WELCOME, MY FRIENDS! THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE FOURTH BOOK IN THE SERIES: AGFAJ: THE INFINITE ENEMY
I TRULY HOPE YALL ARE READY THIS IS GOING TO BE THE LONGEST AND MOST AMBITIOUS BOOK OUT OF THEM ALL! ENJOY!

Prologue:

The Knights of Rebirth

"You've made it to this point. You've all faced your trials in the order they presented themselves to you. And, now, you stand before me, ready to become Jedi Knights of the Rebirth. Your blood is still pumping, and your emotions are strong and resolute. You know what you want. You know what your destiny is. You've pushed through visions of the past and of possible futures, and you've even faced specters of long dead adversaries. Each of you has shown the grit and heart to protect those you love and care about, to protect the galaxy for the years to come. Now, only one test is left for you. The Trial of Skill."

I, Blaze Marko, spoke aloud to all my students before me. From left to right there was as followed: Kyle Katarn, Kam Solusar, Luke Skywalker, Leia Skywalker, Benjamin Kenobi, Mara Jade Marko, Tionne, Corran Horn, Cilghal Ackbar, and Galen Marek. Most were the young faces of those I had learned about over twenty years prior to the moment I found myself in.

However, twenty years ago you wouldn't have been able to tell me that this was where my destiny lied.

Now, I stood in the center of the Grand Training Hall on the fourth level of the Rebirth Temple. The room was massive, akin to the size of a football field back on Earth. There were obstacles, indentions, and obtrusions in specific places of the training grounds to create a new environment for the Jedi in training to overcome. Each one of the students in front of me had seen this room a thousands times or more to hone their skills or to let off some steam in one way or another, but none of them had been in the position they stood in now.

This was the cusp of their efforts. This would show the fruit of their labor, or lack thereof.

I raised a hand and smoothened out the gray robe that hung across my shoulders, hood down. As I did so, I felt two of the students flinch slightly in preparation for attack, then they lightened up slightly when they figured out that it was just a simple gesture.

My eyes caught each one of theirs and our minds were linked.

Kyle Katarn. Twenty-four. I mused. His parents were farmers on Sulon. His father is a Force Sensitive, and they willingly let the Rebirth take Kyle to train as a Jedi. That was nearly twelve years ago. Almost the exact same time as I founded the Rebirth. Kyle was a kind young man, but his kind face sometimes masked the seriousness of his spirit. Padawan to Master Kotan.

My eyes shifted to Kam Solusar. A few years older than Kyle, but he was brought around by his father, Ranik, who was a Jedi Master in the Jedi Order. He felt like Kam would be able to learn and control aspects of the Force that would separate him from his peers. And, Ranik thought the Rebirth was the way to go. A wise choice. Kame was a gentle soul but his affinity for combat set him above most in his class. Padawan to Master Koon.

Next was Tionne. It was Tionne's grandmother that that had contacted the Jedi many years ago and it was Tionne's own decision a few years prior to join the Rebirth sect of the Jedi Order. Her talents with a violin were only matched by her talents in calculations. With long, yellow-blonde hair, she was smart, brave, and beautiful. That is what has Kam so infatuated, though I'm glad it's reciprocated. Padawan to Master Secura.

My eyes drifted to the fair skinned young man with flowing brown hair and piercing green eyes: Corran Horn. Kind but tough. Focused and determined. Corellian. His Force talents may not be the strongest, but his connection is enough for him to be trained. His combat skills are admirable and he's an exceptional pilot, even by Anakin's standards. Padawan of Master Tula.

Next to him stood a tall Mon Calamari female will big, blinking eyes that reflected the lighting above. That was Cilghal, Ackbar's niece. Her strength lies in her words and her ability to heal. Even now, at such a young age, she has surpassed most of the lead healers at the Jedi Temple and has even come close to the healing factor that the Force allows me to access when greatly focused on. Other than that, she's Gial Ackbar's niece and he knows how great the training from the Order will be for his family. Padawan to fellow Mon Cala Jedi Healer Bant Erin.

My eyes suddenly found two brown orbs that held determination unlike any of the others. The short cropped brown-haired young man held his lightsaber unlit in a reverse stance. His lightsaber design reflected that of his master's, Rahm Kota's, lightsaber design.

My mind automatically flashed back to when I first saw his father, Kento, on Kashyyyk. We had shared a look and touch within the Force that held the promise of a sort of apprenticeship for his son. Galen was not my Padawan, but his training was overseen by both Kota and I.

