Chapter 14
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Star Wars. Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling while Star Wars belongs to George Lucas.
Solo residence, Coruscant
Harry was currently getting dressed for the banquet that was in a few hours. He was going to wear a pair of black dress pants with black (and uncomfortable) dress shoes. He also had a emerald green long-sleeved dress shirt with the top two buttons undone and a black suit over it. He had the suit open so he wouldn't suffocate. Both Jacen and Zekk had similar ensembles although Jacen's shirt was red while Zekk's was blue. Since both Harry and Zekk had similar color eyes, they had tossed a coin to decide which one would where the emerald green shirt. Harry won the toss and Zekk got a blue version of the shirt. Anakin's was the simple white version.
Yesterday had been an exhausting day for the boys. Despite their best efforts, the girls still managed to track them down while they were shopping (stupid twin Force bond!) and "convinced" them to be their pack mules. Even Jaina and Tenel Ka had been in on it! The plus side was that they got to see the three older girls in various dresses that went from conservative to downright risque. It might have been Harry's imagination but Jaina seemed more concerned with his reactions to her clothing than Zekk's although the latter was her date. The girls eventually chose their dresses but refused to show them to the boys, wanting them to be a surprise. Even Tenel Ka and Jaina had seemed more feminine and girly during the entire trip. The poor boys had to carry the girls' many bags because, of course, they couldn't just buy the dresses they needed. They had to buy matching accessories, underwear and even hair pins! Not to mention various outfits for both training (how a training outfit costs so much was beyond Harry) and casual day to day wear.
Harry seriously regretted saying he would pay for it. By the time they were done, the 1,000,000 credits Zule had sent him for getting so many extra taozin nodules had dwindled to 900,000 credits. Taozin nodules could be boiled to undo the effect but once boiled is a rare delicacy all over the galaxy that could be sold for a premium. Zule said she'd put the ones they didn't use in stasis and send out her feelers to find the best prices for boiled taozin nodules before selling them. Despite the fact they used over 100,000 credits in clothing Harry couldn't completely complain. Astraal had bought several outfits for her and Harry's private time which made Harry eager to have more private time with her. Harry couldn't help but notice that Jaina also bought several outfits that were much more revealing than her usual and only bought them if she saw Harry's approval. She turned down a lot of good outfits that would have been perfect for training when she saw that Harry didn't react to them.
There was a moment where Harry was alone with Jaina and she casually asked him to help her pick out underwear. Harry had almost choked on air at her statement and couldn't help but be aroused by the images that statement made. He was saved by the arrival of Tenel Ka who said she would help Jaina since Astraal was busy. Harry beat a hasty retreat and therefore missed Tenel Ka admonishing Jaina for saying that when he was dating Astraal.
After that, Jaina started acting normally though she still seemed keen on Harry's opinion on her outfits. Astraal, who had been getting more and more annoyed, seemed happier and gave Harry several private modeling shows of the more risque outfits. Needless to say, Harry was much happier by the end.
Back in the present, Han and the boys had been ready for over an hour but knew better than to try and rush the girls. Greater men had died for lesser offenses. Therefore, the four boys, one man and one wookie waited patiently for their dates to get ready.
Leia had managed to change Harry's hair style from "bird's nest" to "dashingly wild". Personally, Harry didn't see any difference but kept quiet, not wanting to spend another hour in front of mirror with Leia as his hair dresser.
After much consideration, Harry had asked Lowie to take Visas as his partner to the banquet. He stressed that if Visas had anything less than an incredibly good time, he would take it out on him in blood. Lowie, despite his taller stature and strength, fearfully nodded his head. He knew that if Harry was serious, he would kick his ass and turn him into a carpet as a warning to others.
The first of the girls to appear was Leia, who was wearing a floor-length white gown that showed enough curves without being distasteful. She also had a matching pair of white high-heeled shoes. Even Harry and Jacen could honestly say that she looked beautiful.
"Damn, princess," said Han with a roguish grin. "You get more beautiful every year."
"Flatterer," shot back Leia. Despite this, she seemed happy at his comment and gave him a soft kiss for it.
The next to appear were Visas and Tahiri. Visas was wearing a gold dress that bared her shoulders and covered the rest down to the floor(1). To match the dress, she had a gold headband covering where the eyes would be on a normal Human. Being a Miraluka, she had no eyes and used Force sight to move around. For this reason, her entire species was Force-sensitive. Her hair was a cascade of brown curls that reached just below her shoulders. She was wearing a pair of gold flats, being too young for high heels. Tahiri was wearing a much simpler floor-length black dress that had a pink belt at the waist. Her blonde hair was loose and seemed like a cascade of gold that contrasted nicely with her black dress and reached just below her shoulder blades. She was also wearing black low-heeled shoes. They both looked very cute in his eyes.
