Chapter Five
Standing beside Thrawn in the Grand Admiral's private
chambers, Captain Parck swallowed and tried to calm the fear that
fluttered in his stomach as he watched the viewscreens. Like most
of his generation, the Imperial Captain had been raised on stories
of the Jedi Knights, the invincible warrior-sorcerers of the Old
Republic.
Of course, that was before the Emperor took control and
replaced superstition and ineffectual leadership with the rule of
Order. The Ministers of Propaganda had long been disproving
those old stories, revealing the Jedi as nothing more than
charlatans and tricksters who used elaborate techno-illusions to
overawe the weak and foolish. Parck had even come to believe all
that (thankfully, he had never worked closely with Darth Vader
and experienced the Sith lord's power firsthand), until now.
"The reports are in from the Inner Ring," he began.
"The Jedi evaded the search and escaped to the Outer
Ring." Thrawn concluded for him. "The tone of your voice told
me that much."
"Yes, sir." Parck continued. "Early Reports and the images
recorded from the broadcast suggest she has a companion, a
reptilian of unknown species who aided her." He paused for a
moment, giving Thrawn the chance to supply the species name, but
the Grand Admiral merely waved for him to continue. He didn't
know what race the reptile-being was either.
"Apparently the reptile stole a hovercar from a Miashku
citizen, which the Jedi drove over the edge of the Ring." Parck's
mouth thinned. "Troops located the vehicle, abandoned, near one
of the supporting pillars. Somehow it had survived the drop
completely intact and was being looted by scavengers." Parck
lowered his eyes. "I apologize, sir. I should have ordered more
ground troops stationed in the Outer Ring. The Jedi wouldn't have
gotten away-"
"Not your fault, Captain." Thrawn waved the apology away
and turned to his viewscreens, his eyes glowing coldly. "The
Emperor was indeed careful in destroying all records of the Jedi.
Unfortunately, this purge of information also meant Imperial
forces would be unable to anticipate a Jedi's powers if they should
encounter one. In any case, if anyone is at fault then it is me. I
should have known there was the chance of encountering a Jedi in
the Unknown Regions. Where else is there to hide from the
Purges?"
"We're most relieved the Jedi's attempt on your life failed."
Parck put in. One of the screens showed recordings from the
broadcast being played, then rewound and played again in a loop.
"You think she was trying to assassinate me, Captain?"
Thrawn said smoothly.
"Of course that was her intent." Parck responded promptly,
pointing to the split screen. "See, there she is preparing to throw
her knife at you," he indicated one half of the screen, then the
other, "and there one of our fleet troopers has seen her. He draws
his blaster to stop her, she sees this and adjusts her aim to kill him
instead, saving her own life." Parck nodded.
"Your response shows the depth of your Imperial
conditioning, Captain, not that of your intelligence and
observation, which would otherwise be more than up to unraveling
this." He touched the controls and the images moved in slow
motion. "She may have killed him, but the 'loyal' fleet trooper was
drawing his weapon before he could have possibly seen the
Jedi. And he does not aim at her position." Parck's eyes widened
as he tracked the path of the shot, which would have taken the
Admiral's head off! "As for the Jedi, she does not make a move
until she sees the trooper making his. Her aim is true, and hits
what she intends to hit."
"The Jedi saved your life." He said under his breath, half-
afraid that Imperial Intelligence agents would appear out of the
shadows and seize him for a traitor.
"Yes, and after she has revealed herself and the threat to
me is no more, what does she do? She surrenders, Captain. She
only flees when this man fires on her. Onscreen, the Imperial
shoved past and raised his blaster. Thrawn froze the image and
enlarged the section of the man's face. Parck instinctively stepped
back, the face was almost inhuman in its hate, like a half-rabid
animal's. It must be some defect in the recording that made his
bared teeth look like fangs. On another screen, Thrawn had
enlarged the image of his would-be assassin and was studying it
very carefully, particularly the strangely graceful way the man
moved.
"This is a very curious business, Captain. I would like very
much to know why this Jedi acted as she did."
"She wont get away." Parck promised. It may be difficult,
the Outer Rings has many more spaceports than the Inner Ring,
and they're highly disorganized, so finding the Jedi's ship will be
difficult, but I?m ready to call in more Star Destroyers and
blockade the entire planet if need be."
"You can wipe that plan from your memory, Captain."
Thrawn said in a glacial voice. "Imperial forces have already
brought chaos to the capital mere minutes after entering the
Empire, an act that was to usher in an age of peace and order. I
still have the government leaders in my pocket, but we need to win
the confidence of the people. Blockading the major trade center of
this sector, an act that will cost countless billions, is not the way to
do that."
"Besides, I have an idea already about where the Jedi's
vessel might be located."
"Yes Admiral." Parck said. "I can't begin to express my
shock that one of our own people would commit this kind of
treachery. We've identified the dead man, and rest assured I will
begin a full investigation into his past actions and associates.
Whether he was motivated by an anti alien bias or if he was bought
by Coerl, we'll soon learn the truth."
"You can hold on the investigation." Thrawn said. "I
already have a team of Intelligence agents backtracking his
movements since we landed." He was looking at a list of starcraft
that had recently arrived at the Outer Ring spaceports. It was a
very long list. "And I have another plan for-" The com on his
armrest beeped.
"Thrawn here." He said into the speaker.
"Sir," the voice of the bridge's comm officer, "we have a
transmition from one of our shuttles at the Inner Ring spaceports."
Transport shuttles had landed with orders to transport all Imperial
personal in Inner Ring back to the Admonitor. "One of the
Imperial Guardsmen arrived with the...remains...of the other and
demanded that the shuttle lift off for the Admonitor
immediately, before the shuttle is full to capacity as per your
orders."
"Yes, well tell the pilot to give the Guardsmen the comm
and patch the transmition in here."
"Aye sir." A few seconds later...
"Grand Admiral." The Guardsman's voice was a cold rasp.
"Yes," he leaned back in his chair, "so tell me, how did
your Jedi hunting go? I'd have thought you would want to be
trailing your quarry."
"My fellow Guardsman is dead." There was a dangerous
edge to his voice. "And I have no chance against a Jedi on my
own. His Majesty commanded me to defend you, the Jedi may
make another attempt on your life."
"Yes," he steepled his fingers and smiled, "by all means the
shuttle will launch for the Admonitor immediately. Thrawn
out." He deactivated the comm. "Needless to say, Captain, you
will keep silent regarding our findings. I would not like the
reaction if the Emperor's watchdog discovered a Jedi saved my
life." Parck nodded. "Good, now I have a mission for you and a
few highly trusted troopers. You must be planetside before our
Guardsman friend arrives, and it would be best if he had no
knowledge of what you are about."
*******************************
The two other warriors met Hren Silra and Nom Anor and
boarded one of the transport shuttles for the Admonitor. Both
warriors were now disguised as Chiss troopers, their eyes glowed
red with lumin dye, and two of the red bugs were concealed in
each of their pockets for when the glow began to fade.
They had turned the ruaswyrms on all the Vong creatures in
their possessions. All the evidence that they had even been here
were the ooglith cloakers they wore, the dye bugs and the
ruaswyrms themselves, concealed in their pockets. Hren Silra
himself had destroyed the villip that allowed them to communicate
with Sang Anor after outlining his plan to the Executor and
securing his approval to go forward.
They had arrived on this planet in gel-lined corral pods
dropped from low orbit, which had begun to decay soon after they
hit ground. When their work was finished there would be no
evidence of the Yuuzhan Vong presence on this planet.
Nom Anor shivered, he felt sick being encased in this
machine, and they were actually going to enter that cursed Star
Destroyer. There would be nothing around him but a world of
nonliving matter, unnaturally animated and offensive to the gods.
Only the cold, pure purpose of their mission allowed him to
voyage into the heart of that monster without flinching. The four
of them gathered at the rear of the shuttle and listened as Hren
Silra gave them their orders.
"When we arrive, you two will head down to the medical
area and find the body of our fallen warrior. Then use the
ruaswyrms on him." He spoke in a low voice to avoid being
overheard.
The warriors gasped in shock. "But Master," one of them
whispered, "to destroy his body, it would desecrate him and show
dishonor to his family! It is our duty to recover his body and
present it to the Executor!"
"This mission is all important, warrior." Hren Silra
overrode him. "Sacrifices will be made in the name of expediency.
His family's elders, and the gods, will understand." The warriors
would have protested further, but Hren Silra had been vested with
the Executor's authority and they remained silent.
"We will also plant the wyrms to facilitate our escape.
While you deal with the body you and I," he indicated one of the
'Chiss,' "will head up to the command bridge and deal with the
Grand Admiral." A wicked smile appeared on his human face. "I
wish I could see the Chiss' reaction when their beloved Syndic is
slain by one of the Emperor's own Guardsmen. In less than a day
the Chiss and humans will be at war and the Empire will have lost
all it has gained here."
*************************************
Vergere and Oin had to take their time and avoid the
Imperial patrols that were sweeping the Outer Ring, sometimes
having to go far out of their way and fight off starving vermin and
terrified gangs, but they eventually made it to the spaceport where
their ship was berthed.
The port was uncharacteristically quiet, Vergere had
suspected there to be a mad scramble as the Imperials seized
the ports but now things seemed under control. The port
itself was almost deserted and her ship was in sight. She was
thankful it hadn't been searched yet, but with so many vessels and
no guarantee she even had a ship of her own and hadn't simply
stown away on another vessel there was no way the Empire could
search them all quickly.
They moved around the ranks of berthed freighters and
neared the ship. It wouldn't be long now. She would send the
transmition as the ship lifted off. The freighter was lightly armed
and not very maneuverable, but Vergere was a skilled pilot with
more than a few tricks up her robe. She had a chance of getting
past the TIE Fighters that would be sent after them, as long as they
stayed away from the Star Destroyer and its tractor beams and
turboblasters.
Through the Force, the Jedi sensed the fear of the beings
inside the ships and of the port authorities, their confusion and
uncertainty. Their whole world had changed, they didn't know
what the future held in store for them.
"When we board," she whispered to Oin, "strap yourself in
and stay quiet. It will take a few miracles for us to get clear of the
planet and make the jump to hyperspace, and I hope the Force in
the mood to indulge us."
Apparently it wasn't.
When they were halfway to the boarding ramp a dozen
stormtroopers stepped out from around their ship and the ships
behind them. They were surrounded, blocked from the front and
flanked from behind, the focal point of a dozen blaster barrels. It
must have been the emotions emanating from the ships around
them that had masked their presence in the Force. Instantly
Vergere's lightsaber came to life in her hands and Oin tried to
point his blaster in every direction at once. Vergere stood ready to
deflect their fire and charge any weak spot in the ranks.
They didn't open fire, only stood there, white armor shining
in the spaceport's lights.
"That wont be necessary." A man in a captain's uniform
walked around the berth and stood between them and the ramp.
He was tall and his black hair was going grey, but he was still trim
and fit. "I am Captain Voss Parck of the Star Destroyer
Admonitor, and I bring a message from Grand Admiral
Thrawn." His hands were clasped behind his back and his voice
was calm and controlled, but Vergere sensed fear just under the
surface.
"I'm all ears." She responded dryly. "You seem to have a
captive audience."
"Yes, the Grand Admiral wishes to speak with you onboard
his flagship. You are to accompany us there. In return you will
both be given safe passage out of this system afterward."
"And if I decline?" She asked coldly.
"The Admiral doubts you will do so, as you seemed
interested in preserving him and speaking with him before." Parck
smiled.
"My companion stays here, aboard my ship."
"You are not in a position to negotiate. The Admiral
wishes to see you both."
"Perhaps I should fight now rather than be shot in the back
later."
"Grand Admiral Thrawn is a man of honor," Parck's eyes
flashed angrily, "he has given his word that you will not be harmed
and will be allowed to leave in peace, and his word can be trusted."
The honesty in Parck convinced her. She switched off her
lightsaber and hooked in to her belt.
"Put the blaster away." She said to a reluctant Oin. "Very
well then," to Parck, "we accept."
*************************************
Drash Tevock stalked down the corridors of the
Admonitor. He had spent a few hours in one of the ships
workout areas trying vainly to sweat out his angst. It was that
blasted fight, not much more than a scuffle, but since then his
name hadn't been on any of the rosters.
He kept away from the windows and the beautiful, clean
void beyond the ship. The sight would only torment him, seeing
space without being able to fly through it, without being stripped
away of all the illusions that so many had, the little, unimportant
things that seemed so momentous. Then there was only the
pure focus remaining as he became the sharp edge of the knife.
Closer to the truth than any other. Blast it he had to get out there!
With a sigh he turned back to the training rooms. He was
required to spend some time in the flight simulator and he had best
get it over with quickly. He hated those things, they only mocked
what he experienced in real piloting.
Drash had just turned a corner when he saw something odd.
Very odd. Two fleet troopers walked past him, one human and
one Chiss. The Chiss he didn't know, but the human was crewman
named Estra, probably the worst human supremacist Drash
knew.
