In a hallway of the temporary Senate building on Mon Cala

Luke Skywalker rushes to Head of State Cal Omas' office. He wants to talk to the Alderaanian about setting up a body the likes of which has never been seen in the history of the Old and the New Republic ever. Fyor Rodan approaches him. The extremely conservative senator from the planet Commenor is not exactly considered a friend of the Jedi.

"Well, Skywalker, what Jedi matter brings you here to the Senate now?" asks Fyor Rodan aggressively.

"The fate of the New Republic is always a Jedi matter," Luke explains confidently.

"As far as I know, Tsavong Lah and his troops deserted to us of their own free will," Rodan begins a new attack. "So the Jedi have to face tremendous competition when it comes to ensuring the security of the New Republic."

"It's a shame you see it that way, Senator," Luke says regretfully. "It was you who inspired me to encourage innovation in the political structure of the New Republic - and now it is coming."

"Me?" Rodan wonders. "So if that means that from now on you place your Jedi under trained military officers so that they serve the Republic like all ordinary citizens, and without any ifs and buts, then I would be really happy about that."

Luke flashes a smile. "Senator Rodan, a democracy is not about unconditional subordination like in the military, but about equal participation and co-determination. And that of course includes me and… as you put it in this house two days ago… my cohorts."

"Which committee are we actually talking about here?" asks Fyor Rodan, alarmed.

Luke's smile widens. "You sound like a political journalist. Do you also have a media card? If not, you might want to get one."

Fyor Rodan's expression tightens as if a punch had struck his face. "I have no intention of writing an article," he replies offended. "I'm just trying to understand the situation."

"Senator, I recently asked you what role you would see for the Jedi in this war. Your response wasn't particularly productive, so I and a few other people gave it some thought."

"You're making it exciting, Skywalker," Rodan hisses.

"And it will be exciting," confirms Luke. "If you want to stay up to date, consult the news ticker from the Head of State's Office. Soon there will be an announcement from there about the creation of the High Council, along with a list of all its members."

"A High Council?" Rodan snaps.

"A High Council in which the most important decision-makers and leaders of the New Republic will have a voice," explains Luke. "A body whose decisions are intended to help coordinate the work of the Senate with that of the Jedi and other groups."

"Oh!" Fyor Rodan's voice sounds upset. "And of course you also sit on this council, certainly just like Head of State Cal Omas, who supports you anyway!"

There's regret in Luke's voice. "If you had been more cooperative back then, a seat on the High Council would have been yours, Senator Rodan."

"Then this High Council is still above our elected government!" Fyor Rodan's blue eyes sparkle maliciously. "And what's next? Will you perhaps invite the deserted Yuuzhan Vong Warmaster to the new council?"

Luke senses, even without the Force's help, that Rodan's last question is meant to be sarcastic, and he's already enjoying the Senator's reaction to his answer. "Tsavong Lah has already agreed."

"You …!" Fyor Rodan gasps for air as if Luke Skywalker had used a Force hold. "…Yes! ... After Tsavong Lah's ultimatum on Duro, I would have been only too happy to hand you and your kind over to the Warmaster before you hand over the entire New Republic to him!"

"Calm down, Senator," Luke says conciliatorily. "I have a lot of other things to do. Please understand that I must end this conversation now."

He leaves the angry senator and continues towards Cal Omas' office. Luke Skywalker knows that the following conversation will be much more pleasant.

༺༻

Meanwhile in Admiral Traest Kre'fey's office

When Tsavong Lah enters the Bothan's office, the host's white fur is very bristling and his purple eyes sparkle aggressively. Tsavong Lah has an inkling that this could have something to do with the death of Kre'fey's fellow species Borsk Fey'lya, who was head of state until the Yuuzhan Vong reached Coruscant, when Tsavong Lah, came, saw and conquered. And that's exactly what the tall Yuuzhan Vong is planning to do again, albeit this time with different means.

Kre'fey places his hands on the table, his thumbs together pointing directly at the Warmaster. "So you want to join the New Republic with your forces."

"That's exactly how it is."

"What were you thinking?" asks the Bothan admiral sternly.

"I have realized that it is not the will of the gods for my people to conquer this galaxy," says Tsavong Lah. "And I and my people are willing to repair any damage our troops have caused."

"Ha! Such words come far too easily from your frayed lips," the Bothan says to the Yuuzhan Vong.

Tsavong Lah realizes that the military is trying to provoke him and keeps calm. "Well, we certainly have our resources. We can regreen devastated planets and provide them with a new atmosphere. We can also reassemble Sernpidal, which has been broken into several pieces, using Dovin basals and Blorash super glue – then the planet will be as good as new again."

