Author's Note 1: Welp, there have been so many changes to this chapter that the original version has gone the way of an advanced Standard Template Construct. I was forced to unpublish it to make the changes go through.

Author's Note 2: There is also going to be a combination of both Canon and Legends continuity.

Author's Note 3: You guys are awesome for sticking through this.

..........

Queen Amidala did not expect to be awoken in the night by her handmaidens. Her ears picked up the sounds of a battle if the blasters and howls of Tusken Raiders were anything to go by. However, as she wrenched herself from the grips of her handmaidens, whose pleas for her to stay in bed went unheeded, did the self-exiled monarch noticed that something was amiss.

All of her guards were inside the ship, including the two Jedi sent to broker a peace deal between the Trade Federation and Naboo. If they were inside the ship, then who or what was battling the Tusken Raiders outside. Her thoughts were interrupted when the last yowls of the band of clothed-wrapped nomads fell silent.

The Queen of Naboo watched as Quarsh Panaka, captain of the Royal Naboo Security Forces, opened the boarding ramp. The Queen strode forth, dodging the arms and hands of her guards who attempted to block her. She felt herself being followed by the two Jedi, who were hoping to catch a glimpse of their potential savior.

They were woefully unprepared for the scene they were greeted with.

..........

Aurick Hermann would be lying to himself if he said that he was not worried about his current situation. He knew that the Warp portal could have taken him anywhere. He expected to be rent apart in the nightmarish dimension. not dumped on a desert world.

Before Aurick could observe his surroundings more, several howls and hurks rang out in the night. He turned towards the noise and sighted what he assumed to be the planet's inhabitants.

They were wrapped entirely in cloth caked with sand and the ends of the ribbons of loose wrappings were frayed. They wore facemasks fashioned visors with cylindrical eyepieces and an open filter of some kind over their mouths.

One of them in more ornate robes, possibly the leader, pointed at Aurick with the tip of his weapon.

Aurick saw that some of them had rifles, so he slung his rifle and drew his Kampfschwert. The blade shined in the moonlight and gave off a serene glow. Aurick spun the blade around before thrusting the tip into the sand, the traditional issue of challenge in Teutonicus culture.

The leader saw this and raised his weapon above his head before walking down the down, the other savages following reluctantly behind him. The savages began to circle and formed a makeshift arena between Aurick and their leader.

There was a period of complete silence between the two. On one end was a champion amongst his kind, the other was a soldier who had seen enough horrors to last several lifetimes. Finally, the savage leader charged with a howl.

The sound of muffled grunts, taunting hurks, and the clanging of metal rang throughout the night. Each side gained the upper hand but lost it as the other rebounded. Finally, a pained howl and the sound of metal piercing flesh echoed in the darkness.

Aurick withdrew his sword and watched as the chieftain stumbled around before collapsing into the sand.

All was quiet for what seemed like hours before the other ferals let loose howls and hurks of anger. The true fight had begun.

Aurick felt time slow down as he sheathed his sword, twisted around a spear of one of the smaller ferals, and redirected to one of the larger savages. Aurick then drew his Teutonicus pattern No. 38 laspistol and his M42 entrenching tool.

From then on it was a process of dodging, hacking, cleaving, stabbing, parrying, and shooting continued for what seemed like an eternity until the last savage had been slain. Aurick looked at the bodies and almost felt pity for the ferals as they must have never seen a Korps of Steel Rifleman or an Imperial Guardsman for that matter, let alone fight against one.

However, the sound of a voidcraft's loading ramp opening caused Aurick to go rigid. He swirled around and gawked at the ship he had never noticed during his fight with the savages. His predictions about the planet being a feral world shifted as he took in the ship's design.

It was a luxury yacht of some kind around 75 meters long, with a long and supple hull, and a shiny exterior made out what was likely chromium. However, despite the savages being humanoid in appearance, the design of the voidcraft was distinctly xenos-like. Aurick chose to holster his pistol and collapse his shovel for his Teutonicus pattern No. 44 lasrifle. He set it to medium power and aligned the glow sights just as the voidcraft's ramp began to lower.

..........

