A Fate Unseen: Legacy of the Jedi-Side B

by An Origami Fish

As the galaxy once again burns from the flames of war, no one is left untouched. Families are scattered, relationships destroyed, and character tested. Sacrifice comes in many shapes and forms, and the next generation of young heroes will learn what it will take to bring balance to the Force once and for all. Part 2B in the Fate Unseen Trilogy.

16. Chapter 16

Sixteen

LotJB[I]LotJB

Ben Skywalker was most definitely fed up with the Force. Even when he had cut himself off from it, abstained from doing anything remotely Jedi-like, and buried his lightsaber with the ashes of his childhood friend on Ossus, the Force still dumped him in situations far beyond what an average person had to deal with. Case in point, he was now aimlessly trudging through a freezing desert at night, a lone blue glowstick his source of illumination with dark overcast skies blocking out any hope of star or moonlight, and sand having gotten into his clothing and ending up pretty much where he didn't want it. He was pretty much out of water, exhausted, and had a dark Jedi Star Destroyer somewhere in orbit above him. He didn't know if these dark Jedi were a part of the One Sith, but he also didn't really care. If the dark Jedi were here, their main goal was probably to conquer the world…it was just what they did.

Thinking about the dark Jedi once again had Ben reflect on his situation. If the Force had dumped him onto this half-Shaped world expecting him to be some knight in shining armor and rescue the locals from tyranny and oppression, it better have another thought coming. There was no way he was going to do what the Force wanted any more. He wondered what it'd take for the Force to get that he had quit the galaxy-saving business and just wanted to be left alone. He didn't care if saving the planet was the will of the Force. He just willed the Force to leave him alone.

Evidently the Force didn't like smart asses or deserters. A roaring boom of thunder above gave Ben a warning of all of a few seconds before the skies opened up and dumped what seemed like an ocean of water on his segment of desert. Jagged forks of lightning streaked across the sky, brightening the endless expanse of sand all around the red-haired ex-Jedi.

"Oh come on!" Ben shouted at the sky as rain drops flashed on his face. "I am definitely not helping you with this planet! Find someone else to do it!"

A chilling wind raced across the desert, turning the already icy cold raindrops into painful sheets of sleet. Ben resumed his trek through the desert, shivering and grimacing as the sand beneath his feet turned to near-impassible slush. Just great, first the Force blows his ship up, then blows in a sandstorm and buries him in sand, and now it was trying to freeze him to death in an actual rainstorm? Opening his mouth to try to swallow some of the raindrops, he abruptly spit the bitter tasting water out and wiped at his mouth furiously. Of course the rain had to be polluted water. Shaking his head, he dourly pressed onwards, wondering just what else the Force was going to throw his way.

And then he slipped and tumbled down a series of soaking sand dunes, finding himself stuck in a pool of mud-like quicksand.

"Really?! I didn't even say it out loud," Ben protested, watching his lone pack of supplies disappear beneath the liquid sand. "Fine, you know what. If you're going to do this, I'll say it anyways. Can this day possibly get any worse?"

An animalistic roar answered Ben in turn, and Ben took the moment to make an obscene gesture at the Force. "Thank you very much."

Turning his head to see what manner of creature the Force decided would chow down on him, he came face to foot with a four-meter tall gundark. And it wasn't just a normal gundark. Nooooo, when the Force wanted to make a statement, it just had to sic a Shaped gundark on him. Its skin was gunmetal gray with obsidian-like streaks running through it, its claws and gleaming fangs looking more metal than organic. Its mace-like tail swished back and forth as it eyed Ben's immobile form hungrily. Ben just glared at the creature defiantly, not sure whether or not to be relieved that the Force had only sent a Shaped lesser gundark instead of one of the nesting greater Shaped gundarks.

When the Yuuzhan Vong had initially invaded Sriluur, they had captured some of the local fauna and made already deadly creatures into super-deadly creatures. By the end of the war, the number of super-deadly creatures had been all but eradicated. But with the cessation of hostilities, their numbers slowly climbed again. In fact, that increase, ironically enough, had been one of the key factors in helping Ben and his friends negotiate a 'cease fire' of sorts with the disparate factions on the planet. Who knew that having a giant nest of very large, blood-thirsty creatures, would lead to a stable peace? But a peace did occur, with the Yuuzhan Vong colonists, Weequay natives, and Trandoshan refugees all uniting around the idea of hunting dangerous things that could kill them. The Yuuzhan Vong had even adopted 'Yun-Quay,' Goddess of the Hunt—or in Josat's babbling way, deity of creatures-most-likely-to-kill-you—merging the ideas of the Weequay supreme deity with the Trandoshan Scorekeeper and coming up with something that was entirely Yuuzhan Vong. The ease at which they Yuuzhan Vong had accepted this new deity among their pantheon—albeit they did have nearly two decades of exposure to said religious practices—reminded Ben of just how similar the Yuuzhan Vong were to the native inhabitants of his home galaxy.

Not that it was time to think about such things as the lightning illuminated the hulking beast that was probably seconds away from biting his head off and letting the rest of him sink into the sand. Ben glared at the gundark defiantly.

"Come on! Do it! I'm right here!" Ben yelled at the creature.

The gundark paused, obviously very confused about the eagerness of his prey.

"Don't have the guts? Bite me!" Ben continued yelling, even as he continued to sink into the swirling sand.

The creature let out a guttural growl and roared directly in Ben's face, causing the red-haired teen to discover a very unpleasant odor. The gundark then raised one clawed hand in preparation for a killing blow. Ben closed his eyes and awaited his fate.

But the Force decided that it wasn't going to let him off that easy. The gundark howled again, but this time in pain. When Ben opened his eyes, several odd-looking amphistaffs were protruding from the gundark's muscular chest. Each amphistaff had a metal spike on the opposite end of it, some sort of crackling electrical conduit glowing as it stuck out of the creature's chest. The creature staggered backwards, using one massive hand to yank several of the amphistaffs free. When it held the amphistaffs up in the air in furious rage, however, Ben was nearly blinded by what happened next. A crackle-boom that left Ben's ears ringing had followed a bright flash of light. Blinking to clear his vision, Ben saw that the arm holding up the amphistaffs had been completely blown off. Furthermore, the lightning bolt had obviously jumped to the amphistaffs still embedded in the creature's chest because there were smaller charred holes where the gundark's vital organs had once been. The creature let out a death rattle, swayed, and then fell to the goopy sand with a wet plop.

Ben retraced the trajectory of the amphistaffs and saw almost a dozen people approaching through the driving rain. Most of them appeared to be teenagers, with only two adults in the mix.

"[A human]!" A voice in Huttese gasped.

From the stilted accent, Ben immediately knew that the speaker was Yuuzhan Vong. After all, Sriluur was in Hutt Space and learning Huttese was more useful than Basic.

"[Soon to be a dead one if we don't get him out of the quicksand,]" a gravelly Trandoshan croaked out.

Two Weequay teenagers reached into their packs and pulled out a coarse rope. They both threw their respective ropes at Ben, and the human teen grabbed one with each hand. Within a few moments, he was pulled free from his sandy doom and into the clutches of whatever the Force now had in store for him.

"Thank you," Ben shivered, his clothing soaked all the way through. Though the rain was useful for cleaning out the sand, it was now very likely going to free him to death.

"Remove your clothing," the adult Weequay spoke up in Basic. "Unless you prefer dying of cold."

Ben, teeth chattering, pulled his shirt off over his head and let it fall to the sand. The second adult, a Yuuzhan Vong warrior, handed Ben a living garment, and the teen accepted it without complaint. The garment folded itself around his torso—immediately drying and keeping any further moisture away from his body-before extending upwards like a hood. His pants, underwear, socks, and boots were all discarded and he received Yuuzhan Vong replacements for each.

"Cassa's going to be so proud of me," he muttered to himself. The clothes were surprisingly warm, and Ben did his best to forget the fact that he was now wearing living creatures everywhere on his body. After a brief examination of himself he smiled gratefully at his rescuers. "Not that I'm not ungrateful or anything, but why are you guys out here?"

"We walk the Yun'zhaelor," a Weequay teen answered, gesturing with one of the weird amphistaffs at the downed gundark. Several others were in the process of removing its head and skinning the rest of it.

"The what?"

"[Yun'zhaelor, Truth of the Gods,]" the older Yuuzhan Vong said over the torrential rain. "[When our Domain was still on Yuuzhan'tar, our original homeworld, all crèchelings who reach the age of fifteen cycles were required to prove their worth. The practice was discontinued when we were forced into dark space. But now that we have a permanent homeworld once more, the practice has been revived.]"

"[And our leaders believed it to be a good practice for our youth as well,]" a Trandoshan added.

One Weequay teen bobbed his head in agreement. "Our own elders approved of it, and in the spirit with which the team of Jedi negotiated the agreement among our people, each Yun'zhaelor was to be a joint activity to prove the unity of our peoples."

"Right," Ben said slowly. He was pretty sure that during the negotiations it had been less about achieving unity and more about trying to get three violence-prone societies to not kill each other. Made harder were the facts that: the Yuuzhan Vong colonists had been three separate Domains that merged after the war due to the fact that their numbers had all been depleted in the fighting. The Weequay planetary government was non-existent after being bombed out of existence in the war so the Jedi had to work with the leaders of individual communities. And the Trandoshan refugees were not about to let the other two groups bully them into anything less than equal treatment despite being the smallest of the three groups present.

