Chapter 7

The Rogue Shadow lands, though the atmosphere is obviously different.

Juno has been obviously more silent. There is a lost look in her eyes, as if debating about something. Gone is the pilot I know, replaced by a depressed woman who has no place in the galaxy.

I reach over to her concealed shoulder and frown in consideration. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she responds, and I can tell her lip is trembling.

Poor girl deserves much, much more.

"You could always talk to me," I continue. Unlike the bitches in my past life, she actually has a conscience and so I wouldn't treat her like I treated them.

"I already told you: I'll be fine!" she snaps at me, her eyes nearly blood shot. "Despite what you think, I don't need a babysitter."

"I never claim that you are in need of one, Juno."

"And stop calling me that!" Juno shouts. "It's Captain! This is your fault, you know?!"

I know she is venting but I can't help but feel a bit more defensive at that. I am unable to keep from sounding affronted. "How is this my fault?"

Juno closes her eyes. "If you never... never met me, I would have been..."

"Juno, I'm saving you," I interject. "You were nothing to the Empire and have never been. Get it out of your head that they would ever view you as anything more. The Emperor is the taint preventing the Empire from thriving, as are the incompetents within the system."

Juno sneers. "You call me questioning and realizing that I'm being set up by the monster who I would have carried out orders for as saving me?!"

"I'm sorry," I reply, wanting to touch her but shying away from doing so. "I really am. I hope that you realize soon that the Empire is a taint. If you don't..." I hesitate, "I would bring you back to the Executor and assign you to other duties."

"So Vader can kill me too?!" she growls.

"I would make sure that doesn't happen, but think about it," I finish, standing up from my seat and is about to leave the cockpit. "At least, you have a chance whereas many others didn't."

I see out of the corner of my eye her hands clenching up into fists before I am gone, running into PROXY who seems to be just about to enter the cockpit as well.

"PROXY," I state, putting my hand on his shoulder. "I want you to keep an eye on Juno."

"The pilot. Why?" PROXY asks.

"Just do it," I state forcefully, not having time to disclose the truth to the Empire to him. The droid looks at me silently, and I didn't need the Force to know he is confused. "Look, just do it. I'll be back."

"Yes, master," he replies, at last understanding my order. His directive to keep the pilot safe.

I walk off the ship, looking around. Fortunately, Juno had the wisdom to land near the wreckage of the supply ship.

It only takes me a moment before I notice of the droids approaching me, their blasters wielded tightly in their hands.

Namely, B1 battle droids.

In the Prequel series, the droids were much more intimidating. Throughout the Clone Wars, it would seem that they have been toned down by the writers to have a more comedic presence.

"Greetings, sir, the general wants to know what you're doing here," the droid says.

"Take me to your general, I have a compromise," I say, recalling when Kanan, Ezra, Zeb, and Rex has came to this planet in the series. At least, Rebels - something that came from the dumpster fire of the Disney's portrayal of the franchise - has been proven among Canon, for that show may be the best.

Upon seeing my compliance and willingness to go along with them, the droids allow me to walk pass them, before following behind me - some form of security staff.

I walk through the supply ship, taking notice of the many battle droids. Properly programmed, they can actually stand a valid threat against the Empire. The CIS could have won the Clone Wars if Palps had chose that pathway instead, and the end result would have been the same.

Eventually, we make it to the bridge where I can see the protocol droid.

"Greetings, General Kalani, I am Galen Marek," I state, looking at the droid who have played a major part throughout the Clone Wars - perhaps one of the best of them all.

"Why are you here?" Kalani processes me, and I can feel the moment he sees my lightsaber clipped to my belt. "So you're a Jedi?"

That is when the battle droids raises their blasters to me, ready to fire.

"Bold assumption but no. I would never be a Jedi. I am someone much more than you can understand, perhaps could one day match the legacy of the famed Count Dooku."

"Your arrogance shall be your ultimate demise then," the droid say, apathetic.

"Arrogance, you say?" I raise my eyebrow. "No, matter of fact. I have been trained by the Sith Lord known as Darth Vader."

"That name means nothing to me," Kalani replies, and if the droid had eyebrows, they would have been raised.

I mentally sigh in irritation. Of course, not everyone will know about the Sith. Some in the further reaches of the galaxy doesn't even know about the Empire in general, but damn...

"He is the Emperor's lapdog. He have killed the CIS leaders at the end of the Clone Wars and have ordered the droids to be shut down." I elaborate.

"And so you have came here to finish the task?" The droid declares, anger pouring into his modulated tone.

"No... I have came here to recruit you and the remnant of the droid army to stand against the Empire," I dismiss. "If you are discovered, the Empire would come for you.

"Ah, a rebellion to go against the Empire?" Kalani queries. "How do I not know this isn't a trap for the Empire to finish the extermination of us?"

"The Empire doesn't know of your presence so long but that's because they haven't yet claimed the entire galaxy." I state pointedly. "We can re-fracture your still activated droids, and allow events to occur from there. The droid army have been vastly underestimated throughout the later stages of the Clone Wars."

"My directive was to eliminate the Republic. The Republic is dead. That objective is complete."

"But don't you see, general?" Taking a bold step forward, I hold my hands out. "The Republic is not dead but has been reforged into something worse: the Empire that the CIS could have been. You were all scrapped and replaced mercilessly at the hands of this autocrat. Eventually, we could gain enough for more, but for now the Empire could be removed."

