Kit Antilles eased back the hyperdrive lever as the proximity alert warned her of her approach to Cophrigin V, the fifth planet of the remote Cophrigin system. The star lines faded back to stars as her ship emerged above a blue-green sphere set against an infinite field of darkness glittering with stars. A cluster of Resistance frigates and cruisers along with attendant support craft hung suspended above the blue-green planet, and as Kit took count, she realized that most of the Resistance was already here.
She waited, holding her breathe and hoping against the evidence that she saw with her eyes that the Phoenix would appear out of hyperspace any second. The Harpy arrived seconds later, spurring a rush of hope. But as the minutes stretched on, Kit was forced to accept the truth. The Phoenix would not be coming. She would not see Zhey'la, Captain Rogers, or any of the troops again. And amongst the loss of friends and allies, Kit felt her hopes sink as their best chance at decoding the transmissions Leia had suspected to carry proof of Bolsko's duplicity was now lost.
Movement on her scanner caught her attention, and she saw the Harpy moving toward the surface with an X-wing escort. Kit felt white hot rage flood her. Panga Meesh had opposed their efforts to obtain Krax on orders from Rotta the Hutt, and when she swiped Krax out from under their noses, it necessitated the catastrophe on Nal Hutta. As far as Kit was concerned, none of this would have happened if not for Panga's interference. Kit scowled at the triangular marker on her screen indicating the Harpy's progress to the surface accompanied by X-wings, and she hoped with savage vindictiveness that the Resistance would throw her in a stockade.
"Freighter Aldera, you are cleared to approach the base. Do you require escort?" came the staticky voice of a female mission control operator.
"I'm good, control. Beginning my approach now," Kit responded wearily. She nudged the nose of the ship downward, and the Aldera rattled as it penetrated the planet's upper atmosphere. Minutes later, Kit dropped through voluptuous thunderclouds illuminated by occasional flashes of blue and purple. After passing through the clouds, her ship emerged above a vast, rocky mountain range dominated by triangular, snow-capped peaks. She guided the Aldera along a deep canyon that served as an approach line to the hidden base, and she weaved along the canyon's riverbed, which rumbled below, swollen with snowmelt. The Harpy and its X-wing escorts traced the course of the canyon ahead of her, and she knew Panga would land before her. She sped up slightly to hasten the confrontation, and within minutes, she saw the massive waterfall spilling from a hanging valley several thousand feet above the riverbed. She slowed her craft to a crawl, passing directly through the waterfall. The Aldera shuttered as thousands of pounds of falling water beat down on the craft's roof, and shortly after passed through into a vast, well-lit cavern were dozens of Resistance fighters, freighters, and shuttles were parked.
She eased the Aldera forward toward a grounds crew tech who guided her to a suitable landing spot alongside the Harpy. Panga had left her ship and was now surrounded by Resistance security, and to Kit's fury, she had not been placed in handcuffs, nor was she being led away. Upon reaching the designated landing spot, Kit settled the Aldera to the ground and killed the power. Racing to the ship's exit, she charged down the boarding ramp to the spot where Panga Meesh stood surrounded by security. As she reached the circle, Kit drew her blaster and pointed it in Panga's face.
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't blow that stupid mask off your head right now," Kit demanded. The Resistance security guards reacted instinctively, drawing their own blasters even though they were uncertain where they should be pointing them.
Panga resisted drawing her own blaster and instead turned to face Kit. With her hands raised in the air, she lowered one hand down to lift the visor on her mask so she could look Kit directly in the eye. She responded acidly, "Oh, how about, none of this was my fault?"
Kit spat. "We would never have had to go to Nal Hutta if it wasn't for you. Leia would still be alive if it wasn't for you."
The security guard nearest her gasped at Kit's comment about Leia, and inwardly Kit winced as she realized that word must not have reached the Resistance yet. The wince was not enough to mute her anger, though, and she continued to hold her blaster in Panga's face.
"Oh, you mean, because I followed Rotta the Hutt's orders to capture Krax under the penalty of spending the rest of my life encased in carbonite, this is all my fault?"
Kit faltered. She had forgotten that Panga Meesh had been a slave. Looking into the woman's eyes, which Kit noted were remarkably young and painfully experienced, she felt the first flicker of empathy.
"You could have walked away," Kit said, but with a bit less certainty than before. She turned to the left and noticed that dozens of people had left the command center, including Akeyla Ismaren and Admiral Ackbar.
"Spoken like the entitled niece of a Republic Admiral," Panga spat.
