Hello, welcome back. First of all, I finished finals and passed. So, yay for me! Anyways, that's why I couldn't work on neither of my stories for the last few weeks. The finals took priority but I'm here now.

Before we start, I want to say a few things.

First, this story's plot is still in process of been written (since the idea came to me in a single night not too long ago), so updates may take a long time at some point. Second, I'm probably going to have to make some changes to the original SWTOR timeline and lore so the story runs more smoothly. Hopefully, it won't get out of hand. That's all for now. Enjoy!

Answers to Reviews:

sglenn3232: Thank you. I'll try my best.

Disclaimer: Star Wars The Old Republic is property of Bioware and all Lantern elements belong to DC Comics. All rights go to their respective owners.

Chapter 1 – In Defeat, Thou are Chosen - Part 1

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

Alderaan, 10 ATC

Alderaan. For thousands of years, it has been a proud planet of natural beauty, seemingly untouched by the acts of war it has suffered.

A gentle wind moved through the great plains of such magnificent scenery, the healthy green grass stirring softly with the breeze. Trees of great splendor stood tall all around the valley, their sound a soothing melody for the beasts and critters roaming nearby. And in the center of the valley, there a young man meditated.

Sitting cross-legged, he took deep breaths to calm his racing heart. The young learner relaxed as best as he could and let the Force flow through him. He could feel it, his senses expanding. He could see his surroundings, feel the life all around him. The trees, the beasts, his own presence, even the very soil. The Force is a part of all living things and if you let it flow through you, you can become far more deeply intertwined in its magnificence.

Inhale. Exhale. You can do this.

Taking a deep breath, he reached out further into the Force.

There is no emotion, there is peace.

The lightsaber laid in the ground unmoving. Little by little, it began to shake.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

Shaking lightly, the lightsaber began to float, its components slowly coming apart one by one. They began to align linearly with each other as the blue lightsaber crystal stood in the middle. It began to glow brighter as the Force began to be channeled through it.

There is no passion, there is se-serenity.

The crystal wavered and its glow began to flicker. Something was wrong.

There is no-no cha-chaos, there is h-harmony.

The connection is being lost. He can't hold it.

There is no d-d-death, there i-! No!

The crystal and all the other lightsaber components fell to the ground in a loud, cluttered heap. The blue lightsaber crystal lost its glow, returning to its normal state.

Sighing in defeat, the Padawan went to recover his now dormant crystal from the mess on the ground. Bringing it to eye level, he watched it for any signs that it still had a remnant of the Force flowing through it. He watched in dismay as it didn't have anything left. Another failure.

"It is only a failure if you let it become one." A deep, yet calm voice answered, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Jedi have always struggled in their path of following the light side. Had they given up at their first sign of failure, we would not be here today."

Looking to the side, he saw his master standing by the rest of their small camp. They had taken some time to work on his connection to the Force, but like many times before, it did not work.

"I know master. I just…" He exhaled loudly. Disappointment had reared its ugly claws and deeply rooted itself in his heart and it was not letting go. "Just for once I wished I didn't have to struggle for it."

Ogan-Dei closed his eyes momentarily in order to gather his thoughts. The large Weequay had faced many obstacles and trials in his path to becoming a Jedi Master, but this was perhaps the most difficult of them.

His Padawan had a troubled connection to the Force which he didn't fully understand. He watched him attempt to connect with it many times before, but for some unknown reason, it wouldn't work. His lack of progress was evident, even the other Masters did not see much of a future in him, for a Jedi without a stable connection to the Force cannot fulfill their duty. This unfortunately had earned him a reputation back on Tython with the other Initiates and Padawans. What good is an Initiate that even Jedi Masters don't have hopes for?

But Ogan-Dei saw something different. Where others saw continuing failure, he saw untouched potential. His abilities in the Force were obviously basic but his eagerness to learn was unmatched. He spent many rotations in the Jedi Archives researching everything he could to solve his dilemma. It was there where his Padawan found a passion for learning. From history to lightsaber forms, he soaked up knowledge like a sponge. It was because of this knowledge that he was able to understand how to fight in his situation. While he was severely lacking in the other forms, he found a calling to Form III, Soresu. If he could master his connection with the Force, he was certain his Padawan would become a Jedi one day.

