Chapter 2: Opposing the Council

Hyperspace. There was something about it that soothed him as he stared at the streaking stars but that moment passed too fast for his liking as he recalled the events before they entered hyperspace. "Lieutenant, status report," Admiral Gilad Pallaeon ordered.

Lieutenant Carth Onasi looked from his datascreen to his former mentor and longtime friend with a stricken look on his face. "Sir, Skywalker's ship crashed in the hangar. There's fire and debris everywhere," he spoke in a hurried tone, hoping that Pallaeon would take immediate action instead of taking his anger out on the crew.

Pallaeon felt his face take on the look of absolute horror. "I want fire and rescue teams down there stat!" When he became an admiral all those years ago in his Imperial days, he knew he would be sending good men to their deaths. But now all of that fell away when it came to Ben Skywalker. He had stayed when he didn't have to, had fought to save lives while putting his own at risk. He would not lose this young man like so many others. If the republic was to survive it would need heroes like Ben Skywalker and Valin Horn.

Squads ran rampant in the fire scorched hangar. Fire teams were attempting to stop the burning ship from exploding while the rescue team entered what remained of the ship to search for survivors. The squad split up inside to search as thoroughly as possible. Squad leader, Captain Lorn Menssk heard a beep emitting from his scanner. "I've got two contacts . . . and something else. It's not much but it could be a life form. Move out."

Two squad members journeyed farther into the smoke filled ship entering what seemed to be a common room. The scanner began beeping louder as they neared a smaller room off to the side. They slowly crept inside and saw a splotch of blood on the floor at their feet. Ahead of them lay a sight none of them wanted to see. "Sir, you need to see this. We found them."

Slowly he opened his eyes a mere millimeter. Bright light shined through his eyes causing him to instantly close them. Thoughts swirled in his head as he tried to recall all of the events that had taken place. He remembered fighting the Mandalorians and avoiding being blown to Coruscant in Dantooine's orbit. Then everything came roaring back to him and his eyes shot open. We crashed and I crawled to the medical bay and . . . Valin! Valin! Where was he? He quickly sat up and instantly felt a twinge of pain from his head. It wasn't as bad as it used to feel but it was still painful. By the time he refocused his thoughts, he was staring at a very concerned and startled Gilad Pallaeon. "Admiral, where are they, where is Valin!" he almost shouted at the elder man.

Pallaeon had been pacing uncontrollably until Ben's outburst caught him completely off guard. He didn't want to respond but he felt he had a duty to do so, "Valin is in a bacta tank at the moment. He lost a lot of blood and his wound became badly infected. I've spoken to our top medical officers and they expect him to make a full recovery but it will take some time."

Ben's brow creased in thought. "And the sergeant?"

Pallaeon tried to calm him but Ben would have none of it until he had an answer. Pallaeon admired him for caring so much about those under his command. But Pallaeon knew something was wrong. His rescue teams didn't find anyone else on board the burning hulk of the former freighter but he suspected Ben would comment on that when he was ready. "Sergeant Rand is one the most elite fighters we have. He's not hurt as bad as Knight Horn, but he will be out of commission for awhile as well as many others."

Ben could sense that there was something the admiral was not telling him. "So Valin and Sergeant Rand is it?" Ben said looking at Pallaeon for confirmation of the man's name. When he nodded Ben continued, "So they will be on the mend for some time while we are headed where? Because I know for one thing that we're not headed back to Coruscant as protocol states."

Pallaeon was continually amazed by this man before him. He hesitated slowly before asking the one question he had longed for since Ben had arrived on Dantooine, "Are you fit enough to walk?"

"Where to?" Ben asked suspiciously.

"We're taking a rather long trip back to Coruscant. You'll see soon enough," Pallaeon's gaze held the look of pure and utter sorrow as he spoke those words. He somberly walked to the doorway then stopped and said, "Valin Horn is just down the hallway. Third door to the right. I will see you on the bridge as soon as we exit hyperspace." With that he walked out the door on his way to the bridge.

Ben got up from his cot slower than he would have liked but soon he was walking down the hall with little more than a slight sway to his step. He stood in front of the room that was currently housing Valin reluctant to go in and see how his friend was doing. I can do this. He opened the door and braced himself for what was to come. Valin lay submerged in a bacta tank with cuts and bruises all across his bare chest. He had taken a real beating during the crash and it certainly showed. Valin I am so sorry. I couldn't protect you and now you're paying the price for my mistakes. I hope you can forgive me, my friend.

He felt a warm sensation inside his mind and heard a rather weak, hoarse whisper. It's not your fault Ben. I just need some rest and I'll be fine.

Thank you Valin. I will let you rest now. He turned to leave the room, then he looked back at his friend lying in the tank when he thought he heard a chuckle as the connection between them broke. He continued his journey out the door. He thought about all the lives that had been lost on Dantooine. They had barely made it out alive and now he remembered the Mandalorian's words. You Jedi are the so called 'protectors of the Republic' yet you leave them to fight a war they cannot win. And later, the warrior's dieing request had been to tell the council they would use whatever methods necessary to fight the Jedi. The Jedi would never leave the Republic's side in a war. He didn't know what to believe anymore. Perhaps Admiral Pallaeon knew if the Mandalorian had been right.

