Chapter XVIII

"Who invited them to this party?" Lando grumbled as the incredible war machine obliterated one of the smaller Star Destroyers in a flash of internal detonations. His friend didn't answer, instead concentrating on flying the freighter. The enemy forces seemed to have been given pause by the arrival of the huge battleship and Calrissian only hoped they had the good sense to leave the system while they could.

Between the ships from Denon, the fleet at the edge of the system and the ebony mass of the Eclipse-class Star Destroyer; the attackers had no hope of victory. The commander of the first Super Star Destroyer to arrive must have realized that, for his vessel was already swinging towards a safe point for entering hyperspace. The larger vessel seemed to be paying it no heed and now that Lando thought about it they weren't launching any starfighters either.

"I don't like this," he told Solo, "I don't like it at all." "I doubt that you'll find any of the politicians on Denon willing to turn down a gift like this," the former smuggler said, squeezing off a round into an approaching cloud of TIE fighters. "It's not like somebody brings a ship that size into battle every day," Lando said, "Where's it been all these years?"

"Maybe somebody built one in secret to fight the Yuuzhan Vong and they only just got thru with it," Han suggested as some smaller craft jumped to lightspeed. Calrissian supposed that the explanation made sense, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the arrival of this vessel was all too convenient.


Though his skill was less than a match for the younger man, Tork did not waver in his stance as his opponent came towards him. The con man could hear Moff Quirlarna ordering the withdrawal of their forces and he could sense his Master's presence as easily as he could see the prow of the new Apocalypz hanging before them. Lunging towards him, the Jedi swung towards the controls mounted on the front of his armor. Tork deflected the blow, focusing completely on the youth.

There was something familiar about him, and it took him only a moment to confirm his earlier suspicion. "I suppose that I should be honored by your presence, Jacen Solo," he said, "Rest assured that you will not destroy me easily." "Why are you here?" the other countered, "What purpose do you serve?" "I am now and have always been a student of the Dark Side," Tork said, "I am a champion of order, and the herald of a new beginning for the galaxy."

Beams of pure energy met again and again, with the con man keeping one hand on the blade and parrying each of his foe's strikes. "You don't want to destroy me," he said, "I can feel the conflict within you. Embrace your fear and your hate so that all will bow to your will." "To understand why I feel as I do is to be the master of my destiny," Jacen said, "I will not turn to the path of destruction." Tork nodded, and with accuracy gained from years in the fringe he threw his deactivated weapon straight at the younger man.

The blow floored the Jedi as the con man walked calmly forward and pressed his heel onto the arm of his foe. Smiling faintly, Jacen lashed out at Tork with a wave of power. Unflinching before the attack, the impostor tapped into that energy to call the dormant lightsabers to his hand. "You have much to learn, my young friend," Tork said softly. Solo shifted his aim, pulling a blaster from the holster of a nearby officer towards him. The con man stepped back, allowing the young man to rise and snatch the weapon from the air.

"Do you really think that will stop me?" Tork said, igniting his weapon. "There are many ways to use any tool," Jacen said, abruptly pulling the power cell from the blaster. A wave of blue energy suddenly enveloped his adversary, and Solo crumpled with the appropriated weapon clattering to the deck. "Have him restrained and placed in the detention center," Tork said, "I will deal with him later." Outside, the stars changed to the mottled sky of hyperspace and he knew they were on their way. Valeriy would probably want an explanation of what was going on, but that could wait. There was so much they still had to do.


As the strange craft drew near, Luke could tell that he had encountered the occupant before. But precisely where was as yet a mystery to him. Now that he was again with his family, he could devote time to unraveling the strange behavior Brakiss had displayed. They were soon docked with the new craft, and a signal flashed as they had arranged to show the two of them could come across. Moving back to the airlock, Skywalker and his wife soon made their way through the ship to the bridge. Where two very familiar personages awaited them.

Passing by Brakiss for the moment, Luke focused on the aged pilot. "Rkvzlnmara," he said, using the name by which he had been introduced to the Wookiee, "How did you get mixed up in this?" [Where Sival is involved, I am always attentive,] the alien said, [My health is not what it once was. I fear I have little time to speak with you. At least I got to see my apprentice safely extricate you from the grasp of the Sith Lord and his new allies.]

"We need to check out what Sival is going to do next," Mara said, "Any idea where we should look?" [His servants will not rest until they find you, lest they suffer punishment from him,] Rkvzlnmara said as though he hadn't heard the query, [My old friend has made arrangements to rendezvous with me shortly near Kessel. I would appreciate it if you aided him in his search for a means of halting the Sith once and for all.] "Somehow I think those like Sival will never truly be in our past," Luke said.

The Wookiee sighed, growing visibly weaker as he said, [Have faith in the guidance of the Force, Master Skywalker. It led me to save my student from certain death and the choices I have made have driven me to this point. The Jedi once more stand on the brink, dividing the line between darkness and light. As you have recently seen, it doesn't take much to tip the scales. You must choose, act and only then will you truly be triumphant.]

The alien's voice faded, and then his body did likewise and in the space of a moment he was forever gone. "I take it that the man we're going to meet is Exar Kun," Jade Skywalker said. "You have guessed correctly," Brakiss said, "However, he is also more than that." Pausing briefly, Brakiss collected himself and said, "You see, he's my father."


As the shuttle from the mammoth vessel above sat down onto the landing pad here on Denon, Jaina couldn't help but feel a little out of place as she stood by her family and watched the proceedings. Lando, Corran and Jag stood nearby; their association with the Alliance and the battle granting them access to this reception. According to her mother, the commander of the Super Star Destroyer in orbit had elected to stay there until all this was over. Probably doesn't want any of the politicians to be distracted, she thought to herself.

Certainly, there were enough high officials here today as she looked out over the crowd. At the front were Cal Omas, Garm Bel Iblis and Belindi Kalenda along with a host of others. Jaina also though she saw that Rianes character somewhere at the edge of the crowd. The ramp to the craft lowered and speakers blared a welcome to the being who had turned the tide. Better a new friend than an enemy, she thought as she focused on the figure just coming into view.

There was a barely audible gasp as it resolved into a middle-aged man wearing an ankle-length black cloak with odd projections on each shoulder that looked like horns. He had on a cowl, which obscured his face. Cal Omas stepped forward and said, "On behalf of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, I welcome you to Denon." The newcomer nodded, and drew back his hood.

Jaina froze, a shiver of recognition going through her. The features were older, weathered and scarred by time but she could tell that he looked just like Jonas Rianes. A relative? she mused, Or perhaps his father? "It is my honor to be here," the stranger said, "I am Sival Jeth." Her mother's sense changed at that, and she turned to her. "What is it?" she whispered. "The Sith Lord D'ukal has been tracking, the one who joined forces with him eight years ago; his name was Darth Sival," Leia said.

"Do you think that's him?" Han asked. "I can't feel any Force potential, but then I've never encountered a genuine Sith before," Jaina said, feeling dread. Convincing the leaders of the Alliance that this man was dangerous would be hard, but she had to try unless she wanted them all to become servants of chaos...

To Be Concluded...