The Path of Dreams

~Chapter 3~

Jedi Temple, Coruscant

Ben, not wanting to leave Jysella’s company, decided to take the extra thirty minutes and walked her to the Jedi Temple. At the main entrance, Jysella turned and looked up at her younger friend. “Ben, promise me two things.”

Ben looked around the portico of the Temple and was glad that it was unusually empty of beings. Smiling he met her gaze and simply asked, “What?”

Her bright jade eyes seemed to swallow him as she said, “Promise me that you’ll not use your anger and other negative feelings when again and that you will tell Jacen about your dream.”

Ben flashed her a lopsided grin and impulsively reached out and tugged on her left braid. “I promise.”

Jys wasn’t convinced and he knew it by the furrow in her brow. “Promise on your heart.”

He snickered at her use of the old oath they had used as children. Laying his hand on his heart, he grinned as he swore, “I promise on my heart.”

She finally smiled and Ben felt his breath catch. Her eyes danced and he thought she was the most beautiful girl in the galaxy as she said, “Good. I’ll hold you to it.”

He continued to gaze into her eyes and she seemed as mesmerized as he was. She had always had a special place in the young boy’s heart, but over the past few years Jysella Horn occupied a large portion of Ben’s heart and dreams: day and night. He loved her. It was as simple as that.

Ben knew Jysella considered him too young for her, but he didn’t think the same way. She wasn’t that much older than him, not five or ten. From the research that he had done on his grandparents, he figured that Padmé Amidala was at least five years older than Anakin Skywalker, which didn’t stop them from being married and that was before Ben’s father changed the rules and allowed the Jedi to marry.

Finally, Jysella broke the spell they were both under and quietly said, “You had better be going.”

Ben swallowed and nodded absently. “Yeah, I better, or Jace will be mad.”

However, instead of moving away, Ben reached up and brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek, which brought a blush to her perfect face. Still gazing at each other, Ben felt his heart pound as he realized just how much he wanted to kiss her. Just once, just one kiss. He wanted to feel her lips on his. He wanted to show her that he wasn’t a kid that, despite his age, he was a man. He wanted to dream of her, not of dreadful sand dunes in a place that he’d never been, nor a terrifying krayt dragon.

He leaned in and he watched as Jys’s eyes seemed to grow larger. He sensed her spike of fear and uncertainty, just as he had before his comlink so rudely interrupted him, but more than that he felt her desire for the same thing. He contacted the petal-soft lips and as he began to brush them with more pressure, she turned her head causing him to kiss the corner of her mouth and cheek instead.

He pulled away disappointed and tried to met Jysella’s eyes, but she wouldn’t look at him. “Why did you do that, Jys? You have to know what I feel for you.”

She turned her suddenly moist eyes to him and whispered, “Yes, but I can’t. Don’t you understand this, Ben?”

He swallowed, turned away from her and huffed, “I understand that you think I’m still a kid who doesn’t know what he wants.”

She tried to touch his arm. “Ben, I’m sorry, but....”

“No, I’m sorry, Jysella. I may not be the great empathic Jedi that you are, but I possess enough of that talent to know what you feel. You want it as much as I do. I....”

