"Jacen, I'm fine," replied Ben Skywalker as the elegant turbolift rose up among the beautiful spires of New Coruscant. "You're mind isn't at ease, Ben. There's something bothering you." said Jedi Master Jacen Solo with a slight smile. Even after all these years, his cousin Ben was still very reserved when it came to his emotions. "You shouldn't be ashamed about your feelings," continued Jacen. "It's like what Vergere used to tell me…"

"Aww!! Not another Vergere story!!!" exclaimed Ben. Jacen and his apprentice both burst out laughing at this and the tension between them instantly broke. Jacen supposed he repeated Vergere's sayings a little too often. He smiled when he remembered how his Uncle Luke always used to ramble on about Yoda's "Do, or do not. There is no try." speech all the time at the Jedi Academy, back when it was still on Yavin 4, in the exact same way. Uncle Luke… thought Jacen, as he remembered his beloved mentor, friend, and relative. He'd died at the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War in a duel against Supreme Overlord Shimrra of the Vong. He'd slain the Dread Lord of the Yuuzhan Vong, but he'd collapsed moments later as he succumbed to severe wounds from Shimrra's amphistaff. Mara also died from wounds received in a firefight. Ben had then been raised by Jacen, C-3PO. R2-D2, Lowbacca, and Winter, one of the oldest friends of the Solo/Skywalker family. As for the Vong, the corrupt politician Fyor Rodan had unleashed the bio weapon known only as Alpha Red onto the major population centers of the Vong by hijacking a frigate where the weapon was being developed and dumping the bio-toxin. The disease soon spread and while it killed all the Vong and most of their wildlife and bio-tech, the Jedi had managed to contain the plague and save some of the Vong's ecology. The remaining Vonglife had proven quite effective in advancing the galaxy's technology.

    "Uh…Jacen?" Jacen snapped out of his reverie as his Padawan waved a hand in front of his eyes. "We're here," said Ben. Jacen nodded and walked out of the turbolift down the hall to a pair of huge doors ornately carved from rare japor snippet wood. The two Jedi were saluted by two Galactic Alliance guards standing on either side of the door; one guard was a Chiss, the other a Neimoidian. They were both wearing the amalgam of weaponry that made up the GA Defense Force: their torsos and legs were mostly covered by deep-blue stormtrooper armor worn over a Chiss jumpsuit. The whole armor was topped off by the helmet worn by the Rebels and later by the New Republic. A sign of the times, thought Jacen. He smiled as he and Ben walked into the office of the Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance.