Hey, everybody. Back again.
So this chapter has been requested by a few people. It'll feature Ahsoka on Earth, and her return to the Andromeda Galaxy for the Siege of Mandalore. It'll cover almost a month of time.
Also, I want to clarify something. Given what we know of hyperspace travel from the Star Wars universe, a trip between galaxies could take months. But, for the purpose of this story, I want you all to assume there's a wormhole of sorts on the edge of the Milky Way that connects to a wormhole in the Outer Rim of the Andromeda Galaxy, and that's why travel goes relatively quickly between the two galaxies.
Also, just in case anyone is wondering, there are only a few refugees from the Andromeda Galaxy on Terra right now, and they're mostly freed slaves from Zygerria.
Let's get to it.
CMac54: My college has closed in person classes, but hasn't cancelled them. We're just moving over to doing all classes online.
Guest DCDGojira: There may be some refugees from the Andromeda Galaxy who will join the Terran Jedi Order. There may be some humans that marry and have children with species from the Andromeda Galaxy. Yes, they will meet the Wookiees. And yes, the plan is for the Kidon to disguise themselves as Maul's warriors. And yes, I will be doing a page for the Zulu Force, but I'm going to focus on completing all the pages I have published so far before creating any more.
CT7567Rules: At this point, the Terrans were desperate enough to use nukes. They would've been careful to use the nukes where there would be less effect on any wildlife. Plus, they needed to end the campaign quickly, and using tactical nukes would be the best way to do that.
the mysterious Mr.E: Some in the Republic have been exposed to Earth pop culture. Several musical artists performed at the first GAR Football League game, and all the Jedi and clones who were on Terra at the time of the Separatist invasion would've been exposed. I will say that Earth pop culture is rather interesting for people from the Republic.
RandomFanAuthor: Anakin is still mainly going to have his main reasons for turning to the dark side that he did in canon, but he will feel betrayed by the Terrans by the time he turns. You'll see exactly what I mean when I get to that point.
Jayhawks: Very well may have the Terrans recover Professor Huyang.
Guest: Still deciding on whether I'll save Aayla or not.
Chapter 59- Life on Terra
(April 10, 1994)
Ahsoka takes a deep breath as she rests her hands on the steering wheel. In the passenger's seat, Kit Fisto grins a bit in amusement. "Come now, Ahsoka. You have faced much more danger this before," he says.
"I know, but I only got my license two weeks ago. I think this is maybe a little far to be driving so soon. Especially with American drivers on the road with us," Ahsoka says.
Kit laughs. "Don't worry, Ahsoka. I'm sure you will be fine," he says.
Ahsoka turns the key, and the engine starts up. The engine of her Toyota Corolla comes to life, and checking her rear view mirrors, backs out of the driveway.
It's been nearly 5 months since Captain Adams and Colonel Wilson brought Ahsoka to Earth. Upon arrival, she met with President Bush, who formally welcomed her to the United States. He personally gave her some money to help get her on her feet.
Ahsoka had been nervous when she first arrived on Earth, especially given she was still 16 (she had turned 17 since arriving on Earth). She was unsure where to settle or what to do. However, Adams had intervened, and approached his family in West Virginia to see if they would allow Ahsoka to stay with them, especially given all of Adams' siblings except his youngest sister, who had just turned 18, had already graduated high school and moved out. His parents, despite being surprised at Ahsoka being an alien, welcomed her with open arms.
Ahsoka had quickly settled into life in West Virginia, and had quickly grown to love it. She had also become very great friends with Adams' youngest sister, Lindsey. Lindsey had also helped Ahsoka learn to drive, and gone with her to get her driver's license two weeks earlier. When Ahsoka went to buy her Corolla (a trip that had people staring at her the entire time she was at the dealer), President Bush heard about it and paid for the car as a gift.
Ahsoka had since been trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life. She decided soon after arrival that she wanted to help train the Terran Jedi Order, but she also wanted to have her own life. So, with Lindsey's help, she decided to apply for college in the United States. Given her education at the Jedi Temple and her already large IQ, the US Department of Education had decreed she could apply for college so long as she had tutors to help her catch up. She had been taking lessons from tutors, and had taken the SAT exams just a few weeks earlier. Ahsoka and Lindsey had since started applying for colleges, with both of them wanting to go to the same college and be roommates. Ahsoka had to send in her applications in a unique way given she was not a "typical international student". So far, she had applied to Stanford University, the University of California, West Virginia University, the University of Alabama, San Diego State University, and the University of North Carolina.
As she's driving east towards Jefferson County, Ahsoka sees a number of drivers noticing them and staring at them as she and Kit pass them. Privately, she's feeling worried her and Kit's appearance may cause an accident.