He turned back, mildly curious. His first thought was that
He'd made a mistake. No, there was Estra Vran, a man who
Wouldn't even eat at the same table as an alien, standing to the side
of a corridor talking softly with a Chiss.
If Drash was curious before he was burning up inside now.
He didn't bother thinking about what he would do next, he simply
followed his instincts. He stepped around the corner and put on a
wide, open smile. He walked quickly towards them and called in a
hearty voice no one who had spent more than a few minutes with
Drash would ever recognize as his.
"Estra you Huttling!" He laughed and opened his arms,
clapped his hands and rubbed them vigorously together. He closed
the distance between them in a few steps. The two had stopped
talking and turned as one to look at him. They looked like a pair
of startled wildcats.
"When did they transfer you here anyway? Last I heard you
were on the Incinerator. They finally got tired of you stinking
up their ship and sent you upstairs to offend the Admiral, eh?" He
clapped his hand on Estra's shoulder and felt the other tense, ready
to throw the hand off. Then Estra, one of the handful of humans in
the fleet who still despised Admiral Thrawn for his race, looked at
the Chiss beside him. A brief glance, and the Chiss nodded
slightly.
"It's good to see you too, friend." Estra smiled, and Drash
noticed he seemed taller than he'd been yesterday. "Yes, I
transferred here just a few days ago, from the Incinerator.
Estra had been serving aboard the Admonitor for over a month, and
the Incinerator wasn't even a part of Unity Fleet. "I'd like to
stick around and catch up on old times, but Zaen and I-"
"We have duties to attend to." The Chiss supplied. The
melodious accent seemed to be lacking something, though, as did
the glowing eyes.
"Right, of course." Drash smiled. Come and see me on
your off hours, we'll start up a slingball game." They began
moving away, soon they were out of sight around another bend.
The friendly smile vanished from Drash's face. Replaced by an
expression of cold speculation.
*************************************
"That was a close thing." Nom Anor muttered to his Chiss-
disguised companion. "I almost thought we'd have to kill that
fool."
"The gods favor us, it seems." The other led the way
through the vile machine-ship. "Let us pray we do not run into
anyone else." They had already planted most of their ruaswyrms
and had just enough left to deal with their fallen warrior's body. A
quick trip to the shuttle bay afterwards and that would be the end
to their time here. Nom Anor smiled under his human skin. His
father would be pleased with him for this.
*************************************
"I must ask you to turn over your weapons." Captain Parck
held out his hands as they boarded the Lambda class shuttle.
"Not going to happen." Vergere strode past him and took
her seat. Oin did likewise. Parck shrugged and signaled the pilot
to close the ramp. To her mild surprise, there were no
stormtroopers onboard. They and Parck were to only passengers,
and the Captain took his seat beside them. He was holding a
datacard that had been handed to him as they had boarded the
Imperial shuttle.
The shuttle was meant for the personal conveyance of
Moffs, Admirals and other VIPs, the interior was plush and
luxurious and the liftoff was so smooth they had to look out the
window to make sure they'd left the ground. They saw the side
wings fold down as the shuttle lifted and pointed its nose skyward.
Oin alternately watched the receding ground and approaching
stars with interest. Vergere had other things on her mind.
"What's that?" She asked Parck, meaning the datacard that
had been handed to him as they had neared the shuttle.
"A report by Intelligence agents on the actions of the man
who attempted to assassinate the Grand Admiral." He said. "The
man you killed."
"Tell me more." Vergere said smoothly.
"This is classified data."
"Just a few questions, like where he went and who he was
seen with. A few questions will hardly bring down the Empire,
will they?" She nudged him with the Force, tried to lower his
defenses and relax his guard. "I have information about who this
man was working for, and who his associates might be."
"He was last seen in the company of four other human fleet
troopers in the Outer Ring." Parck said softly, a vacant expression
on his face. "A Chiss saw them entering an abandoned
slaughterhouse in the company of an unidentified human. He
recognized two: the shooter and a Lt. Stev Rollis. We are looking
for him for questioning."
"You wont find him." Vergere said. Five, that meant at
least four were left. "Rollis and the others are dead. They died
when they entered that slaughterhouse."
"What?" Parck raised his eyebrows, alert again.
"An autopsy of the shooter will show that he isn't who you
think. He's not even human. Agents took their places to get close
to the Grand Admiral. They took human guise to break up the
alliance with the Chiss, I suspect."
"But I've never heard of an alien that could mimic in that
way!" Parck gasped. "Who is behind this? Coerl? Some other
Warlord?"
Vergere only shook her head. "Probably the most
dangerous warlord in the galaxy. And the least known. It's a long
story and I'll save it for the Admiral." The Admonitor filled up
the window. There was no hurry, the other Yuuzhan Vong were probably
hiding out or on their way back to Sevac III by now.
*************************************
In the medicenter's sterile lab, an Imperial doctor looked
down at the table where the dead man lay. Naked and with a
vibroblade handle projecting from his throat. "Sorry about this,"
she said to herself as she laid out the instruments, "but the Admiral
wants an autopsy."
"Query, might I ask your meaning?" The medical droid
assisting her asked.
"Never mind. Begin recording." She looked at the datapad
and compared. "Subject is a human male, 28 years old. From
Coruscant-Kuat stock. Stands 5 foot 6 inches tall-"
"Incorrect." The droid put in. "Subject is 5 foot, 9 inches."
"Hmmm?" She took out a measure. "So he is." She
shrugged, that was bureaucrats for you, they got nothing right.
"Odd, the file clearly says green eyes, his are brown." She pulled
the blade out and set it in a tray for later examination. "Beginning
incision." She activated a laser scalpel and brought it close to the
cadaver's skin, but before she could make the first cut the skin
bunched and pulled away from her.
The doctor jerked back and pulled off her face mask.
"Emperor's black heart!" Her eyes widened. "Delete that last
sentence." She ordered the droid. "He seems to have some kind of
reaction in the epidermal layers." To say the least! The man's skin
was...sagging, pulling away from his body. Experimentally, she
held the scalpel against the skin. It pulled back, afraid of pain.
This thing isn't human! She thought.
"Touch him not with your machines!" The command was a
vicious snarl. The doctor spun around and saw two beings in the
doorway.
"Unauthorized entry." The droid warned. The human and
Chiss didn't care about that. If anything, they were furious at the
droid speaking to them. The doctor instinctively stepped back,
half-raising her scalpel. It did not good: she was dead before she
hit the floor.
While Nom Anor tore off the droid's head and ripped out
Its wiring, the other warrior sprinkled ruaswryms in the corpse's
mouth. "Come on." He led the way out. It would take time for the
body and ooglith masquer to completely dissolve: they had few of
the worms left after planting them around the ship, and they were
all sterile. It would happen, though, and the only thing anyone
would find would be a puddle of acid and a few dead worms. Not
as neat as Hren Silra would've liked, but good enough.
They entered the main area of the medicenter, empty. Nom
Anor looked around casually, and suddenly pushed the other
warrior just as a blaster bolt would've burned through his head.
Drash fired again. He had gotten a look at the inside of the
lab as the two had left, and the dead doctor on the floor told him
all he needed to know. They had taken cover, whoever they were,
one behind a metal. table, the other behind a storage locker. They
moved like wild animals, but he had them pinned down. He
moved to the alarm. This should help make up for his earlier bad
behavior and get him in a TIE's cockpit all the sooner.
From their respective positions, the two Yuuzhan Vong
glanced at one another, an entire conversation passed in less than a
second. The 'Chiss' warrior picked up a table and threw it across
the room. Drash threw himself against the wall to avoid the crush.
The two were up and bounding at him, the Chiss in the lead.
Drash shot at him, winged him, then the Yuuzhan Vong
was knocking the blaster out of his hand, the other taloned hand
shot out to shred his face. Drash was fast too, though. He dodged
the claws, stepped forward and landed a punch in the Chiss'
midsection, helped by the forward momentum of the warrior as he
leapt into the punch, knocking the wind out of him.
Drash followed with an uppercut to the jaw, then swept the
Warrior's legs out from under him and ran for the alarm. Nom
Anor was ready for him, however, and clipped Drash on the
temple, knocking him out. He drew back his hand to tear the
Imperial's throat out, but the other warrior quickly bounded up and
grabbed his wrist, stopping him.
"No," he gasped, "this one has spirit. It is a dishonor to kill
a worthy fighter this way." Quickly, they put him on a bed and set
the table upright. With luck, nothing would look suspicious.
*************************************
Hren Silra and his companion were near the command
bridge, almost to the Grand Admiral's chambers.
"Lt. Rollis." They both turned to see a man with
Commander's bars on his chest standing at the far end of the hall
behind them. "We've been looking for you. You're to report for a
debriefing."
"I'm sorry Commander," Hren Silra said smoothly, "but I
have been ordered to report to the Grand Admiral."
"For what reason?"
"I was not told." He shrugged slightly. "The Lt. here is
escorting me there."
The Commander's mouth tightened. "I'll see you afterward
then." The lights blinked above them. The wyrms were doing
their work. They would not eat metal, but they devoured the
insulation of the ship's wiring greedily. The acid would do the
rest. "What's the matter with this ship?" The Commander
muttered as he left.
Hren Silra motioned his subordinate to follow and they
were soon at the corridor leading the Grand Admiral's chambers.
A single Royal Guardsman stood on one side. The two Vong glanced
at one another and back at the Guard. He stood in front of the door
now.
"I've been ordered to report to the Grand Admiral." Hren
Silra said. The Guardsman remained silent, force pike held
diagonally across his chest. He moved his hand to his face mask,
most likely to a built-in comm link to talk to Thrawn. The two
Yuuzhan Vong attacked without a signal, without being betrayed
by the tensing of a single muscle.
One didn't get to be a Royal Guardsman by being a fool.
The Imperial reacted instantly. A few seconds of flashing claws
and fangs, of whirling force pike and billowing red cloak, and the
Royal Guardsman was on the floor with a broken neck. Hren
Silra's companion was dead also, with a force pike buried in his
gut.
Hren Silra leaned against the wall, breathing hard. He had
underestimated the Royal Guardsmen. A lucky thing one of them
had died planetside. A few seconds later he had composed himself
and pulled the bodies to one side, where they would not be
immediatly visible.
On the way out he would dress in the Guardsman's robes
and leave his pike in the Grand Admiral's body. It would be
obvious to all that the Red Guard had killed him at the Emperor's
command. The Guard himself Hren Silra would dress in his own
Lt. uniform and leave him somewhere. That left only the body of
his companion. He would work that out later, he said to himself as
he entered the chambers.
The door slid shut behind him and Hren Silra's eyes
instantly adjusted to the dim room. He looked past the holograms-
abdominous machine things-to the command chair.
"Yes," a melodious voice from the chair, "what is it?"
"Lt. Rollis here, sir." He put the proper submissiveness in
his tone. "I've received a report from planetside. I was
commanded to put it in your hand alone." He held up a blank
datacard. "I believe it is in regards to the Jedi terrorist." He kept
walking toward the chair. He only needed to distract the Chiss
long enough to get within range...
The chair swiveled to face him. Thrawn regarded the man
with glowing eyes that seemed to weigh and measure. "Ordered by
whom, Lt.?" He asked.
"By the Captain, sir." He answered, hesitating only a
heartbeat before answering. A few more steps... Thrawn's eyes
narrowed and a blaster appeared in his hand.
"Stay where you are."
"Admiral?" Hren Silra asked innocently.
"Amazing." The blaster was level with his head. "You
really are the image of Lt. Rollis. I am most interested in how you
do it."
"The Admiral is most perceptive." Hren Silra's eyes and
voice changed, filled with cold menace. The datacard broke in his
clenched hand.
"I have the rare ability to see what is right in front of my
face." Thrawn said easily, his blaster never wavering. "After the
attack planetside I surmised that imposters had somehow taken the
place of my crewmen to infiltrate my ship. I also concluded yours
is a tenacious race and would certainly make another attempt on
my life. I welcomed this. I saw an opportunity to uncover your
plans and find out who sent you."
"You set a trap with yourself as bait." Hren Silra felt a
reluctant respect for his adversary.
"Yes, I was unable to notify the crew, as I didn't know how
far my ship had been penetrated and I could not risk alerting you
until I have my quarry. Of course, I will soon have all the answers
I need. How did you get by the Guardsman, by the way? I warned
him to be on his guard after I tested him to make certain he was
who claimed."
"He is dead."
Thrawn raised his eyebrows. "It seems I'll have to look
into a better class of bodyguards. At any rate, I can now turn you
over to proper handlers. He reached for the comm on his armrest,
and Hren Silra moved, launched himself at Thrawn without
warning. A blaster bolt burned through the empty space he'd
occupied seconds before.
Thrawn was out of his chair and rolling on the floor just
before the Yuuzhan Vong landed. The Chiss came up in a
kneeling position, weapon arced to point at the warrior. Hren Silra
wasted no time but stabbed his coufee into the comm and pulled it
free in a shower of sparks and tangle of wires. He sidestepped,
swivelled Thrawn's chair and ducked behind it. Blaster bolts deflected
off the chair back.
