The Path of Dreams

Book II: Into the Shadows

The hooded man turned and pulled the hilt of his lightsaber off his hip and ignited the crimson blade. Luke stared at the blade and pulled his and with a snap-hiss he faced the figure. He still couldn’t see the shadowy face which had haunted his dreams for nearly three years. This was the first time the Grand Master actually faced him in a combat pose.

“Who are you?” Luke heard himself ask as the tall figure in the black robes circled him.

The figure didn’t answer; instead he undid the clasp and allowed the robe to slide off his body.

Luke stared at the hideously Vonduun crab armored figure, the mask completely obscuring the face, and repeated his question, “Who are you?”

“Search your feelings and you will know…”


~Chapter 16~

Tenth Month, 43 ABY

Coronet Convention Center, Coronet, Corellia

Jaina was nervous and no amount of Jedi tricks was going to solve the problem. She was just happy that she didn’t show her feelings in her expression which she kept as impassive as possible. She also shielded her emotions from both her fiancé and her mother, but she knew she wasn’t fooling them as she tried to not watch the line of guests as they entered the convention center and took their seats after greeting the father of the bride. Zekk had barely spoken to her that morning and she knew the reason why—he sensed her uneasiness even through her shields.

Of course, he was jumping to the wrong conclusions. Since they had come to Corellia eight months ago, following their defection, things hadn’t been the same with them. Zekk confronted her concerning her shock at hearing about Jagged Fel’s promotion; he didn’t believe that what he sensed through their bond had been just surprise and then happiness for Jagged. She had pointed out that now that they were also part of the rebellion, Jagged Fel was a boon to their cause as Grand Admiral of the Imperial Remnant. Nevertheless, he wasn’t convinced and over the past months he had become moody every time someone brought the subject of Admiral Jagged Fel. They had avoided actually meeting the defacto commander of the Confederation Forces, because he had been forced to stay on Bastion for the past months getting his government underway. They had met with his second in command, Masen Krieg, but hadn’t met the Admiral himself.

However, that didn’t explain why she was so nervous at the very real possibility of meeting him here. She knew that he was back on Corellia and that he’d be here; he was family of the bride after all. She looked around again as the hundred or so wedding guests found their seats. Her heart felt both heavy with disappointment and fluttered with gladness at the same time at not seeing him. She again wondered what she would say to the man she nearly married over a decade ago. The same man who she had tried to kill, and who had tried to kill her in another war that her brother hurried along, if he hadn’t caused it altogether.

Her father, who was sitting beside her to her left, looked at her and grinned lopsidedly and said, “So, you getting any ideas?”

Smiling, she replied, “About what, Dad?”

“Oh, you know, wedding ideas.” With a half scowl on his face, Han glanced at Zekk, who was talking with the Corellian colonel sitting beside him. Jaina knew her father didn’t exactly dislike Zekk, but he didn’t actually like him either, Han tolerated Zekk at best. When Han found out that they had taken to living together, he nearly hit the roof. “Call me old fashioned, but I don’t particularly care for or understand your waiting. ”

Jaina rolled her eyes and then countered impatiently, glad that Zekk was oblivious of their conversation, “Now isn’t the time or the place to be discussing this.”

“I see no reason not to.” The Corellian general said, and then made a show of looking around the room. He turned back to Jaina, and she dreaded the twinkle in her father’s eyes. “In fact, I think now is the perfect time to discuss this.” Jaina narrowed her eyes and glared at him as he went on, “Let’s face it, these are the exact same people we’d invite to your wedding under the circumstances. And if you really had your hearts set on a Jedi union ceremony, I’m sure your mom would be more than happy to perform it. Or even Valin or Jessi, they are both Jedi.” Then Han raised a brow as he added, “Unless, you really don’t want it to happen.”

Jaina was so surprised that she didn’t know what to say at first, “Dad, what are you getting at?” Though, Jaina didn’t really need an answer, and then she sensed Zekk’s interest in the conversation too. Oh, great!

Han looked past Jaina to the man sitting on her other side. “I think you both know what I’m aiming at.”

Before either Zekk or she had a chance to respond the clamor of the settling guests seized. Jaina brought her attention to the front of the simply appointed convention hall where Admiral Jagged Fel stepped up to the center of the low dais. He was dressed in the spotless white dress uniform of an Imperial Grand Admiral. The blue and red insignia shone bright against the stark brilliance of the jacket. The gold trimming glowed in the light. He was tall, poised, and he was quite a handsome and formable epiphany of a leader, suddenly Jaina couldn’t breathe.

