Chapter 43 Wedding Troubles (Part 2)

Turian Battle Cruiser, Deep Space, Outer Rim...

Rahm Kota was impressed as he boarded the Turian Battle Cruiser that was being used as a venue for this meeting, the ship was a model of simplistic reality. Nothing that didn't need to be there and yet it was all well engineered and had multiple backups. Highly efficient he thought with amazement at the new species as he saw their discipline with how hard they practised and drilled themselves.

He being a life long military man and a Jedi Master knew a warrior race when he saw one and the Turians were certainly providing to be just that. The way they had managed to hold the Empire off all by themselves with admittedly a little help from Rogue Squadron was impressive and he was hoping that they would agree to assist in the war against the Empire by joining the Alliance.

The General he was meeting with appeared at the other end of the room, the Turians were descended from avians and still had many features of them but stood on thin legs at over six feet tall.

"General Desolas Arterius. Its a pleasure to meet you." Rahm said and Desolas nodded respectfully.

"I can honestly return the sentiment General Kota. The assistance of your people is greatly appreciated if not required." General Desolas said stiffly and Rahm knew that no soldier appreciated liked having to admit to having needed help which he took in his stride.

"I quite understand, but there is an entire galaxy out there that you and your people have to discover and given time the Empire will come again with time. The other independent states in the known galaxy have all had to repel attempted invasions so it will only be so long before they try again." Rahm told him with complete honesty as they needed to understand the threat that they faced.

"The officers we captured and interrogated revealed as much, that is why we agreed to this meeting. I understand there are other forces that fight against the Empire and the idea of being a part of an galaxy wide stage is daunting but it is a reality. So we are interested in seeing not only this Empire fall but more so being able to learn more of the wider galaxy." Desolas said and Rahm nodded before telling him.

"I have no doubt that your people will be a great asset to the fight, the Rebellion will be fighting until the end and I can assure you that we will provide you all of the information that you will need to see the opportunities and other factions out there in the galaxy." Rahm said as he and Desolas took a seat at either end of the table.

"Then let us talk and make our agreements, I hope this will be a productive meeting." Desolas said and Rahm told him with certainty.

"I am sure it will be."

Ahakistan, Outer Rim...

Once a democracy Ahakistan had been subject to an Imperial backed coup that had put the rich of the planet in charge, they lived in their luxury pyramid where they sucked the planet's resources and people dry to make themselves richer. However a resistance unit had formed on the planet to challenge this bad situation, led by a charismatic leader named Dunlan they had been trying to over throw the corrupt system and while the cell was small, it was starting to gain traction.

The Rebel Alliance had been eager to exploit this situation, they were doing their utmost to force the Empire out of the Outer Rim and this planet had a particular advantage that they wanted to exploit. The Hub, a supercomputer that co-ordinated much of the Imperial Fleet traffic, it would allow them for a time to monitor all Imperial Fleet movements across the galaxy if they were able to take the planet. So they had dispatched one of their most talented tacticians to aid in the planet's liberation.

Meetra Surik was meeting with Dunlan and all of his chief lieutenants to discuss the Rebellion coming in force to this planet but one of Dunlan's subordinates had sold them out for a large credit reward, Astor was excited as he had been promised a great deal more credits in exchange for the location of the safe houses where they would all be waiting.

The Imperial forces launched a massive assault on the isolation location, scans revealed that there was someone inside but the moment the Imperials penetrated the safe house they saw a machine that was projecting false sensor readings. The Stormtroopers were confused but that lasted only a moment as the entire safe house exploded and took out much of the surrounding area which included a sizeable part of the Imperial garrison.

"Well done." Dunlan said with a sigh of disappointment in how easily Astor had betrayed them, the rest of his people would have likely killed him for this betrayal but it was more likely that the Imperials would kill him before they got to him thinking that this had been his intention all along.

He turned to Meetra Surik who had sensed his betrayal coming and seemed to be able to read minds, she made him feel a little intimidated by her at first but she was a rather warm and caring woman as he had discovered with more time to get to know her.

"It was making the best of a bad situation, Astor unwittingly might have played a great role in setting his planet free of the Empire." Meetra said with an ironic smile, even the enemy could be useful if you knew what they were going to do. Better to let them make mistakes then rush and stop them, she thought with a lifetime of war to guide her.

"How can you read minds? Can all Jedi do that?" Dunlan asked her and she smiled with a sad look in her eyes.

"No, it is a pretty specialise skill. Most Jedi these days don't know how to do it. But I was fortunate enough to have a teacher that was easily one of the most knowledgable force users of all time. More than any master I have ever known beyond one or two." Meetra said, her mind going back to perhaps the most influential teacher she had ever studied under, Kreia. She had been a twisted being but her teachings had played a major part in who she had become and shaped her path in a way that only Revan himself had done.

"But either way. Time to liberate your world." Meetra said as she turned to the second part of of her plan. With the garrison in chaos now was the perfect time to take the capital and liberate the planet she thought as she gave the order to move out and boarded her speeder that would take her into the battle. The rapid pace of the fighting meant she would have to stay close to the action and make the key decisions when it mattered but it would not be difficult as the garrison commander had been one of the people killed in the blast and that had left a power vacuum that it would take some time to fill.

She had fighters come down from orbit and begin to strafe the ground while the speeders and heavy tanks made their way forward, infantry in support. It was a regrettable thing that she spent so much time fighting in wars when she would dearly like to do something else but it was something she was good at and the role that the galaxy needed her to fulfil so she would do her utmost to ensure the freedom and safety of the innocent people around the galaxy she resolved privately to herself.

