Chapter 13

"Many centuries ago," Kieran began, sitting at the head of the circle of Kerash, with Callista and Sonya off to one side, as they listened, "around the time of Creation, a pantheon of gods reigned the universe. They were gods who represented good and light. Their leader, the most powerful god of all, was what the ancient Kerash--and we to this day--call 'Sheherhera'."
Callista tried pronouncing "Sheherhera" to herself, but found it almost impossible to do so. She wondered how these people were able to say it.
"For centuries, they ruled in the kingdom of Raximidaj," Kieran continued, the torchlight bathing his face in orange light, "watching over the people of Ansazi. The Anasazi nomads were the first of their creation, and they treasured them above all other beings in the universe. The nomads built shrines to the gods and worshipped them. Every year, they would hold a feast in honor of Sheherhera. It is a tradition the Kerash continued well into this century.
"But then...something went horribly wrong. Sheherhera's daughter, Arak, became corrupt. She became jealous of how the Anasazi revered her mother, and wished to be the leader of the pantheon. Darkness clouded her mind, and it grew worse when she threatened to kill her mother in front of all the other gods. Sheherhera hoped that Arak would listen to reason, and return to the light. But...that was not to be so."
Callista listened to the story, intrigued by the mythology of these simple people. In all her life, she had never thought of the existence of gods in the universe. Her God had always been the Force. The Jedi in her time certainly considered it blasphemy to even think of the concept of deities whose powers and mystery rivaled those of the Force. A thought suddenly occured to her as Kieran spun his intriguing tale.
What if the gods of this Sherherhera and the Force were...connected, somehow? She had a feeling she would soon find out.
"Arak may not have been as powerful as her mother," Kieran said ominously, "but her powers far surpassed those of the other gods, considering she was the firstborn daughter of their leader. Over the years, her influence slowly began spreading to the other gods. She corrupted many of them, turned them to her ways, and encouraged them to revolt. She planned to murder her mother and take her place as ruler of the pantheon, and of Anasazi.
"But Sheherhera knew...she knew. She called upon the spirit of the Shemra, the spirit of the first god of the pantheon. Shemra was the original creator of the universe, and of the pantheon. It has no form; it is not a man, nor a woman. No one--god or man--has ever seen it, but it always watches over all living creatures, even to this day. More powerful than even Sheherhera, she knew that she needed its strength in order to defeat the combined might of Arak and her minions.
"'O Mighty Shemra!' she cried out to the heavens. 'Grant me the strength I need to defeat my daughter, and ensure the survival of the pantheon!'"
Callista realized that she had been holding her breath. Slowly, she let it out, almost visualizing what Kieran was saying. She could see Sheherhera, magnificent in her white robes, standing amidst a tower of pillars in the heavenly world of Raximidaj, praying to Shemra. She could feel her desperation, her fear for the destruction of her fellow gods, her hope...
Hope...
"Shemra granted her and two other gods, her husband Corus and son Mairyus, the powers of the Trinity. When the three of them merged their powers together, it would grant them the ability to destroy Arak. For though Sheherhera was very powerful, it was difficult to kill a god, even for a fellow god. She couldn't do the deed alone.
"The gods met on the plains of Kindora. A great battle erupted, killing many on both sides, and laying waste to much of Kindora. In the end, only Arak, Sheherhera, Corus, and Mairyus remained.
"The three merged their powers, forming the Trinity foretold by the Shemra," Kieran continued. "Arak tried to fight them off, but they were too strong for her. They were not able to kill her, but rather managed to trap her in Raximidaj for all eternity, ensuring that she could never leave to rule over our universe. The entire world of Raximidaj was laid to waste, destroying all forms of life, and the Trinity was killed in the inferno. But...their goal had been reached. Arak could never leave Raximidaj.
"Until now."
The chamber grew even more quiet, as the Kerash rebels and Callista awaited the next segment of his tale with bated breath. Callista could hear her heart pulsating painfully in her ears.
"After the inferno, Arak vowed that on the next eclipse--which would take centuries to arrive--she would be freed from the prison of Raximidaj, and would rule over her mother's kingdom, as she had long ago promised. It has been centuries now, and still she is trapped in the vortex...but it will not last for long." Kieran took a moment to take a deep breath, and continued. "According to our village sorceror, the eclipse will occur within anotehr week. Armenia has the Trinity she needs to bring Arak back."
Callista nodded, thinking of Hope and Anakin. She knew from Armenia that they were the Bond. But who was the third...?
"Armenia is foolish," one rebel said. "She believes that Arak will truly reward her for releasing her from Raximidaj. But she will only be destroyed with the rest."
"So, where does the Angel of Light come into this?" asked Callista.
Kieran smiled. "The Prophecy says that at the time of Arak's resurrection, the Shemra will send an angel from the stars to help us in our fight against the goddess of pure evil. You. The old stone tablets mention the Angel of Light, who will bring the Calthazar needed to defeat Arak once and for all."
Calthazar...
"What does Calthazar mean?"
Kieran shrugged. "I do not know. It is an ancient Anasazi word, long lost to us. We were hoping that you would know what it was." The group remained silent for some time. "But I don't understand why she has lied to the people in Semaj," Callista suddenly said, in an attempt to break the unnerving quiet.
"In order to begin the Ritual of the Coming," the handsome Kerash leader explained, "the Bond must be baptized in the blood of the Innocent...the Unknowing. The High Priest, Tsin, chose the village of Semaj as the source of the blood. Only the council knows of Arak's upcoming ascension. The rest of the Semaj villagers do not. They must be unknowing--innocent--in order to Armenia to use their blood to baptize the Bond."
