Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.

Enter Luke Skywalker and his mother Shmi, outside Ossus Academy.

Shmi. Just relax. It's only an orientation tour. And remember, dear, this is Ben's academy. So try not to . . . you know.

Luke. Destroy it?

Shmi. Yes.

Luke. You haven't told him the truth about me, have you?

Shmi. I thought we should wait.

Luke. So we don't scare him away.

Shmi. I'm sure orientation will be fine, Luke. It's only one morning.

Luke. Great. I can get expelled before I start the school year.

Shmi. Think positive. Tomorrow you're off to the Praxeum. After orientation, you've got your date . . .

Luke. It's not a date. It's just Mara, Mother. Kriff.

Shmi. She's coming all the way from the Praxeum to meet you.

Luke. Well, yes.

Shmi. You're going to view a holodrama.

Luke. Yes.

Shmi. Just the two of you.

Luke. Mother.

Shmi smiles.

Shmi. You'd better get inside, dear. I'll see you tonight.

Luke glances outside and notices Ben Kenobi, greeting Gaeriel Captison outside the school. He freezes.

Luke. What's wrong?

Luke. Nothing. Does the school have a side entrance?

Shmi. Down the block on the right. Why?

Luke. I'll see you later.

Luke exits Shmi's landspeeder and leaves before Gaeriel can spot him.

Exit Shmi.

[aside] What is she doing here? Not even my luck can be this bad.

Luke enters Ossus Academy through the side entrance.

Enter Nikkos Tyris and Kell Douro, two Anzati assassins disguised as teenage human females.

Both. Hello.

Kell. Welcome to Ossus. You are so going to love it.

Tyris steps forward.

Tyris. What's your name, freshman?

Luke. Luke.

The Anzati exchange glances.

Kell. Oh, Luke Skywalker. We've been waiting for you.

Luke's hand inches for his lightsaber.

Enter Kenobi.

Kenobi. Luke.

Exit the Anzati.

There you are. Welcome to Ossus.

Luke. Hello, Ben . . . Master Kenobi.

Kenobi. Luke. You look like you've seen a ghost.

Luke. Yes . . .

Kenobi claps Luke on the back.

Kenobi Listen, I know you're nervous. But don't worry. We've got a lot of younglings here with ADHD and dyslexia. The Masters know how to help.

Gaeriel walks by and notices Luke.

Luke. Where's the orientation?

Kenobi. The gymnasium. That way. But . . .

Luke. Goodbye.

Kenobi. Luke?

Luke runs off.

Exit Kenobi.

Luke enters the gymnasium.

Enter Gaeriel.

Gaeriel. What are you doing here?

Luke. Gaeriel Captison.

Gaeriel. And you're Luke something. I didn't get your full name last December when you tried to kill me.

Luke. Look, I wasn't . . . I didn't . . . What are you doing here?

Gaeriel. Same as you, I guess. Orientation.

Luke. You live on Coruscant?

Gaeriel. What, you thought I lived at the Bakur Complex?

Enter the Anzati.

Kell. Hey, guys. My name is Kell, and this is Nikkos.

Gaeriel sees the Anzati and yelps.

Gaeriel. Run. Now.

Luke. Why?

Gaeriel flees; Luke hurries after her.

Gaeriel. Get over here. Keep your head down.

Luke and Gaeriel hide behind musical instruments.

Did they follow you?

Luke. You mean Kell and Nikkos?

Gaeriel nods.

I don't think so. What are they? What did you see?

Gaeriel. [fearful] You . . . you wouldn't believe me.

Luke. Oh, yes, I would. I know you can see through Force illusions.

Gaeriel. What?

Luke. Force illusions. They . . . well, they shield monsters from human eyes. Some mundane are born with the ability to see through it, like you.

Gaeriel studies Luke carefully.

Gaeriel. You did that at the Bakur Complex. You called me a human . . . like you're not.

Luke hesitates.

Tell me. You know what it means. All these horrible things I see?

Luke. Look, this is going to sound weird. Do you know anything about Old Republic myths?

Gaeriel. Like the Gamorrean and the Zillo Beast?

Luke. Yes, just try not to say those names when I'm around, okay?

Gaeriel. And the Nightsisters and the Diathim and . . .

Luke. Okay. All those monsters, all the Je'daii gods . . . They're real.

Gaeriel. I knew it. You don't know how hard it's been. For years, I thought I was going mad. I couldn't tell anybody. I couldn't . . . Wait. Who are you? I mean really?

Luke. I'm not a monster.

Gaeriel. Well, I know that. I could see if you were. You look like . . . you. But you're not human, are you?

Luke. I'm a Jedi. I'm half human.

Gaeriel. And half what?

Enter the Anzati.

Kell. There you are, Luke Skywalker. It's time for your orientation.

Gaeriel. They're horrible.

Luke. What do they really look like?

Kell. Oh, forget her.

Kell entices Luke to step forward.

Gaeriel. Luke . . .

Luke. Huh?

Kell steps forward.

