Act of Mercy, (post 'Sacrifice' AU because I feel compelled to fix what Profic authors do to the Solo family)
It was hard to find sanctuary these days for the occupants of the Millennium Falcon. They were fugitives on both Coruscant and Corellia, although for different reasons. Kashyyyk, a place that had always been home, was mostly destroyed. The surviving occupants didn't much care for any human bearing the last name of Solo, and they couldn't be blamed for that sentiment. Even this planet, Chandrila. Han felt uneasy, as if the specter of death were lurking around the nearest corner.
The Corellian was alone on his ship, and alone with his turbulent emotions. His wife, daughter, brother-in-law and nephew were gone 'Sith-hunting', as Ben said, before Luke hushed him. Those closest to him were trying to kill his eldest son, and Han had given his blessings to do just that. Years ago, before the Vong, this would have been unthinkable. Jacen had always been such a gentle soul, before his capture and torture. Before his mind had been twisted and warped by Vergere, a creature Han had actually saved from death. If he could only have foreseen what his benevolent actions would bring on his family….
Han shook his head in disgust, then reached for the pot of kaffe and poured himself another strong cupful. He wasn't a Jedi, and it seemed obvious to him that even a Jedi Master couldn't predict the future with any degree of accuracy. One son long dead, another about to die at the hands of those that once loved him. He'd once told Leia that Jacen died during the Vong war, just like Anakin, but that wasn't entirely true. Both Leia and Han had been overjoyed when Jacen had returned from the 'dead'. Even an emotionally damaged son was better than no son at all, Han had thought at the time.
No one could have predicted the extent Jacen had been twisted and destroyed by the Vong and by Vergere. The kind boy had vanished, and the man that had slowly emerged from the dust and debris was cunning and cruel. Yet, somehow, Jacen had fathered a child amidst all that deceit. Allana was beautiful and bright, and Han wondered how she would be affected by who and what her father had become. Would she turn out like Luke and Leia, stronger because of her parentage? Or would the Skywalker curse follow her, or eventually her children?
If thinking about Jacen made Han feel old, thinking about his granddaughter – granddaughter! – made him feel ancient. So old, in fact, he suddenly decided he needed to sleep. Only in the nothingness that sleep brought could Han find a tiny bit of peace.
That peace was short-lived. Han was shaken awake, and found himself staring up into the bloodied and terror-stricken face of his son.
Han sat up, barely able to believe his eyes. "Jacen?"
"Dad!" Jacen grated out. "You've got to help me…." The younger Solo dropped to his knees, unable to continue to stand under his own strength.
Without thinking, Han reached down and grasped his son's arm, helping him to the cot. "How did you get here?"
"They were all trying to kill me," Jacen whispered. "My entire family."
Han felt his blood chill. "What did you do, Jacen? Did you …." Han couldn't finish his sentence; he could barely finish the thought in his mind.
"They're all okay, Dad," Jacen said, his voice hoarse. "I only used my lightsaber to defend myself. Then I managed to escape by stealing Jaina's X-Wing."
The former smuggler gazed down dispassionately at his son, noting the various bruises and burns that were obviously caused by contact with lightsabers. "How did you know where I was?" He tried not to think about the consequences of Jacen locating him.
Jacen gave a small smile. "The coordinates were in Jaina's ship. I don't think it occurred to her that I'd ever steal it." His smile faded. "Did you hear about Tenel Ka?"
"I assume you're talking about the Hapan Revolution?"
"She's dead at the hands of her own people, and it's all my fault. I loved her, Dad."
Han stepped back, moving away from Jacen. "I don't think you remember the meaning of the word."
"You want me dead, too."
"My son died a long time ago," Han responded sadly. "I'm not sure what's replaced him, but whatever you've become, you're not Jacen anymore."
To Han's utter shock, a tear ran down Jacen's cheek, dripping on the pillow where his blood-matted head rested. "I did die. They made sure of that."
"They?"
"The Sith. Vergere." Jacen forced his eyes open, and Han noted they were a rich brown color, not the sickly yellow hue of the Sith known as Darth Caedus. "They were using me, and I was too blind, too stupid, to see it, until it was too late."
"You killed Mara," Han snapped. "Do you have any idea what that's done to Luke? To Ben?"
"At the time, I didn't care. But if it matters, Aunt Mara came looking for me, intending to kill me. It was self-defense."
"Really?" Han said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "Was it self-defense when you tried blasting the Falcon into space dust?"
"No," Jacen replied, almost too softly for Han to hear. "I'm sorry."
Han couldn't stop himself from shouting. "You're SORRY? You've got to be kidding me! You think you can erase everything you've done just by saying 'sorry'? You've killed millions! You've destroyed entire planets! Saying you're sorry is pointless."
"I don't know what else to do," Jacen replied. "All I wanted was for the galaxy to finally be at peace."
The older man reached down, uncaring that his son could kill him without effort, and jerked Jacen up by his tattered shirt. "Peace? Since when does war bring peace?"
"The Rebellion thought it would," Jacen said evenly, looking into his father's eyes. "General Solo."
"Don't you dare compare the Rebellion to what you did."
"Why not?" Jacen asked. "All wars bring death to innocent bystanders. Don't tell me you never caused collateral damages, or that you or Uncle Luke never caused the death of an innocent by your involvement with the Rebellion."
Han pushed Jacen away, repelled by the close proximity to his own child. "You make me sick."
"Just like Anakin made you sick by letting Chewie die?"
"No! Not like that. This is nothing like that."
Jacen sighed. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm not perfect. You're not perfect. Even Anakin wasn't perfect."
"Why did you come here?" Han asked bitterly.
"You know why."
"You'll have to kill me first."
Jacen almost laughed at his father's words, but the amusement was quickly replaced with a somber expression. "You still don't believe me. I'm done with killing."
"I'd have to guess your mother and uncle didn't take you at your word, either," Han responded.
"That's true," Jacen admitted. "I'm not sure I can ever convince them I've seen the light."
"I'm not taking you at your word, and I'm not taking you to Allana."
"You don't have to take me to her. Just tell me where she's at, so I can go get her," Jacen said, his tone pleading. "Dad… please. She's all I have left. I'm the only one that can protect her."
"That's a joke," Han shot back. "Your version of protecting people leaves a lot to be desired."
The younger man jumped up from the cot, pushing his father roughly against the cabin's wall. The force of the impact knocked Han's breath away. "You can't protect her. Neither can Mom, or Uncle Luke. The entire Hapan population wants her dead, and they've sent out bounty hunters to accomplish that!" Jacen released his grip on Han's shirt. "Then I've got the Sith that twisted me for their own agenda out looking. They know about Allana, and since I've renounced the Dark Side, they intend to take their revenge out on her. That's not even taking into account your buddy, Fett. If he can't get me, do you think he won't go after my daughter? He'd consider it poetic justice. I've got to take her somewhere safe, before it's too late."
Han narrowed his eyes at Jacen. "Fett isn't my buddy, and I'm not the one that murdered his daughter. I'd say you pretty much baked your own crissle buns, kid."
"I agree," Jacen said, nodding. "If they were just out to get me, I could deal with them. But this isn't about just me anymore, Dad. This is Allana's life at stake. Your grandchild!"
