(Author's note, this story takes place between "Trouble on Cloud City" and "Crisis at Crystal Reef" )
 

The Clouds above the forest moon of Yavin 4 whipped past the modified passenger shuttle. The Ship sent a signal down to The Jedi Academy based there requesting landing clearance. Down on the planet, The students milled about, their lectures had ended for the day, and it was almost dusk, They wandered in groups in the field in front of the Great Temple, when the thundering boom rocketed over head.

Jaina Solo looked up from the ground to see the ship that made the sound, but only caught a quick glimpse of it.

"What was that?" Her twin brother asked.

Lowbacca, their wookie friend roared a comment, which was translated by Em Teedee. "Master Lowbacca suspects it to be a very powerful ship to move that fast." The little droid said.

The Sleek black ship set down on the landing field behind the Massassi Temple. Nearby, Luke Skywalker stood, waiting for the ships pilot to emerge. Slowly, the boarding ramp lowered.

The first one out was a tall-young man, about 19 or so, he walked forward and shook Luke's hand. The man was dressed in dark green clothes, and a Jedi cloak. Around his neck he wore a odd medallion, his feet were covered in what looked like animal skin shoes, very little protection, he had reddish-brown slightly tosseled hair, and the small makings of facial hair. clipped oddly to his leg there was a lightsaber hilt, ornately carved from ivory.

A second fellow stepped from the ship. Shorter then the first. He had long hair pulled back into a pony tail, and a full blown goatee. He wore all black, including his Jedi Cloak. He had a stained hard wood lightsaber. He walked up to Luke and also began discussing. Zekk noticed the fine details of the ship as he watched from the top of the great temple.

The Black ship had two weapons turrets, on the top and bottom, it had swept back wings, which housed powerful engines, in front of the upper turret, and just below it was a tube, for launching proton torpedo's and two ion cannon impalcements next to the launching tube.

Lastly, it had two pneumatic launchers one in the front, and one in the back. It was aero-dynamic in every way, wind would simply fly over it, it seemed big enough to live in for several months and on the side written in deep blue it said "Yavin's Revenge". He concentrated closely on the two new arrivals. One had a high powered sniper blaster sitting in a holster strapped to his leg. Zekk could make out a sheathed bladed weapon strapped upside down to the waist of the other. Zekk studied them for a moment, he was soon surrounded by Jaina, Jacen and Lowie, all of whom wanted to know who had just arrived.

"I don't know." He told them.

"So what have you been up to?" Luke asked his two visitors.

"Not much." the taller one said. "We just came from Ithor, a sect of Diversity Alliance radicals had taken hostages and demanded the release of all high ranking Diversity Alliance leaders from prison. We took care of them."

Tenel Ka joined her friends on the upper level of the temple. "What are we looking at?" She asked.

"This ship just landed, we're wondering who it is," Jacen said with a smile.

"Ah..." Tenel Ka said, "Aha." She said. "I recognize the blade the one in black is wearing. It is the traditional blade held by a warrior of Dathomir."

"What?" asked Jaina.

"It is, when one passes the rituals, and is pronounced a warrior, they receive the blade as a gift."

Lowie barked a question, and Em Teedee translated. "Master Lowbacca wishes to know where you're blade is, mistress Tenel Ka."

"I keep mine in my room, I would not have been allowed to come to the Jedi Academy had I not received one." Tenel Ka said, answering the unspoken question.

"Well Master Skywalker, perhaps you should introduce us to the group of you're students that have been watching us for while?'' said the tall one.

"Of coarse." Luke said with a smile.

When Luke called for them, the twins and there friends came running forth. "Kids, this is Jurhan, and Kehmar Ma, two of the first Jedi's I trained. These are my niece and nephew Jacen and Jaina. Their friends, Zekk, and Lowbacca, and..."

"Princess Tenel Ka Chume Ta'Djo." said Kehmar Ma, finishing Luke's sentence.

"How did you know my name?" Tenel Ka asked him.

"Any good warrior knows the ruling family, so that he knows who he is protecting. You're Grandmother speaks highly of you when I talk to her." Kehmar Ma said.

Jacen thought he almost saw the warrior girl blush.

"You do look familiar." Jaina said.

"Yes Jaina, but the last time you saw us, was when I was briefing you're parents, and you and you're brother stuck you're heads out of you're room and spied on us." Jurhan said.

"You noticed that?" Jaina said, surprised.

"Of coarse, that's why I'm so good a the job we're doing now." Jurhan replied.

"They're working with the New Republic Intelligence Organization now." Luke said.