Kieran's words slowly started to sink in. Callista's breath shuddered. "She's going to butcher the entire village?" she said. Kieran nodded. "And that's where we come in. We must head over to Semaj as soon as possible and inform the villagers of Armenia's intent. If we can get there in time, their blood will be useless, and the Coming can not be performed...at least for now."
Or Armenia will just kill them for the fun of it, Callista thought bitterly, but she kept that to herself.
"We must go now," Kieran said as he began to rise. "The Kerash are no doubt on their way to Semaj to collect the blood."
The rebels arose from their seating positions and began heading through a tunnel in the back of the chamber, as silent as graves. Callista remained in the back of the group, still collecting together everything Kieran had told her--
When suddenly, she felt a strange feeling engulf her. Feelings raged through her body: desire, passion, an urge to go back to...
Sonya turned back to her, a torch in her wasted hands. "Fyorga?" she said.
Callista smiled, trying to snap out of it, and nodded. "I'll be there in a minute."
The old woman nodded and followed after her Kerash companions. Callista looked over her shoulder, to the stairs. Something inside her told her to leave the cave, to return to the surface of Anasazi. Someone was waiting for her, waiting... Without resisting, Callista went in the opposite direction of the rebels, who didn't even notice her leave, and headed up the stairs.
Xizor...I'm coming...

Xizor waited patiently in the hangar bay of the Fallen Moon. He smiled, as his pheromones stretched across the jungle landscape, and toward the hills. He knew Callista would sense his desire to see her again, and would soon be in his arms again. The Falleen smiled.
"I'm waiting for you, my pet," he whispered, as he headed back to his room, where he would wait for the Jedi woman. "I'm waiting..."

"Thanks for bailing us out back there, Teneniel," Jacen said as he, Jaina, and Teneniel Djo, Queen Mother of the entire Hapes Cluster, left the Rimdarian asteroid prison and toward her personal shuttle.
Teneniel nodded, and smiled down at the twins. "It took a lot of convincing, but after the Rimdarians learned that they had just arrested the children of the Republic's Chief of State--and that I was the Hapan Queen--they had no choice but to let you both off the hook." She watched as Jacen and Jaina headed up the ramp of the shuttle before following them. "Now, why exactly where you two so far away from home?"
"Haven't you heard?" Jaina said. "Xizor's back...and meaner than ever. He forced the people of Coruscant to evacuate, or else he would kill our cousin, Hope."
Teneniel nodded, pursing her lips together. "Yes...Isolder told me of the crisis on Coruscant shortly before he left Hapes. He took the entire Hapan fleet with him."
Jacen and Jaina exchanged huge, lopsided grins they had inherited from their father, then looked up at Teneniel. "With the Hapans on our side," Jaina said confidently, "we'll be sure to kick Xizor's sorry amphibian tail."
"Um...Jaina," Jacen said, nudging her brother with her elbow. "Xizor's a reptile...not an amphibian."
Jaina shrugged. "Yeah, whatever. Same difference."
Jacen sighed and flung her arms melodramatically in the air. "Why was I cursed with such a stupid sister?" he asked, to no one in particular.
Teneniel chuckled. "Now, children, no fighting." She continued talking as she headed into the cockpit. "With the crisis on Coruscant, I'm sure Leia would want to make sure you both are as safe as possible. So, I'll take you both to Dathomir with me and spend the night on Singing Mountain."
"Oh, great," Jaina muttered, remembering the last time she had visited Dathomir. It had almost gotten her entire family killed. "Do we have to--"
Jacen elbowed her in the arm, just hard enough to hurt, and interrupted, "We'd love to go to Dathomir, Teneniel. Thanks."
As Teneniel prepared to take off, Jaina glared at her brother. "What did you do that for?" she snapped. "You know how much I don't like that place. Remember what happened to Uncle Luke and Aunt Callista?"
"But that was a long time ago," Jacen pointed out. "The Nightsisters are gone. Besides...I've been wanting to meet Tenel Ka for quite some time."
Jaina sighed and rolled her eyes. Anakin had told them both about his meeting with Tenel Ka on Dathomir. The girl had captured him and claimed him as her new husband--much to the dismay of their mother (although their father had found it funny). She and Jacen had met the young warrior girl briefly, but didn't get enough time to get to know her, considering the repeated Nightsister attacks on the Singing Mountain Clan.
"Look, I hate to burst your bubble," she said plainly to Jacen, "but in case you forgot, we're busting out of here as soon as we land. We need to rescue our cousin and brother, remember?"
Jacen looked uneasy. "But, Jaina, we already tried it...and look what happened. We had to serve prison time. And meet big, scary-looking people. Plus, the food...Yuck!" He wrinkled his nose and gagged at the thought of eating cooked granite slugs and thorn mushrooms.
"That's because we weren't being careful," Jaina said. "We'll do better next time. Look...I can't just sit here, knowing that our family's out there, in danger. We have to do something."
"You do not have much time," a voice said from behind. Jacen and Jaina whirled around to see a small, red-haired girl emerge from the shadows, draped in a miniature green reptile suit. Her smoke-gray eyes-- the same color as Aunt Callista's--focused primarily on Jacen.
"Um...hi, Tenel Ka," Jacen said, slightly stammering. He tried to straighten out his unkempt hair, causing Jaina to snicker. Her brother was practically drooling over the warrior girl. "Greetings, Jacen," Tenel Ka said, then nodded at Jaina. "And Jaina." Jaina offered her a smile. "Nice to see you again, Tenel Ka. Sorry, we didn't know you were here..."
"I was practicing my stealth," Tenel Ka said. "Apparently, I was quiet successful." She twirled a meter long staff in one hand. "When I heard of your predicament in the Rimdarian System, I asked Mother if I could accompany her. Can't you Solo children ever stay out of trouble?"
