Chapter 8: Shadows of Deception

Coruscant was as busy as the last time he had seen it. It had already been four years and yet it seemed like he left the capitol just yesterday. Everyone onboard the Bloodfin was nervous. Some even drifted into anger for being taken from the fight. Ben could feel all this and he was immensely pleased. Everything was going as planned. Ben had boarded a private shuttle with Valin, Vestara and even Admiral Pallaeon was with them to support the Republic's greatest general. There were a few other officers with them but Ben knew that if he played his cards right he wouldn't need any of them.

The shuttle carried them through the never ending traffic of Coruscant until they reached large dome that housed the Senate. Even in midst of war, Coruscant was as busiest spaceport in the galaxy. Upon landing they were met by senators from many worlds throughout the Republic wearing their elaborate clothing that rarely had any cultural significance. Slowly approaching from the back of the senatorial gathering was Cal Omas. Once he came through, Ben caught sight of the Jedi Council as well as many knights standing to the right. His parents wore concerned looks on their faces as did the rest of his family but the other councilors, with the exception of Corran Horn, displayed no emotion at all.

Chief of State Omas walked up to Ben and shook his hand, "It is an honor to have you here, General Skywalker. And your colleagues, Generals Horn and Khai, and you Admiral. I assure you all that this will be resolved as soon as possible. " Cal gestured with his arm and the assembly began to move inside the rotunda. As they passed Ben didn't give the Jedi any satisfaction by glancing over but he did notice Vestara lock eyes with Anakin. He had known that they still had a strong connection but he hoped that it wouldn't become a hindrance. After walking past the Council, Cal leaned close to Ben and whispered, "I hope you have a plan."

"This special session of the Senate is now in commission. I call upon the Jedi Council to reveal the evidence that they have accumulated," Cal Omas said from his central podium. He glanced around at the senators. Many were irate about their hero being put on a mock trial but according to law it had to be done.

Luke Skywalker stepped up to the front of the Jedi pod and addressed the assembly. "We have uncovered evidence that Ben Skywalker has jeopardized the welfare of the planet Hapes. Even now the fleet is stockpiling supplies for an assault on Dxun. This datapad as well as many other items have been collected which prove what we say is true," Luke said while wiring the contents of the datapad through to the other pods in the rotunda. There were gasps of unbelief and shouts of outrage. It was clear that Ben had won over many senators during the war. "The Jedi Council has made rectifying this situation our top priority. We will help in whatever way we can."

After reading the information the Jedi had received, Admiral Pallaeon stood up with an angry scowl on his aging face. Every Jedi within the vicinity could feel the anger and disgust dripping off of the former Imperial. "This is outrageous! Everything Ben Skywalker has done has been for the good of the Republic. It is a well known fact that the Jedi are afraid to fight the Mandalorians. And since General Skywalker defied the Council's orders they wish to remove him from the war and imprison him in that vaunted Temple of theirs!" Pallaeon shouted at the Chief of State though his outburst was directed at the Jedi Council. He would have gone on but Ben had come up beside him and gently laid a hand on his shoulder as Cal Omas said he had heard enough from the admiral.

Ben gestured to a seat and Pallaeon walked toward it with a relieved stride. Ben stood there and waited while senators began to argue over what the esteemed Admiral Pallaeon had said. Once the crowd had ceased its argument, Ben began to speak, "People of the Republic, I cannot deny these allegations for they are one hundred percent true. However, I also have good intentions for this move. If we can take out the Mandalorian base on Dxun then they will be on the run. There will be no place left for them to go and we can pursue them until we have achieved their unconditional surrender!"

He paused and heard cheers coming from many senators. So this is how corrupt the Republic has become. Ben had known for some time that politicians rarely cared about anyone but themselves. He could see as clear as day that a large portion of the assembly surrounding him was supporting him for their own personal gain. Not many cared about the people of their homeworlds. Not many cared about the Republic. All they wanted was wealth and power. That could not be allowed to continue. Things would change very quickly after the war. Ben was certain of that.

