Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of it's characters. All characters created by George Lucas, are George Lucas's.
Hey there everybody, I'm finally back with a new chapter. almost 2 hours and 2.2k words later, it's here.
So pack your bags and set that Navicomp, caue its back to that galaxy, far, far, away.
"Speech"
Ship names
' Thought and Force speaking/bond'
Dropping out of hyperspace, the Jade Shadow made its appearance in a remote location withing the galaxy. Following the confusing Force call that was sent out by someone thought long dead.
"Begin scans of this sector for anything out of the ordinary."
"Hey Dad, I found something!"
Peering over the shoulder of the young man, Luke Skywalker and Vestara Khai both looked at the readings.
"Alright Ben take us in towards that asteroid. From the residual echoes of the Force I'm getting this is where the Force call originated from."
"Dad I still don't think this is a good idea. I mean come on, if it's who we think it is, we should just destroy it or something, we don't need that unleashed on the galaxy again, we don't need mom's killer loose!"
"Ben calm yourself, your getting too agitated, just take us in."
Immersing himself within the Force, Luke began to reach out towards the asteroid, searching for the exact origin of the call as well as an entrance. Opening his eyes, he pointed out of the viewport.
"Alright Ben take us in nice and slow. Do you see that entrance? Take us there I believe that's the exact location we need to go."
Biting her lip, Vestara looked at the two and back out of the viewport, unsure as to voice her concerns or not. Sensing this Luke turned his gaze upon her. Still being unsure of her motives and what her true agenda is, he needed her to speak.
"What is it Vestara?"
" This person, he has to be very strong in the Force for it to be able to reach us doesn't he? How do we know this isn't a trap of some kind of Abeloths?"
"You just have to trust in the Force."
"Bringing repulsorlifts online and landing struts are released. Bringing her in."
Luke turned from the cockpit and strode towards the gear lockers and threw a pair of combat suits and helmets to Ben and Vestara and began to suit up. Hanging his lightsaber from his belt, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves, unsure of what was going to happen when he came face to face with his wife's killer again.
"Alright, I want you two to be careful and aware of your surroundings. We have no clue as to what awaits us here, and whether or not this is one of Cadeus's tricks."
Vestara took a quick breath at his words.
"Cadeus as in Darth Cadeus, once known as Jacen Solo?"
"Yes, this might be one of his tricks."
Ben stormed past them, geared up and ready to go. His face stony in preparation, his mind whirling with memories of his mother, her killer and what he used to be like and what he became.
"Lets just go already."
The group headed down the ramp, glowsticks held up to observe the landing bay.
"Hey dad look at that."
Without waiting Ben took off at a run towards a black shape a few hundred feet away.
"Ben wait."
Chasing him down and Vestara hot on his heels, Luke caught up with his son who had stopped running as he gazed at the wreckage nearby.
"What did I saw about being careful?"
Ben said nothing and just pointed at the wreckage, his mouth open. Luke sighed and turned to look at it, his eyes widening as well. Moving towards it, he noticed the astromech droid that was half destroyed nearby. Heading over to it he knelt down and swept away the dust. Looking at it a few moments he got up and went over to the wreckage and was able to make out a ruined Stealth-X fighter. Looking ti over he noticed it was destroyed using a lightsaber, and he recognized the secondary markings of an additional lightsaber. It was the markings left by lightwhip, sued only by Lumiya, the one who had corrupted his nephew. Standing up he swept his hand just below the ruined transparisteel cockpit.
"What is it dad?"
Coming over to his father, Ben looked at what was written.
"Col. Jacen Solo?"
Turning his head he looked at his father.
"But dad, why would he destroy his own fighter? We all saw he was flying one when he became Cadeus? It doesn't make sense."
Vestara bent down to pick up a faintly shimmering jewel in the ground, and holding it in her hand, she felt a warmth radiating through her entire body as well as the Force. Standing up she walked quickly towards Luke and Ben.
"You might want this. This crystal...it's unsettling."
Taking it from her Luke held it in his hand, and tilted his head to one side, examining it.
"What is it dad?"
"It's a Corusca gem. Pure and perfect, attuned to a very powerful Jedi. It was used in lightsaber as unique as its owner." Putting it within a pouch at his waist, he closed it and held his hand nearby.
"What Jedi, did it belong to?" Came the unified question from Vestara and Ben, who looked at each other and flushed before looking away.
"Jacen Solo."
Stepping away he headed to the only door nearby and tried the panel, Ben and Vestara hurried to catch up.
"That was Jacen's focusing crystal? Why would it be here?"
"How could something that pure and friendly, belong to someone so dark?"
" Jacen wasn't always like that Vestara. He wasn't always Cadeus. This gem, its very unique, considering it came from Yavin itself when he was but a child and he kept it until he was ready to build his lightsaber. Therefore, it has an impression of Jacen from a young age and further developed as he grew and matured. The one thing I can't figure out is why it doesn't have a taint like it should. He was using it up until he became Cadeus."
Using the force to open the door they went through different corridors, lights flicking in a staccato manner, painting red or white harsh lights around them. With each flicker the lights would revel gashes and scorch marks, places where panels had been sheared off and where doors had been busted open or melted through with a lightsaber.
