Revolution, War, Despair, Hope, Death, Life and a God

War has won the votation. I have seen many say that the only option Tanya would choose is War and many other saying it was Peace. I believe to say "the only thing she would do" is deceiving. Tanya could do many things, she could continue to be a subject to others will as she has been all her life, being happy with the little freedom she has. Or she can choose to be for the first time the only high authority, to not kneel to anyone. To be truly free. Both options are realistic inside of what we have seen of Tanya. In this story, the path of Reform was attached to the path of she being subject to the Emperor, having for the rest of her life someone above her. But, the path of revolution and war has won. The path where Tanya is FREE, where she decide what rules affect her, where she truly is free for the first time in her life.

Welcome to path of Tanya being free for the first time in her life.

Welll... actually... I wonder, if it can be called freedom, if she is still a slave to herself.

The Emperor looked surprised and disappointed as Degurechaff gave her answer.

"I cannot trust you, Puppet Emperor, for you are just that, a tool of the elites of the Core to keep control of the Galaxy. I bring hope to my territory where you will bring despair in your actions controlled by the elites. For that reason my only answer is this one: Death to the Puppet Emperor!"

Degurechaff's heart was in flames as the Galaxy would be soon, the fury of decades of servitude and no gratitude, decades of suffering incompetent superiors, decades of her sacrificing everything and in the end being useless for her superiors couldn't do anything with the victories she had brought them.

Didn't she want to be an Empress? Didn't she want to be no longer restrained by the chains of her superiors? It was her moment, her moment to surpass her long life of submission and turn herself in the superior authority, only answer to herself and her subjects. Not to any incompetent superior or bastard.

"I had hope that peace was possible. I believe there was a moment where we truly could have been friends. It is sad to see our futures to be the worst possible. But you have chosen this by yourself. I will be merciful when our armies capture you and your subjects," he answered, closing the call after having the last word. Degurechaff did not care, in fact, she was feeling euphoric, she had liberated herself from the chains, the chains that had been oppressed for so long. She is the only one that would decide her own path.

She turned to the bridge, her eyes golden, a big smile on her face.

"Don't you hear that?" She asked, no one answered. "The silence, the silence is so loud, as we have decided the fate of the galaxy the silence follows. Enjoy this silence while you can, for when we reach Coruscant you will be never be able to enjoy silence, war, war will be the only thing we will be able to hear"

She gave her back to the bridge and left it, walking to her personal room, she had to make some calls.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A working family looked at the screen displaying the news; it was 16:43 and all the family was on the sofa, a thirty year old man, a thirty-three old woman and a young fifteen year old adolescent that was only there because he was worried about the ultimatum. Hoping to see any new information from the news.

The house was relatively big by Eriadu standards, commodities were not as expensive as they were in other parts of the galaxy, and thanks to the economy of Degurechaff the food prices were again affordable for the normal working class in her territory.

In fact, never in history had the prices been so low while at the same time allowing private companies to have benefits.

The woman in the screen was a beautiful one, as it was common in the local news, to her left the countdown showed that the three days of the ultimatum were finally over and the Galaxy still didn't know what was happening.

After some minutes, the woman of the news showed a face of concern, the entire planet of Eriadu was watching the news either in the screen or hologram format. The planet and the galaxy hold their breath.

"I have been contacted by the minister of propaganda Max Grobelnel, in a few seconds he will take control over all the media displaying devices of the South Supersector according to the Law 1986 of crisis communication."

Some seconds passed as the woman was also waiting, the tension was clear in the room. No one wanted a civil war, another civil war. It was already bad enough with the war against the New Republic and the Hutts, to open a third war against their brothers would be a bad decision.

A high pitch sound took place, making the screen turn black, a second after the Imperial shield appeared in the darkness of the screen, under the shield written the words: "Imperial Citizens, wait for an important transmission."

Another few seconds passed, and finally a visible image appeared. A, not tall, but neither short man with dark blonde hair, very well groomed beard and brown eyes. He wore a white uniform with the Imperial flag where his heart was.

"Imperial Citizens, I am the Minister of Propaganda Max Grobelnel, authorized by Tanya Degurechaff to be in charge of communication and propaganda in the South Supersector. I know that there has been a mist of uncertainty over what is happening, but I can now only say, with sadness in my heart, that as much as we wanted peace, it seems that peace was never an option."

