Chapter 14

Guri paced patiently across the platform overlooking the Imperial Palace control room. The enormous viewscreen displayed the space battle taking place at the edge of the Coruscant System in all its glory. Smaller monitors showed Black Sun pilots rushing to the palace bay, where squadrons of X-wing and Y-wing fighters lay unattended to. Guri smiled as she imagines the looks on the Republic fighter pilots faces as their own ships turned against them, hijacked by Black Sun.
The space battle was chaos. The Star Destroyers--constructed by former Imperial workers in the Core Systems--had formed a lethal triangle around the New Republic and Hapan ships, firing mercilessly with all their weapons. TIE fighters roared through space, colliding with the Republic fighters, making it almost impossible to determine who was ally and enemy. Guri focused on the viewscreen, feeling a surge of pride each time a Republic ship exploded, and growling in disapproval when a Black Sun ship was destroyed. So far, Black Sun had the advantage. Thanks to Xizor's implanted explosives, the number of Republic ships had been reduced by more than half. Now, it was up to their fleet to finish the job.
Suddenly, Guri saw an entire mass of ships come out of hyperspace, almost as large as the Black Sun fleet. New Republic reinforcements, she realized with dismay.
Even as she watched, the newly arrived fleet opened fire on the Star Destroyers. Guri tried to control her growing anxiety--even HRDs had the ability to feel emotions, fear being one of them-- by biting on her lower lip. So, the Republic had reinforcements. That meant nothing. Black Sun would still triumph over the weak New Republic.
As she watched the battle unfold before her eyes, she thought of Xizor. The Dark Prince should have been here himself, directing the battle. Too much was at risk here, and he was off gallivanting on some forgotten planet, making love to some weak human woman whose neck she could easily snap with only a fraction of her strength. She understood his decision to leave some of his clones on Anasazi, but to stay there and play around, when he had an entire empire to run? It disgusted her.
She had heard that clones tended to go crazy; such was the case with the clone Joruus C'baoth. Perhaps the same was happening with Xizor...
Her thoughts were interrupted by a nervous officer, who stammered, "Ma'am, we have an incoming transmission from the Galactic Voyager. It is the Chief of State, Leia Organa Solo."
Guri remembered the name. Xizor--the real Xizor--had foolishly tried to seduce, and had paid dearly for that. "Let's hear it," she said.
The officer nodded, and the image of the orbital battle was quickly replaced by the face of a beautiful woman, her long brown hair tied in a bun on top of her head, with several loose strands trickling down around her face. Guri recognized her as Organa Solo.
"Black Sun," the Chief of State said in an impressively calm but cold voice. "You cannot win this battle. You might be able to take Coruscant away from us temporarily, but it will never last. I am offering you two choices: either surrender and hand over Coruscant back to us...or fight, and die."
The officer looked up at Guri, unsure of what to do. "Should we reply, ma'am?" he asked.
Guri shook her head, unintimidated by the Chief of State's feeble threats. "Don't bother. Contact our fleet and tell them to focus all their firepower on the Galactic Voyager. When the Republic sees their leader go out in a blaze of fire, their morale will drop...and we'll move right in for the kill."
The officer nodded, and proceeded to do so. Guri smiled, and watched as the space battle returned to dominate the screen. So far, five Republic battleships and one Hapan Battle Dragon had been destroyed. They had managed to destroy only one Star Destroyer. The odds were definitely in the favor of Black Sun.

Leia sighed as no one replied to her message. She looked over at Han. "That figures," she said. "Black Sun isn't responding."
Han shrugged. "Guess they're just afraid to admit the truth."
Leia smiled, and turned back to the space battle. She nodded at her comm officer to establish contact with the Verpine and Barabel flagships. "Your Highness, King Mornoch...are you ready for this?"
"Yes, Madame President," the Hive Queen replied on her flagship, the Ooxinva. "My warriors are ready to fight to the death," Mornoch replied from the Dark Star. Leia nodded. "Then do it."
The Verpine wave of B-wing fighters were the first to go, all weapons blazing. In just under a second, a dozen TIE fighters exploded, followed by several more as the Verpine fighters pierced the heart of the battle. Mornoch's ships, mostly cylindrical Barabel gunships and Skipray blastboats, focused intently on the Star Destroyers.
"Raise our shields," Leia ordered. "And deploy our fighters."
"If I had the Falcon," Han muttered, "I would have been whooping some Black Sun butt right about now."
Leia smiled and wrapped her arm around his. "Don't worry about it, honey," she said. "We're doing just fine. In a few minutes, I'll be leading a contingent of soldiers that'll head for Imperial City. If Black Sun isn't willing to surrender Coruscant to us...then we'll just have to retake it from them right under their noses." She flashed her husband a confident grin. "You wanna come along...if you think you're up for it?"
Han grinned in return. "Hey, after a couple of years of sitting on my ass doing nothing, I'm ready for any kind of action."

Flanked by two of Mornoch's gunships, the Galactic Voyager headed closer to the battle. Its laser cannons spoke, targeting to two closest Star Destroyers from behind. Leia watched as the hyperdrive engines of one destroyer exploded in a fiery wave of white and yellow light. The flames started spreading throughout the Black Sun starship, melting away the hull. Its companion began whirling around, taken by surprise by this unexpected opponent.
