Luke could see himself, his face…his mouth was open wide, wider than human mouths should ever open. His tongue was a monster waiting to release its venom. Luke was so transfixed by what he saw that he didn't even hear the other person's arguments, the cowardice in his voice.
Then Luke saw his eyes turn yellow – the color of eyes tainted by murder and hatred – right before he thrusted a vibroblade, not his lightsaber, into his victim's stomach. Luke – the dream Luke, not the real Luke – relished in the other man's suffering as poison flowed through his blood. He would soon be dead…very soon…
And then it was over.
Luke darted up out of bed, but, asleep or awake, he was still unable to escape the truth of what he had done.
Going back to sleep was out of the question. He hadn't slept in months, not since Mara died.
No – that wasn't true – he had gotten at least a couple of hours each night after she died. It was after…after he had taken justice into his own hands that he couldn't anymore. His conscience kept screaming at him, and it was the loudest when he was asleep. So he stayed up, working, meditating, trying to find some answers to the evil that was going on right now.
And, fortunately for him, answers were making themselves known.
The puzzle was coming together for him, and he reckoned for others, as well. For Leia, certainly. She was just as eager to find the person responsible for her son's death.
A cold shiver traveled down his spine. Han and Leia. It had been hard enough to face them after Anakin had died, but he had…for their sake. And they'd returned the favor when Mara was murdered, but after Jacen…after Jacen he had run and hid like a coward. And that was what he was, wasn't it? A coward.
He ignored the self-loathing that he now felt; ignored it because there were bigger issues. If the darkness was finally showing itself, it wouldn't belong before its true power was unveiled. And Luke could atone for everything if he could just keep his friends and family safe.
And that was the true reason he refused to sleep.
--
Leia watched as Jacen walked briskly into the Hapes Palace. His lightsaber was lit, and there was nothing but grim determination written on his face. And then he engaged his adversary, not with his weapon, but with words.
"I know the truth now, Lumiya," Jacen said. "I know everything."
Lumiya was hidden from her. She was in the shadows. Leia, however, could hear her voice. "It was only for the good of the galaxy, Jacen Solo," she said.
And now Jacen showed anger, real anger, as he came closer to Lumiya, until they were only a few feet away. "I should kill you now," he said.
"You should," Lumiya said. "But you won't. There's too much Jedi in you." Leia heard Lumiya's sneering laugh, and she herself became engulfed in fury. "You could have been a great Sith, Solo. The greatest ever, perhaps. But you have chosen your path, and now, it seems, there is nothing I can do about it."
Leia was twisting around, trying to see her, trying to stop her before she struck…because she knew now…she knew the truth…
Her eyes flashed open and she found herself in her ruddy old apartment, with Han asleep by her side. She squeezed his shoulder, and he immediately shot up.
"What is it?" he asked, not a hint of sleepiness in his voice.
"I know who killed Jacen."
--
Jaina faced a man she didn't recognize, but in the dream…in the dream she knew who he was. She saw herself falling down at the pure strength of him. He had a hand over her mouth and was leaning down over her…closer…closer…
"Stop!" she yelled, watching the scene from afar. But neither the man, nor her own self could hear her.
The man started to talk. "I've waited years for this, Jaina," he said. He wasn't speaking as a volatile enemy, but as someone obsessed with getting what he wanted. "And now…I have it."
He leaned down even further, and his body was almost on top of hers, but they weren't touching…Jaina watched in terror…
Then she jolted upright, finding herself back on the Anakin's Star. Allana was crying. She, too, had a nightmare.
She fell back on her pillow, and closed her eyes to stop the stinging that came from her own tears.
--
Han watched as Leia threw clothes, datachips, and all kinds of personal possessions into her bag. He didn't say anything, and he also made no move to pack his own things. Leia was in a rampage, eager to find this person; as eager as he was…but they didn't know where to start looking. He supposed that he should trust his wife, but he wasn't sure why this trek couldn't wait until the morning. After all, it would look much less suspicious that way.
