Twenty-Eight

|-()-|I|-()-|

"I believe I've found the trap I've been looking for," Ackbar said. "The trap that will spell doom for the Yuuzhan Vong." He floated in the pool in his home, with Luke, Cal Omas, and Admiral Sovv sitting in plush chairs on the rim. Winter stood by with a holoprojector.

The projector was switched on and a star map floated over Ackbar's head. "This is Treskov One-Fifteen-W," Ackbar began the briefing. The selected star blinked in the background and then magnified, lines designating hyperspace routes vanished, save for one. "It is an old main-sequence star on the outermost fringe of the Deep Core, completely unexceptionable. As you can see from the overlay of our official hyperspace route charts, Treskov is a dead end. But if we add the secret Imperial Core routes that Princess Leia brought back from Bastion…" Four other routes appeared on the display. "You see the unmarked routes from Treskov lead farther into the core. One of these leads to an Imperial star base code-named Tarkin's fang. The base was sealed and evacuated, but otherwise remains intact and usable. There is also a large cache of supplies stored at Tarkin's Fang that the Empire intended to use in the event of renewed hostilities."

"Even Tarkin's Fang is a dead end," Admiral Sovv motioned to the singular hyperspace route going to and from the blinking star. "If we put forces there, they could be blockaded by any enemy who sealed the route to Treskov."

"I agree," Ackbar said. "And I intend the enemy to agree as well."

Perspective shifted on the holo to Treskov and its system. The fifth planet out began to wink.

"This is Ebaq, a gas giant with eleven moons. Of these, Ebaq Nine was exploited by the Deep Core Mining Corporation for its deposits of bronzium. The moon is now empty." Ackbar took a moment to refresh himself by dipping back into the pool. "I propose we reoccupy the moon and use it as bait in a trap. We must make it an irresistible target for the Yuuzhan Vong. And then, once the enemy begins their assault, we seal off the end and turn the Treskov system into a killing ground in which the enemy forces are hunted down and destroyed."

Ackbar looked to Sien Sovv. "Admiral, it is you who must commit the forces necessary to destroy the Yuuzhan Vong."

The veteran Mon Calamari admiral then turned his gaze on Luke and a chill went down the Jedi Master's spine. "Master Skywalker, it is for you and the Jedi to provide the bait."

|-()-|II|-()-|

Alema's eyes were closed as flames engulfed the facility all around her and alarms blared urging evacuation. Scattered all over the ground were the bodies of the scientists who worked on Alpha Red. Chiss, human, it hadn't mattered, the entire research team was no longer among the living. It had been quicker than she had thought it would be. For all their security, the top-secret nature of the base left it isolated, vulnerable. An attack from the inside was the last thing they had suspected.

The base's security guards had been laughably easy to kill. After spending the past several years fighting Vong, blocking lasers and reading the minds of her attackers was easier than she remembered. Their corpses were among those strewn throughout the blood and soot covered floor, some slowly being consumed by the rapidly spreading fire. Darkened computer banks sparked, bursting under the heat of the flames.

The Twi'lek Jedi supposed that she was fortunate enough that the team had been so clandestine that the only copy of their data had been on the base's central computer. A central computer that was now ruined beyond repair after she had wiped the data from its memory banks.

Alema took in a breath of the smoke filled air, focusing on the warmth of the flames around her. With a thrust of her hand, a Force-created fireball flew out and incinerated the pile of bodies she had gathered. No sense in letting some investigation team discover that the team had been killed by a lightsaber. Everyone at the base was dead so there would be no witnesses.

The structural integrity of the building continued to fail, metal beams falling down all around her. The specialized storage tanks holding Alpha Red burst from the searing heat, its valuable content vaporizing as the flames grew higher.

Alema hurled fireball after fireball, concentrating the heat of the already roaring inferno around her into deadly, super-heated projectiles. Her flames may not have been as powerful as Anakin's—the fact that he could literally create sheets of continuous flame as opposed to her own limited fireballs was a testament to that—but she didn't need power to destroy all traces of her presence.

The blue Twi'lek finally stood and surveyed the destruction around her, the flames dancing in the reflection of her striated, yellow eyes. She didn't have a choice. It had to be done. She focused on the final body of the Alpha Red team, Director Dif Scaur himself. His head was in one place, his body in two others. The single sweep with both her sabers had ensured that the Director hadn't even realized what had happened. Alema held out a steady hand, one last ball of fire obliterating the corpse in a rush. Dif Scaur joined the others, burning in whatever afterlife they believed in, for creating and even contemplating the usage of Alpha Red.

She already had a cover story. The Yuuzhan Vong prisoners had escaped their confines and sought revenge against their captors. They had escaped, of course. She had released them all, and though she had been forced to kill several warriors who decided to attack her instead of make a break for freedom, their corpses would only lend credibility to her story.

Making one final sweep of the facility, Alema eyed one of the remaining support beams. Steeling herself, she proceeded to focus the heat of the fire at its base. It went from red to white hot within seconds, and then it too toppled over. Directly on top of Alema.

As her consciousness faded, Alema finally allowed herself to smile. She felt good about her decision, about the lives she had just taken. Nothing good could have come from Alpha Red. She knew that the two people she considered her only friends would have vehemently protested its use. And if the Vong learned of the weapon, who knew what monstrosities they would construct in retaliation.

Simply sabotaging Alpha Red wouldn't have worked. Dif Scaur would have just started up the project elsewhere. So long as its scientists were still alive, Alema just couldn't take that chance. Taking the lives of the science team and the director didn't seem like that much of a cost when it came to stopping an evil from being unleashed upon the galaxy. Was what she did dark? Wrong? She never thought there'd be the day when she'd voluntarily spare Vong lives. Yet she did, allowing warriors and Shamed Ones to go while she massacred people who were supposed to be the good guys.

Her vision turned fuzzy.

"Tell me, Numa," Alema murmured softly just before she passed out. "Did I do right?"

|-()-|III|-()-|

"So you went to the islands because you sensed Alema was in danger?" Luke said skeptically as he questioned Vergere in front of Cal Omas and several other senators.

"It is as I said," Vergere said serenely. "It was fortunate I went, no? The fire was nearly on her when I entered the ruins."

"And how can we be sure it wasn't you who started the blaze in the first place? Which, I might add, grew so hot that the bodies of the science team were reduced to ash." Ayddar Nylykerka said.