Suddenly, he froze and just gazed into her deep, vibrant eyes. He wanted to tell her that he loved her but he didn’t want to tell her this way. Frustrated, he turned away and spat instead, “I have to go. I’ll see you around,” and with that Ben took off on a jog down the marble stairs, away from the Temple he never entered much these days.

~~~

GAG Headquarters, Coruscant

As Ben moved through the familiar corridors of the base of operations for the GAG, he absently acknowledged the greetings he received, his mind still on Jysella. In a sour mood by the time, he reached the commander’s office. He stepped up to the door and reached out to hit the buzzer when it slid open. Sighing, he entered. He could sense Jacen’s displeasure.

Jacen finished typing into a datapad before looking up and meeting Ben’s eyes. “Where have you been? You were ordered to return immediately, Sergeant Skywalker.”

Ben straightened to attention and glance over at Shevu, who stood before the simple desk in the austere office. “I’m sorry, Sirs. I walked a friend back to the Jedi Temple.”

“Walked? Why didn’t you take an airtaxi?” Shevu asked somewhat amused. Then he added, “Let me guess. The friend was that pretty little Jedi we’ve seen around here with you?”

Ben couldn’t help the blush or the flood of relief that poured over him. Shevu would save him from Jacen’s lecture on the meaning of timeliness. He averted his eyes and quietly replied, “Yes, it was Jys. She came to see how I was doing and then I walked her to the Temple, there we had a fight.”

Shevu laughed and slapped the scowling Ben on the shoulder. “Welcome to the whims of what the poets call the fairer sex, my young friend. One minute, they are worrying themselves into fits of tears over us, and the next, they would end our lives with their own bare hands for the most mundane of reasons.”

Ben continued to sulk as he mumbled his response, “Yeah, tell me about it.”

Jacen tented his fingers before him and he peered thoughtfully at Ben over them. “You seem extremely upset for this to be just an argument, Ben.”

Ben looked from his friend to his cousin and master, and said, “Well, that’s because it was more than an argument. I kissed her…or at least I tried to.”

“You what?” Lon smirked. “Skywalker, you are way too smooth.”

Ben looked over at Lon and glared. “Well, she doesn’t seem to think so. She reminded me again that I’m just a kid.”

Before Shevu had the chance to reply, Jacen interrupted. “Major, will you excuse us, please. I will call you when we are ready.”

Lon smiled again at Ben and then said to Jacen, “Sure, Colonel.” Then he patted Ben on the shoulder, grinned, and winked before leaving.

Once the door was closed again, Jacen gestured to one of the chairs before his desk. “Ben, sit.”

Ben readily complied and then Jacen said over the tented fingers again, “Ben, you have to understand that Jysella is older than you. She may not feel the same for you as you obviously do her.”

Ben stood up and turned away from his Master, then he turned back and angrily replied, “You’re wrong! I know Jys has feelings for me more than friendship. And she’s only two and a half kriffin’ years older than me! What’s the big deal? Our grandmother was at least five years older than Grandfather, and that didn’t matter to them. Or how about your mom and dad—there’s what? Eleven years between them?”

Jacen maintained his infuriating calm as he replied, “True, but they were still older than you are right now when they became couples.”

Ben spun away and let out a breath as he looked at the ceiling, then more calmly said, “I know, but I love her, Jace, and I know she feels the same for me. I love her so much it hurts. She haunts my dreams and I know I will never love anyone else.”

He then turned his sad, intense blue eyes to his friend and confidante. “Jace, I know that I want to marry her someday. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. Have you ever felt that way for someone? Have you ever loved someone so much that you would do anything for that person?”

~

The man that had been Jacen Solo nearly gasped at the sudden, sharp pain that speared his heart at Ben’s innocent questions. There was no way for his apprentice to know about the woman who filled his dreams and fantasies, because he had long ago erased those memories from the boy’s mind. The man that was now Darth Troddeln took a deep breath and remembered the reason why he had to do the unthinkable nearly two years before.

He had gone to Hapes knowing what he had to do. The Prophesy of the Tassels foretold it: He will immortalize his love. He had hoped that he wouldn’t have to take the lives of the most precious people in his universe, but he knew he had to if he wanted to achieve the true power of the Sith. Power that would enable him to do what no other had been able to before: bring total order and lasting peace to the galaxy.

It was late at night when he masked his presence and entered the palace where the only woman he had ever loved resided with their secret daughter, Allana. The palace security had been intensified after a botched assassination attempt by a group of Corellian extremists and the N’Korish, but Jacen used the Force and easily found his way to the Queen’s Chambers. He knew that when he killed Tenel Ka, Queen Mother of Hapes, the backlash would most likely be the Hapes Consortium joining the Confederacy, but Jacen also knew that such things were inevitable and could be dealt with later.

As he remembered the nightmarish scene of him entering her rooms with his presence hidden from her as was the betrayer’s face by the cowl of his robe, Darth Troddeln buried the pain that still haunted the heart of the man he once was. He then allowed himself to remember impassively the manner in which he so easily took the Jedi warrior queen’s life. While he kissed her, he simply reached out with the Force and caused her brain to hemorrhage. However, unlike what he did to her grandmother some years before, this time he finished by killing her. Tenel Ka was never given the chance to fight. He knew it wasn’t until she realized what was happening that she knew she had been betrayed by the man she never thought would, but by then it was too late. By the time the maids found the queen, her murderer was in hyperspace again and headed for the Jedi Academy on Ossus. To the beings of the galaxy, Tenel Ka appeared to have suffered the same fate as her grandmother, making them believe the cause of death was a weakness in the genes—something she inherited.

