Part 6

Heless sprinted into the cave, exhausted and nearly out of breath. She turned back to see if anyone was following her and saw the sun slowly approaching the horizon.
It was dawn now. Which meant that the Nightsisters would soon be launching their attack against the Singing Mountain Clan. Hopefully by now, Augwynne was aware of it and planning for an attack.
She hoped she was doing the right thing.
As she leaned against the rock wall to catch her breath, she could distinctly hear the sounds of fighting coming from deeper within the cave. Heless's ears perked up, and she cautiously moved on, careful not to make too much noise.
As she rounded a corner, she found herself in the dungeons.
The dark corridor consisted of rock cages built within the walls, and she could make out dozens of people languishing within each cave, emaciated and dying. Men, women, and children alike. Her heart went out to them, and Heless silently vowed to set them all free when she had the chance.
Her eyes then rested upon the battle taking place.
Arian was lying on the ground, unconscious and bleeding, while her mother, Kirana Ti, had her hands full with a Nightsister armed with a scythe.
And Kirana Ti was clearly losing.
The Nightsister had her backed against the corner, smacking the handle of her weapon back and forth across her face. She cursed as Kirana Ti as she continued pummeling her, the warrior woman's face a mass of blood and bruises.
WHAP! "Thought you could defeat me, did you, Kirana Ti?" the Nightsister barked. "You are nothing compared to the Nightsisters! Now-- "
WHAP!
"I'm--"
WHAP!
"going to--"
WHAP!
"kill--"
WHAP!
"you!"
WHAP!
Heless's mouth curved downward into a terrifying snarl. Her hands hooked out into savage claws as she strode over to the two combatants, determined to take the Nightsister down.
As she leaped toward the black-cloaked woman, a fist came out of nowhere, striking her right in the jaw. Heless's face twisted to the right, and she fell back. The blow hurt so bad that she barely felt herself impact the hard ground.
As one paw went up to massage her jaw, Heless looked up and got a good look at the person who had struck her. She gasped.
"Ssssssssssssurprissssssssssssse!" Katharss hissed.

*

"My name's Anakin," the little boy replied, trying to get up, but the girl pushed him back down, seated on his belly. "Uh...A-Anakin Solo."
"Anakin Solo." Tenel Ka lifted the rock away from his neck. "Greetings, Anakin Solo. You will make a fine husband." She got up and helped the little boy to his feet.
Anakin nearly choked on his own words. "H-HUSBAND?!"
In his mind, he could hear Hope burst into laughter.
"Of course," Tenel Ka said. "It is tradition. When a Sister captures a man, she claims him as her husband."
"B-B-But I can't be your husband," Anakin stammered.
"We have been doing it this way for thousands of years," Tenel Ka explained as she took a piece of whuffa hide from her little utility belt.
"Don't I get any say in this?" Anakin asked.
Tenel Ka scoffed at him. "You? A mere boy? Of course not!"
Anakin started to back away, not sure what to do now. He didn't want to run away--especially with the monsters running around this early in the morning--but he didn't want to stay either. He could sense that Tenel Ka was on his side. But there no way in heck he was going to marry her. For one thing, they were too young. Plus, his parents would probably kill him.
Neener Neener Neener! You're gonna get in trouble!
 Anakin growled to himself. Hope, you and I are gonna have a LONG talk when I see you--
 "Look," he said, turning to Tenel Ka. "No offense intended. You look like a really nice girl, but...I don't wanna get married. I'm only three years old."
Tenel Ka didn't seem perturbed by this. "Very well, then. I will just have to drag you back to Singing Mountain myself."
Before Anakin could object to this, Tenel Ka had bound his hands behind his back with the whuffa leather. He tried to struggle, but the girl was much stronger than he was. In no time at all, she was heading through the forest, dragging the little boy behind on a leash.
Hope seemed to be having a huge laugh over his expense. *Boy, when your Mommy and Daddy see you, you'll be in big trouble!*
"Oh, be quiet!" Anakin said out loud.
Tenel Ka stopped in her tracks and glared at him. "What did you say to me?" she demanded.
Anakin looked down at his feet, flinching. "N-N-Nothing," he said. "I just said that you're a really great girl!"
Tenel Ka nodded in satisfaction and kept walking, yanking him behind her like a pet mooka.
Anakin sighed, wondering how he was going to get out of this mess.

Kirana Ti gasped as Emna tossed her against the wall. She impacted it hard enough to loosen several stones, an incredible wave of agony overwhelming her. The back of her head bore the brunt of the blow, and as she fell, she felt her vision swim.
She managed to fall onto her hands and knees. Keep fighting, she said weakly to herself. You have to...keep...fighting...
Gathering up every ounce of strength she had left, Kirana Ti staggered to her feet, barely able to keep her balance. She rose her head and glared at the Nightsister.
You'll have to do better than that to beat me," the warrior woman taunted.
Emna growled and obliged, swinging a backhand. Anticipating it, Kirana Ti's arm came up, preventing the blow from hitting its intended target. She reached forth, grabbed Emna by the head, spun her around, and delivered a powerful uppercut that knocked her back and into the wall. The Nightsister groaned as the air left her body, collapsing in a crumped heap.
Kirana Ti heard shouting from behind, and she turned to see Katharss standing over Heless, a grim expression on his fanged face. Heless hissed and tried to escape, but Katharss had her cornered.
Kirana Ti ran over to help her--and felt herself being torn from her feet, knocked all the way across the room, and smashed right through an empty cage, stone shards shattering around her.
The pain didn't set in immediately; her entire body was numb in an instant, badly bruised from the impact. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, and could barely even think. It was as if a starfighter had crashed right into her.
She didn't even have time to recover when Emna gestured with her hands, lifting Kirana Ti up into the air with her mind. It felt as if an invisible cord had been tied around her neck like a noose. Before she could even blink, Emna sent her slamming into the wall, bringing forth pain and darkness...

