Happy New Year everyone! And what a way to kick off a new year of beginnings than to write my first proper story in a long time? This is an AU heavily inspired by Star Wars, and not just the OT or the Prequels. But the new trilogy too. I hope you all enjoy and the next chapter should be out next week, as this will be a weekly project. I also highly recommend you play the tracks 'Cavern of Remembrance' (KH2.5) and 'Space Armada' (Star Fox Assualt) during key scenes.

Wake up.

A pair of dark brown eyes flung open, looking up from his hardened bed. Looking down at his hands, he didn't don a familiar set of armored white gloves. For that matter, he felt lighter, as if his armor wasn't on. Getting out of the bed, he got to his feet and walked forward.

Strong feet stomped through the dark cavern, looking foreign to the man. And he could recall many planets he visited assisting the First Order. Rubbing his stubbled chin in thought, he looked ahead, seeing a thick fog of smoke blocking his way. He held his hand forward and as if intense energy escaped his palm, the smoke vanished, revealing a red-robed figure at the end of the hallway.

Walking forward, the cave slowly went dark. But oddly enough, the man had no issue seeing, vision clear as day. The robed figure tilted their head upward, a strong set of red eyes glaring at the man. They held out their right hand, it looking robotic.

Why are you here, Marco Diaz?

Marco Diaz didn't have an answer, blankly looking at the robed figure hoping they would have an answer. He was rather sick of these ominous dreams the past few nights. The robed figure let out an amused laugh, exposing a rather large scar across their face.

You will be a valued asset to the dark side...

Marco felt his body shiver hearing this, covering his ears in a panic. The amused laughter echoed across the cave, darkness sucking Marco whole. With no ground beneath him, he just fell endlessly into the darkness. The last thing he felt was a warm hand grabbing him before the light was gone.

Marco bolted out of his bed, hand tightly gripping the blaster concealed beneath his pillow. Gone was the strange cave or robed figure, but the sterile white walls he's called home his entire light. Brown eyes darted everywhere, trying to find an intruder. But they found his reflection instead, eyes locked on his only mirror. Seeing how stupid he looked, Marco sighed and ruffled his short brown hair in frustration.

I need to focus, today's important. Patting his cheeks, he got out of bed and walked over to his closet, pressing a button on the nearby wall and it opened up. He smiled seeing his trusty armor, something Sith Lord Toffee entrusted to all his commanders. He closed his eyes and made a faint oath to his leader for a moment before opening them once more. He slowly suited up, relishing the added weight and protection his armor offered.

Looking in his mirror, Marco smiled at himself. The whites all Storm Troopers don were all over his armor, but specific stripes of black and red on his shoulders and knees stood him out amongst his brothers and sisters in arms. His shoulder pads were longer and thicker, with the added weight of a heavy jet-pack on his back and boots made of the strongest irons the Order could find.

He looked down at his helmet, brushing his white armored fingers over it. The black visor he looked through like a second pair of eyes looked back at him as if telling him 'put me on'. He complied with his helmet and was now ready for battle. Putting his metallic Beton and assault blaster on his back, he slowly left his quarters and went into the rather packed hallways of the Death Star Mk. II's lower champers, he held his rifle with two hands. As he passed by his fellow soldiers, he made salutes and nods, earning some back in response.

While the job didn't offer much for conversation, Marco smiled beneath his mask knowing he and his brothers and sisters in arms felt this in unison; a sense of purpose in this vast galaxy. He stopped by one of the many windows, seeing the vastness of space before him. His helmet masked the sight of slightly teary eyes, various stars, and a few smaller planets beneath him.

So many questions Marco pondered during his many years under the First Order's service, but one always was more prevalent than others. "Commander Diaz." Marco didn't turn around, letting himself smirk beneath his helmet at the familiar strict voice. "General Higgs reporting for duty."

"You don't need to be so formal right now, General." Marco held out his hand, causing Higgs to let out an annoyed grunt. Her short orange hair and freckled face stood out among the many First Order Generals, but Marco knew far better than to question her leadership. He motioned her to follow him, pressing his comlink. "Are we ready to depart, sir?" Marco asked, knowing Sith Lord Toffee always responded.