While Ben was still trying to clear his head, the vessel's intercom system crackled to life. "Attention, this is Lieutenant Carth Onasi. Ben Skywalker, Admiral Pallaeon requests your presence on the bridge. We will be exiting hyperspace in fifteen minutes." The com checked off and silence came and went as the medical officers in this section of the ship continued their work. Ben knew Pallaeon had brought them here for a reason. But where are we?Ben thought as he quickened his pace to the bridge. Pallaeon's words came to mind when he reached the giant durasteel blast doors leading to his destination. You'll see soon enough. Well that moment had finally come. The doors opened to reveal a large room filled with consoles and men and women diligently working at their stations. On the command deck at the front of the room gazing out at the stars were two men who were deep in conversation. When Ben got closer he could see that one was Pallaeon while the other he assumed was the man on the intercom, Carth Onasi.

Both men turned and watched him approach them with somewhat weary eyes. Admiral Pallaeon was the first to speak, "Skywalker, I would like you to meet my second in command Lieutenant Carth Onasi."

Carth reached out with his hand and shook Ben's firmly, "I've heard a lot about you. You should be honored because of the courage you've shown. Not many men would stay behind like you did. Without your help, many innocent people would have died on Dantooine."

Ben held a ton of respect for the men standing before him. He knew he wasn't the only one that made a difference. "There were a lot of good men that were lost. I only wish I could have saved more," he paused in an attempt to change the subject, "But I've heard many stories about you as well. You should be congratulated on your success."

"I'm just a soldier fighting to protect my family as well as the galaxy as a whole."

Another officer trotted up next to Pallaeon. "Sir, we are about to exit hyperspace," he informed him.

Pallaeon turned away from the officer and looked toward Ben and Carth. "Good. I want a thorough search for any hostiles nearby. Understood?"

"Yes sir," Carth responded. He walked over to his station to begin his task.

Then the ship shuddered as it exited hyperspace to reveal a planet before them. Even from space you could see the damage that had been done to this world. There was also evidence that there had been a skirmish of some sort in the atmosphere where a debris field now encircled the planet. Ben could barely comprehend this horror. He looked over at Pallaeon, who held a somber gaze. His eyes told a larger story however. Ben knew the Admiral had seen this world burn. Is this what I think it is? He didn't have long to find out.

Pallaeon looked toward Carth, "Is an enemy presence in this sector?"

Carth shook his head, "No sir. We are the only ones here."

Pallaeon turned to address the crew. "Skywalker and I will head to the surface. While we are away Lieutenant Onasi will be in command. If anything from Coruscant comes through, I want you to notify me and I will dictate a response. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir," the crewmen said simultaneously. With that Pallaeon took one last look at Carth and the crew then motioned for Ben to follow him as he walked out of the command room and Ben found himself striding alongside him on their way to the hangar.

Luke, like all the others, had been glued to the HoloNet for what seemed to be far longer than the few days since the fall of Dantooine. When they heard that the Mandalorians had bombarded the planet he literally had to try pin Mara down so she couldn't fly to Dantooine. Her son meant everything to her and she easily beat Luke. But his diversion worked to a degree, though he had to suffer her wrath before she calmed down. He had shown up the next morning with a bruised face and a slight limp in his stride. Now the Skywalker and Horn families all waited for a clue as to what had happened to their children. Mara had been a wreak and he was the evidence of that. The Solos were around everyday to help both families but it didn't help much. Jacen was trying to busy himself by spending more time with his wife, Tenel Ka, and their twelve year old daughter, Allana. Luke remembered the day that Jacen was assumed to have died. Tenel Ka had thought long and hard about leaving the order and taking up her birthright as Queen mother of the Hapes but after speaking with the Solos and Skywalkers she decided to remain a Jedi. When Jacen was found alive the first person to greet him upon his return was Tenel Ka. Soon after they had been married and had Allana. Those days were awfully hard on Han and Leia and now he and Mara had just begun to feel the same. During his reverie he felt Mara reach out to him and he brought himself back to the present to hear that the HoloNet reporters had received new information.

"News has just been released by the Republic military that Admiral Pallaeon and his crew have indeed survived the assault on Dantooine. Jedi Knights Ben Skywalker and Valin Horn are onboard the vessel. Apparently the invasion began while Skywalker and Horn were still on the planet's surface. It is unknown how they managed to get off planet but we do know that the ship will be en-route to Coruscant as soon as possible. We have also been informed that Knight Horn was severely injured during this operation. From what we know he should be fine but will need further medical treatment upon their return."

