I do not own Star Wars. If I did, different people would be doing the scripts for the films.
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Beta read by the wonderful lincoln time, Jeda31, and BlantonM. Could not have done it without you guys!
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Guest Review answers :-D
anon helpful
That does help explain things, but if Finn had already had a record of repeatedly failing to commit atrocities, then the First Order would have taken notice sooner.
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Zero
Yes, the Solo family really dropped the ball in many respects on how they raised Ben. Although EU!Luke is going to be careful about talking about how well his own niece and nephews are turning out, because might aggravate things. As for why the Legends!Solos had only one kid, I would guess it was because of how busy they were.
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TheAntiReylo
I appreciate the effort put into big reviews :-)
This chapter will address some bits of Reylo, but whether or not I follow through on that pairing is something you will have to wait and see on ;-)
Interesting motivation for Kylo, and yeah I can see that. But yes, his sheer lack of motivation badly hurt his character. For Vader when we first meet him in the Original Trilogy, that mystery about his motivations actually made him more intimidating, followed by how despite everything he cares about his family, and again the lack of answers just adds to the tension between him and Luke. With the Sequel Trilogy where Ben is the scion of heroes of the Republic and the Light, his devotion to the Empire 2.0 is very jarring and confusing. A simple, all-consuming hunger can explain it, but also frankly boring.
As for EU!Luke vs Kylo when both get serious, well, just you wait and see ;-)
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Guest (please choose a name/nickname next time)
Glad to help with omakes, and yes Kylo running still fun.
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FormVIEnthusiast
Oh yes, Legends!Luke all the way! Although I do have plans for the other as well . . .
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Nikolai
Awesome to hear how much you loved it, and yeah I wanted to make abundantly clear just how dangerous Mara is.
The consensus is indeed generally that EU!Luke would best Kylo, but the latter still has an insane amount of power at his fingertips.
LOL Finn will just claim that was deliberate ;-)
EU!Luke knew he could not successfully pretend to be his counterpart, and he knows better than most how dangerous Leia, any version of Leia, can be. Honesty was the best approach to head off any issues.
Part of the issue for the EU cast is that revealing how much better things are in their universe could actually make things worse. How would you feel if an identical twin of you showed up out of the blue, and started showing pictures of how much more successful they were than you?
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Guest (please choose a name/nickname next time)
Yeeeeeah, after the Vong War, things really started going downhill for a LIST of reasons that I am not going to get into. One thing I am working on here is for the Expanded Universe cast to learn things to help prevent a lot of that.
Whatever else you can say about Cade Skywalker, at least (when not undercover) he knew better than to get into bed with people who had made attempts to kill him… :-P
Here is the latest chapter, and I hope it was worth the wait! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D
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Guest (please choose a name/nickname next time)
Alas, but I have a lot of other ongoing stories.
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Guest (please choose a name/nickname next time)
For Betas, look for the listing of them near the top left of your screen on FF.
Here is the latest chapter, and I hope it was worth the wait! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D
Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D
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Star Wars: Legends Never Die
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Chapter 6: Skywalker-Solo Family Drama
A.K.A.
Trying to Solve Issues like Responsible Adults
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Previously:
After Luke, Mara, and Co. survived the First Order assault and driven off Kylo Ren, they met with General Leia Solo of the Resistance, and revealed their origins. However, this reunion/first-meeting is tainted by the threat of Starkiller Base.
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While everyone else seemed to find some sort of humour in Threepio's hysterics over there now being two Artoo's in existence, Mara remained on guard.
Just because these Resistance soldiers were against the First Order, and apparently would be enthusiastic to find Luke Skywalker, did not guarantee they were allies; especially when they learned this was the 'wrong' Luke. Still, she could not deny her own relief at the sight of one General Leia Organa Solo, even if she appeared more weathered than the Organa Solo who Mara was used to.
Fortunately, it appeared this version of Organa Solo was going to be reasonable about everything, while the real danger was from the rest of the Resistance. As the soldiers circled back after securing the area, they now recognized who was present, and mistook her Luke for theirs. She felt like rolling her eyes at the hero worship she saw, and resisted the urge to make a biting comment about how some things never change no matter the timeline. Maybe later.
Instead, to deflect from what else she was doing, and because it was well deserved, she turned and said to Rey, "You did excellent by the way. Most of Luke's students couldn't pull off what you just did."
It was solely by long, painfully earned discipline Mara repressed her body's reflex to flinch away at the star-struck expression on the young woman's face.
"But you were amazing!" she gushed. "Just the way you fought those Stormtroopers! And used their own weapons against them! You're what a Jedi's all about!"
Oh. No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no—
Luke! Help! she wailed to him, hiding behind a mask of a polite smile.
The traitor locked down his shields, and she knew he was laughing at her and that was it she was killing him here and now and nobody nowhere was going to—
"We should get going," Organa Solo's voice cut through Mara's terrified thoughts.
Startled, she took in her surroundings again, and realized the Resistance leader had also been paying attention to their audience. Fresh gossip was starting to filter about as well, about how the Jedi Master destroyed three whole squadrons of TIE's.
No, it was two wings!
While defeating Kylo Ren and sending him running crying, all with a single swing of his lightsaber.
"Yes, let's," Mara said, grasping onto the chance to leave. "Rey—"
Quick, what was she supposed to say to keep this child away from her!?
"Go help Chewie prep the Falcon for flight," ordered Solo, as he gave Rey a wink.
"She'll be a good co-pilot," smiled Luke serenely, giving Mara a look which implied he thought he had earned forgiveness for his little 'contribution.'
Surprisingly, Solo strolled over to give Rey a firm clasp on the shoulder and smiled, "She sure will." Then softly, "Maybe also invite Finn?"
She blinked, and then smiled. Whirling, she turned to Finn who was warily watching Organa Solo, and said, "Finn! Want me to help teach you how to pilot?"
Blanching, he looked shocked at the offer. "Uh, I, uhm—"
"That would be good for you," said Luke, which caught the man further off guard. "The First Order wouldn't have taught you I'm guessing? Well, this way you can learn. Useful if you need to make a sudden escape."
Now the ex-Stormtrooper looked caught between being elated, or deathly afraid of all the armed Resistance fighters surrounding him after being publicly outed.
"Threepio," called out Organa Solo, "could you please help? I'm sure Chewbacca would like your help for giving advice."
The Wookie gave the general a look at that, but the tension in the air relaxed at her tacit approval. Plus, it was true neither Human knew his language. Of course he did not go without first giving his old friend a tender hug and gentle greeting, which she warmly returned, and then growled a chiding warning to Solo.
Tenderly Rey took an emotionally stunned Finn's hand to guide him towards the ship. Clearly still processing that he was not going to be gunned down on the spot.
In short order, they were all boarding the Falcon, while members of the Resistance would pilot the old Eravana, which was just fine with Mara. Who knew what other monsters Solo was carrying aboard?
