A/N: LONGEST CHAPTER YET! This thing is enormous. And good news: done with my LSAT! That's a weight off my shoulders until I get my score back. I really like this chapter. I hope you guys do too. Things are winding down on Nal Hutta, thank God, and for the sake of our hero's (anti-hero's?) sinuses you'll be happy to hear we are leaving soon. On to the reviews! ALSO I GOT MY BETA READER BACK! HURRAY FOR LESS MISTAKES! Thank you !
Reviews for Chapter 13:
Jedi Master Sman-Esay: Even I'm not 100% sure of his motivations at this point. I know where I want the story to go but I'm not 100% sure on the details that will get us there. I just hope to keep him in character.
Onimiman: Nom Anor? Maybe if he somehow survived the war and is trying to make his way in the galaxy the way he knows best… SPYING! Not a bad call. You'll have to wait and see. Ironically he (whoever he is) features in this chapter. You keep calling things!
Dexter Morgan? Jacen has no dark passenger! Or wait . . . maybe he does? Well it's not addicting him to the need to kill, that's for sure.
Lordban: Things seem to be going well for Jacen at this juncture, that's for sure. We shall see if the future holds a better opponent for Jacen. However, his principal advantage at the moment is that no one knows he's a player yet. That won't be the case for too much longer.
Loteva: Jacen certainly realizes that he's entering into the arena that Palpatine excelled at. In LotF he was identifying heavily with Darth Vader, and understandably so. He was in the open relatively quickly and was heavy-handed in his approach. This story is more intrigue ridden and behind the scenes in Jacen's approach towards . . . whatever he's trying to do. That's Palpatine's niche. Glad to hear I caught you off-guard with Omas' assassination.
: /hug! Welcome back!
SiouxFan: Well the amount of planning invested in the assassination is not actually that simple, no worries. Read below to find out. And truthfully, I'd say it's not that hard for a powerful Force user to kill someone and insure all traces are eradicated, specifically when he has no known political motivation that would be served by his actions, which would earn him suspicion. As I said, right now he has no known agenda and that's his great advantage.
Chief of State Jacen? What interesting ideas you have *grin*. As to what is going to happen in the next few chapters in terms of government transition, I can't say. Suffice to say I have no intention on pursuing unrealistic options. As for interest in Palpatine… well as I said in the other review reply, Palpatine is the most effective role model for him right now, in terms of political maneuvering.
Utuu: I'm so glad to hear you liked the chapters! Jacen is having a bit more time to center himself. But lots of things are going on and it's taking a toll, which occasionally causes cracks in his façade, as you noticed.
Lexi: More on the way!
"…and the sniper you hired . . . I assume the outrageous fee covered his temporary silence?" Jacen asked across the secured line.
He was discussing the details of the events earlier with the head of his informant network. The events were still weighing heavily on Jacen's mind, and he was partially terrified that something, despite all appearances to the contrary, had gone terribly wrong. Karin was dead, and her knowledge with her. The Executive Guard had not acted in any hostile or suspicious way towards him. He had heard from the Captain of the Guard that the vessel the assassin had been on had escaped on an unknown trajectory into hyperspace. Forensic experts had begun a postmortem investigation, but they were unlikely to determine anything other than the high-powered blaster caliber used for the assassination.
"She's solid. And her fee is outrageous because she's the best sharpshooter in the business. Boba Fett might still hold the undisputed rank one amongst bounty hunters and assassins but he is no better than this lady when it comes to long range hits. As for her silence, she considers it bad work ethic to break client confidentiality," the anonymous voice over the com explained.
Jacen was not entirely reassured but some of his worries were assuaged. It was ironic, but it had been his experience that many of the people engaged in criminal professions, like smugglers and bounty hunters, were more trustworthy in their own way than people working an honest day-to-day job. He still felt that mournful regret regarding the death of Cal Omas eating away at him. He felt attached to that sadness, however, it somehow assuaging the nagging feeling of guilt that was burgeoning within him.
Jacen's eyes flicked to the ceiling of the hotel room, absentmindedly tracing the patterns painted on it, as he emptied the recently opened ale bottle of the remnants of its contents. "Did you catch the whole thing on the holonews?"
"Yeah, I was watching," the informant replied. "I had my eye on Jacen Solo the whole time. I was worried he might foil the assassination."
"That so?" Jacen asked, slightly amused at the irony of the situation.
The man's voice changed somewhat, taking on a sly hue. "It made me wonder. Did you hire that CNN reporter to cause a scene in order to distract the Jedi?"
Jacen almost laughed. The man's clever. "Close."
"Either way," the man replied, sounding a bit subdued at being wrong, "I had my bases covered. The assassin used an old fashioned projectile round, encased in a high-powered blaster bolt. She assured me that it would pass through a lightsaber blade relatively unscathed. The blade would strip it of the blaster sheath, but the metallic bolt would merely heat, only adding to its lethality."
That would have been nice to know ahead of time, Jacen thought in annoyance.
"Jacen Solo almost reached the bolt too. Good thing I took the precaution," the man said, obviously pleased with himself.
Jacen knew he could have reached the bolt if he'd wanted to. He had made sure to make the whole situation appear unfortunate in that he was, firstly, distracted by the clamor and the overall emotional heatedness of the situation and, secondly, that he was unbalanced by Karin's removal from the room and the shove he had instructed her to give him. The problem with being one of the known most powerful Jedi, however, was that when the other Jedi Masters saw the events play out on the holonews, they were less likely to excuse even the slightest mistake on his part, potentially subjecting him to questioning.
Jacen pulled a thread out of the couch in irritation. "I think it is time that we schedule a face-to-face meeting."
The informant did not immediately reply. Jacen assumed the man was thinking over the ramifications of what Jacen was proposing. Jacen took the chance to crack open another bottle.
"Why?"
"Why not?" Jacen snapped.
