The ChaseMasterX frigates Khai Pride, Memory of Tahv, and Exiled Warrior all dropped out of hyperspace in the last leg of their journey before the Pride and Warrior were to enter the Maad system. The Memory, meanwhile, was to receive a different order that would keep it from entering that system.
From his command salon aboard the Pride, Saber Khai put in a private holocomm call for the Memory's captain. When it came through, Khai said, "Saber Vlenak, you are to remain in this system for exactly eight hours after the Khai Pride and Exiled Warrior jump into hyperspace. If neither I nor Saber Gendasol report in by the end of those eight hours, you are to assume that we have indeed found out that the Jedi base is located in the Maad system but we are either dead or captured. Regardless of the reason, you are to report to Grand Lord Vol that the Jedi are hiding in the Maad system. Do not attempt to save either of us unless you receive a validated message from either of us that asks you to do so. Is that clear?"
"Absolutely, Saber Khai," Vlenak replied.
"And, obviously, if you are found by any Jedi or Hapan forces," Khai added, "you would be prudent to take your leave immediately. And you can feel free to tell Lord Vol that the Jedi are on Shedu Maad anyway."
"Of course, sir. Will that be all, Saber Khai?"
Khai only nodded before he cut the connection. Then he stood up from his seat, exited the salon, and returned to his ship's bridge to order the next jump for the Pride and Warrior.
Vestara, here I come, he thought determinedly.
. . .
Master Skywalker! Please! You have to come back! We're in grave danger!
Luke would have ignored that Force-plea from UnuThul and the unified Will of the Killik Colony if not for the fact that his mind was being assaulted by images of a terrible battle going on in the Corellian system. From what he could make out from the images that UnuThul sent to him, the Killiks and their Joiners were in an all-out confrontation against the combined Corellian forces, with a particular concentration over and around Centerpoint Station, and the Killiks were dying by the dozens in their dartships against their human, Selonian, and Drall opponents.
Shutting himself off from the Force for a few moments, Luke allowed himself to be plunged back into physical reality so that he could stare at the tunnel of hyperspace through the Jade Shadow's forward viewport. A part of him suspected that what UnuThul just showed him might have been a trick to lure him back to the Corellian system, and that if he were to return, he would find that everything was as fine as it had been when he left it.
But, on the other hand, if what UnuThul had shown him was true, then he would have forsaken his duty as the Grand Master of the Jedi Order and he would never stop feeling ashamed of himself for that.
Knowing that there was one feasible solution to this, he dropped the Shadow out of lightspeed into an empty system and brought up the HoloNet from the console in front of him. A few moments later, his face narrowed in consternation as, indeed, a battle was raging between the Colony and the forces of the Five Worlds over the assassination of Prime Minister Saxan, with Head of State Gejjen now acting as emergency P.M.
Sighing in defeat, Luke opened himself back up to the Force and sent to UnuThul, I'll coming back as soon as I can; I promise. And he meant it, too.
Hurry! UnuThul communed. The Corellians will not let us leave even if we wanted to! They mean to exterminate the Colony!
I understand, Luke communed. I will do what I can to get you help before I return.
Hurry! UnuThul reiterated desperately.
Luke shut himself off from the Force yet again just to keep the Joiner King from reaching out to him and distracting him from what he had to do next. First, he dialed in Admiral Bwua'tu's comm number. After patiently going through his assistant over the course of a few precious minutes, the Bothan's holographic visage appeared over the console.
"I take it this has something to do with what is currently going on in the Corellian system, Master Skywalker?" Bwua'tu asked before Luke could say anything.
Without missing a beat, Luke asked, "Will Chief Omas allow you or any of your fleets to interfere, Admiral?"
"Assuming he does, against whom would we be fighting?" the Bothan inquired.
Luke's expression settled into a determined one as he thought about it for a moment. Then he said, "The Corellians."
Bwua'tu only nodded, as if he had somehow expected this to be the case. "I am already in the midst of assembling a flotilla for the Corellian system, Master Skywalker. We should be ready, at the earliest, in two days."
"Two days?!" Luke exclaimed.
"It's the best I can do on such short notice," Bwua'tu replied defensively.
Luke sighed patiently. "Alright. Thank you, Admiral. Let me know as soon as you can when you and your fleet are ready."
"I will. Will that be all, Master Skywalker?"
