The credentials that were provided for her, combined with a little mind-trickery towards the customs officer she met, allowed Darth Acheron and the dark-haired man beside her to enter Centerpoint Station with virtually no fuss. Posing as one of the few thousand Corellians who moved back to their home system in light of the Chiss War that was still raging in Galactic Alliance space, Acheron had dyed her hair brown and even used the same Force-trickery on her face to give her features that were common for human Corellians.
The man beside her, meanwhile, was her secret contact in the One Sith who provided her with the credentials for her to have the background of a Corellian. He was also, ostensibly, the one who had leaked to his Masters that Head of State Thrackan Sal-Solo's Centerpoint Party had found a way to reactivate their organization's namesake superweapon, albeit with several months to actually put the plan into action.
To be the one to leak that kind of information, Acheron's contact had to have been well into Sal-Solo's circle of trust. Indeed, the contact, one Hushk Grendel, had been part of the Centerpoint Party since Sal-Solo regained his position of power in the Corellian system after the Yuuzhan Vong War ended, and had thus become a trusted close friend of the man.
However, as trusted as Grendel was by Sal-Solo, the former wasn't as skilled in mind-manipulation as Acheron was, even if he was good with telekinesis and lightsaber combat; so he had only been able to get into Sal-Solo's good graces through good old-fashioned manipulation, as if he was a non-Force-using vermin. In that regard, Acheron couldn't help but think of how Jedi Master Corran Horn, as powerful as he was, was still completely unable to master the ability to levitate objects. To this day, it baffled her how no matter how powerful one could be in the Force, there would always be something that would elude certain individuals when it came to accessing the source of all power in the galaxy, if not the universe.
Nevertheless, just as it was no trouble for the two of them to get through Centerpoint's customs, Acheron and Grendel had just as smooth of a time taking a private tram that brought them down through several of the station's levels until it eventually attached to a wall. An opaque black dome closed around the tram before the wall slowly opened up to gradually lower the vehicle onto the tracks of a well-lit metallic cavern.
Five minutes later, the tram stopped next to a seemingly random section of corridor, which allowed Acheron and Grendel to step off. The tram then reversed course as Acheron paid attention to the series of rapid yet fluid hand motions that Grendel made upon the wall; two seconds after he was done, the wall parted to the left and the right to reveal a dimly-lit corridor that appeared to span at least a hundred meters forward before tapering off to a source of light. The two Sith stepped into the cavern, after which the corridor from which the tram deposited them was closed off to them.
Once Acheron and Grendel reached the source of light, they found themselves in a spacious office decorated with paintings and other forms of architecture that highlighted the accomplishments of human Corellians throughout the millennia. Acheron also noticed a few tiny, almost imperceptible possessions here and there that deliberately denigrated the likes of Drall, Selonians, and other non-humans that weren't even native to the Corellian system in comedic or even downright hateful ways.
Of course, Acheron noticed the decorations only after she took note that there were two stoic Corellian Security Force guards at the other end of the office, armed to the teeth and each wielding a modified CR-2 heavy blaster pistol across his chest. At the back of the room before her and Grendel was an expensive-looking desk constructed from transparisteel, and the leather chair had its back turned towards the room's guests.
The chair turned and a gray-bearded version of Han Solo appeared sitting there.
"So, Hushk," Thrackan Sal-Solo said, "this is the one you've told me about?"
"None other, Thrackan," Grendel replied with an affable grin. "May I present to you a Corellian national who's been away from home for far too long, Miss Leary Trest."
Acheron put on a humble smile and bowed her head at Sal-Solo. "How do you do, sir?"
Though he bore an uncanny resemblance to his more famous cousin, Sal-Solo's smile was nothing like the charming and even warm grin that Han was well-known for. Instead, there was something slimy in the expression on his face that he levelled toward Acheron.
"I'm doing quite well, Miss Trest," Sal-Solo said as he stood up from his seat and rounded his desk to get a better look at Acheron. "Hushk has told me so much about you." He then offered his hand. "Tells me you spent quite some time on, what was it, Chandrila?"
Acheron shook his hand without hesitation. "I'm afraid Hushk was mistaken, sir. It was Bilbringi."
"Ah, yes, Bilbringi, of course!" Sal-Solo exclaimed before he ended the handshake. "How silly of me!" He pointed at the side of his head casually. "When you get to be my age, your memory starts to go to the Nine Hells. And I don't even have dementia."
"That's a shame to hear, sir," Acheron replied deferentially. "I'm quite an admirer of your work, as any true Corellian should be. I'd hate to think where this system would be without you."
