Interlude
(^-I-^)
All of Hapes was celebrating the defeat of the Killiks. Fireworks were bursting in the glowing green night's sky on a nightly basis since the word had spread, and all manner of revelry could be heard from Tenel Ka Chume'dan and cities throughout the capital planet of the Consortium. With the resounding successes against the foreign invaders, and the preservation of the Heritage Council's families, the Royal Family was receiving accolades from every social strata. The vote to support treaties with the outside galaxy had easily passed and was quickly stamped into law. In short order, Hapes was now open for business.
It was a joyous time, made even greater by the influx of wealth created by the said treaties. For the first time in millennia Hapans were engaging in trade outside of the Transitory Mists and, as Mallie Marek had predicted, found that their goods were in high demand as well. With the arrival of the first trading convoys at the end of the week came all manner of goods. And it wasn't just the nobles benefiting, the common folk felt the increase in available capital as well. If anyone had a negative thought against the Royal Family, it was quickly forgotten in the euphoria of the twin economic and military victories.
Even the commanding officers of every campaign were being toasted as heroes, their tales being told and retold, becoming greater in daring and accomplishments each time. The military was behind the Queen Mother, the nobility was behind her, and so were most everyone in the sixty-three systems she oversaw.
The situation on Hapes couldn't have been better, with improvements being made in the lives of all Hapans almost daily.
For General Zekk, Jedi Knight of the Royal House of Zel, he was enjoying one of the many improvements in his personal life in the privacy of the Royal House of Zel's ancestral home. Far away from the hustle and bustle of the main city, new life was being breathed into the once abandoned villa.
Having just returned from one of the many obligatory afternoon functions, two figures moved with frantic fervor through one of the upper-story hallways.
Heated kisses were shared with the same wild passion that the two used to embrace life as the sunlight streamed through the windows of the house. The picture frames on one of the wood-lined walls shook slightly as he pinned Taryn's body with his own against the sleek boards. One of his hands continued to frame her face, thumb stroking the smooth, sun-bronzed skin of her cheek as she coyly looked back up at him. His other hand held both her own, trapped as they were behind her within the sleeves of her trademark black leather jacket. She tried to wiggle a hand loose to touch him, but her effort was in vain as Zekk kept his grip firm around her wrists.
"Zekk," Taryn's breathing was uneven, her words groaned out half in lust, half in frustration. As tall and as strong as she was, Zekk was taller and had the unfair advantage of the Force. She hooked a leg around his, grinding herself against his thigh in an effort to convince him to free her. It probably wasn't the smartest of choices, as it made coherent thought for her even more difficult. Panting, she looked up at her dark-haired lover and he returned her ardor-filled gaze with dark green eyes. "We're wearing too much clothes."
"Do you have a solution for that?" Zekk murmured, pulling her arms further behind her to force her chest into his. Zekk had the Force, and intimate knowledge of her body. He let his other hand drop between them and lightly cupped her center through her leather pants, applying only the slightest of pressure which caused Taryn to jerk in his grip and temporarily forget how to speak. He withdrew his hand, and Taryn's eyes fluttered shut. "Hmmm? I didn't catch that Taryn."
"Y…eah, you can take off your…" Taryn's sentence died on her tongue, her body quaking against his and her eyes flying open as he pressed his thigh up between her legs against her center with much more force than his hand. Fully in control, he rocked her back and forth on his leg, causing Taryn to shudder, her head falling forward to rest on Zekk's shoulder as she fought the latest sensations. But it was a losing battle. Mewling, writhing in an attempt to free her hands even as she unashamedly ground herself against his leg, she made a herculean effort to get out her next words through her pleasure-numbed mind. "Zekk, stars, please."
The sheer want in her voice was enough. Zekk crushed his lips against hers and walked them back towards the bed, his Jedi robe falling to the ground at the doorway of the room. As was the case the previous times they had made love earlier in the week, he was barely in control of his actions.
With beams of golden sunlight filtering through the bedroom window and setting her crimson locks aglow, she looked absolutely breathtaking. He swallowed heavily and almost worshipfully brushed her cheek once more, his normally tightly controlled emotional barriers completely non-existent. Taryn was just so full of life, full of passion, that he couldn't help but find her desirable.
Very desirable, he mentally amended as the feel of her want and pleasure mingled in an arousing tune in the Force that kept him painfully ready for her. Beads of sweat dripped from his mussed-up dark hair as he struggled to control himself, his eyes a deep forest green as he worked her leather jacket off her arms.
Her black jacket joined his Jedi robes on the floor, and the moment her hands were free, they immediately flew up and began to help in the removal of the rest of his clothing. His Jedi tunic followed. Her green synthi-leather top next. Their actions were almost frenzied, their need skyrocketing as her bare breasts rubbed against his chest in primal reflex. Instinctively pressing themselves harder against one and other, they barely managed to kick off their pants and boots before tumbling onto the bed in another heated kiss.
Zekk rolled Taryn onto her back, hands stretched out above her head, and Taryn suddenly found herself immobilized. She was able to feel everything but was unable move anything but her head.
"Zekk," Taryn groaned again in pained desire. She felt his fingertips graze the insides of her thighs, and her head thrashed left and right, her gray eyes glazing over as he took his time to tease and caress the sensitive flesh.
"You did say I should indulge that darker part of me every once in a while," Zekk murmured into her ear, bringing his hand back up to cup one of her breasts, his thumb circling her rigid nipple with agonizing precision. He then bent down and blew on the other nub—pale pink in the sunlight—until it was equally achy and hard, earning a breathy gasp from his very willing captive. "So that's what I think I'll do. I think I'll…indulge myself for a little bit. What do you think?"
"N…not what I meant," Taryn panted, feeling as if she would go out of her mind as her lover tormented her in the most delicious of ways. His hot breath on her skin, his calloused, powerful hands toying with her body with impunity. He deliberately avoided her achingly stiff nipples as rubbed and caressed the rest of her breasts, and with the Force restraining her there was nothing she could do about it.
"Oh? Tell me, what did you mean?" Zekk said conversationally, his hands sliding down to explore the lean musculature of her thighs once more. He could feel her body involuntarily tremble as he let his fingertips glide along her heated skin. "You do owe me, you know. Teasing me at that party, whispering all those things to me right before I had to talk to those nobles. Not to mention last night. Now that was being mean."
Taryn let out a guttural whimper, the feel of his strong hands along the smooth inside of her thighs had her strain against her invisible bonds in a futile attempt to force his hands higher. She was a fighter, but no amount of fighting would help her get through what her lover was doing to her. Being unable to move, kept on the brink as her lover used the Force to read her every reaction, it was nearly more than she could endure. And the fact that Zekk knew just how much she could take, and where she needed to be touched the most, only made the situation all the more intense.
For Zekk, it was taking every shred of self control not to abandon his game and take her. Framed by the white, silken sheets, a sheen of sweat coating her tanned body, the beads catching the sunlight. Strands of red hair were stuck her face, the rest spread out on the pillow beneath her head like waves of fire. Though Taryn was immobile, he could clearly see her muscles tense and relax, her body quivering and flushed.
Her mouth opened and closed, her stomach and chest quaking as she drew in gasps of air between her gasps of pleasure. Her skin was hot, body twitching at his every touch, and from his vantage point between her legs, he could tell she was very much ready to proceed even further. She was absolutely amazing, and despite his own throbbing need, he wanted to be sure she knew that.
He cupped her very wet and aching center, causing Taryn to emit an almost pained sound as he denied her the ability to rock against his palm. To make it up to her, he applied the faintest of pressure at first, and then a little more. Taryn began to chant his name, her eyes squeezing shut as he increased the pressure and up and down friction with her every gasp.
"Zekk, Zekk, Zekk, stars…Zekk!" Just before she climaxed, Zekk removed his hand, leaving a very helpless and frustrated Taryn staining against the Force bonds that held her. Abandoning any pretense at fighting what he was doing to her, Taryn let out a guttural whimper. "Please, please!"