"Just where do you intend to find refuge, Jacen?" Han asked out of curiosity. "You've pretty much alienated the entire galaxy from one side to the other."
"The Unknown Regions," Jacen answered truthfully. "I've already been there, during my wanderings to understand the Force. There are places no one from this galaxy has ever ventured, and Allana would be safe."
"Safe, but totally isolated from everyone but you," Han pointed out. "That's not the type of life I'd want for my child, or for my grandchild."
"There are humans living where I want to take her," Jacen informed Han. "They're backwards by our standards, but she won't be alone."
"Backwards? How backwards?"
"They haven't developed space-travel, and they believe they are the only intelligent life in the galaxy. Plus, the planet is divided into various political and religious groups that don't exactly get along."
"Sounds like paradise," Han said sarcastically.
"It's not any different than it is here," Jacen argued insistently. "Just on a smaller scale. But the best part about the place is that I can blend in, and no one knows me."
Han felt himself waver. "I still don't know…"
"Do you want Allana to die at the hands of my enemies?" Jacen asked sharply. "Because if you don't let me find her, that's exactly what's going to happen – eventually." Jacen could sense his father's faltering resolve, and resisted using the Force to nudge him along. Doing so would quickly cause the exact opposite result that he desired. Han Solo might not be Force-sensitive, but he was acutely aware of anyone using the Force to sway his mind.
As if Han could read Jacen's mind, he asked his son, "Why don't you just use the Force to pry the information from me?"
"That would be using the Dark Side," Jacen responded quickly. "I'm not a Sith anymore, so I wouldn't do that."
The Corellian suddenly made a decision that he knew would infuriate his family, and might even destroy his marriage. "I'm not gonna tell you where Allana is hiding, but I'll take you to her."
Jacen grinned in triumph. "Thanks, Dad. You know we'll have to hurry, because Mom and everyone is following me."
"That's not all," Han continued. "I'm going with you and Allana to this planet, too."
The cocky grin faded. "What? You can't be serious! What's the point of hiding there, if you know where I'm located?"
Han stuck his finger in Jacen's face. "You're expecting me to trust and believe everything you're telling me, so I expect some return trust here, Jacen. You want Allana, but you won't get Allana without making some concessions. And don't you ever forget that I'm not doing this for you, but for Allana." Even as he said those words, he knew in his heart that wasn't exactly the truth. Jacen was still his last living son, and no matter what had happened, he simply could not turn off his love like a switch. Both Luke and Leia had forgiven a father they'd never known except as an enemy, for atrocities just as evil as Jacen's sins. How could Han not give his son – a son he'd cradled in his arms as an infant, a son he'd read "The Lost Little Bantha Cub" a hundred times, a son he watched grow from a gangly teenager into a man – a second chance? A third, or fourth chance, even? The galaxy would not forgive, but Han could do nothing less.
"Aren't you worried about what Mom will have to say about this?"
"Yes, but I'd prefer not to think about that right now. Let's deal with one problem at a time." Han sighed and headed toward the cockpit. He had a plan in his mind, but it probably had to be the worst plan he'd ever devised in his entire life.
Beluzant was a small, inhabitable moon orbiting around a huge, dusty orb known only as B-14. The planet was too hot to support most sentients, and the atmosphere too thin to breathe. Deep underneath the hot rock of B-14 was a treasure trove of mineral wealth, and those that had enough resources to send expensive, air-controlled mine-trollers down to the surface made millions in return for those investments. Due to the extreme heat, the miners that ran the trollers could not stay on the planet for very long, and if not for Beluzant, they would have been forced to live their lives inside space-stations.
Winter was currently living on Beluzant, hiding among the 'trolls', as the miners called themselves. The white-haired Alderaanian had credentials that said she was the wife of a major investor, and that she was overseeing her husband's venture. Allana was pretending to be her grandchild, not quite old enough to understand the 'game' they were playing, only that Grandmother Leia had explained to Allana that Winter was doing some important research, and that Allana needed to help Winter. Telling Allana that her father was dangerous and she needed to be kept away from him would only frighten and confuse her, since Jacen had never given Allana a reason to fear him.
Han took a deep breath, and rang the buzzer. It had occurred several times to the Corellian that perhaps he should send some message to Leia. But what would he say? That, after every evil, terrible event Jacen had foisted upon the galaxy, he was helping his son, simply because Jacen had told him he was sorry for what he'd done? She wouldn't understand. Truth be told, Han didn't understand what he was doing, either. During the entire trip to Beluzant, Han had waited for the 'bad' Jacen to reappear and strike him dead with his lightsaber, but it hadn't happened. After allowing his father to treat his wounds with bacta gel, Jacen had simply gone into a deep, healing trance. By the time they'd exited hyperspace, Han was amazed to see that his son was completely healed from the burns and bruises.
They agreed that it would make more sense for Han to go pick up Allana. Winter would undoubtedly put up a struggle to give up the girl to Jacen, and Jacen was steadfast in his claim that he would not want to accidentally cause Winter any harm.
He could plainly see the surprise on Winter's face when she answered the door. "Han?"
"Hi, Winter," Han said, trying to be casual. "Is Allana here?"
Winter frowned. "Of course she is."
The Corellian wanted to kick himself. "Yeah, I guess she would be. Leia asked me to come pick her up. I guess this means you don't have to stay on this boring moon any longer. Tycho will sure be glad to see you. Right?"
"I'm certain he will," Winter replied in her refined voice. "Did they accomplish their mission?"
"Mission?"
"Ki…capturing Darth Caedus?"
"Uh, yeah. They caught him, and he's all locked up with those ysalamiri things keeping him under control. Leia really wants me to hurry back, so if you can go get Allana, I'd really appreciate it."
She nodded, her gray eyes conveying more than a bit of suspicion. Then she turned and went to retrieve Allana, who came rushing out and grabbed Han in a tight hug.
"Grandpa!"
Han wasn't certain he'd ever get used to hearing himself referred to as a 'grandpa', but he loved this child with his entire being. "Allana. You ready to go for a wild ride on the famous Millennium Falcon?"
Allana made a face. "The Falcon is sort of smelly."
"It is not!"
Winter laughed and handed the Corellian Allana's satchel. "She's right, you know. It is sort of smelly."
When the Jade Shadow arrived on Chandrila, the four occupants were more than a little worried. Leia had been attempting to contact Han, but her attempts had been met with silence. Until a few moments ago, she had been holding on to the hope that the Falcon's aged communication circuits were acting up. Now, when the landing pad where they'd left Han came into view, her worst fears were realized. "He's gone."
"That could mean anything," Jaina said, trying to sound upbeat. "Maybe he needed to make an emergency run for someone. It's possible."
"Except for that," Ben stated, pointing out of the viewport at Jaina's StealthX fighter, the one Jacen had used to escape his fate.
Leia gasped, and quickly put her hand over her mouth. "Han…"
"Dad's okay," Jaina said, not sure if she believed her own words. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have left the return coordinates in my ship."
"You couldn't have known what would happen," Luke pointed out. "But if Jacen came here, he had to have a reason."