"You wont get any help, machine slave!"
"I have all the help I need." Thrawn darted forward and
slapped a button on one of his consoles. The arrangement of
holograms changed, now primitive tribal art of various worlds
decorated the room. Feathered masks and painted shields adorned
the walls and beast-totem sculpture stood on the floor. Thrawn
moved, ducked behind a woven rug on a weaving stand. He kept
his weapon trained on the chair and shot as Hren Silra lept from
his cover.
He landed, crouched to avoid the shots that burned through
the holograms, creating ripples in the light, and quickly lost
himself in the artwork. He had just gotten an idea of the Admiral's
position relative to his when the artwork changed. Now he was
surrounded by arrangements of crystal statuary and abstracts.
Translucent and glowing with their own inner light. More
importantly, Hren Silra's cover had disappeared and only luck and
training kept him from being killed by the volley of bolts Thrawn
sent his way. He took a nasty burn in the leg, though.
He clenched his teeth, embraced the pain and tried to make
for the Admiral's position even as the art changed again.
*************************************
The shuttle glided into the landing bay and set down a little
apart from the rest of the transport shuttles busy removing the
Imperials from the planet and the rows of TIE fighters. Parck led
the way down the ramp, followed closely by the robed and hooded
Jedi.
"There is a conference room adjoining the landing bay,
used for last minute briefings. We will wait for the Admiral
there." Oin stayed behind in the shuttle with the pilot, watching
the ships, the crew and technitions, and the droids that scrambled
around them.
"It's best you both stay out of sight." Parck explained.
"The Grand Admiral can't have it known he's meeting with a Jedi.
Not with a Royal Guardsman onboard. Have a seat." He pointed
to one of the chairs around the conference table and reached for
the comm console, but the lights dimmed and the screen turned
blank.
Parck bit back a curse and raised his comm link. "Have to
get some techs in here to look at this console." He said as he
adjusted the frequency. "Admiral, this is Captain Parck." He
frowned and readjusted the link. "Commander Veenir," he said his
first officers name. "This is Captain Parck."
"Veenir here sir." From the comm link.
"Commander, I can't get through to the Admiral, I need you
to take a message to him."
"Of course, sir. His interview must be over by now."
Interview? It must be something important, Thrawn would want
nothing to delay this.
"Who is he talking to?"
"A Lt. Rollis." Parck felt his blood drain from his face. His
gaze snapped to Vergere, whose own eyes were wide with alarm.
"Commander, get a squad of stormtroopers to the Admiral's
chambers, now!"
"Sir?"
"The Admiral's life is in danger! Do it!" He cut off the
link. "Stay here!" He ordered as he ran out the door.
*************************************
When this was over, and his claws sunk deep into Thrawn's
belly, he would take those glowing eyes and give them to his favorite
wife as earbobs. So Hren Silra promised himself. He cursed the infidel
Chiss as he moved around the artwork, trying to get within reach
of him before the Admiral could get to the door and rescue. The
problem was this blasted artwork changed every ten seconds and
only Thrawn knew the pattern.
The two circled each other in the vast room, the Vong
moved without a sound and Thrawn was amazingly soft-footed in
those boots of his. Hren Silra tried to determine where the
Admiral was by scent, but the smell of Chiss was all over the
room. He couldn't pinpoint him.
He knew he was getting close, though. He could feel it.
And Thrawn didn't dare use his blaster heedlessly: he would give
away his position and the weapon was getting low on energy.
They both stayed behind the holograms, to simply walk through
them would risk being seen.
The artwork was now an offensively mechanistic design.
Orderly, geometric shapes, curves running into spirals running into
sharp edges. The geometric designs of a dozen cultures combined
into a vast mechanical thing whose function could not be guessed.
Hren Silra was trying to get in front of the door. He was
certain that was Thrawn's goal. He searched the shifting artwork,
a glimpse of white, two glowing eyes, that was all he needed.
There! A flash of white! Without a second's hesitation
Hren Silra bolted. He burst through holograms, a blaster bolt
blazed over his shoulder and a second later he had torn the weapon
from Thrawn's hands. The Imperial's eyes blazed and he pulled a
vibroblade from his sleeve and took a fell into a fighting stance.
"You use machines to fight your battles." He hissed at
Thrawn. "This makes you weak and damns you in the eyes of the
gods. But you are a worthy foe despite all that." He smiled. "You
will make a fine sacrifice." He dropped his coufee and unsheathed
his claws.
"I use whatever weapon I have." Thrawn spoke in a level
voice and lifted his blade in challenge. Hren Silra charged,
knocked over Thrawn and bore him to the floor. His claws tore
into the white uniform.
The doors slid open and a squad of stormtroopers entered,
led by the commander Hren Silra had met earlier. Blaster rifles
were leveled, but the troops couldn't see clearly for the holograms.
"Admiral!" The commander yelled. "Are you all right?"
His question was answered when the holograms shifted again and
they saw for themselves. Hren Silra reared back from Thrawn's
supine form, shreds of white in his claws and a vibroblade in his
stomach. An eyeblink later a dozen blaster bolts struck him. The
Yuuzhan Vong warrior was thrown off Thrawn by the force of the
blasts and lay dead on the floor.
Captain Parck ran down the corridor, shoved past the
stormtroopers and half knelt, half collapsed, at the Admiral's side.
"Sir!" He yelled. "Talk to me, are you all right?"
"Perfectly fine, Captain." Thrawn sat up and brushed
himself off. "No need to shout." Parck nearly gagged, seeing the
rips in the Admiral's tunic. Only then seeing the body armor
beneath. "Yes, I thought it wise to keep this on. I do congratulate
you on your timing, though. A few seconds later and my friend
there would have had me."
"Thank the Jedi, sir." Parck stammered as he took
Thrawn's arm and helped him stand. Stormtroopers surrounded
Hren Silra's body. "She was the one who warned me of 'Lt. Rollis'
there."
"Indeed." Thrawn's lips tightened slightly. "It seems I owe
her my life yet again. Have the bodies brought to the medicenter
and-"
All the holograms shorted out and the lights blinked, then
dimmed.
*************************************
Nom Anor pointed to the Lambda class shuttle. "That one.
It is small and will be easily handled." It was also a transport for
high-level Imperials. What else would a Royal Guardsman who
has just assassinated a Grand Admiral use for his escape?
That was Hren Silra's analysis, anyway. The two Yuuzhan
Vong crossed the hanger bay unnoticed, though the droids and
tools of the techs made them both tremble in anger. They would
prepare the ship, wait for the other two warriors and make their
escape before anyone knew what was happening.
Oin was in the back of the shuttle, feeling the strange
carpeting with his feet when he caught the scent. His long neck
twisted around and he ducked behind a seat as the two figures
walked up the ramp and entered the shuttle.
He clutched his blaster in trembling hands and crouched
behind the chair. He would know them no matter what skins they
wore, by their stench and by the way they moved they were
Yuuzhan Vong! The one in the guise of a Chiss knocked on the
door to the cockpit. It slid open and the pilot walked out.
"Yes, is everything alright back-" His eyes widened. "Who
are you? What's this ab-ow!" He gagged as the Chiss slammed the
heel of his hand into his face, shoving him back into the cockpit.
The 'Chiss' followed and the stench of fear and blood filled Oin's
nostrils.
"I'll ready the ship." The Vong called back in his own tongue,
which Oin understood. "You go outside and watch for Hren Silra."
The human-Vong nodded and stood at the rampway.
Oin swallowed nervously and held his blaster like a
lifeline. He had to get out of here, he had to warn Vergere! The
Yuuzhan Vong stood framed in the hatchway, tapping his fingers
on the wall. Oin held his weapon in steady hands. Killing was
anathema to the Nesz, but he carried the future of the Nesz with
him. He took a deep breath and got ready, but found it wasn't
necessary to shoot. The Vong was gone.
Oin peeked around the back of the chair. He was nowhere
in sight. Carefully, in case the one in the cockpit should hear, he
crept around the seat and slowly made for the hatch. He was
almost at the threshold when the human-Vong stepped around the
side and grabbed him by the throat.
"Well! I thought I'd smelled something foul-" Nom Anor
frowned, eyes narrowing. He didn't know the name of the race
they had enslaved on Sevac III, but he knew a Nesz by sight.
"What is this?" He said as he walked in the shuttle. Oin kicked
and struggled furiously in Nom Anor's grip. The Vong swatted the
blaster out of Oin's hand and kicked it across the shuttle, but the
Nesz struck him with his bare claws, slashed at his eyes.
Nom Anor jerked his head back just in time to keep from
losing an eye, but not before the reptile's claws raked one cheek,
shredding the ooglith masquer. The living skin writhed and pulled
away from Nom Anor's face and head.
For a second, the shock had paralyzed Nom Anor. Not
because of the pain, which he didn't even notice, but at the sight of
the Nesz and what its being here meant.
The Jedi.
The blasted Jedi.
Gods damn her!
"So," Nom Anor hissed as his own claws sprouted from the
masquer, he shook his hair free, "you slaves have some fire in your
blood after all. Or was it the Jedi? Did she give you your spine?"
He held his arm straight so Oin was unable to reach him, then
heaved the Nesz up so his feet left the ground and he was at eye-
level with the Yuuzhan Vong. Oin clutched Nom Anor's wrist, but
couldn't break the hold.
"You vermin were hiding her, weren't you?" He snarled,
rage built inside him until he thought his blood would boil. "She
was right under our noses, lurking around our seed world."
"Your seed world?" Oin gagged. "No, our planet, our
home! You have no right there! No business there! Vergere
has found allies who will free my people and drive you from our
world forever!"
Nom Anor shook the Nesz until Oin's teeth rattled. "You
are a fool. Where is the Jedi? Tell me!" Oin glared and remained
silent. Nom Anor flexed his claws.
"What goes on?" The other Yuuzhan Vong stood in the
cockpit door.
"The Jedi is here!" Nom Anor spat. "And she was on the
seed world." He held up Oin as evidence. "Is the ship ready for
takeoff?" The other nodded. "Good, I'll close the hatch."
"But Hren Silra-"
"Isn't coming back." He turned, still holding the struggling
Nesz easily. "The Jedi warned Thrawn. Hren Silra walked into his
death. Right now she is probably telling them all about our seed
world. The mission has failed and we must inform the Executor.
And you," he tightened his grip until he was a hair from snapping
Oin's neck, "you I will break in half and toss your body out to rot
on this vile machine-ship!" He reached the hatch when he heard
the telltale snap-hiss of a lightsaber. Oin and Nom Anor looked
down and saw a small, slight figure in a brown robe standing at the
foot of the ramp. A lightsaber burned in her hands.
*************************************
"Nom Anor." Vergere spoke in a level voice. His ooglith
masquer was injured and had pulled back to reveal his true face.
The Yuuzhan Vong had changed little in the past three years. A
few more scars, perhaps, but his face still had the uninjured
symmetry of a Vong youth. Shoulder length black hair framed a
young but hardened face, he had his mother's eyes and they burned
with hate. She had sensed Oin in danger and hurried back to the
shuttle, now it appeared she was too late.
"Jedi." He had a coufee in one hand and Oin's neck in the
other. He looked ready to leap down the ramp, shielding himself
from her lightsaber with Oin's body, and tear her apart.
"Your mission here has failed. Thrawn knows everything."
Or he would soon. She had left her datacard in the conference
room for him to find.
"So I thought." He ground out. "But there is still a measure
of vengeance I can take-"
"Nom Anor!" Another Vong voice from inside. "Close the
hatch, we have to take off!"
"But-" he glanced back.
"Do it! Now!"
"Let him go!" Vergere pointed her lightsaber at Oin. "He
is no warrior, it would do you no good to kill him!"
"But it would hurt you." Nom Anor's eyes flashed, he
squeezed his hand and Oin gagged, but then a new expression
appeared on his face. The hot rage seemed to drain away and
something colder and infinitely worse took its place. A smile of
pure malice twisted his lips.
"Slave," he snarled at Oin, "you are indeed a fool. You
think this Jedi is here to help you? Look around! See what kind of
people the Imperials are! They will come to your world, but no to
free you, to destroy us!" He pulled his arm in until Oin's snout
was inches away from his face.
"Do you understand? They will lay waste to your world to
destroy us, and wipe out your people as well. They wont care.
Your race is doomed! Enslaved or destroyed, that is your only
destiny. Your Jedi knew it. That was her purpose all along!" He
turned his face to Vergere. "Tell him." He commanded. "Tell him
or he dies!"
Vergere swallowed, feeling like her heart was being
crushed. "It's true, Oin. It's all true."
"Nom Anor's glittering eyes bored into Oin's. "Live with
that, slave." He hissed, drew back his arm and threw the Nesz
down the ramp. Vergere deactivated her lightsaber and caught Oin
with the Force. She lowered him to the floor as Nom Anor hit the
button that closed the hatch and raised the ramp. Oin shook her
off and tried to run up the ramp before it closed.
