The Children of the Stars

Twin Bonds

Jacen sat with Allana in the little port-seat of the complex on Coruscant. His gaze was still distant as it was when he first opened his eyes on the Falcon.

They'd arrived at the new Jedi base on Coruscant the evening prior. Everyone welcomed the return of Allana, Valin, Tahiri, Jacen, Kyp, and Ben. But no one seemed to notice Nellith's absence.

"Don't expect too much on that front," Valin whispered after dinner, when Allana tried to bring up her twin's name. "We had a lot of encounters with her when she was dark across the galaxy."

And yet Allana kept trying to reach out to her, to try to offer her some message or power or protection. Anything, just to know that she wasn't alone, that Allana refused to let her be alone.

"Jaina's gone," Jacen finally said. He looked confused. "She— she reached out to me, when she died. But I thought—"

His shoulders shook.

"I thought it was another one of Thea's tricks." He closed his eyes, and placed his head in his hands. "She died calling out for me and I failed her. She must hate me."

"She doesn't," Allana assured him as she hugged him. "We found Dad on Ahch-To— he was waiting for all of us there, all this time, it seems— and I entered a cave with a strong connection to the dark side."

"It allowed you to speak with the dead?" Jacen sat up, brandy-brown eyes wide open.

"Well, just Jaina, so far." There was one dead face she had hoped to see— one that she'd known since the night of the Second Purge would be among the shades. "And she wanted us to come find and rescue you. She also had a message."

"What was it?"

"She loves you very much," Allana said.

"Of course she'd only be sappy when she's dead and can't die of embarrassment," Jacen chuckled.

Allana let out a light exhale in the sort of sad-humor way. "She helped me connect back to the Force. I guess on that night, after Anakin died. . . I cut myself off from it entirely. I didn't know it, but all this time everyone was trying to contact me, reach out— but I'd been shutting everyone and everything out."

"This isn't your fault, you know." Jacen took her hand. "I just— we should have gone back for Nellith. We should save her."

"Valin says they probably won't, because everyone ran into her so much back when she was the Empress's Hand."

Jacen shook his head. "Valin might be one of my best friends, but he can be really dense about some things."

"Like what?"

"I forgave her a long time ago." Jacen looked off into the stars above. "I was angry with her, how she tricked me at first. But Nellith, for some reason, always came to visit me, and I always tried to talk her out of what she was doing, tried to convince her to save me."

"Zekk said she was slowly changing." Another piece clicked into place for Allana. "You must've been what changed her mind. What caused him to deliver her in a cryogenic box to the New Republic. You did save her, at first."

"But then we lost her."

The two of them were solemn and quiet again.

Then Kyp darted in.

"Allana— you've got to come see this," he said.

"Just give me a minute—" Jacen started to stand, but Kyp gently pushed him back into the seat.

"Don't worry about it, she'll be right back," Kyp promised. "Remember— you need to relax."

Jacen said nothing, although his eyes revealed how unhappy he truly was with that request. "I'm not an invalid, you know."

"Yes— but— it's been a long time," Allana said simply. "I'll be right back, Jaysa— I promise."

Jacen sighed and sank back into his chair at the childhood nickname. The one that mainly Jaina had used.

Allana then followed Kyp into the next room.

"What's up?"

He pointed at the large holo screen the Jedi were crowded around.

It was Darth Keera again— the sound was off, but the Aubresh letters and the picture of her sister was enough to tell her what was going on.

"They're using Nellith instead of Jacen."

Ben then suddenly stood up. "No child of mine is dying today."

"Wait, Dad, no—"

The Jedi swarmed one of their masters, begging and pleading with him not to go.

"We need you," said Valin. "Sir— we've been looking for you all this time—"

"Who else will be able to stop Darth Keera—"

"Please, you're our last hope—"

"STOP!"

Everyone turned to see Jacen walk through the doorway.

"We're all sitting here trying to stop him from going?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "We should be going with him?"

"Jacen, buddy, what are you talking about?" Valin called out.

Jysella Horn elbowed her brother sharply in the ribs. "Yes, continue, Jacen?"

Jacen raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it obvious? We need to go save Nellith."

"But she tried to attack us several times— ow, Jysella!"

"And she was working for the dark side when she lured you away from us, Knight Skywalker," added Tyria Sarkin. "Who's to say this isn't another trick?"

"It isn't." Allana spoke, her words like Padme Amidala's cutting through all other sound like the light of a star cut through atmospheres. "My sister was returned to us by Zekk, with the influence of Darth Keera removed. She went on the mission to save Jacen to atone for her actions, even if she could not remember them and most likely does not bear true responsibility."

"We're Jedi," Jacen cried exasperatedly into the now-silent room. "We're supposed to be better than revenge and leaving people to die. What kind of Jedi are we, if we don't forgive?"

The next words came from Ben.

"What kind of Jedi would Rey want you to be?"

Realization sank into the hearts of all of the Jedi as they realized what the next steps were.

"We're going to save Nellith, and show the galaxy that the Jedi are done hiding and running," Allana declared. "And after that? We'll reclaim our place on Tatooine, and rebuild the Praxeum! Who's with us?"

A cheer rose from the Jedi.

Allana looked to Jacen, who smiled and nodded. "We'e got some work to do, and we've got to move fast, if we want to pull it off. May the Force be with us all."