"Meet me in the hanger, Commander." And that was all Toffee uttered before the call died. Marco nodded to himself, steeling for the upcoming battle. Higgs gave him a stern look, studying his body language. I'm not weak, General.

"The planet we are visiting is one my records say is…" She paused for a moment, causing Marco to raise an eyebrow. "...Planet Terra." Planet Terra? Marco stopped moving, his feet locking up for whatever reason. My homeworld… He was hopeful they would comply with the protection the First Order offered numerous times, but… "You won't…"

"I will not, General." Marco's voice was stern, lacking any emotion behind it. "Tell me, what of our supplies and battle plans?" Higgs smiled, tapping her wrist and it showing a hollow-map of the planet. She kept talking and talking, explaining to Marco where they plan on landing, the number of troopers Toffee intends on providing and more. But Marco's mind felt numb, earnestly hoping they would comply instead of fight.

While his memories of the valued planet were faint, Marco did hold a level of care for his homeworld. Taking a deep breath, he gripped his rifle with an added heft and joined his brothers & sisters in the hanger. His eyes went wide beneath the mask, as the number of troopers easily exceed the amount Higgs just told him. He turned to the General, seeing an equal level surprise on her face. "I wasn't told we were dealing with an Omega Level assault…"

Marco marched on ahead, finding a familiar figure standing in the room's center. "Lord Toffee," Marco went on one knee, showing his leader valued respect. Others in the room either mirrored Marco or gave their leader a bow instead. Marco took off his helmet, looking into Toffee's cold grey eyes. "What are your orders? The amount of us here alarmed both myself and my General."

Toffee simply gave a blank look on his face, dark helmet masking his reptilian jaw. "Astute observations, Commander," Toffee began, hands behind his back as he started pacing around Marco. "I wanted to wait until everyone was gathered here before the assault on Planet Terra beings." He stopped, a firm look telling Marco to stand up. "Force Sensitive's are on the planet. They must be executed."

"S-Sir, I thought we killed all the rebelled Jedi years ago?" Marco asked earnestly, with his fellow men and woman nodding around him. Memories of the violent encounters vividly played in his mind, nothing but red flashing in his mind. Sensing the concern in his commander, Toffee turned around and put a hand on Marco's shoulder.

"This is why our assault is rather large. I trust you will finish the job we started, Commander." Marco nodded, an odd sensation of fear coursing through him. I'm never afraid of my leader. But for some reason, his orders shook him to Marco's core. Toffee seemed pleased by his reaction, turning away from Marco and walking to his ship. "I will land on the planet first, you all know your orders." Everyone saluted as they watched Toffee enter his Tie-Fighter and fly toward the planet. Marco simply calmed himself with a few deep breaths before entering his ship, which he dubbed 'El Diablo'. The many scratches and marks on the ship he refused to get painted over made him smile beneath the mask. He went toward his weapons bed, checking over his gear to be sure.

Plasma and Stun Grenades, check. He put a few in his belt. Looking over armor, he saw little chipping or worn out parts. Check. And lastly, he saw something he didn't even tell Toffee about. The remains of a rather strange blade he found. He picked the blade up, using one of his tools to activate it, but aside from a faint black blade fizzing in and out of existence, it was otherwise useless. I need the blade to last longer. He put the blade in his belt and walked to his cockpit. Having a firm grip on the wheel, he flipped some switches and put tapped the side of his helmet.

"First Order Troopers, are you ready for departure?" He spoke in a confident tone, earning various 'yes sir' and 'ready when you are' responses. "On my signal…" He felt his ship lift off the ground, familiar G-Force coursing through him. Feeling ready to take off, his ship left the hanger and flew into the black void of space. He didn't need to look behind him to see a sea of ships follow his every move. His mind simply went to a familiar place, one he didn't want to recall. That cave from the dream appeared and the robed figure… No, focus. He gripped his wheel tighter as he entered Terra's atmosphere. Finding a landing spot was rather easy, thanks to the abundance of planet life and sturdy soil to land on. Upon landing, he left his ship and felt a sense of dread come over him.

