Chapter 7 - Enemy at the Gates
Yana hastened down the corridor swiftly, mind focused ahead, on where she could sense the Dark Side flare in angry busts of outrage and denial. Bursting into the Princess' cabin she was just in time to see Irek fly against the bulkhead, and Leia's slim figure crouching low in a defensive posture she must have slunk back into after having blunted the boy's initial attack. She should have known that the Princess' recovery would set her half-brother on edge. Why had she not thought of that beforehand? Yana stopped scolding herself and stepped up smartly to lay a hand on Irek's shoulder as he rose again.
"It is not worth the effort," she murmured softly, for his ears only. His young face darkened moodily, and he was glaring murder at the Princess.
"How did she come back?" he demanded. "How?"
"Your field of expertise is somewhat different from hers. You excel at influencing machines, she at manipulating people. Don't let her goad you into such an attack again," Yana explained calmly, and arched her eyebrows in a mute question. Finally Irek nodded and she could sense him relax a fraction. So different from his father, so very different. Yana almost sighed. It was a shame that Irek had been cursed only with the dark sides of his heritage, and seemingly none of the benefits. He disengaged from her, jerking his shoulder out of her grasp, and stalked out of the cabin, ignoring Leia completely. The Princess watched him go with a calculating expression on her cool features.
"What a temper," she said at last. Yana stared.
"Is that all? He almost killed you, and you provoke him!"
"I did none of that. He came in here and started questioning me on how I managed to come back. When I refused to answer he attacked me. It is that simple."
"How did you come back, Leia?"
The Princess smiled thinly. "Some friends were of some assistance. Speaking of: what are your plans for Yaga Minor?"
"Irek and Erinin will leave for their mission, along with some of my best men and some mercenaries Erinin hired for Roganda. Which means that Roganda is more or less helpless."
"Good for us. If she does not get paranoid."
"She trusts me, to some extent. Do not worry. I will be able to control her. Once I know how the nobles think about her plan we can start on your next move."
Leia nodded. "We must isolate her. Do you think you can manage that?"
"Certainly. I know the court. They are ambitious fools with a taste for credits and power. Anto Andorwyn is the worst." She sat down on the Princess' bunk elegantly. "I have done some research on his most recent activities, and I noticed that he made some credit transfers to Yaga Minor. Which means that he's planning something big. I will find out what it is, and I suppose I can use that to turn the rest of them against Andorwyn and rekindle their little contests for dominance. Roganda will be pushed aside easily then."
"You seem very sure about this, Yana."
"Zsinj cntrols the sector, and I do not doubt that most of Andorwyn's credits went into his pockets. I have a suspicion about what that might mean, but I need confirmation."
"Which is why you accompanied Roganda in the first place, am I right?"
"Exactly."
No need to mention that, if her suspicions where right, she could control the Princess more easily. If Leia even got a glimpe of what Yana was planning for her... Not deliver her to Joral, no way. There was no sense in indulging the Hutt too much. But when she had first talked with Roganda about her grand scheme the Princess had been mentioned already. Roganda had wanted to use her as sort of shield against the Dark Lord, but she had failed to grasp that Leia herself had now moved into a key position. As Minister of State she would have use of a network that could cover Imperial and Republic sources as well as the fringe, an information source that went beyond what Talon Karrde could deliver. The benefits for Yana were clear: she needed credits to expand, to get Abla the storage space he needed to run the program, bribes, ransom, whatever. Credits ruled the galaxy, and once Leia realized how useful and how necessary Yana's knowledge was for her...
"When are you due to leave?" the Princess inquired as she joined Yana on the bunk.
"Couple of hours. I would appreciate it if you stayed on board. Roganda would too, I imagine."
"I suppose so." Throwing her a smile Leia shrugged once more. "We have a deal, Yana. I won't break it."
"Neither will I."
Padmé sat rigidly in her chair, worrying. It was almost midnight and Anakin was not back yet. He had not even deemed it necessary to call, and slowly suspicion was sneaking into her mind, asking if General Page might not have been right. There had been another transmission from Niaruan, and Mon Mothma had not been happy about it. Apparently Thrawn had asked Anakin to keep a close eye on the President, and he wanted Padmé to establish contact with the Imperial remnant. Needless to mention that the report had come at a decidedly awkward time.
Where had Anakin vanished to? She should be tired, she knew, but she was too wound up to notice her own weariness. Besides, her company did not allow her to show any weakness. Page had ordered two Intelligence agents off to 'guard' her. It was humiliating to be treated like an untrustworthy criminal, and the feeling enfuriated Padmé even more. When Anakin got home he would get an earful about this, and no mistake! If he came back.
She jumped when the door opened and he strode into the room casually, as if nothing was wrong. He gave the two agents a dispassionate gaze and dropped his coat on the sofa before he folded his arms across his chest and arched his eyebrows coolly.
"What is the meaning of this?" His tone was icy and his demeanor more than merely arrogant. Padmé rose from her seat carefully, ready to caution him, if necessary. But one of the agents stepped forward smartly and nodded.
"Lord Skywalker, we have been given orders to escort you to the New Republic Intelligence headquarters for questioning."
"You mean that I am under arrest?"
"Yes."
"Then why don't you say so? Well, I guess I should not be surprised, and, truth to tell, I am not." He flashed the man a nasty smile.
"Anakin, where have you been?" Padmé asked testily. She was tired.
"Did you tell them?" he asked right back and his voice frightened her. Feeling cold all over she shook her head vehemently.
"No! They found out a few things, and drew their conclusions. It does not matter anyway," she added after a moment's hesitation.
"You are right. Well, gentlemen, let's go then."
"Madam, you can stay, if you want," the agent who had spoken before told her, but she declined.
"Thank you, but I would rather accompany my husband."
"As you wish."
They all took a speeder over to what had once been Anakin's home here on Coruscant, and Padmé felt strangely fearful as they closed in on the forbidding structure. At her side Anakin turned his head and smiled down at her gently. He took her hand and squeezed it with delicate care. As always he did not show any signs of anxiety, but, judging from his behavior back at their apartment, Padmé had no doubt that he held all the aces. No surprise there either. Smiling to herself she rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. It did not matter what they were about to face, as long as they were together.
Suppressing a joyful smile Anakin relished the warmth he could sense emanating from Padmé. She was fully confident in his ideals and intentions, and her trust was more than welcome now. He had been questioning Andarack for hours, always hunting for the right answer, trying to piece the clues together to an overall picture of what was going on around them. The Noghri had been vague, mostly, issuing guesses of what he thought Zi'Assime might be planning. Apparently the general only told his agents what they immediately had to know to accomplish their mission. An excellent information policy, that made it hard for the Dark Lord to understand Andarack's scetchy report. In the end though he had had enough pieces to work out some of what the Imperial remnant might be planning. Now the assassin was on his way off-planet, to establish contact with the remaining Noghri death commandos. Loya should be finished with questioning Yana Dar's agent, and Anakin was still waiting for the Devaronians report. Well, that would have to wait until later anyway.
The speeder drew up to the fortress' gate and, after the driver had identified himself and his passengers, proceeded into the courtyard that lay beyond. Padmé stirred in his arms and raised her head muzzily. She had fallen asleep and was just waking up again. Anakin hugged her briefly and helped her disembark. Her large brown eyes took in their surroundings with mounting horror. He had not allowed her to see the fortress once they had established their new home in the Imperial Palace. But now she would see it after all. Anakin feared the moment when she would realize his reasons for keeping her away from this place. Those memories were not for her eyes, the burden not for her to share. Looking up at him she gave him a sorrowful glance, understanding and compassion mixed with bitterness. She did not say a word, though.