"New weapon?" asked Luke her with interest.
In answer Mara barred her teeth in a predatory grin, and hefted her shock baton. "Mine. It can block lightsabers and deflect blaster bolts, and be non-lethal." Granted, she may have spent a little too long properly testing it against the original wielder before finishing it, yet she could not bring herself to regret it.
She also knew better than to let an enthusiastic tinkerer near it without proper supervision. While Luke was unquestionably talented, this was also currently their sole sample of this revolutionary tech.
"Oh, wow!" Stroking his chin, his approval was evident. "Using a reverse grip would indeed make a defensive guard easier, while not worrying about cutting off your own arm like with a lightsaber."
"Mine," she repeated.
"How much grovelling do I need to do for a copy of the schematics?"
It was meant as teasing, but both of them faltered as they realized it took on a new light with them being in a relationship.
Even worse, instead of flushing he stumbled.
In a flash she was under his arm to support him, and moved him to take a seat. "Easy, you're still recovering."
"About that. Any idea what happened?" he firmly demanded.
"One moment. Finn!"
He popped his head back in from his way to the cockpit. "What?"
"You said that thing was a superweapon called Starkiller?"
Grimacing, he nodded. "It was aimed at the Hosnian system. Nothing could've survived." Then he further proved her impression of his tactical insight as he beat a hasty retreat.
"It's true," confirmed Organa Solo. "Along with the Senate, most of the Republic's defense fleet, and far too many good people."
Exchanging a confused glance, Mara and Luke looked back at the other couple, and he cleared his throat, "Uhm, what do you mean?"
"Pardon?" said Organa Solo, cocking her head.
The ship shook a little with the sensation of take-off, yet none of them truly registered it due to long experience.
Frowning in thought, the Jedi Master offered, "Is the Republic capital not on Coruscant?"
Confusion and clarity warred on Organa Solo's face before nodding. "Different history indeed," she murmured just loud enough to be heard.
Taking up the thread, Solo said, "It was considered, but no. Too many feared it would be a symbol of making the same old mistakes of the last Republic, and be too Core-centric. So they went for rotating the capital between different star systems. Chandrila was the first with Mon at the helm, and Hosnian Prime was the latest."
"Oh," blinked Luke. "That's an amazing idea! I mean, the logistics of moving the bureaucracy around would be a major pain, except yes, as you said, the symbolism of it all . . . !" He trailed off in thought once more. "We've been having some issues with unity back home, and that might be the sort of thing to help smooth over some issues. I'll have to look into it more later."
For fortunately as much as an academic and historian as the man was, it was by necessity of his so-called 'career choice,' and thus not an actual nerd about it. Expression hardening, the Jedi Master and former General took the helm. "Right now though, Starkiller's our priority."
"Agreed," said Organa Solo.
"We also need to talk about Ben," said Solo flatly.
With a sigh, Luke shook his head. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop your son, or bring him in. I was still too busy recovering. If I was at full strength, it would've been a different story. As it was, I got lucky in how it went down." He cocked an eyebrow, "Although he has a strange fascination with his grandfather. I'm surprised he went with Kylo Ren instead of a name similar to Vader."
If anything Solo's scowl darkened, yet did not contradict any of it.
"I do want him back," said the mother of the Dark Sider in question, and Mara was cautious of that open love in those eyes. "But first I need a better idea of what's happening here."
"Agreed. First things first though, from what Mara said before, most of the Republic was demilitarized, so does this mean without a home fleet we're basically defenseless?"
"Not quite," corrected Organa Solo. "The remaining ten percent was also actively training the local armed forces of our member worlds."
Slowly Luke nodded, as their own government had done something similar, and indeed was a large basis in the ongoing armed conflicts over the Camaasi and other lingering grudges. It was a fine balance between a larger, strictly neutral military force versus letting all the independent systems being able to defend themselves, and one which his Republic was obviously struggling with.
"Of course," she continued, "we have no clue what the First Order is capable of. Except we've already intercepted reports of their fleets securing strategic worlds."
"We should also talk to Finn about what he knows too," noted Mara.
"I'm sorry," said Organa Solo, and it did sound genuine, "I got too distracted. I'm obviously General Leia Solo. And yourself?"
"Jedi Knight Mara," grinned Luke proudly. "Just the sort of woman we need to help handle this."
"I see," said Organa Solo, still perfectly subtle, yet by a flicker in the Force, Mara was confident her husband had signaled he would tell her more in private.
There was also a light brushing against her mental shields, which she slapped away with equal gentleness.
Organa Solo raised an eyebrow at that, as they both confirmed they were trained in the Force.
Thinking on it for another moment, especially given that response to Finn, she decided to play her sabacc hand.
"In our universe, I used to be one of Palpatine's hand-picked agents. It was only sometime after the Battle of Endor that I accepted I hadn't been working in service of a good and noble man, but an evil one."
It was almost casual how Solo's hand drifted towards his blaster.
"You were an Inquisitor," said Organa Solo, and it was not quite an accusation.
"An Emperor's Hand," she corrected.
"You hunted Jedi."
"No," and she did not hide her slight confusion. "He had Vader for that. Plus a few Acolytes. The Hands were more for discretion, usually against internal corruption by non-Force Sensitives. Espionage, assassination, that sort of thing. I was only assigned to kill Luke near the end because Vader was deemed untrustworthy."
"And instead you fell helplessly in love with him," drawled Solo, dripping with sarcasm. "Swooned into his arms?"
Mara laughed.
It was a rich, full laugh which released so much of her tension by the sheer absurdity of it all.
Ruefully, Luke scratched his head, blushing a little in embarrassment, even as he let her feel how he enjoyed the sound of her humour. "It, uh, took a better part of a decade for us to reach this point. Mostly because along the way I made some pretty big mistakes. Ones which meant she knew better than to be around me. Despite this, I, and my sister back home, both trust her implicitly, regardless of her past."
Hiccupping a little, Mara, brought herself under control, and re-assessed the situation.
Even with her familiarity with their counterparts, it was hard to get a read on this couple, as they were both highly experienced at keeping their thoughts private, even from Force users.
However . . . it remained a fact that there were a lot of issues everyone was dancing around during this conversation. Being very direct, maybe a little unnaturally so for someone as hot-tempered as Solo, and keeping painfully on topic, instead of:
Acknowledging that the Jedi Master Luke Skywalker who should be here, was not. That for whatever reason, he had abandoned his family, to the extent it appeared the Force had dragged in a replacement to take up his stead.
Even if her Luke had carefully admitted he was not perfect and had made big mistakes just a moment ago, it did not change the emotional pain of how he was the one actually present. Something which badly stung at her Luke on a personal level, and she was unhappy at being pulled into this mess to help clean it up herself.
Including how an alternate version of Jacen Solo had fallen to the Dark Side without his own parents apparently knowing until it was too late.
In conclusion . . .
