Chapter Fifteen: Conscience Wakes Despair
"Of the most condign slurs propagated by popular historians is the assertion that Varl was destroyed by its own children. This, of course, follows the patterns of demonizing Hutts by any means possible: when they are not conniving criminals they are xenocidal monsters so blood-drunk they nearly destroyed themselves. Even in scholarly circles this slander is accepted as fact, despite a total lack of evidence."
Voluga the Recondite, History Reconsidered: A Hard Look at Common Myths 11,931 BBY
538 LE
Very few people ever set eyes on the outermost planet of the Karsa system, and it was a shame. The gas giant was a marble of slow-roiling blues, whites, and grays, bright but cool against interstellar black. Its wide rings were a vivid, iron-rich red, and they made a stunning contrast like fire ringing ice.
But again, hardly anyone came to Karsatel. It was three days' sublight journey from Karsabeth's nav beacon (that is, former nav beacon) and none of its eight tiny moons seemed worth the trip. Ajek Kroller, well-traveled though he was, had never even noticed Karsatel until guided here by an encrypted, secret nav beacon attached to one of the gas giant's moons.
As soon as he'd brought the Gravity Scorned out of hyperspace, he'd dropped his ship close to the planetary ring. Now they hung just above the plane of iron and ice particles. The view from his porthole almost looked like a rust-colored landscape and a blue-gray sky. But hanging high in that false sky was the smallest moon, whose dark-gray orb was the real point of interest.
"I've picked up some heat signatures," Kroller said. "Vaatus, see if you can get a magnified visual."
His son, seated at the back of the cockpit, complied without speaking. It had been nothing but grim silence since they'd departed Sleheyron. Vaatus had briefly explained the situation and even mustered justification for why they still had Oziaf aboard. Xim's rat, strapped awkwardly in the oversized jump seat, had also stayed quiet. So that was a mercy.
It was agony for Kroller to see his children hurting and not help them. He'd hoped, stupidly, that in having all three of them aboard the Gravity things might return to a more innocent time. But Vaatus's years fighting had made him cold and hard. Reina was even worse. Losing Sohren had sewn cracks that wouldn't mend, and this job for Oziaf was pounding away at her weak points. He was afraid she might break entirely.
And he could do nothing. Because Ajek Kroller, who'd always tried to keep his head down, was just a useless old man.
"I have something," Vaatus confirmed. "Definitely artificial construction on the surface of that moon."
"Let me take a look," Oziaf said. The T'iin T'iin unbuckled from his seat and pushed the short distance to Vaatus's station. Peering over the Nikto's shoulder he said, "Oh yes, this looks promising. A supply depot, a repair dock… possibly even a construction zone."
"I see some of that," Vaatus confirmed. "Looks like they've got two ships cradled on the surface… neither of them much bigger than the Gravity. Both Tionese… designs look… Arramanxian, maybe."
"Not military?" asked Kroller.
"No. Civilian. This could be some kind of smugglers' or pirates' nest." Vaatus looked at their passenger. "Agree?"
But Oziaf said, "Not mere smugglers. Or pirates."
"Privateers for Kossak, then. If that's what Kallas-mar was." His voice darkened with insinuation. They all knew what Oziaf had done to the Moralan, and he'd done it before anyone else got a chance to interrogate the mysterious agent.
"Privateers, perhaps, but very special ones. Do you see that, south of the docked ships?"
Vaatus hesitated. "It looks like another berth… But it's a lot bigger."
"You could probably set an Imperial penteconter down there. Can you magnify the area north of the transmitter?"
"I can zoom a little more. What do you see?"
"From this distance it's hard to be certain, but I'd say those are the kind of engines you'd get from Imperial yards at Barancar."
"If this means something, come out and say it," Kroller said.
Oziaf claimed whoever was behind this place had started the war and even destroyed Santossa Station. Kroller was half-sure the rat was lying to string them along, because he couldn't imagine how the pieces fit together, but there was a chance they could get the truth from him.
Oziaf pushed from Vaatus, touched the ceiling, and clawed his way to the pilot's chair. His whiskers brushed Kroller's shoulder as he said, "Kallas-mar curated a network of secret operations. Karsabeth belonged to the Hutts before Xim took it, but this place probably endured, unnoticed. Clearly, he had impressive resources."
"You'd need a lot more that what we're seeing to build the Gravity, let alone something as big as a penteconter. This can't be a construction yard."
"I know. Call it a repair yard. The Empire's lost plenty of warships in Supremacy space. It wouldn't be hard to assemble broken pieces into an operable ship, even a big one."
Kroller considered. "So what's the difference between these guys and the Scorned? They've got Tionese ships too."
"The Scorned are soldiers. Kallas-mar's operatives are more subtle. And, of course, they're native to the Supremacy, not human defectors."
"So these guys work for the worms? Even Kallas-mar, even after they smashed his homeworld?"
Oziaf looked out the porthole. "It's possible for a servant to have two masters."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kroller looked over to Reina, who sat motionless and silent at her console. She'd been like ever since they'd left Sleheyron and he was afraid she'd burst, but he had to ask the next question.
"You said these guys sparked the war. And took down Santossa. How's that possible?"
"I didn't say that."
"But you—"
"I didn't lie either. Your grandson's killers aren't waiting up there, Captain, but they're guided by the same hand."
"Have I ever told you how gods-damn sick we are of your riddles?"
"You don't have to. But we're near the end, I promise."
Like that was worth much. "Okay, we took you here. You've seen the sights. Now what?"
Oziaf had to think about that one. "Captain, you still have those eighty febrillium warheads aboard, don't you?"
"Yes." He hated riding around with a hold full of bombs that could easily tear the Gravity apart, but he'd had no chance to offload them, and he was still mercenary enough not to dump something so valuable into space.
"Tell me, is it possible to deliver that payload with the Gravity Scorned, as it's currently equipped?"
It took Kroller a second to understand. "You want to bomb that moon?"
"Yes. It is possible?"
Kroller might have been a useless old man but he knew his own ship. "I can open the Gravity's hold in mid-flight. We flush out waste like that sometimes, just send it into the void. And we can release the magnet-clamps on the warheads too."
"The bombs aren't currently armed," Vaatus pointed out.
"No, but the remote-activation keys came with the cargo," Kroller admitted. "That's not the hard part. Those bombs don't have propulsion systems. That moon is tiny. It's only got a little gravity—probably why they set up 'yards there—so it'd be hard to just drop 'em on the facility."
"If you wanted to, say, release the bombs on a pursuing ship, what would you do?"
"That'd be easy. I'd just twist the Gravity, open the hold, and let 'em go. Inertia-wise they'd just drift, but if the ship's comin' up fast behind us it would smash into 'em head on. But," he added, "that's just a moon."
"And there's no telling what kind of defenses that place has," Vaatus warned.
Oziaf, however, was undeterred. "If you perform a near-surface fly-by of the base, can you release your bombs?"
"I guess… but the closer we get the more dangerous it would be."
