Disclaimer: Star Wars is the creation of science fiction author George Lucas, cinematically produced by Lucasfilm Ltd., and currently owned by Walt Disney Animation Studios, a division of Walt Disney Studios and the Walt Disney Company. I own nothing except for the plot and the few original characters appearing in this story. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 1: A New Beginning
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…
The Galactic Empire was all but a distant memory, and it was a memory that most were grateful to forget. Under the reign of the power-mad Sith master Emperor Palpatine, the Empire had ruled through fear, cruelty, and oppression with armies of stormtroopers, squads of officers and pilots devoted to the Emperor, vast networks of spies and assassins, and weapons of war that had never been seen even in the days of the Old Republic. For many, it seemed that the dark days would never end, but that had all changed when the Rebel Alliance; an organization of fighting men and women from the undergrounds of Imperial-ruled planets and the Outer Rim Territories, formed with one goal in mind: defeat the Empire and restore the Republic in a way that would benefit the galaxy far greater than before.
The Rebel Alliance had fought against the Empire for twenty long years and had successfully evaded their own demise within that time, but when construction was finished on the planet-killing Death Star, it seemed that the Rebels' time had finally run out. The Emperor, bent on possessing the galaxy, planned to destroy the Rebellion on whatever planet they were hiding on and tasked his most devoted servant, Darth Vader, to find the Rebels and bring about their destruction. But this plan was foiled by the most unlikely person possible: Luke Skywalker, a young man who had lived as a moisture farmer on the remote desert planet Tatooine.
Luke had longed to become a space pilot and aid the Rebel Alliance in defeating the evil Empire, but his destiny had been more than he had ever expected it to be. With the aid of a smuggler captain and his first mate, two special droids, and a member of the old Jedi Order by the name of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke had rescued the Rebel leader Princess Leia Organa from the Empire and then piloted his own fighter in the battle that saw the destruction of the Death Star. From there, Luke was set on the path to becoming a Jedi like his father, the great Jedi Anakin Skywalker. By the time he had begun his next step as a Jedi, Luke learned that Darth Vader was Anakin Skywalker and through his reason and will, he brought his father back to the light and witnessed the death of Emperor Palpatine, the destruction of the second Death Star, and the downfall of the Empire.
Now, five years after the end of the Empire, the journey of Luke Skywalker and his friends was to continue.
…
A sleek starship resembling an unusually wide arrowhead traveled at a steady pace toward planet Coruscant, the jewel of the New Republic. Beside it came a squad of four X-wing starfighters, which had become the new standard for combat fighters along with Y-wings, A-wings, and B-wings. The passage through the atmosphere was relatively calm and then the five vessels sailed in between the massive skyscrapers that formed the worldwide cosmopolis where the Republic had blossomed again.
After only a few minutes, the hovering platform came into view, and then the ships finally touched down. Four pilots clad in orange flight suits emerged from the X-wings and looked around to ensure that there were no threats to the safety of the passengers aboard the large silver starship.
"All clear!" announced the leader of the squad, Wedge Antilles, who had gone from a veteran of the Galactic Civil War to a captain in the New Republic Armada.
The starship's ramp lowered and four gray-clad guards, each of them non-humans, descended from the ship with blaster rifles resting on their shoulders. Standing between them were four human guards clad in blue robes and armed with stun rifles, which those versed in galactic history knew were the style of dress for the guards of the head of state before the Old Republic was converted into the Empire. Between these eight guards was a woman well into her forties, robed all in white like an angel from on high, with her fair complexion framed well by her shortly cut hair.
The Republic pilots stood before her and saluted, and Wedge Antilles said, "Welcome to Coruscant, Madam Chancellor."
Mon Mothma, the first chancellor of the New Republic, had recently been elected to the executive position by the largest majority vote the galaxy had seen since the formation of the first Republic a thousand years ago. She had served as the head of the Rebel Alliance after the death of Viceroy Bail Organa, who had perished on the day the Empire destroyed Alderaan, and with her determination to ensure that such horrors would never happen again, she orchestrated the Alliance's final victory that crippled the Empire. And it was for this reason that she had come to Coruscant.
"Take me to the Senate," Chancellor Mothma ordered as she stepped aboard a sixteen-seat hovercraft designed for quick transit across Coruscant.
…
The old Senate building had been refurbished grandly in the short time the New Republic had been created. With the thousands of trillions of credits the Empire had mounted through unjust confiscation of property and the sacking of uncooperative planets, the great building now stood as a house of democracy once again. Greater still was the fact that humans and non-humans could serve their individual planets in the political arena of the galaxy, for the Empire's laws that were biased in favor of humans and denied the true necessity of justice were dismantled, and the senators gathered there had the Rebel Alliance to thank for that.
