AN: First the Title Crawl. Cue the Music!

Star Wars

The Skywalker Heresy

Episode III

Ghosts of the Force

Civil War is tearing the Galaxy apart.

In the five years since the Exodus, the Republic Remnant and the Jedi Order have taken the fight to the Empire. Aided by the Jedi, Rebel cells on many Rim Worlds are struggling against the Iron Fist of the Emperor.

The evil Lady of the Sith, Darth Paqua, has since become the symbol for the Empire and it's ruthless ways. At the orders of Darth Sidious, and together with the Imperial Inquisitors she has set out to exterminate the Rebellion and the Jedi alike.

At the same time, Jedi Knights scour the Outer Rim for survivors of the Purge even while assisting those taking up the fight.

Meanwhile Jedi Knight and Republic General Skywalker is still at odds with fellow Jedi Ferus Olin, who has become an unwilling symbol of the followers of the Old Ways, over the issue of Jedi Code reform...

Chapter 1

5.3 After Jedi Exodus

"Welcome back, Commander."

Ahsoka nodded a reply to the Chief who was already attaching a fuel hose to the Mynock's port. "Glad to be back, Chief."

It was true. She had spent the last eight months on the same back end of the Galaxy planet, overseeing the transfer of a small fleet's worth of freight back to Weitun, and she was glad to be home. She was supposed to report to the Republic Council right away, but there were one or two things she had to do first. One of them was parked in a section of the massive base hangar denoted by the blue-white-blue squadron insignia that someone had painted over Blue Squadron's section of the Hangar a few months after the Squadron had been established. Parked there near the back since she'd left was RSC-0002, in other words her fighter. She walked past the other Z-95s, greeting those of her people that were there before standing next to the orange and white nose. As she always did when she passed by, she patted it's battlescarred hull, mentally recalling the stories behind the dents, scrapes and scorchmarks that they had collected together over the last four years along with the kill markings under the cockpit.

Had it really been five years already since she'd selected this one from the then far larger pool of vehicles? Even though they had all been the same then and been given the same modifications that Anakin had done to his, she knew that this one was special. There was the small dent next to the cargo compartment hatch that she had produced one night while landing on a nearly airless moon by accidentally sidestepping into a rock, or the burnmark that had nearly taken off one of her engines last year and dozens of other peculiarities. Long story short, she loved this little Headhunter and had missed it. She let her fingers run along the concussion missile launcher and turned away with the full intent to take her out for a spin at the earliest opportunity.

Right now though she had something more important to do, and she had spied that over in the section belonging to Red Squadron. Just as with the Blues, the Reds had their own section with their insignia marking it, and as with her own squadron, they also had a single, partly disassembled ETA-2 Interceptor parked nearby. Only that theirs was constantly being worked on, even though nowadays it never quite made it to flight. At this very moment it was being worked on by a very senior Jedi Knight.

Being probably the most powerful Jedi in History, Anakin sensed her approach and turned with a wide grin on his face.

"Long time no see, Snips." he said.

"Same to you, Skyguy."

He gave an indulgent smile and tilted his head towards her. "The twins will be ecstatic that you're back. They've been needling Padmé and me about their favourite aunt for weeks."

"Well then we shouldn't let them wait. I've missed them too." she replied. After leaving some orders for the crew that serviced the Mynock and officially signing back in with the Deck Officer, she rejoined Anakin and together they left Echo Base for the settlement proper.

In the years since it's founding, Sanctuary had grown considerably, and it now housed a civilian population of almost eleven thousand beings in addition to the Republic Military. Between it and the mountains fields and cattle pens serviced by droids and a few farmers stretched as far as the naked eye of any species could see, small-scale industry that serviced the basic needs of the population could be seen near the civilian landing field.

"So how are they doing?" Ahsoka couldn't help but ask with more then casual interest in her voice.

