Hyperspace - Aboard the Rogue Shadow
During his time as Darth Vader's apprentice, Starkiller didn't often concern himself with sleep. A few hours here and there and copious amount of meditation, and he could go for days without rest. That's how Vader had trained him - and the original Galen Marek. However, Starkiller didn't remember having so many nightmares during his hours of sleep.
He was surrounded by mist, just as he had been on that cave on Dagobah - but this time was different. He didn't see cavern walls. He really didn't see anything. The only object within his vision was a crystal formation of some kind that stood three meters out of the ground. It was a multifaceted and as Starkiller approached, he saw two reflections of himself. The reflections brought him up short because they were different from each other and different from him as well. He looked down and he was still wearing the armored combat robes that Kota had given him to wear. However, the left reflection wore the gowns issued to him on Kamino after he woke up in the tank while the figure on the right wore the brown and white Jedi robes the he - that is to say, that Galen Marek wore on his infiltration of the Death Star.
Starkiller looked bath in forth, confused by what he saw. "Who are you?" asked a voice behind him.
Turning, he saw the princess from Alderaan, Leia Organa. The Jedi frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Who are you?" she asked again.
Around them both, figures emerged from the mist - Bail Organa, Garm Bel-Iblis, Mon Mothma, Rahm Kota and various other rebels he had met. "Who are you?" they murmured.
"I don't know who I am;" Starkiller admitted.
Kota frowned. "What do you mean 'you don't know who you are?'"
"I don't know whether I'm the original Galen Marek or a clone who, for some reason, is getting Marek's memories. But the truth is that it doesn't matter."
"It doesn't matter?"
This last voice sent a shiver down Starkiller's spine. Slowly looking to his right, he saw the woman he loved - Juno Eclipse, former Imperial pilot and Captain of the now-destroyed frigate Redemption. Steeling himself, he set his jaw and said, "No, as far as the Alliance is considered, it doesn't matter. I am a Jedi Knight and I will fight to defeat the Empire and restore the Republic. Whether I am Galen Marek or a clone, it doesn't matter."
The other beings slowly vanished and yet Juno remained. "But what about us, Starkiller?"
To that, he had no answers. "I don't know who I am;" he said quietly.
Juno nodded slowly before turning her back and, not simply vanishing like the others, she walked away. Galen wanted to call after her but knew that he had no right. He had no idea who or even what he was - not when it came to him and to Juno.
Galen sat upright, gasping and sweating. He had no idea what he had just experienced, whether it was a nightmare or a vision from the force or maybe something all together. With a shiver, he got out of his cot and threw on a set of robes before creeping quietly up to the cockpit. He didn't know why he decided to do this. Juno's calculations were perfect, as always, and they were still in hyperspace. With a sigh, he plopped down in the copilot's seat and looked at the blue tunnel of hyperspace. "Trouble sleeping?"
Starkiller turned around to see Juno standing there. She was in her rather scant sleeping garb with a long brown cloak, one of his - Galen Marek's, no doubt. He gave a sigh and said, "I never slept much under Vader's training, but I certainly don't remember such vivid and terrible nightmares."
Juno pulled the cloak more tightly around him as she came in and sat down. "Tell me about it?"
He didn't know if he wanted to. After a long moment, he said, "I was alone on a misty plain. The only thing I saw was this huge chunk of crystal coming out of the ground. When I went to look at it, I saw two reflections of myself - one of which was wearing a set of Kaminoan medical clothes and one in the Jedi robes that I- Galen Marek wore on the Death Star. Then a bunch of people appeared around me - rebels and the rebel leadership and they all asked the same thing: Who am I."
Juno nodded, brushing one errant blond lock of hair behind her ear. "And who are you?" she asked quietly.
Starkiller sighed and said, "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter whether I am Galen Marek or a clone of Galen Marek. I am a Jedi who will see the Empire defeated and the Republic, restored. Who I am doesn't matter."
He expected her to ask him what the vision of her had asked. Instead, she just smiled and said, "Good. I'm glad to hear that. What- what should I call you?"
