How Did This Happen?

A new sunrise.

He tripped the instrument’s scan switch, watching the coppery line of her body project from head to toe. Then, extending the sheet-crystal paddles to the max, the image bore the bright, blue corona of the Force.

Powering down the unit, he quietly whispered to the petite, blonde teenager, "Are you certain of your commitment?" She nodded yes.

He motioned with his hand, "This is Tionne, a Jedi teacher and she will start your Jedi training." Luke spoke to the eager girl. The female followed Tionne out of the testing room.

Wedge poked his head from the doorway, "That is the last candidate for the day, Luke."

"Thanks." Luke expressed.

Luke curled up on the nerf brown sofa and crossed his legs, stretching with his Jedi senses for the calming motions of the Force. Jedi Master Luke Skywalker let the Force flow through his body and mind. Images of his family, planets and the Yuuzhan Vong were vivid in his mind. The burdens since the invasion of the Yuuzhan Vong was growing every day, the uproar of the New Republic Senate over Jedi involvement or lack of involvement, the downfall of the Jedi Knights, one at a time, from the continuing battles with the Yuuzhan Vong warriors, continual training and establishment of the Jedi Knights and finally, the birth and protection of his only child, a talented Force sensitive son, Ben, named after his former Jedi Master and friend.

Wedge asked, "This is a Force detector?" examining the shiny device, breaking Skywalker’s Jedi trance.

Luke answered without opening his eyes, "Yes, it is a very valuable tool. You don’t need any skill with the Force to use this equipment. We can find people with Jedi potential just by scanning their auras. I credit Kam for saving it along with the Jedi children when the Yuuzhan Vong attacked Yavin 4."

Wedge plopped down on the matching nerf brown chair next to Luke’s sofa.

"How is the pilot program going?" Luke opened his eyes.

"Good, the new recruits are determined and eager to fight," Wedge, silently pausing, slumping his shoulders. General Wedge Antilles and the formal commander of Rogue squadron, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, had seen lots of recruits come and go during the Rebellion, the Imperial surprise attacks and the new threat the Yuuzhan Vong.

"I don’t think this is enough. The more the New Republic learns and advances against the Yuuzhan Vong, the more losses we suffer." Wedge stood up, pacing the gray stone floor.

Luke understood. He, along with Wedge, was sending more young lives into battle for freedom, again.

"I’m sick of them," Wedge said turning to Luke with a vengeful scorn. "They are everywhere in our galaxy. Why.... why can’t you... or the Force just blink them out of existence."

Luke stared without blinking, hearing the desperation from his old friend. He stood and walked to Wedge, placing his hand on Wedge’s shoulder, "The Jedi does not attack out of vengeance."

She found it.

The hidden moon located in Wild Space territory. She had heard rumors of the formation of a secret pilot base where the New Republic trains for attacks on the Yuuzhan Vong coralskippers.

The moon contained four oval shaped, green-colored continents and half of the planet consisted of blue-gray shaded water. The three black space stations surrounding the moon looked like gigantic spinning toys, only two of the three space stations were completely constructed. The red Imperial Star Destroyer made a spectacular impression of military might for the recruits joining the New Republic pilot training program.

"Naboo cruiser, alter course to Space Station One, berth 60," the controller ordered.

"Copy, controller", she confirmed.

She punched the scanner mode. The space station schematic revealed twenty decks. The lower decks were filled with all type of spacecraft from A-wings to X-wings, corvettes, cruisers and some old time transport frigates. The upper decks were maintenance, communications and living quarters. She docked and secured her silver cruiser, walking toward one of the registration booths.

"State you name and registration ID for the database," the yellow colored droid ordered.

"Thena Firestar, PJ818," she replied.

The yellow droid stated coldly, "You have been assigned quarters in level 19, berth 13."

Thena tapped her datacard, walking towards her new home, "I feel like a number, 18, 13, R2."

Beep, beep, the black and silver astrodriod responded to Thena’s statement, paddling at her side.

"Sorry, Dee, I did not mean to insult you," Thena apologized patting her X-wing partner on its dome.

"No more Dark thoughts, Wedge", Luke shaking his friend’s hand then, climbed into his X-wing, leaving the pilot training base to go home to Mara and little Ben.

"May the Force be with you, Luke," Wedge spoke, signaling Luke that he was clear to leave the hanger deck.

As Wedge quietly headed back to his living quarters, level 20, berth 10, he grabbed a cup of sweetened stemcaf. Flopping on the red nerf repulsor chair, he stared at the new list of recruits starting tomorrow’s pilot program. After a few moments, he dropped the datapad by his side. His thoughts randomly were floating around his mind.

The anger was gone. Wedge smiled to himself, Luke must have purged something, when he touched my shoulder with the Force.

But, Wedge still felt helpless. The feeling expanding from thought to thought. What else can he do to overcome this feeling of helplessness in order to save the New Republic, his pilots, his friends, and his family?

Wedge’s memory flashed back to the first Death Star destruction. He recalled the malfunction of his X-wing console after he had been hit with a laser. He remembered the disappointment of not helping Luke carry out the mission. Luke succeeded in blowing up the first Death Star because of the Force talent he possessed.

Wedge, next, remembered his surprise when Luke announced that Corran Horn’s grandfather was Nejaa Halcyon, a Jedi Master, famous from the Clone Wars. Corran could become a Jedi, like Luke. Wedge remembered the hollow feeling in his gut, envy, of not possessing the Force talent.

His recent experience in blowing up a Yuuzhan Vong worldship and the lives of his family. Wedge selected the planet for their safety to protect them from the Yuuzhan Vong warriors but they attacked, while he was on that mission, Kyp Durron’s mission of deception. Everyone was killed on the planet. If he possessed the Force talent, he could have saved them, like Luke’s saves his family but Wedge does not possess the Force. He could have felt the danger. Wedge felt grief, guilt, hate and helplessness.

"No, not helplessness, vengeance. Revenge against the Yuuzhan Vong," Wedge shouted to himself.

A new sunrise.

This is boring, thought Ensign Thena Firestar, new X-wing pilot trainee, staring at the wall, while someone was making a presentation or something about welcoming everyone and how dangerous the missions are. Yadda. Yadda. Yadda. That is why we are here to blow the Yuuzhan Vong out of the sky or should I say the galaxy.

After General Wedge Antilles’ welcoming speech, each squadron member had assigned a trainee student to test his or her skill level on the X-wing simulator.

"Ensign Firestar", Wedge yelled.

Thena cringed, she disliked the title. When she served her home planet militia, she was a commander and now, she is starting all over again as a lowly ensign. "Yo," Thena shouted.

"Yes sir, Ensign," General Wedge Antilles ordered.

"Yes sir," Thena muttered to herself. "Yes, I am starting over but not without the possibility of a quick advancement." Thena recognized the general who was speaking and hopefully after her brilliant X-wing exhibition she would get promoted in her new squadron to lieutenant or, maybe, a higher rank.

General Antilles pointed to the gray X-wing simulator in the corner. Thena climbed into the X-wing sim and Wedge into the mocked up dorsal shaped machine, which was the New Republic’s version of a Yuuzhan Vong coralskipper.

Thena punched up the view screen. It contained a unknown planet, surrounded by numerous Vong coralskippers. Thena spoke into the comlink, "Your assignment, if you chose to accept it, is to..."

"Protect the base and try to save the lives of the citizens," Wedge forcefully interrupted Thena’s comments.

"This one has an attitude", Wedge mumbled to himself, "which might just save her life".

Ensign Thena Firestar junked and dunked her X-wing sim up and down around the planet atmosphere and blowing all the coralskippers out of the sky. She was smirking inside her simulator, Lieutenant Commander.

"This kid is good," Wedge thought.

"The fun is just beginning, Ensign," Wedge stated.

Suddenly out of the black, starry sky, a large, ugly destroyer analogy dropped out of the hyperspace into the planet’s atmosphere. Thena shouted into her headset, "More target practice, General."

Firestar’s mind was racing. What maneuver to use against a Yuuzhan Vong destroyer in a small X-wing? Thena wanted to impress Antilles, who could make her a lieutenant if her testing was outstanding. Thena bombarded the destroyer with sprays of lasers, splinter shots and proton torpedoes while maneuvering the big ship to the planet’s moon. This was a simulator that could simulate anything, Thena thought.

Using the Force, Thena scanned the computer’s mainframe specs for an Interdictor application. She flipped two internal switches on the mainframe keyboard adding another element into the main program, shared by Wedge and her simulator’s virtual web.

Bypassing the computer’s security protocols, a black Interdictor ship appeared on the view screen in the path of the charging Yuuzhan Vong destroyer analogy, chasing Thena’s X-wing.

The gigantic star ships collided, splashing yellow, blue and white flares across the view screen.

Thena’s X-wing simulator bucked.

Alarms screamed.

Wedge’s coralskipper machine, suddenly, exploded into a fiery display of red and orange electrical circuits. He popped the machine hatch, half leaped and rolled onto the cold, gray stone floor. He quickly looked back at the smoking simulator.

"Wedge, what happened?" Corran shouted running over to Wedge’s position.

Thena popped her X-wing hatch and peeked out, scanning the debris, "Our first victory." She joked.

No one was laughing, Tyco ordered, "Out, Ensign, before your sim blows."

Thena jumped out and stood by the other new trainees, who were checking out the destroyed coralskipper.

General Antilles gathered his composure, stood and commanded, "Testing completed for today, dismissed."

Thena walked with the hurdle of new pilot trainees for lunch at the mess hall.

"What did you do?" one of the trainee asked Thena.

"Nothing, I did nothing", Thena defensively answered.

A second trainee remarked, "The only logical conclusion is that the coralskipper sim had malfunctioned from numerous training sessions without proper maintenance."

A third trainee commented, "I agree. The pilot training is intense and fast. We will be pilots in less than two standard weeks, which is aggressive for the New Republic."

The second trainee stated, again, "We are needed most urgently in the battles with the Yuuzhan Vong. You should expect a rigid schedule and extensive testing before you are given an X-wing to fly."

Everyone nodded and headed into the mess hall door.

Thena barely touched her lunch of nerf steak. She was thinking about her performance on the X-wing. She used the Force to cause the explosion, acting very arrogant. The trainees were correct in their assessment. This is a battle and they’re flying skills, or lives, are needed as soon as possible. She glanced around the oblong, white table at the future X-wing pilots. They were kids. They were young and inexperienced at life much less fighting the mature, battle harden Yuuzhan Vong warriors in space.

Listening to the other X-wing recruits tell stories about where they were from and how the Yuuzhan Vong affected their lives, this enemy had destroyed so many species from all over the galaxy. She felt guilty for not doing as much as possible and ashamed for playing the sim game with General Antilles.

"Firestar, what’s your story?" one of the recruits asked.

"Controller to Firestar", a second recruit kidded.

Thena stumbled on the response to the question, "Oh...I am..." "Well, your first day of X-wing training will always be memorable," Jedi Knight Lt. Commander Corran Horn slapped his hands on the table, scanning the reactions of the students.

"Who was in the X-wing when Wedge got fried?" Corran inquired.

Thena sit quietly wishing she could disappear. Actually, she had been taught that Jedi trick but it was a sign of the Dark Force and she did not use it. There, also, was the open bounty on all Jedi. Thena could not trust all her newly recruited pals, one might happen to be connected with the Peace Brigade or the Yuuzhan Vong.

Thena did not have to answer. Everyone at the table pointed their finger, flipper or protruding appendage at her.

Corran stared at her, waiting for a confession.

"Uh, I was." Thena raised her hand, like a student wanting to be excused from the classroom.

"You lost, Horn," Tycho slapped his hand on Horn’s back, laughing. "That’s 20 credits, you owe me."

Lt. Commander Corran Horn and Commander Tycho Chelchu dragged a couple of chairs to the recruit’s table.

Tycho clarified, "We made a bet on who was responsible for, uh, the accident," glancing at Firestar.

