"Uh, nothing! Good night Mom, good night Dad!" I yell, switching my lamp off.

"Good night, Emily."

After a tiring day at school - also not to mention a dance - right before winter break, I had attempted to relax by reading one of my favorite Star Wars books, Planet of Twilight. Well, that didn't happen. Trying to find a comfortable position under one sheet, two blankets, a comforter, and two afghans to combat the cold December night, I let my mind wander. Tomorrow's a new day. New chances, new possibilities. Maybe my Paradise Estate I've been waiting two weeks for will finally come. Maybe this supposed snowstorm we're to have will blow on by.

Maybe I should go to sleep. Hey, sounds good to me.

I start to dream.
~*~

"Hey, Your Highness-ness!" Han Solo calls to his wife as he comes trotting in.

Leia frowns. "I thought I told you not to call me that."

Han gives Leia a lopsided grin and says, "Well, I guess you'll have to make that an order, Your Worship."

Scowling, Leia tries to ignore her husband.

"I was only teasing. All right, I know that look. Something's bothering you. What's the matter? All the peace and quiet around here getting to you?" Han asks, becoming serious. He sits down next to her.

She sits up. "Where are the kids?"

Han groans. "You're trying to change the subject, aren't you?"

"Just answer the question, Han," Leia sighs, twirling her lightsaber.

"They're at Paradise Estate with Luke and Mara, doing some hard, quality time with their aunt and uncle. Now what is bothering you?"

Leia blinks, and stares blankly at Han for a moment. "Okay, fine. You're right about one thing. It is too quiet around here. I don't even remember the last time I had an hour long lunch break." She pauses. "And it took me about ten minutes to eat."

"And the other thing would be?" he asks, nudging the lightsaber with a large, dark blue hoof.

She stretches and gets up, turning slightly toward the throne. "Never mind. It's just some silly insignificant incident that doesn't really matter anymore and even Luke would laugh at now."

"What? Is it about the mess the twins made down in the basement?"

Leia slowly turns her head and narrows her eyes into slits. "What mess in the basement?"

Han's dark face seems to pale. "Uh, how about you tell me what the insignificant incident that isn't important anymore is?" he rattles off with a weak, nervous laugh.

Reluctantly, Leia puts her crown back on, slumps back in the throne, and sighs. "I know this is going to sound extremely strange, but - I can't help wondering where Callista disappeared to all those years ago."

Han's expression says it all. "That's it?!? You're worried about a disappearance that happened about eight years ago that you had nothing to do with?!? Luke finally got over that girl less than a year ago and you of all Ponies haven't stopped fussing about it?!?"

Leia stares blankly at him again. "See? Silly, insignificant thing. And that's what worries me most."
~*~

"Oh. Did I make you choke to death almost? I'm sorry," his wife, Mara Jade, says nonchalantly. "Not."

Luke gasps for air, coughing. With one final sputter, he growls, "Do you really enjoy scaring Ponies half to death?"

Mara snorts. "You should know the answer to that by now. By the way, your niece and nephews are here."

Luke coughs again. "Oh yeah? Where?"

Mara's green eyes glitter evilly.

"Oh, no. What have you done? You only get that look when you've been up to no good. Now where are they?"

"In the closet!" Mara exclaims, almost keeping a straight face. "I never thought kids could be so fun."

Luke shakes his head. "That won't hold the twins and Anakin for long. Not long at all."

Mara laughs. "As long as they aren't here, I don't mind."

She takes a peek at the lunch Luke had brought out. "Those pears fresh?"

Luke shoves them away.

 "Fine. Be that way," she says. Pausing and adds under her breath, "Not like I'm not used to that around here."

Luke swallows a mouthful of apple. "What do you mean by that?"

She says nothing, staring at the brook and the forest behind it. "Oh, that Durron kid is getting on my nerves again. Never liked him, always being annoying, thinking he's the Force's gift to the Ponies . ."

Luke groans. "So you've told me repeatedly. Now what has he done to tick you off?"

"Actually, nothing."

Luke's taken aback. "What do you mean by that?"

"Why do you have to repeat yourself?" Mara grunts, pawing at the grass with a hoof. She sighs, and says, "He's been acting sort of unusual lately. Not his normal full of himself manner - I actually caught him being courteous to me! And, it's beginning to bother me."

Luke looks surprised. "All right. Who are you and what have you done with Mara?"

He ducks right before she can hit him.

"Just kidding. . . I noticed that too. I don't know if something's bothering him. If there is, there's only three Ponies he would have told."

"Oh yeah? And who's that -"

"LOOK OUT BELOW!!!" yells a young voice before three baby Ponies slam into Luke and Mara. Two bright blue babies, and a smaller white one. One bright blue baby, who has violet hair, lands in the brook.

"That was fun! Can we do that again?" a soaking wet Jaina laughs, shaking her mane away from her eyes.

"That's for locking us in the closet, Aunt Mara!" Jaina's twin brother Jacen exclaims.

The white baby, Anakin, just grins.

"Well, so much for lunch," Luke says with a laugh.
~*~
~*~

"Hey! Miss me?" Kyp Durron calls as he bounces toward her. "Sorry I'm late. P.E.'s kinda busy right now. Those kids of Han's just dropped by, and it seems like they're going to be around for awhile."

"Oh," Callista mumbles as she sits down, wondering why she was still meeting Kyp like this after repeatedly telling herself nothing could ever work out between them, especially with Kyp's erratic and annoying behavior towards others. Not to mention his questionable views of the Force, thus making their contrast like night and day. "So what else is going on?"

Kyp plops himself down next to her. "Not much. And that goes for pretty much all of Ponyland, which is strange."

"It is. No witch activity, no Imperial activity, not even a few rumors or mumblings around the wanderers." Callista sighs. "Always a sign something is about to happen. Good, or bad."

"You're not a very happy Pony, are you?" Kyp asks.

She looks disgusted. "And what is that supposed to mean?!?"

"Hmm, what does it mean? What's eating you?!" Kyp exclaims incredulously.

Callista gives him the Look. "Nothing at all. You're the one who's acting strange, although. . . wait. Never mind."

