Ben walked into his father's chambers on Ossus under his own power. It had been days since he was wounded at Tatooine. The emergency medical team at Anchorhead, followed by some extra Jedi healing courtesy of Cilghal, had managed to fix most of his physical wounds, though he still did everything slowly, lest the wound on his side start hurting again.

As for the effects in his head, he wasn't quite sure how long those would last. A lot of it was simple shame. Shame at being drawn in by the girl, the girl who was young and angry but also kind of pretty, who reminded him too much of Vestara. Shame at being bested by her, and losing his own lightsaber to boot. Shame, finally, at losing the datarod containing Biggs Darklighter's last message to his father from forty-five years ago. Better than losing the other datarod, of course, but it was still something he ached to give his father. During their debriefing, he and Tahiri had explained everything else: Traygo's murder, the chase and crash, the meeting with Tuskens, the shelter in a homestead (whose owners they did not name) and finally the confrontation at Tosche Station. Afterward, Tahiri had stayed with Master Skywalker to explain something private, Ben didn't know what, but he had a feeling it didn't pertain to the old homestead. Nothing in his father's expression since then had indicated as much.

Although that was not always a reliable measure, not any more. During Luke Skywalker's period as Outcast, Ben felt himself bonding with his father as he never had before. However, ever since Luke's confrontation with Abeloth and his encounter with the Morath Monolith, he seemed to be getting distant again. He sent Ben and Tahiri off on all sorts of missions to all the corners of the galaxy, and held many secret meetings in the Jedi head-quarters on Ossus. Ben knew his father suspected there were more Sith out there, and not just the scattered remains of the One Tribe. Somehow that made him seem older, more grim and burdened than any other time save those awful days after his wife, Ben's mother, had been killed.

Now Ben walked into his father's quarters in the Temple. It was on the highest level of the ancient Jedi pyramid that the new Order had rebuilt since moving their headquarters to this world. Bright light shone through the window, revealing mottled clouds over arid, rocky mountains. Ben often heard older Jedi complain that Ossus seemed barren and sterile compared to Yavin 4, but right now he was just glad not to be on Tatooine.

Whether his father felt that way was anyone's guess.

His father, dressed in his dark Grand Master's robes, stood facing the window. He must have felt Ben enter, but he hadn't reacted. Ben waited in the doorway for a long moment and, when he got no response, rapped his knuckles against the doorframe.

"Hello, Ben," his father said without turning. "Are you doing better?"

"Yep," Ben stepped into the room. He moved with a slight limp but tried to hide it. "Good as new, more or less."

"More or less?" Luke turned around.

"Give me a day or two," Ben said, and sat down on the room's longest sofa. "We have that long, right? You just called the Jedi Council together today for tea and cookies, didn't you?"

"I wish I had," Luke smiled gently. He stepped away from the window, robes swishing behind him, and sat down next to Ben. He leaned forward, folding his hands and resting his elbows on his knees. "We've been running several missions lately, yours included, that all seem to point in a single direction, though we're still not entirely sure what that direction is."

"You mean those coordinates?" Ben asked. "We checked them in the Shadow's navcomputer. It looked like they were some place in the Unknown Regions. Not even a star system, just empty space."

"We'll get to that in the meeting," Luke said.

"Don't I get a preview?" Ben faked his best pout.

"Sorry, no spoilers," Luke pat his son on the knee. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay. You won't leave right away, but there's a mission in the offing."

"Of course I'll be ready," Ben said, "Especially if it gives me the chance to get my lightsaber back."

"Ah, yes, that," his father gave a sly smile. "Smarts, doesn't it, losing something that important?"

"You bet it does," Ben scowled. "Humiliating is what it is. I let her play me."

"Maybe," Luke said. "Though you might be interested to know that I did some checking. Cole Fardreamer was the deck chief on the Resilient. He was killed at Fondor. His wife, Treena Varsong, died at the other Battle of Fondor, before you were born. Shortly before she died, she gave birth to one daughter, named Miranda."

"Miranda," Ben repeated. "Miranda Fardreamer... So she wasn't making it up."

"What did you feel in the Force? If she got you to drop your guard, you must have felt something."

