A/N Hey everyone sorry it's been forever since I've posted but I've just been getting high a lot trying to figure out a good way to keep the plot interesting for this story and tonight I think I've got a winner! I basically like to think of the last chapter as the end of the first act. With that being said, in this chapter, four weeks have gone by. Luke, Ben, Vestara and Dyon Stadd have taken refuge in the abandoned Praxeum on Yavin in order to form a plan for the upcoming conflict. Meanwhile, Jaina, Zekk, and Lando have returned to Coruscant, where a massive political conference is taking place that will finalize the treaties necessary for the annexation of the Imperial Remnant into the Galactic Alliance. Jaina hails once again for her ex-fiancée Jagged Fel, the Imperial Head of State, for assistance from the Empire. Meanwhile, Han, Leia, Zekk, and Lando attempt to negotiate with Daala over Tahiri Veila's trial, the apparent Jedi murder of Nek Bwua'tu, and the future of the Jedi Order.
"….and with this agreement, the Empire shall be assimilated into the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances as an autonomous member state." Dozens of media holo cameras flashed and sparked around the long table of dignitaries and representatives from the GA, Empire, and the Confederation. Head of State Daala of the GA sat at the table's head with a triumphant smile on her face as she looked to her Imperial counterpart. Jagged Fel grasped the stencil and looked over the datapad once more.
The governments being represented at the Unification Summit, Jag's Empire included, had finally reached a highly publicized compromise and now the three states would become one. Daala couldn't look happier, savoring her triumph more with each passing moment as Jag paused with his stencil in hand. His earlier conversation with Jaina refusing to stop it's bombardment of his focus.
Jagged Fel frowned at the holograph of his ex-fiancée.
"…..and so now we're in orbit and we need to speak with Daala immediately," Jaina finished urgently. Jag rubbed the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, allowing them to roll to the back of his head.
"Jaina, I can try and arrange a meeting, but your uncle is supposed to stay away from Coruscant. One of you would have to go with a hologram projector so Luke and Daala could talk," he shook his head dismissingly. "The Jedi Temple is heavily under siege, I don't think Daala is interested in joining another Jedi crusade against the Sith,"
"Then we must convince her to allow us to leave at the least!" Jaina's voice was laced with frustration. "Either way, it is crucial that we engage in some kind of dialogue with Daala,"
Jag grimaced and shook his head, "We can talk with her all you want, but you should understand that the odds of any Galactic Alliance ships joining the StealthX fighters are slim to none,"
Jaina narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips as she considered her next words carefully, "What about Imperial support?" she loathed asking questions that she already knew the answer to, but she had to try again for Jag's help.
Jag lowered his gaze for a brief moment. "We've already discussed this, Jaina. I can't compromise the Empire's position by sending ships to aid the Jedi. Not with things the way they are at the present moment," He bit his teeth into the words as they left his mouth, hating himself for accepting a subordinate position under Daala. He squared his shoulders raised his gaze to meet Jaina's eye. "The Summit has made a breakthrough, Jaina. We're signing the treaty this evening,"
Jaina's face immediately soured, "Well, I hope that that's what you want,"
Jaina had disconnected their conversation immediately after, stinging Jag and stringing a new series in a long line of headaches. Now Jag was at the table, effectively signing over his government to Daala.
His mind was in a thousand places at once. His thoughts turned to the Jedi Temple, where Daala's Mandalorian had gunned down the Jedi Grand Master Kenth Hamner's personal assistant. It turned to Klantooine, where anti-slavery protests were being put down by more of Daala's Mandalorian mercenaries. His thoughts also turned to Jaina, who had twice pleaded with him to offer aid to her uncle and cousin against a potentially tremendous threat to the galaxy's peace.
"I am terribly sorry," Jag rose to his feet as the media's collective breath gave a sharp intake and Daala's triumphant smile transformed into a murderous snarl. "but it is clear to me now that membership in the Galactic Alliance is not in the Empire's best interest."