"The bombs would be more susceptible to gravity."
"Yeah, but unless you fly-by real slow—like a nice tempting target—it'd be hard to drop 'em where you want 'em. And you stand a good chance of getting burned by your own explosion."
"There are ways." Whiskers twitched again. "I can aim them."
"How?"
"I can. Trust me. I have no desire to get killed today."
"Well, I'm glad we've got something in common," Kroller said bitterly. "Listen, the Gravity's not designed for bombing runs. Xim's got ships for that. You've got Kallas-mar's beacon freq. You uploaded it the Gravity just fine. Can't you take it to Xim and bring his ships? They'd make short work of this place."
"Xim's busy right now," Oziaf said, but after a second's pause, like that wasn't the whole story.
The rat said nothing more, and it felt like they were stuck at impasse. That was when Vaatus said, "I've got an alert. Another ship just dropped out of hyperspace."
"At Karsatel?" Kroller immediately looked at his own sensor board.
"Yes. It's holding by the beacon… it's big, too."
"A penteconter?" asked Oziaf.
"No." Vaatus said. "It's a Hutt chelandion."
Oziaf's fur bristled in surprise. Reina, silent for hours, finally said, "I think we should sit tight for now."
-{}-
Churabba was on the Theophany's bridge as it held position over Karsatel. Zantor barked orders to the Cyborrean crew, telling them to scan for signs of life, but the Hutt remained aloof at the center of the deck. The large view-screen blazed to life, showing the cool gas giant and its red rings.
It had taken a twisted road to bring her here, and she hoped it was at an end. Her Cyborreans had worked for days to reconstruct navigational data from the ship they'd salvaged at M'Hala. In the end, what'd they'd discovered had raised more questions. The destroyed ship had been based here, but it had received a number of messages from Sleheyron via a sophisticated translight comm. While terse, some had mentioned the humans' attack on Nar Kreeta—before it took place. And Sleheyron, of course, belonged to Churabba's nephew. She'd dispatched agents but had yet to hear from them.
Her Cyborreans had reconstructed a key for the encrypted beacon network that had led her here; not to Karsabeth itself, but the outermost planet of that system. A forlorn place, and a perfect one to hide. The truth was here, Churabba told herself, though she was no longer certain she wanted to hear it.
"Acquisitor, we are picking up heat emissions and unusual metals from one of the moons," Zantor reported.
"Take us in. Have weapons ready."
The Theophany cutt across the gas giant's curve as they aimed for the smallest of the moons. The viewscreen showed a small and barren sphere pocked by craters. No other starships appeared to be in motion.
Yet Zantor reported, "Our sensors pick up a heat emission close to the planet's ring. Visuals suggest it may be a ship."
"Whose?"
"At this distance, we can't tell. It's holding position."
"Watch it carefully."
"Should we deploy our badans?"
She looked at the moon on the screen. "Yes, but not for the ring. Send them to scout the moon."
"And the ship?
"If we send a badan it will run before we can catch it. Let it watch… and watch it in turn."
The Theophany pushed closer and the moon swelled to fill the amplified view. She marked tiny formations on the surface, too angular to be natural. Then the camera showed the ion-blaze of two badans pushing ahead.
Churabba's tail twitched anxiously. She thought on her nephew, who'd sent her several requests for updates, but she'd kept complete silence. She no longer knew what to tell Kossak, nor was she certain she knew him. The two aliens she'd met at Hell hadn't been the Demon-spawn she'd expected, and the more she learned she more she feared her true enemies were not ancient magicians, but her own kin.
When the Theophany was close enough, the viewscreen switched to feed from the lead badan. The scout ship swooped over the moon's rugged surface and its camera panned to show the artificial depot emerging from the rocks. Oxygen tanks, transmission towers, silos for starship fuel, perhaps a miniature fusion generator for power. Likely there was more buried away from view.
The badan slowed as it passed over a pair of small Tionese ships locked into surface berths. An empty cradle, meant for a far larger ship, stretched beyond them.
"Has there been any reaction from the base?" Churabba asked.
"Nothing on comms," Zantor replied. "We've not seen weapons either."
This base's creators probably thought it too secret to need defenses. "Bring us close to the moon," she ordered. "Recall the badans. Lock weapons on the base. Target the starships first. And prepare a broadcast on all frequencies."
Zantor and the Cyborreans got to work. The viewscreen turned back to an orbital view of the moon, and she clearly saw the base from above. It was a large facility that required great resources to build, ones Kossak might have provided. She made silent prayer to the Holy Light that there was another explanation.
Because she had eyes on the screen, Churabba saw the flare of missiles launching at the same time her crews did. They came not from the base itself but a loose ring of silos spread kilometers apart. Nine warheads burst free simultaneously, and all of them headed for the Theophany.
"Defenses, now!" she bellowed.
The crew was already pumping out chaff and arming defensive lasers, but the missiles accelerated fast against the moon's weak gravity and were on the Theophany in less than thirty seconds. Though it was secure at the heart of the ship, the command deck shuddered violently. Alarms sounded. Cyborreans snapped reports of hull breaches.
"Target the launchers!" Zantor barked. "Destroy them now!"
The gunners did just that, but before they could release a retaliatory volley, nine more warheads burst from the moon. The Theophany pumped out more chaff but the chance of stopping all missiles was low.
A minute ago Churagga had feared for what she'd find here; now she knew the visceral fear of death. It was something she'd not experienced since the Demon War, and she recalled Kossak once saying it was the shock of mortality that made war worthwhile.
So young. So foolish. And now (fear compounded fear) she might die because of him.
How she missed the Demon's day, when at least she'd known who her enemy was.
-{}-
Guided by the Force and two Jedi, the Hand of Light cut quickly to the Empire's edge, skirted around the Si'Klaata cluster, and dove deeper into the Supremacy without ever nearing an inhabited world or hyperspace beacon.
They knew they'd reached their destination when they dropped from hyperspace to see a planet ahead. Dappled by gray continents and deep-blue seas, Dirha Prime was a Supremacy world not far beyond the Si'Klaata. It was firmly under Hutt control and, it seemed, a staging area for the battle at Vontor.
"That's quite a lot of ships out there," Tam'pres said as the Saheelindeel watched his sensor screen.
"Thankfully, we don't have to get any closer." Erakas killed engines and held position clear of the planet. "Assuming there's not a last-minute change of plans."
"I gave them your demands," Fasol Indrathi said at the back of the cabin; Erakas allowed him in the cockpit but not near key instruments. "They said to meet here. Beyond that, I know no more than you do."
"Should I send out the hail?" asked Vediah. Fasol had provided them with a frequency on which to announce their presence.
Erakas looked at the planet and the distant glint of its warships. In the Force he felt the nagging portent they'd been chasing this entire time. They'd come here for a confrontation and were going to get it.
"Yes," he said, "Do it."
Vediah tapped the comm console. A single light marked the message sent. Then they waited. Long seconds became longer minutes. No response came and the distant ships didn't budge. Erakas started to think they might have wasted their time after all.
