Chapter 33

In Between the Darkest Light

Kirk walked down the hallway of the Academy on Yavin 4, since the Mykyr mission, he'd had little tasks to do. The Chiss, wookiees, and even some New Republic volunteers had come to help repair the Academy. Even though a month had passed, the damages still stood out.

Nothing seemed more ironic than the fact that there had to be direct assault on the JedI to create sympathy, it took losing a child before the New Republic, aside from the allies of the Jedi, to realize that the Jedi might actually be telling the truth. But Kirk, having grown up under intense hatred of those who were different, those who had gifts that seemed like curses, wasn't surprised.

When Kirk was a child, some people were still hanging on the misgivings about Lord Vader and thought that every force sensitive child would become a sith. Not even Luke Skywalker's great feats changed the way Kirk's parents reacted when they noticed he had the same talent.

In the end, Kirk was abandoned in the middle of Tatooine's hot desert when his parents fled in fear of their son's eventual fall to evil. Kirk fended for himself from the age of five onwards, his Jedi abilities allowed him to sense dangers before they happened, and even brought him back to Mos Eisley where he got himself a job repairing ships and helping the types who roamed with their business. With his force sense, Kirk could tell the difference between a bad dealer and a good dealer and this won points with even some of the hutts who came through. A Jedi who helped smugglers, black market dealers, and the worst criminals in the galaxy, this brought amusement to all who heard about Kirk.

At the age of seven, Kirk was well known for his abilities which he had honed strictly for his business. When not working alongside the dealers and criminals, Kirk spent time on his own, enjoying the comfort he'd gained through dirty dealings. It was the only way he knew to live. In Mos Eisley, if you weren't a criminal doing deals, you were a law enforcement officer, and Kirk had chosen the former. He did deals and earned his way into a solid reputation.

It was only after Kirk turned nine that a problem arose. His force senses were beginning to gain more insight into the deals he was making than he was supposed to know. Upon expressing his misgivings about one deal he'd struck, which was outside of his contract, Kirk was marked on a hit list by one of the most notorious hutts.

That was how word reached the ears of his grandfather that Kirk had been abandoned on Tatooine and that his parents hadn't been seen in years. Kirk's grandfather, Ferin Dekim, came to Tatooine to pick up his grandson and brought along his friend, Terry Solusar, the father of Kam Solusar. Kirk was already deep in trouble, his payment suspended on several deals and his name on the top hit lists all over Mos Eisley and elsewhere, Ferin took Kirk away from Tatooine. Immediately Terry noticed Kirk's force sensitivity and told Ferin he should bring Kirk to Luke's Jedi academy on Yavin 4, when it was just beginning to come into being. Ferin placed Kirk in Luke's hands, and from that point on, Kirk was trained to become a Jedi.

Here he was almost two decades later, and he was a Jedi Master, but hadn't been able to protect anything he truly wanted to. In the end Kirk's grandfather had died while Kirk was at the Academy. Everyone died while Kirk wasn't paying attention. He'd already heard that somewhere along the line his parents had died too. Kirk didn't care much for them. It had been almost ten years since they abandoned him on Tatooine, so he could care less about the people who gave him life. It was a bitter way of thinking about it, but Kirk thought of his grandfather and the Solusar family as his only parents. All of them had taken him in when he would have fallen prey to the fears his parents had harbored, the same fears that made them run away from him.

More than anything, Kirk understood Anakin Solo's problems. They'd been pinned with similar assumptions. Kirk's ears broke his reverie as he heard an argument in front of the docking bay doors. He walked over to see a Chiss guard arguing with a presence Kirk recognized right away. It was hard not to know one of the students Kirk had known at the Academy.

"Look, you can't come through here." The Chiss Guard was saying.

"I'm a Jedi, see, I've got a lightsaber, now let me through." The other person said, then turned to see Kirk round the corner, his expression tight lipped.

"Get out." Kirk said coldly. The person flinched.

"I'm here to help-"

"I said to get out, Claus. You kidnapped one of the students here, and you'll leave. Now." Kirk's eyes narrowed, his voice without his usual upbeat and silly tone. It was completely embedded with the confidence he'd gained when he reached the rank of master.

Claus Neros gazed at his old friend then frowned. "I came here to apologize."

"You're not sorry, Claus. You took James because he was in the Peace Brigade. He's not any more, but you didn't bother to find that out. You were out of line. Get out." Kirk returned to his original command. His anger was only in check because Kirk had experience dealing with aggressive opponents who tried to pull the wool over his head.

