Title: Blood Ties
Series: Redemption
Characters: Skywalkers, Solos, Zekk, Tenel Ka, Alema, Raynar, OCs: Cassiopeia Morwenna, Lilana Morwenna, Rhin Jax, Janar, Jaria
Relationships: Han/Leia, Jaina/Zekk, Wedge/Iella, past Jacen/Tenel Ka, past Ben/Seha, past Ben/OC
Warnings: minor character deaths (canon characters)

Summary: When she was only six years old, Allana was kidnapped for the second time by her father and told that her mother was dead. Seven years later, she finds out the truth of what really happened that night and vows to find her mother. Will she turn against her father? Or will she stick by him, even after all he's done? Meanwhile, Jedi are going missing, and rumours are abound of an old prophecy re-emerging. Post-LotF, AU/canon divergence.

Notes: So this is something I've posted before, but it was known as The Truth behind the Lies back then. Since then I've rewritten it and added some subplots, though the main plot is basically the same. This is set after Legacy of the Force, and completely ignores Millennium Falcon, Fate of the Jedi and anything else which came after. This is also slightly AU in that Caedus is still alive, as are Alema, Jori Lekauf and Lon Shevu. Caedus and Alema because I have a specific purpose for them, and Jori and Lon literally because I'm fond of their characters, so let's pretend some other GAG troopers died in their place. XD It's also been a while since I've read any of the books or written any SW fanfiction, so if any of my characterisations are a little off please let me know. This is also being posted on the Jedi Council Forums (under x_SwordoftheJedi_x) and AO3 (AKindofMagic93). As usual, I own nothing, except the OCs.

Prologue

Unnamed asteroid, Kanz sector, Outer Rim Territories, 41 ABY

Alema gasped and her eyes flickered open. She was cold, which wasn't surprising since she was outside; the sky was dark and stars glittered above her. She seemed to be laying on some sort of stone slab. She was in pain as well, but at the same time she wasn't. All the pain she had felt before had gone, and in its place was an ache in her limbs and an almost empty feeling in her mind, like there was something missing. She found it difficult to sit up, and she had to use both arms to push herself up into a sitting position. Wait, that wasn't possible. She glanced down; her once useless arm had been replaced with a metal prosthetic, and the one she had lost had been replaced also. She flexed the fingers of both hands and found they responded as if they were flesh and blood.

"You should rest, you are still healing." The voice came out of seemingly nowhere. It was male and had a soothing edge, but at the same time it was intimidating, as if the words were more of an order than a concerned suggestion.

Alema whipped her head around, searching for the owner of the voice, but there was no one to be seen in the darkness that surrounded her. "Who are you? What have you done to us?" No, that didn't sound quite right. "What have you done to me?" All traces of the Gorog hive seemed to have gone from her mind. That explained the emptiness she felt. Had this stranger done that to her? Or had the connection broken when Jagged Fel had broken her neck. Hang on. It all came flooding back to her what had happened on the Home. Jag had killed her. She was supposed to be dead. So why wasn't she?

"My name is Janar. You were in quite the state when I found you. One arm missing, the other rendered useless, shattered vertebrae, missing lekku, horrific burns on a once beautiful face, such a shame. Alas, I can never make you beautiful again, but you have your life back, and the limbs you have now should be far stronger and more durable than your old flesh and blood ones."

Alema stood on shaky legs, and stepped away from the stone slab. She kept glancing around, determined to find the voice's owner, but it seemed to be coming from all around her, and not from any direction in particular. "And what do you want from me?"

The voice chuckled, "You are smart to assume I would want something in return for saving your life."

Alema reached out in the Force, trying to locate her supposed saviour. The Force seemed to be strong here, but she couldn't pinpoint his presence. "What is it that you want?"

"There is something I need you to do for me." His tone suggested she didn't have any choice in the matter.

Nevertheless, Alema asked, "And if I refuse?"

"I restored your life, I can just as easily take it away again."

Alema swallowed, resigned to her fate, "What is it you want me to do?"

The Fountain Palace, Hapes, 2000 hours, 42 ABY

The view from the window in the Royal Bedchamber was nothing short of spectacular. Sat atop the black crags of Hapes, the palace overlooked the neat architecture of the capital Ta'a Chume'Dan. Beyond that, one could make out dense untouched forests and in the far distance, just about visible, were snow-topped mountains. The sight was only made more beautiful by the sun setting on the horizon; a sky that was tinged with different shades of pink, and a sun that shined a deep, magnificent orange. The air of tranquillity that hovered over the city belied the conflict that was going on in the galaxy. Most would have said it was perfect. But not her. No, for her the moment was lacking one vital thing. And that was him. But that wasn't possible. Not anymore at least. He had chosen a path which she could not follow, a path filled with anger and hatred and bitterness. A dangerous road that could only lead to pain and suffering.

