IMPORTANT INFO! DO NOT SKIP! READ THIS!
Do I have your attention? Good, hello everyone I'm Dakkaman777 and in order to make sure people understand where I stand I will say this as clearly as I can put it….Ahem
I Love Star Wars! I love it, the original trilogy were masterpieces of modern cinema and changed the way people view films forever. They were revolutionary films that changed my life when my older brothers showed me the theatrical cuts on video for the first time.
Now this is simply a passion project as my love for the original trilogy burns like the brightest star and in my opinion the Prequels were not good (I have my reasons, if you wanna know what they are….I dunno, just watch Red Letter Media's Reviews) so this first chapter will be little more than a set up for what I want this story to be.
A lot of the changes in Episode 1 here will be based a lot off of sources like Belated Medias 'what if they were good' series and Red Letter Media's reviews. Basically what I'm saying is if it wasn't mentioned or confirmed in the Theatrical version of the OT, I DO NOT consider it canon, so expect a bunch of new ideas and character (and a few characters used better).
Now everyone….I present to you, what I think the Star Wars Prequels SHOULD have been…to the best of my ability.
Dakkaman777 presents
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Tell me, young Luke. What brings you out this far?
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This little droid
I think he's searching for his former master
But I've never seen such devotion in a droid before.
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He claims to be the property of an Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Is he a relative of yours? Do you know what he's talking about?
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Obi-Wan Kenobi?
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Obi-Wan
Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time…a long time
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I think my Uncle knows him, he said he was dead.
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Oh he's not dead…not yet
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Oh you know him?
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Of course I know him…he's me.
I haven't come by the name of Obi-Wan since…oh before you were born.
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Well, this droid does belong to you.
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Don't ever seen to remember owning a Droid.
Very Interesting.
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You fought in the Clone Wars?
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Yes, I was once a Jedi Knight, the same as your father.
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I wish I'd known him.
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He was the best star pilot in the galaxy, and a cunning warrior. I understand you've become quite the pilot yourself?
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Ani was a good friend.
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How did my father die?
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A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi knights. He betrayed and murdered your father. Now the Jedi are all but extinct. Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force.
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The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.
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I have something here for you. Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough, but your uncle wouldn't allow it. He feared you might follow old Obi-Wan on some damn fool idealistic crusade like your father did.
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What is it?
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Your father's light saber. This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster; an elegant weapon for a more civilized age. For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times... before the Empire.
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The Force will be with you…. always.
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A long time ago…
In a galaxy far far away…
STAR WARS!
Shroud of the Dark Side
The Old Republic has stood for over a thousand years as the figurehead of peace and order for the citizens of the known galaxy. Thanks to the Jedi Knights, an ancient order of peacekeepers charged with the protection of the Republic and the values it holds high.
But the thousand generation reign of peace brought by the Republic is at unease, as a disturbance within the force alerts the Jedi that their long lasting peace is about to come to an end. Outer colonies of the Republic begin to go silent and cargo ships carrying vital supplies are missing without a trace.
Little do the Jedi order know that the disturbances have been caused by an evil, once thought extinct by the wisest and oldest of their ranks. An Evil that has returned to wreak its vengeance upon the Republic that sought its destruction, thousands of years ago.
A single shuttle cruised through the vast and empty void of space, the stars of the system twinkled like gemstones against the obsidian sheet of the infinite. The shuttle soared and sliced through the vacuum of space like a graceful bird of the skies as it made its way to its destination.
The planet Alderaan, a Jewel of peace and Hope in the Old Republic and home to the Royal Family of Alderaan.
Inside the cockpit of the shuttle two men sat at the controls, both men wore suits of skull white armour; the colours of the Republic. The pilot and co-pilot sat side by side in the cockpit while trying to bring the shuttle in close to the atmosphere of the planet.
"This is Shuttle Atlas, requesting permission to land, over" the pilot spoke into the comms.
The pilot was only greeted with utter silence in return, leaving the pilot to look at his co-pilot in confusion.
