Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Star Wars, the characters, locations, and aliens created by George Lucas, or any of the countless writers who further expanded the universe created by George Lucas, nor the franchise currently owned by Disney. All I own are my original characters, and this is my original story. If this is published, I won't make a cent. I'm lawsuit proof now, lol.
Star Wars: Bloodline of the Ancestors
Book I
Revival
Robin Stace
Hello, Readers, I, the Narrator, welcome you to my domain. I'll be breaking the fourth wall with you from time to time, existing in brackets like so ( ) just like your inner monologue exists only in your head.
Like all good stories, this one must start with the right ambience. Without further ado, here we go.
Prologue
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
The Skywalkers and Solos gathered together with friends and allies. Those who couldn't physically be there attended via secure Holo-comm frequencies to discuss the recent events surrounding the discovery of a hitherto unknown world called Kesh. Home to an entire civilization of Sith from the very early days of the Old Republic, they had survived the Jedi Civil War thousands of years ago by fleeing and subsequently crash-landing, mingling with the Force-Sensitive natives of Kesh for generations. This was only known because they had convinced a now-former Sith, Vestera Khai, to desert. Luke promised the informant help to rescue her mother and a compromise for the Sith people as a whole so they might keep their non-violent ways.
As things stood, the Sith lacked the resources and numbers to pose a military threat, but being the cunning types, it was only a matter of time before those in power would take steps to even the field. The Jedi were numerous but not invincible; they couldn't afford to collapse from spreading themselves too thin.
This was akin to a cold war: The Sith leaders didn't want to show their true nature so early, at least not before manipulating the masses and government officials more to their side, and the Jedi would not be so foolish as to begin hostilities, especially considering the political climate and public opinion on the Jedi were split. This was something their enemies would not waste time exploiting; even now, plans were no doubt in motion from the Sith to try to become a part of the Galactic Alliance. Leia, who only just found out of the Sith's plans to join the GA that evening during their meeting from old friends that she had made during her tenure as Senator. Because of politics and a divide in public opinion on Jedi, Leia's politically connected allies were limited in how they could help, and how much; this politically charged atmosphere had even stopped some of Lando's and Han's old friends from the shadier side of things; allies made back when they were smugglers and con-men.
They spent many more hours in discussion, all reaching the same conclusion: fortify and consolidate power, seek out allies, and convince those on the fence to stay neutral. The last thing that the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order wanted was to fight those whom he viewed as peers, if not friends. It was agreed upon that Luke and his son Ben would seek out the other schools of thought regarding the Force, as they'd made the most impact on the often private organizations and cultures.
After reaching out to the Aing-Ti, Witches of Dathomire, and Bo-Ran monks, Luke and Ben also decided to seek out possible allies in the Unknown Sectors, since Luke felt that a solution may be found beyond the borders of known space in The Great Beyond.
Telling only family members of this decision, mainly to forestall protests and reduce worries for friends, the duo loaded up the Jade Shadow with everything they might need and left for the Unknown Sectors, both filled with a sense of purpose. They knew The Force was a powerful ally and a guiding light that had never steered the two Skywalkers wrong. Ben had surmised that the worst-case scenario was that they would find nothing to aid them and return home with interesting, albeit useless, findings. His father merely smiled at his 17-year-old son and said what had become a type of creed or mantra: "Easy is not the way of the Jedi." The young man scowled in thought, then said "I hate that saying, Dad." Luke asked, "Why?" amusement lacing his voice and dancing in his eyes. Ben scoffed, then said, "Because it's true," eliciting a chuckle from his father. Though neither knew what to expect, they were not worried, for the Force was always with them.
CHAPTER 1
An Uneventful Life/An Unknown Destiny
Earth, The Sunshine Coast, January 2017.
1800 hrs
A young man with blue eyes and brown hair wearing a blue and black hoodie was standing in the cabin he shared with his mum and dog. He was cooking. Cutting up the ingredients with precision and speed, he stuck the tip of his tongue out the corner of his mouth in concentration, a little tick he'd developed at some point. The man took pride in his skills with a knife since he wasn't good at growing fruits and vegetables, unlike his mother, who had a green thumb. He had a knack for Kendo and other swordplay, and he had practiced and read about every weapon and fighting style he could. Therefore, he always won at Renaissance fairs or with his live-action role-playing buddies, yet such skills were obsolete in any other environment. But his mum said if he was interested in that kind of stuff, she'd support him wholeheartedly. She had always taken care of him; even now, at almost 28, he still lived at home. Cooking was his way of saying thank you, and it was fun, especially the slicing up of stuff.
Today had been like any other day: good but uneventful, kinda boring. As he waited for a large roast loin to brown, he took some time to enjoy the sunset. Sunsets made him think of something to which he couldn't attach a word: Adventure, the future, something that was missing. Robin was musing silently when the phone rang. The caller ID was his mum, Cindy, so he picked up with a smile.
"Hey mum, what's up? Everything ok?"
"Hey sweetie, I'm calling to let you know I'll be a day late. Traffic was murder, and I missed the ferry. Unfortunately, there are no more until tomorrow, really bad weather is apparently on the way." Cindy paused briefly before continuing.
"But luckily I ran into some friends, so we're getting dinner soon."
Robin heard voices in the background call out but only understood a couple well enough to make out, "Hey, Robin!" Robin smiled at the familiar voices in the background. "Oh, okay mum. See you tomorrow, say hi to everyone for me. Love you, bye". He looked over at their dog, Einstein, and said, "Don't worry, Einy, you'll get a few hot slices. There's too much, even for me. Luckily, we can make the leftovers into sandwiches."
