Coruscant
Lando leaned back on his expensive sofa, placing another glass of
wine in Massy's outstretched hand. After taking her out to a very trendy
restaurant, they had finally ended up back at his apartment. The wine alone was costing the gambler a
fortune. "So," he continued with his story. "That's how Solo stole the Falcon
from me."
"He cheated at sabacc!" Massy said indignantly. "I just knew that Solo
was the type of man to cheat. If he
cheats at cards, he'd cheat on his wife, too, I'd bet."
"Solo'd be out on his ear already if he had his
eyesight," Lando agreed, nodding as the woman leaned up against his chest,
batting her heavily made-up eyes at him.
Leia was going to owe him, big time.
"Do you want to know another secret?"
"I'd love to!"
"Han's not the only cheat in that marriage," he
whispered.
Massy sat up, her eyes wide.
"Tell me more!"
"Do you remember a few months back, when the Princess went to
Hapes, and then they all came back to Coruscant, and the Hapans signed a treaty
with the
"Yes?"
"That Prince was certainly... interesting, wasn't he?"
"What are you saying?"
"Let me just say, Leia used ALL of her negotiating skills
with that deal." Maybe Leia
wouldn't owe him after all - maybe he'd be lucky if she just settled for not
killing him with her lightsaber.
"Oh, my stars! She and Prince Isolder had an affair? Only three months after her babies were
born?"
"Yes. Solo is
completely oblivious to the situation, poor guy. He's busy changing diapers and she's out
rubbing elbows with royalty."
"More than just elbows!" Massy squeaked out,
barely able to believe her good fortune.
"Obviously." Lando smiled his most dazzling smile. "More wine?"
"Yes," Massy replied coyly, watching as Lando refilled
her glass to the brim. "Anything
else you can tell me?"
"Well, it seems I've been the one doing all the
dishing," Lando said in a low, seductive tone, discreetly pressing a
button on his jewel-studded belt.
"How about you telling me
something juicy?"
"I might be convinced," Massy teased, leaning forward
and shutting her overly painted eyelids.
Her purple lined lips puckered up invitingly.
Groaning inwardly, Lando pressed his mouth to hers, and she
grabbed his neck, kissing him deeply, and for a very long time. I'm going to have to disinfect my tongue
when this is over, Lando thought morosely.
Or maybe just remove it and burn it.
"Lando... I think I might be falling in love with you,"
she said breathlessly after finally coming up for air. She took big gulps of her wine, making Lando
cringe inside. Fine wine should be
sipped and savored, not downed like a shot of cheap whiskey.
"I've been in love with you for years, Massy. I watch all of your holo-shows, just so I can
gaze at your lovely face. More
wine?"
"Yes."
Lando poured again.
"So? What's your
scoop on these royal pains that I like to pretend are my friends?"
Massy giggled, and Lando raised his eyebrow. The wine must finally be getting to her. "Chauncy Cesna wasn't killed by a
Wookiee," she confided slowly.
"No?"
"Nope. Flit killed the little backstabbing wannabe
holo-star. That's what she deserved...
threaten me, will she?"
"Flit? Who's Flit?"
"My employee. A Clawdite. You know... someone that can change
themselves to look like anything or anyone.
Flit altered his appearance to look like Choosie."
"Chewie."
"Yup." Massy gave a
hiccup, and put her fingers to her lips, pretending to be embarrassed. "That's the one. Now they think her Highness sent out Choosie
to kill CeeCee, but I'm the one that sent out Flit. Isn't that a hoot..sie?"
"I'll say." Lando
stood up, and the outer door opened.
Carlist Rieekan and Wedge Antilles entered the room.
"Who invited them?" Massy demanded, standing up and
swaying unsteadily.
"I did," Lando replied, pulling out his own small
recording device and handing it to General Rieekan. "Here you are. Now, I hope you'll excuse me while I go scrub
my throat with a wire brush and floor cleaner."
Suddenly, Massy understood.
"You...you liar! You tricked me!"
Wedge grabbed her arm, while Rieekan placed her under arrest. She was still screaming at Lando while they
dragged her out the door.
********
Dathomir, evening.
It had been an exhausting day, and Han was now sitting on a
straw-stuffed mattress in a small hut he was sharing with Kyp. The boy was fast asleep, but only after Han
had assured him the witches called the
"Are you not tired?" Teneniel Djo's voice said from
behind him.
Han turned slightly to face her.
"I'm very tired, but I needed a few minutes to unwind."
"Unwind. An odd
term," she replied. She appraised
him up and down, admiring his strong, tall body, so unlike the males of
Dathomir. It was a shame he was refusing
to become a breeder, since they desperately needed men that could
reproduce. "You are a strange man,
Han Solo."
"Just call me Han."
"Han, then." She reached up, gently touching his
eyebrows. "Your people cannot cure
your blindness?"
"No. They tried
everything."
She dropped her hand. "It must be difficult, not being able
to see the trees, the sun, the stars."
"Yes," the Corellian agreed,
his voice soft. "It's hard, especially
not being able to see my kids' faces."
"Kids?"
"Children," he amended.
"How many children do you have?"
"We have two. Twins."
"Twins?" Teneniel asked,
sounding perplexed. "What are
twins?"
"Two children, born at the same
time. Don't your women ever have
twins?" Han asked, frowning.
"Two at once?" She sounded
amazed. "Males or
females?"
"One of each," Han answered, unable to keep the pride
out of his voice.
"And both are healthy?"
"Strong enough to pull the ears off
a gundark."
"Our village has only seen six births in two years,"
Teneniel answered sadly. "Two females, and the other four were males. Three of those died
within days of birth. Males are not very
healthy."
They stood in silence for a while, listening to the distant night
birds and insects. Finally Teneniel
spoke, "We have a Healer in our village.
Perhaps she can fix your eyes."
It didn't seem likely to Han, given the deaths of so many of their
newborns. "Do you think she'd
try?"
"She will try."
**********
Coruscant
Leia watched as the Millennium Falcon set down, and rushed
to greet her brother as he exited the ship.
"Luke!" The Princess
hugged him tightly, then looked over his shoulder, her
jaw dropping open in shock. "How...
why...?"
"I think your sister has been rendered speechless,
Skywalker," Jade said, sneering at the Princess, her wrists in binders. It frustrated her that she was unable to
remove them. She should be able to
accomplish this simple trick, but the Jedi must be blocking her abilities to manipulate
the Force. This idea worried the
Empress. If the Jedi was so much
stronger in the Force than she was, what had made her believe she could defeat
him?
"Leia, we have to go somewhere private," Luke told her,
looking over at the curious onlookers.
"And contact General Rieekan and Wedge, too. They need to be in this meeting."
"You can't stop the inevitable, Skywalker," the Empress
said, tilting up her chin in defiance.
"Always in motion is the future," was Luke's only reply.
************
Deep space, rendezvous point
Zsinj looked out his vast viewing screen at the sixty Star
Destroyers, all under his command. The
Grand Admiral straightened his shoulders, his heart swelling with pride. All this firepower at his disposal! It was what he'd desired his entire
life. Soon the Rebels would pay for
their arrogance in believing they'd won the war. His attention was drawn to one small ship
amid the huge Destroyers. The Sun Crusher was almost surreal in
appearance. Slender and sharp, it hardly
looked like it could destroy an entire planet, or make
a sun go nova, but according to Empress Jade it could do all that, plus survive
to strike again. Still, until it was
tested under those conditions, he was glad it was Darth Incuse flying that
ship, and not him.