One wrong word could spark up a lot of issues which they did not have time for.
Hence the discrete efforts to 'send the kids away' with Chewbacca to keep them busy.
For now, Starkiller took precedence, and they would play the role of mature, responsible adults until it was handled.
Or until everything exploded anyways.
This was not how Mara had expected her post-engagement meeting with 'Organa Solo' and 'Solo' again to go.
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* * * Legends Never Die * * *
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Eyes wide, Rey could only stare at the wall before her as she struggled to process what she had just overheard.
At first Chewie had insisted that she stay up at the cockpit to help, only to relent when she said that she needed to ask about some Force Visions she had had on the planet.
Only to arrive just in time to hear what the group had been talking about just out of their sight.
Now so much more made sense, especially when it clicked together with the bombshell from just before about being from another universe.
Mara . . . she had been one of the Emperor's most evil minions, only to now become the most awesome Jedi imaginable. The sort of woman Rey wanted to be.
No wonder they had recognized Finn for a First Order Stormtrooper, and knew they could help him!
And . . . Ben, had fallen to the Dark Side like his grandfather Vader? No, Anakin Skywalker.
Unbidden, and with perfect clarity, she remembered those words from Master Skywalker:
"My father, was Anakin Skywalker, and Fell to the Dark Side to become Darth Vader. He believed it gave him power to protect those he loved, yet the Dark emotions and actions he embraced only consumed him, and cost him the very people he had embraced them for. It was not until the very end he let himself accept this, and turn back to the Light, knowing it would kill him."
Except that must have been years ago, right? Now Master Skywalker was older and wiser, and he could—
A sensation as cold as Jaku's nights washed over her spine as one image blazed within her mind.
In the midst of the battle, fighting for her life while blaster bolts shot out all around her, there had been a figure running . . . in the direction of the First Order ships? Yes, yes it had been. They had said Ben was now emulating Darth Vader, and even on Jakku she had known of the Emperor's attack dog, wearing all black with a distinctive helmet, just like that . . . yes, it had been a man. And despite the distance, when she saw him, he had been looking right at her too, she knew it.
Was that the Force?
. . . That had been Ben Solo, and they had been looking at each other!?
There had been something then, like a connection . . .
But why would she have a connection to a Dark Sider!? She was going to become a Jedi!
Unless . . . what she had felt, been drawn to, was the Ben Solo which still exists within Kylo Ren?
Yes! Yes it must be! And with that there, Master Luke could draw him back to the Light and save him!
It would all work out, and then and then and then and then . . . what? What then?
Belatedly she wondered why she was looking at a pair of boots.
It took her a few seconds of staring at them to register she was sitting on the ground instead of standing like she had been before.
A strange taste hit her next, and when she reached up, she realized —No, no, no, no! — her face was wet!
What was happening!? Tears wasted water!
But she wasn't on Jakku anymore.
But she might go back.
But should she go back?
But they might send her back.
But they wouldn't send her back.
But what was wrong with her!?
"Ah," with a grimace, Han Solo cut off whatever else he was going to say. Kneeling down beside her, he laid a hand on her shoulder, and she tensed with the urge to lean into the warmth of it. Feeling it also made her realize she was shaking. "That was your first real fight?" he asked as kind as he could muster.
Instead of answering, she could only stare at him blankly like a depowered Droid.
"Right, and your first time killing people?"
". . ."
"Ah, kid," he said, and she could not understand the emotions on his face. "And then you had to hear all that while the adrenaline's coming off, and none of us stopped to think on it. Even Finn's been trained for this. Okay, will you let me help you through it?"
Timidly she nodded.
"Thank you."
He called over his shoulder without breaking eye contact, "I'll handle this. You lot work on the other stuff for now." Focusing back on her, he started, "First things first—"
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* * * Legends Never Die * * *
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"I'll give you some time alone," said Luke's not-sister graciously, stepping out of the room. He had to admire the deft way she had handled that, while also ensuring some time for herself to process everything.
A little guiltily, he and Mara waited a moment before sliding off to a different part of the ship, leaving this version of Han to talk to Rey. They had really failed her there, but he also recognized they were currently juggling a lot of responsibilities at once. Obviously though, one of their priorities would have to be to sort out what they should focus on.
Including when to discuss Rey's Visions, as that was likely what she had come to ask them about in further hindsight. Even if just to be sure she was not concerned about any of them being immediately relevant.
Except nothing excused how they had brought a civilian teenager into a massive battle which had seen dozens gunned down, where she had had to choose between kill or be killed.
Luke had pulled it off at the Death Star, only for the full weight of it to crash down on him days later once the grief of losing his loved ones had ebbed. In contrast, he had seen far too many others collapse under the weight of their actions and loss immediately afterwards. To say nothing of how her rapid awakening with the Force would have amplified things!
He knew better than to overlook a novice after such a thing, but he had allowed himself to get distracted, and Rey had suffered for it.
With a mental sigh, Luke put those thoughts aside for now. They would do their best for her as soon as possible, and make up for their failures. At the moment, that meant letting Han be his gruff yet kind-hearted self. It was probably good for him too.
Meanwhile, they had to focus more upon the present, with the looming threat of the First Order and this Starkiller.
The first step in that was figuring out what —and more importantly who— they had to work with.
Thinking along the same lines, Mara, jerking her chin after Leia. "You think she'll be alright? That's a lot to take in, even for her. And it looks like she was putting a lot of her hopes into getting the right brother back."
"I'm confident she'll be okay. But it definitely was a lot for her to take in," he admitted. "It's not just—" he gestured to indicate the two of them and the Droid "—this either."
"Oh?" An eyebrow raised over a striking, jade eye in a light, challenging skepticism.
He shrugged in response, acknowledging the differences. His Leia had not worn those sorts of braids since the days of the Rebel Alliance, and he knew enough of Alderaan's culture to appreciate the significance of that. However, he had still recognized the pain and sadness she was hiding, harsher than usual. "When she was talking about Hosnia, those were all people she knew, and I'll bet this Leia prides herself on knowing everybody," he reminded her. "Friends, colleagues, all the staff she would've taken the time to know the names and little habits of, and so many more. Depending on how well she's trained, she not only felt all their deaths, but recognized them as they died."
"Ah," winced Mara as she now internalized that, and regret at her choice of words flashed through the Force from her.
"Yes," he nodded in understanding, and sympathy for the older woman. "She definitely needs a moment to regain her strength. Adjusting to our presence, all while the government she was once willing to sacrifice so much for, and was still loyal to her even after the Senate ruined her career, has possibly taken a mortal blow."
"What is the Republic's policy if they lose Coruscant?" asked Mara, deciding to briefly redirect the conversation. "I mean, it's happened once already."
". . . Something to ask our Leia about when we get home."
"'Our Leia,' hmmm?" she echoed back teasingly, while letting him feel her warmth at his assurance they would manage to return.
