Chapter 29 – Seekers of Truth

Leia had taken a seat in one of the comfortable couches dotting the extensive cabin aboard the Star Destroyer Freedom as the warship made its way through hyperspace toward Coruscant. One arm draped over the back of the couch she was watching her mother pace the length of the cabin furiously. She seemed agitated, restless, and Leia had a feeling she knew the source of her mother's discomfort.

"Is there anything you have done that you feel so guilty now?" she asked quietly.

Padmé stopped in her tracks, her large brown eyes turning a startled glance on her daughter. "How – No, I won't ask." She sighed, and briefly closed her eyes. Then, as if making some hard decision, she joined Leia on the couch. She did not quite meet her daughter's gaze, though. "Do I feel guilty? I guess, in a sense I feel I have betrayed your father."

"Betrayed? How?" Leia asked, bewildered.

"Because I was not with him, when –" she broke off and her lips compressed to a tight line, showing her despair. "I feel that he is slipping away from me again."

"Something to do with Roj Kell?"

"Yes. He told me ... he told me that he could wait no longer in choosing a successor. He has chosen your father."

Leia gasped in shock. "No!"

"I believe him," her mother said ever so softly. "I believe he is going to die soon, and that was why ... I have to be with him now," she concluded with a loud sob.

"Where did he send Boba Fett?"

"To Byss. He wanted him to carry a message back to Yana Dar." Her mother gave her a pensive look. "Yana had sent Fett to kill him, for killing her brother."

"I see. He never wastes any resources, does he?" she added lightly. "But what –"

A chime at the door interrupted her question of what that message contained, and Leia rose numbly to open. An ensign stood before her and gave her a quick nod.

"Incoming call for you. I will prepare the transmission," he explained and entered without her permission. Leia frowned after him as he walked over to the cabin's intercomm station. It did not take him long to make the connection to the Star Destroyer's main comm center, and he gave the princess a nod and a smile before he left again.

An instant later a familiar voice resounded from the comm speakers. "Leia? Are you there?"

"Han!" she exclaimed, a joyful smile echoing the feelings that fluttered through her heart. "Have you found him?"

"Yes, yes, he's all right and mostly intact," he chuckled at that for some reason. "Is your mother with you?"

"Yes, she's here." Leia waved Padmé closer, and then both sat down on the small cushions in front of the intercomm. "What's you status?"

"We're on our way to –"

"Leia, it is good to hear the two of you are well."

"Father," she replied fondly at the sound of the familiar baritone. And she also noticed that he had quite deliberately prevented Han from blurting out their destination.

"We are making good progress. Nirauan is secured for now. Han tells me you had trouble on Bilbringi?"

"Yes, a worldship attacked the planet, but we had some assistance. Han told you?" If they were being monitored she did not want to risk telling anyone that she had destroyed the ship, with Roj Kell's help, of course. For some reason she remembered the ensign who had rigged up the connection. But then her father's voice derailed that train of thought again.

"Yes, he did. Just one ship?"

"Yes." She frowned. "Why?"

"Nothing. Do not concern yourself with it."

"Anakin," her mother said suddenly. "I need to talk to you."

"I –" he seemed to hesitate. "Yes. I believe we need to talk. Not just now."

"It has to be now," Padmé insisted. She gave Leia a pleading glance and her daughter complied with a nod.

The princess rose from her seat elegantly and directed a smile at the comm, even though she knew the two men could not see it. "Then I will leave the two of you alone. Han, I love you. Come back soon, okay?"

"Okay, honey," he answered hoarsely, "as soon as I can make it."

"See you soon," she answered in a whisper and turned toward the door. She needed to speak to Captain Illichiyame at once.

Leaning her head against the comm, Padmé closed her eyes. "Anakin?"

"I am still here," he replied softly.

She smiled at that. "Good."

"What was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Can't you guess? If Han told you everything, you know who was on Bilbringi. He said ... he said ... " Her voice broke. "I don't want to lose you again," she concluded in a hush.

"You won't," he said, a hint of anger and determination in his voice.

"But you know what became of him, you know what he did to be able to pursue his duties. Don't you?" she asked quietly.

"Padmé," he told her gently, "I am not like him. I will never push you away again."

"He said you were no longer part of this world," she pressed out, tears choking her words. "That you no longer belonged with me."

