Shadows of the Past

Prologue

Blaster fire rang out across the sands of Jakku as New Republic soldiers and Imperial Stormtroopers fought in stand-offs and sniper fights. Above the skies and in orbit of the planet, New Republic ships and Imperial Star Destroyers fought to gain control. Both sides had powerful warships; the New Republic had Mon Calamari Cruisers and their recent Starhawk warships. The Imperial Remnants had their Star Destroyers, a few cruisers, corvettes, and a Super Star Destroyer. On the side of the New Republic, Admiral Ackbar led the New Republic fleet from his flagship while General Tyben and Lieutenant General Brockway led the ground forces.

On the side of the Imperial Remnants, Grand Moff Randd led the Imperial fleet while General Hodnar Borrum led the Imperial Army ground forces. Hours later, the sounds of blaster fire soon drew to a whisper as the battle of Jakku marked the end of an era. Admiral Gallius Rax was dead and a majority of the Imperial forces had fallen. The last few firefights between New Republic troopers and Imperial Remnant stormtroopers soon wrapped up. This battle would see the surrender of the remaining troops at Jakku.

There were other battles in the galaxy's far reaches but they would end soon. Mon Mothma and the New Republic government would meet with Maz Amadda and the Imperial Provisional Government on Coruscant to negotiate a full surrender of the remaining Imperial forces. A temporary ceasefire would be declared galaxy-wide while the two sides would go through these talks. Ultimately, all stormtroopers would be given lenient sentences, Imperial officers could either testify against their comrades or simply accept their prison sentences, and the mighty Imperial Starfleet was forced to be dismantled.

This deal was seen by Imperial Loyalists as nothing more than placing the blame solely on the Imperials. The New Republic Government knew they weren't clean as some had committed a few atrocities over the years. Hell, they had a prison that held former imperials above a sun on the outer rim.

Far away from the conflict, Luke Skywalker watched as droids and architects worked on rebuilding or redesigning the First Jedi temple on Ahch-To. It had been abandoned for centuries by the Jedi Order and was only minimally maintained by some caretakers. As he watched, a droid walked up next to him. It wasn't one of the load lifters or ant droids. This droid was closely tied to the Jedi Order and had helped many construct their lightsabers over the years.

"You seem distracted, Master Skywalker? Are you concerned about the temple? The foreman has assured me that everything is going accordingly." The droid known as Huyang said as he walked next to him. Luke smiled but shook his head. "Not at all, Huyang. I'm very pleased about the progress. It's about the war that's going on still." Luke explained as he looked up to the skies and sighed. "But Leia has assured me that everything is going fine without my involvement. I'm concerned whether the ceasefire will end the conflict. The Emperor may be dead but the dark side still feels powerful."

Huyang nodded as he understood Luke's concerns. "As long as the light exists, the dark will be there. One cannot exist without the other. As for the Empire, I have confidence that the New Republic can clear any remaining Imperial holdouts." He said as he looked up to the freighter bringing new temple supplies. He walked off to ensure the unloading process. Luke soon followed behind as he needed to get his mind off the war. As he arrived at the main island, he saw the pilot ensuring everything was off-loaded.

"Nice to see the Vagress in one piece, Jarna." Luke said with a chuckle as he walked up the ramp. Jarna Korz was a mirialan smuggler who had worked for the Rebellion before it became the New Republic Defense Fleet."Hey now, flyboy. This baby could outrun any ship in the Imperial Navy. It might even give your fighter a run for its credits." She said with a wry smile as she pointed up to Luke's X-wing standing near the temple landing fields.

"Were you able to get the supplies we needed for the temple defenses? We had some parts but we didn't have everything." Luke explained as Jarna rattled off the list of supplies that he requested and more. He let out a low whistle as he was impressed. She waved goodbye as she returned to her freighter and took off. Huyang would turn to Luke as she left. "What about students then? Will you begin your search soon?" Luke thought about it for a moment but knew that it would be beneficial to look for students and check on the New Republic. He and Huyang would be away from the temple for a while on this journey. He explained this to the foreman and island caregivers; both of whom understood and wished them luck.