Sal-Solo tilted his head, as if from shyness. "Oh, you flatter me, young one. But I like to think that this system has yet to reach the true potential of its glory. In fact, I hope it does so long after I'm gone, because if this is as good as it gets for us, well... Well, anyway, welcome aboard, Miss Trest. Can I call you Leary?"
"Of course, sir," Acheron answered.
"Leary," Sal-Solo said as he firmly placed a hand on either of the female Sith's shoulders. "Make yourself at home. We have quite a number of plans for Corellia, and the system as a whole, to go. It may take some time, of course, but I assure you, once we have this station back up to its true potential, the whole galaxy will know just how powerful we can really be!"
Acheron mirrored his smile. "I hope to live to see that day, too, sir."
"I hope that for you, too, young one," Sal-Solo said. "But tell me, in your time among the Galactic Alliance, I assume you have quite a few things to tell us about how effective they are as a military. After all, I understand that Bilbringi is a vital shipyard for them."
Acheron pretended, convincingly, to be flustered. "I was only a junior-grade lieutenant when I escaped Bilbringi, sir. I'm not sure how much I can really tell you about the GA's military capabilities."
"Oh, now, don't sell yourself short, Leary. I'm sure you can be more useful to us than you think."
"I endeavor to live up to your expectations, sir."
"Oh, enough of this 'sir' business, Leary. You can call me Thrackan. All my friends do." He looked between Grendel and the guards in the room. "Isn't that right, guys?"
A chorus of "Yeah, Thrackan," followed from the men whom Sal-Solo addressed.
The Corellian Head of State returned his gaze upon Acheron. "Around here, Leary, though we may seem to be fanatics to outsiders, we're quite laid back. We know how to have a good time."
I bet you do, Acheron thought disgustedly. Still, she maintained her off-guarded, flustered smile.
She couldn't wait for Centerpoint Station to be active again.
But even as she thought that, Acheron thought she felt a faint yet familiar presence brush past her whole being. She fought off the urge to shake her head of it as Sal-Solo turned and waved her and Grendel along to a secret room whose door had just opened up along one of the nearby walls.
"Come," the Head of State said. "I'll show you a few of the basics of how we run things here, and our plans for the future of this system."
. . .
Jacen, did you feel that? Kyp asked through the battle-meld.
From his seated position next to Admiral Bwua'tu's command chair on the Galactic Alliance Star Destroyer Admiral Ackbar, Jacen asked, What is it, Kyp? I mean, Master Durron? I was a little too preoccupied with the rest of the battle.
I thought I felt something for a moment, Kyp replied. But then it closed itself off. I think it came from the Chiss reinforcements behind us.
What did you think it was?
I don't know, maybe... it felt like someone cloaking themselves belatedly through the Force.
Sith?
Again, not sure, Jacen. Just wanted to make sure you knew.
I got it. I'll let Admiral Bwua'tu know. Good luck, and may the Force be with you.
It always is, Jacen, Kyp replied confidently. It always is.
Jacen dropped out of the battle-meld a scant second before he opened his eyes and stood up from the cushion that separated his behind from the cold metal deck of the Ackbar's bridge.
"Jedi Solo, what is it?" Admiral Nek Bwua'tu asked once he saw Jacen stand up.
"Admiral, Master Durron and I think there might be a Sith presence that's part of the Chiss reinforcements that just arrived."
Bwua'tu grimaced. "Is there any way you or Master Durron can be sure?"
Jacen shook his head regretfully. "All Kyp got was a brief impression before that presence cloaked itself. We're not even sure which ship it is."
"Hmm. Hopefully, you and Master Durron will find a way, and soon, before this Sith causes too much damage to our fleet."
The days of fighting to get to Mon Calamari past the namesake system's innermost planets had still not reduced the GA forces' strength to an insignificant amount. However, the psychological toll could be something that the Chiss' hidden Sith presence could use to their advantage to turn the tide of the GA's campaign here, Jacen thought. And he had a feeling that Bwua'tu was savvy enough to understand that, too, even if he wasn't completely privy to the ways of the Jedi and Sith.
"Comm, patch me through to the Mon Mothma, Dodonna II, Song of Alderaan, Memory of Ithor, and Fondor's Retribution," Bwua'tu commanded.
"Aye, sir," one of the comm officers replied. "You're on, Admiral."
"This is Admiral Bwua'tu to all contacted ships. You're to turn away from the Chiss forces defending Mon Calamari and engage the newly-arrived reinforcements on my mark."