Maybe when the war was over, she would find herself a new role that she could find some inner peace in she thought as she ignited her cyan bladed lightsaber and joined the intense fighting, helping to break through the enemy lines and secure victory for the people of Ahakistan and a major advantage for the Rebel Alliance.

Valley of the Jedi, Ruusan...

Kyle and Tyria both looked out across the Valley of the Jedi from the ancient dock that was built into the mountain above it and were almost overwhelmed by the sheer amount of power here, they were not even deep into it and yet they could feel the incredible energy here.

Energy that could be theirs.

The thought crossed their minds almost against their will and both of them could not help but be drawn to that...unlimited power, it could be theirs they thought and it took a great deal of effort to stop that line of thought. Master Satele had warned them about this, the pull and the lure of the dark side. The draw of being powerful beyond measure and that they must avoid it Tyria and Kyle thought but that was hard as they saw two more of Jerec's Dark Jedi approach them.

Both ignited their lightsabers and prepared themselves for battle, one had orange but the other had green coloured blades, swinging them viciously at them but fortunately it was two on two so they were not able to gang up on them.

Tyria was fighting a human male with a shaved head and a dark beard in his middle age but he was a vicious fighter. He held her in a blade lock and taunted her.

"Such a weakling, are the Jedi so desperate these days that they recruit such children to fight for them?" Luthik Uwyr said with a sneer but Tyria gritted her teeth and then head butted him before kicking him hard in the chest so he staggered back before the continuing with a barrage of cleaves and parries.

Kyle meanwhile was duelling with Loy Kommas, he was using a green lightsaber against him but at the same time he was taunting him with what had happened to his father.

"Weak just like your pathetic daddy. Do you know what it was like when Lord Jerec killed him? Do you know how he begged for mercy? How he soiled himself? Jerec gave him a long and slow death worthy of a coward, he even let me spear his head on a pike for all to see." Loy said and Kyle who knew everything he was saying was a lie could not help but let his anger take over and he elbowed Loy in the face, stunning him and then with a single swipe cut off both of his hands.

Loy looked at the stumps where his hands had been only moments before in confused shock before he felt Kyle's blue lightsaber at his neck, cutting his head from his neck in anger.

Tyria was now letting her rage flow freely, she had Luthik on a narrow gantry and more crucially the momentum. He struggled to keep up with her relentless assault until he felt her lightsaber cleave him in half at the chest.

Both of them looked at each other as they stood over their opponents with their sabers now making the only sound apart from the slight wind, their humming filling both their ears.

Then they saw Jerec appear with Jan in his hold, they both braced themselves for a fight with their bodies still full of adrenaline but he was laughing as he pushed Jan before him, Sariss, Ameesa and Yun behind him.

"Excellent, most excellent. You've both started your journeys to the dark side. But that is not enough." Jerec said as he used the force to hold Jan in place as she knelt before them. Jan struggled to get to her feet but she couldn't manage it.

"Looks like I can't bail you out of trouble this time." Jan said as she grimaced from the position she was in.

"Strike her down, unlock your true destiny as Dark Jedi and discover your true power." Jerec demanded and both Kyle and Tyria snarled at him unable to believe that this ass hole would think they would do it so they used the force to pull Jan closer to them before blasting the still surprised Jerec and his cronies with the force. They staggered backwards and Jerec in his anger dislodged the platform, hoping to send them all falling to their doom.

Kyle, Jan and Tyria found themselves plummeting to the ground and with only moments Kyle grabbed Jan and with Tyria leapt from piece of debris to piece of debris before they were close enough to the ground that they used the force to slow and steady themselves, landing rather awkwardly but still alive.

Unfortunately they saw the Moldy Crow smash into the ground nearby and it was in pieces. Both Kyle and Jan were enraged at the loss of their ship but they had no time to waste as they saw a shuttle land not far away, Sariss, Ameesa and Yun all emerging from it. Tyria and Kyle both reignited their lightsabers and readied themselves.

Sariss and Ameesa ignited their blue lightsaber and both sides met with a flash of sparks, both Dark Jedi were skilled at the use of Form 3 which made them very able at blocking whatever attacks were sent their way, while they kept the Jedi busy, Sariss called out to Yun.

"Strike them down Yun. Do as I say." She said, adding the second bit with anger as Yun seemed hesitant to follow her command. Of all the Dark Jedi he was the most conflicted, the only one perhaps that had a conscience and in all honesty, he could not strike an opponent who was in no position to defend themselves.

"No, they are warriors." Yun said, remembering that they had spared his life earlier and would not be so dishonourable now. "They deserve a fair fight."

"You fool!" Ameesa said and went to lash out at him but that was a fatal error as it left her briefly exposed, letting Tyria get her with a saber to the gut.

Sariss now saw that she was badly outnumbered and tried to use her most powerful ability Deadly Sight to even the odds in her favour but Kyle hit her with a punch to the gut in her brief lapse in concentration before effortlessly beheading her.

That left Yun alone, he looked at the two Jedi sure that they would kill him this time but instead they turned off their sabers.

Yun honestly could not believe that they would spare his life a second time and he quickly left for the other shuttles else where to get as far away as he dared. The three watched him go and hoped that he would find a better use for what he had learned than he had so far but without speaking their went deeper into the valley, intent on finding Jerec and ending this once and for all.

Passing by all of the statues and monuments to those that had fallen here was humbling but they weren't here to sight see and carried on. They entered the temple in the middle and after navigating a series of ancient tunnels and fighting a nasty pair of oversized lizards they pushed into the heart of the temple.