Everyone laughed but Thena. She was embarrassed.

Horn spoke, "Well, Ensign Firestar, you get two awards, today. You also had a perfect score on your X-wing test and that is a great honor because you are invited to have dine with the senior X-wing officers this evening. So, what’s your answer?"

Thena nodded yes, blushing, while everyone mumbled, "Congratulations."

Thena slipped into the crowed room, wearing her home world militia uniform designating a commander. The electric blue skirt, thigh boots and wrist length cape clipped with the beautiful blue stone instead of the tacky orange flight suit of an ensign.

The dining room walls were covered with outlines of the galaxy and warship holograms.

The long, cherry hardwood dining table was seated for eleven people, filled in the center with plates of delicious smells, assaulting her hungry appetite.

Her nervousness slide away when she saw the guests present. There was General Wedge Antilles talking to Jedi Knights, Jaina, Jacen and Anakin Solo. Businessman Lando Calrissian was entertaining Commander Tycho Chelchu and his wife, Winter. Booster Terrik, his daughter, Mirax Terrik Horn and his famous son-in-law, Jedi Knight, Lt. Commander Corran Horn were munching tidbits of appetizers.

Thena had heard their names over and over, again. They were involved in battle after battle for the Republic. This was the first time she had the pleasure of meeting them face to face.

Thena did not want to seem overanxious and quickly, practiced a Jedi calming technique. She waltzed over to the hors d'oeuvre table. She elegantly, dipped the hot, orange cheese sauce on the cracker, eyeing Corran.

He noticed her, "Ensign Firestar."

"Thena, please," she corrected Horn.

"Mirax, this is our star pupil, Thena Firestar. She scored hundred percent on her X-wing sim until it exploded," Corran snorted.

Thena smiled with pride.

Mirax Terrik Horn remarked, "Hot shot!" eyeing Thena suspiciously. "Thena is a very unique name. I once traveled..."

Ensign Firestar froze at Mirax’s statement.

"Good evening, ladies," the dashing Lando Calrissian smiled, interposing himself between Mirax and Thena.

"Lando, what are you doing here? Who give you permission to be here? This is a restricted military space station," General Wedge Antilles seemed irritated.

Calrissian looked hurt and insulted, "I’m a guest, but more importantly, I am selling estates on the moon, below."

"Property," Wedge commented.

"Yes, the moon was abandoned hundreds of years ago with huge mansions and floral gardens. I purchased over two thousand plots for re-sale."

"Grass," Mirax laughed, "You brought grass."

"No, mansions, some larger, palaces," Lando expressed.

Thena was amused by Lando and Mirax’s debate. Her personal research on the moon revealed that the onetime con man was telling the truth but that was her little secret. Thena giggled.

Mirax quickly forget Lando and turned to face Ensign Thena Firestar.

"DINNER SERVED," the steward droid announced.

Nametags distinguished seating arrangements, Thena was placed next to Calrissian. The Solo children were on the other end surrounding General Antilles, who sat at the head of the cherry table. Corran, his wife and her father were across from Lando.

The waiter droid served the first course, salad.

Thena poked at the colorful green vegetables with her polished fork. She was waiting on nerf steak. "Mr. Calrissian, please," Thena spoke.

"Lando," he interrupted.

"Lando, I am interested in your estates," Thena used his terms.

Mirax sighed, "Let’s not start this topic, again."

Thena was beginning to find Corran’s wife, irritating. Thena continued, "I want to buy one of your palaces."

Lando almost choked on the green olive, "Really."

Thena smirked, "Really. What are the price ranges?"

"Uh..." Lando paused, quickly thinking, "250,000 credits for a small mansion."

Thena glanced in Mirax’s direction then, back to Lando’s profile. "That sounds reasonable to me, when can we tour it," Thena innocently asked.

Calrissian did not know if this hot shot "pilot of the day" was being serious or cute. He did not want to embarrass himself. "There is a down payment of twenty percent. Can you pay that amount of credits?"

"Do you accept Theanite stones?" Thena meekly asked.

Lando stared at her, "Theanite stones?"

Firestar tapped her right shoulder where the beautiful blue gem held her cape, "Like this one."

Mirax’s mouth dropped, "Accept it, Lando. Theanite is a rare and valuable stone. If I had to guess, it’s worth 40,000 New Republic credits."

"50,000," Thena corrected her quote. "Will you accept this stone as my down payment on the mansion?"

Lando grinned a wide smile, "Yes, lovely lady," grabbing Thena’s right hand and gently kissing it. "We have a deal."

Mirax’s suspicions of the new X-wing trainee grow more intense. "May I ask where you acquired these stones?"

Here it comes, Thena thought. She placed a bite of the nerf steak in her mouth quickly, pondering how to answer that question without revealing to much info about herself. Using the Force, Thena reached the red Imperial Star Destroyer hyperdrive console, flipping the tiny switch.

Mirax continued, "Theanite comes from one star system that I once traveled...."

Suddenly, Booster’s comlink beeped. He read the message and jumped from the cherry dining room chair. "Sithspawn, I have an emergency on the ship. Nice dinner, Wedge. Catch you, next trip."

Mirax, Corran, Wedge, Jacen and a couple of others raced out the door after Booster.

Thena sliced another piece of the tender steak, finally, enjoying her delicious meal. Her danger senses tingled. She dropped the polished fork. Looking around the dining room, she found at the doorway, someone staring at her. Thena gasped. Anakin Solo. She pulled her Force cloak around her. He knows. Anakin turned and followed his friends.

"The Jeedai base is behind there," Nom Anor demanded, pointing at the asteroid belt.

"Yes," the Peace Brigade agent snorted.

The coral transport analogy fired hundreds of yorik plamas destroying ever asteroid that obstructed their approach to the hidden moon base.

The Peace Brigade agent spoke to Nom Anor, "If you continue lighting up the sky like this, the Jedi will see and hear you coming, spoiling our surprise attack."

Nom Amor sneered, "Let the Jeedai know we are coming, there is no place left to hide in this galaxy. The little Jeedai will be a great sacrifice to the gods."

A new sunrise.

"Where are the lights?" Tycho yelled.

"Around the corner," someone yelled back.

"Wow, look at that view." The room selected for the command center contained a glass dome ceiling eleven meters high.

Wedge joined the gray round table with his senior officers. "Status of moon base?" he ordered.

The commander answered, "We hooked up power, ops and foodstuffs."

"Foodstuffs, that’s priority," Darklighter laughed.

"Yeah, especially come lunchtime," Corran mocked.

Tycho continued, "There are 15 droid types, 10 technicians and 4 officers living on moon base."

Wedge interrupted, "Natives, inhabitants."

"Calrissian was right. The moon is uninhabited except for his small rust-colored castle, east of here and your hotshot pilot, Firestar. She purchased a huge, lavender palace, south of the base.

Horn and Darklighter both, snickered.

Thena Firestar’s flying skills were extraordinary, almost Jedi-like, Wedge noted in her performance eval, prompting him to promote her to the rank of Lieutenant. The other senior officers thought it was her beauty that intrigued the general. Thena conned Wedge into letting her stay at her palace on the moon instead of the standard pilot’s quarter on the Space Station One. She, also, had persuaded him into letting her wear the colorful militia uniforms of her home world of Theanna over the standard issue orange jumpsuits.

"Lavender," Wedge inquired. "You saw it."

"Lavender," Tycho repeated.

Horn and Darklighter both, snickered, again.

Commander Chelchu cleared his throat, "Lando is leaving this afternoon, apparently, we, the New Republic, have purchased all the estates for base operations."

"Good," Wedge commented, "The medical facility?"

"No bacta tank," Gavin reported.

"What?" Wedge retorted.

"But, the med unit has five bacta beds, loaded with lots of green ooze."

Wedge started to say something but stopped.

"The latest technology, portable ooze. Anyway, there are ten tanks on the space station. What’s going to happen on this rock? I think we are the only ones in this part of the galaxy." Gavin laughed.

"We are lost," Nom Amor, Executor of the Yuuzhan Vong, stormed.

"No... no, we... we have been slightly delayed, this is a trick," the Peace Brigade agent stuttered.

Nom Amor stood at the coral transport analogy bridge, staring at the black star.

A new sunrise.

The dawn hour was so quiet and still. "Lovely", Thena sing. Looking out the glass tower, laying on the mint green divan. Thena selflessly thought of how she negotiated for this little piece of paradise on the moon, her new palace. The space station lights seemed very bright, tonight, extremely bright, like tiny yellow fireflies buzzing around a black spider. They seem to be growing, expanding. Thena reached out with the Force. Expanding. Exploding. We are under attack. I mean, they are under attack. "Deeee," Thena screamed.

The Yuuzhan Vong attack was swift and powerful. The coral transport analogy first volley of plasmas had completely destroyed the two empty space stations into thousands of space dust particles.

The impact tilled Space Station One’s artificial gravity well out of phase. Alarms and sirens were blaring. The red security droids deployed, shouting instructions, "Stay calm. Do not panic. Don your vacuum emergency suit. Follow me to the escape pods." Every pilot, mechanic and officer was scrambling for vac suits and exits off the out of control spinning wheel.

The dorsal shaped coral transport analogy spit orange plasma balls at the supply ships, grounded on moon base. "Land. Attack but do not harm the Jeedai children," Nom Anor instructed.

The Peace Brigade agent quivered, "I will secure this ship."

Nom Anor sneered, slapping his amphistaff across the man’s face, "Infidel."

"What is it?" the base moon commander demanded.

"Warriors? I count twelve, no thirteen, heading this way," the first officer announced.

The base commander’s voice cracked over the comlink, "Emergency, we are under attac...," the amphistaff wrapped around his throat, sinking its fangs into his esophagus.

The green and orange lights alerted General Wedge Antilles to danger before the sirens. Pausing, Wedge holstered two additional hand pistols, a comlink, a vibro-blade, two thermal detonators on his gray utility belt, swinging the blaster rifle across his back.

Blasters fired in the corridor.

Stepping toward the door, he noticed the bright, red, heated stream coming from the edges, the door was welded shut probably from the random blaster bolts he heard earlier.

Wedge tossed the durasteel gray desk chair at the window, smashing the glass into a hundred pieces, grabbing a pistol in each hand, leaping into the quiet, still dawn air.

A chilly, cold emotion of revenge running up his spine.

Thena Firestar used the Force, summoning her black X-wing from the palace hanger. Her R2-D2 black and silver astrodriod was shrieking loud, sharp tones. "Don’t worry, I’m not leaving you, Dee."

Thena lifted Dee to his station on her black X-wing with the silver streak, trying to calm her astrodriod, "We are going in sheath, no engines. The dark color will camouflage us for a while."

As Thena and Dee approached the converted rose castle in the quickly raising yellow dawn, which was home to moon base, there were blazes of gold and red glows and explosions. All transports were streaming hot, silver, liquid goo.

A row of Yuuzhan Vong warriors, waving amphistaffs were dashing to the command center.

"Dee, activate cloaking device, bring power and shields up," Thena shouted into her comlink.

Suddenly, the black X-wing disappeared from the moon base sky. Thena landed her ship, using the Force, 200 meters behind the parked coral transport analogy. Thena programmed her R2-D2 unit to shift the X-wing’s cloaking device on and off, randomly firing at the analogy using lasers.

Dee tweeted, lightly.

Thena ordered, "I can’t destroy the Yuuzhan Vong ship without damaging the base, so you are going to hurt it very badly."

Thena popped the hatch, leaping off the X-wing, igniting her pink lightsaber in one hand and a blaster pistol in the other.

The Yuuzhan Vong warrior leaped at Wedge. He jinked to the side, rolling into a ball on the ground, jumping up. Wedge shot three green bolts, hitting the warrior in the chest, shoulder and neck. Orange sparks exploded and black smoke rose from the alien armor; the warrior stumbled back a step or two, then laughed.