"You're damn right I'm not!" Claus snapped, " But I'm not the one sitting around when we could get back at the bastards who did this!"

"The Peace Brigade or Hapes." Kirk stated, "Killing them won't do a thing, Claus. We both know that."

"I'm more inclined to try than to wait around until the next attack comes. I'm going to stage my war against all the enemies of the Jedi. If they attacked us, they're the enemy. It's that simple. But I'm guessing you'd rather follow your master's orders and stay idle." Claus retorted. Kirk didn't move or seem to take offense at the words Claus threw Kirk's way.

"A JedI's job has been, and always will be, to protect those around them. I won't seek to destroy anyone who destroys us. We're finished here." Kirk replied and stood firmly until Claus went off to his ship and took off. Kirk watched the ship leave, then started down the hallway once again.

He turned his head as he saw James out in the hallway, Kirk could tell James was frustrated by the force emanating from his body. James let out a groan then out of his room flew a blaster. It clattered across the floor. Kirk stopped in his tracks, then a smile crossed his face.

"James." Kirk said as he approached, picking up the blaster. "Come with me." James, in his surprise at being caught in his moment of anger, followed silently. When they reached Kirk's room, he shut the door. Kirk then faced James.

"I think you have a little explaining to do, James." Kirk said, though not in a chiding way, it was praise. James blinked.

"What?" James' normally aggressive tone was subdued and almost soft in its confusion.

"You're force sensitive."

Anakin flicked the switches in the cockpit. They'd already been traveling for a few hours. Zenoma Sekot was at the far end of the galaxy near the Tingle Arm. Anakin had been piloting for the past few hours without stop, and Tahiri who had been sleeping in the chair next to him, looked up.

"Aren't you tired?" She asked. He shook his head.

"I spent most of my time in the Med- Center sleeping. I'm pretty awake." He kept his eyes on the stars as they turned into lines in passing. Tahiri rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up. Ikrit sat on Anakin's right shoulder, Ikrit's tail flicked back and forth as he too watched the frontal viewport.

"Most interesting, I do not believe I have ever heard of this place, even in my years of travel." Ikrit said.

"Only Yoda seemed to know about it. I'm beginning to wonder if this place actually exists." Anakin said, his eyes narrowing as he switched into the next speed level.

"Oh, it exists." Ikrit said with a knowing smile. "As much as the void exists." Anakin looked over at Ikrit, their eyes meeting. Anakin couldn't really argue when he'd come from the force void alive, and seen the most strange sights anyone could see, Jedi or not.

"In all literal senses, Anakin, you were dead. You must know that if you were in that realm you can feel things others can't. Including the presence this planet must harbor even if it is not alive in our physical sense, it is alive as you were in the void."

"How do you figure that?" Tahiri asked. Ikrit turned his gaze on her.

"Because, if Yoda still knows his family is there, it is only because his force senses as one who is pure energy, can only sense a like force energy."

"Oh." Tahiri said, then fell silent as she processed what the master had said.

Anakin's eyes rested on Ikrit. The truth was, Anakin had been dead, and coming back was the most painful thing he'd ever experienced. It left him with the ability to connect to the force presences he now held inside him, and to connect to force energy without a strict presence to it. If anything, it was confusing.

"What's that?" Tahiri pointed. Anakin's gaze snapped to the frontal viewpoint. Two Yuuzhan Vong carriers loomed in the viewport.

"Trouble." Anakin said and felt glad the Sytars had equipped this ship with weapons.

"As Master Skywalker is incapacitated at the moment with his duties at Yavin 4, we have elected a new Grand JedI Master to take over." One of the JedI in the council said. The others nodded. "Kenth Hammer, you will preside over the actions of the JedI until further notice by the council."

"Understood." Kenth said, inclining his head. The Masters began to mutter amongst themselves. Luke would not be happy to know they were electing someone behind his back. Kenth wasn't going to let Luke sit in the dark about it, even if Luke not knowing was for the better.

Trust was important among the Jedi, and lately, there had been very little of that going around.

Jacen braced himself as his mother examined the plans he'd made for the wedding. Although she was doing most of the planning, Jacen had the task of deciding the place. He wasn't sure what he was going to get in response to the small place he'd chosen. Jacen wasn't too thrilled about having a huge wedding, and he hoped his mother shared his view.

"This looks fine, Jacen." Leia said finally, nodding. "You might want to talk about decorations with Tenel Ka though. The colors you two want."