"Repeat, this is Shuttle Atlas, requesting permission to land, over" the Pilot repeated his earlier statement. The doors behind him shot open and out stepped a man with shoulder length dusty blonde hair and a very well-trimmed beard and moustache.
He wore somewhat very militaristic uniform that consisted of white armour plates covering his right shoulder, his shins, feet, forearms and hands. The uniform looked much like the tunic of a Medieval knight as it was made of a light tanned leathery materiel. On his right gauntlet was the red symbol of the republic; perfectly highlighted by the blood red against the skull white.
The armour was that of a Jedi Knight, each Jedi Master had a custom suit of armour, it didn't protect much from blaster fire, but it signified their rank as a Jedi, they were Knights after all. His suit covered all the areas of his body that wouldn't sacrifice the Jedi's flexibility or manoeuvrability.
"What's our situation?" the Jedi asked.
"We aren't getting any response from the surface, Master Kenobi" the pilot replied.
"It might be nothing; the transmitters could be faulty or damaged on the surface" the younger co-pilot replied.
Obi-Wan looked out to the planet and narrowed his eyes before stroking his moustache and grimacing. The pilots wondered what was going through the Jedi's head as he looked over the planet of Alderaan.
"I sense something out of place…. Take us down slowly, somewhere away from any heavily populated areas" Obi-Wan ordered the pilot.
"Any reason for that, Master Kenobi? We are on course for a meeting with the King" the Pilot replied.
"If something goes wrong in our landing we want to minimalize the chance of harming civilians" Obi-Wan explained.
"Very well, we'll set down near the forests to the east of the Royal Palace" the pilot agreed before inputting the coordinates to their new course.
"Very well, I'll inform Master Ranto" Obi-Wan said before walking back into the room he had come from.
Obi-Wan moved back into the main body of the ship where waiting for him was his Apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, sitting cross legged on a table in the nearest corner of the room while small objects levitated around him. Anakin was a teenager at the age of 17, his hair was a dirty blonde shade that hung near his shoulders, he wore a Jedi Uniform that looked very similar to his master's, only dark brown fabric instead of Obi-Wan's light tan. The armour of Anakin's uniform was shiny and new compared to the very worn and battered armour of his Master.
Obi-Wan smirked before leaning toward his young apprentice and inspected him, the look of concentration on the young Apprentice's face put a smile on Obi-Wan's face as it was obvious how hard it was for Anakin to do this. Even at this age, Anakin wasn't as powerful with the force as Obi-Wan was, at this point he was perhaps the fourth most powerful Jedi on the ship.
Though that never stopped his ever determined Apprentice from doing his very best, to levitate multiple objects around one's self was difficult for many Jedi of Anakin's age. Contrary to popular belief, the amount of concentration and willpower to control the force to this extent was substantial to say the least.
The force enhanced many things that made a Jedi a force (pun not intended) to be reckoned with, it could make a Jedi stronger, faster, more agile. It could make a Jedi sense the presence and feelings of living things around them, become more in tune with nature and all the living beings within it. Some Master Jedi were so powerful that they could sense everything around them within a solar system, of course this could only be done with the same intense concentration and skill, but it was a great blessing nonetheless.
Anakin's limits however were close to showing as a bead of sweat ran down his face, his look of concentration turning into a frown of pain as his breathing became audible. Obi-Wan smirked as his Apprentice showed his eager determination by trying to push past his limits, the objects; a cup, a thermal blaster clip, a blaster shield helmet and an assortment of spare parts that were lying around.
Obi-Wan smiled a conniving smile before he reached out his hand and waved it in front of Anakin's face in a back and forth motion.
No response.
…
'Perfect' Obi-Wan thought as he stepped back and held out his hand.
The table that Anakin was sat on slowly began to levitate into the air, as his master used the force to rise the table inch by inch, making sure not to alert his apprentice to what he was doing.
When Anakin was a good four feet in the air, Obi-Wan snickered before shouting "TURBULENCE!" and dropped his apprentice, who yelled in panic before crashing to the floor in a clutter of spare parts and furniture. Anakin instantly leapt to his feet and ignited his lightsabre, his hair mussed up and covering his face as if he just got out of bed.
