A/N & Disclaimer: I am neither a bird with teeth, nor a talking mouse. The only things I own from this point onward are the OC's you will meet (and the modified backstory of certain Canon characters which will be revealed in the future), and some minor changes to the plot. All that said, this is an AU. I will take liberties with regards to how certain aspects of these franchises interact. If you don't like it, tough. I don't write this stuff because you guys want to read it, I write because I have these ideas in my head that are begging to be told.

Heads up: if you stumbled across this story as a result of following me via my Spartan:LOCK story, I have some bad news. Spartan:LOCK is going on an indefinite hiatus. I'll post an Author's Note to that story explaining why later.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1

"Execute Order 66"

"Focus fire men, don't let them get away!"

"You have to get out of here! Just go!"

"I'm not leaving without you, Master!"

"No, no, no! MASTER!"

"MASTER!"

The cry shattered the stillness of the night. Normally, this part of the forest would be empty, devoid of almost all life. Not tonight. Tonight, a lone person sought shelter, having trekked several miles from the flaming wreckage of their ship. That person now sat upright, panting slightly as their dream faded into the back of their mind.

It had been three days since Khovu Dameron's world had all but crumbled around him. Three days since he and his Jedi Master, Qualor Dao, had arrived to combat a Separatist invasion near Dantooine. Three days since the Clone Troopers he had spent the past 5 years befriending had tried to kill him. Since those same Troopers had killed Master Dao.

Khovu had crashed on this backwater planet a day ago, having made several random Hyperspace jumps to evade any pursuers. As near as he could tell, given that his astromech was destroyed in the crash, he was somewhere in the Unknown Regions. Almost immediately after he pulled himself from the remains of the cockpit, he was attacked by some form of black animal, which dissolved into black smoke after he had killed it. After retrieving what few supplies he could, Khovu set out away from the crash site.

Now, Khovu was hungry, irritable, and most importantly, tired. There wasn't any time to rest, not with the Clones, and now these beasts, pursuing him. Being alone meant that he would always need to be on guard, even with the Force warning him of danger. As the old saying went, Khovu would have to be lucky all the time. His pursuers, whether they be Clones or beasts, would only need to be lucky once.

Checking his chrono, he saw that he had only managed to steal roughly two hours of sleep. For any normal person, that would not be near enough rest. However, Khovu was not just a normal person. No, Khovu was a Jedi, which meant that in theory he could draw upon the Force to sustain him for a time.

Reaching for his lightsabers, Khovu stood up and clipped them to his belt before retrieving his pack and setting out once more. He barely made it three steps before the Force all but screamed a warning at him. Trusting his instincts, Khovu ducked and rolled swiftly to his right, just as one of the black wolf-like creatures leapt over him from behind. Drawing his lightsaber, Khovu waited for the beast to make another attack. Swinging at just the right moment, Khovu felt his blade meet some minor resistance as the lightsaber neatly bisected the beast. Turning around, Khovu saw that he was now surrounded by an entire pack of the 'dark wolves'. Tightening his grip on his lightsaber, Khovu fully surrendered himself to the Force.

"Bring it on then," he yelled, issuing his challenge to the pack.

By the time the dust had settled, not a single member of the pack was left. Khovu walked away without any scratches, clipping his lightsaber to his belt once more.

As the sun rose high over the forest a few hours later, Khovu found himself standing in front of a sign on the side of what appeared to be a well-maintained road. The sign was written in unfamiliar characters that Khovu had never seen before, but the Force was urging him to travel towards whatever this sign was indicating. Sighing, Khovu adjusted his pack and set off in the direction the sign indicated.

If he could understand the words on the sign, Khovu might have been more excited, even if there were only three words to read. As it was, Khovu brushed off the meaning as unimportant. He could try to figure out the unfamiliar characters later.

Anyone else who read the sign would have been able to tell him exactly what was written, had he but asked.

'Vale – 5 Miles'

It had been no more than an hour before Khovu found himself overlooking a walled city. To his standards, the city was rather small, having been raised on Coruscant in the Jedi Temple. Nevertheless, it was the first major settlement he had come across. Khovu was about to make his way towards the city when one of his master's lessons drifted into his thoughts.