"I think the reason is obvious," Leia said. "He wants Allana, and he's going to use any method he can to find her. Even if it means torturing his own father."
"He's got a good head-start on us," Luke replied. "Still, if Han can hold out, even for a little while, we might have a chance to intercept them before it's too late."
Too late to save Allana from being kidnapped by Jacen, or too late to save her father's life, Jaina wondered. She didn't speak the question aloud, knowing that the others were thinking the same thing.
Leia quickly keyed in Winter's communication code. A few moments later, the woman answered. "Leia? I'm glad to hear everything went according to plan."
Confused, Leia asked, "What went according to plan?"
"The plan to capture Jacen. Han was just here no more than an hour ago to pick up Allana. He said you were successful."
"Winter… Jacen escaped, and our plan was unsuccessful," Leia responded, her face paling. "Are you telling me you don't have Allana?"
"It was Jacen," Ben added firmly. "He was using the Force to make himself look like Uncle Han."
"Oh, no…"
"Mom," Jaina said, her brown eyes watering. She was no longer trying to appear optimistic. "Do you think Jacen killed Dad?"
Without asking, Luke turned the Shadow, and keyed in the coordinates to Beluzant, knowing in his heart they would arrive too late to find Allana.
The Millennium Falcon stopped just at the edge of the Unknown Galaxy, tiny silver speck hovering in the blackness of space. Behind them lie the familiar systems – Corellia, Coruscant, Tatooine, and thousands more. Many systems had been destroyed by the Empire, then the Vong, then finally Jacen's actions. Would there finally be peace now that Jacen was leaving? Han thought it seemed unlikely. Sooner or later, someone else would start yet another reign of terror and destruction. It was an endless cycle, and Han was tired of watching it, of being unable to give his family the kind of life he'd always desired.
Jacen looked at his father from the co-pilot's seat. "I've entered the coordinates. At full speed, we should arrive in about twenty standard days."
"That's a long time," Han commented. Most jumps in hyperspace travel lasted two or three days. Long trips, from one side of the known galaxy to the other, might last up to a standard week. "This system must be far away."
"It is far away," Jacen said. "That's the point."
"Do they have lots of animals where we're going?" Allana piped up from the navigator's seat. She had been told by Jacen they were going on a vacation, and had no idea her father intended this trip to last a lifetime. "I love animals."
"I used to, too," Jacen said, sounding wistful. "Yes, they have lots of animals, Allana."
Han smiled at his granddaughter. Jacen had – so far – kept his word about staying away from the darkside. In fact, he had not used the Force at all, as far as Han could tell. It was a bit like the time Jacen had shunned using the Force before Anakin's death. In hindsight, Han wished he'd encouraged Jacen to follow that Force-less path. Maybe then things would have been different. "Are you all ready for the Unknown Regions?" he asked Allana.
"Is it gonna be scary?"
"It might be," Han admitted. "But you've got me along to protect you."
"Okay, then. I trust you, grandpa."
Han felt his stomach twist. Trust. It was such a small word, with such large implications. You could trust someone you loved, and yet they could still betray you. You could not trust a stranger, and that stranger might end up saving your life. The Corellian reached his hand down to the left, and flipped a tiny switch, his thoughts swirling around a certain dark-haired Princess. She would be furious at him, and yet Han was willing to risk her wrath to save his son from darkness and his granddaughter from death. He could only hope that some day in the future, she'd see his intentions for what they truly were, and learn to forgive him.
Then he pulled the lever and the stars blurred as the Falcon lurched forward into the Unknown.
Beluzant
"It's not your fault, Winter," Leia said, trying to calm her upset friend. "I wouldn't have expected you to fight Han."
"I'm certain it was Han," Winter said, shaking her head. "Even Darth Caedus couldn't match the way he walked and his voice tone exactly. I know what Han sounds like."
Luke nodded. "Before we came here, I checked the Flight Controller. The Falcon headed out toward twenty-nine-oh-thirteen. I'm certain they could have changed directions, later."
"Let me see if Ben and Jaina have found anything." Leia raised the comlink to her lips and contacted her daughter.
A female's voice came over the small speaker. "Mom? Ben and I've checked out the docking bay's security cams. We could see Dad and Allana heading up the ramp, and it sure looks like Jacen is standing at the top of the ramp. We're heading back inside the Shadow right now."
"He must have Uncle Han under some type of mind-control," Ben injected into the conversation. "Or maybe he has a bomb strapped around him, and Darth Caedus is threatening to blow him up if he doesn't obey."
"Ben!" Luke chastised, worried about Leia reaction. "Please keep your theories to yourself."
"Sorry."
"Wait a second," Jaina said, sounding excited. "Mom?"
"I'm listening."
"I see an incoming message on the communication panel flashing. It's coming in under the Falcon's secure code."
Leia felt a rush of relief. "Han must have managed to sneak a message out, without Jacen knowing."
"Let's go find out what he sent," Luke said, taking his sister by her arm. He glanced over at Winter. "Is Tycho coming to pick you up?"
"He'll be here tomorrow."
Leia broke away from her brother's grasp, and gave her old friend a hug. "Take care, Winter. Thank you for watching Allana for me."
"I'm sorry for the way it ended."
The Princess swallowed hard at hearing Winter say those words - The way it ended. As they left the apartment, Leia had the strongest feeling she would never see Winter again.
Onboard the Jade Shadow, Leia stood holding a small piece of flimsy. Luke had carefully written out the numbers, and had double checked his note with the message from the Falcon.
"This hardly makes sense," Leia stated. "It can't be coordinates."
"It can't be anything else," Luke argued. "That was the entire message – a series of numbers."
"It must have been all Dad could take the time to transmit," Jaina said. "If he would have taken the time to send us a verbal message, Jacen might have caught him."
"And then he would've been breathing vacuum," Ben added.
"Ben!" Luke said firmly.
"I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking," Ben responded, a bit petulantly. "Darth Caedus has already killed members of his own family."
"Your aunt is worried enough without you adding to her concerns," Luke said, getting annoyed at his teenage son.
"That's okay, Luke," Leia said distractedly. "I remember how outspoken my children were when they were teenagers."
"I never was outspoken," Jaina argued. "Anakin was the outspoken one."
Leia gave a brief smile. "If you say so." The former Princess turned to Luke. "What I'm reading here is that Han and Jacen are heading directly into the Unknown Regions."
"Directly, and deeply," Luke agreed. "I'd have to guess Han wants us to follow."
"Uncle Han needs us to rescue him," Ben said, pleased with his deduction. "He couldn't take on a Sith alone, so he had to obey Caedus and take Allana from Winter, or Caedus would've killed him and Winter. I've spent enough time with Jacen to know how he thinks."
"The only problem with that scenario is why the Unknown Regions?" Jaina questioned. "It's not like Darth Caedus to run away."
"Maybe that's the location where other Sith are hiding, and he's going to enlist their help in fighting us," Ben mused. "We almost had him beat back on Corellia. If your ship wouldn't have been left right where he could jump in, we would've had him."
"Are you blaming me?" Jaina shot out, putting her hands on her hips.
"No one is blaming you, Jaina," Luke said, glaring at Ben.