"Isn't this what you told me to do?" Zekk murmured huskily, resuming his sensual torture of her body, earning another very arousing whimper from his captive. "To run my hands over your body, every amazing inch. To touch you, love you, until you call out my name? What did you tell me? Oh yes, you wanted me to put my fingers in you, like this right?"
"Ughh," Taryn moaned. Her breathing hitched as he pressed one finger inside of her, then another. "Oh Zekk."
He curled both fingers ever so slightly, which caused the tendons of her neck to stand out at the jolt that coursed through her. He bent down to her neck, suckling on her pulse-point. His fingers still working deep in her wet and quivering depths, he knew she was so close to reaching that peak. Could see it in the desperate gleam of her eyes, the way her entire body seemed to coil in anticipation of the release that she so desperately needed. It was only a second later that he pushed her over the edge, releasing his Force hold over her at the same time. In an instant, her taut body arched up, her hands twisting in the sheets as wave after wave of pleasure consumed her. He continued to move his fingers, watching in awe as his younger lover gave herself fully to the sensations coursing through her.
Slowly, he brought her back down from orbit and slid up next to her to embrace her. In turn, Taryn reflexively curled up against him, something he had learned she preferred doing whenever she experienced a particularly powerful climax.
"That… " Taryn panted, her hands gripping both of his as she spooned herself against him. "Wow."
"Wow?" Zekk murmured, kissing her bare shoulder.
"If I had known that all I had to do to unleash that dark side of you was stun-cuff you to a chair and touch myself, I would have done it earlier," Taryn giggled, rolling over to face him.
"You are definitely evil," Zekk playfully kissed her nose.
"That's me," Taryn pushed on his shoulders until she was straddling his legs. "Okay, my turn now."
"Your turn? We're taking turns now?" Zekk said with a raised eyebrow, enjoying the view immensely. "I think you just like being on top."
"And you don't like me on top?"
"I…never said that," Zekk breath hitched as Taryn gripped his manhood. He wisely decided to shelve any arguments for the time being, knowing that Taryn knew his body as well as he knew her own.
After Zadaria, they had decided not to waste any more time dancing around the other and had fully embraced the physical aspect of their relationship. And once they had started, they found it very hard to stop. They took any moment they could, every moment available, to show their love to one and other. And a week's worth of love-making made them very familiar with each other.
Taryn gave him a wicked grin, stroking him back to full hardness. "Though so."
Zekk tried to mentally recite the Jedi Code and several other codeci full of random information. Tried being the operative word. Taryn, gray eyes sparkling as they held his gaze, leaned forward and with deliberate slowness ran her tongue from the base of his length to the very tip.
He exhaled roughly.
Her lips twisted into an impish smile as if she knew exactly what he was thinking.
Which, at the moment, was more or less a string of explicit words describing just how good it felt.
She repeated the process several times, rhythmically squeezing the base of his heated shaft and his sac in time with her tongue. Just when he thought the sensation couldn't become any more intense, she leaned forward and surrounded him with her mouth. Her tongue swirled around the crown, the hot warmth of her mouth making him moan her name. More of his twitching manhood disappeared between her smirking lips, her speed increasing ever so slightly. His hands flew down to run through her red hair, helping to guide her movements. Taryn's head bobbed up and down, her hands caressing his sac as the pleasure welled up. Already very aroused from bringing her to climax, Zekk didn't last long. Groaning her name one last time, his hips surged upwards, the pleasure causing him to see stars.
Taryn backed off, wiping her mouth with a knowing grin, looking very pleased with herself. "Wow?"
"Wow," Zekk laughed once he caught his breath.
She leaned forward, resting herself against his side. "Love you, you know."
Languidly rubbing her back, he kissed the top of her head. "I do know."
"Always make me feel so safe, so me," Taryn murmured, focusing on his heart beat while one hand idly played with his chest hair. "Trista and I can just be ourselves when we're with you. You have no idea how much of a relief that is for us. Well, maybe you do."
"I love you too," Zekk said softly, unable to imagine a life without her now that she was firmly in his life. "You and your sister have finally given me a place I can call home. A place I look forward to return at the end of every day, a reason to survive every mission."
Taryn tilted her head back and kissed him much more gently this time, her hands caressing his face. "You remember that, Jedi Knight Zekk, okay? No matter how dark this galaxy becomes, remember that my sister and I will be right at your side fighting it with all we have."
Zekk felt a surge of love for the warrior woman in his arms, and rolled them so that she was beneath him. Gazing down at her wide gray eyes, he caressed a cheek with the back of one hand. "And I'll be right there fighting at your side too. I'll be at your side for as long as you want me."
"A very, very, very, very long time then," Taryn mumbled, her soul bared to him through her emotion-filled gaze.
Zekk kissed her once more. "A very, very, very, very long time it is then, Lady Zel."
"Make love to me, Jedi Knight Zekk," Taryn whispered tenderly.
"As you wish, Lady Zel."
Their hands intertwined, their bodies joined, and the warrior princess and her Jedi Knight once more made love in the sanctuary of her childhood home.
(^-II-^)
The fireplace in the chambers of the Queen Mother crackled with dancing orange flames, the only light in a shadow-filled room backlit by the green glow of the Transitory Mists. Though most of the palace had been destroyed, the Queen Mother's chambers had been among the few areas spared from any destruction. But the room still had no power thanks to the destruction of the power conduits that had ran to it.
Not that its two occupants minded.
Passion, when contained and confined for prolonged periods, had a way of consuming everything like an out of control fire when released.
Two silhouettes stood in front of the fireplace, a male and a female. Their figures were backlit by the glow of the fire, half shrouded in shadow and half in orange-red light. He was standing behind her, hands moving up and down her powerful body, lovingly caressing every centimeter as they kissed with an intense fervor that mirrored the heat of the dancing flames. The Force connected the two of them on a level rarely anyone saw, their unspoken feelings demonstrated through their actions.
Soft breathing, barely audible over the flickering fire, was the only sound heard. He nuzzled her neck, kissing his way to her shoulder blade, his firm hands possessively cupping her full breasts and rolling the sensitive peaks between his fingers. Her mouth opened in a soundless gasp, head tilting back as she reveled in the sensations her lover was creating. Still nursing their child, her breasts were more tender than usual. Her lone hand reached for one of his, and he gripped it without a word passing between the two of them.
The flames continued to burn brightly, the warm orange light spreading throughout the darkened room and flickering at the very edges of the balcony.
Her hand tightened around his as his free hand moved to her back and gently traced her vertebrae, accompanying each caress with a feather-light kiss. He marveled at the way her shoulder muscles flexed ever so slightly as she arched back into his touch. The small tremors that coursed through her legs and the gooseflesh that rose as he blew onto her heated flesh. It had been far too long since he last had the luxury of loving her, and he was determined to take his time.
For her part, she was in a fiery world of pleasure. Her own eyes were closed tight, breathing labored. She knew where his final destination was and openly welcomed his mastery of her body. As he neared the base of her spine, she released his hand and leaned forward, resting her arm on the mantel and her forehead on her forearm. She felt his hands on the toned cheeks of her ass, his breath on her center, and she shuddered, her eyes fluttering behind her closed eyelids.
After a second that seemed to stretch on for an eternity, he dragged his tongue slowly over her offered center. The sensation sent jolts of undeniable pleasure racing up her spine. Her silhouette arched, proud breasts thrust forward and swaying in response to the sensations created by his tongue. Sensations that had, until that moment, been only a pleasant memory from many months before.
She twitched as his tongue flicked against her clit, pleasure ebbing as he traced his tongue along her moist folds, then spiking again as it circled the star of her ass. He repeated his journey again and again, tongue to clit, across her dripping opening, to her rear. Her athletic legs shook, her mouth falling open in soundless releases of breath. She rose up onto her toes, his name finally leaving her lips in a gasp, the sensations building from a smoldering ember to a roaring inferno with every pass.
