Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or Rick Riordan.

Enter Jacen and Erisi, at the Jedi Praxeum.

Jacen and Erisi approach the Jedi Temple.

Erisi. Here we are. The Jedi Temple, our headquarters.

Jacen. I am not supposed to be here.

Erisi wraps her arm around Jacen.

Erisi. Oh, please. You're perfect here, sweetie. Believe me, I've seen a lot of Jedi.

Jacen shakes Erisi off.

Jacen. Look, I appreciate . . .

Erisi. Is it that girl? Oh, please, tell me you are not dating her.

Jacen. You mean Danni? Er . . .

Erisi. [rolls her eyes] Let me help you decide, sweetie. You can do better. A guy with your looks and obvious talent?

Jacen notices Erisi looking above him.

Jacen. You're waiting for a sign, like what popped over Ben's head.

Erisi. What? No. Well, yes. I mean, from what I heard, you're pretty powerful, right? You're going to be important at camp, so I figure your parent will claim you right away. And I'd love to see that. I want to be with you every step of the way. So is your father or mother the Je'daii? Please tell me it's not your mother. I would hate it if you were a son of Yun-Q'aah.

Jacen. Why?

Erisi. Then you'd be my half brother, silly. You can't date somebody from your own cabin. O!

Jacen. But aren't all the Je'daii related? So isn't everyone here your cousin or something?

Erisi. Aren't you cute? Sweetie, the godly side of your family doesn't count except for your parent. So anybody from another cabin — they're fair game. So who's your godly parent: mother or father?

Enter Yoda.

Yoda. This is Jacen. He's totally awesome.

Yoda's smile fades as he looks upon Jacen, instantly recognizing him as an Imperial.

Yoda. You . . . you should be dead. Come inside. Erisi, you'd better return to your cabin.

Exit Erisi, disappointed.

Jacen and Yoda enter the Jedi Temple.

Follow me. We have juri juice.

As he and Yoda assume their seats in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, Jacen notices that the room is covered with grapevines and the head of a sabercat, a purple feline creature with a horn, a gift left behind in Qel-Droma's wake. The sabercat growls at Jacen.

Yoda. Now, Cay. Jacen is a friend. Behave yourself.

Jacen. [stunned] That thing is alive.

Yoda tosses some nerf meat to Cay.

Yoda. You must excuse the décor. All this was a parting gift from our old director before he was recalled to Tython. He thought it would help us to remember him. Master Q has a strange sense of humor.

Jacen. Master Q? Qel-Droma?

Yoda. [nods] Hmm. As for Cay . . . well, Master Q liberated him from a Centax rummage sale. The sabercat is Master Q's sacred animal, you see, and Master Q was appalled that someone would stuff such a noble creature. He decided to grant it life on the assumption that life as a mounted head was better than no life at all. I must say it's a kinder fate than Cay's previous owner got.

Jacen frowns as he watches Cay eat.

Jacen. If he's only a head, where does the food go when he eats?

Yoda. Better not to ask. Please sit.

Yoda assumes his hoverchair-bound human disguise, and Jacen sits beside him. They both share cups of juri juice.

So Jacen, would you mind telling me, ah, where you're from?

Jacen. I wish I knew. [explains his story about waking up on the airbus with no memory]

Yoda. I see. And you must have questions for me.

Jacen. Only one. What did you mean when you said that I should be dead?

Yoda studies Jacen with concern.

Yoda. My boy, do you know what those marks on your arm mean? The color of your robes? Do you remember anything?

Jacen glances back at the tattoo.

Jacen. No. Nothing.

Yoda. Do you know where you are? Do you understand what this place is, and who I am?

Jacen. You're Yoda the Chironian. I'm guessing you're the same one from the old stories, who used to train the Old Republic Jedi like Anakin Skywalker. This is a camp for demigods, children of the Je'daii gods.

Yoda. So you believe those gods still exist?

Jacen. Yes. I mean, I don't think we should worship them or sacrifice nunas to them or anything. But they're still around because they're a powerful part of civilization. They move from world to world as the center of power shifts, like they moved from Corellia to Bastion.

Yoda. [in Mando'a] I couldn't have said it better. So you already know the Je'daii are real. You have already been claimed, haven't you?