"We're special agents." Added Jurhan. "Recently the assassins who attacked you kids at Bespin were brought in for interrogation at NRIO headquarters. We're having their trial on Coruscant, and we need you to testify. You're parents asked us specifically, to bring you home, because with the Black Sun about, there's no telling who they can trust." He said.

"Alright, let's get Anja, and we'll go." said Jacen.

"Actually, you can wait. You'll leave tomorrow, until then, why don't you kids show Jurhan and Kehmar Ma around." Luke said.

Jacen and the rest of the group nodded ,okay.

* *

Morning came to Yavin 4 as it always did. Jacen sat up in bed, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He pulled he covers from on top of his body and got up. He began his morning ritual of feeding his menagerie of animals, the ones that needed feeding in the morning at least. Then he walked over to his window.

He had a secret passion.

Each morning, he would look out his window, and watched as Tenel Ka performed her morning exercise routine. He couldn't take his eyes off the young warrior girl as she did one handed cartwheels, and flips towards the jungle.

Soon he sensed something, he spun to see his sister at the door.

"I thought we might take our new arrivals to morning meal." she said with a smile.

"Sounds like a good plan to me. Go get them." Jacen said, as he turned back to his animals.

"That's the problem." she said. "I can't find them." Jacen turned around. "Will you help me look for them." Jaina asked.

"Okay." said Jacen.

Jacen searched all over the Jedi temple, he didn't find them in the great hall, the landing area, or the docking bay. He didn't find them working on the Yavin's Revenge, nestled in between The Shadow Chaser, and The Rock Dragon, he didn't find them in the mess hall either, only when he entered the practice field, where Jacen had practiced his lightsaber fighting did he find them. When he entered Jacen stopped in awe.

The two fought at a pace he could only wish to achieve, Jurhan was better then Kehmar Ma, but, he guessed both could easily take on the entire academy and win, maybe even beat Master Skywalker. The graceful movements flowed like water, the blades barely visible. Jacen took time to stare in awe at the weapons. Jurhan's blade was almost pure white, it had a haze to it though, it reminded Jacen of the hilt of Tenel Ka's saber.

Kehmar Ma's saber was equally awe inspiring. The blade was a deep ocean blue, like the electric bolts that were wielded by dark Jedi so mercilessly.

They fought with precision and excellence. Jacen couldn't tell how long he stood there before his sister walked up. Jaina cleared her throat loudly.

"I noticed you Jaina." Jurhan said. "I also noticed when you're brother showed up five minute ago and started watching us."

"We thought you might like to join us for the morning meal. It's in twenty minutes." Jaina replied.

"Well..." Jurhan said. He spun Kehmar Ma's saber in a circle. The Dathomirian man was knocked off balance, and Jurhan stuck the side of his blade, moving it to the side, this opened Kehmar Ma's defense, and Jurhan moved quickly to his opponents neck. "We'd love to."

The two lightsabers deactivated, and they walked over to the Jedi twins. "But we do know when it is, we spent 6 years here." Jurhan said. Jaina looked into his eyes, they were cool and black, she was almost lost in them. "Well if you'll give us a few minutes, we'll meet you outside your rooms." He said snapping her out of it.

Jaina grabbed her brother and they ran back towards the temple. Jurhan and Kehmar Ma walked over to a bench at the end of the field. "Well, what do you think?" Kehmar Ma asked his partner.

"They've grown well, and the Solo girl is kinda cute." Jurhan said. Kehmar Ma looked at him. "What, you can't tell me that I was able to beat you in only three hours because I'm better. I know you, you were thinking of the warrior girl." Jurhan said teasingly.

Kehmar Ma smiled, "Yes. Unfortunatly, they seem to have a nice little romance structure going between them on this world." he said. Kehmar Ma pulled out a slender stick of Tabacc, put it in his mouth, and lit it.

"You're right, best not to get involved. We can't stay." Jurhan replied throwing a towel around his neck "But still, she is cute."

Morning meal at the Jedi academy was nothing like midday meal, or evening meal. The two latter in the day every one was up, and there was a lot of chatter, only slight murmurs permeated the silence in the morning. It was obvious to Jurhan, Jedi just weren't morning people, he knew, being one himself. When he commented this to Jacen and Jaina as they walked towards the dinning hall they looked at him puzzled.

"If you're not a morning person, what were the two of you doing up so early?" Jacen asked.

"That's easy." responded Kehmar Ma, "We didn't sleep."

They all received their food and sat at the table. "Any one seen Anja?" Jurhan asked the kids.

