Location: An abandoned mining complex on a gas giant's moon in Imperial space.
"It's ok Allana! It's going be ok!" Tenel Ka tried in vain to console the crying child.
The tears were not the product of fear or trauma. They were not the over dramatizations so common to many a royal heir.
Her tears where the liquid manifestation of her tortured guilt.
According to her, she had failed utterly and completely. The Chume'da never left the side of an ally. A Solo, never left family behind. "And... and I... (sobbing) I... did both (more sobbing)." She cried out.
Shortly after Wynn and Allana landed on the moon, a droid attack force had flown into the system. Half a minute later, Wynn had discovered and smashed the tracker that had betrayed their destination. Once they re-boarded the Hawk Bat, Wynn activated the ship's cloaking shield, thus rendering them virtually invisible. 20 minutes later, they watched as Ben's transponder signal appeared on the ship's sensors. As soon as he activated the comm to warn Ben away, the small cabin space was filled with the sound of jamming static.
That's when Allana told Wynn that they had a duty to fly to Ben's location and help him. But Wynn refused. When she tried to activate the ship's engine's on her own, he had locked her out with a voice-print lock. She was furious. That anger quickly morphed in sobs of despair.
4 hours later, when the millennial falcon had arrived with all the Solos, her Mom, and Jag aboard, she had mostly forgiven Wynn for stopping her; but she couldn't so easily let herself off the hook.
It quickly became apparent to all, that Ben was the intended target all along. As quickly as the droid attack had begun on Bastion, it had ended the very second Ben had been shocked into unconsciousness. By that time, Han had received the distress signal from Jag, and was making a mad dash to the imperial capital. From there, The Falcon and several GA and Hapan shuttles set course for The Hawk Bat's encrypted beacon.
"This... Is all my fault!" She said, continuing her emotional self flagellation.
"Sweetie..." started her grandma, in a voice only the last princess of Alderaan could affect. "Nobody expects you to be perfect. I couldn't stop bad people from stealing Grandpa Han away. But, you know what? I didn't give up, I made a plan and I stole him right back.
"She's right kiddo." Han added. "Think about it. They obviously wanted Ben. Do you think they went through all that trouble just to kill him?"
"Han!" Leia whisper growled, warningly at him.
"No Grandma! He's right!" Allana said in her Grandfather's defence.
"They wanted Ben Alive!" She correctly concluded. But then quickly added: "But I still could have..."
"What?" Jaina asked incredulously "Gotten yourself killed?
"Jaina!" Leia whisper growled, warningly at her.
"No Grandma! She's right!" Allana said in her Aunt's defence.
"They wanted Ben alive but they wouldn't have thought twice about killing Wynn and Me."
It took a whole village of Solos, but eventually, Allana was able to release her guilt. Exit: Guilt. Enter: Determination.
"Ok Grandpa! You have five minutes to prep The Falcon for Launch. I'm going to get Ben back and your going to help me!"
"Like Hell I am!" He said defiantly.
"Allana... Allana!" Tenel Ka made sure she had her attention before continuing:
"You know this is what you Grandparents do best. Do you trust them?"
Allana just looked back at her mother with a: "That was such a low blow" look in her eyes.
"Ok Grandpa! I'll let you have first crack at rescuing Ben. But I get the next shot."
Nobody doubted the sincerity of that statement.
With a little more persuasion, Allana boarded the royal shuttle. With a little more persuasion, Jag accompanied the two galactic leaders on their journey back to safety. Jaina knew, that Jag wanted nothing more to be at her side. But everyone had agreed that Jag was the closest thing to a guarantee of safety for them. And Jag, unsurprisingly, felt honour bound to fulfill that role.
Han looked up, as the flock of shuttles ascended high into the starry night.
"I'm gonna kill him!" He said, mostly to himself
"Han! We don't know for sure that it was..." she trailed off at the most withering look from her husband of 40 years.
It could be no one else: Lando.
"Well, we don't know for sure!" She finished
"Whatever! I don't care about knowing for sure!" He replied.
"All I care about, is getting that kid back! Even if it kills me! Or Lando!"
Little did Han know, that the truth of those words, would be tested out in the hours to come.
In less than 20 minutes, they were back among the stars. Before making their jump to hyperspace, Jaina fired off a report to the Jedi Grand Master on Coruscant: The attack. The Sith droids, Ben's capture. The Solo's rescue plan. They sent the transmission and then quickly leapt to hyperspace, before there was any chance of a reply.
Location: Naberrie Lake house on the planet Naboo.
