A Fate Unseen: Swarm War

by An Origami Fish

Seven years after the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War, the galaxy has found itself in a downward spiral; the happy end of the war a thing of the past. Fractured and scarred, can the Jedi Order unite and overcome an enemy that cares not for its own fate and wants only chaos? Or will the galaxy finally crumble under the horror that is the Swarm War? Sequel to A Destiny Altered.

21. Jacen IV

Jacen

]-)-I-(-[

Jacen briefly wondered if this is what it felt like to go against everything people assumed, to overturn tradition or go against political sanity. It was a surreal feeling. That little bit of him that continued to tell him that what he was doing was crazy, wasn't a 'Jedi' thing to do, churned his stomach. Here he was, Jedi Order Senator, leading a force of Jedi and allies of the Jedi Order to the Hapes Cluster solely because of a little selfishness. Jedi weren't supposed to usher in wars, they were supposed to end them. In his command were a dozen capital ships, troop vessels, and squadrons of fighters from a myriad of systems.

From his vantage point aboard the bridge of the newly made Rejuvenator-class Star Destroyer, the Anja Gallandro, the glowing green of the Transitory Mist was a dead giveaway as to where they were. Officially, they were going to Hapes to act as a deterrent, warding the Corellians away from any additional acts of provocation. Unofficially, they were going to Hapes to hunt down an infestation of Killiks and help ensure Tenel Ka stayed in power.

Staring out the bridge window, down the uniquely yellow-painted prow of the ship—done so in honor of Anja's lightsaber—Jacen couldn't think of a greater abuse of his position than what he was doing now. His brooding reflection was an almost invisible ghost in the cooled transparasteel window.

It all came down to the safety of his daughter, and his lover; and for some reason, that was supposed to justify what he was doing. It rankled him to no end. But at the same time, to do nothing meant that his family would be placed in great danger. He was doing everything Vergere had warned him not to do, giving into his feelings and choosing Tenel Ka over the safety of the galaxy. If it wasn't for the fact that his brother was staying on at Denon trying to track down one of the Killik threats, and that their father had actually told him to go, Jacen knew that he would have been swallowed up by his own doubt and second-guessing.

As if he wasn't already.

He was supposed to be the cool voice of reason for the Jedi Order. Not rushing off because of the fear clenching his heart like an ever-tightening vice. Anakin was supposed to be the emotional one, not logically sacrificing the happiness of his family so he could combat the problems of a broken galaxy. If there was one thing Jacen knew he wasn't good at, it was dealing with his emotions on any level. Jedi weren't trained to do so, Vergere had encouraged him to kill those emotions as best as he could. Given that he was now rushing to Hapes because of said feelings, he obviously needed to do a better job.

A professional voice cleared his throat politely from behind. "Jedi Knight Solo."

Jacen turned away from the Star Destroyer bridge window, his brown cloak swirling slightly as he faced the officer behind him. With his face an emotionless mask, and his body backlit by the green glow of the Transitory Mists, Jacen tilted his head slightly in acknowledgment. "Captain Serpa?"

The blond-haired Captain Salle Serpa was a Yuuzhan Vong War veteran who was among the many soldiers who had seen things that would have driven a lesser person insane. Those experiences had shaped him, and not in a good way. Jacen appreciated the man's emotional detachment not only from the mission but from his own subordinates and fellow officers. In fact, if the man was a Jedi, he would be the epitome of what Vergere preached. Someone who's only thought was of completing the mission, regardless of how long it took or the cost.

After the war, the man had been one more bad step from being drummed out of the navy, but the sudden rise in pirate attacks meant that the Galactic Alliance Navy couldn't afford not to keep someone of his extensive experience. So instead, the Jedi, famed for helping broken individuals, had offered to take him in.

Saluting crisply, the captain spoke. "Sir, we have an incoming message from the Corellians. You wished to be informed if they contacted us."

"Thank you, captain. You are dismissed."

Jacen strode down the walkway to the communication's alcove just before the bridge doors.

There, Nelani was talking with a hologram of Omwati Jedi Apprentice Tiu Zax. "Oh, here he is now."

"Senator Solo," the blue-skinned teenage Jedi bowed respectfully. "The Corellians received your message via the courier you sent. Considering how we are now in contact with each other, can I assume you have arrived within the Hapes Cluster?"

"I have. What is the Corellian's current position with regards to the conflict?"

"Officially, the Corellians will continue to back our Hapan allies and support them in their cause."

"And unofficially?"

"We are aware that the Heritage Council has been wholly compromised by Killik Joiners and are attempting to rectify the situation on our end. Unfortunately, no matter what we do, Corellia is caught in a bit of a bind. If we begin to fire on Heritage Council planets with the intent to burn out the Killiks, the rest of the Consortium will assume Corellia is invading. If we pull our forces out and let the Hapans and your forces do whatever it is you plan to do, Corellia will look weak in the eyes of her allies. Corellia swore to help the Heritage Council and we can't exactly say 'We're sorry, our allies were actually controlled by giant bugs so we can't honor the arrangement.' Who in this galaxy would actually believe something like that?"

"So you have no plans to attack Hapes?" Jacen pressed.

"The Corellian Jedi do not, no. Admiral Karathas in charge of this fleet says that the Corellians will follow the lead of the Heritage Council, but remain in the back of any fleet formation. Now that the truth is known, Corellia doesn't want to be involved in this any more than it already is."

"So how do the Corellians intend to 'rectify' the situation," Jacen asked. "I have my own ideas and I don't want to step on each other's toes."

"Since discovering the Killiks on Terephon, Corellian vessels have been scanning planets within Heritage Council control. We have since uncovered ten planets with infestations, and probable Killik presences on a dozen others. We believe that Relephon might be the headquarters of the Killik presence, but are not certain. We are currently waiting for Jedi Knight Horn to decide on the next step."

"Okay, is it possible for me to speak to Jedi Knight Horn?"

"No," Tiu shook her head, the white feathers on top ruffling slightly as she did. "Both my master and Jedi Knight Jysella Horn are currently not with the fleet. They believe they can use Jysella's bond with former Jedi Alema Rar to track down the main perpetrator of this conflict and departed shortly before the arrival of your courier. Right now we are holding position in several systems, waiting for the Heritage Council or the Killiks to make their next moves."