Finally, Tam'pres reported, "One ship broke away from the planet and is heading toward us. I think it's a chelandion."
A big, powerful ship meant a big, powerful Hutt. It also meant danger. A Tythan ship could be destroyed like any other, and Erakas briefly wondered what had become of the Dawnchaser. Perhaps it had been destroyed with Ashar and Talyak aboard; that was preferable to it falling into hands that would exploit its advanced technology. All Tythan ships, including the Hand, had the ability to self-destruct, though he doubted Ashar and Talyak had done that. The Master's death had felt more sudden.
"It's almost within firing range," Tam'pres muttered. "Still no response from them. Should we hail?"
"Do it," Erakas nodded.
Vediah tapped her board and said in Tionese, "This is the Iduxian starship Hand of Light. Per request, we are here to parlay with representatives of the Hutt Supremacy." Stress was getting to her, and she added, "We mean you no harm."
"I think they're the ones who should be telling us that," Tam'pres muttered. "Not that I'd believe them."
"If you don't believe them, why are you here?" asked Fasol.
The Saheelindeel shot him a condescending look. "Because the Force requires us to be."
Sometimes their followers gave the Jedi their greatest strength. Erakas gripped the controls and prepared to move as the chelandion grew close. Its bronzed hull and scarlet sails gleamed in the light of a distant sun.
Then came the reply: a human-sounding voice, speaking Tionese with an Argaian accent. "The Hierarch and Kossak the Clever extend welcome to the Hand of Light. We're opening a place for you to dock now."
That was all. That was enough. Erakas knew Hutts didn't come more big or important than Kossak; he also knew that he'd been responsible for the death of Kossak's spawn at Terman Station. Whether the Hutt knew that, he wasn't sure. Perhaps he was about to find out, painfully.
But it was a risk that had to be taken. As Erakas tilted the Hand and broad it along the chelandion's flank, Tam'pres ventured, "So far so good, isn't it?"
"So far," Erakas agreed. "Tam'pres, I want you to stay with the ship, just in case."
"Should I arm the auto-destruct?"
Fasol flickered surprise. It was the first he'd heard of that.
"Yes," Erakas said, and nothing else until he'd coupled with the Hierarch.
As the Jedi rose from their seats, Fasol pointed to the swords at their waists: Erakas kept his lightsaber, while Vediah had Master Sohr's blade.
"Kossak isn't going to like those," he said.
"I know." Erakas strode past him, Vediah at his heels. Fasol grimaced but followed.
All three of them walked to the airlock, opened the heavy door, and felt the warm, damp air of the chelandion rush inside. Waiting beyond were a quarter of leather-faced alien guards, and one plump white-haired human in a dark uniform.
Fasol stepped forward and saluted. "Admiral Krenn. You already know Vediah. I've also brought the one called Erakas."
Krenn eyed the Jedi. "Are you an authority among your people?"
"I am."
"So is your whole cult led by children?"
"I've been in the Tion for twelve years."
"Have you now? It was a different place twelve years ago, wasn't it?"
"Yes. Very much."
The two men regarded each other. From Krenn he sensed curiosity, skepticism, and a vicious shade of hope. He was a man hungry for retribution and was determined to do anything to get it. Even ally with cults led by children.
Krenn and the alien guards marched them down the Hierarch's halls. In a tired voice, the admiral talked about the battle that had been raging at Vontor for the past three days. Xim, with characteristic cruelty, had irradiated the planet so his war robots could pillage its kiirium unmolested. The Hutts were trying to land ships full of flesh-and-blood servants anyway but couldn't get to the surface thanks to an Imperial blockade. The Tionese Free Navy, he added, was doing its part, but needed the Iduxians to break the stalemate.
He finished the summary just in time for them to step through a set of gleaming double-doors and enter the presence of Kossak the Clever. Erakas had never met a Hutt before and the first thing that struck him was the rank smell. Kossak slithered to them on the polished floor. His long, thick body was draped in silver-lined black robes that exposed only the tip of his tail, his thick-fingered hands, and his massive face. Deep-blue eyes were startling against the dark brown of his skin. When Kossak spoke, the entire room resounded.
"The Throne says he is happy to bless you with his presence," Krenn translated.
Erakas had decided to act respectful, but not fawning. He folded hands in front of him and said, "We've come a long way to be here. I'm glad I have the chance to speak to you personally. I believe we can help each other."
Krenn translated Erakas's words, then Kossak's basso reply. "He says he's wanted to meet your kind for a long time. He's been fascinated by your alleged power." Eyes dipped to the lightsaber. "He's also curious about your weapon."
Vediah tensed; it was almost an invitation to violence. But Erakas, hands still folded, removed the lightsaber from his belt with the Force. Holding it within arm's reach, he pointed its nozzle to the ceiling and triggered it. One of the guards gasped at the sight of the luminous blade.
Kossak stared, white glow reflecting in his huge eyes. Then he started to tremble, and then he laughed. Erakas was taken aback and shut the lightsaber off, then returned it to its holster. All without lifting a hand.
"The Throne appreciates your… talents," Krenn said delicately.
"These are very serious talents."
"And Kossak is a very serious Hutt."
Kossak rumbled again, and Krenn said, "He wants to get to the point. He demands that Xim be removed from power and requests help from your 'talents'." In a lower voice the admiral added, "That's my request as well, young man."
"I agree Xim has to go," said Erakas, "but I have conditions. First and foremost: stop this war against mankind."
Kossak gave his reply. Krenn translated, "He will agree to respect pre-war boundaries between the Empire and the Supremacy. That means all the Si'Klaata is off-limits to humans. Everything up to Ko Vari belongs to the Hutts."
"What about planets like Kossimur, Lelrais, or Tialvai?"
Kossak waved a hand, and Krenn said, "They're for bipeds to do with as we please."
Erakas hadn't expected it to be this easy. Something had to give. "What guarantee do we have that you'll keep your promise?"
Kossak spoke again. "He says this war has already exhausted the Supremacy, just like it has the Empire. It will take years to rebuild the beacon network and more for the isolated planets to recover. The Hutts will be glad to end a war which—he insists—they never wanted and Xim provoked."
Trying to evaluate the Hutt in the Force was difficult, but Erakas tried. He had the sense that Kossak indeed wanted this war to end, but he expected it to finish on his personal terms. Toward the Jedi, he felt fear and (perhaps) a desire for revenge.
Kossak spread arms and spoke. "He wishes to know how you'll get rid of Xim. I'd like to know myself." Krenn shifted eyes to Fasol. "And I'd like to hear from my officer."
Fasol stepped forward. "Sir, as I said in my report, Admiral Kadenzi is willing to withdraw his ships from Vontor if we can guarantee Xim won't be able to retaliate."
"If he's dead, you mean. Xim will be hard to get to." Krenn shifted to the Jedi. "Unless our new friends have a plan."