Soon they found the chamber at the heart of the Valley, one that contained the wellspring of power. It was a fantastic stream of power that glowed orange. Both Kyle and Tyria being force users felt it strongly and it sent a shudder through both of them while even Jan could not help but feel uneasy with what was here.

But all of them saw Jerec levitate out of the stream of power, having already sampled its awesome strength but not having fully absorbed it yet. He sneered at them as they stood ready to face him.

"You cannot defeat me." Jerec said with complete certainty and blasted all three of them back, being force enhanced both Kyle and Tyria weathered it although they were thrown back against the wall but Jan was not so lucky and was knocked out by the impact. Kyle gritted his teeth and told Jerec.

"Let's see about that." He said igniting his blue and green lightsabers while Tyria ignited her purple lightsaber and the orange shoto she had picked up.

Jerec laughed as he ignited his red lightsaber and leapt at them with incredible speed that it was hard to keep up with. He seemed impossibly strong as he hit them, his blows making their arms ache like they were arm-wrestling with a rancor. It took all of their speed and strength to keep up with it.

But then when he blasted Kyle with force lightning that he was forced to use both lightsabers to block Tyria managed to get a stab in with her shoto that made him stumble back.

Seeing this Tyria and Kyle shared a look and began a series of rapid feints, one would dart in and fake an attack to distract Jerec before the other would launch the actual strike.

Jerec would only take slight injuries but they soon began to take their toll. In his fury he blasted Tyria with force lightning and went to strike her down before Kyle blocked the strike and engaged in a series of furious cleaves and thrusts which proved too much for Jerec who was sliced clean in half at the gut.

His body glowed yellow briefly before before the surprised eyes of Kyle and Tyria the spirits of the lost Jedi and Sith were set free, they looked as the incredible array of lights burst free of the stone and flew all around them, They smiled as they felt their joy at being free after so long and while the power of the valley remained, they themselves were free.

They both went to Jan and tended to her but thankfully she was starting to come around and was just a bit bruised.

Kyle was glad but he had one thing to say given the immense power of the valley.

"Others will come for the valley and its power. We need to make sure that it stays hidden and safe." He said and both women nodded.

"We'll all keep the secret of this place between the three of us and no-one else." Tyria said and Jan nodded before Kyle then told them.

"Before we leave, I have one last thing to do." Kyle said with a sad smile, glad that he had avenged his father and not gone down a path that would have spat on everything he had stood for.

A short time later Jan and Tyria both stood silently as Kyle finished carving a new memorial with his lightsaber, the faces of Morgan Katarn and Qu Rahn stood tall and proud. He then joined them in silent mourning for those that had given their lives for all of this.

Dentaal, Core Worlds...

Three fleets hung in orbit of Dentaal, engaged in a harsh battle. The Imperial Fleet was fighting both the Rebel Fleet and the Mandalorian Fleet, the combined Rebel/Mandalorian Fleet had rushed to the system upon receiving Intelligence that the Dentaal Independence Party had overthrow the Imperial Governor Taliff, that was a cause for celebration as Dentaal was a planet that potentially could be used as a staging ground for invasions of the Core Worlds and would be possible to reinforce against the Imperial Military. If the planet agreed to join either the Rift Alliance or the Rebellion or worse both it would be a disaster for the Empire.

So they had decided make sure the planet could not do that, by deploying a viral weapon known as the Candorian Plague which was derived from the Blue Shadow Virus. Technically the Empire had outlawed such weapons but they had begun to use them in the face of the rapidly worsening situation in the galaxy. Fortunately the Mandalorians and Rebels both had spy networks and had discovered just what the Empire was planning and had rushed to prevent the deaths of over ten billion people and making the planet unusable for decades.

Juno Marek nee Eclipse was standing on the deck of the new Orar class Battleship Vortex Fire, looking out over the battle field, in her element as she commanded the massive ship and the fleet as it pressed the Empire back.

She smirked as she saw her husband Galen was leading an assault on the Imperial Star Destroyer to make sure the viral warheads were destroyed and then she saw the symbol of Midnight Squadron, a fast group of upgraded T-70 X-Wings that was harassing smaller Imperial warships which was led by her sister in law Neema Marek.

The Mareks had been so welcoming she thought, making up for losing her own family who had disowned her. She and Galen were completely happy in their marriage and hoped that they would be able to have children of their own soon.

Seeing the Imperial flagship explode after their assault ships detach from it made her feel a great sense of satisfaction, they had prevented what could have been one of the biggest genocides in the entire history of the galaxy and then a signal from Dentaal confirmed their biggest hopes.

A hologram of a government official appeared and informed them.

"The people of Dentaal send their most emotional thanks to you and the personnel of your fleets for preventing the Imperial plot to destroy our world. This serves as our declaration of seeking membership of the Rift Alliance and a formal agreement with the Rebel Alliance."

Juno smiled, perfect news before a wedding.

Palace of the Woolamander, Yavin 4...

An ancient structure not from the Great Temple which held the main headquarters of the Rebel Alliance, the Palace had been infested with creatures called Woolamanders until the Mandalorians had cleared them out and done some structural repairs to make the structure a suitable location for their leader's son's wedding.

It had been necessary to find such a large structure to hold the wedding as many people were coming and the Great Temple was a functioning military base so it could not host a gathering of this size.

The sea of shelters set up for everyone was making it almost as populated as the Great Temple itself. Mandalorian guards surrounded the structure and were checking everyone who dared to try and enter with high intensity given the number of important guests. The Rebels and Mandalorian ships orbited the planet to maintain security.