He took his time, minutes ticking by as he feasted, her mind reduced to a puddle of molten pleasure. And when he had had his fill, he deftly added his strong fingers to support the torment his mouth was providing. A wordless cry escaped her, the heat consuming her without mercy.
In and out with deliberate precision.
His agile fingers, slick with her fluids, twisted within her and then withdrew at an agonizingly slow pace, only to push back into her and send flashes of light floating across her vision. In and out. Heated flesh trembling with his every expert touch. She was lost in the sensations, unaware of the passage of time or of anything else but his long fingers moving within her in time with the lashes of his tongue. She kept her eyes close, panting, gasping, the raging fire coursing through her, continuing to build and build with seemingly no end.
And then the inferno erupted, engulfing her entire being in a flash. Her body shuddered and legs shook, every cell in her body feeling as if it was erupting in sheer pleasure. The pleasure went on and on, her lover wringing every ounce of pleasure he could from her. Finally, she sagged, breathless, supported solely by his fingers within her and his arm around her waist.
He slowly kissed his way back up her shaking form, his own arousal evident by the shadow he cast on the wall. His hands gripped her waist to help her stay standing. He nuzzled her neck once more, lips nipping at the exposed column of flesh in silent entreaty. She tilted her head to accept his next kiss, their shadows merging as they sank to their knees onto the animal-skin shag rug in front of the fireplace.
No words were exchanged, her body outlined and glimmering by the glow of the fire. She gripped him and slowly lowered herself down onto him, both releasing breaths of satisfaction at the sensations caused by their physical union.
The heat from the fireplace merely felt warm in comparison, and their passion had yet to fully run its course.
She leaned forward, her hand resting on his chest and her hips moving in a circular motion that caused both to groan and gasp. He gripped her toned rear firmly, aiding her grinding and reveling in the sensations shooting through him. Their eyes met and never shifted focus, both watching the pleasure rise in the irises of the other.
Their actions grew more frantic as the seconds passed, the inferno once again beginning to build. Her shadow emphasized her body's every movement as she intensified her movements, his eyes riveted on his lover on display. Her hand slid over his chest, both his moving to grip it as both felt the inferno fully break free within them. She rode him in earnest, both rational beings giving in to the raw sensations wiping away all logical thought.
The almost agonizingly pleasurable feel of each other's bodies. Of the fur rug beneath them and the fire crackling beside them. The sounds of slick flesh contacting and sliding in the primal act of lovemaking. The cool breeze coming in from the open balcony window. Passion unrestrained, heat raw, lusts unleashed. Gasps and emotion-filled moans joined the sensory overload, their emotions merging with the physical sensations. Both found release at the same time, calling out each other's names in a feral cry.
Then all was silent once more save for the crackling of the fireplace.
He held onto her as if she were the most valuable person in the galaxy. She was his childhood friend, the woman with the indomitable spirit, who was secretly his conscience and beacon to all that was right in his life. She was his partner in every sense of the word, the mother of their daughter, the reason why he fought so hard to bring peace to the galaxy. To him, she was as close to perfect as could be.
Just needed to work on her sense of humor a little more.
Tucked against his side, she smiled tiredly and lightly slapped his stomach for his thoughts. As linked as their minds were, it was hard to hide anything from the other, and neither made any effort to do so.
For her, he might not have been the carefree boy she had grown to love, but he was still the same person in spirit. His desire for answers, his kind nature, and affection towards all creatures big and small, were his endearing qualities. He was her best friend, the one who showed her how to be more than a stuffy Hapan noble. Who taught her that it was okay to buck tradition, to thumb your nose at the place society tried to make you fill. She loved him, something she'd only ever admit aloud when they were alone together. It wasn't that she was ashamed of it, quite the opposite in fact, but to her, those words were meant for his ears only.
Those words for his ears, and her body for his hands.
Her eyelids fluttered as he began to touch her once more. Her sex, still tender from their earlier coupling, once again began to ache for him. She breathed his name, gripping a fistful of the rug as he circled her clitoris with two fingers. His drew one of her erect nipples into his mouth, his tongue flicking against it while he applied the lightest of pressure with his teeth. Her hips lifted off the rug, a low hiss escaping her. The combined sensation was almost more than enough to bring her to climax once more. He kept her on edge though, but not for long. Rolling her to her side and lifting one of her legs, with intimate familiarity, he entered her once more. She gasped, the feel of his hard length surging back into her triggering her release.
He moaned her name as the slick walls of her womanhood clenched around him, her climax echoing in their bond. Keeping an arm around her, he began to thrust slowly and gently. There was no longer a frenzied need to share themselves with one and other, just a desire to stay connected for as long as possible. Who knew how long they would be a part, how long it would take for them to reconnect again? Such was the pitfall of being responsible for billions of lives. That thought stayed at the backs of their minds as they once again gave themselves to the other. Gave the other the precious few hours the galaxy let them have.
She let her head roll forward, eyes held shut as the heat of the fireplace on her front competed with the heat of her lover behind her. She could feel his strong hands roam over her body, adding to her pleasure. Wantonly, she craned her head back and he was there to meet her lips with a fervent kiss. Again the pleasure built, her mind registering only the feel of her lover in her, holding her, loving her. They rocked back and forth for a while, just keeping up the sensation and reveling in the closeness. Slowly though, as if going from simmer to full boil, the wanton need returned. As if trying to make her succumb from pleasure, his hand reached around leg to her sex and, after several seconds, sent her exhausted body to its peak once more. He was not far behind. A few more thrusts, his essence filled her, her whispered name leaving his lips in an almost pained cry. And then both lovers flopped back on the rug, thoroughly spent.
One of his hands took hold of her one and held it, his gesture communicating whole paragraphs as his eyes gazed kindly upon her flushed and sweat-slickened face. She squeezed his hand in turn, reciprocating the sentiment with an expression reserved only for him.
The fire crackled and popped, its roaring warmth dying as it consumed the log within the fireplace. The breeze from the open balcony caused her to shift closer to him, hands still tightly grasped. He wrapped his free arm around her, running a hand through her hair. Together, their gaze focused on the heavens outside, watching as the first rays of the Hapan sun crested over the distant mountains. No words were said, nor did they need to be.
She was Queen Mother and he Jedi Master, the lives of billions hung on their every decision. But for that brief moment, in the Hapan dawn, they were just two childhood friends taking comfort in the unspoken love they had for one and other.
(^-III-^)
As was the case of all Sith who followed the Rule of Two, the cycle of master being betrayed by apprentice was once again being carried out in the distant void of space. In an asteroid field far from the galactic core, an abandoned mining facility happened to be the setting for this latest betrayal.
"You are a fool," Vergere sighed, shaking her head at her apprentice.
"Am I?" Lumiya chortled, her lightwhip buzzing as it slashed through the air.
"And to think I once thought you held promise," Vergere's green lightsaber sliced through the air and caused a ventilation unit to fall. "You truly have no idea what is about to happen, do you?"
Lumiya' whip sliced the machinery into bits, before she sent the pieces flying across the room. "Of course I do, the rise of a new Sith Empire."
Vergere tisked. "You sad, deluded creature. Did you not listen to anything I've taught you?"
"Oh I have. Why do you think I'm taking this moment to get ahead, master. I know the Rule of Two, and if Jacen Solo is to be your protégé, where does that leave me?"
"Considering your failure with his brother, you'd be dead weight," Vergere chirped back. The shadows blended around her and she stepped back into the darkened corridors of the abandoning mining facility. "Although I was hoping you'd let Jacen Solo take charge and serve as his liaison to Darth Krayt. But given your short-sighted foolishness, those hopes will go unanswered."
Lumiya sent streams of lightning into the shadows all around her, the purple energy splashing off of the walls and defunct computers in a noisy roar.
"It always amazes me how one can learn so much, yet comprehend so little," Vergere said, appearing behind Lumiya. The dark apprentice lashed out with her saberwhip, but this time Vergere's saber cleaved the top of the weapon in two.