"Well you'll be part of the family," he grinned back. "Maybe Han will call you 'sister' even?"
"Only once," she flatly warned, which evoked a small chuckle from Luke.
It felt good to do that, yet for some reason she looked at him in concern. He raised an eyebrow in a silent question he knew she would understand, and she gave out a heavy breath. "You're still too tense," she bluntly told him.
"I—" he broke off, and glanced away from the stirring of emotions within him. As usual, Mara was right. He really should get used to it.
"There's quite a number of things to be concerned about," he said mildly, looking back at her with a small smile as he tried —and failed— to add a little humour to the situation.
"Oh, one more superweapon is not what you're really worried about. You've been picking your teeth with them for decades now. 'Sides, this time you've got me, so it'll be even easier. No, what's really getting to you is seeing how a version of your family's been torn apart."
Despite all his years of emotional discipline, nothing could prevent the grimace which erupted across his face. Briefly it flickered, before he gave up trying to suppress it. Best keep it in the open to help in acknowledging it.
Piteously, if not unkindly, Mara continued, saying what he needed to hear.
"You can't avoid the issues of what your counterpart and his family have been up to here," she warned, and she was not bothering to shield her own frustration from Luke. "Not indefinitely."
How somehow a version of Jacen or Anakin had Fallen.
That this version of Han would blame it on his son having too much Vader in him without considering the implications towards Leia, and both absolving himself of his own involvement, and the young man's ability to make his own decisions.
How a version of himself was not here to help his sister or Republic. Disappearing without a word, and only traces of a cryptic map left behind.
. . . As well as the number of times Luke himself had teetered on the edge of bad decisions which could have led to the same consequences.
His anger at his counterpart. Towards what had happened here. At his own past decisions as he now appreciated more the dark road they could have led him down.
Useless and distracting him.
With a sigh, he released his own anger —and yes, fear— into the Force. At her raised eyebrow, she was unimpressed.
"I know," he reassured her. "But we're hardly perfect either. Imagine if this version of me had come to Yavin 4 when I had just started out training students, and found how horribly I was handling matters? Saw everything Corran had, including my own naivety?"
"And you wouldn't have taken it well," she acknowledged. "Especially as you were still trying to shake off your own time as a Dark Sider. Which would've been an even worse time for him to arrive. Except in such a case, he would be responsible for handling the situation with what he knew, as well as press for greater understanding when he could. You're making excuses here for him, and you know it while pretending you're not affected by all this."
Before he could say anything, she cut in, "I'm a stranger, and keeping secrets would've made it worse than them knowing my past. Meanwhile, you're thinking of your actual sister's kids, and how they're growing up to be fine, non-murderous teenagers, if not outright Jedi."
Something unpleasant flashed through his mind, connecting with some quiet concerns he was having about Rey. ". . . Have they had a choice?"
Blinking once, she gave him a quizzical look. "Pardon?"
"I . . . We've always assumed Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin had a choice over whether or not they'll become Jedi, but how much have we offered them as an alternative? How much is it truly because they grew up surrounded by the expectation of it? Especially because of me?"
In that moment, her shields faltered, and through the connection they shared, he could feel her thoughts.
Oh Force, there's more simmering family drama here threatening to explode than I'm qualified to deal with.
He could not help the snort of agreement and amusement, to which Mara huffed, and gave the mental equivalent of a slap over the head.
Only to then handle it as best as she could.
"Personally I think you're underestimating the three of them. Still…" She turned to a certain little tag-along, and said, "Artoo, give him a reminder about that once we get back. For now, you, me, meditation."
"Meditation?" he echoed dumbly before his brain caught up. "Ah. Yes. We need to clear our minds."
"Uh huh, we've got too many engines burning in every direction, and have been gunning it full throttle since the start of this mess. So we're taking a file from Organa Solo's datapad, and taking a breather for ourselves so we can focus."
Without another word, she sank down to the deck right where she was standing, and crossed her legs to enter a trance.
With only the briefest hesitation he joined her, and regaled in the sensation of sharing this with her like they had first done after leaving Nirauan.
Feeling each other while reaching out to be embraced by the Force.
Going this deeply, he could sense her own confusion and light discomfort as now she too recognized the subtle ways the Force felt 'off' to what they were familiar with. Presumably because they were in a different universe, there was somehow a difference in the bottomless ocean of pure energy that was the Force. Their connection remained muted, but not as badly as it was before. Like they were adjusting to one another more now.
However there was also a Darkness underlying it all in a way it concerned him. For now it was not an immediate threat, but definitely something they would have to address. It was also something he did not recognize, so he assumed it was related to Snoke in some manner. Nevertheless, removing Starkiller, and the Republic-wide fear it was creating on top of the murder of billions, would go far in alleviating it.
Satisfied for now, he turned back to soothing his mind, sorting through his emotions, and as dispassionately as possible reviewing his actions thus far since being dropped into this newest adventure.
Distantly he could feel the tension leaving his body, and he continued to sort out ideas and plans for the future, when a slight mental pressure piqued his attention. It was another Force Sensitive trying to get his attention, and quickly realized it was this version of Leia.
Fascinating, he sent to Mara. At first glance they appear identical, but now with closer inspection they remain unique in the Force. Just like between Dorsk 81 and Dorsk 82.
After letting her make her obligatory yet good-natured grumbling at the interruption, he brought his attention back to his body.
"Yes?" he asked, looking up at the general, and his smile was more natural now.
"We're coming down to land at our base," she informed him. "Are you ready?"
In surprise he blinked, as it did not feel like it had been nearly that long of a jump. However he supposed the Resistance base was so conveniently close by as part of the plan to pass on their secret copy of that map to find his counterpart. Not what he would have recommended in his experience, but he did not know what constraints they were under. Plus it was possible he had gotten more lost in his meditation than usual, especially with the Force behaving differently than he was used to.
Covering up his confusion, he nodded. "Yes, we are."
"Good. I've got some people to introduce you to."
Smoothly he stood up, and said, "Sounds like old times, for better or worse."
"Oh, definitely worse before this is over," said Mara, stretching her arms. "But mostly for the First Order."
A familiar, knowing expression crossed Leia's face. "I do believe you'll fit in just fine."
/ * * \
* * * Legends Never Die * * *
\ * * /
D'Qar
Resistance Base
Gingerly Finn walked down the ramp of the Millennium Falcon to the Resistance Base, a place which he once would have referred to as 'the enemy base.'
Beside him were BeeBee-Ate, and Rey, sticking together for the end of it, even as everybody else had already gone on ahead.
Honestly, he was a bit worried about her, as she had not come back to the cockpit, and her eyes were red and damp for some reason. When he had asked her about it though, she assured him she was fine, so he took her word for it.
Trying to take stock of the situation, he slowly looked around. As he did so, he was struck by the realization of how many aliens were here. Doing various tasks, running from one place to the next, talking to Humans or even seeming to give them orders. Shocking!
