Chapter 9
Skywalker Homestead, Tatooine.
As the twin suns set, Luke finds himself once more watching them, once more almost hearing that beautiful song, once more almost touching the Force.
His eyes scan the skies, seeing the beautiful reds and golds of the sunset, and then he hears a new sound, the lowing of a bantha. Frowning, he turns towards the Dune Sea off in the distance and can just make out the shape of a bantha heading towards him, towards them all. Pulling out his macrobinoculars, he centers them on the dark shape, focuses and can clearly see the Bantha, and a quick flash of gold.
A touch on his shoulder startles him and he turns around to see Mara behind him, holding Padmé. "Padmé said we're having a visitor."
Luke points towards the dark shape on the horizon. "It's a bantha; I think it might be Tahiri."
She turns a dark look towards Luke, as she is fully aware of just how dangerous sand people are. "Is she bringing us some other guests?"
"No, it looks like she might be alone."
Mara just nods her head, and turns her attention to Padmé. "I think its time for us to go inside and tuck you into bed."
"No! I see!"
Luke refrains from laughing, as Mara responds to the outburst. "You can meet our guest if she is still here in the morning, for now it is bed time."
Luke watches as Mara starts heading back into the house, noticing the pout on Padmé's lips, one that reminds him so much of Mara's. Looking back towards the horizon, he notices that the bantha is much closer now, and closing at a good trot.
The bantha slows to a stop a few meters from him and Tahiri's slim form slides off and drops gracefully to the ground. He can see the hurt and pain in her eyes as she looks at him, and he remembers how harsh and cold his last words were to her.
Swallowing his pride, he smiles at her and speaks first. "Tahiri, I'm so happy to see you."
She remains terse, as if she's wondering exactly why she has come. Finally she bows slightly. "Master Skywalker."
He walks to her, closing the distance between them. "No, it's just Luke now Tahiri, I am no one's master."
The smile she gives him is hesitant and awkward. "You'll always be Master Skywalker, but I will respect your wishes here."
"How can I help you, Tahiri?"
She turns away from him. "I'm not sure; I was finally building myself a new saber. My first since…since Jacen." She pauses for a moment, fighting back the pain. "And I had a vision, in it Anakin told me to come here, that it was time for me to be a Jedi again."
As he begins speaking she turns to him, her eyes filled with emotions, chief among them pain. "I'm sorry, but neither Mara nor myself are able to touch the Force any longer."
He can see the shock on her face. "What? What happened?"
Now it is his turn to look off into the distance, this topic brings up painful memories, memories of his greatest failures, his greatest failings. In response to her questions he says a single word. "Jacen."
"Oh."
He turns back and smiles. "But come on into the house and stay with us for a while. Until you can figure out what the Force's plan is."
As they start into the house, Luke suddenly stops and faces her. "But before we do, I just want to apologize for treating you the way I did, for abandoning you the way I did."
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Jedi Academy, Ossus.
Han Solo frowns as he looks up at the imposing edifice of the Jedi Academy. Even after all these years the building gives him the creeps in ways that the Academy on Yavin never did. He silently wonders if it's because of what went on here, what went wrong here.
Shaking the thoughts off, he moves whisper silent through the meditation gardens, years of shady dealings, and avoiding holoreporters granting him skills to do so. As he arrives at the quarters he shares with Leia, he quickly enters a code and steps inside the simple room.
She is sitting on the couch, smiling at him, a hard glint in her eyes. He starts to bend down to kiss her. "Hey your worshipfulness."
"You were supposed to warn him off that path, Han."
At her tone, he bypasses the kiss, and drops into the chair opposite her. "I gave him your warning."
He frowns as he notices that her lips have arched down into a frown. "Why do I have a feeling that there's more bad news than just Wedge not taking the advice I sent."
Han looks away from her, until her voice calls his eyes back to her. "Han!"
"What?" He paints a look of pained innocence on his face.
"What did you do?"
