Author's Notes: The following story takes place a few days after Kira joins the Eternal Alliance in my Awakenings series.

The fluorescent green double-bladed saber staff clashed against the blue single-bladed saber again and again with the all too distinctive sound of lightsaber blades meeting ringing throughout the Odessen training grounds on the warm Autumn day. Were an expert in the art of dueling have assessed the match with no other knowledge of the participants involved, they would have quickly deduced that both duelists were incredibly powerful, talented warriors with years if not decades of experience.

And they would have been right.

A brief lull set in over the sparring ring as the two opponents regrouped at opposite ends of the sparring circle, eyeing each other from a relative distance.

"He told me you were good." Kira Carsen called out, a competitive fire flashing in her deep blue eyes.

Senya Tirall smiled back grimly at the younger woman, her disciplined resolve not rising to take the bait.

"Teeseven said the same about you."

Kira's eyes narrowed at that comment, reminded that within the Alliance, she was still known more by her reputation as the Commander's former apprentice – and current lover – than for her own abilities and accomplishments. Most prudent warriors – indeed, most Jedi – would have held off at this point, maintaining a defensive posture until they'd collected themselves, processing this barb before resuming their attack.

Most prudent warriors – Jedi or otherwise – weren't Kira Carsen.

She charged, her double-bladed saber spinning in her hands.

Lana Beniko observed the match between the two women, standing well above the fray on the balcony overlooking the training grounds. Intense bouts were hardly uncommon sights in the sparring circle – informally known as 'the pit' among Alliance personnel – though she privately reflected that such contests tended to be less frequent when neither participant was a Sith.

Standing beside her, leaning forward against the railing with eyes focused intently on the duel below, was the Alliance Commander.

"I owe you an apology." Corellan Halcyon spoke quietly, breaking the silence. "Probably a few apologies, in fact."

Lana's brow furrowed in concern. The Commander had asked her to meet with him out here on the training ground observation deck, and she had assumed he intended to speak to her on private matters. But whatever she'd been expecting, it hadn't been that. Nevertheless, knowing him, she suspected what this was all about, given what – or rather who – he was watching.

"You don't owe me anything." she asserted firmly. "Besides, you already apologized to me the other day, when we were with Theron."

Corellan's head tilted towards her, still not taking his eyes off the match.

"No. Not enough. Theron is a good friend. One of my closest. But you… you're the one who freed me on Zakuul. You oversaw every step in the Alliance's formation, since well before we even arrived on Odessen. You've been with me every hard step of the way since then. You deserved better."

He turned towards her for the first time since she'd joined him.

"I should have told you what was… going on with me."

Lana shook her head. The Jedi order had a reputation for self-sacrifice and the repression of their own emotions. Corellan Halcyon was the first person she'd met who lived up to that reputation.

"I should have realized what was happening with you on my own. I knew something had been deeply troubling you since you defeated Valkorion. And you hardly ever mentioned your missing crew members after I got you off Zakuul. That's uncharacteristic for someone like you. It clearly meant something that you didn't press."

Corellan's eyes lowered, then he turned to look back down at the duel. Senya had successfully repulsed Kira's furious attack, though her counterstrike had likewise been skillfully rebuffed, surprising Lana who had witnessed Senya defeat many opponents with the same technique. She couldn't deny that the Alliance's newest recruit was exceptionally skilled and well trained.

"I knew I had to conceal my relationship with Kira from Valkorion." He finally said. "I think I managed it well enough during the war, though it may not have been the best thing for my health. Afterwards… I honestly don't know. I was hurting. That fight with Valkorion – with Tenebrae – took a lot out of me. It felt like I was grasping for something that wasn't there. And some part of me was afraid that if people knew about us, everything we've been doing would unravel."

She could feel the weight falling off his chest as he spoke.

"We noticed that you were hurting." Lana acknowledged. "You always did your duty and more, whether it was a mission or here on Odessen. No one could have faulted you. But several of us noticed that you were in pain, even though you always insisted you were fine." She murmured with regret. "Several of us were attempting to discern the best way of… approaching the situation."

Corellan nodded as if understanding something.