"Yes. Goodbye, Admiral." Then Luke cut the connection before he brought up the comm numbers for all of the Jedi Masters and called them up on an emergency frequency that denoted that what he had to tell them was of the utmost importance.
After what felt like a painful eternity, each of their holographic visages appeared over his console. Then Luke said hurriedly, "Master Hamner, Masters Solusar, I'm just letting you three in on this call to let you know why I have to pull all the other Masters from their current duties or sabbaticals. As for the rest of you, my fellow Jedi, assemble for the Corellian system and bring what Knights you can! The battle now going on between the Killiks and Corellians may very well determine the fate of the galaxy!"
"Fate of the galaxy?" Kyp Durron asked. "What do you mean, Luke?"
"I can't explain right now," Luke responded, not even caring about the breach of etiquette on Kyp's part. "I'm not even quite sure if I understand completely, or even if I'm just reaching. I just know that for whatever reason the Killiks and Corellians are fighting, it focuses on Centerpoint Station. It must be protected at all costs, both from the Corellians and from... well, whoever may wish to it harm. Is that understood?"
The other Masters acknowledged their unified compliance with affirmative but confused responses.
"Good, Luke said with mild assurance. "Then I'll meet you all there, and we can, hopefully, find a way to make sure that Centerpoint remains safe. May the Force be with you all."
After receiving the same response from all the other Masters, Luke terminated the call and regained control of the Shadow. He wheeled it around so that it faced away from the direction of the Transitory Mists and back to the Corellian system.
I'm sorry, Ben, Luke thought bitterly. But if I don't do this, you may be in bigger trouble than you are now.
With that thought out of the way, Luke set a course back for the Corellian system and jumped back into hyperspace.
. . .
When the Family Honor dropped out of hyperspace in the Corellian system but well outside the battle zone between the system's namesake natives and their Killik opponents, the first thing Opak did was search his scanners for the ships belonging to his other family members. In less than five seconds, he found that they were all present and accounted for; but he knew better than to rely simply on his scanners as he opened up his family's encrypted communications channel.
"All Djalnises, report in," Opak commanded firmly.
One by one, they all did.
"Alright, everyone," Opak said. "Let's make it through that furball ahead, board the target, and raise hell till we get to the control room. From there, we set the charges and raise just as much hell on our way out before the big bang. Everyone got their charges?"
All of his family members reported in the affirmative.
"You, too, Majis?" Opak asked.
"Yes, Father, I brought my charges," Majis replied confidently. "I made sure of it this time."
"Good, 'cause none of us forgot the last time when you did forget," Sayji's frosty voice came through.
"Oh, like you hadn't-"
"Can the bickering and save it for after the job," Opak interrupted Majis.
"Yes, Father, sorry, Father," Majis said.
Opak shook his head in annoyance before he said, "Alright, let's go. Oya!"
A brief chorus of, "Oya!" came from the rest of his family before all of the Mandalorian ships in the Corellian system soared toward Centerpoint.
. . .
As soon as the Solo Quest II dropped out of hyperspace into the Adumar system, Jacen immediately opened his senses up so that he could search for Judicar on the planet ahead. He had a feeling that it might have been a futile effort if she was still keeping herself small through the Force, but now that he was here and this was the best lead he had, tenuous as it was, he felt that he had to try anyway.
After a couple of minutes, however, he stiffened in place as soon as he felt several dark presences try to cloak themselves from him. Though several of them were successful, Jacen could still feel one of them, who seemed relatively inexperienced in the dark side of the Force compared to his compatriots, just barely able to keep his own metaphorical cloak up. To Jacen, though, that meant that he was failing miserably if his fellow Sith—and the Jedi Knight had no doubt that that was exactly what they all were—didn't already know about their colleague's inability to properly shield his own presence.
Now with a greater sense of urgency in his mind and in his expression, Jacen poured speed into the Quest and soared it toward Adumar.
C'mon, Jaina, c'mon! Jacen tried to commune through the Force. Damnit, c'mon!
. . .
The door to Quisa's spice lab swung down and open before Majesh exclaimed, "Mom, we got trespassers!"
Quisa and Judicar—both dressed in appropriate lab attire—turned away from their work, looked up to the ceiling at Majesh, and the older woman asked, "How many?"
"About seven, from what the cams tell us!" Majesh replied.