Something spun through the air, catching Wedge in the left forearm; pain shot up his shoulder. Wedge dropped to one knee, tossing the blasters, he grabbed his wrist.

The warrior sprinted to the fallen infidel, spinning his amphistaff high in the air. Standing over Wedge, preparing for the final deadly crushing blow, Wedge jumped up, slashing the warrior’s face with the vibro-blade, slightly tilting the jawbone to the right. Wedge shoved the activated thermal detonator in the gapping hole that looked like the warrior’s cheekbone.

Kicking the Yuuzhan Yong in his unprotected stomach, causing him to stagger backwards. Wedge leaped over the purple flower covered stone wall, covering his head for the eminent explosion.

Scanning the rose castle’s interior, Thena realized every life and droid form was dead but Antilles. She could not felt the Yuuzhan Vong warriors but with her acute Force vision she was close enough to see nine ugly, armor clad bodies remaining. Thena called her R2-D2 unit, Dee in the comlink, "Start shooting."

The two Yuuzhan Vong warriors bellowed loudly, seeing Thena charging at them, her blaster pistol firing at maximum range.

The warrior on the left whipped his amphistaff from his thigh, throwing the rigid stick like a snake at Thena. Thena halted, aimed her pink lightsaber, steering it into the flying amphistaff, slicing it nicely into two parts, a temporary feint for Thena, delaying one of the attacking Yuuzhan Vong warriors.

The warrior on the right learned quickly. He raised his staff over head, yelling. Thena pumped blue splinter shot after shot into the advancing warrior, as she summoned her pink lightsaber back to her to right hand.

Thena’s Jedi danger senses flared. She leaped three meters into the air, vaulting over the castle’s rose stone wall, into the flower garden as the debris smashed into the courtyard destroying everything in its path.

Thena brushed off the brown clay from her uniform, grabbed her hand pistol and lightsaber, sprinting toward Wedge’s position, laughing to herself, "Too bad, you boys, weren’t in tune with the Force."

The black X-wing appeared and disappeared, drilling accurate blue laser bolts into the coral transport analogy rear dorsal fin.

Nom Anor placed the villip on his face. The analogy coral sprays landed in the clear, blue-gray pond. "Where is the target?" The executor sneered.

Wedge surveyed the cooked Yuuzhan Vong inners on the green lush shrubbery.

Thena stopped, screaming into the airwaves, using the Force, "BEHIND YOU."

Wedge spin around with twin blasters in hand, on one knee, firing at the warrior. The Yuuzhan Vong fell to the ground, his ooglith masque covered with thick white pus.

Wedge tossed the empty blaster pistols aside and pulled the blaster rifle, shooting into the five remaining Yuuzhan Vong warriors charging.

Thena could see Antilles, Jedi Knight, Lt. Commander Horn and the remaining attacking Yuuzhan Vong warriors. Thena yelled, her Force echoing to the warriors, two of them turning to intercept her.

The first Yuuzhan Vong warrior towered two meters above Thena. The amphistaff slithered up the warrior’s leg, then onto his arm.

Thena mused, "A show." She discarded her pistol for the battle, choosing to use her pink lightsaber.

With lightning speed, the warrior slashed at Thena’s mid section. Using the Force to pushed herself in the air, somersaulting over and landing behind him.

The Yuuzhan Vong whipped around, released the amphistaff, catching Thena in the ankles, dumping her to the ground. Recalling her pistol, Thena blasted the amphistaff in its opened fang-filled mouth. It recoiled, freeing her legs. Thena performed a backward roll, coming up on one knee, pink lightsaber drawn with a two-fisted hold. The big warrior leaped. Thena cleaved him open from navel to crown.

He threw the second thermal detonator at the group of three, remaining Yuuzhan Vong warriors. Wedge could see another vessel landing in the clearing, before the bomb fragments blinded his view.

The silver sphere landed in the middle warrior’s path exploding, searing his right leg. The Yuuzhan Vong on the left jerked away from the detonator, in the path of oncoming, Jedi Knight Lt. Commander Corran Horn, "We meet again."

The warrior blocked Horn’s downward sweep of his silver lightsaber with his amphistaff. Corran stepped back, pivoted and sliced the warrior’s left thigh.

The Yuuzhan Vong charged, slashing the amphistaff at Corran’s black tunic, ripping it.

Thena could hear Wedge’s wail.

Turning, she witnessed the grounded coral transport analogy blasting off into the atmosphere, out of sight.

"Enough of this," Thena shouted. She double clicked the button, the snap-hiss of a second, pink lightsaber ignited on her Jedi disk.

The Yuuzhan Vong warrior aimed his amphistaff at Thena’s head. The Jedi twirled the double-edged lightsaber, vertically, like a baton blocking the blow. She jumped forward, spearing him in the gut and twisted. The warrior slumped over. Thena withdrew her pink sword, streaming from the white pus as it burned off. The Yuuzhan Vong collapsed to the ground.

Thena could see Wedge’s struggle. They don’t react to the Force. I can’t do anything to stop them. Thena was running as fast as she could to help General Antilles.

The Yuuzhan Vong rushed at Wedge head on, tumbling him backward on this stomach. The amphistaff cracked across Wedge’s back. He rolled sideways, feeling the intense pain, trying to avoid another whiplash of the amphistaff. Wedge heaved himself to his feet, wavering.

The Yuuzhan Vong warrior toyed with Wedge, coiling the amphistaff back to his arm. The warrior’s left fist came around and caught Wedge square in the jawbone. The heavy blow staggered the general, backwards, standing, with red blood trickling down his chin. Without mercy, the warrior hit another blow with his right hand to Wedge’s face, again. He collapsed on the manicured lawn, semi-conscious.

The Yuuzhan Vong lunged his amphistaff, driving the sharp, flattened blade through Wedge’s chest.

Wedge felt every cell scream with pain, then, suddenly, everything was numb. Darkness came.

"NOOO..." she screamed. Thena levitated the empty durasteel crate, using the Force. It sailed forward at the Yuuzhan Vong hovering over Wedge, crushing him into the rose castle wall. She activated her pink lightsaber and decapitated the protruding amphistaff from Wedge’s chest.

Thena dropped to her knees by Wedge’s side. Corran joined her.

"He’s alive," she whispered.

"Barely," Corran muttered.

Gavin ran to Wedge’s side, also, "Let’s get him to the bacta bed."

The yellow FX-7 medical assistant droid monitored General Antilles’ vital signs as the silver 2-1B surgeon droid explained that the bacta treatment was healing the general’s external injuries but there is a problem.

"The amphistaff penetrated between the thoracic and abdominal cavity, piercing his left anterior basal. To relief the pyrothroax in the general’s chest cavity, I must perform a thracocentesis after the patient’s cross type hemogoblin is transfused."

"What did he say?" Gavin asked.

"2-1B said that Wedge has a collapsed lung contaminated with pus from the amphistaff’s fangs. He is going to drain the fluid and remove the head as soon as the...," she paused. "Blood transfusion is complete," Thena translated.

"Blood transfusion," Corran questioned.

"Wedge needs blood," Thena looked at the limp body in the green bacta bed.

Corran looked at Gavin, "We volunteer our blood, as much as possible."

The surgeon droid waved his metal appendage back and forth, "No, you are not the general’s blood type."

Corran get worried, "Who is? We are running out of time."

2-1B angled his skull-shaped head to gaze at Lt. Firestar, "She is."

Thena reacted immediately, "No, I can’t."

"Wedge is going to die without your blood," Corran sounded annoyed.

Corran and Gavin, both, were blocking the doors out of the ICU med unit.

"I didn’t want to make this an order, Lieutenant," Corran moved closer to Thena’s direction.

Thena took a step back, from Corran and Gavin, her mind racing. I want to help, but I can not. Use the Force, her emotions were so jumbled, she could not focus.

Corran and Gavin were moving closer.

Thena stepped farther back, away from them. Her feelings so confused.

Pain. Her arm. She turned facing the yellow FX-7, holding a hyponeedle.

Corran barely reached Thena before she collapsed on the white sterile floor.

Jolted back to life by the cold, recirculated air, in ICU, she sat up on the white linen hospital bed. Thena’s head was spinning and her arm stiff. She examined the puncture mark located near her elbow. Blood transfusion. No droid or officer was in site. Wedge probably was in the recovery room from his emergency operation. Thena closed her eyes, pulling the flow of the Force around her aching body. The healing trance restored her red blood cells, closed the puncture wound and evaporated the headache. She breathed deeply, opening her green eyes.

Thena reached a second time with the Force to check on General Antilles. His vital signs were very good, strong heart beat, normal blood pressure and good pulse. The bacta had almost sealed all of Wedge’s wounds.

Thena jumped off the bed, planning to head home to her palace, if it still existed. She passes the mirrored medical cabinet, halted, backed up and stared. Thena’s long, wavy, black and white hair was matted and tangled. Her face was clean, except for the healing, pink cut on her right cheekbone. Her black militia uniform was tore and covered with stains, brown clay, green ooze, white pus and red blood. "Even the Force can’t clean this mess," she laughed. Opening the adjoining medical locker, she grabbed the white jacket.

The medical assistant droid, who participated in her involuntary blood transfusion met her at the ICU doorway, "How are you feeling, Lt. Firestar?"

"Fine, fine," she strolled pass the yellow FX-7 into the white corridor.

"Why are you wearing a laboratory coat?" the med droid inquired.

Thena ignored his question. "Am I discharged?" she grunted, knowing that the medical droid could not stop her from leaving unless he wanted to be reprogrammed. The yellow FX-7 posed in front of Thena.

A few minutes later.

Thena always thought machines were more than the sum of there "mechanical" parts because FX-7 did not ask any more questions or follow her out the ICU monitoring station.

Thena wanted to see General Antilles but she was too tired. Also, Thena did not want any encounters with Horn or Darklighter. "It’s bad enough, I was sedated but they would question my strange behavior," Thena mumbled to herself searching for the exit signs out of the med facility.

"Where’s Lt. Firestar," Corran demanded.

"Discharged... discharged," the yellow FX-7 slowly stated, twitching.

"I need to see her," Corran continued, searching ICU.

"Discharged... discharged," the yellow FX-7 slowly stated, twitching, repeating.

Tyco grabbed his arm, "Go home, Corran, get some rest."

"I saw something with Firestar," Corran complained.

"The lieutenant is home. She earned her stripes today. Let’s discuss this in the morning," Tycho asked in a commanding way.

A new sunrise.

The Jedi healing trance lasted almost 24 hours before Thena awoke to her old self.

The vidcom beeped indicating a message.

ORDERS ISSUED FROM COMMANDER TYCHO CHELCHU. REPORT TO SPACE STATION ONE AT 0900 HOURS.

"PR work," Thena’s voice ring throughout the half-damaged office, spilling into the hallway.

The commander remained calm.

"Sir, I am a certified 1AA mechanic. I believe you are wasting my skills," Thena’s attitude was close to insubordination.

The exploding empty space stations tossed the spacecraft back and forth in its assigned berths. Celchu, second in command, ordered repair crews to perform diagnostic weeps of every piece of major and minor equipment from A-wings to 2-1B medical driods.

Commander Chelchu eyed Thena’s pink militia uniform. "Lt. Firestar, this Space Station just survived a Yuuzhan Vong assault. The young, inexperienced recruits are upset and confused. They need someone to calm their fears and frustration. This is normally General Antilles’ job but he is recovering in the hospital. You have just volunteered as an icon, since you are the only other survivor of the moon base attack."

"Your orders are to hand out these datapads," pointing to the brown sack, "and help the recruits log there lost, stolen, destroyed or vacuumed belongings."

Thena rolled her eyes, "Yes sir," as she lifted the heavy, brown bag.

"Duty calls," Tycho smirked.

Corran was waiting in the half-trashed hallway, "I need a few minutes of your time, Lt," as Thena walked out the commander’s office.

"Lt. Commander Horn," Commander Chelchu interceded.

"Where’s General Antilles?" Colonel Darklighter ordered, standing the medical facility hospital ward on moon base.

