"Reflections and Discovery"
By: Rylaa Lyssander - PC
Lani Vissip - NPC+
Colonel Kurt von Shultz - NPC+

Location: Avalon VI
Date: Rheudis 4, 4ABY

***30 miles east of the dig site***

Colonel Kurt von Shultz, Imperial Army, made a slight adjustment to the uniform that hung on his slight frame. As he looked over himself in the floor length mirror he couldn't help but admire the way it seemed to fit him. The shoulder boards of the tunic did wonders to make him look bigger than he really was. He really did cut quite a dashing figure, all of his officers agreed.

Kurt frowned. They were all bootlickers of course, the sort that the army favored. Not his army though. Perhaps he should have one of them executed as an example to the rest. He wanted to show them they he trusted honesty, not brownnosing.

No, he decided while fixing his cap over his brown thinning hair. There were too few officers to go around as it was and he had no way of receiving reinforcements until the Indefinable got back from its mission to the core. Besides, while they were asskissers, they were still the best he had.

Kurt brushed some imaginary lint from his sleeve and straightened up his tunic again before deciding that he was presentable enough to be seen by his men. He lifted the flap to his large jungle tent and looked over the encampment.

Most of the camp itself consisted of the large tents that housed his hundred elite storm troopers. The other several thousand under his command were all back aboard his Star Destroyer. Off to one side was a tarmac made of hastily poured duracrete over soft earth that housed his minor motor pool. It mostly consisted of the speeder bikes his scouts used. Standing next to each other though, were the pair of ATSTs he had brought along. Kurt planned to use them on the republic scientists very soon.

A pair of scout troopers on their camouflaged speeder bikes roared past and into the jungle as Kurt stepped into the light of the new day. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Today was going to be a good day.

***Avalonian Mountains, near the Imperial Perimeter***

It was not a good day for storm trooper AV-1402. The long bladed vibro-knife slipped under his helmet, through his jaw, and bit deeply into his brain. He was dead before he could even realize what has happened to him. The knife withdrew swiftly and AV-1402's body slumped to the jungle floor.

Lani emerged from underneath her gilli blanket she had been using to conceal herself. The knife was wiped off on the blanket before it was resheathed. The body of the storm trooper was quickly concealed by her homemade blanket. There was no need to hide the body further, by nightfall the scavengers of the jungle would had picked it to bones.

There was a small twinge on her conscious as she walked away from the dead Imperial. She had sworn never to kill again after she had left the Rebel SpecFor. That oath had remained true until she had met Rylaa again while onboard the shipyards orbiting Tae'karada.

The Trandoshan bounty hunter onboard Drogen had been her first kill in a long time. It had shamed her that she felt satisfaction at the sound of his neck breaking and the look in his eyes as life slipped away. It had felt right to kill the storm trooper just now, though, and she felt no guilt. Something inside her was changing, she knew it. But whether or not the change was for the better had yet to be decided upon.

Something inside Rylaa was changing as well. Ever since his meeting with the arch-criminal Dargus Kandran he had become more, well...ruthless. He had gone from being a cheerful smuggler who disliked killing so much he carried around an oversized stunner to a powerful corporate CEO with lofty ambitions of rebuilding his lost empire. He did not seem to care any more about who he had to step on to achieve his goals.

The slaughter in the desert had proved that.

And yet, she knew that he cared for her, probably more than just as a friend though he might not know it. Lani knew that she cared for him too. Whenever she was around him, she felt comfortable and relaxed. It was as if somehow his presence was able to put her inner demons to rest. She may not have agreed what he did in the desert to the innocent men and women, but she still supported him in everything that he did.

Lani shook her head to clear her thoughts. What was wrong with her? All these thoughts and reflections about Rylaa were muddling her mind and making it hard for her to concentrate on her mission.

As her surroundings came more into focus, she realized that she had walked much further than she intended and was now standing at the edge of the jungle high up on the mountain slope. Down in a wide valley was the imperial camp, in view for all to see. They had made no attempts to hide themselves at all. She blinked at her luck. It was almost as if something had guided her here while her attention was elsewhere.

Yeah right, she thought sarcastically. Maybe it was the Force that guided me here! Heh, or maybe it was my dead grandmother. Either way, I better make the most of it.

She knelt down and pulled a pair of electrobinoculars out from her utility belt. Rylaa would want a detailed account of the imp camp and a disposition of the Empire forces. He could have a very tactical mind when he decided to use it.

Now there's a pompous little ass, she thought as she scanned the camp. A very thin, short man with the rank bars of a colonel was strutting around the camp like peacock in heat. While she watched, the colonel stopped to dress down a storm trooper for having a bit of a smudge on his armor.

Twit, she thought. But no matter, I'd better get this data to Rylaa.

Lani stood up and slipped the electrobinoculars back into her belt pouch. She took one last look in the direction where the storm trooper had met his end before dashing off through the jungle underbrush.

***Dig Site***

Rylaa was sitting inside his pre-fab shelter reading some of the reports the scientists had filed. They were still upset at the apparent death of their two colleagues and it was reflected in their writings.

The door swooshed open and a dirt covered Lani strode through. She was still wearing the form-fitting camouflage jumpsuit he had last seen her in three days ago. Rylaa took a moment to admire her curves through the thin fabric. As she moved he could see her cable-strong muscles ripple.

"I found them," she said, snapping his brain back into reality.

"Really?" he asked. "Outstanding! Where are they?"

"Not far from here," Lani replied, "about thirty kliks northeast of here. They're very close to that Grelkin village you pointed out to me the other day."

"I knew it!" Rylaa exclaimed and pounded a fist into his hand. "Those bastards must be controlling the natives somehow. But that doesn't matter, we attack in two days."

"Attack? Rylaa, the Empire forces greatly outnumber us. I saw enough tents for one or two hundred men. There are also two ATSTs out there."

"They may have the numbers, Lani, but we have the technology. They won't be able to stand up against my Firefoxes."

"These aren't backwater militia guards wearing storm trooper armor. These are battle hardened veterans. The real elite of the Empire. Just be glad there aren't any CompForce out there."

"I don't care," Rylaa said. "My battle armor will prove will prove victorious. We attack in two days, no exception. Oh and Lani?"

Lani had turned to leave but she looked over her shoulder and asked, "What?"

"The good Doctor Carlyle needs to leak some information to the Empire. Make sure it's all the wrong stuff. I want to catch them with their pants around their ankles."

Once again Lani sighed at the change that was overcoming both of them. Her first thought had been to kill the doctor outright, in order to prevent anything from leaking out at all. But Rylaa's plan was better. "I'll see to it." With that she turned and walked out the door, still covered in the dirt and grime of the jungle.

---

"Organized Revolt"
By: Ambassador Theen Fida
Captain Dresh Kano
Consular Amii'a Val'or
Master Laedra Vorrel
Master Liam Zaneth
Yelara Neerou
Padawan Cailin Fawkes

Location: Secret Location, Vendra
Date: Rheudis 4, 4 ABY

***

The room was crowded, probably too much so. They weren't able to use any of the official rooms for this, so it wasn't as large or high-tech as it would have been. Though, it was completely understandable. When planning to overthrow the current government, there wasn't really any room to be open in regards to the plans. Extreme care had been taken to make sure the plans would not be leaked. The meeting was taking place on the outskirts of Vendra, far from where Nieme and Dani held power. For the most part, the vacation province had been ignored.

Talara Sorenne listened carefully to all that was being said around her. The crowd was a mix of many different types of people, from Jedi to politicians. She knew that if there was a place for their plans to fail, it would be with the politicians. She stood between Master Liam Zaneth, and her own Jedi Master, Laedra Vorrel.

"The secret accessways we used before won't be available this time," Liam Zaneth was saying. "It appears that after the last attempt, those points have been blocked off. That will limit how we can move so many people in without arousing suspicion, but I am certain we can still make this operation a success."

"The guards just watch outward," Talara spoke up. "Maybe we can come in from above. There are enough spots around the palace that we could land safely. I don't think they would suspect an aerial drop."

Liam gave the Padawan an appraising nod, then looked around the room. "Is that a viable option?"

"It's been done before," Captain Dresh Kano said. "We have the ships in the area to make it work. Before we go in, I'd like to do a trial run past the palace, first. If that succeeds, we can go that way. If our ships are fired upon going through the area, then we'll have to find an alternate route."

"I agree," Liam said, then looked around the room.

"Sources have indicated that Nieme is in possession of an ATST walker," Laedra supplied. "Have we anything to successfully combat that and minimize casualties?"

"What if we were to have a unit commandeer the walker," Theen suggested. "I have seen it done quite well in training exercises. It could then be used to help secure our attack." Theen turned to the New Republic officer, "Captain?"

"It is possible," Dresh Kano said. "The only potential problem is if friend-or-foe indicators aren't updated, and then our people are firing on our own men. I do not believe that should be an issue, however. The benefit would be in denying the opposition of its capabilities, more than bolstering our own. We do have more than enough hardware to help secure the palace. As I understand it, a majority of the troops fighting for the two women are clones, and merely serving a master, so to speak. What are the acceptable levels of force to be used against the other side and securing the throne?"

"I would think that we would want to minimize an all out conflict," Amii'a piped in, a little unsettled with all the planning, yet she knew the Empresses could not stay and she had high hopes in the new monarchy - in the form of Yelara Neerou. "When push comes to shove, those two will not hold back though..." she said in thought.

"They are just clones," Theen said casually. "Bred for battle and serving two maniacal despots! I understand that their loyalties lie with those who sit upon the throne, and that is just the problem we face. If their allegiances are so easily swayed, then I would think it in our best interests to proceed with extreme prejudice."

"True enough," the corpulent Twi'lek representative from Yandrosa huffed as he licked his fingers of some slimy and smelly treat he gorged himself upon. "They are no more than living breathing battle droids, but...an important asset...to, the uh..." he continued as he finished licking his pudgy blue fingers. "Security of the new government, yes!"

Liam Zaneth's gaze fell on Theen Fida and nearly seemed to lower the temperature in the room several degrees. "Does life mean so little to you, Ambassador," he asked. "These so-called clones are just as much people as you or I. Currently, two of the clones are training to be Jedi at the Temple. Several others serve as members of our security force. Their lives began in a laboratory, their genetic make-up duplicates of the donors from whom their DNA came. But this life that you so casually cast off thinks, feels, and dreams just as you do. Because they have been programmed to fight for the throne does not make them less than you or I." He turned to Amii'a. "The ends do not justify the means. Do you honestly believe that we should stoop to their level of warfare because they would use it against us? You would make us no better than Palpatine or Tarkin, or Nieme and Dani. If that is the course this body wishes to follow, the Jedi will take no part in it. If this body believes that the ends justify the means, as guardians of peace, the Jedi must stand against that."

"Excuse our frankness, Master Jedi," Theen replied with some agitation. "These clones will not think twice about destroying us, and all those who oppose Dani and Nieme. I am sure we are all open to suggestions, and of course we would respect and take into account the various beliefs within this room. I share a similar ethic, of course, but we clearly live in different worlds."

"The ends rarely justify the means," Amii'a said. "But what would you suggest when faced against such skilled ruthlessness? We need to get in quick and hard, lest this whole operation will explode across the planet into civil war, putting more lives in danger, Master Jedi. This isn't just a question about ends and means, but about the lives of the citizens of this world and those of who would not think twice to destroy us and all on this world on the order of a pair of failed padawans, who had also trained at your temple," she sniped.

"Ladies and gentleman, please!" another delegate stepped in. "I am sure, though we each harbor different and similar views, none of us desire to take such actions that would make us no better than the villainy we fight against," she said. "I agree, though, with the Jedi in that this new government cannot be founded on such disregard for life. But I also agree with Ambassador Theen and Consular Val'or, in that we should take into account the security and future of this world as it outweighs those of Empresses' clone forces. What can we do in respect to both views? While we argue and debate as such, nothing changes!"

"What of these two that train with you at the Temple, Jedi?" an Aqualish delegate asked. "Is there any way for them to help persuade a loyalty shift with those of their brethren within Arcadia? After all, they would be loyal to Miss Neerou when she is secure on the throne. Our people have an old saying, blood is thicker than water."

"It is possible they may be able to shift the focus of the loyalty for those at the Palace," Liam said. "If we are willing to test that, I am certain the Padawans will be willing to speak with some of the clones if they can get close enough to do so. That would, of course, need to happen prior to an attack. It's a difficult task to negotiate during active hostilities."

"Some of them do carry my child's genetic code," Yelara added gently. "I can, perhaps, help. They don't know me...but maybe the presence of their mother will resonate within them, or at the least awaken some spark of emotion."

"It would have to be tried soon," Theen said. "We have an opportunity to strike, we cannot wait long. The New Republic Embassy has several special commando units at the ready, under the charge of Captain Kano. But should things go awry, the New Republic will disavow any involvement, due to the unfortunate turn of events from the last attack."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Amii'a asked with a hint of anger in her tone.

"There have been several such incidents of involvement that have resulted in severe political backlash," Theen replied. "Officially I am not to have any such involvement with the removal of Dani and Nieme, not after what happened last time. The New Republic does not recognize the Empresses, but they will only recognize Miss Neerou after she is on the throne."

"But the New Republic is willing to help us in this endeavour," Laedra pointed out, glancing towards Dresh. "Your superiors, Ambassador Fida, can't possibly condone what Nieme and Dani are doing, can they? And if so, and your hands are tied, ours are not, rest assured. The Jedi Order is an independent body, and we will make our own decisions in this matter."

"Of course they do not," he said. "I just merely wish to make it understood the official policy my embassy has, I have always been a friend to Tae'Karada, and to the Jedi. Though we do live and operate in somewhat different worlds, I think we both have the same duties to these people. I am more than willing to help, but should this fail as our previous and unfortunate attempt did...there is little else I may be able to do to help Tae'Karada. I am stretching my rather long neck out here, and though I cannot be faulted for what transpired the last time, I do feel an obligation to rectify that mistake and to continue to help and serve the interests of Tae'Karada."

Amii'a was inwardly shocked at the New Republic's stance on these matters, and the way Theen so casually treated the future. She had done much work with him during the Rebellion and during Tae'Karada's fight against Tarkin...not to mention all the alliances and programs they had worked on together for the prospering of Tae'Karada's future. And now upon their most critical day, he seemed rather aloof and indifferent to all that was transpiring.

Perhaps she is right, Amii'a thought to herself as she looked back on some of Theen's most recent meetings and dealings with some of Tae'Karada's more influential political and business leaders.

"The Jedi will follow the lead of the Tae'Karada forces," Liam said. "We will have as many as we are able to provide ready for the attack."

"While officially it is a Tae'Karada operation," Dresh Kano said, "I will be commanding the forces. I'll be happy to have the Jedi available during the attack. However, if you have any advice on how your skills will best be used, I am open to any advice the Council you may give."

Liam bowed.

"The current plan is going to be to go in this evening at midnight," Dresh announced. "Are there any objections to moving so soon?"

"What about the people of Arcadia?" Yelara spoke up. "What if the fighting gets out of hand and spreads into the city? Are we going to be able to protect those innocents?"

"The embassy could have security detachments outside of the palace to help protect the population should this happen," Amii'a said with a look of won't we?!, that flashed across to the Anx Ambassador.

"We could. The safety of the people of course is important, as it is they whom we serve," Theen replied. "However, with plans to attack this midnight, such movement may draw unwanted attention. Unless they are placed at the timing of our strike. I believe that with our sudden attack, and with strategic force, we can very well achieve our objectives with minimal collateral damage."

