My sincerest apologies for the delay in updates. Aside from DRL, I was busy finishing up my other fic Inquest so I could focus solely on this fic as it too draws near its conclusion. Thanks for your patience and hope you all enjoy. Also, I will forgo this time individual responses so I can get this posted. Thanks again to all who commented on the last chapter and who are reading and or lurking. Enjoy!


"Thank you, Sub Commander Antilia," Amidala said with a hint of a smile. "We appreciate your candor and will contact you when we reach a decision."

The heavily decorated officer clicked his heels together before spinning around to depart the room. The Queen wearily turned towards her handmaidens, as well as General Panaka. "Is the entire galaxy filled with nothing but warmongers?"

He sighed deeply, but before he could respond, Dormé approached the throne. "Your Majesty, we must remember that most off-worlders do not share our views concerning peace."

"But we must also consider that having an army should entail us to modify our preconceptions as well," Cordé retorted.

The Queen flashed a quick grin at her cousin before looking over at Eirtaé. "What do you think?"

She deeply sighed. "I believe we all share both perspectives."

As Amidala was about to speak with Panaka, his comlink chimed. "Sorry to disturb you, General."

"It's quite alright, Rabé. What is it?"

"There is a woman here who is not scheduled to meet with the Queen. She said that you know her and would allow her to speak."

He contorted his face. "What is her name?"

"General Ilianya Tro."

The normally stoned face Panaka grinned. "Send her in immediately."

"Who is she?" Amidala asked, arching an eyebrow.

Before he could respond, the large double doors leading into the throne room opened, revealing the darkly dressed woman. As she approached the throne, the Queen intently studied Ilianya's movements searching for any outwards clues about this stranger. When she reached the center of the room, she bowed in respect.

"Your Highness…I must apologize for my abrupt arrival. I only learned of Naboo's call a few days ago." Amidala tilted her head slightly forward. "Allow me to introduce myself; my name is General Ilianya Tro, until recently I served as military advisor to the Chiss Empire."

"The Chiss?" Amidala asked.

Panaka interrupted. "They are a militaristic race that lives beyond the Outer Rim, Your Majesty."

"Ah."

Ilianya smiled at him. "Hugh, it has been a long time."

He stared at her without response for several moments. "Yes…the years have been…extraordinarily kind to you."

Ilianya curtly nodded.

"You two know one another?" The Queen curiously asked

"The General was one of my instructors during my time on Corellia, Your Majesty."

Amidala momentarily furrowed her face as she observed the strange glance Panaka was shooting at the woman. Returning her attention to Ilianya, the Queen asked, "Could you share your background with us?"

If Ilianya could, she would have audibly sighed at Amidala's request. Since revealing the whole truth about herself was not an option, she would rely on the age old Jedi platitude of perspective. Everything she was about to say would be true, but of course she would neglect to mention when these events actually occurred. "Before I was employed by the Chiss, I was an instructor at the military academy on Corellia for several years. I was originally trained on Onderon where I helped to secure the planet and its moon from Mandalorian pirates." Ilianya paused to observe a doubtful look growing on the Queen's face. "I have also spent time with the Malastarian army and the Mon Calamari Navy serving in various capacities for each."

"That is quite an impressive list," Amidala remarked. "Though you do seem a bit…young to have accomplished so much."

Ilianya grinned at her. Unlike most royalty that she had previously encountered, this young woman was neither a fool nor corrupt. A brief touch upon her presence in the Force made Ilianya smile when she realized why the Force herself deemed Amidala so important. But as before, she would have to offer a plausible, but somewhat erroneous explanation. "I am from a planet that is…beyond Wild Space and whose name is unpronounceable in Basic. "And while I appear human, I am...humanoid and do not age the same way you do."

"I see," the Queen said with a hint of embarrassment. Quickly righting herself, she continued, "I don't know if you are aware that Naboo has a long history of peace. Our burgeoning military is only for defense, not a means for conquest."

