A Destiny Altered

by An Origami Fish

In corrupting a regret-filled Tahiri, Darth Caedus makes one crucial mistake. It is not he who controls the past, present, or the future, but the Force. How much difference can one kiss make? An AU story on what happens if Anakin survived Myrkr.

37. Interlude V

Thirty-Seven

=}I{= =}I{=

A week later

The door chime rang, and both Tahiri and Anakin glanced up from their studies. They were reviewing the stories given to them by the Barabel elders they had rescued on Nal Hutta. So far they had no luck discerning where Zonama Sekot had disappeared to after its disastrous visit to the Barab system, but they were able to learn that the planet was indeed sentient. A delegation of frightened Barabels had entreated with it to leave the system, and it left shortly afterwards.

"Come in," Anakin called out in answer to the chime.

The door opened to reveal the newest member of the High Council. Apparently helping to bring the Hutts into the Galactic Alliance had been a motivating factor to fast-track his advancement. In some ways Anakin was glad that Jacen had found his place in the Jedi Order. It was as if the more Jacen felt comfortable with the Order, the less confrontational their own relationship became. That still didn't mean an odd tension existed, but it was less hostile than before.

"Jace?"

"Anakin, you have a moment?"

"I'll leave you two alone. Taan wanted to talk to me about something anyways," Tahiri said, before Anakin could answer. She gave Anakin a brief kiss before exiting the room.

"Have a seat," Anakin shrugged, slightly bemused. "What brings you to my quarters?"

"A conversation I've been delaying because I couldn't find the right words," Jacen said, spinning the chair at the desk around and sitting in it.

"It's probably the same conversation Tahiri warned me on threat of death that I shouldn't screw up," Anakin smiled.

"Probably," Jacen chuckled, the mood lightening. "Between her and Jaina it's lucky we're both still alive."

"In more ways than one," Anakin agreed. He put down the datapad he had been looking over. "So seriously, Jace. What's wrong?"

"Nothing really," Jacen said, awkwardly. "It's just. I realized that we haven't talked in a while."

"Not unless it was about the Force, battle plans, or searching for wayward planets," Anakin said, motioning to the datapad.

"Yeah, those pesky hyperdrive equipped planets." Jacen shifted in his chair, and then sighed. "I guess it'll be easier for me to say this all at once."

"Go for it," Anakin motioned.

"Okay, first off, I have to say that I'm proud to have you as a little brother. Not just because you can retake all of Hutt Space in a month, or because you can do things with the Force most people can only dream of. I'm proud of you because you can do all that and not let it go to your head. I may accuse you of being reckless from time to time, but it's only because I don't want anything to happen to you. I nearly lost you last year on Myrkr, you nearly got yourself killed getting me off of Coruscant, and no older brother wants to have their younger brother die before them. So, despite any harsh words or criticism I might give you, just know that they don't change the fact that I'm glad you're my little brother and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Jacen exhaled after the last word and glanced uncertainly at Anakin. Anakin's mind was in turn analyzing Jacen's words, searching for some sort of catch. But at the same time, he could feel Jacen's honesty.

"Thanks," Anakin said softly. "I guess, on some level, I've always known that. But hearing it is nice too. After everything the people expect from me, it's good to know that you have my back, Jacen."

"Of course," Jacen sounded hurt that Anakin would ever doubt that.

"We've had our arguments, our differences of opinion, and for the longest time, I was resigned to the fact that we would just be brothers and little else," Anakin admitted glancing down at his feet. He could feel his older brother flinch at his words. "You always seemed to find something wrong in whatever I did. I was never good enough. At one point, I even doubted my own abilities because you didn't find them worthy of a Jedi, of the Solo name. And then, when I went off with Alema to train…"

"I have to admit something," Jacen said, cutting Anakin off. "When you left. Cut us off from you. I knew what was happening, why you were suffering."

"Vergere," Anakin stated.

"Vergere," Jacen confirmed with an apologetic nod.

"I kind of figured it out after returning," Anakin nodded. "After reflecting on what happened, I realized that Brisha used the same techniques on me that Vergere did on you."

"You're not angry?"

"At you?"

"Yeah," Jacen exhaled.

Anakin shook his head. "It may have hurt like heck, but I'm better for it. How about you? Would you stop Vergere from doing the things she did to you if you could?"

Jacen likewise shook his head. "No."

"Yeah," Anakin said, mimicking his brother. "And I have to admit, that I'm also jealous of you too. Jealous and proud, like you said."

"Of me? You're the big hero, the one everyone turns to. You have Tahiri, you have the government following your every word, you have the Jedi supporting you, what do I have that you'd be jealous over?" Jacen said incredulously. He was more surprised than anything. For the longest time, even before the mission to Myrkr, he had always assumed that Anakin's opinion of him had been very low. But to think that Anakin was jealous of him, proud of him even, after everything Anakin had managed to accomplish? It was shocking to say the least. Jacen shrugged in confusion. "I'm that 'other guy' everyone tacks on after mentioning you and Jaina. The one who's always in the shadows of your accomplishments. You're proud and jealous of me for that?"

Anakin looked to him wryly. "Jace, if I could switch places with you, I would in a heartbeat. I'd rather be out of the spotlight, some random Jedi with an amazing Jedi girlfriend, than this 'hero' figure everyone wants me to be. It's more than ridiculous every time the HoloNet calls me the future leader of the New Jedi Order, a 'brilliant' military commander, a symbol of hope, and all those other titles worth bantha fodder. I hear those things and then I look at you, at Jaina, and compared to the two of you, I have to say to myself 'I really have no clue what I'm doing.' I know I'm reckless, that my judgment isn't always the best, and I know that I've been lucky so far to get as far as I've gotten. You're galaxies better at making important decisions than I am, and there'd probably be more people alive if you had been the one in charge instead of me. If the government and Jedi Order wanted some guiding paragon, they should've look to you, and not me."

"And Jaya's the one who should be getting all the military accolades. She's actually flown missions with the fleet, knows a thing or two more about space battles and military maneuvers. We wouldn't have had as much success over Tatooine and in Hutt Space if it wasn't for her. And yet, in spite of the both of you, everyone still looks to me to be that all-in-one leader. And I hate it, plain and simple."

There had been no anger or despair in Anakin's tone, he had simply been stating facts. Jacen took in a breath and released it. The talk was becoming a lot harder than he thought it would have been. From hearing how bad their relationship had deteriorated, to learning that his brother was actually proud of him, Jacen couldn't help but feel a small ache in his stomach. Anakin, Jaina, and himself had once been so close, had freely discussed their opinions and adventures, and were the best of friends at one point.

And then the war happened. And then Chewbacca died. And that close Solo family was no more. The bonds that they had developed through childhood were destroyed with frightening ease, or so it had seemed.

Jacen's heart clenched painfully and he struggled to keep his emotions in check. To think that he and Anakin had drifted so far apart that they hadn't even realize how close they still were. What he had told Tahiri aboard the Korr Chokk wasn't the complete truth, Jacen realized. The war had nearly destroyed everything the Solo family once had. The trust, the friendship, the support…everything.

From the closed off expression on his younger brother's face, it was clear Anakin was of similar mind.

A silence fell in the room, as the both of them reflected on everything they had just heard and admitted, their expressions almost sad as they recalled the more peaceful times. Finally, after several long minutes, the two brothers glanced at each other again.

"We worked pretty well together back on Tatooine and at Nal Hutta, didn't we?" Jacen said faintly, trying to stick to a safer topic. He wasn't sure how much more he could take without allowing some of what he was feeling leak through his mental barriers. One thing was for certain, however, he wasn't going to let the war rip them apart any further.

"We didn't once have a shouting match. Your trip to Hapes seemed to have helped out some."

"I was able to clear my mind there, reflect on many things." Jacen nodded. "Well that, and Tenel Ka helped me see I was being a bit thickheaded."

"Tahiri does that to me on a daily basis," Anakin said fondly. Slowly, their sibling bond began to repair itself. Even after everything they had been through, they were still family, still loved each other.

"What would we do without them?" Jacen agreed in amusement.

Anakin managed a weak smile as well. "Tenel Ka make it back to Hapes okay?"

"Yeah, apparently Hapes really did nearly fall apart without her. She told me she probably won't be able to go out again anytime soon. Too many family members plotting her death and the like."

The two fell silent again, avoiding eye contact as they cast about for what to say next. Anakin eventually stood, taking the initiative.

He walked over to Jacen's chair and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Anakin Solo. A Jedi Knight. I think I'm also your younger brother."

Jacen blinked, but then understood. He rose from his chair and took Anakin's offered hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Jacen Solo. Also a Jedi Knight, and definitely your older brother."

"Nice to meet you too," Anakin inclined his head. "I look forward to working with you in the future, Jedi Solo."

Jacen chuckled as they shook hands. "You as well, little brother."

=}II{= =}II{=

Later that day Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin all received a comm-call from Tahiri asking them to meet her in one of the many audience chambers the Mon Calamari government had loaned to the Galactic Alliance. She was very evasive about the reason, asking them to come only with an open mind, light clothing, and a fun spirit. Naturally, the curiosity of all three Solos was piqued, and they met up just outside the door.

"Any idea what this is about, Little Brother?" Jaina greeted Anakin as he arrived.

"Not a clue. Although, there is a large amount of Yuuzhan Vong on the other side of that door," Anakin said, a hand resting loosely on his lightsaber in reflex.

"Danni's on the other side too," Jacen cocked his head, puzzled. "So is Tekli."

"Well, the only way we'll find out is if we go in," Anakin pushed the doors open.

A small antechamber with another pair of closed doors separated them from the main room. The burgundy carpeted and walled room was dimly lit and had several lockers lined up along the walls. Tahiri was there to greet them with a nervous smile.

"Hey guys, thanks for coming."

Rather than reply, all three Solo siblings felt their eyebrows rise at Tahiri's choice of dress. She was in one of the faux Yuuzhan Vong vonduun crab armor over her Jedi robes, and a faint application of purplish-blue face-paint made her skin tone closer to that of a Yuuzhan Vong. Her amphistaff was wrapped around her wrist, while an arm holster holding her mother's lightsaber was strapped to her other arm. Temporary tattoos, which both Anakin and Jacen recognized as denoting someone of Domain Kwaad, marked her hands, bare feet, and face. She was emitting no discernible emotion, but the three Solos could tell she was apprehensive about their reactions.

