A New Threat

copyright 1996 Laura Huff
        This story may be freely distributed with the inclusion
of this notice.  This story is based on characters and situations
created by George Lucas.  Please send all comments or
criticisms to AloraDanen@aol.com or tanith@ix.netcom.com.
Feel free to visit my home page at
http://home.aol.com/AloraDanen.


Chapter 1
        The X-wing dropped out of hyperspace into Coruscant's
atmosphere.  The planet hung before him as the starlines
around his plane settled into individual stars and planets.  The
lone occupant of the starfighter reviewed the urgent message he
had received just three hours ago from Leia.  Her message was
vague, which troubled him.  His sister was usually so direct.
        It had been an uneventful trip, for once.  He rather liked
not having to dodge star destroyers, smugglers, and hotshots
out to prove they could fly with Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight.  In
the war room on Coruscant, his sister Leia, who was now the
New Republic's Chief of State, Mon Mothma, the former Chief of
State, and Han Solo, Leia's husband and former general,
awaited Luke's arrival. When his arrival was announced to the
war room, all three leaders sighed in relief.  Leia moved to Mon
Mothma's side as the woman tried to sit up.
         "No, Mon Mothma,"  she said softly, "you must rest and
get your strength back."
        Mon Mothma laid back on the divan.  The left side of
her face was red and black and glistened with ointment.  The
burns on her left arm had been treated and wrapped.  She
smelled of disinfectant and gunpowder.  She smiled gamely,
"I've had worse.  And anyway, this is no time to be lying around."
Han had to conceal a smile.  So often this woman reminded him
of his wife; stubborn, persistent, and so selfless.
        The door slid open and Luke walked in, still in his flight
suit but with his helmet in his hands. His clear blue eyes
sparkled.  Han understood.  Even in troubled times, flying,
fighting, being challenged, that was enough for people like Luke
and him.
        "Hey, kid!"  Han grinned enthusiastically.  "Long time, no
see.  Whatcha been doing in that stuffy old school, anyway?"
        Leia just slipped into Luke's arms and got a hug.  "Luke,
I'm so glad you made it here safely!"
        "Glad to be here," he replied, ". . . I guess.  What's going
on?"
        "Someone set off a bomb where Mon Mothma was
speaking today!"  Han said.
        Luke looked around and saw that Mon Mothma was in
the room.  He let go of Leia and walked over to her.
        "Ouch," he said, "looks painful."
        "I don't need sympathy, Luke," she reprimanded him, "I
need those thugs caught.  Already people are pointing fingers,
rumors are flying.  Luckily no one else was hurt, and it could
have been a lot worse.  Luke, are you free for a few days?"
        "Sure," he agreed mildly.  "The Jedi Academy is in
capable hands.  They don't need me there all the time.  What
are you planning on doing?"                "First," answered Leia,
"we plan on calling a special council meeting so the senators will
know what's going on, and..."
        "But . . ." interrupted Han, "we won't tell them
everything.  This assassination attempt sure looks like an inside
job to me.  I think we should gather those few we trust the most
and hold a second meeting to plan our strategy."
        "Sounds good to me," said Luke.  "What should we do in
the meantime?"
        "Leia and I will meet with the council," said Mon
Mothma.  "Han, you take Luke and the two of you take a look at
where the bomb went off this morning."
        "Sure thing," agreed Han.  "C'mon kid,  let's go have a
look!"
                **********
        Leia and Mon Mothma assembled the council in little
more than half an hour.  The senators seemed wary because
their relatively safe existence had been shattered by this act of
violence so close to home.  They were seated around a large
realwood table that had served as the council table since the
time of the Old Republic. Around the table sat senators of many
races and backgrounds, all of whom professed devotion to the
New Republic.  As Leia and Mon Mothma entered the vast
chamber, one senator rose to his feet.
        "Mon Mothma," he called, "please tell us what
happened! Nobody knows for sure."
        Mon Mothma smiled grimly.  "As most of you know, I
was the victim of an assassination attempt this morning.  I know
many of you are feeling frightened . . . cautious, but we already
have Coruscant security and other trustworthy people protecting
us.  We advise you all to relax.  We are safe for the time being."
        "The first thing we need to do," said Leia, taking her
place around the council table, "is to decide how we are going to
react."
        A young senator, Jaida, spoke.  "We must not let word
spread, and we mustn't tell the public too much.  It's obvious
whoever did this wants to scare people, and so far it's working.
We must deal with it quietly and efficiently."
        "No!"  said senator Lesta, "this is a democracy.  To keep
something like this under wraps is a travesty of justice.  The
people must be told exactly what happened."
        Leia intervened.  "We won't keep it under wraps, but we
mustn't tell everything either, it would only interfere with the
investigation.  I agree with senator Jaida.   To expose the
perpetrators of this crime is only to give them the publicity they
obviously want.  Now, we'll take a vote on our course of action".
                **********
        Meanwhile, Luke and Han walked down the Coruscant
hallways.  The main hall looked the same as ever, a typical
government center in any main city, except today, after the
bombing, the hallways were deserted.  All they had seen were
a few cleaning droids and two of Coruscant's security guards.
        "So, " said Han, "you never did tell me how the
Academy is going."
        Luke laughed, "I guess I had other things on my mind,
though I can't imagine what!  Anyway, it's going good, about how
one might expect.  We had 22 students there, but Mara left
again because she doesn't take her training seriously."  Mara
had once wanted to kill Luke because he destroyed her life by
killing the Emperor.  She had killed the clone Luuke, which freed
her from her hatred of the real Luke, and they had become
friends.  Luke had even started to train her., because she was
strong in the force and had potential.
        "Oh, where is she?" asked Han.  "Still working on that
Smugglers' Alliance thing with Karrde?" The Smuggler's Alliance
was the first attempt to organize all the smugglers and use them
for the New Republic's legal shipping needs.
        "Yeah," Luke shrugged noncommittally, "but I don't think
she wants to do it much longer.  Last I talked to her she seemed
pretty frustrated."
        Han just shook his head, "It just doesn't sound like her,
all this respectable business.  Although I have to admit, I don't
know her very well."
        Just then they came to the turn in the corridor near the
assembly hall.  Two Security guards stood outside the door.
One recognized them immediately.
        "Captain Solo, Jedi Skywalker," he saluted, "'ave ya'll
'eard the news?"
        "Yeah," Han said briskly.  "We're just here to have a
little look around."
        "I'm sorry, sirs," the second guard said, "we'll need some
kind of identification."
        Luke pulled his small white identification readout from
beneath his Jedi robes.  Han, sighing in frustration at the
endless bureaucracy, pulled his own I.D. out.  He supposed it
was safer, but still . . .
        The wide double doors to the assembly hall slid open.
Han and Luke entered the dark gloom, and lights blossomed
around them.  The hall had high walls and vaulted ceilings and
red carpet.  The foyer where they were standing looked as it
always did, old and dignified.  As the lights illuminated the rest
of the room, the blackened carpet and charred walls became
apparent, making the regal grandeur of the foyer behind them
look ludicrous.  The stage had completely burned through, and it
didn't look safe to walk on.  Luke surveyed the damage silently,
and then looked at Han.
        "So what's your idea?" he asked.  "I know you have one.
Who do you think did this?"
        "Well," Han sighed, "I don't like it.  Whoever set off this
bomb knew exactly where the most important people, Mon
Mothma and Leia..." Luke saw him wince.  "Well..." he
continued.  "I think it was an inside job, maybe even someone
on the council had a hand in it.  And I don't like Leia there right
now!"
        "Han," Luke cautioned, "she's fine.  Now, we'd better get
to work and find some clues, or nothing's ever going to come of
this whole investigation."
                **********
        Luke and Han returned to the War Room.  Leia and Mon
Mothma were there, along with Admiral Ackbar.  Good thing the
bomber hadn't gone for this room now, Han mused.  The New
Republic would lose its Jedi and political and fighting leaders.
No wonder Mon Mothma had only told the council the barest of
facts.  If one of the senators were the perpetrator . . .  Han
shuddered, and put his arm around Leia, his wife, as if to protect
her.  She leaned into him, and brushed the sleep from her eyes
and a stray hair from her face.  Luke threw his sister a worried
frown.  Well, Han knew there was no convincing her to rest while
there was work to be done.  Maybe they could get this done
quickly and be over with it.
        At that moment, Wedge Antilles walked in the room.
"Hey, Luke!" he grinned at Luke, "How 'ya been?"
        "Pretty good," Luke said mildly, not really paying much
attention.  Then he laughed softly.
"I heard you and Rogue Squadron spent a few weeks doing
escort duty.  What a job for a fighter pilot . . . all that action."
        "Yeah,"  Wedge laughed, "sometimes it's so exciting I
can hardly stand it."  "But, now that there aren't any Grand
Admirals or Emperor clones running around, we've got a lot of
time for boring jobs."
        "Luke, Wedge!"  Ackbar interrupted them, "We've called
you here because of an attack against our leader.  We cannot
just sit back and let them get away.  Certain precautions must be
taken.  Palace Security has shown itself to be less than reliable
in the past.  I'm not sure any of us would trust Mon Mothma's life
to Palace Security.  Antilles," he continued gruffly, "I want you
and Rogue Squadron to guard Mon Mothma for these next few
days.  We need constant surveillance."
        "Yes, sir," Wedge said, not entirely unhappy with the
assignment.  It wasn't flying or fighting, but it was ten times
better than escorting New Republic supply ships.
        "And Luke," the Admiral continued, "Do you still keep
contact with that smuggler, Talon Karrde?"
        "Well," Luke said after a moment, "not really, but if I ask
Mara she can probably tell me how to reach him."
        "Good," replied Ackbar.  "Ask him if we can borrow his
slicer, Ghent.  I'm convinced, as most of us probably are, that
this was partially an inside job."  Han nodded.  Continued
Ackbar,  "Ghent did a good job uncovering the Imperial spy
system Delta Source.  I think the bombers must have left some
kind of trail . . . payments, the like.  If anyone can uncover their
trail, he can."
        Luke nodded.  "For now, I think the best thing to do
would be for us all to get some rest. We're gonna need it!"
        After the speech, Luke pulled Wedge aside.  The two
were old friends and didn't have much time to talk anymore.
"So, how's Qwi?" Luke asked, speaking of the beautiful but
ethereal blue-skinned woman that Wedge loved.  Luke's
student, Kyp, had destroyed Qwi Xux's memory in his desperate
attempt to destroy all remnants of the Sun Crusher, and Wedge
and Qwi's relationship had never been the same.  Qwi was still
recovering, trying to regain her memory, and Wedge had
promised to help.  He especially wanted her to remember how
much they had loved each other.
        "Well, Luke," Wedge replied, "she's actually been doing
good recently.  She's a lot more cheerful, but she tires easily
and has gone on a vacation."
        "So, any wedding date yet?"  Luke teased his friend.
        Wedge looked a little embarrassed.  "No, not yet," he
said.  "She wants to be able to remember everything first, so she
knows what she's getting into."  Luke laughed.  Wedge walked
on ahead as they left the War Room and headed toward the
turbolift that would take them to their chambers.  Leia grabbed
Han's hand and ran ahead to catch up with Luke.  They walked
down the massive hallway three abreast, just like the old days.



Chapter 2
        Admiral Naalt, in charge of the entire New Republic
fleet, entered the hangar area on Coruscant. The Palace
Security guard on duty recognized him immediately and let him
pass.  Entering his private shuttle, he was cleared for departure
and was flying away from the government planet in less than
fifteen minutes.  Just before he entered hyperspace, he chanced
to glance at his rear sensor display and saw another ship, similar
to his own, leave Coruscant's atmosphere.  He smiled grimly.
Everything was going perfectly.  The stars around his ship
morphed into the streaking star lines of hyperspace, and not ten
minutes later the second ship entered hyperspace, both bound
for the same destination, Diablo.
        Diablo was the fifteenth planet in the Pria System, and it
is the reason most people generally say the Pria System only
has fourteen planets.  Diablo's close proximity to the system's
sun made it almost uninhabitable; in fact, most people thought it
was.  Only select few, Admiral Naalt among them, knew of the
passageway through the heart of the planet that was cooled by
its depth.  Just before landing his plane, he wiggled into a heat-
resistant t-suit.  He was only on the surface of the planet a
couple minutes before entering a single, high-performance
turbolift entrance, the only thing on the surface of the planet for
miles.  He was immediately whisked down into the moist, cooler
underground tunnels.  During his ride he removed his t-suit and
left it in the lift.  The lift stopped with a crunch and he got out,
the 90 degree air feeling cool against his skin compared to the
heat topside.  He walked through long corridors of clay and
cooled lava in a pattern of passages he had memorized long
ago.  A few crude doors blocked his way, but they opened of
themselves before he reached them.  The Jedi. Knowing that his
progress was being monitored made him uneasy.  He would
never feel completely used to the Jedi.  As another door
opened, he entered the cave itself.  This was no dirty or
primitive cave.  High walls rose to a graceful dome hundreds of
feet above his head.  The cave was almost perfectly circular,
with natural and man-made openings every hundred feet around
the perimeter of the cave.  The  floor was a maze of rock
pathways and hot springs bubbling red and brown and producing
steam.  As if on cue, six beings,  their clothing disguising their
forms, appeared from various entrances around the chamber.
The Jedi!  At that moment Colonel Frelig, who had been in the
ship that had followed the Admiral from Coruscant, entered,
sweating profusely.
        "Evening, Admiral," the Colonel said, looking around in
amazement.  Long after he was done speaking, his words
echoed around the chamber loud and clear, "...miral...ral...ral..."
        As the Colonel's words faded into silence, one of the
robed figures stepped into view.  It was a young woman, whose
beautiful face showed such hatred that it was almost ugly.  The
figure raised her hand out to him.  Pausing, she said, in a voice
that was deceivingly beautiful, "Welcome, Admiral."
        Admiral Naalt nodded his head in reply.  Then the girl
extended her hand to the Colonel, "Welcome, Colonel, this is
the Sect of Talza.  My name is Calah.  We are pleased to meet
you. Follow me."  Soundlessly, the girl and the other five robed
figures turned and went through one of the openings.  The
Admiral and the Colonel followed to a small room, where they
were left alone.
        "Admiral," said the Colonel stiffly, "I agreed to help you
with the plan to overthrow the New Republic.  I even agreed to
take orders from you.  But, when I came on this trip to meet the
mastermind behind your scheme, I didn't expect to meet a cult
of zombies and whackos.  Now, where is this mastermind?"
        The Admiral just shook his head in annoyance.  "Talza
will come.  For now, we wait.  And this is no cult of zombies and
whackos, as you put it.  Do you not know who those people
were?"
        "People?" retorted the Colonel, "People?  Was that what
they were?"
        "Those," said the Admiral, "are Jedi."
        "Jedi!" exclaimed the Colonel, "You have Jedi helping
you?  This hare-brained scheme might just work after all!"
        Both of the men felt an overpowering presence fill the
room, and it made it hard for them to think on their own.  A voice
rang rich and pure through the cave.  "I am Talza, spirit guide.
Tell me, Admiral, who is your friend?"
        The Admiral replied, "This is Colonel Frelig.  He agrees
that our plan is trustworthy, and wishes to join us in our efforts to
create a system of government that is strong, unbreakable,
and..."
        "No!" Talza boomed, "Admiral, that is your plan.  I care
little for the plans of such mortals as you.  My plans are my own.
Governments matter little, whoever rules the people will always
have the same motives, the same greed, and they are easy to
control.  No, Admiral,"  he continued, "I join you, I help you, I
command you so that your plan — a small, insignificant plan —
will cover mine until it is too late, until there is nothing the New
Republic can do to stop me.  Your plan will hide the doings of
my children from Jedi Skywalker, and then, when the time is
right, we will conquer.  My children shall triumph... that, Admiral,
is all you mean to me!
        "But..." the spirit voice continued in the next breath,
"since your first mission was a success, and the New Republic
has been thrown into doubt and confusion, we can proceed with
the next steps in our plan.  Colonel, come into the next room
and meet the others involved in this conspiracy."
        As Naalt and Frelig followed the spirit's voice through an
archway, they found themselves in another chamber, this one
slightly larger than the last, with a shelf for seating around the
perimeter. Admiral Naalt introduced the Colonel to his
companions.  "Thal Brimer and Cleve Boada, pilots in Rogue
Squadron.  Also Nova, our youngest member and a senator of
good standing on the council." He laughed, "Two others could
not make it tonight, for they are also council members, and we
can't have them all missing, not with such terrible things going
on at Coruscant.  After all, who would assassinate Mon Mothma,
leader of the free universe?"  His laugh was loud and harsh, and
its echo seemed to last for an eternity, "None other than a few of
her highest military leaders and senators!"