Han leans back in his chair, allowing a grin to surface on his face. "Wedge offered me a job."
"Please tell me you turned him down."
"I turned him down."
"Kriff!" Leia quickly stands, and starts to pace. "What position did you take with Wedge?"
Han mumbles something under his breath.
Leia turns on him. "What?"
"Supreme Commander of Corellian Forces."
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The Fountain Palace, Hapes
Tenel Ka is watching a recorded broadcast of Wedge's speech. It is the fourth time she has watched it. So many parts of it speak to her; remind her of what is good and right. She then picks up the data pad next to her, and reads the ultimatum being demanded from her from the Federation.
They want control of the weapons manufacturing capabilities of her planets.
Shutting off the recording, she composes a short and concise reply to Cal Omas, letting him know in no uncertain terms that the Hapes Consortium would not be relinquishing control of her shipyards.
She composes a short message, for Wedge Antilles, pledging Hapan support.
As soon as that message was sent, she calls for her defense minister. As the elderly woman briskly walks up and bows to her, Tenel Ka begins to speak. "I want you to assign a task force to Wedge Antilles; they are to protect Corellia as best they can."
The minister nods her head and spins from the room, quickly rushing off to obey Tenel Ka's commands.
She then strips from her robes of state, dropping the dresses which her station dictates that she wears to the floor. She goes to her wardrobe and pulls out a set of lizard skin armor, nodding her head in satisfaction at the soft supple gleam of the green armor.
Dressing quickly, she looks in the dressing mirror, pleased at her reflection. Once more looking and feeling like a warrior rather than a politician. She allows herself a ghost of a smile, happy with the changes to her appearance brought about by the simple act of changing what she wears.
Then she spins and with her customary long strides, leaves her office heading for the throne room. When she arrives, she walks around to stand in front of the crystal throne, gazing out at the nobles gathered to hear what she has to say. Her grey eyes scan the crowd, and she nods to those nobles who currently have her favor.
A quick glance to the technician in the back, and she receives the signal that her speech will go out over the holonet. She stands in front of her throne, her posture loose and easy, welcoming.
"People of Hapes, I come before you today to let you all know of what is happening. As you all know, my father worked to have Hapes join the New Republic and its fight against the tyranny of the Empire, and my parents continued in their support of the New Republic during the war against the Yuuzhan Vong. When I ascended the throne, I continued that tradition, helping the peoples of the galaxy when and how I was able."
She pauses, and allows her gaze to once more travel over those gathered before her. "When the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances was formed, I was there, as one of the first signatories to be included. With our help, the Federation was able to defeat the Yuuzhan Vong, ending that long and costly war. We have also helped the Federation in other ways, offering both military and domestic assistance as needed to the peoples of the galaxy."
Another pause, allowing what she has said to sink in, especially in light of what she is about to say. "And we have been repayed with deceit and betrayal. Many of you have raised concerns over the number of intrusive laws that flow from Coruscant on a daily basis, and most of those concerns are valid in the worries and issues they represent. Yet the newest law that has come out is an evil that we, as Hapans, cannot accept. For today, I received a letter from the Office of the Chancellor demanding that we turn over our weapons and ship building capabilities to the Federation."
She pauses once more, assuming a fighter's stance. "I have replied to this communiqué in the negative, and informed the Chancellor that Hapes would never give up her military capabilities." She pauses for the applause to die down. "For over four thousand years, Hapes has been strong, and she will remain so for as long as my heart still beats. Yet we must still remember that we are not alone in our stance against the tyranny of the Federation, Corellia has seceded as well, and I have offered an alliance to Diktat Antilles, hoping that if we present an united front, then we can make the Federation take note, that we will not, cannot accept what they are doing."
She pauses and scans the crowd once more, and then she focuses directly on the holocamera. "Effective immediately the Hapes Consortium is no longer a member of the Federation of Free Alliances, she is now the founding member of a Confederation of Independent Systems."