Good afternoon everybody, the Nutty Buddy is back with the first post release of the Last Jedi chapter. As I'm sure you're all aware, the Last Jedi didn't exactly score well with the audience. Me, personally? I would describe my feelings as disappointed. I've had time to digest what happened in The Last Jedi, and I would give it a 6 out of 10. It wasn't the worst Star Wars movie I've seen, but it's a far cry from the instant classic the shills we call critics make it out to be. The Canto Bight arc was waaaaay too long, the space chase was full of holes, Holdo was a disappointment, don't get me started on Carrie Poppins, or Rey for that matter. Not even Luke progressed as quickly as she did in the span of what, 3 galactic standard days, give or take? These so-called allies they have in the Outer Rim better be damn good, or else IX is gonna be another dump Disney takes on Star Wars lore. I want to like it, I really do. It's just after reading over 30 years of EU material, just to see it swept aside like that, it's saddening. But enough about what happened, here's the chapter:

Luke Skywalker: The following is a non-profit fan-based fanfiction. Star Wars and all its affiliates are all owned by Disney, Lucasfilm, and George Lucas. Please support the official release, and leave me alone!

Chapter 16: Trials and Travels

Rey climbed over some rubble, making her way through the darkened corridors of the temple, her glow rod held aloft. This place had a mysterious feel to it, through both the Force and her mundane senses. The carvings on the wall were in some ancient language she couldn't understand, but at the same time Rey could gather a general sense of them from the carvings. There was history here. Power. Life. Balance. Rey reached out with her mind, trying to get a sense. There was conflict on the walls, light against the dark. Good against evil. Jedi versus Sith, if the warriors wielding red blades were indeed the Sith Lords of old. She wondered just who carved this history into this wall and wondered what history she would carve.

"Wow…" she breathed, taking it all in. Her wonder was only met by her curiosity. Rey pulled some of the moss off the wall, revealing even more of the pictographs depicting the history of the Jedi Order. She would've stared at the walls for hours had she not felt a tug in the Force, pulling her through the cavern. Her footsteps echoed when she stepped on rock, a testament to how smooth the cavern walls were. The temperature was cool, damn near freezing for someone used to the deserts of Jakku, but Rey didn't feel it. There was so much to take in, and yet she was drawn deeper, into the cold, down a dark tunnel. She heard the crash of the ocean and wondered just where she was going. The intricate historical carvings were left behind, the only one Rey had seen when she'd entered this side tunnel appeared to be one of warning.
"Where are you taking me?" Rey asked no one in particular. Even with her glow rod held aloft, the darkness felt as though it was closing in. She shivered, not from the cold, but from the innate fear of the dark born in most humans. Despite her trepidation, Rey kept going. Something was calling to her, almost like a cry for help. The sound of the ocean grew louder, waves crashing against the cliffside. There was a faint light at the end of the tunnel, and Rey emerged from that light into an alcove, nestled in the cliffside, hidden from outside viewers if Rey had to guess. The waves crashed against the cliff and splashed up, sprinkling the rocks with water. Rey savored the feeling of the cool water, remembering the dry days of Jakku. Never had she thought she'd ever see so much water, let alone feel the salty spray of the ocean. Wiping the water away from her eyes, Rey took stock of her surroundings. It was dark, the outside light of the Ahch-to sun barely filtering in through the water, giving Rey enough light to put her glow rod away, yet still instill that ominous sense of foreboding. It was damp, water splashing everywhere. Despite the abundance of water, the only form of life Rey could see was this weird black slimy plant growing in the center of the ledge. Upon closer examination, Rey realized that there was a large hole in the center, the plant growing seemingly into the hole.

With a sudden realization, Rey realized just what this place was and why it was calling to her. This place was cold, and reeked of the dark side. Maybe it could show her what caused the fall of Ben Solo. If she knew just what it was that brought him to the dark side, perhaps she could bring him back. Her father did it with Vader, why couldn't she do it with Ben? Maybe the dark side could give her answers.

There was a gust of wind, stirring Rey's hair, and she felt the Force swell again with another presence. This one felt powerful. It spoke, sounding young, yet wise beyond his years. 'Think carefully about what you are about to do.' There was a wealth of regret in his tone.

"You know what this place is and why it's calling to me?" Rey challenged.

'The dark side of the Force is always calling out to people with power,' the presence explained. 'It is seductive, it preys on your worst fears to bring you under its beck and call. And once it has a hold of you…' He paused, as if taking a deep breath to steady himself.

Rey was almost scared to ask. "What?"

'It's damn near impossible to break free.' The presence felt sad, full of remorse. 'It was only a miracle that I even came back at all.'

Rey paused, absorbing those words. "You fell to the dark side?"

'I did.'

"And you came back?" Rey was starting to connect the dots.

'Barely.' The presence's voice had a hint of amusement to it as he responded.

Rey made the logical deduction, remembering all the stories her father had told her. "Grandfather!"

The man that appeared was tall with messy dark blonde hair, blue eyes filled with concern and hope. He wore dark robes, as if to symbolize his life between the light and the dark. There was an aura about him, one of power and of regret. He was wise, despite him looking so young. 'Hello Rey. I'm glad you could finally make it here to meet me.'

"So this place is of the dark side?" Rey asked, getting back to the matter at hand. "But why would such a beautiful planet have such an evil place?"

