A New Legend

**NOTE: I’m pretty sure none of this has any basis in Star Wars lore, because I really didn’t do any research and I just used the first names that came to mind, but I hope you enjoy anyway.

I could do nothing but listen.

All around me was the smell of burning flesh. Building crumbled. Lasers shot through the sky. Smoke rolled overhead.

But I did not see. I did not speak. I only listened.

And I only heard one sound.

The sound of machine-powered breathing.

Ohh-burr... ohh-burr...

That is the sound of the thing that killed my family.

Fourteen Years Later...

There is a man in my dreams. He has long hair. His eyes are blue. He tells me of a world free from turmoil. Free from pain.

He calls himself Anakin. The name sounds familiar, but I cannot place it.

Those are my good dreams. I much prefer the strange man to the other dreams, those one with the horrible sound..

Ohh-burr... ohh-burr...

The sound that destroyed my life.

But the man in my good dreams tells me there’s a way to bring them back. Power over life and death. All I have to do is let him train me.

“To do the thing I could not,” he says.

But where have I heard his name before?

It doesn’t matter. What matters is if what he says is true. If I can bring my parents back.

“What do I have to do?”

“You will know.”

That is all the dream man says.

I am eighteen today. Old enough to join the Empire, but I will not. Too old to be trained by the Jedi, for my parents died before they could get my name on their roster.

Old enough to fly a ship.

Old enough to own a gun. Old enough to do just about anything.

I will do what the dream man Anakin says.

Because he is kind to me.

My name was once Risa Starr. I was once the daughter of Admiral Jokk Starr and Keisi Starr. But I am no longer that little girl. I am Nova. And I will bring my parents back.

Even if they want nothing to do with the monster I’ve become.

Anakin is right.

I do know what to do.

There is a small trading port outside of my small town of Na-ami.

I will hide in the back of their ship. And wherever that ship takes me, that’s where my next task awaits.

The Force will guide me.

Just like it always has.

The ship is old and loud, but I know it is the right ship. The ship I need. I crawl into one of the boxes, hidden by old rifles and outdated weapons.

And of course, my cloak. The last thing I have that is truly mine. I scavenge for food. I flit between places. I belong nowhere. I own nothing.

Except this cloak.

It is my own. Once, it was my mother’s. When the Dream Man named Anakin shows me how to return them to life, I will return it to her. But for now... she is gone, and so it is mine.

I dig through the boxes. The tech is all old Republic, most of it will never be usable, but there might be rations. Food. Anything I can use.

Instead, I find a cylinder.

It’s about the length of my arm, adorned with complex ridges and grooves. It fits perfectly in my hand.

And, lined up with my thumb, is a button.

I press it, and the blade explodes into life.

I know what this is. An ancient Jedi weapon.

A lightsaber.

But this one is... different. It has no color. It is white. Blank. A work-in-progress.

Like me.

I’ve heard about lightsabers. Though I’ve never seen one in person, I know they can cut through just about anything.

A good weapon. A powerful weapon.

Surely the ship’s master won’t mind if I take this one little thing.

Just one little lightsaber.

Another borrowed thing, stolen thing, to call my own.

My life is built on stolen objects.

I wonder what will happen if the universe wants to take it back.

I think I will just fall.

All the way down.

When the ship lands, I cut a hole in the wall. I can’t wait for the captain to open the slot, because he will see me for sure. Of course, now he’ll know he’s missing a lightsaber.

With any luck, he won’t know which one.

A white blade is rather distinct.

By the time I hear the shouts of panic from the crew, I am far away.

They will not find me.

So I find a tree, climb, and wait for sleep.

The Dream Man will give me my instructions.

And I will follow them.

I do not work for the Empire. I do not stand with the Resistance.

I follow Anakin.

And he will lead me to safety.

Finally, sleep finds me.

I let myself fall deep into its hands.

The forest on Yavin 4 is lush with life, all sorts of life.

I have recieved my orders.

