Chapter 26 – The Foe Within
Han and Leia were just making their way back from the comm center of the governor's residence to go and warn her mother when they met Padmé halfway. And she was not alone. Han moved his hand toward his blaster instantly, but he hesitated. What was this about? Leia put a cautioning hand on his arm, but she seemed surprised too. But she quickly shook off her uncertainty and gave Roj Kell a nod.
"I suppose I should not be surprised. The Empress is well?" she asked, her voice very cool.
"I am not here on behalf of the Empire," he answered smoothly.
"And you did not answer my question. What about Irek?"
"He is dead."
Han winced at the finalty of the old man's words and he saw Leia's eyes narrow in anger. "And was it you who executed him?" she inquired, her voice sounding awfully strained.
"Of course."
"I see." The princess raised her chin haughtily: "On Alderaan we had a proverb that seems very fitting now. 'A man may find his own image reflected in the eyes of his son'." Her lips compressed into a grim line. "He must have been truly ugly to your mind that you could kill him in cold blood."
Han flinched at Leia's harsh tone, but he also felt with her. His own mind was filled with fury at the old man's cold logic, that had condemned his offspring to such a senseless death.
Roj Kell did not answer at first. But then he nodded very slowly, accepting the princess' sentence. "In the depth of his heart and soul, Leia, he was innocent. But his mind was filled with such darkness that it indeed made his presence unbearable."
Han's jaw dropped, and then he really did draw his blaster. "You bastard!" he shouted, and went for the older man, driven by headless anger. It was Padmé, who intercepted him.
"No! Han!" she called, and put a hand on his chest to stop him. "Han, calm down," she continued. "We cannot change what has happened, but we can perhaps influence current events. Leia," she addressed her daughter urgently, "your father needs dire help. He and his troops have been stranded on Nirauan."
"What!"
The former queen nodded slowly. "Yes. Nirauan has fallen to the enemy."
"Says who?" Han snarled and gestured toward Kell with his blaster. "Mister Mean 'n' Sneaky here? I wouldn't trust him an inch."
"It is true, Han," Leia told him quietly. "I can feel it."
He gave her a dubious glance. "You sure, honey? What if he has addled your brains too?" She punched a fist into his shoulder hard, never averting her eyes from her mother's face. "Ouch! Okay, okay. I get it. So," he grunted and addressed Padmé again. "You want me to fly out there, all on my own, and bail him out?"
"Not on your own," Padmé explained. "Andarack could accompany you."
"Andarack! Of all people – I'd rather have Mister Coldblooded with me!"
"That can be arranged," Kell commented.
"Nah, thanks," Han retorted nastily. "Where's Fett?"
Padmé threw a questioning glance at Roj Kell, who did not quite turn to meet Han's eye. "I sent him on an errand," the ancient Sith explained at last.
Han frowned, but decided not to press the man further. "Then it's Andarack," he decided. "The Falcon's fast and agile, so I suppose we can do it. We should be leaving right away. But, Leia," he turned toward the princess again. "You and your mother, you have to get away."
A hand fell on his shoulder and he gazed up into Roj Kell's pale green eyes in surprise. "I fear I will need the princess here," the old man explained.
Han slapped the offending hand away angrily. "Don't you dare touch me," he snarled. "Leia, don't –" But she wasn't listening.
"What do you need me to do?" Throwing up his hands in disgust the Corellian turned away. "Han, wait!" she told him, and then she was beside him, drawing him a bit farther away from the group. Her dark brown eyes gazed at him earnestly. "Listen, Han, I would love nothing more than to go with you, or return to Coruscant. but my place is here, do you understand? I cannot leave now." She rose on tiptoe to press a kiss on his cheek. "Please, take care of my father. He needs you."
Wrapping her into his arms, he drew her closer and kissed her deeply, no matter who was watching. Once he let her go again he gave her a roguish smile and ran a hand through her dark hair. "Promise you will be careful," he whispered.
"Promise."
Tomas Piett was already on his way to the Star Destroyer Freedom, when he received the news from down planet. And so his first words to Captain Illichiyame were: "We are going to retreat."
The Bith stared at him as if he had gone mad. "Sir, the enemy is going to engage us in about five minutes and we have to respond now!"
Dropping into the bridge's command chair nonchalantly the admiral gave the captain a tight smile. He was not at all intimidated by the Bith' reputation. He knew his skills and values far too well for any insecurity.
"Captain, General Oethal's fleet won't join us until fifteen hours. That makes two hours of fighting for survival for this ship. If we stay here, the general's fleet won't have anyone to join. Clear?"
"Yes, sir, of course. But the planet will be undefended."
He gave her a hard glance. "Bilbringi? Undefended? We do have orbital defenses, and of course planetary ones."
"But two hours –"
He rose from his seat abruptly to gaze down at the planet spread out before them. He imagined Lemit Zickorey's palace down there, imagined the conference room, where he believed the princess would be right now, and thought about the future.