Anakin Skywalker stepped forward, the blue glow about him reminding Rey that he was a ghost. 'The dark side can never be fully eradicated, despite the Jedi's best efforts. It will always find a hole to retreat into, hiding from the light. Trust me Rey, the dark side will seek to corrupt you, to control you. It will twist your mind until you become the very thing you swear to destroy.' He looked away, shame on his face. Rey knew of the story. It had been her favorite bedtime story before she'd been dumped on Jakku, if only because of the redemption aspect. Skywalker became Vader and brought down the Old Republic, doing countless unspeakable acts before Luke redeemed him at the end. It was the story of legends. Anakin met her gaze, eyes haunted by the actions of the past. 'It cost me everything. So think carefully Rey, before you listen to the call of the darkness. It will tempt you with promises that it cannot deliver on.'

"Do you know what it promised Kylo?" Rey asked, thinking about her cousin.

Anakin shook his head. 'Only Ben can explain his reasons for falling. I fell because of my attachments, which were twisted and turned against me by the dark side. Ben shuts me out, because he only wants to see Vader. He doesn't realize that the dark side only destroys. Even if the First Order were to snuff out the Resistance, their new Empire would never last, just like Sideous' Empire failed to survive beyond his death. Do not travel the dark path Rey, for it will only destroy you in the end.'

Rey nodded. "I won't." Anakin nodded and faded from view, his presence fading back into the Force. Rey gasped, feeling the darkness closing back in. Her grandfather's presence had pushed back the darkness, but now that he was gone, the dark side of the Force was pushing back. Rey could feel the whispers of the dark now, having been warned by her grandfather.

"I think it's high time I went back," she said to herself, reactivating her glow rod and disappearing into the tunnel. She had a lot to think about.

The Ghost¸ Hyperspace Transit to Agamar

Dannard Noslen, newly anointed Jedi Knight, unwilling victim of hyperspace travel, and aspiring duelist, was restless. The transit to Agamar had been quiet, a chance to meditate, a chance to contemplate, but Dannard had never been a man of quiet, despite his best efforts during Jedi training. As it was, he was currently going through his daily exercise routine in the cargo bay of the Ghost, dressed only in his pants and boots as he went through a set of press-ups. The young Jedi resisted the temptation to use the Force to soothe his burning muscles. It would defeat the purpose of the physical activity if he did that. So he continued, glad for what little distraction this exercise provided. The story Hera had told him, about the Ghost and its original crew, about what they did for the Rebellion and later the New Republic, those that had survived the Galactic Civil War anyways. The sacrifice of the noble Jedi, Kanan Jarris, during the battle of Lothal, it resonated with Dan for some reason. Many survivors of Order 66 had died on the blade of Darth Vader, and yet perhaps it was the way Hera had presented Kanan's story that struck a cord in Dan. She clearly loved the man, the sadness with which she spoke of his ultimate sacrifice was nearly tangible. The losses Hera had suffered over the years, of Zeb the Lasat, of Kanan, of his apprentice, the street rat turned Jedi Ezra, and all to fight against the Empire. Dan resolved not to let the First Order win. He didn't want the sacrifices of the crew that Hera had held so dear to be in vain.

Dan finished the press ups, wiping the sweat off his brow. He had time for one more exercise before hopping in the sanistream, to look somewhat presentable to the droid general Kalani. Glancing up at the walkway, he jumped up and grasped the bar, pulling himself up so his chin could touch the edge of the walkway before allowing himself to sink, repeating the process. Upon the fifth pull up, a pair of boots entered his vision. Pausing at the peak of the pull up, Dan looked up to see the rapidly becoming familiar T-visor of the colorful Mandalorian helmet peering down at him.

"If you've come to join me," Dan gritted out, going down and coming back up again, "I'm afraid I'm nearly done."

Sabine watched him continue, head tilted as if curious. She didn't say anything, instead climbing down the ladder onto Dannard's level just as he finished his set, watching him drop to the ground and use the Force to call a towel into his hand. "Every Jedi I've ever met has been different."

"Really?" Dannard mumbled through the towel as he wiped his face. "And this surprises you? We are people you know."

The Mandalorian tilted her head again, emotionless helmet betraying nothing. Her mind yielded nothing about her intentions either. Dan kept one eye on the blasters in her holsters, in case she tried any funny business like when they'd met. "No, it doesn't surprise me. It's more with how different you are compared to the other Jedi I've known. Kanan was so Jedi-like, not as much as Luke Skywalker but still, he was calmer than Ezra ever was. You? You're actually disciplined. Focused."

"I had to," Dan answered. "Otherwise I would've never survived the Vong War."

Sabine didn't seem impressed. "Tell me Jedi, would you be interested in a quick sparring session?"

The Corellian was intrigued by the offer. For two whole days she'd been quick to excuse herself whenever he entered the room, not willing to interact with him for whatever reason. When asked about it, Hera merely deflected Dan's inquiry's, saying it was for Sabine to talk about when she was ready. Given her Mandalorian heritage, Dan figured that this was Sabine's way of getting to know him. "Sure, you want to go hand to hand or should I lend you my other lightsaber?" He grabbed his belt off one of the nearby supply crates, taking one of his lightsabers in his hand and offering the other to Sabine.

Sabine grasped a hilt off her own belt, holding it up. "No thanks, I have my own." She ignited the lightsaber, and Dan blinked. He'd seen lightsabers of nearly every color on the visible spectrum for humans, yet he'd never seen a black lightsaber before. It was… odd.