He looked pitiful, as if he hadn't slept in days, as if the world was falling apart around him. But still he wore his clothes with discipline. He looked approachable but with the discipline and authority of someone of his rank.

No one knew that he had been working for hours with makeup artists to look exactly like this.

"During the three days that the Emperor gave us, we have been debating about what decision we should take. It is known to everyone in the supersector that the Degurechaff government has always had the people in its heart, that Degurechaff and her government had pushed laws of freedom of speech, banning slavery, destroying the criminal imperials that ran free in the territory. We have revived the economy of this supersector while the rest of the galaxy lay in flames. For this reason, it was a difficult decision to make, for there was a risk that the government in Coruscant did not share the same views Degurechaff and her government have. Yet, nonetheless, twenty-four hours ago, her decision was made. She would submit and fight to make the galaxy a better place together with the Emperor."

He took a glass of water with shaking hands, showing that he was fearful of what he had to say, the people that saw him sympathized with him. Not knowing that he was playing a role – a role everyone believed without a doubt.

"An hour after the Degurechaff took the decision of peace, of order, of stability. The planet of Thyferra was destroyed by forces of the Core, with the intention to force the submission of Degurechaff, not knowing that she already was willing to kneel."

Max had two speeches in his head, one, where he denounced the Core, another where he said that Degurechaff and her government didn't know who destroyed the planet. Which speech he would say depended on Degurechaff's decision – a last second call had decided his speech.

The entire Galaxy frowned, from the New Republic, to the Core, to the Supersector. Even if this announcement was only intended for Degurechaff territory, all the galaxy was seeing it, because all the galaxy wanted to know what was happening.

The New Republicans screamed in anger, viewing their cause as just, after the Empire had destroyed once again another planet.

Many of the people of the Core didn't care, because, why would they care if a backward planet in a potential enemy territory was destroyed. Without knowing that it was the only known producer of Bacta in the galaxy.

But, in the south supersector territory. Rage, fury and indignation were the main feelings. Had they been attacked when they wanted peace? One of the planets under Degurechaff's protection completely destroyed because of the Core?

"Degurechaff has made her decision. Can we, the reformists, the people of the Empire, the true loyalists to the Emperor's view of the galaxy, trust the central government, when they destroy our planets before war is even declared?"

Slowly, the tone of voice of Max was increasing, his apparent fear being replaced with fury.

"Can we?! The people of the Empire! Trust a central government of the elites of the Core that feed themselves in the misery of the rest of the Empire! An elite that doesn't care if the galaxy is controlled by the Empire or the New Republic as long as they can feed themselves up with the misery of the common people of the galaxy! Can we, the common citizen, we, that make the Empire dream possible, trust the rich bastards sitting in Coruscant, the same rich bastards that created five thousands years of stagnation in the old Republic, the same rich bastards that during the Empire always abused of the laws in their favor! rich bastards that had perpetrated a system where the mid-rim and the outer rim were slaves to their interest! No! The answer is we cannot trust them! Degurechaff is a beacon of hope, for those that truly believe in the Empire, an Empire for the people by the people. She is the only hope. For that reason we will not kneel! No! Of course we will not! Because we cannot kneel to those that want us in misery! In poverty! That don't mind destroying our planets for their corrupt mindsets! Degurechaff will make an announcement in some hours. But I have been authorized by Degurechaff herself to say this: People of the Empire! Aren't you tired of being crushed by the elites that want to perpetuate the old Republic through the Empire? Aren't you tired of the oligarchy of the rich in the core?"

Max Grobelnel took a deep breath, and continued his speech with passion and fury.

"It doesn't matter where you live, the core, the mid rim or the outer rim, all the poor people in the galaxy have suffered the abuse of the rich and the elite. No longer! People of the Empire! Rise in the red banner of the Empire and the People and make the reform to be a revolution! A revolution to create an Empire for the People by the People! Long Live the Empire! Long Live Degurechaff! Death to the elites of the Core!"

Through his movements he had made clear to the galaxy about his passion, and as silent as the seconds before the speech, the screens and holographs in the galaxy turned black again.

The father looked to the screen in black, that after some seconds became the news of always, but this time, the faces were different, two stormtroopers together with a man with high decorations appeared on the screen, behind him a holographic map of the galaxy.