"Hey Harry," said Visas shyly. "What do you think?"
"I think that you look like a small princess," said Harry truthfully.
Visas gave him a smile at his truthful statement and went to her partner for the night. Lowie also complimented her on her looks and after hearing Em Teedee's translation, she thanked him. Of everyone in Harry's group, Visas got along best with Lowie due to his quiet nature. Harry repeated the statement for Tahiri and adding that she would be a knockout when she was older. Tahiri giggled and quickly went toward Anakin.
The next to appear was Harry's girlfriend, Astraal. She was wearing a simple one-piece black dress that had only one shoulder strap and a slit down the left leg. She had a pair of black high-heeled shoes and from what Harry could see they made her legs seem incredible. She looked absolutely radiant in it and Harry swore that she looked like a blue-skinned goddess.
"Close your mouth, my love," said Astraal amusedly. "You'll catch flies."
Harry complied and drew Astraal into his arms before whispering, "I can't believe that such a goddess will be on my arm tonight. I must be the luckiest man in the galaxy."
Astraal smiled at his heartfelt statement and gave him a scorching kiss as a reward.
"You look rather dashing yourself, my love," whispered Astraal. Harry just winked at her.
Harry turned when he heard someone come down the stairs. It turned out to be Tenel Ka. Unlike the other women, she was wearing a one-piece black dress that only reached mid-thigh. She was also wearing a pair of red high-heeled shoes. Her dark red hair contrasted beautifully with the black dress and made it seem as if she was a fiery seductress. Harry absently noted that Tenel Ka was truly beautiful and he would probably be chasing her if it wasn't for Astraal and Jaina. Jacen was in similar straits as Harry when he saw Astraal and it took Tenel Ka closing his mouth for him to respond.
"May I say that you look ravishing tonight, Tenel Ka," said Harry when he walked over to the two. "Jacen, be careful that other men don't try to steal her tonight, eh?"
Jacen just smiled and nodded at Harry while Tenel Ka blushed at his comment before stating that he looked just as handsome.
"By the way," said Tenel Ka. "Jaina needs your help. She can't find a hair pin that she always uses and she says you know where it is."
Harry sighed at her statement and said, "She always loses that thing. I'll be right back, love."
Harry gave Astraal a kiss before walking up the stairs to Jaina and Jacen's room. He reached the door and knocked.
"Who is it?" asked Jaina from within.
"It's me, Harry," responded Harry.
"Come in and close the door behind you," said Jaina.
Harry opened the door and entered before stopping abruptly at the sight before him.
Jaina was wearing a black floor-length dress that seemed to be made of two materials. The top part that was from her waist to her cleavage seemed to be made out of leather and showed the top part of her breasts. The two elbow-length black gloves she was wearing seemed to be made of the same material. The bottom part that was from her waist to the bottom had two layers. The bottom layer was a simple white color while the top layer was a black mesh-like material that put together gave it a seductive look(2). The entire ensemble emphasized her breasts that, while not as big as Astraal's, were a nice handful. Her hair was currently loose and she was searching her dresser for the aforementioned pin.
Jaina looked up when Harry entered only to be stunned into silence at how he looked. She had seen Harry dressed up various times when they visited various parties and banquets but this was the first time she'd seen him dressed up in over a year. In her eyes, he looked like the handsome princes from the storybooks that had come to whisk her away. Her eyes lingered on the area below his neck that had his top two buttons loose and showed a bit of his muscular chest. The shirt brought out his eyes and Jaina was breathless when she saw the lust and love in them as he stared at her.
"You were looking for a hair pin?" asked Harry with great effort.
"Yea," said Jaina in a trembling tone. "You know, the emerald one you bought me."
Harry smiled as he remembered the hair pin that he had bought her after their first diplomatic party. She had worn it in every party since.
"It's in your underwear drawer," said Harry. "You always put it there so it won't get lost."
Jaina looked in that drawer and sure enough there it was beneath her underwear. With Harry's help, she stood in front of her mirror and pinned up her hair in a bun using the hair pin.
"Just missing the necklace," muttered Jaina. She took out the Solari crystal necklace she had made out of the shard Harry had given her.
"Help me tie it, please," asked Jaina in a low tone.
Harry slowly tied it behind her neck and then looked over Jaina's shoulder toward the mirror.
