So... It's kind of been awhile, hasn't it? About two years and a month if we're counting. And even though I said I was never going back... here I am. But with Star Wars: The Force Awakens coming out in two months and the onslaught of Star Wars movies, TV shows and comics that we're inevitably going to get from Disney, I figured now's a good a time as ever to start this series back up.

This story takes place about six months after the conclusion of OotB where (Spoiler Alert) Sidious is defeated by Adam and co. After which, the Jedi and the Republic needed to be re-organized following the wake of the Clone Wars and learning that their beloved Chancellor was a Sith Lord. This would see Adam aiding in help with reconstruction of the Republic's infrastructure as well as planning ahead for a Jedi Order in which Love is permitted. But in the midst of this, another problem rears its head, one that will forever change Adam's life on Earth. Without further delay, let's begin. Also, please forgive however choppy my writing is on this first chapter. It's been two years and I probably need to get back into the swing of things.

DISCLAIMER: If I owned Star Wars, I would have never de-cannonized the Expanded Universe. But I don't. So that sucks.

Enjoy!

Culture Shock

December 13th, 2011, 10:00 PM

The Jedi Starfighter touched down onto the wet grassy lawn below, its engines slowly winding down as its pilot exited from the cockpit. Jedi Knight Adam VanDerMaelen stepped out of the ship in almost a dazed trance-like state as he entered the house.

Slowly but surely, he made his way to his room where Riyo was sitting in his chair watching TV as he landed face first onto his pillow with an undignified plop.

"So, how'd it go?" Riyo asked looking toward him.

A muffled scream from Adam's mouth was the only response she got.

"Ouch! That bad, huh?" Riyo said sympathetically.

Adam raised his head from his pillow to look at her with utter exhaustion.

"This is torture! No, ya know what? I take that back. Torture would be more appealing because at least with that, you get some time to breathe. This just keeps going on and on!"

"The entire Republic and Jedi Order need to be reorganized, Adam." Riyo countered. "Nobody said that it would be an easy task. We should be happy that we've gotten to this stage, happy that we don't have to worry anymore about the threat of Sidious looming over our heads at any minute."

"I think I'd rather take my chances with Sidious." Adam flatly responded. "Let's face it, Riyo, I'm not cut out for the political life. I've got enough problems to worry about without adding that into the mix, like college, work, life in general."

Adam was too caught up in his venting monologue to see that almost all of Riyo's attention was focused towards the TV.

"Uh.. you might have a little more to worry about now." She said with concern.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Come look what's on."

Turning his head, the first words that he saw displayed on the screen immediately sent his heart racing. "Star Wars Space Ships appear in sky."

Not good.

"Guys! Get over here! You're gonna want to see this!" Adam called out.

Riyo had turned up the volume to the TV as Asajj, Savage, MK-18 and DK-92 had just come racing into the room.

"Our top story tonight: What appears to be spaceships straight out of a familiar science-fiction franchise have been recorded hovering over Club Getaway in Kent, Connecticut. Eye witnesses have reported that the ship had begun firing laser beams on the fleeing high school students before what appeared to be battle droids landed in the area. Our correspondent Mike Sutherfield for more details."

The screen then transitioned towards a man seeming to be in his mid-to-late thirties with chestnut brown hair and hazel blue eyes.

"I'm here at Club Getaway where the recorded attacks was seen taking place. If you're look over towards my right, you'll see that the fields around me have been torched by the lasers that were seen firing. Experts have taken samples of the fields and have determined them to be inconsistent with any type of burns seen before. We go now to the clips recorded by one of the fleeing students."

A shaky clip of someone running began to play, occasionally turning up to gaze at the outline of a Separatist dreadnought high up above the resort. The ship would occasionally down several blaster shots upon the ground as the high school students scrambled to escape the volley of fire.

"We understand that the ship that attacked the resort was one affiliated with Confederacy of independent Systems, a group that went to war with the Galactic Republic during what was known as the Clone Wars. The question still stands: are the wars still going on and will they be back?"

Riyo turned off the TV and everyone in the room stood in a collective silence.

"Well, that's just great." Adam said. "No, better even, this is friggen spectacular!"

"Ok, ok. Let's not jump to any conclusions." Riyo said. "Maybe it may come across as a really creative viral video."

"Yeah, and what about the blaster marks they found scorched into the ground, Riyo? You heard what they said, it didn't match up to anything found on this planet, ergo, not from this planet. If ever were there a time to be worried, now would certain be that time."

"Whoa, hold on!" Asajj said to the two. "Maybe we shouldn't be worried at all."

"What are you talking about?" Adam asked.

"If you think about it, Sidious is gone and the wars have stopped, so, there doesn't seem to be any cause for concern. Maybe, and I'm just throwing this out there, we should reach out to them and confirm what they're saying is true."

"Are you even listening to yourself right now? There's a thousand different ways this could all go south. The first and most likely or which: It could unravel everything Earth societies are based on! Telling them that their way of life was founded by a supposed fictional science-fiction franchise is a very bad thing. It might very well send the planet into a civil war for all we know!"

