Riven Apart Chapter 1: Prologue I, a star wars fanfic

Riven Apart (SYOC)

Prologue

POV: Rhenn Ikes, Nautolan Padawan learner (18)

Rhenn could feel a disturbance in the Force. A tremor, nothing more. A brief wave that disrupted his mind under the evening sun of Coruscant. It was fleeting, as brief as a memory. It wasn't any comfortable feeling that he was used to. Happiness. Warmth. No, it was something worse. But it wasn't anger, they were trained to be able to sense that. Not the blind rage of something gone awry. It was something else, something that Rhenn himself would get familiar with very soon. Fear. Fear was strong, it devoured. It was devouring someone, but he couldn't say who. He did not even know if it was someone he knew.

The Nautolan Padawan paid little heed to it. His tendrils were growing longer, the blue, sensitive strands coming down to his upper back and shoulders. Once he was older, they would reach his back and stretch further still. Their own powers were growing, his sense of emotions of people near him was beginning to throw him off at times. Rhenn knew this was different.

"My Padawan," He heard a voice from behind him. A smile came to his lips immediately, the familiar calmness of Master Tasu Ardyr set his mind at ease.

Rhenn turned and saw his Master waiting for him in the hallway. The dim light that came through the windows of the Jedi Temple shone on Master Tasu's face. He was youthful, he had been but a very new Master when he was given Rhenn as a Padawan. A Togruta from the colony of Kiros, his face was a red-orange with white at the top of his head and stretching like flames under his jaw. His lekku were shorter than Master Shaak Ti's – which must have been a feature of their people. Despite this, Rhenn was already taller than his Master. He had on dusky, darker brown robes with a tight belt at his waist where his lightsaber awaited. Tasu Ardyr was the most patient man that Rhenn knew – which made things easier and harder at once.

Master Tasu was accomplished in Soresu, the defensive Type III art. There was a time that he tried to convince his Padawan to follow him. A smirk passed Rhenn's face as he thought of those times. The Nautolan was much more active than his Togruta Master and preferred the Type V. Rhenn respected his Master deeply, and owed all he had to his training. Seven years they'd been a pair. He still remembered the harsh-looking Togrutan face looking down at him as he chose his Padawan. Rhenn had feared him then, worried that he had gotten the worst assignment. But soon the features relaxed and his worries were set at ease.

"Master Tasu," Rhenn gave a customary bow before he brushed his tendrils behind his back. "I thought we were due to meet at nightfall for our journey. Is there something you require, Master?"

"Did you feel it?" Tasu's arms crossed over his chest.

"I did," Rhenn said. "Though I don't know where it came from. It was so brief."

"Brief for you," Tasu echoed as his hand reached out to brush against the smooth stone of the Temple. "Longer for me. And not a coincidence, either, I fear. The Council informed me this morning of two developments that I fear are connected to this tremor."

Rhenn's concern was evident on his face and Tasu gestured for him to walk with him towards the exit. Their ship would be awaiting them for Rhenn's first trip off-planet in a year. First trip in a year and off to war just like that. Tasu was trusted immensely by the Council and was well-respected for his leadership. It had only been natural he would be given a large assignment.

"Connected?"

The Togruta nodded, his lips set in a straight line. "Do you remember Zeik Dirvund?"

Of course, he did. Zeik was a Nautolan, just like him. Zeik was green where Rhenn was blue. They were the same age. Zeik had been selected as a Padawan a year earlier than Rhenn had. They were friendly in their younger years, navigating the Jedi Temple together. Even back then Rhenn had known that Zeik was destined for more than him. He was stronger, faster, more orderly. It was everything the Jedi wanted. The two had even come from the same planet, though neither had returned since they were infants. The only difference was…Zeik had disappeared a year ago on a mission in the Outer Rim. His Master encouraged him to check up on a potential youngling near Dantooine and vanished within a day. No one had heard from him since.

"Zeik was my age," Rhenn said. We were friends. "And also from Glee Anselm. He went missing, did he not?"

"Missing, indeed." Tasu shook his lekku as they stepped out into the nighttime air for the first time. "His old ship was spotted by some traders in the Outer Rim. The transponders had been changed and there were new markings on the ship, but by all our information, it was the same ship."

Rhenn's heart lifted at the thought of his old friend being found again. "Spotted where, Master?"

