Chapter VIII

They had followed the group across the planet as they picked up more converts and eventually reached a buried form that proved to be one of the organic craft favored by the extragalactic aliens. It was Corran who spotted a telling clue as to what was going on as the Yuuzhan Vong boarded the craft, an interesting detail that Jag almost missed. Moving to join the back of the group at no objection from the illustrious prophet was the same warrior who had been humiliated earlier that day.

The vessel climbed into the sky and vanished. Fel sighed, tempted to rise and show himself. But he had no idea what sort of detection gear the Yuuzhan Vong might have and he didn't want to make their activity any more suspicious. "I knew that scene had to be staged," the young man said. "Yes," Horn agreed, "But for whose benefit? Ours, or those joining this charismatic leader?" "Probably theirs," Jag said, "How would he know we were watching?"

The Jedi looked odd for a moment, his head cocked to one side as if searching his memory. "How would you describe the attack he used?" Corran asked. "Looked like a release of charged electrical energy. Not enough to be fatal, but still painful," Fel said. "From what we know of the Yuuzhan Vong, they would see a leader who did that as showing his power over those under him," Horn went on, "The question is whether or not it was really what he claimed it to be." "You mean, you can't tell?" Jag said.

"I felt something faint, almost not there but quite real," the Jedi said, "I want your professional opinion. Could something like we saw be rigged up to produce the effects we witnessed, without the user having to call on the Force?" "Definitely," Jag said.

"Alright then," Horn said, "I think that it is time we checked in with Mara. They should be done at the Maw and we need to let them know that somebody bearing a striking resemblance to Nom Anor is in action and stirring up rebellious tendencies against the status quo." Fel nodded, eager to see Jaina again. The two men left their position and began their journey back to their waiting ship.


Somehow Luke managed to overcome his first instinct and didn't bring his weapon up to strike his attackers. Instead the green-white beam stabbed into the doorway and the folds gave way and he stumbled out into the light. The guards would have stopped him if two rocks hadn't reacted to his pull thru the Force and executed upward arcs into them that tossed them twenty feet away. Those in his cell had not yet come out, probably since he would be more able to guard a doorway.

Luke had no intent of finding out just how long it would be until his host found him. Sprinting despite his age and the many things he'd endured, Skywalker searched for some means of getting off this planet. He had not gone a hundred feet before a dark figure rounded the structure ahead and glared in his direction. Not Sival, Luke could tell that much. The outfit was vaguely familiar, while the man's face was shrouded by a hood. He brought up a red-white blade, and stood ready for the Jedi Master.

Falling in the Force, Luke leapt towards his foe and shifted direction at the last instant so as to land a glancing blow that slid down the length of his adversary's weapon as he spun to face him. Luke had no time for this one, for he knew the Dark Lord to be near and did not wish to face him and his apprentice at the same time. The man standing over him followed his path and his hood slipped back and revealed his features. Luke faltered as recognition set in and from nowhere came the voice of Darth Sival.

"I see you have met my best student," the Sith said, sounding like he was coming closer though the Jedi Master couldn't sense his presence. "As I understand it, this is not the first time he has received instruction in the ways of the Force," Sival went on and Luke saw him standing at the end of the line of buildings. "This is some kind of trick, an illusion. This man is dead," Skywalker said.

"I'm quite real, master," the other said as he spoke for the first time and his tones matched those Luke remembered perfectly, "I owe my life to Lord Sival." Luke didn't know how this was possible as he stared at his former student and one of his earliest losses to the Dark Side. Brakiss.


Jaina hadn't expected a warm reception on Denon, much less a political turmoil. As her brother had explained after greeting her, between the attacks here and at the Maw and the demands one stubborn individual was making it looked worse than it had in some time. "I thought ending the war was about stopping this sort of thing and working together for a better future," she muttered as she and Jacen ate lunch.

"Some people just find it hard to change," he told her, "Where did you say Mara went?" "Our contact suggested she rendezvous with the Smuggler's Alliance," Jaina said, "She sent a message to Corran and Jag to have them make contact with her at the Smuggler's Run." "Bet you wanted to be on that mission," her brother teased. "Any thoughts on this rogue group?" she asked.

"There's already rumors floating about that systems affected by the invasion are thinking of backing them, no matter what their agenda," Jacen said, "I've been doing some research on Jasque, and I've come up with an interesting tidbit." He paused as if for effect, and then said, "It is the place where Zol Xarh was first presumed dead." "He was a bounty hunter, right?" Jaina said. "Yes," her brother said, "But more important is the fact that the man he was looking for settled down there until about a year after the destruction of Alderaan and then vanished."

"Any ideas where he went?" she asked. "Not for some time, but I can tell you where he is now," Jacen said, "Giving every politician from Cal Omas on down a hard time for even thinking up something like Alpha Red." "Rianes?" Jaina said, "That is interesting." "There's more," Jacen said, "Just about seven years ago there was an attack of some sort on the Senate, followed by strikes on Coruscant, Sluis Van, Bastion and several other locations. Unofficial conclusion is that the mastermind behind it is the presumed dead Grand Admiral Vhaldoq D'ukal."

"I remember hearing mom talk about that for a little while after it ended," Jaina said, "I don't think anybody knew what was going on." "There's more," her brother said, "Vhaldoq's death occurred at the shipyards of Fondor and soon after that a bounty is posted for our lost bounty hunter, Zol Xarh."

"So the three of them are connected somehow," she said, "Should make for some interesting questions for our guest to answer." Jacen nodded and said, "What do you say he manages to avoid them all quite deftly?" Jaina smiled faintly and said, "It the nature of politics to dodge things like that. We can't change things overnight." Finishing her meal, she rose and left the room.