When the so-called 'Last Grand Admiral' of the Galactic Empire had surrendered to the New Republic, he hadn't really been working for the Empire at all. Octavian Grant had been aligned with the splinter faction called the Pentastar Alignment, a huge chunk of the Outer Rim under Grand Moff Ardus Kaine, successor to Wilhuff Tarkin. Kaine had run the administrative side to the Alignment while Grant had managed its navy from the bridge of Kaine's super star destroyer Reaper. Unlike other Imperial warlords like Zsinj or Teradoc, Kaine had seemed content to hold his existing territory and avoid fights with either other ex-Imperials or the New Republic, and for that reason he and Grant had initially been left alone.
That had changed after the Fall of Coruscant. With Ysanne Isard gone and the capital world in its hands, the New Republic had reshifted its focus to taking out the various Imperial warlords in the Outer Rim. Grant, sensing that his time was running out, had offered to surrender to the New Republic, exchanging all his knowledge and secrets for comfortable house arrest on a world of his chosing. Mon Mothma had been in charge then, and she'd chosen to accept the offer with little hesitation.
Leia wished her mentor was alive now, but the woman had died peacefully two years before. She'd always been ambivalent about the decision to give Grant amnesty; displays of mercy were a virtue, both morally and politically, yet Leia had a hard time forgiving Grant for the crimes he'd committed. Even now, after almost two decades on Rathalay, the old grand admiral seemed glibly unrepentant of all he'd done.
Leia met him where she always did. It had been years since she'd last had any reason to speak with Grant but it seemed like nothing had changed. The grand admiral's villa was located on a hillside overlooking a white beach and vivid blue ocean. The air was warm and fragrant, and Grant's servant droid escorted her onto a large balcony where palm-leafed trees swayed in the breeze and water played through a series of shallow ornamental pools. Beyond the white-stone railing, one could see surf gently beat the shoreline. There were no people in sight, no houses. The estate was in perfect seclusion.
This kind of life would cost a fortune on Coruscant. Space was vastly cheaper on Rathalay, but Leia still fought down indignation that New Republic taxpayers' money was being spent on keeping Grant pampered.
She was kept waiting for almost ten minutes before the door back into the house slid open. She turned from the ocean view to see the last grand admiral shuffle onto the balcony. Grant had never been a big man and his short, thin frame seemed withered with age, though if he used a cane he refused to give Leia the satisfaction of seeing him with it. White hair topped a lined, sagging face, and his eyes narrowed at the sight of Leia.
"Well," Grant said after a moment, "It's been quite some time, hasn't it, Princess?"
"That it has." Leia folded her hands politely in front of her. "You seem to be doing well."
"As well as can be expected," Grant grunted. Despite his age his voice was still strong, and he spoke with the crisp aristocratic accent ubiquitous in the old Imperial court. Just hearing it took Leia back decades.
Grant walked over to the railing beside her and leaned bony elbows against it. "I know you dislike small talk, Princess, so I won't try to keep you long. You're here about Bavinyar, aren't you?"
"You've been following the news."
"Of course I've been following the news. What the devil else can I do?" Grant waved a withered hand at the beautiful ocean view, as though it were some junkyard on Ord Mantell.
"I understand you had a hand in the subjugation of Bavinyar forty years ago."
"Forty years…." His eyes narrowed. "What a thought that is… Sometimes it feels like a century, other times… yesterday."
Leia didn't have patience for him to get wistful. "Tell me, Mr. Grant, did you ever face Jereveth Syne in battle?"
His face creased in annoyance; either for some bad memory or for Leia's refusal to call him 'grand admiral.' She hoped both.
"I did," he said finally. "It was after the Clone Wars. Her whole planet resisted the Emperor's New Order, quite fiercely for such a small population. They had… four dreadnaughts to defend their home with. Naturally, I had more ships."
He gave Leia a cruel smirk. "She was a little like you, Princess. Her father was Bavinyar's leader. Jereveth Syne was young, no more than thirty, when I conquered her planet and killed her father. But even without her world or her daddy, the little waif kept fighting."
"I'm sure you left her no choice," Leia said coolly.
"You're right. I didn't. She only had… Yes, she only had two dreadnaughts and some support ships, but she harassed my sector fleet for months. She always attacked with fast hit-and-run raids, the kind you Rebels would take up decades later."
"Jereveth Syne was an inspiration to the Alliance," Leia said.
Grant snickered. "Ironic, then, that her daughter's giving you so much trouble now, eh? The Bavinyari never had love for anybody else's government. You shouldn't be surprised they're not happy to share their world with alien trash at the point of a Rebel gun."
"Did you defeat Jereveth Syne?"