"Have you heard back from any of the schools you applied to?" Kit asks conversationally.
"Not yet. Neither has Lindsey," Ahsoka says.
"Well, if you had your pick, which one would you pick?" Kit asks.
"I'm not sure. I guess, once I hear back from them, then I'll make my decision," Ahsoka says. Kit just nods.
After about 20 minutes of driving, Ahsoka pulls off the road just west of the small town of Shepherdstown. Up ahead, just a short distance off the road, the sprawling construction site of the Terran Jedi Temple comes into view.
The decision to build a Jedi Temple for the Terran Jedi Order had come shortly after the Order was formed in 1992. After Master Plo Koon toured the country, he decided the ideal site would be in West Virginia. Within a month, a 520 acre plot of land near Shepherdstown was donated for the purpose. Some of the land was donated by landowners in the area, while the rest was donated by the state.
At the same time, design work had begun on the Temple. It was far smaller than the Temple on Coruscant, covering only about 300 acres of the property. It was also meant to be different in design, and incorporate Terran architecture. Architects from across the world were brought in. Churches from across the world also contributed. The LDS church in particular was asked to contribute its experience from buildings its temples.
The final design of the temple was rather simple. The main body of the Temple would look very similar to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, but more rectangular rather than a square, with the east and west sides being the longer sides. The body of the Temple would stand 700 feet tall. The roof was flat, and a number of courtyards and gardens were placed on the roof. On both the north and south sides would be three spires similar in design to the spires on the LDS Salt Lake Temple, which rose 200 feet above the rest of the roof. Battlements would ring the top of the roof. Meanwhile, in the exact center of the roof would be a central dome similar is design to the dome on St. Paul's Cathedral, which would hold the High Council chamber. The central dome rose 300 feet above the roof, a total of 1,000 feet off the ground. The Temple was estimated to be capable of housing as many as 50,000 people at once,
Groundbreaking for the Temple took place on October 2, 1992, with the laying of the first stones taking place a week later. Construction was anticipated to take a little over 4 years, and the dedication of the Temple was scheduled to take place on January 11, 1997, on the fifth anniversary of the Terran victory over the Separatists in the Terran campaign. Until it was completed, training for the Terran Jedi Order would generally take place on farms and ranches in and around Jefferson County, with some training taking place on the grounds at the site. The Terran Jedi Order would also not live in the Temple itself. Individuals would live in nearby towns and cities, particularly the towns of Shepherdstown and Sharpsburg. The infants and young children currently chosen for training, which now number 18 individuals from the age of 12 months to 6 years, are all living in Shepherdstown. For the 5 younglings who have families, their families have moved to Shepherdstown with them, as one of the differences of the Terran Jedi Code is that they are allowed to maintain a relationship with their families. The other 10 younglings, all of whom are orphans, are being cared for by foster families.
Ahsoka parks in a parking spot reserved for visitors, and she and Kit get out of the car. They walk over to the entrance to the construction site, where the job foreman is waiting for them.
"Master Fisto. Welcome," the foreman says.
"Greetings, Phil. How goes the day?" Kit asks.
"Very well, Master Fisto. I think we'll be able to begin laying the first stones for the battlements today," Phil says.
"That is very good to hear. We have a very long way to go yet, but I am glad you are making such progress," Kit says.
"Thank you, Master Fisto. Would you like to come in and take a look?" Phil asks.
"Of course," Kit says. Phil nods once and leads Kit and Ahsoka into the construction site.
Once inside, the noise they already had been hearing amplifies, and they're surrounded by some of the nearly 3,000 construction workers currently on site.
The tour of the site lasts about 30 minutes, with Phil pointing out all the different work spots and the specific progress they're making on the Temple.
Right as the tour is wrapping up, a man walks up to the group. His name is Fred Tyler, an official Terran Alliance liaison to the Terran Jedi Order.
"Master Fisto, Miriam is here," Fred says.
"Excellent," Kit says. He, along with Ahsoka, head back to the entrance to the construction site.
As they get outside, they see a middle aged couple standing just outside the gate into the construction site. In between them is Miriam Walker, an orphan girl born in Florida who was found to be Force sensitive about two months after the end of the Terran campaign. At 6 years and 4 months old, she's the oldest of the younglings of the Terran Jedi Order. She also has the strongest connection to the Force of any of the 15 younglings. The couple with her, Michael and Sheri Wells, are her foster parents.
"Miriam!" Kit says in greeting.
"Master Fisto!" she says happily.
"It's good to see you again. Are you ready?" Kit asks.