The insult piqued Kit's rage again, and she stepped forward, pointing her blaster between Panga's eyes. Panga did not flinch, instead staring directly into Kit's eyes, daring her to do it.
"Katraine Antilles!" called an angry female voice, and Kit looked toward Akeyla Ismaren, who strode furiously toward their location.
"Go ahead. Blow my head off in front of high society," Panga dared, her voice a whisper and her eyes narrowed.
As Akeyla approached, Kit reluctantly lowered her weapon and placed it back in her holster. Akeyla reached Kit, and after giving Panga Meesh an appraising glance, she asked angrily, "Kit, what is the meaning of this?"
Kit started to stutter an explanation, but Akeyla was not listening. She was looking toward the Aldera as if waiting for Leia to emerge. She held a hand up to stop Kit's attempt to explain, and she asked, "Where is Leia?"
Kit's heart sunk as she met Akeyla's gaze. Akeyla could read the sorrow in her eyes, and suddenly, she appeared unsteady and faint. Kit spoke aloud to confirm, "She's dead."
Akeyla's footing gave way, and she sank to the ground. Kit dropped down to her, putting her hands on her shoulders as Akeyla broke into sobs. Dozens of Resistance leaders, techs, soldiers, and pilots gathered around as the whispered news spread through their ranks like wildfire. A wave of collective horror washed over the assembled Resistance as the understanding that their leader was murdered on Nal Hutta, possibly by her own son, sank in.
The Resistance leadership had returned to the command center, where everybody sat expectantly waiting for the Supreme Chancellor to address the Galactic Senate. The center was a semi-circular auditorium hewn out of stone with arching stone benches rising to the top of the room. A large viewscreen had been set up in the front of the auditorium, and it displayed a view of the Senate Chamber as the Chancellor's address approached. Kit looked around to find Jax, who was sitting alone near the top of the auditorium, his head in his hands. From the shaking of his body, Kit could tell he was crying. She could not blame him; Leia had helped him discover the ways of the Force, along with Cere Junda, Zhey'la, and Kira. Now Leia, Cere, and Zhey'la were dead, and there was still no sign of Kira. All four of the women had shown him meaning and purpose that he had never known with the Order of Ren, and now he was alone, bereft of his friends, an alien whom most in the Resistance still mistrusted thanks to his blue skin, red eyes, and black-blue hair.
Admiral Ackbar sat silently in the front row of the semicircular arrangement of stone benches that rose to the back of the circular amphitheater. His expression inscrutable, he appeared lost in thought. Akeyla Ismaren was huddled together with General Madine and a Rodian commander whom she did not recognize. She had stopped crying, but she looked thirty years older now that command of the Resistance had fallen to her by default. The one face that Kit could not find was Kira's, and she scanned the room in hopes of seeing her emerge from a corridor, grim but determined even though Resistance communications officers had told her moments ago that there had been no word back from her since she jumped into hyperspace.
The conversation was muted and strained, and Kit herself kept slipping into and out of ruminations as she continued to try to understand – or at least to figure out where to place her anger and frustration at their failure. The large viewscreen in the front of the auditorium shifted from a the wide view of the chamber to the Senate Speaker, who announced, "Gentlepersons of the Galactic Republic, I present Supreme Chancellor Bolsko." A muted, ambivalent applause followed as the bloated human Chancellor waddled forward to the speaker's podium dressed in purple and black robes that looked far too ornate and garish for a man of his crude stature. He reached the podium and scowled slightly at his tepid response before recovering with a toothy, insincere smile.
"Ladies, gentlemen, species of all genders, I come before you tonight to deliver a special address about monumental news that has just been reported to me by Secretary of Security Specks. This morning at 7:13 am Coruscant Standard Time, a quartet of Jedi approached the planet Nal Hutta where Leia Organa and Kira Palpatine were reported to be liaising with the Hutt Crime Syndicate. Details are still emerging, but we believe that the Jedi confronted Leia Organa, and after Organa killed three of the Jedi, her son, the Jedi Ben Solo, killed her in self-defense."
Kit looked around at the faces in the room. Many of them appeared horrified; some appeared disbelieving; others appeared angry. As Bolsko paused for a reaction, she registered his claim that Leia had killed the Jedi – the same Leia who had spent the last year insisting that the Resistance would never fire the first shot in anger. This explanation was unbelievable, but as Kira was not there to explain what she knew, it was the only explanation they had. She looked up toward Jax, and she could see anger in his face.
Bolsko continued his speech, "This news marks a fatal blow to the terrorist organization that has called itself the "Resistance." Their lies have spread chaos and disruption throughout the galaxy, but without their leader, we predict that they will soon become a disorganized rabble that we will quickly bring to justice!"