- x -

Inside the temple there was a loud buzz of activity as the wedding preparations were well underway. A dinner was being prepared while gifts were being delivered as more guests arrived, the hall had been cleared out of nearly everything that had been there so many seats for all of the guests.

Markus was in one of the side chambers getting ready, he was wearing his armour as was the custom of a Mandalorian but it was polished and spotless as was the armour of all his family.

Haron and Corridan were helping him get ready with Tyus shining up his equipment. Ara when they were done could hardly hold back her tears as her first boy, her eldest child was getting married and it was like a day she had been dreaming about and dreading at the same time. Astoria was with her husband keeping an eye on the guests with Siri and Li'anna.

Markus was growing increasingly nervous as the time came closer and closer, Ara looked and sensed the nerves inside of him and nudged Haron who then saw it and nodded, knowing what he needed to say.

"Could you all let me speak to Markus alone for a moment?" Haron asked and they all left the room which left him and his eldest son alone. He walked over and put his hand on his son's shoulder and asked him.

"What is it you need?" He was direct as he knew this was no time for fooling around. Markus revealed his worries to his father.

"Marriage...living your life with someone forever. How do I make that work? How can I make her happy?" Markus asked with fear on his face and Haron smiled as he knew that fear all too well.

"There is no guide to making a marriage work Markus. What matters most is to be honest with each other. Hiding what you think and feel will often explode in your face. If there is a problem then you must try to work together to fix it. Not keeping secrets and listening to what you are both saying are important to any relationship, figuring out these things about each other is part of the journey you two are about to embark on." Haron said with kind knowing eyes. "You and Leia are not me and Ara, nor are you Anakin and Padme. But you two will have years to find out these things about each other." Haron told his son who was still nervous but a little bolstered by his father's words.

"Then I had best get started hadn't I." Markus said with determination and Haron just smiled, knowing his son was going to be fine.

- x -

In another area of the palace Leia was likewise extremely nervous as she prepared, her mother, aunt, cousins and Tash were all working on preparing her dress and make up for the event and she was doing her utmost not to fidget like she had when she was child. It was a hard struggle as she looked at herself in the mirror and the looming wedding playing heavily on her mind.

"I can't believe its your big day." Her grandmother said with tears in her eyes at her granddaughter getting married and starting a family of her own. Padme too was stunned as she helped add the make up to her daughter's face and she could feel her nervousness so she smiled and told her daughter with a whisper in her ear.

"No matter what happens or where you go, you will always be a Skywalker and know that we love you more than anything in the world." Padme said and Leia was desperately trying to not to cry so she didn't ruin her make up. She just rested her head on her mother who gave her a big hug to help her steady her nerves.

Anakin watched with teary eyes, his little girl was getting married and she would not be with them all the time any more. It was a deeply haunting thing but he knew in his heart that this was her life and she had a right to live it, not to mention he was somewhat relieved that they could visit any time and she could come to see them. Besides his little girl would one day be jointly ruling one of the most powerful independent states in the galaxy. He only wanted the best for all his children but seeing Leia all grown up in her pristine white gown with make up making her seem so more angelic and he couldn't help but let a tear fall from his eyes. He could hardly believe this was happening but as Leia got up and saw him, she smiled and gave him a hug which he eagerly returned, wishing he didn't have to let her go but he knew deep down he had too.

- x -

Luke and Mace where greeting guests and directing them to their seats with Grahuur the enormous dark furred Wookiee who intimidated everyone into doing what they were told.

Luna smiled as she and her family entered the hall, she had sent her husband and sons to take their seats while turning to see Neville and Hannah doing the same with their two boys and their families. The three of them all came together and all shared a look of amazement that the wedding of their eldest surrogate nephew was turning into such a huge affair

How times had changed they thought with some weariness at all the change that they had seen in their lives so far and they were far from done.

- x -

Cassian wasn't sure why he even had an invitation to the wedding but here he was standing as he waited for Vel to join him. She was doing much better now he thought with some relief at her finally starting to heal a little from her loss, she had been true to her word and had been seeing the therapist in the base since they had finally gotten her to seek help and she seemed to be finding her stability again slowly day by day. Sometimes he would hear her crying in private and he would knock to see if she wanted him to be there with her. Sometimes she did on her worst days and sometimes she would deal with it on her own.

Since both of them surprisingly had been given an invitation they had decided since neither of them had anyone to bring that they would attend together, sneak off to a corner and leave early. He knew some people where starting rumours that he was fucking Vel but that was a great lie he thought with the short-sightedness of some people. He and Vel were friends, they had started out as reluctant allies but as time had gone on a bond of trust and respect had evolved between them. Vel had needed a person to cling too to help her through her rough patch and he was willing to be that for her.

That was when he saw her approach and he blinked momentarily as he had never seen Vel take the effort to dress up before. She had always been in combat clothes when he had seen her and apparently she had really tried to make a good impression this time. She was wearing a simmering flowing dress with her hair shiny and coloured with lavender coloured highlights, not to mention make up which he had never even imagined her using nor perfume, a sweet fruity smell that teased his nose now.

He had to admit objectively that Vel was an attractive woman and she smiled as she saw him smile at her. He offered her his arm and she took it like a lady before he led them to their seats. Some of the male guests he noticed were all looking at him with resentment at having Vel on his arm and he could only smirk at how ignorant they were, Vel seemed to relax a little as they took their seats like him not sure why they had been invited but at the same time trying to make a good impression as she was still on shaky ground with the Alliance leaders.

