Chapter 20: The End of all Things

Galactic Empire Journal Entry 41 – Location: The Second Death Star

“Nobody would have believed that the Rebels would continue their damn idealistic crusade after Hoth. Everybody within the Empire believed that the war was over. We were wrong. Almost one year to the day the Rebels attacked the Second Death Star above the Century Moon in the Endor system. Armed to the teeth with a massive fleet of Mon Calamari star cruisers, the 501st could only watch from the Executor, as all hell broke loose. I have to say, the Rebels fought with all the tenacity that we ourselves had shown on Geonosis.”

A week after the battle of Hoth, the 501st legion was finally rewarded with victory and a well-deserved rest. The Rebel Alliance had been severely crippled since Hoth, with only a few remaining Rebels hiding across the galaxy.

Ghost and his men were soon transported off world as soon as they were done celebrating their long awaited victory. He and his men were sent to the newly rebuilt second Death Star orbiting the forest moon of Endor. This Death Star was still under construction, but he expected that as this Death Star was way bigger and supposedly more powerful than the first one, even though its weapon systems were not yet operational.

He was glad to know that the Empire have learned from their mistakes and had the Death Star protected by an energy shield on the moon below them. He couldn’t bear to see it get blown up again a second time, should any surviving Rebels be suicidal enough to launch another attack.

As their shuttle began to near the second Death Star, Ghost and his brothers couldn’t help but look upon the massive incomplete space station in front of them. They were amazed at the sheer size of it. It was even bigger then the Executor. Boomstick began to wonder if it was even bigger than Emperor Palpatine’s own Star Destroyer.

“The Empire sure is resourceful, I’ll give em that.” Thunder broke the silence causing Ghost and the others to look over at him. “I can’t imagine how long it must’ve taken to get this far with this Death Stars construction, and they’re STILL not finished.”

“Not to mention all the resources needed to build it up to this point.” Boomstick added.

“Probably like how the first Death Star and the many Star Destroyers before it.” Ghost interrupted. “The Empire has been using the scrap metal on the junk planet Raxus Prime to build it.”

“I heard that Raxus Prime has been completely cleaned out by this point. Which would explain why construction of this Death Star is progressing far slowly than the first one.” Daxter pointed out.

“The Emperor doesn’t care about that, and neither do we.” Ghost interrupted again. “We’ve crushed the Rebellion; we’ve done our part for the Empire. All that remains is a few more years of service and we’ll all finally retire in peace.”

“And what makes you so sure that’ll happen?” A random 501st Stormtrooper spoke up, overhearing their conversation.

Ghost turned back to his men in the shuttle and spoke his mind, not even bothering to pinpoint which of his men asked him that question.

“Because Lord Vader told me so himself. We of the 501st legion are the only ones among the Imperial ranks that have gained his respect. And because we had a hand in bring the Rebellion to the brink of extinction, we’ve all deserved this.”

The men of the 501st all look amongst themselves. Their commander did have a good point. They definitely deserved this after how hard they fought and the great amount of losses they’ve experienced throughout this war. Darth Vader may be a cold monster, but he was loyal to his men, as they were to him. Maybe they will get a chance at living a life of their choosing once their service was up.

As the shuttle docked into one of the Death Stars hanger bays, the men of the 501st were immediately assigned to their selected quarters. They were all given assignments for them to carry out tomorrow to help get the new Death Star completed and fully operational.

The members of Orion Squad were the last to exit the shuttle and made their way through the hanger. Many of the Death Stars staff, Officers and Stormtroopers glared at them as they walked through the sleek shinning hanger bay.

They were used to people staring at them in disgust or annoyance imply because they were clones. But this time they were giving them different stares. They were looking at them not as clones, but as war heroes. They all knew that they had a large role to play in annihilating the Rebels on Hoth, giving them hope of retaining their hold on the galaxy.

Some of them even gave Orion Squad a round of applause for their actions. This definitely surprised Orion Squad, but they weren’t objecting to it. Daxter, Thunder and Boomstick responded by giving them either a wave or a nod. Ghost however paid them no mind and kept walking forward. He didn’t feel like he was worthy of praise, not after all clones who died because of him… He may’ve been a hero to the Empire, but he views himself as a failure.

Daxter snaps him out of his train of thought by tapping his shoulder. “You alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Ghost replied. “I just have a feeling that this is far from over.”

“The war against the Rebellion?” Daxter asked.

“Yeah.” Ghost reluctantly replied. “We’ve destroyed their base on Hoth, killed thousands of their men and ships, forced their remaining leaders into hiding. We’ve pretty much won this war.”

“Yes, our actions on Hoth made that perfectly clear.” Boomstick spoke up.

“Then why do I feel so… melancholy?” Ghost asked mostly himself.

Daxter, Thunder and Boomstick all look among themselves to see who had the answer to that question. But sadly, neither of them knew it. So Thunder instead decided to try and lift his spirits by changing the subject.

“Tell you what, Ghost. Why don’t the four of us go check out the new Death Stars bar. It has to be among the many facilities here that’s open for business. Maybe a couple drinks will lighten your mood.”

Ghost looked back at Thunder, actually thinking over this idea of his. Their new shifts don’t start until tomorrow, so they’re pretty much free to do whatever they want.

“Good idea Thunder. I suppose we all deserve a drink after all we’ve been through.” Ghost agreed.

The others let out a happy cheer and all make their way towards the Death Stars bar. But soon stop upon realising something very important that they didn’t think of until now.

“Ummm, which way is the bar?” Boomstick asked.

