A/R at the end. Sorry 'bout the delay in post.
Part II: Agents of Chaos
Chapter Eleven: Hail The Conquering Hero
General and Supreme Commander of the New Republic Defense Force Han Solo personally commanded the fleet that stopped and destroyed an extra-galactic force of invaders possibly intent on destroying the whole galaxy.
Naturally, two weeks after his return to Coruscant he was summoned before a senate subcommittee.
Danni Quee sat on a sofa so new she had not even finished removing the wrap from it, and watched on the holonet as the general whose family helped save her life was grilled before a senate subcommittee.
"Are you actually asking this august body to accept the idea that almost a hundred thousand deaths is somehow a victory?" the Bothan chairman demanded. His name was Borsh or Borsk or something like that.
Danni did not spend a lot of time with General Solo, but she did not need to be intimately familiar with him to spot the anger in his eyes. However, the elderly, distinguished man beside the general chose to respond. This was Carlist Rieekan, she knew, the Minister of Defense and a hero of the Alliance.
"Senator Fey'lya, you've read General Solo's reports, the reports of his general staff and the conclusions at the Ministry of Defense. You even asked retired Admiral Ackbar to provide an independent review of the incident. All of the expert testimony you have sought has agreed on one thing: General Solo conducted the campaign in full compliance with the rules of war this body drafted and made sound, even brilliant tactical decisions throughout. While the loss of life was tragic and appalling, to somehow translate that into a defeat, or a stain on General Solo's actions, would be a grievous error. There were over two million sentient beings on Dubrillion who were saved as a direct result of General Solo's intervention. And to truly illustrate the danger those beings were in, I need only point to Sernpidal."
"There has been no definitive connection between the two events," Fey'lya said.
Danni snorted in disgust.
"Unfortunately, Senator, you have been misinformed."
"You tell them," Danni said to the holonet screen.
"General Solo's office sent a science vessel to determine the cause of the Sernpidallian moon's destabilization," Rieekan continued, as if in response to Danni's urging. "There was no reason to believe at the time that it was an aggressive act. The science vessel identified a gravity distortion identical in power output and waveform to those distortions caused by the Praetorite Vong's weaponry. Even you, Senator, would be hard pressed to claim that was solely coincidence."
"It is convenient that all the reports so closely try to label General Solo a hero," Fey'lya continued. "However, is it not true that he went to the theatre of battle solely to help a personal friend find his son?"
Danni shook her head. "Why are they trying to hurt him?" she asked her small, loft apartment.
Han leaned forward and placed a hand on Rieekan's arm. "I can answer this one, Sir," he said. "Senator, as you are undoubtedly aware, that personal friend was Kale Naberrie. While not a member of the New Republic Defense Forces, Kale single-handedly destroyed two enemy capital ships at Dubrillion. His son survived a week of starvation while protecting the only known eye-witness to these Vong—a witness who has proven the only source of reliable intelligence we have."
"Nonetheless you abandoned your responsibilities to go trying to save a friend…"
"Again, Senator, you have been misinformed," Rieekan said icily.
The holoshills made a point of zooming in to show Fey'lya actually baring his teeth.
"General Solo specifically refused Kale Naberrie's request to proceed straight to Helska despite their long friendship," Rieekan said. "Instead, General Solo went to Dubrillion where he set up a command station on your own cousin's ship, the Ralroost. Only after he established a command presence in the theater of battle did he allow his wife, Jedi Master Solo, and his own children, to accompany Kale in the search for his son."
"Kale broke two Vong capital ships on his way to Helska," Han added again, just to make sure it was on the record.
"The fact that Mr. Naberrie aided in the effort does not excuse the use of Republic resources for personal benefit during a time of crisis!" Fey'lya snarled.
