Jedi Reckoning
As the Battle for Utapau rages on; Luke Skywalker and Han Solo have pulled out of the campaign on request by Princess Leia Organa, who wishes them to attend a memorial for her homeplanet Alderaan. Only a year ago, she witnessed firsthand as the Empire destroyed it with their brutal Death Star and killed millions; including her father Bail Organa!
Meanwhile, Darth Vader, still focusing on the Imperial war effort and his search for Master Yoda, finds himself searching for further means to end the Jedi once and for all…
Corellia
Countless people stood outside the Alderaan memorial, each holding a single candle. At the head of them, Leia stood with Luke, Ahsoka, Han, Chewbacca, Corea, C-3PO, and R2-D2 by her side.
"Leia, are you alright?" asked Luke.
"It's still been one year after what happened to Alderaan" replied Leia "It's just…you just never fully recover from losing your home"
"I visited Alderaan once" said Ahsoka "It was a beautiful planet and great loss to everyone"
"I admit, it was quite a shocker" said Han. Chewbacca nudged him. "I am trying to be sentimental, Chewie"
"Please, Han; just this once, try to be respectful" said Corea.
"Alright" said Han. At that moment, Mon Mothma walked up to the podium and spoke into the microphone.
"For centuries, Alderaan was a symbol of peace and prosperity for the galaxy; it served the Galactic Republic and helped it, even when it was starting to show corruption" said Mon Mothma "And when the Empire was taking power, Alderaan was one of the first to resist it; and Bail Prestor Organa, who served the senate in the final years of the Republic, was one of the first to form the Rebellion. Alas; he was on Alderaan on the fateful day the Death Star destroyed it, and took millions of innocent lives" Leia looked over to a hologram of Bail and Breha Organa on their side. "Here to talk further about is Organa's daughter, Princess Leia of Alderaan" The crowd clapped as Leia walked up to the microphone.
"The Rebellion and the galaxy suffered a great loss on that day" said Leia "My father always despised men like the Emperor; so it was not surprising that took a stand, even before the Alliance was formed. And when the Rebellion was finally brought together, he gave full support. And I can still remember the fateful day. I was captured and brought aboard the Death Star; I begged for Alderaan to spared, but Grand Moff Tarkin didn't listen. The Empire destroyed the planet without a shred of mercy in them. I spent most of my life on Alderaan, to see…" Her eyes began to fill with tears. "…to see gone…and everyone I ever knew on it gone…I just…I just…I'm sorry"
"Geez!" said Han quietly.
Meanwhile on Coruscant
A Human couple sat down in their apartment for dinner with their Rodian friend.
"Alright, it's ready" said the man.
"And it smells good" said the woman.
"I feel…uneasy about this" said the Rodian.
"Don't worry, everything's going to be fine" said the woman.
"I'm just…maybe it would be better if I went to the lower levels with the others" said the Rodian "At least then you won't have to suffer the consequences I would have to"
"Hey, it's fine" said the woman whilst patting the Rodian on the shoulder "We got through the last few inspections unnoticed and there isn't another one this week"
"So relax" said the man as he laid out the table "The Empire may be holding the galaxy in an iron fist; but right now, we've got a dinner to worry about"
"Well…okay" said the Rodian "You've been so generous to me and…barely anyone would help a lone Rodian trapped on the surface"
"You were an innocent in need" said the woman "We couldn't just turn you away"
"Now let's raise our glasses" said the man. The three of them raised their glasses. "To the future; hopefully the Alliance topples down this Empire and we'll all be—" Suddenly, the apartment door was forced open and a group of stormtroopers entered.
"By Coruscant!" exclaimed the woman.
"Stun the Non-Human!" said the stormtrooper commander. One of the stormtroopers aimed his blaster and the Rodian and stunned him. "Take him away" Two stormtroopers walked up to the unconscious Rodian and pulled him away by the wrists.
"What is the meaning of this?!" asked the man whilst standing up "There isn't supposed to be another inspection scheduled for the rest of the week!"
"New timetable, I'm afraid" said the stormtrooper commander "Inspections are to be more frequent per week"
"We weren't informed of this!" said the woman.
"Schedules will no longer be shown to the public" said the stormtrooper "By order of Grand Viziers Mas Ameddaa and Sate Pestage and signed by Emperor Palpatine himself"
"What are you going do to him?" asked the man.
"He'll live" replied the stormtrooper commander "He is to be processed and placed back into the lower levels of Imperial city"
"You can't do this, he has a right!" said the man. Two stormtroopers aimed their blasters at him.
"Enough!" said the stormtrooper commander whilst gesturing to the other two stormtroopers "There are consequences to you two as well; but since you're young, I'll let you off with a simple warning" He pulled out a datapad and typed into it. "This is a fine to be paid up by the end of the week" He handed the datapad to the man who looked at it.
"5,000 credits?!" said the man "You're kidding!"
"I am not" said the stormtrooper commander "Sorry, but there can be no exceptions"
"But where are we supposed to get that sort of money?" asked the woman.
"Find a job that pays that sort of money, the Empire pays well to reliable employees" said the stormtrooper commander "And I would suggest never doing this again; the punishment will be much more severe" He and the other stormtroopers left the apartment.
Meanwhile
"Bring them all out!" yelled Field Commander Brucco. The streets were filled with stormtroopers dragging Non-Humans out of apartment buildings.
"Move it!" said a stormtrooper whilst bashing an Ithorian at the back with his blaster.
"Let me go!" exclaimed a Twi'lek woman as two stormtroopers pulled her out by the arms. A look of scorn befell on Brucco's face when he saw her.
"Commander, this one put up a big fight" said another stormtrooper who walked up to Brucco "She destroyed our weapons but we managed to outnumber and overpower her eventually. What should we do to her now?"
"Send her to processing with the others" replied Brucco "Use extra force if you necessary" As the roundup on the streets intensified, Vader looked down at it from his palace with MOXAL standing beside him projecting a hologram of the Emperor.
"Operation: Accumulate is going than I could have ever suspected" said the Emperor "Very soon, the surface will devoid of any Non-Humans"
"This is an unnecessary use of Imperial forces" said Vader "Surely it is better spent on the war effort"
"You pity them?" said the Emperor.