"You'll permit me to point out the odd timing of this," the anonymous voice over the com stated. "You just paid me an incredible sum of money to organize the assassination of the most high-profile politician in the galaxy. I have this—surely unfounded—fear that a face-to-face meeting with you would coincide with me suffering a very unfortunate accident. I tend to avoid situations were such dangers lurk…"
Jacen smiled this time. One thing you could count universally on with these kinds of people was their propensity to be suspicious of everything. "The reason I want to meet is because my anonymity is no longer conducive to maximum efficacy within our partnership."
The informant chuckled. "Hold on, I'm having my translator droid break that sentence down."
"Hilarious," Jacen noted drily.
"Look," the man said, more respectfully. "If you want to meet for that reason, you'll have no problem with me taking certain precautions. But I assume it's a little more give and take with you then that, since you could just tell me who you are over the com right now . . . if your anonymity was the only concern."
"Your right," Jacen acknowledged. "Go right ahead. Do whatever you have to, to feel safe. Just make sure that whoever you bring as backup does not know of my connection to any of this. No point in me revealing my identity to your entire organization. In fact it could compromise everything."
"Fair enough."
"Contact me in five days' time with a time and place on Coruscant." Jacen said, breaking the connection a moment later.
Taking a deep breath he propelled himself to his feet. Ben was going to return from the errand he had sent him on any moment. His young apprentice was as shocked as everyone by the death of Cal Omas. It seemed to have genuinely upset him. Not that Jacen blamed him. The Alderaanian had been a good executive and a genuinely friendly person. He had led the Galactic Alliance well through two wars and a tumultuous interwar period filled. He had been supportive of Jacen as well. Admittedly, Jacen had, by all appearances, saved him from an assassination but it was more than that. Omas had fostered a friendship between the two of them that Jacen had been careful to elude knowing the eventual necessity of removing the man. Cal had either not noticed his avoidance or, more likely, attributed it to Jacen's wartime experiences. Having the man assassinated made Jacen feel almost physically ill. What's done is done . . . and done for the right reasons.
'Is that so?'
Jacen froze at the sound of the voice behind him.
That strikingly youthful, utterly idealistic, and fearless voice could only belong to one person. His heartbeat accelerated immediately, wariness and distress warring for prominence in his heart. He turned slowly, half expecting to find the room behind him empty, except for his own demons. But the sight that greeted him was more distressing still. It had been Luke's voice, but the Luke that stood before him was translucent and azure hued, like a hologram. But this was no hologram. There was no projector and the apparition was as sharp and clear as any real-world object. Luke was standing before him, but it was a shade. Jacen's mind flashed back to Yuuzhan'tar all those years ago, when he thought he saw Anakin, but this was different. He was not hurt or exhausted. He was healthy, despite his inner turmoil, and relaxed, standing in the comfort of his hotel room.
'Hello Jacen,' Luke said.
The apparition was clad in traditional Jedi robes. Fitting, Jacen mused.
"Uncle…" Jacen replied, a little hesitant.
It felt strange addressing someone he knew to be dead.
'This is a dark path you've chosen to wander. Dark and lonely,' Luke's ghost said, sounding mournful.
"Not exactly qualities that are foreign to me, Uncle," Jacen replied. "I can't recall a time my path was bright and cheery."
Luke's ghost nodded slowly. 'Your destiny has been fraught with harrowing experiences, heavy burdens, and demanding responsibilities . . . perhaps too much for you to bear,' Luke stated.
"Thanks to your grand gesture of: I've got to do this thing all on my own and show them all why I'm the Grand Master thing . . . well it's going to be harder still," Jacen added waving his index finger. Mock enthusiasm laced his tone.
He thought it ridiculous, talking to a ghost, and assumed that any person observing him would think him mad. To any non-Force sensitive it would look as though he was speaking to an empty room. But he knew Force ghosts were real. There was no point in ignoring Luke, though. And a part of him still felt a certain level of deference towards his dead master. He owed him the courtesy of at least communicating with him. Whatever Luke had to say could not hurt him any more than the whispers of the wind.
'I do regret my rashness.' Luke granted. 'But does my death vindicate your current path?'
"Your death certainly made it necessary." Jacen shot back
Luke chuckled, the strangely distant quality of his voice not hiding the fact that he was not amused at all. 'You can't lie to me anymore. I know you always planned power grabs, the murder of oh so many, and misguided self-sacrifice. All in the name of some greater good. Can't you see how megalomaniacal and monstrous that is?'
"What quality my choices have is irrelevant in the face of the risk in not pursuing them," Jacen retorted. "Do you think I enjoy what I did today?" He was shaking his head vehemently. "The most content I remember myself being was on Zonama Sekot, surrounded by nature, peace, and suffused in internal tranquility. Is that what I should do? Leave with Allana and go there; let the Alliance, and everyone in it, fend for themselves?"
Luke's ghost glared at him. 'You know that's not what I'm saying. I am saying that there are better ways to accomplish what it is that you want to accomplish. Ways that don't involve the murder and suffering that your current path will surely inflict on the galaxy.'
"So you don't deny that something has to be done?" Jacen noted.
'Certainly not! You falsely assume that you have to defeat Abeloth on your own; that the dark man can only be stopped by you. But the other masters can help you!' Luke assured him, the earnestness of his tone resonating with Jacen, despite his doubts.
The tone and the words did not harmonize however. Who were the masters without Luke? Children without their father. Vulnerable in countless ways: weak and confused. Jacen put the ale bottle to his lips angrily drinking the contents. He threw the bottle in the corner, annoyed by Luke's lecturing.
Jacen snorted. "No they can't. Kyp, Corran, Saba, Kenth, Kyle . . . they aren't able to stand against Abeloth. Each one has glaring weaknesses that she will easily exploit and take advantage of. It's just one of the facts of the post-Anakin Skywalker galaxy. It takes Skywalker blood to save the galaxy, now. The only people who could have helped me in this are either dead, too young, relatively untrained, or recent arachnophiles."