"Two hours, Captain," he said quietly, "are more than enough."
"Close your eyes," he told her softly, and Leia flinched, when he lay his hands on her shoulders. This was far too close. She could feel his body brush against her back, and she was very aware of his voice, that filled her heart with a sweet siren song. But in the end she did comply. "Now, open your mind to mine. Can you sense it? Isn't it beautiful?"
Nodding slowly, the princess felt tears in her eyes, as she followed his lead and expanded her perception beyond the planet. He was right. What she could feel, diving deeper into the complexity of the distant Yuuzhan Vong worldship's being, was elating, majestic. It was a magnificent creature. So very alive. It was overwhelming.
Then, gently, his thumbs pressed down on her shoulder blades and ran over her skin soothingly. "It is that, yes," he whispered, for her ears only. "But it will kill this planet, if you do not destroy it first. Your friends will die, if you do not strike first."
Leia swallowed hard as she let him guide her further into the ship's presence, a chaos of neuronic signals and flashing emotions. Being so close to him, her mind entwined with his, she felt intimidated, helpless, even. Yet she knew she had to trust him, or lose her way in enemy territory. Suddenly she thought she saw something, a cool, bluish strand of awareness that permeated the ship like a filigrane net. She felt his hands tighten on her shoulders, as if he were holding her back. Fear gripped her for precious seconds.
"What it that?" she asked quietly.
"The yammosk. It will try to stop you from killing the ship, so you have to be quick."
Leia frowned. "What if I defeat the yammosk instead?" Perhaps she could spare the ship's life, perhaps she would not have to shoulder the burden of killing thousands with it.
"No one alive could match one of those, except maybe your father," Roj Kell told her sternly.
"Not even you?"
"No. Not me. Especially not me. Now, concentrate again, please."
His hands moved up her neck, gliding over her skin like the hint of a caress, and then his fingertips very gently dug into her hair, a stimulating pressure that made her feel light-headed and completely detached from the world around her. Her mind was floating above the planet, and she could see the lifelines that permeated the worldship, the channels filled with glowing plasma, ready to be hurled out at Tomas Piett's ships, that moved to engage the Yuuzhan Vong high above Bilbringi. Leia felt like some avenging ghost, all-powerful and filled to bursting with a desire to destroy this offensive creature before her.
"Relax," the ancient Sith Lord's enchanting voice intoned softly. "Be careful now. If the yammosk finds you first ..." He trailed off, leaving the threat unfinished. But the princess felt the urgency, the need, that called for her to make a decision quickly.
Gathering the Force around her, she could easily identify the most vulnerable part of the worldship, and she realized why exactly Kell had warned her. The ship's brain was in direct contact with the yammosk. She had to sever the connection and kill the giant worldship before the war coordinator had a chance to interfere. She could feel the ancient Sith's presence backing her up, opening her mind to a power she had never known before, a vast ocean of life, infinite, that was focused solely on her. With breath-taking clarity she identified her target and struck. Then the aftermath of the worldship's sudden death hit her unshielded mind with enough force to knock her unconscious.
Hands flying to her throat, Padmé moved toward her daughter as she crumpled to the floor in a boneless heap. But Roj Kell, standing behind the princess, caught her gently and sank down on his knees beside her, holding her tight. He was whispering soothing words in her ear, words her mother could not understand as she walked closer. Watching her daughter wrapped in the tall Sith Lord's embrace Padmé was torn between helpless fury and a strange feeling of possessiveness. She was jealous. Jealous of her daughter! But she remembered, oh, she remembered all too well, the way he had held her, consoling her, how he had brushed all her defenses aside to capture her mind back on Korriban.
"Let her go," she told him icily when she had reached the pair.
He turned his head, pale green eyes unfathomable, and gently lay Leia's prone form down. Rising gracefully, he straightened to his full, intimidating height, and suddenly Padmé felt totally embarrassed. He had to know what she was feeling ... Her face paling, she fled the room, uncertain of her own emotions.
She found a deserted, small waiting room and launched herself at the elegant sofa that had been placed underneath the window. With utter longing, she pressed her palms against the transparisteel, a silent wail of despair and anguish reaching out from her heart to find her beloved. She missed him. She needed him. A sound from behind caught her undivided attention, but she did not turn around.
"Don't touch me," she growled.
He hesitated; she could hear the rustle of his clothes behind her, could almost feel his presence. Very slowly she looked up to meet his gaze in the mirror of the viewport. He seemed like a ghost, a reflection, no more, but she knew all too well that the threat he posed was very real.
"Why did you do this to me?" she asked at last, her voice breaking. "First you take my husband from me, then my daughter." She suppressed a tiny sob of fear and grief. "Will you take my son, too?"
"Padmé."
