Jedi Master Luke paces down the halls of what looks to be a hospital. He glances out the windows noticing the busy city of Coruscant. Luke walks past a nurse.

Luke: Can you tell me where room two one eight seven is.

Nurse: It’s just down that hall.

Luke: Thank you.

He runs through the halls breathing heavily and sweating. When he reaches the room the doors open Luke is shocked at the sight of no one in the hospital bed.

Luke: Mara?

Mara: I’m right here.

Luke turns around to see Mara Jade standing behind him, a small baby in her arms.

Mara: I wanted to wait to show you but looks like you knew.

Luke smiles, his eyes start to tear up.

Luke: What should we name him?

Mara: How about Jacen, after my father.

Luke smiles.

Mara: He has your eyes you know.

Luke: He is strong in the force I can feel it.

Luke: One day he’ll be stronger than me.

Mara: I’d love to see that.

Star wars Guardians of the force

Grey Shadows

The Millennium Falcon travels through the void of hyperspace. Chewbacca Rey and Finn sit in the cockpit.

Chewbacca: Arghhhh.

Rey: Almost there Chewie.

A light begins blinking on the radar followed by a siren blaring.

Rey: What is that.

Finn: There is something just ahead. We need to shut down the hyperdrive before we hit it.

Chewbacca: Rwaarrr.

Finn: It says it is a star of some kind.

The Falcon quickly returns to sunlight speed. To their surprise the Falcon is right in front of a large red star.

Rey: I got a bad feeling about this. The Falcon makes a quick turn before being consumed by the ball of fire. It’s underbelly gets heavily charred by the intense heat. Jacen runs into the cockpit.

Jacen: What the hell is going on. It feels like a sauna in the lower decks.

Chewbacca: Rwarrr.

Jacen: I can see that.

Another light starts to blink.

Finn: The Star gravitational pull is dragging us in! Chewie can you get us out?

The Falcon desperately tries to fly away from the star only for it to be dragged closer and closer to the star. Aayla runs into the cockpit.

Aayla: I have an idea, Coaxium is a rare type of resource that when you oxi-

Chewbacca: Rwarrr

Aayla: Ok i’m on it.

Aayla runs into the engineering room of the Falcon. She unlocks a capsule of Coaxium and connects it to a long tube. She runs the tube through the halls of the Falcon eventually reaching a small panel with a hazard label across it. She opens the panel connecting the tube to a small pipe.

Aayla: You're gonna shut down all power on the ship when I tell you.

Finn: All power! I don’t like the sound of this Aayla!

Aayla: Just trust me. I did it all the time as a bounty hunter.

Aayla runs back to the engineering room. She flicks multiple switches and buttons to the right of the Coaxium.

Aayla: Now!

Finn: Here goes nothing.

Finn pulls a large lever to the right of his seat. The entire ship powers off falling into the gravitational pull of the star. Eventually the Falcon is rotated enough that it’s cockpit faces the fiery red star. Aayla runs back to the panel. Aside it is a small red switch.

Aayla: Don’t fail me, baby.

She presses the switch. For a few moments nothing happens. Suddenly The Falcon flies right through the star. It moves so fast that a blue wall of energy forms around it almost acting as a shield. For a few seconds nothing happens when Suddenly the Falcon flies out of the other end of the star unscathed.

Aayla: Woooo!

Finn: She did it!

On the other side of the star is a dusty red planet. The Falcon flies through the atmosphere eventually landing in the middle of a ruined and desolate landscape.

Jacen: Korriban alright.

Zelios: I’ve heard of this place before. Once home of the sith, now it’s just a graveyard.

Chewbacca: Rwarrr.

Aayla: You did? When?

Jacen: C’mon lets go find Palpatine.

The six of them walk outside taking in the dusty air and rocky ground. They walk for some time passing through a large canyon with notable sith lords carved into either side of the rock wall.

Aayla: This place gives me the creeps.

Finn: I think it does for all of us.

At the end of the canyon is a large temple carved into the side of a cliff. Massive statues of sith Lords on stone pillars hold up the temple’s ceiling. The crew stares at it for some time.

Zelios: Well i’m not going in there first.

Jacen: Me neither.

Zelios: How bout a good old game of Krys blade stone.