The cheers faded and Ben resumed his weaving his web, "However . . . there is a solution that will solve all of our problems and for that I call on the Jedi Council." Silence spread throughout the stunned crowd of politicians. No one had ever anticipated that Ben Skywalker would ask the Jedi Council for aide. It was shocking, especially with all the rumors that flew around the Senate about his departure from the Jedi. Some said that the Council threw him out of the Order and others say that Ben had to escape from the Temple. Valin turned to regard him with a look of utter disbelief as they awaited the Council's response.

Luke had been completely caught by surprise when his son dropped the bomb on him. Never had he expected Ben to ask the Council for anything. Since he left, it seemed that he had grown contemptuous toward them. He had no idea what Ben was up to. He didn't want to play his game but he had to consider what Ben's compromise was. "What is your calling?" Luke asked earnestly.

When those words rang through his ears, Ben smirked beneath his mask. Victory! Now he had the Jedi Council right where he wanted them. It was remarkable to him how easy it was. Ben had thought he would have to use cunning and deception to get what he wanted but now he no longer had to. "I have already set up my forces for the Dxun campaign but the Hapes Cluster can still be saved. Admiral Darklighter has a small fleet in reserve that he wants to send to Hapes with himself in command but I will not allow them to die meaningless deaths. They are outnumbered and hopelessly outgunned. If they are to survive they need support. Since you have so kindly offered to rectify this situation, I ask that you send all available Jedi to defend the Hapes Cluster. I have my own challenge and I cannot spare any of my forces. The fate of Hapes, and possibly this Galactic Republic, rests in your hands."

And that was the end. Ben knew that he had his father bound in more ways than one. He had offered to help in whatever way necessary and now Ben had nearly the entire Senate backing him. The Jedi Council would have little to no choice. Despite all the battles he had won, Ben had never tasted such a sweet victory before. Putting the Council in its place delighted him in ways that very few things ever could. He glanced toward the Jedi pod and saw them in deep discussion, no doubt trying to find a way out of the situation. But they would soon realize that if they backed out the Order would have minimal governmental support. Ben's hidden smirk grew wider as the anticipation mounted.

Luke looked from Mara to the rest of the gathered Jedi hopelessly. He had never thought that Ben would go this far to get Jedi involvement, but he did. "We have no choice," Luke said and watched the others nod rather slowly. The Grand Master turned his attention back to the waiting multitude and declared, "The Jedi Order will send all the support that Admiral Darklighter needs." Luke knew something was wrong. Ben would never have exhibited this kind of behavior and yet his son had played him. Somehow Ben had held all the cards. The question was, how?

"The Jedi Order will assist Admiral Darklighter in the defense of Hapes," Cal Omas exclaimed both pleased yet fearful. Something must have truly gotten the Council's attention if they were going to fight. He was quite certain that the Hapes Cluster was the only battle they were willing to take part in but even he knew something was up. "General Skywalker, I hereby dismiss all charges against you and your subordinates. You are free to leave Coruscant at any time. This session has come to its conclusion."

Once Cal Omas dismissed the assembly the Jedi led by Luke took off in the direction of Ben's transport. Luke had to talk to his son. He had to know why he was doing this. He nearly ran into several senators but he took no time to apologize. Things were moving too quickly in the wrong direction and Luke felt that Ben knew more than he had let on. His hopes were dashed, however, as he saw General Skywalker's shuttle ascending the Coruscant skies back to the Bloodfin.

The Jedi Council had convened shortly afterward in the Council Spire. Corran Horn openly showed his disgust and betrayal. His feelings had gone from bad to worse. Ben Skywalker had taken his son to war against his wishes and now he had blackmailed the Council into aiding the war effort in the Hapes Cluster. Things were moving far to fast to even have the chance to contemplate anything anymore.

The Skywalkers felt little better at their son's sudden animosity towards them. Ben had grown up a very talented boy. He had always been a kind, caring and innocent child. Then came the war. Since then, he had begun to display characteristics that he had never before had. Luke had hoped to stop him but in turn got played like a fool. The dark shroud clouding the Force was growing constantly. Fear had begun to creep into the hearts of the Council members and many other masters. Ben had to know more about it but any attempt at contact had yielded nothing.

