…
Near the Core Worlds, out in close planetary orbit, was a large Imperial Star Destroyer. On the bridge, there was a tall man cloaked in a black machine suit and a tight hissing helmet.
"Lord Vader, there's a transmission waiting for you." one of the officers notified.
Vader turned and began to walk off towards his quarters. When he arrived, he knelt, and a large hologram of a hooded figure with extremely pale and almost sagging skin appeared.
"What is your bidding, my master?" asked Vader in a deep, booming voice.
"There has been a disturbance in the Force," the Emperor replied. "The rebels have disabled Fondor Station with just a handful of starfighters."
"What?" Vader almost lifted his head. "That can't be."
"It is only a matter of hours before they strike at the Executor itself. I suspect General Rahm Kota, or some other Jedi is in charge of the operation, given their prowess. Send your top apprentice to apprehend this Jedi and bring him back to me."
"Yes, my Master."
The transmission ended and Vader quickly left the room.
In another room, a training one, two teenagers were sparring with red lightsabers.
One was a girl with long red hair and pale skin, Mara, and the other a boy with short dark brown hair buzzed straight to his head, Galen.
The moment Vader entered, both turned and knelt.
"Master."
"What is it, Master?"
Vader had a choice to make.
Mara was a skilled infiltrator and assassin, and Galen a strong fighter of unquestioning loyalty to Vader. Out of the two, he needed someone who could capture a trained Jedi.
"You two have become among the best Dark Side adepts I have trained," said Vader. "Your first real test is awaiting you on Fondor against what remains of the Rebel Alliance."
"I'm ready Master." said Mara with deep confidence.
"And indeed you are." replied Vader. "But for this mission, Galen Marek has been chosen for this assignment."
Mara glared at Galen with strong jealousy as Galen bowed his head. "You honor me, Master."
"You will head to the Fondor system immediately and locate the Jedi in charge of the strike on the space station. From there, bring them back alive in whatever condition you can."
"Yes, my Master."
…
Following the victory of Luke's mission for Rahm Kota's rebel cell, they both knew they had to act fast.
Luke had the data and information necessary to fully infiltrate around twenty rebel troopers inside the base under the facade that they were legitimate transfers from Alderaan.
From there, that night, the young men began to act.
Under cover of darkness with many security measures hacked or disabled, charges were placed along the support beams and long metal endoskeleton of the Executor.
Luke was placing the last charges near the exit back inside the base when Obi-Wan appeared, still dressed as an Alderaanian diplomat.
"We ready to go?"
Luke nodded. "Yeah." he said, following him.
"Where are you going?"
Luke and Obi-Wan turned, seeing Galen Marek stand there with a small battalion of Stormtroopers at either end of the hallway. The door back to the Executor hissed closed.
Luke froze, removing his stormtrooper helmet. "Who are you?"
"The person tasked to bring you into the Empire."
Immediately, Luke checked his tag.
[Galen Marek - Level 157 Dark Side Adept]
Luke was outleveled by around 20 LVs or so, but it didn't matter, he had a strong feeling he could take him.
Luke drew his lightsaber from his [Inventory] by reaching into his pocket, standing to Obi-Wan's back who did the same.
"You'd be no match for him, I can sense his connection to the Dark Side. Let me handle this."
"No Master, I'll be fine."
Galen gave his orders loudly. "Take them alive set all blasters to stun!"
With a strong [Force Push] Luke sent the troopers tumbling about easily, making an escape for the door he just walked through.
As the troopers and Galen recovered, Luke spoke quickly to Obi-Wan. "Find the others and let them know our covers blown. This is my fight."
Obi-Wan respected his Padawan's wishes, and Luke ran outside after making a whole through the doorway."
"He's mine!" he said to his troops. "Get the old man and find the rest of them!"
Galen stepped outside facing Luke, the two boys starting to circle each other.
"So, you gonna put your sword away? Come quietly?"
Luke unsheathed his blade, blue hissing to life. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
"I was hoping you'd say that." Galen unsheathed his own sword. "Come on then," he growled. "Your capture will be my ascension to the Sith!"
Galen struck first, instantly driving Luke back across the railing around the Executor.