"No, but she doesn't seem to like me." Raynar commented.

"So, who wants to hear a joke?" Jacen propositioned. A low groan came over the table.

Jaina looked at their two guests. "Run." she said.

Jurhan thought for a second. "If it's funny." he said.

"What do you do if you're swallowed by a kryat dragon?" Jacen asked the group.

Jaina bit the bullet and answered. "I don't know, what?" she said.

"Run around til you're pooped out!" Jacen said with a grin from ear to ear.

The corners of Tenel Ka's mouth started to turn up in a smile. Wanting to change the subject quickly, Jaina turned to Jurhan. "You said the two of you were here for 6 years, I thought the normal tenure for the Jedi academy was 3." she said.

"Well when we were here, the normal tenure was 4 years, Master Skywalker removed some of the teachings, because, through them you could be too easily seduced to the dark side." Jurhan replied.

"That still leaves two years unexplained." Zekk said.

"We stayed an extra year for NRIO training, and then we stayed here a year, honing our skills, and teaching at the academy." Kehmar Ma said.

"Anyway, we leave in two hours, so all of you kids get packed up by then." Jurhan said, they all nodded an affirmative.

"What about Anja?" Jacen asked.

Jurhan's brow furrowed. "Leave her to me."

**

Anja Gallandro sat in her room, her legs pulled up to her chest, gently she rocked her self back and forth, trying to quiet the growing voice inside her. Andris....Andris...Andris it said. She got up and walked back and forth across the room.

Soon she heard a knock. "GO AWAY!" she shouted, she turned back inward, not giving the door another thought, everyone here is too polite to barge in on someone she figured.

The door slid open, and Jurhan walked in. "Hello Anja." he said.

"What do you want?!" she asked angrily.

"I suppose you've heard why I'm here." He said.

"Yeah, I know." she said curtly.

"Then why haven't you come to see me, even though I sent for you twice already?" he asked kindly.

"I didn't feel like it." she responded.

For the first time, she looked at him, she was lost in his eyes, they sucked her in, like two dark pools, almost refreshing, the feeling overwhelmed her craving, in fact, she noticed the addiction was gone! She withdrew though, and the addiction returned. Jurhan walked forth and sat on the sleeping pad next to her.

"You know, Anja, there are several things Luke doesn't teach his students now that he did when I was here." Jurhan said.

"So." Anja replied.

"One of the things he taught us was the ability to move in and out of other people's minds." Jurhan said. "You're in league with the Black Sun, aren't you? Not only that but you came here to kill Han Solo's children."

"Yes....Solo killed my father, I wanted to make him pay." Anja said.

"But you couldn't, they befriended you, In fact Jacen saved you're life on Bespin." Jurhan continued. "And when you almost found out Jacen had died, you felt horrible."

"Czethros took me in, taught me, promised me revenge!" Anja said, almost crying.

"And now he's left you out to dry. He used you, he never cared." Jurhan said.

Anja threw her head down in shame. Jurhan dropped to his knees in front of her, and put his hand on her shoulder. "Anja, come with us, I can help you, Kehmar Ma was addicted to spice for a year, I got him off of it, I can help you too, join us."

Anja looked at him with tears in her eyes. His voice was warm, and soft, she wanted to believe him, yes, she could believe him, gently she nodded her head.

"We leave in an hour." Jurhan got up and left.

Anja lied down on the sleeping pad. For once, some one who cared could help her. She closed her eyes and cried.

***

Jacen ran up the boarding ramp on the Yavin's Revenge. He cried a duffle bag filled with a few things, he couldn't wait to see his parents again. Jurhan finished saying goodbye to Luke, he patted Artoo, and walked up the ramp into the ship.

He walked through he lounge that kept the outside blocked off from the rest of the ship, Inside, he walked down the hallway, Zekk was in the guest room the boys had staked out, putting the last of his things away, and Anja in the girls room doing the same with her things.

In the main lounge behind the Cockpit, he found Jaina sitting at a work table.

"Found something you like?" he asked.

"You bet. What is this?" she said indicating the two meter long device on the table.

"It's the smallest known cloaking device in the galaxy. What kind of spies would we be if we couldn't turn invisible?" Jurhan asked, "You can examine it closely later, I think we may need it to get to Coruscant with out the Black Sun noticing. Mind putting it back into the wall you yanked it out of?" He said with a smile.

Jaina blushed. "Okay..." she said. Jurhan walked up into the cockpit, Lowie was sitting at the computer station plotting the coarse.

"How's it going?" he asked the ginger furred wookie. Lowie roared a response.

