Star Wars: Remnants, Part Nine, PG-13

by mtruane

Leia, Tendra, Iella and Myri take the bad guys out. Ahsoka unlearns what she has learned about the Force with little help from Anakin, Obi Wan and Yoda. What would you do with a world you could shape a world any way you want? Terminus has such a world now. But will the Alliance let them get away with it? Everything is coming to a head.

Author's Note: The editors of the Star Wars books do a bang up job of interspersing story threads. For this medium, story threads are published all together. The story threads, happen, basically, concurrently.

Part Nine

DA-42 Forbidden Tales of the Jedi

Downloaded from KarrdeCo. 19.95

The oldest surviving myth of the Jedi comes from the Bards of the planet Achch-To. Not written down, in a holocron or 'considered 'canon' by people who know such things. But consider the source! To even qualify as a novice bard, one has to memorize and sing fifteen-hour long epics and recite a family line back twenty five generations before three venerable judges of ancient worth. So one can count on their memory. The tale goes like this.

Fado fado. The Tale of the Useless Emotion

The Jedi Masters were tired of arguing over what emotions belonged to the Light Side and which to the Dark. For, as everyone knows, even the best emotions can lead to disaster and even dark emotions can be useful from time to time, so they came up with a plan. The masters would travel to the four corners of the galaxy and gather up all the emotions in all their myriad shades. From love, there would come lust, romance, charity, familial, jealousy, love in all its shades and hues. Sadness, mourning, melancholy, nostalgia, bittersweet, loss, sympathy, depression, etc. Then they would meet and divvy up which emotions belonged to the Light Side and which to the Dark Side.

And when the masters were done, they had two big chests filled to bursting and one other, the size of jewel. Each side felt it was a job well done. They had their chests of emotions and everyone knew well which emotion was in each. The third?

There was one emotion that neither side wanted nor needed and they certainly did not claim. Neither the Light Side nor the Dark Side could find a use for it. The Light Side deemed it a 'lie and an illusion' and so the Dark Side should have it. The Dark Side claimed the emotion was passive as it "moved nothing" so the Light Side should have it.

Despite their opposition, both sides agreed the galaxy would be better without it. Light and Dark agreed to destroy it in the morning, when they could see their work better.

Humans are foolish creatures. They are greedy and love secrets. They often assume the items wise Beings toss aside, or want suppressed, must, perforce, be of secret value.

One such fool was Apoc Nos. While her masters' slept, she crept to the small chest. It was latched but not guarded, for who would guard a rejected thing?

She opened the tiny chest and out flew Hope. Hope, the illusion, the non-mover, laughed at the foolish Padawan who let her escape and Hope flew away, before the guards could catch her.

Hope visited many worlds but she settled in Korraban. From there she cursed the universe. Gamblers had hope the next roll of the dice would bring them out of debt. Spouses hoped they could fix the abusive other. People hoped a new government would be different. Etc. So much misery and all because of Hope, the cornerstone of the Sith. Lightsiders saw people choose Hope over hard work. Darksiders saw people always Hope that a tyrant wasn't as bad as "all that."

And you can guess why the Jedi don't tell the myth of the Apoc Nos' Box.

Coruscant, Senator Phon's Office, Phon. Myri

"No." Said Myri, Phon's bodyguard.

"I said leave!"

"And I refused. I'm your bodyguard and I say that message is fake."

"Wait. You sure?"

Myri sighed. "Of course I am sure. Any idiot can see she likes you, not Roehmer. The race track?"

"We did have a good time."

"And she's my student, too, remember? This doesn't sound like her. She was learning knives so she would not be dependent. Move over please, senator." Myri got out her standard issue security scanner and plugged it in to Phon's comm. "Code shows it came from her official senatorial comm.

"It's her alright."

"No it not. Did she ever call you with personal message on her official comm."?

"No. That would put it into…"

"…the public record." Myri finished for him. "So this smells rotten two ways."

"Another kidnap?"

"Let me call Mike, her chief of security. We are on good terms." She walked away. "Having spent so much time watching you two."

Myri was talked quietly while Phon waited on pins and needles. "Yeah. Mike says she's not taking leave of absence from the senate to plan her wedding. But she's in apparent good health."

"Thank the Force."

"Why would you ever say that? This is worse than a kidnapping."

"How?"

"Fine. I'll say it. She loves you! Did you know that, yes or no?"

"I was kinda hoping…"

"Wrong answer. Do you know or don't you?"

"I know. She does."

"Then have faith in that. My gut tells me this is serious we better act fast. I'll round up the troops."

"I want to go to that Admiralty meeting."

"Why?"

"So I can stick it to Roehmer. He wants to buy a Star Destroyer, he can do it over my dead body!"

"Now you're talking! Fine. You go to that meeting while I round up the troops. Then meet me at the Tea Garden."

"Tea Garden?"

"Yeah. Leah, Winter and Tendra and my mom are some of the smartest people I know. If we can't figure out what's going on, no one can."

Old Alderaan Tea Garden, Council of War, Leia, Iella, Myri, Tendra, Winter, Phon, Amy

"Phon. I am sorry. But I have decided to let my dear old friend, and native Alderaanain Senator Eric Roehmer court me. Please do not contact me again. It would be awkward. I'm sure you understand. We can still be colleagues."

Phon turned off the recording on his comm. "I am the only one authorized to play it. I feel like my part here is done." Iella sat next to her daughter. "She looks worried, like she's wondering what danger I'm getting her into."

Phon looked around the table, right to left. Myri, clearly has her metaphorical knives out. Leia is leading but Myri is clearly the driving force. I know she doesn't care Sandra much. The two can't be more different. Is she doing this for me? Do all bodyguards act this way?"

The young girl, Amy summed up the feeling of the table. She held her belly with both hands and went. "Bleeeech!"

Her mother was more articulate. "Not like her."

Myri nodded to Winter. "Shihan?"

Shihan Winter was, as he expected, cool as a glacier. "That is not my student. I know Imperial brainwashing…"

"As do I." Interrupted Iella.

Phon noticed a tense moment.

"… and this is not it. It is too ham fisted. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

The tension passed.

Tendra spoke up. "It's Roehmer. That message has insecure male ego written all over it. And Phon? Sandra would never do such a thing, if she did, over the comm, would she?" Amy nodded sagely in agreement with her Auntie.

"No." said Phon. "How much of this is about me? Even Tendra sees it. It's about her, focus Claudius Phon!"

Leia, sitting at the head, stared at the comm, like her eyes could drill information out of it. "It's bad. It's always bad when my hair stands on end."

"The Force?" Iella broached the subject. Phon noticed she now seemed to be avoiding looking in Winter's direction.

Leia nodded and the people at the table tensed. Except for Amy, to Phon she looked excited. "Ah, youth. Totally forgot the Princess is a Jedi." Phon countered. "But the Jedi are good. There are no more you-know-whats. Must be some kind of trick."

Leia reacted like she just hear her name across a crowded room. "That's it. A mind trick."

"A you-know-what would not work with Roehmer. And what Jedi would do such a thing for Roehmer?" Iella asked.

"Sandra is not weak of mind." Myri said. Winter nodded. Myri went with it. "I know the Senator's security team. They are not weak-minded either."

"I think I know. My brother Luke warned me, in confidence, about the two defrosted Jedi, you know? They proved very adept at mind tricks, even were able to glamour Jedi Masters."

"My husband told me one, was able to, literally, charm her way into Commanding an Alliance task force..." Tendra added. "…had the crew mooning over her like she was their dreamgirl."

"Rotta the Hutt told the Admiralty Court of a 'mad Jedi' he met on Tatooine. It beat him badly and sucked the Midichorians out of the third defrosted Jedi, his niece. I didn't believe him then. But I do now."

Everyone was shocked twice, one that Midichorians could be removed and two that Phon believed a Hutt.

"Interesting." Leia tapped her fingers. "Luke suspects they are looking to start their own Temple. They'd want their own, Jedi-free planet for that."

"Last my husband told me, they took a frigate, a colony ship and twenty disciples and headed off to sectors unknown."

"Hiding a whole Frigate?" Iella sounded skeptical. "No small task."

"Apparently, these defrosted Jedi are back. Easy enough for Jedi as powerful, as these two seem be, to infiltrate Coruscant."

Winter interjected. "I know mind tricks. Planting a false memory in a guard is one thing. Planning a wedding? That's something else."

"That's what got me worried. We are up against something new."

Phon waited for someone to suggest attacking Roehmer so he could object but it never happened.

"And desperate. Roehmer can't imagine he is going to get away with this. This smells like a loser's last cast of dice. Sorry, my husband is rubbing off on me." Kendra turned to Phon. "Phon. Was there anything else Sandra was doing, something that involved, even indirectly Roehmer?"

"Wait. Yes. We figured he's try to ruin the opening of Alderaan for her, somehow. The princess, her father and her all get hurt if politically."

"Yes. If he found out Sandra was pressing for tighter security, that would force his hand."

"Sabotage?" Suggested Phon. "An attack?"

Leia shook it off. "Messy. The stations are built to fight off pirates and customs is as tight as a singularity."

"I am thinking along the lines of scandal. The rags Roehmer's mother runs would make it easy." Tendra added. "To publicize OR suppress."

"That's what Sandra suspected too. How could I have doubted her? Insecure that she could even look twice at my bald head."

"Now we are getting somewhere." Leia relaxed.

"If smuggling were discovered, that would do it." Iella added. "It would validate all the xenophobic spew he's using in the election. Especially if her father's company, Cardona Transport, was implicated."

"But all the registered pilots are registered, vetted by GA Security." That was Winter. "I know the Beings in charge. Very competent and experienced in dealing with smugglers."

"Then he found someone, maybe someone's. And he was afraid Sandra demands for increased security would discover them."

"And his connection to them."

Tendra shook her head. "We should be so lucky. The man is a slippery one. His enemies have been after him for years."

"So it's decided."

"What's decided?" The women looked at Phon like he was an idiot asking if was day or night.

Amy explained it to her friend. "Aunt Winter is looking into the security of Cousin's Sandra and mom's spaceports. Aunt Iella calls in favors from her old days in Corsec, Corellia and GA Intelligence and sees if anyone has spotted a stray Alliance frigate."

"Surely Chief Executive Calrissian and Galactic Fleet…"

Tendra was about to speak but Amy kept right on rolling. "Aunt Iella can ask around in places Uncle Lando can't. It would be embarrassing, and some people might get scared, if he told them there was a warship with twenty-two rogue Jedi Knights aboard." Tendra relaxed and nodded appreciatively to Leia, who was beaming. "Meanwhile, Mom and I meet with Cousin Sandra."

"First with Uncle Luke, Amy."

"Oh right. I forgot him. Meanwhile, Aunt Tendra gets the dirt on Roehmer. And Aunt Myri sits on you and makes sure you don't do something foolish and ruin everything, like boys always do."

"This payback from the gala, isn't?"

"Maaaayyyybe."

"Anyone else?" asked Myri.

Leia sighed. "Yes. Time to bring Han home. He may be useful."