Jaina grinned. "Trouble runs in our family."
"Yes, I see." Then she surprised them both by asking, "How is my husband doing?"
"Your...oh, you mean Anakin?"
Tenel Ka nodded. "Yes. How is he doing? Has he remained faithful to me?" Jacen slapped his forehead, and Jaina laughed.
"He's doing fine...okay, that's a lie. He's in trouble. Someone...kidnapped him and Hope."
Tenel Ka's eyes widened, one of the few times Jaina had ever seen her emote. She never quite understood why the warriors of Dathomir tried to mask their true feelings in front of foreigners.
"They stole my husband from me?" she said. "But...how? I captured him fair and square! Who are these ruffians, and where are they, so I can defeat them in fair combat?" "Um...I wish we knew," Jaina said. "We don't even know where to start looking."
"Oh, yeah, brilliant idea, Janey," her brother replied sarcastically. "Just a minute ago, you were saying, 'Hey, let's go save Annie and Hope. Yaaaaay!' and you don't even know where to begin looking. Boy, that's smart."
"Hey, at least I'm trying!" Jaina said. "Unlike some people here!"
"Enough," Tenel Ka rebuked, sounding like a scolding parent. "Fighting amongst ourselves will not get my husband back. If we are to find these people, we must let the Force flow through us." She paused. "Of course, once I find them, I will rip their arms off and stick them up their bottoms if they dare harm my poor husband." Jaina smiled. "Now you're talking." Tenel Ka's voice dropped to a whisper. "Wait until we arrive at Singing Mountain. Then we can plan our next move."
The shuttle streamed into hyperspace.

"Come on, this way!"
Llia panted as she pushed through the tangle of jungle gnarltrees, with Anakin and Hope not far behind, both worn to exhasution and almost ready to collapse. The early signs of morning were already in the sky, with reddish-orange fingers of sunlight streaming through the dark night sky.
"How long have we been running?" Anakin said between several breathless gasps. Sweat was streaming down his face, and into his eyes, almost blinding him.
"A few hours, I think," Hope said back, her throat parched. She had not had anything to drink in forever, it seemed. "Llia, how close are we to Semaj? Are we almost there?"
"I think so!" Llia replied, holding a branch aside so they could pass. "We should be there in another hour or so."
Hope groaned. "Another hour? I'll die before then!"
"Well, what would you rather do, munchkin?" Llia demanded. "Go back to the Kerash in that dark, smelly dungeon?"
Hope muttered something under her breath, and continued running. Keep thinking of Semaj, she told herself. And how you'll get to see Mommy again. And then you can have all the food and water you want. Just...keep...running...
 Hope cried out as she tripped over her own feet and hit the mud, scraping her knee. Great she thought. Just another owie to add to my list of owies. Force, why do you hate me so much? Anakin helped her up, and silently urged her to keep running. He clearly felt as miserable as she did, and yet he still had hope. Hope that they would finally be free of the Kerash, that maybe, after everything that had gone wrong, they might finally have a chance-
--which was quickly shattered when someone stepped in their way, blocking their path. Llia, Hope, and Anakin were literally knocked back in surprise, and all ended up on the ground. The Kerash had found them. His companions slowly emerged from all sides, trapping Hope and her friends in a black-cloaked circle of death. She recognized one of them as Armenia.
"So, you dare tried to escape from the Kerash?" Armenia said, half-amused, half-irritated. "Do you not appreciate our hospitality? Is that it?"
Hope was the first to stand. She glared at the taller woman. "Why do you have to be so mean to us?" she asked. "What have we ever done to you?"
"Mean?" Armenia seemed genuinely surprised. "We have never been mean to you. Cruel, yes. Merciless, yes. But never mean. I'm surprised you think such nasty thoughts."
She stepped out of the circle, bringing herself closer to the kids than Hope would have liked. "I am sorry you think of me in such a manner. But we need the Bond. And that happens to be you."
"Look, if it's me you want, then let Annie and Llia go," Hope begged. Anakin prepared to utter a protest, but she silenced him with her mind. "Let them live, at least...please..."
Armenia sighed, shaking her head. "Poor, foolish child. You see, Anakin is part of the Bond as well. He is every bit as essential to freeing Arak from Raximidaj as you. And as for Llia,"--she glared emerald knives at the ten- year-old as she said her name--"I will deal with her myself. She is long overdue for a purification...which I will personally administer." Hope's heart sank. She looked over at Llia with frightened eyes, and saw that the older girl was trying not to let her fear show. She wasn't even close to being successful. "Take them away," Armenia said.

Callista stopped when she reached the entrance to the Fallen Moon. Her eyes curiously noted the large hole in the ship's hull, near the hangar bay--Had been there an earlier battle while I was gone?--before turning to the ramp that had already been extended. As if Xizor knew she was coming...and waiting for her.
Callista sighed as she tried to collect herself. She knew what the Dark Prince of Black Sun was trying to do. Apparently, he was not willing to give her up, and would marry her, no matter what it took. And she couldn't resist.
My son...he killed my son... But to feel his arms around my body again, feel his lips caress my cheeks. I love him...
No! I love Luke! But I love Xizor as well...
Callista headed up the ramp, her decision made. She knew exactly where Xizor was waiting, and he reached his private quarters within ten minutes. The door had already been opened. Heaving a deep sigh of relief, she entered the bedroom.
And there, clad in his finest purple-red robes, was Xizor himself. The Falleen's back was turned to her, quietly humming a strange alien tune to himself. Callista pondered that for a minute, feeling some of his mental power over her soften. If she had had her lightsaber with her, she could have struck him down at that moment, and that would have been the end of that...
