Jaina found it quite disturbing to see how many similarities there were between Luzaya and her mother. The same height, the same figure, the same face, almost. But contrary to pretty, flirtatious Luzaya, Empress Yana Dar was a stern-looking woman with bright blue eyes and a shock of very curly hair with a lot of white strands mixed into the original blonde. Dressed in loose-fitting breeches and a black blouse, she still exuded a lot of power, and Jaina could see that her brother was having some difficulty keeping his composure as he reported the most recent happenings on Bakura and what they might mean for Luzaya.

"That I all I can tell you so far, Your Majesty," he was just saying, twiddling his thumbs nervously. "She's vanished, and both the NRI and Bakuran Security are looking for her."

"What about her bodyguard?" Yana Dar inquired, her surprisingly deep voice remarkably calm. "Did he vanish along with her?"

Jacen nodded. "Yes." He hesitated, obviously hesitant to spin his own thoughts further.

"What more can you tell me?" the Empress pressed him gently, and gave an encouraging nod. "Are there any hints, trails to follow?"

"Security found a number of bodies at the site of the accident. They are currently busy identifying those. That is all I can say," he repeated and shrugged helplessly. "I am sorry. I wish there were more I could give you. More information, some hope."

A brief smile appeared on the Empress' lips. "I appreciate your concern, Jacen Solo," she declared gravely. "And I appreciate your willingness to investigate this matter. But, please, I know that your assignment was a directive given by the Council of Naboo. I would ask you to wait for instructions from Naboo, before you act. And, if you can, keep me posted on happenings on Bakura. That is all. Again, thank you." And with a final nod of her head the connection to Byss broke.


Immediately Jacen spun around to face his sister, who had been witnessing the exchange seated outside of the transmission field of the holoproj. "What do you say?" he asked, his eyes betraying his earnest concern. "How did she take it?"

"You tell me," Jaina mumbled. "You're better at reading emotions than I am," she added softly.

"I am not sure whether she's coping as well as she wants to make us believe."

"We're strangers to her. She would not lay her emotions bare before us," Jaina cautioned him.

"Strangers?" He paused, seemingly thoughtful. "Yes. I guess we are that. But she trusts the truth of our words, doesn't she?"

"Possibly. She asked after Mahel, did you notice?"

Jacen nodded mutely, then went to join his sister. "Perhaps," he began slowly, "she knows something we don't. If Luzaya has been kidnapped, would the kidnappers not have killed her bodyguard? And what if it was Mahel himself who kidnapped her? What if this conspiracy that threatens Franzis Sarreti was spun by some Yuuzhan Vong malcontents?"

"And he is part of that conspiracy?" Jaina shook her head firmly. "No, I don't think so. Naas Deron would never have approved of that, and he would have known, I am certain of that."

"Now you trust a Sith?" Jacen snorted. "He's Cor'dan. Deception is second nature to them."

She gave her brother a very cool look. "Grandfather is not like that;" she chided him. "And you don't know Deron at all. How can you judge him like that?"

"Because I know I am right," he snapped, angry. "I've heard the stories. He's not a very nice person."

"Neither was Grandfather," she reminded him. "For a time."

"Are you really trying to compare them with each other?" he exclaimed, then threw his hands up in disgust. "You're generalising, Jaina. I say we treat Mahel as suspect, just as we treat any other suspicious person as such. And if he somehow survived the attack and brought her into safety, he'll check back with the empress soon, I'm sure. Until then, we should try our best to find out what is really going on."

"Yes," she answered grimly. "Let's. I suggest we contact Mother at once. And Grandfather."

Anakin Skywalker was not a happy man. In fact, he was even worse than unhappy. He was furious. Which, considering the circumstances, was to be regretted. It had been only this morning that Nuron and her son Khameir had arrived on board the Millennium Falcon along with Han. His daughter-in-law, her golden eyes earnest as ever, had for once lost her composure, when her little daughter had welcomed her to Naboo. It had been a heart-warming sight, watching the fierce Zabrak wrap Amerie in her arms, so much joy on her face. Both he and Padmé had been looking forward to enjoying a few quiet days with Luke's family, now that Leia had returned to Coruscant and Jacen and Jaina had shortened their vacation to take on a mission for the Council. But again fate had played a cruel trick upon them. It had been Al'than'erudo who had brought the bad news, in person, which had been even more worrisome than his unannounced visit.

And now, seated in front of his datapad, Anakin was scowling at the screen fiercely, busy synchronizing this new information with the Seeker's extensive database. The program was running as smoothly as ever, but still the former Dark Lord cursed it for being too slow to accommodate his impatience.

"Get moving, old man," he said under his breath, his fingertips dancing nervously on the flat surface of the table before him.

"Any progress?"

Turning his head he watched Padmé walk toward him, carrying a tray in both hands. Atop it sat a mug and a pitcher of something warm. "Tea," she explained, as if reading his mind. Which she probably had. Long years of marriage could do that to wives. And husbands, for that matter.

"You're as worried as I am," Anakin stated, "but you don't have to deal with this mess. Thanks," he added, as she sat the tray down beside the screen.

One hand propped on her hip, Padmé regarded him steadily for a while, then sat on a chair beside the table. "Worried?" she asked. "No. Furious. Annoyed. I am certain that Yana will be able to deal with this filth."

"I hope so," her husband replied gloomily. "But the Seeker predicts trouble for the Empire. I have a feeling that this is the spark."

"Bad publicity?" Padmé smiled. "It would not be the first time she'd have to deal with criticism."

"True," he agreed. "But still –"


The chime of his commlink interrupted his thoughts and as he picked it up he recognized the code immediately. It was Leia. "Dear, what is it? You've heard the news?" he asked without preamble.

"I have heard even worse," the princess answered, sounding very serious. "Jacen's just called. Luzaya has vanished, perhaps kidnapped."

Icy shock gushed his mind instantly. "Mahel?"

"Her bodyguard?" she asked. "He's gone too. You do not think that this is the beginning of what you told us, do you?"

"I cannot think of anything else," her father replied wearily. "I will be talking to the Council tonight, to come to a resolution. As Al'than'erudo said, this does not come entirely as a surprise to us. I wish it were not like that," he added softly.

Leia was silent for a while. Then she said, "Yana can deal with this, can't she? She's no weakling, and she has Franzis and Deron to aid her."

"Deron might not do anything at all. I am not certain what will happen," Anakin sighed. "Worse, though, is that this will sully the Council's reputation and might sever what bonds to the Empire we do retain. Yana could take this as an insult, when she hears where this information comes from."

"And Luke has travelled into her realm," Leia continued his thoughts unbidden. "She would not dare harm him, would she?"

Anakin shook his head, noticing his wife's concerned face out of the corner of his eye. Suddenly another thought struck him. "Jacen hasn't informed Yana of Luzaya's disappearance, has he?"

"I think he said he did inform her, first thing he did," Leia replied hesitantly. "Why?"

"Oh my stars," the former Cor'dan groaned. "That's like pouring oil into the flame. She's angry enough as it is!"

"Father," the princess interrupted him, "we have to do something. Quickly. Where will you be sending Jacen and Jaina  next?"

"That is not my decision," he explained. "Al'than'erudo will decide. Tonight, if I am any judge. But, Leia, do you understand that this is the time for you to prove your commitment? You must make your stance clear, even in the Senate. Especially in the Senate."

"I know," she said. "Send Han back to me. I'll need him. We'll talk again soon. Give Mother a kiss from me, all right?"

"Right," he whispered, as she disconnected the call.

Padmé shared her husband's feelings on current matters fully. But there was too little she could see they could do! At noon today Coruscant time the anti-Imperial faction of the New Republic Senate had dropped the bomb on Yana Dar in the shape of a well-founded report.

A report that had been in part supported by findings gained in co-operation with the Council of Naboo. Senator Nah Ry'ley of Bothawui had presented the report right after the discussion on Kashyyk's proposal for increased border patrols towards Imperial Space. He had claimed that recent findings on the world N'zoth had yielded new insight on Yana Dar's motivations during the war against the Yuuzhan Vong.