Still, not many saw this outcome and believed his apprenticeship was done out of mere pity. While not true, it did cause rumors to be whispered by his peers, which weighted heavily on his conscious.

"Cayden," He called his Padawan by name to gain his attention. "I know your connection to the Force has made this path difficult for you, but if you focus on your failures alone, you will not be able to find a way forward."

He walked to where his Padawan was collecting the rest of his lightsaber components, putting a hand to his shoulder. "You have tremendous potential, but you will not reach it if you only focus on the past."

Cayden looked to the ground, thinking, before he raised his head and asking hesitantly. "What about emotions? I mean, it worked before."

It was remarkable how Master Dei's face turned from gentle to completely serious.

"To use emotion is not our way, you know this."

"I know, I know." He raised his hands in a placating gesture. "It's just, last time it worked far better than anything else I have tried. I managed a full connection for a while." He finished with an uncertain smile, looking for a response.

This was another problem Ogan-Dei faced. His Padawan truly believed in using emotions to further his connection. While it had shown improvement, he is a Jedi Master and he had fought in the war. He knew where this path could lead.

"Cayden," He started slowly, his tone wiping the smile off his face. "To use emotions is a dangerous path-"

"But it works!" Cayden interrupted. "I can finally do something with my life, something with my power. I can be a Jedi. I can make you proud!"

"Would you be controlling your emotions?" He asked severely, halting his words. "Or would your emotions be controlling you?" At that, Cayden looked to the ground.

"Don't let your desire for change lead you down a path you may not come back from." He stated with all seriousness.

He exhaled softly, seeing his Padawan with his head bowed still. "Let's stop for now. I will finish things here. Return to the camp. Relax and refresh your energies. We will continue later."

With a mumbled "Yes Master" leaving his lips, Cayden took his lightsaber parts and placed them inside the small satchel he brought with him. With a final look at his Master, Cayden left the camp and made his way to the main one, his head low.

Walking through the plains, Cayden let his mind wander in his uncertainty.

Nothing was working. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't connect with the Force as others could. It was never stable. The connection could be strong, but it would break at a moment's notice. He didn't understand any of this, but what he did knew was if he didn't show any progress soon, there might not be a point on him remaining as a Padawan at all. He was honestly surprised that his Master was even fighting for him to remain in the first place. Many of the Masters believed his chance had gone a long time ago. The same went for the other Padawans back on Tython. Being called a failure behind his back hurt. It always hurt.

Sighing dejectedly, Cayden saw he had reached the main camp. It was supposed to be a joint effort from the Republic and House Organa in order to combat the threat of House Thul, an Imperial supported House which had become far more aggressive as of late. Small skirmishes had happened here and there, and with the threat of an imminent major attack, the Republic had authorized an additional force to be stationed on Alderaan to hold the line if it came to it. They would've had more help if it wasn't for that blasted treaty.

Entering the camp, Cayden passed by Republic and Organa soldiers, most saluting him as he went by. He nodded in acknowledgement as much as he could, trying to keep a smile on his face as long as possible. These people looked at him with respect and admiration. He didn't deserve it.

Finally reaching the mess hall, Cayden let his fake smile and his shoulders drop, already feeling tired. Getting in line, Cayden took his portion and looked around, searching for a place to sit.

"Keller, over here!" A voice called out. Looking further ahead, Cayden saw a group of Republic soldiers sitting in one of the tables, waving him over. Feeling better at seen some familiar faces, Cayden went to sit by who he considered real friends.

"How you been, sir?" A female trooper asked as he sat down. With short, black braided hair encompassing her head and vibrant greenish-brown eyes that could stare at you with the coldness of Hoth should you push her, Cayden ironically found her to be a welcoming sight. Smart and tough, Sergeant Tanye Trila was by the book, but always had a soft side for those she considered friends. She had been among the first to welcome him in his Master's battalion but had been the one to constantly been there when the going got tough.