She couldn’t draw her eyes from him to even look at her friend as he moved from the side of the dais to take his place before the leader of the Imperial Forces. Unexpectedly, Jaina realized Jag was going to perform the actual ceremony. She watched as the ghost of a smile, which plagued her mind with its good nature and wry sense of humor, touched Jag’s lips as he spoke quietly to the groom. Then suddenly the green eyes that had haunted her dreams for a decade found hers and instantly he lost the smile. His eyes became hard as stone and Jaina could do nothing but swallow.

You still are attracted to him, she heard in her head, and she immediately dreaded what would come as she felt Zekk’s jealousy. She hadn’t even realized she let her shielding slip.

~

Valin met the eyes of the man who would perform the ceremony which would legally bind him and Syal. He had met the brilliant strategist and charismatic leader of the Confederate Forces just a week ago. He had to say that he rather liked the man who would become his cousin-in-law within minutes. Syal had been the one to ask Jag if he’d perform the service and, to the surprise to everyone in the Antilles family, he agreed.
However, Valin couldn’t help but get the feeling the Grand Admiral was doing it for political reasons as much as for feelings of family togetherness. The reunion of Jedi Knight Valin Horn and Commander Syal Antilles had taken, not only the Corellian media by storm, but that of the entire Confederation. Even now outside the Coronet Convention Center, hundreds of Corellian, Kuat, Bothan, Imperial and several other planets’ HoloNet reporters were gathering, just hoping to get a chance to record the bride and groom.

Valin and Syal had a hard time accepting the fact that their romance had become fodder for the media, and they both knew that by asking Jag to perform the vows would only incite more frenzy. By the leader of the Imperial Remnant officiating the vows would, not only show Jag’s acceptance of what the GA media were calling criminals and renegade Jedi, but also his willingness to accept one of them into his own family. Even with this as a secret goal, Jag and Wedge had forbidden any reporters to be allowed into the hall itself, for which Valin was glad. For the rather humble Jedi, he didn’t like being under the media’s merciless microscope, but somehow he had the feeling he should get use to it.

Valin could feel Syal’s nervousness and he caught sight of Wedge pacing by the outer door as he waited for his wife, daughters and their good friend to come out of the small room they were getting ready in. He smiled at the memory of him and Syal announcing their engagement to the Antilles. They were more than happy, and Wedge had immediately taken Valin under his wing. He now held the rank of lieutenant and severed on Wedge’s staff of advisors. A position Valin wasn’t exactly comfortable with, but he understood that Wedge held every confidence in him as a Jedi. He looked out over the collection of wedding guests and sighed. Aside from the few family and friends gathered, Valin really didn’t know many of those in attendance, and he knew Syal didn’t ether. They were political guests and nothing more. Corellian Head of State, Dur Gejjen and several other government officials were there and many military who weren’t needed on the front. Even newly elected Bothan First Secretary, Traest Kre’fey, was present.

However, as he took another calming breath, his mind fluttered to the people who weren’t there—his parents, his sister, and numerous personal and family friends such as the Skywalkers and the Celchus. Iella Antilles did arrange for a private holographer to record the ceremony though. She said that if the Horns couldn’t be present in body, she would make sure they got the chance to see the ceremony regardless. Valin didn’t even want to know how she would smuggle the vidchip to Coruscant, but he was certain the Corellian Intel Director had her ways.

He nervously pulled on the heavy jacket of his blue dress uniform, and really wished he had worn his Jedi robes, but he was as much a part of the military of Corellia as he was a Jedi now. Then his attention was brought back to the doorway and he instantly held his breath. The Corellian Wedding March began playing over the sound system and the Antilles sisters’ best friend Jedi Knight Jessi Chivel stepped through the doorway. She smiled at her friend as she moved forward and Valin felt her send him calmness through the Force. She was dressed in the black dress uniform of a TIE fighter pilot since she was assigned to the Imperial Second Fleet. As Jessi stepped up onto the dais to stand beside him, Myri Antilles moved forward. She was dressed in the dark green dress uniform of the Corellian Security Department, and he was glad that her short blond hair was its normal color. She had teased him that she was going to die it green, something he wasn’t too sure he would put past her from doing. Suddenly, he hoped Syal’s sense of equality didn’t translate in her wearing her uniform as well.