"You almost sound like a Jedi, Your Majesty." Ilianya commented with a sly grin.

Accepting the compliment, Amidala nodded. "We only wish to preserve our way of life."

"And how do you wish to do that?"

The Queen smiled and rose. Moving next to Ilianya she activated the holoviewer which displayed a facsimile of the Chommell Sector. "Our region of space is sparsely populated. Aside from Naboo and Chommell Minor, most of the inhabitable worlds have few large civilizations. It is our goal though to first bolster the defense of Naboo and then build upon our military capabilities to eventually secure the entire sector."

Ilianya nodded as she continued to study the map. "What is the total population of the sector?"

The Queen glanced over at Versé. "Our last census figures estimates around twenty five billion humans and non-humans live within the Chommell sector's boundaries."

"Are there any other civilizations aside from the Naboo that have an army?"

Amidala tilted her head forward. "The Gungans who live within our oceans have an army, but they took severe losses during our liberation from the Trade Federation three years ago."

"I am amazed that the Trade Federation didn't cause more damage," Ilianya pointed out.

"They did enough," the Queen grimly answered. "There were many deaths…too many."

Turning back to Amidala, Ilianya observed, "You are wise to build up your defenses. The Neimoidians rarely forget an insult."

"Then they will be coming…" Amidala pondered.

"In one way or another, you can depend upon it, Your Majesty."

The Queen nodded to herself, returning to the throne. Ilianya remained at the middle of the room, waiting for her to speak. "We have instituted a draft in order to train our people to better defend themselves."

"However, the problem with this is time," Panaka interjected. "Our best estimates project it will take almost a decade to have sufficient troop strength to defend against another invasion."

"If I may ask, why did it take three years before you decided to build this army?" Ilianya politely questioned.

Amidala sighed deeply. "We Naboo are pacifists by nature and don't take any kind of violence lightly."

"I understand that, Your Highness. Believe me, I respect your beliefs. My senses though tell me that there is more to it than that." She paused to observe the Queen exchanged glances with both Panaka and one of her handmaidens. "Otherwise you would not have so radically altered your planet's philosophy."

Amidala sat silent for a moment, studying the resolved look upon the woman's face. Despite never meeting her before in her life, something compelled her to trust Ilianya. The Queen already felt a connection with her, an ease created by the enormous presence that seemed to surround her. "Very well…several months ago we discovered a small deposit of kelvacyte on one of our moons."

Ilianya's eyebrows rose in interest. "That explains much. Kelvacyte is a rare commodity. There are many in this galaxy that would kill for it."

"Hence our change in perspective," Amidala pointed out.

"I would imagine that with the kelvacyte and your vast plasma energy resources you could use both to build a rather sophisticated droid army."

Amidala and Panaka turned to looked at one another nervously. "That is exactly what we are intending to do. How did you..."

"…know?" Ilianya finished. As the Queen nodded, the General smiled. "Seemed the most prudent thing to do. If that's the case, I have many Outer Rim contacts that could be of help…that is if you wish to offer me the advisor position."

Amidala chuckled. "You are quite the ambitious one."

"The way I see it, Your Majesty," Ilianya said with a grin. "Why dance in circles when we can achieve our mutual goals without pretentious courtesy."

"And what is your goal, General?"

Ilianya smiled. "I've been around conquerors and death my entire life. It would be…rewarding to finally serve a noble people."

The Queen briefly smiled. "Would you please give us a moment so I can discuss this with my advisors?"

Ilianya nodded and withdrew to the antechamber. Meanwhile, Panaka and the handmaidens approached the throne. "General Panaka, you know her best. What are your thoughts?"

"General Tro was always well regarded and respected amongst the Corellians, as well as the many off world contacts that came through the Academy. While she can at times be a little…unorthodox, I think we are fortunate that she is available."

"Unorthodox?"

Hugh released a deep breath. "She's demanding and often times aloof, but she earns the respect from all under her charge." He paused briefly, giving the Queen an earnest look. "And she knows things."

"How so?"

