Three hours earlier on Kuat
Yavin IV's live broadcasts of victory celebrations were not necessarily among Viqi Shesh's and her mother's favorite programs when watching the news on the holo-net, but such broadcasts were at times an important source of information, revealing celebrity facial expressions and gestures, as the journalists did not always repeat later in their reports.
The live broadcast that Viqi and her mother watched this time turned into more than just a victory celebration with a few new personal details as that white-clad woman stepped in front of Nom Anor to present him with the Star of Freedom medal.
"He's here?" Viqi exclaimed.
"You could at least establish contacts in Zonama Sekot through him, to stock your management consultancy with a few new or old informants," her mother advised her. "According to Thrackan Sal-Solo, at least he knows where the planet went, right?"
"Not if he returned to Coruscant before the jump," the daughter disagreed. "And as for Thrackan Sal-Solo, I don't believe a word of it."
The mother eyed the Corellian on the screen, who had turned his grey-haired head to Nom Anor and was saying something to which Yuuzhan Vong was studiously ignoring. "Nom Anor seems to feel the same way."
Viqi eyed her former companion carefully. "Do you think Nom Anor knows about Thrackan Sal-Solo visiting us?"
The mother turned away from the screen and turned to her daughter. "Would you like to tell him about it?"
Viqi bit her lower lip nervously. "If that's going to be useful someday, why not?"
The mother waved him off. "Take your time, Viqi. Just like he takes his time with you..."
"That's been cold Stimkaf for a long time now!" Viqi snapped over her mouth angrily.
Emlee Shesh smiled. "That is exactly the right attitude, my child. And anyway, I liked the Pedric Cuf from the ball much better back then. He was human after all and only has a management consultancy, so he couldn't get in your way if you were to consider going back into politics after all."
"You're already talking as speciesist as Thrackan Sal-Solo," Viqi reprimanded her mother.
"Do you know if Pedric Cuf is still alive and if so, where?"
"Don't be mad at me, mother, but I want to watch the show now."
"For the fact that Nom Anor is cold Stimkaf, you're very interested in the show," Emlee teased Shesh. "And anyway, he's already received his order."
Two hours later, mother and daughter thought the celebration was over when President Cal Omas took the microphone to officially appoint Nom Anor as diplomatic consul for the Galactic Alliance.
"Be careful, Viqi, or he'll end up becoming a senator for Zonama Sekot," the mother teased her daughter.
"And if so," Viqi said in a bored manner, while she thought about her own future and how she could contact the Bothan spy network as quickly as possible.
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Three days later on the planet Tatooine in Mos Eisley
Upon entering Chalmun's spaceport cantina, Nom Anor was immediately escorted by a thick-skinned Wookiee to the table where Senator Ta'laam Ranth was waiting for him.
"Well," Nom Anor began, "what's up? Are you planning to join the Red Knights for Life in the fight against droids?"
The Gotal grinned. "If I didn't know that this organization was dissolved after the end of the war, I would even think about it, but no. The thing is, my homeworld, Antar IV, has been plagued by pirates on a number of occasions, and the Galactic Alliance hasn't sent troops to put a stop to it yet."
"That's meager," Nom Anor replied in mild indignation. "Especially when you consider that back then during the election for head of state you gave up your own candidacy for office and instead called on your supporters to vote for Cal Omas."
The Gotal gave a barely audible sigh. "As a patriot, you do a lot to enable a functioning government that is also respected by the military."
"I, as consul of the Galactic Alliance, could speak to the pirates," the Yuuzhan Vong offered. "Perhaps there is something that will make them refrain from future raids on Antar IV."
"You would do that?" Ranth asked in surprise.
Nom Anor nodded dutifully. "It serves peace ... and we want to toast to that."
"What are you drinking?" the senator asked.
"A Mandalorian Kri'gee, if that's right."
A waiter shuffled over and brought the drinks.
"We could start by positioning a ring of sentinel drones around Antar IV," Nom Anor suggested after taking a hearty hit of the Mandalorian brew from his tankard, "which to the uninitiated looks like a harmless asteroid belt."