Anakin promptly walked over to her and kissed her, ending any doubt on her part for his feelings about her embracing the Yuuzhan Vong side of herself. Parting, he motioned to her costume. "Is this what Taan wanted to talk to you about?"

Tahiri licked her lips and nodded, visibly relaxing. "Uh huh. Today is the first meeting of the Free Yuuzhan Vong Supreme Council."

"The temporary government Cal Omas is trying to set up for them?" Jaina likewise stepped forward to hug the blond teen.

"Yeah, they kind of want to make it all special," Tahiri motioned to the lockers in the antechamber. "They want the blessings of the avatars of Yun-Harla, Yun-Yammka, Yun-Shuno, and Yun-Ne'shel to continue. Kind of like a religious sanctification to enable them to challenge Shimrra's authority. Though a majority of the members of the Supreme Council are Freed Ones, there are warriors, priests, shapers, and Intendant caste members who have also defected."

"How many people are on this Supreme Council?" Jaina asked as she walked towards the locker with her name on it.

As if she had been expecting the question, Tahiri answered with full detail. "Two from every Domain, both primary and branch Domains, are selected to positions called 'Caretakers'. This means two people from Domain Kwaad and two from Domain Yim, two from Domain Lah and two from Kraal, and so on. There are close to seventy 'Caretakers' at the moment. Then five more people, called the…well, the rough translation is Blessed of the Yun-Jeedai, are chosen by the others to be the leaders of the Free Yuuzhan Vong."

"Yun-Jedi?" Jacen asked, snapping on a false vonduun crab armor in place.

Tahiri bit her lower lip in thought. "It's more of an abstract deified version of the beliefs the Jedi hold."

"The Force?" Jaina supplied examining a yorik coral featureless mask that had come with the rest of her costume.

"Not the Force. The Yuuzhan Vong can't feel it." Tahiri shook her head. "Those elected to one of the five seats vow to uphold the morals the Jedi go by and to represent not only what is best for the Yuuzhan Vong, but for the galaxy as well. Basic doesn't really have the right expressions to describe this concept, but that's the best I can manage."

"What's on the schedule for the first session?" Anakin, now fully equipped in the faux armor, walked over to Tahiri. He wore a yorik-coral mask of his own, depicting a male face on one side and a female on the other.

"They're choosing their leader. I guess you could call it a Chief of State," Tahiri grinned, straightening Anakin's mask and making some adjustments to his armor. "And then it's assumed that they will officially declare their support for the Galactic Alliance in its war against Shimrra's Yuuzhan Vong."

"And only the Supreme Council will be attending?" Jacen asked, his face hidden by a fearsome-looking mask.

"Oh no," Tahiri shook her head. "All the Freed Yuuzhan Vong who are capable of coming, are here. A recording is being made so others who are already infiltrating Shimrra's Yuuzhan Vong, or are in vital positions helping to hold the different sectors on the front lines, can later see this moment. Danni and several others who've served alongside the Freed Ones since Borleias are also here."

"So, do we have to do anything?" Jaina said, fidgeting as she glanced at the double-doors that led into the main chamber.

"You'll hear your name, followed by whichever deity that has been attributed to you," Tahiri explained. "All you have to do is nod or say that you witness and approve of the gathering. It's okay if it's in Basic."

"Would 'Nikk pryozz do-tchurokal tur zhael'Vong,' work too?" Anakin said innocently, his Yuuzhan Vong phrase causing Tahiri's green eyes to bulge and surprise to spike from his siblings.

"Anakin?" Tahiri whispered in disbelief.

"What? I've been talking with Threepio and Kadat trying to learn a few words here and there. Figured it might come in handy. This seems like as good a time as any to try it out." Anakin shrugged, an action made a bit comical by his mask and clunky faux armor. "I hope I didn't mess up the pronunciation though. I did say that 'I am witness to the true Yuuzhan Vong', right?"

Tahiri nodded dumbly, feeling a surge of powerful emotions for her childhood best friend. She reached out and gripped his hand tightly, letting him know through their bond just how much she loved him. In the background, Jaina and Jacen shared exasperated looks—which went completely unnoticed by the young couple.

"Good," Anakin said, and Tahiri knew that he was grinning his father's grin, even if his face was hidden behind his mask. "It'd be pretty embarrassing if I got up and divinely stated that I smelled like a Hutt's backside, or something like that."

"Don't ever change, little brother," Jaina shook her head and clapped him affectionately on his shoulder.

"Well, we have a crowd in there ready for us," Jacen said. "Let's not keep them waiting any longer."

"And we Jedi say we're not into spectacle," Anakin added.

As one they stepped up to the door and pushed it open.

=}III{= =}III{=

It was the next day when the Solo-Skywalker clan, Tahiri and Jag included, gathered together for a family dinner to celebrate Jacen's advancement to the High Council. It was a private affair within the Skywalker's apartment room, and everything was proceeding uneventfully until Anakin's personal comm-unit beeped. It was a call he had been expecting.

Sheepishly, Anakin excused himself from the table and took it. "Go ahead Danni."

"She's ready," Danni's voice vibrated with excitement in every syllable.

"Right, we'll be right there." Anakin pocketed the comlink and returned to the table.

"What was that about?" Mara asked

"Sorry about that, Jace," Anakin said to his brother. He then turned to his girlfriend. "Hey Tahiri, I kind of have a small, time sensitive gift to give you."

"A gift? What for?" Tahiri set her napkin down.

"A just 'because gift'?" Anakin tried. "It's not really done yet, but your input is definitely needed."

"Anakin?" Leia raised an eyebrow and used the patented stare that all mothers seemed to have perfected.

"Is this the big secret Danni's been so evasive about?" Luke said good-naturedly as Anakin squirmed in his seat.

"It's only a small gift," Anakin said. "Although we do have to go to the Smuggler's Alliance's warehouse downtown."

"Anakin," Jacen exhaled. "You might as well tell them before they die of curiosity. Although I'm not sure 'small' is a good word to describe it."

"You know about it?" Jaina looked to her twin in surprise. "He hasn't told me anything."

"I accidently discovered it when experimenting with my Vongsense," Jacen said, setting aside his own napkin. "I still don't know exactly what it is, but I have a good idea."

"We've finished eating already so we might as well go see this 'small gift' that requires an entire warehouse," Mara said folding her napkin and placing it onto her emptied plate.

Anakin managed a feeble smile. "Might as well."

The Skywalker-Solo clan piled into two speeders, and with Anakin directing them, made it to a non-descript warehouse purchased by Tendrando Arms and on loan to the Smuggler's Alliance. Danni was already outside, looking ready to burst with energy as she happily waved at them in welcome.

"Hey! Sorry if I spoiled any plans," Danni greeted brightly.

"It's not a problem," Leia said. "Are you doing well, Danni?"

"Yeah, I have the job of a lifetime." The Jedi scientist smiled evasively. "And those supplies that we got from the Runaway Prince are just…wow. Talk about a dream job."

"And this has to do with Anakin's gift to Tahiri?" Luke said mildly.

"Everything to do with it," Danni motioned to the warehouse behind her. "Come on in."

Tahiri glanced curiously up at Anakin, he simply smiled and took her hand. With a shrug, she allowed him to escort her into the building.

Meeting them just inside the entrance was Kadat, who bowed lowly to Anakin. "Welcome back, avatar of She-Who-Shapes. The yorik-coral seeds you procured for us are being used to strengthen the armor. And we have just started molding the grutchin pen into the sub-deck per the Calrissian's instructions."

Anakin made a mental note to revoke Lando's interior-design permit. "Thank you, Kadat. I am sure Tahiri approves as well. Tahiri?"

Tahiri, along with the rest of the group, was stunned into silence as they tried to wrap their minds on the sight before them. Behind Kadat was a sleek-looking ship slightly smaller than Lando's Lady Luck. The ship, unlike anything they had ever seen, sat illuminated by both artificial lights and bioluminescent spheres, with scaffolding all around it. It was nearly grown, but the coral had yet to come together to close off the top of the naturally curved vessel, so the ship's skeletal-like metal frame was still partially visible. Freed Yuuzhan Vong shapers and engineers hired by Lando were working on various parts of the nearly-completed vessel. Seeing the group, the shapers and engineers all respectfully halted their work and moved aside, leaving the vessel alone in the spotlights.

"Anakin," Tahiri whispered in shock. Taking a step forward in an almost trance-like fashion.

"I call her the Veila," Anakin remarked softly.

Tahiri's legs automatically took her to the prow of the ship, and she placed her hand on its coral surface. Slowly, she ran her hand down the length of the vessel, finding the nodule for the boarding ramp. She stroked the cluster gently, and the ship opened for her. She looked back at Anakin with watery eyes and held out a hand. He stepped forward and took it, and together they boarded the ship.

Its layout was different than most Yuuzhan Vong vessels. Like a vine, the yorik coral had adapted itself to the metal skeleton within the ship, growing around, and shaping itself based on the frame. The design of the ship was also both Yuuzhan Vong and non-Yuuzhan Vong. The boarding ramp led up to a round, central chamber, where naturally curved corridors, at evenly spaced intervals, led off to individual rooms; living quarters, dovin basal chamber, an ion drive, shield generators. A holoprojector sat in the center of the main chamber, along with a villip choir that was still being grown. Tahiri took it all in in disbelief.

They explored the ship a little before they eventually reached the cockpit of the vessel. It was a nodule-like compartment not unlike the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon; situated just off-center left to the front of the ship. The cockpit itself was big enough to hold six people comfortably, and had a certain sort of warmth about it.

Sitting on a cluster of organic matter at the very front of the cockpit, awaiting Tahiri, was a cognition hood.

"Go on," Anakin whispered softly. "You'll be the first mind the Veila will know."

Swallowing heavily, Tahiri nodded and reverently placed the hood over her head. In an instant, an infant-like consciousness touched her own mind. She could see through its own developing senses, as well as the electronic sensors that it had already tapped into. The ship's presence was curious, welcoming, and warm. It was almost playful in nature. Tahiri was more than a little surprised when it mentally asked for her name. Yuuzhan Vong ships normally communicated through emotional impressions only, never words.

