Beyond Oceans and To A Galaxy Beyond
Chapter 1
Where They All Were
All of them had seen it from their spot within the galaxy. Some were on a starship picking up supplies. Two watched in horror through the HoloNet. Others watched form the viewport of a Star Destroyer. One did not even see it but would soon see the results of what the others saw. A group of Yavin IV hung their heads in defeat.
They all saw it. They all saw what the Empire was capable of in order to rule the galaxy. If a planet like Alderaan could be destroyed, then the Empire would not hesitate to destroy their opposition.
The destruction of a planet meant there was no other recourse but open war, something the fledgling Rebellion was not yet prepared for. After a recent battle, even more so.
For those who watched, they all had feelings about what the destruction meant. Some felt it was for the greater good, others felt conflicted on what their service meant, others bore uncontrollable rage towards the Empire, others feared for their lives.
Despite all their feelings, their lives would all cross in one way or another. Some would become enemies, others found common ground, some became close allies. How they all crossed paths in such a large galaxy, and one at war, is what some would consider the will of the Force.
19 BBY
Clone Troopers marched through the capitol city of the planet Paradis; Mitras. Civilians, human and alien alike cheered as the soldiers of the former Republic marched past. Confetti and music followed their march. Their armor was polished to a pristine white, like the last three years of battle never happened. Behind a line of marching troops was an AT-TE tank, which was met by more cheers and looks of admiration.
Leading the battalion of soldiers was not what most had come to expect, a Jedi. A handful of officers, with freshly pressed grey uniforms rode a transport. Even if it had only been a few days since the end of the Clone War, word of the betrayal of the Jedi was spread throughout the Galaxy in but mere moments. As if with the snap of a finger, the Jedi were the ones who were responsible for the war, leading to their extermination by their own troops.
With the surrender of the Separatists and their return to the Republic, a new order reigned in the galaxy: The Galactic Empire. At the capitol building the insignia of the Republic was gone, replacing it was the red, white, and black banner with the Imperial insignia.
The troops paraded around the fountain that was at the front of the capitol building, as the officers and a single clone, who still retained colored armor, walked up the steps to meet the ruler of the planet: Rod Reiss. At his side was his wife and children, along with a baby girl carried by the wife. The eldest, a girl with dark hair, stood close to her father. What distinguished her from the rest of her family were the markings underneath her eyes. The highest-ranking officer shook the man's hand, as well as the clone's, and turned to the audience and soldiers.
"Today is cause for celebration!" Rod's voice rang out from large Holoscreens. "With the defeat of the Separatists and their droid army, our home of Paradis and the entire sector are free from their threat!"
Cheers followed Rod's words. Many people were happy to finally have peace in the galaxy after three and a half long years of fighting.
"This was made possible by the valiant efforts of the Clone Troopers and their superiors," Rod said as he gestured to the armored soldier. "Without their help, our planet was sure to fall! Because of that, we gratefully accept their assistance as we rebuild our homes under the united, new rule of the Galactic Empire!"
Cheers rang out again. They were so loud that they could be heard across the planet. Rod turned to the clone and officer and shook their hands again. Then he and the officer turned and raised their joined hands into the air, leading to more cheers form the people.
With one more wave to the crowd, the officer, Rod, and his family turned and walked in the capitol building. As the doors shut, the Holoscreen turned off as well. Their departure ended the formal festivity, but the people took to the streets to celebrate.
However, not everyone watching the ceremony was happy. Atop a building, a group of five individuals looked to the capitol building with their own expressions. One had his brows so furrowed that they almost became one. Two remained expressionless but were not happy with what they had seen. One had their attention elsewhere and with their legs dangling off the side of the building with the man next to them trying to get them to stay put.
The one with his brows furrowed stood up from his kneeling position. He was the shortest of the group. He scoffed and turned away from the capitol building.
"All those years fighting the Republic and for what? Just to be under someone else's heel."
"If you ask me, the Sepies surrendered much too quickly. They had the advantage in the Outer Rim," the tallest man said.
The person sitting turned to the group. "I guess that's what happens when the Jedi are suddenly labeled traitors."
"Do you actually believe that propaganda, Hange?" the worried man asked.
"Of course I don't, but what else is there?" Hange replied.
The group turned to the man that had not spoken yet. His eyes still firmly focused on the building in front of them. His blue eyes meticulously took in everything he could see. Trying to find the bigger picture.
"From my point of view, these things happened by design. Someone orchestrated this to happen. The Jedi, the clones, the Separatists, everything," the man said.
The shorter young man turned to him. "Okay then who do think did?"
The let out a breath and turned away from the building. "That's what I aim to find out."
The man put on his green poncho and put the hood over his head. The others followed him and did the same. Etched on the left breast of the poncho was symbol that unified their group to their cause, a set of blue and white wings. Their numbers were once in the hundreds, now they are only five.
"So, Erwin, what's the plan? We going to keep fighting?" the tall man asked.
"What else is there to do? Our objective remains the same: for Paradis to be a free planet. Free from any outside control," Erwin said.
"That's great and all, but the people seem pretty content with the Empire," Hange said putting their arms behind their head.
"We'll just have to show them the Empire and the Republic are still the same entity," Erwin said.
The four nodded in agreement and followed their leader down the building. When they were at street level, they went their separate ways and blended into the crowd.
19 BBY
Alderaan
Bail Organa sat in his study looking over different datapads. He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Palpatine was moving fast in wiping out any remnant of the Republic, with the order to begin phasing out the clone soldiers already in progress. He despised the man named Tarkin, but he had to respect the man's tenacity.
Then there was the fact that all records of the Jedi were being destroyed or their once noble names being the sign of oppression in the former Republic. It had since been a few months since everything changed, but it still it did not feel real. He looked out his study's window and saw the Imperial banner reigning in the city square. Just a week ago, the Republic insignia flew proudly.
He turned back to the small datapad. An insignia he only recently began to acquaint himself with. An insignia of an old friend. It was also the one thing that brought hope for him. All else was dashed away by the reign of Emperor Palpatine. Though there was one more spark of hope residing in his home, but it was still much too young, and he did not wish for her to ever have to get involved.
He hid the datapad in a drawer and focused on the Imperial documents in front of him. He still had a role to play and he would play it until the time was right.
A knock on the door shifted his attention form the datapad. He pressed a button on his desk and a sound of static came through.
"Yes?"
"You have a visitor, my prince," the voice replied.
Bail smiled; he had come. "Let him in."
Static ended the transmission. The door to his study slid open and in walked a man in early thirties. He had long hair that reached the base of his neck and wore glasses, something rare in the galaxy. On his face, below his eyes, were markings indicative of his status as a near-human. The markings were found on several people of his home planet. He wore a simple jacket over a white shirt, and brown slacks. He wore black boots, that almost reached his knees, over the pant legs.
Bail stood up from his seat. "Ah, Dr. Yeager! You came!"
The doctor chuckled. "Well, when the prince calls one answers." He added a bow.
Bail rolled his eyes. "When will you ever drop all this formality?"
Dr. Yeager shrugged in response.
The two men laughed and embraced.
"It's good to see you again, Grisha."
"Likewise, old friend."
Bail gestured for him to take a seat, which Grisha accepted. He walked over to his bookcase and grabbed a bottle of Correlian Ale he kept for such occasions.
"I must ask, why did you summon me?" Grisha asked.
Bail chuckled as he poured the ale into two cups. "I did not summon you. I asked you to come over."
"I highly doubt it was to share a glass of ale," Grisha replied as he took the glass offered to him.
Bail sighed. Grisha was always a straight to the point person. He sat down at his desk and set down the glass he had. "No doubt you've seen the changes in the galaxy after such a short time."
Grisha took a sip and as he set down the glass, nodded in response. "Hard not to. Even on Alderaan."
"What do you think of it?"
Grisha was about to grab his glass when the question was asked. He stopped and look around the room.
"No need to worry. This will stay between the two of us," Bail said as he pressed a button on his desk.
Grisha sighed and sat back in chair. "I've been to many worlds and in all my life I've have never seen something like this. How fast the Empire managed to bring the galaxy to heel is astounding if not frightening. Even the Hutts dare not to fight them. No doubt the Outer Rim will be controlled soon."
Bail mused his response for a moment as he took a sip of the ale. He too had seen many worlds now changed due to the Empire's presence.
