"BD-5, hang on back there," Kira shouted into her comm as she banked hard to the right and dove. A muffled clatter in the back of the ship told her that BD-5 had not in fact held on as the droid skittered across the galley floor away from the shields that he was desperately trying to fix while she continued to weave and dodge A-wings. Leia had set the policy that they were not to use deadly force on Republic ships, which meant that when a fight did break out, there were no fatalities. However, the policy set a severe restriction on how they were able to respond, and with Kira outnumbered, she was beginning to curse the conservative policy.
Although she had initially managed to draw the pursuing A-wings away, four of them had just peeled off toward the Phoenix. As she continued to dodge the oncoming fire, she kept an eye on the scanner and watched as the Aldera and the Harpy shifted course to protect the Phoenix. Moments later, the Alabaster arrived, and a sense of relief stole over Kira. That relief died prematurely as Kira watched the Phoenix's signature vanish from her scanners. She felt the simultaneous disconnection from Zhey'la's presence. The Phoenix – and all occupants, including Rogers, Zhey'la, and Krax – had been destroyed.
"No!" she shouted, as she banked hard toward the surface of the planet. She saw Kit's and Panga's ships jump into hyperspace, but that did little to mute her horror at how completely the mission had now failed. Her ship rocked with another blast, and BD-5 trilled a complex warning indicating that they had just taken a hit to the aft shield generator, knocking the shields down to a mere 15%. She re-routed energy from the firing systems to compensate, but with the A-wings closing in, she knew she was running out of time.
She keyed another button, and a pair of sonic charges released from the back of her ship. They drifted out into the path of the A-wings, which all swerved to avoid it. The sonic charges erupted, but instead of discharging a destructive wave of energy, they erupted with ionic discharge. Six of the eight remaining A-wings lost power, but the two on the periphery of the blast managed to bypass the explosion.
Another glancing blow sent her shields into the red. She looked down on her screen and saw that the Interdictor's gravity well would re-established in seconds. If she could just hold on long enough, she might get out of this alive to regroup with the Resistance to figure out where they go from here now that both Leia and Krax were killed. She nudged the throttle forward as the A-wings, which was pushing faster than usual, kept pace.
"Hold on. . ." she urged the ship, willing it through the Force to move as fast as it could. She would be at the gravity well in 3. . . 2. . . 1. . .
Just as she pulled the hyperdrive lever back, the ship shuddered as it took another hit. Not knowing or caring what had just been damaged, Kira pulled the lever back, and the Amaya shot forward into hyperspace, escaping the melee above Nal Hutta.
Admiral Antilles sat back in his command chair as he watched the readout from the battle. The Leveler had nearly recovered from the ion blast from the Resistance freighter, but his niece and the bounty hunter's ship had jumped into hyperspace minutes ago. He had ordered the ship's logistics to track their vectors but given the Resistance practice of jumping to multiple random points before setting a true course, he had little faith that they would be able to use the vectors to plot the location of their hidden base. Republic intelligence had searched the location for the better part of a year, going through every previously known Rebel base and some that had been a secret even to Mon Mothma and Leia Organa to pinpoint where the Resistance was operating from, but to no avail.
He turned his attention back to the main screen to watch the remaining A-wings pursuing the Amaya. The readouts said that the Amaya's shields were nearly gone, which meant that a direct hit would finish the infernal girl once and for all. His anger and fear of her were powerful, although some distant corner of his mind wondered why. The Admiral hesitated on that distant thought, feeling a vague stirring of ambivalence. He thought to himself, Why do I hate the Palpatine girl again?
"Sir, her shields are down," came a soft male voice from beside him. "Shall I order the A-wings to terminate?"
With a moment's hesitation as he turned back to the main screen, which showed the Amaya weaving and dancing away from the A-wings toward the outer limits of the primary Interdictor's gravity well. Noting that the Amaya had five seconds left before it jumped, he issued the order.