"Oh, yes," Grant's smile turned soft, almost wistful. "That was quite a fight, you know. I trapped her fleet and she had no way out, but she fought to the very last ship. She fought so hard she nearly ground my forces to nothing. But I got her in the end, and with her the last shred of Bavinyari resistance. After that we resettled their world with Cereans to make sure all the exiles Syne led off the planet never came back. It would be decades before you Rebels mustered a fighting force to take on an Imperial fleet like they could. Yes, those Bavinyari… They were the last of a dying breed. Or first of a new. Hah."
"How did you defeat Syne, then? You just ground her into nothing?"
"Well, it was more than that." The smile got tighter, crueler. "She knew I was the one who destroyed her father's ship. She let the desire for vengeance against me make her sloppy. She let it get personal."
"And I suppose you didn't?" Leia said with distaste.
To her surprise, Grant laughed. "Oh, no, dear girl, I let it get very personal. Jereveth Syne nearly cost me my career. I won because I was a better tactician, simple as that."
"Of course."
Grant held up a bony finger. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not denigrating the little waif. I faced many enemies in the Empire's name, but Jereveth Syne… Ah, that was an opponent. Resourceful, unpredictable, and fierce. She was a challenge. I'm very proud to have killed her."
"I'm sure her daughter would be overjoyed to know that."
"Ah, yes, the daughter. What was her name again? Something with another 'J'."
"Jadesei."
"Yes, of course. Well, if she's anything like her mother, she can be beaten the same way."
The hungry look in her eyes sent a chill down Leia's spine. "What are you saying, Mr. Grant?"
The old man leaned closer. "I know you authorized military intervention in Bavinyar. Let me lead it, Princess. Syne thinks I'm a monster, they all do. My very presence will sow confusion and chaos in their ranks!"
Leia took a step away from him. The old man was simply delusional if she thought she'd ever put an Imperial war criminal, the last grand admiral of all things, in charge of a New Republic battle group, especially one who'd already subjugated that planet before on Palpatine's orders. She remembered how, according to Mon Mothma, Grant had also begged her to give him a fleet to fight Grand Admiral Thrawn. The old man must have become desperate for his old warrior days after so long in captivity.
Strangely, the thought made Leia feel a little better.
As politely as she could, she said, "I am trying to reach a solution that involves as little violence as possible."
Grant snorted and waved a hand. "Violence is the only thing the Bavinyari understand. They're an uncivilized, frontier people at their core, Princess. The kind of noble upbringing we had is totally alien to them."
"If we kill Syne we only make a martyr of her. It will only cut resentment of the New Republic deeper into Bavinyari society."
"You Rebels," Grant sneered, "Always seeking compromise and consensus. This is your galaxy now. You rule a vast collection of human and alien systems under one unified law. That makes you an empire whether you think of yourselves as one or not. And every empire rules by the same principle. Either take control or lose control."
"And what would you suggest we do, Mr. Grant?" Leia asked sarcastically.
Grant noticed her tone but chose to ignore it. "Either kill Syne, or take her prisoner and put her on trial for breaking some law or another. Dismantle the human military and replace it with one of your own fleets. Anyone even suspected of working with the human or Cerean separatists must be rounded up and executed."
"Rule by fear. That didn't work well for Tarkin."
"Tarkin trusted his monstrosity of a space station to save him. That was the flaw that killed him. You're different. You have to trust the same thing every empire and every galactic government has before yours: The cold fist of the law."
Leia looked away, pointedly toward the calm pulse of water against sand far below.
"You don't want to hear it," Grant said, "But you'll see it soon enough. It's what will happen whether you want it to or not. Such is the way of the universe."
Leia felt like screaming, less at Grant and more at herself for thinking she might even get anything useful from this wretched man.
As though he sensed her thoughts, Grant said with a defensive tone, "The galaxy is what it is, Princess, not what we want it to be. I'm surprised you haven't learned that by now. Well. Perhaps your Bothan successor will be more prudent."
Leia glared at him. "The election is still weeks away."
"After this debacle, Princess, the result is a foregone conclusion, "Grant shrugged. "Your trusted candidate is a prisoner on his own homeworld, which is hardly a recommendation for his competance. Still, I'm not looking forward to seeing Fey'lya in charge. The crafty alien reminds me far too much of some schemers I knew in Palpatine's court."
Leia looked down at her hands as they gripped the stone railing. Grant was right about that and she knew it, though she'd been trying desperately not to think about it. Nothing that would follow on Bavinyar was certain, but she could hardly see any resolution that would end with Bennie winning the coming election instead of Fey'lya. The Bothan had simply played his hand better.