"Perfection," muttered Harry. Somehow, Jaina got the message he wasn't talking about the necklace.
Harry's hands hadn't left Jaina's shoulders and they started to rub up and down her arms gently. Jaina shivered and leaned back into Harry's muscled chest, loving the feel of him. Jaina looked over her shoulder up at Harry with love in her eyes. The two teenagers started moving their heads closer until they engaged in a kiss.
At first, the kiss was soft as if testing the waters. Soon, however, the two quickly got into it and started kissing in earnest. Harry and Jaina poured all their feelings into the kiss, trying to convey their love and desire for each other. Jaina wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and drew him in closer while Harry wrapped his arms around her waist as if unwilling to let her go.
The two kept kissing for over 5 minutes, only stopping temporarily to catch their breath before kissing again. At some point, the two had landed on her bed and Jaina was currently on top kissing him desperately. Just as Harry started to pull down Jaina's dress in an effort to undress her, someone knocked on the door.
The knock worked like a bucket of cold water and the two quickly separated.
"Who is it?" called out Jaina in a breathless tone.
"It's Astraal," answered Astraal. "Did you guys find it?"
"Yea," said Harry in an equally breathless tone. "We just found it now and I'm helping Jaina pin up her hair. I have a lot of experience helping her with that. We'll be right out."
"Okay, love" said Astraal. "I'll be waiting for you downstairs."
After hearing her go down the stairs, the two teenagers looked at each other.
"We shouldn't have done that," said Harry. "I'm with Astraal."
"I know," said Jaina in a glum tone. "I don't know what's wrong with me, I just couldn't help myself."
Harry got up and started to walk toward the door saying, "I'll go downstairs while you finish."
"Wait," called out Jaina. When Harry turned toward her, Jaina was right in front of him and drew him in for another kiss. Harry fought against it half-heartedly at first but eventually gave in and started kissing her in earnest. The two continued kissing for a minute before separating.
"I'm sorry," said Jaina in a low tone. "You should go. I'll be right down."
"Yea," said Harry in an equally low tone. He left the room and after making sure there was no evidence of his make out session with Jaina, walked into the living room.
"Where's Jaina?" asked Astraal confusedly.
"She's on her way. She's just finishing up," said Harry. To his credit, there was no evidence that he was nervous over what he had just done despite being a nervous wreck inside.
Harry continued to talk to to Astraal happily, never noticing Tenel Ka and Leia looking at him suspiciously.
Banquet for Karnak Alphan ambassador
The banquet was exactly as Harry imagined it would be... boring. If it wasn't for the presence of his friends Harry would have likely gone insane out of sheer boredom. It didn't help that Astraal had found out something he'd hoped to take to his grave.
"Dancing lessons?" asked Astraal giggling. "Leia made you take dancing lessons?"
"Yes," grumbled Harry. He glared at the arch-traitor, Jacen, who revealed the information. "After my first disastrous attempt to dance in the first party I went to, she decided that I needed lessons."
"How bad were you that she thought you needed lessons?" asked Astraal while trying to keep in her laughter.
Harry grumbled. "Jaina and me managed to step on the toe of everyone within 10 feet of us as well mistakenly smack the ass of a senator's wife."
At this, Astraal broke down laughing. Harry just glared half-heartedly at his girlfriend's actions. It wasn't his fault, dammit! He was 8 at the time! Who expects a boy to know how to dance well at 8? Harry conveniently forgot about Jacen being able to dance since he was 7.
After Astraal regained control, Harry looked around to locate his friends. Lowie was talking with an enthusiastic Visas by the punch bowl. The latter seemed to be trying to explain how exactly she saw the party with her special vision. Jacen and Tenel Ka were on dance floor. Surprisingly, they were dancing quite gracefully. Harry wondered where Tenel Ka learned to dance because he certainly never taught her. He then caught sight of Jaina and Zekk talking happily on the other side of the room.
Try as he might, he couldn't get the memory of Jaina's kiss out of his head. It had been so passionate, so full of desire that Harry doubted he would have been able to stop if Astraal hadn't unknowingly interrupted them. The thought filled Harry with guilt. Here he was kissing Jaina when he was dating Astraal. He was a terrible boyfriend.
With that thought in mind, he turned to Astraal. "Do you wanna dance?"
Astraal looked slightly surprised at the question but quickly nodded happily. It was obvious that she had wanted him to ask for a while and he once again felt guilty for not noticing.