"Fire at will, Green Leader," Admiral Antilles ordered in a grave voice.
Antilles turned toward Secretary Specks, feeling a curious sense of emptiness. A tickle of curiosity in the back of his mind left him wondering why the primary confidant of Supreme Chancellor Bolsko had insisted on joining this mission. Indeed, Specks had been taking a more personal interest in the various operations to apprehend Resistance targets, especially with the Admiral becoming more involved in the effort. Antilles felt another spark of curiosity at why he did not resent the external involvement more, but as he met the man's eyes, the emotion subsided, and his resolve started to harden once more. He looked around at the bridge at the horrified expressions of his crew. They had received the orders to terminate all targets with some hesitation and confusion, but nobody had rejected the orders either. They looked to him for reassurance that they had really done the right thing in crossing the line into open hostilities toward the Resistance.
Green leader began to lay down fire, which the Amaya continued to dodge. Upon the Amaya reaching the limits of the gravity well, Green Leader finally managed to score a hit on the ship's aft section, although the hit was not direct enough to destroy the ship. Moments later, the Amaya jumped into hyperspace.
There was a long silence following the ship's disappearance where the crew had redirected their focus toward the Admiral. He looked down at his hand, which trembled slightly. The thought of Leia Organa, an old friend and comrade from the Civil War, drifted to his mind as he watched his hand trembling. Kit had told him she was dead, and he was not sure whether to believe it or not. Kit had never been a liar in the past, but her recent deceptions and actions against the Republic had obliterated his trust in her. But Leia – although he knew it was his duty to apprehend her and have her face justice, he had never wanted harm to come to her. The entire premise of non-fatal force toward the Resistance was predicated on a desire to right wrongs, but not kill. She must face justice, yes. She must be held accountable. But dead? He had to find out the truth.
"Sir, if I may have a moment in private," called the soft voice of Specks.
The Admiral clenched his fist to stop its trembling and steered his thoughts away from Leia. Specks watched him calmly and patiently with the same inscrutable expression that he usually held. Admiral Antilles longed to be alone with his thoughts as he struggled with the gnawing fear that Leia Organa was dead, but he could tell that Specks would not be deterred. He had a single-minded devotion to ending the conflict with the Resistance, and Antilles suspected he would have little patience in indulging a moment of grief.
"Very well," the Admiral sighed. "Morvinae, you have the con." The Mirialan First Officer stepped toward the command chair as Admiral Antilles vacated it.
Admiral Antilles walked toward the portal out of the bridge, with Specks following behind him. As they entered the elevator that would take them to the Admiral's quarters, the two stood in silence for several seconds before Antilles asked, "Is it true?"
"About Organa?" Specks asked to clarify.
"Yes," the Admiral confirmed.
"I have no confirmation yet, but we did receive notice that Ben Solo, Ferrer Melso, and two other Jedi had engaged her with the intent to apprehend," Specks explained.
The elevator continued to rise, its motors humming softly as the Admiral noted the feeling of movement in the ship's artificial gravity. "Apprehend?" Antilles asked, a note of skepticism in his voice. "The way we just attempted to apprehend the Palpatine girl?"
"Admiral, if you are implying that the Jedi were sent to assassinate Leia Organa. . ." Specks said, a note of warning in his voice.
The elevator stopped, and Admiral Antilles stepped forward, walking down the hallway leading to his quarters. Specks followed, and upon reaching the Admiral's door, the Admiral turned and said, "Secretary, I think I require some time with my thoughts."
"Certainly," said Specks, who nodded deferentially. "But if I may have one last word before you retire. . ."
"What is it?" Admiral Antilles asked warily, a sudden exhaustion weighing heavily on him.
Specks waved his hand casually and said in a calm, muted voice, "You will set aside your misgivings and remain focused on the task at hand."
