HP: Dance of the Veela

Fallanasi Settlement, Deep Core…998 ARR…

The encampment was in chaos as members of the Fallanasi were busy throwing whatever they could carry into bags and carrying them into the forest, the elders of the group were busy in the main hut, using their collective power to project an illusion of a camp elsewhere while hiding their real one to make sure they were safe until their attackers were gone.

The enormous wedge-shaped vessels had been hounding them for months, chasing them from world to world as they tried to stay alive. The terrible sound their smaller ships made as they strafed the ground in hopes of killing their people and they had no real idea of just why they were being targeted by them.

The Empire had been burrowing their way into the Deep Core for years now but never had they bothered them before, until it seemed they had discovered that they had the ability to use the White Current or the Force as the Jedi had referred to it. The servants of the 'Dark Tide' as they referred to the Dark side of the force had then hunted them relentlessly, intent on wiping them out!

They had hoped by moving their entire order into the Deep Core that they might be spared the oppression of the Empire and its seemingly irrational fear of anyone that could use the force. For some years it had worked but now the Empire was pushing deeper and deeper into the Deep Core and now their refuges were being slowly tracked down and destroyed. Sometimes they even brought Inquisitors who could see through their illusions which meant they couldn't always hide. They could use their skill in Force Immersion to hide themselves but their settlements were another thing all together, such complete illusions like they were using today were hard to maintain and not always complete and every time this happened, more of them died. Sometimes the Empire would even bombard an entire planet to glass just to be rid of one settlement.

And they had no idea why, the Fallanasi had never been a thorn in the side of the Empire and yet they were doing their utmost to destroy them! They fled into the forest so it might provide some cover until the elders could think of a plan.

Wialu, the de-facto head of the Fallanasi looked at the few hundred or so members of her order that remained and she was feeling the pressure of how to keep her people safe when they had nowhere left to run too. She sighed and deep her best to order her thoughts when she felt a familiar presence in the force that might just be the answer to their prayers.

"Luna." She said out loud, her old friend who had left the Fallanasi years ago to find her own path but she had heard nothing of her since. She reached out into the current and felt her old friend reaching back, showing her a place where the Fallanasi might be safe.

"Ready the ships." Wialu said to her people and then added. "We're going out into the galaxy and to see an old friend."

Zaloriis, Expansionist Region…

The planet of Zaloriis had risen up against the Empire and requested help from the Rebel Alliance, making their stronghold Zaloriis City, the capital with large shielded walls around it and some members of the Rebel Alliance had sent a force to aid them in this battle but the Zalor Minister Transe Decar had grossly underestimated the Imperial response and now the city was under siege.

The Rebel troopers and the Zaloriis Defence Force found themselves surrounded by the enemy, their walls taking a pounding from the heavy AT-AT walkers that lumbered slowly onto the battlefield.

The situation looked fairly hopeless; defeat seemed a very real possibility until they saw a cloaked figure standing on the hill in the distance. For some reason she commanded the attention of all the rebels for some reason before she leapt from the cliff and discarded her cloak before landing with grace on the ground below, igniting two white bladed lightsabers.

She ran across the battlefield at breakneck speed, seeming almost like a blur as she made her way towards the large walkers. The Imperials definitely noticed her now too and some of the units in her path turned their attention to her but she seemed to step around any blast they sent towards her and the moment she passed them she was bisecting Stormtroopers at the waist with ease before leaping up towards the large walkers, her sabers swinging free of her hands for a moment and each one slicing through two legs at the joint each before they returned to her hands and then she carried on and did the same the next closest walker, causing the first one to topple to the ground.

The rebels felt their spirits soar with the sight of a Jedi fighting on their side, doing their best with ranged fire to protect her and draw the enemy fire.

Ahsoka cut down another walker before running towards the third and final one, leaping this time to the roof of the cab. She plunged her sabers into the metal and swiftly cut open a hole in it. Using the force to pull it out she jumped inside and with a swift jab and slash killed the three Imperials inside before taking control of the pilot station, turning the enormous walker towards the Imperial anti-air tanks, using the heavy blaster cannons to destroy them.

