“It is a time of uncertain peace. Despite
defeating the evil Galactic Empire and restoring freedom,
the New Republic finds itself accused of corruption
by many systems.
In an attempt to prevent a rebellion forming, the
newly reformed Jedi Council has decided to send two
young Jedi Knights on a tour of key planets to ensure
that their people are content with democracy.
Little do the Jedi suspect that, on the far side of
the galaxy, a new DARK LORD OF THE SITH has surfaced
and is slowly gathering his forces to strike at the
Republic . . . .”
Starfield. We tilt sideways
to see a REPUBLIC SCOUT SHIP hurtling towards us at
great speed. The eccentric but likeable LONE PILOT
is on an exploration mission in WILD SPACE. He is
woken by a proximity alert and discovers the location
of a previously unknown battle station. He talks to
his ship's computer about it. Before he can send a
complete message back to base about his discovery,
numerous ENEMY FIGHTERS emerge from the enormous station.
He does his best to evade them but eventually he is
trapped inside the amorphous skeleton of the station,
and they blow him up.
Soon after, ANAKIN SOLO, Jedi
Knight and son of Han and Leia, arrives on CORUSCANT
to join the massive celebrations for the 30th anniversary
of the Battle of Endor. Every alien species that had
a role in the civil war is represented. SUPREME CHANCELLOR
LANDO CALRISSIAN of the NEW REPUBLIC introduces Kin
to the excited crowd. Kin makes a rousing speech,
remembering the heroes both alive and dead who couldn’t
be here (including LUKE SKYWALKER, who has retreated
to a remote planet to study the FORCE in solitude).
He says one hero from the war did make it, and R2-D2
obediently rolls onto stage, to great applause. As
Anakin finishes his speech, the new JEDI ORDER raise
their lightsabers in tribute.
After the speech, Kin has a brief talk with Lando
about the problems the galaxy still faces. Lando says
that he preferred the old days, when things were simpler.
Ironically, the REBELLION has now become the EMPIRE
in a way, and the last remnants of the Empire have
become the Rebellion (limited though they may be in
numbers). Kin voices his frustration at being little
more than a figurehead, and wishes he could go off
on adventures or train Jedi like his older siblings.
Lando reminds him that the reason for his tour is
good publicity for the Jedi, who have to show they
aren't above the common man.
Next Kin visits the JEDI TEMPLE. He enters a training
room and is attacked by a hooded, lightsaber wielding
figure. Kin draws his own saber in defence and the
other figure drops his hood to reveal Kin's cousin,
the brash young Jedi BEN SKYWALKER. The two have an
energetic practice lightsaber duel, while R2 watches,
amused. The fight almost seems to go too far at points,
but when Kin bests Ben the two act like old friends.
Kin reminds him it's time for their meeting and the
younger Jedi expresses his dislike for the mission
they have been assigned, calling it a pointless waste
of time. Kin agrees with him in part, but warns him
not to express this in front of the Council.
The two Jedi come before the JEDI COUNCIL for their
mission briefing. MARA JADE (Luke's wife and Ben’s
mother) is one of the most senior members. She tells
them about the ill-fated Republic Scout (who was not
able to send his exact coordinates before his transmission
was blocked), and asks them to be wary of this disturbance
in the Force, since their last visit will be on the
edge of Wild Space. Another Council member, ten-year-old
Force child LYSSA MABERRIE (who comes from Naboo and
is exceptionally wise beyond her years) warns Kin
of danger in his future. After the meeting, Mara also
tells her son to be careful. Kin and Ben are joined
on their mission by their alien ambassador, the gruff
but loyal lizard man LOGRU.
Kin and Ben set off on their tour, in the souped-up
MILLENIUM FALCON. They stop on Kin’s home planet
of CORELLIA first. HAN and LEIA SOLO wish the Jedi
good luck. R2 is so ancient he is having trouble getting
around so the Jedi leave him behind to be looked at.
Meanwhile, deep inside the organic-looking space station,
known as The QUARGE, the terrifying masked SITH LORD
DARTH RAGE has gathered other Imperial-minded followers
to prepare for a military strike to try and take back
control of the galaxy. ADMIRAL CAAN and CAPTAIN RONTON
are his two most trusted officers, and they both seek
to replace each other in Rage's favour. The Sith Lord
reveals he has sent his apprentice to intercept the
Jedi on one of their visits, as the first stage of
his master plan.
Kin and Ben’s first few visits pass without
incident. They visit CHEWBACCA's descendants on KASHYYYK
and the Jedi pay their respects at a monument to Chewie's
bravery. They also visit NABOO, BESPIN and ENDOR (montage).
Meanwhile on Corellia, R2 wanders away from the repair
bay and happens to uncover a disassembled C-3PO in
a storage unit. The fussy protocol droid is reactivated.
It turns out Han hid 3PO away in a warehouse when
he finally became tired of him and couldn’t
be bothered to arrange repairs. Even with just 3PO’s
head active, the two droids start bickering again
as if no time has passed.
One of the Jedi’s last stops is the troubled
medieval-style world of HARGORN, home of Logru's race,
among others. Ben and Kin meet with the human ROYAL
FAMILY, and Kin catches the eye of a beautiful and
shy servant girl called SHYRELLA LUMERE. She nervously
spills some broth on Kin, and her master scolds her.
Kin stands up for her, saying even Jedi have been
known to make mistakes. Ben confides to Kin that he
doesn’t like how peaceful the planet seems,
saying “I have a bad feeling about this.”