Callista's mouth dropped when she saw Han and Leia as she entered the war room with Teneniel and Augwynne. An overwhelming sense of relief flooded over her as she ran forth and embraced them both.
Moments later, she broke the hug and smiled at them. "Thank the Force you both are here. I thought I would never see you again. How did you know where to find us?" Somehow, she already knew the answer before it came.
Leia smiled. "It appears," she said, "that your daughter was able to speak to Anakin through the Force."
"And," Han it appears that a certain someone forgot to tell us the big news."
Callista slightly blushed. She then told them about all that had happened: about the Nightsisters, giving birth to Hope, the attack on the prison, Katharss capturing Luke and Kirana Ti. The only part she left out was Kara's vision and the dream she had experienced last night. It was probably best not to tell that to them just yet.
"Nightsisters," Han said, a look of anger crossing his face. Luke had told Callista of Han's first encounter with the evil women years ago.
"Their numbers are stronger than ever," Callista said. "I think they're planning an attack on Singing Mountain very soon."
Leia nodded. "Then we'll just have to stop them."
Callista sighed. "Easier said than done," she said. "And they have Luke as well. They may use him as a hostage."
"Then why the hell are we just standing here?" Han demanded. "Let's go find the Nightsisters and kick their wrinkly old a--"
Teneniel interrupted. "I have spies searching the forest for the Nightsisters' camp. From what we've learned so far, their leader, Gabriela, was killed in the attack on our prison, and her second-in-command, Anya, is now in charge. If I know her, she's right now planning for an attack."
Callista took a deep breath, trying to form some type of plan. She wanted so much to have Luke at her side again; he would know what to do. But he wasn't here, so *she* was now in command; and she would have to do her part well. She locked eyes with Augwynne. "How many Sisters do you have at your disposal? Enough to fend off an attack?"
Augwynne's eyes did the answering for her. The old woman looked everyone gathered in the room. "Not enough to defeat the Nightsisters," she said. "We lost a good deal of our warriors in the previous battle. My best guess is around fifty or so Sisters left." She wringed her hands together. "We cannot just sit here and wait for the Nightsisters to come to us. So we'll have to go to *them." She fixed her gaze on Teneniel. "Teneniel will lead our forces to the Nightsister camp. We have a pretty good idea where they are. And if they don't know we're coming...then we will be victorious. It is a dangerous risk, but one we must carry out if we are to survive this."
"I'm going with you," Callista said immediately. "I'm going to do everything in my power to save my husband."
Augwynne turned to face Han and Leia. "We could use some more help. Are you willing to accompany us?"
Han grinned. "You bet we are."
Leia nodded. "We're with you to the end."
"Then we have no time to lose," Augwynne said, her eyes hardening with determination. "Teneniel, gather our Sisters at the main gate. If the Nightsisters want a fight to the death, then we'll give them one."
Just then, the door to the war room burst open. The group turned to see Tenel Ka come in, a proud smile on her face, dragging behind her--
"ANAKIN?!" Leia cried out, her voice reverberating in the chamber, like a pair of cymbals smashing together.
Anakin smiled weakly and waved at his parents. "Hi," was all he said.
Teneniel went over to the two children. "Tenel Ka, what are you doing?"
Tenel Ka grabbed Anakin by the hand. "Everyone...this is Anakin Solo. He's my new husband."

Callista led Han and Leia to the room where Hope was napping.
Or had been napping, really. Now she was laying on her back, playing with her toes. Callista smiled in spite of herself and picked her up. She clutched the baby to her breast and turned to her in-laws.
"Han, Leia, I'd like you to meet Hope Mingla Skywalker."
Leia adopted the Universal by-the-Force-what-a-little-angel face and lifted her niece from Callista's arms.
"Oh, my..." she brought Hope to her face and kissed her flat little baby nose. "Hello, there, precious. I'm your Aunt Leia." She handed Hope to Han, who was immeadiately captivated by the little being. He sat down, holding her in front of him, and let her play with his face. Leia smiled and turned back to Callista.
"Callie, you've got to promise me more of these. I hope you have enough in stock."
Callista laughed. "I'll have to check with the supplier." Her smile faded slowly as she added in her mind, If we find him.
 Leia must have heard her because she reached for Callista and pulled her into a comforting hug. "We will, sweetheart. Don't worry. We will."
Han handed Hope back to Callista, and she held the baby on her hip. For a brief, terrifying moment, she had a vision of raising Hope as a single mother, with the child never knowing the father that had loved her so much.
Even more frightening was the thought that Hope would be raised an orphan, never knowing either of her true parents.
She physically shook her head to rid the thoughts from her mind, and looked at Han and Leia.
"We should probably get started. But first, I have to talk to Kyp. I'll be back."

Kyp lay on his cot, along in the room he'd been sharing with Corran Horn. He heard a knock at the door, and gestured with his hand for it to open.
It did, and Callista walked in, cradling Hope in her arms.
"Hey, Callista." Kyp said, mild concern tracing the edges of his voice. "Are you okay?"
His master's wife gingerly tucked unruly hair behind her ear. "I need a favor.
"Shoot."
She didn't say anything for a minute, but then she said, "I need you to watch out for Hope."
"You mean, during the battle?"
Blast. He'd wanted to fight.
Callista nodded. "Yes, and then.." she paused for a moment to collect herself. "...if Luke and I don't make it back. Right now, I don't think we will."
Kyp's heart leapt into his throat. "Your dream?"
Callista nodded as if her head was heavier than Dathomir itself. "It's going to happen, Kyp. Whether or not Luke and I will actually die, I don't know. But I don't want Hope to be left with nowhere to go if we can't be here to take care of her." Her gray eyes met Kyp's black. "Will you do that for me?"
Kyp sighed and licked his lips. Finally, he nodded. "Yes. You have my word, Callista."
Callista smiled wanly, and reached over and hugged him with her free arm.
"Thank you, Kyp."