"You might have some nerve!" rumbles Kre'fey. "You can decontaminate planets and rebuild buildings, but what about the billions of dead? New beings must be conceived and raised; Depending on the species, this takes up to twenty years!"

Tsavong Lah smiles away the admiral's concerns, or at least he tries to. "As a show of goodwill, I will personally place all of my troops under your command, Admiral."

Kre'fey folds his hands on the table. "And where exactly did the change of heart come from?"

"Jacen's escape from our captivity marked a turning point - as did the failed attempts to capture his twin sister Jaina. And if the gods have shown such resistance to these plans, then they cannot really condone such a war."

"But you demanded the death and extradition of all Jedi on Duro!" the white-furred Bothan shouts angrily.

"Which is no longer valid," replies Tsavong Lah. "From now on, the Jedi are all our friends and protectors, and we will help them to bring peace and order to the galaxy. I have already instructed my commanders to behave with reverence and respect towards the Jedi as part of the Galactic Alliance." His black eyes become blazing fusion furnaces. "The Jedi are the guiding stars of this galaxy! May the blood of their enemies be spread among the stars!"

"Oh my goodness," sighs the Admiral. "Do you know that we Bothans declared the Ar'krai after your attack on Coruscant resulted in the death of Borsk Fey'lya?"

Tsavong Lah shakes his head. Yes, I was right – it's because of Borsk Fey'lya.

"Ar'krai means that all Bothans will fight to exterminate the Yuuzhan Vong to the last man, eradicating this threat to our people from the face of this galaxy once and for all!" thunders Kre'fey. "And now you come here and submit with all your troops and expect us to just forget everything before?"

Tsavong Lah spreads his arms. "Oh you know, Admiral, I announced the destruction of the Jedi on Duro, you declared your Ar'krai. How about we just forget all this and start over? We could actually start planning the reconquest of Coruscant," suggests the Warmaster. "I would be happy to share my experiences with you."

Kre'fey smiles wickedly. "Actually, a very interesting form of atonement." He scratches the white fur on the back of his head. "There must be some reason why Luke Skywalker gave you this seat on the High Council. But I will be in overall command of the operation to retake Coruscant! And you will be monitored. If you make the slightest attempt to deceive us, you will no longer be a Warmaster anywhere and Ar'krai will return to its full power!"

"Thank you for your trust, Admiral."

"That's just an advance payment!" warns Kre'fey. "Now send Jaina Solo in for me!"

Tsavong Lah leaves the office and sees Jaina Solo already standing at the door.

"You're still alive," says Jaina.

"I hope you will too when your interview with the Admiral is over."

Jaina has to laugh. "I hope so."

She goes to the office.

"Jaina Solo, I am very satisfied with your work on Kashyyyk. You have truly brought many new Jedi with you to the battleground I have initiated."

"I saw that Tsavong Lah also brought some Jedi with him."

"Not only that, not only that," says Kre'fey skeptically. "Hardly anyone here knows these Jedi and this Jorallen in particular has been hanging around with Danni Quee for days now."

Jaina laughs embarrassedly. "I'm sure Danni can take good care of herself."

Kre'fey's white fur stands on end at the back of his head. "Intelligence Chief Dif Scaur has already complained to me that Mrs. Quee is neglecting her work on Scaur's top secret project because of this. And so I'm wondering if Tsavong Lah might have something specific in mind with these Jedi. "

Jaina's brown eyes widen. "You think he's some kind of Romeo agent?"

"We'll see about that. Tsavong Lah will travel with you to Kashyyyk and you will train pilots there with him."

Jaina nods. "I was planning on traveling back to Kashyyyk as quickly as possible anyway. There are so many new pilots to train."

"And if the Warmaster tries any crooked tricks, then let me know immediately. This order is of course absolutely unofficial, top secret and remains between us," the military man implores the Jedi.

"You can count on me, Admiral."

As Jaina leaves his office, she sees Tsavong Lah waiting outside. "You were waiting for me?"

"I already told you that I was interested in whether you survived the conversation."

"Warmaster, we need to talk," Jaina says seriously. "I know a room where we won't be disturbed."

They walk into said empty room and Jaina puts her arms on her hips, examining the red scales that cover Tsavong Lah's muscular torso and thighs. "Is that armor?" she asks.

"I have worn them since I became Warmaster of the Yuuzhan Vong. It is impervious to blaster shots and lightsabers."

Jaina furrows her fine eyebrows menacingly. "You know that you will travel with me to Kashyyyk and I will train your pilots there – on X-Wings and other, as you call it, technological abominations?"

A smile appears on Tsavong Lah's frayed lips. "A surprise, no doubt, but a pleasant one."