"Hardly" replied Vader "But with the Imperial forces spreading thin across the galaxy, we need as many as we can to drive the rebels back"
"In due time, my friend" said the Emperor "Right now, their services are beings used to make an example. Long have Non-Humans prospered on the surface in secret, but no more. With our new timetable and secrecy, we'll catch any who hide and send them back to the underworld where they belong"
"And what of the Jedi?" asked Vader "There about ten Jedi within the Rebellion currently still alive"
"Exactly, ten" said the Emperor "There used to be hundreds; and before that, thousands. And most of the Jedi in the Rebellion are not even actual, surviving younglings and padawans with no official training do not hold the same threat of a Jedi Master. Now we hold the bulk of Force-sensitives with our various Dark Side Adepts"
"And what of Master Yoda?" asked Vader "We never found him"
"Wherever he is, he is of no immediate threat to us" said the Emperor "Even a Jedi as powerful as him could stand no chance against the entirety of our military"
"He was the Jedi Grand Master" said Vader "No single Jedi has the same amount of knowledge within them than him"
"Perhaps, but we ended the Great Jedi Purge years ago because they no longer possessed the threat to us that they once did" said the Emperor "Focus on what's important, Lord Vader; and right now, it is not the Jedi"
"I understand, my master" said Vader. The hologram vanished. Vader sat himself down on a chair and began to tap his finger against his fist. It was then that he heard a familiar voice ring into his head.
"Vader…"
Vader turned his head up and looked around.
"Vader…"
"What is it?" asked Vader "Who are you?"
"Come to Ziost…
I have something for you there…"
Vader stood himself up and walked out of the room.
Meanwhile
"Ackbar, a moment" said Mon Mothma whilst on her computer.
"What is it?" asked Ackbar as he walked over to her desk.
"Do you know anything about this?" asked Mon Mothma. She turned her computer around and Ackbar had a look at what was on it.
"Election?" said Ackbar "I received no information on an election anytime soon. How long has this been for?"
"According to this, it came up only recently" said Mon Mothma.
"But I don't understand; with the war going on, an election for Chief-of-State would only slow everything down" said Ackbar "Whose idea was this?"
"It was mine" replied a voice. Ackbar turned around to see Borsk Fey'lya entering the room.
"Fey'lya!" exclaimed Ackbar.
"Ackbar" said Fey'lya.
"Councilor Fey'lya, what is the meaning of this?" asked Mon Mothma as she turned the computer around "And why weren't been notified about it?"
"I was in discussion with the other members of the council and we came to an agreement that given the recent events it would better to reconsider our leader" replied Fey'lya.
"Reconsider?" said Mon Mothma "We're at war"
"But politics should remain intact nonetheless" said Fey'lya "After all; without them, everything would sink into anarchy"
"This is all an attempt to seize power, isn't it!?" said Ackbar.
"Not at all" replied Fey'lya "I merely think it would be better if we run by someone who wasn't so easily swayed by a Sith Lord"
"Havdori was not a Sith Lord" said Ackbar.
"And how are you supposed to prove that?" asked Fey'lya.
"One of our closest allies is a Jedi and actually fought with him" replied Ackbar "He can vouch for us on that one"
"According to you that is" said Fey'lya "But all I've heard from witnesses is that he was a Force-user wielding a red lightsaber. If he is not Sith, then what is he?"
"He was a Dark Jedi, we've already made it clear enough" replied Ackbar.
"It remains the same however; Havdori was a darksider who controlled Mon Mothma" said Fey'lya "Although we have not discovered any connections to the Empire so far, we know that they have their fair share of Force-users. It makes you wonder; if was working for the Empire, imagine the catastrophe we'd be in"
"If you were Chief-of-State, he would have controlled you instead" said Ackbar.
"Is that right?" asked Fey'lya.
"It is" replied Ackbar "The Bothans may have long since earned their way, but you used your influence among them to secure a position of power and you continue to do so. Are you really convinced that we'll allow this election to go forth?"
"You view me as a threat, don't you?" said Fey'lya "Very well; if you'd like, you could remove me from my position. But you'll only be sending the rest of the Bothans away as well"
"What?" said Ackbar.
"When I am out of office, I cannot guarantee that the Bothans will continue supporting your cause" said Fey'lya "In fact; with their representative kicked out, I imagine they won't be that pleased"
"Are you…blackmailing us?" said Ackbar.
"It's just business I'm afraid" said Fey'lya.
"I can't believe—" said Ackbar.
"Enough!" said Mon Mothma "If an election is truly the will of the council, then I will comply" A smug smile formed on Fey'lya's face.
"Mon Mothma, no!" said Ackbar.
"As Chief-of-State, this is my choice" said Mon Mothma "And I choose to go along with this"
"Then let the best politician win" said Fey'lya "I look forward to your competition" He exited the office.
"With all due respect, Mon Mothma, accepting his challenge was an unwise mistake" said Ackbar.
"I had little choice" said Mon Mothma.
"That does not decrease the magnitude of the situation" said Ackbar "You're walking right into his trap; when you play Fey'lya's game, he won't hold back on you at all"
"I am well aware of that" said Mon Mothma "But he represents the Bothans; if he we send him out of office, we do not know how they'll react. And right now, we need as many allies as we can gather; if the Bothans withdraw support, who knows how many more will follow. Besides, I have heard doubts going around the Alliance that; some people think they we are not forming the next Republic, they think that we're only making our Empire to rise up against the current one"
"That's absurd!" said Ackbar.
"I know; but the slightest doubt could shake the greatest belief" said Mon Mothma "Perhaps a fair election is what is needed to convince everyone that we intend to rebuild the Republic"
"With Fey'lya, it will never be fair" said Ackbar "For the record, I do not approve of this"
"I know" said Mon Mothma "But right now it's our best option"
Meanwhile
"Get these crates onboard" said Martarg as a group of Nosaurians loaded crates aboard a Gozanti Cruiser.
"Martarg, what's happening here?" asked Han as he and Luke walked up to them "Are you packing up and shipping off"
"I think so" said Martarg.
"Why?" asked Han "Where are you going?"
"We're off to fight the Empire" replied Martarg.
"Then why not stay with the Alliance?" asked Luke.
"We're off to fight on our own terms" replied Martarg.
"On your own terms?" said Luke "Surely things would be better if you stay with us; the Alliance could use more forces"
"Besides, your numbers seemed to have gone down quite a bit" said Han.
"Not all of us are leaving" said Martarg "Thortak and some of the more scarred members of our group are retiring from the fighting. Take care of them for us. As for where we're going, you're not the only resistance group out there. Sure; you're the largest, but not the only"
"And they're not going alone" said a voice. Luke turned to see Acashto and Alaranaa walking towards them.
"Acashto, Alarnaa; what are you doing here?" asked Luke.
"Ahsoka doesn't want us around any longer" replied Alarnaa "So we decided not to bother her anymore"
"Guys; I know Ahsoka's upset, but deep down she cares" said Luke "You just need to give it time"
"I fear that might not be enough" said Acashto.
"Does…Does she know?" asked Luke.
"We tried contacting her but she was…more than reluctant" replied Alarnaa.
"She just doesn't want us around, and I can't blame her" said Acashto "We should of told her everything the moment we met her; heck, mom and dad should have told her the moment they met her"
"We all have things we regret, but we can't change them" said Luke "So where will you go from here?"