Within seconds, the docking bay burst with TIE fighters, which opened fire on the Mon Calamari cruiser. Their lasers bounced harmlessly off the Galactic Voyager's shields. They were holding strong...for now, at least.
As the fighting continued, two more Star Destroyers approached the Galactic Voyager, their turbolasers streaking through space. Five more attacked it from the rear, while three fired from the right, completely trapping it. One of the flanking gunships exploded, causing a shudder throughout the Galactic Voyager. Several officers were thrown to the floor, Leia included. She cried out as the back of her head struck a console, sending a river of pain through her body. Han, who had been holding onto the railing, went over to help her up, his eyes wide with concern.
Leia nodded her thanks, and stared wide-eyed at the surrounding destroyers. "If they keep this up, they'll completely collapse our shields within seconds," she said. Suddenly, one of the destroyers blossomed into a burning ball, which spread across the entire viewscreen, nearly blinding Leia and everyone else in the Galactic Voyager. By the time the explosion had cleared, half a dozen Hapan Battle Dragons came in, driving back the circle of destroyers.
Isolder's voice came to life over the speakers. "Well, if it isn't the beautiful Leia Organa Solo," the Hapan prince greeted. "I heard that you needed help."
"Isolder, you slime!" Han exclaimed with a grin. "You came just in the nick of time." "Let's say we teach these Black Sun cronies a lesson in manners," Isolder said, as the Song of War fired upon another Star Destroyer.
"Madame President," the comm officer said. "I've received a transmission from a shuttle that has just arrived in the system. It's the Shapeshifter, and its pilot wishes to dock on the Galactic Voyager." Leia and Han shared the same look.
"The Shapeshifter?" Han said. "Isn't that Callista's--?"
"Yes, it is," Leia said quickly. She told the officer, "Ask the pilot for her identification." The officer nodded, and Leia waited impatiently for the response. On the viewscreen, the Song of War was being assaulted by a twin pair of Victory- class destroyers. "She says her name is Cray Mingla," the officer said.

The Slave IV was unable to carry all the Jedi students. Luke, Leanna, Kirana Ti, Kam, and three others had chosen to return to Coruscant on the bounty hunter ship, with Boba Fett as prisoner. The rest remained behind, and Luke had promised each and every one of them that they would return with help as soon as possible.
The Slave IV headed for the Coruscant System, the screen displaying the magnificent starlines of hyperspace. Luke sat in the pilot's seat, with Leanna as co-pilot. The others were in the rear bay, while Boba Fett was tied down to his own bed in his private quarters.
Conversation was light and minimal between the two, until Luke said, "You wanted to kill Boba Fett, didn't you? I could feel it when you brought him back to the Falcon." Leanna, having not said a single word for hours, heaved an irritated sigh. "Why do you Jedi always try to get in other people's business?" she snapped.
"It's what we're best at," Luke said jokingly. Then he grew serious. "Well, didn't you?"
Leanna nodded. "Yes, I did. I wanted to kill him more than anyone else in my life. The only reason I didn't was because I knew you needed him to tell you where Xizor was. But I still..." She stopped.
"What did Fett do to you?" Luke asked.
The woman was silent for a long time. "It's personal," she muttered. "I don't want to talk about it."
"It's your choice," Luke said. "But trust me when I say that you'll feel much better if you--"
The Slave IV came out of hyperspace, just as the proximity indicators shrieked in warning. Luke had barely adjusted to the lack of starlines when he saw the space battle erupting violently before them.
"What in the name of..." he gasped. Even Leanna looked surprised. The door to the cockpit slid open, and Kirana Ti strode in.
"Have we arrived yet, Master--" She stopped when she saw the viewscreen. "What is going on?"
Luke gritted his teeth as he sped the Slave IV toward the space battle. Already, he could see TIE fighters and interceptors heading in his direction. "Apparently, Xizor is through playing games with us..."

Callista's body froze as her back landed on top of the crystal table. She felt whatever fight she had had left leave her body in a rush. Pain burned in every part of her body, and the back of her shirt and pants quickly grew wet from the spilled champagne. Nevertheless, she forced herself to get up.
But Xizor was already there, towering over her like an enraged deity. He snatched her up by one arm, hard enough to almost to break the bone, and tossed her freely in the air with amazing strength.
Callista felt her body plummet, and she tried to control her fall with the Force, but her wounds were starting to take their toll on her, and prevented her from focusing. She smacked into the far wall, her forehead taking the most of the impact, and she slid down, sagging to the carpet, her limbs curled around her in a fetal position. She felt blood coming down her face, and her fingers unconsciously went up to her forehead. The impact had reopened her cut. She heard Xizor approach, and barely had any strength to get up.
The Dark Prince leered as he grabbed her by the hair and smashed her face into the wall, with enough power to crack the metal. Callista felt her nose open up, spilling blood, and she gasped as Xizor grabbed her by the throat.
"What's the matter, Callista?" Xizor taunted, lifting her high into the air as if she weighed less than a grain of sand. "I thought you were a Jedi Knight. Pardon me if I say that I'm not impressed with your fighting skills."