Starkiller didn't really know for sure, so he shrugged. "I am Starkiller. Whether I am really Galen Marek or just his clone, I am Starkiller."
"Starkiller;" she murmured and her blue eyes grew distant for just a moment before she blinked and said, "go back to sleep, Starkiller. If you can't sleep, then maybe you can meditate. We can talk about this if you'd like when we get to Dantooine. Apparently the Alliance has a base in the ruins of one of the old Jedi Enclaves. Kota mention a crystal cave where you could get crystals to build a couple new lightsabers not far from there either. Maybe the force will give you some clarity."
Starkiller nodded slowly and they both stood. "When we get there, I think we should make some time to talk." he said in a quiet voice.
Juno smiled and placed a hand on his arm. "I would like that. In the mean time, you should sleep."
Dantooine - The Rebel Base
The base didn't really have a hanger. The structures were still whole for the most part but apparently the ancient Jedi didn't feel the need to have fighter hangers. Three squadrons were neatly parked in rows - two Z-95 headhunter squadrons and an R-22 Spearhead 'A-wing' squadron. Over the entrance hatches were prefabricated duraplast awnings that would keep the pilots and instruments dry as they climbed in. There were anti-personnel, anti-vehicular and anti-fighter weaponry strategically placed around the base.
As they landed the Rogue Shadow in a vacant slot in the landing pool, Juno asked Rahm, "I thought those old Z-95's are getting fazed out. Why are there still so many? For that matter, why weren't any of those flashy new T-65 X-wing starfighters on Kamino?"
"We don't have all that many yet and they are going to the best squadrons and the squadrons closest to High Command first. Red Squadron, since they spearheaded the liberation of them, first on Fresia and then on - another planet. They never told me which one. We have all the schematics and some of our best fighter engineers found a way to take Z-95's and turn them into X-wings. That way, we don't have to rely on our own very limited docks to build them."
Juno nodded as she landed the ship with barely even a bump. "Nice landing;" murmured Starkiller.
"Thank you."
"Let's go greet the base commander;" said Kota as he turned towards the main area.
Starkiller was slightly alarmed to see a woman in an Alliance Officer's uniform and twenty heavily armed soldiers coming to greet them. "Wow!" he murmured.
"Commander;" greeted Kota, "Starkiller and I will be leading the prisoner to his cell, though the extra escort is appreciated. Once we have stowed Darth Vader safely away, we can brief you on the situation."
The woman looked supremely nervous as she bobbed her head. "Of course, Sir. Let's get this taken care of."
It didn't take long. The tall, imposing figure didn't say a word or make a move at all as he was placed in a heavily fortified room and locked into place. That done, and with the twenty soldiers guarding the single entrance to the room, Kota, Starkiller, Juno and the base commander met in a conference room.
"I am Commander Gorsen and welcome to my base. I hope my jumpiness didn't give you a bad first impression. I'm normally more steady;" said the woman rather abashedly.
Kota waved it away. "Not at all, Commander. Anyone who hasn't dealt with the Dark Lord usually reacts that way. Anyhow, this datacard here has a message from High Command for you regarding our stay. In the mean time, my friend here needs to go into the caves to collect some crystal samples and I think I'll..."
The general trailed off, suddenly seeming distracted. "I'm going to head out onto the plains. I sense something... familiar."
Commander Gorsen plugged in the card and began to read. Juno said, "I'll go with Ga- Starkiller. I'd love to see the caves."
Starkiller nodded and said, "You can get our comm frequencies from the droid. He should be along shortly. Actually, he's a little banged up. Could you also get some technicians to do what he can for him?"
"Absolutely;" replied the commander with a smile.
Kota strode out of the room, his expression slightly perplexed and distant. Starkiller headed out and asked a passing officer, "Excuse me, but can you point me to the crystal caves?"
The young Rodian nodded and said in heavily accented basic, "Go down that corridor and out the side door. The entrance to the caves is a quarter kilometer out in the plains in the side of a low cliff. You'll know it by two thick trees on either side of the cave entrance."
