CORELLIAN SYSTEM
At first there was nothing; just the icy black void that was dotted with the tiny specks of distant stars. Then the stars disappeared, as a monstrous, round, and bulbous shape appeared in front of them. Ion engines flared, and the vessel began to glide through the space in front of it. It was the Gial Ackbar, flagship of the Galactic Alliance navy. Named for the legendary Rebel admiral and stretching seventeen kilometers from bow to stern, it was the most powerful vessel to ever come out of the Mon Calamari shipyards.
As more Alliance vessels began to appear around the Ackbar, it began its approach toward the large array of vessels that were currently in orbit over Corellia. The fleet that assembled over the planet was like a gallery of every ship to be designed over the past five decades, containing vessels as old as Imperial-class Star Destroyers to state of the art Provocator-class cruisers. The factions of the galaxy had brought their best.
Standing on the bridge of the Ackbar, dressed in a simple black suit, was Wynn Dorvan, Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance. While he did not consider himself an expert in ship design, he could not help but gawk at the array of vessels that lay before the Ackbar. As the vessel grew closer to Corellia, Dorvan looked down at his chest and pulled his tie tight, fiddling with it to ensure it was placed perfectly. Satisfied, he turned and started towards the back of the bridge. Once there, he moved through the blast doors that exited into a large, rotunda shaped room. In the center of the room speaking to an officer was a tall, older Bothan in the blue uniform of a Galactic Alliance admiral. Dorvan approached, clearing his throat as he reached the Bothan's back.
The Bothan turned. "Chief of State, I figured you would be joining me here soon," greeted Admiral Nek Bwua'tu, Supreme Commander of the Galactic Alliance.
Dorvan shrugged. "It wasn't going to do me much good standing silently at the bridge's viewport. Besides, it's almost time for us to depart."
"You are quite right," Bwua'tu said, starting towards the bridge. "I will meet you in the hangar in thirty minutes for our departure."
"Very well. I'll see you there," Dorvan said curtly, before starting towards the turbolift. Two Alliance marines entered the lift with him, and it soon activated and began its descent. Not long after, it arrived at the deck where his suite was located, and he exited the lift with the troopers in tow. He soon entered his suite, leaving the two troopers to stand guard outside.
Dorvan was here for the annual Unification Summit, the meeting between the leadership of the three major galactic powers; the Galactic Alliance, Confederation, and Imperial Remnant. This year's summit was being hosted on the Confederate capital, but it rotated between Corellia, the Alliance capital Coruscant, and the Imperial capital Bastion. Dorvan assumed that he would be the last to arrive, as he had seen Imperial vessels already in orbit over Corellia.
He moved towards his desk, where the cage containing his pet Chitlik, Pocket, sat. Opening the small door on the side of the cage, the little creature scurried out, jumping onto his arm and making its way up towards his coat pocket. The Chitlik had been his companion for seven years now, ever since he was Chief of Staff to then Chief of State Natassi Daala. Despite being elderly by Chitlik standards, Pocket was still holding up well and spent much of his time in Dorvan's coat pocket, hence his name. With Pocket safely secured, he grabbed his suitcase off of his bed and activated the small repulsorlifts that were built into its chassis, allowing it to float next to him as he walked towards the door.
Outside, the two marines remained motionless on either side of the door, and they quickly moved to follow him as he started back down the hall towards the turbolift. The trip down the main hangar deck would take nearly fifteen minutes due to the size of the Ackbar, and he did not want to be late to his departure with Admiral Bwua'tu. The troopers followed him into the turbolift, which soon engaged and once again began its descent.
The main hangar was bustling with activity when Dorvan arrived. Technicians and pilots moved about the deck, each performing their own specific task. Dorvan's destination lay in the center of the glossy black deck; a lone Lambda-class shuttle, painted in reds and blues, and with Alliance crests on its wings. At the base of the shuttle was Admiral Bwua'tu and the members of Dorvan's chosen staff, which included aides, senators, and members of his cabinet.
As he approached, his Chief of Staff, a young twi'lek named Desha Lor, moved to take his case from him. He allowed her to do so, and followed her up to where Admiral Bwua'tu was standing. "Are we ready to depart?" Dorvan asked.