- x -

They were not the only rebel heroes that had been invited to the wedding, Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors where present as well, not sure just why but Kyle was struggling to not mess with his smart suit as it was far from comfortable while Jan was stunning in her dress and having to nudge him frequently in the shoulder so he didn't make a scene.

"Why did I agree to go to this? I don't even like weddings." Kyle asked her and Jan just shook her head and told him.

"Because its not polite to refuse and maybe because it unifies both the Mandalorians and Jedi in an alliance. Kyle, its only for a couple of hours and given all the combat we get into a nice quiet wedding would be a nice change of pace." She said with a smile as she knew full well that Kyle much preferred being shot at than formal affairs.

"For a couple of hours. No more." Kyle said firmly and she smirked knowing he was going to stay however long it went on for.

A familiar face then appeared in formal Alliance dress uniform, Tyria felt them before she saw them and didn't need much encouragement to come over and talk to them. After their adventure in the Valley of the Jedi she was a good friend to Kyle and Jan now and she was glad to be here with them, especially as she introduced them to her boyfriend.

"Kyle, Jan. Good to see you, this is my partner, Kell Tainer from Wraith Squadron." She said, introducing the square jawed and tall man who gladly shook their hands.

"A pleasure to meet you both, you guys are legends around here." Kell said and Kyle just shrugged while Jan rolled her eyes.

"Good to meet you too. Tyria was a real help in dealing with Jerec." Jan said honestly as while she was sure she and Kyle could have handled it, the help of the other Jedi had been extremely useful.

Tyria just flushed a little before the four of them found their own quiet little corner and began chatting about their own adventures around the galaxy. Kyle and Jan finding that they liked the Wraith pilot and although they had worked with Rogue Squadron from time to time they had never worked with the Wraiths before now and maybe it might be worth trying an operation or two after this.

- x -

Satele was sitting with some of her students, wondering privately if a Jedi and a Mandalorian could actually make a relationship work but Leia was not an ordinary Jedi and the Ordos were enlightened members of their people she thought with a smile. If anyone could make their marriage work it would be them, she reasoned but more so was intrigued at what might come from their union. A stronger alliance between the Rebels and the Mandalorians was one thing but given the sheer power that Leia and Markus both wielded, she could only imagine just how powerful their future children might be. She knew however first hand from the fact that her own son Theron had not inherited her powers and her own ancestors Revan and Bastila's son had not had any potential in the force at all even if it had come back in future generations.

Perhaps it might be the same for them but somehow she could feel that wasn't going to be the case this time. Their children would be powerful, she could feel it and who knows what that might mean for the future? Satele wondered before settling back into her seat and putting those thoughts aside as the future was an infinity jumble of possibilities, no one could ever get it completely right and they would just take one step at a time. The Jedi Covenant had caused a great deal of pain and misery by misreading the future and she would not make the same mistakes that they had.

- x -

The Ghost Crew too had found themselves invited to the wedding, Hera had even allowed Chopper to attend if he promised not to start a fight with R2-D2 who was watching him closely from other side of the hall.

They were astonished to see so many Jedi in attendance, Ezra and Kanan in particular as they had once believed them to be so few. Kanan had seen much of the order destroyed in Order 66 and thought the Jedi were over and done with, something that he knew now was a product of his own fear.

To see that the Jedi were not only surviving but flourishing made him feel more foolish to have abandoned their way for so long, as she could tell what he was thinking he felt Hera squeeze his hand and he squeezed back, feeling comfort in her warm and caring presence.

Ezra meanwhile was looking around and caught sight of Sabine, he smiled as he managed to catch her eye and she smiled back but they didn't go over to meet each other. She was with her family and he hoped to be able to see her at the reception later. He had missed her a lot since she had gone home and even though he had seen her when they liberated Lothal it hadn't been the same as being with someone everyday.

Ahsoka sat with them, she was smiling as she was not just seeing Skyguy's little girl get married but also finally getting to spend time with her family! They had dared to come to Yavin 4 in order to stay with her for awhile and just seeing how much they had grown had almost broken her heart but she was soon crying with joy as they rushed up to hug her and demand to know just what 'adventures' she had been on. Just holding her boy and girl in her arms had been the most joyful thing in the entire world. Now they sat beside her to see what had to be the weirdest wedding in the galaxy...a Jedi to a Mandalorian, who would have thought it? She thought with amazement.

Rex next to her sat in a formal suit which he hated but he was delighted to be here to see his general's little girl get married. A lot of the clones like Gregor and Wolfe had retired now as their accelerated ageing caught up with them but he was still acting as a commander in the alliance, helping to run their special operations teams. He worked with Wraith and Rogue Squadrons quite closely but a wedding was something he had never thought he would attend he thought with a smile.

- x -

Just before the wedding all of the Mandalorian house leaders had all gathered so they could see their future duchess and while her beauty was certainly something you did not see every day they were not entirely sold on the idea of her being the future Duchess Ordo or mother to the next generation of the house.

They were openly showing their disrespect towards her and Leia wished Markus was here but apparently this was a sort of test that she had to face on her own, to prove her own strength to them or they would think her weak.

So she in her formal and lovely dress walked up to one of the Dukes, Lok she thought and kicked him hard in the chest, sending him flying across the room. The room instantly became silent as they all looked at her but she wasn't done yet, she dodged a punch from Duchess Ma'Gard and gave on of her own in the stomach and then put her in a choke hold. The others looked at her before Leia told them.

"I am sure that I now have your attention. I might be a Jedi but I am also my own woman, I don't need to impress you, my strength is my own and I will prove it anytime you like." Leia told them with a cold determined voice.

