Chapter 3: The New Jedi Order

(xxx) Play Jedi theme from youtube


Luke's X-Wing slowly glided past a New Republic MC80 Mon Calamari Cruiser and several smaller support ships as they guarded a vibrant planet below.

"This is Captain Hetsime of the Guardian. Your clearance codes match. Good to see you again, Luke."

"You too Nala." Luke heard R2 chirp happily upon hearing the voice of their former companion from Rogue Squadron.

"Everything should be set up for you down there. Luckily the planet was still inhabited."

"Really." Ahsoka chimed in as she flew up beside Luke past a few patrolling X-Wings.

"Yep, descendants of twi'lek pilgrims who settled here just before the Second Great Galactic War. They've got a few settlements now and seemed excited at the prospect of the Jedi Order returning."

"We'll be glad to have the company." Luke said with a growing smile. Taking a deep breath, he took in the planet Tython, its overwhelming Force presence affecting him even from orbit. After almost three years of searching, here it lay before him, the Birthplace of the Jedi Order, where the Force was discovered.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes." Luke answered without hesitation.

They flew down with another ship close behind. Within a few minutes, the planet's surface became visible. Vast mountain ranges separated valleys of grass, light forests, ridges, and rivers.

A sizable settlement formed around fertile land in each direction surrounding their destination, a large temple rested before one of the rock formations and around a river.

"Alright, take us in easy, R2." The X-Wings landed in the temple hanger, where several service droids and a few uninformed individuals of various races.

From their white and blue uniforms and gleaming sigils depicting ruins, they were members of the New Republic Reclamation service. A relatively new organization with the New Republic Navy that specialized in searching for relics and ruins of ancient or lost civilizations to learn the history the Empire often hid or tried to erase, particularly the Jedi Order.

"Master Skywalker! Master Tano!" A beaming arkanian woman in uniform raced towards them. She nearly tripped in excitement and made herself more presentable while holding a datapad.

"Welcome to Tython! I'm Lieutenant Shallet, the Commodore's aide. The temple has been designed off your requested capabilities. I assure you that we utilized every bit of architectural information collected from top preserved Jedi Sites across the gala-"

"Thank you." Luke said, looking around in admiration.

"Well, if you're ready, I'm more than happy to show you around! We have four lightsaber sparring rooms inside the temple, though more can be added. Six meditation chambers, a library, two mess halls, enough bedrooms for-"

Lieutenant Shallet stopped when she saw the larger transport land. As the ramp lowered, a very tall and muscular woman in military armor with an electrostaff on her back came out. She was soon followed by a male human and mirialan shock-troopers, both with similar physiques and also wielding electro-staffs.

"Ohh, I wasn't aware the temple needed additional protection? I'll admit Reclamation security personnel aren't shock-troopers, but I can assure you Tython isn't a dangerous-"

"They're escorting our students." Ahsoka said as she and Luke turned to the transport.

"Gunnery-Sergeant Dune, bring them out." The muscular woman nodded before turning back to the ship.

"Let's go!" She barked in a powerful voice.

Lieutenant Shallet nearly yelped when she saw twelve figures emerge from the transport, their hands bound behind them with advanced shackles and shock collars around their necks.

More shock-troopers came out, surrounding and watching the captured dark-Jedi with extreme vigilance.

"Listen up! I don't want any trouble or bright ideas from you lot!" Sergeant Dune growled. However, the Shadow Hand responded with a mixture of enraged expressions or sinister observance.

"It's alright, Sergeant." Luke said as he guided the dark Jedi forward.

Mara Jade looked feral and thrashed against her restraints as she tried to get Luke. Shallet trembled before them but slowly led on.

"Ok, this way, please." She muttered in fright. The temple proved everything Luke hoped it would. The design felt familiar to Ahsoka, but also quite different from the temple on Coruscant.

"We did our best to recreate the ruins it was built on. Though a lot of information was still missing, and we had to fill in the gaps based on what we recovered from Ossus and Dantooine."

"It's beautiful. You did a great job." Ahsoka's complement nearly made Shallet jump in glee. She showed them every room, from the meditation chambers, sparring areas to a vast library.