I will find the travelling Gungan.

And I will kill him.

A life for a life.

I have killed many beings. They have all deserved it. I do not know what this Gungan has done, but if Anakin hates him, it is good enough for me.

I understand Hate.

Like I hate the sound that haunts my dreams.

Ohh-burr... ohh-burr...

I wonder if Anakin can help me find the source of that sound. I wonder if he can help me destroy the human machine that killed my parents in the first place.

I wonder if he can help me get rid of my dreams.

First, I must find the travelling Gungan.

Then, I will move onward. I sense my journey will have many challenges ahead. Anakin will not make this easy.

Good. I do not want easy.

I want a challenge.

And I am prepared to fight for it.

The travelling Gungan is not hard to find.

He almost blows up the flower shop.

“Ahh!” the creature screeches. “Meesa sorry!”

″ ‘meesa’ don’t care if you’re sorry,” snarls the shop owner in a mocking voice. “Meesa wants you out of my shop. Out of my village! You’ve knocked over the last of my flower pots, Laj Bins.”

“Meesa sorry. Meesa—”

“Shoo, Gungan! Out!”

The dejected Gungan flails his arms around, almost knocking over yet another flowerpot.

An easy target...

But I’m sure this bumbling idiot is hiding something. Otherwise Anakin would never have asked me to kill him. Maybe he won’t be easy after all. Maybe all his clumsy destruction is really carefully calculated...

I stare into his knobby yellow eyes. They don’t look evil... but...

“You’re Laj Bins?” I ask as the Gungan passes me. “The travelling Gungan?”

“That is meesa,” says the Gungan proudly. “Laj Bins, the great warrior of the Gungans. At your humble service.” His voice is loud, confident, but I detect a note of wariness in his words.

I glance around. Too many people. I’ll have to lure him away. Easy enough. The blithering bantha-brained scumbag should fall for just about anything.

“Come with me,” I say. “I have a... business opportunity for you.”

“Business! Ooh, meesa likes the sound of dat!”

I let the cloak fall lower over my face to hide my grin. Too easy.

That is, until I see the troopers.

I’ve walked into the wrong alleyway.

“Ah!” yells Laj. “This noesa good! This very bad.”

“You’re not supposed to be here,” says the lead stormtrooper, with a yellow scrap of fabric over his shoulder. “Leave at once.”

“Uh...” I say, momentarily stunned into silence. “Can I just...” I sigh as I pull out my lightsaber. “Nevermind. I’m surrounded by the weakest minds in the galaxy. Stormtroopers and Gungans.”

Only the head stormtrooper has the decency to look offended.

“Hey!” he shouts, brandishing his gun. “Watch i—”

Before he can finish, my new lightsaber is out and blazing. While the handle fits perfectly in my hand, the blade is awkward— it’ll take some getting used to. But that’s fine.

It works well enough.

I don’t stop until four severed trooper heads and one halved Gungan are on the floor.

Easy. Now I need to get out of here. Killing a Gungan... none will miss him. But four troopers... that’s a crime. I need to get off this filthy planet.

First, I’ll sleep. Back to the forest, to the cover of trees. Anakin will tell me what I need to do.

It’s a perfectly fine dream. Everywhere I look, rolling green hills and gleaming white domes. It’s a famous planet— Naboo. But it hasn’t looked like this in years, not since Queen Amidala died.

This is the way Anakin remembers it. Beautiful. Glorious.

The way my parents were before—

“Hello.”

“Hi, Anakin.”

“All this time, I haven’t learned your name,” the man says with a kind smile.

“Ris— Nova.”

“Nova, hmm?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, Nova. Is the travelling Gungan dead?”

“Yes. What is my next task?”

“Your next task will be the most difficult.”

“I am ready.”

Anakin chuckles.

“Indeed you are. My masters once made a mistake... they underestimated me. I will not do the same to you. I will not fail you.”

“You— you were a Jedi?”