"I'm Tahiri, Tahiri Kwaad," Tahiri said aloud.

I'm told my name is Veila. Is that my name?

"Uh huh."

Good, I like my name.

"I like it too," Tahiri said, patting the nerve cluster in front of her. As the ship matured, a hardened shell of coral would cover the cluster, but it was still vulnerable for now. The ship seemed to trill softly at the touch.

Are you my master now?

Tahiri bit her lower lip and shook her head. "I am your friend."

Friend?

Tahiri felt the ship skim her mind for a definition. Then, as if flipping to a more instinctive level, went on to gloss through the rest of her mind, leaning the things she knew, analyzing her feelings and thoughts towards certain people and ideas. On some level, Tahiri had expected this. It was a natural part of any Yuuzhan Vong ship, the way it learned its purpose. It was part of the bonding process that many Yuuzhan Vong life-forms were capable of.

Yet, on another level, this ship appeared to be slightly more sentient than a standard Yuuzhan Vong ship. Maybe because its growth had been slowed, or because it had computers that allowed for data to be inputted directly into it. For whatever the reason, Tahiri had a feeling that the Veila was more alive than an actual Yuuzhan Vong ship, even with all its metal parts. She reached out with her Vongsense and her beliefs were confirmed by the level of awareness she felt coming from the ship.

You are my friend. Tahiri heard, the voice much more mature. The words sounded final. The warmth was still present, and Tahiri got the sense that the ship seemed more determined than ever to serve her. I will finish growing now. Good bye, Tahiri.

Tahiri felt the words fade away, and she was once again left with emotional impressions. It was as if the ship's brain had a higher and lower setting with which it could use to communicate. Very slowly, Tahiri removed the cognition hood, blinking in stunned awe at the ship around her.

"So," Anakin began hesitantly. "What do you think of the shmphh…"

Tahiri silenced him with a fierce kiss. To the surprise of both of them, the lights within the cockpit dimmed, and an opaque screen—originally designed to block out the glare of a sun—rolled down over the viewports, granting them privacy. Tahiri let out a giggle and patted the ship's walls affectionately.

"Thanks Veila."

"She's probably using the internal sensors to see what's…" Anakin was again cut off as Tahiri pressed her lips to his. He gripped her, and she used his support to leverage herself upwards, wrapping her legs around his waist. He pressed her against the bulkhead as she intensified their kiss. Things were just starting to get heated when they heard someone clear their throat.

They both glanced up through the yet to be grown roof of the ship. On the scaffolding above was the rest of the Skywalker-Solo family, looking on in embarrassed amusement.

"Oh!" Tahiri's cheeks blazed, unwrapping her legs from around Anakin and readjusting her shirt.

"I'm guessing you liked the gift, Tahiri," Mara said deadpan.

Tahiri nodded, pressing her crimson face against Anakin's chest.

"Can we come inside the ship to check it out?" Jacen said. "The ship kind of closed the ramp when the two of you started…well…"

Anakin felt his own cheeks burn. "Sure. No problem."

Tahiri reached back over to the cognition hood, not looking up at the other members of the Solo-Skywalker family even once. "Tsii dau vaashii."

The ramp to the ship slid back open. Then, a second later, un-ordered, the opaque film retracted itself and the lights in the cockpit brightened again.

"At least we know the ship likes us," Anakin muttered into Tahiri's hair.

"Uh huh," Tahiri smiled against his chest, her cheeks still red. "I think she and I are going to get along just fine."

=}IV{= =}IV{=

"Anakin provided the blueprint as well as the concept models for a majority of tech in the ship," Danni explained, leading the group on an official tour through the Veila. "Since the Veila is a one-of-a-kind ship, we had to improvise and learn with it as it grew."

"And how did he manage to convince you and the Freed Ones to help out?" Leia asked.

"We didn't need much convincing," Danni grinned sheepishly. "The chance to work both Yuuzhan Vong and our own tech together was a fun challenge for everyone involved. Lando provided the metal parts while the Freed Ones would bring in material captured from the various shaper compounds the Galactic Alliance captured. The haul from the Runaway Prince was like winning the lottery. Too bad the Hutts and Galactic Alliance Intel had their first pick of the stuff though."

"I take it that these Freed Ones are different than the Freed Ones who are currently running around giving the Supreme Overlord a headache?" Han voiced.

"Uh huh," Danni nodded. She motioned to where a pair of Freed Ones were shaping one of the ship's weapons. "The Cult of Life is completely devoted to Yun-Ne'Shel, the Shaping goddess. They're actually doing this on their free time, and have enjoyed Shaping this ship. When they're not here, they're with me helping the Intelligence division work out new ways to counter Yuuzhan Vong biotech. Our main assignment at the moment is to cancel out the negative effects, or completely neutralize the slaveseeds embedded within the prisoners taken by the Yuuzhan Vong."

"But the seeds are attached to the central nervous system," Jacen said.

"Hey, we like the challenge," Danni said, gesturing to the ship all around her in example. "The Veila's metal endoskeleton is actually hollow and strategically designed on the inside, allowing for the yorik coral to grow at very specific angles within the metal-carbon frame. The skeleton is also perforated at various junctures, permitting the coral to spread along the outside of the frame as well. This strengthens both the nature of the coral, due to the configuration within the frame, and the frame as a whole, since the coral also reinforces the exterior. The frame itself was actually modified several times once we began to see how the Veila's yorik coral adapted to its presence."

"Amazing," Jaina said in wonder, running her fingers along the inner bulkhead. "And the Veila doesn't mind the computers or other tech within her?"

The grin Danni had worn since bringing the group into the warehouse had yet to go away at their stupefied state. Talking about Yuuzhan Vong biotech was a favorite past time of hers, and she relished any chance she got to share her work.

She motioned them back into the central chamber and, with a nod from Tahiri, Danni unhooked a cognition hood from the side wall and held it out to Jaina. "Ask her yourself.

"I don't know any Yuuzhan Vong," Jaina said, hesitantly taking the hood.

"She's bilingual," Tahiri giggled. "Well, multi-lingual. I think the techs downloaded a copy of Threepio's language packet into the droid brain. She knew Sand People language too."

As Jaina set the hood over her head, Danni reached out to the holoprojector and activated it. When Jaina began speaking with the ship, the Veila's replies appeared in text format over the holoprojector.

"Okay, now I'm more than impressed," Mara whispered, shaking her head in disbelief.

"The central computer was a blank droid brain specially designed by Anakin," Danni continued. "When the Veila was old enough, it more or less synced itself to the droid brain. This enabled us to teach her by inputting information directly into the droid brain. Like Tahiri noticed, one of the first things we did was give the Veila some language lessons. It was simple enough, and practical too. With the upload, the shapers and multi-racial techs didn't have any problems communicating with her. After some trial and error, and a small learning period, she was eventually able to take control of the mechanical elements of the ship."

Jaina ended her conversation with the ship, looking even more bewildered than before. The other members of the group took turns using the cognition hood so that they could all say 'hi' to the ship. The Veila seemed more than happy to welcome the family of Tahiri, though it mostly reverted to emotional surges in reply as it concentrated its energy on growing.

Jacen, more than impressed, managed to come up with a word to sum up his discussion with the Veila. "Wow."

"Wow," Tahiri agreed happily. "Isn't she great?"

"Wow," Jacen nodded, apparently able to say little more as he tried to wrap his mind around the hybrid vessel.

"The Veila has redundant systems," Anakin continued the tour. "For every mechanical device, it is also equipped with a Yuuzhan Vong equivalent. There's a villip choir, but also a HoloNet transceiver, dovin basal and engines, and so on."

"Have you run into problems incorporating the two?" Jag asked.

"Some," Anakin nodded. "Sometimes a mechanical device had to be heavily modified or needed a new version of it created altogether, to fit with the organic components. The reverse is also true. I'm told that both Kadat and Wryadra were forced to become experts in shaping alternate versions of standard pieces of Yuuzhan Vong biots because the metal pieces created unforeseen complications."

"It was our pleasure, avatar of Yun-Ne'shel," Kadat acknowledged, working on the finishing touches of the ship's grutchin pit.

The group exited the ship, though Tahiri seemed extremely reluctant to do so. Once outside, Leia glanced at her husband with an impish smile. "So, Han. Anakin's giving Tahiri this ship as a 'just because' gift. Am I getting a present anytime soon?"

Han turned out to be very good at mimicking the sea-life of Mon Calamari as his mouth opened and closed while he struggled for an answer. He eventually turned on his youngest son and wagged a finger at him. "See what you did. The next time you get an urge to give Tahiri a gift, give me an advance warning so I can go buy a moon or planet, or something elaborately overpriced, for your mother."

"Please give me an appropriate warning as well," Jag commented, glancing to Jaina. "I am still trying to come up with something to match your trip to Tatooine."

"I'll try," Anakin replied as the group broke out into amused chuckles.

"The Veila's wonderful, Anakin," Leia patted her son's arm.

"Worked out better than I hoped." Anakin said modestly. All the while, Tahiri continued to project her love for him through their Force-bond as she held onto his other arm. "And it's really all thanks to Danni, Kadar, Wryadra, and Lando that the Veila turned out the way she did."

"She's still a couple months away from being space worthy," Danni chimed in. "She just needed that extra kick from Tahiri's mind, to understand her purpose."

As the rest of the group continued to chatter excitedly about the vessel, Luke hung back, watching Anakin almost wistfully.

He had been thinking much during his free time.

Now that the weight of the Jedi Order was no longer squarely on his shoulders, he was able to reflect on his own actions, the choices he had made during the war. Watching Anakin, Luke could clearly see what made him special; stand out amongst all the other Jedi. At the same time, he knew that Anakin would be the last to admit it.

Anakin may not have been on the High Council, but his word could probably sway more people than any council decree ever could. Even when liberating Hutt Space or creating a hybrid Yuuzhan Vong vessel that no one else would have ever thought of, he didn't brag about it or let the accomplishments go to his head.

