D'Qar, 9 ABY
Sari stood outside her hut, gazing at the empty night sky. Every night she had stood vigil for hours, hoping to see running lights approaching from afar. And every night, she returned to the hut, settling into bed for a fitful sleep as the young child slept peacefully before the embers of the fire, warm and unconcerned. The child had proven gentle, kind, and amicable, and she showed signs of a rapid recovery once given food and safety. But Sari's bones and joints ached, and her strength waned. She had given Mara twice as long as promised, but after another night of empty skies and broken promises, Sari's intention crystalized.
"Sari?" Zhey'la asked. "Are you waiting for Neeta?"
Sari sighed, and continuing to gaze at the sky, she said, "No longer." She turned toward Zhey'la and said, "Child, pack your things. We are going to travel on a starship."
"Right now?" Zhey'la asked, nudging closer to Sari's leg.
"In the morning," Sari assured. "But we must be ready. Our friend will not linger long."
"Where are we going," Zhey'la asked.
Sari's face broke into a wide, warm smile as she said, "I'm taking you to meet the man who walks across the sky."
Honoghr, 9 ABY
"Good evening, Ms. Jade," spoke an affable voice entering the darkened examination room.
Mara turned sharply toward the man joining her and hissed, "Don't call me that."
"Forgive me," the man said graciously. "I wasn't given another title. Anyhow, my name is Lieutenant Torris, and Grand Admiral Thrawn arranged this appointment per his agreement with you."
"Right," Mara grunted defensively, receding slightly as Torris set a case down on the examination table. Mara peered toward the open case, curious at its contents.
"This," Torris said, removing a vial containing a single blue-purple pill, which he set on the table next to the case, "Is Third Sight. Originally, it was only injectable, but in my free time, I was able to engineer a means of oral administration."
"What is this?" Mara said suspiciously.
"Oh, it's a fascinating thing," Torris said excitedly. "It originates from the Unknown Regions, and it's a psychoactive substance that amplifies a Force-sensitive being's connection to the Force."
"You mean, it makes you more powerful?" Mara said, leaning forward in intrigue.
You will kill the Skywalkers! The Emperor's voice roared in a recess deep within her mind. She flinched reflexively, and Torris frowned at her, his expression laced with concern.
"Are you alright?" Torris asked mildly.
Mara scowled at the man, and Torris turned his attention back to his case. "Anyhow, the effect duration for oral administration is roughly two hours, with a peak around 45 minutes. After the second hour, the effects decrease rapidly, leading to an acute withdrawal."
"What's that?" Mara asked as Torris placed a second vial on the table.
"Withdrawal symptoms can be severe without treatment, and I encourage you to take this immediately at the onset of withdrawal," Torris explained.
"I don't trust it," Mara said reflexively upon hearing about the withdrawal.
"I empathize with your concerns, Miss. . .," Torris hesitated. "If you wish to accomplish your goals without this, you are welcome to. However, the Grand Admiral has warned of the high degree of danger involved in your mission, and he feels it is best if you are given every opportunity to succeed."
"He doesn't think I can do it," Mara snarled resentfully.
Weak, the Emperor's voice accused.
"Skywalker is a powerful Jedi, and the Grand Admiral is a cautious man," Torris acknowledged. "He does not wish to leave things to chance."
"I can kill him on my own," Mara sneered.
"I have no doubt," Torris assuaged. "But this comes at the Grand Admiral's orders. He implied that, should you refuse, there is no bargain."
DO IT, the Emperor's voice crackled in her mind.
Mara reached out and took the first vial, regarding the pill. Its blue-purple contents shimmered, sparking intrigue. She looked up to see Torris, a knowing smile on his face, regarding her serenely. Mara reached out and grabbed the other vial and pocketed both in her robe. She rose from her seat and stalked out of the room, leaving Torris behind. He closed his case, a cryptic smile on his face, before he turned out the light and left.
