Disclaimer:

A/N: Parts of this chapter were taken or adapted from the novel Star by Star by Troy Denning. Special thanks to my returning beta/editor, Fallenstar2. See bottom of story for more notes.

A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away….

Star Wars

The New Jedi Order

Into the Night

It's been over eight years since the defeat of Palpatine and the destruction of the second Death Star. The New Republic and the Empire, both bolstered by a new peace treaty and a common enemy, have been working together to prepare for the coming threat, though it is still largely unknown. On Earth, the Jedi Council - though no longer having to remain hidden there - have maintained a presence and continue to assist the Slayers. While Buffy oversees this as chief liaison between the two groups, Dawn has taken over in the infirmary as the lead healer and is assisted by her young daughter Vi, whose unusual Force powers are starting to come into their own. Despite the knowledge that bad times are coming, there is peace and stability in the galaxy and all are willing to take advantage of that.

But all is not well. There are new rumblings in the Force. Somewhere, an unstoppable evil sweeps forwards, destroying all in its path. And our heroes are about to collide with a whole new reality - and both of their salvations rest in the hands of one young Jedi…

Dramatis Personae

Jedi Council

Buffy Kenobi; Jedi Master (female Human)

Obi-Wan Kenobi; Jedi Master (male Human)

Anakin Skywalker; Jedi Master (male Human)

Roan Shryne; Jedi Master (male Human)

Zett Jukassa; Jedi Master (male Human)

Aayla Secura; Jedi Master(female Twi'lek)

Bol Chatak; Jedi Master (male Zabrak)

Ydra Kilwallen; Jedi Master (female Mirialan)

Teryl Sibwarra; Jedi Master (Female Kuat)

Praxeum

Serra Keto; Jedi Saber Master (human female)

Olee Starstone; Jedi Knight, Head Archivist (female human)

Dawn Summers; Jedi Knight, Head Healer (female human)

Luke Skywalker; Jedi Master, Headmaster (male human)

Mara Jade; Jedi Knight (female human)

New Republic

Leia Solo; Jedi Knight, Chief of State, New Republic (female human)

Han Solo; Captain, Millennium Falcon (human male)

Chewbacca; co-pilot, Millennium Falcon (male Wookie)

Padmé Skywalker; Jedi Representative (female human)

Joyce Antilles; Jedi Knight, Head of NR Intelligence (female human)

Wedge Antilles; General, New Republic (male human)

Xander Harris; General, New Republic(male human)

See-Threepio; Droid

Artoo-Deetoo; Droid

Boba Fett; Mandalorian Bounty Hunter (human male)

Talon Karrde; Smuggler, Captain, Wild Karrde (Human male)

Watcher's Council

Rupert Giles; Head, Watcher's Council (male human)

Faith Lehane; Senior Slayer (female human)

Wesley Wyndham-Pryce; Watcher (male human)

Winifred Burkle; Council Tech Specialist (female human)

Spike; Council Operative (male vampire)

Angel; Council Operative (male vampire)

3rd World

Anakin Solo, Jedi Apprentice (male human)

Jaina Solo Jedi Apprentice (female human)

Jacen Solo; Jedi Apprentice (male human)

Tahiri Veila; Jedi Apprentice (female human)

Kyp Durron; Jedi Knight (male human)

Luke Skywalker; Jedi Master (male human)

Mara Jade Skywalker; Jedi Master (female human)

Han Solo; Captain, Millennium Falcon (human male)

Leia Solo; Copilot, Millennium Falcon (female human)

Danni Quee, Scientist, Force Adept (female human)

Tenel Ka Djo, Jedi Apprentice (female Hapan)

Zekk, Jedi Apprentice (male human)

Alema Rar, Jedi Apprentice (female Twi'lek)

Yuuzhan Vong

Supreme Overlord Shimmra (Male Yuuzhan Vong)

Nom Anor, Executor (Male Yuuzhan Vong)

