Part One

It's been five years since the destruction of the Shadow Academy. Jacen, Jaina, Tenel Ka and Lowbacca have completed the better part of their training and are considered Jedi Knights, though there is much to learn. Their skills are about to be put to the test. Remnants of the dreaded "nightsisters" have resurfaced on Dathomir and are being helped from a mysterious outside source. And a new device created by Anakin, becomes the focal point of the nightsister's powerplay.

This is a story surrounding our fav characters along with the twins and Anakin as teenagers. Lowbacca, Tenel Ka and Zekk are there too. Thanks to George Lucas for inventing Star Wars. As always the major characters and all are the property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm, 20th century Fox, Bantam books, and whoever else I don't know about.

Maneuvering her way down the hall, she passed Jaina's room. No sound Halfway to Jacen's room, she heard snoring. She smiled to herself. Just like his father. Jacen looked like a carbon copy of what she assumed the younger Han Solo, whom Leia had never met, would've looked like. She reached the comm center and touched the button to stop the insistent blatting.

"Yes," she said in a scratchy morning voice as she tried to smooth her Her finger flipped the switch in case the sender had visual capabilities. She gasped as she saw the face of Teneniel Djo on the little screen.

"Teneniel! It's been so long.?" Leia pulled at her robe, instantly aware of her state of undress. "How are you?"

Teneniel Djo smiled at Leia warmly. She swore that she hadn't aged. That it hadn't been over twenty years since they'd met on the wild and untamed planet of Dathomir. Her reddish brown hair shimmered around her.

"I'm well, thank you. We are enroute to you as we speak." She smiled broadly and glanced over her shoulder. Isolder appeared next to his wife, almost dwarfing her for his size. He grinned at Leia.

"Where's that roguish husband of yours? Still asleep?"

Leia blushed a little. "Well, yes. It's very early here yet. How close are you?"

Isolder glanced at the panel to his right. "We should be arriving at oh-eighteen hundred. I'm sure you'll be ready by then," he flashed another devilish smile.

Leia laughed. "Yes, I'm sure we can manage to get the brats together by then."

Teneniel wrapped an arm around her husband. "Tenel Ka is anxious to see the twins and Anakin. She tries to hide it, but the closer we get the more agitated she has become. I'll be glad to have Jacen tell her one of his jokes."

Leia crossed her arms over her chest as her mind recalled the young warrior girl who'd saved a potentially disastrous dinner held years ago for the Karnak Ambassador. Her quick action had saved Leia from an embarrassing blunder. Jacen and Jaina would be glad to see their friend. It had been over a year and the twins, now nineteen standard years old, had complained often that keeping in touch through the holo-vidnet wasn't good enough. "I wasn't aware that she liked them. I don't think I've ever seen her laugh."

Teneniel looked at her husband and suppressed a little smile. Isolder raised an eyebrow at Leia and began kneading his wife's shoulders as she hung her head. "Your son is ten times more charming than your scoundrel of a husband. I don't think he knows his own strength."

Teneniel looked up again. "That's all Tenel Ka has been able to talk about. 'When Jacen and I did this' and 'Jacen always says that'. I honestly need a break."

Leia laughed aloud. "Well, I'm sure he'll be just as glad that you're coming." At that Leia frowned. "Why are you coming anyway?"

Isolder sat and got that look on his face that meant trouble. He leaned forward. "I don't want to frighten you unnecessarily," he said in his most diplomatic voice. "We'll discuss it when we arrive. We're not too sure of the security of this channel. Or yours for that matter."

Leia started. What was he talking about? The Imperial Palace had the security in the galaxy, with it's rival probably being the Hapan worlds. Could there be a breach? She checked herself at that. She'd run into enough slicers to know that if they wanted to get in bad enough, they would. Her experiences with Talon Karrde and Mara Jade should have taught that. She looked back at the two and saw the worry in their faces that they were trying to hide. Leia smiled back. Later, she thought.

"I'll start getting things ready then. I'll see you when you arrive."

**********************************

Jacen awoke to the sound of voices in the dining area of the house. He groaned and pulled himself up to a sitting position. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His hair was its' usual tousled self, along with a fair share of morning stubble. 'This hairy stuff in the morning really bothers me.' Standing up, he stretched and reached out with his senses towards Anakin's room. His younger brother had made the top level, which was originally a storage unit, into his bedroom. He'd styled it nicely and it was very comfortable. He almost wished he could trade with him. He knew Anakin wouldn't go for it though.

He felt his brother still working on the program that had kept him up for the good part of a week. He hadn't slept for almost four days, using the jedi-relaxation technique to keep himself going. Jacen got up and went to the refresher unit to get ready for breakfast.