Luke tried to tune everything else out as he heard the commotion erupt in the council chamber. He was as shocked as everyone else but he couldn't get himself to move from his seat. He saw Mara and Jaina embrace each other warmly. The Horns were together with Leia, who was doing her best to console them. Then in a blink of an eye he felt the Force flow through him and overtake him. The Force swallowed him whole and there was nothing but darkness.

Luke opened his eyes and saw a world he didn't recognize. Then the sound of battle raged in his ears. He followed the sound and suddenly before him appeared thousands of Jedi fighting against their long thought dead enemy. The Sith have returned! No that is impossible. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He saw Jedi after Jedi fall to the blades of the Sith. Then the sounds of battle passed away and before him lay a massive graveyard. Bodies of slain Jedi lie at his feet as far as the eye could see. Then he saw one man, cloaked in shadow with the dark side pulsing around him slowly start to stalk toward him. He couldn't see anything underneath the dark shroud of the hood. He could make out a small outline around the man's head. It was possible he could be wearing a mask of some kind, Luke thought. The Sith drew closer until he was merely a foot away from him. Then the man brought up his hands to his hood. Just when Luke was about to see this mysterious man's face, the scenery disappeared plunging him into darkness once more.

Then he heard a voice that he had never heard before. "Our time has come. For three hundred years we prepared, we grew stronger while you rested in your cradle of power . . . believing your people were safe and protected. You were trusted to lead the Republic, but you were deceived as our powers of the Dark Side have blinded you. You assumed no force could challenge you, and now . . . finally . . . We have returned." Then in a flash of light he saw the Jedi Temple and Coruscant as a whole burning before his eyes.

Then he saw the cloaked man again, standing in the ruins of the Jedi Temple. Luke felt someone standing beside him. He turned and saw a tall, well built human man with a bald head and a respirator around his mouth standing there gazing at the cloaked man. Slowly, he spoke in a low, but powerful tone, "He was strong in the dark side," Luke realized that this was the man that had spoken earlier. The man continued as though he didn't even see Luke, "But he rebelled and had to suffer. Now his story has ended." Luke took a look around and felt himself being pulled away from the vision. He saw the two men start to walk towards each other. The tall man took off his cloak and respirator while igniting his blood red lightsaber. Then the other man was about to pull back his hood when he felt the vision drift away.

He opened his eyes to see a very concerned Mara looking at him as well as everyone else in the council chamber. He tried to focus his mind. What have I seen? He was positive that the visionwas of the future. When he saw the temple he recognized it as the one he had built on the foundation of the old temple. He couldn't fathom who the two Sith were and why he never saw the face of the one. Mara's insistent shaking him brought him back to the world he never knew he had left. "Luke. Luke! Look at me," Mara said hurriedly. Luke slowly turned his head to look at his wife. The look in his eyes told her something was wrong. "What is it?" she asked.

Luke slowly sat up in his chair. He looked at all the people in the room and realized that he could not reveal this information to any but the council and those that he knew were completely trustworthy. "I'm sorry but we must have an immediate council meeting called to order. I would appreciate it if you could all leave until after the meeting." As the group was filing out Han looked over to Luke and said, "I think I will wait outside with Mirax." Then he gestured to Anakin who hadn't moved, "Come on Junior. Let's go see your family." Then jokingly, he added, "I can tell when we're not wanted."

Reluctantly, Anakin left with his father leaving the council alone for Luke to speak with. He took a look at all the faces around him and began to speak, "This meeting will not be put on record." He then told them everything he had seen.

Ben could still smell smoke in the air as he and Pallaeon walked across the surface of the now barren world. He felt so much sorrow emitting from this place. Not that long ago, Cathar had fallen to the Yuuzhan Vong. But now the Mandalorians had made the Yuuzhan Vong look like a mercy to this world. They had razed the planet. No intelligent life was left alive on the desolate planet. If there were any creatures around the fires that still burned wildly kept them away. Pallaeon turned to him and spoke with a heavy heart, "They invaded at such a time where they had no defense against their assault. The Cathar fought valiantly but they were no match for them. Some managed to flee the system but not many. The ships you saw in orbit were destroyed trying to escape. I came here with the fleet to aide the resistance fighters . . . but we were already far too late."

The admiral stopped ahead as they came to a hillside which indicated a valley lay on the other side. Ben could feel the fear the Cathar had felt as they were mercilessly cut down by the Mandalorians. "I saw Mandalorians murder innocent people before my eyes on Dantooine. I will never forgive myself for not acting fast enough. For not being there sooner. They died because of me," Ben said heavily. He knew he had barely seen anything on this planet and it already had an effect on him.

Pallaeon looked him in the eye and finally said what he had longed and dreaded to tell Ben, "The horror is far from over. Follow me up the hill and see what truly happened. Then we will leave." Ben followed him up the hill. When he came to the top he wished he had never even survived Dantooine. His gaze sweeped the valley in front of him. The valley was filled with the remains of thousands of bodies. Ben looked around and saw that large fires that had just recently flamed out had kept the native creatures away. The Mandalorians had slaughtered all these people here and left there bodies to slowly rot away. He had barely managed to keep a hold of his anger on Dantooine and now he had the same feeling all over again. He could almost see the Mandalorians butchering the Cathar. He could hear their screams and felt their pain as his own. Now he knew he had to make a decision and once again he remembered the Mandalorian's assessment of him. You are a worthy adversary . . . Ben Skywalker . . I did not think it . . possible to fall to you. But . . now I see you have . . great battles to fight. It felt like it had been years ago that he heard those words but it had only been a few days since.