They slowly made their way to the dance floor until they were halfway between their previous position and where Jacen and Tenel Ka were dancing. Harry didn't want to interrupt them when he hoped they would hurry up and get together already. Seriously, even Tahiri knew there was something between them. Speaking of Tahiri, she and Anakin were talking happily by Han and Leia who seemed to be talking to some politician. Harry inwardly laughed at the look of exasperation on Han's face.
"Well, well. It seemed those dance lessons paid off," teased Astraal.
"Shut up," grumbled Harry. "Wait till a more risque song comes out. Then I'll teach you."
Astraal just laughed.
From across the banquet hall, Jaina watched Harry and Astraal continue to dance with guilt. She couldn't believe what she'd been doing. She was acting like one of those obsessed ex-girlfriends that couldn't let go of their ex. I mean she had given him permission! She should be okay with it. But the truth was she wasn't. Despite her giving him permission, some part of her had hoped that he would continue to chase her. Watching Astraal and Harry this past month had been torture. She couldn't believe she once believed that what she felt for Harry was just friendship. She was such a child.
"Hey Jaina," said Zekk.
"Hmmm?" answered Jaina absently. "Sorry Zekk, just thinking about something."
"It's okay," said Zekk easily. "You've been weird for the last two days. What's wrong?"
Jaina debated telling him before sighing. "I.. made a choice a month ago and I'm still having problems accepting it in my heart. My head knows that I shouldn't pursue this anymore because I made a decision against it but my heart is being stubborn."
Zekk was thoughtful for a second before slowly answering. "We can't control what our hearts feel, Jaina. But we can control how we act on what it feels. If you know you shouldn't act a certain way because you made a decision against it, then you should try to control yourself. Plus aren't Jedi all about controlling their emotions?"
The last sentence had come out in a semi-teasing tone but Jaina took it seriously. Zekk was right, Jedi did control their emotions. She had let her feelings get close to ruining two friendships simply because she lacked control. No more. She would bury the feelings deep inside and show only friendship. First, she needed to talk to Harry when she had a chance.
Turning to Zekk, Jaina smiled at him. "Thanks for the advice, Zekk. It really helped."
Zekk smiled back at her. "So what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to be a Jedi and control myself," said Jaina firmly.
Soon after, Jaina saw her chance to talk to Harry when Astraal excused herself to go to the bathroom.
"Can you wait here a second, Zekk?" asked Jaina. "I'll be right back but I need to talk to Harry for a second."
Zekk nodded at her and she walked toward where Harry was standing by the drinks.
"Can I have this dance?" asked Jaina when he reached him.
Harry turned around to see Jaina standing there with her usual smile on her face. Despite what had happened before, he couldn't help but smile back.
"Sure," agreed Harry.
The two walked back onto the dance floor in time for a slow song to come on. The two started to dance slowly to the song in silence before Jaina broke it.
"I'm sorry, Harry. I've been acting like a shrew."
Harry just looked at her in surprise before his eyes softened. "It's not your fault, Jaina. I was basically doing the same thing to you two months ago. Kissing you without permission and stuff."
"But I didn't have a boyfriend at the time," countered Jaina.
"Neither do I," said Harry with a smile.
Jaina gave a half-hearted swat before smiling. "You know what I mean."
Harry's smile dropped before he sighed. "It's okay Jaina. I forgive you. But it can't happen again. I won't betray Astraal like that. She deserves better."
Jaina nodded. "Yea, she does. She's one my best female friends and I've betrayed her so many times lately. I'm surprised she hasn't noticed anything."
"Oh, I think she knows more than she lets on," mused Harry. "But she's very understanding. I don't deserve her."
"Neither of us do," said Jaina depressively.
The two continued to dance for a while before Harry spoke.
"I didn't tell you but... you look... there are no words to describe you tonight."
"Ugly?" teased Jaina.
Harry drew her closer. "No, the very opposite. You make goddesses green in envy tonight."
Jaina's breath caught at his comment and she couldn't help but blush. "It's comments like that that make this hard, you know."
"Sorry." To his credit, he did look apologetic.
"I just want you to promise me something," said Jaina in a trembling tone.
Harry cocked an eyebrow. "Anything."
"Promise me you won't forget me?" asked Jaina as her eyes watered.
Harry looked at her in shock before drawing her close. "No one in the universe could ever make me forget you, sky princess. You will always have a piece of my heart that no one can ever lay claim to."
Jaina gave him a watery smile before burying her head in his chest. The two continued to dance for another five minutes before separating to their respective dates.
From across the hall, Han and Leia watched the two as the two separated.