Yup, he Kani, Josat, Jun, and Cappricia had had a wonderful time keeping order. And it was all made possible because of those wonderful politicians on Denon who hadn't wanted to touch the situation with a Star Destroyer-sized stick.

"How about you?" The Weequay adult asked. "There aren't many humans in this part of the galaxy. None on this planet."

"My ship was shot down," Ben answered sardonically. "Then I decided to stay and enjoy the weather."

"It is nice this time of year," the Weequay chuckled. "You can come with us. This was the last kill the young ones needed. We head to the Pride of Yammka so they can be confirmed as adults. Do you have a name?"

"It's Ben," the ex-Jedi supplied, not using his last name. "And anywhere out of this rain will be welcome."

"[High Executor Nar will more than likely want to meet you,]" the adult Yuuzhan Vong spoke up. "[The ship in orbit bodes ill for all of us.]"

"Have they given you any trouble?" Ben began to walk along with the rest of the group.

"They tried an orbital bombardment," a Yuuzhan Vong female said in almost flawless Basic.

Startled from both her words and delivery, Ben arched an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"Domain Kwaad's dovin basals were more than up to the task of repelling it," the Yuuzhan Vong female said with a proud Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of a smirk. "It was completely ineffectual."

"[Tyzhani Kwaad,]" the adult Yuuzhan Vong said in the universal voice of chastisement. "[Just because your father is a member of the Galactic Alliance Senate, you do not have the right to tell outsiders of our situation. That is for High Executor Nar.]"

"[Yes, Intendant,]" Tyzhani replied almost by rote.

"You're Domain Kwaad?" Ben did a double-take. His previous visit to the world only had him deal with High Executor Tahak Nar, the defacto leader of the Yuuzhan Vong on the world. The other two Domains on the world, Kwaad and Lian, lived in jungle villages south of the equator. Domain Nar's settlement was a sprawling sea-side city, high enough north of the equator that they'd get snow in the winter season. It also happened to be the largest city on the planet.

Tyzhani quirked her lips in amusement and held up one of her hands. Each finger had a biot attached that could turn into a lethal finger-spear at the flick of her wrist. "Is there a problem?"

"I thought Domain Kwaad lived in the jungle far from here."

"I would love to tell you the story, but the Intendant would be grumpy at me if I did," Tyzhani said casually. "After all, having one's home village bombed into ashes by dark Jeedai and forced to flee into the arms of the rigid Intendants of Domain Nar is a harrowing tale that probably shouldn't be repeated lest lesser beings flee in terror."

"[Tyzhani!]"

Tyzhani rolled her eyes as if to say 'see, I told you so.' Ben again blinked at the very human behavior. Yuuzhan Vong normally expressed emotion through pigment change in the sacks of flesh beneath their eyes. Yuuzhan Vong don't roll their eyes, ever. "I take it you didn't grow up here?"

"Born here, lived here until I was eight. Last seven years I've been with my parents on Denon or wherever else their politicking was needed. Came back just in time for the thing I'm not supposed to talk about."

Ben nodded understandingly. One of the big differences about the Yuuzhan Vong on Sriluur compared to the rest of the galaxy was that they were slowly losing their 'Domain first' mentality. Instead, the more nuclear family was taking priority. Everything was still technically for the Domain, but now families were competing for honor and prestige ala, 'my daughter slew a Storm Gundark during her Yun'zhaelor that was three-point-five meters tall!' 'That's nothing, my son killed one that was three-point-seven meters tall with his bare hands'.

The devolution into family units, as well as the relatively empty state of Sriluur, meant that nomadism had also become a way of life for some. Part of the challenge of negotiating on behalf of the different parties was that many of the people, whether they were Yuuzhan Vong, Weequay, or Trandoshan, had taken to moving from place to place depending on the seasons. Tracking down these individual family heads to ensure that they were aware of any cease-fire had been painstakingly painful. Whether it was Yuuzhan Vong who simply had to be on the move again thanks to their lifetime of moving through the galaxy, Trandoshans who roamed the myriad of terrains in search of the next big animal-most-likely-to-kill-them, or the Weequay who no longer had Hutts funding civic infrastructure and had to stay on the move to survive, Sriluur was mostly a vast wilderness with adventure to be had for all. The only times they all came together was if something threatened the entire world.

Which was why Ben paled slightly when he saw large encampments all around the city walls of Sriluur's largest city; each lit up by organic or artificial lighting. Trandoshan, Weequay, Yuuzhan Vong, the portable housing units outside the city added at least another few kilometers to it. And smack dab in the center of the city was the Yuuzhan Vong heavy cruiser Pride of Yammka. Everywhere Ben looked he could see military units of all sorts…military unit he hadn't seen two years earlier.

"Shaper Adept Kwaad?" Ben glanced to the rebellious Yuuzhan Vong teen.

"Yeppers?"

Ben was taken aback at another Basic slang, more than surprised to hear it coming from a Yuuzhan Vong. "Any other stories you aren't supposed to share with me?"

"Sriluur's going to war," she pointed out unnecessarily. "But I really should let the High Executor explain things. He and the Trandoshan elder and the Weequay governor form a triumvirate that helps ensure the treaty a certain red-haired Jeedai and his friends negotiated remains intact."

Ben gave her a sidelong glance and raised an eyebrow.

"What? You heard Intendant Nar. My dad's a Galactic Alliance Senator and my mom was part of the Freed One movement back during the war," she said defensively. "Paying attention to names and faces is kind of what we had to do; especially since you humans all look alike. Well, you humans, Duros, Gran…you get the idea."

The procession made their way through the outer rings of portable housing, earning strange looks from those that realized a human was with them. When they reached the surprisingly modern metal walls of the city, they were challenged by several heavily armed guards. The two adults must have supplied the proper counter-sign because the gates were opened and they were allowed to enter the city proper.

These streets were even more guarded than the outside, with mobile artillery platforms, hover-tanks, and what suspiciously looked like…

"Please tell me that isn't a Shaped Kell Dragon," Ben said faintly as a lumbering beast equipped with plasma cannons and its own void-generator walked past with heavy steps.

"We didn't have rakamat or Fire Breathers and the Intendants wanted siege beasts."

"Great." Ben glanced to the talkative Yuuzhan Vong teen and realized that the three other Yuuzhan Vong teens and the adult with them were actually far behind her. Far behind her and busily pretending she didn't even exist. She saw his observation and her cheery demeanor faded as she looked away.

"Tyzhani?"

"It's nothing," she shook her head, but this time the smile she had on was forced. "You should go on to the Pride of Yammka. I have a bunch of ceremonial stuff to do before I'm declared an adult. See you around the galaxy."

Ben reflexively returned her two-fingered salute, slightly bewildered by the encounter. If one was to tell him what a Yuuzhan Vong teenage girl was like, Tyzhani was not someone he would have pictured in a thousand years.

The Weequay adult took the young hunters in one direction while Ben followed the Yuuzhan Vong adult up towards the Yuuzhan Vong heavy cruiser. It was a path he was well familiar with having walked it several times during his previous stay on the planet. Various membrane doors slid open and Ben couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"Can I ask what you have against Shaper Adept Kwaad?"

Intendant Nar's face was stone, though his eyes tightened in disgust. "[Shaper Adept Kwaad should never have been allowed to walk the Yun'zhaelor. Just having the name Kwaad is an affront to her Domain and family.]"

"Tell me how you really feel," Ben deadpanned.

Rather than take it as sarcasm, the Intendant did just that. "[That girl's mother is Shamed and was with child when her mate died a treasonous death over Dac.]"

"You said her dad was in the Galactic Alliance Senate."

"[Her mother, as low as she is, decided to sink even lower by claiming that she fell 'in love' with one of your kind,]" the Intendant said stiffly. "[An aide worker helping to settle us on this planet in fact. Her mother turned her back on the Yun'o, turned her back on her people, and yet the High Executor ordered that they be left alone. Refused to include her in any breeding programs to augment our numbers. Maybe it was for the best, since it is clear her genome is impure.]"

Ben made a generic sound to show that he was listening, knowing immediately that the Intendant was one of the more traditional Yuuzhan Vong who still believed in the caste system, believed his power in the bureaucracy granted him the right to abuse said power, and was an all around pain unless he benefitted from it. Ben had never met the Intendant previously, but had had dealings with similar likeminded individuals during the treaty negotiations.

"Well, hopefully the Yun'o is listening to your prayers and you'll receive what you deserve," Ben answered lightly, amicably. He sincerely doubted the Yun'o cared about the Yuuzhan Vong any more than the Force cared about the Jedi.

They reached a juncture within the ship that Ben remembered led to the more important meeting rooms in the center. Said corridor was now guarded by a large phalanx of heavily armored Yuuzhan Vong, Trandoshans, and Weequay; a very strange sight to Ben since it had been a little over two years ago both those groups had been doing their damnedest to kill each other.

"[This is as far as I am permitted]," the Intendant said evenly. "[The ones who await you will be in the second room on your left. Ensure that you speak respectfully at all times to the High Executor and the family leaders. Only speak when spoken to, and pray that you are not an enemy in disguise. I leave you now. May the Yun'o guide your path.]"

"And may they elevate your family and Domain to prominence," Ben returned the formulaic parting. No sense making the guy his enemy when it was clear the Intendant had no idea who he was. "Thank you for guiding me here."