His soldiers leaving their ships, or rather some of them, as the pilots specializing with air-combat were fighting against ships marked with odd orange paint coloring, he made a hand motion to his allies. They nodded and stood behind him as they carefully marched into the nearby city. It wasn't much of a city, rather a series of buildings made out of stone and mud, but it was heavily populated regardless.

Immediately, they showed fearful responses to the First Order. Husbands stood protectively in front of their wives and children. Children held sticks in their hands. Various doors were shut and windows closed. The sinking pit in Marco's chest hurt, feeling a mixture of emotions, but he coughed to get the citizen's attention. "Everyone, this is the First Order. We mean no harm, we are only here to find a threat to our peace."

"That's a lie and you all know it!" A kid threw a rock squarely at Marco's head, making the Commander flinch. A woman hastily pulled her kid back, pure fear in her eyes. Marco felt rage come over him, itching for his blaster. No, he's innocent. He took a deep breath and shook it off. He gripped his weapon, showing intention to retaliate.

"...Now, where is the Jedi." Marco asked harshly, his rifle drawn. His soldiers mirrored him, causing the atmosphere to get tense fast. A few moments of silence, no one offered an answer. This was stupid, how would anyone know of Jedi? He saw the Last Jedi die with his own eyes. "Any information is of value."

Again, silence. Marco bit his tongue, hating what he was forced to do next. "Search their homes and possessions." They started moving forward. "If you find anything, report back to me." They complied as his soldiers marched into the citizen's homes. Parents screaming and children crying echoed in the airwaves, making Marco want to wince in frustration. But he refused to show signs of weakness, standing tall beside General Higgs.

"Can't believe they still refuse to comply, surely they heard from neighboring planets how this usually goes…" Higgs shook her head, fixing her short black hat as Marco dumbly looked at her. How we go about things is usually messy. He looked back at the fear-ridden faces, biting his lip. ...It gets results all the same, sadly.

"Sir," Marco turned to his right, seeing one of his troopers standing with their hand saluted. He nodded, pushing him to continue. "We were told to visit that house over there." Marco turned to the house, looking completely abandoned. Making a hand motion, he told his soldiers to stay still. Higgs started following but Marco shook his head.

"Commander, you need assistance if you intend on fighting…" Marco held up his hand, silencing his General. Seeing the nasty look on her face, he folded his arms and pointed to the door. "Yeah, that's why I want to come with you, sir."

"You don't understand, while you have been a valuable general and I hazard to even say, friend, the past few years, you have never fought a Jedi," He turned around, thankful his helmet was hiding a scowl. "I have. You have permission to command my troops if anything happens." Higgs eyes went wide before they narrowed, nodding at Marco's command. Pleased with this turn of events, Marco turned to the house and taking out his baton.

In front of the door, he simply knocked on it, but the door was already open. It slowly creaking open, a faint light was emitting from what looked like candlelight. He went inside and froze upon the sight before him. It was of a dead wife and husband, with a lone child crying in sadness. What struck Marco was the familiar handle the boy was grasping. Marco kelt down and put a hand on his knee. "Kid, what happened here?"

"Momma and Papa are sleeping, but won't wake up," He held the blue lightsaber weakly, wiping tears with his free hand. "They told me, people in white want to kill us." He pointed the blade at Marco. "Do… Do you want to kill me?"

Marco felt time freeze around him, closing his eyes and taking off his helmet. Putting the helmet on the ground, he held out his hand. "Of course not champ. I'm here to protect you and your people." The boy looked scared but Marco's brown eyes shined a warmth even he didn't realize they did. "Just give me your sword and I will make sure no one…"

The boy collapsed on the ground, eyes wide with fear. Marco's felt the room spin, the boy's weapon landing in his palm with a dull thud. He gripped the weapon, looking at the lifeless body of the young man. H-He never gave me his name. Tears glazed Marco's cheek, righteous anger coursing through him. In all his years in the Order, he never let a child die. He turned around, the sight of his General putting the dots together in his mind.