"So it's not like you miss him?" Tendra raised a perfect eyebrow.

Leia was cool. "Of course I do."

"Then it's decided." As one the women stood up and departed. Myri turned towards the exit, took a step and then noticed her charge was not beside her. She looked and found him sitting and staring at her. "Well, let's go!"

Coruscant, Baby en Route to the Senate and a Vote on Budgets

Phon flew his air car while Myri scanned for threats. Myri had to admit the modern Baby , rather than Grai was better for evasive flying in the crowded lanes of the big city, should come to that and her laser set up was on backorder.

"Now's a good time. I can say what I want and can use the watching the skylanes as an excuses not to look at her. Now that we are alone..."

"Here it comes. Just defending the Alliance."

Phon kept on going. To Myri it was like his words were bursting out of hi, "…I wanted to say I really appreciate you."

"Like I said…"

Phon kept going. "I mean it. I don't know what I deserved to get a bodyguard and, let's be honest, a friend, like you. I mean it. All those women respect you. You are like all of them rolled into one. I mean you got the social skills of Tendra, that group back there is proof of that. You've got the martial arts of Winter. Do that 'secret agent' stuff like your mom, fly like your dad and you even lead like the Princess, back there. And here you are risking life and limb for someone you barely know. I just wanted to be sure I told you, in case something happed, how awesome you are."

"What? Nothing about my gorgeous looks?"

Phon spoke without thinking, like she'd seen him do so often. "Oh, there is that. I mean even I, and I'm sure, you, notice the looks you get from the other guards. But all this just puts you on a whole 'nother level above just 'beautiful' you know? Into amazing. I hope you realize that."

"The open cockpit's getting me. Got a spare set of goggles?"

"Oh, yeah, in the goggle compartment."

Coruscant, Galactic Alliance Security, Winter, Garik Loran

"Winter? To what do I owe the honor?" The Chief of Alliance Security shit his own soundproof door, more of a bomb proof hatch and spun the wheel.

"Fine, Face." Winter used Carik's old call sign. Garik Loran had gained some weight and looked a little older. She pointed to grey on his temples, "Going for 'distinguished' instead of 'dashing' now I see."

"Ha! I wish I had the time for that."

"Dia?" Winter referred to his wife.

"Oh, fine, fine, now that all the slavers are dead or in prison, she's Chairwoman of the Campaign to End Beingtrafficking on Ryloth now. I'd asked about Tycho but he brags enough for two fathers at our reunions. I won't ask you to sit, I know you hate that, and small talk."

"Thank you! Seriously. To the point, some very serious people are getting hints of an attempt to plant smugglers into the New Alderaan runs."

The smile left Garik's face. "Source?" Winter named them all.

"People to be taken seriously indeed, especially Leia. I've learned to trust in the Force. In this job, we work with lots of Jedi."

"No Jedi!" And Winter explained about the two defrosted ones.

"Wish I could say I was surprised. I knew about the stealing of the Amethyst, of course, but the Jedi are very closed mouthed about goings on in the Temple. Like it's none of our business, very one-way with the Robes.

But you can relax. The list of registered pilots and personnel responsible for carrying freight has been checked and rechecked. No smugglers and we caught quite a few."

"Did they have suspiciously expensive, extra good fake ID's?"

Garik knew she was getting at something. "As a matter of fact, yeah. Top of the line. From different sources too. But we chalked that up to profit potential."

"And if I was someone who saw all my smugglers with the best fake ID's money could buy getting caught…"

"…I'd turn a real pilot, someone honest, but desperate."

"…or with an axe to grind. All you need is one or two here. We suspect Roehmer is after scandal, political profit, not monetary."

"I knew there was a reason they stopped trying Fake ID's. Too much to hope for they just figured we were too smart for them, eh?"

That was one thing about Garik, Winter most appreciated. "Still open minded enough to admit to a mistake and not be threatened by it, just looking to amend it. He must be great to work for."

He finger-combed his shock-of emmer hair on top. "Wow. What scum, to poison people lives just to get elected."

"We have no proof."

"Pfft. I've been hearing that since our Wraith Squadron days. Funny how it never stopped us from doing something about it, neh? Sounds like it's time for a little data-mining, you up for it?"

"It might be fun to sift intelligence for a change. Knocking sense into martial art students can get tedious."

Just then the Security Chief comm buzzed. "He picked it up. "Loran here." He winked at Winter. "Yes, I am alone. Uh-huh. And the crew? Wiped? All right. I'm sending a forensics teams. Do not touch or punch anything."

"Found the Amethyst?"

"Yep. Just parked her off by the New Wheel and left her."

"Smart."

"They'll be much harder to spot, now. And with the New Wheel's central location and busy traffic, they could be anywhere."

"Iella can find them."

"I bet she can. Come on, the data warehouse is this way."

"I know the way."

"Not any more. You won't believe how things have changed. Any advice you could offer would be welcome. The door's always open."

"Thanks but I'm not at that stage of life anymore and for everything there is a season."

"When Iella finds out anything about our rogue Jedi, I except to be informed."

"You should tell her that yourself."

"Still sore at her for prosecuting Tycho?"

"It was a frame up. She was just doing her job, she helped find the real culprits and even helped decondition him. Water through the generator."

"Maybe you should tell her that. I know she still feels bad about that, her first husband being brainwashed too and all."

Coruscant, Quey Flats, Viraxo Residence, Cal Viraxo, Winter

"Come on in." Cal, dressed in a freshly washed and starched white shirt, brown leather utility vest, pressed pants and polished flight boots ushered in the prim wool-clad realtor, red hair in a neat bun under her umbrella "Sorry about the mess, getting to move, you know."

"Understand, completely." The realtor adjusted her gold frame glasses and looked around, heels clip-clopping on the wood-tone laminate floor.

"How about this rain, huh? Anyway. When you called we talked about a sale, but now I'm thinking more of a sub-OH!" He turned and looked into the "barrel" of an SD-77 sonic pistol. "What the...? Core Sec?"

"No. I just like the right tool for the right job. Kids at school?"

"Yeah."

"Anyone here?"

"No.

"Perfect."

"So that is supposed to show you just want to stun me?" The umbrella, half of it lay on the floor, the other half the handle and sonic pistol lay in her hand. "You are not a cop."

"No." Winter put her valise on the kaffe table. "Sit down, please." He complied. "In my younger years, I would have just dragged you off to jail. But you are a single father and you and I both know what would have happened if you refused the offer. So I just want to talk before I decide how to proceed."

"How'd you find out?"

"It wasn't hard. Just follow the money."

"I warned him."

"Oh, it would have worked, if we weren't looking for it. Count yourself lucky we caught you this early. If you had smuggled drugs to Alderaan you'd be so deep in the poodoo a team of banthas could not have pulled you out. Who else is in on it?"

"Didn't ask. The less I know the better. Got an expensive, encrypted comm link is all I know. It will tell me what to do and when."

"Mr. Viraxo! Mr. Viraxo!" A golden nanny droid opened the front door with a basket of folded laundry. "I am back from the basement and the laundry is done. Oh, do we have a visitor?"

"Thanks. Effie. This is…" Cal turned to the woman opposite him. The pistol was gone, as was the steely glint.

"Nicole Western. Real estate agent. Your master and I were going over the sale of the flat. Do you come with it?"

"Oh, no. I belong with Master Viraxo. Oh dear. This umbrella is getting the floor all wet. I say, where is the other half?" The droids voice lost all its nuanced sweetness and flipped to pure ulti-robot, "This…is…not…acceptable." As Effie raised her forearm, Winter ducked behind the sofa. As darts zipped through the plastic and metal frame of the sofa, she thanked her lucky stars that whoever armed the nanny droid didn't see fit to equip it with a targeting computer. She palmed one of her favorite, multi-use, non-fatal weapons, an ion grenade and, without looking chucked it over the sofa. The nanny-droid peril was no more.

Winter stood up in the dimmer flat and faced Viraxo, who pointed a sporting blaster at her. "That ion grenade means your sonic pistol doesn't work. But I bet my blaster does. You knew about the droid?"

"The second I saw her. Expensive. Whoever hired you did not give you this droid out of the kindness of their hearts. It also means your encrypted comm doesn't work."

Which means I am screwed." The blaster fell from a limp hand, the man sat on the sofa, buried his face in his hands and cried.

"This one is not faking it. He's a good man, weak but good, in a real bad spot. His daughters will be the real victims. Look at you, Winter, you are actually going to cut someone a break. The old Winter would have dragged him to the station, sweated the data out of him and put his girls in some nice Foster Home in the country. Motherhood's made you soft. Maybe not. Have you heard of the LOMARs?"

"Who hasn't?"

"How about we get Alliance Security to issue you one? You help bust up the ring, you get the ship as a LOMAR."

"And the nanny droid? Seriously, look at this place. Do you think I can raise my daughters alone?"

"Alone is better than dead. But okay. If the droid disappeared, it would be suspicious anyway. This means a new identity, you mind?"

"You kidding? I've been trying to wipe the stink of the Viraxo name off my backside all my life."

Winter smiled. "Did the droid use a commlink or did it have its own transmitter built in."

"Commlink."

"Not a guarantee but a good sign. Show me that commlink they gave you." Viraxo reached under the sofa cushion while Winter talked and tried not to roll her eyes. "In a half an hour a cleaning crew will be arrive. They'll fix this droid. Leave it switched off until they arrive. I mean it, not for dishes, not anything. It will probably kill you otherwise. news good news. Bad news this is high end secure comm. We'll never track them with this. Good news. This comm is hardened. It should work. Still want to go along with the deal?"

"More and more. I didn't want my girls thinking their daddy died a smuggler."

"This cleaning crew will also bring papers to sign." Winter retrieved her palm sized ion grenade. "Got a restraining bolt?"

"Yeah, around here, somewhere. Maybe the junk drawer."

"Let's weld it on and you and I can go over the paperwork to sell this flat."

"Paperwork?"

"Yes, I my valise. You are being watched. I won't tell you who or where. You'll just give yourself away. I kept the ion grenade small, power surges in this area are common enough, but they might be suspicious. If you bosses ask why I was here, you'll have paperwork to show them. If they follow it, it will lead them to a small realtor's office with an associate that looks like me."

"I guess a sublet is out."

"I wasn't going to advise it anyway. With the LOMAR's freeing up more space lanes, light industrial areas, near utility spaceports, like this block of flats, are heating up. You should turn a tidy profit. You should be looking to upgrade."

"So…real estate… agent?"

"Broker. Oh and licensed interior decorator too. I get the discount design centers that way."

"It was a joke."

"Oh. Stick to flying. Now the interest rates are high but that may not be a bad thing…"

Coruscant, Merced Branch Library, Iella

Iella liked the library for research. She loved being in nice, quiet place surrounded by shelves and shelves of data. And the Merced Branch had a real fireplace. "Okay, if we can't find out where you are, lets figure out where you are not. " She summoned up a map of the Known Space." Okay. Cross out the major space lanes. But with a brainwashed crew, striking out would be risky. No, no Outer Rim. Not enough crew to fight, so no place hostile or flagged as pirate infested. They were fully stocked but it would be good to be in a system where they could send a shuttle get parts, but not so busy they could avoid notice. That helps. Leia said they probably want to start their own temple. That will require at least some infrastructure and people to serve as handy disciples. A colony world would fit the bill; they could settle some place out of the way, build strength, before revealing themselves.