"A surprise attack, provided there are no spies within our midst leaking all this information back to the Palace," Dresh Kano said, though making a point of not directing a look at any of the various groups' representatives, "our chances of success will be greater, and collateral damage will be diminished." He turned his attention to Yelara. "If you are still willing to approach the clones guarding the front gates, I will have a squad assigned to stay with you. Perhaps Master Zaneth's Padawans accompanying you may be effective as well."

"I'm willing to try," Yelara agreed. "I wish to have Master Zaneth at my side when I do." She smiled faintly at Liam.

Captain Kano glanced to the Jedi Master who nodded. "Very well," he said. "Your actions may gain us admittance into the palace through the front door. I do not believe we will be able to bring any in that way, not without rousing suspicion. Air drops will probably be the best secondary method of deployment. I am recommending a smaller initial strike force, with reserves standing in readiness should they be required."

Dresh Kano swept his gaze around the room and settled back on the Jedi. "I will not be in the thick of the battle. I will be set up in a command post on the outskirts of the city. As much as I hate sitting out of the action, it will give me the best tactical view of the situation, and allow me to better distribute troops. Each unit going in will be a mix of Jedi, New Republic and Tae'Morad troops and other Tae'Karada militia. I will go over detailed battle plans with the unit commanders after this meeting. We will need to be ready to move at 23h30. Are there any questions?"

Each looked to one another, but when it was clear no one had any doubts or reservations, they all regarded Dresh once again. "I imagine," Laedra spoke up, "the only thing left to say is...May the Force be with us in this."

Dresh gave her a nod and a smile. "Very good," he said. "Then I'll see all of you tonight before we go in. Rest, meditate, whatever you need to do beforehand because tonight will be a big night, and in the morning let us hope all of Tae'Karada will thank us. May the Force be with us." With that, he turned and started toward the door.

From where she'd stood for the entire meeting, in a corner, as far from the Jedi as she could place herself, Cailin Fawkes watched. Adam was at her side, and they were ready for whatever needed to happen. She just hoped that they would be helpful enough when the time came. There was a part of her that hoped they found and gave Nieme true justice, but another part of herself feared for the woman. There were moments of true tenderness mixed in with the torment, and despite all that she despised Nieme, she couldn't help feeling slight pity for the woman. Very slight, and she doubted that would save Nieme if she happened across her within the palace.

Liam Zaneth gave a nod to Laedra and Talara, then moved over to stand near Yelara. They would have the rest of the day together, with Yara and Va'Lesh, to prepare themselves for what would happen tonight, and the changes they would face tomorrow. There was no doubt this would be one of those moments that would change the course of history for a planet or people.

---

"Establishing Routines"
By: Chun Li - pilot and PI

Location: Arcadia
Date: Rheudis 4, 4 ABY

***

Li entered the cantina Coalb had told her about. It was time to get to work, and since it was damn cold outside, she had a good reason to be here. She took a place at the bar, from where she could see the corner booth near the Twi'lek dancers, where Zarrak sat most of the time. He wasn't here for the moment, but that didn't matter. In fact, it was better, as she could now study the bar without distractions.

She ordered a lomin-ale, and continued looking around. It wasn't the best bar she had ever been in, not by far, but it wasn't the worst either. It was in the lower half, but the upper lower half. The music wasn't too loud, and the dancers actually looked nice. Maybe she could try to get closer to the Dug that way, but posing as a dancer. She knew she had the agility for it.

"You new here?" the bartender asked when she asked for a refill.

"Yeah, I came over from New Plouton," she said, "I worked in the headquarters of a big bank, and I was transferred to the local branch here in Arcadia." That was also the message she wanted to convey with her clothing, stylish, but not flashy, they were the typical clothing of an employee in the financial sector, like she had seen so many on the street.

"It is very different, isn't it," the bartender asked, "being at headquarters or in a local branch office."

"It is indeed," Li answered, "but the change is nice. And if you ever want to get to higher management, the more different experiences you have, the better."

"That's probably true," the bartender replied, before dashing of to another customer.

Li stayed in the bar for another two hours, but Zarrak never showed up. Not that it was that bad, as it would be better to be established as a customer before he came in, in case Zarrak asked. She would try to come here about four times a week, as coming every day would look suspicious for a banker. They had to work anyway. And she needed time as well to get some record searches done on Zarrak, like what ship he owns, if any, and stuff like that.

After about two to three hours, she left, heading back to the small apartment she had rented.

---

"Call of the Huntress"
By: Kaylee Soras

with Sa'Taka Gal'traq
Taka Mun'daq
and Raek Kan'viq

Location: In space
Date: Rheudis 4, 4ABY

***

The hulking form nearly brushed the ceiling with the top of its head as it spun in place trying to acquire its target. Its eyes searched the room in an array of spectrums, until it finally located its target. A smaller form, much smaller than itself, but, as the bodies of the rest of its unit were a testament, quite deadly. As the lone survivor of the unit left behind to deal with the huntress, it could not fail. It was bred for death, and would not stop until the huntress or itself was no more.

With speed that defied its bulk, it charged. The huntress, from her hiding spot, was ready. Drawing her archaic weapon, she fired. A silver fletched shaft sprouted from chest, abdomen, and left thigh before it was upon her. Taloned fist struck for the huntress' throat. Claws scraped metal and wood, rending the frame of the shelving the huntress had chosen for her hiding spot. Pain in its spine. Without looking, it knew another arrow would have appeared there as well. It spun, but she'd already backed away, firing her primitive weapon in retreat.

The edges of its limbs were cold, numbed. The huntress fired again, and its vision on the left side of its face dimmed. Trying to move forward to carry out its mission proved the truth of the damage done by her weapon. Primitive it may be, but there was no denying its effective deadliness. Knee crashed against ferrocrete floor as its strength began to ebb. Darkness rimmed what remained of its vision. Too late, too slow.

"In the end," it rasped, "you will lose. Your small victory today. It is nothing."

With the final, shuddering breath, life fled the alien form. Its mission was a failure.

***

Kaylee looked down at the soldier as the last of its strength was gone. She recognized death, and the threat against her life had passed. She toed at it with her boot to satisfy that it was truly dead. A foolish act, but one she could not give up. As her mentor had told her, one day she would lose a foot that way.

Today was not that day.

She turned back to the airlock leading back to the bay where her ship was waiting. Keeping bow in hand, and loosening the blade at her waist, she started back. Gal'traq would be long gone with the rest of his force, but she'd heard enough to know the general destination. With that many troops, it had to be an invasion.

The sight that greeted her as she entered the bay killed whatever victorious feelings she may have had at surviving the fight. What remained of her ship was scattered around the bay. She considered herself fortunate that she had chosen not to leave all of her gear in the craft.

Of course, with her ship destroyed, she had no means to get off the transport. Perhaps killing off the strike unit wasn't as much a victory as she'd thought. If she couldn't follow them, she couldn't warn the people ahead of them of the danger drawing near.

Tae'Remok, that's what Gal'traq had said. Now she just had to find a way to get there.

When they had discovered who she was, what she was, they had wasted no time. She couldn't fault the Enemy for their cunning. With another transport so close, they'd taken control of the ship, signaled for help, killed the crew of the other ship, and fled with the other ship, leaving her stranded here with a single unit to take care of her.

A unit hadn't been enough to kill her, but they had served their purpose in keeping her occupied until the rest could be safely away. Kaylee knew that if she ventured to the bridge, it would look very similar to her ship. She was trapped in a drifting hulk with no means to follow the Enemy.

"Well played, you bastard," she muttered as she checked a nearby status display.

As expected, all of the escape pods had been jettisoned. She was truly trapped.

With a sigh, she started back to the cabin where she'd been staying to clean up and change. It wasn't the first time she'd been trapped, and, if she had anything to say about it, it wouldn't be the last.

***

"The Huntress is no longer a concern. We are in hyperspace, and will soon make systemfall in Tae'Remok. Our forces there are ready. Not even a Huntress will be able to stop us now." The speaker, Taka Mun'daq, military adviser with a long career of brilliance in battle, could sound confident under any circumstance. Now was no exception.

"She is certainly dead by now," Kan'viq announced. As the political advisor, Raek Kan'viq had little experience with military matters, and preferred to stay out of the fighting. He had always made claim to fighting his battles through means other than force. Most knew that to be fallacy and that he could be as brutal as any when the need arose. As political adviser, his rank of raek was honorary, but few would doubt his ability, especially within the political arena.

Gal'traq knew that both of his advisors were ambitious and clamouring for greater rank. As the Supreme Commander of the invasion force, he knew the strengths and limitations of everyone under his command, and would fully use each and every one. He knew that Mun'daq and Kan'viq were the best he could hope for on this mission, but he knew very well not to turn his back on Kan'viq lest he find a chata blade there.

Now Gal'traq laughed softly, a truly unpleasant sound. "I would not count on that," he said. "After all, we did only leave one unit for her to deal with. She is trapped on a ship so badly damaged that not even one of the famed Huntresses of Kitari could make it work again. No, I believe that is the last we shall see of her. As soon as we took the ship, you blocked all transmissions off the ship, yes?"

Kan'viq bowed. "Yes, all transmissions were blocked," he said.

"Then perhaps she shall perish, alone in the tomb in which we left her," Gal'traq answered with an equally gruesome smile. "It was unfortunate we were required to kill all aboard and relocate to this new vessel. However, now that we are the masters of this craft, we will be able to move openly, rather than hiding our soldiers and our purpose."

Mun'daq handed a datapad to Kan'viq. "Our other ships are closing in on the system," he said. "Once all are present, we will have a force of sufficient size. Reserves will be ready a day out from the system." He smiled a devious smile. "They will not see this coming."

Again Gal'traq chuckled lowly and brought up the information on the Tae'Remok system. With their agents in place, they would not fail. The system would crumble from within, and then they would crush it from without.

---

"Seizing Destinies, Part 1"
By: Captain Dresh Kano
Administrator Shrezade Anoran
Master Liam Zaneth
Padawan Yara Zaneth
Padawan Va'Lesh Zaneth
Yelara Neerou
Padawan Talara Sorenne
Master Laedra Vorrel
Master Koran Darr
Padawan Cole Slaton
Padawan Vaya Bek
Dani
Nieme Yaresh

Location: Palace of Arcadia, Arcadia
Date: Rheudis 4, 4 ABY

***

"I'll contact you as soon as the fighting is done," Dresh Kano said to the worried face staring back out at him from the comm viewer. "I've got to go, Reza. I love you, and I promise to make it through this. I'll be back with you tonight."

"We'll see about that," she whispered fondly in return, with an undeniable hoarseness to her voice. Before her emotions could betray her, Reza severed the connection.

Dresh Kano snapped off the comm and turned away. The operation wasn't a difficult one, but in his mind those could be the worst. They'd planned things fairly tightly, and had backups for many contingencies. Still, the chance that things would go off the wire were big enough to concern him. He had good people around him, probably some of the best in the sector. If he could rely on anyone else to hold things together, it would be them.

He moved from the comm unit to the other room of the small house they were using as a command post. He nodded to the four waiting in the room, ready to do their part in reclaiming the planet for the people of Tae'Karada. The plan was both complex and simple. Simple in that they would only need to talk to those guarding the doors. Complex in that those same people, soldiers really, guarding the door may not do as expected. The plan relied on the cloned army at Nieme and Dani's disposal swinging their loyalty to the true leader of the planet, rather than the usurpers who had stolen the throne. It was a big risk, but that was why the two Padawans were present. As clones themselves, they might be able to help sway feelings in Yelara's direction. Jedi Master Liam Zaneth would be present in case all else failed.

"Are you certain about this," he asked of Yelara Neerou, future High Princess of the planet. "We can continue with the rest of our plan without endangering your lives in this manner."

"This is a crucial time," Yelara replied with great poise, despite the fear welling within. "If I can't be brave in the face of danger and help secure this planet for the Karadans once again, what message will that send the people? It certainly won't gain their respect, Captain."

Dresh nodded. "Master Zaneth and the Padawans will be with you the entire time," he said. "I also have a squad standing by and ready to move in should things go bad."

"Good," Liam said. "If anything does happen, we should be able to hold the trouble off until we can pull back." He looked at Yelara and gave her a brief smile. "Ready to head out?"

She took but a moment to straighten out her black, thigh-length leather tunic and matching black skirt, revealing through its front slit in legs encased in burgundy tights. A silver choker of webbed design encircled her throat, and from it dangled a stunning wine-coloured gem that was cradled gently by the valley of her bosom left exposed in the open square neckline of her tunic. It had been deemed appropriate for the occasion to outfit her in an ensemble fit for a High Princess, and Yelara donned it well. But for as steady as she outwardly appeared, Yelara's chest was heaving with anxiety. "Let's do this. The sooner we do, the fewer people may die today."

Dresh took a step back and gave them a nod. "I'll be in the control room monitoring the situation," he said. "May the Force be with you."

"With all of us," Liam echoed. He turned to Yelara, glancing briefly in his Padawans' direction. "Let's head out. It'll take us about ten minutes walking to get there."

"Of course, Master," Va'Lesh answered and started toward the door, Yara at his side, as they led the way.

"Liam," Yelara called gently, hurrying to catch up with him as the others filed out. Upon reaching him when he turned back, Yelara mentioned, "Meer'esh...he wants to be here, with me, to support me during all that might happen today. He won't interfere, I promise."

"I don't know if there's time, Yelara," Liam said. "We have to go to the Palace now. And, if he were to come with us, I don't know if we could spare the attention to make sure he isn't injured during any of the fighting."

She chuckled gently. "You wouldn't have to protect him - in fact, he would prefer you didn't. He'd be here to help defend me."

"You've already got three defenders, Yelara," Liam said. "This operation has been planned, and it didn't include him. Adding an unknown element into a situation like this increases the chances that something can go wrong. It really would be better if he wasn't involved, especially not without Captain Kano's consent."

"You mean without your consent," she riposted. "You've never liked him, Liam, and I don't know why. But I would feel better if he was here."

"Even if Captain Kano is alright with him joining us, I wouldn't approve," Liam said. "But I wouldn't insist that he leave if the mission commander accepted his presence. There's something about him, Yelara, something at the edges of my perception. When he's around...there's something there that isn't right. I don't trust him, Yelara."

Yelara stiffened visibly. "Well I do, Liam. I...I care for him deeply," she declared, then looked away, afraid Liam would take offense to her admission. Sighing, she whispered, "Whether you trust him or not, he will be living at the palace with us. I won't leave him behind."

"I can accept that, Yelara," Liam said. "I already have. It's the suddenly adding him to the attack on the palace that I object to. I'm fine with him living at the Palace, I would prefer he was not suddenly added as part of your bodyguard."

"Master Zaneth," Yara summoned from the doorway. She glanced impassively between the two before focusing on Liam. "The others are waiting. Are you remaining here, Master?"

"No," Liam answered. "We're right behind you. We were discussing a change Yelara wished to make in the plan." He turned to Yelara again. "Ready?"

She frowned, conveying to Liam her displeasure at excluding Meer'esh. "We're ready," Yelara affirmed tightly and angrily swept past Liam out of the room. Yara cocked an eyebrow at her master and father. "There is not trouble, is there, Master?"

"There is," Liam answered. "Yelara is not happy that I find it in the mission's best interest to not let a friend of hers accompany us. I hadn't even had a chance to get to the severe breach in security if she's actually discussed the operation with him. And, with that in mind, we will want to double our attentiveness. If she did talk to him about the plans, we could be walking into a trap." He sighed and shook his head. "I hope her trust in Meer'esh is not misplaced, and that the bad feelings I've got have nothing to do with the Force."

"You are not convinced of your own feelings, Master?" Yara queried. "This man should be apprehended if he poses a threat to our operation. I am sure Ms. Neerou will understand."