"Discharged.... discharged," the yellow FX-7 slowly stated, twitching.

"Wedge?", Tycho remarked with surprise. The glass domed-ceiling room, which was command center headquarters, was partly covered with ladders, undergoing renovation from the Yuuzhan Vong attack.

"I was reviewing the datapads, clean up is progressing fast," Wedge calmly stated, holding the stemcaf cup.

"Yes," Tycho answered, still in shock, seeing his commanding officer at his desk.

Corran bolted around the command center doorway, not spotting Wedge sitting around the gray round table, "Tycho, uh, General!?"

Gavin, running behind Corran, suddenly halted, staring at Wedge, "Sir?"

"Very good, my senior officers are here," pointing to the empty gray durasteel chairs.

"Status of Space Station One," Wedge took a slip of the hot stemcaf.

The guys were stunned. General Wedge Antilles was near death, yesterday. By 1000 hours, the next morning, he was issuing orders; drinking stemcaf and looking fit for duty.

Tycho glanced at Corran and Gavin, back to Wedge, "General, how are you feeling?"

Wedge looked up from the datapad, "Great, great... I feel great." Wedge paused. He laid the datapad on the gray round table.

"I know what you’re thinking. I don’t understand it either but look at me." Wedge stood. "All better, no scars, not even a bruise."

Corran shake his head, "I was there, Wedge, you were almost..." he could not say the dreadful word.

Wedge sit down, "Look, a miracle occurred, let’s get some business done, today."

Thena dropped the brown sack on the only dust-free desk in the destroyed quarters. Opening the metal box, she examined the contents, nerf steak cubes, red berries, salt crackers and water. Placing the pink napkin on her lap, Thena tasted one of the meat cubes. Her public relations work was finished. It was not as bad as she expected. Commander Celchu was correct. The new recruits needed some advice and comforting. Thena had passed out all the datapads and answered lots of questions, even giving a little free Force happiness to boot.

Thena stiffened. Her senses tingled but it was not danger, she felt. She focused the Force, scanning the damaged room. A life form. An animal. A fuzzy animal. She pulled her pink booted feet into the purple lounge chair, twisting her body and head downward looking under the chair. There were two, shiny balls of light, staring back at her. She placed a cube steak on the floor. The animal did nothing. Thena replaced the food with the small top of her cantina containing water. The animal ran to the liquid. Thena let the animal consume the liquid to her fill. The animal finished, looking up at Thena.

Her heart swelled. A Purr kitten, she looked about six or seven weeks old. The kitten was solid black with big, yellow eyes. Thena poured more water and watched her drink, softly, whispering to the kitten, "Someone must be missing you?" Thena pressed the datapad, searching for the occupants of these living quarters.

"You’re all alone," Thena muttered. This part of the space station was the initial impact point of the explosion. These recruits did not survive but the Purr kitten did. Thena placed the nerf steak beside her new friend. The kitten tried munching on the oversized cube.

Thena laughed, picking the kitten up and placing her in the empty brown sack, gently talking to her new pet, "We are going home."

The Yuuzhan Vong invasion was unsuccessful. The New Republic lost the two black space stations, no space craft and minimal collateral damage overall. The datapads stated to Headquarters.

"How many lives?" Wedge grimaced.

Tycho double checked the datapad, "Nine on the Space Station One and fourteen on moon base."

Wedge stood suddenly, throwing his datapad against the yellow and rose flowered wallpaper. He was mad, anger, more innocent lives, under his command, this time.

Corran spoke, "It isn’t your fault, General. The Yuuzhan Vong are relentless. They found us. They might be back. We have to be ready, next time."

Wedge inhaled three long, deep breathes before sitting down, "We will be prepared, next time."

"Feed the furball," Ema repeated.

EM2 protocol droid, Lt. Thena Firestar’s personal maid, teacher and friend. She got the silver droid as a gift from her parents on Theanna. "I was programmed to take care of you as a baby. I take care of the everything but you, the house, dishes, laundry, lawn and now, the furball." Ema complained.

"My furball has a name, Precious," Thena scolded her.

"Yes, Mistress Thena," Ema’s mechanical circuits imitated a sigh.

Thena giggled. Ema was so dramatic for pieces of polished, metal parts.

Thena flopped on the baby blue sofa, revitalizing, closing her green eyes, and letting her mind drift. Using the Force to flow, float, fly into the wind, past the hills, down the valley, into the command center, something was there, pulling her, a connection, a man, Antilles.

Thena tumbled off the sofa, to her knees. "Oh, no. Ema, feed Precious," Thena called out as she hurried to her X-wing, parked on the front lawn.

"Feed the furball," Ema repeated.

Horn, Darklighter, Chelchu and Antilles spend all day in the command center, conducting moon base business. General Wedge Antilles called it a day and ordered dinner and drinks for the group, relaxing.

"Gavin, pass me an empty glass," Wedge asked.

The empty fragile, crystal goblet levitated, floated and settled, softly, by Wedge’s hand.

"Thanks," Wedge grabbed the goblet, filling it with water.

Darklighter stared, in silence at the movement of the glass.

Tycho stared, also, in amusement, witnessing the same feat.

Corran stared, but broke the silence, "Uh, Wedge, how did you do that?"

Wedge cut a piece of the nerf steak, laying the sharp knife on the side of the plate, "Do what?"

Jedi Knight Lt. Commander Horn explained, "Move the glass."

Wedge finished chewing this steak, looking at Gavin, pointing, "He handed me the glass."

"You moved the goblet in the air," Gavin insisted.

"Gavin, we are all stressed. If you want a day off, just ask," Wedge laughed.

Corran emphasized, "YOU levitated the goblet."

"Levitated," Wedge repeated.

Everyone nodded his head up and down.

"How did this happen?" Wedge questioned.

Corran spoke, "Yesterday, I thought I saw Firestar twirling a lightsaber."

Gavin remarked, "She’s a Jedi."

Chelchu added, "That would explain her magnificent flying skills."

Tycho looked at Corran, "We forgot to tell you, something. You had a blood transfusion, yesterday."

Corran grunted, "Her blood."

Gavin said, "She pitched a fit about using her blood."

Tycho asked, "She did not volunteer the transfusion."

Corran’s face contorted, "We sedated her."

"You, what?" Wedge yelled, standing.

"Emtrey, find Lt. Thena Firestar, ASAP," Wedge screamed.

Thena popped her pretty face around the command center doorway, after she heard Wedge shouting, "Did someone say my name?"

Wedge composed himself and calmly asked, "Would you please join us for dinner?" pointing to the empty gray chair.

Thena sit and waited.

Waiting precisely, thirty seconds.

The longest thirty seconds in New Republic history.

Lt. Firestar finally, broke the tension in the room, "Can I ask a question, sir, General?"

General Antilles looked at her, opening his hands, "Please."

"How are you feeling, General, sir?" Thena wanted to hear that someone else was feeling sick beside her inners.

Wedge smiled, "I feel great. Is that good?"

"Yes, it is a very good sign." Thena smiled back.

Corran was next, "What happened to Wedge?"

"Well, my species, Theannaians, can transfer abilities to others. Normally, this blood ritual is performed near death with a fellow homeworlder. But, there are, a few, documented cases of successful transfers to non-Theannainas." Thena’s face contorted.

Gavin commented, "Successful."

Commander Celchu asked, "This blood ritual. Is it dangerous to non-Theannaians?"

Thena responded, finishing a bite of the sandwich, "Yes, my blood could be known as toxic to all forms of species in the galaxy. The odds of survival are about 21,146,398 to 1."

Gavin added, "The end result being..."

"Death," Thena completed the sentence.

"What about Wedge’s survival rate?" Corran was concerned.

Thena joked, "I predict a long time until the next Yuuzhan Vong attack."

No one laughed.

Thena whispered to herself, "Tough audience."

She continued, "General Antilles is in excellent health and should live for the next... fifty years." Thena had to do some quick math calculations based on her knowledge of Wedge’s bio and accomplishments since the Rebellion.

Everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, at once.

Corran was in investigative mode, "What abilities?"

Thena posed her head and continued, "Well, probably the same as all Theannaians."

"Which are?"

"Levitation, healing, telekinesis, telepathy, some visions, the usual," Thena listed her attributes.

"All of them."

"We need to test the general’s skill level, but basically, yes." Thena was kinda certain.

"Wow, You’re a Jedi, Wedge," Gavin commented.

Corran was not totally satisfied with Thena’s tale, "How long with Wedge possess these abilities?"

When Thena felt Wedge’s infantile Force movements, she opened herself to the full flow of the Force. She scanned Wedge’s surrounding environment, noting that Jedi Knight and one time, ex-investigator; Lt. Commander Corran Horn was witnessing the general’s gift.

Lt. Horn had sensed Thena’s presence when she landed on Space Station One but Thena masked her signature. A trick of the Dark Side. Thena knew, but she was being cautious. It was an accident that the Yuuzhan Vong found the hidden New Republic pilot training base. The Force can’t feel the warriors so Thena’s mighty abilities were useless until they destroyed the two empty space stations. Thena’s instincts took over and she used every Force trick in the Jedi book to defend herself and eventually, save General Wedge Antilles’ life.

Thena could feel the jealousy from Corran. She knew of his failure at the Battle of Ithor. She could sense his lack of Jedi skill, levitation. Jedi Knight Horn compensated very well for that missing Force trait. Some Force traits are strong and others are weak.

Jedi Mistress Lt. Thena Firestar was strong and powerful in everything. The downfall was that her species blood transfer ability was also, a curse. Thena was the last Theannaian in the galaxy. She had never met another Theannaian that could tell her tale but there were evil humans who knew of the Firestar special ability. They had chased her to this part of the galaxy but that was another story.

Thena was just as surprised as Horn that Antilles survived. She was worried, also. When the general’s fever broke in the middle of the night, Thena know he would live to a very old age but live possessing all her abilities. That was a miracle. Thena faced Lt. Horn, smugly answering, "Forever."

"Firestar, a Jedi," Commander Chelchu leaned back into the gray chair, grinning.

"My ancestors labeled me, a Jedi Mistress." Thena smiled.

Corran was annoyed, "What is the pecking order for that title?"

Thena thought, flipped her hands, sideways, "Jedi Knight... Jedi Lady... Jedi Master... Jedi Mistress. I believe a female version of a master." She smiled.

Wedge finally commented, "Let me get this story straight, I was transfused with her blood and, now I possess Jedi attributes."

Corran commented, "That’s about it."

Tycho laughed, "What’s the next step?"

Thena turned to Wedge, "Training, General Antilles, training." Thena was thinking about all the X-wing sims with General Antilles. He was relentless as a teacher and a great pilot. Now, the tables are turned and she can harass him, at least, for a little while.

Wedge frowned.

A new sunrise.

Jedi Mistress, Lt. Thena Firestar had never trained an apprentice before. She wished she could consult with Jedi Master Luke Skywalker but he was preparing for an important mission and dealing with the New Republic Senate and the Yuuzhan Vong attacks. Thena was not going to ask Jedi Knight Lt. Commander Corran Horn for any advice.

Thena giggled to herself, General Wedge Antilles was dressed in his old, faded, orange flight suit for his first day of Force training. Thena did not care for the flowing brown and tan Jedi robes that she had seen on Jedi Master Kyp Durron that one time, long ago. That is another story. Thena preferred her tight, fitting body suits and boots, so she could run, jump, leap and fly into the wind, out of trouble. It sometimes worked out that way.

Firestar’s memories flashed back to her Jedi mentor, her grandmother. She would take Thena on a picnic and then, spend the rest of day, practicing her Force skills. Thena was not going to pack a picnic lunch but she understood her grandmother’s method. The picnic represented nourishment, relaxation and fun learning the Force. That’s how Thena could train Wedge.

Thena decided to train inside one of the huge ballrooms in the rose colored castle, or command center on moon base. She did not want the outside elements interfering with Wedge’s concentration. That was lesson number two.

