Space near Kriselist, 9 ABY
The T-65 X-wing streaked through space, soaring past the bridge superstructure of an Arquitens-class cruiser. Luke Skywalker surveyed the ship as an eerie, hollow feeling blossomed in his stomach. It had been three years since the Republic destroyed the last of the Empire's Arquitens, and to see one in pristine condition struck Luke as ominous. His disquiet grew as the X-wing reported the ship's shields down as it hung dead in space. Despite the ship's foreboding appearance, a familiar, potent presence rang clear from the ship, along with the muted presences of dozens of others, reassuring Luke that he was not too late.
Luke guided his X-wing into the cargo hold, ignoring the call from the bridge demanding that he identify himself. As the ship settled to the deck, he commanded, "Wait here, Artoo." The droid beeped its grateful affirmative as Luke opened the cockpit canopy and rose from his seat. He dropped lightly down onto the surface of the ship's hangar bay and swept his hood over his head before stalking forward purposefully. He felt the presence turn its focus toward him, and the presence was afraid at the danger swirling around it. Luke thought through the Force, I am coming, little one.
Luke strode through the cruiser's corridors, his cloak billowing behind him. He made his way halfway through the ship, passing dozens of dead stormtroopers, before his senses detected danger in front of him. His disquiet grew as he continued, recognizing the newness and the cleanliness of the stormtrooper armor. Han was right, he thought to himself. He had never truly doubted the assertion that a dangerous Imperial remnant had arisen on the Outer Rim, but even after a decade's experience with the Force, seeing still remained believing in some cases.
The danger that his senses warned of arrived at a T-junction where a separate corridor merged with his. A quartet of black, gleaming battle droids, far more advanced than anything he had seen while fighting the Empire, converged around him. He ignited his saber, which cast a brilliant green pall across the reflective black floor of the corridor. The droids opened fire, and he connected with the Force, allowing it to flow through him as he swung his saber, deflecting the blasts back into the first three robots. The blasts cut burning holes through their metallic exoskeletons, and they collapsed to the floor as their motherboards short-circuited. Luke twirled and plunged his lightsaber through the chest of the fourth droid.
Luke forged ahead, fighting through more droids as he crossed a catwalk leading to the ship's storage bays, cutting through the droids with ease. After slicing the last droid in two, he entered the storage bay and glided between cargo crates containing rations, blaster charge packs, and other necessities. The Empire has been busy, he thought wryly to himself, but his train of thought cut short when another pair of droids converged. He sent one of the crates hurtling into a droid, pinning it to a container as he cut through the second droid. He cleaved the pinned droid's head from its body and moved along, allowing his senses to guide him through the ship to the tiny presence.
He felt a brief spike of fear from the child, and he began to wonder what dangers might lurk within the bridge itself. The fear turned briefly to horror, subsiding rapidly into relief, and Luke forged ahead, picking up his pace lest he prove to be too late. As he worked through the cruiser, a heavier concentration of droids converged, and he renewed his focus, sinking deeper into the Force. The energy flowed through him, guiding his actions in fluid, graceful movements. Several slashes and thrusts brought down the droids, and he deflected a handful of blasts at one approaching from behind. As the wave of droids collapsed into sparking heaps of parts, he crossed the corridor to an open elevator, his senses guiding him to the bridge where the youngling awaited.
The elevator rose, and Luke closed his eyes, reaching out to get a sense of what stood between him and the bridge. The elevator door slid open, revealing a corridor choked by a dozen droids. Luke charged forward, his lightsaber swinging and slashing as if possessed with a will of its own. Blasts flew toward him and rebounded, cutting through the droids in the vanguard. He launched himself ahead, slashing and cutting, dropping droids to the ground to spark in their death throes. He pulled one droid toward himself, slashing it in two as it passed. He pushed a second droid away, and it careened into the dented blast doors at the end of the hall. Calling on the Force, he sent a decapitated droid head slamming into an approaching droid, and its red eyes went dark as it collapsed. He cut a second one in two, before clenching his fist, causing the final droid to implode.