Blue met red in sudden, crisp, and rapid exchanges. Luke tried his [Dash Strike] to no avail, and Galen dodged like it was the easiest thing in the world.
Having only sparred with Obi-Wan in the past weeks, Luke adapted extremely well to fighting an opponent as unorthodox as Galen. Marek typically attacked from weird angles, like most Dark Siders, having no care for the damage to the environment around him as he struck.
Obi-Wan's deeply defensive style rubbed off on Luke as he walked backwards across another upper railing surrounding the Executor.
The duel became a deep test of speed, skill, timing, and above all endurance.
Because Luke and Marek were mostly even in every exchange of strikes, the severity and number of blows would determine who was driving who back.
And it was mostly Luke giving ground, slowly but surely.
Until suddenly, he was pressing his back against a railing barrier, with no space left to run. Galen took advantage and swung right to Luke's torso.
He blocked, Galen pressing forward and driving Luke right against the metal bars.
Luke suddenly hit Galen with a close range front kick, sending him backwards.
With a split decision to make to either capitalize on the stagger and drive Galen backward for a change or pick a different angle, Luke flew away. Using [Force Jump, he soared and landed directly on the metal endoskeleton of the Executor itself.
Galen shook his head after the front kick, and instantly followed suit.
Now Luke and Galen were exchanging strikes across long metal bars, aiming shots at each other's legs, arms, and torsos.
Luke and Galen were balanced perfectly on the bars as they made contact with each other's swords, blue and red reflecting perfectly across the tall support beams inside the Executor's hull.
They went back and forth, strike against strike, parry against blow.
When Marek attacked, Luke clashed blades with him the two making eye contact, pushing their swords against each other.
Luke could see the hatred and pain in Galen's eyes, but also something…else.
When they pulled apart, Galen went for a jumping overhead slash to Luke's shoulder.
As Luke flipped away to a different metal bar, Galen was fast enough to reposition midair and land on both feet on where Luke was previously standing while attempting a spinning hook kick to catch Luke mid air off his hands.
It didn't work, but Luke and Galen continued to trade lightsaber strikes up and down the metal bars.
They dashed up to one another, exchanged blows, and then peeled apart in seconds.
Luke landed a punch right on Galen's chin as he was starting to move in to try a stab to Luke's chest. The counter sent Galen reeling and unbalanced on the metal bar.
Luke just kicked him to send Galen flying below, but he was able to reorient himself midair again and find his footing.
Luke began to want to find an exit but Marek stopped him dead in his tracks.
Marek and Luke began to cross swords again, this time with Galen getting the better of Luke.
Luke could feel the hatred and malice behind every blow Galen sent his way, Luke just barely taking his head off angle in time to avoid another downward slash to the shoulder. Luke felt every inch of the red blade to be an extension of Galen's connection to the Dark Side.
A place of pure evil connected to all the violence, confusion, anger, and hatred within Marek.
Luke had remembered feeling this for the first time on Tatooine before going into the caves for the very first time. But he had never witnessed so much of the Dark Side, within a person no less, at one time before.
Nevertheless, it didn't frighten Luke even when he was losing exchanges. He kept his nerve
and kept fighting. He kept his resolve when Galen came very close to landing strikes, until eventually, he even did.
Marek had managed to place his sword over Luke's, crossing it downward, to throw an elbow right into Luke's face. He reeled backwards, and Galen swept Luke's foot, making him land hard on the metal bar beneath him.
As he lay there about to slip off, Galen prepared to slash right across Luke's arm. Even with the wind practically knocked out of him Luke had [Gamer's Mind] and was able to think quickly enough to slide off intentionally.
Then as Galen's slash missed, Luke flipped around with a flying spinning slash.
Galen was staggered under the slash, but regained his balance quickly enough.
Marek began to load up his energy for a massive Force push, which made Luke use a [Force Shield] to block the attack and run into a jumping attack.
Galen blocked, turning to slash sideways at Luke when he landed behind him which Luke blocked as well.
Both boys had the energy and skill to keep battling for much longer but Luke began to use Galen's anger against him.
He decided to get back on the upper railings around the Executor making it seem like he was running.
Too frustrated to keep his technique as clean as it was before, Marek made simple mistakes leaving openings for Luke to exploit.