She felt guilty for even thinking of the crisis in political terms, but it was a reality she had to deal with. Fey'lya winning control of the New Republic, unthinkable just a month ago, now seemed inevitable, and part of her felt that preventing that was even more important that finding the least violent solution to the Bavinyar conflict.
Maybe, she thought, there was a way those two could be one.
She looked back up at Grant. "I was told that Jereveth Syne had a Jedi Knight in her force. Perhaps more than one. Can you say anything about that?"
Grant's eyes went distant as he peered back through the years. "Yes, I believe she was involved with the Jedi. Not that it saved her in the end of course."
"Of course," Leia echoed sourly.
"Still," he admitted, "I believe those Jedi did help her. They were part of her... advantage in some of our encounters. Of course, by that time, the Jedi cult was already under an extermination order. I'm sure they all died, in the end."
"Those Jedi might be dead," Leia said, "But the Jedi are very much alive."
"So I've been told," Grant said with a bitter smile. "I remember that Order before it was exterminated, you know. Nowadays you hear about how enlightened the Jedi are, how noble and brave and righteous. Let me tell you, Princess, I was not the only one relieved to see that band of religious fanatics wiped out. Far from it. No sane government would ever trust a powerful organization working in separate parallel to the established state, accountable only to themselves. The Jedi were antithetical to the rule of law; anyone could see they had to be elimnated."
"I trust the Jedi. Implicitly."
"I know, I know. You have… family ties. You may think your beloved brother can keep them all in check, but be warned, Princess. The Jedi are on no one's side but their own."
"I really must be going," Leia said and turned for the door, "But thank you for your advice. You've honestly given me something to think about."
Not what he'd meant for her to think about, but he honestly had.
-{}-
They'd reached the point where no one was even trying to pretend that Sham-Vi-Diin was anything more than a prisoner. A prisoner they treated with courtesy, perhaps, but still a prisoner. BDF soldiers had occupied the entrance to BSA headquarters and strictly controlled exit and entry from its premises. Sham-Vi-Diin himself could go no place without being escorted by at least two of Major Brenner's human security officers.
They did show him the small favor of escorting him up into the Prime Minister's tower, if a favor it was. The data-rod with the recording of Brenner buying weapons, presumably from Pedric Cuf, presumably used to murder Pohl-Had-Narr, was like a heavy weight in his pocket. He kept on telling himself that if he could find some way to speak privately with Prime Minister Syne he could show her the recording and explain what it meant, and she would take the proper course of action.
There was no logical reason to think it. He had no way to prove anything he could tell her about the recording, and even if he could, there was no way to now whether Syne hadn't organized Pohl-Had-Narr's assassination herself. When the assassination first took place, there had been a lot of talk about how convenient it was that Syne was standing by to fill his office. Sham-Vi-Diin's gut instinct had been that Syne was reasonable and moderate and would never willingly condone such an action, though the BIL could have been using her as a tool. If he proved to her now that she was being used, he might, just might, stir her to shake off the forces within the BDF who were manipulating her.
It was all incredible long shot. Still, when they brought him up into the tower, he allowed himself the stupid hope.
He was reminded just how stupid his dream was when his guards escorted him into an oblong briefing room. Syne was at the far side of the table, talking with Major Brenner and General Kaice. As his guards directed him to a seat closer to the door, Syne's eyes met his from across the room.
"Director Sham-Vi-Diin," she said, disengaging from the two military men, "I'm glad you could make it. Have you been treated well?"
Sham-Vi-Diin looked around the room, at all those hard human faces set over brown uniforms. He was the only Cerean in the room, and they'd clearly brought him in to witness some kind of military operation.
He forced himself to look Syne in the eye. "Sufficiently well, Prime Minister."
"I'm glad," Syne said, and she even sounded honest. "I want to offer my personal apologies for all you've been through. I did not want to act, but I received clear and pressing evidence that Korr-Mad-Narr was going to take steps to subvert the elected authorities and remove me from office."
Sham-Vi-Diin nodded. It was hard to deny when he'd seen evidence of that himself. "I have to say, Madam Prime Minister, that I never imagined I would ever be made director of the BSA."
"When martial law is lifted, and I promise it will be, there will be a reorganizing of the BSA," Syne told him. "I promise we will find an appropriate place for you then."
Acutely aware of a dozen human eyes peering at him, Sham-Vi-Diin dared to ask, "Do you have any idea when martial law will be lifted?"
Syne looked away from him, passing her gaze around the officers at the table. "Very soon, I hope. You may or may not have heard, but the New Republic has authorized the use of military force to restore civilian rule on Bavinyar."
Sham-Vi-Diin hadn't heard. His courteous captors hadn't let him hear anything at all. "What about Republic personnel on the planet?"
"They're being kept safe and will remain safe," Syne assured him. "I'm hoping, in fact, to present them to the New Republic fleet when it arrives, along with the cessation of martial law."