Corran turned his attention toward the shimmering holograms of Admiral Gavin Darklighter and his father in law, Booster Terrik, captain of the Errant Venture. "Is everything ready?" he asked sadly.

Booster nodded and stood silent for a moment then took a breath and said, "The Errant Venture is ready for departure. Whenever you Jedi feel like your ready. Then we'll join you, Admiral."

Gavin looked relieved but held concern in his eyes. He was a friend of the Jedi Order and had respected their decision to stay out of the war though he didn't approve of it. "Good. We need to rendezvous as soon as possible. We only have so much time." He quickly looked away at something they couldn't see then brought his attention back to his audience, "I regret I must attend to matters. Excuse me."

Luke nodded at the hologram and said, "We will meet you there." With that the flickering blue image of Admiral Darklighter vanished leaving only Booster.

"You know where to find me," Booster said quickly and his hologram form immediately disappeared. All the masters present had mixed feelings on the mission that awaited them. It was still unclear who would be leading the assault but Luke had a good idea.

Luke looked around at the faces of all the people he had come to know and trust over the years. Then his gaze settled on Jaina. He smiled weakly at her and said, "Are up for leading the charge, Master Solo-Fel?"

Jaina allowed a small smile to reach her lips. She was a fighter and always would be. Finally the Sword of the Jedi was entering battle again. "I'm ready, Master Skywalker."

Kyp Durron sighed before speaking. "Then there is the other matter to attend to."

After his last words came out of his mouth, the Jedi Council was graced with the presence of Callista Ming. She wore a mask of patience but everyone in the room knew that she was not pleased. But neither were many of the masters. Corran was barely holding his anger in while Mara was glaring daggers at her but Callista wasn't fazed in the least. "I think I know what this is about," the Jedi Master said irritated.

Leia cast a careful look in Luke's direction and she was relieved to see that her brother understood. This would have to be done with great care and she knew just how much Callista Ming meant to him. Luke nodded and turned his gaze to the woman who once held his heart all those years ago. The love he felt for her was still very much there but Mara was the love of his life now. Not her. "Master Ming-" the Grand Master started but was interrupted by none other than Ming herself.

"Luke, don't you dare start preaching formalities to me!" an enraged Callista threatened.

Luke steepled his fingers nervously. He didn't want to do this but the Council had taken a vote after finding out that the Jedi Master standing before him had aided Ben and Valin countless times giving them resources and organizing gatherings of Jedi they could speak to against the Council. Action had to be taken. Luke was just upset that it had to be this way. "Callista," he started, "due to certain discoveries and the way we are short handed in numbers, the Council has decided that you will be assisting Master Solo-Fel in the defense of Hapes. May the Force be with you."

Outwardly, Callista Ming showed no emotion whatsoever, but inwardly she was fuming. She understood the message the Council had sent though she had no clue whether Luke saw it or not. You are no longer welcome here. That's what they were saying, just from a certain point of view. At least she knew where she stood. Looking Luke straight in the eye, she calmly announced, "I understand."

Callista bowed formally, "May the Force be with you too, Luke." She smiled lovingly at him, showing all her affection for him, then she looked around at the other Council members and, in the same calm voice, said, "And may it leave the rest of you. For it is without the Force that you find your purpose. You haven't begun to live until you have lost everything and everyone that you care about."

Corran and Kyle, among others, starting hurling insults at Callista but she didn't seem to care. She quickly walked out of the chamber and went on her way to pack her things. Luke was still sitting there while arguments were forming all around him but he was completely oblivious to it. He had known that Callista had been in love many years before he had met her but it was only now that he truly understood what she meant. She had lost everything. Her former life had been taken from her because she had transferred her essence into the Eye of Palpatine. Then she had been freed from it with his help but her connection to the Force had broken. Now so many years later Luke truly understood what she was going through. She had lost so many people she cared for throughout the wars and now she was losing the Jedi as well. Guilt began to spread through him like a wildfire. He had a terrible feeling that this would be the last time he saw her look at him that way.