Chapter 3
        Far across the galaxy from the secret meeting taking
place in the Pria System, Luke Skywalker paced in his
chambers.  Something felt wrong... something about this whole
plot, this whole situation, that disturbed him.  Artoo, standing by
Luke's couch, kept a constant watch over him, and if Artoo had
eyes they would probably have been filled with worry.  Luke had
placed a holomessage to Mara Jade on all of the ships she was
temporarily using in the Smuggler's Alliance.  He hoped he
hadn't missed one.  He mulled over his relationship with Mara.
They weren't on the best of terms, perhaps because she had
wanted to kill him until only recently.  And now, he wasn't sure.
She was half-heartedly training to be a Jedi — in her spare time.
Kind of like Leia, he thought ironically.  He wasn't sure if Mara
really wanted to go through the Jedi training; she had had
enough of that when she was raised by and served the Emperor.
Maybe she was afraid of falling to the dark side.  He didn't know.
He looked at his chronometer.  He had called almost an hour
and a half ago.  He sighed again.  Luke, he thought, you've got
to settle down.  He walked to his kitchen cubicle and made
himself some hot chocolate.  He walked back into the living area
where a flashing light indicated he had a call.
         "Thank goodness," he said to nobody in particular.  He
turned on the machine, expecting to see Mara's silky red hair
and green eyes, but to his surprise the screen remained blank.
Instead of Mara's voice, he heard another young woman's voice.
        The voice said, "Hello!  Good evening, Jedi Skywalker.
This is a recording.  I'm sorry for any confusion I am causing,
but I really must talk to you.  You don't know me, and I don't
know you.  All I know is that you're someone I can trust.  I
cannot even tell you my name, but I am a senator on the
Coruscant Council.  At the time you are listening to this
message, I will be far away, holding a meeting with some
influential people in your government.  I only want you to know.
I am not a traitor to your government, although you might see it
differently.  People, including me, are plotting the overthrow of
the New Republic.  And they will succeed, unless...  Only you
can help.  All I can do is warn you.  I understand that this
message won't make much sense to you now, but I'll be in
touch. Don't worry, but be on your guard."
        Luke sat down on the couch, still staring at the blank
screen, and shook his head in confusion. He'd better show this
to Han and Leia.  He supposed it could wait until morning.  He
undressed and took a quick shower, and was just about to fall
asleep when another call came.  This time, it was Mara.

        "Morning, Skywalker," she laughed softly, "did I wake
you up?"
        "Nah," he replied, "although if you hadn't called I
probably would have been asleep soon."
        "Well, it's a good thing I called, then.  I just got your
message.  What's up?"
        "You heard any news from Coruscant recently?" he
asked.  He ran a hand through his hair and found that it was still
damp, spiked with water from his recent shower.  He yawned.
He must be more tired than he thought.  He brought his attention
back to the woman on the screen.
        "...and I've been kind of isolated lately," she was saying.
"Why, what happened?"
        Luke sighed, "Someone set off a bomb while Mon
Mothma was giving a speech in the assembly hall."  He saw a
look of surprise cross her face.  So she really hadn't known!  It's
not that he didn't trust her, it's just that she usually knew what
was going on.  "She wasn't badly hurt," he continued, "mostly
just shaken up.  But things are pretty messed up around here
now.  Everyone's pointing fingers."
        Mara just shook her head in exasperation.  "Typical
government."  She hesitated.  "You're not just calling to tell me
that, though."  She wasn't asking.  Either she knew him better
than he thought, Luke mused, or her Jedi skills were improving.
In the short time she had been at the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4,
she had made tremendous progress.
        "No," he conceded.  "I'm not.  Admiral Ackbar wants me
to ask you for a favor."
        "Oh, great," Mara sighed.  "More favors for your
government.  And all I want to do is stay neutral."
        Luke shrugged his shoulders mildly.  "Sometimes that's
not possible."
        "Yeah," she agreed, "what is this favor?"
        "Not much," Luke said.  "Can you contact Karrde and
see if he'll loan Ghent to us for a while. Admiral Ackbar thinks he
might be useful in tracing the bombers if they left a trail in a
computer bank somewhere.  Personally I think it's doubtful he'll
find anything, but we'd like him to give it a shot."
        "Sure thing," she replied.  "I'll get word to him right after
this.  Skywalker, are you going to the Jedi Academy soon?"
        Luke shook his head.  "No, although I . . . well, I am
taking Mon Mothma and Han and Leia's kids out there for a
while.  They're going to stay there with Winter while I help out
around here. Why?"
        "Luke," she said, and her voice suddenly became
urgent.  Luke also noticed that she had called him Luke,
something she very rarely did.  "I really need to talk to you about
something," she continued, "but I don't feel comfortable talking
about it on an open channel right now.  It might have some
bearing on what's happening on Coruscant, or it might not.  I just
think you should know."
        Luke just shook his head.  "That's the second call I've
had tonight where some mysterious woman tells me she's got
special information I'd like to know."
        "Who was the other woman?" asked Mara.
        "If only I knew," Luke said, "but the screen was blanked.
She said something about a conspiracy to overthrow the New
Republic!  Ever hear anything about that in your circles?"
        "Luke," she said, "just come, okay?  We need to talk."
        "Sure," he agreed mildly.  "I'll be leaving for Yavin in the
morning."
        "Okay, Skywalker," she said, suddenly all business
again.  "I'll be there soon after.  See 'ya then."
        The screen went blank.  Luke stared at the screen for
a few moments, and then shook his head and went into his
bedroom for a few hours of sleep before he left for Yavin.



Chapter 4
        In a living bloc in Coruscant's main diplomatic living
area, someone else was having trouble sleeping.  She had
arrived only hours ago, and knew she needed sleep, but was too
nervous.  She, too, was awaiting a holomessage.  She was a
short and compact human, with short brown hair and dark eyes.
She wore a pilot's typical undress suit, without any markings.
As she dawdled over a cold meal of whatever leftovers she
could scrounge, she suddenly stood and walked to the long
window and opened the curtains.  Something just didn't feel right
to her.  She knew then that today was going to be a bad day.  At
that moment her message came!  Not a good sign, she thought
ruefully.  Oh well.  She connected to the line.
        "Nova," the voice boomed, "back so soon?"
        Nova sighed.  She knew one of her superiors would call,
but this was Admiral Naalt, the worst possible one for someone
in her mood.  Without giving her time to answer, he continued.
"I assume that you talked with Jedi Skywalker, and that he is
sufficiently interested."
        "Yes, Admiral," she replied.  "He received my message.
I do not know how he will react, though.  I will send the next
message tomorrow evening."
        "Please do that, Nova." Naalt continued.  "I shall be
waiting to hear from you.  And we'd better have some results
soon, Nova.  We're counting on you being able to gain
Skywalker's trust."
        "Yes, Admiral," she repeated.  "Will do."  The message
was cut off.  Nova sank down into the nearest chair with a sigh.
She knew that she was walking a tightrope, and one false move
could break her neck.
                **********
        After dressing and eating a quick bite, Luke grabbed the
recorded message and ran to the now-deserted War Room.
There he met with Mon Mothma and the Solo children, ready to
travel to the safety of the Jedi Academy.  Han and Leia came to
say their goodbyes.  Anakin, the youngest child, came up to him
and grabbed his arm.  "Uncle Luke," he cried joyfully, "we get to
go on an adventure with you.  It's gonna be lotsa fun!"
        Luke smiled mildly.  Jaina, one of the twins, spoke up.
"No we're not, Anakin," she sulked, "all the fun's gonna be here
and we have to go away and miss it all.  It'd be okay if Uncle
Luke were staying with us, but he's not!"  Her angry tirade ended
in an indignant huff.
        Luke laughed.  "I'm sure you guys'll find plenty of
mischief to get into!"  Before Han and Leia said their goodbyes
to their children, Luke showed them the message he had
received.  They played it in one of the playback machines in the
War Room.  Neither Leia nor Mon Mothma recognized the
voice.
        "Strange," Leia commented.  "I hope we'll get more
information on her soon.  But, maybe Ghent will be able to make
something of this."
        "We can only hope so," Han said.  "Luke, we'll talk more
when you get back.  Don't be long."
        "I won't," Luke said.  "I just have to talk to Mara, but
she'll be on time."
        "Mara's on Yavin?"  Han asked.  "Why?"
        "Well, speaking of mysterious messages," Luke
laughed, "she says she has something important to tell me.
I don't know what it could be, though.  I'll try not to be long."
        "Okay!"  Han said.  "Say 'bye now, kids."
        "Bye, daddy.  Bye, mommy," they chorused, giving their
parents hugs and kisses.  Luke ushered them and Mon Mothma
to the hangar where the shuttle that would take them to Yavin
was waiting.
                **********
        Three hours later, Captain Wedge Antilles, leader of
Rogue Squadron, ran to the hangar, glad to finally have a real
assignment!  After Mon Mothma had left, and didn't need
protection anymore, he and his squadron were back in space.
And this time it wasn't just on escort duty.  This time, they were
actually going to fight!  New Republic leaders had been
receiving troubling word from New Republic fleets and ships all
over the galaxy.  There had been a recent increase in the
number of attacks and harassments on the ships, and now they
were sending X-Wings to protect them.  He had never felt better.
        As he entered the hangar, he met the other members of
Rogue Squadron.  They all boarded their planes and flew to the
Pria System, where attacks by smuggler's ships and fighters
were increasing. All the men were spoiling for a good fight.
                **********
        Luke led his guest up the stairs of one of the academy's
dormitories built in the gigantic Massassi temples.  The dorms
were plain, because the Jedi lived simply, but they were
comfortable. The children had been rowdy and playful, so he
had left them with some of his students downstairs, who were
already teaching the children how to use sticks as lightsabers.
He led Mon Mothma to her room, which was right across the hall
from where the children would be staying.  Before Mon Mothma
went into her room, she stopped and grabbed Luke's arm, her
touch light but commanding.  "Luke," she said proudly, "you are
doing a good work here.  Your students will benefit the New
Republic, and the galaxy.  If it's not too much trouble, would you
care to show me around the place a little?"
        "Of course it's not too much trouble," he replied.
"C'mon."
        An hour later, as his tour was winding up, Luke and Mon
Mothma were crossing the grassy meadow from the temples to
the main hall when they saw a ship flicker out of hyperspace in
the night sky, and then begin to land on Yavin.  Luke said, "That
must be Mara.  She should be here about now."
        Mon Mothma touched his hand.  "You have thrived here,
Luke.  I am happy for you.  Please, let's end this tour now and
you can meet your friend, and I will go promptly to bed."  She
smiled wistfully.  "I'm not as young as I once was."
                **********
        Mara Jade's ship, the Jade's Fire, settled to a gentle
stop over the landing pad on the jungle moon of Yavin 4.  As the
landing systems shut off and Mara exited the ship, the silence
was calming. All around was the brilliant green of the jungle.
The smell was musty, and early morning fog swirled through the
trees.  As she waited by her ship, a greeting party of three Jedi
met her.  She remembered them from the short time she had
been at the academy.  Tionne, the student of Jedi-lore who had
very little force powers herself; Kirana Ti, the feisty witch of
Dathomir who was one of the strongest students; and Kyp
Durron, recently recovered from his dalliance with the dark side,
noticeably quieter and calmer, more mature and experienced.
As Mara followed the three students back to the main temples of
the academy, she was aware of the stillness, the sense of calm
and peace that seemed to radiate from these people and this
place.  She'd never felt that kind of peace; not when she had
trained here, not in her entire life!  She suddenly had an urge to
stay here and try to capture some of that peace.  She was busy
with her trading business and the Smuggler's Alliance, but she
couldn't help feeling empty.  Maybe it was the fact that she had
no purpose, no long-range goals.  Or maybe it was that feeling
of unharnessed power she felt whenever she was around Luke
Skywalker, or any other Jedi, and she saw what she could be if
she tried.  Her musings were cut short by the party's arrival at
the main building of the Jedi Academy.  They entered the main
meeting hall, which was usually a quiet and somber place,
devoted to Jedi meditations and lessons.  Shouting and banging
echoed around the chamber where she saw Jaina and Jacen,
the Solo twins, were engaged in a mock lightsaber duel with
wooden sticks.  All around, the Jedi stopped what they were
doing and watched the children's battle as it ranged across the
chamber.  Little Anakin stood to the side and clapped his hands,
shouting, "Yeah!  Go, Jaina.  Go Jacen!  Get 'em!"  Mara
smiled.  What a change for the Jedi Academy.  I wonder when
those children are going to start their full training, she thought.
She remembered when Luke, Han, Chewie, Lando, and the
droids had gone to Wayland in search of the Empire's hidden
cloning facility, and she and Luke had spoken of the children's
training.  She remembered Luke's concern over being able to
train his niece and nephews how to become kind and
compassionate and, as Jedi, to serve.  She had not been much
older than them when she had started her training with the
Emperor . . .  She quickly shook the thought away.
        Luke arrived, and gave Mara a half smile, and then
turned his attention to the raging duel.  He smiled mildly, and
moved to where Mara, Tionne, Kyp, and Kirana stood.
        "Thanks," he said to the other three students, and they
left.  Seeing that the children were carefully watched by the rest
of the Jedi, he motioned for Mara to leave the chamber.  "Come
this way," he motioned.  "We can talk easier in my chambers."
She nodded.  Walking in companionable silence down the long
hallways, she realized how much she respected this man.  He
was more powerful than he ever let on, but didn't let it affect
him.  He still cared about ordinary people.  Even though he was
much older and careworn  than in past years, he still had that
look of youth when he smiled that made it seem like he could
never be a Jedi Master, yet he was.  They stopped at the end of
the long corridor and entered his rooms.  They were simple and
sparsely decorated, yet comfortable and functional.  His rooms
contained a bed, a holomessage unit, a personal fastcooker, a
wardrobe storage unit, and a table with four chairs and a
matching desk.  On his bed lay his lightsaber, and on the table
was a Holocron containing the teachings of the ancient Jedi
masters, whose knowledge he was attempting to impart to his
students.
        Luke offered a chair to Mara and they both sat.  "What
is it you wanted to talk to me about?" he asked.  Inwardly he
winced.  That was his way, generally, straightforward and direct;
but Leia, he knew, would be horrified.  She treated everyone
diplomatically, no matter what the situation.  She was trying to
teach him, but he didn't feel comfortable hedging or chatting.
And Mara didn't waste time on small talk, either.
        "Well," she started.  "I know my Jedi powers aren't near
as strong as they could be."  ...Or should be, she thought.  "But,
they're still there.  About a week ago, the Smuggler's Alliance
headed an informal gathering.  We were attempting to entice
some of the fringe smugglers and small-time operators, so we
held this meeting in the Pria System.  It's out there, but not so
far as to be uncivilized, and it's a perfect hiding spot...for Jedi!"
She saw Luke start reflexively.  "Luke," she leaned forward and
gripped his hand.  "You may think I'm mistaken, but I'm not!  I
know what I felt!  And they knew I was there, also; they felt my
presence as surely as I felt theirs.  I don't know how I knew these
things, it just came to me and I knew it was right."  Luke nodded
but didn't say anything.  "I know it was Jedi, Luke, and I could
feel their power.  But, Luke..."  She let go of his hand and stood
up, pacing the floor of his room.  She turned to him again.
"They weren't like this place, Luke.  This place feels good, it's
peaceful, and people are happy.  The power I felt, it was more
like the Emperor's power than that of you or your sister or any of
the students here."
        "There was more than one person that you felt, then?"
Luke asked, speaking for the first time.
        Here she hesitated.  "Ye-e-ess.  I suppose that's what it
felt like, but I don't really know."
        "And you think this has some bearing on what's
happening right now on Coruscant?"  Luke questioned.
        "Well, all I know is this," she replied.  "The Pria System
has been relatively peaceful for years, except for some political
infighting that you'd find anywhere.  I've been there many times,
and have never felt anything like this before.  Nothing!  I suspect
they've been there all along, just hiding or not using their
powers.  So, let's say, all of a sudden they come out of hiding, or
whatever, and then someone tries to kill Mon Mothma and take
over the New Republic.  The timing's too good to be a
coincidence.  Maybe I'm being overly suspicious, I don't know.
But, if the assassination attempt is only a diversion, then now,
with all the New Republic's attention and firepower focused
elsewhere, these Jedi are free to carry on as they please!"
        Luke sat silently at the table, staring at nothing for a few
moments.  Mara watched him quietly. Then he stood up and
asked, "Mara, will you take me there?  I think this is something I
should look into."
        Mara was not at all surprised at his decision.  That was
one reason she had come to him in the first place.  She knew he
was the kind of person who did what had to be done.  "I'd be
glad to," she said.  "But don't they need you on Coruscant right
now?"
        "No," he said.  "Han and Leia can hold down the fort.
Right now, this is far more important! C'mon, let's get going."



