A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED III
The Rebel Alliance has won a crucial victory against the Galactic Empire. The clone Starkiller has defeated the Emperor's most powerful enforcer, Darth Vader, who is now in Rebel custody.
Along with pilot Juno Eclipse, Starkiller delivers Vader to the Rebel base on Dantooine aboard the Rogue Shadow. There, the Rebels will put the Dark Lord on trial and bring him to justice.
The bounty hunter Boba Fett is tracking the Rogue Shadow to Dantooine, intent on making a discovery that will expose the Rebellion's secrets...
The Rogue Shadow slowly approached the mountainous, wilderness-filled planet of Dantooine. Although the ship traveled alone, its journey was of critical importance to the Rebel Alliance, carrying their key to victory over the Galactic Empire.
Inside the cockpit, a young man with shaved dark hair turned to his pilot, a blonde haired woman with a strand hanging over her eyes.
"We finally made it," Starkiller said, "It felt like forever to get here."
"We had to take several detours, in case any Imperial ships were tracking us," Juno Eclipse replied, "But we seem to be safe from any danger now."
She flew the ship towards the surface of the planet, towards the coordinates stationing the Rebel base, where the two were about to deliver their important cargo.
"Glad it's over with," Starkiller muttered. "Once he's behind bars for good, I won't feel so nervous anymore."
"I hope the council will be quick with getting the information they want out of him," Juno replied, "The sooner he is brought to justice, the better."
Starkiller nodded and stood up from the co-pilot's chair, exiting the cockpit. He walked towards a cell built into the Rogue Shadow, allowing the door to slide open with the press of a button.
Then, he entered the cell to the sound of an ominous, mechanical breathing that had haunted his entire waking life.
Through the shadows, Starkiller glared at the masked visage of Darth Vader, who was bound to the wall by Force-resistant restraint.
"Well, we've made it to the Rebel base," Starkiller said to the towering, caped warrior incarcerated aboard the Rogue Shadow, "Don't think about trying anything. You'll be brought before the Rebel council, and then you will finally meet the fate you deserve."
Vader was silent, except for his breathing. He stared back into Starkiller's eyes, his feelings and thoughts unreadable.
Starkiller turned and stepped out to find the droid PROXY waiting outside the cell.
"Don't worry, Master," PROXY said, "With all the transformation modules stored in my programming, I'll be able to stop any prisoner from getting away."
"Thanks, PROXY," Starkiller replied, "You'll be relieved from duty as soon as the Rebel guards come to collect him."
Starkiller joined Juno at the entrance to the Rogue Shadow as she pressed the button to open the ramp, which then slowly descended onto the rocky grass terrain that overlooked the mountainous slopes of Dantooine's wilderness.
A squadron of fifteen armed Rebel troopers entered the Rogue Shadow, with General Rahm Kota bringing up the rear.
Starkiller grinned at the gray-haired, bearded Jedi Master, who gazed back at him with his blinded eyes.
"Think the worst is behind us yet, General Kota?" Starkiller asked him.
"We'll wait and see before we take a final sigh of relief," Kota replied as he followed the Rebel troopers into the compartment of the Rogue Shadow that contained Vader.
Starkiller, Juno and PROXY stepped down the ramp together, taking in the sight of Dantooine's Rebel base. It was built into a historic castle, looking primitive on the outside but consisting of sophisticated technology, weapons, and vehicles on the inside.
Finally, Kota led the armed Rebels out of the Rogue Shadow as well, four of whom were wheeling out the restrained Vader on the stretcher he had been bound to.
Vader betrayed no emotion in his Force aura, simply turning his helmet from side to side to take in the view of his prison.
Starkiller once again glared into his visage, trying to restrain his darkest emotions associated with his tormentor.
Juno eagerly took his arm.
"The Rebel council will be eager to see you again," she said, "They'll want to know how you survived the Death Star."
"What Death Star?" Starkiller asked in confusion. He hadn't met these Rebel leaders before, but he supposed that the original Starkiller had. That was how he knew Kota, after all. He had no idea how to break it to Juno that he was a clone, not the man she fell in love with.
Forget about the Rebel leaders, would she trust him if she knew?