Now part two. People on the run go to places that are familiar, make them feel safe. That will be tricky, they are both so old. Everything's changed. Let's see if that biographic information holds clues. Hm. Ryloth? Good luck hiding there, the wife of Galactic Security is always on the lookout for possible slave ships there.

And then she saw it. In the genetic readout of Utep. "If it was an asp it would have bitten me." Iella swiped planets away. "Close but not too close. In the lanes but not in the lanes. Settled but with wide open spaces still. Only a few, easily avoidable, points of ingress or egress." She was left with a blot of empty space. "And it's not on any charts because the Senate has decided it is not to be. New Alderaan. Utep is going home. She's setting up shop on New Alderaan and Roehmer is covering for her.

Now who do I know in New Alderaan security…?"

Coruscant, Calrissian Residence, Tendra

After speaking with the wife of Ixorian senator, a lovely partner who could play any reed instrument like a virtuoso, Tendra confirmed Roehmer, in his freshman session, did indeed threatened the Senator with an accident. Roehmer did not expect the senator to immediately lodge a public complaint. Roehmer apologized and blamed the wine. "That public complaint may have saved his life.

Let's go back to the beginning of the odd behavior Roehmer regarding Sandra, kidnapping" She used her clearance as spouse to the Galactic CEO to review the public record and searched Sandra's statement. The only hint of Roehmer's involvement she found was that Sandra testified the leader of the kidnappers had an Alderaanian patois. 'Oh well, if senatorial security didn't find anything I doubt I will. Before the ball?

Tendra had her own team of holographers at the event, hostess access to the security photos. Security had looked at it all. She still got steamed when she watched Roehmer switch the seating cards. "Sly little nerfherders-face." But then she saw something. A news crew following Roehmer out. "I don't see their photoaged here."

Tendra checked the chrono. It was an hour and half after her husband's start of work. She buzzed him.

"Hey honey."

"You free?"

"For you, always. What's the rumpus, you usually wait for a break? Business?"

"Yeah. I'm looking at the old Gala Ball images and I see a news crew there. But I can't find their records in the case file."

"Hold on. Here we are. They are there because before we could locate them, they apparently went to cover a story in the undercity. Their bodies were found robbed and they transport stripped."

"Well, that had to be few days later. Did the newsroom have it?"

"Ah, no. Apparently, the nighttime producer had an allergy attack and died. No one was able to find where he put the recordings."

"What kind of allergy?"

"Apis sting. Apparently, brought in with flowers, though the florist denies it."

"Florist? He was indoors?"

"At his home."

"What day?"

"The day after the ball."

"Those two reporters?"

"Inconclusive of time of death, you can guess why.'

"Well how about their relatives? When were they seen last?"

"Next of kin. Huh."

"I don't like the sound of that 'huh.'"

"Well, the reporter's brother was a constable who died when his Bals-Tech DL-44 malfunctioned. And the cameraman's wife died from a fall caused by an overdose."

"Let me guess, same day. You still have friends over at Blas-tech?"

"Yeah. And do you still have friends over at the Central Clinic? We have that as the wife's previous address."

"Call you back in five."

Five later.

"Carlos swears the DL-44 was rigged. It wasn't even a constable's model. They are designed to fire only light loads."

"I talked to Carol, she swears the reporter's wife was really making a go of her recovery."

"There's more. A family of four. The reporter's family advocate died in a transport accident the same day."

"He's a monster!"

"No comm links were found on any of the victims."

"So she saw something."

"And completely underestimated the senior Senator from Alderaan. Honey, call Ral and double security. Tell them what they need to look for. Keep Myri informed. If Roehmer thinks Sandra still has feelings for Phon, and he thinks he can get away with it, he might just arrange an 'accident' for you and Phon too."

"I was thinking the same thing."

"Keep me informed. Meanwhile, I'll grant you…official access as a special investigator acting on my behalf."

"Can you do that?"

"It's good to be the boss. A word of caution. Guys who do this often leave little snitch programs that notify them if someone is snooping around, so use my office. It has all the latest Gee-AY software to prevent you being tracked."

"You are a dear. I can snitch a cigar or too, then."

"Everything I have is yours, you know that."

Tendra began by calling up a Bimm who spent her career making award winning documentaries nature documentaries, Longhouse. 'If she doesn't know this no one does." Using the security camera's she was able to show her the make and model of the particular camera and timestamp the exposures. Longhouse was able to give her a bracket of size of packet, depending on the narration and filters.

Tendra used the cameras to discretely follow Roehmer on to the patio. The two seemed to prefer to skulk around a potted hedge then get a clean image. The cameraman said something and aligned a dish antennae for transmission. "That's the size of the data packet that went through the station's router to the producer. That's probably went to the station. Why haven't we seen it? They didn't know what was what. They couldn't decrypt her transmission so the just they killed all the people she sent large files to. Just killed them all."

On the screen, Roehmer seemed unaware of the pair of journalists. Roehmer reached for his comm. Tendra could not make out what he said. The cameraman raced off leaving the newswoman with the camera.

The Valet brought Roehmer's aircar. The cameraman pulled up a moment later and opened the sliding door. The newswoman jumped in the air-van and they were off before the motors could close the side panel. "So, you followed him. What did you see?"

Tendra summoned up a map and plotted the course Roehmer said he flew to his mothers' hair dressers. Then she split screened Myri's recording with time stamp. "And now let's see what cameras are along the way. Lots of anti-crime cameras in Coruscant, especially the government district. And guess who has clearance?" Bit by bit, she followed the garishly painted newsvan, patching its path from one corner to another. Suddenly the news transport stopped, turned sideways and the camera man did his thing. "What are they looking at?"

Camera after camera, office, private or otherwise in the direction the journalists were filming showed nothing but static. "A jammer! Big one too. I bet it's in his air car. Cameras are still recording but not transmitting." The image clicked back on in time to show Roehmer swooping in to save Sandra. "and nobody thinks to look at the security cameras because Roehmer arranged for his news crews to arrive just in time. Except for those two." Tendra kept a close eye on the time stamps.

The cameraman unshouldered his camera, fiddled with it, then gave his partner the thumbs up and the transport swooped off. Tendra reviewed the time stamp. The crew was waiting there a relatively long time. Tendra went back to the security cameras of the ball. The shield bomb went off three seconds after the news crew took position. "So. It was you who almost hurt my baby." Tendra took a moment to seethe, then went back to work. Something about the cameraman's fiddling struck her intuition. She went back, the security camera at that distance and zoomed was grainy. In slow motion, she saw him lay the camera on the bed of the transport and remove a disk.

Tendra checked with Longhouse. "Oh, yes. That camera has the ability to transmit or record on chips or disk simultaneously. That's why a lot of news crews, and my crews use them in the field. One never knows what tech the local stations will have for editing."

Coruscant, Mid Towers, Skeeve Residence, Tendra

Tendra had her driver drop her off a block from the residence. She, Ral and Partha her two bodyguards dressed for the occasion in simple denims, t-shirts and high collared dusters common to the area. Tendra motioned the guards aside and knocked on the door of the flat. The double steel door opened. "Mrs. Skeeve? It me, Mrs. Calrissian."

Mrs. Skeeve opened the door and without a word turned, leaving the door open. Tendra reflexively scanned the flat it was simple and once it had been tidy. Now things were dishevled, throw pillows on the floor, the sofa arranged for dropping off, not proper sleep and the place had a smell that indicated a window had not been opened in some time. The mantle above the fake fireplace was line with photos of happier times with her son and two with her daughter-in-law.

Mrs. Skeeve pointed to four plastic tubs stacked atop the kaffe table. "The police sent those over. Not much to show for a life, is it?"

"I want to find out who killed your son."

"Won't bring him back, will it?" She sipped her coffee. "Might stop other mothers feeling the same though, I suppose? Have to say I'm grateful. You gave me a reason to get up this morning. Just four boxes. Makes you wonder what it was all for.

You know, my son, and Trellis" …she pointed to the mantel…"they were real human beings before the deathsticks got them. Funny how one mistake can ruin a life. Thought they'd finally… but you don't want to hear that. You don't want to go through that stuff." Mrs. Skeeve produced a disk mailer. "My son called me. Said he finally made it big, was going to take me and Trellis away from all this. Said to look in the mail."

Tendra had prepared a speech about having a son too. "Now it would just sound hollow. My son is alive and hers is dead. Did you look at it?"

"Why? It doesn't matter now. Nothing matters. My precious boy is dead." Unconsciously, Mrs. Skeeve put her left hand over her belly.

"Thank you. I'll make sure just…I'll make sure some…Thank you."

"You are welcome." Mrs. Skeeve, in her slippers, shuffled to the door and opened it.

Tendra left and before she got back to the car contacted a friend she knew in the Department of Mental Health and arranged for a wellness visit and a grief counselor for Mrs. Skeeve.

Coruscant, Senator Alcanta-Cardona's Private Residence, Leia, Han, Luke, Sandra, Amy

The formal visits of family before a wedding we obligatory on Alderaan. Well-wishes were given and offers of aid and even gifts for the bride's new home were common.

Leia did not like to be kept waiting but it did give her time to examine Sandra's flat. The more modern, Coruscant, touches Tendra's decorator had placed were gone. Only the Alderaanian styles of tile, pillows, divans and arches remained. The low domed skylight's airy feeling now made the marble expanse look empty, like a vacant lot.

"Cousin! Pardon the delay. I had to meet with the dress maker. I only have six months to prepare for the wedding."

"Six months! That's rushing it, isn't it?"

Look didn't see Leia shocked often so he took note when she was.

"Sixth months? Rushing it?" Han joked. "On Corellia we'd be…" he was cut short by an elbow to the ribs.

"What does your mother say?"

"She talked Eric and I into waiting than long."

"Must have been a heck of a conversation. If I know your mother, she'd want the traditional courtship or at least the usual four seasons of preparation before a formal wedding. Your father?"

"Furious. Mom had to send him out of the room. You'd think after eight weddings he'd be all weddinged out, but." Sandra leaned in and whispered. "I'm kinda his favorite." Sandra giggled.

Han and Luke had seen people insult Leia with language that would make a Cantina barkeep blush. She never batted an eye and while using monosyllabic words of more than four letters, gave as well as she got. But that girlish giggle at the end of the Sandra's sentence made Leia go redder with anger than any curse.

Leia took a deep breath. "Han and Amy, you have met. May I present my brother, Luke?" As Leia turned, she nodded to Luke.

"That's the go ahead to use the Force on Sandra."

"Oh. Thank you for bringing him. I can apologize in person. Cousin Luke, I am very sorry, but my betrothed, Senator Eric Roehmer, doesn't want any Jedi at our wedding. He says they attract trouble."

Leia clapped her hand around Amy's mouth.

