Title: Changing of the Guard

Time Period: During the Young Jedi Knights Second Arc (Shards of Alderaan, Diversity Alliance, Delusions of Grandeur, Jedi Bounty, The Emperor's Plague)

Genre: Drama, with humor...(how could you not have humor when Wraith Squadron is involved!)

Summary: Continuing my quest to write Mara's story of where she was during most of the YJK story line. The sequel to To Honor the Dead which takes place during Arc 1 of the YJK Stories. Begins a few weeks after the events of Jedi Under Siege this story takes Mara into the world of piracy as the Wraith's get back to Hawk-bat Station with a new squadron member. She gets annoyed by Janson, plays a few pranks herself, and tries to help one of her fellow squadron mates hide a secret.

Meanwhile, after the events of To Honor the Dead Anian's brother Tristan and Illian/Deke's sister Elbereth have been happily married and are trying to pull their planets (Valdet/Danshitie) towards peaceful coexistence. Their story takes a sudden turn as the galaxy moves closer towards the fateful events of the New Jedi Order.

Characters: Most of Wraith Squadron, a few Rogues, H/L, L/M, All the YJK Gang from Arc 2 (Raynar, Lusa etc), OC's Tristan Romani and Elbereth Dono Morodin-Romani plus a few new ones...

Notes: This story is the second part, and perhaps the longest of my attempt to bring Mara more into the story line. I started out trying to be as accurate in order to keep with the continuity, but with Tim Zahn's Survivor's Quest now out I'm pretty sure all of my words will become AU.… As mentioned before this is parallel to the second story arc of the Young Jedi Knights Series, but don't be worried if you have not read the series, I do provide brief and somewhat detailed synopsis' of each book as I get to that part of the story.

Credit: many of the scenes involving the Young Jedi Knights are rewritten a la Michael Stackpole's scenes from Jedi Academy in I, Jedi. Kind of a different perspective sort of thing. Where I decided that Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta's writing did the job aptly, I have just rewritten to make my story fit in with their writing. That being said, we must remember that the Star Wars Galaxy is not mine, and the situations and characters are the property of Lucasbooks, and the SW world. I will always give credit where credit is due, so with each post, if necessary there will be note if it's one of the aforementioned sections.

In order to understand the events of my OC's I'd recommend reading the story from before.

The book summaries are essential to understanding some of the events in the story, especially since I allude to specific events, and I wanted to make it more accessible to non-YJK readers as well.

I'm really excited about this story, since it's a product of over two years of writing (and its 95% finished as of Feb. 2004) Consequently, I'm posting most of this story in smaller pieces on other boards…but every time I finish a "Post" (Chapter), I'll update here. Its just an easier way to keep the FF.net version of the story a lot more manageable without making you move every 300 words to a new page. So look for an update about every two weeks. Thanks for reading.

Jade

YJK Story Arc 2

Book 1 Summary

Shards of Alderaan

The novel that begins the second story line involving Jacen, Jaina, and their friends Tenal Ka and Lowbacca focuses on change, adaptation, a missing person and family. In the aftermath of the devastation on Yavin Four by Brakiss' Second Imperium, Luke's Jedi Academy rebuilds the Great Jedi Temple, while Jaina's friend Zekk (The Darkest Knight) fights to find his place after relinquishing the Dark Side. Uncomfortable with staying at the place where he caused so much pain and destruction, Zekk is content with taking his new ship (Peckhum's Lightening Rod) to his former home planet of Ennth. There, on a planet that is destroyed every eight years by geological forces, he realizes that he does not have a place on Ennth either.

Before Zekk's recuperation and departure, the Academy has an unexpected visitor. Han Solo arrives with word that Raynar Thul's, a fellow Jedi Academy student, father has disappeared. The Thul's, Alderaanians who survived the planet's destruction are merchants who are under constant watch for assassins etc. Apparently Raynar's father, Bornan never arrived at a meeting with a Twi'lek named Nolaa Tarkona (The head of a anti-human organization called the Diversity Alliance). Han leaves promising information as soon as it arrives, providing that Raynar stays on Yavin Four for his safety. Nolaa Tarkona on the other hand, has other plans. It appears that Bornan Thul disappeared carrying an important cargo of hers. She hires out many bounty hunters, including Boba Fett, offering twice the bounty Darth Vader was giving for Han Solo's ship.

Meanwhile, Jaina initially tries to convince Zekk to stay, she bids him farewell and reassures him that they will always be friends. Afterward, Tenal Ka receives a present from her Grandmother, a ship named the Rock Dragon, and after a brief feeling of jealousy, Jaina is honored when Tenal Ka asks her to be the pilot. Han returns with no news for Raynar, and grants his permission for Jaina, Jacen, Lowie and Tenal Ka, in her new ship, to Alderaan obtain a present for Leia's upcoming birthday. When they arrive Boba Fett, who believes that through their father he could find a clue to Bornan Thul's whereabouts, attacks them. After rendering the Rock Dragon dead in space Fett places some bait for The Millenium Falcon. He is surprised when, Zekk (who had followed the Force to Alderaan), instead of Han Solo comes and chases him into the Graveyard. Minutes later Han comes (due to their delay in returning) and tows them back home.

Once back, Zekk realizes that he wants become a bounty hunter. His goal: to thwart Nolaa Tarkona, and find her quarry first. During the Birthday celebration, Jacen and Jaina give their mother a piece of Alderaan's core, and Luke receives a promise that they will be nicer to Raynar. The book ends with a toast to family.