A brutal screech of Force energy sent Vergere flying backwards, her saber tumbling in the opposite direction.
"I've comprehended all I needed to," Lumiya smiled murderously. "Your nonsense about there being a unified Force is unbecoming of a Sith of your status. You're growing senile in your old age."
Vergere dusted herself off, the Fosh looking amused. "See what I mean, apprentice. In all our time together, my apprentice, when have I ever referred to myself as a Sith?"
"Why else did you teach me the things you did? I know dark side when I see it, and those techniques are definitely not Jedi in origin," Lumiya sent out a stream of lightning, but Vergere batted it aside and it blew a hole in a nearby wall.
Vergere shook her head. "I've told you before, a great darkness will soon befall this galaxy. Do you truly think Jedi or Sith stand a chance against it?"
"Ah yes, those so called prophecies by races long dead," Lumiya snorted dismissively. "You should probably pick up a sign and start running around declaring the galaxy is ending."
"How else can you explain the actions of the Killiks?"
"Bugs deluded by the absorption of frightened children."
"The growing chaos?"
"Agents of Darth Krayt."
"The destabilization of the mind realm."
"The Mind Walkers probably ate something bad, or caught some disease that killed them off," Lumiya shook her head. "You've been in the shadows for so long, master, you're seeing shadows where there are none. Face it, you should have died long ago."
Vergere smiled a toothy grin. "And you're so blinded by your own arrogance that you cannot see the maw waiting to swallow you whole."
Another blast of lightning, and Vergere sent the purple forks crashing against the mag-con field. Lumiya advanced, continuing the barrage of lightning "I'm the arrogant one? You truly think you can stop Darth Krayt by hiding out here? That the galaxy is going to end just because of some dusty stories and insane bugs? Instead of hiding, we should be aiding Darth Krayt, growing stronger in his shadow until we eclipse him. We should whole-heartedly be embracing the idea of a Sith Empire reborn, of the changes it would bring about. Do you truly insist on walking this path, master?"
Vergere sighed, her patronizing stare illuminated by the glow of Lumiya's lightning her only response.
Lumiya's face twisted in rage. "So be it, master. Like I said in the beginning, I've been planning this for this encounter ever since you made headway with that Solo boy, my replacement. Open fire!"
A flurry of blasterfire filled the hangar, catching Vergere off-guard. An army of battle droids marched out from the various recesses and corridors, their guns blazing. Vergere managed to absorb the first few bolts, but there was no way she could take on hundreds of laserbolts being hurled in her direction. She twitched and spun, the red bolts burning through the Jedi robe she was wearing like a knife through butter.
Vergere continued to gaze at Lumiya, her lips twisted in a smirk that infuriated her apprentice. With a yell, Lumiya lifted Vergere's dying body off the ground and slammed her into the mag-con field. The field sparked purple, and Lumiya kept up the pressure until Vergere was forced through.
"Good bye, Master," Lumiya panted, holding out her hand and summoning Vergere's lightsaber to her. Relief, her master was dead at last.
"You do have a temper, don't you?"
Lumiya spun around, eyes growing wide at the sight of Vergere's Force ghost standing behind her. "Be gone!"
Vergere chuckled pityingly. "You don't know the true power of the Force, Lumiya. And you never will."
"The dark side is all the power I will ever need."
"And that is why you and Krayt will fail," Vergere said, spectral body fading. "Ironically, it's also why the Jedi will fall as well."
Lumiya's jaw clenched. "Be silent, witch, or I will bind you."
Vergere smiled once more and disappeared completely, leaving Lumiya alone on the asteroid she called home.
Spinning to one of the droids, she glared. "Tell Darth Krayt that Vergere has been taken care of. If he wants me to go along with his delusions, he'll leave me Jacen Solo in peace."
"Roger, roger," the droid announced.
"And one of you get me more materials for a lightwhip, I need to make a new one."
(^-IV-^)
Aboard the Yuuzhan Vong Matlok Burning Heretic, Tahiri glared down the warriors who were practically twice her size, a hand emphatically slicing through the air. "No, absolutely not!"
"They attacked our homeworld, the sacred Yuuzhan'tar. They've even declared their own holy war against us, Avatar of Yun-Shuno." One of hundreds of warriors in the assembly room called out.
"And your answer to that is to release a gene-tailored virus designed to kill off all Bothans?"
"They attacked first. They broke the peace. Now they shall reap the consequences." Another said as if his logic made perfect sense.
"Warmaster Loiric Kaan," Tahiri began slowly, turning to the towering Yuuzhan Vong next to her. "If you unleash that virus on Bothawuii, you'll turn the entire galaxy against you."
"The entire galaxy has done nothing for the Yuuzhan Vong since you came here. They let the hate crimes against our people go unpunished, they let others shame and spit on the name Yuuzhan Vong," Loiric countered. He flexed his clawed hand, one of many modifications he had had the shapers make to his body after his 'promotion' to Warmaster. "They're already against us. But we will show the galaxy how wrong they are to dismiss us."
"Oh for the love of…Has Yun-Rhysode robbed you of your senses? Do you want to drag your people into another war with the rest of the galaxy?" Tahiri snarled. "Because that's what will happen if you do. The Bothans have a pretty high standing in the pecking order of races, the Yuuzhan Vong not so much."
"Blood has been spilt, and that demands that blood be spilt in retribution," one of Loiric's aide voiced, pounding a fist on the table. "We should be out there massacring the Bothans and not sitting here discussing politics!"
"Well someone has to," Tahiri retorted. "I'm trying to save the Yuuzhan Vong from further warring. The kind that tore your people apart and brought them to the brink of extinction. You send the plague-ship crashing into Bothawui, and all bets are off."
"We have tens of thousands of warriors with us, more when the rest of the fleet arrives," Loiric said calmly. "They came seeking bloodshed, the death that was denied to them at the end of the war. There is no doubting that the Bothans wronged us, no doubting that the so called galactic government has once again failed to act, tell me Avatar of Yun-Shuno, are we to let those that died go un-avenged? Are we to show the galaxy that the Yuuzhan Vong no longer have teeth and can only gum our way through problems like the Galactic Alliance?"
"Warmaster, you want a war?" Tahiri said, her green eyes shifting to a shade of chlorine ice that Anakin had called her 'Yuuzhan Vong gaze'. She knew that she wouldn't be able to convince the Yuuzhan Vong warriors to stand down, not the generation of Loiric Kaan and those older than him. They were too engrained in their ways, too determined for blood to be spilt. But she couldn't back away either. "You want the glorious battle that you dream about every day? A chance to show the galaxy the Yuuzhan Vong can bite back? A chance for all the old warriors with you to go out in a blaze of glory?"
"The Yun'o demand it."
"Well, rather than an enemy that is few in number, whose military is stretched thin and will provide little sport for your warriors, I have another target in mind," Tahiri baited. "A target whose numbers are in the millions, if not billions. Whose fleets are made up of hundreds of ships, who've already conquered whole planets without the galaxy realizing it. If you want that bloodlust sated, they will provide a much more satisfying challenge."
"What are you saying One-Who-Was-Shaped?" Another warrior asked.
"This enemy is called the Killik," Tahiri padded around the table, her bare feet squishing against the organic mat on the ground. "They have enslaved countless races, annihilated whole fleets without care of their own lives. If one is killed, hundreds more rise up to take its place. In five years, they have fractured the galaxy to a point where it may never recover. Already millions of their kind have been engaged and fought to a stalemate, but a much more massive fleet is scheduled to arrive in the coming months. All available ships are going to the battle front to meet this foe. It will be a battle on par with the Battle of Dac, Coruscant, or Ebaq Nine. The winner will have control of the galaxy. The loser will be enslaved or dead."
The room full of seasoned Yuuzhan Vong warriors was absolutely quiet at Tahiri's description, salivating as they tried to envision such a foe.
"But what of the Bothans?" Grumbled Loiric.