"Something tells me there's a long story behind that lightsaber and why a Mando like you is carrying it around," Dan commented, holding up one of his lightsabers and placing the other one back on his tunic. It was a friendly spar, no need for both sabers. He ignited his own lightsaber, the familiar emerald green blade springing to life as he held it in the classic Shien opening stance, a two-handed grip above his head with the blade angled up and behind him.

Sabine nodded. "You could say this lightsaber practically defined the history of Mandalore." She held the lightsaber with both hands in front of her, a simple guard position. Dan waited for five seconds, expecting her to strike first, as he expected from a Mando, but she just stood there, lightsaber at the ready and her mind as solid as before, not giving any indication of when she would attack.

"How so?" he asked, trying to feel out her intentions. Dan stepped to the side, trying to see her reaction.

As expected, Sabine turned to match his movement, keeping the black blade of her lightsaber between her and Dan. "This lightsaber has been passed down for generations through my family. The Vizlas have long been a part of the ruling class of Mandalore, not that we've had a true Mandalore in decades. Stewards, Duchesses, but never a true leader."

"So, what, you're a princess?" Dan asked, glad to finally get some answers, even if they led to more questions. "Mando royalty?"

"Nothing so crude," Sabine answered. "I never wanted to rule Mandalore anyways. It just so happened that I was the last one left to use the saber. So I left Mandalore." She closed down the saber, to Dan's surprise. She reached up and took off her helmet. Despite the years of apparent combat and life in the Rebellion and later the Resistance, the woman's face had aged relatively well. There were a few stress lines near the edges of her face, but she was still quite the looker. Her short hair was dyed pine green, sky blue and light purple streaked throughout.

Dan let his own blade be extinguished, relaxing his guard. He knew Mandalorians were a nomadic people at times, but this departure sounded like she had no intention of going back to her homeworld. "And you took the lightsaber with you, why?"

"The war had become a battle for the blade," Sabine replied, holding up the lightsaber. "People were dying for this lightsaber because whoever owned it would be seen as the rightful ruler of Mandalore." Her brown eyes met Dan's curious gaze, years of hardship etched into those eyes. "So I took the lightsaber with me. The Mandalorian Civil War is over because of my actions."

"Civil war?" Dan stepped forward. "That's…"

Sabine's eyes narrowed. "You don't think Mandolorians are capable of civil war? Are they not warriors from your dimension?"

"No no," Dan backpedaled, "Quite the opposite in fact. They're among the galaxy's greatest warriors. It's just, from what I've seen of Mandos, they're quite loyal to one another, provided they aren't on opposite sides of a bounty. Sure, they got hit hard by the Vong, but last reports showed they were beginning to return to Mandalore to rebuild."

"Loyalty?" Sabine nearly laughed as she took a step forward. "It's all clan warfare now. That's our Mandolorian way now. Fighting over a lifeless rock, just so that one clan can claim superiority. It's pathetic, really."

"I had no idea that had-" Dan began, then found himself having trouble breathing as Sabine punched him in the stomach, using the lightsaber for extra oomph. He stumbled backwards, clutching his stomach with his left hand and igniting his lightsaber again.

"I win," Sabine said simply.

"How?" Dan wheezed, feeling rather foolish at how easily she had gotten the drop on him. Her stance had been all wrong for an opening attack, and he hadn't sensed the attack at all. "What?"

Sabine smirked. "You let your guard down."

Dan would've chuckled at that understatement had he not been trying to draw air into his lungs. For a woman who was approaching her mid-fifties, she packed a helluva punch. "I didn't realize we were actually going through with it."

"You kept reading my body language," Sabine pointed out. "You assumed you were safe. You thought that since I turned off my weapon that we weren't still sparring."

"I know not to make that mistake around you," Dan gritted out.

"Don't make that mistake around anyone," Sabine corrected, glancing away as if remembering some painful memory. "Never let your guard down in combat, even among friends. You'll live longer that way."

"So is that what you came here to do?" Dan asked, "Teach me a lesson about keeping my guard up?"

"Partially," Sabine admitted. Her gaze was still hard, but there was something else in her brown eyes now. The young Jedi couldn't get a fix on what exactly it was. "If you're going to be some Jedi that helps save the galaxy from the First Order, then you'd better live up to their reputation."

"I won't disappoint," Dan said, finally straightening as the pain in his solar plexus began to subside, aided by him calling on the Force to soothe the bruised area. He closed down his lightsaber, the threat of another punch from Sabine apparently over.

Sabine turned to go, grabbing her helmet, but paused before putting the helmet back on. "Tell me Jedi, do you know what aliit ori'shya tal'din means?"

"I don't know much of the Mando'a dialect," Dan admitted. "I didn't have time to study the language much. I just recognize aliit, which means clan, if I'm remembering correctly."

"Family," Sabine corrected, "It means family. The whole phrase is 'family is more than bloodline.' I lost my blood family on Mandalore and Hera and Chopper are the last of my adoptive family." A hint of sadness crept into her Force signature, the first emotion Dan could actually sense from her. "Hera told me that I should be more open to people, but I've seen so many others come and go on the Ghost, none of them coming close to what I had with Ezra and Zeb and Kanan. It's been so long since we had a Jedi on here, part of me hoped that it could feel like old times." The Mandalorian shook her head, seeming embarrassed at how she was opening up to him.

"On Corellia, we had a saying," Dan began, catching her eye. "Ihn Corellisi nyeve min bhiq suman ehin nyiad." She nodded for him to go on. "A Corellian never turns his back on someone in need. I promise that I'm not going to let you or Hera down. I've got too much to live up to."

"No pressure, eh Jedi?" Sabine said, putting her helmet back on. "You better get cleaned up. We'll be at Agamar within the half-hour."