These findings, the senator had explained, were reliable proof of an alliance between Roj Kell and Yana's Yuuzhan Vong masters. He had gone on to describe how the genocide of the Yevetha had lent immense power to the late Sith Lord and Cor'dan, and would have allowed him to single-handedly wipe out the entire New Republic fleet along with the Chiss. Only the valiant deeds of Luke Skywalker on Laa'kuan had prevented that from happening. And, to make things worse, Ry'ley had also revealed Mahel Sivaraya's true identity. The son of the dreaded Yuuzhan Vong warmaster Marayl Carr as protector of the Empire's heiress? Unbelievable! The senator had reminded the entire assembly of Yana Dar's captivity on Marayl Carr's worldship, her legendary fight against Overlord Shimmra and the peaceful conquest of the Yuuzhan Vong. All that, he had said, would not have been possible if Yana Dar had not been herself in league with the Yuuzhan Vong. Why else would she have been so forgiving toward her so-called tormentors? Why else would she have proposed integrating these butchers into the galactic community? The benefit was theirs, not hers, evidently.

It was a right mess.

And with what Anakin had revealed about his own visions concerning the future, things did not bode well for the Sith Empress. Raising her head wearily, Padmé gazed at her husband, who was looking thoughtfully into the distance. He was preoccupied with the news, she knew, and she dearly hoped that he would find a solution, along with Thrawn and Tomas and Al'than'erudo. The Council had to weather this crisis, or it would lose what influence it had gained over the past twenty years.

Then the door opened almost noiselessly, admitting Nuron into the room. The Zabrak warrior looked disturbed. She, too, had heard the news and understood its meaning. Naturally, she was worried for her husband now, as much as for the peace they had all fought so hard to achieve.

"Anything new?" she asked quietly, coming closer.

"No," Anakin replied, before Padmé could say a word. "But you should contact Luke and warn him. He must be careful. In fact, it might be best if he were to return."

"What about his mission?" Nuron asked. "What about Deron? We should not leave him unobserved, especially not now."

"True," the former Dark Lord conceded with a nod. "Still, a warning will be in order. And you should accompany us tonight."

"I won't be staying;" she said then, surprising even Padmé.

"Do you truly want to go to Ordesha?" Padmé asked, rising from her seat.

"Plawal's exploited our findings, Luke's and mine," the Zabrak explained. "I will confront him about this, and about his superiors. I knew there was something suspicious about him," she added, wrinkling her nose delicately. "Besides, I want to tell him he's been wrong. You have the Seeker's translation ready?" she continued, addressing Anakin.

He nodded again, then sat up with a sigh. "Yes. The fragments you gave me do not make much sense, if one does not know enough about the Cor'dan. I do know a lot. It's some sort of prophecy, I would say. And it bears similarities to the messages scrawled into the labyrinth on Laa'kuan."

"Can I see the translation?" Nuron asked, stepping forward to join him.

"Of course. Here."

Nuron bent over Anakin's shoulder to peer at the screen in front of him. As she read the words aloud, her forehead crinkled into an ever deeper frown, and Padmé could understand why perfectly. She had read the translation herself too, after all. And it had frightened her.

"The flow of events follows the current of life into death and beyond. But changes are inevitable. Changes in ourselves, our cultures, our dreams and nightmares. But what was taken shall be returned, what was given shall not be reclaimed, what was broken will not be mended. This is not the way. Balance is a matter of give and take, and life punishes those who take too much, even their own lives, for we are one, all of us, and responsible for life as well as death. To bring light into darkness, and darkness into light, is to achieve balance, just as bringing life into death and death into life is balance. Therefore justice is a matter of perspective, when all you can rely on is yourself. To rely only on oneself means to have the dedication, the patience, to carry out a duty we shoulder ourselves. I am guide and guardian, but a teacher no longer. Guided I have this galaxy for as long as I live, and guarded the Heart of Darkness for as long as I could. Now, though, I need to shed this mortal shell. It is a sacrifice I will make gladly. I am tired of this existence after all. Who would have thought? Perhaps my dedication is not all that strong. Sacrifices are made to ensure the future, and weakness must be countered with strength, even if that prowess is only of short endurance. It is like a lever that needs a weight to be able to move anything at all. I will begin the leverage here, on this world. These creatures are beneath me, as bad as the Ju Vong in their stupid little world of death. And they will challenge the stars too, if given leave. Will the stars be able to thwart the attack, so soon after this invasion? I doubt it. Better to take their life now than have them take the lives of those around them. Life means nothing to these creatures, and it means everything to me. But what I take today will be returned when I die. Balance will be restored, for a while. And yet, we have to move further. Changes will come again and again. Will we be prepared? Does it matter if we are? What will survive is what we all are. Life and death, shadow and light. Am I selfish in my belief that individuals do not count at all? I hope not. And yet, I can sense the future. I know that we will survive and be reborn. I know that we will become one at last. Until then, all that is left for me is to release this spirit into death. It cannot be set free alive."