"You must not remember," Juno remarked, "I hate to think of what Vader and the Emperor must have done to you when we left you behind for dead."
This only made Starkiller more nervous and confused as he followed Juno towards the main entrance of the Rebel base, guarded by sentries and laser cannons posted outside.
Inside the Rebel council chamber, Juno and Starkiller approached the seated officials gathered around a circular conference table.
Five Rebel leaders stood to greet the new arrivals, with two human men and one woman approaching.
"It's true, what General Kota told us," said Bail Organa, the former Senator from Alderaan and a critical Imperial dissident, "You were able to survive after all. We cannot tell you how pleased we are to see you again."
Starkiller flushed with embarrassment as Mon Mothma, the exiled Chandrilia Senator, spoke up.
"We owe everything to you, especially the creation of the Rebellion," she said, "You brought us together and rescued us from the Emperor, and now, you've brought us a valuable prisoner who could change the outcome of this war."
Starkiller improvised wildly, deciding that for now, it was best to appear as though he belonged there.
"I am pleased to be back in the company of my friends and allies," he stated, "I am sure that with Lord Vader in custody, we will be able to bring a swifter end to this conflict."
"Indeed," said Garm Bel Iblis, the former Senator from Corellia, "If we could extract the Empire's most critical military secrets from Vader, we could gain the upper hand."
"Once again, we are pleased to have you back," Organa said to Starkiller, "I'm sure after the long ordeal you've been through, you need a good rest."
"Thank you, sir," Starkiller replied, dipping his head. Anxiously, he turned and began to exit the council room.
Juno followed closely at his heels.
"Is everything all right?" she asked, "You looked a little confused."
"I'm fine," Starkiller replied, "It's just been really hard, being away for so long. I don't feel like I belong."
"Of course you belong," Juno said, "Like Senator Mothma said, you're the reason the Rebellion exists."
"Yeah, right," Starkiller muttered, gazing down at his feet.
KAMINO
Far away from the Rebel sanctuary on Dantooine, an Imperial garrison occupied a cloning facility on the rain-filled planet of Kamino. The structure, like almost all of Kamino's civilized dwellings, was built miles above the infinite oceans atop platforms resting on spires that were ingrained deep into the sea floors.
A guard of white armored stormtroopers stood at attention as a lone, cloaked figure walked past them, plowing through the heavy rain across a long, narrow bridge.
Under his black hood, the man physically resembled the clone Starkiller in every way except one- he bore glowing yellow and black eyes, signifying his deep corruption through the dark side of the Force.
Like Starkiller, this Dark Apprentice was a clone of Vader's fallen apprentice, intended to take his place and become the ultimate weapon of the Sith.
The Dark Apprentice had been kept secret until the most critical moment, when Darth Vader was confident that he was ready to carry the dual tasks before him; to destroy the fledging Rebellion once and for all, and to overthrow Vader's own Sith Master, the evil Emperor.
The Dark Apprentice stomped past the lines of awaiting troops towards the shuttle that stood docked on an isolated landing pad. Entering the open ramp, the Apprentice marched towards the small holoprojector and activated it to reveal a hologram.
The Apprentice spoke to the projected image of the bounty hunter Boba Fett, whose face and body were covered in the armor of his cultural ancestors, the Mandalorians.
"Your information had better be useful, bounty hunter," the Dark Apprentice snarled.
"I can confirm that I have tracked the Rogue Shadow to the Rebel base," Fett replied in a neutral tone, "They are holding Lord Vader prisoner. I've sent you the coordinates on the planet."
"Before I pay you, I must ensure that your information is accurate," the Dark Apprentice said. "I will expect to see you in the Dantooine system when my fleet arrives."
DANTOOINE
High on the Dantooinian mountain slopes, Starkiller stood beside General Kota, wielding a pair of blue-bladed lightsabers.
Kota had his own green blade ignited, pausing the lesson to address his student.
"You're not focusing, boy," Kota admonished, "Haven't I told you enough times that a Jedi has to live in the moment? Nothing else exists up here but the lesson."
"Sorry, I know," Starkiller replied, "I just can't stop worrying that it's all going to go wrong. After two months, Vader still hasn't been put on trial. As long as he breathes, he remains a threat."