"Yes, and a squadron of fighters are on station to escort us down to the planet's surface."
Dorvan nodded. "Let's get underway, then." He moved past Bwua'tu, heading up the ramp and into the shuttle's hold. Once inside, he entered the cockpit of the shuttle, where he and Bwua'tu would be sitting during their descent. Already present in the cockpit were the two pilots, each dressed in blue flight suits. While Dorvan did not know either of them, he figured that they must be among the best aboard the Ackbar given the high profile individuals they would be transporting down to the planet.
He took his seat behind the copilot, and was soon joined by Admiral Bwua'tu, who sat down next to him.
The captain, who had just finished going over a preflight checklist with the copilot, then turned to greet them. "Welcome aboard, your excellency," he said to Dorvan, "and you, Admiral."
Dorvan shook the Captain's hand. "Thank you, Captain…"
"Teva," he said. "It is an honor to serve the both of you today."
Dorvan smiled. "We appreciate it greatly, Captain."
Teva smiled back, before turning around to prepare the vessel for departure. He spoke into his comm unit, "This is Lambda shuttle Eries, ready to depart from hangar one."
"Copy Eries," a voice on the other end replied. "You are cleared for departure from hangar one. Be advised that a squadron of XJ8s will be escorting you to the planet's surface."
"Understood, control. Eries out." Teva gave a short look at his copilot, before grabbing his control stick and pulling it back. Dorvan felt the shuttle lift off the hangar deck, as he watched it slowly make its way out into space. Its speed quickly increased as it exited the hangar, as Dorvan felt the wings extend into flight mode as it began to move away from the Ackbar.
The shuttle shook as the squadron of XJ8 'ZenithXs' blew past it. The next generation Incom X-wings then moved into an escort formation around the shuttle as they flew past the various vessels that were currently in orbit over Corellia. After passing one of the many shipyards that orbited the planet, they began their descent into Corellia's atmosphere. Dorvan expected the vessel to tremble, but was surprised to find that their entry went by without much of a shudder.
They emerged from the clouds over the city of Coronet, capital of Corellia. It was surrounded by a heavily industrialized landscape that stretched from horizon to horizon, making the city appear even grander than it otherwise might have. Gleaming white skyscrapers towered over the cityscape, each with their own unique design. Thousands of speeders sped through the skylanes that weaved between the scrapers, and both civilian and military ships moved to and from the ports that dotted the cityscape. Dorvan had seen Coronet before, but the city never failed to impress each time he saw it. The engineering on display within the city's design was marvelous. Although it was nowhere near as grand as Galactic City on Coruscant, it still made for a pleasant site to host the most powerful beings in the galaxy.
They soon reached their destination; the stark white Corellian capitol building that lay in the center of the city. The ZenithXs broke off from them as they descended onto the landing platform outside the building, where Dorvan could see a group of people awaiting their arrival. He heard the landing gear extend out from underneath the shuttle, as the wings returned to their dormant position. The shuttle shuddered slightly as Captain Teva brought it down upon the platform, before the low hum of the engines cut out.
Dorvan removed the harness that had secured him to his seat. "Thank you for such a smooth flight, Captain," he said, standing up.
Teva turned and smiled. "Anytime, your excellency."
Dorvan gave him a nod, before he exited the cockpit with Bwua'tu behind him. They quickly made their way through the shuttle cabin, where the rest of their party were gathering their belongings. Dorvan was the first to stride down the ramp that had already been extended down from the cabin. A short distance away from the shuttle stood the group of Confederate officials, who appeared to be waiting for Dorvan to walk over to them. He waited for Bwua'tu to join him before doing so.
The man at the front of the group of officials was middle-aged, and dressed in a tan suit bearing the insignia of the Confederation on his right torso. He bore a confident impression on his face, and had wavy dark hair covering his head. His body was thin, although he was a few centimeters taller than Dorvan. As Dorvan approached, the man showed a small smile. "Welcome to Corellia, Chief Dorvan," Denjax Teppler said, extending his hand.
Smiling, Dorvan shook it. "Thank you, Chief Teppler. We are grateful for the hospitality you have shown us."