Following the two agents into the fortress they walked along bleak corridors, ugly things, functional above everything else. The Dark Lord ignored the surroundings. He knew the fortress inside out, after all. They were being led toward the main meeting hall, he estimated, and indeed, when they entered a turbo-lift and let it carry them downstairs, his estimate was confirmed.
"This way, please," one of the agents said and opened the doors. Anakin stepped through unhurriedly and drew out a chair for Padmé close to the door. She took his offer and seated herself gingerly, playing along nicely. Settling himself into another chair as comfortably as it was possible Anakin nodded at the other attendees. Mon Mothma's face was twisted into an annoyed scowl and she looked incredibly tired. Seated next to her Telmann Page wore a carefully neutral expression, but his eyes betrayed him. He did not approve of the Dark Lord's initiative at all.
"Good evening," Mon Mothma began, then looked at her wrist chrono pointedly. "Or rather, good morning. I am very pleased to see you, Lord Skywalker."
"I assumed as much."
"You are aware of the charges?"
"Charges? No. I only was told to come here."
Mon Mothma silenced the agents, who had followed them in, before they had a chance to protest. She knew him well, oh yes. Anakin gave her a polite, little smile, but she did not let herself be irritated by that. "You can stop fooling around. We know what you have been doing."
"I doubt it."
"You kept back information! Vital information!" Such an emotional outburst from Mon Mothma was very rare, and therefore shocking. "You conferred with the Grand Admiral without my knowledge!"
"Since when is it of any interest to the New Republic who a civilian confers with?"
Her face went white with fury. "You are not just any civilian!"
"Ah." Anakin nodded in understanding. "I knew there was something I had forgotten."
Padmé squeezed his arm cautiously and gave him a look that told him very unmistakably that he should at once cease enraging the President even more. But the Dark Lord had destined Mon Mothma for a fall, and the greater her rage, all the more rewarding her shock would be in the end. That should teach her.
Telmann Page apparently had some suspicion as to Anakin's goal, for he frowned first at the President, then at the Dark Lord, and rose from his seat. "Perhaps we could get down to business?" The other three nodded. "Good. Lord Skywalker, Intelligence has uncovered a connection between Yana Dar and Grand Admiral Tious Markhan."
Anakin felt his jaw drop. "What?"
The smug smile that appeared on Mon Mothma's face was very infuriating indeed. "You did not know," she said, her voice almost a purr of satisfaction. "And I always thought you knew everything."
"Could you cease this foolish powerplay, please?" Padmé asked coolly. "Apparently the slicer Han hired works for the Empire, and perhaps Yana Dar does, too. There is more." She gave Page an encouraging smile.
"Thank you," the General said drily. "We have been investigating in Hutt Space, just as you suggested, Lord Skywalker. The slicer is Abla Othana, who used to work for Markhan and now works for Yana Dar. My agents tell me that he holds contacts to the Hutts, too. With Joral. It was only natural to assume that you were behind this, when our agents confirmed that Han Solo met with Joral and Othana."
Anakin rose to his feet and leaned toward the General menacingly. "Behind what exactly? My own daughter's kidnapping?"
"Of course not!" Page's resolve faltered. "But we would appreciate it greatly, if you would enlighten us as to what exactly you are aiming at with your activities."
Straightening again the Dark Lord put on a blank expression and nodded slowly. "It started with the conquest of Coruscant last year." He began pacing the room as he focused his thoughts, trying to find the right words. "You may remember that I told you time and again that I was aiming at a fast resolution, because our resources were wearing out. Admittedly, I had hoped back then that our victory would be more complete than it turned out to be in the end. You know that I tried everything I could to end the conflict with as few casualties as possible, but Palpatine and Kell blunted my plans. I knew, though, that we would not be vulnerable during the first months of founding the New Republic, because the memory of the Empire's cruelty was fresh in the minds of everyone and they would not let anyone take their freedom away again." Raising his head he gazed straight at Mon Mothma. "And yet I worried over our security. There is an old rule I always knew I did not dare break, though: You do not raise an army twice. The expenses will become too much."
"That was why I urged you to send the fleet out to guard the borders, the other reason for that move was to let the people forget about the war at last," Mon Mothma explained quietly. "I asked your advice on that and you agreed with me. As I recall you told me that we all needed rest."
"Yes. Very true. There is just one problem with that: we have expended our resources, almost all of them, and we will not be able to recover from that any time soon. You have to decide what is more important, keeping the military stable or supporting the economy. Palpatine favored those companies that manufactured weapons, ships, everything he needed to impose his reign on this galaxy. That has to change. The only reason why your government has been tolerated so far is because the people believe in the future. They believe in peace." Anakin shrugged.
"You did well in sending Piett to gain new allies. We will need them. Yet I fear that this initiative comes too late."
"How so?" Page asked quietly.
"My previous information did not extend to covering the ties between Othana and Markhan, or between Othana and Joral. It certainly puts a new light on what information I do have now, though."
"Would you care to explain further?" Mon Motham inquired, perfectly serene once more.
"Certainly. I knew that the Imperial remnant would strike at us sooner or later, and they had all the advantages. Still have, for that matter. Had it been possible I would have gladly taken the fight to the enemy, but we would have lost badly. Therefore I decided on a different course. First, apart from regaining our resources, we had to strengthen our alliances. I left that to you, since, as you have told me time and again, you are the politician. Now though we face an attack and are still unprepared."
"Why did you not include that in your calculations then?" the President asked softly. "I trusted your judgement, your advice."
"You never did, Mon Mothma. You always had to double-check everything I did, always had to test whether my suggestions were compatible with your public campaign. You did not give me any chance, especially not in the past months. Besides, I expected that you would assume that responsibility yourself. You made it clear from the beginning that you saw my field of expertise only in warfare, not diplomacy. I even agree to that."
"Lord Vader, this is ridiculous." Anakin smiled at her slip and she had the grace to look embarrassed, but then her eyes flashed in open anger. "No! I will not make excuses." She gave him a determined glare. "I never forgot who you are, and I never will. Fact is, though, that your ill planning has gotten us into this predicament."
"Don't you want to know what predicament exactly that is?" he asked mildly.
She gestured vaguely for him to go ahead. "Yes. Please."
"Thank you." Resuming his pacing Anakin pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I had not anticipated anyone to kidnap Leia. I am still not certain if Markhan was behind this. Here's a fact, though. Markhan has ace troops, untouched resources, and a contingent of warlords filled with resentment and the desire to get theirs back. They face a divided government, which, after an entire year, only has wobbly alliances to show for. An army, almost recovered, but only almost, that would rather follow me than you, a navy which is spread out wide along our perimeters. If he decides to attack us now we will be easy prey. The Force only knows what he is waiting for." He paused, stunned silence rushing in to fill the gap his words had left behind.
"What can we do?" Padmé asked at last.
"Build up our defenses. Recall the fleet and have only a few ships patrol the border to give us warning, if necessary. As for the rest... General Page has instinctively taken the right measures already. Information is what we need now, so, in the best case, we can anticipate a weakness in our opponent even before it shows. There must be something, or else Markhan would have made his move already."
"Excellent. So, what have you been up to?"
