In the year 4 ABY, both the Jedi Knight known as Luke Skywalker and Imperial Special Forces Agent Del Meeko embarked on what would become known as the Mission to Pillio. Meeko, leading several squads of stormtroopers, had been given the order to obliterate the Emperor's Observatory situated on the planet Pillio, thus preventing the Galactic Empire's enemies from acquiring the valuable artifacts hidden within. Simultaneously, Skywalker, compelled by the Force, felt a mysterious pull toward the planet, prompting him to investigate this enigmatic draw. The Acolytes of the Beyond engaged the Jedi, but Skywalker easily defeated them.
Arriving on Pillio aboard his X-wing starfighter with R2-D2, Luke Skywalker observed the presence of the Empire's Lambda-class T-4a shuttles. Aware that the Observatory lay ahead, Luke advanced toward it, leaving the astromech behind. Upon spotting Skywalker, Meeko's stormtrooper units commenced firing upon the Jedi. Luke battled through multiple squads of Imperial troops, ultimately discovering Meeko ensnared within scritter amber. Demonstrating compassion for the trapped soldier, Luke utilized his lightsaber to free him from the amber.
Now stranded and caught in a scritter nest, the two were compelled to cooperate in order to break free and reach the observatory. During their journey, they fought off numerous scritters while discussing their differing beliefs and philosophies. They eventually arrived at the observatory. The compact facility was securely sealed and required a combination of Meeko's technological skills and Skywalker's Force sensitivity to gain entry. Once inside, Meeko expressed disappointment at the contents, which appeared to be mostly harmless relics.
However, Skywalker swiftly located the one item that seemed to be the Observatory's primary concern: a mysterious compass. Skywalker requested to keep the compass, and Meeko reluctantly agreed. With the only valuable object now gone, Meeko opted not to destroy the now-worthless facility. The Jedi and the agent exited the cave, with Luke expressing his pleasure at having met him. When Meeko asked in disbelief if they would forget all of this, Luke responded that there was conflict within him. Meeko admitted to Luke that he knew the Empire had committed terrible acts, but he felt he had no other option. Luke countered that he did have a choice, not necessarily to join the rebellion, but to strive to become a better person. Luke then bid him farewell and departed.
Following his departure from Meeko, Skywalker was later confronted by several shadows, members of the Acolytes of the Beyond, led by Yuan Howzell, while examining the compass. Howzell introduced herself and declared her intention to seize the Jedi relic. In response, Luke activated his lightsaber, and the newly emerging Jedi Knight engaged the shadows in a lightsaber duel. Jumping, and employing the Force and his lightsaber skills, Luke effortlessly defeated them all. When Howzell asserted that Vader was still alive, Skywalker reassured her of his death, using the Force to redirect her charge into a toss. Realizing their defeat, the shadows departed, leaving Skywalker with the Jedi compass as his reward, although Howzell vowed that the dark side would rise again and consume them all.