Coruscant, 9 ABY
"Do you have any idea how much trouble you just caused?!" Crix Madine roared as Han Solo sat defiantly in his chair. Mon Mothma leaned back in her chair, staring into space, attempting to piece together the magnitude of the media firestorm that was now engulfing her campaign. Leia gazed out the window at the Coruscant skyline, her body tense as she restrained her own fury. Yishun and Justid shrank back in their chairs in the corner, alarmed at Madine's outrage. Only Aven Bryton appeared at ease. He had set his data pad down and crossed his legs as if resigned to watching a mildly entertaining holonet show.
"You know, Crix," Han said, and Madine's nostril's flared at Han's refusal to address him formally. "If I had a credit for every time somebody asked me that, I'd run my own damn campaign."
"Do you think this is a joke, Solo?" Madine roared back. "You violated numerous laws on confidentiality and data sharing. You attacked a privately owned compound without authorization. . ."
"Technically, the Mandalorians did that, so take it up with them," Han retorted.
"On data you provided against orders," Aven interjected.
Madine threw his hands up and walked away, feeling that he was on the verge of hitting Han in the face.
"I believe what Secretary Madine is trying to say," Mon Mothma interjected in her quiet voice.
Han turned toward her, and Leia peered over her shoulder as Mon Mothma said, "This campaign has run along the edge of a knife, and despite repeated warnings from virtually everyone in this office, you persisted in pursuing your whims with no regard for the damage it would do. Now, you will be required to face a Senatorial Committee to answer for your actions."
"Great," Han grunted. "I love committees." Leia shot an acidic look at him before turning back to the view.
Yishun cleared his throat and interjected. "Senator Brasaar will lead the hearing, and he will look for every opportunity to smear you and make an example of you. If you adopt the same impetuous tone you're taking now, he will have a field day."
"Then I guess we'll just have to tell him the truth," Han said.
"Which is?" Yishun asked, uneasy.
"That a sophisticated Imperial operation is running rampant on the Outer Rim using stolen beskar to pay for hit jobs, and I did my part to uncover their activities while honoring our commitments to the Mandalorians," Han said.
"Against orders when you were tasked with a humanitarian aid directive," Aven Bryton added.
Han glared lightsabers at Aven before snapping, "Only because this office refused to investigate the matter itself."
"Careful, Han," Mon Mothma warned.
"What do you want me to say, then?" Han shot back.
"Acknowledge the unacceptable nature of your actions, apologize, and take what is coming to you," Aven interjected. "The technical term for that sort of thing is accountability, Solo."
"So you want me to fall on the lightsaber so that you can minimize the damage that the truth is causing," Han snapped. Leia glanced at him again, her gaze still acidic. "Unbelievable," Han grunted as he crossed his arms defiantly.
Mon Mothma was prepared to respond when her communications unit buzzed. She pressed the button and listened to something on her earpiece. Han watched her frustration evolve into a concerned frown, and as the person on the other line concluded, Mon Mothma said, "Very well. Please send them in."
Moments later, the door to the Chancellor's office opened, and Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren entered, striding across the foyer of the circular office and then ascending the steps to stand before the Chancellor. Leia turned away from the window, surprised at the appearance of her old friend and mentor.
Mon Mothma rose from her chair and nodded gravely, saying, "Welcome, Ahsoka Tano." She turned to Sabine and nodded again, saying, "Madame Wren."
"Forgive our interruption," Ahsoka said, as she removed something from the folds of her robes. "But it is imperative that I deliver this report directly to you, Chancellor." Ahsoka turned toward the others in the room. Madine had rejoined the group after soothing his anger. As Ahsoka studied those in the room, she added, "I need to know that everyone here is trustworthy."
Mon Mothma frowned, then said, "Of course. These are my most trusted advisers. Although. . ." she glanced at Han Solo.