Hera Syndulla watched from the hallway, glad that Sabine listened to her and made an effort to get to know Dan. She'd lost so much over the years, but she didn't regret anything that she had done. As Kanan would say, it was as the Force willed it. The Twi'lek sighed and hoped that the Force willed it for Kalani to join their side. Fleet scuttlebutt said that he'd developed several new battle droids, and had fortified Agamar into a damn near impregnable fortress. He'd be quite the asset to either side. She said nothing, choosing not to reveal herself and returned to the cockpit. There was work to be done.

Fondor System

Black Squadron dropped out of hyperspace as one, the Wolden class shuttle carrying their envoy safely in the middle. Bilbringi had gone well, Archduke Brofal pledging support to the Resistance and promising several light cruisers within the week. There was a sense of optimism among the pilots of Black Squadron. Perhaps they'd actually have the strength to go toe-to-toe with the First Order soon, especially if they could get the Star Destroyer producing shipyards of Fondor on their side.

"All wings," Poe began confidently, "tighten up formation and begin your approach. We'll be in and out of here just like Bilbringi and onto the next planet."

"What is our next stop?" Jess asked.

"Kuat," Franclo answered. "Simply put, we need those capital ships."

"What good's a capital ship if we don't have the people to run them?" Wexley asked.

"Hey, we're getting new recruits," Poe pointed out. "A little bit of training and I'm sure we'll be able to hang with the best of them."

"Will we have enough time to train them though?" Yolo Ziff, another pilot who had survived Starkiller Base. "I doubt the First Order has been sitting on their cans the entire time. They've been prepping for this war for the past 20 something years. They aren't gonna be a bunch of fresh faced shinies fresh from the academy."

"Enough of that," Poe snapped, "Positive thoughts here. We got Bilbringi on our side, Fondor's soon to follow, then we'll hit up Kuat. I mean, we've got a Jedi flying with us!"

"Any Jedi insight you have to offer us Black 7?" Karé Kun asked, a slight teasing tone in her voice.

Katerina grinned. "Just trust your instincts. Also, I don't want any special treatment just because I'm a Jedi." She flexed her new hand. The Corellian was mostly used to it by now, having had the past couple of days to practice with both her lightsaber on Bilbringi and her new X-Wing. There was still a slight feeling that something wasn't quite right with her hand, which Dr. Chamra had warned her about, but otherwise, her hand was fine. "In here, I'm just another pilot, like you guys."

"That's fine by me," Wexley chuckled, "It'll be fun to put another rookie through initiation again."

Jess chuckled. "You only started that cause you've been around for forever, or at least since Endor."

"I'm sure it's nothing I can't handle," Kat said, putting on an air of nonchalance. Squadrons each had their own little traditions, rookie hazing wasn't that big of a deal.

"Yeah Temmin, don't go easy on her just cause she's a Jedi," Poe chuckled.

"It is nice to have a Jedi with us though," Karé mused. "Especially after we all thought Skywalker was the last one."

"I'm just here to he-" Kat began, then froze as the Force screamed a warning at her. There was two seconds of silence as the squadron waited for her to finish. Her droid, a quiet little astromech designated R7-X4, beeped a question at her. "Enemies incoming!" Immediately the tone shifted from hanger camaraderie to battle readiness. Alarms went off in their X-Wings, indicators of something large coming out of hyperspace.

"Form up around the Admiral's shuttle!" Poe shouted quickly, taking charge of the situation. "Be ready for anything!" There was a ripple and an Imperial-class Star Destroyer burst out of hyperspace.

"Blast! The First Order would show their fragging faces now!" Wexley shouted.

"We can't take down a Star Destroyer!" Jess pointed out, and yet there was relief in her tone. Finally, they were going to see some action.

"They haven't spotted us yet," Franclo noted. "What are your orders?"

"I say we hit em while we can and let the Admiral get down to the surface to deliver General Organa's message," Poe said. "We'll show these bucketheads what for. Set S-foils in attack position!"

"Belay that!" the voice of Admiral Statura came on the comm. "I'm going to transmit a message to President Vadde and we're going to get out of here. Standby while we transmit the coordinates for your hyperspace jump."

"But we can take them!" Poe countered, frustration in his voice.

"They're moving to attack position," Wexley noted. "Turbolasers powering up."

"I think it's safe to say they've spotted us," Karé said dryly.

"Spread out," Poe ordered, "We'll give em a distraction. Admiral, let us know when you're ready to make the jump and we'll follow."

"Commander Dameron!" Statura protested, but that was all he had time for before Poe muted him.

"All wings, get ready to take out their guns!" Poe commanded. "We make that Star Destroyer focus on us and not the Admiral! Pair up and make your attack runs when you're ready! Black 7, you're with me. I want to see if you can keep up!"

"Copy Black Leader," Kat replied, slipping into the military jargon easily enough. She'd had practice while surviving on Coruscant with the rest of the underground resistance. "Starting my approach." The dozen X-Wings that composed Black Squadron split up into six groups of two, each weaving through the incoming turbolaser fire with ease as they approached the Star Destroyer. Poe, fighter ace that he was, was leading the direct approach, and therefore dodging the most flak. Kat was impressed at his skills, and a part of her wondered if he was showing off just a little. Putting that thought to the side for the moment, she followed orders and covered his tail. Poe wove through the defense towers, lasers flashing and destroying all of the central towers on the right. Taking his cue, Kat fired her own weapons, taking out the towers on the left. She could sense the deaths of the gunners, and felt remorse, but given that it was her or them, the young Jedi could only hope that their deaths were quick.