"What resources were those?" Rieekan said. "The Millennium Falcon is the personal property of General Solo. The Grand Master of the Jedi Order and several padawans piloted her. No New Republic personnel were involved in the operation at all. Further, Senator, upon the successful rescue of his son and Miss Danni Quee, Kale jeopardized his own life in the placement of a warhead against an enemy super destroyer over one hundred kilometers in diameter. His bravery opened up the breach that allowed General Solo and the Fifth Fleet to defeat it."
"If I understand correctly, General, you didn't defeat it," Fey'lya said coldly. "It defeated you."
Han managed to keep his face straight. "When we determined that the ship was sufficiently damaged, we offered terms of surrender in compliance the Rules of Conduct mandated by the Senate in Article 42 of the Defense Forces charter. The enemy responded with what our translation droids have determined was essentially an epithet followed by a prayer, and crashed their ship into Helska."
"To give you scale, Senator," Rieekan added, "the Death Star that destroyed Toprawa twenty five years ago was one hundred and sixty kilometers in diameter, only sixty kilometers wider than the ship General Solo and the Fifth Battle Group encountered. What the enemy did was tantamount to the Moff Tarkin ramming the whole Death Star into Yavin out of sheer spite. There simply was no possible precedence for General Solo to predict that would happen. The actions of the enemy did not correspond to any sane military response. The fact that he recognized the danger as quickly as he did and gave the order to pull out actually saved tens of thousands of lives. I assure you all that the assessment of his command staff and Admiral Ackbar's independent review for this committee is correct. General Solo performed exactly as we have come to expect as a hero of the Galactic Civil war and the Yevethan Insurgency."
Senator Niuk Niuv of Sullust shook his head. "This whole affairs smells to me like a military cover-up of the facts."
"General Solo has left a taskforce in the Sector to monitor any future Vong incursions," Rieekan said. "With a sizable force there to ensure your security, I'm sure this committee could easily dispatch their own officials to research the events that occurred in the Helska System."
"Rest assured we most certainly will," Fey'lya said. "I agree with my esteemed colleague, this smells like a cover up."
"Chairman," a new voice said.
Fey'lya nodded toward the new senator from Kuat, an attractive brunette with the noble demeanor common to her world. "After all the reports and testimony, I would like to propose that possibly the simplest answer to the issue is the correct one. Perhaps all the command staff of the New Republic Defense Force and Admiral Ackbar are not attempting to cover up a mistake, but rather simply telling us all what should, after a quarter of a century of honorable service, be an obvious truth. General Solo is a hero. I remember reading about his actions during the Civil War on Coruscant, and later studying his campaigns and frankly, I have a much harder time trying to believe that he and his staff are attempting to cover up a mistake than the fact that he fought a terrible and resilient enemy, and defeated that enemy but at great cost."
Danni noticed how Kuat's statement had an immediate effect on the rest of the committee. Bothans had a difficult time hiding their emotions, and Fey'lya's bared teeth and pin-point straight whiskers gave a good indication of his. The Sullustan, Niuv, made a point of examining a flimsiplast report in front of him.
However, the holoshills crowding the open chamber ate up every word.
Danni turned the holonet off and stood from the uncomfortable couch to walk to the window. In the two months since her return, she was officially placed on the New Republic payroll as a scientific advisor. This meant that her meager salary from Ex-Gal was supplemented sufficiently for her to afford the tiny apartment and supplies enough to live.
Although small, the apartment afforded spectacular views of a residential sector of Coruscant only a few hundred clicks from the government sector.
However, aside from a few debriefings, she now found she was being paid to do nothing. The being paid part did not bother her, but the doing nothing part rankled.
Her door chime announced a visitor. She glanced to the bar separating her small kitchen from the rest of the apartment and the five sets of flowers there. Two were from Jacen Solo, two from Jor-El, and one from Kale and Mara Naberrie.
If it was either Jacen or Jor-El again, she might have to just not answer the door.
When she looked, she saw an attractive older woman with short dark hair and intense eyes. She wore business casual brown slacks and a black blouse covered by an attractive brown vest that matched her slacks.