The Rebels cheered and immediately now could deploy their T-47 air speeders now the Imperials had no anti-air tanks to use against them. The speeders quickly roared into the sky and began to aid in the defence of the Zaloriis City, harassing the Imperials on the ground as Ashoka continued to destroy the heavier vehicles around the walker as the Imperials tried to take it down while being distracted by Rebel speeders and heavy firepower from the city.

Ahsoka eventually after taking out any remaining armour the Imperials had felt the legs of the walker buckling and quickly abandoned the controls to leap back out of the hole she had made to enter. She spun through the air as the walker fell into a heap below and landed to see hundreds of Imperial Stormtroopers preparing to shoot her, she raised her sabers ready when the doors of the city opened and out came Rebel speeders and light tanks accompanied by their infantry now that the Imperial armour was gone.

Caught between a Jedi and the rebels the Imperials were caught in a vice and Ahsoka began to attack, cutting down the Stormtroopers closest to her as the rebels began to hammer the Imperials from the other side. The fight went on all day but at the end when Ahsoka finally deactivated her lightsabers the battle was won and Zaloriis had formally declared its independence from the Empire.

She sighed with exhaustion, having not fought a battle that intense for a long time but at the same moment she was feeling the sense of elation that came with such a fight and the accomplishment of success. She had been busy on her home world for quite a while but now it was finally ready to get back out there, she had much to catch up on it seemed she thought with a smile but it was good to be back in action.

Graavis, Mandalorian Space…

The sometimes-meeting place of Mandalorian faction leaders was now playing host to a meeting between two very different groups with very opposite mindsets.

Wialu was understandably unsettled by the presence of so many warriors, all the weapons and instruments of death that were not so unlike what she and her people had been running from but this was possibly her people's only chance to survive.

Luna appeared nearby accompanied by a company of warriors, seeing her in such armour and with weapons on her person was an affront to the culture that she had come from but Luna had always been different Wialu thought sadly, never truly one of them despite her incredible talent and ability to reach deep into the white current.

It seemed that she was hardly suffering from embracing a more violent way of life, Wialu thought as she felt her already incredible strength in the current had more than tripled since they had last seen each other.

"Luna." Wialu said with a calm and polite greeting but Luna in her own unique way quirked her head and smiled.

"You've gotten rid of the nargles at last. Now, you need a place to hide from them?" Luna asked and made many of the Mandalorians and Fallanasi look at her like she was crazy but Wialu and clearly two of the Mandalorians at her side which she could sense were amused too. They knew she was only trying to play with them and get some fun out of the situation.

"Indeed." Wialu said deciding despite her feeling of relief that Luna had not changed as much as she had thought she had. "The Empire hunts us everywhere, why they have singled us out so much I don't know but we need a safe haven from them."

Luna nodded sadly, having sensed the suffering of the Fallanasi first hand and knew they were in desperate need of help. She turned to the tallest of the two Mandalorians that stood next to her who wore a mask made of a substance she could not identify over his helmet and had a strong presence in the force, like a sea that was placid at the moment but could be roused to great power quickly if needed and it was exceptionally strong, stronger than any she had sensed before. The woman at his side was strong in the force too, very strong but there was she could sense unease between them but beneath it a great deal of love and respect for one another but the balance in their bond had been disrupted and had not healed yet. Wialu pondered that for a moment before the man who she could sense was looking at her intently, he could sense her in the force or current as they called it just as easily as she could.

"I am Haron Ordo, Mandalore of my people and this is my wife and the mother of my children the Duchess Ara Ordo." The man said to introduce himself and he had the aura of a leader. Strong and decisive in his judgement but with a deep sense of compassion and dedication to his people. Good qualities Wialu thought before he continued speaking.

"It is not a small thing you ask for. To live within our space for perhaps years…I know you have little to offer given how your order lives and abhor violence but…perhaps you can help us in another way." Haron said, implying that he had something in mind that they would need to do in return.

Wialu was deeply unsettled by this as she had no intention even if it resulted in their deaths of being an instrument of war and she made that very clear.

"Me and my people will not use our powers to kill others." She told him sharply and the rest of the Mandalorians she noticed to her dismay were growing agitated but strangely Haron Ordo was not.

"No, I would not ask that of you." He told her much to her surprise as much as to everyone's else's. "I know of your order's ability to create illusions. Luna has demonstrated and taught others such powers in the past…and I may have need of that ability." He said with a calculating edge to his voice.

