Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.
Enter Jacen, Danni, Ben, and Booster, on Woteba.
Danni. Wolves. They sound close.
Jacen leaps to his feet and activates his lightsaber. Ben and Booster also rise.
Jacen. Stay there. We'll protect you.
Enter the Shistavanen Wolfmen, a race of lupine aliens.
Danni retrieves her vibroblade.
Jacen steps forward.
Jacen. [in Mando'a] Withdraw, wolfmen.
One of the Shistavanens tries to advance, but the alpha male snaps at him. All wolfmen step back.
Ben. Bloah. I gotta study Mando'a. What did you say, Jacen?
Booster. [curses] Whatever it was, it wasn't enough. Look.
The Shistavanens circle around them.
Here's the plan. I'll kill them all, and you guys escape.
Danni. Captain. They'll rip you apart.
Booster. No, I'm good.
Jacen. Stick together. They respect a pack. And Booster, no crazy stuff. We're not leaving you or anyone else behind.
Enter Darth Scabrous, a middle-aged man with gray hair and cold eyes, donned in black robes.
Scabrous. [in Mando'a] Here, son of the Empire.
Booster. Speak Basic, wolfman.
Scabrous snarls.
Scabrous. Tell your Ryn to mind his tongue, son of the Empire. Or he'll be my first snack.
Scabrous studies Jacen, Ben, Danni, and Booster.
So it's true. A child of Yun-Q'aah. A son of Yun-Ne'Shel. A Ryn. And a child of the Empire, of Lord Zonama, no less. All together, without killing each other. How interesting.
Jacen. You were told about us? By whom?
Scabrous. [laughs] Oh, we've been patrolling for you all across the Rim, demigod, hoping we'd be the first to find you. The Supreme Overlord will reward me well when he rises. I am Darth Scabrous, king of Uvena Prime. And my pack is hungry.
Jacen. Leave. There's no food for you here.
Ben. Unless you want soypro nerfburgers.
Scabrous. If I had my way, I'd kill you first, son of Zonama. Your father made me what I am. I was the powerful mortal king of Odacer-Faustin, with fifty fine sons. And Sekot slew them all with his lightning rod.
Booster. [scoffs] For good reason.
Jacen glances back at Booster.
Jacen. Captain. You know this clown?
Danni. I do. Scabrous invited Sekot to dinner. But the king wasn't sure it was really Sekot. So to test his powers, Scabrous tried to feed him human flesh. Sekot got outraged . . .
Scabrous. And killed my sons.
Danni. So Sekot turned him into a wolf. They call . . . they call wolfmen Shistavanens, named after him, the first wolfman.
Booster. The king of wolves. An immortal, smelly, vicious mutt.
Scabrous. I will tear you apart, Ryn.
Booster. Oh, you want some Corellian, buddy? 'Cause I'll give you Corellian.
Jacen. Stop it. Scabrous, you said you wanted to kill me first, but . . . ?
Scabrous. Sadly, child of Bastion, you are spoken for. Since this one has failed to kill you, you are to be delivered alive to the Baanu Rass. One of my compatriots has asked for the honor of killing you herself.
Jacen. Who?
Scabrous. [laughs] Oh, a great admirer of yours. Apparently, you made quite an impression on her. She will take care of you soon enough. And really I cannot complain. Spilling your blood at the Baanu Rassshould mark my new territory quite well. Vergere will think twice about challenging my pack.
Danni. You're going to leave now before we destroy you.
Danni's attempts to influence Scabrous's mind with the Force fail.
Scabrous. A brave try, girl. I admire that. Perhaps I'll make your end quick. Only the son of Zonama is needed alive. The rest of you, I'm afraid, are dinner.
Jacen takes a step forward.
Jacen. You're not killing anyone, wolfman. Not without going through me.
Jacen slashes at Scabrous with his lightsaber, but the plasma blade merely passes straight through him.
Scabrous. [laughs] Crystal, beskar, durasteel — none of these are any good against my wolves, son of Zonama.
