"Hey, there you are," Dorian called out toward Lenora as he entered a large storage room inside the spaceport on Tython. Lenora was on top of a platform hovering in front of the top shelf containing boxes of various supplies. She had a datapad in hand and smiled at Dorian when she saw him.
"Yes, here I am. Using the power of the Force to count."
"A valuable skill."
"Oh, most powerful indeed," she said as she lowered the platform back to ground level.
"Inventory?" he asked.
"Yup. Someone obviously doesn't believe my punishment was sufficient."
Dorian laughed.
"Well, keep at it. It's only a matter of time now."
"What's up?"
"Nothing I just wanted to say good-bye. I'm going away for a few days."
"Oh? Where to?"
"No place you've heard of. I just, you know, I'm glad you're back."
"Is this dangerous?"
"Isn't everything we do dangerous?"
Lenora glanced back up at the top shelf.
"Not everything."
"Ok, almost everything."
"Well look, I'm glad you came by. Be careful."
"Yeah. I will."
"So where are you going?"
Dorian's weight shifted to his other leg.
"Don't even try that…" Lenora warned him.
"I don't want to trouble you. I know you just got back."
"Please."
"It's about Darth Talus."
Lenora swallowed hard and looked away.
"What about him?" she asked.
"It's, I thought you were dead, you know? And he had something to do with it. We've been watching him for a long time. Planning."
"I'm alive, Dorian."
"I know. Things have changed though. At first this place was just a resource sink for the Empire. Now they're building it up. Suddenly this place is going to be generating income. We can't let the Empire strengthen their position in the galaxy. It's not even about Darth Talus anymore."
"What's it about then?"
"His apprentice is changing things. Most of the people hate her but the willingness to fight is dropping. She is making tyranny almost tolerable."
"I don't understand what that means."
"There's a lot to this. I don't want to dump it on you. Just, in case I don't make it back, you know?"
"Thanks," Lenora said and faked a smile. Dorian smiled back.
"But what's the plan, exactly. I'd feel better if I knew what you'd be doing. Maybe I can help?"
"A lot of the details are in flux and there are a lot of variables. Basically, we're trying to get the apprentice out in the open. We're hoping she's in this city outside the capital. If she's not there, things change."
"How do you get her out in the open?"
"We're going to hit three places outside of the city at once, like we did on Alderaan with one Jedi per team. The soldiers on planet are kind of spread thin so they won't be able to respond to all three sites with conventional military. She'll have to protect one personally. Master Sesh will confront her at whichever one she chooses."
"That's a lot of Jedi for just an apprentice."
"Yeah, this one is dangerous. She took Ira's hand, killed two others."
"Ira? How is she?"
"She's ok now. This apprentice is pretty hardcore to take Ira down. Ira said at the time she thought they were evenly matched but after she got back to Tython to meditate and replay the battle, she feels the Sith was actually faking, hiding her true power. Like she was holding back for an opening to take her out without killing her. You have to be pretty confident to do something like that, you know?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"This apprentice was able to find me from a thousand miles away. Have you ever heard of a power like that? I don't mean she sensed I was there. I mean she got in a ship and flew right to my doorstep. I've never even heard of a power like that before. Seems impossible. If we can get her on our side... Anyway, that's why the Jedi have to go to the surface last. We have plenty of soldiers on the ground, but as soon as the Jedi land we have to assume she'll know we're there. We'll have to attack right away."
"What about reinforcements, from the capital you mentioned?"
"That's the kicker. We have a large force that will stage an attack there. I'm supposed to be in that group. It's a feign though. Just to show large numbers and keep the local garrison pinned. If we can hold them that should force the apprentice into the open."
"To kill his apprentice?"
"If it comes to that. I think she can be brought over to the Lightside of the Force. Master Sesh doubts it, but gave me his word he'd try."
"Is this a major planet, lots of people, lots of military?"
"Hardly. Small planet, small garrison. Dirt mostly."
"So what's the point?"
"What do you mean? We always fight the Empire."
"Yeah but how about Balmorra? Corellia? Some place meaningful."
"I don't know. I guess death by a thousand cuts? It's out of the way. Some meaningless backwater. Less chance of igniting the war?"
"If it's so meaningless, what happens if you win?"
"What do you mean? Winning is a good thing."
"Yeah, if you win, what happens next? You think the Empire issues an apology and moves on?"
Dorian laughed.
"I won't hold my breath."
"If they don't need the place or the people, and it's too expensive to keep, what if they just wipe out the population from orbit?"
"That's pretty drastic."
"This is the Sith we're talking about. They can do that."
"I never thought about that."
"Well, we should. I mean, if this place is dirt then they don't have any orbital defenses. No shields, right?"
"True."
"Then they're defenseless. It wouldn't take a lot to just wipe them all out. It'd be cheap even. Cheaper than rebuilding for sure."
"Look, Lenora, this has been in the planning stage for over a year. We're pretty far along. I'm sure all of that has been considered. I'm going now."
"Now? To this planet?"
"To Coruscant. I have some people to meet up with. We leave in two days. Everything is timed with the satellite coverage. We have to slip in one small ship at a time. It'll take a few hours to get everyone coordinated."
"Master Sesh is in charge of this mission?"
"Yes."
"Maybe I should talk to him. Maybe he can stop it."
"Maybe. He's on Tython. I don't expect him on Coruscant until tomorrow."
"What's the planet's name? I want to look it up in the archives."
"Kote."
Lenora nodded and tried to smile.
"Be careful," she told him again.
"I will. I'll see you when I get back."