"Darth Incuse," Zsinj spoke into his communicator. "Are you ready to make the jump to
Coruscant?"
"I am awaiting your orders," the Sith
spoke back, his voice trembling in his anger at having to take orders from
Zsinj.
That pleased the Grand Admiral, too. "In one minute we depart. Pity the poor souls living on
Coruscant."
"Yes. Pity them,"
Incuse said quietly.
**********
Coruscant, four hours after Luke's arrival
The
At Luke's insistence, Leia Organa-Solo took her children, Winter, and as many people as her ship, The Alderaan, could
possibly hold, but Luke refused to leave, insisting he would stay on the planet
along with Mara Jade, now being held in
After a hasty repair of the bent landing strut, the Millennium
Falcon would go into combat with Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca at the
controls.
Panic reigned. Chaos ruled.
*******
Next day, over Coruscant
The Iron Fist was the first to drop out of hyperspace,
rapidly followed by the remaining fifty-nine Star Destroyers. Instantly, TIE fighters tore from the
hangers, swarming around the giant 'V' shaped ships, their only goal to prevent
the X-Wings from causing damage. Further
back, almost unnoticed, the Sun Crusher dropped out of hyperspace, lying
silent and still, like a deadly snake waiting to strike.
***
Alarms sounded on the Mon Remonda as the Imperials arrived,
and Wedge quickly gave the order to launch the X-Wings. He stared out of his viewport at the Imperial
armada, watching as his troops engaged in battle. Luke had briefed them about the Sun
Crusher, and Wedge was afraid Mara Jade wasn't lying about its
capabilities. How could they defend
themselves against something that could destroy a sun?
***
Darth Incuse's fingers hovered over the controls, his hand
shaking. His first order was to torment
the Rebels by taking out one of their Capital ships. His eyes drifted to an Imperial Star Destroyer,
once called the Tyrant, now used by the
***
General Dodonna could only watch in horror as the small ship
headed directly toward his viewport. He,
too, had listened to Luke Skywalker's story about the Emperor's last project,
but he had never imagined he'd be the first victim. May the Force help us all.. was his last thought.
***
The Sun Crusher tore through the viewport, then down and
across the entire length of the huge vessel.
It shot out the underside, near the rear engines, and by the time it had
exited, the Rebel Dream was dying in a series of spectacular explosions
that quickly extinguished in the vacuum of space. Darth Incuse was stunned he was still alive,
that the Sun Crusher had done its job, and survived. When the Rebel Dream disappeared in a
rain of debris, he felt another part of his soul die along with the Destroyer.
***
Lando Calrissian could not believe what he'd just witnessed. How could such a small ship take out a Star
Destroyer without a scratch? He listened
as Chewie howled in horror and rage. For
some odd reason, he could hear Threepio's whiny voice saying in his head..."We're
doomed."
************
Dathomir, morning
Teneniel led Han through the village to the home of Damaya, the
Healer. Halfway there, she suddenly
stopped, and Han could feel the tension in her fingers. "What's the matter?" he asked
quietly.
"Gethzerion is coming toward us."
"Who is that?"
"The leader of the Nightsisters," she replied worriedly.
"Do not speak to her." Then she addressed the approaching woman. "Gethzerion, what brings you to our
village?"
"Him," a crackled voice answered.
Teneniel watched the splotchy skinned old woman look Han up and
down, her face breaking into a leer.
"This is an off-worlder, and I claim him for the
Nightsisters."
"He is not yours," Mother Augwynne said, coming up
behind the Nightsister. "Teneniel
Djo found him in neutral territory. He
is ours."
"Do you intend to breed him?" Gethzerion asked sharply.
"He has indicated he would not desire to become a
breeder," Augwynne replied.
"Not desire?"
Gethzerion gave a snort. "He
is a male! A slave! Since when do slaves have choices? No wonder your villages die off."
"He is not a native - he is a mentally sound off-worlder. Forcing him would not be right."
"Then give him to me," Gethzerion snapped back. "The Nightsisters have no issues with
using off-worlders as breeders. If they
object, we simply make them the mental equals of our native males."
"What?" Han growled out, unable to stay silent. "You destroy their minds?"
"Males only care about a very few things anyway,"
Gethzerion said with a sneer. "We
just re-adjust their minds on what we desire."
"Listen here, Geth... whatever your name is.... I'll have you
know th - " Han suddenly stopped speaking as his
throat closed, and he grabbed at his neck, trying to breath.
"Release him!" Teneniel ordered harshly. "You are a guest in our village."
The pressure eased, and Han stepped backwards, gasping for air.
"I give you fair warning,
"I gotta say, you ladies sure have nice neighbors," Han
managed to croak out sarcastically, still rubbing his neck.
"So now you have finally met a Nightsister," Mother
Augwynne said. "If we cannot hold
off their assault, it may not be your last meeting."
********
Coruscant
Luke shut his eyes, sensing the deaths of the people fighting in
space high above Coruscant. He could
feel the panic swirling all around, not just on the surface, but in the hearts
and souls of the
"Do you believe now, Jedi?" Mara said tightly, sitting
on the opposite side of a large, empty table.
"The Sun Crusher is real."
"I never doubted you."
"Why don't you leave?
If you stay here, you'll die. I
guarantee it."
Luke opened his eyes, and looked across the table at the
Empress. "If I leave, you'll find a
way to escape. If I stay, we both
die. Together."
The Empress jumped to her feet, glaring at Luke's calm blue
gaze. "Are you telling me you'd
rather die than take a chance that I'll escape once you leave the planet?"
"Yes."
"Then take me with you."
"No."
Jade could barely comprehend what Skywalker was saying. "No?"
"No. If you refuse to
call off your attack, then you'll just be one more death among the billions of
lives lost when Coruscant is destroyed.
You can't win, Mara."
Mara pointed her finger at Luke, sensing through the Force he
wasn't bluffing. "You're the one
that will lose. You
and your New Republic. Once
Coruscant falls, the
"Do you really think Zsinj can successfully rule the
galaxy? He's a petty, evil
dictator. He won't last a year before
he's assassinated by one of his own cronies."
"Darth Incuse will - "
"Corran won't allow himself to be controlled by Zsinj, and
you and I both know he's not Emperor material,
either."
She had no answer to that argument. Then Luke stood up, and withdrew a disk from
his cloak. "This is the proof I
told you about, Mara. It's not forged,
and if you use the Force, you'll know I'm not lying to you." He pushed it toward her, and indicated she
should place it in the holo-viewer.
Reluctantly, Mara took the disk and inserted it. Her eyes flicked down at the screen. ".....Parents - executed in the
Standard year 6903 by Palpatine while subject watched. Memory of event erased. Current
Age in 6924 - approx. 21 Standard."
Luke watched as her face paled, and she sat down heavily in the
chair. All he could do was hold his
breath and wait.
**********
Space, above Coruscant
Several X-Wings attempted to intercept the Sun Crusher,
failing miserably. Most were unable to
even match the speed of the fighter, and the few that managed to maneuver in
front of the needle-shaped vessel were quickly destroyed - not by firepower,
but by the Sun Crusher impaling the
Darth Incuse felt each and every death as he speared through the
ships. It felt as if his soul were
slowly being rendered in two. He was
dying... not physically; but his soul was dying with each ship that he sliced
apart. I am a Sith. I am a SITH! his
mind cried out. Was this what it meant,
being a Sith?