“I am a Jedi. I just... broke some rules, is all. We all break rules sometimes.”

“Of course.”

“You must commandeer a ship for me.”

“Okay.”

“Not just any ship. An Imperial Star Destroyer.”

“Wh- How will I do this?”

“How is up to you. Just remember the name: Avenging Star.”

Avenging Star. Isn’t that what I am? A Starr, trying to find vengeance?

“Yes sir.”

The Dream Man smiles again.

“Don’t call me sir. I have no need to order you around. I’m not your general. We are friends.”

Friends? Could that be true? Could this mysterious man be my friend? A man I know only in dreams?

Yet I already trust him. That’s why I’m doing this, after all. Because I trust him.

After all, a man who can walk through dreams is a powerful ally. A powerful friend.

“What do I do with the ship once I’ve got it?”

“Confidence,” says Anakin, still smiling. “I like that. You will fly it to the Empire’s fortress. A space station called the Death Star.”

“How will I find it?”

Another laugh. “You’ll find it. It’s hard to miss.”

As the dream fades and I blink into consciousness, I hear the whirring of engines.

Hide!

I stand up, quick as lightning, and let the darkness and the wide trunk of the tree hide me.

“A white saber? Those are rare.”

“Makes it easier to find her.”

They’re talking about me.

“Don’t worry, sir. Everyone is on high alert. And she’s no Jedi— we recieved word that the saber was stolen. But she is powerful just the same.”

“She could be watching us this very moment.”

“Enough of that, Seven. There’s obviously nothing in the woods.” Rather than feeling elated, I shiver. If they don’t notice me, how can I notice anything else? What else lurks in these woods, waiting for unsuspecting prey?

I don’t like this planet. It is lush, but it is not beautiful. The life on this planet is ugly and cruel. Harsh and angry.

I will feel better when I am far away from this. Even if that means I’m on a star destroyer.

First, I need a ship. A real ship. Hitchhiking can only get me so far. I’ll need a craft of my own.

But I have no money. And I won’t sell the saber. There must be something else I can sell...

Hair.

That’s it.

Royalty of Yavin 4 weave clothing from hair. Elaborate wigs. They’d pay a good price for my hair. Long, the color of coal. Thick. I could get a good price for this. But is it enough?

I could always find someone to drop me off. They’d have to be suicidal at least, all out stupid at worst.

But a ride is a ride.

I’ll just have to hope I’ll have enough.

Hope is a funny thing. It can do strange things to people. Like I hope I can get my parents back. And I’d do anything to find them.

They have booths everywhere to sell hair. There’s one every three feet in this place.

I walk into the first one I see and I brush past the line into a seat.

“I’d like to sell my hair,” I say.

The barber gives me a strange look.

Right. My hair is hidden by my hood. Not to mention the fact that it’s twisted into a bun.

It takes me a moment to undo it, but once I do, the barber’s eyes widen.

“Yes ma’am.”

Apparently hair means more here than I thought.

He’s powering on his blade when a loud voice says “Stop.”

All heads, even mine, turn towards the door.

That man... his clothing... he’s royalty. And judging by the fact that everyone is bowing, he’s the prince.

I lower my head.

The prince stalks towards me, his legs brisk and choppy. Stiff. Formal.

“Do not cut this woman’s hair.”

I scrunch my eyes in disbelief.

“Your majesty, all due respect...” The barber stammers.

“Your hair is too precious to be removed,” says the Prince, turning to me. “Your beauty is incomparable.”

Oh dear. This is not good. Not good at all.

“Sir,” I say. “I’m afraid I cannot—”

To my surprise, the prince flushes.

“You misunderstand me. I merely wish to... help. To... reward you.”

“Oh.”

“What makes you think you must cut your hair?”

I stare at the prince in shock.

“Uh... I need a ship.”

“Here on Yavin, hair is everything. Hair is status.”

“Uh... yes. I know.”

“With tresses as lush as these, you could have a high status.”

“Um... thank you, your majesty.”