"That is not true," he was quick to appease her. "Padmé, I love you. And that love is keeping me alive. Do you understand? You are my light, my life."

"But –"

"No but," he admonished her, his tone so gentle that it made her smile happily. "I know my way. My destiny is not his, and I am not like him. I know that. You should, too."

"You sound as if you are trying to convince yourself," she said, the smile fading somewhat. "How am I to believe you are sincere?" For a while there was silence, and Padmé feared that she had put him off somehow. But in the end he answered, a silent answer, that almost broke her heart.

"It is true. There is no questioning the truth. If you look into your heart you will find truth there, too. I can feel it. I can feel you," he added, sounding awed, and Padmé imagined that he was touching her, that she could feel him too. Closing her eyes, she lost herself in that sweet dream.

"Anakin," she breathed. "I love you. I will always be with you. Always."

"I do not see anything unsual in the ensign's behavior," Captain Illichiyame said calmly, but Leia could sense a hint of doubt in the Bith' mind.

"It was not entirely his behaviour that disturbed me, Captain, it was more of a feeling," the princess answered. "But I would still like this man's background investigated."

"You are the Minister of State, Princess," Illichiyame explained resignedly. "And we are at war, so I suppose we need not go through the entire bureaucratic procedure such a request would normally entail. If you want to question him, feel free to enlist on board Intelligence."

Leia nodded gravely. "Thank you. I will give you my report once I am finished with him." She gave the captain no chance to reply, but simply rushed out of the Bith' office and toward where she knew any standard New Republic ship housed its Intelligence and Communications departments. A Devaronian greeted her cordially.

"Princess. A pleasure to have you here. I am Corporal Ulvey. How may I be of assistance?"

"You lead this department, Corporal?"

"Yes."

"Very good," Leia said with a smile. "I need every scrap of information you have on a crew member, Ensign Tschel."

"Coming up at once," he answered and promptly turned toward a workstation and began calling up screen after screen. "If I may, do you suspect him of something?"

"At the moment I feel inclined to suspect anyone," she replied coolly, and he gave her a pensive nod.

"Very wise, Princess. Ah. Here we are." He waved her over to join him and Leia complied quietly. "The ensign joined the New Republic navy after the end of the war against the Empire. Before he joined us, he apparently had a post as communications officer aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Hydra."

"So he has Imperial origins and allegiances," Leia mused aloud. "This is too obvious for a spy."

"When he joined his background was checked very thoroughly," Ulvey suggested, "and I agree with you, this would be too obvious."

"But I still believe he should be questioned. The Empress has assured us of her unlimited cooperation in this war. Perhaps you should contact Byss and clarify Tschel's position."

The corporal nodded again. "At once, Princess. I will inform you once I have news. And Tschel will be ready for questioning within the hour."

"Thank you, Corporal. That would be all for now."

An hour later Leia was seated in one of the ship's conference rooms in an emergency meeting she had called immediately upon receiving Ulvey's report. Now, having been joined by her mother and Captain Illichiyame herself, she was facing the very flustered moff of Anobis. Wringing his hands, Hah Kima seemed at a loss of what to say, and Leia could understand his confusioin very well.

"Are you certain that no more attacks will occur in the near future?" she asked very quietly.

"Who knows?" he replied with a shrug, a helpless gesture, and she could see the despair and doubt in his eyes. "I returned here only to find the planet in ashes. The facilities have been destroyed, and my troops are still busy hunting down the last stragglers of the invasion force. It was sheer luck that we managed to destroy their flagship."

"And nothing of the Empress' whereabouts?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. The Empress has vanished, along with Counselor Sarreti. Perhaps they have managed to flee. But it will take time to round up some witnesses. The citadel is totally ruined. I am not sure if there are any survivors of the raid at all." He bit his lower lip hard. "I do not know where we will go from here on," he said quietly. "With the Empire under attack, we must consider recalling the forces the Empress sent out to assist the Grand Admiral."

Leia remained silent, not knowing what to say. But Captain Illichiyame leaned toward the moff's holoimage and asked: "Are you certain that the Empress was not on board the ship you destroyed?" The princess paled.

