Jerec just finished his walk through the palace gardens. It was exactly what he loved doing when things were happening. The peaceful calm of wildly growing, yet domesticated nature portrayed a sense of control. The flowers did all they could to grow more and more sprouts, but never would they reach beyond the boundaries of the garden. The wild contained within their power. It made Jerec feel powerful. He tried to sense the battle. He knew that it took place so far away, it would be impossible to sense it, even for him, but he had focused his senses on Maw. He did not expect any complications. The Reborn had no alternative but to be wiped out.

He reached the steps that led back to the palace. The short lane of stepping stones provided a view of the training grounds, where Colonel Brolly was shouting instructions at hundreds of troops. Jerec could not see it, but felt exactly what was going on. He pretended to stare at them for a while, which he knew was motivating the troops to do their very best. As he continued his walk, he thought about Admiral Perlon and the rest of the insubordinates. Their little uprising had been petty. Jerec had been informed that the stolen ship was destroyed while orbiting Sullust. Some of them were likely to have been on the surface when it happened. What did it mean? Even though there was a relatively small amount of troops involved, what were the repercussions for the rest of the army? Jerec realised that his power was partly depending on the strength of his army, even though he was too proud to admit it. The insubordinates would have to be made an example of, properly.

As the Emperor reached the palace hall, he sensed a familiar presence. Boc approached him merrily and greeted him happily. "Hello, Master! You had called for me?"

Jerec sniffed condescendingly. He turned away as he recommenced his walk towards the lift.

"Master?" Boc didn't understand. His merry mood had turned to a frightened one within seconds. He looked back and saw Rosh await his turn.

Without looking, the Emperor spoke. "When I call you back, Boc, you are to come back immediately."

"That's what I did, M-"

"Don't lie," Jerec said slowly as he stopped his pace.

"All right, we took a small detour, b-"

"Spare me your petty excuses."

As Jerec walked on and entered the lift, Boc was left shocked and confused. If there was one person he did not want to see angry it was his Master, but never had his Master been this angry at him before. He could not bear this. As the lift was ascending, Boc ran for the stairs. When he made it up to the floor where Jerec's office was located, his Master had already exited the lift.

Boc jumped to his knees. "Master, I beg your forgiveness!"

Jerec stopped and pretended to look down at his servant. He sensed the fear in Boc's eyes as the Twi'lek tried to kiss Jerec's feet. It was almost pathetic. "In my office."

The two entered Jerec's office. Boc expected Jerec to ask him to sit, but it didn't happen, so he remained standing.

"Your disobedience is most inconvenient, Boc," spoke Jerec. "The battle for Sullust has begun hours ago."

"Forgive me, Master, I didn't know it was that urgent-"

"SILENCE!"

Boc quickly bowed and stepped back.

"Whenever I call you it is always urgent." Jerec sighed. "I know what you've been doing."

"Master?"

"When I first found you, Boc, you were but a slave." Jerec circled around the room as he spoke. "A young Twi'lek in the servitude of an honest officer of the Imperial army. I took you out of there, because I saw your potential."

Boc bowed again. "You have my eternal gratitude, Master."

Jerec gestured him to be silent. "I know I do." He paused for a moment. "I realised of course that you would carry your past with you as you slowly turned into the Dark Jedi you have become. I did not realise you still had a desire to avenge those who enslaved you."

"Not just those who enslaved me, Master…"

Jerec raised an eyebrow.

Boc continued, "They enslaved my whole family. I haven't heard from them since. My father, my mother, my twin brother..."

Jerec made a discerning noise. "Spare me the sentimentalities."

"Forgive me, Jerec, I figured I would be able to search for them while things in the Empire are quiet."

"Quiet?" spat Jerec. "We had the possibility to destroy all resistance in the galaxy today… I've yet to hear from Maw."

Boc lowered his head.

"What you do on your patrols is your business, Boc. I want none of it. Do realise though that you're leaving a trail of bodies. Someone is bound to notice at one point."

Boc nodded. "I will never again prioritise my personal business over that of the Empire, Master."

Jerec noticed his com-device blink on his desk. He pressed the button and saw the hologram of Admiral Mobbis appear.

"Yes, Commander?"

The Admiral cleared his throat. "Sir, Maw reported from the surface that the battle has ended. We emerged victorious, sir. No survivors. We did find Kyle Katarn. Apparently he was imprisoned by the Reborn."

