YAVIN IV, 40 YEARS ABE:
The world of Yavin was a gas giant, enormous and vibrant. It filled the black space in front of the Lady Luck as easily as some suns. The sleek little yacht gleamed bright in the reflected light as it curved around the planet towards one of the moons on the far side: a lush jungle world, rich in both plant and animal life and, until a few years ago, uninhabited by any sentient beings.
Now Yavin IV was home to the Jedi Praxeum, a school for Force Users founded by Leia's brother in his quest to restore the Jedi Order to the galaxy. In Luke's absence, the school continued its mission to both train and nurture new Jedi as well as to research secrets of the Old Jedi Order lost in Palpatine's purge. Leia did not want to be the one to bring them the news that they once again faced danger from the Empire, but someone had to warn them-and she needed to know what their archives contained about Revan.
"All clear so far," Han said. "Looks like we beat the Empire here-if they're going to bother coming at all."
Chewbacca's grim growl left no doubt that the Wookiee believed it was only a matter of time. Leia nodded her agreement and leaned forward to activate the ship's comm.
"Attention Jedi Praxeum, this is Leia Organa-Solo aboard the Lady Luck. Requesting immediate docking clearance-and an emergency meeting with today's duty instructors."
The response came back almost immediately, a light voice that sounded too young for the danger bearing down on them: "Permission granted, Senator Organa-Solo, and welcome. Praeceptor Cilghal and Knight Zekk will meet you on the landing platform."
"Thank you," Leia said and the Lady Luck descended.
It was a familiar journey to the three sentients onboard: not only had the ruins of the great Massassi temple been the staging ground of the fight against the First Death Star as well as the first of many Rebel Alliance bases that Han and Chewie would temporarily call home over the course of the Galactic Civil War, but all three of them had returned to the ruins on multiple occasions over the years to assist Luke Skywalker in the formation of his Jedi school, which Han and Leia's own children had eventually attended. Settling the Lady Luck's landing gear on the broad stones that served the temple as both courtyard and landing platform did not quite feel like coming home, but it was close.
The familiar faces walking towards them reinforced that impression.
Cilghal was a beautiful Mon Calamari woman with mottled brown and orange skin and large, vibrant flame-colored eyes. She was clad in layered robes of varying light browns, including a long tabard that sported a complex pattern of embroidery that, while barely visible to human vision, would doubtless be a vibrant kaleidoscope to Mon Cal eyes. The lightsaber hilt that dangled from her belt was longer than usual, to accommodate her wide flipper-like hands. She kept one eye on the students and teachers bustling around the temple's outer courtyard while she swiveled the other one forward to look at Han, Leia, and Chewie. Her wide, mournful mouth curved up in a welcoming smile.
A pace behind her walked Zekk, a tall and youthful human male whose long black hair was drawn back from his face in a loose ponytail. He was dressed in plainer robes of darker brown over a simple tunic and boots. His own lightsaber looked like it had been cobbled-together from bits and pieces scavenged from broken spaceships and speeders but there was an odd elegance to its clunky design, making it appear more like a found art object than a weapon. His dark eyes gleamed with amiable intelligence but his handsome smile faded as he sensed the tension coming from the new arrivals.
Cilghal inclined her bulbous head gravely. "Welcome, Leia. Han. Chewbacca."
Zekk skipped over the social niceties of greetings and went straight to asking, "What's wrong?"
"It's the Empire, kid," Han said with a sigh. He was wearing the worn, rumpled vest and trousers that were so ubiquitous to his daily appearance that they seemed more like a uniform than any he'd ever donned for the New Republic military, his ever-present DL-44 belted at his side and the Corellian Bloodstripe running bright and vibrant up his legs, but something about his posture seemed older. It wasn't the grey of his hair but the slump of his shoulders that made him for once seem like the full weight of his years was pressing down on him. "They scrapped the peace treaty."
"No!" Cilghal exclaimed, one wide hand pressing to her mouth in horror.
"We thought it was another problem with our comm-booster when the ceremony cut-out," Zekk said, more to himself than the others. "You know what a pain it is keeping that thing running strong enough to punch-through both our atmosphere and the interference from Yavin. We never suspected the Empire would…"
Chewie nodded and warbled a complicated string of barks and growls that made both Jedi wince. He, at least, looked as young and strong as ever, with his bowcaster slung at his back and his vibrant brown fur ruffling slightly in the faint jungle breeze.
"A Super Star Destroyer?" Cilghal repeated, her gravelly voice alarmed. Both her eyes were on the new arrivals now, her divided gaze swiveling rapidly between the three of them as though searching for some sign that they did not mean what they said.
Leia offered no such false hopes. "It's worse than that," she said grimly. Gone was her gauzy white cloak and her elegant buns; gone too were the bacta-patches over the bloody scrapes she had acquired in the attack on Coruscant. The simple white gown she still wore, smudged as it was, was now accented with sturdy boots and a plain leather belt at which hung her own lightsaber, while her long hair had been braided into a simple crown loop. Her half-healed injuries vacillated between the shiny pink of new flesh and the dull brown of old scabs. Her lined face nonetheless still looked as fierce and determined as it ever had on the Senate floor or when trading blasterfire with Imperial troops. "There's a new Emperor-a Sith Lord."
"No," Cilghal said again, her hand falling and both eyes tilting to fix on Leia.
"Who?" Zekk asked, his eyes wide.
Chewbacca gave a short bark in answer.
"Revan?" Zekk repeated. He glanced sideways at Cilghal. "But isn't that…?"
"Someone is using the legend of Revan as a mask?" the Mon Cal Jedi speculated.
Leia nodded. "That's what we figure. The name is too much of a coincidence otherwise."
"And it's not like it's actually Revan," Han said with a grin. He stuck his thumbs in his belt and forced a chuckle. "That would be crazy."
Chewbacca grumbled something long-suffering and Han shot his longtime co-pilot a dirty look. Zekk snorted, then wiped his face back to careful calm blankness when Han darted a narrow glance his way.
Cilghal took a deep breath and settled her shoulders. "What do you need from us?" she asked.
"You need to prepare for possible Imperial attack. And we need information on Revan," Leia said briskly. "Whatever you have that might lead us to some kind of weakness or weapon we can use against this new emperor."
Cilghal nodded. "Come with me," she said, and she and Zekk led them inside.