"They'll still be here if the Killiks are defeated," Tahiri answered, doing her best to minimize the 'challenge' the Bothans would present. "But think, Warmaster. If the Yuuzhan Vong fight for the galaxy instead of against its peoples, think of how much good will you'll achieve. The Yuuzhan Vong are a formidable race, even after these years of peace, and I know you will all impress if you decide to heed Yun-Yamka's call. One enemy at a time, Loiric. What will satisfy your warriors more, a lopsided fight against a weak enemy that barely controls a few star systems, or a battle to the death against something strong enough to bring the galaxy to its knees?"
More murmuring broke out, a fanatical gleam appearing in the eyes of many in the room.
"Yun-Shuno's vassal is wise indeed," one called out.
"Yun-Yamka has sent the One-Who-Was-Shaped to reveal our true enemy!" Another yelled.
"The Yuuzhan Vong made a pact with the Galactic Alliance, we do not go back on our word," an older, scarred warrior grunted.
Tahiri continued to stand as tall as her petite stature would let her, cold green eyes daring the crowd, the three scars on her forehead prominent in the dim lighting of the room. "That is true. Now, Warmaster, make the choice and relay it to the rest of the fleet? Who is to be your enemy today? The Bothans and the rest of the galaxy? Or the Killiks, who are capable of toppling both without care?"
Loiric bared sharpened yellow teeth. "You make a fine case, Avatar of Yun-Shuno." He whirled to his audience like the idea had been his all along. "What will it be children of Yun-Yuuzhan? Do we fight a galaxy or do we fight the galaxy slayers?"
Tahiri kept her smile pasted to her face as the crowd roared for the latter.
"So be it! Send a villip to Supreme Commander Saluup Fing. Let him know that of our foe and of the challenge we will give it. First we destroy these Killiks! Then we will annihilate the Bothans!"
Tahiri just sighed inwardly. Sometimes she really hated being the Avatar of Yun-Shuno.
(^-V-^)
Jysella Horn's face was stony, her brown eyes deadened. Normally she should be overjoyed at the sight of her homeworld in all its swirling glory. Normally. Staring at Corellia through the cockpit of her X-wing, however, she felt nothing but a numb dread. Her eyes filled with tears that she angrily blinked away. Why did her stupid brother have to go and get himself killed? Worse, he had to go get himself killed and not even leave a body for her to bury.
"Jysella," the voice of Mirax Terrik Horn brought her out of her thoughts.
Jysella looked up and saw the Pulsar Skate hovering just off her port side. Feeling a heavy, painful lump in the middle of her chest, she keyed the comm. The word she tried to say got caught in her suddenly tight throat. "Mommy."
"It's okay, Jysella."
"No, it isn't," Jysella managed, squeezing her eyes shut. "It isn't okay at all!"
"Jysella," Mirax's voice was gentle, caring. "Ease off the throttle. Let me tractor you in."
Jysella automatically did as she was told, and felt her fighter shudder a moment later as the Pulsar Skate pulled it into its cargo bay. The young Jedi just sat motionlessly in her seat the entire way, silent tears now making its way down her cheeks. The fighter shuddered one last time as the docking clamp gripped it, but Jysella remained in the cockpit chair.
"Sella," Mirax murmured softly. "You're home."
At that, Jysella rested her forehead on the steering column, not bothering to stop the hot tears now. With a choked sobbed, she whimpered. "I'm so sorry, mommy. I couldn't bring Val back. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry for, Sella. Why don't you climb on out of that cockpit?"
Jysella irrationally shook her head, as if the canopy bubble was the only thing protecting her from the rest of the galaxy. "I can't."
"Please?"
Squeezing her eyes shut, she held her breath and flipped the switch that retracted the canopy. When the mechanical whirring ended, she released her breath and opened her eyes. Awaiting her beside her fighter were both her mom and dad, their expressions a mixture of somber regret and relief.
Stiffly, Jysella climbed out of her cockpit and dropped down to the cargo-bay floor. She avoided eye-contact, her expression alternating been tough and unfeeling automaton, and frightened and devastated little girl; as if she couldn't make up her mind which to be.
Both her parents stepped up and drew her into a hug. Jysella became rigid in their grip, shaking her head again.
"Thank you for coming back to us," Corran whispered softly, kissing the top of her head.
"We love you," Mirax added.
Jysella's legs gave out at that moment, and she began to cry once more. "He's dead, mommy. My big brother's dead."
"I know," Mirax's voice was thick with pain, but she somehow managed to keep herself together. "I know, Sella."
"It hurts," Jysella whimpered, clinging to both parents. "Make that emptiness go away daddy"
"I wish I could, kiddo," Corran said hoarsely, looking every bit his fifty-four years of age. His Force presence was completely closed off, keeping any of his own emotional pain from spilling over to his family. All he could do was continue to hold his wife and daughter and try to be strong for the both of them. "I wish I could."
"Alema's dead too," Jysella sobbed.
"I felt her passing," Corran confirmed tenderly.
"She was never evil," Jysella looked up to her dad, trying to get her point across. "She always meant well. She just wanted to find her place in the galaxy."
"She's one with the Force now, Jysella," Corran said, his eyes closing. "She'll be watching over you along with Valin and my father, and all the other Jedi."
"And Numa," Jysella added with a choked sob. "She'll get to see her sister and master again too."
"That's right," Mirax said soothingly. "They'll still be with us, so long as we keep their memory alive."
"It still hurts though," Jysella pouted in a little girl voice.
"And it will for a long time," Corran sighed softly. The trio sunk to the floor of the Pulsar Skate's cargo bay cuddled together in a group hug. "But life, the galaxy, everything will continue to go on."
"It doesn't seem right though," Jysella protested.
Corran nodded slowly. "I know, I know. When my dad was killed, I raged at the universe for having the gall to continue on after his death. Didn't do me much good. All we can do now is continue forward, as hard as that might be."
Jysella just nodded, clinging to her parents and suddenly feeling very small once more. "I'm sorry I couldn't even bring a body."
"Stop apologizing, Sella," Mirax's voice cracked and she kissed her daughter's forehead. "You came back, and that's all that matters. It's hell losing one kid, no way I even want to think about losing both of you."
The Horn family stayed where they were for a very long time. High orbit above Corellia, floating in the cold void of space in the Pulsar Skate with only each other as comfort.
"What's going on on the planet?" Jysella finally asked with a slight sniffle.
"After Natua returned and relayed what had happened, there was a public uproar. Dur Gejjen called a vote of no confidence on Prime Minister Saxan for her handling of the Hapes mess," Mirax said in a subdued voice. "It passed and she was removed from office. Her ex-husband Denjax Teppler is now the leader of the Five Worlds and their allies."
Jysella just nodded at the news, not wanting to lift her head from her mom's shoulder.
"The Corellian Praxeum is also in the middle of it all. We were the ones that gave our blessing for Corellia to intervene in Hapan affairs," Corran continued softly.
"Not Valin, he didn't want us to get involved," Jysella whispered.
"I know, he was always the brains of this family," Corran said with a soft laugh. "We probably should have listened to him. In any case, Minister Gejjen has called an audit into the amount of resources being spent on the Corellian Jedi and has vowed to cut back on governmental support. The Corellian Jedi are no longer invited to parliamentary sessions or high-level meetings. It's become more of a 'don't call us, we'll call you' status quo for the past two weeks."
"Some good has come out of this though," Mirax continued to rub Jysella's back automatically. "Teppler is taking the Killik threat seriously. Anakin Solo put out an 'everyone with ships send some or we're all screwed' call for help, and Corellia is sending a fleet to assist. This time General Antilles was put in charge."
"Can't he stay retired?" Jysella said with a small laugh.
"That's what Tycho and I asked him," Corran smiled faintly.
"What did he say?"
"That he'd stay retired if the galaxy let him. I actually think the main reason he's going out is because both his daughters will be in the field as well."