Kyp begins to glare at her, but his expression softens with a sigh. "Let's just not argue about this, okay, and I'll get to why I asked you to come here despite your reservations about me."

She raises an eyebrow. "All right, since you bring it up, just why exactly am I here?

"I, um, I wanted to ask you. . ."

Callista tugs her knapsack toward her and dumps out the contents. "Go on, ask me what?"

"Uh, if you'd come back to Dream Valley with me?"

She stops rifling through her things. "Excuse me?"

"I said -"

"I heard what you said," she says, interrupting him. "But. . . why?"

Looking up to the tree branches, he says nothing.

Finding her sun yellow lightsaber, she nods. "Right. That's what I thought."

"Well why not?" Kyp demands.

"Because. . . because I don't want to," she replies simply, flinging her knapsack over her neck. Starting to trot away, she picks up her lightsaber and calls, "See you around."

Not being one to give up easily, he shouts, "You don't wanna go there because Luke's there! That's it, isn't it?!?"

She stops moving, and whirls around. "No Kyp, that's not it. I don't want to go back to Dream Valley and Paradise Estate because I don't belong there. I'm not a Jedi. I can't feel the Force anymore. I can't even use my Unicorn powers anymore," she replies indignantly around the lightsaber.

Kyp nods his head and says rolling his eyes, "Yeah, sure Callie, I believe you. NOT!!"

Callista lines her gaze up to match his "All right. That just goes to prove that we still have conflicting views of the Force with you and your faction that believes justice should be dealt with a heavy hoof. And that you're still not exactly everypony's favorite Jedi to be around. Which is another reason why I can not go back yet." Turning to leave again, she switches her pace from a trot to more like a stomp.

"Hey wait! Don't go, please! Callista!" He leaps to his hooves and gallops in front of her. "Come on Callie! You know I didn't mean that!"

Still stomping her way out of the small clearing, she asks angrily, "Then why do you have to go and be that way in the first place?"

"I don't know. You know that sometimes I act impulsively and do things without thinking!" he yelps. "Sure, most of the times the outcome isn't all that great but, well, you can't really blame me for that!"

Callista halts her tirade. "You have no idea what you just said, do you?"

"Not really," Kyp admits with a gulp. "Come on. You know I'm trying to change things. I've told you I love you before, and you know I'm being sincere about that."

"Yes. . ." she says slowly, looking down.

Taking a deep breath, he says, "Well, I also wanted to ask you. . . if you'd marry me?"

Callista stares at him blankly. "Kyp. Have you been paying any attention - "

"Yes, I have been paying attention, but will you at least think about it? Please?" Kyp begs. "Pleeeease?"

Callista groans. "You really shouldn't beg like that. It's. . . desperation. Which isn't exactly all that good, for a lack of better words while I'm still a bit shocked. . . "

Crestfallen, Kyp says, "Okay, I can figure out what that means, then."

Feeling guilty, Callista tries to lift the Jedi's spirits. "Kyp - I promise I will give it some serious thought. I just need more time than a matter of seconds to make my final decision. I promise. Just, take my stuff with you, please? I need to go for a walk to think things out. A nice, long walk. Okay?"

Coming around, Kyp brings his head up and says, "Sure. I'll drop this off at P.E, and then I'm gonna go over to Crystal Castle. I got some stuff I need to take care of there, then I'm gonna see how Han and Chewie are doing. I'll be back by two." Kyp takes Callista's lightsaber from her, and disappears.

With Kyp now gone, Callista sighs. "Well Kyp, you're right about one thing. There is somebody I don't want to see. But they aren't in Dream Valley."
~*~
~*~

"You!" she bellows, focusing her glare at a red Pegasus wanderer. "Get out of the way!"

The wanderer meekly scoots up against the wall as Nefaria passes, his lower jaw trembling. Torches light Nefaria's way through the stone walkways between stalagmites and peanut brittle rock formations to the Shadow Room. Somewhere in the darkness, water drips down from the ceiling, the only other noise that can be heard. Plop! Plop!

Two rough looking male guards push dark stained wood doors open for Nefaria, letting them swallow her up as she enters the anteroom.

A few attendees and officials are gathered in the room discussing plans. A glossy obsidian table lays in front of where a pitch black throne sits against the back wall, where the "Fearless Leader" of all the Shadows resides.

Storm.

He raps a obsidian gavel on pedestal next to his throne for order. He stares at Nefaria, and says coolly, "Now that we are all here, sit down."

That was a command, not a request.

The officials sit down while the attendees rush out of the room through a back hallway.

"We are the Wandering Shadows. The so called 'scum' of the wanderer Ponies of Ponyland. We have united in a cause of revenge. But against who and against what?" Storm recites, in his cool, hard voice. "I have come up with a name for our revenge. The traitorous wanderers who looked down upon our cause. All of them. Those Jedi, too. I have a plan."

He slams his gavel down for an effect. "We start with the wanderers who have betrayed us. We will make them join our cause, or they will pay. All of those fools that have crossed us will pay."

"How so?" the grim, yellow Earth Pony Sawaro asks. "And what makes you think that any of those traitors would join us? Threats haven't worked."

Storm's mouth curls in an evil grin. "We will take away what they treasure most. One of their most influential leaders." He frowns. "Former, leaders. Mara Jade Skywalker."

Noise explodes in the room like firecrackers. Nefaria leans toward him just as he raps the gavel for silence, resting his chin on his hoof. She shifts uncomfortably on the floor. The darkness of the room, the evil plans spawning right now, could leave a dizzying effect.

"Silence," he growls. "We will act quickly. Upon kidnapping the traitor, Rebel, and Jedi Mara Jade Skywalker, we will strike back at all of the Ponies that have crossed us. And they will never again cross us. Should they actually defy our orders, they will be severely punished with a worse fate that shall come to Jade Skywalker."

"And what makes you think that will work, Storm?" Sawaro argues. "What do you want to do? Rule Ponyland?"

Storm's evil grin widens. "You have a sharp tongue, Sawaro. Watch it or next time I'll throw you in the dungeon."

Sawaro glares at Storm. "Oh, I'm so scared! I might be thrown in the dungeon!"

