The blue glow of the holo-display and its precise constructions of three-dimensional light should have seemed incongruous against the ancient stone walls inside the Sith catacomb, but strangely they did not. To Relik K'sharn they felt, instead, like an inner fire giving new life to things once dead.
A woman reporter on the holo was detailing the latest news to rock the galaxy: a joint declaration by seventy-eight of the hundred afflicted worlds that they would invoke the Anaxes Treaty of mutual defense, and were calling for help against a Yuuzhan Vong attack. Those worlds were all member states of the Galactic Alliance but Coruscant, fully enmeshed in its investigation of the failed Vongforming project, had yet to provide a response.
K'sharn was self-aware enough to realize that the Sith- his captors, his hosts- may have been using their invisible powers to affect his mind and make him warm to their overtures. Apparently he'd been doing the same to his own followers for years without realizing it. The concentrated efforts of all these Force-users could surely mold his mind.
And yet, as he watched news broadcasts, all depicting the rising anger against the Yuuzhan Vong and their Jedi allies, K'sharn believed it was more than that. From all they'd told him- assuming it was true- the Sith were not looking for a mindless pawn but a true-believer ally, and that belief could only come from within. More, there was every reason for him to be impressed by the Sith.
"All of this is your doing," he muttered, still watching the holo. "And none of them suspect."
"The Jedi believe us extinct," said the Sith on his right. "They believe they eliminated us- and Darth Krayt specifically- thirty years ago, when we allowed them to destroy our temple in the Hapes Cluster."
Two and a half meters tall, with a thin body perched on reverse-articulated legs like a bird's and a noseless face, Darth Vorkan belonged to a species called Blood Carvers, both for their curious red-stone sculptures and for their skills as assassins. Vorkan was Darth Krayt's Hand, his chief executor and assassin.
"You lured them into a trap?" K'sharn asked.
"No, but we turned a defeat into a victory," Vorkan said firmly. "I was just a child then. Lord Krayt led us to Korriban, where Darth Wyyrlok was already training Sith in secret. The Jedi, in their arrogance, believed they'd exterminated us all. It was easy for us to expand our ranks once the enemy had been lulled into false security."
"You were brought into the Sith as a child?"
"I was born Sith," the Blood Carver hissed. "Most of us were."
K'sharn looked to the woman on his right. Like most female Devaronians she looked almost like a Nagai, with no horns and her long black hair pulled into a topknot. "And you," he asked Darth Maladi, "Were you born Sith?"
She crossed her arms over her chest. "My father was a Jedi. Lord Krayt killed him when I was young and took me as his own."
She'd had to acclimate to this new life, then; this new way of thinking, acting, and being. K'sharn felt a spike of kinship for her, but reminded himself that sentiment would do no good here. "What of Krayt himself?"
"A story he'll tell you in time," said Vorkan. "But only if he thinks you're worthy."
All the more reason to prove himself. K'sharn gestured to the holo and said to Maladi, "I've been told you were the one who ruined the Ossus Project."
He'd expected a prideful smile, but Maladi nodded matter-of-fact. "I've spent all my life researching bioweaponry. I encamped on Wayland first, right beneath the nose of Kol Skywalker. My… allies and I discovered how to turn his dream against him. I spread the information to our agents on ninety-nine other worlds, and together we despoiled them."
"The Jedi must know they've been sabotaged."
"Yes, but how can they suspect us if they don't know we exist?" That got a wry smile out of her. "They will chase false leads to every corner of the galaxy before they realize what we've done to them. In the meantime the cries of righteous vengeance will grow louder and louder. Half the galaxy will be screaming for the Yuuzhan Vong's blood."
"The Jedi may throw them to the mob."
"Not the Jedi," said Darth Vorkan. "Their moral code would never allow them to betray an innocent, even when they stand at the edge of extinction."
K'sharn could appreciate the cool intellect that went into this kind of scheme, but it was the thought of violent conquest that stirred him. "When will you take the war directly to the Jedi?"
"In time," said Maladi. "I've taken steps to ensure a confrontation between the Empire and the Alliance. The Jedi will join, out of that same sense of moral obligation."
"And then we will make our presence known," said K'sharn.
"We?" asked Darth Vorkan.
He's spoken without thinking, but there was no point in drawing back. "That is why I'm here, isn't it? To join your crusade against the Jedi?"
"And what do you think you can bring to the One Sith?"
Vorkan put an intimidating growl to his voice, but K'sharn knew that if the Sith didn't see his value they wouldn't have gone so far to retrieve him. "I am a Nagai warleader. I have commanded armies and ravaged worlds. I can lead the charge against your enemies."