He gave Padmé an embarrassed smile. "Not much, actually. Until today I limited myself to keeping in touch with Thrawn, and Karrde, and acquiring new agents."
"New agents?" Mon Mothma exclaimed. "Why?"
"Because my old ones are too well known. Besides, Jix and Mara are headed toward Byss, at Yana Dar's request, and I pray they will get back from that mission alive. As for Chi'in, well, these days even I do not know what he is up to."
Page had been listening more closely, apparently. "What happened today?"
"I learned that Tious Markhan is conducting his own efforts in gaining allies. The Hutts, for one. What you said about Othana and Joral confirms that information."
"Ah, speaking of." Mon Mothma injected. "There's something else I want to bring up here. Is it true that Roj Kell is currently operating in Hutt Space?"
"That is what Talon Karrde reports," Anakin answered with a shrug. "Your guess is as good as mine, although, I - " he hesitated, and shot a brief glance at Padmé. "We did not tell you this, and we resolved not to tell you once everything cleared up, but I felt a disturbance, a very strong one. It ... swallowed ... Leia's presence for a time, but now she is back and unharmed. She is up to something, and I pity her opponents already."
"You suspected that Roj Kell was responsible?"
"Perhaps he was. I cannot be certain."
"Then what do we do now?" the President asked quietly.
"Gather our defenses, just as I said. We need to hold the New Repblic together, no matter what happens."
Roganda felt strangely timid when her son stormed into her quarters, his young face flushed with excitement, his blue eyes sparkling with joy. She did not want her little boy to go off alone. It was hard for her to accept that he was almost grown up now, that he was not a child any longer. He needed to stretch his wings, she knew, but there was still a mother's worry that something would happen to him if she was not close. Only when he stopped short upon reaching her, looking down at her questioningly, did she realize that he must have noticed her mood.
"Is everything prepared?" she asked quietly and he nodded.
"Yes. The last tests went perfectly. I can almost feel her now!" It was good to see that childish joy flash across his pale face, and Roganda smiled at him, pleased.
"I am very proud of your achievements," she said gently and ran a hand over his left cheek as she used to do when he was little.
"And worried."
"Yes, I admit it." Hanging her head she felt terribly sad. "I am going to miss you, Irek."
"Erinin is coming with me, Mother. He will take care that nothing happens to me," he replied, his tone almost soothing. But she had noticed that he had not said that he would miss her, too. Was that a bad sign? She was not certain. Irek was so different from his father, but those differences were frightening, too. There were things about his personality she had not noticed two years earlier, a cruel streak and a ruthlessness she thought dangerous. Was she a bad mother for feeling that way?
"Irek, I want you to be careful," she explained. "You opponent is shrewd. Do not let him get out of hand."
"I will take care, Mother." He looked at her somewhat strangely, and a hint of a smile was lurking at the corners of his mouth. A mocking smile.
Roganda was taken aback by his behavior. Perhaps it was not such a good idea to let him run off now, without her guidance. "You know what is at stake," she reminded him, but he only looked bored. Perhaps an appeal to his sense of duty would help. "Everything depends on you." Irek nodded mutely and turned around toward the door. A moment later Erinin appeared, his one eye mustering his young charge coolly.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Finish your goodbyes then. We need to be gone before anyone notices we were here in the first place." He gave Roganda a casual nod before he left again.
Never before had the bodyguard made his loyalties so clear. She had known, of course, that Palpatine had ordered Erinin to protect the child, and subsequently his mother, but only now did the former concubine and Emperor's Hand realize, that, once both he and Irek were gone, she would be all alone. She suppressed a tiny shiver, very conscious of the fact that Irek could pick up on her emotions if he put his mind to it. It seemed that his abilities in that field had increased tremenduously over the past days, ever since his violent outburst back at Nar Shadaa.
"Run along now," she managed with an affectionate smile. It did not matter what he thought of her, she mused, it could not change what she felt for him. Ever. Irek smirked at her, but he seemed on the verge of coming forward to embrace her. In the last moment he changed his mind, though, and whirled away, leaving on Erinin's heels without another word.
Once he had gone Roganda dropped onto the couch, feeling utterly crushed. All alone... Now it was up to her to ensure the support Irek would need for the future. She knew that none of the prospective allies she was going to meet tonight was aware of what exactly her function had been at Palpatine's court. She knew far more about each one of them than any suspected. Yana Dar had warned her to be careful, and the girl certainly had inherited her father's love for intricate schemes and deft manipulation. But could she trust her? Yana had assured her that she had no desire to claim the throne herself. In fact, she had been awfully vague on why she was helping Roganda at all. Because she had always resented her father, she had said, because she would hate to see Irek's talents go to waste. All plausible motives, but Roganda had learned not to trust what people said. It sometimes was much different from what they truly meant.
As if called by her musings the door slid open to reveal Yana standing there. The information broker wore a richly embroidered sky-blue dess with a plunging neckline, and her hair was done up in an elaborate style, emphasizing her long, pale neck exquisitely. She looked down at Roganda pensively, then smiled.
"He is gone?"
"Yes." She heaved a wistful sigh. "I wish I could be with him now."
"Understandable." Yana sat down beside her and lay a hand on her shoulder in a warm gesture of companionship. "You always knew that the day would come when he would have to fly free. That day is now, Roganda."
"I hope dearly that you mother handled it better than I just did."
The information broker narrowed her eyes angrily. "My mother died before I was three years old and my father let me do what I pleased, as long as I didn't bother him." She shook her head and loosened a few tendrils from her exquisite hair-do. "I am sure you did well."
Roganda shrugged helplessly. "He seems so strange at times..."
"It is part of his heritage. Trust me on that," Yana added with a tiny smile and hugged the older woman carefully. "Come. Our allies are waiting for us."
Leia focused her mind on the ship's remaining passengers and found that Roganda and Yana were already on their way to board the tiny shuttle that would bring them to Yaga Minor. About half an hour ago Irek had left the ship, and she was very glad for that. He frightened her for some reason, not because of what she knew he would attempt out in the Unknown Regions, but because she had the feeling that he was not just some troublesome youth who craved some liberty, but because she was certain that he was skirting close to insanity.
Yana had told her that he had probably attacked her out of a desire to annoy his mother, but Leia thought differently. He could have just killed her and achieved the same. No, there was something more, something that was driving him unconsciously. Recalling her vision and the subsequent meeting with Belana Jen and Roj Kell the Princess wished that she had some of their guidance right now, some of their knowledge. Impossible, she knew. Yet she was not helpless, or without allies.
It was true what Yana had said: Roganda was at their mercy. They could dissemble her entire plan easily, but they could not stop Irek. No way. Yet his mother was the means to control him, perhaps. The Princess had strong doubts in that, regarding the past events, but Yana had assured her that Irek had no idea what to do apart from following his mother's plan. He had no choice, really, and even if he decided to go rampant he would still return to Roganda in the end. That was what family was all about: you did not abandon family. She only had to look at her own to find confirmation for that reasoning.
The one thing that bothered her though was Yana's motivation. She could not explain to herself what the information broker got out of this deal. Perhaps she had a grudge against the Imperial court, but so far Yana had not struck her as particularly vengeful. A secretive woman, unfortunately. Still, she had promised Leia help, and the Princess would gladly take it.
Adjusting her dress Roganda spared a small glance for the rich exterior of the Governor's Palace before she entered the richly decorated ante-room, which was nothing in comparison to what greeted her in the chamber beyond.