Onimi, Shamed One (Male Yuuzhan Vong)

Nas Choka; Warmaster (Male Yuuzhan Vong)

Harrar; Priest, (Male Yuuzhan Vong)

Nen Yim; Master Shaper (Female Yuuzhan Vong)

Chapter 1

The Long Halloween

Buffy stood on the balcony overlooking the massive ballroom in the Watcher's Council's headquarters. Once, the elite of England would travel from all over to the massive residence in Leeds to partake in the lavish balls its former owner had thrown. When the Council had taken over, those parties had become more political as the Watcher's struggled to rebuild after the First's attack and you could normally find young Slayers serving drinks and cocktails to the Watchers' guests

That practice stopped as soon as Faith and the rest of the Sunnydale survivors arrived.

Once things had settled down for the Slayers, they began an annual tradition of a Halloween party, where the slayers and Watchers could let their hair down for a night and just enjoy life. Costumes were optional- though Giles had stressed to Faith and some of the more boisterous (or rambunctious) Slayers that clothing was not. Xander's disappointment of that rule ended when he married Aayla Secura, Jedi Master and friend to Buffy. Andrew's still hasn't.

Buffy smiled as she spied the last surviving Scooby on the dance floor, showing off his most successful dance move. Aayla, Force bless her, was doing her best not to laugh too hard as Xander, hero of the Slayers and General in the New Republic Fleet did the Snoopy dance.

Got to hand it to him, he can still move.

Buffy glanced over to see the ghostly, pale-blue figure of her other best friend. "Yeah, he still does." She paused and thought for a moment. "You know, I should really tape this and send it out to the fleet…"

Ha! Willow exclaimed, watching Xander fondly. I wish I could talk to him, too.

Buffy shrugged. "Well, Tara and the coven are doing the communication spell tonight… they could probably call you back…"

The ghostly Willow shook her head. No. There's no telling what could happen. I mean, it might work- but it could also cut me off from you and the rest of the Jedi, too. Just pass on my love, will ya?

"I always do,." Buffy replied.

So, why are you up here, anyway? Willow asked. I'd think you'd be down there, mingling with the troops.

"I'm just taking a break."

And your husband?

Buffy smirked. "He's taking a nap." She giggled lightly. "We're not as young as we used to be, you know." She absently fingered her shoulder-length blonde hair, now streaked through with grey. Even Slayer healing didn't stop some of the ravages of time; and while Buffy may not have the wrinkles one might expect to see on someone in their mid-forties, she certainly was getting the grey hair.

She wasn't alone - time had taken its toll on everyone. Buffy spied her brother and sister-in-law dancing slow and close on the dance floor, oblivious to the fast-paced music or the throngs of teenage girls around them. Padmé's hair, which she still wore long, was also starting to show grey streaks, though she was still as beautiful today as she was nearly a decade earlier. Anakin had cut his own hair short and had taken to wearing casual earth clothes instead of his old Jedi outfits on most days. Every time she looked at them, Buffy always said a small prayer that her marriage to Obi-Wan would be that strong in their elder years.

Though it had taken them quite a while, Buffy and Obi-Wan had finally been married two years after Dawn's rather eventful wedding in a small ceremony at the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4. Luke's new academy had been a beautiful setting and quite a few of Buffy's earth friends jumped at the chance to cross over to see it. They had said their vows in the main audience chamber, both in their dress robes, Obi-Wan's own hair now fully silver (which he readily attributed to the Skywalker kids - the elder kids, that is) and was presided over by Anakin himself. Since then, Buffy and Obi-Wan had continued to stay mostly in what Fred called the 2nd world, living and teaching at the Praxeum, though they visited Earth as much as possible.

Buffy shook herself out of her reverie and glanced over at Willow. "I know you didn't come to just shoot the breeze, Will. What's going on?"

Something big, the apparition replied. You've been feeling ripple in the Force? Buffy nodded. Well, I've been feeling tidal waves. Something is happening that is disrupting the Force to such a degree that's never been felt before. And you need to be ready for it.