The other dukes and duchesses all shared looked especially Duchess Ma'Gard and Duke Lok but then one of them, a woman with dyed white blonde hair and a crazy look in her eyes laughed and said.

"She's got spirit. Hold on to that girl, you'll need it." She said and the nobles all seemed be much more respectful now.

Leia left and her bridesmaids rushed over to make sure her dress and everything was alright and it was pristine, amazingly she had not so much as got a speck of dirt on it.

- x -

Markus unknown to Leia had been watching and smiled as she made her presence felt, they would not disrespect her again. Din and Nila both smiled too as they saw that she would be just fine.

"She's got the heart of one of us." His Aunt Lelia said with a smile as she looked on. Her husband and their newly born son was waiting in the main hall where the wedding would be held. Deera's wife and daughters where out there with them and Vysa's daughter too keeping things in order.

"She's be fine. Leia's just getting started." Deera said with a smile as her nephew had picked a woman with a lot of fire inside her. She just hoped that it would be a controllable fire and not an out of control blaze.

"She better not hurt him." Astoria said with a frown, wearing her armour for the wedding while her husband stayed in the main hall with their little girl.

"Markus can take care of himself." Corridan said with confidence as the only people he knew stronger than Markus were their parents. Nyssa was helping greet the guests and her natural calmness and diplomatic skills made her ideal for it.

"Hell yes." Siri and Tyus said with the same thought as their eldest brother was easily the strongest of all of them.

Li'anna however was somewhat on the same page as her elder sister.

"This isn't a battle Corridan, this is marriage. A life long commitment and those we love can hurt us." She said wondering if he was going to have his heart broken.

"That will be something to face when it happens." Vysa said with a stern frown, wondering when she had become the grown up.

"Markus will face those possibilities as do we all." Haron said, bringing an end to the matter. "No one is ever really ready for marriage but we all have to take that leap to learn how deep the waters are."

Ara stayed silent, going up to her son and putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, he turned and smiled, putting a hand on it too to say thank you.

- x -

The time was finally here, the guests had all taken their seats and Markus stood with his brothers and sisters and even Din while Haron and Ara sat in the front row with Padme and Nila, smiling at the very nervous young man.

Then the bridal music began, they all rose to their feet and looked as Leia came down the aisle. Anakin at her side as her bridesmaids; Allara, Tash, Willa and Winter a rebel agent that Leia had become friendly with walked behind her. Padme was nearly overcome with tears at the sight of her little girl coming up the aisle on Anakin's arm in her finery and Ara had to put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

Markus who due to the old tradition had not seen Leia in her wedding dress was totally stunned by her vision in front of him. She smiled as did Haron and Ara, knowing their boy was in love.

She eventually reached the altar and Kagame stepped forward.

"Marriage is a sacred vow made between two people. To honour and uphold each other in the darkest and most difficult times, to share in the joy of each other and ease the pain of the other. Two people come before this hall today with the intention to make sure an important vow." Kagame said, a smile on his face as he had known Leia since she was a little girl and now here he was officiating at her wedding.

"Honoured guests. We have gathered here today so that two people can be joined in marriage. That they might swear to be at each others side for the rest of their lives in sickness and in health. To defend each other with all their strength and will. To be responsible for each other and if the force wills it to one day start a family of their own." Kagame said which made Markus and Leia look a little nervous as they had no intention of having children yet. Kagame, subtly smiling at their slight fear of that particular responsibility then continued with the ceremony.

"Markus Ordo, Leia Skywalker...please step forward." He said gently and the two did as he told them as everyone watched. "Do you both understand the great journey that you are about to embark on and the enormous responsibility you hold not just to each other but too yourself?"

"We do." Markus and Leia both said together and so Kagame asked Markus.

"Markus Ordo, do you swear on the will of the force itself to honour Leia, to stand at her side in both good times and bad? To be there for each other without restraint for the rest of your lives?" Kagame asked and Markus nodded before answering.

"I do."

Kagame then turned to Leia.

"Leia Skywalker, do you swear on the will of the force itself to honour Markus, to stand at his side in both good times and bad? To be there for each other without restraint for the rest of your lives?" Kagame asked.

"I do." Leia said with honest, looking into Markus's eyes as he looked into hers.

"Then by the force itself, by the rites of Mandalore and in the eyes of everyone gathered here today...I pronounce you both husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Kagame added with a smile as Markus without hesitation leaned forward and kissed Leia, his arms going around her waist to pull her against him. Leia was a bit surprised at how fast his reaction had been but she was soon kissing him back with her arms around his shoulders.

The entire hall cheered and clapped while Haron, Ara, Anakin and Padme all shed a tear as their children married.

Some Time Later...

The wedding had now moved to the reception being held in an adjacent hall where many tables had been set up where the guests now sat eating or dancing on the clear area in the centre of the room. A live band was playing as the guests all moved around, the groom and the bride had already had their dance and were sitting at the main table. Their parents were sitting there with them while the guests enjoyed themselves.

Luke was hanging around the dance floor, not feeling like sitting at the table with his parents and the newly weds, perhaps because like with Mace who was also drifting around it highlighted his own isolation. Some of the female guests had approached him but he just didn't feel like dancing with every one of them.

Maybe was meant to be alone he thought morbidly as he sighed, he had not managed to have a serious relationship in his entire life and yet he was nineteen years old. He had never felt envious of his sister before but the fact she had managed to find someone and make a good and solid relationship was gnawing at him in a way that he had never expected.

Many of the Rogues were dancing with their respective partners on the dance floor and even Kyle Katarn could be seen dancing with his partner Jan which only increased his own loneliness.