"Information is key, Khovu," Master Dao said, gesturing out towards the Lothal skyline. "If you are in an unknown environment, stop and take a minute to assess what you know and what you don't. You never know what lurks around the next corner. This is even more important if you are unsure of which side an area may align with."

"But Master," Khovu replied, "what if it's an emergency? What if one of us is hurt and needs help? Shouldn't that be the priority?" Master Dao looked down at Khovu, smiling.

"Normally, my Padawan, you would be right. But what if the people who promised to help us in one instance willingly turn us over to the enemy in the next? Things like that are why we should always take that time to assess."

Sighing, Khovu sat down and began removing the armoured sections of his Jedi robes, carefully placing them into his pack. Once that was done, he hid his lightsabers under the outermost layer of his robe, where he could easily summon them with the Force should the need arise. Having disguised himself slightly, Khovu continued towards the city.

Once he had made it past the walls, Khovu decided to just wander, sticking with whatever crowds he could find. His main goal was to investigate the city as much as he could. He barely made it three city blocks before his stomach started to growl. Khovu sighed once more, adjusting his goals in his mind.

'First, get something to eat. Then I can investigate the city.'

Normally, Khovu would reach for one of the bland ration bars that were standard issue within the GAR. However, the scent of something that smelled like fried nerf steaks piqued his interest. Following the delicious scent, Khovu found himself standing in front of a typical street vendor. Feeling his stomach growling once more, Khovu looked at what he assumed was a menu of some kind, before sighing in frustration. The menu was written in the same unfamiliar characters as the road sign that led him to the city in the first place. Khovu decided to use a different tactic.

Silently begging the Force that these people spoke Basic, he shifted his attention to the owner of the stall.

"Excuse me, ma'am," he began, subtly studying her face to make sure she could understand him. "Would you be so kind as to recommend one of the items from your menu? I just can't seem to make up my mind today." Khovu's gamble paid off, as the stall owner's eyes lit up.

"Why of course, young man! I'd be more than happy to help," came the reply. "If you're looking for a quick snack, I'd recommend either the Takoyaki or the tuna rolls. If you'd prefer something more filling, I can whip you up a bowl of Pork Miso Ramen in a few minutes." Khovu was about to reply when his stomach rumbled much louder. The stall owner just chuckled. "Looks like you'll be wanting the Ramen then. No problem, it'll be ready shortly."

Khovu felt the heat rising in his cheeks, as he stammered out his thanks. He decided to take another risk and continued to make conversation with the woman.

"So, I'm new here in town," he began, "and I was hoping you could-"

"Help you avoid all of the typical tourist traps? Of course!" she replied, smiling. "Luckily, there aren't many tourist attractions in the city itself. The park in the middle of the city is often a good place to relax and unwind, if there aren't any big events on. If books are more your speed, then Tukson's is the best shop in town. You'll find it just on the next block, actually."

Khovu watched as the stall owner dished up his Ramen, which turned out to be a type of noodle like what Master Dao often ate whenever the two of them were at the Temple.

"And there you go, hon," she said, still smiling. "That'll be 15 Lien."

Khovu paused as he reached for the bowl. He hadn't expected these people to use a different currency, given that they spoke Basic. He figured he'd at least try to use his credits, not that he had many on hand to begin with.

"Do you take Credits?" he asked, reaching into his pack.

"No, no," replied the owner. "Cash is best. That way the bank doesn't charge all those extra transaction fees." Khovu grimaced as he realized that she had misunderstood him. He also realized that he would have to rely on using a Jedi mind trick on this woman to get her to accept his credits.

'Oh well,' he thought. 'I don't exactly have any other choice. But I'm only doing this once.' Looking her in the eyes, Khovu drew upon the Force to coat his words.

"You will take my credits," he intoned, making a small gesture with his hand as he did so.

"I will take your credits," came the woman's monotone reply. Khovu hated himself for doing this, but he continued.

"You will forget you ever saw me," he said, placing a small handful of credchips onto the counter with his free hand.

"I will forget I ever saw you," repeated the woman.

Khovu watched her eyes glaze over momentarily as the mind trick took hold. Grabbing the plastic bowl, Khovu made a swift exit, trying not to linger in case she started asking awkward questions.

