The Storm

by Djuva

After the victories won the New Republic faces a new threat from without a mysterious alien race and an old one: the Empire. Palpatine's legacy is still haunting the heroes of The Art of War, and it hits one of them particularly hard, when the plans bot

19. Chapter 18 - A Matter of Faith

Chapter 18 – A Matter of Faith

"They seem to like you," Abla told her as they watched the moffs and governors file out of the meeting room.

Most of them wore pleased smiles or smug expressions on their faces, undoubtedly due to the promises Yana had made to them. She sat in her chair at the head of the table, feeling exhausted. Absent-mindedly she took Abla's hand and he squeezed it gently with a warm smile directed at her. But Yana hardly noticed it.

"Counselor," she said and watched Sarreti turn his head slowly. His eyes met hers in anger.

"Yes, my lady?" Even his voice was tense. Leaning toward him Yana gave him her best glare, but he did not even flinch. Stubborn, foolish man. Yet a look at the scars the Grand Admiral's inquisitors had left on his features were reminder enough of his loyalty and soothed her anger somewhat.

"Counselor, even though I understand the necessity of indulging my allies I would have preferred a faster solution. This way it will take me years to gain the influence I want."

"Better than to die within the week," he countered coldly.

"Your Highness," a male voice called from the door. Looking up Yana stared at Moff Hah Kima of Anobis. She favored him with a frown, annoyed that his interruption had forced her to delay her argument with Sarreti again. The newly named counselor was already rising from his chair, not waiting for his dismissal, and strode past Kima out of the door. The moff turned to watch him walk away with a pensive look. When he returned his gaze to Yana she leaned back in her seat with a blank expression on her face. "Your Highness," he repeated. "I hope I am not disturbing you."

"Not at all. Did you just see something you do not like?"

He shook his head reassuringly. "No. I am very pleased with your terms."

"Yet you question my trust in Counselor Sarreti."

"With all due respect, he is a troublesome man. I wonder why he is still – here."

"And alive? I will tell you why. A ruler who is not aware of her own worth and believes she must first convince her advisors to cooperate with her would probably have Franzis Sarreti silenced. I know exactly what I am worth, and so does he. Therefore there is no need for false pretense. If he does not like something about my plans he will tell me, and I will return the favor. Do you want to know how I would deal with those who are less than sincere in their committment to the Empire?"

"No need for that, Your Highness, I believe you have proven your point quite well."

She knew what he was referring to. Tious Markhan's bloody demise had been the talk of the day, and Yana had let them believe that it had been her who had ordered his death. It was more convenient that way, as Roj Kell had told her in the first place. The ancient Sith was content to stay in the shadows, ever-present and seemingly her most dangerous weapon. Little did Moff Kima know that it was not Kell he should be wary of, but Yana herself. Now she understood why her father had kept Darth Vader at his side.

True, for now she was little more than a student, but her teacher assured her that she was doing well. A smile curled around her lips as she thought about how thoroughly her father's plans had failed. He had wanted Sarreti to prepare the Empire for her coming, but Sarreti had known that reforms were needed, and the agent had known that Yana for one would approve of his plans. And his scrutiny concerning her own suggestions made certain that she would not become overwhelmed by what power she now could command as long as he was at her side. She gave the man standing in front of her a cheerful smile.

"Was there something else, Moff Kima?"

"The Court, Your Highness. Will you revive the Court?"

"Why do you ask?"

"The nobles have proven to be traitors in the past. I was wondering how you were going to deal with them."

"I am not going to deal with them at all," she told him with a laugh that turned into a purr of satisfaction. "Let them deal with me, if they dare."

Once Yana had sent Hah Kima on his way she rose from her seat again and stalked toward the door, leaving Abla no choice but to follow. She did not seem in the mood to talk, so he kept silent, pondering the past events with wonder. So much had happened, so much had changed. It was true, what they had begun here today would take years to make itself known, but he knew that Yana was patient. And Sarreti was sure to keep her on the straight and narrow. Only one thing still bothered him and when they rounded a corner and headed toward the experimental facilities in the lower parts of the inner fortress he felt very uneasy.

"Yana," he began softly, "I wonder why you did not send him away."

"Who? Sarreti? Not you too!"