"Thank the Force the Empire hadn't discovered this world. After repairing the ancient bookcases, we discovered that their records remained intact!"

Luke and Ahsoka went still in disbelief.

"You're saying?!"

"Yes!" Shallet practically jumped up and down.

"Jedi books and knowledge lost to the galaxy for thousands of years, perfectly preserved! We've also added to them from records we found at the other sites!"

"Thank you." Luke now almost trembled as he ran through a list of the books in the nearest case.

"Don't thank me. The Commodore oversaw all of this! He's waiting for you in the courtyard!" As they walked, Luke and Ahsoka noticed many non-uniformed twi'leks working alongside the Reclamation service members. Likely local inhabitants.

Both they and the Reclamation members whispered in excitement upon seeing the Jedi pass but fell silent from the Shadow Hand's stares. Finally, they reached the courtyard, and Luke took in Tython's true aura.

Never in his life did he experience the Force in such a pure form. The planet itself felt almost alive and in perfect balance, light, and dark. The courtyard housed more meditation and training areas with a calming waterfall nearby and Republic servicemen running the perimeter. Ahsoka went still, and her muscle's quivered. She sensed someone, someone she hadn't felt in years.

"I hope it suits you well." A familiar voice filled Ahsoka with a profound sensation. She and Luke slowly looked over at another human who stood before them. He wore a naval officer uniform with deep blue eyes and brown hair.

"Ahh Commodore, master Jedi, this is-"

"Lux." Ahsoka muttered, almost trembling.

"Commodore Bonteri, you, you know him?" Shallet asked. Lux slowly approached Ahsoka, and Luke felt her fighting back a series of powerful emotions.

"I heard rumors a Togruta Jedi had joined Skywalker. I knew you were still alive. You had to be." Lux gave a warm smile, and Ahsoka did her best to calm herself.

"Lux, I-" Ahsoka found herself at a loss for words.

"Ahsoka, you know the Commodore?" Luke asked.

Lux nodded.

"Yes, we know each other well." He turned back to Ahsoka with a longing expression.

"I tried to find you, I hoped, I...I wasn't brave like you. I didn't join the fight when I should have, I-" Without warning, Ahsoka wrapped her arms around Lux and held him tight. Luke thought he almost saw a tear form in her eye.

After a minute, she withdrew and exchanged a deep smile with Lux.

"Disgusting." Mara growled before howling in pain as Cara shocked her.

"Sergeant, enough." With a deep breath, Luke waved his hand over the dark Jedi. To Shallet's horror, their collars and shackles fell off.

"Ahhh! What have you done!?" Shallet cried. Cara Dune and the other shock troopers backed up, electro staffs raised. Mara Jade, however, had a psychotic smile in her eyes as she began laughing.

"Big mistake, Jedi!" She roared while the other members of the Shadow Hand channeled the Dark Side. Lux reached for his sidearm, but Ahsoka held him in place.

"Wait." She said calmly.

Mara reached out to choke Cara Dune when Tython's aura reached her for the first time. The sensation made her hesitate, and not just Jade either. The other dark Jedi never experienced the Force like this. Years of training under Vader called into question by Tython's tranquility. Mara saw the Jedi's back turned to them, no fear, no doubt, only peace.

"I can sense your pain, all of you. Tython is where the Force was discovered. Where the Jedi Order was born, where it will be reborn. Reach out, feel its aura." Each dark Jedi gazed around, did what Luke said, and savored the sensation.

The miraluka exhaled, his head shaking for a moment as his force vision began to shift.

"What, what is this?" He muttered, seeing Luke and the others as he hadn't seen the galaxy since he was a boy.

"Peace, harmony." Ahsoka answered.

"It doesn't matter what you were before. All of you can start a new, the first of a new age of Jedi. Wise and valiant, defenders of the weak, guardians of peace and justice like in the days of the Old Republic. But above all, you will be free."

The Shadow Hand hesitated but after a moment, the Muraluka came forward. Luke no longer sensed any anger in him.

"Teach me, teach me the ways of the Jedi, master."

"I shall, Recahl." Luke answered with a smile.