"That's why Senya has been inviting me to the weekly dinners with Arcann and herself."

Lana gave him a reproachful look in annoyance.

"Senya did that because she cares about you and was trying to get through to you."

As do I. She didn't bother to add.

"I believe that. And I've enjoyed those dinners." he answered. "But I've still kept her and Arcann at arm's length. As I have with you. And that was wrong. I was treating you as if you were Satele or the Council. That ours was strictly a working relationship based on duty and obligation and not as someone who has earned my friendship and trust many times over."

Lana observed him quietly as he continued to watch the duel down below. She knew that he could recite and probably even predict every move Senya and Kira were employing even before they made it. But despite that, he didn't seem distracted. She still felt as if he was giving her his full attention, even if he was having difficulty facing her.

This isn't idleness. We aren't meeting out here on a lark. Lana observed, seeing him with new eyes, now. He is more comfortable in this situation with Kira nearby. But he wanted our conversation to be private.

Corellan Halcyon was the most driven person she'd ever met. But up until now, some part of him had always been restrained. By the Jedi and their codes. By Valkorion and his machinations. By his sense of duty to the Republic and then to the Alliance. By his commitment to the galaxy. Now, she was seeing him as a person.

It felt to Lana as if some part of him had been unleashed. As his eyes continued to focus on the match – and on Kira – there was a warmth there that she'd never seen during all their time working together.

It was a hunger. A burning passion.

By the Dark Lords, he would have been magnificent as a Lord of the Sith. Lana thought to herself. With his passion and sheer power tempered by discipline, he could have united the galaxy under his rule. A true Emperor of the Galaxy.

Was this what drew Lord Scourge to him when he turned on Vitiate all those years ago? Not some Force-driven prophecy, but a replacement for the Imperial throne?

Lana decided not to press that subject at this moment. Corellan, with his stubborn sense of nobility, had refused the Eternal Throne on Zakuul. She knew that proverbial ship had sailed.

"It goes both ways." Lana challenged, looking down at the sparring circle herself.

It was Corellan's turn to look up at her in surprise.

"How do you mean?"

"What I did was incredibly unfair to you." Lana kept her voice level. "I practically coerced you into leading becoming the leader of a revolution, and I never considered the price you'd pay along the way." She bit her lip. "I started to understand after what happened when you fought Arcann on Asylum, but it didn't stop me from continuing to push you. At the very least, I enabled you to do things that would… force you to make sacrifices that were beyond my understanding."

Lana wasn't prone to bouts of guilt, but she felt one now.

"Perhaps I was the one who owed you an apology."

Corellan shook his head, looking back down at the pit.

"Lana, I chose this."

Lana shot him an incredulous look.

"Did you?"

"I did have a moment – when we were on the Gravestone and escaping Zakuul with Koth and Senya that first time." He confessed. "For just a moment, I considered running off. Of trying to find Kira and leaving the war and the galaxy behind."

Corellan's eyes closed, as his mind explored the memory.

"I didn't do that. And it wasn't because Valkorion was in my head, or because Arcann was hunting us. I made that choice because of who I am. If I'd bailed on you and Koth, even in the unlikely event I could have found Kira, it wouldn't have helped me, because I would have become… someone else."

She watched him as his eyes reopened and looked down at Kira, who was fiercely repulsing another attack by Senya.

"This is who I am." He declared. "Our choices define us as much as anything does. I could try blaming others for the choices I made along the way. I won't say that some of them weren't hard, or that I don't have some regrets. But I made those choices."

Corellan's voice was firm, full of the same resolve she'd learned to recognize so well.

"Neither you, nor Valkorion, nor Satele, nor anyone else forced that on me."

An uneasy silence fell on them. Lana realized it was her turn to break it.

"Do I want to know what you've been going through these last few weeks?" Lana asked the question she'd been dreading the past several weeks. "Since Valkorion?"

Corellan said nothing for a long moment. His eyes remained focused on the duel, but she could feel the gears of his mind turning.

"Teeseven was waking me up every morning." he answered quietly. "Then making sure I got up even if I protested."