"Not Sarreti," he told her reproachfully. "Of course not. I mean Kell. Now that we have the Seeker-program fully functional we do not need him any longer. He is dangerous."

"You have a point there, but I have two point in favor of his staying," she countered. "First, we might not be able to think of the right questions to ask the Seeker. He can answer any question that might arise. Second, if he had wanted to leave he would have done so, but he stayed. I suggest he has a reason for that."

"What if he really just wants to manipulate you, as Jade suggested?"

"To what purpose? He says he does not want power, and I believe him."

"If you say so ..." his voice trailed off as they entered the laboratories and he frowned at the couple bending over one of the workstations.

Mara Jade gave him a quick glance and a nod, while her Corellian partner straightened up and followed them with his eyes as they passed through the chamber. Abla understood that Yana wanted to make good with the New Republic, which was why she let the two agents root around the laboratories, to gain some useful information about how to stop Irek, if necessary. Franzis Sarreti had told them that he had sent someone to apprehend the boy and Yana had demanded he recall that order. She wanted her brother alive. Unfortunately Sarreti had lost contact with that particular agent and she had grudgingly agreed with him when he had reasoned that if Irek came to Byss they could protect him. Abla was grinning inwardly. It seemed as if Sarreti had agents everyhwere, with the New Republic, the Hutts and even on board the Executor.

Another door slid open before them and Yana stopped in the doorframe, halted by the chaos that greeted them. Abla looked over her shoulder and winced ever so slightly. Standing in the middle of the ruined equipment of what seemed at first glance to have been a medical facility Roj Kell balanced the obsidian cube of the holocron on his palm with a pensive look on his face.

"I thought you said the prophecies were worthless," Abla heard Yana ask in a soft voice.

"I lied."

Yana seemed taken aback. "You lied? But – but why did the program not react?"

Kell looked straight at her, his pale eyes without emotion. "The Jen'da prophecies cannot be pegged down by cross-references and categories. They are a thing of the heart, the soul, of faith. How could a machine recognise these things, let alone understand them?"

"So you lied to deceive Markhan, is that it?"

He shook his head. "No. Tious Markhan was a dead man from the beginning. A pawn to sacrifice. It is just – " His gaze sought the holocron again and of a sudden it came alive, the black screen rising above his palm.

"What do they say?" Yana inquired as she stepped closer. Abla followed at a cautious distance.

"Do you remember what I told you about your studies?"

"You said knowledge is not the same as understanding."

"Very true. A wise woman once told me that there has to be a balance between the heart and the mind, body and soul, weakness and strength. One can understand the beauty of the sunrise, or fathom the depths of love and hate, but that has nothing to do with knowledge. This is why these prophecies are useless. Why prophecies are always useless. Only in experiencing life can one weather the challenge of survival. One committed to knowledge will perish, one committed to understanding will thrive." He snorted softly. "Take this one: The living dead shall resurrect the glories of the past to rekindle the flame of life and reclaim what was once lost."

"You said that," Abla exclaimed. "You said that when you activated the holocron!"

A malevolent smile appeared on the ancient Sith Lord's lips. "Do you want me to tell you what it means? What will happen?"

"I am not sure I want to know."

"A wise decision. If I told you, all you would think of would be that damn prophecy. They make people forget what is truly important in life." He snorted. "I will give you another example. 'The eye of the storm looks benevolently upon the true of heart and soul. Therefore true kindness must be achieved through the storm of death'. Would you understand any of this?"

"No," Abla admitted. "But you would."

"Maybe. Maybe not. Knowledge can be a key to the future, but understanding is the key to enlightenment. Knowledge is a weapon, understanding a remedy. Knowledge can be acquired, true understanding cannot be learned. Knowledge is a matter of reason, understanding is a matter of the heart."

"Why are you telling us all this?" Yana asked, sounding bewildered. She gave Abla a questioning glance, but he could only answer with a helpless shrug. Both turned their eyes toward the ancient Sith simultaneously. "What does that have to do with the prophecies?"