He was about to go and leave the hall when he suddenly felt a familiar presence in the force, he honestly had known that he would but not as soon as this. Smiling he turned around and saw the woman that had haunted his dreams ever since he had met her.

"Mara." He said with a genuine happiness to see her. "How did you get in here?" He asked and she smirked at him.

"Getting into places I shouldn't be is something I was trained to do Skywalker." Mara told him with a smug look in her eyes. She looked amazing in her blue and green strapless dress, the daring slit in the skirt was enough to show her legs and her hair had been done in elegant waves. In short she was gorgeous and Luke could not help but be completely dazzled.

He offered her his hand and she smirked before taking it so she could join him on the dance floor, a gentle romantic song was playing and it suited the mood as Luke and Mara began to sway to the music. The atmosphere was extremely intimate and they soon only had eyes for each other.

"What have you been up to?" Luke asked her and Mara smiled and she let Luke spin her around gently.

"Talon Karrde recruited me to the Underworld Alliance, I've got skills that they find useful and it certainly pays well. Karrde's a good guy so I know he will watch my back if I watch his." Mara said truthfully, it was nice to work with someone that was honest with her and Karrde treated her with respect, certainly more than Palpatine ever had.

"Never thought of joining the Jedi?" Luke asked her as he would rather like her to be around more but she just laughed.

"Me?! A Jedi?! Skywalker it's good that you're so cute." She said dismissively but at the same time she would really like to develop her skills more but seeking formal Jedi training would mean explaining just how she had received her initial training and that would not go down well she thought with sadness that even though she had left him, the reputation of Palpatine clung like a tick to her.

Neither noticed Padme looked at them from the side and seeing her eldest boy dancing with the mystery woman made her smile, the look of adoration clear in his eyes and she intended to find out just who the woman was.

- x -

Mace was sitting at a deserted table, watching the other people and his siblings, his thoughts becoming deep as he considered just what it was he wanted. He had always been serious about being a Jedi and he had not seen anything more than that, but truthfully in recent times he had been thinking about what else in life that he might be missing out on. Seeing his sister and now his brother with partners of their own had made him wonder if he was making the right choice.

He saw Tash on the dance floor, having a dance with one of the Mandalorians that had attended the wedding and the sight of it almost drove him mad with jealousy. He was so consumed by this that he failed to notice when someone sat at the same table as him.

"See something you find interesting?" Depa Billaba said in his ear, softly but the suddenness of it made him jump. He looked around startled and she smiled at him being unsettled.

"Nothing." He said too quickly and Depa who was used to seeing emotion in a much harder exterior that ironically shared his name with the young boy in front of her didn't buy it.

"Do you know where your name comes from?" Depa asked him and Mace frowned and nodded.

"My father told me that I was named after a great Jedi Master that saved his life." Mace told him and Depa nodded sadly before explaining.

"Mace Windu was my master, he was a great master who devoted his life to the Jedi Order. He was powerful and brave and the greatest champion a Jedi could ask for who was truly incorruptible. But he was also far too stern and unmovable. Uptight even and he could be extremely harsh in his judgement. He was never a perfect man." Depa explained to him before coming to the point.

"He was a great Jedi Master and one that should be celebrated for his achievements but in the end the Order was all that he had. Literally second to everything else and he died for it in the end. Don't let life pass you by." Depa told him before getting up to leave.

Mace was unsettled by this idea, he did not want to end up an emotionless and harsh man taking the hint that she was giving him he got to his feet and went towards the dance floor, seeing Tash with her current partner he said firmly.

"Mind if I cut in?" Mace asked and the young man was intimidated enough that he stepped back while Tash looked at him strangely but still danced with him the moment he extended his hand she agreed to dance with him.

- x -

The Ghost Crew was enjoying the party, while Chopper was having some sort of showdown with R2 while HK-47 adjudicated and C-3PO just wandered around the room basically annoying people especially Zeb who was now trying to get away from the droid at any cost.

Kanan was dancing with Hera, enjoying the music especially as they rarely got any time to do things together. They were so busy on Lothal since it was liberated, Hera was training a few new starfighter squadrons and Kanan was not just finishing his own training with Depa but he was finishing Ezra's training while now also instructing Dhara Leonis who despite being older she had the force inside her and was keen to learn how to use it.

Hera though had a secret, one that she had just learned prior to leaving Lothal and was extremely nervous about it but she knew she had to tell Kanan and decided to just tell him before she lost her nerve.

"Kanan, I'm pregnant." Hera told him quickly.

Kanan stilled, trying to understand just what she had said before it finally settled and his face broke into an enormous smile and he pulled her into his arms and swung her around with a cheer which she couldn't help but return despite the looks people were giving them.

Ezra smiled as he saw them, he had no idea just why they were so happy but was glad that they were. He saw Sabine standing to the side and plucked up his courage, walking over and extending his hand she smiled and took it, they began to sway to the music and he asked her.

"Are you okay? Haven't seen you in awhile." Ezra asked wanting to know how she was as he was so nervous. Sabine smiled and told him.

"I'm good, I miss you guys all the time but I've been mending fences. I hope I can visit you guys soon though." She said with a hopeful smile which made Ezra brighten.

He was flushed with excitement at the idea of her being around more, his feelings for her were clear to everyone and Sabine knew full well how he felt but she was waiting for him to tell her. He needed to at least admit them to her.

In orbit of Yavin 4...That Moment...

The ships in orbit of Yavin 4 were fairly relaxed and confident, sure of their own strength and the secrecy that kept the base safe.

