will1@earthling.net Fanged Butterfly Vol. 2: Knightcross Chapter 22 by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Marvel's are Marvel's. LFL's are LFL's. Any original characters are mine. The rest belong to their owners/creators. No money is being made off of this. Please don't sue. WARNING: Some violence, graphic imagery, and mature themes. ----------------------------------------------- 40 ABY: Kuat System, Core Worlds Region, 11 days after the Battle of Corellia: ----------------------------------------------- They'd come out of nowhere. The Confederacy obviously had decided to take advantage of the instability in the GA government after that poodoo head Caedus' revelation as a Sith Lord ... GA Naval Lieutenant Syal Antilles shook her head, swinging her bulky Twee starfighter around and sniping another Corellian Shrike fighter. How the Solos could've produced a son as loathsome as Jacen Solo, as HYPOCRITICAL, escaped her. Unfortunately, a round of laser fire from that Shrike's wingman didn't, breaching her shields. Syal's gunner, Zueb, died instantly; she was able to go EVA, but the Twee's debris field slapped her environmental suit with shrapnel. The puncture sealed itself, but the agonizing pain in her torso told her things were bad ... and she was hallucinating, she swore ... when a YUUZHAN VONG frigate analogue DECLOAKED by her, and tractored her onboard? ----------------------------------------------- Endor: 11 Days after the Battle of Corellia: ----------------------------------------------- The holoconnection to Coruscant was working well. Leia was grateful for the distraction. Anything to keep from trying to rationalize why Jacen had ... Vongformed Ben. #I made excuses for him. Even after Ailyn Vel. At least he had the decency to turn over her body. He experimented on his OWN COUSIN ... my nephew,# Leia thought, tamping down her revulsion and heartsickness as Niathal and G'vli G'sil came into focus. "Your Highness. Thank you for agreeing to moderate this arrangement," Kenth Hamner - the Jedi Council's liasion with the GA military, and most logical choice for a Jedi to serve in the temporary triumverate during the course of the now expanding war - said, sitting beside Leia. "Always, Kenth. And it's Leia. We're all old friends," she said, managing a smile. Well, G'sil was tolerable, and Kenth had had the courage to challenge Niathal when Jacen snapped. Niathal ... Leia had to weigh her, before she risked the Jedi committing to this power share. "Then, as old friends, let me apologize for the way we ... allowed Colonel Solo to mislead us," Niathal said, appropriately embarrassed. Leia nodded; she wasn't going to disagree there. She'd trusted Jacen too. Worse, she wasn't sure he didn't still have a lock on her heart ... She never forgot how her children had been as babies. Nor would she ever forget how Ben had looked after he'd taken off that cloak. There was being a mother, and being forgiving. Jacen was an adult; Ben, a trusting boy, or he had been before Jacen hung him from the Embrace. She shook her head, saying, "Sorry. Just ... a lot going on. Admiral, I think we can agree to support you and Senator G'sil as the two legs of the triumverate, with Kenth as the third, IF we can get some assurance that there won't be another incident like the Coruscant Temple." "We promise, Your Highness. That was totally Colonel Solo's doing. We recognize the need for the Jedi's safety to be assured, especially after that ... THING in the Senate attacked the admiral and Masters Skywalker and Braddock," G'sil said, looking nauseous. "Say Sith, G'vli. Fearing a thing gives it power. Unfortunately, we can't divert a battle group to level Korriban, or we would. Assuming that IS where these Sith are based out of," Niathal said. "Grand Master Skywalker believes it is, Grand Admiral. The planet has a dark side aura that makes it very hard to pick out individual Force signatures unless you're on the surface. And sending a GA task force without Jedi to confront Sith would be ... costly," Kenth warned, shuddering despite himself. Leia didn't blame him. If that Krayt had been powerful enough to fight Luke to a stalemate, AND there were more than two Sith ... She suddenly wished