"You covet my position as Hand?" asked Vorkan.
"No." After he said it K'sharn realized he'd lied.
"Your vanity betrays you," Maladi said from his other side, voice soft and smooth. "To be One Sith you must put aside personal ambition. You must seek power, but only as it strengthens us all."
He looked at Vorkan. "You said you would train me. I am ready to be trained."
"Are you truly?"
K'sharn knew it wasn't an idle question. These Sith had shown him all they were willing to show. He'd never had any intention of refusing their offer- they'd surely kill him- but he'd wondered how far they'd take him before he committed himself.
He looked the Blood Carver in his gold-rimmed eyes and said, "I am ready to become a Sith."
Vorkan was fast. K'sharn caught his fist as it came up, but not in time to deflect it. The blow was as hard as any he'd ever taken. He staggered back, still on his feet, and raised his hands in front of his face.
The next blow was invisible and just as hard. It bent K'sharn over, and third, also invisible, smashed his shoulder and cracked his collarbone. Finally, the Blood Carver's three-clawed feet lashed out, slammed into his chest, and pinned him to the cold stone floor.
And suddenly K'sharn was on his back, staring at the red tip of Darth Vorkan's lightsaber. Maladi stood behind him, half-silhouetted against the blue of the still-playing holo, watching the scene with an expression of only mild interest.
Through his pain and anger, K'sharn knew that if the Sith wanted him dead they'd have done it long ago. He bared sharp teeth and said, "Is this part of a test?"
"The test is only starting." Keeping his lightsaber just inches from K'sharn's face, Darth Vorkan bent low and stared deeply into his eyes. "You will be remade. Starting today, Relik K'sharn is no more."
"And then what? Will I get a Sith name, like all of you?"
Vorkan put more pressure on his chest. The pain of cracking ribs was exquisite. He bit his lip to keep from screaming.
"Say it," Vorkan said. "Tell me that Relik K'sharn is dead."
He knew, through instinct or the Force, that if he did not he'd fail his first test and Vorkan would kill him immediately. When he could speak through the pain he said, "Relik K'sharn is dead." And as he said it, he knew it was true. He'd been dead since the battle at Terminus and awaiting resurrection.
Vorkan relieved a little pressure from his chest. "That's very good."
"Do I have… a new name?"
"No," the Blood Carver glowered. "You are nothing. You will be treated as nothing and you will be nothing until our Master decides you are worthy of being One Sith.
"Then let me prove myself… Make me into one of you."
Vorkan removed his foot and placed it on the stone floor. To Maladi he asked, "Is it ready?"
"And waiting," she said.
Vorkan looked back to the battered, nameless Nagai lying panting on the ground. "This will be your first lesson. It is the agony that forged our master into the Dark Lord he is. It is called the Embrace of Pain."
"I know pain," the nameless one growled
Vorkan's hard expression wilted to show something like pity. "You've known nothing like this," he said.
-{}-
Morlish Veed was clearly admiring himself as he stood in front of his bedroom's tall mirror. He had some reason to; though middle-aged he was as combat-fit as a soldier ten years younger, and the gray in his hair added a certain distinction to his blunt features. He filled out the olive-green admiral's uniform well, and he kept tugging its edges and sleeves until he was fully satisfied.
Sitting on the side of the bed, crossed legs jutting out from beneath her soft velvet robe, Nyna Calixte said, "Worried you won't look sufficiently pretty for Roan Fel?"
"It's the others on the Moff Council I need to impress." Veed patted his uniform flat and turned to look at her. "At least, that's what you've been insisting."
"You'll need the support of every one of them to override Fel's veto," she said. "And you can be sure Fel will try."
"I'm not worried about Geist," Veed said, "Or Seniac. Fehlaaur is canny, but he'll blow with the wind. Kaylac and Konrad Rus will be the tricky ones."
"I've already secured the vote from Rus," Calixte said.
"I'd still like to know how you persuaded him." Veed leered.
"Not the way you think, Morlish. Just a little blackmail." She frowned politely. "Even the pious head of the Imperial Mission committed a few indiscretions in his youth. Kaylac is the problem."
"He's always been a toady to Fel, and his father before him." Veed's hands turned to fists at his side. "If I were Supreme Commander of the military, I'd run things much differently."
"And you will be, one day," Calixte assured. Veed's neediness was as naked as his vanity, and as easy to exploit. "For now, settle with running the Navy. And tipping the power of the Moff Council in our direction."