He paused, surveying the destruction, and he turned toward the blast door, heavily dented by the droids. A sense of fear and confusion lingered on the other side of the doors, and he waited, knowing that, while he could cut through the doors with his saber, it would be best to allow them to choose. A minute passed, when finally the doors creaked open and slid apart. Luke strode through the door out of the smoke billowing from the destroyed droids, and he extinguished his blade and clipped it to his belt. As he lowered his hood, he observed the half-dozen beings, recognizing three Mandalorians and three humans. The human reclining on the floor of the bridge wore black body armor, and Luke recalled his face from the Tribunals - Gideon. A tiny, green being peaked around a chair, and Luke felt a thrill of recognition.
A Mandalorian in silver armor stood tensely beside the child, and he asked, "Are you a Jedi?"
"I am," Luke said, waiting stoically as he recognized the inner turmoil within the Mandalorian and the child. They were close, attached – perhaps beyond friendship; more akin to kinship.
Luke turned toward the child and extended his hand, saying with a slight smile, "Come, little one."
The Mandalorian turned to the child and back to Luke, saying, "He doesn't want to go with you."
Luke's senses told a different story, and he recognized that the child was indeed reluctant, but out of a conflicting sense of obligation. "He wants your permission." Luke added, "He is strong with the Force. But talent without training is nothing. I will give my life to protect the child, but he will not be safe until he masters his abilities."
The Mandalorian turned away to pick Grogu up. He looked down at the child, and Luke had a sense of his grief swelling as he said, "Kid, go on. That's who you belong with. He's one of your kind." The Mandalorian's grief swelled further as he added, "I'll see you again. I promise."
The child reached forward to touch the Mandalorian's mask. The Mandalorian, against what Luke sensed as a conflicting wave of fear and guilt, reached up to remove his mask, and Luke watched as the two gazed at each other. Luke felt the child's curiosity and wonder, and understood that the Mandalorian had not removed his mask before him. Grogu reached forward to touch the man's face, and the man's emotion swelled. The child would be deeply attached, and Luke would have a significant challenge ahead of him, helping the child resolve his attachments in a way that would not lead to darkness. He thought back to Leia's assurances that new learning could help show the way, and he thought perhaps that Leia might be better suited to be the child's Master.
"Alright, pal," the Mandalorian whispered. "It's time to go." The child cooed softly, and the Mandalorian assured, "Don't be afraid." He set the child down on the floor, and the child clung to his legs, unwilling to break away.
Artoo trilled a query as he rolled into the bridge, and the child turned away struck by curiosity at the astromech droid. The child toddled forward, and Artoo continued trilling his queries. Luke listened as Artoo commented on the child's appearance, recalling Dagobah in unflattering terms and commenting that perhaps this child would be less mischievous than Yoda had been. Artoo began to rock back and forth with excitement, and Luke smiled as the child attempted to connect through the Force with the droid. Luke leaned down to pick up the child, feeling its slight weight, but also the much heavier sense of responsibility and duty. He gazed at the child, connecting with it through the Force in a way that Artoo could not. He glanced to the Mandalorian, recognizing how deeply the man loved the child, and he nodded, saying, "May the Force be with you," before turning toward the hallway to leave.
Rhamalai, 9 ABY
Han guided the Millennium Falcon over miles of darkened fields - the vast agricultural operation of Rhamalai. Han knew the planet as one of those lightly inhabited food factory planets owned mostly by massive agricultural conglomerates, populated with a handful of stubborn farmers clinging to ancient plots of land and struggling to fend off the conglomerates. Prior to the Empire, Rhamalai had been a more diverse, sprawling agrarian society, but even with the fall of the Empire, the Republic had failed to break the grips of agribusiness, and now Rhamalai's primary inhabitants were droids harvesting food to send to the Core.