Nobody really believed they were friends, so Erakas didn't correct him. "We've found a way to hijack the command signal Xim sends his war droids. We can't take them over, but we can disable them. Permanently."
Krenn asked, "Over what range?"
"With the right transmitter, an entire battle zone."
Krenn's brow furrowed. "Xim's robots receive command signals on a frequency with rotating encryption. Only a few vessels have transmitters synchronized with the robots. My Falchion used to be one of them, but Xim changed ecryption methods years ago. We can't hijack the robots for you."
That matched Kayn's explanation. Erakas said, "We'll need to insert people aboard a ship with the necessary transmitter."
Kossak groaned impatiently. Krenn hurriedly translated for the Hutt, then returned a question. "He asks if you can do anything about Xim's fleet. Disabling the robots will stop them from pillaging Vontor, but the problem right now is in orbit. The Hutts simply can't break through. We need Kadenzi out of the picture."
"That will happen." Erakas glanced at Fasol. "But Xim will still be there with plenty of ships. So will Jaminere."
"I can deal with Jaminere," Fasol said, "The Ascendant has the proper transmitter to command Xim's robots. If you help me get aboard, I can solve both problems simultaneously. Once most of Xim's fleet deserts him, and his war robots are shut down, the daritha will be helpless."
Kossak growled, and Krenn hurried more translation. The Hutt slapped his tail as he responded.
"Kossak has a point," Krenn winced. "Never underestimate Xim. He needs to be cornered before the trap is sprung."
"How do you propose to do that?" Erakas asked.
Fasol said thoughtfully, "If Kadenzi withdraws first, it will open holes in their line and allow the Supremacy to move in. Then, if possible—"
Kossak boomed laughter, then spoke over Fasol. Krenn quickly relayed, "Kossak the Clever has devised a plan. First, remove Kadenzi's fleet so the Supremacy can get near the planet. Once Xim loses the advantage, Kossak will invoke the rules of ritual combat."
"As Xim did at the Second Battle," Fasol smiled. "Very… clever."
Erakas hadn't been at the Second Battle of Vontor, but Essan had. She'd explained how Xim had challenged the Hutt warleader, Boonta, to a pitched battle according to ancient rituals by which Hutts settled disputes between hosts. Their armies had met on the planet, and Xim's Duinarbulon Lancers had been all but exterminated.
"He lost that battle," Erakas said. "Why would he agree to another?"
Krenn answered immediately. "Xim is a proud bastard and, more importantly, a son of Argai. He won't lose face by turning down a personal challenge. He'll join his robots on Vontor to fight Kossak."
"But the entire planet is irradiated!" Vediah said, then looked embarrassed for her outburst.
He corrected her gently. "Not all of it. Swathes of desert won't be touched by fallout for weeks."
Kossak rumbled on, and Krenn added, "Once Xim descends to the planet, Captain Indrathi will remove Jaminere. At the same time, you Iduxians will disable the war robots. Xim will find himself stranded on a dying world without an army, facing down the full might of the Supremacy." He grinned. "You know, I think I'll risk the fallout just to see it."
Kossak seemed very pleased with himself. He had reason to be: if they all played their parts right, Xim would be trapped with no hope of escape. The despot would meet his end at last.
In that moment, Erakas got a clear sense of the Hutt: his full ambition, lethal intent. It sent a shudder down his spine, but he recovered. It was only what he'd expected.
"The plan's arranged," said Krenn. "I'll join the Free Navy at Vontor. We'll wait for the signal once your people are in place."
"It might a few days."
"Then it's a good thing this battle is a stalemate," the admiral said under-breath. "Captain Indrathi, are you committed to boarding the Ascendant?"
"I'd like the Iduxians to help me aboard."
"We can try," Erakas allowed, "Xim won't be happy to see us either. Especially after we destroyed the penteconter he sent to threaten us."
Kossak boomed final words. Krenn waited until he was done, then said, "Kossak the Clever congratulates you on creating this plan and assures you that peace between our peoples will be secure once Xim is gone."
"I'm also glad to make a path of peace," Erakas said. "Tell him it's been an honor and a pleasure."
Krenn translated, then added, with a final tint of irony, "Kossak is happy to have graced you with his presence."
Krenn escorted them out of the chamber. As they walked quickly to the ship, Fasol dropped back to talk to his admiral in hushed tones, and though Erakas wished to overhear, Vediah didn't give him the chance.
The younger Jedi said, "Once we get rid of Xim, Kossak's going to kill us, isn't he?"
"Absolutely." So she'd felt it too: pure murderous intent. Kossak would not forgive the death of his spawn, nor forget the continued threat the Jedi presented.
"Then what do we do?" she asked.
He thought of that great and powerful weapon they'd been cultivating, and he thought about his last conversation with Gedor. Monsters crowded them on all sides, wishing their destruction. The galaxy needed peace. Only they could bring it. No matter what monsters stood in their way.
All he said was: "I have something in mind."
-{}-
"Aren't you glad we didn't try to hit that base?" Kroller said in a low voice.
"Very," Oziaf replied.
They were safe in the Gravity's cockpit, staring through the porthole at the tiny but terrible light-flashes at the moon far above. The chelandion had barged in with typical Hutt arrogance and was getting pounded. Kroller wouldn't mourn if it went down, but it only made him more confused.
"If this is a Hutt base, why's it firing on a Hutt ship?"
"The Hutts are even less united than mankind. They're just better at hiding it." Oziaf's eyes narrowed. "However, I'm not sure that's what's happening here."
"Then what is?"
Oziaf made no reply. Kroller glanced from the light-show to check his kids. Reina was staring at her screen, silent again. Vaatus was warming weapons. All the Gravity had to fight with were two turrets and a hold full of currently-disarmed febrillium warheads. He was afraid Oziaf was going to tell them to charge in and help the Hutts; afraid because, against reason, they always ended up doing what the rat told them to.
But this time he didn't get the chance. Vaatus said, "Check your screens. We've got another newcomer."
"For a secret hideout this is getting crowded," Kroller sighed. His screen showed another inbound, far smaller than the chelandion. The sensors couldn't get a lock on it, and it seemed not to match parameters for either Tionese or Supremacy ships.
Then the computer lit up with an identification.
"Oh," he said, "seriously?"
-{}-
Essan had planned to exit hyperspace, kill engines, and scan the area for anything suspicious. She certainly hadn't expected to drop in front of a raging battle. A concentrated riot of explosions burst far ahead of the Ashla's Dream.
She gripped the Dream's control yoke and accelerated toward the fight. Jecca, who'd been at the comm station to her right, jumped from her seat and scampered to the left-hand weapons console. The two Jedi were the only crew aboard the Dream; they'd left Terman Station thinking they were minimizing risk to others, not realizing how much they'd heaped on themselves.
Jecca was concentration and dancing hands. As she warmed weapons she performed a sensor scan and reported, "That's a Hutt chelandion. It's taking fire from ground-based launchers on the moon. Giving fire too, but it's taken a beating. Maybe it got ambushed?"
"Ambushed by a moon?"