Queen Amidala had to use all of her willpower to keep from emptying the contents of her stomach onto the dunes. There were bodies of Tusken Raiders everywhere, their blood staining the sand. Her eyes shifted around until they landed on the figure standing in the middle of a pile of bodies. It also did not help that the figure had their blaster aimed at the exiled monarch's chest.

Queen Amidala tried to maintain her composure as the figure began walking towards her, their blaster not even swaying with their steps. The figure only stopped when Captain Panaka and the guards walked down the ramp and trained their blasters on the figure.

"Halt! In the name of the Naboo Royal Security Forces, I ask that you surrender yourself for questioning." The captain barked.

Queen Amidala knew that the Naboo Royal Security Forces had no authority to bring in people for questioning without a warrant. However, in situations where an individual was strong enough to kill an entire band of Tusken Raiders, it was necessary to discern their motives.

A few tense minutes had passed before the figure lowered his blaster. He brought the weapon to his chest and angled the barrel towards the ground. Then, be began to walk forward with a half-relaxed, half-alert posture.

The Queen and a few others let out breaths they did not know they were holding. Their fears returned when the lights of the boarding ramp revealed what the darkness of the night had obscured.

The figure was tall, with broad shoulders and an impressive male physique, who also a soldier judging by the uniform he wore. He had a field gray double-breasted greatcoat with a dark green collar and shoulder straps. The trousers were held close to the legs through bindings and tucked into low-marching boots with thick soles. His collar patches were dark bottle-green to match the collar of his greatcoat, with two light gray braided parallel facings, and a white braid in the center strip of each braid and white padding between the braids and the patch. His shoulder straps had round ends and edged on three sides with white piping. The shoulder straps had the number "111" in black embroidery.

The armor the figure wore was a merging ancient human knights for modern battlefields. The helmet had a visor and sloping skirts that protect the neck and ears. It had a top spine, with a rectangular opening for ventilation. A double-headed bird, made of what was assumed to be brass, was embossed in the center of the square sniper brow plate. A form of a heraldic cross heraldric cross, with a straight-armed white core cross and black flanks with crossbars on the ends, was painted in the center of the breastplate. Two, three-piece shoulder guards were buckled to the greatcoat. The top piece of the right shoulder guard had the number "713" in white lettering. The top piece and middle piece of the left shoulder guard top piece was painted with the same heraldric cross as the breastplate and painted with three white, laced chevrons with a pip which had the appearance of a pyramidal star. The arms were protected by axillary plates, elbow guards, and forearm guards. The legs were protected by thigh plates, knee plates, and greaves. The groin protector caused some to have some much-needed humor within their minds.

However, the most intimidating, and somewhat calming, feature of the figure's uniform was their mask. It was a respirator of some kind with an elliptic cylinder mouthpiece, with twin air-lines connected to the sides of the mouthpiece and running to a box on the soldier's upper back. The Communicator-grate, polarized eyepieces, and the audible breathing unnerved the wayward queen greatly. However, the facemask's similar appearance to the faceplate of a knight's helm was somewhat calming.

However, when Queen Amidala's eyes shifted to the soldier's weapon, she had to prevent herself from whimpering, something a few of her handmaidens failed to do. The blaster had a large and bulky appearance, painted gray with black accents and the brass double-headed bird on the forestock.

When some royal guards moved in with the intent of taking the soldier's weapons, the latter stepped back with flicked a switch. A blade about 45 cm in length shot out from underneath the forestock until its "handle" and "crossguard" rested just underneath the muzzle of the blaster. The Queen and others turned their gazes back to the gas mask of the soldier, who was once again on guard.

"Captain Typho." Queen Amidala began as she saw her captain's eyes and pistol trained the soldier.

"Yes, milady?" The captain responded, looking at his charge with his peripheral vision.

"Let him keep his weapons." The queen stated as others around her looked at her with varying levels of emotions.

"But, milady. He took out an entire band of Tusken Raiders with a brutality that even I have never seen. And-" The captain was cut off by the Queen's glare.

"Stand down, captain. This individual is our savior because those Tuskens were going to attack us. A fight is something that we cannot afford right now." Queen Amidala stated with conviction as she turned to address the soldier. "Sir, you can keep your weapons if it means that you will answer any questions we may have."