Gaeriel. Luke. Snap out of it.

Luke snaps out of it and activates his lightsaber.

Kell. [sneers] Oh, come on. You don't need that. How about a kiss instead?

Gaeriel pinches Luke.

Gaeriel. Luke. She wants to bite you. Look at her.

Kell. She's just jealous. [to Tyris] May I, Lord Tyris?

Tyris licks his lips.

Tyris. Go ahead, Kell. You're doing fine.

Kell steps forward, but Luke levels his lightsaber at him.

Luke. Get back.

Kell snarls.

Kell. This is our school, Jedi. We feed on whom we choose.

Kell assumes his true form: a gray-skinned Anzati assassin with twin tendrils protruding from his face.

Luke. A vampire.

Kell opens his mouth, revealing fangs.

Tyris. A vampire, you say? [laughs] That silly legend was based on us, you fool. We are Anzati, servants of Morag.

Kell steps closer to Luke.

Kell. Hmm. Sith magic formed us from animal, bronzium, and ghost. We exist to feed on the blood of young humans. Now come, give me that kiss.

Kell bares his fangs; Luke is paralyzed with fear. Fortunately, Gaeriel distracts the Anzat by tossing instruments at him, instruments of which he bats away.

I don't usually kill females. But for you, mortal, I'll make an exception. Your eyesight is a little too good.

Kell lunges at Gaeriel.

Luke. No.

Luke swings his lightsaber and slices through the Anzat.

Kell Douro fades to dust.

Tyris. You killed my apprentice. You need a lesson in school spirit, Jedi.

Tyris assumes his true form: a gray-skinned Anzati Dark Jedi with twin tendrils protruding out of his face.

I am senior Anzat. No Jedi has bested me in a thousand years.

Luke. Yeah? Then you're overdue.

Tyris dodges Luke's strike and rolls through an aisle of instruments. Gaeriel scrambles out of the way. Luke stands between Tyris and Gaeriel. Tyris eyes Luke's lightsaber.

Tyris. Such a pretty little saber. What a shame it stands between us.

Tyris uses the dark side to cloud Luke's mind.

Poor dear. You don't even know what's happening, do you? Soon, your pretty little praxeum in flames, your friends made slaves to the Emperor, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. It would be merciful to end your life now, before you have to see that.

Voices are heard from the hall, causing Tyris's eyes to light up.

Excellent. We're about to have company.

Tyris tosses an instrument; Luke and Gaeriel duck out of the way.

Luke. Why did you throw that?

Tyris tosses further instruments at Luke and Gaeriel.

Luke. Stop it.

Mundane beings head toward Luke, Gaeriel, and Tyris.

Tyris. Time to greet our visitors.

Tyris bares his fangs and heads outside. Luke hurries after him with his lightsaber.

Gaeriel. Luke. Don't.

Enter Kenobi, among several others who watch as Luke raises his lightsaber against Tyris. The Anzat assumes the form of a teenage human female.

Tyris. [with feigned fear] Oh, no, please.

Luke slashes through Tyris, and the Anzat vanishes in a blast of flame.

Kenobi. [stunned] Luke. What have you done?

Chaos erupts, as the mundane panic.

Gaeriel. You have to get out of here.

Luke deactivates his lightsaber and flees from Ossus Academy.

Enter Mara Jade, whom Luke runs right into.

Mara. Hey, you're out early. Watch where you're going, Farmboy.

Gaeriel runs out of the school after Luke.

Gaeriel. Luke. Wait up.

Mara's smile fades, as she notices the disaster for the first time.

Mara. [frowns] What did you do this time? And who is this?

Luke. Oh, Gaeriel, Mara . . . Mara, Gaeriel. She's a friend, I guess.

Gaeriel. Hello. [to Luke] You are in so much trouble. And you still owe me an explanation.

Police speeders approach.

Mara. [cold] Luke. We should go.

Gaeriel. I want to know more about Jedi and monsters . . . and this stuff about the Je'daii.

Gaeriel takes out a stylus and writes her comlink code on Luke's hand.

You're going to comm me and explain, okay? You owe me that. Now get going.

Luke. But . . .

Gaeriel. I'll make up some story. I'll tell them it wasn't your fault. Just go.

Exit Gaeriel.

Luke and Mara hurry away.

Luke. Hey. There were these two Anzati. They said the Praxeum was going to burn, and . . .

Mara. You told a mundane female about Jedi?

Luke. She can see through Force illusions. She saw the monsters before I did.

Mara. So you told her the truth?

Luke. She recognized me from the Bakur Complex, so . . .

Mara. You've met her before?

Luke. Last winter. But seriously, I barely know her.

Mara. She's kind of cute.

Luke. I . . . I never thought about it.

Mara does not respond.

I'll deal with the academy. Honestly, it will be fine.

Mara. I guess our afternoon is off. We should get you out of here, now that the CSF will be searching for you.

Luke. You're right. We have to get to the Jedi Praxeum . . . now.

Exit all.