Eventually Orion Squad was able to find the Death Stars bar. Turns out this new Death Star had way more bars then the first one. They ended up going to the one that was closest to their assigned barracks as well as closest to their previous location.

The bar itself looked similar to the first Death Stars bar, the only difference being that it was way bigger and had several private rooms, as well as a huge stage in the centre. Probably for the erotic Twi’lek dancers or something like that. Though there weren’t any present during this time, which didn’t bother Orion Squad at all.

They just wanted some peace, quiet, and drinks to go along with it. After the first few glasses, they’ve all started to feel a lot better compared to how they were before the war with the Rebels.

“Man that really hit the spot. How long has it been since we’ve all sat down and had a drink?” Boomstick asked.

“Too long if you ask me.” Thunder replied. “Not since our days on the first Death Star.”

“You mean the day we let the Rebels get away with the Death Star plans.” Ghost muttered to himself before taking another sip. “We could’ve stopped them, but instead I went after Quinlan Vos, blinded by my hatred of him… And now it’s my fault all this has happened.”

“It’s our fault Ghost, not just yours.” Daxter told him, trying his hardest to get Ghost to forget about this.

“No Dax.” Ghost said after finishing his current mouthful of alcohol. “I’m your Commander. It’s my job for it to be my fault.”

Silence soon set in over Orion Squad as they decided to give up trying to cheer him up. Maybe it was best that they let him embrace his mistakes rather than keep them hidden. This may help him finally learn to deal with the guilt.

Throughout the entire time they’ve been fighting these Rebels, not once did Ghost have an opportunity to reflect on his action and come to terms with the massive amount of guilt he’d carried with him. But now that things have quieted down, he’s finally free to work through his problems.

After what felt like an hour of silence and drinking, Thunder once again decided to break it by bringing up something random. Anything that’ll take Ghosts mind off of his feelings.

“Hey, did you guy hear what happened on Bespin? I heard that Princess Leia and her new accomplices have attempted to hide there from us there.”

“Yes, we’re all aware of that.” Boomstick spoke up. “We may not have been there, but word travels faster than light amongst the Imperials.

“But what you probably didn’t hear is that our old friend Boba Fett was the one who found them. I also heard that they froze one of the Rebel leaders, Han Solo in carbonite so Boba could send him to Jabba the Hutt.” Thunder continued.

Ghost listened to Thunder talk while he continued drinking. He heard all about the incident at Cloud City. He heard that the whole ordeal was to use Han and Leia as bait to lure in the Jedi Rebel responsible for destroying the first Death Star. Whom Vader revealed to him that his name was Luke Skywalker.

Ghost remembers being shocked upon hearing that name again after all these years. It did not take long for him to realise that this Luke Skywalker must be his son. But how was that possible? The Jedi were forbidden to form any kind of emotional attachments and have children with loved ones. Well, apart from Ki-Adi-Mundi who they made an exception for since his species was nearing extinction and he was needed to repopulate their numbers.

He then took another drink in order to forget about that, not wanting the image of one of his former Jedi general getting in on some action.

He still can’t imagine the sheer irony of it all. That the one responsible for the destruction of the Death Star is Darth Vader’s son. What’s next? Leia is his daughter? No, there’s no way on hell that’s true. It’s impossible.

“To this day no one is able to find the Princess and Lando.” He snapped out of his thoughts, overhearing what Daxter was saying.

“Well they can’t hide forever. We’ll find them eventually.” Boomstick reassured them.

“What about Skywalker?” Ghost spoke up, bringing all their attention to him.

“You know we don’t call Lord Vader by that name anymore. Anyone who does ends up getting force choked or worse.” Thunder said while quickly looking around to make sure no one heard what Ghost just said.

“I’m not talking about Lord Vader. I’m talking about the Rebel who destroyed the Death Star. The one who is training to be a Jedi.”

Daxter, Thunder and Boomstick look at each other confused by what Ghost just said.

“You mean you all haven’t figured it out yet.”

“What are you on about?” Boomstick asked his commander.

“The Rebel responsible for the deaths of Apex, X-Ray and over half of the 501st legion…Is the son of Anakin Skywalker.”

The three clones were so shocked by this twist of fate that they almost choked on their drinks. Struggling to swallow their current mouthfuls, they all look to Ghost again for clarification.

“How is that possible?” Daxter asked. “I thought that-

“I know, everyone thought so. But we all knew Lord Vader when he was still a Jedi. He wasn’t exactly one who fully embraced their precious Jedi code. I don’t know who he formed an attachment with, or how long he’d known this. But it doesn’t change the fact that Luke Skywalker is responsible for our brothers deaths. And whenever he decides to show himself again, I will kill him myself.”

Daxter shook his head upon hearing this. “If he really is Vader’s son, then Vader won’t allow any of us to kill him.”

“Really?” Ghost replied instantly, almost as if he knew what Daxter was going to say. “I doubt this changes anything. The Darth Vader I know kills any and all Jedi that crossed his path, even if they were once friends of his. And he wanted these Rebels dead as much as we did. So what makes you think he’d care enough to spare his son from death for the things he’s done?”

“Simple. Because Vader needs an apprentice.” Ghost will admit that he didn’t see that coming. Now he was curious on what point Daxter wanted to get across. “Lord Vader is a Sith. And all Sith want to overthrow their masters and claim an apprentice for themselves. For years he’s been waiting for an opportunity to overthrow the Emperor and rule the galaxy for himself. Maybe he believes that he has finally found the perfect time by luring his son to Bespin. He hopes to train him to be his apprentice so that they could defeat the Emperor together. If he was skilled enough to destroy the Death Star, then surely he’s also skilled enough to actually kill the Emperor.”

