Darth Baras paced in his office, watching the holorecording. Captain Quinn waited quietly, out of his way. In the recording, Darth Jadus pulled Lord Mau'te's lightsaber from his belt, and Mau'te stopped the hilt and pulled it back.

"Ten minutes," Baras said. "Against Darth Jadus."

"Lord Mau'te's stance was purely defensive, my lord," Quinn said.

Baras replayed the part where Jadus rushed forward, and Mau'te knocked him back with a punch. "I can't follow that move. Mau'te made it look easy." He moved forward to the fight. "Ten minutes. Ten fucking minutes against the second most powerful Sith Lord alive. Malgus could last that long. Marr, Vengean, even Arho. But some fucking Twi'lek? He's not even a Darth. Ten minutes against Jadus is an eternity!"

"Yes, my lord," Quinn said.

"And Nomen Karr," Baras said. "He fought me to a standstill."

"That was many years ago, my lord," Quinn said.

"For both of us! According to you, Lord Mau'te made it look easy."

Quinn said, "It is true, Lord Mau'te did not consider Nomen Karr a significant challenge. Still, the fight lasted twenty minutes."

"We fought for an hour to a tie," Baras said. He watched the recording again. "He's smiling. The whole time, he's smiling."

"Yes, my lord," Quinn said. "I believe he resented his-"

Baras waited. "His what? You mean, his brother's victory over Darth Angral. Lord Mau'te was upset, because his brother got a better fight. Our last match, I beat Angral, but just barely."

Quinn said nothing.

"Every apprentice holds back," Baras said. "You never know how much until they make their move."

"Yes, my lord."

"Where is he?" Baras asked.

"Attending the Champion's dinner for the Great Hunt," Quinn said. "His cousin won."

"Interesting family," Baras said. He turned off the holo. "Find out how much he's hiding. I need to know how much of a threat Lord Mau'te really is."

"Of course, my lord," Quinn said.

"Was Lord Mau'te affected by Jadus?"

"No, my lord," Quinn said. "But he was not the only one. A Dashade was there. He did not seem affected either."

"The Dashade I can believe," Baras said. "But, Lord Mau'te should have felt something. Very well. That's all for now."

"Lord Mau'te," Baras said. "I hear double congratulations are in order. Your cousin won the Great Hunt and, of course, you have named Lady Vette as your consort." He turned to Vette. "My former apprentice was right in not killing you. I have met few consorts who have deserved the title 'Lady' so much as you."

"Uh, thanks," Vette said.

Baras chuckled. "On to business. My master on the Dark Council, Darth Vengean, wants war. Not petty skirmishes that tiptoe around the Treaty of Coruscant, but open warfare."

"Angral was not enough?" Mau'te said.

Baras said, "Angral hoarded superweapons and pursued revenge. He wasted such power on Uphrades and Tython. He wanted to kill farmers and Padawans. Instead, he gave the Republic a hero to rally around and a great victory to inspire them."

"Yes," Mau'te said. "Most inspiring."

"A difficult subject, Lord Mau'te?" Baras said. "It seems my assignments did not challenge you fully."

"I was your apprentice," Mau'te said. "I did as instructed."

"So you did," Baras said. "Vengean has tasked me with finding a way to compel the rest of the Council to tear up the treaty. I believe I have found a way to move the Dark Council and the Emperor happily toward war. Most think that our inability to find and defeat one man, General Karastace Gonn, kept us from outright victory and forced the negotiated peace."

"I've heard of him," Mau'te said.

"I'm sure you studied him as a Padawan," Baras replied. "General Gonn operates from the shadows, a phantom single-handedly preventing the fringe systems from falling to us. After years without a hint of his whereabouts, I've learned that he's meeting on Nar Shaddaa with traitorous Imperial agents. You will go there, and you will kill him."

"Who are these traitorous agents?" Mau'te said.

"Gonn maintains the fringe systems by anticipating our moves," Baras said. "These traitors supply his information. Anyone meeting with General Gonn is guilty of treason and must be eradicated. We will not appear weak on this."

"Understood," Mau'te said.

"Without Gonn," Baras said. "The fringe systems will fall. Control of the outlying planets will be a great advantage. So, to Nar Shaddaa. And deliver Darth Vengean's red carpet to war."

Mau'te said nothing all the way to the spaceport. Once the Juggernaut had lifted off, he said, "Captain, did Baras tell you how he found Gonn?"

"He did not, my lord," Quinn said.

"Impressions?" Mau'te asked of anyone.

"Kind of convenient," Vette said.

"My thoughts exactly," Mau'te replied. "The traitors are double agents. Baras has been feeding Gonn his data. Some of it, anyway. I'm sure some of Gonn's allies are genuine traitors."

Quinn said, "To what end?"

Mau'te considered for a moment. "This was his original plan. Jaesa forced him to adjust. With that matter settled, he can get back to business. I was never the best choice to search for Jaesa. An inquisitor could have accomplished the job with less... drama."