"Thank you;" said the Jedi and he and Juno headed down the corridor.
Orbit over Dantooine - Aboard Slave I
Boba Fett finished the scan of the planet and said, "I found the base, located in some old ruins maybe seven kilometers from the city of Khoonda. They're pretty well defended too, though I doubt you'll have to worry about that. Are you going to need some help?"
There was an uncomfortably long pause before an emotionless voice replied, "Yes, I think so. A distraction will be necessary to get rid of the majority of the garrison. Do you think you can handle that, Bounty Hunter?"
Boba felt himself sneering and managed to resist snapping back, instead saying, "Yeah, I have a few ideas."
"Do you mean those toys in the hold?"
Fett resisted the urge to grit his teeth. "Those 'toys' were what amounts to the special forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems' droid armies. They cost me a hefty sum but I knew that they'd come in handy."
"I won't be paying your for this;" commented the robed man behind him as Fett descended towards the planet below.
"Lord Vader and I have an understanding;" replied Fett. "I'm confident he'll reimburse me."
A grunt was his only response.
Dantooine - The Crystal Caves
Juno and Starkiller walked side by side in silence. Neither really knew how to begin the conversation that they wanted and needed to have. Starkiller moved his glow rod back and forth as he tried desperately to find somehow to start the conversation. He went through Galen Marek's memories and remember a moment before he had dropped into the Death Star's bay. "Am I ever going to see you again;" Juno had asked Galen.
The Jedi had paused for a moment and replied, "Probably not, no."
"Then I'll never have to live this down;" and she had kissed him.
A grin crossed Starkiller's face and he began to chuckle. "What's so funny?" asked Juno.
He shook his head. "Nothing, just a memory from Galen Marek - just before he infiltrated the Death Star."
Juno frowned for a moment before her face darkened and she said, "Oohh... you mean that part where I asked him if I would ever see him again?"
"Yes, that one. It's funny; fate seems to think that you shouldn't be allowed to live that down."
Juno chuckled. "Well, in truth, I don't really care. It's just so good to have you- that is, it's good to- I don't know. For the part of the Alliance, having a Jedi of your power will be an unimaginable asset. For my own part, I'm still trying to grasp all of this. I mean, are you sure that you're, that you aren't-"
Starkiller sighed and shook his head. "I don't know, Juno. As I said last night though, it doesn't matter to the Alliance. But as far as... well... you and I, I guess that's more up to you than anything. Ever since Galen Marek's memories started to appear in my mind, I was drawn to you. From the moment I escaped Kamino, I searched for you. I went to Cato Neimoidia and found Kota and from there, he sent me to Dagobah. There, I found a cave where the force is strong and I saw a vision of you as you were being captured. I found Kota and got to your fleet just as that bounty hunter captured you. I immediately knew where you would be taken so we attacked Kamino and... well, here we are."
Juno nodded slowly. After a long moment, she said, "I think that you are Galen Marek."
Starkiller frowned and she said, "Just listen - I studied up on cloning during my time at the academy because one of my instructors were clones and I was curious. According to records, the clones in the Grand Army of the Republic each had minuscule personality trait differences. None of them were absolute copies of their progenitor. Their mannerisms and corks were there own. But you, you are exactly like Galen Marek. You act just like him, reason just like him and every little detail of your traits are exactly the same as his were. You look a little different though, ironically enough."
Galen frowned, glancing down at himself. He was wearing a standard set of Alliance fatigues rather than his lightly armored robes or his unarmored robes. "What do you mean?"
Juno smiled and touched his upper arms. "You're more muscular than you were. Before, you were lean a wiry."
Starkiller felt himself blushing and he cleared his throat. "Well that could be genetic modifications - if I am a clone that is. It could also be that, ever since I came out of the cloning tank, Vader taught me the use of two blades and to be able to do that, you need strong enough arms to actually wield them against an opponent who uses one with two hands."
Juno's smile turned slightly mischievous. "I like it."
The Jedi blushed even more and didn't quiet know what to say. Suddenly, a eerie light shined ahead of them. "What is that?" asked Juno.