"What does he mean by that?" Nuron asked, scowling.

Turning his head to look at her, Anakin shrugged. "I am not certain."

"What spirit cannot be released alive? Kell's? Why?"

"As I said. I have no idea. Go to Ordesha. Find out what you can about the Jen-People," he continued. "It may be worth a try:" Anakin threw a look at his wrist-chrono, then rose slowly from his seat. "We should get ready for the meeting. Anja will be taking care of the children, won't she?" he asked his wife.

Padmé nodded, then looked over at Nuron. "Certainly. Though I trust Khameir to be able to look out for himself, of course. He's grown so much!"

"That he has," Nuron agreed proudly. "But he's also still a child. A mischievous one at that. If Anja is willing to keep watch over those two, I shall be grateful."

Smiling, Padmé turned away to alert her former secretary of what duties were awaiting her for tonight. Amerie was easy enough to handle, but Khameir truly was a teenager, and he was testing his limits whenever he was out of his parents' sight.



Khameir was just a little bit angry at his mother for having left him behind at Varykino, to be watched over by a baby-sitter, as if he were still six years old, like Amerie! And Anja Dumilor, grandmother's former secretary and good friend, had sent him to bed far earlier than he was accustomed to. But she had insisted that he would be leaving on a strenuous journey tomorrow and needed his rest. Ordesha! Eyes gleaming, Khameir had to admit to himself that sleeping truly was not an option while the glittering promise of excitement hung in his dream-filled head like the mythical name of that world, Os'jen'thana. The home planet of the Jen-People, a Sith clan that had perished millennia ago in a crusade of the ancient Jedi Order against its sworn enemies, promised secrets to discover and lots of adventure. Mother had explained to him that her sole reason to travel there was to confront one Doctor Plawal, who had exploited hers and Father's findings on N'zoth to discredit the Sith Empire. Wrongly so, as she had claimed.

Khameir wondered about that. Wouldn't their siding with the Sith Empire disturb the Council's relations to the New Republic further? Was that why his mother had decided to go to Ordesha alone, without any official backing? His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his room's door opening, and he sat up abruptly, only to see the small shadowy outline of his sister amble into the room. Amerie's presence was filled with affection and fear both, and Khameir smiled as the little girl scrambled up to join him on his bed. Wrapping her carefully in his arms he pressed a kiss on her forehead and  asked, "Afraid?"

Amerie gave a foolish giggle and dived underneath his bed-cover, wrapping herself into it like in a tight cocoon. Sighing, her older brother decided to leave her in her hiding place, if she wished it. He drew his knees to his chest and slung his arms around his legs thoughtfully, waiting for her to tell him what was bothering her. Finally, her golden eyes became visible from beneath the cover as she peeked out at him in the darkness, and she whispered, "Is Papa all right?"

"I hope so," Khameir replied, then leaned his back against the wall behind him. "Why do you ask?"

Immediately, Amerie left her cover to kneel before him, her young face beaming with worry. "The bone queen is looking for you, Khammy," she confessed, frightening her brother immensely.

"What bone queen?" he asked, his breathing becoming ragged. "Why is she looking for me?"

"I don't know," his little sister admitted, casting her eyes down awkwardly. "I'm afraid for you."

"Is she waiting on Ordesha?" he asked, and Amerie gave a tiny nod. Shivering in the darkness, Khameir felt suddenly very young himself. He envisioned some ugly hag of a witch, cackling with laughter and tormenting him. But why? What did she want? Contrary to his parents Khameir never doubted the truth of his sister's dreams and visions. Not since she had predicted that he would share his first kiss with a girl on a windy afternoon on Bilbringi. She had been right, and he, merely twelve years old, had been suitably impressed. "How does she look like?" he asked then, his voice very quiet.

