Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or Rick Riordan.
Enter Luke, mounted on R2-D2, headed back into the main battle.
As they flies past, Luke glimpses one of the battle droids fight off a vornskr, as at the same time a trio of Jedi Knights fight off a nest of Killiks at Imperial Center. Worst of all, the Sith army was closing in on the Imperial Palace.
Elsewhere, the Witches of Dathomir set up a defensive line north of Tython. To the east, Hamner and his siblings lead an droid army against the Sith, while to the west Anima's children and a few Melodies fight off a squadron of Dark Jedi. It is becoming increasingly clear that the Sith army is about to have the Jedi surrounded.
Luke. We have to land where they need us most.
R2-D2. That's everywhere, Master Luke.
Luke notices Mara, Katarn, and Shirlee Faughn (one of their elder siblings) holding back a Phlog.
Luke. There.
The aiwha dives downward; Luke leaps off his back and onto the Phlog's shoulders. The Jedi hits the Phlog over the head with a personal energy shield and slides downward.
Phlog. O!
The Phlog lets out a breath, and the area around Luke begins to freeze.
Mara. Hey, ugly.
The Phlog turns toward Mara, away from Luke.
Luke ignites his lightsaber and stabs the Phlog.
Phlog. O!
The Phlog dies.
Mara. Thanks. The can-cell?
Luke. Dead as Honoghr.
Mara. Good.
Noticing that she has not completely healed, Luke looks upon Mara with concern.
I'm fine, Luke. Come on. We've got plenty of enemies left.
Luke and Mara return to the battle, fighting off legions of Killiks, Noghri, Anzati, and Dark Jedi. As the enemy backs them into a corner near the Imperial Palace, Luke and Mara stand near Corran, who defeats a few Killiks and departs.
Enter Jaina, driving off the Sith army with her personal energy shield, and Drang.
Drang pounces at a gundark and attacks, flinging the monster into the air.
With the use of her cloaking device, Mara manages to fight off the Sith army without their seeing her.
Luke. [aside] But it's not going to be enough. . . .
Tyria. Hold your lines.
Enter Palpatine, flanked by a dozen gundarks and two Phlogs, taking his time as he advances.
Mara. We have to fall back to the doorway. Hold it at all costs.
A horn sounds.
Luke glances at Jaina.
Jaina. Not the Witches. We're all here.
Luke. Then whom?
Both armies, Sith and Jedi, look around uneasily. Palpatine's entire northern flank begins to flee.
Enter Yoda, leading an army of Chironian warriors.
Lusa. Yeah, baby. Party!
Firing arrows, the Chironians manage to take out a few Dark Jedi.
Mara. Chironians.
Yoda approaches Luke.
Yoda. Luke. Sorry we're late.
Wicket. Brother. Talk later. Vape Sith now!
Wicket fires a blaster and kills a vornskr.
Tokkat. Chironians from the Kiirium Reaches!
Nippet. Hutt Space!
Wunka. The Core Worlds own your faces!
As the Chironians fight them off with blasters, arrows, lightsabers, and clubs, the Sith army retreats.
Palpatine. Stop running, you fools. Stand and . . . O!
A panicked Phlog crashes on top of the Emperor.
The Jedi manage to push the Sith army into retreat.
Yoda. Hold! On your promise, hold!
The Jedi, the Corellians, the Witches, and the Chironians do as Yoda commands. The Sith army, including the Emperor, retreats.
Mara. Yoda's smart. If we pursue, we'll get too spread out. We need to regroup.
Luke. But the enemy . . .
Mara. They're not defeated. But the dawn is coming. At least we've bought some time.
The Jedi army reconvenes near the Imperial Palace.
Wicket. Bloah. That was more fun than our last convention on Kessel.
Lusa. Yeah. We totally vaped them.
Yoda pats Lusa on the back.
Yoda. You did well, my friends. But don't get careless. Palpatine should never be underestimated. Now why don't you visit the diner in CoCo Town and get some breakfast? I hear the Almanian delegates found a stash of fizzade.
Chironians. Fizzade!
Exit the Chironians.
Yoda smiles. He and Mara embrace.
Drang licks Yoda's face, but he pushes him down.
Yoda. O! Enough of that, vornskr. Yes, I'm glad to see you too.
Luke. Yoda. Thank you. Talk about saving the day.
Yoda. [shrugs] I'm sorry it took so long. Chironians travel fast, as you know. We can bend distance as we ride. Even so, getting all the Chironians together was no easy task. They are not exactly organized.
Mara. How did you get through the protection bubble around the planet?
Yoda. They slowed us down a bit. But I think they're intended mostly to keep mundane out. Palpatine doesn't want puny humans getting in the way of his great victory.
Luke. So maybe other reinforcements can get through.
Yoda strokes his chin.
Yoda. Perhaps, though time is short. As soon as Palpatine regroups, he will attack again. Without the element of surprise on our side . . .
Luke. And Nyax?
Yoda. The Je'daii are tiring. Qel-Droma was incapacitated yesterday. Nyax smashed his speeder, and the wine Je'daii went down somewhere along the Corellian Run. No one has seen him since. Yun-Ne'Shel is out of action as well. She was thrown from the battle so hard she created a new lake on Kuat. She will heal, but not soon enough to help. The others still fight. They've managed to slow Nyax's approach. But the monster cannot be stopped. He will arrive on Coruscant by this time tomorrow. Once he and Palpatine combine forces . . .
Luke. Then what chance do we have? We can't hold out another day.
Jaina. We'll have to. I'll see about setting some new traps around the perimeter.
Exit Jaina.
Yoda. I will help her. I should make sure my brethren don't go too overboard with the fizzade.
Exit Yoda.
Luke. At least your mother is okay.
Mara. If you call fighting Nyax okay. Luke, even with the Chironians' help, I'm starting to think . . .
Luke. I know. Listen, there were some . . . some visions Jabitha showed me.
Mara. You mean about Jacen?
Luke. Yes. You and Jaina and Jacen. The first time you met. And the time you met Yun-Shuno.
Mara. Jacen promised he'd never let me get hurt. He said . . . he said we'd be a new family, and it would turn out better than his.
Luke. Jaina talked to me earlier. She's afraid . . .
Mara. That I can't face Caedus.
Luke. [nods] But there's something else you should know. Soontir Fel seemed to think Caedus was still alive inside his body, maybe even fighting Palpatine for control. I didn't want to tell you.
Mara glances at the Imperial Palace.
Mara. Luke. For so much of my life, I felt like everything was changing all the time. I didn't have anyone I could rely on.
Luke nods.
I ran away when I was seven. Then with Jacen and Jaina, I thought I'd found a family. But it fell apart almost immediately. What I'm saying . . . I hate it when beings let me down, when things are temporary. I think that's why I want to be an architect.
Luke. To build something permanent, a monument to last a millennium.
Mara. I guess that sounds like my fatal flaw again.
Luke. I guess I understand how you feel. But Jaina's right. Caedus has already betrayed you so many times. He was evil even before Palpatine. I don't want him to hurt you anymore.
Mara. And you'll understand if I keep hoping there's a chance you're wrong.
Luke looks away.
Exit all.
