The Grey Jedi

Galactis, a man in charge of an entire petition of supporters to his noble cause, and a former Knight of the Jedi Order, is an individual who has endured the horrors of war, and the burdens of being a leader, but with the strong belief he carries to see a good Galaxy, free of the evil of the Empire, and see the Republic returned to its' former founded glory, he lays his life on the line every day to see that dream one day become reality.

The Grey Jedi was found at a very young age, during Master Belth Allusis' trip to Alderaan. The Jedi Master was there to oversee peaceful relationships between the many houses while the King was still seated upon the throne. He was nothing more than an ambassador then, but still stumbled across the young boy, and found he was gifted with the ways of the Force. After a long discussion with the boy's parents, namely the house he was from, who Galactis still cannot recall to this day where his family hailed from, Master Allusis took the boy to the Jedi Temple. There, he was assigned to be tutored by the wise man with unorthodox methods, Master Allusis himself.

The boy looked up to and admired Master Allusis, and soaked in everything he had to teach him about the Force, about the delicate art of lightsaber crafting, a hobby Galactis still enjoys to this day. He was also told many things that isn't common in Jedi teaching practices. Master Allusis didn't entirely believe on being emotionally detached, and felt that instead of just serving as a peacekeeper, he was always an active participant in Jedi affairs, and especially colonization efforts of the Republic. Galactis was always more than happy to accompany him, and be trained while also helping to oversee the construction efforts, even offering to help the efforts himself. It was around this time Galactis learned the most important lesson his master had to teach; the galaxy has a great deal of good in it, and good people populate it. Instead of believing in the ways of the Force, believe in the good in things, the good of the Republic. It was a naive thing to take to heart for the young boy, but he followed it with pride, as his loyalty was forever committed to the Republic, and helping to see it grow and thrive. He even made many friends along the way as he helped settle in new families and colonies. One of the greatest but smallest joys he found was helping others, seeing them live out their lives happily thanks to his efforts. But he was such a child, even pampered too much, and he wasn't prepared for the events on the system of Bothawuii.

---

Master Allusis was given the task of helping a Republic envoy create a settlement on the newly founded planet of Bothawui, which has just become a new Republic system in the Bothan territories. They met with the locals on the planet and even established an agreement to create a Republic settlement further tying good relations between Bothans and the Republic. This little victory would be a great step forward in expanding in that sector, as well as gaining a resourceful and cunning ally in the form of the Bothan race. Everything was going well, and Galactis continued to train under his Master, as he made many friends with some of the Troopers and Jedi also stationed there. Even made friends with a few of the engineers and settlers with their families. Things were about to take a turn for the unthinkable worst.

Two days had passed since Master Allusis and Galactis' arrival on the newly founded settlement, and the shield generator was just completed that would protect the colony and any Republic ships that orbited the system. Galactis, a teenager during these events, were walking together around the colony, overseeing how things were going as Master Allusis shared his enthusiasm about progress, and lamented on how wonderful things to come would be on this new little colony. Galactis was just picturing the cities that would populate the planet and how close the Republic and Bothans would get, when the bombardment started.

Out of nowhere, many Imperial ships slipped out of hyperspace. There were dozens... No... Hundreds. Hundreds of ships appeared from out of nowhere, and already laid siege to the ships orbiting above, tearing them to pieces. Galactis looked up in horror, as the amount of ships seemed to block out the sky, even while they were only in orbit above the planet. Without warning, Imperial ground forces were deployed, and blaster fire came from every direction. He wasn't prepared for this. Master Allusis had never taken the boy into a battle, their missions only being peaceful envoys, negotiations and overseeing colonizations. He couldn't have imagined anything like what was about to unfold.

Quickly, Master Allusis and Galactis took cover in the shield generator, and many Republic soldiers took up positions there. The families that were there ran desperately, and before the teenager Galactis' eyes, he watched as they were gunned down mercilessly by the Imperial troops. Any Jedi, troopers, and civilians that survived the bombardments all made it there, but there seemed to be fewer people there than there should have been. The civilians took cover and the troops and Jedi stood their ground. Galactis witnessed the battle unfold, and saw as many friends he's come to know fell left and right all around him. Master Allusis, a man Galactis never saw fight before, bravely rallied the troops and Jedi to follow his lead. The old man carried a silver tongue that could bring morale to any frightened soldier that fought alongside him. They held the line, and wouldn't let the Empire past it.

