Interlude:
YJK Book 6
Jedi Under Seige
At the Jedi Academy, Brakiss and his Dark Jedi headed by Jacen and Jaina's friend Zekk (Darkest Knight) attack, only to be thwarted in enormous numbers by the superiority of the Jedi students' skill. Brakiss rejects Luke's final plea to turn back to the Light, and returns to speak to the red guards who guard the rooms of the man he believes is the reborn Emperor. The self destruct on board the battle station blows up, just after he finds out that the whole thing was an elaborate hoax, put together by the emperor's loyal and faithful servants, the Imperial Red Guards. As the station scatters and burns in Yavin 4's atmosphere, a lone Red Guard flies away, once again a failure. In an attempt to stop his friends from walking into a trap, Zekk prevents them from entering the Great Temple where a munitions expert had set a bomb.
Zekk was severely hurt in the blast, everyone else sustained minor injuries, once again Luke's Jedi had proved themselves.
~~~~~
Epilogue:
Mara held herself against the warm sun of Yavin 4. Arriving days after the battle She, Mirax, Corran, Luke and the family of Anya and Illian laid them to rest. Anian had mentioned to the Guards while she waited to be rescued how she loved the weather on Yavin, and how that is where she wanted to lie for all eternity. No one saw it fit to separate her from Illian.
Her sadness had melted away, as she realized that Anian's torment in life was now behind her, and that she was now with the Force, with her true life's love. It hurt to see her buried, and to know she wasn't around. But Mara had seen much worse, and understood that in a galaxy of pain, death was not the end of life. It was an end to suffering.
Bran's remains had been spread over the mythic mountains of Danshitie, as part of ancient galactic lore, so he could forever be lost searching for his parts as they were flown around the galaxy by the wind.
Mara smiled, as Luke's hands tightened around her waist, and whispered into the wind, drowning herself in his presence. Taking his hand in hers she pulled him towards the other mourners including the two survivors of Danshitie (soon to be wed). "Things can never be set right. But we can move on, can't we?"
Luke squeezed her fingers back. "Yes Mara, moving on doesn't mean we forget, just that the dead live through our memories. They best way to honor them, is to be true to them."
She smiled and let the tears flow as the spikes were driven in the ground right next to the Jedi memorial. "Than we shall"
THE END