Jysella fell silent at that. Though she didn't personally know the Antilles, their reputation preceded them. Myri in particular had been vital in pinpointing Killik-controlled planets in Hapan space, while Syal was already famous for taking out a Pulsar Station. Yet, fame didn't shield anyone from death. She silently prayed that the fate that had befallen Valin would avoid both sisters for a long time.
"I should go help out," Jysella voiced.
"You just came back," Mirax said evenly.
"I'm a Jedi," Jysella said wanly. "Ask dad. It's his fault."
Corran exhaled shakily. "Well, if Wedge is going to make this a family affair, I see no reason why we shouldn't either."
"Dad?"
"Mirax, you think Booster will mind if I drag you and Sella off to another warzone?"
"He'll probably start thinking up even more inventive ways to kill you," Mirax said with a sniffling laugh.
"At least it'll keep that crafty brain of his working. I'll go let the Corellian Praxeum know we're taking time off for family reasons."
"Don't think saving the galaxy counts as a family reason," Mirax bantered back, a small flicker of life returning to her eyes.
"Sure it does," Corran smirked at Jysella, the pain he was feeling still reflected in his eyes. Despite his shields, Jysella could tell that he wanted to be as far away from Corellia as possible. She did too. "Just give us a couple of days to get ready, okay Sella?"
Jysella just smiled sadly and nodded. "It'd be great to have you two along, mom, dad."
"Been a while since we've saved the galaxy," Mirax stood and tugged her daughter and husband up with her. She grimaced and shook out her legs. "We're not as young as we once were, Corran."
"We'll be careful," Corran reassured. "Because I'm not losing either of you if I can help it."
"And we'll look after you too, dad," Jysella said with a wan smile. She felt completely emotionally exhausted. "Now, I'm going to get some sleep. Wake me whenever we get to wherever we have to go."
(^-VI-^)
In the middle of meditation, enjoying the early morning sunlight, Jacen's brown eyes flew open as he felt the distinct feeling of Vergere's death traverse the bond he shared with the Fosh. He didn't know the details, only that her parting from life had not been a voluntary one. The suddenness of it all meant that he could scarcely hide his reaction from his lover seated next to him.
"Jacen?" Tenel Ka's voice was questioning.
"Vergere's dead," Jacen answered.
Tenel Ka remained quiet. He knew that she and Vergere had never seen eye to eye, that Tenel Ka had never trusted the Fosh. Yet out of respect for his own feelings, she had mostly kept those thoughts to herself.
"I don't know how exactly," Jacen murmured. "All I see are some vague images, an asteroid belt, old mining tools. But that could be anywhere."
"What will you do?" Tenel Ka asked, standing and pulling she sheet she wore closer around her body.
"Can't do anything now," Jacen shook his head. "Not like she'll get any better if I rush over to wherever it is she was trying to tell me about. After this Killik mess I'll take Nelani and check it out."
"Whoever was able to kill her had to be very talented," Tenel Ka said carefully.
"I'll be on my guard," Jacen said reassuringly. "Besides, by the time Nelani and I get there they'll probably be long gone. Vergere ended up there for a reason, so maybe she left a message or something."
Tenel Ka looked far from reassured, but she accepted his statement with a neutral nod. Standing, she disappeared back into her quarters to get dressed. Lost in his thoughts for a couple minutes longer, Jacen finally shook his head and got up to follow. Already Vergere's death was compartmentalized in another part of his mind, the more pressing matters taking precedent.
Outside, the sound of construction workers repairing and rebuilding the devastated palace started up. Tenel Ka was already skimming through a plethora of messages that had built up overnight, as well as talking with her super-secretary and bodyguard about Allana's status. For her safety, Jana continued to keep the chume'da as far away from the capital city as possible. Despite the peace, there were still rogue Killik hives that rejected the Royal House's offers, not many, but more than enough to remain a threat. There were also still fanatics that would like nothing more than to end the royal line and install some other individual as leader. Until the security of the palace could be vouched for, Allana would be enjoying the Royal Family's winter retreat by Hapes' northern icecap.
Lomi was still in a coma, safely aboard the Dragon Queen where no Killik agent or Hapan plotter could reach her. There was a lot of noise about putting her on trial, but until she woke up there was no telling what type of state of mind she'd be in. After all, she'd been a Joiner for nearly ten years, almost all trace of her original personality would have been wiped out.
"A courier was sent by your brother with a message for you," Tenel Ka voiced as Jacen pulled on his Jedi tunic.
"Really?" Jacen blinked in surprise. He held up a hand and caught the datapad Tenel Ka had flung in his direction. Scrolling through the message, he blinked again. After rereading it, he looked sheepishly up at his lover. "Errr….Tiki. We're going to need to use your fleet again."
"Oh?" Tenel Ka caught the datapad he tossed back in her direction. After a moment, she blinked. "Oh."
"Royal Navy in any condition to go save the galaxy?"
"Why can't you get your own fleet? Why do you always have to borrow mine?" Tenel Ka said dryly.
"I did have my own fleet, but it got blown up"
"Blame Lomi. Besides, you are still paying off the debts you incurred when you blew up my palace."
"Technically that was Lomi also."
"Go bargain with the Killik queens you made nice to. Don't they still have ships?"
"You sound jealous."
"If you prefer giant bug-like creatures with pincers and compound eyes over me, then I'm not jealous, just worried."
"But then I'd have to share her with a bunch of drones, and I'm not the sharing type," Jacen said with a roguish smile.
Tenel Ka just rolled her eyes and folded her arms in front of her. "You just finished getting on the good side of my people. They're even considering allowing you to be my consort."
"Lucky me," Jacen said wryly. "Look, I'll give you…errr…I don't know. You think of something, for the fleet."
"Convince my father and the other nobles to let me go with you," Tenel Ka said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "If you're saving the galaxy again, Jacen Solo, I better be there too."
"Won't the nobles take it better coming from you?"
"Don't feel like pandering to their needs at the moment," Tenel Ka said with a hint of her Dathomiri rebellious streak. "But you, on the other hand, kept them at bay in my absence. I trust you can get it done."
"Thank you, your trust means everything Queen Mother," Jacen said monotonously.
"Then see to it that it is done," Tenel Ka rejoined in a regal sounding voice that had the both of them smiling inwardly. "I will check on the readiness of Our armed forces and let you know how many ships Hapes can spare. We will warn you, however, that We lost several fleet groups in the fighting, so the number might not be more than Our personal fleet detachment."
"From what the message sounded like, he's taking any and all ships."
"So a typical mission for your family?"
"Overwhelming odds, a galaxy in peril, half-baked plans? Most definitely," Jacen chuckled.
"Do you think our daughter will inherit our ability to get into such reckless situations?"
Jacen closed his eyes, the future image of his daughter all grown up and surrounded by friends and family floating to the forefront of his mind. With a wry smirk, he nodded. "Of that, I have no doubt."
(^-VII-^)
Rejuvenated, filled with a new sense of purpose, General Zekk slid out of the side of the speeder in front of the temporary headquarters for the Hapan military. Once attached to the palace, the original headquarters had a Killik cruiser rammed into it, where it then collapsed along with the tons of debris into the city below. Its replacement while the palace was being repaired was a highly secured tent seated in the shadow of what was left of the palace.
Zekk surveyed the equipment surrounding said tent. It might as well have been a bunker with all the shield generators, anti-eavesdropping equipment, and automated turrets surrounding it. As it was, he had had to park nearly a kilometer away due to plethora of signs warning those approaching about the anti-vehicle minefield that had been planted.
"You Hapans really do take security seriously," Zekk chuckled.
"The Royal Guard took it as a personal insult that the palace was smashed to pieces on their watch," Taryn said with a grin that had practically been pasted to her face since the week began. "We don't want to be remembered in the future as the generation that got the Queen Mother's palace blown up. I mean, some groups are known for assassination attempts they failed to stop, but no one failed to keep the palace in one piece until now."
"Blame Jacen for that."