"I wonder what happened between them?" mused Leia. "I was sure they would be dating by now."
"I dunno," said Han. "Maybe they had a fight or something."
"No," said Leia. "I think it was that Jaina inherited your stubbornness and by the time she realized the truth it was too late."
"Hey," defended Han half-heartedly. "I'm not that bad."
Leia just gave a condescending pat on the cheek. "Yes, you are."
Han grumbled at her before sighing. "And I was actually looking forward to them getting together. Harry is already suitably afraid of me to know not to hurt her. I don't like Zekk for some reason."
"It's a miracle you like Harry, honey," teased Leia. She sighed before looking toward the two teenagers. "But don't give up hope. I have a feeling that what's between them isn't over yet."
"How do you know?" asked Han.
Leia smiled at her husband. "Call it woman's intuition."
Back with Jaina, she had reunited with Zekk who was looking petrified. He had eaten a bouquet thinking it was a salad and had been petrified when, after complimenting it, was told it was a bouquet. Jaina tried in vain to console him but he was too embarrassed. He kept muttering that he should have listened to Harry's advice of only eating something if he'd seen someone else eat it first. At least that way he had someone to blame.
With Harry and Astraal, they were once again dancing, this time to a romantic slow song. Astraal had her head on Harry's shoulder as they danced. She had been quiet since she had returned and it was starting to make Harry uneasy.
"What were you and Jaina talking about?" asked Astraal sharply.
Harry was slightly surprised at her tone and looked at her. Her eyes were a strange combination of vulnerable and hard. Harry admonished himself. It was obvious that Astraal had noticed something was going on between him and Jaina. He felt like an ass when he saw the hurt in her eyes.
"We were just talking," said Harry softly. "Settling things between us."
Astraal's eyes softened and started to look reluctantly hopeful. "And did you settle it?"
Harry drew her in for a kiss before smiling at her. "Yes, all thing are settled and we're all friends again."
Astraal gave a radiant smile and gave him another kiss. "I'm glad. I would have hated to turn into the jealous girlfriend but if she continued to act like that I would have cut her hair off."
Harry laughed at the mental image while Astraal just blushed guiltily.
"You don't have to worry, my blue angel," said Harry softly. "I'm yours now. Heart and soul."
Astraal smiled and the two continued to dance the night away.
Later that night
Zekk was half walking/ half running back home. In his opinion, he had ruined the night for himself. Despite his friends' assurances that it was an honest mistake, he still felt horribly embarrassed and had left as soon as possible.
As he was reaching his house, some people stepped out of the shadows of the building next to him. There were three men in armor and one woman.
"Can we have a moment of your time?" asked the black-haired woman who seemed to be the leader of the group.
Zekk looked around and saw he was surrounded. "Actually, I'm kind of in a hurry. Maybe next time."
He tried to edge out of the circle but was roughly grabbed before he could escape.
"It wasn't a question," said the woman in harsh tone.
She then took out a strange device. It had a control pack with two paddles attached. She place the two paddles on either side of his head and activated the device. Zekk expected to be tortured or the like but instead a blue hologram of him appeared from the control pack. Strangely, the hologram had a strong blue corona surrounding it.
"He's one," said the woman. She turned to Zekk before asking, "Would you like to come with us? We promise that you would not regret it."
"Thanks but no thanks," answered Zekk. "I don't have the habit of goong with people that hold me hostage."
The woman seemed annoyed but gave a hand sign. Zekk received a sharp pain in his back that he absently realized must have been a stun bolt. The last thing he saw was the woman ordering the men to carry him.
Shadow Academy, Near Coruscant
Zekk woke up groggily. The stun bolt had finally started to wear off and he was numb all over. He slowly opened his eyes to his new accommodations.
He was in a plain gray cell just big enough for one person to live in. As he looked around, his eyes landed on a man seated in front of the door. He couldn't tell for sure but he seemed fairly tall for a human. He was blond with blue eyes and would be handsome if it wasn't for the look in his eyes. His eyes seem to radiate anger and malice even though he seemed to be calm. He was looking at Zekk curiously.
"Where am I and who are you?" asked Zekk.
"Ah, yes. Where are my manners? I am Brakiss," said the now-identified Brakiss. "I'm sorry for Tamith Kai's treatment. She can be very overenthusiastic at times. Especially when she finds such a powerful boy."
"Powerful?" asked Zekk confusedly. "I think you have me confused with someone else."
"No, I do not, my child," assured Brakiss. "Did you never wonder how you managed to survive all those years alone wandering the galaxy?"