Danni. Chromium. Aren't Shistavanens hurt by chromium?
Jacen. We don't have any chromium.
As the Shistavanens charge at Jacen, Booster, and the Jedi, Booster charges forward. At the same time, Ben tosses a thermal detonator at the Shistavanens. A wave of flames shoots around them. The wolfmen yelp and back up. Looking at the wall of flames, even Scabrous seems wary.
Booster. Oh, come on. I can't hit them if they're way over there.
Each time a Shistavanen comes close, Ben uses his pyrokinesis to keep him at bay.
Ben. I can't summon any more baradium. It's going to take the utility belt a while to recharge. What do you have, Jace?
Jacen. Nothing. Not even a weapon that works.
Danni. Lightning?
Jacen tries to summon Force lightning, to no avail.
Jacen. I think the snowstorm is interfering or something.
Danni. Unleash the dhuryams.
Jacen. Then we'll have nothing to give UnuThul. We'll have come all this way for nothing.
Scabrous. [laughs] I can smell your fear. A few more minutes of life, Jedi. Pray to whatever gods you wish. Sekot did not grant me mercy. And you will have none from me.
As the flames begin to die out, Jacen curses and drops his lightsaber. Ben retrieves a hydrospanner as a weapon. Danni raises her vibroblade. Booster lifts his club, the only one of them who does not look scared.
Enter the Witches of Dathomir, led by Jaina Solo.
The Dathomiri fire chromium arrows at the Shistavanens, killing quite a few wolfmen. One arrow comes at Scabrous, but he catches it in midair. Yelling out in pain, Scabrous drops the arrow; the chromium has burned his hand. Another arrow catches him in the shoulder.
Curse them. [in Shistavanen] Retreat. [to Jacen, in Basic] This isn't over, boy.
Exit Scabrous and the Shistavanens, retreating.
As soon as the wolfmen vanish, the Dathomiri rancors come into view.
Booster. Kill it?
Danni. No. Wait.
Following the rancors, the Dathomiri Witches step into view. Kneeling to the ground, Jaina picks up a chromium arrow.
Jaina. So close. [to the Dathomiri] Kirana Ti. Stay with me. Watch the entrance. The rest of you, follow Scabrous. We can't lose him now. I'll catch up with you.
Exit all Dathomiri but Jaina.
Jaina turns to face Jacen, Ben, Danni, and Booster.
We've been following that demon's trail for over a week. Is everyone all right? No one got bit?
Jacen freezes, staring at Jaina.
Danni. You're her. You're Jaina.
Jaina lowers her hood.
Jaina. Do I know you?
Danni. This might be a shock, but . . .
Jacen takes a step forward.
Jacen. Jaina. I'm Jacen, your brother.
Jaina stares at Jacen for a moment, then embraces him.
Jaina. Minions of Xendor. She told me you were dead.
Jaina takes a step back and examines Jacen's face.
Thank Dathomir, it is you. That little scar on your lip . . . You tried to eat a needle-launcher when you were two.
Ben. [laughs] Seriously?
Booster. [nods] Needles. Excellent source of iron.
Jacen. W-wait. Who told you I was dead? What happened?
One of the rancors snarls. Jaina glances back at it and nods, then turns back to Jacen.
Jaina. My rancor is telling me I don't have much time, and she's right. But we have to talk. Let's sit.
As they start to sit, Danni collapses. Jaina rushes to her side.
What's wrong with her? Ah, never mind. I see. Hibernation sickness. Ankle. [to Booster] Don't you know Force healing?
Booster. [scoffs] Why do you think she looks this good? Can't you smell the blue milk?
Jaina glances at Ben.
Jaina. You and the Corellian take this girl to my friend at the entrance. Kirana Ti's an excellent healer.
Booster. It's cold out there. I'll freeze my horns off.
Ben. Come on, Terrik. These two need time to talk.
Booster. [huffs] Fine. I didn't even get to brain anybody.