"Splendid news, Admiral. What about the defectors and possible other rebels? I heard that apparently there were survivors of the Academy sweep and political outlaws involved."

"Well, erm," stuttered the Admiral. "As you know, we destroyed the Vengeance, but we did find one of our shuttles on the surface, which would indicate a few possible survivors. There was one Corellian ship that escaped our grip."

Jerec cut the connection. Would this never end?

Na-quam let out a few tears of joy as he heard how Jaden Korr had survived. He didn't know why he was so emotional about the matter. His mind was supposed to be in control of his emotions.

"We have to find Jaden!" said Nebba decisively.

"Why? We don't even know if he made it out of that base," protested Han.

"He is alive, I know it!"

"Okay, okay," said Han as he gestured her to calm down. "Suppose he is alive, where are we going to find him? How will we know if it's worth the risk? He was with the enemy for all that time, working for them. How do we know it's not a trap?"

"Didn't you hear what the officer said?" asked Nebba. "He defected."

"It took him two years… and he joined the Reborn. I have no idea if we can even trust those people."

Na-quam cleared his mind. "What do you suggest, Han?"

"I suggest we lay low for a while in a safe place until we have a plan. Then we start building a following. We have to ask ourselves if it is worth it to search for this one person who might be a valuable ally. I'd say he'll come to us when the time is right."

"Not all of us need to take the risk," said Na-quam. "Most of us will have to follow your lead, Han, as we agreed at the beginning, but perhaps we can send a single person to go and search for Jaden?"

"Who would do that?" asked Han. He looked around. He somehow felt that it would be a huge waste of time and man power to do this, yet the Jedi wanted to pick up their friend.

Nebba wanted to do it. "Send me, Master."

The old Jedi shook his head immediately. "I cannot do that, I'm afraid. You are too inexperienced to cross the galaxy all alone."

"Then send someone with me!" said Nebba.

Suddenly Lando stormed out of the cockpit and searched the people for Na-quam. When he found him, he spoke, "Na-quam, your padawan is contacting us."

Na-quam rose to his feet and followed Lando to the cockpit. The hologram of Vidomina was waiting for him. "Master!"

"Vidomina! Where are you?"

"Reporting in from Nal Hutta, as promised. Come get us, Yun is on our tail! We're about to enter the palace of Gorga the Hutt to deliver the weapons and ask for protection, but it might not work."

"Send your coordinates, we will come for you immediately!" said Na-quam.

As soon as the hologram had disappeared, Lando said, "We cannot afford to go to Nal Hutta, Master Jedi. We risk everything if we face Yun's battle cruiser with this ship."

"We will land where you deem it safe," concluded Na-quam. "From there onwards, we must temporarily split up. I will take Nebba and go to Nal Hutta to pick up Vidomina and Padora."

Lando nodded. "Where are the rest of your padawans?"

Vidomina prepared to leave the ship. It was storming on Nal Hutta. The green muddy soil was so wet it almost looked like a swamp.

"Come on!" called Padora. She had already gone outside to scout the perimeter. They had landed in one of the Hutt's private spaceports which were connected to his palace. "Acid rain. You better get some protective suit." She pointed to a hatch in the side of the living area which Vidomina knew led to the cargo hold. Vidomina found an extra suit and put it on.

They left the ship and entered the open area of the docking bay. The bright green drops poured down on them. Vidomina felt that the suit would not protect her forever under this heavy rain. They hastened towards an opening in the wall, which led to a hall of stairs. At least the rain wouldn't get them here.

"Is this rain not damaging the ship?" she asked.

Padora looked at her. "You really don't know anything about ships, do you?" She laughed. "Obviously they can handle this type of weather or Nal Hutta wouldn't have any." She found a control panel with an Ugnaught man waiting for them.

"Welcome to Nal Hutta," he squeeked. "Shall I close the roof?"

"Yes, please," smiled Padora. "And could you fix the hyperdrive for me? I'll pay of course."

The Ugnaught took a short bow and got to work.

The rest of the docking bay was soberly decorated. Straightforward halls, corridors, and staircases built with a mud-coloured rock paved the road ahead to the palace proper. Vidomina followed Padora through the narrow corridors. Apparently, she knew her way around here. The palace was instantly more of a feast to the eye. From the moment they entered the first hall, red drapes and colourful billboards were scattered over the walls; the muddy rock had been replaced by solid durasteel and a satisfyingly modern variety of colours.

