Chapter iv
The members of the Security & Intelligence Council sat as Borsk Fey'lya came to the table. "We all know why we're here. What is the situation in the Remnant?" "Initial reports show these new Imperial forces numbering somewhere around thirty times the strength of the former Imperial Remnant's strength." Krall Praget, the Edathan Advisory, paused to look over his datapad. "Karrde's people have reported 3 Super Star Destroyers and about 3 dozen more Star Destroyers patrolling the Remnant. In addition, there are a large number of ships that we have been unable to identify. Most all of these are comparable with some of our smaller frigates for size and apparent firepower, but they represent an unknown factor, nonetheless." Tolik Yar pressed a button on his console, which dimmed the lights in the room and brought up a holographic projection of three ships. "With the assistance of Jedi Master Jade-Skywalker, he have been able to identify the Super Star Destroyers as the Hydra, Titan, and Reaver. The Hydra is stationed around Bastion, and as such we suspect it to be the flagship of. whoever is behind this attack." The image shut down as the lights brightened. Viqi Shesh straightened in her chair and pulled up her datapad. "Which brings us to our own investigation. Security cameras from the Command Center, provided by Admiral Pellaeon, have identified Luke Skywalker as the one orchestrating this coup on Bastion. The Jedi on Yavin have all stated that Master Skywalker was present on Yavin at the time of the attack." "Or so they claim," interjected Borsk Fey'lya, his violet eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "What are you insinuating, Chief Fey'lya?" Tolik Yar, the representative of Oolidi, narrowed his eyes at the Chief of State. "Oh, nothing at all. Please. Continue with your presentation." Borsk sat back casually and smoothed out the fur on the back of his neck. However, his oh-so-innocent comment left a shadow of a doubt in the minds of some of the members of the Security & Intelligence Council. Senator Shesh nodded and consulted her pad again. "According to Organa Solo and Jade-Skywalker, Master Skywalker has not recovered any of his lost memory, the last thing he recalls being his time on Bespin where former General Han Solo had been captured by Imperial forces. He was led into a trap where he was forced to confront Darth Vader. The last he recalls was that his right hand was severed. Beyond that he has impressions of things that had occurred, but they are incoherent and he has no frame of reference in which to place them. His sister and wife have been helping him with this, but they have made little progress. "Mara Jade-Skywalker has offered that during the Thrawn crisis, they had encountered a clone of Master Skywalker created by the clone of Master C'baoth. According to the Jedi, he had recovered Skywalker's hand from Bespin and had used it to create this clone from. It has been hypothesized that perhaps there was more than one clone, and that this clone was behind Master Skywalker's kidnapping. "Intelligence investigations and Temas Non's testimony have determined that there were three individuals who escaped the destruction of Black Aurora. Vim Darke, the assassin who was responsible for the deaths of the leaders of that syndicate. The Rose, the one who most likely directed Vim towards that end for his own purposes or at the behest of our third individual who we have been unable to identify. According to the Jedi, there are always two in number. A master and an apprentice. Jade- Skywalker indicates that Nomaas Garr was most likely an apprentice, and an ill-trained one at that. Her theory is that if it were another clone of Master Skywalker, it would have been created from his DNA at a time in his life when had had very little in the way of training. And he had never met another Jedi, much less trained one. If he had been trained by the clone of C'baoth, then he was trained by someone who was insane.." Fey'lya sighed and gestured with his hand. "You seem to have plenty of theories but very little in the way of facts. The most concrete thing I have heard thus far is that Vim Darke assassinated the members of Black Aurora. Of this, we have proof. Every thing else, thus far, has been circumstantial." Shesh held her hand up in a gesture of placation. "What little proof we have, Chief Fey'lya is this. The aforementioned footage of Skywalker at Bastion. And Admiral Pellaeon's testimony. He has said that the fighters he witnessed decimating his defenses moved with a coordination that he had seen with Grand Admiral Thrawn when Master C'baoth used his Force powers to take control of their fighting force. Thrawn had claimed that the Emperor had possessed this power. C'baoth possessed this power. And if this is indeed the clone of Skywalker, then he instructed the clone in the use of this power as well." "That is not much in the way of proof, Senator. Again, more hearsay and speculation than solid evidence. We can't go chasing after the phantoms and apparitions in front of us when we may have a rancor just behind us." Shesh nodded. "No. But I prefer to look, first, for the enemy from outside, than the enemy within. Tycho Celchu was framed for a crime and nearly killed because of it. Can we afford to make the same mistake with someone as powerful and influential as Master Skywalker?" "No. But perhaps we should take the same precautions as was done with Celchu before the aforementioned crime. Keep Master Skywalker under surveillance and limit his contact with persons and positions of importance in the New Republic. Until such a time that he can be cleared of all suspicions." Viqi Shesh held her hand to her lips. He leaves unsaid, until such a time that he can be assured of Skywalker's innocence. On one hand, Skywalker has done more for the New Republic than anyone still alive. And certainly anyone in this chamber. On the other hand, if he is guilty. If he has perhaps fallen to the dark side, then what Fey'lya suggests is our best, our only, course of action. Fey'lya looked over the council. "All those in favor?"