But then there was a surprise that none of them had seen coming, a fleet of Imperial ships dropping out of hyperspace!

The ships rushed to action stations and the nearby base began to scramble their own fighters to assist in the coming battle. The Imperial Fleet was sizeable and immediately the two fleets began to trade fire but as the larger ships of both fleets engaged in heavy combat, and the starfighters clashed in bitter dogfighting another ship jumped in. It was about the size of a Star Destroyer but it was an odd design, more square with a long section cut out from the front but slung underneath it were many large pods attached to the hull. Using the immediate chaos of the Imperial Fleet's appearance and the battle that was now raging around it, the ship managed to make its way through the two fleets to Yavin 4 and began to rapidly deploy its large number of pods. They dropped row after row of them which plunged towards the surface before the ship began to come under heavy fire from the Mon Calamari MC80 cruisers and Mandalorian Aden and Orar class warships which shattered it into pieces but not before it had launched a large number of pods which were heading straight towards the surface. The fighters started to try and intercept them but there were too many and they had little time, all that they could do was warn those on the surface before rejoining the battle.

- x -

The wedding party was informed about the attack from the moment it started but then they saw the sight of the pods hurtling towards them. The pods were large but not large enough to hold AT-AT but as they impacted the ground they began to spill out AT-ST walkers, Stormtroopers, Purge Troopers and a new type of warrior that none of them had ever seen before.

It resembled a humanoid but with extensive cybernetics, to the point that almost seventy percent of its body, armoured in durasteel with a simple lightsaber hilt. They were tall creatures with no eyes or ears as they had been replaced by cybernetics, it was ghastly, roughly done and the creatures were in obvious pain but that only served to stoke up their rage.

They were the results of the cybernetic experiments that Palpatine had been doing on various force sensitives he had cloned, trying to create a more powerful army for himself but they were incredibly unstable and had only a short life span. They were also prone to not obeying commands due to their chemically and pain induced state of rage which was why the project had been abandoned for some time until now.

But they were useful for a mission like this when he only wanted to destroy everyone.

The wedding guests all saw this and scowled, the garrison from the main base was coming but many of the guests were not armed. It being a wedding they hadn't been expecting a battle but the Mandalorians were always armed especially as most of them had come to the wedding in their armour. The Jedi too mostly had their lightsabers ready as they rarely went anywhere without them, while the guards started arriving in their speeders the guests mobilised themselves too.

Leia even tore the skirt from her dress to join in the fight while Luke threw her her lightsaber, the Jedi and Mandalorians standing before the other guests who would need their protection until the rebel forces arrived.

They raised their weapons and with Haron and Anakin in the centre, taking the lead they charged to meet them. There was no real time for a more complicated plan besides they knew reinforcements were coming and they only needed to hold them off but the majority of them especially Leia and Markus were pissed at the Imperials ruining their wedding.

Markus and Leia in tune with each other reached out with the force, they picked up one of AT-ST walkers and moving in unison began to smash it down on the purge troopers that surrounded it with their rage. Causing some people to look at them slightly scared but it was on their side so there was little time to dwell on it.

Galen Marek and Neema his sister ignited their own lightsabers and charged into the fray, they leapt from tree to tree until they each came upon an AT-ST themselves and smirked as they dove into the fray, doing a force repulse to clear the stromtroopers around them before slicing off its legs and then force pushing the cabs off the legs and smashed them into each other.

Luke and Mara engaged the clone brutes with their turquoise lightsabers, moving together in a well planned out dance that dazzled both enemies and allies alike.

Ara had her lightsaber in hand during a battle for the first time in ages and honestly she had really missed it she thought with satisfaction that time hadn't rusted her skills as she along her, Hannah, Neville and their mutual children clashed with the brutes who while strong where not too smart.

Especially as Luna used some nightsister magic that she had learnt during their exchange, the earth beneath the feet seemed to come alive and swallow them up, they struggled against it but they were easily able to decapitate them as they sank down to their elbows.

Mace and Kanan stayed back with Kagame, Depa and Satele to defend the guests who were unarmed but the rebel speeders arrived, soldiers began to disembarked and some of the guests grabbed spare rifles and pistols to join in the fighting. Rex, Vel, Cassian and Jan all took up weapons and began shooting at the attacking soldiers. Ahsoka stood near them with her family working to protect them from enemy fire.

Kyle was cutting his way through purge troopers with ease, proving that should the order properly reorganise he would be a good battlemaster.

But Haron and Anakin were in a league of their own.

Both had their sabers in hand and were cutting through the brutes with ease, the brutes were so angry that they just had little actual technique. Haron was using apparation to move so quickly that he was there one moment and gone the next, impaling through the back or using it to gain better positioning, Anakin meanwhile was augmenting his body to well below their level, allowing him to simply force their enhanced limbs aside before cutting them down.

The Imperials had not expected such resistance or that they would lose much of their taskforce with the flagship in orbit, they were being cut down mercilessly by the Mandalorians and the Jedi now joined by the rebels.

With the incredible strength being pressed against them the Imperial offensive collapsed in both space and on the ground. The Imperial ships that survived fled while the ground forces found themselves surrounded and then were just slaughtered.

The secrecy of their base now exposed the rebels immediately began to evacuate, the fleets staying on station until they could properly clear out the base. The Jedi went with them, it was a big loss to no longer be able to train their new apprentices here but they would manage.

Markus and Leia were off on their brief honeymoon but it was with a great sense of anger, their wedding had been rudely interrupted and the rest of the Skywalkers and Ordo families were also enraged...what the Emperor feared was starting to come to pass.

The families were coming for him.