Just that single word, only her name, but filled with such beauty and tenderness that she had to close her eyes to hold back the tears that threatened to overcome her resolve. She was trembling, her thoughts spinning in a chaotic maelstream of memories. Memories of Korriban. His long hair brushed over her cheek when he leaned toward her, and his hand reached out to cover her outstretched palm resting against the viewport. Gently, he let his fingers slip inbetween hers, and, even more carefully, guided her hand to turn her head around and face him. Feeling his skin against her cheek, Padmé felt her shivers subside.
"Will you forgive me?" he asked, his voice a whispered plea that touched her heart easily.
She opened her eyes then once more, caught up in the tender mood of the moment, and before she knew what she was doing her lips were touching his, a soft kiss, innocent, and yet so dangerous. However brief, to her it seemed to last for a moment of eternity. But then reality caught up to her again, and in a white-hot explosion of shock she jerked her head back, eyes wide with disbelief.
"I am sorry," she began, confused, but his smile blew her stammered words away.
"I told you it was nothing," he said, amused, and turned around to leave.
"Wait!" Padmé jumped up from her seat, a hand smoothing her dress unconsciously, the other stretched out toward him in an imploring gesture. "Where are you going?"
Glancing over his shoulder, he gave her a distant look. "We all have our battles to fight in this war, little queen. Some of us fight together, others on their own, and my fight is an altogether different one." Suddenly his expression softened once more. "You are a great woman, Padmé Naberrie. A noble soul. Don't ever forget that."
With a nod, as if to emphasize his words, he started for the door again. It slid close behind him noiselessly, leaving her all alone with her thoughts and hopes and dreams. And her fears.
Anakin was missing.
Hugging herself tightly, Padmé closed her eyes in anguish. She had so feared this encounter. From the very day Kell had vanished from Coruscant, she had lived in dread, knowing full well that she could not resist him, could not deny her feelings. She had wanted him to die on Korriban, but killing him was harder than holding on to a bolt of lightning. It was nothing. Of course it was nothing to him!
It was not that she did not love her husband any longer, not at all. The hardships they had endured to find one another again had only served to deepen the bond that connected them, had strengthened their caring and affection for one another. Anakin was her true love, despite everything he had done to her, her children and friends. She loved him more than life itself, now more than ever before. But he was gone now, and she was dying with worry over his fate.
So she had tried to blame it all on Kell, only to find once again that his insight made him immune against any accusation. All he had wanted to do was to help, if for no other reason than to fulfill his own goals and dreams. Padmé shuddered slightly and turned toward the couch to seat herself. Hunched over, she found that she was trembling. She had tried to hate him, had tried so hard, but the time they had spent together – hours that had hurt her far more than the years she had spent in seclusion – had shown her the truth about herself. And like a child trying to ease the hurt inflicted upon her by an unforgiving parent, she had sought to love her tormenter, to ease her pain, to justify her anguish.
She had run away from her duties.
The past year had made her forget those dark times. Her recent missions to Ryloth and Nal Hutta had worked wonders for her confidence, and only now did she begin to suspect that Anakin had sent her away deliberately, to achieve exactly that. A smile crept upon her lips at that revelation.
"Mother?"
Looking up, she nodded at Leia standing in the doorway. The princess was pale, undoubtedly the aftereffects of what she had just done, but she was tough, as she was proving right now.
"Are you all right?" she continued softly.
"I am fine, Leia," Padmé answered quietly and rose. "Just a bit worried for your father."
Her daughter nodded in understanding. "Han will be leaving within the hour. I wanted to see him off."
"Of course. How is the battle proceeding?"
"I suppose we are winning."
"Which leads to the question whether you are feeling all right."
Leia smiled. "I feel turned inside out." The smile faded. "I do not like what I did. But I would hate to think what would have happened if I had done nothing. Mother?" she asked, when Padmé paled all of a sudden.
"I – I – think I have just understood what he was telling me."
"Who?"
"We have to return to Coruscant and get into contact with Karrde."
The funeral service had been grand, but it had only served to emphasize the hollowness she could feel in her heart. She missed Abla fiercely, his warmth, his smiles, his love. No one could replace the friend he had been to her, no one could come close to the bond of trust she had shared with him. Roganda was trying to be a friend, true, but she was being eaten by her own grief. And Sarreti. Sarreti had wordlessly taken over her everyday business in addition to his own duties, and was handling her schedule in such a fashion that almost no one was granted an audience. It did not matter, she had thought in the beginning, but in his eyes she could see that it did matter indeed.
They were seated in her office, a sprawling, generously decorated room, but Yana did not have the mind to concentrate on what the counselor was trying to tell her.
"... grave news indeed," he was just saying.
"What?" Turning startled blue eyes on him the Empress had to focus hard on bringing her mind into something resembling order.
But, luckily, Franzis Sarreti was a patient man. "Your Highness, I was pointing out that Captain Ardos' report is grave news."
She frowned at him. "Isn't he with the Grand Admiral's forces?"
"He left with Lord Skywalker, yes. Apparently they have experienced some losses."
"I thought the fleet was to maintain radio silence?" she asked, suddenly fully alert.