Katharss stood over the frightened Ssekhmet, relishing the moment. His claws reached forth and grabbed Heless by the throat, not quite choking her, but still holding her in a powerful grip. "You know what I want, my dear," Katharss growled. "The child you carry insssssssside. I musssst have it."
Heless tried to mask the terror she felt by putting on a brave face. She glared at the other, one hand going protectively to her stomach. "Never, you sssssssssssadisssssstic basssssssssssstard! I would rather die."
Katharss shrugged, and for one brief moment, Heless could see genuine regret in his dark eyes. "It isssssss a pity. We could have been ssssssssso happy together." His eyes suddenly hardened, no trace of emotion left. "If it issssssssssss death you wish, then ssssssssssssssso be it!"
Katharss was unprepared for Heless's next move. Her long tail came up like a whip, slapping Katharss sharply across the face. She felt something crack--allowing herself a short moment of pleasure--and Katharss stumbled against the rock wall, hissing in pain.
Heless struggled to her feet and saw the other battle that was taking place. Emna now had Kirana Ti in an armlock, strangling the air out of her. The warrior woman was badly hurt, and stood no chance against the Nightsister. Heless would have to help her.
She ran forth to do just that, but Katharss had recovered far too quickly. He barred Heless's path and hit her squarely in the jaw. A punch to the gut sucked the air out of her body, causing the fetus inside her to jar inside its tiny home violently. Heless doubled over in pain, bile rising in her throat.
Katharss growled and grabbed Heless by one arm, swinging around to throw her down. But Heless's balance was good, and she easily regained her footing. When she turned around, Katharss's tail smacked right into her head, and this time she did fall down.
With his prey now down, Katharss's claws snatched Heless by the throat. His sour breath felt hot and unwelcome on her face.
"Give me the child!" Katharss shrieked, tightening his grip on her. "GIVE IT TO ME!!!"
Behind her, Heless heard a shriek as Emna was thrown across the room. The scream was cut short as the young Nightsister slammed into the opposite wall. The distraction was enough for Heless to tear herself free from Katharss' ravaging claws. She backpedaled several steps before crouching on all four paws, preparing to pounce. "Thissssssss endsssssss here, Katharsssssss." She hissed through gritted teeth.
The warrior woman Kirana Ti limped to her side, gasping weakly for air and lifted her lightsaber in a challenge to Katharss.
Katharss only laughed. "You think you can defeat me, you foolssssssss? I am ten timessssss sssssssstronger than the two of you together!"
As he said it, he pounced upon Kirana Ti, crumbling her to the floor, pinning her with such evil ferocity that Heless heard her rib cage snap along the sternum. Kirana Ti screamed, then fell silent as she lost consciousness.
Or died; Heless couldn't tell.
"Now, my dear Helessssssss, where were we?" Katharss inquired as he stepped off the Dathomir woman and faced his former mate. "Are we going to have to do this the hard way?"
"Not if I have anything to say about it."
It was a new voice.
Heless turned to see a tall man with sandy-blond hair standing ten feet away, green fire ablaze in his hand. He gestured to Kirana Ti. "Kirana, get up."
As if by magic, the woman awoke and obeyed. She too, ignighted violet flame in her fingers, and inched closer to Katharss. "Excellent timing, Master Skywalker."
Luke jerked his head to the side, never tearing his eyes from the embodiment of evil before him. "Well, you know me."
Katharss lunged with a scream of challenge, and Luke met him in mid- air. The two hacked at each other: Katharss indiscriminate and frantic; Luke cool, calm and calculating. Red and blue blood flowed like wine, mixing in shimmering pools that splashed as the two combatants landed. Kirana Ti and Heless ran to help him, and when Katharss realized that he was outnumbered three to one, he leapt over Luke's head and disappeared into the night.
Heless was about to take off after him when Luke admonished, "Let him go. He'll be back." He shut off his lightsaber and sank to his knees in fatigue, wiping sweat-soaked hair out of his eyes. "How did you escape?" Kirana Ti whispered, kneeling in front of him.
Luke twisted his neck, popping free any cricks. "Let's just say the guard didn't graduate at the top of her class."
In the corner, Arian groaned. Kirana Ti exhaled and ran to her daughter's side, gently rubbing her arm and coaxing her to wakefulness. Her big eyes opened, and her hand reached up to touch the long-dried blood that had run down her face.
"Mama?" she asked in a whimepring voice.
"I'm right here, my child," Kirana Ti said gently, gathering the girl into her arms and rocking her back and forth.
Luke looked around, at the Nightsisters who were just beginning to realize that something was amiss. They crowded the front of the hut, whispering among themselves. Two of them came forward and bound Luke's wrists with whuffa hide. Three crept up to Heless and threw a lasso around her thick neck. She roared in anger, but was too weak to effectively fight them off.
"Caught again," Luke mumbled below his breath, and didn't resist as they lead him away.