Luke's facial features seemingly relaxed. 'So you're not planning to take Ben with you when you move against Abeloth?'
Jacen shook his head. "I never said that. What must be done to stop her, will be done. Whatever it takes…"
'For Force's sake Jacen . . . he's eleven years old.'
Jacen took two steps towards Luke's ghost, glaring at it. "And I was far younger when you took control of my body to fight Exar Kun. We do not have the luxury of sentiment. Don't deal in such obvious double standards." Jacen was pointing a finger at his Uncle accusatorily.
'That was different and you know it.' Luke's face hardened. 'I wish, now, more than ever that I was still alive so that I could stand between you and my family. I can't believe I didn't see the danger you represented sooner.'
"Danger?" Jacen guffawed. "I'm more than willing to sacrifice myself right now, at this instant, if it would put an end to the threats that darken the horizon."
Luke shook his head angrily. 'All you've done so far is sacrifice others. All I see is someone who threatens the wellbeing of my wife and son with his delusional self-righteousness.'
Jacen frowned. "That's just fracking, unapologetically wrong. I preserved Mara's wellbeing."
Luke's eyes narrowed. 'Only because you had some self-interested motivation to possess her for yourself, some sort of sick desire to take my place... Don't think I don't know what you're doing. You think now that I'm dead you need to be me and it's translating into something perverted and twisted.'
"Don't pretend that Mara or Ben ever featured as your priority!" Jacen yelled. "You were always more concerned with rebuilding the lost legacy of an outdated relic of an Order that had no real place in the galaxy anymore. That obsession led you down the path that killed you. And Mara never had the chance to do more than voice an objection." Jacen laughed. "An objection you simply ignored! Sure you loved her. But you loved the Order more. That's the truth."
"Your truth, Jacen." Luke gritted. "It's not the truth."
"Enough!" Jacen exclaimed. "You're not the Grand Master of the Jedi Order anymore. You're just the nattering shade of a bygone existence—one of dimming relevance and importance. And I've wasted enough time on your nagging!"
Jacen reached into the Force, feeling for the connecting tendrils that allowed Luke's spirit to manifest itself. Catching ahold of them, he cut the thread, watching as Luke's annoyingly paternal expression winked out along with his apparition.
"Why haven't we left yet?" Ben demanded impatiently.
The young Jedi learner was sweating profusely as he moved through some of the intermediate katas with relative proficiency. Jacen had taken him to the speeder lot of the hotel, the only open place he could find, and was making his cousin work through the midday routine that he would have to adhere to at the Temple. Ben had wanted to leave the hotel and assist the Executive Guard in their investigation, even though Jacen had told him that their official job here had died with Cal Omas. Which of course led to Ben asking why they had not left the planet altogether and returned home.
Instead of explaining to Ben that they had to wait to see whether Allana was on her way here, in Mara's care, or if Allana was, in fact, not coming closer to Nal Hutta—contrary to what Jacen seemed to sense—but had instead arrived in the Hapes Consortium . . . well all of it was a bit too complicated to explain and not something Ben needed to be concerned with. Instead of attempting the explanation he had herded Ben outside and initiated a rigorous training session. It had not cured him of the need to demand explanations, however.
"Because I feel the Force's guidance, my young apprentice," Jacen said cryptically.
Ben finished the routine, breathless. He put his hands on his knees and hunched over, breathing heavily. He walked over to the canteen of water that he had brought along and drank from it. When he had drank his fill he placed it back on the permacrete and looked up at his master indignantly.
"So no reason?" Ben asked, flippant.
Jacen cocked an eyebrow. "No, there's a reason. Just not one you need to know."
"Need to know basis?" Ben asked, nodding gravely.
Jacen scoffed good-humoredly. "Do you know what that means?"
"I overheard Kalenda say it to one of her agents. It's like if I need to know it, I will." Ben stated, a hint of uncertainty in his tone.
"More than that, it's that you don't get to know what you don't need to know to perform your role, in a given situation." Jacen added.
"So I don't need to know what we're waiting for, to perform my role?"
Jacen nodded and unclipped the lightsaber from his belt. He tossed the hilt from his right to his left hand, and placed his right hand behind his back. Ben looked at him warily and took a deep breath. Jacen beckoned him with a nod of his head. Ben brought his lightsaber up in a traditional guard and slowly approached Jacen at an oblique angle. Jacen waited for him impassively. As Ben circled him but Jacen remained standing still, trusting in the Force to warn him when his young apprentice lunged. Ben did not wait until he was facing Jacen's back, however, as Jacen somewhat expected. Instead the young Jedi learner lunged just before he reached Jacen's rear.
Jacen twisted, and brought his saber to bear on Ben's thrust, angling the blow away from his lower torso. Ben's height insured that all his blows were generally angled at Jacen's midsection. Ben turned his tumble into a slash at Jacen's legs, which Jacen jumped over. He pursued his apprentice immediately, cutting at Ben's retreating back. Ben tumbled to evade him, the heavy materials of the Jedi garment protecting him from injury as he rolled across the permacrete.
Ben propelled himself back to his feet with skill and agility that belied his age. He spun on his master as Jacen caught up with him, blocking the slash that was aimed at his neck. Jacen spun the lightsaber in his hand and followed up the upside-down grip on the hilt by swinging at Ben's legs. Ben flipped away from the attack, a hair breadth before Jacen's blade made contact. Ben landed on his feet a ways away. Jacen blew some hair out of his eye. He beckoned his young apprentice to come at him once more.
Ben grinned and grasped his saber firmly in both hands, opting for a more conservative heads-on approach. Coming straight at Jacen he cut high and low, with Jedi-like speed and precision. Ben was good for his age, Jacen had to acknowledge as he batted away the precise attacks with some effort. Better than Anakin, Lowbacca, or Tenel Ka had been at the same age. Then again, the Praxeum had been an erratic environment, subject to somewhat lax teaching schedules and unpredictable attacks by hostile forces, which had heavily interfered with his generation's education.