"When we left Shili, our sole intention was to meet and help Ahsoka; but things have turned out much different than we originally had planned" said Alarnaa "Very few Togruta ever leave Shili, so I guess our next move is to explore the galaxy"
"And they're taking a guide with them" said a voice. Luke and Han turned around to see Latts walking up to them and flinging her arms over Acashto and Alarnaa's shoulders. "Someone who knows the galaxy well"
"Leaving the Rebellion as well?" said Han "Quite quick if you ask me, Latts"
"Best to quit while you're ahead" said Latts.
"That sounds a lot like me" said Han "Perhaps a bit too much like me"
Meanwhile
Luke walked over to Kota who sat in the remembrance garden with his arm in a sling.
"Finally moved off of Utapau" said Luke.
"The battle was ultimately short but it was brutal" said Kota "We only just destroyed the Imperial camp and get away, but the Imperial fleet surrounding the planet got away and I'm not sure how much longer they'll stay away"
"They never do" said Luke.
"There's something else you wish to ask, isn't there?" said Kota.
"There…There is" said Luke "Do you remember about a year ago when we first met and I asked you about the Jedi ways?"
"Yes, you asked me whether or not I would continue train you" replied Kota "And I declined"
"So did Rachi Sitra and K'Kruhk" said Luke.
"Luke, we don't hold biased against you for starting your training later than most" said Kota "In fact, I started my training at the age of eighteen"
"Then what is it?" asked Luke.
"It's not the right time" replied Kota.
"Not the right time?!" said Luke.
"It's not what you think" said Kota "With this war and with what happened to the Jedi Order, training someone would be folly. There isn't even a proper Order left"
"What are you talking about?" asked Luke "There's you, K'Kruhk, Ahsoka—"
"We may have survived, but the Order didn't" said Kota "It was not only Jedi the Empire and Vader destroyed and corrupted during the purge, our culture was utterly destroyed. Thousands of years of Jedi work all torn down and reduced to nothing but ashes and remnants. A new Jedi Order can only form once the Sith and the Empire are no longer in a ruling state of the galaxy; and even then, it won't be the same Jedi Order we lost. It will be a new one, built upon the old but ultimately something new altogether. There's something else, isn't there?"
"You were the first Jedi I met after I lost Obi-Wan" said Luke "My time with him was brief so I only got the basics on the Jedi way and code so…I guess I just got a little shock when you told me about the whole "relationships" issue. Maybe if I was trained under the old Order, I would have—"
"You can have a relationship if you want" said Kota.
"Excuse me?" asked Luke.
"A lot of the stuff I told you was simply me holding onto the old ways and I will admit that a lot of it was flawed and often brought out the worst of people" replied Kota "It is hard a good middle ground for the future of the Jedi. Rachi Sitra believes the Jedi must adapt to the new world, even it means abandoning many of the old ways; K'Kruhk however having been a master of the old Order believes that we must preserve the old ways, regardless of the consequences. Things like this would be easier if we had a council with us"
"So…about relationships—" said Luke.
"You're free to be with anyone you want, but I warn you to be careful" said Kota "Try to choose carefully; because you need to bear in mind of the possible consequences. If it's someone on the frontline with you, they might always be constantly at risk; and that's something that could shake you"
"You seemed to be pretty accepting of something that was frowned upon by the Jedi Order" said Luke.
"I guess it's because I've known for some time that love doesn't always lead to the dark side" said Kota "It can even save you sometimes" He turned towards a hologram of Galen Marek.
"What is it?" asked Luke.
"Ever heard of the Force-sensitive race called the Miraluka?" asked Kota.
"A little, but not really" replied Luke.
"They have no physical eyes, instead relying upon Force sight to guide them" said Kota "And yet they cannot see holograms. I've been blind for five years and needed the Force to guide me as well; and yet, I can see holograms still. I'm not sure why, but I can. I can definitely tell that the hologram I am looking at now is that of Galen Marek"
"Leia told me a bit about him in the past" said Luke "He was the founder of the Rebellion. I mean; there were already several resistances against the Empire but he brought them altogether to create the Alliance"
"He was more than just that" said Kota "It all began five years ago; I was a rogue Jedi on the run from the Empire with only my militia to support me, basing myself within the Outer Rim to avoid the Imperial's gaze. But everything changed the day I revealed myself to the Empire. I had no idea that what would happen there would not only shape the course of history but would change my life forever"
"Over the course of the Great Jedi Purge, I had made several strikes at the Empire in an attempt to draw out Darth Vader; but they were unsuccessful in that factor. So instead I took a daring move a crucial TIE fighter construction facility above Nar Shaddaa, revealing myself to the Empire.
At first I thought I was successful having been given conformation of a mysterious Imperial ship en-route; my beliefs were deepened when my men told me of a mysterious lightsaber wielder heading in my direction. But as I prepared myself in the control for a battle that could very well be my last, I was shocked to find the attacker wasn't Vader after all but instead was a young man wielding a red lightsaber.
Galen Marek, son of Jedi Master Kento Marek and taken by Vader since he was but a young boy under the alias of Starkiller, stood before me, awaiting attack; it didn't take long for me to realize that he was merely a pawn. Whether Dark Jedi or an actual Sith Apprentice, he was sent by Vader to the dirty work. At first I underestimated him due to his age, but he proved to be stronger and more skilled than I had originally thought; that's when I decided to increase measures. I dropped the control room and sent it plummeting down to the moon below and continued to fight. At the climax of the battle, I got a brief glimpse at his future; I told him that Vader would not always be his master and that I would still have a part to play. But that is when he struck forward and hit my eyes, blinding me permanently, before pushing me out of the control room.
I survived the fall, but the shock of losing my eyesight was so great that my link to the Force was cut off. I spent the next few days drifting from planet to planet, cantina to cantina, barely making out the deaths of Kazdan Paratus and Shaak Ti and losing hope every day. That was until one day he came before me again, asking for my help; at first I declined, claiming that I was now useless, but he was able to pull me along. I soon figured out that he was trying to create a resistance force to fight the Empire and he needed my help to gather the Emperor's most powerful enemies having been instructed by Vader to do so. During our travels, things began to change within me. My time as a Jedi General in the Clone Wars had made me reliant on military tactics and the like; but now without my eyes and having been made downtrodden, I turned to the Force for guidance and found my way back.
But it wasn't just me, it was him too; he had changed so much since we first met. He was still filled with the rage and anger that Vader had grown in him since he was a boy, but now that was beginning to quell due to something Vader had not intended; a bright spot within him that kept him from fully going over to the dark side. He had grown close to his pilot Juno Eclipse who had been branded a traitor to the Empire; her very presence gave him segregation from the darkness.
Together, we brought together the founders of the Alliance; Bail Organa, Princess Leia, Mon Mothma, and Garm Bel Iblis, all senators who had stood up against the Empire. With the Corellian Treaty, the Alliance to Restore the Republic was assured. But something happened then that Galen had not intended; Vader was secretly tracking his work and followed him to Corellia. It was all a trick; he had instructed Galen to bring the Emperor's enemies together with secretly the sole purpose of capturing them. After presumably killing Galen, Vader brought us back to the unfinished Death Star where we were brought before the Emperor himself. As he gloated before us on his throne on how our deaths would serve as a reminder to the galaxy; we were surprised to find that Galen had come for us, having survived with the help of Juno Eclipse.