Ghost, Thunder and Boomstick were all impressed with Daxters theory. It certainly makes sense. Who better to be Vader’s apprentice then his own son. But still, Ghost can’t help but feel disgusted by this theory. Luke Skywalker killed his brothers, and Vader wanted to make him his apprentice without paying for his actions? Such a thought started to anger Ghost.

“Vader is willing to let that mass murderer get away with it just like that?!” Ghosts grip on his glass started to tighten as his mind filed his complaints. “And to think I was willing to do anything for Vader. But if he’s really going to make his son his apprentice, then I WON’T accept that! I refuse to take order from the one responsible for killing my brothers! NEVER!”

Suddenly Ghost ended up squeezing the glass so hard that he ended up crushing it in his grip. Shards of glass and what was left of his drink exploded all over the table. Some of his drink even ended up all over his squads armour. Luckily they still had their armour on to protect them from the shards of glass.

Realising what he’d just done, Ghost immediately felt bad for his actions and stood up from the table.

“I’m sorry boys. I don’t know what came over me… Perhaps I should retire for the night.”

“Are you alright?” Daxter asked. Though he already knew that he wasn’t. Nobody can say they’re fine after breaking a glass within their grasp.

“Honestly I’m conflicted right now. But the drinks did help make me feel better just so you know. I just think it be best for all of us to get some rest. See you all tomorrow.”

Ghost then leaves the bar without another word, preventing any of his brothers to say anything to him in response. Daxter, Thunder and Boomstick all sat back down and looked amongst each other, worried for Ghost.

“Was it something I said?” Daxter asked.

“Probably.” Thunder replied. “I think mentioning the fact that the one who killed Apex and X-Ray may be Vader’s apprentice may’ve been a bad idea.”

Daxter lowered his head onto the table, feeling bad about what he’d just done. He really shouldn’t have mentioned that. Now Ghost probably feels worse than how he did before. He made a note to himself to apologise to Ghost as soon as he can tomorrow.

“Chin up, Dax. Ghost won’t hold it against you. He’s learned from his fight with Apex on Tatooine. He’ll learn to appreciate you again soon.”

“If it makes you feel better, the next rounds on me.” Boomstick cheered him up.

Daxter raised his head once again and gave his two brothers a little smile in response. “Thanks you guys.”

Boomstick then raises his arm, signalling the bartender to send them another round of drinks to their table. They continue to drink and chat throughout most of their down time as the hours rolled by.

Three years have passed since the 501st had settled in to their new positions aboard the second Death Star. After months of fighting Rebels, they were back to doing boring assignments on the improved battle station. Tasks such as training new recruits, guarding the stations vital systems, keeping log of all ships entering and exiting the hangers. Nothing’s changed from their assignments on the first Death Star, except for the fact that its much bigger and they need to keep clear of the area’s that are still under construction.

Daxter was stationed in the Death Stars fire control room. He and his team of engineers were ordered to ensure that the stations super laser is up and operational as soon as possible.

Unlike the first Death Star, this one didn’t have Mygeeto power crystals as the super lasers power source. Instead, it had a hypermatter reactor, which would generate the destructive reaction that was then focused through eight giant Kyber crystals, the same crystals Jed and Sit use to power their lightsabers. Once the reaction was focused through the crystals, eight smaller lasers would spout from the focusing lens of the Death Star.

A huge improvement over the first Death Star, but that also made it more difficult to repair and make it fully functional. One little slip up could result in the whole station blowing up…again.

Thunder was in the battle simulation room observing the Dark Trooper Mark 3 droids battling against the remaining B3 Ultra Droids recovered after the battle of Hoth.

As annoyed as he was to see the Dark Trooper program slowly replacing the specially trained clones like him with droids, he was at least glad that the shut down the program to experiment and replace the limbs of regular people with augmentations to enhance their abilities. Thunder may not like the non-clone soldiers, but even he didn’t think they deserved treatment this cruel.

Boomstick was hanging out with the other Death Troopers at the shooting range. He was tasked with training them on how to be Death Troopers. He however hated this assignment as every single one of them was a non-clone, and unlike his brethren, non-clones had a tendency to talk back or even go so far as to mock him for his teachings if they felt like it.

Though there were some non-clones that actually respected their senior due to his actions during the battle of Hoth. They heard of the sacrifices the 501st have made throughout the war with the Rebels. To them, Orion Squad were war heroes.

As for Ghost, he was currently standing in a dark room with his lightsaber clutched tightly in his hands. The glowing yellow blade providing the only source of light in the area. The humming of his blade is all that can be heard in this dark empty room he’s standing unbelievably still in.

Suddenly a second blue lightsaber blade ignited in the dark behind him and made a swift strike for his neck. Ghost raised his blade behind him and blocked the incoming strike without even looking. He follows this up with a backwards kick to the torso of the mysterious opponent he’s facing.

Ghost turns around and faces his opponent, who was revealed to be the Rebel responsible for all the pain and misery he and his brothers haves suffered. The 501st number one enemy…Luke Skywalker.

Luke regained his footing and leaped off of the floor, preparing a downwards swing. Ghost dodges and attempts to stab him with his blade once he landed. Luke backflips to safety and throws his lightsaber at Ghost, attempting to once again slice through his neck.

Ghost saves himself just in time by igniting the second blade on the other end of his double bladed lightsaber. Recalling his lightsaber, Luka and Ghost clash their blades multiple times. Ghost however had a major advantage over his opponent, he’d had more training with his lightsaber then he did. He was trained by Vader himself to best even the most skilled of Jedi in lightsaber combat.