Anakin's face however turned into a look of annoyance as the air was filled by the sounds of roaring laughter from Obi-Wan, who was leaning against the nearest wall with both arms crossed around his stomach.
"AAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Keep up your concentration my young apprentice!" Obi-Wan laughed at the top of his lungs as tears began to form in his eyes.
"Very funny, Master" Anakin deadpanned as he put away his lightsabre.
"Oh please, Anakin! The look on your face was priceless!" Obi-Wan laughed as he slung an arm around Anakin's shoulder and began to lead him toward the tail section of the ship. Obi-Wan , though a demanding Master, was not a stick in the mud by any concerns, he cracked jokes, made pranks and enjoyed toying and teasing his apprentice.
"I wish you would take matters like this more seriously, Master. Turbulence in a vacuum isn't a joke" Anakin replied.
"Oh, your reaction made it funny" Obi-Wan chuckled.
"Master Ranto wouldn't find it funny" Anakin huffed the slightest bit, still sore over what his master had done.
"Well you can ask him yourself in a second" Obi-Wan smirked as he came to a section of the ship which housed the quarters of a Jedi of legendary skill. Before Obi-Wan and Anakin walked through the doors, Obi-Wan took his arm from around Anakin's shoulder and put on a very professional face and in an instant his mood changed from that of a joking friend to that of a serious Jedi warrior.
"Nervous?" Obi-Wan asked his young Apprentice.
"…well he IS a council member…should I be?" Anakin asked.
"Nerves are a natural response, don't worry, Master Ranto is a good man" Obi-Wan said with a smile before he opened the door and stepped inside with Anakin following close behind.
The room was defiantly spacious to say the least, the lighting was very dim and the walls were covered with decorative drapes and pieces of cloth of all colours and patterns. The only sources of light were a few blue flamed candles scattered around the room, which left an odour of light incense.
Sitting in the middle of the room with his back turned to the door, cross legged was a Human male, of brown skin and white curly hair tied in a braid that hung down his back. He wore a very intricate and ornate version of the uniform that Obi-Wan wore, only with the addition of a dark blue hooded cloak with gold accents.
Standing just a few feet away stood a female Zabrak with her arms crossed, she had pale white skin and long black hair that hung down her shoulders, she would have been easily been mistaken as a human if not for the horns protruding from her head. Her uniform was similar to Obi-Wan's in the regard that hers' had the same design, but was a deep shade of maroon as opposed to Obi-Wan's tan.
Her name was Xame and she was a Jedi Master around about Obi-Wan's age, give or take a couple of years. And even though she was a fully-fledged Jedi, she was also the apprentice of the man that Obi-Wan needed to speak to.
Obi-Wan stepped forward a few paces before he spoke aloud "Master Ranto, are we…disturbing you?" Obi-Wan asked.
The man slowly rose from his cross legged position and turned to the Jedi and his apprentice. The Jedi known as Master Ranto was a man in his late 70's with a short white goatee adorning his face. His calm smile and peaceful aura instantly made him recognisable as a Master of the Force, a Jedi Knight with decades of experience.
"Not at all Obi-Wan, I was just meditating while Xame here kept me company. I sense that you have something to tell me" Ranto replied in a sincere tone as he folded his hands in front of him.
"The surface isn't responding to any of our messages, he pilots think it is probably a slight malfunction in the transmitters but then again…" Obi-Wan began.
"You sensed a disturbance?" Xame nodded, already knowing the answer.
"Yes, you?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Of course, it's a strange day when a Jedi cannot sense the presence of life on a planet" Ranto said as he began to walk out of the room with Obi-Wan, Xame and Anakin closely following behind.
"Is it really that strange?" Anakin asked.
"Young Skywalker, most Master Jedi, including your Master, can sense life from amazing distances. To have a completely blank spot of a Lush planet such as Alderaan is unheard of, unless something has gone terribly wrong" Ranto continued as he made his way through the ship.