As the Grandmaster of the Rebirth, I oversaw the training of all Padawans within the walls of the Temple. Being involved made sure that the lessons were being conveyed as they were meant to. The discipline for each student was evident in the way that they presented themselves. Galen was respectful. They all were. But, there was a kinship between all which surpassed what the Jedi normally taught.

The best thing about the different sects of the Jedi was that the students, and masters, had the ability to travel between Coruscant and the planet we had taken upon as the second home called Crysia, a lush planet drenched in the Force. The Jedi Order did not know where the planet laid because of security reasons, but all were welcome to join as long as all location devices were deactivated. Some Jedi called it seclusion while the rest of us saw it as a precaution.

Then, my eyes fell upon the final four students that stood before me. Luke, Leia, Mara, and Ben.

Luke and Leia descended from a bloodline so strong in the Force that they had yet to discover how far their power could soar. However, that power would only be evident as they trained and grew as individuals. Up to this point, they had passed almost all of their classmates and fellow Jedi as their connection allowed them to push past barriers others found difficult. At times, they were impulsive, but all were at one point or another. It was how you controlled that mindset that determined how the end result was.

Luke stood there clad in his usual black Jedi robes, a lightsaber very similar to his master, Obi Wan Kenobi, in his right hand. In this timeline, however, that right hand was still made of blood, flesh, and sinew. He sported his trademark sandy blonde hair which complimented the confident azure of his eyes.

Next to him stood his sister, Leia Skywalker. In contrast to her brother, her Jedi robes were a lighter version of the cream-colored ones that most Jedi were associated with. Around her waist was a bright red sash with her lightsaber still connected to it. Her brown hair was pulled up into a top-knot with a few strands falling down out of the bun.

The two had grown up in a universe where both their parents were alive and well. And, Anakin Skywalker stayed in the Light.

Then, there was Ben Kenobi. At nineteen, just a year younger than Luke and Leia, he already was sporting a beard near the thickness of his father. His auburn colored hair had a few streaks extra of blonde in it from his mother, Master Tachi, and his eyes were a lighter shade than his best friend, Luke Skywalker. His lightsaber resembled Obi Wan's first lightsaber, which had been lost at the hands of Darth Maul.

Then, there was Mara. Her emerald eyes locked with mine and I saw the slight smile that came to her face. She reached a hand up to brush the red locke of hair out of her face. Her Jedi attire was a dark, forest green combat suit with black boots and a black belt. Her right wrist had a communication bracelet that also had a small, silver charm attached to it. The charm was the symbol of the family that had taken her as her own.

My family.

She was also my own apprentice. Luke was Ahsoka's apprentice. Leia was Jake's apprentice.

The circle always completed itself.

In a swift motion of my right arm, I grabbed the shoulder of my gray robe and flung it to the side, wind whipping loudly as it sauntered to the ground. Around my waist hung two lightsabers: one was the blue saber I created on Kashyyyk and the other was the darksaber of the Mandalorians.

Now, all students had lightsabers in hand.

I smirked and regarded them, "Your final trial, the Trial of Skill, will be fighting me."

Kyle raised an incredulous brow, "All at once, Master?"

I nodded, both lightsabers on my waist staying where they were, "I won't use my lightsabers. Please set yours to the low power setting." My grin widened, "I would hate for a blade to hit someone else and they lose an arm."

That made Kam's face scrunch up just a tad, "Oh, you aren't worried about yourself at all?"

I regarded came carefully, then shortened the smile on my face but kept it good natured, "I mean, things can happen. Trust me, I'll only fight when I think it's necessary."

Corran's brow furrowed slightly, "Very well." He looked towards the Skywalker twins, "Luke?"

Luke ignited his green blade and dropped into a fight stance, "Uncle Blaze is always confident. Let's prove that we are a force to be reckoned with."

Cilghal blinked her big eyes a few times before igniting her own saber, sliding back into a form III stance, "I believe we should let him make the first move."

Kyle passed a glance to his companion, "I don't think he will. It's up to us."

Mara moved forward, unclipping her lightsaber from her belt and igniting the blue blade in a spinning twirl. At first, I thought it was just going to be a show, that she would maybe go into a flip. What I wasn't expecting was an attack.

However, she did attack.

I had peered slightly into the future just a few seconds before and had seen that it would've been Luke who had attacked. However, that glance might have changed the actual future. Mara leapt into the air, spinning with her blade to bring it down swiftly overhead. The burning blue blade tore through the air from point a to point b in a second.