She opened the door. "May I help you?"
The woman smiled thinly and then showed a New Republic security ID. "My name is Jan Ors. I'm the director of New Republic Intelligence. I was hoping for a few minutes of your time."
Danni felt her stomach churn as she nodded and stepped back. "Please come in."
Jan walked into the room with a confident swagger Danni envied. "Nice apartment," Jan said without a trace of sarcasm. "Beautiful view."
"Thank you."
They sat down on the new sofa. "So, how have you enjoyed your vacation so far?" the Alpha Blue director said.
"I've been bored out of my skull," Danni admitted.
"Your file suggested you would be."
"I have a file?"
"You do now." Jan grinned, and suddenly some of the chill seemed to leave the air. It was a mischievous, intelligent expression that changed Danni's impression of the woman from one of a stiff bureaucrat, to a human being. "Not many people are accepted into Ex-Gal at such a young age. You are a prodigy. Depositions don't seem to make full use of your abilities. So, Alpha Blue would like to offer you a job."
"A job? As what, a spy?"
Jan grinned again. "Sweetie, you would make a terrible spy. You're much too ethical. Intelligence doesn't just hire spies. We have our own research departments and analysts. We would like to offer you a senior analyst position, and your area of focus would be the Praetorite Vong."
Danni looked out the window a moment. "So what exactly would I be doing?"
* * *
Mara Jade Naberrie woke slowly. It felt like surfacing from a lake of cold water. She had to struggle against the cold fingers that wanted to hold her back in unconsciousness. Finally, though, her will prevailed and she opened her eyes.
She lay in her bed on Naboo. Through the opened doors, the sun was already high in the sky over the stunning views of the lake country. A few puffy, pillow-like clouds drifted lazily across the sky, as if to make the dark blue stand out even more.
Kale sat on their patio, sunbathing. He wore a simple pair of briefs, but otherwise rested on the lounge to absorb every beam of sunlight. Eventually, he heard her stirring and stood to put on a robe.
The twenty-one years of their marriage saw almost no changes in him at all. He was larger, to be sure. His muscles bulged in places they used not to. His middle was marginally thicker, but without a trace of fat. He looked powerful. He looked beautiful. He looked as if he were still in his twenties as opposed being forty.
"How are you doing?" he asked as he gingerly sat on the edge of her bed.
"Tired," she said.
"Is it getting bad again?"
She nodded. The disease came and went. There were days where she was able to get up and spar with him as if she were perfectly healthy, while the next few days she would have to fall into a deep healing trance.
Lately the days in trance became far more numerous. They did not speak the fear they both felt.
"I meditated last night," Kale admitted. "I was hoping for a Force vision from Obi-Wan or Master Yoda. Instead I heard my father, my biological father, talking about Kryptonian technology. I thought of Hoth."
"We raided your fortress on Hoth," Mara said. "We spotted it from orbit and Darth Vader went through and removed all the data crystals for future study. There's nothing there but the structure."
"Do you know where the crystals were taken?"
"They were taken to the Emperor's stores on Coruscant," she said. "From there I would have no way of knowing. Possibly to Wayland, though there hasn't been mention of crystals found in the storehouse there."
Kale nodded and simply held her hand for a long time. "Could they be at Bastion?"
Mara became very still. "Kale, you know that I'm still considered a criminal in the Empire. I was tried and found guilty of High Treason in absentia."
Kale shrugged. "But could they be there?"
"Maybe," Mara admitted. "After the Emperor's death a lot of fracturing occurred. Following Grand Admiral Daala's campaign and her subsequent reorganization of the Empire, all the old archived records were moved. It could be the crystals were part of that."
Kale nodded. "Leia mentioned that Han wanted to send an information sharing mission to Bastion to brief them about the Praetorite Vong. I wonder what it would take for us to be on that mission."