He slammed her against the wall again. She cried out--or rather, squeaked, since Xizor was choking her--as her back met with the hard metal. The Falleen tightened his grip. "If you're not going to marry me," he continued, "then I'm afraid you'll have to join your son in the land of the dead."
Callista's eyes went down, and saw a open area where she could strike. Xizor was still preoccupied with strangling her. She only had once chance. And she took it. Her knee shot up with the speed of a laser bolt, hitting Xizor right between the knees, with as much force as she could muster.
The Dark Prince groaned in pain and released his hold on her, causing her to collapse to her knees, relearning how to breathe. The Dark Prince staggered back, both hands going down to his crotch. Despite the pain in her nose, Callista managed a smile.
"How does that feel?" she said. She started getting up, prepared to deliver her next blow. But Xizor had recovered too quickly, and even as she started throwing a roundhouse blow for his head, he grabbed her neck and waist with both arms and lifted her in the air. He brought her up high over his head--
--and down upon his knee. Callista's back met the brunt of the blow, an avalanche of agony ripping through her spine. She had erected a Force shield around her seconds before Xizor had struck her with his knee, which was just enough to prevent him from snapping her spinal cord.
It did nothing to alleviate the pain, though. Even as she reeled, Xizor released her, shoving her nonchalantly to the ground. She rolled across the carpet and struck the table leg of the crystal table, stunned. Xizor laughed, taking immense joy with the pain he was causing.
"You can't win, Callista. No one can defeat the Dark Prince of Black Sun."
Callista stood on one foot, hissing at the pain it caused her. "No harm in trying, is there?" she shot back.
The Dark Prince shook his head in mock-disappointment. "You don't get it, do you? You can go ahead and kill if me if you want--and I doubt you'll be able to--it won't bring your son back. Because I killed him. I had that knife gut you open like a tauntaun and take your precious little baby away from you. And no matter what you do to me, you will never be able to avenge his death."
Callista felt a brief moment of fury at his words, but found the inner strength she needed to wash away those dark feelings. She had already had enough close calls with the dark side for one lifetime.
"That's where you're wrong, Xizor," she said, now standing on both feet, strengthened by her own resolve.
The Dark Prince chuckled. "Oh? Really?"
Callista nodded. "You see, this isn't just about revenge. A small part of it is, but there's more to it. This is about justice. You represent a threat to the New Republic and the galaxy. And as a Jedi Knight, I must do my duty...and defeat you once and for all."
With an incredible surge in the Force, she dashed toward the Dark Prince and tackled him. She smashed into Xizor so hard that they both were sent to the floor, with a very disoriented Falleen on top. Taking advantage of his weakened state, Callista brought her elbow up into his jaw, connecting nice and hard.
"That's for killing my son!" she said, following the elbow with a cuff that knocked out one of his fanged molars.
"That's for kidnapping my daughter!" A third punch sent a fresh spurt of blood flying out of the Dark Prince's nose.
"That's for slobbering me with your nasty lips!" She brought her foot up, planting it firmly on Xizor's ribs, and shoved upward with all her might, throwing the Dark Prince high over her head. He landed behind her, and Callista performed a backward somersault, landing her right on his belly, keeping him from moving. With her opponent immobile, she continued the pummeling, never letting her anger control her thoughts...and even enjoying it a little.
"This is for making me betray my family!"
WHAP!
"This is for even thinking of putting your hands on me!"
WHAP!
"This is for actually putting your hands on me! And this--"
She threw another punch, but Xizor, his face bleeding and bruised, managed to gain enough awareness to see the blow coming seconds before it hit, and grabbed her fist with one clawed hand, just inches away from his chin. As Callista struggled to break free from his grip, he threw her off him, sending her rolling to the floor. Both rose to their feet within seconds, and came at each other at once. They joined, and their combined momentum sent them flailing back to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs.
Callista ended up on Xizor's stomach again, and straddled her legs tightly against his ribs, holding him still. Callista smiled as she balled her hands into one gigantic fist and brought it smashing down toward Xizor's head, backed up by the Force, intending to shatter his skull right then and there.
But Xizor counterattacked with powerful reflexes, snatching her fist with both hands. With incredible strength, he managed to wrench her hands apart from each other, causing the fist to disappear, and shoved her back. She flew through the air and collided into the opposite wall. Callista landed in a crouch, one hand on the ground and the other outstretched to keep her balance, facing Xizor as he staggered clumsily to his feet. Her back hurt from the impact, but she tried to ignore it and came at the Dark Prince with renewed strength, intending to bring him back down again.
Xizor was more than ready for her this time. Just when she bore down on him he grabbed her by the waist and flipped her into the air, landing her none- too-gently on the crystal table. The table cracked under the pressure, and Callista slid off and hit the floor, temporarily stunned. As she rose, Xizor leaped onto the crystal table, glowering down at the Jedi woman.
"You've had your fun, Callista. Now, it's my turn."
Callista shook her head, her malt-brown hair a sweaty and tangled mess around her shoulders. "Oh, no, Xizor. My fun isn't over yet."
