“ They took Leia,” Han said without preamble ( Read more... )

The good news: Ben was getting a home-cooked meal for the first time in forever. The bad news: Aunt Leia was making her feared spiceloaf. He sat down on the comfortable white sofa in his aunt and uncle's living room, flipped the channel to the Perre Needmo Newshour, and reached down--well, less down now than over, Allana's pet nexu had gotten ( Read more... )

The attack came later than Ben had anticipated--past midnight instead of at sunset--and with a lack of subtlety that spoke of a hurriedly thrown together plan.

But then, Ben reflected, lightsaber glowing as he stared down the cliffs into the forest as they prepared for a third salvo, how subtle could you be when you were attacking with rancors?

" ( Read more... )

Dathomir, Ben thought a little darkly, was picking up where the Maw had left off. First they'd been hassled by a low-level bureaucrat for even being on the planet, then they'd run into one of the Dathomiri witches who'd used Force lightning to short-circuit their lightsabers, comm equipment, and unfortunately, the speeders they'd been riding on.

( Read more... )

Ben stretched his arms up over his head as he exited the Senate Building, falling behind Jaina, his father, aunt and uncle and the gaggle of Jedi Masters in order to talk with Ender more privately. "I know I promised you boring, but I didn't think it was going to be that stupefying. I think the Bothan diplomat could be hired out as an insomnia ( Read more... )

Ben pointed with his right hand to the building coming up next to them as he and Ender zipped through traffic in Ben's birthday speeder. "That's where we're heading," he said. "Aunt Leia's going to meet us at the docking bay." He smiled wryly. "We can watch the Senate debate for a while and if you still have an appetite, we can find some lunch ( Read more... )

Ben followed the sound of Han's whooping and wasn’t surprised to see everyone he wanted to in the same place. He loitered in the doorway and watched as Jaina stood in the grass and concentrated hard enough to shatter a disk of lightsaber-proof beskar with her mind. He didn’t blame Han for being excited at all.

( He's baaaack! )

Ben sat as unobtrusively as possible in the room as Jaina made her case to the Council and to her parents. “Mom and Dad, I’m sorry for this,” she said, looking them straight in the eyes, “but I think we have to go after Jacen. I think it’s our duty ( Read more... )

Weeks passed. The Jedi base was packed up, most of the equipment and ships airlifted to their new location, and Luke finally returned from Fondor, walking through the vacant halls with a stony expression. Ben caught rumors of a dogfight with Jacen (and really. Like Jacen had a shot against his dad), Niathal and Jacen turning warships against each ( Read more... )

Ben sat in the tiny room that had been set aside for him on Endor, packing up the few belonging he’d left there. The next time he returned to this galaxy, the Jedi would be somewhere else: too many people knew about this place ( Read more... )