"Before you send him away," Sabine said, nodding toward Solo, "You should know that I'm going to share this all with Solo anyway. After what he did for us on Thakwaa, I owe him that much."
"But if this is sensitive information," Madine said.
Ahsoka interjected, saying, "Yes, I believe it best for Han to know as well." She looked toward Leia, and she raised her eyebrows, sensing Leia's anger and frustration. Leia met Ahsoka's eyes, and she nodded, albeit reluctantly.
Ahsoka removed a golden medallion from her robes and placed it on Mon Mothma's desk. Han blurted, "Is that what I think it is?"
"I recovered this on Corvus two days ago from a former Imperial agent named Morgan Elsbeth," Ahsoka explained.
Aven interjected, saying, "Wasn't she found guilty by the Tribunal?"
"Yes," Mon Mothma said. "Her sentence was suspended, though."
"Why?" Yishun asked.
"Credits?" Han offered.
"Something like that," Aven grunted.
"She retired to Corvus, where she devastated the forest before subjecting several settlements. I knew of her longstanding ties to the Empire, especially one who, until recently, we all assumed was dead," Ahsoka explained.
"Who is that?" Aven asked.
"This medallion gave me access to her communications device, and when I activated it. . ." Ahsoka said. She paused, taking a deep breath, before saying, "I found myself face-to-face with Grand Admiral Thrawn."
A stunned silence swept over the room. As those gathered processed the name, Leia spoke up first, saying, "But he vanished at Lothal."
"Until ten days ago when the Outbound Project was destroyed by a mysterious, unknown force," Sabine Wren explained. "Initial reports suggested an ambush by an unknown, highly evolved, dangerous predator."
"Yet, I received a notification that evening as I meditated on Shili," Ahsoka added. "The notification came from a beacon that Sabine set outside the Gap. She gave me the transponder in the hopes that, should it ever report anything, I would know."
"You never gave up hope that Ezra would return," Mon Mothma said, her voice laced with both fear and sorrow.
"No," Sabine said, her voice shaky. "And we don't have any confirmation that he came back with Thrawn."
"Do we know where Thrawn is?" Leia asked.
"Honoghr," Ahsoka said. Madine bounded over to a nearby computer terminal, and Ahsoka added, "We looked through every database we could access. There's nothing. As far as the databases are concerned, the planet does not exist."
"Except that it does exist," Sabine added. "We fought a Noghri on Lothal. They're very fast, very skilled, very dangerous."
Han stared down at the medallion in his hands, his fingers sliding over the cold, metallic engraving of the Imperial insignia, a cold, gnawing dread awakening in his gut.
"I thank you for telling me this, Ahsoka," Mon Mothma said. "Crix, please put your best people toward gathering intelligence on Thrawn. If he communicated with Morgan Elsbeth, he likely communicated with others."
"I'll start by monitoring for the use of older Imperial codes. It's unlikely he's communicating directly, especially with these medallions," Madine said. Mon Mothma nodded, excusing Madine from the meeting.
"Aven, Yishun, Justid – we don't want to release this information to the public until we know more. However, I do want you to work together to craft a variety of responses should this information emerge through other sources," Mon Mothma said. "You know what to do."
The three men rose from their seats. Han caught a momentary glimpse of Aven's frustration, but the man rose from his chair, following the others out.
"Which brings us to you," Mon Mothma said, turning to Han.
"Let me guess," Han said. "Not a word."
"You will be under oath at the hearing tomorrow," Mon Mothma explained. "So I do not expect you to lie. However, I do hope that you recognize the consequences of mentioning Thrawn without allowing us the opportunity to address it first?"
"Yeah," Han admitted reluctantly.
Mon Mothma tilted her head and raised her eyebrows, and Han straightened up in his chair, saying, "Yes, Chancellor."
"In that case, I would prefer that you were to follow Aven's advice on accountability, but I do sympathize with the prospect of being cross-examined by Brasaar," Mon Mothma said, pausing to consider her next words. "I think. . ."
