Hey, everybody. Back with Chapter 2. This one will introduce the Jedi who will be working with the Hammers in this story.

Let's get to it.

Chapter 2- The Jedi

(May 23, 2026)

As the sun shines down on the mountains of northern Utah, in the small town of Huntsville, it's a perfect day for a day out on the lake. A number of families are playing along the beach, and several have their boats out on the lake.

Along a stretch of beach, Jared Hansen is grinning as he leaps up and spikes a volleyball over the net. On the other side, one of his cousins just manages to save the ball. Jared shuffles a bit as he readies for the ball to come back to his side.

Jared is home in Utah for a family reunion. Although he's lived most of the years since the war in Utah, he had spent the last year living abroad in Germany on assignment from the Order before returning to the States.

The reunion has been going for two days now, and Jared couldn't be happier. He's spent time not just catching up with his family, but also enjoying activities like fishing, horseback riding, hiking, and boating out on the lake.

As Jared shuffles back a bit, one of his cousins on the other side spikes the ball, just out of Jared's reach. Jared lunges for it, and realizes he's going to miss it. Smirking, as Jared hits the sand, he uses the Force to halt the volleyball just two inches off the ground, then toss it back into the air.

"Jared! You can't use the Force!" three of his cousins shout in unison, and Jared just laughs in response.

One of his cousins on his team hits the ball over the net, but one of the cousins on the other side catches the ball. "That's point to us! You can't use the Force!" the cousin says.

"I shouldn't be penalized just because I have special skills," Jared says with a laugh.

"Point to us!" the whole other team cries, and Jared laughs as he shrugs it off.

The match continues, but the point to the other team doesn't matter. Within a minute, Jared's team has scored two more points and won the match.

"Yes!" Jared cheers with his three cousins and uncle that are on his team. After a quick celebration, the teams break up and most of the people divert their attention to other activities.

Jared walks back towards where most of the aunts and uncles and some of the oldest cousins are sitting and chatting under large tents they've set up on the beach. Jared makes his way over to a beautiful young woman sitting in the circle, holding a little baby girl in her arms. Jared smiles as he reaches her, planting a kiss on her forehead before sitting down. "Hey, darling. How's our little peanut?"

"Zonked out after eating. Just like her father," she responds.

Jared laughs. "I love you, Lacy," he says, giving her another kiss as he sits down next to her.

Jared had met Lacy years ago. In 2021, during a trip to his former hometown in Utah, he had met Lacy at an event for his church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He had been smitten with her immediately and requested to stay in Utah to pursue a relationship with her. The two fell for each other hard, and they married shortly before Christmas that year.

Now, coming up on their fifth anniversary, Jared and Lacy are happily enjoying their life together. The two split their time between living in Utah and travelling the world for Jared's assignments as a Jedi. And then, just three months earlier, they had welcomed their first child, a daughter named Brooklyn. The birth of their daughter was one of the absolute highlights of his life. Even being present for the Imperial surrender, or receiving his Jedi Cross for his actions at Jakku, paled in comparison to holding his daughter for the first time. Even Plo Koon remarked he had never seen Jared happier.

As Jared sits down, one of his uncles asks, "Jared, how was your trip to Japan last month? Lacy was just telling us a bit about it."

"It was pretty cool. Of course, touring the country is a great thrill and there's a lot of cool sights to see. Hiking Mount Fuji was a pretty cool. And it was pretty cool to meet Emperor Naruhito. We had a long meeting about the new Jedi outpost we're building outside Nagoya, and he actually joined me on my hike up Mount Fuji," Jared says.

"Wow. It's crazy you get to meet people like the Emperor of Japan. How many heads of state have you met at this point?" one of his aunts asks.

"Um, not sure. Fourty or so. And I'm going to have my first meeting with King Philipe of Belgium when I travel to Europe later this year," Jared says.

"Why did you have to be the one in the family with Force powers? I'd love to be a Jedi and get to do stuff like this," one of his cousins says, and everyone laughs.

"It's fun, for sure, and a great opportunity. But it's a great responsibility. Plus, with all of the stuff I saw during my service in the war, I wouldn't wish that burden on any of you," Jared says. The conversation mellows for a second after that, but picks up again after a moment.

As Jared is sitting talking with his family, he just feels a great sense of peace wash over him. After the horrors of the Galactic Civil War, he feels lucky that he's been able to spend the last 7 years at home on Earth, enjoying life and starting a family.