Cayden gave her his first real smile of the day. "It's been alright. How you guys been?"

"Well, it was all fine and dandy until I got stuck with cleaning duty for the twelfth time." The soldier to his left complained.

Cayden stared at him for a brief moment before turning back to Trila. "Did he flirt with you again?"

The sergeant and the rest of the table laughed as the soldier in question groaned. "Oh, come on. She was in civilian clothes that time and I stopped a long time ago."

"Not long enough." Trila remarked good naturedly.

Cayden smiled as he watched him facepalm. When they had first met, Cayden really didn't know how he made it into the Republic Army. Jaxson Brance wasn't the ideal soldier in any way or form. Disobeying orders was one of the many actions he took on a regular basis. However, his actions on the battlefield had always been exemplary. He was the first in, last out and never left a man behind. Even a few in the battalion owed their lives to him. He actually received a Medal of Valor somewhat recently for his actions against the Empire. A pity he started his career flirting with every girl he saw, even the enemy. Such a reputation will haunt him for years to come.

Still listening to the rest of troopers have their fun poking at Jaxson, Cayden took his lightsaber of components and began to assemble it. He paused as he took his crystal and felt his good mood vanish.

"Hey, how's your training going?" He looked back up to Jaxson. "Any progress?"

Shoulders dropping, Cayden looked down and slightly shook his head. Awkward silence followed. Only those close enough to him knew what exactly was going on with his training.

Jaxson punched his shoulder. "Hey, if the Jedi thing doesn't work out, know you will always have a place in our company." He told him, trying to shake him out of his funk. Everyone in the table spoke in agreement. Cayden gave a small smile at that and an even smaller "thank you" leaving his lips. He didn't deserve friends like them.

Not really wanting to speak anymore, Cayden looked to his assembled lightsaber before he felt a wetness in his nose. He noticed small droplets of blood falling onto the table. His hands started to shake lightly and a small pressure was building up on his chest. Eyes widening, Cayden brought his fingers to his nose and was dismayed to see them come up with blood. Forgetting everything else around him, Cayden's hands went to his belt and came out with two red pills. With a gulp of water, Cayden swallowed both at the same time. Seeing everyone else looking at him in worry, Cayden tried to avoid their gazes as he used a napkin to clean his nose.

"… It's getting worse, isn't it?" Jaxson asked, any humor gone from his voice.

Cayden gave a depressed sigh, nodding sadly. The symptoms were increasing.

Trila looked at him sadly. "How long do you have?"

He shook his head. "Not enough-!" He was cut off by an explosion that rocked the mess hall.

He could hear the shouts of alarm going all him as he fell to the ground from the strength of the blast. He went back to his feet as fast as he could as he looked around, seeing that everyone was relatively unharmed. Wherever the blast happened, it hadn't been close enough to do any real damage. That's when he heard blaster fire.

Igniting his lightsaber, Cayden and the rest ran outside only to see Thul soldiers attacking.

"Attack!" Cayden ordered. He didn't wait to see if the rest of the soldiers followed him. He knew they did.

Cayden rushed a single Thul soldier that had gunned down a few of Organa while they were on the ground, shaken from the blast. Giving a war cry, Cayden ran him through before footsteps caught his attention. He looked back, only to see more Thul soldiers. They opened fire at him just as Cayden took a defensive stance and began to redirect the blaster bolts as best as he could. Starting to feel overwhelmed by too many shots, Cayden began to move back before blaster fire took the enemy down. He gave a smile as Jaxson replaced the clip on his blaster and continued on.

Passing soldiers left and right, Cayden went where the blaster sounds came from and saw the main force of the attackers been dealt with by Master Dei and his troops. No wanting to leave them alone, Cayden charged with the rest of the army. His blue saber slashed left and right as he advanced to where his Master was. He arrived just in time to see him dispatch the last of the assailants.