"You may count the number of bodies if you wish," Vergere said, seemingly unflustered by all the eyes on her. "You will find that most of the Yuuzhan Vong being held at the facility are not among them. In my best guess, the recently departed director grew sloppy and those he held broke free. Might I ask a question of my own? Why would the New Republic be holding Yuuzhan Vong in such a private facility with a fully staffed science team? Surely you would not have been running experiments on the prisoners? Why, that would be…unethical and very Empire-like."

"That's not the point," Cal Omas said impatiently. "As you point out, Dif Scaur was killed in that fire. Though we have yet to identify his remains, there are enough ashes to account for the entire team of scientists and the security force that had been assigned there. Are you going to stick with your story that there was a break-out and the Yuuzhan Vong are responsible?"

"As your own security forces can attest to," Vergere said wisely. "I was not even on the grounds of what was left of the facility until they were in the air above it. Unless you suggest that I could be in two places at once, or that I have some mystical powers that can incinerate a building from afar?"

Several terse seconds of silence ticked by, before Cal Omas reluctantly ceded the point. "Very well. The only question I have for you, Master Skywalker is why Jedi Rar was the only survivor and why she was there in the first place."

"I know nothing about that," Luke said honestly. "I only know that Dif Scaur told me he would have need of Alema's skills for about a week."

"And of course, since the man is dead, we can't question him," Sien Sovv pointed out.

"If I may ask a question," Luke said, narrowing his eyes at Cal Omas. "Vergere has a point. Just what were Yuuzhan Vong doing in a facility with a science team?"

Cal Omas irradiated annoyance. "Not that it matters now, but they were working on a bio-weapon that could have ended this war. With the entire science team dead and the data lost, there's little chance of restarting the project. Instead of ending this war in a matter of weeks, it might take months, years, with heavy loss of life on our side."

At that the Jedi members of the High Council, plus the several senators who had been invited for its second session, were stunned into silence.

"You were creating a bio-weapon?" Luke said, his voice stern as he raised an eyebrow.

"'Were' being the operative word, Master Skywalker. Don't get your Jedi robes into a twist. With the destruction of the facility, the project is dead. Not everyone can go to war with the same limitations the Jedi place on themselves. It was just one of many options we were keeping available. Now we can only hope that Admiral Ackbar's plan will work."

|-()-|IV|-()-|

"Hey Anakin," Tahiri murmured, her head resting on Anakin's bare shoulder as they shared his bunk onboard the Ralroost.

Ylesia was far behind them and Duro was growing in distance. The Yuuzhan Vong and Peace Brigade remnant guarding the captured planet had been destroyed with relative ease. The self-serving members of the Peace Brigade Senate had been more than happy to give details and locations of their remaining forces and agents. Many were under direct Yuuzhan Vong command, guarding vital supply-lines or important hyperspace junctures. Duro had been one of them. The planet was freed for the time being, and Admiral Kre'fey's fleet was once again on their way to another location, another mission.

Anakin and Tahiri were spending the sojourn between missions just enjoying the all too brief moment of peace together. The last three weeks had been spent fighting in a grim war. A war that had only recently reminded them of their own mortality, of how quickly death could take friends and loved ones. Tahiri's squadron had taken its first casualty during the fight for Duro, her wingman had taken a missile meant for her. The event had shaken both Tahiri and Anakin. To deal with it, they tried to make the most of the time they had together—spending down time with their fingers intertwined, eating in the privacy of their quarters, just hanging out in the ship's arboretum or star-longue. Even now, they were just luxuriating in the feel of the other, taking comfort from the simple embrace.

"Hmm?"

"Do you think you can teach me to sense Yuuzhan Vong too?"

Anakin glanced down at the teen ensconced against his side. "You want to learn Vongsense?"

"Mhmm," Tahiri said. "As close as I am to Shaeri and all the others, I'm still missing that bond I can form with most friends. I mean, I can sense all of the Barefoot pilots in the Force, sometimes even know what they're thinking, feeling. But when I'm with the Freed Ones, it's just a whole lot of absentness. I can talk with them, understand a bit of their culture, but not being able to feel them in the Force…wrong isn't the word I want. Distant, maybe. I'll always feel distant to them."

"If we do this…it might bring up, well, the memories of what you had to go through on Yavin Four," Anakin said, giving her a brief hug of support.

Tahiri smiled wanly at him. "I'll be okay with that, Anakin. You have to remember, it was the other Tahiri who went through that. I still have the memories of when Riina was created, but none of the emotional attachment or trauma."

"If you're certain."

"I am," Tahiri said firmly.

They both rolled out of the bunk to sit cross-legged on the floor of their cabin. Anakin opened his mouth to begin, looked at Tahiri, and then took a moment to compose himself. He searched around for a moment, then tossed Tahiri's shirt back to her. "Here, it'll be hard for me to concentrate if you're sitting there in your underclothing."

Tahiri's smile was genuine this time, but took mercy on her boyfriend. "And what about you, Solo? You going to stay shirtless too?"

Anakin rolled his eyes but summoned his own shirt. "Now let us begin."

"Yes, Master Solo," Tahiri said with mock solemn-ness.

"I guess the first thing you'd have to do is focus on that piece of Yuuzhan Vong within you. The one that was implanted into your head. It's probably better to focus on something that is there, than the scars left by the other implants."

"Focusing," Tahiri said softly, her eyes fluttering close.

Anakin resisted the urge to kiss her and continued his instruction. "From talking with Jacen, I've learned that there are two different ways you can do this. There's the symbiotic path and the dominating path. Everything the Yuuzhan Vong use is living, they have their own awareness, senses, and being. Just like the material they put in your head, like my or Alema's lambent, or Jacen's slave-seed. What you have to decide on now is whether or not you want to work with that Yuuzhan Vong part of you, or make it work for you.

Working with it might be easier for you because it involves accepting everything about the Yuuzhan Vong part of you and sharing in its feelings. But, if there is any part of you that still rejects the idea of the Yuuzhan Vong being a part of you, you could always try the alternate way.

Dominating the Yuuzhan Vong part of you, subjugating it to your will and using it as a tool instead of an ally, is what Alema and Jacen do. For Jacen, it's understandable because to work with his slave-seed, he'll have to constantly relive the pain of being captured and tortured. Alema too, because she lost her sister to the Yuuzhan Vong and has an inherent fear of them. It all depends on how much you've accepted what happened to the other Tahiri on Yavin Four."