Which made Luke's repeated visions about his nephew all the more confusing. How could Anakin go dark, or be consumed by darkness if he was such a caring and modest person? What was this shadow that continued to loom around his nephew? Luke continued to look on, unable to reconcile the two conflicting images he was seeing. On one hand, there was that possible future of darkness consuming the galaxy with Anakin at the forefront of it all. On the other, there was the image of his nephew in the here-and-now, smiling as he kept an arm draped around his girlfriend and was surrounded by his family.

Anakin dark? A ship such as the Veila would have been a vital breakthrough for the Galactic Alliance scientists and Intelligence officials. What does Anakin do instead? He gives the ship to Tahiri as a gift. Luke smiled wryly at that. There was no mistaking the emotions flooding out of the young blond girl as she was surrounded by her adoptive family.

Tahiri was just one of many people who had a definite place in the galaxy thanks to Anakin's actions. Luke counted himself as one of those fortunate people. For the longest time Luke had feared what would happen to the Order should anything happen to himself. They all continuously looked to him for advice, for direction. Even those who operated at the fringes of the Order were at least grateful that he brought the Order back from near extinction. Yet, the Order was divided by so many differences of opinion that Luke sometimes felt that they only stayed together out of respect for him. Now that a council was in charge of the Jedi, and his own role was slowly being phased out, Luke felt those fears slowly evaporating.

Watching Anakin, Jaina, and Jacen, Luke felt a surge of reassurance and took comfort in the fact that the Order would remain strong. Luke breathed softly, keeping a wan smile on his face as the group walked around the Veila to inspect its outsides. For the first time in a long while, Luke felt a sense of accomplishment when it came to the Order. He had done what he had set out to do all those years ago. He had re-founded the Jedi Order, built it back up from scratch despite all the challenges and setbacks. He had helped to make it self-sufficient, and grounded in the traditions it had come from. Now it was time to hand over the reins to a new generation. He was more than happy to step aside now.

Of course he would still support his niece and nephews if they needed his help. But from what he had seen, he doubted they would. They were a team, an unstoppable one. With them leading the way into a new era, Luke was more than content to just sit back and see the changes they would bring to this new Jedi Order.

=}V{= =}V{=

Little did Luke know that Anakin, Jaina, and Jacen would soon meet their first test as de facto leaders of the Order. Almost a week later, a gathering of Jedi Knights and Masters throughout the galaxy had been called to discuss the progress of the war and to make preparation for its eventual end. From the passionate shouts sounding from the large amphitheater, not all agreed with the current course of the war.

"It is ridiculous!" Waxarn Kel gestured towards the Solo siblings. His face and scalp were pink and covered in fresh scars, indicating that he was one of the many Jedi who had suffered during the war. Behind him were fifteen other Knights, all siding with him. "That Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin should ally themselves to the very people our brothers and sisters have died fighting! Make friends with the Vong? You can't make friends with them! They're nothing but murderous thugs who've killed trillions! Not millions, or billions even, but trillions! And worse, the Solos think that working with the Galactic Alliance government is the best course of action for the Order. We all remember where working with the New Republic government got us the first time, and the politicians are all the same! This is a recipe for disaster my friends. We cannot and should not follow them or their advice. No matter if their uncle is the disgraced Jedi Master Skywalker, or their parents are famed war heroes."

"That's going too far," Kyp said sharply. "None of us would be here without Master Skywalker. True we have all had our differences of opinion with him at one point in time, but leave him out of this."

"Then what say you, Master Durron?" Waxarn called up to Kyp. "You out of all people should know what I am talking about. You even formed your own squadron of Jedi and went out to fight the Vong when this order was paralyzed by politics and cowardice!"

"A Jedi must keep all options available and do what they feel is best," Kyp responded, holding Waxarn's eyes. "But tell me, Jedi Knight Kel, if we meet the aggression of the Yuuzhan Vong with more aggression. Kill one of them for every one of us they kill. Destroy their planets. Massacre their children. Hunt down and slaughter every single one of them. What will we become? Will we still be Jedi? Or will we have turned into the very people we are fighting? All this fighting and death has to end sometime. If making peace with those of the Yuuzhan Vong will help end the fighting sooner, I'm all for it."

"Surely you don't think that the Solos can remain impartial on the matter because of the company they keep?" One of Waxarn's backers, Balos, a Duros Jedi who had been blinded in one eye by voxyn venom, stepped forward. "For all we know, their Vong friends are trying to get us to drop our guard, are worming their way into our civilization just as they did when they first invaded this galaxy."

"We have to show the Vong that the Jedi are not push overs. That they cannot switch sides just because they've begun losing the war." A second Waxarn supporter, Jalinae, a human woman, added. "Just as the Galactic Alliance is still run by the same politicians that handed this galaxy over to the Vong; by not completely crushing the Yuuzhan Vong's spirit, we allow the same warriors and leaders who have massacred the populations of entire planets, to live. The same warriors and leaders who have shown no qualms about killing innocents and destroying worlds."

"Remember, everyone. The Vong didn't just kill our friends and family, but murdered and tortured them! Turned them into science experiments for their own twisted pleasure. They've created weapons specifically to target us, have done whatever they could to kill Jedi wherever they went," Ralan, a third Waxarn supporter yelled, his remaining lek twitching. He had lost the other in combat and hadn't quite been the same since. "Where are our friends Jovan and Ulaha now? How about Raynar and Eryl? Did these cowardly Shamed Ones even move a muscle when our friends truly needed them? If these 'Freed Ones' are so devoted to our cause, why have they waited until nearly half our number has been thinned before approaching us? They let our friends die, I say we return the favor! To do otherwise would be to make a mockery of the sacrifices of Eryl, Jovan, and all the other Jedi who've died fighting for our cause."

"These so called Freed Ones need us more than we need them," a fourth Waxarn supporter continued. "What are they but the servant class? They only truly came to our side after military victories on our side. That just shows that the only way to truly end this war is through military means. Not some peace treaty or the half-baked council of Vong the Chief of State wants to put together. And this new government should be ashamed of itself for even considering such an agreement. After everything they've done, everything we've had to suffer because of their blundering bureaucracy, they're still making the same missteps that nearly doomed us at the start of the war."

"I'm sorry, I'm a bit confused," Corran cut in. "Who exactly is the enemy here? The Yuuzhan Vong, or the Galactic Alliance? Because from what I'm hearing from you, it sounds as if you're grouping them together."

"In my days," Vergere spoke up, her voice soft but instantly quieting the entire room. "In my days, the Jedi Order was separate from the government. We may have advised the Chancellor from time to time, but we did not take his orders. Nor were we at his beck and call, or had to inform him of our every movement. It is odd that the Order of this age allows itself to be shackled in such a manner. Do you not all find it restricting?"

Vergere excused herself from the room after her comments, though no one would later be able to recall even seeing her in the room in the first place. At that moment, though, her words were like oil thrown onto crackling embers; the din in the room became almost deafening as the arguments immediately rose in pitch once more.

"You call yourselves Masters, but do you really have the Order's best interest in mind?" One shouted out.

"I hear you won't do anything without the say so of the Chief of State!" Another yelled at the sitting, Jedi members of the High Council. "This is the Jedi Order, not the Jedi of the Galactic Alliance!"

"The current arrangement will only lead to our ruin!"

"Where does the government end and the Order begin?"

"We didn't elect you as our leaders, Skywalker did! And we all know where following his decisions have gotten us!"

And then the counter arguments flew back out in a flurry of chaos.

"Pure aggression without reason will only lead to the dark side!"

"We all have to work together in this war! If we must side with the government to do so, then so be it. As long as we remember that we serve the Force."

"The Jedi must stand united. Put aside your disagreements for the sake of peace!"

"We are trying to keep as many of you alive as possible. We don't want a prolonged war!"

Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin, who had been completely quiet throughout the entire meeting, noticed that both Luke and Mara were likewise remaining silent; even as the room exploded in a yelling match between the different factions of Jedi in the room.

Instead of speaking out to stop the arguments, both Jedi Masters had their gazes directed meaningfully at the Solo siblings.

"I'm getting a headache," Anakin muttered softly. Jedi were now standing in front of their chairs, gesturing and yelling over other arguments. Some even had to be held back as insults were thrown. Though a diverse Jedi Order was good in many ways, it also had some pretty big weaknesses.

"To think Uncle Luke had to put up with this for a couple of decades," Jaina said darkly. None of the first generation Jedi or the other Masters appeared capable of halting the chaos, even when they put the full strength of the Force in their words. Everyone was talking, but no one was listening.

"Wanna put a stop to this?" Jacen looked to his siblings with a wan smile.

The other two nodded, and all three stood in unison. Emanating powerful waves of Force energy, they began to walk down the stairs from the top row of seats, and towards the stage occupied by Waxarn and his backers. Silence once again fell, whether out of respect of the three or stunned by the sheer amount of power the three were projecting, it didn't matter.

Waxarn didn't back down when they stepped onto the stage. "I was wondering when you three would say something."

"We just wanted to see how far everyone would go," Jacen answered glibly.

"And I'm curious how far the three of you will go," Waxarn countered. "Will you doom us all for the sake of your foolish and hopeful ideals?"

"Perhaps my brother, sister, and I are prejudiced in favor of the Yuuzhan Vong." Anakin acknowledged, silently absorbing the negative energy in the room. He briefly inclined his head towards Alema when he sensed that she was doing the same. "But the success of the Freed Ones is still an undeniable fact. They have saved lives, given their lives, and bled to protect our way of life. They are willing to work side by side with us no matter how many people hate them or distrust them. The first of them braved the insults and abuse of the soldiers and Borleias, continued to aid us even though they were in the perfect position to betray us. Imagine, Waxarn, an entire base of soldiers who shared your opinion, that the Yuuzhan Vong must be killed to the last man. But Taan and the others stood by them still, and helped them get out of there alive. The Jedi Order can no longer afford to stand alone. The first time we did, the Emperor signaled us out and the galaxy turned their backs because they believed him. The second time we did, we became scapegoats or dangerous busybodies, and the galaxy rallied against us.

We have all lost friends and loved ones. We have all felt anger, the need for revenge, fear, despair, sorrow, or even hatred, at some point in this war. That is understandable. The same heart that allows you to feel happiness, love, and compassion, also enables you to feel their opposites. Despite the old Jedi Code which forbid anything but serenity, feeling hate or love is not wrong. You are all living beings and are allowed to feel as you will. In fact, use those feelings to give you strength, to hearten you in dark times. But, it's when you let those feelings control your actions, consume your every waking moment and thought, that lives are endangered. Do not let others suffer, do not make yourselves suffer, because your hate, your fear, was so strong, that they were the only things you were using to guide yourselves."

"Think from a logical stand point," Jacen said evenly, projecting a soothing aura to disperse the last of the tension. "The more Yuuzhan Vong who side with us, the less we'll have to fight in the future. We won't have our grief compounded by the loss of any more friends or family. The great military victories at Ebaq Nine, Borleias, Obroa-Skai, and others, were made possible because those who planned the attacks understood the Yuuzhan Vong. Understood their way of life and culture. They used their minds to minimize our losses, even if it meant that some of the Yuuzhan Vong would escape. They did not needlessly throw away the lives of soldiers even if those deaths might have meant one more dead Yuuzhan Vong.

This is a war of beliefs, not of absolute annihilation. The Yuuzhan Vong Freed Ones believe that the Jedi are their salvation, that we can offer them another way of living, apart from the endless cycle of violence and suffering. The Yuuzhan Vong under the Supreme Overlord Shimrra believe that their gods had told them that this galaxy was theirs, that they have to bring everyone here to believe as they do. The Galactic Alliance believes that we should not have to give up our way of living at gun point. The Peace Brigade truly believed that they were helping to save the galaxy and end the war by turning us over to the Yuuzhan Vong. And the Jedi, well, we're just discussing what the Jedi should believe."

"The thing about fighting a war is that people on both sides will die. But it's how we choose to remember them that will really matter in the long run." Jaina finished, she closed her eyes for a moment and made herself the anchor for a new Jedi meld. Both her brothers joined in immediately, as did Tahiri, Zekk, Tekli, Tenel Ka, Lowbacca, Tesar, Alema, and Danni. "We are all hurting. We all want to protect each other from any more hurt. We all want to do justice to the memory of those we lost. Shall we honor their memory by committing genocide? By abandoning everything that makes us a Jedi just so their deaths won't go un-avenged? We are the Jedi Order of the here and now. We are a team, a family. We will protect each other the best we can by using our minds first and our hearts second. We will have our disagreements. Any family does. But when it comes down to it, we are still Jedi. We will laugh as one. Fight as one. And grieve as one. Together."

Slowly, more Jedi Knights began to join the meld. A myriad of feelings sounded back and forth. Pain was being drawn away, soothed. Comfort. Peace. The losses they had suffered were assuaged by the fact that they were not alone. They were with friends, family. This was their place in the galaxy.

Several long seconds ticked pass. Where there had once been chaos, a deafening din, a peaceful silence descended in its place.

"We are the New Jedi Order," Zekk said calmly, his voice projecting throughout the silent hall as he walked down the stairs to join his friends. "Our lives are intertwined no matter what our personal differences are. We are connected by our feelings, by our desire to keep the darkness in this galaxy at bay, to protect those in need, and by the Force."

"We may draw our traditions from bygone eras, but it is what we do now that will be remembered by future generations," Tenel Ka said evenly, regally descending from her seat. "We have a chance to clearly define what it means to be a Jedi, have within ourselves the ability to shape the future; to create a galaxy that can be truly at peace after all these years of warring."

"[Our choices will define who we are, will be the true testament to our courage and morals.]" Lowbacca growled softly, joining the others. "[We were scattered, but now we are one. We were lost, but now we have a purpose. Focus not on the negatives that separate us, but on the positives that bind us together.]"

"We are an Order of many people. We all have our strengths, our own opinions, our own sets of values," Tekli spoke up, her soft voice stretching out to the corners of the room as she too stood and made her way down. "And as an Order, we will learn from them, accept them, and become all the stronger for it. We will act not in haste or in grief, but with wisdom and empathy. Bringing knowledge to those without, hope where there was once despair, healing to those who are hurting."

"It iz up to uz to define what it meanz to be a Jedi now. What it meanz to be the protectorz of this galaxy," Tesar's voice rang with strength in the silent room, the meld growing in power and presence by the second. "Whether we persevere and become known for our compassion and kindnez, or give in to our baser instinctz and become feared for our mercilessss wayz. We can predatorz, but at the same time we can also show otherz that there is an alternative to becoming our prey."

"All of us want this war to end, these dark times to be over. For everything to have been just a nightmare. And it will be, in time," Alema's slender form sashayed down the aisle. "Mourn those who have passed on into the Force, but celebrate their life. You have to live on for their sake after all. And, when all is said and done, when you too rejoin the Force, you'll see them again and can hold your head up proud when you do."

"Our backgrounds are all unique, they are what shapes our decisions and makes this Order so successful," Tahiri said, gesturing to the three scars on her forehead as she followed Alema. "So long as we are fighting for the same thing, share a common goal, we are all friends, allies, people I would be proud to call family no matter what your past is. We are unbeatable, but only if we stand together and learn to accept our allies, flaws and all."

"Together," Jacen and Anakin confirmed. Anakin draped an arm around Tahiri's shoulder while Jacen and Tenel Ka looked to each other and exchanged the faintest of grins. "We will bring this war to an end and show the galaxy the heart and soul of what it means to be Jedi. Together, we are the New Jedi Order."

Jaina walked up to Waxarn and held out a hand, a soft and caring smile on her face. "Together, Jedi Knight Kel?"

Waxarn swallowed a lump in his throat and looked down. He could sense the power of the bond pulsating in front of him, but was reluctant to join it. Those with him were likewise shaken. They were called the Death Knights for a reason. Not because they brought death, but because, in many ways, they were already dead. They were among the Jedi who had lost the most, mentally, physically, emotionally. Like Alema had once been, they were all broken in one way or another. The only question that remained was whether they wanted to feel some semblance of wholeness once more.

The seconds continued to pass in silence, the meld reaching out its arms in warm welcome to the wayward Death Knights.

Waxarn licked his lips, tears falling from his eyes as he finally reached out to grip Jaina's forearm. "Together."

Waxarn's presence was welcomed into the meld, as was that of his followers, with the Force equivalent of a protective, loving hug. As one, the Jedi in the room grieved together. As one, they rejoiced at the happier memories. For that moment in time, the Jedi Knights of the Order were united in thought and feeling.

The Solo siblings glanced up to the Masters and first-generation Jedi and made a small 'come on,' motion with their heads. With wry grins, both Kyp and Corran added their presence, their experience in dealing with traumatic memories being shared with the collective consciousness. Cilghal's presence seemed to wash away some of the more painful feelings, like an ocean wave lapping at the shore. Tresina, Saba, and Kenth all joined in as well, their powerful presences reinforcing the Jedi they tried their best to guide. Kam and Tionne, shared a happy smile as they held hands and likewise let their Force presences join with the others; sharing how proud they were of all the younger Jedi they had helped to raise and who were now becoming leaders in their own right.

The pain that the Masters had hid for the good of the Order, the losses they had felt, both old and new, were all brought to the surface, all experienced by the Order. That pain was then accepted, comforted and relieved.

Thankfulness from the meld radiated to the Masters, for being so strong for their sake, for enduring so much. And the ties between the Knights and Masters grew stronger still.

The last two individuals yet to join the meld, looked on with pride and a small sense of nostalgia. Luke and Mara glanced towards the Solos, as if asking for permission. Unexpectedly, the entire meld seemed to reach out to the two of them in invitation.

As Luke and Mara merged their own thoughts and feelings with the meld, the Solos utilized the strength of all the Jedi in the room and sent out a pulse through the Force, reaching out to the Jedi scattered across the stars.

To the apprentices.

To the countless Force sensitives who had yet to realize their full potential.

The pulse did not last long, but for a moment, despite the different opinions, feelings, personalities, and thoughts, they were a Jedi Order truly unified through the Force.

=}VI{= =}VI{=

A week had passed since the gathering of the Jedi, and the Order still remained strong and united. Though many returned to their duties across the galaxy, a good many had stayed behind. For the first time in a very long while, the Jedi of the Jedi Order were moving with a purpose.

After some discussion between the different factions within the Order, it was agreed that the many Jedi would focus on what they were best at for the good of the Order as a whole.

Kenth Hamner and the more politically minded Jedi began to work on strengthening the Order's ties with the various branches in the Galactic Alliance government, namely the Senate. Leia Organa Solo even chipped in a few tidbits of advice from her experiences in the political arena, and helped Kenth and the others win over several senators in key committees. The Order this time around was determined to ensure that the Jedi had allies in the government, that the Jedi had a say in the laws being passed. If the Jedi were going to work to preserve the Galactic Alliance, they wanted to be sure that the Galactic Alliance would return the favor in a time of need. And now that they had a single cause and purpose, it was all the easier to present the Senate with a united front.

A second group, coordinated by Mara and aided by Pal'iva Konat, spent their time courting the media outlets, giving interviews, and performing small services to the public—such as helping to build a school in a refugee camp—to continue Ganner and Anakin's work of enlightening the public about the Jedi. They were the 'New' Jedi Order, and were making great strides to distance themselves from the cold and unfeeling mystics of the bygone era. This group benefited the Order in more than one way. While they enhanced the reputation of the Jedi Order, this also allowed for some of the weaker Jedi, or Jedi opposed to fighting in the war, a chance to contribute to the Order and make a positive difference in the galaxy.

Meanwhile, in what was quickly becoming known as the 'military arm' of the Jedi Order, Waxarn Kel and the more hawkish Jedi had been gathered by Jaina, Corran, and Kyp to plot out the first stages for a final battle against the Yuuzhan Vong. It had been generally agreed upon that the Supreme Overlord would most likely be the least susceptible to a peace treaty, and since a majority of the Yuuzhan Vong military was still loyal to him, one last battle would be needed to remove him from power. That is, of course, on the condition that Zonama Sekot was found and was willing to help.