Leia turned toward Mon Mothma, who frowned as the Chancellor said, "I think that you may disclose your reasons for your actions. The damage is already done, and we gain nothing from covering it up. If you can do that, and if you can remain accountable for the decisions you made, I can live with it."
"Chancellor, doesn't that risk upsetting our advantage?" Leia asked, refusing to make eye contact with Han.
Mon Mothma maintained eye-contact with Han and sighed. "All along, Aven has been asking me to fight. And all along I've deferred to Yishun's caution. This will all get out eventually, and perhaps. . ." Mon Mothma paused, then said, "Perhaps it is best that we confront this head-on."
Leia looked away, her acidic resentment toward Han still simmering. Abruptly, Leia turned away and stormed out of the office. Han turned to watch her go, along with Ahsoka and Sabine. Sabine murmured under her breath, "Nice going, Solo."
Mon Mothma turned to Ahsoka and Sabine and asked, "Do either of you have any leads on Thrawn?"
Sabine said, "Well, not quite on Thrawn, but. . ." She looked to Han and said, "Have you shared our theory on our Kuati friend?"
Mon Mothma sighed, saying, "I am familiar with your theory, and unfortunately, there's been no evidence that it's anything more than a coincidence. Neither would it be the first time that a man of Bolsko's stature vanished for weeks at a time."
"In the midst of an election that he's hell bent on his pet candidate winning?" Han retorted.
"Trillionaires live lives we will never comprehend," Mon Mothma admitted cryptically. "But for now, I have matters to attend. Please stick to the facts, tomorrow, Han."
Han sighed, then said, "Yes, Chancellor," before he, Sabine, and Ahsoka turned away from the desk and walked toward the door.
Han passed through the door first, and he set off down the chamber. The sound of footsteps told him somebody was behind him. He turned to see Ahsoka and Sabine. Ahsoka smiled, saying, "I think you forgot something."
Han looked down at the medal in his hand, having forgotten that he took it. "Oh yeah," he grinned, handing it back to Ahsoka.
As he held the metal out, a high pitched sound erupted from something in Sabine's hand. As the pitch persisted, the medallion began to resonate at the same frequency, emitting an eerie, ethereal wailing sound that harmonized with the pitch coming from Sabine.
"What the hell?" Han asked, putting his hands to his ears.
"Just because Mon Mothma doesn't want to theorize, doesn't mean we have to go along with it," Sabine said, deactivating the device. The medallion fell quiet, and Ahsoka took it from Han's hand. Sabine reached out and placed the device in Han's hand where the medal had been. In response to Han's confused expression, she said, "Just in case, Solo."
"Uhh," Han said, his confusion evident.
"May the Force be with you," Ahsoka smiled, and she turned away, leaving Han alone with Sabine.
As Han continued to study the medallion, running his fingers over the embossment, Sabine said, "Solo, I know now's probably not the time, but I wanted to let you know I got another lead on another cache of beskar."
Han looked up from the medallion, intrigued. "Yeah?"
"This time on Rhamalai," Sabine affirmed.
"Isn't that right by Thakwaa?" Han asked.
"A pattern, right?" Sabine suggested.
"Hopefully you and your Mandalorian friends don't run into as much trouble this time around," Han said, pocketing the medallion.
"They aren't coming," Sabine said, her disappointment evident. "Bo-Katan said she had something to attend to."
"You're going alone?" Han frowned.
Sabine shrugged. "Ahsoka's still searching for Thrawn, and I don't dare ask you after all this."
"I don't like it," Han said.
"Neither do I," Sabine admitted. "But if my scanners show anything beyond a few moldy stormtroopers, I'll sit it out and wait until Bo-Katan is back."
"Well, if you get into a jam, let me know," Han replied.
"Thanks, Solo. Keep making that good trouble," Sabine winked.
Han grinned his lopsided grin and watched as she strode away down the hall.