Chapter 5
        It was the end of a trying day for all the New Republic
council members.  Attacks against New Republic trade ships
were escalating daily.  Each minor crisis triggered a few more,
and soon they were swamped in problems.  Senators Lesta and
Martin were pleased.  Their plans were working perfectly.
Although it was almost 9:30 p.m. before the council meeting
broke up, their day was far from over.  Together, they walked to
the living bloc of a fellow senator, Nova.  Entering softly by
means of their personal lock passes, they entered into a room in
which stood Admiral Naalt, commander of the entire New
Republic fleet, and Colonel Frelig, a ground forces officer.  "Ah!"
said the Admiral as he stood up.  "Colonel, I'd like for you to
meet two of the senators who are dedicated to our cause.  This
is Kaben Lesta and Giate Martin."
        "Martin..." mused Colonel Frelig.  "Where have I heard
that name before?"
        Giate scowled murderously.  "Sir, my sister, Della
Martin, is an X-wing pilot."
        "Ah, yes, I do believe I've heard of the famous Dreamer
Martin.  She's a likeable girl."
        "She is a traitor!" Giate hissed.  "She does not believe,
as I do, in one government that is strong and all powerful.  But
she will see, in the end, who was right!"
        At that moment Nova entered her bloc with Thal Brimer
and Cleve Boada. the two pilots. "Welcome," she said.
        "Nova," the Admiral interrupted.  "I'm sure our guests
would like a drink."
        "Of course," she consented meekly.  As she poured the
drinks in her kitchen, Admiral Naalt asked, "Have you sent
Skywalker the second message?"  Oh, no, thought Nova.  Here
it comes.  Of course, circumstances had come up that she had
no control over, but Admiral Naalt wouldn't see it that way.  She
turned around and handed out the drinks.
        "Sir," she said softly.  "It seems that Skywalker has not
yet returned from his tr..."
        "What?"  roared Naalt.  "When were you planning on
telling me this?  Nova, that is no reason for you not to have sent
the message."
        "Huh?" she asked, confused.
        "You could have sent it to his sister, and she would have
seen that he received it.  He undoubtedly showed her the first
message."
        Nova hung her head.  "Yes, Admiral, I'm sorry.  I did not
think..."
        "Well, it's too late now!"  He scowled.  "We must keep
on schedule.  Nova, is the tape of you and our beloved Chief-of-
State ready?"
        "Yes," Nova replied, brightening.  "A few last-minute
splices and it will fool everyone!"
        "Good," the Admiral said.  "You get to that.  We have
much to do."
                **********
        It was late evening on the moon of Yavin IV.  The Jedi
students had recently retired to their chambers for meditation or
study.  Luke and Mara, though, were busy.  They had just
finished loading much-needed supplies onto the Jade's Fire, the
ship they would be taking to the Pria System.  Artoo, Luke's
loyal astromech droid, approached them, whistling and beeping
frantically.  Then he rolled away, indicating that they should
follow him.  They followed quickly and Artoo led them into
Luke's chambers, where a flashing light indicated he had
received a holomessage call.  It was Leia.
        "Hi, Luke!" she smiled wearily at him.  "How come
you're not home yet?"
        Luke proceeded to tell her what Mara had told him, and
about their impending mission.
        "Oh," Leia said softly.  "Yes, Luke, that does sound
important.  Here's something else, though. That girl left you
another message."
        "Really?"  Luke asked.  "Does she say anything
substantial this time?"
        "Just listen," Leia said.  "She really might be able to help
us.  Luke, before I play this, is there any way that you could hear
a recording of a voice and be able to tell if that person is telling
the truth or not?"
        "No," Luke shook his head.  "I tried it with the last
message.  It didn't work."
        "Oh, well."  Leia said.  She hit the play button.  As in the
first message, the screen remained blank.  Luke stretched his
senses as far as he could, but he guessed that feelings and
brain patterns didn't leave any mark on a recording.  Beside him,
Mara shifted impatiently.  Then the message started.
        "Greetings, Jedi Skywalker.  I shall have to assume that
you remember me, and my previous message.  Given the
recent, uh, problems plaguing the New Republic, I think you will
be convinced that I truly have something to say that would
interest you!  I warned you that the New Republic would be
harassed, and this is indeed happening.  I wish to warn you of
further developments.  Soon, they will be planning a military
take-over, a coup.  It will be sudden and vengeful, although I am
not at liberty to describe the exact circumstances to you at this
time.  However, I will say this.  Unless you are prepared, you will
be powerless to stop the tide of events, and even if you are
prepared, it might just sweep over you!  Indeed, you must be on
your guard.  Be watchful.  I shall contact you again. Goodday,
Jedi Skywalker."
        The communication cut off suddenly, and Leia appeared
back on the screen.  "See, Luke," she said.  "Big things are
going on.  Right now, the most important thing you could do is
what you're doing.  I will stay here, and try to prepare for
whatever they throw at us next.  If only we knew who they were!
Oh, by the way, Mara, thanks for sending Ghent to work with us,
he's been a great help."
        Mara nodded, "He's the best slicer I've ever come
across."
        "Yeah," Leia agreed.  "We think we've found a series of
computerized messages between two important military leaders,
so far unnamed, but at least we're getting somewhere.  Luke, be
safe, okay? Now is not the time to confront these people, be
they Jedi or not.  Yours is just an exploratory mission.  Come
right back to us with what you find."
        Luke nodded, smiling. "Be diplomatic, got it.  You be
careful too."
        "Course.  Bye, Luke.  Love 'ya."
        "I love you too," he replied.  He switched off the
machine and turned to Mara.  "This is getting weirder all the
time," he decided.  "We'd better make this trip fast.  I've got
a feeling Leia's gonna be in over her head!"
                **********
        The X-wing barrel-rolled to the left as a sizzling blast
seared the area where it had been only seconds earlier.  "Whew,
that was a close one," breathed Wedge, spinning his X-wing
around again and shooting the enemy, a patch-job ship about
the same size as his X-wing.  It exploded at the impact and, out
of the corner of his eye, he saw another ship explode in a fiery
burst of light.  Great, he thought, that was one of ours!  There
was a temporary lull in the battle, and he searched for more of
the enemy through the debris in the battlefield.  He had lost a lot
of good fighters!  Rogue Squadron couldn't handle this kind of
attack on their own.  They desperately needed reinforcements,
but Wedge knew there weren't going to be any soon.  He knew
that New Republic forces all over the galaxy were tied up in
small skirmishes like this.  If only they knew who they were
fighting against.  Wedge's last battle had been against a cruiser
manned entirely by pirates.  This battle seemed to be against
mercenaries.  His radio crackled
        "...edge," it cut in, "Should we...cut our losses...head home...?"
        Leaving would only allow these ships to fight another
day.  Wedge would rather go down fighting, and maybe even
take a few of these junkers with them!  "No, Dreamer," he
replied to the voice on the radio.  "We'll stick this one out."