Padora noticed how Vidomina was somewhat relieved. "Feels good to recognise proper civilisation, doesn't it?" She smiled as she guided Vidomina to a conference hall of some sort. She knocked on the door.

A droid approached them. It spoke Huttese.

"We'd like an audience with Gorga the Hutt," Padora answered.

The droid spoke again, but this time through a microphone. Vidomina figured he was contacting the Hutt for permission. Soon after, the large door was opened slowly. Padora preceded Vidomina inside.

The conference room was large and round. Three Hutts were physically present, while four more Hutts were present as a hologram. They were organised in a circle and apparently arguing over something. When the physically present Hutts noticed Padora, they stopped. The fattest of the three addressed her in Huttese. He seemed to have some sort of lens cover his left eye and an earpiece attached to his ear and mouth.

"Greetings, mighty Gorga," Padora said as she took a bow. Vidomina followed her example. Padora continued. "And, greetings also to you, probably equally mighty, visitors of Gorga, whom I do not know by name."

The Hutts chuckled and clearly approved of her tone. Gorga apparently asked the others to leave them alone for now as the holograms shut down immediately and the other two left on their own.

"I'm sorry to drop in unannounced," continued Padora. "I know I promised your weapons shipment to arrive a few rotations later, but there were some unforeseen circumstances."

The Hutt spoke back to her, but Vidomina did not understand Huttese.

Padora did, apparently. "There is no way you will be a victim of these circumstances, I'm certain of that. I was robbed and my base is shattered. I have taken whatever weapons I could with me as I fled the mansion."

The Hutt scratched its fat chin.

"Since I cannot complete the rest of your order, I will give you these weapons for free." She paused, hoping to get a reaction from Gorga.

The Hutt seemed to consider her words carefully, but then he waved it away and seemed offended as he growled some words.

"You misunderstand, mighty Gorga," Padora said hastily. "It will take a long time before I'll be back in business. Since you have always been a loyal customer, this gesture is genuine. All I ask in return is that you provide protection for us long enough for our ship to be repaired."

Gorga the Hutt seemed to nod. It was hard to tell, because he could hardly move. He then burst into laughter.

Vidomina had no idea what was going on. She looked at Padora, who also seemed confused by the laughter.

The Hutt said, as Padora understood it, "I will accept your gift of weapons, but I'm afraid I cannot give you protection."

"How do you mean?" Padora tried not to sound panicky.

"I have already promised to deliver you to someone else." More laughter. It was at that moment that Vidomina felt that something was wrong. Guards and bounty hunters approached them from all angles. "You will now be given to the Dark Jedi."

"Wait!" shouted Padora desperately. The guards stopped for a moment and glanced at Gorga, who was waiting expectantly. "Why, Gorga? Have I ever betrayed you?"

The Hutt sighed and wormed itself forward. "My dear Padora," he said. "You will understand. You were a great business partner for as long as it lasted, but it's hard to reject an offer in the name of the Emperor. I pity having to sacrifice our business relationship like this, but Yun has promised me that he will only take the fugitives. You can stay here and be… protected." Gorga burst into laughter again.

Vidomina turned around. She felt his presence. Yun was near. She shot Padora an alarming look. There was nowhere to go. Guards and bounty hunters were all aiming at Vidomina. One suspicious move and she would be gone.

Padora sank to her knees. It was over. Her life was completely over. She would spend the rest of her miserable existence as a slave to Gorga the Hutt. She felt Vidomina's hand on her shoulder. She shook it off. She didn't want to be comforted by Vidomina at this point. She was the cause of the demise of the Hames Enterprise. Her only hope in restoring it had been Gorga.

Stormtroopers had appeared behind them and paved the way for Yun himself. He entered majestically and triumphantly, as if victorious in this game of hide and seek. When he saw Vidomina, his smile turned into a wide grin. He completely ignored Padora.

"The welp has run out of places to hide," he said as he smirked. "What are you going to do now, Pereilia? Trying to grab another hostage to hide behind? Forcing another convincing act? When are you going to face me yourself as the Jedi you are?"

Vidomina closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. The nerves were teasing her and Yun's dark aura frightened her. She had to resist, she knew it. When she opened her eyes, she spoke. "I'm here, am I not?"

Yun raised an eyebrow. "Evidently."