The Intendant grunted and left.

Ben recognized one of the guards and bowed his head politely. "Cazahl Nar, nice to see you again."

"[Jedi Skywalker.]" the warrior-turned-fisherman-turned-warrior saluted with a fist on his chest.

"The Intendant really didn't know who I was?"

The warrior grimaced. "[He…is newly promoted to Intendant and unless it concerns his duties, teaching the young, he doesn't care about anyone or thing else. His own brother views him an embarrassment.]"

"My condolences for sharing his Domain," Ben said sympathetically. "I better not keep the High Executor waiting."

"[Hopefully, like last time, you will be able to resolve this situation for us,]" the warrior motioned with his hand.

"I didn't come here to resolve anything," Ben shook his head. "All I really want to do is get a ship and get off this world."

"[But you are a Jeedai.]"

"Ex-Jedi, I quit," Ben answered as the membrane door slid open. He didn't bother to see the stunned expression on the warrior's face as he entered the room and let the door shut behind him. Inside the spacious conference room were nearly two-dozen individuals, the ruling council of Sriluur. "Well, it's great to see that the treaty managed to hold up."

"Indeed," an older Weequay commented dryly. "So, you've returned to us in our time of need, Jedi Skywalker."

"Hold that thought," Ben moved into the center of the room, surrounded by the crescent-like tables that housed the delegates from each race. "Like I was telling Cazahl outside, I'm not a Jedi any more. Even if I was, did you really think I could just take a ship up to that Star Destroyer and ask them very nicely to leave? These are dark Jedi, being unreasonable is kind of what they do. Well, that and come up with plans for galactic domination. I'm only here because they shot my ship down. Considering that you all owe me one for what my team did for you all two years ago, I'd very much like it if you can provide me a ship so I can be on my way."

The council was momentarily stunned into silence. Finally, another Weequay spoke up. "If we were capable of granting your request, we would. But the Star Destroyer has taken up position above our city and has shot down all vessels attempting to leave. Its fighters also track down ships launched from elsewhere. It is only the combination of shield generators and void defenses that allow us and other settlements to remain unscathed from their bombardments."

Ben clenched his jaw and nodded tersely. "I see. Does that mean they tried to attack by ground?"

"[Tried,]" one of the Yuuzhan Vong present grinned toothily. "[They attempted to take us by guile and underestimated the might of the Yuuzhan Vong.]"

Ben's eyebrows rose. "Oh?"

The first Weequay nodded. "Apparently they have never encountered Yuuzhan Vong before and attempted to use their powers against them. It didn't work."

"So they're all dead?"

"They are prisoners," the second Weequay shook his head. "We would like you to interview them. Barring that, the High Executor wishes to use the Embrace of Pain on them to get them to talk."

"These are dark Jedi, they might like it," Ben deadpanned. He exhaled and ran a hand through his hair, gazing at the serious faces in the room. "Fine, since it looks like I'm here until they're gone, I might as well speed them on their way."

"Your help will be appreciated."

"Yeah, just take me to these dark Jedi."

"[A word of warning,]" one Yuuzhan Vong said. "[They are currently being held with our shaped ysalamir and are devoid of their powers. Apparently they were not aware such a creature existed either and tried to use their abilities after the fact.]"

I-I-I-I-I

Taking the Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of a turbolift to a subterranean level—once again reminding Ben that the Pride of Yammka was now completely rooted into the ground and incapable of spaceflight—Ben found himself torn between cursing at the Force for not leaving him alone, and wearily accepting his assignment knowing that it was something Kani would have done. One of the VIPs was chattering away, describing the 'subterfuge' the dark Jedi had attempted, and how a pitch battle had been fought as the dark Jedi tried to make their way out of the former ship.

Ben tuned him out, the weirdness of these particular dark Jedi coming back to the forefront. What Force-sensitive was stupid enough to try and use a mind-trick on a Yuuzhan Vong? Everyone in the galaxy knew that they were immune to most all directly-applied Force techniques. Even more so, how could these dark Jedi not know what a ysalamir was? They had been the standard 'anti-Force' tool used by many of the Peace Brigaders during the Yuuzhan Vong War, and anyone facing a Jedi knew what they'd do. Add that to their weirdly accented Basic, choice of wardrobe, and pirate-like tendencies, and Ben had no idea what to make of them.

He knew they had reached the cell block when the amount of heavily armed and armored guards increased exponentially in the hallway. He also arched an eyebrow at a pair of creatures held on leashes by several Domain Kwaad shapers.

"Voxyn…you guys made voxyn again," Ben said in disbelief. "Are you flippin' crazy?"

"[We are at war,]" one of the Yuuzhan Vong VIPs shrugged simply. "[If dark Jeedai wish to attack us, we will use a weapon most suited for taking down Jeedai.]"

"Of course you will. You do realize that making those two is in violation of the treaty your people signed at the end of the war?"

"[We did not make these two.]"

"I'm almost afraid to ask," Ben edged past the creatures, relaxing when they ignored him entirely.

"[Domain Kwaad improved on the initial design and was able to alter the genome enough to make two genetically unique creatures. Those two are the offspring.]"

"Great, you solved that clone problem thing. I can think of several billion people in the galaxy that would freak out at that," Ben said with a sigh. "Just…don't let the rest of the galaxy know you have them…please. I really don't want to come back to this planet a third time to save you all from a horde of angry idiots."

"[We will endeavor to do so. And I believe that their progenitors are still in line with the treaty our peoples signed. They were not made for war, but for hunting.]

"Like trackers?"

"[No. The Trandoshans wanted to hunt and slay a beast capable of slaying someone as formidable as a Jeedai, so Domain Kwaad obliged them. Their progenitor's intelligence is near-sentient and their hide is ablative in nature, capable of enduring your lightsaber strikes and blaster bolts. As they are game and not weapons of war, it was in Domain Kwaad's right to shape them.]"

"Gotta love technicalities."

"[We have arrived at the holding cells.]"

"Can you and your people wait out here? I want to see what they have to say without all you big scary people glaring at them."

"[If you have need of us, just yell.]"

Ben nodded once and caressed the membrane that opened the door to the cell block. He then stepped in, letting the door close behind him. Trapped in carnivorous blorash jelly and not looking very intimidating at all in their smallclothes were five very grumpy dark Jedi.

He knew the Force was still against him when one of the five recognized him. "You!"

Ben regarded the striking blonde woman in Yuuzhan Vong jelly, tried to place her, and then remembered she had been the lightning-happy dark Jedi that he had faced back on Formos. Of course, at the time she had been masked and robed, but she was undoubtedly the same one. He glanced to the hulking form next to her, another flashback to the mountain-of-a-man that had nearly crushed Kani to death in an electric bearhug. Three others, all equally tattooed and cross, seemed confused by the blonde's reaction.

"Master Kaara, dho uno eem?" One said in the same accented Basic that Ben remembered.

"Hi, Ben Skywalker," Ben cut in before the blonde could respond. "I think I met those two on Formos. Kicked their asses and caused them to flee."

The darkening of the eyes of the blonde and her mammoth dark Jedi companion was all the satisfaction Ben needed.

"Whyre you heer." The blonde stared at Ben with piercing blue eyes.

"Your ship shot mine down," Ben returned the stare. Without the Force, he just barely made sense of the accented words of the captive dark Jedi. "Why are you here?"

"Weer claiming wir foda Tribe," the blonde said carefully.

"Yes, the Tribe. Are you guys a part of the One Sith too?" Ben sighed, he rubbed his forehead as he realized just how stupid his question had been. It wasn't like the dark Jedi came to Sriluur for a vacation. "Because this galaxy really doesn't need any more crazies running about. I don't know why I even agreed to talk with you, you dark Jedi are all the same."

He started for the door, ready to tell those outside to just carry out the executions.

"Wayt," the blonde said sharply.

Ben paused, his hand hovering over the door control panel. "Onmi ship is Jedi Jun Rasi Tuum."

"He's dead," Ben said with a wry shake of his head. "Nice try though."

"He lives," one of the other four spoke, his Basic less accented. "I am Tyro Jesdan. He, along with five other Jedi defected to our ship shortly before these One Sith appeared on the galactic stage."

Ben turned slowly, looking at the speaker. Yet another blonde, he noted, and very pale—like wearing-completely-covered-robes-and-mask-so-the-sun-never-touched-his-skin pale. Apart from that, the speaker looked even younger than him. "Tyro Jesdan…is that your name or…"

"Tyro is a rank," Jesdan said carefully. "Comparative to your Jedi Apprentice."

"Okaaay."

"Technically we're allies," Jesdan continued, trying to judge Ben's reaction. "Your Anakin Solo made a non-aggression pact with the Tribe. That's why we have your people aboard our ship. They're guides…kind of."

"And they guided you into this mess?"

"Not really," Jesdan glanced to the blonde woman who was evidently the leader of their group. "They warned us that there was a race of primitives on this planet immune to the Force. Saber Marjaak, Saber Vran, and Saber Turg decided to test that warning."

"Wait…you guys name your lightsabers?" Ben said in confusion, taking a step away from the door.

"No, well some of the Tribe does, but that's not the point. 'Saber' is also a rank. Like a Jedi Knight." Jesdan gestured with his head at the two other human males and one purple-skinned male. "The Keshiri is Saber Marjaak, the bigger one is Saber Vran, and the red-haired one is Saber Turg. Saber Vran's sister is Sith Master Kaara…again, Sith Master is a rank."