"Grand Master!" Dena said with a slight bow of the head at the appearance of Saba Sebatyne in holographic form. The image was being generated, by the powerful holo transmitter aboard the Jade Shadow. She took the call in the co-pilot's chair inside the cockpit, while Shadree and Tahiri worked nearby, recalibrating the ship's long range sensors.
Morning had come, and with it had also come the end of Dena's time here. At this point she wasn't sure she would cherish the memories of the last 6 months or try to bury them. Whatever the case, she knew she had to make a clean break if she was ever going to retain enough courage to actually walk away from... The Order of Balance. Away from her... Friends. Away from... Him.
She had previously made her home among the Jedi, and had served as Master Sebatyne's personal Aide for over a year before joining Luke's cause. She just hoped that there would still be a place for her among the order.
"Dena!" The large reptilian Jedi replied.
"Thiz one thinkz, it iz most fortuitouz that you called!"
Her train of thought interrupted, all she could say in response was "Uh...um... What?"
Saba continued: "Thiz one has just received word from the Soloz, that Jedi Knight Ben Skwalker Haz been abducted, and that the Millennial Falcon is on it's way to Socorro to retrieve him. Thiz one thought Master Skywalker deserved to be informed right away."
The confusion that had washed over her mind, had now been replaced with utter shock. She had been kept abreast of Lando's recent antics over the past few months. It was clear that he held no love for the GA or the Jedi. It was just as clear that his acts of defiance against both institutions, were escalating.
But this was... Insane! Was it really, though? Ben had spared Vestara's life when given the opportunity to end it. He had whisked her away to safety; to a new life free from vengeance and judgment. Had Lando gotten wind of it. Or had... "It's a trap!" Her brain blurted out silently. A trap for Luke!
By this point, Tahiri had come over to the holoprojecter, and started firing questions at Master
Sebatyne. Shadree (Vestara), on the other hand, remained at her task as if she was deaf, dumb, and blind to the situation.
With Tahiri now aware of the situation, Dena knew she would have a limited window to act. And act she would. Quietly, she left the ship's cabin.
Shortly after, Tahiri found Raynar. Both of them were headed to Luke's room when... There he was hurrying towards them. He was dressed in his travel clothes, and was wearing a large gear pack on his back.
"There you are!" He said
"Look! Something bad is about to happen and I have to stop it."
"Another genocide?" Tahiri asked with great worry.
"No It's... My family. Han, Leia, Jaina and... and Ben. Something has happened... Something has shifted. He took a moment to slow down his breathing and then continued: I've seen a vision of them... And... It's not good."
Tahiri and Raynar both shared a look.
"What?" Luke asked dubiously.
Tahiri then shared with Luke all the information she had gotten from Master Sebatyne.
" L... Lando? And the... Sith? How is that possible?" He asked with disbelief, remembering Lando's attempt, not to long before, to annihilate a whole planet of Sith.
"I don't know Master Skywalker. All I do know is that all this come from Tenel Ka, Jag, and Wynn!"
Luke knew those people personally. They were counted among the beings that he trusted completely.
With that, a resolve fell over his face, and he said: "Listen to me you two. I must do this alone. This new order is important. It's more important than anyone one of us. This is not a normal mission. We can't risk our whole order!"
"But Master Skywalker..." Tahiri tried, but he wouldn't have it.
"Tahiri! No!" I need you to trust me! I need you to..."
His words were cut off by the sharp sound of a blaster bolt being discharged in an enclosed space. Luke's eyes rolled up into his head, as he dropped to his knees. Before he fell face first to the floor, Raynar had swooped in to catch the most powerful man in the universe. Behind the fallen Luke, stood...
"Dena! What the Hell" Raynar shouted.
"Don't worry it was set to stun." She replied with a shaky voice.
"Lady, you're taking this whole woman scorned thing to a whole new level!" Tahiri said, disbelievingly.
"I needed to!" Dena replied. He was about to run head first right into a Sith trap. I know he's powerful! I also know that his new powers limit his ability to defend himself!"
It took a few more minutes of intense discussion, but in the end they agreed, albeit reluctantly, that Dena was right.
"We'll go!" Rayner said, referring to himself and Tahiri." Then looking at Dena, he said: "You stay here and keep him under until we get back."
Her reply was instinctual and instant: "Of course!"
With that she knelt down and rested him down on her lap. At the same time, Raynar picked up the pack that Luke was wearing and, together with Tahiri, headed for the ship.
Only, the Hanger was... Empty!
As the Jade Shadow left Naboo's atmosphere, and oriented itself for it's first jump, Vestara quietly kept repeating to herself "Hang on Ben... I'm coming for you... I'm coming for you!"
And then... then they were off!
A girl and her droid companion, off to save the boy she could no longer deny loving.