Star Wars Return of an Empire

A long time ago In a Galaxy Far Far Away...

Turmoil has engulfed the Galactic Republic. The taxation of trade routes to outlying star systems is in dispute. Hoping to resolve the matter with a blockade of deadly battleships, the greedy Trade Federation has stopped all shipping to the small planet of Naboo.

While the Congress of the Republic endlessly debates this alarming chain of events, the Supreme Chancellor has secretly dispatched two Jedi Knights, the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy, to settle the conflict....

Negotiations broke down before they could even begin, forcing Jedi Master Qui Gon Jin and his Padawan Obiwan Kenobi to the planet surface of Naboo! With the help of a lone Gungan, Jar Jar, they find themselves lead to the hidden underwater cities of the native Naboo.

With some convincing the leader of the Gungan People gave the Jedi a submarine, in order to obtain access to the City of Theed, to travel beneath the surface without being seen by Trade Federation Forces.

Finding that the Queen has been captured, the Jedi were able to free her, but were forced to route off world in the Naboo Royal Starship. In turn, the J-type 327 Nubian Royal Starship's hyperdrive was damaged and they could only afford one continuous jump.

Their destination, Tatooine.

+ + +

There was Sand... Sand everywhere.

Two suns adorned the sky above, granting all those beneath their rays dry unbearable heat.

A young boy, thirteen years at most, was walking through the barren sea of Tatooine. He had dark brown almost black hair, approximately three inches in length, and electric blue eyes that had this unnatural glow to them.

His earth colored cloth boots were dragging through grainy pieces of glassed rock which had long since turned to sand. He was dressed in pale tan farmer's robes, much bigger than himself. It was clear they weren't originally his, they had once belonged to someone else.

This young lad's name was none other than Ento Rhade, he was half Human and half Hapan. He was already five feet tall and was clearly suffering from growing pains as he waddled side to side.

He was a farmer, like his parents before him. However their home had been attacked by Jabba the Hutt's goons. There was nothing left, and his parents, he left them for dead. He was on his own, has been for days if not weeks.

Trained by his father, a former Jedi, in the rudimentary ways of using the force, he could sense something coming. Change was upon him, but he wasn't quite sure what it was. However it gave him hope as in the distance he could see civilization.

The only thing that had kept him going till this point was the idea of drinking water, getting somewhere cool and out of the sun.

He licked his upper lip, wincing as he did so. His lips were too dry, no water in sight. The last moisture farm he came across had been overrun by Tusken Raiders, so he was clearly parched.

That's when a massive shadow, a starships hum, passed over him.

Gasping, unable to form words, he watched as a silvery chromium plated vessel shot through the sky. What was that? Who was that? It was a shiny ship, nothing like the vessels landed in the Starports.

Whimpering in his throat from the pain, groaning at the feeling of fatigue that had been eating at him for hours, the boy could see the starship. As he got closer, he could see the configuration of the hull. He could recognize the use of Chromium, a material used to reflect solar radiation off a starship's hull. Though nowadays it was used as decoration, specifically for the Naboo Royal Family.

Poking the tip of his tongue out against his lips again, only to wince at the feeling of his dry lips cutting the tip, he quickened his pace even more. Flailing his arms mutely above his head.

Two steps and he face planted on the hot scorching hot sand, quickly though he launched himself off of the ground and back onto his feet. Stumbling a bit as sand went down his shirt, causing him to uncomfortably shake.

In that moment, he furrowed his eyes, froze in place as he could feel four people emerge from the starship. A young man with blonde hair, blue eyes and a tiny braided pony tail in pale earth tones. And then there was an older man with long dark brown hair and an intimidating yet friendly face.

Behind the two of them however were two people, a young female about his age if not a year older, and another person who had dark skin and a reddish brown uniform.

It seemed they were arguing about something...

Ento didn't necessarily care about their petty squabble and quickly padded towards the ship.

"Master..." Obiwan, the blonde with blue eyes, pointed his pale hand towards the young man who was approaching their vessel. "That doesn't look like a Jawa."