"You mean 'killing'," Vette said.

Mau'te said, "You say that like it's important." She rolled her eyes. "But," he said. "Starting a war? I was made for that. I only hope this Gonn is a decent challenge." He looked over at Jaesa. "Problem?"

"This will be my first time fighting against Republic troops," she said.

"I went through the same thing," Mau'te said. "You'll get used to it. In combat, one side is much like another. You'll find good and bad on both sides."

"Yes, master," Jaesa said.

When they reached the meeting, Mau'te and Quinn killed the guards, and Mau'te cut his way into the room.

"General Gonn," Mau'te said. The door to the room hovered in front of him like a shield. "Lord Mau'te Onoka. I'm here to kill you."

Someone yelled, "Rally around the general!"

"What's this, Fawste?" Gonn said. "Have you double-crossed me?"

"Double-cross is such a narcissistic term, General," Mau'te said. "'Duped you' is far more accurate. A man like you must use undercover operatives."

"I think I can guess who you are, Sith," Gonn said. "For all of Darth Baras's covert manipulations, you have banged around the galaxy rather loudly. Now Baras has finally found me... I'll have to be more careful moving forward."

"I'm curious, General," Mau'te said. "How did a man with your reputation get caught so easily?"

"For the information I provided," a new voice said. "I helped a Jedi land on Hoth undetected. I believe he's searching for something in the starship graveyard wreckage. But that's all I know."

"But not all General Gonn knows," Mau'te said. "Very good. When this is over, go back to Hoth and try to learn more about this. For now, attack." He threw the door at the Republic troops and attacked.

By the end, half of the Imperial troops were dead, the other half injured. All of the Republic troops were dead.

"Name?" Mau'te asked.

"Lieutenant Fawste, my lord. Imperial Intelligence. How did you know we weren't really traitors?"

Mau'te said, "Don't ask the question when you don't want the answer."

"Yes, my lord," Fawste said.

"Did you report the information about the Jedi to your superiors?" Quinn asked.

"Yes, sir," Fawste said. "To Minder Seventeen."

"I'll make note of it," Quinn said.

When they returned to the speeder, Mau'te said, "You held back, Jaesa."

"I'm sorry, master."

"I understand," Mau'te replied. "Were they genuine traitors or not?"

"I didn't look too closely," Jaesa said. "But I don't believe they were traitors."

"We encounter a great deal of ambiguity," Mau'te said. "Scan everyone, and report later."

"Yes, master."

"My lord," Quinn said. "Was it wise to let the Imperials live? Darth Baras was very specific."

"The Jedi on Hoth was real," Mau'te said. "Gonn was far too careful to fall for a lie. He must have known about the Jedi already. Fawste and his men lured Gonn with real information. If that Jedi was important to Gonn, he's important to me."

"And Fawste and his men are already working on it," Quinn said. "I understand, my lord."

"What did you think, Vette?" Mau'te asked.

"Gonn wasn't surprised you were there," she said. "But he thought he could beat you."

"He didn't care if Fawste was a real traitor," Mau'te said. "Interesting take on it. He did jump to Baras quickly. The smart money would have been Vengean. The General certainly deserved his reputation."

In the office of Darth Baras, hovering above the desk in a holo, stood Darth Vengean, Head of the Sphere of Military Offense. "Baras, was it you who took out General Gonn?"

"It was, Lord Vengean," Baras said. "The fringe systems are now ripe for the taking."

Vengean smiled. "Such an advantage will prod the rest of the Council out of passivity. They will see war is the only answer. You have delivered- Who dares interrupt? Baras, who is this?"

Baras turned and saw Mau'te enter the room with Quinn at his side. He said, "This is my most accomplished apprentice, my lord. And the killer of Gonn. Lord Mau'te Onoka."

"Your destruction of General Gonn earns you my favor, young one," Vengean said. "Today." He looked at Mau'te carefully. "You were the Twi'lek in the spaceport, were you not?"

"I was, my lord," Mau'te said.

"I asked Jadus about you," Vengean said. "He only laughed. A rare sound from Jadus."

Mau'te said, "Perhaps I amused him."

"Something did," Vengean said. "Baras, it is time. I will send my destroyer to the fringe systems, and they will be mine before anyone is the wiser. The order is given. Enact Plan Zero. Vengean out."

"I have waited a long time for this order," Baras said. "Plan Zero is the systematic elimination of the Republic's top military leaders. A preemptive strike that will leave the enemy headless. I have been tracking the targets for years in anticipation of Plan Zero. Make ready your ship. I will contact you there."

Mau'te smiled. "Understood." He and Quinn departed.

"A great honor, my lord," Quinn said. "To meet a member of the Dark Council."

"You're not a fool, Captain," Mau'te said. "I wasn't needed at that meeting. Vengean wanted to see me for himself." Mau'te smiled again. "He wanted to know why Jadus was laughing."