To prepare for the end, they began assigning specially selected teams of Jedi to the different Galactic Alliance fleet groups to both gain experience in battle and augment the fleets' abilities. It was a giant step forward from simply allowing the Jedi to go to war, and there had been some arguments about Jedi falling to the dark side from prolonged exposure to the death and destruction. Saba, Tesar, and the other Wild Knights, however, vouched for the effectiveness of the Jedi meld, indicating that teams of Jedi in the field would last much longer with each other as support. Even then there had been detractors, so a compromised had been reached. No less than three Jedi would be on a team sent to one fleet or another, with all Jedi receiving mandatory half-month-long leaves for every three months spent on the frontlines. This allowed for the Jedi to decompress, and kept a check on any possible dark-side 'slides' that might have occurred during those months at war.

And for the purposes of trying to end the war, another group of Jedi was assembled for the sole task of searching for Zonama Sekot. Jacen, Kyle Katarn, and Tresina Lobi, along with a handful of other Jedi, were among those to join in the search. They were working with senators from Outer Rim worlds, accessing star charts, and even departing from Mon Calamari to find the occasional tap cafs frequented by deep space pilots. These were mostly the Jedi who tended to be on the fringes of the Order, who had connections that might not otherwise be considered acceptable to a mainstream Jedi. But at the same time, this united the fragmented and wayward Jedi by giving them a purpose, a goal to add to their otherwise independent, adventuring ways.

Yet not all Jedi were focused on politics, the military, or Force-sensitive, hyperdrive-equipped planets. Cilghal, Tekli, and Danni teamed up with Freed One shapers and recruited those of the Order curious about Yuuzhan Vong biotech. While Yuuzhan Vong culture and combat lessons were handled by Tahiri, Alema, and Anakin. The apprentices—Valin, Jysella, and the others—were in attendance for these lessons specifically. The fact that Shaeri, Taan, and other Freed Ones helped out at these lessons also helped the younger Jedi get over any lingering fears they may have had about coming face to face with the Yuuzhan Vong.

Much to the bewilderment and amusement of Han Solo, C-3PO and Shaeri even got together to teach some introductory Yuuzhan Vong language lessons aboard the Falcon during the day, and Basic language lessons for the Freed Yuuzhan Vong during the night. They were using the Falcon because, when the Mon Calamari government didn't want to seem to be encouraging the learning of the Yuuzhan Vong language and wouldn't give Shaeri and C-3PO a room, Jaina, Tahiri, Anakin, and Jacen had then all turned to Han.

Who was unable to refuse any of them and caved almost immediately.

Though, Han nearly pulled the plug on the Basic lessons when he accidently bumped into a Freed Yuuzhan Vong after one particular lesson, and the Intendant caste member responded with one of 3PO's patented 'Oh dear's in the exact same tone and syntax as the golden protocol droid.

All in all, things couldn't have been going any better for the Order.

Which was why Anakin had been expecting bad news to arrive for quite some time.

Things never went this good.

So of course he had to be freshly out of the shower and wearing only a loose pair of pants, after a jam-packed day, when fate decided to kindly oblige his expectations.

With the sound of the shower running in the background—why Tahiri had to use the shower in his room and not the one in hers was beyond him—Anakin slung his towel over one of his shoulders and shifted through his HoloNet messages at a nearby desk. One message in particular stood out.

Anakin decided to play it on the holopad, and took a seat next to it as a miniature version of Ganner Rhysode appeared. "Hey Anakin. I'm assuming that mother-of-all Force pulses last week was your fault. Not that I didn't like it, it was barvy. But, that's not why I'm calling. You know our fine Imperial neighbors we have? They've developed a major Vong infestation. And I mean major. I'm working with a secret task force headed up by a Moff Ephin Sarreti, and we've been unraveling one heck of a Vong spy network. We've managed to confirm that two other Moffs on the Council of Moffs have been compromised, and that a still mysterious shadow figure within Imperial Intelligence is pulling all the strings.

By now you're probably wondering why I'm telling you all this. Well, you see, the funny thing about these Imperials is that they'd rather go down fighting than ask for help from the Rebels. Fortunately, the guys I'm working with are a bit smarter. Since I've become somewhat of an honorary Imperial, they're perfectly fine with asking me for help. And, because I don't want to die, I'm perfectly fine asking you for help. So I'd appreciate any reinforcements you can send my way. Preferably before the next month is out because that's when my friends and I have discovered that a Yuuzhan Vong backed coup will take place.

As for your moving planet. I've found some evidence that it flirted around this area of space for a bit, but it's moved on. If anything, I bet the Chiss will know. The last known direction had Zonama heading towards their space. Sorry I couldn't be more of a help for that matter.

Other than that, not much else is happening. Oh, and before I forget, I'm getting some gifts for the Myrkr team. Do you prefer Imperial Green, Imperial Black, or Imperial Khaki for your Imperial Officer's hat? It's all very Imperial over here. Hope to see you soon, great and fearless leader. Rhysode, out."

"Was that Ganner's voice I heard?" Tahiri said, emerging from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around herself. She began to rummage around in a cabinet where she had more or less moved all of her belongings too.

"Yeah," Anakin motioned to the holopad. "Apparently we'll be making a trip to the Imperial Remnant in the near future."

"Ah yes, the land of the cruel-to-the-feet, knee-high boot wearing people. Those poor, helplessly trapped feet," Tahiri said as she dropped her towel and began to shamelessly dress in front of Anakin, though not before she performed some exaggerated stretches. "Alema should love it there. She likes high boots and people in power. It's a good thing I still haven't completely unpacked from our trip to Tatooine."

"Uh huh," Anakin managed, his normally busy and well-organized mind temporarily losing track of its thought processes. Stang, he was lucky.

Tahiri smiled slyly as she shrugged on a loose fitting shirt; which, Anakin belatedly realized, was one of his.

He gave her an ever-suffering shake of his head. She had been teasing him all day but he had been unable to act on any of his thoughts, much less think those thoughts, because they had also been surrounded by other Jedi for practically every minute. He smiled ruefully as he admired his girlfriend, her confidence just one of the many things he found attractive about her.

Even if that confidence was then used to drive him crazy.

With great effort, he managed to force himself back onto the matter at hand as went over Ganner's message once more. They did have a war to fight after all. "I'll probably run this by the High Council. They're meeting soon and the Imperial Remnant is a bit more important politically than the Hutts."

"They have their own fleet too. More help is always good." Tahiri tightened the cinch of her pants. She attached her old blue lightsaber to her belt, keeping her mother's safely in the wooden box on a nightstand by his bed.

"The only problem is, I don't think the non-Jedi portion of the High Council will want to do anything."

"Huh?" Tahiri moved over to him and bent forward to rest her chin on his shoulder. "Why not?"

He reached up and they briefly played with each other's hands. "When we needed their help, the Remnant stalled. Now that the Galactic Alliance has the momentum in the war, they won't see the need or the benefit in supporting them."

"That's kind of childish," Tahiri remarked.

"That's politics," Anakin said dryly. "Though, if they want to cover all their bases, Cal Omas might just send another token force."

The door chime rang.

"Come in!" Tahiri called out.

Jaina entered hesitantly. She saw the damp towel on the floor by the bed and averted her eyes from Tahiri and Anakin.

"You can look. We weren't doing anything not-kid friendly, Jaya," Anakin teased.

"Yet," Tahiri grinned predatorily.

"What's on your mind?" Anakin said, feeling very much like the prey as Tahiri encircled him with her arms. She was definitely spending too much time with Alema.

"Jag got word from his sister," Jaina smiled at their antics. "She might have a lead on Zonama Sekot. It might be nothing, but I thought I'd go with him to check it out."

"To Chiss space?"

"That's right."

"I just got a message from Ganner. Imperial star charts tracked Zonama until it disappeared in the direction of Chiss space," Anakin said.

"Oh? And how is Ganner doing?"

"He's joined a Black Ops group trying to root out a Vong spy network, and is single-handedly trying to stop the Empire from collapsing from political intrigue," Anakin deadpanned.

"Oh, typical Ganner business," Jaina replied in kind.

"Typical Ganner business," Anakin agreed. "Enjoy your trip to Chiss space. After I bring up Ganner's problem with the High Council, I'll probably be helping out the Remnant."

"Be careful you two," Jaina said, meeting and holding each of their gazes.

"You too, Jaina," Tahiri said, detaching herself from Anakin to hug her.

Jaina returned the hug and then stepped back. Winking, she gave them both a wave as she took a step back towards the door. "Hey, all I'll be doing is looking at some Chiss star charts; a short, sweet, and uncomplicated trip to Csilla. What type of danger could I possibly run into?"

"Jaina, I said the same thing about my trip to the Sand People, look how that turned out," Tahiri said with a raised eyebrow.

Jaina stopped and blinked. "Good point. But really, there shouldn't be anything difficult about this trip. The Chiss have managed to stay out of the war so far, the Yuuzhan Vong are ignoring them for now, and with everything going on in the rest of the galaxy, it's probably one of the safest places I could travel to. You guys just worry about yourselves, you're the ones going back to the frontlines."

"We will, Jaya," Anakin said solemnly, then cracked a small smile. "Enjoy your trip with Jag."

Jaina grinned in turn and resumed her trip through the door, giving them a brief two-fingered wave in parting. "Oh I will."

When Jaina left, Tahiri tilted her head towards the door. "Go on and tell the High Council about the situation. I'll get packed up then say goodbye to the Veila. It's too bad she's not ready for space flight."

"Yeah, it would have been nice to see how she flies. And I'll tell the council of Ganner's problem. But, first things first," Anakin shut down the holopad. Turning his body, he pulled Tahiri onto his lap and kissed her. He pulled back slightly, resting his forehead against hers. "You're not very nice."

"Oh?" Tahiri shifted, straddling him and resting her arms on his shoulder, as she tilted her head with a knowing grin.

"Do you know how hard it is for me to keep my thoughts shielded when I'm giving lessons to a room full of Jedi?" Anakin said, his voice deeper than usual as he struggled to control himself.

"I have some idea," Tahiri grinned impishly, her weight shifting on his lap.

Anakin groaned. "Tahiri."

"Complaining Solo?"

Anakin wisely shook his head and decided to kiss her instead. Tahiri was all too happy to reciprocate his affections. The past week had kept the both of them busy beyond anything they thought possible. They spent most of their waking moments teaching different groups of Jedi and Galactic Alliance Intel personnel about the Yuuzhan Vong, had separate break times, and any free time was then devoted to conferring with politicians and older Jedi about how to better fight the war. Even when the day was done, they had both been too tired to do little more than collapse into the bed and go to sleep.