"The Mandalorian I killed said that they would use any method necessary to get the Jedi involved in this war." Ben hesitated not knowing how to ask for what he wanted to know. "Admiral, that Mandalorian said that the Jedi will not fight with the Republic. Is it true that the council has decided not to aide the Republic?"

Pallaeon took a deep breath before answering, "Yes. They gave their answer to the Chief of State while we fought on Dantooine. You must know that the Republic will die without Jedi support. Even with the Empire joining the Republic we never had a chance. All those years ago I thought true peace between the Republic and the Empire would never come. Then the Yuuzhan Vong came. We joined together and fought for a future of one government. After the war I wanted to retire and enjoy the peace we had. Now we are considered one republic with two different regiments. Your cousin's husband has been campaigning for Jedi intervention for some time but has had little success. Jagged Fel is a great leader for the Imperial regiment but it is only a matter of time before the Republic as a whole dies."

Then Ben decided that he could no longer allow these people to suffer. If he had to stand against his father and mother, the Jedi Council, the order as a whole, he would. "I will not abandon the Republic. You saved my life as well as Valin's, admiral. But you didn't have to stay behind. Now I make this vow with you as my witness. I will campaign for Jedi intervention. And I will not rest until the day the Mandalorians have been finally defeated. I know that many Jedi would rather fight than wait out the war. All they've lacked is a leader."

Pallaeon held out his hand and Ben clasped it. "I will hold you to that. You honor me with this commitment and I will amply provide you with everything you need."

Ben retracted his arm and said, "There is much to do before I join you on the frontlines. But you have my word, I will fight whether it be alone or with other Jedi, and nothing can change my mind after this." He gestured toward the valley, taking one last look at the destruction that had taken place there. The sunset had come and with that final look Ben Skywalker left Cathar with a new mission. One not authorized by the Jedi Council.

Years ago, Callista Ming had loved her former apprentice's father but because of her inability to use the Force she left to rediscover it on her own. She had been able to touch the dark side but not the light. Over time Luke had apparently moved on and married Mara Jade. This event left a large void in Callista that she doubted could ever be truly filled again. She later ventured out to the Maw during the Yuuzhan Vong war and discovered that the Jedi had brought the younglings to the space station, Shelter, to wait out the war under the watchful eyes of the Solusars. She had then volunteered to assist the Jedi masters in caring for the children. During her stay on Shelter, she began to regain her connection to the Force. It had frightened her yet excited her at the same moment. She had spent much of her time with the young Ben Skywalker, taking an interest in him that sparked even her own surprise as well as the Solusars. They had expected her to stay as far away as possible from the son of her former lover, but no matter how hard she had tried, there was something about him that called to her. Though he was little more than a toddler, Callista began to teach him little tricks with the Force as their relationship began to grow into that of a master and an apprentice. She looked at him as the son she could have had had she stayed with Luke. After the war ended, she had felt compelled to stay close to Ben so she went with the large caravan to Zonama Sekot. There she reluctantly rejoined the order, even if her only reason was to watch over Ben Skywalker. Ben, meanwhile began to develop a close relationship with his cousin, Jacen Solo, which pleased the Skywalker and Solo families. She had continued to teach Ben everything she knew throughout his childhood as his unofficial master until Mara Jade Skywalker had had enough of her being around her son. Ben continued his apprenticeship under many masters until Jacen Solo had finished his training a year ago. Ben had met with her every now and then to update her on his progress. And now after being away from him for some time, she had received an encrypted message from Ben requesting a meeting at the Republic military headquarters on Coruscant.

She sped up her pace down the hallway she had entered. She was eager to see her young protege again. She had been actively involved with the Jedi Council in war meetings over the past year. She had often been invited to many meetings by Luke and spent as much time with the Skywalker family as she could. When she had heard about Dantooine she had thought that Ben would need far more than his tremendous skills to get out of that jam. But yet again he had proved them wrong and now she had a feeling that something was changing in the air. She felt cold and shivered as she walked through the halls of this hallowed building. She reached the door in front of her and it swished open immediately and shut tight behind her.

Towards the rear of the rather large room, she saw Ben conversing with another man in a military uniform with an insignia marking him as an admiral. She recognized the man as Gilad Pallaeon from the many holos that had been taken of him over his illustrious military career. Ben turned and smiled at his former teacher. Callista visibly flinched as she noticed how hollow the young man looked before her. His smile still held the charm that he had mastered but lacked the almost child like innocence it had held throughout his adolescence. "Master, I would like you to meet Admiral Pallaeon.," he said indicating the man next to him.