"It can't be the invasion, can it?" Buffy asked. "I thought we still had time…"

Oh, you've got about a decade until that happens, if the Emperor's calculations were correct. It's something else…

"Can't you give me anything?" Buffy pleaded lightly. Willow shook her head.

I'm sorry. I may be one with the Force, but that doesn't mean I know everything. Just be ready. Willow smiled sadly. Tell my daughter I love her, she asked as she faded away.

"It's what I do." she repeated softly to herself. Buffy sighed sadly, then turned back to the party. But she found herself unable to truly enjoy it, now. She felt something, in the back of her mind… a thought, a feeling, trying to break through.

What could it be? she thought, closing her eyes and reaching out into the Force.

The flames crackled out. Anakin opened his eyes and saw yellow glow lichen shining bright, the last wisps of vapor cloud evaporating into the hot air. He lay there for a long time, taking stock of his condition, trying to fight off his anguish. It took five full breaths to establish that the pain was caused only by his old wound, ten heartbeats more to bring it under control.

Gradually, Anakin grew aware of the battle meld again, of the strike team's mounting elation. Pushing his agony aside, calling on the Force, he lifted himself to his feet. The Jedi were advancing on the left side of the grashal, driving back the last handful of shapers and guards, slashing nutrient vines and cloning pods as they went. Through the pulsing tangle of stalks, he could not see what they were hunting - but he could feel it, over by the grashal wall, trapped a little below floor level, unsettled, wild, ferocious. Afraid.

Behind Anakin, the long blaster boomed. He felt panic from Tahiri and turned to find her rushing into the grashal. A ball of fire followed her through the breach and exploded into the monolith standing there and Tahiri went flying.

Anakin rushed to help, but she was up before he took two steps. "Magma spitters! We're cut off."

Anakin did not bother to look. "Tekli?"

Tahiri pointed behind him, where the Chadra-Fan was sprinkling stinksalts on Tesar's forked tongue. The Barabel was smiling, but not waking.

"Take him ... and go." Every word filled Anakin's belly with fire. He pointed toward the others. "You may need to cut a way out."

"'You'?" Tahiri said. "I'm not going -"

"Do it!" Anakin snapped. When Tahiri's face fell, he spoke more gently. "You need ... to help Tekli. I'll be along."

"Yes, Tahiri," Tekli said. She cast a knowing glance at Anakin, then kneeled astride the Barabel and began to slap him. "Tesar is not responding. I cannot move him and work on him both."

Tahiri looked doubtful, but could hardly refuse to help. Blinking back a tear, she stretched up to kiss Anakin on the lips - then caught herself and shook her head. "No - for that, you have to come back."

Anakin gave her his best lopsided smile. "Soon, then."

"Soon," Tahiri repeated. "May the Force be with you."

Dawn sat at one of the small tables that lined the dance floor and sipped her drink, watching as her nine-year-old daughter Vi bopped to the music with the other Slayers. She smiled at the girls antics- they reminded her of how she was so many years ago. Then she thought back to another Halloween party, and silently thanked god that there was NO alcohol at this party.

"You know, she wanted to dress as a roller girl," Zett said with a smile as he sat down next to his wife. "I had to put my foot down on that one."

Dawn sighed. "Thank god."

"Then she wanted to know why she couldn't." Zett smirked as Dawn dropped her head to the table with a groan.

"Please tell me you found some BS reason and didn't tell her the truth." She pleaded.

"What, do you actually think I want to tell our daughter how her mother ended up passed out on the Council lawn?" Zett asked, chuckling when she shot him a glare. "Well, I can't tell someone whose training with a lightsaber that roller skates are too dangerous. I just said that I'd prefer if she spent this Halloween as herself. She said okay."