Chapter 6
        As Luke and Mara hurried to the hangar, they met Kyp
Durron, who obviously had been looking for them.  "Master
Luke, can I leave for awhile?"  he asked.  Luke looked unsure,
and Mara didn't blame him.  After all, very recently Kyp had
experimented with the dark side of the force, and he was at a
very fragile stage in his recovery.
        "What for?" Luke asked.
        "Well..." Kyp hesitated.  "Han wanted to know if I could
help him out, just come with him while he is working on some
kind of investigation.  Can I go?"
        "I guess," Luke said.  He trusted Han to keep Kyp in line.
"But, Kyp, be cautious.  I don't want you using your powers.  I
don't want to lose you again."
        "And I don't want to be lost again." Kyp agreed wryly, but
without even a trace of a smile.  "I'll be safe.  Thank you, Master
Luke."  He hurried off.
        Mara laughed.  "With all these interruptions, it'll be a
miracle if we ever get out of here."
        Luke's eyes sparkled mischievously.  "Well, if we run
now we should be able to make it to the ship without being
spotted..." He was laughing too.  "We'd better go soon, or
whatever we discover is already going to be old news.  You go
and start the ship.  I just want to talk with a few of my students
for a moment.  I'll be with you soon, and then we can leave!"
                **********
        Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin Solo were unsupervised at the
moment, and they intended to make the most of the opportunity.
The twins, with Anakin trooping along behind, crept down the
corridor in the dorm where they were staying to the main temple,
where the kitchens and dining area were located. Jacen had
figured that if Anakin could get his hands on one of the kitchen
droids, they could have all the sweets and cookies they wanted.
Anakin, the Jedi toddler, had an uncanny ability with machines,
and it would be no great task for him to rewire the droid to do
their bidding.  So far, none of the grownups had noticed Anakin's
ability.  Even Uncle Luke laughed it off as the exaggerations of
children.  Jaina and Jacen wanted to keep it that way.  As they
walked into the kitchen, they  realized something was wrong.
There was no noise or bustle of preparing meals for a bunch of
hungry Jedi students.  They didn't know where the droids were.
Wondering, the children crept into the dining area adjacent to
the kitchen.  Near the head of the largest table stood Cilghal
with Kam Solusar, one of Luke's first Jedi students, whom Luke
had rescued from the dark side.  Around the table were seated
most of the students.  Jaina quickly motioned for her brothers to
hide out of sight beside her.  "Shh," she hissed.  "This might be
interesting!"
        Cilghal was explaining to the students Mara's report of
Jedi in the Pria System.  When she was done, Kam concluded,
"Master Luke told us all this.  Cilghal and I are in charge in times
of crisis. Master Luke had to leave quickly, and he had no time
to call a general meeting.  He feels that we should change our
training methods, at least for the time being.  He wants Kirana
Ti, who is the most experienced fighter, to teach us more in
fighting methods, so that we will be as strong as possible should
the need arise.  You are now dismissed for one hour before we
meet here again to begin training."
        The room was alive with rumors.  The three Solo
children snuck out of the room and ran back to hide in the
kitchen closets.  When all the Jedi were gone, Jacen whispered,
"Whoa, this sounds important.  I didn't know that Mara was here,
and that she discovered bad Jedi.  Wow!"
        "She didn't discover them, Jace." Jaina patiently
explained to her brother.  "She just sorta felt them.  Anyway, I
knew Mara was here.  I saw her come in when we were having
that duel.  Boy, I wish we could go!"
        "We could," Jacen said.  "We could get in the ship
and...no, Uncle Luke would sense us in a minute and then we'd
be in really big trouble."
        "Uncle Luke's going away?" Anakin asked, looking
terribly sad. "Why?  Why's he leaving us?"
        "He's just busy!" a voice said.  All three children jumped,
and Jaina gave a little shriek.  It was Cilghal.  She laughed at
their frightened expressions.  "Don't be scared, children."
        "I'm not!" Anakin boasted.
        Cilghal continued.  "You should know you can't hide in
a place full of Jedi!"  She smiled. "Come, now.  Back to your
rooms.  Maybe you can play outside tonight, but just wait, your
Uncle will be back before you know it."  The children filed out of
the room behind her, their faces looking sad and dejected.  They
had no cookies and sweets, they had to go to their rooms, they
might be in trouble, and Cilghal was telling them to cheer up!
        "Humph!" was all Jaina said.
                **********
        The Millennium Falcon entered hyperspace soon after
leaving Coruscant.  Han, Kyp, and Chewie feared they were
exploring in vain, but it had to be done.  A few days before,
Ghent had discovered that several large credit deposits and
several messages had all passed through Pria Laud, one of the
largest planets in the Pria System.
        Han had brought Kyp mostly for companionship, and to
see if he could help the boy heal his inner wounds.  And Han
knew from previous adventures with Luke that having a Jedi
around was always handy.  He was reminded of how much Kyp
and Luke were alike.  He remembered well Luke's terrifying
descent into the dark side, and also his long and painful
recovery.  Luke was better now that he had many things to do
and people who needed him, but for so long he had had that
haunted look in his eyes, and he had been so quiet!  He wasn't
entirely better, sometimes his eyes looked so dead and so
empty, and Han figured that he wasn't completely healed on the
inside.  His wounds were too deep, and Kyp was just like him.
Han could only hope he'd recover as well as Luke had.
                **********
        Luke and Mara were also flying to the Pria System,
unbeknownst to Han.  Their flight was uneventful but awkward
because Mara and Luke didn't know where they stood with each
other.  Once they had been enemies, once they had tolerated
each other, once they had been partners, once they had been
teacher and pupil, and now they might even be called friends.
They spent three days with each other as they sped through
hyperspace.  Mara said she was interested in coming back to his
Academy and developing her force skills, so Luke tried to pick
up her training where they had left off.  He had always felt that
she had so much undeveloped potential.  During the reign of
Emperor Palpatine, she had been able to hear the Emperor's
voice from anywhere in the Galaxy as his helper, his hand.  But
she had lost, or at least forgotten, her power.  Luke thought that
maybe she was afraid to resume studying, although she
probably wouldn't admit it.
        After they had gone through some lessons, there was
nothing left to talk about, but there were many minor repairs that
needed attention, so Luke and Mara set to work fixing the ship.
Mara crossed over and looked down into the hole where Luke
was working in the hold of the ship.
        "Luke," she called, "I need the wrench."
        He levitated it up to her.  As she walked back to where
she'd been working, she slipped on the slick floor and her ankle
turned under her.  With a small groan, she sank to the floor.
Luke didn't hear her, but he immediately felt her pain, and he
boosted himself up out of the hold.  He crossed to where she
was crouched and knelt down in front of her.  "Hey, what
happened?" he asked softly.  He already knew, but he needed
her to tell him.
        "My ankle," she whispered, her voice strained.  He saw
the pain in her face.
        "The same one you hurt when we were on Myrkr?" Luke
asked.
        Mara looked up, startled.  So he had noticed.  "Yes," she
sighed.  She winced as she tried to move her foot.  Luke put his
hands on her ankle and half closed his eyes in concentration.
Instantly, the pain subsided.  She looked up in surprise.  "That's
a handy trick," she croaked weakly.  "Would you teach it to me?"
Luke nodded.  He didn't trust himself to speak.  All the things he
was feeling were so new.
        "Sure," he finally managed.  "All you do is..."  His voice
trailed off.  All he could see were her sparkly green eyes.  Luke
and Mara stared silently at each other.  Luke leaned up and put
his hands on her shoulders and kissed her, slowly and softly.
Neither of them moved for a long time.  Then gradually, when
the kiss became too deep, they pulled away.  Mara smiled
gently.
        "My foot doesn't hurt anymore," she said.
        Luke smiled too.  "That's good."  They kissed again.



Chapter 7
        Talza's six Jedi students sat in a semi-circle on the cold
stone floor of one of their private chambers.  The room was
filled with mist, and it was barely large enough to hold the six
students. They wore plain black woven robes that had hoods to
hide their faces.  Eyes closed in concentration, they combined
their force energies to summon their master, the spirit guide
Talza.  With their common bond in the force they were all aware
of his presence the moment he filled the room.  Talza did not
speak to them as he did to the Admiral, who was a dim fool, but
he communicated with his students through their feelings and
emotions.  Even though he knew everything they knew, he still
took time to communicate with them, even if it meant asking
superfluous questions.
        "How goes our plan, my children?" he asked.
        One of the Jedi men rose to his feet.  "Very well, my
master.  Everything goes according to plan."
        "Except one thing..." Talza prodded.
        "Master," protested the man.  "What thing?  I do not
understand."
        "Jedi Skywalker is coming here!"  They could feel the
anger in his mind.  "No one was supposed to know of you, my
children, until it was too late for them to act against us.  And now
they know, because, it seems, you revealed yourself to
someone who felt you, is this not so?  How?  How could you
have been so careless, so foolhardy?"
        "Master," another Jedi broke in.  It was Calah.  "We
were surprised, or else it would not have happened.  We had not
suspected another Jedi to arrive when that one did, and our
surprise led us to do careless things.  We are responsible,
master, and we are sorry."  She sat back down, as did the other
Jedi who was on his feet.
        "Very well," Talza replied.  "You are forgiven, and I hope
you will learn from this.  You must always be prepared.  I sought
you out at birth.  I trained you all your lives.  You obey me!  We
must prepare for your toughest battle of all, but that is later.
First and foremost, we must hide you from the Jedi Skywalker
and his companion.  Then, when you are safely away and have
done your duty, we shall find out who is stronger; the Jedi
Skywalker and his weak students, or you, my children!"
                **********
        Leia Organa Solo paced the floor of her living bloc.  For
the first time in what seemed like months, she was by herself.
No husband, children, friends, enemies, or diplomats.  She'd
expected it to feel great, but for some reason she was too busy
to enjoy the solitude.  She was trying to keep the New Republic
from crumbling.  Very few people knew about the messages
Luke had received.  Leia was inclined to believe the messages.
She lived on Coruscant, where she sensed the restless of the
people.  She knew that Han believed, too, or else he wouldn't
have run off to some far away planet in a search that might not
yield anything.
        Mon Mothma was scheduled to return from Luke's
Academy soon but Leia, as current Chief-of-State, had to keep
reassuring people that she was in charge.  She felt miserable.
Each of the problems plaguing the New Republic could have
been handled on its own, but not all at once.  The door
annunciator buzzed.  She quickly walked to the door and opened
it, keeping her hand on the lightsaber hooked to her belt.  She
didn't know who was visiting her this late at night, but they were
bound to bring bad news.  Two figures stood in the shadows.  As
the light from her chambers revealed them, she recognized
them as two senators, but she didn't recall their names.  Leia
fingered her weapon nervously.  "Ah, come in," she said.  They
both entered and stood in the doorway.
        "Madame Chief-of-State, a thousand apologies for
intruding," said Senator Lesta.
        "Your apology is accepted.  What is it you wish to talk to
me about?" Leia replied.
        The other senator, Senator Martin, spoke up.  Leia
listened carefully, but the woman's voice was not the same as
on the messages.  "Madame Chief-of-State," Senator Martin
said, "we represent the Senate Ethics Committee and we have
come to discuss a grievance with you."
        "A grievance?" Leia asked.  "What about?"
        "Well," the young senator said, "our committee has
received word that you have spoken several times, in recorded
conversations, with a well-known treasonous rebel, in a way that
would indicate your involvement in a plot against your own
government."  She saw the surprise and shock on Leia's face.
"We have these recorded messages," she continued.  "We have
come to arrest you on terms of conspiring against the New
Republic."  Several New Republic soldiers and security guards
entered her room, each holding stun guns.  Leia thought of using
her lightsaber — it wouldn't have been hard —but realized that
defending herself would only get her into more trouble later.
        "You can't be serious," Leia protested.  "The only
messages we received are ones sent to my brother by someone
we don't even know.  We have never even talked!"
        Senator Lesta cut in, "We do not yet know what role
your brother has played in this conspiracy, but, I must admit that
I'm incredibly shocked and disappointed in you, Madame Chief-
of-State!"
        It was the hateful and spiteful tone of his voice that
finally made Leia Organa Solo, princess, Jedi, senator and
leader of the New Republic, realize how much trouble she was
in!



Chapter 8
        Rogue Squadron, or what was left of it, landed on
Coruscant.  The squadron had lost three ships without any
victory to show.  Their opponents, who clearly had been winning,
had suddenly pulled out, gone into hyperspace, and left the
trounced squadron to straggle home.  Wedge frowned; they had
never taken such a heavy beating.  The New Republic's main
strength lay in its ability to gather a fleet, plan, fight, and win.
When they were rebels, it had been different, but as the New
Republic they were a well-organized fighting force.  But these
small skirmishes and unplanned battles was slowly eroding the
New Republic's strength and fighting power.  Wedge sighed.  He
didn't know how much longer the New Republic could keep this
up without becoming seriously undermanned and unprotected.
        The pilots had by now climbed out of their ships and just
stood around, noticing how many of their friends and
companions were missing.  A young woman who was standing
by the hangar entrance walked toward their group.
        "Dreamer," Wedge hissed.  "Here comes trouble.  It's
your sister."
        "Great," scowled Della 'Dreamer' Martin.  "As if I haven't
had a bad enough day as it is.  She's the last thing I need."
        "Giate, what do you want?" asked Dreamer.  "If it's
about wanting me to join that whacko cult of yours, forget it, it's
no go!"
        "Of course not, Della," Giate replied, her voice steadied
and calm.  "I understand that you do not want the full rewards
and enlightenment involved, and I pity you.  I only wanted to
talk!  We are sisters, after all."
        Dreamer just snorted.  "Yeah, well, I almost forgot!"
        "No, Della, please," begged Giate.  "I only want to tell
you something."
        "What is it?" Dreamer snapped.  By now, all the pilots
were listening intently to the girls argue.
        "Have you heard what has happened to your precious
Chief-of-State?" she asked.
        "Leia?" Wedge gasped.  "What about Leia?"
        "Oh, I forgot," Giate said maliciously, "that you hobnob
quite a bit with that family.  Sorry. Well, she's been arrested by
the Senate Ethics Committee for plotting treason against the
New Republic!"
        "What?" Wedge cried.  "Not Leia.  On what evidence?"
        "I wouldn't know!" Giate shrugged innocently.
        "Yes, you would," Dreamer confronted her sister.  "Or
don't they tell you that kind of stuff as chair of the Ethics
Committee?"
        Giate Martin just smiled and flounced, not looking back.
        "I can't believe it!" gasped one of the pilots.
        "You'd better not believe it," Wedge threatened.
"Dreamer, come with me.  We've got to contact Mon Mothma,
Han, and Luke, if we can find him. Pilots dismissed."
                **********
        Nova sat at a table in her chambers.  She didn't know
why she felt so bad.  Usually she didn't feel any compunction
breaking the law.  Maybe it was the injured innocence of the
Chief-of-State when put under house arrest.  Maybe it was the
simple way in which Nova had fooled Leia's very nice but just as
innocent brother.  She didn't know.  All she knew was that she
was getting more and more dissatisfied.  She didn't know how to
get out, she was in too deep.  She hit the playback button of the
holomessage unit on the table in front of her.  It was a double
recording they had made, and it looked entirely authentic.  It
contained her voice and image as well as Leia's.  They hadn't
had any trouble duplicating Leia, there was lots of material to
work with.
        Leia's voice was asking, "I don't understand how you
intend to seize complete control, though?"
        "Madame," Nova heard her own voice explaining, "with
your help, there will be no bloodshed and the government will be
almost entirely in your hands, and we will support you."
        "I'm interested..." Leia said.  Nova shut the machine off.
Guilt, that's what this strange new sensation was.  She tried to
shut her eyes, to block it out, but it was too strong, it
overwhelmed her. Finally she stood up.
        "I've got to contact Skywalker," she decided.  Now, if
only she knew where he was...
                **********
        Luke and Mara were attracted to each other, that much
was obvious, but they had been enemies too long to easily
become lovers.  Luckily for both, the awkward trip was almost
over.
        The Jade's Fire pulled out of hyperspace and into real
time.  Mara slowed their speed to a crawl and Luke stared out
the window, concentrating, trying to sense other beings strong in
the force.
        "Do you feel anything?" Mara broke the silence.
        "Yes..." He hesitated.  "But not..." He laid a hand on her
arm.  "Stop!  See that ship out there?" He pointed to an almost
invisible dot on the horizon.
        "Uh, yeah," she said.  "I guess.  Why?"
        "Kyp's on that ship." He replied.  "And I guess that
means Han is too, since they were going somewhere together.  I
wonder why they're here.  I guess that ship's probably the
Falcon, but I can't tell from this distance.
        "Well, can you contact them?" Mara asked.
        Luke closed his eyes in concentration.  Across the
system, Kyp was watching as Han and Chewie slowed their ship.
"Han, stop!" he gasped!
        "What is it, kid?" Han asked, unconsciously using his pet
name for Luke.
        "Luke's out there, and Mara too, in that ship."  He
pointed at a dot in the far reaches of space.
        "You sure?" Han asked skeptically.  "What would they
be doing here?"
        "I don't know," Kyp admitted.  "He wants us to meet
them.  Let's go."
        Han went.  Maybe it was something in Kyp's voice, one
of those crazy Jedi things, but he had learned to trust those Jedi
urges...they had saved his life many times.  Those were odds
you could bet on.