"Imperial Citizens, I am general Yalov Treberum, and I am the representative of the military in the news, from now on, I will communicate to you citizens the situation of the war."

The father of the family lowered the volume, not wanting to hear the military situation, there would be war. And he didn't know what would happen with him and his family. War, war again. War would ruin the territory again…

But… wasn't Degurechaff the one that defeated the New Republic and the Hutts? No, this planet would be secure, he was sure. But what about the rest of the galaxy?

Didn't this man, Grobelnel, tell the truth? The slavery, the bad situation the Mid and Outer rim were in, the constant abuse of the Core.

Wasn't he right, that it was all the fault of the elites of the Core?

Here, in Eriadu, he and his family would be safe. But what about the rest of the galaxy?

His heart started to fill with fury the more he thought about how bad things were, how the galaxy has always been in a bad situation, how things finally seemed to improve with the Empire and later Degurechaff.

Wasn't it worth dying for an Empire that Degurechaff could build?

He looked at the Imperial flag he had in the room, the red color. Someone had once said to him that the red of the flag meant the people, the white the bureaucracy and the black the armed forces.

"I will enlist."

He wasn't being rational, he was furious. So many decades suffering economic problems, and now that the things were starting to go well, everything was being again ruined by the elites of the core? The fucking rich that laugh at the poor people like him?

"I will enlist," he repeated, taking the imperial flag into his hands – the red silk feeling good to the touch of his hands.

"But why?" asked his wife.

"Eriadu is safe, you will be well, but what about the rest of the Galaxy? Aren't you tired? The same bullshit every time. We are constantly being crushed, not allowed to live well, and when we finally are so near to that dream, they attack us, they destroy a fucking planet! If we don't stop them at the border, one day they will arrive at Eriadu, and then they will do the same as they did to Thyferra… A Empire of the People by the People… that's a dream worth dying for."

The wife began to talk it through with him, trying to take the irrational idea of enlisting out of his head, but no matter how much rational thinking said that fighting was not worth it. The flames of revolution were already set.

And the flames of revolution will burn this galaxy.

------------

Tanya Degurechaff looked to the meeting in front of her. Draneir showed worry in his movements after knowing that the only person he cares about intends to carry out a suicide attack on Coruscant. On the other hand, Max Grobelnel looked happy.

"Really. We had to make this a fight between the poor and the rich?" Tanya asked Grobelnel, rolling her eyes after hearing the speech, she never knew he was going to be so… communist in his speech. It felt disgusting.

"Did I lie?" Asked Grobelnel. "Some people believe propaganda is about lying. It is not, it is about telling the truth and making the galaxy hear you. I have created a revolution of the people against the elites of the Core. Of course I had to empathize how different they are. Their money will make them less human, their actions more guilty, their existence a crime itself. It is the only way you will be able to convince the population that you are not only on the right side, but also that you have been forced. Because the moment anyone believes that you were the wrong one, they will turn against you"

"Why would they?" Asked Degurechaff with curiosity. "I brought them prosperity, freedom, law, justice, representation, economic stability."

"And that doesn't matter shit," cut in Grobelnel. "It's funny how you all believe that anything you do will make people die for you. Without a good reason, even if you had made all that, no one will fight for you. You need to make them believe there is a good reason to fight. They will come and kill us all, they want to destroy our Empire… or in my case. Aren't you tired of them oppressing you? The reform in times of war becomes a revolution. And this revolution will be in our favor."

Tanya sighed, she knew that this was part of going to war. They had to make themselves an identity. One that coexisted with the Empire. She is a loyal Imperialist, she cannot now become another thing. Everything around her would fall apart.

"Aren't we… like the New Republic? They are also a revolution? They will be able to use this against us."

The laugh of Max was loud, his hands on his stomach and tears falling through his cheeks of how much he was laughing.

"A revolution? They are not a revolution! They are a rebellion, they are the idiots that want to revive an old system that failed. A revolution means change, a change from the people against those that oppress the people. What change brings the New Republic? A senate? A change of name? Maybe a little bit more liberty? That's not a revolution! A revolution changes the galaxy, changes the economic and social dynamics. A revolution might fail but with time will control the galaxy. The decisions we take now, the shape we do to our revolution will draw a picture that will change the galaxy forever! All the power dynamics changed for thousands of years! All the narrative and logic thinking altered forever! We will shape the future of the galaxy with this revolution!"