Bolsko proclamation was met with a mixed response. The camera panned to various prominent senators. Some of them, including the senators from Kuat, Coruscant, and Bilbringi appeared celebratory. Others, such as Akeyla Ismaren's successors representing New Alderaan, the new Wookie senator, and the Mandalorian delegation, appeared taciturn. The Mandalorians were conferring quietly among themselves, barely paying attention to the Chancellor's speech.
Bolsko paused, his angry gaze offering a rebuke to those who were not cheering his news. He recovered his poise and continued his speech. "The Resistance has been a symptom of a terrible divide within the galaxy. We have fought each other, brother on brother, because of one woman's delusions. I wish for this conflict to end; for friends to cease being enemies; for wounds to heal, and for fences to mend. I extend an offer of leniency to Resistance leaders; surrender now, abandon your cause, and we will forgive you. Continue to resist" Bolsko emphasized this word with a note of derision, "and you will give us no choice but to bring you to justice – one way or another."
Another mixed wave of response from the Senate erupted with cheers clashing against jeers. Kit looked toward Akeyla Ismaren. She respected the former Senator, and she knew that she was Leia's handpicked political successor. Akeyla had represented Alderaanians faithfully, having helped secure a new world for resettlement, and her support of Leia within the Resistance had been beyond reproach. However, as Kit regarded her, she thought she could see regret, misgiving, hesitancy, and a lack of resolve. Kit's suspicion grew that Akeyla might accede to Bolsko's demands.
"I again implore the leaders of the Resistance: abandon this folly and allow our galaxy to heal from the wounds of the past. Together we can forge a future full of peace and. . ."
Bolsko's speech cut-out mid-sentence as Akeyla Ismaren disconnected the power to the screen. The entire room sat silent, looking to her to see what decision she would make. Every person in the room had fought to reveal the truth for nearly a year, and dejected and discouraged though they were about the recent news, Kit did not believe that a single one of them was ready to capitulate to a corrupt Chancellor whom they all believed was colluding with the Order of Ren. Akeyla stared at the blank screen for a long moment without saying anything, then she turned to the audience. Her gaze scanned every face in the room as if attempting to read the will of the collected Resistance.
Finally, with a grim expression on her face, she spoke. "Friends. Allies. Fellow mourners. We have lost our light and our leader. It now falls to me to guide our movement, and I say to you now that I have no intention of surrendering."
Kit noted that in happier circumstances, those words might have elicited a cheer. Instead, the collected Resistance personnel seemed to mirror back Akeyla Ismaren's grim determination. A muted sense of pride and relief filled Kit at Akeyla's refusal to back down. She continued, saying, "The news of Leia Organa's death will fracture some of our alliances. It now becomes imperative that we bolster the strength of our connections and friendships. Dark days lie ahead, as the Republic has now shown it will not hesitate to draw blood. We must adjust our strategies considering the new challenges emerging."
Kit's impulse to speak out rose as Akeyla spoke, and as Akeyla finished, Kit found herself wondering whether she was going to address the bantha in the room. When Akeyla appeared to have finished her speech, Kit could no longer bite her tongue. She called out, "And what about the decrypted information that we're sitting on?" Every eye in the room, including Akeyla Ismaren's, turned toward Kit. Some people looked surprised. Some frowned. A handful of folks nodded. Kit, feeling slightly embarrassed but no less emboldened, added, "You know, since Leia just gave her life in attempt to decode it."
Akeyla Ismaren's expression was inscrutable, and after a moment, she spoke into the silent room, "I will be happy to discuss your concerns in private, Katraine."
Kit noted the formal use of her name with a jolt of irritation. Frowning, she called back, "Great. Let's do it."
Akeyla stifled a sigh, trying her best not to show her own frustration, and upon a quick recovery, she dismissed the gathered audience. Kit waited patiently as the assorted officers, techs, pilots, and diplomats filed out of the room, watching as Akeyla shared condolences and encouragement with various officers who passed. Kit glanced up to the top of the auditorium to see Jax still lost in thought. Panga Meesh lurked in the background, although Kit had not noticed her at first since she had shed her armor. Kit was surprised at how young she looked, and she guessed her age at fourteen, possibly fifteen. Panga made eye contact, and Kit could not read her expression. Panga broke eye contact first as she turned to leave the auditorium.
