For the return trip to Bastion, which took about two days, Tahiri was periodically drugged by Partner—whom she thought might as well be called Traitor now—so that she was kept in a perpetually groggy state; because of this, she was unable to use the Force.

"I could just go all the way and knock you out," the Mandalorian said, "but I don't wanna have to feed you intravenously or change you while you sleep. You'll be eating, drinking, urinating, and defecating at just the right point where you can't try to pin me to a wall with your mind."

The merc was true to his word; she was able to do all that without ever being able to so much as give him a mild shove; and he was never late with the administration of the drug.

Finally, when they returned to Bastion and set down in the Imperial Capital Building's hangar bay, the Mando had brought Tahiri out of his ship with stuncuffs just as they met with Jag, Jaina, and their security escort of four stormtroopers.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Tahiri," Jag said.

Jaina only regarded her friend with sadness in her eyes.

"Take her to a holding cell immediately," Jag ordered two of his troopers.

"Yes, sir," one of them responded. Then he and one of his comrades grabbed Tahiri by either elbow and led her out of the hangar bay.

When Jag and Jaina turned back to the Mandalorian, the latter said, "I hope you have a drug that can keep her unable to use the Force."

"That won't be necessary," Jag said. "Have you ever heard of ysalamiri?"

"I thought they went extinct during the Vong War."

"No, just endangered," Jag replied. "Though we were able to find one and transport it safely here from Myrkr after you called ahead; that should block off Tahiri's powers."

"Good," the Mando said. He then looked to Jaina. "I suppose you'll be my new partner?"

"Yeah," Jaina replied; her tone was still somewhat bitter considering what she heard from the merc about Tahiri killing Velias. "I can help you out in a jam."

"I'll show you what Veila and I found during our little search on our way outta here," the merc said. "Now let's go."

"Just gimme a second," Jaina said.

"I'll be waiting aboard," the Mando said. He then turned and returned to his Firespray.

Jaina then turned to Jag. "Tahiri needs to be brought back to Shedu Maad, Jag. You know this."

"She's not a Jedi anymore, Jaina," Jag argued. "She swore it off; the Jedi Order has no jurisdiction over her. And she killed an Imperial citizen, even if that citizen was a traitor."

"Oh, c'mon, Jag, you're the Head of State, can't you-"

"Don't forget that I have an entire Moff Council to answer to. If I try to release Tahiri into Jedi custody, they'll-"

"Forget the Moff Council, you can overrule them! What, are you scared of them turning on you?"

"If it weren't wartime, I could probably handle it, Jaina. But if I do this, they could take advantage of the distraction and-"

"Tahiri needs help, Jag! Just like Uncle Luke needs help! And she's not gonna get it behind an Imperial prison!"

"She can have visitors, you know. Tekli, you, Lowie, you can all stop by and-"

"That won't be enough and you know that! There's a difference to what Imperial visitation hours can allow to what the Jedi Temple can allow!"

"Jaina, listen, when this war's over-"

"No, no, don't you use this war as an excuse to-"

"I know you feel bad about Tahiri, but now isn't the best time! I can keep her as comfortable as I can, but-"

"Jag, if she isn't helped by her friends, she'll wallow in the dark side for the rest of her life!"

"Tahiri made her choice, Jaina! I made you very aware of how she felt since Daala turned on the Jedi, and she turned down any opportunity from you, Lowie, or any of the others! She had her chances of being helped and she squandered them!"

Jaina regarded Jag with disgust. "So that's it, huh?"

Jag hesitated in his response. "For now, it is. Again, when this war is over, I might be able to get her free while making sure the Moff Council won't try to turn on me for something like abuse of power for nepotism and use it on the public."

"Velias was a traitor! People can't look on Tahiri that badly!"

"But he was still an Imperial citizen who should have been judged by our laws instead of that of a vengeful vigilante; and even if Tahiri isn't seen as a Jedi, people will still look at her as one anyway. And the Moffs could use this as the basis for a vote of no confidence against me, which is something I just can't deal with right now given this war."

"Sounds like a pretty weak basis, if you ask me."

"You'd be surprised how strong they can make it."

Jaina nodded. "When this war is over, huh?"

Jag returned the nod. "Yes."

"Then I'll try to get this war ended as soon as possible for you." She said no more before she turned to join the Mandalorian in his Firespray.

. . .

"You're absolutely sure that he didn't say where he was taking this Sith prisoner?" Workan asked the police captain.

"I didn't even ask," the captain responded. "Quite frankly, I didn't even care. Now why are you so curious about this-"

"Forget this whole conversation," Workan said with a wave of his hand. "Forget me as soon as I walk out of this office."

"I will forget this whole conversation," the woman responded in a dazed tone. "I will forget you as soon as you walk out of this office."

With that, Workan turned around and left.

Once he joined Saber Khai and Ben Skywalker outside of the police station, he relayed what the captain told him.

"Then how are we to find him, Lord Workan?" Khai asked.

Before Workan could come up with an answer, his commlink beeped; he brought it up to answer. "Yes?"