"Apparently. Three-and-a-half minutes until we get there." Jecca's poise faltered. "What do we do then?"
Essan had left with Jecca because the human Jedi needed help. Like it or not she'd become a leader and she couldn't let a Jedi wracked with grief get herself killed.
Instead it might get them both killed. Essan asked, "What did Ashar say? What exactly?"
Jecca screwed eyes shut. "He, um… he said they were attacked by Tionese ships from Karsabeth. But I guess we're not technically at Karsabeth..."
"What else?"
"The crews were from Hutt planets. But he said the Hutts hadn't tried to kill him. He said it was someone else."
Tried, and very possibly succeeded. Jecca burned to find Ashar's killers and bring them to justice. There were two sides duking it out over Karsatel's moon right now and they couldn't know which, if either, had killed their comrades.
That left them with one choice, a very Jedi one. Instead of picking sides, they'd make a new one themselves.
"First things first," Essan decided. "We'll take out the missile launchers on the moon."
Jecca didn't question. She began preparing guns to fire. Through the viewport, they could not make out the chelandion as its bronze-tinted bow collapsed under withering missile bombardments. It looked like it was trying to turn away but its engines were straining; one ion-flare flickered and died as they watched.
Nobody was paying attention to the Jedi ship yet, but that could change at any moment. Essan pushed the Dream in a long arc around the battle zone, toward the moon. Stars panned, then jagged rock and craters filled their view. She dove until Jecca flashed fear, then wrenched them into level flight, three hundred meters above the surface.
Rocks blurred beneath them. Up ahead, they could see the flare of surface-to-space missiles bursting from long barrels. Essan felt Jecca extend herself like she did for Jedi battle melds, though now it was just the two of them. Essan opened herself as best she could, creating a bond between them that no longer required words.
What came next was easy. Essan flew for the nearest missile launcher. Jecca shredded the barrel with one volley of plasma bolts. As soon as it was done, Essan nudged course for the next launcher. Some had already been destroyed by Hutt counter-fire, and it was easy to eliminate the rest. They flew so low their targets had no defense. Launcher after launcher was destroyed, until none were left.
They'd stopped the fighting; as the Dream gained altitude, sensors showed that the damaged chelandion had also ceased firing. But that, both Jedi knew, was the easy part.
Jecca relaxed their Force-bond and spoke aloud. "I guess we'd better trying hailing them."
"Broadcast to every frequency. I want both to listen."
Jecca shifted back to the comm station. "What are you going to say?"
Essan had no idea. Before she could come up with anything, Jecca said, "Hold on, we're getting something from the Hutts."
"Put it on," Essan told her, though neither of them knew the worms' language.
She was surprised when the voice spoke guttural but correct Tionese. It said, "Churabba the Acquisitor welcomes your assistance in preserving her Theophany. She requests Ashar Gell and Mal-Oba Talyak explain their next course of action."
Neither Jecca for Essan knew how to respond. Essan twisted the Dream away from the moon so they could see the battered chelandion. Oxygen vented from breaches into pale clouds and debris winked around bronzed kiirium plates.
"We repeat," the voice demanded, "State your intentions."
Jecca leaned to the speaker grille and said, "I'm sorry, this is not the Dawnchaser, this is another Jedi vessel, the Ashla's Dream."
After a pause, the Theophany replied, "The Acquisitor is grateful. She asks if you were sent by Ashar Gell and Mal-Oba Talyak."
Jecca wilted. "Ashar and Master Talyak are dead. We came here to learn how." She swallowed and added, "We'd welcome any assistance."
This was where they'd find out how grateful a Hutt could be. They waited in tense silence; nearly a minute went by, and Jecca bent to the speaker to ask again.
That was when the moon blew. They were turned away and didn't see it, but sensors on the Dream immediately noted the explosion. Not just any explosion; it was a nuclear detonation. Essan grabbed the controls and spun the Dream to face the lunar surface, so they could see the cloud of roiling dust. The center of the explosion had been the center of the secret base.
Essan felt lives wink out. She knew for certain that the Hutts hadn't launched more missiles. Somehow—collective decision, lone agent, or automated system—the base had self-destructed to preserve its secrets.
Grim silence lingered. Some dust settled; more, freed from weak gravity, began to dilute into space.
Finally, the Hutt ship responded. "The Acquisitor demands to grace you with her presence. She will discuss the fates of Ashar Gell and Mal-Oba Talyak. We will light an operable airlock portal for your docking."
Jecca muted the channel and asked, "Are we doing this? We can run, you know. The shape they're in, they won't catch us."
"Don't you want to find out what happened?"
"Of course I do," Jecca's voice ached. "But do you think they'll let us go once we come aboard?"
"It sounds like they already met Ashar and Master Talyak. Didn't he say the Hutts weren't his enemy?"
"Maybe he was wrong. Maybe that got him killed and this..." Jecca dropped a face to her hand, breathed deep, raised it. "We have to take the chance, don't we?"
Essan nodded, then pushed the Dream toward the chelandion.
Jecca unmuted the speaker and rasped, "This is the Ashla's Dream. We'll comply. We, ah… we come in peace."
The Hutts didn't bother responding. Then, as the battered warship filled their view, they heard a burst of static and a voice. It spoke in Huttese but the voice was hardly Hutt-like. Instead it was high-pitched, almost squeaky, almost familiar though Essan couldn't figure how.
Then there was a pause, and yet another voice joined in. This one spoke in Tionese. It sounded weary and a little incredulous, like it couldn't believe it was saying these words. And it was definitely familiar, though Essan hadn't heard it in years.
"If you didn't get that last bit, this is the independent starship Gravity Scorned," Ajek Kroller said. "We, um, respectfully request to crash your party. Our passenger says he's got some-thing really important for you all to hear."
-{}-
As surely as the Force guided Jedi through the stars, it led them to each other. The Hand of Light fell into realspace on the edge of the Si'Klaata and found the Star Forge waiting in deep space. It was just the Jedi and their allies here, safe in the black.
Their collision left Erakas more certain than ever that they were on the right path. When the Hand docked with the Forge he was met by Kayn and Shen, who described their Force-guided travel with pride and wonder.
It was a good way to begin a meeting, because things would only get harder from here.
It took less than an hour to muster every Jedi and bring them to the star-roofed observation dome at the Forge's north pole. Shen and Kayn were joined by Koltatha and Vediah, then groups of newcomer Jedi: Zephian, Moorai, Regotta, Halla Zohn, and more. Gedor perched apart from them all, along the frame window's bottom rim. Non-Jedi trickled in at the circle's edge: Fearey and a dozen engineers, towering Morguk with a clutch of warriors, Kell Olander, Tam'pres, Restiin, Naskrahn and Vekhamk, even Fasol Indrathi looking stunned by the crowd. They didn't need the Force to know something big was about to happen.