"They've launched TIE fighters," Franclo announced, "Coming in hot at point three five!"

"I see 'em!" Poe shouted. "Black 7, stick with me, I'm making a run for the bridge!"

Kat glanced out her cockpit and saw no less than four full squadrons of TIE Fighters in their way. There was hotshot flying and then there was suicide. "Negative Black Leader, we need to start falling back, or we'll be trapped between the turbolasers and the TIEs. We'll get our shot at the Star Destroyer another time."

"Don't tell me you're getting cold feet," Poe snapped, "We can do this!"

"No Poe, she's right!" Wexley called, trying to be the voice of reason. "That bridge is too heavily fortified for proton torpedoes! You won't get through! We've done enough damage to put her in the docks for a month!"

"You got one on your tail Black 4!" Yolo shouted.

"I see him!" Franclo yelled, "Damn it Karé, where are you?"

"I've got my own tail," Karé responded quickly, "Black 6, help him out!" She deftly maneuvered her X-Wing between two spires on the Star Destroyer, closing her S-foils so that she could fit while the TIE behind her pulled up to avoid crashing.

"There's too many of them!" Yolo yelled.

"Poe, it's not like we're facing a Dreadnought or anything," Wexley pointed out. "Besides, the Admiral looks like he's almost ready to jump!" Poe growled a few curses as he switched on the com to the Admiral. He hated leaving behind a wounded enemy.

"Commander Dameron, if you don't answer I will have you demoted to sanitation duty for the next month!" roared Admiral Statura. He did not sound happy.

"All right all right," Poe grumbled, "Black Squadron disengage!"

"I'm hit!" Franclo shouted, static rushing over the coms. Poe looked over just in time to see his X-Wing crash into the Star Destroyer.

"Jami!" Karé shouted in vain, saddened by the lost of her wingmate. She didn't know how she was going to break the news to Jami's wife and son. They'd already lost their home planet over thirty years prior.

"Transmitting coordinate package to your navi computers now!" Statura barked.

Kat heard the excited beeps of R7. "Start prepping for lightspeed ArSeven, I've gotta do some fancy flying!" She did her best to quiet her mind, allowing the Force to guide her. A nudge here, a juke there, and with a well-placed proton torpedo saw the young Jedi through the swarm of TIEs in front of her. Kat winged over, doing her best to help her squadmates extract themselves from the swarm of starfighter combat. There was a ripple in realspace out of the corner of her eye.

"The Admiral's gone, we better follow," Wexley announced.

"Then let's get out of here!" Poe said, shooting a TIE off Jess's tail. One by one, Black Squadron disappeared into hyperspace.

"You heard him," Kat told her droid. "Let's go!" She pulled the lever and the stars began to streak past her viewport.

First Order Star Destroyer Judicator

"Admiral Konstantine, that was the last of them," one of the ensigns reported. "Casualty reports coming in. Thirty-four TIE fighters lost or damaged, twenty TIE pilots killed in action, and all our auto turrets are critically damaged."

Admiral Kassius Konstantine the Second stood at the viewport, looking out over the space where starfighters had been dogfighting not two minutes prior. He idly wondered if this was what it had been like for his father when he had been chasing Rebel scum in the Lothal system. Konstantine took after his father in many regards, though he didn't grow a mustache like his father had. He'd only been a boy when his father died at the Battle of Atolan, but that didn't stop his dream of joining the Imperial Navy, even if it had been in Wild Space. Still, Konstantine had proved his mettle and risen through the ranks. He didn't trust the likes of Kylo Ren to command a Navy, no matter what his prowess in a snubfighter was. "Did any of you at least get their squadron designation?"

"Yes Admiral," the bridge officer reported. "Scans indicated that it was Black Squadron escorting that transport. We were unable to determine whether or not they were planet bound or already leaving the system."

Konstantine grimaced. Black Squadron was among the Resistance's elite, if not the best starfighter pilots in the galaxy. Some would argue they were better than the legendary Rogue Squadron, though many veterans of Jakku would be quick to point out the flaws in that argument. It didn't justify the damage they had taken, as the Judicator was going to be out of commission for a while. "Did they take any casualties?"

"Only one confirmed kill," reported the ensign.

The Admiral nodded. Getting one kill against Black Squadron was more than a lot of First Order commanders could claim. Reducing that fighter squadron by ten percent would make them that much less of a hassle. "Very well then. Hail the Fondor government so we can give them our ultimatum and request permission to lay over for repairs."

"At once Admiral," the bridge officer replied. Konstantine sighed as he looked over the Fondor system. He was not going to go out like his father did. He was going to avenge his father and play a role in finally wiping out that rebel scum. Unlike his father, he knew how to work with his fleet and didn't seek personal glory. He wondered what Thrawn would've done in this scenario, having heard the exploits of the Grand Admiral all his life, especially after his father died working with Thrawn. One task at a time. If the intelligence reports were right, then First Order High Command was on their way to wipe out the Resistance High Command this very second. Konstantine's only regret was that he hadn't been selected to join the final campaign.