Pallaeon stepped forward, "It is an honor to finally meet you in person, Master Ming."

Callista nodded to him, "And you, Pallaeon. But please just call me Callista. I hate titles."

Ben decided to speak up at that moment, "Master I have come to a decision that the Jedi must fight this war. I saw Mandalorians kill innocent people because we refused to fight them. They will do whatever it takes to provoke action. We cannot allow this to continue. I have decided to join the Republic war effort without the approval of the council if I must. But I will try to persuade them to aide me."

Callista let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and shook her head, "I believe that Jedi intervention is needed but the council will not be so easily swayed. Apparently they have discovered new developments that have steeled their resolve against Jedi involvement." She spoke carefully since Admiral Pallaeon was still present.

Both men seemed to take the hint. Pallaeon stepped toward the door, "I will check on Valin. See if he's ready to travel."

Once he left the room, Ben asked blatantly, "What have they discovered?"

"I don't know. At the last meeting that I was present at, it appeared to me that your father may have had some sort of vision. After he awoke he called an emergency meeting for council members only," Callista replied heavily. It pained her to see Luke look so lost. Once it would have been her by his side. She had moved on just like he did but there would always be a place in her heart for him.

Ben looked perplexed at this information. He now had to figure a way to gain the council's support another way. "I know of many knights that will join my cause. But I need more. I need masters to side with me. Master, will you join me?"

Callista looked into his pleading eyes. So much like his father's she thought. Many years ago she had fought during the Clone Wars. She knew then, as she did now, that the Republic would fall without the Jedi. "You have my support Ben but I cannot fight immediately. Perhaps later I will join you on the frontlines. For now though I will be your advocate to any Jedi that are willing to stand against the Mandalorians."

Ben was grateful that she had said this. Now he had someone on the inside to aide him. "There is something you can do for me though. It won't be long before I make my stand against the council. I need you to gather those who would rather fight and try persuading them that I will personally lead them in battle. I don't expect them to side with me immediately but I will travel throughout the Republic to gain followers. Eventually they will have to join the fight when they see their fellow Jedi join my cause. I need you to do this for me."

Callista thought about this for a few moments before knowing her answer, "I will do what you have requested.

"Thank you Master. There . . . is another reason why I called you here," Ben said hesitantly.

Then Callista felt the change within her former pupil. She had wondered what had happened to him to make him so hollow looking. "What is it?" she asked earnestly.

Ben lowered his head, not sure how to explain his brush with the dark side. "Valin and I were put in command of a squad to lure the Mandalorians into traps. On one such occasion, we were fighting three of them in single combat. Valin was struck down and I . . . I felt so much anger. I couldn't lose him and I used the dark to give myself the edge to defeat him. And before we left the surface of Dantooine, One Mandalorian murdered a family right before my eyes. I couldn't hold it in. Then this warrior took out a lightsaber and I just lost it. You've touched the dark side. How do you control it?"

She honestly didn't have a very Jedi-like answer for him. "Ben, sometimes we are faced with choices that are not choices at all. You know this already. Everything I have taught you has come from my own experiences and knowledge that I have gained over the years. Remember one of your last lessons with me, there is a great difference between a fall and a sacrifice. The Jedi have never understood what falling to the dark side truly means. Just because you have used the dark side doesn't mean you have fallen. Throughout history, whether they were Jedi or not, Force sensitive or not, beings have sacrificed themselves to save others. I still feel the dark side to this day yet I am still on the path of the light. Am I following the will of the Force, I doubt it, but I may never know the answer until I have passed on. You are willing to wage war to save others. Ben, I don't think you are wrong in doing this. Remember that the Force has a light and dark side but it's your choice what path to follow and what side to use during your life."

Ben nodded his acceptance. He already knew all of this but it always seemed to calm him getting a refresher coarse from Callista. "Thank you Master. I always appreciate your counsel."

At that moment Ben's comlink chimed. He raised it to mouth, "Skywalker here."

"This is Admiral Pallaeon. Valin is ready to travel. We'll meet you on the landing pad."

"I'll be right there," he said and pocketed the comlink. He looked back at the woman who was like a another mother to him. He could see she had missed him so he put his arms around her in a gentle embrace which she returned eagerly. He pulled away and saw tears in her eyes. "What is it?" he asked slightly surprised by her emotional moment.

She looked up at him and said, "I'm just glad your alive." She swiped away the tears with her hand. "Well I suppose I should get back to the temple before you do. But before I go, how is Valin?"

Ben was glad that she had changed the subject. She could always seem to know when he was uncomfortable. Must be something Dad used to do. His father didn't speak about his relationship with Callista to anyone except for the adults in the family and close friends. Still Ben knew both his father's and Callista's sides of the story but he kept that info to himself. "He is doing much better and he'll be a hundred percent after Cilghal can have a look at him."

Callista nodded her head, "I'm glad to hear it. But Ben, remember what I said." She turned to make her retreat down the hall.