"Everything." Clenching his hand into a fist ever so slowly Roj Kell crushed the holocron in his palm. The black screen faltered and with a small shower of sparks the obsidian cube broke apart. Abla heard Yana gasp in shock. "This," the Sith said calmly, as he let the shards drop to the floor, "is knowledge." Extending his palm above the small pile of rubble he lifted the sad remains of the holocron up and let them spin in the air, forming a small cloud of black metal pieces. They swirled ever faster and it seemed to Abla that they were somehow being ground into glittering black dust. "This is power," Roj Kell whispered. "And this," he said at last, raking his long fingers through what were now no more than dust motes dancing, "is understanding."

Abla stared at the flirring mist of darkness that caught the artificial light and reflected it, like a black sea underneath the white light of a full moon. His mouth hung open as he gazed in awe at something beautiful and magical, something that could not be described in words. With a supreme effort he managed to tear his eyes away from the display and look at Yana. She wore an expression of wonder on her face and he could see revelation dawn in her blue gaze. Suddenly a smile blossomed on her lips and she clapped her hands in delight.

"Now I can't be angry with you for destroying the holocron any longer," she laughed. "You truly do understand human nature."

"I do," he agreed in solemn tones. "Which is why you will take the throne today."

"But we told them it would not be for the next few days, that we would determine the terms first – "

"That is what they know, Yana. You have the power to turn that knowledge into ignorance and make them understand the futility of their petty struggle for dominance."

Yana frowned. "Do you mean the New Republic or my moffs and governors?"

"Guess."

Leaning against the wall Jix was watching Mara type in commands on the keyboard of the workstation they had found down here that was still functional. Her eyes were fixed on the screen, her lips tight with concentration. Finally she hit a last key and looked up to meet his eyes.

"There's nothing more to be found," she announced and leaned back in her chair. "It all boils down to Magrody. He is the one with the answers. Do you want to contact his lordship or shall I?"

He did not answer right away. They had scourged the files for hours, to gain some details on what Yana had revealed to them about her brother just a few hours ago. It seemed unbelievable that Irek was her half-brother, or for that matter, that his existence was actually based on a genetic experiment. Not even his mother knew the truth, let alone the boy himself. But Yana did. Yana knew surprisingly many things about the late Emperor, even for being his daughter. But all of that did not matter right now.

"We need to talk," Jix told Mara hoarsely.

"We do?"

He nodded and detached from the wall to rest his hands on the back of her chair. "Someplace private."

Mara frowned at him. They had not talked much ever since they had come to Byss, and Mara had always let him know in no uncertain terms that she did not wish to discuss anything. And Jix had not wanted to put her off. Now, though, that they were about to return to Coruscant he deemed it very necessary that they put a few things straight. Just as she rose from her seat Abla Othana and Yana Dar returned from whatever they had been discussing with the old man back there. The couple stopped to gaze at both Jix and Mara, then Yana whispered something in her lover's ear and he nodded and left, while she strode toward the two agents briskly.

"What can we do for you?" Mara asked distantly.

"I did not come to make a request, Mara Jade. I wanted to make you an offer."

"What about the holocron?" Jix asked. "Do you still need that?"

The blonde woman shook her head and bit her lower lip for some reason. Then she smiled.

"I know your boss wanted to have it for safe-keeping, but that won't be necessary any longer."

"Why? What do you mean?"

"Lord Kell destroyed it."

"What! That bastard!" Mara hissed and started for the door, but Yana held her back.

"Are you out of your mind?" she asked coolly. "The holocron is gone. Let it be." Her eyes turned toward Jix. "You will report to Lord Skywalker?"

"Of course."

"Good. I have much to prepare for tonight, so I fear I will not have the time to talk to him personally. I want you to give him a message."

"Yes?"

"Tell him that I would appreciate his input concerning the Chiss. When will the two of you be leaving?"

"I suppose we will find out once we have talked to him," Jix answered with a shrug.

"Good. Please let me know." With that she turned away and left.

Mara and Jix shared a troubled glance. Then she said. "With what we know it stands to reason that Irek will come here once Yana declares herself Empress tonight."

"How do you think he will react?"

"I am not sure." She grimaced in disdain. "Perhaps he will feel that Yana has slighted him, that she is trying to keep all the power to herself, power he feels he is entitled to also."

Jix folded his arms across his chest, his features completely earnest. "Mara. Do you think I am slighting you because of your youth and inexperience?"

"What?"

"You seem discontent with the way I am treating you."