He smiled at his younger friend as Myri came to stand across from Valin on the dais, but then the collective intake of air by the crowd snapped his attention to the entry again. And he had his breath completely taken away. With her arm through her father’s, Syal Antilles stepped through the door. She was dressed in a pale green traditional Corellian wedding gown and her medium length blond hair was done in a sweeping up-do of curls. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and his heart sang with overwhelming joy that they would finally be together.

~~~

Vincent, Krylon

Jysella couldn’t help but be impatient since she really had no idea what she was doing in the spaceport, feeling very much like a third wheel. The Outer Rim planet of Krylon, which was in the same sector as Yavin, didn’t prove to be as much a desolate rock as she had figured it would be. Though the planet was listed as agricultural, it sported a diverse population that probably rivaled Coruscant in the number of different species living in the same area. Everyone had to live in the small areas that comprised of the four cities, because the plains were too dangerous to inhabit.

The planet was reclaimed after the Yuuzhan Vong left the once lush fertile grasslands and low purple hills covered with their strange and sometimes malevolent creatures. However instead of the planet returning to the peaceful farming of mostly a plains-dwelling human population that it was known for prior to the war, the reclaimed world became a home to nearly a million displaced beings of several species crammed into cities that could not grow fast enough to keep up with the influx of beings. It was this diverse and, occasionally, volatile mix that prompted the government to ask Luke to station at least one Jedi on the planet at all times. It was no wonder Jaden Korr and his non-Jedi lawyer wife couldn’t wait to get back to Coruscant, because within the first few weeks after arriving, she and Tahiri Veila had settled at least a hundred-fourteen disputes. Since then they’ve settled thousands.

They had arrived eight months ago after she was knighted in a very anticlimactic ceremony after she passed her trials. She couldn’t help feeling that Luke Skywalker would have knighted her regardless of whether she had passed them or not, because he wanted her as far away from Ben as he could get her.

She remembered the extremely chilly trip to Ossus all too well. She knew she wouldn’t have fooled the Jedi Masters for long with her note and she had decided not to even try to lie any further to them, but she wouldn’t bring it up either. They had spent over half the trip in complete silence, until Mara couldn’t hold her tongue any longer.

“What did you think you were doing?” the fiery red-headed Master seethed as she openly glared at Jysella. “He’s only sixteen, for Force sake!”

Jysella didn’t let the woman that she looked up to as a mentor and as a close friend intimidate her. She held her ground as she calmly replied, “I will not lie to you. Ben and I did spend the night together. But I do not regret it and you are not going to make me feel that I should. He loves me and I him. Someday we will be together and neither you nor my parents will be able to stop that.”

Mara turned away, and she could feel the older woman’s disapproval and disappointment. Finally after several moments, she turned back and more calmly said, “Someday, Jysella, someday, your parents and Luke and I would welcome the union of you and Ben, but right now he is too young and far too impressionable. And you are old enough to understand this.”

Luke, who up until now sat by the table in the common area of Jade Shadow with his hands folded together and looking rather thoughtful, turned and Jysella swallowed at the intensity of his blue eyes. Calmly he said, “Jysella, Mara is correct. You may think of Ben as an adult and he may even treat you as one would, but it still doesn’t change the fact that he is, in so many ways, still a child; a very misguided one at that. This was exactly the reason we don’t want you together. We were afraid something like this would happen.”

Jys wanted to scream at the Jedi Masters that the only ones who thought of Ben as a child was them, but she held her tongue. Luke didn’t say anything else, maybe he sensed her disagreement or maybe he just wanted her to think about what he said.

The rest of the trip was spent in the same strained silence that the first half had been, and Jysella wondered if Luke and Mara would ever truly accept her for their son. That thought hurt her as much as the realization that her and Mara’s relationship was shattered.

Tahiri’s voice brought her out of her reverie, and she watched the old modified Skipray Blastboat land on the landing pad it had been assigned to. “Come on, Jys.” The words were evenly spoken, but she could still hear the excitement behind them.