Tasu fixed him with a stern look. "There is no guarantee that it was Zeik aboard that ship. He could be dead, he could be held captive somewhere else. He could be…" His voice trailed off as he stopped whatever was going to come out of his mouth next.

"You were going to say turned, Master." Rhenn straightened his back and walked forward with Tasu.

"It cannot be ruled out. Nothing can. The ship was spotted heading towards Dathomir. Nothing good comes from that place," Tasu shivered at the thought of it. "We're keeping an eye on it. The Council will know when the ship has left the planet."

It took concentration and a large amount of wherewithal to stay quiet. It took more to move the conversation along. Rhenn wanted to ask why they weren't checking on it immediately. A Jedi could be found there, one that was missing. Over the past five years, four or five Jedi had gone missing abruptly. Instead, Rhenn ground out another question.

"What was the second thing, Master?"

Tasu gripped the edges of his robes when he thought Rhenn wasn't looking. A strong hit of pain hit Rhenn from his Master. Something was wrong, though did he really want to know it? It was rare that Tasu reacted like this to anything, much less a simple question.

"It's my old Master. Renga Han, you met him when you were younger. His comms are off and no one has been able to reach him. The Council is concerned that he is the latest disappearance. And the eldest to disappear so far. Most have been just Padawans," Tasu confessed.

Tasu had spoken highly of Master Renga, though not without some preconditions. There were times that Rhenn wished he had the old Iktotchi as his Master rather than Tasu. He had been more daring, had used the same Type V as Rhenn was learning. Renga was fire where Tasu was water. It was a cycle, likely purposefully done by the Council. Using someone as perfect as Tasu to blunt the hardness of Renga and Rhenn himself. The thought unsettled the Nautolan.

"Master Renga too?"

"We only have suspicions, my young Padawan," Tasu squeezed his hand. "I can only hope that the Force protects Master Renga as he protected me. It works in mysterious ways sometimes."

The two fell silent as they continued on their walk towards the ship. They would be meeting their clones, the battalions that Tasu would be leading off to war. The thought of Tasu at war felt ironic to Rhenn. He was an excellent duelist, but he was not one that had a thirst for it. None of the Jedi were supposed to, but Rhenn enjoyed a good bout as much as the next person. The journey to Kamino was a long one, but a necessary one.

In the shadow of the hulking ship, Rhenn could see a man. A human man, dressed finely. He wore robe-like garments, but they were loose and colored a deep blue. His arms were bare, and even from a distance he could see the power that the man carried. He had deeply tanned skin and a full black beard. No doubt he was someone of importance – either politically or monetarily.

"Ah, Master Tasu," The man said once they got closer. His voice was deep and Rhenn could now see what looked like burn scars on his thick arms. "It's a pleasure. I hope I am not interrupting something important."

His Master accepted a handshake with the man and stepped in front of Rhenn to talk. "Senator Hylt, it is my pleasure. What are you doing hanging around here, if you don't mind me asking?"

"The Committee for Defense of the Republic has granted me leave to inspect our new clones that will be doing the fighting for us. As Senator for Kuat, you can imagine that this would be something within my jurisdiction. I'm afraid I will be tagging along with you, Master Tasu."

The Togruta laughed and patted the man on the back. "It is my honor to escort the senator to Kamino. We are there to be doing much of the same."

Senator Hylt smiled and went to step on the ramp to walk into the ship with them. "You know, this beauty was built in our shipyards? After a while they all begin to look the same, but you can always tell when it has the Kuat quality. I could even fly you!"

Rhenn excused himself once they were inside to look around. It was bigger than anything he'd ever been on, with rows to sleep – presumably for the clones, once they arrived to pick them up. His boots echoed in the eerily quiet halls that would soon be bustling with people. He was delighted when he found a large bathing area, turning on the water. Nautolans were famed for their adaptability, but he was most at home in the water. Soon they would be in the midst of their biggest test yet. But the question that kept nagging in the back of his mind was…where was Zeik?

Author's Notes:

Welcome to Riven Apart! As you've seen so far, this is a story based upon the Clone Wars, but upon a group of people separate from the main storyline. I'll go over some things, put the forms out, and then you can create as you wish!