"We've talked about this," Kota said, "Vader knows the Emperor's military secrets. The council doesn't want to execute him before they've milked every last drop of information."
"It's not just Vader," Starkiller added, "Juno and the others still think I'm the original Starkiller. She's been on so many missions since we got here, and I've barely had time to think of a how to explain."
"But you are him, even if you're not in his original body," Kota argued, "None of the defective clones had his memories. The original Starkiller is a part of you, even if Vader didn't intend it."
"Something still doesn't feel right," Starkiller replied, "It's as if..."
Starkiller froze and looked up to see a Firespray-class ship soaring out of the sky into the atmosphere of Dantooine.
"No!" he realized, horror filling his bones as he watched a volley of Imperial TIE fighters swarming behind Slave I.
"They found us," Kota remarked grimly, dipping his green blade upward.
"I recognize that ship," Starkiller said, observing Boba Fett's vehicle approaching the mountains where they stood, "It's the bounty hunter who kidnapped Juno."
The TIE Fighters broke off from Fett's trajectory and swerved off to the right, in the direction of the Rebel base.
"We have to get back, now!" Starkiller declared, breaking into a run down the rocky slope.
"Hold it!" Kota yelled as a heavy blast shot past Starkiller and drilled a hole into the ground. Starkiller only just managed to avoid the impact, diving out of the way.
Above their heads, Fett flew towards the mountain summit and prepared his ship for docking.
Starkiller and Kota drew closer together, holding their weapons at the ready as the hatch of Slave I opened and the fully armed and armored Boba Fett appeared, aiming his blaster rifle at the two Jedi.
GAMEPLAY
"Brace yourself!" Kota warned as Fett opened fire. Instinctively, Starkiller crossed his two lightsabers together to deflect the shots.
He hurled his lightsabers forward to plunge them into Fett, but the bounty hunter flew upwards on his jetpack over their heads.
Starkiller used the Force to summon his sabers back to him, immediately raising his arms to catch the blasterfire hailing down from above.
"He's got a high ground advantage," Kota said, also repelling Fett's blaster bolts with his own weapon, "We'll have to adapt to his style."
Starkiller and Kota simutaneously threw their lightsabers up towards Fett, who swerved in midair to dodge them.
Kota's green blade managed to slice into Fett's armored boot, causing the bounty hunter to grunt in pain as the two warriors retrieved their falling lightsabers.
Fett's blaster let out ammunition in multiple directions, targeting both Starkiller and Kota at once.
"We've got to get back to the base!" Starkiller shputed as he deflected fire from Boba Fett, "They'll all be in danger."
He started to run in the opposite direction from Fett, and Kota began to follow him down the mountain trail through a grove of dangling trees.
Fett withdrew a grenade and threw it after the two Jedi.
Sensing the danger, Kota shouted, "Scatter!" Starkiller and Kota both leapt as far away from the detonator as possible, landing on top of the branches.
Fett sped on his jetpack towards Starkiller, knocking him in the face with his armor sleeve.
Starkiller punched back with his fists, still clenching a lightsaber blade in each one.
Fett kept engaging him in melee combat, silently insisting that the young clone match him blow for blow. Kota managed to land a strike in Fett's back, and the bounty hunter toppled down onto the jagged rocky trail.
"Good hit," Starkiller commented as he jumped down to confront Fett, who aimed his blaster and fired.
Starkiller used the Force to grab Fett, slamming him hard into a tree trunk. Fett rolled down onto the ground with a grunt of pain before recovering and resuming his onslaught.
By now, Kota had returned to ground level to join the fray, launching his own Force attack.
Again, the impact caused Fett to crash into a tree stump, this time leaving a significant crack in his helmet.
"You Jedi are nothing but a nuisance," he growled, throwing another detonator.
Starkiller managed to catch this grenade with the Force, throwing it a safe distance away where its impact caused a loud boom and shook the mountain.
"We've got to take care of him quickly!" Kota shouted, "More Imperial forces are coming."