Tenel Ka re-entered the room, drawing the attention back to herself.
"I said, that this boy is now my husband."
Leia's mouth dropped open in shock. She stood there for a moment, gaping, as she digested what the young girl had just said. Her breath came in small gasps. She realised that she was on the verge of hyperventilating, and paused, trying to regulate her breath.
She could hear her husband laughing in the background and she turned to glare at him. This was no laughing matter, but it was typical Han to find something like this amusing. She made a mental note to have a talk with him sometime soon on what was, and what wasn't appropriate behavior for their children. This most defiately WASN'T appropriate behaviour.
She turned to her son, on the verge of giving him a piece of her mind when she noticed his eyes. The big beautiful pools of blue that she loved so much were filled with tears, both of terror, and of sorrow. She leant down and hels out her arms, Anakin flying into them.
"There's no need to worry, my sweet son," she said soothingly. "You won't be marrying this girl, I promise you." Anakin looked up at her, the tears still sparkling in his eyes.
"Promise, Mama?"
"We both promise, Anakin." Han intervened, seeing that this would get nowhere in a hurry unless the child had reassurance from both of them. At his words, Anakin smiled, pulling away from them.
"Thanks Mom, thanks Dad. I'm going to talk to Hope, 'kay?" Before the stunned parents could answer, he skipped off through a doorway. They turned to the young girl who had claimed Anakin her husband and saw she had a highly disapproving look on her face.
"Do you have any idea who I am?" she asked.
Anakin was excited. For all of their conversations, he had never seen his cousin in person, and he was curious as to what she looked like. He couldn't wait to see her, they would have so many things to do together. He knew she was little now, but babies always got bigger...
He stopped short in front of one room, and smiled. This was it. This was the room, he was sure. This was the room Hope was in...
He gently pushed open the door, and saw that not only was Hope in the room, but she was not alone. He looked down, shy, and spoke softly.
"I'm sorry, Aunt Callista, Kyp...I just wasnted to say hello to my cousin if that was all right?" His Aunt smiled softly at him.
"I don't know, Anakin. I think Hope is kind of tired at the moment." As she spoke, however, her daughter decided to input her own opinion.
"A bah Ana-ka."
Callista and Kyp jumped.
"Did you hear--" She asked.
"--The baby just say Anakin?"
"I need to sit down." She muttered, looking down at her tiny daughter.
"I can tell already, my dear, that you are going to be a handful." She turned to Anakin. "Well, I guess she wants to see you." Anakin took one step forward, hesitantly, then another.
"Hi, Hope." He whispered, taking his first glance at his cousin.
As his eyes met hers for the first time he felt something inside him just click...it was as though something that had been missing for all of his three years was finally given to him, and now nothing in the universe would be able to harm either of them. He vaguelly heard Kyp and Callista gasp, but he ignored it. All he wanted to think about was this nice warm feeling...
But it didn't stay nice and warm for long. Soon the power became greater and greater, before it overwhelmed him. He felt his connection to Hope snap, and suddenly he was so very, very tired...
As he fell asleep he heard, at the very edge of his consciousness, his Aunt Callista whisper to Kyp.
"I've never seen such a strong concentration in two people before. The children were actually glowing..."
"I know." Kyp whispered back. "If they react like this whenever they see each other, we're going to have to be very careful. Perhaps even keep them apart." Anakin wanted to fight back, to tell them it was only this one time, but he couldn't seem to move. Soon he fell asleep altogether.

Anya entered the cave at that moment, gazing at the small group of escapees. When her eyes rested upon Skywalker, she smiled. "Nice try, Jedi Master," she said, watching as her warriors tied them up. "But you have underestimated the Nightsisters--again. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Luke was not deterred. "Even if you kill me, Anya," he shot back, "the Sisters of the Singing Mountain Clan will continue to fight. You're going to lose this war; there's no doubt about that. The dark side can never triumph over the light. Why can't you end this before hundreds of innocent people die?"
Anya chuckled and shook her head. Did this naive little fool obviously think he could sway her with his empty words? "You think you're so powrful, don't you, Skywalker?" She inched closer to the Jedi Master, Gabriela's lightsaber nearly touching his chin. "Well, you won't be once we've destroyed the Singing Mountain Clan--and your wife."
Anger passed through the man's eyes, but he quickly concealed it. "I won't let that happen," he said.
Anya looked at him, amused. "Those are interesting words coming from someone in your position."
"Anya, you can't win this."
The Nightsister rose up to the challenge and leaned against his ear. "We'll see, Skywalker," she whispered. "We'll see."
She backed away and turned to Emna. "Take them away. And meet me out in the forest. The attack begins now."

Calllista lay back on her pillow. It had been hours since Anakin had returned with the girl Tenel Ka, his new "wife." Still, Callista couldn't help but repeat that progression of words in her mind. Her daughter had spoken.
The bond she'd seen between Hope and Anakin was something she'd never seen. Not between brother and sister, husband and wife, nor parent and child, Jedi or otherwise.
It was something, to her knowledge, never before seen.
Deep inside her, she wondered what it meant.
A quiet but insistent rapping at her door turned her thoughts from the mysteries of the Force. Drawing her robe close around her thinning figure, she padded barefoot to the door and opened it.
It was Teneniel Djo.
"Teneniel, what is it?"
Teneniel took a deep breath, staring into Callista's eyes intently. "I'm sorry, Callista, but," she paused again. "It's time."