Wialu was not sure exactly what he meant by that but it was clear to her that he was playing the long game. Planning for something way in advance and making sure to take the maximum advantage of any potential resource to ensure success. The fact that she and her people might be used by him disturbed her but Wialu was reminded of the fact that didn't really have many other options and if one favour was all he needed for them to receive safe harbour when the desperately needed it…who was she to refuse she asked herself with great foreboding.

Orar, on route to Reijar…

The flagship of the Mandalorian Fleet was making good time as it travelled back to Reijar, Haron was conversing remotely with Eliza who had been making preparations of her own.

"All preparations are ahead of schedule. Installation of the new components is going well. I can't get why we didn't do this sooner." Eliza told him with her shark like smirk but he merely raised his eyebrow and reminded her.

"We didn't have Professor Erso's research before, he made that possible. Besides we need synthetic versions as it is the only real way of getting the size we need." Haron reminded her and she just pouted like a child and told him bluntly.

"YA…YA…Boring." She told him and he shook his head, used to her somewhat erratic behaviour before Vysa thankfully came onto the transmission.

"It will all be ready when we need it. Trust us on that." Vysa reassured him while putting a hand to her wife's mouth to stop her talking, squirming a little as she felt her tongue on her palm and seeing they were about to have some private time Haron mercifully let them go and ended the call.

Things were slowly moving into place he thought with a sigh, on the two fronts he was fighting progress was agonisingly slow but it was coming day by day. He sighed though as the pace of this was hectic to say the least and he knew the sheer weight of what was stacked against them. What depended on them winning this war and terrible consequences if they lost.

The door opened and he saw to his surprise that Ara was standing there with the large hulking form of Grahuur behind her, to his surprise and Ara's, Grahuur pushed her in and shut the door leaving the two of them standing there in the room with all the unresolved tension between them.

Time seemed to stretch out as they stared at each other before Haron sighed and sat on the nearby sofa. Ara was slow to do so but eventually she sat next to him.

They both just looked at the same table, neither saying anything as they struggled to find words to express what they were feeling before Haron finally managed to say what he felt he needed too.

"I'm sorry. For ordering Sabine's arrest." Haron told her in a quiet and very tired voice, the weight of everything coming out in the moment of weakness. "I thought it was the only way to save her life when the secret came out."

"I'm sorry too." Ara said with an equally exhausted voice. "I should have trusted you and you were right. Sabine needed to be held accountable for what she did even if she ran off again the moment that she was able. Her heart is no longer Mandalorian…not with her people anyway." Ara admitted having felt that when she seen her. She was no longer one of them in her heart, it belonged elsewhere and if she ever saw her niece again, she would make sure the girl knew how that felt.

Haron smiled slightly and pulled her into his arms and she did not resist, relaxing in his arms as he held her. Just enjoying the moment as they let go of all the tension had been haunting them ever since the truth about their niece had come out. Even sharing a brief but much needed kiss before just settling in to rest.

- x -

Grahuur smirked, glad that finally peace had been restored between them. They were a couple that deeply cared for each other and merely needed to say the words that should be so easy and yet were the hardest ones to say. Both of them had been right and wrong and needed to say sorry to each other, why was that so hard for them to grasp he thought with a knowing look in his eye.

Jedi Temple, Ossus…

Tuwan and Yoda were as usual meditating before the council meeting that afternoon, however seeing the Fallanasi take refuge with the Mandalorians gave them reason to discuss the situation with the Mandalorian force wielders.

"The force has never belonged to the Jedi or Sith. Many unique cultures have studied the force and its mysteries across time. This situation is no different." Tuwan said calmly, but Yoda felt somewhat different about the subject.

"A growing power, with abilities that understand, we cannot." Yoda said not knowing even half of the things they could achieve, things that the Jedi could not do. "And now allied they are with the Nightsisters, the Fallanasi, the Theran Listeners and the force users of the Imperium. Stronger they grow while the Jedi stifled and distracted by war we are. Unable to check their growth." Yoda said worried especially as they had such powerful militaries at their back. What was the point of tearing down one empire only for another or even split the galaxy between the two?