Chapter 9
        The door to Leia's prison slid open.  Technically, it
wasn't a prison, she mused, since it was her house, but she was
a prisoner in every sense of the word.  It wasn't fair!  She hadn't
even seen the supposed evidence against her.  At least Mon
Mothma would be here soon. But for the moment, she had more
important things to worry about.  For instance, the New Republic
admiral and colonel who had just entered her suite,
accompanied by her guards.  She rose to greet them.  She was
still Chief-of-State, after all.
        "Madame Chief-of-State," said the admiral, bowing
slightly.  "My companion and I bring our most heartfelt
sympathies at your unfortunate situation.  We wish to offer you
our help and support in any way that may be needed."
        "Why, thank you," Leia said, relieved that maybe
someone still cared, still believed.  "Although I fear I won't be
helped until Mon Mothma returns."
        The two military men exchanged glances.  "And when
would that be?" one of them asked.
        "I'm not sure," Leia admitted.  "It should be any day
now."
        "Madame," the admiral interrupted.  "I command the
New Republic fleet.  We have very sophisticated tracking and
communications equipment.  If you but told us where your
husband and brother are at this moment, we could quickly get
word to them of these unfortunate happenings."
        "I thank you kindly," Leia replied.  "I admire your
courage.  To the best of my knowledge, my husband and brother
are both in the Pria System, separately."  The two men
exchanged worried glances this time.  "The system is four days
away under average speed," she continued.  "So I would
appreciate your utmost speed in this matter."
        The colonel spoke again,  "We will hurry, Madame.  You
may trust us.  We wish you the best of luck."
        "The same to you," Leia replied.  The two men left her
alone once again in her prison.
                **********
        Through communications between Kyp and Luke, a
meeting place was arranged, and soon they were all assembled
at a booth in a smoky spaceport bar.  Luke and Mara had gotten
there first, and when Han had come in he was fuming!
        "Guess what?" he asked without preamble as he slid
across the booth from Luke.  "I can't believe it.  I've got to get
back to Coruscant right away!"
        "Why?  What happened?" Luke asked.  Chewbacca
gave an angry growl as Han began to talk.
        "You haven't heard?  No, of course not," Han corrected
with a touch of reproach at his brother-in-law.  "No one even
knows where you've been!  Well, I was just contacted by
Wedge.  He said that Leia's been arrested for treason against
the New Republic!"  The two people sitting across from him
looked dumbfounded.
        "What evidence do they have?" Luke finally asked.
        "They say they have tapes of her conversing with that
senator chick who talked to you, and that they were plotting
stuff.  I mean, that's idiotic!  Leia's already in charge, why would
she want to overthrow it?  Someone didn't plan their evidence
too good."
        "But people believed it," said Mara.  Han nodded in
affirmation.
        "Leia's doesn't even know which senator sent the
messages!" Luke protested.  "None of us do, for that matter."
        "Well, I don't know what's up," said Han, "but I'm going
back as soon as I can!"
        "I don't blame you," Mara commented.  "What are you
doing here, anyway?"
        "We've come to snoop around a little," Kyp broke in.
"We're looking for anything suspicious that would lead us to
whoever's behind all these recent events, and probably Leia's
arrest, too.  Ghent found a series of computer messages and he
traced their origin to somewhere near here.  Why are you guys
here?"
        Mara quickly explained the mission she and Luke were
on.  "While we're here," she volunteered, "we could probably
take a look around for you, then you can get back sooner!"
        "Well, I would appreciate it," Han admitted.  "It sounds
like Leia could sure use some help!"
        "Yavin'll be on our way back to Coruscant, too," Luke
supplied.  "We'll pick up your kids and bring 'em along."
        After exchanging quick goodbyes, Han, Kyp, and
Chewie left.  Luke and Mara were alone at the table.
        Curled in the crook of Luke's arm, she looked up at him
with a faintly annoyed smile.  "We'll head back, we'll pick up the
children?"  she asked.  "Whoever said anything about us going
anywhere? I only came here to give you a gander at those crazy
Jedi, which we still haven't found, to see what you thought.  I
don't want to be involved!"
        "Mara," Luke said earnestly, "you have to!"
        "Why do I have to?" she asked.
        "We need you, Mara.  How else am I going to get back
to Coruscant.  Anyway, your Smuggler's Alliance does a lot of
business with the New Republic, and that might be hard if you
have to start working for a military dictatorship, don't you think?"
        She scowled.  "You could always hitchhike back!"  But
there was no real malice in her voice. She knew she had
committed herself when she had first offered her help.  "All
right," she pouted.  "I'll help you.  But let's get going, or any
information we find is going to be too late to help your sister."
Holding hands, they left the bar and went out to the Jade's Fire.
They had work to do.



Chapter 10
        Wedge Antilles sat on a kitchen counter in Dreamer
Martin's apartment.  She came out of the bathroom freshly
showered and cleaned up after the battle.  Wedge, was still in
his flight suit; he hadn't had time to change.
        "How's it going?" Dreamer asked.
        "Well," Wedge replied, "I got hold of Han and he said
he'd tell Luke what happened to Leia. He was pretty steamed,
and I think he'll come back as soon as he can, but the Pria
System's a good three or four full days away.  I still can't find
Mon Mothma, although last I heard she had left the Academy
and was on her way here.  I don't know why she isn't here by
now, though.  There must be someone else who can do
something!" he cried in frustration.
        "Wait," Wedge snapped his fingers and sat up
straighter.  "Lando!"
        "Who?" asked Dreamer, perplexed.
        "Lando Calrissian," replied Wedge.  "He's close to Han
and Luke, and he's been with us a long time.  He helped to lead
the attack that destroyed the second death star.  He's got a ship,
the Lady Luck.  If we get hold of him he ought to be able to help
us."
        Wedge first tried contacting the Lady Luck.  After
identifying himself, he was given Lando's personal
communicator password.  Soon they had Lando on their
holomessage machine.
        "Oh, hi, Wedge," Lando said when he realized who it
was.  "I wondered who was calling. What's up?"
        "Lando," Wedge pleaded, "would you be willing to help
us?"  He saw Lando wince.  "We've got a big problem," he
continued.
        "Well, I'm rather busy right now," Lando hedged.  "I..."
        "Lando," Wedge interrupted, "Leia's been arrested for
treason to the New Republic, and Han and Luke are at least four
days away.  Well, three now," he amended, checking his
chronometer.  It was already early morning.
        Lando's jaw dropped.  "Leia!  Leia's been arrested?  By
who?"
        "By the Senate Ethics Committee," Wedge replied.
"Lando, we need you.  You could be here in a day or so.  We
need help to start clearing her."
        "Well," Lando hesitated.  "I am very busy, but I could
never resist damsels in distress.  I'll be there as soon as I can,
probably late this evening.  I'll try to round up some people who
ought to be able to help."
        "Thanks, Lando!"  Wedge replied.  "We're coming apart
at the seams here, fast!"
        Lando nodded and shut off his machine.  Wedge did
likewise, and then turned to Dreamer. "Well, we've got the ball
rolling.  Now let's see if it'll do Leia any good."
                **********
        Leia was frustrated.  She wasn't jailed, and yet she was
powerless.  She still had her lightsaber, and she could easily
have overpowered the guards and escaped, but she knew that
escape would jeopardize any chance of ever being cleared, and
trusted, again.  She knew that first she had to be proven
innocent.  At least some people were working on her side.
Wedge had contacted her recently and told her that he had
gotten in touch with Han, Luke and Lando.  Well, she could only
wait and hope for the best.
                **********
        Talza, the spirit, guided his students away from their
cavern and into much barer and cooler corridors than they had
ever been in before.  They were heading up to the surface; each
one knew it instinctively, although they hadn't been told, and
they hadn't been above ground since they had been first brought
to this planet as young children.  Entering the turbolift, they rose
to the surface where, instead of insulated suits protecting them
against the heat, Talza enveloped his students in a cushion of
coldness, and in that way they safely entered the spaceship that
would transport them from the only home they had ever known.
        
        "Now, my students," Talza warned his proteges.  "The
mission on which you now embark is one not of supreme
importance.  This is only a test, a rehearsal for the battles which
are facing you. In this fight, be safe, and do not risk your lives.
Also, do not kill your opponents.  Besides getting you in shape,
this little mission is meant to wake up Jedi Skywalker to the
dangers which he will be facing!"
                **********
        Mara skillfully maneuvered the Jade's Fire nearer the
planet of Diablo.  She started to say something to Luke, but then
decided it was wiser not to.  He was sitting quietly in the copilot's
chair, concentrating.  Mara knew that he wouldn't hear her.
Mara, too, stretched her senses out to the limit, to feel the evil
power that she had felt on her last visit.  Nothing!  She scowled.
She had been so sure of what she had felt, but now...
        "Mara?" Luke asked absently.  He still sounded far
away.  "Are you sure the Jedi you felt seemed to be on Diablo?"
        "Yeah, why?" she asked.
        "Well, I think I feel what you felt.  The sense that we're
being watched by people who are not only strong in the force,
but evil as well.  But not on Diablo.  They're moving!"  He
pointed out the window.  "Right there, on that spaceship."
        Mara concentrated on the ship.  She half rose from her
chair.  "That's them!" she cried.  "I wonder what...?"  She never
finished her sentence.  At that moment the feeling of the other
minds vanished, as did the ship on the horizon; gone into the
reaches of hyperspace.  Luke and Mara both felt a foreign
pressure on their minds, and it weighed heavily on them, and
they both heard the same words, spoken into their minds.
        "Greetings, Jedi Skywalker and companion.  I see that
you have arrived slightly earlier than we had forecasted.  Ah!
'Tis no great matter.  It is unlucky that you left your Academy,
for you, and you alone, might have been able to prevent what is
about to happen there.
        "I have watched for the last few standard hours as you
and your companion searched this system for clues of a plot of
my own device, only to come up empty.  Oh, indeed I am sorry.
But soon we shall see what happens next.  Make haste, Jedi,
make haste!"
        The voice faded, just as Luke and Mara started, as if
awakening from a trance.  They stared at each other in mutual
confusion for almost a minute.  Then Mara broke the silence.
"What's going to happen at the Academy?  I don't understand."
        "Neither do I, fully," Luke replied faintly, and then he
seemed to gather his wits in a hurry. "We'd better get there fast,
though.  Jaina, Jacen and Anakin are still there.  I don't want
them to get caught up in this mess."
        "I agree," Mara said.  "We didn't find much of anything
here to help Han, but I didn't really expect to."  She began to
feed the navicomputer the coordinates for the jump to
hyperspace, towards the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4. "We'll have
to contact Han, see how he's faring, and tell him we didn't find
anything!"  Luke nodded his agreement just before the stars
elongated to streaks around their ship.
                **********
        Han was not faring well at all.  He, Chewie, and Kyp had
left the Pria System at top speed only a few days before.  He
had spent the whole trip worrying about his wife.  Was she safe?
Would he be able to see her once they got there?  He noticed
that Kyp and Chewie had at first tried to include him in their
conversations, but had given up when they realized he wasn't
feeling sociable.  Kyp had spent hours explaining the basics of
the force to Chewie as Luke had taught them to him.  After Luke
had accepted Kyp back from his journey toward the dark side,
Kyp had idolized Luke.  But, Han figured, at least he was looking
up to someone good.  Han was bored listening to second-hand
lessons, but the trip was almost over.
        "Chewie, get up here," Han bellowed, preparing to enter
real space around Coruscant. Chewbacca excused himself from
Kyp's lecture with a friendly bellow, and entered the cockpit.
The Millennium Falcon was prematurely jolted out of
hyperspace.  Han was flung hard against his harnesses and lost
his breath.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw Chewbacca
stumble forward and crash into the control panel.  "Chewie!"  He
yelled again, trying to orient himself and bring the ship under
control.  Then he looked out the viewscreen.  "Chewie!" he
gasped, frantic now.  "Look at that!" Chewie righted himself and
sank into the copilot's chair just as Kyp burst into the cockpit.
The cabin of the Millennium Falcon was absolutely silent as they
stared transfixed at the scene before them.  In orbit above
Coruscant, calm and placid, waited almost the entire New
Republic fleet, from Mon Calimari star cruisers and assault
frigates down to X-wings and Skiprays.  Han breathed a sigh of
relief.  "Well, at least they're on our side," he commented wryly.
        "Yeah," Kyp whispered, awed.  "That's some firepower!
I wonder how they assembled all those ships without anyone
knowing."
        "It must have come from pretty high up,"  Han said.
"Now, we've still got to get through. Maybe someone will tell us
what's up."  He switched on his ship's com and scanned for a
New Republic channel.  Finally, through the fuzz and static,
came a voice.
        "Freighter Millennium Falcon," it said.  "Please state
your code clearance and your mission."
        "Uh," Han cleared his throat.  Since when had security
been so tight?  He really hoped it didn't all have to do with Leia.
He stated his ships clearance codes and continued.  "Uh, I live
here.  My mission is going home to visit my family!"  Of course,
he didn't add that his wife was under arrest and his children were
somewhere else in hiding, but if the officer didn't know that
already, he certainly didn't need to know.  The com unit was
silent for a few seconds and then continued.
        "I'm sorry, Freighter Millennium Falcon, your access has
been denied.  If you try to land I am sorry to inform you that you
will be shot at.  I advise you to comply entirely with..."
        "What?" Han exploded into the com.  "I live here!"
Beside him, Chewie roared in disapproval. "You don't
understand."
        "I assure you I do.  Your access has been denied," the
voice continued cheerfully.  "You may not enter!"  Punching off
the com, Han paced the cabin muttering curses and punching
the ship's controls.  In the midst of his ranting, the com buzzed
again.  With a foul grimace, Han turned it back on.  It was his
brother-in-law.
        "Luke!" he cried.  "Where are you?"
        Luke quickly and calmly explained why he and Mara
were returning to the academy.  Han furrowed his brow.  "Luke,
I've got a bad feeling about this.  For now, you go back and
protect my kids. But get here as soon as you can."  He
explained, angrily, how he had been denied access to
Coruscant.  Luke looked surprised.
        "The entire fleet?" he mused.  "Whew, that doesn't look
good.  But I can't figure out why you weren't let through.  Maybe
you should try to get in touch with Lando and Mon Mothma, who
should be heading back about now.  See what's going on."  He
paused.  "The entire fleet," he repeated, mostly to himself.
        "Well, at least they're on our side," Han commented.
        Luke sighed.  "Well, we'll see."