He unexpectedly chuckled.

"His beeps can get to be a bit much when he's being reproachful."

Lana blinked; her brow furrowing in concern.

"Why?" she demanded. "Why would he do that, if he knew you were hurting?"

"Because I told him to do it." Corellan answered. "I had people counting on me. I realize that the Alliance is still in a very vulnerable state, and I knew that without my presence it would complicate things. You remember the fallout from our missions to Dromund Kaas and to Iokath? I can't let that happen again, no matter what the cost. And I wouldn't put you in the position of covering for me."

"I would have understood." Lana stood firm. "I could have worked around it."

"I know." He didn't look towards her, still looking down at the pit. Perhaps he didn't dare look towards her. "But I wouldn't have."

"Teeseven is… the best part of me, Lana. The part of me that won't allow me to forget who I am. What I'm supposed to do. Years ago – almost a decade ago – when we teamed up on Tython for that first time, I promised him that we would be heroes. I'd never break that vow to him."

Lana felt her hands clench into fists, in frustration. She'd damned his stubbornness on a dozen occasions, but never more now.

"Playing the role of the Alliance Commander has been challenging. There have been times I've thought I was a fraud. That I was pretending to be something I'm not. That's bad enough. But to have left you and the others in the position of covering for me… no. Never."

Corellan let out a long exhale, closing his eyes for a moment, chuckling as his tone sounded wistful.

"I'm finally understanding why Revan wore a mask. It might have been easier for me that way. This was all simpler when it was just our crew. I did feel guilty for keeping my relationship with Kira from them. But I could cope with it. Kira and I would find moments to ourselves when we could. It wasn't easy, but we managed. Looking at it on reflection, it seems like such a simpler time. And now… well, my life is more complicated. I didn't think I'd be able to live openly with Kira like this. I'd already broken with the Jedi order and Valkorion is gone for good. But the very notion filled me with a sense of dread. I don't know what I was afraid of all this time."

He looked up towards her, his pale blue eyes catching the afternoon light even as his smile shone.

"I'm happy."

Lana was surprised to find that she believed him. As a Sith, she'd always been taught that the exploration of her passions was the path to true power. The Jedi, for their own part, believed that their connection to the Force grew stronger through pursuing inner peace. But Corellan was perhaps the most powerful Force-user left in the galaxy and was stronger than ever.

And he was, in fact, simply happy.

"Good." she smiled back at him, feeling genuine relief.

He didn't linger on the subject long, pressing onward as he turned to the match.

"Anyway, I'm glad she's acclimating to the Alliance this quickly. It will make sending her out on missions go much more smoothly."

Lana felt a surge of wariness. She knew little of Kira's experience, beyond her time fighting alongside the Commander.

"You intend to make her a team leader? I had assumed she'd be accompanying you on your own missions…"

"From time to time, I will. But she's long since reached the point where she can run her own missions."

Corellan, despite not looking at her, apparently picked up on something, either in her tone or through the Force, because he tilted his head in her direction. Lana was now discerning that he was giving her his full attention, and that he only saw fit to look at her directly when he wanted her to see him, to judge his veracity for herself.

"You have a concern."

She paused to gather her thoughts. She hadn't been expecting to have this conversation today.

"Not a specific 'concern', per se. I merely feared that she may be… inexperienced in matters of leadership."

Corellan's lips turned upward in a wry grin.

"I was inexperienced in matters of leadership, and you made me the commander of the Alliance."

Lana felt her cheeks redden at the observation.

"That was different."

Corellan just chuckled, standing upright as he looked over at her.

"Lana Beniko, you are my senior advisor. You are also my friend. You saved my life on Zakuul and at Asylum. Everything I've accomplished here would have been impossible without you. The Eternal Alliance is more your creation than mine. So please trust me when I swear to you that I will never entrust anything to Kira that would ever compromise anything we've accomplished together."

He glanced down at the sparring ring again. Kira had resumed her offensive, testing Senya's stalwart defense.