Not having a soul? Just a big,
blank space where his heart, his morality once stood true and firm?
Zsinj's voice crackled over the comlink. "We're done playing, Darth
Incuse. Destroy Coruscant."
Incuse turned the vessel toward the planet, sensing through the
Force the billions of lives it held. Out
of the corner of his eye, he could see the Mon Remonda trying to place
itself between the Sun Crusher and the planet, as if that could stop
him. He saw a familiar saucer-shaped
ship trying to engage the Iron Fist.
The Millennium Falcon. Who had brought the Falcon back from
Carida? Skywalker? Had he escaped, and killed his Empress? For a brief moment, bitter rage welled up
inside as he pictured his Empress lying bloodied and dead.
"Darth Incuse!" Zsinj snapped
over the comlink, interrupting his thoughts.
"Are you there? I'm
ordering you to attack, you fool!"
**********
Dathomir
"Han, this is Damaya, our clan's Healer," Teneniel said
as she guided him into the woman's hut.
"Damaya, this is the off-worlder I told you about. The one that cannot
see."
"Sit," the woman said authoritatively. "I will do what I can."
Sitting down on a low stool, Han could feel the woman's calloused
fingers pressing against his eyelids, then his temples.
"Your eyes are not damaged," she said.
"No, it's not my eyes.
The doctors told me some technical term I couldn't pronounce. It has to do with the optical receptors in
the brain."
The woman was quiet for a moment.
"I do not understand what you just said, off-worlder."
"No problem. Can't say I understand it myself."
"Healing the mind is difficult. My grandmother, the last healer, could only
mend broken bones and cuts. I am afraid
my talent is no deeper than hers," she said. "Still, I will try."
Han felt her palms pressing against the sides of his head, then a pressure built in his head. In a moment, bright lights started flashing,
an intense, sharp pain made the top of his head feel like it was about to blow
apart. Crying out in pain, Han pushed
her hands away, clutching his temples.
Slowly, the agony receded, and Han carefully opened his eyes. Gray shadows filled his vision.
"I did not succeed," Damaya said quietly. "I caused you pain, and failed. I am truly sorry."
"It's not your fault," Han replied, trying to mask his
disappointment. "I appreciate that
you tried, anyway."
"It felt so close," she added thoughtfully. "But.... it was like something was
stopping me, blocking the healing. It is
also likely I am wrong. Like I said, I
have only a small talent at healing."
Han remembered what Luke told him the old Jedi Healer Oloppo on
Tatooine had said -
"Perhaps the Force doesn't wish your friend to see."
It seemed ridiculous then, and now
it just seemed so ...unfair.
********
Coruscant
Luke studied the Empress, watching and feeling the conflicting
emotions that tore through her being. He
said nothing, just waited, aware that time was growing short.
Finally, she looked up, her face contorted and filled with
grief. "He killed my parents."
"Yes, he did. He used
you, Mara. Just like
he used my father."
"Your father?"
"You know Leia is my sister." It wasn't a question, since the news had been
made public over a year ago.
Confused, Mara said, "Yes.
The holo-news made such a big deal out of it that a person would've
needed to be hiding under a rock not to hear.
You discovered it when your doctor just happened to find out your DNA matched
with the Princess."
"That's what we told everyone, but it was a little bit less
complicated than that," Luke said with a sigh. "We found out we were siblings because
someone that knew our father told us."
"Your father was a Jedi named Anakin Skywalker," Mara
said, remembering the records she had read, after receiving her orders to kill
Luke Skywalker during the rescue attempt of Han Solo.
Only a few people knew the full truth, although Luke had been
pushing Leia to make the facts public, before some holo-reporter like Massy
Wennit ran across some buried record.
Better it should come from them, than later be accused of trying to hide
things from the public. Aware he was taking a big risk, Luke plunged ahead.
"Our father was Jedi Anakin Skywalker, before he became Darth Vader."
Mara's eyes widened in shock. "Vader? Darth Vader was your father?"
"No. Our father was
Anakin Skywalker, not Darth Vader. Darth
Vader was incapable of love because the dark side blinded him to anything
good. But in the end, Vader turned back
to the light side of the Force, and once again become Anakin Skywalker, a man
capable of love. If he could do it, so
can you."
Suddenly, it all made sense to Mara. No wonder Palpatine had feared this young
man, and ordered his death. No wonder
Skywalker was so incredibly Force-strong ... he was the child of Vader. The Jedi had been a threat to everything the
Emperor held near and dear - power, tyranny, the evil
hold on the dark side. The Empire had
been taken down by the combination of father and son. Mara Jade met Luke Skywalker's eyes. "I'll try to contact the Iron
Fist."
Luke could only hope it wasn't too late.
*********
Space over Coruscant
"Fool," Darth Incuse repeated softly. He had been about to obey the command, and
fly the ship through the planet to avenge Empress Jade's death when Zsinj's
taunt broke through, switching his rage from the
Grand Admiral Zsinj's voice came back over the speaker. "INCUSE!
Do as I order, or face a court-martial and execution!"
A court-martial. Execution.
Maybe he had been a fool, but that was about to change. The Sun
Crusher made a wide sweep, then turned back toward
the raging battle above Coruscant.
Tuning in his comlink, the Corellian spoke to his commander, "My name
is Corran Horn. We shall see who
executes whom." Lining up his ship,
he dove the Sun Crusher directly through the
side of the Iron Fist, watching in satisfaction as it exploded behind
him.
**
General Antilles felt his jaw drop open as the Iron Fist erupted
into a ball of flames. His bridge
officers let out a roar as they watched the needle-nosed ship turn again, and
impale a second Imperial Destroyer. Then another, and another.
The Imperial Destroyers tried to focus their weapons on the small ship,
to no avail. One by one, the huge ships
were decimated as the Sun Crusher proved Empress Jade correct - it was
indestructible.
When it became apparent that their side had lost, the six
remaining Imperial Star Destroyers turned and jumped into hyperspace, leaving
the TIE fighters to face suddenly overwhelming odds against their survival.
The battle was quickly over.
**********
The next day, in Leia's apartment
Princess Leia gave her brother a tight hug, her eyes glistening
with unshed tears over the loss of General Dodonna, a man she'd known her
entire life.
Luke stepped back, and indicated Mara Jade and Corran Horn should
step forward. "Mara, Corran, this
is my sister, Leia Organa-Solo, Chewbacca, and you've already met Lando
Calrissian."
The Princess held out her hand to them, noting their reluctance to
accept her handshake.
"We will accept whatever punishment your government gives
us," Corran Horn said slowly, unable to look Calrissian in the eye. He had debated flying the Sun Crusher into
a black hole, ending his life rather than face the
"You have not received a death sentence," Leia
replied. "Although the battle took
a great many lives, the fact remains Zsinj is no longer a threat, and the
Imperials have been greatly weakened, thanks to your decision to defy Zsinj's
orders, Commander Horn. In the long run,
I'm sure hundreds, if not thousands of lives have been saved." She gave a wan smile. "I have successfully pleaded your case
before the High Council. Since you were
both under the influence of the dark side, and brainwashed by Imperial
propaganda, President Mon Mothma has granted you a full pardon, under one condition.
You will stay true to the light side of the Force, and allow Luke to
train you as Jedi."
"That's all?" Mara asked, incredulously. "But we, I mean, I..."
"I'd have to agree it's a light sentence," Lando said,
arching an eyebrow. "You've given
me a souvenir I'll have the rest of my life."