"No!" Vergere pulled him back, held him as the hatch
sealed and the shuttle rose from its pad, thinking he meant to
attack Nom Anor.
What she didn't see, what Oin had only just noticed, was
that his bandolier was no longer with him. It must have been cut
off when Nom Anor had held him in his clawed hand, and Oin had
seen it, the only hope of the Nesz, coiled unnoticed on the floor at
Nom Anor's feet as he had thrown Oin down the ramp.
The shuttle unfolded its wings and sped for the space
beyond the energy field.
"What's this?" The deck officer yelled. "No one got
clearance to launch that shuttle!" The ship soared over the docked
transports and nearly crashed into a docking ship before it passed
through the energy barrier. Vergere lifted the officer's comm link
while he was occupied and adjusted it to Captain Parck's
frequency.
"A Lambda shuttle has just left the ship, you have to stop it
at all costs!" Unfortunately the acids of the ruaswyrms had already
done their work. The tractor beams, turboblasters and sensors
were malfunctioning. TIE fighters were sent after the shuttle, but
one of the features of this particular ship was shields that were
three times as strong as a normal Lambda class vessel. None of
the pursuing fighters were TIE Advanced and equipped with
missiles, so Vergere could only watch helplessly as the shuttle
escaped into hyperspace.
*************************************
Nom Anor paced the passenger compartment of the shuttle,
his mood shifting from malicious triumph to bitter fury as he
realized how petty and meaningless was the hurt he gave the Jedi,
then frustration: he couldn't destroy the machine around him
without risking both their lives. He had stripped the injured
ooglith cloaker from his body and tossed it against the hatch.
Naked, he contented himself with ripping the cushioned seats apart
and disemboweling the dead pilot with his bare hands.
He looked down as he felt his foot snag on something.
Frowning, he picked up the bandolier the slave had worn. It was
made of organic matter, not living, of course, but at least it showed
the slaves weren't completely abandoned by the gods.
As he examined the thing he noticed a large pocket stitched
into the inner side. Curious, he tore it open with a swipe of his
claws. The contents spilled out into his hand and onto the floor.
Nom Anor found himself staring at a pile of seeds.
*************************************
"Quite an interesting story." Thrawn paced the length of
the conference room before returning his glowing gaze to its only
other occupant. "But tell me, how do you know so much of these
Yuuzhan Vong? And if you don't mind my asking, how did you
survive the Emperor?s Purges?"
Vergere crossed her arms. "I survived the Purges, Admiral,
because I never saw them. Shortly after Palpatine was made
Supreme Chancellor I was sent on a mission to a planet in the
Tingle Arm, at the edge of the known galaxy. It was near there
that the worldship Long Reach of Death first penetrated this
galaxy. They attacked the planet and would have annihilated
the life there, but I struck a bargain with the Executor, Sang Anor's predecessor: I would go with them and allow myself to be studied,
they have no knowledge of the Force or Force-users. In exchange
they would leave the planet in peace."
"I am intrigued. I would hear more of this first contact.
Perhaps I could speak to the inhabitants of this planet."
"I doubt you'll be able to." Vergere smiled to herself. "But
that has no bearing on the events now unfolding. I spent nearly
thirty years with the Yuuzhan Vong, learning their ways and their
capabilities. Three years ago I escaped. I have followed in their
wake ever since, looking for a way to stop them."
"I would have thought a Jedi would be fighting for the
Rebellion, not hiding out in the backwaters of the galaxy." Thrawn
gave a self-depreciating smile. These 'backwaters' were his home,
after all.
"The war against the Empire is not my fight, Admiral."
Vergere shook her head, her feathers seemed to bristle. "I sought
guidance in the Force and saw my destiny was on a different path.
The Yuuzhan Vong are a potential threat greater than your Empire
could ever be. Palpatine takes away beings' freedom, but the Vong
jihad would take away their connection to the Force. I saw their
work on Sevac III, they are destroying that world's ecosystem and
replacing it with their own. That is how they spread, Thrawn.
They change a planet and the people on it so completely that it is
theirs forever."
Thrawn narrowed his eyes in concentration. Vergere had
declined Thrawn's offer of a chair, and though the Jedi was a head
shorter than the Grand Admiral the calm dignity with which she
carried herself made him seem his equal in stature. "It seems I will
be moving against Coerl sooner than I had anticipated. The Sevac
system is in his territory and the threat that world poses is grave
indeed." He tapped the datapad on the conference table. "If the
data you have compiled is accurate, we could be facing a small
fleet in a matter of weeks."
"A small fleet, and the nucleus of an even bigger fleet to
come. Sang Anor has apparently decided to begin the conquest of
this galaxy now, with the main Vong force still more than twenty
years from reaching the Outer Rim."
"You said there are only a few thousand Yuuzhan Vong
actually in this galaxy. Does the Executor truly have the strength
to challenge the Empire?"
"Not now, no. But if he is given enough time, builds up a
strong power base in the Unknown Regions, then I would give him
a fair chance."
"We may have need of the Emperor's new toy yet."
Thrawn said as if to himself. Vergere wanted to know what he
meant by that, but he quickly changed the subject. As she had
been living in the Unknown Regions so long, she had little
knowledge of the goings on in the rest of the galaxy. She knew
there was a Rebellion underway, but she had never heard of the
Death Star, and while she had sensed Alderaan's death years ago
she had never connected the deaths of millions with a man-made
weapon.
"Sevac III will have to be dealt with, yes." She said. "But
the seed world isn't the main threat." Now she began to pace. "The
worldship Long Reach of Death is what must be destroyed, at
all costs. As long as that worldship lives the Yuuzhan Vong can
do to any other planet what they did to Oin's homeworld. That
vessel is the only thing capable of seeding and starting such a
process, if it's destroyed then the Yuuzhan Vong here will be cut
off from the means to create their organic technology. They'll
hardly be a threat until the main force arrives, and if the galaxy is
prepared for them then the Yuuzhan Vong jihad can be defeated
before it even takes root."
"Yes, you are correct." Thrawn nodded and Vergere sensed
his agreement, if little else. The Chiss Admiral was amazingly
strong-minded. Influencing his thoughts would be like trying to
uproot a tree with bare hands.
"The ship must die." Vergere said. "Best case scenario,
Sang Anor dies with it."
"Is he really that dangerous?" Thrawn raised an eyebrow.
"I spent my last five years with the Vong under his personal
charge, Admiral." Vergere shivered. "I couldn't sense him in the
Force, but I know him. Yes, he is very dangerous, even
without a worldship and weapons. You wont be fighting just
Yuuzhan Vong when you go after him. He's based himself in this
Warlord's territory, that can only mean he has control of this 'Coerl'
person. That means he controls the man's fleet as well, and he
wont hesitate to use machines indirectly."
Thrawn nodded. "I wish you could have brought me some
of their artwork instead of simply describing it too me. I could
learn much about them if I could see their art firsthand."
"If you want to study their art then just look at the two
Vong corpses you have. They consider what they do to their own
bodies artistic. They are a race that sees destruction and pain as a
form of art and they are very refined in their practice. Study that."
Vergere shrugged. "Anyway, I've told you all I can about what to
expect in fighting them. I'm sorry I couldn't find out more, but I
can't begin to understand their science and Sang Anor was careful
to keep the actual shaping and building process from me. I'm sure
he has a few weapons even I have never heard of too. He loves his
secrets."
"I see," Thrawn nodded, "at least you have given me an
idea as to what these Yuuzhan Vong can do, and how they will do
it. Tracking the worldship down or drawing it out is my problem.
You and your companion are free to go. You will be taken to the
surface and your freighter allowed to leave in peace."
"Thank you." Thrawn turned to open the door. "Admiral,"
Vergere stopped him, she had to at least try this, "when you attack
the Vong on Sevac III there is something you should know: there is
a native race there, the Nesz, who are being hunted and enslaved
by the Yuuzhan Vong. They are innocent, and have shown great
bravery in helping me gather information about their conquerors. I
want you to do your best to spare them."
Thrawn's face hardened. "That will be impossible, as you
already know. By your own testimony we can never be certain of
destroying all the Yuuzhan Vong works if even a single living
thing survives our assault."
"The Nesz are innocent. They didn't ask for any of this."
"Regrettable, but the they are only a few hundred primitives
still unaltered and the Yuuzhan Vong threaten the entire galaxy.
There is no comparison." The coldly glowing eyes held no
compromise. "I thank you for your warning, but your wish to spare
your allies is out of the question."
Vergere's shoulders slumped. Her eyes closed for a
moment, but when she opened them again her gaze met the
Admiral's without flinching. "Tell me Thrawn, why do you do
this?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Why do you serve the Emperor? You seem to be an
honorable man, your subordinates respect you. You inspire
genuine loyalty in your men. Not the hallmark of Imperial
commanders, yet you occupy one of the highest positions in the
Empire's military."
"The Emperor will bring peace and order to the entire
galaxy." Thrawn crossed his arms. "While you see him as evil, I
perceive the greater good in what he has built."
"Order," Vergere nodded her head, "I thought that would be
it."
"What are you talking about?" Thrawn was clearly
becoming annoyed with this conversation, he had important things
to see to, not least of all the damage done to his flagship.
"How Palpatine got to you." The Jedi explained. "What he
promised you. Order and control. Unity. It's your drug, Thrawn,
and the Emperor is a master of finding a person's weaknesses and
using them to his own advantage. To some he promised power.
Others he offered revenge. It all ends the same way, though: you
sell your soul for empty promises."
"What do you know of me?" Thrawn took an involuntary
step toward Vergere, his cool facade had cracked slightly and a
look of pure fury flashed across his face. "How dare you judge me
and what I work toward? I have seen the chaos that rages among
these stars, the endless, pointless wars? The Emperor is a
necessary evil, Jedi, in the end there will be peace."
"The Empire corrupts, Thrawn. Palpatine is a Sith Lord,
corruption has ever been their way and there has never been one
who embodies the ways of the Sith as completely as the Emperor.
How do you think he got where he is? He ate into the heart of the
Old Republic and rotted it from within. I have never encountered
him, no, but I feel him, like a blight in the Force poisoning
everyone and everything he touches. Your Emperor is nothing but
a glorified parasite, an exalted cancer."
"You call him a necessary evil, you think you are using him
to accomplish your goals. The name of your fleet says it all,
Unity." She smiled bitterly. "The starlanes to hell are navigated
by good intentions. I don't care how clever you are, the Emperor
can see right through you. Literally. You bring order to the worlds
of the Unknown Regions, but you take away their freedom. You're
telling yourself things will get better over time. The oppression
will ease and eventually disappear once things settle down, once
the Rebellion is crushed and the warlords are defeated." She held
up her hand as Thrawn started to speak.
"No, Admiral, I'm not reading your mind. You may not
believe it but your aren't the only one who can see what's obvious,
and I'm telling you now that things will never get better. The
corruption will only get worse and more tyrannical. More and
more atrocities will be committed in the name of this nebulous
'greater good' that is always just out of reach, that will always
require just one more life destroyed, one more planet laid to waste,
one more freedom crushed."
"The Empire was built by a Sith." She continued. "It was
born in the mind of a Sith, and everything the Sith have ever
touched brought nothing but pain and fear and hate because the
Sith serve the dark side. They draw their power from it and all
those emotions are what the dark side feeds on! Do you
understand? The stronger the dark side becomes, the stronger
they become, and that's all the Emperor has ever really cared
about!"
Verger sighed. "Why is it you think Palpatine has always
favored humans? It's not because of any prejudice on his part, or
even because humans are the most numerous and widespread race
in the galaxy. It's because he knows how humans think more
intimately than he could know the thought-patterns of any other
race, which makes them all the easier for him to corrupt. Why do
you think he accepted you? Because you're sufficiently humanlike
for him to understand and so to corrupt. He has been manipulating
you from the first moment you met, and you never even realized
it."
For a long moment the Grand Admiral said not a word. His
face was inscrutable, his eyes and mind gave away nothing. Then:
"Another shuttle has been prepared for you. You will be
taken to your ship. As I promised, you will have safe passage out
of this system. I trust we will not meet again. I have problems
enough to deal with." With that, he turned on his heel and strode
out the door.
*************************************
The shuttle trip to the planet was quiet, but with a tension
that Vergere could feel like a thousand wires stretched taunt
throughout the Force around her. Oin sat beside her, looking out
the window but seeing nothing. He had not spoken a word since
his encounter with Nom Anor.
Finally, hesitantly, the Jedi touched his shoulder. He
neither flinched away nor lashed out at her, but simply turned his
head toward her. Vergere couldn't meet those terrible eyes. His
despair washed over her, threatening to drown her. The same
despair she herself had felt when she sense the Jedi dying.
"Oin," she said slowly, "I am so sorry-"
"We have to go back." He spoke as the ship set down. His
voice was dry and firm.
"Back where?" Vergere asked, not understanding.
"To my homeworld." He touched his chest where the
bandolier had lain. "To save my people."