"I will." He said, feeling relief spread through his entire body that his mother had accepted his proposal for the wedding location. He could still feel her irritation at his rash decision to have sex with Tenel Ka but she seemed marginally calmer than before. But that wasn't saying much as she still regarded Jacen coolly.

"I want you to know I still think you made a very irrational decision before Mykyr." Leia folded her arms across her chest. A gesture Jacen had rarely seen his mother do. "Han may have gotten used to it, but I'm not." She then checked the clock before getting up. "I have to go to a meeting. Make sure you talk to Tenel Ka."

"Yes, Mom." Jacen said, as soon as she exited the door, Jacen sighed. He wasn't sure how much more intense lecturing he could take. That wasn't a good thing because he really was happy that he was able to get married to Tenel Ka, and be the father of their child. But he still felt some insecurities because he knew he was at least five years too early to be having a child, let alone be getting married.

He turned his head as Tenel Ka entered the living room. She noticed his strained expression and sat down on the couch next to him.

"Are you feeling well, Jacen?" Tenel Ka asked. He nodded.

"Just thinking."

"About?" She questioned. He knew there was no point in hiding his fears from her. After all, they had to be in this together or not at all.

"I just don't know if I'm ready to be a father. Am I really mature enough?" Jacen felt silly asking the question, but it was honest. Tenel Ka didn't respond at first then grasped his hand.

"You will be fine, Jacen. If you can be strong enough to hold yourself together in the missions, then I think you can be a father. If that is what you decide you want to be." Tenel Ka replied, turning her head sideways. He nodded.

"I do. I mean I really want to, I just don't know if I have what it takes to raise a baby." He felt himself shiver a little.

"I have no experience either, Jacen." Tenel Ka pointed out. "We are starting from scratch. But I think we are more than capable of raising a child." She felt Jacen's confidence rise a little.

"Well, I can't argue with that, can I?" He smiled then stood up. "I'll make us both some tea. You should be drinking lighter now that you're pregnant." She nodded, Jacen would figure it out. He already had good instincts as far as caring for one's self went.

Jaina flew a straight course with her squadron, as they patrolled. She swerved as a coral skipper sailed by. She fired and took it down. There really wasn't much out here. She began to wonder if Wedge deliberately gave them a mission without a risk. After a moment she dropped the idea. He wouldn't avoid putting her on the battlefront simply because he thought she couldn't handle something. Plus her squad was out here too, he wouldn't waste fighters in the middle of nowhere.

She ran the conversation she'd had with Anakin shortly after he woke up. She'd gone in to visit him by herself, which ended up being a mistake. At first she'd listened carefully to his story about being in the void and how Zekk died. Even though at first she didn't blame him, when he opened up and told her the truth, that was when she lost it.

"Jaina, I'd feel guilty not telling you this, but I was there when Zekk died and I couldn't get him out of the void when I left." He lowered his head, "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? Is that all you can say, Anakin? Zekk helped you through all your problems, backed you up on the mission and you can't even help him? You left him there! You abandoned him! I can't even remember why he cared about you, Anakin, because you're obviously self centered. Zekk wanted to help you and you left him to die." She averted her eyes as she started out of the room. "I don't think I can see you as my brother, because my brother would never do something like that."

Jaina had left the room without another word to Anakin, leaving him in silence. He hadn't even argued. It was as though he was willing to take her anger and felt it was well deserved. Though that didn't make Jaina regret what she'd said. It only served to make her confident that Anakin truly had left Zekk behind.

Jaina swerved around a meteor then was met by a group of coral skippers, she wound around them and shot them, before another laser intercepted the last two. She turned her head to see Jag's ship hovering close to hers. Jaina's insides seethed.

More than anything she wanted to shoot Jag. He'd helped at Yavin 4 but now he was back in the squad showing off his fighting skills. It didn't make sense why a guy like him had to be chosen to be in her squadron. Even if the Chiss allied with the Jedi, she didn't like Jag Fel and never would. If she ever liked him, she knew the person she'd have to shoot would be herself. Because it was an insult to Zekk's memory if she ever became friends with someone who cared more about his reputation and his planet than anyone or anything else. Including the rest of the galaxy. That was why it surprised Jaina that Jag was assisting in the repairing on Yavin 4. Then she found out he'd been ordered to patrol there by his father, Baron Fel.

Sounds about right. He's a soldier who listens to everything his father says. Jaina thought to herself. She fired at the coral skipper that Jag was about to shoot down. She could almost feel his anger after she stole his target. Take that, Fel.

