Knight-Errantly Chapter Fourteen


Jaina Jade sees her twin and newfound cousin in the courtyard. They are conversing with the Warlord over something. She wants to know, always hated being left out, so she scoots over to the edge of the ledge and tries reading their lips.

"Jaina Jade, get away from the ledge." Her mother orders from the entrance of the tower's latch.

"Yes, mother." She grouses sourly and turns back. She is greeted with her mother's frown, deepening with displeasure, so she focuses on her mother's hair. Her hair is long and red with a bit of wave to it; she's always envied Jacen for inheriting their mother's beautiful red hair.

"I've heard you've been causing trouble again. Care to explain?" This is her chance to confess her crime and receive a lighter sentence, but Jaina seldom does, and she won't take it now.

"Mother, it's just a tower." She sighs dramatically.

"Warlord Nihl informed me of his special guests."

"Well, he did invite the Grays over for the festival." She replies dryly.

"Zev told me what you did to Senator Organa and her family."

"Jacen helped too!"

"And Jacen will be punished too."

Mother always favored Jacen, but she believes in equality regarding discipline.

"Please, dad coming here will be punishment enough." She lets slip and regrets it when her mother's eyes harden into dark emeralds. The glare fills the silence until her mother decides to speak.

"You will find that wishes don't come true in the way we want." She warns sharply.

"So? If you want me to feel remorse, I don't!"

"For now." She inhales and then exhales. "You still have to apologize to the Organas."

"Oh, mother, do I have to?"

"Consider this a small pittance in your quest for atonement. Besides, I have to introduce myself now."

Yeah, this is going to be fun! Jaina nearly grouses but decides to get this poodoo show over with.


Dead-Star would thrash his tail if he had one from what the Nagai told them. The Warlord keeps talking about the future has changed and that someone in the Dark Side doesn't like that. It sounded like a veiled threat, but the Nagai had a not-giving-a-single-poodoo expression like he was just the messenger doing his mundane duty. Ben insists that the Nagai was just being cryptic, but Dead-Star cannot tell the difference between the two.

And lo, the Dark Side is throwing a hissy fit over us not playing along.

It's not the Dark Side, but someone in the Dark Side. Probably another mastermind that fancies themself a Palpatine like Supreme Leader Snoke.

Then, wouldn't the First Order be here to prevent all of this?

The FO is not suicidal. If they mess with the Nagai than the Chiss will come to their aid if need be. Though I'm certain the Nagai can handle the FO on the own, but if the Chiss were to help, then the FO would be doomed.

So, it's not this Snoke person then?

I don't know, but it's some Dark Sider.

Can't the Force be more specific!?

It'd solve our problems in half the time, but that would be boring.

I hate this—

Shh! I think Jacen hears us.

How? I'm in our mind!

He has the Force too. He's strong in it, but not to my level.

Considering how that went for me, I'd say that's for the best.

Be quiet!

Dead-Star responds by assuming control over their body, causing said body to halt in the hallway. Ben is a red blip in their mind, but Dead-Star grunts through the headache and stares down Jacen. The Skywalker scion looks at him with wide green eyes, while Nihl looks almost amused.

"There you are. You were well shielded, but I knew you were there."

"A Sith Spirit is trapped inside him?" Jacen guesses with a higher voice.

"No, I'm a dragon that eats dead stars until your grandfather crushed my chest in!" He hisses and makes his eyes flash into a brighter gold from his anger.

"A Spirit of some kind since it sounds like Vader killed him." Nihl has a small smile grace his black and white lips. "You're something quite new. Another change rotting the future."

"I am not some kind of mushroom!" Fungus.

"Well, there goes my fear." Jacen deadpans and then just resumes moving.

"I will burn you!" Dead-Star threatens, but Jacen decides to flash him an obscene gesture with his hand without looking back.

"Are you ready for the rest of Skywalker lineage to see you?" Nihl inquires. Dead-Star glowers at him and then admits the truth.

"No."

"Then subside and bide your time."

"For how long?"

"Until the Great Dragon comes."


Leia finds the Warlord's throneroom austere and lacking the melodramatics of his fortress's exterior. It's black with glints of red found in the corners if one pays attention. The floor has fossilized seashells and plants for tiles, adding some much-needed color in the serious room. The throne itself is also quite simple from what she's seen of other thrones: a high-back stone chair with hidden weapons stashed in the throne's arms. She and Han haven't found the children; Han even checked the arms and just found strange blasters. She wonders if Veers and Chewie have better luck.

They didn't have to wait long for the children's return. They come into the throneroom shortly after Han declares that they aren't in the throne. Jacen has his eyes on the floor, avoiding their eyes on purpose. Ben wears a deep frown and looks quite ready to turn around and punch the Warlord.

He's his father's son in that way.

She would sigh, but the Warlord comes in. His eyes are bright red, while his hair is the traditional Nagai black in a very untraditional ponytail. His face paint, or possibly tattoos given the smoothness, gives him a skull-like appearance. He wears strange, dark armor with an equally strange, long hilt of a weapon strapped to his back. He's only a centimeter taller than Han. She can sense the Dark Side on him, but it's not suffocating like with Vader.