"Master Lowbacca sa..." Em Teedee began, Jurhan held up his hand. "I speak wookie Em Teedee." He said, "We speak almost 44 different languages, we kinda have to." he said. "Oh yes of coarse master Jurhan, I understand completely, why my predecessor, and mentor See-Threepio has.." Jurhan held up his hand. "Shhh." he said.

Kehmar Ma was in the pilot seat, as was the rule on the Yavin's Revenge. He who is first aboard is the one to pilot. Jurhan plopped down in the co pilot's seat. He turned back to the rear compartments.

"EVERYBODY READY?" he shouted.

Everyone shouted a resounding yes up front. And Kehmar Ma activated the repulsor lifts. They crew felt a slight jarring effect as the ship's weight was supported by an energy field, and no longer the ground.

Luke stood by the landing pad with Raynar and Lusa. Raynar held his hand up and waved. "Bye, See ya, good bye!" he shouted. Luke held up his hand.

With a whine, the Yavin's Revenge's sublight engines lit up, and flung the ship from it's skies, into the far reaches of space. Inside Jurhan activated the hyperdrive computer, and fed in Lowie's coarse. Kehmar Ma pulled the switch on top of the pilots controls. It activated the hyperdrive flinging them at the speed of light off towards the planet of Coruscant.

***

Tenel Ka looked at her left arm, or what was left of it. It had been a long time since she made the hyperspace trip to Hapes after the lightsaber accident. And what happened on the Cloud City had caused her to reconsider her decision to leave it without a replacement.

When the Black Sun's assassins had attacked them, and the Ugnaught opened the doors in the lower levels of the city, causing them to fall out, through the bottom, Jacen was nearly killed. Lowie had come out first, and grabbed an antenna, and then grabbed her, having no other arm, she could not grab Jacen, and so, he fell through the clouds. Luckily, he was saved by a practicing thranta rider. But what if there is no one to catch them the next time.

When Tenel Ka decided not to replace the arm, she did it for herself, but she didn't realize it might mean the death of one of her close friends.

***

It wasn't space travel that bothered him, Jacen didn't mind that at all. It was the boredom that came with it. "Perhaps I could talk to Tenel Ka," he thought. He stole a quick glance at the warrior girl. "Ahhh, she's lost in thought, but she's so beautiful, I really ought to talk to her."

Jacen resolved to go over to her and strike up a conversation. "But how can I break the ice?" Jacen tried to think up a joke, but when he tried to think of jokes to tell Tenel Ka, his mind always went blank.

"Maybe if I wasn't so close to her," he thought.

He walked up to the cockpit, and plopped down into the sensor chair. Lost in thought, he hardly noticed the device labeled with three letters start to beep. The three letters were E-W-S, they stood for Early Warning, System.

* * *

"Think they've spotted us yet?" the weapons officer on the modified B-wing asked the pilot. "Of course not." The pilot responded. "Now get ready with that signal, they're almost in range." "Are you sure they haven't spotted us yet?" The weapons officer asked.

"Just send the bloody signal! NOW!" The pilot shouted.

The Weapons officer keyed the transmission device installed on the B-wing sending the signal that would spring the trap.

The Yavin's Revenge quaked, and nearly tore it's self apart as the artificial gravity well tore it from hyperspace like a net.

"What is going on?" Jurhan asked. Jaina came running from the engine compartment, having freshly installed the cloaking device "What is..." she began.

"I already asked" Jurhan told her. He ran over to the sensor station.

"I didn't do it! I didn't do it!" Jacen shouted. The last time they were pulled prematurely from H-space, Jurhan and Kehmar Ma had faced the remnants of the empire, a larger then life star destroyer type ship had an artificial gravity well. Enough of one to pull ships out of hyperspace, it did just that to the Yavin's Revenge only Jurhan, and Kehmar Ma defended them selves and escaped.

Jurhan checked the sensor boards, he saw no imperial ships, no star destroyers, no Sun crushers, no space...he did see a space station, he cocked his head, it almost looked like a....

"Skyhook!" Jaina cried as she saw the station out the front view ports.

It did indeed look like one of the tethered space stations in orbit around Coruscant. Jurhan knew these were the places the Black Sun gathered, even Prince Xizor himself had his own personal skyhook on Coruscant, it was however obliterated by Darth Vader with Xizor himself on board.

"Yeah, but why is there a skyhook here, next to one often used hyperspace routes to Coruscant, with the ability to pull ships out of hyper space and easily pirate them I guess I see why then." Jacen said trailing off.