"I felt sadness," Ben said, "And anger. There was cunning underneath that, too, but I guess I didn't pick that part up until it was too late." Just like Vestara, he thought. Maybe his dad thought so too, but neither of them said it. "She was very bitter about the Jedi. She blamed Jedi for both her parents dying. One time for making war, the other time for trying to stop it."

"If only we'd been consistent, she'd have only lost one parent," Luke observed.

Ben looked at his father. Was that a joke? His ex-pression remained serious.

"The Jedi have always been a lightning rod for controversy, Ben. We have powers most being don't understand, and have always stood at the forefront of historical events. The Order has made mistakes, as has each and every individual Jedi, but I firmly believe the Jedi Order is a force for good in this galaxy, the best force there is.

"I remember Cole Fardreamer, you know. I'm very sorry about what happened to him and family. He reminded me of myself in a lot of ways. Young, ambitious, eager to please, even though he was just a lowly deck-hand. He was a good man, and he didn't deserve what happened to him."

His father looked down at his hands. Ben said, "You know, it's funny. I'm used to all that anti-Jedi talk coming from sleemos like Daala. Hearing it from... Miranda... that was something different. In a way, I can't say I blame her. I mean, she's still wrong, I just... don't blame her for being bitter."

"Everything we do has consequences, Ben, sometimes ones you can't predict. When I started training your cousin, all those years ago, how could I possibly know he'd indirectly cause the death of a boy from Tatooine who helped me on a mission once? The galaxy is a big place, and as Jedi we're naturally swept along in big events. If there's any lesson to draw from this, it's that you should always be mindful of those big events, and the effects they can have on the lives of everyday people."

"Oh," Ben said "I though the lesson was to stay away from girls with daddy issues."

As a joke, it hit too close to home to be funny. Nonetheless, Ben's father favored him with a smile. "There are many truths out there, Ben, and they all depend on the point of view we take. I'd say both our truths are pretty true."

"Fair enough," Ben shrugged.

Luke reached into the folds of his robe. "In the meantime, while you're waiting to get your saber back, you should probably have a loaner."

When his hand re-appeared, it was clutching a battered silver cylinder. Just looking at it made Ben's heart drop into his gut.

"That's Mom's," he said hoarsely.

"I think she'd want you to have it."

Ben took the lightsaber in both hands reverentially. He felt scared to thumb the weapon on. Instead he hooked it carefully to the loop of his belt. It felt far heavier than it really was.

"I'll bring this back safe," he told his father.

Luke smiled gently. "I'm sure you will."

That trust meant more than Ben could say.

He blew out a tense breath and said, "So, do you think it's about time? I saw Jaina and Master Horn in the council chamber on the way here. The rest should be there by now."

"I think you're right, Ben." Luke Skywalker got to his feet and smoothed out his Jedi robes. "Come on, let's see how everyone else is doing."

As they walked toward the door, Ben asked, "Hey dad, I know we just talked about staying away from girls, but I'd really like to get my own saber back."

"As to that," his father said, "You'll just have to trust the Force."

-{}-

Jaina still felt a little out of place among all the Masters. She wasn't in the Jedi Council and didn't attend these meetings regularly, so it still felt slightly surreal to hold the same rank as legends like Corran Horn and Kyle Katarn. She still remembered the brief, adolescent crush she'd had on Kyp Durron during his fiery younger days, and now here she was, sitting next to him in the round, shallow arena Uncle Luke used for official meetings, waiting for him to show up.

Kyp was older now. His long dark hair, still tied back in a ponytail, was streaked with gray. He'd grown out a beard since she'd last seen him. It wasn't as shaggy as Kyle Katarn's or a groomed goatee like Corran Horn's. It looked like Kyp had forgotten to shave for a week and was pondering the results. For whatever reason, almost all the hair on his chin was gray. It wiped away the last bits of youth on Kyp's face, but what it left in its place, Jaina couldn't decide.

She leaned in and said to him, "You really need to get rid of that."

"Get rid of what?" Kyp said, though his hand went to his chin.

"It makes you look old," she said.

"I was going for dignified," Kyp stroked the hair lightly.

"Kyp, you've been a lot of things, but I don't think you'll ever be dignified."

He feigned a hurt look. "You're insulting me. I played groomsman at your wedding and you insult me. I'm wounded, Jaina Solo. Grievously."

"Is it for a woman?" she asked. She liked teasing Kyp because it kept her mind off everything else.