Standing beside Thrawn in the Grand Admiral's private
chambers, Captain Parck swallowed and tried to calm the fear that
fluttered in his stomach as he watched the viewscreens. Like most
of his generation, the Imperial Captain had been raised on stories
of the Jedi Knights, the invincible warrior-sorcerers of the Old
Republic.
Of course, that was before the Emperor took control and
replaced superstition and ineffectual leadership with the rule of
Order. The Ministers of Propaganda had long been disproving
those old stories, revealing the Jedi as nothing more than
charlatans and tricksters who used elaborate techno-illusions to
overawe the weak and foolish. Parck had even come to believe all
that (thankfully, he had never worked closely with Darth Vader
and experienced the Sith lord's power firsthand), until now.
"The reports are in from the Inner Ring," he began.
"The Jedi evaded the search and escaped to the Outer
Ring." Thrawn concluded for him. "The tone of your voice told
me that much."
"Yes, sir." Parck continued. "Early Reports and the images
recorded from the broadcast suggest she has a companion, a
reptilian of unknown species who aided her." He paused for a
moment, giving Thrawn the chance to supply the species name, but
the Grand Admiral merely waved for him to continue. He didn't
know what race the reptile-being was either.
"Apparently the reptile stole a hovercar from a Miashku
citizen, which the Jedi drove over the edge of the Ring." Parck's
mouth thinned. "Troops located the vehicle, abandoned, near one
of the supporting pillars. Somehow it had survived the drop
completely intact and was being looted by scavengers." Parck
lowered his eyes. "I apologize, sir. I should have ordered more
ground troops stationed in the Outer Ring. The Jedi wouldn't have
gotten away-"
"Not your fault, Captain." Thrawn waved the apology away
and turned to his viewscreens, his eyes glowing coldly. "The
Emperor was indeed careful in destroying all records of the Jedi.
Unfortunately, this purge of information also meant Imperial
forces would be unable to anticipate a Jedi's powers if they should
encounter one. In any case, if anyone is at fault then it is me. I
should have known there was the chance of encountering a Jedi in
the Unknown Regions. Where else is there to hide from the
Purges?"
"We're most relieved the Jedi's attempt on your life failed."
Parck put in. One of the screens showed recordings from the
broadcast being played, then rewound and played again in a loop.
"You think she was trying to assassinate me, Captain?"
Thrawn said smoothly.
"Of course that was her intent." Parck responded promptly,
pointing to the split screen. "See, there she is preparing to throw
her knife at you," he indicated one half of the screen, then the
other, "and there one of our fleet troopers has seen her. He draws
his blaster to stop her, she sees this and adjusts her aim to kill him
instead, saving her own life." Parck nodded.
"Your response shows the depth of your Imperial
conditioning, Captain, not that of your intelligence and
observation, which would otherwise be more than up to unraveling
this." He touched the controls and the images moved in slow
motion. "She may have killed him, but the 'loyal' fleet trooper was
drawing his weapon before he could have possibly seen the
Jedi. And he does not aim at her position." Parck's eyes widened
as he tracked the path of the shot, which would have taken the
Admiral's head off! "As for the Jedi, she does not make a move
until she sees the trooper making his. Her aim is true, and hits
what she intends to hit."
"The Jedi saved your life." He said under his breath, half-
afraid that Imperial Intelligence agents would appear out of the
shadows and seize him for a traitor.
"Yes, and after she has revealed herself and the threat to
me is no more, what does she do? She surrenders, Captain. She
only flees when this man fires on her. Onscreen, the Imperial
shoved past and raised his blaster. Thrawn froze the image and
enlarged the section of the man's face. Parck instinctively stepped
back, the face was almost inhuman in its hate, like a half-rabid
animal's. It must be some defect in the recording that made his
bared teeth look like fangs. On another screen, Thrawn had
enlarged the image of his would-be assassin and was studying it
very carefully, particularly the strangely graceful way the man
moved.
"This is a very curious business, Captain. I would like very
much to know why this Jedi acted as she did."
"She wont get away." Parck promised. It may be difficult,
the Outer Rings has many more spaceports than the Inner Ring,
and they're highly disorganized, so finding the Jedi's ship will be
difficult, but I?m ready to call in more Star Destroyers and
blockade the entire planet if need be."
"You can wipe that plan from your memory, Captain."
Thrawn said in a glacial voice. "Imperial forces have already
brought chaos to the capital mere minutes after entering the
Empire, an act that was to usher in an age of peace and order. I
still have the government leaders in my pocket, but we need to win
the confidence of the people. Blockading the major trade center of
this sector, an act that will cost countless billions, is not the way to
do that."
"Besides, I have an idea already about where the Jedi's
vessel might be located."
"Yes Admiral." Parck said. "I can't begin to express my
shock that one of our own people would commit this kind of
treachery. We've identified the dead man, and rest assured I will
begin a full investigation into his past actions and associates.
Whether he was motivated by an anti alien bias or if he was bought
by Coerl, we'll soon learn the truth."
"You can hold on the investigation." Thrawn said. "I
already have a team of Intelligence agents backtracking his
movements since we landed." He was looking at a list of starcraft
that had recently arrived at the Outer Ring spaceports. It was a
very long list. "And I have another plan for-" The com on his
armrest beeped.
"Thrawn here." He said into the speaker.
"Sir," the voice of the bridge's comm officer, "we have a
transmition from one of our shuttles at the Inner Ring spaceports."
Transport shuttles had landed with orders to transport all Imperial
personal in Inner Ring back to the Admonitor. "One of the
Imperial Guardsmen arrived with the...remains...of the other and
demanded that the shuttle lift off for the Admonitor
immediately, before the shuttle is full to capacity as per your
orders."
"Yes, well tell the pilot to give the Guardsmen the comm
and patch the transmition in here."
"Aye sir." A few seconds later...
"Grand Admiral." The Guardsman's voice was a cold rasp.
"Yes," he leaned back in his chair, "so tell me, how did
your Jedi hunting go? I'd have thought you would want to be
trailing your quarry."
"My fellow Guardsman is dead." There was a dangerous
edge to his voice. "And I have no chance against a Jedi on my
own. His Majesty commanded me to defend you, the Jedi may
make another attempt on your life."
"Yes," he steepled his fingers and smiled, "by all means the
shuttle will launch for the Admonitor immediately. Thrawn
out." He deactivated the comm. "Needless to say, Captain, you
will keep silent regarding our findings. I would not like the
reaction if the Emperor's watchdog discovered a Jedi saved my
life." Parck nodded. "Good, now I have a mission for you and a
few highly trusted troopers. You must be planetside before our
Guardsman friend arrives, and it would be best if he had no
knowledge of what you are about."
*******************************
The two other warriors met Hren Silra and Nom Anor and
boarded one of the transport shuttles for the Admonitor. Both
warriors were now disguised as Chiss troopers, their eyes glowed
red with lumin dye, and two of the red bugs were concealed in
each of their pockets for when the glow began to fade.
They had turned the ruaswyrms on all the Vong creatures in
their possessions. All the evidence that they had even been here
were the ooglith cloakers they wore, the dye bugs and the
ruaswyrms themselves, concealed in their pockets. Hren Silra
himself had destroyed the villip that allowed them to communicate
with Sang Anor after outlining his plan to the Executor and
securing his approval to go forward.
They had arrived on this planet in gel-lined corral pods
dropped from low orbit, which had begun to decay soon after they
hit ground. When their work was finished there would be no
evidence of the Yuuzhan Vong presence on this planet.
Nom Anor shivered, he felt sick being encased in this
machine, and they were actually going to enter that cursed Star
Destroyer. There would be nothing around him but a world of
nonliving matter, unnaturally animated and offensive to the gods.
Only the cold, pure purpose of their mission allowed him to
voyage into the heart of that monster without flinching. The four
of them gathered at the rear of the shuttle and listened as Hren
Silra gave them their orders.
"When we arrive, you two will head down to the medical
area and find the body of our fallen warrior. Then use the
ruaswyrms on him." He spoke in a low voice to avoid being
overheard.
The warriors gasped in shock. "But Master," one of them
whispered, "to destroy his body, it would desecrate him and show
dishonor to his family! It is our duty to recover his body and
present it to the Executor!"
"This mission is all important, warrior." Hren Silra
overrode him. "Sacrifices will be made in the name of expediency.
His family's elders, and the gods, will understand." The warriors
would have protested further, but Hren Silra had been vested with
the Executor's authority and they remained silent.
"We will also plant the wyrms to facilitate our escape.
While you deal with the body you and I," he indicated one of the
'Chiss,' "will head up to the command bridge and deal with the
Grand Admiral." A wicked smile appeared on his human face. "I
wish I could see the Chiss' reaction when their beloved Syndic is
slain by one of the Emperor's own Guardsmen. In less than a day
the Chiss and humans will be at war and the Empire will have lost
all it has gained here."
*************************************
Vergere and Oin had to take their time and avoid the
Imperial patrols that were sweeping the Outer Ring, sometimes
having to go far out of their way and fight off starving vermin and
terrified gangs, but they eventually made it to the spaceport where
their ship was berthed.
The port was uncharacteristically quiet, Vergere had
suspected there to be a mad scramble as the Imperials seized
the ports but now things seemed under control. The port
itself was almost deserted and her ship was in sight. She was
thankful it hadn't been searched yet, but with so many vessels and
no guarantee she even had a ship of her own and hadn't simply
stown away on another vessel there was no way the Empire could
search them all quickly.
They moved around the ranks of berthed freighters and
neared the ship. It wouldn't be long now. She would send the
transmition as the ship lifted off. The freighter was lightly armed
and not very maneuverable, but Vergere was a skilled pilot with
more than a few tricks up her robe. She had a chance of getting
past the TIE Fighters that would be sent after them, as long as they
stayed away from the Star Destroyer and its tractor beams and
turboblasters.
Through the Force, the Jedi sensed the fear of the beings
inside the ships and of the port authorities, their confusion and
uncertainty. Their whole world had changed, they didn't know
what the future held in store for them.
"When we board," she whispered to Oin, "strap yourself in
and stay quiet. It will take a few miracles for us to get clear of the
planet and make the jump to hyperspace, and I hope the Force in
the mood to indulge us."
Apparently it wasn't.
When they were halfway to the boarding ramp a dozen
stormtroopers stepped out from around their ship and the ships
behind them. They were surrounded, blocked from the front and
flanked from behind, the focal point of a dozen blaster barrels. It
must have been the emotions emanating from the ships around
them that had masked their presence in the Force. Instantly
Vergere's lightsaber came to life in her hands and Oin tried to
point his blaster in every direction at once. Vergere stood ready to
deflect their fire and charge any weak spot in the ranks.
They didn't open fire, only stood there, white armor shining
in the spaceport's lights.
"That wont be necessary." A man in a captain's uniform
walked around the berth and stood between them and the ramp.
He was tall and his black hair was going grey, but he was still trim
and fit. "I am Captain Voss Parck of the Star Destroyer
Admonitor, and I bring a message from Grand Admiral
Thrawn." His hands were clasped behind his back and his voice
was calm and controlled, but Vergere sensed fear just under the
surface.
"I'm all ears." She responded dryly. "You seem to have a
captive audience."
"Yes, the Grand Admiral wishes to speak with you onboard
his flagship. You are to accompany us there. In return you will
both be given safe passage out of this system afterward."
"And if I decline?" She asked coldly.
"The Admiral doubts you will do so, as you seemed
interested in preserving him and speaking with him before." Parck
smiled.
"My companion stays here, aboard my ship."
"You are not in a position to negotiate. The Admiral
wishes to see you both."
"Perhaps I should fight now rather than be shot in the back
later."
"Grand Admiral Thrawn is a man of honor," Parck's eyes
flashed angrily, "he has given his word that you will not be harmed
and will be allowed to leave in peace, and his word can be trusted."
The honesty in Parck convinced her. She switched off her
lightsaber and hooked in to her belt.
"Put the blaster away." She said to a reluctant Oin. "Very
well then," to Parck, "we accept."
*************************************
Drash Tevock stalked down the corridors of the
Admonitor. He had spent a few hours in one of the ships
workout areas trying vainly to sweat out his angst. It was that
blasted fight, not much more than a scuffle, but since then his
name hadn't been on any of the rosters.
He kept away from the windows and the beautiful, clean
void beyond the ship. The sight would only torment him, seeing
space without being able to fly through it, without being stripped
away of all the illusions that so many had, the little, unimportant
things that seemed so momentous. Then there was only the
pure focus remaining as he became the sharp edge of the knife.
Closer to the truth than any other. Blast it he had to get out there!
With a sigh he turned back to the training rooms. He was
required to spend some time in the flight simulator and he had best
get it over with quickly. He hated those things, they only mocked
what he experienced in real piloting.
Drash had just turned a corner when he saw something odd.
Very odd. Two fleet troopers walked past him, one human and
one Chiss. The Chiss he didn't know, but the human was crewman
named Estra, probably the worst human supremacist Drash
knew.