"Ben's right about one thing," Leia stated. "If Han wants us to follow him, we're going to follow him."
"Darth Caedus can't escape us, even if he runs to infinity and way beyond all chartered space," Ben said. "He's gonna pay for what he did."
"So I take it we're going to infinity?" Luke questioned.
"And way beyond, apparently," Leia answered.
Twenty days later….
The pretty blue and white planet spun below the Millennium Falcon. Four large land masses, two in the northern hemisphere, and two in the southern hemisphere, divided the planet. From this vantage point, Han could see the continents might have fit loosely together. At one time in the distant past, the land may have been one large piece, before time and nature slowly ripped the sections apart, allowing the currents to slowly drift them away from each other. Smaller land masses dotted the oceans, and two white polar caps indicated the coldest regions. "It's very pretty," Han finally commented. "Now where do we land? My sensors aren't picking up any type of signals from the surface."
"No," Jacen said. "They aren't that advanced." He pointed to a small island in the northern hemisphere, not far off the shore from the largest land mass. "We'll be able to fit in the best right there. I think, once upon a time, this planet had a more advanced culture located a little to the south and east, but it's gone now. Anyway, we look like them, and when I was here last time I learned to understand their language. It's a strange dialect of Basic, altered it over centuries of isolation."
"Will I understand them?"
"It might be a bit hard at first, but you'll catch on pretty quickly. Anyway, they're wary of strangers, so be careful how you behave around them. "
Han looked hurt. "Are you accusing me of being strange?"
Behind him, Allana laughed. "Behave, Grandpa."
"I always behave," Han replied.
"Also," Jacen added carefully as he glanced back at his daughter. "We'll need to land far away from any settlements. If they see us coming out of the sky in a metal object, they might try to harm us. At least it's nighttime right now, so as long as we turn off most of the landing lights, we should be unnoticed. Plus, I'll cover us using the Force."
"Are these bad people?"
"Anywhere you go there will always be some bad people, Allana," Jacen said hurriedly, trying to reassure her.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Han muttered under his breath as he guided the Falcon down.
As Jacen predicted, no one came rushing toward the ship, and both men spent the early morning hours camouflaging the Falcon with the local plants while Allana took the opportunity to get some rest.
Then, as the sun rose, the three headed out over the wooded green hills. They hadn't gotten very far when they heard the sound of thundering hoofs, and large creatures galloped toward them. As they approached, Han could clearly see humanoids were mounted astride the animals, and both the humanoids and animals were concealed in some type of armor covering their faces and torsos.
But what worried Han the most were the very sharp poles that were pointed directly at them.
Han acted on years of instinct, quickly pushing Allana behind him and drawing his blaster as the six attackers pulled up their beasts a short distance away.
"Dad, we'd better act friendly," Jacen whispered out of the side of his mouth.
One of the humanoids drove his mount closer, then reached up and pushed back his silver face-plate. Han could see that Jacen had been correct – these were humans, at least as far as he could tell. The animals the men were riding appeared to closely resemble an arqet, a vicious predator from the Agarix Sector. He sincerely hoped these creatures weren't as nasty as arqets, or they would be in big trouble. "Put your sticks away," Han ordered the man. "My blaster can make short work of that thing, unless it shoots lasers."
"Verily, I declare," the man replied. "Thou makest little sense. What strange object dost thou holdeth in thy hand?"
"Huh?"
The other five men had raised their face-masks by this time, and looked at each other in puzzlement. "In what tongues dost this stranger speaketh?"
"Let me handle this," Jacen mumbled. Then he cleared his throat, and spoke in an authoritative voice. "To whom doth I have the pleasure to speaketh?"
"My given title is Sir Lanval, sir. What title dost thou be given?"
"Knight Jacen of Coruscant, and this is my father, Han Solo of Corellia," Jacen said, bowing. "And my fair daughter, Allana of Hapes."
"Are you sure you should be telling them where we're from?" Han whispered worriedly.
Jacen ignored his father. "We three be travelers and seek out thy King."
Sir Lanval looked startled. "King Arthur? How know ye of him?"
"Perchance this stranger be a spy, or worse - assassin, dispatched by yon evil sorceress, Morgana," another man asked.
"Morgana?" Han questioned. "Who's Morgana?"
"Speaketh not the evil witch's name!" Sir Lanval shouted. "Summon her, thou whilst!"
"Whilst?" Han repeated, scratching his head.
"Taketh these strangers to King Arthur, we whilst," Lanval decided after a long discussion among his men.
"Isn't that what we asked for in the first place?" Han asked Jacen.
The men raised their sharp poles at that command. "Prisoners of Camelot, ye three be! March onward, and prayeth for divine deliverance for thy blackhearted souls, whilst ye march. Perchance King Arthur shall decree thy bodies be dispatched without great pain."
"Are they threatening us?" Han asked, confused. "I get worried when I hear words like 'dispatched' and 'pain' used in the same sentence, even if I can't understand the rest of what he said."
"Just put your blaster away," Jacen instructed as he hoisted Allana up on his hip. "We don't want them to confiscate what we might need later."
"Speaketh not in wicked fey words," Knight Lanval ordered. "Thou shan't be allowed to cast spells to summon thy underworldly minions."
"What did he just say?" Han demanded.
"Shut up."
"I'm your father. You don't tell your father to shut up, even if you are a reformed Sith."
"No…. he told us to shut up."
"Oh. Well, that's better, then."
"I hafta go potty," Allana declared loudly.
"Why didn't you go before we left the ship?" Jacen asked, trying to be patient.
"I didn't need to go then. But now I need to go."
"Hey," Jacen called out to their captors. "My child needs to go."
Lanval stopped, and looked down from his steed. "Go? Where doth thy faerie off-spring require yon goeth?"
"She needeth to, um, relieve her bladder… eth."
The man frowned. "I dost not understandeth ye."
"I thought you spoke these idiots' language," Han grumbled.
"Whom dost thou callest an idiot?" Lanval demanded hotly.
"Oh, sure…that word he understands," Han grumbled.
Onboard the Jade Shadow, following the Falcon in the Unknown Regions
"Ben, we need to have a talk," Luke started out as he entered his son's room.
The teenager looked up at this father through his eyelashes, not raising his head from the pillow where he was resting. "I'm listening."
"When we get there… to wherever we're going… we are not going to kill Jacen, unless he forces us to kill him."
Ben sat up. "I can't believe you're falling for that line he handed us. He's NOT sorry, and he hasn't turned away from the darkside!"
"You don't know that."
"Once you start down the path of the darkside, forever will it dominate your destiny," Ben quoted his father's lessons.
"There are exceptions. My own father was an exception."
"Caedus is still a Sith. He was only telling us he's turned back to the light because he thought we had him trapped," Ben argued.
"He also said he loved Allana, and Tenel Ka," Luke pointed out gently. "A true Sith can't have love in his heart."
"Well, I loved Mom!" Ben cried out. "Jacen didn't care about that, did he?"