Jacen never got the chance to harm Allana. He was unable to find his daughter and then realized that Tenel Ka had her hidden somewhere, fearful of other possible assassination attempts. It wasn’t until he heard that the young princess was seen with Leia Solo that he discovered where she had been taken. It turned out that Isolder, Tenel Ka’s father, took her first to Dathomir and then to Leia for training as a Jedi. Leia was teaching her granddaughter and didn’t even realize it, Jacen mused.

Suddenly, Ben’s agitated voice brought him out of his bitter memories. “Jace, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Jacen covered his thoughts with a small smile, “I’m sorry. I was trying to decide the best way to answer you. Yes, I loved once. But love can be selfish or it can be selfless. I loved selflessly. I gave up my love for peace and order.”

Then he gazed intently at Ben, his brown eyes dark. “Be mindful of your kind of love for Jysella, Ben. That kind of love is selfish and will lead you to somewhere you may not wish to go.”

Ben sat down again in the chair and let his shoulders slump. “But Jacen, I can’t help it. I’m so drawn to her. I always have been. She’s always been there for me. Did you know that she used to comfort me even when I was little?” Jacen shook his head and Ben went on, blushing, “Yeah, she would come to me at night and hold me when I would dream about the pain I felt from the fall of Coruscant and bawl about it.” He shrugged nonchalantly and looked down at his folded hands in his lap, but Troddeln knew Ben still was traumatized by what he had felt in the Force as he narrowly escaped the Yuuzhan Vong as an infant. “Tionne told me once that she’d find Jys in my crib more than in her own.”

Then he looked back up at Jacen. The Sith Lord could feel the conflict in the young apprentice and he knew Ben was at an extremely venerable time in his real training. He had been pleased that Ben had used his anger, fear, and hate to deflect the laser blast. Troddeln also hoped to encourage this relationship with Horn’s daughter. Jysella Horn could prove to be Ben Skywalker’s greatest crutch, which ultimately would cause him to fall far when it was taken away. Troddeln knew that Ben’s attachment could also be dangerous, but Lumiya wasn’t concerned about that. She had assured Lord Troddeln that Master Jacen Solo’s Jedi Apprentice would prove to be quite the perfect Sith Apprentice for the Dark Lord. He only needed to be patient, but patience was what the Sith were best at.

Then Jacen decided it was time to dig a little further. “But it’s not just Jysella that is bothering you. I’m concerned for you Ben. You haven’t been yourself lately and I know you haven’t been sleeping well.”

Ben was thoughtful for a moment and, after letting out a long breath, he said, “No, I haven’t been sleeping, and I wish it was only Jys that filled my dreams.”

“Go on.”

Ben met Jacen’s eyes and quietly reported, “I’ve been having a vision, Jace. It is always the same except for one detail.” Then Ben related the nightmare that he was having recurrently for the past half year. He finished by saying, “What could it all mean, Jacen? Why would I be chased by a krayt dragon? And why would it always be closer?”

Jacen rubbed his jaw and stood up. After moving to face a shelf with some small mementos on it, he turned and finally said, “I’m not sure what it could mean. Dreams are fickle, Ben. They may have significance or they may mean absolutely nothing. But why do you think the dragon represents something bad? You commented that you’ve had the dream when good things happened as well. Maybe the dragon is nothing more than a symbol of the future. Don’t we all feel like we are being chased by the future at times?” Jacen concluded with a grin.

Ben didn’t look convinced but smiled anyway. “Yeah, I guess, but I want to know what I should do to end the dreams.”

Jacen came over to the desk, and leaned against the edge of it before Ben. He reached out and laid his hand on Ben’s shoulder as he smiled and he said, “Ben, we will figure this out, I promise and I’m glad that you finally confided this to me. As your Master, it is my responsibility to help you through these sorts of things. You are extremely strong in the Force, Ben. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you someday surpass even your father. But try to remember that you are not alone and that I’m here to help you achieve that ultimate strength.”

Ben bobbed his head and acknowledged. “Yes, Master.”

The Sith Lord continued to smile; his patience would pay off in the end. “But I think this vision is just an indicator of significant things to come. The reason the dragon is closer each time may not mean anything at all. However, I want you to tell me each time you have this dream, okay?”

Ben nodded and mumbled, “Okay.”

Jacen patted his cousin’s shoulder, and then he called for Shevu. After the Major arrived, Jacen announced, “I would like to deploy your team, plus five others into the Mullin neighborhood ASAP.”

Lon furrowed his brow, “Mullin? That’s mostly a Commenoran neighborhood, with a spattering of Eriaduans, isn’t it?”

Jacen picked up his datapad and handed it to his second in command. “Yes, Major, it is.”

After Shevu took the pad and read the brief report, he looked up at Jacen, disbelief in his expression. However, before he had a chance to voice his question, Jacen answered it, “It was in this neighborhood that the plot to strike at our government was hatched. It will be your job to find out who else may have been involved and make sure they never have the chance to harm the Galactic Alliance again.”

