"Jedi Solo," ThurThul said in a subdued tone as Leia, Han, Allana, C-3PO, Formbi, and his entourage entered the throne room of the Celestial Palace. "Han Solo. Amelia Solo. C-3PO. Welcome to the Celestial Palace. And welcome back, Ambassador Formbi."

Formbi gave a curt nod to acknowledge ThurThul's relative hospitality.

ThurThul looked back to Leia. "Now that you are here, shall we begin negotiations?"

"Of course," Leia answered as she, her entourage, and Formbi and his entourage began to move across the room to take their seats in the plain simple wooden chairs that the Chiss Ascendancy had been so kind to provide in the past two weeks just for this occasion.

"So why don't we start with Ambassador Formbi's stance on the matter of ThurThul's presence here," Leia said to start.

"Jedi Solo," Formbi began, "as I have brought up multiple times, the Chiss Ascendancy has grown nervous over Raynar Thul once again ending up as part of a Killik hive mind for the past six months. Not only does this pose a potential threat to the Ascendancy, and maybe to the rest of the galaxy for that matter, but it also outright violates the agreement made between the Chiss and the Killiks almost nine years ago. The head Phalanxes are seriously considering reopening war upon the Killiks in the Reo system as we speak."

Leia nodded before looking at ThurThul. "So what do you have to say to justify your presence among the Killiks that violates this agreement, ThurThul?"

"As far as we know, that agreement was made out of fear on the part of the Chiss so that the Colony could never reunite into the whole it once knew and loved under UnuThul," ThurThul said. "But as you can see on our world, we still struggle to survive as an individual nest with what few precious resources we have on Reonoq. The last time the Colony posed a threat to the Chiss, we were united and strong, with bountiful resources, vessels, weapons, and so much more. Here, we are but one nest, without a single starship that would allow us to travel the stars to meet our brethren, or to invite any new Joiners. We are simply looking to survive as much as we can with ThurThul to guide us."

"And just how is the nest of Thuruht managing to survive on a desert world such as Reonoq?" Leia asked.

"We forage what we can from the undergrounds of our home along with the rare spots across Reonoq that have resources such as water or nonsentient lifeforms that the Thuruht find nutrition from," ThurThul explained. "It is a hard life that we live, with our queen also having to suffer from it. We certainly do not have the ability, intelligence, skill, or suitable resources to build starships to visit the other worlds where the remaining Killik nests lie."

"So what you're saying is, as far as the Chiss Ascendancy is concerned, Thuruht prospers no more on Reonoq with ThurThul to guide the nest than it does without him?" Leia inquired.

ThurThul nodded. "It would be as if ThurThul was never here."

"Then if you don't need ThurThul," Leia said, "why do you still have him?"

"We need him because his skill and experience in the Force will help us prepare for Abeloth's next coming," ThurThul explained. "For as much as we are faring no better or worse in terms of survival with his leadership, he is still essential for when we need to confront Abeloth the next time she surfaces. The death of the Ones mere decades ago, along with Jacen Solo changing the current of the Force, very well assured that Abeloth would return without an equal to counter her."

"The Jedi managed to defeat her without the help of the Ones," Leia pointed out. "Are you saying that you doubt the Jedi's ability to defeat her again?"

"Of course we do," ThurThul outright stated. "She came closer than ever to ending the galaxy without the Ones. Only the Thuruht could stop her for sure."

"But don't you need the power and the leadership of the Ones to allow you to defeat Abeloth?" Leia asked.

"Indeed we do," ThurThul answered. "Which is why we are using ThurThul to prepare us for her next coming."

"But ThurThul is only a Jedi Knight," Leia countered. "He couldn't possibly contain the power needed for Thuruht to rise again to battle Abeloth."

"As an individual," ThurThul began, "he is a mere Jedi Knight. But powered by the mind of Thuruht, he could be so much more."

"But your nest ain't doin' so well," Han piped in. "So ThurThul can't be that much more powerful. In fact, wasn't he stronger when he was once UnuThul?"

"Yes, he was," ThurThul answered.

"And under his power, along with that of the Gorog, powered by Lomi Plo, Welk, Alema Rar, and all the other Knights who were once part of the Colony's hive mind," Leia continued, "did you know whether or not you were so powerful to successfully defeat Abeloth?"

ThurThul was quiet for a moment before he answered. "We admit that the collective power of the Jedi and the Dark Jedi we acquired as the Colony had not sufficed to take on Abeloth."

"If you admit that, then what have you not admitted?" Formbi interjected with a sharp tone.

ThurThul looked deliberately looked at the Chiss ambassador. "We have also not admitted, previously, that we had intended to collect more powerful Force-sensitives throughout the galaxy as Joiners to muster the power to counter Abeloth."

"So what you were doing under UnuThul and Lomi Plo's control, you were not only defending yourselves from the Chiss while also fighting the Galactic Alliance," Leia said. "You were intending to mount a defense against Abeloth."

"Yes," ThurThul answered.

"But you failed to do that when you lost at Tenupe," Formbi said.

"Yes. And because of the efforts of the Jedi Order, the Galactic Alliance, and the Chiss Ascendancy, the galaxy almost saw its end six months ago."

Leia shook her head. "It wasn't because of that. It was because the Sith Lord known as Darth Caedus had changed the current of the Force, which even you acknowledged."

"Abeloth was destined to return, as she always was," ThurThul said. "Your son's reversal of the current was merely a catalyst."

Leia used a calming technique to control her emotions over ThurThul acknowledging that Caedus was her son.

This was not going to be easy.