"But what do you think of it?" Bail asked again.
"I don't like the Empire. Never have a seen people so afraid to walk around. Even here on Alderaan, everyone looks at the clones in fear. I still feel safe here, but something feels different," Grisha explained.
"It's no better on Coruscant," Bail said as he spun the liquid in the glass.
"I'd imagine," Grisha said downing the ale in one go.
The two sat in silence for a moment. Neither was sure what to say next.
"Despite the darkness looming over the galaxy, I think there's hope," Bail said, breaking the silence.
Grisha looked toward him and rose an eyebrow. "Is there? I don't see a way this regime will end anytime soon."
"Maybe not now. Not right after it's been established, but in the future. Maybe when our children are old enough, the galaxy will be free again," Bail replied.
Grisha chuckled and gestured toward his friend with the glass. "Ever the optimist."
"The only way I stay sane in these dark times."
Grisha nodded in response. "Speaking of children. I hear you adopted a baby girl."
Bail smiled and nodded. Thinking of the little girl sleeping with her mother right now could dispel any darkness. "Indeed. She may be young, but she's a handful already."
Grisha let out a breath. "We're alike then."
Bail looked to Grisha with a surprised expression. He had forgotten he had a newborn as well. The thought of his child and Leia becoming friends filled his mind. With it came the reminder that this was his friend's second wife.
"I had forgotten. I guess everything is okay with Carla then?" Bail said carefully.
Grisha nodded. "Things may not have worked out in the long run with Dina, but we still talk. Things have been a lot easier with Carla, yes."
"I'm glad. Does Dina know?" Bail asked.
"She does," Grisha said with a careful nod.
"What about…" Baild voice trailed off.
Grisha sighed. "I have to assume Dina told him. I haven't spoken to him in some time."
Bail looked down, saddened. "I see. I hope you two can reconcile."
"I do too," Grisha said with a distant look in his eyes.
Another silence permeated the room. Grisha stood up and gestured to get another glass of ale. Bail nodded and Grisha walked over to the bookcase. Bail turned away as he poured the glass. He had not meant for their conversation to become so dreary. He wanted to turn the conversation around.
"I have a proposition," Bail said.
Grisha turned to him as he finished pouring the ale.
"When your child is older, how about you bring him over. We can talk and they'll both have a new playmate. I would hate it if Leia did not have a friend her age."
Grisha grabbed his glass and returned to his seat. He took a sip and set it down.
"That'll be fine. I think it would be good for Eren as well," Grisha replied.
"So Eren is his name," Bail replied. He stroked his greying beard for a moment. "I think he and Leia will become great friends." Bail ended is words with a smile.
Grisha nodded in response. While he was a bit uncomfortable with the fact his son would be so casual with the prince of Alderaan, he agreed with Bail of the need of friends of a similar age.
"There's one more thing I wanted to talk with you about," Bail said as he reached into one of his desk drawers.
Grisha rose an eyebrow, unsure as to where he was leading.
Bail pulled out a datapad and set it in front of Grisha. He took it and looked it over. From what he could tell it was some sort of communication frequency. It had a symbol on it he did not recognize.
"What is this?" Grisha asked looking up.
"Hope, my friend. Hope for the future," Bail replied.
Grisha's eyes slowly widened realizing what he meant. He could tell Bail was serious about the idea. While it was still early, he knew he wanted to help.
"Where do we begin?" Grisha asked.
19 BBY
Coruscant
"Annie look."
A four-year-old Annie Leonhart rubbed her sleepy eyes. When she felt more alert, she looked around her. She was held up by her father in order to be able to see. Around her were many of the citizens of Coruscant gathered. They were all gathered in front of the former Jedi Temple. The banners of the Empire hung on the temple walls.
In front of the steps that led to the temple was a podium. At the center was a hollow sphere of some kind. Annie could not make out what was inside of it. At each side of the sphere were three rows of Clone Troopers. All of them had their armor in a pristine white.
"Those are the real heroes of this war," Annie's father said, noticing where her gaze landed.
Annie turned to her father. He wore the grey uniform of an officer and the badges that signify rank. On his shoulders an insignia was woven in, but Annie did not know what it meant.
"Remember Annie, the Jedi and what they stood for went against peace for the galaxy. This is the only way we can have peace," her father added.
Onto the podium walked a blue skinned alien. He had a set of horn on his head and two that dangled around his neck. He wore extravagant brown robes with a red coat over it. In his hands was a tall cane. At his side were two guards clad in red. The alien slammed his cane onto the podium letting out a booming noise. All chatter immediately ceased.
"Never again will we fear the Jedi!" The blue alien held up a small lightsaber. "Through the grace of our Emperor Palpatine, we were saved from their treachery. The Jedi are gone!" Cheers rang out among the crowd. "The Emperor saw through their plots. Their lies. He survived their attempt to assassinate him, and now, at last we…are…safe!" Louder cheers echoed around those gathered. "Never again will their instruments of oppression terrorize the galaxy!" The alien tossed the lightsaber he held into the sphere. "We have entered a new age! An age of freedom! Thus, tyranny ends!"
The alien stepped away from the center. He nodded to one of the troopers, who turned on the sphere. A fire quickly raged within. Cheers rang out again, as the people saw the weapons of the Jedi burn.
"Do you see that Annie? No longer can the Jedi hurt us."
Annie stared at the fire. Its color began to shift from blue to green to a rainbow of colors. The fire then began to spark. The sparks began to escape the sphere. The crowd slowly began to back away as the shower of sparks intensified. In an explosion of color, the sphere exploded sending the crowd in hysterics.
Annie's father kept her close but remained in place. "Even in death the Jedi still mean to harm. Will they only continue to descend to evil?"
Annie looked to the colorful fire, unable to take her eyes off of it. The words of her father deeply affected the four-year-old girl. As she stared into the fire, small markings were starting to form under her eyes.
18 BBY
Takodana
A young girl moved carefully between the patrons of the crowded cantina. She expertly managed to avoid contact with anyone and managed to swipe some kind of valuable off them as well. When her pass was finished, she moved to a corner of the cantina that was out of sight. She snickered as she inspected her haul.
While credits were not something a five-year old needed, she still kept a large stash hidden away. Other valuables she could sell or sell back to others later on. She pocketed the credits and kept the other items close her chest. She moved through the crowd again and made it to a staircase. As she put one foot on a step, she stopped when she heard the sound of a throat being cleared behind her.
The young girl slowly turned her head and saw a short statured, orange skinned alien. The young girl immediately recognized who it was: Maz Kanata. The old alien had a scowl on her face and her arms crossed.
"Uh, hi Maz," the young girl said. "Gotta go."
The young girl quickly scrambled to ascend the stair, but Maz was quick for her old age and grabbed her by the shirt collar. The sudden jerk caused her to drop the valuables she had collected, as well as a few credits.
Maz looked past the young girl and saw what was on the ground. She sighed and shook her head in disappointment.
"What have I told you about pickpocketing here?" Maz asked.
The young girl sighed. "To wait until I'm older."
"Exactly," Maz replied as she let go of the girl's shirt. "Though I won't tell those who did it when they find out." Maz added a wink.
The girl smiled and hugged Maz tightly. Maz chuckled and put a hand on the girl's head. The girl looked up to Maz and she noticed something underneath her eyes. She enhanced her goggles and saw small markings underneath her eyes. She took off her goggles and sighed. She expected them to grow, but not so soon. Maz separated from the girl and knelt in front of her.
"It seems you are in need of a name, child," Maz said.
The girl tilted her head. "Why do I need a name?"
Maz chuckled. "So it's easier for me to scold you."
The girl pouted and turned away. Earning more laughs from Maz.
"Everyone needs a name, child. Even you," Maz said as she moved a hand to caress the young girl's cheek.
"Are you going to give me it?"
Maz nodded. "And I have the best one in mind: Ymir."
"Ymir… I like it," the girl, now named Ymir replied.
"I'm glad. It's an important name from where you come from," Maz said.
The girl tilted her head in confusion. "But I'm from here."
"One day you'll learn." Maz looked into Ymir's eyes. She truly had no interest in learning where she came from. "Now run up to your room. I'll bring you some food soon."
Ymir smiled. "Thanks, Maz!"