"Who can say?" Hah Kima answered, throwing up his hands in resignation. "We had no choice but to destroy that ship. I hope she was not on board, I pray she is safe. But now we have to concern ourselves with the survival of our people, the survival of the Empire."

"Tell me, Moff Kima," Padmé began softly, "with the Empress gone, who will take over?"

"We will convene a council of war, naturally," he replied, slightly flustered. "We will have to work together against this threat."

"I agree," the former queen continued. "And therefore I believe you should under no circumstances recall your ships from the front. The enemy has to be defeated out there, and each raid that is directed against New Republic or Imperial space must be countered here, with the forces present in those sectors. We must form a defensive unity."

"Yes, yes," Kima hurried to tell her, "I absolutely agree. We need to stand together. We must share our troops, information, anything that can help us defeat this foe."

"With your permission, Moff Kima," Leia added, "we should consider an exchange of liaisons. We will send a representative to assist you as soon as we have reached Coruscant. I would ask you to select a representative of your own."

He exhaled slowly, obviously relieved. "I admire your courage, Princess. Your Highness," he sighed, including Padmé in his praise. "I must admit that I am at a loss of what to do. This is a disaster."

"We understand your feelings," the princess soothed him. "But we will weather this crisis together. Do not lose hope, Moff Kima. The New Republic will stand with you."

"Thank you," he breathed, a smile appearing on his lips. "I am most grateful for your offer. I will brief you shortly on the proceedings here on Byss."

"Do that," Leia replied pleasantly and signaled for the captain to cut the transmission. She gazed into the empty space where Hah Kima had just vanished, and her mother had to call her name twice before she reacted. "Hm?"

"A representative?" Padmé asked, frowning. "What are you up to?"

"It is practical. That way our representative can control the flow of information coming into Byss. Undoubtedly they will do the same."

"And who do you want to send?"

Leia smiled at her mother. "This will be a difficult assignment, and, as Father always tells me, Corellians are very adept at solving difficult problems."

Her mother's eyes widened as she realized who Leia was referring to. Then she answered her daughter's smile with one of her own. "I see. Oh, my little girl has grown very shrewd. They won't know what hit them. Do you know where he is right now?"

The princess shook her head. "No, alas not. But I have a feeling that Karrde will know."

Wrenga Jixton was restless. He could not shed the distinct feeling that the Dark Lord had pushed him out of the big picture deliberately, and his Corellian pride was rebelling vehemently against such a treatment. They had relocated to the Pashey Club, which had become Karrde's headquarters here on Nar Shadaa, but so far nothing interesting had happened. Nothing at all. It did not help that Mara was fueling his impatience by pacing the room up and down, her arms crossed in front of her, a stormy expression on her face. Her emerald eyes were sparkling with impatience.

"Go help Karrde!" she snapped. "As if the man needed help for anything!" Rounding on Jix, she propped her fists on her hips challengingly. "What was he trying to accomplish by sending us here?"

The Corellian shrugged. "Don't ask me, baby, cause I'm just as clueless as you are."

"Oh, fine. Thank you so much. Now I'm clueless?"

He rolled his eyes at her indignation. "You know I didn't mean it that way."

"Luckily I do. Still, what if he expects Karrde to come up with something that needs a quick resolution? You and I'd be the perfect pair for the job."


Jix gave her a pensive look. "You know, you have a point there," he conceded. "But Calrissian will be moving the equipment to Bespin soon, and then what do we do? Follow Karrde and the baron?"

She shrugged. "Well, things on Ryloth seem quiet enough, and Joral hasn't complained, so I guess we're free to do whatever we want. Or do you want to check back with Her Highness?"

"Which one?" Jix asked pensively. When Mara did not reply he shook himself out of his thoughts and looked up to see her gaze at him incredulously.

"What do you mean 'which one'?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Well, obviously Her Ladyship is responsible for the entire operation here on Nar Shadaa, not the princess."

Suddenly Mara joined him on the sofa. Her emerald eyes were gleaming fervently, and he could see that she was intrigued by something. "Do you think this Seeker program will ever be operational again?"

"Karrde has his people working on it, plus Yana's own agents."

She snorted softly. "Toss Halan and Min'da Sher, yes. What did she send them for? To spy on us?"

"I don't know," Jix answered lightly. "Karrde said they reported for duty, that they were to assist him. Of course," he added, "her intentions might have been different."