Dawn had now approached, the barest hints of sunlight pentrating the deep blackness in the sky. Far off in the distance, the roars of a pack of rancors cut through the silence, sending a small shiver down Anya's spine. A cool breeze flew past her, slapping at her hair and cloak. Over a hundred torches flickered in the darkness like a group of stars going nova, as the Nightsisters gathered together for the battle.
Anya smiled. At last, it was time.
She surveyed the sight; at least two hundred Nightsisters stood ready. A dozen of them--her most powerful warriors--rode on rancors, while the remaining either stood on foot or mounted on sopfhas. Their black cloaks nearly shielded them from sight, and Anya had to squint to get a good look at them. All the years, all the training, all the planning, all the killing and pillaging of villages would finally pay off today when they attack Singing Mountain. Anya could smell victory in the air, wishing that Gabriela was here to see this.
"My Sisters," she said, "it has finally come. The hammer blow that will shatter the clans of Dathomir. We have prepared for this for a long time, and we will finally have our revenge. Gabriela has trained you all well; she was a shining pillar os strength, and her death shall finally be avenged."
The Nightsisters remained deathly still, but she could feel the excitement thick in the air. They were looking forward to this fight every bit as much as she did.
"This will not be an easy victory, however. The Sisters of the Singing Mountain Clan are very powerful. They have beaten us before in the past." She paused, images of Gabriela's death at the prison plaguing her mind.
"But not this time. Now, our numbers are stronger than ever, our powers greater. Skywalker said that the dark side can never win, but he is wrong. For it was the dark side that destroyed the Old Republic. It was the dark side that obliterated the Jedi Order. It was the dark side that gave us victory at the prison. It has happened before, and it will happen again!"
The Nightsisters cheered to those words, raising their torches high into the air. Anya waited for them to quiet down before continuing.
With Skywalker and his student Kirana Ti in our grasp, we already have the Singing Mountain Clan at a disadvantage; without the Jedi Master, they have fewer defenses against us. I plan on bringing them along for the ride so they witness the deaths of those they hold dear to their hearts."
At that, she glanced over at the dozens of caged wagons that contained the prisoners: Skywalker himself, Kirana Ti, her daughter Arian, Heless, and the surviving villagers of Chursa Orna and various other villages. She locked eyes with the Jedi Master for a brief second, giving him her proudest grin.
"I know you will all do your best to win this battle. I have trained you well. Gabriela has trained you well. There is no reason for us to lose. With the dark side as our greatest weapon, they will stand no chance against us."
Anya drew herself to her fullest height, activating Gabriela's lightsaber. "Now we must go. Remember all that you have been taught, my Sisters, and we will emerge victorious. The fate of Dathomir is now in our hands. Once the Singing Mountain Clan has been destroyed, the rest shall be easy. The moment we have been waiting for since Getherzerion has now arrived. And we will NOT FAIL. TO VICTORY, MY SISTERS!"
The Nightsisters raised their torches again, their response like a loud burst of thunder. "TO VICTORY! TO VICTORY! TO VICTORY! TO VICTORY!"
Then, without further ceremony, with Anya astride on her rancor and her lightsaber guiding them, she led her army of Nightsisters to victory.

Callista woke Anakin and asked him to go sit with Hope while she got ready. Then she followed Teneniel to the armory.
The walls were jammed with menacing looking weapons--maces, spears, and some who's purposes Callista could only guess and hope she wouldn't be on the recieving end.
"You need armor," Teneniel said. "We have several lizard-hide suits that you can choose from." She stopped in front of a large closet and pulled the wide doors open. Inside were nine or ten suits that mimicked the design of those she'd seen on Augwynne, Kirana Ti, and Teneniel. "Teneniel looked Callista up and down, then turned back to the armor and selected one, colored in black. The shoulder guards were bright red, and the helmet was too. She handed them to Callista. "Put these on."
Callista shucked out of her tunic and pants, and quickly donned the armor. The pebbly lizard skin was cold on her flesh, sending chills up her spine. She rolled her hair into a tight bun and slid the helmet over her head. Teneniel handed her a pair of boots, which she also put on. As a finishing touch, Callista attached her lightsaber to her belt. Then she turned to Teneniel. "I'm ready."
Teneniel nodded. "Then let's go."
"Wait," Callista whispered. "I'd like to...say good-bye to my daughter before we leave."
Teneniel nodded. "I understand. But you must hurry."
Callista nodded back. "I will."

Kyp waited outside, and Anakin went back to bed.
That left Callista alone with her daughter.
All the while, images flashed in her mind:
Kara, when she was born, as tiny and fragile as a leaf.
Kara, just before the hospital had been attacked.
Kara, grinning evilly behind Tionne's face as she prepared to kill Luke.
Kara, falling dead to the stone floor after Kyp Durron killed her.
The man that had killed her first daughter was now entrusted with the future of her second.
That was not what worried Callista.
What worried Callista was the fear of history repeating itself, of Hope choosing evil over good.
Of Hope becoming her sister.
Callista shuddered, and pulled the baby closer to her lizard-skin armor.
"Hope, my little darling, I...wish that I could explain to you why people must die for others to live, but...I'm still trying to figure that out myself. Maybe it's because those that die know that their memories will live through the people they saved."
Callista swallowed, choking back her tears.
"I'm sorry that you had to be in the middle of this. This is not the future I wanted for you. But your daddy and I have duties, as Jedi. When you get older, you'll understand this. I pray that Kyp will teach you the truth of the Force, and the truth of those that serve it. It's a wonderful calling, and a terrible one at the same time."
Now her tears flowed, dripping down her chin and onto Hope's blanket. Was this what it was like for Luke's mother?
"Hope, your daddy and I love you so much. More than anything we want to be there with you as you experience life--not as a Jedi, but as a person- -taking your first step, learning everything there is to know...someday you'll be married, and we will be there, right by your side. You may not see us, but we'll be there.
"I don't want you to be sad about this. If there is any way that Daddy and I can get back you, we will take that way.
"There is one more thing I have to tell you. Don't give in to anger, or hate, or fear...it leads to the dark side. It leads to destruction. I don't want that for you, my little one. Never."
Callista hugged her baby closer, and kissed her twice--once for her, once for Luke. "And always remember how much we love you."