"I know, right? We let a man sit on the throne and leave him alone for a couple of months and he blows up our house," Taryn sighed dramatically.
Another speeder pulled up behind them. The driver was Moreem Espara, her passenger, Taryn's sister.
"Hey you guys," Taryn greeted with barely controlled enthusiasm.
Trista raised an eyebrow in imitation of their cousin. "Taryn."
"Oh come on, don't be such a Dug," Taryn shook her head and hugged her sister.
Zekk met Moreem's eyes, and the two shared an amused smirk. "You doing okay, Captain Espara?"
"As well as can be," Moreem exited the speeder with a cane, the gleaming chrome of her robotic leg catching the rays of the sun. "The Chume was nice enough to put me on her Special Strategic Command Force."
"Special Strategic Command Force?" Zekk frowned. "I haven't heard of that one before."
"The Chume recently formed it," Trista deadpanned. Despite her relatively emotionless exterior, Zekk could sense her gratitude towards her cousin.
"How recent? It sounds like something we could have used on Zadaria."
"When I passed my physical and was allowed to return to active duty recent," Moreem answered with amusement. "The SSCF is designed to work in conjunction with the Royal Guard and Special Operation units to help plan and execute their missions."
"So it's essentially your job to make sure squads like the one Trista and Taryn are in stay alive?" Zekk laughed at Tenel Ka's deviousness.
Moreem shrugged with a smile. "Might not be able to take the field anymore, but I'm fully capable otherwise. In the meantime, General Zekk, take a look at this."
Zekk caught the datapad Moreem chucked at him. "What's this?"
"The new personnel for Alpha squad," Trista answered for her girlfriend. "To replace the six lost on Zadaria."
"Not even going to ask how you know about top-secret personnel changes before me," Taryn said dryly, causing Trista's cheeks to pinken.
Zekk just smiled as he scrolled through the information. He then did a double-take at the information and raised an eyebrow. "You Hapan Royal Guardswomen start young don't you?"
"Huh?" Taryn looked back to her boyfriend.
"Three of these people are younger than you Taryn," Zekk gestured. They continued down the designated path through several security checkpoints. "A sixteen year old and two seventeen year olds."
"Trista and I both started at sixteen, remember," Taryn said. "Of course, we were mostly assigned guard duty, but still. We weren't the only ones. Aros and Lovett also both started at sixteen."
"It's conditioning," Moreem clarified. "Guarding the Royal Family is a big deal so we start half of the guards young, basically groom and condition them to be loyal. Many have been training since they were old enough to walk and talk to be Chume'doro. The other half are from elite combat squadrons and are meant to teach the younger guardswomen."
"I know, I know," Taryn rolled her eyes at Zekk's expression. "Doesn't sound ethical. But it's how it's been done on Hapes for a long time, and it's worked. Besides, it's considered the highest honor in Hapes to become part of the Chume'doro."
"Fine," Zekk sighed, shaking his head. He looked through the list again. "Moreem, is this Mirala Chell…"
"Related to House Chell of the Heritage Council? Yes." Moreem grimaced at that. "She's the last surviving, non-Killik affected member. The Chume ordered me to include her. Two on the list also got on because their families were very influential noble households, House Skela and Luvalle."
"Teens, wealthy elite, political pawns," Zekk narrated in a dry voice "This definitely looks like the new Alpha squad will be interesting."
"One more thing," Moreem seemed to grimace. "Noble house or not, they were all brought up in traditional Hapan households. So you as a man…"
"Meaning they'll treat me like dirt?" Zekk guessed.
"Very, very likely," Moreem nodded.
"Like Taryn said. This is Hapes, it's how it's been done for a long time, and it's how things have worked."
"Not sure how you managed to both support and insult my culture at the same time," Taryn muttered, shaking her head. "Don't worry, just keep being your charming self and you'll win them over."
"Agreed, General, you'll win them over. At the very least House Roh supports you. Greetings, Ladies Zel," the voice of Hiana Roh came over Taryn's comlink, causing them all to jump in surprise.
"Lieutenant, providing security detail?" Trista asked evenly, calmly holstering the blaster pistol she had pulled out.
In response the round dot of a laser sight danced across the ground in front of them. The group looked up and saw that the dot was coming from one of the upper spires of the remains of the palace. A second laser dot played tag with the first, and Zekk gazed fondly up at one of the other towers.
"Jedi Knight Ijun, you got roped into the security detail too?"
"The Chume is here." The Dathomiri Jedi answered in as few words as possible.
"That explains the added security," Zekk shook his head. "Royal Guard doesn't want to be known as the ones who got the palace destroyed and the Queen Mother assassinated on two different days?"
"Right, because the Queen Mother being assassinated because her palace was destroyed is any better." Moreem rejoined.
"Good to see you up and about, sir."
"Thanks Hiana. Are you okay? Heard you took a hit from a rocket after I went down."
"I'm alive, sir," Hiana answered. "House Zel's personal Jedi really does come in handy."
The group finished navigating the various security measures and finally made it to the tent.
Taking a seat with several admirals, generals, and high-ranking Royal Guardswomen and one Royal Guardsman, the four exchanged brief greetings with those they knew. Tenel Ka sat at the head of the table, no one dare bothering to approach the seemingly god-like ruler of sixty-three star-systems.
No one but Zekk anyways. "Chume. Are you well?"
"Very well, thank you, General Zekk," Tenel Ka answered smoothly. The presence of the others forced them to remain formal, and the use of his rank justified his presence in an all-Hapan meeting. "You are looking…well rested."
Knowing exactly what she meant due to the Force, Zekk felt his cheeks warm. "I have you to thank for that, Queen Mother. For more reasons than one."
Tenel Ka blinked slowly, her face impassive but her Force-presence pleased. "We do try to provide for those who serve us well, General Zekk. Continue to look after the Royal Family and we shall do the same."
His eyes darting to Taryn for a moment, he bowed low to Tenel Ka. "I will endeavor to do so, Queen Mother."
Zekk stepped back, keenly aware that Tenel Ka's current guards were scowling at him for his breach of protocol. After all, one didn't just go up and exchange pleasantries with the Queen Mother, even if you were a general, or Jedi, or someone important. He supposed they should be grateful that he hadn't tried to shake Tenel Ka's hand or hug her, and briefly wondered what would have happened if he had.
Several more officers arrived, filling up the last of the empty seats. With everyone present, Tenel Ka stood.
"First of all, Hapes would like to thank all of you for your hard work in defeating the Killik threat here in the Consortium. But, the war does not stop there. We recently voted to become a greater part of the wider galaxy, and to do so we have taken on additional obligations. A much larger Killik fleet is said to be on approach, and we cannot let them gain a foothold in this galaxy as they did in Hapes."
Recently promoted psy-ops General Rais spoke up. "You're planning on sending the fleet back out?"
"That is correct," Tenel Ka met each of their gazes with serious, slate-gray eyes. "We know that our forces are tired, that these past few months have pushed them to their limits. But we also know that they won't rest until their job is done. If these Killiks are allowed to wreak havoc in this galaxy, then everything our soldiers have fought for will be for naught."
"Chume," an admiral spoke up. "No disrespect meant, but can Hapes afford to send any of our ships outside the Consortium? Security is stretched thin already and much of the Consortium thrives because of the protection our Battle Dragons provide. The back-to-back wars, first with the Vong and now with these Killiks, have severely depleted our ability to operate outside our own sphere of influence."
"I…agree, Chume," Gadell Vessau, one of Tenel Ka's oldest and most trusted Hapan friends, said reluctantly. "We have sixty-three star-systems to safeguard. The Royal Navy is probably at a third of what it once was under Ta'a Chume. Any reduction of forces available to Hapes will be reductions that will seriously jeopardize the safety of our citizens."
"You're Queen Mother of Hapes, not a defender of the galaxy," a ducha from one of the noble Houses spoke. "You cannot keep abandoning Hapes to pander to the needs of the rest of the galaxy."