Illeenium System, Mon Calamari Cruiser Raddus

Finn was a little nervous. Being a former stormtrooper of the First Order, he wasn't surprised to get a few wary glances. But more often than not, he was getting looks of adulation, a sensation he was definitely not used to. He was surprised to find himself relieved when General Organa called him up to the bridge. Many of the faces he recognized, mainly because they were among the First Order's most wanted. Admiral Ackbar, fresh from Mon Cala having brought the Raddus into orbit to pick up the Resistance and the Millennium Falcon. Joph Seastriker, fighter ace and founding member of the Resistance. Taslin Brance, Major of the Resistance ground forces. Caluan Ematt, veteran of the Rebellion and current Resistance General. General Cypress, another General for the ground forces of the Resistance. So much of the Resistance High Command in one room made Finn anxious. Knowing the First Order, they were going to be in the system soon, and the former stormtrooper knew that they weren't going to be happy.

"The General will see you now," Lieutenant Connix informed Finn as she passed by, startling him out of his observation of the command center of the Raddus. "And I suggest you close your mouth so you don't look too clueless."

"I'll do that," Finn replied awkwardly, feeling heat on his cheeks. Part of him said he didn't belong there, that he was out of his league, that he should run. Shoving that part of his mental doubts to the side for the moment, Finn started towards the holodisplay in the center of the room, General Leia Organa sitting next to it and looking very tired, despite Chewbacca's gentle affectionate rubs. The Wookiee left the table, growling something at her.

Leia glanced up as Finn approached, smiling wearily at the young man. "Hello Finn. How's your arm?"

"It's seen better days," Finn admitted, "But I'll be fine." He held up his right arm and revealed Dr. Chamra's work. Black synthskin covered the gash in his arm, about an inch and a half wide and traveling down to about mid wrist. His middle finger was gone, having been damaged beyond salvation by the crossguards of Kylo Ren's lightsaber. His hand was fully functional despite the wounds thanks to the efforts of the Twi'lek doctor though, and Finn's pain was reduced to the occasional twinge if he banged it against something. "You should see the other guy." If Finn could've kicked himself, he would have as soon as the words left his mouth. The fact that Kylo Ren was Leia's son had slipped his mind until that very second. "Leia I'm-"

"Mara told me all the details," Leia interrupted gently, placing a hand on Finn's good arm.

"Oh," Finn said simply. He decided to shut up before he put his foot back in his mouth again.

"Now Finn," Leia began, "Now that we have a moment, I need you to tell me what you know about the First Order."

"Haven't I been doing that since I got here?" Finn asked. Sometimes it'd felt like question after question. Then he realized, that debriefing had been about Starkiller base. Then came that wild mission to the system-killing weapon and since then Finn had been recovering. He hadn't really talked about the rest of the First Order since joining the Resistance.

"You look like you already know the answer to that question," Leia said sagely. "Now Finn, we've tried to gather intelligence on the First Order for years now, but with limited success. You're someone who's come out of them recently, so I want to compare what you know with what Intelligence knows and see if we're missing any data." She held up a datapad with a list of numbers and categories for said numbers.

"Sure, anything to help," Finn agreed. Might as well be useful. "And no disrespect General, but we really should be getting out of here. The First Order will be here any minute."

Leia smiled at him. It was a smile of experience and wisdom. "Believe me Finn, we all know that the First Order is on its way. Just a few more transports and the evacuation will be complete. I will not leave a man behind." She glanced to the viewport. "Not again." Finn said nothing, taking the datapad from Leia and beginning to skim through the numbers, typing in notes on what needed to be changed. The Resistance Intelligence agents were good, Finn had to admit, but they couldn't have all the pieces. The First Order had bided its time for years, and the Resistance had to know what it was up against. Finn wasn't sure about the planets in the Core and Mid Rim, but the Outer Rim and Wild Space he knew well enough to highlight the First Order borders, which had expanded last time he'd looked at a space chart. He traced a line on one of the space charts, recognizing a cluster of stars as part of the map BB-8 had worked so hard to protect and a question came to him.

"How are Mara and Rey going to bring Luke Skywalker to the Resistance if we aren't here anymore?" Finn asked. "How are they going to know wherever the hell in the galaxy we're gonna end up?"

Leia pulled up the sleeve of her dress, revealing a small binary transmitter, flicking on and off. "With this. I gave the other one to Mara. She'll know where to find us."

"And where there's Mara, there's Rey," Finn murmured. "Have you decided where we're going?"

Leia nodded. "The Outer Rim has many places for a group like us to disappear. We're headed to a small planet called-"

"General Organa!" the raspy voice of Admiral Ackbar interrupted. "Admiral Statura and Black Squadron have just returned from the Fondor system and will be ready for debriefing shortly."

"Did they mention if their mission was a success?" Leia asked quickly.

"Bilbringi has pledged their support and Fondor has acknowledged your message," Ackbar read off his Mon Calamari datapad. "They were unable to reach Kuat as they just got out of an engagement with a First Order Star Destroyer."

Leia sighed. "I wasn't expecting Kuat to join us anyways, they were always such stout Centralists."

"Also, Admiral Statura would like to discuss the status of Commander Dameron," Ackbar finished.

"Sounds like your flyboy's in trouble again," Vice Admiral Holdo commented dryly as she passed.

"Oh Poe." Leia stood up and met Finn's perplexed gaze. "Finn, you make sure Intelligence is up to date. I have some business to attend to." She strode off, as regal as ever. Finn wondered how she did it. Despite losing so much over the years, Leia still put off an aura of strength. He knew about the destruction of Alderaan, it was a huge event in Imperial and subsequently First Order history, and he knew the prominent role she had had over the years, as a leader of the Rebel Alliance, then as a Senator in running for First Senator, to now as a General of the Resistance. Finn just didn't know where she got that inner drive from. General Hux had called her foolish, but Finn knew that to be a lie. Shrugging, he got back to work correcting the Intelligence report.