Dawn nodded as she watched her daughter. After she and Zett were married, they had spent a few months at the Council building helping the Slayers and raising Vi. All too soon though, Zett began traveling across the barrier to assist Luke at his newly created Praxeum. While the Council recognized Luke as the head of the new school, Zett became his second and assisted him in teaching the newest generation of Jedi. Indeed, his blending of old and new teachings proved beneficial in bridging the gap between the younglings who had been rescued from the purge and were now approaching their teens, and the new group of force-sensitive recruits that Luke had gathered during his travels.

Dawn, who worried about going into battles as a Jedi knight while she had a daughter at home, found a new purpose for both Councils as she began studying medicine and Jedi healing techniques. Soon she moved to the Praxeum with Vi to continue her studies and raise her daughter with her husband. This proved beneficial to everyone as Dawn was able to spend years learning ancient Jedi healing techniques, then travel back to Earth where only months had passed to heal any injured Slayers. Soon Dawn had become the head of the Watcher's Council medical wing.

The biggest surprise for the both of them had been Vi herself. The young girl had already proven to be as feisty, inquisitive, mischievous and intelligent as her two namesakes. By the age of five she had already started hacking into her parents computers and several of the temples droids, a fact that a young Jaina Solo was excited about when she and her brothers came to visit (Dawn shuddered to think about how they would be when they were old enough to start training at the temple). But even more astonishing was the mastery of the Force she was already showing. During a routing training session in which Zett had brought Vi along with him, one of the students was badly injured when a remote unexpectedly exploded next to his face. While Zett rushed to call in Dawn, Vi, who had only been six at the time, had calmly walked over to the moaning apprentice and put her tiny hands over the wound. Mere minutes later, much to the astonishment of a just arrived Dawn and Anakin, who had been visiting, the wound was completely healed and Vi was passed out on the floor. Further investigation by Anakin showed that Vi had an instinctual control over very advanced Force-healing techniques that Dawn and Anakin himself were still trying to learn. Thankfully, the only adverse reactions they could discern for Vi was that it tired her small body out rather quickly, though with practice and age it should cause her no ill effects.

"We don't get to Earth nearly enough anymore," Dawn remarked. "The Slayers miss Vi and I know she misses them. And so much time passes for her between visits…"

"I know," Zett said. "Truth be told, I miss this place, too." He paused, thinking. "But now we'll be back here more, and Vi can start to make new friends with the younger Slayers."

"Yeah…" Dawn trailed off as she felt something through the Force. She looked too her husband. "Do you feel…"

"Yeah." Zett nodded. "Pain, anguish, fear, loss…" He looked to Dawn, "but from where?"

"Lowie?" Anakin called, using the Force to make his weak voice carry.

He reached out, but felt only the same hazy Yuuzhan Vong presence as before. The newcomer turned, revealing the profile of a sandy-haired human, and raised an old E-11 blaster rifle.

Anakin was already behind a planting bin, activating his com-link. "Impostor!" he warned. "Trying for pens."

The blaster fire crescendoed to a deafening roar, as did the Jedi's frustration. The firing angles were impossible. A grenade detonated somewhere, and Jaina yelled for a charge.

The door membrane began to roll upward, revealing forty pairs of Yuuzhan Vong feet waiting to rush inside. Anakin opened himself to the Force completely, drawing it into himself through the power of his emotions - not through his anger or fear like a Dark Jedi, but through his love for his family and his fellow Jedi Knights, through his faith in the Jedi purpose and the promise of the future. The Force poured in from all sides, filling him with a swirling maelstrom of power and purpose, saturating him and devouring him. There was nothing to be frightened of, no reason to grieve. He could feel it flowing into him and himself flowing into it. Anakin was the Force, and the Force was Anakin.

Anakin rose. His body emitted a faint aura of light - the glow of his cells burning out - and the air crackled around him. His injuries no longer pained him. He was acutely aware of everything in the grashal - the musty smell of the droning thud bugs, the sultry heat rising from the planting bins, the huffing breath of his fellow Jedi, even the Yuuzhan Vong. Their presence was as distinct to him as that of his own companions, almost as though the Force had somehow expanded to include them.