"That is the sort of thinking that left the Jedi standing alone and to stagnate." Tuwan said with a sigh of resignation at the blind arrogance of the Jedi Order even after all they had learnt. "That led to many slaughters and also why is it that you think that only the Jedi can safely wield the force? Some of these orders have been working with the force for thousands of years without causing half the damage to the galaxy that the Jedi have. Need I remind you Master Yoda, the Sith were born of a split in the Jedi Order. And then there are all the errors and mistakes that the order has made throughout the centuries that have hurt countless innocent people. Could they be dangerous? Yes, they could but perhaps not and why make a fight where there is no need." Tuwan told him with great wisdom as he was fully aware of all the mistakes and bad decisions that had brought them to ruin many times.

Mistakes the Order needed to learn from if it was going to have any chance to rebuild and survive.

Yoda frowned as he considered Tuwan's words, wondering himself if he did believe that only the Jedi had the right and ability to wield the force. The Jedi or rather their precursor the Je'daii Order had been an assembly of many different orders coming together to explore the force. Even in his time he had known groups that used the force to heavily monitored by the Jedi in case they became a threat, ironically denying the Jedi allies and causing a major split in the order when Djinn Altis had left not to mention the Corellian Jedi removing themselves from the order.

When had the Order become so afraid of others that it shut down anything that might grow to be a threat? Yoda thought to himself and worried deeply as he knew it was something that went a long way back in their history. Speaking with Bendu had allowed him to see some way past the prejudices he himself carried towards other paths in the force but clearly, he still had much self-examination to do, Yoda thought humbly, seeing that even with all that he had learnt so far…he was but a learner.

Yoda smiled before nodding in agreement with his friend as while they were powerful, they did not need to make them a threat. They would watch them but they did not need to fight them.

Space near Teralov, Deep Space…

GR-75 Transports from the Rebel Alliance were travelling to the planet Teralov, intent on delivering vital supplies to the population under the escort of the A-Wings flown by Green Squadron, the mission was dangerous and they knew it, the Arquitens-class Cruiser Tellstar, was known to be patrolling that area. Two previous missions had been attacked and despite the captain of the transport ships surrendering the Imperial Officer commanding the ship had killed all of them, even the civilians in their escape pods for no reason other than to do it and worse he was commended for his actions, made a poster boy in the Imperial propaganda Captain Vult Skerris.

So as the transports neared the planet the Tellstar appeared exactly as it had the last few convoys that had tried to get to Teralov only as they deployed the three Tie Interceptors that the ship had been equipped with, the Rebel transports reveal a surprise of their own.

Apart from the six A-Wings that were accompanying the transports, slung under each of the GR-75's was a pair of T-70 X-Wings which immediately detached and flew towards the enemy while a pair of Y-Wings detached from the ship at the rear of the column. Circling round to attack the Tellstar.

Anakin in the cockpit of his customised T-70 smirked as he looked at the Imperials, did they really think they could keep pulling the same ambush and the Rebellion wouldn't figure it out. Some Imperials were intelligent and ruthless but Vult…was just ruthless.

"This is Rogue Leader, Green Squadron will cover the convoy, Rogue Squadron take out those interceptors. Gold Squadron, take out the life support on that cruiser and use ion torpedoes to disable." Anakin ordered, his new fighter squadron and the two members of Gold Squadron breaking off to deal with their assignments.

"Roger Rogue Leader." Gold Squadron's Keyan Farlander and Davish Krail called out as they went to deal with their target while Rogue Squadron including Luke and Leia to his pride called out too.

"Roger Rogue Leader."

The X-wings deployed their s-foils and immediately began to dance with the three surprised Interceptors, Vult himself was shocked and confused and despite their best efforts his two wingmen who he had trained to the absolute best in the Imperial Fleet found themselves against two Skywalkers in the best fighter the Rebellion had.

They didn't stand a chance, being shot down within minutes while Anakin himself closed in on Vult who began to feel panicked and as the rebel pilot was too good and he couldn't shake him but then Anakin smirked and spoke.

"I have you now."

He fired but instead of lasers he had ion cannons specially fitted for this mission, the shots hit home. The Tie Interceptor shut down exactly as he had planned and then the Y-Wings hit the cruiser knocking out its life support. The ship's crew immediately went for the escape pods and the rebels ignored them as it was not their way to kill helpless people, unlike Vult Skerris. Anakin with a satisfied smirk gave out his new orders.