Ben left himself open to unconventional attacks like most people his age, however. Jacen grabbed the folds of Ben's robe as the young apprentice used an elaborate flourish to attack him, pulling Ben off balance. Jacen swatted his apprentice's lightsaber out of Ben's hands simultaneously, taking advantage of the boy's surprise.
Ben astonished Jacen, in turn, when he turned his fall into a sideways role, pushing himself up on one hand and using his other to grasp the lightsaber hilt that was tumbling through the air in a Force grip that Jacen was unable to break with the modicum amount of Force power he was permitting himself in the duel. Ben's training saber landed back in his palm and he jumped to his feet, smiling at Jacen's wide-eyed amazement.
"Have you been strengthening your connection to the Force on your own time?" Jacen asked him, narrowing his eyes.
"Sure have!" Ben exclaimed. "Two days ago, when I opened myself to the Force, while meditating, instead of trying to make it come to me, I kind of just let it pour into me like a huge wave. It was pretty awesome!"
Jacen smiled slightly. "That's what I've been telling you to do. But I suppose the nuance between opening yourself to something and insistently inviting something in is more subtle than I thought. If it wasn't I suppose most apprentices would be able to use the Force as precisely as you just did."
Ben grasped his lightsaber in both his hands again, gritting his teeth. Jacen took a traditional one handed guard and inclined his head in a sign of respect, a gesture Ben returned while smiling like an idiot, obviously awash in the positive reinforcement Jacen was giving him. Jacen's emerald blade twirled about him in an intricate pattern as he went on the offense for the first time. Using elaborate flourishes and twirls was a good way to intimidate an inexperienced opponent, having little practical use in a clash between skilled duelists.
Jacen's eyes twinkled in amusement when Ben alternated his weight from one foot to the other, trying to find the best way to attack into Jacen's approach. His inexperienced enthusiasm was keeping him from seeing the obviously preferential route: namely waiting for Jacen to reach him and block the initial attack, from whatever direction it came. Jacen exploited the mistake by feinting from the left when he came into reach. Ben brought his blade up to parry the blow but Jacen flicked his wrist, dodging Ben's guard and bringing the lit blade up next to Ben's neck, abruptly ending the fight.
Ben came to a sudden stop and looked at the blade hovering near his neck regretfully. Jacen extinguished his weapon, and Ben followed suit. Ben was breathing heavily, and Jacen himself was slightly out of breath. Jacen clasped Ben's shoulder causing his young apprentice to look up at him.
"I'm proud of you and your progress. You should be as well. In the last year and a half since I've started your training you've made strides that have brought you up to the level of Jedi initiates who've trained for far longer than you. And now you're even surpassing them." Ben's face reddened in embarrassment. "Your mother and father are and would be proud as well."
Jacen was not sure why he had brought up Luke. The truth was that his uncle had been on his mind since he had gotten up that morning. The appearance of Luke's ghost in his room the previous evening had occupied his thoughts significantly.
"Thanks," Ben said, looking sheepishly at the ground.
Jacen smiled lopsidedly at Ben's reaction and began to walk off the speeder lot, making his way to the hotel gardens which were, despite the overall atmosphere of Nal Hutta, rather pleasant. The scents of the verdant botanical life overpowered all other less pleasant odors and made for a non-distracting environment for meditation. Ben followed him at a marginal distance, still somewhat off-balanced by Jacen's praise.
Jacen's mind wandered back to Luke as he walked down the path to the gardens. How had Luke even appeared to him, considering the fact that Luke's body had not vanished the moment he died. Jacen had seen Luke's body in the stasis chamber when it was brought to the Temple. He had taken charge of organizing the proper rites and arrangements, not wanting Mara to be burdened with them. Luke's body had not vanished with his death, which Jacen thought to be a requirement for . . . posthumous apparitional appearance. While Luke's body had burned on the pyre, he thought he had seen it start to shimmer and disappear, but he did not pay it significant heed at the time, assuming that his eyes were playing tricks on him.
But perhaps Luke's spirit had held off becoming one with the Force until Mara was ready to say her goodbyes. He remembered Mara's mood being afflicted during the course of the funerary ritual, up until the point he thought he saw the body vanish as the flames were licking at it. Her overall demeanor had brightened, somewhat, from one moment to the next. Jacen realized the most likely explanation for it, now, but at the time he had assumed she was merely experiencing an unprecedented level of closure.
Jacen arrived at a grassy clearing amongst the garden's various cultivated flowers and shrubbery. He left the ornate path and walked onto the grass, lowering himself onto the soft natural ground, inhaling the natural calming scents. Ben joined him a moment later.
"Let's try for an entire hour," Jacen said, drawing an acquiescing nod from Ben in response.
Jacen's eyes closed and he allowed the Force to wash him away. He sensed Ben do so as well. He truly was impressed by the strides Ben was making. Aside from himself and Jaina, there had been no Jedi of Jacen's generation who surpassed Ben at his age. Even Anakin, despite his great potential, had always been too practical in his approach to the Force, blinding himself to its greater scope. His attempts notwithstanding, Anakin had been unable to outdo his older brother in their bouts, as a result of that shortsightedness. Anakin overcame those handicaps during the war, of course, but it was good to see Ben was already seeing past those artificial barriers.
Jacen's thoughts meandered back to Allana, whose presence was now clearly close enough to rule out her return to Hapes. He had realized that with great joy during the night. Mara had come through for him yet again. He was almost afraid to count his blessings in that regard. He could not imagine her greeting him with any sort of friendliness considering the end of their last conversation. She was likely pretty upset with him at this juncture. Jacen would cross that bridge when he got to it, however.
