24

Whatever the usual perception of outer space was, Cathi was sure it wasn't supposed to look like the inside of a power coupling. Energy discharges arced through space and tendrils of energetic plasma swirled and danced as if alive. "Is it usually this bad?"

"There's a reason why we call it the Badlands," Jon replied from the co-pilot's chair.

She spun the ship between two large tendrils of plasma that were threatening to collide in front of it. As she did so, one of the panel alarms began flashing.

"What's that?" Jon asked.

"Grav-well alarm," she snapped back in between maneuvers. "Means we can't jump to hyperspace. Not that I would even think of trying in this mess. How far is it to where we're going, anyway?"

"This is just the outer shock front," Jon replied. "It takes a few days to cross and then we can go to warp again. Our base is about four light-years inside."

"You've got to be kidding," Cathi muttered. "That could take us longer than it took just to get here."

Jon nodded. "The Badlands are very difficult to navigate. The Cardassians lost at least a dozen warships just to the plasma storms."

"You sure know the right words to keep people calm," she deadpanned.

"Yeah, he's a regular morale officer," Marina added from the seat behind Cathi, with a hint of teasing in her voice. "Aren't you, Jon?"

"Shut up and let Cathi fly."

Without taking her eyes off the hyperactive nebula outside, Cathi replied. "Don't worry about me. Conversation's good. Keeps me alert."

The ship dove through a virtual wall of charged particles and plasma, which sparked off the shields in what would have been a fantastic light show under normal circumstances. Stealing a glance at the shield indicators, she was relieved to find they were still holding at normal levels.

"So, I'm curious. What is this place, anyway? Some sort of supernova remnant?"

"It's... ah..." Jon paused. "Well, I'm no astrophysicist, so I'll defer to the Cardassian. It's in his backyard after all."

"You are correct," Delak said. "It happened about seven hundred years ago. The radiation devastated Cardassia, causing near total collapse of our government and sending the planet into a civil war that lasted over two hundred years."

"That's terrible," Cathi replied. "So your planet didn't have any sort of shield in place?"

The look that Delak threw at Cathi was one of total and utter disbelief. "A shield that covers an entire planet? That's impossible, even for the Federation or Dominion." He frowned briefly. "Wait. Is there such a thing where you are from?"

"Well..." Cathi paused, suddenly wishing she had thought of the implications before she blurted the question out. "Yes, but only the more affluent planets can afford them."

"Your home sounds like a dangerous place," Silar observed.

Cathi shrugged. "Not really," she replied. "I mean, we did have a civil war around thirty years ago, and there are always pirates here and there to watch out for, but as long as you're alert and prepared you should be fine."

"Isn't that the truth," Jon muttered.

.

.

During the week-long wait for the Senate hearing, Anakin had taken every opportunity to pick the brain of the Old Republic Jedi Master that had, practically speaking, returned from the dead. Better yet, Master Dellen had worked in the Jedi Archives with Madame Jocasta Nu and had no small amount of Old Republic history committed to memory. Compared to the out-of-date archives his uncle Luke had pulled from the Chu'unthor, Dellen's knowledge dated back to only a few years before the fall of the Old Republic.

"So once an initiate passed his trials, he would wait to be selected by a Jedi Master, and then he would become his Padawan apprentice?"

"That's right," Dellen replied.

Anakin propped his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. "Can you tell me more about what it meant to be a Padawan?"

"Well," Dellen said slowly, "a Padawan learner was expected to always stay with his Master, so the Master could pass on as much of his life's knowledge about the Force and the universe as possible. Besides learning, a Padawan's duties also included building their first lightsaber once they were deemed ready, and developing and refining their ability to use the Force for more than simple manipulation."

"What do you mean by that?"

The Jedi Master took a sip of water. "As I'm sure you are aware, being a Jedi is far more than just knowing how to use a lightsaber. We must be in touch with the Force at all times. If we are, then we gain the ability to detect far more than what our eyes can see, or what our ears can hear, or what we can feel. So one of the duties of a Master is to work with his Padawan and strengthen the connection he has with the Force."

