Beyond - Legends Second To None--Sacrifices : L/M, TK/J, J/J, OCs: COMPLETE: 3/10/2013 with Fan Art

I want to smack Jacen on the head! Can I ?

 

Jedi_Lover, you really are doing splendidly with the plot and Jacen's dilemma is coming across splendidly. He at least is thinking to a certain extent. I too am a lover of history and SiouxFan's parallels are well-chosen. It's sad though; it's like everyone is in a winless situation and they have to make a pact with the Devil; when you do that, you never get what you think you've bargained for.

 

Geez, Lumiya's nearly got me convinced to pick up a black cloak and start munching on those Dark Side cookies everyone talks about. Hopefully Jacen will make the right decision. *crosses fingers hopefully*

 

@Book-Geek -Join the darkside; we have cookies. I don't know...if Kira made those cookies Mark would probably turn to the darkside.

@Jade_eyes - Jacen is in a bad place. In the profics he was so stoic we weren't exactly sure how loving their relationship was. I still don't understand his fall. I guess Vergere (who probably perished on the world ships in this story) did a number on Jacen. When I found out she was Sith I am like, "What?" It's like a mystery movie where they don't give you any clues as to the killer until it is revealed in the end. And then they give you this whole back story...but even knowing that you are like, "I didn't see that coming. There were no clues."

@hazel -Somebody beat you to that in my story already. That is in a coming chapter.

@SiouxFan- I don't know how Vectivus did it or if he really did it at all. In the profics I never could figure out when Lumiya was lying or not. We do have a scene where she talks to him. So he is haunting 'The Home'. I guess it would be like using dirty money to feed orphans. From what I read he was a very disciplined man. He just controlled himself. Look at Palpatine. He was able to control himself while in front of the Jedi and the public. Maybe Vectivus controlled himself all the time. I do know Jacen's options are limited...mainly by Tenel Ka. She should just go for it and announce her marriage and let the people deal with it. What are the royals going to do? Try to assassinate her?

@Briannakin - Jacen is an idiot in the novels. Hopefully he will not be so bad in this fic. I am toning his idiocy down quite a bit. lol!

Thanks everybody for reading and taking the time to review.
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Star System MZX3290S, Near Bimmiel

During the remainder of the day Lumiya taught Jacen how to cloak his Force signature as she promised. Jacen found it fairly simple once he knew what to do. Currently he had taken a break to look through Darth Vectivus’ library.

“Who taught you to cloak in the Force?” Jacen asked as he sat in a large leather chair near the gas fireplace.

Lumiya was sitting cross-legged on the carpet meditating. She didn’t bother to open her eyes when she answered. “I learned it from Palpatine.”

Jacen, who had been reading a book on Sith alchemy, looked up confused. “I thought you said you trained under Darth Vader and Mara trained under Palpatine.”

She opened one eye to look at him and then closed it. A slight smile crossed her lips. “You were too young to remember the destruction of Byss, but I am sure you heard the story about the Emperor Reborn.”

Jacen nodded his head, but then realized her eyes were still shut so he answered verbally. “Yes.”

“After Palpatine was shot and killed by the your Uncle Mark and his smuggler friends the Emperor’s soul was released and it tried to take over your Uncle. Palpatine almost overpowered him, but at the last minute your uncle grabbed a ysalamiri, forcing the Emperor away. The strike force then destroyed the other clones and blew up the planet leaving the Emperor’s soul wandering the galaxy looking for a new body.”

She now had Jacen’s full attention. “How do you know this?”

She opened her eyes and gave him an unpleasant smile. “Because the next body Palpatine entered was mine.”

Jacen grimaced. “Can you rephrase that? That sounds awful.”

Lumiya gave a soft chuckle. “You’re right, that does sound bad. He tried to possess my body.”

Jacen regarded her skeptically. “He can’t still be in you. My Uncle Luke said he encountered the Emperor’s spirit in the Eye of Palpatine years later.”

She gave a slight shrug. “The Emperor didn’t stay with me long. He was surprised by the amount of cybernetics I have. He was also uncomfortable occupying a female body and finally he found some of my memories…disturbing.”

Jacen screwed up his face in confusion. “Palpatine was a monster…what memories could you possibly have that would appall him?”

Her grin grew wider. “You do know your Uncle Luke and I had a relationship prior to me becoming one of the Emperor’s Hands.”

“I think my father mentioned that Uncle Luke knew you during the rebellion, but he didn’t get into details.” His brow shot up when he realized what she was saying. “You and Uncle Luke?” He laughed. “So, the Emperor didn’t like the memories of you and Uncle Luke slapping skin.” His laugher increased. “It’s too bad I can never tell my sister about this, she’d think it hilarious.”

“Yeah, well,” Lumiya gave a reminiscent smile as she gestured in a sad way. “As I said, your Aunt Mara got all the luck. Anyway, Palpatine left my body but his memories and his Sith knowledge remained.” She looked back up to Jacen. “Have you thought about my offer?”

He put the book down on a side table and leaned forward in his chair, arms resting on his knees. “I can’t kill the royals. Most are innocent…and I don’t know why you would suggest such a thing. You bring me here,” he motioned to Darth Vectivus’ home, “to show me I don’t have to turn evil to become a Master of the Unifying Force, but then you suggest I commit genocide. That is a big contradiction and it makes me question your motives.”

Lumiya took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I guess bad habits are hard to break. I saw you had a problem and I offered a solution…albeit an evil Sith solution.” She gave him a small, weary smile. “ You’re right this would firmly place you on the darkside. We don’t want that. We want a disinterested, neutral user of the Force.” She gave him an almost pleading look. “I was truthful when I said I have foreseen a dark force rising. Are you telling me you haven’t had visions of something dreadful in the future?”

Jacen lapsed into a thinking pause, unsure if he should be chatting with a Sith like she was an old friend. His head dropped and stared at the floor pensively. “I have,” he finally admitted. “I’ve see my daughter in danger…from what I can only describe as monsters.”