"Well what would you do, Adam? Just bury your head in the sand and pretend it's not happening? It had to have happened at some point. Better it happen now than as opposed to it happening with Sidious still alive. At least now, there's no chance of him endangering Earth or any of its people. We might as well tear off the bandage and deal with what ever unpleasantness that follows.

"Well... I... I think we should bring it up with Anakin and Padmé. And maybe Jordan too. Get their points of view to see how we should proceed."

"Trust me, I'm sure they'll say that it'll do more good than harm.

Thirty Minutes Later...

"Well it sounds like it'll do more good than harm." the hologram of Padmé said.

"Told you." Asajj said almost gloatingly.

"Are you sure about this guys? Revealing to an entire planet that they're not alone is one risky move." Adam argues.

"First contact is never an easy thing, Adam." Anakin said. "Hell, some civilizations are still trying to adapt to the greater galaxy outside their homes, but in order to advance further, you need to be willing to take risks. Maybe something like the Republic will be good for Earth. They could show that there is something bigger out there, something to strive to be apart of. It's worth a shot."

"Yeah... plus I want to see the reaction of the Pope, all of the cardinals, Imam's and priests around the world when they realize their Religions are all bullshit." Jordan said with a chuckle, "It wasn't Christianity, Islam, Judaism or Scientology. Nope... It was Jediism all along."

Anakin blinked "Wait, Jediism?"

"Oh a bunch of guys came together and created a religion called Jediism based off of the Jedi from the once fictional Star Wars franchise, using a mixture of Taoism, Buddism mixed in with Medieval knight chivalry." He said shrugging, "They believed the Force existed long before Riyo or Boba found us."

"That might make things easier. Will you help with negotiating the meeting?" Adam asked.

"Adam, I'll contact them myself if it'll put your mind at ease." Anakin answered. "You've already got enough on your plate dealing with the crap in the Senate."

"Thanks, Master. You really are a life saver."

"Anytime, pal. Now you guys better get some sleep. I have a feeling that we'll be in for the long run during all of this."

With that, the Chancellor, Jedi Master and Sith Lord all hung up.

"Ok, might as well get as much sleep as we can. I get the feeling that after all of this, it's going to be a rare commodity in the days to come." Adam said heading out of the room.

December 20th, 2011, 9:00 AM

The area around the military base was bustling with activity the second the LAAT shuttle touched down upon the pavement. Soldiers were scrambling into positions while a loud alarm had begun to sound off.

"Well, aren't we off to a good start?" Adam yelled sarcastically over the sound of the siren.

He and a small emissary group had been standing in the hold of ship. Due to not being versed in the intricacies that came with speaking before a large audience, he opted for Anakin and Padmé to make the first communication.

"I don't know what you're so worried about. It's not you whose going to explain this to them. Speaking of which, remind me why it's not you going to talk to them?" Anakin said.

"Because if there's anything the celebrities on Earth have taught me, it's that fame is like a double-edged sword. You don't use it right, it'll kill you six ways to Sunday. One things for sure, for better or for worse, things are never going to be the same again." Adam said with concern.

Anakin simply nodded as the doors to the shuttle opened. They saw several hundred soldiers all lined up in rows with one man in a suit approaching the craft

Adam had honestly expected them to act a little more hostile than this, but given the familiarity of who was visiting, suspicion probably wasn't at the forefront of their minds.

Padmé was the first to move as Anakin quickly mirrored her actions standing beside her.

"You made quite an entrance." The man in the suit said. "I would have thought that after the incident at Club Getaway, you'd want to lay low."

"We wish to be upfront with the situation and say that the Galactic Republic had no intention of bringing harm to an uncharted world and condemns anyone that would do so." Padmé answered. "Furthermore, we hope to shed some light on why things are the way they are and usher in a era of better communication and cooperation between our two civilizations."

The man nodded. "Very well. Let's talk inside Miss..?"

"Padmé. Chancellor Padmé Amidala Skywalker." She said. "This is my husband Anakin and these are some of our newest Jedi Knights. You actually have them to thank for helping maintain peace and freedom to your world. Had they not acted the way they did... I fear for what might have happened."

"Well, let me officially say that on behalf of the United States of America and the planet Earth itself, I extend my deepest gratitude. My names Rick Daniels, I'm the head of this base here. Let's head inside, shall we?"

The Chancellor, Jedi and Clone Troopers followed the base commander towards the opening of institution, ready to begin any necessary negotiations.

December 21st, 2011, 8:00 PM

Talking with a government official had been one thing, but getting a live interview with Barack Obama had been a completely different situation entirely.

Anakin, Obi-Wan and Padmé were sitting in comfortable red carpeted chairs across from the U.S. President while Adam and co. watched from a room behind them.

"So, it's a little hard to grasp that a science-fiction franchise that existed for over thirty years, that inspired so many of our citizens and young people with imagination and wonder, turns out to be an autobiography for events that probably won't even happen now." The President had said.

"Yes, the Force is very strange like that." Obi-Wan said with a chuckle. "It managed to predict the right amount of information that would have been instrumental to the success of either the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire and simply made it common knowledge, thereby leaving it to fate on whether or not somebody would act on the information and make the necessary precautions to change its history."