At first, he fought Vader and almost killed him as vengeance for all the things he had done; but as the Emperor delighted in seeing a possible new apprentice before him, I attacked the old man. But he struck back, blasting with force-lightning. As Galen was about to finish Vader off, he turned to the Emperor and attacked him until seemingly defeating him. As he was about to strike him down, I came to his and told him not to; I was unforgiving for everything the Emperor had down to the galaxy and the Jedi, but I wasn't going to stand by and allow him to give in to his hate. But as we turned to leave, the Emperor attacked me again; but Galen stepped in and blocked it as much as he could. He told me to leave and protect the senators and I complied; we escaped, but he was ultimately killed by the Emperor.
We regrouped and vowed to finish what he had started in the form of the Alliance, using the Marek family emblem as a symbol to rally behind. A symbol of hope"
"Our strength has grown and grown over the years; but if it was no for Galen Marek, there would be nothing at all" said Kota.
"So that's how the war began" said Luke.
"This war is pivotal" said Kota "It may not be the end of all wars, but it is a very important one. Whether we win or whether we lose, it is going to change the face of the galaxy forever"
Meanwhile at Ziost
Darth Vader's TIE Advanced came out of hyperspace above Ziost and landed outside a large citadel.
"The dark power has led me here" said Vader "Whatever lies within here is what I have come for" He walked through the battered down gates and through the desolate surroundings. Suddenly, a giant snake creature with two heads and covered in downy fluff burst out of the ground. The snake hissed and burst frills out of its two necks. Vader ignited his lightsaber and pointed it towards the snake. The snake hissed again and knocked Vader off his feet with its tale. Vader pointed his lightsaber towards the snake as it lunged forward towards him, only for it to stop suddenly.
"Shhh…" said a voice. Vader turned to see Venefic walking towards the snake. As he got closer, he began rubbing it on its forehead. "Be calm"
"Venefic!" said Vader.
"Surprised to see me?" said Venefic.
"I knew I sensed a familiar presence" said Vader "I didn't know you had learnt how to control animals"
"The creatures of this planet can be quelled, for a short while" said Venefic. The snake went back into the ground.
"Why have you brought me here, Venefic?" asked Vader.
"I didn't bring you here, I requested you and you complied" replied Venefic.
"If you've lured me here to kill me, you will have made a grave mistake" said Vader.
"Relax, I'm not here to kill you" said Venefic "I come bearing a gift"
"And why should I trust you?" asked Vader "I once offered you a position within the Empire and you turned it down"
"After you see what I have for you, you won't want to turn it down" replied Venefic.
"Fine, then show me this gift before I tire of your delaying" said Vader.
"Right this way" said Venefic as he gestured off to a path. The two turned and walked down it, leading them into a large cavern filled with lit torches on the wall. "Here it is" What lay before them was gigantic ship-like construct composed of a giant grey sphere with various rectangular objects on the side.
"I have heard of such weapons before" said Vader "If this is a fake—"
"It is real" said Venefic "You know it is. It was placed here thousands of years ago by the dark lord Darth Revan himself; keeping it a secret from everyone, especially his own apprentice. With the power of this, you could wipe out a whole civilization"
"Why not use it yourself?" asked Vader.
"I have no need for it" said Venefic "You on the other hand—"
"You expect me to take this and expect you want nothing more?" said Vader "What is the hidden meaning of this?"
"Nothing" replied Venefic "Merely to part on good terms and to show you that I have no intention of being a threat to you"
"And how do I know this is not merely a ploy for something greater?" asked Vader.
"You'll just have to" replied Venefic. He walked over to the construct and placed his hand on it, activating a panel like light and pulling out a yellow ball of light.
"What are you doing?" asked Vader.
"Giving you a power you would have never known before!" said Venefic. He released the ball of light from his hand which flew at Vader and slammed into his chest, driving him back. As Vader looked down at his chest, he could see the ball of light sinking into it with a flash. "You are now one! Use it for whatever purpose you see fit; and I indeed mean "whatever" way" As he silently crept back into the shadows, Vader looked up at the weapon and found that he could feel it working inside him. A large circular mark on the weapon shone up bright yellow.
Meanwhile
"So…about the whole relationships thing, have you…have you ever—" said Luke.
"Me?" asked Kota.
"Uh, yeah" replied Luke "I mean, I hope I didn't offend—"
"It's only natural you'd ask eventually" said Kota "I dedicated my life to two things; the Jedi ways and the Republic military, leaving little time for other things in life. But it was not totally bereft of love"
"So who was it?" asked Luke.
"A politician and a senator" replied Kota.
"It's always a senator" said Luke. Kota turned to him with a confused look. "Just something Ahsoka told me. So what happened between you and this senator?"
"We grew apart" replied Kota "We had an infatuation, but we both knew we couldn't get anywhere further due to the code and I couldn't drag her down with it. I stuck to the Jedi Order while she went off and got married, but I honestly don't think it lasted long"
"Had you ever thought of what would happen if…you know, you left the Order to be with her?" asked Luke.
"Sometimes, but I don't dwell on things that simply weren't" replied Kota "There's only what was, what is here and now, and potential futures; those are the things you should focus on, not…" At that moment, he grabbed the side of his head.
"What's—" said Luke shortly before he grabbed the side of his head as well.
"You feel it too?" asked Kota.
"It's like…it's like some sort of powerful shockwave through the Force" said Luke "I've never felt anything like it"
"Neither have I" said Kota "We should gather everyone together"
Meanwhile
"Captain, come here" said a rebel officer aboard a Rebel space station orbiting within Corellia's fleet.
"What's the problem?" asked Captain Snond (a male Sullustan captain).
"There appears to be something coming from hyperspace" replied the rebel officer.
"Is it Imperial?" asked Snond.
"Doesn't appear to be" replied the rebel officer "In fact, its shape doesn't match any ship on our archives; Imperial or not"
"Then what is it?" asked Snonb. Suddenly, the weapon came out of hyperspace; the rectangular objects now spinning around it at high speed and projecting a yellow force field around it. "My word…this thing…it's…it's almost…biblical!"
"Wait, what's that on in?" asked the rebel officer. Snonb looked out carefully and noticed something small and black standing on the weapon, realizing instantly that it was Darth Vader.
"I have to inform Ackbar of this!" exclaimed Snonb. He rushed over to the strategy table and brought up a hologram of Ackbar.
"Captain Snonb, what is it?" asked Ackbar.
"Admiral, an unidentified craft has entered the system" replied Snonb "And I think I saw D—" Suddenly, the weapon charged up a powerful yellow energy and shot the beam out at the space station, destroying it.
