If you're anything like me, you tend to skip Author's notes. So, trust me when I say; I will attempt to not keep you long. But I do feel the need to discuss some important facts about the manuscript you are about to read; starting with the presence of Christianity in it.
Now before you run from the room screaming 'oh my gosh, she's ruined Star Wars!', I must ask you to hear me out regarding this often forgotten but especially important part of storytelling.
I am a Christian. We wouldn't be conversing about this if I wasn't, and as such I feel the need to explain a few things before you go on reading. I can't keep my beliefs out of my work. I simply can't, it's impossible. Being a Christian-a follower of Jesus Christ-changes everything about you, including the way you portray characters and tell stories. Now, I'm not saying that I've suddenly turned Anakin Skywalker into the very devil himself or the Jedi into pious little angels, and you certainly aren't going to be meeting characters with names like 'Providence' or 'Honesty', but there is…a different sense, to this interpretation of the Star Wars Saga.
To avoid ruining the series I have planned, I will not go into great detail regarding this, but you should know that there is no longer an 'in-between'. Ahsoka cannot be a Grey Jedi since there is no such thing possible. In fact, one of the main over-arching themes is how the Jedi essentially tried to become Grey Jedi, and how this aided in their downfall. They tried to balance between the Light and the Dark and they learned quickly that that is simply impossible, it cannot be accomplished and hose who try are lukewarm. No one likes lukewarm (Revelation reference, anyone?). Master Yoda fails in this regard, forgetting the true teachings and allowing his mind to be swayed by the younger thinkers of the Order.
I must stop myself from going further, or the internal conflict of the characters might be completely spoiled. But this is just one example of how my faith shows through in my work.
But don't worry. There's still plenty of galactic battles, space wizards, and over-dramatic confrontations.
oOo
Lastly, I would like to say something about the characters you are about to meet. Likely, you already know many of them, but I hope my take on them is a fresh look at how they think and act. This is the cast; Anakin Skywalker, hot-headed and stubborn, but good-intentioned, whom we all know is headed for a darker path; Padmé Amidala Naberrie, idealistic, fierce, and with stubbornness to match Anakin's and enough rebellion in her to tear apart two empires; Rex, intelligent, conflicted, and struggling to decipher the differences between what is right and what the Kaminoans taught him; Ahsoka Tano, a snippy perfectionist trying desperately hard to impress her superiors and apparently failing at every turn; And finally, Dustine Skywalker, wounded and cynical but still with a spark of hope in her that is quickly growing into a blaze that could move whole systems.
This project has been my brainchild since fifth grade and will undoubtedly be so for many more grades to come, and Dustine, especially, is very close to my heart. I can say this with no shame-she is essentially me thrown onto the backdrop of Star Wars. But she is not a self-insert per say, as I cannot predict necessarily what I will grow into, while I must with Dustine or kill the story in its preliminary stages. It is only that she struggles with the same things I do, has similar internal conflict, and feels many things the same way I would, so I relate with her most out of all these characters. She was also, if you are interested in knowing, my first OC (Original Character) and I have not been able to get her out of my head since.
StarWars has touched the lives of so many people. It is held close by many, including myself. I do not claim it as my own or any of the characters I use outside of my OCs, I only hope to share a precious bit of my childhood through this retelling, a retelling that has been a part of my life for almost five years. Enjoy.
May the LORD bless and keep you, make his face shine upon you, be gracious to you and lift his eyes towards you, and give you peace. Amen.
Sincerely,
Dustine Skywalker
AKA
Ella
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Even when the night comes crashing through,
When you need a friend to carry you,
When you're broken on the ground,
You will be found...
-Benji Pasek, Justin Paul, 'You Will Be Found'
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Dedicated to my little sister.
Thanks for always listening.
To God be the glory, Amen.