Anakin narrowed his eyes and concentrated on shooting down the coral skippers crossing into his targeting range. "Tahiri, move the ship left!" He called into his com.

"Okay." Her voice came through. As soon as the ship did move, Anakin shot down the coral skipper. Then the ship rattled as a blast from two more coral skippers hit their ship.

"Stinking hutts." Anakin muttered and blasted the two coral skippers from existence. Then the frontal viewport filled with the shadows of two more carriers coming up behind the first two.

"Anakin, we've got a problem." Tahiri called into the com. She could feel Anakin's frustration and that he already saw the new enemies.

"I see them." He bit his lip then fired. The blast did little damage to the carriers. "Tahiri, prepare to hyper-jump. I'm going to handle these guys." He said and took aim and began rapid firing at the carriers. The burns were minor and the carriers only seemed to be getting closer. Anakin frowned.

They were running out of time. "Tahiri?" He questioned.

"Give me a minute, Anakin. I'm going as fast as I can."

"Sith shit." Anakin blasted another coral skipper before a blast struck the hull. Immediately the damage monitors began to blare. He heard a banging as something struck the ramp. He reached for his blaster as the ramp was suddenly punctured.

"Tahiri, quick, put on a breathing mask!" He cried, placing his own breathing mask on. As he did so the ramp fell inwards and several gray blue faces appeared, their ampistaphs in hand. Anakin fired twice, taking down the first two warriors before the others charged him. Anakin ignited his lightsaber and rushed forward, cutting down the warriors that were now boarding their ship. Anakin then force shoved two out of the gaping hole where the ramp used to be.

The air sucked outwards, and Anakin grabbed on to the ship to make sure he didn't get sucked out with it. That was when the ship shook violently as a coral ramp latched onto where the metal ramp used to be. Twenty warriors that were heavily scarred entered the ship.

"We have captured a Jeedai." The most scarred of all the warriors said. Anakin raised his lightsaber. He was not about to be captured by warriors again. He focused his attention on the warriors then lifted his blade to strike as one of the warriors pulled out a small object that looked like the coral of their ships but it was shaped like a blaster. The warrior fired and what came out was a strange blue goo that struck Anakin on his shoulder. He cringed and ripped it off. The pain seared through his body. Tahiri appeared with her own blade ignited.

"Tahiri, wait." Anakin called. The warrior fired and Anakin moved to deflect the goo with his blade. The warrior smiled.

"You learn quickly, Jeedai." Then other the warriors drew the same weapons and fired quicker this time, striking Anakin and Tahiri where they couldn't dodge. Anakin breathed heavily, his eyes watching them. He raised his blade but it was slipping from his grasp. His knees hit the floor.

The warrior approached, signaling. Another warrior approached. "One Jeedai is enough. Take the girl. Kill this male Jeedai, Shamed One."

To both Anakin and Tahiri's surprise the unmarked Yuuzhan Vong drew a metal blaster and aimed it at Anakin's head. Tahiri moved swiftly, her blade blurring as it slashed to hit the blaster before it could fire, but it was blocked by an ampistaph. The warriors surrounded her and she battered two aside, trying to get a view of Anakin. The blaster was still aimed at his head. The Shamed One hadn't fired.

"Surrender Jeedai." The lead warrior commanded then turned to the Shamed One, "Kill him! You dare disobey me?"

The Shamed One turned its head slightly, then bowed it before moving its finger to the trigger. Anakin tried moving but the blue goo had numbed his muscles. He wondered when the Yuuzhan Vong had bothered to study human anatomy or if it was pure coincidence that they knew how to render a person immobile.

Anakin felt his anger rising. He couldn't die and he couldn't let them take Tahiri. Those were two things he wasn't willing to let happen. Anakin inhaled and his anger filled him and pushed his body to his feet. The blaster fired and the laser went straight for his head. But instead it met Anakin's hand where it was blocked by the force. Anakin's eyes flared then he lashed out and cut down the warriors in quick succession. The Shamed One tried to fire, but Anakin deflected them with his blade or his hand. Then he used the force to crush the lead warrior's throat, it croaked and struggled as it was lifted up. Anakin felt no hatred, but determination to end this.

His grip slackened when his eyes fell on Tahiri's wide eyed expression at what he was doing. Anakin let go, but that was all it took for the Shamed One to fired and hit Anakin in his neck. He collapsed, blood trickling down the floor. The leader warrior stood up from where it had been dropped and raised its ampistaph over Anakin's head.