"We're not the Empire, Lando," Leia said, shaking her
head. "We have too many people that
used to be Imperials in our ranks to start passing down judgment at this
point."
"Mara," Luke said, shooting Lando a warning look. "Be gracious. It's your first lesson in becoming a
Jedi." He looked over at Corran. "I know you have feelings for Mara
-"
"No, I don't," Corran interrupted, then
looked embarrassed. "I mean, I
thought I did, but it wasn't love.
Desire is different than love, and now that the dark side isn't blinding
me, I can see that very clearly."
"Speaking of love," Leia added. "My husband...?"
Mara looked suddenly very worried.
"Solo. I forgot about
him. Oh, no."
"What do you mean, oh, no?" Leia said, gripping the side
of a table. "He wasn't on one of
those Destroyers? "
"No, he wasn't."
Mara bit her bottom lip nervously.
"I sent him to a planet called Dathomir, but we'd better get there
very fast. I'll explain everything on
the way."
"Am I invited, too?" Corran questioned Luke.
"Hey, you're the one that got Han into this mess to start
with," Luke replied, shaking his head.
"I'd have to say you'd better help get him out."
"This time I'm coming along with you Luke, and don't argue
with me," Leia said, raising her finger in her brother's face. "Winter, Lando and Threepio can watch
the babies."
"I'm not arguing!" Luke protested.
"I don't have to change diapers, do I?" Lando lamented,
to the amusement of everyone in the room.
********
Dathomir, next day
"Do I hear thunder?" Han asked Kyp, as they helped
unload hay bales brought in from the fields.
Although the witches had not requested it, Han had volunteered to do
manual labor in exchange for the food and shelter they were providing for
them. Besides, it felt good to finally
get some outside exercise after spending weeks cooped up in tiny cells.
Kyp looked up from his chores as he stood on top of the wagon, and
shielded the sun from his eyes as he gazed south. "It looks like a big storm to the
south," he acknowledged. "The
lightning was flashing all last night, too."
Teneniel Djo had been watching the off-worlders as they worked,
admiring the strong muscles in Han's arms and back as his shirt clung to his
sweat-soaked torso. He was so different
than the thin native males of Dathomir.
Native males had no defined muscles in their bodies, only skin covering
bone, and it wasn't as though the warriors didn't feed them properly. The males
just never grew strong or tall, not since the time of sickness. Even the off-worlder warrior boy, Kyp, could
work harder and lift heavier objects than the worker drones. It just didn't seem fair to her that her
people were dying off, and only the Nightsisters would survive, because they
had no scruples. If the
"Ceremonies?" Han questioned,
wiping his forehead with his sleeve.
"They must gather strength through the dark powers they use
in battle."
"Can your village fight them?" Kyp asked worriedly.
"We will try. Mother
Augwynne has sent out messengers to other villages, asking for assistance. Perhaps the Dancing Water clan will help us,
since we have helped them in the past."
"That'd be nice if they returned the favor," Han said,
hoisting another bale in place.
"If they help us, we will have to repay them by giving them
at least one of our breeders," Teneniel told him. "That is a high price to pay, when we
have so few left."
Han didn't know how to reply to her. This was a situation he'd never encountered
before, and he wished he could think of some way to help these women. "Maybe when my wife finds me, she can
think of some solution to your problem," he finally said. "Leia's real good at problem
solving."
"Do you think she'd agree to allow you to breed with
us?" Teneniel asked, her voice hopeful.
Han laughed. "That's
not the kind of solution I was thinking about, but I'll be sure to make that
suggestion when she gets here."
"Really?"
So, they didn't know too much about jokes, either. "No, I'm kidding," Han said,
holding up his hands. "Leia'd kill
me first."
"REALLY?"
"Uhh.... no. I don't think so, anyway."
By that time, Kyp was laughing so hard, he fell off the hay wagon.
*************
Millennium Falcon, en route to Dathomir
Princess Leia watched her brother as he continued to train and
instruct both Mara Jade and Corran Horn.
Despite the fact she had forgiven both of them, it still was a struggle
against total outrage when Mara told them where she had sent Han, and for what
purpose. These Dathomirian witches
sounded like true disciples of the dark side.
Leia worried about their ability to rescue Han and the other men,
considering it sounded like the witches were incredibly powerful.
Leia never doubted for a second they would also rescue the other
prisoners - it would be unthinkable to leave them behind. They would be greatly
outnumbered, as well, since the
The former Empress turned her gaze at Leia. "You are barely holding your anger
toward us in check, especially for me. I
don't blame you, Princess."
"I'm not angry," Leia quickly lied. "I'm just very worried about my
husband."
Mara turned off her lightsaber, then took
a small step toward Leia. "He's a
pretty amazing man, Princess. I don't
know that I'd be able to emotionally deal with that type of a handicap half as
well, yet he doesn't seem bitter."
"Han is pretty amazing," Leia agreed, her heart aching
just thinking about her missing husband.
"Nothing can be done for his eyes?" Horn questioned
them. "Have you tried using the
Force?"
"Neither Leia nor I have the talent to be Jedi Healers,"
Luke said. "I'm currently training someone
named Cilghal, and I think she has a great deal of talent toward healing, but
she still isn't a Jedi, yet. Maybe,
someday, someone can Force-heal Han. I
hope that's the case."
"What if you can't heal him, ever?" Mara tentatively
asked.
"Then we'll survive, Mara," Leia replied firmly. "As long as he has his family, he'll be
fine, with or without his sight. We can
cope with anything, as long as we have each other."
Mara's eyes briefly flickered over toward Luke, and he caught a
look of longing and envy on her face. She
only wants the same thing that Leia has...someone to love, and that loves her
in return. The same thing we all want.
***********
Dathomir, night
Kyp lay awake in his cot, listening as the Nightsisters' thunder
increased in volume. "It's the
second night," he whispered aloud.
"I know, Kyp," Han answered from across the small hut.
"The other clan hasn't come to help. What if they don't come?"
The Corellian paused, uncertain if he should tell his plans to the
kid. "If they don't come by tomorrow evening, I'll head south, and give
myself up to the Nightsisters. I can't
let these women die for me."
"They'll kill you," Kyp said, horrified.
"If I'm lucky."
"Please, Han, don't go ... I don't want you to die."
"Be strong, Kyp. My
family will figure out where the Imps took me, I know they will. Just hang on for a bit, and they'll find you,
and rescue you. Okay?"
"Okay," the boy agreed, not sounding in the least bit
happy.
********
Late morning
The Singing Mountain Clan warriors gathered around Mother
Augwynne, listening quietly as she spoke.
"Tomorrow, at daybreak, the Nightsisters will attack our clan. We have asked other clans to aid in our
fight, but they have not arrived. I do
not blame them. The Nightsisters are
strong, and number many warriors. But
the Singing Mountain Clan is brave, and has survived many battles. We will defeat the Nightsisters, because we
must."
A cheer broke out in the ranks of the warriors, and Han shifted
nervously on his feet as he listened from the edge of the group. "Kyp," he said softly. "Remember what I told you last
night? About me,
giving up?"
"You changed your mind?" Kyp asked hopefully.
"No. But I think I'd
better leave right now, while the women are listening to Mother Augwynne. I have a feeling they might not let me leave,
later."
"I'm coming with you."
"No!" Han said vehemently. "The Nightsisters don't care about
you. You stay here, where you're safe,
and don't argue with me."
Kyp swallowed hard. "How do you want me to help you?"