"I wanted a quiet get-together!" Roganda hissed under her breath, when a tall, slender man left the small group assembled at the rich buffet to greet them. Anto Andorwyn, possibly the last man she wanted to meet again, apart from Palpatine himself. The man reeked of ambition.
"My lady! Welcome to Yaga Minor!"
"Thank you, Lord Andorwyn," Roganda replied sweetly. "You arranged this for us? How wonderful!"
"Of course. I wanted to provide a fitting frame for your announcement, that we are all anxiously awaiting, if I might add." Andorwyn frowned ever so slightly at Roganda's companion, and she noticed the way his eyes lit up when Yana gave him a smile that was very inviting indeed. "A pleasure," he murmured. "Please follow me and let me introduce you to the rest."
Once all pleasantries had been done with Roganda was getting ready for her announcement. Gathering the others around herself she smiled pleasantly and nodded. Looking at Yana quite pointedly she began:
"My friends, we all know how happy we can be to still be alive in these troubled times. I for one am very glad to be here, with you, on this day."
She lay a hand against her bosom gently and lowered her head in a demure gesture that made most of the men smile at her almost fondly. "I know these are not good times for anyone who refused to accept that deceitful rebel alliance. They are criminals, terrorists even, and now they believe they can take what was never theirs to inherit."
"And what you want your son to inherit?" a female voice challenged her. Roganda gave the assembly a timid, slightly confused look.
"Please, just listen," she said softly, forcing the others to strain their ears to hear her properly. "My son is the righful heir to the throne, as any test will show you, but I know that you would not want Palpatine's reign to continue." She shuddered delicately. "Neither would I."
"What are you saying? That we would have the advantagesof the court, but not the disadvantages?" someone asked.
"I want to offer you an opportunity to continue the lives you have grown used to. My son," here Roganda smiled fondly, "is gifted with extraordinary talents that can serve all of us."
"Palpatine served no one but himself!" someone shouted.
"I do not suggest to resurrect the Emperor as we knew him. What I am proposing is an arrangement that would unite the people behind you, would make them accept you again."
"What about the warlords?" Andorwyn asked suddenly.
"They will not be a problem. We will have the means to rally the navy to us, too."
"And what would that be?"
Roganda smiled at him. He was the most ambitious and the most powerful among the ones assembled here. If she revealed the plan first to him, and he played along, all the others would be led to believe that he knew more than they did. They would try to widdle their way into his good graces, and he would enjoy their attention immensely, she knew. Roganda was certain that then she would have a grateful ally in him. "Please, my lord, walk with me and I will tell you."
Yana was watching Roganda over the heads of the crowd suspiciously and sipped her drink slowly, waiting for her prey to catch the bait she had laid out previously. Making a pass trough the crowd slowly Rogand took each one aside to lay out her plans to them, but Andorwyn had been first. Interesting move. Ever since Roganda had left him he had been studying Yana intently, and she was in no way surprised when he finally came over to join her.
"A promising young man," the Kuati said quietly.
"Who?"
"Irek Ismaren, of course."
"You truly believe so? We shall see, won't we?" Yana gave him a smile that was challenge and invitation rolled into one. "Lord Andorwyn, I hear you have had some dealings with the Imperial remnant of late. I was surprised I did not see Zsinj here tonight."
"He is a busy man."
"I thought so," Yana said with some satisfaction. Zsinj was one of the major Imperial warlords still around, and he controlled the sector around Yaga Minor. If he was busy... Suddenly a thought occured to her. What if someone else had paid off the nobles already, had laid out a trap for Roganda herself? If someone else knew about Irek and his abilities they would have been able to capture both mother and son here, today. But this had not happened, had it? She relaxed again.
"You are very well informed," Andorwyn murmured.
"You too, my lord, remarkably well," Yana commented drily. "There are a few other things I know very well. Perhaps I could show you?"
"Later, maybe," Andorwyn replied graciously. "If you would excuse me?"
Pursing her lips thoughtfully she watched him go.Then she made sure than no one was watching and followed at a safe distance.
"The boy is gone," Tious Markhan hissed softly, his dark eyes boring into Andorwyn with a cold glare.
"Apparently he left before they even came onplanet."
"You assured me that your spies were reliable," the Grand Admiral said, each word driven home pointedly. "Must I remind you that it is you who does benefit from our arrangement? To me, my lord, your services are expendable."
Anto Andorwyn did not seem impressed. "I have something else for you, Grand Admiral."
"What would that be?"
"Roganda Ismaren did not come alone. She had a companion. Yana Dar."
As if he didn't know already! Tious did not even blink. "You will see to it that Roganda Ismaren does not leave Yaga Minor, and keep me posted on Yana Dar's activities."
"As you wish, Grand Admiral." Bowing slightly the Kuati ended the transmission. Tious Markhan leaned back in his chair, brooding angrily. Irek Ismaren was gone, but he finally knew now what Roganda Ismaren was planning. Attack the Executor! It seemed ridiculous. Yet the plan might even succeed...
"Bad news, sir?" Sarreti had appeared noiselessly, standing at a respectful distance in front of the Admiral's desk.
"General Zi'Assime."
"Sir?"
"Have him summoned here, and put the word out that I want all fleet commanders who are not currently deployed to meet tomorrow at nine hours."
"At once, sir."
Once the lieutenant had left Markhan closed his eyes slowly, focusing his mind. Joral had reported increased NRI activity on Nar Shadaa, which meant that they had taken the bait he had laid out there. Once the rebellion on Ryloth began the New Republic would have to choose fast, whether they wanted to come to the Twi'lek's aid, or whether the risk was too high. He had no doubts, though, that in the end Mon Mothma would overrule her military advisors. She was the kind who would set compassion over security. Especially now.
Yet, once they had the Princess on Nal Hutta the drift between government and military would widen greatly. The Dark Lord would run interference against the President's orders, and she would punish him for that. He smiled slowly. The New Republic would weaken itself. No need for confirmation from Andorwyn. Let the man race after hints and shadows and waste his resources. In the end the military would triumph, not the court.
Leia tried to enjoy the quiet meal she was sharing with Nasrda Magrody in her cabin. The professor, who had invited himself in, kept very silent, his eyes focused into the distance. He barely ate anything, but then, she herself did not really feel hungry. Ever so often her thoughts drfited toward the future. What would come of Irek's mission? What exactly was Yana planning? And what was Han doing right now? Heaving a deep sigh the Princess propped her chin up on one hand and met Magrody's pensive glance.
"I wonder if they will succeed?" he mused aloud, leaving it open who he was referring to.
"There is no action without reaction, professor," Leia said and he nodded. "No action without consequences. I have a feeling that Roganda has not thought this through properly. Even if Irek suscceeds, the Executor is not invincible."
"Close enough," he replied with a tiny smile. "Yet we have to keep our faith." Now it was his turn to sigh, and Leia knew that he must be thinking of his family. A pang of guilt cramped her stomach into a tight knot as she envisioned her parents, her brother, worrying for her, not knowing what had happened. Father? she called, but again there was no answer.
"What I do not entirely understand," she began anew, "is why Roganda did not know that the court was going to meet here anyway, but Yana did. Someone must have called the meeting before Roganda made her request."
"Perhaps."
"But to what purpose?" Leia wondered, right before her mind came aflame with a surge of adrenaline, that she had come to recognize as a sign of imminent danger. She half rose from her seat, but then something heavy impacted against the ship hull, throwing her off balance. Magrody caught her before she could fall to the deck. Hanging in his arms Leia tensed, her senses sharpened to their limit, her perception wide open.