Jacen: Deal.

The two bump their fists together until making signs with their fingers. Zelios shows that of a scissors while Jacen shows a blank piece of paper.

Jacen: Dammit.

Zelios: Lead the way.

Jacen walks in followed by the others. He ignites his purple blade filling the room with light. All around them small creatures begin to hiss and shriek at their sight.

Zelios: See anything?

Jacen: Not much. You?

Zelios: No.

They walk down a flight of stairs which leads them into a dark hallway. On either side of the hallway are multiple large pillars. Behind the row of pillars lays multiple tombs of fallen Sith.

Jacen walks to the end of the hallway noticing a small black chest. He tries to pry it open only for it to be locked shut.

Jacen: A chest of some kind.

He picks it up shaking it, listening to the rattle of the object inside.

Rey: Don’t shake it. You don’t know what it is.

Palpatine: Jacen Skywalker, A surprise to be sure but a welcome one.

Jacen (whispers): Palpatine.

Jacen: Reveal yourself!

The Ghost of Palpatine reveals himself from behind the row of pillars. Underneath his hood is the scarred decrepit face of a once powerful Emperor.

Palpatine: Why are you here.

Jacen: We are here for you.

Palpatine: Ahh yes, you crave my teachings. If only your father knew that you were venturing in the dark side of the force.

Jacen: He sent me here to learn.

Palpatine: And what exactly do you need to know from me.

Ben Solo steps forward.

Ben: Our galaxy is in danger! The Beyond is becoming stronger by the second, we need to defeat him.

Palpatine’s head perks up.

Palpatine: The Beyond you say?

Rey: You knew him?

Palpatine (cackling): No, no I did not. Before the great cataclysm the Beyond has been the great enemy of the Sith. They considered him a void in the force itself.  

Rey: Please, you must teach us.

Palpatine: Well I suppose the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I shall teach you, but there is no going back.

Jacen and Rey quickly glance at each other.

Rey: We are ready.

Palpatine begins to pace around the room proudly.

Palpatine: The Beyond as you know is the master of the Anti Force, his powers can in a way cancel out our powers in the force, acting like a plague or a parasite. He feeds off of our force energy, consuming it for strength… Power.

Zelios: What your telling us is useless!

Zelios: We should just go.

Jacen: No let him speak.

Palpatine: The only reason Jedi and Sith alike were never able to counter this Anti force is because they never used it to its full potential.

Ben: What do you mean?

Palpatine: Ahh young Kylo Ren. It’s such a shame your mother had to die to save you. And what do you have to carry her legacy? Nothing, you are weak.

Ben taps into his anger and rage, letting the dark side of the force consume him.

Ben (screaming): Tell us how to defeat him. Tell us now!

He ignites his yellow blade pointing it at Palpatine's throat.

Palpatine: Don’t you see Ren. There is still so much anger and hate in you. It’s what makes you strong. Your friends however are trying to supress your true power in the force. The light side has only made you weak.

Ben begins to calm down.

Ben: Tell us how to defeat the Beyond.

Palpatine (cackling): Well the Force is neither light nor dark, it is only the force. Thousands of years ago when the sith split off from the Jedi each order vowed to only preach their view on the force, not the entire truth. If you so wish to combat the Beyond you must learn to unlock the true power of the force.

Jacen: So your saying that we must use both light and dark.

Palpatine: Indeed. In your case time is running out and you don’t have enough time to learn my teachings.

Rey: So the odds are against us.

Palpatine: Not necessarily.

Palpatine waves his hand in the air. Suddenly the chest unlocks. Jacen runs over to the chest. He opens it revealing a ring with a red kyber crystal placed in the center.

Jacen: What is it.

Palpatine: That ring was forged after my death by the knights of Ren. In the center is the Kyber crystal from my lightsaber.

Jacen: What does it do?

Palpatine: If worn it gives the wearer and all those around it abilities and knowledge surrounding the darker aspects of the force.

Palpatine: However if worn for too long it will drive the user mad. The user must be already proficient in the dark side of the force.

Palpatine smiles at Ben Solo.

Ben: I’ll take it. I can handle it.

Jacen throws it to Ben who catches it. Hesitantly Ben tries on the ring. Ben shudders and his eyes twitch.