"I will Master," Ben said his usual farewell to her.

Callista stopped mid stride and turned sharply to face him and said, "Oh, there is one more thing Ben. My name is Callista not 'Master.' I've told you this before."

Ben laughed at his former mentor's annoyance at his use of her title. "Farewell then, Callista."

The shuttle ride to the temple was shorter than Ben would have liked to say the least. He had wanted a little more time to think about what he would say to the council. He knew it would only be a matter of time before he would appear before the council after they landed. Sergeant Rand was their pilot on the trip. Ben found that the more time he spent with him the more he liked this man. There was something different that he could not place about this man. He wasn't like other soldiers. He watched him land the craft with ease as the ship shuddered on the impact. "Who taught you how to fly?" Ben asked intrigued.

"Well I've heard that you were one of the better pilots around so I requested some holos to of you to work with. That and I had a cockpit camera on from the gun station to see what was happening. Those moves you were doing, I could only dream of ever trying."

"Maybe one day you will," he said with a smirk that Rand had to imitate. "Help me with Valin," Ben added as he put his arm around his friend. Rand did the same as they walked toward the open landing ramp. When they got to the bottom, they saw a very large crowd waiting for them. He could see Cilghal and the other healers at the bottom of the ramp waiting patiently with the Horn family. His own family wasn't far from them but kept a respectable distance for the medical personnel, though he could see his mother wanted to run to him. They were all smiling and waiting as patiently as they could while he helped Valin. Cilghal and Tekli came forward and took Valin form them and laid him gently on a stretcher. As they took him to the healers he heard Valin whisper, "I'm alright Mom. Jys. I'm fine really." Ben chuckled at that. Valin was not someone who wanted to be forced to rest while he could be doing something else.

He turned to the Sergeant Rand, who looked nervous around the Jedi, and said, "Thank you for taking us here."

Rand seemed to loosen up a little, "You know I never did thank you for saving my life on Dantooine."

"You did the same for me," Ben said putting his hand on Rand's shoulder, "If you hadn't been on those guns none of us would be here would we."

The sergeant shrugged, :Well you know I am a pretty good shot. I don't mean to brag but blowing holes in Mandalorians is what I do best at the moment."

Ben was about to leave when a thought struck him. "You know Sergeant Rand, I'd just like to know what your name is?"

Rand started up the ramp again and turned around to give him a final look. "The name is Jaq Rand. Good luck with your mission Skywalker," then he lowered his voice and whispered, "I think you'll need it." Having said his piece, he walked up the ramp and flew the shuttle into the ever treacherous waves of Coruscant traffic.

He had just enough time to turn around before he was engulfed in a breathtaking hug. He returned her embrace as she brought her hands up to cup his face. "Ben I'm so glad safe. You're home." If there was anything that could make Mara Jade Skywalker show so much emotion in a public setting it would be her son. She had almost lost him as well as her own life before his birth due to the Yuuzhan Vong disease that had rapidly spread through her. Now she had been reunited with her precious boy. Soon after this, his father embraced him and the family crowded around him. He was slowly ushered into the temple. He saw a large crowd following and then he caught sight of Callista near the back. As soon as his eyes locked with hers, she turned and disappeared into the crowd. He always wondered why she preferred to be known as an oddity among the Jedi. She was by far the oldest Jedi around but he felt that there was a friction between her and his mother.

The Skywalker and Solo families were a rather close knit group. As they walked down the hall they passed by all of their rooms until they got to the Skywalker residence. The two families entered the Skywalker home and began to recline. A few seconds of awkward silence ensued. Ben could see that they all wanted to ask the questions that he had purposefully neglected to answer since his return. But he could tell that Jacen was just itching to speak with privately. About what he had a fairly good guess but Jacen was notoriously known for taking you off guard.

Luke continued to stare at his son not knowing what to say. He was overjoyed that he survived but now that he was here his mind kept going back to his vision. Who was the mysterious Sith? He remembered the utter devastation that had eclipsed the temple. Han and Anakin had been informed of the vision shortly after the unofficial meeting as well as Tahiri, Anakin's wife, Tenel Ka and Jaina's husband, Jagged Fel. Should he tell his son now or later during his briefing before the council. He looked over to Mara who gave him a hard look. He decided that he would break the silence but Ben himself beat him to it. "I've rather enjoyed everyone staring at me but I'm a little tired. If it's alright with you I'd like to get some much needed sleep."

Luke nodded, "You deserve to get some rest. The council will convene in a few hours." Then he flashed a small smile at his son, "Try not to be late."

Ben rose from his seat and showed him a version of the Solo grin that he had put so much time in perfecting, "You know me. I'm never late, everyone else is simply early." He walked away to his room glad for the respite from his family. He had hid the pain in his soul as well as he could but he knew that they had felt it. I'll think about this later. He got into his bed and thought about what he was going to say yet again as sleep took him.