A few moments later, the comm officer said, "The commanders of the vessels you indicated, Admiral, have all confirmed their cooperation. They will turn with the Ackbar, sir."
"Excellent," Bwua'tu replied stoically. "Helm, turn us about 180 degrees."
"Aye, sir."
"Jedi Solo," Bwua'tu addressed Jacen, "inform Master Durron through the battle-meld that you will be concentrating your efforts on locating this Sith presence through the Force by my orders. If he has a problem with that, you let me know."
"Yes, Admiral," Jacen replied before he resumed his seat. He folded his legs back under him, closed his eyes, and concentrated.
Master Durron, the admiral has commanded me to focus my efforts on finding the Sith. I hope you don't-
Do it, Jacen! Find it and let me know where it is ASAP!
"He gave me his permission, Admiral," Jacen told Bwua'tu hastily.
"Then get on it, Jedi Solo!" Bwua'tu barked before he returned his attention to the bridge's viewport. By now, the Ackbar was almost in firing range of the Chiss Destroyers and cruisers that had just arrived.
Without hesitation, Jacen closed his eyes again and reached out to the enemy reinforcements through the Force. As tedious as the task was, he went through the thousands of capital ship crew members and even clawcraft pilots one-by-one, and at various points, Jacen was jarred out of his concentration by hits that the Ackbar took from enemy fire and clawcraft torpedoes.
Eventually, however, his senses detected somebody in the opposing fleet that somehow didn't quite feel like the rest of the Chiss. This one felt more closed off, as if he was hiding a secret that he didn't want anyone else to find out. This determination felt so strong, it seemed as if the keeping of that secret meant their life.
With just a little pressure with his mind, Jacen sought to find out this strange individual's secret.
And in response, he felt a push of resistance from that Chiss.
Immediately, Jacen shot up to his feet and hurried to the viewport.
"Do you feel something, Jedi Solo?" Bwua'tu asked with a tinge of anxiety in his otherwise battle-hardened tone.
"I think so, Admiral, but I need to concentrate!" Jacen replied without taking his eyes off the viewport.
"Well, do it quickly, I need my full view of the battle back soon!"
Jacen narrowed his eyes so that his Force-senses coincided with his physical view. Within a minute, he narrowed down the distinct presence of the individual that he detected to a Star Destroyer several kilometers to the port of the central enemy capital ship.
Jacen turned and hurried back to Bwua'tu. "Admiral, I've found it. I know where-"
The Jedi was cut off from completing that sentence when his danger-sense spiked. A second later, one of the bridge's sensor officers reported, "Forward shields down, Admiral!"
And that was just as a clawcraft fired off a torpedo for the bridge.
Quickly, Jacen erected a Force-shield around him and Bwua'tu mere moments before the viewport and a good section of the bridge was blasted apart in a brief but powerful explosion. Those who weren't incinerated by the blast were blown out into space just before the emergency shield generators kicked in and cut off the vacuum of space, leaving only Jacen and Bwua'tu as the sole survivors.
As Jacen warily lowered the Force-shield, Bwua'tu unbuckled himself from his emergency crash-webbing and said, "I have to get to the auxiliary bridge. Jedi Solo, you take your ship, get to the one with the Sith, and neutralize it! Take Master Durron and the Jedi Knights we still have here with you!"
"Yes, sir!" Jacen replied before he and Bwua'tu rushed out of the bridge.
Minutes later, Jacen was aboard the Solo Quest II and jetting off toward the Star Destroyer where he felt the possible Sith to be aboard.
Master Durron, I got a read on our Sith, Jacen conveyed through the battle-meld. Wanna take the other Jedi and follow me in?
Sure. But we should make this a take-'em-alive mission; maybe we can learn something about their involvement here.
Understood, Jacen sent back.
Not long later, Kyp's X-wing, as well as the four StealthX fighters of the remaining Jedi Knights who were also here, formed up behind the Quest and followed Jacen toward the indicated enemy Star Destroyer. Unfortunately, tagging along with the Jedi fighters were several clawcraft who disengaged from dogfights with other GA fighters and were now nipping at the Force-users' proverbial heels with charric fire.
And what made it worse for the Jedi in this chase was the Chiss' wartime adaption to their sensors, which allowed them to detect the virtually-invisible StealthXs almost as well as more conventionally visible fighters.
Jacen sighed before he had to commit a series of slaloms and maneuvers to dodge the rear fire of a pair of clawcraft that were then targeting the Quest.