Tanya looked at Max's eyes.

"I guess you are right, but before continuing any idea, I want you to consult me. I don't want communism in this galaxy."

"What is communism?" Asked Max

"A nightmare for any capitalist civilization. A nightmare that could tear apart the territory I created…"

For the first time, Draneir spoke up.

"Everything will be torn apart if you die!" He exclaimed, with a miserable tone of voice. One that Max had never heard. "Why, why did you decide to go and attack Coruscant alone? Not even wait for me? Why didn't you consult with or tell me?" He asked, despair in every word he spoke. Max decided to not interfere, because he was actually interested in one of the few times where Draneir showed true emotions.

"It is the only way," answered Tanya, "I cannot trust anyone to do the things I will do, I have a plan in my head, and only I can understand it. If we are to win this war, I have to be in Coruscant."

"And why not allow me to go with you?!" He asked.

"Because you are my right hand. Do you believe I sent you to Tatooine just because I wanted you to play around the Galaxy? You are to become my second. I need someone I can trust to send anywhere and be me without being me. Because there is only one of me. I need you to learn, to gain experience. When I sent you to Tatooine… I had the hope that you would learn from the Admiral. Sadly he died in battle and thankfully you were competent enough to solve the crisis yourself. I never intended you to enter battle. I want you to learn. And now you need to learn – be in Eriadu while I am gone. I give you my authority and powers until I return for I will need to enter Radio Silence in some hours. Take advice from Max, judge for yourself the situation. Learn so you can be my right hand"

"And if you die?! Will anything of this matter if you die? Coruscant will be defended until the last meter, they will try to kill you at every step you take. You will not be able to survive."

Tanya put both her hands on the table, and looked Draneir directly into the eyes.

"Belisarius, if someone can survive, it's me. It's not arrogance, it's the knowledge of what I am going to do. Decades of war experience. I will not die because I have survived worse things. And… in the remote situation where I died…"

Silence took place.

"I left in your room of Eriadu enough money so you can live all your life free and without danger. Exile yourself and hide, make me a promise, that if I die, you will not follow my path and choose to live a peaceful life."

"Why would I do that?!"

Tanya looked at Belisarius Draneir, remembering Visha, the amount of things she wished back then to say to her, the amount of things she hid because she believed that she would face judgment… no longer. This was a new era of her life, an era where she was, finally, free. Free to say as she wants without caring how others will judge, to act according to her desires. To tell the ones she cared about the truth.

"Because it is the only thing I wanted to do all my life. To live peacefully, to have the right to rest and feel happy. I will give you the option to live if I die. Because I am not so selfish to ask you to die for me. Consider it a thank you for all the years of loyal service you have given to me… and, my gift to you for so many years of friendship."

With that, the holo-call closed, leaving both Draneir and Max surprised. Draneir tried to call again and again but the call didn't connect. Max Grobelnel looked with a little bit of sympathy to Draneir, as he entered in rage.

"I don't want to live a fucking peaceful live! I want to die on your side!" Screamed Draneir.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the dark underworld of Coruscant, three dark-side force users ran through a sparsely populated part of the underground. So deep that there was no presence of any authority, only the few people that dared to live there.

Two men and one woman, all three being in their thirties.

The three stopped running, putting their backs against each other and giving them a 360 degree vision, their lightsabers were ignited, the red color illuminating the durasteel streets that were around them. The presence of people here could only be noticed by the steps in the dust that plagued the area. The air was almost unbreathable.

"Where the fuck is he?!" Screamed the girl, in fear and agony. When the Empire fell all those that were trained in the dark side reunited and prepared their plans, to reinstate the Sith rule over the Galaxy, not knowing that they never were Siths, but puppets of Palpatine that didn't know even a fourth of the potential the dark side could give them.

A piece of durasteel went flying to them at incredible speed, the three separated themselves, dodging the attack and again reunited, back to back, viewing all around them at all time.

At first, they were near a thousand, now they didn't know, but probably less than a dozen.