They hurried forward and came to a vast cavern filled to the brim with a thousand crystal formations. They glowed with the lights of a hundred different colors and some of them glowed with multiple colors in a single formation. "My stars!" murmured Juno. "How do you decide?"
Starkiller closed his eyes and reached out with the force. It was almost overpowering but through the waves of the force-sensitive crystals, he sensed one formation that seemed attuned to him. "That way;" he murmured.
They strode through the formations of glowing crystals until they came to a smaller formation than the others. It was only the size of an astromech droid, perhaps a little smile. Pulling a cutting tool and sample jars from his belt pouches, he began to cut at the formation. "How do you know that's the right one?" asked Juno.
"It calls to me;" said Starkiller.
A snicker followed that and he glanced at her. She had one hand covering her mouth and her eyes were sparkling. "What are the crystals telling you, Starkiller?"
He actually laughed. "It's saying that you aren't as funny as you think that you are."
"Sure I am;" laughed Juno, giving his arm a playful shove. "I'm hilarious!"
Starkiller laughed again and said, "Alright, funny lady, let's get back. I want to build my new weapons."
Dantooine - the Farmlands
Rahm Kota strode down the path towards the homestead that he could sense was there. In the speeder shed, he could sense a strange presents. It was oddly familiar and yet different. Most of all, it was very strong in the force. Suddenly, its awareness - his awareness focused on Kota and the old general grinned. From the speeder garage, the being came and the general's finely honed danger sense gave a twinge and he stopped. The farmer was armed, most likely with a blaster. There was a very long silence before Kota said, "Well, are you going to shoot me or offer me a drink... clone?"
The man grunted and replied levelly, "No, I'm not. Who are you?"
"I'm Rahm Kota, one of the few who are still bold enough to call themselves a Jedi. Look, clone, if you're even half the man that Falon was, the Rebel Alliance could use you."
The man lowered his blaster and asked, "What makes you think I care about your Alliance? And who are you to Falon Grey?"
Kota gave a tight smile. "I was Falon Grey's Jedi Master before and during the beginning stages of the Clone Wars. I can tell the force resonates in you. Yet here you are 'tending the land' while the entire galaxy suffers around you."
The combat tensity and awareness faded from the clone's mind and Kota sensed him lower whatever weapon he had. Finally, he asked, "What do you want me to do?"
Kota's tight smile broadened.
Dantooine - The Rebel Base
Starkiller sensed it as they got back to the side entrance of the ruins. There was danger! Something was terribly wrong! "Juno, we've got trouble;" he said, grabbing the lightsaber from his hip and igniting it.
The red blade cast an early glow and Juno grabbed her blaster pistol, checking the powercell and muttering, "Why don't I carry bigger guns?"
Starkiller chuckled and brushed her arm as they hurried in. "You don't need a bigger gun - especially not when I'm around."
They ran through the corridor and towards where Vader was being kept. As they came to the door, they saw it wrenched open and stopped. Out through the blast door strode the Dark Lord who, on seeing Starkiller, lifted his hand and said, "That belongs to me."
Despite his attempt to maintain his grip, the lightsaber flew from Starkiller's hand to Vaders. "And now, you will both die."
Darth Vader took a step towards them when, through the base's main entrance ran Kota. "Starkiller! Here!"
The two cylinders flew through the air and slapped into Starkillers hands and with a double snap-hiss two lightsabers came to life. One of them was brilliant blue, just like the lightsabers he used to wield but the other was a golden-yellow. None of PROXY's programs had wielded a color like that. They had wielded shades of blue and green and red and even of purple but never that one.
The Dark Lord made a sound that was completely alien to Starkiller. The Dark Lord laughed. "How do you think that I escaped this prison?"
The Dark Lord stepped to the side and out from the prison chamber stepped a dark robed figure. In his hands were twin red lightsabers. But the real terrifying thing about him was his face. Juno gasped and said, "Starkiller..."
"I see it;" said the Jedi in a shaky voice.