"Well, you can really be that arrogant. I am not a child any longer." Mirroring his stance she stood facing him with defiance in her emerald eyes. "So, are you going to apologize?"

"No."

"No!" Mara threw up her hands in disgust and turned away. "I should have known!"

In a few strides he had joined her and lay a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to look at him and made no move to fend him off. Possibly that was a good sign. "Mara," he said softly, "you are a great woman, and you are tough. I really admire that in you, apart from other things, of course," he added with a grin that brought a smile to her eyes. "But you think you must compete with me so I will take you serious. That's not the way it works. I am older and more experienced than you, and there is a lot you can learn from me, if only you would accept that." His lips compressed in a tight line as he gave her a worried glance. "If you cannot do that, I think we should go our separate ways for a while."

"Jix, you are insufferable," she told him coldly and janked her shoulder away from his touch. But before she could walk away a tall figure blocked her way. Roj Kell stared down at her as if seeing her for the first time.

"What are you still doing here?" he asked harshly.

"We were just looking for information," Mara stammered, her surprise showing clearly on her face.

"Information?" A nasty smile appreared on the ancient Sith's lips. "For the Dark Lord, I assume. So you will be returning to Coruscant." They nodded mutely. "Good. I may have a task for you before you leave."

"Lord Skywalker, I must admit I am most displeased with your recklessness. You could have been killed."

Looking up into Mon Mothma's eyes Anakin winced a bit as the medic finished the last stitches to close the wound Andarack's knife had left in his back. It had not been too serious after all. "He wouldn't have killed me, and I told you so beforehand," he said.

"You should have told me he is an Imperial agent, too."

"What for? It would not have changed anything, even if you had had him locked up somewhere."

"You say he will try to kill Irek Ismaren?"

"He said as much."

"Can he succeed?"

Anakin shook his head. "I doubt it." He frowned at the shirt the medic handed him, then took it and pulled it over his head. "Thank you." Meeting the President's gaze again he sighed. "As far as we know Irek has not been trained as a Darksider. He is acting on instinct, and if he has only half of his father's power Andarack will never know what hit him."

"But Andarack is a seasoned fighter. That should be of advantage to him."

"Not against an unpredictable foe. Andarack is no assassin. He will confront Irek openly, and that will be the last mistake he will ever make."

"Father!" Leia rushed toward them, her eyes wide. "I came as fast as I could," she explained as she joined them.

"I am quite all right. Don't worry about me," he said dismissively and smiled.

"Should I perhaps worry about someone else then?" she asked right back. Anakin laughed.

"Not yet, that's for sure. Any news? Has Thrawn contacted us again? Anything from Mara and Jix?"

Leia nodded. "That's why I could not come earlier. Jix is waiting for you. He wanted to leave a report, but I made him stay on the line. I think you may have more questions."

"Thank you." Throwing her a pensive look he rose and started toward the door. "Madam President, if you will excuse us?"

"I won't," Mon Monthma countered. "I am coming wth you."

"As you wish," the Dark Lord sighed. It was a short walk from the small medical ward of the administrative complex to Anakin's office, where Leia had received the call. There was no visual, only an audio comm channel. Taking a seat behind his desk Anakin switched the comm off standby. "Jix, glad to hear you're alive."

"Why, thank you, Uncle Dee. We have some very charming company," the Corellian growled.

"Company?"

"Well, yes. I guess you know Kell is alive?"

"Certainly. So he is on Byss?"

"Yes. We are allowed to do some research in the laboratories, but I am not sure if he'll leave much of the facility intact. I have never seen him so mad."

"Any chance of talking to him?" Anakin asked warily.

"I offered that to him and he refuses to talk with you. I have already told the Princess the most important bits and pieces. She insisted that you might have more questions."

Kell did not want to talk to him? Interesting. "Admiral Voss Parck. Is he still on Byss?"

"I'll have to check that," the Corellian answered. "Mara! Can you go ask for Admiral Parck?"

"Thank you. Another thing. The comm relays to Nirauan are dead. Any clue?"

"Yeah. They should be online again. We had some – difficulties with our allies on planet."

"Franzis Sarreti?"

"Should have guessed you already knew," Jix growled. "Here's Mara. No the Admiral is not here." There was a pause. "Last anyone heard Markhan was going to eliminate him."

