Two days later, just a few seconds after the Solo Quest had cycled off from her engine shutdown, Jacen's personal commlink beeped and he answered it.
"Jacen," Luke's voice came from the other end, "now that you're back from the Unknown Regions, I need you to come to the Masters' Council Chamber now." His tone was urgent, Jacen could tell, and he didn't need the Force to discern that his uncle would brook no argument.
"I'm coming right now, Uncle Luke," Jacen replied before switching off his commlink. He then looked to his, who was still seated in the copilot's chair. "Garis, you return to your dorm."
"Yes, Jacen," Garis replied obediently as his Master unstrapped himself from the crash webbing holding him to the pilot seat.
After they both left the ship and headed off in different directions for their intended destinations, Jacen took the turbolift up to the level that would bring him to the Council Chamber. There, he traversed the corridor at a brisk walk before coming to the door that opened up automatically for him.
Inside, arrayed from Jacen's left to right counterclockwise around the silver top of the Council's meeting desk, there sat Masters Kenth Hamner, Saba Sebatyne, Kyle Katarn, Uncle Luke, Aunt Mara, Octa Ramis, Corran Horn, and Tresina Lobi. There were three empty seats, two of which, Jacen thought, were no doubt meant for the Masters Solusar, but since they weren't here, he figured that this meeting wasn't meant for them; Kam and Tionne had enough duties, as it were, with running the Jedi Academy on Ossus. So whatever this meeting was called for was most likely meant for all the other Masters, who weren't restrained by such duties.
And the third empty seat...
"Master Solo," Luke said, "please, take your seat, right over there." He pointed at the seat closest to Kenth Hamner.
With only an acknowledging nod, Jacen obeyed his uncle's command.
Now in his place as a Jedi Master, Jacen had only a brief glance around the desk before his uncle started with the debriefing. To now be among those who would help defend the galaxy against those wanting to destroy or rule it to their own ends gave Jacen a profound sense of awe and responsibility on his shoulders.
"Chief of State Omas has kindly asked for the Jedi Order to involve itself in resolving a potential new crisis before it begins," Luke began without preamble. "For those of you not interested, I ask that you please leave this room so those of us who want to get involved may go on with our business."
By "those of you not interested," Luke clearly meant Jacen, as he and all the other Masters were looking at him, as if expecting him to turn this down.
Jacen sat quietly, evenly meeting the gaze of all the other Masters, including his aunt and uncle; and in his turning gaze, he silently let each of them know that he would not turn down responsibility for the galaxy.
When he finally broke away from Tresina Lobi's, Luke said, "Very well. Here is the situation: Corellia is asking to secede from the Galactic Alliance, as Five Worlds Prime Minister Aidel Saxan is lobbying for the independence of the planet and the rest of the Five Worlds. The GA is willing to agree to these terms on the condition that Centerpoint Station be destroyed or otherwise dismantled completely."
"Which is obviously something that Saxan won't agree to," Kyp Durron guessed.
Luke nodded. "The Prime Minister claims that without the GA's support, Centerpoint is their best line of defense from any enemies."
'What about their military?" Corran Horn asked.
"She said that it was their best line of defense, not their only one," Luke clarified. "And because of that, the GA won't allow Corellia to secede if they continue to hone one of the most powerful weapons in the galaxy. As it currently stands, both Chief Omas and Prime Minister Saxan are at a political standoff that could very well lead to war between the governments."
"But why bother to disobey anyway?" Jacen asked. "No one can control Centerpoint without my brother, Anakin's, DNA."
"That was what was thought until you were well into the Unknown Regions a few days ago, Master Solo," Luke said. "Somehow, in some way, Corellian technicians have found a way to control Centerpoint without the use of Anakin Solo's DNA or power."
"And now Corellia wants to secede?" Saba Sebatyne asked. "Thiz one does not think this iz a coincidence, even by the Force."
"I don't think anyone else in this room thinks that either, Master Sebatyne," Luke said. "Which is why the GA has all the more reason to be worried if it leaves the Five Worlds alone with Centerpoint; especially with rumors that Saxan is nothing but a puppet ruler to Thrackan Sal-Solo."
"Thrackan?" Jacen inquired. "I thought he was imprisoned for his collusion with the Yuuzhan Vong by Ylesia."
"He was," Luke confirmed, "but in prison, he managed to garner enough influence to get an early release for good behavior two years after the war ended. He became the leader of the Corellian Liberation Party, which represents only a small minority of Corellians within the sphere of the Five Worlds, and he is now allegedly convincing Prime Minister Saxan that secession is the best course of action for the Five Worlds; that was, of course, after Centerpoint had been mysteriously reactivated again.
