The (Re)birth of the Jedi
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or any of the characters/settings previously created by Lucasfilm/George Lucas/Disney. Only the original characters I've created myself.
Explosions echo all around. The sounds of blast fire, metal being ripped apart, and death. Soldiers in white press on, even as their brothers fall all around them. The loss of life is momentarily stunning but a man – really more a boy – centers his mind and presses on. It is easy for him to let the death and destruction all around to overwhelm him, but he knows that will only lead to more death. War is death; sacrifice.
He rushes forward, finally seeing an opening in the enemy lines. Unclasping his weapon from his belt he leaps into the air, impossibly high and far for an ordinary person. But he is not ordinary, he is a Jedi. With the Force as his ally, no distance is too great, no challenge impossible. As the boy lands on his feet he ignites his weapon: a lightsaber with a violet colored blade. In that split second all the enemies – battle droids of various size and deadliness – register the significant threat he poses and concentrate their fire at him.
With the practiced ease of someone who is one with their weapon the boy elegantly moves and deflects the blast fire, all while continuing his pace forward. The droids don't feel, at least not in the way organic do, but it's almost as if the Jedi can sense the panic rising within them. They know what is coming, even as he leaps again into the air coming down on the tank where the command droid is giving orders from. The droid barely looks up and sees the Jedi before its head is unceremoniously removed from its body.
It's done, the Jedi thinks as he deflects errant blaster fire. The droids begin to retreat and the soldiers of the Republic, clone troopers clad in white armor, continue pressing their advance. The Jedi disengages his lightsaber, knowing his part is at least for the moment complete. The battle is won; the war however continues. A hand rests on the Jedi's shoulder. He looks up into the eyes of his master, seeing approval staring back at him. He passed this test, another step towards becoming a full fledged Knight of the Jedi Order.
"OI! Wake up! We've arrived and it's time to get to work."
The voice startles Ben awake, looking around to see he wasn't the only crew member using this precious time to catch some winks. Shaking his head to clear his mind of the dream, one of several that seem to play on repeat in his mind. No time to dwell on it. Work calls. He thinks to himself before getting up and immediately moving into the bridge and taking a seat at the comms station. Ben focuses on his tasks as they come out of hyperspace, immediately scanning the system for any communications being broadcast. He feels a presence behind him as a hand comes to rest on his shoulder, immediately bringing his dream back to his mind before the voice of the captain refocuses him.
"Picking up anything out there?" The captain asks through his distinct accent. It's an accent Ben knows well, both from dreams of the past and galactic history. It's the accent of a Mandalorian. A true one from one of the old clans, not the foundlings that come from all over the galaxy.
"Nothing so far. Not even any background interference from holonet relays." Ben responds while turning to look at his captain. Kai had the look that Ben had come to associate with many Mandalorian warriors: short dark hair on tanned russet skin. Only his head being visible at the moment, the rest of the tall muscular man is covered in the traditional garb of his people: beskar steel armor of a craftsmanship unmatched anywhere in the galaxy.
Kai nods to Ben, processing the information beneath the words Ben said. No holonet background interference meant one of two things: the relays were damaged or destroyed (unlikely since everyone including criminals and pirates use the holonet) or the network was in an intentional blackout. A holonet blackout can mean only one thing. The Empire is doing what they do best: invasion, oppression, or extermination.
"Keep at it and let me know the second you pick anything up." Kai says before turning to the pilot. "Grim, engage stealth systems and bring us in nice and quietly. I don't want the Imps knowing we're hear until we're right on top of them." Grim, a Rodian Mandalorian foundling, nods and immediately gets to work pressing buttons. This was what kept Ben on this ship. One of a few in the galaxy with a stealth drive. Completely illegal but renders the ship undetectable to all scanners and heat signature detection.
Ben was unique on this ship in that he was the only one who was not Mandalorian, though Kai was relentless in trying to change that. Since Ben had refused to join he should have been dropped off at a spaceport. But there weren't many people in the galaxy who had a way with a comms terminal better than him so his skills kept him where he wanted to be. Ben did his part for stealth mode, flipping a switch to disable all outward communications from the ship. Have an undetectable drive core wouldn't be much use if some one sends out a communication that gets noticed.
With this done Ben immediately moved to the holotable, a split second before Kai ordered all crew members to meet there. No one paid any mind to this, Ben having been on the ship for years now. Though he wasn't part of the clan or a Mandalorian he was part of the crew which made him family in Kai's eyes and by extension in the eyes of the whole crew. It wasn't easy winning over a bunch of hardheaded Mandalorian warriors, but Ben had manage to do just that through hard work and the occasional saving of someone's life when they bit off more than they could chew.