"I don't believe there's enough time for that," Liam said. "While I agree with you, the clock is ticking and the more time we delay, the less our chances of success become. Unless--" He glanced at Yara and smiled. "Come on, we need to catch up with Yelara."

Yara stayed back, curiously watching her Master stride from the room. Although perplexed by Liam's sudden change of heart, Yara blindly and devotedly followed her Master, no matter what he had in mind.

***

Together, the small group walked briskly down the walkway toward the palace. Va'Lesh Zaneth walked ahead beside Yelara Neerou. Slightly behind them, but catching up was Liam and Yara Zaneth.

Finally, Liam managed to get close enough to speak without shouting. "Yelara," he said. "I just wanted to apologize for what I said. It is wrong of me to be judgmental of Meer'esh without knowing him. I don't know if there is time for him to catch up to us...but I am willing to give him the chance he deserves."

She smiled over her shoulder at Liam, somewhat skeptically. "You mean that? Liam, he really is a good man. I don't think I could get through all this without him."

"I mean it," Liam said with a smile. While he was not yet certain whether Meer'esh was a good man as Yelara claimed, keeping the man close would allow him to know for certain...or at least to confirm the nagging feeling he had when Meer'esh was around. "He may not be able to catch up to us before we get to the palace."

"It doesn't matter," Yelara replied happily, "I'll still know he's near. That's all I need."

Liam nodded, and put her reliance on Meer'esh out of his mind. There was little more he could do about it, and he had to put the attention she'd been giving him recently out of his mind. There was a part of him that had thought that perhaps they were drawing closer, but he doubted she'd ever let him as close as she kept Meer'esh. He had to accept the reality, but he would not stop caring for her, and he would not stop protecting her. "Come on, we don't have much farther to go."

With renewed confidence in their task now, Yelara kept pace with Liam and his two Padawans, striding regally with head aloft as she fell easily into the role thrust upon her. Though, the throne would only be hers if they succeeded in overthrowing Nieme, and deep down Yelara truly wouldn't mind if they didn't.

***

The staging area for the attack on the palace had been erected beneath a camouflage screen to keep the preparations secret. Two transports with Republic stealth technology were undergoing the final stages of getting them ready to drop the troops involved in the attack into the palace grounds. Once they received word from Jedi Master Liam Zaneth, they would take to the skies.

On a bench at one end of the staging area, Talara Sorenne opened her eyes from a meditative trance. The meditations did help calm her nerves at the thought of dropping out of a transport flying over the top of the palace. It was a scary thought for certain, but she was confident in her ability to reach the ground safely. She'd been through the simulators twice, and scored high marks on each.

She looked up as Master Laedra Vorrel approached, and gave her a smile. "My dropchute is ready, Master," she said. "And, I think I'm ready now too. I had not thought I would be leaping from a transport like I was some sort of bird, but meditating helped. Strangely, I'm looking forward to the experience."

"As am I," Laedra admitted and seated herself next to Talara. "This will be a very therapeutic endeavour - helping to overthrow Nieme and Dani. It is one very important step in redeeming yourself, Talara."

Talara nodded. "Thank you for letting me accompany you, Master," she said. "I won't let you down, I promise. I know who I am now, and which path I must follow. It's not through darkness, not any longer."

"And not ever again," Laedra prompted with a significant smile.

"Definitely not," Talara said with a return smile for her Master.

Tala was about to say more, but the approach of Kael Selrid stopped her. He glanced between the two of them. "We've got the signal," he said. "Master Zaneth's team is about to make their move. We're to load up the transports and stand ready."

Laedra rose, saying, "Then let's. This day will be a great trial for you both, and I know you will do the Order proud."

"Thank you, Master Vorrel," Kael said with a bow. He gave Talara a smile, and moved back to get his own dropchute aboard the transport.

As Laedra and Talara approached the open hatch where they could climb into the waiting transport, others were doing the same. Koran Darr was assisting Cole Slaton with his gear while Vaya Bek helped Cole in getting his chute repacked for the drop. Koran nodded to Laedra, offering a brief smile before turning his attention back to his Padawan.

"Relax, Cole," Vaya said with a warm smile. The young man could hide and control some emotions quite well, but his body language was another story, especially for a Lorrdian like Vaya. "Else I push your sorry ass out before we are finished," she joked.

Cole smiled, nodding his thanks to Bek once she'd repacked his chute. He had followed the instructions, but obviously had missed something she'd seen. As he checked his gear again, once his Master had become satisfied he was ready, Cole couldn't help but think back to only a few hours ago. The long hot steaming shower. So hot steam emptied out through the gaps in the doorframe. Despite having an odd calm about him it still took him ten minutes to tie each of his combat boots.

The boots were deep black. Combat books that a normal soldier would wear; he only wore them because they were comfy. His favourite pair.

The young Corellian's hands dropped from his lightsabers that hung by clips along both sides. It was strange how quickly the mind changes. While growing up he never even considered using a lightsaber, pistols or blasters were all that concerned him. Now, he couldn't imagine a time he didn't have one.

Once inside, it was apparent the transport wasn't built for comfort. Benches lined the walls with grav harnesses to hold the occupants in place. Talara found a spot and started getting situated as Koran and the others climbed in to get themselves in place.

Koran paused next to Laedra as he was finding his own spot. "If we ever have to raid a capital or anything of the sort, we should consult with Captain Kano. He definitely knows what he's doing, and he's got the resources to back up his plans. If we had him in place the last time we went in, I believe we would have taken the palace. Not that it matters now, but with him guiding this, I've got a good feeling...for once."

"I defer to your judgement, Jedi Master," Laedra stated with playful humility and furtively brushed the back of Koran's hand with her own. "I'll see you down there, Koran. I promise to watch your back if you watch mine."

"Consider your back watched then, Jedi Master," Koran said, a hint of a smile sparkling in his eyes. "May the Force be with you, Laedra."

"You too," she whispered and quickly departed to find her seat before her composure was shaken.

***

Dani held Nieme in her arms, Nieme's tears wet against her chest. Each morning since her return, it had been like this. Once the dreams took her, once the demons appeared, she forgot the solace of Dani's presence. It was nearly an hour after waking before Nieme was halfway functional again, and even that was marginal. Whatever Dani's absence had done to her had taken a severe toll on her lover. Her sanity was indeed fractured.

"Nieme," she whispered, "it is alright. You are safe. I am here." She'd heard from Kael not more than an hour ago, informing her of the New Republic's intent to reclaim the palace. He had given her no details other than to inform her that an attack was looming. She would have to decide what to do soon. "Nieme, I'm here."

"But the fire was so close," she whispered hoarsely. "Didn't you feel it, Dani?" Clutching Dani's arms, Nieme pulled herself up and turned her wild gaze upon Dani's. "It's coming for us.... The blaze is coming and we'll be sundered. Can't you see!?"

"There is a fire coming, Nieme," Dani answered softly. "We should leave, Nieme. I think our time as empresses is done, and now we can just be ourselves. No more fighting, no more struggling. We can go away and be free."

A pathetic, bitter laugh sputtered from Nieme's trembling lips. "They'll follow me, Dani, wherever I go. Never free. Never free...."

"I'll fight them off," was Dani's answer as she held her lover more closely.

"There are too many!" she shrieked in agony while her large, panicked eyes swivelled around and around, following the movements of her unseen tormenters. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she wept silently. "Dani...we'll be consumed, both of us...but it isn't by the darkness; it's the blood, Dani" --her voice was a strangled whisper-- "all the thick, suffocating blood...." Nieme gasped and both hands flew to her throat, fingernails clawing at the invisible vice constricting her airway. "So...much," she croaked. "Drowning...drowning!"

"I'm sorry, my love," Dani whispered. She reached up, brushing the side of Nieme's face with her hand. As she did, she used the Force to propel her lover into darkness. As the Force-induced sleep claimed Nieme, her breathing became more regular, and she was given at least a small bit of respite from the demons that continued to torment her.

Dani looked up and around at the Palace around her. She would have to do this on her own. Nieme's torment was too far gone for her to expect help there. She would save them however she could. She would find a way to make Nieme well again if it took the remainder of her life.

She lifted Nieme into her arms as two of the clones fell into step beside her, and she moved off in search of her Dug companion. Perhaps he would be able to help her get away. She would likely have to pay him for the assistance, but she still had some resources available for a payment...at least for a short time longer.

***

"Brother? Sister? Do you not recall us?" Yara stared at the dark reflection of herself in her sister's helmet visor, wondering if there was truly life behind the duraplast, and if it would respond to the presence of a genetic twin. Neither of the clones moved, steadfastly guarding their post without wavering. Yara looked aside to her brother.

"It has been a long time since we have seen you," Va'Lesh said after giving Yara a nod. He focused his gaze on the reflective surface of the clone soldier's faceplate. They had discussed using the Force to press their will upon the guards, but decided against it out of the chance that the clones would not be receptive to suggestions. "There is much we must discuss." Again, the clones watched without moving. As neither Yara nor Va'Lesh posed a threat, no action was required.

"We are your brother and sister," Yara continued, gesturing to herself and Va'Lesh. "I was once called One Twenty-Three, and Va'Lesh Forty-Seven. What are your designations? Perhaps I have eaten with you previously on Master Kandran's ship."

There was no response, and Yelara was prepared to step forward to aid them when the female clone finally spoke up in a rigid monotone matching Yara's speaking voice. "I am designated 159." She cocked her head to the left, mirroring the tilt of Yara's head, and studied her brown cape and robes. "Why is it you are not in your uniform, 123?"

"But I am," Yara responded. "I am no longer a soldier, 159. I am a Jedi now."

"And you, 47?" the male clone soldier asked of Va'Lesh.

"I am a Jedi as well," Va'Lesh answered. "Yara and I serve as one of Master Liam Zaneth's students. He is the progenitor biological entity from whom a part of our genetic code was created. Yelara Neerou is the other. They are our mother and father. Master Jae Dyn Brael and Master Dargus Kandran are the progenitors of the females, aside from the pleasure models. They wish for us to be free, to express our free-will and learn as any other human being does. They desire their offspring, no matter how they originated, to be free."

"That is illogical," the Yara clone stated flatly. "We are soldiers, we are bound by duty. One so bound cannot be free. You are both deserters and traitors."

Yara frowned. "We are not, Sister. We have simply chosen a path that diverges from what Master Kandran had forced upon us. Do you not wish for purpose instead of simply performing a function you yourself had no hand in choosing? Does your armour not stifle you, my Sister and Brother?"

"They're right, Yara, Va'lesh," Yelara put in gently to the soldiers. "Dargus Kandran used you for his own means and then threw you away. You are soldiers because that is what he required of you, but you're capable of far more. Doesn't all this make you crave for something different and better?"

"Is it not true," Va'Lesh asked, "that some amongst you have been used for the purpose of providing pleasure. Is that not a divergence from the designated role of soldier? That does indicate the capacity to behave in manners that go beyond your original programming. As we have grown into something more than what we were, so can you. You are in a position now to choose to be more than just a soldier, Sister and Brother."

"You have the choice now," Liam Zaneth said from beside Yelara, "to assist in creating a legitimate government, approved by the people and the New Republic, one not run by tyranny."

"The New Republic is not our master," the Yara clone informed Liam dispassionately. "We are not traitors." The soldier in black raised her blaster rifle at the ready. "You, however, are. We must apprehend you, 123 and 47."

"Please, we cannot allow that," Yara told her double, "and in order to prevent it, we may have to harm you, Sister. That would be wrong."

The Va'Lesh clone raised his blaster as well. "The possibility of harm is an ever-present danger in our lives. It is one we have accepted, and are willing to give our lives for our Master."

Yelara stepped forward abruptly, the clones reflexively shifting their aim towards her. Yara and Va'Lesh physically blocked her to provide protection. "You can't possibly want that!" she appealed to them. "Your Masters don't care for you - you're puppets to them. Why allow yourselves to be manipulated that way?"

The Yara clone replied evenly, "We were bred for it, that is all."

Va'Lesh turned to Yara. "I do not believe we will be able to convince them," he said. "And they are now impeding our objective and delaying our mission." In the blink of an eye, his lightsaber flashed to life and sliced cleanly through the male clone's weapon. He paid no mind to the female, knowing Yara would be right behind him.

The shot squeezed off by their sister was deflected as Yara's blade ignited in its path, though despite Yara's speed, Yelara was still hastily whisked away by Liam. Even though the clone's weapon was ripped free of her gloved hand by the Force, both 159 and 63 rushed forward to engage Yara and Va'Lesh in unarmed combat. Shielded from the fight by Liam's body, and unable to see its progress, Yelara pleaded with him to end it. "Someone's going to die, Liam! One of those clones is Leshie. Don't let this happen!"

"It'll be alright," Liam said, doing his best to keep Yel from rushing into the middle of the scuffle.

With the Force on his side, Va'Lesh was faster than his clone. The fist that would have broken his nose passed through empty air, and his own Force-enhanced punch caught his doppleganger in the ribs. There was a crunch as the force of the blow cracked the armour. Behind the helmet, the clone grunted in pain. Staggered as he was, it gave Va'Lesh the chance to use the Force again, this time to slam the clone into the wall where he collapsed to the ground.

"You mustn't persist, Sister," Yara warned her double as the two clashed again with saber and force pike the clone had produced from her thigh strap. The armour-clad woman swung for Yara's hands, attempting to knock her lightsaber free, but the Padawan sprang safely away from the pike's reach. Her sister pursued. "You must stop. We are siblings, 159."

"I will not be associated with a traitor," the clone stated firmly. She pressed forward, and with great agility aimed a roundhouse at Yara's head. But she failed to connect, for Yara spun out of her path and jammed her foot into the base of her clone's spine. The woman grunted in pain as she crashed to the ground, her stunned nerves making both legs useless.

Yara walked over to her disabled clone, frowning in disappointment. "I am sorry, Sister," she murmured as she dropped to one knee next to 159. "Perhaps someday, you will be capable of overcoming your programming." Then, Yara pressed a hand to the location of her clone's forehead beneath the helmet and thrust her into unconsciousness with a gentle Force suggestion.

Yelara sighed and calmed now that everyone was out of harm's way. "That didn't work," she commented. "What now?"

"We bind them," Liam said. "And we report to Captain Kano that it doesn't appear the clones defending the palace will step aside. They have accepted Nieme and Dani as their master, and refuse to listen to any other. On the positive side, when you claim the throne, you should have no trouble gaining their loyalty." He gave her a tight smile. "At that point, with your permission, I would like to see about breaking them out of their linear programming."

"You don't need my permission for that," Yelara retorted. "I'd rather if we didn't have to harm any of them."

Va'Lesh checked on his double. Satisfied that the injuries sustained were minor, he moved the young man beside the other and he and Yara set to binding their wrists and ankles. "It saddens me that they were so resistant," he said to Yara. "It makes the remainder of what we do here more difficult for me. I do not wish to harm our brothers and sisters."

"But we may have to," Yara reminded him gently. "We must not kill them unless it is absolutely necessary. It would pain me to do otherwise."

"Me as well," Va'Lesh agreed. He turned to Liam and Yelara. "Both clones have been secured, Master. Neither has sustained more than minimal injuries. The clones are too strongly devoted to their perceived master. We do not believe their loyalties can be swayed for the purpose of securing the palace. Our mission here is not a success."

Liam sighed and nodded. "I will contact Captain Kano, and have him send his troops in...with their weapons on stun settings." He cast a glance at Yelara, hoping that the last would assuage some of her worries.

"And what do we do in the meantime?" Yelara asked.

"Wait for word that the path is clear and that you may ascend the throne, Your Majesty," Liam said.

Yelara's smile appeared unsteady, her doubts creeping up once again. "I should go find Meer'esh," she whispered to herself, then gazed up at Liam. "Will you accompany me?"