'Good riddance.' He thought to himself.

"Master." He called out.

Master Dei was relieved when he saw his Padawan but quickly lost his smile as a messenger arrived.

"Master Jedi," General Linel Organa, the one in charge of the Organa forces in their joint effort, spoke with alarm as he ran. "Our forces are been attacked on the ridge by both Thul and Imperial forces. They're requesting reinforcements immediately."

"The Empire?! This is a direct attack! It breaks the treaty!" A random Organa soldier spoke out.

"What do you expect?" Cayden called back. "They're imperial scum. Those dogs would've broken it sooner or later." He spoke with clear venom in his voice and could hear the sentiment being shared by a lot of the men. He noticed both his Master and Sergeant Trila looking at him with unreadable expressions before his Master took back control as the Sergeant put a hand to her earpiece.

"Assemble the men. We must move out immediately." He ordered and the men did just that. It was incredible how organized both forces did so, passing munitions, reloading their blasters, moving their equipment. It was true discipline.

"Sir!" Sergeant Trila called out. "Incoming transmission from Tython. They're under attack!"

"What?!" Cayden screamed. That was impossible! Tython was the ancient home world of the Jedi. Its location was kept hidden to avoid the Empire attacking it like Coruscant. The majority of the Republic Army didn't even know where it was. Even he didn't know where it was. You could have a galactic holomap and he wouldn't be able to tell you where it is. Had the Sith found it? How?! It's not possible!

"Who's attacking?!" James asked distressed. Aressa was back there, so was Kira and Meltos. His only friends were back there!

"Calm yourself, Padawan. Panicking will not help your peers." Master Dei stated firmly, sending waves of soothing sensations through the force, hoping to calm his near hysterical student. Still, there was much validity in his worry.

"Sergeant, who is attacking Tython?" He asked his subordinate, who seemed to have just finished her conversation with whoever was on the other side of the call.

"Um… something called a, a Flesh Raider? Is that right?" She asked.

Wait, how are Flesh Raiders giving that much trouble? They're wild beast, it's not like them to be organized. What was happening back there?

"Could the attacks be related?" Cayden asked his Master.

Master Dei immerged himself into the Force, a soft glow covering his body as he mediated. Cayden watched him; eyes filled with wonder.

"No, I do not believe these attacks are related." He finally responded. "However, we cannot ignore this unsanctioned attack against our forces. Once we deal with it, we shall see what we can do about Tython."

He turned to the rest of his men, seeing them already prepared. "Move out immediately!"

It took roughly 15 minutes for them to arrive to the designated coordinates, and by the time they did, the fighting was well underway. Master Dei had taken his forces around a mountain pass which kept them out of sight. He was hoping he could ambush the enemy from the left. The mountainous area had a ridge with a flowing river nearby the place where the attack occurring. If they could come from the north, then the Imperials would be stuck between his forces and the ridge, giving them the advantage of both position and natural cover.

When they came to the end of the pass, Cayden saw fire and smoke. The convoy was heavily damaged but three of their mounted turrets were still operational, which still gave them a fighting chance. Further ahead, he saw Jaxson level his sniper to get a better read on what was happening.

"They're concentrated on the eastern quadrant." He called out. "They seem to be mostly Thul with few Imps an-wait…Kriff! They got Sith."

Cayden watched the battle unfold in worry, hearing the murmurs spreading through their ranks. The Sith, their sworn enemy. If they were there, then those soldiers won't last for much longer.

"I see them. One Pureblood, one human." Sergeant Trila added, eyes on binoculars. "Dammit! They're preparing to push!" She warned.

His Master looked back, sensing the unease in the army. "Steady men. Let fear take you and this battle will be lost." His strong voice carried throughout the pass and Cayden found himself admiring his Master once more.

"Cayden," His Master now spoke directly at him. "We must face the Sith if we are to give our men a fighting chance."

Cayden looked at him before gazing at the battlefield ahead. He swallowed. "Yes, Master." With shaky breath, he gave a nod. "I understand."