Several hours, and one rather delicious bowl of Ramen later, Khovu had almost memorized the layout of the entire city. Thankfully, the Force prevented him from getting hopelessly lost, which had almost happened more than once. Khovu was making his way back towards the wall, bracing himself for another night spent in the forest, when he felt it. The Force was urging him to turn away from his path, and head back towards what he assumed was the shopping district. Khovu decided to investigate, as he had yet to be led astray.

The Force led Khovu to a shop he did not remember coming across during his survey of the city. Stepping through the door, Khovu struggled to identify exactly what the store sold. Looking around, he could see various display cases holding clothing; shelves with odd-looking mechanical parts; stands holding what appeared to be coloured stacks of flimsi, with a customer browsing through them; and by the counter, more display cases holding large multi-coloured crystals.

"Can I help you with anything, young man?"

Khovu whirled around to find an older man behind the counter. Not wanting to be rude, he smiled, shaking his head.

"No, thank you," he said. "I'm just browsing." Nodding, the shopkeeper turned back to his work. Khovu continued to wander around the store, puzzled. The Force obviously wanted him in this shop for a reason, but try as he might, Khovu couldn't figure out why.

He was just about to leave when the bell above the door chimed several times. Looking over at the door, Khovu saw several men in dark clothing enter, followed by another man with a white coat, black hat and a cane. As he laid eyes on each of the newcomers, he felt a wave of negative intent through the Force; this was reinforced by the sight of several swords and what Khovu assumed to be blaster pistols.

Ducking back behind the shelves, Khovu heard snippets of what was being said.

"…we're not here for your money." This was obviously directed at the elderly shopkeeper. "Grab the dust." Khovu was puzzled at this, but before he could process the absurd statement, he noticed one of the thieves walking towards him.

"Nice and easy, kid," the thief said, gesturing with his blaster. "Just put your hands in the air."

Khovu slowly raised his hands, before glancing behind the thief. As predicted, the man broke eye contact as he looked in the same direction Khovu had glanced. Khovu immediately rushed the thief, knocking the weapon from his hand in the process. Sweeping his opponent's legs out from under him, Khovu used the Force to push him out of the nearby window, at the same time as another goon crashed into one of the display cases.

Risking a glance in that direction, Khovu saw the other customer throw a second goon through the window, before she jumped out onto the street. Grabbing his primary lightsaber, Khovu joined her as she unfolded a rather large farming implement, burying its point in the ground. Looking back at the shop, Khovu saw the man in the white coat gesture to his men, presumably ordering them to attack.

Assuming his favoured reverse-grip stance, Khovu ignited his lightsaber, allowing its orange glow to fill the area. Two of the goons charged at him with their swords drawn, possibly hoping to overwhelm him by attacking simultaneously. Khovu shifted to block the first blade, watching as his own blade easily cut through the metal. The second attacker faltered at this, stepping back to reassess the situation. Khovu never gave him the chance. Without so much as a glance, he used the Force to push the second goon into the wall of the store, knocking him unconscious.

Turning his attention back to the first goon, Khovu easily dispatched him with a swift kick to the groin. While not necessarily a tactic employed by the Jedi, it was easily one of the fastest ways to remove a male opponent from a fight. Looking back at the other brawl taking place, Khovu was greeted with the sight of the last goon flying towards him. Ducking, he shot a quick glare at the girl, before focusing his attention on the thieves' leader.

"Well, you were worth every cent. Truly, you were." The man in white shook his head in disgust. "Well, kids," he continued, slowly raising his cane. "I think we can all agree that it's been an eventful evening! But as much as I'd love to stick around…I'm afraid that this is where we part ways!"

At this, the man launched a projectile from the end of the cane. Khovu jumped up, drawing on the Force to extend his leap. Glancing over at the girl, he saw that she had used some hidden mechanism in her weapon to perform a similar leap over the projectile. As the pair landed Khovu felt a nudge from the Force, causing him to look at a nearby building. He saw that the thief was trying to escape up on to the rooftops. Khovu turned to find the girl checking on the shopkeeper.

"Hey, he's getting away," he said, gesturing towards the ladder. The girl said something to the shopkeeper, before triggering the mechanism in her weapon again to leap to the top of the building. Khovu was right on her heels, easily reaching the roof with a single jump.

"Going somewhere?" Khovu called out to the thief igniting his lightsaber once more. The thief stopped at the far edge of the roof, turning slightly to acknowledge their presence.