"How dare you come here and join the New Republic?" Jaina hisses at the Warmaster. "And that's after you threatened me over Hapes to rip my heart out with your own hands!"

Tsavong Lah feels that the moment of truth has come. Of course he can still remember that heated Villip conversation with Jaina two months ago, but the motivation, his motivation... "I... I would give you mine for it."

"What?" Jaina instinctively takes a step back, then approaches the Warmaster again and throws her arms around his neck. "I knew there's good in you too."

Tsavong Lah pulls Jaina close and presses his lips to hers, pushing his tongue into her mouth... and deeper. The hot kiss takes Jaina's breath away and she breaks away. With a loud popping noise, the mouths separate again and Jaina swings her right hand. Her hand hits Tsavong Lah's left cheek and an immensely sweet pain shoots through the Warmaster.

"What was that?" Jaina snaps at Tsavong Lah.

"But that's how we Yuuzhan Vong kiss. You humans are also pretty uptight."

Jaina kneads her hands awkwardly. "Back then with Jag on Borleias, he only touched my mouth briefly. And his lips were completely closed."

"Chiss education," says Tsavong Lah.

"How do you know that?" Jaina blurts out.

"I learned a lot of things about your life. Are you still with him?"

Tsavong Lah chooses not to tell Jaina that the Yuuzhan Vong have planted discreet living devices throughout the galaxy that spy on public places and private quarters, as on Borleias. He will benefit from this network more often.

"I'll sort this out when I see him again," Jaina promises.

He takes her head between his hand and his radank claw. "Then let's do it again – just slower."

"Stop, wait." Jaina wriggles out of his grasp and reaches for her datapad. She types in some data and Tsavong Lah looks over her shoulder with interest. The Holonet research takes maybe a minute, then Jaina closes the device again. "Now I'm ready," says the young woman and now it's she who takes Tsavong Lah's long face in her hands.

The two go back to the spaceport, where the other Jedi and a few military men are waiting for them. Jaina spots Vergere.

"Ah, so the secret service interrupted your questioning," she states.

"Does that bother you, Jaina Solo?" Vergere asks back pointedly.

Jaina turns to Tsavong and gives him a kiss. The tongues of both partners slide just two centimeters into the other person's mouth and a maximum of a few milligrams of body fluid is exchanged. The entire time - and that's a full six seconds - Tsavong Lah and Jaina Solo gently hold each other's shoulders. When the kiss ends, there is almost no sound.

Jaina smiles proudly at everyone. The kiss turned out exactly as it was described as the average kiss for humanoid species on the holonet. But not everyone present is happy about this, especially not Vergere, whose purple plumage is visibly bristling.

"Does that bother you, Vergere?" Jaina asks with a smug tone.

"Well, in the times of the Old Republic there was no such thing, at least not for Jedi," Vergere replies, visibly disdaining.

"It's nice that you're here, Vergere," says Tsavong Lah to calm things down. "Then we can play Dejarik together again soon."

Jaina punches Tsavong Lah in the side. "But only after I teach you Sabacc."

"At least he kisses properly," Han Solo whispers to his wife. "If he had shoved his tongue miles down her throat, as I would suspect this fanatical species would do, I would have freaked out!"

Leia shakes her head. "No, darling, I still don't like the whole thing."

"You didn't want Jaina to marry that Imperial fighter pilot," Han reminds his wife. "This is what you get now!"

Back on his command ship, Tsavong Lah goes to a Villip. Two human New Republic soldiers, wearing translation worms in their ears to understand the language of the former enemies, stand there to prevent betrayal via the organic communicators but the Warmaster has no such plans.

Tsavong Lah strokes the villip and it turns inside out to reveal Harrar's face.

"You know that you are now considered a traitor and that Shimrra is demanding your head," the priest begins the conversation.

"I'm aware of that, but that's not why I contacted you."

"What can someone like you want?" says Harrar condescendingly.

"Thank you for your advice regarding my radank arm."

"Then the limb is now growing properly? With the help of the doctors of the New Republic?" asks Harrar.

"Nothing like that," assures the Warmaster. "But you were right, Your Eminence. It was a problem for gods, not shapers. May Ghithra Dal wreak havoc with its own poisons. Since the shaper stopped examining my arm, everything has been fine."

"You realize that I will never be happy for a traitor like you," Harrar says sternly.

"The joy of the gods in me and my actions is enough for me," Tsavong Lah replies modestly and turns the villip inside out again.

It is clear to him that his friend can no longer publicly declare his support, but Tsavong Lah also knows that this game of hide-and-seek will come to an end at some point and he will do everything to ensure that this day will come soon.