"I got that," Ben returned dryly. "What I don't get is what you expect me to do? I'm perfectly fine letting the 'primitives' of this planet execute you all. And even if I believed you had Jedi onboard your ship, do you really think I'd believe that my cousin would make a deal with a group of people who think they're Sith?"

"When you leave the room, reach out with the Force. The Cathar said that you were friends. It would be a simple matter of…" Jesdan trailed off when Ben smiled grimly and shook his head.

"Your first problem. I have a love-hate relationship with the Force right now. It loves to screw me over and I hate it for doing so. I've cut myself off from the Force and have no intention of using it ever again."

"Why?" Kaara looked dumbstruck that anyone would voluntarily give up the power of the Force.

"None of your business," Ben responded. "Your second problem is that I really hate dark Jedi, especially ones who think they're superior to everyone else. Which is pretty much all of them of you think about it. You still haven't given me a single reason why I shouldn't let the Yuuzhan Vong torture you death, and it's very likely those on the Star Destroyer think you're dead already thanks to the ysalamir."

"Ifweer totie, ta Tribe weel…"

"Stop right there Vran," Ben cut off the big man's guttural growl. "Let me guess how you're going to finish that sentence. If you guys die here, the rest of your people will come and slaughter everyone in retribution. Another reason why I hate dark Jedi, you guys are too extreme. I'm going to tell you this. If you die here, no one will truly care, and you know that. Your peers will rejoice that they no longer have to go through you for a promotion, your enemies will snap up everything you've spent your life building, everything you've sacrificed will have been for nothing, and your name will become just one of many that time will forget. You'll die here, underground, alone, forgotten, and irrelevant. And you know what? I'm just fine with that."

Ben again turned from the bound dark Jedi, and again Jesdan spoke up, his words freezing Ben in place.

"Your team. Fishsticks, Chatterbox, Furball, and Kani Asari. Jedi Rasi Tuum told us about your adventures…and about the deaths of Kani and Fishsticks. For what it's worth, you have my apologies."

Eyes squeezed close, Ben took in a shuddering breath, fists clenching. "You're lucky, you know that, Tyro?"

"I am?"

"Just for that, I'll have the Vong execute you first," Ben hissed out, fighting back tears and slamming his hand on the door control. "Don't worry, I'll make sure they do it quick."

I-II-I-II-I

It was sometime later when Ben tossed and turned on the polyp bed in the quarters the Yuuzhan Vong had supplied for him. Despite his words, he had the Yuuzhan Vong hold off on any enhanced interrogations or executions. His emotions were all over the place and he didn't trust himself to make such a decision while he was so screwed up in the head. He flopped onto his back and stared up at the alien coralline ceiling.

"Kani, now would be the time you would slip into my quarters and give me a pep talk so I'd look all leader-y for the others," Ben whispered softly. "Do you think they were telling the truth about Furball? That he's alive and okay? I know that Fishsticks is probably hanging out with you, that Chatterbox is on that Jedi base with mom. Never heard about Furball though. I…I don't know what to do, Kani."

Silence answered him and he closed his eyes, his heart thudding painfully.

"I'm afraid. So afraid of screwing up. I'm not using the Force anymore, it's never really helped either of us anyways. But all I have to do is say the word and those dark Jedi die. It's the right thing to do right? They've come here to conquer the people we spent three whole months trying to save. If I let them go, they're just going to hurt others. If I have them killed…maybe I should be the one to kill them then. Already have blood on my hands, and a Jedi, even an ex-Jedi, should be the one to kill them."

Ben stayed still as the stillness of the room returned, his head pillowed in the palms of his hands.

"Come on, just give me a sign, any sign. Please," Ben whispered brokenly. "You always followed wherever I led, but whacked me on the head if I started leading you guys somewhere stupid. Remember that asteroid my cousins were on? You really let me have it. I didn't listen to you then…but Kani…I'd give anything to hear your voice right now. Even if it is just to yell at me."

"Hey, Fearless Leader," Kani's voice had Ben jackknife up and out of the bed in a heartbeat. He looked up and saw her sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Kani?" Ben said wonderingly, reaching out with one hand and quickly realizing that it was another instance of Flow-Walk.

"Yeah, who else would it be?" Kani rolled her eyes, looking a little younger and far less stressed than her after-image on Ossus. She gave his bare-chested figure a once-over, smiling slightly. "I'm practicing the lessons Master Solo sent over. Jacen told me to find the strongest flow of time and that that flow would lead me to what is most likely going to happen in the future. I thought I was walking a year or two in the future, but I guess I ended up in your quarters, sorry about that."

Ben reached out and gently cupped her face, his expression saying what the words stuck in his throat couldn't.

"Ben?" Kani's playful expression became worried and she reached up to rest a hand atop his. "What's wrong?"

"You didn't mess up," Ben managed with a faint smile. "It's been almost two years now since the mission."

"And you're still on the planet? Please tell me it's not going to take two years for us to get these tough-guy warriors to agree to a cease-fire? Between you and Furball doing all the 'manly' challenges to impress the Vong, Weequay, and Trandoshans, there's been way too much testosterone on this planet." Kani groaned. "Wait, on a second though, don't tell me. I might accidently tell your past self something that changes this flow."

Ben couldn't help but chuckle genuinely. "Something makes sense now."

"Huh?"

"I remember you coming to my quarters after this. I was so stressed out and everything, thinking that Chatterbox just convinced the leaders of the three sides to engage in a duel to the death for supremacy. You came in, told me that you knew things would just work out," Ben recalled fondly. "I asked you how you could be so sure and you whacked me on the arm and told me to trust you."

Kani's eyes sparkled merrily. "Well, I guess I know what I'm doing after this. Whack in the arm and all."

"If I recall correctly, it was more of a very light tap than one of your usual whacks," Ben said quickly.

Kani smirked at him but didn't address his comment. "So I take it things do work out?"

"They do. Two years later, the truce we negotiated is still holding strong. The communities have formed strong ties and back each other up in the event of a threat to the world."

"Great," Kani said enthusiastically. "And do we get dragged into another save the galaxy mission after this world?"

"A few more. All successes."

"Well, I know how to cheer you up now when you start brooding over how difficult something gets."

Ben looked away, smiling faintly, as he realized that the confidence Kani had cheered him up with in the past had been due to her Flow-Walking. But it also made his heart sink when he realized that he'd never have her reassurance again. The last thing he wanted was to burden this younger, innocent version of Kani with his troubles. Unfortunately for him, even the younger, innocent version of his best friend could still read his older, brooding self like a book.

"Hey, Fearless Leader," Kani said directly. This time it was her turn to reach up to cup his face, forcing him to look directly at her.

"What, I didn't say anything."

"It's me you're talking to. I don't know what's going on in this particular timeline, but unless my future self is going to walk through those doors any second now, spill!"

"I…"

"Spill," Kani repeated, an eyebrow arching to show she wasn't going to back down.

"Okay," Ben released a breath. "In the vaguest terms possible. I'm on Sriluur again and some bad guys who haven't actually done anything to me, are prisoners of the Vong-Weequay-Trandoshan alliance we started."

"Go on."

"I'm thinking about letting those bad guys be executed," Ben said.

Whatever reaction he expected didn't include Kani for being furious with him. "You're what?"

"Look, these bad guys, along with a bunch of other bad guys are making trouble for the galaxy. Some of the other bad guys have killed friends and family of people we know."

"So what!?" Kani fumed, glaring at him.

"'So what'? Kani, they've…"

"We're Jedi, Ben Skywalker. We don't execute people and we certainly don't let others do our dirty work for us!"

"You don't get it," Ben snapped back. "Other members of their organization killed…" He managed to shut himself up before he went too far. "Someone very, very important to me."

"Your mom?" Kani guessed incorrectly. "Oh, Ben, I'm sorry."

"I…it's okay, I'm dealing with it."

"But it still doesn't change anything. Have these captured bad guys played any role in that?"

"No," Ben whispered.

"And they haven't done anything to hurt you or the rest of your family?" Kani pressed gently.

"Yeah."

"And you're a Jedi."

"Not anymore," Ben shook his head, pushing her hand away and looking away. "I quit. I stopped using the Force. It hurt too much."

When Kani didn't say anything, he turned his head to look at her and was surprised to find tears running down her cheeks as she held his blue gaze with watery eyes. "My future self isn't going to come through that door, is she?"

Swallowing, Ben shook his head. He could never lie to Kani, especially about something like this. "How…"

"We promised," Kani managed, swiping at her tears. "Remember, when we were trapped in that temple on Ossus?"

Ben exhaled painfully as the memory came to him. "We promised to stop using the Force if the other died because we didn't want to hurt anymore."

"I don't want to know the details," Kani breathed out. She reached out to Ben and interlaced her fingers with his. "But we promised to stop using the Force. We didn't promise to become cruel people, indifferent to the suffering of others. And I definitely don't remember promising to be murderers. Even if we aren't Jedi any more, it's still our duty to make the galaxy right so others don't have to hurt."

Ben nodded glumly, feeling Kani squeeze his hand in silent support. "You're right."

"Of course I am," Kani offered him a ghost of a smile. "Things are going to work out for the better, Ben. I promise."

"How do you know that?" Ben played along as her corporeal ghost leaned against his shoulder.