"Of course," Liam said. He turned to his Padawans. "I am going to accompany Yelara. Remain here, subdue anyone who happens to come by. Hold this position until I return. If greater forces arrive than you can safely handle, contact me on my comlink immediately."

"Of course, Master," Yara and Va'Lesh answered in unison, accompanying the words with a bow.

Satisfied, Liam turned back to Yelara. With a nod, she started back towards safety, hopefully where Meer'esh would be. For a fleeting moment Yelara wished the attack would fail, that the throne would not be hers, but she had made her decision and would accept her fate. Having Meer'esh by her side, she knew, would make the transition all the more easy.

---

"Seizing Destinies, Part 2"
By: Captain Dresh Kano
Regent Oot Kova
Ambassador Theen Fida
Consular Amii'a Val'or
Padawan Talara Sorenne
Jedi Knight Kael Selrid
Master Laedra Vorrel
Master Koran Darr
Padawan Cole Slaton
Padawan Vaya Bek

Location: Palace of Arcadia, Arcadia
Date: Rheudis 4, 4 ABY

***

Captain Dresh Kano snapped the comlink closed and turned to the small group assembled in the room.

"Jedi Master Liam Zaneth informs me that the cloned soldiers will not sway their allegiance. He requests that weapons be set for stun, but has given the signal for the transports to move in. This is our last chance to pull back if that is anyone's desire, otherwise we move ahead and claim the palace and the planet. Are there any objections to proceeding."

Oot Kovan smiled briefly to herself but shook her head. The fight would not be an easy one, but the change was necessary. They had to move forward and save the planet and people.

"Most unfortunate," Theen said, though his tone didn't exactly match the sentiment. He still didn't share the view of the Jedi in regards to the clones. He wasn't necessarily outright opposed to the concept and considerations of their being people, but all things considered he valued the lives of normal folk, above those of the likes of clones who were bred and controlled by the likes of Dani and Nieme.

As most politicians, he was used to making such decisions, even those that would come across as casual disregard. He truly believed that like the Jedi, he had a higher calling and responsibility to the public, to life and prosperity. But unlike the Jedi he viewed the greater good of many to that of the few. Different sides of the same credit, he was known to say.

"Well then," Amii'a said and she mentally prepared herself. "We must move forward then. Will stun be of much effect against their armor?" she asked. "I mean, this is going to be difficult enough. We did try to sway them, now it is us against them for the future and safety of everyone on this world."

"There is only one way to tell whether it will be effective against the armour they wear," Oot Kovan said, turning her gaze on Amii'a. "I would imagine that if the tactic is inviable, the Jedi and soldiers attacking the palace will be able to adapt. If we do not even attempt to spare the lives of those within the palace, we will never know if we could have taken the palace back without turning it into a bloody coup. Most of those who have been making the decisions in this matter seem to do very well at selectively remembering the details that will support their hawkish arguments.

"Before Nieme and Dani stole the throne, the clones were loyal to myself and Liam Zaneth. Before us, they were loyal to Dargus Kandran. If you connect the dots, I am certain you will come to the realization that the clones offer their loyalty to the one in power. Before the palace, it was there creator. Their objective was the palace, and that became the criteria for loyalty. When Dargus Kandran was defeated, Liam Zaneth gained their loyalty. When the palace was taken, the clones followed that same line. If we can take the palace with as many clones as possible still alive, we will have them on our side as well."

She raked her gaze to Theen Fida. "Once in power, their programming will need to be adjusted so they cannot be so easily swayed again, but with the help of the New Republic and the Jedi, I am certain that can be arranged." She moved to look out the window toward where the fighting would soon be taking place. "Those out fighting for this planet are more than just pieces on a game board, including the soldiers cloned from the child of the woman you're hoping to put on the throne. I hope you keep that close in mind before you order about people's deaths. I do not believe you want to see this entire thing, the entire future of this planet, spin out of your control."

Amii'a tried to control her look of shock at the obvious exchange directed towards her political mentor, Theen. She thought and hoped that she had hidden it well enough - she ought to have in all her experience. She knew Oot and Liam were right, she didn't want a bloodbath any more than they.

Amii'a noticed the return gaze from Theen. As an Anx, and a non-human, he was quite apt at hiding his outward feelings from those he had exchanges with...but the one thing that would and did betray him, was the crest that shifted colors with an Anx's emotions.

He was clearly quite pissed. But he didn't carry forward the conversation. Politics, like dejarik, was a game of strategy. Pieces were played, sacrificed and feinted. Timing was essential, and the time for such verbal melee was not now. They had a world to save.

Theen graciously saved face with a universal gesture of, you win.

"As I said before I wholly support restraint of all out bloodshed," he said. "I am certain our task forces are capable, and hopefully as you say their allegiances can soon be shifted with changing of power."

Theen left to join those who were among the secret command base, as the attack was soon to begin.

Oot Kovan turned to Captain Kano and gave him a nod.

"I'll inform the strike teams to proceed to the drop zone," he said. He turned from her and returned to his command station to relay orders that would send the Jedi and soldiers into the palace, the final strike that would return control of the planet to the proper people.

***

As word came from the command post, the transports took to the air, leaving the calm stability of Vendra behind. They had no time to enjoy any of the tranquility of the premium vacation spot on Tae'Karada, though even if they had, Talara Sorenne was uncertain if she would have taken the opportunity. Perhaps if the time was dedicated to relaxation, she would. But, she still had road ahead of her to cover before she could allow herself the luxury of idling.

The flutterbies in her stomach had stopped their jittering, replaced by a calm serenity. She closed her eyes as the transport rumbled through the atmosphere, meditating in the time left before she would have to leap from the transport to float to the palace below.

Across from Talara, Kael Selrid was already deep within his own meditation. His focus was on the retaking of the palace, though in the back of his mind Raeila waited. She would always be there with him, and through the Force he could sense her presence many kilometers away. But, he had learned to shift his focus, mentally, so that he could perform as he must as a Jedi, but still love her and be the husband she deserved when they were together. What he did today would make the planet safer, would allow for them to live in peace, without the fear of Nieme's ravings.

Cole gazed out through the small glass window; looking down he could see the rolling, crashing waves of the ocean. As the time passed, his finger lightly tapped the side of the bench. He wished there was something to distract him, a vessel cutting through the waves the way the transport was cutting through the air, but no such luck. Memories of his last encounter with the soon to be defeated Empresses came back to him. Foolishly he'd gone to try and rescue Zari but instead had put himself in danger and was almost killed. He'd learned a lot since then. The mission to the Hjarii homeworld had taught him more, he was a better Padawan and would be a better Jedi because of it.

He had to force himself to look away. Closing his eyes he began to meditate. Worrying about something you couldn't prevent or control was pointless. Still, it didn't stop him from worrying, though the meditation helped.

Vaya stared out across the dark expanse of ocean that shot past. She took a calming breath and closed her eyes, opened herself to the Force. She felt its calming effect as she focused on what was at hand, as she had been trained. She felt the presence of her fellow Padawans and the Jedi, and it helped her to focus, having that shared comradery through the Force and for such a noble cause.

Just days before they had been on a wayward world where she helped to bring hope, justice and a prosperous future. It was the first time Vaya truly felt like being a Jedi, and here she was again about to be thrown into the mix for the future of yet another world.

She could feel the darkness like an arachnid waiting for its prey to become stuck and helpless...a sensation that tickled the back of her consciousness, seductive and teasingly as the Palace of Arcadia loomed closer. She had been in several tricky situations since she began her life and service to the Force, and she would only have been doing herself injustice if she didn't accept the fact that she really felt concerned for what was to transpire...but she was training to be a Jedi, and she had a very good mentor in Laedra.

She knew she would be alright as long as she didn't allow her feelings to control her. Besides, she and her friends had been up against the Clones before, and the Force was with her. A toothy grin of bravado and trepidation broke through her calm face as the time neared for her to jump out of a perfectly good craft into whatever destiny had in store.

"Last one to the ground is Bantha poodoo!" she hissed between ground teeth.

Cole allowed a grin to seep through while he meditated; his master would not be pleased. "You're on..." he whispered to her. "And consider yourself Bantha slime..." he added teasingly.

Koran glanced at the two Padawans. "Rushing things today, including trying to reach the ground, will likely see you dead," he said with a pointed look. "I don't think any of us would like that. Stay focused, and do not rush in blindly." Before he could say more, red lights running down the center of the transport suddenly illuminated. "It's time." He moved to the side door of the transport as it was being slid open. He waited for the Padawans to get there before giving them a nod. "Stay focused, and may the Force be with you."

As the door stood open, the palace could be seen sprawling before them. The waiting was indeed the hard part, but as green lights replaced the red, the wait was over.

With anther nod to those behind him, Koran jumped from the transport.

With a hard swallow, Talara moved in behind Koran, and just before jumping out herself, felt a calm descend over her. Then, as she'd been taught earlier in the day, jumped out into the clear sky and down toward the Palace.

Cole had nodded at his master. It was just like him to make more of the joke than there was, seemed to be the way of mentors to pick faults with those under them. Allowing the Force to calm him he rose with the red lights and following his master, he stepped towards the now opened door. The rush of air was deafening as he closed in on the door. Talara was next vanishing from his sight, seemingly a heartbeat after Koran.

Taking a deep breath, like the breath before a plunge, Cole dived out like he'd been shown and taught, which seemed only moments ago.

Following suit, Vaya gathered herself and jumped out into the abyss. The air was rushing and thunderous about her, but she kept focused as best a Padawan of her skill was able.

Just as Laedra stepped out in the black nothingness of a cloudy night, a pang of warning reverberated through the Force and to each of the Jedi. With the wind screaming past her ears, it was difficult to detect, but Laedra could perceive the rumble of something large approaching below; in the darkness, the hundreds of black-armoured specks moving into position around the palace courtyard was nearly unseen to the eye, but the Force saw everything, and consequently, so did the Jedi. "Koran!" Laedra shouted into her wrist comm. "Do you sense it too?!"

"I sense it," Koran shouted back, the wind nearly taking the sound away before it reached the comlink. "Somehow they were ready for us. We'll have to move quickly once on the ground."

Cole heard both masters through the earpiece, though lodged within his ear the roar of the wind still made hearing difficult. There wasn't anything he could do until landing so he concentrated on the drop sticking as close to his master, and the other Padawans, as he could while not getting in anyone's way.

As their dropchutes engaged nearly simultaneously, the Jedi's descent slowed. The wind became nothing more but a whistling in their ears, and allowed the ominous pounding arising from below to resonate clearly through the air. Then, it appeared - a Walker dwarfing the soldiers arrayed in the courtyard and nearly tall enough to brush the feet of the falling Jedi. Behind the first came another, and in the distance, a third could be seen emerging. Laedra Vorrel looked aside to Koran, both sharing the same sense of dread. "I do hope Captain Kano's firepower is enough."

The feelings from Koran and Laedra were quick to flush upon Vaya. She had always been rather acute to emotions, probably an effect that was in relation to her natural ability at reading the body language and voice patterns in most sentient beings. Her early anxiety was realized as she too saw the martialing forces below; black clad troopers added dread to her mind from the confrontation they had had at the Temple, and then the ominous Imperial Walker that lumbered just behind.

Vaya swallowed hard and tried to just calm herself, falling back on her training. She knew this was no time to lose it, it would get her killed, and others as well.

"Okay, I change my mind," she said under her breath more to herself than anyone. "I'll be poodoo, I don't care."

As they all descended closer and closer to the ground it was quite clear that their little insurrection was known. Darts of laser energy began to crisscross in the night sky as the clones fired upon the Jedi, New Republic and Karadan troopers still descending from the sky.

Twenty meters from where Talara watched the incoming barrage of laser fire, a Karadan soldier took a bolt to the chest. He let out an anguished cry, and then was silent as his limp body continued toward the ground below. She opened herself to the Force as she shifted a slight amount of her focus to guiding herself toward the ground. Koran Darr was ahead of her, and she tried to guide her progress in his direction. Above and around her, the Karadan and Republic troops opened fire down into the crowds below. Farther above, the transports came back for another pass as they cut loose into the courtyard with their far more powerful weapons. Each blast flung cloned soldiers about the area like rag dolls. Some did not stand back up.

The night air sizzled with blaster fire. Vaya could very well imagine what the unknowing civilians were thinking, waking to the day with a battle at their doorsteps. The ground came closer and closer, and with it she could feel the heat of passing laser blasts. She mentally prepared herself for the touchdown; to drop, release, spring back up and ignite her lightsaber. But such things did not always go as desired.

Just before hitting the ground, a good story above the earth, a bolt hit one of her chute straps. Vaya found herself twisted violently around as the ground rushed up to her in a maddening vertigo. She quickly grabbed her saber and ignited it, slashed herself free from the constricting cords and thumped hard to the ground.

The chute covered her body as she fought to regain her breath and senses. Come on, Vay, it wasn't that bad, she thought to herself as she twirled her violet blade to free herself of the cloaking chute. Like a veil removed from her eyes, the battle unfolded before her. Koran and Laedra were dead head, with Talara and Cole right behind them. All around Karadan troops and New Republic forces were fanning out to combat the Palace forces and the foreboding walkers.

The New Republic craft poured more energy into the enemy lines, but several of those crafts soon succumbed to the raw fire power of the walkers. Vaya watched as one such craft spun out of control after having been targeted; she watched as it spiraled down to the earth and crashed in a terrific ball of fire and smoke behind enemy lines.

Narrowly missing several shots to her direction, Vaya picked up the pace to join her fellow Jedi.

Cole struck the ground harder than he intended and rolled along the ground, two bolts exploded, striking the ground behind the rolling Padawan, the end of his robe catching the last bolt, singeing the edge. His lightsaber flashed into life, illuminating his young face before cutting through the air in front of him in small effortless arcs.

Just before hitting the courtyard, Koran Darr released his dropcute and used the Force to guide him the rest of the way to the ground. Before his feet touched down, his lightsaber was out and he was off moving amongst the soldiers, disarming those he could with his weapon. Talara took a deep, calming breath and released herself from her dropchute as well. Her lightsaber snapped to life just before her feet touched the courtyard. She moved forward fluidly, lightsaber flashing to deflect the incoming attacks, protecting those still descending as best she could.

By her side was Laedra, assisting her Padawan in countering the blistering attack from their clone opponents. Their objective was to assist the New Republic in subduing the Palace's defensive forces, but with three heavy-assault Walkers flanking them, the Jedi were only running the risk of being caught in a cross-fire. "Talara," Laedra shouted to her Padawan, "I will be back!" Then, she rushed to Koran's side to confer, while fending off blaster bolts originating from all directions. "We must alter the plans, Koran. We must gain access to the palace and secure it while Dresh and his men take care of those Walkers."

The time it took Koran to consider Laedra's suggestion was a fraction of a second. "I agree," he said with a nod. "Gather the others and meet me by the front doors to the Palace. Under the circumstances, I believe that's our best way in. They've probably got contingencies for any of the alternate routes."

Laedra nodded and dashed off to collect the padawans, while Koran contacted Captain Kano to relay their intentions.

Koran pulled out his comlink and flipped it to the secure command frequency. "Koran Darr to Captain Kano."

A moment later, Kano answered. "Yes, Master Darr. Go ahead."

"It appears the soldiers at the palace were waiting for us. We're altering our plan slightly. While your forces deal with the courtyard, the Jedi will enter and secure the Palace."

There was a moment of silence before Kano answered. "Go ahead, Master Darr. Keep me apprised of your progress. Kano out."

With that, Koran started toward the door.