"If I understand you correctly, the Corellian fleet wants out, but politically can't leave without damaging their image. They know of the Killik threat, but short of razing Hapan planets, they can't do anything about them. And the Corellians want to avoid a war, but at the same time are trapped into one due to their stated obligations."

"That about covers it."

"Is there anything about the Corellian position that will allow you to cede control of Killik-infested Heritage Council systems?"

"We…could consolidate our forces. One moment, Admiral Karathas would like to talk to you."

The hologram expanded as the elderly Corellian Admiral joined the picture. "Jedi Solo, technically, what you propose is possible. However, we would want something in return."

"If it is within reason," Jacen replied evenly.

"When you are finished eradicating the Killik presence in whatever system we cede to you, we would like you to surrender them back to Corellian and Heritage Council forces. We can even put on a display of force if you wish to save face."

"So the Corellians will appear to be the liberators, returning the planets back to their ruling families."

"Yes."

"You do realize that if the Heritage Council forces have been compromised, they could very well re-infest the planet. Similarly, if the Heritage Council is moving against the current Queen Mother, they would be guilty of treason and their possessions forfeit. Also, if we relinquished control of the systems back to you, the joint alliance led by the Jedi Order will look weak."

"And if we Corellians just left planets of our allies undefended, what type of message would that send to our allies? Look at it this way, young man. We can continue this stand-off, in which case the Killiks will mass and eventually launch their attack. You can try to bring your forces against the Corellian-Heritage Council alliance and both sides will suffer heavy casualties before the Killiks launch their attack. Or you can compromise with Corellia. What's more important to you, the appearance of weakness or the actual safety of the Hapan Consortium?"

"I have a counter offer. Turn on the Heritage Council, and we'll say that the Corellians were working with the Queen Mother all along trying to root out the Killik threat. That only by getting close to the threat could we locate all the individuals involved. Corellia comes out as the Galactic Alliance's strongest ally, Hapes remains unified, and the Jedi Order once again has helped to solve a crisis in the making."

"I would need to contact Coronet for permission to accept such offer," the Corellian Admiral replied. "And I would need a guarantee by the Queen Mother that she will hold Corellia blameless and will support your version of events."

"I am on my way to Hapes as we speak. Send whatever couriers you have to. I know Corellia has no desire to be embroiled any further than it already has. I will speak with the Queen Mother and request she agree to these terms."

"Then pending the approval of the Prime Minister and the Queen Mother, we have an accord. The moment we receive guarantees on your end, we will systematically abandon Heritage Council worlds infested with the Killiks to your forces and began our withdrawal from the sector."

"Your cooperation is most appreciated."

"Corellian flagship Halcyon, out."

The blue glow of the hologram died off.

"So," Nelani began hesitantly, following Jacen into his office just outside of the bridge. "Was that a victory?"

"Only if the Prime Minister and Tenel Ka agree," Jacen shook his head in negative. "And I think it will be hard to convince both. Everyone will be able to see through the political move, and the Corellians will lose face no matter what. Their forces have also already committed crimes against the Hapan Consortium, and to pardon them will put Tenel Ka in a position of weakness. I just hope the admiral and Jedi Apprentice Zax can emphasize the threat the Killiks pose. If not, we're all going to see fleets of burning ships and planets when the two sides destroy each other."

"Like the Chiss and the Remnant."

"Exactly. This Killik threat has to be nipped in the bud, and that will only happen if the different sides can overcome their personal beliefs and help each other."

"Do you think the Queen Mother will agree to your plan? I mean, if it weakens her position and puts her at an even greater risk from the nobility…"

"The alternative is that the Killiks win," Jacen said tonelessly. "And all the status and who's right and wrong won't mean a thing. We need her ships to keep the eradication of Killiks on compromised planets a 'Hapan' affair. It would look just as bad to anyone else if the Jedi Order and Galactic Alliance vessels fired on Hapan planets."

"So…what are you going to give her in return for her fleet?" Nelani looked at her master nervously. "Even if you two are well…lovers, the Royal Fleet is kind of a big thing to be asking for."

Jacen inadvertently let a small strand of shame through his barriers. "If we do this, the Heritage Council and those who follow them will most likely be slaughtered. That will essentially eliminate most of the Queen Mother's enemies in her court. Those left will be too isolated or frightened to do anything else. I'm hoping that security I can give her, I can give to our daughter, will be enough."

"You'd let them be massacred?" Nelani whispered in horror. "Master, they're being controlled by the Killiks. You can't just…"

"What other way is there?" Jacen hissed in a low voice. "If the Heritage Council emerges from this unscathed, the threat to Tenel Ka and Allana will still be there. They'll just plot and plot until one day they might finally get lucky. You read the briefing; the Killiks only enhance feelings that are already present. The Heritage Council would have plotted to overthrow the Queen Mother even without the Killiks interfering. The only good thing about the Killiks is that they forced all the enemies of Queen Mother out into the open. The greatest weakness of Hapes has been its court intrigue…"

"And what?" Nelani challenged. "The greatest solution you can come up with is to massacre everyone who disagrees with the Queen Mother's rule? To have Hapes ruled by one voice, one opinion? Master, I know you. Take a step back, a deep breath. Do you seriously think Tenel Ka will go for what you're offering? That she'll jump at the chance to purge the Hapan courts of every last voice of dissent? Look in the mirror. Is that the type of person you want as Allana's dad?"

Jacen saw his reflection in the porthole of his office, unable to meet his reflection's accusatory gaze. As he took the ordered deep breath, Vergere's lessons once again came to him.

This is exactly why she told him his feelings for Tenel Ka would interfere. As the Force helped him gain an emotional balance, he smiled faintly at his apprentice. Nelani, who had tensed up after her explosion, let out a long breath as well and smiled back weakly.

Casting about for a solution, he remembered something he had heard. "If I recall correctly, the G.A. Intelligence had developed some type of serum for the Joiners they uncovered in the Denon undercity."

"Seha told me about how they dosed Raxi and Siare after the two got all bug-eyed," Nelani answered. "According to Master Jusik, the serum acts as some type of neural inhibitor that cancels out the bioelectrical receptors sensitive to the Killik frequencies. Or something like that, I'm a historian not a doctor."

"Think we can get a copy of his analysis and synthesize it? If we can convert it into an aerosol we can use the Yuuzhan Vong shaping clusters to spread it across the afflicted planets."

