In the newly-established Jedi Temple on the Hapan world of Shedu Maad, Grand Master Luke Skywalker was meeting with his nephew Jacen and Jedi Master Corran Horn as they held their latest meeting around the conference room's holoprojector.
From his spot, in which he was facing the door that led out of the room, Luke operated the 'projector so that it displayed a space station that had power which made both Death Stars look pathetic in comparison. Corran and Jacen's eyes widened in shock at the image of Centerpoint Station; it was clear that Luke didn't have to explain to either of them what it was, given that Corran was a native Corellian and Jacen had history with it that he would rather not speak of.
And it was understandable why that would be the case. Centerpoint, one of the staples of the Corellian system, had been used by an unknown species eons ago to move all of the planets into this very system. But with its capability to destroy stars in faraway systems, it had also been infamously used nearly two decades ago during the Corellian Crisis by Thrackan Sal-Solo, Jacen's first cousin once removed, so that the Five Worlds could become a humans-only independent state. And about a decade ago, Thrackan had used it again, after Jacen's late brother Anakin reactivated it with his DNA, to fire on Fondor to destroy the invading Yuuzhan Vong fleet; though it had mostly succeeded, it also ended up obliterating a lot of Hapan ships and lives in the process. The fact that Jacen was there, unable to stop Thrackan from firing it, must have been the source of the guilt that Luke felt was emanating from him.
"According to sources that Chief of State Omas has assured me were reliable," Luke began, "large amounts of imports of raw materials, such as certain metals and power sources, have been moved to this station by the Corellian government through the use of private contractors. While Corellian Prime Minister Aidel Saxan has officially assured Chief Omas that these movements were made to sustain various internal operations going on within Centerpoint Station, it has become apparent to the Galactic Alliance government that something is going on there that may have severe implications for the rest of the galaxy.
"With the people who inhabit the Five Worlds of Corellia crying out for secession from the Galactic Alliance lately—a sentiment that's been shared by other worlds such as Bothawui and Adumar—it has become apparent that the Corellian government is trying to reactivate Centerpoint Station so that they can become an independent power from the Alliance. Given that the war against the Chiss Ascendancy has given these worlds the notion that secession could be a good idea, it is a likely, and very dreadful, possibility that Centerpoint could become a key factor in galactic politics again."
"But how could they reactivate the station," Corran began, "without the DNA of... well, you know?"
"It's okay, Corran," Luke said. "How could they reactivate Centerpoint without the DNA of my late nephew, Anakin Solo? Well, apparently, the Corellians have figured out a way to replicate Anakin's biometrics; whether they are his handprints, brainwaves, retinal patterns, or something else entirely is unclear. Regardless, Chief Omas has asked the Jedi Order to investigate what is going on at Centerpoint and, if necessary, destroy it."
"How could we do that, Master Skywalker?" Jacen asked.
Luke held up a datachip in his natural hand. "With this. Install it within the station's primary control room and it will activate a program that should, at least theoretically, force Centerpoint to tear itself apart." He handed the chip over to Corran.
"Theoretically?" Corran asked as he took it.
"Well, the intelligence that was provided has been based off of schematics that are a few years old, at least," Luke explained. "We're unsure of how reliable they are now. But, hopefully, if you can find the right slot, you should have enough time to evacuate the station before it explodes and deprives the Corellians of their ability to potentially cause severe destruction in the galaxy. Dr. Toval Seyah of the Galactic Alliance will meet with the both of you in the Jedi Temple's hangar bay; he will take you both to an undisclosed location in the Transitory Mists so that you may practice simulation runs for your raid on Centerpoint. It is expected to be carried out by the end of the week. Any questions?"
Corran raised the hand that still held the datachip.
"Yes, Corran?" Luke asked.
"For an operation like this," Corran said, "wouldn't it make more sense for other teams, decoys and the like, to be put into play here? I would think, too, that apprehending Prime Minister Saxan for trying to use Centerpoint would send a message to the Corellians about the severity of the consequences."
"Sounds like an Imperial tactic if you ask me," Jacen stated.
While Corran looked at Jacen with shock, Luke looked at his nephew sternly.
"My apologies, Masters," Jacen said with a bowed head.
Both Masters continued levelling their gazes at Jacen before they soon looked back at each other.
"I wish we could spare them, Corran," Luke said. "But with this war, you're all we can send."
Corran nodded. "Understood, Master Skywalker. Jedi Solo and I won't let you down."
"I'm sure you won't. You're both dismissed."
Once Corran and Jacen left the room, the former blocked the latter's way toward the nearest turbolift.
"What was that back in there?" Even as he made that question, Corran felt uncomfortable of how it reminded him of when he asked that same question, albeit in a different context, to Jacen over a year ago.