"I love her with every fiber of my being and she's extremely capable. But I won't allow myself to make mistakes like that. I'll make certain the people of the Alliance understand she earns whatever roles I grant her. I've seen far too many leaders start relying on nepotism to make the same mistake myself. I admired Master Satele as much as anyone I've ever known, and even she made that same mistake."

He turned back to Lana, his eyes focusing on her intently.

"Do you believe me?"

There was a firmness in his voice that surprised her. As if it were as much a promise to himself as it was to her.

Lana, who did not consider herself easy to unsettle, found herself swallowing under his gaze.

"Of course."

"Thank you." Corellan nodded, his focus shifting down to the duel.

"Virtually every leader I've ever seen have made serious mistakes like that." He continued to speak on the subject of leadership. "If it wasn't nepotism or some other corruption, it was a fear or ignorance of the changing environment. It's not that they weren't inherently corrupt, though some certainly were, they just… lost sight of themselves."

"I know I'm still learning. But I can't allow myself to do that. I will not repeat the mistakes I've seen so many others make. The moment I lose sight of myself, then I'm not fit to lead. I may be the villain of someone else's story. But I refuse to be the villain of my own."

"You won't do that." Lana spoke up in alarm, her voice hard as duracrete. Hearing him voice these concerns out loud sparked a renewed sense of confidence. "Corellan Halcyon, you are the most frustratingly noble person I have ever met. I've lost track of the number of headaches your stubbornness has caused me. But if there's one thing I believe, it is that you will not give in to corruption."

"I hope you're right." Corellan sighed. "The thing of it is, Lana, I never thought that I would be the one in this position. I never saw myself as a leader on a larger scale. I thought it would be Satele or Revan, or my old friend Ulannium Kaarz, the Barsen'thor. He led the strike team when we took down Malgus, and was already on the council, running his own coalition in the Rift Alliance."

He smirked. "Or you."

Lana scoffed.

"I could never inspire people the way you do."

His smile widened as he glanced over at her, expanding into a boyish grin.

"You inspire me."

Corellan turned away from her at that moment, and Lana found herself grateful for that, as her cheeks were starting to burn with another blush. She hurriedly attempted to get the conversation on track.

"Be that as it may, I'm hardly the first to recognize your ability or potential." Lana pressed. "The Force clearly intended great things for you."

The Alliance Commander just chuckled. It was encouraging to see him in a good mood like this after watching him struggle for weeks.

"For the longest time I wondered about all that. The challenge of being anointed some kind of 'chosen one'. That the Jedi chose me when I joined them as an infant. Or Satele chose me when she named me the 'Hero of Tython'. Or the Force chose me by sending Scourge a vision centuries ago. Or Valkorion chose me when he chose me as his new host body. To me, these concepts and way of thinking all sound ridiculous. I told you before. I chose this life. The Force may have a will of its own, but I chose to follow it. I may not have understood it at the time, but what I've done – my victories, my failures and most importantly my choices – those are mine and mine alone."

Lana's thoughts whirled at the implications of his words. Her own exploration of the greater mysteries of the Force had always been grounded, but in the case of Corellan Halcyon, she had no trouble believing that the Force had chosen him to serve its will and to defend the galaxy.

"Some would disagree." She offered.

"That's the mistake so many people – particularly many Jedi, but also the Scions and even the Voss – have made." He countered. "Yes, the Force may grant us glimpses into the future. But it usually does so without context. We may know something that might happen, but without understanding the 'why' or the 'how' of it. So we make mistakes. Its why the Council once forbade Revan and his supporters from fighting in the Mandalorian wars centuries ago. Yes, they had predicted disaster, and they were not wrong. But by forbidding Jedi from defending the people of the Republic, they were abandoning their own principles. After that, without their principles or their position, they were lost. Their response to the visions precipitated their own downfall."

"So I'm appreciative of the insights of Sana-Rae and the others. But I know to take their visions with a proverbial pinch of salt." He watched Kira deflect one of Senya's assaults with approval, as the young Jedi demonstrated an impressive mixture of grit and athleticism.

"As I do my own." He finished.

"You have visions?" Lana was immediately intrigued. Aside from the dreams Valkorion had sent him, he'd never spoken to her about experiencing such phenomena.