"I'll get right on it," Nelani saluted. "And thanks, master."

"I should be the one thanking you," Jacen bowed gratefully. "You'll make a fine Jedi, Nelani. Probably even better than me."

"I have a good teacher." Nelani returned and then left the room.

With the door shut behind him, leaving him alone to his thoughts, Jacen felt his hand curl into a fist. With a harsh exhale, he brought his fist down against the nearest wall, trying to vent all his worry and frustration into the single action. It helped, just barely. He could only hope that Tenel Ka would trust him with not just her life, and that of their daughter, but of the billions of lives she reigned over.

]-)-II-(-[

In the many times he had visited Hapes since his return from his four-year adventure sight-seeing the different Force groups in the galaxy, this was the first time he dreaded it. Not that he wasn't eager to hold his daughter again or embrace a certain Queen Mother; but when he normally came to Hapes, it was to get away from the draining politics on Denon. Not to bring those draining politics to the reclusive planet.

"Emerging from hyperspace now," the bridge officer called out, the tunnel of blue light falling away. In its place, the vibrant browns, greens, and whites of the capital of the Consortium grew rapidly.

Hapes still looked as Jacen remembered it, which wasn't making anything any easier. "Hold position."

"Hapan Royal Navy ships moving to greet us," another sensor operator reported. "Receiving hail from a Hapan Battle Dragon, the Dragon Queen."

"Put it through."

"Galactic Alliance forces, this is Ducha Astarta commander of her Majesty's Hapan Home Fleet. Your presence has been expected and is more than welcome."

"Ducha Astarta," Jacen inclined his head politely. He immediately recognized Isolder's former bodyguard, who had apparently been promoted to fleet commander. "Thank you for the warm welcome, but we did not come here as representatives of the Galactic Alliance. We are merely friends of the rightful Hapan Queen wishing to see that no harm comes to her. The taskforce is being spearheaded by the Jedi Order, and does not have any senatorial backing."

"Forgive me, I assumed that with your presence, the Galactic Alliance Senate decided that enough was enough. Are they still tied up in procedure and pointless bickering?"

"Something like that," Jacen said mildly. "Do I have permission to approach Hapes and land?"

"Granted, Jedi Solo. I would like to offer you a word of warning, however. Signal Intelligence has intercepted communications from the Heritage Council and we believe that an assault on Hapes is eminent. If you could cede control of your taskforce to my command, I will ensure that they are put to good use."

"You can liaise with my apprentice, Jedi Nelani Dinn, for those matters," Jacen gestured. "She is more than capable and is a very quick learner."

"I do my best, master," a flushed Nelani replied in turn. "Ducha Astarta, I look forward to working with you."

"Likewise, Jedi Dinn. Jedi Solo, the Queen Mother is eager to meet you. Best not keep her waiting."

Jacen smiled faintly. "Understood, ma'am. I'll be departing in a shuttle with several delegates from worlds interested in allying with the Queen Mother's Hapan Consortium. My fleet is yours to command."

The transmission ended.

"I'll be okay up here, master," Nelani said brightly. "Go hug your daughter and the Queen Mother already."

"Thanks Nelani," Jacen laughed softly. "I wasn't exaggerating when I told Astarta you're more than capable. But if you do need anything, I'm just a comm-call away."

"I'll let the delegates know you're preparing to depart. Good luck and may the Force be with you."

A turbolift and a few walkways later and Jacen was entering the hangar bay of the Anja Gallandro with his emotions hidden from everyone.

"Lowie," Jacen acknowledged his Wookie friend, clapping his hand on one of Lowbacca's hairy shoulders. "Are you sure Kashyyyk wants to get involved in this?"

"[Senator Triebakk gave me permission to speak on behalf of the Wookies,]" Lowbacca growled solemnly. "[If you believe this path is the best choice for the galaxy, we'll support you.]"

"Thank you," Jacen murmured.

"[I am not entirely selfless, Jacen. Kashyyyk would benefit greatly from an alliance with Hapes,]" Lowbacca said, injecting a small bit of mirth into his growls and woofs. "[Hapes has one of the galaxy's larger fleets. Fleets need upkeep and retrofitting, technological advancements, and the like. That's more work for my people, and a chance to deal with tech that isn't widely available in the galactic market. In addition, Hapans like rare, pretty, and dangerous things, the forests of Kashyyyk is full of them. Best of all, they have no desire to conquer or exploit our planet. There is very little reason not to ally with the government now led by one of our oldest friends.]"

Jacen just smirked and nodded. "Apart from the war and political chaos, they'll make swell allies."

"And that is why we follow you, spawn of the Mal'ary'ush," a guttural voice called out.

"Basbakhan," Jacen acknowledged his mother's former Noghri bodyguard. "Ready to give the people of Hapes their first look at Noghri shocktroops?"

Basbakhan's grin was all teeth. "We have sharpened our claws in hopes of battle. My men and I are eager to defend your clan from whatever is stupid enough to menace it."

"You know," a third delegate, a blue-skinned middle-aged woman named Iona Wince, spoke up. "A week ago, if someone told me I'd be traveling in a yellow-painted Star Destroyer with Wookies, Noghri, Barabel, and ambassadors from Contruum, for the purposes of allying with a reclusive consortium of planets on the verge of a civil war backed by Corellia, I would have thought you were trying to put one over on me."

"Toss in Wroonian, and I would agree," the human Contruum ambassador laughed. "Who would have thought Saleucami would be interested in this little party as well."

"Our sector was ravaged by the Vong during the war, we need Hapan resources to rebuild," Iona, from the Outer Rim world of Saleucami, shrugged; following Jacen, Lowie, and several others into the awaiting shuttle. "We might not have any ships like you people of Contruum. But because the Vong ignored our forests, our botanical and medicinal fields are still going strong. What about you? Isn't Contruum stubbornly independent and loyal to the Galactic Alliance? You'd be the last people I'd have thought to involve themselves in this mess."

"With the Galactic Alliance in the state that it is, the Imps growing stronger every year, Eriadu and the Core worlds siding with Corellia, and Roche and several of our Perlemian Trade Route partners falling into Mandalore's sphere of influence, we can see the writing on the wall. We either join up with other worlds, or risk being absorbed against our will. Hapes has a fleet, we have a fleet, and together it should keep Corellian's territorial expansions at bay. Of course it wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for the Jedi Order."