"Dalee's a young hisen!" Jar Jar, a Gungan with big floppy ears and a wedge shaped head, with two protruding eyes from the top of their head shouted as he came running down the ship's loading ramp.

"Hm..." Jin looked over towards the young boy who was coming towards them. When Jar Jar went to speak again, he raised a hand for silence. Causing the alien to go quiet, nervously shifting about.

He could sense a strong connection to the force, he surmised the boy who was in the area, was drawn to them thanks to his mind being opened to the force. "I sense something ... Different about this boy."

"How so, Master?" Obiwan looked to Jin mildly concerned.

"I sense that he has unorthodox training in the force," he muttered as he stepped forward, narrowing his gaze on the boy while keeping his hands crossed over his chest within his robes.

Padmé, the young girl who was about fourteen years old with brown hair and brown eyes stepped forward. Craning her head outward slightly seeing the young boy who was padding toward them. He was clumsily tripping over himself and kicking the sand. His mouth was agape and his breathing was erratic. From what she could see, the boy was not only suffering from heatstroke but also dehydration.

"That explains how he got this far... His clothes... They look like they've been worn for days..." The man in uniform, Quarsh Panaka, said under his breath as he watched the young teen.

"Master, should we..."

"No, let him come to us." Jin's voice was calm and collected. He wanted to see how far the child could get before they gave him his aid. With his mind opened to the force, he could sense the boy's determination and his raw partially trained power alone.

"Master Jedi, if I may?" Padmé, disguised as a handmaiden, appeared to want to go over to the boy. She was worried and that was clear in her eyes. While she was determined to go back home to free her people, she couldn't just stand by and watch a young boy struggle to survive and do nothing to help!

Jin looked to her for an instant, before turning his gaze towards Ento. "Alright," he gestured for her to go to the boy as he was hardly able to lift his legs.

Just as she was about to reach him, he fell forward, right into her open arms.

Shallow breathing, he felt her hands on him. Ento for some reason felt safe now that he had reached his destination. Though it hadn't been predetermined, it was likely destiny that brought him here. Otherwise, he would have likely died trekking through this desert.

His eyes however didn't close as he glared at her blue fabric. The way she smelled as he took in a deep slow and subtle breath, it didn't suit her current attire. As he was brought to his feet by the girl, his arms dangled at his sides.

She felt her hand run along his narrow jawline, having him look up at her.

"Just as I thought," She muttered seeing the bags under his eyes and feeling his clammy skin devoid of sweat. Oddly enough he was almost supernaturally appealing due to his Hapan nature that granted him extreme beauty. "He's dehydrated and suffering from heatstroke..."

Jin walked over to the boy and placed his hand on his forehead, before nodding to himself. The boy was definitely who he was sensing through the force.

Lowering his hand from the boy's forehead, he turned to Panaka, "May we bring him inside?"

Panaka looked to Padmé for a split second who was glaring at him, before focusing on the Jedi Master once more. "Of course, right this way!" He turned and jogged back towards the loading ramp.

Jin then turned back towards Ento, "May I?" He asked the girl to let him go, allowing him to tuck his arm under the boys knees and carry him into the ship.

Within a few minutes, Ento was laying on a makeshift bed, on top of a few crates, on board the Starship. Most of the farmer's tunic removed, he was just in a pair of oversized trousers and boots.

He was clearly built well for his young age, due to this, it was likely he wasn't going to be unable to stop exercising regularly without damaging his muscles. Though thanks to him being able to use the force, that may be rectified.

Jin stood over the boy with his eyes closed, his hands hovering over him. Using the force, he was able to heal the sunburn and other damage done to him by the environment. Especially the damage done to his throat by the sand and dry air.

"Boy, what is your name?" Jin inquired as he watched Ento staring up at him with this eerily calm and collected face. His chest was slowly rising up and down, he was stable aside from the continued dehydration which was temporarily stunted.

"It's alright young one," Obiwan assured the young man, "You're safe here."