This chapter is a bit jumbled. I need to get a bunch of people in one spot in the galaxy and it all has to happen about the same time. So it is more of a set up chapter without a lot of action or dialog. I am trying to throw in a few aspects to the LOTF novels, but of course since the Vong war never occurred it will definitely be different.

I do want to say that I know some of the things these characters do defies common sense. Star Wars characters do foolish and dangerous things to help the plot along. In the profics Mara went to Nirauan alone and then she criticized Luke for coming after her alone. Mara went after Jacen alone. The characters are often in deep denial about the actions of others…especially when it helps the plot along. They have to go against common sense to give us the adventure. Come on, does anybody in their right mind think Luke, Han and Chewie would be able to break the Princess out of the Death Star unless we allowed ourselves to put reality aside for a moment?

~JL~

After two agonizing weeks of waiting Jacen finally received an encrypted message from the geneticist letting him know the virus and antidote were ready for pick up. He was given a location for delivery and wiring instructions for the remaining funds owed. That was a relief, but Jacen was still waiting for an official request from Tenel Ka for him to provide Jedi assistance. He wished he could talk to her, but communications with the Queen was severely restricted since the assassination attempt. Her last message was a text stating Allana had made a full recovery and that she would contact him when the situation stabilized. Once he had the antidote he had to find a way to get onboard the Dragon Queen. Perhaps if he couldn't join Tenel Ka as part of her security force he could at least talk his way onto her capital ship for a friendly visit.

Jacen suited up in his green flight suit and pulled his Jedi robe over it. As he packed his flight bag he took a deep cleansing breath. He was already having second thoughts. It was easy to decide to assassinate a murderous old woman in the heat of the moment, but it is another thing to carry out the plan when his blood had cooled…but he was fairly certain he was doing the right thing.

His nights were still haunted by horrific visions that drove him forward…encouraging him to continue this course of action. During the last week he spent much of his time in deep meditation. He used a future-sight technique taught to him by the Aing-Tii monks in an effort to get a glimpse of what the future held for him. While submerged deep within the Force he could see flickers of possible destinies. He was taught the future is always in motion and what he saw while in his meditative trances were a montage of possibilities—murky prognostications that differed in the details but showed two very distinct and contrasting outcomes.

In all possible futures where he confessed his association with Lumiya…his wife and daughter died; sometimes it was from an assassin's blaster, often it was an explosion that snuffed out their lives…but the overall fact was they died. The same fate awaited his family if he didn't use the virus to kill Ta'a Chume.

In his visions where he denied his involvement with Lumiya and she delivered the virus he saw a brighter future. He caught glimpses of himself and his family together, happy and living openly. He saw an image of Tenel Ka and Allana sitting down with his parents and siblings and all enjoying a family dinner.

'How could the death of one woman make so much difference?' he wondered with a deep sense of bewilderment. It didn't seem possible.

He zipped up his flight bag and tossed it on his bed. He needed to contact Lumiya to set up a rendezvous. He would leave tonight.

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"Darth Vectivus?" Lumiya called out from the library area of The Home as she turned off her subspace transceiver. When he didn't answer she went to her room to pack. Jacen Solo had finally contacted her for a rendezvous in Hapan space. Hopefully when Ta'a Chume was dead he could concentrate on what he would need to learn to destroy whatever evil awaited the galaxy. She grabbed a travel bag from under her bed and threw in some clothing, a blaster and disguises in preparation for her mission to Hapes.

"Is the young man finally coming to train?" a voice came from the corner of her room.

Lumiya jumped slightly at his sudden appearance. She shook her head. "You're skulking again."

There was a deep chuckle that came from the shadow. "It's nice to know that after all these years I can still get a reaction out of you in the bedroom."

She groaned. "Did I ever tell you that your sense of humor is lacking?"

"A few times, but the Sith were never known for their witticisms."

"That's true." She went to the 'fresher and grabbed her toiletry kit and tossed it in her carry-all bag. "He contacted me. I am going to meet him on an secluded planet in the Hapes Cluster."

Darth Vectivus didn't reply, but Lumiya could almost feel his eyes on her. She turned to the silhouette in the corner. "Is something wrong?"

"It's just this is a dangerous time for you. If he has changed his mind this could be a trap."

"True," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. "But you can't achieve great things without some danger."

She heard Vectivus heave a heavy sigh, which she always thought was odd for a specter that didn't breath. "What's wrong now?"

"I am concerned for you."

She laughed. "I thought you were sick of me?"

"Humph," he muttered. "Surprisingly, I sometimes find myself enjoying your company." There was a pause. "Bring whatever you need to protect yourself."

