Inquisitorial Shuttle:
Jaina Skywalker leaves her quarters and walks down a corridor in her shuttle, passing the holding cells as she does.
Jannah moves up to the bars of her cell. "Jaina!"
Jaina reluctantly stops and turns. "Yes?"
"Please dont do this."
Jaina chuckles. "And why shouldnt I?"
"Beacuase you know we havent done anything wrong."
"Haven't you?" Jaina sneers. "A traitor reached out to you, to help her attack the Republic from within."
Tyl speaks from his cell. "Help her attack the Inquisition. Not the Republic."
Jaina frowns. "It's the same thing."
"Is it?" Jannah asks. "The Republic and the Inquisition are the same? Is that what Rey says these days?"
Jaina tries to avoid the uncomfortable truth. "Mother says the Republic cannot survive without the Inquisition. An attack on the Inquisition is an attack on the Republic."
"Is that why your mom sent spies to keep an eye on her old friends?" Jannah asks. "Her friends who helped her defeat the First Order, rebuild the Republic and win the war against the Core Alliance. Why would her friends need such special attention from the Inquisition, Jaina? Why?"
Jaina does not answer, clearly uncomfortable.
Tyl looks at Jaina. "The answer to that question is inside those two droids. In their memory-banks."
Jaina looks at BB-8 and D-O, shut down and in an open crate together with F8 and the Medical droid. Chewie joins in on the conversation now.
"He's right" Jannah says. "Look for yourself. If you want to know what really happened at Griefalnak, ask BB-8 and D-O."
Jaina snarls. "I already know what happened at Griefalnak! Mother ended the war and saved the Republic!"
"At what cost?!" Tyl asks in turn. "Millions of civilians died when your mother destroyed that station. Is it not worth looking into what really happened? Don't you think the truth matters?"
Amee, sharing a cell with Kyle, walks up to her bars. "You killed my parents. You tried to kill me. And you tried to cover it up. You dont think your mother has it in her, when you do?"
Jaina listens, thinks and then turns to look at the droids.
Jaina is in her quarters and closes the door. She turns and looks at the two droids she now has with her. She kneels, removes the restraining-bolt on each and then reaches around and turns them both on. Both BB-8 and D-O, when they realize who they are sharing the room with, panic and try and hide.
"Calm down! Calm dow, the both of you. I wont harm you!" Jaina tries to make the droids calm down. "Just listen to me, will you!" The two droids peek out of hiding, BB-8 extending his zapper-arm in defense. "I wont harm you. I give you my word."
D-O slowly rolls out of hiding, and BB-8 cautiously follows. Jaina kneels down infront of them.
"You both helped my mother and her friends win the battle at Griefalnak." The two droids beep and chirp in response. "My mother was in charge of cutting power to the stations turbo-lasers. What went wrong?" The two droids look at each other, hesitant. "Please... Tell me. What happened? Why did the station blow up? Surely, it must have been a malfunction or something, right? It wasnt... Intentional?"
D-O makes moves that urges BB-8 on. BB-8 activates his holo-emitter and fills the small room with data. Jaina stands up and studies it all. BB-8 shifts focus and shows a holographic view of the stations main power-core.
"The stations main power-core" Jaina says to herself as she watches.
BB-8 zooms in on a catwalk leading across a chasm towards the core. It shows Rey Skywalker fighting her way through guards and droids. Rey then walks up to the powercore as BB-8 zooms in more and the droids shows Jaina how Rey places a satchel close to the core itself and then presses several buttons on the satchel before she turns and runs away. The hologram ends. Both droids lower their heads, sad and ashamed.
"She did it" Jaina says with a whisper to herself, taking a step back. "She killed them all..."
Jaina walks slowly down the corridor to the cells, clearly trying to control her emotions.
Jannah stands by the bars. "She did it because it was easier that way. She killed millions of innocents, just so the Republic wouldnt have to storm the station itself."
Tyl nods. "She won the battle in a heartbeat, and prevented a prolonged siege and an even longer assault. At the cost of millions of innocent lives that werent involved in the fighting."
Bayl looks at Jaina. "The Republic deserves to know what happened. They need to know who they rely on to keep them safe. Does the end really justify the means?"
"Skywalker" Tyl says and Jaina turns to look at him. "Your mothers methods... Are they any different from those of the Empire or the First Order? All the arrests. All the survaillaince. All the executions."