"Not often." He answered idly. "They come in dreams, mostly."

Lana had always been acutely aware of her own attunement to the Force. It was what had helped her sense the rising threat of the Revanites so many years ago, when she'd first teamed with Corellan Halcyon and Theron Shan. But she'd never been granted the kinds of visions he was speaking of. She couldn't help her own curiosity.

"What do they tell you?"

Corellan closed his eyes and said nothing for a moment, then he turned towards the sky as he visibly exhaled slowly. The air of the early Odessen autumn was rich and earthy and she could feel him taking all that in. The Force teemed around him; outwardly, he appeared relaxed and even docile. But through her connection to the Force – and perhaps her connection to him – she could feel a vast reservoir of power gather within him.

He is becoming more powerful than ever. Lana marveled in awe. Especially here, on Odessen.

His eyelids fluttered as he started to speak in a soft voice.

"Thousands of years from now, at the climax of a great war that will devastate a thousand worlds, a Jedi and a Sith will cross lightsabers and duel each other with the fate of trillions hanging in the balance. In the end, the galaxy will rise from the ashes to begin an age of enlightenment… or to be plunged into a new era of darkness and suffering, based on the outcome of that fight."

Lana was startled by his words. She had heard Zakuulan scions and Voss mystics speak of the future like that, but she never expected to hear him to say something so… spiritual. It felt so very unlike him.

Corellan's eyes opened, looking down at the sparring circle.

"Until about twenty years later, when the cycle repeats itself." His words were breathy and his tone full of regret. Corellan sighed, shaking his head at the futility of it all. "And then yet again, a few years after that."

"I can't change any of that, Lana." he acknowledged. "Nor am I certain I wouldn't make things worse by trying. I cannot bring any kind of lasting balance to the Force, just like I can't arbitrarily impose peace on the galaxy. If I tried, then I would become the tyrant and people would rebel. Thus, the cycle continues."

Below them, the sparring match appeared to be nearing its climax, as Kira eluded one of Senya's traps, with neither giving up ground. By now, both women, despite their impressive stamina and unsurmountable wills, were growing fatigued, their foreheads glistening in beads of sweat.

"Conflict is a part of life, so it is a part of the Force." He said as he watched. "The mistakes people like Malgus make is believing that conflict is all the Force is, when it's so much more than that."

He turned back towards her with a firm resolve.

"Whatever the Eternal Alliance accomplishes, whatever we build, it will eventually crumble. Whether it takes a year, a decade, a century, or a millennium from now. This –" he gestured out at the expanse of the Alliance base of Odessen. "- this will all turn to ashes someday."

Every fiber of Lana's being screamed for her to challenge his words. That she should maintain that the Alliance would never fall, and that she would defend its future with her life. But somehow, she was starting to understand that what he was saying, and the tranquility with which he said it was infectious.

"I'm at peace with this realization, Lana. Its sobering, but I'm at peace. I can't change the Force. I can't change the way people are. I may not be able to change the distant future. But the one thing I can change is the now. I can make today better than yesterday, for however long that lasts."

Corellan smiled sincerely.

"But only if I have your help. I literally could not do any of this without you, Lana Beniko."

Lana felt a wellspring of affection and loyalty for him in that moment.

"You have it." She vowed. "Whatever comes, I'll be here. Now and always."

Corellan smiled in relief.

"Thank you. For that and everything else." He sighed, then tilted his questioningly.

"You're always doing that, I've noticed. You've always sacrificed so much of yourself, haven't you? Not just your time and effort, or even the risks involved. But you've given up so much of yourself, even knowing I won't always act as you advise. And I've been enabling that at the very least."

Lana folded her arms, crossly.

"I made my own choices. The same as you."

"It's more than that." He insisted, opening his arms wide. "This, right now? It's what I've always wanted to do. To help people. To help make the galaxy a better place. True, I never expected I would ever do anything on this scale, but this is arguably my best life. I'm incredibly fortunate. Not just for surviving to this point, but for the life I have today."

"But I can't help but wonder what someone of your abilities and sheer force of will would want for themselves."