Jacen. Ret. Nakar'mi.

Cay snarls.

Yoda waits until Jacen realizes he just spoke in Mando'a.

Me'bana . . . [in Basic] What was that?

Yoda. You know Mando'a. Most Jedi recognize a few phrases, of course. It's in their blood, but not as much as Old Corellian. None can speak Mando'a fluently without practice.

Jacen. [aside] Once again, I cannot escape the feeling that I shouldn't be here. It's more than just wrong. It's dangerous. But at least Yoda doesn't seem threatening. In fact, he seems concerned, afraid for my safety.

Yoda. I taught your namesake, you know, the original Jacen. He had a hard path. I've seen many Jedi come and go. Occasionally, they have happy endings. Mostly, they don't. It breaks my heart, like losing a child each time one of my pupils dies. But you . . . you are not like any pupil I've ever taught. Your presence here could be a disaster.

Jacen. [to Yoda, sarcastic] Thanks. You must be an inspiring teacher.

Yoda. I am sorry, my boy. But it's true. I had hoped that after Luke's success . . .

Jacen. Luke Skywalker, you mean. Mara's boyfriend, the one who's missing.

Yoda. [nods] I hoped that after he succeeded in the Sith War and saved Tython, we might have some peace. I might be able to enjoy one final triumph, a happy ending, and perhaps retire quietly. I should have known better. The last chapter approaches, just as it did before. The worst is yet to come.

Jacen. Okay. So . . . last chapter, happened before, worst yet to come. Sounds fun. But can we go back to the part where I'm supposed to be dead? I don't like that part.

Yoda. I'm afraid I can't explain, my boy. I swore on the Font of Power and on all things sacred that I would never . . . [frowns] But you're here, in violation of the same oath. That, too, should not be possible. I don't understand. Who would have done such a thing? Who . . .

All but Jacen freeze.

Jacen. [frowns] Yoda? What's going . . . ?

Enter Lumiya, an immortal Je'daii with red hair and green eyes, the Imperial counterpart to the goddess Shira. Unlike her Old Republic counterpart, Lumiya dons a triangular headdress and wields a crimson-bladed lightwhip, her personal trademark. Lumiya has managed to appear before Jacen while still imprisoned aboard the Baanu Rass.

Lumiya. Jacen.

Alarmed, Jacen activates his lightsaber.

Would you attack your patron? Lower your sword.

Jacen. Who are you? How did you . . . ?

Lumiya. Our time is limited, Jacen. My prison grows stronger by the hour. It took me a full month to gather enough energy to work even the smallest bit of the Force through its bonds. I've managed to bring you here. But now I have little time left and even less power. This may be the last time I can speak to you.

Jacen. You're in prison? Look, I don't know you. And you're not my patron.

Lumiya. You know me. I have known you since your birth.

Jacen. I don't remember. I don't remember anything.

Lumiya. No, you don't. That also was necessary. Long ago, your father gave me your life as a gift to placate my anger. He named you Jacen, after my favorite mortal. You belong to me.

Jacen. Bloah. I don't belong to anyone.

Lumiya. Now is the time to pay your debt. Find my prison. Free me, or their Supreme Overlord will rise from chaos, and I will be destroyed. You will never retrieve your memory.

Jacen. Is that a threat? You took my memories?

Lumiya. You have until sunset on the solstice, Jacen. Four short days. Do not fail me.

Exit Lumiya.

Time unfreezes.

Yoda. . . . would dare to bring you here?

Jacen. Probably the lady in the mist.

Yoda. [surprised] Weren't you just sitting . . . ? Why do you have a lightsaber drawn?

Jacen. I hate to tell you this. But I think your sabercat just ate a Je'daii. [describes his vision of Lumiya]

Yoda. Oh, dear. That does explain a lot.

Jacen. Then why don't you explain a lot to me? Please.

Enter Mara and Gaeriel, with an unconscious Danni.

Jacen deactivates his lightsaber and rushes to Danni's side.

What happened? What's wrong with her?

Mara. Shira's cabin. Vision. Bad.

Gaeriel. [sobs] I think . . . I think I may have killed her.

Exit all.