When the comm beeped, Han went to answer it, leaving Leia there to finish what she had started. In the living room, he turned on the holotransmitter, and the image of Luke covered the night table.
"Han, I was hoping you would answer," he said, nary a word of greeting. "It's all coming together."
Before Luke explained, Han launched into his own story of what had been going on with Leia. "She had some sort of dream or vision – I don't know – and now she only wants to find this woman named Lumiya. Does that mean anything to you?"
"Lumiya?" Luke repeated. "I've never heard the name."
"Well, Leia thinks that she killed Jacen," Han said. "And if she's right, then I'm going after her. Personally."
Luke was silent for a few seconds. Han thought that he was trying to think of something to say that would ease Han's vengefulness. If that was the case, nothing came of it. "If that's true, then you need to be careful," Luke said. "I don't think that she will be an easy opponent."
"I had already figured that," Han said. Silently, he made a promise to himself to stay alive – for Leia and Jaina. If they died, however, then that promise would become null and void. "I'm following my own advice. I'm not going to do anything stupid. Stupid for me, anyway."
Luke gave his best grin – but he still looked very grave. "At the moment, Han, I'm more worried for Leia."
Han returned the grin, and he left no trace of any uneasy feelings inside of him on his face. "Hey, I'm not going to let anything happen to her," he said.
"I didn't think you were," Luke said. "But sometimes we find that we can't protect the ones we love."
There was a strange silence between them. Han was thinking about his boys…and he was sure that Luke was thinking about Mara. They were just two men who were always trying to save the galaxy – two men who had lived a lifetime of tragedy.
"Luke, what do you know?" Han said at last.
"I sense a presence," he said. "A man. He wants something…very, very badly. He's obsessed in his quest, and he's dangerous. His thoughts are centered on your family. And then there's a woman – perhaps, Lumiya – who is somehow closely connected with him. It's almost like…she's teaching him."
Han sighed. This wasn't exactly the kind of information that he had hoped for. The thought that this man was hunting for his family – his wife and his kid – scared him, but he had already known that the danger was centered around them. It wasn't anything new.
"Han," Luke implored. "I have seen the future. They have a mission, and if they succeed…the entire galaxy will be ruled by the fear they inspire."
"Like the empire," said Han.
"Yes," Luke said. "Like the empire…but different, in some ways, as well. For one, I sense no malevolence from this woman."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I don't know," Luke admitted. "But I have a feeling that it means she's more dangerous than anyone we could imagine."
"Force help us all."
--
"You know, Artoo, I think there's something different about Master Luke these days," C-3PO said to his mini-sized companion as they watched their human master retreat to his bedroom. "He's hardly spoken to us in weeks. I'm starting to wonder if I don't prefer Master Han."
Artoo gave a thoughtful whistle.
"Of course I'm happy to be back with you!" Threepio argued. "I was merely pointing out Master Luke's aloofness ever since the death of Master Jacen – I do miss him."
Artoo whistled again.
"I suppose I mean both Masters Luke and Jacen," Threepio answered.
There was a series of low beeps and whistles from Artoo that caused Threepio to turn his torso in shock.
"What, you mean you know how Master Jacen died?" Threepio kicked Artoo in his restraining bolt. "Why haven't you mentioned anything before?" Another series of whistles. "Forbidden? What in the galaxy could forbid you from telling the truth?"
Artoo gave a final, sad moan, and then he left, leaving C-3PO's question unanswered.
--
"We're coming up on Corellia," Jag said as Jaina entered the cockpit. He took note of her features. "You look shaken. Everything okay?"
Jaina just shook her head and strapped in. "It's nothing. Bad dream," she said. "Ben and Allana are in the back. Any news?"
"None." Jag didn't like how things were going ever since they had left Manaan. It was too easy. Everything up to this point had been too easy. Jag was no stranger to war and to battle strategy. Things were about to blow open, and he was sure that Jaina had the same idea.
"Entering realspace in 10 seconds," Jag said, switching his and Jaina's navicomputer to manual control. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1…" The stars came back into view and the Star gave a tiny jolt as Corellia loomed in front of them.