That second, though, was enough.

I sidestepped the blade as it came crashing down onto the ground. The blade cut only a few centimeters into the flooring before she followed her strike up with an underhanded slash. The Force flared up in a wild display of power as her hand blurred from to the naked eye, taking the blade with her.

I moved my head slightly as the plasma sword shaved off a few hairs from my beard. Then, I gathered the Force in my right hand and pulled back, creating a shield of power. I threw the hand forward, colliding my fist with her stomach, sending her flying backward across the ground until she came to a halt in front of the Skywalker twins.

Mara coughed for a moment before getting to her knees. Luke leaned down and took Mara's arm, helping her to her feet. When she was completely up, she pulled her arm away gently and looked back at me, "Does that count as making you fight back?"

I shook my head, a playful smile adorning my face, "Good try, though, kid."

Mara gave a dry chuckle and pulled her weapon back into her hand, igniting the blade again and holding it down. She looked at Kyle and Corran, "Maybe you'll join in this time?"

Corran and Kyle looked at each other and ignited their golden and light blue blades. All at once, the three Jedi Padawans came soaring back at me. This time, I was completely ready. The Force flowed through me as if I was meant to be its sole conduit. There was the ever-expansive flow of life energy that filled each cell with a purpose to drive forward in its existence.

Mara, unsurprisingly, was first to strike again. She dove forward, saber stabbing forward as Corran struck from the right. Kyle had not yet reached his position and that's where I dodged. Blue and gold passed by my vision as I dropped to my knees, then pushed off one arm, using my palm to swivel my body. The momentum gained went into my next strike.

Kyle slashed forward, but the strength behind the blow was being held back. The intent wasn't there. Kyle was holding back. This was the first time he was going to strike any of the masters, let alone the leader of the Jedi Rebirth. However, I had a lesson to teach.

I dodged Kyle's attack and brought my knee up, covered in energy to strike his stomach, doubling him over. As he bent down to recover his breath, I locked my gaze on Mara. She soared through the air, lightsaber overhead for a final strike. There was time, however, for a counter strike.

The Force sparked in alarm.

I looked down quickly to see Kyle bring his hand up, palm outwards in an open-handed strike. I pulled my head back, falling onto my back to fully get out of reach. Mara came down with her strike finally, and I rolled out of the way, kicking back up to my feet. Then, Corran was there, slashing from the right.

The Force flowed freely through all of them, but I knew each one of them from many years ago. And, I had witnessed their trainings. The advantage was to me.

Using the mastery gained over decades, I coated my palm in a barrier of lightning. The blade made contact and stopped there, pressing against my hand. With just enough energy output, I sent the blade back into the hilt of the weapon. Then, I grabbed Corran by the front of his vest and threw him to the side like a ragdoll but used the Force to slow his descent, so he did not injure himself.

Kyle regained his lightsaber and ran forward, blade down and gaining speed. I bent my knees slightly and threw my hand forward, the Force blasting through my arm like a tidal wave of power. The blast hit Kyle in the torso, sending him spinning away, his lightsaber flying to another part of the room.

Mara was coming up right where he left off. I ran to meet her. She swung violently but in control. Her emotions in the Force were ones of resoluteness and pride. Pride at the strength she had, and resoluteness of the goal she held in her mind: winning. That was how I taught her.

As her blade came back around, I chopped a hand at her wrist. When we came into contact, her lightsaber tumbled and she yelped in slight pain at the strike. Her wrist was not broken by any means, but the electric jolt hadn't been fun either. Instead of admitting defeat, Mara drove her elbow forward towards my nose.

I dodged the attack with a sidestep and grabbed her shoulder. That triggered something in Mara, and I felt the shift immediately. As I started to step back, I saw a blue light emit from her other hand. Sparks of electricity started to form and I realized that she had expected me to use that on her hand. She had taken the energy from one hand and diverted into the other one. Now, she was about to use my own energy against me.

At the last second, before she completed the strike, I brought my blue blade up to block.

Mara cut the stream off, her breath gone. She smiled wide, "Looks…like I pass."

I lowered the blade and grinned, "It would seem so." I looked over to Corran and Kyle, "I think all three of you pass. Take it from me, that was a short fight and I technically bested all three of you, but I can feel the expertise in your strikes. Your masters have taught you well. I grant you the title of Knight."

I turned to the rest of the group and pointed at Galen, "Now, Galen, come forward."

Corran and Kyle both got to their feet and gave a bow, "Thank you, Master Marko."