“So I will give you a ship.”

Some of the other customers gasp, whether in envy or awe, I cannot tell.

I just smile. “Thank you.”

The Force is guiding me, just like it always has.

I follow the prince out of the shop and through the streets. Crowds part for us— no, for him.

I’m invisible. I’m invisible to everyone except the prince.

I’m okay with that. I like being invisible.

But at the same time, I like having a ship.

I think that, even if I get a ship, I will cut my hair. It gets in the way.

And I don’t want to attract any more attention to myself.

I’ll shave it. All the way down. Except for one small braid. Like a Padawan. For I am Anakin’s padawan now. I must start acting like one.

But first, I need this ship.

“Thank you again, your majesty,” I stammer.

“It is nothing,” says the prince with a dismissive wave. “With hair like that, I’d be proud to help.”

“I... thank you.”

The prince is tall. His hair is almost as long and dark as mine, but his skin is several shades darker than mine. There is a kindness in his soft brown eyes that is hard to find in royalty. Most of the time, royalty looks at you like you’re vermin. Stiff. Disdainful. But not this prince.

He will either make a very good king, or a terrible one.

But that is not my business. This planet is... stifling. Being in this palace, surrounded by ostentatious displays, is even worse than being in the cruel streets.

I will be glad to fly my ship out of here.

“Lazien, not again.”

“Relax, sister. Look at her hair. She may act like a commoner but here, she is royalty.”

“Laz, you know how mother feels about—”

“Nevermind. She needs a ship. We have plenty.”

“A ship? Laz, you’re out of your mind! You have no idea who this girl is!”

“Kiera, relax. I won’t give her anything special. Just one of the B-wings.”

“A ship? Laz, think about this.”

“I have thought about it,” Prince Lazien snaps. “I’m doing it, and mother can’t stop me. Soon, I’ll be king.”

“Brother, be careful.” Lazien counters his sister’s concern with a dazzling grin.

“I’m always careful, Kiki.”

The princess rolls her eyes at his nickname.

I decide it’s best to stay silent, and I follow Prince Lazien to the hanger.

“Off you go,” the prince says. “May you look upon us favorably.” I offer up a smile I don’t mean.

I’m glad to get off this planet. Glad to get away from the prince. Anakin is waiting. I will find him.

As I power up the craft (I’ve been using flight simulators since before I could talk, and I’ve just about mastered any standard craft’s controls) I glance towards a wall of wanted posters and wince.

There, in the center, is a picture of me. With my hood up, of course, and holding a lightsaber, but it’s definitely me. I got lucky that the prince didn’t notice.

But the Empire will be watching for me. I must be on my guard.

Of course, I also have to hijack a freaking star destroyer, so I can’t exactly stay under the radar.

Whatever. Next stop, the Avenging Star.

And after that, the Death Star.

So many Stars.

I only hope I can find the only two stars I’ve ever cared about: Admiral Starr and Keisi Starr. My parents.

Once I bring them back, everything will be okay.

I click the ship into autopilot and grab a razor from the back. I should definitely shave my hair now. Too recognizable. And I need to hide.

It only takes a few minutes. A few minutes to shave off years of growth. It takes eons to create something, but only seconds to destroy it.

That is the way of the universe.

I can feel the Force whispering in my head. I can hear it. Hear the voices of force-users past. I listen closely.

I can find the Avenging Star. All I have to do is listen.

With my newly shaved hair and my padawan braid, I close my eyes. I feel the energy seep into my limbs.

And then I open my eyes and grab the controls.

I know where to go.

I can feel the energy in my limbs. In my mind. The Force isn’t just guiding me. It is me.

This is what being a Jedi feels like. The world in your hands.

But I am no Jedi.

Not yet.

But I will be. Once I find Anakin. Once I complete his tasks.

Then, I will be powerful. I will save my family.

It’s my last hope for justice.

The Avenging Star looms in my vision just as I’m starting to drift off to sleep.