"But it's untethered." Jurhan said noticing the odd modification. He also took a moment to notice the skyhook orbited an ice world, like Hoth. A quick glance down at the navigation charts confirmed they'd been pulled out over the planet of Berkua. "Kehmar Ma, hit the cloak, and let's get out of here." Jurhan said calmly.

"I've tried." Kehmar Ma said, "The cloak won't work!" Jurhan turned and looked at Jaina.

"I thought I fixed it!" Jaina said.

Jurhan grabbed her arm, "Come on, we're gonna." he said.

"Jacen, Zekk, get into the gun turrets!" He said as he and Jaina ran to the engine compartment.

Lowie slipped into the copilot's seat, and Anja and Tenel Ka took their places respectively at sensors, and the tactical station. The B-wing pulled out of hyperspace and began to open fire with it's lasers. Jacen was the first into the turret, he activated it, and swung around, he squeezed the firing stud, sending a barrage of his own toward the B-wing, the fighter pilot pulled down so all of Jacen's shots missed.

Zekk opened up, but the B-wing rolled upside down and avoided his shots. Lowie roared to Kehmar Ma. "I know, I know I see em!" he shouted.

Lowie was yelling about the two tie interceptors that had launched from the Black Sun's skyhook. Kehmar Ma pulled the Yavin's Revenge up tightly, and rolled, he fired a shot from the proton torpedo which sped forth, and blasted the B-wing into an expanding cloud of debris. Zekk and Jacen were unexpectedly faced with two tie interceptors.

Jacen fired repeatedly, eventually managing to strike one of the fighters on the port side solar panel, the interceptor spun wildly until a well placed shot by Jacen blasted it to pieces.

Zekk carefully lined up, the last interceptor had begun firing at the Revenge's already weak aft shields. Zekk fired three shots, the first struck the starboard pylon, then the port side solar panel and finally the cockpit in rapid succession. The last interceptor blasted to pieces.

Jaina worked feverishly to modify the charging circuit on a blaster. She was relived to find that it wasn't, in fact a faulty repair job on her part, but that the last piece of the cloaking device had been removed, and she and Jurhan were attempting to fix it as quickly as possible. She finished and dropped to the floor handing it to him, he was waist deep into the repair tube against the wall, he grabbed the last part and installed it.

Jacen recognized the ship that was speeding toward them, The ellipsoid main body, engine turrets swept back like jagged wings on top and bottom. It was a skipray blastboat. It's three ion cannons lashed out striking the Revenge.

"They've shut down our shields." Tenel Ka said from the tac station.

"Why didn't they just hit us with full ion guns?" Anja said.

"The Yavin's Revenge's shields are too strong, the full power would drain them but not the ship. And they don't want to disable us, they want to kill us." Kehmar Ma said.

"It's a good thing we've got double plated quantum armor then." Anja replied.

"Well that'll hold of laser blasts, and ion cannons, maybe even concussion missiles, but not a proton torpedo." Kehmar Ma said.

Lowie bellowed a sad note. The Blastboat fired a torpedo that struck the Revenge on top of the hull in near the engine. The first plate of armor ripped wide open, the second crumpled inward.

Jurhan and Jaina were thrown to the other side of the engine compartment. The Yavin's Revenge's engines shut down, and main power went off line. For a moment, the lights on board were replaced by orange emergency lights, but they were replaced by dimmer lights, being controlled by the auxiliary power. Jurhan crawled back into the repair tube, and activated the cloak. Outside the Yavin's Revenge shimmered into invisibility. Jurhan hit the intercom.

"What's our situation?" he asked.

"Torpedoed, heading down, blind and in trouble." Kehmar Ma said.

"Right, get the kids into crash positions." Jurhan said, he shut down the intercom. "Alright Jaina, we have to seal off the engine, incase when we crash it blows." he said to the teenage girl.

He walked her out of the engine compartment, and into the airlock lounge next door, he sealed the engine room with thick metal doors, and then joined Jaina in the lounge, he opened the crash seats in the wall and strapped himself in, Jaina did the same. Zekk climbed up from the turret and ran into the cockpit, he sat in the crash seat hat Kehmar Ma had opened, and strapped himself in.

Anja strapped in next to him. across from them, Tenel Ka strapped herself in, Jacen sat next to her, and grabbed hold of the bracing bar that ran across the top of the seat. Outside, Jaina saw the blackness of space be replaced by the light blue hue of sky, the white clouds whipped past them.

She found her face pushed into Jurhan's chest, she clung to the soft green fabric of his tunic, and mashed her face in harder, as if she ignored the outside world it would go away. Jurhan just grabbed her in a bear hug, and patted her back.