"We can settle it right here, right now." Everyone in the room was clearly fascinated by the conversation. Gorga was hoping for a good lightsabre duel to feast his eyes on. Vidomina herself wasn't sure what she was doing. She wouldn't last long in a duel against Yun, she knew it. But was there any other way? She preferred a fight to an execution.

Yun had not anticipated this bold suggestion. He was visibly surprised as he slowly walked to Padora. "Where are the other fugitives, dear?"

Padora looked up beggingly. "On their way to Sullust."

Yun looked at Vidomina. "Good. This means they too are now destroyed. Oh, did you not hear?" he asked as he noticed Vidomina's alarming expression. "The last report came in and the Reborn have been wiped out entirely, including any and every single person in that cave. Your Corellian ship has been sighted and destroyed!"

Vidomina was confused. She knew he was bluffing. She had contacted them less than an hour ago. But was he? How would he know what kind of ship they'd be flying? She shook her head. "You're bluffing."

"Am I?" Yun activated his lightsabre and spun it around for all to see. The effect was intimidating. The guards and bounty hunters quickly stepped back in awe, but also in regard for their own safety. Gorga chuckled. Yun did not break eye contact with Vidomina. Suddenly he lowered his sabre and let it sink into Padora's chest. With a gasp, she fell lifeless to the floor. The spectators were clearly fascinated and cheered loudly. Gorga ordered the droids to start serving drinks and snacks.

Vidomina stared at Padora's body. The last of her friends had been killed. Or did he bluff after all? She wasn't sure. She felt confused.

"Are you going to cry now?" taunted Yun.

Energy crackled. Vidomina's lightsabre had come to life. She still wasn't sure, but she wasn't really thinking anymore. She felt the anger pumping through her body. She raised her sabre. Yun raised his.

Suddenly she jumped forward. Yun blocked her attack. "You don't seriously think you stand a chance, do you, padawan?" He pushed her away with ease. She came at him again with a series of attacks and attempted kicks. He dodged and blocked without too much effort. "Is this all you have for me?" he said with a tone of boredom. She again jumped at him. He blocked again, but this time his free hand grabbed her by the throat. He lifted her up and threw her at the ground.

Vidomina remained on the ground. The smack woke her up from her temporary haze. She realised how she had reacted and immediately felt regret. Yun was looking down at her and realised that she calmed down.

"You're a feisty one, padawan, but you lack the skill. Perhaps with some quality training, you shall become a great Dark Jedi."

Vidomina shook her head. "You cannot turn me."

Yun smirked. "Where I might fail, others will succeed. Just wait until you meet the Emperor." He turned to the Stormtroopers. "Take her to the shuttle." He grabbed her sabre and watched as the troopers took her away. He now turned to Gorga. "Apologies for ruining your personal slave, Gorga."

The Hutt raised his chalice and smiled. "You have given me a great show in return."

Yun smiled and took a very short bow with his head, before he also headed for the shuttle.

Lando found Na-quam and Han in the cargo hold.

"What are you doing down here?"

"It's the most quiet place on the ship right now," said Na-quam. "There are also no Imperial ears listening down here."

Lando nodded. "That's actually exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. If you want, we'll be with your padawans in a few moments, but I'm not sure if we can trust Jonvidis and his men."

"We were wondering the same thing," agreed Han. "That Perlon was the admiral of the Vengeance, the ship that led the assault on Coruscant."

"The ship that held Jerec when he attacked the Academy," added Na-quam.

The door to the cargo hold opened again. Jonvidis entered.

"Ah, so here is the real party."

Na-quam looked up. "Can we help you?"

"I'm clearly interrupting something. Listen, I don't mean to bother you, but your pilot has been circling this system for quite some time now. Are we going to land here or not?" Han and Lando exchanged looks. Jonvidis continued. "I get this. You don't trust me with your hideout yet. You think I would report it all to Jerec."

"Listen, Palo," said Na-quam. "You made it clear you ran away from Jerec, there is no doubt about that. What we don't get is what your deal is? Suppose we overthrow Jerec… just suppose we actually succeed… What will you do then? Assume leadership of the Remnant army? Oppose us again?"

Jonvidis sat down on one of the many crates. "There need not be opposition. Ever since the foundation of the Galactic Empire, we've been led by Dark Jedi and power hungry individuals. We were but pawns in their game. Very few of those now serving in the army can remember what we were before that; guardians of the Republic. I believe it is time for a revolution once again. We must become one again. Let's face it, Sith are the true enemies of the galaxy."