"To tell you all the truth, my brother and I didn't go recruit your worlds for 'Jedi' reasons," Jacen admitted.

"With all due respect, we don't really care," the Wroonian representative said dismissively. "I don't know about you, Senator Solo, but the rest of the galaxy rarely bothers with your 'Jedi way' of doing things. The Wookies are in it for the commerce. Saleucami is in it for the resources Hapes has available. Contruum wants Hapan ships to back theirs. The Noghri are here to kill whatever you need killing. The others here are probably a mix of those. You didn't recruit our planets for Jedi reasons, and we're not here for Jedi reasons. All I know is that if the Queen Mother approves the treaties between my world and hers, both sides will benefit. As great as it would be if the entire galaxy sat around a cozy campfire holding hands and singing songs, that peace you Jedi want has always been just wishful thinking."

"Maybe," Jacen answered neutrally.

"Survival doez make people make decisionz they might not have otherwize made." Tesar offered. "We believe we are right when we say that these alliances would not have been possible if the galaxy waz not in itz current state. Even the Jedi circumventing Galactic Alliance policy iz not something that would have been seen two yearz ago."

"True," Iona replied with a respectful tilt of her head. "If the Galactic Alliance had actually followed through with the funding of the restoration of our world, we wouldn't have had to seek out other partners. We were on the verge of giving our resources to Corellia in exchange for their help when you Jedi called. With Hapes, at least we know we'll still stay in charge of our own affairs. The same couldn't be said with Corellia in control of Saleucami."

"And Contruum wouldn't even need to consider this treaty if the galaxy had remained stable after the war," the Contruum ambassador agreed. "We all learned from the Vong War that you can't make it alone in this galaxy. Now all it comes down to is which of the sides will weather the coming storm better than the other."

"Hopefully that will be our side," Jacen said. "Otherwise, everything we're doing now will have been for nothing."

]-)-III-(-[

Despite the all-out assassination attempt barely a week earlier, the ceremony-happy Hapans were more than willing to roll out the royal-blue carpet and golden banners for the incoming delegates. The Royal Band played a rousing tune, gleaming Miy'til fighters in all their chrome glory flashed like comets in the bright sunlight. A line of nobility stood on either side of the gold-fringed azure carpet, dressed up in their finest outfits despite the baking heat of the Hapan sun. And waiting at the opposite end of the carpet was none other than the Queen Mother herself, flanked by both Gadell Vessau and Moreem Espara.

The shuttle carrying the various delegates landed, small puffs of steam leaving it as the ramp descended. Though many of the nobles had fought in the Yuuzhan Vong War, had heard of the other species that inhabited the greater galaxy, the delegation that arrived was thus far the most eclectic group of non-human aliens in one place that the gathered crowd had seen. They openly gawked at Iona's blue-hued skin, stared in amazement at Lowbacca's towering figure, blinked at the Gand Findsmen that had accompanied the group, and were otherwise stunned into silence at the two-dozen member delegation that Jacen had brought with him. It was one thing to know that they weren't alone in the galaxy, it was an entirely other thing all together to see it for yourself.

Jacen was last to emerge from the shuttle, following the delegates as they all approached the Queen Mother and bowed low. Each delegate murmured words of respect, and the Queen Mother inclined her head regally, no outward emotion visible. As Jacen approached the Queen Mother, he did his best not to smile, or be worried. Apparently things had degraded on Hapes to the point where her security detail insisted she use a body-double, and that she had agreed. With the rest of the delegation now waiting patiently in a group off to the side, Jacen approached and bowed low.

"Queen Mother of the Hapan Consortium, on behalf of the Jedi Order, I wish to present the delegates of many worlds that wish an alliance with your great peoples."

In a fair imitation of Tenel Ka, Trista tilted her head a fraction. "Thank you, my friend. We are sure that all of Hapes will benefit from this gift the Jedi Order has brought to us. The galaxy can indeed be a lonely and scary place without any friends."

Jacen approached and took Trista's hand in his, marveling at how the attendants managed to pin the royal robes of Her Majesty in such a way as to hide the arm she had 'lost'. Feeling the eyes of everyone else on him, he respectfully kissed Trista's hand and smiled the famed grin he inherited from his father. Pretty much everyone knew of his relationship to Tenel Ka, and for the ruse to remain convincing some amount of acting was needed. "Have you been well, my love?"

"As well as one can expect. You have been missed...Jacen. As have you, friend Lowie and Tesar" Trista replied without missing a beat, looking past Jacen's shoulders. She then turned to address the delegates. "We would like to welcome you to Hapes with a feast. Please, allow our attendants to show you to your quarters and once you have freshened up, meet us back in the dining hall. Should you need anything, you need only ask."

"You are kind and beautiful, Queen Mother," one of the delegates replied humbly.

"If you will excuse us, the Queen Mother wishes to catch up with her dearest friend before the meal. We will be able to talk over dinner."

"Of course," the ambassador from Contruum said congenially.

Trista gestured, and a small army of attendants seemed to come out of nowhere, each taking a delegate and their luggage into the guest wing of the palace. Most of the nobles joined up with the crowd, introductions and initial conversation filling the air like everyone had just arrived at a conference center.

"Having fun playing Queen?" Jacen modulated his voice so that only Trista would be able to hear.

"No," Tenel Ka's cousin replied flatly. "Why anyone would want to murder the sitting regent and take her place is so far beyond me I have stopped trying to understand it. Can you believe that some factions of the nobility still desire Taryn and I to launch a coup and betray our cousin?"

"You're not even enjoying it a little bit?" Jacen pressed, being on Hapes always seemed to lift his spirits regardless of the political threats.

"Maybe a little," Trista finally admitted. She glanced over to her side. "Captain Espara, we appreciate your diligence and dedication to the throne. We would now request that you and Major Vessau check in with the kitchen staff to ensure the dinner is going as scheduled. We will be fine with Jedi Knight Solo here. Oh, and if you could bring him a small snack as well, politics does create an appetite."

"As you command, ereneda," Moreem replied, saluting sharply. Being out in the open, she couldn't show a single iota of disrespect.

Trista's face remained impassive, but Jacen could feel her grinning on the inside.

