A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews! Please keep R&Ring! :)
Ch. 12 The Hunt
"I just can't believe he's gone," sobbed Luke, shaking his head with his hands limply holding the dejarik board in the cabin of the Millenium Falcon. Leia, with an equally shattered expression on her face, rubbed Luke's shoulders consolingly. She was also in shock that General Kenobi had just been killed by Darth Vader aboard the Death Star.
The scene faded away from Leia and a new one appeared.
Leia paused before she entered the bridge of the Jade Sabre, the shuttle her brother, Luke had built for his wife, Mara Jade. Before her, and apparently oblivious to her, Mara and Jaina sat comfortably, side by side at the controls, talking and smiling.
Mara was not a substitute mother for Jaina, but rather a big sister, and when Leia considered the fires that constantly burned in Mara's green eyes, she understood that the woman could give to Jaina things that Leia could not.
This scene also faded away and was replaced by the image of Ben, now in his early twenties, gazing up at her. "Aunt Leia, I can't believe it's really you!" gasped her nephew. He was so much the images of Luke and Mara combined into one. Leia felt herself swelling with pride, but also worry that her nephew was here. "Ben…" she sighed. Ben, apparently oblivious to the fact that he was locked in a miniature dungeon that was chock full of ysalamri, beamed at her, his young face full of joy. Leia felt herself moved to tears.
"Aunt Leia," he asked, "How are you still alive. Everyone thought you were…w-we thought…" Leia closed her eyes and quietly replied, "It was a trick. Lania Xarti told me how she did it. One night when I was asleep, she broke into our apartment with an ysalamiri. She used it to cut off my connection to the Force and make it seem as if I had died. She had somehow created a clone of me and killed it. So when she took me, she left the clone's corpse to make it seem like I was dead. Ever since then, I've been imprisoned and tortured and she makes sure that there are always a few ysalamiri around me."
Ben sat there in shock. So that's what really happened. His aunt had never died. The body they had burned on the funeral pyre…the ashes they had scattered among the asteroids that were all that remained of Alderaan…they had belonged to a clone. But there were still so many questions Ben needed to know the answers to. The attackers in the Senate…they had lightsabers in addition to Vong biotech. Who had taught them how to build and use lightsabers? But that didn't matter right now. He was back with aunt. A hollow place that had been in his heart ever since her "death" was instantly refilled with his aunt's love.
***
Jacen held the smuggler even more tightly as he squirmed in his hands, in a futile attempt to escape to his freighter. "I'll ask you again," said Jacen calmly, with Vix, Saba, and Lowbacca standing behind him in the docking bay on Aphridoc IV. "Where were you bring these shipments from?" "I ain't telling you nothin'!" yelled the pilot, still struggling to escape. " Jacen sighed. He'd tried a mind trick but this pilot had a strong will. He was about to try again when Vix suddenly stepped forward and stared in the pilot's face. "Listen, bozo, if you don't tell us, we'll make sure the Judge comes down really hard on you," she hissed, furious that Ben had been kidnapped.
The pilot finally seemed intimidated enough to gasp, "The moon of the Ssi-ruuk capitol world! That's where the biotech's being grown!" Jacen motioned to the local law enforcement standing at the back of the docking bay and when they came near, he said, "Take him away." Jacen, Vix, Saba, and Lowbacca headed back for the Shadow and the Falcon. Since the return of Yuuzhan Vong weapons could pose a major threat to the Galactic Alliance, they had also come with several other Jedi, as well as Jag Fel and Comet Squadron, along with Rogue Squadron which was now lead by a pilot named Jax Skalra in the aftermath of the former Rogue Leader's death. To top it all off, Admiral Antilles had allowed them to bring along the Star Destroyers Chimaera and Errant Venture for assistance.
"Don't worry, Ben," thought Vix. "We're coming for you."