But Luke was much younger and much more agile than his older opponent. Eventually getting the upper hand on Ghost and manages to roundhouse kicks his legs, knocking the Purge Trooper on his ass.

As Luke begins to deliver the killing blow, he was suddenly stabbed through the back by the sudden appearance of a crimson lightsaber blade. Luke gasped for air as he collapses to the floor and died.

Luke’s appearance soon began to glitch out and fade away like a hologram with a terrible signal connection, revealing that underneath wasn’t really Luke Skywalker, but a holodroid that took on his appearance during Ghost’s training match. The droid shut down due to its battery being penetrated by the lightsaber.

Ghost then looked up to see that the one responsible for interrupting his training was Darth Vader. The lights soon came on once the training match was over, giving both parties a better look at each other and their surroundings.

“Your technique is getting sloppy.” Vader commented as he deactivated his lightsaber, allowing Ghost to get back up on his own. “Had you fought the real Skywalker, you would be dead by now.”

Ghost got up and looked upon the Sith lord standing before him. He had so many things to say to him running through his mind that he wanted to say to him. But he was afraid of how he’d respond upon mentioning the fact that he knows Luke Skywalker is his son… But Ghost’s desire for answers ended up overthrowing his fears as he gulped and spoke up to his superior.

“Forgive me for what I’m about to say, Lord Vader…But I know.”

“Know what, Commander?” Vader asked curiously, even though he had some suspicions on what he was going to say.

“I know that Luke Skywalker is your son.” Ghost said almost hesitantly.

Ghost was expecting Vader to force choke him or say he was speaking out of line, or denying his claims. But instead, he just stared at him, the sound of his robotic breathing filling the whole room… Until he finally decided to speak his mind.

“I’m not surprised you figured it out, nor that you had the urge to call me out on it. Had you kept it to yourself, I would’ve had to replace you for keeping these thoughts in your head and compromising my battalion.” Vader then walked over to the dead droid and uses the force to pick up its discarded lightsaber.

“You, your men, and the Emperor are the only few within the Empire who know that Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader are one in the same.” He then turns back to Ghost again. “But as I told you before, Anakin Skywalker was a weak Jedi and I destroyed him.”

“Then please tell me why… Why would you want to make the Jedi responsible for my manes deaths your apprentice.” Ghost asked the Sith apprentice.

Vader responded by taking a few steps backwards and igniting his lightsaber once again. Ghost started to get a little worried, maybe he went too far this time with the questions. But he didn’t believe that Vader wanted to kill him. If he did he would’ve used a simple force choke, and he wouldn’t make some distance from him before activating his lightsaber. He then realised exactly what he was up to.

“If you succeed in defeating me, I will answer that question.” Vader replied.

With that said Ghost gave his master a nod of understanding and ignited his double blade again. Charging in to meet the Sith Lord head on. Vader single handily blocked his incoming strike with ease. He then used his superior strength to parry Ghosts strike and actually send him flying across the room.

Ghost remembered being trained in lightsaber combat by Vader alongside the other Purge Troopers, but they never actually fought him before. Instead they had to take what they’ve learned from him and test out their skills against each other. This is the very first time he’s fought Vader for real in lightsaber combat. Deep down he knows that he can never beat Vader, but that won’t stop him from giving this fight his all.

Ghost got back up and began spinning his double blade around like a propeller and threw it at the dark lord. Vader easily stopped easily stopped its approach with the force. Ghost however jumped onto the wall, leaped off of it and grabbed his lightsaber mid-air. He then manages to graze Vader on his shoulder, causing him to grunt a little in pain.

Upon landing he and Vader clashed blades once again, each one striking with as much aggression as the other. Vader however manages to knock Ghosts lightsaber out of his hand and use the force to send him hurtling into the wall. He impacted it so hard and fast that it actually cracked and took the shape of Ghosts outline.

Ghost struggled but he was no match for Vader’s immense power. Vader continued to hold him there as he slowly approached his body and places the tip of his lightsaber directly in front of his helmet.

“You lose… But you have gone further than any Purge Trooper ever has by actually landing a hit on me, even if it was a little scratch.”

Vader then released his grip and a winded Ghost soon hits the floor. He caressed his chest as he started taking a couple deep breaths, trying to steady his breathing.

“You wanted to know.” Ghost looked up at Vader upon hearing him. “Why I want to make young Skywalker my apprentice.”

“But I didn’t defeat you.” Ghost interrupted him.

Vader ignored is plea and spoke his mind. “Obi Wan is responsible for training Skywalker to be a Jedi. Killing him would accomplish nothing. If I am to overthrow the Emperor, I need someone as skilled in the force as I am. Turning him to the Dark Side will crush my old masters hopes of destroying the Sith, and I will be pleased to know that all his efforts were for nothing in the end.”

Vader then turned around and began to leave the training room. But as the doors open he was unexpectedly greeted by Thunder, who was almost startled upon seeing Vader of all people being in there with Ghost.

“Lord Vader, forgive the intrusion. I came here to inform my Commander of our current situation. But since you’re here I can tell you as well.”

“What is it, Dark Trooper?” Vader asked in his usual monotone voice.

“The Emperor’s fleet has arrived. His shuttle is due to arrive on the station any moment now.” Thunder informed him.

Ghost was shocked by this news. “The Emperor is coming here?”  He thought. This was really strange for him. Emperor Palpatine never leaves his palace on Coruscant unless it was a serious situation. If he was on his way to the Death Star, than that must mean that something big is going on, or about to go down.