Meanwhile
As Luke and Kota walked out of the memorial garden, they looked up into the sky and saw the explosion of ships.
"What's that?" asked Luke.
"Trouble" replied Kota.
"General Kota, do you read me?" asked Ackbar out of Kota's comlink "General Kota, are you there?"
"What is it, Ackbar?" asked Kota.
"I just got a report from Captain Snonb" replied Ackbar "He told me that an unidentified craft has entered the system. He was going to tell me more but his ship was destroyed before he could, which implies heavily that the unidentified craft is indeed hostile.
"Then what are we waiting for?" said Kota "Snonb's was in charge the planet from Imperial attacks; without, we could be facing an full-scale attack here"
"I'm already mounting the defenses of air and ground forces" said Ackbar "We don't know what to expect; but given what's happened so far, it's nothing good" At that moment, Ahsoka and Rachi Sitra rushed up to them.
"Hey guys, did you hear what just happened?" asked Ahsoka.
"We saw it from here" replied Luke.
"We have to be on high alert" said Sitra "With no knowledge of what is coming our way; we have to open to—"
"Uh, guys?" said Ahsoka. It was then that they all noticed that a large shadow had fallen on them. They all looked up to see the weapon looming over them.
"Great C'baoth's ghost!" exclaimed Kota.
"It is a ghost, and one from the past nonetheless" said a voice. The four of them looked up to see Vader standing on the weapon and looking down at them.
"Vader, what is the meaning of this?" asked Sitra "What is this thing you've brought?"
"This is the Reckoning" replied Vader "It is an ancient Sith weapon designed to destroy everything I deem it to. It does more than simply kill you, it destroys you"
"So, I suppose it's fair to assume that you killed those men up there" said Kota whilst he and the others ignited their lightsabers.
"What would have taken a fleet almost a day to complete was little more than a matter of minutes" said Vader.
"Then why wait?" said Luke "Why not finish us off now? Are you just going to monologue or actually do something?"
"In due time" replied Vader "But first, I have other things to attend to; the time has come for the galaxy to learn what happens when they side with the Jedi and the Rebellion" The Reckoning turned around and flew off towards Coronet City.
"The city!" exclaimed Ahsoka.
"That Sith Lord!" said Sitra "I knew he was willing to go to any measures to get what he wanted, but this is just crazy"
"Admiral Ackbar, Vader is controlling the unidentified craft" said Kota into his comlink "It's a powerful weapon that he used to blast through the fleet"
"Where is he now?" asked Ackbar out of his comlink.
"Over Coronet City" replied Kota "He's going to target civilians"
"Are there any Imperial ships nearby?" asked Ackbar.
"No, he appears to have come alone" replied Kota "In fact; I don't think I could imagine the Emperor allowing him of all people to use something this powerful without himself personally involved"
"I'll move the military to the city to protect the civilians and evacuate as many as we can" said Ackbar.
"Take caution, the weapon appears to have some kind of shielding around it" said Kota "I'd advise precaution"
"Acknowledged" said Ackbar "I'll be leading the attack so I request you guard Mon Mothma while I'm preoccupied with the defense"
"Will do" said Kota "Sitra, gather the other six and tell them to come to Mon Mothma's office. We're just fortunate that all of them came for the Alderaan memorial"
"Why are we all going?" asked Sitra.
"Mon Mothma is the Alliance Chief-of-State" replied Kota "Vader would not throw away a chance to capture her alive. Except we'll be waiting for him; and then we'll take him"
"With the deaths of Hom Ferm and Heten Feless, there's only ten of us left; and only you, me, and K'Kruhk are masters" said Sitra "Are you sure we can take him?"
"It is true that we no longer have the numbers we once had before the Clone Wars" replied Kota "However, there haven't been this many Jedi in one place for a long time; besides, Vader no longer has the same element of surprise that he once had. We may just have an opportunity to stop Vader once and for all this time"
"Do you want us to come with you?" asked Luke.
"Skywalker, Tano; go down to the city and help with the defense and evacuations" replied Kota.
"With respect, Master Kota; you're going to need all of us on this one" said Ahsoka.
"The forces in the city will need help as well" said Kota "That's what's important right now"
"But—" said Luke.
"We have no time to discuss this!" said Kota "Go down to the city now; or a lot of people are going to die!"
"Got it!" said Luke. He and Ahsoka ran off.
"Do you think this plan is going to work?" asked Sitra.
"For the sake of everything, I hope it does" said Kota.
Meanwhile
The Reckoning flew throughout Coronet City, blasting away at buildings and other structures as it went. Countless civilians screamed and ran away in fear.
"Quickly get out of here!" said a rebel trooper as he helped civilians out. Ackbar and a group of AATs and Hailfire droids gathered in a clearing. Ackbar got out a pair of electrobinoculars and looked out at the Reckoning carefully.
"Prepare the weapons to maximum" said Ackbar.
"What part do you wish us to aim at?" asked Lieutenant Orin Toa (a male Nautolan lieutenant with teal skin).
"Try the gaps between the armor" replied Ackbar.
"Do you think it will do much damage?" asked Orin.
"It's purely speculative but it's our best guess" replied Ackbar "This weapon just came out of nowhere so I have no idea how it truly works, we'll have to work on guesses" The vehicles around them aimed their weapons at the Reckoning. "Steady…steady…FIRE!" The vehicles shot at the Reckoning but there was no effect as it crashed against its shield.
"My turn!" said Vader. He turned the Reckoning over towards them and charged the weapon up.
"Watch out!" exclaimed Ackbar as he and the others ran out of the weapon's way, some of them only just making it. "By the Force, we just lost half our artillery!" As Vader looked down at the flames and devastation of the city, the fire reflected on his eyeholes, he turned his head towards Mon Mothma's office. He leapt down and smashed through the window of Mon Mothma's office and landed just behind her desk.
"Mon Mothma" said Vader.
"Darth Vader" said Mon Mothma "I don't suppose you've come for a negotiation, have you?"
"I thought you of all would above such foolish speech" said Vader "Now silence, you're coming with me. Once the destruction of Corellia is over, I will take you back to Coruscant; the execution of the Alliance Chief-of-State should sever the rebels' support"
"You won't take me alive" said Mon Mothma "Even if you kill, there'll always be others who will resist the Empire at any cost"
"This is not an option" said Vader. He grabbed her by the wrist. "Come with me" Suddenly, a green blade ignited and was placed across his throat.
"Stand down, Vader!" said a voice. Vader turned his head to see Kota standing there with his lightsaber.
"Master Kota, an unexpected surprise" said Vader.
"It doesn't stop there" said Kota. Suddenly, Sitra and Katooni Dragg* emerged from the left side of the room and ignited their lightsabers, K'Kruhk and Chelaa then appeared in the right side of the room and ignited their lightsabers, and finally Zatt and Ganodi leapt down from the roof in the center of the room and ignited their lightsabers.