"That sounds very... specific," Anakin remarked. "But the Force is still more than just sensing or manipulating."

"You are correct," Dellen said with a smile. "And that is why each Master has much freedom in instructing his Padawan in the ways of the Force. It would be foolish to restrict that. I believe that was one of the great mistakes the Council made toward the end; they tried to place too much emphasis on certain things, which made us predictable."

There was a knock on the door and both Jedi looked up to see Mara and Luke. "It's time," Luke said.

Several minutes and umpteen security checks later, the four Jedi and the Federation group walked into a waiting area near the central podium of the Senate rotunda. Anakin could only remember the interior of the building changing once, and he had been so young at that time that he barely remembered what it used to look like. Still, he found it impressive. Thousands of delegation booths spiraled up from the bottom of the concave chamber.

"I was actually expecting it to be larger," Dellen remarked as they walked down the steps toward their assigned booth. "How many seats does the Senate have now?"

"The last time I checked, it was about twelve hundred," Luke replied.

Dellen clicked his tongue softly. "That's not even a quarter of the Senate I remembered..."

"I know," Luke said softly. "Around two thousand Senators signed a petition protesting Palpatine's power grab after the Clone Wars. They were ignored."

"That many?" Dellen asked in surprise. "When we left, his ratings were at an all-time high."

"Would you expect anything less of a Sith Lord?"

Dellen nodded guiltily. "And we were duped just as much as the politicians. If I had known that Palpatine was behind the attack that nearly killed all of us..."

"What's important is that despite all that, the mission succeeded," Luke said. "And that's why we're here today."

"True," Dellen agreed.

At the dais ahead of them, Chief of State Borsk Fey'lya stood in silence, listening to a representative of a multi-world farming consortium drone on about how agricultural tariffs in the mid-Rim sectors were killing business.

When the speaker finished, Fey'lya cleared his throat. "The Senate will now recognize the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee."

After the formalities were finished, the senator launched into an assessment of tariff structures. Anakin tuned him out after only a few minutes had passed, opting instead to mentally calculate the liquid volume of the Senate chambers. By the time the speaker had finished, he had concluded that the rotunda could possibly hold enough water to supply a small-ish planet for a year.

Not that anybody would drink it, that is. The senators would make it taste too bitter.

"... and so," Fey'lya was saying as Anakin snapped back to attention, "it is my distinct pleasure to welcome into this chamber a man who last set foot here sixty years ago, Jedi Master Dellen Coureran."

There were scattered attempts at applause and, to Anakin's surprise, more than a few jeering cries. What was wrong with the Senate, that they would openly ridicule a Jedi?

They walked up to the dais together, where Dellen stepped forward to the front of the podium.

"Thank you, President Fey'lya." He looked around the chamber as his voice echoed from the cavernous walls. "Esteemed representatives and honored guests, as some of you may no doubt know already, exactly sixty years ago this month a ship specially commissioned by the Republic left the shipyards of Yaga Minor on a historic voyage."

The chamber was filled with murmurs as some delegations tried to figure out what the Jedi Master was talking about.

"I am speaking of the Outbound Flight project, which departed with ten thousand Republic colonists and two thousand Republic Navy crewmen aboard six Dreadnaught cruisers. Never in the past thousand years of galactic history was anything so ambitious ever attempted."

The murmuring grew louder as Dellen continued. "As the Senate's history databanks will no doubt tell you, it was ambushed one week later in the Unknown Regions and has been presumed destroyed to this day."

"Where are you going with this?" a heckler shouted from the other side of the chamber.

Ignoring the question, Dellen continued. "I am pleased to report that rumors of our demise have been greatly exaggerated, and that the Project has succeeded beyond our wildest expectations."