Sunlight had finally approached, washing away most of the night. All the warriors of the Singing Mountain Clan had gathered at the entrance gate to the village, preparing themselves for battle. Dozens of them, all draped in their lizard-hide armor and helmets, and armed with various weapons: spears, knives, clubs, and even a few worn-out blasters. Several rode on enormous rancors, while the rest traveled on either foot or sopfhas. Callista, Han, Leia, Kyp, Augwynne, Teneniel, Isolder, and Catalina quickly joined the group.
"I can sense the Nightsisters approaching," Kyp said, closing his eyes in concentration. "There's so many of them. More than what we have."
Callista only nodded. The lizard armor felt tight and uncomfortable on her skin, but she knew it was necessary. It would protect her from injuries far better than her regular clothes would. She donned on a helmet Teneniel gave her, now looking like a true warrior of Dathomir. Her lightsaber hung at her belt, her shoulder-length brown hair draped over her shoulders. She too could feel the evil that was coming, and it both excited and frightened her. She could also sense Luke, and the desperation her husband felt, the despair, the hoplessness of the situation. She could see him with Kirana Ti, Arian, and Heless, all of them trapped in a cage, and she wondered if she would ever see them again...
Her mind suddenly drifted back to Hope. She knew fully well that there was very little chance she would survive this battle. But death didn't scare her; what *did* scare her was the thought of her daughter growing up without ever knowing her parents. The very thought of it terrified her to the core. And then there was Kara's prophetic warning. She is coming... What did that mean? Who was coming?
"Is it just me, or is this suicide?"
Callista turned to see Corran Horn and Kam Solusar running over to join them; it was Corran who had spoken. She gave them a reassuring smile.
"How many Nightsisters are coming?" Kam asked with a slight tinge of concern in his voice, much to Callista's surprise. "I'm guessing around a hundred or so in all," Kyp said. "And we've got at least three dozen warriors on our side. I think it's safe to say that the odds of winning aren't too good."
Kyp must have seen the worried expression on Callista's face, for he reached over and gave her shoulder a brief squeeze. She smiled and grasped his hand, squeezing back, silently assuring him that she would be all right.
For some reason, the memory of Anakin's recent meeting with Hope came back to mind. Callista remembered the power she had felt, the mysterious connecting the two children seemed to have. And Hope had said Anakin's name, which was what surprised her most of all. Was this a good thing or not? Could this have something to do with the dreams she had been having?
"Well, it's now or never, Augwynne said.
"How long until the Nightsisters reach Singing Mountain?" Kyp asked the old woman.
Augwynne sighed, and Teneniel answered for her. "My best guess is an hour or two. The mountains are dangerous and nearly impassable, even for Nightsisters. We plan on meeting them halfway there."
Callista felt a cold chill run through her body. If what Teneniel said was true, the fighting would take place in the mountains. Images from her dreams returned; the mountains was where she and Luke would die...
Augwynne mounted on her rancor and spoke in a loud voice, addressing everything gathered at the gate. "The moment I have been dreading for is now here, my Sisters. The Nightsisters have finally decided to attack the Singing Mountain Clan. I cannot guarantee a victory, but I will promise a battle the Nightsisters will never forget. Anya wants Hope; she needs the child of Skywalker in order to defeat the various clans of Dathomir. And we cannot let that happen. We *must* stop them at all costs. But even if we lose, I can promise that we will not go down without taking many of them with us. You all know what lies ahead of us. Be prepared.
"And may the Force be with us."
They set off.
After endless hours of walking, the group finally reached the rendezvous point, deep within the ocean of mountains that rose over the Dathomirian forest. Callista could make out an entire encampment made up of warriors from various clans loyal to Singing Mountain. There must have been thousands of them, with half as many rancors and sopfhas. The witches had even erected a few dozen blaster cannons, encircling the entire camp.
Even though it was an impressive sight, Callista knew that it still paled in comparison to whatever the Nightsisters had. Modern technology, no matter how powerful and sophisticated, was no match for the dark side of the Force.
"There it is," Teneniel said, as she leaped off her rancor. "Over a thousand warriors strong. We'll need every soldier we can find."
"How many clans are helping?" Kam wondered.
"Just about everyone," Teneniel answered. "The Red Hills Clan, the Misty Falls Clan, the Burning Sun...every clan on Dathomir is against the Nightsisters taking over."
"We also have the Falcon," Han offered. "I called Chewie about an hour ago. He should be here. I told him to leave Jacen and Jaina with the others at Singing Mountain. They'll be safe there."
"Where are the Nightsisters?" Callista asked Teneniel.
Teneniel shut her eyes for a brief moment, scanning the mountainside.
"Two miles due east," she said, pointing with her staff.
They know where we are, and they're coming straight for us." She cast a worried glance at Callista. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"You're not the only one," Corran said.
"Well, you will all be safe once we are in the camp," Teneniel said in an unsuccessful attempt to comfort them. "We are wasting time even as we talk." She began to mount her rancor again, looking at Callista for one last time. "Anya is with them. She is coming."
Callista nodded, trying hard not to show her fear. "I know." Her voice trailed off so that her friend couldn't hear her.
"Yes...She is coming..."