"Persistent," he muttered. Khovu took a step towards him when he heard the tell-tale sound of engines approaching. True enough, a craft vaguely resembling a LAAT/i gunship rose from the street below, turning its floodlights towards the roof.

Amidst the confusion, the man managed to board the craft with ease, turning back to face Khovu and the girl. Khovu could see that he was holding a crystal presumably lifted from the shop, likely showing off his prize.

"End of the line, kids!"

Confusion set in when the thief threw the crystal back towards the roof. As a result, Khovu nearly missed the warning the Force gave off. Eyes widening, he scrambled back away from the crystal as the thief raised his cane-gun once more. Khovu noticed a brief flash of purple before the shot impacted on the roof, creating a much bigger explosion than the first shot did at street level.

As the dust cleared, Khovu saw a new individual had intervened, somehow projecting a purple energy shield between themselves and the blast. As the newcomer stepped forward, she flicked a… riding crop? …towards the airship. Khovu felt the Force sing as he saw visible energy beams hurtle towards the ship, something he had never believed to be possible. Instinctively, Khovu knew that the woman was highly experienced, possibly even on par with members of the Jedi Council.

Khovu felt the Force sing again, as somehow the woman managed to summon an ice storm, embedding several large shards in the outer hull of the ship. Before he could comment further, he felt a spike of something dark in the Force. This new feeling was somehow completely foreign, and yet slightly familiar at the same time. Turning his attention back to the aircraft, he saw another woman, one who was clad in a short red dress, launch a ball of flames towards the roof. Attempting to avoid the blast, he bumped into the young girl with the scythe, sending them both sprawling to the floor. From their new position, they watched the two women launching attacks at each other for several minutes.

Suddenly, the girl shot up behind him. Khovu glimpsed her scythe fold back in on itself until it resembled a large, blocky blaster rifle. He belatedly realised that she was probably using a slugthrower, given the way the weapon recoiled in her hands as she fired at the aircraft. Khovu felt the Force flare up in a far more recognisable way, as the woman in the aircraft blocked every shot.

'That almost felt like a tutaminis technique,' he thought to himself. 'Where in the nine Corellian Hells am I?'

Khovu was cut off from his thoughts as he was tugged backwards by something like a Force Pull, moments before the spot he was occupying erupted into flames. The thief and his accomplice took the opportunity to withdraw, the outer doors on the craft closing. Khovu managed to get a glimpse of the woman's yellow eyes, which practically glowed in the night. The exact colour seemed familiar to him, but he could meditate on this later.

Dusting himself off, he stood up, overhearing the scythe-wielding girl mention something about huntresses and autographs. As he moved towards the edge of the building, that same feeling that pulled him away from the last blast of fire ensnared him once more, turning him back to face the woman who intervened in their fight. The woman was dressed in a white blouse and black skirt, much like the business attire of many people in the Mid-rim worlds, with a purple cape that appeared tattered at first glance. Khovu finally caught sight of the glow surrounding her riding crop, which just so happened to be identical to the glow that now surrounded him. The woman simply raised an eyebrow as she looked at him, clearly unimpressed. Her next words all but reinforced the fact.

"Going somewhere?"

A/N: For those of you who are wondering, imagine Khovu being portrayed by Andrew Garfield (circa 2012/The Amazing Spider-Man film).

As I mentioned at the top, I don't particularly care if you guys agree with what I've written. I'm the one writing this story, not you. If you start suggesting things that should happen in the reviews, rest assured that you WILL BE IGNORED. I've seen too many stories go from amazing to bad in the space of a few chapters simply because the authors start capitulating to the demands of the readers. I'll say it again: I'm writing this story, not you. If you want to see characters do x, y, and z, because you only read stories where that happens, then go read something else. I have a pretty specific view of where I want this story to go, one that more than likely doesn't include your demands. I will point out that this includes things like suggesting pairings for any characters.

Other general announcements: With regards to upload schedule, it's pretty simple. I will write whenever I get the urge to write. This may mean that you could go a few months without a chapter, or get 2-3 within a few weeks. I would rather write at a pace that feels natural, and release good quality chapters, than force myself to upload X amount of chapters in a certain period. I will make sure to notify you if I ever put this story on hold/hiatus/cancel, etc.