"Jacen was twisted by Vergere, and Luminya. They were both Sith, so it's probably not surprising that working together, they were able to warp his mind. Anakin Skywalker, your grandfather, was only corrupted by one Sith - Palpatine. If we don't forgive Jacen, we are no better than the Sith," Luke explained. "Once we arrive, I will take the time to determine if Jacen was lying, or if he's telling the truth about rejecting the darkside."
"If he was turned by two Sith, it also might mean it'll be twice as hard for him to turn back," Ben pointed out. "And what if you decide he's telling the truth? Then what?" His expression darkened. "You'll let him get away with all those murders?"
"No. Jacen will need to face the consequences for his actions," Luke replied. "And that will be one of the tests to determine his truthfulness; his willingness to accept responsibility. I hope you understand me, Ben. This is important, not only to our family, but for the future of the Jedi."
"Sure, Dad. I understand," Ben muttered, flopping back on the bed and turning his back to Luke.
"How much farther do we have to walk?" Allana complained loudly to her father.
Jacen sighed. In fact, Allana had not done any walking at all, since Jacen had been carrying her the entire hike. It was a good thing the Force was his ally, or his arm muscles would be seriously protesting by this time. "I'm sure it's not much further."
"Kest, I hope not," Han grumbled. "I'm too old to walk this far."
"You're not old, Grandpa," Allana said, giggling. "Gramma says you're 'well aged'. What does that mean?"
"It means I'm old," Han responded. He felt his heart give a tug at the mention of Leia, and he hoped his brief message to her made enough sense to allow her to follow. After all, what good was his big plan to reunite and reconcile his family if they never arrived? Of course, he'd have to somehow convince them – and Jacen – not to kill each other first. He'd figure that part out when the time came; inspiration was his specialty.
As they crossed over yet another high hill, an imposing gray edifice came into view, surrounded by a high wall built of stone.
"Is yon abode where King Arthur, um, abides?" Jacen questioned Sir Lanval.
"Do you know how stupid you sound?" Han questioned his son.
The knight stopped his horse, and nodded. "Drawest nigh to thy judgment, thou dost. Prayest ye that my King hast enjoyeth a peaceful repose."
"Does the King have cookies?" Allana wanted to know.
"Cookies? What wicked thing be 'cookies'?" Lanval asked, alarmed.
"Cookies aren't wicked," Han said, crossing his arms. "How much did you guys have to drink before you found us, anyway?"
"Cookies are like cake and crumpets," Jacen inserted hurriedly, before his father could make the Knights angry by insulting them.
"I hope they have milk," Allana stated firmly.
"Milk? Milk be truly a foul dram, unless thou be a wee one." Lanval scratched his chin as he considered. "Ale and grog be most common in Camelot."
"I could use some of that ale about now," Han mumbled.
As they trudged closer, Han could see there was a deep ditch surrounding the building, and the ditch was filled with water. On the other side of this dugout was a huge wooden door, and it appeared tightly locked. "This looks like a friendly place," Han said sarcastically. "How do we knock? Throw rocks?"
They stopped a few yards away from the ditch, and Lanval spoke to one of his men. "Raiseth thine trumpet, and signal that the King's loyal servants doth arriveth."
Han was about to ask what that meant, when the Knight pulled out some type of metal instrument, and placed it against his lips. A loud racket shrieked from the horn, and Allana covered her ears with her hands.
Then an even louder racket sounded, and Han and Jacen took a step back as they watched the huge door slowly lowering, the gears and chains rattling and groaning in protest of the vast weight. It thudded down on the ground, creating a wide bridge across the murky, water-filled channel.
Allana clapped in appreciation of the display. "That's a neat trick."
Knight Lanval seemed miffed. "Trickery hast naught to do with yon entrance opening. Move along, prisoners of Camelot, and attempt not to escapeth thy fate."
"If Jabba didn't scare me, what makes you think Arthur scares me?" Han asked. "I doubt your king has any sarlacc pits around here."
When they entered the walls, Han was surprised to see a small village rather than an interior of a castle. The village was very loud and crowded, with both bedraggled looking men and woman milling about, inspecting various booths where there were stacks of vegetables, and dead, skinned animals hung by their hind legs. There were also many live animals running around, both of the feathered and furred types. Several brightly dressed men wandered about, playing strange instruments and eagerly accepting coins for their efforts.
The knights dismounted, and several young men rushed forward. The knights allowed these men to take their animals away. Han noted that it appeared only knights wore metal armor, since most of the other humans were dressed in ragged clothing, although a few of the men and women appeared to be better dressed than most.
Allana looked offended as she side-stepped a pile of dung. "This place is very smelly. How did all those poor animals die? Why are they hanging out in the open like that?"
"Those dead animals are probably gonna be eaten for dinner," Han told Allana.
"Eat them?" Allana repeated loudly. "Yuck!"
"Quiet, sweetheart," Jacen told his child. "We don't want to draw attention to ourselves."
A toothless woman smiled at Jacen, and waved her hand toward some dead creature that was covered with flying insects. "For such a handsome stranger as thee, I whilst makest thou a worthy trade for my wares."
"Uh, no thanks," Jacen muttered and hurried away, ignoring his father's snort of laughter.
They finally approached the large castle in the center of the courtyard, and the knights prodded their prisoners toward the center of the building. The rooms were enormous and quite chilly, and Allana complained that they smelled bad as well.
Lanval raised his hand, stopping the group. "Thou shalt abide thy time, whilst I consult King Arthur. Escapest not, or my underlings shall be forced to end thine lives."
Surrounded by wary knights, Han, Jacen and Allana waited for long minutes. Eventually they were ushered into a chamber, where a well-dressed man wearing a crown sat upon a throne.
"Judging by the fancy hat and big chair, I'd have to guess that's good old King Arthur, huh?" Han remarked. "I hope he's got a better personality than Palpatine."
"Dad, please," Jacen said. "Let me handle this."
"Go right ahead. I promise I won't interfere."
Jacen took one step forward and bowed. "King Arthur. It is a great privilege that thou hast agreed to greet such lowly visitors such as us."
"Lowly?" Han asked. "Speak for yourself, kid."
King Arthur looked annoyed. "What names be given thee, and from what village dost thou hail?"
"Knight Jacen, from Coruscant, at your service, great King," Jacen replied. "And my father is Han Solo of Corellia, and the child is my daughter, Allana of Hapes."
"That seems strange, indeed," King Arthur said. "Not only have I not heard of thine villages, but why dost thou all hailest from different realms?"
"We like to get around," Han explained.
"Dad!"
"I thought thou said his name was Han Solo," King Arthur said, appearing confused.
"Uh, yeah. Yes," Jacen said quickly. "Dad means Father where we're from."
"I see," Arthur said, looking befuddled.
Lanval stepped forward. "I have cause to believeth that these strangers are bedfellows with Morgana. Thou should dispatch them with great haste, my King."
"Wait a kriffin' second," Han protested. "I don't share my bed with anyone but my wife, and I don't appreciate what you're insinuating, pal."
"I shall determine their fate, not thee, Sir Lanval," King Arthur admonished his guard. "If they be associates with my sister, then proof I will require."
"Hey, he is a reasonable King," Han declared.
Arthur continued, "Please, step forward good friend Merlin, and give me counsel as to the course I should set."