Ahch-To

Mara watched a stormfront approach the island from the little campfire she had set up by the Jade Shadow. It had been a quiet day, as she was trying to get Luke to approach her about the problem. He had gone off on whatever served as his daily routine on this planet, not even offering her a bite of the large fish he had speared that day. That was fine with Mara, as she knew how to survive. One of the island birds had proved easy prey and she provided the creature a quick death. Now that bird was roasting over an open fire, the savory scents making Mara's mouth water. Sure, she could've used the Jade Shadow's supplies and made a simpler meal, but there was no challenge in that. Rey would be returning soon from her exploration. The Force was indeed very strong with her. Several of the island birds were waddling around the campsite, just out of reach of Mara. One walked up to Mara, looking at her imploringly with those unusually large eyes.

"Get out of here," Mara snapped at it, shifting her leg and startling the bird back a few hops. "Or you'll join your friend there on the fire." R2-D2 rolled out of the Jade Shadow, beeping at Mara.

"Hello Artoo," Mara greeted the astromech. "Sorry, no Luke today. He really doesn't want to talk to anyone." More beeps and whistles. "Yes, I'm sure Leia's message is important. You keep saying that as though I'll lift you up to Luke this instant." A snickering beep this time. "You better not let those birds onto the Jade Shadow. They're hard enough to ignore out here." She sighed, casting her mind out towards the mountaintop. Luke was there, as withdrawn as he could from the Force. There were the native life forms, caretakers of the Temple that had been there for eons. They didn't bother Mara and she didn't bother them. The Force reverberated throughout this island, this whole planet in fact. It was rich with life, in the sea, on the land, in the sky. No wonder the early Jedi had built a Temple here. There was balance. Life, and death. Warmth, and cold. Light, and a bit of darkness. Balance. She took a bite of the wing she had finished cooking. It was chewy, but the flavors oozed out of the meat. Mara was surprised at how good it was.

"A pity you don't have taste buds," the Jedi Master commented to R2. "These are delicious." The Force surged and Mara paused midway through her second bite. A presence in the Force was approaching.

"Such a pity there were never any tasty critters on Tatooine," a male voice with a Coruscanti accent sad, sadness and amusement in his tone. "It would've made the exile a little bit more enjoyable."

Mara glanced over in the direction of the voice. Nothing but the cliffside bathed in the fiery sunset light. Nobody stood there, but she could feel it. "Identify yourself!"

The voice tutted. "Such fire for one supposedly long dead."

"If you're truly one with the Force, then you should know that I'm not supposed to be here," Mara countered. She could play a game of wits if need be.

The voice sounded mildly amused. "And yet, here you are. Out of place, out of time, out of space, but here nonetheless. Why do you think the Force brought you here?"

"Probably because my husband needs a kick in the ass to save the galaxy again," Mara shrugged. "Because my daughter has spent most of her life believing her father to be a legend. Because some Imperial wannabes are hellbent on making the galaxy theirs again."

"So you think you were brought here to help?"

"You have a better reason?"

"Not really." A blue figure shimmered into view, dressed in Jedi robes. His grey beard and kind blue eyes gave him away immediately.

"Master Kenobi," Mara greeted respectfully, tilting her head. She was a little surprised to see him here. "I thought you were unable to come back to the realm of the living."

"The living Force binds us in many ways," Obi-Wan replied, meeting her gaze. "Naturally, places like this, filled with life and by extension the Force make it that much easier for those of us who have learned how to become one with the Force to appear to the living." He paused, a sad look in his eye. Mara waited, allowing the old Jedi Master to speak and taking a bite of the tasty bird, ignoring the imploring look from another of its species. "Did you ever consider that perhaps you weren't brought here to save Luke from his misery?"

Mara nearly spat out the bite she had taken. Out of all the questions she'd figured old Ben Kenobi would've asked, that was the last one she expected. "But so many people are counting on Luke Skywalker!"

Obi-Wan sighed. "You've seen what's become of him in his exile. He won't talk to me, or Yoda or even Anakin. Perhaps it's time to move on and begin training the next generation of Jedi."

"I'm not giving up on my husband," Mara said flatly.

Kenobi looked at her. "Mara, we both know that that man isn't exactly the Luke Skywalker you married. Events in your dimension are far different from events in this dimension. Perhaps, because you died so soon, you weren't able to support him through his time of need."

"I hope you're not blaming me for what's happened to Luke," Mara bristled. She knew it was pointless to threaten a Force ghost, immortal as they were within the Force.

"Not at all my dear," Obi-Wan replied sadly. "But I am suggesting you start to put more effort towards your adoptive daughter. She needs your help, as will any other Jedi you train in this dimension."

Mara blinked. The future would need Jedi, that was for certain. With the Order destroyed, it was a tall task to begin the rebuilding process. She knew just how much work it had been the first time around. With Rey in desperate need of training and no time to search out potential candidates, Mara was pondering Kenobi's words semi-seriously. Poor Luke needed time to get over himself, but they didn't have time with the First Order about to go on the offensive. Perhaps by training Rey for a couple of days on this island, she'd get through to Luke. "I'd already planned to begin training Rey tomorrow. But Luke will come back. I swear it."

Kenobi nodded. "Spoken like a true Jedi. Work with Rey, and maybe you will get Luke to come back, but for now, you need to look forward. Trust in the Force to guide you, and you just might prevail over the dark side."

"I will," Mara confirmed.