I bowed back, then turned back to Galen.

"Your trial is a different one."

Galen raised a brow, "Master?"

I smirked, "The Force is your ally. Use it. You have a penchant for picking up abilities quickly, and I know you've picked up the Force Lightning technique."

Galen's face colored for a moment, "I see that Master Kota has been talking."

"Old man cant' shut up about it." I chuckled, remembering Kota being a tad drunk one night, "However, I want to see it."

Galen's face hardened, "Full power?"

I nodded, "Full power."

Galen bent his knees and threw his arms to his sides, light blue lightning exploding into existence. It crawled up his arms, circling like a cyclone. It reached his neck, then it finally stopped. The Force flared up again as he tapped into his full range of power for now.

He gave a grunt before throwing his hands forward, massive torrents of lightning flashing forward towards me. Up till a few seconds prior, I had planned to use Tuteminis, the ability to absorb pure energy through the hands. However, when Galen actually attacked, I knew that I had ill prepared myself.

I held both hands out and blasted my own attack back at him, white lightning meeting his strike. The two beams of power crackled and popped against each other as they struggled for control. The ground quaked at the struggle and rocks started to fly up into the air, gravity seeming to give way to the power of the Force.

Galen gave a shout and the power vortex increased, the ground cracking at his effort. Seeing that the only way to end the attack was to nullify it, I opened myself up to the Force fully and killed my own stream. Then, I caught the blast and let the power gather in my palms until it disappeared into the mist. Before anyone could see, I powered down the form taken.

When the dust settled, I gave a grin to Galen, "Damn! That was strong! Definitely a passing grade!"

Galen panted, then fell to his haunches and gave a thumbs up. Then, he fell to his back, his chest heaving.

I dusted my chest off, then turned to the rest, "Okay, back to y'all."

Luke Skywalker was already charging.

An hour later, all the students had passed the trial. Each of them displayed the power and skill needed to be a Knight. Needless to say, they were happy. And, so was I.

As the last student exited the training room, I reached my hand out to the side, pulling my coat back to my grasp. In a quick and swift motion, I swung it around my shoulders with the hood down. Then, a slow clap found its way to my auditory sensors.

I turned around and my smile grew so wide it threatened to split my face.

"Hello there, beautiful." I smirked. "Am I to assume that you watched from the observatory deck?"

Ahsoka Tano strode through the torn-up battle ground as the digi-struct room started to dissipate into code and the room became a blank slate with black floors interlaced with small grids. Broken material suddenly disappeared into nothingness as the system reset itself. Drones in the air suddenly appeared, projectors on their fronts dying away as the light faded from the photoreceptors.

I waved a hand upward, my wrist band – which also housed my titanium-phrik-alloy suit – blowing slightly blue and the projector drones flew to the four corners of the room to recharge.

When she came to within a meter of me, she raised her own hand, then she gestured to herself, "Yes. However, as you can see, I was fully prepared to step in to assist them at any moment."

That I could see. Ahsoka was clad in a black and silver combat suit that accentuated her battle-ready lifestyle. Her gloves were off and the silver band could be easily seen on her left ring finger. Two lightsabers hung at her side and she casually nudged one of them.

"That's why it's their Trial of Skill, not yours." I sent her a wink, "Your power isn't in question."

Ahsoka smirked back and nodded, "I know that well." She then nudged her head to the door where each of the students had left, "Speaking of that, did it go the way you thought it would? Are they on track?"

I gave a small nod, cracking my knuckles as I spoke, "Yes. They are stronger than what they would have been at this age in the original timeline and are progressing at a rate that'll take them higher as they get stronger."

"Luke and Leia have the potential of their father." Ahsoka said, "We've all felt it in the Force since they were born. It's not a wonder why they do so well."

"They've learned to listen to the Force and to their elders." I cracked a small smile at her, "It's a little strange being the one on the other side of the coin."

She raised an eyebrow marking, "You are talking about our age, right?"

"I mean, thirty-five isn't that old." I said, reaching up to rub a hand through my beard.

Ahsoka smirked, "You don't look too bad, old man."

My face flushed for an instant before I took in the full view of my woman. Her physical features had stayed in their absolute prime, sporting a strong, curvy physique with powerful legs and a tight core. Her facial structure was soft and lovely, no lines or creases to suggest that any years had gone by in the last fifteen years old. There was a maturity to her overall presence which suggested a vast level of experience.