Luke smiled. "We like to think it's not our fault but the bad guys. I understand. No hard feelings." He offered her his hand. They shook and he looked deep into her eyes. "I feel a gap there, in her mind, a gap. I have felt it before, but where? The mind trick, filling the gap. Someone is there. Someone powerful. Someone close."

More pleasantries were exchanged. Most of the gifts from Leia were the use of Alderaanian artifacts she had collected over the years.

Coruscant, Organa-Solo Residence

"That is NOT her! The giggle? And did you know how she used the word 'kinda?' And you, young lady, how many times do I have to tell you that sometimes I WANT people to forget I am a Jedi?"

Amy sat down and put on a good sulk

"Now that we've got the venting out of the way." Han sat next to his daughter on the sofa and hugged her. "What do ya' say, Luke?"

"Oh yes. Mind trick definitely. I very high one. But Leia's right. Something is making Senator Alcanta more susceptible to control by another mind, opening it up. A drug of some sort? It's familiar but I can't put my finger on it.

"Mind expander, huh? Han waved a hand casually. "How about glitterstim?"

"Sandra on glitterstim? Don't be absurd."

"It fits. It opens the mind to telepathy like nothing else."

"Han, you?"

"Every narcotic starts out as a medicine. When I used it, it was under the supervision of Wookie shamanistic healers."

Luke relaxed, closed his eyes, reached into the Force and tuned the spouses out.

"There hasn't been any glitterstim manufactured since Kessel was destroyed."

"Terminus? They have energy spiders there and glitterstim was at the heart of the Imperial brainwashing program. Maybe they have some left over."

"Lando has recordings of Wight arguing with their Commodore Sorran. I doubt it. Harvesting glitterstim was dangerous enough but in hard-rad Terminus?"

"You got me there. And now that I think about it, there is bound to some lying around somewhere. No small feat for Roehmer and his slimeball associates to dig some up."

Luke breathed, not confident in his feelings. "Han's right. It fits. I felt a void. It's the same void I felt in other glitterstim addicts. It's been a while so it didn't occur to me. And glitterstim would render anyone extremely vulnerable to mind tricks."

"Glitterstim means the clock is ticking."

The smuggler spoke form experience. "That giggle? That lightness and informality? That could be a sign. The next will be a twitching in the eyes. The eyes have the weakest muscles in the body so they go first."

"What man would get the woman he supposedly loved hooked on glitterstim?" Luke felt ill.

"One who wants her dependent."

"Quite a guy. Now I wish he tried me on the quick-draw."

"You're not as fast as you used to be, hun. Just shoot him first."

"Happy to."

"So we got a good look at her living room. On to part two, getting our cousin help."

Old Alderaan Tea Garden, Council of War, Leia, Tendra, Winter, Iella, Phon, Amy

"If Luke says it's glitterstim. It's glitterstim."

Phon had learned to watch Amy. Last council had proved her much more adept at reading the ladies present that he was, but she hid her feeling far less well. After Leia's pronouncement, Amy looked very afraid of Winter and Iella. "Would be the first people to have a grudge against that garbage."

"Tendra?"

"I have film of Roehmer waiting, just waiting, the rescue Sandra. And the people taking the film died a day later. Nine people, all their deaths were ruled accidental or unsolved."

"Nine in one day? That sounds like the 'Accident Woman."" Iella pronounced. "Very deadly. Very expensive."

"Iella's right. Winter agreed. "We do know she uses disguises to get close to her victims, masquerading as repair people, parking valets, etc. and then she sabotages something, makes it look like they died of malfunction. Basically a booby trap. She must be getting a little long in the tooth."

"That fits. All the technology that was tampered with was older. Oh. Myri, Lando recommended keeping a special eye on Phon."

"We all should keep a special eye out. Roehmer is very good about sniffing out trouble."

"Speaking of which, my husband cautioned me that people like him like to leave little 'snitch' programs around, to alter him for inquiries." Myri, Winter and Iella nodded. "I've been thinking. That could be how he got tipped off about Sandra looking into the New Alderaan Run. I used the comms in Lando's office. So I should be safe. "

"Winter?"

"I've found at least one member of the New Alderaan Run smugglers. He's working for us GA Security now. I doubt there are other smugglers. It makes sense for there to be others in receiving and distributing the contraband. Gee-Ay Sec will be in touch. Sadly, I doubt Roehmer is careless enough to leave a direct connection to himself."

"At least the threat of scandal is over. In fact, busting the smuggling ring might strengthen my campaign, prove we can keep New Alderaan clean."

"Speaking of New Alderaan." Iella paused for dramatic effect. "I've deduced the defrosted Jedi, or at least their home base. I contacted an old buddy and a ship about that size of that colony ship, with New Alderaan FOF id landed in an unpopulated part of the world, three days after the Amethyst was stolen. It supposed to setting up comm towers. My buddy in Inland Revenue says it's ownership is hidden by more shell's than a Quarren banquet. I have friend at the Admiralty looking into it. It makes sense. Utep is from there and, with Roehmer's help, they can find a nice quiet place to set up their new temple."

"New Alderaan's a big planet. A dreadnaught can land troops and cargo on rough surface, even float. Any idea where exactly?"

"I have a good idea of where." Leia slapped the table. "We've got him. Revealing New Alderaan's location without permission is a state crime, and will certainly drive him from office."

"But not the governorship?" Tendra added her political acumen.

"Let me worry about that."

"And Sandra?" That was Phon. "She can't wait for legal proceedings and investigations."

Tendra's comm buzzed. She checked it. "I'll be right back." And she walked to the portico.

Myri spoke. "The senator's right. Every minute puts Senator Alcanta-Cordona one step closer to addiction and worse. She needs to be rescued."

"With a mad Jedi, maybe two, lurking nearby?"

"Not to mention a mind tricked security force."

"Good beings. I would hate to hurt them."

"Just stunning them will not be easy."

Tendra returned. "That was my friend in the Mental Health Department. Mrs. Skeeve was found dead this morning. The death is being ruled a suicide."

"Accident woman?"

"I doubt we'll ever know for sure. In any case, we have ten deaths to lay at the feet of Senator Eric Roehmer."

All the women looked to Leia. They, except for Tendra and Amy had been agents. Only she was the leader of a Rebel force. The agents intuited this situation called for strategic not tactical thinking.

Leia took up the mantle without apology. "Phon's right. Sandra is the immediate concern. Let's rule out blasters for now. That leaves a dozen bodyguards. We don't want the defrosted Jedi to escape. Luke sensed one Jedi nearby, guiding her movements, but we want both. So we need bait to lure them out. Bait, no blasters and enough power to end this quickly, yet elegantly. I have it. WE and I mean all us, are going to call in some of those favors we've been saving."

"Favors?" Amy was puzzled.

"Amy, sometimes favors are the best currency of all. They get your things all the credits in the universe cannot buy."

Coruscant, en route to Jedi Temple, Baby, Phon, Myri

"I got my own laser rig for Gadai' now. With that 'Accident Woman' on the loose we should think about mixing it up."

"Good idea. Can't believe we are going to the Jedi Temple."

"That's the way it's designed, to be impressive. Try not to stare like a yokel when you go in."

"I'll do my best. Hey, you don't have to answer this if you don't want. Is there some friction between your mom and Shihan?"

"It goes back to the Imperial Brainwashing program. Winter's husband was brainwashed into a deep cover mole and my mom was assigned to investigate. Tycho is all better now. But it was a messed up situation.

You see, my mom's first husband was brainwashed too. He attacked her and she had to kill the man she loved in self-defense."

"Really? And they assigned her to investigate? That's messed up! How could she be impartial? I would not have done that. She's be emotionally compromised from the get go. Grounds for dismissal. No wonder they are so intense at the mere mention of brainwashing. I'll avoid it from now on. So your dad is her second husband?"

"Yep."

"Special guy, for your mom to be happy after all she's been through. Myri. I've been thinking. When we do rescue Sandra, and I have faith we will. Whether she remembers anything or not, Roehmer's going to have to kill her. I'm small fry. Will you help keep an eye on her until then?"

"Good point. Her guards are being rotated out. I'll make sure to brief them about Accident Woman. Meanwhile, the Jedi temple maintains its own security force. She should be as safe there as anywhere. You have no idea."

Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Master Chamber, Emergency meeting, Leia, Winter, Tendra, Iella, Myri, Luke, Ben, Phon, Amy, the Jedi Council

Though he called the meeting, Grandmaster Skywalker's sister took center stage. "I'll get straight to the point. We are calling in the favors the Jedi Temple owes us."

"We don't owe you anything. You did what you thought was right."

"Corran?" Iella shot her old friend a cold glance. "Do I need to mention…"

"All right, all right." The mighty Jedi held up palms in surrender to his old friend.

"My husband saved the Maw, saved a lot of things at the Temple's request. He didn't ask for a single credit in return. Now we ask for the same courtesy."

"I don't have to mention how I have served, do I?" Winter raised an eyebrow.

"No you don't." Leia waved. "Anyway, we are cashing in."

"Grandmaster, what do you say?"

"I say they have a point. These Beings have been great, unflagging friends to the Temple and they have earned our appreciation and respect, in more than words. Also, Leia has a plan to capture our sick sisters. We need to do this before they kill someone. We owe it to our sisters to try to try and bring back to Health. Plus, every now and then it is good to remind people just how much we restrain ourselves."

"We just cannot go storming in to a Senator's residence without a warrant."

"Leia's already figured on probable cause. I say again, no one is opting out. It's all of us. Overwhelming force. Anything less and they might choose to try and fight their way out. And that would be a shame."

Leia took the gravitas a down a notch. "Don't worry about probable cause. This time we'll let Sandra know to expect me, Luke and Ben. I suspect the temptation to extinguish the Skywalker line, the scions of the man who imprisoned and let's be honest, raped their minds. It will prove irresistible. And when they attack, you pounce."

"And all we have to do is survive the minute or two it will take for us to get there."

Horn was grim. "Grandmaster, with all due respect…a minute can be lifetime. You saw what they did to a lab of us in a minute. And that was when they were sick and without lightsabers. We barely survived!"

"We'll be careful."

"You may be dead."

"Any other objections?"

"I have one." Came a small voice in the corner. It came from Senator Phon of Corellia. "It may not be a good thing to put all such powerful Jedi in the same room with Utep."

Leia sighed. "There's always one schlamm."

"And why not?" asked Luke.

"Because, according to Rotta the Hutt, Utep sucked all the Midichorians out of Ahsoka Tano and added her power to her own."

The chamber exploded.

"And you were going to tell me this, when?" Asked Luke of Leia.

"Like I'm going to believe some wild tale told by a Hutt? If you like I can ask Han of its true."

"Han knows too? What is Han doing with…nevermind call him please. Did you believe this Hutt, Senator?"

"I believe the old axiom, 'The only lies a Hutt puts on the record are lies of omission.' And I believe the scars that came with the tale."

"This changes things." Horn growled.