Nefaria's eyes widen as Storm's grin disappears. "I warned you, Sawaro. I know you are a spy for the traitors."

The officers gasp. Sawaro holds his ground. "And what makes you think that?"

Storm's grin creeps back. "Oh, I have a spy of my own. Nefaria, would you please introduce yourself?"

The only female there, Nefaria rises. "You were a very hard Pony to track, Sawaro. I commend you on that. But I'm afraid not hard enough. Three of your traitor friends are in the dungeon right now, ready to testify to your involvement with their fellow rogues in exchange for their freedom, their lives. Sorry, but you lose. Guards!" she calls.

Sawaro's face pales as two guards appear from the back hall to take him away. "No! No!" he screams. "No!"

"It's too late for that, Sawaro. Have a nice life," Storm remarks nonchalantly. "Whatever small amount you have left."

The two guards drag poor Sawaro kicking and screaming out the heavy wooden doors. They swing shut, and the room falls silent.

Storm puts his front hooves on the table. "If any of the rest of you are spies, I suggest you find a hole, crawl in it, and never come out. Or you won't last long, and will be punished more severely than Sawaro."

"What are you going to do with him?" an officer next to her whispers nervously.

Nefaria turns her head very slightly to look at him. "You don't want to know."
~*~
~*~

"So. How did it go?" Han asks Kyp, leaning against a tree trunk.

Kyp wears a pouting expression on his face. "I just got here and you have to bring up that?"

Chewie laughs. "Not that well, my friend?"

Tapping a hoof in exasperation, Kyp answers, "I wouldn't say it ended at the degree of crashed and burned, but. . ."

"She wants to 'think' about it, huh?" Han says with that lopsided grin of his.

"Don't make me hurt you, Han. Yes, she does. I don't think she wants to marry me, either, because of certain reasons you are aware of," Kyp replies glumly.

"Cheer up Kyp. If she does in fact love you, which would be some miracle - " Chewie starts with a grin and receives a dirty look from Kyp, " - then she will take her time to thoroughly think it through. And with a little luck - "

"Just a little?" Han interrupts Chewie, asking for it.

Chewie pauses to give Han a look worse than Kyp's.

"Please! Continue!" Han says, still grinning.

"Then she will accept. I would not worry about it, Kyp," Chewie finishes. He leans back against another tree trunk. "Odds are she will."

Kyp hesitates, then asks, "What are my odds?"

Chewie's eyes look up for a moment, thinking. "Oh, I don't know. About. . . maybe one in twelve, possibly a larger number."

"WHAT?!?" Kyp shouts. "You call that good?!?"

Han raises a hoof. "Hey, that's on the first time you ask. You can ask someone to marry you a dozen times and she won't say 'yes' until retry number eleven." He grins sheepishly. "I'd know."

Kyp slumps back against his own trunk. "I hope it doesn't take any longer. Or, not at all, for that matter."

Han and Chewie exchange looks. "Ah, Kyp? We were kidding," Chewie admits.

Kyp bolts to his hooves. "WHAT?!?"

Han sighs and knocks a hoof to head. "Pathetic," he mutters, shaking his head. "Really pathetic. . ."

Off in the distance, the chimes ring twice at the castle.

A look of realization appears on Kyp's face. "Oh, blast. I told Luke and Callista I'd be back by two, and I still have things to take care of."

"Then you better run, kid! Er, disappear, I mean," Han states.

"Bye," Kyp says mournfully, and winks out.

Han turns to Chewie. "I still find it a wonder that kid made it through training."

"Where are you, Kyp?" Luke wonders aloud, leaning back in the chair. "Oh well. I'm not keeping him on any schedule, and it doesn't really matter when he gets back, but he did want to speak with me."

"Just as long as Han doesn't try to persuade him into becoming a permanent resident of Crystal Castle," Mara says, also human form, coming into the room and flopping down on the couch across from him.

Looking bewildered, Luke says, "How do you do that?"

Mara blinks. "Do what?" she asks, mock sweetly.

Luke looks at her blankly. "That. Pop up in the most unusual times and make some strange remark out of thin air."

A small smile tugs at Mara's mouth, but she doesn't say anything.

"Why can't you smile more? Just even a small one like that?" Luke pleads.

She immediately frowns, going back to her stern self.

He shakes his head and looks away.

"And how am I supposed to interpret that?"

He looks back at her, only to be met with a stare so cold that it could turn a star to crystal.

She slowly gets up, trots over to him, grabs a lightsaber resting on the table next to a ocean blue knapsack, and shakes it at him. "I love you, Luke, and I - " she cuts off her sentence, knowing she'd made a wrong move. "I don't wish to get in an argument with you, so I'm going out for a walk. Don't be surprised if I stay out excessively long."

With that, she drops the lightsaber to the ground and stalks out of the room.

Gazing down at the floor, he expects to find the familiar sight of Mara's lightsaber.

Instead, he finds one more uniquely disturbing.
~*~
~*~

"Whoa, Mara, what's wrong? Can I help?" Kyp asks sincerely.

"Shut up, you pathetic pea brained idiot," she retorts, leaving him behind her.

"Yrow," Kyp hisses, trotting on. "Everyone seems to be in a bad mood today. Wonder what's wrong with her"

Ambling into the living room, he finds Luke standing next to the coffee table, looking like a thundercloud ready to burst open. Kyp stops dead in his tracks.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he says rather calmly, tossing a lightsaber over to him.

Catching it, he discovers it Callista's lightsaber laying in his hands. Becoming angry, he says, "Why does it matter? My business is my business."

Luke's ice blue eyes flash like lightning bolts. "You still could have at least told me she was alive!" Although trying to keep his anger in check, Luke is clearly past miffed and irritated. "You - You know how important she was to me! You know how much I loved her! You know!"

Kyp looks up, face to face with Luke. "That was then, this is now."

"Almost seven years ago, Kyp, was the last time I saw her. I hadn't heard a thing about her or from her for seven years! And you didn't have the decency to even say, 'Hey Luke! You'll never guess who I saw today!' Or, 'You know that old girlfriend of yours? I saw her today. She's pretty nice,'" Luke explodes.