Vi laughed, gasping for breath as she collapsed into her chair. She was sitting with Rona, Belle and Molly, the last three survivors of her mother's original group of Slayers. The three had sort of adopted Vi, looking out for her whenever she was on Earth (not nearly enough for their liking), and they all looked on her as a little sister. Vi, for her part, looked on them as older sisters and confidants, teachers of Earth customs (which she constantly needed help with, as she spent most of her time in the 2nd world), and all-around friends.

"So, do you have parties this fun on Yavin?" Rona asked, sipping her Coke. She has spiked hers and the others with rum, but left Vi's drink alone - she did not want a pissed off Jedi on her case and between Dawn, Buffy, Joyce and Mara, that was four too many.

Vi laughed and shook her head. "We have fun, but no big parties. I can't imagine Uncle Luke dancing to this stuff. Aunt Mara, though…"

"You really need to come here more often," Belle complained. "We don't get ta see ya nearly enough anymore!"

"Yeah, it's been - what, two years for you?" Molly asked. Vi sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

"Life of a Jedi healer-in-training. But I do have some good news about that."

"What?" Rona asked.

"Well, Uncle Anakin thinks that I'll get more experience with my 'healing hands', as he calls them, but working over here in the infirmary. So it looks like I'll be staying for a while, at least."

"Wicked!" Belle exclaimed with a smile. "We need ta take you shopping ta celebrate!"

"Like you needed an excuse to…" Vi trialed off as she started to feel something in the Force - great pain, anguish - she shuddered at the feelings. Molly noticed this immediately and put a gentle hand on the younger girl's shoulder.

"Vi? What is it?" she asked. The girl looked up at her with pained eyes.

"Something's coming."

Firing as he ran, Anakin raced along the rising door. Every bolt blasted a Yuuzhan Vong foot. Muffled roars reverberated through the membrane. Ahead of him, half a dozen warriors dropped and rolled into the grashal. He blasted these before they could rise, then reached the other end and stroked the tickle pad. The door lowered again.

"Hutt breath!" Jaina cursed over the comlink. "She's escaping."

Anakin could feel it, too. The voxyn was moving down and away. He activated his own comlink. "The impostor must have opened an escape tunnel." It no longer hurt to speak, but his aura had gone from faint to bright. His cells were burning like fire. "Jacen, you're in charge. Take everyone and go after her."

Jaina's surprise at not having her own name called carried through the Force like a shout across water, but she stifled any resentment she felt and said, "Can't get there, Little Brother."

"The path will clear."

Anakin slashed the membrane tickle pad and circled toward the empty voxyn pen. He could feel Yuuzhan Vong ahead, crouching behind the last row of planting bins, secure in the knowledge that help was coming. That changed a moment later, when Anakin began to pour blaster fire into their flank. His angle was poor for head shots and his bolts too weak to penetrate vonduun crab armor, but by the time the Yuuzhan Vong realized that, they were being overrun by Jedi.

A plasma ball roared through the grashal door and set fire to a twenty-meter swath of cloning vines. Anakin charged back toward the melted membrane, miniature forks of lightning dancing off his arms and legs, the Force swirling through him like fire, burning more ferociously every moment. He was completely filled with the strength of the light side now; his injured body could hold no more. The energy was burning its way out of him, consuming a vessel too weakened to contain it.

Yuuzhan Vong - their feet fully intact - poured in five abreast. He dropped the first rank from fifteen meters out, his blaster pistol singing out twice between each step, every bolt burning through a face or a throat. The volcano cannon roared again, and a sphere of white fire blossomed in front of him, seemingly from nowhere. Anakin dived and rolled into the wall, hit boots-first, sprang into a back flip, returned to his feet ten meters from the explosion.

"Anakin!" Jaina's cry resembled a scream.

Go! He commanded her through the Force. She's getting away!