He awoke far earlier than he would have liked. He had then found himself pacing for what seemed like hours until the door to his room opened to reveal Jacen on the other side. He walked toward his cousin and sat down on the bed and patted the bed by his side. Ben sat down next to him and Jacen softly said, "We need to talk."

Ben had a pretty good idea what this was about. "What about?"

Jacen sighed deeply before asking his question, "What did you see on Dantooine?" He knew this would be a personal question but he had to know if he and the council had made the right decision.

Ben didn't want to divulge everything he knew just yet, "Let me ask you a question. Do you support the council's decision?"

Jacen looked slightly surprised by this but was able to recover quickly, "I had campaigned for Jedi action early on during the start of the war a year ago. But now after recent discoveries I feel we should stay away." If Jacen had been persuaded to back down then that meant they must have some credible information.

But Ben wasn't satisfied. Now he knew that Jacen was against him. Though if he presented his case well enough then he could gain Jacen's support later on. Ben took a moment before he responded, "I saw a lot of terrible things. But you all will know soon enough." He decided to study his feet for a while. "How is Valin?" he asked.

Jacen put his hand on his shoulder causing Ben to look at him as he spoke, "Valin has fully recovered and he will meet you outside the council chamber." He looked at his chrono and stood up, "I have to go now. Don't be late." Ben watched Jacen walk swiftly out the door and he began to think Callista and Jaq Rand were right. I'm going to need a lot of luck now.

Not long after his conversation with Jacen, Ben was walking to the council chamber and the moment that could decide his fate was quickly approaching. His stride was confident as he continued his journey. He came to a stop at the elevator when he saw Valin standing there waiting for him. "It's good to see you up and about Valin," Ben said by way of greeting.

Valin made a mock bow to him, "I feel good. Cilghal patched me up and now I'm ready for more action."

Ben didn't want to hide his ideals from his friend so came out with it, "Valin, I believe the Jedi must get involved in this war. If we don't the Republic will fall and the Mandalorians will murder everyone standing until there is nothing left for them to kill. The Jedi must make a stand."

Valin looked down trying to hide his fear and guilt at his own thoughts. He didn't understand why the council was letting people suffer and die while they sat isolated in their temple. He that going against his father would be wrong but he knew that if someone took a stand he would be the first volunteer. He looked at Ben and saw a very familiar sight in his eyes. He saw Ben's raw determination shining through those bluish-green eyes. But there was also an intensity to them that he had never seen before which slightly shook him a bit. "I believe that action must be taken. We cannot stand by and watch people suffer any longer."

Ben smiled at his friend and motioned with his hand to the elevator, "Shall we go?" Valin nodded and entered the elevator followed by Ben and took the ride up to the council spire. The turbolift came to a stop at the summit of the High Council tower. The doors opened to reveal the thirteen council members seated in a circle. The pair of knights walked to the center of the chamber and bowed respectfully before the council facing the grand master. Luke looked at the two young men before him and smiled, "Welcome Valin, Ben. We are grateful to see that you are completely healed Valin." Valin looked at his father and mother, who had also been invited to this meeting. Corran smiled at his son but remained silent waiting for Luke to continue. "We have called you here to discuss your mission on Dantooine."

At his father's nod Ben and Valin recounted the events surrounding Dantooine in purposeful detail though Ben kept his brush with the dark side out of it. He could see the outright horror on some of the masters faces as he told the story of his fight with the Mandalorian with a lightsaber. "He was one of the hardest opponents I've ever faced." Ben paused trying to choose his words carefully, "They killed all of those innocent people. There must be something we can do?" He took a look around and saw many faces begin to crease in worry. Luke's jaw began to move ever so slightly and Ben knew what he was about to ask.

"Ben, Valin, the council must confer about these developments. We will summon you when we are ready for you," Luke said trying to mask his intention of working on a way to present their case to the two knights before him, "May the Force be with you."

Valin bowed and started to walk away. When he got to the turbolift he noticed that Ben was not beside him. Looking back he saw Ben firmly rooted to the floor. Valin tucked his hands in his sleeves and waited for Ben to follow him. But Ben didn't so much as look in his direction. He stared straight ahead at his father. Luke was beginning to feel nervous as he looked into his sons determined gaze. He cleared his throat to speak, "Do you have more to say Ben?"

Ben took a look around at all of the venerable Jedi masters seated there. He wished he didn't have to do this but now he had no choice. He looked back to his father, "With your permission, I believe the Jedi must enter this war. I've seen the dire situation of the Republic, they will not hold out much longer without our help," he said in a deathly calm voice.

Luke should have expected this coming from not just his son, but a man who had been on the battlefield. He shared a look with Mara and he could see in her blazing green eyes that he had to tell them of his vision. "Ben, there is a greater threat out there than the Mandalorians. The council has felt it as ell as many other masters including Callista. Just a few days ago, I had a vision of the Jedi being slaughtered and the temple and all of Coruscant in flames. We must be ready."