They had survived months by hiding from the one that was killing them, but, as much effort they had put in surviving, as much as they tried everything, they were the next ones to die. Every desperate attempt to hide, every movement, every breath, that only gave them one extra second of life. They knew that no matter what, they would die, but they also knew that they would fight until the last second.

The abandoned durasteel buildings around them were destroyed, and they could only watch with despair, how the durasteel was separated, reformed, and converted in a stick of durasteel that assembled an arrow. Thousands if not millions of these arrows were pointing at them.

This was their end.

"Who the fuck are you! Why do you hunt us!" Asked the girl in a desperate scream, her last attempt to at least know why she was being killed.

"Disappointing," a voice said. A voice so deep and ghostly that it made them even more scared. A blue ghostly figure appeared, it was a man with long hair, a scar in his face, a smile that made him look as if he was joyful, dark robes similar to those worn by the Jedis.

"Who are you?!" Finally one of the men asked.

"You don't recognize me?" He asked, with a funny tone of voice, for him their fear was nothing but a game before their death.

"Of course not!" Shouted the other man.

"Then, you might recognize me, by how I was when I trained you three."

His image changed to one of a taller man in dark armor and robes, a black cape, a helmet, and a breath, a breath that made the three of them fall to their knees, seeing the one that trained them being the one that was searching them and killing them.

"Why, Lord Vader? Why are you killing us! We followed your teachings and…!" She couldn't finish her words when one of the durasteel arrows penetrated her leg, making her fall and scream in despair.

"I didn't train you because I wanted to… all this time, I hated you, the ones that I trained, assassins. Back then I judged Darth Sidious for breaking the rule of two, now I can clean this dark part of my story. And also avoid the dark side rising again to prominence again."

It didn't matter how much the girl was screaming, they could hear his voice, as if he was directly talking to them from right next to their ears. As if the physical world was nothing but a joke to this figure, to this man of death, to this… to the chosen one.

The man, whose name was Lucifer, looked directly to his old master's helmet, trying to see his eyes, but he couldn't see anything. He always believed that Lord Vader's attitude was part of the dark side, but all this time… it was him expressing how much he hated them? All those apprentices dead, because he hated them, all the people he killed, people that he considered friends, because Lord Vader hated them?

Lucifer fell to the floor, and started to cry, all his time, what he believed to be his master, a master that was proud of him, hated him all this time.

"Your questions were answered, now die, so I can destroy your souls. You don't deserve the right to reunite with the force"

Lucifer's despair didn't allow him to scream or fear, but the other two did. Thousands of durasteel arrows were thrown at the three.

A few seconds passed, and Lucifer raised his head, seeing Lord Vader looking at him directly in the eyes. He looked a little bit to his left, but all he could see was the red mist that his allies had become.

Why wasn't he dead?

"What?"

"I will give you the opportunity to redeem yourself" He offered, with a deep tone of voice that penetrated Lucifer's mind. "You shall rise to the upper levels, and wait there. When my daughter appears, you will meet her, and then help her. Only if you accomplish your mission will I allow you to live and your soul to not be destroyed."

Lucifer was too depressed to fear, he just wanted to die. His life didn't have any meaning, his years of suffering had lost any meaning.

"Why… me?" He asked.

"You have redeemable traits, you always had them. Prove to me that you deserve to live."

With that, the ghostly figure disappeared. All the durasteel arrows falling to the floor, the sound was so deafening and lasted so much time that for a moment Lucifer believed he would lose his hearing.

When the sound stopped, he looked to the ceiling, so many meters up. It was kilometers until he reached the upper level. It probably would take days…

He stood up, not because he wanted to live or had any will. It was his basic instinct, pushing him to keep going.

The man started to walk, his eyes shaking, his mind destroyed, and his heart, fearful or what was going to be his fate.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leia and Luke were celebrating. Both knew that the war between the Emperor and Degurechaff was going to cause great suffering to the people in the galaxy. But it also meant that the New Republic wouldn't have to face them right after destroying the Moff Council alliance – it would have been devastating to see the Empire recover so fast.

Yet, both knew how bad it was, for both of them celebrating that millions or more would die. Both celebrating that more suffering would exist in this galaxy. They were not hypocrites or psychopaths, every tragedy, every time they had heard the consequences of war, something inside of them sank a little bit deeper in a black hole that their hearts were becoming.

