PART 3
Getting out of her seat at in the cockpit, she smiled at Jacen and helped him to stand up. Practically dragging a dazed Jacen out of the ship, she met the other Jedi at the bottom of the platform. Coming up beside her, Anakin grinned slightly, and bowed to the two males standing before them. Following his example, Aleese bowed as well, and Jacen gave them a once over and nodded slightly.
"Hi. I'm Aleese. If you don't mind, I need to talk to Jacen over there." She smiled slightly, and started to grab his hand.
"I'm Nichos, and this is Fait." The shorter of the men replied. "I'd like to extend my sympathies to Jacen here. He may not be the first person to have a warrant on his head, but, it's hard when the fate of the galaxy lies above it." He said, and then smiled slightly. "If there's anything I can do, give me a shout." He said, bowed and then moved away slightly. Smiling back at him, she turned and pulled Jacen into the forest.
Nichos Cloudkicker
watched Aleese Sundancer drag Jacen Solo with her into the forest before
turning to Luke and bowing, "Master Skywalker." Fait followed suite.
"You two are widely known, I wouldn't be surprised if the
Yuuzhan Vong don't have prices on your heads as well." Luke Skywalker said.
"Well,
we're both hoping that the Vong won't even notice, and that our victory at
Ensieve went undetected." Fait
Waverunner said.
"Are you sure that's not just wishful thinking?" Luke asked.
"It very well could be, but dwelling on it won't make it
any better. We did what we could in our
time with them." Nichos said quietly.
"Well said Nichos. Well as is, the New Republic doesn't even know about your success, the
more experienced Jedi saw the end of your battle through the Force. Some have shared, making you examples but I
can assure you the Jedi are keeping within the confines of other Jedi right
now." Luke said slowly.
"And we know the population of Ensieve won't be saying
much of anything." Fait said before
turning to Nichos.
Nichos reached into his robe and withdrew and ugly
looking round thing, "Densvet Orn gave this to me as we were leaving, it's what
the YuuzhanVong call a Villip."
Luke's eye brightened slightly then dimmed, "You realise
though this will have to be turned over to the New Republic."
Nichos nodded and Fait spoke, "Well we figured we should
bring it with us and give it to you. We
know the sentiment towards the Jedi, and thought it best to let you bring it to
the knowledge of the New Republic."
Luke extended his hand and Nichos placed the villip in
the palm of his hand, "Thank you for this, I am sure it will be greatly valued
by the New Republic."
"Jacen, you have to get a grip." Aleese said, feeling like smacking some sense into him. "If the Vong want you, don't make it EASY for them!"
"You don't understand." He told her.
"For goodness sakes Jacen! I understand more than you know." She sighed and pushed him lightly against a massive tree trunk. Unwilling to stop himself, he hit the tree lightly and groaned. Putting her hands on either side of the tree, she ducked in and kissed him passionately. Coming to long enough to return to her kiss, he grinned almost impishly back at her.
"Jacen…whatever happens to you, I'm going to be there. I think though, I may have an idea as to how we can save you and the Jedi." She whispered to him, almost to herself.
"How?" He asked, but before he even finished the word, she had left back for the clearing.
"Master Skywalker? I need that Villip." She told Luke as she approached the huddled group. He turned and regarded her curiously.
"Why?" He said, pulling it out of his tunic. Holding it in one hand, he held it out to her.
"Please, just trust me." She asked him, and blocked him from even probing the edges of her mind.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" He grinned lightly.
"Because, you're worried I'll do something stupid." She pointed out. Taking the Villip gently from his hands and pulling it close to her body. "Don't worry. Just, get started on whatever you were planning." She said, and rushed into her ship.
After entering, she locked the doors, and went into her living quarters. Sitting down at her desk, and placing the Villip in front of her, she thought for a moment.
"Hello?" She asked it. It was as if suddenly it came to life. A gruesome face appeared and Aleese felt the urge to throw the thing across the room.
"Who are you?" The face asked, growling at her.
"I am a Jedi. I have a proposition for your kind. Please, put me on with one of your senior officers. I think this is something that may benefit your plight."
Nichos stopped and grabbed Fait's elbow, "You feel that?"
"Yeah, that resolve is white hot." Fait raised his nose and sniffed like a predator catching a scent the pointed toward a ship. Using a technique their Master taught them, they dampened their presence within the Force to only a glimmer, and enhanced their hearing just enough to hear within the ship. As the conversation progressed Nichos' eyes hardened and by the end Fait's jaw was touching his breastbone.
"Shut your mouth!" Nichos said and Fait clicked his jaw shut.
"I don't like that. We've got to tell Master Skywalker." Fait said in a whisper. Nichos held a finger to his mouth and gestured to begin walking. He pulled a small flat disk shaped object from within his tunic and reached up and touched it to the hull of the ship, well out of eyesight. Hurriedly he caught up with Fait and they passed Jacen Solo. Nichos nodded to the young man and when they were out of earshot he spoke spoke.
"Master Skywalker will know soon enough, but we're leaving now."
"Nothing slips past you does it? You'd think you knew that was going to happen, people don't carry that kind of hyperspace homing beacon." Fait said quietly and incredulously.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Nichos said smiling faintly.