"Yes, Master Fisto," Miriam says excitedly. Miriam had begun her training over recent weeks, and today was the day Kit had decided he was going to have her try to lift objects with the Force.
"Alright. Follow me, Miriam," Kit says.
Miriam excitedly follows Kit and Ahsoka around the edge of the construction facility. They soon make it to a small cleared area that Kit had arranged for the lesson the day before.
"Alright, Miriam. Let's begin. Now, do you remember what I've been teaching you about the Force?" Kit asks.
"Yes, Master Fisto," Miriam says.
"Good. Today, we're going to have you try to lift things with the Force," Kit says. He then holds out a baseball in his hand and says, "We're going to start with this. Just try and lift it out of my hand. Remember what I taught you. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Concentrate on the Force. Try and feel what's around you. Then focus on the baseball, and try to lift it."
Miriam nods obediently and closes her eyes. She looks visibly like she's trying her hardest to concentrate. Then, she raises her hand. For several seconds, nothing happens. Then, the baseball begins to shake a bit in Kit's hand. For a few seconds, it just shakes. Then, slowly, it lifts out of Kit's hand, rising up about three inches before lowering back into Kit's hand.
"Excellent work!" Kit says proudly. Miriam opens her eyes, looking extremely proud of herself.
"That was a great first try!" Kit says proudly, making Miriam look even more proud.
Kit continues working with Miriam for over an hour. By the time they finish, Miriam is able to lift a heavy toolbox into the air.
After an hour and a half, Kit finally ends their little lesson. Miriam's foster parents take her back to Shepherdstown, while Kit and Ahsoka head back towards Martinsburg.
As they pull up to the Adams family house 25 minutes later, they see Lindsey waiting outside for them, looking very excited and holding something in her hands.
After Ahsoka parks the car and gets out, Lindsey runs up. "Ahsoka! Our letters from the universities arrived!"
Ahsoka looks very excited and snatches the envelopes out of Lindsey's hands. Sure enough, they're letters from all six universities she applied to.
"Yes! Okay, I need to open them now!" Ahsoka says before hurrying inside. Lindsey and Kit hurry after her.
Ahsoka runs into the kitchen, where Michael and Lisa Adams, Lindsey's parents, are sitting. Ahsoka grabs a knife and quickly slits open all six envelopes.
By now, Lindsey and Kit are in the kitchen too, and Lindsey has opened her own letters, which she had waited to open until Ahsoka came back.
"Alright, girls. Don't keep us waiting," Lisa says.
Ahsoka and Lindsey pick up the envelopes from Stanford first. "Alright, here goes," Ahsoka says, and the two pull out the letters.
The two scan their letters, and their faces fall a bit. "I didn't get in," Ahsoka says.
"Neither did I," Lindsey says.
Michael, Lisa, and Kit all look sorry for them, but Michael says, "There's still five more."
Ahsoka and Lindsey both nod, setting down the Stanford letters and pulling out the letters from the University of California. Ahsoka takes a deep breath, and then she and Lindsey pull the letters out of the envelopes. A few seconds later, their faces light up, and they exclaim simultaneously, "They accepted me!"
Michael, Lisa, and Kit all start smiling and clapping a bit, and Ahsoka and Lindsey beam at each other. They then pick up the envelopes from WVU. Together, they pull out the letters and scan them. Within a few seconds, their smiles grow again, and they say, "They said yes too!"
A few more claps from the Adams' and Kit greet that statement before Ahsoka and Lindsey pull out the letters from the University of Alabama. A few seconds of reading, and again the girls say, "Yes again!"
The two girls then pull out the letters from SDSU. A few seconds of reading, and they say again, "Yes again!"
Finally, they pull out the letters from UNC. A few seconds later, they say one more time, "Yes again!"
Michael, Lisa, and Kit are all smiling and clapping for them. "Well, you may not have gotten into Stanford, but you've got five great schools to choose from!" Michael says.
"I almost wish I'd gotten fewer acceptances. It's going to be so hard to choose between these schools," Ahsoka says.
"Well, don't take too long. Your first semester is going to be starting 4 to 5 months," Lisa says.
"We know," Lindsey says.
Everyone continues to smile. Then, Ahsoka's commlink, which is resting on the kitchen counter begins to beep. Ahsoka looks at it, glances at everyone else, then walks over to the counter and picks up the commlink. Once she activates it, General Powell comes up.
"General. Good to see you," she says.
"You as well, Miss Tano," Powell says.
"I assume you have a reason for calling. What is it you need?" Ahsoka asks.