Tahiri licked her lips and nodded once in acknowledgement, focusing on the implanted piece of brain material the shapers had placed within her mind. The place that had once contained Riina and the life she never truly lived. Echoes of what the other Tahiri went through, the confusion, anguish, and despair, floated through her. Despite her reassurance to Anakin that the memories wouldn't affect her, Tahiri couldn't stop the beads of sweat from breaking out on her forehead, or from clenching her hands into tight fists as she watched her past-self suffer. Her first instinct was to fight it, just like the old Tahiri had. She didn't want the pain, didn't want to change. Her body shook and she opened her mouth to reject what she was seeing, re-experiencing.

Just as suddenly as those thoughts crossed her mind, another thought struck her. She had changed, but Anakin still accepted her. He still loved her despite the fact that she had embraced the Yuuzhan Vong part of her. The Yuuzhan Vong part of her hadn't made her dark or despised, but had in fact made her stronger, made her relationship with Anakin all the more unbreakable. Her hands slowly unclenched and a peaceful, happy smile fluttered across her face. The Shaping had hurt, yes. Would she willingly be Shaped again? Probably not. She couldn't hate the Yuuzhan Vong though. Didn't want to. So much good had come of her Shaping. She had Yuuzhan Vong friends, Taan, Shaeri, and the others. She even had a pet rakamat, which the Freed Ones under General Antilles were taking care of. She could appreciate the Yuuzhan Vong culture, understand why they thought as they did. And she could do all that and still make-out with her boyfriend in her free time.

The tension left her body completely as she accepted what had been done to her. As she did, her Force-presence changed.

"And that is what Alema calls Vongphase," Anakin said wryly. "A complete acceptance of the Yuuzhan Vong and the willingness to give up the Force to be one with them."

Tahiri's eyes flew open when she felt Anakin disappear from the Force, her own Force presence returning at light-speed. Even though he was right in front of her, she couldn't sense him. "Anakin…"

"Relax Tahiri," Anakin smiled reassuringly. "You'll be able to sense me in Vongsense. Connect yourself to that bit of Yuuzhan Vong still in you. See this room using the Yuuzhan Vong part of you as a filter. Once you connect to it, look out around you again. Jedi aren't naturally able to sense the Yuuzhan Vong, so we need a little help."

Tahiri swallowed, not quite willing to close her eyes when she could no longer feel him. She did so anyways, taking a deep breath and once again seeking out the part of her that was not of this galaxy. She made contact with it, accepting it, empathizing with it. And just like that, her view of the room changed entirely. The room dropped away, the cold metal walls too alien for the Yuuzhan Vong part of her. She could see Anakin though, sitting in front of her as clear as day. He waved at her cheerfully, and Tahiri opened her eyes in excitement.

"I did it!"

"Think you can sense Shaeri and the others?" Anakin said encouragingly, letting himself come out of Vongphase.

Tahiri nodded eagerly and once again closed her eyes. It was easier now, to connect with the foreign part of her after the third time. She knew what to look for, what to do. This time, not only did the surrounding room drop away, but so did most of the ship as she expanded her senses outwards. For once, the life of her Yuuzhan Vong friends no longer registered as voids to her, aberrations in the Force. She could feel the presences of the others. One Yuuzhan Vong was even approaching the door.

"Come in Shaeri," Tahiri said with a broad grin, just as Shaeri was hesitantly reaching for the door-chime. Tahiri could literally see Shaeri startle and look around for some sort of camera. Tahiri couldn't quite feel Shaeri's thoughts or gauge her feelings, but just being able to locate Shaeri was enough for her.

Tahiri reached out and tried to open the door, and frowned when it wouldn't obey her.

"You have to switch back to the regular Force," Anakin said patiently. "Vongsense only works with finding Yuuzhan Vong. Even then, you can only get accurate numbers in deep meditation. It's called Vong'sense' and not vongtelekinesis after all. I've been trying to find a way to reconcile the Force and Vongsense, but haven't had much luck so far."

Tahiri opened her eyes again and repeated the gesture. The door slid open.

Shaeri stood in the entrance, seemingly unsure of what to do.

"[Tahiri, are you in presentable?]"

Tahiri glanced down at herself, then fished around the room for her pants. She slid them on and did her best to tame her hair. "I am now, Shaeri. What's up?"

Shaeri timidly turned her gaze to Tahiri, as if fearing what she would see. "Your Admiral Kre'fey has called a meeting. It appears as if your leaders finally have a plan to destroy the Yuuzhan Vong fleet."

Tahiri and Anakin exchanged significant glances. "We'll be right there."

|-()-|V|-()-|

"So let me get this straight," Jaina said over the loud noises of the pneumatic hammers in the background. "We're going to be hiding down here while General Farlander defends this useless hunk of rock?"

"Yes ma'am," the engineer replied. "Don't worry, these blastproof doors will ensure that you'll be perfectly safe for several hours at least."

"Several hours?" Jacen rose an eyebrow, his breath coming out in a fine mist. As ordered, they were on Ebaq 9 helping to prepare the bunker that they would later use. Anakin was elsewhere with Admiral Kre'fey's fleet, along with Tahiri and most of the other Jedi.

All the twins knew were the drills and maneuvers aimed at both defending the moon and retreating too it to the caves deep underground.

"We'll have power packs, lifesuits, blasters, and ammunition stored here," the engineer continued. "We'll also have dried rations and water."

"Lifesuits?" Jacen repeated.

"Just in case there's a breach in the integrity of the caves," the engineer nodded. "The caves and facility are pressurized, but there is no atmosphere on Ebaq 9 so depressurization is one of the dangers."

"As if an impending Yuuzhan Vong attack wasn't dangerous enough," Jaina grumbled. "We get the added bonus of either suffocating or freezing to death before they even get here."

"And these preparations are all from Admiral Ackbar's orders?" Jacen clarified, rubbing his hands together in an attempt to keep them warm.

"Yes, sir."

"That's it," Jaina groaned. "He's finally gone insane."

|-()-|VI|-()-|

"You're going to have us deliberately give away the location of Jaina and Jacen Solo? No offense, Master Skywalker, but are you insane?" Valin Horn said in disbelief, looking at his orders. After he and the others had recovered at the Shelter and spent another month of relative boredom, he had been surprised when his father had stopped by with some news. They could either remain at the Shelter for the rest of the war or once again try to help out. The month of reflection, as well as conversations with Masters Solusar, had renewed the will of the young apprentices and they leapt at the chance to redeem themselves. Since then, they had been under Ayddar Nylykerka's command, tracking sympathizers and helping seed disinformation.