"Good thing I came in…" She paused, seeing the utterly enraged look in Marco's eyes. "Your helmet… I've never…" She never saw Marco's brown eyes. Filled with emotion. And they were filled with rage. "Sir, that was our target, y-yes?"

He marched toward her and without even touching the door, slammed it shut. "We don't kill children, General," Marco spat, holding out his hand and Higgs clenching her throat as if something was choking her. "They aren't attuned in the Force at that age and can easily forget it even means anything. That kid could have been taught by our leader to protect everyone. Now he's dead!" He shoved his hand forward, slamming Higgs against the door. Marco looked down at his hand, shocked at what he just did. I… I used…

Rage was replaced by utter fear as the same realization came over Higgs. She gave Marco a fearful look before it was replaced with utter contempt as she pressed into her comlink. "I sadly have to report, our commander was overtaken by the Force," Marco stood up, eyes narrowed. "Kill everyone on sight, we can't take chances." Marco channeled his rage again, using the kid's saber to block a few blaster shots from Higgs before dashing out of the house.

He rolled behind cover, eyes refusing to look at the bloody scene of his men and woman killing innocents. Gritting his teeth, he took out his blaster, shooting a trooper square in the chest. They recoiled in surprise, landing on the ground. Their allies looked toward Marco, eyes in shock seeing their commander firing upon him. Higgs stumbled out of the house, pressing into her comlink. "He's turned. Focus on capturing Marco Diaz. Our leader would… Greatly like his capture."

Shit, she has a point. Marco hissed in his mind as he kept firing upon his former allies. Thankful for his trusty rifle, he made careful shots and subdued a few troopers. He used this moment to run into the city, hoping to find someone that could help him. Looking upon the carnage his men and women caused. For years under his command, they only fired upon Rebellions and Resistance soldiers. But was that even right?

Marco vaulted over a fallen boulder and sitting behind it too taking some deep breaths. Looking at his right hand, he simply stared at the blue light emitting from his blade. This… Feels right. Marco thought firmly, gripping the handle and feeling a connection to the blade.

"Son, you need to have a proper stance when fighting."

"I am Daddy!"

"No champ, you need to…"

"The sword is heavy…"

"It's called a lightsaber and it's part of you, feel it's bond with you, son."

"...It likes me. Did it like you?"

"Yes son, I think it did."

Marco touched his eyes, seeing a lone tear come down his cheek. I… I felt his memories. While they weren't very clear, he could feel the sparring session with the boy's father. Familiar anger coursed through him again, shoving it forward and sending the boulder flying against some Stormtroopers.

Wiping his face, he started running more, right hand accidentally brushing against various houses and objects.

"We are going to have a good harvest this season…"

"That was our first kiss!"

"You can't catch me! Oh no, you caught me."

"You saw First Order cruisers? We need to call Thomas' Squadron for…"

"Come Barko, we got bucket heads to shoot."

Marco harshly punched his face, so much so, it left a firm red mark on his right cheek. Focus… Focus. This surge of memories, likely from just today, made the already guilt-ridden pit in his stomach hurt further. He simply ran ahead, hand out and tried channeling the Force, feeling… A downed… Pilot? It sounded like this Thomas person his Force… Sense. That's what it was called, was correct.

He continued channeling this power as he navigated the maze-like city, until he found some outskirts. Various downed pilots and ship-parts were scattered everywhere, with the sight of Lord Toffee answering what caused it to Marco. He simply hid behind a nearby pillar, hoping…

"...Marco Diaz." Toffee spoke, not from the comlink, but out loud. Marco remained silent, an utter sense of fear pinning him in place. "I knew one day… No, it does not matter. Come to me and I will take care of the problem."

More like kill me in cold blood. Marco thought bitterly. He was no fool, seeing first hand how his former leader violently killed the Jedi. He bit his lip, trying to think of a quick escape option, eyes darting around the battlefield. For some reason, he felt… More, if possible. The fire smelt a lot worse than it usually did. The wind felt like blood coursing through his veins. The atmosphere feeling more alive than ever before. Focus… He closed his eyes and tried finding the… Got ya!