"Let’s test your Force endurance, follow me in these warm up exercises," Thena’s first, formal Jedi instruction to her new pupil, General Wedge Antilles.

Wedge nodded.

Thena jogged one lap around the gold-colored hardwood ballroom floor. On the second leg, she started forward rolls, cartwheels, round-offs, forward handsprings. The third lap was backward rolls; backward hand springs, somersaults, and vaults. Wedge followed like a little, trained Woof puppy.

"Time out!" Wedge pleaded.

Thena stopped her tumbling, turned around, facing Antilles. He was breathing hard and sweating from head to toe in that faded orange flight suit. She plopped on the gold trimmed hardwood floor. Wedge joined her. Using the Force, Thena levitated the full water pitcher and two empty crystal goblets to her.

"You make that look so easy," Wedge commented.

"Size does not matter," she quoted, hearing it from someone, once upon a time.

Wedge wiped his brow with the sleeve of his orange flight suit. "I don’t remember Luke sweating this much, when I visited him at his Jedi Academy."

Thena laughed. She sighed, "I must be doing something wrong," taking a drink of the cool water. "You shouldn’t be sweating so much, either."

"Let’s talk about the Force. It is something there but not there. Close you eyes, breathe deeply, relax and feel." The Jedi Mistress instructed.

Thena paused, giving him a few moments to relax. "Describe what you see to me?"

"I see energy... colors... animals... flowers... trees... the sky... the wind. I am soaring into the clouds... up the mountains... down the valleys... into the oceans," Wedge’s voice faded as his Force trance deepen.

Thena connected with Wedge, feeling the Force waves swirling around him. Thena injected her Force voice, softly, into Wedge’s concentration, Bring back all the energy, rolling it into a soft, fluffy pillow to hug.

Thena opened her eyes, viewing the contraction of a powerful, white energy, twirling, spinning into Wedge’s blue aura.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

Thena jumped up from the wood flooring.

Wedge was startled out of his Force trance.

Thena ran to the huge, square glass windows on the north side of the ballroom, overlooking the balcony. Flower petals, plant leaves, dirt were plastered everywhere on the giant glass windows. Birds flapping and rodents scurried off the creme-colored marble tiles, outside.

Wedge walked beside her, looking at the lawn and gardens, trees uprooted, shrubs twisted sideways. "Did I do that?" He stared at Thena for answers.

"Yeah," she answered, her eyes frozen to the ballroom French doors. How did this happen?

She turned to Wedge. He seemed upset, stunned, pleased, confused, all at the same time.

Thena touched his arm, "It’s okay. You touched the Force wave and brought back all the tangible elements with it."

"Watch this," Thena waved her hands. The uprooted trees popped upright, standing tall again. The twisted shrubbery straightened, a little wind whirl pulled the loose petals, leaves and dirt from the glass windows, forming a neat pile in the middle of the manicured lawn.

"I will contact ground maintenance. They need to secure the taller trees for safety." Thena explained.

"I think this is enough lessons for today," she smiled.

"Tomorrow, we will practice leaving the trees standing," Thena laughed. "You did a great job, Wedge, really," praising her new pupil and his first lesson of the Force.

Wedge was silent, gazing at the gardens, again, looking at Thena’s handy work.

"I was thinking. Getting another Jedi’s point of view would, greatly, accelerate your learning curve. Talking to Corran, since he is the only other Jedi in this part of the galaxy, would help," Thena advised, carefully.

"I will, tonight, ask Corran?" Wedge left the ballroom, still a little stunned at this exercise.

Jedi Mistress, Lt. Thena Firestar stared the mess in the courtyard, "Powerful."

A new sunrise.

For the next Jedi lesson, Wedge seemed more apprehension.

Thena carefully worded her instructions to relieve his concerns; "I will be monitoring your Force exercise. This time, visualize an invisible wave around the life forms." She giggled.

"That makes sense," Wedge responded.

They both closed their eyes in a mediating position on the wood floor.

Wedge’s mind focused, doing as Thena instructed.

Thena opened her eyes, monitoring Wedge’s blue aura, "Now, lift."

Magically, the sofa, datapads, chairs, table, utensils, plates, cups and lunch floated in the air.

"Open your eyes, Wedge," Thena commanded.

Wedge scanned all the suspended items around the ballroom. "Can I move around?"

Thena laughed, "Absolutely, I’m tired of sitting on this hard floor."

Wedge careful stood like he was holding a baby Mynock. Walking slowing around the ballroom, he played spin the bottle with each piece, twirling it and swinging it forward and backward, up and down. Then, carefully dropping all the objects, he looked at the manicured lawn, outside the balcony.

"Watch this," Wedge lifted the trees out of the ground, shrubs twisted and flower petals danced in the air.

"Impressive," Thena remarked.

"Not again," the green ground maintenance droid toned.

The Force’s new apprentice couldn’t resist making the utensils and empty dishes dance and spin, during lunch. "This is so much fun." Wedge stated.

Thena was very happy with her pupil’s progress. He possessed strong, powerful abilities coupled with intense emotions. She could sense his internal sadness, loss, anger, and vengeance. "Why are you sad, General?" She poked at the food with her fork, not looking at his face.

This was unexpected. Immediately, a mind Force barrier rose from Wedge. He asked annoyingly, "Can you read my thoughts?"

"Uh," she did not want to address that aspect. Thena has not mentioned that Theannaians can mind link and that was lesson number five. "I can feel certain strong emotions from you. Sadness jumps out like a red alert."

Wedge thought. He was confused. "How do you know this, I did not think it?"

The Jedi Mistress explained the Force is a mystery. You can penetrate a person’s mind and extract feelings or thoughts about different subjects, places or things. Jedi counter by using a mental Force block for different areas of the brain, protecting their privacy.

Wedge had been around Jedi Master Luke Skywalker to know what Thena was describing, "Mind invasion was a trick of the Dark Side.

Thena choked back her food. "Skywalker is correct. Mind manipulation is wrong but information or actions, based on anger, hate or revenge, is the Dark Side." Thena eyed Wedge, in a stand off.

His mental barrier shrunk around his body, letting the bright, blue aura flow from head to toe. "I understand the difference, now."

"My family," Wedge seemed relieved to say.

"The sadness represents the loss of my family from a Yuuzhan Vong attack," Wedge was talking in a trance, like he was re-living the event in this mind.

"I am sorry," Thena whispered.

"Thanks," Wedge finished his lunch.

"I have a surprise for you. We can study the Force another way. Follow me." Thena perked.

The Animal Rescue Center was located on the other side of the castle. The bright, green sprawling hills were filled with cages of different animal species, residing on the moon.

General Antilles remembered meeting with Dr. Paterson, who managed the center, approving the program. Why were they here? What could the Force do with animals?

Thena picked an isolated room within the center’s medical area. "I want you to use the Force to touch the animals, gently."

He closed his eyes, focusing on this first subject, the bronze horse located in the East Side pasture. "Pain. I feel pain."

Wedge opened his eyes, "She’s hurt. By whom? Who did this?" Wedge’s anger returned when he sensed the discomfort from the animal.

Thena placed her hand on his shoulder, "We are going to help her. It does not matter how or who?"

Wedge nodded okay. They walked out to the rolling green, soft grass. The moon horse was afraid, turned away from them and ran back into the brown, homemade wooden shack. "I don’t think this is going to work," Wedge proposed.

"Stretch out with your feelings, calm her," Thena instructed.

"I will try," Wedge seemed unsure.

"No try, do or do not," Thena stated. She laughed to herself; the Force teachings were deeply imbedded in her brain.

The shy mare peeked out the wooden shack, looking to Thena, then Wedge. She slowly trotted to Wedge’s position.

Thena was so excited, she could have jumped up and down, but she did not dare, knowing that the timid mare would become frightened and rear upon Wedge.

The beautiful bronze mare stared into Wedge’s eyes, pleading feelings of help. Wedge could sense her.

"Place your hands a couple of millimeters away from her head, concentrate on seeing her, healed," Thena instructed.

The bronze mare, slowly, backed up from Wedge. She reared and snorted, jostling her oblong head with the long, gold mane up and down.

"She said thank you," Thena translated. "You healed her."

Wedge was stunned. "I did. It feel so different." He was looking for the words to describe the moment.

"Let’s do more healing work," Wedge turned, pacing ahead of Thena out of the pasture. The bronze mare was galloping, happily, around the green pasture in circles.

Thena smiled delighted with General Antilles’ commitment to help the wounded animals. She was, still, deeply troubled with his intense emotions. The anger comes so quickly.

Thena was not much on recording her journals of life or instructions how to use the Force. She traveled since she was sixteen, before that she was at the Academy, studying physics until the incident on her home world of Thenanna. Living place to place was a routine for survival, Thena had been pursued since she could remember and leaving lost datapads lying around was not the best strategy when one is being hunted. Anyway, the Force as her ally, she never forget planets, places, faces or secrets.

For the next lesson, lightsaber training, Wedge needed a lightsaber to practice. She edited the datapad, with step by step instructions on lightsaber construction, as General Antilles entered.

He, casually, strolled to the gold leaf embossed table, where the lightsabers were arranged. "These belong to you," Wedge picked up the first one.

It was tiny compared to Corran’s. Wedge thought, Thena’s hands were very small, I guess size does not matter. Wedge learned from Corran that the disguised Jedi Mistress single handily eliminated five Yuuzhan Vong warriors, including the one that stabbed him in the chest.

He continued admiring her weapon; it had a gold handle curved with images of feline type animals with long, sharp claws and long, fuzzy tails. Wedge picked up a second sword, the handle formed from silver.

"Yeah," she finally answered.

Thena walked to the table. "Lesson number three: lightsaber construction," Thena grinned.

"Uh, correct me, if I am in error, but I thought that was the last step in becoming a Jedi," Wedge frowned with confusion.

"Well, I like to break the rules, now and again," she swept Wedge a sideways smirk.

Wrong choice of words to your superior officer, he thought.

"You have advanced so fast, you are ready for lightsaber dueling," Thena teased.

"That sounds scary," Wedge commented.

Thena laughed. "Normally, constructing a lightsaber ends the apprenticeship, but these are not normal circumstances. You need a lightsaber. My weapons are too small for your hands. Therefore, we, together, will construct your first lightsaber."

"Isn’t that cheating?" Wedge asked. "Why can’t I just borrow Corran’s sword?"

Thena grimaced.

She had advised General Antilles to discuss his Force training with the only, other Jedi present for three reasons. She needed Corran on her side; Thena did not want him interfering with the general’s focus and Wedge had to learn the Force’s path from his own point of view.

Anyway, Wedge’s transfusion was Theannaian blood; not Corellian and that made Wedge, half Theannaian in Thena’s books and her responsibility.

Standing with her hands on her hips, cocking her head, staring fireballs at Wedge.

"I see your point," Wedge sighed.

"Good," Thena shoved the datapad in Wedge’s ribs. "Step one."

The hot, rolling, white stream from the cooker oven fogged the squared glass windows. "It’s... it’s purple and red."

"I think the color is maroon, Wedge," Thena laughed, a hardy tone.

Wedge joined her, laughing away the tension from a successful joint venture. Even with the assistance of a Jedi Mistress, the lightsaber procedure took all morning.

Wedge thumbed the button, hearing the snap-hiss before the first peep of color formed on the longated blade of maroon. It vibrated in his hands, uncontrolled. "Lots of energy," Wedge whispered, speaking to himself.

"That’s the Force," Thena observed his actions from afar.

"Lunch first, then we practice," Thena ordered.

Wedge did not want to deactivate his new toy, "The Force," he repeated, mixed emotions flashing in his brown eyes.

The Jedi Mistress explained each lightsaber she owned, during lunch. How it was constructed, the date, time, hour, the materials used and the problems encountered. Thena’s voice trailed off, when she noted Wedge was studying the hilt of his Jedi disk and not listening to her.