Which he did, using a simple slashing technique to the wrist to disarm Marek.
He caught Galen's sword and knocked his feet out from under him.
Marek fell to his knees, closing his eyes and begging. "Finish me. I can't go back to my Master with failure."
"Sorry but, I don't kill." Luke sighed. "I can sense that not all of you is lost to the Dark Side. Come with me, become a Jedi."
"Kill me. I'll choose death before betraying my Master."
After it was sheathed, Galen was knocked out with his own sword and laid there flat on the ground.
Luke stayed there to toss the blade upon Galen's unconscious body, and even bowed to him out of respect for his skill at lightsaber combat.
Luke walked around for a bit, seeing that most of the stormtroopers were gone, and no alarm was pulled.
He found his helmet left on the ground, and put it on.
A passing patrol paid no attention to him.
Luke activated the comlink inside his helmet.
"This is Luke, anyone there? Did you make it out?"
There was no response.
"Hello?"
Then an answer came, and he instantly recognized Obi-Wan's voice.
"Luke, everyone evacuated. Are you safe?"
"I'm fine, come pick me up by the entrance."
Just about ten minutes later, and the Executor went up in flames. The massive battleship exploded all over, and the charred and burnt metal remains crashed and fell.
…
Getting an entire village worth of rebels and refugees off Fondor became extremely difficult with all of Fondor on lockdown.
However, Luke's acumen of Imperial information held true, and they were successfully able to time a screening attack against a pair of Imperial Star Destroyers guarding the exit to the system along with the transports.
As soon as the transports were underway as the Destroyers were occupied, the X-Wing fighters activated their hyperspace drives, and escaped as well.
They flew to Eriadu, and then a few other systems to eventually reach Alderaan.
On the journey there, Luke reviewed some critical information he got from successfully all of his missions on the Fondor system.
[New Quest Completed! Remnants of the Order
Objective 1: Locate Jedi General Rahm Kota in the Fondor System (Cleared)
Objective 2: Help Kota to swear loyalty to your cause by helping him against the Empire (Cleared)
Bonus Objective: Deter any Imperial Retaliation if Objectives 1 and 2 are met. (Cleared)
Time Limit: None
Reward: 40 LVs, 230,000 credits, 15% passive boost to credit reward for all investments
Luke also chose the opportunity to review his stats.
[Name: Luke Skywalker
Class: The Gamer
Level: 158 (Next Level: 12.31%)
Title: Jedi Padawan
Age: 15
HP: 11000/11000
FP: 9700/9700
SP: 8900/8900
STR: 146
STA: 120
DEX: 159
INT: 130
WIS: 140
LUK: 170
Status: N/A
Perks: -Force Potential (There are only a few beings ever born with your potential in the force. All Force skills are learned 10% faster and are 10% more effective)
-Excellent Farmer (Years working on your uncle's farm has made you highly skilled in managing moisture vaporators, and bartering and collecting moisture to survive on Tatooine. Farming skills are learned 15% faster.)
-Skilled Adventurer (15% effectiveness at wall climbing, vine swinging, looting abandoned buildings, chests, and 15% EXP gain from all skill level ups from adventuring and exploring.)
-Beast Hunter (Able to defeat Zillo Beasts, Krayts, and other of the greatest monsters in the Galaxy, you are 1.5x as sensitive to the Force than you would be otherwise. 1.5x Force sensitivity, speed with using Force techniques, and effectiveness and learning speed with Jedi and Force abilities.)
-X-Wing Pilot (You are able to fly an X-Wing with a high degree of skill both in and out of combat. 15% to all skill and stat boosts from X-Wing flight)
-Inventory Passive: Krayt Pearl (30 to LUK and DEX)
Flaws: N/A
Skill Points: 0
Credits: 121,013,607]
Obi-Wan had been sitting with Luke for the past few minutes remarking how proud he was for trying to rebuild the Jedi order with his recent helping of Rahm Kota.
Kota soon appeared on their area of the transport speaking quietly. "Can I have a moment with him?"
Obi-Wan nodded and left.
Rahm sighed, sitting down next to Luke. "I heard you fought a Dark Sider. A strong one at that, and won. Not bad."
"Just doing my best." Luke shrugged.