All them were united by the Force, whether they knew it or not. Erakas looked around the circle with pride. He only wished that Jecca and especially Essan were here. The Sith woman had been his partner in this lonely endeavor for twelve years. Not a friend exactly, or even always an ally, but someone whose judgment he trusted to balance his own. He never realized how much he'd come to rely on her until she was absent.
But when he looked on the crowd, and up at Gedor's tiny smile, he knew he'd do the right thing today.
The people assembled spoke a babel of tongues, Tythan and Tionese were the most common. He spoke first to the Jedi in the language of their lost home. "That we're here now is proof of the Force's power. We were scattered across the galaxy but the it drew us to this place, at this time, because there's some-thing only we can do. The time has come for us to do it."
Then he lifted head to speak to the rest in Tionese. "You've put your faith in us, and I swear that you were right to. You saw Xim on one side, the Hutts on the other, and you knew a person of conscience couldn't stand with either. Both are shades of darkness clenching at your hearts." He took his saber in his hand, thrust it to the ceiling, and ignited. "We are Jedi. We bring light."
Erakas knew he was being theatric. That was the point. He needed to raise everyone's spirits to do the terrible but necessary things that came next.
He lowered the saber but kept it lit as he spoke told the Jedi, "I've met Kossak and Admiral Krenn. We've come up with a plan to remove Xim, permanently. Vediah will be taking point at Vontor." He flicked the blade-tip toward the young Devaronian, who didn't flinch. "First, on a signal from Captain Indrathi—" He lifted the saber to gesture at the crowd's edge— "Kadenzi's ships will desert, leaving Xim outnumbered. Then Kossak will challenge Xim to ritual combat on Vontor. Once he sets foot on the surface, Vediah and Captain Indrathi will broadcast a signal to shut down Xim's war robots."
He lowered the saber. "That will be the end of Xim. The Iduxians need to be there for this mission, but in limited numbers. I'd like no more than six Jedi flying ships at Vontor."
They all showed surprise. Kayn was the first to volunteer but Erakas shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I'd prefer you stay with the Star Forge. I'll explain why in a minute."
The Zabrak frowned but lowered his hand. Zephian volunteered next, and Erakas gave the Mirialian an approving nod. Five more Jedi, all recent additions, also raised hands. Erakas approved them one by one, then raised his voice and spoke again in Tionese. He was more succinct this time, saying that they'd need crews to fly ships to Vontor. Dozens of hands shot up at once.
Then he spoke to the Jedi again. "Those of you going to Vontor should know that you will be a distraction. Kossak and Krenn expect the Iduxians to make a show and so we will. Be ready to flee at the first sign of betrayal, and they will betray us. The only question is whether they'll wait until Xim is fallen to do so." He looked directly at Vediah. "I'm sorry, but you're going to be in the most difficult position."
The Devaronian couldn't keep fear from her eyes, but she nodded. As he knew she would.
Next was the truly hard part. He'd thought about it constantly during the return from Dirha, weighing every option and every weapon. He could think of only one that would guarantee the future of the Jedi and peace in the galaxy.
Erakas shut off his lightsaber, stuck it in his belt, and spread his hands. "The rest of us will be aboard the Star Forge," he told the Jedi. "If we can jump without the beacon network, then we shouldn't have trouble getting all the way to Varl."
Surprise, concern, and alarm rippled through the group. Even the Tionese picked up on it and began to murmur. Erakas hesitated for a second, but his eyes went up to Gedor in his perch, and his teacher gave a single encouraging nod.
"The Hutts know what we are and see us as a threat," he told the Jedi. "Well, the Hutts have only one way of dealing with threats. You know what they did to Moralan. You felt it. They almost certainly killed Ashar Gell and Master Talyak. When I met Kossak I could feel his intention, hard as duranium, to wipe us all out. They're an enemy even worse than Xim, and they have to be stopped."
He took a breath and looked down, away from their imploring eyes. The whole chamber was silent. Even the Tionese waited, breaths held.
"This Star Forge is a weapon. We've used it as a foundry, as a shelter, as a mobile base, but it was made by the Rakata as an instrument of destruction." He looked at Shen. "It will have to be so again, one last time."
Disquiet rippled through the Jedi, but they were still silent, eyes all on him. When he'd arrived in the Tion twelve years ago he'd never have conceived the power he commanded and the decision he was about to make. He wished Talyak and Essan could be here, so he might end his journey with them as he'd begun it, but Erakas was on his own now.
He looked to Kayn. "You've said the Star Forge can eject the stellar matter from its core. Even a fraction of what's in there now should be enough to reduce Varl to ash."
He waited for the first Jedi to object. He wasn't surprised that it was Vediah.
"We can't destroy an entire world. We're Jedi," she said, voice aching. "That's what the Hutts do!"
"The Je'daii did it once too," added the male Devaronian, Regotta. "We didn't leave one ruined planet just to make a new one."
"The Hutts have already destroyed dozens of worlds and exterminated entire species," Erakas reminded them. "Moralan wasn't the first. And they'll do it again and again unless they're stopped. Nobody else can do this. Look around. See the creatures that rule this galaxy. Xim and the Hutts rampage across the stars, crushing everything in their path without a hint of mercy. They're wanton butchers but we are not. The Hutts don't allow so-called inferior races onto Varl. We'd be destroying the worms—who've caused so much destruction—and nobody else. All their billions of slaves—their real victims—won't be harmed. They'll be liberated.
"I know this isn't an easy choice. This is an awful thing, but it's the only way to stop the Hutts and protect ourselves. Hutts are hierarchical; their whole fleet dissolved after we took out Dojundo at Terman. With Varl gone their empire will collapse and their slaves will go free. The same will happen in the Tion once Xim is removed."
"But what then?" asked Kayn warily. "You're ushering in chaos."
"Not chaos," Koltatha said throatily. "Freedom for everyone who's suffered under the boots of false gods. Yes, it is ugly, but I agree, it's something that must be done."
"Removing the Hutts will be the beginning of a new age," Erakas said. "As Jedi, we can guide these people to better lives. Yes, there will be chaos and conflict with the empires gone, but no one will have to suffer under the tyranny of monsters. Not now. Not ever." He spun in a circle, imploring, "We have to shoulder that burden, even do awful things, because the galaxy needs us. It needs us to create lives where people can live in peace, cherish their families, raise their—" his throat caught on the word son. "Raise their children, and love how they want to love. Nobody else can do that. Only us." He pounded a fist to chest. "Only us."
Turmoil ran through the other Jedi, but no one else argued. Erakas knew Vediah was repulsed but not confident enough to command authority. Kayn's rational mind was bending toward Erakas's argument; Koltatha already knew their cause was just.
He needed to convince just one person, and the rest would follow. Not because he was a respected like Talyak, bound minds like Jecca, or was loved as Ashar had been, but because he was a walking miracle: one Rakata endowed with the Force and destined to redeem his people.
Erakas stepped close to Shen and touched the Rakata's arm. "This is the moment you were made for," he said, so low only they two could hear. "Guide us to Varl. Use the Star Forge to burn away the Hutts, and I swear, we will make a galaxy free of tyrants forever."