His conversation with Luke had put one thing into perspective for him. He did not appreciate the gall of his uncle, all things considered. He did not like being lectured on what was necessary and what was not and what he was allowed to do and what he was not allowed to do. Certainly not by a grandstander who had felt the need to prove his prowess in his mid-fifties. Sometimes he hated the Force and what it permitted, the doors it opened for eccentricities. Not all doors where worth opening after all. Some of them led into the maddening void. The dead returning in spirit form to lecture you was definitely a door he would have preferred to remain closed.
"I think mom's coming," Ben's voice suddenly said, cutting through the silence.
"Yes," Jacen agreed.
"Why?"
Jacen merely placed his finger on his lips. Ben fell silent. If Ben sensed his mother's proximity, then she was surely on her way here. Jacen was pleased to have his suspicions confirmed, of course. But he was somewhat uncertain, even still, as to how to react to Mara's actions. There was no way he could thank her properly for what she had done for him. His com unit chose that moment to signal an incoming message. Jacen's eyes flicked open as he pulled the com from his robe and glanced at the screen.
I'll be landing at the Bilbousa Spaceport in three hours. Meet me there with Ben.
That was the extent of the message. If text had a tone he imagined this one to be terse. Jacen began to mentally prepare himself for the encounter. He had the itching suspicion that it would not be fun.
Something was bothering him . . . at the edge of his awareness. Something that he could not quite explain or pinpoint. Whatever it was, it was muddled and ambiguous in its intention towards him. Jacen momentarily assumed it was simply the threats he knew to be lying in wait in the near future.
He was waiting with Ben at the landing pad designated for the incoming vessel whose ID number corresponded with Mara's Jade Shadow. Jacen pushed the nagging feeling gnawing at his clairvoyance to the fringes of his awareness, realizing it was probably nothing more than his anxiety regarding Mara's arrival. Allana was with her, that much he was able to sense clearly. Jacen was grateful to his aunt. She had come through for him again.
But he was still concerned about her rather obvious irritation. He had no doubt that Allana was healthy and cared for. He also did not doubt that Mara would hand the girl back to him. Any other option was absurd and implausible. What he was worried about was the reason Mara specifically instructed him to bring Ben along for the meeting. There were two possible reasons why she would specify that, by Jacen's estimation. The one being that she wanted to take Ben back with her to Coruscant, not wanting him to be with Jacen any longer due to the state of upheaval Cal Omas' death had caused on the Hutt capital. The other, more disconcerting option was the possibility that she was taking Ben away from him, and his training, thinking Jacen unfit to continue Ben's education in the Jedi arts.
The latter was not permissible. He could not allow Mara to interfere in his plans in that way. Ben's rapid training, which was currently going better than Jacen could have realistically hoped was necessary for the continued success of Jacen's plans. If Mara demanded that training's end, Jacen was unsure what he would do. He really did not want to harm Mara. Anything bad happening to Ben's surviving parent was something the boy would not take well.
And Mara was Jacen's last true friend. Losing her was only acceptable as a last resort.
Ben was fidgeting next to him, likely mulling over his own thoughts. From the various comments the boy had made, Jacen realized that Ben was worried that his mother was being overprotective and worried. He thought she was coming to check up on him. Jacen had not dispelled this misconception, deeming it preferable to trying to explain the whole complicated truth.
Jacen scanned the sky, glimpsing the incoming vessel appearing behind an orange hued cloud. His mind went back to a month ago, when he had been standing on a similar landing pad, waiting for the same woman and the same ship to land. Here we go again… Jacen thought wryly.
The Jade Shadow's sleek frame cut through the sky at a steep descent. Jacen backed up somewhat, pulling Ben along. Even Mara's piloting had an angry edge to it. Jacen felt the hair on the nape of his neck rise. The ship came to a hovering halt just above the landing pad, the repulsors causing Jacen and Ben's robes to flap in the wind. Dust was whipped into the air as the yacht slowly landed on the smooth surface of the pad. Loud clanks along with a hiss escaping the suspension signaled the successful landing. A smooth whir followed a minute later as Jacen and Ben approached the lowering and extending landing ramp.
Mara, clad in her usual form-fitting black jumpsuit, was standing at the top of the ramp, holding Allana. Jacen smiled at her in greeting, a gesture she did not return. Ben waved tentatively at his mother. Mara strode down the ramp purposefully and walked up to Jacen. Jacen extended his arms, accepting Allana from her. Seeing the curious grey eyes of his young daughter brightened his day immediately.
"Hey mom," Ben said timidly, somehow anticipating a lecture.
Mara smiled gently at him and gave him a quick hug. "Ben, why don't you wait for me in the Shadow?"
"Master?" Ben asked Jacen for approval.
Jacen wished he had not, as Mara's expression darkened immediately. "Go ahead, Ben."
Ben grumbled something inaudible but stomped up the ramp of his mother's ship nevertheless. Jacen looked down at his daughter, who was looking up at him inquisitively. Jacen smiled at her and she giggled at him in turn, saying something unintelligible. He lifted her up and changed the way he was holding her. She wrapped her arm around his neck instinctively. Jacen returned his attention to Mara a moment later. Mara's red hair flowed over her shoulders in its typically unrestrained style. She had crossed her arms and was staring at him, her emotions impossible to read.
"I had a lot of time to think," Mara said, her emerald eyes gazing into his. "Nothing like a hyperspace voyage to the Outer Rim to get some introspection done."
"Agreed," Jacen nodded. "You heard what happened?"
"Cal Omas?" Mara asked, sadness entering her expression. "Damn that! I couldn't quite believe it when I heard. These are strange times…"
"Yes." Jacen agreed. "I failed to protect him."
"I saw the newsreel," Mara said sympathetically. "It looked like you did all you could. If you ask my professional opinion, I'd say that woman was hired to cause a distraction."
"Karin the CNN reporter? She was killed resisting arrest," Jacen explained.
Mara frowned. "That seems convenient…"
Jacen nodded quickly. "Yes it does."
"What will happen now?" Mara asked.