He rolled away from the pillar and used his Force Push to send it flying toward Toffee. As expected, Toffee effortlessly caught the pillar and cut it in half with his dark red cross-saber. The Sith Lord saw Marco shoved his hand toward the ground, launching many feet into the air and landing on some kind of ship.

Marco quickly ripped the door open and pushed Tom into the co-pilot seat. Quickly hotwiring the ship to start, it wouldn't budge. Marco groaned in frustration until some faint chirps got his attention. He saw nothing, but the ship apparently activated and started hovering. "Ugh… Barko, rough landing buddy…" The pilot rubbed his eyes but before he could respond to the stranger in Stormtrooper garb using his ship, Marco punched it the ignition and they flung into space.

Refusing to look back or to his right, Marco just kept narrowed eyes on the cluster of ships in his way. Part of him would've been proud a half-hour earlier, seeing his former troops in solid formations orbiting the planet. But I'm on the receiving end now. "Look, the name's Marco, former kind of guy you and your band of friends joked about killing. Well, they want to kill me now too and I know how they work. I keep the wheel and you man the turret?"

"Look, pal, this is my Starship, so don't act like you own it," Tom huffed, folding his arms. Marco gave him a tired look, earning a smirk from the pilot. "Alright, I'll let you fly my baby. But crash it, and you owe me credits."

"Sure, Tom." Marco smirked, earning a raised eyebrow from him. "Your name is on your shirt." Tom looked at his red-hooded vest but Marco just held out his lightsaber, earning a shocked look. "I'm learning tricks new tricks lately, now come on, man the damn guns."

"Of course, captain my captain," Tom rolled his eyes as he dashed to the gunner bay. He slid into it like second nature and was laying waste to various Tie-Fighters coming his way. Marco was thankful Tom was a good shot, giving him time to focus on the Force. The sensation of feeling and sense was beyond what it was on land, the vastness of space threatening to overwhelm Marco. But a tight grip on the wheel and focus squarely on the ship he was in, Marco maneuvered with barrel rolls and tight turns from incoming fire.

They kept moving forward until a cross formation blocked the path. Damn those pilots. Marco winced, drifting their ship to the right. "Tom, focus on the lead ship in the…" Marco heard Tom mumble 'Yeah I know' before shooting once more. Marco fought down the urge to smirk, maneuvering with ease as Tom complied with his orders. The two kept doing this, taking out the formation one-by-one. Upon the final ship blowing up, the two men gave one another a smug look before nodding and resuming their battle.

Marco caught a rather large Dreadnaught, a ship he was all too familiar with. The black mammoth of a ship stared Tom's punny X-Wing down. "You gotta be kidding me…" Tom winced, with Marco giving his reluctant partner a look. "Listen, you know how those things work, right? Cause no way my ship alone can take that puppy down."

"Well, we got no choice, so buckle in and follow my lead," Marco replied, with annoyed chirps coming over the com. "And why are you complaining? The ship isn't even that damaged yet." The chirps sounded smug, earning a small laugh out of Marco. "Well you are doing a good job, that's why Barko."

"Yeah, my partner in crime is a master at repairs, though he has quite the mouth." Tom got out of the gunner's bay and put a hand on Marco's chair. "Listen, you're better off manning the guns at this point." Marco nodded, his Force Sense telling him Tom wasn't wrong. Getting out and dashing to the gunner bay, he let Tom do his thing and fly toward the Dreadnaught. Marco just made a silent prayer to anything as Tom came closer to his former base of operations. The ship was one of many fond memories for the former commander, a tired breath escaping Marco's lips as he gripped the gunner's controls.

Tom charged into a storm of red lasers, rolling away from them like second nature. He let out a joyful scream, pressing a button on the wheel and boosting forward, nearly barrelling into a ship before making a careful u-turn and zipping around 180-degrees. Marco was thankful for the gunner-bay's G-Support, otherwise, he would've hurled. With fire coming their way, Marco kept the offensive with careful shots.