Admiral Antilles had a split second of confusion before a wonderful sensation swept over him. There it was again; that wonderful mixture of relief, tranquility, and a pure absence of responsibility – a mix of feelings he seldom experienced as the Commander in Chief of the Republic Navy. It felt as heavenly as any feeling he had felt, and he submitted to it willingly. Only half aware of what he was saying, he repeated to Specks, "I will set aside my misgivings and remain focused on the task at hand."
"Very good, sir," said Specks, smiling. "I will meet you at the launch deck in one hour to inspect the damage to the Hutt Council."
"Yes…" said the Admiral vaguely as he drifted into his quarters.
Admiral Antilles stood in the center of the Hutt Council Chamber with Secretary Specks and a company of Navy Security officers surveying the wreckage. The bodies of the deceased Hutts and the rest of the bounty hunters and Gammorean guards had been removed, but the stench of dead Hutt still lingered among the other fetid, corrupted scents emanating throughout the room. Carbon scoring across the floor, walls, and ceilings suggested an intense electrical discharge, and burn marks in the walls provided evidence of a fire fight.
"Full report, Secretary," Admiral Antilles commanded.
"It appears that Organa and Palpatine entered unarmed under the invitation of the Hutts. They came seeking a bargain to have access to a code breaker named Krax, no doubt to undermine Republic security. The girl became disoriented, which led to the Hutts ordering their arrest. Organa and Palpatine resisted, and the girl discharged electricity, killing Rotta the Hutt among others. They fought their way out and escaped through the city where Ben Solo confronted them."
"Do we have confirmation on Organa's death?" asked the Admiral.
"Not yet," acknowledged Specks. "We found the bodies of three Jedis, including the Jedi Master Ferrer Melso. There was no trace of Organa or Ben Solo, and the Milennium Falcon had departed. We only found this."
Specks held out his palm opened his fingers. Admiral Antilles saw a pendant sitting in his palm, and he reached out to take it. The metal pendant was heavy in his hands, and etched into the face of the pendant, Admiral Antilles saw the familiar shape of the Rebellion's symbol. "A symbol of hope," the Admiral whispered to himself.
"I beg your pardon, sir?" Specks asked frowning.
"Nothing, Secretary," the Admiral said quickly as he attempted to draw Specks attention away from the pendant as he placed it in his pocket. "What of the pursuit through Bilbousa?"
"Katraine and the ex-Jedi Zhey'la detonated a bomb in the north side of this building, and they stole the frozen body of Krax. The Hutt security forces pursued them to an abandoned mine, where the Resistance waited. A firefight broke out, and the Resistance later escaped."
"And what of the ex-Jedi?" Admiral Antilles asked.
"Killed in the battle, along with Captain Rogers, her strike team, and Krax," Specks confirmed.
Admiral Antilles sank into thought at the report. Why? Why would Leia Organ come to Nal Hutta, where the only beings who might have more antagonism toward her than the Republic maintained an autocratic control. Her decision to face the Hutts and seek a bargain was completely at odds with her usual methods, which were always measured and considered.
As if sensing what the Admiral was thinking, Specks responded, "It does indeed seem out-of-character. Given our latest intelligence about their recent failed attempts to apprehend the codebreaker Krax, he was an objective of some import. My intelligence suggests they were attempting to undermine our security."
"Yes…" the Admiral thought to himself. He knelt to examine a smear of blood on the floor. He got back up to his feet and said to the room as much as anybody in particular, "Two women."
"Sir?" Specks asked.
"Nothing, Secretary. Just astounded at the damage two unarmed women did here," he acknowledged.
"And that, sir, is why we prioritized their capture. If they could do this unarmed and alone, think of the harm they could bring to the galaxy," Specks said, making a subtle gesture with his hands that nobody registered.
The Admiral felt another subtle wave of calm sweep over him, and he nodded to Specks, "Indeed, Secretary. We must prioritize capture of the Palpatine girl."
"As you wish," Specks said, smiling.