Amerie was immediately roused to the challenge of telling a grand tale, and began to explain with wide gestures and a tone that befitted that of much older story-teller. She was gifted in that too, but so far only her brother had been made witness to those outbursts of creative energy. "She was very tall, a human woman, I think, with black hair that was wild with a storm. It was raining, I think," she added, pursing her lips thoughtfully. Khameir almost smiled at her innocent expression, but then she continued. "She had many necklaces of bones around her neck, and bracelets made of bone too."

"Which was why you named her the bone queen," her brother supplied helpfully.

She gave a gleeful nod. "And then she called your name. Only very funnily, because she called you Naghasan Khameir Sarin-Skywalker."

"Naghasan? Defender?" Khameir repeated, stunned. This was ancient Sith dialect, taught to him by his mother when he had been a little older than Amerie was now. "Why?" he said, confused.

Amerie shook her head with an indifferent shrug. "I don't know."

Khameir's blue eyes narrowed suspiciously, "And why do you think you should be worried?"

Leaning closer, Amerie cupped her hands around her mouth, the way she liked to do when telling a secret, or something she thought very important, "Because she said that she would possess you. And then the other bone ghost came and joined her."

"What other bone ghost?" her brother asked, his fear returning.

"A little boy with braids. He was waving at me."

This time Khameir burst out laughing. "A boy? Amerie! Aren't you a little too young to fall in love?"

Crossing her arms over her chest and pushing her chin down toward her breastbone, Amerie glared at him angrily. "You don't believe me," she accused him.

"But I do," he assured her, patting her hair affectionately. "I'll be careful, okay?"

" 'kay," she sighed, then snuggled against him.

Suddenly the door opened again and Anja Dumilor glared at both of them. Khameir almost suffered a heart-attack at the unexpected visit, then mumbled, "Uhm, can she stay here? I haven't seen her for so long, please?"

"Of course," the woman told him, then closed the door again.

"Sleep tight," he told little Amerie, and found her golden eyes gazing up at him intently. "What? What is it?"

"Khammy," she said quietly, "I want you to come back all right."

The meeting that night in Theed's royal palace was a somber one. The Council representatives of the five member states had come to the audience chamber even earlier  than planned, betraying their anxiety. But Al'than'erudo, to whom it fell to guide them through this crisis, was as calm as ever. He had anticipated most of what had occurred, thanks to the Seeker and his own analytical abilities. The Chiss made his way across the chamber in silence, seemingly preoccupied and not glancing at anyone assembled in this room to hear his decision. But he was aware of every one of them. There was Ishare Luvo, the Lappa warlord turned ambassador, whose presence was a barely contained fire of suppressed agitation. Al'than'erudo could image how helpless the Lappa male felt. This was not a situation that could be solved with armed forces. Next to him sat Mith'raw'noruodo, representing the Chiss Empire. The former Grand Admiral had undoubtedly already found at least seven possibilities of how to deal with this crisis, but he was keeping his silence, waiting for his younger brethren to voice his opinion first. In truth, Al'than'erudo feared Mith'raw'noruodo's cutting remarks more than anything else today.

Taking his seat at last, he turned to face the Council and continued his assessment. Tomas Piett, the former President of the Confederate Zone and one of the best diplomats present here, did not seem overly flustered by what had occurred. His presence and manner were calm, but Al'than'erudo saw Tomas shoot a fleeting glance to his left, to where Mon Mothma was seated, looking tight-mouthed and grim. As representative of the New Republic she would have the hardest task of them all, once they had come to a decision and it was time to present it to the New Republic Senate. Obviously, she knew that all too well. But she would not be alone in her quest. Bred Antham, representative of the Sith Empire and among the Council the one with next to no diplomatic experience, would travel with her.

The Council session today featured three guests. Apart from Anakin Skywalker and his wife, Al'than'erudo's predecessor as Head of the Council, Nuron Sarin-Skywalker had joined them to provide first-hand impressions of what had been presented to the Senate as proof of past crimes that supposedly involved even the Empress Yana Dar. And it was she who was given first opportunity to speak. Nodding at the Zabrak, Al'than'erudo said, "Nuron, we all are aware of what accusations have been offered against the Sith Empire. How much of that can you confirm, if at all?"