Fett was already winding up his pitching arm to throw another detonator, which he tossed directly between Kota and Starkiller. Kota Force-pushed the bomb back at Fett, who flew upwards to avoid the explosion. The blast sent him spiraling onto the hard ground, bouncing as he rolled down the slope.
"Advance!" Starkiller shouted, rushing towards Fett as the bounty hunter regained his footing.
Fett charged at Starkiller once again, striking him in the face with a spiked armor sleeve.
Starkilled shouted as the blades struck his face, then reached out and sent Fett flying once again with the Force.
When Fett next charged, Starkiller and Kota could see half of his olive-skinned face through his broken helmet, his dark brown eyes glaring as he attacked Kota.
Kota matched his blows with both his fists and his lightsaber, before slamming Fett to the ground with a Force-grip.
"Say goodnight, Jedi scum," Fett said as he began throwing several grenades in rapid succession.
There were far too many to avoid, the Jedi realized.
"Together!" Starkiller said as he and Kota used the Force to redirect the series of bombs coming their way. The two warriors hurled the detonators back at Fett, who was knocked several meters back in an earth-trembling explosion.
Starkiller squinted his eyes as he peered through the tree branches and shrubbery to determine where Fett had landed.
"I don't think he's dead," the young clone remarked.
"Forget him," Kota replied, "Our friends are in trouble. And something tells me Vader's not the only dark side user here."
The two men jogged down the slope, towards the sea level. As they passed through the canopy trees, they could see several Imperial TIE Fighters and transport gunships engaging in an air battle with Rebel X and Y-Wing fighters and carriers.
"I don't see the Rogue Shadow," Starkiller said as they trudged through the grassy plains, "I hope Juno's not up there."
"She'll be better off in the dogfight if we don't get back soon," Kota replied, "We're about to be in worse trouble than we could imagine on the ground floor."
"How could it get any worse?" Starkiller questioned.
"We'll find out soon enough," Kota replied.
Through the tall blades of hay-colored grass ahead of Starkiller and Kota, several Imperial stormtroopers appeared, blasters raised.
Starkiller could hear the clanking of an AT-ST walker behind them, still obscured by the towering field of grass.
"We've got more company," Starkiller said as he and Kota unclipped their lightsabers and prepared for a fight.
The stormtroopers instantly opened fire, and Starkiller responded by letting out a Force wave, sending the immediate troops flying in all directions.
Reinforcements came charging through, making up the distance quickly. The two Jedi deflected fire as they reached the line of stormtroopers, slicing their lightsabers through every armored fighter they could reach.
"You Rebel scum won't get away!"
Starkiller looked to his right as he cut off the heads of two troopers.
"Look out for that walker!" he shouted as a heavy blast of ammunition thundered down from the AT-ST cannon.
After throwing his green blade through the chest of a stormtrooper, Kota used the Force to send the shot flying off to the side.
After cutting down the latest wave of Imperial soldiers attacking them, Starkiller and Kota rushed the walker, slicing into its legs.
A powerful kick from each of the AT-ST's feet sent the two of them flying back with a hard thud, momentarily knocking the wind out of them.
Starkiller flicked his wrists, throwing his pair of blue sabers through the torsos of several stormtroopers charging them, while Kota used the Force to send a wave of energy towards the AT-ST.
Starkiller again rushed the walker, slicing into it with his lightsabers. Kota engaged the waves of troopers, deflecting fire and grabbing them with the Force to scatter their bodies.
The older Jedi then joined his protoge, slashing the walker with his green blade.
Once more, a lethal kick sent both Jedi tumbling, before they were attacked by airborne and heavily armed Jumptroopers.
"I got a bad feeling about this," Starkiller commented as the troopers fired heavy artillery fire at them from the sky.
The two Jedi redirected the blasts with their lightsabers and the Force, trying to aim the shots back at the Imperial reinforcements.
Starkiller and Kota were able to take out about half of the Jumptroopers, but the others managed to advance and began striking at the two of them with their weapons, fists, and armor sleeves.
Starkiller and Kota struck back, punching out one Imperial, then another, before Starkiller summoned a burst of Force energy to send flying the Jumptroopers who remained standing.
One of the Jumptroopers that Starkiller had knocked down through melee combat rose to his feet, preparing to swing his blaster again.
Kota stuck out a hand and used the Force to lift up the trooper, then flung him towards the wobbling AT-ST, which fired again at them.
Starkiller launched a Force attack at the walker's cockpit, while Kota sped towards it and resumed slicing at the legs.
Finally, the walker tipped upwards dramatically, before toppling sideways, bursting into flames as it struck the ground.
"Let's keep moving," Kota said, proceeding forward with his lightsaber still ignited.
Starkiller jogged alongside him as they sped along the pathway parting the towering reeds of old brown grass.
As they continued, additional Imperial stormtroopers came charging down the trail, opening fire.
Starkiller took out three of the first wave with a saber throw, while Kota Force-slammed the last two.
"With any luck, Juno managed to get out already," Starkiller said, "Vader will be looking for her first."
"Vader won't be our biggest problem when we get there," Kota replied, just as six more Jumptroopers ambushed them.
The two Jedi deflected their fire before engaging the troops in melee combat, finishing off their enemies with a combined Force attack.
"There's another enemy, worse than Vader," Kota went on as they approached the castle, where Rebel and Imperial ships were still exchanging laserfire, "More powerful in the dark side."
"Who could be worse than Vader?" Starkiller questioned as they reached the main entrance to the base, where the two defensive laser cannons had already been blasted into pieces.
Before Kota could answer, the familiar sound of labored, mechanical breathing snapped them both to focus.
Flanked by black-armored Shadowtroopers, Darth Vader marched down the corridor of the Rebel base, ignoring the scores of Rebels running towards the hangar.
His black cape waving up and down behind him, Vader strode towards the open entryway where Starkiller and Kota were arriving.
"We're too late," Starkiller remarked as Vader held up his hand, indicating the Shadowtroopers to stand back as he approached his foes.
"Stand down, Vader," Kota ordered, "Or we won't be so easy on you this time."
Vader ignored Kota's threat and glared directly at Starkiller through his unrevealing mask. Then, for the first time since arriving on Dantooine, the Dark Lord spoke.
"You have forgotten your place, Apprentice. Perhaps it is time I reminded you."
Vader raised a gloved fist, taking Starkiller by surprise as he levitated him into the air. Starkiller dropped his lightsabers, reaching for his throat as it closed up.
Vader reached forward, using the Force to summon one of Starkiller's lightsaber to him and activating the weapon's blue blade.
Starkiller finally recovered his stamina, pushing forward with a burst of Force energy and knocking Vader backwards.
"I should have killed you on Kamino. I won't make the same mistake twice," Starkiller promised.
Without Vader's initiative, the Shadowtroopers suddenly rushed forward, opening fire.
Starkiller and Kota met their blasts with their lightsabers, ready for combat.
Starkiller leapt forward, slicing his lightsaber through the chest of a trooper.
The next one struck him with an elbow, causing him to stumble. Starkiller took care of the Shadowtrooper with a decapitation.
Kota was equally aggressive, cutting through his attackers with a green flash of light.
Starkiller lifted two more Shadowtroopers up with the Force, slamming them into the exterior wall of the Rebel base.
Meanwhile, Kota charged Vader and began engaging him in lightsaber combat, his green blade pushing against Vader's blue one.
As Vader repelled Kota, Starkiller joined the fray, slicing into Vader's backside.
Vader used the Force to throw both Jedi opponents backwards, sending them to the ground with two hard thuds.
"The Rebel Alliance ends today," Vader said as the two Jedi rushed him again, meeting both of their strikes with rapid and formidable defense.
As Starkiller pushed forward, he pushed his lightsaber against its stolen twin, forcing Vader into a bladelock.
"You won't defeat the Rebellion!" Starkiller said defiantly.
"Your allegiance to them will be your downfall," Vader shot back.
The two identical sabers pushed hard against one another until Starkiller's might sent Vader stumbling.
Vader responded by rushing Starkiller with a sudden attack, cutting into his leg. Starkiller staggered in pain as Kota rushed Vader, rebuking with his own series of saber attacks.
This time, it was Kota who entered a bladelock with Vader, pushing with all of his strength to win the stalemate.