Although . . . it had always been the First Order which touted the superiority of Humans over other races. It seemed a safe assumption to imagine whatever his previous . . . what was the word? Superiors? No. Role models? Definitely not. Erm, this was weird. What should he call them? Oh. Of course. It was a safe assumption that whatever his previous tormentors thought 'right,' was actually 'wrong,' right? No, wait, wrong?
As Finn struggled to readjust his life views, Rey tried to distract herself by drinking in yet another green planet. She was . . . confused. Despite her collapse, nobody was blaming her. Instead, they were apologizing to her!
It was . . . nice . . . ?
She was still missing something though, but was confident it would come to her.
Oooh, those X-wings!
They drifted towards the rest of the crafts, and the maintenance going on for them, as Finn followed her lead, even if they shrank away from the crowds. In fact, staying outdoors where it was less cramped with people seemed a good idea, and when she voiced it, he agreed with her.
Only for him to be bumped aside as BeeBee-Ate knocked into him. Rey almost scolded him, as she knew the Droid could have avoided her other friend, yet was curious as to what had set him off.
He raced towards an X-wing with a unique paint job of mainly black with an orange stripe, which must have been their leader, and was greeted enthusiastically by the pilot.
"Poe?" exclaimed Finn in shock, and it took a moment for her to recognize the name of the Resistance agent who had helped Finn escape the First Order. And gave him a name . . .
Hearing Finn, the man stood up, and while she missed his words, his joy was evident.
"Poe Dameron, you're alive?"
Finn hurried over to be met in a bear hug by Poe.
"Buddy! So are you! What happened to you?"
"I got thrown from the crash. I woke up at night. No you. No ship. Nothing."
"BeeBee-Ate says that you saved him."
"No, no, no. It wasn't just me."
"You completed my mission, Finn. More than that, you went above and beyond and found Skywalker even. You didn't even need any stinking map!" he exclaimed, pointing an enthusiastic finger at him before something registered. "That's my jacket."
"Oh . . ." embarrassed, Finn started to take it off.
"No, no, no. Keep it. It suits you. You're a good man, Finn."
Rather than responding to that, Finn remembered he had someone to introduce. "Uh, this is Rey. She did it all. Too. Yeah."
With some trepidation, Rey stepped forward, noting cuts and abrasions on Poe's face, presumably from being captured and tortured by the First Order.
"Hi."
"Hi."
"I'm Poe."
"Rey," she said, feeling a little awkward.
Immediately BeeBee-Ate trilled in her defense, and Poe chuckled, "Yeah, I know you mentioned her too. I haven't forgotten."
They shook hands, and he grinned, "Thanks for taking care of both my guys."
"My pleasure," she managed, wondering at the sudden pang at his use of the word 'my.'
"Glad to make another friend out of someone who knows them too," he continued, and it took a moment for it to sink in for her.
"Likewise," she breathed out, and right then and there Rey knew she would die for this man.
Another friend!
"Mr. Finn?"
Stiffening, Finn stepped away from his friends to distance himself from them. Turning, he was unsurprised to see two Resistance men in uniform standing at attention. Their blasters were holstered, yet he had no delusions of the threat they posed.
"What is this?" demanded Poe, stupidly getting between Finn and them.
Desperately Finn put a hand on the man's shoulder to move him aside, only to feel Rey's hand on his own shoulder.
"Sir," nodded one of the soldiers. "We've been informed Mr. Finn is a deserter vetted by Master Skywalker himself. However, we need to debrief him."
"What does that mean!?" said Rey, teeth barred a little.
"Just some questions," said the other man, raising placating hands. "We're aware he's already done us a great service. There's still questions we need to ask though, as well as seeing to his safety here on D'Qar."
"Not alone," she insisted, and Finn could only marvel at how she had found her energy again. This was the woman he had first met on Jakku, with him knocked to the ground, and her holding a staff to his face.
For himself, he was trying to remember how to speak again.
"If that's what you want, sir," said the first soldier, nodding to Finn, and it takes him a moment that somebody is referring to him as 'sir.' One more way this whole mess was insane and impossible.
"Uhm, yeah, I'd—"
Want to confess all his sins where people he trusted and respected could hear everything?
"—I'll be fine guys, honest," he said instead. Before they could say anything, he hurried on, "We can talk later, right?" Even if it was from either side of a cell door.
"Maybe the mess hall?" offered one of the soldiers. "I'm sure you'll be hungry after we're done with our questions."
Okay, now they were just messing with him. Acting all nice and polite to put him off guard, and it was working!
"Y—yeah, sure!" he managed.
"Okay," said Poe, nodding slowly, yet no longer looking as suspicious as he stepped back. He clapped Finn on the shoulder, and looked him deep in the eye. "If they make you uncomfortable, just leave. We'll talk later. You look after yourself, alright?"
"And I'll be waiting in the mess hall," added Rey defiantly. Looking down at the Droid, she said, "Where's that?"
Obediently BB-8 beeped and whistled off directions, and she immediately stalked off there.
As for Poe, after giving another warning stare to his two fellow members of the Resistance —Why was he risking his career and life like this!?— he also took his leave, marching off for his own official debriefing.
Swallowing, Finn indicated he was ready to be escorted to his interrogation.
That it was instead an office with a chair more comfortable than he was used to, and a cup of caf, only heightened his nerves.
What're they playing at!?
/ * * \
* * * Legends Never Die * * *
\ * * /
As he walked through the Resistance base, Han Solo did his best not to feel like a sixty-six year old loser.
It was like time had flown in reverse, and he was back to being just a smuggler with only Chewie at his back, acting as chauffer for the people who would rebuild the Jedi Order and save the galaxy. All his old standing, respect, and relationships (barring Chewie), gone up in ash.
Until Leia gave him The Look, and he knew it was not the Force which let her read him like a piece of flimsi.
They had left the two Jedi and their Droid out in the war room, being brought up to speed on a few things, and generally shown around. Leia had discretely passed along an explanation to Admiral Ackbar and a few others that this was not the Luke they were familiar with, yet still here to help.
Well . . . no.
Leia had been in there, talking to people, and he had been trying to help until she had told him not to, and then stormed off.
Obviously Han had followed, because, well, when had he ever left well enough alone with her?
Except for that one time, which . . . had led them here.
But never let it be said he never learnt from his mistakes. Especially when a shiny version of the Kid was around to remind him of the old days.
Notice how he did not say the 'good old days,' because yes, they had been pretty bad at times.
So he caught up with her in a little, adjoining room where they could have some privacy.
"Listen to me, will you? I know every time you . . ." he trailed off to look away, before mustering himself to meet her gaze again. "Every time you look at me you're reminded of him."
"You think I want to forget him?" she said incredulously, before becoming sorrowful. "I want him back."
"There's nothing more we could have done," he said, shaking his head. "There's too much Vader in him."
