Thanks to JadeAlmasy for my first review. I look forward to receiving many more reviews for this story. Thank you and enjoy.
Jacen strode out of the Hall of Confluence, his mind awash with the possibilities of the future. As he walked, he let himself fall into the flow of the Force, hoping to gain some insight into the future.
"My Lord Slayer?" said a voice.
Jacen brought his mind back to the present, to see one of the shaped Slayers standing before him. Jacen's human background almost made him dismiss the warrior, for the former Jedi towered over him by what seemed to be nearly half a meter. But he reminded himself of the ruthless lethality the Slayers had demonstrated earlier, and knew that he could not afford to underestimate them.
"You are to be in the service of the God-I-Am?" he asked.
The warrior snapped his fists to opposite shoulders and bowed his head. "I am, my Lord. I am Garagh, a Commander with authority over the rest of the Slayers to be in your service."
Jacen shook his head. "I do not think so. As an avatar of the True Gods, it is beneath me to have anything less than a Supreme Commander to attend me. Congratulations, Supreme Commander Garagh."
Garagh saluted Jacen again as he fell into step behind his god. "My Lord Slayer, I considered that you might wish to be armed with the weapons of your own warriors, rather than the weaker versions carried by ordinary warriors."
Two amphistaffs unfurled themselves, and Garagh drew a wickedly-curved coufee blade. Jacen smiled, and his own amphistaffs, which he kept curled around his upper arms, concealed by the robeskin, slithered down his arms as he exchanged weapons with Garagh.
"My gratitude for your consideration, Fearsome One," said Jacen, giving the warrior the honorific title. He brushed the new amphistaffs through the Force, feeling how they were different than the ordinary biots. In only a few moments, he had already befriended the creatures and they wrapped themselves in his customary place. The coufee he slid into the belt of his robeskin.
"Tell me, Garagh," he continued, "do my Slayers stand ready for inspection by the God-I-Am? Are they prepared to be judged as worthy?"
"They are, my Lord Slayer," answered the warrior, "they are honored beyond measure by you and the True Gods to fight in the service of the God-You-Are. They shall fight for you until their Blessed Release against any enemy you tell them to fight."
By now the two of them had reached Jacen's private quarters in the Citadel. Two Slayers stood guard outside the dilating lock. They snapped their fists to opposite shoulders to salute their god as Jacen approached. He turned to Garagh.
"Be certain that the Slayers are ready to be inspected by their Lord Slayer," he said, "I also wish to see the coralcraft and other equipment that the shapers prepared for you."
"As you command, my Lord Slayer," said Garagh.
Jacen nodded his head in dismissal as he opened the lock through the Force and entered his quarters. There were two people there already waiting for him. Would the plots never end? Would there never be peace for himself?
Vergere stood patiently, her eyes closed in the waking meditation that she used in place of sleep and had passed the technique onto Jacen. Her headcrest was a blasterbore gray. There was something deadly serious she had to tell him.
Her eyes opened, revealing those black orbs that seemed to reflect the very universe; the truth, the lies, the very essence of the Force.
"Welcome back, Jacen Solo," she said to him, "have your actions proven fruitful?"
Jacen couldn't help but give her a lopsided Solo grin. She loved to needle him with reminders of the lessons she had taught him during his first year among the Yuuzhan Vong. Actions or intentions? What a person does or what they plan to do? Jacen knew that the Jedi considered the intent of great importance, because that could lead to the Dark Side, but Jacen's understanding that the Force did not have sides meant his intentions mattered little. What he planned to do was irrelevant, what he did was important.
"More or less," he answered, still grinning. She still tormented him with never giving straight answers. It was only fair he return the favor.
All sense of amusement vanished from Vergere, and Jacen steeled himself for whatever she had to say.
"I have brought you a visitor, Jacen Solo," she told him, "one that I have managed to keep hidden from the Supreme Overlord and his spies. May I introduce you to Commander Ekh'm Val."
A warrior stepped out of the shadows, tall and lean. Domain Val was known as providing loyal warriors, not necessarily very skilled or great leaders, but loyal.
Commander Val saluted Jacen and bowed deeply. Jacen acknowledged him briefly.
"Tell the God-Before-You of all that happened on your journey," ordered Vergere.
The warrior seemed to take a deep breath before speaking. "My Lord Slayer, I have not even been permitted to speak with my Supreme Commander about this."