"That is the grave news," he told her with a smile. "I had the defenses around Byss reinforced immediately."
"Excellent work," she answered with a weary smile. "As always."
When the door opened she turned her head to frown at the tall, red-robed guard who stuck his head in.
"Yes?" she asked a bit testily, angry at the interruption.
There had been no more meetings scheduled for today. But then Hah Kima of Anobis brushed past the guard, a tight expression marring his bearded features. Yana rose from her seat abruptly, truly furious now.
"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded, making her voice hard and cold. The moff had returned to Anobis days ago, and his presence here, now, was surprising indeed.
At her side Franzis Sarreti had not moved from his seat, but she could see his left arm hang loosely over the edge of his chair, and she thought she could make out a blaster in his hand, shielded from prying eyes. Her gaze flicked back to the moff, who had reached the middle of the room by now, followed by three more Royal Guardsmen. Without warning Sarreti exploded into action. He jumped up from his seat, right hand gripping the chair and hurling it at the guard standing to the left, and at the same time his left hand whipped around, opening fire instantly.
"Your Majesty!" he yelled over the din. "Get out!"
Following his order blindly Yana turned around and started running for the door at the back of the room, but then something hit her shoulder and a searing pain dropped her to her knees. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she shook them away to gaze at her left sleeve, that was already drenched with blood. Her blood. Next to her a large round bug of sorts crawled hurriedly across the carpet, and she instinctively slapped her hand down hard on the thing. It was hard as rock. In disbelief, she stared as the insect continued unpertubed. Suddenly she was hauled upright, and only then did she realize that she could no longer hear Sarreti's blaster. One of the Royal Guardsmen locked her arms behind her back in a tight grip and wrestled her into an upright position. Yana valiantly suppressed another scream, and instead composed her face into a mask of pure wrath.
"Traitor," she hissed at Hah Kima, who was still standing in the middle of the room.
Next to him the two remaining guards were struggling to keep Franzis Sarreti under control. His left arm seemed to be broken, and he was bleeding in numerous places. But he was also an Imperial trained assassin. He would never give up easily. Especially not if the Empress' life was in danger.
"I fear you are mistaken," the moff answered calmly, never averting his gaze from Yana's face.
One of the guards let out a loud grunt when the counselor's right boot connected with his shin. A hidden blade had ripped the armored calf open and Sarreti twisted in the two men's grasp with a powerful move, that severed the lower half of the guardsman's leg completely. Again the armored soldier grunted, but this time it sounded more like words, an alien tongue. Yana stared at the thing, as it was deftly keeping its balance on just one leg.
"Silence him, will you," Hah Kima told the two red-robed creatures casually.
The uninjured one released the agent and took a step back, to the Empress' utter surprise, but he was merely giving the other more room to operate. When Sarreti tried to jerk free the
remaining guard waited for him to rise to his feet, before he smacked a fist into the agent's stomach and the counselor doubled over with an agonised hiss. Only then did Yana notice the three sharp claws potruding from the alien's knuckles. Sarreti sank to his knees slowly, his right hand covering his middle in an attempt to stop the bleeding. The moff of Anobis gave a satisfied nod.
"You are hereby seized as property of the honorable priestess Alyn Cha," he told the two of them coldly.
"Yuuzhan Vong," Franzis Sarreti snarled angrily. "You idiot." He raised his head to meet the traitorous moff's blue eyes. "Why did you do this?"
"On behalf of your master, Lieutenant Sarreti, who was always a step ahead of you. No offense, Your Majesty," he explained almost pleasantly to Yana, who stood dumb-founded, "but this is not the legacy your father wished you to continue in his name."
Yana paled considerably, realizing just what her father, in his deluded state of mad power, had chosen to be the fate of the galaxy. If he could not rule it then no one would be his heir, no one who did not share his views. He had betrayed them all. And he had used his worst enemy and former master as a willing tool to bring this catastrophe about. If Roj Kell had known ... She tried to regain her composure once more, but when the guarsdmen hovering next to Sarreti began stripping out of their armor she almost fainted at the sight of their horribly mutilated faces.
"You will pay," she whispered, her voice choked with fury and the bitterness of betrayal. "I won't let you get away with this." And in the deepest depth of her heart she knew that this vow she would never break, even if it meant her death.
"That's what you call the scenic route?" Luke shouted at Chi'in, who was leading the small procession.
The Noghri, completely immersed in finding his way through the dust storm, did not answer right away. It was difficult to remember the route, difficult to navigate the rough terrain, and he felt that he was not yet sufficiently recovered from his ordeal on Kynda'bey. He stopped and turned to face the young Jedi earnestly.
"It is that," he explained, "You'll see. It is not that much further, I believe."
"You believe?" Nuron, who came up to join the two males, asked quietly.
Chi'in could see sympathy in her golden eyes, but he also saw a maturity that was astounding. She had grown a little bit more over the past weeks, just as he had hoped she would. Luke had also gained a bit more wisdom, a bit more understanding for the real world.