Ymir quickly picked up what she had dropped and ran up the stairs. Maz could hear the door slam shut over the music playing. She stood up and straightened out her shirt. She wondered where life would take the stray she took in all those years ago. The Force felt uncertain about her future. Maz just hoped she would stay out of trouble.
11 BBY
Tatooine
"Luke? Luke?!"
Luke Skywalker popped out from behind the speeder he was fixing to see his aunt entering the garage. Tools were strung about and grease covered his face and clothes. He wiped off the grease on his face with a rag that was by the toolbox.
"Yeah, Aunt Beru?"
Beru smiled at her nephew when she saw him. "Your friends are here."
"Biggs?" Luke asked excitedly.
Beru nodded in response.
Luke quickly jumped out from behind the speeder and grabbed a backpack filled with machine parts. He put on his hat and quickly scampered out of the garage. Waiting in a speeder was Biggs. He was a few years older than Luke, but they were best friends. Luke also noticed another boy else sitting next to him. Luke smiled; it was another close friend.
"Hey, Biggs!"
Biggs turned to him and hopped of the speeder. The two boys high-fived. It had been awhile since they last saw each other.
"What am I, bantha droppings?" the boy asked as he hopped off the speeder.
Biggs and Luke laughed. The two turned to the other boy. He had ash brown hair and wore light clothes to ward off Tatooine's harsh rays.
"Of course not, Jean. Biggs was just the first I said hello to," Luke replied.
"Gotta be faster than that, Kirstein," Biggs said.
Jean rolled his eyes and walked over to Luke. The two high-fived as well. Jean was the same age as Luke, so Luke was happy to have a friend his age. His family ran a trading post at Anchorhead, so Luke found himself there often with his uncle. He met Jean there on one of his trips and the two became fast friends.
"So, where were you two headed?" Luke asked.
Biggs and Jean quickly noticed the bag Luke had. They both knew he had somehow figured out where they were going.
"Tosche Station. The old man says he's got some new speeder parts," Bigg answered.
"Can I come too? I'm trying to fix the X-34, but just can't find the parts needed in the garage," Luke asked.
Jean scoffed. "You're still trying to fix that old thing? The newer model is about to be released you know."
Luke crossed his arms. "At least I'll have a speeder."
Jean's eyes widened as Biggs tried to hold back a laugh.
"Damn you, Skywalker," Jean muttered as he crossed his arms.
Biggs put a hand on Luke's shoulder to get the blonde's attention. "Let's all go. I'm sure you'll find the parts you're looking for there."
"Awesome!" Luke ran over to the crater that was part of his home and loomed over the edge. "Uncle Owen, Aunt Beru! I'm going to Tosche Station with Biggs and Jean. I'll be back soon!"
Luke ran back over to his friends but managed to catch his aunt wishing for him to be safe. He jumped into the speeder and squished between Jean and Biggs. Jean complained about almost falling out, while Biggs simply laughed at the two bickering. Biggs put on his goggles and grabbed the steering yoke.
Biggs pressed a button and the engine began to sound. After turning around, Biggs hit the accelerator and the three went racing towards Tosche Station. Jean yelped as he continued feeling like he was going to fall out, while Luke hollered as loud as he could. They were going at such high speeds, so their hair got in their faces.
The three zoomed past the dunes and rocky areas of their desert home. Passing by areas which other kids would use for their own escapades, while avoiding lowlifes and Sand People. Tosche Station was close to Anchorhead and was atop one of the rockier areas of the desert planet. Biggs parked the speeder and the three climbed out towards the parts shop.
A few other kids were around, all saying hello to the three. They entered the parts shop of the station and began to browse. Luke looked for spare speeder parts, while Jean looked for droid parts. Biggs attempted to chat up a girl, to little success.
"Man, all these old battle droid parts sure are worn," Jean muttered.
Luke looked over to Jean and saw him rifling through droid arms, only finding those of battle droids.
"No one's going to stop by the shop if we have battle droids standing around," Jean said to himself.
"What's so bad about battle droids?" Luke asked.
Jean scoffed. "You really don't know?"
Luke shook his head. "My uncle doesn't really talk about the war." Luke shrugged. "Not like he left Tatooine though."
Jean scratched the back of his head. "I was born when the war ended so I don't know much. From what my mom tells me, the war never came here. But a lot of off world travelers did so it's not a good idea to remind them of that time."
"Oh. I think I get it," Luke said turning back to the shelves of speeder parts.
"If you find any protocol droid parts give me a holler," Jean said stepping away from the shelf. "I'm gonna talk with the old man."
Luke nodded in response. "Sure. I'll keep an eye out."
Jean walked out of the storehouse and moved to the front of the store. He cringed at Biggs' failed attempt to talk to girl. Jean gave him a 'better luck next time' grin to which he responded by sticking his tongue out at him.
Jean walked up to the counter but did not see the usual attendant. He sighed and put a hand on his hip. He called out for the old man that ran the shop, but no one answered. He was about to give up when he heard a crash.
"Dank farrick!"
Jean jumped over the counter and rushed to where he heard the cry. He turned the corner and saw a kid, a girl maybe a few years older than him, with miscellaneous parts scattered about.
"You okay?" Jean asked.
The girl turned to him and scowled. "Customers aren't supposed to be back here."
Jean rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Well maybe try not to cause a commotion."
"What do you want? You're a customer, right?" the girl asked.
"Droid parts. Got any that ain't from battle droids?" Jean asked.
"Might be some in this pile," the girl said gesturing with her thumb. "Feel free to take a look."
Jean stared at her, mouth agape. "You just want me to clean up your mess." He emphasized his words by pointing at the girl.
"You want the parts or not?"
"Not if it comes at the cost of picking up your kriffing mess," Jean argued.
The girl sighed. "Fine. If I find any, I'll set 'em aside for you."
Jean gave a cocky grin. "I can do that. Good luck with the mess."
The girl scowled at Jean as he turned away. He jumped over the counter again. His grin had yet to go away, but as soon as he saw Luke, it disappeared. He was holding a few speeder parts and had a disappointed look on his face.
"You could've just helped her, Jean."
Jean shrugged. "Sorry, Luke. Not all of us are as kindhearted as you."
Jean put a hand on his friend's shoulder as he walked past him. Luke turned, still with the disappointed face. Biggs walked over to him and watched their friend talk with a few of the other kids.
"Does he always have to be like that?" Luke asked.
Biggs shrugged. "It's just his personality I guess."
"He has a super kind mom, but he's a jerk to a lot of people," Luke replied.
"One day he'll straighten out," Biggs said.
"I hope so."
Biggs turned to the blonde and saw the armful of parts he was carrying.
"Find everything you need?"
Luke looked down at his parts then back to Biggs. He nodded with a smile on his face.
"I should be able to get the speeder up and running with these. Then it's time to fix the T-16," Luke replied.
"Finally gonna take on Beggar's Canyon?"
Luke nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah and I'll beat everyone's time and bullseye even the smallest womp rat."
Biggs laughed and gave Luke a good-hearted slap on the shoulder. "Better get practicing. Jean's been creeping up the leader board."
Luke turned to Jean, who was still outside, and pouted. "Like hell he will."
Biggs laughed again. "Look at the mouth on this kid."
"You're not that much older than me Biggs."
"Whatever you say, Luke. Come on, let's buy those parts."
Luke nodded and followed Biggs to the counter. From the outside Jean watched as Luke and Biggs turned the corner, disappearing into the store. He wondered what Luke had said to make Biggs laugh so hard. He turned back to the group of kids and joined in the game they were playing.
On the drive back to the Lars homestead, Jean was noticeably quiet. Luke and Biggs tried to goad him into talking, but he would not say anything. As they passed another stone island, Jean looked to the sky. The sunset was in full force and he could see Tatooine's twin suns on the horizon.
"I gotta ask," Jean began to say.
"Okay, never thought I heard you sound so serious," Biggs replied.
Jean rolled his eyes. "Can it, Biggs."
"What were you going to say, Jean?" Luke asked.
Jean turned to Luke. His blue eyes expecting an answer. Jean turned back to the horizon and sighed.
"You guys ever think about leaving Tatooine?"
"Why do you ask?" Biggs asked.
Jean was silent for a moment he looked down as he mulled over his words.