Vaya mustered all her speed and senses as she dashed ahead with Koran, Laedra, Talara and Cole. A unit of clones in their matte black armor split from a defensive line to meet the Jedi. Like one, they fired upon them. Vaya skidded in the ground, barely catching herself, but also avoiding a laser bolt that could have made contact. She used the momentum of the slip to roll off her shoulder and bounce back up, swinging her blade to deflect any shots. Gods knew she had had enough practice at that of late.

Cole was right beside Vaya, that is until she did her usual acrobatics, which had always impressed the young man. The light blue, almost white, blade deflected bolts that came searing towards him. Jumping to the side he spun in a tight ball landing beside a clone soldier, his sword-of-light sliced through the blaster and, reaching forward, Cole grabbed the clone's arm, throwing the soldier into the air.

The clone flipped around in the air and, with limbs flailing, he slammed into four of his companions. A bolt lashed out from one clone passing harmlessly through the air to vanish in the night.

"Take heed, Padawan," Laedra warned as she flung back a clone with a powerful burst of the Force, "that will only work once with these soldiers. They are human, not mindless automatons, and will adapt. Efficiency is preferable to elegance in such cases as this."

Cole nodded his understanding, though didn't voice it, too busy concentrating on staying alive. More troops were approaching; he could sense their movements, their rifles rising to fire. Only one of the blaster bolts, out of the several that struck the Corellian's weapon, ricocheting off, caught a clone, catching him in the shoulder, spinning him around. As he lay motionless on the ground, Cole reached out with the Force and felt life. The clone was still alive, but unconscious.

Koran's blade snapped in front of the wayward bolt sent astray by his Padawan and sent it harmlessly into the ground. While the clones seemed emotionless, they did seem less than pleased by Cole's actions toward them, and were beginning to concentrate their fire. More bolts were beginning to slip through his Padawan's defenses. The Jedi Master was about to leap to the youth's defense when Kael appeared instead.

Kael Selrid's saber technique was one of the most finely tuned at the Temple. The speed with which his blade moved was almost too fast for the eye to follow, but it managed to be where it needed to be. A second lightsaber hilt appeared in his other hand and snapped to life, becoming a second defensive shield against the incoming barrage.

"Get to the door to the Palace with Master Darr, Cole," he said. "Our goal is to go inside and take the Palace, not to stay here in the courtyard showing off. Move." Thankfully, Cole did.

Talara was already moving toward the door, staying near to Laedra. Kael noted that her skill with the lightsaber was much improved of late as well. Since her imprisonment, the girl had seemed more focused and dedicated to the Order. While she was young, she'd been training to become a Jedi for most of her life. It was definitely showing now.

Vaya continued to make for the door, defending herself and her comrades as best she could, leaving the real fight with the clones to the soldiers that had accompanied them. She wondered if it had been like this the first time the Jedi had attempted an attack on the Palace, but did not dwell. As she took a defensive stance upon the door she saw the battle behind her. It seemed like such a long way from where they landed, and all about the grounds laid the bodies of felled clones and those who had come to fight for freedom. It unsettled her somewhat; the mix of death in the air, the sense of foreboding from within the Palace, and the mix of emotions that swirled in the Force. She took a second to collect herself, stealing a calming breath to regain focus. Somehow she knew that this had all been the easy part... for the Jedi at least.

---

"A Coruscanti Crisis of Conscience, Part One"
By: Cirran Tyris
Lerrah Breijal
Tasia Harough

Location: Deep space, one jump from the Corusant System
Date: Rheudis 4, 4ABY

***

Lerrah Breijal slipped into the cockpit as Cirran monitored their progress through hyperspace. He looked almost peaceful at the controls of his ship, not nearly the wreck he'd been when they first been offered the job of helping him with his smuggling operation. She certainly knew the feeling. When she got behind the controls of the Pride, all of her problems disappeared.

"Ship's running smooth now," she finally said moving to slide into the co-pilot's chair. "Tase's still asleep, but I think once she sees how well the ship's running once she wakes up, she'll be quite pleased." She was silent a moment as she studied the controls. "This will be my first time to Coruscant. It's kind of spooky, you know? I'm still just a jungle girl at heart, even though I've been living on a space station. Have you ever been there before? Coruscant, I mean?"

Cirran shook his head in the negative, and leaned back from the controls, satisfied all was running OK. "When I was with the Alliance the place sort of had this reputation as the centre of all evil in the universe - for some reason there weren't many of us Rebels signing up for the tour groups. After Endor that changed of course, but I was on duty in other places - and not long after that of course, I wasn't on duty anywhere. I seem to have been keeping pretty busy since then, what with my busy career as galactic target practice going so well, so this is my first chance for a visit, too." He smiled. The journey so far had been pleasant and essentially trouble-free - suspiciously so for Cirran, who had grown quite used to having the universe frequently dump on him from a great height. But for now the ship was running well, no-one official had been suspicious of their mysterious cargo on the trip so far, thanks in large part to Lerrah's knowledge of smuggling, and Lerrah and Tasia were even proving good company - possibly because they spent so much time together alone in the back of the ship, Cirran reflected - and all-in-all, things seemed to be progressing surprisingly well. But Cirran, being himself, couldn't shake a few doubts.

"So then...what do you think it is?" he asked for probably the twentieth time on the trip, smiling again at what had become something of a joke.

What he was referring to was of course the contents of the small durasteel crate that currently had pride of place in the largest of the ship's hidden compartment. Back on the station Cirran had become quickly comatose when left alone with his hangover, and was surprised when he came to find that the delivery of the Ares merchandise had already taken place - someone had simply wheeled the crate onto his ship and left again while he was asleep, without leaving so much as a note, or any other sign of their presence. The crate was about the size and shape of those used to transport speeder engines or a myriad of other medium-to-small size mechanical parts, firmly sealed, and totally non-descript. Playing the 'guess what we're actually smuggling' game had occupied many idle hours of the journey so far.

Lerrah glanced toward the back of the ship where the container would be had there not been bulkheads and machinery in the way. "I think it's probably the carbonfrozen head of Jadda the Hutt, sent to some wealthy collector on Coruscant so he can hang it on his wall and pretend that he's incredibly important. And if it's not that, it's drugs." She gave him a grin and a wink.

"Drugs, eh? Maybe we should crack it open and get a party going, then," Cirran said. "Although it might attract the attention of the authorities if they see the ship weaving erratically all over space. Hmm, speaking of meeting the authorities..." Cirran looked down at the nav computer, which was letting him know that the ship was ready for the final short hop that would mean entry into the Coruscant system.

"Ready to give the jungle girl a taste of the big city - or possibly its prisons, at least?" he asked Lerrah.

"I've always wanted to see the inside of a Coruscanti prison," Lerrah said with a grin. "Let's go see what kind of trouble we get into." She flashed him a grin as she started calling up the nav charts for the system.

Cirran threw the lever that put the ship into hyperspace. With the amount of traffic around Coruscant, it was important not to end a jump too close to the planet itself - and indeed illegal. Nevertheless the impressive sight of the city planet shining ahead in the distance was still the first thing that struck Cirran and Lerrah as the ship returned to real space after a few minutes.

"Well, there it is," Cirran said after a brief silence. "Home of the Republic, the Empire, and now the New Republic. Seems a bit like the start of a pattern - here's hoping we avoid the New Empire." He leaned back in his chair and considered things for a moment. "So, do you think we should just enter the traffic grid, fly on down and hope that these codes I've been given do the job for us? Problem is we don't know what a scan of the ship may or may not show in that crate." He turned to Lerrah. "Got any professional advice?"

"Until someone either shouts for you to suck duracrete or starts shooting at you, act like you belong," Lerrah said. "If someone does make us, it shouldn't be too hard to lose ourselves in the traffic. I don't suppose you have this crate set up to run multiple transponder codes, do you?" She gave him a grin as she switched one of the comm nets to capture incoming news feeds. Behind her, Elf was already plugging in to sift through the information and beep out an alarm should anything hit the air circulators.

"Right then...we're just a shipload of tourists come to take the tour of the former Emperor's bathroom," Cirran said. He opened the throttle of the 'Fool's Hope' to take her into the back of the traffic grid.

"I hear security is pretty tight planetside," Cirran said as he maneuvered the ship in behind a giant bulk freighter, her wash buffeting them slightly in space. "Seems there's been a few die-hard Imperials around with ideas about Coruscant as a symbol of the Empire's rightful position of power...there's been some terrorist incidents. So if our cargo is some kind of explosive, that'll go badly for us...the good news, of course, is it's doubtful Ares would send us all the way here just to get caught...hopefully."

The planet loomed nearer as Cirran followed the guidance provided to his nav computer by system traffic control on Coruscant. He called up some map information and beckoned Lerrah over to his screen.

"Delivery's supposed to take place at this small starport in these mountains on the night side - a mountainous suburb I suppose it is on this planet. It's doesn't look big enough to service large vessels but it's probably pretty busy all the same - which is good, right?"

"Really good," Lerrah answered. "The more people there are, the harder we'll be to pick out. Well, maybe if there aren't a bunch of Wookiees around, you won't stand out. You might try hunching down a little, just to be safe." She glanced back at Elf whose dome swiveled to observe her. "Still clean, though things will get hottest once we get to the checkpoint." She chewed her lip for a moment before turning to Cirran again. "Before we try to pass through a checkpoint with it, do you suppose we should look? I mean, there are a lot of people who don't like you...maybe one of them hired this Ares to set you up... Maybe we should...you know, make sure it's not something they'll want to kill us on the spot for."

The lanky pilot grinned like a naughty schoolboy. "I've been waiting for somebody else to suggest that since we set out. Thought opening it might not be particularly professional, so to speak - but now the expert has suggested it, and besides, by trade I'm a fighter pilot, not a smuggler." He gave control of the ship over to the nav computer and stood up. "We might want to wake Tasia up for this, if we find something in there that means she might be sucking vacuum in the next few minutes, she'll want to know about it...probably."

"I think she'd appreciate that," Lerrah said. "Though, when I left the cabin, she wasn't wearing anything...so, maybe I should wake her." She gave Cirran a mischievous grin. "Then again, if you wanted to, since it's your ship, you can wake her."

Cirran smiled, looking embarrassed. "Tell you what, you go first and I'll follow up the rear...er, I mean come in behind...Gods! You know what I mean." He double-checked the autopilot was doing its job properly, and then gave a 'lead on' gesture. Lerrah headed towards the back of the ship where Tasia was sleeping with Cirran not far behind. The pilot paused by the bulkhead, ducking under the door frame of the darkened cabin area slightly, while Lerrah went ahead to find her significant other.

"Tell me when everyone's decent - actually perhaps I should say 'clothed', because otherwise I might be waiting a long time," he called through jokingly.

"Don't worry," Lerrah called back. She smiled at where Tasia was sprawled on the bed, and moved to sit beside her. She bent over her lover and gently kissed her forehead. "Time to wake up, my love. Work to do and you've slept long enough." As Tasia's eyes opened to regard her, Lerrah smiled. "Cirran's outside and he insists you put clothes on so we can go look in the crate to figure out what we're dealing with before risking ourselves against Coruscant authorities."

Tasia sighed heavily, and with half-closed eyes she mumbled drowsily, "Shouldn't he have done that before we left?" She emitted a grunt of effort as she struggled to sit up in bed. "Tell the flyboy our price has just doubled-- tripled!"

"He may agree to sleep with you, just so he doesn't have to shell out more money to us," Lerrah said with a grin. "And he is right outside the door, waiting for you to be, in his opinion, decently clothed. And, before it didn't seem as important as it seems now as we watch other ships passing through the checkpoints. If you don't want in on it, I'm sure Cirran and I can handle opening the box and peeking inside. Just thought you might be curious too."

Tasia snorted and flung back the covers before rolling her naked-self from bed. "And what, Lerr? Let you two have all the fun?" Glancing meaningfully at Lerrah from over one shoulder as she bent over her opened duffel, Tasia teased, "Unless you'd like that - have him all to yourself for a while longer, you slut?"

"In all my lesbian-ness, I must admit he is kind of cute," Lerrah said with a grin. "And, if I had to pick a guy who wasn't Ty to throw myself at, I think it'd be him. I don't know...should I try guys? Come on, put some clothes on, Tase, before I end up taking all mine off. He's waiting, impatient, and will probably explode if he doesn't find out what's in that box soon. I think he's wanted to peek in since he got it, but was too scared."

"Forgive me if I held off from looking in the box I was specifically told not to look into when I was back on the station probably surrounded by the mystery agents of whoever the hells these people are," Cirran retorted, overhearing. "I got the impression they really didn't want me to open it. Come to think of it, when we do, it might detonate the ship or something, for all I know. Who knows anything about booby traps?"

"I just know about boobies," Lerrah said with a grin. "You should see Tasia's, Cirran. Very lovely."

"I walked into that one," Cirran muttered to himself.

"Stop teasing the boy," Tasia admonished her lover playfully as she set about to follow Lerrah's advice and dress. "Now, back to this cargo.... Why bother opening it at all? Once we deliver it, it no longer becomes our problem, so who cares what's inside?"

"I guess they've had trouble with terrorists on Coruscant," Lerrah said with a shrug. "It looks like they're stopping ships. We were sort of thinking that we wouldn't like to get stopped and have them opening the thing to find something that would get us in trouble. At least, that's what we were thinking."

"There's that - and then there's burning curiosity, frankly," Cirran added from the doorway. "If someone's going to arrest or vape us over this thing, I don't think I could stand going to my fate not knowing why." He didn't add that what was really troubling him was not his curiosity but his conscience, which had been badgering away at him since they left the station. Cirran had descended the social ladder somewhat since his desertion, and found himself probably even below 'occasional criminal' these days, but his moral streak hadn't deserted him, despite his best efforts to shrug it off. The thought that he might be delivering biological or chemical weapons to gods knew who bothered him more than he cared to admit even to himself. "So I vote we look," he finished, "and I'm captain on this hulk, so my vote's worth 10," he finished somewhat petulantly.

Tasia fastened her cargo pants with a sharp zip, then turned to face Cirran just as her tank top had been pulled down over her bosom. "If that's the case, then why ask us? Unless you need some vacuous woman to open the crate while you run for cover?" She simpered facetiously at Cirran and crouched to secure her workboots. "I pass. Lerrah, the honour's all yours if you're up for it. Just excuse me while I unpack my blastshield."

"Come on," Lerrah said. "Elf's sensors are good enough that he should be able to figure out if there's a trap. And, if there is a trap, we'll definitely be in trouble if it goes off when the authorities try to open it for us." She started toward the door where Cirran was standing, activating her comlink as she did. "Elf, meet us down in the cargo bay. We've got a job for you." She grinned at Cirran. "If we do get blown up, it's been kind of nice knowing you."

Cirran smiled somewhat bashfully. "Let's not write our own eulogies just yet," he said, leading Lerrah down the short corridor towards the cargo bay, leaving the unimpressed tech behind. "The chief seems a bit snippy..." Cirran ventured when he judged himself out of earshot. "...not a morning person? Maybe we should give her some of the drugs we find in the crate, or make her a gift of Jadda the Hutt's head...it might make a good bedside table."

As they entered the small cargo bay of the freighter the purple astromech rolled up warbling. "The crate's almost certainly shielded against intership scans in some fashion, but hopefully not from close up, with delicate equipment," Cirran said. "Still, Elf here will probably need all the processing power of his sensor package to get a read. I hope your diagnostic scanning is a bit more reliable than your thermal detonator use," Cirran said smiling, addressing the little droid, and giving it a friendly pat on the top of its dome.

The reply Elf gave did not sound polite, but he tootled another beep and rolled over to the crate. With a whir, he started up all of his scanning subroutines and focused them on the crate.