"I don't suppose you were able to bribe Kaylac."
She shook her head, spilling black hair over bare shoulder. "His ethics are beyond reproach. Alas. But there are other methods. He's an Imperial patriot, and he believes the role of the military is defending the Empire. If you can convince him the Vong are a threat, he'll join the rest of you in voting to fight." Calixte leaned forward a little. "The intelligence reports I've slipped Seniac will hint of a Yuuzhan Vong buildup in the Unknown Regions. When he brings those up in the meeting, act like you've never heard of them before. It will make your case seem more authentic and that will help convince Kaylac."
"I don't suppose it matters whether that intel is accurate."
"All the matters is getting unanimous support from the Council. From there, it will be legally impossible for Roan Fel to stop us."
"Legally. If I were him, and I were truly opposed to this, I'd change the law. Dissolve the Moff Council and run it all myself."
"Even if it started a civil war?"
"I'd make sure I was in a position into win first.
"Then it's lucky for us you're not the Emperor."
"Not yet," Veed added. He bent over- not deep enough to crease his pretty uniform- and gave her one kiss on the mouth. "Wish me luck, Nyna."
"Good luck," she said. "I await your results."
Veed gave her another leering look, then turned and marched out of his bedroom. Calixte waited until she heard him exit his penthouse entirely then rose from the bed. She looked out the window; it was a new morning over Ravelin, the administrative capital of the Empire. While not quite Galactic City, its impressive skyline was busy with speeder traffic slicing intersecting lines through the towering skyscrapers. She took a deep breath; the Empire had known peace for twenty-seven since Roan Fel's ascension to the throne. That would all change soon, and she'd be responsible for that.
Calixte tried to be honest with herself at all times. Was she motivated by ambition? Of course she was. She'd have never tried that abortive marriage to Rulf Yage, nor would she have initiated her affair with Veed, itself a stepping stone toward the High Moff Council, where she hoped to sit herself one day. Her first marriage, her secret marriage to Kol Skywalker, had been a much different affair. She'd allowed sentiment to overcome her better judgment and had allowed a child to drag her further into that mess before finally, forcefully extricating herself.
Damned Jedi, she thought. Even without using their Force powers on you, they could addle your mind. She was glad to be away from them.
Calixte was fairly confident in her ability to control Veed, and in Veed's ability to sway the Moff Council. What troubled her now was the mysterious contact she'd made, the one who'd directed her to Ossus in advance of its despoiling and warned her again that seventy-eight of the hundred afflicted worlds had banded together to invoke the Anaxes Treaty without consulting Coruscant first. Calixte was skilled at gathering intelligence, and she'd heard rumbling of it beforehand, but the actual pronouncement would have taken her by surprise if not for her mysterious benefactor's warning.
Calixte didn't like mysteries, unless they were of her own design. She didn't like being led. With everything else going on it was hard to direct her covert resources to finding the identity of her supposed ally, but it was something she'd have to do.
She removed her robe and gathered her clothes. As she put them on she lingered before the window and caught the pale lines of her reflection against a patch of shadow. The faintness of her image seemed to erase time; the lines on her face and bags under her eyes. For a moment it was like she was looking at Morrigan Corde; the woman she'd been born as, the woman she'd quietly killed to become Nyna Calixte.
She had the power to shape history now, something Morrigan couldn't have dreamed of. There was no reason to miss that woman. Still, sentiment tugged at her.
She had better things to do than get mawkish. Calixte turned away from the image, finished putting on her clothes, and hurried out of Veed's apartment.
-{}-
"We'd be foolish to look at this as anything other than an opportunity," Morlish Veed said. "We have- all of us- long sought to promote the Empire as a political leader for the whole galaxy. Now we have that opportunity. Seventy-eight afflicted planets cry out for justice and countless more cry for leadership- leadership the Alliance is utterly failing to provide. It is not only right but necessary that the Empire do what needs to be done."
He walked a slow circle around the High Moff Council's chambers as he made his plea. Watching in silence, Roan Fel thought it unusually theatric for the admiral. Veed continued, "If we offer our help to the seventy-eight worlds, if we give them the justice they deserve, we will enhance the Empire's prestige and territory both. Moff Fehlauur, you've just said that those worlds would be willing to secede from the Alliance and enter a pact with the Empire to secure justice. Think of that, gentlemen. In a day, we can add seventy-eight worlds to our territory."
"Seventy-eight ruined worlds," the Chiss pointed out.