"Quite a gathering you have assembled here" said Vader "Pity that it was all in vain" He grabbed Mon Mothma and placed her across his chest, ignited his lightsaber, and placed it across her neck. "Surrender or she dies here" Suddenly, Maris leapt down from the roof above Vader and stabbed her blades into his shoulders, causing him to release Mon Mothma. A group of rebel honor guards and rebel troopers arrived into the room and helped escort Mon Mothma out.
"Get her to safety" said Kota "We'll handle Vader" He then turned to Vader who got himself up with little difficulty. "You're all alone, Vader; surrender while you still can"
"You say that as if it is of major difficulty" said Vader "I had intended on saving your deaths for last; but if you want to die now, who am I to disappoint?" He began clashing with the eight of them all at once.
Meanwhile
Han and Chewbacca arrived at an area in Coronet City on an XP-38 sport airspeeder and stopped in a clearing in the city. At that moment, Corea landed in front of them.
"I came as quick as I could" said Corea "Did I miss much?"
"We only just got here" replied Han "This is it, this is the last place Leia was seen. We have our instructions to get her out of here quick" At that moment, Han heard a familiar raised voice and smirked. "And I think I know where to start. You two, stay here and be on guard. If that superweapon thing comes our way, call us and get out of here" He ran off in the direction of raised voices and found Leia helping hand off children off to their fleeing parents.
"Here you go" said Leia as she handed Rodian child off to his father.
"Thank you" said the Rodian before running off.
"Well, should have known you'd be doing something like this" said Han.
"What are you doing here, Han?" asked Leia.
"Saving you, what does it look like?" replied Han.
"And why exactly?" asked Leia.
"Well; I have specific orders to take you to safety, that's why" replied Han.
"So now you're following orders?" said Leia
"Maybe, but I'm also doing it out of common sense" said Han "I mean; this whole place is in chaos, do you really want to stay out here?"
"Sorry, Han" said Leia "I have to find these childrens' parents first"
"Then I could always just make you leave" said Han.
"And how exactly?" asked Leia "Besides, I only have a few kids left" Han sighed.
"Fine, just don't take too long" said Han "Remember, we're trying to stay alive here"
"Thank you" said Leia. She turned to a young Selkath and picked her up. "Where's your parents little one?" Han sighed.
Meanwhile
"We have you outnumbered, Vader; fighting back is pointless" said Sitra.
"That's what the Empire was saying to you for years" said Vader. Suddenly, he force-pushed all of them back. Kota got himself up and started dueling him again. "This is what you always wanted, Kota. To draw me out so you could face me. It's a shame that it only took the lives of millions to achieve this" Sitra rushed forward and swung her lightsaber at him, only for Vader to meet it with his. "Rachi Sitra; unless I am much mistaken, those are the robes of a Jedi archaeologist. Considering how the Emperor and I made short work of such Jedi artifacts, you may want to retire" As Sitra and Kota pushed forward against him, he let out a powerful force-pushed and sent them across the room. K'Kruhk leapt up behind him and plunged down with his lightsaber, only for Vader to meet it. "For someone who considers teaching to be the true path of the Jedi, you sure don't shy away from a fight, K'Kruhk"
"Not from padawan killers like you, Vader!" snapped K'Kruhk.
"Padawans are just too easy, as I and General Krenin would know" said Vader "It's almost not worth the sport" As K'Kruhk bared his teeth and pushed forward, Vader force-lifted him and started force-choking him. Chelaa gasped and bared her teeth as K'Kruhk was flung into a bookshelf.
"You'll regret that!" said Chelaa "C'mon everyone!" She, Katooni, Zatt, and Ganodi charged at Vader and started dueling him all at once.
"Come now, students; if the masters couldn't defeat me, what makes you think you could?" said Vader.
Meanwhile
"There you go" said Leia as she gave a Nikto boy to his mother "That's the last of them. I've already sent the ones without parents off with rebel troopers"
"Good, now let's just get out of here before we all die already" said Han. As they turned to leave, the Reckoning rose up and charged its weapon up. "Watch out!" The two of them ducked for cover as the Reckoning blasted at the building behind them and caused debris to crash down on top of them. As the Reckoning turned and started blasting around the rest of the city, Han emerged from the rubble. "The Empire sure has a thing for giant orbs with a powerful weapon" He looked around. "Leia!?" He turned to the rubble and began searching through it until Leia pulled herself out and coughed. "Leia, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Han" said Leia "Just a little shaken up" As she pulled herself out further, she hissed in pain.
"Wow, that's one busted ankle" said Han.
"It's just a little twisted" said Leia "I'll be fine if I—" As she tried to get herself back up, she collapsed down again and just barely held in a scream of pain. Han slowly walked over to her.
"Easy now" said Han as he picked her up in his arms.
"Okay, what's the big idea?" snipped Leia.
"Sorry, your magnificence; just trying to help" said Han "If you have to complain, do it later. Let's just get out of here and back to Corea and Chewie" He walked out of the area.
Meanwhile
"We can't harm that thing while it has that infernal shield up!" snapped Ackbar "We have to get it off somehow"
"But how?" asked Orin "I mean; if someone has the blueprints, I'd be more than glad to pick them up" Ackbar scratched his chin and examined the Reckoning carefully, finding himself fascinated by the spinning objects.
"Those objects around it, the ones that are not covered by the shield; something tells me that they're more than just show" said Ackbar.
"Do you think they're projecting the shield?" asked Orin.
"I don't know for certain; but given our current situation, it's perhaps our best option at the moment" replied Ackbar.
"Should we assemble the artillery together?" asked Orin.
"It's too far away and we've got too few of tanks left to pose a creditable threat against them" replied Ackbar "We'll have to try something else. Antilles…"
"Yes admiral" replied Wedge out of his comlink "What is it?"
"We need to get the weapon's shield down and we think those spinning objects around it might be projecting it" replied Ackbar "We need you and the other pilots to go in close and shoot them down. But be careful; one blast from it and you're destroyed. Do you think you can handle that?"
"Let's find out" replied Wedge. A squadron of X-Wings flew over them and towards the Reckoning. "Okay guys; remember to shoot down those objects, but stay out of that beam"
"Those things are going at high speed, I'm not sure if we can hit them in time" said Derek.
"Then hit where they're going to be" said Wedge. As they flew towards the shield generators, the beam fired again and destroyed three Starfighters.
"We've lost some ships" said Derek.
"Oh boy!" said Wedge "Alright people, aim carefully and fire!" The X-Wings fired at the shield generators and hit one of them, causing the shield to flicker somewhat. "Got one! Okay, we've got two more to go; better hurry"
Meanwhile
"Together now!" said Katooni as she and the others pushed back against Vader's blade.