"Trust me," Kani whispered back, squeezing his hand again.

"I do," Ben breathed out. If he closed his eyes, he could almost smell her once more, feel the softness of her skin beneath the ethereal glow of her form.

"Hang in there Fearless Leader," Kani said softly. "The team didn't help bring peace to this planet for nothing. Sriluur, Formos, wherever else Hamner sends us in the future, we'll be making a difference. We'll be doing good. Don't throw that away because of me. I'd hate it if you did."

"You're right," Ben said again, but this time he felt a pressure lift from his shoulders. The tension eased as the younger version of his childhood friend sat by his side. Neither moved or said a thing. His heart felt lighter, and the stress he had been feeling had melted away. She just had the effect on him. "I just remembered something else about that pep-talk you gave me two years ago."

"What?"

"That blush you had on your face when you saw me," Ben said with a small grin. "I had always wondered about it."

"Blush? Why would I be blushing with you when you're my…" Kani let out a surprised 'eeep' as Ben pressed his lips against her own. It was a short kiss, but a kiss nonetheless.

"Thank you for everything Kani," Ben said with a teasing smile, pulling back.

"Uh huh," Kani said dumbly, her fingers touching her lips, a dazed look on her face.

"You should probably cheer up my younger self now."

"Uh huh."

"We could always kiss again if you want. I kind of forget if your blush was just a light pink or a really dark red."

"Uh h…Skywalker!" Kani whacked at his arm several times.

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Okay, dark red it was!"

"I…you…now I know why I hit you during the pep talk!" Kani said, looking very cute as she pouted.

"It was a very light tap," Ben corrected.

"Light tap my…" Kani trailed off, blushing once more. She shot him a glower of annoyance, closed her eyes, and her image shimmered away.

When she was gone, Ben just collapsed back onto his bed, chuckling very fondly at the unconventional pep-talk his younger self had received. A lot of questions he had back then had been answered, the timeline coming around full-circle. At that thought, he sent a small mental apology to the Force, thanking it for letting him have another moment with his childhood friend. Of course, his younger self was going to be in for several days of jealousy and a full week of feeling absolutely stupid.

At the time, Josat and Kani's friendship had been growing closer as they worked together to bring the Trandoshans to the bargaining table. Jun and Cappricia were working with the Weequay, and he had been left with very long, frustrating days negotiating with the Intendants of Domain Nar. All that, in combination with Kani's sudden avoidance of him after the pep-talk had had him believe that she and Josat were 'going out'.

He still felt kind of stupid even thinking back to that mission.

"Fine, I get it, if you and he want to get together, good for the both of you. I'll stay out of your way."

"What? What are you talking about Skywalker?"

"You know what I'm talking about!"

"Obviously I don't, otherwise I wouldn't be asking."

"You and Josat! I've seen the two of you hanging out together practically every minute of the day now. In fact, since you came to my quarters, you've practically avoided me like I had the Devaronian Plague!"

"Me and Josat? You're kidding, right?"

"Oh, are you going to tell me I imagined the two of you holding hands the other day? Or that when I walked into the conference room two days ago you two weren't just kissing?"

"You know what? You are completely ridiculous Skywalker."

"I'm the ridiculous one? Look, if you want to be with him, you don't have to lie about it. I can take it."

"You…you are the most ridiculous idiot I've had the misfortune to have as my best friend!"

"Now I'm ridiculous and an idiot?"

"Guys can you keep it down to a dull roar? Trying to sleep here."

"Hey Chatterbox, our Fearless Leader thinks that the two of us are going out."

"Really? Why?"

"Because he's a ridiculous idiot."

"I heard that part. Really Fearless Leader? Me and Kani, not going to happen."

"And what's wrong with Kani?"

"Nothing, nothing at all! Geez, first off Cassa would have me fed to her amphistaff if I stole your girl from you."

"She's not my girl!"

"We're just best friends!"

"Riiiight. Anyways, second off, Kani's not my type."

"I saw you two holding hands the other day. And the day before that, you two kissed!"

"Wow, you're actually kind of cute when you're ridiculously jealous. You know, Kani, I sometimes wish he was that passionate when it came to me."

"Josat?"

"Does he really have to spell it out for you? He's much more likely to go out with you than me."

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh'."

"Well how was I supposed to know? It's not like I care who my teammates are attracted to."

"Uh huh."

"So that's why you've been acting all weird around Kani and me these past few days. And here I thought it was something I did."

"It wasn't."

"Don't you owe your 'best friend' an apology?"

"The air quotes weren't necessary, Chatterbox."

"You need to apologize to Josat too, Skywalker."

"Alright, fine! I'm really, really sorry for making a complete idiot of myself."

"A 'ridiculous idiot'."

"Don't push it, Kani. I'm sorry I was acting weird. It's just, this mission has been all sorts of stressful and seeing the two of you after Kani was doing her damnedest to ignore me. I know I'm making excuses. Just, sorry, okay. Still friends?"

"Of course. Best friends."

"Definitely a 'we'll laugh about it later' moment."

Ben found himself sniggering. Despite making up with the two of them, he still felt utterly embarrassed and stupid for the better part of the mission and did his best to avoid them whenever possible. Of course Kani wouldn't allow that and ended up dragging him out of whatever hide-y-hole he had been using.

The trilling of his door interrupted his musings and let Ben know that he had a visitor. "Come in."

Expecting another one of the VIPs or some burly warrior escorting him to the VIPs, he was more than surprised to see the lanky Yuuzhan Vong teen Tyzhani Kwaad standing in the doorway.

"Hey," Ben said with what he hoped was a welcoming smile. He quickly wiped away the last of his tears and sat up on the bed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." Tyzhani looked a far cry from the girl in the desert. In fact, it looked as if she had been crying as well; which was quite the feat since most Yuuzhan Vong didn't possess tear-ducts.

"You're not," Ben shook his head. "Come on in, have a seat."

"Thank you," Tyzhani remained in the doorway. She took a deep breath and then let out her words in a rush. "WhenyouleavethisplanetIwishforyoutotakemewithyouplease."

"What?"

Tyzhani shuffled into the room and sat by the Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of a desk. "I…I may have been born and spent the first eight years of my life here, but this planet is not my home. I wish to leave this world probably just as badly as you do."

"What? Why?"

"My father…my human one…vanished from Denon when the One Sith attacked and there has been no word. When so many died that day, every passing day without contact means it is more and more likely he is among the dead. My mother is sickened with grief and will be lucky to live out this month. I have nothing on this planet. The others treat me as something lower than a Shamed and some have even…Let's just say that the Yuuzhan Vong here do not see me as one of them, especially since I declined to receive the self-mutilation markers that supposedly signifies my ascent into adulthood."

"Not into scars?"

"My mother was never able to maintain hers and my father didn't see the point now that our people's journey was over."

An hour ago, Ben would have refused her request outright. After all, the last thing he wanted was more complications in his already complicated life. He could only guess how many Yuuzhan Vong he'd anger by taking Tyzhani Kwaad under his wing. But his conversation with Kani was still very much fresh in his mind. She had been right as usual. He had promised to stop using the Force, not become a jerk towards all things connected by the Force. Though one could make the argument that Tyzhani was technically outside of the Force, he knew Cassa would kick his butt if he tried to be that 'one' person.

"I…I will understand if you cannot take me. I know that I am an imposition you probably do not…"

"You can come with me," Ben said, surprising himself.

"I can?"

"It'd be a lot more helpful if the Yuuzhan Vong on this planet were the more pious type. That way I could claim you were divinely chosen or some sort of bantha fodder like that."

"That's what happens when a colony is established with Intendants and not priests as the leaders," Tyzhani said with a faint smile. "The only gods that matter here is Yun-Yuuzhan for Domain Nar, and Yun-Yammka and his attendant Yun-Quay, goddess of the hunt for Domain Lian."

"I could say I had need of skilled warriors and after looking at what Domain Lian and Nar had to offer, chose you instead."

"Please don't," Tyzhani laughed, her worry evaporating. "Then you'd have two of three Domains on this planet wanting to kill me to prove they are the better warrior. And the third Domain wanting to kill me for being more warrior-like than Shaper."

"You sure about leaving this world?"

"My mother gave her blessing after the ceremony," Tyzhani sobered. "I do not think being in the service of a Skywalker will be too difficult."

"You say that now, just wait until we're saving cities, planets, solar systems, and entire galaxies. It'll be a whole new frontier compared to what you're used to."

"At least I'll be able to boldly go to places no Yuuzhan Vong has ever gone before."

"Not sure if there's anything bold about it. We still need to get off this world first."

"There is that. Lead the way, oh fearless one."

Ben flinched slightly. "What?"

"Fearless one," Tyzhani said with a confused frown. "I thought it translated the same in Basic. A compliment, right?"

"Yes," Ben smiled reassuringly even as he glared at the Force once more. Stupid coincidences, right. "But why do you call me that?"

"Well, I figured anyone going up against a ship full of dark Jedi all by himself has to be fearless."

"Or stupid."

"I'm really hoping it's the former and not the latter," Tyzhani grinned once more.

"Great, welcome to my team of two. You and me," Ben matched her grin. "We've a busy day tomorrow so you should probably return to your quarters and get some rest."

"Yes, Jedi Skywalker, Fearless Leader, sir," Tyzhani saluted human-style and was once again the outgoing teen he had seen in the desert.