Kyp didn't answer. He stared at the middle of the arena, as if he expected Luke to show up any minute. On the opposite side, diminutive Tahiri Veila sat a short distance from the massive Barabel Jedi Saba Sebatyne. Her armored shoulders hunched forward and she seemed deep in thought. Jaina knew that Saba still blamed herself for the death of fellow Council member Kenth Hamner during Luke's exile, even if no one else did. Tahiri, too, seemed apart. Unlike everyone else in the meeting, she did not wear Jedi robes but a dark-gray flight suit and vest with her lightsaber hanging off her belt. She'd been going on missions with Ben for months, and Luke had shown himself more than willing to accept her back into the Order, especially after her help in defeating Abeloth. Still, she never seemed fully comfortable on Ossus.

Jaina wanted to get her mind off them too. She decided harassing Kyp would be a lot more fun than worrying about her problems. "So… is she a Jedi? Or a normal citizen of the galaxy?"

"Normal." Kyp allowed. He was smiling a little.

"Oooh, good. You can build bridges with the common folk. Just what we need right now. Is she classy?"

"More than me," Kyp allowed.

"Anyone I know?"

"No," said Kyp. "At least, I hope not."

"Playing it close to the chest now, huh?"

He shook his head. "When did you get like this? Aren't I supposed to be the one baiting a young kid like you?"

"I'm not a kid any more. I haven't been for a long time."

Kyp nodded. "We both got old young, didn't we?"

A sad smile creased his face. Jaina was going to say something when the door to the chamber slid open and Luke Skywalker stepped in, followed by Ben. Ben took a seat on the bench next to Tahiri.

Uncle Luke stepped into the center of the chamber, spread his hands in welcome, and said, "Thank you all for coming today. We have important business to discuss. Events will be happening soon that we must all be prepared for."

The room fell silent in anticipation. Even without the Force, Jaina could sense the grim expectancy in every-one. Barring the experience Luke and her parents had had at a Moranth Monolith earlier this year, things had been too uneventful. Everyone, Jaina especially, was waiting for the calm to break and for life to return to the state of strife they'd known most of their lives.

"Several things have come to a head at once, and it's time to act," Luke said. "Jaina, please make a report on the occurrences at Yavin 4. I know you have much to tell us."

Jaina nodded and rose to her feet. She felt all eyes drop on her and tried not to look at Ben. She and Luke had agreed to hide the news of Vestara's involvement for now, and she tried to pull her thought away from the Sith girl so Ben would not find a hint of their deception. Thankfully, that was easy. They'd found plenty of other horrors on Yavin 4.

She explained everything in detail: the 'honeymoon' she had taken with Tenel Ka, Allana, Zekk, and Taryn Zel; the exploration of the ruined Great Temple and the encounter with the voxyn (here Tahiri shuddered) and finally their pursuit of the voxyn to the ruins of Exar Kun's temple (Corran and Kyp both scowled). She explained that they had encountered a pair of Sith warriors and fought them to retreat. She did not mention Ship either.

When she sat down, everyone wanted to talk at once. Luke held up both hands and kept everyone quiet. Calmly, almost tiredly, he said, "Concurrent with this, Jaina's husband, Jagged Fel, was sent on the mission by Vitor Reige to examine a conflict taking place in the Unknown Regions, near the border of Imperial space. Jaina, would you like to explain this as well?"

Jaina nodded and got to her feet. Jagged had swung by Ossus on his way from Bastion to the Core to explain, in person, to herself and Luke what had transpired. Now she recounted everything that had happened to Jag in the past week: the finding of wrecked Yuuzhan Vong ships, the search with Imperial Intelligence and Wraith Squadron, the final encounter with a warring Yuuzhan Vong/Alliance fleet that ended only with the intervention of the Chiss.

Everyone took the news in soberly. When Jaina sat down, nobody tried to speak this time. They all watched Luke, like they were expecting him to drop a third hammer-blow.

"Finally, I recently sent my son and Tahiri Veila on a mission to Tatooine," Luke said. Jaina had heard the gist of this already, first from Luke and then from Tahiri and Ben, but she could feel the surprise in Kyp and the others. She felt a little guilty for her family ties.