Ben had been congratulated for winning his case by nearly everyone he encountered. The mood aboard the Bloodfin had changed from hopeless to full battle readiness. Without him leading the troops the Republic may not have been in such high spirits. After boarding Ben took a short trip with the fleet to Corellia, the most influential planet in the Corellian Sector. Earlier in the war, Corellia was just as much an enemy as it was an ally. They had been trying to secede from far before Ben was even born. However, when the Mandalorians invaded Duro, Ben burst onto the scene while the Corellians were fighting a battle that they would never win. They had been outnumbered five to one but with Ben's forces they were able to coordinate a joint assault. Unfortunately, the Mandalorians had already razed Duro before the Republic arrived but Ben had gained an personal ally that may be valuable in the future.

Ben was later invited to a meeting with the leaders of Corellia, one of which happened to be Thrackan Sal-Solo. Sal-Solo strove for Corellian independence. When Ben met him he had seen the potential for an alliance and with the help of Corellian native Wedge Antilles, a former Rebellion and Republic pilot and later a general who had retired to his homeworld after the Yuuzhan Vong War, formed an agreement between the Republic and Corellia. Since then Ben had been in close contact with the Corellian hierarchy. Corellia was currently serving as a dry dock for the Republic. It just so happened that Corellia was also the secret location that the Republic military had been stockpiling supplies for their eventual siege on Dxun.

Ben quickly issued orders to start loading the supplies. He didn't want to waste any time. If the attack was to be planned right then it would have to coincide with the Jedi defense of Hapes. That way the Mandalorians would have to take time in reorganizing which Ben hoped would turn out to be a horrendous mistake. He walked through the corridors of the Bloodfin toward his personal quarters when an officer came up to meet him. "General Skywalker, there is a transmission from General Syo for you, Sir," the man said.

Ben grinned devilishly beneath his mask. Lumiya was reporting in. "Good. Inform her to comm my personal quarters," he said through his mask's voice filter.

"Yes, Sir!" the officer stated and promptly began to walk away while transmitting Ben's orders.

Ben didn't have to wait long until a holographic image of Lumiya appeared on projector. She was dressed in a Republic military uniform with a general's insignia. She looked to be frustrated but seemed to be hiding it quite well. As he came into her view she started speaking, "General Skywalker, I have found a scientist of worthy skill, however, she is reluctant and rather unwilling to leave her current work."

That complicated things. He did not doubt Lumiya's choice but it could prove difficult in persuading this scientist to do the job. He had a feeling that he knew who the scientist was already but it was just a hunch. "Where are you now?" he asked.

"We are on Corellia just as you are," was her reply. "Our friend is currently working on creating more effective armor piercing weapons with Yuuzhan Vong biochemicals."

That nearly confirmed Ben's suspicions. His cousin and former master, Jacen Solo, had told him about a woman he had a short relationship with that later became a focal part in defeating the Yuuzhan Vong. She became an expert on Yuuzhan Vong biotechnology. The last anyone heard of her was that she had decided to remain and study Zonama Sekot, the living planet where Ben had met his family as a toddler after the war. But once the Mandalorian Wars began, she returned and once again began to apply her genius to the Republic war effort. There was only one question Ben had to ask before his suspicions could be confirmed. "Who is she?" he asked slowly after coming out of his thoughts.

Lumiya held a smile as she confirmed her leader's thoughts, "I can give you a hint. She has had Jedi training."

Vestara had been in a meditative trance for what seemed like hours now. She had sought the healing current of the Force to calm and prepare her for the battle that was to come. But all she was able to gain was an air of uncertainty, as though the Force itself did not understand what was about to happen. It felt strange and distant to her. Was it a sign of what was to come? Could it be a warning that they would fail and countless soldiers would lose their lives? Confusion settled in on her and she decided to give up. She opened her eyes and saw Ben sitting cross legged on the floor across from her. A few moments passed before comprehension dawned on her. She smiled at the man she loved but it soon faded when she realized he was not in a good mood. She felt his aura etched with something akin to . . . fear. Ben never felt fear or at least he never showed it.