"She always had this sense of when something was about to happen," Panaka answered. "Just like we witnessed with her insight of our droid army." He grinned as he added, "Many of my fellow classmates swore that she was a Jedi."

Amidala nodded. "The important consideration is will she follow my orders?"

"Above anything else, General Tro is fiercely loyal. I've never known anyone who has ever distrusted her."

Amidala flashed him a smile of thanks while she leaned back into her throne. She found herself missing both Anakin's insight and Sabé's powers of observation at the moment. She wished they were there to aid her.

Something about this Ilianya felt strange, but not in a threatening way. At the same time, Amidala couldn't help but like her and she knew with Tro's experience it would hasten their goals. The choice was obvious. Turning to Dormé, she ordered, "Please call General Tro back into the room. We have much to discuss."


A violent shudder roused Siri from her meditations. Quickly rising, she activated the Com. "Krayn, what's happening?"

"We've had a…change in plans. Please come to the bridge."

She hurriedly put on her tunics before heading to the ship's main control center. Siri gave a slight nod of acknowledgement as she approached Krayn who was sitting in the pilot's chair. As she looked out the main viewport, her face furrowed when she realized they weren't at their regular rendezvous point.

"Where are we?"

Krayn grinned. "After re-evaluating our cargo, we have made…other arrangements."

"What do you mean?"

"Some friends need some children for various reasons. We are holding position until their arrival."

Siri didn't like the sound of that. "What use could children be to anybody?"

"Often times I sell them to mercenaries who need someone small enough to defuse buried thermal detonators," he answered with a wicked grin. "A bounty hunter friend though needs one in order to get close to his mark." Noticing the pallid expression on Siri's face, he returned his attention to the viewport. "You'll soon learn, as I did, not to ask what your clients use your merchandise for. It makes doing business much easier."

Siri nodded. "Perhaps you're right. Do you require my presence further?"

Krayn shook his head. "It will be a few more hours before the transaction is complete. Go and rest. We will need your piloting skills to get us back to the Mid Rim."

"Of course, sir."

Siri returned to her quarters. Reaching into the Force to ensure nobody was close enough to hear her, she pulled out her comlink. After setting the correct frequency, she spoke. "Master Adi, can you read me?"

Static

"Master Gallia… please respond."

More Static.

She sighed deeply as she flipped the unit closed. Wherever they were, the ship was beyond the range of her comlink. Extending her awareness further into the Force, Siri sensed the two shadowing Jedi were nowhere near her field of perception. Her heart furiously pounded as she considered that Krayn may have detected them or worse, he knew of her mission. If that was the case, she would have to get herself and the captives off the ship before the rendezvous.

She had only once chance.

Obi-Wan silently sat in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. It had been one of the few places in the Temple he could go to clear his mind from worry. For the past several days, every inquiry he made about Siri was met with increased hostility. He knew there was more to the story and while it remained possible that Siri was on a secret mission, Obi-Wan could not shake off the sense of impending danger. Finally able to relax, he lost himself into the vast currents of the Force. While his consciousness slipped deeper, he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

/Obi-Wan! Can you hear me?"/

/Siri/

/ I need your help./

/Where are you? Do you realized you've been declared a rogue/

/There is no time. I need you to do something./

/Anything, just ask./

/Go to the Temple's intergalactic transmitter and locate my position. I'm going to activate my locator beacon./

/But Siri, if you do that, anybody with a high frequency receiver will detect you./

/At this point, that's the least of my concerns. Please hurry./

/Siri/

/Siri/

Obi-Wan's eyes shot open when he lost his connection to her. Quickly rising to his feet, he anxiously made his way to the transmitter. Even if he found Siri's location, there was nothing in the Jedi starfighter fleet that was not only fast enough, but could travel without being detected. Furthermore, if she truly was a rogue, he couldn't seek assistance from the Council. And if she was on a secret mission, they would not allow him to go to her aid due to their attachment. A sly smile eclipsed his face as the Force whispered to him a possibility.

