DISCLAIMER- if you have not read the prologue, you may be a bit confused on this story. "A prologue to a New Beginning" is the name, please read that first to be up to date.
Thank you and Enjoy the story
'What happened? Where am I? Why is everything so dark?'
"Remove your helmet soldier, and all will be revealed to you"
'Who said that?' I thought, it was a voice I've never heard before and I don't recognize it.
As I helped myself up and reached to remove my helmet, I felt completely different than when I arrived on Kaller. I didn't feel the same atmosphere at all. Was I still on Kaller or was I moved somewhere else.
I removed my helmet only to see something I've never seen before. It was if I'd been dropped into deep space with nothing but stars around me. No planets, no suns, no moons just stars and a light. For some reason I was able to stand but when I looked down, I wasn't standing on anything. But I could feel some type of ground underneath me.
"So you've finally awoken," the mysterious voice continues and with every word, the light flickers a bit.
"Who are you, where am I and what happened? The last thing I remember was Grey and Styles pointing their blasters at Depa and Caleb." as soon as I said that, I had a very worried feeling.
"Did I die?"
The mysterious voice chuckles a bit before answering.
"No young one, you are alive, just not awake"
Not awake? So I guess I did pass out before I could do anything. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. Who gave ORDER 66 and why were the other troopers determined to follow it and execute the Jedi.
"I can sense that you have tons of questions to ask. I am able to give you as much information as I can." The mysterious voice continues, "You passed out due to an emotional overload caused by the sudden vision you had of all the Jedi being betrayed by their clone troopers."
So I wasn't dreaming, the clone troopers all over the universe did turn on the Jedi and kill them. But why didn't I do the same? Why was I able to see what happened galaxies away from me?
"This is a very rare occurrence but the force resides in all living things and it just so happened to awaken in you at a very critical time. Not only for you but for the rest of the galaxy."
"Wait, what!? First off, are you able to read my mind? Second, you're saying that I'm able to use the force?" The expression on my face couldn't be hidden due to me taking off my helmet. I was scared, confused, excited but more than anything, I was still worried. What happened to Depa Billaba and Caleb Dume.
"To answer your questions, I am able to read your mind, so whatever thought you have is not hidden here. Yes, you are able to use the force and you have a special connection with it as well. As for your last question, I am unable to know what has happened to your Jedi allies, I can only see your past and present." the mysterious voice told me almost everything I wanted to hear.
"So you're saying that I'm a Jedi?" I asked.
"No" the voice said with no explanation.
"Oh, so what am I then." I asked in hope of finding an answer of what's going on.
"You are who you choose to be. The force doesn't make everybody into a Jedi, all living things are able to harness the powers of the force in different ways. Except, some have a special connection such as a Jedi or Sith for example."
Even though a lot of my question were being answered, I was still a bit confused on certain things.
"I know you have plenty of questions," the voice continued, "but as I said before, I am only limited to answer what I know. You are neither Jedi nor Sith. Even tho you are a soldier, you are no longer a normal clone trooper. You are free to choose your own actions and forge your own path. I am here as a guide to help you where I can."
"From what you said before, I have a special connection with the force. What do you mean by that," I asked.
"Your connection to the force is one I've felt only a few other times. You are able to use the force in a way to protect yourself and fight when needed. But you also have a form of clairvoyance and are able to see things in the future, slightly."
"A clairvoyant? So I'm able to see things before they happen? How am I able to use this ability because I would love to know what has happened to my friends." in a semi-sarcastic tone, I asked the voice.
All of this information is a lot to process at once but it seems that this voice has a lot of knowledge about what I'm going through. This would be a great time to ask Depa Billaba a few questions. I wonder if me having a connection to the force is what she meant about her feeling about me.
"Recently, you've already used this ability to see things happen. Have you ever daydreamed and had a certain feeling with it as well?"
"I have, so that was a future event I thought of," after I said that I started to remember.
Before we arrived on Kaller, I was daydreaming not only about the mission but the rise of an 'EMPIRE'. So it wasn't just the separatist I was worried about but also these followers of some Empire. But when I always thought about this, chancellor Palpatine was always there, along with some of my clone trooper brothers from Kamino. Were the clone troopers used for a much bigger plot that nobody knew about?
"To help you out a bit, it does look like the force not only helped you in seeing the vision of the Jedi across the galaxy but also to stop something implanted in your brain from forcing you to do something." the voice told me while I was still going through a few things in my head.
"So the feeling I had before passing out was the force awakening inside me after a certain programming was being processed in my brain?" I asked while looking down at my hands.