"Do you want to handle the talking, or should I?" Jaina asked.
Jag shrugged. "You are the one with diplomacy in your blood."
Jaina rolled her eyes. "Thanks a lot, Mom," she said. She fired up the communications system, however, without reluctance. "Corellia Ground Control – this is the Anakin's Star, requesting permission to enter Corellia's atmosphere in order to land in the private docking bay 55530."
There was static, and then silence. Jag took his hands off of his yoke and folded them in his lap, fully expecting some sort of complication. He knew Jaina Solo too well for there not to be one.
Then a woman's cool voice answered. "Colonel Solo," she said, "I'm glad you could make it. I must admit I was getting worried."
Jag's head turned and his eyes found Jaina, who was staring directly forward with her mouth hanging open. "This can't be good," she said under her breath.
He grabbed the commlink. "Who is this?"
"I am known as Brisha Syo."
Jag saw Jaina soundlessly mouthing the name to herself. "It means nothing to me," she told him.
"I'm sorry Jaina, but the fact that it means nothing to you, means nothing to me."
"I don't sense immediate danger," Jaina argued. "I think we should carry on."
Jag felt a headache coming on. Why did Jaina have to be so stubborn? Especially when it wasn't only her life on the line.
"Well, what else do we do?" she asked, as if she had read his thoughts.
"I don't know – hide the kids, alert the military, get your fighter…anything but walk right into this."
Jaina grabbed his arm. "Listen, Jag," she said, "This women wants a meeting with me. You guys can hide – protect yourself, please. The Force is guiding me and it's telling me that this is our next move."
Jag shook his head. "I don't like it."
"I know you don't," Jaina said. "But this really is the best option. Trust me."
He didn't say anything else as Jaina grabbed the commlink and spoke into it. This was a bad plan. From his own military standpoint, it was obvious they were walking straight into a trap. Was Jaina the kind of person to shy away from traps? Was he?
"I am very pleased to meet you, Miss Syo," Jaina said. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"I've been anxious to talk to you," came the answer. "Perhaps, once you are on-planet, we can arrange a time and place?"
Jag felt Jaina's eyes move ever-so-slightly in his direction. "Listen to me," she said in an urgent whisper. "When I leave, I want you to go to one of these private cantinas – I know Allana and Ben are too young, but it's the most inconspicuous place to go – and wait for me there."
He opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, Jaina spoke into the commlink again. "That sounds like a good idea. You name the place."
"I happen to have access to the Corellian Courthouse in Coronet. Perhaps you can come by the Ballroom at about eighteen hundred hours?"
A trace of a smile formed on Jaina's lips. "I'll see you then."
"Very well, Colonel Solo. Carry on with your landing."
The connection dissipated. Jaina handed Jag the commlink and Jag stared at the cursed object for a couple seconds in silence. His anger rose up to his chest. No way. No way was he going to let Jaina go off alone…and yet what choice did he have? He chucked the link against the wall. Jaina didn't even flinch.
"Well, I guess you can throw trust out the window," she said, and she was so calm that it made Jag want to throw himself out the window, into the great abyss.
"What the hell are you thinking?" he asked, very close to screaming.
Crying. Allana. Kriff! The sound merely increased his edge, made his anger more apparent. Nothing Jaina could say could make him felt alright about this.
"If I promise to return, will you calm down?" Jaina asked.
"That depends," he said. He was talking in a normal voice now, but only barely controlling it. "Would you mean it?"
Jaina sighed. "I'm a Jedi, remember?" she said, and Jag was forced to swallow his words for a moment. "I'm not that bad at taking care of myself. And you can take pretty good care of yourself, and the kids aren't that hard."
"It's not them I'm worried about," Jag said. It was true. He knew that Jaina would fall off the ends of the planet before she let anything happen to them. "What if something happens? Something unforeseen? And we never…" He couldn't finish the thought, not after all the time that had gone by. Not after all that had happened. "I fell in love with a girl once and I knew I couldn't order her around. That's how I lost her and I cannot bear to lose her a second time." There. It was the closest he had come to telling her that, yes, he still loved her – but he was still a long way from those exact words. Thoughts and feelings, sure, but saying them out loud was another thing altogether.