Hopefully it would not be too late.


Sparks flew throughout the hangar followed by a large explosion. Valkin Ord threw his hydrospanner across the safety room as he witnessed another cannon prototype overload. To his surprise, neither Count Dooku nor his…Master had inquired about the weapon in the past several months. Yet Valkin knew it was only a matter of time before they did and without any new progress that didn't bode well for his safety. The only comfort he could draw from this latest debacle was that the Geonosians were also having trouble with the stability of the station's structure. The prediction that this project would take decades to complete was rapidly becoming reality.

Inspecting the latest setback, Valkin was hunched over the weapon when his assistant Michaelis cautiously approached.

"My Lord."

"What is it?" He snapped.

Steadying himself, Michaelis handed him a datapad. "I intercepted this message sent to one of our competitors. I thought you might find it interesting."

Valkin's expression shifted as he read the message aloud. "The Naboo are offering a metric ton of kelvacyte for plans to build battle droid factories and support ships."

"I thought you would want to read that."

Ord grabbed his assistant's shoulders and shook him excitedly. "Do you know what this means?" As Michaelis shook his head, Valkin continued, "With that much kelvacyte we would no longer have to send out raiding parties. I would finally have a large enough stockpile to get this blasted unit working."

Michaelis nodded. "It's quite a steal, wouldn't you say?"

"Indeed," Valkin answered. "Do you know if any of our competitors have already made a bid?"

"Most have offered second and third generation droid factories. But nothing up-to-date."

Valkin grinned. "Perhaps if we sweetened the deal…" His voice trailed off as he contemplated an idea. "Send a message to the Naboo. Offer them our enhanced prototype droid factory and units schematics in exchange for the kelvacyte."

"My Lord?" Michaelis asked in astonishment. "Even a ton of kelvacyte is not worth those plans, especially since both the Trade Federation and the Techno Union offered to pay us quite handsomely for them."

"True," Valkin interjected. "However, they are only paying us in credits, which I have enough of. What I do lack, the Naboo are offering on a silver platter." He paused, giving Michaelis a worried stare. "Also, our…proprietors will be inquiring as to our progress and I can't afford any more failures."

"I understand, My Lord," he answered with a half bow.

"Wait," Valkin called out before moving closer to him. As Michaelis turned about, Lord Ord continued, "When you contact them, stipulate that we will only do business if the Queen herself accompanies the transport of the mineral so we can conclude the deal in person."

"May I ask why My Lord?"

Valkin smirked. "I have heard rumors of Queen Amidala's beauty and I…wish to see it for myself."

"Of course sir."

"Also," he added, holding his hand up. "If they do have more kelvacyte, I would like to know about it…"

"I will contact them immediately, My Lord."

Once he was alone, Valkin smiled as he kicked around some the remnants of his latest failure. Soon he would get the weapon to work and in doing so, please his Sith Masters. Perhaps then they would share their secrets of the Darkside that he craved beyond anything. He loved the experience of raw power that Darth Sidious had shown him to help deliver Sar Dooku into his hands. And later the invaluable lessons that Lord Tyranus himself had taught him.

Valkin wanted more. He needed more and he would not be denied for much longer.


Anakin and Sabé exchanged nervous looks as he placed his hand on the hyperdrive levers. Offering her a reassuring grin, he quickly turned his attention over to Artoo. "Give me the countdown."

The astromech released a series of beeps and once they terminated, Anakin pulled the ship back into normal space. The expanse of hyperspace gave way to a large moon directly in the Angel Queen's path. Shifting both his hands back onto the controls, Anakin powered up the sub-light engines and pulled the controls, spinning the ship quickly starboard. A brief moment later, everyone was thrust back into their seats as the moon's gravitational field caught the ship and slingshot them into a stable orbit.

They collectively released a deep breath as Anakin looked down at his display. "According to the ship's readings, the Neimoidans' sensors did not detect our approach."

Sabé smiled in relief and turned to give the others the 'thumbs up' who then broke into applause over Anakin's efforts. "Well done, Ani. I knew you could do it."