*************PUT LINE HRE******************
*Alderaan, unknown
Meanwhile, standing on the balcony of a large facility surrounded by trees and woodland was a black cloaked figure who was leaning intently on the stone railings. With his eyes closed and his breathing slow and steady, he was almost concentrating with everything he had before he slowly chuckled to himself.
"It's been a while since I've felt a presence like that" the man chuckled before he turned, revealing his identity to any that would be watching. He was a male Zabrak with red skin, littered with black tattoos that adorned his face. His horns were sharp and devilish while his eyes shone a bright yellow that would unsettle the faint of heart.
The Zabrak's stature was that of a highly trained warrior, one who had seen countless battles, many victories and very few failures. The way he carried himself spoke yards about his confidence and primal nature. He wore black robes that fit his figure tightly, on his forearms and shins were black armoured gauntlets and greaves.
He was Darth Maul, a Lord of the once thought to be extinct Sith.
Maul could only cackle sinisterly to himself as he felt the four strong presences slowly descending from the upper atmosphere. The sound of footsteps slowly approaching could be heard from the tiling of the floors of the room behind him as four figures came into view.
Three of the figures were large imposing males at around 6-foot-tall, all dressed head to toe in black armour, holding blaster rifles to their chests. The men's faces were obscured by their armoured helms which were very symmetrical in design, the suits didn't look at all comfortable to wear.
The fourth figure was unmistakably female, a young Lethan Twi'lek of red skin, black tattoos and yellow eyes similar to those of the Zabrak. Although this Twi'lek's tattoos were not as extreme as Maul's they still had the illusion of making her seem more intimidating. She wore black robes like those of Maul, while her armour seemed to be more lightweight and more designed for style.
She was none other than Maul's Apprentice, her name was Darth Faye, as her beauty was as striking as Maul's Ferocity. As a Twi'lek it was no surprise that she was attractive, but her tattoos and very well trained Physique only added to her appeal.
"Master, the Jedi shuttle has hailed the capital. What are your orders?" the Female Twi'lek asked as she put a fist upon her chest.
"…blow them out of the sky…and send a squadron to the wreckage after the deed is done to make sure" Maul smirked as he crossed his hands behind his back.
"It will be done my Master" Faye replied as she stood to her feet and turned with the three large men following close behind her.
Maul smirked as looked up into the blue sky above him, waiting for the inevitable display that was soon to take place in the skies of Alderaan.
'Today was going to be a good day' Maul thought to himself as he looked over to the distance where implanted into the ground were 8 massive sets of Anti-Air Blaster Cannons that began to whirr and power up.
The control panels of the shuttle began to go haywire as the alarm claxon of the ship began blaring loudly. Red lights lit up the cockpit and the Pilots began to panic, pressing controls and doing everything in their power to avoid a disaster.
The doors to the cockpit shot open and in rushed the Four Jedi, Obi-Wan rushing past Master Ranto and leaning over the shoulder of the pilot.
"What's wrong?" he asked with haste.
"Incoming fire! We are getting heavy energy readings approaching us from the planet!" the pilot rushed to say as a hail of blaster fire came into view.
"EVASIVE MANEUVERS!" Obi-Wan ordered the pilots that did their best to follow the Jedi's orders.
The shuttle may not have been streamlined or as agile as a Fighter but it did its best in avoiding many of the blaster bolts that zoomed and whizzed past the ship. Both pilots were panicking, the Co-Pilot in particular who was sweating bullets under the pressure of a real attack.
Obi-Wan, Anakin and Xame held onto the nearest thing to avoid being flung around the ship, yet Master Ranto stood completely still with a calm expression on his face.
"Master! Hold onto something!" Xame yelled.
"Don't fret, my dear. This isn't a first for me" Ranto said, remaining calm with his hands clasped in front of him.
The shuttle however wasn't doing so good as the closer to orbit it got, the closer the blaster fire got to tearing the hull to pieces, and this far up it could spell death for all six passengers. The pilots did everything in their power to avoid the blaster fire but unfortunately their luck ran out.