"In terms of government?" She nodded. "I'm not sure, actually. I'm out of the loop. With Cal Omas' death, I have no official position anymore and I'm not privy to the inner workings of the administration."
Mara's eyes scanned something behind Jacen, almost seeming like she was avoiding Jacen's gaze. Jacen took a step closer to her, which returned her attention to him.
"I've actually got no reason to stay here," Jacen explained. "If you could give me a lift back to Coruscant it'd be appreciated. And we can talk more on the way…"
Mara inhaled deeply. "I don't think that would be a good idea."
"What?" Jacen exclaimed, confused. "Why?"
Mara shook her head and looked at the floor. "I think you know why. What I did here, today, does not sit well with me. And, yes, I chose to do it. But I don't have to like it. And I don't have to forget that I did it because you asked, no demanded, that I do it."
Jacen raised his hand and lifted her chin gently. Mara's eyes met his, but they were not soft and kind, but rather impassive. "I'm sorry. I just didn't want to lose my daughter again."
Mara took a step back, breaking the touch. "You only stand to lose her because you did something wrong in the first place. And you compounded that by asking me to do something wrong as well. And my option was to either give Tenel Ka her daughter back, a situation fraught with awkwardness, or follow suit and do as you asked me."
"You're right. I shouldn't have asked." Jacen said sadly. "I didn't know what else to do."
Mara's eyes bespoke apathy and he realized that his words were having no effect. She was less upset with him than she was wearied by him as far as he could tell. He wondered if Allana had kept her from sleeping on the voyage.
"The fact that you think that shows that you're drawing ever further from the light," Mara said quietly.
"I don't—"
"Is Leia here?" Mara asked abruptly, interrupting him. Her eyes closed as she extended her senses.
"What?" Jacen asked confused.
He reached out with the Force to his mother and his eyes immediately widened. "By the Nine Corellian Hells! How did I not sense her sooner!?" Jacen exclaimed angrily.
Jacen turned around just in time to see his mother and Tenel Ka walk through the spaceport's entrance out onto the landing pad. Jacen almost slapped himself. His inability to stop and breathe these days was seriously interfering with his wider awareness. Jacen's eyes flicked to Tenel Ka's whose general demeanor oozed determination and anger. Tenel was not dressed in her usual royal regalia but was instead wearing a Hapan naval uniform in which she cut an admittedly attractive figure.
His mother, on the other hand, had obviously come here to mediate the matter as signaled by her emotionally much more mellow state. Tenel Ka had probably enlisted her help in an attempt to diffuse the situation. He was surprised to find that Tenel Ka's determination had led her to break her own imposed silence and tell Leia about Allana. He could not sense his father or sister on-world, which was a relief at least. Leia's brown eyes were perfectly emotionless, neither judging not approving of him. A look honed through years of political maneuvering.
As the two women approached him, Jacen looked over at Mara whose hand was on her hips. Her affiliation with Jacen had been revealed, and while she was not happy about it she was not going to flee any possible judgment. He did hear breathe a gentle sigh of annoyance, however. Jacen inwardly blessed her pride.
Jacen looked back at his mother as they came into earshot. "Mom," he said. Then he looked over at his former lover. "Tenel Ka," he said in a much more tersely.
"Jacen," Leia replied, cutting off a reply Tenel Ka was about to voice. "It's good to see you well, all things considered. On the flight here we heard what happened. Cal Omas' passing is a tragedy."
Jacen nodded, shifting Allana's weight to his other arm. "That it is. But that's not why you're here, is it Mom."
Leia shook her head. Her eyes turned perfectly gentle as she looked at her first grandchild. "May I see my granddaughter?"
Jacen smiled and walked up to his mother who extended her arms to receive Allana. But Jacen merely lowered her enough for Leia to look at her. His mother realized that he was not willing to hand her over and cocked an eyebrow. Her disconcertion was dispelled immediately when she glimpsed the fresh little face of one year old Allana, who giggled up at Leia.
Jacen caught Tenel Ka maneuvering around to catch sight of Allana in his peripheral vision and Jacen made sure to not hide the happy demeanor of their daughter. He felt a pang of pity for her. He was not happy about keeping Tenel Ka from her daughter. But he knew that after what had happened he had no other option but to keep her himself. If he returned Allana to her care he would have to cut his way through hostile armed guards the next time he wanted to see her.
A part of him regretted his harsh actions but after Lumiya's attempt on her life he had felt such an overwhelmingly protective urge that he had not been able to help himself. He needed to protect Allana and the only way he was able to do that was by looking after her himself, whenever he could. Her life on Coruscant would be far more carefree and healthy anyway. She could pursue the life she chose, free from constraints and expectations with all options open to her.
Tenel Ka looked over at Mara. "Master Skywalker, what are you doing here?" she asked in a provocative tone.
Jacen looked back at Mara who grimaced. "I'm not your enemy here, Queen Mother. But that could change."
Jacen grinned at that response. Leia stopped smiling down at Allana and glanced at Mara as well. "We were slightly surprised to find that Jacen had left Allana with you. When Tenel Ka closed in on her daughter's force signature we realized we were heading towards your apartment…"
"She caught me with Allana. I didn't specifically confide in her while hiding her from you, if that's what you think." Jacen told Leia, jumping to Mara's defense, preempting any likely insult his mother might have felt at finding out about Allana after Mara.
Tenel Ka looked skeptical. "I'm sure."
Leia seemed unperturbed by the exchange of irritated looks between Tenel Ka and Mara. She clasped Jacen's hand, her eyes pleading with him. "You do realize that what you did was and is wrong, right?"
Leia's questioning tone only served to annoy Jacen further. "Sure. But for the record," Jacen said addressing Tenel Ka, "Mara did not condone my actions. In fact she spoke out against them several times."
Mara chuckled mirthlessly. "Thanks but I can speak for myself, Jacen."