And, I had to admit, my own body – albeit through rigorous and constant training – had stayed in peak shape. And, through the Force, the lines that would have graced my forehead had not appeared just yet, though the occasional gray hair in my beard would pop up. A fairly muscled torso kept at just under two hundred pounds gave my six-foot frame a perfect visage.

Again, I winked, "What can I say? The Force is with me."

Ahsoka gave a genuine laugh, then placed a hand on her hip, her eyes sharpening just a tad, "So, any word from the Expansion Legion?"

I felt my own heart and mind harden slightly at her question. The Expansion Legion was a division of Rebirth Knights and Masters who – after being trained and passed through myself, Ahsoka, Obi Wan, and Anakin – were sent out throughout the outer reaches of the galaxy with a contingent of the Republic Defense Militia to search for anything amiss in the Force or galaxy at large.

The Republic Defense Militia was created a year after the Shadow Brigade. It disbanded the Clone Army and created a volunteer system that allowed an army to be made up of species of all types. Some clone soldiers, Captain Rex and Commander Cody for example, continued to stay in service to the Republic and help train the next generation of soldiers.

There were three different teams in the Expansion Legion that normally went out for months at a time, but, recently, two of those teams had come back to Crysia. The third team, led by Master Shumda, was currently out around the boundaries of the Unknown Regions. They were scheduled to make contact in a day and, if everything was clear still, they were to head home and the next team was to go out.

This had been the process for three years. It had become a necessity. Building an entire order wouldn't mean much if we weren't prepared for the next bad thing to come our way.

I shook my head, "No. They are supposed to get in touch tomorrow. The other two teams have reported nothing strange along they Hydian Way or the Gogara Sector."

Ahsoka nodded, then craned her neck slightly, "What about Kesh?"

I gave her a look, "Kesh is clear."

Ahsoka heard the tone in my voice and her voice softened, "Perhaps, you being here changed a few things in the flow of history."

I shook my head and walked closer to her, "You forget that it was Cultrous that came here before I did. Ten years before, but that wouldn't have changed the fact that those Sith crash landed thousands of years prior."

Ahsoka laid a hand on my chest, looking up at me slightly, "We had spoken beforehand that this timeline might have been a changed one in itself. If the scouts on Kesh said there isn't anyone there, then that means something is different. But, that's one less thing we have to worry about."

I sighed, grabbing the hand and slipping my fingers through, "You're right. Plus, one of those scouts included Jake. And, you know him. He wouldn't have left if he had even the slightest inclination that they were there. There wasn't even the crashed capital ship."

Ahsoka's eyes lightened and she squeezed the hand, "Then, there you go, love." She released my hand and took a step past my right side. It was only when there was a smack on my rear end did I realize that was her intent the whole time.

"Now," she continued, taking small steps towards the exit, "there is something else I wanted to tell you."

"Oh?"

Ahsoka stopped and turned around, her smile wide with something I couldn't place.

I deadpanned, "I don't like it when you make that face."

Ahsoka grinned, "We've received a request from a Professor Kyner at the Southern University of Coruscant."

For a half second, my heart stopped, "He knows where we are?"

Ahsoka, seeing the distress, sent a calming wave through the Force, "No. I was on a transmission with Chief of State Mon Mothma and she is the one who informed me. Apparently, he is an old colleague of hers."

"What was the request?" I asked, interested now. "Must be good."

"It is." Ahsoka said. "Apparently, he has a student that is doing a project based on the Clone War and the Shadow War and she has asked if she could do an in-depth interview with the great Blaze Marko, Hero of the Galaxy."

My eyebrows shot up, "…a project?"

Ahsoka nodded, suppressing a laugh, "It would appear so. The student is in her third year at SUC and has done her proper research in preparation if you accepted."

"You think it's a good idea?" I asked.

Ahsoka shrugged, "Nothing to hide. It's just facts. Plus," she smirked, "it might just make her the envy of her friends."

"Envy is dangerous." I chided in joke. "Especially for Jedi to encourage."

Ahsoka waved a dismissive hand as she turned back around to the door, "Good thing we aren't Jedi!"

I chuckled loudly and started after her, "What time is it?"

Ahsoka didn't look back, "Dinner time."

"The kids should be done with their studies by now. You cooking or am I?" I asked, looking at my wrist and seeing the time. It was time to eat. A second later, my stomach confirmed it.

Ahsoka passed a glance backwards, "Darling, you know I can't cook worth a damn for you."

I laughed hard at that, holding my sides as they started to ache, "The truest thing you've ever said."