"That's why I wanted him to train with Luke." Looking down in shame, "I just never should have sent him away. That's when I lost him. That's when I lost you both."
". . . We both had to deal with it in our own way. I went back to the only thing I was ever any good at."
"We both did," she confessed.
"We lost our son. Forever."
"No. It was Snoke," she insisted. "He seduced our son to the Dark Side. But we can still save him. Me." She paused for emphasis. "You."
"If Luke couldn't reach him, how could I?"
"Luke is a Jedi. You're his father. There is still light in him, I know it. And we'll have help now."
"Yeah . . ." he said, remembering the hope he had felt before. How his doubts about an imposter had fallen away when faced with the chance for this other version of Luke to swoop in and save Ben like he had with Vader.
Just this time, y'know, bringing him home alive.
As time passed though, and the differences between their two universes piled up, while his confidence in this happening had grown with the casual display of competence, so had his sense of shame and inadequacy as he started putting together little clues and questions.
In fact, one had to wonder if Other Kid had made such a point of praising the whole rotating capital system idea (which Han had always considered a humongous waste of credits), was to try and alleviate tensions over how everything seemed to have gone wrong in Han's universe compared to these shiny newcomers.
Neither of them had asked, yet from what this other version of the Kid had said and not said, they knew there was some version of Ben back home who was not Fallen.
Who was a good man.
What was the difference?
Where had they gone wrong!?
Would it have all been better if they had told him the truth about Darth Vader and his story? Or if instead of sending Ben to be trained by Luke, Leia had put aside her career to train him after all? If Han had been around more often? If they had dropped everything to go after him the moment they heard the rumours of what had happened at the Jedi Academy?
How many of their failures had added up to make all the difference?
And both of them knew they were too cowardly to ask.
At least . . . not just now. Not when everything was too raw.
A sudden commotion interrupted any further discussion.
Hurrying back to the war room, she ground to a halt at sight of two Artoo's online and active, exchanging information with a flurry of beeps and whistles, while BeeBee-Ate and Threepio hastened to throw in their own observations and verifications.
"They got him awake again," Leia breathed out.
"Ah great," muttered Han, yet she knew he was pleased to see another member of their family returned to them.
/ * * \
* * * Legends Never Die * * *
\ * * /
In hindsight, Luke should totally have anticipated what happened next.
As much as Artoo was the best Droid anyone could ask for, he was admittedly opinionated, eccentric, and yes, prideful.
So it should have been no surprise that they would be the first ones to start comparing accomplishments, each boasting about how they were the superior astromech.
Nay!
The superior saviour of the galaxy!
Honestly, it was a bit amusing and endearing to see them squabbling like a pair of kids, while also humbling to hear his friend lay out all he had done with Luke.
Although the other one had done some pretty impressive stuff as well. One time when their Threepio was captive aboard an Imperial star destroyer, Artoo had infiltrated it, and killed his way across the ship with nothing more than his wits, tools, and judicious slicing. No . . . not just any ship, but Darth Vader's flagship, and had flown their escape X-wing well enough to survive until reinforcements arrived so they could escape.
Privately Luke doubted they were as close to killing his father as Artoo claimed, even if he idly also wondered how that would have changed the fate of the galaxy.
In retaliation, his Artoo chirped about how he had lead a Droid rebellion, and saved the Republic from a plot involving hiding explosives within units distributed across the galaxy that would have killed billions of lives.
That had been quite the report at the time for everyone.
This was countered with a story of how all on his own, their version of Artoo had piloted an entire, captured star destroyer into battle long enough for the Rebel forces to escape, playing a key role in breaking a siege at the same time.
Well, Luke already knew how his fiery friend would answer to that, as he primly warbled out his own little accomplishment.
While this happened, he gave the room another survey.
The war room felt like home almost, nearly identical to all the various bases he had been a part of with the Rebel Alliance. However, he was concerned by how many strangers he was seeing scattered about.
Some faces were vaguely familiar, ones he was sure he had seen in the Rebel Alliance, if not necessarily interacted with enough to learn their names.
He was fairly confident that Sullustan was Nien Nunb though, and it had been a relief to shake hands with Admiral Ackbar himself. It was with total sincerity he had expressed how with the Mon Calamari present, victory was assured. Chuckling, the older man had echoed the same faith in the Jedi Master.
But where was everyone else?
Winter?
Lando?
Wedge?
Were they even alive in this universe?
Shaking off that morbid thought, he noted Leia and Han had joined him.
Just as his Artoo finished his story with smug beeps, Leia asked in confusion, "What's a Galaxy Gun? And what was that about the Emperor's flagship?"
"Ah, the Galaxy Gun sounds like our version of Starkiller. It basically worked by firing massive warheads equipped with hyperdrives, able to destroy entire planets. It was made by the reborn Emperor Palpatine."
"Alleged Emperor," Mara curtly interjected, cutting off any exclamations from the rapidly panicking Resistance members. "I'm still not convinced."
"Artoo destroyed it by taking control of his massive super-star destroyer to ram it."
Acting perfectly unruffled, Leia dryly said, "I'll have to ask you about that bit with Palpatine later."
"That would be best," he agreed. "Just in case."
It would be a straightforward matter to send a reconnaissance to the Deep Core to check for Byss at least.
An exclamation broke off that line of thought as he realized he had lost track of the conversation. "Oh! Oh my!"
"Threepio?" prompted Leia.
"Artoo, my Artoo, has the missing piece of the map to finding the original Master Skywalker!"
Everyone let that sink in as hope bloomed.
A screeching siren made them all flinch, followed by warbling, hooting inflection of scathing denouncements, curses, and exclamations of disbelief at the sheer stupidity of the organics involved railed out of Luke's astromech at their failure to ask their precious Jedi Master's most valued and dependable companion for help.
Wailing at the profanity, Threepio waved his arms, the prissy, protocol droid's protests drowned out by the sheer volume.
Resisting the urge to use the Force to deafen his senses, Luke plugged his ears like everybody else, and let the little Droid get it out of his system.
Yes, yes he was disappointed in them.
He could only hope his family and friends back home would know to talk to Artoo.
Save it for after the superweapon's taken care of. Save it for after the superweapon's taken care of. Save it for—
Mara had no such patience though, as after waiting half a minute she came over to give Artoo a light rap.
At his indignant whistle, she sternly said, "We're on a deadline here. Save it for later."
With a sullen warble, he complied.
Meanwhile the local astromech trilled in awe.
"No you must certainly not learn from him!" screeched Threepio, smacking him on the dome, to which he got knocked in the leg. ". . . Oh my dear friend, how I've missed you," he confessed, laying one hand on the dome. "It hasn't been the same with this variant of you."
A few beeps.
"No, just me."
"No one . . . else?" asked Luke weakly. "None of our other friends are here?"
Leia's throat visibly tightened, a lack of control which was all the proof Luke needed.