"Yes," Mara breathed, "and I have a feeling that we should find out what they are fast."

A knock on the door brought both their heads around. "Come!" they called in unison. Mara grinned at Jix and rose from her seat when their visitor came in. It was Talon Karrde himself. He gave Mara a casual nod before addressing the still-seated Corellian. The door slid close behind him.

"Bad news," he began gravely. "Thrawn and Skywalker have suffered heavy losses at Nirauan, and Bilbringi and Byss were attacked. The Empress has disappeared. We have to assume that she's in enemy hands."

"Shit," Jix said under his breath, heart-felt. "What do you need us to do?"

The information broker gave a shrug. "My people have finally managed to get the program to run, with Toss Halan's help, admittedly. I had them feed that new information into the Seeker. Results aren't up yet."

"You have the Seeker operational?" Mara exclaimed. "Finally!"

Karrde's eyes lit up. "That database is a treasure trove of knowledge."

"We know all that, but is it truly reliable?" the red-head continued, sounding suspicious. Undoubtedly she was remembering the first testing of the program back on Byss, that she had witnessed.

"It did predict this disaster correctly," the older man answered drily. That brought Jix out of his seat.

"You knew this would happen?" he demanded, feeling betrayed somehow. "You are telling us you knew this disaster would happen and didn't warn us?"

"Just like Jade here, I had my reservations," Karrde returned coolly. "But I suppose now we know we can build on this program."

"Wait a minute. You didn't know all that just by asking the program. Who confirmed it?" Mara asked.

"The princess. She called from aboard the Freedom, said it was urgent that you returned to Coruscant to meet her."

"Coruscant," Jix echoed. "So she's finally back." He gave Karrde a hard glance. "All right. We'll be leaving straight away. If your people don't have the results until then you'll send them to Coruscant." Karrde crossed his arms in front of his chest pointedly. "What?" Jix asked, annoyed.

"The Seeker was a gift from Yana Dar to your boss, not the New Republic. I will respect that gift."

"Fine," the Corellian said resignedly, but an edge of anger lingered in his tone. "So what do you suggest?"

"At least wait until we have the results, then give them to Her Ladyship in person."

"She's returning to Coruscant too?"

"Yes." The information broker turned away to leave. "My best regards to the ladies. I'll see you off later on."

"My, wasn't that interesting," Mara commented quietly once the door had closed behind him.

Talon Karrde paced back to the club's extensive comm center, where his engineers and slicers had been fussing over the Seeker program for the past days. When it had first become operational he had, just for fun, asked it to give a summary of the current situation. It had asked the date, the location, and a few other questions, and that in itself was unusual. That a computer program would ask for additional information, and so specific information too. Karrde hadn't been the only one who had felt uneasy as they had sat in front of the five screens, waiting for it to finish its calculations. And then it had presented this report in all its cold details.

Hutt Space is secure. Independence will have been achieved by many worlds, probably along the Perlemian Trade Route. This will open a bridge to the Corporate Sector. The Allied Task Force has been defeated in the Unknown Regions. After heavy losses the New Republic and the Chiss forces will stand alone against the Yuuzhan Vong. An alliance would be advisable. The Empire will be considering a withdrawal from the war.

Karrde was wondering hard what the program would come up with next. When he entered the comm center he waved Aves closer. "Any progress?"

The man gave him a glum nod. "Better see for yourself, boss. This is pretty scary."

Following his second, Karrde joined the small group in front of the five screens. Min'da Sher, Toss Halan and a few others were studying the data displayed there, each intent on a different screen. At one glance Karrde could see that four of the five screens showed only gibberish, while the center-most, fifth screen displayed only a short message.

Data stream too extensive. Change mode.

"What does that mean, 'change mode'?" the broker asked the team in general.

"We are not sure. It seemed to be working okay, and brought up all that stuff on the other screens. We can't decypher it, though," Aves, reported.

"Is it code? Another language?"

"We assume it is both," Toss Halan explained wearily. "And we have no idea how we can change the mode, or what that even means, to change the mode."

"Who has been working last on this? Does anyone know?"

The men gazed at one another. "One of Yana Dar's slicers?" Min'da Sher ventured at last. "Othana perhaps," he added hurriedly when Karrde gave him a cold glare.