The old Jedi Master smiled at her as he began to fade from view, his presence in the Force diminishing. "Go to the great tree in the middle of this island. There you will find the sacred texts of the Jedi Order. They will help you rebuild the Order. And remember, the Force will be with you. Always."

Mara took another bite of the bird, reflecting on the conversation she had never expected to have. Luke Skywalker was a shell of the man she had once known, but he was still a Jedi Master. He had much to offer the galaxy, if only she could convince him to share it. Artoo whistled a question at her.

"Yes, that was Ben Kenobi," she answered. "You remember him of course. He's certainly given me a lot to think about." More beeps. "He left just in time for Rey to come back?" She smiled. Leave it to Kenobi to play the mystic.

Rey came around the Jade Shadow, deep in thought as she unslung her staff and leaned it against Mara's ship. She'd obviously seen a lot in the old Temple catacombs. Artoo whistled cheerily at her, prompting her to respond with "I'll be fine Artoo."

"Are you ready to begin your training?" Mara asked.

Rey met Mara's gaze. There was a resolve in her eyes that hadn't been there before. Her answer was simple. "Yes."

"Then get a good night's sleep," Mara said. "Because we both have a long day tomorrow."

Not the most exciting of chapters, I'll admit, but it is a bit of a setup for going into the events of The Last Jedi, though obviously events will be different than how they turned out in the movie. Obviously some of my head canon has been rendered…untrue. Either that or it's to be determined. But I'm going to plow ahead with what I established in previous chapters, and I hope you all will join me on this journey.

Some of you may be wondering why I had Obi-Wan appear to Mara and not Rey. Well, I'm not going to state my reason directly, but I will direct your attention to another Star Wars story, Promise of the Past by CrazyAuraGirl23. It's a time travel story where Luke and Leia end up back in the Clone Wars, hardly an original concept, but she has some very interesting lore and made a connection between Clone Wars era and New Republic era characters that I have accepted as headcanon now. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed the chapter!

Response to Guest Reviews:

Guest: All right, I won't tell you that Tave is Tahiri. Yeah, the Last Jedi was…well, I already elaborated on that above. Glad you're enjoying the story!

Denz-El: I'll be honest, I've lost track of Rebels since Season 4 started. I think I'll just binge watch them when it's over, since it's the final semester of college, which means super hard math classes. Also, while Khai Ren is shaping up to be a rival for Dan, Tave, well, I'm still figuring out her role in this.

The Last Jedi definitely didn't go how I expected, though not really in a good way. Johnson let Kennedy have way too much influence.

I doubt Snoke was a clone of Anakin. He had seen the rise of the Empire, whereas your suggestion would put Snoke's creation after the rise of the Empire. Sorry to shoot that theory down.

I'm really trying to put more positive spins on what I've seen in this new canon, hard as it may be. Giving that "scared of power" comment a better spin is one step towards doing that.

Your SWBttF mashup is sounding good. Don't be afraid to make an account just because you don't have a story. For the longest time, I had an account without any stories because I just wanted the follow notifications for the early stories I read. And it makes it a little easier to communicate with authors through the PM system, hehe. But God bless my friend, and May the Force be with you!

CG: Jiminy crickets you've got a lot of comments. I'll address the most pressing ones. First off, that probably was a better way of handling the flashback, I'll admit. But what's done is done, and I suppose it'd be easier for Ren to forget her if she played no part in the fall of the Temple. Looks like your worst case scenario came true, because with Fisher gone (may she rest in peace) and Skywalker now one with the Force, well, the OT characters are dropping like flies.

Skywalker's lightsaber acting like Mjolnir? Not the craziest theory I've heard. What with these sentient crystals nowadays (I still don't like the bleeding crystals they've established), it could happen.

I don't know what's going to happen to the Rebels crew. I made my prediction, and I'm sticking to it. We'll see what happens.

I'm a little wary of Disney collecting all these film studios like Infinity Stones. Monopolizing the movie market can be rather…catastrophic. Given my disappointment with the Last Jedi, I'm a little less than optimistic about Johnson's new trilogy. I'm hoping for the best, but expecting the worst now.

Oh don't worry, Mara will do her thing next chapter, with stories of Jacen, Jaina, her Ben, and all the other Jedi that survived in the EU, trust me. But first, training Rey and the construction of her own lightsaber. That's right folks, you read that correctly.

I think Ren was lying to Rey, trying to prey on her fragile emotions in that moment to get her on his side. Though my hope is slim, I'm still clinging desperately to Rey being connected to the Skywalker's somehow. In all honestly, I wouldn't have minded Leia dying when the command center was blown up, given that Fisher is dead, and the profound effect it would've had on her son, well, I don't know. I'm figuring it out. I don't know a lot of things about IX. Luke will probably be back as a ghost, the dark side is as treacherous as ever so Hux will probably try to eliminate Ren at some point, I don't know if Ben will die, but it's likely since he doesn't seem redeemable at this point, taking over the First Order like he did. All I know is that I have a lot of work to do to make this story worthy of the name Star Wars.

Guest: That was probably a red herring to throw fans off the scent.

Guest: Glad I'm giving you something to look forward to.

Guest: That sounds like what I have planned when Mara and Snoke eventually meet.

Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Please leave a review as I welcome any and all constructive criticism. As an author, I'm always looking to improve.

Follow me on Twitter, at nuttybuddy792 for more content and interactions. I'm always up for interaction with my readers. Until the next chapter my friends!

From your Nutty Buddy,

The Eagle Nut