"For such a place as this is supposed to be, its pretty banged up. Those look like lightsaber scoring and cuts, as well as blaster fire."
"Yes which makes this very confusing."
"If Cadeus was here and this was his base of operations other than the Anakin Solo, why is it in such a state? No Dark Lord of the Sith, would ever let their dwelling be damaged like this."
"I don't know Vestara."
Ben shot her a glance that expressed volumes about her last statement, and she just gave him a smirk and toss of the head.
"Wow Sith have it nice an easy, I mean, we Jedi get cold stony rooms, and you guys get such fancy places. Hey dad, I think we got the short end of the stick here."
Luke grinned." Well Ben, you should know that no matter what.."
"Yeah yeah, there is only comfort and serenity in the Force. I get it. Still think we got the short end of the deal."
Stepping through another door they stopped suddenly as they saw rows of tanks with bubbling fluid, and within each one was a deformed or dead clone.
"Dad, these look like clones of Jacen."
"Yes, so its even more important that we find out what this place really was."
Going up a row of stairs they passed throw one more door into a large room. Noticing a viewscreen Luke went to it and began to pull up various information and found some recordings.
"Hey I found something." Pressing play the looked at the holo screen as a researcher appeared.
"This is the 10th day. The cloning procedures have a 60 percent fail rate. Mistress Lumiya is not pleased, especially since her new apprentice is not going very well. He seems to be more confrontational and unyielding than she wants. But due to the constant samples left behind, he can keep cloning from the original."
"This is the 15th day. The guest...Jacen Solo, has found our hidden cloning chamber and has tried to stop and destroy what I have created. Thankfully the mistress stopped him. These Force wielders are very dangerous."
Abruptly a new face appeared.
"This is Lumiya, my new apprentice, is just as foolish as his uncle. I thought he would be more receptive and understanding, but he refuses to see. These other clones are failures. I have begun to create a new clone. One that is directly linked to Jacen Solo himself. He should be more than up to the task."
Once again the face changed, but this time it was a face that two of the occupants recognized.
"This is Col. Jacen Solo Jedi Knight. Lumiya has tried to trap me here and force me to use the nore negative emotions in order to change everything. I just killed the clone that she had made of me. I know I'm trapped here unless I can defeat her, but with the shape I'm in, that's going to be difficult, but hey, that's the life of a Jedi. If anyone finds this place and message tell Tenel Ka, I love her and always will and that I will miss her daughter, and how fun it was to be around her."
On these words Jacens haggard face softened and a wry grin came to his face, a tear shimmering in his eye.
"Mom, Dad, Sis, I love you and watch out for everyone. Uncle Luke, Aunt Mara I'll miss you guys and everything I learned from you. And Ben, it was great being your master, even though it was such a short time."
A lightsaber was seen flying through the air and Jacen dodged it before it sliced through his lightsaber and ended the transmission.
Luke just stared at the at the now silent imager, his eyes wide and mouth open as he was reeling in shock at what he had just seen. Ben and Vestara were shocked into silence.
While they were standing there one last recording came up.
"Jacen Solo is no more, I am Darth Cadeus and peace will be in this galaxy."
The last image shown was Jacen lying on the ground, seemingly dead with Lumiya smirking as the last hidden clone issued his statement.
Brought back into movement he made motions to Ben to start downloading the files into their datapad. Ben unable to say anything stepped to the panel and began to download the information. As it was downloading he looked at his dad. Lumiya was stunned into disbelief at what the Sith were capable of doing. Her mind reeling from these shocking images, a worm of doubt began to seep into her heart.
"Dad, what does this mean?"
Luke took a shuddering breath before he spoke.
"It means Jacen never fell. He stayed true as a Jedi Knight against the odds. The old Solo saying still holds true. Han said it first and best, 'Never tell me the odds.' It means a clone did everything and caused the galaxy to slander Jacen's name. It means, Jacen didn't kill Mara."
Dropping to his knees as tears flooded his eyes in sadness and relief. Sadness as to the idea of not realizing the entire time it was a clone and not Jacen who was doing all the terrible things. And relief as to finding out Jacen was a hero and never gave up his beliefs.
"We have to get this out to the galaxy."
Ben bit his lip as tears ran down his face for not trusting his cousin, friend, and mentor and believing that he killed his mother.
Standin up, Luke put his hand on Bens shoulder filling Ben with the Force, leting it wash away the pain and fear.
Continuing forward Luke stepped into the darkest area of the room and saw tubes and a Spaarti cloning cylinder nearby, with lines and cables running to it and a nutrient system for a ysalimiri and for a human being to be kept alive. Turning his head he saw a man hanging from the wall, dirty long brown hair and beard covering his face.
Pulling out a vibroblade, he cut the man down and used the Force to lower him to the ground and remove the tubes feeding into his arm. Brushing the hair away from the forehead, Lukes face tightened and relaxed as he saw the mans features. Using the Force he placed his hand on the chest and began to wash away the pains and stress.
Running over, his task done, Ben stopped to a sudden halt as he saw the man on the ground.
"It's...him."
The man's eyelids began to flutter and slowly opened, revealing amber brown eyes to the three in the room. A smile crossed his face, half hidden by the facial hair, as a voice was heard, dry and croaking, but unmistakable.
"Hey Uncle Luke, wanna hear a joke?"