"Show me," Quisa commanded as she headed to the door.
Judicar moved to follow, only for her to be stopped by a raised hand from Quisa.
"You stay right in here unless I say otherwise, you get it?" the older woman asked.
With a stoic expression and stance, Judicar only nodded.
Not needing anymore from the Sith, Quisa turned back and resumed her brief walk to the ladder that led back up to the cabin above.
When the door slammed shut and left her alone, Judicar opened herself back up to the Force, even if it did mean potentially exposing herself to Jacen—if he was among the trespassers that Majesh mentioned—so that she could get a read on who they might be.
After a few moments, Judicar got a read on at least seven dark side users, all of whom felt like Sith, with five of them bearing distinct and familiar group impressions that she associated with the Lost Tribe. The last two, though...
One of them felt completely unfamiliar to her, and though he had a fire within him that burned hot with Sith rage, he had an uncertainty about him that betrayed his inexperience as a Sith.
The last one, however, was startlingly familiar to her.
Plekos? Judicar communed through the Force.
Ah, came the reply from the Zabrak. There you are.
Plekos' tone made it clear that whatever he and Judicar had when they knew each other shortly after he helped her escape Hlest almost a year and a half ago was gone. And all that was left was a desire on his part to ascend through the ranks of the Lost Tribe and gain a place by being the one to kill her, the one who betrayed the Tribe to the Jedi and their Galactic Alliance allies.
Even as Judicar gained that realization, though, the all-too-familiar presence provided by her twin brother appeared within her senses.
Jaina, you have Sith coming for you! Jacen called out. Whatever resentment he had for her must have been shifted to the back of his mind, because all he had blaring in his presence was simple worry for her at the moment. Wherever you are, you have to run! I'm not sure even you can take 'em all, and I'm pretty sure they're nearby! I'm getting to you as quick as I can! Hey, wait a minute... Is that...?
Don't you worry about it now, Jacen! Judicar returned. If you can feel where I am now, it's the best you're gonna get for a while! I'm making myself small again!
But, Jaina, you-
Jacen was cut off from communing anymore to her as Judicar made herself small through the Force again and hurried to the ladder that would take her out of the spice lab.
When she emerged back up in the cabin, she quickly found the Klass family in a computer room filled with over a dozen monitors each displaying a live feed of the forest in which they lived. Several of the feeds—all of which were tinted green, as it was currently nighttime on this side of Adumar—tracked the progress of seven individuals—three humans, two Keshiri, a Zeltron, and Plekos—as they carefully trekked their way through the forest.
When Judicar had joined them, the Klasses had yet to register that she was in their midst, as they saw that one of the humans had tossed an object—Judicar recognized it as a shikkar—toward one of the trees. A second later, the hidden net in front of the seven trespassers deployed up into the canopy, empty of any catch.
"How the hell did they know that one was there, too?" Quisa asked in anger.
"Because they're all Sith," Judicar answered.
The Klasses all turned and regarded her with varying looks. Quisa looked infuriated—obviously because Judicar had disobeyed her order about remaining down in the lab—Herush looked concerned, and his siblings all looked suspicious in varying degrees.
"And you know that how?" Quisa asked, her anger not draining one iota.
"Because I'm one of them," Judicar answered evenly.
Immediately, Quisa brought out a handblaster and aimed it at Judicar. "You brought 'em here, you witch!"
"Mom, please, put the-"
"Shut it, Herush!" Quisa exclaimed. "This little traitor is gonna rain ruin down on us all!" She levelled her gaze at Judicar. "Just gimme one reason why I shouldn't shoot you right here, right now?"
"How 'bout the fact that I'm currently carrying your best son's child?"
That froze everyone in the room for several heartbeats.
"You're lyin'!" Quisa accused.
"Then let me show you," Judicar said.
With one deft motion of the Sith's hand, Quisa's blaster went flying from her grip to clatter down to one corner of the room. Then, with a motion from her other hand, Judicar telekinetically pulled the older woman into her grasp before she placed a hand on her head.
And with a painful but quick flash, Quisa was momentarily given a vision of the life that was, indeed, growing in Judicar's womb.
When Quisa was dropped back into physical reality, Judicar released her, prompting the older woman's children—sans Herush—to surround her protectively.
"So if you wanna live to see your grandchild, Quisa," Judicar intoned, "you and your own kids better help me get outta here."