Chapter 11
        Luke's students at the Jedi Academy were only potential
Jedi, and none of them were highly trained.  Yavin had almost
no air defenses, so it was easy for the six dark Jedi to land their
ship on the planet.  They stepped off into the moist jungle of
Yavin, which was unlike anything they had ever seen before,
and found the Academy deserted.  But they could sense the
nearness of other Jedi, and accordingly began to walk toward
the great hall of the academy, where the Jedi students had
assembled.
        Kirana Ti stood in front of the Jedi in the great hall.  She
had always been a leader, even as a child, and had once
thought that it would be fun to train and lead others, but now the
only thing she wanted was for Master Luke to return and take
control.  She watched the Jedi who sat on the floor opposite her;
her classmates, her companions.  She didn't feel right up here.
Master Luke had told them to prepare their fighting skills, and
now they knew why.  They could feel the evil presences
approaching their room.  It was her job to reassure them.  Now if
only she weren't so nervous herself.
        Kirana cleared her throat.  She immediately had the
attention of all the Jedi on the floor.  "My friends," she began.
Oh, help.  "I am not here to lecture you or to lead you.  I am only
your guide. Over these past few days I have taught you much
about fighting, but all that is secondary."  She paused.  "We
must remember Master Luke's teachings.  The mind is your
most powerful weapon, not your body.  All the fighting skills in
the world are useless without the force.  Only if we work
together, and combine our skills, and remain true to what we
have learned, can we expect to win. Also, Master Luke has
taught us not to kill needlessly, or to use the force in anger.
Above all, we must remember this, for fear and anger are the
path to the dark side.  If we remember what we have learned,
and help one another, then we will pass this next test on our way
to becoming true Jedi."  Her speech had brought a few nods
from the crowd.
        "Come, let's go." She motioned and the students stood
up, some with lightsabers or blasters, but many not armed at all.
Although they looked unprepared, their minds were set with the
force, and they had been well taught.  They were as ready as
they'd ever be.
                **********
        Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin had temporarily been
forgotten.  In all the preparations for battle, even Cilghal,
normally level-headed, had forgotten the children she was
supposed to be protecting.  Not that they minded, of course.  It
was a little bit difficult because the children were locked in their
room at night and no one had opened the door that morning!
That wasn't much of a deterrent for three hungry, rambunctious
Jedi children. At the moment, Anakin was suspended from
bedsheets being lowered out the window of their second floor
dorm room into the mist of the jungle below.  Jacen was holding
the slack of their improvised rope that was tied to the door
handle.  Jaina was peering over the edge, keeping an eye on
their little brother.  Suddenly, the rope in Jacen's hands went
slack.
        "Jaina!" he hissed.  "He's on the ground!"
        "Good!" Jaina said.  Jacen threw the rest of the rope out
the window and began climbing down, and Jaina followed.  Upon
reaching the ground, the twins found Anakin sitting cross-legged
on the ground, watching them.
        "C'mon," Jacen motioned.  "Something's going on or
else Cilghal would have got us this morning."
        "I'm hungry," Anakin whined, standing up.
        "So are we," said Jaina, "but we got more important
things to do first."
        "Like what?" Anakin demanded, crossing his arms over
his chest and pouting.
        "Like we gotta find out..." Jacen started.
        "...where everybody is." Jaina finished.  They often
finished each others sentences.  "C'mon," she said.  They began
walking away from the Jedi Academy compound.  They heard
footsteps.  They crouched in the bushes near the side of an
overgrown path and watched wide-eyed as a group of unfamiliar
Jedi walked past.
        "Jaina," Jacen whispered when they were well out of
sight, "I didn't like them.  They were bad people."
        "They looked fine!" Jaina protested, but she knew her
twin was right.  "But they didn't feel good, not like Uncle Luke or
mommy."  Anakin whimpered.  The twins each took one of his
hands and silently set off down the path the Jedi had taken.
                **********
On the Jade's Fire, both Luke and Mara sat quietly, each
immersed in their own thoughts.  Luke was mainly concerned
about his students at the academy.  The strange voice he and
Mara heard had troubled him more than he cared to admit.  He
was worried that his students were not prepared enough to resist
an attack by the dark side.  Luke remembered how he had
rushed to face his father, against the counsel of his teachers
Yoda and Ben.  He didn't want his students to be tempted by the
dark side. He felt almost fatherly toward them, not wanting them
to be hurt, but he knew they had to learn sometime.  Mara's
thoughts were of a very different nature but just as troubled.
She remembered Luke's kiss vividly, and she knew now that she
truly loved him.  At first, when she had begun to train at the Jedi
Academy, she had learn to trust and respect him as a teacher
and a great man.  But now, her feelings toward him were
personal.  It scared her a little .  All her life she'd been a loner,
and suddenly she found herself missing Luke when they were
apart.  It was hard for her to admit, even to herself, and she
knew it would be even harder to admit to him.  But she knew she
had to tell him, or else she would remain like this forever, not
knowing if he loved her but always loving him, secretly.
        "Luke," she said quietly, breaking into his reverie.  He
turned to her and just looked at her. Great, she thought to
herself, he's not going to make this easy on me.  He looked
wonderful sitting there, wearing comfortable black clothes and
with his hair tousled, like he had just run his hand through it, and
a totally innocent and appealing look on his face.  She
swallowed.  "We've got to talk," she managed.
        Luke immediately knew what she wanted to talk about:
them.  It was a subject that had been bothering him recently,
too.  He didn't know what to make of his feelings for her.  He
had never felt like this about anyone before, and he felt that if
he put his feelings into words they might not mean anything
anymore.  "Yeah, we do," he agreed.  He raised an eyebrow,
waiting for her to continue.
        "Well," she shifted in her chair, decidedly uncomfortable
now that the time had finally arrived. His clear blue eyes boring
into hers made it hard for her to concentrate.  "Luke, I really
don't know how to say this, but, ever since that day we . . . Luke,
I realized something that's been true for a long time, I just didn't
notice."  She walked towards his chair.  "Luke, I love you."  He
just stared slightly incredulously at her.  Then he smiled shyly at
her.
        "Come here," he said softly but forcibly.  She walked
over to the front of his chair and surprised him further by sitting
on his lap.  Curling her into his lap, he replied, "I love you too,
Mara.  I just couldn't admit it . . ."  She silenced his mouth with a
loving kiss, and as the ship sped soundlessly through the far
reaches of space, two people fell in love for the first time.


Chapter 12
        Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin watched fearfully as the dark
Jedi they were following met up with their Uncle Luke's students,
who were just coming out of the hall.  The two groups met in the
large grassy area that the students had often practiced on.
Jaina pushed her brothers into some tall grass and weeds near
the edge of the clearing, where they could watch the
confrontation without being seen. Silently the two groups of Jedi
watched each other, neither willing to make the first move.  The
seconds of silence turned into minutes, and Anakin got bored
and lay down in the grass, but the twins were enthralled.  Then
Kirana Ti, the unanimous leader of Luke's students, drew her
lightsaber.  It was her own, she had passed that test only a short
while earlier.  The blade was the color of fire, black in the center,
with rings of orange, red and gold.  Luke had told them that the
color in a lightsaber was not chosen, it was simply a reflection of
the person that had created it.  Raising her fiery weapon, Kirana
challenged the intruders.  "Why are you here?" she asked.  She
received no answer verbally, but one of the dark Jedi, the girl
Calah who was the spokesperson, also raised her lightsaber.
The blade was a dark and haunting purple, beautiful yet deadly.
The challenge met, the girl Calah threw herself at Kirana, their
blades striking against each other.  No one else joined.
Although Kirana was obviously the weaker of the two
combatants, at one point she found herself winning, having
sliced Calah's lightsaber out of her hand to a crashing halt in the
brittle grass.  Loathe to kill in cold blood, Kirana allowed Calah
to call the lightsaber back into her palm, but pressed the
advantage almost before it was ignited.  One of the dark Jedi,
seeing his leader losing, used his power to enter Kirana's mind
and confuse her.  Feeling a sudden loss of concentration,
Kirana's lightsaber dropped to the ground and she stumbled and
her enemy pinned her, the tip of the blade almost touching
Kirana's face.  The good Jedi students, angry at the way the
enemy had interfered, jumped for Calah, and Kirana was given
a chance to scramble off the ground and reach for her
lightsaber.  The battle turned into a melee, with the followers of
the light pitted against the followers of the dark.  It was an even
match, for the dark Jedi, although fewer, were more powerful.
Streen, an older but tough student of Luke's, was pierced
through the arm by one of the dark Jedi.  Cilghal, with Tionne's
help, dragged him to the side near where the children hid, to
tend his arm.  Two more Jedi went down; the dark Jedi Calah
and Kam Solusar, locked in a deadly struggle, had both been
injured by lightsabers.  Above the roar of the battle, the
combatants heard a new noise.  The sound of repulsorlifts
bringing a ship in to land. Looking up, Luke's students were
cheered, for they saw the Jade's Fire preparing to land.  The
dark Jedi, knowing they couldn't defeat a fully trained Jedi
Master, fled back to their ship.  As the five ran, one turned to his
companions and said, "Wait, Calah's back there."  They all
looked back.  She lay on the ground where she had fallen, her
side bleeding from a long gash.  As the Jade's Fire settled onto
the landing platform, another Jedi said, "There's no time!  We've
got to leave or we'll all end up like her!"  They left, and their ship
lifted off the platform as Luke and Mara exited theirs.  Quietly,
they surveyed the damage and wounded people on the field in
front of the academy.
        Luke walked over to where Cilghal knelt over two of his
students who had been wounded, Kam and Streen.  A few
others had minor cuts and bruises.  Luke looked across the field
where Calah still lay on the ground, her face pale and sunken.
"Why hasn't anyone taken care of her?" He asked.
        "But, Master Luke," protested Cilghal, "She is one of
them!"
        "And that makes her less worthy to live?" Luke asked,
looking around at his students.  "Grab them and take them
inside, including her."  They gathered their things and started to
walk back to the hall when Mara remembered why they'd come.
        "Luke, where are the children?" she gasped.  Cilghal put
a hand to her head and moaned.
        "Oh, Master Luke," Cilghal said.  "I haven't seen them
all day.  What could have...?"  At that moment, Jaina, Jacen,
and a very scared Anakin stood up from their hiding place in the
grass.  They ran to Uncle Luke and all got hugs.  They were
understandably silent and subdued, for they had just witnessed a
battle.  Mara picked up a clingy Anakin, and Luke took the twins
in hand and, together with the students, they walked back to the
main hall of the Jedi Academy.
                **********
        The Firebrand, one of the New Republic's cruisers, had
just captured a very important prisoner. Admiral Naalt,
personally overseeing the operations of the Firebrand, went to
greet his prisoner.  He bowed low in front of the stately woman
who stood before him.  "Ah, Mon Mothma, it is indeed a
pleasure..." he began.  But Mon Mothma's eyes were cold.
        "Admiral," she began, "what is the meaning of this
outrage?  How dare you waylay my ship, even if you are an
Admiral."
        "Madame, please," broke in Admiral Naalt.  "We do this
only for your safety.  The situation on Coruscant is rather
unstable..."
        "And I should be there!" Mon Mothma said.
        "...and we feel that it would be best if you were kept
safe," continued Naalt, not missing a beat at her interruption.
        She stared at him coldly.  "You either return me to my
ship immediately," she demanded, "or take me to Coruscant
now."
        "I'm sorry," lied Admiral Naalt, "but remember, this is for
your own good."  With that, Mon Mothma felt a sharp jolt in her
back, and then she collapsed to the deck, unconscious.  "Good,"
Admiral Naalt complimented his soldier.  "Now, bring her this
way and make her comfortable.  Next stop, Diablo, and tell
everyone to meet us there."
                **********
        Colonel Frelig stood on the roof of the Imperial Palace
on Coruscant.  He had just received word from his superior,
Admiral Naalt, that he was to proceed with the plan and then
meet him on Diablo.  For him, it would be a moment of triumph
when all his dreams would come true.  He had never been able
to make it as a leader in the New Republic army — he wasn't
strong and commanding enough — and that gave him a reason
to wish for the overthrow of the New Republic.  Also, he was one
of the most important people in the pending coup, and that gave
him a feeling of power, of superiority.
        Watching the endless reaches of space from the top of
the city, the Colonel's meditations were interrupted by his
assistant.
        "Yes, what is it?" he asked crabbily.  He hated to be
disturbed, even when it was good news, as it probably was.
        "Sir," the officer replied, "all people are in position.  We
await your orders."
        With a sinister smile, Colonel Frelig followed his
assistant down off the roof and into the Coruscant War Room,
where an entire legion of troops awaited his command.
                **********
        On the other side of town, in his living bloc, Admiral
Ackbar was reviewing some defense material when the squawk
of his comlink alerted him.  The voice on the comlink asked,
"Admiral, sir, have you seen what's happening outside?"
        Admiral Ackbar replied, "No, and who is this?"  But the
transmission went dead.  Curious, he stood up and padded to
the door.  Opening it, he was confronted by four soldiers, heavily
armed, who stood guard outside his door.  "What...?" He
stuttered in confusion when the troops trained their guns on him.
He had just realized that they were not there for his protection,
to keep others out, but to keep him in.
        "Ah, Admiral," a voice from the side said.  "Come
inside." The man, a insignificant colonel in the army, motioned
him back inside.  Enraged now, Ackbar followed.
        "Colonel, what are these guards doing?"
        "Protecting you, and our interests," the Colonel replied,
smiling.  "It's all for the best."
        Admiral Ackbar rose to his fullest height and stared
down at Colonel Frelig.  "Colonel, I am your commanding
officer.  I demand to know what is going on."
        "The military is taking over the government." The
Colonel relayed the information gleefully. "And the Council has
been disbanded.  You no longer have any say," he replied to
Admiral Ackbar's stunned face.
        And then Ackbar nodded in comprehension.  "So that's
why Leia was arrested," he mused.
        "Obviously," replied Colonel Frelig contemptuously.
"Until a later time, you will be kept under constant supervision by
these guards here, and you won't be needing this."  He reached
out and unhooked Ackbar's holomessage unit.  "Some peace
and quiet ought to do you good."  After the Colonel had gone
and Ackbar was alone in his bloc, Ackbar reached onto his belt
and patted the tiny comlink that he always carried.  Well, there's
always hope, he thought.