As Booster carries Danni off, Ben starts to follow.
Jacen. Actually, man, could you, er, stick around?
Ben. [grins] Sticking around is my specialty.
Exit Danni and Booster.
Jacen, Jaina, and Ben sit beside the fire.
So . . . the Witches of Dathomir. This whole "not dating" thing . . . Is that like always, or more of a seasonal thing, or what?
Jaina glares at Ben, and Jacen kicks him.
Jacen. Don't mind Ben. He's just trying to break the ice. But Jaina . . . what happened to our family? Who told you I was dead?
Jaina. Do you remember anything?
Jacen. [shakes his head] I woke up three days ago on an airbus with Ben and Danni.
Ben. Which wasn't our fault. Shira stole his memories.
Jaina tenses.
Jaina. Shira? How do you know that?
Jacen and Ben explain their quest to Jaina. As they get to the point where they confronted Zsinj, Jaina curses.
I knew we should have burned down his mansion. That being's a menace. But we were so intent on following Scabrous . . . Well, I'm glad you got away. So Shira's been . . . what, hiding you all these years?
Jacen. I don't know. She left me just enough memory to recognize your face.
Jacen shows Jaina the holograph. Taking the holograph, Jaina's expression softens.
Jaina. I'd forgotten about that. I left it in cabin one, didn't I?
Jacen. [nods] I think Shira wanted for us to meet. When we landed here, at this cave . . . I had a feeling it was important. Like I knew you were close by. Is that barvy?
Ben. No. We were absolutely destined to meet your hot sister.
Jaina ignores Ben.
Jaina. Jacen. When you're dealing with the Je'daii, nothing is too crazy. But you can't trust Shira, especially since we're children of Sekot. She hates all children of Sekot.
Jacen. But she said something about Sekot's giving her my life as a peace offering. Does that make any sense?
Jaina. [pales] Oh, stang. Mother wouldn't have . . . You don't remember . . . No, of course you don't.
Jacen. What?
Jaina. Jacen. I'm not sure how to say this. Our mother wasn't exactly stable. She caught Sekot's eye because she was a holovision actress, and she was beautiful. But she didn't handle the fame well. She drank, pulled stupid stunts. She was always in the tabvids. She could never get enough attention. Even before you were born, she and I argued all the time. She . . . she knew Dad was Sekot, and I think that was too much for her to take. It was like the ultimate achievement for her to attract the King of Tython. And she couldn't accept it when he left. The thing about the gods . . . well, they don't hang around.
Jacen stares at Jaina, stunned and devastated to hear this.
Jacen. So . . .
Ben. Jacen. You've got friends. Now you've got a sister. You're not alone.
Jaina takes Jacen's hands.
Jaina. When I was about seven, Sekot started visiting Mom again. I think he felt bad about wrecking her life, and he seemed . . . different somehow. A little older and sterner, more fatherly toward me. For a while, Mom improved. She loved having Sekot around, bringing her presents, causing the sky to rumble. She always wanted more attention. That's the year you were born. Mom . . . well, I never got along with her. But you gave me a reason to hang around. You were so cute. And I didn't trust Mom to look after you. Of course, Sekot eventually stopped coming by again. He probably couldn't stand Mom's demands anymore, always pestering him to let her visit Tython, or to make her immortal or eternally beautiful. When he left for good, Mom got more and more unstable. That was about the time the monsters started attacking me. Mom blamed Shira. She claimed the goddess was coming after you, too, that Shira had barely tolerated my birth. But two demigod children from the same family was too big an insult. Mom even said she hadn't wanted to name you Jacen, but Sekot insisted, as a way to appease Shira because the goddess liked that name. I didn't know what to believe.
Ben. How did you guys get separated?
Jaina squeezes Jacen's hand.