"Ben, what is it?" Vestara asked gently, scooting herself to within an arm's length of him. When Ben was afraid there was often a good reason for it. Dread began to settle into the pit of her stomach. What would he say? Could her meditation have any relevance to her commander's attitude?

She was so caught up in her reverie that she failed notice that Ben had taken off his gloves and mask until she felt his hand gently enclose her hands within it. She looked up into his blue-green eyes and smiled again. She could look into those eyes and be completely lost in them. His touch felt gentle yet stern as she had found out the other night. Vestara had known Ben for years and now she had the privilege of being able to show him her love without being ashamed of it. During their padawan years at the Temple she had constantly had to fight for his attention with the uptight rule following Jysella Horn. For years they had gotten into arguments about just about anything when Ben was around. Jysella had never been her friend but she was always there when you needed her but she wasn't someone who would take risks without conferring with a master.

"Ves, things have come up and now the battle plan has changed slightly. The main force will invade Onderon and Dxun as scheduled. However, I and the fleet under my command will not be joining the battle at first. I don't know how long it will take me but when I do come I'll bring fresh reinforcements and supplies," Ben said and he instantly saw her shock. "I know that you would just argue with me if I had my way so I have decided to give you command on Dxun."

Vestara was astonished. Not only was Ben not going to be there at the beginning of the assault but he had named her the commander. What could have made him issue that order? "But what about Valin? He is your right hand man after all."

Ben shook his head. He didn't want to send her but he had no other choice and he knew that she would fight him with everything she had if he didn't give her the assignment. "Valin will be leading the assault on Onderon while you command the ground troops on Dxun until I return," Ben said sadly.

Vestara leaned into him and let her head rest on Ben's strangely unarmored chest. He rarely went anywhere without his armor underneath his robes now but at the moment he was only wearing simple robes. "You know I will be okay, right?" she mumbled into his robes nonchalantly. She felt his body heat warming her head but felt it leave when Ben lifted her head back to eye level with him. There was concern in his eyes to a magnitude that she had never seen before.

"I can't lose you. Please, promise me you will stay off the frontlines," Ben said rather quickly with irritation etched in his voice.

Vestara leaned forward and kissed him softly before pulling back and walking toward the door. At the exit she stopped and turned to Ben with a smile filled with mischief forming on her lips. "Ben, you know me better than that," she said and walked out the door to ready herself for the coming battle. As she was leaving she thought she heard Ben speak. Vestara could have just imagined it but she doubted it. She had heard the words far too clearly. That's what I'm afraid of.

Jaina looked out of the forward viewport of the Errant Venture with an anxiety to flee rather than to stay and fight. It was unusual for the Sword of the Jedi to feel this way but no matter what she tried she couldn't shake the feeling. The Errant Venture and Admiral Darklighter's flagship, the Mon Mothma, were waiting at the head of the fleet. The Mandalorians had yet to show themselves but she had no doubt that the attack was coming. She could feel the Mandalorians dark presence quickly approaching and she was beginning to wonder if they would have needed more Jedi than they had originally brought.

She took a glance over at Booster Terrik only to see him already looking at her with a thoughtful expression. "Something wrong?" Booster asked gently.

Jaina was surprised to hear the warmth and concern in his voice. It was a well known fact that Booster was man who cared for his family above all else but was loyal to his associates. He had greatly disliked Corran Horn when he had first met him because of his lineage. "Why do you ask?" the Jedi Master asked.

Booster chuckled and allowed himself to come out of his battle ready stance for just an instant. "I care about the welfare of anyone involved with my family, especially my granddaughter's Jedi Master. I understand that she has had a hard time over the last few years but you need to be there for her."

She thought he would have continued but a sudden alarm sounded followed by a crewman's voice, "Sir, we have incoming warships from sector two!"

She looked back at Booster to see him back in his full battle ready mode. He was standing straight as he gave orders, "Notify the rest of the fleet." He clicked on the ship's intercom to relay orders to the crew, "This is you commander speaking. We are on red alert. All personnel report to your battle stations. The enemy is coming in hot. Terrik out."

Booster turned to his forward gunner. "Charge the forward guns!" he barked out.