"This changes nothing, except it makes our mission more urgent and a group effort more necessary. The old holochrons mention such things. It's called Siren's Lotus." But it was only for Jedi who become unbalanced or irresponsible. It was a medical procedure, not an attack. Now we dare not send in one or two of us now."

"After what they did to us? How they made us look and feel?"

"They are an infection that is best cut out."

"These Sith must be dealt with immediately."

"They are not Sith! What would you be like after almost a century in suspended animation while my father, Darth Vader, toyed with your mind using Dark Side illusions? Would you want us branding you a Sith and killing you? These women, our sisters, are suffering, and like a beast in pain, they are lashing out, as any of us would. Justice is the order of the day and Mercy is the better part of Justice!"

Myri was reminded of a room of schoolchildren getting deserved scolding.

Ben leaned into Myri and wink-muttered. "And that's why he's the Grandmaster."

Corran spoke for the Council of Masters. "Forgive us Grandmaster. You are quite correct. These women are our sisters in need of healing. They are, no doubt, in some way, hoping that we help them. We will not let them down."

"After they attack, the next challenge with be disarming them…" Leia began before there were more interruptions.

Senator Sandra Alacanta-Cordoma Residence, Sandra, Leia, Luke, Ben

I have the procession rug. Hope you don't mind. Like I said, my brother and nephew had to carry it for me. Jedi strength is good for some things. Where do you want it?"

"Over by the pillars."

"Tea?"

"That would lovely."

"Come and join us gentlemen. You must be thirsty. That old rug must weight a ton."

"Tea would be great."

The four sat down Sandra, as hostess, poured. Luke was used to Alderaan tea service. Ben was left to wonder why, after two minutes, no tea was in his bone china cup. Finally, it was poured and look knew enough to wait for his Aunt Leia to sip first so he was surprised what Sandra lifted hers. Leia put her hand over her cousin's cup. "I think you've had enough glitterstim, don't you?"

In his mind's eye, Ben saw them coming. Two black robed Jedi, streaking up from the floor below. He stood, shed. drew with the snap-hiss just in time to block the tall woman's blow. "Dad was not kidding about the Original Jedi speed. She's strong." But then came a backswing with the second sword. "Krayt style! So it IS true. Good thing Phon opened his mouth. The primary weapon is not bent but the secondary hand weapon is. She is not truly ambidextrous. Her movements are slowed, confused, between the two styles. Krayt is strong in defense against wrist amputations. The other style is good old Diving Falcon. She's having trouble coordinating Force attacks and the two styles. BOY do I know the fix she is in. Defense. Defense. Wait for the moment of hesitation when she shifts styles."

Ben blocked the blows and Force attacks for what seemed like a long time. "Now!" Utep slammed against the sandstone pillar with enough forced to chip it. Leia winced. Utep got up. Ben prepared to dribble the dazed Jedi against the sandstone again.

Utep hissed like a wildcat when the Jedi Masters flowed into the room. With blurring speed, Wight was by Utep's side.

Ben surveyed the scene. Spots of carbon scoring showed where Leia had deflected the guard's blaster shots. These same guards were now asleep at the feet of the Jedi Masters. Ben's dad didn't even look winded. "Typical."

"You think you've won?" Hissed Wight. "You're wrong!"

As one, the raised their lime-lightsabres and Force Jumped thought the skylight above them. The transparsteel shatter into tiny chunks, falling like rain. They screamed as they felt a pull back. But it wasn't the Force, durasteel cable was biting into them. Their light sabers sputtered and winked out. It took them a moment, to realizes they had jumped straight into a cortosis-weave cinch net Winter and Iella had stealthily laid across the skylight. "It's a trap!" The anchors that secured the net, held just long enough for the Masters to secure a grip on the net using the Force. The aircar, driven by a Padawan, that was meant to whisk the Mad Jedi away, was immediately pounced upon by two Jedi fighters and pursued.

The cortosis embedded in the cables shorted out the lightsaber hilts and left the two Jedi inside fighting with every bit of Force they had. But against a score of Jedi Masters, their struggles became lesser and lesser. "Shhh. Shhhhhh."

"No! Not again!" the two screamed and thrashed like harpies. "Not again. Closing in! Cutting off our air! Our air! The cold!"

"Shhhhhh." Finally, then nodded, fitfully, off.

"Now let's get them and the Senator to our healers.

New Alderaan, Bolt Hole Base, Ahsoka, Anakin, Obi Wan, Yoda

Through her monoculars, Ahsoka watched the building of the colony. Jedi markers were on everything. Lightsabers were used for construction everywhere. But she only saw six of the twenty use the Force for lifting and such. "The Force users seem to be the leaders. Figures they would land at the foot of Bolt Hole Base. Guess what Smugs said was true about this mountain being strong in the Force. Their scouts were a joke. If I'd scouted like that when I was a Padawan, we'd all be dead.

So what now? Radio Smugs and ask him to pick me up before I'm discovered? Maybe I could just lie low. They are far enough away, we might never see each other until I want to leave.

"Or you could confront them, and your fears."

"Anakin!"

"Hey Snips! This time I brought my friends."

"Master Kenobi? Master Yoda?"

"Those Jedi down there are lost. The Jedi Temple has their former masters well on the way to recovery. "

"Help the padawans, you can."

"Don't look at me. I am as lost as there are."

"Not lost, everyone who wanders is. Perfect place to start over, perhaps."

"I can't do that."

"That is your fear talking."

"My fear? I have no fear."

"Yes, you have. You've always had the fear, of responsibility. My padawan, always happy to play the Knight Errant. But never to lead, to organize to take responsibility for the live so others."

"You are perhaps the oldest Jedi in the galaxy. Those Padawan are looking for a teacher. And you would make a good one, you've known loss. They have suffered the same loss, stripped of the Force."

And the ones that oppressed them and stripped them are suffering in their own way. I know. I hated myself even more for what I did to you and the others. No doubt they feel the same way. You could save them from the Dark Path."

"A teacher, as imperfect as they feel, perhaps? Hm?"

"I can't. I don't have any Midichorians."

"My teachings, remember? Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter."

"The Force surrounds us and penetrates us and bind the Galaxy together."

"A Jedi can feel the Force flowing through her."

"I have no more Midichorians!"

"Neither do we." Anakin smirked. "We seem to be doing okay with the whole Force thing."

"So you are saying the Midichorians have nothing to do with how strong we are in the Force."

"We are saying, remember Master Yoda's teachings."

"Suppose I fail?"

"Like I failed Anakin? That is your fear talking, the same fear Anakin mentioned."

"Trust in the Force, you must."

"You are not alone, Snips. I'll be in your corner, always." Anakin faded.

"Remember what you have learned, save you it can." Yoda faded.

"Master Kenobi?"

He looked around to make sure the others were gone. "I let you in on a little secret. After a while, it's on the student." Then he faded.

"So I have three choices, run, hide or confront." There in the snow topped mountain Ahsoka Tano crossed her legs and meditated. "A long journey. The Temple. Jundland Wastes. A haunted castle. Giving up all I had. And now here. Empty, truly empty. I'm glad I've had this break. This…silence without the Midi. At first I felt so alone, naked. It's like moving from the big city and one day waking up and noticing the lack of traffic noise. She looked out on the mountains, the hoarfrost twinkled on the ridgeline like diamonds.

What Utep did took a lot of the bad stuff away too. Maybe it's what Anakin and Master Yoda said all along. 'The thing I think I can't live without is the thing holding me back.' Jedi are suppose be leery of attachments, even attachment to life. Does that include the Force?

Back to the question. Run? My problem goes with me. Hide, same thing. Confront? Yes. I finally feel I have enough emotional tank to do that. So we move forward. Confront students as lost as me. But no reason to be stupid about it. Stop by the Bolthole Base first.

At first the Padawan thought the Togruta female moving through the meadow toward the New Temple must be one of them. There were no Togruta on New Alderaan. The local plaid shoat-wool shawl and fleece clothing and oilskin high boots put an end to that question. He ran back to camp and raised the alarm.

As she walked to her Fate, Ahsoka felt at peace with her decision. "Yes. This is the right thing to do. Look at them, dirty, clothes torn…"

Fourteen muddy youths hid behind six padawan. Only they had lightsabers. Ahsoka didn't know what it meant and didn't care. She stopped nine paces away from the line of young ones, of various species, ranging in standard years from nine to late teens. She showed her hands, in them she carried on her violin and bow. "I've come with a message. Your Masters have been taken into custody by the Temple. They are undergoing medical treatment."

"Liar!" That was the oldest, a tall Hapes, if she were to guess.

"Search your feelings. You know this to be true."

The ones behind looked to the ones up front for guidance . After a moment, they all looked angry.

"I was lost too. I've been sent to show you a better way."

"I know you, Ahsoka Tano!" A very much dirtier Talia stepped forward, her red hair caked with brackish mud, like she was happy to matter. "Do not be afraid. I was there when Mistress Utep drained her of all her Midichorians. She can teach us nothing!"

"Midichorians do not teach wisdom."

"What wisdom?" Talia's voice dripped contempt. "How to kidnap children? Brainwash them? Turn them into 'enlightened' soldiers, willing to give their lives for greater good?"

The mountain wind blew and bent the meadow grass. It was crisp and glacier-kissed. A raptor cried. The stream that parted the meadow plopped and splashed like a vibraphone with soft hammers. The padawans breathed. Moccasin feet shuffled in the trodden grass. A whiff of fuel from the old dreadnaught mixed in with the mud humus.

"Remember your teachings." Said a familiar voice in her head. "Master Plo." She knew it was right then. Unlike the other Masters, even Anakin. Master Plo Koon was her favorite, the one who always made her feel best.

"Who?" The young Jedi's hair stood on end.

Ahsoka took up the violin. She worked the them high. Almost a scale, like a piccolo, then a reed, warmer. She wasn't sure where it was coming from. She spoke as she played. "My ally is the Force and a powerful ally it is." She put her home planet in the notes, rising falling, like the elegant dunes. "Life creates it. Makes it grow." Then a sweet imitation of the wind rounded stones of Tatooine. "Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter." The sweeping mountains and high meadows of Alderaan. "It surrounds us and penetrates us and binds the galaxy together." The strings rose to soaring crescendo and ended in sadness.

The lead Jedi applauded, then stopped. "Kill her."

Six lightsabers snap-hissed to light, sizzling in the dew of a beautiful spring morning.

"Inspiration! Musical inspiration is a gift of the Force! Who knew?"

"You don't have any Force." The Harpan sneered.

"It surrounds us and penetrates us and binds the universe together."

"She's mad. The draining broke her." The Padawan walked towards the Togruta.

"There is nothing between me, the grass, the creek. "

"Doing her a favor."

"Put her out of her misery."

"Let's kill her and have tea and biscuits."

"Maybe we should trying to be nice to her?"

"Shut up!"

"I feel it! I believe it! Am alive and I am one with the Force! It's everywhere even between your feet and the ground."

All six Jedi's eyes shot wide in alarm and they raised their lightsabers to strike, but before that could happen, the Force grabbed them by the ankles, flipped them upside down and suspended their flailing bodies eight meters in the air.