The dark sider gave a cold smile, a smile that was identical to Starkillers. The Jedi Starkiller cleared his throat and said, "So it seems you finally have your successful experiment, Darth Vader?"
"Yes - just this one. He's here to clean you up."
Kota growled, "Enough of the monologue! Take this, Clone."
He tossed a force pike that had been lying on the ground next to one of several Rebel corpses to the stranger who was with him. The stranger activated the weapon and held it at the ready. "Starkiller, take on the cheap knockoff. We'll take on Vader."
Juno watched the fight in absolute silence and stillness. She couldn't get involved. On one side, Kota and some stranger went toe to toe with thee Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader. They held their own and it even looked like they would prevail too. The stranger was incredibly skilled with his weapon, able to avoid the powerful blows of the Dark Lord and whenever Vader turned to focus his wrath on him, Kota would redouble his efforts, drawing it back to him.
While that was going on, a marvel of lightsaber skill and raw force power was taking place. Twin red blades battle blue and gold in a blinding, too-fast-to-see display of combat. Force lightning of blue and purple went back and forth to absolutely no effect but it looked spectacular.
As Juno watched, her comlink chimed. How long had it been going off? "This is Captain Eclipse;" she said into her device.
"Captain, we have enemy units attacking. They had out soldiers and pilots pinned in the barracks buildings. We need all available personnel to assist!"
Juno cursed before saying into the unit, "On my way."
She ran as fast as she could in that direction. On the way, she ran into PROXY and Commander Gorsen. "You got the call too?" asked she asked.
Gorsen nodded, a blaster rifle in her hands and one slung on her back. She unslung the blaster on her back. "Here, Captain. Take a little extra fire power."
Juno took the Blastech A280 with a broad grin. "Finally."
They ran through until they heard the sound of blaster fire. Juno looked at Golsen. "I've never heard that model of blaster fire before."
"Me neither. I'll go low since you're a quarter meter taller than me as it is and we'll drop as many of them as we can. Droid, what can you do?"
PROXY looked blankly at her and said, "I can use a blaster or my lightsabers. My processors can calculate where a blaster shot will go and deflect it almost as good as any Jedi."
"You're over selling yourself, PROXY;" said Juno as she got ready. "Turn into someone useful and lets go."
The droid shrugged and turned into a tall, beautiful blue-skinned Twi'lek who said, "This should due;" in a feminine, husky voice.
Command Golsen went, "Woah!"
"You'll get used to it. Ready?" asked Juno.
Golsen nodded and took one deep breath before saying, "Arlight... NOW!"
She crouched and broke cover, identifying her target, aiming and firing in one smooth motion. Juno mirrored her movement and they opened fire. A dozen tall, spindly droids of a dark gray color were keeping the rebels in the barracks pinned down. Three of them fell when the heavy blasts of the A280 blaster rifles before they noticed.
Starkiller slashed, parried, spun and flipped over his opponent before they circled again. His mirror image, a dark, evil image with red irises, gave a nasty grin. "I was flashed trained from Galen Marek's memories and mind, just like you were. This is going to be a true battle to see which is more powerful - light or dark."
Starkiller gave a snorted. "A candle can answer that question."
They engaged again. Suddenly, Vader called, "Apprentice, we do not have time for this. It's only a matter of time before the Rebels are freed from whatever confinement you've arranged. It's time to make our escape."
The dark side clone looked irritated but called, "Right behind you, Lord Vader."
Immediately, Starkiller attacked again, driving his enemy across the length of the room until Starkiller, Kota and the stranger stood face to face with Vader and his dark servant. "Go apprentice;" said Vader. "Get the Rogue Shadow ready for departure. I gave it to my apprentice to use a long time ago. It is time that I reclaimed it."
The dark apprentice looked as though he were going to question the order but then turned and fled. "No!" snapped Starkiller and tried to pursue, only to be flung back by a blast by Darth Vader.