"Many healthy ones will follow when they see the Empire's providing real leadership," Moff Geist said.
Veed and Geist were the Council's biggest hawks, but Roan didn't get the impression they'd collaborated on a plan for this meeting. The army chief's interjection seemed to have knocked Veed off his rhetorical rails and he sputtered for a few seconds before remembering what he was going to say next. "The point is simple. We have an historic opportunity. We can seize it and enhance the Empire, or we can sit on our hands, let it pass, and sink into irrelevance even faster than the Alliance. Gentlemen, I see no choice here at all. We are the Empire. We have never been timid." Veed tilted a head at Roan. "Were Jagged or Davek Fel timid when they did what they did? Of course not. We owe it to their legacies to be as bold as they."
Roan let the painfully transparent appeal pass in silence. Veed circled back to his chair, placed both hands on its back, and concluded, "We must offer our appeal to seventy-eight worlds immediately. While the Alliance dithers, we will be strong. The entire galaxy needs to know that we will not rest until justice is done."
Veed took his seat with finality, but the debate was far from over. Standing arms-crossed at the edge of table, Roan said, "That was very eloquent, Moff Veed. However, for all the moral clarity in your speech, reality is far more complicated. The Alliance dithers because it is honestly trying to figure out who is responsible for the ruining of those worlds. They sent investigators to Ossus and Zonama Sekot two weeks ago and still haven't found proof the Jedi or the Vong shapers were responsible."
"Zonama Sekot fled deeper into the Unknown Regions," intelligence director Seniac pointed out. "That hardly seems the actions of an innocent party. I've heard it was one of the reasons the seventy-eight worlds invoked Anaxes."
"Zonama Sekot disappeared only after the Alliance investigators left," Imperial Mission director Konrad Rus pointed out.
"It still says they had something to hide," Geist said. "And of course the Alliance people aren't going to find proof. They were surrounded by Jedi on Ossus and Zonama Sekot. You can be sure those cultists were using their Force-powers to influence with the investigator's minds."
Roan shot Geist a firm stare. "I hope you're not suggesting all Force-users use their powers to such ends."
"Of course not, Your Majesty. But we all know the Jedi cult bows to no other power. They think their Force gives them divine right to meddle in the affairs of lesser beings." His eyes locked firmly on Roan's. "Your father knew that. Isn't that why he created the Imperial Knights- to be loyal to the Empire and to his authority?"
Roan had gotten indignant and walked into a rhetorical trap when he should have seen it. Coolly he said, "Imperial Knights do serve the Force. They also serve their Emperor, so long as he embodies its light side." It was distinction secular minds like these moffs' would never grasp, but he hoped to remind them that his Knights obeyed the Emperor alone, and not their Council.
Roan moved his attention to the man who'd been silent until now. Admiral Kaylac, Supreme Commander of all the Empire's armed forces, cleared his throat and said, "The questions of who's to blame for these attacks may be academic. We may simple never know. We should turn our attention to more practical concerns."
"Which concerns?" asked Fehlauur.
"Admiral Veed speaks of doling out justice," Kaylac said. "An admirable goal, to be sure, but how can justice be dealt out? We don't have the technology to undo the Vongforming damage. If we knew the specific perpetrators, we could bring the might of the military down on them."
"The perpetrators are obvious," Geist said. "Only the Vong had the knowledge to ruin those planets."
"Yes, but which Vong?" asked Felhauur. "It may have been a rogue faction of shapers."
"Does it matter?" Veed gave the table a stern look-around. "We're in this situation, ultimately, because a hundred years ago the Jedi decided to give the Vong a second chance instead of the harsh justice they deserved. This isn't just about justice for the hundred worlds- it's for the four hundred trillion people who were murdered by their initial invasion, and whose justice was denied by the Jedi."
"That's a grand rhetorical statement," Roan said, and again atypical for Veed. "Admiral Kaylac's point stands true. What do you suggest we do, practically speaking, to achieve justice for the seventy-eight worlds that invoked Anaxes?"
"We make sure the Vong can never hurt any of our worlds again," said Geist. "We find Zonama Sekot. We interdict it, capture it, and place it under military occupation. Anyone that stands in our way- a Vong navy, the Jedi, even the Alliance- needs to be deemed a threat to galactic safety and treated as an enemy."
"Capture a living planet, that can jump to hyperspace at will?" asked Rus. "That seems… a tall order."
"The Empire meets challenges. It doesn't hide from them," Geist growled, then swung his gaze to Roan. "Veed is dead right, Your Majesty. Even if it was a rogue faction who did this, the whole Vong race has to be held accountable. And so do their Jedi protectors."
