Yavin, 10 ABY
Leia Organa-Solo staggered out of the jungle into the grassy courtyard outside the Jedi Temple. Her body vibrated with adrenaline, her mind both blank and racing at the same time. Smoke poured from the top of the pyramid as the chambers in the upper reaches burned unabated. Rubble and ruin skirted the ancient structure, and Jedi and Padawan alike picked through the stones to account for the injured. Leia jogged toward the center of the courtyard where the Falcon, the Ghost, and Luke's X-wing sat parked. Several Jedi sitting amongst the Younglings and Padawans in the shade of the Falcon. The children appeared calm, and as Leia neared, she heard a child shout, "Mommy!"
With a rush of gratitude and relief, Leia raced forward, collapsing to her knees as Ben bounded into her arms. She wrapped her arms around her son, tears streaming as she embraced him. Moments later, she felt rough, strong hands on her back. Han knelt to the ground beside her, the warmth of his body pressing into her back.
"Thank the Force you're safe," she gasped, embracing Ben and fearing what would happen if she let go. She felt Luke's presence approaching, and she turned toward him, her tears flowing. "They took Kira," she whispered.
She looked past Luke to see Taila Zevala sitting on a piece of rubble, her hands held in her head as her body shook with sobs. Leia looked back up to Luke and asked, "What are we going to do?"
Luke turned toward Ferrer Melso and called, "Did any of the Noghri survive?"
"No, Master Skywalker," Melso replied. "We found one who was still alive, but he bit into an electric pulse charge, killing himself."
Luke nodded, and he turned back to Leia. His eyes acknowledged the truth, but Leia turned away, unwilling to accept it. She stalked away from her brother, standing in the center of the clearing, facing away from the temple. As Luke watched her standing alone, awash in grief, Master Oppo Rancisis slithered to his side.
In his dry, papery voice, Master Rancisis hissed, "Padawan Borvath has examined the upper structure. It is unsuitable for inhabitation. The lower reaches remain sound. Shall I direct the children inside?"
"For now," Luke said. "We remain vulnerable to another attack. We may need to consider an alternative."
"Might I suggest a return to Coruscant?" Master Rancisis interjected. "As you recall, I have made my feelings quite clear about returning to the ancient seat of the Jedi in the past. Perhaps on Coruscant we might correct our vulnerabilities."
"Yes, Master Rancisis," Luke responded through a subtle wave of impatience. "We may have to consider such an option. But for now, the lower reaches will do. Let us discuss it once the Padawans and Younglings have settled."
"As you wish," Master Rancisis affirmed as he slithered away to rustle up the children.
Luke turned his focus back to Leia. Han and Chewie had remained with Ben, and Luke frowned as Han kept his distance despite Leia's anguish. Luke turned away from the temple and returned to Leia's side. He placed his arms around her shoulders, and Leia leaned into Luke, allowing her grief to continue to flow.
As the light of the sinking sun faded into a blood-red night, Leia said, "We need to go after her."
"How?" Luke asked.
"Before their ship left, I felt her reach out to me," Leia said. "She called to me."
"Where did she learn how to do that?" Luke asked.
Leia exhaled, then explained, "Kira was always quicker to reach out with her feelings than to use words."
Luke suppressed a shiver as he thought of Kira as a small child, captive in an Imperial research facility, communicating telepathically with a mother she could neither see nor touch. As the shiver passed, he imagined Kira now, frightened and alone on an Imperial cruiser. Soon, or even now, she would be in the custody of Moff Gideon, or worse, Thrawn himself.
"Can you reach her?" Luke asked.
Leia closed her eyes, and Luke felt her projecting her consciousness through the Force, calling out: Kira? Both Luke and Leia waited for several minutes, but no response followed.
"Master Skywalker," a boy's voice called out.
Luke turned to see Jacen Syndulla, his green hair close-cropped, approaching. He held a device in his hand, and when he reached Luke, Jacen said, "Master Kcaj found this on one of those creature's wrists." He paused, handing Luke a slim wrist gauntlet, then added, "It feels weird."
Luke held the device in his hands and felt a wave of cold wash over him. The rich pulsations of the world around him ceased, and it felt as if the lights had gone out, leaving him in a darkened room. He turned the gauntlet over in his hands, wondering at the cold, alienated feeling.
"Luke, where did you go?" Leia blurted.
He turned toward her, confused by the question. But as Luke looked at Leia, he found that he could not feel her either. It was as if her presence in the Force had vanished. He set the gauntlet down on the grass and stepped backward. A few meters from the device, the Force rushed back into his consciousness. It felt like a deep inhale after holding his breath.
"That can't be," Luke mused aloud. Jacen tilted his head, uncertain what Luke was alluding to.
Leia stepped forward, then stepped backward. She gasped with the same recognition as she realized that the Force did not exist within a two meter radius of the device.
"The Force. . ." Leia said, bewildered.
"Master Kcaj said they all have these," Jacen added.
Luke turned to Leia, and he had a sense of puzzle pieces clicking into place. As they gazed at each other, the understanding passed between them. the Noghri were somehow able to mute the Force around them, and the gauntlet was the key.