"What was that?" the professor hissed.
"Ssh!" she cautioned him, then slowly gathered her feet underneath her and stepped out of his grasp. "That sounded like a cofferdam or something."
"Do you think we are being boarded?" The sound of sudden blaster fire confirmed Magrody's suspicion, but the fire died down as soon as it had begun.
"That was an awfully short battle," Leia whispered, wishing that she had some weapon. She could pick up a group of perhaps six beings, all filled with determination and purpose. And headed here. The door slid open and Leia's breath caught in her throat at the sight of four stormtroopers, their white armor glistening in the artificial lights, making them look like droids. No! Not the Empire! The first two stepped aside smartly to reveal two more men standing in the midst of the small squad. Both wore the slate gray uniform of Imperial navy officers. The younger, taller of them wore the rank insignia of a general, and Leia noticed a glitter in his eyes that made her uncomfortable. He looked as if he were just waiting to make a kill. His older companion was shorter, heavy-set, and his uniform decorated with more rank bars than the Princess had ever seen before. He was smiling at her.
"Your Highness, it is a pleasure to find you here. I am Zsinj, at your service." His eyes shifted toward Magrody. "Professor. Another surprise."
Leia managed a tight grimace. She remembered Yana mentioning Zsinj, pointing out that he ruled the sector, and that Andorwyn was financing the warlord. His presence here, now, made everything fall into place. Andorwyn had called the meeting, to gather the court behind Zsinj. It was logical, and it also told the Princess that there was a rift through Imperial command. And Yana had known all along. Had she set this trap, then?
"You seem surprised, Princess." the warlord told her calmly.
"Perhaps I am, a bit. Let me hazard a guess, though. Your troops are currently raiding the planet to capture Roganda Ismaren. True?"
"Very good. It was a lucky stroke that she announced her participation at the meeting, yet Yana Dar's presence was somewhat unexpected."
"Really?"
"Indeed. General Melvar, please escort the Princess to the shuttle. I want some time alone with our dear professor."
"As ordered, my lord." The General gave Leia a curt nod, signalling for her to follow him and his troops. She resigned herself to her fate for now, knowing full well that she stood no chance against the soldiers, and strode after Melvar briskly, all the while wondering what Zsinj wanted with Magrody. Information on Roganda and Irek? Possibly.
Melvar took her to what looked indeed like a cofferdam, and they stepped through to enter an Imperial assault shuttle. Leia was directed to one of the passenger seats and soon the ship began drifting toward Yaga Minor.
"You will be Lord Andorwyn's guest, I assume, for the time being," the general explained.
"What is this all about?" she asked. "First you lure Roganda Ismaren here, with Yana Dar's help, but fail to apprehend her before she got on planet. This doesn't make any sense."
"From your point of view it does not," Melvar said with a smile. "But then, your information is incomplete."
"Would you care to enlighten me?"
"I suppose it is all the same now, anyway. This trap for Ismaren was first devised by the Grand Admiral." He noticed her shocked expression and laughed out loud. "Nah, not your alien pet-dog. I am referring to Tious Markhan. Markhan is a fool in some ways, but he is powerful. Not someone you should mess with, but I believe the New Republic will learn that soon enough."
"Why did he want to trap them?"
Melvar shrugged. "He wanted the boy, not his mother. Not that it is in any way important."
"Andorwyn is financing Zsinj, am I right?"
"Weapons and troops are expensive, as I am sure you know, Princess."
"I will take that as a 'yes'. Then Zsinj means to challenge the Grand Admiral?"
"Smart girl. Let Markhan hunt after the Ismaren boy if he wants him so much. In the meantime we will gather our allies and troops and stand ready."
Leia did not reply. What Melvar, and possibly Zsinj, too, had failed to notice was that Irek was going to attack the most popwerful warship that existed throughout the galaxy. And not even his mother knew what he was planning to do then. He might decide to turn on the New Republic, or the Imperial remnant. Nothing was certain beyond one fact: another war had become inevitable.
"Sharam! I am busy! I'll call back!" Yana yelled into her comm link as she ducked into another hallway, seeking to put more distance between herself and the pursuing stormtroopers. They had stormed the Governor's Palace only minutes ago, but luckily Yana had had some warning beforehand. She was still wondering why Roganda had hesitated to follow. The woman had potential, but she had apparently never learned to use it. Gathering the long skirt of her dress high Yana willed herself to run even faster. There was a small gate in one of the gardens that she remembered was never guarded, and the attack was so well-planned that they must have anticipated to capture everyone in one go. Still, this was Zsinj she was dealing with. The man was not a complete idiot, and he would have the complex surrounded already. Suddenly her comm chimed again.
"What!".
"Is that any way to greet an old friend?" a man's voice asked drily.
"Karrde!" she rolled her eyes in disgust. "I don't have time for a chat, so-"
"Perhaps you would consider a brisk walk to the roof?"
"What?"
"Details will have to wait for later. Get to the roof, if you want to get out."
Yana stared at the comm link in disbelief. For a split-second she was undecided, but then her instincts kicked in and pointed her toward the next turbo-lift. As the car took her toward the last floor underneath the roof she tried to catch her breath. So she had anticipated Andorwyn correctly. The man was trying to gain the navy's support, and if he did succeed here the rest of the court would have to bow to him. A clever trick. Yet Yana knew that Zsinj was not the only warlord around, and she suspected that some of the others would not appreciate the nobles' credits flowing into Zsinj's troops and equipment. For the New Republic this meant that they might be rid of the Imperial threat through internal struggles. If the Imperial remnant fell prey to a civil war... Yana grimaced slightly. No, that was certainly not the most desirable option for the future. The lift stopped and she pushed her way between the doors brutally, when they opened too slowly for her taste.
A short flight of stairs led to the roof and she scanned her surroundings closely, before she made the dash for freedom. Hopefully Karrde was not leading her on. Bursting out onto the roof she almost screamed with relief when she saw the Wilde Karrde nestled there, the ship holding its own against a set of TIE fighters. Yana raced toward the lowered ramp of the ship and scrambled up into the safety of the entry hatch, which promptly closed behind her. Hands grabbed her and dragged her further into the ship, as it lifted off the roof smoothly.
"Aves," she breathed, when she recognized the man holding her. "What are you doing here?"
"Heard you were coming to visit," he shrugged. "Best to ask Karrde himself."
"You bet I will." The ship lurched and rocked under the laser bolts impacting against the shields and hull. Keeping her balance with some difficulty Yana made her way slowly over to where she thought the bridge must be. Aves was walking right behind her.
"I wouldn't advise you to go there yet," he told her softly. "Go get strapped in back here. I gotta go up. See you later."
Thus dismissed Yana growled softly under her breath, but complied. She found a rec couch with emergency harness and strapped herself in. The Wilde Karrde was accelerating now, and she guessed that they were heading toward their jump point by now. Her mouth twisted in disdain as she thought about who she had been forced to leave behind. She had promised the Princess her help, and now Leia would fall in enemy hands despite her promise. It was frustrating. Roganda in Zsinj's clutches... There was no telling what he would do about Irek, if he bothered at all. With a final lurch the Wilde Karrde made the jump to lightspeed and then they were headed safely away from Yaga Minor. A few moments later she heard someone approach. It was Talon Karrde.