They watched as the hatch opened and Jys could feel the utter joy the older Knight projected. She was happy for her friend. Tahiri had always had a special place in her father’s heart, and after Tahiri found her way again after the Swarm War, he had secretly wished that the pretty blond could have stolen Valin’s heart. Although the Horns were more than happy with Valin’s eventual choice for a life partner, they wished Tahiri could find happiness as well. Little did anyone know that Tahiri’s broken heart and the pain, which she still felt over the death of her first love, had been slowly healed by the most unusual source. She could feel a lot of sympathy for Tahiri, because even the thought of having to live life without Ben took her breath and made her chest ache. She truly wondered how Tahiri, with all that had befallen her throughout her live, not only survived, but learned to love again.

Tahiri and the Jedi, trotting down the ramp from the landing pad, first partnered on a mission to Nar Shaddaa about a year before the current mess. They discovered that they worked well together and were paired on several missions after that. Then came the failed attempt by Tahiri’s team on Corellia to kidnap Thrackan Sal-Solo. The tall, blond, brown eyed Jedi had been the first chosen by Tahiri for the mission. No one realized that somewhere along the year prior they had fallen in love.

“Doran!” Tahiri screeched and ran into his arms. Jys couldn’t help but smile. Tahiri barely came to mid-chest on the man who towered over many; he literary had to bend to place a tender kiss on her lips.

“Tahiri, I’ve missed you,” Jys heard Doran Tainer quietly say into blond Tahiri’s curls.

She turned her face up to his and smiled, “You don’t say. I was beginning to think I was financing a third Death Star with my personal comlink bill.”

He gave her a sheepish look and said, “I was beginning to think I was too. Force, Tahiri, eight flippin’ months is a long time.” He said something else and Tahiri whispered back a reply, both of which Jysella couldn’t catch and she didn’t want to. She really was beginning to feel uncomfortable especially when they joined in another more passionate kiss.

Finally, Tahiri moved from her lover’s arms and Doran held out his hand which Jys took in greeting. “Well, if it isn’t Val Horn’s little sister.” He flashed her one of his wide grins and went on to say, “And I must say, you have defiantly turned out lovelier than him.”

Then before Jys could blush and withdraw her hand he dramatically bent and kissed the back of it as if they were royalty on some backward world somewhere.

Tahiri just rolled her eyes and lightly punched him on his upper arm. “Will you please stop that?”

Doran turned a mocking hurt expression on Tahiri. “But my daddy always told me to be chivalrous around the ladies.”

“Chivalrous, yes. A pain in the backside, no.” Jys could see the twinkle in Tahiri’s eyes and she realized she had never seen it there before. “Besides, the only chivalrous thing I remember your father ever doing in the years that I knew him is ask Danni Quee what he could blow up next.” It actually took Jys a moment to realize Tahiri was making reference to a mission during the Vong war in which the very young Tahiri and Doran’s father, Kell Tainer, were part of.

Doran laughed and said, “I’m surprised that he even asked.”

After Doran secured his ship, they picked up an airtax to take them back to the three story building that served as the Jedi’s home and work space. Once settled in the sitting room of the apartment the women shared, Doran pulled out a package and handed it to Tahiri.

She looked at the plain packaging of the low square box and smiled quizzically at Doran, “What is it? I’m afraid to open it.”

He laughed and shrugged. “I may look dumb, but after the last time I’ve learned my lesson.”

Caught up in the amazing change in Tahiri, Jys grinned and asked, “What happened?”

The older Jedi looked at her and smugly replied, “Mr. Tainer learned the hard way not to give me booby trapped gifts.”

Doran shook his head and elaborated when Jys gave them a questioning expression, “I gave her an exploding present. When she opened the outer wrapping, it exploded and showered her with thousands of pieces of flimsy confetti.” He laughed and went on as he looked at Tahiri, “It was worth the beating I got for my trouble just to see your expression after you realized they all said ‘I love you’ on them in every language you know.”

“Oh, that’s sweet,” Jys all but gushed in schoolgirl fashion.

Tahiri smiled at him and side, “Yeah, I suppose it was, but I didn’t realize what the confetti slips said until after I—”

He raised an eyebrow and concluded, “Beat me up?”

“Tahiri beat you up? But how?” Jys was genuinely curious.

“Hand to hand,” Tahiri piped in. “Seems the big lug forgot I’ve been fighting since I was a toddler. I used some of my Tusken training on him mixed with some Yuuzhan Vong moves and before he could say ‘no fair’, I had him on his back in three minutes flat.”

He leaned over and kissed her temple and said, “Of course, you made up for the beating afterward.”

Tahiri blushed, and they all laughed while Tahiri opened the package, albeit cautiously. She lifted the square pastry from the box and bent to smell it. Then she gasped and looked up at Doran and quietly asked, “Is this what I think it is?”