~~~

Solo Apartment, Coronet, Corellia

Leia Organa Solo watched the six-year-old girl figure out the old puzzle game. It was something her children had enjoyed doing when they were young. Leia tried not to think too much about her twins these days because when she did, it only made her heart ache. She feared for the worst for her son and for her daughter she only felt regret.

Jaina was choosing the wrong side of the war to fight on, just as Luke was. Leia missed her own twin nearly as much as she missed her children. Leia hadn’t seen any of her family for eighteen months, but she would often feel their loving embrace come through the Force. She knew than that they at least still cared for her and she would send her love back to them.

Jacen, on the other hand, outright frightened Leia. His actions over the past few years had become increasingly more fearful and dark. Leia knew her son crossed the thin line that separated Light and Dark, and used the justification that there was no Light and Dark for his deeds. Her own brother recently crossed that line as well during the Swarm War but, unlike Luke’s brief departure from the old teachings, Jacen seemed to ignore those teachings completely. Her only hope was that he would someday see his error and find his way back.

“Princess Leia?”

Leia’s attention was quickly brought back to the little girl sitting cross-legged on the plush carpeting of the living room floor. Smiling, she inquired, “Yes, my dear.”

She sprang to her feet with a single, graceful move and came to stand before Leia, holding the puzzle. “Look! I completed it.”

Leia grinned in mild surprise as she took the holographic puzzle. The multi-level game originally was given to the twins and Anakin when they were around Allana’s age by their Uncle Luke. As it turned out, it had been recovered by Mirax Horn and was actually an ancient Jedi game for Younglings. A Force-sensitive had to use the intuitive ability the Force alone gave to them to solve the puzzle. Once unraveled, the next level would become harder. However, it normally would take several tries to come up with the solution; Allana was able to do it in her very first try. “Excellent, Allana!”


“Thank you, Princess.”

Leia returned the game to Allana, who agonizingly reminded her of Jacen. Allana grinned proudly and sat back in her spot on the floor.

Leia assessed the young Hapan princess with longing for what could have been regarding her son and the former queen mother. Allana’s russet-colored hair was only a few shades darker than Tenel Ka’s, and her eyes were the same warm brandy brown as Jacen’s. When Leia’s old friend, Prince Isolder, searched them out after Tenel Ka’s tragic and unexpected death, he related the awful truth: Allana was Tenel Ka’s daughter with Jacen. Both she and Han were stunned speechless—they were grandparents.

Of course, Han’s first response was that Jacen should take responsibility for his daughter. However, Prince Isolder reminded them why that wasn’t possible. Isolder himself didn’t know about Allana’s paternity until after the opening of a sealed document which was confidentially addressed to him or the older Solos. In that letter, Tenel Ka gave him instructions pertaining to Allana. The document was written only weeks before her death, and spoke of not being there for Allana. Isolder’s conclusion was that his daughter sensed her death was coming and wanted to make sure her beloved Allana was well taken care of.

In the letter, Tenel Ka had requested that Leia train Allana in the ways of the Jedi. Leia, at first, was stunned. She couldn’t understand why Tenel Ka would choose her and not the child’s father or the Dathomiri Jedi, but maybe the queen also feared Jacen, and didn’t want her daughter, the future Queen Mother of Hapes, influenced by him. At the time, Leia didn’t feel confident enough to train an Apprentice, but Tenel Ka or Isolder would have it any other way. Now that nearly two years had gone by since that fateful visit from Leia’s onetime betrothed, she was glad that Tenel Ka trusted her enough to allow her this honor. Leia loved Allana completely and saw raising her as a possible way to correct some of the wrongs she had done to her own children.

However, she despised the one stipulation from the deceased Hapan Queen—Allana could never know her father or that Han and Leia were her grandparents, because that information could endanger the young girl’s life.

Suddenly, Leia noticed that Allana had stopped playing and was staring pensively at her. “Princess, is something wrong? You look so sad.”

Leia forced a smile and held out her arms. “Come here.”

Once the girl was settled within Leia’s strong and loving embrace, she went on as she gazed deeply into the girl’s brandy-colored eyes. “I’d like to tell you a story. It’s an old one and is from my home world of Alderaan…”