"And just now I pass your wife coming in here and she's so mad she's almost about to cry," Kyp says angrily, looking Luke straight in the eye. "That's right. Cry. I don't know Mara all too good, but I know that she's the type that has to take a heck of an emotional beating that she cries."

Shaking his head, Luke looks away, guilty. "Was she really?"

Kyp takes a deep breath, and lets it out slowly. "Yes. She was almost about to cry. Now, can we put this behind us? I wanted to get back here as fast as I could so I could tell you. And, so I could apologize for a few things."

Luke shifts his gaze back to Kyp, and nods. "I see. Perhaps we better sit then."
~*~

A twig snaps in the forest, and Mara whips her head up, and narrows her eyes. "Nefaria."

The dark gray Earth Pony steps out of the shadows. "Jade."

"What in blazes are you doing here?" Mara demands.

Making her way over to Mara, she says, "Looking for you. Now I have found you."

Mara stares back at her, getting up. "What do you want with me?"

"Just you," she replies coolly. "Oh, yes. For me this is not business, but personal."

Before Mara can react, two male Ponies appear out of nowhere, and hit her hard on the head. The last thing she sees is Nefaria's wicked smile as she stares down at her.
~*~

"Walkin' through the forest, with no where to be. Walkin' through the forest, with no one to see. Walkin' through the forest, with only just me," she belts out. "I sing a lonely song! But it's an upbeat song! It's a wonder I can sing at all! I sing a wandering song, with no one to sing along! But there's no one to make me fall!"

Just as she finishes the last line, the ground gives way beneath her. "Wha- ?!? Whoa!!" she screams, falling down into the earth. She strikes some rubble, tumbles head over hooves, and lands hard on a floor of stone.

Wincing, she peers up through the caved in ceiling of the underground cavern.

"Well I guess I'll just fall by myself!" she shouts angrily to the tune of the little melody, glaring up at the sky. "Okay I wish there was someone that could help!"

Getting to her hooves, she surveys the cavern. "For once Kyp, I wish you were here," she says to herself. "Well, I can't fly out. And I don't have the Unicorn abilities or Force abilities to get me outta here. So. . ."

Turning around, she discovers a hole in the cavern wall, just big enough for a slender, lanky Pony like herself. Stepping through, she hears voices, and silently creeps toward the source.

"Once we have Mara Jade Skywalker, we will have all the power we need to overtake the traitors!" exclaims a dark gray Earth Pony with red hair. His acid yellow diamond shaped eyes glitter with an evil intent.

"Nefaria left with two guards just a few moments ago, sir. They should be back with Jade Skywalker soon," an officer states.

Callista gasps.

Storm and the officer look up. "Guards! Get her! Get her! She's one of those traitors!" he shouts.

Galloping as fast as she can, she pauses to kick a few large rocks into their way. Ducking through the hole, the hooves that were clattering after her on the stone ground stop.

Leaping onto the pile of rubble, she jumps as high as she can, only to fall back down. "No!" she cries, looking behind her. The hole won't hold a Unicorn back. She shuts her eyes tight, concentrating.

A familiar tingling moves along her neck, and she smiles. Her Unicorn and Force abilities were back! She disappears from the cavern, to reappear in the forest above.

Shouts filter up from the cavern below, and to be safe that no one comes after her to figure out where she's heading, Callista transforms into a blue butterfly. Flying up over the trees, she makes her way to Paradise Estate.
~*~
~*~

Jaina looks startled as Callista, still in butterfly form, touches down on her muzzle. She crosses her eyes, glaring at the bug on her. "Get off!" she orders, somewhat frightened.

"Jaina! It's just a butterfly. She won't hurt you," Jacen, the nature expert, whines.

Changing into a pixie, Callista says, "Don't be frightened. Your brother is right, about one thing. I will not hurt you. All I wish is to speak with your uncle, Master Skywalker."

Both of the twins' eyes bug out. "Blaster bolts. . ." Jacen gasps. "What are you?"

Fluttering off of Jaina's muzzle, Callista transforms back to her Pony self. "I am a Jedi Knight."

The twins' jaws drop open in amazement.

"Callista!"

Kyp and Luke are standing outside the gates.

"Luke! Where's Mara?!?"

Galloping towards them, she skids to a halt as Luke replies, "Well hello to you, too. She went for a walk. Why?"

"Oh, dear," she sighs.

Kyp looks around. "What has happened to make things worse?"

Callista shakes her head. "We must find her. She's in trouble. I don't suppose either of you have heard of the Wandering Shadows, have you?"

The twins come running up to their uncle. "Uncle Luke! Uncle Luke! What's wrong?" Jacen yells in his ear.

Luke winces. "Ah, how about you two go play with Anakin?"

They look at him with pouting eyes. "Is Aunt Mara in trouble?" Jaina asks.

"Hey guys we're trying to have an adult conversation here," Kyp comments.

"But Aunt Mara is in trouble," Jaina says, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Come on, Jaina. We know when we're not wanted," Jacen says dejectedly, and the two run off as fast as they came.

Directing his attention back to Callista, Luke says, "Yes. Mara's talked about them in a crude manner before."

"I'm sure. Anyway, they're after her. To the Wandering Shadows, she's a traitor, a rogue. Scum that needs to be eliminated. That's their plan for revenge it seems. We - had a spy in Storm's board of high officers - " she sputters, still not quite over her encounter.

"Take it easy. You've had a hair raising experience, it seems," Kyp says.

"You could say that again," she says worriedly.

Luke turns to Kyp. "We have to find Han and Chewie. They'll know how to deal with the Shadows."

"What about Leia?"

Luke shakes his head. "Too busy."

"Actually, not really."

Leia, Han, and Chewbacca are coming up the hill, the children nowhere in sight.

Callista waves a hoof. "What - are you all - doing here?" she asks, her breathing heavy despite her attempts to calm herself.

Kyp kneels down next to her. "You don't look very good. You should rest."

She tosses her head back. "No. I'll be all right. Really."

Luke stares at Callista for a moment, but diverts his gaze back to Leia. "We seem to have a problem."

"Tell us what's not so obvious," Chewbacca remarks sarcastically, receiving a swift kick from Han.