A night of no rest. No sleep. I wonder if Anakin will miss me.

I wonder, do I miss him?

He is my friend, so it’s okay to miss him.

Now, the next task is getting onboard. I’ve got cloaking on, but that can only hide so much. Imperial technology is rapidly advancing. Soon, they may even be able to see through shields. Thank goodness they can’t yet.

Plan. I need a plan.

Over there, looks like a fuel tank. Running low. They’ll need to change it soon. Which means an opening. I’ll wait and I’ll get in that way.

First, I need to hide.

Under the ship. It’s a well-known blind spot. The only blind spot. the only weakness in an indestructable machine.

An indestructable machine that I’m about to steal. How? The thing is swarming with Imperial officials. I managed to kill the four storm troopers, but that was just luck. I barely knew what I was doing. This is a whole ship full of highly trained officials.

Luck won’t help me here.

Think, Nova. Think.

I know how I’m getting in, but even that is hard. There will be stormtroopers everywhere. Officers, too.

Weak minds. I’m starting to think that all the Imperials have weak minds.

All except for two: Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader.

Aside from them, the Empire is built on pathetic beings.

Weak minds... could I use the Force? On all of them at once? That’s a lot of power, and I still don’t know how to control it. I only have one shot.

Any better ideas?

No. No better ideas. I have to try.

This is what Anakin would want. For me to prove myself. I need to prove that I am worthy of his training.

I need to prove that I can bring my parents back.

First, I need to practice.

On what? This is just a B-wing. There’s not much space. It’s a very fancy royal B-wing, but it’s still a B-wing.

The ship.

Move the whole ship. I don’t know where that voice comes from. Maybe it’s Anakin, urging me forward. Maybe it’s my parents, whispering in my ear. Guiding me. Ghosts. But they won’t be ghosts for long. Soon, they’ll be here with me.

And I won’t let them die again.

I close my eyes, feeling the energy flow through me. I let my anger power me. My hate. I hear that cursed sound. hh-burr... ohh-burr...

I imagine my parents here with me. They are here. I’m not moving the ship, they are, carrying me in their safe, open arms.

I can feel the creaks and groans of straining metal. It becomes a lullaby, bursting from my parents’ mouths. I will see them again. I will do this. I will prove myself.

And when my parents are back, I will kill the machine man. I will rip his mechanical heart out.

Anger burns. It burns long, slow, and bright.

The perfect fuel.

If I were to be taken into the Jedi, I would be taught to feel nothing. To be nothing.

But I am not a Jedi. I will feel. I will be real.

And being real means being angry. And I am angry.

I open my eyes.

Perfect placement. Right next to the fuel dock. If I move quickly, I’ll barely be in space. Dying in space, even with the lack of air and the freezing cold, takes a few minutes. If I move fast, I’ll be fine.

For now, I watch. I watch, and I wait.

And I hear the hiss as a suited soldier emerges into view.

Now.

Before he sees me, before he sees my ship, before he can sound the alarm.

“I’m not here,” I say quickly, the Force dragging me forward. “You don’t see me.”

“Nobody here,” the soldier repeats. “Coast clear.”

I grin. Stupid weak minded fools.

I’ll kill them all if I have to.

That’s what Anakin wants, right? He hates the Empire as much as I do. They deserve to burn. To freeze and rot in space. Float aimlessly for all time.

“We’ve got an—”

“I’m not an intruder,” I say slowly, staring into the black and white mask. “I’m supposed to be here.”

“99542, is there an issue?”

“No, no issue. Everything fine here.”

I brush past the stormtrooper with a grin. My grin fades when I hear approaching footsteps. Lots of footsteps.

Let’s see how well my mind tricks work on a whole damn army.

"I'm not here," I whisper. I can almost see the energy waves coming from my body. "I'm not here."

The power of those before me will shield me. My mom. My dad. Anakin. All of them flow through me, currents of electricity through a thick wire.

I am powerful. No. I am power. I am energy. I am strength. I can do anything.