Jaina reached out and touched his hand, and his blood went warm. "There is absolutely nothing that can keep me away from you, Jag," she said. "There's this huge mess between us, and do you think I'm going to let myself be killed without working it out?" Jag shook his head. No, of course not. Of course she was going to come back. Too much counted on it.
Allana was no longer crying. "Ben is good with her," he said. "Like a big brother."
"He's still very young," Jaina said, and Jag nodded. Jaina was bringing the ship into the landing bay and powering down. "He's never had anyone younger to take care of."
"Well, neither have you," said Jag.
"I've had Anakin," Jaina said.
Jag had no answer for that as the ship docked and completely shut down. He and Jaina had something in common. She had lost two brothers to war and murder; he had lost two brothers and a sister. He could never repay the people who had hurt his family enough. He just did his job, and then he got himself exiled and marooned on an unknown planet.
They unstrapped themselves and before Jag opened the hatch to the back, Jaina grabbed his wrist. "I have to leave now if I'm going to make it in time," she told him.
In that moment, a part of Jag, the part of him that rushed into things and thought with his heart and not his head, yearned to kiss her farewell, in case this was his last chance. Jag, however, was not the type of person who did whatever his emotions asked whenever they asked. "You need to know where we'll be," he said. It was a statement, not a question.
"I'll know," Jaina said, pointing to the ceiling. "Jedi, remember?"
Jag smiled…truly smiled, for the first time in years. "It's not like you'll ever let me forget."
--
Jaina made the journey alone to the Coronet Courthouse. She did her best to disguise her emotions in the Force, in case a Force-user was present – but she wasn't nearly as gifted in that sort of thing as Jacen had been. She had a feeling that it wouldn't matter, anyway.
The truth was, she was scared. And not just of dying. Jaina Solo had never feared something so inconsequential as her own death. Right now, she was afraid of leaving everyone else behind. She wasn't as sure of her own survival as she had told Jag – disguising the truth was the only way to convince him to let her go (not that she needed his permission, but it was nice to have, nonetheless).
Truly, the thought that the conversation they had just had on the Anakin's Star would be their last terrified her. And then there were her parents…she couldn't imagine the kind of pain this would cause them.
She wasn't sure why she was so scared. She wasn't going on some covert operation…and the Force was guiding her – telling her that she would be safe if she would just follow it. Still…one wrong move… Danger was all around.
She entered the darkened ballroom, if you could call it that. It appeared to have been out of use for millennia – cobwebs filled every corner, spiders and cockroaches roamed the walls, and she could see numerous dirty footprints on the concrete floor.
Something was wrong. She was alone. She could feel no other life-form in the room. The judges and jurors had all gone home – the work day was over in Corellia, and it was time for partying through the night.
So, where was Brisha Syo?
"I'm right here."
Suddenly, the lights turned on in the room and Jaina saw a beautiful women approach – tall and blonde and wearing a denim suit usually reserved for senators and women in government. And just as suddenly, the women's presence emanated from her, so that Jaina could feel her very warmth.
Jaina understood. This woman was well-trained in the Force, but she wasn't a Jedi. Jaina's hand instinctively reached toward her belt.
"You won't need to draw your weapon, my friend," Syo said, but Jaina kept her hand there, just in case.
"'Friend' is a very interesting term," Jaina said. "Are you sure it's appropriate?"
"Oh, I hope it will be," Syo said. "I think you'll want to hear what I have to say."
Jaina raised her eyebrows. "I already want to hear it, Brisha. I'm not so sure I'll like it."
The other smiled at her as if this was the answer she had expected. "Just as stubborn as I thought you were."
Jaina's jaw tightened. "You'll find I can be very stubborn when the situation calls for it," she said. "But if you think you are persuasive, go ahead."
Brisha walked around to the other side of Jaina, who didn't move to face her. "Handsome companion," she said. "Cute kids, too."
"Get to the point." Jaina still didn't turn around.