"Do not question your orders, Commander," said Jacen haughtily, "if I decide that others should know of this, then we shall speak directly to Shimrra. Now speak!"
"My Lord Slayer, my crew and I were in what the infidels call the Unknown Regions, near the domain of space dominated by the people called the Chiss. Something drew us onward until we came a planet. This planet called to us, strangely alluring. As we approached, some of my warriors began to grow afraid as strange living craft not so unlike our own yorik coral vessels approached us. Some of my warriors fired upon these craft against my orders and managed to capture one. But as the battle continued, the planet itself opened up with defensive capabilities of which had never dared to dream. I was barely able to get our coralcraft to escape."
Jacen turned to Vergere. Living ships? A planet that simultaneously drew the Yuuzhan Vong to it and at the same time had the power to repel them? Could this be the solution to the war that he'd been searching for these past few years?
"Yes, Jacen Solo," she said, as though reading his thoughts, "there is only planet in this galaxy that I knew of that could match the Commander's story. Zonoma Sekot. The living planet from where I was taken to join the Yuuzhan Vong."
Jacen nodded in understanding. Vergere had told him of how she had come to the living planet, how it had been threatened by those that had been known as the Far Outsiders, but the galaxy now knew as the Yuuzhan Vong. She had provided enough time for the planet to escape, using gigantic hyperdrive cores to hurtle into the Unknown Regions. And now the Yuuzhan Vong had found the planet again.
Jacen had been schooled by the priests in the Yuuzhan Vong's history. He knew of the ancient texts that told of primordial Yuuzhan'tar, a living planet that sounded very similar to the way Vergere described Zonoma Sekot.
He turned back to Commander Val. "Are you certain that you have spoken to no one else regarding what had happened?"
"My Lord Slayer, I have seen no one since returning to Yuuzhan'tar," answered the warrior.
"Can you find your way back to this living planet again?" Jacen wanted to know.
Ekh'm Val went pale, or as pale as a Yuuzhan Vong could. He obviously didn't like the idea of returning. But the warrior swallowed his pride and gained control over his fear.
"Yes, my Lord Slayer."
"Excellent."
Jacen used the Force to send a telepathic summons to the Slayers standing guard outside the lock. A moment later it opened and the two stepped inside. Jacen turned to them and pointed to one of them.
"Take Commander Val to the rest of the Slayers. Have Supreme Commander Garagh prepare a coralcraft for myself and a small force of Slayers. I will inform him of our destination when we take to space. As you value your grandfather's bones, be certain that no harm comes to Commander Val."
"As you command, my Lord Slayer."
Commander Val bowed deeply and followed the two warriors out of the lock. As soon as they were gone, Jacen let out his breath and his shoulders sagged in exhaustion. The past five years had been fraught with danger and lies and betrayal. Jacen took several angry breaths to steady himself.
This was not who he was. Closing his eyes, Jacen could remember the young teenaged Jedi, adventuring with Jaina, Zekk, Lowbacca, and Tenel Ka. That Jacen had been optimistic, full of humor, compassion, with a lust for life. Now what was he? A warrior, a god, and a traitor. The traits of the old Jacen had not died with him in the Embrace of Pain, but he had been forced to put them aside. Suppressing his instincts was perpetually exhausting.
Vergere watched him sympathetically. It had taken her much longer to accept her new life among the Yuuzhan Vong, but even so, it was still tiring to be someone you weren't.
Jacen turned to her and they shared a long look. Through the Force they shared their exhaustion, trust, hopes, and their friendship. Over the past few years their friendship had grown and made them able to deal much better with the lives they led.
Jacen took a deep breath and moved to his villip choir. He stroked one, and a few moments later, the creature emulated the features of Warmaster Nas Choka.
"My Lord Slayer," greeted the warmaster, "to what do I owe the honor of speaking to the God-You-Are?"
"Warmaster, I will be leaving Yuuzhan'tar shortly on a mission to begin the spread of my influence among the infidels. I wish to be assured that no spy ships of the infidels become aware of my departure, do you understand?"
Nas Choka bowed his head. "I shall send some of my coralskipper pilots on a training mission. The Galactic Alliance will be disappointed when some of their craft are discovered during the exercise."
Jacen smiled darkly, as a war god should. Beneath all that, though, Jacen could admit that he honestly liked Nas Choka. The warrior was an honorable man who didn't believe in the slaughtering of innocents as Tsavong Lah had. Nas Choka was a good leader, at heart a good man.