The Shuttle may have had deflector shielding and tough armour, but the size and power behind the blaster shots were so powerful that a direct hit to the main body of the ship would instantly destroy the Shuttle and all aboard it.
*KABOOOOOM!*
"The Left thruster is down!" the Co-Pilot shouted as he alarms sounded louder and louder.
"We're losing power! The deflector shield is down!" the Pilot yelled in panic as the red blasters only got closer and closer to destroying them.
"Just get us through the upper atmosphere!" Xame yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Easier said than done Maam" the pilot replied.
Suddenly, one particularly fast blaster bolt impacted upon the underside of the shuttle, sparks went flying, tech went haywire and the alarms kept getting louder and louder as the chaotic scene only got worse and worse.
"Dammit! The main reactor's been hit! We are losing power fa…"
*BZZZZKRACK!*
The control console in front of the main pilot suddenly exploded into flames making the pilot went limp as shards of glass and electronics exploded into his face. The Co-Pilot began to panic like all hell as he was left to pilot the ship by himself.
Another blaster bolt sped towards the ship, there was no way that the Co-Pilot could possibly avoid it in time without the help of the lead pilot. But just as the co-pilot thought they were done for, the ship veered to the left completely avoiding the blaster bolt. The Co-Pilot in complete shock twisted his head to the right, expecting to see the pilot pulling off a miracle.
Instead, he saw Anakin Skywalker, hotwiring the control panel like it was nothing and piloting the ship through the wiring of the smoking control console. To control a star ship was difficult enough, but to pilot a ship through raw wiring alone was downright amazing.
Then there was the fact that this Jedi Apprentice was doing this while avoiding heavy anti-air blasters designed to destroy fleets. This Jedi was something else, most expert pilots would blush at the skill that this mere lad of 17 possessed.
'Are all Jedi this amazing?' the co-pilot thought.
"Averting all remaining power from sub generators to aviation systems in the left thruster!" Anakin announced as the left thruster flared up to full power.
"Anakin! Do you know what you are doing?!" Obi-Wan shouted over the sound of the alarms.
"Of course, Master. This is easy, as long as those blasters don't have rapid fire, we'll be fine" Anakin smiled as he continued to cross wires to control the ship. Then as if on cue the blaster fire got quicker and more intense as the bolts got thinner and more like regular blasters.
"Ah…. what do ya know? They have rapid fire" Anakin chuckled nervously.
"Just get us out of the fire!" Obi-Wan shouted as he held on tight.
"Easier said than done!" Anakin shouted over the alarms as he began crossing wires and circuits like a madman possessed by some sort of tech god.
The shuttle dodged and whizzed past the rapid fire of the blasters, avoiding many of the bolts with ease as only minor damage to the hull was sustained. The speed and skill behind Anakin's movements were something else, and to the co-pilot he seemed more than human.
That being said Anakin's skill with piloting and aviation circuitry wasn't all him, the abilities of force sensitive beings were very unique to all that possessed the ability to wield the force. The Force could do many things to an individual to make them great at certain professions, Anakin's sensitivity to the force allowed him to possess a flawless sense of direction which made him a natural flyer since the day he was born. He could control a ship through the wiring simply because he knew shuttle's like this one like the back of his hand.
"Alright, Good news is we're out of the blaster fire" Anakin announced as the red blaster bolts disappeared from sight.
"And…. the bad news?" Obi-Wan asked, dreading the answer.
"We're rapidly falling through the atmosphere and our left thruster isn't working" Anakin scratched the back of his head nervously.
"…. oh no" Obi-Wan muttered as the alarms became unbearably loud, and the flashing red lights were permanently illuminating the cockpit.
The shuttle spiralled out of control through the atmosphere, gaining heat as the hull went bright orange, near melting as the ship descended to Alderaan. Anakin did his best to hold onto the control console while avoiding falling back onto the body of the presumably unconscious pilot while the Co-Pilot panicked like he had never panicked before.
Obi-Wan held onto the side of the cockpit as tightly as he could while Xame did her best to not lose her grip and balance. However, Master Ranto was staying calm and stood in place with his eyes gently shut, as if concentrating on something intently.