Anakin looked at her, approval and pride shining in his eyes, in equal parts for his children and his former Padawan. Ahsoka still tended to think that she was being honoured by her status as an honorary Skywalker, but to Padmé and himself it was just a normal thing to do. It helped that Luke and Leia both adored her and had done so since they had been able to form even the basest emotional bonds, and it was obvious that this went both ways.

No, she would be a great Master to one of his children.

Right now though... Master Yoda was had taken to teaching the Living Force class in the open air if the weather allowed, which was certainly a great change in Anakin's opinion, especially on a planet this strong in the Force.

"And how's Padmé?"

"Throwing herself into her work when she isn't being a mother." Anakin said with a fond grin, "The Council..." he paused before clarifying, the change had happened when Ahsoka had been off-planet, "the Republic Council has decided that there might be something to those rumours about the Chiss after all. But it will be some time before there is actual need for an old-fashioned diplomat. Right now she's negotiating a deal with the Independents on Ketan."

Ahsoka frowned. "Hopefully not alone. That planet never was safe even before the war."

"Obi Wan is with her. If all goes well, they should be back by later tonight." Anakin replied, though Ahsoka didn't have to use the Force to sense his discomfort at the whole affair. She knew that Padmé and Anakin rarely fought, but it couldn't have been a happy conversation when she'd told him that she was going to go. That thought was confirmed by the way Anakin changed the subject.

"Red Squadron is on the list for the next raid."

"Who's in support?"

"Gold this time. Green is still trying to get those last three Y-Wings operational again. Luckily for us the Empire is throwing them out at bargain prices."

That wasn't strictly true, since the sources from which they had acquired the Y-Wing Bombers for Gold and Green Squadrons were anything but official, Ahsoka herself had partaken in the theft of several, but components were still being manufactured and there were more than a few system defence forces that used what the Empire now saw as second-line craft, making spare parts less of an issue than might be expected under the circumstances. Neither squadron was ever up to establishment strength, but at least that way the limited supply of proton torpedoes would last longer.

"So where to?"

"Don't know yet, but will at least not be visiting Tierfon again."

Ahsoka snorted, giving evidence to her displeasure about that idea. That planet had once housed a Rebel group that had been very close to fully joining the Remnant before being betrayed to the Empire that had sparked the closest thing to a sustained military campaign the Remnant had fought since the Exodus, and even though they had eventually ceded the Planet to the Empire, the Remnant had suffered losses there they could ill-afford.

"Master, we need those groups. And we did capture the Alacrity in the process."

Now it was his turn to snort. "Yes, and it took us almost a year to get her back into fighting condition. Never mind that this cost us half a dozen starfighters. I'd rather have those pilots than a Carrack class."

Ahsoka didn't reply, since she knew that he would not be deterred. The Remnant's fleet had grown considerably and to the point where dispatching a decent-sized raid force no longer meant that they had to completely expose Weitun, and by now they could service at least the smaller ships locally. Something the size of Fearless was still beyond their means, even though she was in sore need of a refit.

And at any rate, Ahsoka had just returned from a highly successful mission that she and Scout had embarked on together, and while the latter had remained behind to work with the Remnant's elements operating in that sector, Ahsoka was back, and therefore it was unbecoming of him to brood. Besides –

He was interrupted by two small whirlwinds that came running from where Yoda had just dismissed his class, barrelled straight past him and almost pushed over Ahsoka who had fallen a few steps behind.

"Soki! Soki! Soki!" both twins yelled, using the nickname that had somehow stuck from when they had firs tried and failed to pronounce her name correctly. No one really minded, the only rule Ahsoka had laid down that the twins were the only ones allowed to call her that.

"Up!" Luke exclaimed as if he were still a toddler, shortly followed by his sister. Ahsoka grinned but she shook her head. "Luke, you know that you've grown too much. I can't carry you both any more."