That all sounded too good to be true. "I'm glad to hear it, Madam. This meeting I've been brought to, does this have anything to do with it?"
"It does. The BDF is about to launch an operation to recover Leonal from Palt-Ri-Gen and the CPF. As acting head of the BSA, it's only appropriate that you're here to witness the event."
Sham-Vi-Diin looked around the room, at all those hard human faces. "I'm… honored to be here, Madam."
From the far end of the table, General Kaice said, "Madam Prime Minister, our teams are in place. We're ready to begin the operation as soon as you are."
Syne took a deep, deep breath. Sham-Vi-Diin could see the gravity settle over her. "Very well, General. Tell them to begin."
She left Sham-Vi-Diin to sit at the far end of the table, between Brenner and Kaice. Sham-Vi-Diin was left stranded between two human officers he'd never met as the holo-projector in the center of the room sprung to live, revealing a strategic representation of the mining complex at Leonal. General Kaice stood up and began a short briefing, pointing out the red markers identifying reported CPF weapon emplacements on the complex exterior and the green markers identifying the BDF units that had been stationed on all sides of the complex.
As soon as he finished giving instructions, the troops went on the move. An audio transmission, crackling with static, filled the room as someone who identified himself as Major Hallex started narrating the BDF's attack on the facility.
"HQ, were are moving in teams Alpha, Gamma, and Delta right now. Teams Beta, Lamba, and Sigma are standing back for a second wave."
Sham-Vi-Diin watched, only half-understanding, as markers on the holo-map began to move. Green BDF units seemed to approach from the north and south, while a third unit seemed to fall in from above.
"Team Alpha is approaching via air now," Major Hallex reported. "They'll provide cover for Teams Gamma and Delta."
Sham-Vi-Diin thought he could make out the rattle of weapons-fire in the transmission's background. He glanced away from the holo to the far end of the table. Prime Minister Syne seemed to be watching the battle's progress intensely, but Kaice and Brenner were leaning over her back, whispering something.
"Team Alpha is in position, delivering covering fire," Hallex went on, "Delta is approaching the west entrance. They're encountering resistance… Alpha is moving to clear heavy defenses..."
There was suddenly a loud sound-burst over the transmission, and Sham-Vi-Diin wasn't the only one who half-jumped from his chair in surprise. He watched as the markers denoting Delta and Alpha began to flicker.
He had a feeling that was a bad sign.
"Team Alpha has taking heavy damage," a breathless Major Hallex updated. "Repeat, heavy anti-aircraft fire. Looks like Imperial shoulder-mounted weapons… They're… Oh. Oh, no."
Kaice leaned forward. "Major, report! Now!"
"I'm sorry, General, but two of our air units have just been shot down. And the CPF… They've just activated a series of stealth mines. They've… They've brought down part of the mountain."
Sham-Vi-Diin looked at the holo again. Only one marker for Team Alpha was left while the remaining Delta ones were still flickering.
"Tell Delta to fall back," Kaice ordered. "Have Alpha pull around. See if they can't at least get Gamma in through the east entrance."
"Yes, sir. Will comply."
The officers around Sham-Vi-Diin tensed and sucked in breath; clearly this was not going as they'd hoped. The markers for Delta group kept flashing until they suddenly stopped entirely. One officer slammed an angry first on the table, answering any question as to what they meant.
"Major Hallex, report," Kaice said with a scowl.
"I'm sorry, General, but we've lost Delta. They attempted to flee and got caught by suppression fire."
"What about Gamma?"
"Gamma has… breached the east entrance. Teams are heading into the facility now."
"What about the air support?"
"Alpha is standing over the facility now, sir, but I can't say how long it will take them to realign their anti-air."
"Pull Alpha out for now. Can you muster more air forces for retrieval if Gamma needs it?"
"Yes, sir, we can pull in Team Sigma."
"Good. Keep us updated on Gamma."
Kaice leaned back in his chair and told Syne, "We can still hold this, Madam. The question is how much the CDF is defending inside the facility."
"The other question is whether they'll start executing hostages," Syne grimaced.
"If Palt-Ri-Gen does, he knows his life and organization are dead too," Brenner insisted.
"He probably thought that anyway once we declared martial law," Syne retorted. She was clearly chafing under the pressure, and the new rules that had brought them. Sham-Vi-Diin allowed himself another spike of stupid hope.
He looked at the holo-projection again. It showed the small green dots marking Gamma Team scattering into the superstructure; apparently the soldiers had track-ing devices on them, but there seemed to be no way of locating enemy soldiers within the same facility.