Golden eyes unfathomable, she raised her chin in a defiant gesture, and for a moment a flash of anger crossed her mind, making the Chiss wonder. "We accompanied the team of Doctor Plawal of the Sotax Environmental Research Centre to N'zoth," she began, "where he was to investigate the demise of the system's inhabitants, the Yevetha. As is common knowledge, the New Republic had known of this wipe-out for quite a while now, but could not spare the resources to conduct an official investigation. Which was why this private organisation stepped in, according to Plawal. What we found on N'zoth were mass graves, a few dozen of them, and no survivors. This did not come as much of a surprise, but another discovery made us re-evaluate our findings. We first assumed that the man who destroyed the Yevetha, and we are a hundred percent certain that it was indeed Roj Kell, had used their life energies, harvested from their deaths, to power the labyrinth on Laa'kuan. He hinted at that when he spoke to my husband shortly before his death on said world. Yet other evidence speaks against this conclusion. Roj Kell was Cor'dan at the time of his death. And another Cor'dan, his successor Anakin Skywalker, was able to use Laa'kuan's labyrinth without first committing genocide. So there had to have been another purpose behind this deed." Nuron nodded at the assembly, then continued, "I have sent a document to all of you previous to this meeting to study. I would like to discuss that one now, with your permission, Al'than'erudo."

"Certainly. The document is, after all, the crucial factor. If I am informed correctly, this Doctor Plawal claims that it is proof of his conclusion." He activated the holoproj set into the middle of the floor, and a 3D image appeared that allowed every one of the representatives to read the document.

"As you can see," Nuron said, "the first few lines are composed from the philosophy that permeates the Cor'dan's very existence. We know that the Cor'dan is chosen by his predecessor, who has become a tool of the Force when he or she pledged him – or herself to serving as Cor'dan. With Lord Skywalker's help I was able to bring a bit of more sense into the fourth line. Kell speaks here of something taken that will be returned, something given that shall not be reclaimed and something broken that will not be mended." She flashed them a quick smile. "We all know that the late Lord Kell revelled in talking in riddles. But he always left us clues to follow and use to decipher the meaning of his words. The same here. I had no knowledge of this, but Lord Skywalker does. Therefore I suggest he explain this to us."

Her father-in-law gave her an appreciative nod, then rose from his seat to take the floor. "To understand this document one has to understand the nature of the Cor'dan. Becoming Cor'dan means becoming a tool, a shelter, if you will, for the Heart of Darkness. It means giving up part of one self and becoming part of something grander. Certain choices cannot be influenced by the individual. Others can be influenced. This is, by the way, the reason why Naas Deron warned the Council of his future actions. He fears that the choice will not be his, and that he will be endangering innocents. Roj Kell, now, was the oldest Cor'dan ever. I have found out another disturbing fact about the Cor'dan when I took the burden myself. It is disarmament. Because the Cor'dan is a tool for the Force he or she cannot have more power than the Force will grant. The innate surplus of Force-sensitivity will be cut off, a token, if you will, which is claimed for the time the chosen one fulfils the duties as Cor'dan."

"So the Cor'dan is not all powerful?" Mon Mothma asked, frowning.

"What I mean," Anakin Skywalker explained, "Is that not all Cor'dan were Force-sensitive. When they were not, this measure was unnecessary, but when they had the potential, they became a danger to the Force itself, due to the intimate connection shared. Too much damage could have been inflicted, had the Cor'dan retained his or her innate power. I do not know how powerful Roj Kell had been before he became Cor'dan. But I believe that this is what he refers to when he states that was given shall not be reclaimed. He knew he was going to die, so he had no use of his innate power in this life. There might have been another reason for this decision, since he later claims, and he does sound as if he were not himself, that his spirit cannot be set free alive, but only be released into death."