The blaster sang out in Anakin's hand, dropping Yuuzhan Vong as fast as it could fire. More warriors poured in. A razor bug buried itself in his shoulder, his jumpsuit half disintegrated by the Force energy escaping his body and no longer much protection. He allowed the impact to spin him around, fired again and once more, heard the depletion alarm. The Yuuzhan Vong hurled handfuls of thud bugs and rushed, already pulling amphistaffs off their waists.

Anakin threw the blaster pistol at the first and dropped him and leapt the second, thumbing his lightsaber to life in the air. He landed in front of the entrance and began a whirling dance of slash and parry, blocking once and striking twice, every attack a killing blow. His aura was burning so brightly that he cast shadows behind his foes. He batted the blade left to right, overpowering two blocks to open two throats, then sent another warrior tumbling with a hook kick to the head.

And still they came, piercing Anakin in three places, one amphistaff sinking its fangs into his flesh. The Force scalded the poison from his system before he felt it, and the new wounds troubled him less than the old one - but there were a dozen more warriors behind them, and he could not hold forever. He killed another, then another, took a crippling slash to his thigh, and gave ground. The Yuuzhan Vong rushed, trying to slip past to the right.

Tara looked around at the assembled witches. "Are we ready to begin?" she asked. She was in a small room, deep within the Council's main building that had been designated as the coven's Sanctum Sanctorum, the room blessed and warded by the high priestess Althenea that the Council's coven used for any ceremonies or rituals they needed to perform. And once a year they performed a ceremony to contact the dead - for some it was for closure; for others it was to gather information on what the big bads were planning. The dead were a surprisingly good source of info on the demon world, it turns out.

Tonight they were prepared to once more contact the dead. The coven was a small one, led by Tara, and was filled with witches and a few slayers who had been magically inclined either before they were activated, or had expressed interest after they came to live at the Council building. Also present was Mara Jade Skywalker, who had asked Tara to teach her about the other power she had inherited from her mother in the hopes that she wouldn't fall into darkness like Willow had. Buffy had told her once that Willow was proud that she asked Tara for help and that knowledge filled her with a sense of pride.

As the witches signaled their readiness, Tara bowed her head. "Then let us begin." She lit a single candle and the rest of the twelve women followed suit. "Lord Hades, hear our plea. Let us once more speak with those whom you hold dominion over… send them to us now so we may seek their wisdom, their guidance…Lord Hades, hear our pleas…"

The longblaster roared from the pen area, blowing a head-sized hole through one Yuuzhan Vong and a fist-sized hole through the one behind him. Anakin launched himself into a back flip and landed five meters away. His aura flickered wildly as his cells began to burn and burst. He hazarded a glance over his shoulder and saw Jaina peering over the pit wall, tears streaming down her cheeks, the longblaster propped against her shoulder. Jacen was beside her, likewise weeping, trying to pull her away.

Go! Anakin said through the Force. I can't hold.

Anakin's aura flashed and dimmed, flashed again and dimmed more, his cells rupturing in chain reactions, the cycles coming faster and faster as less of him remained to contain the energy. He felt himself not exactly departing, but melting back into the Force. He pulled his last thermal detonator off his harness and thumbed the timer three clicks.

Go now.

"Anakin, I can't!" Jaina commed.

Anakin raised the detonator so his brother and sister could see. Thirty seconds. He released the trigger. Take her, Jacen. Kiss Tahiri for me.

With the charging warriors almost on him again, Anakin threw the detonator across the grashal. He wasn't conscious of using the Force to guide it, but he must have, because it hit the impostor in the head.

Anakin was too busy parrying to see what happened for the next few seconds, but when he finally managed to spring away from his attackers - he was no longer strong enough to flip or cartwheel - the impostor was gathering himself up, rubbing his head and searching for what had struck him. Even from thirty meters, his broken nose and misshapen eye orbit identified him clearly as Nom Anor.