As one long minute dragged into the other, Kaice said, "That complex is a massive maze. It will take the better part of a day to fully clear it, even without hostiles at every turn."
"We need to recover those hostages," Syne said.
"I know, Madam, but if Palt-Ri-Gen damages the mining machinery, the economic cost will be significant also."
"Hostages first, then the machines."
Kaice nodded, almost grudgingly. Sham-Vi-Diin looked back a the holo; nothing seemed to have changed and Major Hallex was sending no more updates. After two more long minutes, even Kaice seemed to lose his patience.
"Major," he said, "What is our update?"
A deep breath rasped over the comm. "Sir, reports from Team Gamma are spotty and, ah contradictory."
Have they secured stages of the mining facility?"
"Yes, sir. They seemed to have cleared the top four levels, but as you know, the facility goes much, much deeper, another twenty levels."
"What about the hostages, Major?" asked Syne.
"We've, ah… That's the contradictory part, Madam. I've gotten reports that the CPF is dragging some hostages deeper underground with them."
"What about the others, Major?"
Another labored, rasping breath. "We're finding bodies. They appear to be hostages from the mining staff."
Syne swore. Kaice asked, "How many bodies, Major?"
"At the moment… Ah…. Upward of twenty. Maybe closer to fifty. We've found a few rooms where it's hard to count."
Sham-Vi-Diin's gut lurched. The officers looked at each other in disgust and consternation. Kaice asked, "Has there been any attempt to repulse the teams on the upper floors?"
"Not that I can tell, sir. It seems like the enemy is setting down for a siege. They've already collapsed some tunnels. The remaining paths deeper into the mines are heavily guarded."
"Major, have your people hold position," Syne said, and pressed a button muting the transmission.
Sham-Vi-Diin watched, as helpless as all the human military brass around him, as Kaice and Syne turned from the table and spoke in harsh but inaudibly voices. Major Brenner looked awkwardly on as the two talked for that seemed like five minutes. Finally, both Syne and Kaice turned back to the table, looking as close to calm and composed that any being could be expected to look given the circumstances.
Kaice switched the audio back on and said, "Major Hallex, are you there?"
"Standing by, sir."
"Your troops are to hold you advance on the facility. Secure the floors you've taken and make sure it's safe to bring in more aerial teams. Start tallying casualties and preparing bodies for transport."
"Yes, sir."
"And Major," Kaice added, "Have you any clue as to Palt-Ri-Gen's whereabouts?"
"I'm afraid not sir. We have a few Cerean casualties but none of them look like him."
"We'll assuming he's digging deeper. Thank you, Major. We'll contact you in two hours with further instructions."
"Yes, sir."
He shut off the link, and with it the holo-projection. The entire room seemed to release a nervous sigh, Sham-Vi-Diin included.
Relief lasted only a moment. The battle had clearly not gone as plan, and Syne probably was not going to get Leonal secured before the New Republic showed up. As to what that meant, Sham-Vi-Diin wasn't sure, but he couldn't imagine it was anything good.
Kaice rose from his seat. "All right, back to your posts, everyone. We'll keep you informed."
He didn't even bother to look in Sham-Vi-Diin's direction. The Cerean's guards stepped up on either side of him, as though daring him to try and run some place else.
He didn't run, but he did stand, take a deep breath, and call, "Madam Prime Minister, can I have a word with you?"
Syne, already engaged in conversation with Kaice, called back, "I'm sorry, Director, but at the moment I have more pressing concerns."
She really didn't. Sham-Vi-Diin was about to insist again when Brenner waved a hand. "Take him back to his office. Director, we'll call on you when we need you."
He opened his mouth in protest, not knowing what he'd say. It didn't matter. His guards, his captors, took him by shoulders, nearly dragging him backwards out of the chamber. He was left to face Syne and her traitors as the chamber doors slid shut, obscuring them from view.
-{}-
The New Republic officials staying at the consulate had found themselves under house arrest before any of them knew what was going on. The servant droid had almost finished preparing dinner for Behn-Kihl-Nahm, Gavrisom, and Tresk Im'nel when the Bothan Jedi started behaving strangely distracted. Behn-Kihl-Nahm had little first-hand experience with Jedi, but that was enough to make him feel spooked.
When asked, Im'nel said he felt a vague disturbance in the Force; the sensation that something was happening somewhere else in the city. Not violence, he clarified, but something to cause a great deal of stress and alarm.
Gavrisom had offered to pass a call to BSA headquarters. The link failed to go through, which made Behn-Kihl-Nahm even more alarmed. Before he could do anything else, armored BDF landspeeders arrived at the gate to the consulate.