"You are unworthy of your title, General Kota," Vader snarled.
"The Empire will be held accountable for its crimes," Kota replied.
Finally, Kota sent Vader tumbling, but the Sith Lord recovered quickly, slamming Kota into the wall nearby.
Starkiller sent a Force push towards Vader, knocking him backwards before charging. The former master and apprentice exchanged a rapid series of blows as Starkiller kept Vader on the defensive.
Starkiller finally managed a slash to the shoulder as Kota rejoined the fight, weakening Vader's advantage.
Vader aimed a Force-shove at Kota as he stayed focused on Starkiller. Kota responded by repelling the wave, knocking Vader further back.
Starkiller quickly made up the distance, hooking Vader's stolen lightsaber into another bladelock with his remaining weapon.
"I will destroy all your allies until you have nothing," Vader threatened.
"I won't let you hurt them," Starkiller replied.
Once again, Starkiller won the standoff, knocking Vader sideways. The Dark Lord came back with an unexpected saber attack, slicing into Starkiller's arm.
Kota caught up to them as Vader pressed his offensive, throwing his saber towards the Dark Lord's back.
Vader howled and turned around, slamming Kota back with the Force as he remained in saber combat with Starkiller.
As Starkiller slashed again at Vader, the Sith Lord Force-threw him backwards with a hard slam, turning his attention to Kota.
As Vader charged, Kota met his every blow, pushing him onto the defensive once again.
Starkiller rushed towards the two elder combatants and thrusted his lightsaber forward. The weapon flew in a slashing motion until it cut into Vader' helmet before returning to Starkiller's hand. Vader grunted as he staggered, before Force-leaping towards the wall of the Rebel castle.
Before Starkiller and Kota could make up the distance, Vader grabbed two pieces of the stone tower nearest him and flung them at his two foes.
Starkiller and Kota managed to catch the falling projectiles and redirect them towards Vader, hitting him hard. Vader reached for two more pieces of the tower, throwing them at Starkiller and Kota who again repelled the flying chunks back at him.
Vader reached towards his two opponents and used the Force to lift them into the air, cutting off their breathing.
As Starkiller and Kota struggled to break free of Vader's stranglehold, they summoned a combined Force maelstorm and hurled it at Vader, causing him to drop them both and double over.
The two Jedi sprang forward, hitting Vader with a combined saber attack. Vader parried each blow as fast as he could, but Starkiller and Kota managed to land several hits with their blades.
Finally, Starkiller managed to use the Force to levitate Vader, slamming him hard onto the wall and then the courtyard floor.
Starkiller and Kota advanced on their target, lightsabers raised.
"Time to finally pay for everything you've done," Starkiller growled. He reached for the lightsaber Vader had taken from him, but it flew far beyond his reach as he tried to summon it.
Starkiller and Kota turned to see a black-cloaked, hooded figure approaching, igniting two lightsabers very much like Starkiller's, except with crimson-colored blades.
"Who is that?" Starkiller asked, positioning his lightsaber in a defensive stance.
"He's you," Kota replied, "That's why you couldn't sense him. Vader did the impossible."
"You mean he's another clone?" Starkiller replied, but before Kota could answer, the two of them were lifted into the air by the Dark Apprentice.
Starkiller and Kota were then blasted with two streams of crackling Force lightning, coming from the Dark Apprentice's fists each clenching a lightsaber.
As the two of them recovered from the blow, Vader slowly rose to his feet, summoning Starkiller's discarded lightsaber back to him.
"The Jedi were always doomed to perish by their own hubris," he said.
Starkiller and Kota prepared to face him yet again, but the Dark Apprentice advanced quickly, hurling another dosage of electricity at the two Jedi.
Kota pivoted to charge at the Dark Apprentice while Starkiller faced down Vader, but a heavier burst of crackling energy struck him square in the chest and rippled across his whole body.
Starkiller turned his attention away from Vader and ran to help his friend and teacher.
The Dark Apprentice was quicker, using the Force to pull the disarmed Kota towards him and thrusting one of his red blades through the old General's chest.
"NO!" Starkiller yelled as Kota's mouth opened in pain before he dropped and rolled over onto the courtyard grass.