Luke turned back to Jacen and said, "Tell Master Kcaj I request he collect these. I want to analyze the materials to determine what's doing this. Leave them all in a place that won't interfere with anybody's activities. We don't know what kind of effect it might have over time."
Jacen raced away, nearly careening into Han Solo and Chewbacca as he tore off to relay the order to Master Kcaj. As Han approached, he said, "Ben's tucking in for dinner and will be down for bed soon. We sent word off to Ahsoka, and she said she'll be back in the morning."
Luke glanced at Leia, who had become preoccupied. "Did she say if she has any leads on Gideon or Thrawn?" Luke asked.
Han shrugged, and he turned to Leia saying, "All the Noghri here are dead. We have no leads." He paused, then added, "Unless. . ."
Leia looked up to him, and again Luke felt the strain and tension between them. Leia frowned and looked beyond Han. Her expression distant, she replied, "She's not going to let us."
Han replied with uncharacteristic gentleness, saying, "That shouldn't stop us from asking." He added, "And we don't have to take no for an answer."
Leia's frown sharpened. As she gazed into the distance, Han said, "I can have the Falcon in the air in 15 minutes. Chewie can take Ben to Kashyyyk where we know he'll be safest."
Chewie growled a soft affirmative, assuring Leia would stay in a safe, secret place.
Han placed his hand on Leia's shoulder, she stiffened, but then relaxed moments later. Han said gently, "I know how much she means to you. We've got to try."
Leia glanced back at Luke, and Luke read the uncertainty and grief in her expression. Luke hesitated, then said, "Han's right. She's too important."
Leia sighed, her shoulders slumping. She looked to the Millennium Falcon, then back to Luke. She stepped forward and embraced her brother. She turned to Chewie, embracing him as well. "Take care of Ben for me."
Chewie roared a hearty affirmative.
Leia disengaged and nodded at Han. Luke watched the two walk toward the Falcon. He remained in the clearing, watching the crest of Yavin sinking into the night sky on the eastern horizon. As the planet receded, leaving a red glow in the east, Luke heard the rumble of the Falcon's engine firing up. Minutes later, the ship was in the air, and it turned toward the red glow on the horizon. In a flash, the ship had vanished, hurtling toward Coruscant.
Kira awoke in the dark, her face pressed against something cold and hard. She jerked upright, her body flooded with adrenaline. The air was cold and sterile, and a faint red light glowed on a panel on a wall. She had been sleeping on a hard, cold surface without a blanket, and she shivered as the cold seeped deeper into her body. With no obvious escape from the room, she leaned against the wall, hugging her legs to her body for warmth.
Moments later, a door slid open at the front of the room, and Kira rose to her feet. A bright light flooded the room, and a silhouette of a man entered. The lights in the room activated as the man approached, and Kira felt a wave of disembodied horror at the man before her. He wore shining black armor adorned with a black cape. His dark features twisted into a mocking smile as he regarded her with an expression of lustful excitement.
"Well, well, well," the man smiled. "I've been looking forward to this for a long time."
Kira tensed, poised to defend herself. The man chuckled and said, "Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. You are much too valuable for that."
Kira's mind churned through a purple-red haze of terror. She glanced past the man, calculating her escape. Beyond the man, a pair of stormtroopers appeared, standing sentinel outside the exit to the room.
"There's no sense going that way," the man smiled. "Be a good girl, and I will give you blankets and a pillow. Be a very good girl, and you might even get a dolly to play with."
"I want to go home," Kira whispered.
"Oh, but you are home," the man smiled. "Don't you remember me? Those times we spent together on Jakku?"
Kira shivered at the mention of the name. A memory arose unbidden of darkened corridors, flashing lights, and the smell of burnt flesh. The man's face flashed through her memory, and her adrenaline surged. She crouched into a defensive posture, poised to attack.
"That's right," the man said. "We only met a few times, but you left quite the impression." He paused, appraising her with lustful greed. "Most people call me Moff Gideon. But you, dear one, you may call me Father."
Kira hissed as she inhaled, and Gideon chuckled. He took a step forward and she tensed further, raising her hands. He paused, smiling, then said, "Go ahead. Do it."
Kira hesitated and receded. Gideon chuckled. "She told you not to, didn't? I'm sure the Jedi were very keen on teaching you not to do your trick. It would scare the children."
Kira remained hesitant, and Gideon took another step forward. She recoiled, preparing to strike, but again she hesitated.
"DO IT!" Gideon roared, his congenial mockery displaced by a horrible rage.
The rage in his voice activated something inside Kira, and she let loose a blood curdling scream. She reached her hands out, her face contorted in rage and pain. A torrent of blue lightning erupted from each hand crackling toward Gideon. To Kira's stunned horror, it dissipated a meter away from him, leaving Gideon unharmed.
She stumbled backward, collapsing onto the metal bench. Gideon smiled and said, "Naughty, naughty. What would your mother say?"
A stormtrooper walked into the room, carrying a blanket and a pillow with him. Kira shrank back as the stormtrooper approached. As he reached her, she felt a curious emptiness enveloping her.