"Yana Dar." He nodded at her, then walked over to come to a stop in front of her.
"Who told you I was coming to Yaga Minor?"
"It was just a rumor, but it fit with the nobles gathering there. I thought it worth checking out."
"Thanks for the rescue," she replied quietly. "Where are we going now?"
"We are leaving Imperial space for Obroa-Skai."
Yana shook her head vehemently. "No! The Princess is still on Yaga Minor!"
"The Princess?" he frowned down at her suspiciously. Then realization dawned on his face. "You were behind this!"
"No," Yana said firmly. "I am not behind her kidnapping. "That was Roganda Ismaren's plot. Not that it helped her much."
"The Princess, where is she?"
"My best guess is that she is Zsinj's prisoner."
Talon Karrde nodded slowly. "I have a proposal."
"Exactly what do you mean?" Yana asked, her eyes glittering.
"As recompensation for the rescue."
"Go ahead."
Karrde sat down next to her and nodded. "I have heard some rumors about Ryloth."
"What rumors?"
"There is supposedly a rebellion afoot. The Twi'lek don't want the Hutts' protection any longer."
"I heard that, too. Joral mentioned it."
His eyes studied her closely. "Well. I have been to Ryloth recently, and I know who has initiated this rumor, and who is behind the rebeliion."
"Wait a minute. If you are going to tell me all this I want to know what the prize will be."
"An exhcange of information. You know more about the Imperial remnant than Intelligence does. I want to know what is going on. Just this once, let us put competition aside and work together." He arched his eyebrows questioningly, and Yana nodded at last. "Good. Back to Ryloth. I met a man there, who is notorious for his schemes, and he warned me to keep the New Republic out of Hutt space. Any notion why?"
"Joral seemed certain that the New Republic would attack them. Your contact, is he reliable?"
To her surprise Karrde broke into a soft chuckle. "Reliable? I wish I knew for certain. But it is always safer to heed his warnings than ignore them. You are lucky if he gives warning at all."
Yana's eyes widened in surprise. "You aren't referring to the Dark Lord, are you? He is on Ryloth?" If that was true, then the Hutts were in for a nasty surprise. But she did not quite understand where the benefits lay for him -
"Not the Dark Lord," Karrde interrupted her thoughts. "A year and a half ago, approximately, there was another rumor, one you must have heard, too. It said that there was a man who knew more than anyone alive, whose knowledge was more precious than anything else."
"Roj Kell," Yana breathed, her eyes shining fervently.
"You know him."
Looking up sharply she met Karrde's cool gaze. "I - "
"You know him," he repeated softly. "That information was supposedly top secret. After we brought him back from Korriban we were all sworn to secrecy, and you know that we hold to our word. Palpatine kept him secret, too." Leaning closer he narrowed his eyes a fraction. "How did you know?"
"I -" She hesitated, unsure of what to say. If she told him the truth she might as well surrender to the New Republic. But he did not let her answer.
"Very well. You secret is safe with me. I will see this as a debt you can pay off by telling me exactly what you know about Zsinj and Andorwyn, and Roganda Ismaren's plan."
Yana stared at him mutely. Perhaps it would be for the best if she followed his advice. After all, she had wanted to use Leia for that, albeit without Karrde's knowledge. Since that was no longer an option she might as well make the most of it. Pressing her lips together grimly she gave him a sharp nod. "I will help you," she said. Exhaling slowly Karrde smiled.
"Good."
But while they talked, comparing notes and observations, Yana Dar could barely keep her mind focused on the conversation. Her thoughts were drifting contrinuously toward the program Abla and Marten were working on back on Nar Shadaa. The program, and the fact that Roj Kell was, against her assumptions, alive. Alive. If she could find him, if she could convince him to cooperate with her ... The very thought was elating. And perhaps she even had the means to succeed. Only time would tell, though. So she would be patient for now, and wait and spin a new trap.
The assembly was not a grand one. Overseeing his assorted troop commanders Tious Markhan noticed the way each was studying the other suspiciously. The air was thick with aggressive potential, barely concealed ambition and pride. A pack of hounds for his purposes, but they were a bit too self-indulgent for his taste. Time to teach them a little lesson. The Grand Admiral rose from his seat quietly, and the crowd fell silent.
"General Zi'Assime," he began softly. "Please step forward."
His second-in-command was a stocky man with a warrior's demeanor and a fervent mind. He neared the Grand Admiral's seat confidently, knowing full well that his position was secure, in contrast to those around him. Tious Markhan did not look at the general directly, but instead kept his gaze on the assembly. Zi'Assime's aide, a youngish man, was watching him anxiously. Only when the general stopped three paces away from did Markhan drop his gaze to look at him. A head shorted than the Grand Admiral Zi'Assime made up for his lack of height by his committment. He believed in the Empire, heart and soul. Tious let his right hand drop to the holster hanging from his black belt.
"I have heard disturbing news from Yaga Minor," the Grand Admiral told his second calmly. "Very disturbing news." The blaster left the holster in one fluid motion and a single bolt felled Zi'Assime's aide. Returning his gaze to the general's suddenly very pale face Tious smiled. "You will show Zsinj that to challenge me means certain death. You will hunt him down, and destroy him. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir." Bowing sharply Zi'Assime regained his composure quickly.
"But before you leave for Yaga Minor, my friend, you will bring me Admiral Tomas Piett. Set your best agents to the task. Now."
Zi'Assime bowed again, then turned on his heels and nodded at a young sergeant standing at the back of the crowd. Together they left the chamber. Suppressing a smile the Grand Admiral watched him go. When he had heard of Zsinj's betrayal he had been fairly furious. Andorwyn, too, had been deceiving him all along, it would seem, but he would deal with that one later. For now he had three objectives to complete. First, to capture Tomas Piett. The Admiral might be a traitor, but he was the only one who knew the Executor inside out, apart from the ship's crew and current commander, certainly. He would help them, should Irek Ismaren decide to attack. Second, they had to get the Princess back. It was imperative that she be brought to Nal Hutta, or else they could forget about luring the New Republic away from the borders. The third objective then was to gain control over Roganda Ismaren.
With the little project on Nar Shadaa proceeding as planned nothing much could happen, really, except... Yana Dar had reportedly escaped Zsinj's troops. She would undoubtedly return to Nar Shadaa. Well, Abla Othana could take care of her. He relaxed a fraction, letting the commanders' reports wash over him. His plans were in no way endangered. The gamble with the Corellian would make certain that the New Republic would lose its trust in the Dark Lord, and the affair that was about to happen in Hutt Space would rip the government apart completely.
It was almost ironic that Irek Ismaren would work into his hand by putting Thrawn out of commission. Excellent. Very soon this galaxy would learn who truly was in control.
Jix preceded Mara into the small room that, according to the real-estate guy, was an apartment. A Chadra'Fan might find it acceptable, if he were willing to live without windows. Propping his hands on his hips the Corellian sneered at the interior. "I can't believe I paid three thousand credits for this hole!"
"Cozy," Mara purred, and lay an arm around his waist. "And it is just for a few days, until we have figured out how to get into Byss."
"Hey, that doesn't make it better. This is a trap in disguise"
"I don't think so." Scanning the room lazily Mara rested her chin on his shoulder. "Gaqui is too unimportant to warrant much troop presence."
"Oh, great. Which probably means that the communication that comes in and that could be useful for us equals zero. Right?"
