Commander Lothärius was spending more and more time these days down in the abandoned wings of the Order's flagship. Several times he had come close to finishing the repairs on the wrecked speeder that kept his thoughts occupied, and on each occasion he found some reason to take an essential piece back apart and rebuild it, prolonging the conclusion of the repairs. Other times, his frustration caused him to turn a ratchet too quickly, or miss a scorch with the hydrospanner, causing unintentional damage that necessitated a rebuild. The oil stains on his hands were getting washed out less and less frequently, and his immaculate appearance degrading. His uniform had not been treated in several days, and a rough stubble had formed on his chin.

Reeve's death was a blow that had shattered them all to their core, and in Lothärius' opinion not enough was being done to investigate it. That cursed Mandalorian Haran'buir was being especially cagey about how an intruder could have gotten in and out of their headquarters without leaving so much as an imprint on the security cameras.

There was also this business about Michael's student, Nila-Om. She was obviously connected to this mess, if not directly involved, and the Headmaster continued to shelter her. She needed to be brought in for interrogation, find out what she knows. As Commander of the Order, Lothärius felt he had the authority to override Michael's wishes and take the girl by force. And yet, Michael still garnered a fair amount of respect from the older members. Crossing him could cause Lothärius to lose support, and the Dawnbreaker soldiers were technically in the service of the Halcyons, not the Order. It had all the makings of a mutiny, should he push the issue, and that was the last thing they needed in a time of crisis.

Lothärius sat down and leaned his head back in frustration. He was lost. He needed guidance from people he trusted. It had been too long since he had gathered with his closest friends. Perhaps a night off was exactly what was required. He pulled his datapad from his pack and sent a quick message to Otso and Bersk. "Drinks on Nar Shaddaa tonight. Meet at Tal's."

Back on Yavin, Michael was sitting at his desk in his office, lost in thought. It was his responsibility to ensure the safety of the students at his Academy, and what happened to Reeve was proof that it may be a more daunting task than he originally believed it to be. He had full faith in Haran's abilities, which made this intrusion that much more frightening. There were only a handful of people in the galaxy that Michael knew could infiltrate such a secure facility and leave no trace of their presence. And only one of them that could be directly involved...

"Headmaster? You asked to see me?" The familiar voice of Nila-Om gave him pause. He reminded himself that there were no coincidences in the universe, only the will and voice of the Force.

"Yes, Nila. Please come in." He gestured to the pair of chairs on the far side of his desk.

Nila made her way across the room with her usual grace. The Voss Commandos had trained her well, she carried herself with perfect balance, perpetually ready for action. Again and again Michael found himself impressed with the efficiency of Voss culture. A perfect blend of duty and service to one another, with an almost symbiotic relationship with the Force. Even if they did not share the views of the Jedi, or even the Sith, in many ways the Voss knew the Force in an almost intimate sense. It was no wonder that Oryon had held such fondness for the planet and its people.

Michael suppressed a grimace. Now was not the time to think of painful memories. He had much more important business to address. "I wanted to check in with you privately, make sure you were..." He lost his voice. This was a delicate situation, and he was unsure of how to proceed.

"You wanted to ensure that my loyalties were still aligned." Her voice was flat and calm through the processor built into the mask she wore. "It is only natural. Whomever is scheming against the Halcyons, it is obviously that they would seek to exploit any advantage they could, up to and including enlisting assistance from the inside. With my...unique circumstance, I am a natural suspect." She folded her hands in her lap, assuming a posture of tranquil neutrality.

Michael was taken aback. It was not the first time that the young girl from Voss had caught him off guard. Here he was, worrying how to breach the topic with her, and she had already sized up the situation, and himself, and delivered a flat analysis of the situation. "Well, obviously I'm not implying..."

"It is alright, Headmaster. I believe we both have accurate appraisals of the situation."

Michael fought the urge to smile. She was so like her father. "Is there anything you need?"

Nila bowed her head graciously. "I intend to assist in any way I can. I would appreciate your support."

"I cannot advocate any action that would put you or your fellow students in danger."

"I understand, Headmaster. I believe we understand each other very well."

Twin suns set on Tatooine. Oryon Halcyon was set up in his new shop on Zahavi's base. The information he had been given through the vision that the Togruta had passed along to him had changed everything. Over his long life, he had been called to carry out a myriad of difficult tasks, but nothing compared to the mission before him. How does one plan the deaths of his own clan? Men and women he considered family would fall by his hand, and with his recent history plotting the death of Asmodeus, it was unlikely that history would recognize his actions as anything but traitorous. Such was the burden he would bear. All he had ever done in his life was what he believed would serve the greater good. And that had not changed. He would not let his personal feelings stand in his way. The Halcyons stood at the crux of an essential turning point in history, and no one but Oryon himself could be trusted to make the right decision for all life in the galaxy.

Death was coming to Yavin 4, and it was his responsibility to make sure the job got done.