Xizor turned, not at all surprised to find her standing behind him. In one hand, he held two glasses, and a bottle of Corellian champagne in the other. His eyes met Callista's. "Hello, Callista," he said.
Callista smiled in return. "Hello, my love..."

The Galactic Voyager traveled through hyperspace, accompanied by both fleets of the Verpine and Barabel races. Convincing the Verpine and Barabel populations to join forces to end their war and fight Black Sun had taken much less effort than it had to convince the Hive Queen and King Mornoch. Apparently, both sides had grown sick and weary of the endless fighting, and were more than relieved to see the peace treaty signed by both leaders. The hard part was over.
All that was left now was to stop Black Sun. And for the first time, Leia felt that they truly had a chance. She felt Han's arm snake around her waist from behind, and she allowed a satisfied moan to leave her lips. "Feeling better?" Han asked.
Leia nodded as she looked around their spacious room. "Much better, thank you," she said, as she twisted her head to kiss him. "I actually managed to accomplish something. For the past few weeks, I have felt so...useless. And I'm supposed to be the leader of the New Republic!"
"It wasn't your fault," Han said. "There wasn't anything you could have done for Hope and Anakin. You fought the best you could."
Leia shook her head. "No, I didn't. At our apartment...when I was fighting Armenia...I froze. I had the perfect opportunity to kill her, and I didn't take it. I was just afraid to take another life." She shut her eyes as her mind replayed her words: the fear in Armenia's eyes, Leia's lightsaber as she prepared to strike her down..."You know how many times Luke has warned that anger leads to the dark side. And that's exactly what I was feeling when I was fighting her. And because I didn't have the stomach to kill her, our son was taken away from us."
There were tears in her eyes as she spoke. Han gently turned her around, so that she was facing him. "Don't you say that, Leia, because it's not true," he said, cupping her chin in his hand, wiping the tears that fell down her cheeks. "You did the right thing. I don't want you, or anyone else in our family, going to the dark side."
Through the tears, Leia managed to smile. "Hey, wasn't it you who once said that the Force was nothing more than a 'hokey religion'?"
Han chuckled, slightly embarrassed at the reminder. "Well...I've learned a lot more about it since then. And I know it's real. Because I see it in you. I see it in our kids. I see it in Luke, and C..." He stopped.
Leia nodded, and looked away. She knew why he had hesitated. "You're worried about Callista, aren't you?" she asked.
"Yeah," Han said. "I just...I mean, I'm also mad at her for what she said to us, but...she's still our family. And the last time we saw her, she was definitely certifiable."
Leia rested her head on his shoulder, longing the comfort of her husband. "I know. I hope she's all right, wherever she is right now."
"You know," he suddenly said, hands reaching up to touch her arms. "Why are we standing here, moping around? I mean, we just managed to do something no one could do for twenty years. We actually managed to stop the fighting between the Verpines and Barabels. We should be celebrating, not crying...you deserve it. You shouldn't be all worked up like this."
Leia smiled sadly, wishing it could be that easy. She kept thinking of Anakin, and Hope, and Callista...how they had all been taken away from her, spread to the farthest corners of the galaxy, where she could never find them. "I don't really feel like celebrating right now," she said. "Not without my family."
Han offered her a devious smile. "Well, I have something in mind."
"Really?" she said in an amused manner. "And what exactly are you planning, Han Solo?"
Han leaned in and whispered, sounding oh-so-seductive, "I'll give you a little hint. It involves taking our clothes off."
Leia gasped in mock-surprise, feeling a good deal of the tension go away at that moment. "Why, Han, you're not trying to seduce me, are you?" Han grinned--that famous, lopsided grin of his--and prepared to say something else, when a officer's voice erupted from the speaker in the ceiling.
"Madame President?" Leia groaned at the interruption.
"Yes?" "We have reached the Coruscant System, and are prepared to drop out of hyperspace."
"We're on our way," she said, and looked back at her husband, looking so handsome in his rugged state. "Looks like we'll have to continue this some other time." "Anything you say, Your Worship," Han replied. The two left their room and headed for the control bridge, hand in hand, feeling more jubilant and relaxed than they had in a long time.
They greeted the officers on the bridge, just as the starlines on the viewscreen reverted back into small white pinpricks of light in space. The Galactic Voyager and the Barabel/Verpine fleet left hyperspace, finally home--
--and fell straight into a nest of chaos. Leia gaped in horror as the mass of starships and wreckage gathered around the outer edge of the system: Mon Calamari cruisers, Corellian corvettes, and Hapan Battle Dragons--Isolder must have arrived, she realized--were being pushed back by a mighty fleet of bone-white Imperial Star Destroyers, which was alive of thousands of TIE fighters that hammered upon the Republic and Hapan battleships.
Turbolasers sailed through the black, airless realm of space, criss-crossed with laser fire from enemy and ally fighters. The Black Sun fleet.
"What the hell is going on?" Han said, almost shouting.
"Looks like we're about to find out," Leia said, pointing toward the destroyers. "If Xizor wants a fight to the death, then he's going to get one. Open fire!"

Cray was completely unprepared for what awaited her in the Coruscant System. No sooner was the Shapeshifter out of hyperspace did her eyes fell upon the massive orbital battle taking place far from the planet. "Looks like Xizor means business, now," she said to herself, gritting her teeth. She had hoped to find Skywalker amidst the Republic ships. Now, it looked like she never would.
Her single hand piloting the controls, Cray brought the Shapeshifter closer so she could view the heat of the battle. Star Destroyers--dozens of them-- were pummeling the Republic warships. TIE fighters launched from their bays to intercept the X-wings Y-wings the Republic had at their disposal.