"The Jedi may see it as their duty to defend the Vong to the end," Fehlauur said.
Roan knew they would. "I will not pitch my Knights in battle against the Jedi," he said.
"Does that mean you'll veto a resolution by this Council?" asked Veed.
"The Council has no control over my Knights. They do as I order, and no one else," Roan said firmly.
"The Council still has power," said Geist. "We can override your veto on other matters with a unanimous vote."
Roan let his gaze drift across the table. He met blatant aggression from Geist, determination from Veed; Seniac and Felhauur looked thoughtful and ambivalent; Rus shirked from his gaze; Kaylac gave nothing.
"Again," Roan said, "Let us vote practically. The Empire has not gone to war in a generation. We all remember what it cost us last time. Are we ready to commit ourselves to another war, against an uncertain enemy, who- as yet- has presented us no clear threat whatsoever?"
"If justice demands it," Veed said. The mantle of righteousness didn't fit him, and Roan wondered whether someone had placed it on his shoulders.
Kaylac shook his head. "I see no reason to seek out a war with the Vong. We have no proof they're any kind of threat to the Empire."
Director Seniac said, "That may no longer be true."
All eyes turned to him in surprise, including Roan's. "What does that mean?" the emperor asked.
"Reliable intelligence has recently become available," Seniac said. "I'm sorry, Majesty, but there wasn't time to brief you beforehand."
The intel chief was normally one of Roan's most reliable men. He chose- for now- to believe him. "What have you learned?"
"Our listening posts in the Unknown Regions have picked up signs of large unidentified fleets on the move, many close to the border with our space. Initially they were mistaken for fast-moving asteroid fields, which is a common mistake when first encountering Vong warships."
"You're saying the rogue Vong have a whole fleet built up?" Geist asked. Roan sensed genuine surprise from him in the Force.
"I don't think these are indications we can ignore," said Seniac.
"The Chiss Ascendancy has told me none of this," Felhauur said. "I'd very much like to see those reports."
"You all will, I promise." Seniac looked to Roan. "I can present them now, if you'd like."
Roan didn't like being blindsided. He felt no ill intent from his intel chief in the Force; the man seemed honestly concerned about a security threat. So, he felt, did Kaylac and Rus, and they were the swing votes Geist and Veed would need.
That the Chiss hasn't heard about this was surprising, but threats from the Unknown Regions had to be taken seriously. Thirty-five years ago, savage alien raiders had killed Roan's grandfather and nearly brought the Empire to its knees.
"Alright, Director Seniac," Roan said. "You may begin."
Quiet dread settled in his stomach as he watched Seniac's report. He detailed a dozen different reports, some from Imperial intel teams in the Unknown Regions and some from independent clients. They all pointed to a build-up of what could only have been Vong ships. The numbers were still extremely vague, but their motion matched that of a fleet preparing for an invasion on Alliance space.
It shocked Roan; even with panic spreading across the galaxy and rumors of a second great Vong invasion, he'd never thought their race was anything but a tamed and crippled shadow of its old self. If there really were other colonies of the rogue Vong in the Unknown Regions, they could have grown new warships in secret.
Still, his instinct was to doubt. "This is very interesting information, Director Seniac, but none of it is confirmed," he said. "We need to investigate more thoroughly- to find proof of a new Vong fleet and its intentions- before we act."
"There's no time for that," Veed insisted. "The Empire has to take swift, decisive action. The Alliance can dither but we can't."
"And if this new Vong fleet is a mirage, or bad intelligence?" asked Felhauur.
"Then our war for justice will be so much easier," said Veed.
"It won't just be for justice. It will be a defensive war," said Rus. Strangely, Roan caught a sense of relief from him.
"Only if these reports are true," he said. "We have no positive verification."
"That may take weeks. We may only get it with a second wave of Vong attacks," Veed said. "We must vote and press ahead now."
Seniac's intel had jarred the other moffs from their positions; Roan could feel them tipping toward Veed's side. He hadn't expected it to go this way, and the told them, "I will not commit the Empire to a war with unclear objectives and no victory conditions."
"Does that mean you will veto a decision by this council?" Geist asked daringly.
Roan nodded. "I am Emperor. I have that power and I will execute it."
Kaylac sighed and said, "We aren't committing ourselves to a major war just yet. We're voting on whether to respond to the seventy-eight worlds."