Rahm chuckled. "Well, your best can go a long way. You've more than earned my respect, and now you've earned my allegiance."
Luke's eyes widened. "Really?"
"You've given me something I haven't had for a very long time. Since around the time you were born." Kota nodded to himself a little. "Hope."
"Thank you."
"I'll help you in the Outer Rim for what you've done for my people and I on Fondor."
"Thank you Master Kota, I really appreciate it."
Soon, the transport began to come out of hyperspace, and Luke soon stood up. Knowing, he had a difficult bit of information to reveal.
…
In the same garden where Luke met Leia, Leia was strewn about her backyard with her friends, girls of her age from Aldera, all of whom attended similar schools and social clubs.
Luke walked towards them, and soon one of them gasped.
"My, who's that?"
They all giggled and whispered to each other as Luke approached.
Leia left her friends and all but ran up to him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, are you? I heard what happened while I was away."
"Yeah I'm fine, they already caught him. He'll be locked up for good on Corellia."
Luke breathed a sigh of relief.
"Can we have a second alone to talk?"
Leia nodded. "Absolutely, just, one second."
Leia returned to her friends briefly to ask for them to leave, they left, giggling.
Leia sat upon a white marble bench with a fruit tree hanging over it.
"So what is it?" she noticed Luke's silence.
He looked at her. Wondering, thinking. What was he supposed to say to her? How was he supposed to say it?
"Leia." he paused. "Do you remember anything about your parents?"
"You mean the rulers of Alderaan," she deadpanned.
"No, your birth parents."
Leia looked pensive. "Oh. No, not really. Why?"
"I don't know how else to say this, but. We're siblings. You and I have the same birth parents."
Leia then appeared to be very blank, as if she was frozen.
"What?"
"N-No," said Leia, "It's just a lot all at once."
"Do you feel anything? Do you feel like it's true?"
While Leia did not possess the same amount of Force power Luke did at his current level of training, they had the exact same parents. Leia could sense through the Force unknowingly, and her confusion gave way to comfort.
"Yes. Y-Yes, I think it's true."
"I need your help, Leia. We need to reshape the Outer Rim, we need to reshape the whole galaxy. Away from tyrannical dictatorships like the Hutts and the Empire. And I feel like you need to be there along the way."
Luke was glad to see Leia smile. "Sure, I'm in."
"Really?"
"Yeah, what do I have to do to help? I'm not much of a fighter, but I'll definitely help you with any governorships or anything with politics."
"That sounds fine."
"Great, because I plan on moving my whole family back out to the Outer Rim as soon as I've settled the uprising I have planned."
"Okay, they're always welcome here. Remember that."
Luke looked at her for a second.
"Uh, can I uh?"
"What?"
Luke gestured towards her as if he wanted a hug, which, she quickly accepted.
For the first time in a long time, even since gaining the Gamer, Luke felt happy. He knew where his destiny lied, in liberating the entire galaxy with…
His family.
…
Galen Marek's yells of pain filled the dark room on a Star Destroyer where the Emperor and Darth Vader were torturing him with lightning from the Emperor's fingertips.
"Please, Masters, forgive me," he begged.
"The Dark Side never has forgiveness," the Emperor said before continuing to hit him with more lightning.
Galen was scrunched up on the ground, in too much pain now to process much else.
Eventually, the Emperor stopped.
Marek had smoke coming off his body, panting and reeling from all the lightning.
"Who defeated you?"
"A blonde kid, looked about my age." Marek could barely lean up, wincing. "Wearing a stormtrooper uniform. He was with an old man."
The Emperor pulled a holographic picture from his pockets of Obi-Wan, having been identified by security footage at the Space Station when arriving at Fondor for the First time.
"Is this him?"
Galen nodded.
"Looks familiar, doesn't he?"
Vader said nothing.
"I suspect this boy to be the offspring of Anakin Skywalker, none other could destroy the space station and destroy the Executor. None other could have this amount of power with the Force. He has become the greatest threat to our power in living memory."
The Emperor turned to Vader. "Find him and bring him to me."
"Yes, my Master."
The Emperor quickly left, and then, so did Vader, who barely looked at Galen before exiting the room.
…
…
…