Lana now felt an intensity in his attention as he regarded her, something she'd never felt before.

"I assure you, I'm quite satisfied serving the Alliance in this capacity." she asserted. "And with serving you."

"Maybe so." Corellan pressed. "But I know you well enough to know that it wouldn't have been your first choice. Don't tell me you never wanted anything else. Something for yourself. Before the Alliance or Sith Intelligence or even Arkous. Who did you want to be? What was the life you wanted? Don't tell me that when you first started out that your first choice would have been to help some idealistic ex-Jedi put the galaxy together."

Lana took a moment and looked back on her life, and her passions. So many years ago when Darth Arkous had offered her a position as his advisor, she'd considered turning him down. She'd craved a greater understanding of the Force, not a political position. She'd eventually accepted, judging it to be the most prudent course of action at the time.

She'd never considered where she might be now if she had said no.

"I didn't have a plan." Lana finally admitted. "I know it might seem strange to hear someone like me say something like that out loud, but it's true. I plan so much whenever I do decide on a course of action. But my life was the one thing I left to chance and fate. I knew I wanted to explore the greater mysteries of the Force. To seek out answers I knew I would never find on Korriban. I hoped I would spend my life pursuing all of that. Fate had other plans, but I was the one who made those choices."

Corellan Halcyon heard her out with a grave expression, turning to look down at the pit again. Having watched him throughout their conversation, she realized it was easier for him to think that way.

"If we had a day, what would you do?" his voice was passive now. "If the two of us had a… a free day? No work. No missions. Just whatever it was you wanted to do? What mysteries would you explore?"

Lana blinked then pursed her lips. A 'free day'? She couldn't remember the last time she'd taken one of those, much less a real vacation. She'd claimed moments of respite (and even pleasure) when she'd felt it prudent, but she was fully committed to building the Alliance into a galactic power.

"If we did have a free day, we would probably just talk about work." Lana finally answered, giving a half-hearted chuckle at the absurdity of it all.

Corellan nodded in regretful acknowledgement.

"We do that, don't we? The both of us. Even our lunch breaks in the Cantina turn into work."

His eyes met hers, shining with enthusiasm.

"Let's not do that, for once. Let's just do whatever it is friends do, with no 'work talk' allowed. Whatever it is that… 'normal people' do, whatever that means."

Lana looked downward, sighing.

"I'm afraid I'm not very good at that." She admitted. Looking back on her life, most of her friends and confidantes had been people she'd known through work. That had been a challenging reality for her while among the Sith, and still later at Sith Intelligence. The potential for betrayal was too great.

It had been easier with the Alliance. But even here, nearly every association had to be carefully considered. So many people had ulterior motives, whether they acknowledged it to themselves or not.

Corellan just chuckled.

"Neither am I. We aren't 'normal people', are we? But just pretend for a minute. What would you have us do?"

Lana considered the question; Truth be told, a thought had occurred to Lana while they had been speaking, but she'd felt ridiculous to even bring it up.

"Well, I know you've been joining Captain Drellik on his archeological expeditions of the ruins you found in the wilderness." She answered. "I admit… I do envy that. I don't know if the answers to the Force's mysteries lay in the ruins of the past but finding out does interest me."

Corellan's eyebrows rose in surprise, but he slowly nodded.

"Interesting. The greater mysteries never captured my attention. I assumed their pursuit was for wiser Jedi to explore. I only began my 'amateur archeologist' career after my experiences on Voss and seeing how much could be learned about what happened thousands of years ago." His eyes flickered. "Okay. I think we have another trip is coming up in a few days. How about we let Theron hold down the fort for us here, and head out with Talos on an overnight trip."

"What do you say? We'll probably be gone for a couple of days."

She was surprised at the invitation.

"Are you sure wouldn't prefer Kira's company?"

Corellan grinned.

"Kira and I share a great number of mutual interests, Lana. But as it happens, archaeology isn't one of them. She finds it boring, and I accept that about her. I'm more than happy to have found someone else who doesn't. Besides, if all goes as planned, I'll be sending Kira on a mission at that time."

Doubt remained in Lana's mind as she considered it. Corellan plainly noticed that she was chewing the offer over.