The shuttle descending down through the layers of the atmosphere, leaving broken pieces of the wings and hull panels trailing behind it. Dense woodland came into view, and no armoured hull or deflector shield in the universe could stop the certain destruction of the ship that was approaching.
Obi-Wan and Xame exchanged a look of worry before they both closed their eyes tightly.
Anakin's short life flashed before his eyes.
And the Co-Pilot regretted every volunteering to escort the Jedi on this mission.
Then literally as the ship was about to crash, Master Ranto held out his hand in a closed fist and sharply opened it.
The ship screeched to a halt in mid-air, all the inhabitants of the ship could scarcely believe what had happened as they opened their eyes to see the grassy ground outside the cockpit. Ranto smiled as he did a few short hand motions, the shuttle manoeuvred around to his will to land as if there were no trouble.
"Is everyone alright?" Ranto asked as he opened his eyes and smiled caringly to the others.
Anakin's heart pounded like a jackhammer as he dropped his behind to the floor and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Xame, how is the pilot?" Obi-Wan asked as the female Zabrak checked on the pilot and his pulse before turning to her fellow Jedi.
"…He's dead, the console must have killed him instantly" she replied sadly. Obi-Wan put his hand gently on her shoulder.
"He is one with the Force now, there is nothing else we can do" the Jedi said gently gripping her shoulder before he turned his attention to the Co-Pilot.
"Are you alright?" the Jedi asked.
"Yeah…I…I guess….am I alive?" the Co-Pilot asked, gripping his chest.
"You seem like it" Obi-Wan smiled at him.
"We had best get moving, whoever shot at us most likely won't be glad we are alive" Xame said as she stood up and helped Anakin to his feet.
"You think?" Anakin snidely commented, earning himself a flick to the ear from the Zabrak who smiled at the young boy wincing. Xame may have been a Jedi and a master of keeping her emotions under control, but no one liked a Smart ass.
"What's your name Lad?" Obi-Wan asked the Co-Pilot, who took his helmet off, revealing a young human boy with brown shoulder length hair.
"Owen…Owen Lars" he replied, his hands still shaking a bit from the ordeal. The boy was a simple co-pilot; he didn't have nerves of steel like a Jedi.
Master Ranto observed the wreckage from outside with his hands crossed in front of him, Xame and Anakin were occupied with salvaging whatever they could from the smouldering heap that used to be a Shuttle. It would be hard to believe that the five of them made it out alive with the condition the ship was in; pieces of the hull had been torn off or beaten down, the main generator was blown to smithereens, all three wings were broken off and both thrusters had been rendered completely useless.
It was a good thing that a master of the force like Master Ranto was there, or they would have been dead.
Ranto however was more interested with the piloting skills of Obi-Wan's apprentice, doing what Anakin did was no easy feat even for a Jedi. Ranto felt many things from the young Skywalker, a myriad of emotions and a particular strength of the force that was very hard to come by.
Ranto smiled, he could expect great things from this young Apprentice.
Oooooookay! Whoa, first chapter is always the hardest if I do say so myself! And OMG, only a week until Force Awakens, the hype is real guys…. the hype is real!
Also, I wanted to clear up some stuff about this story before any of you start saying 'actually in the prequels, this happens' these are different stories and here are some things you should know:
There is no 'Prophecy' involved, the very concept of a prophecy just rubs me the wrong way, especially when it's for a character like Anakin/Vader who was never this big important thing to begin with.
No 'Jedi can't love' it's stupid and kills the emotion of a character, that and it simply makes no sense.
The 'Rule of Two' does not exist, yet another thing that rubs me the wrong way.
If you have any questions/requests or issues please PM me, but please no Flames for god's sake, I have enough on my mind as it is. And for all you Star Wars fans, please leave your thoughts in the form of a review, this includes what you liked, what you didn't, what you want to see etc.
And as always people I will leave you with a fun little question to ponder on (a Dakkaman777 speciality)
What is it you want to see the most in Force Awakens?
Until next time, may the force be with you :)