"Too bad Othana is dead. And the others? As far as I recall they were all arrested at Markhan's orders. Any chance of tracking them down? Where would they be held?"

"We could probably find out through Antham," Aves mused aloud. "I believe Her Ladyship left Cesh Kendar on Ryloth before she left. He might be able to help us."

"Then see to it that he does," Karrde told him quietly. "Why would a computer program need to ask for a mode change? Shouldn't that happen automatically? How do you communicate with this thing?"

"Type at the keyboard," Toss Halan said, demonstrating.

"Really? I never would have thought," Karrde commented somewhat icily. "Then why don't you type 'accept mode change' or whatever?"

"We tried that," Min'da Sher explained, then nodded at his companion. "Show him."

Toss Halan did as told, resignation plain on his features. Instantly, the words on the center screen disappeared and were replaced by another message, with a counter displayed that was running rapidly toward zero. Leaning forward, Karrde squinted at the screen.

"Select mode," he read aloud. "I see."

Then the counter reached zero and the screen jumped back to the previous message. Karrde pursed his lips thoughtfully and gazed at the screen without really seeing it. So far the program had been reacting to outward input and had asked for additional information if it deemed it necessary.

"What modes did you try?"

"A number. Nothing worked, obviously," Halan said with a helpless shrug.

"How about the simple ones?"

"Simple ones? We tried everything we know."

"Try 'extensive'."

"What?" The man stared at him, aghast.

"Try it. What could possibly happen?"

With a sigh, Toss Halan turned back to the keyboard. The next screen appeared, asking him to select the mode. He typed 'extensive' just as Karrde had suggested. Everyone held their breath. Nothing happened.

"Well. Nice try, boss," Aves began, but Karrde held up a hand.

"Look at the counter."

And indeed, to the others' great surprise, the counter was counting not toward zero, but up, and very fast.

"Well, I'll be a –" Toss Halan swore, but then, with a barely audible 'ping', the counter stopped at three thousand. The screen remained blank.

"All right," Karrde said. "It should have all the current information you fed it, right?" Halan nodded. "Then let's get an analysis and a prediction for the outcome of this mess." Toss Halan typed away furiously, and when he was finished another message flashed on the screen.

Activate reevaluation motivator?

"Yes! Damn you, yes!" Halan screamed, his patience finally snapping. "Sorry," he said, turning a flustered glance at Karrde.

"No problem. Proceed, please. And alert me once it's finished."

The Mahsenda left hyperspace after a four-hour jump, and Luke felt endlessly grateful for that. He was practically bristling with anxiety. But Commander Al'than'erudo had forbidden him and Chi'in to contact either Anakin or Thrawn. He did not want the enemy to know about the stealth cruiser at all. It was, of course, an understandable order, but the young Jedi was impatiently hoping for any news from his parents, his sister and friends. Al'than'erudo's hostility did not help his uneasiness at all. The mission into the Lieman Corridor had been a disaster, a catastrophe he himself had heavily contributed to, and he needed to know that someone else had had some success. But Chi'in had cautioned him, arguing quietly that he should never underestimate the enemy. Luke did not share his view. Force, he did not even know if any of his family were even alive! No. He knew they were alive. In the depth of his heart he knew. But the happenings on Laa'kuan had shaken him badly. He was uncertain where to go, unsure how to continue.

Which way was he to follow?

[Luke, be calm], Nolyane told him gently. [You will see, my homeworld will ease you worries.] Her cobalt blue eyes were sparkling with happiness as she gazed ahead, out of the viewport and toward the planet spread out before them.

Luke swallowed hard. The Star People's home was a pale green jewel, with white clouds racing across its surface. So peaceful. "It looks beautiful," he ventured at last. "But I do not know if it can heal my soul."

She looked at him, creating a private space amidst the bustle of the cruiser's bridge easily with her very presence. She had shed her fears so quickly, had managed to overcome her losses so bravely. Why could he not be as strong as she was? Or Chi'in, for that matter.

[Luke], she began anew, [Your soul will recover from anguish once you find peace. You cannot find peace on a battle-field. You need to recover. You and your friends. We will help you.]

He gave a slow nod. "Yes. I know," he answered softly. Then, looking into her eyes, he smiled. "There is something I must do, and only you can help me."