When the executor's gaze fell on the silver sphere, his real eye grew as large as his plaeryin bol. He reached down.

Anakin used the Force to nudge the sphere away, then caught an amphistaff in the ribs and went down hard, letting his lightsaber fall from his hand. His aura was only a faint glow, flickering between dim and nonexistent. The maelstrom inside was dying away now, flowing back into the Force.

Nom Anor rushed for the detonator again. Anakin waited, waited until the executor was almost on it, then reached out with the Force one last time, rolling the sphere toward the cargo pod.

He did not hear the angry curse that followed, nor did he see Nom Anor fleeing at a dead run. His aura burst forth once more, a sight of pure brilliant white energy…

And then, Anakin was gone. As was his body.

One by one, the candles flickered out and died. The room began to shake, and the power became almost palpable. Most of the coven looked to Tara, who had stopped chanting and whose brow was furrowed in confusion.

"This isn't normal…"

"Mara?" a witch named Tiffany asked and Tara looked over at the Jedi, whose back was arched and head was thrown back, her mouth open in agony, though no scream came out. Tara through at first that she was having some kind of seizure, but reaching out telepathically to her she realized she was merely feeling someone else's pain through the Force. She began to rise so that she could go to Mara and help her, when suddenly she felt the magic being drained from her. She collapsed to her hands and knees and saw that the others had fallen as well - and then all coherent thought fled as the magic coalesced into a bright blue ball of energy in the center of the circle.

It was strange. One minute the party was going in full swing - and then, suddenly, all of the Slayers stopped and tensed, their senses going wild. It only took the Watchers a moment to realize something was happening, but by then all of the Jedi grasped their heads in pain.

Then to really drive the point home, the lights flickered and died and a siren began wailing throughout the building.

Spike, who was helping Buffy to her feet, looked over at Wesley. "What the bloody hell is that noise!"

"The wards have been breached!" the watcher exclaimed. "But I don't know which ones…"

"It's the transfer wards," Buffy said, wincing as she stood. She had been heading down the stairs when the wave of pain had hit hard and she tumbled down the stairs. "Someone has crossed over."

"But where?" Wesley asked.

Tara was the first to come to and she groaned as she pulled herself into the sitting position. "Accendo," she intoned and a pale light blossomed into existence over the room, revealing the near dozen other witches pulling themselves up-

And the lone figure lying in the center of the circle.

Cautiously she crawled over to the body and gently rolled it to its back. At once she saw sandy brown hair matted with blood; a torn jumpsuit similarly stained. Bruises, contusions and cuts covered the young boy's body, and his face-

Was familiar.

By the goddess! Tara thought, feeling his neck for a pulse- and not finding one. Hurriedly she turned to the closest witch - a girl names Selene - and pointed to the door.

"Go get the Dawn. NOW!" She turned back to the boy and began to administer CPR even as Selene rushed out of the room, trying to make sense on how Anakin Solo, her best friend's nephew, who, she had seen not month ago on Yavin, was now lying at death's doorstep in her ceremony room, nearly ten years older.

TBC…

A/N 2 - Wow, that's a lot of Dramatis Personae - two freaking pages. And they all have something to do!

So begins my New Jedi Order. Born of a comment made years ago during the early days of Episode 1- 'Man, I'd love to see Buffy vs the Vong!', it's finally here. This is going to be one long story (although I don't think it will get as long as Episode 3 did) and I'll be writing it concurrently with Finding Avalon (yeah, I know. I've said that before…). No guarantees on updates, but get this- int he past two weeks, I've written four more chapters, all of which are at the beta's right now. So at the moment, I'm hopefull about regular updates, maybe once every two weeks.

A word of warning- this story might get confusing. I remember pitching one of my beta's years ago (may have been Fallenstar2) my idea for the New Jedi Order, and she felt that I should just keep it to my two estblished dimensions. But I've had this story in my head for over three years now, and this is how it has been. So sit back, buckle your seatbelts, and enjoy the ride.