The door closed behind her, and Ben just plopped back down onto the polyp bed. "Okay, Force. You get that one for free for letting me talk to Kani again. But we are going to have problems if you keep doing that."

I-III-I-III-I

"[You wish to what?]" The High Executor of Sriluur said in disbelief after hearing Ben's request.

"Oh, so me taking the prisoners in the shuttle they came back to their ship doesn't surprise you. But me taking Tyzhani Kwaad with me does?"

"[You are Ben Skywalker, son of Grandmaster Luke Skywalker. Any Jeedai business is yours to deal with as the gods demand,]" one of the Intendants present spoke. "[But Tyzhani Kwaad is of this world. She is ours to deal with.]"

Ben glanced to the fidgeting younger teen at his side, suddenly feeling really protective of her. "'Deal with'?"

"[The child refused to continue the coming-of-age ceremony, spat in the face of tradition,]" a second Intendant spoke with what was obviously manufactured rage. "[She will be disciplined according to our customs and be shown the error of her ways. Her fate is not a matter for Jeedai or even ex-Jeedai to meddle with.]"

Even without the Force, Ben could feel Tyzhani's fear; especially when she subconsciously took a step closer to him, as if he'd shield her from the eyes of the Yuuzhan Vong VIPs glaring at them. He reached over and gently draped an arm around her, pulling her closer. "Her fate is very much a matter for the Jedi. You see, in order to deal with the dark Jedi in orbit, I need fighters. Real ones, not your lame, senile hunters. Or your Intendants dressed up as warriors."

Tyzhani groaned against his side, realizing where he was going with his rant. "Force, Gods, whichever, strike me down now."

"[You dare!]" A warrior from Domain Lian jumped to his feet. As did a Domain Nar Intendant dressed in vonduun crab armor.

Ben held their furious gaze. "What? Did my truth hurt? Choose from your fighters, your very best if you have to. Notice I said 'fighters' and not 'warriors,' because it's been, what, a little over fifteen years since the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War? There hasn't been a war to fight for a while. Choose two. They will go up against myself and Tyzhani. We win, you shut up and let me take her with me. We lose, we'll be dead and you don't have to worry about us. Of course, the two you picked will then have bragging rights about how they beat a little girl and a weakling human who doesn't use the Force. The alternative is that they'll be dead. So good luck getting volunteers."

There was a tense silence, the Weequay and Trandoshan delegations remaining silent as they watched the exchange. The Yuuzhan Vong VIPs were whispering to each other heatedly, with a lot of pointing and vehement exclamations in the direction of Ben and Tyzhani.

"No one?" Ben said coolly. "Then shut up and stuff your traditions. I'm here to make the dark Jedi not your problem anymore. I need Tyzhani to do it. She leaves, I leave, the dark Jedi leaves, and everyone is happy. Of course, when the Jedi Order learns you guys have voxyn, you might have some explaining to do."

The Yuuzhan Vong were decidedly unhappy, with one barking in his native tongue at several of the door guards.

"They're fetching his son," Tyzhani dutifully translated. "And one of his son's crèche-mates."

"And here we almost got away without stabbing or shooting anyone," Ben sighed.

"I have never been in actual combat before."

"Think of it as a hunting exercise. Only, instead of hunting four-meter tall creatures that can massacre you, you're hunting two-meter tall idiots who might get lucky."

"Okay."

"Stay close, I have an idea," Ben muttered to the younger teen.

A few moments later the membrane door to the room slid back open and two athletic, scarred, Yuuzhan Vong in crab-armor entered with a cocky swagger.

"[My son and his crèche-mate will be your opponent, ex-Jedi Skywalker,]" sneered the Intendant.

"Great, thanks for clarifying."

The two warriors swaggered into the middle of the room. Then promptly fell down dead as a finger-spear cut through the skull of one of them and a vibroknife embedded itself in the face of the other.

"[The fight hadn't even started yet!]" Protested one of the Yuuzhan Vong.

"Hey, Intendant Nar over there said they were my enemies. Did you really think I'd let my enemies get close enough to use their weapons?"

"[He has you there,]" the High Executor commented simply. "[I will have my men prepare the shuttle and transfer the prisoners to the hangar. May you be successful in your hunt, Ben Skywalker, Tyzhani Kwaad.]"

Taking it for a 'I hope you don't return any time soon,' Ben and Tyzhani performed a low bow. "Thank you for your cooperation, High Executor. Again you lead your people with great wisdom and strength. Yun-Yuuzhan blesses you indeed."

The High Executor tilted his head marginally, and Ben left the room with a practically vibrating Tyzhani.

"You okay?"

"I can't believe that worked."

"Stick around my family long enough and you'll be saying that a lot."

"So what about when we reach the Star Destroyer full of dark Jedi? Do we shoot first or let them take the first shot?"

"I'm hoping for a sit down with them. Preferably at some place with a stocked bar. After that, it could go either way. I'm hoping no shooting is necessary of course, but with dark Jedi you never know. The future is always in motion or so the Jedi say. Do you want to say goodbye to your mother?"

"I did so last night," Tyzhani whispered. "Hopefully Yun-Shuno will still accept her."

"Why wouldn't she?"

"My mother turned her back on the teachings of the Yun'o. As a Shamed she did not have a happy life and the gods ignored her pleas. If she does not return to the side of Yun-Shuno then she will be damned to be a shade at the side of Yun-Lingni."

"She'll more than likely sit at the side of Yun-Shuno. And if not her, Yun-Ne'shel because you've picked up shaping."

"How do you know that?"

"My cousins are avatars of the gods. Anakin is the Avatar of Yun-Ne'shel and his wife is the Avatar of Yun-Shuno. If the Yun'o can pick humans to be their avatars, it makes sense that the Yun'o would accept those who fall in love with one too."

Tyzhani was silent for a moment, before she nodded once. "You are right."

"Of course I am," Ben couldn't help but laugh at that. He'd have paid real money for Kani to hear that statement.

They were silent for a little bit as they stepped onto the turbolift equivalent. Tyzhani was the first to speak again. "I never really believed in the gods when I was little. My mother always wondered why any god of her people would deliberately shame so many. And when my human father married my mother and adopted me, he told me I should just believe whatever I wanted to. He believed in the Force as a divine being, much like many of the Yuuzhan Vong, so I decided to follow his example."

"But?"

"But just because the Force is divine, doesn't mean the Yun'o can't exist too, right?" Tyzhani said with genuine curiosity.

"I'm not the best person to talk about Force stuff. Like your mom, I have to wonder why the Force allows so many terrible things to happen if it's supposed to be this benevolent energy. At least the Yun'o makes way more sense. You have a god of war, of shaping, and so on. Each god or goddess is just as fallible as a mortal, and all band together to keep your darker god at bay."

"As she grew weaker, mother began believing in the Yun'o once more," Tyzhani said in an almost whisper. "She believed that the Yun'o punished her for her disbelief by taking father from us. I told her that father rejoined the Force and that he would be at peace. That she should believe whatever she wants since that is what father would have wanted. She was happy for me when I said I was leaving with the famous Jedi Skywalker. Happy and relieved that the gods weren't punishing me as they did to her. I…I didn't know what to say."

"Do you think she'd want to come with us?"

Tyzhani shook her head. "She is old…even by Yuuzhan Vong standards. You know that my people can outlive you humans many times over?"

"Something like that," Ben agreed.

"My mother will be two-hundred and sixty-three in a couple of months. She was Shamed from birth."

"Wait, if she is that old, then she had you at…"

"Two hundred and forty-eight," Tyzhani confirmed. "You have to remember, we were at war. All females capable of having a child were required to undergo a breeding cycle. Biots transform stem-cells into ovum in the event that a female has depleted her initial allotment. As long as a female is capable of carrying and bearing a child, they are paired with a mate deemed suitable by the priests and Intendants. I never actually knew who my biological father was, only that he was Shamed as well and had been one of the first to defect to the Freed One movement. Mother didn't speak much of him, only that he had done what was required of him and sired me. I did ask her if she wanted to come with me, but she told me that she has seen all she wished to see in me and that it was time for her to seek out Yun-Shuno and plead for forgiveness."

"At least the Force isn't temperamental," Ben said softly, looking up at the top of the lift. "It just is and it'll do whatever it wishes because it can. It's why I can't believe it's some sort of divine energy or being. It's more like…fire, an out of control fire that will either keep you warm, burn away everything you value, or burn you."

"That is not how I see or my father saw the Force," the Yuuzhan Vong Shaper girl disagreed. "To us, the Force is like a mother figure. It cannot show favoritism to any one child it has birthed because the Force loves them all, the good and the bad. It relies on those who wish to do good to counteract the bad because the Force cannot act without upsetting the balance of the universe."

"Then why does the Force take away those trying to do good in the galaxy?" Ben frowned. "Why does it let people like the One Sith kill your father or the countless others who died trying to make this galaxy a better place?"

"Because," Tyzhani bowed her head. "In the long run, the Force must be in balance. It will take away some of the good people now, to enable space for the others who do good to eliminate the bad. If it takes away someone truly good, like my father or the people you have lost, then it is giving us space to take away someone who is equally bad. It's a balance, like the Yun'o against the Dark One. The Force even has its own avatars in the Jedi and dark Jedi."

"What about the Yuuzhan Vong War?"