It could be seen in their eyes, when the rebellion started, so many years ago, their eyes were full of hope, their faces new. Now, their eyes were tired even in this moment of happiness. Dark bags were forming under their eyes, they no longer smiled as much as they used to.

Both sat on the sofa, turning off the holographic news. "In around two weeks our fleets should be in the Core… Maybe we can destroy the Core and this new Emperor before it shines." Commented Leia, taking a glass of wine and sipping a little bit.

Luke's shy smile disappeared. "It was… so infuriating. To see the Core reorganize itself so fast under an Emperor… we have… underestimated the Empire. It is a beast so dangerous… no matter how much we strike it down it seems that they recover as fast. When the first death star was blown up, we thought victory would be ours. Yet we suffered for five years in a war that we were losing. After the victory in Endor we thought we had won. Yet the Empire reorganized itself under the Moff Council and Tanya Degurechaff conquered half of our founding planets. And when we finally destroyed the Moff Council, forcing the Empire to enter in a civil war, they reorganized in the Core in a matter of days behind an Emperor… we are lucky that the planet of Thyferra was destroyed. If not, Degurechaff could have sided with the Emperor…"

Leia nodded to Luke's analysis.

"The Empire… as much as we kill it, it just revives itself. It is… scary, but, every time we kill it, it revives weaker. There should be a moment that it will be the last time the Empire dies."

"Yes, but the Empire can die several times. The New Republic has only one chance, if we die, if we receive a defeat as the Empire did in the Mon Cala, it will be over for us."

Leia sipped from the glass of wine.

"Let's not think of that, one good bit of news is that Thyferra will not affect us as much as it will affect others. Our medics are used to treat the wounded without bacta, as it was a luxury to have it. Contrary to that, the Empire armed forces use bacta for everything. Truly, the destruction of Thyferra just benefits us… whoever did it… as much as it hurts me, I have to thank him."

Luke's eyes became dark as he thought about his sister.

It just benefited them so much… And he didn't believe in good luck…

The New Republic didn't have planet destroyer weapons, but if it had, who could have done it?

He sat in silence thinking, who, who in the New Republic, could have access to a planet destroyer weapon, use it to cause a civil war in the Empire and not care about the consequences…

Saw Gerrera was the only name that came to his mind.

Luke stood up, "I am sorry, but I will leave you here, I have to continue training the younglings, their training is far from perfect and as they learn my lessons I have to learn from them how to teach. Goodbye"

As he walked outside of the room, Leia stopped him:

"Taking kids from their families and training them… I know that the force has to be trained from a young age… but it feels wrong."

Luke turned his head around, his tired and darkened eyes that were only illuminated by the blue color of his iris.

"The rebellion has used child soldiers, even nowadays some organizations inside the New Republic use child soldiers. In comparison, I would never send these kids to war, nor would I take them away from their family, as they have the right to visit them when they can. I am not the old Jedi Order, I am learning from their mistakes, without the arrogance of believing that I will not commit mistakes. But I have enough understanding to know that any criticism the New Republic might have of the new Jedi Order I am creating, I can ignore it. For the New Republic doesn't stand on any moral high ground. Every time you believe my Jedi order is wrong in training kids, think to yourself, if the New Republic is waging war for a future of peace, I am training kids so in the future they can ensure the peace of the New Republic…"

Leia didn't answer back, looking down and sipping again from her wine.

"Yes… you are right."

Luke smiled, there was a time where both might have ended up in a relationship but even if they weren't together when they were kids, still, they had developed a brother sister relationship.

"I will see you around," he said with a smile.

"Same," responded Leia.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luke entered the place that he was using as his training ground, one of the underwater cities (with air) of Mon Cala. A big building that was abandoned until Luke asked for the right to use it.

The windows showed the beautiful sea and that the architecture lacked any squares or points, all of it being circular or curved, was also calming.

Luke liked the Mon Cala architecture.

He walked inside the hotel and finally arrived at the hall where the hologram of Ahsoka Tano was teaching the younglings how to meditate. Luke looked over them, fifty in total. The Jedi Order was going to be small at starters, but it would grow larger and larger as time passed.

"Thank you for taking care of them so often," said Luke with a smile. Both Ahsoka and Luke looked at each other. Both had that face, a face of someone that had suffered war and wanted to feel normal.