And I will do anything it takes. Anything it takes to get my mom and dad back.

I can feel my eyes glow white with power.

I am not here.

I was never here.

I am a ghost.

Just like my family.

And I walk unseen through the ranks of the army.

Weak minds. All of them.

All I need to do is find the cockpit. Barricade myself in and kill everyone inside. If I can do that, everyone out here won't matter.

The Avenging Star is soon to be mine.

Now is the time to unsheath my sword. All of the mind tricks have worn me down. It's time to use my other skills.

My killing skills.

I'm not exactly a bounty hunter. I don't make a living out of it. I only did a few jobs. Never for the Empire, but not for the Rebellion, either. Just ordinary people with extraordinary grudges.

And sometimes, those grudges were real. They deserved to die.

It's not wrong if they deserve it, right? It's not like I'm a contract killer. I just did what needed to be done.

Like I'm doing now. These people work for the Empire. They work with the machine who killed my family. They deserve to die. I hate them. I hate them.

I wonder, am I just trying to convince myself?

No matter. Right now, all that matters is finding Anakin. Bringing my family back. Whatever I have to do, whoever I have to kill, I'll do it. It'll be worth it. Even if I never see them again, I'll know they're out there. Safe. Alive.

I've already proven I can live without them. If they want to leave me after what I've done, fine. But at least they'll be alive.

I burst into the cockpit with my sword blazing. Strike first. Strike fast. Don't give them a chance to attack.

One head rolls. An arm. A torso. I can hear the screams, feel the blood on my face.

And then I'm face-to-face with a gun.

"Stop, in the name of the Republic."

I almost laugh. Everyone knows there is no Republic anymore. The Republic is gone. All that's left is the Empire. No democracy. Just absolute power.

But it's hard to laugh with a gun in your face.

I see his finger on the trigger in perfect clarity, my last vision before I fall into darkness. No. I can't die now. I need my parents back. I have to listen to Anakin. Once I do that, I'll be fine. I'll be ready to go. Just. A. Little. Longer.

I open my eyes.

The officer's face is contorted in pain and confusion. He can't move. And a few inches in front of me is a bullet.

I power on my lightsaber. Still, nothing moves.

I slice his hand off and watch it fall to the floor in slow motion. I watch as the officer emits a soundless scream. No sound. Slow movement. I've hit pause on the world.

I've never heard of this being possible. Can I stop time?

No use prolonging this poor man's pain.

Off with his head.

As it rolls to the floor, the world speeds up. Normal speed again. Several alarms blare. Quick, Nova, shut the door.

I press a button. Door shut. Press another button; the ship is on lockdown. No one is getting in.

And if they do, I'll kill them.

Fiddle with more of the controls. Good. Autopilot. There's a whole button labeled "Death Star." I'm on course.

I barely realize how tired I am until I slump to the floor.

I can't wait to tell Anakin how I succeeded.

"You stopped time?"

"More like, uh, slowed it. Yeah."

"That's... incredible, Nova. You have great power. Maybe even greater than mine. Bringing your parents back will be easy."

"You... you think so?"

"Nova, you are legendary. You took out a starship. Within days, you'll be known all over the galaxy. You're the most powerful force user this galaxy has seen in a long time."

"I- Th-thank you, Anakin."

"It's no problem, Nova. I believe in you. May the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you, too."

"You can wake up, Nova. You're close. Be ready. the Death STar is no joke, even mid-construction."

"I understand."

Anakin grins. "I'll see you soon, Nova."

"I... uh, yes. I'll see you soon, too."

It's almost time. Time for my final task. My final test.

I will pass. I will win Anakin's favor. I will bring them back.

I will be a legend. A hero. Like my father, who fought in the clone wars. A hero. A soldier. A legend.

I like the sound of that.

When the Death Star comes into view, it makes me wonder exactly what was in those rations I ate. this couldn't possibly be real. Even half-built, it's massive. I couldn't possibly search the whole thing for Anakin.