Aayla: Ben, are you okay?

Ben: I’m fine, I’m fine.

Palpatine cackles. Suddenly multiple Sith spirits erupt from the tombs. All have similar red lightsabers. They advance towards Jacen Ben and the others.

Jacen: You tricked us!

Palpatine: I did not. The ring is protected by the spirits of the Sith. Prove your worthiness of the ring by defeating them.  

Aayla lunges towards a sith spirit, her two blue lightsabers ignited. She slides underneath the Sith and quickly slashes through his chest. Moments later the spirit disappears.

Zelios: You take the one on the right I’ll get the one on the left.

Zelios and Finn stand with their backs against each other fending off several different sith spirits.

Finn: Got it.

Finn throws his lightsaber at the sith in a whirlwind fashion killing him instantly. Zelios spins through the air cutting through two more spirits. Meanwhile Rey and Ben were being surrounded by a hoard of Sith spirits.

Rey: Got any ideas?

Ben: Grab my hand.

Rey: What?

Ben: Grab my hand!

Rey grabs Ben’s hand. Suddenly the two fuse. The fusion cuts through several sith lords with ease with it’s two yellow blade.

Rey/Ben fusion: That was easy.

The two quickly unfuse. And continue fighting. Meanwhile Jacen speaks with the ghost of Palpatine.

Palpatine: Jacen Skywalker.

Palpatine: You know my boy, I once knew your father. He was naive just as you are now.

Palpatine: But he was strong in the force, so much potential. Unlike you.

Palpatine smiles. Jacen can do nothing but clench his fists.

Palpatine: You are only a shadow of your father. An ounce of the power he had. I can tell you were afflicted by the antiforce. I can feel your presence. You're helpless, scared, you doubt yourself.

Jacen grinds his teeth together in anger.

Palpatine (smiling): And you should doubt yourself, you were once powerful but now you are nothing.

Jacen: Ahh!

He ignites his purple blade cutting through the ghost of Palpatine. As Palpatine disappears his cackle can be heard throughout the entire room.

The scene shifts to our crew walking out of the Sith temple.

Aayla: C’mon let's go find the Falcon.

As they walk through the canyon the ground starts to rumble. Several boulders fall from the canyon and begin rolling towards them. Despite dodging the boulders with ease they seem to be very fatigued and weakened.

Rey: It’s him isn’t it.

Rey turns to Jacen who nods.

Jacen: C’mon we need to go.

The crew returns to the ship to see Chewbacca fixing the Falcons underbelly.

Chewbacca: Rwarrr.

Rey: Tatooine.

Chewbacca: Arghh.

Rey: Me too buddy. Me too.

The crew walks inside the ship. Moments later the Falcon takes off from the planet of Korriban. As the ship leaves the planet’s atmosphere Zelios and Jacen talk to each other.

Jacen: You nervous?

Zelios: Eh, he’s done worse to me before. You?

Jacen: I’ve never been more ready, He took everything from me. Now, I’m going to return the favor.

Jacen clenches fists.

 Zelios: What happens when we defeat him, If we defeat him?

Jacen: You know I haven't really thought of that. Have you?

Zelios: You know I’ve always wanted to travel the galaxy. Just haven't gotten the chance.

Jacen: You know I always wanted to go back to Naboo, maybe do a family trip with Rey and Ben.

Zelios smiles.

Zelios: Always wanted to go to Mandalore. I was there when I was really young but I have no memory of it.

Jacen: How bout Coruscant.

Zelios: That would be awesome.

Jacen walks over to a small bed. He prepares to lie down.

Jacen: But I dream, I dream that maybe I could travel the galaxy carefree, I dream that maybe tomorrow I’ll have all my powers back, I dream that maybe I’ll wake up and none of this ever happened, I dream that I still had my parents with me. But I dream.

Zelios: Well at least we still have each other.

Jacen lies back in his bed. He closes his eyes, smiling softly.

Jacen: Yeah.

End of issue two

Credits

Written by: 

Marco Brnardic (the_senate.squad)

David King (black sun hub)

Jackson Vanzil (Obi Ani Memes)

Edited by:

Jackson Vanzil (Obi Ani memes)

A Sith Squad creation