He smiled and said, “I was on Tatooine and picked it up. I remembered you telling me about how much you missed hubba gourd despite how hard it is to eat. I found this at a market in Mos Epsa before I left and thought you’d like it.”

Tahiri smiled and leaned over and placed a quick kiss on his cheek, “Thank you. This was really thoughtful of you. I haven’t had hubba gourd pie in years.”

They moved out to the table and Jys brought them each a plate and a cup of blue milk. Tahiri insisted upon sharing the traditional Tatooine desert, which she claimed one could only properly experience the natural spiciness of the fruit with a glass of blue milk to wash it down. Jys had to admit the flaky crust and course grainy filling was not bad at all.

Soon Doran began to tell them about the latest news of the galaxy and gossip of their fellow Jedi.

“I hear that Kyp Durron has been seeing an slightly older Jedi Knight and the story is that they are pretty serious,” Doran said between bites of the pie.

“Seriously?” Tahiri snickered.

“Yeah,” Doran wiped his month on his napkin. “I was surprised too. Seems that he may have been seeing her for a while.”

“I’m not that surprised.” The older Jedi both turned to Jys and she smiled and shrugged. “I’ve known Kyp well for a long time. He really does have a heart of gold. In fact, I wanted him to be my Master.”

Doran chuckled, “I bet that went over well with your dad.”

She grinned, “Like a durocrete balloon. But seriously, Kyp is a good man and deserves to be happy.” Then she paused and finally she asked, “So, who is it? Anyone we know?”

“Alex Winger,” Doran announced.

Tahiri said, “You’re kidding. Didn’t she date Master Skywalker at one time?”

Jys didn’t know the name and asked at the same time as Tahiri spoke, “Who’s that?”

Doran raised his brow and said to Tahiri first, “Why would I kid about that. And to answer you, Jys, Alex is a Jedi much like my mom, who never went to the Academy and basically trained herself. Just over a half a year ago Mom ran into her somewhere in the Corporate Sector and she told her that the Council asked if she could come to Coruscant.” His smile became mischievous, “Apparently, she and Durron met on Denon. I heard it told that she slapped him after some snide comment he said following a misunderstanding and before she realized he was Jedi Master Kyp Durron. He requested that her apology be to have dinner with him, and I suppose the rest is history,” he concluded with a chuckle.

Tahiri couldn’t fight the giggles that shook her, “It seems Kyp has that problem with the women who are really attracted to him. Jaina Solo did that too.”

Jys smiled and quietly said, “Kyp really loved Jaina. I’m glad that he finally let her go.”

Both older Jedi turned and just stared at her. Suddenly, she realized she had said the thought aloud. She quickly wanted to change the subject. After she gulped down a drink of the milk, she said, “Doran, have you heard anything about Valin?”

Doran let the prior subject drop and smiled, “Nothing that you probably haven’t heard. He and Syal are set to get married. Today I think. Well, if you go by standard date. I don’t know what time it is on Corellia right now.”

Jys nodded and looked down at her pie. She had heard the reports about the wedding of renegade Jedi Valin Horn and Syal Antilles for weeks now. She was sorry to see the romance of her brother and older friend dragged through the media as if they had done something wrong by falling in love.

Tahiri sensing Jysella’s thoughts, said, “I’m happy for Valin. I may not agree with him, Jaina and Zekk, or Jessi for that matter, but I’m happy for my old friend.”

Jys swallowed and looked up at Tahiri, “I am happy for Valin too. I just wish we could…”

Suddenly she was overwhelmed with emotion. She felt the hot sting of tears and knew she couldn’t fight them off. Not this time. She stood quickly and said, “I’m sorry, but I have to—have to—go.” Then she ran into her room, leaving Doran staring after her and Tahiri with her head hung low.

Once inside her small room she lied down on the narrow bed, and let herself admit the real reason she was crying. She missed Ben. She hadn’t got a message from him in over a week which concerned her, but she would often feel his touch, despite the distance between them. She would let him envelope her with his love and she would reach out with hers. She often felt his desperation and his almost greedy need to feel her presence.
She closed her eyes and wiped her tears and reached out with her awareness. She was overwhelmed at first by the hum of the Force around her, but soon she was reaching out over the vast distance of time and space to where she hoped to find the one who had stolen her heart.

What Jysella found caused her to recoil and withdraw. Instead of feeling Ben’s warmth, she felt nothing but a cold void. Ben was hiding but only barely and worse he was boiling with a raw rage.

“Ben, no!” she whispered and tears started anew. Because she knew he had just broken his promise to her. He touched the Dark Side.