They had fought and risked everything for the Republic, for democracy and freedom, and when everything they had sacrificed for was imperiled, when Leia had called for aid . . . they had not answered . . . ?
Something hot and dark started to bubble up within his chest as he realized how few had been willing to stand up for what needed to be done.
"Well, I'm here."
Confusion cut through him, and steely discipline took hold as he regarded the woman who stepped forward. Purple hair, and while he had not figured out the rank insignias, hers was apparently high. "Amilyn Holdo," she said with a raised eyebrow. The familiar way she regarded him, and the slight tightness around her eyes, made him suspect she had known his counterpart well, and had seen the anger which had snuck up on him. "I'm guessing you don't know me in your universe."
"No I don't," he admitted.
It helped, but was it enough?
A spark of resentment was in Holdo and others as well, that he, an outsider, should come in to judge their struggles. Their accomplishments.
Who was he to dare, when he was not even the right Skywalker!?
Things stood upon the precipice.
Until the galaxy was saved by one Ushos O. Statura.
Who is Statura you ask? Why the Resistance admiral who spoke up and grounded everyone by neutrally addressing Leia. "General, the reconnaissance report on the enemy base is coming in."
And Luke Skywalker released his tension. Mara stepped up beside him, and took his hand.
Artoo wheeled up beside him, and beeped in support.
He owed these people, all of them, and the Force, better.
Show by example.
If this is all he had to help save this galaxy imperiled, then he would take what was given.
"Well then," he smiled, letting it all go. "Let's get to work."
"Oh goodie," smiled Mara wryly. "My second superweapon, you sure know how to show a girl a good time."
"Only for the best."
"Flattery will get you nowhere."
"Well, let's see if it'll get us into Starkiller."
/ * * \
* * * Legends Never Die * * *
\ * * /
Exegol
Darth Sidious called upon levels of self-discipline and patience he had not needed since his days as 'Sheev Palpatine.'
Upon the Sith homeworld of Exegol, he stretched out his mind into his puppet Snoke, the 'Supreme Leader' of the First Order. A seething, righteous fury flowed through him as he listened and saw through Snoke's mind the report Kylo Ren gave.
With each word it took greater effort to control his hatred so it would not master him.
The boy's pitiful helmet was absent, face pale, and eyes lit with fear and desperation. Good.
So he had some sense of the magnitude of his failure. Even if he was admittedly still too weak to defeat his uncle, his performance against Jedi Master Luke Skywalker shamed the First Order and especially 'Snoke.' Regrettably, any punishment would have to be saved for later, as Skywalker was indeed on the move, and his actions thus far unforeseen.
"My Lord," spoke Kylo Ren, "if you can teach me—"
"Silence!" spat Snoke without any prompting from Sidious.
Quailing, the sniveling fool did just that, the picture of chastisement. Yet there was a spark of resistance and defiance in his mind; he failed to snuff out quick enough.
Good, thought Sidious, pleased there was at least some upside to this mess. After all, it was the way of the Sith for the apprentice to kill their master. That was one of the reasons why Snoke had enough of a personality of his own to be a true individual for Kylo Ren to eventually surpass and remove for the sake of power.
For now though, it was pathetically obvious he was too weak to face the likes of Skywalker.
Which was a problem, since he was the strongest agent Sidious had.
Oh, Project: Harvester had availed him with plenty of Force Sensitive children, many of whom could have been raised to be serviceable Jedi or Sith. Yet the wisdom of Darth Bane's Rule of Two held true, and thus none of them had been properly trained to draw forth their innate talent. Those tools were not even Inquisitors, possessing merely the ability to be faster, stronger, more sensitive, and other useful tricks, than usual sentients.
All too insignificant to ever be threats to his own rule.
He had never needed anything else, not with his brilliance, and powers of foresight. The ability to see multiple potential futures, so he could choose which he would dominate. Knowing all things and beings who could possibly be obstacles for him, and eliminating them or turning them against each other to whatever was his pleasure. This, above all else, was why unlike the failed Sith Lords of old, he had never needed more than a few pitiful Force Sensitives and one single apprentice.
Until Vader's child.
Who had done the impossible and set him back by decades.
In his retribution, Sidious had believed the threat had been neutered, even as he whispered words of the truth of power and the Force into the infant mind of Ben Solo, the so-called great hope of the next generation. Only for Skywalker to unexpectedly return without any of the mental hooks placed upon him, and seemingly as formidable as ever.
No, possibly even greater than before, go given the whelp's insistence his uncle was somehow younger. Once more he had defied all predictions. All possible outcomes and futures.
Plus, Skywalker's actual actions as described were . . . puzzling. Confronting his Fallen nephew, yet letting him go? The destruction of those TIE's confirmed he was as deadly as ever, and yet as the coward had fled, he had not sensed anything of note as those starfighters were destroyed, which implied finesse had been preferred over freely yielding his bloodline's might.
Since when had a Skywalker learnt subtly!?
No. This Jedi must not be underestimated.
To say nothing of how he already had two apprentices, one fully grown and displaying a capacity for death which would be delightful in anyone else, with who knew how many more in the wing. The Jedi were rising once more, hidden from his gaze.
I'll kill them right before him, and make Skywalker scream for me to end him as well!
Or perhaps make the girls my new Inquisitors. Or possibly even wear their bodies as my own to torture him in even more ways.
Unfortunately he knew it was not to be.
He had toyed with this prey before, and it had cost him. To do so twice would be to play the role of a fool.
Executing his will would be more complicated than he was immediately prepared for though.
Before, against the Rebel Alliance, Sidious had relied upon waves of disposable troops and ships, experimental warriors, bounty hunters, and one relentless monster of a Dark Lord to hunt down and kill Skywalker.
That had been against a green boy, surviving solely by the strength of his father's blood.
The cannon fodder had failed, the experiments as wasteful as the bounty hunters, and even a traitorous Vader was better than his grandson right now.
So yes, that was unlikely to work any better this time around.
And yet . . .
Despite all these unforeseen obstacles, Sidious allowed himself a smile of satisfaction.
Except now I have a weapon which had been denied to my Empire. A tool of true fear and conquest.
Snoke's mouth opened, and with his voice Sidious spoke, "The Resistance and Skywalker must be destroyed."
"We have their location," spoke up Hux for the first time. Ostensibly he was present to be informed as well of this drastic change in the galactic calculus, while everyone knew it was to bask in his rival's failure. Allowing his presence was something Snoke himself had actually decided upon as a way to display his displeasure, and after making this connection Sidious had agreed it was appropriate. "We tracked their reconnaissance ship to the Ileenium system."
"Good. Then we will crush them once and for all. Prepare the weapon."
Minutely Hux twitched with the need to depart immediately, only to sense he was not dismissed.
"Skywalker will survive the attack," predicted Sidious, "but bereft of the Resistance. Then we will fire again and again at each world he is sighted upon. However many times he makes it necessary for us to do so." With a mental prod, Snoke rested back, a casual gesture that was all his puppet's own body language. "In short order, the fearful rabble will turn upon their 'saviour,' possibly even killing him before we do."
