Beyond Sithbane: Detente' (AU; Mara[/Luke], Callista, OCs)

A/N: This is the latest piece in an AU where Valin Horn married Lyska Skywalker, Luke's daughter by Callista, while the Jedi Order and the Galactic Alliance Guard face the thread of One Sith much sooner than in canon ... at a high cost.

Previous stories include The Dreshdae Incident: http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/31708953/p1/

Filling Holes: http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/31845214/p1/

And The Night Watch: http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/31765503/p1/

DISCLAIMER: LFL's are LFL's. Marvel's are Marvel's. OCs are their own. This is a work of fiction. No money is being made off of this. Please don't sue.

---------------------------------------
31.7 ABY: Central Jedi Praxeum, Ossus,
Auril Sector, Outer Rim Territories:
---------------------------------------

One of Mara Jade-Skywalker's earliest memories was a sharp, clear lesson imparted by no less than Emperor Palpatine himself.

"You are getting better at hitting and breaking things, child. But the real challenge is in talking - building. Crafting and shaping. In that is the true art of leaving a legacy," the ancient Sith Lord had rasped after one of Mara's first lightsaber training drills.

As much as Mara detested crediting her former mentor with any wisdom, the past two days had proven his lesson.

Valin didn't talk enough. And now we're left to pick up the pieces, Mara considered, shaking her head faintly as she watched Cilghal and Tekli prepare to remove Lyska Skywalker-Horn, Mara's stepdaughter, from a bacta tank.

Two days earlier, the 18-year-old had safely been hidden away at Rostek Horn's estate on Corellia, the equivalent of eight and a half months pregnant with her firstborn child. Lyska had been accelerating her pregnancy with the Force, albeit carefully, to try and throw off the attentions of a Sith sect who'd attempted to kidnap her shortly after her wedding to Valin Horn.

Valin, for his part, had been plotting an attack against the Sith on Korriban - reportedly led by a fallen member of the old Jedi Order, A'Sharad Hett, now calling himself Darth Krayt. With a group of Jedi Sentinels, Valin had attacked Krayt's fortress at the Valley of the Dark Lords, and had even done some damage, according to early reports from Jedi investigators.

Unfortunately, Valin had gotten himself killed, and the Force backlash had nearly killed Lyska. Only Jacen's commandeering of his Galactic Alliance Guard flagship, Shadowbane, from its post over Thule to Corellia had gotten Tekli to Lyska's side in time to save the younger woman's life.

That had been the most normal part of the whole affair. To save Lyska's unborn son - Luke's first grandchild - Tekli and Jacen's chief medical officer, a Ho'din named Ultoq, had induced labor and placed the infant in a modified Spaarti cylinder. Jon Skywalker-Horn had emerged a day later, physically (and for the most part, mentally) 5 standard years of age.

Except that the cylinder also uploaded basic Galactic Alliance Defense Force training into the kid's subconscious. He's a very polite 5-year-old ... with basic weapon skills and military protocol, Mara remembered, shaking her head.

Jon was waiting outside with Callista; Luke was back at his and Mara's quarters, watching over their children, Ben, Hope and the baby, Coric. Corran and Mirax were taking the afternoon to spend with Jysella, while the Solos were rallying their far-flung children to come to Lyska's side. Jacen, however, couldn't make it - he was still undergoing a grilling on Centax-2 for pulling the Shadowbane away from the Thule blockade, but he was expected in time for Valin's funeral.

So I chose to be here so Lyska would have someone to see when she got out of bacta. Mara Jade-Skywalker, sympathetic stepmom. Not quite the role I'd imagined I'd ever be in ... at least not when I was working for Palpatine, Mara reflected, waiting until Lyska had changed into a fresh hospital gown to approach the younger woman.

The life-support tubes