Little had happened after that, at least little the New Republic staff was aware of. The BDF officer who marched into the consulate never bothered to give his name; he simply said that the building was on lock-down and they would be told when they were permitted to leave. He hadn't bothered to tell them that all communication lines outside the consulate had been cut; so, too, had any means of viewing the news-nets and gleaning information that way.
They managed to pass days in anxious speculation, dread settling all the while in Behn-Kihl-Nahm's gut. It was more clear than ever now that he'd allowed himself to be hopelessly outplayed by the human extremists on Bavinyar. He tried not to even think about the political repercussion for the New Republic election. After this debacle he didn't deserve his senate seat, let alone the Chief of State's office. He tried to focus on what he could do for Bavinyar but with no way to contact the outside world, there was little he could do there either. Im'nel tried repeatedly to find way around the communications block, only to declare that the BDF must have erected a powerful localized dampening field around the consulate grounds. Once the Bothan went and spoke to the well-armed guards outside and tried to use some Jedi mind tricks on them, but that proved futile as well.
All the while, no one from the BDF came to explain their situation. They were trapped in maddening isolation.
When they finally got a visitor from the outside, it was the last person Behn-Kihl-Nahm least expected to see. Escorted by a half-dozen BDF men in riot armor, Jadesei Syne walked through their front door and politely asked if she could sit down.
She explained, in brief, the situation: the planned coup by Korr-Mad-Narr and the BDF preemptive strike against him, the stalled and costly attempt to retake the mining facility at Leonal from Palt-Ri-Gen, and the New Republic task force that had been authorized by the senate to restore civil order on Bavinyar.
When she was all done, Tresk Im'nel bore his angry Bothan fangs and said, "Your local defense fleet will never be able to hold off the Republic navy. For your sake you'd better plan a surrender."
Syne shook her head "I will not step down from this office, not until we've restored peace on Bavinyar our-selves."
"What kind of peace?" Behn-Kihl-Nahm asked. "You say you want to capture or kill Palt-Ri-Gen and dismantle the CPF."
"I do. Will you defend their actions, Senator?"
"Definitely not. Will you defend the BIL's?"
Syne flinched. "I've put great effort into tracking the people responsible for the recent terrorist attacks, no matter what Palt-Ri-Gen says."
"You've captured rogue cell leaders. I commend that. But what about Aviran Kolin?"
"Kolin has been… Harder to locate."
"What about the people responsible for killing Pohl-Had-Narr, the ones who started this crisis in the first place?"
"That investigation has stalled. I admit that. I only have limited personnel and this crisis keeps spiraling further out of control," Syne said defensively.
Gavrisom made a whinnying noise and shook his feathered mane. "Madam Prime Minister, I still believe you are an honorable woman."
She took the compliment with an arched eyebrow. "However?"
"However, your insistence on solving this problem through the strong hand of the military- the overwhelming human military- is counterproductive. The New Republic is here to help you, as it always has been. Do not turn down our aid."
"What aid? A war fleet over Bavinyar is not help, it's an invasion force"
"I know you've had your problems before," Behn-Kihl-Nahm said, "But the Republic is no the Empire. We're not here to take away your sovereignty. We're try to promote the peaceful cooperation between all peoples of the galaxy."
"Peaceful cooperation?" Syne snorted. "Frankly, Senator, that sounds like a euphemism to convince the weak that the strong have their interests at heart. I'm not trusting it."
Behn-Kihl-Nahm was beginning to suspect Syne trusted no one at all, not even herself. "I do not believe the Republic will accept your point of view. Nor would any Cerean on this planet, nor, I think, many humans."
"And now your enlightened Republic comes to make me accept their benevolence at the point of a gun." She shook her head. "The task force will be here in less than six hours. I am going to try and stall them, at least until Leonal is pacified. To do that, I plan to release most of the consulate's support staff. And one of you."
Behn-Kihl-Nahm looked around the room. "Are you asking us to choose?"
"I am. As a show of good faith. We will defend our sovereignty if attacked, but we will not fire the first shot. I want your Republic to know that."
Behn-Kihl-Nahm, Gavrisom, and Im'nel exchanged long, wordless glances. Syne added, "I can give you five minutes in private to discuss the matter."
"I will stay," Behn-Kihl-Nahm said immediately. "My place is here, on Bavinyar. I won't abandon my home."
Syne nodded, like she'd expected that.
Im'nel raised a paw. "I'll volunteer to stay as well. I want it never to be said that a Jedi fled from a place of danger, not while others remained at risk."
Gavrisom gave a whistling sigh. "Your bravery humbles me. I would stay as well."
"One of you will be released," Syne said. "If you can't decide, I'll pick one myself."
"Minister Gavrisom, you should go," said Im'nel. "You can still find a diplomatic solution to this mess. Besides, you have the least at stake here."