Queen Amidala felt the soldier's gaze fall upon her and the queen felt that she was being judged. She felt waves of relief when the blade on the soldier's blaster retracted back into the forestock, although still held a grip on the weapon.

The Queen of Naboo turned on her heel and walked back into her Royal Starship, the footfalls of the soldier following close behind her.

..........

Jedi Padawan Onee-Wan Kenobi followed the Queen and their "savior" with trepidation. The first impressions she had of this man, if he even was a man, was that of an assassin droid. His clothing did not help matters as if he were pulled straight from a battlefield.

"Does something trouble you, my young padawan?" Onee-Wan turned her head to her mentor, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn.

Qui-Gon Jinn was a rebel among the Jedi Order, yet he was well-respected among the Order. He rejected a seat of the Jedi Council in favor of pursuing his path, actions when following the Force would create conflicts of interest with the High Council. This doctrine of following the will of the Force led to Qui-Gon to take on Onee-Wan as an apprentice. Despite their differences, Qui-Gon would always know when his padawan was distressed.

"Do you think we can trust him?" Onee-Wan spoke softly, her gray-blue eyes filled with caution and suspicion.

"That remains to be seen, my apprentice. I do believe that it was the will of the Force that he arrived when he did. So far his actions have shown to be purely self-defense. We cannot judge him with such little information." Qui-Gon replied with his blue eyes deep in thought.

"Well, he is most definitely a soldier. The question is, from where?" Onee-Wan replied as everyone arrived at the Royal Throne Room. Only the handmaidens, a few guards, the two Jedi, and the soldier were attending this special audience with the Queen of Naboo.

..........

Aurick contemplated how much he should tell these people. He felt that he had almost ruined his chances when he activated the No. 44's spring-loaded bayonet. It was on instinct and thankfully it was the words of what he assumed to be a monarch on the run that prevented an escalation. Aurick assumed that the young woman was dealing with a crisis, and the motto of the Korps of Steel rang in his head. He was broken from his musings when the woman addressed him.

"Sir, I hope you understand that my captain was merely performing his duties when he asked you to surrender. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Her Royal Highness Queen Amidala of Naboo. My entourage and I were forced to flee Naboo after the intergalactic trading and shipping conglomerate known as the Trade Federation set up a blockade. They intended to force me to sign a treaty legalize their occupation by starving my people. These two Jedi," the Queen gestured to the robed man and woman, "were sent to negotiate a peace deal. The negotiations never took place. With no other course of action, the Jedi and my governor convinced me to flee to Coruscant to plead my case before the Galactic Senate. During our escape, the hyperdrive generator was damaged and we were forced to land here, on Tatooine. The beings you encountered are known as Tusken Raiders and I am assuming that they were on their way to attack us. However, I just want to know who you are and why you did what you did." The Queen's brown eyes looked dull as spoke, desperation in her tone.

Aurick stood there and contemplated the woman's words. He could tell that she was telling the truth. However, while the Korps of Steel's doctrine was to help those in need, he was still in potentially enemy territory. "Queen Amidala, while your request for information is understandable, regimental regulations dictate that I go by a codename while in an unknown environment. For now, I am Senior Staff Exemplified Rifleman of the 713th Teutonicus Korps of Steel Infantry Regiment."

Aurick kept his posture neutral and his emotions still as he gauged the reactions of those around him. Mostly were of shock and disbelief that confirmed Aurick's suspicions that the portal had potentially dumped him in a universe where the Imperium of Man does not exist. The concept of the Imperium not existing was genuinely frightening. Another problem was that Aurick felt younger.

"And where is your regiment now, Rifleman?" Queen Amidala asked, her tone wary about an empire that fielded troops such as the one standing before her.

Aurick stood silently as he created an annotated version of what had happened before he arrived. The less who knew about "them," the better. "Destroyed. We were sent to deal with a violent insurrection. My company and I were assigned to one of the more—affluent—districts of the capital city. Only I managed to reach the command center which had an experimental portal-like device." Aurick felt his voice become shaky as he remembered his final hours of life, "I had sustained many wounds during the fighting and I knew that it would likely be my last battle. With the fury of my fallen brothers, I kicked open the doors. I did not count how many people were in that room, all I did was eliminate the targets one-by-one.".