“Jacen, please consider my offer to train you.” Her voice was warm and sympathetic. “Even if you don’t want to become a Sith in name…at least learn more about the different aspects of the Force. Darth Vectivus has a huge collection of knowledge here. Avail yourself to it. I am not going to send you out on missions of evil. Just learn and be ready to fight. That is all I ask of you.” There was a sound of genuine despondency in her voice and Jacen could almost believe she was telling the truth…almost.

He gave her a suspicious look. “And what do you get out of it?”

She gave him a sad smile. “If you succeed in stopping the pending destructive force, perhaps I will get what your grandfather received…forgiveness and redemption.”

Jacen thought about it for a while. “I hate your idea of killing the royals, but I do like the idea of an antidote. If I promise to learn from Darth Vectivus’ library, will you give me the DNA and make arrangements for me to meet your geneticist acquaintance?”

She looked relieved. “Yes, of course.”

He sat back in his chair. “I would like to get back to my ship. I need to find out if my family is alright. I haven’t heard from them in days.”

Lumiya nodded as she stood. “I’ll take you back. I just need to get some things for my disguise.”

Jacen nodded solemnly as she left the room. He had great misgivings about the path he was about to take. But one fact remained—being a Jedi has not helped him protect his family. Something different needed to be done—and that might be learning the ways of the darkside.

He wasn’t convinced there was some horrible entity off in the future ready to destroy the galaxy, but if the knowledge he gained to help his family resulted in him possessing the skill to neutralize that threat…then better yet.

An anxious feeling started gnawing on his insides. If he did become a Master of the Unifying Force…then what would he actually become? A Jedi, Sith or something different?

He definitely needed to think about this some more.

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As Lumiya entered her bedchamber to retrieve her veil and hat, a voice off in the corner whispered. “Is he convinced?”

She jumped back startled. “Damn it Vectivus, you scared me,” she hissed angerly as she glared at the dark shadow of a man in the corner. “Stop lurking.”

There was a quiet chuckle. “I’m a phantom; all I can do is lurk.”

Lumiya went to make sure her bedroom door was closed before she spoke again. “Well don’t creep around in my bedroom.”

“Sorry,” the Dark Lord said sarcastically. “Did you convince him of his destiny?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. He likes reading your books. He does have a deep curiosity about the Force.”

“Still, if he is not fully convinced before he leaves you may be in danger.”

She sighed. “There is not much I can do about that… unless it’s something spectacularly evil, like kill him. But I don’t want that.” She turned to the dark shadow of a man. “Any suggestions?”

The dark figure snorted. “I saw he was wearing his Jedi cloak when he came in. The Jedi love their cloaks. They almost never go anywhere without them. During the time of the Old Republic it was quite an allure for the ladies who idolized the Jedi almost as much as holostars. They’d use their Jedi robes to attract the girls and then they’d pull the old ‘Jedi can have sex, but no marriage’ ruse.” He laughed. “That was quite a scam they had going.”

Lumiya rolled her eyes at his ramblings. “And your point is?”

“He probably wears that kriff’n cloak everywhere. Put a tracker on it. If he decides to come back with his friends to kill you, it will be nice to get a heads up. Do you have something that would work?”

“I was an Emperor’s Hand…of course I do.”

That got another chuckled out of the phantom. “Emperor’s Death Balls. He’s amusing. Of course, he’s not too bright—walking into a Sith’s lair—but he does have a sense of humor.”

Lumiya knelt down in front of a footlocker on the closet floor. She rummaged around until she found a small personal tracker that could be taped to the hem of Jacen’s cloak. “Why do men find ‘fresher-humor so funny?”

“Hey, I wasn’t the one bragging about having Palpatine inside of me.”

Lumiya stood in a huff. She grabbed her veil and hat and stalked to the door. “For that comment—no holonet for you tonight.”

“What? Oh, don’t be that way.” Lumiya did not respond but left Darth Vectivus alone in the room. He sighed. “No holonet? Really? Dark Lady of the Sith…more like Dark Lady likes to bitch a lot.” He was still grumbling as he slowly faded away.

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Lumiya returned Jacen to the planet Lorrd. She provided him with the DNA samples and the contact information for the former Imperial geneticist. In exchange Lumiya asked him to either return to study as he promised or, if he changed his mind, leave her in peace.

Jacen knew his Uncle Luke would not approve of him making a unilateral decision to ignore the whereabouts of a known Sith, but she had been running loose for years and there was no indication that she wasn’t exactly what she said she was…a reformed woman. Still, Jacen worried that he was being played by her, but how, he wasn’t sure.

As he walked to his ship he looked down at the vials in his hand. Whoever gave samples to Lumiya, might have given DNA to other assassins. If a vaccine could be made to prevent this type of attack…it definitely was worth talking to the geneticist.

Lumiya told him to meet a Doctor Mak Draco who worked at the Dormock Genetic Center on the planet Lavisar. The planet was in Imperial Space but the Alliance had a treaty with the Imperials and there was open movement across the borders. Theoretically Jacen could get in and out without causing much attention.

As he climbed into his stealth fighter he made a decisive decision. He was going to Lavisar.

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Chiss Space: Commander Jagged Fel’s Capital Ship the Star Destroyer Tenacious.

A young male ensign wearing an impeccably sharp Imperial grey officer’s uniform walked up to Commander Fel on the ship’s bridge. “Sir, Jedi Solo from the Galactic Alliance requests permission to come aboard.

Jag smiled. “Have Solo dock in bay sixteen. I will meet the Jedi in person.”

“Yes Sir,” the ensign said as he walked away.

Jag pulled down the hem of his uniform tunic, smoothing out any wrinkles. He knew this could turn out to be a very interesting encounter and he wanted to make a good impression.

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The Jedi Stealth fighter touched down in the Tenacious’ wide flight deck with a muffled thud. The canopy popped open and a pilot wearing a worn flightsuit removed their flight helmet revealing shoulder length brown hair. Jag smiled at Jaina Solo as he went up to greet her. “Thank you for coming, Jedi Solo.”

“I heard you had information for me for my ears only.” She smirked at Jag.

“Yes, why don’t you come to my quarters and I’ll debrief you.”

She gave him a furtive glance. “I bet you’ll debrief me.”

