Chapter 12

Leia Solo sits in the Council Chambers, her chair shifted around so that she can watch the traffic as it flies around. She looks down once more at the message from the defense fleet concerning the Millennium Falcon. She wipes away a tear as she deletes the message. "Oh Han, what have you done."

Behind her she can hear the elevator stop and the doors open out in the foyer. Then there is the soft sound of the door opening, and the even lighter steps of her daughter drawing nearer.

"Mom?"

Leia smiles at the slight hesitation in her remaining child's voice - glad to know that her daughter is not as all-powerful as she so often appears during Council meetings. Turning away from the window, she faces her daughter, noting the dark black robes, and the crimson veil covering the top half of her face. "What is it, Jaina?"

Leia notices how Jaina is biting on her lower lip, and it makes her appear much younger than she is, to Leia it makes her appear to be the slightly angry and quite confused girl that she was before the Vong invaded. "Are we doing the right thing? Is this something that Uncle Luke would have wanted us to be involved in?"

Leia frowns as she does not really have an answer. "That is something I ask myself every day and am no closer to an answer." Leia pauses for a moment, not sure if she should tell Jaina about her father's actions. After a moment's hesitation she makes up her mind. "I just got a report about your father."

She can hear the surprise in Jaina's voice. "Dad? What has he done now?"

"He ran the blockade around Corellia. Apparently he almost got himself shot down."

"That is another situation that worries me Mom. What exactly does Omas think he's doing by starting a war?"

"He is intending on holding the Federation together by sheer force of will."

Jaina's voice is dark and foreboding. "That's called an empir, mom."

"I know."

Leia watches as Jaina settles into her customary chair, then she turns her sightless eyes once more towards Leia. "Should the Jedi be serving the Federation in this way?"

"The Federation is the power in this part of the galaxy. Serving the Federation helps the Jedi achieve their mandate of serving peace and justice."

Jaina leans forward, propping her elbows on her knees. "But that is the thing; I don't think the Federation is concerned about peace or justice anymore."

She falls silent then, and stays that way for a number of minutes. Leia recognizes the quiet way that Jaina is sitting as her way of deciding on something. After a few minutes, Jaina speaks once more. "I've been having visions more and more often."

"About what?"

"War, death, the destruction of the Jedi."

Leia frowns at this. "How does it come about this time?"

"It's a Dark Jedi, he's powerful, strong in the Force and he walks through our knights as if they are not even there. But that's not the worst part of the vision."

"What makes it worse?"

"While I am watching him slaughter the Jedi, I am just filled with this deep feeling of betrayal. It is almost as bad as what I felt when we found out that Jacen was the one who blinded me."

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Ben and Jysella step out of the room, to a riot of sounds and lights which make up the intruder alarms in this factory. Cursing under his breath, he grabs Jysella's hand and leads her deeper into the facility, dodging security patrols, and workers alike.

Suddenly a large door slams down in front of them, causing Ben to come to a sudden stop. He frowns as he looks around, as more walls slam down around them. He looks to Jysella and sees the smirk painted on her face. "This is the third trap you've walked me into on this trip alone."

Ben starts pacing around the room. "It's all part of my master plan."

This causes Jysella to laugh. "Your master plan? I didn't realize that you had planned on us getting captured or almost killed."

Ben stops his pacing and closing the distance between them smiles up at her. "Well, since tonight we might die"

He stops speaking as Jysella holds up her hand. "That's enough of that Jedi-boy."

The amusement that flickers in Ben's eyes, dies as one of the walls opens up, exposing a group of Adumari soldiers with a man standing in front of them. Ben looks the man over, noting details about him such as the black hair, and bloodshot eyes.

Finally the man speaks. "You two have been a lot of trouble."

Ben smirks at him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The man turns from Ben. "My Master wishes to see you."

"I'm sorry; I don't have any appointments open today, have your Master call the Jedi Temple and schedule one."

The man spins on his heel and throws out his hand, shooting forth a stream of Force lightning at Ben. Ben caught unprepared is tossed against the wall under the onslaught until Jysella intersects the lightning with her saber.

The man's glare is harsh and evil. "I am Argor, do not mock me. Now you will come with me, or I will destroy you both."

Ben struggles to his feet behind Jysella as she speaks. "We've dealt with Dark Siders before, you don't scare us."

In an eye-blink, Argor is standing next to Jysella and has her grasped by the throat and is lifting her off of her feet; in her surprise she drops her saber. Ben quickly calls it to his hand and steps closer to them. "Let her go now."

Argor looks at Ben, a smile forming on his face. Then he tosses Jysella against the wall, where she crumples to the floor unconscious. "Happy?"

Ben turns towards Jysella, intent upon going to her, but the snap-hiss of an igniting saber stops him. He turns back towards Argor, and sees the man standing there with a blood-red blade ignited. A hateful sneer decorates his mouth. "Come on young one or are you scared?"

Ben attaches Jysella's saber to his belt and pulls his own. With a snap-hiss it ignites and he smiles over the cool blue of the blade. "A Jedi does not know fear."

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Han lands the Falcon at the Coronet Spaceport. He leans back in his chair, sighing slightly to himself as he feels a shake cross his body. Cursing under his breath he gets up and begins inspecting his ship for any signs of damage from his running the blockade.

He frowns at the thought of the blockade, knowing that they would have sent a message back to the Defense Fleet's headquarters and from there on to the Jedi and Leia. Finishing his inspection, he starts heading towards the Corellian Governmental Complex.

Ignoring the protests of the secretary, Han walks into Wedge's office. "Hiya kid"

Wedge looks up from his paperwork. "Han!" Wedge drops the papers on the desk in front of him, and points one hand towards the chair in front of it. Han smiles as he slides into the seat. "I take it that you noticed our visitors in orbit?"

"Yeah, they almost scratched the Falcon as I was coming in. So do you have any brilliant ideas in your bag of tricks for this?"

Wedge's smile is malicious. "Oh I have a definite plan."