"Send out the shuttles, secure the cruiser and Skerris. Its time for him to face the consequences of his actions." Anakin said, the transports opening up its cargo bay to reveal a number of shuttles that flew out and split up, one went to secure Vult and the others went to the cruiser, a quick system restart and the ship would be good enough to head to the nearest Rebel Shipyard where it would either be scrapped to reinforce or build a new ship or refitted to be placed into Rebel service.

Not bad for a day's work, Anakin thought before staying on station until all ships that remained were ready and they all leapt away to hyperspace.

Yavin 4, Outer Rim Territories…Three Days Later…

"You have no right to judge me!" Vult screamed out as he was faced with what he would call a show trial but his guilt to the Rebels was undeniable.

"Yet we do. You willingly killed innocent civilians numbering in the hundreds as part of the Imperial Fleet and that it was not even done on the orders of a superior, but instead done of your own choosing. I had hoped you might at least acknowledge that fact but you seem incapable of it. You leave me no choice but to declare you guilty of mass murder and so you will be taken from this place and executed as a war criminal. Take him." The judge declared and Vult was pulled away screaming in fear of death by his guards.

Anakin watched impassively, while as a Jedi he was supposed to be respectful towards life and protect it in all its forms, he could not in good conscience defend Vult Skerris, the two earlier ambushes had not been the only times that he had knowingly killed civilians and people who were surrendering either in space or on the ground. Hundreds of people were dead at his hands and it had been at least as fair a trial as the rebellion could give.

Anakin walked into the main hanger bay and saw a face that he had not seen in years standing there, talking to the pilots of Red Squadron.

"Ahsoka." Anakin called out with a big smile on his face, she turned and smiled too when she saw him and quickly came over, like no time had passed she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him, he didn't hesitate to return it so happy to see her after years of missing each other.

"You got old." Ahsoka teased him and her humour made him raise an eyebrow before replying.

"So did you." He teased her back and she let go to lightly punch him on the arm before they smiled.

"Enough of the old." A gruff voice said and Anakin's smile widened as he saw Rex was there too. He being a clone aged quicker than any of them and he hated that but there was nothing that could be done. "General." Rex said in greeting like he always had and Anakin told him with amusement.

"You know you can call me Anakin Rex, you have more than earned that." Anakin told him and Rex just shrugged before telling him.

"You'll always be a general to me sir, the best I ever worked with." Rex told him and Anakin took it as the great compliment it was meant to be. He gave Rex a manly hug before breaking up.

"Got any more room at this reunion?" Another familiar voice said and Allara, now a grown woman in her twenties came walking over with Kahr at her side.

"Always." Anakin said, proudly shaking both of their hands as they approached. His former three students were all grown and strong, he thought with pride. Able to follow their own destinies and make their own decisions which he was glad of as all three had made quite a name for themselves.

Ahsoka from what he had heard had not only been helping set up a Shili based sect of the Jedi and started a family of her own before deciding she had to be out here in the galaxy again.

Allara had been working for Liber8, conducting missions across the galaxy and leading their forces into battle, mounting quite a few successful campaigns against the Empire and others that would hurt innocent people.

Kahr meanwhile despite his prowess as a fighter was a healer first and foremost, attending to the sick and injured across the entire galaxy, following where the greatest need was for his considerable talents.

All of them had made him very…very proud Anakin thought with a warm smile and then Luke and Leia came over dressed in their flight suits. Mace and the Arranda siblings came with them.

"Father, we just heard from the shipyards. They're going to strip down the cruiser to build a new Quasar class fighter carrier for Green Squadron. Thought you might want to know." Luke said to him and while he did so, Ahsoka and Rex both looked at him and Leia in shock.

"That cannot be Luke and Leia." Ahsoka said in complete astonishment, the twins looking at them in confusion. "The last time I saw them they were barely up to my waist!" Ahsoka remarked especially as Luke was now nearly taller than she was.

"I used to be able to balance you two on my shoulders. Break my back if I did that now." Kahr said with a good laugh. He and Allara were familiar enough to Luke and Leia and they greeted them warmly although Ahsoka was harder to recall since it had been a very long time since they had last seen her.

"Shocking though it is, they are the twins. Luke, Leia. This is Ahsoka Tano, my first apprentice and Rex, probably the finest soldier I have ever known." Anakin said reintroducing them before moving on to the others. "This my youngest son Mace and Tash and Zak Arranda who are now my wards and apprentices too." Anakin said introducing them in turn.

