Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.

Luke, Mara, and Corran enter the High Council Chamber at the Jedi Temple. Each take their seats among the Jedi High Council.

Enter Yoda, Ganner, Seha, Chak, Davin, and Saba Sebatyne.

Saba. This one haz got newz, terrible newz.

Yoda. I'll fill you in later. The important thing is you have prevailed. And you saved Mara.

Mara smiles, causing Luke to look away.

Luke. Caedus is alive. Mara was right.

Mara. How do you know?

Luke. My father. He informed me that Caedus sails aboard the Anakin Solo even now.

Mara shifts uncomfortably.

Mara. Well, if the final battle does come when Luke is sixteen, at least we have two more years to figure something out.

Yoda. Two years may seem like a long time. But it is the blink of an eye. I still hope you are not the Chosen One, Luke. But if you are, then the second Sith War is almost upon us. Palpatine's first strike will be here.

Luke. How do you know? Why would he care about the Praxeum?

Yoda. Because the Je'daii use heroes as their tools. Destroy the tools, and the Je'daii will be crippled. Caedus's forces will come here: mundane, Dark Jedi, alien. We must be prepared. Saba's news may give us a clue as to how they will attack, but . . .

Enter Kyp.

Kyp. [smiles] Hey. Where's . . . where's my sister?

Silence.

Luke rises to his feet.

Luke. Hey, Kyp. Let's take a walk, okay? We need to talk.

Luke and Kyp exit the Jedi Temple. Once they are alone, Luke discusses the fate of Ahsoka Tano. He hands Kyp the miniature figure of Bogan.

She wanted you to have this.

Kyp stares blankly at the figure.

Kyp. You promised you would protect her.

Luke. Kyp. I tried. But Ahsoka gave herself up to save the rest of us. I told her not to. But she . . .

Kyp. [angry] You promised. I shouldn't have trusted you. You lied to me. My nightmares were right.

Luke. Wait. What nightmares?

Kyp flings the Bogan statue to the ground.

Kyp. I hate you.

Luke. She might be alive. I don't know for sure . . .

Kyp closes his eyes, his body trembling with rage.

Kyp. She's dead. I should have known it earlier. She's in the Lake of Apparitions, standing before the judges right now, being evaluated. I can feel it.

Luke. What do you mean, you can feel it?

Enter the Korriban zombies, led by Darth Drear.

Luke activates his lightsaber.

Kyp. [gasps] You're trying to kill me. You brought these . . . these things?

Luke. No. I mean, yes. They followed me, but no. Kyp, run. They can't be destroyed.

Kyp. I don't trust you.

As Drear charges, Luke knocks him aside with his lightsaber. Drear's followers keep moving. Luke slices Dail'Liss in half, but he is immediately resurrected. Luke decapitates Rance Lussk, but it is to no avail.

Luke. Run, Kyp. Get help.

Kyp. No.

Kyp covers his ears.

Luke whirls around, fighting off the zombies.

No. Go away.

The ground opens up and swallows every single zombie, returning them to the Netherworld. The only remnant of the battle is a huge crack in the ground.

Luke. [frowns at Kyp] How did you . . . ?

Kyp. Go away. I hate you. I wish you were dead.

Exit Kyp.

Luke picks up the statue and studies it.

Luke. [aside] I know now why this statue looks so familiar. I've seen it before. This is Bogan, Lord of the Netherworld.

Enter Mara and Corran, who help Luke search for Kyp.

Mara. We have to tell Yoda.

Luke. No.

Mara and Corran stare at Luke.

Corran. What do you mean, no?

Luke. We can't let anyone know. I don't think anyone realizes that Kyp is a . . .

Mara. A son of Bogan. Luke, do you have any idea how serious this is? Even Bogan broke the oath. This is horrible.

Luke. I don't think so. I don't think Bogan broke the oath.

Mara. What?

Luke. He's their father. But Ahsoka and Kyp have been out of commission for a long time, since even before the Great Galactic War.

Corran. Sinkhole Station. She and Kyp were stuck there for decades. They were born before the oath was made.

Luke nods.

Mara. But how did they get out?

Luke. I don't know. Ahsoka said a lawyer came and got them and drove them to the Shadow Academy. I don't know who that could have been or why. Maybe it's part of this Great Schism thing. I don't think Kyp understands who he is. But we can't go telling anyone, not even Yoda. If the Je'daii find out . . .

Mara. It might start them fighting among each other again. That's the last thing we need.

Corran. [worried] But you can't hide things from the Je'daii, not forever.

Luke. I don't need forever, just two years . . . until I'm sixteen.

Mara. [pales] But Luke, this means the prophecy might not be about you. It might be about . . .

Luke. No. I choose the prophecy. It will be about me.

Mara. Why are you saying that? You want to be responsible for the entire galaxy?

Luke. I can't let Kyp be in any more danger. I owe that much to his sister. I . . . let them both down. I'm not going to let that poor kid suffer any more.

Corran. The poor kid who hates you and wants to see you dead.

Luke. Maybe we can find him. We can convince him it's okay, hide him someplace safe.

Mara shivers.

Mara. If Caedus gets hold of him . . .

Luke. Caedus won't. I'll make sure he's got other things to worry about - namely, me.

Exit Corran.

Luke and Mara enter the Jedi Temple, where they inform Yoda of Kyp's disappearance, leaving out the fact that he is a son of Bogan.

Yoda. [sighs] So young. Alas, I hope he was eaten by monsters. That's much better than being recruited into the Sith Army.

Luke. You really think the first attack will be here?

Yoda. It will not be until summer, at least. This winter will be hard, the hardest for many centuries. It's best that you go home to the city, Luke. Try to keep your mind on school. And rest. You will need rest.

Luke glances at Mara.

Luke. What about you?

Mara. I'm going to try the Braxant sector after all. Maybe I can keep an eye on Korriban, make sure the Sith don't try anything else.

Luke. You'll send a villip if anything goes wrong?

Mara. [nods] But I think Yoda's right. It won't be until the summer. Caedus will need time to regain his strength.

Luke. All right. Just take care of yourself. And no crazy stunts in the Skipray Blastboat.

Mara. [smiles] Deal. And Luke . . .

Enter Corran.

Corran. He spoke.

Yoda. Calm down, my young Corellian. What is the matter?

Corran. I . . . I was playing music in the parlor and drinking caf, a lot of caf. And he spoke in my mind.

Mara. Who?

Corran. Yu'shaa. The Lord of the Wild himself. I heard him. I have to . . . I have to find a duffel bag.

Luke. Bloah, bloah, bloah. What did he say?

Corran. Just three words. He said, "I await you."

Exit all.