"Just lead me away from the village, and point me south. Corellians have a built-in sense of
direction, so I'll be fine, once I get going."
Kyp took his hand, guiding him to the edge of the village. "This is south. Don't go, Han."
"I wish I didn't have to, Kyp," Han said, his voice
breaking. "If I don't make it, tell Leia I loved her and the twins, and
tell Chewie he was the greatest friend, ever.
Will you do that for me?"
"Sure," the boy replied.
Han could tell Kyp was sniffing tears back, and bent over to give
him a hug. "You're a pretty swell
friend, too. You'll be a great Jedi,
someday. Let my brother-in-law teach
you, will you do that?"
"I'll make you proud of me, Han."
With that, Han stood straight and headed south with his walking
stick.
*****
Teneniel Djo and Augwynne approached Kyp an hour later, watching the boy as he unhappily threw stones into a
murky puddle. "Kyp," Teneniel
called out. "Where is Han?"
The boy flashed them a look of grief and guilt, then looked
away. "He's gone."
"Gone?" Mother Augwynne asked, her voice firm but
kind. "Where did he go?"
"South."
"South? He was told not to leave here!" Teneniel
protested, her eyes growing wide with fear.
"He didn't want anyone to die because of him, so he went to
give himself up to the Nightsisters," Kyp told them, his voice
trembling. "I begged him not to
go."
"He has no idea the evil that will happen to him there,"
Teneniel Djo said, looking at Mother Augwynne.
"We must save him!"
A roar overhead sounded, and all eyes looked up as a saucer-shaped
ship swooped down out of the sky, then headed south
toward the Imperial fortress.
"It's Han's family," Kyp whispered. "He said they would come, and he was
right."
"He should have waited," Mother Augwynne added sadly.
*******
There was no Imperial blockade over Dathomir when the Millennium
Falcon arrived. There were no ships
in orbit at all, only a frantic Imperial signal from
the surface of the planet as the abandoned stormtrooper guards tried to make
contact with their missing officers. It
was very unlikely that any of those officers survived the battle at Coruscant.
The Force niggled at the back of Luke's mind as he watched the
surface become closer and more distinct. "We need to head back north,
Chewie," Luke said as the Falcon headed over the trees toward the
Imperial prison. Without waiting for a
response, Luke turned the ship in a long arc, then
headed back toward the north.
"Arrrough!" Chewie's finger pointed at the console.
"I don't understand his words, Luke," Mara put in from
behind Chewie. "But I agree with
the sentiment. The sensors indicate the
prison is south."
"I know... but the Force is telling me to go..." Luke
scanned the ground with his eyes, noting a small village rapidly approaching.
He pointed. "There. We land there."
"But, Skywalker," Jade protested. "What if - "
"No!" Leia said from behind her brother. "Luke's right. This feels right."
"Who am I to argue with two Jedi and their feelings?"
Mara sniffed, feeling a bit outnumbered.
She watched as the Falcon set down near the outskirts of the
village. A group of ten women dressed in
leather and carrying long spears headed toward the ship. "They don't look too friendly."
The four humans and one Wookiee cautiously exited the lowered
ramp, trying not to show any outward signs of hostility, and hoping these women
would not start attacking out of fear.
It was some surprise when a young boy dressed in gray Imperial prison
coveralls came running out from behind the warrior women, then headed directly
toward them. "Mrs. Solo! Mrs. Solo!
We have to go find Han! And
fast!"
***********
Han leaned his shoulder against a tree, wishing he'd thought far
enough ahead to bring some water. Now
approaching
Tired and hot, he decided it was time to continue walking. Just then, a loud, howling growl sounded from
nearby. Han tensed, the noise was
familiar.. somehow. Another bellow echoed through the trees,
closer now, and Han suddenly placed where he'd heard that noise before - inside
Jabba's palace. The creature moving
toward him was a rancor.
***********
"He did what?" Leia asked, barely able to believe
her ears.
*That sounds like my cub,* Chewie woofed, shaking his head in
dismay.
"We told him not to go," Teneniel Djo replied,
unsuccessfully trying to keep from staring at the new arrivals. With the exception of the being they called Chewie, they all had the same powers as the native
warriors. Mother Augwynne had assumed
that young Kyp was just peculiar, since a male with special power was unheard
of on Dathomir, but now these new arrivals were male warriors as well. Warrior Luke Skywalker interested Teneniel,
but she could sense that the one called Mara Jade did not like her looking at
him - perhaps he belonged to her, just as Han belonged to the one called Leia
Organa-Solo. The name Solo made Teneniel
wonder if males were given the end names of the females, to show ownership. Skywalker's end name was not Jade, however. Did
he belong to a female named Skywalker?
It was very puzzling. She shifted
her gaze to the one calling himself Corran Horn. He was not very tall,
still he was much taller than native males.
And such strong muscles, too. He
noticed her staring, and she looked quickly away, embarrassed.
"Han never does what anyone tells him," Leia said, worry
competing with irritation. What
possessed him to leave the village? As she pondered this, the answer became
clear: Han would never allow an entire
village to die trying to protect him.
Even when he was still acting like the cynical smuggler, his strong
sense of right and wrong would not have allowed innocent people to sacrifice
themselves for him. It was just one of
the reasons Leia had fallen in love with him.
"Is he a typical male where you come from?" Mother
Augwynne questioned. "Disobeying their owners?"
"I don't own Han," Leia said, frowning. "Whatever gave you that idea?"
"He said he took a vow to you. Something he called marriage. We just assumed marriage was your version of
ownership."
Jade let out a loud, unladylike snort, then tried to cover it up
by coughing. "Sorry," she
muttered. "That just sounded like a
pretty accurate description to me."
Leia folded her arms across her chest. "We don't own each other,"
she tried explaining to the warrior women.
"But we belong to each other. There's a difference."
"There is?" Teneniel asked, raising her eyebrows in
confusion.
"I think this discussion can wait. We need to find Han," Luke finally
inserted into the conversation.
"You said he headed south?"
"Yes, at mid-morning.
We should be able to catch up quickly, especially if we follow the
river. Most villages are built along
rivers, and the Nightsisters' village also uses this river."
"Teneniel Djo will guide you," Augwynne said. "She will be able to call to us if you
need help. Hopefully, the Nightsisters
have not found your male, yet."
"I hope not, too," Leia agreed.
********
Nightsisters had not found Han, but something else had. Holding one hand in front of his face, the
other swiping the ground at his feet with his walking stick, he ran through the
forest trying to escape from the rumbling approach of the rancor as it tracked him
by sound and scent. Kreth, kreth,
kreth, Han thought frantically. Why
do these things always have to happen to me? Of course, if I get eaten by a
rancor, I won't end up as a slave to the Nightsisters.... but if I get eaten,
the Nightsisters will still attack the
The branches tore at his face and clothing as he rushed away from
the beast. Suddenly, the guide stick was
no longer striking the dirt, but air.
Han skidded to a fast stop.
Tentatively, he reached the stick forward, then side to side. Nothing, just space. Forcing himself to listen to something other
than the fast approaching rancor, he could hear the rush of water. It sounded far below him. Was he on top of a cliff? Was there a river down below him? Was the water deep, or shallow? Were there rocks in the river? How far of a drop was it? A million questions raced through his mind,
then a huge roar sounded behind him, and he could feel the heat of the
creature's breath.