Ta'laam Ranth laughed out loud. "Like Grand Admiral Thrawn in his heydays.
Nom Anor lifted a chipped upper lip in contempt. "Certainly the Chiss just stuck cameras in rocks, right?"
The Gotal nodded. "I reckon your sentinel drones will be alive and kicking down to the last molecule. And the ring shouldn't be so conspicuous and bulky that the ships can still get through it."
It turned out that the Gotal preferred rather heavy liquors, and after the third glass of Coradiser, a purple mixed drink, he became downright cheerful. Meanwhile, defense planning for the planet Antar IV was well advanced.
"Now I'm finally getting something," boomed Ta'laam Ranth. "Back when Cal Omas was elected head of state two years ago, other senators who had been promised weapons or other goods by the Jedi and their allies reaped great rewards if they asked their supporters to vote for Cal Omas, while my supporters, as themselves When the polls indicated Cal's win, just ran away to avoid being on the losing side."
Nom Anor pricked up his ears. "It can't have been that much reassurance, otherwise it would have been conspicuous, wouldn't it?"
"But it was quite noticeable that Senator Cola Quis of Ryloth was given the post of head of the Trade Commission as soon as Omas was elected, as well as being able to take over the management of a branch of the Kellmer Institute on his home planet, and Senator Fyg Boras of Vortex was given shortly before the Choice even a lot of material deliveries of all kinds. "
Nom Anor's eyelids half drooped. "So it all came down to who had the most votes to redistribute first."
Ta'laam Ranth hesitated with his answer and Nom Anor was already concerned that his host might not like the turn of the conversation when the senator continued: "I see that you followed the election carefully at the time."
"It struck me at the time that Fyor Rodan was the only reasonably viable candidate who got nothing after Cal Omas took office, other than keeping his post."
The Gotal ran a hand over his prominent chin. "After the smuggling affair, Rodan should also be happy to have not lost his senatorship at all."
Nom Anor raised an eyebrow at his plaeryn bol in astonishment. "But as far as I know Senator Rodan hates smugglers."
Ranth tilted his horned head back in calm superiority. "And Fyor Rodan's brother, who's kind of a ruthless version of Lando Calrissian, hates his oh-so-clean brother. I think it would have given Tormak Rodan great satisfaction to have caused such distress to his publicly blameless brother that his hitherto loyal followers ran away in droves."
Now it was Nom Anor who hesitated a moment before answering. Something in his head had clicked, jigsaw pieces falling together to form a whole that put into place all the thoughts he had harbored since Shimrra's defeat and all the facts he had gathered up until now – an image he hadn't even thought of until he got to Tatooine. Since Luke Skywalker had approached him about Coruscant back then and invited him to Yavin IV for the awards ceremony, he had considered eventually settling on a planet he liked and doing a job there that would allow him to see Coruscant or Kuat as often to visit as possible.
But why settle for one piece when you can have it all?
"Oh yes, I can well imagine that," he finally answered the senator.
The waitress came to their table. "Would you like something else, gentlemen?"
"Another Coradiser for me," Ta'laam Ranth ordered.
Nom Anor raised his yellow hand. "And for me as well."
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A week later at Maxsec Eight orbital station
Maxsec Eight was a Middle Rim prison station - a slowly spinning cylinder that housed the galaxy's most notorious criminals. The woman who was now knocking at his gate was wrapped in a purple cloak and oversized dark sunglasses were perched on her nose, not to shield her eyes from the rather faint light at the entrance, but to protect her features from curious staff or even inmates of the high-security detention facility.
"But you are neither related nor related by marriage to him," the porter said as he inspected her ID card. "And you are unannounced."
"It was still missing that more people than necessary know about my visit here," said the woman snootily, "and who knows, maybe I'm engaged to him."
The officer laughed. "He would have stated that here during his briefing."
"Maybe he's just as discreet and secretive as I am," whispered the violet-faced woman, unobtrusively running her hand across the counter to push a few credits over.
"Ex-Commander Avke Saz'ula will certainly appreciate his fiancé's visit," the officer replied formally while taking the credits, then summoned a constable to show the visitor to the inmate's cell.