On his way down the hall, he veered and pulled down the stairs that led to Anakin's room. He took them two at a time and popped his clean, but already tousled head through the hole in the floor. Anakin was kneeling next to a complex piece of equipment, the likes of which Jacen had never seen. It looked like part of a droid, part of a mini-shield generator, part computer terminal rolled into one. He squinted and pulled himself the rest of the way up, ambling over to his younger brother. Anakin had felt his brother coming before he'd even climbed the steps.

"So what do you think?" he asked, his face flushed with excitement.

Jacen looked at it, walking around it and trying to figure out just what heck it was. He gave up and shrugged. "It's okay. I guess." He tilted his head at Anakin. "What is it?"

Anakin grinned broadly. He resembled their Uncle Luke so much, it spooked Jacen sometimes. He looked into brother's clear blue eyes awaiting an answer.

"It's the smallest shield generator in the whole galaxy. Jaina and I had the idea awhile back. She gave me the sketches and asked me to find components to make it work. It has the smallest chip you've ever seen. I had to use the Force to do all the work. I couldn't even hold it in my fingers. It's that small!"

Jacen tried to say something and was cut off by his brother's faster than light discourse.

"Of course, I'll have to get it checked by the engineers before they can replicate it. I know it works, but you know how they are when it comes to stuff I invent....

Jacen blinked at his brother. Of all the inane....

"Anakin. If you need the Force to assemble the chip, what makes you think that they'll be able to replicate it."

Anakin frowned at him. His adolescent voice cracking between childlike sounds and deeper tones. "Well, I can help them do that part. Then they can just put the rest together."

Jacen shook his head. "What are you talking about? It took you almost a week to finish just one. You have to finish your Jedi studies. You don't have time to be working on some assembly line."

Anakin looked back at his invention. The lights flashed and blinked intermittently on the little control panel. He hadn't thought about that. His eyes flashed just the same, even though he knew his older sibling was right. "Well, it could still be a good idea."

Jacen sighed and chided himself for stomping on Anakin's enthusiasm. He knew his brother was a genius in the making. He just didn't want him to get sidetracked. Their Uncle had told them to keep an eye on Anakin's slight temper while he was away. He was easily frustrated, a problem the Jedi Master said he'd had as a youngster.

He patted his shoulder. "Hey, it's a really great invention Anakin. I'm sure it will be invaluable to the galaxy. Let's just keep our priorities straight, okay?"

Anakin smiled at that and set the control unit he'd been holding on the desk. Jacen noticed it for the first time. "That go with it?"

"Yeah. It can be operated remotely up to 100 light years."

Jacen's mouth fell open. He looked back at the hunk of metal and lights on the floor, then back at his brother. "Ah...okay. Maybe we'll just have Jaina look at this a little later. Why don't you get cleaned up and come eat."

He nodded and went off to get ready. Jacen glanced at the mechanism again and shook his head. Wait until the New Republic engineers got news of this.

*********************************************

Cooking and serving droids wandered around the kitchen preparing food and taking out dishes and utensils when Jacen swung into the kitchen. Leia and Han were each cutting fruit and placing them in cups. He grabbed a piece and plopped down on a stool. Leia swatted his hand. Jaina sat off to the side fiddling with a datapad.

"Since you're so late to arrive, you don't know that this is for guests."

"What, I'm not special enough?" Jacen munched on the messy fruit. She smiled at her oldest son.

"Of course you are. But we're having company."

"Oh yeah? Who's coming?" Jacen asked.

Jaina couldn't restrain herself. She couldn't wait to see the look on her twin's face.

"Tenel Ka and her parents are coming," she said mischievously as she sipped her juice in between typing.

Jacen's mouth dropped open for the second time that morning. He looked to his mother for confirmation.

Leia nodded. "So I want you all on your best behavior. You're going to meet the man your mother almost married."

Han snorted from his place at the counter.

"Were you in love with him, Mom?" Jaina asked.

Han snorted again. Everyone looked at him.

"What?" he barked, raising his eyebrows.

"I thought I was, but as it turns out I wasn't," she gestured to their father. "And you know the rest of the story."

Jacen hadn't closed his mouth yet. Jaina was snickering at him, and not hiding it well at all. He frowned at her and closed his mouth. "What's so funny?"

Jaina stopped and straightened her expression. "It's just funny how nervous you get whenever you know you're going to talk to her. And now you're going to see her and you're practically having an attack." She fell out in a fresh wave of laughter.

Jacen had turned quite pink. He looked to Leia. She looked like she felt for him. His father was hiding his face, absorbing himself in cutting the fruit just so.