"Words after our hearts," said Han with a slight bow and a grin.

"Yes," agreed Lando. "Your feeding us exactly what we want to hear. How realistic is this plan of yours?"

"I cannot promise you that I'll be able to assume leadership of the army," said Jonvidis. "What I can promise you is that an army is only as dangerous as its leader. Jerec is a narcissistic madman. He trusts only himself. If we can prevent the Sith from maintaining their grip on the Imperial army, we can perhaps find a way to peace. I have to try."

Na-quam grabbed Lando's shoulder. "It is ok. Let us land, so I can go after Vidomina."

As Lando and Han left, with Na-quam intending to follow, he was stopped by Jonvidis. "Master Jedi, can I have a word?" The old Jedi turned around. "Word has it that you're going after one of the Dark Jedi of Jerec, isn't that so?"

"Possibly." Na-quam was curious to hear where this was going.

"I think I might be able to help you."

"I'm listening."

"On board you are carrying the entire Coruscant branch of the Imperial science team. Shortly before they were forced into hiding they discovered something you might want to know about. Something this Dark Jedi has on his body right now."

Vidomina followed the troopers through a series of corridors. They had reached the spaceport again. She felt weak. She had lost her lightsabre. She hadn't even been able to wound Yun. The image of Padora's body forced its way into her head. It was her fault, she knew it. It had been she who forced Padora into this mess.

Suddenly she recognised the corridors around her. It was the way they had come through! Would she be able to reach the Hames freighter? The thought gave her strength. She had to wait for the right opportunity. Without warning, she turned around and tackled the two troopers behind her in one stroke; grabbed one of their rifles; and ducked into another corridor. It wouldn't take long at all for the troopers to come after her, she figured, so she ran as fast as she could. The first blast marks appeared in the wall just when she reached another corner.

It was easier than expected. If only she could avoid Yun. She followed the way to the Hames freighter as she remembered it. The Ugnaught was still there. Vidomina slowed down and tried to be as calm as possible as she spoke, "We'll be leaving now, open the roof, please."

The Ugnaught was surprised. "Already? Erm… ok, sure." As the roof opened and Vidomina quickly entered the ship, the Ugnaught suddenly remembered and ran at the ship, whilst screaming, "Wait! The hyperdrive isn't fixed, yet!" The man was even more surprised when Stormtroopers appeared from behind and started shooting the freighter.

Retros fired as Vidomina flew the ship out of the spaceport.

Yun arrived too. "Don't worry, we'll blast her to pieces as she reaches space." As he was about to leave, he quickly remembered. "No, wait! Damage her, but don't destroy her. Jerec will want her alive."

As soon as she left Nal Hutta, Vidomina saw what she was up against. A huge battle cruiser was positioned in orbit of the planet. It had ejected a couple of TIE fighters in attack formation, ready to strike. She quickly entered coordinates to prepare the jump to hyperspace, but the moment she engaged the jump, the engine failed. She swore.

The TIE fighters were coming in. Vidomina couldn't dodged them. They hit her exactly where they wanted.

"The hyperdrive is already down!" shouted Vidomina as the blasts hit the place where that engine was located. There was no way she could survive in space. She turned the ship around and saw one of the moons of Nal Hutta, Nar Shaddaa, closeby. "Let's see if they can find me there."

Na-quam and Nebba had taken a ship and were headed for Nal Hutta. Suddenly they were contacted. The hologram of Vidomina appeared.

"Master, I- oh, hi, Nebba!" She waved and smiled. "I'm no longer on Nal Hutta! Padora is dead. I'm currently trying not to be found on Nar Shaddaa. I'm about to hit the local bars."

"All right, Vidomina, listen up," said Na-quam slowly. "Head to the Haunted Merrily. Tell the innkeeper that Luke loves him."

"Erm…, Master?"

"Just do it. It'll save your life!" He checked his location. "We'll be there very soon."

"Right… gotta run!" The hologram disappeared.

Nebba looked at her Master in a funny way. "What was that all about?"

Na-quam smiled sheepishly. "You have to have your connections, my dear padawan."

Vidomina knew there was no time to hide the freighter. The TIE fighters had followed her into the planet's atmosphere and were circling around her position. Suddenly they opened fire and the freighter exploded. The padawan was blown away by the blast, but she didn't sustain severe injury. She had landed on the rooftop of one of the higher buildings she could find. Perhaps this was not the smartest of moves, she admitted soon after, but she was glad not to have to fly anymore. She quickly got up and walked to the edge of the rooftop. She saw a path down by jumping from roof to roof.