As she spoke, a glass vase, controlled by the Force, smashed into Xizor's side. It shattered, and small glass shards flew into Xizor's clothes and flesh, bringing forth a reptilian hiss of pain from the Dark Prince. Callista followed with a spin, and her foot kicked out through the air, colliding into Xizor's heels. His feet left the table, and he crashed. The entire table, already weakened from the fight, completely shattered, and the Dark Prince was sent to the floor, covered in crystal and glass pieces.
Callista reached out and grabbed him, intending to break his arm, but the Dark Prince--bleeding from over a dozen cuts on his body from where the glass had cut him--threw a backhand that struck Callista sharply in the face, knocking her back against the wall with a cry of surprise, bleeding from a fresh cut on her lip. She turned and saw the Dark Prince getting up. She had the advantage for now, but she knew she couldn't keep fighting him forever. She had to take him down, and fast--
That was when her eyes rested on the decorative sword hanging on a mantel near the bed. Immediately, an idea came to mind. She concentrated, focusing on the sword until it began levitating in the air. Slowly at first, and then faster as her grasp on it became stronger. Once it was completely in the air, she sent it twirling toward Xizor--
The Dark Prince must have heard it coming, for he spun and saw the sword coming at him, as if it had a life of its own. Emitting a curse in his native tongue, Xizor ducked, and the sword ended up cleaving a hover-lamp in half. It fell noisily to the floor, no longer controlled by Callista's powers. Xizor turned to face Callista, a feral, frightened glare in his reptilian eyes. His entire face was covered with blood, his ponytail loose and hanging over his shoulders. He seemed afraid of Callista, for the first time since they had met. Callista grinned.
"What's wrong, Xizor? Are you getting scared? Don't tell me you're afraid of a weak, puny little Jedi like me?"
Despite his haggard state, Xizor sneered. "It doesn't matter, Callista. Even if you succeed in killing me, nothing will change. I still have over dozens of clones at my disposal, just waiting to activate should anything happen to me."
Callista's grin grew even wider. "You mean the clones that you hid in the Anasazi caves?"
Xizor's sneer vanished. "How did you know that?"
"They're gone. Destroyed, no more. I found your precious clones and destroyed them one by one. They're as useless as a rusted blaster."
From the corner of her eye, she saw the sword lifted itself from the floor again.
"Isn't payback a bitch, Xizor?"
Xizor's eyes grew bloodshot with fury. He looked like he was about to strangle something. "You..." He couldn't find the words to describe what he felt. "You...did WHAT?!" Callista smirked. "You killed my son, Xizor. I destroyed your clones. One bad turn deserves another."
The sword's point was aimed for Xizor's chest. The Dark Prince wasn't even paying attention to it.
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!" Xizor screeched, his voice sending a tremor throughout the room, as he leaped over the mound of glass, his claws hooked into enormous talons.
That was when the sword struck him in the chest. Xizor stopped in his tracks, making no sound, his eyes looking down at the weapon that had cleaved through his heart. He then looked up at Callista, and a pained growl escaped his green lips. Callista calmly walked towards him, sure to sway her hips from side to side. She grabbed the hilt of the sword, twisting it in Xizor's chest. He groaned and fell to his knees. Callista smiled, ripped the sword from his body and, in one fluid motion, struck off his head.
The clone uttered a single scream before his head tumbled to the floor. The rest of the body followed soon afterwards, limbs jerking involuntarily. Greenish-black blood poured, staining the red carpet.
Xizor's fingers were the last to stop twitching.
Callista let out a sigh of relief, her legs wobbly, as she let the sword fall to the floor. She stared down at the corpse of the man who had caused her so much misery, and felt an enormous burden leave her shoulders. At long last, she had defeated the Dark Prince of Black Sun, without using the dark side as her weapon.
Master Djinn would have been proud.

Deep underground, far away from the now-abandoned metropolis of Coruscant, in the secret cloning facility Black Sun had kept hidden from Republic eyes, the six remaining Xizor clones rested in the cloning cylinders.
Clone Number 2-B's eyes snapped open.

The Kerash priests brought Hope and Anakin back to the Main Hall of the temple. They surrounded the two children in a circle as they moved, apparently making very sure that they would not attempt another escape. Hope stayed as close to Anakin as possible, grasping his hand. The priests were speaking in their native tongue; it was impossible to understand what they were saying.
But whatever it was, it probably wasn't good at all.
Hope looked over at her cousin, and saw that Anakin was just as scared as she was. "You two do not understand your importance in the galaxy," the High Priest, Tsin, explained to them, as he dragged Hope by the arm, ripping into her already-ruined sleeve. "Without the Bond, Arak will remain trapped within the realm of Raximidaj for all eternity. Is that what you two want?"
Honestly, I don't give a kaadu's rear end about your stupid goddess, Hope thought to herself, but kept quiet, knowing that saying that out loud would get her and Anakin into a lot of trouble. And they were in enough trouble as it was. She wondered how Llia was doing. She hoped the older girl would be all right. But she remembered what Armenia had said, and she shuddered. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty. She had been so furious at Llia for "betraying" them on Coruscant. And in truth, she had merely been following her cousin's orders. She even tried to rescue Hope and Anakin, even at the risk of losing her own life. Hope silently promised that if she found a way out of this mess, Llia would be going home, too.
She certainly was far too good for these crazy people.
