Leia left the room, her face careworn. She went to her brother first. He was leaning against the wall "I am sorry."
"What for?" Leia asked. "I am the one who should be apologizing. It is my son who pummeled you after all."
Luke chuckled. "I am apologizing for leaving him in worse shape than me."
Leia's face looked pained.
Luke hugged his sister and winced lightly.
Leia chuckled.
"You are not being easy on him because of me, are you?" Leia asked.
Luke sighed, "It has gone beyond that, Leia. It is no longer something that I, as Jedi Grand Master can condone. We must fight him."
"I know." Leia said.
Luke held her tightly.
"I am going to go for a walk." Leia said.
"Are you okay?" Luke asked Han who walked out just then.
"I just okayed them assassinating my son."
"You okayed them taking out a tyrant." Luke said, quietly.
Han whirled on his best friend. Whatever else happened, Luke was an anchor in his life. He may be pigheaded, stubborn, and hard to deal with because of his annoying boyishness, but he was still a good man.
"Easy for you to say."
Luke's face took on a pained expression. "It may be me in your shoes in a little while."
Han's face became ashen. "Ben almost killed Jacen there. Out of dark thoughts and feelings."
Luke sighed, "maybe Leia was right about passing on the Skywalker gift."
Han grabbed Luke' s shoulders. "Don't you lose your faith. We may screw up once in awhile but we recoup and we make the galaxy a better place for our presence."
"I wish I could believe that."
"Where would this galaxy be if a smartmouth kid hadn't said 'my name is Luke Skywalker, I am here to rescue you'"
Luke laughed. "Where would this galaxy be if a smartmouth smuggler hadn't turned around."
"Where would this galaxy be if a Princess hadn't lifted her chin and stared down Darth Vader."
Luke felt his heart lighten. "Shall we go find said Princess?"
Luke bowed to his brother-in-law. "As for Ben, we will be more alert this time around.
"Lock him in a room if need be." Luke said.
"Keep him close by." Han said, as they turned an opulent corner.
"They finally found Leia strolling the palace halls. "Wonderful place Tenel Ka
has." Han remarked.
Leia smiled and nodded.
She paused at the nursery and looked longingly inside.
She saw a small girl. Leia had a niggling of a thought, she heard Luke's fast intake of breath. Leia's eyes lit up.
She looked questioningly at Luke to see if he truly was thinking the same thing she was, this was Jacen's child.
Tenel Ka sidled up before anyone could say anything. "Looks like the guards took the, let the Solos and Master Skywalker go anywhere, order literally."
Her voice had more laughter in it than it had had in awhile. "Tenel Ka…" Luke said, his voice trailing off.
Tenel Ka lowered her eyes and turned to the nursery. "Yes." She said, simply.
It made so much sense to Leia now, why Tenel Ka had thought that Jacen would never risk their lives. Why he would never ask for the final fleet unless it was very necessary.
An urging of the Force, it may be, led Luke to say, "Tenel, you must let Leia, Han, and I help you protect Allana."
Tenel Ka whirled on him. "Master Skywalker, this will cause a ruckus in Hapes."
"No one needs know." Luke said, his heart sure on what he was saying.
"Someone fill me in here. Now." Han said, his face showing his confusion.
"Captain Solo, I-we, would like to introduce you to your granddaughter." Tenel Ka said, a half-smile on her face.
Han's jaw dropped. Of all the crazy things that had been happening, this was something he had not been expecting.
"Another thing Mara was right about." Luke said. "She was sure Allana was Jacen's daughter."
Tenel Ka turned away. "No more. Any father who would put his daughter's life in jeopardy when her mother told him of the risks associated with his proposed actions.."
Han put his hand on her shoulder. "Does this apply to the father's parents?"
Tenel Ka put her hand on Han's shoulder. "Never. Though, Allana does not even know Jacen is her father, a blessing now. She just knows him as a man who visits and brings her presents."
"Then we will be her mother's friends who bring her presents." Leia said, smiling softly.
Tenel Ka inclined her head and started leading all of them to the nursery. Leia's eyes watered. "Allana, this is Princess Leia, this is Captain Solo, and Grand Master Luke Skywalker."
"It is a pleasure to meet all of you." Allana said politely, hugging her tauntaum.
Tenel Ka fought down the urge to tear the toy out of her daughter's arms.
Leia noticed that her brother was not completely focused on his grandniece. She looked at him questioningly, but he shook his head.
Leia shrugged, and continued to play with the girl, unsure when she would be able to again.
Luke waited until Leia was completely absorbed and beckoned Tenel Ka. "Tenel, Allana is in danger. Jacen will come for her."
Tenel Ka gasped. "Hapan security…"
"As it is is, forgive me for being blunt, inadequate. With your permission, I will add some of my flourishes to protect her." Luke's eyes went dark for a moment, Jacen would be searching for a new Sith Apprentice, and with the combined gifts of Tenel Ka and Jacen, Allana would be a powerful assistance in deed, and she was young enough to be warped beyond repair.
"Please ask Hapan Security for anything you need." Tenel Ka said, after waiting a few moments to see if Luke would reveal his plans to her.
Luke smiled. His mind was whirring, the last time he had installed such protection it was for the Solo kids. Then, however, he had had Admiral Ackbar's help and it had still been penetrated. The asset he had this time was Hapan security… and some new technology.