"That is correct, whatever was programmed in your brain was actually holding you back from connecting to the force completely. When that was gone, your brain overloaded from receiving the power of the force, all at once. It caused you to pass out and brought you here, to me." even if what the voice told me was true, it's a bit crazy to believe.
"I think 'ORDER 66' was the call sign to initiate whatever was programmed in our brains. No wonder the other troopers didn't second guess or even stop themselves from what they were about to do to the Jedi," even after saying that, I couldn't help take my mind off of what might've happened to my Jedi friends at the hand of my brothers.
Can I even call them my brothers after what they've done? What should I do when I wake up, if I wake up?
The voice laughs at me.
"You will wake up soon enough soldier, That will come in due time. But also, time is a bit different here. With the amount of time that you feel might've passed here, will be different when you wake up," what the voice said gave me a bit of relief about waking up.
"Will I be able to help the Jedi I was with on Kaller," I asked in hope of hearing some good news.
"That, I do not have the answer to."
"So what's the plan, how do I wake up from here? I gotta get back to Kaller and help my friends from being slaughtered by my former brothers," I said very impatiently.
"The force isn't something to take lightly. It can lead to great things but also bring out the worst in you. You need help with not only harnessing the force, but also, understanding it," the voice said with great determination.
"Is there some kind of library for this information? Do I go to some kind of Jedi temple to read about it?"
I was very confused when I asked these questions. This whole experience is something I wasn't trained for on Kamino, it's definitely very unexpected. But I'm here now and I have to do what I can.
"There is a moon near Kaller that has the information you seek. It will not only help you with learning about the force but also train you in ways to use it. I will guide you until you reach your destination," the voice said.
"Sounds like a simple task to me. Except, when I wake up, I'll either be surrounded by troopers or dropped off somewhere. Let's not forget, the kallerans don't like us very much even though we helped liberate them from the separatist." I was getting upset just thinking about it.
"Anger and the force are not meant to coexist with one another. Unless you are meaning to embrace the Dark side. Many have fallen to the dark side due to their lust for power. At this point in time, your path is yet to be chosen. Do as you wish, I can only give warnings."
"Thanks for that," I said "Now about this moon, I'll either need a name or coordinates."
"The moon is called Rellak and it's the furthest moon from the planet you're on."
"Thanks for that. Now about me waking up?" I couldn't help but sound a bit impatient but I need to see what happened on Kaller. Not knowing is definitely worrying me more and more.
"I have helped you with all I can and it is time for you to awaken. Just know, you will feel different when you wake up and you will have different facial features to help differentiate you from your former clone troopers," the voice told me as the light in front of me began to brighten.
"Looks like I'll have to do what I can to reach this moon if I want to understand everything about the force and what's happened to me. But, what do I call you?" I asked while raising my hand as the light got brighter.
"I am only a guide or a voice, my name is nonexistent. At least for the time being. We will meet again."
After the voice said that, the light got so bright that I couldn't see and I began to feel my posture change.
I could feel that I was laying down again, did this mean I was back on Kaller.
At that moment, worry, turned into anger. How could my brothers turn on our allies like it was nothing. Depa and Caleb were our friends, Grey thought of her as a hero to the republic. How could they try to kill them.
As I opened my eyes, I felt a rush of energy release from my body. The energy was so intense that it shattered my helmet and knocked back two troopers that were standing over me.
"What the heck, it's a JEDI!" a trooper nearby yelled.
"No" as I said that, I reached my hand out to try and stop him from shooting me. Instead, the blaster he was holding got pulled out of his hands and into mine. In order to protect myself, I blasted the trooper.
'Man, these powers definitely could've came in handy at the training facility on Kamino' I thought.
Once I got to my feet, I looked around to make sure nobody else was coming. There were a bunch of dead troopers around me. The battle between them and the Jedi seemed to be mayhem. Some troopers were headless and others had their limbs cut off. Definitely due to the lightsaber the Jedi's used to protect themselves. After going through the bodies, I spotted Depa Billaba's.
"Ms. Billaba?" I said as I ran over to her body.
It was full of blaster burns, a few I noticed were from Grey and Styles' special blasters.
I fell down to clutch her body in my arms. She definitely put up a fight to defend herself and Caleb, who's body I couldn't see amidst all the carnage.
"If only I was here to help protect you guys. I would've never thought that any trooper was capable of this. Sorry Ms Billaba."
The sadness I felt was overwhelming. We were raised and taught to fight for and protect anything related to the republic. Not to betray those you've fought next to.
At that moment, Depa's body started to glow and some kind of figure emerged from it. It looked like some kind of ghost.