"Impressive, for initiatives" said Vader "Though at least the former younglings have had training under the actual; you however, Chelaa, could barely even count as one. After all, you need an Order to be a knight" Chelaa began pushing Vader back more aggressively. "I knew of your aunt and all of her accomplishments. Is your best ambition to be little more than a carbon copy of her; because if so, you're failing at that greatly"
"Don't listen to him, Chelaa; he's just trying to set you off" said Katooni "He wants to make things easier for him"
"I don't need to" said Vader "I just want to get this over with so I can move onto the actual Jedi" Chelaa began pushing back against Vader in a more aggressive manor. Suddenly, Vader force-pushed all three of them back. "Unimpressive. Even the boy put up more of a fight than this" Chelaa got herself back up and charged at, who simply stepped to the side and clashed with her more. Suddenly, Vader pushed her back and cut both of her hands off with ease.
"Chelaa!" exclaimed K'Kruhk. He ignited his lightsaber again and leapt at Vader, clashing down on him. Suddenly, Vader force-gripped a bookcase and threw it at him.
"How far the Jedi have fallen" said Vader.
"Not as much as you, Vader!" said Maris as he leapt at him and clashed.
"You're one to talk, Maris Brood" said Vader "Or are you forgetting what happened after your master became one with the Force"
"If you're trying to compromise me, Vader, then you're just wasting your breath" said Maris. She smirked. "Which is already very obnoxious!" She lifted her hilts up smacked Vader in the mask before driving one of her blades into his hips. Suddenly, Vader ripped the lightsaber tonfa out and began clashing against her more before force-pushing her into the wall.
"You haven't progressed much" said Vader. Suddenly, Kota and Sitra rushed at him again and began clashing more.
"You're out of your league, Vader" said Kota "Even you can't handle all of us at once now; we're just too familiar with your tricks"
"You forget, I have a new one now" said Vader. The Reckoning rose up to the window with Vader leaping back on it as it charged its main weapon up again.
"Everyone, get out!" exclaimed Kota as he and the others rushed out of the office and into the hallway where they hid within other rooms down it.
"Know this, Kota; if you are alive, you're only delaying the inevitable" said Vader "Sooner or later, I will find all of you and end you" The Reckoning flew off back to the city.
"Unbelievable!" said Kota as he look at the desolation of the office "Look at what that thing did!" He looked over at the now amputated Chelaa who was being nursed by Katooni, Zatt, and Ganodi. "Get Chelaa to a good medical facility. They need to see her right now"
"I can still…" said Chelaa as she moved forward, only to feel another surge of pain "I'm not…defenseless!"
"Chelaa, this is not about being defenseless" said K'Kruhk "Right now you're in no shape to continue on; you have to get medical attention as fast as you can"
"I…I understand" said Chelaa "Take me there" Katooni helped her up and they walked off down the hallway. Kota sighed.
"What's wrong?" asked Sitra.
"I failed and I nearly got everyone killed!" said Kota "I…I nearly got Mon killed as well"
"There's no time for that now" said K'Kruhk "We have to help civilians"
Meanwhile
As the Reckoning wreaked havoc across Coronet City with the X-Wings swarming it, a Mon Calamari woman and her baby ran alongside the other evacuating civilians. Suddenly, she tripped over on a piece of rubble, causing her baby to cry.
"Mam, we have to get you out of here" said a rebel trooper as he ran over to help her up. Suddenly, a large chunk of debris fell down and crushed him. Another came down towards her and she closed her eyes and desperately clutched her baby, expecting the worst. As she opened her eyes again, she looked up and saw that the debris was now hovering above her. She looked over at Luke and Ahsoka, who were holding it up with the Force.
"You may want to get moving" said Ahsoka. The Mon Calamari woman got herself up again and ran off.
"Well, that's another civilian rescued" said Luke.
"Hey Luke, can I ask you something?" asked Ahsoka.
"Can it wait; because I think we've got a lot more to deal with here" said Luke.
"No, I want to know now" replied Ahsoka "It's…it's about my cousins. I heard about them leaving the Alliance and…and I honestly don't know what to do now. Do you think they're really going to go through with this?"
"I spoke to them before and they seemed to have made up their mind about it" said Luke.
"Are you sure?" asked Ahsoka "I mean sure; I'm still upset at what happened, but I never wanted it to go this far. Is there anything I can do?"
"I think at this stage the best thing you can do is say goodbye to them" replied Luke "At least depart on good terms"
"Right" said Ahsoka.
"I mean, you'll want closure on the matter" said Luke "Best to do it while you still can" At that moment, the reckoning flew over them and Vader leapt down to them. "We'll discuss this later"
"Off helping helpless civilians while the other Jedi do the important work" said Vader "Seems appropriate. But ironically you were the lucky ones"
"What did you do to them?!" snapped Luke.
"If they're smart, they're still alive" said Vader "But I wonder how long you'll last"
"You won't get away this time, Vader" said Ahsoka as she and Luke ignited their lightsabers. Vader ignited his lightsaber in response.
"Just because there's two of you doesn't mean you have the advantage" said Vader. Luke and Ahsoka ran at him and started dueling him more.
Meanwhile
"Alright, one more to go" said Wedge as they shot down the second shield generator.
"Great work, Antilles" said Ackbar "Keep up the good work"
"Aim carefully" said Wedge. He looked carefully at the remaining shield generator as it spun around at high speed. "Steady…Steady…Now!" They shot continuously until finally destroying it and bringing down the shield instantly. "Nailed it!"
"Great work" said Ackbar "Alright, now fire at it; but stay as far out of its line of sight as possible" The Starfighters and other vehicles began firing upon the Reckoning to little effect.
Meanwhile
"You're crazed, Vader!" said Luke "You're putting millions of lives at risk; these people have done nothing to the Empire!"
"They willingly tolerated you, which makes them enemies of the Empire" said Vader "The galaxy needs to learn the price of helping you rebels"
"Tell that to the neutral systems who begged for mercy!" said Ahsoka. Suddenly, Vader force-lifted Luke in the air; Ahsoka charged at him but he force-pushed her away and threw Luke into a wall. Ahsoka got up again and charged at Vader again but he force-choked her and threw her into the ground.
"Pity" said Vader "You two are strong in the Force and have such great potential and yet you waste it all upon the narrow-minded Jedi ways. With proper dark side training, you could unlock your true potential and be truly unstoppable"
"Sorry, I don't think the Empire suits me that well" said Luke as he got himself up.
"Feelings mutual" said Ahsoka as she got herself back up. The two charged at Vader but he force-lifted both of them up into the air.
"I only hope that you will see the truth one day" said Vader. He slammed the two into each other and then into the ground. He then force-lifted a large chunk of metal from a fallen building and wrapped it around the two of them. "Truly tragic indeed" At that moment, three X-Wings flew down towards him.
"There's Vader, get him!" said one of the X-Wing pilots. They began shooting him but he merely extended his hand out and force-gripped all three of them at once and threw them away as if it was basically nothing.