"You will be correct, but the Empire's troopers had years to provide upgrades to their soldiers."

"General, you have stood against the best of the Jedi. Think about it. We take over this Empire. The CIS would be remembered as the victors of that war, kept alive through you." I reply.

Kalani looks at me without saying anything for a long moment, and I wait for his response.

Rahm Kota

I thrust my lightsaber through the back of Vader's final spy, allowing the unsuspecting individual to fall on the ground.

"General, we couldn't detect any more," a woman in my militia - going by the name of Biandes Nuttleem - says. She is a good captain who fortunately has managed to avoid the boy back in the facility, allowing her and her squadron to accompany me and ultimately making life a whole lot easier. "We took out a bunch of junk cronies, Rodian scavengers, and as you have ordered, we have located who we believe is Paratus along with mysterious droids. None of the troopers have engaged the Jedi."

I nod slightly. Hopefully, the boy would be wrong in that the Jedi has gone mad. "Very good, captain, make sure to investigate into anything amiss. If they attack our people, take em out."

I take the nearby speeder I used to get here to go to the coordinates. I have never met Master Paratus before, but I have heard about him back in the old days. He'd been a Jedi known for his medical & power droids along with many other assets that have been useful in the Clone Wars.

I move smoothly pass the droids, having a feeling that if the boy has been telling the truth, this can be an utter nightmare for us all.

Eventually, I make it to the position and disembarks from my speeder. I see a creature across from me seeming to be meditating.

Reaching out slightly into the Force, I can sense that he's powerful, perhaps more so than me.

"Master Paratus, allow me to introduce myself; I am Rahm Kota."

The Jedi takes a long moment to respond.

"So the Masters have tested me?" The Jedi asks, standing up and holding a pike in his hand, activating it. "Well, I will succeed in this trial."

Not knowing what the hell he is talking about, I raise my hands, sensing the hostile intent from the Aleena. "You got it all wrong, Paratus, I need your help against the Empire."

"Your lies will not tempt me! Give me advice to beat this false Jedi, Masters!" Paratus snaps forward and brings what I recognize as a lightsaber pike down on my neck.

I react on instinct, grabbing my lightsaber through the Force and igniting it, blocking the blow before it could have ever come down upon me. Our blades spark with intensity, and Paratus is not packing any punches, each of his swings causing me to swerve constantly, parrying with all of my might as the Jedi continues to advance.

Damn it!

"Paratus, you must list-" I try to reason with him, but he continues to hack away at me, our lightsabers shoving against one another, before movement occurs behind me.

I snap my head up, and am shocked by what I see.

Master Plo Koon, but something's... off.

Before I can reflect, the Kel Dor comes forward, swinging down upon me not with a lightsaber but a... vibroblade? More comes at me - Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Yoda... causing me to have to defend myself. I strike the Kenobi doppelganger down first, having to evade a strike from Skywalker, and stabbing him through.

There are more, and I have to only curse as this is proving battering to my body. I have to channel up the Force, a repulse leaving me, and shattering them in pieces.

Paratus falls back, crying out curses beyond my understanding as he seemingly gives up on engaging in combat, much to my relief as my age is catching up to me really, really quickly.

Unfortunately for me, that is not the end of it, as the old Jedi attempts a telekinetic assault, but I fight back, catching the massive chunk of machinery and throwing it to the side.

Paratus dodges, leaping onto the narrow window struts above the chamber floor, with me having no choice but to follow him, and only then our blades are crashing again amongst the debris. When he sends me back yet again, I touch my comlink, knowing that I am on the losing ground without assistance.

We exchange blows on the ledge, until Paratus pulls back and summons energy of the Force in my direction. I block it yet again and push him back against the wall, my blade at my side as I charge forward. I attack now, using stored up energy to at least stun him for a moment. When the Jedi gives some space, I jump on top of him and pushes him onto the ground, his pike flying away.

Paratus seems angrier than before, his teeth bared together in an insane snarl as he kicks up at me, slamming him on the ground. The Aleena moves over to the lightsaber pike and reignite his lightsaber, aiming it at me.

I reach out to the Force as well and activate it, sweat coursing down my forehead. The Jedi didn't buy any space and charge forward, sending a volley of attacks with insane movements.

I am constantly having to move backwards, my age serving as a massive disadvantage as he continues to slam against me, battering his blade on top of mine, and eventually one of his blows catches me in the leg, causing me to groan and reach for it, but not for long as he continues to attack with me having to keep my blade swinging just to prevent any fatal ground.

Fortunately for me, when it seems like I'm about to lose to him any minute now, my allies have come and they each set their weapons for stun, firing at Paratus who didn't see them coming, and dropping him onto the ground.

"Put him in cuffs!" I bark, collecting his lightsaber pike and clipping it onto my belt, staggering over at the blow. Damn, some time in medical will really do.

I can't help but feel solemn about how things turned out for many of us. I have been fighting against the Empire for years and have not run into any surviving Jedi. Skywalker has fallen to the Dark Side and obviously abused that boy who seems to feel nothing but pity for him. Next thing I know, Master Yoda would be alive and well and secluded on some world that is lost to the common galaxy.

Shaking my head at that thought, I join my militia onto the speeder, and we made our leave.