He gestured to his right casually. "Just listen, and tell me what you hear."
Nuron frowned, her skin creasing around the black horns adorning her forehead. "It sounds louder than the storm. Like running water."
"Very good. It is a river, one of three, which can lead us to our destination."
"Then why aren't we following the river?" Luke asked, confused.
The Noghri nodded pensively. "I reasoned the same, the first time I was here on Laa'kuan. But water means life, Luke. Life means prey, and prey means predators. The predators here are not to be trifled with."
"If they are anything like the Mahsenda I can deal with them," the young Jedi told him confidently.
Chi'in smiled. "No matter what you believe you can handle, my friend, we will stay on this route. As long as I can hear the water we will be all right. Only if we get so close as to see the vegetation that grows at the side of the river will we be in trouble."
Luke shrugged. "You're the boss, Chi'in."
"Indeed."
Nolyane, confused by the unexpected stop, bustled up to the group and started jabbering at Luke. By now the Jedi had learned to interpret the gist of her tirades, and had learned to deal with them. He gave the Star Keeper a bright smile and a nod, then gestured ahead. His left hand imitated waves and claws. Then he pointed at Chi'in, who drew himself up to his slim height. Nolyane nodded at him, as one professional to the other. Turning around, the Noghri took up the lead again.
To his own surprise they reached the ledge he had been looking for much sooner than he had anticipated. The storm died down gradually, as evening fell, and in the warm light of dusk they reached the edge of the gorge Chi'in remembered from his first visit to the Abernake's homeworld. The continent had been ripped open by some continental drift or other millennia ago, and the gorge went all the way to the ocean, he knew. Flanking the huge canyon were flat plains, dotted with boulders and covered in dust. Three rivers cut through that sad wasteland, and each vaulted the gorge in a majestic waterfall, so that the three merged at the bottom of the canyon into one giant water basin.
"This is incredible!" Luke exclaimed, his eyes wide in awe as he stared at the spectacle spread out before him. The river they had been following fell away into the canyon half a mile to their left, and directly opposite the other two broke over the cliff face. The waterfalls merged in one flirring cloud of white droplets that reflected the evening light magnificently.
Nolyane echoed the Jedi's sentiments with a honking cry, and Chi'in turned around alongside his companions to see the Star People drop to their knees reverentially. Looking at one another sheepishly Luke and Nuron seemed uncertain of what to do, but in the Noghri's mind there was not a single doubt. Joining the Star People in their silent prayer he closed his eyes and reached out to the planet, seeking the calm center of Laa'kuan. What he found was something altogether different.
Eyes flying open wide he stumbled to his feet. "Quick now!" he yelled. "We have to get down there right now!"
"What is it?" Nuron asked suspiciously, while Luke set to rousing the Star People.
"The predators fear the valley for some reason. But they hunt at night, and there's a pack already on our trail."
"A pack?"
"Yes. About a hundred make up a pack. Come on. If they catch us out here we are lost."
Luke had assumed the rearguard position, and as he hurried after the fleeing group he tried to expand his senses and pick up on the predatory presences Chi'in had claimed were following. He found them very soon, and was astounded at the single-mindedness with which the pack moved toward them. They were in no way even remotedly close to the Mahsenda. Any attempt on his part to discourage them from hunting them further would result in his having to use coercion to change those simple minds. So he quickened his pace instead, and felt his heart leap up to his throat when the ground seemed to disappear beneath his feet. Jumping after the warrior before him, the young Jedi caught his breath dizzily. They were running down a narrow pathway, hopping over potruding rocks and increasingly many roots. The deeper they went down into the canyon, the more plants seemed to appear. But the pace Chi'in had set was too fast, too dangerous. This way they would have to run all the way down.
When they had reached the bottom of the canyon it was almost completely dark, and Luke gave a soft groan of hurt and exhaustion. His head hurt like mad from the effort of keeping it focused over so long a period of time, and he could hear more moans and sounds of discomfort from his companions. Only Chi'in seemed to be unpertubed. Which seemed unfair. But Luke had long come to take the Noghri's prowess and stamina for granted.
"They didn't follow us," Luke panted, as Chi'in sidled up to him noiselessly.
"Of course not. They fear the guardians of this valley," the short warrior explained calmly.
"Guardians?"
"Yes. The three of us must keep watch tonight. And we should move further away from the lake."
Wait!" Luke hissed under his breath, as Chi'in turned away again. "What guardians?"
The Noghri shrugged. "We have no way of evading them safe for climbing back up again. We shall see whether they accept our presence or not."
What he had meant by that Luke realized only when the guardians themselves appeared a few hours later. The camp had gone quiet, and the three companions had spread out at the edges of the encampment in a star formation. Luke could see neither Nuron nor Chi'in, but he held loose contact with them mentally. He never felt the guardians approach. They faded from the darkness like ghosts, indistinct shadows that caught the sparse light of the second moon, Melyash, in fluorescent stripes alongside their massive heads. They were mammals, as far as Luke could tell, and they stood over seven feet tall. Three of them stalked toward him on powerful paws, and he almost flinched when Chi'in sent a wordless warning over the bond they had established.