He reached down and activated the holoprojector controls. Above the central podium, a giant representation of a barred spiral galaxy slowly began to spin about its axis, and there was a quiet gasp from the Senate. "Through a fortunate chance, Outbound Flight survived. Although we never made it to our intended destination, we reached a galaxy similar in size to our own. Most significantly, we have contacted a predominantly human government."

The murmuring in the chamber exploded into chatter, and Fey'lya had to pound his gavel to silence it. On the other side, the human representative of the Sluis Van sector stood up.

"Your question, Senator?" Fey'lya asked.

"Forgive me, Master Coureran," the senator began, "but is it not a well-established fact that there is a hyperspace disturbance surrounding the galaxy that makes travel in or out impossible?"

"I would say the simple fact that I am standing here in front of you, today, is enough to disprove that foolish notion," Dellen replied calmly. "I would also like to bring your attention to the Rishi Maze, which I believe we can all agree lies not within our own galactic plane, but is rather a dwarf satellite galaxy of ours. Were there such a barrier, travel to the Rishi Maze would be impossible." He paused for effect. "Historically speaking, the hyperspace disturbance hypothesis was accepted by the public and the Senate without any basis in reality. It was a convenient excuse for us to turn our focus inward and forget our drive to explore the stars beyond."

The silence in the chamber after Dellen had finished was almost deafening. Finally, Fey'lya spoke up. "Would you care to add anything, Senator?" The senator shook his head. "Are there any other questions for Master Coureran?"

"How is it possible for there to be humans in a galaxy so far away?" another senator asked.

Dellen smiled. "I believe I just finished explaining that the so-called Great Hyperspace Barrier does not exist. There are any number of ways that humans could have reached another galaxy in the past."

"But you said just a few minutes ago," the senator protested, "that no project like Outbound Flight has happened before."

"You twist my words, Senator," Dellen replied. "I said that no project like Outbound Flight has happened in the last thousand years of known Republic history. Mind you, species in this galaxy have been exploring space for at least the last hundred thousand years." He paused for dramatic effect. "In fact, I would say it's even possible that humans came from their galaxy!"

"That's preposterous!" the Senator shouted. "We know that the human race originated right here on Coruscant."

Dellen took some time to consider the question. "While it is commonly assumed by many that humans originated here," he said calmly, "there are at least three hundred planets that lay claim to human origins in this galaxy, not least of which is Coruscant. And in the long course of civilization here, any evidence to corroborate those claims has either been destroyed or buried beneath successive layers of growth. In short, Senator, that question is better left for archaeologists and sapientologists."

Dellen looked about the chamber again, which was still buzzing with voices. He raised his voice just enough to be heard over them. "But I have not come before you to give you a history lesson, historian though I may be. I bring to you an opportunity. We have successfully negotiated with this government for the rights to start a colony. This will be the first Republic colony to be founded outside the known galaxy since the discovery of the Rishi Maze."

The Sluis Van senator spoke up again. "I hope you pardon my impertinence, Jedi," he said, "but speaking as the representative of over six thousand systems I must say the founding of one new colony is distinctly unimpressive."

"In galactic terms, I admit it is barely a footnote," Dellen replied. "However, the local government, the United Federation of Planets, wishes to apply for membership. This is where the opportunity lies."

"To put it bluntly, this Senate is not in the habit of granting membership to anybody that just walks into this chamber," the Senator replied. "There are eligibility requirements that must first be met. Surveys must be conducted, and observers will have to monitor their political processes for a set time period before membership is even considered."

"And that is a fact that I am well aware of," Dellen replied. "Their representatives have filled out forms for no less than thirty-seven departments in the past week."

"I suppose then you are asking us to grease the rails, so to speak?"

"There is a certain amount of urgency to their request. I believe that their representatives could explain the situation better than I."

There was a resigned pause, and then Fey'lya's voice boomed out. "The Senate will now recognize Ambassadors Spock and Picard from the United Federation of Planets."

Spock stepped forward without missing a beat. "Esteemed representatives and honored guests," he said, imitating Dellen's opening, "we are deeply honored to be standing here in front of this august body. Like my colleagues, I initially had my doubts when I heard that we had made contact with a galaxy-spanning Republic. Yet, standing here today, I am left speechless at the millions of species and countless sentient beings that have chosen to work together toward a common goal.