There was not enough time for Wedge to curve elaborate symbols on his Jedi disk. This part of the galaxy also lacked natural resources needed to construct a working lightsaber. Thena rummaged through her closets, finding different shapes and sizes of Theanite stones to form the blade. After examining each stone for imperfections and cracks, Thena was left with two; the precise number needed to build Wedge’s weapon.

The largest stone, maroon, formed the saber. The other stone, which exhibited a slivery hue, was melted and molded in a long, smooth cylinder with four imprints for a tight-fisted grip. The ending product produced a glimmering, sliver handle complementing the purplish-red blade.

Wedge was intrigued with the lightsaber, the exercises, the lessons and the Force. He could hear Thena’s unique, accented, soprano voice in the background, telling him something.

When she stopped talked, he looked up from his masterpiece. He was puzzled. He glanced at the table with Thena’s weapons, "Why so many lightsabers?"

Thena wiped her hands on the red, cloth napkin, dropping it into her silver plate, "I keep losing them."

Wedge laughed out loud.

The general’s military background and formal training made him a nature in defensive stances and movements. The lopsided helix cone flew at lightspeed against the gold-trimmed wallpaper in the grand ballroom.

"Stop," Thena cried. The cone halted one millimeter from the wall, suspended in the air, reaching with the Force.

"No more target practice, General," Thena laughed, igniting her pink lightsaber.

Thena circled Wedge, imposing instructions. Her lightsaber held in a two-fisted grip. "I am going to lunge at you, counter my parry and we will see how long this lasts. Use the Force to guide you strokes, remain calm and concentrate on my anticipated movements. You are defending yourself against my attack." She nodded to begin the exercise.

Wedge’s first parry against Thena’s attack brought his arms and the saber down below his knees. Thena backed away, sensing Wedge’s surprise. The next swing, to the right, aimed at his ribs. Wedge used the Force and felt her movement coming, as if in a dream. He half circled, blocking the weapon, in the air with more intense push. The blades hissed and spitted steam. He pushed forward with muscle strength and Force strength, shoving Thena back. She smiled.

The lightsabers flashed, maroon against pink, the sparks producing blood red fireballs, sizzling and dying when the fragments struck the floor. Wedge spun around, swinging high. Thena, halfway through the leap, sliced her lightsaber downward. The two blades met with a crash and an impact that drove Thena backward to the edge of the grand ballroom’s French doors.

Reaching out with the Force, opening the doors, she did a back flip onto the creme-colored balcony. Wedge charged forward, missing Thena stunned by her elegant gymnastics, stumbling to the hardwood floor on his stomach. He laid still.

His body shook. Thena raced from the end of the terrace to Wedge, scanning his injuries with the Force, maybe, he re-opened the Yuuzhan Vong wound in his chest.

There were no signs of pain. Wedge looked up to Thena, he was smiling and roaring with laugher, "That was fun."

The cadet looked sharp in his navy and white dress military uniform, Ema told Thena as she handed her the white sealed envelope. Thena was sitting the baby blue sofa, with the tiny, Purr kitten, curled up in her lap, asleep. Thena opened it. An invitation to a formal ball, the first inaugurals ball for the Space Station One, tonight.

Wedge did not mention a dance. Usually, Thena know everything that was taking place on the moon base with or without using the Force. Maybe, he forgot to tell her.

"The ground transport was not available, at this moment," the bronze transportation droid keep repeating. She had waited thirty standard minutes, already.

She was miffed. "I can’t go in the X-wing dressed in an evening gown," she complained to Ema. All transports, larger than an X-wing, were not prohibited because moon base was undergoing parameter maintenance from the Yuuzhan Vong damage. So, headquarters was providing vehicles from the Space Station One to the moon base but not out where Thena lived, in her lavender paradise.

She sighed, "Dee, fire her up. This isn’t what I planned for my grand entrance."

Jedi Mistress Lt. Thena Firestar finally arrived at the grand ball after all the toasts had been finished. Trainees, droids, officers were scattered around the huge ballroom. The food was arranged on the long, rectangular table where Thena and Wedge ate lunch on every day during his training. Good thing, we didn’t break anything, Thena giggled to herself, searching for General Antilles.

The major-domo droid passed out drinks on the little red tray. Thena took one, sipping, searching for Wedge, again.

A couple of dances later, combined with a couple of drinks, Lt. Commander Firestar was feeling... different.... wonderful. She never had sensations like this, this was different than the Force and seemed to be stronger than the Force. It must be the little gold colored drinks. Grandmother always warned me about these but she never explained why.

Literally, floating around the ball room, she paused, speaking to the different guests about the war, the weather and the wonderful feeling in the air.

She finally found General Antilles.

He was with another couple of officers in the northwest corner of the ballroom. They did not look like officers or pilot trainees. These girls were from Mryrk. Refugees from the planet, probably. How did they get here?

The transports from Space Station One. Visitors, family visitors. Thena became incensed. They used the transports to get them to the moon base, MY transports. The transports that I was waiting for which may me late for the party. Thena’s usual displicined mine was generating unlimited amount of anger at these ladies.

It did not help the situation that the girls were young, beautiful and standing close to Wedge, very close to Wedge. Her jealously exploded. Using the Force, Thena eavesdropped into their conversation.

Wedge turned to Gavin, "She has got the biggest...."

Thena screamed into the Force, Antilles.

Wedge jumped, looking around the huge ballroom. "What?"

Gavin looked at Wedge, "Anything wrong!"

Wedge gingerly looked over his shoulder around the party, "No, no, not at all."

Thena laughed, gripping a new bottle of champagne, marching to the hidden closet. Thena was prepared for revenge and Wedge was her subject. Thena had not reached lesson number five, mind linking in his Jedi training. Antilles was about to discover this new talent ahead of schedule.

Thena swallowed another glass of champagne and plopped on the gray soft bench in the secret passageway. Relaxing, she called into the Force mind link channel, Wedge, find me.

Thena laughed, gulping another mouthful of the gold liquid.

Wedge stopped talking and looked around the room again, "Did you call me?" He turned to face Corran, who was standing behind him.

"No," Corran responded.

Wedge returned to the conversation of this young, pretty, silly girl. How he gets in situations like these was beyond him. Gavin introduced him to explain about the trainee program. He was stranded here; answering questions and smiling while the rest of the guests were dancing and enjoying the evening.

Find me, Antilles.

General Antilles jumped again, turning to scan the grand ballroom for another time.

Thena’s game was becoming very dangerous but she was feeling more than the Force and knew that Wedge could not find her in the overcrowded room. He was only a Jedi-in-training.

Excusing himself, Wedge decided it was time to leave this corner, mix and mingle with the guests, pilot trainees and officers, in particularly, one certain lieutenant who seems to be playing a mind game with him.

Wedge, guess who?

Wedge stopped at the bar, grabbing a cup of black stemcaf. He whispered back into the Force, Thena, where are you?

Antilles was new to the Force and still training, but he recognized a Jedi game. He could feel the impact the alcohol was having on his inner self. Using the Force and drinking the stemcaf, it helped clear some of the fog but his mind was still cloudy.

Thena explained that a Jedi could purge drugs and foreign substances from their biological systems with practice and time, depending on the dosage. Whatever Jedi game Thena was playing, he would have trouble locating her until he could see the Force with more clarity.

Wedge also figured out Thena was intoxicated and hiding somewhere on the base. He suspected that she was more or less in the same condition. This new Jedi communication game might work both ways. If he irritates her enough, she might reveal her location, accidentally. Wedge needed help.

Good guess, General.

Wedge stood by the French doors, which had scorched marks from his lightsword practice. He called into the Force, Thena, where are you?

Use the Force, Wedge!, she roared with laughter.

Wedge laughed to himself, "When I find you, Thena, you are going to be demoted in more ways than one."

Wedge pulled Corran aside and explained what was happening. "I need to find her, fast."

Corran nodded, shaking his head, "She could be anywhere. Tease her, let’s see had far she wants the game to go."

Thena, I give up!

Thena laughed, gulping more of the golden champagne. Try again.

Do or do not! Wedge shot back into the Force channel. The black stemcaf and the Force were clearing his mind, quickly.

Thena got mad. "Apprentices, who needs them. How can Skywalker stand this?" She swallowed another glass before answering Wedge’s stupid comment.

Thena responded with more intensity into the Force, Do! Do! Do! Do!

"Keep her talking, I can see a blue glow coming from other there," pointing to the south end of the ballroom.

Wedge felt an invisible hand gently push him against the barstool. The Jedi Mistress was doing something else with the Force.

Do what? Wedge whispered into the Force, trying to connect to Thena’s aura, mind or something.

"Sithspawn!" Thena pushed with the Force, the empty champagne bottle shuttered against the wooden door, breaking into a hundred pieces.

That was the sign or noise, Jedi Knight Corran Horn was searching for. Waving to Wedge, he motioned him to the wall.

"My head hurts. My body hurts. Everything hurts," Thena mumbled to herself. "Tired, so tired." She slumped against the gray bench, falling into a semi conscious Jedi trance.

"She is there, in the wall," Wedge questioned, pointing.

"Behind the wall, it must be a hidden room or something," Corran explained.

The two men stepped inside the coat closet, touching the gold wood panels. "Here," Wedge whispered. He did not want to alert Thena. The panel squeaked open.

There was Lt. Thena Firestar, Jedi Mistress, asleep on the gray bench.

Corran closed the panel wall and opened the hidden side door which had champagne spills and broken glass. "Now, what?"

"Send her home." Wedge ordered.

"She lives so far, maybe, I can dump her in the X-wing and send it back," Corran smiled. Wedge understood his meaning. Corran did not like Thena and he wanted her to go back to where she came from, her home world of Theanna.

"Dee would not let you near the X-wing, especially with Thena in this condition," Wedge explained.

"Yeah, the little droid would probably attack me," Corran observed.

"Upstairs, one of the renovated officer quarters," Wedge suggested.

Antilles lifted Thena off the gray bench, heading the third floor.

Corran followed.

The newly renovated officer quarters had blue walls, wooden frame beds and matching wood furniture.

"Wow, this is nice stuff. Where did it come from?" Corran was impressed.

"The estates we purchased had tons of furniture in the basements." Wedge explained.

"When can Mirax and I move in?" Corran asked, scanning the room.

"Tomorrow, after I reprimand Ensign Firestar," Wedge growled.

"Don’t you mean," Corran stopped.

Suddenly, the furniture moved.

"What was that?" Corran looked shocked.

"An earthquake!?" Wedge responded.

Thena shifted in Wedge’s arms, speaking, "Stop."

Wedge positioned Thena upright, scanning her. "She is in some kind of... trance."

The ground shakes again, a little longer.

"It’s her," Wedge stated in surprise.

"We have got to stop her. She could destroy the moon with her Jedi powers." Corran ordered.

He draws his right arm back, aiming his fist at Thena’s jaw, mumbling, "I’m going to enjoy...."

"NO, not that way," Wedge emphasized, swinging Thena away from Horn.

"She has to be either fully conscious or completely unconscious to alter this state." Corran stressed.

"All the stemcaf on this moon will not wake her up. We have to knock her out." Corran added.

"Call FX-7 up here," Wedge ordered.

Another quake erupted, longer than before.

"Wedge, we are out of time," Corran pleaded.

"Fine," Wedge secured his hand behind Thena’s wobbling head, while pulling her closer to him. Wedge whispered, "Thena."

She partially opened her green eyes.

Another ground movement started.

He gently touched Thena’s lips while pinching her neck.

Thena collapsed in his arms, fully unconscious.

The quaking stopped.

"What did you do?" Corran was curious.

"A Jedi nerve pinch," Wedge grinned.

"Where did you learn that?" Corran looked amused.

"From the Jedi datapad you give me," Wedge’s wicked grin widen.

"Uh, how about that," Corran gazing at the sleeping Jedi.

"Wedge, can I borrow that datapad..." as Corran was slipping out the doorway.