Before Luke can say anything, Callista comes back into the conversation. "You all know about the Wandering Shadows. Bad group of wanderers who are peeved with all the other wanderers, and the Jedi, and want to control all of the wanderers of Ponyland. They say the Jedi Knights are responsible for the number of wanderers to drop. More and more are turning out to have Force talent," she rattles off, taking a gulp of air. "I was out in the forest, and the ground fell out from under me. I found myself in the very same caverns that Storm and the high officers of the Wandering Shadows have hatched a plan to kidnap Mara. Mara went on a walk, according to Luke. I have to wonder what that means."

Luke glares at her.

"Sorry. If I know the Shadows, then they've put Nefaria on the task of kidnapping Mara," Callista continues.

"Who's Nefaria?" Luke asks.

"Only your worst nightmare in a female form. She and Storm are like buddy buddy, partners in crime, a twisted boyfriend and girlfriend setup, that kind of thing," Han answers for her.

Callista nods. "I know how we can get in. I infiltrated their dungeon, and I can get us all there."

Kyp and Luke exchange looks. "You found her where?" Luke asks, bewildered.

"Somewhere in the vicinity of Flutter Valley, I don't know," Callista answers. "But it better be soon." Her gray eyes have lost their twinkle, replaced by a empty, worried expression.

"Hey, uh, Callie, you don't look 'okay' to any of us," Kyp says nervously.

She glares at him, slowly rises to her hooves, and sticks her tongue out. "Ha. . . ha. . . ha!" she laughs weakly.

Kyp stares at her doubtfully. "Are you sure about this?"

"Look Kyp. We need her to get Mara back. So how about you but a cork in it and we get outta here?" Han growls.

"Good idea," Luke says with a sigh.
~*~
~*~

The six Ponies stand in the dark forest, near the "secret" main entrance to the caverns of the Wandering Shadows, listening to Callista's debriefing. All except the orange Unicorn.

Kyp's expression turns to guilt, his mind on another matter. "Yeah?"

Shaking her head, Callista mumbles, "I sometimes have to seriously worry about you. . . You and Chewie will go around to the main entrance while Han, Luke, and I go to the dungeon. Try to make a distraction."

"I protest," Chewbacca says. "I go with Han. I owe him a life debt, not that Durron kid."

Glancing over at Kyp and Han, Leia says, "True, but I think Han can take care of himself, Chewie. He has enough times before."

Kyp starts to flash Leia a dirty look, but decides against it. "I can take care of myself too, you know."

Taping a hoof, Callista says thoughtfully, "Okay. How about Han goes with Kyp and Chewie goes with us?"

"And how does that resolve the issue?" Chewie continues.

"Either way, does it really matter?" Luke asks, starting to get impatient.

She purses her lips, thinking. "No."

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Kyp asks uncomfortably.

Callista snorts. "Of course it is. Do any of you have a better idea?"

Chewie scratches his chin. "Well, I for one do not. Han, my friend?"

Shrugging, Han says, "Hey, I get some pretty bright ideas, but I don't have one now. The adrenaline probably hasn't kicked in yet."

Leia shoves her husband. "Come on, Han. We have to be serious right now."

"It's true!" he yelps in defense.

Luke rolls his eyes impatiently. "Can we just stick with the plan? Due to Callista's urgency, this could be a life or death situation."

Callista stares at Kyp, waiting impatiently.

"Why not?" he finally says.
~*~

Chewbacca continues on, his face not registering any emotion. "Callista wishes to divert the attention of Storm and Nefaria away from the dungeon. In order for her to do that, we must create a diversion at the main entrance. And for right now, it's Chewbacca."

Kyp stops. "But - couldn't they figure that out for themselves pretty easily? The gist I get about these guys is that they've got some really intelligent criminal minds."

Chewbacca also halts, turning to look at Kyp. "You're absolutely right. Han and the others are walking into a trap!"

Kyp's eyes widen in horror. "We have to warn - "

"Stop! Who goes there?" a voice yells in the forest.

"Run! Fly! Get outta here!!" Kyp yelps as he disappears.
~*~

"At least another hour. Then we will start our. . . negotiations. . . with the Rebels and those Jedi," he answers coldly.

Nefaria growls. "You know that we are real outlaws now. We've kidnapped the wife of the only Jedi Master in Ponyland, who so conveniently is the brother of High Queen Organa Solo," she says bitterly.

Storm frowns. "Nefaria, when you joined our cause - or should I say, did not turn traitor - you accepted the fact that you would already be an outlaw to the rest of Ponyland."

A guard gallops up to Storm. "Sir! Rebels have been spotted in the area!"

Storm grins evilly. "Right on schedule. How many?"

"Two, sir, so far."

Storm's broad grin disappears. "Only two?" he growls.

The guard gulps. "Yes, sir."

"There must be more! Send out teams of two guards each on the double!" Storm barks at him.

"Yes, sir, yes," the guard replies, rushing off.

Storm shifts his evil eyes back to Nefaria. "Come with me. It must be a ruse."

Storm turns on his heels, trotting through the corridors of the dungeon at a brisk pace.

"Yes. To distract us so they can free Jade. A good ploy, but not good enough," Nefaria agrees at his side.
~*~

"Clever," Han says, observing the strategically placed moss and creeper vines. "So we're gonna bust in there, grab Mara, and get the heck outta here?"

"To sum it up? Yes," she answers, pushing away the vines.

Luke, in the back, gets hit in the face with a thorny vine. "Ow! Watch it!"

Callista hisses, trying to silence him.

Passing through the thick tangle of thorns, vines and moss, the three enter a corridor lit with flickering torches. Taking careful steps, they silently creep along the cold stone, with only water droplets to be heard echoing in the distance. Immense rock formations form ominous shadows.

They round a corner, only to find a group of burly, tough looking male Ponies blocking their way. Whipping around, Callista comes face to face with the two Ponies she did not want to meet up with. Storm and Nefaria.
~*~
~*~

A rustle sounds above him, and Leia, also in human form, drops out of the dense trees. "Let me guess: trouble," she says, rubbing her head.

Kyp nods his head. "It's a trap! This whole thing is a setup! Chewie and I figured it out on the way there!" he says breathlessly. "I guess we fell for it, huh?"