Galactis, still in shock, looked up as his Master murmured words to him that summoned the young man's bravery, and was compelled to fight alongside his Master, for the sake of saving the innocent families taking shelter behind him. True to his oath, Galactis fought with every ounce of strength and energy he had in him, his hobby with lightsabers and need to often practice with them, he cut down many of the Imperial invaders that dared think to harm the families inside the shield generator. Around this time, a young Jedi around the same age as Galactis, who was a colleague of his in the order, was gunned down in the battle. He quickly pulled the dying Jedi out of there, but as he was ambushed, he took up his friend's green lightsaber and dual wielded it with his own blue one, cutting down twice as many foes that thought to lay harm upon him and his already-wounded friend. Without another moment to waste, he pulled his friend back to the generator, but was horrified to learn that his friend was already gone. It was in this moment he also realized that he has never taken anyone's life before. He would look at the two lightsabers in his hands in horror as he realized the blood that stained his hands and robes.

The will to continue fighting was almost immediately taken from the boy, before Master Allusis came to his side, and mustered his strength once again. The battle went on, and on, for what seemed like weeks, which bled into feeling like months, but only two days had passed, and out of the hundreds of troopers and Jedi stationed there, a couple dozens had already fallen. The worst of it was that for every Imperial soldier they stopped, a dozen more took their place. Nights were illuminated by blaster fire alone. It was a hellish scene, and Galactis looked upon his friends too many times to succumb to the horror, to which Master Allusis was the only thing keeping him going. It was after these two days, that the old Master had to make a heavy, difficult decision. In a moment of reprieve, as the Imperials gathered their forces, he pulled his young padawan aside.

It was there, a man who was like a Father as well as his closest friend, Master Allusis told the young Galactis that he *must* leave the system. Every part of Galactis wanted to get out of that place of terror, but what snapped him back to his duty was the look of the frightened men, women and children who relied on his efforts for their survival. He couldn't leave them, not now. He begged his Master to let him stay. He wasn't ready to abandon his friends, his allies, the innocent families...most especially his Master. It was there Allusis told him that the colony was in need of reinforcements, and the Senate had to be told that the Empire had returned, and had just started a war with the Republic. Galactis was unable to see past the logic and reason behind the man's words, and unable to deny the facts, he begged a few more times to let him stay, and to send someone else.

The young Galactis was defeated once again by Master Allusis, by simply saying the only way to get the families out is to get help. Galactis saw in his eyes how much the man believed in him, and felt he indeed was the one who had to complete this important task. Master Allusis quickly reminded him of some Jedi stealth techniques so he could slip past the Imperial forces to get to where the ships were located, assuming any of them survived the bombardment. He quickly brought him up to speed on how to fly a ship, the coordinates for Coruscant, and finished with saying, "I know you'll come back Galactis. Someone has to lead our rescue team, right?" the old Master said with a kind smile, one which committed Galactis to his cause all the more.

On the second day, night fell. It was now or never for Galactis. He quickly made for the trees around the Generator, in an attempt to sneak around the Imperial forces. He wasn't that far into his journey when he heard the loud pulses of blaster fire at his back. He took one last look behind him, and saw blaster fire, enough that could brighten a sun, coming from the Generator, with little exchange from blaster fire in the trees. Master Allusis is distracting the Imperials, a plan he didn't tell to Galactis. With reluctance, a part of him wanting to go back and help his Master, he forced himself to press onward. Galactis dispatched several troops on the way to his goal, and eventually stumbled across a Corellian Defender-class prototype vessel, which would become to be his starship he pilots today, the "Paladin of the Dawn."

The ship was still in working condition, compared to the many other ships that surrounded the vessel. It was also being guarded by a few more Imperial troops, which Galactis also was forced to cut down to reach his goal. He quickly boarded the Defender, and remembering what he was told as if they were seared into his memory, as well as all of the starship training he's been given over the years, he managed to send the Defender rocketing into orbit. He was greeted by the hundreds of ships and the incredible amount of blaster fire that rained on him and the surviving Republic transports. By the time he was able to weave past them and make his jump into hyperspace, he still swears to this day only the ship's engines and life support systems were the only things still working, by the time he got away.

It took him some time to reach the Capital, but he wasn't able to tell how much time. Still, he remained focus on what he needed to do; get the Republic to send reinforcements to aid Bothawui. He can't let his master down. He would go straight to the Senate and plead his case, surely they would send help. Once he finally arrived, Jedi were there at the spaceport to greet him, but he quickly blew straight past them, practically running toward the Senate tower, and said that he needed an audience with them. Once in the tower he practically demanded to see the entire Galactic Senate, and was soon given an audience to state the emergency that was at hand, with two fellow Jedi at his side.

