AN: Ok the next few chapters of this story may not be the best, so I am apologizing now for it. I've never written battle scenes before. So please bare with me and support me! Oh and please if you haven't read 'Another Hope', it's the newest baby of mine. Enjoy!

Chapter Nine:

Courscant was in utter disarray. There hadn't been a possible attack on the planet in so long. While most of the citizens stayed put, knowing full well that the armed forces as well as some of the Jedi would fight and protect them, most of the Senators fled back to their home worlds to make sure that everything was in order.

But one young woman wasn't going anywhere.

"Ben you can't make me go with my parents!" Jenka yelled at him.

"You have to! I can't let you get hurt in this fight." Ben said pleading with his girlfriend.

She stood there giving him a stern look. He sighed. He should know better then to mess with a daughter of a New Republic Senator.

"Besides, my parents already left," she said with a smirk on her face.

"Then what are you going to do? Everyone you know has to take part in the defense of Courscant."

"As will I."

Ben looked at his girlfriend, oddly. "What do you mean?"

"Squadron X." Jenka said with a smile on her face.

"Over my dead body!"

"Take it up with your sister." Jenka said as she turned and walked towards the area where Squadron X was meeting. Ben ran to catch up with her, as he too, was flying with Squadron X.


"I'm not letting you fly."

Hailey turned her head to look at Obi-Wan. "I have no choice. I have to fly. We're already short on pilots as is. I have to have Jenka and the twins fly as well. Do you think I want to have them in battle? The twins aren't even sixteen yet and they have to fly."

"Then why are you letting them?"

"They know how to fly an X-wing about as well as Ben and Anakin do. They were the ones that taught Rai and Rachel," Hailey said looking back down at the read outs she was going over.

"Fine. I'm flying as well."

"You were going to have to anyways. You're my co-pilot."

"How can you have a co-pilot in an X-wing?"

Hailey laughed slighty. "I'm flying the Star Runner. I'm making damn well sure that Cassie and company have nothing to do with this invasion."

Obi-Wan shook his head in disbelief. "Do you trust anyone?" he asked, pulling her away from her papers. He wrapped his arms around her.

"I trust very few people," she said as she lay against his chest.

As Obi-Wan held his wife, he could feel her nervousness through their bond. He too was worried. Worried about what the future held for everyone.


"Where are the crystal pieces?" Trey asked.

Cassie touched her chest gently. Hanging around her neck was a small pouch that contained seven crystal pieces waiting to be completely reunited.

"Good." Kalib said.

"Do you think father will get here in time to help?" Cassie asked.

Kalib sighed. "I doubt it. Inferno is moving too fast this time. And we still haven't found the sleeper."

"Yes we have," Cassie said confidently. "And I don't like it one bit."


Luke Skywalker sat lost in meditation. Here he was on Yavin 4, while his children were laying in wait for an attack on Courscant. Leia, Han, Jaina and her newborn twins had left Courscant right before any news of the Outer Rim attacks had been reported.

They were supposed to meet with Jag on Corellia, but that wasn't happening. Instead they were coming to Yavin, while Jag and the Rouge Squadron headed to Courscant to aid in the defense there. But Luke doubted that he could make it there in time.

Meanwhile, the planets that had already fallen were left alone, while defenses around the other planets increased. This had been Wedge's decision. But Luke for once wasn't sure if his long time friend had made the right decision. Something wasn't right about how these invaders were attacking. And he couldn't figure out what it was.

But hopefully his children would. And they would return safely to him.


As each of the X-Wings checked in, Hailey took a deep breath. She had never led a battle before. Nor had any of the other pilots that were flying with her. Since there had ended up being more pilots then they had originally thought, Hailey decided to split up the squadron.

Seven ships to each half. Ben was the leader of the second wing. Flying with her was Jenka, Anakin, Rai, Rachel and two other Jedi Padawans.

Next to her, Obi-Wan gently squeezed her shoulder.

"It's going to be all right," he said through their bond.

She turned and smiled at him right before she took off. This was going to be something no one would ever forget.


Hailey knew that this entire invasion had something to do with her. But what she had no idea. She really wished that she did. Maybe then she could stop all of this by possibly sacrificing herself for the greater good.

But she knows there are people that won't allow her to do that. Her parents wouldn't nor would her brother. Her aunt and uncle as well as her cousins wouldn't. Nor would any of her friends or even her two Padawans. But most of all her husband wouldn't let her.

She knew that no matter where she went or what she did, her husband would be by her side. They had become two beings with one soul. Perhaps that was why he had been frozen in carbonite. But whatever reason for that, no one would ever know.

Yet that was all in the past. This was now. And now was the time for sacrifices. She hoped that it didn't come down to that.


AN #2: I've been meaning to add this for a while, but I keep forgetting. Obi-wan looks alot like how he did in 'TPM' but without the padawan braid and all. If you want a better mental image look at some of the pictures for Ewan's upcoming movie, 'The Island'. That's how I picture him. Enjoy!