As she made her first jump, the TIE fighters saw how this would complicate them capturing her and fired at her, attempting to wound, not to kill.

"Target heading west."

"Roger."

"I got a lock on the target. Just give me the signal."

"Negative. Orders are to wound only."

"Engage in circle formation. Over."

"Roger that, TIE leader."

"Roger."

"Roger."

"Anyone else wondering why we're hunting a little girl?"

"Orders are to capture."

"She's a mad jumper, though. Look at her go!"

"Circling around her right now."

"Affirmative."

"Open fire all around her. Over."

"Roger."

"Roger."

"Roger."

"Yeah, she has nowhere to go from there."

"Target has slipped through our circle."

"What's the deal with this one? That's not how my daughter behaves at all!"

"Word is she's some sort of Jedi student."

"Is that even possible? Didn't they all die a couple of years back?"

"All right, men, cut the chatter! Where did she go? Over."

"I'm on her tail, TIE leader. Descending down the side of this corporate building."

"Open fire. Over."

"Roger that, TIE leader."

"You're alone, Private. We have no visual."

"Roger. Target down."

"You killed her? Did you forget your orders?"

"Negative, TIE leader. Target is actually falling. I didn't fire, yet."

"Engage pursuit. Over."

"Roger. Team, lock on to my coordinates."

"Coordinates received."

"Affirmative."

"She's caught some sort of cable."

"Confirmed. Gliding down with ease. What sort of acrobat is this?"

"Where does that cable lead to?"

"I'll scout ahead."

"I have a lock. Say the word and that cable is gone."

"Negative. Target may die. Over."

"We could break her fall and catch her."

"Negative. Report is that ground troops have arrived. They will wait for her at the end of the cable. Over."

"That cable is leading towards the entertainment district. That's a lot of places to hide."

"It's out of our hands now. Over."

Vidomina was glad to see the TIE fighters remain at a distance, even though they had made it very clear that they were not going to harm her. They were probably just scouts, trying to intimidate her and secure her position, but they couldn't follow her to the entertainment district. She rode the cable down to the pub district and let go. She landed on her hands and feet just in front of a bar, but she could not understand its name. Even though she quickly entered, she hoped it wouldn't be the Haunted Merrily, because the TIE fighters had spotted her entering it. The owner confirmed that it was indeed a different bar, but she at least got directions.

"All right, soldiers! Orders are simple. Seek and take captive. She is unarmed. She was last seen entering the Bottomless Liver one minute ago. Go, go, go!"

Corporal Geudi watched as his men hurried to find the fugitive. The Admiral had given him fifty of the best Stormtroopers to carry out this mission. The Corporal himself did not join the troopers in their search. He took an airspeeder and positioned himself on top of the chase, providing commentary from the sky. From the corner of his eye he saw the TIE fighters hovering above the scene, but he ignored it. This was the way he enjoyed it. He would not be replaced by a bunch of fighters.

"Commander, report!" he shouted at the com-link.

The stormofficer replied immediately. "She has already left the bar, sir. She left quite a ravaged scene as well. All the guests are running around hysterically and the host is unconscious."

"She can't be far! Continue your search!" He flew over the bar in question. It was connected to a whole block of bars and shops, which eventually ended up near an open marketplace. "Commander, send a team to the other side of the district!"

"Yes, sir. Half our troops are already underway."

"I see her! She's in the marketplace!"

"We're on it!"

Vidomina knew she had made a mistake going outside again. She could've used the chaos to take cover. Now, she heard the roar of engines and noticed the officer in his airspeeder. She felt the blaster hanging from her belt. She had taken it from the bartender when she knocked him unconscious. Should she use it? Without a second thought, she turned around, aimed at the airspeeder and shot three times.

"Mayday! Mayday!" screamed Corporal Geudi as he crashed into a market stand. He hastily removed himself from the wreckage before it exploded. Angry, he looked at the fire. He cleaned his suit, adjusted his cap, and stroke his moustache. They would need more to stop Corporal Geudi! "Temporary loss of vision! Subject is armed after all!"

"But sir, we could ask the TIE fighters to be our eye in the sky?"

"Don't you 'sir' me! We will execute this operation for the honour of the 362nd! Do you get that?"