"I don't understand," Tasia complained, from behind them, hands on hips and arms akimbo, her own curiosity evidently having got the better of her. "Why don't we let the droid get blown to pieces while we keep cover until all's clear?"

"Hey!" Lerrah turned and frowned at Tasia. As she did so, Elf let out a stream of beeps and whistles that left little to the imagination. "Just because you think that he's nothing more than a bunch of circuits and wires doesn't mean that's what he is. He's my friend, and a valuable part of the crew of Agarra's Pride. And, he happens to be good with a spanner too." She gave Tasia a smirk. "I think you're jealous."

Tasia thrust her nose in the air haughtily and scoffed, "You're insane." Then, she cocked a wary eye at the droid. "Unless he's got some tools you haven't told me about..."

"He's completely modular, so any tool you need can be added," Lerrah said. "Now don't break his concentration, or he'll blow up the whole ship."

"Which I think we can agree is best avoided," Cirran added, inwardly marvelling at the ability of his shipmates to maintain their level of conversational innuendo. "I hope he's fast - we'll be coming up on the checkpoint soon."

Even as they talked, the R2 unit was already working away on the crate. Sitting motionless as he worked, it appeared he wasn't doing anything. But, inside Elf, he was processing the incoming data from his sensors.

Finally, one of the hatches opened and an arm swiveled out. The manipulator on the end of the arm tapped in a long sequence of numbers onto the keypad embedded in the front of the crate. There was an audible click from within the crate. As one, Lerrah, Tasia, and Cirran all took a step back.

Elf's beeping as another arm reached out and into the lock sounded like a chuckle. It took some doing, but a series of twists in both directions finally popped the lock and broke the seal on the crate. With a satisfied chirrup, Elf rolled back away from the crate and swiveled his dome to regard Lerrah.

"Good work," she said with a grin. She motioned Cirran forward. "Your ship, your shipment, you open it."

Cirran stepped forward warily, trying not to breathe in the white vapour that was slowly pouring from the broken seal. After a second or two of this tactic however, he decided that if it was nerve gas, they'd all be dead by now, and so he took a deep breath and stepped up to the side of the crate.

"It's cold," he said, feeling the vapour on his hand. "Something they needed frozen, or refrigerated anyway." He took the lid and slid it back, which released a sizable cloud of vapours from the coolant. As the haze cleared, Cirran took a first look into the crate.

"OKaaaaaay," he said. "Well, it's not the head of Durga the Hutt anyway. But whatever it is, they've stuck it in about the box they stuck it in has probably got more advanced technology than this ship." He beckoned the two women over, and when they took a look, they could see what Cirran had seen: a small canister filled with an inky blue liquid, and actually hovering in the centre of the crate in the gentle hum of a suspension field. A computer inside the crate itself, covered like everything else in tiny ice crystals, nevertheless showed a number of blinking displays as it ran refrigeration, repulsors, and probably the electronic countermeasures that Elf had just overcome.

"What do you think?" Cirran asked, scrutinizing the mysterious vial.

"I don't think it's the newest formula for the new Fizziglug drink," Lerrah said with a frown. "Medical of some sort, I'm betting. Elf?"

The droid rolled forward and peered into the crate. A whirring silence filled the bay for a minute. Once completed, a holographic image appeared above the crate as data started scrolling up.

Lerrah whistled. "I don't know a lot of chemistry, but I do recognize some of those symbols. I still have no clue, but a drink of that stuff would not be healthy."

"Let's take a look here," Cirran said, and after shaving off some ice crystals began tapping away at the computer's pad. A flood of information went sailing over the tiny screen. Cirran stared intently at the rapidly scrolling data, trying to pick up the gist of things.

"There's something here about altering the nature of bacta, I'm not sure how exactly - I'm not a chemist either. But seeing as we're delivering this for a weapons company, I'm betting it doesn't boost its healing powers."

The data scrolled to some kind of conclusion, and blinking at the bottom of the screen was one figure that was easy for everyone looking on to interpret: "Fatal in 93 percent of infected cases."

"Hands up who would have been happier with drugs?" Cirran asked in the sudden quiet.

---

"A Coruscanti Crisis of Conscience, Part Two"
By: Cirran Tyris
Lerrah Breijal
Tasia Harough

Date: Rheudis 4, 4ABY
Location: Coruscant system, on approach to the Galactic Capital

***

"This isn't good stuff," Lerrah agreed. "So, just supposing here, what do you think they would do to you if this stuff wasn't delivered? Or...or if we got searched, but had to dump the cargo before it was found? What do you think would happen?"

"Almost certainly something bad," said Cirran, who had been standing very quietly for several seconds with a very determined look on his face. "But you know what? I don't reckon I care," he said, coming to some kind of conclusion. He spun on his heel and started striding back towards the cockpit, his thoughts whirring. Somewhere in his head a line had finally been crossed. How did it come to this? he thought. I just wanted to find Kemma, and now all of a sudden I'm smuggling biological weapons. This isn't me. "This isn't me!" he said aloud as he dropped into the pilot's chair, trying to convince himself. He began pulling the ship out of its automatically guided approach to the planet, needing to take action.

Lerrah sighed and glanced over at Tasia. "I'm going to go up and talk to him," she said. "He's feeling the Blues -- where a smuggler realizes that their conscience isn't exactly alright with what they're doing. I've been there." She started toward the cockpit, pausing long enough to give Elf instructions, "Close that thing up and make it look like we never looked inside."

"Me?!" Tasia stepped back quickly, head shaking. "I'm not going near that stuff! I'd rather have it ejected from the ship! I told you this guy was bad news, Lerrah. Do you realize what we've gotten ourselves into?"

"I know," Lerrah said, pausing to approach her lover. "We'll get out of it whatever it is. I have before, and I'll make sure we both get out of this. And, I was talking to Elf, not you." She gave the hesitant droid a glare, and he reluctantly rolled forward to take care of the crate. "I should talk to Cirran, though. I've been down this road before. You want to come up with me. I guess if I can't talk him through it, we could sex him up and make him forget about the problems."

"Oh, you'd like that," Tasia half-joked with an accusatory look. "Since that's the case, I'm coming with you. Especially to get as far away from that thing" --her engine lubricant-stained hand gestured sharply towards the crate-- "as possible."

Lerrah grinned and held a hand out to Tasia. "Hopefully he hasn't thrown himself out an airlock yet," she said.

It only took a few moments for them to reach the cockpit where Cirran was concentrating on the controls of his ship. Lerrah slipped into the co-pilots chair and checked their status. As she was doing so, she glanced aside at him.

"You should talk about it," she said. "It's not good to keep something like that bottled up."

"Which is probably a lot more than can be said for that stuff in the cargo hold," Cirran said, giving her a sideways glance, continuing to steadfastly concentrate on flying the freighter. "I'm getting that stuff off my ship," he said quietly, but with an undercurrent of emotion evident in his voice. "As far as I know, the people I'm supposed to have been doing this for don't know you two are along for the ride, and I won't mention any names when they come looking for me. As for the money - well, I guess I'll have to owe you." The ship had now pulled out of the traffic grid and was making its way out of the system. As Cirran began to calculate a jump to lightspeed, two planetary picket ships, their pilots rendered curious by the apparent sudden change of plans that had taken place on the YT2000, began heading in their direction.

"You've attracted attention," Lerrah said, indicating the picket ships. "Cirran, if they discover you've dumped the shipment, what will they do to you?"

"Good question," Cirran said, flicking a switch that cut off the sound of the commlink requests from the picket ships to stand down and prepare for inspection that had begin to fill the cockpit, and then opening up the throttle. "In fact as questions without a definite answer go, it's almost a top priority for me, but it still gets beaten by 'what will the people I deliver this stuff to do with it?' Guess I'm just not cut out for smuggling. Although I can deal with this part of it," he added, throwing the ship wide of a stream of ion blasts from the ships now behind them, the pilots of which had also apparently decided, like Cirran, that actions rather than words were needed.

"Angling aft deflectors," Lerrah said. "Nav computer's almost got jump coordinates. Buckle in, this could get bumpy." She glanced over at Cirran. "Coordinates coming in now. And, you'll notice I don't have smuggler in my job description anymore."

Cirran flashed the girl an unexpected grin. "And I can honestly say I'm glad about that, Lerrah. Gods, what a bunch do-gooders we turn out to be," he laughed. The ship shuddered violently as an ion blast washed over the shields. "Yup, that's the feeling of righteous morality, all right. Let's hope they don't have tractor beams."

"I'll be in the engine compartment," Tasia announced. "Just don't get us blown apart before I get there!" she warned Cirran with a sharp glance, then shot them both a shrewd, hungry smile at the prospect of dipping her hands into some mechanical innards before she dashed out of the cockpit.

"At least fiddling with the engine will cheer her up a bit," Cirran said, his own gloom of a few moments ago for the moment vanished. Despite his experiences in the war, at heart Cirran was one of that breed of pilots who strangely always found fun in the presumably very serious task of making sure the ship he was flying was not blown out of the sky. "How long until we can jump?" he asked Lerrah.

"Just another ten seconds or so," Lerrah said. "We should do a triple jump. Jump, jump again and dump the cargo, then jump a third time. Throw off any pursuit that way."

"Sounds good to me," Cirran said, and as he did the ship kicked forward, as whatever the chief was doing in the engine compartment had an effect, putting some distance on their pursuers. "I have got to get her to tell me how she does that," Cirran muttered, and then with the pull of a lever the stars blurred into the lines of hyperspace. "Guess that bathroom tour will have to wait," Cirran said as he relaxed back into his chair. With the immediate danger over, his thoughts turned to their situation again.

"Listen, Lerrah..." he started. "You two actually OK with this? I didn't exactly take the time to discuss it very thoroughly back there. Like I said, I'm pretty sure no-one except Walker knows you're involved with this, but that's far from a certainty, and there's still the credits to consider."

"I'm sure we're both fine with it," Lerrah said as she sagged back against her own chair. She turned her head so she could see him. "And, don't worry about the credits. It was nice to get away for a few days." She reached over and patted his hand. "There's no telling whether they'll know or not. They may have a way to find out. We'll figure that out when we get there. I just want to make sure you're safe through this, alright? Don't worry about paying us. If you've got money, use it to keep yourself safe. And, if you even think about ditching us, I'm going to do my best to make your life a living hell." She flashed him a grin. "We'll have to figure out what our next move will be after dumping this cargo, and given the danger, I think we should tell Ril. Trust me, I'll make sure she understands."

Cirran groaned. "Oh no. No no no...she'll tell Kano and then Kano will - well, I'm not sure what he'll do, but suffice to say I don't think he's my greatest fan." A thoughtful look came over the pilot's face. "Of course, he might be happier if we hand this stuff over to him. Chances are we haven't got the only sample in existence, and if the New Republic can study it, and learn what to look out for, maybe they can neutralise the threat it poses...of course, after that someone will almost definitely be trying to kill me...or trying to kill us.

"They may be trying to kill us, but you'll be a hero," Lerrah said with a grin. "We can talk to Rilanna first, then go to Kano. And, then you can be the responsible hero...and maybe, as Mr. Heroic, maybe you won't need to take jobs like this."

Cirran considered the whole thing briefly, and then shook his head. "I tried the whole hero thing, it was overrated," he said, flashing back briefly to a burning cockpit. "Besides, if Kano finds out the circumstances under which came past this stuff - and he probably will - then I reckon I'll be back in the prison level, hero or not. Fan of the society and cuisine to be enjoyed therein though I am, that doesn't help me find Kemma - or stay alive for that matter. But...if the sample we have in the cargo hold got, say, hypothetically speaking of course, fired into space and reduced to its component molecules, and all the data pertaining to it from that computer, was, I dunno, downloaded into an R2 unit, perhaps, and from there found its way anonymously to the New Republic...then everyone's a winner. Er, except our employer, obviously, which brings us back to people trying to kill us. But they can take a number," he finished, with a hint of a smile.

Cirran nodded. "If you'll tell Elf what's going on then, all we'll need to do is dump that evil frozen Sithspit once we've made another hop - and I for one can't wait to blast it good."

"Sure," Lerrah said. "You want to break the news to Tasia? I'll be in the hold with Elf, making sure he gets all the important information. We'll get through this, Cirran, you'll see." She gave him a grin, before slipping out of the co-pilots chair and heading back to fill Elf in on the plan.

Cirran flicked a comm switch that would connect him to the engine compartment. "Good news, chief," he said, "we're getting that canister off this boat."

"Then what are you waiting for?" she called back. "Do it already! Unless you're asking my permission," she quipped.

In front of Cirran the lines of hyperspace distorted back into stars, revealing the deserted area of space where the jump had put them. He went through the standard check of making sure they weren't about to fly into anything, and then began immediate calculations for a very short hyperspace 'hop' to throw off any pursuit. "Permission?" he said into the intercom, smiling. " My vote counts for 10, remember? I'll let you be the one to blast that stuff out of the sky though, if you like. How's your gunnery?"

"It'll be a first." There was a diabolical chuckle and Tasia added, "But I'm sure I can work something out." Before Cirran could retract his offer, there was the sound of booted feet clanging against deck plating as Tasia dashed from the engine compartment for the gunnery pods. "Don't you worry, Captain, I won't miss!" she teased. "I must've gotten more out of my nights with Walker than an orgasm or two."

"See, that? What that was was too much information," Cirran replied. The quick jump calculations complete, Cirran once again threw the lever for the 30 second hop that would make pursuit all but impossible. Once back in real space and satisfied with the ships position, he left the cockpit to head to the cargo hold, where Elf was just finishing his data transfer from the crate under the supervision of Lerrah. "Time to be good," Cirran said, not even bothering to grab the lid to the crate in his haste to heave the crate to the 'Fool's Hope's small airlock. It was only the work of a few minutes for Lerrah and Cirran to position the crate and prepare it for ejection. "Alright, Chief," Cirran bellowed loud enough for Tasia to hear from her position in the top turret, "one hot target coming up on our six. Light it up!" With that he pulled down the switch that sent the crate and its nasty contents out into space behind and slightly above the ship.

"I'm on it!" Tasia announced, a lewd smile unseen by her two shipmates. "At least I will be when Walker and I get another moment alone...." Anticipating many groans of dismay and disgusted complaints, Tasia chuckled and switched her focus from a steamy night with Walker, to the wretched cargo container tumbling slowly into space. Knowing her way around ships, Tasia was familiar with the gunnery system, but by no means an expert.

Her first shot sailed past the crate, disappearing into the dark void of space. The second, however, impaled the object that was at the core of their mission, and their deepest fear. The universe could do with one less evil. Exploding into a blinding orange and white fireball, within moments the cargo was no more than hundreds of harmless, insignificant pieces hurtling into all directions. Tasia gave a triumphant whoop. "I really am a wonder, aren't I?"

"Not bad," Cirran admitted on the way past as he headed back to the cockpit with Lerrah, with the purple R2 unit, now chock full of data, warbling along behind them. "Better than your average Imperial, even." He flopped back into his familiar pilot's chair, and let out a breath.

"Well, I guess there's nothing left to do but fly this bucket home, drop this data into the New Republic systems and wait to see what happens. Everyone paid up on their life insurance premiums?"

"When we get back, we'll head to a bar, grab some drinks, and toast to laying low," Lerrah said. "I don't know about any of you, but a vacation far away is sounding really good right now. Someplace with beaches and sun and plentiful anonymity." She glanced at Elf, then over at Cirran and smiled wearily.

"Beaches, anonymity and a distinct lack of mysterious crates," Cirran agreed, watching with a satisfied look on his face as a few small pieces of their erstwhile cargo drifted past outside the canopy. "You know, you might be onto something there," he said calculating the first of the long series of jumps that would take them halfway across the galaxy and back to the Drogen Shipyards. "Somewhere beyond the known galaxy, perhaps - after all, if we flew this far just do to some target practice on a floating box, there's no telling the lengths we might go to to take a holiday."