"I am pretty certain that Puket is alive, so Parck should be okay," Anakin answered irritably.

"Markhan himself is out, I assume?"

"In pieces, actually. Sarreti is working with Yana and she'll declare herself Empress tonight. She also wanted me to tell you that she would appreciate your input on the Chiss."

Anakin drew a sharp breath and gave Mon Mothma a long look. "The Chiss? We have not heard anything of the Grand Admiral since the Executor went back to Nirauan."

"Markhan knew that Irek would escape. Sarreti told him."

"Wait a minute," Mon Mothma interrupted the Corellian. "She's going to declare herself Empress?"

"Yes. That's inoffical as of yet, but I thought you might want to know beforehand. What about us? Do you want us to return to Coruscant?"

"No," the Dark Lord breathed. "I think I will meet you on Byss."

After the Dark Lord had ended the call Jix sat staring at the comm for quite a while and Mara sat a bit further back, watching him pensively. But then he turned his head to look at the white-haired Sith standing next to him. "Why didn't you want to talk to him?"

"Because sometimes it is better not to know what to expect." The old man's head came up and he frowned. "The ceremony will begin soon. I have to be there."

"We haven't been invited," Mara said, unbidden. She had had a hard time keeping silent throughout the conversation. Her last argument with Jix, unresolved as of yet, made her jittery and angry at the same time.

"Of course not," Kell chuckled. "This is politics, after all." He seemed very thoughtful, and Mara could hazard a guess as to what he was thinking about. Irek. Slipping off her seat she walked over to join Jix and the Sith Lord at the comm.

"Do you think Irek will come?" she asked softly.

"I am certain of it."

She threw a look at Jix, fumbling for another question. In a sense the relationship between Yana and her brother was similar to the one she shared with Jix. But Mara was certain that she for one would never come running just to fight Jix for the spoils of some grand scheme. She had her pride, after all. She might be angry at him, but she would not confront him like some foolish child. "What do you think will happen?"

Roj Kell's pale green eyes turned on her and he wore a surprisingly gentle expression on his aged face. "I believe Yana understands his situation well enough. She will make him feel at home, and at ease. And if she can make him see the error of his assumption he will bow to her greater experience, even though his power surpasses hers. It all depends on his insight, of course, his understanding of these matters." Somehow Mara gained the feeling that he was really talking about her, not Irek. She blushed violently and did not dare look at Jix as the old man continued. "Should he fail to recognize the offer he will have to learn the hard way."

"The hard way? What do you mean?" Jix asked suddenly and Mara glanced at him briefly, to see a worried frown on his forehead.

"If he does not realize his past mistakes I will kill him."

"What!" Mara exclaimed, shocked. "But he is your son!"

The smirk he directed at her was answer enough. "Don't be ridiculous," he admonished her. "He is a tool, a weapon."

"But to kill him –"

"Will be the only way to deal with him should he refuse to accept responsibility," he interrupted her. "There is no other choice."

"How do you want to know?" Mara asked, her voice quivering with righteous anger. The arrogance of the man! "If we can keep him somewhere confined until he has learned that lesson he can still have a chance."

"And how do you propose he is to learn responsibility locked up in a prison? Palpatine knew exactly what he was doing when he left the boy without proper guidance. He knew that, should he die, against all expectations, without being able to infest the boy's mind first, he could be certain that Irek would be corrupted by his power and wrack havoc on this galaxy until he was brought down. The price for that would have been horrendous."

"How do you want to know?" she demanded, outraged.

His white brows rose in consternation. "I know, Mara Jade, because I was exactly the same. That is why the Cor'dan must first accomplish a journey, the Jer'fra, to understand the power of patience in order to gain knowledge. Why Jedi were only allowed to enter the Temple as young children, so their growing power could be guided properly."

"What does that have to do with Irek?"

"Think about it. Irek is filled with an insatiable hunger for information, for understanding how the world around him works. But he has no patience, and he knows he has the power to bend his surroundings to his will. There is nothing that can stop him, if he wants to accomplish something. He is still feeble in his control of the Dark Side, but soon that will not matter anymore. Soon the Dark Side will rule him, mind and soul."

Jix had risen from his seat and Mara noticed the white-knuckled grip he had on his blaster. "Why didn't you go mad with your power, then? When you turned to the Dark Side, why were you not corrupted?"