He gave her a disapproving frown before he offered her his hand and helped her down from the cockpit. He quickly released her grasp once she was firmly on deck. Jag looked around. There were not many of his men in the hanger, but he didn’t want tongues to start wagging. “Please follow me Jedi Solo.” Jag’s voice remained professional and cordial as he led Jaina back to his captain’s quarters.

Jag pressed a button and the door cycled open. “Please, after you.” He gestured for her to enter. As the door cycled closed behind them he grabbed her around her waist from behind. He brought his lips to her ear. “Did I ever tell you how sexy you look in an orange jumpsuit?”

She spun around in his arms and kissed him hungrily her hands exploring. After a few minutes of the amorous embrace she finally pulled back to talk. “Is there really some urgent message that I needed to hear, or was this all a ruse to ravish me?”

“I have a message…but can I still ravage you afterwards?” His voice was husky with desire.

She rolled her eyes and feigned annoyance. “Maybe. What’s the message?”

Jag pulled out of her arms and once again he was Commander Fel, Imperial Naval Officer. “A few days ago we captured an Old Republic warship crewed by Tof warriors. We wanted to find out where the captain acquired the ship so we interrogated him. He didn’t know anything other than he was given command of the ship shortly after his superior met with Lumiya…who I believe is still a Sith. I thought you and Master Skywalker would want to know she is apparently alive and well and working somewhere in Chiss Space.”

Jaina looked surprised. “I haven’t heard anything about her for years.” She looked up to Jag. “Thank you. I know my uncle will want to hear the news.”

“It’s my pleasure.” A slow sensual smile widened across his face. “I’d like to continue this debriefing.” He reached up and unzipped her flight suit. “You are wearing briefs, aren’t you?” He laughed as he leaned in for a lingering kiss.

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Planet Lavisar, Imperial Space

Jacen had exited his hyperspace jump and was slowly approaching the planet Lavisar when he finally received the message he had been waiting for. Tenel Ka was calling him. It had been days since she last contacted him and he was worried sick.

“Queen mother. How are you and the Princess?” He asked anxiously and having difficulty keeping the conversation formal.

“We were attacked going to safe house one. We are now on the Dragon Queen.” There was a slight hesitation before she continued. “The Princess was injured. She is in a bacta cylinder and is expected to make a full recovery.”

Jacen felt his stomach clench in anger and fear. “What happened?”

“We were ambushed during our approach to the safe house. Allana was shot in the side before I killed the assailant.”

He felt nauseous at the thought that somebody would come after his four-year-old daughter. “Do you think it was your grandmother again?”

“No,” Tenel Ka said slowly. “Police reports show the attacker I killed is a member of one of the other royal houses. The first attack within the Palace, though, I am fairly sure was my grandmother’s doing.”

Jacen squeezed the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Where are you going now?”

“I am staying on the Dragon Queen. It will be harder for assassins to get to us here. I have my special tactical group with me and my father and men loyal to him are coming to act as auxiliary guards. I trust my father implicitly. ”

“As do I,” Jacen nodded his head. “I’m glad he will be there to comfort you and Allana. It there any possibility I could come and assist?”

Tenel Ka hesitated. She was obviously weighing her words carefully. If they were being monitored she did not wish to say the wrong thing. “I would not mind another Jedi to aid in our protection. I will make an official request for your service.”

Jacen drew in a calming breath and let it out. “Thank you, Queen Mother.”

“I will contact you as soon as the arrangements are made. Out.” The connection was abruptly lost.

Jacen took in a few deep breaths and tried to calm his racing pulse. His heart broke at the thought of his little girl floating in a bacta tank. A miserable feeling of bitter hopelessness started tugging at his soul. He felt like something snap deep within him and he was left with a nightmarish certainty. His family would die if something was not done.

“This is kriffed up!” Jacen swore as he made his approach to the planet.

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Chiss Space: Commander Jagged Fel’s Capital Ship the Star Destroyer Tenacious.

Jaina woke up sometime later in Jag’s bed, his arm draped over her hip and naked chest pressed against her back. She slowly rolled over so she could face him. Jag’s eyes fluttered open and an exhausted smile spread across his features. “You are an amazing woman.”

She brought a hand up to caress his face. “And you are a wonderful man.”

He brought his hands up so they could grasp hers while giving her an earnest look. “Stay Jaina. Marry me.”

She stared at him speechless for a moment. She pulled away from him and rolled on her back, her eyes gazing at the ceiling. “I would love to Jag, but I’m a Jedi. I can’t abandon everything I worked for to become an Imperial citizen.” She gave him a pleading look. “Come to the Alliance. I know you could get a command of an Alliance Star Destroyer.

The smile fell from Jag’s face. “Jaina, if my decision only affected me, I would in a heartbeat. I would walk away from the Empire, the Chiss, everything…just to be with you. But a decision to leave Imperial service and defect to the Alliance would bring great dishonor to my family and possibly their exile from the Ascendancy. They could lose their home, their employment, their wealth and their position within society.”

Jaina sighed sadly. “No, I can’t make you do that.”

Jag paused for a moment before continuing. “Jaina, I think Grand Admiral Pellaeon is going to make a move against the Moffs. There has been grumblings from them about the treaty. Most Moffs are heavily invested in the weapons industry and peace is not good for business.”

Her eyebrows rose slightly. “Is he going to declare himself Emperor?”

“No, not exactly.” Jag could feel an uncharacteristic blush forming on his face. “He’s grooming me for that position.”

Jaina looked at him blankly before she was able to mutter “What?”

Jag stifled a smile. It was not often that he caught Jaina totally off guard. “He’s getting on in years and he wants a person in the position who’s not easily bribed or intimidated—a person who isn’t seeped deep in bureaucracy and corruption. He thinks my Chiss upbringing makes me the perfect candidate. Also most Imperials want to solidify their pact with the Chiss and Admiral Pellaeon thinks this is the best way to do so.”

Jaina ran her hands through her hair as she tried to absorb the information. Finally she gave a caustic laugh.

“What?” Jag asked puzzled.

A wide grin spread across her face. “Can you imagine my father’s reaction if I told him I was going to marry the Emperor of the Imperial Remnant.”