"Senator Organa, I believe one of them belongs to you."

"Warlord Nihl, how kind of you to return them." She remarks dryly.

"Senator, I just happened upon them. I believe our official meeting isn't for another hour." The Warlord almost jokes, but his voice is a little flat like he might be tired.

"I wasn't expecting to see you so soon either."

"And you will again, but I need to rest a bit. The Force is giving me a headache." He glances down at Ben before looking back at her. "I sense a family reunion about to happen, so please, don't destroy the room while I'm out."

"I make no such promises." Ben declares boldly. The Warlord shakes his head and mutters something in his native tongue before departing. Ben hurries over to them, and Leia planned to lecture him about leaving without notice until she senses another Force-user approaching.

A woman with long, red hair and green eyes comes in with Jaina. She wears a dark suit with armor pieces almost reminiscent of a Jedi general from the Clone Wars. She has a blaster clip to her belt along with a lightsaber. She pushes the girl forward.

"Hello, Senator Organa and Captain Solo, I am Mara Jade and the mother of these two. Jaina has something to say to you." She announces coolly. Jaina's cheeks turn scarlet and makes a face suggesting that she's about to throw a temper tantrum. But then, she inhales through her petite nose and the exhales through her small mouth.

"I'm sorry for revealing that we're your brother's bastards." Han sniggers and shakes his head. Ben looks at her with shock, but that quickly goes away when he remembers how she's been acting up to this point. Leia just wonders why the girl enjoys antagonizing them.

"Jaina!" Jacen looks sternly at her, but she rolls her eyes.

"Children born outside of marriage are bastards. I'm using the word correctly. Aren't I, mother?" She beams with the smuggest smirk in the galaxy.

She is toeing that line between bravery and foolishness to get a rise out of her. But her mother refuses to take the bait. Their relationship has probably always been this combative. Poor Jacen, he looks so uncomfortable.

"Jaina, how will you compensate them for this emotional damage?"

"Oh yeah, they're so in pain, practically weeping!" She retorts heatedly and waves a hand at them.

"I could use an extra hand on my ship." Han says dryly, intending to further annoy Mara Jade. The red-haired woman arches a fine brow.

"Luke told me that Chewbacca did everything for you such as fixing the ship when you add more holes to it."

"And Luke has said nothing of you." He shoots back.

"Of course, he wouldn't. He's a proper Jedi." The disgust is cold and sharp much like her hard eyes. Leia wonders how Luke met her given her apparent distaste for all things Jedi.

It can't be something as simple as meeting in a cantina. Luke doesn't drink alcohol and only goes to cantinas for information. Or when Han needs back-up. Considering Veers works for her, maybe she had ties to the Imperials. Maybe she worked for them on Coruscant given her accent. But she has the Force, so was she an Inquisitor or one of Palpatine's minions?

"Sure, apprentice me to a smuggler. It's not like I was ever going to be more than a criminal." The words would've been bitter if Jaina didn't have such a sugary grin on her face. She's clearly excited by this prospect, most likely eager to play around in the Millennium Falcon.

"Fine. Captain Solo, Jaina will work for you until you've felt properly restituted."

"What about school?" Jacen finally speaks up. His eyes are colored darkly with suspicion.

"Zev can assemble packets for the both of you, so neither of you will be behind your studies."

"Both of us?" Jacen stiffens and then flinches when his mother's eyes rest on him.

"You joined her in this little scheme."

"I did. But I doubt I'd be of any use to Captain Solo."

"That's why you're going with Senator Organa."

"Neither of us agreed to such arrangements." Leia reminds her with a hard edge to her voice. Mara regards her with cool eyes.

"They're your family too. Besides, they both know more about the Unknown Regions and are quite willing to divulge information, unlike young Hux."

She's trying to emotionally blackmail. Her working for Palpatine doesn't seem unlikely now. However, she does have a point about information. Armitage won't tell me anything more than what is barely necessary. But can I trust the twins to tell the truth? I'll be able to tell if they're lying; I'm skilled with the Force too.

"Mother, this sounds like a very good deal." Ben says with the utmost sincerity.

"You'll have to share your room." Han reminds him.

"Okay, Armitage can stay in my room and the twins can have his room." Han rolls his eyes at Ben's reply. Leia just sighs.

"We can discuss further details when…Skywalker arrives."


Author's Comments- Here are the links:

Here is an image of Mara Jade: a href=" . /starwars/images/d/d8/Mara_ "Link/a

Here is an image of Warlord Nihl: a href=" . "Link/a

Now, Leia and Han have two more kids; it's almost like in Legends/EU where they have three kids. I guess technically four with Armitage, but that may not be the case for long.

Next chapter: Armitage tries to find this mysterious planet, Anakin tries to remember Dead-Star, and Luke arrives on Nagi.