Things to know:

1) While I will stick very close to canon as well as I can, it may not be a 1:1 thing. Small changes, like I did with the Kuat senator, will be likely. Major ones, like changing a Naboo senator, will not be allowed. Think of it as canon-adjacent but not necessarily straight canon. Villains will especially be non-canon as we need to up the stakes somehow, but I will do my best to keep it realistic.

2) Jedi submissions will be *different* than every other, you will see when you see the form. Jedi submissions close on May 31st (unless we lack some Jedi). I am taking ten total other Jedi to go along with the two I have (four padawan+master pairs, two knights who could be former padawans of other masters). It will be two-parted. The first part is the general form found below - with basically no backstory or just a bullet-list of what you would like to see. I will then pair up masters and padawans on the 31st, at which point the second part - the backstory itself in written form - will be due on June 5th. You don't need to work extensively with the other person, but I will provide personalities and such, and then I will make the backstories cohesive once I receive the forms. This part is also to help with the fact we may get more Jedi submissions than anything else, so I don't want anyone to get super far and be upset if theirs is not chosen. You can write parts if you wish - especially Masters' younger years - but don't mention anything that may be related to the padawan/master you may be assigned. Please see more on this in the Jedi form as I can't include it all here.

3) This story is rated T, but you can expect to have canon-similar violence that you could also expect to see in some episodes of canon. It may move to M at some point, but will never cross the threshold of MA.

4) While I love detail, keep your forms lean. Don't fill them with fluff, but keep important things in there. I expect more than a sentence on personality, but I don't necessarily want to see pages of it, either. I need to get a grip on these characters, after all is said and done, and it makes it harder when I have to go back and read something that could take me hours.

5) The story will basically fall under three different groups of people - senators, clones, and Jedi. Those are the main three things you may want to submit - but others are accepted as well. I just encourage that they fit with one of the other groups. For example, a bounty hunter that works closely with the Republic, or a senatorial guard of some sort. Others are also possible.

6) I understand that some people may be more comfortable submitting human or near-human species. There will be many of these races to choose from, but they are limited. There won't be 4 human Jedi, but maybe 2 Humans, a Twi'lek, and a Pantoran, or something similar to that. You can see a full list of potential *Jedi* races below and the number I would be willing to accept.

7) If you wish to have a connection with any of my characters - particularly the Jedi, as they will likely know others - feel free to PM me about that specifically. I will hope to reach out soon after I get them. Please be kind in reviews and PMs, though! I'm doing this for fun, this isn't a professional level whatsoever, so please keep that in mind.

8) Romance is a part of every story and mine is no different. We already covered the no-MA part above. Some Jedi or other characters may not be open to any romance - which is fine, but others may be and it may come up in different ways. Some may be willing to risk things for it, while others may not want to cross the Jedi code. I will try to follow everything you say, but the story direction may take it in different areas. Another thing - characters under 18 will probably not have a romance, and if they do it will be with another younger than 18.

9) Final thing! Please don't make overpowered characters. Jedi are already very powerful as a result of being a Jedi. Don't make them perfect, because there's many opportunities for flaws. Other than that, have fun and I hope you enjoy the story!

Jedi Species Availability

Human (x2)

Togruta

Bothan

Twi'lek (x2)

Kel Dor

Trandoshan

Mon Calamari

Cerean

Iktotchi

Ithorian

Kiffar

Lasat

Mikkian

Mirialan

Nautolan

Pantoran

Quarran

Rodian

Tholothian

Zabrak

(I also encourage you to check out fantasy name generators . com - it is very helpful with finding species names)

Forms -

1. Jedi Form

2. Clone Form

3. Senator/Other Form

Jedi Form - Please Remove Extra Information in Parentheses

Name: (I recommend to check out the website above, please have no relation to canons)

Age: (Padawans between 16-21, Knights between 22-27, Masters 28 and over - unless special circumstances)

Gender: (I probably need a few more females, but I want a good balance overall. I'm going to aim for at least a 4/6 split or 5/5 either way)

Species: (Choose one listed above or clear it with me otherwise)

Sexuality: (Self-explanatory, but also keep in mind - are they willing to pursue other races? The story will be diverse in that sense, so remember that as well, but they may have preferences for some over others)

Jedi Rank: (Self-explanatory)

Lightsaber Description: (What type of saber do they use? What color is it - blue, green, purple, magenta/pink, cyan would be the main ones)

Lightsaber Combat Form: (Pick two, one as a primary and one as a secondary. Pick from I-VII, but keep in mind which are rarer than others. VII will be very limited to one or two masters at max. A padawan may hope to one day achieve it, but would not be on that path right now. Also include what drew them to their forms):

Physical Appearance: (Self-explanatory - keep the race in mind when describing. I recommend the wiki to help if you need it!)