"Very well," Gavrisom's head bobbed heavily on his long neck. "I will shepherd the rest of the diplomatic staff to safety."
"No harm will come to here in the consulate either," Syne said firmly. "I guarantee that to you. We are not butchers."
"We appreciate your assurance, Madam," Behn-Kihl-Nahm said weakly.
Syne rose to her feet. "Tell your people to prepare to evacuate all their belongings. My people will be here in four hours to take everyone away."
"Except those who choose to stay," Behn-Kihl-Nahm said.
"Yes," she nodded. "Except those who choose."
-{}-
Asyr Sei'lar was about ready to smash through the windows of her hotel and leap out. She hadn't left her room since the start of martial law, and had spent most of her time cooped up with both Aryon Ven and Rev Lessex. Both humans had dared go out into the street at times, to pick up food and scout the area, and both reported that Cephalia was a ghost city. There weren't many BDF officers patrolling the streets, but the ones they did see were given wides berths. Everyone was locked inside and frightened, awaiting whatever was coming.
The news-nets had been allowed to speak with surprising freedom at first, though once it was reported that the New Republic Senate had authorized military force to settle the Bavinyar crisis, most had been abruptly shut down, leaving Asyr to feel more isolated on this alien world than ever.
"We still have this recording," Ven insisted. He'd been clutching that data-rod against his chest for the past few days like it was more valuable than his life, which maybe it was.
"We don't even know what it means," Asyr reminded him. "I we haven't heard anything back from your partner at the BSA. He might be under arrest by now."
"He might be dead," Rev Lessed said dourly.
Ven shook his head, adamant. "Sham-Vi-Diin's alive. He'll help us, I know he will. What's on this recording is the key to what we've both been looking for."
"It sounds like you two are close," Lessex observed.
The young man's resolute expression faltered. "Not really," he admitted, "But in this I trust him. I have to."
He had nobody else, Asyr thought dourly. They'd tried to contact Tresk Im'nel too, using both the hotel's comm system and Asyr's personal one, and nothing worked. She suspected the BDF had erected heavy dampening fields outside both BSA headquarters and the New Republic consulate, though there was no way to be sure of anything at this point.
The helplessness made her want to scream. She'd come here to find evidence of Borsk Fey'lya's complicity in all this mess. She still wanted to find some, if it was there. That recording of Pedric Cuf could be exactly what NRI needed to find the missing link the weapon supply chain.
"When the Republic comes, we have to find a way to contact them directly," Asyr said. "I don't suppose this hotel comm system can reach ships in orbit?"
Ven shook his head. "I already checked. Its signal gets routed through the primary transmitter on the island west of Cephalia. I'm sure the BDF has that locked down now."
"Is there no other way to send a signal? Not on the entire island?"
"Pretty much all civilian ones are routed through there. Government facilities, and probably some corporate ones, have long-range transmitters on-site."
"What about your BSA precinct offices? Do they have anything?"
"No. The headquarters building doesn't either. All BSA transmissions are piped through another site located up on the mount-"
He froze. His blond brows drew together in thought.
"Do you think the BDF will have it secured?" Asyr asked urgently.
"I'm not sure. It's usually unmanned. They might have a few guards stationed, but I doubt more than that."
"Why do you think that?"
"You haven't been on the streets. The BDF patrols in this city are already under-manned and spread pretty thin. The BDF simply doesn't have the manpower to take over every island on this planet and deal with the New Republic in orbit."
"So you're saying we can get to the transmitter on foot?"
"It will be a walk," Ven admitted. He peeled open the window-shade and looked at the sky outside. The sun was setting low and the light was turning gold. After so long in this room Asyr had forgotten what time it was outside; the passage of hours had become irrelevant.
"I think," the young policemen ventured, "We can try and go once the sun sets."
"Do you know your way to the transmitter station?"
"I know Cephalia, even in the dark. I can get us there."
Lessex broke the silence with a long, pained sigh. "None of this is going to help us find my brother, is it?"
Asyr felt a stab of guilt. She'd been so preoccupied with her own goals that she'd forgotten the more private pain on the man beside her. She wondered how many other people on Bavinyar were facing the same kind of intimate crisis, with no one to help them.
"Our best chance to find your brother is to end this crisis," Ven said gently. "Once we get out of here, you don't have to come with us. You can go back to the Corniche. I'm sure your sister must be worried."
Lessex blinked, like he'd forgotten all about her. He shook his head and said, "I didn't stay cooped up with you guys all this time just to run. I want to help. I need to help."
"It could be dangerous," Asyr warned.
"I know how to use a blaster," Lessex said bravely. "If it will help me find Javen, I'll come with you both."
Asyr glanced at Ven, uncertain whether this confused human would really be an asset. The other man placed a hand on Lessex's shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze.