After the gunner informed him that the forward guns were charged and ready Booster began his silent count. Over the years he had begun to develop an ability to anticipate the arrival of ships on radar. All you had to do was attempt to determine the speed at which the opposing vessel was coming based on the personality of the enemy. After his count reached six, Booster nearly shouted, "Fire!"

The forward laser cannons fired and made a direct hit on the just arrived Mandalorian warship at the head of a massive invasion fleet. The warship's shields held up but there was an increasingly evident amount of damage taken. Sparks flew up and shields flickered as they began to recharge. Jaina felt her hand drift toward her lightsaber hilt as the first streaks of turbolasers struck the Errant Venture as the Mandalorian counterattack began.

Vestara stood on the bridge of her flagship with hands clasped behind her that were already wet with perspiration. They were awaiting confirmation that the Mandalorians had begun their assault on Hapes. They had been waiting behind the gas giant, Caloma, the sixth planet in the Japrael System after the fleet made the hyperspace jump from Corellia. Once confirmation came the fleet would catch the Mandalorians by surprise and make a short jump from the sixth planet of the system to Onderon, the system's second planet.

She would have felt better had Ben been here instead of her but she would never let anyone know that. If the commanding officer showed how afraid she was, Vestara"s crew would most likely fall apart. She would never allow that to happen as long as she lived, especially during the battle that would practically decide the outcome of the war. Steady, steady Vestara told herself.

Suddenly, a woman at the communications console turned to face her. "General Khai, General Horn reports they have confirmation that Hapes is under attack and he has ordered the fleet to make the hyperspace jump to Onderon."

Vestara tensed automatically. She was relieved the waiting game was finished but now came the execution of the plan. She had tried to ready herself but every method she used did nothing but drain her. Vestara slowly strode over to the vessel's comm and issued the order, "All personnel prepare for lightspeed. " The ship lurched as the entire vessel entered hyperspace, racing toward the coming bloodbath.

A lone Republic frigate had departed Corellia but had not joined the fleet on coarse for Caloma. Instead it had taken a hyperspace jump to the Outer Rim. No one knew the frigate's true purpose, however. Unknown to many, this vessel was filled with the most prolific scientific equipment and testing supplies in the galaxy. The only problem at the moment was that there was no one with adequate knowledge to use them.

"Miss Quee, I can assure you-" Ben was cut off before he could finish.

"Please call me Danni, Ben, unless you wish to be addressed as General Skywalker," Danni Quee interrupted him. She was one of the greatest scientists of their time and it was largely due to her that the Republic was able to push back both the Yuuzhan Vong and now the Mandalorians.

Ben hesitated a moment. He knew that Danni would often make you play her games before she did anything of value for you. She wanted to know what kind of people she was dealing with. She wasn't someone that would be easily frightened or manipulated, however, when it came to science she was always eager for a challenge. Ben took a breath before continuing, "Danni, I can assure you this is for a good cause."

She never gave him another chance to speak. "A good cause?" Danni asked flippantly. "How is that death machine of yours a good cause, Ben? Your parents would be ashamed of you!"

Before she could walk away Ben grabbed her hand and swung her back toward him. Ben leaned his masked head down to her ear and whispered, "Is ending the war a good enough reason for you. Is saving millions of lives not a worthy cause to you. I know you have done your part in both wars and now I ask that you help me end this one." He raised his voice for his next words, "If we don't end it soon many more innocent people will die. And I know that you can't stand the suffering people are going through. You were a Jedi once and a part of you still is. Don't make this any harder than it has been."

Danni dropped her head in shame. Ben was right about her. She couldn't keep making the weapons and shields she had been. She had to build bigger, more influential devices. She felt compelled to accept Ben's offer but there were several complications. Danni took a quick look at Ben's companion, General Brisha Syo, then brought her gaze up to Ben and said, "Skywalker, there are many things wrong with this. First, the design of your superweapon would need a field of gravitational anomalies which do not exist in the known galaxy-"

Ben held up his hand to silence her and said, "What if I told you that there is such a place where a planet's gravity well is strong enough to take down a ship."