Still fiddling, Ahsoka walked under them. From under her shawl she produced Leia's (borrowed) spare lightsaber, with bow still in hand, deflecting deadly swipes and even throws, with casual grace, and walked to the back line of padawans. "I understand now, they took your Midichorians, didn't they? Well I am here to testify the Force is bigger than them."

The point was not lost on Talia. "Can you bring me back?"

"That's the thing, you never left. You have never stopped being a part of the Force. That was a lie these people wanted you to believe because it assuaged their fear of insignificance. I know it sounds odd, but I can sense the Force even misses you and the journey you shared." Ahsoka sheathed her weapon. "And the Force is more than lightsabers. It is art and music and dance, food, cheer, old friends, long-parted, hugging at the spaceport and even the laughter of new born babe. Life and the things that make life worth living make the Force grow!"

Talia dropped to her knees. "Please. I've been feeling so dead inside. Please. I want to live!" The other followed, dropping to their knees with a muddy, "Plop!"

"We will. We all will. Now let's stop this nonsense and go home. All you kids look like you could use a hot bath and a good meal." The young Jedi nodded and agreement.

"What about…?"

"Oh." Ahsoka snatched the Lightsabers from the six's hands, the flickered off as the flew into her arms. "They won't be any trouble. They can stay here and build their own temple, with their own hands, or come with us. But I think I know which one they will pick."

Terminus

DA-42 Origin of the planet Dawn One

How would you build a world?

Anything, just name it. Oceans? Jungles? Massive rivers? Mountains? Savannah? Beaches? Anything.

After the defeat of the Vong Fleet, that was the situation the citizens of Terminus Station and Legion Zero found themselves in. They had a world in the palm of their hand and the could mold it any way they chose. The formerly Vong-held world was a rare, Goldilox Class planet, perfect by any metric. Even its moon was perfect. Terminus' Presidium could direct the World Devastators shape the raw world into anything they wished. Flood plain? Veldt? A spartan rock-desert? Rainforest? A mix? The Devastators would patiently, perfectly, forge and mold the world anew in any manner its Imperial masters wished. Only mountains were a chore.

And then what life-forms to deposit on it?

The Vong? The war was won. And Terminus meant it to stay won. No truces to give the Vong time to rise again. Never ones to leave an enemy at their backs, the Presidium, ordered the World Interdictors out into Vong/Flutie space to consume and multiply until they could report them all gone. Not every species, just Vong and Flutie.

Commodore Sorran argued the point before the Presidium. "I regret that simply feasting on their fleets was not enough to teach the Vong a lesson. Most intelligent species, like the Hand or Alliance, would come to the surrender table." He shrugged and sighed. "Vong are genetically predisposed to never surrender and they won't stop until they kill and eat us all. Fluties too. Might as well negotiate peace with Chordatas. The fanatics leave us no choice."

Terminus and Echidna waved good bye to half their fleet of World Devastators, the sub-class World Interdictors, with promises to communicate often and come "home" when they need a fresh supply of graviton metal.

The Vong peril was no more.

Like a history book that does not end with the victory, the real work had begun. Boring meetings, planning committees, compromises, math.

In Terminus' plaza's the main emotion was disbelief. Celebration. Almost. For the citizens of Terminus, few ever even dared dream even close of what had come to pass.

"Terminus", the word had been given to the Imperial Outpost because it was the end of so many Imperial careers. It had been considered the coward's way out for failure, suicide being more honorable and less painful. But a Terminus, in its ancient form, can mark a beginning. And to the Imperial 'remnant', Legion Zero had begun ending old names and taking new ones.

After three Allthings, the Presidium decided most citizens wanted to make the anonymous Vong world the priority. Deysum III, though mid-rim, had limited growth potential and the former Vong planet was almost breathable already. It was all up to the newly christened "World Rejuvenators."

The new world was practically hidden by its position in the Venn Gap of the Tangle, Wildspace and Unknown Space. Terminus had a good chance of building it without the Galactic Alliance interference. But it was inevitable the Alliance would notice.

One cannot discuss the origin of Dawn One without linking to the history of Deysum III.

A great bonus to the building of the new world was Terminus' conquest of the Mid-Rim toxic waste dump planet Deysum III. The heavy metals and other wastes provided the WD's with more than enough 'food' so strip mining the new world for the raw materials to build landing ports, irrigation systems, construction droids, etc. as they do on other worlds, was deemed unnecessary and inefficient. Deysum was rendered more habitable with every "meal."

Terminus' situation on the Mid-Rim world Deysum III was riskier. Though greeted by the local hoi-poli as saviors, Terminus was concerned the Alliance would hardly view an Imperial force with a score of World Devastators at her command, even disarmed and re-branded to World Rejuvenators, as harmless.

Deysum III, its moon, and to a lesser extent Deysum IV, status as toxic worlds meant it was generally avoided. If a hauler stopped to notice a World Devastator eating its fill on the planet below as she jettisoned his cargo of illegal waste, he was unlikely to report it, or even recognize what was going on.

All legal dumping and recycling had gone by the wayside decades ago. The Alliance always seemed to have a war or crisis to distract it and the late, unlamented Deysum Oligarchs did not care as long as the government subsidies kept rolling it and the waste kept prying eyes at bay.

Dawn One's history links to Nal Hutta. Rotta the Hutt, in his Jewel, came to see the new world being built. He wept when he saw proof that Sorran, and Terminus, was as good as his world. "Nal Hutta will shine once again!" Of course, Rotta put the journey on his list of billable hours, even the crying time. But he also dropped other clients and prepared for the legal inevitable legal showdown in the Senate and he had a humble, suggestion for Deysum III, a constitutional convention.

And so Terminus and Deysum III entered a lull of sorts, full of plans for the future and boring, like the beginning of some trilogy about a peaceful land filled with good farming people.

The yet-to-be-named New World soon to be Dawn One, Interdictor Honor, the Sorrans

Sorran and his wife looked down on the new world with pride. Ruby was happy that her husband had succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. "On schedule?"

"Yes. I was worried about Echidna's use of sonics to raise volcanic mountains and her TR enhanced tractors to shift tectonic plates but she was right. I should have more faith in Imperial engineering."

"Yes. You of all people."

"Come here, please, dear. Look at the basin of this ocean."

"Beautiful, full of shelves and mountains."

"Does the shape look familiar to you?"

"No. But it's hard to tell with all the water."

"Yes. We have the Vong fleet for that. The WR's squeezed them like citrus fruit. That will change when the ice caps get more layers, Deysum III too. All right then, the land. How about this mountain range it raised up at the isthmus of this peninsula?"

"Peninsula? A little large for that, isn't it? Looks more like a subcontinent.

"Familiar? No. It's not. But the projected range of biomes in it is amazing. Nice place to retire."

"The Presidium thought the same thing. Put the new capital right there, on the sea, ideal harbor and aquiculture. But it all seems familiar somehow, like I've seen it before."

Ruby looked around. "Sil…"

""No. Not like that. Or déjà vu. Like it's a memory but every time I reach for it, it vanishes like smoke. Ah well. Maybe it will come to me after the WR's finish their work in a couple of months.

"Months?"

"Yes, well, scrubbing the planet of all Vong microbes is slowing us down. It a job that needs to be done right the first time."

"As a medic, I agree. Disinfection done right the first time prevents infection and saves time later."

DA-42 World Devastators

Destroying a planet up was getting to be old hat. And just eating a planet was not enough. Say what you want about the Emperor, for a guy who wore the same outfit every day, he liked to change up his game.

After the Devastators ate a world, and produced the required military equipment, they were programmed to terraform the victim planet into a world perfect for Imperial life.

As indigenous people's fled the world that had given birth to their wholes species and civilization, the Emperor wanted the insurrectionists to feel the despair as they looked down and saw their world turned into a planet iminicable to their biology and culture. How unfriendly? Perhaps a form of influenza? Perhaps roaming herd bio-beasts of the kind he grew on Byss, but certainly the invasive ever-adaptable species known as "humans" that served as the backbone of the Empire. The plant would be tailored for humans like a bespoke suit.

The homeless refugees were weaponized for the Emperor's use too. Oh, there was the ubiquitous spreading of fear, but the Emperor calculated the refugees would flee to his enemies, draining their resources further. Mercy would weigh them down like mill stones. He would wax in resources, his enemies would wane. The Galaxy would come to him, on their knees, beggar bowls in hand.

If Boba Fett was his template for the clones. I wonder what template he chose for the new worlds? Not Coruscant. It was a city world before anyone recorded its biosphere with modern instruments. The Emperor Palpatine's home planet of Naboo? But that would mean the new worlds would also be friendly to Gungan life forms. And one has to doubt that would happen. This one can't recall a, idyllic, Goldiloxian Class planet with nothing but humans on it and modern, completely recorded, in this entire galaxy around today. Can you?"

Terminus, The Presidium Chamber, Weekly Updates on their new world Dawn One, Commodore Sil Sorran Reporting

"The Vong had chosen the planet wisely. Echidna reports the natural soil and climates remarkably fruitful and, after returning the water that was trapped inside the Vongiforms to the seas, the planet turned out to be "blue." 76% water with median ice caps, a healthy spin and electromagnetic fields that restored the natural cyclonic patterns and a moon who's orbit Echidna could not improve on. The nascent Vongification had not reached most of the rich mineral deposits. The transformation appeared to go after coal, petroleum and other carbons (life) first. She had already made calculations for watersheds, biome diversity, etc."

"We could have used those. We are short on new plastics."

"Deysum three has more than enough." Grumbles of agreement.

Sorran continued. "Echidna, a remarkable machine, already has made calculations for the watersheds, the biomes, a trillion things."

"Praise the Emperor."

"Terminus had its hydroponics, fish farms and even some seed banks seized from the Errant Venture. Echidna had left Byss with its entire biobank full, sealed in carbonite. Not all had survived its dormancy in hyperspace, but most have.

She calculates Terminus could help her return to peak operation. She requests Terminus aid her in using Dawn One as her new bio bank, growing seed corn, biotanking microorganism, fungus, etc. for her, as well as themselves."

"Commodore?"

"How could we refuse? She's already begun spitting out automated agricultural equipment and green Agri-droids Also, with any luck, the World Interdictors will be back soon looking for their own Terraforming materials."

"I had forgot about them."

"A vote? Terminus agrees."

"Next on the Agenda, the matter of Deysum III.

"The toxic world?"

"Precisely. Unfeeling, short sighted people have ruined it. A century as serving as the galaxy's toxic waste site has rendered the site unlivable. Our machines and our long range plans, are making it livable.

The World Rejuvenators have found more than ample material for duplicating more World Rejuvenators, speeding the terraforming of Dawn One, building the infrastructure there we need. This is a blessing. The minerals and other raw materials we would have to strip mine Dawn One (or use a vast amounts of power to transmute) they found in plenty on Deysum III. And we clean up that world besides."

"Which is what we are gambling on when the Galactic Alliance notices."

"Precisely." Sorran activated the vid-display.