One of the guardians lowered its head toward Luke, and huge eyes regarded him curiously. Not daring to move, Luke kept very still, and let the being's hot breath wash over his face patiently. It stank of rotten vegetation, and the young Jedi's shoulders sagged in relief at the revelation that these guardians were herbivores. A pleasant hoot broke the tense silence, and then Nolyane appeared next to him. The Star Keeper gave the guardian a respectful bow and it responded with a soft snort. Then she began talking quietly, reverentially, her head still bowed. For some reason the guardian creature kept looking at Luke, until the Jedi dropped his eyes, too. Listening to Nolyane's gentle speech, he felt his rapidly beating heart calm down somewhat, and his mind focus again. As the Star Keeper went on, Luke thought he could almost understand what she was saying, as if the guardian functioned as translator, somehow. It did translate for him, he realized all of a sudden.
When Nolyane finished at last, Luke felt his face flushed with excitement. But he kept still, waiting. The Star Keeper turned to face him, her expression seemingly earnest. It was hard to tell, in the darkness of Laa'kuan's night.
[We must follow them to the sanctuary], she explained. [They will lead the way].
Luke nodded mutely and went to alert his companions. Together they rejoined Nolyane and the three guardians. Apparently the rest of the Star People had woken on their own, and the camp was gradually coming alive again. And then yellow-golden, molten stone started raining from the sky.
"Yuuzhan Vong!" Nuron yelled. "They have found us!"
The leader of the guardians rose on its hindlegs and roared an angry challenge at the passing starfighters. Then it dropped back again and whirled around. It let out a bellow to signal for the others to follow and then they were running again. Luke risked a glance overhead and felt his mind freeze, his brain pricked by tiny, icy needles. High above the black sky was filled with fire. Red and green laser beams cut through the night, exchanging fire with the Yuuzhan Vong ships.
Ech'an'dana and the Shooting Star had arrived at last.
The Star Destroyer Freedom had been joined by General Oethal's flagship, the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Regulator, and six more heavy cruisers. But with the worldship gone, the battle for Bilbringi had turned into a mop-up session of the smaller enemy cruisers and star fighters. Granted, those were still difficult enough to deal with, but Tomas Piett felt confident that they could handle this threat eventually. Therefore he had left the command of the battle to Captain Illichiyame and the General, while he concerned himself with soothing Mon Mothma and her staff.
It seemed almost macaber to sit here, in the lower bridge's conference room, a live feed open to both Bilbringi and Coruscant, while the battle was still raging outside. Mon Mothma, dressed in regal white, was looking at him with concern plain in her eyes. She did not show any other emotion, but to Tomas Piett her inquietude was obvious. The princess, on the other hand, seemed utterly calm, despite her lapse into unconciousness only a few hours ago. Han Solo and Andarack had left already, destined for Nirauan, and the admiral had wished them good luck on their endeavor. He fervently hoped that they would bring back good news eventually.
"The situation is under control, Madam President," Tomas told Mon Mothma placidly, but she gave him an ironic smile.
"Under control? Let me be frank, Admiral. I did no want the Confederate Zone to come into being quite so soon. It creates more turmoil, and the stars know we have enough chaos to deal with as it is."
"I am quiet confident that the 'chaos' you speak of, will be resolved in the near future," he retorted coolly.
"Is that so. Yet the princess tells me that Nirauan has fallen to the enemy, that Lord Skywalker is stranded on a hostile planet."
"That has never been a problem for him so far," Leia herself injected, her tone sounding slightly amused.
But Mon Motham ignored her. Her dark eyes were still fixed on Tomas Piett. "Since the minister has posed an official request for military assistance to General Oethal, I am not at all sure whether the assumption that this included the official recognition of the Confederate Zone is legal at all."
"With all respect, Madam," he answered smoothly, "these negotioations were supposed to settle the conditions for the founding of the Confederate Zone. Minister Organa had to be aware of the fact that internally we were already decided. There was no doubt in the general's mind that a request on her part would include a recognition of the Confederate Zone."
"Assumptions, Admiral, no more."
"Is that was freedom and independence mean to you, then?" Tomas Piett asked quietly, and he heard a barely audible gasp transmitted over the live feed from Bilbringi.
Lips compressed into a tight line, the President of the New Republic turned to address the princess. "Leia, please tell me again what happened."
"Of course." The princess gazed at Tomas Piett pensively. "The planet fell under attack from a hostile fleet –"
"Information received from Raisa Tobyn, the bodyguard of the admiral, assigned to him by your father."
"Yes," Leia answered slowly, and he could see her mind ticking away behind that pretty forehead of hers. Tomas decided to intervene.