He smiled at her. "And even better news is that the moon's gravity field is greater than we estimated so we have a clear path to the surface."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?"

"We shall arrive on the outskirts of the Neimoidian capital within ten clicks," he announced to the troops. "Prepare to disembark."


Despite knowing she would reveal her ruse, Siri activated her homing beacon then placed her comlink inside her boot. She scurried about her room, gathering her few possessions before departing for the brig. Using the Force to guide her, Siri eluded the ship's guards with a simple mind trick. When she approached the energy barrier that held the prisoners, young Dahlia was the first to greet her.

"Siri!"

Placing her index finger in front of her lips, she whispered, "You must keep quiet. I am going to get you out of here."

Dahlia and the others backed away as Siri plunged her activated lightsaber into the cell's controls. The energy field immediately disappeared and the people rushed out to join her. Softly she said, "There is a cargo ship in the main hold. Please follow me."

The group of about thirty people bunched closely behind as Siri took the point. Using the Force, she was amazed that there were no other guards in the vicinity. She motioned to the others to continue ahead while she guarded the rear. Siri knew that this was too easy, yet her feelings told her that none on the ship were even vaguely aware of the prisoners' escape.

Only two more corridors then down a flight of stairs and they were free.

When Siri turned down the corridor she broke into a sprint in order to return to the head of the group. She had been so focused in her task, she nearly knocked over Dahlia who was anxiously waiting for her. "What are you doing back here?"

She smiled happily. "I wanted to stay with you."

"Alright, just keep quiet."

"Are you a Jedi?" Dahlia asked, cocking her head to one side.

"Shhh…yes I am…"

"I knew it. I knew you were," the girl boasted.

Siri was going to silence her once again when her awareness alerted her to danger. Extending her focus, she no longer sensed the other prisoners. Opening her eyes, she saw that the path ahead was separated by a large metallic door that led down to the lower level cargo bays. Placing Dahlia carefully on the ground, Siri withdrew her lightsaber and motioned for the girl to stay back.

Opening the door with the Force, Siri propelled herself inside the room. Cautiously, she walked down the stairs to the lower level yet still she sensed nothing. She stealthily crossed over the catwalks to search for the prisoners in case they had ducked into one of the loading areas. Except for members of the crew, there was no sign of them. Siri was about to check on their means of escape when she heard Dahlia scream in terror

No longer concerned with being seen, Siri ran back to the junction and jumped up to the overhead deck. As she turned the corner, the butt of a blaster rifle struck her face, knocking her down to the ground. Completely disoriented Siri ignited her lightsaber and swung wildly, hoping to hit her attacker with a blind strike. A light chuckle preceded another attack launched against her face, causing her to drop her weapon as she fell to the floor.

"I told you, Tachi that the next time we fought, the odds would be more to my liking." Before losing consciousness, Siri saw Aurra Sing hovering over her with Krayn by her side. She turned to the slave trader and said, "I told you she was still a Jedi."

Krayn shook his head. "I was well aware of her true allegiance, Sing."

"Can I finally dispose of her?" Aurra requested, pointing her blaster at Siri's unconscious form.

"No," Krayn ordered, pushing her rifle aside. "There is somebody who is paying top credits for us to deliver her alive."

Aurra sighed and pulled back her blaster. "Very well."

"Secure her in the brig and don't forget to place the Force binders on her," Krayn ordered.

Sing bobbed her head then motioned to Krayn's personal guards to pick up Siri and follow her. Meanwhile, he withdrew his comlink.

"Bridge."

"Yes, sir."

"Patch me into the main communications relay."

"At once, sir."

Krayn changed frequencies and took a deep breath. "My Lord…I have what you want."

"Excellent," the deep voice answered. "Where do you wish to make the trade?"

"The Anoth system, My Lord."

"Very well. Don't keep me waiting."