"The cyclopean, cubed, four 'legged' machines with their new TR tractors gobble up Deysum's III's surface down to the mantel, like Nerfs chomping down a trough of prime slop. Deysum III had already been strip mined of all natural resources and used as the dumping ground of the galaxy's waste for close to a hundred years. Now the pollution serves the resources as the Rejuvenators 'digest' the heavy metals, barrels of toxic soup, spent reactor cores, biowaste, etc. and separated the valuable from the dross.

Furthermore, the Rejuvenators found SO much building material, they worked at a surplus. What the machines didn't need to build another of its kin or transport to Dawn One, it deposits on the planet below, piles of clean organic soil, composts and lakes of pure water Those things that look like cargo containers? They are ingots. They leave behind and neat stacks ingots of gold, lithium, cadmium, etc. not unlike cattle leave poo doo."

"The citizens?"

"Deysum III had been rife with crime before. The Oligarch's caring nothing for the people. Terminus and Legion Zero have put an end to that. Martial Law is imposed. Droid Darktroopers are posted on every corner of the domes cities at the command of the Stormtroopers.

We are introducing Deysum III to the concept of the Althing. An abandoned cistern, from the time before recycling was discovered and used for the meeting place where all could vote. The caste system has abolished and citizenship was granted to all employed taxpayers. The people were not soldiers, so they chose elected neighborhood leaders who served in a Council. And we have young men and women looking to enlist."

"Will Deysum II be ready when the Alliance finally notices?"

"It is a race. As I sated in my last report, Echidna has stated she has enough machines for Terraforming Dawn One, with occasional, trips to Deysum III for raw materials. That has left Deysum III to build her own WR's and the growth is continuing exponentially. Without Echidna's insistence on sculpting continents, despite her spoilage, Deysum should be completed before Dawn One."

"You sound bothered. One should be grateful she is sculpting the Emperors ideal world for us."

"Yes. I should."

"The Alliance?"

"Deysum system is not a system where many people will look closely. The Alliance seems distracted with rebuilding after the war, for which I do not blame them. The problems of Deysum III do not add up to a hill of beans compared to the trillions dead and hundreds of planets lost.

Finally, it's my pleasure to be the first to share great news. On the way here, Echidna reported to me that the Grand Peninsula is ready for habitation. It's very rough, but one of our three prefabricated garrisons should be able to deal with it handily. We can start building our new capitol."

"A real planet of our own."

"I never dreamt."

"I have to admit, Sil. When you first broached this hairbrained scheme of yours I thought you were nuts. I've never been so glad to admit I was so wrong in my life."

"I confess is my great pleasure to report good news to you men and women, after decades breaking bad news to you. However, I caution the Presidium against hope. We can need to be vigilant until the Alliance comes to terms."

Coruscant, Office of the Chief Executive, Lando, Roc Gipney

Lando hid his concern. Before assuming office, he handed all his executive powers over to proxies and his assets into blind trust. The fact his Chief Accountant overseeing all his assets, the Nemoidian Roc Gipney chose to see him personally made it a serious matter.

As good manners, Lando, the boss, sat, Roc stood.

"Mister Calrissian, we have found a discrepancy."

"Must be a big one for you to see me yourself."

"Indeed. The recycling plant commonly known as Sow was supposed to report to the Carida system to aid in Terraforming there but it is long overdue. It's last known location was the Da Soocha when it was scavenging for scrap. And parts from broken World Devastators as was it's want, as you know."

"Yeah. Never trusted its little trips 'home.' Pirates?"

"A recycling planet? That would be a poor investment in any pirate fleet. And the Emperors adamantine shut down code prevents it being anything else."

"Yeah. As owner, I'll call Carida and explain. Too bad, after the war, Sow is in big demand."

"Too back I'm out of the biz right now. That means it up to you to call the authorities, ask them to be on the lookout for a lost World Devastator."

Roc groaned.

"That's why you get the big bucks, Roc old buddy. And, hey, I get your culture and females, but from now on, see my wife. Tendra is CEO in my absence, as well you know."

"Yes, sir."

Frowning, hunched over, shuffling, mournfully sad, as always, Roc left.

"You'd think a guy as rich as him would be happy. Somebody stole my recycling plant? No shortage of people on the waiting list for terraforming equipment. Can't say I blame them. Might have considered it myself in the old days. I should put out some feelers in the senate."

Coruscant, Senate Environmental Recovery Committee

DA-42 Senate Environmental Recovery Committee

The Senate Environmental Recovery Committee, where "dreams go to die." Never was a committee so ill named. Oh, it started out well-intentioned. A committee dedicated to fixing leading Alliance efforts to fix environments disasters. Of course, Deysum III was on the list. But the environment always seemed at the bottom of the budgets. Somewhere after birth control but before free public holonet.

The end of the Vong War rejuvenated the committee. Then the reality set in to how much work recovering a world where the very microbes had been replaced by an extra-galactic species. The Vong life forms were vile, virulent and relentless. A one day rest in purification could undo two weeks of work. Two steps forward, one step back and there were a hundred other committees that would rather spend money on planets that could be saved much more cost effectively.

Susurrus, senator of Falleen, closest to the door was handed a note "Mr. Chairman. We gotten word, the delegation form Deysum III. They apologize for the absence and report that it was a result in change of government They are delayed in security."

"Huh? Another coup? Though at much. Wouldn't come at all if we did threaten them with an investigation." The Riflorian senator was drinking again.

"Which they can block as long as they hold a chair." The Senator of Brilitat was eating so much Susurrus wondered who he'd ever get out of his chair.

"Just was well, they always volunteer to take all the waste off our hands. Only reason we keep them around. Wait. Has the recorder started, yet? No? Good. Let me see that? A note? Damn savages."

"They might not be patched into our systems yet, Mr. Chairman."

As the group debated the latest regulation, that winners of space battles are responsible for the hazardous wastes, thee humans, dressed in green jumpsuits and back packs entered. There were young, half the age of the sitting senators.

The Riflorian chair cast a rheumy eye at them. "You must be the new delegation from Deysum III."

"Yes." I am Miss Spoon, this is Miss Scudder and Miss Dustbin. We are the new delegates from Deysum III."

"Lovely. But only one of you is required to sit on this Committee so which will it be?"

"All of us. And we'd like to schedule an inspection."

"An inspection? Whatever for?"

"We want to open our door to refugees."

The three young ladies blushed as everyone in the chamber, except Susurrus burst into laughter. "But you are radioactive!"

"We got better. May we turn off the recorders?"

The chairman shrugged and noticed it had never been turned on. He faked a motion. "Proceed."

"May I have the floor?" Spoon placed a comm unit on the center table. "All three of your planets were devastated by the Vong." The hologram cycled through a montage. Only the Falleen did not look away. Her eyes burned into the image. "As much as our world." The image turned to the City of Fountains.

"Why do you show us history?' Susurrus snarled.

"It's not history. This is Deysum now. Look." The image changed to a line of huge machines stretching as far as the eye could see. Then a ground shot, showing a pool lake of cobalt water being sucked up, leaving glowing venomous green earth, it too was sucked up. The time advanced a cool clear lake was left behind. "We call them World Rejuvenators or WR's for short."

"Special effects."

"I have more data. But come to Deysum III see for yourself. And.. " The young women with red hair used a sly tone. "I advise you tell no one… because if these machines are real, you'll be the first in line to rent them."

"How much?"

"That's the best part. They are, for now, free. We won't charge you a single credit."

"Free is the most expensive price of all. The catch?"

"The catch is that our machines only work in fully Vongiformed worlds."

"Huh. Won't be problem there, IF they are real."

"The other catch, we invite you to our world to discuss. Our ship awaits."

The other two hesitated, Susurrus did not.

Deysum III, Low orbital station, Coruscant, Senate Environmental Recovery Committee

The committee looked down. It was almost like watching a before and after picture. An uneven line, moving to the sunset, like a grass fire. But unlike a grass fire, the front of the "fire" was lifeless, "after" the fire looked like any other healthy planet.

"By the Force, Spoon! This is amazing."

"It gets better. In sales, this is what we called the 'big reveal.'"

Then it came, rounding around the eastern horizon, a second 'burn line' headed towards the first. The two line's joined. "Now the bulk work is complete. The WR's will now link computers and print whatever droids in whatever quantity they see fit to meet our needs.

But there are so many? What would we do with the leftovers? Any ideas?"

The Riflorian was sober. "And here is comes. The catch."

"Not our catch, not really. You know the senate. I only know what I read in the media. And we roll out our World Rejuvenators, do you thing every senator will support their use? Or will the worlds, worlds with an existing biome, cry 'genocide! Alderaan!' And for their principles, your planets will die. Or at least languish on the list to be fixed 'sooner or later, they promise."

"We will have to see the numbers. And tour of these WR's."

"Are they armed?"

"Only shields and tractor beams for construction only."

"My data pad says they look like World Devastators."

"And mushrooms look like toadstools. Form follows function."

Author's Note: The editors of the Star Wars books do a bang of job interspersing story threads. For this medium, story threads are published all together. The story threads, happen, basically, concurrently.

Dawn One, Kaleb, Beth

"What are you so unhappy? Look at all the blue sky."

"It's feels weird. You sure this is one standard G? Aire smells funny. Is it always this hot?"

"That's what happens when it's not cycled a million times. You'll get your land legs soon enough." Kaleb told his pregnant wife. "If it's a girl, let's name her 'Dawn!"

"Put me down. You'll make me pee."

"Sorry. So you decided what you want to grow?"

"Yeah. Spices and Lavender. Things that smell good. Echidna says they'll grow great here. And have you decided?"

"Yes, Beets! Beets and potatoes. Just what a new colony needs and SO nutritious! Beets are great for babies. Oh, and olives eventually. Lots you can do with those." Kaleb tightened up his new boots.

"Going somewhere?"

"Just for a run around the homestead."

"Another one?"

"I'll be back before you know it."

Coruscant, Private Office of Senator Roehmer, Eric, Licia, Tearee, Benese

"We made two passes. They had air cars circling. Would could see a forensic team inside and maintenance droids repairing the shattered skylight."

"Shattered? I thought all High Tower Skylights are transparsteel for safety."

"The fact they were shattered tells a lot." Said the short, plain, woman in the bespoke Alderaanian fleece. "Only lightsabers shatter transparsteel like that."

"Jedi?"

"Or your friends."

Eric checked his comm link.

"Of course, she's not returning your call, you dolt. The jig is up. The only question now is how sloppy were you?"

"Do you think the Jedi will talk?"

"No. Not unless the Jedi talk."

Licia looked at the guards.

"The Jedi Temple. Hey, we're good but not that good." Tearee apologized.

"Could borrow a corsair and just strafe it. Just need to find out what room they are in."

"Idiot." Roehmer sneered.

"Or we go on the offensive."

Roehmer and his mother watched the morning news.

There he was, being held back from entering Sandra's residence, tears running down his cheeks. "My best performance yet, I think."

The news protocol droid continued. "Meanwhile Jedi Grandmaster Luke Skywalker has assured the Senators family that Senator Alcanta-Cardona is being treated by the very finest doctors the Jedi Temple has to offer. The senator's family cannot be reached for comment since they are already on the way here."