either Jaina or Anakin were staying behind, and feared for her children. And let herself hope she still HAD three children. ----------------------------------------------- Queen Mother's Palace, Hapes, Hapes Consortium, Inner Rim Territories: 12 days after the Battle of Corellia: ----------------------------------------------- Tenel Ka listened, trying not to hear the furious words, grateful that Allana was safe on Endor. She wondered if, maybe, letting the girl go to Ossus, to BE the Jedi Allana wished to be, was a fairer fate than raising her baby as a queen who would have to constantly watch her back. Jedi weren't perfect, though. She'd been blinded even with the Force. Poisoned love was a cruel, cruel thing ... both between parents and children, and between lovers. "... DISAPPOINTING!? You're so far PAST disappointing it's not funny!" Han shouted, disgust and fury and pain in his voice. He was such a ... good man, beneath the rough exterior, Tenel Ka thought, wiping her eyes. Han had an utterly unHapan masculinity, not pretentious or pampered; cocksure. A rogue knight. The kind good Hapan women weren't supposed to want, but who they giggled over with their closest friends anyhow. The kind Tenel Ka had once seen in a brave, caring boy on Yavin 4. "... spare me. You betrayed your family, helped execute Thrackan, and trusted Gejjen. That vermin tried to have Allana killed, and you let him LIVE," Tenel Ka's ... involuntary guest taunted, in that icy voice she'd given up trying to condition out of him. Lord Caedus, she had found, laughed at shock collars. What was worse was that he could switch those accursed yellow orange eyes on and off; hit her with those achingly JACEN eyes ... Everything he told her was a lie. Safer to stay away, to let the guards change his chamber pot and bring him food and water and cleansers. "... better come up with a way to turn Ben back, or I'll HELP Mara carve it out of you!" Han's angry retort rang across the garden. Tenel Ka didn't mind the display; let her nobles have something to gossip over. Her stand in the Senate had galvanized enough supporters in the Hapan nobility that her power base was nigh unshakable. The cost was still too high. "... what makes you think what I did to him is a BAD thing? He's stronger, tougher, able to heal almost instantly, can endure for days ... a MASTERPIECE," Caedus shot back, sounding sickeningly ... happy, as Han cursed. She'd seen the holo of Ben after his ... changes, and had almost slain Caedus herself on the spot. Ben was like Jacen's SON, the one she hadn't dared give Jacen herself; a boy child in Hapan society always faced derision. Her father, Isolder, was a rare exception, and then only because of his combat prowess. Ben was also a warrior ... but Tenel Ka mourned for his innocence. If he needed a refuge, she would grant it. Unquestioningly. Ben had saved her on Dathomir, loved Allana like a sister ... She absently wondered if, had things been different, could she and Jacen have raised the children on some quiet rural world. No. Luke and Mara might have allowed Jacen to teach their son, but they were Ben's parents. Tenel Ka would never sanction kidnapping a child. EVER. And whatever had sickened Jacen's spirit had festered long before he had returned to Tenel Ka's side. She looked up from her tears as Han, exhausted, walked in from the garden and shrugged. "Sorry, kiddo. Colonel Thug there isn't repentant," Han sighed, as Tenel Ka patted his shoulder. "I am sorry I did not see him for what he was before ... he ... hurt Ben. Or fomented war," Tenel Ka said, shaking, and letting Han put an arm around her. "Whenever you want Allana home, just call us. We'll always kidsit, too," Han said, smiling weakly. "Thank you. For everything. You ... I know, there must still be good in him SOMEWHERE, with a father like you, and a mother like Leia. Even if ..." Tenel Ka breathed. She kissed Han's cheek and said, "Let Allana stay a bit longer with her aunt and uncle and grandparents." "She at least should be happy, right?" Han said. "Fact. For as long as possible," Tenel Ka agreed, watching him leave. ----------------------------------------------- Endor, 13 days after the Battle of Corellia: ----------------------------------------------- He was wearing shorts as a bathing suit, not really seeing the point anymore; the pouch was ... normal, to him, even after this short a time. Ben had once shuddered at the ... casual way he'd embraced nudity as ... natural. But he was more disturbed by clothing, now. #Genetic rewrite's spreading, Aunt Cilghal said,# Ben recalled, worried. In a matter of days, he'd likely be permanently hairless, according to the computer projections. It'd be ... almost welcome, part of Ben ... urged. He'd come to the lake with Jaina, Jag, Allana, Anakin and Tahiri, mostly for a break; training and testing and considering the Council's offer had tired Ben. The ache from the implants had faded, though. Ben wasn't sure if that was a bad sign or not. Mom was ... very unMara like, around him. Gentler. Ben tried to get her to joke, but she rarely laughed. Dad going to Korriban had troubled her; she'd admitted that he'd had a hard time seeing what might be waiting there. Worse, the Force blindness around Korriban seemed HARDER for Dad to deal with than for the other Masters. Ben wasn't pretending to be smarter than Tionne, but the cop in him deduced that something on the Sith tombworld was waiting for Master Skywalker. No Force hints or Jedi Mastery was necessary to figure THAT out. At least Ben still had a dad he could love ... he felt bad for ... Allana walked over in a pink one piece swimsuit, cuddling her tauntaun, and sat beside him on the towel. "Aunt Jaina says you're changing," his little cousin asked, and Ben carefully put an arm around her as she leaned on him. "Do I scare you?" Ben asked, without anger; he wouldn't blame Allana if he did. She hugged him and said, "Nuh uh. You're still Ben, just ... like a rancor. A han'some rancor." Ben considered that, figuring that for a Dathomiri child, a rancor would be a welcome pet. "Thanks, Allana," Ben said, smiling as Allana looked up at him and beamed. "Jacen Tauntaun?" she offered, and Ben accepted the furry toy, holding onto it for a while. THIS Jacen didn't scare him, at least. He gave Allana the tauntaun back and walked into the tide, finding ... a crystal. Silver, it looked like. Ben felt like it could be a good focus for a lightsaber. For HIS lightsaber ... a blade reflecting light and dark. Ben managed a smile, and caught the ball Allana tossed to him, after he pocketed the crystal. He'd have time enough to reflect on the tramp freighter ride to Hapes, to face the Jacen who DID scare him. ----------------------------------------------- They'd left Allana with Ben; Jaina could sense the boy wouldn't harm his cousin. And it'd been so LONG since she and Jag had ... well. "That ... was ..." Jag mumbled in the thicket they'd made off to, a blanket beneath them. Her husband's exhaustion was the best compliment Jaina could think of. But they had business to discuss away from Allana. And Ben, Jaina lamented. "The bounty. After what Jacen did ... do we go to Hapes and put a round in him?" Jaina broached. "You are deliciously vengeful. Very Swordlike. I missed that, with all the quiet rest we've been having ... after Syal and all," Jag said, looking lost for a moment. It was hard enough that he'd lost three siblings to warfare in the Unknown Regions, Jaina thought, running a hand through Jag's short black and white hair. It was worse when he, and Wedge, Iella and Myri, didn't KNOW if Syal was dead or not. A starfighter pilot herself, Jaina empathized deeply with her cousin in law. And if Jacen couldn't be salvaged ... should Jag be denied his promised reward from the Chiss? "I am tired of death for a time, love. Shocking, I know, my being one of the Fel Blades and all that ..." Jag said with his usual droll sense of humor. "Liar. You just know I'd have a hard time pulling the trigger," Jaina joked, silently blessing her man for his ... patience. She wasn't sure HOW hard it'd be to resist, though. Then she thought of Ben, and his changes. Part of Jaina should've cried at the idea of executing her twin. Most of her wished Tenel Ka had taken more than Caedus' arm. A quick kill would've hurt both Solo twins less. ----------------------------------------------- Tahiri nodded approvingly as she watched Ben and Allana kick around