Before Krayn could answer, the line went silent. Leaning against the railing, he was beginning to have second thoughts about this arrangement. Despite his misgivings, he knew well that no one ever backed out of deals with Sith Lords and lived to regret the decision.

The sooner he handed Tachi over to him the better he would feel.


Obi-Wan stood patiently by the Temple's intergalactic transmitter. He did not like waiting for something to happen, but he knew that hoping for the best would not change anything. He was becoming concerned that he had still not picked up Siri's signal. However, Obi-Wan did not sense that anything had gone wrong. He was about to sit down when a loud chime echoed throughout the room. Quickly, he accessed the control grid which displayed a map of the galaxy. After a few keystrokes, the representative facsimile zoomed onto the source of the signal.

"Blast! She's all the way out near Anoth."

Hurriedly, he looked through the various inventory of ships that were at the Order's dispose. Just as he had suspected they were all too slow. Obi-Wan quickly scanned for Anakin's com signal.

"Anakin…This Obi-Wan Kenobi, please come in." He released a deep sigh, hoping that his friend and student would respond.

Sabé gave Anakin a puzzled look as Obi-Wan's voice filled the cabin. Smiling, he quickly flipped the Com switch. "Master, we're receiving you."

Obi-Wan appeared to jolt in surprise when he noticed that Sabé was with him. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything."

"Not at all. We were just…returning to Naboo."

"Where are you?" Obi-Wan queried.

Anakin glanced down at his display. "Approximately two parsecs from Corellia…Why?"

Obi-Wan smiled. "I am in need of your assistance. Something may be wrong with Siri and I need to get to Anoth as quickly as possible."

"We can be on Corellia in four hours, Master."

"I'm afraid I'm Coruscant."

Anakin frowned. "That complicates things a bit." He paused momentarily to think. "What is the fastest ship that you can use?"

Obi-Wan looked away from the monitor to key in the information. "I can use a starfighter with a docking ring that goes point zero nine past lightspeed."

Anakin grimaced and then turned his attention down at his navigational display. After punching in several calculations, he finally said, "If you leave now, we can rendezvous at Yag 'Dhul and lose only nine hours as opposed to thirty six if we head back to Coruscant to get you."

Obi-Wan nodded. "We cannot waste anymore time. I shall see you both in the Inner Rim."

As the Jedi's visual disappeared, Anakin reluctantly turned to Sabé "I'm sorry to have to drag you along. I know you and Siri…"

Sabé raised her hand. "It's quite alright, Ani. Besides, if Obi-Wan was worried enough to need your help, it was for good reason."

"That's what I'm afraid of," he answered as he engaged the ship's hyperdrive. "Hopefully it won't be anything that we can't handle together."


Chancellor Palpatine stood silent, watching as the mundane citizens of Coruscant moved past his giant bay window. He never devoted much time to consider what life was like for those smaller than him. All he required was their undying loyalty and when the time was right, they would all quake in his presence. After taking a sip of herbal tea from his cup, he focused upon the growing tremors that were reverberating throughout the Force. A disturbance had been greatly occupying his thoughts for the past several days while he comtemplated its importance.

Sensing he was no longer alone, a sinister smile suddenly filled his face. "I see you've been busy."

A voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere answered, "I do what I must, Sidious."

Turning towards the shadows that shifted about in his office, Palpatine responded, "I have to admit, bringing back the Exile was something I did not immediately anticipate."

"Everything in this Universe follows my will…even you."

Palpatine scoffed. "You exist only to obey my commands, not the other way around."

"How little you truly understand."

"And how foolish you are," he retorted. "Not only I will I soon control your beloved Chosen One, but I will also learn the secrets of immortality from the Exile. Then we shall see who bends to whose will."

"You assume too much, Sith."

Palpatine's smile grew as the shadows disappeared. The Force—the Darkside of the Force was a well crafted weapon that he would one day wield to defeat his enemies. The only will that mattered for this galaxy was his and soon all who exist shall live to serve only him.

Thoughts, comments and suggestions are always welcomed--To be Continued...