"The other day some freighter pilots were talking and the way they spoke of the other planets and the whole galaxy got me thinking," Jean said.
"Is that why you're looking for droid parts?" Luke asked.
Jean turned to his friend. He could be surprisingly astute when he wanted to be.
"Yeah," Jean said turning to face the horizon. "If I can get a couple of droids to help around the shop, then Ma won't need me to be around. Maybe take a job on a freighter or join the Imperial Navy Academy."
"I'll be honest, I've had a similar thought. The Empire might be the best way off this dust bowl," Biggs replied.
Jean nodded. He turned to Luke, who was lost in thought. "How about you, Luke?"
Luke faced the darkening sky above. He could faintly make out the flickering lights of starships leaving the planet.
"Honestly, I've felt the calling for a while now. I want to be up there." Luke reached towards the sky. A wistful expression was on his face, but it was quickly replaced by one of realization. "But I doubt my uncle will let me leave any time soon."
"That uncle of yours sure is a fun killer," Jean said.
"I know he just wants me to be safe, but he's too overprotective at times," Luke said.
"Well, when you're an adult you'll be able to make your own decisions," Biggs reasoned.
Jean nodded in agreement. "I'll drag you off this planet if I have to."
Luke chuckled. "Thanks, Jean. You too, Biggs. I'm glad we're friends."
Jean and Biggs nodded.
"If the three of us are together, then no one can stop us," Biggs said.
11 BBY
Hyperspace
Mikasa sat in her parent's quarters on a cargo ship, playing with something of her mother's. She never mentioned what it was, but she could tell it was important to her. It was a cylindrical object with a symbol engraved into the side.
Often Mikasa would see her mother sitting alone in a room with it. She would kneel in front of it and listen to a holomessage on repeat. Whenever Mikasa would stumble upon it, her mother was quick to notice.
Today was different. Her family was using the cargo ship as a means of transport to Alderaan. Her father had an old acquaintance living there and the Imperial presence was relatively weak there. Why they were using a cargo ship instead of a normal civilian transport was what confused the girl a bit, but she trusted her parent's decision.
She turned her attention back to the cylindrical object. Whenever she grabbed it, she felt a connection to it. What it was she could not tell. Her mother would never elaborate on it.
The door to their quarters opened and in walked her mother. Mikasa quickly hid the cylindrical object behind her back. Her mother noticed and cocked her head to the side.
"What are you hiding?"
"Nothing."
Her mother hummed a response and with a subtle gesture with her hand the object fell out of Mikasa's hands. Mikasa yelped and shuffled to grab it, but her mother grabbed it first. She put it on the desk in their room and looked at her daughter with a scowl.
"What have I told you about this?"
"Not to touch it," Mikasa answered.
"Then why do you keep playing with it?"
"Because I heard it calling to me," Mikasa replied.
Mikasa's mother stood stock still. She stared at her daughter intensely. Processing what she had said carefully. She grabbed the commlink on her waist and brought it up to her mouth.
"Paul, I need you back in our quarters." Her tone was serious, so he would know to hurry.
Mother and daughter waited in silence until Paul, Mikasa's father, arrived. The door slid open and in walked Paul. He had a distressed look on his face.
"What happened, Ryoko?" Paul asked.
Ryoko held out the object. At first, Paul did not think much of it. Mikasa had always been curious about it. But Ryoko's expression meant it was something more. He steeled his nerves and prepared for what he thought it could be.
"She heard it calling to her," Ryoko replied.
Paul's eyes slowly widened as he realized what that meant. He looked between his daughter and wife several times. Then landing on the object.
"Are you sure?" Paul asked.
Ryoko nodded. "I did not sense any lies."
Paul sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He sat down on a chair and turned to Mikasa. She had a confused on look on her face. No doubt the way her parents were talking was confusing her. He turned back to his wife.
"Good thing we're going to Alderaan then," Paul said.
Ryoko smiled and nodded.
"Is something wrong?" Mikasa asked.
Ryoko turned to her daughter and shook her head. She knelt down in front of her a put a hand on her shoulder.
"You did nothing wrong. Mama is just a bit worried is all."
Before Mikasa could respond, the ship lurched and seemed to slow down. Paul shot up from his seat and looked out the room's viewport. The blue of hyperspace was gone, and the black darkness of space replaced it. Ryoko quickly grabbed the object and gripped it tightly. She grabbed Mikasa's hand to make sure she stayed by her side.
"What's wrong?"
"We've exited hyperspace. But we're not close to Alderaan. We should have another two hours left," Paul replied.
The light of space slowly disappeared as a shadow loomed over the viewport. Paul looked again and what he saw made his blood run cold and skin went pale.
"What did you see?" Ryoko asked.
"A Star Destroyer."
"But we're not supposed to be stop at any Imperial checkpoints," Ryoko said.
Paul moved away from the viewport and moved to the case that was underneath the bed. He quickly opened it and pulled out a blaster and holster.
"I know. I don't know why we stopped," Paul said as he strapped the holster to his hip and put the blaster in.
An explosion then rang out from another level. Paul quickly shut the door to their quarters.
Mikasa looked between her two parents. Something was wrong, she could feel it. She could see how tense her mother was and how tight her grip on the cylinder was. As for her father, his hand never wavered from his blaster.
The silence was pierced by the sound of muffled blaster fire. Ryoko moved Mikasa behind her and Mikasa covered her ears. She could hear muffled voices and stomping of feet. The blaster fire got louder with each passing minute.
Then the door to their quarters slid open. Standing at the door, with their blasters raised, were two Stormtroopers. Ryoko quickly hid the cylinder behind her back as Paul moved his hand away from his blaster. Ryoko hid Mikasa behind her as best she could.
"Who are you?" the muffled voice of one trooper asked.
"We're just passengers. We mean you no harm," Paul said slowly raising his hands.
The trooper looked to the side and managed to get a glimpse of Mikasa.
"I'll report this. You get their identification," the trooper that spoke before said.
The second trooper nodded and slightly lowered his blaster. He turned to the family and held out his hand.
"Let me see some identification. Where are your chain codes?" the trooper asked.
"Hold on." The first trooper put a hand on the other's shoulder as he had two fingers on the side of his helmet. "Are you sure, sir? They do appear to be civilians."
Ryoko and Paul tensed. Paul's hand went to his blaster as Ryoko slowly moved her hand with the cylinder outward.
"What's the captain saying?" the second trooper asked.
"No exceptions."
Before the two could even raise their blasters, Ryoko sprinted into action in a burst of speed Mikasa had never seen before. From the cylinder a green beam of light emerged and cleanly sliced through the two troopers.
"Jedi!"
Ryoko turned to Paul and Mikasa. The fear in her eyes was evident. Her secret was revealed and now her family was in danger.
"Paul, Mikasa, we need to get to the escape pods!"
Paul nodded and grabbed Mikasa's hand. The two sprinted out of the room, but Mikasa was still confused. Why were her parents so scared? What was the thing her mother had? Why were the soldiers in white attacking them?
In front of them two troopers turned the corner with blasters primed. Paul quickly took out his blaster and shot the two. Behind them, Ryoko's blade repelled blaster fire from troopers. Ryoko then held out a hand and an invisible force pushed back the troopers. The three used the brief moment to get more distance from the troopers chasing them.
As they descended another level, more troopers appeared. Ryoko charged towards them and cut down three with ease. Paul aimed his blaster and shot two more, giving them another opening. As Mikasa ran past the troopers, a few were still alive. They jumped out and prepared to fire, but Paul shot them dead.
From the hallway they just left a large group of troopers were running down the hallway.
"They're heading towards the escape pods!" One trooper called out.
Mikasa heard her father curse and began to pick up speed. As they turned another corner, a large number of Stormtroopers were right in front of them. Ryoko and Paul came to a halt and were about to turn back when a few of the troopers chasing them before were gaining on them.
"We're boxed in!" Paul yelled as he fired at the smaller group of Stormtroopers.
"I know. We need to push past this big group!" Ryoko replied as she deflected blaster fire.
"We have to get Mikasa out of here!" Paul said.
As the Stormtroopers inched ever closer, from behind the larger group blaster fire could be heard. The troopers turned to face the oncoming enemy. Ryoko noticed their dirtied uniform and guessed this was who the Stormtroopers were really after; rebels.
"This way, Jedi!" one rebel called out.