Things look bad, Cray thought, just as she watched a third fleet come out of hyperspace. More Republic ships--including some of Barabel design, she recognized. Almost immediately, the new fleet fell upon the nest of Star Destroyers, adding their weapons fire. The odds seemed more even, now. And they were about to get better. Cray let out a whoop of challenge as the Shapeshifter barreled into the center of the fighting, blowing a TIE fighter into space dust. Its companions took notice of her ship and began firing, their laser blasts bouncing off the Shapeshifter's shields. "This is gonna be fun," she said with a grin.

A bright light surrounded Luke, so powerfully bright that it almost blinded him. He saw Callista's form emerge from the brilliance, her arms held out toward him, awaiting him. Luke ran for her, overcome by tremendous joy as he prepared to embrace her--
--and woke up. The light vanished, as did his beautiful wife. He looked around him and saw that he was lying on a large, grassy plateau, his hands bandaged up. His jumpsuit was wet, and as his eyes met the grayish-white sky, he realized that it had been raining a moment ago. And as he turned his head, he saw the Millennium Falcon, the ship Han had treasured for a good deal of his life, lying in ruins, smoke rising from the charred metal corpse. And in an instant, he remembered everything that had happened. The blood running from the palms of his hands, from where he had been crucified by the Nightsisters. The circle of fire. Callista bursting through the hungry flames, her arms bleeding. Her final words. I'm sorry Luke. I couldn't stop her...
Cilghal's large-eyed face hovered into view, startling him. "Welcome back, Master Skywalker," she said, and Luke could feel her relief.
"What happened?" he stammered, pushing himself up by his elbows, but the Calamarian gently set him back down.
"Stigmata," Cilghal explained. "Victims of crucifixion sometimes get it every once and a while. Their wounds open up, and bleed without warning. But I managed to stop most of the bleeding."
One flippered hand traced gently over one bandaged hand. "You're lucky the Nightsisters didn't plant the spikes in your wrists, or else..." She couldn't finish her sentence. Luke smiled and nodded. "Thank you," he whispered. "What happened to the Falcon?"
"It was Boba Fett," Cilghal said coldly, anger clear in her voice. "He planted an explosive in the Falcon's engines. The ship can be repaired, but until that happens, it will remain on Garkonis for quite some time. We tried using the Falcon's comm several times, but no one has responded." She hesitated, as if fearing that they would be stranded on Garkonis. "Fett...attacked Kyp and Tionne, but they'll be all right. They're resting right now." Luke sighed as the news sank in. He laid his head back on a ground, hissing in pain as the back of it struck a rock. "So, Leanna was right," he said. "Fett is here." He looked around, and saw that Leanna--as well as Kam and Kirana Ti--were gone. "Where is she?" "She went after Fett herself," Cilghal said. "I told Kam and Kirana Ti to go look for her. They should be back momentarily."
As if on cue, the two Jedi students returned to the Jrinjan Plateau, with Leanna in tow--who was dragging an unconscious Boba Fett behind her on a stun-leash. Luke immediately got up, despite Cilghal's protests.
"Go make sure Kyp and Tionne are protected," he commanded. The Calamarian nodded as she got her lightsaber out and rushed to the two Jedi, who were resting quietly on the ground. The other students in the area tensed, ready for the bounty hunter to attack. "Don't worry," Leanna said, grunting as she pulled the armored bounty hunter through the wet grass. "He's out. He won't hurt anyone...although he's as heavy as a wampa. I dragged him through practically the entire jungle. He'd better thank the Maker he's got all that armor on, or else..." She whistled.
"That's the famous Boba Fett?" one of the younger students said. "I wonder what he looks like under that mask." Leanna shook her head. "No, trust me, you don't want to see what he looks like. For your own good."
"Kam and I found them fighting in the jungle," Kirana Ti explained as she walked over to Luke. "Leanna Kai is quite a capable fighter."
Leanna grinned at the comment, as she rested Fett's inert form on the hull of the Falcon. Luke saw that her thigh had been badly burnt, and bruises covered her entire face. She gave him a grin that oozed with confidence. "I'll be fine, Skywalker," she assured him. "The women in my family are tough. How are you feeling?"
"Better," Luke said, as he eyed Boba Fett. "Much better now. Hopefully now, we'll get some answers about Xizor."
Luke strode over to Leanna and Fett, flanked by Kirana Ti and Kam, along with most of the rest of his students who were armed with their lightsabers. Luke himself was unarmed. He doubted that even Fett would be willing to tangle with over two-dozen Jedi. Leanna banged the top of his helmet with the butt of her rifle. "Hey, Sunshine! Time to wake up!" She gripped the helmet with both hands and yanked it rudely off his head. Fett groaned as he stirred awake, blinking. He looked around at the Jedi surrounding him, and finally at Luke.
"Well, if it isn't the legendary Luke Skywalker," he said. His voice sounded flat and dull, but Luke could sense that he was amused. "The last time I saw you, you were about to be fed to the Sarlacc on Tatooine."
The corners of Luke's mouth developed into a smile. "And the last time I saw you, you were fed to the Sarlacc." He leaned in closer to the bounty hunter, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I think you know why we're after you. Where is Xizor?"
"Haven't seen him in weeks," Fett replied. "The last time I saw him, I was in his headquarters on Coruscant, delivering that little bratty girl to him."
Bratty girl...
"You mean Hope?" Luke said, feeling his anger slightly surface.
Fett nodded. "Xizor promised me two million credits if I brought your daughter to him, alive. She would be used as a ransom, to force the New Republic to hand Coruscant over to Black Sun." He paused. "Did it work, by any chance?"
Luke glared at the bounty hunter. "Where is his headquarters at?"