"I appreciate this more than I can say. Bavinyar needs more men like you."
"I just want to do the right thing."
"It's what you've been doing all along, Mr. Lessex."
Asyr cleared her throat. "So we go come nightfall. Is that the plan?"
"I think so," Ven said, then hesitated. "I just hope Sham-Vi-Diin finds a way to contact us before then. It could mean everything."
-{}-
Punching through the dampening field the BDF had erected over BSA headquarters wasn't easy, but once again Sham-Vi-Diin found himself grateful for the counter-terrorism training he'd received under the Imperials decades ago.
The hardest part had been getting out of his office. His two stone-faced human guards gave him a hard enough time when he said he needed to use the refresher; it took him a good half-hour before he convinced them to let him go down into the bottom levels of the BSA head-quarters building because he wanted to check and make sure all BSA landspeeders and equipment were safely stored, unstolen by rogue Cereans who might have been part of Korr-Mad-Narr's plot. Once he threatened to call General Kaice, they commed Major Brenner instead, and Brenner apparently gave them the go-ahead.
Once in the vehicle garage beneath the headquarters, Sham-Vi-Diin found an excuse to get inside the cockpit of one of the heavy speeders. Ostensibly checking to make sure its automated security system was still working, he turned on its comm system without starting the other systems and pushed its transmitter freq to the highest end of the spectrum the machine would allow. Then he slipped out, reported all was well, and performed the security check he's promised, his human guards staring over his shoulder all the while.
When he finally got back to his office, he locked the door behind him and immediately turned on his commlink. He'd memorized the identification number for the system in the landspeeder and patched his comm into that machine so that it effectively worked as a relay. With the landspeeder's comm set to broadcast as a spectrum higher than standard systems were set to receive, he didn't expect the dampening field to catch the outgoing signal.
It didn't. The question, then, was who to call. There wasn't much in the way of possible answers. Once sent out, the signal would be received by most systems as a burst of screeching noise. Normally that high-end frequency was only used for emergency communi-cations between BSA members. The only person he could think of who'd even know how to handle that transmission was his erstwhile human partner, Detective Ven.
Sham-Vi-Diin found himself hesitating. He reminded himself how little he really knew about Aryon Ven, other than that he was young and eager, apparently earnest and definitely the sole human detective in a homicide department otherwise occupied by Cereans. He remembered asking Ven once why he decided to join the BSA as opposed to the BDF like most other patriotic Bavinyari humans. Ven had replied that he'd been raised in Cephalia and wanted to protect every-one in it.
And that, Sham-Vi-Diin supposed, was all he needed to know.
There was still no way to know if Ven was even alive on in Cephalia, but Sham-Vi-Diin sent out the signal. He only had to wait ten seconds before someone picked up.
"Chief Sham-Vi-Diin, is that you?" the young human's voice came clear over the comlink.
"That's right," the Cerean smiled with weary relief. "What's your status, Detective?"
"About the same as last time, sir. I'm holed up with my… contacts in a hotel."
"Don't tell me where."
"I won't. Sir, are you still at BSA headquarters?"
"Yes. I've found a way around the dampening field they've thrown up, but I'm not sure how long it will last."
"Sir, have you looked into that recording I sent you?"
"I have. The lead man in that file, the one buying the weapons, is Major Brenner of the BDF." He heard someone, probably not Ven, intake breath. He went on, "Brenner is a close aide to General Kaice. I suspect that if Brenner was in on the buy, so was Kaice, though I can't prove anything."
"What about Syne?" asked a female voice.
"Syne… I don't think she was in on it, though I can't say that for certain either. It's just a gut feeling."
"Thank you for all that, sir," said Ven. "I'll make sure to pass it along."
Sham-Vi-Diin restrained the urge to ask where, exactly, Ven was going to pass it to. Anything they said over this line might still be intercepted. He simply had to trust the young human to make the right choice.
At the moment, it was the only thing he could trust at all.
"Detective, will I still be able to contact you when I need you?" he asked.
"I…. think so. But we'll be on the move."
"I understand. I may call again, if necessary. Good luck, Detective.
"You too, Chief."
Sham-Vi-Diin shut off the connection. He sat back in his chair and looked at his shaking hands.
Whatever Aryon Ven was going to do, it probably involved contacting the New Republic with the inform-ation he'd found. There weren't many way to do that, and all of them were risky. Sham-Vi-Diin felt like a coward sitting here in his office, waiting to be pulled on the BDF's strings like a damned puppet.
There had to be another way to talk to Syne. If Kaice wouldn't let him speak in person, he'd have to find another way.
He rolled the round metal comlink in the palm of his hand and tried to think of what to do.