"So." Behind, Tasia was leaned against the doorway, arms crossed over her chest and smiling smugly after her masterful display at the gunnery controls. "You sure we still don't get paid?"

"In review: we blew up my employer's cargo. Somehow I don't think so." Cirran said. Most likely that the ones doing the paying will be us, he added silently to himself, as he ran an eye over the figures for the jump. Only then did he realise that a few moments ago he had referred to Drogen Station as home. As he threw the lever for hyperspace yet again though, he was fairly sure that his new home, if that was really what it was now, might not have the friendliest welcome for him in store on his return.

---

"Seizing Destinies, Part 3"
By: Captain Dresh Kano
Consular Amii'a Val'or
Meer'esh
Cailin Fawkes
Padawan Talara Sorenne
Jedi Knight Kael Selrid
Master Laedra Vorrel
Master Koran Darr
Padawan Cole Slaton
Padawan Vaya Bek

Location: Palace of Arcadia, Arcadia
Date: Rheudis 4, 4 ABY

***

"Consular Va'lor?"

"Yes, Corporal?" she asked without taking her eyes from one of the holo-vid feeds.

"Ma'am, there's someone here asking for you," the soldier replied. "He says his name is Meer'esh. Says you and he have something to discuss."

Amii'a looked at the young man with an up-turned eyebrow, "Well tell Mister Meer'esh that I am somewhat busy right now," she said with some agitation in her tone. After all, they were in the midst of an important operation. "Tell him to make an appointment with the embassy. If there is still one by tomorrow," she said dryly.

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied, and turned to relay the message but halted as an afterthought struck him. "Oh yes...he says you have a mutual friend. She sent him to find you and" --he uncomfortably cleared his throat-- "she makes an excellent Stellar Dawn."

"Oh," she said. "I, agh...I see," she said with perfect recollection at the mention of the drink. An odd sensation came over her, like a fogging. She knew something...but then she didn't. She gazed at the holo feed again for a moment in silence, perfectly still.

"Ma'am?" the young guard asked.

"Yes, I will be right there, thank you," she said as she rose from her chair where she helped to oversee the intelligence of the unfolding battle.

What in the worlds could this be about? she thought as she followed the Corporal out of the restricted and secured command area.

Amii'a was led through the corridors of the New Republic's fortified base, towards the highly guarded entrance. Easily gaining access to the exterior, Amii'a was greeted by two guards flanking a tall, young man with pallid skin and silvery blond hair. When she approached, his violet gaze fixed onto Amii'a.

"Consular Va'lor," he greeted questioningly in heavily accented Standard.

Amii'a sized the man up and down, not recognizing his accent or species - she assumed he must have been perhaps a cross-breed from some forsaken jerk-water world deep in the Outer Rim. She waved off the guards so that she might have a moment alone to see what it was this man wanted.

"I am quite busy at the moment," she said curiously. "What is it that I can do for you?"

"I was being sent here," he explained. "You know of Ron'amon?"

"She is an aquaintence yes," Amii'a replied with some hesitation. Somehow it didn't surprise her that Ron'amon knew where to have her found. "Did she send you?"

"She has directed me to you, yes. I am" --Meer'esh paused to search for the word, then placed his hand upon his chest for emphasis-- "the future High Princess' aide. You are the same for Ambassador Fida, I am being told."

"In such ways yes," she said. "The High Princess you say?" she asked, a little wondered as she had never seen the man in any of the meetings. Her apprehension went up a few degrees. She wondered just how far the web of things was tangled.

"I am the diplomatic liaison to the New Republic Embassy, before the Empressess took over anyway," she added, waiting for his reply as to whether or not he would divulge, in one form or another, what he knew and if he was aware of exactly what was transpiring here today.

"And I was owning a café before Yelara warmed my heart and asked me to do this thing with her," Meer'esh told her. "I am not wishing her to fail; I will be helping her keep the throne... Is that not being your purpose, as well?"

"I am dedicated to the wellfare of this world and its legitimate government, yes," Amii'a said, finding her curiosity piqued as to how a café owner came to have the heart and ear of the future High Princess. Ro'namon, of course, she thought to herself.

She knew well that there were many power players who had reared their heads in the wake of the Empresses' take over. Some she knew to genuinely be concerned and have the best interests of Tae'Karada in mind, others she knew to have only their own motives upon motives. She could understand a Tae'Karadan having such grand motives for the well-being of their world, but someone like this Meeresh and Ro'namaon, she wondered?

They weren't even of this world, and she had never known them in such political circles before. But then again Theen was not of this world, and though she had long worked with him and had always considered him a dear friend and true ally of Tae'Karada...her trust in his motives, or maybe that of the New Republic was slowly coming into question.

"Do not take this to heart, Meeresh," Amii'a said. "I am of this world, it is my home. I have fought and worked hard for its future. You're not of this world, and I am quite sure our mutual friend is not as well. Why is it that you are so interested in its future, and our soon to be High Princess?"

Meer'esh lowered his head humbly as he gave his heartfelt response. "Because I been having no one since I was a small thing. When I was meeting Yelara...I was finally having someone. My world...it is being a c-cruel place." The tension that had developed in his body was clear in his now-rigid posture, which set him trembling. "I am wishing to help Yelara and this planet...so I am not having to leave ever. Is that not being a good reason?"

Amii'a relaxed some after the man's display of emotion, but she was still somewhat wary.

"More so than some that should," she replied thoughtfully. "Why is it that you have been sent to me, Meeresh?" she asked, sympathetic to the man, but still wanting answers and to get to the point.

"To ensure the correct people are to be ruling Tae'Karada," he answered matter-of-factly. "And Yelara is being that person. I am not wanting her to be influenced by people who are not caring for Karadans, but for what they are wanting. I do not wish to be offending you, but I am not believing many of your associates are wanting to help Yelara." Appearing to have only Yelara's best interests in mind, and no obvious intention to sew dissent, Meer'esh asked, "This Ambassador Theen...he is being trusted by you?"

"I have worked alongside Ambassador Theen for many years," she replied with cautious intrigue. "I have trusted him and he trusts me. I do believe he has our best interests in mind...but he also serves the interests of the New Republic."

"And are the New Republic's interests agreeing with Yelara's being on the throne?"

"I...suppose," Amii'a replied. "The embassy under Theen is helping to facilitate and support her position and the removal of the Empresses. It is my understanding that the New Republic is interested in Tae'Karada having a legitimate government; they certainly do not recognize nor support the likes of Dani and Nieme."

Meer'esh smiled, though something inscrutable was hidden behind the charm. "I guess, Ms. Val'or, we are being truly allies, then. I shall be seeing you around the palace in the future, hm?"

"I certainly hope to play a more active role in the government," she replied with a guarded smile. "After everything that has transpired lately...I do have high hopes in our new High Princess, and for Tae'Karada."

"As her aide," Meer'esh replied without obvious artifice, "I am being sure we can help Tae'Karada gain its potential." Bowing his head cordially, Meer'esh smiled. "I must being finding Yelara. May I be waiting within?"

Amii'a nodded, "Of course, who am I too disallow the future Princess's aide," she said as she motioned with her arm for him to follow.

She wondered what ulterior reasons Ro'namon had for the sending the man, and if they were of anything to worry over. With Theen, she knew his motives with events of late and the current overthrow benefited his work and those he served within the New Republic. Lately though, it seemed there were more power players coming out of the cracks, each with their own desires in the institution of a new government. She knew Ro'namon to be quite adverse to the New Republic's presence and involvement on Tae'Karada, and just about anyone was better up on the throne compared to the two hedonists that had called themselves Empresses.

***

As the Jedi disappeared from the battlefield, Cailin Fawkes turned into the oncoming surge of clones with her lightsaber raised high. She was here supporting Adam and not as a representative of the Jedi. She would remain out here for the fight, since they had enough people to lead the way inside.

She parried aside a series of blaster bolts, sending them harmlessly into the ground, and launched herself at the attackers. While she was no Jedi Master, and barely enough to qualify as a Jedi Knight, she did know how to use her weapon. Her blade sliced cleanly through the clones' blaster rifles, rendering them weaponless. As Cailin moved on to the next series of targets, she sensed Adam coming in behind her to incapacitate the troopers she'd disarmed. Their work was smooth, almost orchestrated.

From the observation cameras that were cutting through the jamming frequencies, Dresh Kano observed the pair's work. He was happy to have a Jedi outside as well, though he was uncertain if the young woman was actually a Jedi. She hadn't associated with them. In fact, he got the distinct impression she avoided contact with the other Jedi. Before allowing himself to ponder that mystery, he put it to the back of his mind for later. There wasn't time for such musings now.

"Team Three," he said over their tactical frequency, "maneuver into zone Three Alpha. Set up a repeater there. Team Four, be ready to move to cover for Three on my order. Raven Squad, prepare for your attack runs on the walkers."

Dresh was met with a chorus of "Aye, sir," from all involved, and his troops shifted into action.

In the sky above the palace, six Delta-7s angled down and raced toward the lumbering hulks in the courtyard of the palace. In the lead fighter, Raven Six lead the charge with the rest of the team fanned out behind him.

"These things have enough armour for most capital ships," Raven Six said through the comm. He tapped a button inside the cockpit, painting the target for the wing to use for targeting. "I've got him lit up so on my mark, let loose with everything you've got."

"We'd better hurry, Six, or we aren't going to have any troops left on the ground."

"Stow it, Raven Five," Six said through the comm. "I'm aware of the situation and we're moving as fast as we can out here. Coming up on target. Ready. Ready. Fire!"

As the Delta-7s roared over the palace, all six fighters opened up with their lasers. Twin beams lanced out from each, lighting up the night and flashing brightly against the armoured hull of the walker. The beast shook under the barrage and the Ravens shot past. As they did, Six craned back to see the damage they'd caused. "Damn! Still up! Bring it around team, we're making another run."

In the courtyard, the walker seemed slightly less steady, but its blazing weapons were still just as deadly. One of the gunnery emplacements disappeared beneath a vicious attack from the chin-mounted cannons. As he lined up for the next run, Six swallowed hard. Those were his friends down there.

"Wish you were here, boss," Six said into the private channel that linked him with Dresh Kano back at the command center.

"Makes two of us," Dresh answered. "You're doing great. I couldn't have asked for a better captain on this one. Make this one count, and you might take your target down before Banger."

Six laughed. "In that case, we're heading in." He switched back over to the tactical channel. "Let's go, team. Time to put that thing down. Look out below!"

The Delta-7s swooped in once more, once again targeting the walker's flank just above where its legs connected with the body. Raven Six closed his eyes briefly, offering up a quick prayer to any deity that might be listening, then opened his eyes and his laser cannons.

This time, as the Ravens swept over the courtyard, engines screaming as they whipped past the ground troops, their weapons struck true. Bright red energy lanced from above and tore into the armour plating protecting the drives that allowed the walker to move. Explosions rippled through the beast. Armour plates buckled. The walker stumbled and tilted. On the ground below, Republic troops and cloned troopers alike fled the immediate vicinity as the armoured giant crashed down into the paving stones of the courtyard.

A cheer went up amongst the Republic troopers, and their efforts to take the courtyard doubled.

Before long, the rest of the Ravens had dropped the other two walkers, and the tide of the battle turned, though not without cost.

As she parried aside a blaster bolt, Cailin Fawkes had to step over the body of a Republic trooper, his body twisted unnaturally from where one of the walker's blasts had caught him. It was the same wherever she looked. She cleared her mind of the feelings of remorse, and concentrated on fighting for survival, hers and Tae'Karada's. She could only hope that within the Palace, the Jedi were successful in their own mission.

***

They had secured passage into the Palace with much effort and a trail of casualties in their wake. Resistance within was minimal, with much of Nieme and Dani's forces bent on preventing further access to the interior...but to what end, Laedra now wondered.

At the terminus of the first main corridor leading to the throne room, the small party of Jedi halted, the Padawans to check on one another for injuries, and to recoup their waning energies, and Laedra to turn to both Kael and Koran for a conference.

As the masters spoke Cole checked himself over. There were several, less than a dozen more than half, scorched holes in his robe. He hated to even think of what would have happened if they'd been an inch to the left or right. Apart from breathing, and sweating, with several cuts and bruises, nothing of which were serious, he was unharmed. He just hoped that was the hard bit over, but if the last mission was anything to go by he doubted it.

"You both ok?" he asked, glancing up from his deactivated lightsaber at his friends, Vaya and Talara.

Talara appeared to be unharmed. Her robe trailed behind her as she moved, but her choice of Jedi robes were modeled after the robes typically worn by Twi'lek Jedi from the days of the Old Republic. Despite the skin the robes left exposed, she felt none of the chill in the air. "I am fine," she answered Cole. She glanced in Vaya's direction and smiled at her fellow Padawan.

"Well, everything that was attached still seems to be in place," she grinned.

"I don't sense their presence," Laedra was telling Koran and Kael a short distance away, though she held no doubt they had determined the same. "Do you believe either of them have become powerful enough to entirely cloak themselves from us?"

"They may have learned the skill," Kael said, "but it would not be in their nature to hide from us. Open taunting is Nieme's way, not hiding. Still, it would not hurt to be cautious. I cannot sense Nieme near." He closed his eyes and reached out. "Nor Dani." He turned to Koran.

The Jedi Master's eyes were closed as well, then he shook his head. "I cannot sense them nearby. If they are still in the palace, then they have hidden themselves."

"Then we must search thoroughly for them," Laedra decided. "We cannot have come this far only to turn up nothing. I suggest forming small search parties with the Padawans. We will achieve greater coverage that way."

"I agree," Koran said. "I'll take Cole and begin searching upstairs."

"Kael, you and Vaya take the eastern wing of the palace," Laedra told him. "I'll search with Talara. I'll also attempt to contact Liam and inform him of the situation. I imagine he will wish to aid us in our search."

"Of course," Kael said. "I'll inform you if I sense anything." With a bow, he turned to go speak briefly with Vaya and then head off to the eastern wing to search.

Vaya offered a slight bow to the Jedi. She didn't know the young man, but so far he had proven to be a skilled Jedi. She would rather have accompanied Laedra, to be by her mentor's side. But, she respected the wisdom of Koran and Laedra and if they desired her to accompany Kael, then she would do so without concern. It never even occurred to her that Koran and Laedra also had faith in her skill and judgement, that she wasn't always required to be under the watchfulness of her mentor.

As Talara joined Laedra's side, she turned to Kael and Vaya. "Contact us if you find anything, and don't act unless completely necessary." Focusing on Vaya, Laedra added, "Remember to open yourself to the Force, and if you detect anything - even if it seems insignificant - don't be afraid to inform Kael."

"I will," Vaya replied. "May the Force be with you, Master."

"And to you both," she replied to her Padawan, as well as Kael. With a quick bow, Laedra turned down the corridor, with Talara following closely behind.

With lightsaber hilt clipped to his belt, Kael stepped over and gave Vaya a lopsided grin. "Come on," he said. "East wing is ours. Watch your step though, there are still clones and worse ahead of us." With that, he lead the way towards the series of doors that would take them to the east wing of the Palace.

Vaya followed Kael, stretching her feelings out as they went for any sign of trouble. She knew there would be, she only wanted to sense it in time to keep out of as much trouble as she could. She paid attention to Kael's lead, tried her best to keep an eye on the young man for any sense of danger he would probably detect before she.

The two silently made their way down a long corridor with no visible doors or security devices. Vaya noted how eerily quiet it was compared to the maelstrom outside that they had left. At least it helped her to concentrate. "I am assuming you have spent time here?" she asked the Jedi.