"So now the question remains as to what we are going to do about it. Chief Omas and I have discussed it, and we have concluded that the fleet of the Five Worlds is willing to fight to protect their sovereignty and for their control over Centerpoint. However, Omas is willing to continue to discuss negotiations with Saxan, which leaves us with one other alternative: destroy Centerpoint covertly."
"But won't that just stir the rebellious spirits of the Corellians?" Jacen asked. "They will argue that they will have more justification if their most powerful line of defense has been destroyed by a Jedi team sponsored by the GA. If anything, this might convince other systems and planets that the Five Worlds are in the right, and the GA is an oppressive regime unwilling to give any true freedom to the rest of the galaxy."
"Another point discussed between Omas and I," Luke said. "He says that should the mission to destroy Centerpoint be successful, and that whatever happens after that - whether the Five Worlds still want their independence, or are more willing to fall in line with this government - Omas assures me that he will convince the rest of the galaxy that the GA is not an oppressive regime."
"How?" Tresina Lobi asked.
"Simple," Luke said. "By pointing out the threat that Centerpoint posed, a power that very few in the galaxy could possibly match."
"So, so long as no one has greater power than the GA, and that if everyone else remains relatively weak and vulnerable compared to the GA," Jacen spoke up, "then everyone else is safe. Is that it?"
"So long as no one who has greater power is willing to abuse it against the GA," Luke clarified pointedly, "then the GA will not take any aggressive actions."
"Master Solo," Mara said, "you seem rather reluctant to follow in this plan. Do you have any ideas as to how to resolve this conflict without violence?"
"Aside from letting Chief Omas and Prime Minister Saxan continue discussing negotiations?" Jacen replied. "Then, no, I have none. And, yes, I understand that my cousin Thrackan is very likely an influence in this conflict to begin with; so if he does have any amount of control over Centerpoint Station, then I agree that it's imperative that Centerpoint be destroyed, if necessary."
After a silent moment, Mara asked, "But?"
Jacen looked at his aunt in confusion. "There's no but in this... except for whether or not there are any objections that I will be the one to accomplish this mission."
"By yourself?" Luke asked. "I don't think any of us have any objections to you going, and given your emotional removal to your cousin Thrackan, I certainly don't have any doubt that you can take on this mission. But are you really going to go there by yourself?"
"I can take my apprentice, Garis Boric, along with me," Jacen said. "I vow by my life to have him return from this mission alive, even if I don't. Besides, it'll be a good first experience for him on a Jedi mission." He smiled weakly in spite of himself.
"But you want to have no one else?" Luke inquired. "None of the other Masters here?"
"I'm not unwilling to take any participants," Jacen said. He looked around. "Who wants to join me?"
Masters Sebatyne, Katarn, Ramis, and Kyp all raised their hands in unison.
"I think only one other Master will be appropriate for this mission," Jacen said. "Master Sebatyne, pardon me, but given the fact that you're a Barabel, I think you'll be too conspicuous in the Corellia system. And, Masters Katarn and Durron, you're both too well-known to the galaxy to be inconspicuous yourselves."
"So are you!" Katarn nearly exclaimed. "In fact, because of your relation to Sal-Solo, you're more likely to be spotted than either Kyp or me."
"And besides, there's nothing a little makeup can't disguise for all of us," Kyp interjected. "Master Sebatyne excluded, of course."
"Regardless, I think Master Ramis will be the most appropriate choice for this mission," Jacen said. "Oh, and on a personal note, Kyp, thanks for the makeup suggestion; I always did wanna look prettier." He flashed a smile, as if he were some kind of pop culture diva.
Only silence and dull looks from the other Masters persisted.
"At least none of you groaned," Jacen muttered after the moment passed.
"I agree to this arrangement," Luke said. "Master Solo, Master Ramis, you two will both ship out tomorrow to Corellia on a refugee ship. You will be disguised as Corellians who wish to seek refuge back in their home system, as you feel that you are oppressed in the GA. You will have come from Commenor. From there, we leave it up to you as to what your backstories are; you will be expected by a GA spy, who will grant you guaranteed passage aboard Centerpoint. The spy's name is Toval Seyah."
Luke then pressed a button beneath his side of the desk. Over the center of the desk was an image of a plump, elderly dark-skinned man with stark white hair.
"This is him," Luke continued. "You will contact him discreetly by saying the phrase, 'From Commenor or Denon, nothing will stop us from returning home.' He'll know that you're the team who'll help destroy Centerpoint, and he'll follow whatever instructions you have for him in destroying the station."
"So you'll leave the planning up to us then?" Jacen asked.
"We can't think of everything, can we?" Luke asked with a sardonic smile.
"In that case, I already have a plan mapped out in my head, Master Skywalker," Jacen replied with an equally sardonic grin.