It was a testament as to how busy they truly were when a couple small messages sent through their Force bond had been all they shared by way of affection in the past five days. While that was sufficient for conveying general feelings of love and support, it was a poor replacement to what they had gotten used to during their time together on Tatooine.

And as strong as the both of them were, they were both still teenagers, still human, and very much feeding off of each other's desires and emotions. Once more fighting in the war, they were again reminded of how their time together was a luxury they rarely had, and they were determined to make the best of what they got.

But of course, since they were supposed to be focusing on the war effort, they had to be just a little responsible as well.

"Remember, play nice with the people on the High Council," Tahiri said, between kisses. "They're just politicians, so no getting your feelings hurt by what they say. And no hurting their feelings either by coming up with plans to solve a problem that their collective brains weren't able to."

"Uh huh. Good thing the High Council meeting isn't for another hour. Plenty of time to think of a backup plan."

"Uh huh." Tahiri let out a soft groan, his hands expertly working beneath the loose-fitting shirt she had only recently put on. After a few moments, the shirt flew through the air and landed somewhere in the room. "To think, and to…to…oh!"

Anakin stood, her legs wrapping around him instinctively and his lean muscles flexing as he supported her weight. Continuing to kiss her senseless as her own hands absently roamed his body, he walked them over from the desk to the bed. He lowered her back down, breathing heavily as he admired her smaller form with almost hungry blue eyes.

She looked back up at him with flushed cheeks. "I don't think what we're about to do is kid-friendly."

"Definitely not," Anakin whispered against her lips. "Any objections?"

"You're talking too much, kiss me already."

Needless to say, as responsible as he was trying to be, he nearly missed the High Council meeting.

=}VII{= =}VII{=

"We simply do not have the resources to spare," Supreme Commander Sien Sovv, head of the Galactic Alliance fleets said, nodding at the still hologram of Ganner Rhysode. Anakin's proposal was the last issue of the day, but the importance of it was not lost on the other members of the High Council. "We have only just begun to turn the tide in this war and need all available ships just to hold the lines. As it is, the Hutt Space incident freed up many of our vessels and they were moved to shore up our other forces all along the frontlines."

"That is not to say we are not empathetic with your concern for the Imperial Remnant," Minister of State Releqy A'kla said, her fur shimmering. "Were it possible, we would provide aid."

"There is the fact that the Senate would be decidedly negative to any suggestion that we provide aid to a group that rebuffed our pleas for help," Chief of State Cal Omas added.

"We have to win the war here before we help a distant government on the fringes of this galaxy," non-voting member, former Peace Brigade Commander General Jartre Rinmek, tossed in his own objection.

"Then you will not mind if the Jedi acted unilaterally for this?" Anakin said, well-prepared for their response.

"The Jedi?" Cal Omas was taken aback.

"Under the Galactic Alliance charter, the Jedi Order was given the same status as Hapes, or the Hutts. Though we serve in an advisory and guardianship role for this government, we also retain our autonomy and ability to act freely; so long as those actions do not jeopardize the greater peace of this galaxy," Anakin reminded. "Politically, the Jedi answers to this council and only this council, not the Senate. All we need is the approval of those in this room, and we can go and aid the Remnant."

Cal Omas blinked and briefly checked with the non-Jedi members of the council through a visual vote. He then nodded slowly. "That could work."

"It is clear you already have a plan in mind, young Jedi. Can you please share it with us?" One of the newer members of the council, Minister of Justice and Director of Intelligence pro tem, Ta'laam Ranth asked politely.

"Since the Imperial Remnant probably won't be too happy with a Galactic Alliance fleet dropping out of hyperspace in their territory anyway, I propose we send only a couple of vessels. Unless there aren't any objections from the Jedi members of this council," Anakin motioned to Kyp, Corran, Jacen, and the others. "One of the Jedi Masters can lead this diplomatic mission to assess the state of the Remnant. If the Remnant does appear to be learning towards an alliance with the Yuuzhan Vong, it is in the Galactic Alliance's best interest to know as soon as possible. The team will meet up with Ganner Rhysode and we'll go from there."

"I'll defer this to my esteemed Jedi colleagues," Cal Omas ceded the decision to Anakin's superiors.

"We approve of the basic idea," Corran said, announcing the mental consensus of the Jedi portion of the council. "After this session is over, we'll meet to discuss the finer details."

"Very well," Cal Omas said. "You have the blessing of the Galactic Alliance."

"Thank you, Chief of State," Anakin bowed politely. "And thank you, members of the High Council for taking the time to hear me."

"[It was either that or get a heart attack after learning that you've already incorporated the Remnant into the Galactic Alliance]," the Wookie senator, Triebakk, said in good humor. "[The diplomatic corps likes to plan their conversations. They are not particularly fond of you for the Hutt Empire incident. They were forced to make some concessions they wouldn't have normally made due to the impromptu nature of those discussions.]"

"Can't be popular with everyone," Kyp shrugged.

"I try," Anakin said sheepishly. "Thanks again."

"For you, young Solo, any time," Releqy A'kla inclined her head. "This galaxy owes you much."

"If it can stay in one piece without breaking down for a good decade or so, I'd be happy."

"I think we'd all be, little brother," Jacen said with a smile. "At this point, I'll take even a few months of peace."

=}VIII{= =}VIII{=

Lightyears away, Tyria Sarkin Tainer was wondering if the Force hated her. After setting the Kell Dragon down for a refueling and resupply mission on the planet Galantos—a planet that recently repelled a Yuuzhan Vong invasion thanks to the efforts of Jedi Master Tresina, Knights Zekk, Lowbacca, and Tesar, and a Galactic Alliance battle group—a Ryn just happened to be waiting for them with a message. Given how much the Ryn had helped at Bakura—and elsewhere, if reports from the various teams of Jedi could be believed—Tyria just knew that the message couldn't be good.

She was right.

The Ryn had learned of a Yuuzhan Vong fleet massing at Bandomeer with no other apparent purpose but to attack Mandalore. Which of course didn't make sense as the Mandalorians were supposed to be Yuuzhan Vong allies. Or at least pretending to be.

Either the game was up and the Yuuzhan Vong had seen through the ruse, or the Yuuzhan Vong were getting desperate for a victory. Mandalore wasn't a part of the Galactic Alliance. It was an isolated system and still within Yuuzhan Vong held space. Sure attacking it was akin to suicide, but it would probably be a lot easier than attacking any one of the Galactic Alliance's positions at the moment. Especially with the Freed Ones reinforcing many of the weakened positions.

In any case, the Mandalorians needed to be warned.

Tyria shook her head at the datapad at that very idea. The Mandalorians were the exemplar of a professional army. She was an unconventional Jedi with two teenagers in tow. The idea of them going up to knock on Mandalore's door and to warn him of a potential threat, based off of information they had retrieved from wandering space nomads, was laughable. Nevertheless, her duty as a Jedi couldn't just let the Mandalorians be ambushed by this massing Vong fleet. It was a good thing she and Doran had spent a year among them at the start of the war. At least they would have some credibility.

"Hi mom," Doran said brightly, climbing back onboard with one of his hands gripping one of Sannah's. They had become closer, if that was possible, since Bakura. A near brush with entechment tech would have done that to anyone. "What's wrong?"

"The Ryn," Tyria said with a deep sigh, handing over the datapad the Ryn agent had given her.

"The Ryn, again?" Sannah read the datapad over Doran's shoulder.

"Mandalore?" Doran's eyebrows shot up. "We're going to Mandalore?"

"Or wherever their leader is," Tyria said. "How's your Mando'a?"

"Ni ruhibira teh te jatnese," Doran said, rolling his eyes. I learned from the best.

"I never knew you knew Mando'a," Sannah tilted her head questioningly.

"Mom made me learn a couple of the warrior languages of this galaxy. When the war's over, she'll probably make me learn Yuuzhan Vong too." Doran tried to brush it off as if it was no big deal. "Apparently, with most of the warrior races, you gain more respect in their eyes if you can speak their tongue. I mean, the Force helps you understand them, but they're more likely to help you and less likely to kill you if you know their language. My Mando'a is still rusty though. Haven't had to use it since the phobium mines on Gargon, almost three years ago."

"You didn't tell me about that adventure," Sannah blinked.

"It wasn't much of one, really. The war had only just broken out and Mandalorian space was still safe because of the treaty they had made. Mom took me there for a year's worth of training with the Mandalorians. It was actually pretty neat since the Mandos consider you an adult at thirteen. Once there all I did was…" Doran trailed off, a spike of guilt escaping his suddenly tightly controlled emotional shields as his face flushed. "Oh Sithspit."

"Doran?" Sannah was taken aback by his reaction. He seemed both embarrassed and nervous.

"So mom, when do we leave?" Doran said quickly, unable to meet Sannah's eyes.

Tyria took the datapad back from him and took pity on him. Gargon was one of the few planets he had fond memories of, mostly due to the friendships he had formed there. One of those friendships in particular may add a complication to his budding relationship with Sannah. "As soon as the Dragon is ready to go. The Ryn don't know when the Vong fleet will attack so the sooner we warn the Mandalorians, the better."

"Right, umm…" Doran closed his eyes, pained, as a variety of conflicting feelings crossed his mind. "I guess…" He looked to Sannah again, his expression pleading for her to understand something. "I guess I'll tell Dinua that I'm coming back."

"She'll be happy to see you again," Tyria said softly.

"Dinua?" Sannah said in a quiet voice. Despite his attempts to shield his emotions, she could still sense that he felt strongly about this person. "She's like Alex, right? Just another one of those people who help you out with adventures?"

Doran swallowed and shook his head. "Not really. She was my training partner assigned to me on Gargon. We weren't the best of friends at first, but…well…we warmed up to each other. When I left, we…we weren't exactly a couple; but we were kind of more than best friends."

Sannah stood gripping the back of Doran's chair in silence. Neither teen noticed Tyria move to the back of the ship to give the two of them privacy.

"Sannah?"