Gasps and shouts came from the press gathered as Jag pushed his chair in and exited the conference assembly room, his personal guard surrounding themselves around him as the press clamored for his attention. Jagged walked with calm assurance out of the large chamber and allowed his guards to walk him directly to his personal Lambda class shuttle.
Solo Apartment
Coruscant
"No, no, Allana the hyrdospanner is the one by that rag," Zekk's voice carried out from the landing pad into the kitchen where Han and Leia were preparing the evening meal.
"I'm surprised you let Zekk work on the Falcon," Leia didn't attempt to hide her bemusement at her husband's continued affection for their daughter's old flame.
"Lando's supervising, sweetheart, baby steps," He gave his old grin and a small chuckle. "Besides, it won't be long until we have to fly out of here and I need the old girl in good shape. If Zekk happens to feel the need to earn his keep, then we have mutual interests," he joked.
Leia giggled and rolled her eyes, knowing full well that Han felt Zekk would never have to 'earn his keep' any more than he had in the past several weeks. From the moment he had received the instructions from Han, he had launched an impressive investigation on Bwua'tu's murder, but had hit a dead end. Though she suspected Han hadn't caught on, Leia knew that there had been no dead end at all. She simply had guessed correctly that Zekk, a fine and capable Jedi, had been loath to scour the streets of Nar Shaddaa to come back to Jaina in Jag's arms. She felt his feelings for her daughter to be slowly returning, growing in their travels together.
She had cared for Zekk too much to say anything but she would soon talk to him privately about the danger his fear of losing Jaina again, especially since they had been spending so much time together since they had been back. Sighing, she knew that her daughter would only need time to allow her heart to guide her to the right man, whether it was Zekk or Jag.
Zekk burned his hand as he pressed the plasma torch too close to his near skin and winced in pain. Grimacing from his burned finger, he accepted a wet cloth from Allana, nodding his head in gratitude, "Thanks, sweetie," he murmured.
Suddenly, Allana brightened and jumped up and down excitedly, "Auntie Jaina is back!" she cried, as her X-wing came down for a landing next to the Falcon.
Allana rushed to greet her aunt with a hug while Zekk crawled from beneath the ship, whipping the grease from his hands.
"It seems like you're fixing things almost every time I see you hear," she called, slowly approaching him with Allana.
"Well, someone has to keep things running here," he called back, throwing the rag.
"It's no wonder the place is such a mess, then," she had kept the banter going for as long as she could, and both Jaina and Zekk simultaneously closed the distance and rushed into each other's arms. Crushing each other in the hug, Allana simply giggled mischievously.
"I thought we agreed we'd all be back by dusk after that bounty hunter showed up asking questions about Vestara," Zekk said seriously, dropping her from his arms suddenly. Jaina turned to gaze at the orange sunset of Coruscant's sun.
"C'mon, Zekk, Mirta is a friend," Jaina insisted. "She won't sell out anyone if I'm involved,"
"Are you willing to bet Vestara's life on that?" Zekk countered. "We don't know who contacted Mirta with this particular bounty at this particular point in time. I just don't think it's a coincidence,"
"You think the Sith might be involved," It wasn't a question.
"Who else?" Zekk demanded. "Who else would be looking for Vestara right after she switches sides? I think that whoever killed her father really shook things up in the Sith chain of command."
"So you think that the person who executed her father acted of his own accord?" Jaina noted Allana staying at her heel, totally comfortable discussing matters that would normally be boring for children.
"Why else would someone kill him?" Jaina wondered aloud.
"And they contacted Mirta because she's close to us through you and they don't want any attention drawn by making an official inquiry," Zekk shook his head. "Jaina, I understand she's your friend, but Mirta is going to have to figure out who's side she's on."
Jaina remembered Mirta's vow that she would find the cure.
"I know, for now, we need a new plan. C'mon, let's go talk to Mom and Dad about our next move,"
Lando joined them in the kitchen as C-3PO served the food that Leia and Han had prepared. "Well, it took some work, but I think Jag is ready to give full Imperial support to the Jedi against these Sith," Jaina sparked the conversation off.