With no more time for questions, Han launched his body into the
unknown. His famous luck held - after a
heart stopping drop, he plunged into the water, which turned out to be deep
enough to survive the drop, and there were no rocks to shatter his bones. Originating from a distant mountain glacier,
the river was frigid in the extreme - it left Han gasping in shock, while at
the same time he attempted to keep his head above the water. Swim, Solo! he
ordered his rapidly numbing limbs. He
knew he was being swept downstream, but was he heading north, east, west... or
south, toward the Nightsisters? So
much for my Corellian sense of direction...
After several terrifying minutes of stroking in what he hoped was
a direction taking him toward shore, his feet finally scraped along the pebbles
at the bottom of the riverbed. His body
trembling from adrenalin, Han pulled himself from the icy river and collapsed,
facedown, on the muddy bank.
**********
"Luke!" the Princess gasped out, grabbing her brother's
sleeve. "I can feel that Han's
close, very close."
"I know," the Jedi agreed, trying to focus on the
frightened Force-sense of his brother-in-law.
"Can you tell which direction?" Corran asked, still very
aware of the Dathomir warrior watching him.
He had to admit, she was attractive, in a primitive sort of way. Strong... sure of herself. She reminded him a lot of Mara Jade, with her
red hair, and powerful Force-sense. He
tried to act indifferent toward her.
Unfortunately, it wasn't working.
The Jedi pointed down the river.
"He's that way."
After a few minutes of fast walking, Leia broke into a run,
dashing around the rocks and bushes, trying to keep from slipping on the gooey
dirt that ran alongside the water's edge.
Then she saw a body - someone wearing a white shirt and black slacks. Han! Heart
in throat, she ran even faster, the mud flying up, sticking to her boots and
clothes. "HAN!" Reaching his side, she turned him over,
wiping the goo from his face.
"Han? Please.... say
something!"
Slowly, Han opened his useless eyes. "Leia?" he groaned. "About time you got here."
Giving a cry of relief, Leia pulled him into a sitting position,
covering his face and lips with kisses, not caring about the dirt. "Han....I love you. I'm so, so sorry," she cried out. "Can you forgive me?"
Wrapping his arms around her waist, he asked, "I love you
too, sweetheart, but why do I need to forgive you?"
"For accusing you of having an affair with Chauncy
Cesna," she explained between kisses.
"Do you forgive me?"
"Ummm, sure," Han replied, confused. "Leia? Who is Chauncy Cesna?"
Chewie let out a roar of laughter, realizing that Han had
forgotten the name of the actress that accosted him on the balcony. *CeeCee.
The actress from Lando's party,* Chewie supplied
helpfully.
"Chewie? You here too, pal?" Han tried to struggle to his feet, but didn't
quite make it before Chewie scooped the Corellian up off his feet.
*Rescuing you is my favorite pastime, cub.*
Mara watched this joyous reunion, feeling a bit uncomfortable with
the open displays of affection. No one
had ever loved her, or even told her they cared about her. As if sensing this, Luke put his hand on her
shoulder, then smiled at her. It was very
disconcerting, the way he could almost read her mind.
"Luke?" Corran asked, frowning at the sky to the
south. "I think a storm is coming
this way."
"Hey!" Han yelled as he recognized the voice, pushing to
get free of Chewie's grip. "That's
Corran Horn! That's the guy that kidnapped
me, kid! He's one of them... an
Imp!"
"Not anymore, Han," Luke said with a smile. "A lot has happened in the past few
days. I'm going to be training Corran as
a Jedi now."
"And Mara Jade, too," Leia added, watching her husband's
reaction carefully.
"JADE? The Empress Jade?!"
"You don't have to call me Empress anymore, Solo. Not unless you
really want to," Mara said, smirking at the Corellian's stunned
expression.
Feeling dizzy, Han put his hand out and grabbed a clump of
Chewie's fur for support. "I guess
I did miss a lot."
"What about that storm?" Corran prodded, unable to tear
his eyes away from the towering black clouds, punctuated by angry bolts of red
lightning.
"That is not a storm," Teneniel Djo informed them. "Those are the Nightsisters. They are coming early." She looked at the off-worlders. "We really should hurry back to the
village. Facing them out here would be
unwise."
The ground trembled as loud thunder
roiled from the southern sky.
"Unwise sounds like an understatement," Mara said.
Teneniel grabbed Corran's hand, pulling him back downstream toward
the relative safety of the village.
Supporting a still shaky Han between them, Chewie and Leia hurried to
follow.
Luke gave a half glance over at Mara, and grinned at her. "I think Corran might have a new
'owner', he just doesn't know it yet."
"Ah, Skywalker, most men don't know they've been enslaved
until it's way too late for them to escape."
"Has anyone ever told you that you're a cynic, Mara?"
"Me? A cynic? Never, Skywalker. Never."
*********
"The Falcon has the firepower to take out that
Nightsister village," Han argued.
"No problem."
"It would be a big problem, Han Solo," Mother Augwynne
replied. "The Nightsisters would
easily crush your ship, or capture it and force you and your friends to take
them away from Dathomir. They would love
to escape this planet, and bring their evil to the rest of the galaxy."
Leia nodded, putting her hand over her husband's wrist. "She's right. They have too much dark power for one ship to
destroy them."
"How have you fought them in the past?" Luke
questioned.
"With the same nature they use as their weapon. They use fire storms, to try and burn our
village. Instead of lightning, we use
water, and create frozen stones to rain down on them. We call the rancors, and they do our
bidding. We call the ground, and the
ground opens up under their feet. All this
is under our command, and the Nightsisters are unable to use these things. Only the fire from the sky does their
bidding."
"Interesting," Mara mused. "Why is that?"
"We do not understand why.
No more than we understand why nature turned on us so many generations
ago, and gave us power, then destroyed our
males."
"I think we should move the Falcon," Corran suggested. "It sounds like this battle could get
pretty intense, and I'd rather not see our only way off this system
destroyed."
"Guess we finally agree on something, Horn," Han
said. "I just don't want you or
Jade to be the ones moving my ship."
"Han," Leia said, her tone warning him not to
start. "We can trust Corran and
Mara. We do trust them, and you
have to start trusting them as well."
"Maybe tomorrow," Han stubbornly replied, refusing to
give in without a fight.
*Cub! Don't make me mad!*
"Chewie, you move the ship," Han argued, taking a step
back from the Wookiee just to be safe.
*Corran will move it,* Chewie barked back, waving his paw at Horn,
then pointing at the Falcon. *Now!*
"What's he saying?" Corran asked, eyeing the Wookiee
nervously.
Han gave a weary sigh.
"Move the ship, Horn. Don't
make the Wookiee mad."
"Can I come with you?" Teneniel asked, her face lighting
up with excitement. "I've never
been in a star ship before!"
"Sure. I mean, if it's
all right with Solo, since it's his ship."
"I trust her," Han shot back quickly. "Just not you. Don't let him steal my ship, Teneniel."
Corran walked toward the Falcon with the young warrior
woman skipping beside him. Then Mother
Augwynne turned back to the off-worlders.
"We must prepare for our battle.
The males must be taken to the shelter of a cave, and the huts must be
made wet to prevent them from burning."
She looked over at Leia.
"Your male and the Wookiee should go to the cave. They are not
warriors, and cannot help with this battle."
Chewie gave a roar of outrage at the statement he wasn't a
warrior.
"No!" Han protested, agreeing with Chewie's howls. "I can do my part. I'm not some mindless drone!"
Mother Augwynne smiled at Leia.