"That thing is state-of-the-art. You placed it like a pro, and it's profile is to slim to be caught by one of those hull irregularity sensors." Fait said as they walked to find Luke and tell him they had to leave.
"Not slim, it produces a chemical that eats into the hull and infuses itself in place of the destroyed section. It's a hull patch." Nichos said non-chalantly.
"Yeah, ok. And I'll leave the talking this time to you." Fait said warily.
"I don't under…" Luke Skywalker said then stopped after he had heard that Nichos and Fait were leaving again. "I do. I don't know what this is about or why but I know you should. May the Force be with you."
"Thank you Master." Nichos and Fait said in unison, then Nichos spoke, "And we thank you for keeping our departure concealed with that trick you learned from the Fallanassi."
"I believe it will be a good thing if everyone thinks you're still here, and out scouting the forest." Luke said with a slight smile.
They both shook Luke's hand before bowing to Luke and turning toward their ship.
"I've got first dibs on the shipboard refresher unit once we hit hyperspace." Fait Waverunner said in good humour.
Grinning Nichos conceded, "Yeah, it's probably a good idea, I could smell you here from our home planet."
"Yeah well at least…ok you know whatever man." Fait said as they reached the boarding ramp of the Truth's Light.
Laughing Nichos slapped his friend on the back, "I have a feeling by the time were done this time, neither of us will have room to talk."
Taking a deep breath, she waited for the Villip to respond back after taking a few moments to explain why she needed to speak with Nom Anor. Suddenly, a new face appeared before the Villip and Aleese smiled slightly.
"Nom Anor." She said, nodding to him.
"You are?" He growled back. "Make this quick, we are on a Jedi search."
"I am Aleese Sundancer. I am here to strike a deal with you, for you to injure the Jedi, and Jacen Solo, more than you can imagine."
"Oh, And Jedi Sundancer, how do you figure on that?" He seemed to chuckle. "I've never even heard of you."
"I've been a secret. I'm the most powerful of the Jedi alive. Even more powerful than Luke Skywalker."
"How can I believe that?" He doubted. Closing her eyes, she projected an image of herself beside him and gently poked his shoulder. Aware of his sudden gasp, she grinned, and opened her eyes again, the image beside him disappearing.
"And that was child's play, Executor." She smiled lightly.
"If you are so powerful, why don't you just kill us yourself?" He mocked.
"Because, I don't want to. There are better ways about this." She responded, keeping her cool. "Would you not agree, that mental pain is far more effective than physical?"
"To a point, I would agree." He said suspiciously.
"Can you think of anything more painful than watching your future and loved ones die?"
"Yes. Being the one to die slowly, in a great deal of pain." He laughed.
Smiling slightly, giving him his point, she went on. "If the most powerful person in the Order was to die, what do you think would happen to the Jedi?" She asked him.
"They'd either shrivel up and die in fear, or attempt to become stronger."
"Which is most likely?"
"Knowing you pathetic infidels, dying in fear."
"Would it not be more painful for them to die alone, powerless and an insult to life, than to kill them?"
"Do you have a point?" He asked, getting frustrated.
"I propose a trade. The most powerful Jedi and the beloved of Jacen Solo, for you to leave this galaxy." She said, keeping her poise.
"I would have to speak with the War Master, but I doubt he'd go for it. You are but an infidel and a Jedi yourself." He almost spat.
"Offer it to him, and get back to me. Tell him that he can broadcast my execution all over the galaxy if he'd like." She offered. He sneered and the Villip went dead. Turning it to face the wall, she lay down on her cot and stared at the roof. She heard knocking on the door, but refused to admit anyone until she heard from the War Master. For a few hours, she lay there resting, waiting patiently. Suddenly, there was a voice from the Desk. Sitting up, she turned the Villip and faced it.
"You are Jeedai Aleese Sundancer?"
"Yes, I am." She nodded.
"I am the War Master. I have heard your proposal. We will only leave this galaxy on a few conditions. We must be able to keep the planets near the edge of this galaxy, to keep an eye on the infidels. We must also be allowed to keep what slaves we have, and beyond your execution, we want to kill Jeedai Jacen Solo as well. Only on these conditions will anything happen."
"How can we be sure you will follow through. We don't want another repeat of Ithor."
"We will begin moving our ships back to our home the minute you and Solo arrive on our ship. We will begin your execution only after they have all left." He said, seeming to be sincere.
"We agree then." A voice behind her said, turning, she spotted Jacen in the entryway.
"Then is it done. You must be at Ithor in 4 days time. Be late, and the deal will fall, and the Jedi will be hunted down and killed before your eyes." He said, and the Villip died again.
"Jacen! How could you do that? You just sacrificed yourself!" She said.
"I know. If I die, I would rather die by your side, then wishing you were alive again."
"But…" She moaned lightly and cradled her head in her hands.
"You can't stop me. Its time we saved the galaxy, Aleese." He said quietly. "You shouldn't have sacrificed yourself. I love you too much."
"I know you do. But, I'm the strongest of the Jedi. If I had to die to get them out of here, I'd do it in a second." She responded, standing up and gliding into his arms.
"You are a wonderful Jedi, and a wonderful friend. Now, we just have to break the news to everyone." He said.
"Your family wont like it Jacen. Your Uncle and Father will try to stop you."
"Its what has to be done." He whispered and kissed her gently, holding her tight.