"Yes," Wedge smiled.

A new sunrise.

The birds were singing. The sun was shining. The light breeze was blowing the pretty colorful flowers around the window’s view of the garden atrium. Everyone was happy but Thena.

"Ugh, my head," Thena moaned. She dropped her legs over the wooden framed bedside.

Dee beeped.

"Good morning to you, too," Thena tried to be pleasant.

Calling on the Force, she concentrated on clearing her splitting headache and upset tummy. "Dee, note for future reference, no more little gold colored drinks," Thena ordered.

Dee beeped, twice.

"Not so loud," Thena whined.

The Force came slowly, helping her to feel a little better. Scanning the room, the floor and the building, she realized her location. She blushed with embarrassment to herself.

Dee tweeted, softly.

"You brought what," Thena repeated.

Thena was wearing the pink evening gown, shimmering with tiny, Theanite stones, from the party but noticed it covered with something that smelled like rotting grapes.

Dee slid the hidden panel revealing her yellow militia uniform in the compartment. Thena smiled and patted her X-wing partner’s dome. "Good girl."

Thena changed and cleaned her messy face and hair. Her headache was gone but the pain in her neck was overwhelming. "What did I do to get this?" Her mind was recalling last night’s events, which was very fuzzy, at the moment.

Firestar and Dee walked out of the building, standing in front of her parked X-wing from last night. "At least, I was not noticed or questioned about last night." She smirked.

Climbing into the black X-wing hatch, Thena stopped. The pain in her neck. It hurt but it was so... so familiar to her. What did it feel like? Something she experienced early in life, something her... her grandmother taught her.... Something... like.... a nerve pinch.

Suddenly, the events from last night rolled over her mind like a firestorm. Wedge. Antilles. Jedi-in-training. He did it. HE DID THIS.

She shouted into the wind, "Antilles."

"A Jedi nerve pinch."

Jedi Mistress Lt. Thena Firestar was mad and embarrassed. She slammed open the grand ballroom doors, using the Force. Thena ignited her double-edged lightsaber, slashing the pink blade viciously towards Wedge.

He raised his maroon lightsaber in his right hand and grabbed Corran’s silver lightsaber in his left hand to the en guard position. Wedge jumped to the side, whipping his weapons to block her attack. The blades clashed with an impact that echoed in the empty ballroom.

The lightsabers slashed through computer metal, communication cables and hardwood furniture when they hit anything else but each other.

Wedge leaped up, a little too high, touching the ballroom twenty meter ceiling with the maroon blade, maneuvering to land on the rectangular hardwood dining room table. Gold and white ceiling plaster fragments tumbled on Thena; she hid her face with her arms, blocking her vision.

She charged, jumping, slicing the hardware table leg as Wedge landed. The table danced under the general’s weight, dumping him on his back. Thena roared with laughter.

Wedge’s intense dueling had taught him how to use the Force to anticipate danger and Lt. Thena Firestar was dangerous. The Jedi defense stance, which Thena taught him, had advanced to a furious attack against his mentor. He blocked Thena’s incoming blows.

Wedge kicked the French doors with his booted heel, backflipping onto the terrace. Thena advanced in a sequential series of cartwheels, roundoffs and a forward handspring at the terrace’s doorway.

Antilles, instinctually, backflipped onto the balcony ledge, trying to avoid Thena’s next slash. Thena jumped on the opposite side of the balcony ledge, smirking. Their lightsabers collided on the balcony ledge. Each Jedi pushing and shoving to maintain balance on the wall. It was a tug of war with the Jedi Force. The blades spitting blood red sparks in each other’s face.

"WHAT is going on, here?" Lt. Commander Corran Horn shouted, staring at the two human beings perched on the balcony ledge like birds, stepping over the broken furniture parts and hissing cables lying on the gold trimmed ballroom floor.

Wedge and Thena both, turned to face Horn, still locked in a battle for the empire with their lightsabers. He pointed at Thena, "YOU are dismissed. Go home and break something in your lavender palace."

Horn pointed a finger at Wedge, "YOU, the lessons are over for today." Corran held out his right hand, opening the palm. Wedge deactivated Corran’s silver bladed lightsaber, which he was using to fight Thena, placing it in his hand.

Horn opened his left hand. Wedge looked at this new toy, his maroon lightsaber with the glimmering silver hilt. He pressed the button and the blade disappeared, placing it in Horn’s other palm. "If you can’t play nice, you can not play at all, Apprentice." Corran winked at his commanding officer.

Jedi Mistress Lt. Thena Firestar stormed out the ballroom by jumping off the balcony and heading to her X-wing, flying off.

General Antilles surveyed the destroyed ballroom. "I believe that I will supervise the clean up." He punched the button on the gold stained wall.

Corran nodded and left the room.

Thena fumed all the way to her palace, ignoring Ema and petting the Purr kitten, sitting on the baby blue sofa.

Ema questioning, "Where were you? Why didn’t you comlink me? I was worried sick about you."

She turned to Dee, Thena’s astrodriod, "Why didn’t you comlink me, metal head?"

"Ema, leave Dee alone, it was my fault. I get into trouble, big trouble." Thena sighed.

"What kind of trouble, dear?" Ema’s mechanics dropped to a soft mummer.

"The doorbell at this hour of the morning. Who could that be?" Ema got up from the sofa and answered the front door.

General Wedge Antilles, Jedi Knight in training, was not accustomed to clean up duties. The driods were doing a good job and Wedge was grateful. He sat in the corner on the barstool, that he or Thena had not damaged, brewing. Why was she so mad? I am her commanding officer and I am the one that should be reprimanding her, not Horn. Wedge laughed to himself. He will never forget the look on Lt. Commander Corran Horn’s face when he walked through the half tore ballroom entranceway. A contortion of anger, concern, worry, pride and authority.

Now, his fellow so-to-be Jedi Knight was admonishing him. Horn had seniority in the Jedi department. Wedge respected Corran about that but Corran did not seem to respect the newly founded Jedi Mistress Lt. Thena Firestar. Corran did not approve of her methods. She showed lots of Dark Side traits that Luke Skywalker had warned Corran and the other Jedi Knights about. Maybe so, but these times are different and difficult and the Jedis are facing impossible odds and circumstances. Jedi Knight Corran Horn had actually been protecting the Jedi youths on his father-in-law Star Destroyer, since the incident on Ithor.

After someone graduates him to Jedi Knight status, he will be responsible to whom, the military or to the Jedi. Thena has always made her path very clear. She practices and demonstrates her Force talents continuously. Wedge laughed again. She was the reason his coralskipper explosion. I will have to ask her about that little exercise.

Wedge had received enough info about the situations within the Jedi ranks. Jedi Master Luke Skywalker on one end of the spectrum and Jedi Master Kyp Durron on the other end, Jedi Mistress Thena Firestar seems to lay somewhere in between. Wedge was going have to reinvent his role as General in the military and Jedi Knight in the war. This will be interesting, very interesting.

Corran gently nudged the wobbling wood door. The carpenter driods were fixing the wood side panels and doors that Thena ripped apart. "Lunchtime," he announced.

Wedge laughed, "Prisoners of war get lunch." He smiled.

Corran pulled another bar stool to the bar counter, setting down the green tray. Opening the top revealing nerf sandwiches, fruit, drinks and Wedge’s lightsaber, "You are reprieved, General."

Corran seemed a bit more timid in his answers this afternoon. After his arrogant stunt at Ithor and his misinformed data about the Jedi Mistress, Horn had re-evaluated his position.

General Antilles smiled. He could actually sense Corran’s new self. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

Corran smirked. "We are Jedi and we need to stick together." He sits down, biting the sandwich.

Wedge sighed. "What am I going to do with her, Corran?"

Corran laughed, thinking how to answer Wedge’s question.

"A pardon is always nice," Corran grinned.

"What has gotten into you? You were ready to hang both of us. Why are you suddenly Mr. Nice Guy?" Wedge added.

"I was completely wrong about Thena." Corran replied.

"Hmm... Methinks the mighty Jedi Mistress possesses other talents than the Force to change your opinion of her," Wedge eyed Corran, sharply.

Corran’s laughter boomed in the hollow grand ballroom. "It’s not me she thinks about."

Wedge stopped eating, staring at Horn.

"I spend the last hour with her at the lavender palace. It is a nice place. You should visit sometime. I found out that she is a fugitive from her own home world and she has been on the run since she was sixteen. I recognized her name from some old criminal flims from my investigator days. I was wrong about her motives and intentions. Thena is an impressive woman and I have to said that I do respect her, her Force talents and her flying abilities. Her diplomacy skills could use some polishing." Corran grinned.

"How did you remember her so far back?" Wedge was curious.

"Gee, Wedge, you don’t forget a pretty face like that. She is very unique looking and some VIP was looking for her. Her plastered her face over the net for years."

Wedge showed a flap-sided grin. "But, what does this have to do with me?"

"Well, she likes you, a lot. You have become her only friend here on moon base since her first day of training. Thena got a little jealous at the party seeing you with those girls. Somehow, she thought you were going to be her escort for the inaugural ball."

Wedge’s mouth dropped. "Now, I know what happens when a Jedi Mistress gets revengeful. I wish she would use all that energy on the Yuuzhan Vong warriors."

Corran laughed, "She will, don’t worry."

"What do I do now to remedy the situation?" Wedge expressed some reservations about confronting Thena since her secret was out.

"Apologize to her," Corran suggested.

"What? We should think a little more about that statement." Wedge demanded.

"This is the right approach. We can see her together. It should come from you, personally." Corran smirked.

"Now, right now, this minute," Wedge pleaded.

Corran grabbed this arm, "Come on, get this over with. You have got to finish your Jedi training."

They used the ground transport to fly to the lavender palace, landing on the front lawn. Ema meet them at the violet stained wood French doors, "Enter, gentlemen," and escorted them to Thena, waiting in the sunroom.

Jedi Mistress was not wearing one of her colorful militia uniforms; she had opted for a nice quiet beige top, pants and matching sandals. She stood as Wedge and Corran walked into the doorway. "Good afternoon, General Antilles and Lt. Horn."

"No formality, Thena, " looking to Corran for guidance.

"I...have come to...apologize for my behavior," Wedge did not want to mix words.

"Great, that’s over with," slapping Wedge on the back. "Let’s talk about a battle plan for the next Yuuzhan Vong attack," Corran ordered.

Wedge and Thena were both stunned.

Pointing to the empty dining room table at the chairs, Corran added, "How much training does Wedge need to finish?"

"One more test in the X-wings to practice some free falling from the atmosphere," Thena explained.

"I don’t like the sound of this test. Is it dangerous? " Wedge implied.

"Only to non-Jedis," Thena giggled.

"Do it? Some big missions are approaching fast and we need all the Jedis we can get. Wedge needs to talk Luke before he can be commissioned as a Jedi Knight." Corran explained.

"You heard the boss," Wedge ordered.

Suddenly, Thena grabbed her stomach and fell on her knees to the floor, "Pain..."

Wedge and Corran both dropped on the beige and black Persian rug, holding their heads, groaning.

Ema stared at the fallen Jedis but did not speak.

"What just happened?" Antilles whispered, rolling on his knees, rubbing his temples.

Thena lifted her head, "An.. Anakin, the boy from the dinner."

Corran repeated, "Anakin Solo, he’s wounded."

"No, he died," she whispered, softly.

Wedge responded, "Leia! Han!"

Everyone stood in silence for a few moments.

"Let’s roll and finish my training," Wedge commanded.

Antilles checked the pre-flight list as usual. Signaling Thena, "Rogue two, this is rogue leader."

Thena giggled to herself, "So formal, Wedge must be descended from royalty somewhere. Always by the book and follow the rules."

She cleared her throat, "Copy that, ready." Firestar did not want to start another fight and followed her commanding officer and the rules until it was free fall time.

"We got company." Wedge’s Jedi danger senses peaked.