"Lord Workan," came the voice of Saber Noklo Feshla, "I have an urgent communique from Grand Lord Vol himself. He also urges you to bring Saber Khai and Ben Skywalker when you contact him. Please return immediately."

"Acknowledged," Workan replied before he signed off.

Less than half an hour later, Workan, Khai, and Skywalker had all returned to the ChaseMaster Uvak's Prey, which was parked in orbit of Kavan. Once Workan was seated in his quarters with Khai and Skywalker standing behind him at either side, he finally opened up a secure holocomm channel with Grand Lord Vol.

"My Master," Workan said with a nod, "you wished to see me and the young ones?"

"Actually, Lord Workan," Vol said with some irritation in his tone, "it isn't I who wishes to see you or the children; it is this man."

The image shifted from Vol's visage to-

"Jacen!"

Both Workan and Khai were startled by young Skywalker's angry outburst at the sight of Jacen Solo's holographic representation.

"Ben, what did they do to you?" Jacen asked, seemingly oblivious to his cousin's anger. "Are you all right?"

"How dare you come back into my life again, you monster?!" Ben shouted; he also seemed oblivious to his cousin's concern for him as he leaned past Workan and leered at his holographic representation. "After you killed my mom and nearly took me from Vestara?!"

Jacen looked confused. "Ben, you know I didn't kill your mom! It was my clone, Caedus!"

"Liar! Liar! Why are you still alive while my mom's dead?! It should've been you, you bastard! It should've been you!"

Jacen looked confusedly from his cousin to Workan and Khai. When he looked at the girl, his eyes narrowed in anger.

"What have you done to him, Khai?" he growled.

"You leave Ves out of this, monster!" Ben cried out.

"Ben, let me handle this," Khai said as calmly as she could.

"No, Ves, I-"

"Get him out of here, Saber Khai," Workan demanded as he indicated Ben with a nod of his head.

"Ben, listen to me!" Solo shouted. "Your father is-"

Workan cut the transmission right there before he looked back over his shoulder at Khai. "I said get him out of here at once, Saber Khai!"

"Yes, My Lord," came the reply.

She then guided Ben, who was too distracted by his anger for his cousin to think straight, out of Workan's quarters. When they were gone, the High Lord reactivated the transmission.

"I hope you can understand that I have some questions, Jedi Solo," Workan said. "Such as what have you done to Sith Saber Degron?"

"He's alive and with me," Solo answered evenly. "And I'm willing to trade him back for my cousin."

Workan raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think we aren't willing to sacrifice one Saber to keep young Ben?"

"Because the alternative is that I transmit a message to the Jedi Temple on Shedu Maad about the location of your homeworld, Kesh," Solo replied simply.

Workan's jaw dropped. "What?!"

"That's right, I know where you are. But I promise not to tell anyone of how to get to your homeworld if you just give me back my cousin."

"How did you find out where we lived?"

"I have my ways."

Workan looked at Solo curiously before sneering. "You somehow successfully tortured the information out of Saber Degron."

"I did no such thing." Solo said that with such a straight face, Workan almost believed it.

"Nice try. You convinced him that you could guarantee his safety and deny his complicity in revealing the location of our homeworld, didn't you?"

"Degron had nothing to do with this, I swear," Solo replied desperately.

Now the tables had turned to Workan's favor.

"Oh, no? Then I suppose I have your word that if you give us back Degron to do with as we please in exchange for your cousin, you won't tell the Jedi Temple of where we live."

"You have my word on it as a Jedi."

Workan actually guffawed. "You're a surprisingly talented liar, Solo! But it's not good enough. You know how I know? It's because of the plain simple fact that you're a Jedi; one of your sacred duties is to the destruction of the Sith, just as one of my sacred duties is to the destruction of your kind. So there's no way I could ever believe that you wouldn't tell anyone at your Jedi Temple of where the Lost Tribe resides! For all I know, you could have even told them of that already!"

Solo gritted his teeth angrily. "All I care about is my cousin and the rest of my family; I'm very flexible of where my loyalties lie."

"Oh, please! Am I really supposed to believe that?! If all you cared about was your family, Solo, you wouldn't be a Jedi!"

Solo growled. "If you harm one hair on Ben's head-"

"If you will excuse me for a few moments."

Workan then cut off the transmission and shifted it back to Grand Lord Vol.

"Did you hear all of that, my Master?" the High Lord asked.

"I did."

"What do you wish to do? Kill young Ben?"

Vol looked off to the side as he contemplated the next course of action. Then he returned his gaze to Workan and said, "No. In fact, we will do as Solo asks."

Workan looked surprised. "My Lord?"

"Oh, don't worry, High Lord Workan. It will not be as he asks. Here is what you will tell him."

When Vol was done, Workan shifted the transmission back to an angry—and worried—Jacen Solo.

"The Grand Lord has decreed that you and Ben are to be reunited," Workan stated.

"But?" Solo asked.

"You will have to meet him... on Kesh."

"I accept."