Ryoko nodded and gestured for Paul and Mikasa to follow her. The three pushed past the group of troopers and managed to get cover from the rebels. Just as they were about to turn the corner to make it to the escape pods, a stray blaster bolts struck Paul in the back.
Paul winced in pain and fell to the floor, dropping his blaster. Ryoko screamed his named and rushed to her husband's side. Mikasa watched helplessly as her father was dragged out of the way by her mother.
The rebels were quickly falling as they were overwhelmed by the oncoming wave of Stormtroopers. Ryoko peaked from the corner and saw six rebels still alive. One saw her and rushed to help but was quickly struck down by blaster fire.
"Go."
Ryoko turned to Paul. She could see his skin was going pale and his hand felt cold to her touch.
"You need to run and save Mikasa," Paul said weakly.
"Not without you!"
Paul chuckled weakly. "It's like you said: we'll meet again in the Force."
His voice slowly trailed as his pupils dilated. Paul's grip on Ryoko's hand slowly loosened, but he was able to see his daughter one last time. He smiled as he slowly closed his eyes.
"Paul! Paul!"
Ryoko tried to get him to move, not willing to believe he was dead. However, Paul did not move. Tears filled Ryoko's eyes as she accepted her love was gone. She looked over to Mikasa who nudged her father's shoulder, but he would not respond to her gestures. Tears filled her eyes as she pleaded for her father to wake up.
"Papa, please. Please wake up."
Ryoko turned away. She looked to her lightsaber and clutched it tightly. She deactivated the blade's green beam and turned to Mikasa.
"You have to escape, Mikasa." Ryoko grabbed Paul's discarded blaster.
"But what about you?" Mikasa asked.
"Mama will distract them. Your mom is strong. She won't go down so easy." Ryoko tried to give her daughter a reassuring smile.
Ryoko held out the Paul's blaster, her lightsaber, and a commlink.
"I need you to take these," Ryoko said.
"Huh?"
"Please, Mikasa! I need you to take these and get on the escape pod," Ryoko pleaded.
Mikasa reached out hesitantly but grabbed the three things her mother held out.
"But how will you fight?" Mikasa asked.
Ryoko smiled. "Your mom is still strong even without a lightsaber. Now go! When you get far enough from the ship turn on the commlink. Papa's friend will find you."
Mikasa nodded and turned to run. Ryoko let out a satisfied sigh. "May the Force be with you, my daughter."
Ryoko steeled herself and ran into the hallway. She picked up a discarded blaster and stared firing.
"Focus your fire on the Jedi!"
If she was destined to die, then she would die fighting to protect the person she loved. She gave one last look at her husband and daughter and ran into the fray.
Mikasa heard her mother let out a battle cry and turned to see her disappear down the hallway. The sound of blaster fire intensified just as she disappeared. Mikasa turned away and ran. She pushed the button on the first escape pod she could find and jumped in. Without a second thought, she hit the button to jettison the pod and she was launched into space.
She was hesitant but did as her mother told her and pressed the button on the commlink. No voice came from it, but she was sure however was on the other end would find her. She stared at the two weapons in her hand. The cylinder that emitted a green blade and her father's blaster. She held them both close and began to cry.
When a ship made it to her escape pod, her sadness outweighed any sense of fear that was once present in her mind.
11 BBY
Alderaan
Armin loved starting at the mountain peaks that surrounded Alderaan's capitol city Aldera. The glow of the setting sun made them feel all the more enchanting. The peaks looked to reach high into the atmosphere and always seemed covered with snow. Despite living in one of the poorer districts of the city, the view of the mountain from his home could not be beaten.
From his spot on the roof, he could see starships leaving the planet from the spaceport. He would them ascend the atmosphere at high speeds but could always tell they were not going as fast to admire the mountains.
Armin loved Alderaan. The mountains were a highlight, but the forests were just as impressive. So many different people would come to visit. Armin would walk around the spaceport and see all kinds of humans and aliens, all from different planets.
At night he would stare up at the sky and see the stars that dotted the sky. He could also see the lights of starships leaving an entering the system. Even the Imperial ships were a marvel to look at.
While the blonde boy loved his home, he wanted to see beyond the confines of the atmosphere. He had seen so many pictures of other planets in holobooks, and real books. Some were similar to Alderaan. Others were bleak and inhospitable. Some had so many people living on it, it was just one big city. And he wanted to see them all.
He would talk with his best friend all the time about leaving Alderaan at some point. They shared the same dream of exploring the galaxy. How they were going to do it was the question. Being from Alderaan meant they had many opportunities to leave the plant and his best friend had the most options.
He turned to the tall palace spires and adjacent to it was the more affluent district of the city. That was where his best friend, Eren Yeager, lived. He was the son of a doctor, who was close friends with Prince Bail Organa. Armin would never forget how they met. They hyperactive boy was at the library at the same time he was. Eren was with his father and managed to get away from him. He found had found Armin going through a holobook about forested planets and he was drawn to it. When Eren's father had found him, he scolded his son, but was happy to see he had shown interest in what Armin was looking at. Now, whenever Eren's father gave him lessons of some kind, Armin would join them so Eren could focus. Whenever they were not doing that, Eren would show him around the district he called home. In turn, Armin would show him his. Eren did not care that Armin was from the poorer side of Aldera, he just wanted a friend.
Armin kept his gaze on the palace spires. Remembering of the girl Eren was friends with. He would often speak about how the princess of Alderaan would pull all kinds of pranks on him. Armin had yet to meet her, but Eren said he would get along with her. Armin smiled at that. With the way Eren spoke about her, it was like he knew her already.
"Armin! Come down! It's time for dinner!" his mother called out.
Armin took one last look at the sky, seeing one last ship exit the atmosphere. One day he would be up there too. Finally seeing what he only saw in books.
11 BBY
Paradis
An HCVw A9 turbo tank rolled through the plains of Paradis. At its side were two Imperial Troop Transports. The turbo tank carried prisoners. Since the beginning of Imperial control, rebel activity on Paradis was on the rise. The transport carried a small group of insurgents who were not affiliated with the larger group.
The prisoners were bound at their hands and ankles and were guarded by four stormtroopers. Sitting close to the pilot's station was a disgruntled Imperial officer. He was not happy to be stuck with the duties of transporting prisoners. Being forced to be with the rebel scum of the planet was not what he had in mind when stationed on such a planet.
"How much longer until we reach the capitol?" the officer asked the Stormtrooper he sat beside.
"A few more hours, sir."
The Imperial officer sighed and ran a hand down his face. Why the prisoners could not be executed was beyond him. The locals of the planet had very barbaric ways of extracting information. His superiors assured him that their interrogator was effective in getting information, so he never pressed the issue.
The officer turned to the prisoners. There were five; three males and two females, all human. The men were nothing to write home about. Locals who saw wrong in the Empire's guaranteed safety. The three all appeared to be young adults, same with the females. One girl was likely in her late teens, clearly the youngest of the group. She was pleasing to the eye. The officer would not mind if he had the opportunity to interrogate her.
"What're you looking at, creep?!"
The officer grimaced. He turned to the older woman, who glared at him angrily.
"Silence, rebel scum. You'll all meet you fate soon. This is what you get for being disloyal to the Empire," the officer replied.
The rest sent glares his way as well, which he ignored by turning away. They were mere rebels after all.
From a forest with tall trees, a group of five human stood on their branches. All of them wore a green poncho with an emblem sown into the left breast. The tallest had a pair of electrobinoculars and could see the oncoming imperial convoy.
"Convoy is about a half a klick out, Erwin," he said removing the electrobinoculars from his eyes.
"I can see the dust cloud now, Mike. Thanks," Erwin replied.
Mike nodded and moved to prep his gear. Erwin turned to his allies; each were prepping the gear they needed for the mission. The shorter man walked up to him and handed him a jet pack and blaster. Erwin nodded and took the blaster and holstered it.
"Could use the help with the jetpack," Erwin said with a chuckle.
The man rolled his eyes but did it anyway and put the jetpack on Erwin's back.
"Thanks, Levi."
"Let's just get this done," Levi replied.
Erwin nodded and turned to his team. He cleared his throat to get their attention.
