what we did to Ben… were revealed publicly years ago to discredit me as a politician… It was effective".

I sometimes wonder if Leia has ever been happy. Or peaceful.

"Do you think Ben is alive?" Rey asks.

"I don't know his fate," Leia responds, "But I don't think what they told us should be taken as confirmation or denial of his death. It was a political move, and only a political move".

"But do you think he's dead?" Rey insists.

Leia holds back tears and presses her lips, looking away from the young Jedi.

"I haven't felt him in weeks," she admits. She then turns to Rey and tears come out, "My son is gone".

Galaxies away, in Coruscant,a meeting was about to take place. In the old Senate Hall, about a thousand beings from all kinds of diverse backgrounds assembled, and in the center of it all, Ducan held himself on a levitating platform.

"You have all been summoned here today to join us in our new path. You have been chosen to represent those planets on which the United Galactic Republic has its reach. To maintain our economy and keep the galaxy moving, we must balance things. Your duties will be to keep your respective systems under control. There can be some opposition. In fact, there should be. It will help you turn your people against a common enemy. Consider yourselves now a part of the higher class. You will be wealthy, just like we are, and just like our financiers are. As long as we keep ourselves on top, this Republic will remain alive. We will have order. Use your wealth intelligently; get your people to be on your side even if you don't care about them. You will be advised on some tactics for this briefly, after this session has ended. We will meet here every fifty days, or on otherwise extraordinary occasions. I will summon you. Any policy question you have, ask our cabinet, made up of former First Order officials. Remember, your top priority is to keep this system going. Keep the wheel spinning. As we speak, all of your respective systems are being informed of these changes, but it will be up to you to make it tangible".

And yet, as a new Empire is consolidated under the guise of a Republic, hope lives. Far away, on the Stormtrooper training camp in the Dumo system, it's nighttime, and a spark is about to be lit.

A loud noise comes from the dormitory. The midnight guard hears it and walks in aggressively, but the lights don't work. They can't see what's going on.

"Troops, report!" one of the guard's troopers orders.

Upon hearing no response, he and the rest of the guard walk further into the area. It's dead silent and the light from outside is still not quite enough to illuminate the inside.

"Why is no one-"

"Stormtroopers of the midnight guard," Rex's familiar voice says in the dark, "You are surrounded". The guard turns to look at the dormitory's entrance, and it is now covered by a row of armed Stormtroopers.

"What?" one guard trooper asks.

"We don't mean any harm," the sound of dozens of charged blasters travels around the room. The troops are waiting in the dark, "but if you resist we will shoot. Drop your blasters and surrender, or things will get violent".

"What is going on here, RX-2008?" the head of the guard asks, pointing with his gun at him.

"We're rising up to take on the real enemy: the First Order," Rex responds, "and if I were you, I wouldn't shoot, because you're surrounded by my brothers, but even if you do shoot, it won't matter. Our collective scream against tyranny doesn't end with my death".

"I guess we'll find out," the head of the guard threatens, getting in position to blast, but before he can act, blasts come from the darkness and destroy his blaster. The rest of the guard troopers load their blasters, but he raises his hand immediately, to order them to stand down and not fight back, "All right, we rather be hostages than dead".

"Oh, commander," Rex says, as he paces toward his superior, "That is exactly the way they've trained us to think. Spoken like a true First Order Stormtrooper". Rex then turns to his brothers in the darkness, "Disarm them".

There are dozens of training facilities across the planet, separated by miles of terrain resembling a devastated city, and each one of these facilities has a small tower for communication. However, only one of the facilities has a major communications center, to speak for the whole system, and it's the same one that in its underground has the energy reserve system to power the whole planet. Dameson leads a squad into said underground and they quietly and gradually take down every Stormtrooper guarding it, making sure to only immobilize them. Rex, Nino, and hundreds of other Stormtroopers move in the shadows to approach the communications center on this facility, and, finally, the lights go out, and the group makes its move, rushing forward.

"What's going on?!" an official asks inside the center. He's inside a big yet claustrophobic room, with dozens of tables, machines, and many windows surrounding it. There are about a hundred officials in there, everyone wondering what happened.

"Send a squad to check the powering system!" another official says.

"Send them how?" an older official asks in response, "We have no means of communication".

Somebody knocks on the sliding door.

"Is everyone okay in there?" a Stormtrooper asks, "I'll get you out of there". He says as the door starts to be blasted from the outside of the room.

"You're going to ruin the door and it isn't cheap!" an official howls, but before he can even finish the sentence, the door has been blown away, and Stormtroopers begin entering and pointing at their superiors. Rex comes in and blasts near the highest rank present, causing him to take a step back, in fear.

"What the hell is going on here?!" he asks.

"Superior commander Alva," Rex says, walking towards him intimidatingly. At this point, eighty Stormtroopers have entered the room, and a few dozen more await outside, "This is a new beginning for our system".

"Traitors!" Alva responds, "The loyal troops in this facility will come here and take you down!".

"They're already here," Rex responds, "Right there, there's Yvan, Rain, Bunno," he says as he points to Stormtroopers on his side, "J, Sillian, Fox, Disoben, Herlaw… they're all here. Of course, you'd know if our lives meant anything to any of you".

"How dar-?".

"It's all right, we know it's not entirely your fault," Rex continues, "We've been trained to see ourselves in this way, but we can train ourselves to be different".

"You will be killed!" Alva says, as he gets on his knees and a trooper handcuffs him.

"But we won't!" trooper Disoben yells.

"We will stand," Fox adds, and then he repeats, "We will stand!".

All of the troopers chant alongside him, as the officials are taken in to be locked up and hopefully turned. The troopers are rising up.