Han turned away from the view over miles of vegetable fields and nerf pastures and focused on the approach to the coordinates that Sabine Wren had provided. He closed in on the location, which remained indistinct from the sprawling farms stretching across the endless, flat landscape. But as he neared the destination, he made out a ramshackle warehouse as a darker shadow set against the night. He circled the structure once, noting Sabine's Mandalorian fighter settled on a field outside the warehouse. As he completed his circuit, he slowed the Falcon to a crawl and guided it down to the field beside Sabine's ship. As the Falcon settled with a bump, Han jumped out of the captain's chair and stalked down the galley, scooping up his belt and his blaster and looping it around his waist.
He unclicked the safety in recognition of his uneasy feeling. Sabine had responded to him as he dropped out of hyperspace, but she appeared disinterested and preoccupied, saying she had found the beskar, but it was too heavy for her to carry. He picked up his transponder and said, "Sabine, I'm on the ground. You copy?"
A long pause followed, and then a burst of static preceded Sabine's voice saying, "In through the front and through the main room. You'll see me there."
Han frowned in annoyance, wondering why she would not simply meet him outside. He crossed the Falcon's galley and stalked down the boarding ramp into the warm night air. He crossed the field, stepping over rows of grain creaking against the nighttime breezes. A warm light radiated from within the warehouse, and unable to shake the uneasy feeling, Han unholstered his blaster and crept toward the entrance to the warehouse, scanning his surroundings and attuning his ears to the nighttime sounds of insects in the fields.
He passed the entrance of the warehouse through an opened door, and he saw a grimy, straw-strewn floor illuminated by yellow lights overhead. He glanced across the vast, open interior, and he saw nothing but some dilapidated, unused farm equipment and some deactivated harvester droids mounted to the far wall. He continued several steps forward, when a snap-hiss from behind him made him jump and twist around. He raised his blaster and fired, and he bolts bounced harmlessly off of a blue blade. Han lowered the weapon slightly and squinted past the glowing blue blade at a man in a brown, hooded robe.
"Solo?" the man called.
"Who's there?" Han said, raising his weapon again.
"Cal Kestis," the man replied. "What are you doing here?"
"Sabine Wren called me here," Han explained. "Said she found a stash of beskar. What are you doing here?"
Cal lowered his lightsaber, but kept it ignited and hanging by his side. "Remember that Force-user that we met on Nevarro?"
"Yeah," Han acknowledged warily.
"I felt her presence emerge again. I left Kira with Taila and came here to investigate it," Cal said.
"Is Luke with you?" Han asked, hopefully, his unease growing that they might be walking into a trap.
"No, he told me he might have found the being that used the Force on Nevarro," Cal explained.
"And the Mandalorian?" Han exclaimed.
"Maybe," Cal said.
"Well, I'm glad you're here," Han said, scanning the room. "Something doesn't feel right. When we find Sabine. . ."
"Think she's through there?" Cal interjected, gesturing toward a darkened room ahead.
"Only one way to find out," Han said, raising his blaster. He waited until Cal joined him by his side, and they both stepped forward, weapons raised.
They passed into the darkened room, and as their eyes adjusted, they recognized that the room was partially illuminated by a pair of lamps before a large cross. Han saw colorful beskar armor mounted on the cross. The chest plate, shoulder plates, and wrist gauntlets hung from the parallel beam, and the helmet was mounted to the top of a cross. The armor was there, but there was no Sabine.
"What the. . ." Han said.
Without warning, Cal twirled around, activating the twin blades of his lightsaber to intercept a blurred line of red energy. The blow sent Cal sprawling backward. Han felt himself lifted off of his feet, and he flew backwards, slamming hard into the wall of the warehouse. His vision went black as he collapsed to the ground. Pain wracked his shoulder where he had hit the wall, and he scrambled on all floors, searching for his blaster. As his vision swam back into focus, he turned his head to watch Cal falling back, his lightsaber swinging wildly as he tried desperately to deflect the oncoming attack.