"The Imperials will soon be under us. You all know the mission. We're here to free allies." Erwin tuned to Hange and the worried man by their side. "Hange, Moblit. You two will jam their communications. Get in and do it fast." The two nodded in response. "Mike, you'll take the transport on the tank's right side. I'll take the one on the left. Once they're disabled, we get on the tank." Mike nodded and holstered his blaster. "Finally, we'll leave taking out any bucket heads inside the tank to Levi."
Levi sighed as he grabbed his vibrosword. "I'm always leading the charge."
Erwin chuckled in response, but quickly returned to a serious expression.
"Few minutes, Erwin," Hange said.
Erwin turned to the direction of the tank and saw they were in range now. He turned back to the group and put on his hood. The others followed and put theirs on as well.
The sound of the tank soon filled their ears. With a hand gesture, the group sprung into action. Erwin landed on the right troop transport with a soft thud.
The noise caught the attention of the trooper in the gunner's seat. The gunner turned the turret around, however the trooper saw nothing. The trooper looked at the screen confused, but quickly swung the turret around. The trooper jumped back when something suddenly covered his scope.
"Hey, someone check what's on the roof," the trooper called back.
"I'll check it out," one trooper replied.
The side hatch opened, and Erwin quickly stormed into the cluster of troopers. All the troopers jumped in surprise, but just as quickly Erwin had entered, he jumped back out. The Stormtroopers raised their blasters while another was about to call in the intruder when they heard a beep. They all looked down to see two thermal detonators counting down.
Erwin smirked and pressed a button on his wrist commlink. The transport exploded and the remains crashed into the turbo tank, causing it to jerk. On the right side, the transport Mike attacked did the same.
Inside the turbo tank, the officer got to his feet and entered the cockpit.
"What is going on?"
"I think we're being attacked, sir," the pilot replied.
"I know that you imbecile. Who is attacking us?"
"Still figuring that out," the second pilot replied.
"What about reinforcements?"
"We can't get a signal. We're being jammed."
"How can we be jammed?"
In the communication's room, Hange fiddled with the panel as Moblit finished securing the stormtroopers.
"Done yet, Hange?"
Hange pressed one more button on the control panel and a green light emitted from the panel.
"All done. Not a word will escape this transport."
"Finally. Was wondering when I could bust some heads," Levi said.
The door to main hold slid open and two troopers guarding it were quickly cut down by Levi as he drew his vibrosword. The two stormtroopers on the other end of the transport raised their blasters towards the intruder. Levi threw his vibrosword and impaled the trooper to the wall. The other moved to fire on the intruder, but Levi had managed to close the gap between them in an instant.
"What are you?" the trooper as, terrified.
"No one special." Levi drew his blaster and fired into the trooper's stomach.
The trooper dropped to the floor with smoldering hole in his back. Levi grabbed his vibrosword and quickly freed the five prisoners. He told them all to grab the discarded blasters.
Just as he was about to report his progress to Erwin, the pilot's door slid open. Levi turned and was about to throw his sword when he saw the officer holding one the girl with light red-brown hair hostage with a blaster pointed at her head.
"Stop right there or I blow he brains out," the officer said as his blaster primed.
"What leverage do you have? Besides holding her hostage," Levi asked strapping his sword to his back.
The officer smirked. "We have reinforcements on the way. They'll be here in mere minutes."
"No, you don't!" Hange called out from the communications room. "We've been jamming your transmissions from before the transports crashed into each other."
The officer grit his teeth and pressed the blaster further into the girl's head. He looked between everyone present. All his troopers were dead and even if the pilots joined the fight, they would be dead in an instant.
"If I'm going to die, might as well take a few of you with me," the officer said.
He threw the girl towards Levi and aimed his blaster at the back of head. Before he could even pull the trigger, something pierced his eye and he dropped to the ground.
Levi had an outstretched hand with two vibroknives in the other. He walked up to the dead officer and pulled out the knife. He clicked his tongue in frustration and wiped the blood off the blade.
"Disgusting," he muttered.
Levi turned to the girl and knelt down next to her. He made sure she was still alive, but she had a terrified look on her face.
"Are you okay?" Levi asked.
The girl turned to Levi, her eyes brimming with tears. She nodded in response.
"Good. Stay here with the others."
Levi stood up and entered the cockpit. The troopers did not turn around but kept their eyes forward.
"Did you get them, sir?" one pilot asked.
"Sure did."
The two pilots whipped their heads around, but before they could even get a word out a knife was in each of their necks. The pilots slumped forwards as they died, and the tank slowly came to a halt. Levi grabbed his knives and wiped off the blood before strapping them to his belt.
He walked back into the main compartment to the stunned group of prisoners.
"Why did you not just use a blaster?" the tall girl asked.
Levi shrugged. "Don't like 'em. Now let's get moving."
The group exited the tank to where Erwin and Mike were waiting. Erwin had a satisfied smile on his face, with Mike keeping a neutral expression. The prisoners, meanwhile, were surprised to see Erwin. They had heard of the man, but never expected to meet him.
"So, these are our rebels?" Erwin asked taking a step forward.
"Yes, sir," a young man with blonde hair and stubble replied.
"What're your names?"
"Eld Jinn, sir. I'm the leader of this group," the blonde man, now named Eld, said.
"He likes to think that, but no one appointed him," the tall girl replied stepping forward. "Name's Nanaba Abel."
"Gunther Schultz, sir."
"Name's Oluo Bozado. Pleasure to meetcha."
Levi grumbled at the young man's tone.
"I'm, uh, Petra Ral," the scared girl said.
"Well it's good to meet all of you, but right now we have to move out." Erwin brought his wrist commlink up to his mouth. "How're we looking, Hange?"
The commlink beeped static before Hange responded. "All good! The tank is officially ours. Might wanna get moving. Chatter on Imperial channels are asking where this tank is."
"Roger that." The commlink connection cut and Erwin turned back to the group. "We'll dispose of the bodies on the tank. Salvage any weapons from the destroyed transports."
The five new additions replied with a hearty 'yes, sir' before moving to the wrecked troop transports.
"You think these guys are worth it, Erwin?" Levi asked.
"We need more soldiers, Levi. We may have a few back at base, but we need more if want to fight the Empire more effectively," Erwin said.
"That's great and all, but these hit and run tactics aren't really helping. We've barely made a dent in these past eight years," Levi argued.
"Quite the pessimist," Erwin said with a chuckle.
Levi scowled and crossed his arms. "I'm a realist."
"Don't worry, Levi. We have allies here and on other planets."
Levi scoffed. "You don't seriously believe there is a more organized rebellion out there, do you?"
"I do. And one day soon we'll all join forces to fight the Empire. We'll not only free our planet, but countless others too," Erwin said.
Levi sighed and turned away from Erwin. "I'm fighting for our home, not that of others. That's why I follow you."
"You can leave any time," Erwin replied.
Levi turned to Erwin with a furrowed brow. "You'd die if I wasn't around."
Erwin chuckled in response.
"We should get moving Erwin," Mike said holding an undestroyed munitions crate.
Erwin nodded in response. "The Empire will be here soon. Better not stay for too long."
Erwin called for their new additions to get on the tank and boarded it. Levi stared out at the planes of his home planet for a moment longer. He wondered if the galaxy was as big as the plains they were protecting. He knew the Empire was causing harm to other planets, but he wanted to fight for his home and his alone.
Though if it came to it, he knew he could put aside his own ambitions to make Erwin's goal a reality. He took one more look before boarding the tank and the group sped off towards their base.
11 BBY
Above Coruscant
The door to the bridge of the Liberio slid open. The officers by the holotable stood in attention as their superior officer walked past. He greeted them with a single nod. He walked past the holotable to the front viewport of the bridge.
Standing by the viewport looking at a datapad was a young man. He had short cut blonde hair and blue eyes. Underneath his eyes were a series of lines. He wore the grey officer's uniform without the standard issue cap and the badge signifying his rank of lieutenant commander. The officer was surprised to see someone so young hold such a rank. Maybe his new assistant would more competent then his previous one.
The officer stopped at the viewport and the young man stood in attention. His posture was perfect, and his eyes were focused in front of him. Koslow's replacement was doing better than him on his first day.
"At ease, young man," the officer said.
The young man loosened his posture but remained upright.
"The latest report, Commander," the young man said holding out the datapad.