Chapter 13
        The yacht Lady Luck, piloted by Lando Calrissian, exited
hyperspace around Coruscant.   Lando scowled at the fleet
gathered around the planet.  His only guess was that this had to
do with Leia, and he was too late.  He had wasted time rounding
up people he thought would be helpful. Funny, he thought, what
do they need all these ships near Coruscant for?  Are they under
attack?  But he could see no signs of battle.  The ships
appeared to be waiting; for what, he didn't know.  As he drifted
slowly through space, his com unit crackled and came to life.
        "Hey, Lando old buddy, you in this mess too?" It was
Han's voice.
        "Yeah," he replied.  "What's up?"
        "I wish I knew." Han admitted.  "You hear about Leia?"
        "That's why I'm here." Lando said.  "Wedge called and
told me something was up.  Looks like I was too late, though."
        "I just got a message from Admiral Ackbar." Han said.
"It appears he's also imprisoned, but they forgot about his
comlink.  He says the military has taken over the government
and disbanded the Senate.  I don't know what to do now!  Got
any ideas?"
        "Unfortunately, no." Lando said.  "As far as I can see,
we've got to get down there.  So what you're saying is, although
these are all New Republic ships, they're all on the wrong side?"
        Han hesitated.  "Yeah, that's what I think.  But, I have a
feeling many of the grunts don't really know why they're here.
Nobody could convert that many troops away from a cause
they've spent their lives defending.  Maybe they were told
they're protecting Leia and the council from something, I don't
know."
        "So we're the only good guys, eh?" asked Lando.
        "Well," Han replied.  "Luke's on his way here, and
Wedge is keeping us in contact with what's going on down on
the ground.  For some reason, not many X-wings are up here; I
don't know why.  I figure we'll find a close planet, tell Luke where
we're going to meet him, and then see if we can't find any good
guys to help us out here.  I'm sure Wedge knows where some
people are stationed."
        Both were quiet for a moment, and then Han said, "Let's
find a place to stay and wait for Luke. Then we'll call Wedge."
                **********
        Luke walked into the infirmary at the Jedi Academy.  He
felt that one of his students needed him.  The medical droid
recognized him and let him by.  Calah and Streen lay still, but
looked healthier after having their wounds treated.  Kam Solusar
was sitting in his bed quietly, watching. Luke went over and sat
by his bed.
        "Kam, what's troubling you?" he asked.
        Kam looked at Luke for a few seconds.  "Master Luke,"
he started.  "I just..."  Luke waited for him to continue.  He took a
deep breath and did so.  "Luke, during that battle I felt so... I
don't know, uncalm.  I forgot everything you taught me, and
when those Jedi treated Kirana that way, I just felt all that anger
inside of me well up.  I couldn't control it."  He looked to Luke for
help.
        "Kam," Luke said, "control comes with practice, with
maturity.  We all feel anger, even I do.  It just depends on what
we decide to do with that anger.  If we act on it, then we're
following the dark side; it makes us hate.  But, Kam, if you can
look at that anger, and see what it is, and not act on it, that's
following the light, and it takes maturity to have that kind of
control.  It's not easy . . . I struggle sometimes . . . but you have
to remember, that's why the dark side seems more powerful.  It's
easier. But control is of the light side."
        Kam nodded.  "But that's very hard," he admitted.
        "Yes," Luke agreed.  He saw, through the open door of
the infirmary, Jaina and Jacen and Anakin race past, running to
some unknown destination.  "Kam, I've got to go now.  But think
on what I've said, and we'll talk more later.  Alright?"  Kam
nodded and Luke left, following after his errant niece and
nephews before they could get into trouble.  Walking through the
halls, he heard Mara's voice.
        "Just where do you three think you're going?" she asked,
laughing.
        "Nowhere," Jaina and Jacen answered simultaneously.
Luke rounded the corner in the hall and stood watching.  The
twins took off down the hall, but Anakin, who had stayed close to
Mara ever since she had rescued him from the battle, hung back
with her.  The little boy leaned over and kissed Mara on the
cheek.
        "I love you a lot, Aunt Mara," he said.
        Mara blushed.  "I'm not your aunt," she protested.  But
Anakin didn't hear.  He was already racing off after his brother
and sister.  Luke just smiled to himself and let Mara notice his
presence. She blushed even more when she realized that he
had been standing there.
        "Hey, do you want to go to dinner?" he asked, extending
his hand to her.
        Getting up on her own, she said, "Sure."  Then she
smiled mischievously and said, "Well, it depends where you're
taking me.  Somewhere fancy and expensive, I hope?"
        "Of course," Luke replied.  "The finest food on all of
Yavin IV; the Jedi Academy dining hall!"
        Grinning, Mara said, "Of course, it's also the only food
on Yavin IV, but, why not, I'll go!
        "Wait, Luke . . ." Mara stopped walking.  "Aren't we in a
rush to get back to Coruscant? Remember, your sister . . . ?"
        "Oh, yeah," Luke said.  "Well, we can always ask for
take-out!"  Their laughter echoed down the hall.


Chapter 14
        Nova's ship, the Iceberg, was a private shuttle, and it
comfortably held five people.  But Nova had not counted on how
annoying her four passengers would be.  Thal and Cleve, the
pilots, and Senators Martin and Lesta spent the whole trip
discussing politics and "their cause."  It was a cause Nova would
have once embraced whole-heartedly, but then she had gotten
too involved.  She had seen the deceptions and crooked
dealings on which their cause depended, and now she wanted
out.  But here she was, heading toward a meeting on Diablo with
Admiral Naalt, the one man who never failed to terrify her.  He
had such power over her.  But now, she almost laughed.  If only
he knew that his most loyal helper and meek servant was about
to betray him and his cause.  She patted her pocket lightly; in it
was a tiny data chip, and if she sent it Luke Skywalker and his
friends would know everything.  She smiled grimly.  It was her
revenge against a master who had too long abused and berated
her.  It was going to be his undoing.  Now she only had to
survive this meeting.
        The shuttle landed smoothly on the surface of Diablo,
and its occupants, fat and almost immobile in their temperature-
control suits, descended into the bowels of the dark planet.  As
they shed their suits in the turbolift, they were suddenly quiet.
Although all of them feigned indifference, Nova knew that they,
like herself, were secretly terrified of the Jedi, whose evil
presence was obvious even to them.  When they entered the
chamber, Admiral Naalt and the Jedi were already there.  Nova
knew that Colonel Frelig was supervising things on Coruscant
and couldn't make it.  Pity, she thought, the colonel wasn't a bad
sort.
        "Ah, welcome," Admiral Naalt greeted them.  Nova
noticed that there were only five Jedi, where there should have
been six.  Not that she minded, of course.  "We have all come
here to discuss the continuation of our plans. I am pleased to
inform you that my mission was successful, and Mon Mothma is
now safe in our care.  How are things on Coruscant?"
        "Turbulent," Giate Martin answered.  "No one really
seems to know what's going on, and those who do can't believe
it.  It's that state of shock and disbelief that allowed us to take
control so easily. They were so busy looking for attacks from the
outside that they couldn't see that the real danger lay in their
own backyard."
        "Good.  And Nova . . ." the Admiral began.  She winced.
"Where are your charges now?  Have Solo and Skywalker found
out what is going on?"
        "Yes," she replied.  She could tell him that much.  He
probably already knew it, though.  "They are both in space near
Coruscant, but they cannot get down, and have no contact."
        "Good," he replied.  "We timed this nicely.  That fool
Chief-of-State told us when they would arrive, and now they are
separated.  Now, on to phase two, taking complete control of
that blasted city and setting up a new government; our
government!"
                **********
        Coming out of hyperspace, Luke and Mara, in the Jade's
Fire, saw the New Republic fleet. Moments after arriving they
received a com call from Han.
        "Hey, kid," he said.  "Glad you could make it!"
        "Wow, Han!" Luke exclaimed, "You really weren't
kidding about the entire fleet.  Holy smokes!"
        "Well, I think I'm beginning to understand, Luke.  Lando
and I are down on the moon, so if you'd meet us there, we can
have a little chat.  Then I'll tell 'ya what's going on?"
        "All right," Luke replied.  "See you soon."
                **********
        Mara landed the Jade's Fire on Coruscant's moon,
where the Millennium Falcon and Lady Luck stood waiting.  After
greeting each other, Luke, Mara, Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin were
ushered into the Falcon, which was serving as a meeting spot.
The children were ecstatic about seeing their dad, and amused
themselves while the grown-ups talked.
        Lando explained that he'd been keeping in contact with
Wedge.  "And when I just got here," he concluded, "Wedge told
me that some military men had taken over Coruscant, and the
Senate was disbanded.  He also said that Admiral Ackbar's
under arrest, too.  He and Ghent are trying to rig up some
system by which we'll be able to talk to them."
        Luke rapped his fingers on the table in irritation.  "But,
until then, there's really nothing we can do, right?"
        "Course not," Han said.  "Wedge also told us where to
find some New Republic forces that haven't joined the fleet.  We
can call many of them to a meeting spot.  They ought to listen to
you," he said, gesturing at Luke.  "We'll just gather our forces
and then find a way to get down to the planet."
        Luke smiled ruefully.  "That is the problem, though, isn't
it."
        "Still," Mara said, "that's not the only problem.  We've
accounted for the fleet and probably the bombers who tried to
kill Mon Mothma, but there are too many loose ends."
        "Like what?" Lando asked.
        "Well, Luke and I felt some dark Jedi, and their spirit
leader, in the Pria System, and then they attacked the academy.
One of them was injured.  She might be able to tell us
something once she's healed.  So what part do they play in all
this?"
        "Maybe they're not connected at all," Kyp supplied.
        Mara looked skeptical.  "I doubt it.  The timing's too
good.  Also, where's Mon Mothma?  She left the academy about
the time Luke and I did the first time, and we've been all over
since then.  It sure sounds fishy to me."
        "I didn't realize she was missing," Han admitted.  "But
now that you mention it...I hope she's all right!"
        "So," Luke concluded, "all we have to do is find those
dark Jedi, and whatever connection they have to this, find Mon
Mothma, raise an army, and then attack a planet guarded by
most of the New Republic fleet."
        "Stop being so pessimistic," Han threatened.  "It's bad
enough as it is."
                **********
        Hours later, Leia was pacing the floor of her room.  Now,
she knew, she was really in trouble.   Her guards hadn't seemed
to mind her communications with Wedge, but now her guards
had taken her holomessage unit away.  She felt so helpless.
Everyone was out there fighting, and she was trapped, with no
contact to the world outside.
        At least, she thought, Wedge was able to deliver that
one last message.  He had told her that Han, Lando, and Luke
had all made it to Coruscant's moon safely and were even now
devising ways to free her and the New Republic.
        Across the city, Wedge banged the wall in frustration.
"What do you mean, the number is temporarily out of order?  I
need to call that number!"  He knew he was getting hysterical,
but didn't care.
        The heavily accented woman's voice replied, "Sir, I'm
afraid that number is not in use anymore. You'll just have to
forget about..."
        Wedge slammed the unit down in disgust.  "Well, at
least I can still call Admiral Ackbar," he said.  Trying the
comlink, he received no answer.  Finally, a gruff voice, definitely
not the Admiral's, answered, "This comlink is property of the
New Republic military.  Any persons attempting to call this
number will be considered to be aiding and abetting known
traitors."
        "What?"  Wedge exploded, slamming the comlink on
the table.
        "What what?" someone asked.  He whirled around, and
a beautiful blue-skinned female stood in his doorway.
        "Qwi?" he asked, utterly astounded.  Last thing he had
heard she had taken a holiday to the seashore to contemplate
her life and try to regain some of her memory.
        "Hi, Wedge.  Did you miss me?"
        "Did I miss you?" he repeated incredulously, knowing
there must be a foolish grin on his face. "Of course I missed
you."  Suddenly he sobered.  "Did you have to ask?" he
answered.
        For an answer, she gave him a hug.  "Sorry I couldn't
get here sooner, but I made it in just before the fleet closed off
all traffic, and then spent a long time trying to find you."
        "Yeah, I think only a few people know where I am," he
admitted.  He was in the New Republic's main communications
office.  He had the necessary permits, and it gave him access to
sophisticated equipment.
        "So what's going on?" Qwi asked.  "No one will tell me."
        Wedge explained the situation.  Qwi looked thoughtful
for a few moments, and then walked away.  Turning back
towards him, she said, "But Leia and Ackbar are still in their
homes, right?"
        "Yup," Wedge answered.  Qwi's face was pinched in
concentration.
        "Well," she decided, "there must be some way we can
communicate with them.  Do you know anyone good with
electronics and computers?"
        "I know Ghent, he's a slicer," Wedge replied.
        "Great!" Qwi exclaimed, clapping her hands once.  "Call
him and have him come down here now!"
        Wedge complied gratefully, glad for once that he wasn't
the only one making the tough decisions.