Jacen looked down at his free hand, still clasped in his mother's. "I could have gone about my actions in a more diplomatic and proper manner, sure, but I don't think I was entirely wrong to take Allana into an environment where she is more cared for and better looked after."
Leia shook her head slightly. "You can't just break into Tenel Ka's palace and kidnap your own daughter. The two of you should have discussed the situation."
Jacen was, of course, aware that talking things out with Tenel Ka was what he should have done. But at the time he had been impassioned, heated, and stubbornly assured of the rightness of his actions. And while he went about things in the wrong way, he felt that the underlying motivating reasons were still right.
Jacen opened his mouth to respond but sudden hilarity bubbled out of him as a thought struck him. He laughed out loud; drawing confused glances from the women arrayed before him. "I am curious about something, Tenel Ka."
Tenel looked at him skeptically. Leia too had a wary look in her eyes. Only Mara seemed thoroughly uncomfortably bored with the entire situation, seeming as though she just wanted to leave but still feeling that it would look cowardly if she fled the scene.
"What exactly did you think was going to happen here?" Jacen asked, genuinely curious. "Before Tenel could reply Jacen continued: "Did you think that mom would give me a stern talking to and I would break down in tears, seeing the error of my ways? That I'd return Allana to the palatial life that I think is unhealthy for her? Boy you must think me one weak creature. I suppose first impressions stick…"
Allana herself seemed more concerned about escaping Jacen's grasp at the moment than anything else, indicating a strong desire to crawl around the floor and go exploring. She was obviously just as bored as Mara.
"I'm not eight years old. Mom telling me that she thinks I did something wrong isn't going to make me fall all over myself in an attempt to deflect her anger," Jacen pointed out, smiling.
Leia and Tenel Ka both looked at him as though he had lost his mind.
"Are you saying that even though you did something wrong you're unwilling to make amends?" Leia asked, surprised.
Jacen shook his head. "As I said, I acted rashly but not irrationally. I burned bridges but I had to cross them. Burning them behind me was unnecessary but my path across them wasn't."
"See, I told you," Tenel Ka said to Leia.
Jacen had to admit that adversity was having a very unattractive effect on her usual dignity and poise. She sounded almost whiny.
"Told her what?" he asked.
Tenel Ka glared at him, her green eyes lethally angry. "That you're beyond the reach of reason."
Mara cleared her throat, drawing the attention of all three people. "I have to ask: was he lying when he said that the majority of the time on Hapes, Allana was cared for by a nanny droid?"
Tenel Ka's angry glare now fixed Mara who seemed unimpressed. "So you're defending him after all?"
"I asked a question." Mara retorted. "I find myself a part of this uncomfortable conversation and situation so I've decided to at least indulge my curiosity." Mara smiled wickedly. "By your response I gather Jacen was not lying."
Leia sighed. "He's my son, and even I can't sign off on the conclusion that because Allana's care was less than ideal he was in the right to abduct her."
Mara nodded. "And I agree with that. I'm simply saying that demonizing Jacen without knowing all the facts is unjust."
"I don't see how it's any of your business." Tenel pointed out. "And you speaking of justice? Give me a break. Assassinating people without due process, not that's unjust." Tenel Ka shot back scathingly.
"Watch it girl," Mara spat back. "You're a long way from Hapes and a short way from being held to account for your smart mouth."
Tenel Ka laughed. "I welcome the attempt. Jacen," she turned her attention to him, "you've got it bad for combative redheads."
Mara flushed in response and her force signature flared as well, and Jacen own anger spiked as well. "What!?" Mara's voice was several octaves higher now.
"Oh wow," Tenel Ka said, genuinely surprised. "I wasn't sure before but your Force signature makes it obvious, Mara. A little twisted don't you think?"
"What the frack!?" Leia exclaimed, baffled. "I don't think I'm quite getting what's going on here."
Jacen ignored his mother and strode up to Tenel Ka. "Twisted? What about it is twisted. I've gotten more genuine feeling out of Mara in the one kiss we've shared than I got from you in months of so-called intimacy."
"You're one to talk about emotional availability…" Tenel shot back.
Jacen closed his eyes and shook his head. "Compared to you I'm a veritable reservoir of emotional depth."
Leia raised her hand outrage written all over her face. "You and Mara are . . . wait what?" she shook her head disbelievingly.
Jacen watched as his mother stood there with eyes were as big as saucers. Leia looked back and forth between him and Mara, aghast. Jacen saw Mara wearing a bemused smirk on her face, which he couldn't quite define. It seemed like she simply enjoyed Leia's speechlessness. Tenel Ka wasn't saying anything and her face betrayed nothing but anger and maybe a sense of betrayal.
"I think I'm going to be sick…" Leia mumbled.
"Just a minute," Mara interjected. "Jacen kissed me. After having lost a liter of blood and being just short from fainting. We didn't sleep together…"
"Falling unconscious," Jacen corrected, grinning. "I'm a man. Men don't faint…"
Tenel Ka scoffed. "Well that's better I'm sure. If Luke were alive I'm sure he could forgive that little lapse…"
Jacen glared at her. "Shut up."
"Jacen makes such a good victim too . . . always the martyr, the wounded soldier, the tragic hero," Tenel Ka pressed, ignoring Jacen's threatening tone.
"What do you know of suffering Tenel Ka?" Jacen spat. "You went on what, three missions in the Yuuzhan Vong War. You know nothing about war and suffering and martyrdom . . . and most certainly nothing of heroism. You left the order, in the middle of the war, to rule an old corrupt elitist segregationist Consortium. So help me you're treading onto thin ice…"
Mara and Leia were just watching from the sidelines, the former listening curiously and the latter still shell-shocked. Jacen felt rage begin to fester inside of him.
"And thereby assuring the Alliance the military support it needed, you self-righteous bastard!" She yelled back.
"And now you've pursued such progressionist social reforms since the war ended… oh wait, no you haven't."