Fett shrugged. "I forgot. It won't matter to you, anyways. If he succeeded in driving the Republic from Coruscant, he will have abandoned his base by now, and moved over to the Imperial Palace. It looks like the good guys have finally met their match."
"Don't you have any scruples at all, Fett?" Luke demanded, no longer angry, just regretful.
Luke sighed. "Why do you do this, Fett? What were you thinking, trying to help that madman? Do you honestly think he'll be a better ruler than my sister? And, to make things sure, you even knowingly risked my daughter's life! I just want to know...why you're so determined to put an end to the Republic."
"No reason," Fett said. "Neither Black Sun nor the New Republic mean anything to me. I am a bounty hunter, Skywalker, and I do what a bounty hunter does best. I get a bounty, I find it, I capture it, I deliver it, I get paid. That's all there is to it. I have nothing against the Republic at all. Had they offered me a bounty to find and capture Xizor, I would have accepted. It doesn't matter who I'm serving, just as long as I get paid. It's my job, Skywalker."
Luke released another sigh, the bounty hunter's words repeating in his head. Fett did have a point, he realized. He apparently could care less about the Republic's war with Black Sun. In the end, the only thing that mattered to him was the credits. He nodded and prepare to say something else--when a wave of coldness hit him. He staggered back, his breath leaving him, and he saw the other Jedi fall to their knees, their hands clutching their chests.
A battle.
He saw a battle in space. Exploding ships, screaming TIE fighters, the flash of laser fire--
--and then nothing. Luke tried to regain his breathing, and he weakly helped Cilghal to her feet. The other Jedi began staggering back up, all having felt the same thing.
Leanna stared at him curiously, having felt nothing at all. Boba Fett seemed amused. "What was that all about?" Leanna asked.
"Black Sun," Luke said between gasps. "Xizor sent his entire fleet to the Coruscant System. He plans to wipe out the Republic ships."
"We have to get to Coruscant," Kam said.
"But how?" Dorsk 81 asked. "The Falcon isn't repaired yet."
"Thanks to you-know-who," Leanna added, giving Fett a dirty look. Luke looked down at the bounty hunter, and an idea came to mind. "The Falcon may be damaged...but we still have a way off this planet." Everyone looked at him, obviously confused. Even Leanna.
"How, Master Skywalker?" asked Streen.
Luke grinned as he ignited his lightsaber and turned to Fett, the green- white blade just barely touching the Mandalorian mask. "Tell us where your ship is," he said.

"I have been waiting for you, Callista," Xizor said as he popped open the cork of the champagne bottle. He poured the thin red liquid into both glasses, and set them down on the crystal table. "It has been days since I have last seen you. With all these Kerash running around, I was worried that something horrible had happened to you."
Callista could practically taste the pheromones oozing from the Dark Prince. It surrounded her in an invisible haze, clouding her thoughts, her judgement, making her focus on only one thing: Xizor's incredible, muscular body, and how much she wanted to touch it. No! Don't even think of touching that Hutt slime! He killed my son...He killed my son...
Xizor's moved closer to Callista, closer than she liked, and traced his index claw over the cut on her forehead, from where Armenia had punched her in the arena. "You're hurt, my dear," he said, in a concerned voice. His orange-yellow eyes penetrated hers. "Are you all right?"
Callista nodded, and tried to smile, feigning innocence. "I'm fine, darling," she said. But not as fine as I'm gonna be once I'm done ripping your heart out...
 "That's good," the Falleen said, as he retrieved the two wine glasses from the table. He handed one to Callista, who accepted it, and held his high in the air. "To us...and the rise of the new Black Sun."
Callista lifted her glass, clinking it with Xizor's. "To us," she said, and sipped her drink. It tasted extremely sour and nasty on her tongue. She was not much of a wine-drinker; the last time she had drank it had been at her wedding, and she had not enjoyed it then. Xizor gulped down the wine, and nonchalantly tossed the empty glass against the wall, causing it to shatter.
"Now, what do you say we go lie down for a while? Have ourselves a little...fun?" Callista almost said yes. Her body desired it like nothing else in the galaxy. She looked at the Dark Prince from head to toe: his burning reptilian eyes--which still looked strangely sexy--the single black ponytail that ran down behind his bald head, his strong arms, his beautiful lips...
But her will fought back.
Don't do it! Don't sleep with the man who murdered your son! Think of Luke! Of Hope and Ben, of how Xizor hurt them all...
"Um...I have a headache," Callista blurted out, not sure of what else to say. It was a lousy lie, and they both knew it.
Xizor sighed and shook his head. "I'm disappointed," he said, in that smooth, gorgeous voice that turned Callista's legs into water. "Do you not trust me, Callista? Have I not been good to you?" He paused. "Are you still upset that I ordered to have your son killed? Do you still hold a grudge against me for that?"
Yes! Yes, as a matter of fact, I do, you rancor-kissing bastard! My son was innocent in this, and you took him away from me! I swear by the Force, once I'm no longer under your thrall, I'm going to...
"No," Callista replied, lowering her eyes.
"You're lying," Xizor pointed out, lifting her chin with his fingers, almost scratching her with his sharp claws. "I can always tell when someone is lying. I see anger in your eyes, pet. I can understand that, but you must forget about your child and move on with your life." Callista felt the tears start to come. She angrily pushed them back. She was not going to cry now, not in front of this horrible man. "I-I-I can't do that," she stuttered, and in her mind, she saw the knife go through her stomach again. "What you did...how can you expect me to just forget about it?"
Xizor let out a sigh--almost sounding angry--and let go of her chin. "Callista, when I was younger, I lost my entire family to the Imperials. They and two-thousand other Falleen on my homeworld were wiped out because Vader felt the planet needed to be 'sterilized'. Everyone I knew and loved-- my mother, my father, my uncle, my siblings--died needlessly and in agony."