Kehmar Ma struggled with the controls, fighting wind currents, the Yavin's Revenge's aero-dynamic properties were making the ship plummet even faster. He reached up and pulled an emergency switch, and several panels all over the exterior of the ship opened into the wind, creating enough drag for Kehmar Ma to pull the nose up and glide to stop.

Jacen looked at Tenel Ka. He wanted to tell her, he wanted her to know. "I...I..." he stammered. "Oh what the hell," He thought, "We're gonna die anyway." Jacen leaned over and kissed her full on the lips.

Kehmar Ma waited, he released the landing gear, selecting wheels. Then, at the last second, he fired the repulsor jets to slow them down, the forward landing leg plowed down into the snow, and into the ice underneath it. The whole nose of the ship plowed the snow up and over it the cloaking field fizzled, and the ship was visible again.

The Yavin's Revenge slid for 15 feet before it came to a halt. Jurhan unbuckled his crash webbing, and got up. Jaina watched him as he stepped into the airlock, and then outside. She shot up. He just stepped out of the ship with no kind of jacket, or parka or thermal suit, he simply walked out. Jurhan dropped from the airlock door, and looked about the bleak landscape. He did notice the animal tracks in the snow. He climbed back up, and reentered the ship.

"How did you do that?" Jaina asked him.

"Do what?" he replied.

"You just went outside, with no protective clothing, how did you do that? Is it a force thing? Can I do it?"

"It was partially the force, but the human body can do some pretty amazing stuff if you want it to." Jaina starred at him in awe.

Jacen sat up, he looked around and realized he was on the floor. "How'd I get here?" he said.

"You let go of your restraint when you kissed me." Tenel Ka said, standing over him. "I, did not."

"Oh" Jacen replied, he could have sworn he saw her smile when she said kiss, but maybe he had hit his head when they landed. Tenel Ka helped Jacen up.

"Is everyone okay?" Zekk asked unbuckling his crash webbing.

"Can't tell till Jaina and Jurhan get up here." Kehmar Ma said. with that, the last two Jedi's entered the cockpit.

"Everybody's fine." Jurhan said. "There is life on this planet, plus we've enough food for four days, but I suggest we try to leave before night fall."

"Why?" Jacen asked.

"Because like most planets, this one's temperature probably lowers at night, and if the snow around the ship freezes, we may never get out." Jurhan replied.

"Plus, the Black Sun's goons are probably already suiting up in snow gear to come get us." Kehmar Ma added.

"Right, so Lowie, you, Jaina, and Zekk, go back and work on the engine, the cloak and anything else that needs fixing. Jacen, Tenel Ka, Anja, bundle up, we're going outside to cut away the ice and snow."

Jaina crawled slowly into the repair tube, it lead up into the sublight thrusters. She pulled out burnt wires, and spent pieces, and replacing them with reserve parts onboard.

Luckily, the Yavin's Revenge had enough parts on board to build a second engine, life support system, hyperdrive, cloaking device, and enough hull sealant to make the ship triple plated. Jaina dropped down out of the repair tube to find Zekk waiting for her.

"All done?" he asked.

"All done." She replied.

Lowie was up in the main lounge working with the computer to restore the power. Jaina picked up another circuit panel and walked over to the repair tube. "So, Jaina.." Zekk said, dropping to his knees beside her.

"Hmm?" Jaina responded with.

"What do you think of our Jedi friends there?" he asked.

Jaina paused and looked at him. "Zekk... are you jealous?" Jaina asked mockingly.

"No, no, I, I..." Zekk said.

"Zekk, you don't have anything to worry about. Once they get us to Coruscant, and take us home, they'll be gone for good, and you'll still be here." She said with a smile.

Zekk smiled, and she crawled into the repair tube.

***

"Let's go, let's go, get in!" the lead henchman said. Five other Black Sun assassins climbed into the landing shuttle. Each held a heavy blaster rifle in his hand. The whole gang felt a surge as the landing shuttle's engines kicked in, it zoomed away from the station, down towards the icy ball below.

Outside, the rest of the Jedi Knights used their lightsabers to melt the snow.

Jacen walked up to Tenel Ka. "Hey, Tenel Ka, what's the best part about being a stormtrooper?" Jacen asked with a smile.

Though she knew where it was going, Tenel Ka responded. "I do not know, what?" she said.

"Even after you bump your head on low-hanging shuttle bay doors, you can still shoot your blasters and miss wildly with the best of 'em" he said laughing.