At this, Hux gave a small grin of approval, proud of how his brainchild would serve the First Order. Arrogantly assuming his technological terror would ever become more valued in the eyes of his 'Supreme Leader' than the power of the Dark Side.
Indeed, Kylo Ren nodded eagerly at the plan, panic fading as he mastered himself at his Master's words. No sign of weakness at the prospect of killing billions to target one man, no matter how many times it took.
Good.
Although it would likely be unnecessary, which was favourable. While Sidious was certainly willing to burn down the entirety of the Republic if that was what it took, as he proved with the Separatists, Alderaan, and Operation: Cinder, rebuilding galactic civilization would set back his plans by even more decades.
No, once Skywalker realized what was happening, even without the First Order making their ultimatum public, he would avoid planets as much as possible. Even one might be all it took. The real point of implying otherwise was to test the man's nephew.
"Denied planets," 'Snoke' continued, "he will be confined to space, where the First Order's fleets will hound him."
At some cost of course. He could recall once when Vader had shot down eleven TIE fighters, while he himself flew an obsolete snubfighter which had gone for years without maintenance, even as he carried a prisoner in an attached pod. No doubt his son would be just as tenacious. Possibly requiring deploying hundreds of fighters to, once again, kill one man.
No matter, they were all expendable.
Like an eager pet, Kylo Ren offered, "I've already recalled my Knights of Ren here to Ilum, to help me secure the Starkiller, and will redouble their training. Skywalker defeated them before, yet they are stronger than they were then. They were used to preying on the weak, now they are capable of greater prey after what I've put them through."
"Adequate," allowed 'Snoke.' "Recall fleet units to reinforce the planet as well; Skywalker will try and destroy the weapon."
"He will fail," assured Kylo. "The shield is impervious. His desperate and futile attempts will cripple the Resistance though."
No delusions there his uncle would survive that.
"Precisely. And once Skywalker is fleeing across the stars like the coward he is, you will come to me, and finish your training."
If that initially failed, and whipping the nephew into proper shape took too long, the Knights of Ren, minus their leader, would commit a few atrocities on some worlds still holding out loyalties to the corpse of the Republic. Properly goaded, Skywalker would arrive to stop them, and upon setting foot on the surface, Starkiller would kill them all. He was less confident in that one though, hence why it was not his first choice, as this new version of Skywalker might realize the 'First Order' would consider an entire team of Dark Side users perfectly expendable if it meant killing the vaunted Jedi Master.
"We shall arrange for you to kill Skywalker's students as a test for yourself," he finished.
"Of course," Kylo said, bowing his head in respect.
With a deft touch of the Force, Sidious withdrew from his puppet's mind, too impatient to handle any more of their simpering, leaving behind a few imbedded commands as he left. If there was anything further of consequence, his aids would inform him of them later.
Right now he had to oversee some of his personal projects here on Exegol, such as the nearly completed fleet of Star Destroyers with a special surprise. Was it practical to divert resources to finishing a few of them early? Or better to wait for them to all be done at once?
Afterwards, he would retire to meditate on the possible futures to come, to learn what he needed to guarantee the final end of the Jedi, and the rise of the Sith Eternal.
/ * * \
* * * Legends Never Die * * *
\ * * /
For a moment Snoke blinked in confusion, before remembering where he was, and how he had been giving orders to his subordinates.
"Go," he ordered.
Obediently Hux turned about and marched off, yet Kylo Ren held his ground.
"Yes?" he asked, drawing as much menace as possible into the word.
"Sir," said Kylo cautiously, "while killing the older student Skywalker replaced me with shall be a pleasure, I believe we should try and bring the other girl with us. She's strong in the Force, and young enough to still see the truth of the galaxy, and be valuable to us."
Snoke bit back the impulse to assert who was the master, and who was to obey, as this sort of backtalk and defiance was actually uncharacteristic.
So he concentrated upon the boy he had groomed for so long, feeling his way through the paths of his mind.
Shock rippled through him as he perceived something new.
No, old yet hidden before. Even from him, despite believing he had known every corner of this Skywalker.
A connection. A link, no, bridge to someone else!?
Cautiously Snoke probed at it, and a sensation washed over him.
Powerful. Young. Conflicted. Eager to please. Confused. Lost. Found? Female—
Hurriedly he drew back as comprehension washed over him, not daring to alert Jedi Master Skywalker of his presence.
So.
So this girl . . .
A shift in his vision, and he realized Kylo Ren had dared fidget in his impatience, as Snoke had taken too long to respond. Briefly he considered another rebuke, only to decide against it.
"We shall see," he stalled. "I'm pleased to see you considering such avenues to help fulfill your destiny. First however, we shall see if she survives the weapon."
With that he disconnected the holocom.
Briefly he considered studying this unexpected opportunity closer, before remembering his more immediate commitments to assuring victory. While Hux handled the weapon, it would be more efficient for Snoke himself to contact various fleet commanders to both reinforce the planet, and oversee the destruction of the Republic.
With that, he started pulling up reports, aiming to balance as best as he could between the two objectives.
/ * * \
* * * Legends Never Die * * *
\ * * /
Author Notes:
Special thanks to "Through a Glass Darkly" by atamascolily on AO3 for lots of inspiration from their similar story!
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Been a while since the latest chapter of this, but was also pretty busy with the Betas, and have now put together a solid chapter plan for how the rest of this story will go. :-)
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As much as I love the Expanded Universe, in several ways it is arguably more messed up than the Sequel Trilogy. How much of the post-Vong War stuff (books I came to generally avoided for a multitude of reasons) could have been avoided if a bunch of children had received regular therapy after various kidnappings or attempts on their lives? And therapy animals. Oh, and a small legion of Noghri bodyguards, 24/7. Hmm . . . now imagining the how Young Jedi Knights series would have gone if the Solo Twins had Nogbri bodyguards at their backs :-P
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What do I think of Rey/Kylo as a pairing you ask? Why that at absolute minimum they both felt a connection between each other which needs to be addressed.
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Honestly, the way that Finn was handled by the Resistance in canon would have the Expanded Universe cast throwing the local chief of security into a jail cell. Imagine if he was actually a deep-cover agent, and the amount of harm he could have casually done? That Poe's escape was engineered similar to Leia's from the First Death Star?
However here he has been vetted by a trusted Jedi Master, so they are still giving him the kid's gloves, even if taking the initiative still in getting his sweet, sweet First Order secrets.
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I am aware there are novels which have Holdo elsewhere during these events, but a) I have not read those books, nor care to, and b) decided it was convenient for plot reasons to have her here. As much as I know there are those among you who would rather see her lined up against a wall to be shot . . .
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Next Chapter: "Battle of Starkiller Base"
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Please Review, and I will get back to you!