Han's hand found his blaster, but before he could aim and fire, Cal's screams filled the hall as the red lightsaber cut through his hand. His lightsaber and his hand dropped onto the filthy floor of the warehouse, and Cal collapsed to the ground. Torrents of red lightning erupted, consuming Cal as he crumpled to the floor. Han aimed and fired, and the lightning subsided as the blaster bolts deflected off of the red lightsaber. One of the bolts lanced back toward him striking him in the shoulder. Han shouted out against the searing pain in his shoulder, and he felt the weapon soar out of his hand to skitter across the floor.
Cal lay on the floor, convulsing slightly. Han tried to raise himself to his feet, but he felt something pull him across the floor. He reached his uninjured arm out, trying to stop his slide toward their attacker. He felt himself lifted into the air, and his body rotated toward a compact figure in a black body suit and a black mask wielding a red lightsaber. The figure extinguished the lightsaber, then raised her free hand. Han's eyes went wide as a torrent of red lightning shot toward him, engulfing his body with electronic agony. Han's screams filled the air of the warehouse, rising above the static crackling of the lightning.
The Senate Chambers, Coruscant, 9 ABY
Leia stood before Mon Mothma, Yishun, Aven, and Justid, along with dozens of other Republic officials and Jedi Master Oppo Rancisis. Master Rancisis, acting in Luke's stead due to an urgent errand, wheezed and rattled into the microphone, explaining the significance of Leia's actions.
"And as Jedi Knight Leia Organa accepts her obligations and responsibilities as the Vice Chancellor, she will conduct the renunciation under my guidance. I will test her to assure that she has completed the renunciation and thus will have permanently disconnected from the Force, bound by service and law to the Republic, and the people to whom it serves."
As Master Rancisis droned on, Leia felt a fleeting sense of grief and sadness. She had worked for years under Luke's and Ahsoka's patient guidance, attaining mastery of myriad skills as she worked to master her dark side. Her prowess in the Force had led her to Kira, and through the Force, she had helped to heal Kira. Her efforts had opened the potential for an area of healing that would now proceed without her, likely under Taila Zevala's guidance in collaboration with Chandrilan researchers. And now, after all of that, she was about to leave it all behind out of duty to the Republic and loyalty to Mon Mothma. She had embraced and accepted the choice, yet regret still burned in spite of her acceptance.
And then there was Han, again absent from a critical moment in her life. She admitted to herself that she did not want to be near him, and did not miss his presence. Yet her resentment at his lack of support, his recklessness jeopardizing everything and even making such a move more necessary burned at her. She did not know where there marriage might be heading, but the paths out of the current resentment and estrangement seemed dim, overgrown, and littered with obstacles.
"Madame Organa?" Oppo Rancisis said, disrupting her ruminations.
Leia nodded and stepped away from Mon Mothma's side, taking her place beside the aged Jedi Master. He gestured to the chair before them, and she took a seat. She sank deep into the Force, relishing its rich vibrance one last time, sadness filling her as she prepared to bid the familiar, comforting energy goodbye for the final time.
As she did, waves of agony washed over her. She gripped the armrests of the chair, and as she did, she saw waves of red electricity washing over her field of vision. Her senses strained against the pain, and she recognized the one to whom the pain belonged: Han.
Leia rose to her feet suddenly, eliciting a confused, "Oh my!" from Master Rancisis. Murmuring broke out through the crowd as she stood before them, her eyes closed. She felt Han's agony reverberating through the Force, and she became aware that Luke felt it, too. Reaching out through the Force, she called to her brother: Luke!
Luke's X-wing rose above the polished hangar floor of the cruiser, and he nudged the controls with Grogu sitting on his lap, watching his actions in curiosity. He nudged the throttle forward, and the ship shot out of the cruiser, leaving the Mandalorian behind. Grogu cooed softly, and Luke felt a sense of Grogu's sadness at leaving the Mandalorian behind.
"It's going to be ok, little one," Luke assured. "I share the same promise; you will see him again."