"Tenel Ka's mouth curled up in a smile. Even Anja started laughing.

Jurhan noted the scene as he sliced the last of the ice away from the landing legs of the Revenge. Soon though, he felt a tingle, he knew what it meant, the black sun was on their way. He concentrated, using the force to amplify his hearing. Over the wind he detected a dull hum. He deactivated his lightsaber, and popped back into it's clip on his leg.

"Jacen, Tenel Ka, Anja, head inside." He said to the kids. The snow was already starting to leak through Jacen's thermal suit, so he eagerly obliged the Jedi, he crawled across the snow and opened the now clear boarding ramp.

"Why?" Tenel Ka asked.

Jurhan was about to answer when the dull hum became an audible whine, and then a loud roar, as an old imperial landing shuttle flew from a snow bank far behind the Yavin's Revenge. It flew over head, circled twice, and then headed off back over another snow bank to the starboard side.

"They've spotted us!" Anja shouted.

"This is a fact." Tenel Ka said.

Everybody ran to the boarding ramp and climbed inside. Jurhan was the last one in, and he slapped the control closing it. When they were sealed off from the outside, they all began to remove their thermal suits, Kehmar Ma pulled off his heavy jacket, and he and Jurhan ran to the cockpit.

There, they found Jaina sitting at the pilots seat running tests on the repairs.

"What's going on?" she asked as the two Jedi Knights entered.

"Black Sun's spotted us, we've got to go, now." said Jurhan. He leaned over her shoulder, and began to hit the preflight sequence. Kehmar Ma ran in and sat into the co pilots seat, he began to power up the ship. Jacen ran in and sat down at the sensors.

"We've got something incoming." He said.

"I know." Jurhan said. "Assault speeders, armored, with a crew of three, heavy sniper blasters, and tow cables. I'm headed up to the turret to take care of them." he said running into the back of the ship. Jurhan activated the target system. The computer monitor brought a graphic of the terrain he's facing, and two wire frame models of the speeders.

The words "Auto-Tracking, please wait" flashed on the screen. He then activated the guns, and swivelled the turret to face the speeders, he saw them both on the horizon, in a standard wing leader-wing man formation, one hanging back and to the left of the other.

"Should be easy enough to take them out with a few shots." Jurhan thought to himself. Suddenly, the speeders split formation, and each broke left and right and pulled around. Jurhan grumbled, and choose to fire on the lead one. He checked the monitor, it still said "auto tracking" he decided to skip the computer, and depressed the firing stud. His first two shots were too far to the left to cause significant damage. He checked the monitor. It still said "Auto-Tracking, please wait," only now it was explaining that it was trying to process the enemy ship, determine it's weak point, link the blaster cannons, train them on the exact spot he'd have to shoot at to hit that weak spot. Jurhan decided to do that on his own.

He closed his eyes, and stretched out with the force. He let his arms drift, guided by the force they pointed the guns, and without opening his eyes, he depressed the firing stud twice more. The first bolt hit a kink in the engines armor on the lead speeder blasting the armor apart, the second bolt struck the unprotected engine. The rear of the first speeder blasted apart, then the speeder crashed into a snow bank, and exploded leaving blackened debris all over the area, and a large plume of smoke.

Jurhan opened his eyes and smiled. His small victory was cut short. The second speeder was using it's sniper blaster, and it hit a few inches below the turrets transpisteel windows. Two sparks accompanied the near- misses and a hissing sound. The computer came to life, stating it was now online and bringing up the information needed to hit the second speeder.

Jurhan swivelled the turret to point it at the other speeder, which had circled around, and was coming in for another pass. Jurhan checked the computer, made sure was lined up and depressed the firing stud. Nothing happened. He tired again, but then realized where the hiss was coming from. It was coming from the control linking system, they hit the system that linked the guns to the computer and firing controls. He'd have to do it the hard way.

He reached forward, and popped open the hatch in the tranpisteel window, and climbed out. The speeder locked onto his spot he stood at, and fired. He dropped off the ship, into the snow, in a crouch position. The bolts bounced harmlessly off the quantum armor. Jurhan had already had his sniper blaster out. He pointed it at their ship hoping to get a clean shot. He fired twice, and the speeder's engine coughed, and sputtered, and the speeder plowed into the snow. Jurhan stood, he replaced his blaster, and lifted his lightsaber, igniting it.