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At the same time on the moon Antar IV
Within seconds, the globeships circling Antar IV had emerged from hyperspace. Smaller ships emerged from the bays on the lower hemispheres of the evenly shaped hulls and flew in the direction of the moon, which orbited the gas giant Antar in the opposite direction to the orbits of the other moons.
The newcomers did not respond to contact attempts by the Orbital Control of Antar IV, which was home to the Gotal species, so defensive measures were initiated, and as the large orbiting spheres sent jets of green fire towards Antar IV's surface, those ricocheted off the shield surrounding the capital .
"What savages," said President Gluphos Trevagg, peering up through his macrobinoculars at the ramshackle ships circling above the shield. Rust ate at some places over the curved, yellowish surface and three-dimensional squares told of many repairs within a long spaceship life.
"Who are they?" his secretary asked, the sensory cones hidden beneath their godal horns quivering at the question.
The President reached for his datapad. "I'll do a scan right away, because I'm completely unfamiliar with these types of ships. At least they appear to be normal engineering ships, so no Yuuzhan Vong approaching."
He gave way to the woman, who was now in turn looking through the stand-mounted macrobinoculars, and immersed himself in the column of data, which was quite short.
"It is a matter of …"
A loud bang announced the door had been blown open, and the president and secretary, along with whatever gadgets they were operating, were thrown toward the front window.
When the President regained his composure and looked up, he was looking into the muzzle of a blaster.
"We are the Vagaari!" said a small humanoid with purple eyes and two mouths in Basic with a musical accent, standing a little further away from the blaster holder. Gluphos Trevagg could spot a total of four attackers of that species in the room. "Surrender and give us the treasury and your life will be given to you."
"Have you gone mad?!" the secretary cried, rubbing her aching horns. "Don't you know that Senator Ta'laam Ranth is a very influential and not least powerful Senator on Coruscant? He will soon hold you accountable no matter what you want or do here."
"We don't care," the Vagaari said, motioning to his cronies to search the President's office for valuables. "Your silly defenses have failed because our agents have already infiltrated the capital before you deployed your ridiculous shield."
Another lightning storm appeared overhead, and this time Gluphos Trevagg recognized the types of ships—Corellian and Kuati corvettes, which, while not state-of-the-art, still looked far more modern than the pirates' globular fleet . The newcomers threw themselves at the Vagaari hunters and engaged in fierce combat with them, ricochets ricocheting off their shields.
"Your men are isolated now," Gluphos Trevagg said calmly. "It is still time to end this spectacle with honor and retire."
"We are not isolated," said the Vagaari. "You'll get nowhere with me with this transparent bluffing maneuver!" He grinned. "At least while the shield is up, because now it protects us from those."
A fireball blossomed in the sky above, and Antar IV's President considered whether that was a good sign or a bad sign.
The holoprojector in the room came alive. The President, his secretary, and the four Vagaari in the room saw a medium-sized man with brown hair and gray eyes.
"I would accept the call, otherwise our allies will become restless and attack, as per the aid pact between Antar and its allies," the President warned his guards.
The Vagaari pressed the button. "Talk, President, but no false tricks!"
Gluphos Trevagg opened his mouth to say something, but the caller forestalled him.
"This is Commander Remis Vehn of the Peace Brigade," they heard the caller's voice. "Vagaari, surrender and clear the planet! We are only the vanguard, but if you keep fighting us, you will be destroyed by the main Yuuzhan Vong fleet!"
"But that's impossible!" the Vagaari fumed. "The Yuuzhan Vong are..." it seemed to the President as if the Vagaari was about to say something but changed his mind, "...all on Zonama Sekot."
"The Yuuzhan Vong are part of the Galactic Alliance," Vehn disagreed, "and as such they will provide aid to peace as needed."
"But our people are starving!" the Vagaari objected. "And your boss at the time, Nom Anor, promised us rich pastures if we helped him."
"Well," said the commander dryly, "times are changing."
The Vagaari pulled out a diamond-shaped comlink to discuss the new situation in the Vagaari tongue with his naval superior, while the blaster of his crony was still aiming on the President of Antar IV.