She sighed. "Jix, don't be so pessimistic. We'll find a way. First we need to find out what official routes lead into Byss,and which unofficial routes."
"Good idea. Where do we start? Official or unofficial?"
"That's easy." Mara said with a smile. "You approach the unofficial sources, while I check the others."
"Sure, baby, whatever you say."
"Try again, Aves," Talon Karrde said tiredly, but he was pretty certain that it would be no good. They had lost all communications with the Executor and Niaruan.
"No chance, boss."
"All right. In this case, establish contact with Coruscant."
"The Dark Lord or Mon Mothma?"
"General Page. He can brief the others." Best not to play politics right now. This was too important.
"As ordered, boss."
A few moments later they had a connection, but instead of Telmann Page they had his aide on the line. Talon Karrde frowned at the woman, who gave him an apologetic smile.
"Mister Karrde. A pleasure. Unfortunately the General is currently absent." In short, he was on a mission. "Perhaps I can be of assistance?"
"What about Admiral Piett? Is he available?"
"Currently, no. What is it about?"
"Everything, really. If the President will talk to me..."
"I will try to raise her. Hold, please."
The image dimmed down and Karrde leaned forward cautiously. "Aves, what about sensor probes?"
"Nothing yet."
"Good." Perhaps Zsinj had other things to do than sweep the area. The news they carried was vital, and Obroa-skai was too far away, so they had dropped out of hyperspace at Gaqui.
"Mister Karrde." Mon Mothma said tiredly, dark rings circling her eyes. She did not seem to have slept well. "The transmission is encypted."
"We will run a second encrypt, if you don't mind."
"Of course not. What news?"
"Mostly bad, I fear. The Minister of State is currently an Imperial prisoner."
"Where?" she asked coolly.
"Yaga Minor."
"Excellent. Han Solo is headed there. Perhaps we can reach him."
"I am sure Leia would appreciate it," Karrde said with a smile. "More bad news: we have lost communications with the Grand Admiral, which is really bad news."
"Would you explain, please?"
"The Princess was kidnapped by a woman named Roganda Ismaren. Perhaps Lord Skywalker knows her. She has a son, Irek Ismaren."
"I remember her. She was one of Palpatine's concubines. The son, is he - ?"
"Presumably yes. "
Exhaling slowly Mon Mothma closed her eyes. "Lord Skywalker spoke of a disturbance in the Force. He assumed it was Roj Kell. Could it have been Ismaren?"
"It was him."
Her eyes snapped open again. "How do you know?"
"Yana Dar told me."
"Yana Dar? Is she with you?"
"No. She is returning to Nar Shadaa. Apparently there was some trouble at her base. Roganda plans to have her son take control of the Executor. I have reason to assume the ship's been malfunctioning for the past few days, due to Ismaren's manipulation of the ship. The fact that we've lost all contact now could mean he has succeeded partly. They cannot be at Niaruan yet, though."
"Take control of the Executor? What for?"
"The plan is to have the ship attack the New Republic. Your troops would be caught up in chasing her down and you can imagine that this would create the perfect opening for the Empire to strike back at you."
"So this was what Lord Skywalker meant," she mused aloud. "Any news on the Ryloth business?"
"Yes. The Imperial warlords are trying to goad you into attacking Nal Hutta."
"But you just said that the Executor was meant to tie up our troops!"
"Ah, that is the good news," Karrde smiled. "There are some differences between the court and the military. Two plans, and both might succeed."
Mon Mothma nodded grimly. "Very good. I will call a meeting for tonight, and will discuss this information with the Senior Analyst and Lord Skywalker."
"All right. You have my account, I assume?"
"Do not worry, Mister Karrde. You will be recompensed accordingly. Thank you again for your assistance and loyalty. Both are rare traits these days."
"I am honored. One last question. What is General Page up to?"
"He has some business on Ryloth to attend to."
Grand Admiral Thrawn stormed into the emergency center they had established in the base to accomodate the personnel Parck had assigned to assist Cronn. "Which decks?" he asked briskly.
"Six to eight. All live support systems went offline for four hours and the decks were locked, so no rescue was possible."
"Casualties?"
"Twenty. We were lucky there, sir."
"Twenty too many, lieutenant. Technical personnel again, I assume?"
"Yes."
"What did Cronn report before communications ceased?"
"He said you are to classify this as an attack. Those aren't malfunctions. Sir." The lieutenant sounded somewhat shaken. "He said it might be best to shut the ship down."
"Was that what he said? Really?" the Grand Admiral asked coolly.
"No, sir. He said you should destroy the ship."
"Self-destruct." Voss Parck had joined them with a three-minute delay. "It might be our only choice, sir. If that ship falls into the wrong hands-"
"I can imagine the consequences, thank you. Especially since everyone knows that I command the Executor." What was worrying him far more though was something else. Whoever was attacking them made a point in eliminating the technicians and mechanics, anyone who might be used to counter the strikes. They were trying to take the Super Star Destroyer out of commission, cripple her. Yet that was not all. The 'malfunctions' had been too much like someone testing the different functions of a new toy, like a child playing with a model spacecraft. Cronn was right. If they wanted to exterminate all risks they had to destroy the ship. But then he thought about the findings he had made in the Unknown Regions, and knew that he could not give up the ship under these circumstances. "It requires my presence on the ship to initiate the sequence," he mused aloud. "The mechanism is keyed to my DNA."
"Sir?" Voss Parck regarded him in bewilderment, but gradually revelation dawned in his eyes too. His mouth dropped open. "No!"
"They have chosen the ground, Admiral," Thrawn told him firmly. "We must meet them there."
"I will see to making preparations right away."
"Do that. Lieutenant, once communications is online again tell Cronn to have all technical personnel evacuated. If they want them they'll have to attack the base."
"Yes, sir."
"Good." Squinting at the tiny green speck on the radar that was the Executor Thrawn frowned slightly. Cronn had said that it was impossible to control a ship through the Force, but then, Ysalamiri were supposed to render the Force neutral. Perhaps there was more out there they did not know yet. "Prepare the base's defenses and set the troops on red alert. Captain Palleon is to move the fleet into a defensive ring. Now."
Seated in his chair of office Syndic Bal'maw'narda wore a grave expression on his aged features. He regarded Luke and his friends with a calm gaze that made the mood even more somber. At the young Jedi's side Nuron was looking very uncomfortable, and he could sense her uneasiness like a cold beacon of uncertainty. After Naas Deron had filled them in on what they knew about the Unknown Regions and Wilde Space Luke understood why even Chi'in was at danger out there. The report had shaken him to the marrow, and out of sheer terror he had demanded that Chi'in obey the Dark Lord's orders and return to Niaruan.
The moment he had uttered that demand, though, the Noghri's large black eyes' impassive gaze had flushed his mind with embarrassement. He had agreed to accompany Chi'in, and his friend had made it clear that their mission was important. The Sith Lord had stressed that again this morning. And he had said something else, something that was haunting Luke now. The most important lesson a guardian has to learn is that sometimes you have to leave your loved ones behind, to prevent greater harm from happening.
Luke had understood, in a sense. He felt obliged to aid the New Republic, but Chi'in was trying to tell him that his responsibility went beyond that. As if it would not be enough! The strange events in Wilde Space had everyone on Almashin concerned, and with what Luke knew now they had every reason to worry, too. Chi'in wanted to go and find a way to stop a renewed advance of the invading troops. The problem was, that various groups had initiated attacks to test the Chiss' strength. Whoever had in turn blunted those foray attacks, though, seemed to have managed to scare those groups off. The question was, what for?