“I thought you said he liked me? Anyway, we have a treaty. We’re no longer enemies.” He pulled her into his arms. “Jaina you can start your own Jedi Academy within the Empire—men and women sworn to defend the rights of the people. They can be guardians to prevent another Palpatine.”

She laughed. “A Jedi Academy for Imperials.”

He gave her an earnest look. “Yes, we can call them Imperial Knights. They’d be Jedi, but different.” He slid in closer to her. “ We could give them awe inspiring armored uniforms.”

“And with pleather pants and a black cape.” Jaina laughed.

Jag frowned, disappointed with her reaction. “I am serious, Jaina.”

She stopped laughing and sighed. “I know. Where would we get candidates for your Academy? I am sure Uncle Luke wouldn’t be happy if we stole Jedi away from him.”

Jag shrugged. “We wouldn’t have to. I’m sure there are thousands of Force sensitive people within the Empire.” He leaned in to kiss her neck. “Or we can make our own Imperial Knights.”

“Oh, you would like that.”

He smiled broadly. “You know I would.” He kissed her and then leaned back smiling. “Jaina just think about my offer—especially the marrying part.”

A sad smile formed. “I’m sorry that I can’t say yes. I want to marry you, but we need to work out all the details first.”

He nodded sadly. “I more than understand.” He gave a sad smile, his face filled with love. “Do I have time to debrief you again?”

She laughed. “Yes, Commander Fel.”

 

Oh, I am sure Mark would join the Dark Side in a second if the cookies were made by Kira. I want some of Kira's goodies too!

I love Darth Vectivus. He is so funny! "I'm a phantom. All I can do is lurk."

Poor Jacen. He's got a lot of hard decisions to make that affect not only him.

 

I'm sorry, It is very hard to take the Jacen-going-to-the-dark-side plot seriously with all the dirty jokes. It does make it more interesting though.

Oh, I see Jacen is now not the only one with marriage problems. I hope Jaina and Jag get things sorted out. In the mean time I'm glad Anakin is alive to be the only Solo child without forbidden relationship woes.

Great chapter. It was so long, I can't comment on all the specifics.

Also, you may want to fix up your language before a mod sees it.

 

That word is allowed if used as a verb...which it is. And I always said I don't write serious stories.

 

Okay Jaina first: if the Jedi serve the Force first and the government second, does it really matter where a Jedi learns? Is it possible to 'steal' something that doesn't belong to anyone? And why can't she be an Imperial citizen? Paelleon's Empire is not the Empire of old, and I would argue that it is in better shape than the Republic. Jaina is implying that it is not possible to be a 'guardian of peace and justice' and be Imperial. Seems pretty narrow-minded, you ask me.

Vectivus' take on the cloaks is pretty funny. I had the line from The Incredibles jump into my head: No Capes!

As to Jacen: You've established that Vectivus was able to use 'dark-side' abilities without being dark, and that Lumiya is NOT really trying to get him to become 'dark', so why is everyone worried? Have we been so corrupted by LotF that we are unable to separate that Jacen from this one? If Vectivus could pull it off, there is nothing to indicate that Jacen will not also be able to do this; I would argue that Jacen is better able to think this ability through more clearly than anyone else. If this were Anakin, and others had threatened Tahiri and their kids, we would merely think that Anakin was using 'the Force as a tool' argument. Why do we not afford that to Jacen?

 

Great story, keep on the good work

 

I think Jaina was a little shook up by all that was said. First she was given a proposal for marriage and then she finds out her potential husband might become the next Emperor. That is a little overwhelming for a person to take in. She can become an Imperial Citizen. But the Imperials are not part of the Alliance. They simply have a treaty and that could quickly be broken. So if she becomes an Imperial and then the treaty falls apart she might find herself on the other side of a war from her friends and family. Right now she is a Jedi and she can operate as such within the GA. She has missions and works on the behalf of the GA. She can't go into Imperial space and act as a Jedi. She knows that would end. Jag knows that also and that is why he said if he became Emperor she could start her own order within the Imperial Remnant. He knows she identifies herself as a Jedi and would not be happy being just a pilot or some other job. If you notice Jaina doesn't outright disregard his suggestions, but she knows they need to think this out fully. I never saw Jaina as someone who was impulsive. In that respect she is more like her mother. As for her being narrow minded...well less than 50 years prior the Empire destroyed her mother's planet and the Imperial Remnant and the NR and later the GA fought skrimishes. This treaty had only been around for the last decade or so. With all the evil her family has seen coming out of the Empire...can you blame her if she finds the notion of Imperials fighting for peace and Justice odd...especially Force sensitive Imperials. Imperial Force-users in the past were used exclusively for evil (Mara being somewhat of an exception).

It is true that the Jedi are not obligated to work for the GA or the Jedi Order. The term steal is not used literally. They are not going to kidnap people. A good metaphor would be a business. Let's say a woman worked in a very unique company in Germany. She trained and finally became a vice president of the company. She goes to Russia where she falls in love with another businessman. He can't leave his country because of social and political reasons, so he asks her to stay. She may be in love, but she knows she is going to have to leave her job. So he tells her she could create her own version of the business in his country. Now that would be a daunting task for one person. It would be natural for her to think that maybe she could do it, but she may need a few people from her old company to help her set up and train new people. The CEO of her old company knows that his workers are allowed to quit and move, but, let me tell you...companies don't like it when their workers are headhunted by other organizations. In Jaina's case, I don't think Luke would be too upset with Jaina, but he would know that there was a chance that the Jedi and the Imperial Knights might end up on opposite sides of a political fight. The only reason I put that in was Jaina and Jag do marry in the professional novels and Jag does become Emperor later on. In the Legacy Comics we do see Imperial Knights working under Emperor Roan Fel (He's probably the grandson of Jaina and Jag)...and the Imperial Knights are not friends with the Jedi.