"You wanted to help," Mara said with a smirk. "The Yuuzhan Vong sympathizer will believe that he's conned the naïve Jedi apprentices into giving him the information jackpot of a lifetime. While the office of Senator Praget learns about the appropriation for a base in the Deep Core, this agent will learn that the base will house the famed Jedi twins."

"Different sources of information will lend to the credibility of the report," Ayddar coached. "We break up the information in bits and pieces, allowing multiple agents to report back to their masters. It will then be up to Nom Anor and the other Vong commanders to piece those reports back together. We'll come up with even more ways to leak this information as the time grows nearer."

"If you're sure," Valin said dubiously. "Does Jaina or Jacen know that they're being used as bait?"

Mara chuckled and shook her head. "Not yet."

Valin looked back and forth between Mara and Ayddar. "Is it wrong to be scared of the good guys?"

"Don't worry," Ayddar said good-naturedly. "We scare ourselves sometimes too."

|-()-|VII|-()-|

"Zekk," Anakin said. "I've just learned that my brother and sister are being used as bait for the mother of all Yuuzhan Vong attacks, how am I supposed to feel?"

"Shocked?"

"Felt that. It passed after the first few seconds"

"Angry?"

"Nah."

"Worried?"

"Definitely feeling some of that."

"While you two get in touch with Anakin's feelings, do any of the others have an opinion about the plan?" Corran said dryly.

"Itz a win-lose situation," Saba Sebatyne hissed. "We are gambling much. A sizable portion of our fleet would be destroyed should thiz go wrong."

"They will be arriving in the biggest force we've seen in a while," Zekk said with some concern. "There's the possibility they could rush towards Jaina even before our fleets have a chance to jump into the system."

"[Not to mention that we haven't engaged the Yuuzhan Vong in an actual battle in a long while,]" Lowbacca said with the aid of his translator droid. "[They might have likewise developed tactics we haven't seen before]."

"I do have one problem with Admiral Ackbar's plan," Anakin said reluctantly.

"Go ahead," Corran motioned.

"The Shamed Ones."

"Anakin?"

"According to Taan back on Ylesia, the Freed One movement has grown to over ten thousand, and that's just the Shamed Ones. There are also lower class warriors, priest, and even Shapers who have joined the movement, each worshiping different Jedi as the avatars of their gods. The fleets that will be approaching, even if we're using conservative numbers, will have upwards to five to fifteen thousand Shamed Ones and lower ranking warriors in varying capacities. Even the smaller frigates would have a dozen Shamed Ones alone."

"What do you suggest, then?

Anakin exhaled slowly. "I'm not sure how many supporters we'll have in the fleet that arrives, but if we can somehow signal that their time to act is now, we might be able to sow confusion amongst the Yuuzhan Vong fleet and buy Jaina and Jacen time to escape. We've already seen how Shamed Ones managed to capture Komm Karsh. Who knows. Maybe if we're really lucky, we might even be able to capture Tsavong Lah the same way."

Admiral Kre'fey, who was standing in the background, stroked his furry chin contemplatively. "The trick will be how we should inform these so-called sympathizers."

Anakin volunteered an answer. "I've already been thinking about that. We can lay down buoys along the hyperspace route coming in. Make them look like navigational buoys to avoid suspicion. We can then have Shaeri, Tahiri, or one of the other Freed Ones broadcast a message through those buoys, using frequencies the villips can pick up. Something along the lines of 'the avatars of the gods order all true believers to rise up,' or some mumbo jumbo like that. We can then sit back and watch what happens."

"The likelihood of that working…"

"Is low, I know," Anakin nodded at Zekk. "But as long as it has a chance of doing so…we're going to need every little bit of help we can get. At the very least, it will get some of our sympathizers to escape pods before we blast their ships to pieces."

"I'll have some of the technicians get right on it," Admiral Kre'fey said with approval. "Any plan that can hurt the Vong more is good enough for me."

Anakin smiled faintly. "Thank you, Admiral."

The Ralroost emerged from hyperspace in the thicket of the Deep Core. Here the stars were so tightly clustered together, it looked unnatural to anyone used to the wide and dazzling array they were so used to seeing. In the distance, Farlander's fleet swarmed and engineers went about readying the ninth moon for the task in store for it.

"Ebaq Nine," Admiral Kre'fey said with a gesture. "What will soon be a graveyard."

"Hopefully for them and not us," Anakin murmured under his breath.

Lowie warbled in agreement, staring out at General Farlander's fleet and the dead piece of space rock that was to be their home until the arrival of the Yuuzhan Vong fleet.

|-()-|VIII|-()-|

"Mom."

"Doran," Tyria said, most of her attention spent on piloting their ship through an ion storm.

"Why are we out here again?"

Tyria glanced to the co-pilot's seat. "You heard that spacer. There's rumored to be a cache of Jedi holocrons in the mountains. Holocrons that predate the Jedi of the Clone War era. But that isn't really what you wanted to ask, is it?"

Their ship swooped around several jagged bolts of energy, momentarily dipping and giving them a view of the rocky ground below. A ground strewn with the remains of many ships. Treasure hunters, mercenaries, salvage teams, all meeting their final end on the distant moon on the far Outer Rim.

"I understand that the knowledge these holocrons contain might be ground breaking," Doran said. "But when compared to what the others are doing, it doesn't feel like we're helping the war effort all that much."

"The others?"

"I know you were outside my cabin when I took that call from Sannah." Doran said without any anger. "How can I call myself a Jedi when everyone else is off fighting the war? I mean, we've spent a majority of it out here in the middle of nowhere."

"Your time will come, Doran," Tyria said, her voice soft. "You will be a great warrior, someday. I'm sure of it."

"I just…it doesn't feel right," Doran looked at his feet. "What good will a little bit of knowledge do if the Jedi Order gets wiped out while we're out here?"

"The Jedi Order isn't that weak," Tyria commented wryly. "And think about it, Doran. The more knowledge you do have, the greater the Jedi you will become. You already know several techniques known only by a few groups of hidden Force users. You know the basics and theory of several other advanced abilities, some of which you taught yourself. Sometimes I'm amazed that you came from me, since you're so strong in the Force."

"And you're sure Kell Tainer's my dad?" Doran replied dryly.

Tyria gave him a playful Force shove. "Har, har. With that wit, yes."

"Can we compromise?" Doran said.

"About?"

"After we find this holocron cache, we do one mission that helps the war effort. The galaxy is our home after all, and dad shouldn't be the only one in our family who has to defend it."

Tyria glanced over at her son for several long moments, then nodded once. "Fine. After this mission, we'll stop by Mon Cal, pick up Sannah, and we'll go on another adventure."

