Chapter V

Her fingers traced the sleek armrest as Valeriy Quirlarna sat on the bridge of her new ship, and she saw that the captain of her former flagship was watching her. "Something bothering you, Captain?" she asked pleasantly. "This is too easy," he said, "This man shows up, throws a ship like this into your lap with the condition that you do what he wants. He's got some hidden motive." "Doesn't everybody?" Valeriy countered, "It doesn't matter who's pulling the strings as long as what we want gets done." "If you say so," the man muttered, moving off.

Behind the Moff, the turbolift doors opened and Quirlarna heard the stentorian breathing of her accomplice as he entered. "Are we ready to get underway?" Tork asked. "I'd like to be able to confirm our course before setting out on such a hazardous voyage," Valeriy said. "I thought you trusted me," Tork countered, his voice overlaid with a trace of anger. "This is hardly an ordinary circumstance," Quirlarna reminded him, "But I suppose that if I wish to have your continued support I have no choice but to cooperate." "You are correct, Moff Quirlarna, you have no options," the man told her.

Nodding, she turned to the officer at the navigation console. "Take us into hyperspace," she ordered. As the Super Star Destroyer got moving, she turned back to regard the ebony mask her associate wore. "Patience," Tork said as though reading her thoughts, "All will be made clear in time." Nodding and sitting back in her chair, Valeriy waited for their trip to end.


The last of the equipment modules they could fit aboard were stowed on her ship, and Mara sighed in relief. Time to get out of here, at least for now, she thought. There was no telling when they might need the secret base again. Mara had left Ben in the facilities here under the watchful eye of Threepio as she and Jaina had labored away at their task. Once the droid and her son were onboard, they could set out. It was as she was turning back to the facility that the alarms rent the air.

Mara broke into a run, trying to reach the interior and Ben. But the complex shook with an intense impact and the corridor in front of her collapsed. She stared at the mound of rubble, realizing that the airless vacuum probably filled the space beyond. Her ship could bypass the obstruction, though. Turning and sprinting back down the hall, Mara saw that Jaina was already in her X-wing and was getting it off the deck. Dashing up the ramp, she threw power to the shields and engines as she jetted from the bay.

Her sensors now revealed their attackers and Mara felt a distant wave of fear as she saw the size of the enemy contingent. Moving the Jade Shadow around to the far side, she scanned the exterior for an airlock. Stretching out with the Force, Mara felt her son's presence and her eyes widened. Her gaze flicked to the tactical monitor, where another ship had just cleared the bulk of the battle-scarred base. Ben was definitely aboard. As the trio of vessels kept the damaged asteroid between them and their attackers, she opened a channel to the third vessel. "I think you have something that belongs to me," Mara said testily.

"I'll return it shortly," came the familiar voice, "Too bad that my attempt to warn you seems to have been preempted by our foes." "What is going on?" she demanded, as she saw the old ship launch an escape pod in her direction. Matching course, she soon had it in tow. "I wish I knew for certain," the man told her, "I'll be in touch." The ancient vessel sped off towards one of the exits to the Maw as Mara put her ship on autopilot and went back to let her passengers aboard. "Oh, thank you Mistress Mara," Threepio said as he stepped aboard with Ben in his arms, "For a little while I thought I'd never see you again."

"We've got to find out what's happening," Mara said, "I've got a feeling that whatever happened to Luke is associated with this." Moving to the comm, she was soon speaking with Jaina. "I'm going out to speak to my old boss," Mara told the younger woman, "You should go to Denon. Somebody should know that the Maw isn't safe anymore." "Who'd believe me?" Jaina said. "Somebody has to," she said, glancing out at the Super Star Destroyer hanging within the cloud of dust and gas.


The door to his cell opened, and his gracious host stepped inside to look at him closely. Luke watched the Dark Lord as the he stood there in silence, and wondered just what sort of threat this man represented in this day and time. He had little to go on, since this Sival was more of a legend than anything else to him. He had the word of this one's adversary, but Luke had never been certain how much he could trust him. Considering his nature, who could blame me? the Jedi Master thought. "The end of your reign has begun," the Sith told him, "It is only a matter of time before I am triumphant."

"I've heard all this before," Luke said dismissively, "I've seen more tyrants and petty dictators come and go than I can count. You're no different." "Obviously I failed to make much of an impression on you during our last encounter," Sival said, "Since then I have had much time to plan my return. I must thank you, Master Skywalker, for dropping such pliable servants into my lap." "I'd hardly call the Yuuzhan Vong flexible," Luke said, "You must have offered them something they want badly."

"You know as well as I that the cessation of war by those in power doesn't always mean that the servants will follow," Sival said, "I have been using this group, training them in my own way and readying us all for the day when darkness will again be supreme." "I'm surprised that they would take orders from an infidel," Skywalker scoffed. "You'll see why they follow me soon enough," the Sith said, tossing something to him. Luke was surprised to see that it was his lightsaber.

"The trial has begun, Master Skywalker," Sival told him, "Will you uphold the vaunted Jedi ways under pressure or yield to the destructive influences of your emotions? Which side is stronger, the darkness or the light?" "I was once told that the Dark Side was just an illusion, crafted to hide the fact that we all harbor wrong tendencies," Luke said as he rose. "You begin to see the light," the Dark Lord said, "I await the outcome of your conflict." Sival stepped out the door, leaving Skywalker alone.

A press of the stud, and the green-white blade sprang into existence. Luke reached deep inside himself, knowing that while he didn't have the endurance he once did he could get out of here. But then I would be yielding to Sival, he thought. By staying, he would prove he was right and learn more about the plans of the Sith. Closing down the weapon and placing it on his belt, he was about to sit when the walls gave way and the room was filled with Yuuzhan Vong.