"Again, please excuse my impertinence, but I accepted Raisa's protection voluntarily. And I would not stand for any accusations toward her on your part."
"Is that so?"
"Besides, the fleet was hostile."
"But Leia could not know that."
"Should she have waited, then, until they made their intent clearer?" he asked, barely able to conceal the outrage he felt.
Mon Mothma gave him a look that could have turned water to ice. "Admiral Piett, as far as I know you only gave the general the order to alert his troops once the princess had made her request. That was a very dangerous gamble on your part. Very dangerous, if the fleet had truly been hostile."
He shrugged. "Sometimes the hard way is the only one left."
"So you admit that you intentionally goaded the minister into making that request?"
"The princess can make her own decision, Madam," Tomas replied coldly.
"Very true." Turning toward Leia again, Mon Mothma gave the younger woman a stern glance. "Do you want to comment?"
"I am not on trial, I believe," the princess said warmly, and a smile appeared on her lips. "We should be grateful that we do have such strong and cunning allies that have blunted the invasion and seemingly turned it back."
"It was you who destroyed the worldship!" Mon Mothma exclaimed in a rare show of temper.
"And Lord Kell who guided my mind. Do you perhaps want to give him credit?" Leia asked sweetly.
"Certainly not." Mon Mothma heaved a tiny sigh. "Very well. Since I seem to have lost this battle, perhaps I should congratulate you instead on your success, Admiral. The New Republic is indebted to you." Tomas raised his eyebrows expectantly. "And indebted to the Confederate Zone," the president added at last.
"Thank you for your kind words, Madam, we are, of course, honored to have been of assistance. Negotiations will become much easier now, I believe."
Mon Mothma frowned at that. "I believe the negotiations will have to be postponed. I want Leia back on Coruscant, along with Senior Analyst Padmé Naberrie. I will need them here with me, once news of this – event – becomes public."
"As you wish, Madam President," Tomas answered, not bothering to hide the smug smile that crept onto his lips unbidden. It was not that he disliked the woman, he only disliked her trying to interfere. "Rest assured that the Confederate Zone will do its best to protect its borders and those of its neighbors."
"Thank you, Admiral. I hope to see you again soon."
Tomas let the smile widen into a grin, and cherished the look on her face at that unusual sight. "I would be honored."
Panting, Luke scrampled up the steep climb that led up the rock potruding from the labyrinthine maze they had entered in a headlong rush to escape the enemy fire. The Yuuzhan Vong had landed undetected, days ago, Luke estimated, and followed them here. The dust storms had shielded them so far from the warriors' eyes, but here, in the valley, the fugitives were easy to find. Too easy.
Behind him, Nuron was helping Nolyane up the crude stairs that had been hewed into the stone. Chi'in was still down in the labyrinth itself, assisting the Star People in holding off the Yuuzhan Vong warriors that had followed them into the maze. The guardians had faded away into the night once the small group had reached this sanctuary, and Luke could not feel angry at them for leaving the fight to others.
"There are too many!" Nuron yelled from behind him, but he did not answer. He knew that there were too many to defeat, and he knew that Chi'in had said the labyrinth might be a weapon of sorts. He had to find the controls for this weapon, no matter what. With a last lurch he drew himself up on the flat top of the spire.
[Please], Nolyane wheezed as she drew level with him. [The gods will help us, if you speak the rites. They are angry now, but I feel that they have not abandoned us yet.]
Luke kept silent. Straightening carefully he rubbed his aching thighs furiously. From below the sounds of battle rose indistinctly. "Chi'in," he whispered, squinting into the darkness worriedly.
"He can take care of himself," Nuron told him calmly, joining his side.
"We just rescued him from those monsters and I'm not going to let him die now," he stated determinedly.
She gave him a long look, her golden eyes reflecting what little light there was. Then she went forward to hug him, and pressed a kiss on his lips, full of desperate longing. "I know you can do it," she murmured into his ear. "I trust you, Luke, you know that, don't you? I know you will save us."
Gently disengaging from her embrace, Luke took a step back and looked around curiously. The flat top of the spire was ringed with stone columns, six in total, that ended jaggedly at about a height of two meters. He moved toward the edge of the small plateau cautiously and risked a glance down. "They will not be able to hold them back much longer," he reported wearily. "I cannot see Chi'in."
"I told you not to worry about him. Please?"
He turned his head to regard her, saw the hope in her stance, the pleading, and for a moment he was taken aback by what he could sense from her: fear. Naked fear. She was truly afraid to die this night. Nuron was never afraid. Angry, yes, desperate, perhaps. But never afraid. It shocked him to find her so frightened now, and he immediately took a step toward her, his hands extended in the beginning of a comforting embrace. But then her stance shifted noticably, and he understood that she could not cope with his caring right then. She was a warrior, after all. And Luke remembered her vow back on Almashin. That she would be his protector, if he was her guardian.