Chapter 15
        Luke and Mara had left the Jade's Fire with Kyp,
because he was going on a mission for them. Jaina and Jacen
were aboard.  They hadn't wanted to leave their dad and all the
fun, but Han had insisted.  He knew they would be safer with
Kyp.  Anakin, however, would not leave Mara's side. Neither the
promise of cookies and sweets, nor the threat of being
separated from his brother and sister, could wrest his grip from
Mara's leg.
        Lando had taken his ship to raise more recruits to save
the New Republic from becoming a military dictatorship.  Wedge
had told him where several remote New Republic military bases
were located, and he had gone to them.
        As Luke and Mara entered the Falcon, Han was already
busy preparing the ship for flight.  They were also going out to
raise an army.  A light flashed on the control panel, indicating
that someone was trying to call them.  Han hit the button and,
unlike the earlier messages, a short, petite woman with short
black hair appeared on the screen.  "Hi," she said shyly.  "My
name's Nova.  I didn't have time to make a message, so I'm
talking to you in person, instead.  I have fooled you, and I'm
terribly sorry.  The messages I have sent you before were all
sent by my master, Admiral Naalt."
        Han's jaw dropped.  "Admiral Naalt . . . ?" He stage-
whispered.  "He's in charge of everything!"
        "Yes, he is," Nova replied, hearing his comment.  "He
ordered me to send them.  He also ordered me to implicate your
sister.  I have never felt this way, so guilty, before, and I don't
know what to make of it!  I have decided that I can't do it
anymore.  I used to think my cause was just, but now... when I
see the methods we used, how we tricked people and hurt
people, I just can't feel the same anymore."
        "So what are you going to do about it?" Luke asked.
        "Listen, I haven't got it all figured out yet, but I have an
idea.  I have unlimited freedom, meaning that I can go in and
out of the blockade, because my leaders trust me.  I can take
any of you to the planet, although that's risky.  Probably more
likely, I can relay messages from the Chief-of-State and Admiral
Ackbar to you, and vice-versa, or..."
`       "Can you take me down there?" Han interrupted.
        "No, Han," Luke answered.  "Leia's tough, she'll be fine.
Anyway, we need you here.  It's too risky for you to go down."
        "I agree," Nova nodded.  "Right now, I can also tell you
what the next plans are, and that should help."
        "We were planning on finding any New Republic
outposts that would be willing to help us with troops and ships."
Mara said.  "Anything else you think we should be doing?"
        "No," replied Nova.  "That's very important.  So far,
things haven't changed, but soon Admiral Naalt is going to begin
to take more control and run the government his way, and that's
when he needs to be stopped, by force."
        "I figure," Luke said, "that if we can get together any
troops at all it shouldn't be that hard. Most of the soldiers in
those ships are probably just following orders, they don't have
any idea what Admiral Naalt's up to!  Once the truth comes out,
they should come to our side."
        "I'm sure that's true," Nova nodded, "at least for most of
the ordinary troops.  There are a lot of people involved, but
you'd be surprised at how powerful and influential they are.  I've
got to go now, but have someone in this ship at all times, and I
can send all my messages there.  I'm going to go look in on Leia
and Admiral Ackbar."  After saying goodbye, they took off in the
Falcon.
        Nearing the end of their trip, Luke and Mara started to
pass each other in the narrow confines of the Falcon's
passageways, but they stopped, while they were touching, and
curled into each other's arms.  For a moment they weren't
worried about the state of the New Republic or their mission.
        Han left the cockpit and headed toward the back to pick
up a spare tool he needed to make some last-minute repairs.
Slipping into the hallway, he was shocked by the sight of Luke
and Mara embracing and kissing.  And then he grinned,
delighted.  He had always thought Luke needed some romance
in his life.  He wasn't sure about Mara — she seemed rather cold
and calculating — but at this moment she seemed neither.
Maybe it was meant to be.  He shrugged.  "Ahem," he cleared
his throat loudly and both Luke and Mara turned to look at him,
unembarrassed.  Han shuffled his feet, "Okay," he said gruffly,
"We're almost there and we've got work to do!"  Mara slipped
past him, and when Luke went by Han winked.

                **********
        The five dark Jedi sat on the floor.  Each had been
scolded for their behavior.  Talza painstakingly explained their
errors to them.  "My children," he began.  "You fought well, and
truly, as well as you are able, for you are not yet fully trained,
and the early arrival of Jedi Skywalker upset our plans.  Even
so, you behaved admirably; except for one incident.  Does
anyone care to speak up?"
        "We left Calah behind," one said sullenly.
        "Right!"  said Talza.  "That is unacceptable..."
        "But we all would have been captured had we not left!"
One interrupted, and then froze in fear as an icy terror
enveloped her.
        "No, my dear," purred Talza, "you would have been able
to fend off the Jedi Skywalker for the short amount of time
required to save you fallen comrade.  And yet you took the easy
way out."  The room was absolutely silent and still until Talza
whispered, "I am ashamed..." and his presence left the Jedi
alone with their thoughts.
                **********
        Kyp Durron strode purposefully into the Jedi Academy
as if he had never left it.  The twins, Jaina and Jacen, were to
come and stay at the Jedi Academy again, but this time the
academy was better prepared against attack.
        All the Jedi students were delighted to see Kyp.  He
quickly gathered all the students together in the main hall.  Once
they were all there, with the twins now fallen asleep on Tionne's
lap, he scanned the room .  He noticed that Kam and Cilghal
were missing, and they were the leaders of the students. Upon
questioning the students, he learned that Kam had been injured,
along with the leader of the dark Jedi, and was in the infirmary.
Cilghal was there now also, watching over them, since her main
area of expertise was Jedi healing.  He shook off a mild sense of
dread.  They'd just have to go without them.  Anyway, he knew
Luke's plan, and he knew that things were starting to look up!
        "Guys," he began.  He was even less of a speaker than
Kirana was.  "Here's the plan, direct from Master Luke..."  He
explained the situations and also the plan that would involve all
of their strengths.  As they prepared to leave, Tionne, since she
was not force-strong, ran down to the infirmary to replace
Cilghal so that Cilghal would be free to go.
        In the infirmary, Cilghal sat sleeping in her chair while
Kam was sitting up looking healthy.  He was conversing quietly
with Calah, the dark Jedi in the next bed, who although out of
danger physically, was still emotionally reclusive and troubled.
They looked up as Tionne entered.  She was still carrying the
twins, and they were beginning to get heavy, so she laid them
on the extra bed, still sleeping.   She tapped Cilghal on the
shoulder and said, "Cilghal, all the students are going on a
mission for Master Luke.  You're to go and I'm to stay here and
take care of them." She gestured towards the two beds.  Cilghal
understood the urgency in her voice and left without delay.
        Tionne walked over to the two beds.  "Hi, Kam, how're
you doing?" she asked.  "You look pretty good to me!"
        "Yeah," he replied, "I've been doing a lot better.
Cilghal's an amazing healer, and I'm healthy inside.  She says I
just need to rest and get my strength back."
        "Good plan," Tionne said.  Bracing herself, she walked
over and stood in front of the other bed. "Hi, Calah," she said
quietly.  For a moment, the girl's dark eyes softened and she
gave a shy smile, and then the mask of hardness came over her
face again.  Outside, through the open window, they could hear
the sounds of a repulsor, and the Jade's Fire lifted into the air,
bound for Coruscant's moon.

Chapter 16
        Leia sat quietly in a hard-backed chair in her suite, trying
to control her rising excitement.  A young woman, rather tough
and ordinary looking, was sitting across the table from her.  The
guards had just allowed this woman to enter, and she had
started the conversation by stating that she was Nova, the
woman who had sent the messages to Luke.  Leia was thrilled.
Maybe this was the break that would save them, and her.
        "But," the young woman continued, almost guiltily, "I
also made that tape that framed you." Leia frowned, and Nova
continued.  "I am on your side now, though.  Since Admiral Naalt
and Colonel Frelig trust me, I am allowed safe passage between
sides, and I will keep in contact with you and Admiral Ackbar."
        "Ackbar, why?" Leia asked.
        Nova looked surprised.  "You don't know?  Well, I guess
not.  He's been arrested, same as you. But by then the new
government had already taken over, so they didn't even give a
reason for his arrest.  He just disappeared."
        Leia scowled.  "Where are Luke and Han right now?"
        "When I last talked to them," she replied, "they were
flying with Mara and your son to gather more ships for our use."
        "My son?" Leia asked quickly.  "Which one?"
        "Well, I think it was the younger one," Nova said,
shrugging, "because I thought they said something about the
twins being on another ship."
        "Oh," Leia said.  She didn't know what Han was doing,
she only hoped her children were safe and taken care of.
        Nova stood up.  "Okay, I'm heading to Ackbar's now,
and then Admiral Naalt wants me to meet someone with him.  I'll
be in touch."
        "Good luck," Leia said sincerely, reaching out and
squeezing the other woman's hand.  Nova left, and Leia was
alone.
                **********
        Wedge was in a bad mood.  He and his squadron,
known for their loyalty to the New Republic, were not allowed on
duty, for fear they would ignore their orders and help Han and
Luke.  Instead, Wedge was stuck on Coruscant with nothing to
do, and unable to help Leia and his friends.
        As he passed the hangar, he saw Admiral Naalt with a
short woman, both surrounded by bodyguards.  They were
heading toward the landing platform to meet someone.  Wedge
ducked around the corner of the hallway as they passed, and
then, as quietly as he could, he followed them.  When they
reached the hangar, they were met by a large shuttle.  To
Wedge's surprise and horror, he saw five figures clad in black
Jedi robes exit from the ship.  On one's waist Wedge saw the
glint of a lightsaber.  He gasped, and then stifled the sound with
his hand as two bodyguards turned around and looked.  If they
were real Jedi Luke should be warned.  It was unfortunate that
Admiral Naalt's new government had taken away all existing
comlinks and radio systems, and allowed only censored and pre-
approved messages to leave Coruscant.  And Wedge was sure
Naalt wouldn't allow a message from a New Republic X-wing
Squadron Leader to a Jedi Master!
        Needing to know more, he crept closer, staying
crouched against the wall.  Within a few meters, he could hear
the Admiral's voice saying, "...and we have arranged a place for
you to stay here in comfort, for we won't be needing you yet.
The New Republic's Jedi, with the exception of the Chief-of-
State, are far away.  But you will help here until the time comes
when you shall truly test your dark powers against those of Jedi
Skywalker."  He nodded to the girl at his side.
        "Please, follow me," she said in a husky yet intensely
compelling voice.  "I will take you to your quarters."  Turning
around, she looked directly at Wedge, who was still crouched
against the wall, and winked.  He stared in shock and just
managed to throw himself backwards into the hallway behind
him before the Jedi and bodyguards turned around.  He watched
as they passed his hiding spot, and as they did, the girl met his
eye for one quick moment, and he knew that she was someone
he could trust.
                **********
        The Falcon exited lightspeed near Coruscant much later
than expected.
Their mission had been relatively successful, and they had
managed to visit several New Republic outposts that still had
crews intact.  Most had been outraged upon learning what had
happened to their government and their chief-of-state.  The
most common reaction, though, was anger against Admiral
Naalt, who they felt had deceived them all and used the army
for his own purposes.  They planned to rendezvous four days
later on Coruscant's moon.  Orbiting Coruscant at a peculiar
angle, the moon was a convenient place to meet, since it
supported human life, and always had a dark spot, so no matter
what the time, it was always possible to land without being
detected.
        Mara shifted uncomfortably in her seat.  Anakin, asleep
in her arms, was like a dead weight, and her arms were
beginning to tire.  Luke left the cockpit and went into the back
where Mara sat with Anakin.  When he came in, she moved
over on the bench to make room for him.  Han was busy piloting
the ship to the dark side of Coruscant's moon, so they were free
to talk uninterrupted.
        Luke had spent a long time recently pondering what he
wanted out of life, and whether or not Mara would be a part of it.
Watching her now, as she drowsily rocked his nephew, he felt
such a stirring of love for her, and he realized he couldn't live
without her.  He reached over and softly brushed the hair on
Anakin's head, watching the sleeping.  Then Luke asked Mara,
"Do you want to have children someday?"
        She looked up at him suspiciously, as if evaluating his
reasons for asking.  Still, she answered him truthfully.  "I always
thought I'd never have children.  These last few days that I've
spent with Han and Leia's kids, and Anakin especially, well,
they're really sweet kids."  She smiled down at the toddler in her
lap.  "So I don't know anymore.  I still don't see myself as a
mother, but I think it might be nice to have children.  Why?"
        Luke shifted uncomfortably and looked away from her.
"Well, I was just wondering..."
        "Oh, just wondering?" Mara repeated skeptically.
        "Well..." he began, then he continued in a rush.  "Mara,
would you think of marrying me?"
        Mara wasn't really surprised at his question.  After all,
this conversation had been leading up to it.  She still didn't know
her answer though.  She was in love with Luke, that was true,
but she didn't know if she was ready for marriage.  She had
been alone all her life, but how to explain all that to Luke?  He
wouldn't understand.  But then she looked up into his earnest
face.  He was watching her nervously, biting the corner of his
lower lip.  It made him look young, innocent, and appealing, and
for at least that point in time, she couldn't imagine spending her
life without him.  "I'd love to marry you," she answered sincerely,
surprising herself with the truth of her answer.  "But I'll warn you,
I'm a terrible cook!"  He burst out laughing.
        "That's okay, I've been a bachelor for years.  I can
cook."
        "And I'm not exactly tender and supportive all the time,"
she admitted.
        Luke smiled.  "Well, if you finish your training, soon
you'll be a Jedi, and both of us will have a lot of other duties.
Still, I think we'll work!"
        "I agree." Mara said.  She leaned over and kissed him
lightly on the lips, an affirmation of the pact they had just made.
Her shift caused Anakin to awake and stir in her lap.  They both
turned to look down at him.
        "Oh, hi, Unca Luke," he said sleepily, "whatcha talkin'
'bout?"
        Luke figured Anakin should be the first to know, since he
was there when they had gotten engaged.  "Well, Anakin," he
admitted, "Mara and I are going to get married."
        Anakin smiled happily.  "Like mama and dada?" He
asked.
        "Yes," Mara answered.  Anakin turned to look at her.
        "Does that mean you're gonna be my real aunt?"
        "Yes," Mara said again.
        "Oh, good!" Anakin said, and promptly fell asleep again.
        "Well, at least someone seems to approve," Mara said.
        Luke looked at her.  "What do you mean by that?  Who
do you think isn't going to approve?"
        "Oh," Mara sighed.  "I just know your sister doesn't like
me that much."
        "Mara, she's fine," Luke replied.  "She's always been
after me to get married.  I mean, she'll probably be surprised at
first, because she doesn't know you that much, but she'll be
really good about it, I promise.  She doesn't bite.  I know she
seems rather scary and frightening, but she's a softie
underneath.  You want a big wedding?"  He asked, abruptly
changing the subject.
        Mara made a face.  "No