Kota attacked, crossing blades with the Dark Lord again. But it was clear that Vader was the better swordsman and he batted the older man back with relative ease. Starkiller leaped in to attack again but Vader lifted his hand and yanked it downward. The hallway that they had entered began to collapse. "Back;" said Kota, frustration clear in his voice as he used the force to fling Starkiller and the stranger back while simultaneously making sure that none of them were crushed and getting clear of the corridor himself.
Starkiller leaped up and curse. "Blast! Kota, he's getting away!"
"But we're alive;" snapped Kota, clearly as frustrated about Vader's escape as Starkiller was. "We'll get him. Come on! We can go around and cut him off!"
They ran to a side hall but clearly they didn't know their way. "This way;" said the stranger. "If my memory's right, this should lead out right next to the entrance near all those landed fighters. Let's go."
They ran. Kota, despite his blindness, seem to have no problem navigating the corridors and halls. Unfortunately, they were too late. As soon as they made it to the pad, the Rogue Shadow was already lifting into the air. Both Kota and Starkiller reached out and grabbed it with the force but a massive blast of telekinetic energy sent them slamming into the side of the ruined building. Before blackness took him, Starkiller's only thought was the Juno would kill him for losing their ship.
When he awoke in the medbay, Starkiller groaned. His head was pounding and the light shining directly in his eyes sure wasn't helping things. Sitting up and looking down at the dull, gray stone floor, he was suddenly aware that everyone was moving in a hurry around him. Before he could ask what the hell was going on, Juno said, "We're evacuating. Kota doesn't think that Vader will send a force but he isn't willing to take the risk either."
Starkiller nodded and swung his feet over the edge of the bed. "Easy;" cautioned Juno. "You took a pretty nasty bump."
The Jedi chuckled and stood, testing his legs. He was pretty steady. His head didn't hurt too badly. With a groan he stood and said, "How can we help?"
Juno shrugged unhappily. "There really isn't much of a way for us to help at the moment. Let's go find Kota and Commander Gorsen and we'll see what they have to say."
Starkiller winced and stood to his feet. Being a little shaky, Juno took one of his arms and supported him to the command room where Kota and Commander Gorsen were looking at a holoprojection of a list of resources. "We have the time, Commander, we might as well take all of it;" Kota said.
Commander Gorsen shrugged. "I'll follow your lead, General. We'll pack every grease rag and spare bolt if you want."
Kota looked up in Starkiller and Juno's general direction and smiled, "Glad you're up and about, boy. Commander, what can we do about getting them a ship since Vader stole theirs?"
Commander Golsen looked surprised. "Well we mostly have fighters but their all accounted for. There are a about RM-09 drop ships, a couple of the YT line but we need all of those. Let me check our inventory."
Golsen looked through her inventory and shrugged halfheartedly. "We have a heavily modified E-9 Explorer. We acquired it from a Black Sun pirate group that tried to raid our convoy on the way here. It's set up as a long-term observation ship, modified to be crewed by two to four and with enough cargo space to carry three hundred fifty metric tons and consumables for two and a half years, not to mention a ridiculous arsenal. Well, maybe ridiculous for an E-9 Explorer. Will that due?"
Starkiller looked at Juno who, having only heard of the ship as a settling vessel, looked at Rahm. The old general gave a broad grin. "That will due fine commander. Captain Eclipse, go ahead and sign for the ship and a full cargo of supplies and consumables - whatever you think you'll need. Starkiller, did you get the crystals you need?"
Slightly taken by the sudden change of topic, Starkiller checked one of his his pockets. "Yeah - that is, I think so."
"Good. If they didn't pack up all of the work stations, we might be able to get those lightsabers tuned specifically to you;" said the general.
He placed a hand on Starkiller's should and they headed towards the maintenance shop. There were still a few tool benches in place and Starkiller went to one, pulling up a chair. "Where did you get these lightsabers anyway, General?"