Suddenly, Jared hears a beeping. He looks around in confusion, trying to identify the source. It takes him a second to realize it's coming from his wife's beach bag a few yards away, and a second later, he realizes its his commlink.

Jared feels a bit confused, and concerned. He had asked that he not be contacted unless it was an emergency given he was on vacation. So, this must be major.

Jared gets up and fishes his commlink out of the bag. He walks about 20 feet away for a bit of quiet and activates it. A second later, an image of Ahsoka Tano comes up.

"Master Tano. What's wrong?" he asks, knowing something must be up if she's contacting him now.

"Jared, the Council and the Joint Command have a mission for you. We want you to come to DC to meet with me and Rommel," Ahsoka responds.

Jared thinks about it for a moment before he responds simply, "Very well, Master. I'll leave as soon as I am able." He then deactivates his commlink and turns back to the family, wondering how he's going to explain this to Lacy.

(May 24, 2026)

Jared is calm and stoic as he walks into the Pentagon, wearing his Jedi robes. He had eventually managed to talk Lacy out of being upset at him leaving in the middle of the reunion, and then taken his shuttle out to DC. He found it cute how worried Lacy always was about him. Even though he was a Jedi, it didn't stop Lacy from worrying about his safety. It was one of the things he loved the most about her.

As he enters the Pentagon, everyone parts ways to allow him through. And not far inside the main doors, Ahsoka and Rommel are waiting for him. Rommel is now the chief of the Terran Joint Command, and is planning to retire later this year.

"Jared. Welcome to the Pentagon," Rommel greets him.

"Thank you, General. Now, let's get to business. What's important enough to cut my family reunion short?" Jared asks.

"Come with us, and we'll explain," Rommel responds.

Jared nods, and the three head to the nearest empty conference room. After they sit down, Rommel begins to speak. "Jared," he begins, addressing him by his first name rather than by Mr or his military rank of Major given their friendship, "We have a mission for you, which the Jedi Council feels strongly you are a good match for. A mission that will take you back to Andromeda, and for an unknown amount of time."

"You want me to go back? What for? This is a bit of an inconvenient time for me, what with me and Lacy having a new baby," Jared says. He pauses, then says, "I'm willing to consider accepting this mission, but what is it?"

"There's a cult in the Andromeda Galaxy that's recently come to our attention. From what we have learned, it's a Dark Side cult that has existed for hundreds of years. Beyond that, we know very little, except for the fact that a number of surviving Imperials have pledged their loyalty to this cult. They seem to try and bring back domination of the dark side into the galaxy, and with military strength now, they have become a threat that the New Republic Senate and the General Assembly want dealt with," Rommel asks.

"And you want me to destroy them?" Jared asks.

"Not just that. We want you first to find out who they are, as much as you can of their history, where they've hidden themselves, and then destroy what you can. It shouldn't be too difficult, as their military strength is minimal and the cult is not too large. Also, you won't be working alone. You will be working alongside the Hammer Squadron, and you can request additional units if you feel it is necessary as the mission continues," Rommel explains.

Ahsoka speaks up. "We are very concerned about this cult, Jared. Master Plo and I have both had dark visions of this cult if they gain too much power. They need to be taken care of. Master Plo is certain that you are the person for this mission," she says.

Jared is quiet for a moment, thinking about what to do and whether or not to accept this mission. For all he knows, this could a year long commitment. Calvin Adams hadn't expected his hunt for Moff Gideon to be a very long one, but it ended up taking 3 years. And he doesn't want to miss the first few years of Brooklyn's life. And yet, he doesn't want to let his old master down.

Finally, Jared speaks up and says, "Alright. I'll take the mission."

And, I'll end the chapter there. I hope you liked this one.

So, for those who don't remember, Jared Hansen is a Jedi OC I made for The Terran Alliance Strikes Back who is based on myself. So, he'll be joining the Hammer Squadron on this mission. Also, for those wondering, yes, Jared's wife is based on my own wife.

Also, for those curious about that little bit about Emperor Naruhito, I included that because Japan is one of the cultures I'm really fascinated with. Also, the bit about him hiking with Jared is not just pulled out of thin air. The Emperor enjoys hiking and mountaineering in his free time.

Next chapter will be up soon. Until it's up, please leave a review and stay tuned!