He turned back, mildly curious. His first thought was that
He'd made a mistake. No, there was Estra Vran, a man who
Wouldn't even eat at the same table as an alien, standing to the side
of a corridor talking softly with a Chiss.
If Drash was curious before he was burning up inside now.
He didn't bother thinking about what he would do next, he simply
followed his instincts. He stepped around the corner and put on a
wide, open smile. He walked quickly towards them and called in a
hearty voice no one who had spent more than a few minutes with
Drash would ever recognize as his.
"Estra you Huttling!" He laughed and opened his arms,
clapped his hands and rubbed them vigorously together. He closed
the distance between them in a few steps. The two had stopped
talking and turned as one to look at him. They looked like a pair
of startled wildcats.
"When did they transfer you here anyway? Last I heard you
were on the Incinerator. They finally got tired of you stinking
up their ship and sent you upstairs to offend the Admiral, eh?" He
clapped his hand on Estra's shoulder and felt the other tense, ready
to throw the hand off. Then Estra, one of the handful of humans in
the fleet who still despised Admiral Thrawn for his race, looked at
the Chiss beside him. A brief glance, and the Chiss nodded
slightly.
"It's good to see you too, friend." Estra smiled, and Drash
noticed he seemed taller than he'd been yesterday. "Yes, I
transferred here just a few days ago, from the Incinerator.
Estra had been serving aboard the Admonitor for over a month, and
the Incinerator wasn't even a part of Unity Fleet. "I'd like to
stick around and catch up on old times, but Zaen and I-"
"We have duties to attend to." The Chiss supplied. The
melodious accent seemed to be lacking something, though, as did
the glowing eyes.
"Right, of course." Drash smiled. Come and see me on
your off hours, we'll start up a slingball game." They began
moving away, soon they were out of sight around another bend.
The friendly smile vanished from Drash's face. Replaced by an
expression of cold speculation.
*************************************
"That was a close thing." Nom Anor muttered to his Chiss-
disguised companion. "I almost thought we'd have to kill that
fool."
"The gods favor us, it seems." The other led the way
through the vile machine-ship. "Let us pray we do not run into
anyone else." They had already planted most of their ruaswyrms
and had just enough left to deal with their fallen warrior's body. A
quick trip to the shuttle bay afterwards and that would be the end
to their time here. Nom Anor smiled under his human skin. His
father would be pleased with him for this.
*************************************
"I must ask you to turn over your weapons." Captain Parck
held out his hands as they boarded the Lambda class shuttle.
"Not going to happen." Vergere strode past him and took
her seat. Oin did likewise. Parck shrugged and signaled the pilot
to close the ramp. To her mild surprise, there were no
stormtroopers onboard. They and Parck were to only passengers,
and the Captain took his seat beside them. He was holding a
datacard that had been handed to him as they had boarded the
Imperial shuttle.
The shuttle was meant for the personal conveyance of
Moffs, Admirals and other VIPs, the interior was plush and
luxurious and the liftoff was so smooth they had to look out the
window to make sure they'd left the ground. They saw the side
wings fold down as the shuttle lifted and pointed its nose skyward.
Oin alternately watched the receding ground and approaching
stars with interest. Vergere had other things on her mind.
"What's that?" She asked Parck, meaning the datacard that
had been handed to him as they had neared the shuttle.
"A report by Intelligence agents on the actions of the man
who attempted to assassinate the Grand Admiral." He said. "The
man you killed."
"Tell me more." Vergere said smoothly.
"This is classified data."
"Just a few questions, like where he went and who he was
seen with. A few questions will hardly bring down the Empire,
will they?" She nudged him with the Force, tried to lower his
defenses and relax his guard. "I have information about who this
man was working for, and who his associates might be."
"He was last seen in the company of four other human fleet
troopers in the Outer Ring." Parck said softly, a vacant expression
on his face. "A Chiss saw them entering an abandoned
slaughterhouse in the company of an unidentified human. He
recognized two: the shooter and a Lt. Stev Rollis. We are looking
for him for questioning."
"You wont find him." Vergere said. Five, that meant at
least four were left. "Rollis and the others are dead. They died
when they entered that slaughterhouse."
"What?" Parck raised his eyebrows, alert again.
"An autopsy of the shooter will show that he isn't who you
think. He's not even human. Agents took their places to get close
to the Grand Admiral. They took human guise to break up the
alliance with the Chiss, I suspect."
"But I've never heard of an alien that could mimic in that
way!" Parck gasped. "Who is behind this? Coerl? Some other
Warlord?"
Vergere only shook her head. "Probably the most
dangerous warlord in the galaxy. And the least known. It's a long
story and I'll save it for the Admiral." The Admonitor filled up
the window. There was no hurry, the other Yuuzhan Vong were probably
hiding out or on their way back to Sevac III by now.
*************************************
In the medicenter's sterile lab, an Imperial doctor looked
down at the table where the dead man lay. Naked and with a
vibroblade handle projecting from his throat. "Sorry about this,"
she said to herself as she laid out the instruments, "but the Admiral
wants an autopsy."
"Query, might I ask your meaning?" The medical droid
assisting her asked.
"Never mind. Begin recording." She looked at the datapad
and compared. "Subject is a human male, 28 years old. From
Coruscant-Kuat stock. Stands 5 foot 6 inches tall-"
"Incorrect." The droid put in. "Subject is 5 foot, 9 inches."
"Hmmm?" She took out a measure. "So he is." She
shrugged, that was bureaucrats for you, they got nothing right.
"Odd, the file clearly says green eyes, his are brown." She pulled
the blade out and set it in a tray for later examination. "Beginning
incision." She activated a laser scalpel and brought it close to the
cadaver's skin, but before she could make the first cut the skin
bunched and pulled away from her.
The doctor jerked back and pulled off her face mask.
"Emperor's black heart!" Her eyes widened. "Delete that last
sentence." She ordered the droid. "He seems to have some kind of
reaction in the epidermal layers." To say the least! The man's skin
was...sagging, pulling away from his body. Experimentally, she
held the scalpel against the skin. It pulled back, afraid of pain.
This thing isn't human! She thought.
"Touch him not with your machines!" The command was a
vicious snarl. The doctor spun around and saw two beings in the
doorway.
"Unauthorized entry." The droid warned. The human and
Chiss didn't care about that. If anything, they were furious at the
droid speaking to them. The doctor instinctively stepped back,
half-raising her scalpel. It did not good: she was dead before she
hit the floor.
While Nom Anor tore off the droid's head and ripped out
Its wiring, the other warrior sprinkled ruaswryms in the corpse's
mouth. "Come on." He led the way out. It would take time for the
body and ooglith masquer to completely dissolve: they had few of
the worms left after planting them around the ship, and they were
all sterile. It would happen, though, and the only thing anyone
would find would be a puddle of acid and a few dead worms. Not
as neat as Hren Silra would've liked, but good enough.
They entered the main area of the medicenter, empty. Nom
Anor looked around casually, and suddenly pushed the other
warrior just as a blaster bolt would've burned through his head.
Drash fired again. He had gotten a look at the inside of the
lab as the two had left, and the dead doctor on the floor told him
all he needed to know. They had taken cover, whoever they were,
one behind a metal. table, the other behind a storage locker. They
moved like wild animals, but he had them pinned down. He
moved to the alarm. This should help make up for his earlier bad
behavior and get him in a TIE's cockpit all the sooner.
From their respective positions, the two Yuuzhan Vong
glanced at one another, an entire conversation passed in less than a
second. The 'Chiss' warrior picked up a table and threw it across
the room. Drash threw himself against the wall to avoid the crush.
The two were up and bounding at him, the Chiss in the lead.
Drash shot at him, winged him, then the Yuuzhan Vong
was knocking the blaster out of his hand, the other taloned hand
shot out to shred his face. Drash was fast too, though. He dodged
the claws, stepped forward and landed a punch in the Chiss'
midsection, helped by the forward momentum of the warrior as he
leapt into the punch, knocking the wind out of him.
Drash followed with an uppercut to the jaw, then swept the
Warrior's legs out from under him and ran for the alarm. Nom
Anor was ready for him, however, and clipped Drash on the
temple, knocking him out. He drew back his hand to tear the
Imperial's throat out, but the other warrior quickly bounded up and
grabbed his wrist, stopping him.
"No," he gasped, "this one has spirit. It is a dishonor to kill
a worthy fighter this way." Quickly, they put him on a bed and set
the table upright. With luck, nothing would look suspicious.
*************************************
Hren Silra and his companion were near the command
bridge, almost to the Grand Admiral's chambers.
"Lt. Rollis." They both turned to see a man with
Commander's bars on his chest standing at the far end of the hall
behind them. "We've been looking for you. You're to report for a
debriefing."
"I'm sorry Commander," Hren Silra said smoothly, "but I
have been ordered to report to the Grand Admiral."
"For what reason?"
"I was not told." He shrugged slightly. "The Lt. here is
escorting me there."
The Commander's mouth tightened. "I'll see you afterward
then." The lights blinked above them. The wyrms were doing
their work. They would not eat metal, but they devoured the
insulation of the ship's wiring greedily. The acid would do the
rest. "What's the matter with this ship?" The Commander
muttered as he left.
Hren Silra motioned his subordinate to follow and they
were soon at the corridor leading the Grand Admiral's chambers.
A single Royal Guardsman stood on one side. The two Vong glanced
at one another and back at the Guard. He stood in front of the door
now.
"I've been ordered to report to the Grand Admiral." Hren
Silra said. The Guardsman remained silent, force pike held
diagonally across his chest. He moved his hand to his face mask,
most likely to a built-in comm link to talk to Thrawn. The two
Yuuzhan Vong attacked without a signal, without being betrayed
by the tensing of a single muscle.
One didn't get to be a Royal Guardsman by being a fool.
The Imperial reacted instantly. A few seconds of flashing claws
and fangs, of whirling force pike and billowing red cloak, and the
Royal Guardsman was on the floor with a broken neck. Hren
Silra's companion was dead also, with a force pike buried in his
gut.
Hren Silra leaned against the wall, breathing hard. He had
underestimated the Royal Guardsmen. A lucky thing one of them
had died planetside. A few seconds later he had composed himself
and pulled the bodies to one side, where they would not be
immediatly visible.
On the way out he would dress in the Guardsman's robes
and leave his pike in the Grand Admiral's body. It would be
obvious to all that the Red Guard had killed him at the Emperor's
command. The Guard himself Hren Silra would dress in his own
Lt. uniform and leave him somewhere. That left only the body of
his companion. He would work that out later, he said to himself as
he entered the chambers.
The door slid shut behind him and Hren Silra's eyes
instantly adjusted to the dim room. He looked past the holograms-
abdominous machine things-to the command chair.
"Yes," a melodious voice from the chair, "what is it?"
"Lt. Rollis here, sir." He put the proper submissiveness in
his tone. "I've received a report from planetside. I was
commanded to put it in your hand alone." He held up a blank
datacard. "I believe it is in regards to the Jedi terrorist." He kept
walking toward the chair. He only needed to distract the Chiss
long enough to get within range...
The chair swiveled to face him. Thrawn regarded the man
with glowing eyes that seemed to weigh and measure. "Ordered by
whom, Lt.?" He asked.
"By the Captain, sir." He answered, hesitating only a
heartbeat before answering. A few more steps... Thrawn's eyes
narrowed and a blaster appeared in his hand.
"Stay where you are."
"Admiral?" Hren Silra asked innocently.
"Amazing." The blaster was level with his head. "You
really are the image of Lt. Rollis. I am most interested in how you
do it."
"The Admiral is most perceptive." Hren Silra's eyes and
voice changed, filled with cold menace. The datacard broke in his
clenched hand.
"I have the rare ability to see what is right in front of my
face." Thrawn said easily, his blaster never wavering. "After the
attack planetside I surmised that imposters had somehow taken the
place of my crewmen to infiltrate my ship. I also concluded yours
is a tenacious race and would certainly make another attempt on
my life. I welcomed this. I saw an opportunity to uncover your
plans and find out who sent you."
"You set a trap with yourself as bait." Hren Silra felt a
reluctant respect for his adversary.
"Yes, I was unable to notify the crew, as I didn't know how
far my ship had been penetrated and I could not risk alerting you
until I have my quarry. Of course, I will soon have all the answers
I need. How did you get by the Guardsman, by the way? I warned
him to be on his guard after I tested him to make certain he was
who claimed."
"He is dead."
Thrawn raised his eyebrows. "It seems I'll have to look
into a better class of bodyguards. At any rate, I can now turn you
over to proper handlers. He reached for the comm on his armrest,
and Hren Silra moved, launched himself at Thrawn without
warning. A blaster bolt burned through the empty space he'd
occupied seconds before.
Thrawn was out of his chair and rolling on the floor just
before the Yuuzhan Vong landed. The Chiss came up in a
kneeling position, weapon arced to point at the warrior. Hren Silra
wasted no time but stabbed his coufee into the comm and pulled it
free in a shower of sparks and tangle of wires. He sidestepped,
swivelled Thrawn's chair and ducked behind it. Blaster bolts deflected
off the chair back.
