"It's settled then," said Kento, sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by Solin, the rest of the party and several of his soldiers. "Master Keira and Master Solin will stay here while Master Sabe and Master Elocin will lead the first wave of troops along with Captain Menousek and myself to the bulkhead where the defectors are held up. Once Master Keira has sensed the first wave of defectors has been defeated, she will send young Ngema, Bazil and Y'not and a second wave of troops. As soon as we have a full advantage in the battle, Master Keira and Master Solin will join us and we will capture the defectors. Does that work for everyone?"
Each member of the party nodded before Sabe spoke up.
"I know they are trespassing on your planet, Kento, but we will of course need to transport them to the Republic to face trial for their crimes," he said. "I trust you can keep them held until we are ready to return to Coruscant."
"Absolutely, Master Sabe. Our holding cells are impenetrable from anything short of a bombardment. We will keep them held under heavy guard until they are ready for transport."
"Then I think that covers everything," said Sabe with satisfaction.
"Very well. Each group leader should ready their strategies. We will strike tomorrow and take back this planet and restore peace and justice to the galaxy."
At that, Kento stood up with Sabe, Elocin and Captain Menousek and they went into another room to discuss their strategy. Ngema, Bazila and Y'not split off into a corner of the room, leaving Solin and Keira sitting at the table.
An uneasy feeling crept through Solin as the room cleared around him. He bent his head and shut his eyes and lost himself in the Force for several moments. When he was done, he stood up abruptly.
"Excuse me," he said hurriedly to Keira as he sprinted out of the room. When he rushed past Sabe and others, they looked up at him questioningly but he ignored them. They all looked at Keira, who shrugged as she hurried after Solin.
"I'll go see what's up," Keira muttered to Sabe, who nodded at her. Keira followed Solin outside, where he had stopped in the middle of the pathway that led toward the beach they had landed on. Solin was gazing up at the night sky, his expression worrisome.
"Solin?" Keira said apprehensively. "Is something wrong?"
"It's Vulcan," Solin replied shortly, not looking at Keira. "I can sense his presence. He's close by. I don't know where, but he's on this planet. And I can sense that he knows that I'm here too. We were so close when we were Initiates together and when I joined him on the Sith, it's a wonder he hasn't already found me."
"He probably expects you to do something stupid like confront him," said Keira. "But I know you're smarter than that, Solin."
At that, Solin finally turned to look at her. He had a sad look in his eyes, but he was determined.
"I might have to go and confront him, Keira," he said urgently. "If Vulcan can sense my presence, then it will only be a matter of time before he comes for me and either kills me or tries to turn me back to the Dark Side. As long as I stay here, I'm endangering the group and our mission here. I have to face him, Keira."
"Why?" Keira demanded, sensing the determination in Solin's mind.
Solin sighed deeply before responding. "I have to redeem my old friend. There is good in him, still, I know it, Keira. When I served him, I could sense the light in him. It is faint, but it is there. And it's like Sabe always told me, 'Hope is like the sun. If you only believe in it when you see it, you'll never make it through the night.' If I can be redeemed after falling to the Dark Side, Vulcan can be redeemed, too. The Dark Side of the Force hasn't consumed him completely, Keira, I am sure of it. I have hope that I can redeem him. If I do, the Sith alliance would fracture and we can restore balance to the Force. I have to try, Keira."
Keira stared at Solin for several moments, at a loss for words. Her mind was racing with possible outcomes of Solin's plans, each of them seeming worse than the other. She could also sense the resolve in Solin's mind and knew that he had every intention of doing whatever he could to redeem his old friend. Finally, she nodded.
"I know I can't talk you out of it if your heart is in it, Solin," she said softly. "I can sense your determination. You were always an open book for me to read with the Force." At this, they both chuckled. "I just want you to be careful. And to remember how easy it can be for him to turn you back to the Dark Side."
Solin nodded. "I know," he whispered. "I certainly know that now after what happened on Korriban. But I also know that since you will be so close when I confront him, you will be able to sense any danger and come for me. But don't worry, Keira. Knowing that Vulcan still has good in him is enough for me to resist any temptation to turn to the Dark Side."
With that, Solin pulled Keira into a hug. Both of them were crying as they held each other.
"May the Force be with you," Solin said in a hushed tone.
"May the Force be with you," Keira echoed as they broke apart. She wiped away a tear as Solin smiled at her, turned around and walked away, his stance showing his conviction in what he planned to do.
"Don't you dare hurt him, Nacluv," Keira muttered as Solin disappeared into the darkness. "He may not kill you, but nothing will stop me from killing you if you hurt him. Godspeed, my Master."