He paused to take a breath. "While some worlds such as my home planet of Vulcan have been traveling space for thousands of years, the Federation has only existed for slightly more than two hundred of them. Together we have faced many challenges and emerged stronger for the experience."

As they looked around the chamber, it remained in silent attention.

"Despite that, the Federation now faces a test that it may not pass alone. A power that calls itself the Dominion decided several years ago that it wanted our resources. They have taken many worlds, enslaved their people, and killed thousands of our best Starfleet crews. We have fought back at every turn, but it has not been enough."

After a long period of silence interrupted only by the murmuring of the Senate rotunda, Anakin inwardly sighed when he saw the Sluis Van delegation pod highlighted.

"Forgive me, Ambassador Spock," the senator began, "but are you applying for membership or begging us to come save you from your troubles? Because if it is the latter, I hope you do not expect us to come charging in like some fabled cavalry. We have enough to worry about without waging wars on behalf of governments in other galaxies."

"Your hesitation to intervene in these matters is logical," Spock replied without missing a beat, "as we have faced the same sort of decision in the past. However, I must ask you to consider the fact that by the time all of the surveys are taken and political processes observed, there may not even be a Federation left."

On the small holoprojector at the front of the delegate pod, the Senator crossed his arms. "Then what would you have us do?"

"It is my understanding that there is a large military-industrial complex that services your armed forces. We still have manpower, but are sorely lacking in production capacity. We will only need the means to defend ourselves and training to use the equipment."

"I see." The senator scratched his chin thoughtfully. "That is an entirely different question, then. Assuming that your government passes the tests required for us to export arms to you, the only question that will remain is: What companies will be willing to take the risk of selling ships and weapons to an unknown factor?"

"Senator, Ambassador," a new yet vaguely familiar voice interrupted, "the Corellian Engineering representative has informed me that they are willing to provide provisional financing. How many ships do you expect you will be need, and what is your timeframe for delivery?"

"Mr. President," the Senator replied, "I must protest the interruption by Senator Sal-Solo. The United Federation of Planets has not yet been recognized by the Senate, much less approved for arms exports by the Security Council!"

Sal-Solo? Anakin wondered. It couldn't be.

"Regretfully, Senator Sal-Solo," Fey'lya said firmly, "I must agree with Sluis Van. Trade is the backbone of prosperity and we must take the time to ensure the correct decisions are made. Master Coureran, have the Federation representatives submitted the forms for formal recognition of an independent power to the External Affairs Committee?"

"They have, Mr. President."

"Has the Committee reviewed the forms in question?"

"They have, Mr. President."

Fey'lya turned back to the podium. "In that case, would the chair of the Committee care to state his opinion on the standing request for formal recognition of the United Federation of Planets?"

"The vote was 28-7 in favor of recognition," the chair stated.

"Do any of the seated Senators have any objection to the findings of the Committee?"

While Fey'lya waited for a decision, Anakin swept his gaze around the chamber in search of the Corellian delegate booth.

"In that case, the Committee's decision stands. The Senate will formally recognize the United Federation of Planets as an independent foreign nation."

There was a brief round of weak applause.

"The Security Council will hold a hearing on the Federation tomorrow at 1300," Fey'lya declared with a bang of his gavel. "This Senate session is hereby adjourned. Thank you all."

.

.

A short time later found the Jedi walking with the Federation diplomats through the grand halls of the Senate rotunda.

"I suppose," Anakin ventured carefully, "as far as the Senate is concerned, that was a productive day."

The remark earned him a snort from Mara. "At least they set up another hearing for us. I remember there were times where the Imperial Senate would bicker and debate an issue all day and still not get anywhere."

"I'm sorry," Picard interjected, "did you say Imperial Senate? I thought this was a Republic."