"That's very interesting. Now, what about these precautions. Who do we have to thank for making sure that our world is still safe to live and dream in peace?"

"The hard work and training of several young individuals from both your world and ours." Anakin explained. "They wish to remain anonymous for the time being, something about fame being a double-edged sword, but I will say that it's due in no small part to the actions of one of the Republic's brightest and bravest Senators and these young freedom fighters that the information in the Star Wars movies had reached our government's ears. We are already in the process of reorganizing the Republic and Jedi Order to ensure that they will never collapse as they could have in the films."

"Well, that is great to hear. I can assure you that we at the United States government will respect their privacy for as long as they wish. They've certainly earned that much." Barack said graciously. "Getting back to the film aspect, how do you three feel individually about the fact that almost your entire lives have been recorded for years for anyone to look up on the Internet?"

"Well..." Padmé said. "A little creeped out."

She awkwardly laughed to ease the situation.

"Really, it'd be no different than our highly publicized lives as a Senator or Jedi General. It's just on a bit more personal level. Like for instance, they have an entire page on Wookieepedia dedicated to my wardrobe. My wardrobe! What sort of important information could something like that possibly hold? But then I have to take a step back and remind myself "They didn't know you really existed." So I can't really be too upset about that."

"That's good to hear." Barack said. "Now, as to how the information about the Star Wars films became known through the Force, I have a special guest that I'd like to call upstage. I'm sure you've heard of him."

All three heads turn to see a middle aged man with glasses and white curly hair walk up to take a seat next to the President.

"Chancellor Skywalker, Masters Skywalker and Kenobi, meet George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars."

Following immediately afterward were a series of awkward laughs from both Lucas and the people he previously thought he created.

"Are you alright?" Obi-Wan asked him.

"I'm not sure yet." George responded with a chuckle.

"It's a lot to take in, I imagine." Padmé commented.

"Yeah, you're definitely right about that." George replied.

"So..." Anakin said. "You seem to be taking the whole "My creations have come to life" thing fairly well."

"Yeah, I can safely say that on the list of things I thought would happen when I retire, this was certainly not one of them. But anyways, I guess this means that all those ideas I had for my movies and shows, those were all through the Force, weren't they?"

"That's the only acceptable explanation we can offer." Obi-Wan said. "However, I wouldn't let that discourage you from continuing to write stories. It was your imagination and talent for film making that allowed for the stories relayed to have more depth and believability to them. Things may change about them, but I would still say that you alone are the creator of what people here know as the Star Wars. And who knows? This may allow you to think of more variates of stories based on the events that took place not too long ago."

"Yeah, but that's kind of hard to do when some of the people responsible don't want to be acknowledged." George responded.

Adam had watched the entire exchange going on, wanting to step out and speak his mind, and whatever sense of preservation for privacy he had went out the window when he heard that.

"Guys, forgive me if I do something incredibly stupid." He said.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time." Savage said.

"Ha ha." Was Adam's only response as he walked out of the back room and onto the stage. The cameraman, seeing a new face, turned the camera to face him.

"Yes, I didn't want my name plastered all over the newspapers and TV. I wanted to maintain whatever sense of privacy I had because I liked it that way. But if there's anything that this ordeal has taught me, it's that change is going to happen whether we like it or not. You can either fight back against it, or you can learn to accept what is given and work with it. I chose to make the most out of a new situation, like I'm doing now. And if I'm being honest..." Adam took a moment to turn back towards Riyo and the gang. "I don't regret a single second of it."

Riyo smiled towards him as he beckoned the group to come out. They did as they stood beside him in front of the camera.

"My name is Adam VanDerMaelen. This my girlfriend, Senator Riyo Chuchi, and our friends Ahsoka, Asajj, Savage, Kalifa Will, Jesse, Jordan, MK-18 and DK-92. And if I can be allowed to indulge for a moment: we helped save the Republic, we stopped Darth Sidious, we are your protectors, and so long as we stand, we will fight to keep you safe."

End of Chapter 1. In case you couldn't tell, I'm not going to do titles for certain chapters for this one, or at least when it comes to secondary side stories. For those that are lost on who Jordan is, I will differ you to 117Jorn's story. He's a character that ends up crossing over into mine and without giving anything away about him, he's a total Sith fanatic, but in a good way. It feels so good to be writing again, even if I'm not up to 100% yet. I don't know when I'll be able to update what with school and all, but I'll try and make a conscious effort to do one every so often as to not leave you guys in the dark.

Anyways, next chapter will deal with Adam and co handling the fact that they are worldwide celebrities as well as Adam's family moving to a new house. This is a chapter that I wanted to get done ever since I came up with the concept for this story. It's one that will certain on Adam having to put aside all the he once knew as familiar and start a new and different life. Anyways, favorite, review, share, rinse and repeat and I will see you later!

UPDATE: I decided to repost it with Ahsoka and Kalifa. Kalifa is a character that ended up dying in part one of the Season 3 finale, but ends up living in the universe of my story. I figured that if I'm making this kind of announcement to the world, EVERYBODY who was part of the original group should be present.

JAC ^_^