I don't know if it was ever established if Lumiya was telling Jacen the truth in the profics about Vectivus. In this fic I am giving them the benefit of the doubt. I really was confused by Lumiya's motives and actions in the professional novels. Sometimes I thought she really wasn't evil and then she'd go off an do something really horrific. I know my story is AU but I'd like to see the characters act like they would in the profics. The exception is in Second to None and The Journal of Mark Tantiss, the Vong war was averted prior to the first Vong attack. Therefore Jacen is not captured and corrupted by Vergere and Anakin lives. In addition, Luke was not captured by the Emperor Reborn and the Emperor was killed on Byss.

Now is part of the story that if you didn't read those two fics you would be confused a little. I had thought...wouldn't it be funny if Palpatine's body floated around and went into Lumiya's body and upon leaving he felt another Force strong presence...but he was sensing Callista aboard the Eye of Palpatine. By the time he figured out his mistake he was too weak to leave the battle station. It was something I threw in as a joke in Second to None...I thought it would be funny if Callista was stuck with the Emperor's soul inside the computers also. I never expecting to write a sequel or Mark's Journal. So now I am sort of stuck with my own weird canon that I have to work around.

Thanks for your well thought out review. I wish I put that much thought into my writing.

 

I love Darth Vectivus . How much of him is canon and how much did you come up with?

Jaina/Jag - they're fun too. I love their relationship.

Jacen - i still want to smack some sense into him, but i feel sorry for him also. He's in an impossible position.

 

True, but what better way to try to keep the alliance from falling apart? It is what they did in medieval Europe, after all. (And what George RR Martin does in 'Ice and Fire'.) And why can't she 'go into Imperial Space and act as a Jedi? Does the Jedi mandate end at the border? I ask not to nitpick, but to give us all something to think about as we read this story. (Ask Origami Fish over on FF.N about my wordy reviews) Furthermore, what better way for the two of them (Jag & Jaina) to prove to the galaxy that Imperial space is NOT what it was. If Jaina Solo thinks that the Empire has changed enough to join, than it might not be all that bad.

I have to confess, your vision of Jaina is MUCH different than mine: I view Jaina to be more like her father; ALWAYS impulsive.

No, I know that you didn't mean literally steal; but it IS going to come up. Other people ARE going to think that being an Imperial AND being a Jedi are mutually exclusive. Again, this is a perfect opportunity for Jaina to prove to everyone that change is inevitable and that nationality does not define 'peace and justice'. This is a fantastic opportunity to heal old wounds and help build a better tomorrow.

 

He is pretty much all mine. He does appear in Betrayal. He confronts Jedi Knight Nelani Dinn and basically tells her to scram before she gets killed. At the end of Betrayal I am not sure if he is admonishing Lumiya or praising her when he tells her that she could have prevented war and Jacen is going to hate her when he realizes she tricked him. I didn't see much in the books to indicate that he was evil.

In my mind I am picturing an old soul that is bored to tears in 'The Home'. He pretends that he doesn't like Lumiya, but in reality he is thrilled she is there to talk to him. Supposedly the Sith do not go back into the flow of the Force but are forever doomed to be wandering spirits or if they are really unlucky they are cast to a place called Chaos or The Void...is it a place within the Netherworld of the Force. It was a version of Hell where Sith would become wandering, disembodied spirits residing in perpetual madness. I would like to think Darth Vectivus was able to avoid his fate because he was not evil. Perhaps he is in a form of purgatory. He cannot go into the flow of the Force, but he is not damned. I think in the FOTJ books when Luke sees Jacen at the Lake of Apparitions the defeated Sith mentions he is damned.

When you read up on Lumiya, it seems that she really thought something bad was on the horizon and a strong leader would be needed to save the galaxy. In my story Lumiya tries to convince Jacen he needs to become a Sith leader. Since Jacen doesn't seem to interested in becoming a dictator she has shifted her approach and is trying to get him to at least train to become a Master of the Unifying Force.

Thanks for reading!

I barely passed European history at the Academy and I never read Ice and Fire, so I am not sure how to respond. You may have to give me a history lesson.

I would think so unless they are asked in to help. They are almost like a police force. If I was an Imperial leader I would not like Jedi on Jedi business in my area without permission. For example, a US police officer can go into Mexico on vacation, but he has no jurisdiction. He can stop a crime in progress, but he would turn it over to the local authorities. He definitely shouldn't go into another country to pursue a criminal without telling the local authorities or you can cause an international incident.

People would have different takes on that. If she married Jag most people will simply think she is joining to be with her husband. I really don't think there is a cold war going on between the two governments, but often good fences make good neighbors. The Empire isn't ready in this story to become part of the Alliance.

You are probably right. I think maybe the word I wanted to use is disciplined. She trained for months with the sole purpose of killing her brother in the profics. If she has time to think, I believe she will take that time. In combat she can be over confident and make decisions by the seat of her pants, but she doesn't have time to think in those situations.

True, but it is canon that they do end up mutually exclusive. Of course in the comics the Empire takes back the galaxy and the Jedi are on the run. I like the idea of Emperor Fel and the Imperial Knights, but I don't like the notion that the Empire must subjugate the galaxy. If I keep them separate, then I can have the best of both worlds. Force users who are guardians of peace and justice working in both realms. Maybe in the future they will unite, but Jaina going over to the Imperial side is not going to sway governments to unify. Not with the Moff being jerks as always.

I enjoy these conversations. I learn a lot and it makes me think. I just want to make sure you know my writing style always borders on quirky. I just cannot write serious fanfiction. I like humor and lots of mush in my fics. I also like to take canon and throw things out that I don't like and rewrite it. The profics were way to dark and serious for my taste.

Anyway, I think that is why I am not an overly popular fanfic writer like some of the pure humor or a pure angst writers. I make things up as I go along and a serious reader often gets turned off my the stupid jokes and the readers who like humor get turned off by the angst. But I can't seem to change my style. So what am I to do?

 

I agree that Jaina and Jag are NOT going to change the overall feeling` between the Empire and the Alliance, but it WOULD be a start. Back to my medieval European example, the Kings and Queens of various nations married their kids off to their allies as a way of ensuring that the two countries would have to think twice about attacking each other because they would be fighting their family. I'm not suggesting that the Jag asked Jaina merely for a political alliance, but they could USE their marriage as such. The Empire would not be a part of the Alliance, but they could cooperate more with it. Think of it as a NATO-type arrangement, if you wish. Just because profic has kept the two entities at odds, doesn't mean you have to. Paelleon is an honorable man and I would like to think that SOME of that has rubbed off on the Moffs. Also, since Jag is being groomed as the replacement, he can also continue to change the Empire for the better. I have the same view of Hapes: the Queen Mother, together with Jacen if she ever decides to stop being dumb, can make Hapes better.