Darth Vader gave no response and pushed past Thunder, making his way down to the hanger bay the Emperors shuttle will be arriving in. Ghost soon got up and joined with Thunder.

“Where’s Dax and Boom?” He asked.

“They’re already gathered in Hanger 100A, awaiting the Emperors arrival. Which is where we need to be right now.”

Ghost nodded and he and Thunder quickly made their way towards Hanger 100A.

Within the one of the Death Stars largest hanger bays, the entire Imperial army and personal aboard have been gathered to greet the arrival of their Emperor.

The members of Orion Squad were separated from each other, as they were ordered to stand with the own type of troopers. Thunder stood with the other Dark Troopers, most of them being the mark 3 droids. Boomstick stood alongside his fellow Death Troopers, Daxter with his engineering crew, and Ghost with the other Purge Troopers.

Admiral Sigan was also present for this gathering, standing alongside the many other Admirals of the various Star Destroyers. Darth Vader was standing at the front of the hanger, patiently awaiting his masters arrival.

As Palpatine’s shuttle slowly touched down, the men of the 501st braced themselves for what could happen. They haven’t seen the Emperor in over twenty years, not since the Jedi Purge on Coruscant when he declared himself Emperor. They never even questioned it, they just followed order like the good little soldiers they were and accepted it as the way things are.

The shuttle doors open. The first ones to emerge from it are Palatines Red royal Guards, six of them in total. They all stood at the side of the shuttle with their pikes held high, awaiting their Emperor.

Two more guards then emerge from the shuttle, but these two weren’t regular guards. Ghost instantly recognised them as the Shadow Guards, also known as the perfect examples of force sensitive clones from Project SEC.

Ghost hadn’t seen a single Shadow guard on the second Death Star since his arrival. Come to think of it, he hasn’t seen any of them or his fellow Purge Troopers in action. And the Inquisitors are no longer around, implying that there may not be any Jedi left after twenty years of hunting them. The last Jedi Ghost and his brothers have encountered was Quinlan Vos  on the first Death Star, long before the Rebellion was formed.

Though Ghost now knows that there is at least one Jedi still remaining. One who has proven himself far more troublesome than Vos… Vader’s son. He can’t help but wonder if the Emperor even knows about this.

Speaking of which, the Emperor himself has finally emerged from his shuttle, greeting his apprentice who was already down on his knees in supplication. Ghost couldn’t get a good look at him, but he can guess by the wooden stick that he has gotten older. But if there’s one thing he’s learned about old force users after his encounter with Master Yoda and Terra Sinube, it’s that age only makes one more powerful in the force.

“Rise my friend.” Palpatine addressed his apprentice.

Vader did as he was told and he and the Emperor began slowly walking down the hanger while discussing recent events as well as their plans.

“The Death Star will be completed on schedule.” Vader reassured his master.

“You’ve done well, Lord Vader.” Palpatine replied without even looking in his direction. “And now I sense you wish to continue your search for young Skywalker”

Looks like Ghost was right, Palpatine did know about Luke Skywalker. He hopes for Vader’s sake that he also didn’t know about Vader’s secret plan to overthrow the Emperor and make his own son his apprentice.

“…Yes, my master.” Vader said in a partially defeated tone, as if any plans he had have been immediately foiled.

“Patience my friend… In time he will seek you out, and when he does you must bring him before me.” Palpatine then decided to look directly at his apprentice while slowly walking forwards. “He has grown strong. Only together can we turn him to the dark side of the force.”

“As you wish.” Was all Vader could say in response.

“Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen. Hahahahahaha!”

Ghost couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable hearing Palpatine’s evil laugh echoing around the entire hanger. He always knew the Emperor was a bad guy, but now he’s just broadcasting all over the whole station.

He wonders of any of his men feel the same way he does right now. Most of them – including himself – have questioned their loyalty to the Supreme Chancellor turned Emperor. Many of them saying he’s lost his mind. After all, a massive spherical space station with the power to destroy planets isn’t something any sane person would think of… And he can’t even think about the names. How he got away with calling the station the Death Star without drawing suspicion from the senate is beyond him. Or the fact that all their new cruisers are named Star Destroyers. The only thing that could be far worse than that is if he secretly built a fleet of new improved Star Destroyers with planet destroying weapons.

“No!” Ghost practically shouted in his own mind. “There’s no way the Emperor is crazy enough to do something like THAT! As if two Death Stars isn’t overkill enough as it is.”

Hours later after the Emperors big dramatic entrance, the members of Orion Squad were back to doing their usual boring assignments. This time they were all together in the Death Stars generator room. Which looked like a huge open space that stretched on for miles, with only a couple walkways stretched out to its many entrances and exits. Beneath the walkways they were walking down was a bottomless pit, similar to the one on the first Death Star.

“Why is it that both Death Stars have these massive bottomless pits underneath our feet? What purpose do they serve?” Boomstick asked.

“I’m afraid even I don’t know the answer to that question.” Daxter replied regrettably.

While they continued patrolling the area, constantly keeping their eyes on the many shield generators strewed around the place, Thunder decided to be the first to change the subject.

“Hey Ghost. Are you feeling alright?”

“I’m the same as when you asked earlier, and I’ll still be the same for when you ask later. I can assure you all that I am perfectly stable, both in body and mind.”

“Sorry, It’s just that you’ve been quiet since that talk we had in the bar when we first came here.” Thunder reminded him.

Ghost then suddenly stopped and decided to turn to face his three brothers. “Yes I was upset for a time. But I’m not that depressed clone anymore… The battle on Hoth has helped me come to terms with what we’ve all been through. Our actions that day have crippled the Rebellion so severely that it’ll be almost impossible to recover from. And the whole thing with Vader’s son did upset me for a time. But I trust Lord Vader and I know he has a good reason for his actions.” He paused for a moment so that he could properly look over his brothers, acting as if it could be the very last time he ever sees them.