Snow stretched over the boundless hills of Singing Mountain, blazing like a gargantuan mirror in the burning sun. The glare was bright, blinding all who beheld it.
The figures trudged through the snow, all black and looking like peppergrain in a sea of salt.
The Nightsisters.
Behind them they carried their prisoners, intending to sacrifice them to the war goddesses in hopes of a final victory against the witches.
Luke shielded his eyes against the glare of the snow, searching hopefully for any sign of his wife, the witches, anyone.
But no one was there.
Despair settled over Luke, and he began to wonder if the witches even knew when the Nightsisters were going to attack. If they didn't...
His thoughts were interrupted by the quiet sob of a woman behind him. Luke turned. She was a little younger than he, perhaps Callista's age. She cradled a tiny baby in her arms. Luke looked closer, and saw that the little being was shivering violently, too far gone to even cry.
Pain tore through him, fearing that the image would soon become all to familiar to him.
Gently, he took off his cloak and handed it to the woman. She looked up at him with a tear-stained, grubby face, and accepted the cloak as if it were made of gold.
"Thank you," she whispered in heavily accented Basic. She wrapped the little baby in the cloak, and began rubbing her hands over it to revive it.
Soon, the child started to cry.
To Luke, it was like music.
A war cry erupted from the front of the calvary, and Luke jerked his eyes to the vista ahead of them. A line of warriors stood atop the nearest hill, mounted on sophas and rancors.
The witches of Dathomir.
What came next was like an avalanche.
With Callista in the lead, mounted on a sopfha, she raised her ignited lightsaber into the grayish sky and shouted, "ATTACK!"
The army of women emitted a deafening war cry as they pushed themselves forward, charging like a pack of wolves toward the Nightsister encampment. Callista let out her own shriek as she led them to victory.
A powerful wind tore from the sky, pummeling the women with small rock shards and driving them back. Several Sisters went flying off their mounts at the sheer strength of the wind and were left to be trampled by their fellow witches. Callista's hair whipped across her face, and she realized that this wasn't a natural wind. The Nightsisters were trying to push them back.
Gritting her teeth, Callista pressed forth, yanking on the reins of her animal, until they broke free of the Force wind's power. More Sisters fell back, but the rest continued on, determined to reach their goal.
The Nightsisters, having realized that their plan wasn't working, rushed forth to engage them. Two of the black-cloaked women went over to a pair of blaster cannons mounted on either side of the camp and opened fire.
Callista cursed as a hail of laser bolts tore into the crowd of women, taking down several warriors. One of the bolts struck down her own sopfha, tossing Callista to the ground. She managed to turn her fall into a shoulder roll and was on her feet within seconds. When she got up, she saw the Nightsisters, all of them riding on sopfhas, coming their way.
The two armies then became one.
They smashed into each other like a pair of competing waves. The sound was deafening--a mix of warrior cries, squeals of sopfhas, clashing and clanging of weapons, the howl of the wind, and the ZAP ZAP ZAP of the laser cannons. There was barely any room to move as the women tore each other apart.
Callista slashed with her lightsaber, hitting a Nightsister full in the chest, knocking her off her mount. As she got to her hands and knees, Callista chopped down, slicing the woman's head in two.
The Sisters continued fighting in a massive tangle of bodies, sometimes even accidentally striking down their own companions. Teneniel swung her battle-ax into the ribs of another Nightsister, who tumbled off her sopfha and crashed into another Sister.
Corran, Kam, Leia, and Han kept close together, clearing a path with their lightsabers, with Han fired off his blasters. Callista ran over to join them, cutting through the ribs of a second Nightsister and smacking the hilt of her weapon into another.
"We need to get to Luke!" she shouted over the noise of battle.
"How the hell are we gonna get to him through this mob?" Han shouted back.
"We clear a path!"
Corran said as he jabbed his lightsaber through a Nightsister's back. She fell forth, and a few more blows from Corran hacked her into several pieces.
Callista flinched at the sight of the onslaught, as she led the group through the battle.
Callista!
 Luke pressed against the bars of the wagon, nervously viewing the battle not far away from the camp. The screams of the warrior women carried over to the Nightsister encampment, as deafening as the explosion of a star in Luke's ears. His heart pounded fiercely in his chest as he cried out Callista's name again in his mind.
"Thisssssssssss doesssssssssss not look good for usssssssssss," Heless said next to the Jedi Master, ruffling her fur. "The Nightsssssssissssstersssssss outnumber them at least ten to one."
"They'll make it," Luke said through clenched teeth, tightening his grip on the whuffa bars that trapped them inside this prison. "I know they will."
Heless suddenly groaned, one paw going to her stomach.
Kirana Ti ran over to her. "Are you all right? she asked. "Is the baby--"
"Yessssssss," the Ssekhmet said weakly. "It issssssss almosssssssssst time. But not yet."
"Just hang in there," Kirana Ti assured her, gathering her in her arms. "You are going to be all right."
Heless nodded weakly. "It hurtsssssssssssssssss," she gasped, hugging her stomach with both arms. But I can make it."
Outside, the battle grew fiercer as the Singing Mountain warriors pushed forth, driving the Nightsisters back. The snow was now red with the blood of dozens of women, their corpses littering the ground like discarded debris. Both sides fought on, evenly matched, but it wouldn't last for long. Slowly but surely, the Nightsisters were wearing them down.
Luke gripped the bars tighter, wishing that he could be there to help. But his lightsaber was gone, taken away by the Nightsisters. He considered using the Force to tear apart the bars, but his previous fight with Katharss had left him nearly drained, able to do nothing.
But he couldn't just sit here.
"It does not look good," Kirana Ti observed, fear and apprenhension evident in her eyes. "I'm scared, Momma," Arian said as she clung to her mother's side.
Kirana Ti held her daughter's hand tightly, giving her a reasurring smile.
"Callista needs my help," Luke said as he continued to watch the raging battle. He could feel her within the crowd as she fought the black- cloaked women, could taste her fear, her desperation...
And her dwindling hope.
Hope. Luke felt a pang of regret at the mention of his daughter's name. He had barely had a chance to be with his daughter. And now he probably never would. All the dreams he had had of raising his child with his wife, to see her change and grow, the future she could have had as a Jedi Knight...it all crumbled down around him.
He had never felt so helpless in all his life.
Suddenly, there was a flash of yellow light, and Luke fell back, taken by surprise. Black spots danced across his vision as Callista swung her lightsaber again, cleaving through the wooden bars.
"Luke, I'm here!" she shouted, freeing the group from their prison.
At that moment, two Nightsisters lunged from both sides. Callista spun, her foot catching the first woman firmly in the jaw. A double punch knocked the second out, and both women toppled to the ground like crashing pillars, out for the moment.
"Callista!" Luke could barely contain the joy he felt at seeing his wife again as he ran forth and hugged her as strongly as he could, wishing he couldn't let go. "By the Force, I thought I would never see you again!"
"Neither did I," she said, tears running down her cheeks. She broke their embrace, and looked at him with strong determination. "Now, we can fight together."
Kirana Ti led the villagers out of the wagon to safety, with Arian and Heless in tow. Callista started to follow them, but Luke grabbed her by the arm, stopping her.
"Callista, before we go...there's something I want to tell you," Luke said. He looked at his love squarely in the eyes, and a lump formed in his throat when he realized that this may be the last time he would ever see her. "No matter what happens...I won't leave you."
Callista's eyes hardened as she tried to bottle up the emotions that threatened to shatter. "Luke, nothing will happen to us. We will survive this battle. And we'll go back home to our daughter and become a family...together." The strength in her voice was incredible, and Luke knew that she meant every word she said.
Then, without warning...he kissed her.
They stood there together amongst the dead, the dying, and the fighting, locked together in an embrace. Everything around them disappeared for a brief moment, leaving only the two of them. Luke savored the moment, wishing that it didn't have to end, that it could go on like this forever. But he knew that it couldn't. If he wanted to see his Hope again, he had to fight.
And fight he would.
They broke away seconds later, and reality quickly returned.
Then, without another word to each other, they joined the fray.