Hope cried out as Tsin picked her up and placed her on the golden altar on the dais in the center of the Main Hall. Anakin was placed next to her, and the Kerash priests surrounded them, chanting in low tones.
"Jureya jureya, cora mada, jureya jureya, cora mada," they chanted, over and over again.
Tsin came forth, carrying a bowl full of, much to Hope's horror, blood.
"O Mighty Arak," he shouted, raising the bucket high over his head. "I hold within my hands the blood of the Innocent, the Unknowing. May the blood wash away the sins of the Bond, and allow them to open the portal to Raximidaj...and release you into our world." Hope and Anakin shared frightened glances, scared of what would happen next. Tsin poured the blood on Hope, starting with her head and working his way down. The blood, which was still warm, soaked her hair, went into her eyes and nose, drenched her torn clothing. Next to her, the same happened to Anakin.
Hope screamed; she couldn't help it. The blood felt warm and gross and smelled like copper. The priests continued chanting, and began dancing around in a circle around the altar.
"Keysa! Keysa! Keysa!"
Once Tsin had emptied the bowl, he held up one hand. Immediately, the chanting stopped.
"The baptism is done. The sins of the Bond have been cleansed. Bring in the Third Vessel!"
Hope unconsciously wiped some of the blood off her face, hoping the Kerash wouldn't notice, and saw two priests come into the Main Hall, dragging a young boy with them. About thirteen or fourteen years old, his face was badly scarred, as if something extremely hot had been poured onto his face and burned away at his skin. Hope watched as they dumped the boy unceremoniously to the ground. Tsin nodded in approval, and turned to his fellow priests.
"We must go," he said. "Prepare for the Coming. We must dress in our finest robes when Arak returns."
The priests left the chamber one by one, without uttering a single word. Tsin was the last to leave, and locked the door behind him. Two guards stood on both sides of the door, ensuring that no one would try to leave without the Kerash's consent. Hope looked at the blood that had been poured on her clothes, and she almost started crying. She looked over at Anakin to see how he was doing, and saw that he looked just as upset as she. Then her eyes focused on the boy.
Poor boy, she thought, noting the scars on his face. Slowly, his eyes blinked open, and he managed to sit up, groaning in pain as he did so.
Hope recalled what Mommy had once told her about manners when meeting new people, and she said, "Uh...hello. I'm Hope Skywalker. What's your name?"

Llia sat alone in the temple dungeon, awaiting her inevitable punishment. She knew fully well what was to come, and who would be coming...and she was terrified to her bones. The Kerash had made sure the hole leading outside was completely sealed off before locking her in the dungeon. Now, she had no way to escape her captors. She would not be given a second chance.
She rested her back against the cold stone wall, thinking of Hope. I'm sorry, munchkin, she thought sadly. I did everything I could. Looks like I failed us all... She stared off into the darkness, her sister suddenly coming to mind.
It felt like eternity since she had last seen her family. The last time she could remember being with them, they were being attacked by a bounty hunter. She could still remember seeing her brother fall to the ground, unconscious...could still remember seeing Leanna rush back into the house. That was the last time she had ever seen her sister. She briefly wondered if Leanna was still alive, and searching for her.
Suddenly, the dungeon door opened, and footsteps emerged. Llia felt her body freeze in terror as the footsteps approached her. Her captors had finally come.
Armenia stepped out of the shadows, a frightening scowl on her white- skinned face. "Hello, Llia," she said in a sickeningly calm voice. Distinctly, Llia could hear the squeaking of wheels enter the dark chamber.
Llia didn't bother answering.
"I didn't want to have to resort to this, cousin," the older woman continued. "But apparently, you just can't seem to avoid trouble, can you?" As she spoke, two other Kerash appeared, pushing a small cart that was covered with a sheet. Llia's eyes followed the cart, wondering what they were planning to do.
"If you're going to purify me, Armenia, then do it. Let's just get this over with." Armenia chuckled and shook her head. "You'd like that, wouldn't you, Llia? But no can do. Purifications must last for hours upon hours. And they must be very painful. Perhaps after this beating, your goodness will have been beaten out of you as well." She went over to the cart, and pulled off the sheet, so that the little girl could plainly see what was lying on the tray.
A fire-poker.
Immediately, Llia stood up, preparing to run. But Armenia gestured with one hand, and the two Kerash rushed for her, snatching her by both arms and slamming her against the wall. Llia could hear her breathing come out in short, frightened gasps. Armenia picked up the fire-poker and held it out in front of her, the tip pointing toward Llia. She saw that the pointed edge was burning red-hot, as if it had just recently been stuck in fire.
And she knew that it had been.
"Trust me, Llia," Armenia said, "I'm doing this for your own good." Her emerald eyes went up to the Kerash holding her. "Take her shirt off."
The Kerash followed her orders, ripping Llia's jumpsuit from both sides, tearing it cleanly in half, exposing the upper part of her little body. The two halves of blue fabric fell aimlessly to the floor. Without her shirt, the dungeon air felt cold and uninviting on her skin. "Turn her around."
Llia began screaming as her two captors spun her body around, pinning her violently against the wall. She tried with all her might to get away, but the guards were far stronger than her. Without warning, she began to cry.
Armenia laughed in amusement. "You are such a weakling, Llia. Look at you, crying like a little baby. I'm ashamed to call you my cousin."