Leia gets up. "No, Kyp. We did not fall for it. Callista has a backup plan. She has to. Or why would she break us up?"

"A very logical explanation, Leia," Chewbacca calls, striding towards them. "We better get going. This time, let's surprise them."

"How? They know we're here," Kyp asks, confused.

Chewie smiles evilly. "We go the way they least expect us to go. Through the front."
~*~

Callista glares at him, and spits in his face. "That's for Sawaro and all of the other good wanderers you've wrongfully imprisoned! You're no better than Imperials!"

Storm blinks, and shakes off the spit, sending droplets all over the cavern walls and Han. For once, Han doesn't have a smart aleck response.

"I thought you would be smarter than you appear, Miss Callista, self-appointed leader of your pitiful cause. Certainly you would think a Jedi Master would have more intelligence than to try and come against us. It was of no use for you to even try," he says, his acid yellow eyes gleaming. "Guards! Take their lightsabers, and throw Skywalker and Solo into the dungeon, where they will stay," Storm orders.

Callista straightens herself to her full height, and says boldly, "And what are you going to do with me, Storm? You can't lock me up. Unicorns have magic, and Jedi can easily escape from pretty much anything."

Nefaria's eyes sparkle with hate. "But then you would be abandoning your friends, your loved ones. Your comrades. The highest acts of betrayal. None of you would betray those you care for deeply, would you?"

Han looks up to the ceiling. "Oh, blast. . ."

"Now you are seeing reason, Jedi," Storm says evilly. "On second thought, guards, I will take care of them. All of them."
~*~

Leia and Chewie roll their eyes. "Will you relax, Kyp?!?" Leia blurts out.

"Relax? Relax?!?"

They had neared the point at where Chewie and Kyp had been discovered. All of them had someone or something to worry about, and the stress was obviously getting to the High Queen.

"I should have seen this coming. I should have told Luke, Chewie! I should have told him!" she says, trying to contain her anger.

"Watch it," Chewie replies, warning her. "I have no clue what you are referring to, Leia."

"Neither do I," Kyp says.

"Stay out of it," both Chewie and Leia say.

Ignoring both of them, Leia peers through the trees. "I - I think that's the entrance! Right there!" she whispers.

Kyp cranes his head forward, trying to see what Leia is trying to point out. "I don't see anything."

Chewie rolls his eyes again, kicks Kyp, and says, "Come on. We have no time to stand around squabbling like Jacen and Jaina!"

Leia gives Chewie the Look. "Watch it, Chewbacca. You may be a very personal friend, but leave the twins out of it."

She starts forward slowly, then breaks into a run.

"What is she doing?" Chewie asks, staring.

Kyp shrugs. "I dunno, but I think she has the right idea. Charge!" he yells, chasing after her.

"Oh, brother," Chewie sighs, galloping after the two.

The three race through the trees, charging towards the two guards at the not-so-secret entrance. Leia pulls her lightsaber away from the pouch slung around her neck. It instantly hums to life. Kyp does the same, igniting the purple-white blade.

Terrified, the two males first start for the door, stop, and run off into the forest in opposite directions.

Grinding to a halt, Leia switches her violet blade off, replacing it in the pouch. "See? Easy."
~*~

Most of the wanderers were Earth Ponies, or Pegasi like herself. There were no Unicorns, or Jedi, that could help her out of this one.

Lifting her head, Mara hears hoof beats coming down the corridor. She quickly rests her head back down, almost banging it on the stone floor.

"Here she is! Now get in there!" a familiar voice whispers.

"And then what am I gonna do? Drag her out? With all due respect, no way!" says another voice, but louder.

"Shut up, you idiot! Someone is likely to hear you!" a third voice argues.

"Will you just get in there, Kyp?!?"

Mara opens her eyes again, to find Leia, Kyp, and Chewbacca standing above her on the other side of the bars. "No need to, Leia. It took you long enough," she says, stretching and getting up.

Kyp's jaw drops to the floor. "How did you - ?"

"Let's save the explaining for later. Get me out!" Mara barks, then changes into human form.

They stand around for a minute, doing absolutely nothing.

Finally Chewie says, "Stand back," and kicks the bars, causing them to collapse on each other. Kicking them again, the bars clatter against the rock in a heap of twisted, crudely formed metal. He cocks his head, examining his handiwork. "These guys are so cheap. That was much too easy."

"Cool," Kyp says, breaking the silence. "We could have just used our lightsabers, though."

Mara shakes her head, and says, "Come on. I have a feeling that something has gone wrong."

Chewie snorts. "There's the understatement of the year."
~*~
~*~

"I thought Talon Karrde and Booster Terrik were the main leaders of the wanderers now," Luke whispers over to his ex-girlfriend.

"They are. And so am I. Somebody had to fill in for Mara," she says, not breaking her gaze ahead of her.

"Why don't you get out of here? While you still can?" Han asks. "You're better off out there than in this overgrown mouse hole."

"Silence!" Nefaria orders.

"Yrow."

The group approaches a natural stone bridge. A path off to the side leads down to the depths below, to the dungeon. Across the bridge, two guards stand in front of the doors of Storm's anteroom. At that moment, Han decides to do something drastic.

Whipping around, he kicks at the guards with a battle cry. "Take that, you fools, you idiots!" he yelps, leaping into the air. "Run! Scatter! Cease and desist! Get outta here!"

Hearing something fall to the floor, Callista turns to see her lightsaber about to fall of the ledge. Diving for it, she grabs it, and flicks the sun yellow blade on.

But Storm and Nefaria have disappeared; the guards out cold. She shuts it off as Luke kneels to pick his lightsaber up off of the floor, and -

Nefaria bolts out from nowhere, shoving Luke to the ground. Han performs an aerial twist, lunging towards the dark Pony. She simply moves to one side, and Han slams into the wall, knocking himself out.

"Well, well. We meet again, traitor. It has been long since I have enjoyed humiliating you," she says, creeping towards her. Looking down for one moment at Han, she mutters, "Pathetic."

Callista backs up, now on the bridge. "It's a shame you don't use your intelligence for a worthwhile cause, Nefaria. You could have actually made your parents proud."