"You wont get any help, machine slave!"
"I have all the help I need." Thrawn darted forward and
slapped a button on one of his consoles. The arrangement of
holograms changed, now primitive tribal art of various worlds
decorated the room. Feathered masks and painted shields adorned
the walls and beast-totem sculpture stood on the floor. Thrawn
moved, ducked behind a woven rug on a weaving stand. He kept
his weapon trained on the chair and shot as Hren Silra lept from
his cover.
He landed, crouched to avoid the shots that burned through
the holograms, creating ripples in the light, and quickly lost
himself in the artwork. He had just gotten an idea of the Admiral's
position relative to his when the artwork changed. Now he was
surrounded by arrangements of crystal statuary and abstracts.
Translucent and glowing with their own inner light. More
importantly, Hren Silra's cover had disappeared and only luck and
training kept him from being killed by the volley of bolts Thrawn
sent his way. He took a nasty burn in the leg, though.
He clenched his teeth, embraced the pain and tried to make
for the Admiral's position even as the art changed again.
*************************************
The shuttle glided into the landing bay and set down a little
apart from the rest of the transport shuttles busy removing the
Imperials from the planet and the rows of TIE fighters. Parck led
the way down the ramp, followed closely by the robed and hooded
Jedi.
"There is a conference room adjoining the landing bay,
used for last minute briefings. We will wait for the Admiral
there." Oin stayed behind in the shuttle with the pilot, watching
the ships, the crew and technitions, and the droids that scrambled
around them.
"It's best you both stay out of sight." Parck explained.
"The Grand Admiral can't have it known he's meeting with a Jedi.
Not with a Royal Guardsman onboard. Have a seat." He pointed
to one of the chairs around the conference table and reached for
the comm console, but the lights dimmed and the screen turned
blank.
Parck bit back a curse and raised his comm link. "Have to
get some techs in here to look at this console." He said as he
adjusted the frequency. "Admiral, this is Captain Parck." He
frowned and readjusted the link. "Commander Veenir," he said his
first officers name. "This is Captain Parck."
"Veenir here sir." From the comm link.
"Commander, I can't get through to the Admiral, I need you
to take a message to him."
"Of course, sir. His interview must be over by now."
Interview? It must be something important, Thrawn would want
nothing to delay this.
"Who is he talking to?"
"A Lt. Rollis." Parck felt his blood drain from his face. His
gaze snapped to Vergere, whose own eyes were wide with alarm.
"Commander, get a squad of stormtroopers to the Admiral's
chambers, now!"
"Sir?"
"The Admiral's life is in danger! Do it!" He cut off the
link. "Stay here!" He ordered as he ran out the door.
*************************************
When this was over, and his claws sunk deep into Thrawn's
belly, he would take those glowing eyes and give them to his favorite
wife as earbobs. So Hren Silra promised himself. He cursed the infidel
Chiss as he moved around the artwork, trying to get within reach
of him before the Admiral could get to the door and rescue. The
problem was this blasted artwork changed every ten seconds and
only Thrawn knew the pattern.
The two circled each other in the vast room, the Vong
moved without a sound and Thrawn was amazingly soft-footed in
those boots of his. Hren Silra tried to determine where the
Admiral was by scent, but the smell of Chiss was all over the
room. He couldn't pinpoint him.
He knew he was getting close, though. He could feel it.
And Thrawn didn't dare use his blaster heedlessly: he would give
away his position and the weapon was getting low on energy.
They both stayed behind the holograms, to simply walk through
them would risk being seen.
The artwork was now an offensively mechanistic design.
Orderly, geometric shapes, curves running into spirals running into
sharp edges. The geometric designs of a dozen cultures combined
into a vast mechanical thing whose function could not be guessed.
Hren Silra was trying to get in front of the door. He was
certain that was Thrawn's goal. He searched the shifting artwork,
a glimpse of white, two glowing eyes, that was all he needed.
There! A flash of white! Without a second's hesitation
Hren Silra bolted. He burst through holograms, a blaster bolt
blazed over his shoulder and a second later he had torn the weapon
from Thrawn's hands. The Imperial's eyes blazed and he pulled a
vibroblade from his sleeve and took a fell into a fighting stance.
"You use machines to fight your battles." He hissed at
Thrawn. "This makes you weak and damns you in the eyes of the
gods. But you are a worthy foe despite all that." He smiled. "You
will make a fine sacrifice." He dropped his coufee and unsheathed
his claws.
"I use whatever weapon I have." Thrawn spoke in a level
voice and lifted his blade in challenge. Hren Silra charged,
knocked over Thrawn and bore him to the floor. His claws tore
into the white uniform.
The doors slid open and a squad of stormtroopers entered,
led by the commander Hren Silra had met earlier. Blaster rifles
were leveled, but the troops couldn't see clearly for the holograms.
"Admiral!" The commander yelled. "Are you all right?"
His question was answered when the holograms shifted again and
they saw for themselves. Hren Silra reared back from Thrawn's
supine form, shreds of white in his claws and a vibroblade in his
stomach. An eyeblink later a dozen blaster bolts struck him. The
Yuuzhan Vong warrior was thrown off Thrawn by the force of the
blasts and lay dead on the floor.
Captain Parck ran down the corridor, shoved past the
stormtroopers and half knelt, half collapsed, at the Admiral's side.
"Sir!" He yelled. "Talk to me, are you all right?"
"Perfectly fine, Captain." Thrawn sat up and brushed
himself off. "No need to shout." Parck nearly gagged, seeing the
rips in the Admiral's tunic. Only then seeing the body armor
beneath. "Yes, I thought it wise to keep this on. I do congratulate
you on your timing, though. A few seconds later and my friend
there would have had me."
"Thank the Jedi, sir." Parck stammered as he took
Thrawn's arm and helped him stand. Stormtroopers surrounded
Hren Silra's body. "She was the one who warned me of 'Lt. Rollis'
there."
"Indeed." Thrawn's lips tightened slightly. "It seems I owe
her my life yet again. Have the bodies brought to the medicenter
and-"
All the holograms shorted out and the lights blinked, then
dimmed.
*************************************
Nom Anor pointed to the Lambda class shuttle. "That one.
It is small and will be easily handled." It was also a transport for
high-level Imperials. What else would a Royal Guardsman who
has just assassinated a Grand Admiral use for his escape?
That was Hren Silra's analysis, anyway. The two Yuuzhan
Vong crossed the hanger bay unnoticed, though the droids and
tools of the techs made them both tremble in anger. They would
prepare the ship, wait for the other two warriors and make their
escape before anyone knew what was happening.
Oin was in the back of the shuttle, feeling the strange
carpeting with his feet when he caught the scent. His long neck
twisted around and he ducked behind a seat as the two figures
walked up the ramp and entered the shuttle.
He clutched his blaster in trembling hands and crouched
behind the chair. He would know them no matter what skins they
wore, by their stench and by the way they moved they were
Yuuzhan Vong! The one in the guise of a Chiss knocked on the
door to the cockpit. It slid open and the pilot walked out.
"Yes, is everything alright back-" His eyes widened. "Who
are you? What's this ab-ow!" He gagged as the Chiss slammed the
heel of his hand into his face, shoving him back into the cockpit.
The 'Chiss' followed and the stench of fear and blood filled Oin's
nostrils.
"I'll ready the ship." The Vong called back in his own tongue,
which Oin understood. "You go outside and watch for Hren Silra."
The human-Vong nodded and stood at the rampway.
Oin swallowed nervously and held his blaster like a
lifeline. He had to get out of here, he had to warn Vergere! The
Yuuzhan Vong stood framed in the hatchway, tapping his fingers
on the wall. Oin held his weapon in steady hands. Killing was
anathema to the Nesz, but he carried the future of the Nesz with
him. He took a deep breath and got ready, but found it wasn't
necessary to shoot. The Vong was gone.
Oin peeked around the back of the chair. He was nowhere
in sight. Carefully, in case the one in the cockpit should hear, he
crept around the seat and slowly made for the hatch. He was
almost at the threshold when the human-Vong stepped around the
side and grabbed him by the throat.
"Well! I thought I'd smelled something foul-" Nom Anor
frowned, eyes narrowing. He didn't know the name of the race
they had enslaved on Sevac III, but he knew a Nesz by sight.
"What is this?" He said as he walked in the shuttle. Oin kicked
and struggled furiously in Nom Anor's grip. The Vong swatted the
blaster out of Oin's hand and kicked it across the shuttle, but the
Nesz struck him with his bare claws, slashed at his eyes.
Nom Anor jerked his head back just in time to keep from
losing an eye, but not before the reptile's claws raked one cheek,
shredding the ooglith masquer. The living skin writhed and pulled
away from Nom Anor's face and head.
For a second, the shock had paralyzed Nom Anor. Not
because of the pain, which he didn't even notice, but at the sight of
the Nesz and what its being here meant.
The Jedi.
The blasted Jedi.
Gods damn her!
"So," Nom Anor hissed as his own claws sprouted from the
masquer, he shook his hair free, "you slaves have some fire in your
blood after all. Or was it the Jedi? Did she give you your spine?"
He held his arm straight so Oin was unable to reach him, then
heaved the Nesz up so his feet left the ground and he was at eye-
level with the Yuuzhan Vong. Oin clutched Nom Anor's wrist, but
couldn't break the hold.
"You vermin were hiding her, weren't you?" He snarled,
rage built inside him until he thought his blood would boil. "She
was right under our noses, lurking around our seed world."
"Your seed world?" Oin gagged. "No, our planet, our
home! You have no right there! No business there! Vergere
has found allies who will free my people and drive you from our
world forever!"
Nom Anor shook the Nesz until Oin's teeth rattled. "You
are a fool. Where is the Jedi? Tell me!" Oin glared and remained
silent. Nom Anor flexed his claws.
"What goes on?" The other Yuuzhan Vong stood in the
cockpit door.
"The Jedi is here!" Nom Anor spat. "And she was on the
seed world." He held up Oin as evidence. "Is the ship ready for
takeoff?" The other nodded. "Good, I'll close the hatch."
"But Hren Silra-"
"Isn't coming back." He turned, still holding the struggling
Nesz easily. "The Jedi warned Thrawn. Hren Silra walked into his
death. Right now she is probably telling them all about our seed
world. The mission has failed and we must inform the Executor.
And you," he tightened his grip until he was a hair from snapping
Oin's neck, "you I will break in half and toss your body out to rot
on this vile machine-ship!" He reached the hatch when he heard
the telltale snap-hiss of a lightsaber. Oin and Nom Anor looked
down and saw a small, slight figure in a brown robe standing at the
foot of the ramp. A lightsaber burned in her hands.
*************************************
"Nom Anor." Vergere spoke in a level voice. His ooglith
masquer was injured and had pulled back to reveal his true face.
The Yuuzhan Vong had changed little in the past three years. A
few more scars, perhaps, but his face still had the uninjured
symmetry of a Vong youth. Shoulder length black hair framed a
young but hardened face, he had his mother's eyes and they burned
with hate. She had sensed Oin in danger and hurried back to the
shuttle, now it appeared she was too late.
"Jedi." He had a coufee in one hand and Oin's neck in the
other. He looked ready to leap down the ramp, shielding himself
from her lightsaber with Oin's body, and tear her apart.
"Your mission here has failed. Thrawn knows everything."
Or he would soon. She had left her datacard in the conference
room for him to find.
"So I thought." He ground out. "But there is still a measure
of vengeance I can take-"
"Nom Anor!" Another Vong voice from inside. "Close the
hatch, we have to take off!"
"But-" he glanced back.
"Do it! Now!"
"Let him go!" Vergere pointed her lightsaber at Oin. "He
is no warrior, it would do you no good to kill him!"
"But it would hurt you." Nom Anor's eyes flashed, he
squeezed his hand and Oin gagged, but then a new expression
appeared on his face. The hot rage seemed to drain away and
something colder and infinitely worse took its place. A smile of
pure malice twisted his lips.
"Slave," he snarled at Oin, "you are indeed a fool. You
think this Jedi is here to help you? Look around! See what kind of
people the Imperials are! They will come to your world, but no to
free you, to destroy us!" He pulled his arm in until Oin's snout
was inches away from his face.
"Do you understand? They will lay waste to your world to
destroy us, and wipe out your people as well. They wont care.
Your race is doomed! Enslaved or destroyed, that is your only
destiny. Your Jedi knew it. That was her purpose all along!" He
turned his face to Vergere. "Tell him." He commanded. "Tell him
or he dies!"
Vergere swallowed, feeling like her heart was being
crushed. "It's true, Oin. It's all true."
"Nom Anor's glittering eyes bored into Oin's. "Live with
that, slave." He hissed, drew back his arm and threw the Nesz
down the ramp. Vergere deactivated her lightsaber and caught Oin
with the Force. She lowered him to the floor as Nom Anor hit the
button that closed the hatch and raised the ramp. Oin shook her
off and tried to run up the ramp before it closed.