Callista had never felt so alive before in her life. Her hair whipped around her in a a tangled mess as she fought, her eyes bloodshot and frenzied like a wild animal. She had fought in battles before, but never like this. Despite everything--despite Kara's vision of death, the fear she felt for herself and Luke, the fact that she may never see her beautiful daughter again, that she may very well die today--she felt a rush of adrenaline and excitement pump through her body. Perhaps spending time with the Singing Mountain Clan had paid off.
She felt like she was one of them. She was dressed in their traditional reptilian attire, had even covered her face with red war paint like the others, giving the illusion that her face was masked with blood. She fought with both her lightsaber and a Dathomirian staff, causing a lot of damage to anyone who stood in her way. She lost count of the number of Nightsisters--and perhaps even companions--she had killed, but she knew that the number was high.
With another slash, Callista brought down another Nightsister. More came at her from all sides, looking very much like birds of prey with their black cloaks. Moving like quicksilver, Callista hacked off the arm of one woman, sliced the legs off a third, and shoved her staff through another's gut, punching through flesh and bone until it came out through her back, puncturing her spine. Callista's teeth ground together in a fierce growl as she shoved the mortally wounded Nightsister away with a simple Force shove, leaving her to slowly die.
Deep within herself, Callista knew that she was perilously close to losing control. Djinn Altis had long ago taught her that a Jedi must never lose control of his or her feelings, for it would leave them vulnerable to the dark side. Callista recalled how her old Master had helped her against the Replica Droid on Yavin 4.
She wished he was here now.
Something sharp--it looked like a knife carved from rock--flew past Callista's ear, nearly striking it off, and she sidestepped to avoid the Nightsister's second blow. The hilt of her lightsaber smacked the woman in the jaw, sending her reeling. With a second blow, this time with the blade itself, Callista burst open the Nightsister's head, blood and brains spilling all over the snow. Some of it even flew into Callista's face.
It barely registered.
Nearby, Luke fought just as hard, his lips pursed tightly together as he fought side by side with Corran. He deflected a lightning attack from one Nightsister and decapitated her before she could begin a second attack. Callista could see the regret in his eyes at taking another life.
Corran cried out as a combined Force attack tore him off his feet, throwing him backfirst to the ground. He tried to get up, reaching for his lightsaber, when one of the Nightsisters brought her club down upon him with all her strength, smashing Corran's hand. There was a loud crunch as bones crushed under the pressure, and Corran screamed, which was barely heard under the rest of the noise. Unknowingly, he retrieved his weapon with the Force and sent it flying into the Nightsister's gut, drawing a gurgle of pain from the old woman as she fell back. Another came forth to assist her, and succumbed to Luke's lightsaber coming from behind.
Minutes passed, and Callista could see the battle slowly dying down. The Singing Mountain Clan was slowly losing, and they knew it. Over half of their number was already gone, and the rest were nearly ready to drop. Callista's eyes met with Teneniel's, and in that one look, both women knew what they had to do.
They retreated.
Teneniel blew the battle horn loud enough for everyone to hear. Within seconds, the remaining warriors began to leave the battle. Callista and Luke followed after them, cutting down any Nightsister who tried to stop them.
Something caught the corner of Callista's eye, and she turned to see one of the Nightsisters standing a few feet away, armed with a crossbow. She began aiming it at the two fleeing Jedi--
No. Something inside her told her what was going to happen. She couldn't explain it, but deep down, she knew.
The Nightsister found her target and fired...
The vision returned to her, more vivid than ever. Her and Luke, staked to the ground, near death, grasping hands one last time...
Time slowed as the arrow sailed through the air, moving with unstoppable speed, focusing on just one thing...
Forever...
 "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Callista screamed as she ran forth to stop it--
But it was too late.
The arrow came forth like a missile of death--
And struck Luke squarely in the chest.