His mother only shrugged. "Organa-Solo's lead is polls in the high double digits."

"Come on, mother. It feeds into our narrative perfectly about how foreigners are not to be trusted. And when the Jedi refuse to let the authorities question a Jedi, AGAIN, we'll be in the clear or enough in the clear that we can spin things the way we want and muddy the waters, spread some many false stories, not one will know what to believe."

"She will know." Licia shut off the monitor

"Who?"

"You know of whom I speak. She needs to be eliminated."

"But the Jedi assured me they wiped the restaurant and they only administered the glitterstim when I was not recorded. I made sure."

"Who benefits? Eh? A child could follow the trail you left. You should have just been happy with ruining the New Alderaan Run, not complicating things for the bit of fluff.

Ach. I am to blame too. I was too greedy. An alliance with the Alcantas and Cordonas and New Alderaan would been ours."

"What now?"

"What now? You are right about one thing. The Jedi will cover for the their own and will silence Utep and Wight for us. But Sandra…get in touch with that 'accident woman' of yours."

"Mother, please."

"Please nothing. Time to man up and choose Sandra or you."

"I guess I have no choice."

"Don't worry, in a few years, you won't even miss her."

Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Secure Medical Floor, Leia, Luke, Ben, Sandra, Phon, Myri

"Morning, cousin."

"Good morning." Sandra opened her eyes and say Leia, her brother with a back drop of chrome, hoses and plastic. "I've been an idiot, haven't I? Weak willed that's what that say?"

"Just the opposite, we picked up on your clues. Not every Being under a mind trick can do that. Plus, they cheated and used glitterstim. And before you panic, the doctors assure me we got it in time. But I wouldn't move." She pointed to Sandra's left and she saw tubes connecting Phon's right arms and her left, pumping blood. Myri stood behind him.

"The doctors say a full blood transfusion is old fashioned but it the best way, You're lucky. Our blood type is not common. We were looking to run out. Fortunately, Phon happened to be the right type…of blood."

"I can always count on you, Phon."

"You bet!"

"He wasn't the only one!" Leia showed her arm.

"The Jedi?"

Luke spoke. "Recovering from their trauma will take years. I hope you understand, they were operating under something like a Mind Trick too. They were not themselves."

"I know. I could feel it with glitterstim. So much pain. You have no idea…I hope they get the help they need."

"They will."

"My family?"

"On their way."

"Dad'll be fit to be tied. Tell them it wasn't the Jedi. Tell him someone else was behind them..."

"We know."

"You know? That's embarrassing."

"We'll be going, Sandra. Our cousin, Ben Skywalker, will remain. You are going to need a Jedi around for a while. You'll feel him calming your mind, reducing the glitterstim's telepathic effects."

Sandra bit down the regret that she would never feel that empathic again. "I understand."

Jedi Temple Loading Dock

The medical services van backed up. The driver hopped out and walked along the side into two E-11's wielded by Jedi security. "Whoa! Easy big fellahs. You are fellah's right?"

"Keys."

The driver produced the keys and hopped onto the landing platform, still covered. She notice another guard scanning the truck. "Hey, I already got scanned at the gate."

"ID."

"I did that at the gate too."

The guard checked it against expect the transmission from security about who he was supposed to expect.

Just then, a medic, white coat emblem of a phlebotomist came through the loading hatch shield.

"Is this it?"

"Yessir. Don't much call for these transfusion droids after the war. Suppose that's a good thing. Bloods good. Between her guards, servants and embassy staff we got eight pints."

"Prewar droid? I was promised post war. We didn't pay for this. Wait. You loaded the blood in the droid already?"

"You said it was an emergency. What you want us to test the blood, and put it on ice just so you put into the droid that does the same thing at once?"

"All right, all right." Seems in good condition. Not a lot of wear.

"The filter settings are…"

"I know the filter settings. I'm a damn phlebotomist after all. I guess this will work.'

"Sign here." The driver offered the doctor a stylus.

"Alright, A right."

The driver went to the driver compartment of her transport.

"Hold it." The guard stopped the medic.

The phlebotomist was exasperated. "I have a patient waiting for this blood."

The driver seemed to have trouble starting the transport.

The guards were unmoved. Bomb barriers shot up in front of guards. The security man took a deep breath, mumbled a short prayer to Draffut, and jacked his hand scanner, a yellow box big enough to hold a small dagget into the blood droid's main port. The guard's tensed and the box chirped the "all clear."

"Looks good. It's an older model but it checks out. Sure you want to use this?"

"And you'd think for the credits we paid we'd get a new one. But I guess we have no choice. They'll hear from our Jedi Legal Affairs Department.

The medical delivery driver started up her transport and headed on out.

Coruscant, Jedi Temple, Secure Medical Floor, Ben, Sandra, Phon, Myri

While the Chief Phlebotomist left to pick up the remaining blood for Sandra the nurse monitored everything.

"I've never see this procedure before. How does it work?" She asked the nurse.

"Oh, bad blood out, goes through there. We can filter out bad stuff but in this case out it goes. In goes the good blood. Can't do all at once of course. This machine? In an emergency, we can use a donor to cycle oxygenated blood during surgery. Very useful on multi-species ships as you can imagine."

"Oh I can."

"Scuse me." Young security guard approached Myri." "You need to leave. Only authorized personelle and Jedi are allowed, in here Ma'am."

"Senatorial regulations. She's my bodyguard. Where I go, she goes." Phon was bored.

"This is the Temple, not the Senate. This way please."

Myri did not take a step.

The nurse checked the blood transfusion machine and looked worried. Phon felt a little light headed. "You could try to move her."

Ben Skywalker let out short, soft "Ha." That translated into the message "I'd like to see you try."

The laugh from the Jedi put the young guard on pause.

Phon looked at the two, Ben and Myri and finished his sentence. "But I would not advise it. Yes. Ben. Myri. I can see it. Both people of action. She's like Mara, his mother. Jedi get married now."

With a heavy sigh, the older guard at the door walked over and whispered into the young guard's ear.

"The girl from the holonews!" He looked to Myri, to Phon and back again. "Oh! I am SO sorry ma'am, I mean Ms. Antilles!"

"Never be sorry for following orders."

With a shaking finger that silently said, "I just saved you from a major ass-whuppin'." The senior guard resumed his post and the others returned to theirs, at the other hatches.

The nurse was frowning more.

"Something wrong?"

"Waiting for the fresh blood is all. Speak of the devil. It's about time!"

"Not my fault! Look at this old thing. Some idiot loaded all the blood in it already. Just going to have to switch to this machine, I guess. You know how to operate this?"

"That old thing? Not since nursing school. We better hurry."

Myri was always impressed by nurses who do a million things and make it look like they were baking the same cake they baked a million times.

"Wait. Old. Old. Tech."

"What's he saying?"

"Something about old."

Phon went for light headed to dizzy. He pointed his unstrapped arm to the newly arrive transfusion droid. "Old…droid. No. Ax. Ax.."

Ben frowned. "Something's wrong."

Phon felt clouds take him and he hope he said the right word, lips going limp at the end. "Accidennn."

"Accident!" The light went on in Myri's attic. "You are not using that machine or any of the blood. We've had a report that such an attempt could be made on the Senator's life. Was there anything off about this…"

"Yes. It's not the droid we ordered or the way the blood should have arrived."

"None of that blood is safe now, the droid either."

"Master Skywalker?"

"Alert security. With any luck, she's still at the gate." Ben ran out the hatch from which the phlebotomist entered.

"I'll empty the droid and run the blood though our filtration process. Nurse. We have no choice, full transfusion or we'll lose them both."

"Is it safe?"

Best we got for now. See if the princess is still in the building. So little whole blood in the system…I don't admire the strain on their hearts. Get an IV and blood boosters."

"Right away doctor."

"You." The nurse pointed to Myri. "Help me get him on this cart. We need to draw another line. In with her bad, out with his good."

"Guards. Take that droid out of here."

"Not yet. I need to drain it first. We might need that blood. The droid was checked out twice but not the blood. This filtration machine is military grade designed to catch everything from nanobombs to Vong bacteria."

As the nurse, stuck another line in Phon. Myri watched his BP and heart rate were not good." Suddenly they shot up but not by much. Myri caught the nurse's eye. She was not relieved.

There were two centers of activity in the medical floor. One, the Phlebotomist hooking up the bad droid's blood into a purification machine and pressing buttons. And the other, the transfusion. Myri had his hand. "Hold on, Phon. Are there any more doctors coming?"

"Don't look for help to bail you out." Myri recognized a combat nurse voice. "And honey, if we don't these two stabilize right now…anyway we are the only two Phlebotomists in the building."

"Great."

The Phlebotomist groaned and slumped. "You stay here." Myri dashed over, pushed aside the guard and opened the doctor's eyes. "Drugged." She ran her scanner over the keys on the droid. "Yep. Contact poison to make him look drunk. Accident Woman all right. He's been poisoned! Not fatal but he's useless to us now!"

"Okay. The transfusion is automated. But that filtering machine needs constant monitoring. Ready, switch!"

Myri ran to where she saw the nurse standing and visa-versa. The vitals did not look good. "It's because I don't know how to tweak things, like she does. They're falling!"

"Damn. Didn't want to do this. Hit the red switch. That'll put the drained blood in the system. That'll should get the BP and blood ox levels up."

"But the glitterstim..."

"Spread over two bodies. Lesser of two evils now, hun. On my head be it."

Myri closed her eyes and flipped the red switch. A circular pump spun and the Sandra's just drained glitterstim contaminated blood flowed up a tube in to the man she loved.

Phon roused and opened his eyes, Myri was looking down at him, holding his hand. "Sandra?"

"She's okay. You were right." She was beaming.

"Why are you crying?" It hit Phon like a ton of bricks. Like veil had been torn from his eyes. He didn't know he had glitterstim in his blood but he could see Myri's love for him, the little moments, his smile, the racing, all his casual compliments, his dancing, the stories, all the moments that made her love him more. "You love me?"

She dropped his hand like it as an asp. "That's the meds talking."

"No. It's not. He took her hand back." He looked over to Sandra. "I feel her too. But it's not the same. Sleepy now. That's the meds talkinnnnn..."

Myri looked up. The nurse's look said a million things. Her mouth spoke the obvious, the stuff fit for the guard to hear. "He should be fine for now. I got the first half liter ready. It checks clean. The droid was probably the trap."

"Makes sense. The only reason to make the phlebotomist look drunk would be if the machine malfunctioned."

"You saved her life too. Alone, I never would been able to replace the blood in time."

"He saved her life."

"Uh-huh."

"How much glitterstim?"

"Hard to say. I have no experience with it."

"I think I know someone."

Coruscant, High Towers, Roehmer residence

"What's this?"

"You luggage, Eric. You are going on a vacation."

"Where?"

"Anywhere, New Alderaan, Dathomir for all I care. You still have your ship, and your private bank account, but I've left you little else. I have just discovered you've been up to now good and now disownment is my only option."

"Mother!"

"Tearee. Show this stranger out."