"It's alright, I have always liked kids, it is a shame I never got to be a mother…" She said, as she moved herself in the hologram, the droid displaying the hologram moved, changing the location of the hologram. As if she was present and moved by her own will.

"Wouldn't the Grand Moff, who you swore loyalty to, believe this is treason?" Luke asked, trying to change the subject of Ahsoka personal desires. He is young and he had committed too many mistakes to actually want to have that type of conversation with Ahsoka.

"She is merciful, you know. I liked her when I traveled to Eriadu, and she treated my clones so well… I swear, as if they were heroes – the best of the best… never before have I seen my… friends being so happy as now. They feel that they finally are receiving the respect they deserve. Their hate toward the Empire has been replaced months ago. Also, apparently, she is a clonaboo and has invested a lot in my planet to ensure the survival and continuation of the clone society"

"Clonaboo?" Asked Luke as he walked around his apprentices, seeing who had lost concentration as they talked and who hadn't. Wanting to see who needed more help and who was good.

"Do you know the word weaboo?"

"A fan of those animations that they put on the screens and holograms sometimes, no?"

"Well yes, weaboo is a way to insult those that like these animations, one day I heard the term Clonaboo for those that are nerdy about the Clone Wars. And now I firmly believe she is one" She said with a laugh, as if she wasn't talking about a genocider, about someone that had death camps in her territory. As if Degurechaff was just another person, and not a monster.

"Why be loyal to her?" He asked, "You could act as a double agent, help us to have information about her, help us to see her weaknesses…"

Ahsoka's face showed sadness, her lips being low and her eyes looking at the floor instead of Luke.

"I have once been betrayed, it destroyed my life, more than it was already destroyed. No, as a matter of fact. I have been betrayed twice. When the Jedi Order arrested me and cast me aside, and when the clones tried to kill me. I know what betrayal is, and I will never betray someone I promised loyalty. Yes, of course, I promised her loyalty because I was forced to. But she is helping my planet so much. I can't just betray her. She has made that a society that would have died in some decades now will survive thousands of years. She has even sent biologists to our planet, to help with the cloning operations. She has saved my people, and I cannot betray her."

"I understand you… but, your clones will be used against the New Republic, one day you might be ordered to kill me. What then, Ahsoka? Will you kill me? Will you send your people to kill my people? What will happen then with our friendship and cooperation?"

Ahsoka didn't answer.

"We will discover it the day it happens then, I guess," answered Luke, to himself.

The human and the Togruta were silent; the younglings continued to meditate.

"Maybe you should create a Jedi order by yourself, or at least, something similar?" Remarked Luke.

"What?" Queried Ahsoka.

"Well, I am just ensuring the survival of the light side. Don't you think it is worth a shot? A light side order in the New Republic, another in the Empire. We can ensure that the Dark Side never again returns, we can be neutral negotiators in the conflicts of our territories. Maybe your influence could help Degurechaff to be a little bit better. No matter who wins the civil war, Degurechaff or the New Republic, so long as the Core doesn't win, a light side order would exist. If you are defeated and the New Republic wins over the galaxy, I could integrate your order, and vice versa if Degurechaff conquered the galaxy."

To Ahsoka, his rational thinking made sense, but it was also weird.

"You assume that you might lose. That's a point of view almost no one has in war."

Luke raised his shoulders.

"I am a hero and a monster, a friendly guy and the evil incarnate. I am slowly learning the dark truth of reality. To assume that my side will win as I see my enemies die and revive constantly would make me a fool. I just want… a better galaxy. And, if that cannot be achieved, at least that a light side order continues to exist."

Ahsoka nodded.

"You have grown wiser than I thought you ever could."

She smiled a little bit and continued: "I will think about your offer. I guess, it could be a good way to ensure that the galaxy has some hope, no matter if Degurechaff or the New Republic wins the galactic civil war."

Silence reigned again in the room.

"Goodbye, call me when you want," said Ahsoka.

"I will. Goodbye to you too," answered Luke, as the holographic image disappeared.

Luke sighed, and clapped his hands.

"Prepare yourself younglings, we are about to do something a little bit more entertaining than meditation" He said with a smile. He had to create a better future. No matter what. Because if he didn't, all his sins would have been for nothing.