Sixteen-year-old Jaina Solo fiddled with the main power drive of her Uncle Luke's X-wing fighter. Although she loved mechanics, she was bored almost to tears. She wanted to be back on Yavin 4, with Tenel Ka and Lowbacca, called Lowie, and her aunt Mara Jade. She knew it was irrational, but she wished her whole family could move to Yavin 4, and live at the Jedi Temple. But Princess Leia Organa Solo, her mother, was an important politician in the New Republic, and her father, the former smuggler-turned general Han Solo, was also needed on Coruscant, as he led the fleet against remnants of the Empire alongside Admiral Ackbar. Jaina sighed, and finished her last adjustment on the power drive. She was placing it back in its housing when her twin brother, Jacen, stuck walked into the main hanger, where Jaina was working.
"Hurry up with that," he said. "Uncle Luke wishes us to be ready to go in an hour. He said it's an emergency."
Jaina wiped her greasy hands on her black jumpsuit. "I'll be ready to go in just a few," she said.
Jacen turned to leave, but stopped. "Uncle wants you in flying gear, you know, orange jumpsuit and everything," he said, cocking his head at her.
Jaina frowned. "Okay, I'll be ready soon." Jacen left at a brisk walk. Jaina sighed and stood up form her crouching position. "Artoo?" she said, turning her head. The little droid came up, whistling. "Stay here with the fighter, okay?" she said, smiling at the droid. R2-D2 beeped happily, and rolled over to position its self next to the X-wing. Jaina left the hanger bay at a jog.
About one hour later, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker strode into the main hanger bay. There sat his X-wing, and beside that, his ship, the Shadow Chaser. He turned to face the woman and the man trailing him.
Princess Leia Organa Solo stood poised with her hands on her hips. "You expect me to just allow you to let my sixteen-year-old daughter lead a fleet into battle against the Empire? That duel with Vadar must have rearranged you mind!" she shouted.
Luke sighed. "Jaina is a Jedi, she has the ability and the experience to lead the fleet. And its not like she'll be in the command center, which is a target. She'll be in my X-wing, and a decoy will be in the command center." He propped his hand on his hips and looked at his sister. "Jaina has a duty, and she needs to fulfill it. Do you wish to let the Empire fire upon the Jedi Temple without inhibition, just because you wish to be over-protective?"
Leia sagged. "You're right," she said. "What will Jacen be doing?"
Luke smiled. "Jacen will be leading the Jedi who can fight into the ground battle. He will be joined by Tenel Ka."
Han Solo gave Luke a lopsided grin. "I am assuming that Anakin is considered to be of fighting age?"
Leia gasped. "Anakin's just a little boy!" she exclaimed. "He can't go into battle!"
Luke stared hard at her, and Leia dropped her head. "Anakin can hold his own against any Jedi," he said.
Leia frowned. "Only promise me one thing, Luke," she said.
Luke looked at her warily. "What is that?" he asked.
Leia in turn gave Luke a crooked smile. "Keep Anakin by you, okay? That way he'll be safe."
Luke exhaled. "Sure," he said.
Han laid a hand on Leia's shoulder. "Let's go, before we get in the way," he joked. As they were leaving, they passed Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin. All three were subjected to cheek kisses and hugs, then Leia and Han left.
Jaina jogged up to her Uncle Luke. "What going on?" she asked. "Why does Mom look like she's going to cry?"
Luke placed a hand on her shoulder. "You, Jaina, are going to lead a fleet of ships and fighters to attack the Empire fleet that is approaching Yavin 4," he said.
Instead of protesting, Jaina straightened and asked in a grown-up voice, "What am I flying?"
Luke smiled. "My X-wing," he said. Jaina gasped in delight. "A decoy will be in the command ship," Luke continued. "And Captain Antilles will be there to support you." Jaina grinned, gave Luke a hug, and dashed up to the fighter that she had been so soon ago been working on. Climbing up the ladder, she got into the cockpit and closed the hatch. She waved to Jacen, Anakin, and Luke, then fired up the engines. She took off and joined the fleet. After a minute or two, the entire fleet made the jump to hyperspace.
Jacen turned to face his Uncle Luke. "Now, what is my job?" he asked.