They both exclaimed their disagreement with that statement, and Anakin watched. Normally he wouldn't have indulged them like this, and normally they knew better than to be so boisterous during class hours, but Ahsoka had been away for months, and the formal end to today's instructions was only a few minutes away. So he just stood and watched that part of his odd family play out. He didn't actively seek it out, but in these dark times the sheer happiness and mutual adoration he felt over his bonds with his children and former Padawan was heartwarming and would always sustain him when times were rough.

This was why the Jedi Reforms were ultimately a good thing, in spite of the naysayers that still adhered to the old ways. He'd had long discussions with Obi Wan and Master Yoda, and between them they'd come to agree that emotions themselves were never the way to the Dark Side, it was how you acted on them, and teaching any prospective Jedi those things was something the Order had dedicated itself to.

Knowing that his children were in good hands as long as they stayed with Ahsoka and that it wouldn't be possible to tear them away from her for a good hour, he went to speak to Master Yoda. He didn't like the plan he had come up with. He positively hated it and what he would have to do to implement it, but looking back at the two young initiate and their excited chatter, he knew that he had to do it. Needs must when the devils fly.

A considerable distance away, Olin was supervising a few younger Knights as they prepared for the monthly inspection of the crystal cave. Most of the work would actually be done by Master Yoda, who had taken up the task of ensuring that the artificially sown crystals grew in a pattern and in forms that made them useful, but the elder Master was usually accompanied by two of the younger knights, using the time to teach those that needed it how to reach an even better equilibrium in the living Force. Olin had volunteered to keep an eye on them while they waited mostly because he wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of people that characterized life in Sanctuary these days. Civilians and Jedi had mixed freely and with surprisingly few real incidents since they had come here, but he still preferred solitude and the company of his fellows.

Normally at least. Today he was faintly irritated because of that company, similar to the way Skywalker annoyed him. With him it was part irrational jealousy towards the Remnant's poster boy and part his ability to get away with everything he did, all that tinged with the grudging respect Skywalker had earned with his deeds and his behaviour in the last five years.

The difference was that his current company belonged to that informal, unnamed group of Jedi who refused to let go of the old Jedi Code. While it was now perfectly normal to see Padawans or full-grown knights pairing off with someone, these... you had to call them Orthodox Jedi refused to partake and sometimes tended to look down on those who had embraced the new ways. It wasn't anything too overt, but their feelings were clear enough to any Force user who could be bothered to search out their feelings.

They also dressed in the old robes as much as they could and while almost all other Jedi had taken to carrying a blaster of some description in addition to the sabre, but the other type of Jedi refused to carry anything but the base equipment that had essentially remained unchanged for centuries.

It was also no coincidence that they never left Weitun. Not only was their manner of dress fairly conspicuous these days thanks to never-ending Imperial propaganda that painted the Jedi as baby-stealing, mind-controlling monsters. Certainly most of them had been the more philosophically inclined Jedi to begin with and were willing to 'mind the store' as well as at least theoretically entertain the changes that had been made while more active Jedi such as Skywalker, Tano or himself went and fought the Empire, and appreciated what was done out there. However the two Olin was supervising right now belonged to a small group that refused to entertain even the notion that the old ways had been anything but perfect, and they had come to despise Skywalker as the symbol of the New Way Jedi. Olin, being known not to be a fan of the Hero with No Fear had flabbergasted them when he had refused to become the face of their faction. They had been amazed when he had told them that while he didn't approve of all the changes nor the way in which they had come about, he also felt that overall they were the way to the future as the old Code had clearly failed them in the past as it had prevented the council from sensing Palpatine's true nature.

As a consequence Olin was between factions. Those that supported the New Code disliked him for his opposition to their greatest hero, while the Old Way Jedi disliked him for spurning them and be so accepting of everything that had changed.

Not that he minded, as even five years on he still wasn't so sure where he belonged within the Jedi Order.

Which was why he ignored the not quite polite comments the two younger Jedi were making and concentrated on his duties, for whatever any single Jedi felt or how he reacted to what had happened since the Exodus, the Force was with them all.

And what were they saying right now? "-don't deserve to be Jedi, they are the product of the grossest violation of the code."

