Leia sighed. At least her meeting with the senators was finally finished. Borsk Fey'lya was the biggest thorn in her side. Borsk was the biggest opponent of the Lusankya task force, and he was furious when Leia placed Wedge Antilles in command. The bad blood between the Bothan and the Corellian stretched back to the days of the Rebellion.

She sighed again. Borsk was ambitious, no doubt coveting the position of the Chief of State himself. Leia had no doubt that he had enough support to get there without her in the way. The question was, did he also have enough support to get there with her in the way? What would happen if a no confidence vote was called?

All the other senators already left, but Borsk remained. "Madam Chief of State," he said. "If the Lusankya deployment lasts another standard week, you will need to get Senate authorization or recall it."

"I am aware of that, Councilor Fey'lya. You have mentioned that enough in our meeting."

"And if General Antilles disobeys orders, as he has been known to do, he will face court-martial," Fey'lya emphasized. Leia kept silent. Fey'lya was implying he would not stand for a repeat of the Bacta War. She would contact Wedge as soon as she could. Any war motion without an actual attack on the New Republic would likely fail in the Senate.

She didn't let a single facial expression show her frustration. "I have full confidence in General Antilles," she replied.

"I hope that confidence is not misplaced, Madam Chief of State," Fey'lya said as he headed out of her office.

Two Noghri bodyguards, standing at the exit, watched him. Just as he approached the door, the lights suddenly went out. Leia heard a loud blow, followed by Fey'lya's scream.

A flashing blaster bolt went past her, followed by another. The Noghri, wielding their blasters, were shooting her. She dropped behind her desk.

"Councilor, get down!" she shouted to Fey'lya.

Snap-hiss. Leia finally reached her lightsaber and ignited the ruby-red blade. The two Noghri tried to catch her in a crossfire, but she evaded them. Retreating towards the door, she stood on the defensive, blocking their fire.

One of the Noghri got too close, hoping to get a bolt faster than Leia's reflexes could move the blade. Instead, the bolt was sent straight back into his body. The alien stumbled. Leia narrowed her eyes. They were using blasters on maximum setting. It should have killed him.

Sending a bolt hurling back into the second Noghri, Leia ran forward, and sliced the first one's blaster in half. The Noghri drew a knife, but Leia cut off his arm. She twisted, deflecting another shot from the second alien, and, seeing no choice, since the first one kept attacking her even one-armed, cut off his head. Turning to the other attacker, she yanked his blaster away with the Force. The Noghri threw two knives at her, but she flicked them away. Then she hurled her lightsaber at the alien slicing his body in half.

Leia breathed, gathering herself. She had a few bruises from the close-up attacks, but nothing serious. She approached one of the dead Noghri.

"Councilor?" she called out.

Fey'lya's voice came from a corner of the room. "Your bodyguards—"

"These were replica droids," she explained. I should have known. Nobody would fight this fiercely without feeling.

"Who?"

"I don't know yet."

"This building should have emergency power systems—"

"It does, Councilor. Or rather, it did. This is a coordinated attack."

Fey'lya approached her. "We should get out of here," he said. "They might repeat it." He headed for the door.

"Fey'lya, no!" she yelled, just as he was about to exit.

"Your pardon?"

"You can't open the door."

"How do you know—"

Leia knew that Fey'lya didn't like most of the things having to do with the Force. Her saving his life with it wasn't going to change it. "I just do. They released knockout gas," she said.

Fey'lya snorted. "Why didn't they release it here in the first place?"

"Because this room has its own, independent air circulation system—to prevent something just like that. It was much easier for them to release the gas there—we put it in there for them, as part of the security arrangement."

"Before you ask, Councilor, I already checked the communications. They are out."

"So what do we do? Sit here and wait for rescue?"

"You may do that, Councilor," Leia said, not bothering to hide her contempt. "That I am a Jedi is hardly a state secret, and this assassination attempt was not meant to succeed."

"You are assuming it was you they were after," Fey'lya said.

"They attacked you only when you were in the way," Leia replied. "The attack happened in my office. They made Noghri droids, not Bothan ones. And finally, if they had attacked you when you were alone, you would be dead." Fey'lya had nothing to say to that.

"They are buying time for themselves. I will not give it to them," she said. With that, she stepped up to her office window and began cutting it open with her lightsaber.

Fey'lya nearly doubled over. "That leads outside!" he said.

Leia gave him one look and continued working. "Precisely."

XXX

"Sir, the Arrowhead has been evacuated."

"Excellent. Begin calculations for the fleet jump."

"Aye-aye, sir."

"Transmit target coordinates."

"Transmitting, sir."

"Launch!"

A Victory-class Star Destroyer vanished into hyperspace.

"Launched, sir."

"Good. Get me fleet comm."

"You are on, sir."

"Today is the last day we will grovel in the ground before the pretenders who style themselves the 'Republic'. Today we will begin to take back what's ours. The glorification of criminals and traitors will end. Today, the Empire stands! You ARE the Empire! You want honor, and pride, and victory! You have been denied it by traitors and cowards. Today, you shall have it!" Sarim closed the channel.

"Is the fleet ready?"

"What course shall we set, sir?"

Sarim relaxed in the Star Destroyer's command chair. As always, he wore a crisp black uniform rather than the standard olive gray. He gave an impression that he was thinking.

"The fishheads," he said. "Set the course for Calamari."

"With pleasure, sir."

"All ships report course set."

"Jump on my mark," Sarim replied.

"Sir, ships are coming out of hyperspace behind us!"

"Jump!" Sarim ordered. "Now!"

"We can't! They've got an interdiction field up!"

"That fast! Impossible!"

"They do, sir."

"Who are they? Rebels?"

"Doesn't look like it, sir. Five ISDs, one Vic, and that huge—"

"What is it?"

"Sir, our IFF identifies one of the ISDs as the Chimaera! That's ours—isn't it?"

Sarim snarled. "I should have known better than to let that fool Adriff keep his command. He was too loyal to Pellaeon."

"Sir, they are hailing us."

"What do they want?"

The transmission came in. Sarim immediately recognized the voice, and hate flooded over him. "Fel," he said. "You're supposed to be dead."

"Admiral Sarim, do you plan to enter New Republic space?"

"I will destroy them! Have you come to join me?"

"Sarim, you will lose this war. It will be nothing but a waste of lives."

"You are a traitor and a coward, Fel. As are you rebel friends. Turn off the interdiction."

"You're not going anywhere, Sarim. Certainly not to destroy what's left of the Empire."

"Traitors like you destroyed the Empire, Fel. You have committed an act of war."

"Sarim, listen to reason—"

"I have reasons for everything I do."

"Including what you did at Chandrila?" a new voice interrupted.

"Adriff! Where do your loyalties lie?"

"You know that. My loyalties lie with the Empire."

"I am the Empire!"

"Imperial fleet, this is Baron Fel. Are you going to—"

"Jam them!" Sarim yelled.

"Jamming, sir." The transmission turned into static.

"Enough!" he said on his command circuit. "Launch fighters."

TIE fighters popped out of the hangar bays of ships, and formed up, heading towards Fel's fleet.

"Sir, they're launching fighters."

"Battle formation. We will destroy them."

The fleet began to maneuver into position around the rest. Fel's fleet would be heavily outgunned, and surrounded.

"Fire!"