Today would not be a celebration day in the Senate, Mothma knew. A discussion was to be made concerning a possible incursion on the borders of the New Republic, and it was beginning in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy and had recently spread toward the Outer Rim.
With all the senators assembled, Mon Mothma rose up on the central podium with her Twi'lek aide Hera Syndulla, who had been a crucial player in the initial uprisings against the tyranny of the Empire, and the Vice Chair of the Senate Lok Sur from Rodia. Then Chancellor Mothma said to the thousands of senators, "Honorable delegates of the Galactic Senate, you are summoned here from all planets within the Second Galactic Republic on a matter of the gravest importance. Word has doubtlessly reached all of you that in only five years since the downfall of the Galactic Empire, our reborn Republic is faced with a new threat."
There were whispers of concern and even fear among the senators and representatives, but these quickly ceased when Chancellor Mothma continued, "Please know that the Chancellorship will not take any form of aggression against our people lightly. I have spoken with the Jedi Council on this matter and they agree that should any harm be levied against us, the Jedi are willing to stand and defend the Republic. But they have made it clear that they cannot do this alone. Therefore, a plan is in motion to protect the Republic."
Chancellor Mothma extended a hand to the senators, inviting a single pod to hover forward. A dark-skinned man in a navy blue robe stood up to address the assembly, and Mothma said, "The chair recognizes Senator Maxim Honorius of Hosnian Prime to explain this plan on our behalf."
Senator Honorius bowed and said, "Delegates of the Senate, I am aware that when the Republic was last threatened with war, it was destroyed from within by the treachery of Emperor Palpatine and the clone army that was meant to defend it from the Separatist's war. However, our plan will not allow anyone loyal to the Empire to rob us of our freedom again. I propose that should our systems be threatened with war, we will allow every planet in the Republic with standing armies to marshal as one force to protect the Republic beside the Jedi Order. Those worlds who have no standing armies will be called on to supply reserve troops."
The senators and representatives now exchanged murmurs of mixed emotions. Some were hopeful that this would turn out better for the New Republic than the decisions of the Clone Wars nearly three decades earlier, while others scoffed in derision and some frowned in disapproval. The first to speak out on this was Mott Jettfin, the representative of Cato Neimoidia.
"If this protection from whatever new danger is rising against us is truly necessary, then the Trade Federation is interested," the red-eyed alien declared. "But how do we know that this will not require higher taxes on each planet that contributes to a unified army for the Republic? The Trade Federation has investments in trade routes to protect, you realize!"
"The elected leaders of each Republican system will have direct control over the number of soldiers they send should war threaten the people," answered Senator Honorius. "As for taxes, it will be all who have willingly supported the Empire that will pay. According to the agreement that stands in committee, all loyalists are to pay reparations for the multitude of injustices committed by the Empire until such time as their sentences of service to the galaxy's population are complete."
The senators all shared looks of interest at this. It seemed as though the New Republic would be a better successor to its democratic ancestor, and with handfuls of former Imperial loyalists even agreeing to train an army for the Republic's protection, the economy would be more stable. And seeing as so many planets populated by non-humans had been monstrously mistreated by the Empire, it seemed only fair that Imperial loyalists who had not gone into hiding would pay money to the Republic for the creation of a defense force should this unknown threat prove hostile.
Another pod floated into view before Chancellor Mothma, and then an Aqualish senator declared, "The delegation of Ando concurs with the honorable Senator from Hosnian Prime. The Empire has oppressed the galaxy from day one, and its willing followers must administer payment if this motion is carried out. I move for a vote to determine the formation of an army contributed from Republic systems paid for by loyalists to the former Empire."
Chancellor Mothma then addressed the Senate as a whole and said, "Those in favor of the creation of the New Republic's defense force?"
At least eighty percent of the senators said aye to it.
"And those opposed to the creation of this defense force?"
Only five percent voted against the motion. The rest remained neutral.
"Then the motion is seconded and carried," declared Chancellor Mothma. "We are adjourned. In the meantime, I shall confer with the Jedi Order to determine the risk that the Republic is now to face."
The congregation of humans and non-humans applauded Chancellor Mothma for having considered the creation of this new defense force, though it was hoped by all that the incursion in the Outer Rim would not lead to a war that could potentially destabilize the New Republic. If it did come to another war, the Republic would count on the new Jedi Order to ensure that it would not see the same grim result as the Clone Wars.
A/N: Hope you have enjoyed the beginning of this new Star Wars fanfiction. If so, feel free to review. Chapter 2 will bring some intrigue and then, maybe some Jedi action. Have fun reading!