Tenel Ka opened her mouth to retort but Leia's quiet voice cut her off. "Thank the Force Luke's not alive for this…" Leia mused in a quiet voice, speaking to no one in particular.
Mara chuckled. "One of his guilty pleasures was actually this awfully sappy holosoap on CBN… who knows, he might have enjoyed all this drama."
Leia sighed. "So you two kissed once. That's it? Just once?" Her voice sounded all hopeful.
Jacen reached out with the Force to Ben who was in the Shadow eating. He telepathically called his apprentice to him, growing weary of this ridiculous exchange. He felt his apprentice acknowledge and acquiesce to his summons.
"And what if there was more?" Mara challenged, daring Leia to criticize.
"Then I'd be forced to seriously question your moral and mental health Mara," his mother replied vehemently.
"Aunt Leia?" Ben's voice piped in the four way discussion, interrupting the dramatic scene. "Tenel Ka?"
Ben stood at the top of the Jade Shadow's boarding ramp, his face bespeaking his obvious surprise and confusion at the new arrivals. He was munching on some kind of pastry. Mara spun and looked at him. Jacen could not see her face since her back was to him but he knew she was likely unhappy at the prospect of him overhearing anything. Jacen prodded his young apprentice with the Force once more. Ben shrugged and started walking down the ramp.
"What's going on?" he asked curiously.
"Nothing!" Jacen and Mara exclaimed simultaneously.
"Sure…" he said unconvinced, stopping in front of Jacen.
Jacen kneeled down and handed Allana to him, the little girl more and more irritated at being held for so long, and impacted by the angry emotions whirling about the landing pad area which she was clearly picking up on. Force granted empathy was both a blessing and a curse. Ben accepted her from him, holding her a bit awkwardly. Tenel Ka's emotional signature changed from irritation to worry by the development.
"Go take Allana aboard, Ben." Jacen ordered.
"NO!" Tenel Ka exclaimed.
Ben frowned. "Uh, are you sure?"
He glanced warily over at Tenel Ka who was glaring daggers.
Jacen nodded gravely. "Yes, I am."
Ben was still tentative as Tenel Ka took a step towards him which caused Mara to immediately do the same, protective instinct taking over in her.
Ben looked over at his mother. "Mom?"
Mara inhaled deeply, and closed her eyes. But she did not immediately respond. Jacen looked over at her pleadingly. She shook her head sadly.
Jacen blinked. "Don't abandon me as well Mara…" he whispered so only she could hear.
Mara looked at him sadly. Jacen felt anger well up inside of him at that look. It said: I can't do this anymore. It bubbled up inside him at the thought. Mara siding with Tenel Ka and Allana slipping through his fingers again infuriated him. The people around him where willing to stand in his way when all he wanted was to make a better, brighter future. Where they that stupid? Rage began to overwhelm him, nearing the point of being beyond his control. Part of that rage felt as though it channeled into his eyes and heated them. Mara who was still looking at him took a step back and her expression looked shocked. Jacen immediately realized that his inner fury must have manifested itself physically. He clamped down on his emotions hard, terrified that he had ruined everything.
"Do as Jacen asked Ben," Mara said almost brokenly, her tone uncertain and almost fearful.
Ben nodded and stepped away. He started to walk back towards the Shadow, Allana held somewhat improperly by him.
"No, I won't allow it!" Tenel Ka exclaimed reaching out with the Force and grabbing Ben. Jacen's apprentice stopped midstride.
Mara immediately had her lightsaber hilt in her hand, blade ignited, just as Jacen rose to his feet and grasped his former lover in a Force grip of his own, easily tearing through her shields and cutting through her hold on Ben. He pulled her off her feet and held her suspended in the air. Leia had her lightsaber ignited as well and jumped in front of Tenel Ka who was hovering several meters above the ground, caught in Jacen's grip. The Hapan Queen was struggling against the grip but was unable to break it.
Leia glared at her son, angling her lightsaber at his torso. "Let her down Jacen!"
"She's fine," Jacen projected his voice. "Get aboard, Ben."
Ben ran up the boarding ramp, not even bothering to question the situation anymore. Mara was merely watching the scene, not making a move either way. Her ignited saber was still in her hand though, and Jacen was not sure what she was going to do. Leia was far less interested in preventing Ben and Allana from boarding than Tenel. She was simply looking at her son, a mixture or anger and disappointment warring on her face. Jacen gathered the Force around him and was at the nexus of whirling, crackling Force energy. He was not bothering to hide the power he was gathering, hoping to deter any sort of attack by sheer intimidation. He was not sure if he could fight all three of them, but it seemed as though Mara had had a change of heart at the sight of his rage earlier, which confused him. Jacen decided to gamble by granting a show of faith. He lowered Tenel Ka back to the ground and released her. Simultaneously he began to walk backwards towards the Shadow maintaining his centricity within the Force.
"I have a Hapan battle fleet a short hyperspace jump away. You can't escape…" Tenel Ka threatened.
Jacen chuckled. "You'd be surprised what I can and can't do…" His voice oozed a confidence he did not fully feel.
Mara joined him on the Shadow's ramp a moment later. She brushed past him without even looking at him and made directly for the cockpit. Jacen looked back at his mother and Tenel Ka as the engines whirred to life, thrumming with power. The repulsors kicked in a moment later, causing dust to whip into the air. Jacen felt another pang of pity for Allana's mother, realizing how horrible and powerless he would feel in her place.
"Tenel Ka!" he yelled over the noise of the ship. Whether or not she heard him she gave no indication. He used the Force to project his voice to her ear just to be sure. "Meet me in Coruscant at the Flower of Naboo in two weeks' time. Come alone. I'll bring Allana."
Tenel Ka's dark demeanor brightened slightly at the words indicating that she heard him. Jacen took one last look at the sickly orange sky of Nal Hutta and realized he would not miss the place in the least. He turned and hit the retract button next to the boarding ramp. As he strode to the cockpit to join Mara he breathed an exhausted, relieved sigh.