"It's okay," Sannah whispered in a quiet voice, her own emotional barriers going up. "It's good that you have someone else. I mean, in five years I'll have to return to Yavin Eight and live out the rest of my life there anyways. It's better if you, you know, forget about me and be with someone who can…"

"Fish-Girl!" Doran spun out of his chair and gripped both of her hands.

"It's okay," Sannah repeated, looking away.

"Fish-Girl," Doran gave both her hands a squeeze and dropped his own emotional barriers. "Sannah. You'll always be my bestest and closest friend, no matter if you grow fins and gills and develop a permanent taste for kelp and fish. And I thought we already established that we're boyfriend–girlfriend now?"

"But you shouldn't waste your feelings on me for some short-term relationship," Sannah shook her hands free and spun in her chair to face away from him. "You should be with another human, at least. Someone you can spend the rest of your life with."

"Since when have I done anything I actually 'should'?" Doran said helplessly, flinching at the misery he could hear in her voice. "Even if I did get together with some other girl, you and I have something I can never have with anyone else; a Force-bond stronger than anything. Sure you'll become a fish. But I'll just have to build a lake-side house on Yavin Eight and set up a training camp for any Jedi-spawn you eventually have. No matter how short or long a time we have together, we'll always be friends and partners."

Sannah looked down at her feet and wrung her hands, sniffling as she did. "Promise?" One of the downsides to her metamorphosis was that she'd have to leave all of her friends, all of the adventures, everything she had done in her human form, behind. It was a bleak thought that Sannah tried not to think about, but growing up also meant growing one step closer to leaving her best friend for good.

"Easiest promise I'll ever make, Fish-Girl," Doran said, falling back into his chair and pulling Sannah onto his lap.

"You really don't have to make a lake-side house," Sannah whispered, her yellow eyes luminescent as one of his hands tilted her head back. "Just drop by from time to time. You know, to let me know how everyone is?"

"Hey, I'll need a place to retire to when I decide to become one of those Force-crazed hermits," Doran said, their noses just brushing. He let one finger wipe away the stray tear that had escaped.

Sannah managed a small giggle. "I can definitely see you as one."

"Thanks a lot," Doran said flatly.

"Are you going to kiss me now?" Sannah whispered.

"Yeah," Doran lowered his lips to hers.

They parted and Sannah's eyes fluttered back open. Lowering her eyes, she said almost hesitantly. "Can you tell me about her?"

"Dinua?"

"Uh huh," Sannah nodded. "What's she like?"

And as Doran finally began talking about the details of his training mission on Gargon, Tyria re-emerged feeling both proud and amused at her son. Doran had definitely inherited his father's goofy nature, but also his ability to be serious when he had to. Of course, like his father, Doran had somehow mastered the ability to be both goofy and serious at the same time. Tyria was once again glad that Sannah was along for the ride. There was only so much goofy-serious Tyria could take before going insane.

Seeing the fuel gauge full, Tyria began the pre-flight sequence, once again wondering just what was in store for them this time.

=}IX{= =}IX{=

"Twin Suns Four, ready for the jump to hyperspace," Anakin acknowledged as the task-force, unofficially called the 'Save-the-Remnant-From-Becoming-an-Even-Smaller-Remnant-of-a-Remnant rescue force,'—so named due to a drunken brain storming session by Han, Kyle, Jaden, the Wraiths, and Kyp—emerged from Mon Calamari's gravity shadow.

"Twin Suns Five, ready and waiting," one of the members in Anakin's shield-trio, Alema Rar, acknowledged.

"Six, is ready too. Let's go save the Imperials," Tahiri said energetically, rounding out the abbreviated Twin Suns squadron.

The many differences between a military run operation and a Jedi run operation were made clear almost immediately. For one, no ship in the taskforce was of standard design. The token Galactic Alliance vessel, the Pride of Selonia, was a heavily modified Lancer-class frigate designed to carry all six X-wings of Wraith Squadron—which had two new recruits to make up for the absence of Bhindi Drayson and Baljos Arnjak. In addition to the Pride of Selonia, the Raven's Claw, carrying Jaden Kor's Z-95 Headhunter clamped to the bottom, was joined by the Pulsar Skate, Jade Shadow, Errant Venture, and the infamous Millennium Falcon.

Even the fighter squadrons coming on the mission, right down to the flightsuits of the pilots, were irregular. Heavily customized X-wings belonging to Kyp's Dozen flew alongside Waxarn Kel's Death Knights' own black-painted ones; while the Twin Suns were once again led by the shield-trio of Luke, Mara, and Corran. Kyp's Dozen wore light red colored versions of the standard Alliance flightsuit, the Death Knights wore a burgundy red, and the Twin Suns wore the standard orange.

To emphasize the Jedi-led aspect of this mission, only the Pride of Selonia bore any markings to connect it to the Galactic Alliance. All other fighters and ships had a temporary insignia of the Jedi Order. In all, the mission was definitely mishmash in both vehicles and personalities.

Though the mission was originally only going to include the younger Jedi Knights and maybe one or two Masters, the plan had expanded exponentially. The idea of the first, truly sanctioned, Jedi-only mission, with the Jedi Order assuming full control, appealed to a great many of the others. More so, since the meld that the Solo children had created had brought the myriad of Jedi together.

"You know, we're really not going to impress the nit-picky Imperials with our rag-tag fleet," Han Solo's voice said lightly over the comm-channel. "These are the type of people that have to grow even their plants in neat little rows."

"Hey, the Rebel Alliance had a rag-tag fleet that didn't impress them either," Kyle Katarn pointed out jovially. "A few weeds now and then can't hurt."

"I don't know what I think about being a weed," Corran protested with good cheer.

"Nothing wrong about being a weed. They're like us Wraiths, they can pop out of anywhere and they can grow on you," Elassar Targon of Wraith Squadron objected.

"That settles it," Mirax's voice came over the comm line. "There should be a definite limit on the number of Jedi-organized strike forces. Especially if Wraith Squadron invites themselves along."

"Finally!" Jan Ors said in mock relief. "Someone else who understands my pain."

"I told you a support group for the non-Jedi- significant-other of Jedi was needed," Kell Tainer said sagely, as if it was the best idea in the entire universe.

"So you want a group called the No-Jay-Soo-Jay?" Mara blinked at the acronym.

"We'll let Kyle, Kyp, and Jaden come up with the name. They're sooo good at it," Kell replied happily.

"Aren't you guys supposed to be the adults on this mission?" Tahiri asked in confusion.

"Oh no, we're just going along for the ride," Kyp chimed in. "This mission's all you next gen-Jedi's responsibility. It was Anakin's idea after all."

"Great, we're baby-sitting full grown kids," Alema deadpanned.

Anakin, in the meantime, hung his head in defeat. "And we can't even send them to their room."

"I've felt like doing that to numerous Jedi on more than one occasion," Luke admitted with a laugh.

Through the banter, Luke Skywalker couldn't keep the genuine grin off his face. For once the Order was truly in harmony and operating at its peak efficiency. Never could he imagine Kyp Durron, Waxarn Kel, and so many others of differing opinions, actually working together on a single mission. He himself was actually looking forward to working with them, rather than cringing in the expectation of the arguments and disagreements that had plagued the Order since the start of the war. The Jedi was truly growing into their place in the galaxy, and he couldn't be more proud of his niece and nephews for making that possible.

And the Jedi weren't the only ones finding their place. The Galactic Alliance was able to spare so many Jedi on this mission because the Supreme Council of the Free Yuuzhan Vong had stepped up their efforts to end the war. A stunned, bewildered, and completely baffled Taan had sat completely numbed in surprise when the Freed Yuuzgan Vong Council unanimously selected her to be their first leader and representative of their race. With her leadership, the council then went on to reaffirm their commitment to the philosophies followed by the Jedi.

Luke found it amazing how the Free Yuuzhan Vong adapted these philosophies and merged them into their own interpretation of the True Way; the religion that had been twisted by Shimrra and the priestly caste.

Though the 'Save the Remnant' taskforce was relatively small and unimpressive, a fleet of five Free Yuuzhan Vong capital ships stood ready to jump in if they were needed. They would have accompanied the 'Save the Remnant' taskforce, but it was generally agreed that the Imperial Remnant might have a very bad reaction to seeing Yuuzhan Vong warships in orbit above their capital planet. So, to avoid any misunderstandings, the ships would remain just outside of Remnant space.

"Twin Suns squadron is ready," Mara Jade Skywalker confirmed, ending the check-list for the taskforce. She was aboard the Jade Shadow, her X-wing clamped to the ship's hull, transporting some of the Jedi apprentices who were likewise coming on the mission.

"All units, prepare to jump to hyperspace on my mark."

"See you all at Bastion." Kyp acknowledged.

"Mark."

With that, the 'Save-the-Remnant-From-Becoming-an-Even-Smaller-Remnant-of-a-Remnant rescue force,' leapt forward, away from Mon Calamari, and onto the next adventure.

Little did they know that for many, it would be their last.

=}-{= Chapter End =}-{=

A\N: Probably my most favorite (and longest) chapter to write by far.

The previous Force Heretic 'book' can be compared to the New Hope in that it was all positive with heroes doing their thing and bad guys losing big time. Be prepared for a darker Yuuzhan Vong Empire Strikes Back segment of the trilogy, both in tone and content (think the deleted scene for the raid-on-Gorga's-base dark). This also means that in the next arcs, romance scenes will become few and far apart as the war really picks up and gets a lot more serious. So, for those who have been worried that everything has been going too well, try not to be so eager to want misfortune on the no longer deceased Solo. By next Interlude things will be decidedly different...

The Imps and Chiss will fill up two of the three main arcs of Book 2 as the war spreads to the distant corners of the galaxy. The Imp plot is nine chapters long, and the Chiss plot is five, both will faintly resemble their canon arcs, but at the same time have enough tweaks that they can be considered original story arcs as well.

And yes, if anyone missed it or are still doubting their eyes, the Mandos will feature heavily in a multi-part fifteen chapter original story arc with Doran and Sannah's biggest adventure yet. The arc will span both Book 2 and 3 and will build on the events of Traviss' NJO e-book, Boba Fett: A Practical Man. So, get ready for an even wilder ride as we begin a march towards the second half of this monster of a tale.