In your stories, Jaina didn't have the Vong War, nor did she train with the Mandalorians, so that is why I assumed that she still be her more...impulsive...self.

I totally agree that LotF was overly dark, (for obvious reasons, I only skimmed FotJ) and I enjoy your writing style, quirky jokes and all.

As an aside, I think most people probably cringe at my reviews. My take is that if you spent all that time to write a chapter, the least I can do is write an in-depth review. Do let me know if you think that I am driving everyone bonkers! To me, the 'why' people do what they do matters as much as the 'what'.

 

Yeah, you are right. Without the Vong war hardening her she might be more impulsive. I guess that's good because she was pretty irritated and impulsive in the opening chapter.

Nobody cringes at your reviews (at least they haven't said anything to me...and believe me when I get weird reviews some of my readers PM me and say, "What was that about?!" So far, nobody has expressed any problem with our discussions. I used to have LONG discussions with the infamous Thrawn McEwok. He was the master of conversation. When it came to a battle of wits between me and him...I was hopelessly out gunned. LOL! But I enjoyed the conversations and he was the reason I started fanfic writing.

Another good thing about your reviews is it gives me a chance to explain things to the people who haven't read my HUGE previous fanfics that this fic is based on.

Thanks for reading and reviewing!

 

Thanks Book-Geek, Briannakin, Chimpo_the_Sith, Hazel and SiouxFan for reading and taking the time to review. This is a shorter chapter. I don't want the post to be overwhelming.

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Planet Lavisar: Dormock Genetic Center

Jacen set his ship down in a public docking bay and immediately wished he had hired a nondescript shuttle to travel in. His StealthX fighter was much too unique to not attract attention. The star-stippled pattern on its matte-black fiberplast body made it hard to see in space, but it was very noticeable when parked between a broken down passenger shuttle and a light freighter that looked like it should have been decommissioned thirty years ago. Already there were more than a few pilots taking notice of his ship.

He did take the precaution to not look like a Jedi. He wore the non-descript street clothing he had on when he travelled to Lorrd, but he removed his ever-present Jedi robe in exchange for a common jacket. Hopefully he could blend in with the locals.

He didn’t want anybody finding out he met with the genetisict who once worked for Palpatine, but he was woefully unprepared for this undertaking. He realized he couldn’t hide his ship from the security holocams, but he could try to disguise his face. He rummaged through the small pilot cargo compartment inside the cockpit and pulled out a wide brim hat and some sunglasses he had used during a mission to Tatooine.

He put them on and climbed out of his fighter, making sure it was secured and locked down. He could see his reflection in the transparisteel of the shuttle next to him and grimaced. He looked like a holostar making a pathetic attempt at maintaining anonymity. He sighed, realizing there was nothing he could do about it now. He would hide his movements the best he could using a Jedi technique called Force-Flash. It was the ability to use the Force to temporarily disable security holocams. It would cause a brief period of static and allow Jacen to move unseen and unrecorded.

He traveled to the Genetic Center via an air taxi. When he arrived he went up to the receptionist and reluctantly removed his hat and shades and hoped the static from the Force-Flash technique wouldn’t make security guards too suspicious if it lasted more than a minute or two. Luckily the building was a civilian medical center and therefore was not as secure as a government building.

He gave the receptionist a warm, disarming smile and told her what Lumiya instructed him to say earlier. “I am here to see Doctor Mak Draco. I’m the doctor’s cousin, Jarod.”

She gave Jacen a genuine smile as she talked into small comlink device attached to her ear.

“The doctor said he will see you,” she said after a moment. “His office is down at the end of the hall on the right.”

“Thank you.”

Jacen walked to the end of the hall and into huge laboratory. Off to the side was an office; the name on the door said Dr. Mak Draco. Jacen walked into the office and found an old man in this late sixties or seventies staring intently at a datapad.

“Doctor Draco,” Jacen said as he extended his hand. “I’m… Jarod…your cousin.”

The man chuckled at the charade. “Why of course, it’s been a while Jarod.” He motioned to a chair. “Close the door and please sit down.”

Jacen secured the door and then took the seat across from the doctor’s desk. The old man looked at Jacen studying his features intently and the Jedi could sense a faint flicker of recognition in his eyes. Jacen realized the man might know his face. He wasn’t as well known as his mother and father, but he did appear on the HoloNet occasionally. He quickly used the Force to pull the man’s attention away from his features. The doctor made a small shrug of his shoulders, obviously deciding he didn’t know Jacen after all.

The doctor shifted in his seat uneasily. “Lumiya said to expect you, but she didn’t expand as to what you wanted done.”

“I was told you worked with Nanoviruses.”

The old man’s eyebrows shot up unable to hide his anxiety. He pushed a button on his desk and the transparisteel walls of his office suddenly went opaque concealing them from anybody outside. “Stang! I knew owing Lumiya a favor would someday bite me in the butt.” His eyes narrowed. “Nanoviruses are costly, dangerous, and highly illegal.” He paused. “I’m not saying I won’t do it, but you must know what you are getting into.”

“I don’t want a nanovirus exactly. I ah…I don’t think what I want is illegal. ” Jacen hesitated; he wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted. “Well, to be honest, I have reason to believe an enemy plans on killing two…friends of mine with a nanovirus. I’d like to find out if it is possible to create a vaccine to prevent them from being harmed.”

The geneticist’s shoulders relaxed. “A vaccine.” His brow furrowed in thought. “If I knew what the virus was, I could make a vaccine.”

Jacen’s shoulders slumped. “That’s the problem. As far as I know the virus hasn’t been created yet, but it would most likely be a DNA specific attack. Using your vast experience could you use the DNA of the people I want to save to figure out how a nanovirus would most likely be created and design a vaccine to counter it?”