Luke looked at him and Anakin. "I'm to take Anakin with me, but you and Tenel Ka are to lead the capable Jedi into field battle. Captives, no dead, you understand me?" Jacen nodded. "Well then, lets get on the Shadow Chaser and get to Yavin 4." Jacen nodded and jogged on board, followed by Anakin and Luke. The Shadow Chaser took off, and once settled in space made the jump to hyperspace.
Tenel Ka and Mara Jade Skywalker crouched in the undergrowth, both holding lightsabers. Tenel Ka shifted on her feet, her single arm pushing a clump of fern out of her line of sight. Her green lizard skin armor glistened compared to Mara's drab brown jumpsuit. "Mara, how much longer until Master Skywalker and Jacen get here?" Tenel Ka asked softly.
Mara flipped out a holodisk. "Let me contact him," she said. Activating, it was about ten seconds before Luke's seated form appeared. "How long until you arrive?" asked Mara.
"About five minutes," said Luke. " We just came out of hyperspace."
"Good," said Mara. She closed the holodisk with a snap, and stowed it away in her belt pouch. To Tenel Ka she said, "Lets go to the landing platform." Tenel Ka nodded and followed Mara through the underbrush.
Jaina's fleet came out of hyperspace right in front of the approaching Imperial fleet. Turing on her comlink, she contacted Antilles, her left squadron leader. "Bravo One," she said.
"Yes, Bravo Leader?" said Antilles.
"Take your squadron and draw out those TIE fighters. My group of fighters will take care of the Star Destroyers," Jaina said.
"Roger, Bravo Leader," Antilles said. Immediately his group of X-wing fighters detached themselves from the main group of fighters and attracted the attention of the TIE fighters. Jaina's group then sped straight for the three Star Destroyers
Aim above the fuel cells," Jaina called into her comlink.
"Roger, Bravo Leader," said Harin, Jaina's captain of the central squadron. Jaina grinned and spiraled around to avoid the laser bolts coming her way. She fired straight above the fuel cells and grinned as one Star Destroyer's fuel tank exploded, and the ship began to list.
"Good one, Bravo Leader," came Harin's voice over her comlink.
"Well, Bravo Two, go get some yourself," Jaina laughed.
Jacen ran to meet his long-time friend, Tenel Ka. As they clasped forearms, Luke and Mara hugged.
"Now Jacen, you and Tenel Ka go rally the Jedi, any who can use the Force well enough to be of help," said Luke. "Mara, Anakin, and I will be going to look for this Dark Jedi Master Jorkis."
Jacen nodded, and he and Tenel Ka moved off silently into the woods.
Mara looked at Luke. "Shall we get going then?" she asked. Luke nodded, and all three, including Anakin, went into mediation positions, so hat they could search for the Dark Jedi Master Jorkis.
Jacen went into the boys' dorms while Tenel Ka got Tionne and the female Jedi trainees. Once they had all congregated in the center of the main temple's entranceway, Jacen raised his voice to be heard.
"Alright!" he called out. The various Jedi turned to him expectantly. "We aim to capture as many Dark Jedi as possible, no killing, you hear me?" He looked at each of the many Jedi in the eyes, making sure they understood him.
Tenel Ka cleared her throat. "We move out into the jungle. We know the jungle better than these Dark Jedi, use that to your advantage. May the Force be with you." They broke and went in separate directions. Tenel Ka and Jacen went together with Tionne, who could barely use the Force. She was a voice of reason, literally. Her voice was as smooth as oil, but as sweet as honey. She could talk anyone into doing anything. They headed out into the jungle, deep inside themselves, reaching for the Force.
Mara, Luke, and Anakin made their way stealthily through the trees. Anakin was leading, for some reason he had been able to sense Jorkis's presence before either Luke or Mara could. Finally, they reached an open space in the jungle.
"He will come," said Anakin softly, and he dropped into a meditative stance. Luke looked at Anakin with pride. Not even eleven, and Anakin could already use the Force better than some teenage Jedi learners Luke taught. Mara followed Anakin's procedure and sat on the ground in such a position that she could spring to her feet at the drop of a needle. Luke smiled and sat sown himself, falling deep into the Force. He felt it swirling around him, and he could feel Jacen and Tenel Ka, both deep within the Force as well. He could feel Jaina, using the Force to guide each and every shot she made at the seemingly indestructible Star Destroyers. He smiled softly, feeling the shadow that was Jorkis approaching their sanctuary quickly.
Jaina punched the air with her fist as yet another Star Destroyer went down. "Only one left!" she exclaimed to Harin.