“I know I haven’t always been the best leader, or even the best brother… But I love my brothers, each and every one of them. Seeing so many people you love die is enough to push anyone past the brink of sanity. For so long I’ve been trapped in the memories of my failures, all of then constantly reminding me of poor decisions I’ve made and what I could’ve done to get a better outcome… But now I know that taking my anger out on the Rebels is what led to our downfall, and it wasn’t entirely my fault. Fang, Apex, and X-Ray wouldn’t want me to wallow in defeat, they’d want me to keep doing what we clones do best.”

“Follow orders?” Boomstick asked.

“No… fighting for what they believe in. At first I thought it was the Empire I believed in, but I was wrong. What I truly believe in… is all of you.”

The three clones were touched by their leaders words. To them it probably felt like an eternity since they’ve heard anything from the Ghost they used to serve with during the Clone Wars.

“Now there’s the Ghost we all grew up with on Kamino.” Daxter said proudly.

“Heh, took him long enough to show his face again.” Thunder said jokingly.

The four clones then held each other in a tight embrace, completely ignoring the very generators they were assigned to watch over. At long last, Ghost had finally made peace with his inner demons. Their brother has finally come home.

But the touching reunion was cut off by the sounds of the Death Stars alarm system going off. Over the intercom a voice boomed, warning all personal aboard that a huge fleet of Rebel ships have just come out of hyperspace and is engaging the Imperial fleet.

The members of Orion Squad were shocked by this turn of events. They thought that the battle of Hoth was the end of the Rebel Alliance for good. But by some miracle they were able to get a huge fleet of ships together, big enough to challenge the entire Imperial fleet AND the Death Star.

The three clones then turn to Ghost, all of them worrying that this news has suddenly forced him back into a depressed state. But to their surprise, Ghost had a look of hope and determination on his face.

“I don’t understand.” Daxter spoke up. “The Rebels managed to invade our territory, armed with a huge fleet of ships. And you’re not even upset about it. Why?”

Ghost then gave a light chuckle as he looked his brother in the eyes. “Because I have hope this time. We all figured something like this could happen eventually. These Rebels are extremely desperate, they’re throwing all they’ve got at us. But they will not destroy this Death Star the same way they did the first. Not while it’s still protected by the energy shield on Endor.”

Realisation suddenly struck as Ghost theorised on the possibility of the Rebels being on Endor to shut down the shield generators.

“Daxter, contact Admiral Sigan now!” Ghost ordered in a panicked tone.

Daxter attempted to contact the Conquerors bridge, but all he could hear on his end was static noise. They forgot that the energy shield protecting the second Death Star is causing some signal interference amongst the Executor and the other Star Destroyers.

“Damnit! We have to get back to the Conqueror, now!” He warned them.

“What? Why?” Boomstick asked as he and the others chased after Ghost.

“I think the Rebels may be planning on destroying the Shield generator protecting the Death Star on Endor. We’ve gotta get down there and stop them!”

Ghost and his brothers ran like hell out of the generator room. They made the mistake of wasting time, giving the Rebels the opportunity to destroy the first Death Star. They will not let that same mistake happen again.

In the middle of the chaos that has ensued above Endor, the Conqueror was fighting alongside the rest of the Imperial fleet. Sigan wanted to use everything his Star Destroyers got to wipe out these Rebels. But for some reason the Emperor has ordered that all Star Destroyers remain on standby, only sending out TIE Fighters to intercept them.

Sigan didn’t agree to this plan, but he knows the penalty for disobeying a direct order from the Emperor himself, and he is not as forgiving as Vader is. So he is forced to just stand in the bridge and watch the dog fight taking place, a mixture of green and red blaster bolts soaring past his window faster than he could blink.

Just when he thought he was completely useless to help out in any way, he was surprised to see Orion Squad arrive on the bride and confront him face to face.

“Orion Squad? What are you doing here? Your orders were to remain on the Death Star.” He questioned immediately.

“We tried contacting you but the shields energy was interfering with our signal. We came to warn you that the Rebels have invaded Endor.” Daxter warned him.

“Yes I can see that. It’s all I’ve been doing while your men are battling the Rebels in their fighters.”

“No Sigan.” Ghost corrected him by pointing down at the moon itself. “There’s a small group of them down there. This dogfight is merely a diversion in order to give them time to destroy the shield generator protecting the Death Star.”

Now Sigan can’t help but feel stupid. How could he have not foreseen this? How and when did the Rebels manage to slip past their defences and land on Endor? He then quickly connected the dots in his mind and managed to piece together a possible theory.

“That shuttle that landed on the moon hours ago. Is that how the Rebels slipped past us? Lord Vader even suspected something was up with that shuttle when it arrived. If he knew it was full of Rebels, why didn’t he say or do anything?” he thought to himself. None of this made any sense to him. Just what is Lord Vader planning?

“We need the TIE Demolisher so my men and I can get down there and stop them.” Ghost explained.

“Well the 501st Legion are currently in battle with the Rebels over Endor. It wouldn’t be wise if you suddenly decided to call them off while in battle. Besides, the orders for them to battle the Rebels came from the Emperor himself. So you can’t order them to retreat even if you wanted to. I’m sorry Commander.” Sigan regrettably told him, feeling a sense of guilt in his words even though he did as he was instructed by the Emperor.