"I was corrupted by it, Jixton," the ancient Sith explained coldly. "But I never had the power Irek possesses and I had something to believe in, to keep me going, and that was balance. Irek does not know what to believe in, except power, therefore he has no such protection. The Dark Side has him and there is nothing to shield him against its influence, except perhaps his feelings for his sister. Should they prove strong enough, he will live. If not –"

He left the threat unfinished, but Mara felt a shiver run down her back like an icy shower. Her eyes wide with disbelief and incomprehension she did not protest when Jix wrapped her in his arms to stop her trembling. They watched Roj Kell walk away in long, measured strides, and both knew that he would go through with his threat, should it become necessary.

"I pray he knows what he is doing," Mara whispered, with tears in her eyes. Twisting around in Jix' embarce she held on to him tightly. "I love you, Jix, and I know I have been a fool. I won't question you like this again. Promise."

He gently brought her chin up and kissed her then, his lips following the tears that left wet trails down her cheeks. "It is good to have you back," he murmured, "and I will do my best to let you earn the respect you deserve."

Seated in her chair, her legs drawn up beside her, Roganda gripped the cup of hot tea firmly in her hands. Her mind was racing with the new information the Dark Lord had given her. Irek was alive, and he would undoubtedly try to get to Yana, once her ascension to the throne became public. What he would do then she did not even want to imagine. With the state Irek was in now, he would likely try to kill his sister. For Force's sake, he had not even hesitated in killing Erinin! Looking up from peering into her cup in deep thought she met the Dark Lord's blue eyes.

"You are right. I believe he will indeed go to Byss. It is fortunate that we have an advantage in that we know before he will."

He leaned toward her with a nod. "That is not all, Roganda. There is someone on his trail with orders to kill him. I do not believe the killer can succeed, but the attack, when it comes, will surely drive Irek deeper into the Dark Side. It is unfortunate that we do not know where he is right now, else we might be able to apprehend him before he can even get to Byss, and thereby protect him against that assailant."

"A killer?" she asked, almost dropping the cup. Despite the seriousness of the situation and despite her recognition of the danger her son presented, she could not ignore the protective feelings she still had for her child. She set the cup down and lay a hand on his forearm pleadingly. "Lord Skywalker, you have to take me with you!"

"I am not certain if that would be wise. He might see you as the root of his problem, might blame you for everything. He could kill you as easily as he killed his bodyguard."

"He is my son. It is my duty to be there for him. And you will be with me. Surely you can stop him?"

"Only with force. If it comes to that – Roganda, if he does not see reason I fear I will have no choice but to eliminate him."

Sobbing quietly Roganda averted her eyes. This was just what the Grand Admiral had told her too. "But he is my son," she whispered. "How could he – How can I sanction this?"

"Perhaps there is still a chance. I have learned that Roj Kell is on Byss."

"Who?" she asked, her forehead creasing into a frown.

He hesitated and licked his lips nervously. It was an unsettling sight. "Roganda, I have received a report today from my agents on Byss. You know the place."

"Of course," she nodded. "That is where – where I conceived Irek." She closed her eyes in shame at the remembrance of that event.

"Your master took you to his bed, is that true?"

"Yes, but that is not how – how I came to bear his child."

"I know."

Roganda gasped aloud. "You know?"

"Yes. And what is more, I know that Irek – that Irek is not Palpatine's son. At least," he added hurriedly when her eyebrows climbed ever higher, "at least not only his son."

"What do you mean?" It took a lot of effort to keep her voice down and not jump up to shake the truth out of him. "Not his child? He told me he was his heir!"

"Roganda, I know this will be hard for you, but I hope that it will not change your feelings for your son. He is your son, no matter what."

"Of course," she agreed uneasily. "So what is this about?"

"The foetus that was implanted in your womb was the result of a genetic experiment. It combined the Emperor's DNA with that of another man, Roj Kell, to create a unique being. Irek is very special, in more ways than is apparent at first sight." The Dark Lord paused to give her a chance to digest this.

Roganda frowned. "You mean he is a clone?"