His friend nodded in agreement. "Skywalker should have been expelled on the spit, no matter what he supposedly did during Order 66."

"Either that or he should have been made to give up his marriage if he wanted to have his children trained. This is all his wife's fault. She should have known better than to seduce a Jedi."

Olin decided that this had to stop. What they said to each other behind closed doors was theirs to say and do, but any of those utterances would be enough for Skywalker to achieve escape velocity without the benefit of a ship, never mind that the most innocent in all this were the twins. What was more, Olin had long since learned what had happened on Geonosis back then and gotten to know Padmé Skywalker fairly well on a professional level, and she was anything but the vile seductress out to cripple the Jedi Order some made her out to be outside the earshot of her, her husband or anyone with a functioning brain.

True, the Skywalker family were the darlings of the Remnant, but even though he still believed that Skywalker should have been punished for his transgressions, Olin had to admit that he wasn't the same Padawan he had been years before. He was still rash, sarcastic and tended to complain about the weather, but he had lost that sense of entitlement and was even fairly humble for someone of his stature and fame. It was Skywalker himself who had insisted that neither of his children be given any sort of preferential treatment such as personal training from any of the members of the council, unless they earned it on their own merits. He had also refused to partake in the doctrine discussions that had characterized the time just after they'd established Sanctuary and instead thrown himself into formulating newer and better starfighter tactics. Sometimes, when it had been a long time since he'd seen his family something else became visible, some sort of guilt, most likely about being away for so long.

Long story short and his status as a Jedi aside, between them the Skywalkers were superb parents, and he had to admit, however grudgingly, that they were an equally superb rolemodel for others because even though a second generation of Jedi had been born since the code had been changed, they were the ones with the most experience in raising force-sensitive children outside the old structures of the Order.

Not that it mattered to these two, it seemed.

"That's enough." Olin barked, and the two of them stared at him as if he'd just revealed himself to be Master Yoda in disguise.

"But..."

"But nothing, Bendak. This sort of talk is unbecoming of a Jedi."

"He deserves it! Neither he nor his spawn should be in the order, you know that."

Olin was tempted to quote one of Yoda's favourite truisms about emotions and the Dark Side, but thought better of it.

"No, I do not." he said instead, deciding to put his foot down once and for all, sick of always being pulled into these conversations on the sole virtue of not being a member of the Skywalker fan club. "Anakin Skywalker may not deserve many things, but being a Jedi is Not. One. Of. Them. So you better keep these thoughts away from where I can hear them, understood?"

Both barely being out of their teens it didn't surprise Olin that they merely grumbled that they had understood and then promptly began to silently glare at him until Master Yoda arrived. The inspection of the cave went smoothly, and Yoda could tell the Council that the chronic shortage of lightsabre crystals would be over if care was taken where in the cave crystals were harvested.

"Something troubles you, hmm?"

Olin watched where the two returned to their quarters before turning back towards Yoda.

"Yes, Master." he replied and outlined the 'conversation' in question.

Yoda didn't say anything, first pondering what he'd heard. "A difficult issue, this is. A solution, we must find, deserve it, Skywalker does. As do his younglings."

"Yes, Master. But we cannot make them stop talking this way."

"Do that, we must not. No better than the Empire, we would be. Like this not, Skywalker will."

Olin snorted. "That's an understatement if I've ever heard one. Master, with all due respect, but Anakin will be able to fly to the docks without a shuttle when he hears what those to have said about his children. He's learned to ignore the normal things long ago, Master but what makes him such a good father is what will make him very angry indeed."

"Bad that would be, very bad, yes. Has been so in the past."

Olin was puzzled at this remark and made a mental note to check into that another time.

"Tell him about this incident, we will not." Yoda decreed.

"Yes, Master."

"Talk to the Council I will, at the next opportunity, yes. Proven worthy of our support, Skywalker has."

"Yes, Master."

tbc

So here we go, Episode III: Ghosts of the Force has officially begun.