"There are two blips about ten clicks from us, mark 8, point 13" Wedge relayed.

He paused.

"Yuuzhan Vong analogy destroyers, heading our way," Wedge continued.

Thena quickly scanned the area. Wedge was correct.

"Use the Force, Wedge and don’t forget the free fall exercises, we just completed. They will come in handy in this fight," Thena shouted into the comlink.

Before Wedge could issue an order, the entire squadron of Space Station One launched. Commander Chelchu had ordered an attack on the incoming Yuuzhan Vong analog destroyers. The messages were barking the orders across the COM channel.

Thena was excited and nervous, "Ready or not, here we come." She shouted into the comlink as A-wings, B-wings, X-wings and other frigates soared pass her for the interception.

The coral destroy analogy ships spewed a total of thirty coralskippers from it’s organic bay. New Republic ships and coralskippers collided. Coralskippers vomiting coral sprays at the surprised prey.

The battle was nasty and the New Republic ships were losing, badly, very badly. One of the newly trainee pilots, flying a New Republic B-wing blow up into a millions pieces, the ship’s remains smashing Firestar’s X-wing shields. "Dee, reinforce the shields," she screamed into the headset, pulling her ship up to avoid more fiery fragments.

Colonel Darklighter observed, "The target is Space Station One."

Gavin’s assessment was correct. The coralskippers were the pawns in the sabacc game. The destroyer analogy ships had maneuvered pass the offensive line and were heading to the unprotected Space Station One. There was one ion cannon and an energy shield but all the computers were still being repaired and upgraded.

"Evacuate. Evacuate to moon base." Wedge yelled into the comlink to Space Station One. "Rogue squadron form up on me."

Lt. Firestar did not know what squad she was with, so she followed her commanding officer, "I am coming, too."

Antilles smiled to himself, "Like I have a choice." The Jedi Mistress was strong headed and tough. He could use another experienced X-wing pilot and being a Jedi helped.

The new pilot trainees were fighting but it was not enough. All these young lives, gone with the wind.

"It is going to ram," Chelchu commented. "We can’t stop it."

Rogue squadron stared in horror as the big, ugly Yuuzhan Vong destroyer analogy ship drove into the middle of Space Station One. The blue, gold and silver explosion was breath taking but all the lives were lost.

"Sithspawn! Retreat to moon base," Wedge shouted orders to the pilots.

The Force was taking over Wedge emotions. He could feel angry, hate and vengeance on the Yuuzhan Vong race. "I possess the Force, now, YOU are all dead. Dead for my friends, my fellow pilots, my Jedi friends and especially for Anakin Solo. I am going to use the Force to blew you and your kind of the galaxy." Wedge’s X-wing raced the second Yuuzhan Vong destroyer analogy to moon base.

Jedi Mistress Lt. Thena Firestar could feel the loss of the New Republic pilots. She had to shield her emotions, they were so strong and the light was fading so fast for everyone. Concentrate on the moment, the fight. No, not victory but survival. Tomorrow, tomorrow is another day. The Jedi will fight again if we can survive for the next few minutes. Thena scanned for coralskippers, none were left. The New Republic trainee pilots did a good job and helped eliminate them but every pilot and ship was gone.

One analogy ship was buried into the burning space station plummeting pass the moon, dropping into the raw, black depths of space. She could visually see the more, experienced X-wing pilots, who had, yet again, survived.

But wait, what is this signature. This Force signature. I am feeling from Antilles. Angry. Hate. Vengeance. The Dark Side.

"Wedge, wait for me," Thena yelled into her comlink. She directed her X-wing at moon base commander center, trying to beat Antilles down below.

The second Yuuzhan Vong ship got a good beating from the New Republic attack. Coral pus was oozing out of the dorsal fins, making escape impossible, which forced the analogy to land on the ground. The warriors were going to finish the battle on moon base.

The ship landed hard, splashing coral paste all over the manicured lawns and flowers gardens. Yuuzhan Vong warriors exited the dying ship in pairs, yelling and waving their amiphistaff ready for action. The herds overran to the command center’s windows, breaking the glass, tossing the staffs like protons torpedoes. Each grabbed an officer or clerk, dragging the body out the building, beating and whipping them with the snake-like sticks.

Jedi-in-training, General Wedge Antilles cut the power on his X-wing. Using the Force, he guided the craft down wind from the fallen analogy. Pulling his maroon lightsaber, he ran towards the command center, observing the commotion. Disgusted with these acts of pure brutality, Antilles screamed into the wind using the Force, drawing attention to him. "Cowards, this way. I have a surprise for you."

Wedge stood in front of the damaged analogy with this lightsaber ignited, challenging them. As one of the Yuuzhan Vong warriors dumped the officer’s body on the ground, he sprinted to Wedge’s position. Antilles deactivated his lightsword and pointed his right hand at the warrior. Blue and white lightning shot from his fingertips plowing into the Vong warrior’s chest. The warrior stopped, stumbled and falls to the ground while the blue and white light circled this body.

"No, the Dark Side," Thena yelled to Wedge, pleading with him to stop.

Jedi Mistress Firestar ignited her double-edged pink lightsaber, running with Jedi speed to the fallen Yuuzhan Vong warrior. His body was shaking and white pus was forming at the mouth. His eyes were like bluish-black slits and smelled from burned flesh armor.

Jedi Antilles fired another round of blue lightning at the next approaching warrior. He falls to the coral stained lawn, shaking.

Firestar ran between the fallen Yuuzhan Vong warrior as Wedge released another blue and white energy streak. Her double-edged lightsaber absorbed most of the blue and white lightning, tumbling her back, protecting the fallen enemy.

"You have to get through me, Antilles. I am a Jedi Mistress and it will take all you can muster to defeat me." She was angry with herself more than Wedge. She created this monster and it was up to her to destroy him or convert him back to the light.

Wedge looked stunned and was maybe, a little hurt. It was very hard to read his emotions with all the surges of guilt, anger and hate controlling his mind. He smirked and yelled back. "So, the little Jedi wants to play. I think, I owe you one for the beating you give me this morning." He ignited the maroon lightsaber, moving into the en guard position, circling Thena.

Thena’s heart stopped for an instance and she could not swallow. This was not the nice, proper Wedge Antilles she knows. He changed. How did this happen? Another important fact was that Wedge was pulling from the Dark Side. The Dark Side is not stronger only more seductive and faster in learning mean and nasty tricks of the Force. "Great," Thena muttered, "Where is a Jedi Master when you need one?"

Gavin, Corran and Chelchu had rescued what was left of moon base command center staff and eliminated the remaining Yuuzhan Vong warriors. Wedge only left one, standing, after the bizarre light show. They watched as General Antilles lunged at Lt. Firestar. "Stay back, let Thena handle this," Corran ordered.

"No problem," Gavin commented, staring at the two Jedis.

Thena scanned Wedge’s aura. He had all mental, emotional and physical Force shields up, blocked and locked. All she could register from him was hate and the Dark emotions. How do I fight against this? My grandmother taught me to be defensive against an enemy and merciful. I could fight against the Yuuzhan Vong warriors, against the evil Prince Rann, against the Jedi renegade Kyp Durron, but against Wedge, the man I admire, the man I like, the man... I love. "Great, Thena, psyche yourself out and we are all lost," she mumbled to herself.

"Think, think, there must be some strategy to use to convert him back to the light," Thena was talking to herself.

Wedge leaped, hitting her double-edged pink sword, pushing her backwards. Thena deactivated her weapon and flipped backwards three times, following the momentum. He is much stronger than last time. Thena charged swinging at his head. Antilles jerked to his left and rolled, which give Thena time to think, "This dual is going to be a standoff, who ever passes out from exhaustion, will win."

Parry for parry and thrust for thrust, the two Jedis executed perfect Jedi fencing textbook styles.

"This is going to take all night at this rate," the calmly controlled Commander Chelu observed.

"Yeah, but who will fall first, " Corran was concerned. He felt the dark intentions from his old buddy, Wedge Antilles and wondered how this would end for him, Thena or the Jedi.

"Antilles, I am going to recommend to Skywalker that you be promoted to Jedi Master instead of Knight. You have improved over 200% since this morning," Thena teased the monster.

"Grrr...I am going to kill you, Firestar," the monster responded.

"Like I’ve never heard that before," she mocked the complement, grinning at Antilles.

"I have created another Lord of the Sith?" Thena moaned to herself. "Luke is not going to be very happy about this. I will probably be banned from the New Jedi Order."

Thena was mumbling as she parried her lightsaber against Wedge’s slashes. What would Skywalker do? He battled his father, Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith. How did he convert him? Am I going to have to cut his hand off to turn him back to the light side? Wrong side. Vader did that to Luke. Okay. Plan B.

The pink lightsaber hit the ground and Firestar jumped three meters into the wind and somersaulted over the general. She summoned her weapon back before the next slash to her legs.

"Horn," Thena shouted into the audience of X-wing pilots, "I think Darth, here, is going to need a blood transfusion, sooner or later, preferably sooner." She leaped into the tree branch for safety, at least for a few seconds.

"Is she going to kill him?" Gavin asked with a worried look.

"No, she wants us to sedate Wedge, like we did her. Run and get the hyponeedle." Corran ordered.

Thena watched patiently for Darklighter to return, while she maneuvered General Antilles over to Corran’s direction. Corran pulled his silver lightsaber. In case, Thena wanted to play the child’s game of Tag.

Thena was tired, sweat had flatten her white, feathery bangs to her forehead and there were noticeable black bruises and blood red cuts on her legs and arms, either from the numerous broken garden foliage or Wedge’s accurate lightsaber marksmanship.

The new Jedi Knight did not fare much better. The experienced Jedi Mistress cut him gently across the chest, tearing the orange flight suit open. There was a red and orange burn mark across his tanned skin. It would heal. He was a Jedi or a couple of days in the bacta beds would suffice.

Darklighter arrived, holding the precious hyponeedle, containing the sleeping potion. Chelcu also carried a second hyponeedle, just in case. Thena smiled to herself.

She pushed Wedge out of her reach and dropped her pink lightsaber. Suddenly, she backflipped two times, giving her extra room to tumble. She cartwheeled into one forward handspring, a second forward handspring; the three forward handspring would have hit Antilles, if he did not jump back.

Thena performed a fourth handspring, surprising Wedge, landing on his legs. He falls backward on the grass. She recalled her lightsaber and held it to his throat. "Do it!" Thena shouted.

Corran jumped, penning Wedge’s right shoulder down on the ground and Chelchu the other shoulder. Gavin jammed the hyponeedle into Wedge’s trapped arm. He passed out cold.

Thena could not resist, "Goodnight, Darth Vader." She rolled off Wedge onto the cool, wet lawn, closing her eyes, everything hurt again.

Corran leaned over Thena, "I think you need a bacta bed, one is available, waiting for your confirmation number."

Thena snickered.

A new sunrise.

General Wedge Antilles emerged from the bacta bed, fully healed, peering out the hospital window at the messy gardens and lawn. "Did I do that?"

Thena exploded into laughter, "Yeah."

"How did this happen, again?" Wedge asked.

"What am I going to do with you, Antilles?" she demanded, placing her hands on her hips.

Corran burst into laughter.

"What, may I ask, is so funny, Horn," Thena’s right eyebrow cocked.

"You," pointing to Wedge, "and you," pointing to her. "Are two peas in an Ithor pod."

Corran marched out the ICU med unit, laughing, "Jedis, can’t live with them, can’t live without them."

"I am a Jedi..." Wedge looked to Thena for the answer.

"Yes sir, General Wedge Antilles, I knight thee," she smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Let’s get to work, Jedi," Wedge ordered, grabbing her arm.

"Work!" Thena was puzzled.

"Our first assignment as a Jedi team is saving Jacen Solo," Wedge answered.

"Do you know where he is?" Thena inquired.

"Yes, I do," Wedge grinned.

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Lucasfilm, Ltd. No money is being made and no infringement is intended.