"He does not listen well, does he?" Then she addressed Solo directly. "You would be doing us a great favor by
going to the cave. We have few warriors
to spare, and our males must be guarded, or they will run off out of fear. That is something you, the boy, and your
Wookiee friend could do for us. I no
longer assume off-worlder males cannot help us, since you have proven yourself
resourceful. Even so, you are too
stubborn for your own good, and you should obey your owner, er, wife."
Leia noticed Han's indignant frown, then put her arm around his
waist. "Take Chewie and Kyp, and go
protect their males. Obey your wife for
a change."
Mollified by the idea that he would be protecting helpless
Dathomirian males instead of doing nothing, Chewie barked at Han with a toothy
grin, *Come along, cub, before Leia makes you wear a leather loincloth.*
Han was very glad no one else could understand Shyriiwook.
**********
Evening
Red lightning flashed closer, and a cold wind whipped through the
village. The
The ground rumbled beneath their feet as the Witches of the
For hours it continued. The
Nightsisters surging forward, only to be pushed back from the village by forces
they could not control. Large cracks
would form beneath their feet, swallowing them into the deep crevices, then crushing them as the ground closed up. The lightning that managed to strike inside
the village would have the fire extinguished by a wall of heavy rain.
As their losses mounted, the Nightsister Gethzerion called to the
few witches they'd left behind as guards to the off-worlders. Find their drones and breeders! Kill them!
Kill them all! We will make them
suffer for this outrage!
**************
Leaning back against the stone wall, Han sat with Kyp and Chewie
near the cave entrance, far above the village.
The native males cowered in the rear of the grotto, making soft mewling
sounds. Augwynne had undoubtedly been
correct; the males would have fled like frightened, mindless beasts without
someone to guard the exit. The sight of
the giant Wookiee alone was enough to make them tremble in fear.
The Corellian listened in awe to the battle as it raged
outside. No sounds of blasters or ion
cannons could be heard, just the clash of nature versus nature. Kyp could see Han's nervousness, and he knew
it was directed toward his family down the hillside. "Our side is winning, Han," the boy
reassured his friend. "Your family
is fine... I can feel it."
"That's good to know," Han replied, fingering his trusty
blaster. It felt good to have his gunrig
back after all these weeks without it.
He also felt decidedly better now that his sensor guide was back on his
belt, and he no longer required quite as much assistance to move around.
Chewie focused his keen vision on the incline. Something was moving among the rocks and
trees in the dark shadows of the night.
*Han, someone is coming.* The Wookiee lifted his night vision
scanners, and tuned in the area.
*Dathomirian warriors are coming this way.*
"What's he saying?" Kyp asked Han.
"Some local warriors are heading up here. Can you tell if
they're friendly?"
Unsure of his ability to tell the difference, Kyp reached out with
his senses, and instantly drew back from the cold darkness that encompassed his
soul. "Those are Nightsisters, Han. I'm sure of it."
"Then I'd have to guess they're not friendly," Han mused
thoughtfully. "How about we give
them a warm welcome, pal?"
*They might be prepared to defend themselves against blasters and
bowcasters.*
"True," Han agreed.
"But I was thinking something more sneaky."
***********
Mara's hair was plastered to her neck from the non-stop torrential
rain. Gripping Luke's hand, she used him
as her guide in this very other-worldly battle.
It had been hours, and everyone was growing weary. Then someone called to her mind, just like
Palpatine had called to her when she was a Hand.
Mara Jade, we need you!
Sister Mara Jade! You are one of
us. One of the strong. You are a sister of our heart... come to our
aid, Sister Mara Jade.
Shocked by the call, Jade opened her eyes, but instead of being
surrounded by the clan sisters, she could only see hundreds of red-robed
Imperial Guards standing in a circle, looking at the ground. She moved forward, craning to see what they
were staring at ... and felt horror. The
bloodied body of Palpatine lay in the center of the circle. His yellow eyes snapped opened, and he sat
up, pointing his bony finger at her. Mara
Jade, you failed me! You joined the
spawn of my enemy. Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor! Take your lightsaber and
cut them down! Cut my enemies down!
Almost without being aware of her actions, Mara reached down and
snatched Luke's lightsaber from his hand, swinging her own blade up to sever
Luke in two.
********
Reacting almost too late, Corran moved his own blade up, intersecting
what would have been a killing blow.
"Mara!" he yelled, trying to reach her, but her eyes were
vacant as she used her powers to swing at Corran. He parried her strike, then
spun out of range, waiting for her to continue.
Leia tossed her own saber at Luke, using the Force to push the
warriors standing nearby out of harm's way.
Quickly, the Jedi turned on the lightsaber, barely in time to
deflect Mara's slash. "Mara.... listen to me! The
Nightsisters are controlling you! You
have to listen to me!"
"You are my enemy," she said with no emotion. "You must die." Again, she raised her saber, drawing it down,
then across. Again, Luke deflected her
blow. So engrossed in
the battle, no one noticed Corran as he left the village.
She came at him, fast now. Striking down, across, up.
Her movements were graceful, but she didn't have the skill level to
match Luke. He could have ended it by
simply killing her, but he knew it wasn't possible. Not physically, but emotionally. Jedi Skywalker was not only in a battle with
Mara Jade, but with himself.
**********
The Nightsisters were halfway up the hill when blaster shots came flying out of the mouth of the cave. They'd seen blasters before when dealing with
the Imperials, and raised their hands to deflect the bolts. Only Han and Chewie hadn't been aiming to hit
the dark warriors - they'd been firing at the rock strewn slope directly below
the cave entrance. Huge boulders broke
apart into large rocks, then started rolling
downward. Each rock dislodged more
rocks, and soon an avalanche of rocks tumbled toward the Nightsisters. It was far too many rocks to deflect, and
their cries of outrage turned to screams of pain. Then silence.
"Han?" Kyp said softly.
"Yeah, kid?"
"Your idea worked."
The Corellian turned his face toward Kyp, grinning. "Hey!
Of course it worked... it's me!"
************
With the
"I think it is," Corran replied. "Release Mara. Now."
The haggard witch laughed. "Never. They
will all die. Come, breeder, submit to
our will. Return with us to our
village."
"Never," Corran answered, throwing her own word back at
her.
"Foolish male." She raised her
finger, throwing lightning at the man with her dark powers.
Corran tried to deflect the red bolts, and at first he succeeded,
until the other Nightsisters joined in.
Corran did a back flip, placing himself behind them, then
his saber sliced down vertically through the nearest witch: she screamed and
died. The five Nightsisters turned to
face him, loudly chanting - the flashes of lightning increased in speed, and finally
found their way past his blade, striking his torso repeatedly. Twisting, he tried to move away, but he was
outnumbered. The lightsaber flew from his fingers as he fell to the ground,
gasping in pain from the multiple burns.
He could hear the lightning continue to crackle, feel the agony from the
electricity coursing through his limbs.
Thrown off its rhythm, his heart began to flutter irregularly.
Gethzerion approached him, staring down in contempt. "You are but a male, and even a male
with powers cannot match a Nightsister. Too bad. You could
have made us a good breeder, but now you will die." She raised her hand just as Corran used his
last ounce of strength grab his lightsaber.
The orange blade blazed to life, and he drew his saber up and across.
He could see Gethzerion's mouth open in silent protest as her body
fell to the ground, no longer in one piece.
Corran felt his vision darken and start to fade.