The members of the Security & Intelligence Council sat as Borsk Fey'lya came to the table. "We all know why we're here. What is the situation in the Remnant?" "Initial reports show these new Imperial forces numbering somewhere around thirty times the strength of the former Imperial Remnant's strength." Krall Praget, the Edathan Advisory, paused to look over his datapad. "Karrde's people have reported 3 Super Star Destroyers and about 3 dozen more Star Destroyers patrolling the Remnant. In addition, there are a large number of ships that we have been unable to identify. Most all of these are comparable with some of our smaller frigates for size and apparent firepower, but they represent an unknown factor, nonetheless." Tolik Yar pressed a button on his console, which dimmed the lights in the room and brought up a holographic projection of three ships. "With the assistance of Jedi Master Jade-Skywalker, he have been able to identify the Super Star Destroyers as the Hydra, Titan, and Reaver. The Hydra is stationed around Bastion, and as such we suspect it to be the flagship of. whoever is behind this attack." The image shut down as the lights brightened. Viqi Shesh straightened in her chair and pulled up her datapad. "Which brings us to our own investigation. Security cameras from the Command Center, provided by Admiral Pellaeon, have identified Luke Skywalker as the one orchestrating this coup on Bastion. The Jedi on Yavin have all stated that Master Skywalker was present on Yavin at the time of the attack." "Or so they claim," interjected Borsk Fey'lya, his violet eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "What are you insinuating, Chief Fey'lya?" Tolik Yar, the representative of Oolidi, narrowed his eyes at the Chief of State. "Oh, nothing at all. Please. Continue with your presentation." Borsk sat back casually and smoothed out the fur on the back of his neck. However, his oh-so-innocent comment left a shadow of a doubt in the minds of some of the members of the Security & Intelligence Council. Senator Shesh nodded and consulted her pad again. "According to Organa Solo and Jade-Skywalker, Master Skywalker has not recovered any of his lost memory, the last thing he recalls being his time on Bespin where former General Han Solo had been captured by Imperial forces. He was led into a trap where he was forced to confront Darth Vader. The last he recalls was that his right hand was severed. Beyond that he has impressions of things that had occurred, but they are incoherent and he has no frame of reference in which to place them. His sister and wife have been helping him with this, but they have made little progress. "Mara Jade-Skywalker has offered that during the Thrawn crisis, they had encountered a clone of Master Skywalker created by the clone of Master C'baoth. According to the Jedi, he had recovered Skywalker's hand from Bespin and had used it to create this clone from. It has been hypothesized that perhaps there was more than one clone, and that this clone was behind Master Skywalker's kidnapping. "Intelligence investigations and Temas Non's testimony have determined that there were three individuals who escaped the destruction of Black Aurora. Vim Darke, the assassin who was responsible for the deaths of the leaders of that syndicate. The Rose, the one who most likely directed Vim towards that end for his own purposes or at the behest of our third individual who we have been unable to identify. According to the Jedi, there are always two in number. A master and an apprentice. Jade- Skywalker indicates that Nomaas Garr was most likely an apprentice, and an ill-trained one at that. Her theory is that if it were another clone of Master Skywalker, it would have been created from his DNA at a time in his life when had had very little in the way of training. And he had never met another Jedi, much less trained one. If he had been trained by the clone of C'baoth, then he was trained by someone who was insane.." Fey'lya sighed and gestured with his hand. "You seem to have plenty of theories but very little in the way of facts. The most concrete thing I have heard thus far is that Vim Darke assassinated the members of Black Aurora. Of this, we have proof. Every thing else, thus far, has been circumstantial." Shesh held her hand up in a gesture of placation. "What little proof we have, Chief Fey'lya is this. The aforementioned footage of Skywalker at Bastion. And Admiral Pellaeon's testimony. He has said that the fighters he witnessed decimating his defenses moved with a coordination that he had seen with Grand Admiral Thrawn when Master C'baoth used his Force powers to take control of their fighting force. Thrawn had claimed that the Emperor had possessed this power. C'baoth possessed this power. And if this is indeed the clone of Skywalker, then he instructed the clone in the use of this power as well." "That is not much in the way of proof, Senator. Again, more hearsay and speculation than solid evidence. We can't go chasing after the phantoms and apparitions in front of us when we may have a rancor just behind us." Shesh nodded. "No. But I prefer to look, first, for the enemy from outside, than the enemy within. Tycho Celchu was framed for a crime and nearly killed because of it. Can we afford to make the same mistake with someone as powerful and influential as Master Skywalker?" "No. But perhaps we should take the same precautions as was done with Celchu before the aforementioned crime. Keep Master Skywalker under surveillance and limit his contact with persons and positions of importance in the New Republic. Until such a time that he can be cleared of all suspicions." Viqi Shesh held her hand to her lips. He leaves unsaid, until such a time that he can be assured of Skywalker's innocence. On one hand, Skywalker has done more for the New Republic than anyone still alive. And certainly anyone in this chamber. On the other hand, if he is guilty. If he has perhaps fallen to the dark side, then what Fey'lya suggests is our best, our only, course of action. Fey'lya looked over the council. "All those in favor?"