Ben didn't give him any time before he struck back, "I saw families being slaughtered for no other reason than to pick at the Jedi's resolve. Before that Mandalorian died, he told me that they would use any methods necessary to get the Jedi involved. Their original plan was to kill me and Valin. They had hoped that you would aide the Republic and give them the fight they want. Sooner or later if we don't act, there will be nothing left for the Jedi to protect." He was trying to get some sort of gauge on the masters opinions. So far he could see that most were against him. At the moment, it appeared that Jacen was his strongest supporter. This isn't going to end well.

Corran Horn had heard enough from his son's upstart friend. He wanted to defuse the situation before it got any worse. "Ben, I agree with your father. We must be ready to face this threat. If the Jedi fall then the Republic will quickly follow," he said with a hint of anger at Ben's stubbornness.

But Ben was far from finished. He still had some more ammunition. He kept looking toward his father as he said, "And if the Republic falls the Jedi will soon follow. The Jedi have been involved in nearly every war since the birth of this order. You speak of a future threat while you ignore the immediate threat. We need to stand and fight or the Republic will die. Even Admiral Pallaeon knows this. We have to help them!" He had to fight hard to reign in his temper. It was times like these that he knew he had inherited much more from his mother than his father.

Mara was amazed at her son's outburst. When she was younger she would have run headlong into the heart of the battle and she still did now. But after witnessing Luke's vision for herself she was convinced this was the way to go. Now the hard part would be to get Ben to see it that way. She steeled herself, as she so often did, to reprimand him before things got out of hand. "Ben! You are out of line. Listen to what your father is saying," she said in the commanding voice she donned when she was angry at her son.

At any other time, Ben would have backed down but now he was more determined than ever before. But he knew that the council would not be dissuaded. But neither would he. "Will anyone take a stand against the Mandalorians?" he said, waving his hand for emphasis.

He saw many of the council members exchanging glances. He knew that Jaina was torn in two because her husband was the leader of the Empire but she still held on to his father for guidance. Then all the councilors turned their eyes toward their undisputed leader. Ben watched his father lean forward with genuine sorrow in his eyes as he said, "Ben I am sorry. None of us want to leave the Republic to fight alone but this council is united and firm." Then his features hardened slightly in determination, "We will not enter this war."

Ben knew that he would get this answer. Now he knew the council was against him. But he could wait no longer. Ben stood tall and spoke the most defiance he had ever had the guts to show, "Then I will."

Luke bolted upright as he heard those words spoken by his own son. He felt Mara standing beside and noticed that many of the councilors were now standing in utter disbelief at Ben's utterance. "What!" he exclaimed. He had never seen this coming. He had always thought that Jacen would be the one to openly oppose him, but never had he thought that his own son would.

Ben remained firmly planted where he was. He would not back down now. Too many lives were at stake. "I will go to war without the approval of the council if I must. I have seen what they did to Cathar and I will not allow that to happen again. And I will gladly welcome anyone that wishes to join me," he said in a hard voice.

Valin had been deeply moved by Ben's words and now that someone had stood against the council he was certain that more would follow. But it would greatly benefit Ben's cause that he was now leading it. He marched back to stand beside Ben and boldly announced, "I stand with Ben. The Republic needs our help and I will gladly support them."

Now it was Corran and Mirax's turn to look on their son in pure betrayal. Valin had been one of the most respected knights for years and now he had sided with Ben against Corran, against his family, and everything he had striven for. "How can you do this Valin. You side with Ben, he is only a naive sixteen year old boy. As your father and a Jedi master I order you to stay," Corran shouted at his only son.

Valin turned to his father and said with irritation, "I will fight for what I believe in not what others tell me I should. Ben is a natural leader and there is nothing you can do to stop us." With that being said Valin and Ben retreated to the turbolift before anyone could reach them. They rode it down in silence, both wishing that things could have been different.

Undoubtedly, some of the councilors now thought they were renegades by going against the council's will. Ben knew his family didn't want him to do this but they gave him no choice. Valin broke the silence as they neared the bottom, "You know they won't allow us to leave the temple. I can see why the council would be cautious about this war but I think it's ludicrous to stay out of it! They can't risk us rallying others to our cause."

Ben delved into the Force and saw all the loyal followers of the council waiting for them at the bottom of the spire. Once they exited the lift they would be "arrested" and brought back to the council. He relayed the news to Valin, "They're waiting for us at the bottom."

Valin looked at him in defeat after uttering a few Corellian curses before looking at the floor again, "Alright we've got the council above us and their followers below us. We're completely sandwiched in with no way out." He looked up to see a broad smile on his friend's face. He remembered the countless times he had seen that grin. They had always been able to get into a bit of mischief now and then, and as always, when things looked bad Ben had that grin on his face as a plan formed in his mind. Just like old times. That thought brought a grin to his lips as well. "Unless you have a plan, of course."

Author Note

Thanks for reading such a long chapter. If you haven't noticed, I have brought in a few of the KotOR characters for this story. In this story the New Republic and the Empire have joined together under the Republic's banner. Thanks and please review.