"Well, that's good, Jaina," Han spoke loudly for Leia. Leia had been displeased slightly that a diplomatic union hadn't been reached with the Imperials, but looked slightly more satisfied about Jag's promise for support.
"Luke and the others on Yavin 4 have split up, so it looks like Ben and Vestara will be staying with us until Daala sees to reason with using Mandalorian mercs to put down those riots," Leia reported.
"Will we be looking for any Alliance aid against the Sith?" Jaina asked.
"I don't think so, I think any chances of that died with Bwa'tu," Han said somberly.
"Well then, where do we go from here?" Zekk asked, taking another bite of his goat ham.
"If we could, I would like us to begin evacuating the Jedi Temple by sneaking out everyone in there using secret passageways. We've already seen that they can work with sneaking things in, but this Mandalorian siege must come to an end at once, and we can't afford to wait any longer," Leia proposed.
"I can handle that," Lando raised his arm casually. "I believe I have the biggest ship in this room,"
"Probably the slowest, too, pal," Han murmured to his old friend. "But you do have a point. Lando and I could sneak them out in the Rockhound and take them to Yavin IV,"
"What about Zekk and I?" Jaina asked sharply.
Leia allowed a small smile to tug at her lips, "You two are going to help out Luke on Nar Shaddaa to finish Zekk's investigation," Jaina felt Zekk's eagerness to pick up the not-so cold trail that his investigation had frustratingly left him. "Allana and I have been in touch with Tenel Ka and have planned a small retreat on Dantooine. We shouldn't be more than a few days,"
The family enjoyed the rest of their dinner in comfortable chatter as Allana smiled eagerly at the prospect of seeing her mother.
Jedi Praxeum
Yavin 4
Ben slowly exhaled and allowed his eyelids to relax and droop half-closed and opened himself to the Force, allowing his awareness to expand until he could feel the presence of every life form, big and small, surrounding him in the grove he had chosen to meditate in. He took deep, calming breaths as his father had taught him and allowed the muscles in his neck and back to relax and slipped deeper into meditation.
Nearby pebbles and rocks had begun to float in orbit around Ben as he further immersed himself into the calm of the Force. He had learned to relish the calm of meditation from his father, in spite of how often Luke had chided him that he still didn't meditate nearly enough.
Ben's concentration broke as he felt a familiar maelstrom of dark-side energy slowly make its way deeper into the radius of his expanded awareness. The stones wobbled and fell and Ben opened his eyes to see Vestara striding toward him through the trees.
"Ben," Vestara nodded her head in greeting, keeping her distance from him, Ben noticed. "Master Skywalker sent me to bring you to the Great Temple, he says we're ready to move out as soon as we get back,"
Ben rose from his cross-legged seated position and gestured for him and Vestara to begin walking. "Well, let's not keep him waiting then," he said.
Vestara nodded in agreement and fell into step beside Ben. "You know what he's planning, don't you?"
Ben nodded his head. "Yes, I do." The statement hung in the air, not offering any of the substance that Vestara had been inquiring for.
The Sith Apprentice's eyebrows knitted in frustration. "Ben, I think we're past suspicion, aren't we?"
Ben chuckled. "Yes, I suppose we are. I should trust you, you did leave your people for us, after all,"
"And we both know that I will be of better help if I get the big picture," Vestara reminded sternly. Her point wasn't lost on the young Skywalker, Vestara wanted Ben's trust, though he was still slightly wary of her. He still felt the dark side in her, but he felt that it was stemming from the anger at Taalon's betrayal and her being forced to turn her back on her people, even if it was only for the apparent moment.
Ben nodded. "Dad's been in contact with Aunt Leia and Uncle Han; they say that Jagged Fel announced that the Remnant won't be joining the Alliance,"
Vestara shrugged. "That's a good thing, though, isn't it?"