He recounted his entire tale, from the moment the ships invaded, to the moment he was forced to leave, he didn't leave out a scrap of detail. He told them of the weapons, the uniforms, the tactics, the merciless brutality, of the threat that was invading the system; the Empire. Galactis looked up and hoped to hear that there would be a unanimous movement to send forces right away, and he would lead them to save his master and the families still there. But to his horror, what instead came was the sound of an uproar; bickering, arguing, insults, they even called Galactis a liar, or crazy. They refused to believe the Empire was responsible, saying the Jedi was probably mistaking them for the Mandalorian Remnant. Every iota of Galactis' spirit that believed his leaders would help was shattered then and there, and when he was forced to leave the chambers, he knew that the Senate wouldn't send help to Bothawui.

He just failed his Master, his only father he could remember, and he was gone, and the Senate would do nothing about it. His belief in his leaders crumbled, especially as he learned a few days afterward as he was recovering in the Jedi Temple, that the Senate reported of the attack, but was done so by Pirates or Mandalorians, and that there was no evidence to see who ultimately attacked the very small settlement. They even had the gall to say there were next to no people there, and that they were easy prey for pirates to pillage and loot. Galactis read this report in horror as the entire truth he knew was just covered up by the very people who were supposed to make decisions to defend the Republic, and not a soul would believe his story. He was destroyed, and his Master was gone. He was the only survivor of the Battle of Bothawui, and nobody knew the truth.

---

Years passed, barely overcoming his grief by his friends Master Satele Shan, and Master Orgus Din, two of the only masters who believed him, and had so much as a little bit of sympathy for him, considering they were close friends with Master Allusis. But he knew they were only comforting him out of obligation, and to try and keep his grief from overcoming him and turning him to the Dark Side. The rest of the Order and even some of his own colleagues looked at him with sympathy at first, but then was overshadowed by fear, by shame, by disgust. He was an outcast now, and Galactis spent most of his days alone, doing missions for the Order, and becoming self-taught. He was eventally given the rank of Jedi Knight, which was not a celebratory moment for the Jedi loner.

Galactis had just returned to the temple after finishing a mission somewhere in the Outer Rim involving a Hutt cartel. It was nothing but a blue milk run and didn't take him long to complete. He had given his debrief, and was about to get himself cleaned up, and ready for another assignment, when out of nowhere, the entire Battle of Bothawui was recreated in the most unlikely place in the Republic; the very capital itself. A ship had crashed into the temple, and with it carried seemingly hundreds of Sith. Galactis watched from a distance as they began to cut down more of his only friends and Jedi masters he had left.

He quickly jumped into the fray, and with his saber since his youth, and the friend's saber he's had since Bothawui, he fought in another hellish nightmare against Sith that were just bathing and savoring the slaughter of the Jedi, and fought within an inch of his life to cut down the invaders and defend the only home he has. It was a losing battle, especially as the Imperial ships loomed over the capital, destroying everything in their path. Through anger, through remorse, through what faith he had left in the Force and his surviving friends, he would not let these Sith scum take his beloved Republic, mercilessly cutting down dozens of the heartless invaders.

But despite his best efforts, he was bested by a man clad in black, who had brought one of the supporting pillars of the Temple down on him, pinning him helplessly, as he watched the Sith step over him with a wicked grin, ready to take his life. Before Galactis blacked out, he witnessed what resembled Master Orgus Din leap over the fallen pillar and stop the Sith. He watched as the two fought, and eventually Orgus Din cut down the Sith dead. As his friend rushed over to help him, and as many screams of death and other sounds of destruction filled the entire Temple so loud he could've gone deaf, he succumbed to darkness, and went into a state of unconsciousness.

More years had passed. Galactis had only just awoken from a coma. To the already scarred man's horror, he learned his entire world was completely turned upside down. The Jedi Temple was destroyed, and the Jedi, what few there were left, were forced to retreat to the old ruins on the planet of Tython. The Imperials who had invaded Coruscant left it in a ruined and chaotic state, where gangs began to overrun the streets, in the wake of an event others called the Sacking of Coruscant. The Senate had agreed to an Imperial request for a ceasefire, which became known as the Treaty of Coruscant. Any of his friends he had left after Bothawui were gone. He was well and truly alone, save for Master Orgus Din and Satele Shan, who were all he had left. Everyone who looked into his eyes saw something grotesque, and even Galactis was to be under "protection" as decreed by some of his fellow masters. He was a danger to the Jedi, and not a thing he could do or say could make them think otherwise. For all intents and purposes, he was well and truly alone.