The Admiral turned away to the door of the chamber, and his security forces followed him. He paused when he realized that Specks was not following. "Secretary?" the Admiral asked confused.
"Sir, I wish to remain to inspect the chamber. I shall report to Home Two once I've concluded my inspection" Specks said.
"Very well, secretary. The fleet will return to Coruscant in four hours," Admiral Antilles said as he turned back to the door and walked out into the portico.
Specks waited until the Admiral and his security team had departed, and when the last soldier had left the room, he reached out with his senses. Indeed, the Admiral had been correct to be impressed with the raw power on display. The girl had grown strong, and together with Organa, they had managed to fight their way out of one of the most vicious hellholes on the Outer Rim, initially unarmed. His agents had reported signs of a fight where the Solo boy had confronted Organa, and with three dead Jedi, Ben Solo missing, and Leia Organa also missing, he suspected that the truth would be confirmed soon enough. Ben Solo had not responded to the fleet's attempts to contact him, and he had vanished shortly after leaving the planet.
Specks suspected that only one person – if he could be called that – might know what really happened aside from Ben Solo. He took a glance around the room to ensure that he was alone before he knelt to one knee and reached out into the Force, thinking into the void, I wish to report, my Master.
For a minute, there was no response. Then, Specks felt a wave of cold dread wash over him as a tingling on the back of his neck portended the arrival of a dark, malevolent presence. Specks could not see the presence, as there was no physical presence to be seen. However, he could feel the presence there as if it were in the room.
It spoke in a deep, ominous voice that Specks felt from within instead of without, "Report."
"My Lord, Leia Organa is dead, as is the codebreaker Krax," Specks said aloud to the room.
"I know," the voice replied with a touch of irritation.
"I. . . I felt it my duty to report," Specks stuttered.
"You wanted your curiosity satiated," the voice said. After a pause, the voice said, "Very well. The Jedi Ferrer Melso killed Leia Organa. He did it just as Ben Solo was prepared to leave with Organa."
"Solo was turning away from the Jedi?" Specks asked surprised.
"Yes. He is as conflicted now as he's ever been," the voice said with apparent relish.
"Solo killed the Jedi?" Specks asked.
"Yes, and quite viciously," the voice responded with a hint of amusement.
"Where is he now?" Specks asked again.
"That is not your concern," the voice admonished. "Your hold over the Admiral is tenuous. The distractions of life on Coruscant do not suit you. Do not let your attention waver, lest we lose another asset."
Specks did not mistake the threat, nor did he forget the punishment. His report of the near exposure of their operation on Mantos was met with a wave of torture and rage that Specks would not soon forget. "No. Of course not. Sir, I will not waver again."
"Good," said the voice, "Ben Solo is exactly where we wish him to be. Now, you will find out where the girl is and ensure that she dies as soon as possible. Do not forget the consequences of failure, Secretary."
"I will not, my Lord," Specks said, bowing his head.
"Oh, one last thing," the voice added, saying, "Send Commander Mowskwa from Mantos to Bespin, effective immediately."
"My Lord?" Specks asked, confused.
"You don't need to understand. Convey the order immediately." The voice admonished.
As the last word resonated through his mind, the presence vanished. Specks remained kneeling on the ground for some time as he attempted to recover from the waves of adrenaline and fear that coursed through his body at the encounter. When the memories of waves of pain surging through his body only weeks ago after the near disaster at Mantos subsided, he rose to his feet, moving slowly to ensure his knees would not give way. When his strength recovered, he turned to the door, giving one last look at the carbon scoring on the walls. Organa had not done that; it was the girl. As she grew stronger, her power in both the dark side and the light side grew. And yet, the dark side seemed to have no hold over her; she used it as if it were just another tool. He shuddered to think what might happen if she managed to tap into the full potential of the power that his master had suspected lain dormant, and with another shudder, committed to doing everything he could to ensure he would never have to find out.