"What?" he smirked. "You're worried Theron will burn the base down while we're away?"

Lana blinked and then laughed. Corellan Halcyon rarely made jokes. It simply wasn't his usual style. Then again, she rarely laughed so freely. The unfamiliar sensation felt incredibly satisfying at this moment.

"I'm sure he can manage." She smiled.

He nodded in response.

"You and I have fought battles to decide the fate of the galaxy, Lana." Corellan added. "But that doesn't mean our fates are written in stone. They never will be. We'll always have a duty, but that doesn't mean that our own futures don't belong to us."

She needed no more convincing.

"Alright, I accept. I'll make certain both our schedules are clear."

This discussion had allowed a new kernel to form in her mind, one she'd considered privately for some time.

"Speaking of the future… it's never too early to discuss eventual successors." Lana mused. "And – even in the Republic – many often rely on the relatively smooth succession of bloodline."

Lana found herself dazzled at the prospect of the Force potential a child of Corellan Halcyon – and to be fair, Kira Carsen – would possess.

"I don't suppose you're eager to start creating the next generation of little Jedi?" she teased him with a playful grin.

He chuckled at that remark.

"No. Kira and I have spoken about all of that. You'll remember what I said before about nepotism? If the Force does bless us with children, then they will be free to choose their own paths, come what may, Force-sensitive or not. And while I have any say about it, the Alliance is a meritocracy, as much as such a thing can exist. My successors will be chosen based on merit, and on what the galaxy needs of the Alliance at that time."

How very like him. Lana mused to herself.

"A noble sentiment." She acknowledged, a new thought emerging at his mention of paths. "But what if your child is tempted by the dark side?"

That gave Corellan pause as he glanced down at Kira again. It was at that moment that the sparring match below them finally came to its conclusion, ending via an expired time limit with the arbiter droids ruling it a draw. Reluctantly, Kira and Senya extinguished their lightsabers, exchanging nods of respect. As he watched, his eyes shone with pride, and his words were delivered with confidence.

"Well, if that happened, if that was truly the path they chose of their own volition, I'd be relieved to know that I had some I trusted who could teach them the ways of the Sith responsibly."

Lana scoffed in disbelief.

"You'd really trust me to train your children as Sith?"

Corellan Halcyon looked back towards her, smirking boyishly ear-to-ear, his eyes alight in amusement. It was as if he had shrugged off all the hardships he'd endured over the last several years.

"Yes, 'Aunt Lana'." He answered. "I would."

Without another word, Corellan turned away from her for the final time, stepping up to the top of the balcony railing before leaping down below, dropping ten meters, and easily landing on his feet like a nexu.

Still in disbelief at his parting words, Lana Beniko watched him as he approached Kira with a fresh towel, congratulating her for an impressive display with a brief kiss.

Corellan Halcyon had been right. The future wasn't written in stone. Despite that, or perhaps because of it, she felt a renewed sense of confidence in the future of the Alliance, come what may.

And more than ever, Lana Beniko felt confident – and even enthusiastic – for her own future, as well.

Author's Notes: In my Halcyon Legacy head-canon, it was Lana who saved Corellan on Asylum and not Koth, even though he wasn't romancing her. (I like Koth, but this made for a better story.)

Kira has a somewhat strained relationship with both Lana and Senya at this point, and its mutual in the case of Lana. It's not personal, but they are coming from very different places at this point. Lana doesn't have a crush on Corellan or anything like that, but she does envy her that she dominates Corellan's free time, hence this scene. They will eventually find common ground.

Kira's mission winds up involving Rakghouls on Tatooine. I've already written a bit about that.

Corellan's mention of Satele's mistakes are a reference to Jaric Kaedan and Jun Seros. He has no illusions regarding the Jedi Order.

Corellan's dinners with Senya and Arcann will be brought up again. (Soon I hope.)

Likewise, he hangs out a bit with Talos. Maybe more on that another time.

I'll talk more about Corellan's successors another time.

The 'easter egg' in Corellan's Force vision referencing the actual Star Wars movies was just for fun.