A white-haired old man stepped out from behind the King's throne. He was stooped low, and wore purple robes and a large pointed cap. He gestured at Jacen with a gnarled finger. "That one a wizard be… dark or light I cannot attest, as his soul seems shrouded in duplicity. Test his character by sending them on a quest. If they should succeed, then allow them to live thou must."
"Then a quest thou shall have," Arthur declared. "But what shall test their mettle?"
"Have them bring you the head of Beast Glatisant," Merlin suggested coyly.
"Ah, that is a fine idea," Arthur said.
"The head of what?" Han asked, frowning. "A beast? How big is this thing?"
"What about my daughter?" Jacen questioned. "She's too young to go on a dangerous quest."
"This quest is dangerous?" Han asked. "I might be too old for quests…"
"Thine off-spring shall remain here, safe with my wife, Lady Guinevere," King Arthur said.
"Perhaps my father is too old," Jacen suggested.
"Hey! I resent that."
"You said it first!"
King Arthur cleared his throat and rapped his staff to get their attention. "Han Solo of Corellia, thou shall accompany thy off-spring, Knight Jacen of Coruscant. It is thy duty and right to prove thyself, as well. May the Lady of the Lake find favor with thy travels, and if thou be worthy, thou shall return victorious!"
Onboard the Jade Shadow, approaching an Unknown Planet
Sitting in the pilot's seat, Luke turned to his family. "Remember, don't reach out with the Force. If we do that, Jacen will be able to sense us."
"How will we know if they landed?" Ben asked his father. "Or where they landed?"
Leia answered from the co-pilot's chair. "A surface signal from the Falcon has already shown up on the panel." The Princess focused on the blue and green planet that had materialized in the viewport once they'd exited hyperspace moments earlier. "It's coming from that large island in the northern hemisphere."
"I don't see any advanced signals coming from anywhere else on the planet, other than the signal from Dad," Jaina added. "Nothing that would indicate they have electronic communications or propulsion systems."
"Can you imagine," Ben said, grinning. "This must be a real backwards place. I wonder why Darth Caedus wanted to come here. Probably to dazzle them with his fancy Force displays, and have them drop to their knees and worship him as a god. That'd be just like him."
"It never used to be like him," Leia said softly, remembering her sweet little boy, the one with the kindest heart of any of her children. That Jacen never would have hurt the smallest insect, and was always eager to share a silly joke.
Luke could sense Leia's pain, a deep wound that refused to heal. They were all hurting emotionally from the endless loss of loved ones. He worried most about his son, and what Mara's death and Jacen's betrayal had done to Ben heart and soul. Since Jacen had turned, what was there to ensure that Ben was safe from the darkside? What if Ben, unable to strike back at Jacen, decided to take out his burning need for revenge on Allana? Would Leia then find the need to hunt down Ben, just like Mara had gone after Jacen? And if Ben then killed Leia in battle, would Jaina or Han come after him? Would this cycle go on and on until there were no more Skywalkers or Solos left alive in the galaxy?
The Jedi Master shook his head in disgust. No, he decided. It had to end. Here and now. "We'll land next to the Millennium Falcon, and try to track them from that point." Luke looked pointedly at his only child. "And when we find them, we are not going to start a fight, and we will not turn on our lightsabers unless we need to defend ourselves. Do I make myself clear?"
"How are we supposed to kill Caedus?" Ben asked bitterly. "Push a tree over on his head?"
"We're Jedi," Luke replied. "I'm done with killing. If Darth Vader could come back to the lightside after twenty years and countless evil deeds, I refuse to believe Jacen can't be turned back. The Force has brought us all here for a reason."
"The Force? This is all Caedus's idea," Ben argued.
"Jacen doesn't know we're here," Jaina replied. "Sending that signal was my Dad's idea."
"You think it was," Ben said. "We could be walking into a big old trap that Ja… Caedus has set up for us."
"Either way, we're here now," Leia said. "I'm going to rescue my grandchild and my husband. And, Force willing, my son, too."
Ben bit back a retort as he slumped back in his seat, his face flushed red.
Han and Jacen were allowed to rest from their walk, and given food. Carefully, Han picked up a piece of fruit and inspected it carefully before taking a bite. "Not too bad. I hope it's not poison."
"The food here is perfectly edible," Jacen replied, staring out of the window. "I hope Allana behaves, and that this Lady Guinevere takes good care of her. I wish the King had allowed us to meet her before taking Allana to her room."
"I got the distinct impression the King didn't want you to meet her 'cuz he's the jealous sort," Han said between mouthfuls of food. "Maybe his wife's not faithful."
"That could be," Jacen conceded. "But it's still strange. We're leaving on this quest in the morning. It's not like I'd have a one night fling with someone I just met."
Han laughed. "That's not completely unheard of, kid."
Jacen decided to ignore his father's remark. "King Arthur said he'd supply us with weapons and horses before we leave. That was nice of him."
"You mean he's gonna give us those clunky metal swords and let us ride on those animals?" Han asked, raising his eyebrow. "I'll stick to my blaster and walk, thanks anyway. 'Sides, I'm sure your lightsaber would make short work out of their weapons."
"We can't show them our weapons," Jacen warned. "Merlin's already suspicious."
"That old guy gives me the space-shivers," Han said. "Reminds me a bit of Kenobi." Han scratched his head. "And I'd like to know how we're supposed to find this beast thing? We don't know where to look, plus we don't know what in the hells of Corellia it looks like, even if we do happen to run across it."
"We'll ask for a map to guide us, and maybe a drawing or description of the Beast Glatisant." Jacen yawned and headed for the bed. "In the meantime, I'm going to get some sleep. It sounds like a busy day tomorrow."
"I'm telling you one thing," Han warned. "If we do happen to find this beast and it attacks us, I'm blasting it. I don't care if Merlin approves, or not."
The older man walked past the window, and a flash in the distance caught his eye. He tracked the blinking lighted object as it headed toward the ground, slowing as it descended. The object finally disappeared behind the rolling, heavily wooded hills – the same area where much earlier in the day, Han had landed the Falcon. So his plan had worked, at least up to this point. The Jade Shadow had made excellent time, but it had caught up to the Falcon only because Han had slightly slowed his speed, hoping Jacen wouldn't notice the slight difference in time that it took to arrive. The Corellian quickly glanced over at his son, who was turning down the blanket on the bed. Jacen hadn't seen the lighted object, and gave no indication he was aware of these new visitors.
So far, so good.
"It's getting dark," Jaina noted as the group stood at the bottom of the Shadow's ramp. "Maybe we should wait until morning before we head out."
Leia was walking around the Falcon, which was draped in branches and hidden behind leaves. "They took a lot of time to hide the ship. It might be a good idea if we do the same."
"I agree with both of you," Luke stated. "We'll use the dark to camouflage our ship, then we'll head out at first light."
Jania nodded, and started to gather branches. "Come on, Ben. I'm not doing this by myself."
"Dad…."
"Go help Jaina," Luke said firmly, craning his neck to look up at the tall trees. "I know how much you want to get going, but Jacen isn't going anywhere."
"But…"
"Ben, please!"
"But, Dad!"