Laying her three-fingered hand on his arm, she led him over to a crash-couch, a bit further away from the bridge's busyness. She seated herself elegantly and motioned for him to join her. [What is it that I can do for you?] she asked.

"When I was on Kynda'bey I – joined – with the Mahsenda, the predators that live there," the young man explained. "The same way the guardian joined you and me. It was perfect, a bond of trust. I thought I had achieved the same on Laa'kuan, when –" he broke off, his mood darkening at the memory.

[I understand], Nolyane assured him quietly. [But sometimes things are not what they seem. Sometimes we let ourselves be blinded by our desires, wants and wishes. You will see, when we are home there will be nothing you will crave any longer.]

The way she said 'home', that drawn-out, low hoot so full of yearning, it made Luke's heart ache. He had no home any longer. Home had been Tatooine, once, before he had been drawn into this never-ending battle. How much he wished for it to end. He felt that there was so much to learn, but he never found the time to understand. Always he was faced with new problems that he tried to solve, and only in so very few cases did he manage to overcome his wonder and truly find the truth. The way he had seen the truth in his father's motives, the despair in Nuron's defiance. But everything was changing so fast ...

Squeezing Nolyane's shoulder amiably, he smiled at her. "I hope I will find that peace, Star Keeper. I know I need it."

But somewhere, deep inside, he found that he did not deserve it.

"What is happening to him?" Nuron breathed as she came full circle to face Chi'in again. She held her lightsaber in a guard position, waiting for him to answer her question. The Noghri, his own blade pointed straight at her midsection, hesitated for a moment. She had asked him to spar with her, and he understood her need. She was a warrior and she hated inaction. And there was a lot she needed to deal with, mentally. That included her own fate, and that of Luke.

Finally, his voice so low that he himself had trouble hearing it, he answered: "I think he is learning how to be a Sith."

Nuron lowered her blade, shocked. "What?"

Deactivating his own lightsaber, Chi'in straightened up to face her and look into her golden eyes. "Think about it. When we met him he had been training to become a Jedi. He studied with Master Yoda for quite some time, to learn."

Nuron shut down her weapon and glared at him. "What are you trying to tell me? That he is losing his insight?"

"No. He is gaining insight. He is developing it further. But back then he only knew about the Light. Now he has seen Darkness, has experienced it himself. He is uncertain about his path."

"So?" The Zabrak fastened the handle of her lightsaber to her belt with deft movements. "Will he find it?"

Chi'in smiled. "Oh yes. I am confident that he will succeed in that endeavor. But he is learning that true mastery is the balance of Light and Dark. That true mastery is achieved through control, through knowledge. That knowledge includes acceptance of one's own feelings, and evaluation of one's own motives. Luke has a generous heart. If he could, he would give more than he can. He has to learn that he has limits."

"I – " she stopped, suddenly pensive. "That was what he was taught back on Laa'kuan, isn't it?"

Chi'in knew what she was thinking of. He knew it all too well. "Yes," he breathed. "We all learn that lesson. But he needs to move on."

"How can I help him?"

Her sincere devotion to the young Jedi touched the Noghri's heart. Luke could not have found a better companion than her. He was so vulnerable, his very personality, his innocence, making him easy prey for anyone who knew his weaknesses. But Nuron was there to guard him, to shield him against the storm he was fighting and that he would never learn to close his heart to. He needed her more than she needed him, Chi'in thought. And in her love for him she was proving her strength and her own insight.

"I believe that he seeks a confirmation for his path," he said at last. "A confirmation for his dreams. He is a guardian and he thinks he has turned into a killer. You need to remind him of what he truly is."

Nuron's golden eyes lit up spectacularly, and a smile spread on her lips. "I think I know how I can do that," she whispered. "Yes." She nodded to herself determinedly. "And you will help me."

"Master Chi'in."

Turning around, the Noghri gazed impassively at the Chiss commander who had appeared in the doorway. "Commander. What can I do for you?"

Al'than'erudo gave Nuron a pensive glance, then returned his gaze to Chi'in: "We have arrived. Nolyane is calming her people down, but she does not want me to accompany you to the surface. I – I would like to go nevertheless."

"Why?"

The young Chiss kept silent for a while. Then: "It is about what you told me about responsibility. I have a duty toward these people, just as you said. I want to honor that duty."