"We have received a disturbing report. Darth Maul has not only reappeared, but taken back control of Mandalore. We received the warning from the Mandalorian resistance, along with a request for help. The Republic is willing to send some clones to help us, but they're leaving the response mostly up to us. I'm putting together a small force to go to Mandalore and work with clones from the 501st Legion and the Mandalorian resistance to bring Maul down for good. And I wanted to ask if you would lead that force," Powell says.
Ahsoka feels shocked, not having expected this. But, after a few moments, her expression changes to one of determination, and she says, "Yes, General. I would be happy to do so."
Powell smiles. "I had hoped you would say yes. I have a helicopter on the way. They'll pick you up and bring you to the Pentagon for briefing, as well as to be sworn into the Terran Alliance Armed Forces. You'll set off for the Andromeda Galaxy in 12 hours," Powell says. The transmission then cuts off.
Ahsoka turns around, looking at her host family and Kit. "Well, guys. Looks like I've been called to duty," she says.
(May 12, 1994)
Ahsoka looks out of the viewport of the Victorious as it drops out of hyperspace over the planet of Ord Cestus, where it had been agreed that the three forces that would comprise the Mandalore strike force would assemble.
Ahsoka muses on the task ahead of her. Maul has reportedly dug in well on Mandalore. The fight to take back the planet is not going to be a quick one.
When Ahsoka was called to the Pentagon, she was sworn into the Terran Armed Forces with the rank of Colonel. She was given command of a battalion from the American 82nd Airborne Division and a battalion from The Royal Canadian Regiment, along with a team of 24 Delta Force commandos and 24 SAS. On Ord Cestus, she'll be meeting clones from the 501st, led by Rex, and the Mandalorian resistance, led by Bo-Katan Kryze. Also coming to Ord Cestus with the clones of the 501st will be Captain Adams, who will be sharing overall command of the force with Ahsoka and Bo-Katan.
The Victorious descends into the atmosphere. As it does, Ahsoka heads down to the hangar bay.
20 minutes after the ship descends into the atmosphere, the doors to the hangar bay open, and a Chinook helicopter takes off, heading down towards the surface.
When the Chinook lands, Ahsoka walks out with several SAS guards. To her surprise, both of the other sides are already assembled. And to Ahsoka's complete surprise, the clones have redecorated their helmets to resemble her skin colors.
However, she focuses on the clone in front. "Rex!" she says happily as she runs up and embraces him. Rex smiles as he accepts the hug.
Ahsoka then turns to Adams. "Sam. It's good to see you again," she says.
"You too, Ahsoka. How's my family?" Adams asks.
"They're doing great. And did you hear me and Lindsey got accepted to all the schools we applied for except Stanford?" Ahsoka asks with a smile.
"I didn't. Congrats! Which one have you chosen?" Adams asks.
"I'm still trying to decide," Ahsoka.
"Well, you'd better hurry up," Adams says with a grin.
Ahsoka smiles back, then says, "Well, we have business to take care of."
Ahsoka, Adams, and Rex make their way over to where Bo-Katan is standing with a few of her warriors. The rest of the Mandalorian resistance is on Mandalore, keeping watch on Maul's forces.
As Ahsoka walks up, Bo-Katan says, "Well. Ahsoka Tano. Been a long time."
Ahsoka just nods before saying, "I know we were at odds with each other the one time we met. But now, we're on the same side. And I promise you, we'll do all we can to free Mandalore."
Bo-Katan smiles. "Well, I think we'll get along fine," she says, extending a hand. Ahsoka smiles as she takes it.
And, I'll end there. Hope you liked this chapter.
So, I hope you liked Ahsoka's story of her time on Terra so far. Let me know which of the five colleges Ahsoka got accepted to you think she should attend. She may transfer schools at some point, but let me know which school she should at least start off at.
I also hope you like my design description for the Terran Jedi Temple. I took some design input not only from the Temple on Coruscant, but, as I mentioned, the LDS Temple in Salt Lake City (if you've never seen a picture, look it. It's a beautiful building. That is also my faith, so I'm somewhat biased). As for why I chose Jefferson County, West Virginia, I spent three months there in 2017, and it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, so I just felt like choosing that as the place of the Temple. Also, I may have the Alliance build smaller Temples or Jedi facilities across the planet.
So, my version of the Siege of Mandalore will be slightly different from how it'll be depicted in the show. I may wait to actually do chapters based on the Siege until those episodes come out.
So, I now have an important question. I want to have at least one person (maybe more) who, in real life, is a celebrity born from 1990 onward, become a member of the Terran Jedi Order. Please leave your suggestions in a review, and I'll take your suggestions into consideration.
Next chapter will be up tomorrow, and will start the Battle of Coruscant. Until then, please leave a review, and stay tuned!