"Being a Queen Mother does have its benefits," Jacen prompted.

"Indeed." Trista muttered under her breath. They began following the last of the nobles back into the palace, Jacen's hand holding Trista's for show.

"You do look a lot like her, you know."

"Thank you, she is an amazing woman."

"She is."

A few seconds lapsed in silence. Jacen had always had an amiable relationship with the Zel twins. Something that had improved after that kiss he had given Tenel Ka on Zonama Sekot all those years ago. They were comrades-in-arms of a sort, just as dedicated to Tenel Ka's safety and happiness as he was. They saw Tenel Ka as an older-sister figure, a mentor and someone to aspire to be. They saw him as the token male who made the Queen Mother happy, and that was really all that mattered.

"How's Taryn?"

"She was…injured…when the attempt to subdue Jedi Knight Zekk was undertaken," Trista replied, choosing her words carefully.

"I made contact with Zekk using the Jedi Meld," Jacen said with concern. "He seemed okay at the end."

"Mentally I suppose," Trista allowed, albeit not as enthusiastically. "Jedi Knight Mallie Marek was effective in neutralizing the threat…"

"But…."

Trista exhaled slowly. "Jedi are capable of viewing the memories of another?"

"Just think about what happened," Jacen nodded.

Trista's gray eyes flicked upwards, and she held his gaze.

Jacen released a breath of his own and gently entered her mind.

]-)-IV-(-[

"Look, there's Jedi Knight Marek!" Taryn yelled, ducking back below cover as a volley of lasers cut through the air above them. "Maybe she can back us up….never mind."

Trista turned her head and saw the blond-haired Jedi rush through the hallway with a grim expression on her face and a comlink held in one hand.

"Do you think you can locate Jedi Knight Zekk?" Came the Queen Mother's voice, audible over the din of blaster fights all over the palace.

Trista didn't even need to be Taryn's twin to know where her sister was heading. The moment Mallie replied with 'I'm heading there right now' Taryn had taken off at lightspeed. Not that Trista was too far behind. She too was worried for Zekk and was all for acts of life-endangering recklessness to find out the truth about what had happened on Relephon.

Mallie looked to the two of them as they fell in stride on either side of her. Both Trista and Taryn heard the full extent of Tenel Ka's orders and stared expectantly at the blond Jedi.

Rolling her eyes, Mallie held the comlink up again. "I'll take care of it. Hope you don't mind, but I recruited two of your Royal Guard. I figured I might need some back up."

"Which two?"

"Taryn and Trista."

There was a moment's pause. "May the Force be with you."

"And not with the bastard orchestrating this entire thing," Mallie finished. "I'll contact you when I have results. Marek, out."

"Where are we going?" Taryn said tersely, the trio setting off again.

"One of the towers," Mallie answered in clipped, measured tones that matched the steady footfalls of her booted feet. "One thing the two of you have to be aware of, however. The Zekk that's up there is not the Zekk you know."

"What do you mean?" Taryn said, drawing her blaster and absently taking out an assassin that had just rounded the corner in front of them.

"I'm not sure how much you know about his past, or the Force, but there's a side of Zekk very few people alive has seen," Mallie replied, her voice as wooden as her normally gentle face.

"He admitted he was a dark Jedi once," Taryn offered.

"That's a simplification of things," Mallie shrugged. "Look, the Force isn't just light-side, dark-side. It isn't bad against good, or right against wrong. There's aspects of those things in everything anyone does in their everyday lives. But bad things can be done for a good reason, just as good things can be done to make bad things happen. Zekk's brush with the dark side actually skirted along the gray area most Jedi ignore. After all, he was redeemed pretty much instantly and was too young then to understand the full consequences of his actions. There's a reason why you don't see teenage Sith running around, just emotionally disturbed teenagers with powers they're only beginning to understand."

"So what does this have to do with Zekk?"

"Zekk and myself actually," Mallie continued. "We're considered 'light side' Jedi due to our choices and abhorrence to the suffering and injustices around us. But we both have a side we keep locked away. Why? Because that part of us is dangerous if we use it the wrong way. Whatever has control of Zekk, however, stripped away those inhibitions. I just want the two of you to prepare yourself for the worst."

"And that would be?"

"Zekk is currently using a Force technique which demoralizes the Royal Guard and emboldens the assassins. I'm not sure where he learned it from, but it has to be stopped. If we can't subdue him, we'll have to kill him," Mallie replied flatly, stunning the two red-heads.

"Kill him," Trista repeated, unsure whether she had heard it correctly.

"Yes," Mallie's voice was emotionless as she continued up a flight of stairs. "Otherwise the assassins will kill more than the Queen Mother can afford to lose. Zekk in his right mind wouldn't want that to happen."

Trista and Taryn exchanged silent looks, communicating paragraphs of arguments in the span of a few seconds. After a moment, a similar emotionless mask fell over Taryn's face. "Fine, but if it comes down to it, let me be the one that pulls the trigger."

Mallie regarded the younger woman evenly. "If it comes down to it. It might not."

They continued up the flights of stairs to the upper most point of the Fountain Palace, emerging out into an open-aired pavilion ringed by a dozen thick columns carved out of black Hapan basalt and roofed by a domed ceiling. The sounds of battle seemed so faint from where they were, but the fight was most definitely ongoing. When they arrived at their destination, they immediately saw who they had been looking for.

Seated in the center of the room was Zekk.

But Mallie had been right. It was not the Zekk they knew. Wearing only a set of trousers made of some type of carapace material, the Jedi Knight was facing them as they climbed the last of the stairs. Yellow eyes remained open as Zekk stared out at some unseen image, the whites reddened unnaturally. Blue veins lined his face, hands, bare chest, and ankles and feet, his skin several shades darker than usual. And placed in front of him was the lightsaber Taryn had helped him construct over a week ago.

"Zekk!" Taryn yelled.

Mallie held out an arm and kept Taryn from rushing to the Jedi. "Stay back."

"But…" Taryn trailed off.

Zekk was rising to his feet, his gaze focusing on them and his eyes becoming all black. "You should not keep interfering, Mallie Marek."

"Bad habit of mine," Mallie quipped, her body ramrod stiff. "Would asking you to stop the Battle Meditation work? You're getting a lot of the Queen Mother's guards killed."