Kota grabbed another chair as he answered, "Kashyyyk, actually; after the Death Star, we went straight there for quite awhile, finishing what you - what Galen Marek had started on Corellia. The Wookiees came to me and gave me a box. Inside were two lightsabers, though where they came from, I have no idea. During the final days of the Clone Wars, there were quite a few Jedi who fought on Kashyyyk - three that I can remember but I think there were others. Anyway, apparently Marek's father and mother settled there at some point. According to the Wookiees, Mallie Nion Marek, the mother, died defending her son Galen Marek against a group of Trandoshan slavers. Kento Marek died against Darth Vader during the same attack in which the Sith Lord captured Galen Marek and corrupted him. Anyhow, the Wookiees managed to gather Mallie Nion's after that battle and later managed to pick up Kento's before evacuating the village. One of them even escaped to get them to me before Kashyyyk was completely enslaved."
Starkiller suddenly gasped as a series of memories lanced through is mind. He remembered a Jedi woman slashing through a pair of Trandoshan slavers and a man trying to take on Darth Vader to protect a very young Galen Marek. "Are you alright, boy?" asked Kota impatiently, though with an audible hint of concern.
"I'm fine, just another flash back courtesy of Galen Marek. Can you give me an hour or so, General?"
The old general nodded and sat in one of the chairs to wait. Starkiller carefully disassembled the two weapons. The inner workings of the weapons were quire similar even though the outer casing and grips were different. The crystals on the inside felt familiar and warm to the touch as he removed them carefully and set them to the side. He then carefully cut and shaped the crystals so that they could be properly set into the weapon handles. It took some time and the utmost care but when he was done, he set them down and stepped back. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, Starkiller stretched out the force. The pieces began to rise and slowly assemble together around the two crystals. With a few final clicks, the two weapons were whole and he lowered them carefully to the bench top.
Opening his eyes, Starkiller took the weapons and weighed them in his hands, using the force to examine them as well. They felt perfectly attuned to him and their weight and balance were excellent. With one final steadying breath, he hit the activation switches. Twin beams of energy ignited. One of them gave off a silvery-gray light while the other, a bronze light. "Well done, boy;" said General Kota. "Your Jedi skills are complete. You have the skill and technical know-how. Now, you just need to work and the mastery of all of your skills and the acquiring of new ones. Come on. Let's see how everyone else is doing."
Starkiller nodded, clipping his weapons to his belt. "What's the plan, General?"
"You and Juno are going to go hide somewhere for awhile that the Empire would never look - Rhen Var or maybe Ilum. You can keep working on your meditating and training there. We'll work out communications once we settle on a spot. While you're doing that, I'll be taking the commander back to Yavin Base where we can give a report and decide our next move. It shouldn't take too long - a couple days at the most. Honestly, most of the time will be getting to Yavin."
Starkiller chuckled. The old man was probably right.
They reached the landing pad and watched as another pair of transports lifted into the air. Over by the traffic control tower, Commander Gorsen looked to be working on her datapad. "You and your people work efficiently, Commander;" said Kota. "What now?"
"Now I'll head back to Yavin Base with you in a shuttle. My command will be establishing a new base for us."
Kota's eyes widened slightly. "Where will you be setting up?"
"The Naboo moon of Ohma-D'un; apparently before the rise of the Empire it had been terri-formed by the Naboo and the Gungans before it was hit with a toxic gas attack by the Separatists. After twenty years, the gas has lost its effects and the Naboo and Gungans are settling on it again, though we don't think that the current queen really knows this is going on. She is apparently walking a tightrope between keeping the Naboo's democratic system alive while not angering their Imperial overlords. The moon's administrators seem to be willing to keep this from her to have a way of liberating themselves if the opportunity ever arises."
Kota looked at Starkiller. "Change of plans, Boy: you'll go with them and help them set up a base and wait for me to contact you. Now go find Juno and help her get your new ship ready."
Starkiller nodded and headed towards the secondary landing pad and wondering when things would start looking better for all of them.
Hello my wonderful readers! I hope you enjoy this story. Quite a few of you have been asking where Starkiller and the others were during the war and this is my story of explaining exactly where they were and what they were doing. Also, just so you are aware, this story is in the timeline of my Luke and Mara alternate universe beginning with 'End of the Sith'. Please read, review and request.