While he was no stranger to flying and blasting, these new Force powers were really helpful. He could even see the pilots and gunners inside each ship, having confused expressions on their faces as if they knew who they were firing upon. Marco shook the sour feelings away, knowing war can change friend and foe in seconds. After a few moments of covering Tom, the pilots was now over the Dreadnaught, eyes looking for a weak point. "We need to get rid of the turrets. I'll handle that, can you keep us in the sky?" Tom shot Marco a knowing smirk before he flung his ship forward.

Using intense focus, Marco blasted every single turret they came across, swearing he heard cursing from inside the ship beneath him. I can't return now for sure. Marco mused as he made one final shot on the only remaining turret. With the massive ship without its defenses, Marco and Tom were free to escape. "Man and they tell me gunners can't shoot womrats… You are a good gunner, Marco."

Marco smiled as he left the gunner's bay and sat in the co-pilot's seat. "Have experience, if you couldn't tell." He pointed to his now restricting Storm Trooper armor, with Tom mouthing 'figures' before relaxing in the pilot seat. "Are you…"

"And you want to help us, even though your kind killed… How many of my friends?" Tom asked, earning a knowing frown from Marco. "Don't act like you feel guilty, I know you proudly lead…" Marco simply covered his face and let out a tired sigh. Loud chirping echoed across the ship, with Tom nodding. "Yeah, and my pal agrees with me."

"Yes, I did some horrible things, but I can't do horrible things anymore," Marco started, getting out of his seat and beginning to pace around the limited hanger. "Nor do I even want to anymore. I just…" He took out the lightsaber, the one belonging to a dead kid, and stared at it. "...Want to prevent another child from getting killed."

Tom just blankly looked at Marco, hands rubbing his chin. Marco turned around, seeing this blank look slowly shift to one of understanding. "...What happened while I was knocked out?" Marco sat back down and collected his thoughts. He handed Tom the lightsaber, letting the pilot feel the weapons heft.

"I was ordered by Lord Toffee to find Force Sensitives on Planet Terra… My homeworld." Marco began, eyes looking only at the lightsaber in Tom's hands. "I followed my orders, hoping it would only be someone who could fight back like it's always been." Tom's eyes went wide at the implication, but Marco pushed onward. "But it was… Just a kid. A kid, a youngling for Force's sake."

"...You don't kill children?" Tom asked earnestly, with Marco violently shaking his head. "But I recognize your armor. You are a Commander, you've must-have…" Marco just gave Tom a stern glare. "Huh, so when under your command…"

"...No innocents were killed, but now, maybe they were killed." Marco sighed, letting his hands rest on his lap. Tom gently nudged him, making the man lookup. "I can't make up for my actions, but I want to try." Tom passed him the lightsaber, Marco clipping it back on his belt. "Can I come with you too… Where are you going anyway?"

"Back to Resistance Base on New Mewni," Tom punched the coordinates into his ship. "General Moon would be thrilled to know I found a lost Jedi, much less a turned Storm Tropper on my mission." Marco smiled, a sense of belonging coming over him. "Though be ready to explain yourself, that might take a while."

Marco laughed in earnest as the two were about to enter hyperdrive, but something shot them from the distance. Their ship slowly fell out of orbit, falling down toward a planet in the distance. "I took out all the stragglers!" Marco rushed to the gunner's bay again, trying to figure out who was attacking them.

"I don't know but look alive! Barko, get your robot butt on repairs stat." Sassy beeps emitted from a speaker as Tom tried steering a busted ship. Marco kept firing at the black ship coming their way, eyes wide at who was firing upon them. "Don't freeze up on me Diaz," Tom shouted, feeling confident. "We'll make out of this…"

And just like that, the ship froze still. "...Were screwed," Marco mumbled, with Tom giving a weak nod in agreement. The ship then began free-falling, with the black ship watching the carnage from the distance. Before Marco went out cold from the impact, he felt someone was watching them. And when he realized who it was, he felt familiar fear course through him.

And what happens to our heroes? Find out next week :P. Seriously, this is a project I'm excited to be working on, so hope you all enjoyed this chapter!