"A lot of negotiation the New Republic envoy to the Empire probably doesn't want to have to go through."
"I figure after getting myself fried for the Republic, they might be willing to grant me a favor," Kale said.
Mara shrugged. "Doesn't hurt to ask."
* * *
"Speak, Intendent," Shedae Shai said. His deep, growling voice carried through perfectly from the vilip's three-dimensional version of his head.
Nom Anor bowed. "The abomination is named Kale Naberrie. We did not know about him because he has been in seclusion on a planet on the other side of the galaxy for over twenty years."
"And he is not some weapon of the enemy?"
"He is not, Supreme Commander," Anor said. "According to the popular history, he himself is not of this galaxy, but arrived as a child forty years ago and was taken in by Jeedai. He was raised by a family on Naboo called Naberrie, who just happened to be related to the Jedi Solo."
"These Jeedai again," Shai growled. "Tell me more of this abomination."
"He cannot be killed by any known methods. His only weakness is a substance from his home world in his galaxy of origin. The Galactic Empire used it on him, but even then was not able to kill him. After he destroyed the Emperor he hunted down and destroyed all traces of this element. I've not been able to find any more."
"He has no weaknesses?"
"Not physical," Anor said. "However, you will be pleased to know that this Kale Naberrie is married to a human female. She too is Jeedai. She was the human who first interfered with Malik Carr on Belkadan. However, we have learned that Carr was able to infect her with four times a lethal dose of my comb spores."
"She is dead, then?"
"She is not."
The vilip's interpretation of Shai's face could have been comical, if it were not so deadly. "How is this?"
"She is gravely ill," Anor said, "but lives till. I have consulted with several shapers and they do not understand how this could be. Perhaps because she is also Jeedai. However, her illness will serve us."
"How so?" Shai demanded.
"As powerful as this demon is," Anor said, "he is but one. He cannot be several places at once. He will tend to his beloved to cure an incurable disease, and this will buy us a time to gain the foothold we need."
The Supreme Commander of the Yuuzhan Vong snorted in obvious contempt. "He will have to be dealt with eventually."
"Better to deal with him when we are here in strength," Anor said, "would you not agree? And if we can delay his efforts at obtaining a cure for his wife, we may be able to distract him for a significant amount of time."
"The Warmaster is not pleased by the failure of the Intendent class to gain a foothold," Shai said with obvious threat.
"Then I shall have to make doubly sure you and he both are pleased with my performance in aiding your great assault. I have already worked with Eminence Harrar regarding a plan to destabilize the government."
"Yes, I have heard of this plan. Elan is the daughter of the Most High Priest Jakan. Use her life carefully," Shai warned. "The enemy is better organized than our scouts initially led us to believe. Anything to fray that organization will serve the Gods—the time of waiting has passed."
Anor bowed to the vilip as the image folded back in the vilip's body. He quickly put the vilip back in his bag and signaled the ooglith masque to recover his features. In moments, the scarred, heavily tattooed features of a Yuuzhan Vong ceased to exist. In its place stood a man of indeterminate height, age and features, with credentials as a reporter for the New Republic Holozine. He had a busy day today.
Dajohu--Jacen is a jerk in pretty much everything. But I try to redeem his characpter a little. And I am definitely not a fan of Karen Travesty.
Kahelss--Sorry 'bout the delay, but I appreciate you reading. Thanks!
Relyan--No worries, I have posted in three weeks. And I I think the Vong invaded because 1) They were religious fanatics who could not conceive of peaceful co-existence; and 2) they got kicked out of their galaxy for their failure to conceive of a peaceful co-existence.
Roosterman71--As much as I like the Naberries, Han and Leia remain my favorite characters in this fic.
The-Knight2000--Jacen is a jerk, no doubt. But there will be no Caedus in this fic. That's a promise.
OrionTheHunter--Well thank you, I'm glad you enjoy reading it! Welcome aboard.