Hunk was always a positive person.

He was happy. Whenever someone he knew was upset or in trouble, he was always the one to make peace.

He grew up in a village adjacent to the Jedi Academy. He never ventured to it, because he had no desire to leave his family.

He had two younger siblings, a mother, and a father, and he loved them all more than anything in the galaxy.

But that all changed when the Destroyer came.

He and his family ran immediately to the Academy to try and help. They all rushed around, leading people to various ships that were being used for evacuation.

But then, he was separated from them. He looked around for them, but then realized that people still needed his help.

Lance came to him and saw him helping, and the two of them teamed up to get everyone onto the ships. Lance was a Padawan at the Academy and had been ordered by his Master, who just happened to be the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy, to help everyone evacuate.

But at the very end, when they completed their rounds, Hunk couldn't find his family.

They are either on another ship going to a completely different planet, or they were captured.

He couldn't save them.

He masks his sadness now, for the sake of all of the people in the ship. He tells them all that it'll be okay, but he says it more to himself than to the others.

He only just met Lance, but he is glad for the Padawan's company. All he needs is a friend right now. And of course, copiloting is distracting him from everything else. He loves mechanics, and knows the inner workings of a ship pretty well, though he couldn't control one for his life.

But after everything he told the ship's passengers, he realizes something.

Maybe this is a sign. From the Force, or whatever. Maybe since I'm stuck on a ship headed to Arus, that means I was meant to go there.

And if I was meant to go there, then I was meant to join the army. For them.

For the galaxy.

"I wanna join the army," Hunk blurts suddenly.

Lance looks over at him, smiling. "Cool, man! I'm probably gonna help out there too in the meantime. Hey, maybe we could be on a team or something... you could be my copilot! You're already my copilot now, so why not?"

"That sounds cool," Hunk smiled back. "I'm doing it for my family. I lost them back there. They're probably just on another ship or something, but if they got captured..."

"You wanna do whatever it takes to get them back," Lance finished. "I get that."

Hunk thinks for a second. "Hey, what about Master Shirogane?" he asked. "You left him back there."

"He said he'll be on Arus in a day," Lance says, "so if he's not there in a day, then I'll assume he's in danger. But for now, I'm assuming he's fine."

"That makes sense, I guess." Hunk shrugs.

The two went silent for a moment.

"You said you had a family," Lance begins, "what are they like?"

"My mom is the nicest person ever," Hunk begins. "She taught me to cook. Cooking is my favorite thing to do. And my dad's strict, but he always supports me. He taught me about engineering, which is my second favorite thing to do. And my little sister and brother are so cute... my brother wants to be a pilot and loves space, and my sister wants to be a Senator. She's always logical, my brother's ambitious, and... I'm the peacemaker, I guess."

Lance sighs wistfully. "They sound great."

Hunk is about to ask the same thing, but then he remembers, "You guys don't get to see your families, right?"

Lance smiles sadly. "I mean, we get to see them, just not very often. I know who they are... they're from an island on a small planet in the Outer Rim. My mom and dad are farmers and run a restaurant where they serve what they farm, which is cool. I have four siblings; Luis, Veronica, Marco, and my twin sister Rachel. I was the only one that had Force abilities, so I went with the Jedi when they came. I wanted to see the universe, and I did, but I can't help but wonder if I made the wrong decision. They're my family, and they come and visit me every once in a while... but I don't know them."

Hunk is shocked. "Dude, I'm so sorry."

Lance laughs. "It's okay. Hey, now I can move stuff with my mind, and control what people think, and fight with a lightsaber! And I never would have met Shiro. He's like a big brother. He teaches me, but we're friends too."

"That's cool!" Hunk says. "Well, I hope he's okay."

Lance sighs. "Me too, Hunk. Me too."

🏜

Master Shirogane lays on a metal table while medical droids operate on his severed arm.

Darth Galra stands in the doorway and watches.

So this is the person my mind led me to... now what?

During their fight, Galra was hit with a vision. A person he recognized as himself was fighting with a young Shirogane, training at the Jedi Academy.

Shirogane looked very different in his vision. This one had shoulder-length hair and didn't have the streak of white that accents his much shorter hair now. His jaw was much less sharp, and he looked many years, a decade even, younger. Galra still can't figure out why.

The young Galra, however, looked very similar to how he is now. His hair was only a bit shorter and had the small braid at the side of his head that trademarked a Padawan, but other than that and his height, nothing has changed.

The young Galra said that Shirogane was the most powerful Jedi at the Academy, but then he beat him, which then made him, in turn, the most powerful.