It was Mith'raw'noruodo who spoke then, "But how does that help us solve this crisis? It is still a confession on his part. What I find more interesting is the reference to the Jen Motha, the Yuuzhan Vong. He claims to despise them as much as he does despise the Yevetha, but he decided to spare the one and destroy the other. Given what we know about the connection between the Yuuzhan Vong and the ancient Sith Doctor Pawal's conclusion is logical. Roj Kell decided to spare the Yuuzhan Vong, undoubtedly to strengthen the Empire, which later became the Sith Empire, against the New Republic and her allies. He also knew that the Yevetha would one day also challenge the might of the galaxy's dominating powers, and he wanted to prevent that from happening. The only question that remains is whether Yana Dar was aware of that or not. And if she was not aware, how to prove it." A slow smile spread on his lips as he added, "Roj Kell is dead, and we should leave him that way."

"Well spoken," Al'than'erudo injected then. "Lord Skywalker, Nuron, your information is certainly valuable, but it does not gain us any advantage. We need something that will convince the Senate of ceasing this witch-hunt. Only today news reached me that propose sanctions against the Sith Empire. Which would be only a formal threat on part of the New Republic, since The Chiss will not break their ties with the Sith Empire. So this proposed isolation of the Empire is really a self-isolation of the New Republic. And we can all guess what this will spark in the end. The New Republic will resort to more than threats against the Empire. Unless we can prove that the faction that accuses Yana Dar of sanctioning genocide and oppressing her people is wrong. Which brings us to you, Bred," he continued, "is it true that the Empress had prominent citizens of the Empire imprisoned and questioned?"

Antham almost jumped from his seat at being so suddenly spoken to. But after a moment he answered, "Yes, that is true, but the New Republic news agencies failed to mention that this measure occurred after the murder of the head of the Yun-Harla sect, Elu Cha. The Empress had the heads of all other sects seized and imprisoned."

"You are saying that solely Yuuzhan Vong citizens have been subjected to this measure?" Mon Mothma asked. "That reeks of an attempt at placating the New Republic."

"It might be interpreted that way, but as we can see, whoever is trying to discredit the Empress did not think that far ahead. Else they would have used this in their favour," Padmé Naberrie mused aloud, "So what are they really after? I believe what they are trying to do is not to discredit the Empire itself, but only its ruler."

"And to what end?" Tomas Piett asked then. "To replace her? But who should succeed her? There is no successor safe for Luzaya Dan. And she has vanished on Bakura – " he stopped himself, a look of horror spreading on his features. "Along with her bodyguard, the late warmaster's youngest son," he finished weakly.

"If you cannot conquer a people with arms, conquer it with words," Mith'raw'noruodo quoted solemnly. "They will be attempting a coup, and use the Yuuzhan Vong as scapegoats. Which means we will have to intervene on behalf of the Yuuzhan Vong citizens." The Chiss turned his head to gaze at Anakin Skywalker, "Which would explain Naas Deron's letter. He might be forced to defend the Yuuzhan Vong against the other Imperial citizens by force"

"So, what do we do?" Ishare Luva snapped, his black eyes glittering. "Send Mon Mothma and Bred Antham on a futile mission to Coruscant? Or assemble a fleet in the Unknown Regions to be able to interfere?"

Al'than'erudo smiled then and rose from his seat. "We will be doing both," he announced, "and a few things besides. Nuron Sarin-Skywalker, you will be leaving on your mission to Ordesha as planned. Perhaps you can put Lord Skywalker's fears concerning Roj Kell to rest. Mith'raw'noruodo and Ishare Luvo, the two of you will assemble a fleet in the Unknown Regions and work out a plan of action. I know you have already begun, and would ask you to continue. Alas, you will have to do so without Lord Skywalker and Tomas Piett." He turned to look at the latter and said, "Lord Skywalker, since you are our expert on the Cor'dan, I would ask you to work with Mon Mothma and Bred Antham on the presentation they are to give to the New Republic Senate on Coruscant. Tomas, I want you to return to Bilbringi and enlist the support of the Confederate Zone for our plans. President Zickorey will listen to you, I am sure."

"What about me? Padmé Naberrie asked then, sounding amused.

Al'than'erudo took a deep breath. "You know Yana Dar very well. Talk to her. Find out her intentions, her fears, everything you can. We need her to keep a cool head now. Will you do that?"

She gave a hesitant nod, seemingly stunned at his desperate words. "I will do my best."

"That I expect of all of you," the Head of the Council added casually. "All right, then. Let's get to work."

TBC