"So, my feelings about you were right. You have a special connection with the force," the ghost figure said, "and please set my body down gently."
"General Billaba?" I said with much shock as I gently placed her body down and stood up.
"Just call me Depa. As I can tell, you're no longer a soldier of what used to be the republic and neither am I," Depa's ghost responded.
Seeing a ghost would normally freak anybody out. But with this connection to the force, I was more calm than I've ever been.
"How are you here? How is this possible?"
"The force can make the impossible, possible. I'm only here temporarily through the power of the force. My time in that healing pod must have done something to me."
After she said that, I was consumed by a vision. I believe I was on Coruscant, the Jedi academy Caleb was taught at. I could see a bunch of young Jedi running around, playing and training.
"So this is what an active Jedi academy looks like."
"Yes, this is where I met young Caleb for the first time. After my previous failed mission, I was hurt pretty badly. They put me in a healing pod here on Coruscant to recover. Even though it did help me physically, I was still damaged emotionally from my loss."
As she said that, we were moved to the medical bay where Depa was being treated. We could see young Caleb standing outside of her pod.
We were then transported back to Kaller.
"So your connection to the force was stronger than I thought," Depa continues, "you even look different than before as well."
"Long story short, I passed out after Grey gave order 66, I seen Jedi slaughtered throughout the galaxy, met a mysterious voice and now I have a power I can't fully understand or control" I said while looking back at when I woke up and stopped those troopers from killing me.
"I can sense that you've been through a lot but my time here is limited. I'm not sure how or why I'm here but I have to make the most of it. I'm almost positive that Caleb escaped but I'm sure Grey and Styles went after him"
After Depa said that I felt a shiver go thru my body. When I blinked, a vision arised. it wasn't clear and I couldn't make much sense of it. But one thing that I saw for sure was a person who looked like Caleb, on a ship surrounded by 4 people and a droid.
"For some strange reason, I have a feeling that Caleb will be alright. He had a strong and wise Master. Plus, he's a Jedi," I told her.
"I suppose you are right, I chose Caleb for a reason. I have to keep the faith in my decision," Depa said before changing her attention over to me, "Not only your look, but it seems as if your personality has changed also. You seem a lot more confident than you did before the battle on Kaller. I felt how nervous and scared you were when I said that spy joke."
We both laughed as I said, "that will definitely be a memory of you I will cherish."
"Thank you soldier. I'm glad the force brought us together like it did. But before I go to wherever the force decides to take me, what do I call you?"
That was one question I wasn't ready to answer. With all these visions, flashbacks and talk of the force. Thinking about living and leading my own life, never crossed my mind. It wasn't as if it was behind me but it didn't actually dawn on me until she asked that question. Even while talking to that Voice, I was mainly worried about the safety or well being of my Jedi friends, not my future. But now that the question has came up, what even do i say or how to come up with a name for myself.
"I can see that the question has you stumped. You're like a newborn who has to name himself. What i can say to help you is that you're the only clone trooper like you."
"Yet, I'm not a clone trooper at all. After what happened with Order 66 and what they did to the other Jedi across the galaxy, I can't live with a connection like that," but then the idea hit me, "what about Zero?"
"Zero? I've actually never met someone who gave themselves a number as a name. Except for Obi-Wan, but his name is spelled differently." Depa said.
"But you said it yourself, I'm the only trooper like me, yet, I'm no trooper at all. I think Zero would fit perfectly. I've ridden myself of the clone trooper connection by giving myself a name. Plus with my new look, i won't be recognized by any clone trooper in the galaxy," with each word i said about my new name, I begin to get even more passionate about the journey I'm about to be on. I will make it to Rellak in no time.
"Well, Zero. It was a pleasure to fight by your side no matter how brief it was. I can't wait to watch your journey and see you grow into your own man and forge your own path," after Depa said that with a smile on her face, her ghost starts to fade away.
"Thank you for everything Depa, once again, I'm sorry i wasn't there to save you but I'm glad we had this time to talk. Farewell, until we meet again," after I said that, without thinking, I reached my hand out to shake her hand. I didn't think it was possible, i just did it. But for some reason, i was able to shake her hand just before her figure fully disappeared.
I looked up to the stars with a very different outlook on my life. I'm on my own but I'm never alone. The force will guide me and protect me from those who choose to harm me. Rellak will help to build and train me into the person I was meant to be. No more taking orders from a mysterious chain of command who would betray those that helped them and I'm not 100% sure how I'm going to get to Rellak, but I will find a way.
No more CT-44/44, No more Field Operative Echo and no more Republic.
"I am...Zero"
End of part 1