"They must die," Zekk replied in a chillingly emotionless voice. "They represent the light. They must be extinguished or the silver-eyed sleeper will awaken."

"Well, that solves things," Mallie said flatly. "Now you sound like Taryn and Trista did back over on Denon. Same puppet master I guess."

"You should not have come here," Zekk held out both hands.

A torrent of purple lightning arched out from Zekk's hands streaking across the short distance towards the blond Jedi.

Taryn and Trista leaped back in shock, but Mallie surprised them even further by unleashing her own brand of dark blue lightning. The two currents met mid way, crackling and ionizing the air in a flashy show of deadly energy.

"You're not the only one who's learned how to channel their darker emotions," Mallie replied tonelessly, effortlessly keeping up with the electrical barrage. The blue and purple light flared and crackled, casting the two combatants in a bright, flickering light. "You showed me once, remember? Told me that your fear of the dark side allowed it to fester within. Just like my hatred of all the injustices in this blaster galaxy gives me a similar strength. So what's stronger, my hate or your fear?"

At what seemed like timed intervals to Taryn and Trista's eyes, the purple lightning would advance and retreat away and towards its caster. Both Zekk and Mallie held their ground, hands extended as their negative emotions continued to manifest themselves in the deadly electrical display. The air quickly filled with the smell of ozone, becoming dry and still. Violent hisses and popping noises accompanied the incessant streams of lightning, the only sound in the deathly quiet pavilion.

Then all at once, Zekk appeared to get a boost of power from some unseen force. The purple lightning swallowed the blue whole, crackling down Mallie's arms and sending the woman flying backwards into one of the pillars with a sickening crunch.

"Zekk, no!" Taryn quickly interposed herself between Zekk and the injured Jedi, blaster raised.

Zekk stared at Taryn for a long moment, then made a hand gesture. In a split second, Taryn let out a howl of pain as her outstretched arm was suddenly bent in several angles where there were no joints.

Trista drew her own blaster and fired several times, but Zekk was already a blur of motion. An open hand strike caught Trista in her solar plexus, and the Force-assisted blow sent her crumbling to the ground gasping for air. Another gesture, and suddenly the still crippled Taryn was lifted up into the air and sent flying into another column.

Images suddenly bombarded Trista's well-ordered mind; her sister dying one way after another, her father's disapproving glare, her failure to do her duty. Emotions she had long locked away were ripped to the forefront of her mind, and Trista stayed where she was, a limp mess.

Mercifully, the onslaught was short. Mallie leaped back to her feet and executed a perfect shoulder tackle on Zekk, driving him backwards. He moved with the momentum, a hand held out and catching his newly air-borne lightsaber.

Mallie kicked off, her own saber flying into her hand and igniting at the same time as Zekk's blade. Molten yellow clashed with Zekk's white-core, red-sheathed blade. The two then began a series of rapid exchanges, their bodies seemingly moving faster than humanly possible.

"He'll burn out first you know," Mallie taunted, her blue eyes a shade darker and movements growing more and more aggressive. "Never did have as much rage as I do."

"You risk the death of a galaxy, resisting as you do," Zekk said in a nonanswer. "We are trying to do what is right, what a true Jedi should do. We are trying to bring true balance to the Force, why do you persist?"

"Well, for one, if anyone sees you right now, they're going to wonder what I ever saw in you. I'll never be able to use the excuse 'he was a pretty face,' ever again," Mallie said, hissing as Zekk's saber scored a brief hit on her arm. "But generally, I'm against the whole death-of-billions makes the galaxy a better place philosophy. Especially if you include your friends in that number."

Zekk made a gesture with one hand, and Mallie was lifted in the air, an invisible force pushing on her torso from all directions.

Startled by the blinding pain, Mallie dropped her saber. After only a second, she began to cough up blood.

"Die now," Zekk said disinterestedly.

"What about Taryn and Trista?" Mallie rasped out, struggling to counter the crushing technique. "Are you going to kill them too?"

Zekk briefly glanced at the twins, then blinked. Mallie had shielded them from their senses and only now could he see them. Both were holding their blasters up and aimed at him. Again Mallie went flying. Zekk blasted both twins with another barrage of purple lightning, but this time, the twins managed to get off several shots. They were still subjected to a second or two of the life-draining pain, but Zekk fell to the ground nonetheless.

The pavilion seemed oddly quiet after his body hit the ground, filled only with the labored breathing of the three women.

But their ordeal was not quite over.

Hurried footsteps broke the monotony, a squadron of Hapan commandos emerging.

"Major, execute the traitor Jedi before he regains consciousness," a Hapan colonel barked to one of her subordinates. "Get some medics up here too."

Trista, Taryn, and Mallie were in no condition to stop the squad no matter how badly they wanted to. However, just as a commando stood over Zekk's unconscious form with blaster in hand, a silver blade of light shot out of her chest. The rest of the squad quickly brought their weapons to bear, but they stood little chance against the dual lightsaber blades that flew in and out of the columned rooftop. After a tense few seconds, the last of the commandos fell to the ground, very much dead. The two glowing sabers deactivated and flew back into the shadows.

Another few seconds, and the familiar figure of Alema Rar emerged, dropping down from the rooftop and sauntering into the room. Her eyes were completely black, just like Zekk's had been, but her skin seemed more naturally blue than Trista could ever remember seeing.

Alema stopped over Zekk's form, a faint smile appearing as she gazed on his face almost affectionately. "Your time with the Kind is done now, Joiner Zekk. The one called Alema made a bargain with us. We will continue our plans, but your ultimate happiness is not with the Kind." Pitiless eyes locked onto a still traumatized Trista. "You will safeguard his happiness. He is a friend of the Kind. We will be most displeased should harm come to him on your watch."

The sudden feeling of a speeder being parked on her limp body caused Trista to cry out and nod fervently. The pressure was released and Alema moved on.

"Mallie Marek," Alema tilted her head to the side, regarding Mallie with an emotionless stare. "We are sparing you only because Alema Rar and Zekk wish it. But should you continue to interfere in our affairs, we will not be as merciful."

"Much appreciated," Mallie gasped out, spitting out a glob of blood. "But no promises."

"We will go now, do not attempt to follow or stop us. There is more at stake than you believe."

"Alema, wait," Taryn managed to rasp, somehow pulling herself up.

Alema, however, held out a hand. "Sleep now, Taryn Zel. Now is not the time to fight."