Doctor Draco sat back in his chair, eyes unblinking. “It’s possible to make an educated guess, but that’s all it would be…a guess.” He leaned forward and gave Jacen a slight deprecating smile. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just kill their enemy?”

Jacen lowered his head. “It wouldn't be easy at all; the person is extremely well protected.”

“How about using a nanovirus against them?”

Jacen shook his head. “Even if I wanted to, I don’t have her DNA, although she is a relative to the people I want to protect.”

“So, it’s a female relative to the two people whose DNA you are providing. Depending on the relationship, I may be able to do that.”

Jacen looked up sharply. “How?”

“Is the target a close relative of the two people you wish to save?”

“She is the paternal grandmother to one and great grandmother to the other.”

The doctor nodded. “Paternal…so there is not a direct female line, therefore mitochondrial DNA won’t help.” The doctor paused in thought. “If we can locate a specific genetic variation in single-nucleotide polymorphisms within cellular DNA of the two people you wish saved, then a nanovirus could theoretically be developed to attack only those people with that particular genomic sequence. I can then create a vaccine for those people you wish to spare.” The doctor gave Jacen a steady gaze. “Would this be something you would be interested in?”

Jacen hesitated and took a shuddering breath. He was considering taking the first step in murdering Ta’a Chume. Once he set on this path he would have crossed a line no Jedi would or should ever cross. Assassination was not the way of the Jedi…unfortunately it was the way of the Hapans. “It would only kill somebody with the exact type of DNA markers?” he asked , feeling sick to his stomach while doing so.

The doctor nodded. “With the exact single-nucleotide polymorphism, yes. If the target has siblings, sons or daughters…they may be susceptible, but normally there is enough dilution of genetic markers to keep a nanovirus within a close nit family.”

Jacen did a quick calculation in his head. Ta’a Chume’s siblings were dead …so he didn’t have to worry about them. Ta’a Chume had her oldest son murdered, leaving only her younger son, Prince Isolder. Jacen didn’t want Tenel Ka’s farther hurt. Perhaps he could find a way to keep him out of danger.

‘What am I thinking,’ Jacen felt cold inside. He wanted his mother-in-law out of his life more than anything, but this was wrong.

The doctor saw his hesitation. “Do you want time to think about this?”

Jacen closed his eyes and thought about the dozen assassinations attempts in the last few years. He remembered the slow painful death Tenel Ka’s mother suffered, the amputation of that poor body-double’s arm, and now his daughter was seriously injured and submerged in a bacta tank. Tenel Ka didn’t believe it was all the doing of her Grandmother, but Jacen wasn’t convinced. The bottom line was killing Ta’a Chume would remove the biggest threat to his family and the galaxy would be better place without her.

“How much would that cost?” Jacen asked not believing what he was saying. He tried to reach out with the Force for guidance, but the Force was silent.

“One million credits, untraceable and I have to emphasis untraceable…this cannot be tracked back to me,” the doctor's voice took on a threatening tone. “You must assure this. I don’t want to be executed before I can spend my credits.”

Jacen’s took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He knew Lumiya was getting a million credits from the person soliciting the hit, but if she didn’t want to part with the money he knew of dozens of secret bank accounts Tenel Ka had scattered around the galaxy. It was emergency funds in case she needed to flee danger. Each account contained millions of untraceable credits… and Jacen had full access. “It won’t be traced back to you. I can get you half now and half when the product is done.”

The geneticist nodded. “That’ll be fine.”

“Good, how long will it take to develop such a weapon?” Jacen asked.

“A couple weeks.”

Jacen blood drained from the Jedi’s face as he said the fateful words that would forever change his life. “Do it.”

 

Eeek! Jace, this doesn't sound good. We shall see how this goes....

 

Oh Jacen, Jacen, Jacen . That was the first step...

 

JACEN!!! Think longer than that you dummy!

 

Wow, Jedi_Lover! Excellent but gut-wrenching post.

 

I caught up to this current update you wrote and I have to say...WOW! Things are definitely getting crazier; Jag's proposal to Jaina to marry him and the idea of making their own order Force sensitive knights. Jacen's frustation at Tenel Ka's grandmother and the danger to his daughter. Plus the decision he made in killing Ta'a Chume. Crazy.

I always visioned Jacen after NJO to be someone who wouldn't turn dark or evil as he did in profic, but more of as someone who walked down that line neither fully good nor fully evil, 'shades of gray' so to speak. To me I feel Kyle Katarn kind of walked down that line as well during his early Jedi years.

 

Thanks smash128, Jade_eyes, Briannakin, Hazel and Book-Geek for reading. I appeciate your support! Thanks for taking the time to review.

~JL~
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Coruscant

Jacen returned to Coruscant feeling ill and with a sinking sensation that he had just backed himself into a bad emotional and spiritual corner. He was a Jedi. He had killed before in combat and against people who were trying to murder him at the time, but he never planned a person’s death. He was always taught to encourage the enemy to surrender before hostilities broke out.

He wasn’t allowing Ta’a Chume to surrender. What he was considering was the cold, calculating premeditated murder of an old woman…albeit an evil piece of skidcrud that more than deserved to die. Still, it didn’t sit right with him and people were starting to notice his unease.

His brother Anakin gave him an odd look when they met and asked if Jacen was alright. His mother and father also gave him worried looks . The guilt he was carrying was tearing him up inside.

He realized he had changed and not for the better. It was only a matter of time before the Grand Master started asking questions…questions he definitely did not want to answer. He decided it was time to start practicing his Force stealth. He didn’t want his family to see what evil was festering in his heart.

He sat meditating in his temple quarters, concentrating on making himself small in the Force and hoped he was able to cloak his intentions. When he thought he was ready for a real-world test of his abilities he walked out of his living quarters and down to the Temple lobby filled with dozens of Jedi. He clamped down on his Force signature until he knew he was no longer perceptible within the Force. He was reassured when he walked through a crowded hallway full of Jedi students without as much as a glance. He suspected the intense currents of the Force swirling in and around the Jedi students made it difficult to detect if anybody was missing their Force signature. He supposed it would be analogous to having a room full of people all wearing perfume, but one. It would be nearly impossible to tell who wasn’t carrying a scent.