"Roger, Bravo Leader," came Harin' s voice, amused.
Jaina switched frequencies and beamed a transmission to the admiral of the Imperial Fleet. After a moment, a hard faced man wearing the uniform of a Grand Admiral came into focus. "A message from Jaina Solo, general of the Republic Fleet," she said politely. Here was where her decoy came in handy. She had already worked this out with Naberrie, her decoy, what was to be said.
The Grand Admiral, with an emotionless face, said, "Send it through."
Jaina punched a button to signal Naberrie that it was time. Jaina watched the double hologram as Naberrie said, "It is time for you to surrender, Grand Admiral. Your fleet is dying, and your Star Destroyer will be destroyed if you do not agree to our terms."
The Grand Admiral smirked. "We will never surrender to the dogs of the so-called New Republic. You are vermin that only deserve death, and that is what we will give you."
Naberrie smiled back in turn. "Then prepare to die, Grand Admiral. Such a pity though, seeing all those good ships go to waste…" she trailed off, then the transmission on her side went dead.
The Grand Admiral, unaware that Jaina was still watching and listening, said to his second-in-command, "Send out a distress call to the reserve fleet. We're going to need it."
Jaina's mouth curved in a smile, and she wrenched her X-sing around to face the final fuel cell of the main Star Destroyer. She fell deep into the Force, and whispered, "Take this, Grand Admiral." She fired once, and her missile went straight into the third and final Star Destroyer's fuel tank. It exploded in a red and orange fireball, and the ship subsequently exploded, taking more than three dozen TIE fighters with it. Jaina smiled, and careened away from the widening fireball with a burst of speed. Switching frequencies again, she said to Antilles, "Pick off the remaining TIE fighters. Bravo Two and I are going after the TIE interceptors on the right."
"Roger, Bravo Leader," said Antilles.
Jaina and Harin swooped around to engage the TIE interceptors at close range. Harin and Jaina were the only ones to fly X-wings; the other pilots flew B-wings, which were more adept at firing at the TIE interceptors. "Let's get 'em," Jaina whispered, and she fired.
Jacen, Tenel Ka, and Tionne crouched behind a tree. Five Dark Jedi stood in a clearing in front of them, arguing about the mixed up trail that Jacen and Tenel Ka had led them on. Unnoticed by the quarreling Dark Jedi, a large chunk of stone had begun to hover over them. Finally, one Dark Jedi looked up, shrieked, and grabbed one of his companions.
Tionne stepped out into the open. "Friends," she called out, making a slight gesture with her hand. "It is time to give up this fruitless fight." The Dark Jedi eyed the floating hunk of rock and then, with a sigh of relief, put down their lightsabers. Jacen and Tenel Ka moved the stone to the side and gently lowered it to the ground. Thee stepped out into the open, and helped Tionne bind the captives with electrobonds, and then together they herded the five Dark Jedi to the Main Temple.
When they were almost there, Jacen gasped. "Uncle Luke!" he cried out. "Tenel Ka, Master Skywalker's in trouble!"
Tenel Ka looked at Jacen for a moment, then nodded her head. "This is a fact," she agreed. "Tionne, would you watch over these people? Jacen and I have some business to attend to." Tionne nodded and went inside the Temple. Jacen ignited his lightsaber and ran to where the feeling led him, Tenel Ka racing after him.
Anakin watched in horror as his aunt Mara flew away from the Dark Jedi Master Jorkis and against a tree. She fell to the ground, limp. Luke was parrying with Jorkis when Anakin felt two familiar presences approach. A moment later, Jacen and Tenel Ka burst into the clearing, both clutching ignited lightsabers.
