The Children of the Stars

Invincible

A fleet of Imperial ships surrounded Centerpoint Station in a blockade formation. The station was not far from the one Corellian moon that could not sustain life on its own, but that didn't explain how it was so visible.

"It has a cloaking device on it," Ben explained, as if he'd read Nellith's mind. "Ancient. It would be impossible to find without the Force."

Nellith swallowed, looking at the challenge looming ahead of them through the viewport of the Millenniium Falcon. "How did Darth Keera control it, then? Isn't it programmed to you?"

"It is— but it might allow for individuals with similar resonances in the Force or related DNA to access its interface the same as whomever has bonded to it, or the bond has expired." Ben shrugged. "It's difficult to tell with ancient Builder technology like this."

"Kriff," Nellith murmured as she absorbed the situation, clutching the two new lightsabers' hilts.

"Watch your language," Ben chided. But he too looked worried about the challenge ahead of them.

The other ships from Hapes, the Republic, and Tatooine all leapt out of hyperspace in sync, ready to follow the Falcon into battle.

"Kyp, Sam, get to the turrets," Ben ordered. "We're going to need all the firepower we can get."

"Everyone else, I hope you fastened your safety harnesses properly," Rey said as she flipped some switches to activate the newly-repaired shields on the old ship. "It's about to get rough."

Little did Nellith understand how much she was about to fuilfill that promise.

Nellith considered herself a pretty good pilot, and a decent fighter in something like the Falcon. But what happened next was perhaps the most disorienting ride that Nellith could ever recall.

In a blur of color and swerving maneuvers, Nellith felt deeply sick to her stomach as they weaved through the blockade, taking out TIEs and smaller interceptor-style ships in the process.

Explosions reverberated through the ship as Sam and Kyp fired with deadly accuracy, the red and orange of the flames cutting through the bright green of the laser bolts flying from all sides.

"Come on," Jaina said, unbuckling her seatbelt as they approached the docking bay of Centerpoint Station. "We're going to have to hit the ground running."

Grateful to follow her sister's lead, Nellith, Valin, Kitri, Jacen, and Tahiri followed Jaina and descended the loading ramp as soon as they hit the ground.

Tahiri used her blaster as everyone ignited their lightsabers to shoot down the droids and stormtroopers that came in as the first wave.

Other Jedi ships managed to land around them— players like Tionne, the rest of the Horns, Katarn, and Zekk filled the docking bay as more troops and Sith came at them.

"Go on without us," Jaina ordered Nellith as they stood back-to-back. "We'll keep the rest of them distracted here. You find Keera and stop her from taking the station!"

Nellith nodded— everyone else would be needed here, even her parents.

She would have to fight this battle on her own.

But she'd seen that coming, she'd felt it in her gut. That was what she had felt when she had first attempted to face off against Darth Keera on New Alderaan.

Yes, then she had been confused and angry and had not been thinking like a Jedi.

But not she was. She was stronger, and finally understood that she could not do this for simple revenge. This was no petty act— it was a gesture that could save the entire galaxy for another generation at least.