"Lando." Luke called, using a secure comm.. connection.
"Luke, buddy, what is it."
"I need some help instituting some changes to your Security droids."
It was a testament to Lando's work that the Hapans had purchased twenty of these droids.
Lando looked puzzled, but Luke did not offer more. "Of course." Lando said.
Luke spent twenty minutes with Lando's droid specialist. He made sure to ask about changes he did not intend to make also to ensure that the droid specialist did not have complete knowledge. "Sir, a lot of these changes have been made in the newest model, however, therefore if you want to save some hassle, it can be bought for the low price of 2500 credits."
Luke smiled, the point, of course, was to render an intruder unaware of the changes. "I will keep that in mind."
Surprisingly, it was Han who tracked him down after an hour. "What are you doin' kid? When you left I assumed you went to the infirmary but Ben says you stopped by for just a few minutes."
"Protecting your granddaughter." Luke said, simply.
Han sighed. "Isn't this a crazy world, it should be a wonderful thing, having a granddaughter, and a great daughter-in-law. However, in this atmosphere, it makes me sad. Just another thing Jacen threw away."
"Maybe something that will bring him back." Luke pointed out.
"If you were so confident that Allana's love will override his sithiness, then why go to these lengths to protect Allana. The added protections are obviously geared at keeping Jacen away." Han said.
"Allana needs to be old enough to exercise her influence." Luke pointed out.
Luke stopped working and looked at Han. "Enjoy your time with your granddaughter. Who knows when you will see her again. I will worry about the protections and other stuff."
Han chuckled but acquiesced.
Luke added a feature which would recognize force lightening as an offensive measure.
As he worked a thought struck him. Perhaps this was a way to accomplish two tasks at once. Ben would be an ideal protector and this might help heal his heart a bit, and keep him out of tasks which would tempt him to the dark. Another large reason was giving him such an assignment was a way of making him feel that his father did trust him and respect his skills.
"Tenel Ka, perhaps you would accept Ben as a Jedi protector for Allana once he is released from the infirmary."
Han's eyebrows shot up. "Hapan matriarchy.."
"No one needs see Ben."
"How do you plan to pull that one off?"
"The reason Ben would be an optimal protector is that he has learned how to hide himself in the Force, therefore Jacen would not know that he is watching Allana."
Tenel Ka smiled. "We accept Ben's help then."
Tenel Ka swept outside to arrange it.
"What happened to keeping Ben close to you." Han asked, once Tenel Ka was out of earshot.
'This will keep Ben away from the war, for awhile. Allow Allana's childish influence to keep him anchored in the light. It also, truly, is one of the best ways to protect Allana."
Leia nodded briefly at Luke. "I think Luke is right on this one, Han. It will also make Ben feel like his father is not treating him like a baby. We know how kids react when they feel that their parents are sheltering them too much."
Luke went to where Ben was in the infirmary. "Ben, how are you feeling."
Ben struggled to sit up, "much better, thanks dad."
"Can I give you an assignment?"
'Absolutely."
"Her Majesty Allana's daughter needs protecting. I have good reason to believe that Jacen will target Allana. Can you protect Allana?"
Luke was pleased to see determination in Ben's eyes. "Absolutely, father, Jacen will have to cross my dead body."
"Remember, as a bodyguard for such a little girl you will also be playing the role of babysitter, companion." Luke cautioned.
"Namely, I need to be sure not to scare her."
Luke inclined his head.
"You will also need to hide yourself physically and in the Force. Only reveal yourself when alone with Allana."
"You would let me do that? Hide myself in the Force for long periods of time?"
"Absolutely. Reveal yourself only to myself, Aunt Leia, Jaina, and Her Majesty."
"I cannot control it enough."
"Then stay in contact with us through secure comm.. link connections."
Luke watched as Ben transformed into adult Ben who was weighing how he would carry out this mission.
Luke inclined his head, satisfied. "I love you, my son."
"Dad."
Luke smiled, gave him a half-smile. He filled Ben in on the security he had added for Allana. "Be mindful of her majesty's orders." Luke said. "May the Force be with you, son."
"And you, father."
Luke looked at his son one last time and then went to find his sister and brother-in-law.
Luke found the Falcon ready to take off. "Shall we berth your Stealth X?"
"Can you wait ten standard minutes?"
"Sure." Leia asked, puzzled.
Luke found Tenel Ka. "Do not worry about Jacen's betrayal. It is not on you."
Tenel Ka gave Luke a sad look. "I could have stopped him."
"Perhaps, we will never know." Luke said, "But Jacen is responsible for his actions, not you. Not you."
"Thank you, Grand Master."
"Take care of yourself, and Allana."
"And Ben?"
"As you see fit."
Tenel Ka chuckled. "May the Force be with you."
"May the Force be with you."
Epilogue- "Master Skywalker, are you certain that this is the best course of action, leaving Ben as Allana's Jedi protector?" Jaina asked, after her mother filled her in on the existence of her niece.
"Absolutely." Luke said, who was already feeling his son's heart heal.
"Is it a bad thing that I am kind of scared that the Skywalker gift has been passed on to another generation."
"We have had more than our fair share of bad luck as well as some bad planning." Luke said. "It is up to your generation to ensure that you do a better job than we did."
Jaina hugged her Uncle. "Not any of your fault."
"We will do better." Luke reiterated as he looked to the future.