A small smile of relief crossed his face as he realized he may not be caught; maybe everything would turn out alright after all. He crossed the main lobby of the building and traveled down a near vacant hallway. He walked around a corner and nearly collided with his Aunt Mara. He was so focused on cloaking himself that he wasn’t paying attention to what was going on around him.

“Sorry Aunt Mara,” Jacen said quickly and intensified his Force-stealth. He couldn’t drop the cloak now; seeing a family member made him extremely nervous and a horrendous feeling of guilt surged through him causing his stomach to clench tightly.

His aunt smiled. “No problem,” she moved aside to allow him to pass, but then her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I can’t feel you in the Force.”

Jacen swallowed hard then steeled himself to make his voice sound casual. “Yes it is a skill I am trying to perfect. I learned it a couple years ago during my travels.”

She stared at him for a moment with no trace of emotion. She searched his face quizzically and he knew he had just fallen under his aunt’s radar. Her expression softened for a moment, but her eyes remained alert. “You should show Uncle Luke how you do that. It could be an aid to your fellow Jedi.”

His shoulders relaxed a little, but he kept the cloaking firmly in place. He forced himself to smile. “I will.” He pointed down the hall. “Sorry, I am late for a meeting.”

She gave him a long level look before she nodded. “I guess I’ll see you later.”

“Yes,” Jacen said as he hastened down the hall. He hoped to get back to his room before he ran into anybody else, but he was never that lucky. Coming up the hall was his cousin Ben.

“Hey Jacen,” Ben said with a broad smile which slipped off his face when he noticed something was off with his cousin. Ben frowned. “Are you carrying a ysalamiri?” Ben hesitated, “No that can’t be right…I can still feel the Force.” He cocked his head to the side and gave him a curious look. “How are doing that so perfectly? I’ve seen Force shielding but nothing like this.”

Jacen was sure his cousin could hear his heart beating it was thumping so strongly in his chest. “I just perfected the technique. I learned it from the Jensaarai during my travels.”

“That’s amazing. Will you teach me?”

Jacen nodded. “I will, but I have to be somewhere now. I am late for a meeting.” He moved past his cousin and walked swiftly down the hall.

He finally made it back to his room and once inside he leaned heavily against the door. Lumiya was wrong. This technique couldn’t protect him. It just made people more suspicious and wondering why he was hiding in the Force. He was sure his uncle would easily see past his deception. He needed to contact her. She gave him her contact information and he had a heavily encrypted Subspace transceiver he used to contact his wife. He needed to talk to her now.
.
.
.

“It doesn’t work, I tell you!” Jacen said through clenched teeth. He was glaring at the veiled holo image of Lumiya over his transceiver. He didn’t know why she insisted on hiding her face when their conversation, if unencrypted, would be damning in itself.

“It does work.” Lumiya insisted. “You’re panicking and anybody can see the terror in your face. You don’t need the Force to see that. Even my cleaning droid could perceive you are hiding something.” She stared at him accusingly. “Why are you acting like this? Did you tell somebody about me?”

Jacen shook his head. “No, why would I?”

She gave him a cold stare. “Jacen, what have you done? You weren’t this jumpy when you left Lorrd and I doubt simply meeting with me is enough to cause the nervousness I see etched on your face.”

He averted his eyes. “I did something I shouldn’t have.” His teeth nervously chewed his lower lip before he continued. “I ordered a nanovirus to kill Ta’a Chume.”

Lumiya gave him a bewildered smile. “Is that all? You should get a medal for that.”

He glared at her. “Is that all? I’m a Jedi! We don’t plan assassinations.”

She gave a derisive shrug of her shoulders. “But you did. So let’s get back to business. You are now in need of my services and I am in the need of yours.”

His brow furrowed in confusion. “How so?”

She cocked her head to the side and he could see a glint of amusement in her eyes. “Are you planning on delivering the virus to the Hapan Palace yourself?”

Jacen’s face dropped. He hadn’t planned that far ahead. “No, I was hoping you would do it for me. You were given paperwork and visas to get onto the planet incognito, weren’t you?”

“Yes, I was. And it would make sense for me to deliver the virus,” she said. “We don’t want suspicion focused on you. But, if I do help you, you can’t back out on our agreement.”

He shook his head. “I don’t think I can fool my Uncle Luke. He will see through the cloak. I barely got past my Aunt’s scrutiny.”

“I’ll tell you what, Jacen. If I can walk into the Jedi Temple and prove to you your uncle can’t see through this technique will you stop running scared?”

He bristled at the suggestion that he was scared, but he knew deep down she was right. He was going against every moral code he was ever taught by his family and the Jedi and he was afraid of what he might become. “If you get caught here it will be the end of your plan for redemption and preparing me to save the galaxy.”

“If that’s the will of the Force, so be it.” She gave him a stern look. “I’ll end up in a prison for the remainder of my short life and the Jedi will probably give you a slap on the wrist for talking to me and if they ever find out about the plot against Ta’a Chume…well I am pretty sure they’ll understand. Your uncle is married to a former assassin, after all. He’ll forgive just about anything.”

Jacen stared at her image for a long pause. He almost wanted to be caught—to end this before it started. He wished Ta’a Chume dead, but he didn’t want her blood on his hands. He cursed himself for his indecision. He knew exactly what he needed to do to save his family, but he was lacking the intestinal fortitude to make the hard choices. He sighed with an air of resignation. “When can you be here?”

“It’ll take me a few days.”

He nodded. “Let me know when you get on planet, out.” He switched off the transceiver before he could change his mind.

Now, all he could do was continue waiting. He waited for Tenel Ka to request his presence on her ship, he waited for the geneticist to finish his work and now he waited for Lumiya’s arrival. He hated waiting…especially when he had an overwhelming sense of doom closing in on him.

He had a bad feeling about this.

 

Can I just say that I REALLY want Lumiya and Jacen to get caught, even though they probably won't.

 

Oh, I want to see Shira meeting Luke again)))

 

Jacen should definitely listen to that feeling, but then this would be a very short story.