She looked at him intently for a moment. "Okay," she said slowly wondering what brought on this sudden concern for her welfare. She went over to her weapons locker. She took out her lightwhip, holdout blaster, tranquilizer and toxic darts and energy bola and tossed them into a travel bag. She zipped up the carrier and slung the strap over her shoulder. "I am going to Kavan. I should be back within a week."

"Be careful," she heard the Dark Lord say as she left The Home.

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Mark's datapad buzzed, letting him know that Jacen's StealthX had entered space. He scrambled out of bed and quickly dressed. Kira sat up in bed looking confused.

"Where are you going?"

"Sorry, I'm off on a mission."

Kira frowned but lay back down in bed looking perturbed, but not surprised. "Are you going to be in danger?" she asked.

He shook his head as he buckled up his blaster holster and attached his lightsaber to it. "I doubt it. I'm just going to check something out and be right back. I'll be gone a few days, tops." He threw a few things in a flight bag and then leaned over to kiss his wife goodbye.

She gently grasped the sides of his head and held him, prolonging the kiss. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," he said. "I'll be careful, I promise."

He dashed to the front door of his apartment, but then hesitated. If he did run into Lumiya he wanted the advantage. He went to the back his apartment and into the room housing the ysalamiri. He put on a shoulder carrying harness and then took his favorite animal out of the cage. "Hey, Nibbles," he greeted the elderly tree lizard as he placed the animal on his shoulder. The Force-void creature made a couple circles on his shoulder before she dug her claws into the thick leather of the carrier. He reached up and scratched the back of her head. "Now I'm ready for whatever is out there."

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Ben tossed and turned in his bed as a horrible nightmare ravaged his sleep. He was cradling his mother in his arms. She looked up to him, her face a mask of pain. Her mouth open and closed, but no words were said. Her eyes were wide and frantic as she desperately tried to tell him something. Then there was a scream.

"Arrgghh!" he woke with a start. "Oh Kriff!" His heart was pounding and he found himself gasping for air. He ran his hands through his hair nervously and found he was covered with sweat. He didn't know if what he saw was a vision or just a nightmare but he needed to see his mother; he had to make sure she was all right. He rolled out of bed and pulled on his sleep pants and walked out of his room to the kitchen. There he saw his parents bedroom door open and the lights on.

"Mom?" he called out as he ran to her room. His father had left for Chiss space almost a week earlier leaving Ben and his mother to investigate the existence of Lumiya on Coruscant. "Mom?" he called again. When she didn't answer he rushed into the room. The blankets were on the floor and the closet door and dresser drawers were open. It looked like she jumped out of bed, packed and left in a hurry. He gazed over to a display shelf where she usually kept her lightsaber and holdout blaster and saw that they were gone. "Stang!"

He ran to see if she was in the back office but all he found was his mother's computer activated and what looked like ship tracking information on the screen. It appeared that a StealthX had left from bay six. "What are you doing, Mom?" He ran back to his room and quickly dressed and armed himself with lightsaber and blaster. He didn't know where she was going or who she was after, but he did know she shouldn't be going alone.

He exited his family quarters and took the turbolift up to level ten and sprinted to bay six. The hanger was silent but there were fumes within the chamber letting him know a StealthX had left recently.

"Mom?" He looked around for his mother but couldn't find her. He pulled out his comlink and activated it. "Mom? Mom, answer me!" When she didn't respond he decided to go to bay ten where the Jade Shadow was docked along with the other privately owned ships.

"Damn!" he swore angrily when he arrived to bay ten and saw the Shadow was gone. "Why'd she leave without me?" He took out his comlink and tried to make contact again. He was startled by the sound of heavy footsteps as his Uncle Mark suddenly burst into the hanger. As the man neared Ben, he could feel his Force senses disappeared. He looked at his uncle's shoulder and saw he was with his ysalamiri.

"What are you doing here?" Mark asked.

"I woke up and found Mom missing. I think she was going to check out somebody leaving from bay six. I have a bad feeling, like something horrible is going to happen to her."

"Jacen's fighter is missing from bay six," Mark said matter-of-factly.

"Shavit!" Ben swore. "Did Mom and Jacen go on a mission without me?"

Mark shook her head, "I think she's following Jacen."

Ben's face screwed up in confusion. "Why Jacen?"

"Because I think that woman with Jacen at the gym was with Lumiya. I'm still not positive, but the fact that your mother is tracking Jacen makes it very likely."

Ben shook his head in disbelief. "Why would Jacen be with Lumiya and why would he be stupid enough to bring her into the Temple? And why would Mom be foolish enough to leave without back up?"

"I don't know." Mark ran over to his modified headhunter. "I have a tracker on Jacen's ship, I'm going after him." Mark turned to his nephew. "Want a ride? It probably won't be as fast as the StealthX, but I want to bring Nibbles with me and it is too tight of a fit in the fighter."

Ben nodded, his expression troubled. "Yeah, I think we should stick together. Let's go."