Grogu cooed sadly, and Luke steered the X-wing out of range of the cruiser, then plugged in the coordinates to Yavin.
"Soon, you'll be among other Jedi, and then I will begin showing you the ways of the Force," Luke explained softly.
He reached forward to pull back the hyperdrive lever, when a familiar presence burned in agony. The agony echoed through the Force, and Luke recognized two presences, one dim and distant, and one near and immediate.
Leia's eyes flew open, and through her fear, she saw the confused expressions on the gathered politicians, officials, and Master Rancisis. She turned to look over her shoulder at Mon Mothma, and with an anguished expression, she whispered, "They have Han."
Mon Mothma's hand went to her chest, and she frowned in confusion, whispering, "Who? Who has Han?"
"A dark Jedi," Leia said. Master Rancisis tilted his head in confusion. Leia looked to him, and sensed his disapproval and impatience. She turned back to Mon Mothma, and then back to the crowd.
She leaned forward into the microphone, and realizing that Mon Mothma had already won regardless of who the Vice Chancellor would be, she called out, "I must decline the opportunity to be Vice Chancellor. I apologize to all assembled and to the Chancellor. Urgent matters await me."
Without further explanation, Leia raced from the stage, leaving the assembly awash in confusion in her wake.
She raced through the halls of the Senate, running at full speed. She reached into the pocket of her suit and removed a transponder. She plugged in the correct channel as she raced to the New Alderaanian docking bay, seeking the shuttle. The transponder initiated its call, and as she turned the corner toward the dock, a woman's voice answered on the other end.
"Leia?" the woman asked.
"Ahsoka!" Leia shouted. "A dark Jedi has Han. Luke and I are going to him, and we need your help!"
"Leia, slow down!" Ahsoka said.
"No time!" Leia replied, and Ahsoka could hear the fear in her voice. "They have Han."
"But where?" Ahsoka asked.
Ahsoka heard Leia's ragged breathing and knew that Leia had stopped dead in her tracks. Leia paused, and Ahsoka heard beeping sounds. Moments later, Leia exclaimed, "Rhamalai?!"
"What?" Ahsoka asked, confused.
"The Falcon's computer says Han went to Rhamalai to help Sabine Wren recover a stash of beskar?" Leia paused, and despite her fear, she barked, "Goddamnit, Han."
"What do you need?" Ahsoka asked, attempting to ground Leia against her fear and frustration.
"Meet me there as fast as you can," Leia said. "Sabine and Han are in danger. Bring help if you can."
Before Ahsoka could ask any further questions, the line went dead. Ahsoka tilted her head, wondering at the sudden surge of fear. Her mind drifted back to the dark Jedi that Luke had faced on Tython five years ago. That Jedi had nearly killed them both, and had then promptly vanished. With all of the reappearances going on, could she have returned?
Ahsoka exhaled, settling her shoulders. Her mind raced as to who might help, and recognizing that both Han and Sabine were in trouble, inspiration struck. She keyed a series of commands into her wrist device and waited. After several seconds, the call connected with four separate recipients.
Ahsoka watched as the features of a female Twi-lek, her green skin bleached out by the holonet appeared. Beside her image, an older man with a bald head and a white beard appeared. Next to the man, an alien being with heavy, ridged eyebrows shading bulbous green eyes, his chin cloaked by a thick black beard appeared. And beside the Lasat, a middle-aged man with a thick brown beard speckled with salt and pepper appeared.
"Ahsoka?" Hera Syndulla asked, both delighted and confused.
"Weird time for a family reunion, no?" Zeb Orrelios joked.
"Specters," Ahsoka said, and all four snapped into attention. "Sabine Wren is in danger from a dark Jedi. I know you've all moved on with your lives, but we need help, and we need it now."
Zeb laughed, saying with enthusiasm, "Alright!"
"I'm ready to follow you, once again, Commander Tano," Rex replied, nodding gravely.
"Where's the fight?" Kallus called.
"Tell us where, and the Ghost will be there," Hera Syndulla replied.