Luke turned around, about to scold his teenage son, but stopped himself when he saw where Ben was pointing. In the shadowy mist at the edge of the meadow, a slender woman stood, her face obscured by the gossamer fog. She raised one hand, palm side up, and Luke suddenly saw a wisp of red-gold hair. His heart dropped, and he moved forward. "Mara?"
Ben pushed past his father, breaking out in a run. "MOM?"
He got no more than four steps when the woman moved back, and her form faded away. "Mom?" Ben continued forward, desperately searching the perimeter of the woods.
By this time, Luke had caught up to his son. "Let's get back to the ship."
"But… you saw her, too! It was Mom! I'm sure of it!"
"It couldn't have been," Luke said gently. "I didn't sense her, so it must have been an illusion. Maybe the reflection of the light."
Ben gave a disgusted grunt. "I know what I saw," he mumbled, then headed back to the ship.
Luke gave a glance around the meadow, and risked reaching out with the Force. The only life he felt was insects and wildlife.
"Such a beautiful child, as delicate as a fairy thou be," Lady Guinevere said, stroking Allana's head as she tucked the girl into the thick quilts. "Thou must be a divine gift from above, sent to soothe my troubled heart."
Allana frowned up at the pretty lady, trying to figure out what she was saying. "My mommy was a queen."
"Really?" Guinevere asked, drawing back in surprise. "The land thou mother rulest… dost it be far?"
"Very far away," Allana replied, her eyes watering. "My mommy died."
"Truly that be a tragedy. Fear not, sweet Allana. For all thine eyes can see shall someday be thine to reign o'er." Guinevere stood, and smiled down at the girl. "My Allana. Thou shall be happy abiding in Camelot, and when I am no longer, all my subjects shall bow at thy feet and call thee Queen. Sweet dreams shall follow thee into slumber tonight."
As the Queen left the room, Allana pulled the blankets up to her chin. Her eyes moved over to the open window. "Don't leave me here, Daddy," she whispered in a quivering voice.
It was still dark when a heavy thudding sounded on Han and Jacen's door. Jacen jumped up, and hurried to see who was creating such a racket. He swung the door open, and saw a fair-haired man standing in the hallway, an annoyed expression plastered across his handsome face.
Jacen shook off the remaining haze of sleep. "Can I help you?"
"Who is it, kid?" Han yelled over. "It's the middle of the night, for kest's sake."
"Since thou art but strangers in our midst, my King hast requested that I accompany thee to yon forest, where the Beast doth resideth," the man replied. "Thou steeds are made ready, and awaitest thy command."
By this time, Han had staggered over. "You're not Lanval."
The man's eyes widened. "Knight Lanval? Verily, a noble guide and fair horseman he may be, but nary a soul in the Kingdom tis better than I … Sir Lancelot, son of King Ban and Queen Elaine."
"So, let me understand," Han said. "You're going to take us to this beast thing?"
"Verily."
"Are you gonna help us kill it?"
"Alas, I cannot," Lancelot replied sadly. "My King hath given orders that only thee shall slay Glatisant. I can do naught but observe thy failu….I meaneth to say, thy triumph."
"What does Glatisant look like?" Han asked.
"Questing Beast tis four times larger than the King's largest steed, with the head of a serpent, the spots of a leopard and loins of a mighty lion from yon strange distant lands, and the hooves of a powerful stag." Lancelot's expression took on a wistful look. "And the noise the beast creates…it soundeth like thirty hunting hounds on a quest. Thus, the beast's namesake, the Questing Beast. Hunted have I more than one fortnight to slayeth this very beast."
"I'm not going anywhere until I say goodbye to Allana," Jacen said. "I need to see that she's okay."
Lancelot appeared uncomfortable with this request. "Thy child is safe with Lady Guinevere, wife of the King. Thine horses grow impatient."
"We ain't going anywhere, pal, until we see Allana," Han snarled. "You can tell your horses to cool their afterburners."
"What nonsense dost thy aged father speak of?" Lancelot demanded of Jacen. "His words bode of elderly befuddlement or libations."
"Are you calling me a crazy old drunk geezer?" Han shouted. "I oughta blast you for insulting me."
"Dad, please!" Jacen pleaded. "Let's not start an argument with Sir Lancelot."
"I didn't start it," Han replied, miffed, and pointing at Lancelot. "He started it!"
"Knight Jacen, allowest me to beg forgiveness for any insult. It was not my intent. I shall take thee to thy child, to allow thee comfort in parting."
"Well, good," Han huffed out. "That's all we were asking. Lead the way, Shorty."
"What dost thou meanest by the term 'shorty'?"
"I've noticed everyone on this planet seems to be a bit height deprived. You guys would make good X-Wing pilots, since they're all short, too."
"Art thou insulting me?" Lancelot asked, straightening up and trying to appear taller.
"Yeah, but let's just call it 'getting even,'" Han responded, ignoring his son's groaning.
More confused than angry, Lancelot led the way down the wide hallways, until they stopped in front of a closed door. The Knight glanced nervously down the corridor, then knocked softly on the frame. "My Lady? Art thou awake?" he whispered against the handle.
After a few moments, the door creaked open, and a pretty young woman stuck her head out. "What dost thou mean by coming to my room at such a late hour?" she asked quietly. "If he should see thou – "
"Lady Guinevere, I have brought these strangers," Lancelot interrupted hurriedly. "The father of the child demandeth one final visit before setting off on their quest."
The woman looked past the knight, and her eyes locked with Jacen's. "Thou be Allana's sire?"
"Yes, I'm Allana's father. Knight Jacen of Coruscant, at your service, m' lady," Jacen said, bowing deeply. He waved toward Han. "And this is my father, Han Solo of Corellia."
Lady Guinevere glanced at Han, then quickly back to Jacen. "I can see thine family's resemblance, both in stature and face. Thou must be the handsomest knight in all kingdoms, near and far."
Han put his hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh, and noticed Lancelot's angry expression and flushed pallor. "Can we see Allana?"
"Of course," Guinevere replied, stepping aside to allow them to enter. "But thou must act quickly, for the King shall not approveth."
Allana was still asleep, and Jacen hurried to her side. With Han watching, Jacen woke her up, and spoke quietly, reassuring her she'd be safe and to wait until they returned. Han was far more interested in the whispered, but heated conversation between Guinevere and Lancelot. Surreptitiously, he moved closer to the couple until he was able to hear their words.
"Why dost thou take such notice of other men?"
"Jealousy dost not suit thee, Sir Lancelot."
"Thou would not approveth of my attentions to Guinevak, would thee?"
"Do not be disgusting," Guinevere shot back. "Dost thou have interest in my sister?"
"Nay, I have not eyes for anyone but thee. Still, it driveth me mad when thou looketh upon another man."
"Go, and take care to return," Guinevere said, looking longingly at Jacen, who was kissing Allana's forehead. "And take care of Knight Jacen, so he doth return safely to his child's side."
Lancelot's face grew dark with rage, and he put his hand over his sword hilt. "I shall taketh care of Knight Jacen, of that thou can trust."
Luke woke up and sleepily turned over in his cot, when suddenly the Force prodded the Jedi, telling him something was wrong. Luke was instantly awake and alert, reaching out within the small confines of the ship to try and sense his son's presence. He could feel Leia and Jaina, still asleep in their own rooms, but no Ben.