An hour later, Robin was eating dinner while watching Einstein wait patiently for his share, not begging. He knew he'd get some. He started making a plate for his best buddy. He smiled at the beautiful white-gold Labrador, laughing at his dog's knowing expression. Einstein was the brother he'd always wanted. Still chuckling, he said, "I wish I could understand you better. Like Dr. DoLittle or something."
As he was washing the dishes and wiping off the table, he heard a loud noise. "Great, firecrackers," he thought, slightly annoyed. He had no problem with people making a racket, but not on their property. Dealing with punks was not the kind of excitement he wanted.
Robin stepped outside with Einstein on his heels in time to see what could only be a spaceship whooshing overhead, landing in a nearby field. Curiosity won out over caution as he dashed over to see if help was needed. He knew calling the authorities was not a good idea. He'd seen E.T. a few times and knew that actual aliens would most likely be treated horribly.
Robin's hunches tended to be right, and he believed in following his instincts as his mother had taught him. He sprinted toward the ship, desperately hoping nobody on board was injured. Coming upon the site where the ship ought to have landed, Robin watched two cloaked figures in robes climb away from the site, apparently unscathed. They appeared to be human, he learned when they lowered their hoods.
He found it strange that instead of the ship he'd seen in the sky not five minutes earlier, Robin saw little more than indentations in the soil. He had hunted from time to time, so spotting details was something he was reasonably good at, though he knew that he was not on par with a master tracker. "There must be a security feature, maybe some cloaking technology," he thought. It made sense that the otherworldly visitors would not want anybody finding the ship.
The two strangers had to be related; they shared too many features not to be. 'Why are they here?' he wondered. He asked, "Can I help in any way?" The two strangers smiled, and Robin felt their surprise at his offer of assistance. The older man introduced himself as Luke and the young man as his son, Ben. The strangers asked where they could find temporary lodgings. They looked wary, he thought. Thinking of a way to allay any fear or anxiety they had, he said, "I'm not an enemy or anyone to be feared." He also held himself non-threateningly, with open body language. The strangers looked at Robin appraisingly, and he appraised them in turn. Einy licked both of them on the hand, and any tensions melted away. "Dogs are the best judges of character," he thought with a smile. If they passed the Einstein test, he had no reason to fear the pair.
Inspiration struck, and Robin asked the strangers if they wanted to stay with him and his mum and avoid the authorities should they come looking. Robin also offered dinner since he and Einstein had barely made a dent in the food he had made earlier. Robin was a follower of the Old-World Unwritten Laws of Hospitality, even though most of the world believed such ways were antiquated and obsolete. He wasn't stupid; he knew that they were strangers and most strangers were potentially dangerous, but it instinctively felt like the right thing to do. Besides, Einstein was fierce when necessary, and Robin was not without his own somewhat formidable skills in self-defence.
The two accepted his offer gratefully. Robin messaged his mum with the gist of things; however, he was intentionally vague. He didn't exactly know how to explain the situation and also wanted to avoid raising any red flags for the authorities. Robin invited them in, and while the two men ate dinner, he learned the two strangers' full names: Luke and Ben Skywalker. His instincts told him it would be better to ask the big questions the next day, as he was not as skilled as his mum at reading people, though he had been improving over the last few years. He trusted Einstein's judgement and his own instincts but was prepared to use his skills in self-defence, though he doubted they would be necessary. When they were done eating dinner, he showed them the guest room and facilities, telling them that he would be up early, and then he too went to bed. His last thought before the warm embrace of sleep caused him to chuckle: Finally, some excitement. Robin wasn't bored now.
Meanwhile, as the young man slept, his two guests were talking, as sleep would no doubt elude them. Moreover, they discussed the very kind young host and his four-legged companion. "Did you feel it, Ben? Those two are powerful in the Force, more powerful than anyone I've sensed in years," Luke said to Ben. Luke had initially thought to try a Jedi mind trick but felt like it would have been a waste of time on the young man, not to mention that the young man didn't deserve such disrespect. "The boy was not weak-minded," he thought. Earlier, Luke used the Force to try to take a peek at the young host's intentions, only to be met with a great deal of mental fortitude, on par with a mid-level Knight. His son replied, "How could I not? When we were in orbit I could sense him. He's like you, Dad. His presence in the Force is like a star: large, bright, and warm. I also sensed two others in close proximity that had similarly strong vibes, the canine being one of them." His father replied, "Yes, Einstein is not like most animals; his energy is too vast to be an ordinary dog. Perhaps the third presence we felt was his mother?" Luke mused aloud, "He did mention she would be home tomorrow while we were eating." Luke reminded Ben. "She is most likely the third presence we felt. In either case, I can't wait to meet the woman who raised such a compassionate son; it should be interesting, to say the least." Ben nodded in agreement. "Good thing we didn't greet his arrival with any weapons drawn…something tells me he's better to have as an ally instead of an enemy. Even untrained, his power could have caused trouble." Ben chuckled briefly, then frowned in thought.
"On a different topic, Dad, how will we fix The Shadow? Our initial scans indicated this world is pretty underdeveloped, technologically speaking, and we have a damaged engine, again." Ben made an annoyed sound, still unable to believe they'd already used the spare parts they'd brought. He also knew that if his mother were still alive, she'd be pissed at them for allowing her ship to be so damaged, especially from something like an asteroid shower. "Stupid asteroids," he grumbled, acting his age, which was a rarity these days.
The young man was older than his years, a trait common among Jedi children, especially those of Anakin Skywalker's bloodline. His father simply smiled and positioned himself with his legs crossed in a meditative position and said, "Perhaps some meditation will allow us to gain some sort of greater insight into this world, with help from the Force, of course." As Ben followed suit, Luke added, "She would be proud of your piloting skills Ben, especially in uncharted space. I know I'm proud of you." Ben smiled at his father with gratitude, simply replying, "Thanks, Dad." With that, the Skywalker duo meditated into the early hours of the morning.