"I grant you my favor, warmaster," he told the warrior, "the True Gods and I smile upon you."
Nas Choka saluted Jacen and quieted the villip. Without missing a beat, Jacen stroked another of the feathery creatures, and it revealed one of the intendants who worked directly for Shimrra.
"When the Supreme Overlord has finished communing with my fellow gods, inform him that I have left Yuuzhan'tar to begin my own plans to sow discord and confusion among the Jedi. I will return in my own time. This is a matter of the True Gods, so speak only with the Overlord. If I suspect you have breathed a word to any but him, I will flay your skin and sacrifice you as a nameless brenzlit."
Jacen silenced the villip and turned to Vergere.
"You have learned much about deceit and betrayal," she said approvingly, "yet you loathe it and refuse to let it control you. The pain of this life strengthens you, Jacen Solo. Great things still lay in your future."
Jacen nodded. "Well let's make sure that there are others who survive this war to appreciate my betrayal of myself. As the Ryn say, let's get this show on the road."
The magnificent coral palace of Mon Calamari was packed with guests and holoreporters. Jedi Knights, Alliance and Imperial representatives, and even a handful of Chiss were there for the ceremony of the wedding of Jagged Fel and Jaina Solo.
Over the last several years, the two of them had grown so close, fallen so much in love. They had waited a long time, both afraid of their future and a wartime love. But the advise of family and friends had finally convinced them to no longer allow the war to control their love for each other.
Streen was conducting the ceremony, much to Baron Soontir Fel's displeasure. He, his wife Syal, and their daughter Wynessa had come to Mon Calamari. It had been the first time in years that Syal had seen her older brother Wedge Antilles.
Han, Leia, Luke and Mara sat to the front, with Mara holding little Ben on her lap. He had come with Streen and several other Jedi, including Tionne Solusar from Eclipse.
Both Jag and Jaina wore their formal dress uniforms, and Jaina wore a silvery-gray Jedi cloak as well. Kyp Durron stood nearby as Jag's best man, and Tahiri Veila was Jaina's maid-of-honor. As Streen finished the ceremony, both of the newlyweds let their eyes roam over the crowd.
The Jedi had most of one area to themselves, along with Jaina's closest friends. She could see the faces of Danni Quee, Cilghal, Saba Sebatyne, and even Ganner Rhysode. Nearby sat many members of the Galactic Alliance. Cal Omas had taken the opportunity to come, and nearby sat Wedge and Iella, Tycho and Winter, Corran and Mirax. On the other side, near Jag's family were the rest of his Chiss squadronmates, as well as a representative from Grand Admiral Pellaeon. Tenel Ka had not been able to attend, but had spoken to Jaina earlier and wished her the best.
Most notable of all however, was in the front row were two empty seats near her parents. Holophotos of the faces of Jacen and Anakin sat there. Anakin's photo had been an action shot, catching him with his lightsaber drawn and ready. Jacen's however, had caught him tossing a Solo grin over his shoulder at someone behind him.
Jaina felt a surge of grief and anger. She had nearly fallen to the Dark Side in the year after Myrkr, saved only by the shocking help of Kyp Durron. But even though she'd learned to control her rage, no one, not even Jag, had been able to help her overcome her grief.
She could still remember both of them; how Anakin had fought to the end, giving them time to escape. How furious she'd been with Jacen about leaving their brother behind. How she and the others had returned for Anakin's body while Jacen went on to destroy the voxyn. How she had been forced to abandon Jacen during their escape.
Jag could feel her begin to tremble with grief, and he held her closer as Streen announced for him to kiss the bride. Emerald eyes met those of clear brown, and love flowed between them. He captured Jaina's lips with his own in a tender kiss and held her close.
The guests broke out into applause and the two of them pulled back from each other. Over the sounds of the people clapping, Jag spoke quietly.
"I love you, Jaina."
She smiled, her grief over her brothers mingling with her love for Jag. "I love you too."
From her seat in the front row, Leia could feel her daughter's grief through the Force. Anakin's body had been burned in a Jedi ceremony after Myrkr, but the only indication of Jacen's death had been the Force scream that had torn through the galaxy. No one could feel him in the Force anymore, but something, somewhere in the back of her mind, maybe it was just mother's intuition, told her that Jacen wasn't dead.
Where are you, Jacen? she wondered as she watched Jag and Jaina descend into the crowd, We need you. We all need you.