"Niaruan does not answer our hailings," Syndic Bal'maw'narda was just saying, "and Commander Al'than'erudo reports increased movement in the Lieman Corridor." Luke had noticed before that the Syndic never spoke Thrawn's name. He always said 'Niaruan' instead.
"We must act now," Chi'in replied gravely. "I can sense it."
"I wonder, though, what you can truly accomplish," Bal'maw'narda countered.
The Noghri shrugged casually. "You must trust me on a hunch, I fear. If I can assess their troops we will have an advantage once they decide to attack in earnest."
"If they attack."
"They will, I am certain of that."
The Syndic sighed. "Very well. You are committed. I wish you well on your mission. Return to us soon, though, before we cut off the Corridor."
"We will obey, Syndic." Bowing sharply Chi'in gestured toward Naas Deron. "Deron will remain behind to assist you directly, should the need arise."
"Thank you."
They left the council chamber quietly on the Noghri's heels, but Luke quickened his pace to catch up with the alien. "What are we going to do?" he asked softly.
"Just what I said. Assess their troops."
"Have you been into their territory before?"
"No. They send foray parties, but I believe they do not come from this galaxy."
"How is that possible?"
"I have no idea. The only thing I do know is that they are invisible to the Force." Chi'in shook his head slowly. "I wish I knew more."
"Yeah, I know that feeling."
Looking up at him sharply the Noghri glared. "What exactly do you mean?"
"Nothing." Holding up his hands in a defensive gesture Luke realized that his friend was more on edge that he let on. It was an unsettling discovery. "It is just that I believe that we need to know much more."
"That is why we are going to team up with Commander Al'than'erudo. He knows the Lieman Corridor inside out."
Luke pursed his lips pensively, unsure of whether he should ask the question preying on his mind or leave it be. In the end Nuron relieved him off that dilemma and joined them, saying:
"You should have told the New Republic about this, Chi'in."
"No."
"Why not?"
Chi'in gave the young Jedi and Sith a level look. They had no idea what he suspected. Neither had Thrawn any clue what he was up to. It was a risky gamble, he knew, but he was also aware of the fact that the fate of the Chiss teetered on a knife's edge. By not telling them he avoided having to disappoint them, should his venture fail. There was a small world in the Lieman Corridor, charted as SAO-209404, which was not unknown to the Chiss. That was the one he had to reach under any circumstances, before it was too late. Perhaps now was indeed the time to let his companions in on that little secret.
"Come. We need to hurry," he told them and took off at a brisk walk toward where the Ardana Ver was berthed. He could sense their confusion easily, but Nuron for one seemed more determined than confused. She was ready to face any danger that might arise, contrary to Luke. Ah, the boy was still far too innocent and not well versed in the ways that this galaxy worked. An idealist.
His ship, the Ardana Ver, was a small yacht bristling with weoponry and powerful shields. Chi'in had even been able to acquire a cloaking device, which was very useful against the enemy they were about to face. The Noghri settled into the pilot's chair and strapped in, with Luke acting as co-pilot. Nuron took a place behind her lover, and all of a sudden Chi'in found himself reminded of a similar situation. Back then the Dark Lord had taken him and Nuron off Korriban and sent on separate missions. The Noghir had infiltrated Niaruan to gather information about Thrawn's motivation in the battle to come, while Nuron had been assigned to a kill.
It had been a test the Dark Lord had submitted her to, to let her loose on Wayland and bring down the guardian Palpatine had left there to protect his storehouse. Germyne Urian had not been Force-sensitive, but an unpredictable foe and warrior. In the battle against him Nuron had had a hard time controlling her temper, and had been captured by the guardian. Only by embracing the Dark Side fully had she managed to accomlish her objective, yet it had been pure fury that had aided her, not the calm calculation of a true warrior, that the Dark Lord had wanted her to observe in her enemy. Somehow Chi'n believed that this time she would be better prepared.
The Ardana Ver gained permission to lift off and as the landing clamps reelased the ship Chi'in felt strangely elated. It was all or nothing now. On their way to the jump-point the trio was very silent, each pondering the mission ahead. Luke calmed down a bit, to the Noghri's relief, and Nuron relaxed, too. Finally they made the jump to lightspeed, headed for Wilde Space. Swivelling his chair around Chi'in faced his two charges calmly.
"I told you that Grand Admiral Thrawn was exiled a few decades ago for initiating a preemptive strike against a possibly dangerous race in the Unknown Territories."
"You also said his suspicions were justified," Nuron supplied quickly. He nodded at her and continued more gravely:
"At that point of time, I believe, he was indeed right to assume that this race might endanger the Chiss. As it was, their extermination was a tactical error of grave consequences."
"In what way?" the Zabrak asked, her golden eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
"The Jem'luz,as they called themselves, were a warrior people, and, as I personally believe, deeply religious. Grand Admiral Thrawn has studied their artefacts at great lengths, but he admitted to me that they rendered no clues as to the way they thought."
He saw Luke grimace ever so slightly. Just like his father, the young Jedi did not think much of the Grand Admiral's claim that a species' art forms could deliver the key to that species' mind. It certainly gave enough information about their culture, and deducing from there was easy, especially if one were blessed with a mind like Thrawn's.
"How so?"
"The Jem'luz were a primitive race before, about five hundred years ago, they were discovered by an old friend of ours. Roj Kell." Nuron stared at him, and Luke looked slightly awed. "I did not have the information I have now, but it would seem that his apprenticeship to Exar Kun yielded his obsession with shaping other people's lives. His master though did not leave it at that. Like Naga Sadow, Exar Kun experimented with more primitive races, in his case the Massassi people of Yavin 4." Chi'in paused briefly, his dark eyes taking on a farway look as he gazed inward, at the reasoning he had laid out for himself. "I am certain that Kell did something similar with the Jem'luz. What exactly he did, that I hope to find out in the Lieman Corridor."
"Why?" Nuron asked sharply. "Why are they so important? They are extinct, as you just said, and you still haven't told us what error Thrawn made by eliminating them."
"I have been to the Jem'luz' homeworld once, and almost perished, before I could gather more information. What I do know, though, is that they stood guard against the people that is about to invade our galaxy now. The Jem'luz called them Zush'Jem, which is a derivation of two Sith words, and roughly translates into 'Foul People'. The Zush'Jem cannot be felt through the Force, and they use living beings for absoloutely everything. Their ships are semi-sentient, as well as their armor and weapons. I have fought them, and I am telling you that we cannot let them get out of the Unknown Territories. And I dearly hope that the key to defeat them did not perish with the Jem'luz and Roj Kell."
Luke looked at him pensively. "What does Jem'luz mean?"
"'Jem' for 'Jen', which means 'people', and 'luz', which is the Sith word for 'life'," Chi'in explained. " The 'People of Life', they were called."
"People of Life," the young Jedi repeated," sounds like guardians to me."
"The only thing Kell ever thought worth guarding was his ego," Nuron sneered coldly. "I cannot believe he would ever do something so selfless."
"Perhaps you should consider that Roj Kell never thought his actions selfish," Chi'in reminded her quietly.
"And there you have the evidence of how limited his vision truly was." Tossing her head angrily the Zabrak let her full lips peel back into a feral snarl. "No, Chi'in, there is something else behind this. I hope it does not stab us in the back while we are looking the other way."
TBC