He watched that fierce alien face and felt Shen's will harden. Yet he didn't know what the reply would be until it left his saw-toothed mouth.
"Yes," the Rakata said, loud enough for the others to hear. "I will do what has to be done."
Jedi bent toward acceptance. A few resisted. That was all right, so long as they went along in the end. They'd made Erakas into their leader without his even wanting it, but he'd compel them to obey if he had to.
Finally, he turned attention to the Tionese who'd crowded the edges of the room. To them he said, "While Xim falls at Vontor, we are going to take the Star Forge to Varl. The Hutt home-world will be undefended. It will be exposed. And it won't be able to stop the Forge."
Murmurs mounted, and he had to shout over them. "We will take the Forge and burn Varl to a cinder. We will destroy the Supremacy in an instant. Its slaves will be freed. Its navies will scatter. We will end their threat forever and you will all have the peace you've craved, the peace you deserve, the peace only the Force can give you!"
He'd planned to say more, but he was drowned out by cheers. Morgukai began chanting and pumping their fists. Groups of engineers and civilians applauded. A few lunged for the nearest Jedi and gathered befuddled foreigners in an embrace.
Some Jedi still resisted. That was all right. They had no choice but to go along now. Erakas felt their doubts submerge like debris in a rising tide. Righteous determination filled the room like it would burst the dome and wash across the stars.
All the while Gedor looked down on them, smiling.
-{}-
The chelandion had taken a beating, but it was still eminently lethal. As the Gravity Scorned drew close, Reina had an instinctive urge to run. That surprised her, simply because it had years since she'd felt such pounding fear of death.
But her father glided the ship smoothly to its destination. Reina twisted in her seat and looked out the porthole to see the chelandion's dented bronzed hull, with the slick gray oval of a Tythan starship clinging to it like a limpet. She could still remember her first glance at one of those all those years ago, stuck to the exterior of that ark at Endregaad.
She tried to take comfort from that ship. Apparently Essan was aboard, plus another Jedi she didn't know. The Jedi had the Force to guide them and wouldn't walk blindly into a trap. At least, she hoped not.
That they joined this party was, of course, Oziaf's idea. The rat had returned to his jump seat before they accelerated, but once Kroller sealed airlocks he was the first to unbuckle and start for the exit.
He'd barely floated free when Vaatus, still strapped in, grabbed him by the tail. Oziaf yelped and flailed but the Nikto didn't let go.
"Hold on," Vaatus said, "What are we doing here? What's the plan?"
"I'm going to have a conversation with two Jedi and a worm," Oziaf said curtly. "You can do whatever you'd like."
"I'm going with you. I want to hear everything that's said—in both languages."
"Feel free to. Now would you please let go of my tail?"
Vaatus did, but Oziaf found himself floating on air and unable to reach any bulkhead with his short limbs. Reina took pleasure in his consternation, petty as it was.
She unbuckled her restraints and said, "I'm going too. Maybe we can finally get the answers we've been promised."
"Then I guess it's up to me to watch the ship again," Kroller said. "Shoulda guessed."
She hated that fragile ache in his voice. It was too common lately. "You can come if you want, Dad."
"Somebody's gotta stay and protect the Gravity. Can't let the worms get their fat hands on it, y'know?" He smiled bitterly. "And it is my ship. Just… be careful out there. Even with the Jedi..."
Nothing was safe. "We know, Dad. Keep the engines hot, just in case."
"Always do." The smile went soft, then disappeared.
Vaatus rose from his chair. As he went for the exit he gave Oziaf's leg a little tug, then released. The T'iin T'iin drifted after him and scratched claws against the upper threshold. Vaatus grabbed the ladder and pulled himself through the spinal shaft. Oziaf followed, slower for his small limbs.
Reina followed too, and soon she was right behind him. Vaatus pushed sideways toward the airlock but she lunged, grabbed Oziaf by the waist, and twisted him down an opposite branch, into one of the Gravity's smaller holds.
The T'iin T'iin writhed in her grip. One paw lashed out, brushing the side of her head and tearing off the band over her hair. Then she felt another push—much stronger than the little rat should have mustered—and she was tossed back-first into a bulkhead. Oziaf went in the opposite direction until he bounced into flat metal.
"What are you doing?" he snapped. "We don't have time for this!"
"You have the Force, don't you?"
His rodent's face was hard to read, but she thought she saw shock and (just maybe) shame. He said, "You're delusional."
Reina shook her head, spreading a wreathe of wavy hair. "It took me a while 'cause I'm a gods-damned idiot, but I see it now. How we always end up doing what you ask. Your little 'I can aim them' before. The way you shoved me just now, and back on Sleheyron." She pounded her chest, where he'd not touched at all. "I married a Force-user. You think I can't see the signs?"
She expected him to deny it. Instead Oziaf lifted his snout and said, "I hoped you'd banished all thought of him. Assumed it, frankly."
"He was my husband. We had a child. You think I can just forget?"
"Only that you'd try. Even now you haven't said his name."
"What does that matter?"
"You married him, you left him, and now he's Gedor's man. You could have saved him that, but I'm sure it was easier to let him go. Tell me, didn't he frighten you with all his awful powers?" Oziaf sneered. "Weren't you relieved to be rid of him?"
"I was never scared of Erakas. Our son died at Santossa," she choked, and the rat seemed to wince. "That broke something… You wouldn't understand. We tried to put it together again."
"Did you really?"
She heard curiosity beneath his venom. Her heart twisted, because when she looked back on those awful days after the fall, they hadn't tried, not really. Erakas had already been captured by his Force.
Somehow Oziaf knew. "The death of his son spurred him to a great and terrible purpose. A destiny. And compared to the Force you, Reina Kroller, are just a worthless animal."
His words were bitter and true and they brought tears to her eyes. She wiped them with her sleeve but water kept coming. "Don't you dare talk about Erakas like that," she sniffed. "He's a better man than you'll ever be. He doesn't deserve all he's been through."
"You're telling me you care about him? After you left him?"
"Of course I still love him. Otherwise it wouldn't hurt so much."
"Then why did you go?" The mockery was gone from his voice, leaving only curiosity.
She'd left because there was no place for her in that great and awful destiny. But Oziaf already knew that better than her; he had the Force too. Realization solved a riddle but raised many more. She cleared her eyes again, met Oziaf's black gaze, and asked, "What are you? Really?"
She didn't expect the truth from him, not now, not ever. And she didn't get it. He sighed, "I feel for Erakas. I truly do."
"What are you talking about?"
"I only met him once, but I understand him better than you ever could. How would you describe that? Ironic? Tragic?"
"You're nothing like Erakas."
"I never said I was. Only that I understood. Better than you, better even than him." Oziaf twisted to place bottom paws on the bulkhead, ready for push-off. "May we get on with it?"
Reluctantly, Reina touched the ceiling, turned, and maneuvered out of the hold. Oziaf followed without a word.