Brisha laughed, very quietly, but Jaina could still hear it. "I understand that you have had a run-in with a man named Jorr Maltis." Jaina said nothing, and felt Brisha take her silence as affirmation. "He's a fan of yours."
Jaina really didn't like the sound of that. She was sure that her concern was evident to Brisha in the Force, but she managed to keep her cool and pass it off with a small, "oh?"
Brisha Syo circled her again so that now they were facing each other. Jaina met her eyes and kept her expression unreadable, both on her face and in the Force. "Today, intelligence agents of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances are going to happen across certain – ah, confidential – information concerning Corellia. I don't mean to alarm you, but Corellia is planning on an insurrection. They wish to secede – not only that, but they are gathering as much support as they possibly can. Already have they gained the Hapes Consortium as an ally."
The truth hit Jaina as if she had been run over by a bantha. "That explains the attack on the palace."
"Indeed," said Brisha, taking a few steps toward Jaina – who was still unmovable. "The Queen Mother would never betray the Federation – so Corellia had to take her out of the picture and leave Hapes in disarray if they were to ever get them on their side."
Jaina breathed deeply and closed her eyes. "What does this have to do with me…or Jorr Maltis?" she asked. "I don't think this was a mere courtesy call."
"No," said Syo, walking behind Jaina again. "It's about something called Operation Warlord – and the Corellian Armed Forced have called on me to carry out phase five."
"So you're a spy," Jaina inferred.
Brisha laughed in a high-pitched voice that made Jaina's ears hurt. "Not a spy, Solo. A spy doesn't give away her allegiances so easily. I am an agent of Corellia sent to give you a message."
"What message?"
Brisha walked to face Jaina and she gave a smile that Jaina despised. "A bomb, Solo," she said quietly. "On Coruscant."
Jaina sent out alarm in the Force, and Syo laughed again. "Where?" Jaina asked, fighting to remain cool.
"Oh, no, no, no," Syo said – amusement filling out her voice. Then she pulled something out of her belt – a remote control. "I'm not about to tell you where. See this? This controls it." She showed Jaina the main control on the remote – a metal switch flipped to the down position. "If I flip this on, the bomb detonates, no warning, no evacuation – just destruction, death, and – well, you get the picture."
Jaina's grip on her lightsaber tightened. "What do you want from me?"
"That's easy," Syo said. "I want you. Here. In a week, exactly. Ready to surrender yourself to General Maltis's command. You do that, this switch stays down and no one will be the wiser. Well, about the bomb, anyway."
Jaina pursed her lips. What a spot to find herself in! She searched Brisha Syo's aura for any sign of deception – and she definitely wasn't bluffing. Stang! "You're giving me a week."
"Yes, Colonel," Syo explained. "Go home bury your brother. Alert the military about the insurrection – they'll already know, though. If you even come close to mentioning the bomb or our plans for you, personally, I'll know… and let's just say we don't have it planted in an isolated area of the planet."
"It seems you thought of everything," said Jaina, trying her hardest to keep her fear and anxiety at bay. "I'm not fighting against the Federation."
"You won't be asked to."
"Alright then," Jaina said. "If that's all the business you have – I have other matters to attend to."
Brisha Syo smiled as Jaina made her way, swiftly, through the exit.
--
It wasn't right to be in a cantina with two children. Jag felt uncomfortable. Lucky for him, no one else noticed Allana or Ben. The three of them were sitting at a table, all drinking water, and every two minutes Jag would look toward the entrance to see if Jaina had made it back. He prayed to whatever gods existed that she would.
And when she finally did make it through that door, there was no mistaking her. He would have recognized her dark hair and equally dark eyes, her confident stride, and her no-nonsense military demeanor anywhere. It was a stark contrast to everyone else in the restaurant, and it made his heart jump with relief.
Not only his heart, but his entire body, as well, as he walked to greet her, the kids right behind him. He almost threw her into an embrace, but controlled himself. When they were face-to-face, there was no denying from her countenance that something had gone wrong. His heart dropped again.
"What happened?" he asked.