The three Black Sun henchmen stepped from the speeder, blasters in hand. Jurhan ran forth to the first one, A large green scaly humanoid. The lizard man brought his weapon up to fire. Jurhan held his blade in his right hand, brought it upwards across the tip of his gun, then used the but of his saber to knock the assassin back. A second furry ape like creature fired twice, Jurhan deflected each shot, and lifted his left hand. The gun shot from the apes hand, and landed in the snow at Jurhan's feet. The ape pulled a vibro blade, and ran at Jurhan, Jurhan ducked under the blade, but the Ape was actually quite smart, the knife ended up being lodged in his shoulder, he spun, his lightsaber cut the ape in two.

The smoking halves landed on the ground behind him. For a moment, when he pulled the blade out, he admired the ape. The last thug, a human raised his gun, and behind Jurhan the lizard man stood, and let his claws out. Jurhan ducked and rolled toward the human, who fired, hitting the lizard man square in the chest. Jurhan popped up cutting off the front of the humans gun, and hitting him with a knee to the stomach. The human toppled. Jurhan turned to walk back, when the human pulled a vibro blade from his side. the Jedi twisted his wrist, causing his lightsaber to spin, slicing the human's arm off. The Human screamed in pain, Jurhan whipped his left arm around, cutting the human across the gut. Jurhan turned. and headed towards the Yavin's Revenge.

"You're hurt." Jaina said indicating his arm, when he got onboard. The sleeve of his tunic was soaked in his blood, and was red from his shoulder, to halfway down his foram.

"Ahhh I'll be fine." Jurhan said lowering himself into the copilot's seat. "Now let's get out of here." he said.

"With pleasure." Kehmar Ma said.

They felt the ship lift off the ground, and left the snowy surface behind them. The blue sky in front of them gradually bled off into the blackness of space. "Okay hit the cloak, and we'll be on our way." Jurhan said.

"Can't, it's been reset." Kehmar Ma said.

"What's that mean?" Jacen asked.

"Means it has to power up." Jurhan told the young man, he, then, turned back to the ships pilot,

"Well kick in the hyperdrive." Jurhan said. Kehmar Ma gave a nod and pulled the switch. The Hyperdrive whined as it powered up, then whined as it powered down.

"What the?!" Jurhan said.

"No Hyperdrive?" Jaina asked. Jurhan looked at Lowie, who roared.

"Master Lowbacca insists that he had fixed it, and that it is not his fault." Em Teedee said.

Jurhan and Lowie ran into the back. Lowie hooked Em Teedee up to the engine diagnostics. Then began to work with Jurhan to see what was wrong with the hyperdrive.

"We've got two blastboats comin up." Jacen shouted. Kehmar Ma moved the ship around to keep from being hit by the Blastboats blaster cannons.

"Oh! Master Lowbacca, you forgot to reactivate the fuel stream to the hyperdrive's engine matrix, that's why it doesn't work!" Em Teedee shouted.

Lowie walked to the fuel pump, entered the activation command and pressed enter. "The hyperdrive should function properly now." Em Teedee said.

Jurhan ran to the cockpit. "Try it now!" He said. Kehmar Ma pulled the switch again. The Blastboats both fired there torpedoes towards the Yavin's Revenge both missed, as the ship shot off into hyperspace.

* * *

Jaina stood on one of Coruscant's open air balconies. She looked out over the bustling city. It made her feel better to know she was home, and not stuck on a ball of ice somewhere. Behind her, she heard someone clear their throat. She spun to find Jurhan standing behind her.

Her parents insisted he and Kehmar Ma stay until it was time for the kids to go back to Yavin 4, then the fully repaired Yavin's Revenge will have a full escort home. Jaina noted he no longer wore his Jedi cloak, or the green tunic she had first seen him in, but now a navy blue sleeveless shirt. She also noted his shoulder was bandaged.

He walked up and stood next to her on the balcony.

"I never tire of this view," she said.

"I don't know, I couldn't live here that long."

Jaina turned to him. "Why not?" she asked.

"Jaina, I'm from the Planet Gelf, a world covered with forests, plains, mountains , deserts, lakes, rivers, oceans. My people spend almost all their time outside in the natural world. Until I was 12, I lived in the forests on that world. But not here. The entire surface of this place is covered with cities, and not only that, but cities upon cities. There is no nature here. There isn't even a ground." He said.

"But there is. It's just a different kind." She said. "And one of these days," she said, taking her hand in his. "I'll show it to you."

"I'll take you up on that someday." he said, then he raised her hand, and kissed it.

Jaina smiled."Anyway, your mother sent me out here to tell you that the evening meal is almost ready." Jurhan said.

"Well then, what are we waiting for." she replied, and they turned and walked back into the palace.

THE END