The officer grabbed the datapad from his hands and skimmed over it. The fleet's deployment was listed on the front. The officer rose a brow. Their orders were to go to the planet Paradis. Rebel activity was on the rise there and the local contingent was not enough. He handed the datapad back to the young man.
"What's you name, kid?" the officer asked.
The young man straightened himself again. "Lieutenant commander, Zeke Yeager sir."
"Well then, Yeager. What do you think of our orders?"
"A simple mission. All we have to do is exterminate the rebels on Paradis," Zeke replied.
The officer hummed a response and turned away from the viewport. Zeke remained still as the officer walked away, unsure as to what to do.
"Come with me, Yeager."
Zeke nodded and followed the officer. The two stopped at the holotable and the officer pressed a button. A hologram of a turbotank being attacked was pulled out.
"Commander?" Zeke asked, looking up from the table.
"This transport was stolen in the most recent rebel attack. How would you give orders in this situation?"
Zeke put a hand on his chin and studied the video. He watched as someone disabled the two troop transports and how they crashed into the tank. Whatever happened inside was unknown to the young commander. The hologram replayed as the events happened again.
"Were communication jammed?" Zeke asked.
The officer nodded in response.
"I see. The rebels must've attacked the communications on the turbo tank before attacking the troop transports. That should've been their first objective, reestablish communications. The next step would be to take on the assailants. I can't ascertain anything beyond that, however."
The officer hummed in response. He turned to the holotable and applied what Zeke had said to the hologram. With limited information, Zeke came up with a standard response, but the speed impressed him.
"Not bad, kid. I think you have a future here," the officer said.
"Thank you, Commander Magath."
Theo Magath dismissed the young man after that. He told him to study the tactics of the rebels on Paradis and come up with counter measures. Zeke nodded and exited the bridge. Magath walked back to viewport and stared at the black of space in front of him.
"What do you want to do next, Commander?" a naval officer asked.
"Set a course for Paradis. We have orders to subjugate the rebels there."
The officer nodded and turned to the technicians. The officer turned back to Magath with a concerned expression.
"What seems to be the problem?" Magath asked.
"Are you sure it's wise to have a someone so young in charge of something like this? His rank may be something granted to him due to status," the officer advised.
"If his family was what made him rise in rank so fast, then he must be from a family I've never heard of. He's a smart kid. I think he'll do well with our forces. Give it time," Magath replied.
The officer nodded hesitantly. "Yes, sir." He turned to a technician and back to Magath. "Course is set, sir."
Magath was silent as the Star Destroyer jumped into hyperspace. The black of space changed to the blue tunnel of faster than light travel. Magath would be successful in his mission, and he looked forward to Zeke Yeager's progress under his command.
10 BBY
Takodana
Ymir sat at the bar in Maz's castle. She blankly stared at the cantina patrons go about their business. Days in the cantina always seemed to blur together. Since she lived in Maz's castle, she would get extremely bored on most days. While pickpocketing was fun, she had done it so much that she had barely done it. She sighed and swung her seat around. She folded her arms on the bar and rested her chin on her arms.
"What's wrong, child?"
Ymir looked up to see Maz standing in front of her. The floor behind the bar was raised so she was leveled with the costumers.
"I thought the point of giving me a name was to not call me that?" Ymir asked.
Maz chuckled. "I believe I told you the name was so I could scold you more easily."
Ymir rolled her eyes but could not help a laugh escaping her. She could never be frustrated with Maz. She was the closest thing Ymir had to family.
"I do wish to know what troubles you, child," Maz said.
"I'm just bored. There's only so many pockets I can pick." Ymir sat up and swung her seat around, so she was facing the cantina's patrons. "New people come in here every day talking about their adventures." She swung her chair again to face Maz. An excited look was on her face. "Just last week a guy and a wookiee were talking about making the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs!"
Maz chuckled remembering the young man boasting about the achievement. "Yes, that was an interesting tale wasn't it?"
Ymir nodded emphatically. "Yeah and it made me want to do something like that as well! Just think, Maz! I could be out there making a name for myself like that guy."
Maz crossed her arms and raised a brow. "If you can't remember his name then he didn't leave that big an impression."
Ymir shrugged. "The guy was nothing special, but his boasting sure was impressive."
"So, you want to become a smuggler?" Maz asked.
"If that's what it takes to make it in the galaxy, then yes."
"You're a thirteen-year-old girl. You shouldn't want to be putting your life in danger like that," Maz argued.
"Then how else am I going to leave this place? I can't live my whole life here!"
Maz sighed and shook her head. "I understand that, child. If you want to leave Takodana that badly, you could apply for the Imperial Military Academy. Most young'uns your age join around this time."
"Psh. Like hell I'd do that. The Empire's got all these rules that just don't mesh well with me," Ymir replied.
Maz smiled. "Well I'm glad those are your opinions."
"I just want to get out of this cantina for once. And not just go into the forest surrounding your castle. I want to be able to tell stories like those smugglers and pilots," Ymir said, looking past Maz.
When Maz saw the look in her eyes, she knew Ymir meant what she said. She could also see the lines underneath her eyes were growing, reaching the middle of her cheeks. While the lines would stop growing, they showed no signs of stopping. She turned back to her starry-eyed gaze. Maz gave a resigned sigh. There was no way she could convince the girl to stay put. Though the way the Force felt around her when she spoke about leaving meant that was the direction she should take. She worried for the girl but was not going to stop her from living her life.
"Wait a year or two more. I'll see what I can scrounge together," Maz said.
Ymir turned to the orange alien with a surprised expression. "You're not going to try to keep me here?"
Maz shook her head. "There would be no point. You'd go out anyway. I'm just looking out for you, Ymir."
Ymir felt an embarrassing heat rise in her face. Maz would always use her name in a similar manner.
"Thank you, Maz. I appreciate it."
"Of course, child. Now help me wait tables or you'll have stay longer."
Ymir smiled and hopped off the barstool. She grabbed a datapad and moved to a table. Maz watched with a smile on her face. That girl was handful and continue to be so.
10 BBY
Alderaan
"Eren, you're here!"
Leia grabbed the boy's arm and pulled him into her home.
"H-Hey, Leia! You're going to rip my arm off," Eren said.
The young girl did not respond and continued to pull Eren towards the gardens. Grisha let out an exasperated sigh, while Bail chuckled sheepishly.
"Be courteous, Eren!"
Grisha knew the words would not be heard, but he wanted to at least say it. Bail turned to his friend. It had been some time since he last saw him. He saw Eren on a, somewhat, regular basis, but the doctor's visits were more sporadic.
"How are you doing my friend?" Bail asked.
"As well as I can."
Bail nodded in understanding. "Come. We have much to speak about."
Grisha nodded in response. However, while Bail took steps forward Grisha had yet to move. Bail turned back to see Grisha talking with a young girl. Bail mentally cursed himself for not seeing the young girl but was curious as to who she was.
"Stay with me, Mikasa."
The girl barely nodded. She grabbed onto Grisha's sleeve and followed him. Bail looked to Grisha, but with a hand gesture he told him he would explain.
The two made it to the garden where Eren and Leia were playing. Mikasa moved to sit beneath a small tree. Bail saw the distant look in her eyes and wondered what the girl had been through. He turned back to Grisha who was keeping an eye on Eren and Leia.
Palace servants brought them tea and other small foods at the table they sat. The two were still silent as they watched their children play. Though to Bail it looked like Eren was being dragged by Leia to do whatever she wanted. The sight caused Bail to chuckle.
"Your daughter sure is a leader," Grisha said.
"I think it's more about Eren not knowing how to respond to Leia's antics."
Grisha hummed in response.
Bail's gaze shifted to Mikasa again. She had the same look in her eyes and was staring at the ground.
"Who is the girl? Mikasa was her name, right?"
Grisha set down the teacup and nodded. "That's right. She's the daughter of an acquaintance. They died in an Imperial raid on a cargo ship."
Bail turned to the girl with a saddened expression. Being so young and losing one's parents must be traumatic for her.
"I see. But why the raid?" Bail asked turning back to Grisha.
"A rebel cell was using it to smuggle weapons. Saw's faction," Grisha answered.
"I see. He grows bolder with each passing day."
Grisha nodded in response. "Though, they were bound to catch her parents at some point."
Bail rose an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Her mother was a Jedi."