"Not exactly. There is no one else like him. This man, Roj Kell, was your master's mentor. He is also quite unbelievable." A small smile appeared on the Dark Lord's scarred face. "He will not tolerate any foolishness on Irek's part and he has the power to control him if need be."

"Does he know?" Roganda hesitated. "Does he know that Irek is his son?"

"Yes."

She exhaled slowly, trying to calm herself, but her heart was pounding wildly in her chest, betraying her true state of mind. This was all so confusing ... "Does he resemble my master?"

"Your master!" Skywalker seemed aghast, then broke into soft chuckles. "I suppose there could not be two men more different than those two."

Roganda smiled weakly. "Oh. And that is good, is it?"

"I hope so."

"It is done." Rising from her seat the Empress walked over to the viewport to look out over the citadel of the inner fortress. Her blue eyes were fixed on the courtyard, where an officer was picking soldiers from a squad of troopers. It was Sarreti, who had taken it upon himself to select the members of the new Royal Guard. No matter how much trouble he might be, he was completely loyal to the Empire, completely loyal to her. "Abla."

He joined her in a few quick strides. "Yes, Your Highness."

"You will prepare everything for the transfer of the Seeker equipment to Nar Shadaa."

"As you wish, Your Highness."

He gave her a sharp bow and turned briskly to carry out her command. She watched him leave with a blank look on her face. Abla was taking his duties very seriously, just like Sarreti, and he was also staying true to his promise. A smile stole upon her lips. He was not all that deferential when they were alone together.

"An excellent choice of agents, Your Majesty. They will serve you faithfully."

Yana turned her head elegantly to face the tall man standing at the door, keeping to the shadows like a hunter on the chase, or an assassin. His pale eyes were glittering softly in the gloom. "I appreciate your approval, Lord Kell," she told him coolly and whirled toward her chair to take a seat once more. Arranging her dress carefully around herself she looked up to meet his gaze again. "Yet I am willing to bet my newly gained throne that your suggestion was not for purely selfless reasons."

"No. Very true. And what do you think my motives were, exactly?" His enchanting voice was a low purr and yet it seemed to fill the entire room.

"You did not want to take the risk of letting the program fall into Irek's hands. Apart from giving Skywalker the leverage he needs to buy himself off the New Republic, of course."

"Well done. And you do not regret giving up all that knowledge, all that you ever wanted?"

She smiled at him smugly. "It was you who advised me to entrust that weapon to someone who I thought could handle it with respect and care. I know no one else safe the Dark Lord who could meet those requirements."

"Yes," he whispered after a thoughtful pause. "He will understand the message. He will come at last."

Yana shuddered at his tone, so full of fervor and longing. "What message?" she asked, frowning at him.

He gave her a small bow and a smile. "Your Majesty, I know you have important matters to see to. I will retreat for now to leave you to your duties."

"You will stay."

Surprise was evident on his aged face, surprise at the commaning tone in her voice. Suddenly his pale eyes tightened. "I will warn you only once Yana Dar. Do not mess with me. If I do not want to tell you something you can be certain that I have my reasons, and you will accept that."

Yana raised her brows coolly. "I am Empress, Lord Kell, and you agreed to serve me for the time being. Unless you want to end that agreement right here and now I suggest you tell me exactly what you meant." It was very hard to keep her voice calm and steady, to meet his eyes, what with her stomach fluttering wildly and her mind tingling with exhiliaration. This was a dangerous move she had made, but she felt almost confident that he would not break his promise. Almost.

His lips compressed into a tight line, but then he nodded. She nearly sighed in relief. "Very well," he began, just as the door opened to admit Franzis Sarreti.

"Get out," Yana snapped at the counselor, furious at this unwelcome interruption. She glared at him when he closed the door behind him and gave her a cool look. "Counselor, your presence is not required right now," she explained haughtily, while trying to ignore the smirk that had appeared an Kell's face. Sarreti threw a glance first at her, then at the Sith.

"I have just received news from Coruscant," he explained. "Lord Skywalker has announced his impending visit on Byss. I believe we cannot refuse him that right."

"Of course not!" Yana replied heatedly, still angry at both men. "That was the entire purpose of keeping Jixton and Jade here, so they could keep him informed."

"Some of the moffs might object. They might want the Empire to withdraw from galactic politics completely."