"Little did I realize that while I was neutralizing every threat, the head scientist had finished powering up the port. However, the device had taken serious damage during the battle and had begun to malfunction. I looked around for anything I could use to shut the device down, as I had no desire to find out what happened when it became completely destabilized. That solution came in the form of the device's sparking power generator. One frag grenade later, and here I am." Aurick finished his tale as he awaited for Queen Amidala's response, fully aware of some of the consequences for lying to royalty.

Queen Amidala sat there for a moment. Her face, as well as many others, was contorted in concentration as she analyzed Aurick's tale. A few minutes had passed before she addressed the soldier, "Rifleman, I am well-rehearsed in rooting out tales, but I understand your reluctance to recall such a painful memory. However, that still leaves the question of why you helped us." Queen Amidala internally winced at her condescending tone, but Rifleman's understanding voice eased her mind.

"The motto of the Teutonicus Korps of Steel is: 'Help, Defend, Heal'. It is my sworn to those in need." Aurick as Aurick finished his response when an idea popped into his head.

"Queen Amidala, I hate to be a pessimist, but if this 'Trade Federation' has blockaded your planet, then they have most likely bought the loyalty of the Galactic Senate before they launched their invasion. I have a proposition for you," Aurick was already making plans within his mind for every possible scenario he may find himself in.

"And what is this proposition of yours, Rifleman?" Queen Amidala was instantly on edge. Although she desperate for help, recent events had made her wary of deals.

"Queen Amidala, I have always been a soldier. I learned to field-strip, reassemble, and shoot a lasrifle before I could read or write. Now I find myself in an environment where my true purpose, being a defender of the citizens of the Imperium, has been compromised. I have no forms of currency and I do not trust lending out my services to the highest bidder. Perhaps I could become your, say, tactical advisor in exchange for room and board?" Aurick had to prevent himself from laughing as he saw the faces of Queen Amidala and her court. Had they expected him to ask for an absurd amount of monies?

"Rifleman, forgive me but surely you would want more than just meals and a place to sleep in exchange for your services?" Queen Amidala was at a loss, she had expected this soldier to request the entire royal treasury or her hand in marriage in exchange for his assistance.

"Queen Amidala, I know almost nothing of this galaxy and its customs. I have no skills whatsoever except on how to navigate a battlefield. Room and board as well as answering any questions I may have is all a Korpsman like me needs." Aurick answered honestly, praying to the God-Emperor that the young monarch would accept his offer.

"I see. While your offer is enticing, I need information on the equipment you have." Queen Amidala was curious about the assortment of gear that Rifleman possessed.

"I am afraid I cannot accept your request. I do not think it is wise to reveal one's arsenal, even to allies," said Aurick as the Queen let out a sigh.

"I have dealt with numerous individuals whose characters were questionable. The answers you give are clear and concise, I am still hesitant to 'hire' you. I propose a 'trial assignment' of sorts. The mission to acquire the parts we need to repair our ship. You will be accompanying Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn..." Queen Amidala gestured to the man "... and our astromech droid R2-D2 to the settlement of Mos Espa." Queen Amidala looked over to one of her handmaidens with light brown eyes, "Padmé, take Rifleman to one of the crew bunks."

"That will not be necessary, Queen Amidala. All Teutonicus children have mastered the art of sleeping upright on a solid surface by the time we are four." Aurick finished his statement with a small chuckle.

..........

Version History:

Version 1.0, 2/9/2020: First published.

Version 2.0, 2/10/2020 to 2/19/2020: Many minor edits.

Version 3.0, 2/23/2020: Edits to coincide with my sanity.

Version 4.0, 3/10/2020: Changed Field Guide's name to Rifleman.

Version 5.0, 3/12/2020: Changed Rifleman's helmet.

Version 6.0, 5/13/2020: Minor changes

Version 7.0, 5/19/2020: Changed Qui-Gon back to a man.

Version 8.0, 5/29/2020: Changed Obi-Wan to Onee-Wan.