Callista didn't answer, merely looking away. She almost felt a twinge of sympathy for the Dark Prince...which only lasted a moment.
"For a long time, it hurt," Xizor continued. "I blamed Vader for my loss, as you blame me now for killing your son. But after a while, I got over it. I learned that wallowing in it would do nothing for me. It would not bring my family back from the dead. Eventually, I forgot about them and continued on with my life. You should do the same, too."
Callista's tiny glimmer of sympathy for Xizor's loss went away immediately at those words. How dare he tell her to forget about what he had done to her son! She focused on Xizor's chest, and wished that her lightsaber was with her. In just five seconds, she could have easily sliced him in half... But she felt his allure wash over her again like a blanket, and her anger at him vanished. She looked away from his chest, and at his lips...
"You're right, darling," she whispered. "Ben's death was necessary. If we are to marry and have children of our own...I cannot carry Luke's child."
Xizor nodded, satisified, and kissed her gently on the forehead. Callista's body ached at the touch; she wanted more. She wanted to feel his tongue in her mouth again...then pushed the thought away with disgust.
"You and I are going to spend so many wonderful years together," Xizor said soothingly as his long, black tongue licked her ear, sending a tickling sensation through her head. "Victory is within our reach. At this moment, my fleet has arrived at Coruscant, tearing the Republic ships apart."
A silent alarm went off in Callista's head. The Republic! she thought, remembering the hundreds of ships leaving Coruscant when she and Cray had left for Anasazi. They're in danger--
She moaned as Xizor's hands wrapped around her stomach, lifting her shirt up as he caressed her bare skin. It was a strange, ecstatic feeling, and she immediately forgot about the Republic. She took Xizor's hands in hers, squeezing tightly. "That feels good," she whispered.
"You like it?" Xizor said, moving away from her ear, his tongue flicking out and rubbing alongside her cheek. "Because I have so much more to offer you. Things that your vaunted husband could never hope to give you..."
My son...He killed my son... Think of Luke...
"Yes!" Callista said, on the verge of screaming. "Show me what you can do, Xizor." Xizor grinned, as his tongue forced its way into Callista's mouth. Their hands intertwined, and her lips moved up to kiss him.
"I love you, Xizor," she whispered.
"Of course you do." Their lips joined...

Callista cheered as she caught the bolo-boll in mid-air with the Force, letting it dangle impressively in the air. A wave splashed into her, getting her bathing suit completely wet. "Nice catch!" Han said, also in the water, chuckling as Callista caused the bolo-ball to sway back and forth in the air by crooking her index finger to the left, then to the right. After a while, he asked, "Um...are you gonna throw it back anytime soon?"
"Oops, sorry!" Callista said over the roar of the beach waves, and sent the ball back toward Han with her mind. "Let's see if you can catch that!"
Han tried to leap into the air to retrieve, but he ended up slipping and crashing into the water, creating a large splash that disturbed several balloon-like fabool drifting in the air. The bolo-ball sailed high into the sky, and as Han got back up, it fell and bounced right off his head. Callista burst out laughing, as did Luke and Leia, who were talking amongst themselves on the sandy shore. Hope, and Anakin were busy building a sand castle together, while Chewie was showing Jacen, and Jaina a three-foot clamshell he had found in the ocean. Threepio and Artoo were strolling along the shore, with the golden protocol droid complaining about sand in his servomotors.
They were celebrating Hope's second life-day. She had chosen to go to the mostly-uninhabited world of Dantooine, and everyone was having a blast. Callista, in particular, was enjoying the beach. It had been so long since she had seen the ocean--since she had left Chad, at least--and she loved being amongst it again. Especially with her family.
"Okay, I think I've had enough playing bolo-ball for one day," Han said with an embarrassed smile, as he headed back to shore. Callista leaped into the water and swam, her eyes open so she could see what kinds of life-forms lived in Dantooine's salty waters. She saw a school of zebra-striped fish stream along, paying no heed to her as she swam. Pink, red, orange, and green plankton grew on the ocean ground, looking like an underwater rainbow.
After half an hour of swimming and meeting with the local flora and fauna of the Trg'chka Ocean, Callista left the water and returned to shore to rejoin her family. She saw that Leia was serving Alderaanian kuthka-cherry pie.
"Hungry, Callista?" she asked, handing her a slice of pie. "I hope you like it. I made it myself."
"Leia, cooking?" Han joked. "Now that's a scary thought." He laughed as his wife playfully punched him in the arm.
"For your information, I happen to be an expert in cooking," Leia protested. "It's just that with my job, and rarely ever being home, I have very little time to do anything that normal housewives do."
"Well, I'm sure it's delicious," Callista said, as she dug a spoonful of the pie and ate it. It tasted sweet--maybe a little too sweet for her, but still good.
"See? I'm still alive. So, it can't be too bad!"
"Gee, that's so sweet, Callista," Leia said, and the four adults laughed.
"Mommy! Mommy!" Hope shouted. "Come and look at the sand castle we built!" Callista hurried over to her daughter, and stopped to admire her talent for construction. The sand castle was almost an exact replica of the Great Temple on Yavin 4. "Very good work, Hope, my darling," she said as she hugged the little girl. "I'm very proud of you."
"Hey! I helped!" Anakin reminded her, holding up a shovel and pail in both hands as proof.
"Oh, yeah, he did help," Hope said reluctantly. "A little."
Anakin gave her a dirty look. Hope winked at him, and he laughed.
"Well, I'm proud of both of you," Callista said, as she added Anakin in her embrace. "You two are quite the team. And that's the highest compliment I can give." The two kids blushed, and smiled at each other. "Enjoying your life-day?" Callista asked as mother and daughter lovingly rubbed noses together.