"Then they would be fools und unfit to act as administrators in my Empire. Be sure to tell them exacty that. I want them all present when I receive the representative of the New Republic."

"Yes, Your Highness," he answered smoothly. "I will see to it at once."

As Sarreti turned to leave Roj Kell followed him to the door. Fuming, Yana suppressed an urge to scream at him to stay. Instead she made herself sound utterly calm. "Lord Kell," she said. "I expect you to attend also."

"As you wish."

The Millennium Falcon touched down on one of the outrageously priced landing platforms of Nar Shadaa. Han had left the ambassadorial convoy outside of the system so as not to attract attention once he veered off toward the Smugglers' Moon while they went off toward Nal Hutta to meet with Joral. He had did not like leaving Padmé alone during this trip, but he had an appointment to keep. Locking the ship down he left the platform and stepped into the administrative office to deposit an advance payment. Without one his ship would likely be junk by the time he got back

"A friend of mine is supposedly in town," he told the Quarren behind the counter casually.

"I would like to find him as quickly as possible. Perhaps you have his ship notched down somewhere?"

"How much is your friend worth?"

Han flipped the alien a few credits. "Name's Talon Karrde. Well-known broker." He added more credits when the Quarren remained silent.

"Ah, now I remember. He actually spread word that a friend would come to visit. He also mentioned something about the Pashey Club, which, as you know, of course, has been closed down by the Imps."

"Yeah, I kinda knew that. Thanks, pal."

With a certain spring in his step Han Solo made his way to the upper levels of the city. The Pashey Club had once belonged to Yana Dar, before the Empire had seized her operations and arrested her employees. Now it was the perfect place for Talon Karrde and Han to meet. The Imperial seal on the door had been broken. No need for caution here; after all the Empire had withdrawn from Hutt Space, except for Ryloth. Stalking into the building Han frowned. No sentinels? He walked on, feeling more and more uncomfortable in the silence of the deserted night-club. A door opened before him and led him into a turbo-lift. He took it up to what had once been the dance-floor and was relieved to find Aves waiting for him.

"Welcome, Solo," the man told him with a grin. "Cozy place, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Nice," Han replied as he let his eyes wander over the sad remains of the furniture.

"I thought your security would be better."

"Security has been following you from the first moment you left your ship," Aves explained and gestured to something behind Han. The Corellian whirled around only to find another human standing there. "Come. Karrde is waiting for you."

Aves led him to the back of the room into what had to have been Yana's office before she had been forced to leave. But the real surprise were the extensive facilities that opened up behind that office. Karrde was standing amidst a jumble of abandoned machinery and gave Han a welcoming grin.

"There you are! Good news." He waved two men forward. "These are Toss Halan and his partner Min'da Sher. They just arrived."

Han shrugged and gave the men a suspicious glare. "So? What's good about them being here?"

Talon Karrde's jovial grin faded into a knowing smile. "Yana Dar sent them. They were aboard the Executor and apparently they gave the Grand Admiral a hand in chasing Irek Ismaren off the ship."

"What!" Han felt his jaw drop. The two men shared an embarrassed look. "And what are they doing here? You said Yana sent them?" He let out a huff of relief. "So she succeeded."

"It seems so." Karrde gave Toss Halan an encouraging nod. "Why don't you tell Solo here what you told me?"

"Sure," Halan replied. "Yana will by now have made her claim official. The Empire will have a new Empress as of today."

"Wow! But what's that got to do with us?"

"Yana Dar offers a deal to your boss, the Dark Lord, as replacement for the holocron that was lost on Byss."

Han didn't really understand what the man was talking about, but he was careful not to show his confusion. Unfortunately Halan seemed to be expecting an answer. "So, what is it?" he asked. "What does she offer?"

"Information. The Seeker-program. A gift to your boss."

Then Han got it. "My boss, eh? Why doesn't she offer it to the New Republic?"

"Beats me," Halan answered with a shrug and a smile.

Frowning at Karrde the Corellian beckoned the broker closer and drew him farther away, once he had joined him. "What do you know about this?"

"No more than you do, Solo. I have no idea what this program is supposed to do. Perhaps your 'companion' does," he added, referring to Padmé.

"I doubt it. And what about our deal, Karrde?"

"Of course," the information broker said with a smile. "Let's get down to business."

TBC