"No!" Vergere pulled him back, held him as the hatch
sealed and the shuttle rose from its pad, thinking he meant to
attack Nom Anor.
What she didn't see, what Oin had only just noticed, was
that his bandolier was no longer with him. It must have been cut
off when Nom Anor had held him in his clawed hand, and Oin had
seen it, the only hope of the Nesz, coiled unnoticed on the floor at
Nom Anor's feet as he had thrown Oin down the ramp.
The shuttle unfolded its wings and sped for the space
beyond the energy field.
"What's this?" The deck officer yelled. "No one got
clearance to launch that shuttle!" The ship soared over the docked
transports and nearly crashed into a docking ship before it passed
through the energy barrier. Vergere lifted the officer's comm link
while he was occupied and adjusted it to Captain Parck's
frequency.
"A Lambda shuttle has just left the ship, you have to stop it
at all costs!" Unfortunately the acids of the ruaswyrms had already
done their work. The tractor beams, turboblasters and sensors
were malfunctioning. TIE fighters were sent after the shuttle, but
one of the features of this particular ship was shields that were
three times as strong as a normal Lambda class vessel. None of
the pursuing fighters were TIE Advanced and equipped with
missiles, so Vergere could only watch helplessly as the shuttle
escaped into hyperspace.
*************************************
Nom Anor paced the passenger compartment of the shuttle,
his mood shifting from malicious triumph to bitter fury as he
realized how petty and meaningless was the hurt he gave the Jedi,
then frustration: he couldn't destroy the machine around him
without risking both their lives. He had stripped the injured
ooglith cloaker from his body and tossed it against the hatch.
Naked, he contented himself with ripping the cushioned seats apart
and disemboweling the dead pilot with his bare hands.
He looked down as he felt his foot snag on something.
Frowning, he picked up the bandolier the slave had worn. It was
made of organic matter, not living, of course, but at least it showed
the slaves weren't completely abandoned by the gods.
As he examined the thing he noticed a large pocket stitched
into the inner side. Curious, he tore it open with a swipe of his
claws. The contents spilled out into his hand and onto the floor.
Nom Anor found himself staring at a pile of seeds.
*************************************
"Quite an interesting story." Thrawn paced the length of
the conference room before returning his glowing gaze to its only
other occupant. "But tell me, how do you know so much of these
Yuuzhan Vong? And if you don't mind my asking, how did you
survive the Emperor?s Purges?"
Vergere crossed her arms. "I survived the Purges, Admiral,
because I never saw them. Shortly after Palpatine was made
Supreme Chancellor I was sent on a mission to a planet in the
Tingle Arm, at the edge of the known galaxy. It was near there
that the worldship Long Reach of Death first penetrated this
galaxy. They attacked the planet and would have annihilated
the life there, but I struck a bargain with the Executor, Sang Anor's predecessor: I would go with them and allow myself to be studied,
they have no knowledge of the Force or Force-users. In exchange
they would leave the planet in peace."
"I am intrigued. I would hear more of this first contact.
Perhaps I could speak to the inhabitants of this planet."
"I doubt you'll be able to." Vergere smiled to herself. "But
that has no bearing on the events now unfolding. I spent nearly
thirty years with the Yuuzhan Vong, learning their ways and their
capabilities. Three years ago I escaped. I have followed in their
wake ever since, looking for a way to stop them."
"I would have thought a Jedi would be fighting for the
Rebellion, not hiding out in the backwaters of the galaxy." Thrawn
gave a self-depreciating smile. These 'backwaters' were his home,
after all.
"The war against the Empire is not my fight, Admiral."
Vergere shook her head, her feathers seemed to bristle. "I sought
guidance in the Force and saw my destiny was on a different path.
The Yuuzhan Vong are a potential threat greater than your Empire
could ever be. Palpatine takes away beings' freedom, but the Vong
jihad would take away their connection to the Force. I saw their
work on Sevac III, they are destroying that world's ecosystem and
replacing it with their own. That is how they spread, Thrawn.
They change a planet and the people on it so completely that it is
theirs forever."
Thrawn narrowed his eyes in concentration. Vergere had
declined Thrawn's offer of a chair, and though the Jedi was a head
shorter than the Grand Admiral the calm dignity with which she
carried herself made him seem his equal in stature. "It seems I will
be moving against Coerl sooner than I had anticipated. The Sevac
system is in his territory and the threat that world poses is grave
indeed." He tapped the datapad on the conference table. "If the
data you have compiled is accurate, we could be facing a small
fleet in a matter of weeks."
"A small fleet, and the nucleus of an even bigger fleet to
come. Sang Anor has apparently decided to begin the conquest of
this galaxy now, with the main Vong force still more than twenty
years from reaching the Outer Rim."
"You said there are only a few thousand Yuuzhan Vong
actually in this galaxy. Does the Executor truly have the strength
to challenge the Empire?"
"Not now, no. But if he is given enough time, builds up a
strong power base in the Unknown Regions, then I would give him
a fair chance."
"We may have need of the Emperor's new toy yet."
Thrawn said as if to himself. Vergere wanted to know what he
meant by that, but he quickly changed the subject. As she had
been living in the Unknown Regions so long, she had little
knowledge of the goings on in the rest of the galaxy. She knew
there was a Rebellion underway, but she had never heard of the
Death Star, and while she had sensed Alderaan's death years ago
she had never connected the deaths of millions with a man-made
weapon.
"Sevac III will have to be dealt with, yes." She said. "But
the seed world isn't the main threat." Now she began to pace. "The
worldship Long Reach of Death is what must be destroyed, at
all costs. As long as that worldship lives the Yuuzhan Vong can
do to any other planet what they did to Oin's homeworld. That
vessel is the only thing capable of seeding and starting such a
process, if it's destroyed then the Yuuzhan Vong here will be cut
off from the means to create their organic technology. They'll
hardly be a threat until the main force arrives, and if the galaxy is
prepared for them then the Yuuzhan Vong jihad can be defeated
before it even takes root."
"Yes, you are correct." Thrawn nodded and Vergere sensed
his agreement, if little else. The Chiss Admiral was amazingly
strong-minded. Influencing his thoughts would be like trying to
uproot a tree with bare hands.
"The ship must die." Vergere said. "Best case scenario,
Sang Anor dies with it."
"Is he really that dangerous?" Thrawn raised an eyebrow.
"I spent my last five years with the Vong under his personal
charge, Admiral." Vergere shivered. "I couldn't sense him in the
Force, but I know him. Yes, he is very dangerous, even
without a worldship and weapons. You wont be fighting just
Yuuzhan Vong when you go after him. He's based himself in this
Warlord's territory, that can only mean he has control of this 'Coerl'
person. That means he controls the man's fleet as well, and he
wont hesitate to use machines indirectly."
Thrawn nodded. "I wish you could have brought me some
of their artwork instead of simply describing it too me. I could
learn much about them if I could see their art firsthand."
"If you want to study their art then just look at the two
Vong corpses you have. They consider what they do to their own
bodies artistic. They are a race that sees destruction and pain as a
form of art and they are very refined in their practice. Study that."
Vergere shrugged. "Anyway, I've told you all I can about what to
expect in fighting them. I'm sorry I couldn't find out more, but I
can't begin to understand their science and Sang Anor was careful
to keep the actual shaping and building process from me. I'm sure
he has a few weapons even I have never heard of too. He loves his
secrets."
"I see," Thrawn nodded, "at least you have given me an
idea as to what these Yuuzhan Vong can do, and how they will do
it. Tracking the worldship down or drawing it out is my problem.
You and your companion are free to go. You will be taken to the
surface and your freighter allowed to leave in peace."
"Thank you." Thrawn turned to open the door. "Admiral,"
Vergere stopped him, she had to at least try this, "when you attack
the Vong on Sevac III there is something you should know: there is
a native race there, the Nesz, who are being hunted and enslaved
by the Yuuzhan Vong. They are innocent, and have shown great
bravery in helping me gather information about their conquerors. I
want you to do your best to spare them."
Thrawn's face hardened. "That will be impossible, as you
already know. By your own testimony we can never be certain of
destroying all the Yuuzhan Vong works if even a single living
thing survives our assault."
"The Nesz are innocent. They didn't ask for any of this."
"Regrettable, but the they are only a few hundred primitives
still unaltered and the Yuuzhan Vong threaten the entire galaxy.
There is no comparison." The coldly glowing eyes held no
compromise. "I thank you for your warning, but your wish to spare
your allies is out of the question."
Vergere's shoulders slumped. Her eyes closed for a
moment, but when she opened them again her gaze met the
Admiral's without flinching. "Tell me Thrawn, why do you do
this?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Why do you serve the Emperor? You seem to be an
honorable man, your subordinates respect you. You inspire
genuine loyalty in your men. Not the hallmark of Imperial
commanders, yet you occupy one of the highest positions in the
Empire's military."
"The Emperor will bring peace and order to the entire
galaxy." Thrawn crossed his arms. "While you see him as evil, I
perceive the greater good in what he has built."
"Order," Vergere nodded her head, "I thought that would be
it."
"What are you talking about?" Thrawn was clearly
becoming annoyed with this conversation, he had important things
to see to, not least of all the damage done to his flagship.
"How Palpatine got to you." The Jedi explained. "What he
promised you. Order and control. Unity. It's your drug, Thrawn,
and the Emperor is a master of finding a person's weaknesses and
using them to his own advantage. To some he promised power.
Others he offered revenge. It all ends the same way, though: you
sell your soul for empty promises."
"What do you know of me?" Thrawn took an involuntary
step toward Vergere, his cool facade had cracked slightly and a
look of pure fury flashed across his face. "How dare you judge me
and what I work toward? I have seen the chaos that rages among
these stars, the endless, pointless wars? The Emperor is a
necessary evil, Jedi, in the end there will be peace."
"The Empire corrupts, Thrawn. Palpatine is a Sith Lord,
corruption has ever been their way and there has never been one
who embodies the ways of the Sith as completely as the Emperor.
How do you think he got where he is? He ate into the heart of the
Old Republic and rotted it from within. I have never encountered
him, no, but I feel him, like a blight in the Force poisoning
everyone and everything he touches. Your Emperor is nothing but
a glorified parasite, an exalted cancer."
"You call him a necessary evil, you think you are using him
to accomplish your goals. The name of your fleet says it all,
Unity." She smiled bitterly. "The starlanes to hell are navigated
by good intentions. I don't care how clever you are, the Emperor
can see right through you. Literally. You bring order to the worlds
of the Unknown Regions, but you take away their freedom. You're
telling yourself things will get better over time. The oppression
will ease and eventually disappear once things settle down, once
the Rebellion is crushed and the warlords are defeated." She held
up her hand as Thrawn started to speak.
"No, Admiral, I'm not reading your mind. You may not
believe it but your aren't the only one who can see what's obvious,
and I'm telling you now that things will never get better. The
corruption will only get worse and more tyrannical. More and
more atrocities will be committed in the name of this nebulous
'greater good' that is always just out of reach, that will always
require just one more life destroyed, one more planet laid to waste,
one more freedom crushed."
"The Empire was built by a Sith." She continued. "It was
born in the mind of a Sith, and everything the Sith have ever
touched brought nothing but pain and fear and hate because the
Sith serve the dark side. They draw their power from it and all
those emotions are what the dark side feeds on! Do you
understand? The stronger the dark side becomes, the stronger
they become, and that's all the Emperor has ever really cared
about!"
Verger sighed. "Why is it you think Palpatine has always
favored humans? It's not because of any prejudice on his part, or
even because humans are the most numerous and widespread race
in the galaxy. It's because he knows how humans think more
intimately than he could know the thought-patterns of any other
race, which makes them all the easier for him to corrupt. Why do
you think he accepted you? Because you're sufficiently humanlike
for him to understand and so to corrupt. He has been manipulating
you from the first moment you met, and you never even realized
it."
For a long moment the Grand Admiral said not a word. His
face was inscrutable, his eyes and mind gave away nothing. Then:
"Another shuttle has been prepared for you. You will be
taken to your ship. As I promised, you will have safe passage out
of this system. I trust we will not meet again. I have problems
enough to deal with." With that, he turned on his heel and strode
out the door.
*************************************
The shuttle trip to the planet was quiet, but with a tension
that Vergere could feel like a thousand wires stretched taunt
throughout the Force around her. Oin sat beside her, looking out
the window but seeing nothing. He had not spoken a word since
his encounter with Nom Anor.
Finally, hesitantly, the Jedi touched his shoulder. He
neither flinched away nor lashed out at her, but simply turned his
head toward her. Vergere couldn't meet those terrible eyes. His
despair washed over her, threatening to drown her. The same
despair she herself had felt when she sense the Jedi dying.
"Oin," she said slowly, "I am so sorry-"
"We have to go back." He spoke as the ship set down. His
voice was dry and firm.
"Back where?" Vergere asked, not understanding.
"To my homeworld." He touched his chest where the
bandolier had lain. "To save my people."