She sauntered forth, holding the fire-poker with both hands. "I think I'll stick this through your back, through your spine. And maybe even through your heart. Let's see if you can survive that."
Llia continued to cry, her little body trembling with fear. She wished several times over that Leanna was here to protect her...but it did no good. Armenia positioned the fire-poker, nodding to the two guards--
--and shoved it through Llia's back.
A bright, searing pain Llia had never felt before shot through her body. The red-hot poker burned through her skin, touched her spinal cord, sizzled the blood in her body. Steam rose into the cold, stale air. She could no longer breathe, or scream, or cry. All she could do was stand there, helpless, surrounded by a bright nova of agony that burned through every fiber of her being. Time slowed, and she almost fell to her knees, but the guards continued holding her. The world began spinning around her, and her vision grew dimmer. Pain, there was so much pain...
And finally nothing.

Leia and Han watched as the Shapeshifter docked with the Galactic Voyager. A squad of fully armed Republic guards surrounded the ship as it touched down, blasters drawn.
They were not going to take any chances with the HRD.
Leia still could not believe it. Cray had returned to Coruscant--with Callista's ship! That was not a good sign. She feared the worst, that Cray had somehow killed Callista and dumped her body into the blackness of space... She tried to calm down, a task much easier said than done, especially in the middle of a space battle.
No, Callista couldn't be dead. She would have felt something if she had died. No, she could sense that something else must have happened...
The Shapeshifter's ramp opened, quickly followed by the sound of footsteps as the ship's pilot descended. The Republic guards tensed, ready to fire at Leia's command. Han had his blaster out, and Leia's lightsaber was gripped in one hand, her finger prepared to thumb the switch--
--and Cray strode out, taken aback by the group of armed people. "Um...went a little overboard with the welcome party," she commented as her boots thudded against the dull metal floor. "I'm looking for Master Skywalker. Is he here?"
"Freeze!" the lead Republic guard shouted, stepping forth and aiming his weapon at the HRD's chest. "Don't move, or we'll pump you full of fire."
Cray sighed, and her foot kicked out with amazing speed, too fast for Leia to completely see it. She struck the guard's blaster rifle, shattering it into several large pieces. The man gasped and stepped back, eyes wide with fear.
"Nice trick," Han said, setting his pistol to the KILL setting. "Do you think you can do that to all of us at the same time?"
As he spoke, the rest of the guards tightened their fingers on the triggers. "Look, I don't have time for this," Cray sighed. "I need to find Skywalker. It's an emergency." "Where's Callista?" Leia asked. "That's her ship you were flying." She pointed toward the Shapeshifter.
"That's why I came here," Cray said. "Callista's in trouble. She needs help right away."
"Trouble?" The HRD now had Leia's complete attention. "What kind of trouble?" "Big trouble," Cray replied. "Bigger than the mess you guys are in right now. She's being held captive by a group of religious fanatics called the Ker--"
"Save it, Cray," Han cut in. "We're not buying any of your bantha fodder." He nodded toward the guards. "Guys, plug the bitch."
The New Republic soldiers prepared to do just that, when Leia held up a hand, mentally stopping them. "Wait! " She looked over at the Human Replica Droid, who didn't seem the least bit afraid of the soldiers. "Look, I have a deal for you. We're going to go down to Coruscant and wrest Coruscant from Black Sun. Are you willing to help us? If so, I'll consider dropping the charges against you for assaulting my family."
Han grabbed her by the arm, bewildered at her decision. "Leia, you can't be serious!" he exclaimed. "Are you actually trusting her?"
Leia nodded. "Yes, Han, I am. I think she's telling the truth."
"She's lying to you! She probably already killed Callista and is making up some story to get us to drop our guard--"
"What if she's not?" Leia shot back. "What if she's telling the truth? Han, why would she come back, risking arrest? No one is going to shoot her. Not while I'm around."
Her eyes turned to Cray. "So, how about it, Cray? Are you in?"
The HRD nodded, and slapped her fist against her palm. "Yeah, I'm in. I've been looking for a decent fight ever since I left Anasazi."
Leia nodded. "We'll need the Shapeshifter." She turned her attention to the soldiers. "Get yourselves ready. We'll need as much firepower as we can muster for this mission." The guards looked at each other, unsure of what to do. A cold stare from Leia prompted them to carry out her orders.
Han still didn't look convinced. "Leia, are you sure about this?" A shudder ran through the Galactic Voyager as one of Xizor's Star Destroyers scored another direct hit.
"Han, we don't have time to argue about this!" Leia snapped. "Whether you like it or not, Cray is coming with us!" She looked over at the HRD, who seemed impatient to leave already. "We have to trust her."
Han sighed, knowing there was no way he could convince her otherwise. When Leia made a decision, there was no swaying her.
"Fine," he concended. "But I'm telling you, Leia. I still think she's trouble."
Leia managed a smile. "Trust me."
Five minutes, and they were ready.

The Sisters of the Singing Mountain Clan were pleased to have the children of Han Solo visit them again. Jacen remembered that Augwynne and her warriors held his father--as well as his mother, Uncle Luke, and Aunt Callista--in high regard, considering that he helped defeat the original band of Nightsisters and handed over the deed to Dathomir to Singing Mountain. Augwynne had once said that they owed Han more than they could ever pay.