Clothing Style: (What is their attire like? Colors especially for robes? Do they wear something different than robes? What do they wear as sleepwear or for other special occasions?)

Personality: (I would like this to be descriptive, but to the point. I'd recommend anywhere from 2-4 paragraphs, with a heavier bent towards 3-4)

Strengths: (Both personality & physical strengths - please do 5 combined)

Weaknesses: (Again, both personality & physical - please do 5 combined)

Backstory Bullet Points: (Jedi will be different in this way. Please provide some backstory ideas that you're mulling around before you receive your padawan/master. Knights are the same as they may have a master from the ones in the story as well - but you may also make your own if you wish. Just no canon masters. These can be basically anything that you're thinking about including that would be important for your character, but also helps you do it quicker and not as formally)

Views of…

Jedi: (The order itself, or specific other Jedi if you wish. Do they like the rigidity of it, or do they want to bend the rules more? What do they think about the impending involvement in the war?)

Republic/Senators: (Do they think about them much? Do they see the corruption or are they not that interested? Maybe they look past it? What about senators themselves, do they think in general they have the Republic's interest at heart?)

Confederacy/Separatists: (Do they view them only as an enemy? What about the people of the Confederacy of Independent Systems? Are they complicit, held hostage, or sacrificing themselves for a greater good? Dooku?)

Clones: (How close would they be with their clones/other clones? Do they encourage a distance or would they like to get to know them better? How much would their lives be valued?)

Romance: (Are you open to your character developing a romantic attachment in the story? Either way, why/why not would they pursue someone? Is the Code holding them back? Who would they fall for? Another Jedi? A senator or clone? Someone else entirely? Feel free to spitball and theorize)

Plot Suggestions: (Any plot ideas for your character? Or for the story as a whole? I'm going to do it in some arcs/subplots so I am willing to consider other ideas as well. What would you like to see from your character?)

Breaking the Faith: (Is there any circumstance that your character would consider leaving the Order - either outright going into the arms of the Sith or just wishing to leave the confines of the Order? A loved one? The death of a Master/Padawan? War itself? Perhaps their style isn't encouraged by the Jedi? What would a hypothetical future Order 66 do to them, with the massive assumption that they lived - what would they do? These aren't guaranteed to happen, even if you say yes, but it opens that possibility up. Also helps me know about some hypotheticals in how they would respond and how it affects their personality)

Clone Form

The 5 potential clone factions are:

Clone Units Submittable to:

The 119th Siege Corps

Colors: Scarlet and Ivory

Jedi General: Jedi Master Tasu Ardyr, Togruta

Jedi Commander: Padawan Rhenn Ikes, Nautolan

Marshal Commander: Clone Commander / ARC Trooper CC-5902 "Roc"

Second-in-Command: Lieutenant CT-7108 "Lion"

Purpose: Siege Warfare. Battle tactics and preparation. Arranging the bulk of the fighting on hostile planets.

(The following have all leadership positions submittable)

The 292nd Aerial Legion

Colors: Sky Blue and Light Gray

Purpose: Airborne assault, drop landings, quick movement of forces.

The 505th Mechanized Legion

Colors: Gray and White

Purpose: Armored attacks, support of armored brigades, technological savvy and support.

The 78th Recon Regiment

Colors: Tan and Green

Purpose: Reconnaissance, spying, scouting, infiltrating the enemy, and surprise attacks.

The 640th Main Brigade

Colors: White and Black

Purpose: Main infantry, support operations, general knowledge of most battlefield maneuvers.

Main Part of Form

Name: (What is their nickname?)

Number: (What is their 4 digit number?)

Sexuality: (Any is welcome, again what may they think of other species? Attracted/not attracted? Ace also welcome!)