"Mom?" Doran's cheeks reddened.

"I was outside your door when you took that message," Tyria said deadpan. "Didn't she make you promise to drop by when you could?"

Doran looked away. "Yes, she did."

"Then it's settled," Tyria said brightly. "I'll even let the two of you pick our next destination."

"How are we going to do that?"

"The same way I pick our destinations. I let the Force guide me," Tyria answered.

"So the Force guided you into this ion storm? I thought it was that spacer at the tap-caf."

"Force, drunken spacer, pretty much the same thing, I don't really understand either." Tyria said. "You just go with your instincts with both and hope you don't crash."

"Crashing would be bad. I'm on this ship too," Doran said wryly.

"You see, that's why I don't understand the Force," Tyria groaned. "Why it had to let you inherit your father's sense of humor, I'll never know."

|-()-|IX|-()-|

"I still don't see why we can't be with Jaina and the others," Valin Horn complained to his friends, sitting out in an open-air café. The smell of the ocean was prevalent, but after living on Mon Calamari for over a month, they didn't notice it. "We're just as much Jedi as they are."

"I know what you mean," Sannah said, sitting at the edge of the platform with her feet happily kicking the water. They didn't need to be Jedi to know who she was thinking about. Despite her preoccupation, she carried on her role pretty well. "I mean, I didn't go through all that training just to sit around on Mon Cal while the others get to have fun on some moon. What was the name again?"

"Ebaq something," Jysella said, a straw in her mouth as she drank from a colorful drink that had several fruit wedges hanging from the rim of the long glass. "I don't know why you're complaining, big brother. I'd rather be here enjoying the sun than freezing my butt off on some abandoned mining center."

Their waiter returned, topping off their drinks and refilling their bread basket; for the fourth time. The café they were at was very popular with the politicians and military officials. The perfect place for a Yuuzhan Vong spy to gather information, as meal time was one of the few times people let their guard down. The waiter currently serving the young Jedi was actually a Peace Brigade spy, one of many who had been ferreted out over the past month.

"Hey, when can we expect our food?" Seff complained.

"We did order twenty minutes ago, and I'm starving," Bazel added, patting his stomach.

"My apologies," the waiter babbled. "I'll bring your food right out."

With the waiter gone, Jysella shook her head. "This is almost too easy."

"I know, his mind is like an open book," Valin sighed, almost disappointed with how easily the spy had fallen for their act.

"On the bright side," Sannah said. "Ayddar is paying for this meal."

Bazel showed his large teeth as he smiled. "Why do you think I ordered the most expensive dishes? You can't get much on a Jedi salary so this was my one chance to try some of them."

"Seriously though," Yaqeel said softly. "Do you think Jaina and the others will be alright?"

The waiter returned with several of their dishes, but not all of them. He made an extra effort to serve the few dishes he did have while the others continued their ploy.

"It is extremely reproachable how they hide while everyone else is fighting the war. It's almost like they've already admitted the war's been lost," Natua said coldly. "If I were in their shoes, I would not even think about hiding in some secret base until the very end."

"Maybe they do think that the war is nearing an end," Seff shrugged, moving aside to let the waiter place his meal before him. "That's why they went all the way out there. To hide out and hope for one final stand."

"So much for being heroes of the New Republic," Valin muttered, slightly disgruntled that his dish wasn't among the ones that had arrived. In the meantime, his younger sister gleefully attacked some sort of seafood dish, something that looked suspiciously like some sort of squid or octopus; all the while deliberately broadcasting her enjoyment of the meal just to annoy him. Really, who had squid on Mon Calamari?

The waiter left, and Valin offered Yaqeel a sympathetic nod. "They'll be alright. They have to be."

"For once, I don't envy their jobs," Seff said. He picked up his glass and held it up for a toast. "To Jaina, Jacen and the others, and the hope that they make it out of this mess alive."

The toast was echoed, and then the group once again fell back into character as the waiter brought several more, but not all, of their dishes out. Valin sighed once more, resisting the urge to give the waiter a mental slap. Playing spy was fun, but waiting for one's very late lunch —he had to not only skip breakfast for the briefing, but also had to wait until the Peace Brigade spy was on his shift, which today, was in the late afternoon— was not.

|-()-|X|-()-|

Anakin checked the readout of his X-wing once more as he flew in formation with eleven other fighter-craft.

"Barefoot Leader, Twin Suns Lead is withdrawing."

"Affirmative Twin Suns Leader, we've got your back." Tahiri's voice was clear over the comm. "Barefoots, let's make sure the Goddess gets to ground."

A series of affirmatives came over the channel and the formation of fighters shifted. Barefoot squadron was just one of two squadrons now covering Twin Suns. Using feedback from the Jedi and other military officials, Admiral Ackbar's plan had been improved somewhat. To prevent an unexpected surge by the Vong fleet, as many had seen on Hapes and Borleias in reaction to Jaina's presence, Barefoot and Vanguard squadrons would join Twin Suns during the engagement. Though Twin Suns would be the only squadron to actually retreat to Ebaq 9, the additional presence of two fighter squadrons was on hand to ensure that Twin Suns had the time to make that retreat.

"Barefoot Twelve, how does the rest of the squadron look from back there?"

Anakin smiled and thumbed the comlink. "The same as it looked the last dozen times we did this drill, Lead. Flawless as usual."

There had been some initial discussion to keep Anakin in Twin Suns squadron, but the idea had been nixed by both Jaina and Jacen. Neither wanted their little brother to be in the position of bait. Instead, much to Anakin and Tahiri's amusement, Anakin had been assigned to Barefoot Squadron by Admiral Kre'fey; who reasoned that Anakin would be motivated to give his siblings the time they needed to escape. Anakin took the spot of the pilot who had been killed in the Duro campaign, adding a second Force Sensitive to the otherwise non-Force sensitive squadron. A squadron Anakin was more than impressed by nonetheless.

Before leaving Borleias, Anakin had only briefly seen Tahiri command and train the Freed Ones. Seeing her lead a squadron of fighters, as well as hold the respect of the other pilots, was something he wasn't used to. She had developed a take-charge attitude similar to Jaina, and seemed to know how to get the best out of her pilots. Even when they had lost their fellow Barefoot, she had grieved privately, and then grieved again with the rest of the squadron, pulling them together.