Suddenly she rushed past him, her lips parted slightly as she dropped to her knees at the ledge. "Look!" Joining her, the young Jedi frowned. The labyrinth was dotted with glowing stones that spiralled out from the spire, across the entire maze. "Oh, Luke," she breathed, "this is amazing."
His brows rose in surprise when he understood what she meant. The patterns were familiar, the constellations of the glowing stones unique. "The galaxy," he whispered, dumb-founded. "This is the galaxy! And we are at the center of it!"
"My stars," Nuron sighed. "This is so beautiful ..."
"Come!" Hauling her to her feet, Luke felt his mind sparkle like a firework of activity. "This must be the key! Do you remember the ceiling of the grotto back on Kynda'bey? There were stones just like these! I know this is it!"
Nuron was beaming at him. "Then you know how it works?"
He gave her a careful nod. "I think I have an idea how. Let me try, okay?"
She grabbed his shoulders hard and drew him close. "There is no try, Luke," she told him, each word like a weight that settled heavily on his very soul. "We only have this one chance."
"Force," he groaned in response, "I never thought I would learn that lesson like this."
"It is the only way," Nuron explained, suddenly calm again. "Luke, you can do it. You are a Skywalker. Please. For us. We will hold them off, but hurry!" Letting go of him again, she darted back to the stairs, to keep watch.
The young Jedi closed his eyes, and his lips compressed into a thin line as he focused his mind inward. Then, expanding his perception, he let his thoughts connect him to the maze, to each single stone. Each single world. A soft moan escaped his mouth as his mind rebelled against the magnitude of the task ahead. But he kept going. Gathering more strength, he penetrated the maze itself and traveled on, toward Melyash, where he found an echo of the
whirlwind of power he felt amassed here, on Laa'kuan. Prayer and Answer. A way to achieve calm, balance. Luke pushed his mental barriers out further, travelling across the distance that separated him from Kyna'bey. The yammosk was a vague shadow at the back of his awareness, but it could not stop him now. He felt the Mahsenda join in his efforts, felt them support him, and a smile spread on his lips.
Suddenly he found himself stretched to his limits, his mind forming a triangle focusing on the empty space that sat right in the middle between Laa'kuan, Melyash and Kynda'bey. It seemed as if he had stepped behind the glowing wall of the Force, as if he had reached a state of non-being, of living death. He could see the Force, like a golden web, that connected everything. Everything except for himself. He stood outside that web, and carefully began weaving single strands of golden light into a tighter, more powerful unit. A small voice kept insisting that he had no clue what he was doing, but to Luke it felt right, and so he kept going. When he was finished, he gave the sphere he had created a small nudge. And then the world around him exploded.
Chi'in felt the surge of power that had been amassing in the planet core rush toward the surface like an avalanche. A silent scream was wrought from his very being when it passed through him, and a blinding white light appeared in the sky high above. It seemed to revolve, somehow, then slanted sideways and opened into infinity.
"No!" he shouted, horrified, as the giant black hole started sucking the ships of the two fleets battling away over Laa'kuan into oblivion. "No!"
Beneath his feet the ground was shaking like an angry beast, and then the aftermath of the deaths of thousands beat down on the maze like a hammerblow, swatting the Noghri to the ground with a casual ease that took his breath away. All around, Yuuzhan Vong warriors were sprawled across the stone corridors, some moving feebly, others lying still. Star People were scattered among them, and soft moans rose into the night, that was suddenly much darker than before.
"Force, what has he done?" the Noghri groaned as he struggled to rise. His body was aching all over, and his mind felt like a tight knot of pain.
"Chi'in!" a voice yelled hoarsely.
His head jerked around, searching, but he could barely see. "Nuron?"
In a rush of gravel and dust she joined him, her face blood-smeared, and her golden eyes haunted. "What happened?" she breathed, sounding dazed.
"Where is Luke?"
"There was an explosion. The spire toppled over. And then ... " she trailed off, her eyes widening in horror. "Oh, stars! What did he do?" The Zabrak fell to her knees, hands stretched out toward the black sky helplessly. "What did he do?" Slowly, she turned her eyes on Chi'in. "I cannot feel him any longer."
With a weary nod the Noghri bent down to help her rise again. "We have to go," he told her gently, but he had to keep his own despair and fear walled into a tight box of unbreakable resolve. Something had changed. "They are coming back," he urged the young Zabrak warrior quietly. "They will catch us if we do not flee."
"But the others ..."
"Later, Nuron. Later. For now we have to get away."
Holding on to her hand tightly, Chi'in guided her through the maze of dead or injured warriors that dotted the entire labyrinth. He could sense their pain, their determination and anger, and he shuddered at the feel of the Yuuzhan Vong soldiers. Sometimes, he thought, it is better not to know the enemy's mind. Almost fearfully he risked a glance at the place where the spire had risen into the sky above the maze. But the top of it had been broken, and probably lay smashed in the center of the sanctuary. There was no sign of Luke. Not anywhere.
TBC