Veed jumped at his words. "Exactly. We're voting on whether to recognize their invocation of the Anaxes Treaty. We're voting on whether to see justice done, or step aside."
"I recommend we vote now," said Geist.
"Seconded," snapped Veed.
It took one more to call for a vote. To Roan surprise, Konrad Rus raised a hand. "I would like to vote as well."
Rus was normally one of Roan's most reliable allies. He felt the situation slipping past his control and tried to calm himself; Felhauur would want to consult with the Chiss Ascendancy before voting. That would buy him time.
"I vote to recognize the seventy-eight worlds," Veed began.
"As do I," said Geist.
Seniac sighed deeply and said, "I also vote in favor."
"As do I," said Rus, meekly.
Eyes turned to the Chiss. Felhauur frowned and said, "This vote should never have been forced. A decision this important should never be made hastily. However… in light of the new evidence from Director Seniac… I vote in favor."
And finally, everyone looked at Kaylac. The Supreme Commander did not meet Roan's eyes, and he knew that he was lost. "We cannot ignore threats to the security of the Empire. What happens in the Alliance affects us inevitably. I vote in favor."
Veed turned to his emperor with a smile so tight and smug it took all Roan's training as a Knight not to Force-throttle him. "There you have it, Majesty. The vote is unanimous."
"So it is." Roan's hands clenched into fists. "You have committed the Empire to a dangerous course, and there can be no predicting the consequences. I only hope you don't regret your decision."
"I'm proud of what we've done today," said Veed. "Be calm, Majesty. This will strengthen the Empire's political and moral authority galaxy-wide, and what's good for your Empire is good for us all."
-{}-
In all his years as an Imperial Knights, Eshkar Niin had never seen his emperor truly angry. After meeting the Moff Council, Roan Fel had retreated to his chambers. Niin, the empress, and Fel's cousin Mohrgan Valtor had gathered in the room with him and stood awkwardly at its edges as he paced furiously in its center.
"This was not a coincidence. Not for something as important as this. I was outflanked, purposely and deliberately." Fel spat every word through snarled lips. "Now they've cast the Empire on a path that could lead us to ruin."
"Outflanked by whom?" Niin asked. "Seniac?"
"I don't know. I've always trusted his judgement, but to be sprung with that kind of intel- that unverified intel- in the middle of a key meeting… That was unlike him."
"Veed was the one who pressed for a vote," Mohrgan pointed out. No one had to say that Veed was ambitious, or that he'd do anything in his power to press the Empire into a war so long as Veed thought he could win it.
Fel scowled. "Veed is not a subtle man. Normally I can see his maneuvers from kilometers away. He seemed surprised by Seniac's intel, though he could have faked it."
"You didn't sense deception from any of them?" asked Elliah.
Fel shook his head. "Nothing explicit."
The empress sighed. "I'm surprised Kaylac voted for war, but Rus is especially surprising. For a moff, he was always so…"
She trailed off. Niin supplied, "Timid," and she nodded.
"We're not actually in a war." Mohrgan appealed for calm.
"Yet," the emperor said, and spun on his wife. "No matter what the military elects to do, the Imperial Knights will not take up arms against our Jedi cousins. As Empress and First Knight, you have to make sure they know that."
"I will," she nodded firmly.
"And you, Master Niin." Fel turned to the Iktotchi. Niin felt his emperor's stern gaze and straightened. "I have a different task for you. You've always been good at strategy; developing careful plans of action and discerning those of others."
"Thank you, Majesty." For a moment Niin thought Fel might task him with developing a battle plan, just in case Jedi and Imperial Knights really did come to blows. It would be a tragedy, but a part of Niin would relish the challenge.
"I believe what happened today happened on purpose. Rus's vote was too inexplicable. Seniac's timing was too perfect. I don't know if it was Veed or Geist or someone else who forced our hand, but it was clearly someone. I want you to do everything possible to find out who."
Niin blinked. "I'm to be your covert investigator, then?"
"Exactly. This is very important. It could determine the fate of the Empire."
That, too, was a challenge. Niin felt inflated by his emperor's trust. "I will do as you command, Majesty. What of my apprentice?"
"Draco is a brave young man. He'll join your investigation. Hopefully you can teach him to be clever as well as fearless."
"I'll do my best, sir."
Fel exhaled. His anger had retreated without going away. His eyes were dark as he turned on Mohrgan. "Even though I do not approve, the Empire has elected to support the seventy-eight worlds crying for revenge. We can't afford a disunited front, which means I'll be joining Veed and Kaylac on a trip to meet our new allies. Cousin, we have to prepare security arrangements. They'll be tighter than ever. No one except a Knight is to be trusted."