"It is wonderous magic, this," Gideon said smiling at the gauntlet encasing his wrist. He leaned forward, coming to within a foot of her face as he held the gauntlet toward her. "No matter how angry you get, you can't hurt me when I'm wearing this."
"It's a long journey to Honoghr," Gideon pulled away and straightened up. His smile vanishing into cold, hard contempt. "You'd better go to sleep." He paused, then purred, "Like a good girl."
Kira felt another sharp jab to her neck, and seconds later, darkness overtook her again.
Grand Admiral Thrawn stood silently at the edge of the base, gazing into the night sky at the large moon glowing on the horizon. The winds had died down enough for Thrawn to leave shelter. The artful nature of Honoghr's clear night sky, alight with stars and the glow of the planet's moons, evoked a sense of wistful beauty. Thrawn found it every bit as exquisite as the holograms in his office. Yet, art revealed insight, the night sky revealed only an impenetrable mystery. The mysteries Thrawn could not penetrate remained mysteries abandoned.
He brushed the mystery aside as he traced the approach of a shuttle descending from the cluster of starships orbiting Honoghr. The ship curved through the atmosphere, drifting toward the landing platforms. Thrawn contemplated its arc, brushing aside the surge of disapproval. Too many Noghri had died - an unnecessary waste. Yet, he had fulfilled his end. Now, he would see if Gideon would fulfill his.
The shuttle touched down, and Thrawn turned, walking toward the edge of the landing platforms. The boarding ramp descended, and a man strode forth flanked by stormtroopers, his black cape trailing behind him.
Moff Gideon paused before Thrawn, his eyebrow raised imperiously, and the corner of his mouth tilted upward.
"Is it finished, then?" Thrawn purred.
"Quite," Gideon said, his smile radiant.
"And now. The coordinates for Weyland," Thrawn insisted.
Gideon barked a percussive laugh, then chided, "Ah, Thrawn. The mystery and wonder of the galaxy are lost on you." His eyes alight with greedy passion, he continued, "What your brilliant mind could do if you understood what we now possessed."
"The coordinates," Thrawn said, indifferent to Gideon's entreaty.
"A pity," Gideon said, hardening. "Prepare the Chimaera for travel. We will take our prize to Weyland. Our work begins anew."
"As you wish," Thrawn said. Gideon frowned at the subtle note of caustic castigation lacing the deferral.
Gideon turned and stalked away, his cape trailing behind him. Thrawn watched him go, his hands held behind his back. He turned his gaze back to the night sky, considering the mystery of nature's creation. He had dabbled with Force users enough to know that their caprice left them unreliable. And what Thrawn could not rely upon, he discarded.
Thrawn turned away from the landing platform through the entrance to the command center. He continued down the corridor, his hands held behind his back. He turned right and followed a second corridor to a locked door guarded by death troopers. The two troopers saluted then stepped aside, allowing Thrawn into the room.
The of an Imperial Star Destroyer with numerous cables, tubes, and incomplete component housings sat in the center of the room. A piercing sodium light illuminated the components and parts organized in neat rows against the wall. A half dozen death troopers lined the walls of the room, encircling the machine. A solitary woman bent over the machine, a welding mask over her face. She reached for the welder and activated it, and Thrawn blinked away the white spots that burned into his retinas. He waited, watching the woman at work, eager to hear what report she might offer.
She completed her welding and set the welder aside. She straightened up, removing her mask, revealing a short thicket of black hair covering her scalp. She turned, and upon making eye contact with the Grand Admiral, her tired concentration morphed into an expression of hatred and fury.
"Madame Wren," Thrawn said, nodding deferentially.
"What do you want now?" Sabine growled.
"Better manners, for a start," Thrawn countered. "I've already had to call Lieutenant Torris in to help you overcome your reticence three times this week. I'd hate to call him to correct your insolence."
Sabine deflated, hanging her head. In a monotone voice, she reported, "The structure is nearing completion. I'm still running into phasing issues with the amplification."
"Did you incorporate my suggestions?" Thrawn asked.
"Yeah," Sabine said, averting her gaze.
"Do not lie to me, Sabine Wren," Thrawn warned, his voice a whisper. He stepped toward her, and she looked away, her stature diminishing as she withered under his gaze. "Perhaps I should call the Lieutenant after all."
"It works fine," Sabine blurted. "It's just. . ."
"It's just what?" Thrawn whispered, moving to within less than a meter of her. She turned away, but Thrawn barked, "Look at me!"
Sabine's head whipped back to Thrawn, and her eyes wide with fear. Thrawn whispered, "Did the suggestions work?"
"Almost," Sabine admitted, looking away again.
"Almost what?" Thrawn demanded.
"Your calculations were nearly correct," Sabine said, then added, "I fixed them."
"I am glad to hear it," Thrawn purred. "Time is no longer our most abundant resource. Our friend has let the rathtar loose in the nerf corral. Conflict approaches." Thrawn reached his hand out and brushed her cheek. She flinched against his cold touch as he said. "I hope for your sake that this device is complete when they do."
Thrawn turned and stalked out of the room. He called over his shoulder, saying, "You have one week, Sabine Wren." He vanished through the entrance room, leaving Sabine alone with the death troopers.