The Hapan Queen sighed as she looked away from the sunset, remembering a man she once knew. She had loved him once. Sometimes she thought she still did, that a part of her always would. She had wondered too many times what had driven him to the Dark Side. The Yuuzhan Vong War? His brother's death? His time in captivity? These were all factors, sure, but what, ultimately, had tipped him over the edge? She sighed; she did not know, and it didn't even matter what the reason was anymore, there was no use living in the past. What was done was done. She still loved him, but she loved the man he used to be. She could never love the man he was now. From now on her main focus was ensuring the safety of her daughter. Their daughter.

With that thought, she reached out in the Force, checking on the six-year-old Allana. She was safely and soundly asleep in the adjoining room. As it should be. Not even he could reach her here.

Or so she thought.

The Queen's danger sense prickled a split second before the door to her bedchamber swung open. She spun round, igniting her turquoise-bladed lightsaber, and came face to face with the man she had once known as Jacen Solo, who had cast aside his former identity, and now only went by Darth Caedus. His yellowed eyes exuded nothing but coldness, a steely gaze that was enough to make even the hardest of Jedi shiver. Half a dozen Galactic Alliance Guard troopers followed behind him as he marched right into the large room that he often used to accommodate himself.

"What are you doing here? How did you get in?" Tenel Ka's voice bared no fear, refusing to be intimidated by him.

"I've come for Allana, she is my daughter too, you know, and I do not appreciate you keeping her from me," Caedus replied nonchalantly, as though they were discussing that day's weather. "As for how I got in... Your guards put up a fight, of course, but in the end, they weren't exactly much of a challenge."

Tenel Ka kept her lightsaber up in a defensive position, preparing to block any unwanted blaster shots or lightsaber strikes. Some of her thoughts went out to the palace guards that were either dead or dying, but there was nothing she could do for them right now. She could only hope her handmaidens would find them and assist the wounded. "If you think that I am just going to hand my daughter over to you, then you are more delusional than I thought." She would not let her daughter into the hands of a Sith Lord, regardless of whether he was her father or not.

"Ah, you see, your highness, I never expected you to just hand her over."

"I demand that you leave this instant. You are trespassing on royal property, the penalty for which is-"

Caedus lazily waved his hand towards three of the troopers behind him, "Seize her."

She was not about to go down without a fight though; she deflected the stun bolts that were aimed at her with ease, but she was too focused on the two troopers advancing and firing at her that she didn't notice the third come up behind her and grab her lightsaber-wielding arm. He managed to wrestle it out of her grip, somehow managing to not injure himself in the process, a feat in itself, and handed it to Caedus.

The other two took the opportunity to grab her. "What do you think you are doing? Get off me!" Tenel Ka struggled against the strong grip of her captors, but it was no use. She called upon the Force to help her, but was shocked to realise that she could no longer feel it. That was when she noticed the cage that was being held by a fourth trooper. Ysalamiri. Distracted, she gasped as a blaster bolt hit her square in her abdomen, sending her into unconsciousness.

A quiet, muffled noise caught Caedus's attention and his eyes shot to the back right corner of the room. Believing there to be an intruder, he stepped outside the boundaries of the ysalamiri and reached out with the Force, searching for signs of an intruder. When he was satisfied that there was no one there, he turned back to his troopers. "Take her to my ship."

The troopers acknowledged Caedus's order with a nod, pulling the Hapan Queen up from the floor and dragging her unceremoniously from the room.

Caedus gestured for the remaining troopers to leave before heading towards the door on the far side of the room that he knew lead to his daughter. Allana was awake and curled up on her bed, her arms wrapped around her knees and tears streaming down her face. Her Force aura was swirling with fear, confusion and sadness.

As soon as she saw her father, she held her arms out to him. Despite everything her mother had told her about him, he was still her father and right now she needed him more than ever. Caedus's features immediately softened at the sight of his daughter. He picked her up, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug, holding her close to him as if he was afraid she'd disappear if he let go. He had all but lost her before, and he would make sure that wouldn't happen again.

"Daddy, I'm scared. What's going on? Is Mommy okay?"

Caedus stroked his daughter's dark red hair, absently noting how long it was getting. He looked into her grey eyes, eyes that were so much like her mother's. "I'm sorry, sweetie, I was too late. I wasn't able to save her. The assassin got to her first." He hadn't wanted to do this, to hurt Tenel Ka, because despite everything he still loved her. He loved his daughter more though, and he would do anything to have her back with him.

Allana sobbed even harder. It killed Caedus that he had to lie to and hurt his daughter this way, but he knew it was necessary; it was the only way he could take her back. He smiled inwardly; he finally had his daughter and this time no one could stop him. Not his parents, not the Jedi, not even Tenel Ka. "Ssh, it's going to be okay. I'm going to look after you now."

"Here?" Allana questioned, wide eyes shining with tears as she looked up at her father.