"All the murders?" Kyle cuts in.
Jaina is by now truly conflicted.
Baramon, New Republic Capitol, Senate Building:
The senate is in session and Rey Skywalker walks out to take center stage infront of all the elected officials.
"I am humbled to stand before this august body" she says. "It is a great honor to speak to those I have sworn to protect. The office and government I have sworn to defend. I have come to you today on a matter of grave importance. And it is nothing less than a tragedy that I am forced to do this. Together, we have rebuilt the Old Republic. We have restored peace and hope. But only within our own borders. Beyond the Republic, tyranny and fear still prevails. The legacy of the Empire and the First Order. A legacy we should be ashamed that we allow to flurish. We all know who the greatest threat is. We all know the horrors they enforce on those trapped in their grasp. I speak of course of the Core Alliance, whose leadership are all former officers of the Empire and the First Order. Tyrants and thugs. I am here to promote a response to their tyranny. A response that shall send an echo of hope across the galaxy. I urge you to heed my call to action. It is no secret that the Core Alliance hunts down and kills all who show any signs of being in touch with the Force. Men and women, children and infants. Anyone. Children! Little children!" As she speaks of the children, she can no longer control her rage. "It is genocide! The brutal extermination of Force sensitives, no matter the species or age! Can we truly call ourselves a bastion of freedom and hope, if we sit still and look on without doing anything to stop these horrendous acts?! You may question our ability to stop the Alliance. But ask yourselves this... Do you question my abilities? My grandfather defeated the Sepparatists. He defeated the Emperor. My father destroyed the Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and brought down the Empire. My father destroyed Supreme Leader Creel. And I killed Kylo Ren, I vanquished the First Order and forced the Core Alliance to accept peace on our terms! Trust in me, ladies and gentlemen! For the Force is my ally, and it is an ally that cannot be stopped! So join me then and bring hope to the galaxy! And let us, together, bring down the tyranny of the Alliance!" The senate rises to its feet and applauds.
Inquisitorial Shuttle:
Jaina enters the cockpit of her shuttlecraft, hyperspace outside. The two pilots turn to look at her.
"My lady?" one of the pilots says.
Jaina reaches out with both hands and Force Chokes both pilots at once, until their necks snap. Jaina then reaches over them and brings the ship out of hyperspace. Inquisitorial troops step out of their chambers, wondering what's going on. Jaina walks down the main corridor and then brings out her lightsaber and cuts down her own men. Two of them bring out their blasters and opens fire, but Jaina blocks the shots back at them, killing them. BB-8 then emerges out of hiding and hooks up to a socket and all the cells open, allowing our heroes to step out. They pick up the weapons from the dead troops.
Tyl grins. "I knew you had it in you."
Tyl and Chewie hurry on to the cockpit.
Jannah puts a hand on Jaina's shoulder. "Thank you."
Jaina offers Jannah a smile. Jannah and Jaina then join Tyl and Chewie in the cockpit.
"We haven't much time" Jaina says. "They probably already know we dropped out of hyperspace. And Acklin knew of your plan to hack into the holo-network."
"Which is why we are still going through with it" Tyl says. "No one would be stupid enough to go through with a plan that was busted wide open. Which means they wont expect us to do it."
Jaina is not convinced. "They will still be on high alert."
"As a precaution, yes" Tyl nods. "Dont worry. Me and the general, we have a plan."
Chewie growls in agreement. The shuttle makes a turn and then heads off into hyperspace in a different direction.
Baramon, Inquisitorial Fortress:
Ben Skywalker enters a large command-room where the staff of the Inquisition are hard at work planning for the coming conflict. Rey is in the middle of it and looks up as her son approaches.
"Why aren't you with the fleet?" Rey asks harshly.
"It's my sister" Ben says. "She's gone missing, along with her ship and all the prisoners. We aren't able to reach her or anyone on her crew."
Rey drops everything she is doing and walks over to Ben. "Find them. I'll deal with the Alliance myself. You find those traitors... and kill them all. Bring your sister home."
Ben looks at Rey. "Mother... The only way they could have escaped is if Jaina allowed it."
Rey looks at Ben with her one, yellow, eye. "Find them" she growls and turns back to dealing with the preparations for the coming war.
"Yes, my lady" Ben says, bows and turns and leaves.
To be continued...