"My father lost his entire family to my people, yet stayed behind to help tend to us at the end of the war. He told me once that the deaths of all those in the galaxy balanced out the millions of Yuuzhan Vong who died in turn. That, like your Anakin Solo said, the Yuuzhan Vong are still part of the Force. Even if the Jedi cannot feel us, the casualties in the war proved it."

"Your dad sounds like a lot better person than I am." Ben admitted with a shake of his head. "I don't think I could ever forgive the One Sith enough to want to help them after the war's over. Heck, I still think I'm crazy for trying to negotiate with these dark Jedi."

"I'm the crazy one," Tyzhani countered. "I believe in a mystical energy I'll never be able to feel or experience so I just have to take the words of others that it exists. I think that leaving the Yuuzhan Vong with an ex-Jedi will help me live a long happy life. And I'm about to follow the ex-Jedi up into a ship full of dark Jedi who will more than likely kill us, all to get off this planet."

"Let's just agree that we're both crazy and it's all the fault of the Force, Yun'o, or whatever divine being may or may not exist."

"Deal," the younger teen shook his offered hand.

The turbolift stopped at the top level of the former cruiser, a sprawling hangar that once held squadrons of coralskippers, blastboats, and others weapons of war. Now it was mostly empty save for a few transports, both of the mechanical and organic variety. There was also one black-painted Lambda-class shuttle sitting in the center.

"That ship doesn't look like it'll survive a turbolaser shot," Tyzhani said dubiously.

"Still time to back out."

"It's either this or an amphistaff in the back," Tyzhani shrugged. "I'd rather see my death coming."

"Can you think positive please? If all goes right, and the Force and Yun'o have kept us alive for some reason other than to kill us now, we'll soon be singing happily with the murdering dark Jedi above us."

"Fine, because that is definitely the most likely result of this mission."

"Positive thinking," Ben retorted.

Another turbolift to the hangar rose up, the doors sliding open to reveal a phalanx of Yuuzhan Vong, Weequay, and Trandoshan escorting five, almost mummified dark Jedi. Wrapped in what looked like a combination of blorash jelly and some sort of living cloth, the only thing visible of the dark Jedi were their perpetually angry eyes. The soldiers stopped in front of Ben and Tyzhani with their charges.

Ben held up a hand before any explanations could be given. "I don't want to know. Just get them on the ship, lean them against the airlock wall or something. And put that ysalamir on the floor between them."

One of the Yuuzhan Vong stopped in front of Tyzhani as the others did as ordered.

"Brother," Tyzhani acknowledged evenly.

"You are certain of your path?"

"The Yun'o and Force guide me."

"Then may both watch over you."

"Make sure mother is buried in accordance with the adherents of the Forgiver and the Shaper of Worlds. She deserves that much."

"I will see to it."

"Thank you."

The warrior nodded gruffly and left with the rest of the soldiers without another word. Ben glanced at his companion.

"Brother?"

"Half-brother," Tyzhani answered distantly, watching his departure. "One of the few I can stand. One of the few that survived the war. Mom had five children during the war, two dozen or so before that. Breeding cycles."

"A few survived?"

"Him and three others," Tyzhani nodded, shaking herself as the delegation of soldiers disappeared back down the turbolift. "Three brothers and an older sister. He's the only one stationed here. My sister is on Yuuzhan'tar helping Master Shaper Nen Yim make the world a paradise for our people. I haven't heard from her in a while, but she has to be having fun learning from the best of our Shapers. My second brother is helping undo damage my people have inflicted on many worlds. He's had his hands full but enjoys the challenge of 'un-shaping' worlds. My third brother decided to join the Galactic Alliance Guard and serves under Head of Science Danni Quee. Haven't heard much of him either."

"You're close to all of them," Ben commented with a soft smile.

Tyzhani looked up at him sheepishly. "That obvious?"

"Nope, not at all."

"You lie," Tyzhani scowled, the small pouches beneath her eyes, one of many trademarks of her people, changed color with her emotions.

"Just teasing you," Ben laughed.

"You'd think that being with father for almost all my life, I'd be used to human humor," Tyzhani said, embarrassed.

"Probably doesn't help that we don't have that," Ben gestured to beneath his eyes. "To tell everyone how we're actually feeling."

"Right, it's all your fault," Tyzhani brightened.

"Sure, why not."

The two climbed aboard the shuttle, bypassing the mummified dark Jedi resting in the airlock and settling into the cockpit. Ben flipped a few switches, and the shuttle hummed to life.

"They can still breathe in that wrap, right?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, the membrane is permeable. It also keeps the blorash jelly from eating them."

"We're going to need one of them to get us passage onto the Star Destroyer."

"Which one?"

"See if any of them respond to the name 'Jesdan'. He seemed the least homicidal out of the five."

"You want me to free one by myself?"

"I have to pilot the shuttle."

"Put it on autopilot."

"I might accidently depressurize the airlock."

"You're the fearless one. You release the possible homicidal dark Jedi."

"The Force doesn't work on you but it works on me."

"We have the ysalamir for that."

"Hey, you have to pay your way somehow. You're the one with Shaper-y things attached to you."

"They're a part of me! Don't insult my protectors."

"Whatever. Just go release the one who answers to 'Jesdan'. It isn't the big lump or the purple one or the woman. So you only have a fifty percent chance of releasing a really homicidal dark Jedi instead of the slightly homicidal one."

"You're about to have a hundred percent homicidal Yuuzhan Vong co-pilot."

"You can fly the shuttle?"

"I can crash it, does that count?"

"My point exactly."

"Fine."

"Don't worry, if the Force or Yun'o get you killed, that's just their way of giving me permission to kill all of them to balance things out."

"Ish'ka," Tyzhani swore, undoing her safety harness.

"I understood that, you know."

Tyzhani turned back to glare at him, rattling off her displeasure in a string of Yuuzhan Vong.

"That, I didn't get."

"Probably better if you didn't, you kane a bar," she shot back, slamming a hand on the door control and stepping into the airlock. "Which one of you is Jesdan, you are needed."

All five began nodding and making confirming noises.

"I meant to say, I've been ordered to kill the one named Jesdan to set an example to the others. Sorry, Basic isn't exactly my strength."

All five stopped nodding.

"If I don't get to kill Jesdan, I'll randomly kill one of you."

Four immediately began gesturing with their eyes at a wide-eyed fifth.

"Clever," Ben called back.

"Thank you," the young Shaper said sarcastically. She reached into a pouch at her side and sprinkled salts on the jelly binding Jesdan in place. "It's good to know that there are still some people in the galaxy my people can terrify. If mother could see me now."

"On the bright side, he's free and hasn't tried to kill you yet."

"Aren't you supposed to be focused on piloting the ship?"

"I took your advice and put it on autopilot," Ben answered back, watching with his head pillowed in his hands as he leaned back in the pilot's seat.

Tyzhani replied with more Yuuzhan Vong as she undid the last of a bewildered Jesdan's restrictive wrap with her finger-spears. The moment the dark Jedi was free, she extended one spear to his throat. "Try anything Jeedai and you will bleed out right here and now. Clear?"

"Your Vongness is coming out," Ben called back again.

Tyzhani looked to the dark Jedi. "Or I might just get annoyed with him and take my alien rage out on you then."

"I won't give you any problems," Jesdan swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"Good. Get us clearance to land on your Star Destroyer." Letting the airlock door slide shut behind her, she led him to the co-pilot's chair at finger-spear-point. Tyzhani kept the deadly weapon across the dark Jedi's throat as Ben handed the teenage dark Jedi the comm-headset.

"Dark Blade, Dark Blade, tiz Tyro Jesdan, caman."

A heartbeat of silence, before there was an instant reply in the same accented-mixed Basic the Tribe seemed to use.

"Tyro Jesdan! Wariz yur staedus?"

"Aiem unhurmed, Saber Khai. Retarning wid utters. Requez permission tadack."

"Granted."

"Who was that? She sounded worried," Ben asked, once Jesdan had ended the communications.

"My Saber," Jesdan answered, switching back to modern Basic. "Saber Khai. She is technically the leader of this expedition even though Sith Master Kaara has final say. I serve Saber Khai as an extension of her will."

"Okay, I have to ask. Why is your Basic so…weird," Ben said. "I mean, I barely understood a thing you were saying."

"It is a very long story," Jesdan replied, then jerked his head back as Tyzhani pressed her finger-spear against his throat again. "The short version is that our people are the descendants of followers of Naga Sadow and were stranded on a world within an ionized nebula that hid it from the rest of the galaxy. For thousands of years we existed alongside the native population, the Keshiri. Saber Maarjak is Keshiri, as is Saber Khai's other Tyro, Airia. The Basic we were using merged with the native Keshiri language over time, picking up slang and other such language structures over those millennia. At least that is what the history classes tell us. Some instructors think that we also adopted some of the Red Sith's native tongue as well in an effort to retain our pureness when surrounded by primitives."

"Red Sith?" Ben said taken aback. "What are those?"

"Your other Jedi asked that question too. The Red Sith were purged by our ancestors on our ship shortly after we crashed. I think a similar purge happened in the rest of the galaxy."

"And you're just volunteering this information?" Tyzhani said suspiciously.

"If we are to be…allies," Jesdan said hesitantly. "It would not be a good foundation of the first of the Tribe you are talking to is a liar."

"How come you seem less…stab-happy than your friends in the airlock?"