Ahsoka and Rex where a little caught off guard but quickly smiled and shook each other hands, glad to finally meet them all and Anakin smiled too, glad that they all got along and as Ahsoka and Rex began to share some tales from their exploits in the Clone Wars with the younger ones, but Allara and Kahr could still enjoy them too.

Anakin listened to them and wondered briefly if his vision had been right, remembering a long time ago when he had received a vision of all his students in both past and future. All of them had come true in that time but the last one remained elusive to his gaze. Who were they he pondered before joining in the discussion with some tales of his own.

- x -

Unidentified Temple, Yavin 4…

Satele Shan sat with her new students in meditation, helping them deepen their connection to the force before they would progress to actual force exercises. She had a growing number of Jedi such as Echuu Shen-Jon and his former apprentice Naat Reath who had emerged from hiding to help her and gather more students for them to teach, helping to shape a new generation of Jedi to keep the light of hope burning across the galaxy.

Many of them were rebels that had shown force sensitivity like Keyan Farlander, Kyle Katarn, Jhara, Maric Tovar, Jessa Dajus, Daye Azur-Jamin and Tyria Sarkin Tainer along with a few others. One of whom Satele could tell was struggling to quiet her mind.

"Stacey, it helps to quiet your thoughts otherwise how can you listen to the force." She said to one of her most difficult if promising students. Stacey was a pilot that had shown the ability to use the force but had none of the discipline to control it or even herself at times Satele thought with a shake of her head as there was always one in every group.

"But its so boring." Stacey said with almost a whine which made another of her students' giggle at her misfortune. Satele reprimanded the offender before continuing on with the lesson.

"And that will be quite enough Alexandra Winger. The force is like a whisper in a crowded room, the crowded room being your head with its whisper being drowned out by your thoughts who are the people talking inside it. So, try to picture yourself in a room with everyone talking, focus on one voice and remove it before doing so with the next and the next, eventually you will hear it." She told them and with some reluctance Stacey did as she was told which was an achievement in itself but eventually, they all began to immerse themselves in the force even Stacey.

Satele smiled as she felt them grow as Jedi and as people, they had a long way to go yet before they were ready to call themselves Jedi Knights but it was a new age she thought with a smile, maybe the rules of the old way really did need to be thrown out and a new ones written given all the mistakes of the past.

She returned to meditation in silence for another hour before she sensed the powerful and wise aura of Kagame approach. She opened her eyes and told the students to wake them from their meditation.

"I think it is time for saber practice. You know what to do." She told them and they all got to their feet with Stacey grumbling about being sat on the hard floor before she finally got the helmet on and drew her lightsaber, igniting its distinctive pink blade while pulling down the blast shield so she would need to rely on the force to see as the remotes danced around them. They began to use the force to predict the blaster bolts so they could block them and she watched them get started before leaving them to it so she could speak to Kagame who looked at them with an amused smirk.

"Colourful bunch, aren't they?" He asked her with a humour and she nodded slightly before adding.

"But full of potential. They will make fine Jedi; I am sure of that." Satele said.

"No doubt due to their fine teacher." Kagame said with honesty. "You are an extremely capable instructor. They have already come so far thanks to you and your patient teaching."

"Students and teachers must learn as much from each other for any teaching to be passed on. You have to remember that they are all different and there is no one size fits all approach for students." Satele said wisely and he nodded in agreement.

"When the order does reform, will you take up your old position again?" Kagame asked in interest of whether she intended to be Grandmaster of the Jedi again. She had been a very good one once but she surprised him by shaking her head.

"No, I disliked being Grandmaster and leading the order even in my own time, it binds you and prevents you doing what you enjoy most due to the weight of responsibility. I much prefer to teach than I ever did sitting on Jedi Council meetings. Besides I am not of this era even if I find myself living in it, a Jedi of this time must be the one to lead the order as who else would know the demands that a Jedi will face in the here and now."

Kagame who had been raised on legends of this woman was deeply impressed at her insight, she was worthy of the legends that had grown around her as she was wise and powerful but also grounded in reality with strong humility.

He would enjoy the chance to debate with her on matters of the force, Kagame thought with delight at finding such a worthy sparring partner.