The door to Vestara's cell opened up, and Jedi Master Jaina Solo Fel walked in to find the Sith sitting patiently on her cot.

"About time," Vestara commented before standing up. "I was actually starting to think I was a real prisoner here."

"What makes you think you're not still a prisoner here?" Jaina countered as the Sith approached her. "You're still gonna be under our hold even after we resolve this whole Mando situation peacefully."

"Yeah, but at least I won't be in a cell," Vestara said with a shrug as she stopped a foot away from Jaina.

Jaina regarded Vestara silently for a moment, the Jedi's expression one of disdain for the Sith before her. "Well," she said after some hesitation, "by your lead then." She waved for Vestara to exit.

The Sith nodded and moved past Jaina to join her in leaving the Jedi Temple.

A few minutes later, the two women were inside Jaina's ship, the Faux Harla, where the Jedi Master's husband, Jagged Fel, was playing a game on his datapad in the vessel's copilot seat. When he heard footsteps behind him, he shifted in his seat to offer his wife a smile of intimacy and then just as instantly regarded Vestara with wariness.

The Sith, meanwhile, disappeared from Jag's view as she seated herself in the passenger cabin of the Harla while Jaina seated herself at the pilot's station to start the ship's pre-launch sequence.

"So tell me again why we're bringing her along?" Jag whispered to his wife.

"She's gonna be guiding us on what missions we have to do while in Mandalorian space," Jaina said without missing a beat in the pre-launch sequence. "And mainly, it's to serve as a distraction to the Death Watch while Uncle Luke and Mom try to handle things diplomatically between Mirta Gev and Belok Rhal's factions."

Jag grimaced. "Okay, even assuming that we can trust that Sith back there, wouldn't causing trouble for the Death Watch merely undermine the peace talks, especially if they find out that the Sword of the Jedi is stirring up trouble?"

"Hopefully, if we do our jobs well, that won't be the case," Jaina said as she finished up the pre-flight sequence and primed the Harla's engines for takeoff. "Really, all we'll be doing is just making sure that the Death Watch don't get the upper hand on Mirta's faction."

Jag raised an eyebrow. "You still consider her your friend?"

Jaina snorted. "Why not?" she retorted sarcastically. "She nearly tried to kill my parents and uncle a few months back when she and that little bitch back there were working for the Qreph brothers. I bet we'll still be on good terms if we see each other again." Her smile was all contempt for Mirta's actions under her contract with the Qrephs.

"Speaking of that little bitch back there," Jag said, "how do you know she won't lead us into a trap?"

"If it is a trap, I'll be prepared for it," Jaina said with total confidence. Her focus narrowed on her husband. "She won't escape me again."

"Hey!" Vestara called from the passenger cabin.

Jaina and Jag turned in their seats so that they could see her down past the rows of seats there.

"You guys have Ship aboard in your cargo hold?" Vestara asked. "I can't sense him anywhere on this planet."

"We have him in the cargo," Jaina told her neutrally. "We still have his restraining bolt on that prevents him from flying, shooting weapons, or even telepathically communicating with you."

"So then how do I know you actually have him here?" Vestara asked, crossing her arms in suspicion.

Jaina couldn't help but trade a sardonic smile with Jag and retain that when she replied to the Sith. "You're welcome to find out if he actually is in your cargo hold, but only after we go into hyperspace. "Til then, fasten your safety harness."

Vestara's expression dropped in disapproval, but she said no more as Jaina lifted the Faux Harla off the floor of the Jedi Temple's hangar bay and flew it expertly out of the bay's exit. From there, the Jedi Master increased speed as they ascended to Shedu Maad's beautiful daylight skies before penetrating the atmosphere to be enfolded by the infinite star-studded blackness of space. A few minutes later, the Harla exited the gravity well and shot out into hyperspace.

But in the initial few seconds, Jaina gasped and her eyes widened, and Jag simply remained in his seat, as if nothing was happening. His wife hyperventilated a few more times before sighing in relief.

Just then, though, Vestara appeared at the entrance to the Harla's cockpit. "What happened?" she asked more out of curiosity than concern.

Jaina and Jag looked at the Sith with typical wariness. "Why should that be any of your concern?" the Jedi Master of the Fels asked in condescension.

"Well, if there's any impediments in your ability to carry out this mission, Master Solo Fel," Vestara said in a formal tone, "I must know so that whatever risks you pose to this mission can be minimized."

Jaina snorted. "Nice try, Khai, but that's not gonna work."

"What are you talking about?" Vestara asked in irritation.

"Finding out my wife's weakness so you can exploit in typical Sith fashion," Jag answered. He shook his head. "That's not gonna happen."

Vestara threw up her hands in mock-surrender. "Fine, fine. Leave me in the dark about the dangers you can pose to us at any point, and I won't know what the hell to do when that happens."

"We'll be just fine when something like that happens, Sith Lord Khai," Jag said in a mock-formal tone. "We won't need your help beyond telling us what to do. And even then..." He trailed off to signal his eyes with two of his fingers before pointing them at Vestara.

"I'll keep that in mind," Vestara said with a raised eyebrow. She then turned back to resume her seat in the passenger cabin.