"Back on Coruscant. You'll be safer there."

"Can I take all my things with me?" she questioned, eyes full of innocence. They may not have seen each other in well over a year, but she already had him wrapped around her little finger; she knew exactly what to say and do to get what she wanted. Caedus could tell already that someday she would be a powerful leader; she would have no trouble in getting others to follow her.

"Of course," Caedus smiled. And this time it was not the twisted smile of a Sith Lord. It was a genuine smile. A Jacen Solo smile. A shadow of the man he once was.

Darth Caedus's Private Quarters, the Anakin Solo, en-route to Coruscant

An incessant beeping brought Caedus out of his thoughts as he stared through the viewport in his quarters. He spun on his heel and snatched the comlink from where it rested on his desk. "Yes?"

On the other end, a deep-voiced GAG trooper replied, "My Lord, we're almost there. What shall we do with the Queen Mother when we arrive?"

"Keep her detained in a secure room. Make sure the ysalamiri are in proximity at all times. We cannot risk her using the Force. Is that understood, Captain?"

"Yes, my Lord."

The comlink went dead.

His plan was working.

Darth Caedus's Private Quarters, Secure Location, Coruscant, 2200 hours

Darth Caedus entered his daughter's bedroom to find her still awake; it was way past her bedtime, but he could hardly blame her for not being able to sleep. She sat on her bed clutching a stuffed tauntaun to her chest. The same tauntaun that he had given to her. The tauntaun she had named Jacen. He sat on the bed next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and cuddling her close to him. Allana had stopped crying, but Caedus knew that inside she was still grieving for her 'dead' mother. She had a lot of Force potential - which was to be expected in someone from the Skywalker-Solo line - and it was time for it to be realised. "Allana, how do you feel about learning the ways of the Force?"

"The Force?" Allana looked at him curiously, tilting her head to one side. "Will I get to be a Jedi like you and Mommy?"

"Yes," Caedus nodded. Jedi. I haven't been a Jedi in a long time.

"Okay. But who's gonna teach me?"

"I will of course." Oh yes. His plan was working perfectly. The Jedi won't be able to stop me this time. His comlink beeped again for the second time that night; he didn't bother answering it, he knew it would just be a trooper informing him they had reached their destination and that Tenel Ka was safe and secure. He placed a kiss on the top of his daughter's head, before heading back towards his own bedroom to get some much needed rest.

He stopped in his tracks when he reached the living quarters though. In the dim light of the room he could make out a shadowy figure perched casually on his couch as if they belonged there. Caedus reached out in the Force, but whoever it was was hiding their presence. His hand hovered over his lightsaber as he spoke, "Who are you, and what do you want?" His voice was cautious but steady; he rarely felt fear anymore, except perhaps where his daughter was concerned, but he was also confident in his abilities to disable whoever this intruder was.

The intruder waved a hand lazily and the lights flickered on.

Caedus's eyes widened slightly, but that was the only hint of surprise he showed. "Alema. I thought you were dead."

Alema smirked, lazing back against the cushions, one arm slung over the arm of the couch. "It takes more than a blaster shot to kill me." Caedus's eyes narrowed at her use of the word 'me', instead of 'us', but didn't comment. "Though my survival came at a price."

Caedus's hand dropped away from his lightsaber, even if she did attack they were across the room from each other and Caedus was quicker. He leant against the wall behind him, arms folded across his chest. "Let me guess, you've followed in Lumiya's footsteps and you're now more machine than flesh and blood."

Alema dropped her Force illusion, revealing metal prosthetics and scarred features; Caedus knew that wasn't the extent of it either, he was sure there would be plenty of other metal parts that weren't visible. "It's the price you pay for life."

Caedus scoffed, "The price you pay perhaps."

Alema snorted at that, leaning forward and staring straight at him, "I never took you to be a hypocrite."

"A prosthetic kneecap and arm is hardly the same thing, Alema. Now why are you here?"

Alema smirked, "The Prophecy."

Caedus's eyes narrowed again, "What prophecy?"

"You know which one." Alema stood, and started to advance towards Caedus.

He pushed away from the wall, on high alert again, and his hand went back to hovering over his lightsaber. "That prophecy was fulfilled."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. I've been in the Archives. Did you know the Jedi have a lot of information pertaining to prophecies? Including which ones have been fulfilled and which ones haven't."

"And what do you want from me?"

Alema stopped in front of him, but far enough back that she was out of his lightsaber's reach. "The Chosen One is out there, and I want to find them. Unfortunately, I don't have the resources for such an endeavour. You do."

"And what do I get out of this?" His voice remained neutral, careful not to give anything away. He wasn't convinced by what Alema was saying, but at the same time he was intrigued.

Alema's smirk widened. "To follow in your grandfather's footsteps, and bring balance to the Force."

As usual, reviews are always much appreciated! :D