"Of course, we wouldn't want to make a poor impression." He gestured to the man who stood to his right, who was also wearing a tan suit with the Confederate Insignia. He was older than Teppler, and had thinning blonde hair with hints of gray speckled throughout.
The man stepped forward, extending his hand. "Welcome, Chief of State," he said curtly.
"Thank you, General Phennir," Dorvan replied, shaking his hand and showing him a neutral expression. Turr Phennir had been the Confederation's Supreme Military Commander since the Second Civil War, and had shown to be an honorable and respectable individual. Despite this, Dorvan still held some reservations about him given his status as a former Imperial.
Phennir stepped forward to shake Bwua'tu's hand, his counterpart in the Alliance military. They locked eyes for a moment, as if they were attempting to intimidate each other, but said nothing. Teppler then shook Bwua'tu's hand, before he turned back to Dorvan. "Shall we?" he said, gesturing towards the door to the capitol building.
Dorvan nodded, and started toward the building at Teppler's side. "I take it Head of State Reige has already arrived?"
"He arrived a few hours ago alongside a few of his moffs. They have already been quartered."
"Then let's hope we can keep the conference on schedule this year."
Teppler nodded. "Don't worry, we took all the precautions to ensure that things would run smoothly this year." When the conference had last been hosted on Corellia, three years ago, it had been delayed due to mass demonstrations against galactic unification. Although there had been no casualties, Corellian Security officers had had to detain dozens of individuals who were threatening to breach the Capitol building. This had sparked some backlash against the Confederation on Coruscant, although Dorvan had been able to quell much of the dissent against continuing to hold a close relationship with them.
They entered the Capitol, moving into a large, brightly lit hall with a high ceiling that was dotted with chandeliers. Portraits hung on the wall of the most prestigious Corellians in galactic history. Dorvan smiled when he saw the portraits of Han Solo and Wedge Antilles, who were the two most recent additions to the wall.
"They were given spots just last month," Teppler remarked, noticing Dorvan's interest in the portraits. "There were some objections, given their… allegiances, during the Second Civil War, but ultimately their feats were too great to ignore."
"It would've been a shame to see them excluded based upon their loyalty to the state."
"Indeed it would have."
"I can imagine that Solo protested as well?" Dorvan asked.
"He did," Teppler said, grinning. "But I think even he knew that this was far too great an honor to turn down. And well, I'm sure his wife also had a place in convincing him."
"She does that sort of thing," Dorvan agreed, as the group continued on down the hall. When they reached its end, four CorSec officers stood waiting for them.
Teppler looked at Dorvan. "They will escort you to your staff's offices so all of you can get set up for the week. When you are ready to depart for your quarters, they will take you there as well."
"Thank you, Chief of State. Your hospitality is appreciated," Dorvan said.
Teppler gave a final nod to Dorvan, and then to Bwua'tu, before he strode off with General Phennir and his staff. Dorvan watched him go, before looking to see that the CorSec officers were waiting for them at the doors opposite of where Teppler had gone. He quickly moved over to them as they led him through and into the office wing of the Capitol.
"Imperial offices are over there," an officer said to Dorvan, pointing down the hall to the right.
Dorvan gave a wistful nod, before following them down the leftward hall. As he walked, he noticed that Bwua'tu had moved up in the group and was now directly beside him. "Is there something I should know?" Dorvan asked, curious as to why the Bothan had joined him.
"I just wanted to recommend that you have your own personal guard escort you to your quarters."
Dorvan looked at him, curious. "You don't trust Teppler's?"
"It's not that I don't trust them, it's just that I want to ensure that you are protected by those you can trust entirely."
"Well don't worry, I already planned to have them meet us at our office. We already had two in the group, and I felt that any more may have given Teppler the wrong message."
Bwua'tu shrugged. "To be fair, the last time we were here Corellian extremists delayed the conference. You have every right to be worried."
"I guess I'm just more trusting than you."
Bwua'tu's expression darkened. "Trust is a good thing, as long as you know where to place it."
"I assure you, Admiral, I've been in politics long enough to know where to place my trust."
"I don't doubt it."