Nefaria laughs. "Proud? My parents? Ha! My mother always said there was no room for women in the world of the wanderers. And my father was not any better."

"Oh yes. Your father, the gardener at Dream Castle. How vicious!" Callista laughs, forcing Nefaria back.

"Ah. So two can play this game, traitor. Well, it seems you are a Jedi now. But still a traitor. To your rebel friends, and your friends that you betrayed," Nefaria counters, pressuring Callista farther back onto the bridge.

Callista narrows her eyes. "I have a new life now. That one was a do over. And now I start living yet another life: one where I can feel the Force again."

Cackling, Nefaria says, "I have longed for this moment to come, traitor. The time of your undoing!"

Before Nefaria can lunge at her, Callista senses the danger, and reacts. Using her Force abilities, she does a flip in the air, sailing over Nefaria's head, and lands safely behind her.

Nefaria catches herself, turns, and pretends to jump towards Callista.

Tricked, Callista leaps in the same direction Nefaria does. Slamming into her like a hammer, the impact stuns Callista enough that she can't move.

Poised precariously near the ledge, Nefaria's eyes glisten with evil. "Now, Jedi, you will die!"
~*~

"Shh! Quiet! You all will be free soon!" Mara whispers as she passes by the endless rows of  cells.

Kyp follows behind, bringing up the back. "Man, this place really brings back memories I'd like to forget," he says, slightly above a whisper.

"Put a zip on the lip, Durron!" Mara barks.

She stops dead in her tracks. "Oh come on. Not the both of you idiots in the same day!" she yells angrily.

A shadowy figure stands between them and the home stretch out of the dungeon. Stepping into the flickering torchlight, Storm's eyes seem to glow an evil light. "Strong words, Jade Skywalker. But strong enough?"

He cocks his head to look at Leia. "My apologies, Your Excellency, but you are not welcome here. This is an issue for the wanderers, not the rest of Ponyland."

Chewbacca tries to move in front of her, to protect her, but Leia shoves him away. "Once Mara became family, it became my issue too."

Mara glares at her, then at Storm. "Stop being so cordial, Storm. We all know you don't give a care about Leia, or any of these Ponies. So why don't you just cut the bull and run off. You're no match for me."

Kyp pushes Chewie and Leia out of his way. "Correction: you're no match for the four of us. We stand behind our friends, and Mara is our friend. So you might as well just make like a tree, and leave."

Chewie groans. "Why don't you just start digging yourself a grave now, Kyp?" he mutters, barely audible.

Storm lifts an eyebrow. "Oh? And what is your name, boy?"

Using the distraction, Storm leaps at Kyp, kicking him. Hard.

Sinking to the floor, Kyp blacks out. Chewie grabs Leia's tail and starts to drag her away from Storm.

"Let go, you overgrown stuffed toy! We can't leave Ma-ra. . ." Leia screams, her voice trailing off in the distance.

Now only Mara and Storm stand in the corridor, motionless. Suddenly he lunges for her, and Mara whips Kyp's lightsaber out of its pouch. Storm flies past her, and she seizes the moment to run further down the path.

Vaulting into a huge cavern, she jumps into the air as Storm shoots out of the tunnel below her. Igniting the silvery blade, she slashes at Storm's head. He ducks, but not in time to save his bloodred mane. Now he has a mohawk.

"That's for Kyp! Now, surrender Storm!" Mara cries, still flying around the room.

He glares up at her, then smiles evilly. "No. I may be no match for a Jedi, but how about a Dark Jedi?"

Mara flutters in midair, her stomach lurching.

Storm's eyes flash like lightning, and sparks fly from his hooves. Mara tries to dodge the bolts, but is hit directly on her side. She comes crashing down out of the air, helpless. Kyp's lightsaber switches off automatically as it hits the ground.

"Hey! Why don't you pick on someone your own size!" a voice yells from behind Storm.

"What?!" Storm exclaims, whipping around to face the voice.

Kyp is leaning against the stone wall of the corridor. "Yeah, it's me. I don't understand you, Storm. Comin' down here, acting all big and bad. You wanna start a war, with the wanderers and the Jedi. Tsk!"

Storm's eyes seem to flash with anger. "You have a lot of nerve, Durron. You will pay for your mistakes!"

As Storm rears to fire his Force lightning at Kyp, he disappears.

Storm turns around madly, searching for his opponent.

"Don't like having a shadow for an enemy, do you, Storm? Well, well. Afraid of thin air, it seems," Kyp's disembodied voice echoes around the cavern.

Growling, Storm calls Kyp's lightsaber to him and ignites it. "Show yourself, or Jade Skywalker dies."
~*~
~*~

"Say goodbye, Jedi!" she cackles.

"No!" he yells, jumping to his feet.

She whips her head around, and smiles wickedly. "You are too late!"

"Wrong!" a voice yells, and a dark blue form slams into Nefaria.

She reels over backwards. Han kicks her."That's for my friends!" he exclaims, kicking her again. "And that? That's for me!"

Kicking her again, Han collapses into a heap. Nefaria shudders, and just before she can fall unconscious, she shoves Callista over the edge with her last bit of energy.

Luke dives to the ground, grabbing Callista's hand. He slips toward the edge, Callista tangling in the air.

"Let go of me," she says, half awake.

Luke blinks. "Are you crazy? You'll fall!"

Callista squirms around. "Will not. Let go of me. I have to find Kyp. He's in trouble, I can tell."

His grip starts to slide. "You're slipping!"

"Then let go of me, and let me go, Luke."

This catches Luke's attention. "What did you say?"

She sighs. "You've been hanging on, Luke. And for too long. So let go of me, and let me go," she pauses. "I didn't want it to come to this, Luke, but I'll just have to do -"

Callista wrenches free, tumbling into the air. "That!" she shouts, and slows her decent with the Force.

Luke stares at the empty space below him, seeing her land safely, he crawls back over the edge, and blacks out.
~*~
~*~

"You wouldn't," comes Kyp's voice from the shadows.

"But of course I would. Isn't that what Dark Jedi do? Kill? One would think you'd know that," Storm replies viciously.