***********
Mara stumbled to her knees, dropping her lightsaber. "Skywalker?" she gasped, her
temples pounding as the order to kill faded away.
She felt strong hands grab her shoulders. "Mara. Look at me," Luke ordered. "Are you alright?"
Her green eyes looked up, and she blinked. "I... I don't know what just
happened."
"CORRAN!" Teneniel Djo
screamed out in horror. "He's
hurt!" Her voice was shaking. "We must go find him."
Running out of the village, the warriors and off-worlders followed
Teneniel Djo as she rushed toward the fallen Corran Horn. With their leader dead, the few remaining
Nightsisters found their powers faltering.
They turned, trying to escape into the forest ... only to meet up with
waiting rancors. The sounds of roaring
beasts temporarily competed with high pitched cries. The screams soon faded away as the last of
the Nightsisters died.
By that time, Teneniel had reached Corran, and knelt beside him,
gently lifting his head. "Warrior
Corran... speak. Please....?"
His green eyes fluttered open, and he found himself staring up in
her concerned gray orbs. "Te.. neniel..." Weakly, he tried
to clutch her hand. "Go," he
said, then began coughing up blood.
"Go with Luke to Coruscant.
Become a Jedi.."
"You will come with me, and we both will be Jedi," she
replied, tears threatening to fall.
"You must not die." She
turned her head, calling out, "Damaya!
Hurry, he is hurt."
The older woman pushed her way through the crowd, kneeling across
from Teneniel. She put her fingers on
Corran's chest. "He is leaving this
existence. I cannot prevent it."
Luke moved to join those gathered at Corran's side. The Jedi reached out with the Force, wishing
he had the gift of healing. His mental
probe only confirmed what the warrior named Damaya had said - Corran was
dying. "Corran, try to use the
Force and put yourself into a healing trance.
We can get you onboard the Falcon, and hurry to Coruscant."
"I'm sorry, Luke, it's ...too late." He shut his eyes,
breathing in gasps. "I'm sorry...
for everything..."
And with those words, Corran Horn died.
************
Leia sat between her husband and Chewbacca, watching as Luke, Mara
and Teneniel Djo carried the body of Corran Horn aboard the Falcon as
they prepared to leave Dathomir.
Teneniel had been asked by Luke to come to Coruscant, and she had
quickly agreed, wanting nothing more than to honor Corran's last request.
"We have much to thank you for, Sister Leia
Organa-Solo," Mother Augwynne said.
"The Nightsisters are gone, and we will take care of the
off-worlders, both inside the Imperial prison and
those that the Nightsisters were keeping, until your people return for
them."
"That should be only a few days, Mother Augwynne," Leia
replied. "As far as your declining
birthrate, I have three suggestions. The
first is to allow off-worlders to settle on Dathomir. Eventually, off-worlder men will fall in love
and marry among your warriors. Another
choice would be to send your younger warriors out to other systems. In time, some of them will find spouses that
may agree to return and live on Dathomir.
Not everyone loves adventure and space travel. A lot of humans, male and female, like this
simpler type of life."
Leia hesitated, then continued, "You
could also send some of your native men to Coruscant to see if our doctors can
help them. Perhaps whatever illness
caused this to happen can be reversed." She then looked directly in the
older woman's eyes. "Whatever you
choose, you and other villages need to realize that men are not slaves. They must be allowed every freedom as the
native women. I realize it's a different
situation with your native men because they are not able to take care of
themselves, but once you start interacting with off-worlder men, you will need
to adjust your behavior."
She nodded in agreement. "The
"Thank you for everything, Mother Augwynne," Han
replied. "I don't think Kyp an' me would have made it through this alive without your
help."
"I am sorry Damaya was unable to cure your blindness, or save
Warrior Horn."
"Me, too," Han said with a weary sigh, then felt Leia
grip his fingers. "How about takin'
me home, sweetheart?"
Leia leaned forward and kissed him. "There's nothing I'd like better, Han
Solo."
*********
Coruscant
Teneniel Djo watched in awe as the Millennium Falcon swept
over the endless tall buildings that made up Coruscant. "Are there no trees here?" she
asked, her eyes wide.
Luke glanced over his shoulder at the Dathomir warrior. They had made a quick stop over Corellia,
sending Corran Horn's body into the system's primary. Corellia had been his birthplace, and now it
was his final resting place as well.
Although Teneniel was grieving for Corran, the Jedi could tell she was a
very emotionally strong woman, she'd truly make a wonderful Jedi. Leave it to Han to find an entire planet
filled with Force-sensitives, Luke thought in amusement. "There are trees, but only in special
parks," he told her. "The entire surface of the planet has been
covered up for generations with buildings."
"I am not certain I care for a planet with nothing but
buildings," she replied dubiously.
*Me, either,* Chewie woofed in agreement, thinking about his own
planet of Kashyyyk. It could be very
difficult for a Wookiee to live on Coruscant, away from the peace that only
trees could provide.
Sitting beside her, Mara laughed.
"Most people don't, Teneniel.
But the planet is too central, too heavily populated for everyone to
just leave."
"You won't have to spend the rest of your life here,"
Luke pointed out. "Once you become
a Jedi, you can either return to Dathomir, or travel the rest of the
galaxy."
The young woman nodded thoughtfully. Someday, she would return home, with a
husband that loved her like Han Solo loved his wife. The warriors of Dathomir would survive -
Teneniel Djo was now quite certain of that.
*********
Lando Calrissian met them at the landing dock, looking like his
usual immaculate, dapper self.
"Han!" he called out, approaching the departing group with a
limp as he leaned on his expensive cane.
"See what happens when you let a stranger kiss you? All sorts of bad things happen."
"I'll keep that in mind, Lando," Han said, grinning at
his friend.
"Besides which, now I have a nasty,
permanent scar on my leg, thanks to trying to rescue you."
"Trade your scar for my blindness," Han shot back
quickly.
"A nasty scar?" Kyp questioned
the gambler excitedly. "Cool. Can I see it?"
Lando coughed. "Sure,
kid. But not right now." Then he looked at Leia and Luke. "I have some bad news, Princess."
Leia grew still, thinking about her children. "My babies..?"
"No!" Lando said quickly, holding up his hands. "The kids are fine, just fine. I was talking about Massy Wennit,
actually."
"What about Wennit?" Luke asked.
"A judge agreed with Investigator Bauts, and threw out the
evidence we had against her," Calrissian said, stepping back as Chewie let
out a disbelieving roar. "Called it entrapment, so it can't be used in court. She's free and clear."
"Everything we just went through was all her fault, and she
gets away with it?" Leia snapped, her eyes narrowing in anger. "If I had to make a prediction, Chief
Bauts will probably end up with an interview on her stupid holo-show."
"Leia, a Jedi needs to remain calm," Luke informed his
sister, secretly agreeing with her assessment of the situation. People like Massy Wennit sometimes had too
much clout, simply because they were famous.
"Is he always spouting Jedi philosophy?" Mara
asked, to no one in particular.
Han laughed. "Always, Jade.
Get used to it."
Smiling, she looked up in Luke's gentle blue eyes. "I think I can, actually."
"It's amazing what a person can get used to, with the right
friends and a wonderful family surrounding you, Jade," Han added, feeling
Leia take his arm possessively, then pulling his face down and kissing
him. Maybe marriage was a tiny
bit like ownership after all, but when you found your soulmate, belonging to
that someone was a good feeling.
Han had a strong hunch it would only be a matter of time before
Mara, the former Empress, discovered this for herself.