"Unimpressive" said Vader.
"That depends upon the way you see things" said a voice. Vader turned around to see Qila standing there, dressed fully in Jedi ceremonial robes. Vader looked down at the lightsaber that lay on his belt.
"Who are you?" asked Vader "I heard no reports on a Fosh Jedi in the Alliance"
"My name is Qila, but I am no Jedi" replied Qila "I was a Jedi once, but that was a long time ago. Now stand down, dark lord. These innocent people have done nothing to you; and if you continue, you will find yourself in too deep"
"You expect me to be intimidated by you?" said Vader as he ignited his lightsaber "You have no idea of the power I possess"
"And you have no idea on the true nature of this power" said Qila.
"You may not consider yourself a Jedi but you're going to die like one" said Vader "This is the day of reckoning for the Jedi! Your return ends now!" Qila closed his eyes, placed his palms together, and force-lifted his lightsaber up to him. He ignited it with the Force and clashed with Vader. His movements were different from any other Force-user; he seemed light on his feet at all times and when he jumped he drifted in the air like a mere feather.
"Do you know who he is?" asked Luke.
"I've never seen him before" replied Ahsoka. As Qila fought with Vader, he started blasting waves of yellow energy at Vader which he repelled with his lightsaber
"Is that…force-lightning?" asked Luke.
"Yeah, I think it is" said Ahsoka. It was indeed force-lightning, but it was different; whilst the lightning that came from darksiders like Count Dooku or Emerl Hatana seemed volatile, erratic, and full of violent force, this one seemed calmer and flowed more smoothly as if it was an extension of Qila's body instead of merely a weapon.
"What is he doing?" asked Luke as he saw Vader and Qila moved down the street in their duel "At this rate, he's not going to beat him quick"
"I don't think he's planning on beating him" said Ahsoka. She looked up at the Reckoning that flew above them.
Meanwhile
"Nothing's happening!" said Wedge "Admiral, we're firing it with as much as we have but it's not going down"
"I know" replied Ackbar "We're firing as much as we can but it's only just doing damage. It's seems those lines weren't weak spots after all"
"Then what should we do then?" asked Wedge.
"Our cruisers might have the firepower to finish it now that the shield is down, but I fear that we might not be able to get them into such a populated area without causing even more danger and havoc" replied Ackbar. Wedge looked at the Reckoning (noticing how it was barely noticing the rest of the city now that it was being swarmed by Starfighters) and then off at the ocean that lay on the coast of the city.
"I have an idea" said Wedge "The X-Wings and I will lure it out over the ocean and have the cruisers blast it there; that way we can blow it with no civilian casualties"
"Are you sure that would work?" asked Ackbar.
"Trust me, right now this thing seems more concerned about us then the rest of the city" said Wedge.
"Very well" said Ackbar "I'll contact the fleet while you bring it out into the ocean"
"Okay gang; follow me but keep shooting" said Wedge. He flew off towards the ocean with the other X-Wings following and continuing to shoot the Reckoning as it flew after them. "It's working, keep it up" As they flew off faster and faster, the Reckoning began to charge up its beam again, ready to shoot them down. Suddenly, a large blast came from the sky and caused critical damage to it. Wedge looked up and grinned when he saw the Liberty type cruisers that filled the sky and shot down at the Reckoning. "There they are!" The Reckoning desperately turned around and charged its beam up again, but the firepower of the cruisers all at once was so much that it blew from the inside within seconds.
Meanwhile
As Vader fought Qila, the two moved into an alleyway where Qila found himself at a dead end.
"You're mine now!" said Vader. Suddenly, he let out a large scream of pain and anger as he stumbled back. He dropped his lightsaber and the image of Anakin Skywalker continuously flickered over him. With a swift move, Qila cut off Vader's left hand and force-pushed him back into a wall. "The Reckoning…is gone…"
Meanwhile
"Skywalker, Ahsoka; are you alright?" asked Kota as he, Sitra, K'Kruhk, and Maris ran over to the two of them.
"Just got beat down by a Dark Lord of the Sith; but other than that, we're perfectly fine" smirked Ahsoka.
"Best to save your sarcasm for a better time" said Sitra as she cut them loose with her lightsaber and helped them up.
"We just got word that the Reckoning is destroyed" said Kota.
"What happened to Vader?" asked K'Kruhk.
"After he beat us, he started fighting some other Jedi" replied Luke.
"Who was it?" asked Sitra. At that moment, Qila walked up to them, levitating Vader next to him and placing him on the ground in front of them.
"Vader is subdued" said Qila.
"Qila?" said Maris.
"Qila!?" said K'Kruhk "You know of him?"
"I met him once on Ryloth" replied Maris.
"Okay, I think we're all on different pages here" said Luke "Who is he?"
"Explanations can come later" said Kota "Right now we have a more pressing matter at hand here" He ignited his lightsaber and turned to Vader, pointing it at him.
"I am defeated and defenseless; you have won" said Vader "You may as well take the opportunity while you still can. It would be wise to kill me now. As long as I live, I am one of many dangers towards you and the rest of the Alliance"
"No, not now" said Kota "There's been enough killing"'
Later
Ahsoka walked up to her cousins' apartment door and took a deep breath in.
"It's all simple; just go in, apologize, and make amends" said Ahsoka to herself "Okay, it's all simple. Three…two…one" She knocked on the door but there was no response. "Huh?" She looked down at the door panel, opened it using the Force, and entered, only to find the room completely empty; no one, no object, nothing. "Oh no…" She slouched against the wall and face palmed. "I'm too late"
Meanwhile
"The Alliance is already covering the damage down to the city, hopefully that should restore support" said Kota as he stood in the hallway of a maximum security prison.
"Vader's right, you know" said Luke "He's too dangerous to be kept alive"
"Perhaps, but the Jedi do not kill their prisoners" said Kota "There are some beliefs we have to abide by regardless. Besides, he could be of use to us"
"I hope so" said Luke "So who is this Qila who just appeared?"
"He was before my time as a Jedi so all I know of him is what Master Windu and Master Yoda told me, and even then I'm not sure I know of the full story in its entirety" said Kota as they walked off down the hallway "But I'll tell you what I can" In a doorway behind them was a large chamber. It contained a containment cell which held Vader who was bound from the neck down by metallic locks and straps of all varieties. As he breathed heavier and heavier, he looked up at the ceiling with utter disdain.
*: I gave Katooni a last name because she didn't have one.
Hellman76: I'm afraid I've already made up my mind on how Ahsoka's family story is going to turn out; I apologize greatly if this is too upsetting.
CT7567Rules: I feel that even if was made to believe that the Jedi betrayed the Republic, Cody deep down feels regret over what he did years ago. As for the Chiropters, I think there have been a lot of bat monsters in popular culture so I think that might be why they're familiar.
Just a Crazy-Man: Good to know there's another Empire at War fan out there, thanks for reviewing.