Dorvan waited for him to continue, only to find that the admiral had nothing left to say. When they reached the doors to the Alliance offices, the CorSec officers told them they would be outside, and allowed them privacy within. Inside the door was a large waiting room. Two large sofas sat in the center, with a small foot table in between them. A small kitchen area sat on the right side, equipped with caf machines, refrigerators, and other appliances. The other side of the room came equipped with a holotable and a holoscreen, which currently displayed a holovid of what was happening inside the Capitol Rotunda. On either side of the room were short hallways with private offices on either side, which Dorvan assumed would be equipped with the basic necessities they may need during their stay on Corellia.
He moved toward one of the couches, collapsing down upon it as the rest of the group filed into the office. Desha Lor approached him first, still pushing his suitcase through the air. "Is everything alright, sir?"
"Oh I'm fine," he said. "Just a bit tired. I think I may just sleep right here tonight."
"That may not be the best idea," Bwua'tu said, who was now standing next to Lor. "I suggest that we get everything setup now so we won't have to worry about it tomorrow."
Dorvan, now sitting up, nodded. "Agreed." He stood up, moving to the front of the room. "Everyone!" he called out. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and looked at him. "I want to thank all of you for accompanying me here today. We have a lot to look forward to over the next few days, but right now it's important that we get everything put together here as quickly as possible. When we finish we can all head to our quarters and get a good night's rest before the conference begins tomorrow." After getting a few nods from those in the crowd, he grabbed his bag and headed down the hall toward his office. Though Desha protested, he closed the door behind him, giving him privacy at last.
He reached down into his coat pocket, allowing Pocket to be lifted out on the top of his hand. After setting the little Chitlik down on his desk, he opened up his bag and pulled the small travel cage he always kept with him. Pocket eagerly jumped inside of it, and Dorvan rewarded him by feeding him a fistful of treats. Smiling, he said, "There you go, buddy," as he watched the Chitlik gulp them down. He then began to unpack the rest of his bag, placing essential items down around the room. Ten minutes later, he finished.
Exhausted, he sat down in the chair that was pushed into the desk. Although it may not have been as comfortable as the one back in his office on Coruscant, at that moment it felt like the most comfortable chair in the galaxy. I could fall asleep here. Hopefully Desha won't get too mad. The thought made him smile, as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off. He knew that somebody would come wake him up soon enough, so there was nothing stopping him from doing so. Besides, being the most powerful person in the galaxy did not disqualify him from taking naps.
FOUNTAIN PALACE, HAPES
"The life of a queen is not an easy one," said Tenel Ka Djo, Queen Mother of the Hapes Consortium. "Anxiety, stress, and loneliness are all common emotions that threaten to overtake us. Danger lurks around every corner, as rival houses threaten to upend the peace that is ever so fragile." Tenel Ka smiled, gazing out at the sunset from the balcony of her residence within the Fountain Palace. "But it can also be quite rewarding." She turned her head to the right, looking upon the form of her fourteen year old daughter. "And I promise to do everything in my power to prepare you to become the Queen Mother. So that when the time comes, you will be far more prepared than I ever was."
Allana Djo Solo looked at her mother, pushing locks of red hair out of her eyes. She smiled, her gray eyes squinting through the evening sun. "Sounds like a hard life."
Tenel Ka laughed, the sarcasm in her daughter's voice taking her off guard. "Well of course it is, and it's one I wouldn't wish upon most beings in the galaxy." Her expression hardened, as she placed a hand on Allana's shoulder. "But I trust- I know - that you will be ready. Far readier than I was, and you will be a far better Queen than I've ever been."
Allana smiled, saying nothing. She returned her gaze back to the sunset, which was casting pink lights across the sky as it descended below the horizon. They stayed on the balcony until it had completely disappeared, when a guard approached them from behind.
"Queen Mother," she said. "I must advise that you and your daughter come inside. Darkness brings danger."
Tenel Ka grimaced. "Of course." Beckoning for Allana to follow her, she trailed the guard back inside the palace. They entered the living room of Tenel Ka's residence, and were immediately greeted by Allana's pet Nexu, Anji. Despite being almost two meters long and weighing 200 kilograms, Allana's attachment to the animal had never wavered, since she was gifted it by her grandmother when she was seven years old.