Ben shrugged back. "I suppose. It's just ironic that that the Jedi are looking for help from the Empire against the Sith while our own government is out freezing Jedi in carbonite and putting down slave revolts with Mandalorians,"
"The irony isn't lost on me, Ben. I've read the histories on the HoloNet, remember?" Ben snorted. Since her curiosity was piqued when Ben mentioned that his father had destroyed the Death Star in this system, she had taken to scouring the old Rebel Alliance computers in the underground levels of the ruins of the Great Temple to catch up on the more recent galactic history. He had his suspicions, though he wouldn't voice them, that she was looking to confirm his hopes that she had indeed forsook her Tribe for him. It was exactly what he would have wanted for Vestara, which is exactly why he kept watch for any duplicity from her.
"Of course, Ves," he chuckled as they arrived at the destroyed Great Temple, huge hunks of rubble and great pieces of smooth stone was all that was left of the Jedi Praxeum, Dyon Stadd and Luke were already seated on the largest pieces they could find and had started a small campfire. "What's the word, Dad?"
"Well, I've officially received word from Jaina that Jag has pledged the Empire's support in our efforts against the Sith. Mobilization of the fleet in Imperial space has begun, it looks a lot like they're going to war," he let the news sink in and continued. "Leia says that Zekk has investigated Nek Bwua'tu's murder to a dead end. It seems as though he's able to confirm that the killers were definitely not Jedi, but that their client's trail had run cold by the time he had gotten to Nar Shaddaa. Leia believes that if we can uncover this plot, she'll be able to negotiate with Daala on the situation at the Jedi Temple."
"So, we're heading to Nar Shaddaa?" Vestara assumed, gathering a weapons belt and sliding it around her waist.
"Well, I am," Luke offered apologetically. "I was actually going to ask you, Ben, and Dyon to go help with Tahiri's case,"
"What?" Ben asked indignantly. "You go off alone to Nar Shaddaa and we get stuck in a court room?"
Luke chuckled. "Ben, the case isn't going well and, in spite of Tahiri's lawyer's reputation, they need someone to speak on behalf of Tahiri. If there would be a better character witness than the Jedi who brought her back from the dark side, then I certainly would like to know him."
Vestara turned her head to Ben, "He's right, Ben," the perpetual smirk she wore from her scar widened. "Come on, this way you go to show me Coruscant," his small smile showed her the joke had not been lost on him.
"I still don't think it's a good idea," he said reluctantly. "You'll contact us when you want to meet up, right, Dad?"
Luke nodded. "And I'll want to know the progress from Coruscant, Dyon and I will be keeping a pretty low profile,"
Dyon grinned. "I'm just happy to finally be going on a real Jedi mission!"
The Jekk Jekk Bar
Nar Shaddaa
Mirta Gev sipped her drink generously, savoring the expensive, amber liquor and accepting the harsh aftertaste with ease. She was dressed in her usual armor from neck down, face carefully hidden by the shadow that the corner table easily offered. She felt the weight of the booth's cushion shift and she knew that she wouldn't need her eyes to know that her client had finally arrived.
"Mirta Gev," the voice was smooth and sophisticated, adding to the unusual illusion that had been her client up until recently. After arranging the meeting, Mirta had instantly been on the hunt for Vestara Khai, following Marcear's dead end coordinates to discover the fabled moving planet of Zonama Sekot, where the Ferroans had told her the Skywalkers destination. She had thought Coruscant to be a dead end, until she ran into Jaina Solo, halting her actions almost instantly. She had found camaraderie in Solo when she had been training with her grandfather, and she instantly knew that Skywalker's niece being at the end of a trail that was supposed to take her to this Vestara Khai had to be more than a simple coincidence.
Confiding in Mirta, Jaina had explained the hostile situation with Vestara's Tribe, including the murderous betrayal of her father by his commander and their recent confrontation at Zonama Sekot. Mirta had given her word to get to the bottom of this bounty for her; though she had made it clear she had no intention of surrendering a cure for Mandalore's nanovirus.
"I want to know why finding Vestara Khai is so important to you, Marcear," Mirta's voice bit demandingly to her client's ear. Turning away from her drink to face him, Mirta squared her face determinedly. Her façade fell, however, when she was faced with a young, square jawed man who couldn't be more than two or three years younger than her. "If it's a girl that's run away with your money, I don't do smash jobs on seventeen year old girls," Mirta's voice was professional and curt.