-{}-
Once, Vaatus would have felt very different walking into a chamber with Churabba the once-called Liberator. He'd only seen the mighty worm once before, from afar, with his father and his brother Katorr at his side. Afterward the very name had become an icon of hate. Once he'd have thrown himself at her and hacked at her thick hide, knowing it was impervious and not caring, so desperate he'd been to vent his anger.
But today, when he stepped into her chamber aboard the Theophany, he felt nothing. He took in the great body reclining on its bed, and the four-legged t'landa Til priest planted beside her, but he knew no rage. He'd come to realize, bitterly and painfully, that he was just an insignificant man from an insignificant planet, and if his fate weren't written by a worm, it would be by a bloody priest, a pirate king, or a cunning rat.
Like his father, like his sister, he was worthless in the end.
Oziaf stepped into the chamber along with Vaatus and Reina. Two more people were already present. He didn't recognize the tall, gold-haired human woman, but the one beside her was unmistakably Essan.
The Sith smiled when she saw Reina and Vaatus. Smiles had always looked a little unnatural on her scarlet face, and this one disappeared entirely when she saw Oziaf.
The T'iin T'iin made a hat-doffing motion, even though his head was bare. "This is an astonishing coincidence," he chirped. "Essan and… Jecca Tholme, I believe. It's a pleasure to run into you both."
Before they could ask what he was doing here, Oziaf strode up to Churabba and made a respectful bow. In Huttese he said, "It's an honor to see you again, Acquisitor. I hope we can part on better terms than we did last time."
"How did you come here?" Churabba's huge eyes turned to the Jedi. "Are you in league with them?"
"I was on an independent investigation with my agents." Oziaf indicated Vaatus and Reina. "That we all collided here can't be coincidence, and I'd like to understand as much as you."
"Explain what you are doing here first," Churabba demanded.
As Oziaf began to speak, Reina whispered to her brother, "What are they saying?"
The Jedi leaned close too, and Vaatus did his best to summarize in Tionese. Oziaf gave a startlingly-accurate description of their journey, including the meeting with the Hestilic priest and the confrontation with Kallas-mar on Sleheyron, though he omitted details of the Moralan's death.
Churabba made no reply. Her eyes fixed in the distance, her tail twitched, and her huge face scrunched up. Vaatus had no experience reading Hutt emotions, but she looked confused, maybe angry, or even afraid.
Gently, Essan asked, "Can we talk to her now?"
"Of course," Oziaf said. "Go ahead."
She touched Vaatus's forearm. "He'll translate, thank you."
Thus, Vaatus found himself standing in front of the hated Hutt, relating Essan's story and watching the worm's confusion deepen. He stumbled slightly when relating the death of Mal-Oba Talyak, for he'd thought the Jedi Master safe and far away. But he'd returned, only to die by unknown hand.
When she'd finished her story, Essan told Churabba, "We need to know what happened to Ashar and Talyak. Please, tell us how you met them."
Churabba heaved a mighty sigh, then asked Oziaf, "Who commanded the base at Karsatel?"
"I told you," he replied in Huttese, "it was run by Kallas-mar."
"But who commanded Kallas-mar? He must have told you before you killed him."
"Yes," Oziaf said, but no more.
"Was it Kossak?" Churabba demanded, with anger and dread.
And Oziaf said, "Yes."
Churabba's priest flinched, but the Hutt remained deathly still. Finally, she turned to the Jedi and said, "I met your comrades in the Obsidian Veil. They claimed they were following a path of a generation ark that had been killed by the Demon centuries ago."
Oziaf started to translate, but Vaatus quickly spoke over him. Churabba continued, "Kallas-mar's ships attacked them above one of the Demon's ruined worlds. The Theophany saved them and brought them aboard. We spoke in this room." She lifted a small hand. "We destroyed one of Kallas-mar's ships and salvaged its computer. That is what brought us to Karsatel. We had no idea what a web my nephew had weaved."
In all his time spent fighting the Hutts, Vaatus had never conceived of them having families, nor of them stinging at a loved one's betrayal. Churabba's torment fascinated him, but Essan pressed, "Ask her what happened to Ashar and Talyak."
Vaatus did so. The Hutt sucked in her anger and said, "We took them to Hell. They descending to its lowest ring, looked upon the face of the Demon, and fled back to Idux. What happened once they left the Supremacy, I do not know."
Essan looked crestfallen, her partner even more so. Yet Vaatus was intrigued. He'd heard about this so-called Demon but dismissed it as ancient history. He couldn't understand how it would be relevant now.
Oziaf, however, stepped forward. His tail curled into a pink spiral. Now he looked confused and afraid. "Acquisitor," he asked, "can you please elaborate on this 'Demon'?"
"I explained to your comrades. Didn't they tell you even that?" Churabba huffed, like it was the Jedi's fault. "The Demon was cast out by its own race and crossed the stars with its host of Rebel Angels. It enthroned itself in Hell for centuries, seized ships that passed through its domain and used them to scout the galaxy while the Wardens still reigned. And when the Wardens fell, the Demon unleashed its Rebel Angels across the stars, harvesting those who claimed its twisted power." She cast narrowed eyes on the Jedi. "Your power."
Vaatus hurried to translate, but before he could finish Oziaf asked in Huttese, "What was the Demon? Was it a Warden?"
"No. It was a monstrous beast. A terror to remember." She actually shuddered, head to tail.
Oziaf nearly begged, "Acquisitor, please, can you describe this Demon? What did it look like?"
Churabba closed her eyes, breathed deep, opened them again. "I saw it once, from a distance, as it addressed its Rebel Angels at Hell's highest circle. The best was hideous, even for a biped. It was shrunken, no bigger than you, rat, but its hide was hairless, gray and green. It stood on three-clawed feet, gestured with three-clawed hands, and stared with old and monstrous eyes. A round head topped its skinny neck, and from either side grew two long, grotesque ears." She shuddered again. "That was the face memorialized in stone at the lowest circle of Hell. That is what your comrades saw."
Vaatus translated as quickly as he could. The faces of both Jedi went slack. When he was done, the room was silent.
Then Oziaf gave a sigh that seemed too big for his tiny body. He curled forward until his nose nearly touched the floor. They stared at his hunched back and saw it was trembling. Then Vaatus heard a muffled yet-high-pitched sound he recognized as laughter.
When Oziaf restrained himself he stood, straightened, and wiped a tear from one eye. "I used to be a jester. Did you know that? By the end I started to like jesting, because the real joke was on the fools who laughed. But when the joke's on you… Oh, that can really sting."
"What joke?" Essan asked.
"I'm sorry," he sighed, "I'm afraid I neglected to mention a few things."
Both women jerked like he'd struck them, though he was half a room away. Then Oziaf turned to Churabba and said in Huttese, "Kallas-mar did serve Kossak… but a slave can have two masters. There are a few things I left out of my previous report, as I didn't realize the full importance until now." He paused, turned back to the Jedi, and added in Tionese, "I have something to tell you, and it's going to be almost as hard on you as it is for me."