Danni cast him a look that said she thought he was crazy. Ben admitted that what he said would have been rather unbelievable if he hadn't been to this place himself. But he had and it still gave him nightmares. But most of all he had dreams and visions of the powerful call he heard. Nothing scared him more than that. "And where would this place be?" Danni asked him suspiciously with a hint of mockery in her voice.

Just then the frigate emerged from hyperspace in orbit around a dark planet. Ben walked over to a window across the room and motioned for the two women to follow. Once there, he gestured with his hand and told them what they were seeing. "Welcome to Malachor V, Danni Quee, General Syo. Danni, even you could reach out with the Force and feel the gravitational pull that surrounds the planet."

Danni looked out the window in complete wonder and amazement. Never before had she seen a world with a gravity well as powerful as this. Over the years she had spent away from the Jedi her Jedi skills had degraded but she was still able to faintly sense something. This was one of those times when she wished she had studied more because she felt the anomalies surrounding the planet with ease but it seemed like there was something else there as well but she couldn't figure it out. "I can feel it," Danni observed, deliberately leaving her assumptions unsaid.

Ben quickly attacked her opening before she could close it. "Will you do it then? Everything you need is aboard this ship and out there," he said, once more pointing out toward Malachor.

Danni looked down at her feet, suddenly wanting to study them before she replied, "If it brings an end to the war . . . yes I will, but I need time. A project this large will take some time to build."

"And you will have it," Ben said reassuringly. What Danni didn't know was that that time would come from the war for Dxun. While it was true that once Dxun was taken the war would be nearly over, the fact remained that taking Dxun was going to take months and cost many lives on both sides. He waved Lumiya forward, "I have ordered General Brisha Syo to supervise your work and act as the commander of this vessel. If you need anything then you will go to her. However, now I must return to the battlefield."

Ben made a motion with his hand that would have been unnoticeable to anyone except a trained assassin. Fortunately for her, Lumiya was one such person. She had been an Emperor's Hand for Palpatine just as Ben's mother Mara Jade had been before she became a Jedi. She saw Ben's hand move and realized it was a sign for her to follow him. "General Skywalker, I request permission to escort you to your ship?"

"Permission granted. Walk with me, General Syo," Ben ordered and Lumiya sidled up beside him. They walked in an eerie silence through the corridors of the frigate until they reached the hangar bay. Ben had requested a fast freighter to take back to the remaining part of the fleet which he would take to join Vestara on at Dxun.

They walked up the boarding ramp together, Ben in the lead and Lumiya a respectable distance behind him. To everyone that watched the scene was as it always was, an officer giving way to her superior. But to Lumiya, she was giving headway to her master. Once they entered the cargo hold, Skywalker turned to her. "I want you to give me reports on her progress. As long as you are not discovered you are authorized to use any methods necessary to protect her," he ordered.

Lumiya lowered her head in submission, "As you wish, Master." Unlike other Sith who aspired for power to rise in rank, Lumiya knew that her reason for living was to serve. Of coarse she craved power like all Sith do but she would always submit to her master. That is why she was still living. And on the other hand she could feel the power within Ben Skywalker and she knew that he could crush her whenever he wanted so it would do her no good to kill him anyway.

Suddenly tremor ripped through the Force. It was the most violent thing Lumiya had ever felt. It was as though thousands of voices had cried out in terror. She clutched at her head trying to fend off the sudden trauma. After regaining her wits she asked, "What was that?"

Ben's eyes held concern but his lips formed a sadistic smile, "The battle for Dxun has begun."

Author Note

Finally, an update! Just to tell you, I have been writing just slowly. i still have a bit of time before I give Ben a Sith name but I am having a poll vote on my profile page. If you have any better names please message me. But that does not mean I am going to use the most voted name. All I am doing is to see what everyone would like and then match the winners up with what I like and see which one is better. Since the school yearis just about over updates will definitely be slow if there are any at all over the summer but I will continue this story. If anyone has any ideas for for this story (like what to do in the next chapter) I would love to hear them. Also if anyone thinks I should change the story summary feel free to say so. Thanks for reading and keep reviewing!