Finally, the crowd had thinned out, leaving only a few stragglers, including Jax, who still seemed lost in thought. Kit descended from her seat to the center of the auditorium where Akeyla stood waiting. When Kit reached her, Akeyla folded her hands in front of her waist in a gesture that reminded Kit a lot of Leia. Kit read the frustrated expression on Akeyla's face, and she apologized preemptively, saying, "I'm sorry for my interruption. I know I spoke out of place. I just. . ."
Akeyla interrupted her, saying, "Kit, it's ok. I'm upset, too."
Kit was taken aback at Akeyla's understanding, and as she regained her bearings, Akeyla continued, "I also understand why you would like to prioritize decoding the transmissions that Leia received from the Chancellor's office."
"Yeah, Leia marked it as 'the most important thing,'" Kit concurred.
"Unfortunately, Kit, we have spent the last year trying to find an answer to decoding those transmissions. The effort has cost us resources and lives, including Leia, Zhey'la, Captain Rogers, and I regret to say, possibly even Kira's. We're now without Jedi," they both paused as they looked up at Jax. He looked down, listening to what they were saying, and Kit could tell the comment had hit him hard. Akeyla turned back to Kit and continued, "We're without our leader, and we're backed into a corner. I cannot in good conscience continue to pursue this blind alley." Akeyla finished patiently.
"So that's it? We spend a year trying to expose the truth, and now we're just going to drop it?" Kit asked, indignant.
"I understand that this will be difficult to accept, Kit, but we have to pursue another path," Akeyla said.
"Leia died to get this information out there!" Kit countered, her voice and anger rising.
"Yes, and we are no closer to decoding it; nor do we have any concrete idea of whether the information within the transmissions will be of any use. I will not waste any more time and resources. . ." Akeyla replied, but Kit interrupted.
"You can't be serious?!" Kit spat, indignantly.
Akeyla took a breath to calm some of her own frustration. Some of it showed through, and Kit realized that she was approaching a red line. Akeyla responded, "Yes, I am serious. You are looking for a magical solution to a complicated problem. I understand it will be hard to let go, but that is no longer our way forward."
Kit opened her mouth then closed it as several counter arguments were born, only to die on their way out her mouth. Finally, she said, "We haven't tried everything."
Akeyla rolled her eyes in frustration and turned to begin packing her belongings.
Kit persisted, saying, "No, listen. We've gone to all the places and people we could think of – except one."
Akeyla turned with her arms cradling a trio of datapads, "If you're suggesting we seek out Ben Solo, you can stop right there."
"Not Ben Solo – the Millennium Falcon. You and I both know it's got one of the best decryption capacities in the galaxy." Kit said, her excitement rising as she attempted to persuade.
"And it is currently in the possession of a powerful Jedi who may have just killed his own mother," Akeyla added, sadness and exhaustion tinging her voice.
"I don't buy it," Kit countered, her hands on her hips.
"That Ben killed his own mother?" Akeyla asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Yes," Kit said, then she added, "I got word from Kira that Leia wanted to talk to him. She said something about him feeling conflicted. And we know Ferrer Melso was there. Leia humiliated him on Kashyyyk. Darth Vader killed his parents. He's had it in for her ever since the Vader news dropped."
"Conjecture," Ismaren countered, but Kit was building up a head of steam.
"No way. I believe Ben was listening to what she had to say, and when it wasn't going Melso's way, Melso killed her. Then Ben killed the Jedi out of revenge." Kit concluded excitedly.
"This is far-fetched," Akeyla responded, then she added, "But even if you thought Ben might be receptive to helping us, how do you propose to find him?"
As soon as the words left Akeyla's mouth, she regretted having said them, as Kit was ready with a cocky smile and a raised eyebrow. Akeyla interpreted the smile and said, "No. Absolutely not."
"Why not? It's perfect?!" Kit asked in a frustrated, pleading tone.
"It's a terrible idea, and I won't hear another word," Akeyla countered as she gathered the last of her belongings and turned toward the exit of the auditorium.
"But Akeyla. . ." Kit began.
"Madame Ismaren, if you please. And the answer is no." Kit began to protest, but Akeyla interjected immediately. "Unequivocally no." Akeyla said with a tone of adamant finality. She stalked out of the room, leaving Kit alone in the center of the auditorium. She looked up to the benches above expecting to see Jax brooding silently, but his seat was vacant. She scanned the rest of the room, but she saw no sign of him. With every second elapsed from Leia's death, everything was unraveling bit by bit. First Leia, then the mission, now Akeyla's recalcitrance. Her mind drifted back to Akeyla's comment about being "without Jedi," and she thought to herself, I really don't have time for this. Exhaling through gritted teeth, Kit set off to track Jax down.