"They regard you as their enemy," Chi'in reminded him. "And if Nolyane does not approve, what good will my word do? She is their Star Keeper."

"Talk to her, Master Chi'in. I beg you. I feel I must do this."

"Feel?" Black eyes staring at the other, Chi'in took a step toward Al'than'erudo. "Feel? Is that all? Do you think this a test? Do you believe this is a hurdle you must pass to achieve greater understanding of responsibility and duty?"

"I – " The Chiss' eyes widened worriedly, as the short alien advanced on him steadily.

"You believe you can choose your own tests, Commander. But those are no challenges. Those are no lessons. You will learn nothing through those. You can only learn when you are faced with something new."

"But this will be new for me," Al'than'erudo insisted.

"Yet you have already made up your mind of how to face this challenge. You know what you will do, have chosen your words, your gestures, your emotional state. Is that not so?"

The other lowered his head in defeat. "Yes," he breathed.

Chi'in exhaled slowly and his shoulder slumped somewhat in resignation. "You may accompany us, Commander, if you are ready to forget all that you have prepared in advance, and react to the moment. Only then. Unfortunately," he added, "I, too, feel that you should do this. I can sense your determination, and I have faith in your sincerity." Looking up, he met the Chiss' red-eyed gaze calmly. "Make your choices. But make the right ones."

When the black, chitinuous shuttle that had picked them up on the Mahsenda's main hangar deck had finally touched down on the planet Luke felt even more depressed than before. He felt on edge, caged. He needed to do something. But Nolyane, who sat to his right, only smiled at him, as if telling him that everything would be all right once they set foot on her homeworld. He did not quite believe it. Nuron, who sat to his other side, tentatively took his hand in hers and gave it a little squeeze. He did not meet her eyes. Then Nolyane rose from her seat, motioning for them to follow her. Luke let Nuron guide him toward the exit hatch, with Chi'in and Al'than'erudo following behind. Nolyane had already gone ahead with the rest of the Star People that had survived Laa'kuan.

When he stepped out into the open the first that Luke noticed was the air. It was clear and fresh, with a hint of something elusive, yet very compelling. It was just a feeling, yet it lifted his heart and made him smile instantly. The light was bright, but not uncomfortably so, as if everything were unreal, as if he were dreaming. It illuminated the landing platform their ship had settled down on and was reflected from the spire that rose from the city center. Looking around, Luke felt his head spin. The buildings seemed to be organic, a pale green that echoed the hues of the forests and plains surrounding the city itself. They had no doors, no windows, but what looked like air roots, that intertwined into elegant formations that left little holes and bigger ones everywhere.

Beside him, Nuron inhaled sharply. "Oh my stars," she moaned. "Look at that! It is – so – so beautiful." It was not the word to describe it, he knew, but he could not put others to it, there were none. Vibrant came close, but only close.

Nolyane returned with three other Star People, and she was smiling. [Welcome on Ooonda], she said, and Luke hurriedly translated for the others, blushing a bit. [We have prepared a welcome for our guests Now, please, leave your weapons here. I have just received news that we have other guests too.] She gave Al'than'erudo a pointed look. [They might not appreciate the presence of weapons].

Luke frowned, as he kept his gaze on the Chiss. The commander, determination plain on his handsome features, looked just a little bit uncertain. But then he nodded. Once they had left their weapons in the custody of Polay, one of the Star People Chi'in had made friends with, they accompanied the Star Keeper toward the spire, the grandest building of the city. Luke guessed that it was the seat of the government, or whatever passed for government here. As they came closer toward the building Luke could identify the intricate design of the entire structure. The vines followed a certain flow, making the spire appear like a frozen waterfall of a pale green hue. In places the vines bore translucent pod-like fruit, Luke found, and then he realized that those were blossoms of some kind. He pointed one out to Nuron, and she smiled.

Leaning toward him, she whispered: "Do you remember the cave on Kynda'bey?"

He did. Wonderingly, he continued staring as they passed the threshold and moved into the structure. It was darker, naturally, but where it became too dark the blossoms were in full bloom, glowing in a pale, cool yellow light that made Luke's jaw drop. Now he knew what Nuron meant. The illumination was very reminiscent of the cave on Kynda'bey and the maze on Laa'kuan. Was there a connection, maybe?