And to this day, the Singing Mountain Clan still believed what she had said. Jacen lay quietly on his bed in the guest room the Sisters had provided for him, gazing out at the single window in the room. Jaina slept in the bed across from him, snoring loudly, sounding no different from one of the numerous rancors that roamed the forests of Dathomir. She had always insisted that she never snored in her sleep...but Jacen knew better.
The guest room was the most spacious and decorative room on Singing Mountain. Colorful shields of warriors who had died in battle, with small gems and skulls embedded in the wood, hung on the stone walls, along with swords, clubs, and other various weapons the Singing Mountain Clan warriors used in battle. It wasn't anywhere near as luxurious as the guest quarters on Coruscant, Jacen knew, but for some reason...he preferred this to anything the Republic had to offer. Maybe it was the primitive feeling of it all.
Dathomir was normally quiet during the night, the only sounds the occasional rancor howl. In all his life living in the Imperial Palace, Jacen had never known a quiet night. The endless bustling sounds of the enormous city kept him awake more than once. Here, he actually felt a sense of...serenity.
Then why couldn't he sleep?
Jacen rested his head on the hay-stuffed pillow, his eyes looking through the window, at the stars that twinkled down at him from the ebony sky. He missed Hope and Anakin so much. Even at their most annoying, they were still his family. And he still loved them very much, and he knew Jaina did too. How could he sleep, knowing that his brother and cousin were lost somewhere in the galaxy, all alone?
Hours passed, and Jacen somehow found sleep. He drifted off into darkness, which didn't last long before his dreams started catching up with him...
Jacen...
Jacen's eyes flew open at the sound of his name. "Who's there?" he said, eyes darting nervously around the room. Jaina was still sleeping, oblivious to her brother's fear. It's all right, Jacen.
Jacen moaned and hid under the covers, hoping that the monster would go away. But the covers pulled away, as if invisible hands were grasping it.
Don't be afraid. I'm here to help you.
The voice didn't sound like a monster. Rather it was...beautiful. Jacen couldn't find the right word to describe it. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.
"Who are you?" he asked in a tiny voice, feeling some of the fear go away.
A friend. I have been watching you for some time now, Jacen. You and your family. The Force is strong within you. You must now use it to find your brother and cousin. "But...how?" Jacen said. "I want to find them, more than anything, but...I don't even know where to start looking." He looked around the room, expecting this "person" speaking to him to pop out of nowhere, but no one came. "Can you help me?"
Yes. That is why I am here. The answers you seek, young one, will be found on the forgotten world of Anasazi.
Anasazi...
Jacen formed the word in his mouth. He had never heard of the planet before. "Okay...that's a start. But I still don't know where it is."
I will guide you there, the voice said, comforting Jacen's thoughts with its words. There is much at stake here. A great evil lies within Anasazi, an evil destined to alter the universe forever. It must be stopped...and you, Jacen, must help your family in doing so. I shall return to you when the time comes.
The voice began fading away into nothingness, as did Jacen's dream, but not before he heard its final words.
The Force will be with you, Jacen. Always...
"Jacen! Jacen, wake up!" Jacen's eyes opened--for real, this time--and he looked up to see his sister violently shaking him, her eyes shining with fright and excitement. "Wha...What is it, Jaina?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. Jaina stopped shaking him and said in a hushed whisper, "Listen, I had the strangest dream. I dreamt that this freaky voice was speaking to me. It told that if I wanted to find Hope and Annie, I had to go to--" "Anasazi," Jacen said, finishing her sentence. Jaina was taken aback. "How did you...?"
"I had the same dream, too," Jacen said.
"Oh." The two remained silent for a few minutes, the only sound the chirping of kirpa birds outside the room. "So...what do you think we should do?"
Jacen thought for a moment. "I guess we should go to Anasazi."
"But how? First of all, I've never even heard of the planet before. And second of all, I don't know how to get there."
"Well, that voice--whoever it was--said that it'll guide us to this planet," Jacen reminded her. "Look, we already planned to continue our search for Hope and Anakin, anyways. I think we should just trust our instincts."
Jaina gave him a strange look. "Are you honestly saying that we should somevoice that we both heard in our dreams? That's ludicrous!"
"Jaina, every time someone Force-sensitive in our family has weird dreams like these, it usually means something," Jacen said. "The voice said something evil was on Anasazi, and we have to be the ones to stop it."
"Yeah, sure," Jaina scoffed. "It's probably just some weird coincidence, Jacen. It's not like anyone else here had the same--"
Just then, Tenel Ka burst into the guest room, dressed in her best red reptilian hides, carrying a small stone dagger in one hand.
"My friends," she said. "We do not have much time.
"Tenel Ka?" Jacen said. "What's wrong?"
"I just received a vision from the Sisters of Light," Tenel Ka explained, her gray eyes glittering. "They told me that the answers we seek lie on the forgotten world of Anasazi, and that we must go there before a great evil there destroys the universe."
"We know," Jacen said, flashing Jaina an 'I told you so' look. "We had the same dream, too."