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Half an hour earlier at the Maxsec Station
"In what universe should I help you?" snapped the imprisoned Bothan at the visitor, "you of all people, whose smear work for the Yuuzhan Vong resulted in our beloved leader Borsk Fey'lya dying so early! You, who had nothing better to do than throw yourself at the Yuuzhan Vong Warmaster!"
"I come to you on intelligence business, Commander Saz'ula."
"I'm not a commander anymore!" snapped the brown-skinned Bothan, sitting on the bare permacrete floor in the corner of the cell, his legs stretched out wide so that Viqi Shesh could see the soles of his shoes.
"If you would kindly put your legs back together so that I no longer have to look at your dirty soles, I could very well arrange for you to regain your former military rank." Her voice deepened slightly. "Or even more."
"Show me your secret service ID!" the Bothan demanded.
Her voice turned cool and condescending. "Put on your legs first!"
The Bothan did as he was told, then his purple eyes looked down at her bag.
Viqi's slender hand reached into an inside pocket of her cloak and pulled out a black flimsiplast chip.
"Your index finger covers the date of the validity period," complained Avke Saz'ula.
"And your stubbornness is preventing your release and your rehabilitation as commander of the Galactic Alliance fleet - the very same stubbornness that kept you tailing Nom Anor and Nen Yim on Zonama Sekot."
The Bothan thought for a while. "That was just an assignment," he said, a little less rudely than before. "What do you want to know?"
"What happened after Nom Anor and that shaper had fun on that bed of moss on Zonama Sekot?"
His purple eyes sparkled mockingly. "So you still care about him? What about the priest with the mutilated hands?"
"Nom Anor is now a Galactic Alliance diplomatic consul while you're in here!" Viqi snapped at him.
Saz'ula's body pressed back against the wall as if his fiancé had suddenly become very menacing. Apparently he didn't know about Nom Anor's latest escalation.
"So who gave you the job of spying on the two of them on Zonama Sekot," Viqi pushed farther, "and what happened after that tryst?"
"It was Thrackan Sal-Solo who gave me the assignment. And after Nom Anor messed with Nen Yim at that creek, they flew to the other side of the planet with the local ship, then my ship fired at them and they had to make an emergency landing on the planet because we hit them."
"Why didn't you just watch them instead of shooting right away?" Viqi asked angrily.
The Bothan shrugged. "Sal-Solo just wanted something compromising about Nom Anor. He didn't care what else we did with him. So we ordered our local spies to that part of the planet to make sure Nom Anor was really dead."
Viqi nodded slowly. "As good secret agents do. What happened after they landed on the other side of the planet?"
"Whereas the two of them had been of the same heart and soul until they got into the organic ship, they fought non-stop when they left the ship at the place with those hyperdrives," said the Bothan.
"What did they fight about?"
"Our on-site spy didn't get close because they were both extremely alert since the shelling; so he could not follow the conversation verbatim. However, such a bird creature later came with the coralskipper that Nom Anor had landed on the planet with before. With that, he left the planet while the shaper stood there, frozen like a pillar of salt, watching him go."
Viqi suppressed a smile. "But if you already knew where he had fled to, why didn't you strike again?"
"I wanted to, but for some reason the controls got stuck and suddenly our ship was thrown away a thousand kilometers from Zonama Sekot. So I aborted the mission."
Viqi Shesh thought about what she had just heard. "Come to think of it, I owe you a great debt of gratitude for having the Sekotan ship shelled."
Avke Saz'ula waved it off nonchalantly. "Don't thank me, thank Thrackan Sal-Solo."
This chapter contains events from the book series "The Legacy of the Jedi", Vol. 14 "Paths of Destiny" by Walter Jon Williams, Vol. 15 "The Ruins of Coruscant" by Shane Dix and Sean Williams (2006), Vol. 19." United by the Force" by James Luceno (2007), and characters and locations from the follow-up series "The Dark Nest" Vol. 1 "The Drone King" and Vol. 2 "The Hidden Queen" by Troy Denning (2008).
Remus Vehn is a character of Vol. 7 "Conquest: Edge of Victory" by Greg Keyes (2001)