They were also fiercely loyal to her. When Anakin met them for the first time they had discretely pulled him aside and threatened him with bodily harm should he hurt her again. It had been a new and amusing experience, and he was definitely glad that she had people looking out for her. Talking to the others, he then learned of the extent at which she had trained and led the Freed Ones, turning them into an effective fighting force.

So much about her had changed since he had been away. Even after several months, he was still surprised by how different a person she had become. She was more self-assured. She knew what she wanted and definitely had the confidence to get it. She had even developed the knack for bringing non-like groups together; as evident when Barefoot Squadron ate with the Freed Ones, technicians, and ground forces, aboard the Ralroost. Yet, much of her stayed the same. She was still bubbly with a hint of steel, barefoot, and had that bright outlook on the galaxy that made him want to believe that everything would turn out for the better. He wasn't exactly sure what to make of the changes.

Pleasantly surprised came to mind. Her new found confidence was especially welcomed in the energetic way she kissed...and more recently, other more pleasurable pursuits. She had only grown more beautiful since he had last saw her, fit even better against him than he remembered. As images of their post-Ylesia private celebration played through his mind, he heard a mental cough.

Little Brother, you do realize you're still linked up to the meld? Jaina's thoughts, tinged with amusement, entered his mind.

Anakin blinked, then flushed deeply as he tried to focus on the training mission at hand. With great desperation, he tried to will away all thoughts of his girlfriend; which was very hard considering that the post-Ylesia celebration was very memorable indeed. It had been the first time they had gone beyond kissing and heavy petting. They hadn't gone all the way yet, but…Anakin frantically made a second attempt at ending that train of thought. You will forget that I was ever thinking those things I was thinking.

Weak minded fools we're not, Little Brother. Jacen's laughter followed.

Pleasantly surprised, Hero Boy?

In a very good way, Anakin sent to Tahiri, wincing. I was thinking about…well…you know.

We don't want to know. Zekk's thoughts were dry and to the point. Please Anakin, we really don't.

It is a good thing your mother is not yet here and a part of the meld, Lowbacca's guffawing evident in his mind-speak.

Really, this is the greatest gathering of Jedi in a while. Fine time to have those types of thoughts about your girlfriend, Kyp sent good-naturedly.

"Barefoot Leader, permission to fly my fighter into the moon," Anakin said drolly, letting his head fall forward and touch the top of his fighter's control console.

"Denied, Twelve." It was very clear that Tahiri was grinning. Glad I left such a lasting impression, Hero Boy.

Hero Boy's not home right now, please leave a message and he'll get back to you after he dies of embarrassment.

Constant drilling and preparing for the imminent Yuuzhan Vong attack had been stressful at times, but also very boring. They had done the same drills over and over again, so many times, that it was hard to not let one's attention wander. Of course, being in a battlemeld during the exercises meant that one's daydreams and ruminations were often picked up by everyone else. Most were fairly benign in nature. Occasionally more private thoughts would surface in the meld as the thinker loses track of his or herself in their boredom.

Like Anakin, who had just been so kindly reminded by everyone else of where his mind was and who his mind was connected to.

While Anakin recovered, the amusement of the others was prevalent. The positive atmosphere in the meld had been present since the day they had started the drills.

Despite the clear danger approaching them, the three Solo children were the furthest thing possible from exhausted and worried. Their bright outlook on things translated through the meld and lifted everyone's spirits. Since their knighting, it was as if the three siblings had become pillars on which the Jedi Order now rested on.

First there was the placid calmness of Jacen's own thoughts. As the Conscience of the Jedi he was doing his best to predict Yuuzhan Vong movements to minimize casualties. His cool knowledge of the way a Yuuzhan Vong warrior thinks, of the way their fighters worked, translated through the meld and bolstered everyone's chances of survival. He trusted the others to do their best with the information he was sharing. Was secure in the knowledge that victory was indeed possible. There was a certainty in Jacen's thoughts that kept everyone focus. Jacen's logical way at viewing the engagement—from his faith in everyone's abilities, to assuring them that they all had within them the ability to make it through the fight—gave the gathered Jedi the confidence they needed for the coming battle.

Then there was the aggressive heat from the Sword of the Jedi. Jaina's desire to defend her rookie squadmates, to ensure that everyone made it out alive, instilled great loyalty. Her goals became everyone's goals, and their support and the knowledge that they too were standing by her, kept Jaina's resolve strong. She was the Sword of the Jedi and would lead the charge, and the retreat, to lure the Yuuzhan Vong into their doom. The nearly three dozen other Jedi in the meld, from masters such as Cilghal, Tresina, Kyp, and Madurrin to knights like Coran, Saba, Tekli, Zekk, Lowbacca, Jacen, and the others, all stood with her. She may be the Sword of the Jedi, but she had at her sides an army of swords ready to do battle with her. To protect everyone and everything they all valued.

As the Heart of the Jedi, Anakin provided the much needed unity among the oft-times disparate members of the Order. He had a natural charisma that made people either hate him or love him, but at the same time, willing to follow him no matter what their opinions of him were. He got things done despite the odds . He was aggression, but in moderation. He was serenity, but in limitation. His strength in the Force was undeniable, but at the same time, so was his humility. The power he radiated emboldened others, made the impossible possible. There was an undeniable sense of hope, even as they joked at Anakin's expense, that not only the coming battle, but the entire war, was winnable.

"Okay, Twin Suns, Barefoots, and Vanguards, one more time and we'll call it a day," General Farlander's voice came over the comm. "This time there'll be a twist. Rogue Squadron has just jumped in and is on temporarily loan to us from General Antilles. They, Sapphire, and Piper Squadrons will be playing the roles of incoming Vong craft. Let's see how you all do."

"You heard the general," Jaina said. "From the top, people!"

As the squadrons of fighters moved into position for their mock battle, there was no mistaking the seriousness that underlay the light-hearted atmosphere. Sure it was believed that the war and battle was winnable, but that didn't mean that everyone would still be around to see it. As they again honed their abilities, the silent question was raised. How many of them would survive the coming battle? How many more of their friends and family would they lose?

|-()-|XI|-()-|

"You're still on Mon Calamari?" Alema said, her eyes closed as she addressed the lone figure in her room. After being taken out of the bacta tank to heal the burns and bone fractures she had received from having a good portion of the building fall and burn around her, she had been ordered to rest in her quarters. She wasn't even allowed to join the others in whatever secret mission they were on. Not that it mattered at the moment.

"I am."

"I would have thought you'd be wherever Jacen is by now," Alema continued, still appearing as though she was asleep. The lights in her room were dimmed to their lowest level, backlighting both figures in a blue-ish hue.