Luke let out a tired laugh. "It's a long story. I went over most of the history with Master Dellen. What do you know about the Old Republic?"

"If by Old Republic, you mean the 'Republic of legend' that Master C'baoth was fond of reminiscing about, I believe I know the basics," Picard replied.

"Good," Luke said with a smile. "Then I can skip all the boring details. Around seventy or eighty years ago, a politician from one of the old, aristocratic worlds started his rise to power, eventually becoming Chancellor."

"That would be the one who authorized the Outbound Flight, correct? Chancellor Palpatine, I believe?"

Luke nodded. "However, what nobody realized at the time was that Palpatine had been trained in the ways of the Sith, who were the ancient enemies of the Jedi. Palpatine manipulated the system to start a series of wars that devastated the galaxy."

"The Clone Wars?" Picard asked.

"Yes. He used the conflict to gather more power for himself and finally had the Senate proclaim him as the Emperor. As the unquestioned ruler of the galaxy, he almost completely destroyed the Jedi Order and removed most of the safeguards on freedom in the galaxy. Slavery of non-human species was not just ignored, it was actively encouraged."

Picard looked thoughtful for a moment. "There are many parallels between that and our own history," he finally said. "One of Earth's greatest civilizations of antiquity, around 2,500 years ago, was the Roman Republic. It was ruled by a Senate of the people for several hundred years.

He took a breath. "Eventually it became threatened by war, and one of the generals in that war was named Julius Caesar. Caesar saved the Republic, and in turn was granted great political power - so much so, in fact, that his name became the title of his successors."

"He didn't sound too bad," Luke remarked.

"Compared to many of his contemporaries, no," Picard said. "However, some of his successors let the power go to their heads."

Luke nodded. "That's a common theme here as well."

"I'm sure," Picard replied. "We have a saying: power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely. I suppose I would not be wrong to assume that these Sith were all seekers of power?"

"They were," Luke said. "In fact, most of the galaxy's largest wars can be traced back to the Sith."

"They sound like a very dangerous enemy," Picard mused. "Do they still exist?"

Luke shook his head. "As far as we can tell, no. I suppose we were fortunate that while Palpatine himself was one of the strongest, most powerful Sith Lords in history, he was also one of the greediest. He gathered up large amounts of Sith knowledge and destroyed any copies. We've managed to recover a little bit that he left behind, but most of it was destroyed with him."

"If he was as powerful as you say," Picard said, "how was he defeated?"

Luke took a deep breath. "By my father, Anakin Skywalker."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "It seems, Master Skywalker, that you come from a powerful family. Yet you do not show it."

"My father was corrupted by Palpatine as a young Jedi Knight," Luke explained, his tone dropping. "He became known as Darth Vader, and helped destroy what was left of the Jedi Order."

"Fascinating," Spock remarked. "How did he come to defeat the Emperor?"

"I was part of the Rebellion - that is, the alliance to restore the Republic," Luke continued. "It was very much an uphill battle, and the Emperor set a trap for us at the end. As the last Jedi, or so I thought at the time, I went alone to confront Vader and the Emperor.

He took another deep breath. "I nearly failed. But I knew that deep inside, Vader was still Anakin Skywalker." Luke reached up and ran a hand along his face. "I look older than I should now because of how the Emperor tortured me. Something snapped inside Anakin when he saw that, because he picked up the Emperor and threw him to his death."

"Based on your earlier remarks concerning your father," Spock said, "I would infer that was the cause of your father's death."

"The Emperor fried his suit's life support systems," Luke replied quietly. "He died a short time later."

They rounded a corner in the building and nearly ran into the Corellian delegation. Anakin paused to look twice at the man in the center of the group who, were it not for a few extra pounds and white hair, could have passed for his father's twin. But his face was permanently etched into Anakin's memory. He had, after all, been the one who had captured and used Anakin and his siblings as bargaining chips only a decade earlier.

"Senator Sal-Solo," Mara said icily. "What an unexpected pleasure it is to meet you again."