Bail let out a sharp gasp. He turned back to the girl. She was the daughter of a Jedi. He looked towards Leia, who had yet to know her true parentage. He turned back to Miaksa and something clicked in his head. Something Grisha had told him about.
"Was your acquaintance the ones who were coming here?"
Grisha nodded. "Though I knew her father better than the mother. He told me her identity in confidence, and I told them to come here. They'd be safer."
"Is she Leia's age?" Bail asked.
"I believe so."
"I see." A somber expression came to his face thinking about what the girl must have gone through. "How has she taken it?"
Grisha sighed. "Not well. She barely talks, barely eats. It takes everything for Carla and me, even Eren, to get her to speak. It's going to be a year now since it happened, but she's still closed off. She locks herself in her room and rarely comes out."
"Poor girl," Bail replied.
"I'm doing everything I can, but she needs someone else to talk to her. Someone who can break her out of this. A friend."
Bail nodded. "I'll see if I can get Leia to interact with her."
"I'd appreciate it."
Bail and Grisha were silent again. Bail was looking through a datapad he had brought with him, while Grisha kept watch over the children. Bail was still processing Grisha's story. Another Jedi ally would have been incredibly beneficial to the growing rebellion. Speaking of which, he had to inform Grisha of their progress.
"How about we move to our main topic," Bail said.
Grisha nodded. "Yes. How are things progressing."
On the other side of the garden, Eren and Leia were playing with a floating ball, tossing it between each other. As they did the two talked about what they had done since last seeing each other. Eren described a friend he made called Armin and Leia wanted to meet him. Leia spoke about how her parents always seemed to be stuck in meetings and was never allowed to them.
"Dad always seems to be off doing something," Eren replied as he caught the ball.
"Do you know what?" Leia asked.
Eren shook his head. "He never says. He always dodges the question."
"Father always says he's talking with other Senators. That much seems to be true though, but I don't understand why I can't be there too," Leia said.
"Well they are talking about adult stuff and politics. Maybe a kid shouldn't be there," Eren reasoned as he threw the ball.
"That's what Father says too. Says he wants me to be a kid for a bit longer," Leia replied, and she caught the ball.
Eren shrugged. "Don't see what's so bad about that."
"I just want to do more. I feel like I should be there and, at least, listen to what they say."
"Do you want to become a senator?" Eren asked putting a hand on his hip.
"If I can help people, then yeah." Leia let go of the ball and it floated close to the ground. "What about you Eren? What do you want to do?"
"Armin's been talking about seeing other places besides Alderaan," Eren said.
"You want to be a pilot?" Leia asked.
"If that's what it takes to be able to leave Alderaan, then yes."
A saddened expression formed on Leia's face. Eren noticed it and got worried.
"What's wrong Leia?" Eren asked as he moved closer to her.
"You want to leave Alderaan?" Leia asked, turning away from the boy.
Eren nervously put a hand behind his head. "If I'm going to visit other planets, then I'd have to leave."
Leia's expression got sadder, making the panic in Eren rise.
"But I'll still come back! Alderaan is still home, you know," Eren said.
Leia turned to him with a smile, causing his panic to lessen slightly.
"Good. I need my best friend to be around when I become a senator and princess of Alderaan," Leia said.
Eren rose and eyebrow and crossed his arms. "I thought you already were."
Leia shook her head. "Not yet."
"Well, we can worry about that stuff later." Before Eren could continue, his stomach growled. An embarrassed blush formed on his face while Leia could not contain her laughter.
"Why don't we worry about finding you food first?" Leia said as she contained her laughter.
As the two walked into the palace halls, Leia caught a girl sitting under a tree out of the corner of her eye. She stopped and turned to the girl. She had dark hair and a distant look in her eyes. She had her knees in front of her face.
"Hey, Eren," Leia said as she tugged on his jacket sleeve.
"Hm?"
"Who's that?" Leia asked, pointing to the girl.
Eren turned to where she was pointing and saw Mikasa sitting underneath a tree.
"That's Mikasa. She's been staying with us since her parents died in an Imperial raid, or so Dad tells me. It took everything for him to convince her to come," Eren explained.
"Why is she all alone?" Leia asked.
Eren shrugged. "She doesn't talk to anybody. I've barely heard her talk in the time she's been staying with us."
Leia did not respond, but she started to walk towards the girl. She felt sad when she heard about what happened to her parents. She could barely imagine what she had gone through.
Eren followed closely behind. He was curious to see if Leia could get Mikasa to talk.
"Hi. Mikasa, right?" Leia asked.
Mikasa looked up to acknowledge Leia but did not respond.
Leia took her making eye contact as an answer.
"Want to come with me and Eren to get some food?"
She did not respond. She simply looked away and pulled her knees closer to her face.
"I want to be your friend, Mikasa. No need to be scared," Leia said.
A small gasp escaped Mikasa. She looked up to Leia again and Leia saw color returning to her eyes.
"If we're friends then we can have fun," Leia said with a smile.
"…Friends?" Mikasa breathed out.
Eren was surprised she spoke. His eyes widened slightly, and he looked between the two girls.
Leia nodded. "Yup. If we're friends, we can do all kinds of fun things. I know Eren wants to be your friend and I want to as well."
"Friends…with…me?"
Leia nodded again. "For now, just come with us. Just try to have fun."
Leia smiled and Mikasa looked at the girl with wide eyes. Color had completely returned to her eyes, but her brows still held the somber expression she had. Leia reached out her hand and Mikasa slowly raised hers. When Mikasa touched her hand, Leia quickly wrapped her hand around hers and pulled her up. Mikasa let out a surprised gasp as Leia laughed.
"See! We're friends!"
Mikasa nodded hesitantly. "Friends."
"I have to know the name of my new friend."
Mikasa turned away to avoid the embarrassment. "I'm Mikasa Ackerman."
"Well, Mikasa, I'm Leia Organa." She gestured to Eren behind her. "You know Eren already."
Mikasa nodded in response.
"Great! Let's find us some food!" Leia said.
She pulled Mikasa forward, who was surprised, but followed the outgoing girl. Eren looked between the two and was amazed at how quickly Leia managed to get Mikasa to follow her.
"You're so cool, Leia."
"I know!" Leia said, giving him a cocky grin.
Watching everything unfold, the two parents looked between each other and back to the children disappear to the kitchen. The two laughed when the kids were likely far enough. Grisha was more composed in his laughter compared to Bail, but what they had seen was very amusing.
"You daughter sure is something else, Bail," Grisha said, taking off his glasses.
Bail calmed down a bit before responding. "She sure is and I wouldn't have it any other way."
Grisha nodded. "I'm just glad she was able to help Mikasa. Having a girl her age as a friend will help her a lot in getting past what happened."
"I agree."
Before the two could continue, Bail's commlink began to beep. Grisha quickly realized who was calling him and began to stand.
"Stay, Grisha."
"Are you sure?"
Bail nodded. "They are already aware of your involvement."
Grisha nodded hesitantly and sat down again.
Bail let out a breath and answered the comm.
"Senator, this is Fulcrum. I have some new information to share."
AN: Here begins a new story with a very long chapter 1. So, the inception from this story comes from reading another Star WarsxAoT fic that I read not too long ago called Flaming Water, Frozen Earth by MariaRoseSina (I highly recommend checking that one out). Reading that inspired me to create my own story, but with a bit more ambition. The reason for the long chapter one is because this story will be updates very sporadically as my attention is still on the other two in-progress stories that I have right now. However, I wanted to put pen to paper for this story's opening as it was fresh in my head.
Some elements from AoT remain in this story, but most of the main "gimmicks" of that story (i.e. Titan shifters) will not be present. However to distinguish Eldians from most humans in the galaxy, some are born with the titan markings under their eyes (You can all guess who will likely have them). The reason for this is because Star Wars has the unique caviat that any crossover fic can turn the second univerise into a planet within the galaxy (more on that later in the story). Therefore, Paradis is now a planet in the Mid-Rim.
With that, the groundwork for this story's setting and concept is explained. I hope you look forward to the story as it unfolds. Look to my Twitter for updates on the story. I would also like to thank the artist zeeohyi on Instagram for creating the cover art for this story (If it doesn't appear on the cover image for this story check my Twitter to see it). They did a great job in bringing this story's concept to life. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this story and stay tuned for the next chapter!