The twi'lek female slowly joined him, followed by the two male twi'leks, the two kiffar, the human, the mirialan, the togruta, the zabrak, and nautolan, until only Mara Jade remained.

"No! You're traitors! All of you! I won't betray our master! I will avenge Darth Vader!" Mara reached out for Luke with the Force but found herself unable to channel the Dark Side properly.

"No, no, what's happening?!" She muttered, now shaking before slowly looking up to see Luke directly in front of her.

"No! Get away from me! I am a servant of the Dark Side! I, I!-" Mara nearly fell over until Luke caught her in his arms, tears running down Jade's face.

"Let go of your hatred. Be free of the Dark Side." Mara looked into Luke's face but didn't stop trembling. Yet, at that moment, he felt the Dark Side leave her.

Ahsoka smiled and turned with Lux to the others.

"Welcome, Recahl, Agiz'secrac, Tuscohi, Eziz'sosas, Daljuda, Simjord, Johrya, Arkorous, Stegros, Vulo Saa, Len Rhagrel, and Mara Jade. Padawans of the New Jedi Order."

(xxx) Several years passed, and Luke stood on a balcony overlooking the courtyard as the sunset over Tython. He still wore his armor but now sported a thin goatee.

Below, alongside the Reclamation service members, rested dozens of students from various races and ages, including a few local twi'leks discovered as force sensitives.

Eleven of Luke and Ahsoka's first students stood among them, now Jedi Knights, each with a new lightsaber. Recahl wielded a blue lightsaber and Simjord a yellow as they demonstrated djem so to several young students, including Luke's niece and nephew, Jacen and Jaina, as well as Grogu, a member of Master Yoda's race.

Tuscohi, Eziz'sosas, and Agiz levitated several crates before the local twi'lek students. Arkorous and Johrya meditated alongside their students while Len and Stegros wielded green lightsabers against training remotes, guiding several padawans to do the same. Finally, Daljuda and Vulo demonstrated force stasis on a nerf with Ahsoka and Lux nearby. In Ahsoka's arms rested an infant girl, a Togruta/human hybrid. Luke smiled and took in the peace of Tython as well as his Jedi Order.

"You have done well, my son." His smile growing, Luke turned to see a glowing figure beside him.

"You are a greater Jedi than I ever was, Luke." said Anakin, gazing down at his former Padawan and Shadow Hand.

"I didn't do it alone, father. You guided me from the very beginning. You showed me that light never truly vanishes." He emphasized the former dark Jedi.

Anakin, however, shook his head.

"No, it was you who saw that light, my son. You who saw who I still could be. You saved them, Mara and the others, saved them from becoming what I was. Ahsoka beside you too. I couldn't be more proud of you, my son. You did what I could not. You brought balance to the Force."

"No, father, you did that. You redeemed yourself by the love for your son."

"Luke." A soft voice spoke. He turned to see none other than Mara Jade in black robes with a new lightsaber on her belt. Mara's eyes were no longer red but a deep emerald green. With the dark side's corruption gone, she almost looked like an entirely different person, peaceful and beautiful.

"Were you talking to someone? I can sense another presence?" She asked.

Luke smiled and pulled Mara into a warm hug, kissing her cheek.

"My father's here."

"He is!"

"Yes, he wants you to know he's sorry for leading you down the dark path."

"Please, tell him I forgive him! Also, tell him the other good news." Luke and Mara stroked her swollen stomach together as Anakin's eyes widened slightly.

"Well, I can't wait to tell your mother. Remember my son. The Force will be with you, always."


Author's note

And so, the New Jedi Order is born, I hope you guys enjoyed the story, but it doesn't end here. This is part one of a planned four arc story of roughly the same length in terms of chapters.

Part two, which I hope to have out by the month's end if work and grad school continue to go well, will take place within this timeline, following these events and cover Thrawn's war with the Grysks, Eli Vanto, the fate of Ezra Bridger, an a the true menace of the Grysks. However, just like MCU movies, don't be surprised if characters from one story, like this one, find their way into the next.

So until next time,

Please review, comment, suggest, or ask(VIA PM)