Jaina. If I'd known you were alive . . . stang, things would have been so different. But when you were two, Mom packed us in the speeder for a family vacation. We traveled Rimward, to this park she wanted to show us. I remember thinking it was strange because Mom never took us anywhere, and she was acting super nervous. I was holding your hand, walking you toward this big building in the middle of the park, and . . . Mom told me to go back to the speeder and get the picnic basket. I didn't want to leave you alone with her. But it was only for a few minutes. When I came back . . . Mom was kneeling on the stone steps, hugging herself and crying. She said . . . she said you were gone. She said Shira claimed you and you were as good as dead. I didn't know what she'd done. I was afraid she'd completely lost her mind. I ran all over the place looking for you, but you'd just vanished. She had to drag me away, kicking and screaming. For the next few days I was hysterical. I don't remember everything. But I called the police on Mom and they questioned her for a long time. Afterward, we fought. She told me I'd betrayed her, that I should support her, like she was the only one who mattered. Finally I couldn't stand it. Your disappearance was the last straw. I ran away from home, and I never went back, not even when Mom died a few years ago. I thought you were gone forever. I never told anyone about you . . . not even Mara or Jacen, my two best friends. It was just too painful.
Jacen. Yoda knew. When I got to the Praxeum, he took one look at me and said, "You should be dead."
Jaina. That doesn't make sense. I never told him.
Ben. He. The important thing is you've got each other now, right? You two are lucky.
Jaina. [nods] Ben's right. Look at you. You're my age. You've grown up.
Jacen. But where have I been? How could I be missing all that time? And the Imperial stuff . . .
Jaina. [frowns] The Imperial stuff?
Ben. Your brother speaks Mando'a. He calls gods by their Imperial names, and he's got tattoos.
Jacen shows Jaina his tattoos.
Jaina. Mando'a. Sekot sometimes spoke Mando'a, the second time he stayed with Mom. Like I said, he seemed different, more formal.
Jacen. You think he was in his Imperial aspect? And that's why I think of myself as a child of Zonama?
Jaina. Possibly. I've never heard of something like that happening. But it might explain why you think in Imperial terms, why you can speak Mando'a rather than Old Corellian. That would make you unique. Still, it doesn't explain how you've survived without the Jedi Praxeum. A child of Sekot, or Zonama, or whatever you want to call him . . . You would have been hounded by monsters. If you were on your own, you should have died years ago. I know I wouldn't have been able to survive without friends. You would have needed training, a safe haven . . .
Ben. He wasn't alone. We've heard about others like him.
Jaina. What do you mean?
Ben. These Wookiees we came across referenced killing a child of Scut, and we discovered an Imperial uniform in Alema Rar's lair. These demigods also seemed Imperial in nature. Isn't there anywhere else for demigods? I mean besides the Jedi Praxeum? Maybe some barvy Mando'a teacher has been abducting children of the gods or something, making them think like Imperials.
Jaina. I've been all over the Alliance. I've never seen evidence of a crazy Mando'a teacher, or demigods in Imperial uniforms. Still . . .
Jacen. What?
Jaina. [shakes her head] I'll have to talk to the goddess. Maybe Dathomir will guide us.
Jacen. She's still talking to you? Most of the Je'daii have gone silent.
Jaina. Dathomir follows her own rules. She has to be careful not to let Sekot know. But she thinks Sekot is being ridiculous closing Tython. She's the one who set us on the trail of Scabrous. She said we'd find a lead to a missing friend of ours.
Ben. Luke Skywalker, the guy Mara's looking for.
Jaina nods.
So what would Scabrous have to do with it? And how does it connect to us?
Jaina. We need to find out soon. If your deadline is tomorrow, we're wasting time. UnuThul could tell you . . .
Jaina's rancor approaches.
I have to get moving. Otherwise I'll lose the other Witches' trail. First, though, I'll take you to UnuThul's palace.
Jacen. If you can't, it's okay.
Jaina. [smiles] Oh, please. I haven't had a brother in years. I think I can stand a few minutes with you before you get annoying. Now, let's go.
Jacen, Jaina, and Ben rise to their feet and depart from the cavern.
Exit all.