"He does not need me at the moment."

"When will he need you?"

"You have many questions, young Jedi."

"And you are very questionable, Jedi Knight Vergere," Alema replied with the same mock courteousness the Fosh Force-user was showing her.

Vergere made an amused cluck. "You are unlike the other Jedi of this new Order."

"And I doubt you were like the Jedi of your old Order," Alema retorted, finally opening her eyes to look at the Fosh.

"That is true," Vergere remarked, her piercing stare burrowing into the depths of Alema's being. "We share much in common."

"I only embrace my feelings," Alema said calmly. "Not hide or run from them."

"And I control my own. Not let them run amuck."

"What is it you want, riddle-maker?" Alema swung her legs over the side of the bunk to face the seated Fosh.

"Many things," Vergere said airily. "The moon, the stars, for the war to end, for another era to begin. Time. One can never have enough time."

"You want to know why I destroyed the facility when I could have easily let you carry out your own plans," Alema said perceptively.

"The Jedi truly have changed if they sanction the killing of innocents," Vergere said with a curious tilt of her head.

"The Vong were the ones that did the killing," Alema scoffed, she slid out of the bunk and began to dress. "Besides, the scientists were far from innocent."

"It is as you say," Vergere replied, tilting her head. "It is strange, for a Jedi who has just done what she did, I sense no remorse, no regret, in you."

"Should I show remorse for people who had planned to unleash a great evil into the galaxy?" Alema said.

"Should you?" Vergere chuckled. "So to stop an evil, you perpetrate an evil. There were other ways to neutralize the weapon without death."

"If those scientists had lived, the project would only be delayed. The knowledge still in existence," Alema said.

"So you sought to snuff out any knowledge of the weapon," Vergere inclined her head. "Which is wise, considering your Master Skywalker would have been unable to stop it himself."

"He's not my master," Alema corrected. "He's simply a master."

"You do not approve of him?"

"Does it really matter what I think?" Alema shrugged.

Vergere smiled sagely. "You have been well trained."

"And you ask too many questions.

Vergere stood. "You are very questionable, Alema Rar. And you are definitely not a Jedi of the new Order."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You can think on your own," Vergere answered. "Your opinions are not the echoes of another."

"Their opinions and mine have never matched," Alema pulled on a heavy vest, then moved to the mirror in her room to touch up the tattoos on her lekku. Once finished, she paused for a moment, and then decided to extend the tattoos to the sides of her face and tops of her shoulders. "Hard to echo leaders you don't agree with."

"Yet, I sense a strong loyalty to someone," Vergere's eyes narrowed. "Love? No, something else."

Alema cast an annoyed look over her shoulder. "Was it a habit of the old Order to dig into people's brains without their permission?"

"You are doing nothing to stop me."

Alema flicked her lekku back over her shoulders. "You are doing nothing to hurt me. Dig all you want, Vergere." You'll find that I'm full of surprises.

The Fosh Force-user tilted her own head back upon sensing the other within her head. "You conceal yourself well."

Alema's blue eyes pinned Vergere in place as they withdrew from each other's minds. "And you have too many secrets. Your own agenda still. What do you have in store for Jacen?"

Vergere took a step back to the door with a mysterious grin, acknowledging Alema's ability with a nod of her head. "You will just have to wait in see, young Jedi. I will merely help him achieve his true destiny."

"Help all you want, Vergere," Alema said. "What you do with Jacen, I don't really care. Just take care not to cross me or my plans."

"I would never do such a thing," Vergere remarked, regaining the airy, innocent tone of her voice. "Someday, in the future, our goals might even be the same. Your independence will make you a very good ally for Jacen when the time comes."

"And what time is that?" Alema said, leaning against the door jam.

"You will know when one falls and the other rises," Vergere replied.

"Ah, back to your riddles," Alema shook her head. "Have your fun, then, Vergere, and keep your secrets. This probably won't be the last time we'll talk."

Vergere shrewdly eyed Alema. "No, young Jedi. It won't be."

|-()-|XII|-()-|

"Are you sure about this?" Lilmit said, reverently eyeing the newly repaired Fish Out of Water.

"Yeah, I want you to have it," Anja Gallandro smiled, but even as she did, a spasm coursed through her body, making her grimace. "Think of it as my birthday present to you."

"Aren't you supposed to receive presents on your birthday and not give them?" Lilmit cocked his head.

"Lilmit, we're about to be facing a Vong fleet bigger than the one that attacked Coruscant. Trust me, take the ship."

"But what about you?"

"I'll just use one of the spare fighters Lando has lying around," Anja shrugged. "I know you don't have any loyalty to the Solos or the New Republic, so you don't have to stick around. Go pickup gun running again, maybe on a planet being blockaded by Vong. This isn't your fight, Lilmit."

The former smuggler straightened, as if she had just uttered an insult. "I know I'm not the bravest, or even the most trustworthy. But you are the closest thing to a friend that I've had in a long while. It just wouldn't be right if I went off while you and the others faced the Vong by yourselves."

"Technically we'll be supported by lots of New Republic ships." Anja pointed out.

"Still," Lilmit insisted. "Throughout my rather worthless life, I've yet to do anything I've been proud of. I lived day to day, not caring where my credits came from or who was hurt because of my actions. Now that I finally have a chance to make a difference, there's no way I can turn my back."

Anja sighed. "Lilmit, listen."

"No, you listen. I have ten years on you and half the amount of teeth you do. You may be a friend to the Solos and have a fancy lightsaber, but I will not let you boss me around. I'm going to help out in this battle, that's final!"

"Fine, fine," Anja rolled her eyes. "But the ship is still yours. The boss is only taking volunteer pilots this time around so he has plenty of extra ships lying about. Besides, I'm thirty years old now and I should be able to have my way for at least one…"

Anja broke off as crippling pain exploded behind her eyeballs. She let out a strangled sound, her fingers and hands twitched as she reached for her head. Lilmit was quickly at her side, tapping the dials on her implant with practiced precision. Anja was left gasping, blinking away bloody tears as her body was numbed.

"That was a bad one," Lilmit muttered, using a towel to wipe away her sweat and tears.

Anja, unable to move much of her body for the moment, made a noise of agreement. "It's been getting worse. The effects of the implant are lasting less each time."

"Maybe you shouldn't be on this mission then. We can both take off and seek our fortunes elsewhere."

Anja let out a small laugh and shook her head. "Lilmit, the Solos are the closest things I have to friends, not including you or our boss. There's no way I can just let them stare at certain death. Since this is probably the last time I'll be able to fly a ship, the timing couldn't be better."