"Enough, Storm," she calls. "It is I who you seek to destroy. I am the one who has foiled your twisted plans. And if it is a fight you want, then a fair one it will be. If a Dark Jedi you truly are, then I imagine you have the ability to change into a human form?"

Storm vanishes, then reappears as a tall, thickly built human with sharp features and fiery red hair, then drops into a fighting stance.

Inside her chest, Callista's heart seems to turn over in dread, and pulls out her lightsaber.

"Callie, you don't have to do this. . . " Kyp pleads in the darkness.

Taking in a relaxing breath, she says, "If I don't, he won't only kill Mara but you, too, and anyone else who gets in his way."

"Oh, the Jedi's worried about his rebel, traitorous friend," Storm taunts. "Care for her, do you? I will find all the more in defeating her before eyes, then!"

At this moment he begins his attack, lunging toward the once-lost Jedi, giving her a mere split second to activate her yellow blade. Callista blocks his cut with a clash of lightsabers, thrusts, then parries Storm's returning blow off to her right. Storm growls, and
makes a low cut at her knees. Anticipating the move, Callista performs a backwards flip, then a side-step as Storm stabs Kyp's
violet blade at the spot she had just occupied.

Unbeknownst to the two combatants, Mara slowly starts to come around. Kyp reappears next to her, offering a hand. Reluctantly,
she accepts.

As their duel rages on, Callista notices their movement out of the corner of her eye, which Storm catches. Taking advantage of her
slight distraction, he swings his lightsaber with all his strength, batting Callista's sun yellow saber away from her.

Kyp's burst of despair washes over Callista, who drops to her knees. Using the Force, she tells him, Go. Take Mara and get out
of here.

No. . . is his reply, but he ushers Mara away.

Staring straight into Storm's acidic yellow eyes, Callista says low, "Congratulations. You've won your little battle against me. Now what are you going to do?"

"What do you think?"

Tucked in the back of Callista's waistband, is Mara's lightsaber.

"What you didn't expect!" she exclaims, ripping the lightsaber away. Igniting the blade, she swings it full force at Storm, who only has enough time to let his evil grin turn into despair. . .
~*~

"What gave you the first impression? The fact that Callista's in one piece or the fact that there's a. . . fairly large depression in the ground where a Dark Jedi should have been like we saw with C'Baoth?"

"With all due respect Chewie, shut up and see if she's okay, will you?"

"Why don't you? You're the one who proposed to her today. And it's still Chewbacca."

"I've got a head wound to worry about!"

"Oh, dear - it's a scratch the size of a centimeter. There is no hope that you will survive."

"Excuse me, but when were the rest of us going to hear about this?"

"She hasn't accepted yet. Or declined, for that matter."

"No bother reporting something when there's nothing to report, Luke."

"For once you are taking his side? Well Kyp, if you and Mara are actually being civil to each other, there may be hope for you and Callista."

"Han? Right at the moment, I'm beginning to not care about his life debt to you. May I please, please kick him?"

"Temper, Durron. Temper."

"Oh, why don't you all be quiet?"

"What?"

Uncurling from her protective ball on the ground, Callista groans. "Must I repeat myself or can you all understand that pretty simple Basic?"

Eyes bulge and mouths drop. Kyp, already at her side, enfolds the once-lost Jedi in his arms, and kisses her forehead. "I'm sorry. For anything and everything."

Gazing into his dark eyes, Callista asks, "What has brought you to this, Kyp? My near-defeat and fear of losing me, or your own reasoning?"

Brushing her hair out of her face, he answers, "Actually, it was my finally listening to something you said when we first stumbled across each other. That there are only two true sides to the Force. And, I'd been wanting to apologize to you back at Paradise Estate, but - well, you know."

"And your. . . friends?"

"Already spoken to them."

Edging out of their embrace, Callista sighs. "Then there's only one thing left, isn't there?"

Kyp's eyes shift uneasily from side to side, and says slowly, "You've come to a decision."

"Yes."

Searching her face for any hints to her answer, Kyp says, "Well, in that case, go ahead."

Confusion clouds Callista's face. "Go ahead what?"

"Give me your answer."

"But. . . I did."

Kyp takes a moment to let everything sink in, and realization blossoms on his face as he scoops Callista into his arms.

Han and Chewbacca explode in laughter. "Priceless!" Han shouts. "Priceless look on your face, Kyp! Man, I wish I had holocam for that one!"

Neither Kyp or Callista care to notice.
~*~

"But - but - I woke up not five minutes ago and my clock said ten-thirty!" I sputter at my Mom, struggling against the layers of bedding to sit up. Looking at my stereo, I rub my eyes.

It flashes 4:27 A.M, and I realize that the power must have gone out. Aw, man! That means my Paradise Estate still hasn't arrived!

I stumble out of my bed, lose my balance, and fall to the floor.

"Emily Jo Parker!"
~*~
~*~

    December 18th, 1998 AH HA HA HA HA!!!! IT CAME!! IT FINALLY CAME!! AH HA HA HA HA!! AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL!!! AH HA HA HA HA!! Okay, enough of that. AH HA HA HA HA!! I CAN'T HELP MYSELF!!!
    I've decided that putting "Dear Diary" at the beginning of each entry is silly. So I've changed it. Had this REALLY WEIRD DREAM last night, and I've determined it's better that I don't discuss it with anyone. One - it's too messed up. Two - it's not SW caliber.
    The power went out sometime around two in the morning, so I got a little bit of a late start. It did indeed snow, but not nearly enough to do any damage. Or slow the postal service - namely UPS.

Picking up my pencil, I start writing again: (Ah ha ha ha -

I look up. Mom stands at my door. I grin weakly and say, "Let me guess - 'Emily Jo! Turn that light out!'"

Mom smiles back. "I'm only doing this so at the end of vacation you don't wake up Monday morning and say, 'do I have to go to school?'"

"Good night, Mom."

"Good night, Emily. And a happy vacation to you."
~*~

"Shoot," Callista answers the dark-haired Jedi.

"Does Chewie have to be on our guest list?"

She thumps a palm over the back of Kyp's head. "Did I just smack you upside the head for being rude?"

"I'll take that as a 'yes,' then," he replies, leaning over to kiss her -
~*~