Hope giggled and nodded. "This is the best life-day I've ever had!" she exclaimed. "Thanks, Mommy. You're the greatest." She paused. "And that's the highest...uh...c...what was that big word you used again?"
Callista smiled, and kissed her on the forehead. "Thank you, sweetheart."
"Hey, Annie! Hope!" Jaina shouted. "Come and take a look at this clamshell Chewie found! I think we just found this big, huge pearl!"
At the mention of finding treasure, Hope and Anakin squirmed free from Callista's arms and headed over to the Wookiee's amazing discovery. As she stood, she heard Luke whistle from behind. "That's pretty impressive," he said as he moved to stand beside her, gazing down at the sand castle. "Our daughter is turning out to be quite the genius." "Yes, she is," Callista faced him and gripped his hands. She pressed her nose to his and smiled, longing to kiss him. "It's so strange, my love. After all we've been through in the past year, it feels that my life is finally perfect."
"Perfect? How so?" He put his hands on her hip and pulled her closer.
Callista smiled. "Ghosts can't have all of this," She made a wide gesture that encompassed her entire family. "I'm free now, with my powers back. I'm married to the most wonderful man in the galaxy, and now I have a beautiful little girl. Life couldn't get any better for me."
"Oh, but it can." Luke smiled mischieviously. "You know, as soon as Hope was born, I wanted to have a boy next. A brother for her to play with, whenever Han and Leia's kids weren't around. Just think...then we'll blessed with a son and a daughter."
Callista liked the idea. She rested her head on her husband's shoulder, already contemplating names for their future son. "What would we name him?" she asked.
Luke thought about that for a moment. "How about...Ben?"
Callista's head came up, surprised at his choice. "Ben?" "Sure. The name of my master, the man who first introduced me to the Force. I think that'd be a perfect name for our boy."
Callista said the name over and over again in her mind. The more she thought about it, the more it began to seem right. "Yeah," she said. "I like it. Ben Skywalker...it'll be perfect." She wrapped her arms around Luke and hugged him, relishing every second of it. "Oh, Luke, I love you so much. You'll always be the perfect man for me."
"And you'll always be the perfect woman for me," Luke said. "You and no other." They kissed, and the beach seemed to disappear, Luke's final words echoing in Callista's mind before reality began to return.

You and no other...
The memory vanished, and Callista found herself back in Xizor's room, in the Fallen Moon. Her lips were just to touch the Dark Prince's. She could already feel his touch in her mouth, as if searching for something. Images flashed in her mind: of the guards shoving her brutally against the table, Xizor's evil smirk as he pointed toward her stomach, Callista's horrified wail as they prepared to take her son away from her. The knife returned again, and she felt the pain searing through her body, the unborn child's pitiful scream as it slowly died. Dimming, dimming, dimming...
NO!
You and no other...
At that moment, Callista found the strength she had been missing to fight back Xizor's allure, to push back any and all thoughts of her touching him. Her screams as Ben died repeated several times over in her mind, until she had completely drove back Xizor's influence--
And won. Xizor's lips were mere centimeters away from kissing her. He moaned in ecstasy, apparently unaware of any changes in Callista. "Oh, Callista," he said. "I have waited a long time for this..."
"So have I," Callista said, and struck. The Force smashed into Xizor's chest, quickly followed by the snapping of ribs. The Dark Prince was flung backwards and crashed onto the crystal table, smashing the champagne bottle with the impact, spilling red Corellian wine onto the carpeted floor. Callista spat out several times, and wiped her lips furiously with her sleeve, as if afraid that kissing Xizor would make her sick.
And in a way, it had.
"Force, that felt good," she said, loud enough for Xizor to hear.
The Dark Prince, groaning in pain, quickly got off the table and stood, glaring furiously at Callista. "What do you think you're doing?" he snapped. "Is this some kind of game?" Callista shook her head. "Nope. No game. Playtime is over for me, Xizor. No more kid gloves."
"But...how?" Xizor demanded. "I had you under my complete control."
Callista sighed. Somtimes, non-Force users just didn't get it. "I'm a Jedi Knight, Xizor, remember? It should be self-explanatory." Her voice then took on a more serious edge. "You butchered my son, and you kidnapped my daughter and nephew. Only one of us is going to leave the Fallen Moon alive, Xizor...and it's sure as hell is not going to be you." Xizor growled, rising to the challenge. "Are you threatening me?"
Callista sneered. "You're a smart guy, Xizor. You figure it out." Xizor glared, and was running toward her in an instant, moving like quicksilver. Callista knew that the Falleen were quick, agile fighters.
But Jedi were even faster.
Summoning the Force, Callista leaped high into the air, her head almost striking the ceiling, safely avoiding Xizor's lunge. She landed unharmed on her feet, right behind the towering Dark Prince, who had almost ran into the wall. Callista spun, just as Xizor did, and snapped a powerful kick to the abdomen, one of the most sensitive areas of a Falleen. Xizor felt the blow, and bent over in pain. She followed with a left jab to the mouth, then a right, spinning him around, and concluded with a kick to the center of the spine, knocking him against the wall, causing a painted portait of a Kerash priest to fall loose to the floor.
"You have no idea how much I'm enjoying this," Callista said as she threw another punch.
Xizor saw it coming, and pushed away from the wall, blocking the attack with one, muscular arm. "And now, I'm going to have my fun," he snarled.
He surprised Callista with a wall-shattering punch to the stomach, making her double over in pain. The blow left her unable to breathe for a precious few seconds, which Xizor followed with an uppercut that knocked her clean off her feet and landed her flat on the crystal table.
Xizor laughed, his Jedi opponent weakened, and surged towards her.