a beach ball; the boy wasn't gone, after all. Even Vong children played games. The part of her that was Riina had been appraising Ben since he'd dueled Betsy, thinking that Behn could be a handsome addition to the Yuuzhan Vong. Tahiri had quietly reassured Ben that NO, he wasn't a freak. He'd gratefully hugged her, and seemed better. If ANYONE understood what Ben was going through, it was Tahiri Riina Yim Veila Solo. Minus the nose, add some Vong programming, and Behn'd be scrumptious. But, like Tahiri, Ben was going to have to find his balance between his human and Vong sides. It wasn't easy. But she'd had Anakin, and Han and Leia, and Jaina and the Skywalkers and ... Tahiri promised herself that if Jaina and Jag didn't get around to sending Caedus to Yun Yammka, she would. Anakin, dear that he was, was too busy with his new Mastery, and preparing for the Korriban trip. She watched him, smiling at how his tight black swimbrief clung to him, as he dueled the Ewok Kettch along the lake, purple blade dancing with green. That was Ani; focused on doing things, whether with machines or the Force. He'd trained Kettch to use the Force, to be a Jedi, just for the stang of it. The accomplishment should've been worth Mastery. Ani, bless him, had been too busy being a husband in all but the vows, and a Knight, to accept Mastery. He was too humble, too earthy, and Tahiri thought maybe Ben could benefit from Ani's stubborness, too. She still thought Behn could stand a nose job. ----------------------------------------------- Errant Venture, Endor Orbit: 15 Days after the Battle of Corellia: ----------------------------------------------- "THEY ELECTED *YOU*!?" Corran Horn ... wheezed. The Corellian Jedi Master SWORE his beard turned white right there. His father in law, Booster Terrik, aged Corellian ex smuggler king and gleeful owner of the floating space casino called the Errant Venture ... was the interim Prime Minister of Corellia. "I won't KEEP it, of course. Too much fun running the tables here," Booster said, sipping Corellian ale as his daughter, Mirax, Corran's wife, sighed. "You mean, not enough pay or women," Mirax warned, giving her and Corran's adult children, Valin and Jysella, comforting looks. Both kids were fully confirmed Jedi, but Corran still worried. They were always his kids, after all. After what had happened to Ben, Corran was VERY glad the kids were going to Tatooine with Betsy Braddock. She watched out for people. "Well, it can't be any more dangerous than that trip to Ryloth," Betsy - a frequent guest at the Horn dinner table, since she and Mirax got along well and Betsy had helped Jysella hone her mental powers - said, returning Booster's smile. "HA! If it'd been like THAT, I'd call you to deal with the other candidates," Booster cackled. Betsy looked ... bemused, and merely said, "I don't think my skills on the Ryloth mission would've hidden weapons to counter assassins ..." Corran and Mirax traded a Look, as Jysella looked innocently confused and Valin blushed. No, Korriban might be safer than asking, Corran decided. Dinner with his father in law always brought up dangerous conversation topics. ----------------------------------------------- Betsy bade the Horns farewell until she departed with Valin, Jysella, K'urod and Neal on the morrow; if she could sleep safely, it was aboard a garishly red painted Star Destroyer orbiting a moon full of other Jedi. The Angel's Wing sat in Booster's hangar, recovered from Agamar by his crew. It would repay the marker he owed Betsy from Ryloth ... But the less Corran heard about how Booster had had to be freed from a female Hutt, the better. Booster didn't need the embarrassment, and Corran didn't need the nightmares. #Speaking of nightmares ... I hope Ben is sleeping well,# Betsy worried. She was more than familiar with the dangers of genetic modification ... how the boy might change without realizing it. They were approaching a crossroads, and Betsy wasn't sure what was coming ... only the stakes. Korriban. Tatooine. Far flung places. Untold risks. An innocent soul at stake. Betsy vowed she was going to help Ben. But first ... she was going to sift some sand.. ----------------------------------------------- tbc ...