Part I:
Jaina Solo Fel awoke in a cold sweat alone in her darkened bedroom. In her dreams, she's been standing over her brother, her violet lightsaber piercing his chest. She'd watched as the life left his pain-filled eyes, and his body went limp at her feet.
The dream was nothing new. She'd been killing in her dreams for ten years, ever since she killed him for real.
It was easier now than it had been, yet harder.
She had kids now, multiples, but not twins. When she'd found out that she was having triplets, she'd been more relieved than scared. Having triplets hadn't been easy. They'd been born early and small. At first, it seemed like someone always needed something. But in the five years since their birth, she and Jag had gotten used to it. They were still needy sometimes, but they were good kids, bright and happy.
It hurt so much that they weren't here.
Before the war, she would have woken up to Jag next to her in bed and known that the kids were in a nearby room. But not since the war started. Jag, the new emperor, often worked late trying to come up with a plan to defeat his enemy Vero Erlon and bring the empire back from civil war. Some nights Jag came back, others not.
And the triplets had been sent away months ago. Erlon made threats against them; he'd made threats against all of them. But as adults Jaina and Jag could protect themselves, their five years olds couldn't. Jaina knew it was the right choice, but it hadn't been easy.
Equally hard had been the choice to split them up. The triplets didn't have the bond she'd had with Jacen, but they were close. But hiding one child was easier than hiding three. So she and Jag had tried to make it up to them by sending them with the relative they liked most. Larren adored his cousin Ben, so he was staying with the Skywalkers. Keiara liked her cousin Allana and Aunt Tenel Ka, so she was staying with them. Jaired liked his grandpa, so he was with her parents.
They were all in good hands; Jaina knew that. Still, she wanted this war to be over. Tonight she had the feeling that it would be soon. Yet the thought filled her with dread. Wars in this galaxy usually needed some of her family's blood to end.
As she thought that, she was faced with a new dread. She wasn't alone in her apartment. She felt a man's presence in the force. Not being one to hide, she climbed out of bed quietly and ignited her lightsaber. Its violet blade lit her way.
In the kitchen, she found her figure, her violet blade lighting him. He was in his early forties, tall and muscular, with dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and a sadistic smile. She recognized him with a chill.
"Hello, Jaina," He said, tone a mix of cheer and cruelty.
She lunged at him.
He backed away, smile not fading. "Jumpy. You don't even know why I'm here."
"I'm sure it's for nothing good."
"You're right there. I'm not what most people would call a good person. All the more reason to listen to me."
Jaina tried to hide her fear with anger. "Spit it out."
"Feisty. I know that your son Jaired is with your parents. Now I don't want to hurt a child or an old married couple… but if you don't do what I want, Jaina... Well, I make no promises."
A chill ran down Jaina's spine. She knew that her parents were capable. But Erlon was a formidable enemy. They might be able to protect themselves and her son. But Jaina would never be able to live with herself if they couldn't.
"What do you want me to do?" Jaina asked, trying to keep her voice even as she extinguished her lightsaber and let it fall to the floor.
Even in the dark, Erlon's sadistic smile seemed to shine brightly. "I want you to come with me… no fighting, no screaming, no Jedi tricks. Got it?"
Jaina nodded, beginning to wonder if the blood shed to end this war would be her own.