Kai took his position at the head of the table and spoke, "Alright Jax give us the brief." He says to another Mandalorian who nods and begins going over the plan with the crew. The planet they were quickly approaching was Ossus, a largely abandoned planet with a few farmers and a very long history. What brought a bunch of Mandalorians here was that exact history: the ruins of a great library once maintained here by the Jedi millennia ago. Ben didn't know exactly what Kai and his clan wanted from the library or if any records were even still there. Even as trusted crew member there were certain things his refusal to become a Mandalorian meant were off limits to him.
The holotable showed the coordinates of the library and their drop point a few clicks away. The plan was for a small team of Mandos and Ben to infiltrate the library which was almost certainly full of Imperials. Ben would slice their way in to the library and its archives, at which point Taron, an especially intimidating Mandalorian warrior, would comb through the data and take what they need while the others provided cover and (if needed) a diversion.
As the brief ended, Kai nodded and addressed the crew "Alright, you all know the mission and what's at stake. This is a first step for our people. So remember that when down there. Remember what we do this for. Par Mand'alor!" He yelled as he finished, the whole crew yelling it back. Ben wasn't an expert in Mando'a but this particularly phrase was one he knew well. It translates to "For Mandalor," a rallying war cry of Mandalorians in honor of the one who leads all clans. A role which has not been held for over a thousand years.
Ben moved and began readying his gear. He had no beskar for protection. That was something only a Mandalorian got. Instead he world his same plain clothing utility vest and belt to hold all of the gear he'd need to slice any kind of door or system they came across. His weapon was a lone blaster pistol on his side. Ben hated blasters, but knew it would be foolish not to be able to defend himself down on the surface. While the Mandos would do their best to protect him they aren't the type to sacrifice lives for another who can't protect themselves. That's not the Mandalorian way. All Mandos were warriors (at least traditionally). Strength and prowess on the battlefield or on the hunt were what elevated one in Mando society.
With his gear gathered and the ship having entered the atmosphere it was now or never. Ben moved to the drop point, ready to help his crew accomplish their mission.
This is not how this was supposed to happen. Ben thought as he and several Mandalorians took cover and exchanged blaster fire with what seemed like a whole battalion of Imperial Stormtroopers. The mission had gone so smoothly at the beginning. They landed and made it to the ruins of the Ossus library without being detected. Ben expertly sliced their way into the structure and through several checkpoints. They made it to the main archives and Ben had even managed to slice those, though that had been very difficult as the Empire had added new layers of security on top of the Old Jedi and Republic ones that were already there. It was here where things had gone horribly wrong. Ben had been so focused on decrypting the layers of security, he missed a hidden subroutine that sent out a notification when the last layer was sliced. All of that work and a split second of carelessness had put them all in danger.
"Don't think about it Ben! Not now anyways. Can't learn from mistakes if you're dead." Kai shouted before aiming and firing a miniaturized torpedo from his gauntlet at the advancing troopers. Ben shook his head, knowing the captain was right now wasn't the time. He took aim and returned fire with the other Mandalorians. He was surrounded by some of the fiercest warriors he'd ever seen. They'd get out of this.
Leaning out from cover to aim and fire again, Ben froze when he felt something he hadn't in years. A presence, one that both calmed him and filled him with anguish. He saw a figure behind the stormtroopers. He couldn't believe it. He was staring into the familiar eyes of his mentor, his friend… his master. As quickly as he was there the figure disappeared, but Ben knew he had not imagined it. He felt that within and around him. It was a sign. As he thought of what it could mean he heard a shout next to him and his head snapped over to see Jax now motionless on the ground just a few meters away from him. Another of his crew, his family, had fallen. Memories of the past now threatened to overwhelm him.
As Ben struggled to regain control of his mind, the main door opened again and more troopers poured in. They were vastly outnumbered. The odds were looking more dire with each passing second. Ben knew that at this rate his crew would all either be killed or tortured in Imperial prison. It was at this moment he felt it again, the presence of his master, the familiar feeling of his hand on his shoulder, and a voice he had not heard in over 5 years.
Trust in the Force
As quickly as the presence had come it had now gone. But it left a feeling of purpose and serenity inside Ben. It was as if he had been reminded of who he really was. Of his past. He could save his friends, but only by becoming something he thought was gone forever. He looked over and saw Kai staring right at him, Kai's helmet off as well. The captain looked concerned and a little confused at why Ben was all of a sudden so calm but not firing. Ben looked at him and smiled.
"It's okay Cap. We're going to make it out of here, I promise. Just know I'm sorry for lying to you."
Kai looked even more confused. "Lying about what?"