Ghost was frustrated by this news. He and his squad were not only forced to leave the 501st to serve aboard the Death Star, but now they are forbidden to have them fight alongside them on Endor to stop the invading Rebels. The 501st legion was supposes to stick together no matter what. Is the Emperor trying to get them all killed by fighting the Rebel fleet? He always knew he didn’t care about the clones, but he never thought he’d let them sacrifice themselves like this.

“Fine.” Ghost blurted out. “Then my squad and I will go down there alone.”

“The Emperors orders were-

“For once in my life I don’t care what the Emperor wants. If we allow these Rebels to continue their assault on Endor, they’ll destroy the shield generator and leave the incomplete Death Star vulnerable to attack.”

Everyone in the room was shocked by what Ghost had just said. Did he really just say that? No clone has ever spoken out against the Emperor before. Had he actually said that to his face he would’ve been dead for sure.

Sigan took a moment to process what he’d just heard, making sure that he heard right before speaking back at him. “Commander, I understand you’re destressed, believe me I am as well. But none of us are in any position to deny a direct order form Emperor Palpatine himself. Whilst I do agree with you that something must be done, I cannot let you intervene with the Emperors wishes. For the sake of you and your squad, I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear your outburst. Now I suggest that you and your squad return to the Death Star at once. Your no good to the Empire or the 501st dead… Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to maintain my position.” He then turned his back from Orion Squad and continued to look out the window, continuing his observation of the space battle over Endor.

Ghost had an urge to yell at the Admiral for choosing to follow orders then save his men. But he knew deep down what a hypocrite he would be if he denied that he hadn’t done so before.

He then briefly remembers the last proper conversation he had with Apex and X-Ray on Tatooine. Remembering how they called him out for always choosing to follow the Empires orders then think about the lives of his men. He hated the man he was back then, and he did not want to be him again.

He made a promise to Fang that he’d taker care of the 501st legion and its troops no matter what. And this time, he will prioritise it over everything else. Even if it means defecting from the Empire and turning traitor.

Ghost lets out a sigh of defeat and speaks his final words to the Admiral. “Alright, you win. My squad and I will return to the Death Star as ordered.”

But before he leaves the room, he looks back at Sigan and gets his attention with a simple “Hey”. He then reaches into the sleeve of his left gauntlet and pulls out a small holodisk. He tosses it over to the Admiral who had little difficulty catching it in his hands.

“In case the Rebels succeed in their mission and we all die on the Death Star; I want you to look over this.”

“What is this?” Sigan asked.

“It is… a holodisk containing a copy of my journal.” Ghost hesitantly explained.

“Ok, but shouldn’t your men have this?” Sigan said, confused by this. Why would Ghost entrust his journal to a non-clone like him?

“Perhaps. But I’ve been impressed by how much you valued us since we first met. You’ve proven to me that not all Imperial Officers and non-clones are bad. As such, I feel like you should be the one to share our memories with any of us that survive this battle. Maybe you could one day tell your kids our story, tell them how their dad helped the 501st save the galaxy.”

Sigan was at a loss for words. He never would’ve thought that Ghost would grow to trust him more then any of his other squad members with something so precious and important to him. In that moment, Sigan was reminded of his family back on Mandalore that he had to leave behind for over twenty years. He often wonders how old his children would be right now, and if his wife was still devoted to him. He misses them deeply, and hopes to reunite with them one day.

Ghost and his three brothers then leave the bridge, leaving Sigan alone to examine the holodisk he was given, with the sounds of the space battle continuing to rage outside the windows.

As Orion Squad were walking down the halls to the Conquerors hanger bay, Daxter decided to break the silence with a question to his commander.

“Why did you lie about what’s on the holodisk? We all know it contains that recording you asked us to make for you and not copies of your journal. So why not tell him the truth.”

“Because… I can’t guarantee that we’ll win this battle.”

The members of Orion Squad were shocked to hear this. They all stop walking so that they can properly address their commander.

“What are you talking about?” Thunder asked confused by what he’d just heard.

“Yeah.” Boomstick added. “What makes you think we’re gonna lose against the Rebels this time?”

“Open your eyes, boys!” Ghost shouted to his three brothers. “Can’t you see that this scenario is the destruction of the first Death Star all over again. The last time the Rebels attacked the Death Star, it resulted in the deaths of our two brothers and over half our remaining troops!”

“That was different,” Thunder interrupted. “We underestimated them back then. But now we know what they’re capable of and are reacting to the situation seriously.”

“We are, but the Emperor isn’t.” Ghost didn’t even hesitate to talk about Palpatine in vain. “The fact that he’s here makes this situation even more dire. If the Rebels succeed in destroying the shield generator and attack the Death Star, the Emperor will die. And if that happens, there truly is no hope for any of us. The Empire will fall and the Rebellion would’ve won, proving that Vos was right all along.” Ghost attempted to explain to his brothers as clearly as he could.

The Rest of Orion Squad listened carefully to their leaders explanation. They can see where Ghost was coming from with his explanation. They though the battle of Hoth would mean the end of the Rebellion, but with the sudden appearance of the massive Mon Calamari ships, they learned that these Rebels had a burning fire within their hearts. The same fire the clones themselves had during the first months of the Clone Wars.

“But still.” Boomstick spoke up after hearing Ghosts explanation. “Stopping the Rebels on Endor would mean leaving the rest of the 501st to the mercy of the Rebel fleet. Are we really gonna abandon them just for this slim chance at stopping the destruction of another Death Star?”

“No Boomstick.” Ghost cut him off before pointing his thumb back towards himself. “You three are going to protect our men. I will go down to Endor and stop the Rebels alone.”