"As you wish, sir."

"Get your asses to the market place immediately!" As he put away his com-device, he noticed how passers-by were staring at him, probably wondering what the fuss was all about. "Go away, nothing to see here! Unless you can give information on the whereabouts of a young, black-haired girl about this high" – he carelessly swung his right hand into the air – "get the hell out of here!"

Slightly offended, the crowd slowly dispersed as people went about their business. The Corporal waited on the spot until he finally saw the first of his squad arrive at the scene. "Nothing too early! She went that way!" He pointed at the direction in which he had last seen her move.

"What are you going to do, sir?" asked one of the troopers, slightly annoyed.

"I'm going to find a new speeder, so we can do this properly!" he shouted.

"Well, sir," the trooper said before he cleared his throat. "With all due respect, but you could've followed her on foot."

"Don't you dare lecture me, young man! What's your name and rank? I'll have you transferred to cleaning duty! Did I make myself clear?" His face had turned purple with rage.

"Down, you," said the stormofficer as he arrived on the scene. "I will not have you shout at my men." He took off his helmet. The man had a light skin, a crooked nose, and short, curly hair. "That remains my task, Corporal."

"Well, then, you better tell you men to continue their search and mind their own business, Genes!" The Corporal left the group behind.

"Don't let him get to you, soldier," said Genes. "He's a one of a kind, but he has no authority over us. Let's get moving!"

It took a couple of hours before they reached the Nal Hutta system. The battle cruiser was still in orbit of the planet.

"I guess they still haven't found her… that's good," murmured Na-quam as Nebba flew the ship towards Nar Shaddaa. "Try to land as close to the Haunted Merrily as possible."

"Any news from the surface?"

"Negative. Over."

"Can you see anything?"

"Don't bother. The Corporal is not interested in our assistance. Over."

"It's been hours. Let's be honest, they lost her."

"Yup. Over."

"Shall we return to the ship?"

"Negative. We must wait for the order. Over."

"Incoming ship."

"Another one?"

"It's Corellian."

"That's fifty credits for me! Let's have a bet on the next one."

"I'm betting on Imperial."

"I'll go for Corellian again, they seem to be popular nowadays."

"Never bet on the same ship twice, Jaren! I'll go for Huttese."

"That's way too easy, you can't get full price on those over here."

Vidomina held her breath as she heard a ship coming near. The host gestured her to return to her hiding place. She obeyed and crawled into the ventilation shaft. She sensed familiar presences, but she couldn't adjust her senses… her heart was beating loudly in her throat. The moment she had arrived at the Haunted Merrily she had almost collapsed from fatigue. She felt like she'd been running for days. It actually was true, in a sense. The host had never asked a question, he just put her in the ventilation shaft without words. There was actually a hidden room in there. Vidomina had spent the last few hours comfortably resting in that secret room. There was food, there were drinks, and there was a comfortable bed. She dared not sleep, though. The thought of the soldiers still out there made her feel restless and unsafe.

Yun couldn't think clearly anymore. He had her in his grasp and then the soldiers let her get away. The body of Corporal Geudi was in front of him. He kicked it hard into the gutter. Yun let out a scream of rage. In his head he heard a voice. The voice of Jerec said to him, "Calm your mind and focus on the task at hand." Yun obeyed. He closed his eyes for a moment, but he had barely calmed down or his attention was pulled by a Corellian ship soaring over them. He felt it! He knew it! She was escaping!

"Shoot that ship out of the sky! Destroy it! Vaporise it!" He was way past trying to catch her alive. She had to die now.

"There's another Corellian ship, guys! Pay me when the mission is over."

"I think it's actually the same one."

"Cut the chatter, team. Blast that Corellian ship from the sky. Yun's orders. Over."

"Roger, TIE leader."

"Roger."

"Aww, such a pity. That ship made me a lot of money."

"Never rely on the same bet for too long, Jaren."

"I got a lock."

"Affirmative."

"It's heading for space."

"Fire!"

"Minor damage."

"I'm calling support from the cruiser. Over."

"Come on, we are four to one, we can take this one."

"Negative. We're not taking any risks. Over."

"I'm on their tail."

"They're preparing for hyperspace."

"Fire all guns! Don't let them leave! Over!"

"Aww it's too late… there they go…"

"Only just got confirmation from the cruiser. Damn that ship was fast… Over."

"Better cancel that party."

"Boy, are we gonna get it."