"It's because I'm good at surviving," said Zekk. Despite this, there was a note of disbelief in his voice. How did he survive going across the galaxy alone? By all accounts he should have been killed.
"Yes, you are. You survive despite everything, almost miraculously, wouldn't you say?" asked Brakiss.
Zekk tried to answer but suddenly thought of all the close calls he'd had. Times when he just knew what to do or say to escape.
Seeing Zekk silence, Brakiss smiled. "It's because you can wield the Force."
Zekk was stunned at the revelation. He could use the Force? Then why didn't any of his friends notice? Don't all Jedi know when another can use the Force?
"Then why didn't Jaina or Harry notice?" defended Zekk, trying to cling to his last thread of hope.
"They did," said Brakiss. "They just never told you because they wanted to keep you as 'that poor little street boy'. They didn't want you to rise to their level."
Zekk tried to deny it but if it wasn't true, then why didn't they tell him? Why wasn't he being trained like them at their great Academy?
"Come, child." said Brakiss as he stood up. "Let me prove it to you."
Brakiss opened the door and gestured for Zekk to follow. Zekk did so hesitantly, not quite trusting the man not to be lying to him. They walked down the corridor lined with similar cells to his. He looked in at a few to see children practicing their abilities. Some were floating objects, others were training with lightsaber. Zekk was entranced by the abilities demonstrated.
They eventually reached a door that looked no different from the others. Brakiss opened it to reveal a training room that was big enough for several classes.
"Now, I want you to copy what I'm about to do," said Brakiss.
He turned and walked to a table that held a dozen round metal balls. Stretching out his hand, he lifted 5 balls without touching them. They started to orbit around Brakiss and he made go through several complicated maneuvers.
Zekk was mesmerized by the display of power. At Brakiss's nod, he attempted to do the same with two metal balls left on the table. At first, there was no reaction and Zekk got increasingly frustrated.
"Perhaps I was wrong. Maybe you are nothing but a trash collector," sneered Brakiss. He said trash collector as if comparing it to a cockroach.
This cause Zekk to get angry. He was not a simple trash collector! He was strong! He channeled his anger into it and suddenly the two metal balls floated off the table. Zekk was so surprised that the metal balls dropped to the floor.
"See? You do have power," stated Brakis smugly. "Those so-called friends of yours would keep you as you are. A nobody street child."
The last shreds of Zekk's defiance disappeared. How could they do this to him? He thought they were his friends?!
Unknown to him, Brakiss was using his ability with the mind trick to fuel his anger and suppress his reasoning so he couldn't wonder if perhaps they simply hadn't known.
"Well? Will you stay and train your gift or will you go back to being a simple street rat?" asked Brakiss derisively.
Zekk thought in silence for a minute before answering.
"I'll stay."
Solo residence, Coruscant
The Solo twins and Harry were worried for their friend. Zekk had disappeared after the banquet and they couldn't find him. They had tried to comm him several times but he didn't answer. At first, they thought he simply needed to cool off but now he had been missing for 10 hours. They were understandably worried sick.
"Maybe he's searching for treasures?" asked Jacen hopefully.
"I doubt it," said Harry worriedly. "He would have told us or left a message like he always does."
"Maybe we should go look for him?" asked Jaina. Of the three, she felt the worst. She blamed herself for not keeping an eye on Zekk and letting him be embarrassed. It was an honest mistake for someone who had never been in a banquet and she should have made sure to prevent it.
"Wel-" started Harry. He was cut of by the sound of the doorbell.
Looking at each other, the group of three answered the door to find Peckhum at the door looking just as worried as them.
"Hey guys. Have you seen Zekk? I haven't seen him since he left to your house to go to that banquet," asked Peckhum urgently.
That settled it. Something had happened to Zekk. They told Peckhum what had happened last night and promised to go look for him. Peckhum sat on the sofa while the three Solo-raised teenagers looked at each other grim-faced.
"Do you think it was the Lost Ones?" asked Jacen seriously.
"I doubt it," mused Harry. "They're vandals and crooks but they don't assault people unless they have something valuable. Even then, they leave them alive and mostly unharmed."
"We should go search for him," said Jain urgently. "Jacen, you go with Tenel Ka and Astraal toward the lower levels to look for him. Keep in constant contact with Anakin, Tahiri and C-3PO. If you don't report every ten minutes, we'll go to you last location."
"Meanwhile, I'll go with Jaina, Visas, Lowie, and Chewbacca will join Peckhum's flight up to the OSETS to see if we can repair it enough so it doesn't break down into pieces," finished Harry. "We'll meet up with you afterwards if you haven't found him yet."