Ben got to his feet and explained everything. He explained how they'd traced Traygo from Korriban, how they'd interrupted the hand-off and had to chase their quarry halfway across Tatooine, and finally how they'd encountered the agent and retrieved Traygo's datacard, even if the agent herself got away.

When Ben explained that the datacard contained coordinates for a location in the Unknown Regions, it got everyone's attention.

Jaden Korr, a recent addition to the Council, raised his hand and asked, "Master Skywalker, do you plan on sending a mission to those coordinates?"

"I do," Luke nodded. "There's no need to volunteer. I've already decided personnel, and while I appreciate your experience with the Unknown Regions, Master Korr, I have other tasks for you and your apprentice."

Jaden looked a little disappointed, but nodded his acceptance.

Jaina leaned forward eagerly. This was the part she hadn't discussed with Luke yet, and she wanted to know his decision.

Luke said, "Jagged Fel is on Coruscant as we speak, finalizing plans for another, larger joint expedition between Alliance and Imperial forces into the Unknown Regions in search of the renegade fleets. He is also bearing a message from me: We will give them our co-ordinates only if they agree to take a small contingent of Jedi with them. Given that they need all the information they can get for this mission; I don't expect a refusal."

"It would also be a peace offering between the Jedi and the Alliance," Corran pointed out.

"Exactly," Luke nodded.

Kyp raised a hand and didn't wait to be called on. "Master Skywalker, let me try and make sense of this. You're saying we're going to have Yuuzhan Vong and a renegade Alliance fleet on the loose, plus indications that some bunch of Sith- not our buddies from the Lost Tribe, but another group- are all bouncing around the Unknown Regions?"

"The Sith had voxyn with them," Jaina said. "If that's not a sign the Sith and Vong are connected, I don't know what is."

"Sith and Vong," Corran shook his head. "I can't think of a worse nightmare."

"What about Zonoma Sekot?" Saba Sebatyne spoke up. "Have we any succesz in hunting its location?"

Luke shook his head. "No, but I have a feeling it might be key to all this." Luke shifted his attention to Tahiri. "Miss Veila, you also close attachments to Zonama Sekot and the Yuuzhan Vong. I'd like you to go on this mission."

His tone had changed. He was not ordering a Jedi, but asking a woman with useful knowledge and skills.

Tahiri nodded firmly. "I'd be honored, Master Skywalker."

"Ben, I'd like you to go on this mission too," he said.

Now he was ordering. Ben gave a determined nod but Jaina tried to hide her surprise. Ben had only been on Zonama Sekot briefly, as a small child, and he had no knowledge of the Unknown Regions. More than that, if Vestara Khai and her Sith pals were connected with the Vong, there was a good chance Ben would re-encounter the girl somewhere in dangerous space.

While she was still processing possibilities, Luke looked to Jaina and said, "Finally, Master Solo, I'd like you to join them."

Jaina stiffened. She shouldn't have been surprised, but she was. She met Luke's eyes and tried to discern the intent, but she got nothing, even in the Force. Did he want her to the the Sword of the Jedi, cutting down Vong and Sith like she's spent most of your youth and young adulthood doing? Did he want her to guide Tahiri, protect Ben? She got nothing from him, nothing at all, except a nudge of encouragement. He was getting more cryptically Yoda-like by the day.

As usual, Kyp said what was on everyone's minds. "Master Skywalker, what will you be doing while the three of them go chasing phantoms? What will the rest of us be doing?"

"Chasing other phantoms." Luke set his lips in a grim line. "We're going to sent teams to Korriban, Ziost, Ambria, Onderon, Vjun, Kesh, and every other planet known to harbor Sith in the past. We're going to find them and get rid of them."

A chill settled over the group. Jaden Korr asked, "Master Skywalker, does that mean-"

"We're going to end it," Luke said firmly. "We're going to end everything." He glanced at Jaina, Tahiri, and Ben all in a line. "I'll be needed to command and coordinate the hunting parties. But the Force is telling me that the most important tasks will fall with you three."

"We won't fail you," Ben said firmly. He seemed to believe it.

"I believe in all of you," Luke said, and though he didn't speak it out loud, all three of them felt his message clear in the Force: I need you to believe in yourselves.

Jaina felt shaken somewhere, deep inside. She suddenly felt like crying, but she held in tears and stifled the regret. She'd gotten good at that.