Allana bent down to greet Anji, scratching its back as it rubbed up against her legs. "Darkness brings danger, huh," Allana said as she petted the Nexu. "A little protective, wouldn't you say? We are both Jedi, after all."
Tenel Ka grimaced. "The guards just want to take every precaution. Given recent events, I can hardly blame them."
Allana sighed. "So Jai- Master Solo says."
Tenel Ka chuckled. The formality of Allana's relationship with her aunt had grown difficult in recent years, since Jaina had taken her niece on as an apprentice. The pairing had seemed like a natural continuation for Jaina, since she was taught by her aunt during the Yuuzhan Vong War. During these past few weeks, Jaina had been tasked by the Jedi Council with investigating the recent terrorist attacks against the Hapan government, including multiple that had appeared to be direct attempts on Tenel Ka's life. Jaina had seized the opportunity, allowing Allana to spend time with her mother while she worked on the investigation with Hapan Security.
"Speaking of your master," Tenel Ka said. "Have you heard from her when she'll be back?"
Allana nodded. "Sounds like she and Zekk will be back tomorrow. I don't know if we will leave then, though."
Tenel Ka shook her head. "I don't think you'll be leaving. Unless the Jedi Council directly calls her back, Master Solo will stop at nothing to root out the perpetrators of the attacks." Tenel Ka sighed reminiscing on the past. "Much like your father was."
Allana grimaced. Her father was Jacen Solo, twin brother of Jaina and former galactic hero turned villain. His actions during the Corellian Crisis ten years ago had ignited the Second Galactic Civil War, during which he had committed numerous war crimes under the title of Darth Caedus. He had been killed by Jaina at the end of the war, a fact that still haunted their family today.
"I think I'll head back to my room, if you don't mind," Allana said. "I've still got loads of studying to do before Master Solo returns."
Tenel Ka nodded. "I don't mind at all. And I'd hate to see her be angry with you."
"Oh she wouldn't be angry, only disappointed."
"We both know that's worse."
Allana laughed, and headed into one of the hallways adjacent to the living room with Anji in tow, leaving Tenel Ka alone in the living room.
HAPAN SECURITY HEADQUARTERS, HAPES
Jaina Solo watched the hologram play out with a hand on her chin, studying its every detail. It showed the grounds outside the Fountain Palace two days ago, where a bomb had been set off by the insurgents that had been plaguing Tenel Ka for weeks. Like most of the recordings she had studied, this one revealed little. She could see two men seem to place something in the center of the plaza, before walking away minutes before the detonation.
She shook her head, turning around. "These recordings are useless," she said, speaking to the tall, dark-haired man that stood behind her. "They've shown us nothing we didn't know already."
The dark-haired man, aged similarly to Jaina, showed a small smile. "But we did learn something," he said, walking up to the holoprojector. Inputting a few commands, the hologram zoomed in one of the perpetrators as they walked away from the bombsite. "That man is Keshiri."
Jaina studied the hologram. "Possibly, his skin does look different than that of a normal human. But it's far too difficult to know based on a simple hologram. Humans can take many different forms, Zekk."
"But it wouldn't be surprising if he was, given our current suspicions about the perpetrators. That's what I'm saying." He shrugged. "So at least we'll have something to tell Tenel Ka."
"But we should have more," Jaina said, exasperated. "We've been at this for weeks, and all we've found is that one of the perpetrators may have been Keshiri? Come on Zekk, you know we could do better."
Zekk smirked. "That reminds me, Taryn sent in a report early today, detailing what she and Trista found at the site of the second to last attack."
"And?"
"They found a transmitter containing information about the planet Sorvleen."
Jaina frowned. "The lost tribe's colony world…."
"Mhm."
"But how could any of them escape? They are under constant surveillance by over a dozen Jedi."
"That's a question for them, not me. I haven't been off Hapes in over a year."
"Of course," Jaina said. "Sometimes I miss the days of the two of us running around the galaxy solving problems."
"Well, we aren't kids anymore. Maybe we can do that again someday, but right now my duty lies here on Hapes, just as yours lies with Allana and the Jedi Council."