The three groups agreed and left to their tasks.
With Jacen's group
The three Jedi were searching the lower levels to see if Zekk was around. They had searched all his old hideouts to find nothing and were getting very worried. Suddenly, Astraal stopped with a look of realization.
"Wait a second. I just remembered something," said Astraal urgently.
"What is it?" asked a confused Jacen.
"Shadow Academy! What if they took him?" asked Astraal fearfully.
The three looked at each other in realization before accelerating their pace. They had forgotten Harry's warning after the events of the past two days. They were passing by a large area of debris when they saw the Lost Ones.
They were acting strangely subdued and fearful. They were all listening to someone giving a speech on top of a ruined speeder. It took a minute but Jacen finally recognized the one giving the speech as Zekk. He looked different than before. He was wearing what seemed to be a black uniform with an insignia on the left breast.
"Hey Zekk!" called out a relieved Jacen. "We've been looking for you everywhere! We were worried about you after you left yesterday night."
Zekk looked at Jacen and regarded him with cool indifference. Jacen was shocked at the lack of response from his friend and started to feel uneasy.
"What's wrong Zekk?" asked Jacen uneasily. He looked around and saw everyone kneeling to Zekk. "Why are all the Lost Ones kneeling to you?"
"Because he is offering them a better life," said female voice from behind Zekk.
Jacen could only look in horror as Tamith Kai, the woman from Shadow Academy, came up behind Zekk and laid a hand on his shoulder. Beside her was a blue-skinned twi'lek male that looked similar to Astraal. Astraal looked at the boy with surprise and hope in her eyes.
"Shado?" asked Astraal hopefully. "Is that you?"
The now-identified Shado sneered at her. "Yes, I'm alive. No thanks to you!"
Astraal looked as if she had been slapped. "W-What? What do you mean?"
"You abandoned me on Tatooine the moment those Jedi offered to take you away!" yelled Shado angrily.
"No! I was told you were dead! They said you died in the mines! If I had known.." said Astraal tearfully.
"Spare me your lies! You're just like mother! A whore who forgets her family the moment a better deal appears!" screamed Shado angrily.
Astraal broke down crying at his statement, futilely trying to defend herself and begging for forgiveness. Shado walked up to her and would have slapped her but Tenel Ka got in between them and Force-shoved him roughly back toward Tamith Kai.
Zekk hadn't reacted or moved from Tamith Kai's side and Jacen finally realized what must have happened. Zekk had joined Shadow Academy.
"Don't listen to her, Zekk!" screamed out Jacen angrily. "All she tells you are lies for her own gain!"
"Like the fact I'm Force-sensitive?" asked Zekk angrily. "Didn't think I would find out huh?"
The group of three were surprised at the revelation, though they shouldn't have been. Jacen always wondered how Zekk always knew where the best stuff was. He realized now it must have been the Force leading him to the treasures.
"Enough," interrupted Tamith Kai. "Stun them!"
Behind the group of three, stormtroopers appeared and sent stun bolts at the group. They had left their lightsabers behind in their hurry to find Zekk and so were unable to dodge or block all the stun bolts. Astraal was also too shell-shocked from the fact that her brother was alive to react in time. They were eventually stunned and left on the floor.
"Let's go! Lost Ones, your new life begins now!" called out Tamith Kai.
Zekk followed after her but not before sending one last sad look at the stunned group of friends. Shado looked back at his fallen sister and for a moment his eyes softened before they hardened once more and he turned his back on her.
With Harry's group
"I appreciate you guys helping me fix this," said a grateful Peckhum.
"It's no problem," assured Harry. "We promised to help you yesterday and we keep our promises."
Peckhum smiled gratefully. "How's that project going for you?"
Harry, Jaina and Lowie had taken to charting the debris around Coruscant since they heard of a ship crashing into something orbiting the planet. They were currently on a break and Jaina was watching a video of something while Harry was talking to Peckhum.
"Pretty good," said Harry shrugging. "I still don't know how short-range fighters could attack the Adamant though."
That was what Jaina was currently puzzling over. She was trying to see where the fighters came from but they just seemed to appear out of nowhere. Harry felt as if he was missing something important. Whenever he thought about it he just kept remembering his meeting with Q'Anilia.
Lowie suddenly got their attention. They walked over to him and he pointed out an anomaly in the debris area.
"You're right, that is weird," mused Jaina. "It's impossible for there to be NO debris in that big an area."