Maybe that was why they tortured me, Galra thinks, because they were afraid of my power.

The vision didn't affect Galra, fortunately, and it left Shirogane in shock, so he was able to attack him, but not fatally, of course, by cutting off his saber arm.

Still, something continues to bother him about Shirogane's presence. It seems so familiar to have him nearby. The presence pressed against the walls of his mind, making it hard for him to focus. No one has ever been this close to his mind before.

Which of course, presses the question: is he the one I used to have a bond with?

Every once in a while, Shirogane would whimper or cry out in pain, even in his unconscious state. Attaching a prosthetic arm is an intensive process, so Galra doesn't blame him.

Galra thought that the Emperor would be mad at him for injuring Shirogane, but he was actually impressed. He said that no one had ever been able to beat Shirogane before, and the loss of his arm would weaken him, which would make it easier for them to control him.

He hears the droids move away from Shirogane, signifying their completion. He steps into the room and observes.

The prosthetic is metal, and not covered by an artificial skin layer, which would have allowed it to look like a natural arm. It is wired into his spinal cord, so he can move it freely, which is an addition that Galra requested.

Galra intends to persuade Shirogane to turn to the Dark Side, then make him his apprentice. He figures it will be easy, because he is very skilled at the manipulation of the mind, thanks to the Emperor's teachings.

"Lord Galra," one of the medic droids says suddenly, "He's waking up."

🔥

Shiro awakes to a violent pain in his arm, or lack thereof. The memories of the fight erupt into his mind, and then he knows why.

He opens his eyes to find several blurry outlines of medical droids standing over him. And as his vision clears, he turns his head and sees Darth Galra standing at his side as well, his mask still on.

He attempts to sit up and face his enemy, but Galra stops him with the sheer power of the Force. "Bad idea," he says. "You should probably stay here a bit longer. They just finished attaching your new arm. No need to thank me, it was my pleasure."

Shiro clears his throat. "I suppose it was your pleasure to take my arm in the first place, too."

"I would say so." Shiro can almost hear the smirk in Galra's voice behind his mask. "Anyway, I wanted to let you know what's going on here. You're probably assuming that you were captured to give information, correct?"

"I mean, now that you told me I'm assuming it, I'm now assuming that I'm wrong, so no," Shiro responds, voice rasping.

Galra laughs, his mask still distorting him. "You're smart, I'll give you that. It was wrong to assume that I only captured you for information, though getting anything out of you would be great. I brought you here to ally with you."

"Ally with me?" Shiro asks. "What do you mean?"

"A compromise," Galra explains. "You stay here and help me. You become my apprentice, and you help me fight anyone who fights me first. I train you in the power of the Dark Side. Sure, you're powerful, but you could increase that power tenfold by exposing yourself to the Dark Side of the Force. Information for information. Deal?"

"Absolutely not," Shiro says immediately.

Galra sighs. "Just think about it: the Jedi Code keeps you from doing so much. You have to sacrifice yourself in every situation, you're only limited to what the Council or your Master or whatever tells you, and you can't even love! Wouldn't you like that?"

"I'll have you know that I'm a Grey Jedi," Shiro replies. "I can love all I want. I was going to get married, too."

"Was?" Galra asks. "Did you leave them because you felt trapped? Because you felt that you couldn't do anything without their permission?"

Shiro doesn't reply. He won't take Galra's bait. "And what do I do if I don't accept your 'deal'?"

"I'll kill you," Galra answers simply. "Either that or dig around in your head until I find information and then kill you. And let me tell you, that hurts. And it's not really worth it if you're just going to die, right?"

For a moment, Shiro actually considers it. I've had to resist the Dark Side before; even if it was pushed onto me I think I could take it. I could just pretend to ally with them until I have an opportunity to escape.

It's better to give them info and get some back than give them info and die for it.

But he has one last question.

"Just for good measure," he begins, "it'd be kind of hard for me to ally with someone that I can't even see."

Galra laughs. "Ah, yes. I only wear this mask because the Emperor tells me to. I didn't even think to take it off."

So Galra reaches up and pulls the mask from his face.

And Shiro is greeted with the face of a man he never thought he'd see again.

And it terrifies him, down to his soul.

Keith.

Darth Galra is Keith. Keith is a Sith. He turned.

He doesn't remember me. He doesn't even remember himself.

But he's alive.

I have to get him back.

"Am I that unattractive, Shirogane?" Galra laughs, with Keith's voice. "So, what's your answer? I'm an impatient man, I won't be kept waiting."

Shiro closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. There's no going back now. It's either save him or die trying.

"I'll do it."

✨