"Yeah, you're right." Jaina grabbed the holo disc out of the projector, placing it in her coat pocket. "What time do we meet Tenel Ka tomorrow again?"
"0700."
Jaina grimaced. "Right, bright and early." She started towards the door. "Well, I best head to bed. See you in the morning."
Zekk. "See you then."
The next morning, the two of them entered into a speeder and flew across the Royal City, arriving at the Fountain Palace as the sun was rising. When they entered the situation room, Tenel Ka was already present, along with Allana and her defense minister.
"Jaina, Zekk!" Tenel Ka exclaimed. "I hope your investigation has proved successful."
Jaina grimaced. "I'm not sure if successful is the word I'd use, but we have learned some information."
"Well, some information is better than none." She gestured towards the holotable, "please, enlighten us."
Zekk stepped forward and inserted the holo disc into the table. A hologram of the Fountain Palace grounds appeared, showing numerous people lounging about inside of them. "This footage was captured three days ago, when the latest attack occurred," Zekk said, starting the footage. He let it play out in full, showing the bomb go off and the people begin to run about screaming. After it was finished, he went back to the point just before the bomb went off, zooming in on a group of four people. "These are the perpetrators, three humans, one near-human." He focused the hologram on the near-human. "The near-human is of particular interest to us, as based upon this hologram he appears to have the features of a Keshiri, a race with close ties to the Lost Tribe of the Sith."
"You think the Sith are involved?" the Defense Minister interjected.
"We can't know for sure," said Jaina, answering for Zekk. "But the prospect seems likely. Especially since Taryn Zel found a transmitter at one of the bomb sites with information on the planet Sorvleen."
"What's on Sorvleen?" asked Allana.
"That's where the Lost Tribe is currently located, where they are under Jedi surveillance," Zekk said.
"If the Lost Tribe is under constant surveillance, how would they have been able to send members to commit these attacks? Surely the Jedi wouldn't allow that to happen."
Jaina shook her head. "No they wouldn't. The prospect that Sith could've escaped from Sorvleen is far-fetched."
The Defense Minister pursed her lips. "Is that all you can tell us? That Sith may have been involved?"
"Unfortunately, yes. The investigation has proved extremely difficult. Whoever the perpetrators are, they are doing a very thorough job of covering their tracks," said Zekk.
"Well, for what it's worth, I appreciate the effort," said Tenel Ka, showing a small smile. "Although I assume you will continue the investigation until you find something more concrete."
"Of course, your majesty."
"And if there are any troops or resources you may need, don't hesitate to ask," said the Defense Minister.
Tenel Ka nodded. "Thank you."
Zekk moved to take the disc from the holotable, while Jaina stepped next to Allana. She smiled at the fourteen year-old, placing her hand on her shoulder. "How are you doing?"
"Good, I think," Allana said. "Although some of the things Mom has taught me about being Queen Mother don't make me all too excited for the future."
Jaina laughed. "That is the last thing you should be worrying about right now. Your mom still has plenty of years left in her, and you need to focus on your training."
"I know, but it's still scary. So much will be expected of me when I'm older. Not only am I the daughter of one of the most powerful Jedi ever, but I'm also heir to the throne of a nation."
Jaina showed a small smile. She knew of Allana's potential future as a Jedi Queen of the galaxy, and that it was that vision that had scared multiple Sith masters during the Abeloth conflict. "Your mom and I will make sure that you are ready for everything that is to come in your life, Allana. You shouldn't worry at the age you're at."
"I'll try."
Jaina nodded. "Well, I must return to my work with Zekk. I'll see you soon." She turned away, before remembering one last thing, "Keep up with your studies! I'll test you when I see you next," she said playfully. She heard Allana laugh, as she rejoined Zekk and walked out of the room.
When they got back into their speeder, Zekk looked over at her as she lifted it off the hangar floor. "I've got a new lead."
"This soon?"
He nodded. "Head for the Valentine Forest, we'll meet Taryn and her team there. Sounds like they have more information for us."
"Well, you're the boss in this case." She veered the speeder off its current course, turning it towards the forest. "Let's hope this lead actually gives us something."
"Yeah… something."
The speeder continued into the forest, leaving the city behind.