Ben smiled while reaching into his belt and pulling out some small components. "You'll see. Get the crew ready to make a break for it when there's an opening. Jax is still alive for now I can feel that much, but he needs a bacta tank very soon. Thank you for everything. For providing me a home and a purpose. It meant more to me than you'll ever know."
With that Ben stepped out from cover and began walking towards the stormtroopers. Who continued to fire at him. He vaguely registered the sounds of Kai yelling at him to take cover. But Ben continued on, the components in his hands began to float in front of him. He could feel everything around him, the shock and confusion of Kai and the crew as they saw what was happening. The stormtroopers and their fear of failing to kill the intruders. The plants and air outside the facility. And the vague hints of memory imprinted in the Force within the library itself.
The floating components began to assemble themselves, forming a smooth metal cylindrical hilt. As Ben grabbed the hilt out of the air in front of him, he relished the feel of it in his hand. It was as if he had woken up from a dream and was himself for the first time in eons. Pressing the switch on the hilt, a violet blade ignited from it, the humming sound reverberating through Ben's entire body. He could sense the shock and recognition of Kai, the crew, and the stormtroopers. All registering in their minds what this purple saber meant.
Ben looked at the stormtroopers calmly, taking a stance and said quietly "I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me."
At this he charged forward, the stormtroopers frantically firing everything they had at the charging warrior who deflected it all with ease. Leaping into the air, Ben landed in the middle of the first line of troopers and immediately cut down three in a single slash. The familiar dance of the saber form he deployed, one used when fighting a large group of enemies with blasters, felt like second nature to Ben. It felt like he had been doing this every day, not like this was the first time in years. He hated that he was taking lives, every life lost was another presences ripped from the Force. But his friends were in danger, and this was the only way.
A small squad of troopers charged at him from his flank. Ben turned and extended his left hand towards them, letting the Force flow through him. The troopers were ripped from their feet and thrown backwards, hitting the wall and crumpling to the ground unconscious. Ben noticed that with all the troopers fully focused on him that Kai and the crew were getting away. Good he thought. At least they will escape, and maybe Jax will have a chance. Ben continued his dance, attacking the troopers between deflections of blaster fire. Soon the troopers began to notice how drastically their numbers had been reduced and sensing the situation retreated.
Ben pursued, knowing he had to keep them focused on him until Kai got the crew to the ship and off this planet. He followed the troopers deflecting the errant fire they sent his way as they ran. As Ben exited the structure he saw the troopers had also stopped and formed lines with their comrades. Dozens of them stood there, blaster rifles aimed right at him. The ground shook at the sound of metal footsteps. Ben looked to his right and saw the cause: an AT-ST lumbered towards him, its main guns trained right on him.
This might be the end, but at least I'll know the others made it. Ben thought to himself. Even if he was about to die, knowing he was dying while being who he was, a Jedi, put him at peace. He no longer had to hide it. He had protected those who needed it, and giving his life for that was an end worthy of the Jedi. As he took his stance ready to make his final stand, blaster fire collided with the side of the AT-ST, knocking it from his feet. He looked behind him to see the ship – his home for the last three years – hovering off the ground a ways up. The main hatch opened and Ben saw Kai stick his head out.
"Don't just stand there! Let's go!" He yelled, about to throw a rope down. Ben shook his head no and disengaged his lightsaber. He took off running towards the ship and jumped, higher than any ordinary being could. Landing on the platform edge Kai grabbed his arm and pulled him into him as he fell back, the yelled, "Get us out of here Grim. Now!"
The ship's thrusters ignited as they races to clear the planet's atmosphere and jump to hyperspace. They made it Ben thought. As he looked to his side he saw Kai staring right at him. His look was a mixture of awe, confusion, and a little bit of hurt. Ben was happy everyone was safe. But he also knew everything was about to change. He wouldn't go back to hiding who he really was, which meant there was only one path before him. To be a Jedi and combat the darkness of the Empire.
Hi all! I've had this idea for a Star Wars fic floating around in my head for awhile now and decided to write it out and see what happens. I have a good plan for the main story and where I want to take it, but I'm floating with some additional details on the side. Specifically I'm still working out where I want to take the romance. Luckily we are a long way from that piece. Let me know what you think about it so far!
Setting of the story is around 5 years after the fall of the Republic/Rise of the Empire (for gamers that puts this at the same time as the Jedi Fallen Order video gam). I do anticipate there being crossover with plenty of known characters from the universe at some point.
Also for reference which I will update as new significant characters are introduced, below are who I envision in my head as the original characters:
Ben: Nick Robinson (actor)
Kai: Casey Conway (former Rugby player)