"Unless there's something already there," said Visas. She had been quiet for most of the time there due to being unable to help with her lack of sight. Force sight only goes so far until she refines it. "Remember, Harry. Your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them."
Jaina gasped. "Shadow Academy! Remember? Brea told you that they were around! They're stationed on a mobile base that's invisible to the naked eye! That must be where the base is!"
Just as she said that, her comm beeped. Answering it, it turned out to be Jacen.
"Jaina! It's Shadow Academy! Zekk's joined them!" shouted Jacen over the comm.
Jaina paled drastically as Harry commed Leia to call a strike force to attack the Shadow Academy's location. Jaina pulled herself together and told Peckhum to focus light from the mirrors to the area that has no debris.
They watched with trepidation as the strike force closed in on the area as the mirrors slowly moved. The mirrors hit the area just in time for the Academy to appear. The strike force moved in but were too slow. The Shadow Academy activated it's hyperdrive and escaped.
The group of friends watched as the Academy escaped with one of their oldest friends.
The next day
The group was unusually subdued. The fact that one of their oldest friends had joined the enemy had hit the Solo children hard. Astraal hadn't stopped crying and blaming herself for abandoning her brother on Tatooine. Harry tried to comfort her but she hadn't told him what she was crying about so he didn't know how to comfort her. Jaina refused to think of Zekk as the enemy and promised to bring him back. Meanwhile, Harry blamed himself for not being more careful when he knew the Academy was around. He hadn't taken the threat seriously and it had caused one of his friends to be lied to and taken.
They had received a message pod from Zekk which he had left behind when the Academy escaped. It had a multitasking unit for Peckhum and a message for them. He told them why he joined the Academy and that he was a Force-sensitive. This only made them feel worse for not realizing it sooner. He had always been good at finding things. Too good.
Suddenly, the door to the apartment opened to reveal Luke and Mara. He entered and solemnly looked at the subdued group of teenagers.
"I know you're all still recovering from the revelations that happened yesterday but we need to return to the Academy," stated Luke softly. "We need to prepare for the Shadow Academy's eventual attack."
"How do we know they'll attack?" asked Astraal tearfully.
"Because our Academy is a threat to theirs," said Mara grimly.
The group managed to pull themselves together and slowly left toward their rooms to pack. Only Harry and Visas stayed with the former laying a hand on the latter's shoulder.
"Mom, Dad," said Harry. "I want you to meet Visas. She wants to join the Academy."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Visas," said Luke with a smile. "I'm sure you'll make a wonderful addition to the Academy."
Visas smiled shyly at his statement, clinging to Harry as if afraid to leave his side.
"There's more," continued Harry. "I'm claiming her as my future apprentice once I reach the rank of Jedi Knight."
At this, both adults raised their eyebrows in surprise. It wasn't unheard of for someone to claim a child as their future apprentice but usually it was done when that person was already a Knight, not still a apprentice Jedi Knight like Harry.
"Are you sure?" asked Mara. "Don't you want to be a Knight by yourself before taking an apprentice?"
Harry shook his head. "I promised her mother I would take her as my apprentice. Her mother doesn't trust Jedi. Her father was one and she blamed them for him leaving her as a child. For her to allow her daughter to go the Academy shows extreme trust in me. All she asked was for me to take Visas as my apprentice. I won't break my word."
Luke and Mara looked at each other before Luke nodded. "Very well, she will be your apprentice along with Tahiri once you make Knight."
Harry had asked for Tahiri to be his apprentice in the future. It was no surprise to anyone that she did so gleefully.
Visas smiled brightly and clung to Harry happily while he just smiled gently down at her.
Notes
The gold dress Padme wore when she first arrived at the island retreat with Anakin in Attack of the Clones movie.
The black seductive dress Padme was wearing Anakin confessed to her. You know, the "I will not give into this" dress.
AN: There's chapter 14!
Looks like Harry has his future apprentices all picked out. For those that think that having two apprentices so young may be overkill, you're right! But Harry keeps his promises and never abandons his friends, so he'll try his best!
We finally reached a resolution in the Harry/Jaina thing...for now. Like Leia says, who knows what the future will bring?
We finally meet Astraal's brother Shado. For those wondering, Astraal was told that her brother died in the mines where he was working when she asked for him. That's part of the reason she clings so tightly to her friends. Later chapters will delve deeper into Astraal and Shado's relationship and why he's so bitter toward his sister.
For those thinking that the part where Zekk was captured and turned was quick.. sorry but I hate that part. It always sounds so fake and easy the way Zekk turns so I kinda summed it up.
As always, read and review!