Tenel Ka looked slightly surprised, then hid it with her stony gaze. "Ah. Aha. Very well, then.
The three children stood in the room, unmoving. "I guess we should get going," Jacen said.
"Okay."
"Let us go, then."
They left the room.

Half an hour after the fight, Callista seated herself at the foot of the Fallen Moon's ramp. She rested her arms on her knees, her smoke-gray eyes penetrating the green-grassed clearing that surrounded her, which led off into the endless jungle that was common on Anasazi. Her fight with Xizor had been successful, but not easy to win.
With the fight over, she felt all the cuts and bruises she had sustained from the Dark Prince of Black Sun. Her nose had stopped bleeding, and dried blood clung to the skin under her nose and mouth. Her back was one long wave of pain from where she had hit the wall.
Callista smiled, wincing at the small pain it caused her. I've been beaten up way too many times since I've been here, she thought. And yet, despite the pain...
Callista felt much better. Ever since she had encountered Xizor, had first felt his lips upon hers, she had felt an enormous burden crash upon her shoulders. It grew even worse when Ben had died, and when she had slept Xizor. Callista couldn't help but feel a mountain of guilt for what had happened to her son. A part of it was her fault. Had she not gone to Anasazi in the first place, this never would have happened.
And what was she going to tell Luke?
She had kept her pregnancy a secret from Luke, and she had no idea how to tell him that she had been with child, and had lost him. Even more so, how was she going to tell him that she had slept with another man, the same man who had taken her children away from her? She knew that she couldn't hide it from him forever. Luke would sense her feelings, and would want to know what was wrong.
What was she going to do when that happened? She could already see his face as she told him about Ben and Xizor, the pain and betrayal shining in his blue eyes, the accusations he would throw at her. The idea of Luke never trusting her again frightened her more than Xizor and the Kerash combined.
Callista breathed, resting her head upon her knees. That would come later, she knew. But for right now...for the first time since she had first arrived on Coruscant with her family, she felt good. Xizor was dead--or at least, one of his clones were. Callista had destroyed all his hidden clones on Anasazi, but she did not doubt that he had more on Coruscant.
But her goal had been reached. She had killed the man who had kidnapped her daughter, who had ordered her son to be killed, and who had seduced her into sleeping with him. She still felt a good deal of concern for the New Republic. Xizor's words replayed in her mind. His fleet was at this moment attacking the Republic ships that had left Coruscant. But she knew that the Republic was a worthy opponent. They had faced enemies far more powerful than Xizor in the past, and had always emerged victorious. She had no doubts that they could hold their own against anything Black Sun could throw at them.
Xizor would be taken care of.
Now, Callista had to focus on the Kerash.
Kieran's fascinating tale about Arak's downfall returned to Callista as she sat upon the ramp. According to the Kerash, it had taken a trinity of gods to defeat the evil goddess, and even that had been unable to destroy her, and prevent her from returning centuries later. Callista wondered if the key to stopping Arak required another trinity.
Calthazar...
But I'm a Jedi, she thought. Not a god. Surely, a trinity of Jedi is nowhere near as powerful as gods.
And yet, something inside her reassured her that she was on the right track...
Callista stood up, having rested for a few minutes to recuperate, and headed for the jungle toward Semaj. She glanced over at the Fallen Moon, at the hole that had been blasted through the starship's hull, and something inside told her that Cray had been responsible for that. After decapitating the clone, Callista had searched for the HRD in the detention area, but had found no one.
That meant that Cray must have found a way to escape. She hoped she would be all right.
A loud moan disturbed her thoughts, shattering the quiet in the clearing. Callista turned, and saw Sonya staggering from the jungle, drenched in blood. Her eyes widened with hope when she saw Callista, and she gasped out, "F-F-Fyorga?" before collapsing. Callista dashed over to the wounded woman, and turned her over. Sonya was bleeding from a deep gash in her stomach, as if something sharp had been jabbed into her flesh. She had lost a lot of blood. Callista tried using the Force to stop the bleeding, but it did little good. Within minutes, the old woman would die.
"What happened?" Callista asked, careful not to touch her wound.
Sonya's eyes fluttered, as if she had lost focus, and whispered, "Kerash...Armenia... ghrupaska cyrah ghraeui Semaj."
Callista clearly understood "Kerash", "Armenia", and "Semaj".
A burning sensation rose within her throat, as she held the dying woman in her arms, remembering what Kieran had told her in the caves. The Kerash had come to Semaj to claim their Blood of the Unknowing.
And Armenia was there. Sonya uttered another gasp of pain, her eyes staring off almost lifelessly to the sky. She looked at Callista, and said, in Basic, "Y...You...m- must...stop...Ar..."
Her body let out a final pained shudder, and Sonya died. Callista was barely able to register what had just transpired before her eyes. Her joy at defeating Xizor instantly evaporated as she cradled Sonya's body. She looked down at the old woman, who had done so much for her in the past few days, and gently closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Sonya," she said. "About everything." She looked up, toward the jungle. She could already see smoke rising into the air from battle. "I'm going to make this right." She gingerly laid the body on the grass and ran into the jungle. She was unarmed, without her lightsaber, but she still had one weapon left...the Force. And with that, she knew she could best any opponent.
The Kerash had to be stopped.