Lord Nacluv stood in the center of a room in the bunker where the leaders of the defectors were held up on Scarif. He could sense the most familiar presence in the galaxy to him coming ever closer, but he did not sense any deception. Nacluv closed his eyes, centering himself in the Force, to try and attempt to figure out what he was about to see when the door opened. However, the Force told him nothing. Frustrated, Nacluv started to pace the room as he waited for the reunion.
After several minutes, the door finally opened. General Nute walked into the room, followed by Solin, whose hands were bound in chains. Two soldiers from the Army of Malastare flanked Solin on either side. Solin had a blank expression on his face, but stared pointedly at Nacluv, who he was surprised to see was not wearing his hood as he normally did. General Nute came to an abrupt halt in front of Nacluv, who could sense the apprehension coursing through the general, as he always did when they were in each other's presence.
"This is the Jedi who surrendered to us, My Lord," General Nute explained. "Although he denies it, I believe there may be more of them, and I request a further search of the area."
At this, Nacluv turned to Solin and the two locked eyes for the first time in several weeks. Nacluv still couldn't decide what was racing through Solin's mind, but could sense the reserve his old friend held.
"He was armed only with this," Nute continued, raising his hand, which was holding Solin's lightsaber. Nacluv took the weapon and turned to face Nute again.
"Good work, General Nute," Nacluv said in a cunning tone. "Leave us. Conduct your search and bring any companions to me."
Nacluv watched as Solin made a sudden movement. He probed his old friend's mind and could sense worry running through Solin. Nacluv did not acknowledge that he knew it.
"Yes, my Lord," Nute said before he bowed and turned with the two soldiers and walked back through the door they had arrived in. Once the door shut, Nacluv started to walk away from it. Solin followed him in silence awkwardly.
"Lord Tobos and I have been expecting you," Nacluv said, finally breaking the silence as they walked.
"I know, Vulcan," replied Solin.
At this, Nacluv stopped and looked at Solin, confused. Solin stared back at him, but his mind was still too difficult to read. It was as if Solin was preventing Nacluv from probing it, despite being able to sense Solin's worry about his comrades.
"Why do you still call me that name, Solin? You must know that that part of me died long ago, after the Jedi cast me out and I embraced the nature of the Dark Side of the Force."
Solin shook his head, not breaking eye contact with Nacluv.
"That part of you is still within you, Vulcan, I know it. I can feel the conflict in you. There is still good in you, of that I am sure."
"What do you mean, you can sense the conflict within me? I am sure of my intentions."
"You may be sure of your intentions in most instances, Vulcan, but you are not sure of your intentions with me," Solin explained. "I know that you and Tobos agreed to attempt to capture me and seduce me back to the Dark Side. But, I can sense that you heart is not all in it, Vulcan. You don't want to truly bring me before Tobos, but you feel you must do so anyway in order to prove you are still worthy to lead the Sith."
Though Nacluv heard the truth in Solin's words, part of him seethed as he took in what Solin was saying. But, he took several breaths before he responded and when he spoke, his voice was calm.
"What you say is true," Nacluv whispered, trying to hold back his anger as much as he can, but he couldn't understand why.
"Vulcan," Solin said, walking toward Nacluv and his tone sounding as if he were pleading. "Search your feelings, old friend. I can feel the conflict in you. All you have to do is to let go of your hate and you can be redeemed."
Nacluv sighed again, but this time, his tone sounded sadder.
"It is too late for me, Solin," he said. "But like you said, I have no intention of trying to turn you back to the Dark Side again."
"Why is that, Vulcan?"
"Because I know how useless it would be for Tobos and I turn you with both Sabe and your former apprentice so close to you," Nacluv replied. "They would instantly sense you in danger and would quickly come to your aid. Despite the Dark Side consuming you, their influence over you is much stronger and they would turn you back to the Jedi Order as soon as they found you. They proved it once, so I don't need to waste my time trying to turn you."
"So what do you plan to do then, Vulcan?"
"I will take you to my personal starship The Logos. While we are there, I will prove to Tobos that it would be useless for us to try to turn you again. I sense that when I do, Tobos will attempt to destroy you, Solin."
"And if he does?"
"I can do nothing to stop him, I'm afraid. Despite our history as friends and you being my most worthy apprentice, I cannot intervene. That is the way of the Sith, Solin. If Tobos wants to destroy you, you'll have to fight himself off yourself."
"I will do what I must," Solin said solemnly.
"I am sorry, old friend," said Nacluv. "I know you never wanted this for me, but it was all that I had after the Jedi Order expelled me. The Force was too strong to resist and without the Jedi there watching over me, I was able to embrace the Dark Side and unlock many new secrets of the great mystery."
Solin sighed.
"I'm sorry that you haven't looked into your heart, Vulcan," he said. "I hope you can find the goodness still in you when you take me to Tobos."
"We'll go now," Nacluv said as the door they were walking toward at the end of the room opened. "There is no point in keeping Tobos waiting."