"You just might live long enough to see the end of this war," Lilmit agreed, worry reflected in his eyes.

"I'll be okay, Lilmit," Anja smiled wanly, feeling slowly returning to her limbs. "Like you said, we've got to see this through until the end."

"You really should stop me from saying those serious sounding quotes," Lilmit whined. "It makes me sound braver than I actually am."

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to set the historians straight," Anja said, she began to shakily walk towards one of the many fighters in the hangar bay. "Take care of the ship and yourself, Lilmit."

"Take care of yourself as well, Anja," Lilmit said with rare seriousness. "It just wouldn't be right if a nobody like me outlived somebody as great as you."

Anja looked over her shoulder and smiled kindly. "You're not a nobody, Lilmit. You're the best partner someone like me could have. Thanks for everything."

"That sounds a lot like a goodbye," Lilmit said suspiciously.

Anja shook her head. "I never say goodbye. We have no idea what's in store for us the next day, so goodbyes are kind of pointless. As the Solos have showed me, nothing is impossible."

|-()-|XIII|-()-|

The door shivered open, and Nom Anor immediately recoiled at the broad, toothy, grinning face that greeted him scant centimeters from his face. The figure broke out into laughter at Nom Anor's reaction, clapping his hands gleefully as he spun around until he reached Shimrra's side. There he flounced to the ground and broke out in song.

"His intelligence has failed us oft before, shall we listen again to the one-eyed Nom Anor!"

The foreboding presence of the Supreme Overlord was the only thing that kept Nom Anor from pummeling Onimi to a bloody pulp. Instead, the Executor respectful entered the room and prostrated himself in front of the throne of pulsing red hau polyps.

He began reciting his planned speech in his mind, all too aware of the rainbow eyes burning into him. On his knees, Nom Anor did his best not to think about the other discoveries he had made in recent time. That the Supreme Overlord had no eighth cortex to give to the people, but was manipulating the religion to suit his purposes. That Shimrra had no divine right but was as hollow as the politicians Nom Anor had observed during his time in this galaxy. Shimrra may have been lying and manipulating everyone, but he nonetheless held absolute power, as evident by the skin-robes he wore of the previous Supreme Overlord..

"You have news of the infidels?" Shimrra's deep voice echoed loudly through the hall.

"I have, Supreme One. I believe that I have the information that will bring about the decisive battle."

Without it, you will not have time to complete the eighth cortex, Nom Anor thought darkly. It wasn't that he wanted Shimrra's deception to be successful. Without a Supreme Overlord to hold the disparate ranks of the Yuuzhan Vong castes together, however, who knew what would become of the Yuuzhan Vong? For all his emptiness, Shimrra's power kept order, had led them from their home galaxy and waged a winnable war on this one. The priests obeyed him. The warriors revered him. The shapers saw him as the fountain of their god-given knowledge. Even Nom Anor's own caste relied on Shimrra to keep the order, relied on him for their power and position within the society. Despite his distaste, it truly was in Nom Anor's best interest to see to it that Shimrra's deceits succeeded.

"Very well, Executor," Shimrra replied neutrally, a counter to the excitement Nom Anor felt due to the importance of the information he had. "We shall await the Warmaster."

"As you wish, Dread One."

Long seconds ticked by as Nom Anor used all of his willpower not to squirm before the Supreme Overlord. He still remembered the last time he was in Shimrra's presence, the way the Overlord stared down at him, as if Shimrra had seen through the countless lies and hidden agendas he had tucked away.

Onimi waddled towards the membrane door and opened it before Tsavong could even reach for the control node. The misshapen Shamed Ones then stepped on one side and bowed almost mockingly.

"Behold the great soldier, veteran of many wars, Great Tsavong Lah, whom all the corps adores."

Tsavong Lah entered the room and lowered himself before the Supreme Overlord.

"At your command, Supreme One."

"Stand, Warmaster. What is the readiness of the fleets?"

"The fleets are ready, Dread Lord. Our auxiliaries have been trained and stand ready to guard our conquests. We continue to recruit mercenaries."

"None of these elements have distinguished themselves thus far," Shimrra pointed out.

"The raids of the enemy will stop once we resume our offensive," Tsavong said, he held out a fist before him. "We are ready to fight, to win, Supreme One! Give me a destination, a target, and it shall be ours or ash."

Onimi let out a giggle through his deformed mouth. "Look to Nom Anor, Warmaster of great renown, he has a suggestion, one he thinks is sound."

Tsavong Lah's expression darkened, and his outstretched fist returned to his side, curling even tighter. "This one? Dread One, I have followed his advice before. He shares the blame in the number of casualties I have taken in all of my engagements."

Shimrra rose, his eyes shimmering as he stepped off his throne. "Executor, speak."

Nom Anor did as he was bade. "My spies inform me that the New Republic government has fled Mon Calamari and is hiding in the Deep Core. The Warmaster and his forces may trap them there and crush them. Without a central government, the enemy will fall apart. The Warmaster may then prey on whichever systems he desire with ease."

Tsavong Lah was still skeptical. "Spies? What evidence do you have that this is not a trap? Your spies have not exactly been the most reliable as of late."

Nom Anor continued to face Shimrra. "I have correlated the evidence from different independent networks operating on Mon Calamari. The plans for what the enemy calls the 'Final Redoubt' came from one source. Its location came from another. My agents within the government have discovered that funds have been appropriated to build a hidden bunker in the Deep Core, and the absence of the government is common knowledge. It is said that they are on a tour of the military, but the evidence says otherwise. And finally, the Final Redoubt is guarded by Jedi, the Solo Twins in fact. This has been confirmed not only by my most reliable agent, but several others as well. Even the younger Jedi who are staying on Mon Calamari are said to be furious at the cowardice shown by the twins. After this, the Warmaster can sacrifice many important individuals to the gods. My life in payment if I am wrong, Supreme One."

"As you say, Executor. Your life as payment if you are wrong." The Supreme Overlord rumbled. " Now, let us examine this evidence and make our plans."

|-()-| Chapter End |-()-|

A\N: Just about done with Destiny's Way. Ebaq 9 is next, and then the interlude and then the two month hiatus. As usual please review if you so desire. Next chapter will be up next Saturday, really! (A bit of an advance warning for the interlude: there are two scenes in it that are still rated 'T' but in the more liberal, European attitude to physical relationships sense).

Edited 4/12/13 for minor grammar and wording issues =).