"The girl is my younger sister," Marcear folded his hands in front of him, not shifting in his seat in the slightest and leaning forward slightly. "I'm just looking to bring her back home," there was an edge in his voice that Mirta didn't agree with.
Mirta scoffed. "That's a job for local security and police, why put a fifteen thousand credit bounty on something that could be a public service?"
Marcear paused, eyeing her with sudden curiosity. "Because I'm not a citizen," he said shortly. "Mirta, I'll be completely honest with you, I didn't want to attract any attention to this. I trusted your reputation for professional discretion,"
She scoffed again. Flattery was an old trick, but it was the first time anyone who had ever heard of her would actually think it would work on her. "I'm not sure I've been in the bounty hunter game long enough to get much a name for myself,"
"All the more reason you are the perfect choice," Marcear countered. "The simple truth is my family sent me to bring my sister home."
"And they have credits to pay for a fifteen thousand bounty?" Mirta shot back.
Marcear's eyes narrowed. "For a mercenary, you sure do worry a lot about where the money comes from," His voice had taken the edge again, and his broad shoulders stiffened as he straightened in indignation ever so slightly. "All that should matter to you is can you do the job? Or more specifically, have you done the job?"
Mirta frowned. "I followed Skywalker's trail to Zonama Sekot, and I lost them from there. I have a lead, but I need to wait for him to contact me," She put on her best poker face and forced herself to be as convincing and cool as Boba Fett had taught her to be.
A long pause followed, at the end of which Marcear closed his eyes and shook his head in silent disappointment. "I never said anything about Skywalker," the tension froze the room. "Who is your source?" She felt the power in his words, felt the pull and the lure, but she knew an old Jedi mind trick when she felt one.
Another scoff, "I think you'd better try that on some weak-minded fool,"
Marcear frowned; "You're making this so difficult," his voice was mournful and somber. "I have the key to save your people, to return you back to your home world."
Mirta's frown became a scowl, "And just why don't you explain how you happened to come across that, exactly?"
Marcear snorted shrewdly. "You really do ask a lot of questions for a mercenary. Suffice to say that my people have studied nanotechnologies for quite some time," His eyes became warm and pleading. "Please, Mirta. I only want to take Vestara home."
Her frown softened at the reminder of his generous offer and nodded. Rising out of the booth, she left the restaurant silently hoping that she wouldn't have to stab Jaina in the back to bring her people back to their home.
Ordo Space Station
Private Quarters of Boba Fett
Mandalore Orbit
Fett gazed out the window to the infinite expanse of space. Smiling, he recalled battles past and the promise of glory for his Mandalorians in the future. He thought Mirta would make as excellent a bounty hunter as she had a Mandalorian warrior, having taught her everything he could know about both.
Tired of his meditation, he idly checked his unread messages, curiously accessing the one labeled "RE: IMPORTANT".
Instantly, a smaller than life hologram of a woman in a dignified white military uniform that bore a strange similarity to that of an Imperial Grand Admiral sprang forth.
The woman nodded her head in acknowledgement. "Boba Fett, allow me to introduce myself. I am Natasi Daala, Chief of State of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. I have a proposition for you, if you're services are still available for hire,"
Boba Fett relaxed in his chair as he heard what the woman had to say. Yeah, it was about to get very interesting for his Mandalorians and him.
A/N: Okay everyone I stayed up all night writing this after getting crazy high (the time when ideas are most likely to pour into my brain like liquid gold) and I would appreciate a little feedback. This is basically setting the stage for the next chapter, where Zekk's investigation takes a chilling turn, and Ben and Vestara are caught in the crossfire of a deadly siege. Also, you guys should check out my other fics, definitely A Julian Empire, because I'm thinking of either continuing that one OR starting a Medieval II fic. Also Nothing Gets Forgiven is another one that I've wanted to continue, but only if enough people are interested. Read and review guys!