"I understand, Majesty."
"Then come with me. We have more to discuss." With a wave of the hand and the flare of his cape, Fel marched through the door beyond into his personal office. Mohrgan followed him through but Elliah did not, and when the door closed she and Niin were left alone.
"These are unwelcome events," she sighed.
"Perhaps," Niin said evenly.
Elliah eyed him. "You're smarter than to fall for Veed's talk, Eshkar."
"Someone should stand for justice. If the Alliance doesn't, why shouldn't the Empire?"
"It's more complicated than that. We may never know who sabotaged those worlds."
"That doesn't negate the crime, or the need for punishment."
Elliah shook her head. "Punishment isn't just if the wrong person is punished. It's cruelty."
"Cruelty is letting a hundred worlds get destroyed twice-over." Niin frowned. "Do you believe the Jedi when they say the Yuuzhan Vong have reformed?"
"I've never been to Zonama Sekot. I don't know." Elliah shrugged awkwardly. "My husband does. I have to believe he's right."
Niin was less certain. The Yuuzhan Vong had wrought untold horrors a hundred years ago. The Jedi preached about the redeeming power of the light side of the Force, and Niin believed in that power, but the Vong were not of the Force. He struggled to see how a culture could change so much in just a century.
But that was not his task. He drew breath and said, "Whatever the Vong have done, we know someone is trying to push the Empire toward a war."
"Successfully," the empress added.
"Yes. And my job is to find out who. The rest is for someone else to accomplish."
"It's good you've accepted your role, Eshkar." She smiled weakly. "Just be careful. They may be one in the same."
"Does the Force tell you that?"
"No. The Force tells me nothing about what's going on. I don't like this." She hugged herself as though chilled. He felt the urge to comfort her and knew he could not. "Just be careful, Eshkar. The Empire can't afford to lose one of its best Knights."
-{}-
After the successful vote in the Moff Council, Veed insisted on celebratory dinner. This time Calixte hardly minded; the success of their ploy left her almost light-headed. Before joining him, however, there was a much more important conversation to have.
Calixte activated the transceiver in her personal quarters and typed in the encryption code recorded only in her head. She waited almost two full minutes, and then it appeared: that bland male face, staring back at her with dead eyes.
"It was a success," she told her contact. "The Moff Council voted unanimously to support the seventy-eight worlds. An official statement will be forthcoming."
"Excellent." Just a bit of inflection leaked into the voice. "You've done very well, Moff Calixte."
It sounded vaguely like an owner congratulating its pet. Calixte said, "I'm glad our partnership is yielding desired results. However, we still have no idea how the Alliance will respond."
"They will back the Jedi," her contact said, matter-of-fact.
She felt a chill down her spine. Since leaving Kol she'd climbed the ladder of rank as quickly as possible, using every opportunity to obtain her goals. Every lofty ambition could be attained through a combination of ruthlessness, patience, and attention to detail. She'd believed that, held to it, and prided herself in her accomplishments.
She realized, for the first time, that her own machinations might be small in comparison to what her contact was working toward.
"How has Emperor Fel reacted to the vote?" the bland voice asked.
"I've not spoken with him personally. I understand he's angry, but he hasn't tried to block the resolution. He'll be going to meet representatives from the seventy-eight worlds soon."
"Do you know where?"
"I do not," she admitted. She'd considered from the start that her contact would have designs, possible lethal, against Roan Fel. She wasn't against removing him, in theory, but she needed to make sure she'd benefit from it. "I can, however, find out. If you wish."
After blank-faced paused, her contact said, "That will not be necessary. However, it would be in our best interest if the seventy-eight worlds were fast-tracked for admission to the Empire."
For once, Calixte felt confident that our referred to both her and the mysterious benefactor. "I believe that is already the plan."
"It would be best if you were there, personally, to ensure it."
She'd considered that already. Veed was already set to join Fel on that trip, as was Supreme Commander Kaylac. To her knowledge, Intel director Seniac was not, and if she asked she could probably join the delegation on his behalf. She'd hesitated, mostly because of Veed. They'd refrained from being seen publicly except in official capacities and did their best to avoid appearing together before Roan Fel. They could never be certain how much he'd glean with the Force.
"I believe that could be arranged," she said. "However, there are heightened risks."
"Such as?"
"The Emperor's Jedi powers are an unpredictable variable."
The blank face paused again while her contact thought. Then it said, "You should attend the meeting. The rewards are greater than the risks."