"Cayden," He placed a hand on his shoulder. "I will be right beside you."

He turned to the rest of his men. "Men, the battle is upon us. Let us bring these soldiers home!" He proclaimed, lightsaber ignited and held high for all to see. A resounding battle cry sounded throughout the army and they all charged as one.

The Imperial soldiers had been hammering the Republic convoy for the last few minutes. The plan had been to ambush them as they had crossed the bridge further up ahead, detonating the charges and have them fall with the rest of the bridge. They would then deal with the rest of the stragglers left behind. That was supposed to be the plan.

The Pureblood Sith watched the ensuing battle with calculating eyes.

"My Lord." His gaze came upon an Imperial Lieutenant coming up to him. "We have lost contact with the Thul forces that headed west."

Lord Prevan thought intently on this information. The Thul soldiers were sent on a scout run further west to determine what forces the Organas had at their disposal. They were specifically told to stay hidden and not engage any targets until they rendezvoused with the main force. They had either been ambushed, or more likely, had disobeyed his orders and picked a fight they did not win. Either scenario was not a good sign.

He looked back to the soldier. "What were their last known coordinates?"

"Unknown, my Lord." The soldier explained exasperated. "Blasted Thuls wouldn't say."

Giving a sigh at the idiocy brought forth by the arrogance of their allies, Prevan dismissed the soldier, watching him dutifully return to his position. He only wished the Thul forces had been more disciplined like his own men. There had been already too many causes for blunders on just one day.

"Ugh, why not slaughter these Republic dogs now! Leave the cleanup for those Thul thugs." Speaking of causes for blunders.

Giving another sigh, Prevan turned around and beheld his…ally for this mission. His Master, Darth Angral, had instructed him to deal with the joint effort the Republic had made with Organa. Why, he did not question. His Master's word was absolute, but he instructed him to work alongside the apprentice of Darth Gravus while said Darth dealt with another issue on Alderaan. Said apprentice had been the cause of his many headaches.

Thana Vesh was incredibly gifted in the Force, Prevan would gladly admit. It was her attitude that was proving to be a problem. She constantly disobeyed orders and tormented the men under her command, but it was her bloodthirst which made her a constant problem. She was quick to anger and cared more for killing Republic soldiers than fulfilling any mission she was given. It was her eagerness for spilling blood that led her to order the forces under her command to attack the convoy ahead of schedule. Now Prevan had to deal with her and the Republic's heavy machinery that were still functional.

"Any frontal attack would be suicidal for our forces. It would be more beneficial to wear them down until their machinery is dealt with." His explanation fell on deaf ears and he found himself almost cursing Gravus for not disciplining his apprentice more thoroughly. Her complete disregard for her men had led to avoidable losses, which he would not allow to happen to his own. Call them what you will, these men and women serve their Empire and their people well. They deserved better.

Just as she opened her mouth, most likely to argue with him, again, the heavy artillery suddenly stopped. Gazing back to the Republic convoy, they could see the heavy turrets smoking and the Republic forces desperately moving about. It seems they finally ran out of power. Both Sith witnessed the sight before a cruel and vile smile found its way on Thana's face. Before Prevan could even begin to open his mouth, she took manners into her own hands again.

"Slaughter them!" She screamed as she ignited her lightsaber, charging at the convoy with most of the Thul forces following her, their war cries followed with the sound of blasters firing.

Giving a frustrated growl, Prevan looked to the rest of his men, glad that at least they hadn't charged blindly at the enemy. At least there was still some order in the chaos Vesh created.

"Orders, my Lord?" The lieutenant of that company asked him.

"Have squad three and four provide covering fire while we advance with the rest of the squad two. Have squad one guard our-!"

"Incoming!" A shout went by before two missiles hit the trench they were in, the blast sending soldiers flying. Speeder bikes flew by, Republic soldiers firing from them and moving towards the convoy Vesh had charged.

