An Ascendancy medical frigate from one of the orbiting Star Destroyers soared down through the chilly atmosphere of Csilla and headed for one of the closest hospitals. A hole in the hospital's roof opened up for the frigate, allowing it to hover down into the building proper before the ceiling now above it closed to prevent anymore heat from leaving the hangar bay.

Seconds after the vessel had landed and parked, its landing ramp opened up immediately and an apparently-unconscious Ambassador Formbi was carefully levitated via hovergurney down the ramp by a Chiss soldier. They were met by two female nurses, who had been notified of the med frigate's impending arrival by one of the hospital's receptionists, and who were obviously sent to see what happened to the hospital's latest patient.

"He's had a heart attack," the soldier aptly informed them. "Our facilities are inefficient to help him." While it may not make sense why any Ascendancy Star Destroyers would not have such facilities to treat something as relatively simple as a heart attack, it was doubtful that either nurse would question him for the moment, at least.

Instead, the nurses only nodded as one of them took the hovergurney out of the soldier's hands and then she and her colleague began rushing the elder ambassador out of the hangar bay toward one of the hospital's medwards. The soldier, meanwhile, turned away and headed back up the ramp to return to his duties aboard one of the Star Destroyers, his job here done.

Now it would take a while for the pheromones to spread...

.

"Oh, what a twist!" Onimi exclaimed sarcastically. "A Sith is gonna have to team up with a Jedi to save the galaxy! Like that's never happened before."

"What a shame you're not entertained," Plagueis replied flippantly. "Now, you three are going to help my droids-" He indicated Ford and Five. "-and I make sure that Abeloth can never return to wreak havoc on this galaxy."

"And in return, we allow you to go free and try to take over the galaxy yourself?" Jacen asked with a frown.

"The thought did occur," Plagueis remarked.

Jacen looked at Danni. "Is Sekot gonna allow him to do this?"

"Unless you stop him yourself afterward, Jacen, Sekot has no choice but to allow Plagueis to roam free after you all defeat the Killiks and Abeloth," Danni said in a remorseful tone. "Sorry."

Jacen sighed, then looked back at Plagueis. "And how exactly are you fitting into all this?"

"I am to wield the Dagger of Mortis, the only weapon capable of ending Abeloth for good," Plagueis answered. "It is found on a world known only to me."

"Known only to you?" Jacen asked. After Plagueis nodded, he inquired, "Why doesn't Sekot know?"

"The Force didn't tell Sekot where I should go," Plagueis responded simply. "It only told me where I should go."

"Why?" Jacen asked.

Plagueis shrugged nonchalantly. "Who can know the ways of the Force?"

"And you won't tell us, why?" Jacen asked.

"If the Force wouldn't allow for the living world of Zonama Sekot, or you, or your Yuuzhan Vong friend there-" Plagueis indicated Onimi "-then surely there must be some reason as to why I should not reveal it to anyone else. Besides, I have no interest in sharing that knowledge anyway, especially not to a Jedi. No offense." At those last two words, Plagueis's tone sounded insincere. "My droids, however, will accompany me to this world."

"And what are my friends and I supposed to do in the meantime?" Jacen asked.

"You're to make sure the Jedi are off my back," Plagueis said, "and have all their attention focused on the Killiks."

Jacen looked back to Danni in disbelief. "Is he for real?"

"I'm afraid what he is saying is true, Jacen," Danni said, again remorseful. "From what Sekot knows, Grand Master Skywalker had already dispatched a team of Jedi Knights to search for the Dagger of Mortis, did he not?"

"From the realities I've visited, I think it's safe to say that that's the case here, yeah," Jacen said. He looked back at Plagueis. "You want us to stop the Ten Knights, Plagueis?"

"I don't need you to do that for me," Plagueis responded. "The Ten Knights have already passed the planet that I am to visit. I will have no encounter with them."

"Good for you," Jacen replied insincerely. "So, again, how should we keep the Jedi 'off your back?'"

"Like I said, by making sure all their attention is directed towards the Killiks," Plagueis repeated.

"At this point, I doubt the Jedi need Onimi, Nommy, or I to direct their attention to the Killiks," Jacen said.

"So it would seem on the surface," Plagueis said. "But you, of all people, know never to underestimate the Jedi. I certainly don't."

Jacen pulled a wry expression. "True enough. But can I ask one more question?"

"Of course," Plagueis answered simply.

"Why are you the one to wield the Dagger of Mortis?" Jacen asked. "Why not anyone else?"

"Are you doubting the will of the Force, Jedi Solo?" Plagueis countered. He then shook his head with a tsk-tsk-tsk in a mocking mimicry of expressing disappointment. "And to think you once trusted it implicitly when you killed Onimi back in your home reality. Oh, yes, I know about that; the Force told me about it for the purposes of this partnership."

"Gee, thanks for bringing that up," Onimi piped in.

"Very well," Jacen said, ignoring Onimi. "But just know, Plagueis; when this is all said and done, I am going to stop you, and I fully intend to make sure that Ben returns to take his body back from you."

Plagueis smirked. "Good luck with that. You might as well revive a cadaver that's been rotting for ten years by summoning its ghost back to inhabit it. But who am I to discourage you?" Again, at that last bit, Plagueis was clearly being sarcastic. His expression and tone became serious again. "At any rate, though, expect to die if you come after me, young Solo."

"If it means stopping you, even if I can't bring Ben back, then it'll be worth it," Jacen concluded.

"Shall we take our leave now, Master?" Ford asked Plagueis.

"Not just yet, Ford," Plagueis said, not looking away from Jacen. "I have one more thing to say to the Jedi here."

"Very well then," Ford said, obviously nervous as to whether or not the contention between his Master and Jacen would come to a head at this most inappropriate time.

Plagueis then took a few steps forward until he was face-to-face with Jacen. "It's a shame that we're on opposite sides of the Force, ideologically," Plagueis said in a genuinely regretful tone. "From what I know about you, you seem to have quite a few ideas about it yourself. I myself am curious about the nature of the Force, and not just its dark side. But while I lean more to the scientific basis of the Force, you tend to question the philosophies behind it. It's admirable, definitely a trait that distinguishes you from other Jedi. I imagine that, at the very least, we could have been acquaintances. It'd be nice to talk to someone else about just the nature of the Force."

Jacen didn't respond. Plagueis then turned away and took his leave with Ford and Five-U, just as Jacen did with Onimi and Nom Anor.