"You presume to tell us what to do?" Tenel Ka pinned the ducha with a thousand-volt stare.
"No, Chume," the noblewoman said quickly. "Merely advising you."
"Thank you for that advice then," Tenel Ka replied evenly. She gazed back around the table. "Hapes cannot revert back to its old ways just because the immediate threat to us is over. If you will not approve of the deployment of the Royal Navy in defense of our home galaxy, then we will take our personal guard and go out there on our own."
"The Royal Guard is only ten Battle Dragons strong," protested an admiral.
"Then give me more ships," Tenel Ka said simply. "A stronger galaxy means a stronger Hapes. Or were we just giving lip-service when we promised to stand firm with our new allies?"
Zekk read the faces of each individual in the room. Some were playing the political game, feigning reluctance to garner support from those who were truly reluctant. Others were thinking militarily, trying to balance the needs of the immediate systems with the tactically sound idea of helping out the rest of the galaxy. The Hapans had made a choice earlier in the week, but in the euphoria of the windfall of credits and victory celebration, they had evidently forgot that they had to do their part of the bargain as well.
"We can spare a single fleet group in addition to your Royal Guard," an admiral said after much side-deliberation. "The decision will leave the inner most parts of the Consortium without defense, but hopefully the other fleet groups can pull a ship or two to help out should anything develop."
"Appreciated."
"Which of us will go, Your Majesty?" Duch'da Aleson Gray asked.
"Myself and Jedi Master Solo will lead the fleet," Tenel Ka said. "General Zekk will lead the ground forces, and Major Vessau will supervise the starfighter wings. In my absence, my father and the Dathomiri Jedi will handle any matters here on Hapes."
There were more grumblings, but given her popularity, Tenel Ka's decision eventually won out.
As the meeting ended and people began leaving, Zekk approached Tenel Ka once more. "Back into the frying pan, Tenel Ka?"
Tenel Ka smiled wanly. "Where else would Jacen lead us, my friend?"
(^-VIII-^)
Two Months Later
Jagged did his best not to smirk, smile, or otherwise comment on the mental state of being of his lover standing next to him. They were, after all, on the bridge of his Star Destroyer in the middle of the Chiss Sector Defense Fleet. But Jaina was never very good at hiding her emotions from him, and now was no different. He fully understood the reason for her anxiety. After all, it had been several years since she had last seen her twin in person. Twice that in length since she had seen her younger brother.
He would be the first to admit that her closeness to her own family had caused him to pay more attention to his own. Wyn, Cem, his mother and father, were all recipients of his attempts to maintain closer ties. Yet, while they all had been just a hyperspace jump or two away at most, Jaina had been separated from her family by galaxy-lengths. One could not simply stop by Chiss space on the way to somewhere else. Nor did Jaina have any inclinations to return to the galaxy and renew her role as a pillar of the Jedi Order—so given to her by her uncle.
Thanks to a galaxy in peril, however, the Solo siblings were on the verge of being reunited. Something that caused Jaina's brown eyes to continuously sweep the vast expanse of space outside and bounce on the balls of her feet, like a child with her face glued to a window to see the return of a beloved family member after a long absence.
"They are still over a dozen lightyears out," Jagged murmured in a low voice.
Realizing that she had been caught, a light blush filled her cheeks. "I know that."
"If they were traveling at the fastest possible speed, they're still an hour out."
"I know that too," Jaina grouched. "And there's no 'if,' they better be traveling at the fastest possible speed if they know what's good for them."
"Can't you feel their approach through the Force?"
"I can feel them through the Force whenever I want. I haven't even had a face-to-face conversation with them since they got back to this galaxy," Jaina got out, abandoning the field of stars for a brief moment to glance at Jagged.
"To be fair, if the HoloNet reports are to be believed, the three of you have been fairly busy."
"That's no excuse," Jaina muttered, her gaze rooted back onto the sparkling field outside. "We're family. I should have made more of an effort to get in touch or something."
"You were on Vagar Praxut for the better part of several months. No HoloNet reception," Jagged reminded.
"Doesn't matter. I'm a Solo, impossible is my specialty," Jaina all but pouted.
"As you say," Jagged laughed inwardly.
"I can sense that you know," Jaina shot him a dirty look.
"Would you relax?" Jagged murmured. "Giving yourself an ulcer is probably not the best way to reunite with your brothers."
"But it's been seven years since I last saw Anakin," Jaina protested. "And he has a family and kids and everything. Seven years! When I last saw him, he was my reckless, dorky little kid brother. What if he's changed? I mean it's not like he's kept in touch with the rest of us either. What if he's resentful, or serious with no sense of humor, or worse, responsible?"
Jagged raised an eyebrow at the last worry. "You're worried he's become responsible?"
"I'm his big sister," Jaina muttered, looking embarrassed. "I'm supposed to clean up after his messes when he goes rushing off to save the day."
Jagged affectionately looped an arm around Jaina's waist, not caring that they were in full view of the bridge-crew. He was Moff now, and that gave him certain privileges. "He's still your little brother, Jaina. You said it yourself, nothing is going to change that. Just like Wyn will always be my little sister no matter how many times she drives me up the wall."
Jaina just leaned into him, still a nervous wreck, but at least not one about to spontaneously combust. She gripped one of his hands in both her own and whispered softly. "I had no idea how much I missed them until I realized that they were coming to help."
"Well, they'll be here in…"
"Forty-seven minutes, fifty seconds," Jaina muttered,
"Forty-five seconds," Jagged said after a moment.
Jaina elbowed him lightly. "You're making fun of me."
"I would never be so foolish as to anger a Jedi," Jagged said straight-faced.
Jaina just smiled at him and kissed his cheek. "Thanks."
"You are welcome."
"Forty-six minutes," Jaina groaned at the agony of the wait. "Why couldn't they just take the Falcon and outstrip all those other ships in the giant fleet of theirs? Heck, why did they even need to slow down and combine fleets in the first place? When I get my hands on…"
"Sir! Sensor contact!" A voice from the bridge pit announced.
"What is it?" Jagged said. Both he and Jaina immediately reverted to their professional personas.
"It can't be the fleet, they're still lightyears out," Jaina frowned.
The sensor operator looked over the readings. "Sirs, sensor profile is reading as a YT-1300 Corellian freighter. Transponder signal says it's… the Millennium Falcon."
Jaina's jaw dropped. Jagged couldn't help but smirk. "Please confirm those readings."
"Yes, sir. Readings confirmed, it's the Millennium Falcon. Receiving incoming transmission."
"I think Jedi Knight Solo would cause bodily harm to me if I didn't say to put it through," Jagged chuckled.
The holographic images of both Jacen and Anakin appeared.
"Hiya Jaya," Anakin said with a lopsided grin.
"Been a while, hasn't it? Jacen added.
Jaina, her eyes filling with tears, could only laugh. "You two are soooo dead! What was with that last message, telling me you were with the fleet and had been delayed!"
"It almost sounds like you missed us," Anakin said mischievously.
"I'll get my revenge, Little Brother," Jaina laugh-sobbed., shaking a finger at him. With the amount of emotion in her voice, it was clear she missed saying 'Little Brother' almost as much as she missed seeing him.
"Hey, it was Jace's idea," Anakin said quickly.
Tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks, Jaina just swatted at his hologram. "And I bet you protested vigorously too."
"Would it help if I said yes?"
"Not on your life," Jaina laughed again. "Come aboard my Star Destroyer you two, and make it snappy."
"See you soon, Jaina," Jacen laughed in turn. "It's nice talking to you again."
"Yeah, back at you Jacen. You, Anakin and me, we're going to kick some serious bug butt."
(^-Chapter End-^)
A\N: If you can believe it, the entire reason why the story is rated M is because I had the first few scenes of this chapter in mind…I am going to take a couple of months off from posting to finish up the story, I still have a dozen or so chapters to write and am just about through with my writer's block. Hope you all have enjoyed the story so far and thanks for sticking with me…I wanted this done last month!