"Miss Jade," Thrackan Sal-Solo said with a small bow. "Likewise."

Mara's eyes narrowed. "It's Mrs. Jade-Skywalker now," she replied. "But of course you wouldn't know that. You were locked away in a Saccorian prison when we got married."

Ignoring the jab, Thrackan's eyes fell down to her belly. "I see you have been quite busy in the meantime. I suppose congratulations are in order. When is the baby due?"

"Why?" Mara snapped. "Do you plan on kidnapping him too?"

Thrackan mimed stabbing himself. "You wound me, Mrs. Jade-Skywalker. You should know full well that I meant no harm to the children all those years ago. But I had my back up against the wall."

"That reminds me," Mara said. "Just how did you go from being a convicted criminal in a Saccorian prison to Senator of Corellia in two years?"

"Full pardon from the Governor-General of Corellia, in exchange for helping unlock Centerpoint Station," Thrackan replied, grinning from ear to ear. "Along with popular support. Speaking of pardons, can we put the past behind us right now? This is a historic moment for not only our galaxy. I wanted to offer my services in the interest of better relations between the Republic and the Federation."

"Cut the crap, Thrackan," Mara shot back. "We both know that the only reason you're in this is because of the money that this contract could be worth to CEC."

"Be that as it may," Thrackan said with feigned patience, "I don't see the representatives from Kuat or Rendili offering to throw their hats in the ring. Since Fey'lya has basically said the Navy will not assist, what other choice does the Federation have?"

"He has a point, Mara," Luke remarked quietly. "As... distasteful as we may find it to work with Sal-Solo, we don't have many other options."

"The devil you know," Picard said.

"What?" Both Jedi turned to look at him.

"Another old Earth saying," the captain explained. "It's better to go with the devil you know than the one you don't."

"I appreciate the comparison," Thrackan said irritably, "but in all seriousness, I believe it would be better if we could all meet in my office. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but we're blocking the corridor."

.

.

As she usually did after the end of a long day at the Senate, Viqi Shesh closed and locked the door to her office. Her staff had already gone home, leaving her alone in the dark room, which was only dimly lit from the light of the Coruscant traffic in the distance.

With a sigh, she sank back in the comfortable chair behind her heavy wooden desk. "Thrackan," she muttered. "You kriffing idiot, what have you gotten us into?"

The KDY representative (who also happened to be a cousin of hers, some three times removed) had already asked her if they should match the Corellian offer of provisional financing. Provisional financing, of course, basically meant loaning ships and equipment in the hope that a customer would be able to come up with payment once the trial period ran out. Customers were always heavily screened prior to being offered such financing, but in this case the customer was in a far-away galaxy, with no basis for the financial wizards to work from. The Federation was, quite frankly, a big fat unknown to her.

Worse yet, her corporate spies had already reported that Rendili was considering the same offer. Which meant that if Kuat did not move, there was a fair chance they would have an uphill battle for sales assuming the Federation panned out.

She put her face in her hands, leaning against the desk for a moment. Then she opened a drawer and pulled out a small glass and a half-empty bottle of strong Kuati brandy, and poured herself a glass.

"Here's to lunatics like you," she said as she raised the glass, before downing it in one gulp. "Asshole."

Several glasses later, she put the bottle back in its place, and pushed several spots on the desk in succession. There was a soft click, and a hidden door opened from which she removed a leathery ball.

After placing it on the desk, she started stroking its center ridge, and the creature unfolded. As many times as she had seen it invert itself, she still found the process creepy and disturbing.

The flat, featureless surface of the villip then morphed into the hideous face of her contact. Why they chose to mutilate themselves so, she had no idea. But she had seen a first-hand demonstration of their power, and they had promised her the safety and security of Kuat in exchange for her assistance. She was doing the galaxy a favor anyway, she told herself; civilian casualties could be minimized with the right intel.

"Speak, Viqi Shesh," the villip intoned.

"I have word of some new developments in the Senate," she began. "I believe you will find this very interesting."