The Force will guide me.

I'm not sure if it's Anakin's voice in my head, or my own.

"Death STar to Avenging Star, your access code, please?"

Access codes. Bantha fodder. I totally forgot about those.

"Avenging Star to Death Star, this is Captain Nova. One of the lowers lost the access codes. Five hundred credits if you cover this up, just this once."

"Captain... Nova? Name doesn't ring a bell."

"I promise, sir, it's just this once. We're terribly sorry. A thousand credits."

I at least have that much from my last job. Wasn't enough to buy a ship, but apprently, I didn't need to use it. Now, I found a better use. Bribery.

"Alright, go ahead. Just this once. But it's being marked on your file just the same."

"Understood, sir. Thank you, sir."

Money and lies make a good pair. With enough credits, people will believe whatever you say, real or fiction. If you really want to sell a story, you gotta buy it.

Hood up, lightsaber hidden. Steal a blaster from Officer #1.

And a bit of hope. That's all I need. Next stop: Anakin.

The halls are shockingly empty. Every time I pass someone, all I have to do is whisper: "I'm not here."

And all is well.

It works.

The Empire attracts weak minds, bees to honey, flies to rotting food. The Rebellion has their share of weak minds, but at least they're weak minds that can think for themselves. They're free weak minds. The minds here are perfect for soldiers. Blind, obedient. Almost as if they were manufactured. Artifical soldiers.

Like clones, but up until 66, even the clones had minds. Personalities. My dad told me all about them. About how they had nicknames, how they tattooed their helments. They had individuality. Here, there is no individuality, other than the number of badges on your suit.

I can taste it. I'm close. Close to Anakin. Close to freedom. Close to family.

This room. It's the one. I can feel it, like a finger pressed into my skull, nails digging into soft flesh. In here.

I'm nervous, excited, scared, angry. I've come all this way. Killed many. Done much.

Now, it's all coming to fruition.

I will get my family back.

I open the door.

Ohh-burr... ohh-burr...

No. this can't be right.

"Hello, Nova," the machine says in a hissing voice. An eveil voice. A... metal voice. "Nice to finally meet you."

"No," I say. I try to leave, to escape, to run, but the door shuts with a malevolent hiss. "No. It can't be."

"Belive it," the Machine Man says. "You have great power, Nova. And you can bring your family back. All you have to do is... join me."

"No," I say. "You killed them."

"I freed you. Without that, you would never have listened to me. I needed you. You have immesuarble power. I could have... before I became this. Before I became this machine, I could have had your power. You... you can..."

"Do what you couldn't," I say. "I remember. I remember your words. But.. you're..."

"Evil? No, Nova. The Jedi are evil. They made me into this... this abomination. They took everything from me. With your help, we can bring their world to the ground. We can both get what we want. But I need your help. I need your help. I can't bring her back. this suit dampens my powers. But with you... I can bring her back. I can bring your parents back. I know you can. We can bring balance to the universe. All you have to do is take my hand."

In that moment, I don't see a machine. I don't see a black-gloved hand built with wires and gears. I see flesh and blood. Skin and bone. I see Anakin. I see my savior.

He can bring them back. I can bring them back. All I have to do is...

Take my hand.

Balance. Peace. Family. Safety. I can have it all. I can stop living in fear.

I take his hand.

Beneath the expressionless mask, I can almost see his grin.

"Welcome to the Empire, Nova."

"And you'll help me bring them back?"

"I wouldn't lie to you, Nova. When you're ready, yes. You can bring them back. We will do great things. We will be... unstoppable. A new legend. We'll rewrite the universe."

"Balance."

"Exactly. Now, come, Nova. We have work to do."

He turns, his black metal body shining and glinting like a sky full of stars.

Admiral Starr. Keisi Starr. The Avenging Star. The Death Star. Risa Starr, the old me. New me: Nova.

We are all stars.

And it's time to take our galaxy back.