Here, it was then Galactis knew that despite how much he cared for the Jedi cause, believed in their mission of keeping the peace, he knew they weren't obligated to stop the Empire from attacking another Bothawui, or another Sacking of Coruscant. He knew the Senate was only playing into the Imperial trap, or even dancing to their tune. After all, they refused to listen to Galactis when he told them of the threat the Empire pose, a threat none of them wanted to believe, and it became a reality when they destroyed half of Coruscant along with the Jedi Temple.

He could be a Jedi, no longer.

In the middle of the night, Galactis used his techniques to slip away from his protection detail, and he left his life behind, recovering his ship the Paladin of the Dawn, which was flown there after the Sacking. He counted his lucky stars, and got on board what would become his only true home. He looked upon the temple one last time through the viewport, then took off from Tython.

---

Weeks had gone by. He first traveled to Coruscant, and almost immediately went to the ruins of his former home. It was then he would begin to visit the site he nearly died, and the place that was his home for many years, almost every other week. It became a routine for him then, that he would also visit the Dealer's Den on Coruscant, to drink away some of his troubles with his newly acquired taste for Corellian Ale. On his way back to the Spaceport, he decided to go to the Senate. He looked up, clenching his fist with brewing anger at the magnificent building, that was populated by selfish and corrupt liars and politicians. He then noticed a strange woman looking up at the building just as he was.

"Magnificent isn't it?" she asked.

Galactis couldn't look her in the eye, as he turned to leave, ready to be millions of lightyears away from this place. The woman then stopped him. After a moment of reluctance, the two of them began to speak with one another about how fallen the Republic has become, and that she represented a group of protesters calling themselves the "true Republic," after she shared her story about her family once proudly serving in the Senate. She then made a strange request of him. She had reasons to believe that there was a corrupt Senator, and was looking to gain evidence about it. The woman also believed Galactis, being clad in Jedi clothing and weaponry, had the authority and ability to be able to acquire these documents. With reluctance, he took the mission, and entered the Senate Tower. It wasn't until he entered the building and worked his way through the halls he felt a drive, something that had never driven him before. He was about to commit a traitorous crime, but he was okay with it. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he knew he didn't care either. This was for the greater good, and he held onto that belief as he sliced into an unoccupied terminal, and found records regarding a man named Glearius Machiavelli Parvil, a very popular man in the Senate as well as to the Republic.

He was only able to ascertain a cryptic document about water evaporators on Tatooine, which seemed a very banal report, but there was something quite off about it. Regardless, he went back to the woman, and just before he met with her, he decided to save a copy of the document, so he could confirm his uneasy thoughts himself. He met back up with her, and gave her the data chit with the info. She paid him, despite how much he didn't want any credits, and thanked him for his hard work, and aid to her group. They parted ways, and he went back to the Paladin. It was there a thought possessed him.

Galactis had committed a crime that day in the name of justice and perhaps the greater good. It was a dishonorable thing that he did, but in the end it felt right to him. It was then and there, he looked over at a small datapad just sitting on his nightstand that night, and he looked at it, and he discovered his new purpose in life. He would be willing to break laws and make himself look like a traitor, even a terrorist, and would have to avoid the Senate and even Republic authorities should they feel the need to arrest him, for the remainder of his life, but it was a fair trade in helping the Republic by doing what needs to be done, and as the woman told him, the ideals that founded the Republic were crumbling away, and she and her group of protesters wanted to keep those ideals in their hearts and would hope to one day bring the Republic back to its' former, good, and uncorrupted glory.

His heart was set. He would gladly trade his life and any luxuries with it to help the Republic, and most importantly, where the Senate would continue to refuse the real threat of the Empire, he would be on the front lines, in secret, battling with the Forces of evil to protect the one thing he has left, the one oath he made, the single purpose in his life, to defending his Republic, and he would be willing to give his life for such a cause.

He took his datapad in hand, and believing just maybe more people out there knows of his plight, he and many others could make the Galaxy a better place. He created a list on the small device, and wrote his name, along with the title of the "document" the "True Republic." He looked out his viewport, and for the first time in years, he smiled, having finally found his purpose, and his place in the galaxy. Despite all the grief, the horror, the fear, the anger, and every other thing that consumed him, he would turn all of his experience and hardships to creating a better future for the Republic.

It is in this unwritten part of the story, where Galactis will make his mark, and his tale will be told with his new friends under his new petition, and it is here a new chapter unfolds for the Galaxy.