"You mean that unsolicited statement I made, Master Horn? I already told you I was sor-"
"Don't you dare make another statement like that again, Jedi Solo. You have no idea what I gave to helping the Rebel Alliance, and then the New Republic, in fighting the Empire. Otherwise, I don't think Master Skywalker will accept you back into the Order again; just because we're desperate for help in this war doesn't mean-"
"In case you forgot, Master Horn, I'm not your apprentice. And I never was. So how about you back off?"
Corran looked in shock at Jacen. "You dare talk to a Jedi Master that way?"
"You know, I wonder if you even deserve that title."
Corran stepped around Jacen and headed back to the conference room. However, before he opened the door, he stopped and hesitated.
Then he turned and looked back at Jacen; he levelled his robotic hand up at the reinstated Knight's face.
"Listen here, Solo. I'm grateful that you saved my life back on Hlest a year ago; and I understand that the stress of this war is getting to you. But don't forget, it's getting to all of us, too. So you're not alone in this. But I demand respect from you if we're going to work together on this mission... just as I'll try to respect you, too."
Jacen regarded Corran warily. "I'll do my best."
Corran sighed; his tone became much less hostile this time. "Okay, look, I'm sorry about Jaina, alright? I know I failed her, that I should've done more, but-"
"Master Horn, can we just get to the hangar bay? Please?"
Corran was about to chastise Jacen about the interruption, only for him to keep his mouth shut. He had realized then that he had just opened up a sore spot for Jacen, so he would forgive him for that.
"Right," Corran finally said. "Let's get this over with."
Jacen nodded in acknowledgement before they both resumed their course for the turbolift.
"If it's any consolation, Master Horn," Jacen said as they walked, "I don't think kidnapping Saxan would have been that bad an idea."
"But it does have some... unfortunate connotations, doesn't it?" Corran asked hesitantly.
"Well, times change," Jacen said without looking at him. "And, sometimes, we have to resort to tactics we might not be comfortable with."
"Ain't that the truth," Corran said with a deflated tone.
. . .
After docking the New Purpose in the hangar bay of the GA Galactic-class battle cruiser Dodonna, Jaina was escorted by a security detail consisting of six human guards who stood on either side of their captain.
"Noonya Niazh," Captain Matric Klauskin said as he held out a hand. "Welcome aboard the Dodonna."
Still in her disguise from a year before—prostheses to hide her cheekbones, brown hair dyed blonde (which was a switch-up from her wearing a wig before)—Jaina shook Klauskin's hand.
"Thank you, Captain," she said. "I assume that my quarters are ready?"
"Of course," Klauskin said just as Jaina broke off the handshake. "If you'll follow us."
It took five minutes of evenly-paced walking to reach Jaina's—or, rather, Noonya Niazh's—quarters.
"If there is anything we can do for you, Miss Niazh," Klauskin said, "please, don't hesitate to let us know."
"I won't," Jaina said without looking away from her spartan quarters. Then, when she decided to look back at him, she said, "Thank you again, Captain."
Klauskin nodded and closed the door for her.
Now that she was alone again, Jaina headed toward the nearest viewport and looked out upon the world that the Dodonna orbited: the ecumenopolis of Alsakan. Also in the planet's immediate space were several other Galactic Alliance battle cruisers and a few Star Destroyers.
As Lumiya had explained to Jaina before she had allowed her to leave the Home, Klauskin was someone whom the Dark Lady had selected for telepathic manipulation from all the way in her asteroid base. Thanks to the Home's Force-enhancing properties, Lumiya had been able to use Klauskin's grief for his recently dead wife, Edela, who had died as a civilian casualty in one of the opening battles of the Chiss War, to make him into a puppet. Lumiya did that by appearing as the ghost of Klauskin's wife to influence certain decisions that he could make, such as allowing the mysterious mercenary Noonya Niazh to join the ranks of his ship.
As far as the rest of Klauskin's crew was concerned, Niazh's presence was allowed by GA High Command to be a contributing force to the Dodonna. Though some may suspect her to be a simple mercenary, Jaina could sense that no one was going to turn down much-needed help during this conflict.
She did wonder, though, how long it would be before the Chiss either attacked Alsakan or when the Dodonna was dispatched to help fight off the Ascendancy more aggressively. Either way, Jaina knew that as long as Klauskin was to be manipulated, she would be able to fulfill her destiny of bringing peace to the galaxy like Jacen before her.
She looked away from the viewport to inspect more of her quarters. And there, sitting propped up by a wooden frame on a glass table, was a mask. Jaina walked over and picked it up to get a better look at it.
It was the mask that she had asked Klauskin for well in advance of her arrival here. It was a featureless white covering with only the eyes and nasal cavities exposed; as Jaina looked at it, she wondered what she would place on this mask in the future.