Jesdan smiled faintly. "They are following Saber Khai for the power and glory. I follow Saber Khai because I believe in her vision of a Sith Empire that will span centuries."

"Oh, just a different type of crazy then," Ben said, nonplussed. "Tyzhani, you mind taking him back to the airlock and re-wrapping him?"

"It was a onetime wrap."

"Oh, okay. Then I have to do this," Ben hefted his blaster and promptly pistol-whipped Jesdan, knocking the dark Jedi unconscious.

"He wanted to be an ally," Tyzhani commented, pulling Jesdan out of the chair and back to the airlock.

"He's a dark Jedi. I'd be stupid to let one stay in the cockpit," Ben shrugged when Tyzhani returned. "Dark Jedi only act to benefit themselves. He'd have said anything to keep himself and the others alive."

"Wouldn't anyone?"

"Dark Jedi are especially good at it."

"And what are regular Jedi good at?"

"Falling for dark Jedi tricks because they want to believe the best in everyone and then end up regretting it later."

The docking tractor beams latched onto their shuttle a moment later and began pulling them towards the main hangar. Several triangular fighters flew past the shuttle and took up formation around it.

"Jesdan said Sith Master Kaara is in charge, kind of," Ben mused. "Go free her and have her ready to greet whoever's out there."

"Are you trying to tempt the Yun'o and the Force?" Tyzhani huffed, unbuckling her harness again.

"Better a bigshot than an apprentice. Dark Jedi are always about rank and power and ridiculousness like that."

"Sound like some Yuuzhan Vong I know," Tyzhani popped up the airlock again and dragged the mummified Kaara out and then handed Ben the pouch of salts of the Blorash jelly. "Here. We're on autopilot and docking protocols are on. You free her."

"Fine. Just get ready to do that finger thing if she tries to be all Sithy on us."

"If she kills you, it's the Force and Yun'o's way of giving me permission to end her life," Tyzhani replied with saccharine sweetness. "Balance and all that."

"Cute," Ben made a face at her. He sprinkled the salts on the carnivorous jelly holding Kaara, and then used a vibroknife to clear off the wrap keeping her immobile.

Once free, Kaara grimaced as she stretched her limbs, and then turned to glower at Ben. Only to stop when a finger-spear decided to wrap itself around her neck. Her yellowed eyes darted to the gray-skinned alien, a look of cautiousness replacing anger.

"Thank you for behaving," Ben said with false politeness. "Stay there for a moment please."

Ben then walked over to the airlock and attached something to the doorway. Kaara's eyes narrowed, but she remained silent.

"A shaped charge, of the geometry-type, not Yuuzhan Vong type," Ben answered with a friendless smile, holstering his blaster. "Courtesy of the Weequay. You try anything stupid, the charge detonates and kills everyone in the airlock. Your friends in the Star Destroyer try anything stupid, charge detonates, Tyzhani removes your head. Are we clear?"

Kaara nodded slowly.

"Good. I think this alliance is getting off to a great start," Ben clapped his hands.

The shuttle vibrated slightly as it made contact with the docking claw, and was then carried over to the hangar floor.

"What type of welcoming committee do we have, Shaper Girl?"

"'Shaper Girl?'"

"You're a girl, you Shape things."

"If you say so, Ex-Jedi Guy."

"'Ex-Jedi Guy'? What happened to Fearless One?"

"Well, you're an ex-Jedi, and you're a guy."

"Fine, we'll stick with Tyzhani."

"Thank you, Fearless One. As for the welcoming committee…I see a bunch of people in silver armor, a bunch of ewwww, droids, and five others not in silver armor."

"They would be your Jedi and Saber Khai," Kaara said without emotion. "And the others would be of the Tribe."

"You have a thing against droids?" Ben cocked his head at his companion.

"They unnerve me," Tyzhani nodded. "I can't ever trust something that doesn't feel pain. How are you supposed to care for others if you never know how they feel? At least biots can experience emotions. Father got me a mouse-bot for my eighth birthday present and it scared the Yun'o out of me. No face, simulated emotions and programmed responses, it was all kinds of weird. I think that if you're going to kill someone, do it yourself. Don't hide behind droids because you weren't strong enough to see someone's face as they died."

"Alright, no droids for you."

"Thanks."

"Sith Master Kaara, your people use battledroids?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"My question is why? The other dark Jedi in this galaxy don't. They learned their lesson after the Confederation of Independent System kept having their control centers destroyed and lost entire armies that way."

"It is the way things have always been done."

"Meaning you're using blueprints of ancient Sith wardroids. Just great," Ben shook his head. "And this week of mine keeps getting better all the time."

"Hey, you met me," Tyzhani objected to his tone.

"And then I met Intendant Nar, then these crazies, then discovered that the very important Yuuzhan Vong on Sriluur still hold onto old prejudices, should I go on?"

"At least your life isn't boring."

"Oh, and speaking of old prejudices." Ben adjusted the comm-system and used the narrow-band HoloNet frequency Anakin had given him after Formos. The signal would bounce off of several HoloNet relays to reach its destination, but it was as secure as it could be. "Hey, cousin, do you copy?"

A pause, and then the small form of Anakin Solo appeared on the ship's holopad. "Ben?"

"No, I'm an evil clone set on galactic domination."

"You can joke about that now, just wait until it actually happens to you."

"Oh right, Corellia. You know what, I can still joke about it because I'd really pity the clone of me."

"What can I do for you?"

"I met up with my old friends from Formos. The ones you told me to look out for just in case I met them again. We're over Sriluur."

"Hutt Space, huh? That'd definitely make sense given the state of things. Kolir Hu'lya should have a team with them, warn her that there are Mandos in the area and she should be extra careful."

Ben blinked wildly. "Errrr…okay. Wait, Jedi Knight Hu'lya? Jun was with her team, right?"

"Yeah, he, Yaqeel, and two other apprentices. A Duros and a Jenet if I remember right. Thanks for letting me know. Do you need anything else?"

"It's low priority, but the Yuuzhan Vong on Sriluur have breeding pairs of voxyn. The Formos dark Jedi kind of pushed them into a war-footing and I'm trying to stop both sides from killing each other."

"Have fun."

"Thanks," Ben said flatly.

"Give a call to your mom and dad when you can too. They've been bugging me about using my contacts to track you down. Told them I didn't have assets all over the galaxy. Don't know why they'd think that."

"Because you actually do," Ben rolled his eyes. He quickly changed the topic, family not something he wanted to think about at the moment. "Anyways, voxyn and Formos dark Jedi, that was pretty much all I wanted to tell you. Good luck beating up on the Red Blades."

"I'll send someone to deal with the voxyn, provided of course you convince the Tribe to not slaughter everyone on the planet or annex it into their Sith Empire."

"So you actually made a deal with them?"

"Kolir did, I just gave her permission and general terms."

"So I probably shouldn't blow up the dark Jedi I have captive or allow my Yuuzhan Vong friend to finger-slice another's neck open?"

"Errr…yeah, that'd kind of set things back a bit."

"You know, just once I wish I knew who was actually good and who was actually bad. How many generations of Jedi Masters and dark Jedi are rolling in their graves with this deal?"

"You've encountered them. Do you want them to be marauding about on our flank as the One Sith hit us head on?"

"Good point. You do expect them to turn on us, right?"

"Oh yeah. The group you're meeting with is more than likely the only moderates you'll find. It makes being their friend all the more important."

"Got it."

"Yuuzhan Vong friend?"

"Tyzhani Kwaad," the teen introduced herself, stepping into the range of the holo-cam.

"Tyzhani Kwaad…I know your Domains are big, but are you related to Maldan Kwaad?"

"My older brother, sir."

"He's a credit to your Domain and family," Anakin complimented amiably. "I hope you don't mind watching after my cousin. We Solos and Skywalkers tend to get into messes far beyond us and need everyone around us to get us out of those messes."

"As you command, sir," Tyzhanni grinned, saluting Galactic Alliance style.

"And Ben, I don't need to tell you what will happen if Cassa discovers you've deprived her of another Yuuzhan Vong friend. Especially one from her mother's side of things."

"I'll watch her back too," Ben laughed, nodding knowingly.

"Good. You kids be as safe as any one member of our family and their friends can be. Solo, out."

The hologram fell away. Ben looked at the stoic dark Jedi woman in Tyzhani's clutches. "You're not going to try and kill us right away if I have my friend release you, will you?"

"Not right away," Kaara said simply.

"Oh good, I wouldn't have trusted you if you said 'no'. Go ahead and release her, Tyzhani."

"You're going to make covering you next-to-impossible for me, aren't you," the Yuuzhan Vong teen muttered, withdrawing her finger-spear from around the woman's neck.

"Might as well go free the others too," Ben looked back to the rigged airlock. "I really must be crazy to do this."

"We can free them after the ones outside don't kill us."

"Good idea."

Kaara just looked bored as they led her towards the exit ramp of the shuttle.

Ben reached for the ramp control and smiled nervously at Tyzhani. "Alright. Here we go."

Tyzhani let out a breath and nodded in turn. "Here we go."

Before he could psych himself out, Ben activated the ramp and waited for the several long seconds it took to lower. Then, with one last look around the shuttle, he stepped down the ramp and towards those waiting to greet them.

LotJB[Chapter End]LotJB

A\N: Just a holiday gift, the story is still on hiatus. And here we reintroduce the Tribe to the storyline, oh what fun can be in store for Ben.