Before any of them could object to that suggestion, Ghost interrupted them again. “I can’t risk anymore of our men die. Without us guiding them, death is sure to claim them. I need you boys to remain here and help them overcome these Rebels. Grab some TIE Fighters and destroy as many Rebels as you can… This isn’t just another order, but a final wish from your brother.”

“You say that as if your certain to die down there.” Daxter pointed out.

“If Skywalker and his friends are down there leading the attack, then yes…there may be a huge chance I’ll die. But I will make sure my sacrifice ensures victory for the 501st, and finally bring this war to an end… I know I’ve done bad things, made decisions that I’m not proud of. I was a good soldier, but I was a bad person. Let me make things right by going down there.”

The three clones hurtfully listened to what might be Ghosts final words. They really didn’t like what they were hearing. They really wanted to refuse their commanders orders, but a small part of them knew that something had to be done about the Rebels on Endor. With the help of Orion Squad they are sure to have a better chance against the Rebel fleet. Ghost always was the most skilled of them all, if anyone can stop the Rebels attacking the shield generator its him.

Ghost then reaches into his pockets and pulls out to the other surprise... their old medals – including Apex and X-Rays -  that they earned on Kamino when they graduated and joined the Grand Army of the Republic. The gold was still shiny and the ribbons were still intact. They couldn’t believe that he kept them all this time. Now they can’t help but wonder when and where Ghost had the opportunity to steal them back.

“Our graduation medals! Where did you get these?” Daxter asked him.

“I salvaged them from the Liberator’s storage vault the day we found Fangs last recorded message. I kept them on me the whole time we’ve been fighting for the Empire, to remind myself of the times we spent together on Kamino… Then I started getting too caught up in this war, that I ended up forgetting all about those times.”

Ghost then picked out Daxter, Thunder and Boomstick’s medals from his palm and hands them over to his three brothers.

“I want you guys to take them back. That way when we’re all separated, our hearts and minds will forever be connected through the memories we’ve made together.”

To Ghosts confusion, the three clones close his fist holding their medals and push his hand up against his chest.

“Keep them for now.” Thunder told him. “You can give them back to us once we destroy the Rebels once and for all.

“Yeah, that way it’ll feel like we’ve truly earned them back.” Boomstick added.

Ghost couldn’t help but let out a little chuckle. His brothers just loved to make things difficult for him, don’t they? Ghost gives them a light nod and places the medals back in his belt pockets.

Ghost then brought his three brothers in for another group hug. He can’t help but feel that this may be the last time he’s ever gonna see his brothers. He has no idea what’ll happen, but if this really was the last time the four of them will ever be together then he has to say it now while he still can.

“Listen to me, all of you. I know I haven’t always been the best brother, leader, or even soldier. But I never lost faith in you and the men of the 501st. Whatever happens here today, whether we win this war and finally retire, or lose and end up dead. I will know for a fact that we’ve all lived long fulfilling lives and went the distance for the galaxy we were made to protect. We’ve gone further then any clone has ever gone before. Our story will be talked about for years to come. Some may see as war heroes, but there will also be just as many that see us as villains. However the galaxy sees us, they’ll at least understand what soldiers like us endure in the fires of war. The tough decisions we make, the sacrifices we endure, the lives we’ve lost… No one but us will ever know that feeling. But hopefully in time, they’ll come to understand what we’ve done.”

“Hold on.” Boomstick interrupted again, breaking up the group hug. “So you DID give Sigan a copy of your journal.”

Ghost shakes his head. “Sigan doesn’t have a copy of my journal. But there is someone out there who does.”

“Who?” They all ask at the same time.

Ghost lets out another small chuckle at his brothers reactions to what he’d just said. Still believing that this may be their last ever interaction, Ghost does indeed reveal the identity of the one who has a copy of his journal. Whilst the real journal is still in his satchel as it always has been since the beginning of this war.

With that done, Ghost begins to once again make his way towards the hanger the TIE Demolisher is stored. Only this time his brothers didn’t follow him, as they promised to follow their commanders orders and aid the 501st against the Rebel fleet.

The sound of the TIE Demolishers engines booting up echoed throughout the empty hanger bay. All the 501st clones were all in their fighters fighting he Rebel fleet, with only a few of them remaining on the Conqueror via Sigans orders.

The ship soon takes off and exits the hanger. Ghost told Sigan that he and his squad would be returning to the Death Star. But Ghost instead plotted a course for Endor, determined to stop the Rebels from destroying the shield generator. He didn’t wanna put any more of his brothers at risk to stop a small band of Rebels. It was for the best that he’d handle this mission alone.

He didn’t even care about the consequences of his actions. He hopes that the Emperor would at least listen to reason once he kills the Rebels and manages to protect the shield generator, which in turn would save the Imperial fleet as well as the Death Star.

As he grew closer to the planets atmosphere, Ghost thinks about his three brothers that he’d left behind. Will this really be their last mission together? Will he really meet his end down there? Whatever the outcome, Ghost will not back down. He will keep fighting for his brothers, the 501st and the galaxy… no matter what.

“Goodbye my brothers. I wish you luck against the Rebel fleet. Once I’ve annihilated the Rebels down there, I’ll be with you in no time.”

Galactic Empire Journal Entry 42 – Location: Endor

“Although I got orders to return to the Death Star. I decided to reinforce the forces on the Century Moon’s surface. I knew it was crazy to leave my squad and go it alone, but I had to do what I believed to be right. I said goodbye to Daxter, Boomstick, Thunder and the rest of the Legion who were remaining on the Conqueror… I didn’t know it would be the last.”

To Be Continued