The Star People moved along the passageways elegantly, graceful creatures whose winged headcrests did not seem awkward at all. In fact, they seemed to be just perfect. Their chestnut fur seemed to contrast the colors surrounding them, but complemented them too, in a way. All of them bowed toward the Star Keeper as she passed, greeting her in pleasant, low hoots that she did not return. Luke wondered at that. Perhaps the Star Keeper was not really a person of authority, but more of a symbol. But before he could follow that train of thought further they had reached what seemed to be their destination, a huge chamber that made up the core of the spire.

The chamber floor was a small depression, with no even ground at all, and the entire room rose toward the top of the spire in elegant arches. Pathways circled the entire inside of the spire, allowing one to walk up to the top itself, which was just a tiny skylight way up high. The air was filled with that special scent Luke had noticed outside, and a hum of voices that was soothing and pleasant. All along the walls blossoms provided discreet light, and more Star People had assembled along the walls, like seeds lined up in some giant fruit. The image made Luke smile, but it seemed to fit. The only ones jarring this overall picture were three groups of strangers.

One group consisted of tall, bipedal aliens, their bodies and limbs so spindly that they looked like giant insects. Their eyes, vertical slits set into long faces, dominated their features, apart from the mandibles that served as mouths. They were conversing in high, whispering voices, and all of them stared at the newcomers. The second group was made up of only three aliens, their leader easily identifiable by the armor he or she wore. They looked more humanoid than the first group, with bodies and limbs of human proportions, but their faces were dominated by bony ridges that hooded their eyes and formed prominent crests on top of their hairless skulls. The third and last group, then, presented, to Luke's mind, the most normal of them. They were humanoid, with dark gray skin, long tails, black hair and pitch-black eyes. Their mouths were made to appear wider than they truly were, with their lips seemingly touching their earlobes. That decoration split their faces cleanly in half, optically.

One of them, a male dressed in fine, silky robes of color-changing green and gray, made a sharp gesture at his companions and stormed toward Nolyane, his long, muscular tail twitching angrily. He planted himself in front of her in an unmistakable gesture of anger and began talking to her rapidly. The Star Keeper listened to him patiently for a while, then shook her head gently. She brushed past him without further comment, and walked down onto the sloping floor of the chamber. The alien male stared after her, dumb-founded, but then he found another target for his indignation. With an audible growl he turned toward the newcomers and went to meet them. Ignoring Luke and Nuron he extended a hand and put it on Al'than'erudo's chest, stopping the Chiss commander short.

"You not welcome," he hissed in garbled Basic. "You not welcome here on Ooonda."

Al'than'erudo looked at the other's hand quite pointedly, but the alien did not react, instead continued glaring at the Chiss.

"The Star Keeper has invited me," he answered at last. "She has welcomed me here. You are a guest, as am I. Now, please, take your hand away."

"Afraid?" the stranger challenged him, and his lips drew back into a mirthless smile.

Luke nearly jumped when they peeled back the entire way, revealing gray gills from his sharp teeth back to his ears. But he did comply and withdrew his hand. To Luke's horror his fingers were no fingers at all, but tubes, that looked like fingers. Apparently those were no ordinary tubes either, for they left small blood-stains were they had touched the commander, even through the cloth of his uniform, and the young Jedi could catch a flicker of pain from Al'than'erudo.

"Ishare Luvo not welcome you. You enemies. But honor the guests of Nolyane Star Keeper."

"Thank you," Al'than'erudo said between gritted teeth. Ishare Luvo turned away to rejoin his people, head held high in a proud gesture. "Lappas," the commander continued in a low voice. "They are dangerous." Rubbing a hand across his chest he added, "and poisonous. The others are Spider People and Likkets. They aren't so bad, but that Luvo will be trouble." He gave Luke a weary glance. "Perhaps accompanying you was a mistake."

The young Jedi shook his head in amazement. "Not at all. I mean, who would be able to tell us who all these people are if you were not with us?"

And, wonder of wonders, the Chiss smiled at him. "You are right. Come. I think it is time for introductions."

TBC

Another PS:

Come on, guys, old Kell has been around for over three thousand years. Give him a break! Which of course does not exclude a comback at some point in the story...