Jaina smiled – but it wasn't genuine, he could tell, for he had known Jaina well enough once to know what a genuine smile on her face looked like. "She gave me a warning," Jaina said. "Corellia is planning their own rebellion it seems."
Jag nodded, a million thoughts forming in his mind. "So what do we do next?"
"We abandon our course to Taris," Jaina said. "We go to Coruscant. We plan to fight a war."
"That makes things easier – knowing who we're fighting," Jag said.
"Yes," said Jaina, with her eyes looking into the distance. Jag knew that her mind was elsewhere, that something was worrying her. The impending war? Perhaps… There was still doubt, though, and the lingering thought that there was something quite big that she wasn't telling him.
"I guess, we all can come out of hiding now that the gauntlet's about to be thrown," Jag said.
"Guess so," Jaina confirmed. "That also means the funeral can commence."
Suddenly Jag realized that he had found the answer to Jaina's state of sorrow. The prospect of saying goodbye to her twin was too much for her. She almost missed Anakin's funeral – he remembered how far into despair his death had plunged her. Could it be happening again?
No. Jaina was stronger now. Older and wiser, too.
Jag cupped Jaina's hands with his and looked straight into her eyes. "If there's ever anything you need from me – if you need a break from squadron duty, or privacy from commanding officers – all you have to do is ask."
Her lips curved upward slightly, her eyes yearning for the happiness that had left her so long ago. "Thank you, Jagged, but I'm quite alright." She reached down and picked up Allana, who was completely worn out. "First we have to contact Luke – tell him what is going on. He'll contact the Jedi as well as the military. What's another war, right?" She gave a lop-sided grin that Han Solo was so famous for – but both Jaina and Jag knew that her words were far too true. When was the last time any of them had enjoyed any sort of peace at all? Even when they were children, they were surrounded by war.
"And then," she continued, "we talk to my parents."
--
Leia Organa could never have imagined falling in love with a pirate like Han Solo. He was everything she was not – headstrong, impatient, arrogant. And yet, in her opinion, there could never be another man who could form a more perfect union with her. Through their years as husband and wife, they had melded together so much that she was becoming more like him everyday – and the same went for him. Han's apathy was replaced by her passion – and last night, the peace of mind she had possessed when she had been Princess Leia was replaced by Han's ever-present impulsiveness.
It had been a few hours before she had returned to herself and realized that, despite her dream, she and Han weren't going anywhere just yet. Once she came to this understanding, it was harder to convince Han to stay at home when their son's killer had been identified. He was so much more practiced at the impatience thing than she was.
He was still packed, waiting to leave their underground "home." Leia would have found it amusing, if she weren't so tempted to follow along in his fool-proof plan of showing up at this Lumiya's doorstep and putting a blaster bolt through her head.
"This whole damn galaxy can go to the Sith, for all I care," Han said after Leia had calmly tried to explain the situation they were in to him. "It would be more or less what it deserves."
Leia, who had been sitting down next to him, leaned forward. "You don't mean that."
"Anakin. Jacen. Chewbacca. Tenel Ka. Mara. I'm tired of fighting when all its done is take the people we love the most."
Leia faced him and put a hand to his cheek, caressing its beautiful lines. "So you just want to run away from everything we've ever worked for," she said in a gentle, mocking voice. "Get lost in the beauty of some remote world, without a care for war-torn innocents or cut-throat politics?"
Han placed his hand on her wrist. "Yes," he said seriously. "That's exactly what I want." Leia put her hand down and sat back on the couch, looking away from him. "Princess, it could all work out. We'd leave all of this behind, and Jaina could come with us – none of the Sword of the Jedi Sithspit, she would be happy and live her life the way she wants."
"She isn't going to quit fighting," Leia admonished him.
"I know," Han said sadly. "But sometimes it's nice to dream."
Leia nodded. "Sometimes it is. But other times we must face the reality of the situation, no matter how much it hurts."
"I'd rather not do that tonight," Han whispered into her ear. He turned her face toward him and kissed her on the lips, pushing until they fell back on the couch.