She didn't like evasion. "I already said those planets will get fast-tracked into the Empire. What's so important that only I can do it?"
"You should speak with some of the representatives privately. Without Fel's knowledge."
"And we'll talk about what?"
"The seventy-eight worlds combined have an impressive collection of warships."
So her contact wanted to start a war. She knew that; she'd seen it coming. Still, it felt different being on the edge of the precipice. "They're a collection of miss-matched militias. Nothing an Alliance battle group couldn't handle."
"With Imperial backing they'll be more formidable."
"So I should encourage them to launch an attack, and Fel's fleets will have no choice to but to aid their new allies." She crossed her arms. "Not a bad plan. Do you suggest a target?"
"There can only be one," the dead voice said. "Ossus."
She felt vertigo, like she was staring down a long, dark fall. Ossus was, of course, the obvious choice. Her mouth went dry. "Do you wish to destroy the Jedi?"
"The Alliance will be forced to act. And then we'll have our war."
She knew that our was again referring to them both. It was her war as much as her ally's. Through a war with a disjointed, confused Alliance, the Empire could expand territory and prestige to height not known since Palpatine. She could rise right alongside Veed; he'd spoken openly about replacing Kaylac as Supreme Commander and she could easily see herself in Seniac's role. Together, commanding the military and the security apparatus, they'd by the two most powerful beings in the Empire besides its monarch.
The offer was tempting beyond all words. One image stood between her and that desire: Kol Skywalker, bleeding and battered after his flight from Wayland, standing beside a twelve-year-old boy with messy blonde hair and a shock-blank face.
She'd sacrificed a lot to get where she was now, including hapless people unlucky enough to be useful to her. Morrigan Corde had been the first one discarded. But Kol and Cade were something else; a line she couldn't cross, maybe her last one.
But then, an attack on Ossus did not mean the destruction of the Jedi. As her contact had said, the desire was to spark a clash between the Empire and Alliance. The battle didn't even have to reach the planet surface.
Kol and his Jedi could be properly warned, well before the vengeful fleet showed up. They'd prepare, they'd defend. They'd survive. She'd make sure of that.
And she'd keep it to herself. Veed and her client would never know.
"I believe all that can be arranged," she said at last. "We'll have our spark, and then our fire."
"Excellent. We knew you would understand."
There was one thing left to say; one question to ask. It was dangerous, maybe lethally so, but if there was a time to ask, it was now. She'd made herself too essential for them to dispose of her.
"Now that our plans are nearing fruition," Calixte said, "I'm making one small request."
"Go ahead."
"We've walked a long way together. If we're going to walk further, I want to know who you really are. I want to see your real face."
The fake one stared at her with dead eyes. It didn't even blink. After a drawn-out minute her contact said, "That is acceptable. But not yet."
"When?"
"After the battle at Ossus."
"After Ossus you might no longer need me," she said bluntly.
"We will need you more than ever. We want someone we trust directing Imperial Intelligence. Seniac is not the one."
They could have been lying to her, leading her on, stalling for time. "I need a better reason to wait. Who are you, and what are your designs for the Empire?"
"Our designs for the Empire are to restore it to greatness."
Somehow she'd expected more than unreconstructed Palpatine-lovers. "My father was one of those. It cost him his life."
"You do not understand. We don't just want the Empire to rise. We want the Alliance to fall."
"The Alliance has three times our territory and resources."
"The Alliance is already crumbling. Seventy-eight worlds are about to secede and join the Empire. More will follow and even more will sit on the sidelines of a war and leap to join whoever wins. We offer you a place of leadership in an Empire that spans the galaxy once again. Will you turn that down, Nyna Calixte?"
Something in that dead voice sounded absolutely assured, and she was chilled again. "You didn't answer my first question. Who are you?"
"All will be revealed after Ossus. You have our word."
The connection died suddenly. Calixte felt the urge to hail them again, but she knew there'd be no response.
She didn't take their word for much, but it was all she had. She stood at the precipice's edge and saw no other choice but to jump. She would have to hold secret meetings with the newly-pledged Imperials, then warn the Jedi before they attacked Ossus.
Her entire life since leaving Kol and Cade had been a succession of schemes and gambles, each ascension precipitated by a bold risk. The risks had never been greater, not the ascension. She took a deep breath and felt overwhelmed with the feeling that everything in her lives- Morrigan Corde's and Nyna Calixte's- had been building to this moment.
With all her lives behind her, there was nothing to do but jump, and try to land as best she could.