"Jedi." He growled as he saw who he recognized as Jedi Master Ogan-Dei leading the charge, no doubt to rescue their allies.

He ordered the attack and as the two forces met one another, chaos ensued.

It was incredibly frightening how things changed the moment the Republic and the Empire met. Cayden had been running alongside an Organa soldier, only for him to be shot down just like that. Both sides traded blaster fire and when they clashed, it was maddening.

Cayden cut down a Thul, quickly raising his lightsaber to deflect incoming fire from Imperials in front of him. Republic soldiers shot them and other Imps charged from the side, killing some of them. Cayden charged and swung his saber, taking out two, the third been shot by the surviving Republic trooper. Giving a small thanks, Cayden went forward deflecting blaster bolts as best as he could.

He was rattled by an explosion close by that sent bodies flying. Coughing at the smoke, Cayden saw Republic troops slowly getting back up but were gunned down before he could do anything. Finding the ones responsible, Cayden gave a snarl before he charged them blindly. They saw him coming but before they could defend themselves, Cayden sent a Force push in his anger, which send them flying towards their own.

Imperial Dogs!

A feeling of danger made him look back only to see the butt of a rifle before pain filled his face. Falling to the ground, Cayden looked back up, only to see a blaster pointed right at his face. With only enough time to widen his eyes in horror, Cayden watched helplessly as the Imp pulled the trigger, only to miss as Sergeant Trila tackled him out of nowhere in the last second. He flinched as the shot grazed his cheek. He looked to where they fell and saw Trila completely pulverizing the enemy with her own two fists before she took her pistol and shot him right through the neck. She looked back at him and he gave a thankful, yet shaky, nod.

As he looked for his lightsaber, an Organa came to help him onto his feet, handing him the very same weapon he was looking for. "Thank y-!" A shot went through his head.

Looking at the dead body in horror, he turned back and saw an Imperial sniper on top of one of the transports of the convoy they had come to rescue. A warning and Cayden deflected the shot that came and another. And another.

Thinking quickly, Cayden used the Force and pulled an Imp right in front of him as the next shot came, the bolt striking him in the head. More shots came as Cayden struggled to hold the body in place before a well-placed shot took him down. He saw Jaxson wasting no time in turning his aim onto a coming group of enemies and shot them, all headshots. A Thul charged from behind and Jaxson used his own momentum to bring him down hard and shoot him. He then kicked an Imp soldier behind him, bringing him to the ground and finishing him off with a shot to the head before he shot two more. All this before Cayden could even warn him of the first Thul.

He looked back to Cayden and nodded before an explosion close to the convoy caught both their attention. Sharing a look, both ran towards the convoy, taking out any Imperial that stood in their way. It was after some intense fighting that Cayden reached the convoy but couldn't find Jaxson anywhere. Trusting his friend would make it soon, Cayden continued on.

A little short on breath, Cayden ran further in, dispatching the few Thul with some difficulty. It seems not many reached the convoy before they arrived. Looking further for the survivors, Cayden was disheartened when he found bodies instead.

'Oh no' He thought to himself before he went to see if anyone was still alive. Reaching a body lying face down, Cayden turned the body to check on him before he froze. The armor had a long burning line running through its chest. Quickly getting back up, Cayden saw the other bodies, all with the same injuries. They were lightsaber wounds. A warning was all he had before lightning came from the left, painfully shocking him and throwing him away from the convoy onto the other side, further away from the fighting.

Body twitching in pain, Cayden struggled desperately to get back to his feet, for there was only one type of enemy that had those abilities. Getting on one knee, Cayden lifted his head and witnessed his very dangerous opponent.

She approached him with a lightsaber ignited with a crimson blade. She swayed as she confidently came forward, power and anger radiating with every single step. She stopped a few ways from him.

"And here I was getting bored, spilling the blood of these dogs." She spoke in a patronizing manner.

She looked at him for moment before smiling.

"At least now I can begin to enjoy myself."

It was a sadistic smile.

That's all for now. Review and comment. Until next time!