Rank: (Clone officers will be captains/commanders, seconds in command will be lieutenants, as well as other smaller offices that are open. ARC troopers are possible but I don't want a large amount of them)

Specialization: (Is your character an ARC trooper? Officer? Other possibilities include medics, riflemen, assault troopers, pilots, weapons specialists, snipers or scout troopers, demolitions specialists, tech focused?)

Legion: (Which of the 5 above are you part of?)

Appearance: (Remember that they are all Jango clones. But say what your character may have modified to stand out - haircut, hair dye? Tattoos/facial tattoos? Scars? Facial hair at all?)

Personality: (2-4 paragraphs here again is good)

Strengths: (Both personality & physical strengths - please do 5 combined)

Weaknesses: (Again, both personality & physical - please do 5 combined)

Backstory: (What was their childhood like on Kamino? Have they fought so far? Geonosis or how did their training go? How did they earn their nickname or what brought it about? What connections would you potentially like with other clones who are submitted? Friends? Rivals?)

Romance: (Would you like to see a potential romance for this character? With whom? A Jedi (whether or not they work closely with them)? A senator or another character? Someone else entirely? If not, is it because they view duty above all else? What impacts their decisions?)

Views of…

Republic: (What do they think of the Republic? Are they fully loyal or could some resentment grow later? What do they think of the senators of the Republic? Do they understand the war?)

Jedi: (How do they view the Jedi Order first? Then, how do they view their Jedi Master and Padawan - in theory, will come back with which General/Padawan you receive and ask specifics? Would they be very formal or informal? Would it change over time?)

Confederacy/Separatists: (What do they think of their enemies? The people of the CIS?)

Other clones: (How do they view their brothers? Will come back with specifics about those they may be in contact with more than others)

Breaking the Faith: (Would there be any circumstance in which they would desert?)

Aspiration: (What do they want to accomplish? Both inside and outside the war? What do they want post-war?)

Senator/Other Form

Name: (Full Name - keep in mind what their race is when making this)

Age: (How old?)

Species: (Any and all welcome. If a senator, keep in mind what races are predominant on that planet. Wiki is your friend there. Some - like Mandalorians - may be less useful since we are staying away from canon stuff than others - like Togruta/Zabraks/Humans/Nautolans - which I have plans for)

Gender: (Any welcome)

Sexuality: (Any welcome - again, what about other races beside their own?)

Occupation: (Senator? Bounty Hunter? Trader? Merchant? Diplomat? Etc.)

Appearance: (What is their physical appearance like? Be as detailed as you wish.)

Clothing Style: (What do they wear normally? At their work? Sleepwear? Formal attire? Anything else?)

Weapons: (Do they have any weapons? What would it be?)

Personality: (2-4 paragraphs is good here, but again, be lean and have substance than full of fluff)

Strengths: (Both personality & physical strengths - please do 5 combined)

Weaknesses: (Again, both personality & physical - please do 5 combined)

Backstory: (What was their past like? Where'd they grow up? What was their upbringing like? Wealthy/poor? What led them to where they are now? Be as descriptive as you like, but please try to keep brevity in mind. A page may be necessary for this, but please keep that as a maximum)

Views on…

The Republic: (What do they think of the Republic? Their role in the war? Senators themselves? Can they see the corruption? What do they think about it if they can? Do they view it as serious? Is the Republic the good guys in their mind?)

Confederacy/Separatists: (What do they think of the Separatists? Are they the enemy? Or are they the real protagonist? Just another rebellion to be put down? Dooku? Regular people of the CIS?)

Jedi: (What do they think of the Jedi? Religious fanatics? Protectors of the galaxy? Seasoned generals? What would they do if approached by one?)

Romance: (Would you want to see a romance with your character? What kind of person would they pursue? Someone close to them? In their line of work? Someone in pursuit of power? A clone? Jedi? Senator? Anything you want to include)

Final Note: Thank you for reading, I hope that you are interested. As a final reminder - clones and other characters are first come/first serve - I will let you know immediately if they are accepted or need changes or are not accepted. Jedi will be accepted en masse on May 31st and paired up with padawans/masters, as well as knights that are accepted. I will keep a list on my profile at the *very* top of what I may be needing at the moment. You can send people through PMs to me, or if you prefer to make a Google Doc, I have set up an email for this purpose that I can share through PM as well. I'm hoping to do a couple small updates like this chapter before the 31st.