Jacen calmed himself and decided against informing their parents that he'd Jaina kissing Zekk at the door last night. He'd save that for something more important. He forced a smile and poured himself a glass of juice.

"So, how about those Dreadnaughts, eh Dad?"

*******************************************

Jacen shifted uncomfortably in his formal attire as he stood beside Jaina and Anakin in the receiving hall. He glanced across at his father and saw that the feeling was mutual. Han moved and fidgeted like an infant. Leia threw him a stern glance and he stopped. Kind of.

His mother looked lovely. Her hair was bound into intricate braids with Calamarian pearls throughout. He saw that his sister's hair was almost identical. Jaina had come to appreciate the more feminine side of herself the last year. Jacen guessed her that relationship with Zekk didn't hurt either.

A gong sounded and the great gold adorned double doors opened to let in the Hapan bodyguards. All extremely beautiful women, and all dressed in tight-fitting jumpsuits that provided freedom of movement. Or to be able to a would-be assassin quick enough to break his neck, Jacen thought. He recalled his father telling them that the Hapans had been bred to be beautiful and that was plainly obvious.

The women parted to allow at least a dozen, he guessed, young scantily through. They eight of them split into two rows and the remaining four somersaulted down the carpet toward the dais where they stood. They stopped before reaching it and stood lining the sides of the carpet, arms upraised. Jacen nudged his sister and rolled his eyes. She nodded back. They both knew their friend hated these fanciful displays of wealth and status. They looked back to the entrance to see the guards escort Teneniel Djo and Isolder to the platform.

Han noted that Isolder hadn't aged. At least he didn't look like it. Teneniel either for that matter. As they reached them, he and Leia greeted them with enthusiasm.

"So good to see you two again. You don't seem to have changed," Leia smiled. She hugged Isolder, then Teneniel. Han grabbed Isolder's hand and they laughed with one another.

"And Jaina, Anakin and Jacen." Isolder and Teneniel greeted each in turn. Teneniel lingered on Jacen, who gulped at the close scrutiny.

"My goodness, Han. He looks like your younger clone," she smiled.

Han grinned broadly. "That's what everyone keeps telling me."

Leia smiled and led them toward the dining hall. She noticed that the guards seemed extremely alert. She hoped that no one made any quick moves.

Glancing at Jacen and seeing his nervousness, she decided to ask for him. "Where is Tenel Ka?"

She was having a problem with her gown, but she should be along shortly."

There was conversation as everyone became familiar with one another and their seats. Jacen kept glancing toward the doors, anticipating Tenel Ka's arrival.

Jaina leaned over and whispered in his ear. "She'll be here. Stop being so jumpy."

"I'm not," he hissed back. This teasing was getting on his nerves. He reached for his glass of water.

"So tell me Jacen," Isolder said. "What kinds of jokes have you told my daughter to make her so happy?" He smiled at Jacen conspiratorially.

Jacen looked up and almost choked on his water. Jaina looked at him, waiting to hear how he was going to respond.

"Oh, nothing special, sir. I think it's just because I'm persistent. She didn't really have a choice but to laugh. Or she might have gone crazy."

Everyone laughed.

"Or I would have had to put you out of your misery," a low voice said.

Jacen looked up and saw Tenel Ka standing at the entrance to the dining hall. He couldn't believe his eyes. He'd seen her on the holonet. But to see her in person again. She was so beautiful. He gulped and rose from his seat. Everyone watched him as he walked to her side.

Tenel Ka was taken aback at how tall he'd become. He used to be shorter than her. Now he was tall and obviously much stronger. And handsome. The uniform he wore fit him very well. He cut a rather striking figure. He didn't look like the same joker who was always telling her anecdotes to get her to laugh. She got a grip on herself and smiled at him.

"Good to see you," he all but whispered. He stopped just short of arms length from her. He took her in. She wore a long red dress of shimmering reptilian scales. Her hair was loose and set in luxurious rippling waves reaching to the middle of her back. Her cool gray eyes, eyes he'd dreamed of, stared back into his. He let out a little laugh. She reached out her hand.

Her hand, he noted.

She'd had the biomechanical attachment for some time now. If he hadn't known what had happened, he never would have guessed. He took her hand and gently pulled her close to him. She looked into his liquid brown eyes as he loomed closer. He tenderly pressed his lips to hers in a sweet kiss. They stood still holding one another, as not a sound passed between them. They seemed frozen in time.

Everyone at the table was quiet. Leia felt her eyes tear at the sight. She'd known how much Jacen had missed Tenel Ka this past year. She gripped Han's hand as he pulled her head to rest on his shoulder.