Meanwhile, the sinister, mute humanoid KLAN DESTIN
is hiding on Hargorn, planning his assassination of
the Jedi with a variety of weapons at his disposal.
While Ben and Logru travel out to the wilderness to
meet with Logru’s fellow lizard people, Kin
makes a speech to the people in Hargorn’s capital
city. Shyrella is watcing and spots a blaster being
aimed at Kin. She shouts a warning, allowing Kin to
avoid the deadly blast. Klan Destin is revealed among
the crowd. After a short battle with Kin and the Hargorn
security forces, the outnumbered Destin flees before
he can be apprehended.
Soon after, Ben and Logru uncover a secret slave operation
of lizard people, policed by IG-88 droids. They are
being forced to build TIE fighters and other vehicles
and weapons. Ben frees the lizard people from their
energy binders and, with the help of Logru and his
friends, they tear the droids limb from limb and destroy
the operation. Ben almost kills the weasly human who
was running the operation, DAROWK, but then decides
to imprison him until Republic officials can pick
him up. Ben tries to communicate with Kin about what
he has found, but his cousin has problems of his own.
At the same time, Hargorn’s capital erupts into
revolution, which the Imperial-sympathetic royal family
was secretly supporting. Shyrella is one of the many
imprisoned and sentenced to death for aiding the Jedi.
Kin rejoins Ben and Logru back at the Falcon. They
wish to leave straight away but he wants to stay and
rescue Shyrella, since she saved his life. They reluctantly
agree to help.
They stage a rescue mission. Ben and Logru distract
the enemy while Kin sneaks in and frees Shyrella and
the other slaves. The Falcon is unable to get close
enough to pick them up so Kin and Shyrella are forced
to escape in a stolen TIE FIGHTER. They throw off
pursuit by crashing through a cave, knocking the wings
off.
Once the heroes are reunited, Shyrella asks to accompany
Kin and Ben on their mission. Ben is reluctant, but
Kin agrees (he clearly already has romantic feelings
for her). He sends a report back to the Council about
the events before they leave. The Council tells them
to stop their tour and return to Coruscant.
The Falcon takes off into space.
Suddenly, they notice a ship following them. It is
Klan Destin’s! After a brief battle in space,
they disable Destin’s ship but are unable to
deliver the killing blow before the assassin escapes
into hyperspace.
Meanwhile, Rage orders his troops to attack the shipping
lanes of Corellia, which are less well protected than
other Core worlds. It is time to reveal their intentions
to the Republic.
While they wait in the Falcon,
Kin allows Shyrella to practise with his lightsaber
and she almost cuts him by accident, but he forgives
her. When the four of them learn an attack force has
surrounded Corellia, they change course and race back
home through hyperspace to join the defence.
The enemy fleet begins its attack on the many trade
ships coming to and from Corellia, but a small squadron
of Republic fighters is ready to engage them in combat
above the planet. Famed Republic pilot TEK OGUN and
Rebel trooper DAT BENNET are both involved in the
space battle. They will earn each other's respect
in combat, and live to fight another day.
At the same time Klan Destin appears on the planet, having tracked the Falcon back to Corellia. Kin and Ben find themselves in a fight to the death with him. He hits them with everything he has, including a laserwhip.
Back on the ground, Shyrella
is separated from her new friends, but she rescues
many people from attack by enemy troops that have
landed, with the help of R2 and 3PO. Han and Leia
also show heroism in the battle by saving civilians
from falling debris when their base is hit by enemy
fire. Han wants to take to the air to fight the enemy,
"just like the old days", but Leia talks
him out of it.
The duel between the Jedi and Klan Destin grows more
frenzied. A deflected laser bolt melts one side of
the assassin’s face, revealing machine parts
underneath. He is a cyborg! Ben is wounded in the
arm and gives in to his rage, coming dangerously close
to using the Dark Side. His cockiness allows Destin
to knock him unconscious, leaving Kin to face the
enemy alone. After putting up a brave fight, Kin is
disarmed and at the assassin's mercy.
Above the atmosphere, reinforcements finally arrive
and the defeated enemy fighters flee. The BATTLE OF
CORELLIA is a victory for the Republic, though at
a great loss of life. They now know the Rebellion
has the ability to strike at them anytime and anywhere.
Meanwhile, back on the surface,
Destin is about to deliver the killing blow when Kin
force-pulls his lightsaber to him at the last second.
He leaps up and slices through Destin from groin to
head. The two halves of the cyborg fall in opposite
directions. Kin goes to Ben's aid, and both are relieved
the other survived.
Because of the Force abilities Shyrella has showed
since they met, and the potential for greater powers
he senses in her, Kin decides to take her as his PADAWAN
learner, without asking the direct approval of the
Council. It means that they must put aside their burgeoning
love, and just be friends. Even though the Jedi Code
no longer forbids attachment, it would still be wrong
for any romance between master and apprentice. Ben
is against the decision, but Kin thinks it is just
jealousy on his part.
The Jedi Council are disturbed when they learn of
the possible return of the Sith. Though Kin defeated
the apprentice, they know there must be at least one
more out there. They determine to hunt down the remaing
Sith, so that the horrors of the past never occur
again.
Kin introduces his family to Shyrella, who looks rather fetching with her Padawan braids. Only Ben, who watches with barely concealed anger, seems unhappy with the development. A rebuilt and repainted 3PO joins the other heroes in a somewhat uneasy celebration of their victory.
TO BE CONTINUED . . .
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