Jacen took one look at the scene before him and shouted, "Anakin! Get out of here!" Anakin frowned and reached for his own lightsaber. "No!" Jacen yelled. "Get out of here!" Anakin ran away through the trees. Jacen flew in at Jorkis's exposed back, Tenel Ka right behind him. Jorkis spun and parried, then used a Force-push to shove Luke to a tree as well. Luke responded with a Force-push of his own, making Jorkis fly backward and sprawl on the dirt. Jorkis got to his feet with a growl, and twisted his lightsaber up, around down, slicing straight towards Luke's heart. Luke blocked the blow, barely. Jacen shook his head and attacked in a series of short, chopping blows, aimed at getting the opponent on the defensive. It worked. Jorkis spun to face Jacen, and missed the side cut that Tenel Ka made. Jorkis yelled in pain as the lightsaber bit his side. He slashed at Tenel Ka's legs, missing by centimeters. Tenel Ka jumped away, and enhanced her leap with the Force to propel her body behind Jorkis. Jacen and Luke attacked in tandem, and Jorkis spun, trying to find an exit. There was none. He could only helplessly fight as Jacen, Tenel Ka, and Luke forced him slowly, but inevitably, to his knees. He scored one hit on Jacen finally, forcing the young Jedi to retreat, favoring a wounded leg. Tenel Ka looked in horror at Jacen's wound, then, her eyes betraying none of her emotions, she spun, then she jumped into the air, and finally, came down at the Dark Jedi with her turquoise blade. She missed his head, but she did shear off his free arm. Jorkis gave yell of pain and he kicked her in the stomach, making her fall to the ground. Luke calmly parried and struck, and when his chance came, he came in a whirlwind of motion, and just as Mace Windu decapitated Jango Fett in the Clone Wars, Luke behead Jorkis.
After Jorkis's body fell, Luke shook his head, tears in his eyes. "I never wanted to kill him," he said regretfully. " I just wanted to turn him away from the Dark."
Tenel Ka limped over to him. She had sprained her ankle in her fall. "Master Skywalker, there was no other way it could have turned out," she said reasonably. "Jorkis was intent on all of our destruction, he didn't care about any of us."
Luke nodded mournfully, then seemed to realize that his nephew and his wife were injured. "Lets get them to the Jedi Temple," he said. "Jaina is finished by now, and is waiting for us there."
Tenel Ka didn't bother to ask how Luke knew this, but grabbed Jacen's arm and hoisted him up onto her shoulder. "Come on, Jacen, its time to go back." Jacen grimaced and nodded, as Luke picked up Mara's limp form. Together they headed back to the Jedi Temple.
Back on Coruscant a week later, Jaina, Jacen, Mara, Tenel Ka, Luke, Leia, Han, Anakin, and last but not least, Lowbacca, The twins' Wookie friend, all sat down to a celebratory dinner. They had finished the first course when Leia put her fork down.
"Well, I am exceedingly proud of all three of my children," she said, looking at each child in turn. "I never would have thought that Jaina could lead a whole fleet into battle and defeat a Grand Admiral. And Jacen, your bravery in that fight with Jorkis, I could only imagine what it took. And Anakin," she said, turning to her youngest son, "You have shown yourself to be a thinker. If you ever want to be a politician, just say the word."
All at the table laughed, Lowbacca giving a loud growl as a laugh. Then Leia turned to Tenel Ka. " If you, young warrior, ever want a job as my personal bodyguard, you have it," she said, laughing.
Tenel Ka smiled, a rarity, and responded with a careful, "I'll think about it."
Han grinned at Luke. "Hey kiddo, if you ever want to get into fighter piloting again, you just have to ask," he said.
Luke chuckled. " I don't think so, Han," he said. "Teaching suits me just fine."
Han gave a lopsided smile. "Well, Jaina, if you want to become a permanent general, I'll talk to Admiral Ackbar," he said seriously.
Jaina looked at Luke. "If Luke says I'm finished with my Jedi training," she said.
Luke nodded. "I was going to take you four through the Jedi Trials as soon as we got back to Yavin 4," he said. Lowbacca, Jaina, Tenel Ka, and Jacen all stared at Luke.
"You're sure, Master Skywalker?" asked Tenel Ka.
"Absolutely," said Luke. "This was almost a test, you see. And you passed it, so no worries now. Or," he amended, "Until after the Trials."
Leia chuckled. "One of the reasons why I didn't become a Jedi," she joked. Luke smiled at the five Jedi trainees and his sister, then glanced at his wife.
Mara looked at him seriously, then burst into laughter. "I'm sorry, Lowie, Tenel Ka, Jaina, Jacen," she said. "But you're in for a tough time, and it just is funny to me to think of you all as full-grown Jedi knights."
Jaina gave a crooked grin. "The Force will be with all of us," she said confidently.
"This is a fact," agreed Tenel Ka.
"Well, then," said Han. "May the Force be with you all."
"May the Force be with you," Leia whispered.
Luke smiled, and took Mara's hand. The Force will be with all of us, he thought. Always.