She knew that starfighter pilots, such as Rogue and Wraith Squadrons, had a tradition where they would paint their X-wings with representations of kills that they had made in combat. She wondered how many indicators of kills she could fit onto this mask before she ran out of room.
At any rate, though, this mask did have a practical purpose: should she run into any Jedi, especially any Jedi who might have known her personally, they wouldn't be able to recognize her. And that would be doubly so if she kept her Force-presence as small as possible. She wondered, however, if it could work on her family.
Especially Jacen.
. . .
Admiral Juaput Hesklon of the Empire of the Hand—or the EH, as it was abbreviated—stood on the bridge of his command ship, the Star Destroyer Thrawn's Vindication, as it hurtled through hyperspace towards its destination. With his arms across his chest, he dreaded the site that he would see before him even as he hoped that this was all some kind of mistake; the idea that this could just be a waste of his time would have been preferable.
But once the Vindication dropped out of hyperspace, debris belonging to three EH Star Destroyers and six battle cruisers littered the immediate space surrounding the Chiss world of Kerspla. The planet itself, meanwhile, had been reduced to a charred and blackened state when it had previously been as snowy and cold as so many other Chiss worlds.
But mixed in among the debris were the remains of ships that officially confirmed Hesklon's fears from those last transmissions from Kerspla.
Killiks had attacked this system.
After Hesklon took a moment to himself to observe the aftermath of the carnage before him, he said as professionally as he could to the crew, "Scan the system for any survivors. As well as any potential ion traces; perhaps we can find the ones who did this."
A procession of "Yes, sirs," followed from the crew pits as Hesklon waited, his eyes never leaving the site before him.
"This was just a test," a female voice said behind him.
Hesklon turned and found a dark-haired, fair-skinned woman standing there.
"A test, you say, Miss Dhreat?" the admiral asked.
The Force-sensitive mercenary Saharis Dhreat nodded. "I can feel it. There is a... concentration of presence left over here. It's very similar to a Killik hive-mind. But judging by the ships, we can safely conclude that it was, indeed, a Killik hive that did this."
"Gorog, you believe?"
"More than likely. The rest of the Killik nests have since been relocated to the worlds of the Utegetu Nebula. Only the Dark Nest could've done this."
"But if that's true, that means they're more powerful than before if they could do all this."
Dhreat nodded. "They've had time, after all. Those insectoids can reproduce really quickly, and they can get productive like crazy. They can give Geonosians a run for their money in terms of labor efficiency."
Someone from the crew pit said, "Sir, we've completed a scan. No survivors, Chiss or otherwise, have been detected."
Hesklon allowed a sigh to escape him. "What about those ion traces I asked for?"
"We're still on it, sir."
The admiral returned his attention to Dhreat. "You know, I have to say," he said in a quiet tone, "if you know so much from your time as a Joiner, how can we trust you?"
"You're still paranoid I might turn on you and your crew, Admiral?" Dhreat asked. "Thinking something similar to the Meklon might happen?" Not long before what became known as the Chiss War to the Galactic Alliance broke out, the EH Star Destroyer Meklon had allegedly been discovered to have had three Sith, with one of them being a clone of Luke Skywalker, hiding in their midst.
Unfortunately, the Star Destroyer Jeskat had been tasked with hunting the Meklon down and succeeded in destroying it before the crew of the former learned about what happened. Captain Frelas and Commander Khelag had been lost, along with several other members of their crew, though so many others had been captured and arrested upon fleeing from the ship. Even after the survivors gave testimony to what had happened and why they aided Luke Skywalker to Csilla, those crew members had all been taken to a mining colony where they would live out the rest of their days.
If only Lieutenant Foi'liu and the bodies of Private Gelsk and Skywalker's clone had been recovered before the Meklon was destroyed; then those stories could have been taken more seriously by their captors.
"Let's just say, Miss Dhreat," Hesklon said, "you still have a lot to do before you can completely earn my trust."
Dhreat gave him a knowing smirk. "I think I can unravel your suspicions, Admiral. After all, I was forthcoming about my Force-sensitivity."
"Admiral," someone from the left crew pit called out, "we have an ion trace established!"
"Then we launch for hyperspace as soon as we're ready." Hesklon looked back at Dhreat. "If there is nothing else, ma'am?"
She shook her head. "I'll return to my quarters. You let me know if you need my advice again." Dhreat turned and left the bridge without another word.
When she returned to her quarters, only then did she allow herself to take in a deep breath over the horror that she had just felt.
Yes, Gorog was here. And they had become powerful. And if they became anymore powerful...
Dhreat—or rather, Tahiri—feared that the Dark Nest might very well overcome her when next they met.