In a split second, Taryn fell back over, completely unconscious.

"Tend to your war," Alema instructed with a gesture, bypassing the fallen Hapans and Jedi and heading down the stairwell. "It is better the flames consume what little fuel there is now, than ignite the built up hatred and jealousy that might exist later."

]-)-V-(-[

The images he had seen in Trista's mind occupied Jacen's thoughts for the remainder of the walk to the Queen Mother's chambers. It was pretty obvious that both Alema and Zekk had become 'Joiners,' under the sway of whoever was controlling the Killik nests in the Hapes Cluster. But it was Lomi's motives voiced through Alema that confused Jacen the most. It almost seemed as if the Killiks thought the chaos and discord they were spreading was a good thing. That there was something much worse they were averting by doing so.

The Force wasn't helping him in this matter. Whether the Killiks were stopped or not, all Jacen could see of the future were burning ships, planets, and a dark shadow surrounding everything. The only difference was who those burning ships belonged to. He definitely recognized the Hapan markings of the ships in the 'Killiks-weren't-stopped' timeline; and Chiss ships, and Yuuzhan Vong vessels. If the Killiks were stopped, however, he could see ships from hundreds of different worlds engaged in combat. Remembering his lessons about trying to manipulate the Force, Jacen once again withdrew himself from those endless possibilities. He might be able to affect the future somewhat, but the only thing he could change for sure was the present.

"I'll enter the room with you, but I will leave the back way," Trista said, her first words to him since she had shared her memories. "You will be alone with Her, and your daughter."

"Thank you for the escort," Jacen said courteously. With his mind being snapped back to the present, he became keenly aware of just how anxious he was to hold Tenel Ka and his daughter once more.

Taking a deep breath and wiping his suddenly sweaty hands on his Jedi robes, he gave a curt nod to Trista, who proceeded to push open the elaborate wooden doors to the Queen Mother's chambers. Once they were inside and the doors closed behind them, he didn't even register Trista leaving. The only thing in his sight was the real Queen Mother and the child cradled lovingly in her one arm. The afternoon sun shone through the quartzite skylight, muted yet casting the mother and child in a warm glow.

"Tenel Ka," Jacen whispered, almost awe-struck.

Tenel Ka offered a wan smile, gray eyes glimmering with similar happiness and relief. "Jacen."

Jacen closed the short distance between the doorway and the bed-side rocking chair almost on autopilot, slowing only when he focused on his daughter once more. "Hard to believe it's been nearly three months since I was last here."

"All that matters is that you are here now," Tenel Ka corrected softly, tilting her head back to briefly accept his tender kiss. "We cannot do anything about the events that have already transpired. But we can most definitely try our best to make the future a bit better."

"Definitely." Jacen reached out a timid hand and gently rested it on the top of his daughter's head, feeling the almost downy curls of blondish-red hair in wonderment. "Were the couriers I sent able to get you the message?"

"They were," Tenel Ka sighed. She looked much more tired and older than the twenty-sevenish year old woman she was. "I truly wish there was another way…but I understand the logic of your arguments. Either these traitors are dealt with in our time, or Allana will be forced to deal with them in hers."

"I'm having the scientists I brought along try to come up with some sort of gas that will disable the Joiners without killing them."

"I have a similar project ongoing. Former Jedi Sinsor Khal is leading a team of scientists analyzing samples taken from Zekk and the remains of the assassins. It is our hope that his time can somehow undo the mind control used."

"I'll move my team groundside then. Have them link up with Sinsor's team and combine their efforts. The problem of those wanting to dethrone you will still remain, however. Even without the Killiks, their true intentions have shown through."

"And arresting them en masse is something my grandmother would have done, so that is not an option," Tenel Ka agreed. She gently handed Jacen Allana and stood, gazing out the balcony at the gleaming city of Tenel Ka Chume Dan. "I would need to set up some sort of commission, a place for those dissatisfied to air their grievances in a safe manner, free of consequences and reproach. The Heritage Council represents a fairly large section of Hapan nobility, so the dissatisfaction with my rule will most likely run even deeper."

"If I or the Jedi Order can do anything to help…"

"No. I am sorry," Tenel Ka looked to Jacen, her face softening slightly as she watched him rock their daughter back and forth in his cradled arms. "But this has to be a Hapan endeavor. With the delegates you brought, you and Anakin have taken the first steps in forcing our doors open to the outside galaxy. But Hapes is not yet ready to have our internal affairs and way of life dictated by our galactic relations like so many other worlds are. When I took the throne, I promised my people to be a Hapan first and foremost. Until Hapes is ready for me to be a Jedi, I will have to solve this problem as a Hapan."

"I understand," Jacen nodded tiredly, marveling at the innocent life slumbering against his chest. "It's just…"

"I understand," Tenel Ka whispered, her voice pained. "What you have done, the forces you have brought and the answers you have come up with, they have helped a great deal already, my dearest friend. But…"

"Not all powerful," Jacen quipped with a ghost of a smile.

"Indeed."

Jacen focused back on his daughter, trying to commit to memory the feel of her small body in his arms, her scent, her presence in the Force. With the way the galaxy was going, he had no idea how many chances he would have to do this, to hold and love his daughter, and he wasn't taking the moment for granted.

"Do you agree to the plan that I worked out with the Corellians?" Jacen looked back to his lover.

"Unfortunate to the families of those who were killed in the skirmishes, agreeing to pardon the Corellians is the only foreseeable way to prevent more deaths," the red-haired queen relented with a nod. "Provided that Corellia understands that that is as far as my goodwill will go, I agree in theory to the plan. They will withdraw their forces from designated systems, and my ships will go in and eradicate any Killik presence and neutralize the Joiner population. The coalition forces you brought will remain on hand to safeguard the systems loyal to myself and repel any possible Heritage Council/Killik strike. Do we have any idea as to the strength of the Killik forces?"

"If the information the Corellians sent over is any indicator, there are enough Killiks for them to be active on at least two dozen worlds. We're just guessing here, but we believe that the Killiks became active in the Hapan Cluster nearly four years ago. They've had that long to build up their numbers and initiate their plots."