Quickly the Jedi jumped up and threw on his robe. He searched the ship, and when he found nothing, he woke up his sister and niece. "Ben's gone."
The Princess frowned. "Gone?"
"He went out to find Jacen without us," Jaina quickly surmised.
"Maybe," Luke replied. "But I think it might have something to do with what happened yesterday evening, when you were covering up the ship."
"What happened?"
"Ben thought he saw Mara at the edge of the woods. I did too, for a brief moment. It must have been the shadows," Luke finished explaining, sounding as though he were still trying to convince himself.
"You think he might have gone searching for Mara?" Leia asked. "Why would he believe she's still alive? We were at her funeral. We saw her body."
"It could have been her Force-ghost," Jaina said. "Maybe she's come here trying to reason with Ben, to tell him not to do something he'll regret."
"That's certainly a possibility," Leia said. "I still vividly recall when Anakin Skywalker appeared to me on Bakura."
"Except it was odd that she'd just fade away before allowing us to speak to her," Luke responded. "Hopefully, he won't be too far ahead of us. I'll need to reach out further with the Force, and risk Jacen sensing us."
"That's the chance we'll need to take," Leia agreed.
The teenager pushed some heavy branches aside, squinting into the gloom. His dad was wrong this time; Ben was certain about what he'd seen the night before. "Mom? Where are you, Mom?"
A soft rustle came from his left side, and he spun around, his hand grasping his lightsaber hilt. "Who's there? Mom? Is that you?"
A whispered response, almost too quiet to hear. "My son…"
Ben wasted no time, and he rushed through the underbrush in the direction of the voice, stumbling over rocks as he entered a sloped meadow. At the bottom of the curve was a small lake, the edges lined with smooth, dark pebbles. Fifty feet away, standing at the shoreline, stood a slender woman, dressed in a long white gown. Ben squinted, trying to see her face, but he was positive her hair was a shiny red-gold. "MOM! It is you!" He moved to rush forward, but the woman held up her hand, palm facing the young Jedi.
"Do not come too close to me, my child," she said. "It is forbidden."
"Forbidden?" Ben asked, forcing himself to stop his forward progress. He had a million questions, and his heart was pounding so hard he thought it might burst. "It's all Jacen's fault, isn't it? The Sith sent you here, and he left someone else's body so we'd think it was you. Why did he pretend he'd killed you? Why did he bring you to this planet? Why can't I come close to you?"
"So many questions," the woman said, sounding amused. "Come a few steps closer, my son."
Ben obeyed, and when he got close enough to see her face he felt confused. The woman looked a bit like his mother, but not exactly. Then, with another step, he could see her smile, and her face suddenly changed, and was exactly like his mother's. He reached out with the Force, but felt her rebuff his attempt. "Why can't I sense you?"
"Such a strong wizard you are."
"Wizard?" Ben asked, frowning.
"Ah, I meant Jedi. We call our kind Jedi."
"Dad'll be so excited that you're still alive. Why did you disappear last night?"
The red-head looked confused herself for a moment. "Dad? Oh… you mean your father."
"You don't remember him?"
The woman looked away. "My memories are hazy… since, you know…"
"The fight with Jacen," Ben said knowingly. "He has the abilities to take away memories."
"Yes. Jacen," the woman replied. "Please forgive me if I have a hard time with some memories."
"I understand," Ben replied, his tone angry. "My dad's name is Luke Skywalker. Your name is Mara Jade Skywalker. Do you remember now?"
"It's coming back to me, slowly. Like I know you're my son, yet your name eludes me."
"Ben. My name is Ben."
"Ah, yes. Ben. Such a strong name."
"Will you come back to the ship with me?"
"He won't believe us, my son. Jacen took away not only my memories, but the ability for other Jedi to sense me through the…Force."
Ben took another step forward, only to see his mother's eyes narrow. "Dad will believe us. You have to trust me."
"No, I cannot. The reason it is forbidden to touch me is that Jacen hast cast a spell on me. It can only be undone by a single method and then, and only then, can I fully rejoin you and your father."
"How? Wait…I know… by killing Darth Cadeus!"
The woman calling herself Mara looked perplexed. "No… you or your father must bring me Excalibur. Only with that can I destroy our enemies."
"Who's Excalibur?"
Mara laughed. "Not a who, my son. A what. It is a magical sword, and whoever holds it becomes invincible."
Ben's eyes widened. "That must be why Jacen's come here! He wants Excalibur."
"That is very likely. You must find it before he does, and bring it back here, to this exact location. I will be waiting for you." She nodded, then turned to leave.
"Wait!" Ben cried out. "Don't go… I don't know where to find this sword."
She looked over her shoulder, near the edge of the woods. "When you find Jacen you will find Lancelot, and then you will find Excalibur."
"Lancelot?" Ben asked, but the woman disappeared into the surrounding trees.
With Jacen already mounted and encouraging his father, Han hoisted himself up on the animal the locals called a 'horse', nervously peering down at Sir Lancelot. "What do horses eat, anyway?"
"Grasses and grain," the knight replied. "Why dost thou asketh?"
"I thought maybe it liked raw meat. I'm not fond of riding on animals that want to eat me."
"Thou art a strange man, Han Solo of Corellia. First thou dost not desireth a sword nor armor, and now thou thinkest horses consume men." Lancelot shook his head, and awkwardly got on his own animal with help from two young boys called pages. With all that armor, getting on wasn't an easy task. "How dost thou plan to kill Glatisant?"
"With our bare hands," Han deadpanned.
"Surely thou jest! Durst thee have courage to smite the Questing Beast with nary a weapon?"
"I'm not sure what you just said," Han responded blithely, "But I suggest you hang onto your dura-steel cup, 'cuz you're in for a big surprise when me and Jacen take out Glatisant."
Jacen laughed. "My dad is joking, Sir Lancelot. I'll borrow one of your swords, if you don't mind."
"Mind?" Lancelot asked suspiciously. "First thy covets my King's lady, and now thee desireth my weapons. Give thee a weapon upon finding the Beast I shall, and naught a moment before."
"Err, okay," Jacen said, glancing over at Han. On the way over to the stables, Han had hurriedly told Jacen about the conversation between Lancelot and Guinevere, but Jacen had reassured his father he could easily deal with Sir Lancelot when the time came. Besides, Jacen wasn't sure Han had heard correctly, since there would be no reason for Lancelot to be jealous of the King's wife.
"HUZZAH!" Lancelot yelled, kicking his horse and causing it to bolt forward. "Off we goest… to seek the Questing Beast!"
The pages gave Han's and Jacen's horses a hard slap, and their animals lurched into a gallop, following Sir Lancelot over the wooden draw bridge and out of the village's walls.
Mouth open wide, Han dropped the reins, desperately clutched the pommel of the saddle, and the horse's mane. "Ahhh …I'm gonna fall off!"
"Just hang on," Jacen yelled back, using the Force to balance himself. "You're doing great."
Han blinked back tears of pain. "I'm not making fun of those dura-steel protection cups ever again, kid."
.