Tenel Ka rubbed at her forehead. "Then let us hope that what is left of the Royal Navy is up to the task. As things stand, with the Heritage Council opposing me, the Royal Navy is at less than two-thirds strength. Hapes relies on the nobility to fund ships, relies on their people to crew them. Even if we are victorious in this endeavor, Hapes will not be a significant military force for many years after. The worst part is, is that this is taking into account the best possible outcome. It is highly likely we'll be ceding our portion of Hutt Space to the Bothans due to our inability to police and control that region of space from afar."

"Hopefully the other treaties that will be made can make up for that."

"That is the only positive news," Tenel Ka said. She let her hand drop and looked to her lover. "I've already given orders to my fleets to begin assembling at key locations. At the moment, I'm waiting for a Heritage Council fleet attack on Hapes to ensure that their systems have the fewest number of ships protecting them. I'll be relying on your forces, and that of the Bothans, to keep my people safe."

"How many worlds do you intend to hit?"

"As many as I can," Tenel Ka answered succinctly. "I am going to assume that the Killiks will retaliate the moment they realize we know where they are. Given that they were able to reach Hapan space to begin with, I am also assuming that they have a sizable fleet somewhere in the Consortium. With their current numbers, the Royal Navy can launch six large-scale simultaneous attacks, so I have chosen worlds belonging to the Heritage Council houses Chell, Galney, Gheer, Zir-dan, and Thane."

"Not AlGray or Aros?" Jacen raised an eyebrow.

At that, Tenel Ka smiled enigmatically. "I am not so helpless and in the dark as you might think, my friend. Ducha Asin'vi Aros may be a part of the Heritage Council, but she is also a Royal Intelligence agent. It was her information that allowed me to get Heritage Council backing for my initial alliance with the Bothans and identify houses falling into their sphere of influence. Recently I had worried that Asin'vi had betrayed me, but it is more likely that the Killiks compromised her. Her daughter, after all, is in the same squad as Taryn and Trista and remains adamant of her house's loyalty to the royal family. Corellian Intelligence believes that her homeworld is one of three major Killik centers of operation, so I will be leading the assault on that world personally."

"And AlGray?"

"They are still open supporters of the royal family," Tenel Ka replied wanly. "I cannot launch an attack on their home system without my other allies becoming worried that I have become a tyrannical ruler bent on staying in power."

Jacen chuckled softly. "Nah, you're just a mildly benevolent ruler bent on staying in power."

"I could always step down." Tenel Ka's words were said without emotion, and Jacen blinked when he realized that she was completely serious about the offer.

"Tiki?"

Tenel Ka removed the diadem she had been wearing and stared at it tiredly. "This crown, these robes, this planet and the sixty-three systems I'm supposed to lead. All of it is between me and the family I wish to have. Between me and you and Allana. A mother should worry about whether she's tied off the swaddling cloth right, and not worry about where the next assassination attempt on her daughter will come from. A daughter who should have her father in her life but can't because of the burden of duty placed on her mother's shoulders. I have devoted the past nine years of my life trying to help improve the lives of my people, and all I have gotten in return is more enemies envious of my popularity among the common-folk. As Queen Mother I am not allowed to have friends, am not allowed to do a great many things despite being in charge. And after almost a decade, I am tired of it. I can see why my mother stepped down during the war. I suppose I'm fortunate she was able to survive for as long as she had in this environment…" She trailed off, her thoughts continuing loudly through her bond with her lover.

Jacen sat on the edge of the large bed and let the mattress take his weight. Through the Force, he continued to reinforce his bond to both Allana and Tenel Ka. "What would you have me do, my love?"

Gray eyes shimmering, Tenel Ka held his tender gaze. She reached out with her lone hand and rested the palm against his cheek, feeling the coarse whiskers beneath. "You have but to ask, Jacen. Ask me to step down. To appoint someone else to take on everything so that we can truly be a family. Ask me to be at your side once more, trade my silk robes for Rancor leather, my crown for the lightsaber. No more politics, treaties, plots and intrigue. Just us, Allana, your family, the Force. Ask me."

Jacen was unable to look away as he covered her hand with one of his, feeling his own eyes water at her request. It was something he wanted more than anything, but again couldn't have because of everything. She knew he could never ask, just as he knew she could never truly give up her position with things in the state they were.

"Someday, Tiki," Jacen whispered hoarsely, closing his eyes so he did not have to see the resigned pain fill his love's eyes. "Someday, I'll ask that. I promise."

"Then I will eagerly await such a day," Tenel Ka whispered back, letting her hand slip away to caress their sleeping daughter.

Jacen shifted, pulling Tenel Ka to him, and the trio reclined back into her bed. Tenel Ka simply rested her head in the crook of his arm, reaching out her lone hand to hug both him and their child. As he held his family, Jacen reflected on how ironic their situation was. Here they were, a queen and a Jedi senator, capable of making decisions that affected the lives of billions of people. Yet, when it came to their own lives and the life they wanted to live, they were completely powerless. While he and Tenel Ka were passing laws and signing treaties to ensure that families could live happy, prosperous lives, the effort that went into such signings ensured that the two of them were denied a similar happy life.

Was it selfish of him to want to go back to his original plan, wipe out all the Heritage Council members so that Tenel Ka would be less stressed? So that their daughter wouldn't have to deal with the same heartache when she came of age and fell in love. He so wished he could just wave a hand, right the wrongs, and then return to his family by supper. Yet, that was not to be.

He could feel Tenel Ka doze off against him, the stress of her position finally bleeding away as she used their bond to recuperate. He could feel Allana's innocent presence in the Force, delighted that he was holding her once more. He closed his own eyes, trying to keep his negative emotions from the two of them.

Evidently he was as successful as Anakin was when it came to hiding his distress.

Simultaneously, both Allana's and Tenel Ka's Force presences converged on his own, washing away the distress and tension with soothing waves of love and compassion. It was only then that Jacen finally exhaled and let the worries temporarily disappear. He would have plenty of time to fret over an imminent invasion of mind-controlling bugs later.

Now, now was time for his family.

Tightening his grip on Allana and Tenel Ka, Jacen felt himself drift off with the two of them, receiving a temporary reprieve from the demands of a galaxy.

]-)-Chapter End-(-[

A\N: Well, here we go, Jacen's now on Hapes and ready to be all politically and carry out aggressive negotiations with the Killiks. Next chapter next week is Zekk's…nice and fluffy as you learn about how he's recovering from his Joining=).