"Very brief amounts of time," Kael answered. "I was present during the last attempt to remove Dani and Nieme from the throne. Before they fell to Darkness, Nieme and I were close." He frowned as he searched out the two once more and found nothing but their absence. Something tickled at the back of his neck. In a heartbeat, his lightsaber was out and ignited. A pair of bolts from a twin-linked security blaster ricocheted off into the wall. The next set were reflected straight back into the blasters. The guns were quiet after that. "Stay sharp. I'm sure we have more similar surprises ahead of us."

"No doubt," she said dryly as she followed along through the corridor.

The pair turned here, and turned there, ever watchful for any sign of danger. Other than the blasters, it had been all too quiet on their leg. She decided not to pursue any more of the earlier conversation, she needed to stay focused. It was hard though, something was bothering her in the back of her mind. She continued to search out ahead and around with the Force for any sign of another booby trap or ambush. Other than the obvious, she had a funny sensation that she just couldn't shake.

They were nearing another intersection when a wall of stone suddenly shot out from the left. Vaya barely slid through before it would have left her blocked off from Kael, or to have been made a permanent part of the right side wall. Then another shot down from the ceiling. Vaya ducked and rolled toward Kael as they had to pick up speed, more such traps had been sprung to crush, contain or separate the pair.

"That was closer than the rest," Kael said. "I think we may be getting close to the end of this." As he finished speaking, one of the wall turrets popped open. One of Kael's lightsabers flared to life to block the bolts fired at Vaya and himself, his other lightsaber came out and whipped around, slicing cleanly through the weapon. On the other side of the hall, a second turret popped open and started to open fire.

Vaya ignited her own blade as she rolled back up on her feet from dodging the last wall. Using a technique she had learned and practised with Master Kal'aran, her blade batted the bolts as she swung from left and right in a tight arc. The first bolt was reflected to the ceiling above the turret, sending sparks of slagged material, dust and smoke. The second found its mark as it burned through and turned the small turret to smoking slag. She stood waiting for any other surprises as she puffed a lock of stray hair from her face.

"Nicely done," Kael said with a smile. "You have very good saber technique. I think we can move forward now. These traps are really going to slow us down though." With that, he started forward, deactivating his blade as he did. This time, however, he kept the hilt in his hand. Given what they'd already been through, he figured he'd need it again soon enough.

Vaya gave a nod of thanks in reply to the man's compliment. Taking his lead, she followed with her own deactivated hilt in hand.

***

It was still and deafeningly silent on the western end of Arcadia's royal palace. Even with as stealthily as Talara Sorenne and Laedra Vorrel were exploring the innumerable corridors, their light footsteps still resounded. They had encountered no sentient resistance - nothing more than armed droids patrolling the corridors and automated sentry guns mounted to the walls and holographically concealed to blend into the wall-face. It supported their earlier theory that many of the clones had been sent out to prevent infiltration from the exterior, and that Nieme and Dani might no longer be about. But, until they had searched the entire palace, the Jedi were not prepared to abandon their hunt and risk losing the palace again to Nieme and Dani.

So, Talara and Laedra pushed on with senses on full awareness, but Laedra took their one moment of calm to look over at her Padawan and mention, "You've been very focused, Padawan. I'm surprised, yet glad to see it."

"Thank you, Master," Talara answered. "My time as a captive...it opened my eyes. It also showed me the path I want to be on. It was like having a blindfold removed, I guess. I don't want to let you or Master Andro down again. And...and I don't want to let myself down either."

"I know," Laedra told her kindly and with a suppressed chuckle. "You've already said so. Try not to dwell on the past and on failure. If you do so, Padawan, you are only willing yourself to fail. Just concentrate on being as you are, on remaining centred with the Force, and you won't return to that path."

"Thank you, Master," Talara answered with a smile. As she did, one of the holographic facades covering the sentry weapons dissolved, revealing the weapon beneath it. Tala's lightsaber was out in an instant, ignited the next, and blocking the incoming barrage just barely a heartbeat's length from when the weapons appeared.

A study in gracefulness, Laedra was quickly in motion spinning away from an oncoming bolt, and deflecting another with her lightsaber as she turned out. The sentry burst into fizzling sparks and flame as the rebounded shot impacted. Laedra deactivated her weapon, but remained quiet and watchful while reaching out to the Force. "I sense that this is an important part of the palace, and well-protected. We will need to be particularly careful, Padawan. There is something ahead, but I know not what, yet."

Tala nodded her understanding and followed Laedra's lead forward. She could sense something ahead, a danger of some sort. She kept her calm, relying on her training to be ready for whatever may happen.

Treading carefully, Laedra and Talara navigated through the corridor which would lead them to the royal sleeping chambers, and potentially to Nieme and Dani. No sentry guns appeared, nor attack droids. But the ominous sensation lingering in the air still prevailed; Laedra felt it in the pit of her stomach, yet all she could do was proceed forward in a state of heightened awareness, instead of turning back out of anxiety over what might be awaiting them.

They reached the ornately engraved doors of the royal bedroom without incident, but the feeling of intense uneasiness grew stronger, and as Laedra placed her hand against the door she nearly drew back, sickened to her core. Agony and despair seeped from the room within, but it was more of an echo than the projection of anyone's emotions. No living person might be in the room, but something had been left behind. Laedra took a deep breath to find her centre once more and looked to her Padawan. "You must try and close yourself off to such darkness and pain, Talara. We cannot allow ourselves to get caught in such suffering as I sense within."

Talara closed her eyes and closed herself off to the waves of emotions coming from within the room. "It is Nieme's emotions," she said. "I...I feel them, but dulled through my defenses. She...she is in deep turmoil, Master."

"Or," Laedra offered, "she once was. I don't feel her consciousness in that room. If she is no longer living, it is still possible a trace of the torment she experienced in that room could have been left behind. But," she added soberly, "I'd like to see for myself."

"Of course, Master," Talara said. Her lightsaber remained at her belt. If it was needed, she would have enough time to bring the weapon into her hand. Still, Nieme's lingering emotions sent an uneasy ripple through her. "I am ready, Master."

Laedra nodded and with resolve that succeeded in fending off the roiling emotions coming from the bedroom, she pushed open the doors. Detecting no immediate threat, Laedra and Talara remained where they were, watching the doors open into the grand bedroom, now darkened and cold, both atmospherically and spiritually. Reaching out with her senses, Laedra detected no obvious threat, but through the Force she still perceived danger somewhere. Then, they stepped forward.

Talara's stomach seemed to be doing flips as she moved forward with Laedra. The emotions were dark and she could almost imagine them probing her, searching for a way through her mental defenses. Temptation beckoned, seeming to urge her to embrace the Dark Side, to allow herself to fall again, to return to the darkness, to the pleasures it could offer. The power. Talara blinked, but took another step and seemed to move past the tempting draw the darkness exuded. She was strong enough; her Masters' faith was not misplaced.

The room itself was obviously empty, but Nieme's essence had remained - tortured and maddened; even her screams of terror could be still faintly heard through the Force. Laedra pitied the young woman, no matter how vile the deeds she had performed.

As they stepped three feet into the room, the wails and moans that clung to the darkness reverted to a discordant chorus of wicked laughter. Only detectable through the Force, the disturbing raucous snapped into resolve the vague feelings of danger Laedra had sensed earlier. Laedra reacted. "Talara, back!"

Before the words were out of Laedra's mouth, Talara was already moving. Her lightsaber came out, ready to defend herself if need be. As she leapt free of the room, she could not see the danger behind her, but she could certainly sense it. The whine of lasers activating could be heard. As they discharged, the air around Talara's body seemed to warm considerably. With a cry, she twisted her body away from the lancing beams.

The two cleared the room, Laedra still in a crouch where she had landed and Talara beside her. Before them, where once they had been standing, was a web of criss-crossing red lasers meant to impale any intruder. The security device's position would have given anyone occupying the large bed ahead a perfect vantage point for witnessing the slaughter. Laedra sighed, and straightened. "Are you alright, Talara?"

"More startled than anything," Tala answered. She noticed a tendril of smoke coming from her pants. "A little singed, but I'm alright. That was close."

"Closer than I would have preferred," Laedra agreed. "At least we can conclude that neither Nieme nor Dani are anywhere in the vicinity. Which means we should report in to the other teams. I imagine," she quipped mildly, "they will appreciate warning of what we've just encountered."

"Definitely, Master," Talara said. "I know he's not Zari's boyfriend any longer, but I don't think she would want for Cole to be chopped up by lasers."

---

"Seizing Destinies, Part 4"
By: Master Liam Zaneth
Yelara Neerou
Meer'esh
Ambassador Theen Fida
Padawan Talara Sorenne
Jedi Knight Kael Selrid
Master Laedra Vorrel
Master Koran Darr
Padawan Cole Slaton
Padawan Vaya Bek

Location: Palace of Arcadia, Arcadia
Date: Rheudis 4, 4 ABY

***

Koran strode along the corridor with Cole at his side. His senses were stretched out before them, seeking any danger that might be waiting. He glanced at his Padawan. "Do you sense anything, Cole?"

Cole had been reaching along the corridor, along the walls in front of them trying to sense anything. Clones were always on the back of his mind, and the Empresses too, though he was sure they'd be deeper in the palace. He felt nothing. Was that relief? Or did they know they were coming and were lying in wait. "I sense nothing, Master..." Cole said keeping pace with his master. "Do you think they know we're inside and may be laying a trap?"

"It is entirely possible," Koran said. "If they haven't fled. They knew we were coming somehow. They've either left the Palace, or they are here, masking their bio-signatures, and lying in wait for us. We won't know for certain until we finish our search. Come on, let's check the series of rooms at the end of the hallway."

With that, the two started down the hallway. It was halfway to the end when the next trap was sprung. The wall popped open behind them and a pair of concealed starship turbolasers opened fire. The incident was over quick, but it left Koran bruised as he was slammed against the far wall by the impact of the blasts. Still, he did manage to get his lightsaber in place and, despite the weapons being designed for starships, block them. He and Cole dispatched the weapons quickly.

Breathing hard and fast, his heart racing after the attack, it was the suddenness that had gotten to the Padawan. One moment nothing. The next cannons were firing at them, spewing death without mercy. Cole had only nodded at his master when he spoke of his hope it didn't happen again; that, in his opinion, was an understatement, but the palace was huge and the young Jedi Padawan had a feeling this was only the beginning.

"That was close," he said. "Let us hope they don't have too many more surprises of that nature." Before he could say more, his comlink signalled for his attention. He plucked it from his belt and clicked the receive. "This is Koran. Go ahead."

"It's Laedra here," came the reply. "Koran, be very careful of enclision grid devices. I believe they may be planted all over the palace. Talara and I barely escaped an encounter with one moments ago."

"We'll be careful," Koran said. "We just ran into a turbolaser sentry mount. The blasts nearly knocked my arms out of their sockets. The security devices in here are certainly a deadly assortment. I believe those will have to be removed when the government changes hands. Thank you for the warning, Laedra. We have found only empty, boobytrapped corridors thus far. You?"

"The same," she answered. "I believe it is safe to say, Koran, that Nieme and Dani have fled."

"I agree," Koran said. "I can sense nothing of them, except a lingering presence. And, to leave us alone to search the palace as we are, it is quite unlike them."

"We are hardly as familiar with this Nieme and Dani as we once were with our former pupils," Laedra pointed out. "Despite that, I am leaning towards believing the same, Koran. We should alert Liam."

"I agree," Koran said. "If the Palace is clear, he should be able to safely bring Yelara in to assume the throne. We'll need to assemble everyone in the throne room."

"Agreed," she answered. "Talara and I will meet you there. Let's hope Yelara's ready for this."

"Let Kael and Vaya know as well," Koran said. "I'll set up a secure transmission to notify Liam and the rest. Cole and I will join you in ten minutes time." He shut off the comlink and, with his Padawan in tow, moved to set up the secure link to the command post. He couldn't agree with Laedra more. Hopefully Yelara was ready for this. He didn't want to think of the consequences if she wasn't.

***

"Meer'esh!"

Having just ended his conversation with Amii'a, Meer'esh rose from the seat he'd been occupying in the base's secured antechamber at his summons. Yelara, followed by an expressionless Liam, hurried towards him as they entered. Her face was beaming and her smile exuding immense joy and relief. He nearly stumbled back when Yelara threw herself into his arms.

"I was worried I wouldn't find you," she whispered, and when she turned her face up towards his, watching him adoringly, Meer'esh could hardly prevent his hand from coming up to stroke her cheek.

"Sorry," he told her. "I was being...lost. It is best you are here now, Yelara. It is full of danger outside."

"Oh, don't worry; I've got my royal guard to protect me." Grinning, she motioned her head back towards Liam. Meer'esh and Liam's eyes met; the pale man faintly tipped his head in greeting.

Liam bowed to Meer'esh, even briefly allowing his eyes to lower away from the man. Perhaps, if there was any basis to the feelings he'd been having regarding the man, giving him reason to drop his guard may force the situation. He just wished the feelings didn't exist, not toward a man Yelara seemed to care for.

"We should probably get further into the bunker," Yelara suggested, oblivious to the subtle tension exchanged between both men. "I want to contact Orinth, too, to see how Leshie's doing."

"He may be down for a nap," Liam said. "You have the number of their new place, right?"

"I do," she replied. "Let's find our way to the command centre while I comm." As she made her suggestion, Yelara already began moving towards the hatch that would lead them to their destination. There was nearly a collision, however, as Liam and Meer'esh both stepped forward to walk by Yelara's side. The two men halted suddenly, face-to-face and near enough to see into the depths of the other's eyes.

"I am being excused," Meer'esh stated coolly. "I had not been realizing you wished to play escort."

"I am not playing anything," Liam answered without emotion. "However, Yelara is going to speak with my son's grandfather, and there is a chance my son will be present. There is a chance we may all die today, and if I have a chance to see Va'Lesh one last time, then I will take that chance. Now, if you'll excuse me." With that, Liam turned to follow Yelara.

Meer'esh, meanwhile, watched after him with great composure, despite the anger roiling within him. Then he followed behind the two at a comfortable distance.

"Liam," Yelara whispered once he'd fallen into stride beside her, "don't take offense. His Standard isn't that good. I'm sure he meant something else entirely by his words."

"I understand," Liam said. "I just hope he is aware of the seriousness of what we're doing today. Something could happen, and if I'm not close to you, something very bad could happen. I know he's your friend, but if you could talk to him and ask him to not block me from getting to you in case something happens. After the dangers are passed, it will be alright...but today...Leshie can't lose his mama again...I can't lose her again."

"You won't," Yelara assured him softly. She could only smile at him, choosing not to squeeze his hand for comfort and risk rousing Meer'esh's jealousy. "I'll talk with him later, okay? But, I'm safe here, with you, aren't I?"

"Yes," Liam said with a smile. "You're safe here. And anywhere outside of here where I can be with you, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you're safe there too."

Yelara chuckled lightly. "You did make a vow," she reminded him. "I won't let you renege on that, Master Jedi."

"That's true, I did," Liam said. "I guess it's a good thing we're getting along...things could get difficult if we weren't. It was uncomfortable when we were at odds before."

"Then we won't be again," she stated simply. "Though," Yelara added, frowning slightly, "we should probably discuss--" Liam's comm beeping interrupted her thought. Yelara watched him expectantly. "Maybe it's an update on the battle."

Liam nodded and unclipped the comlink from his belt. "Zaneth," he said.

"Liam," came Master Koran Darr's voice from the other end of the connection, "we've secured the Palace. Nieme and Dani appear to have fled, but we now hold the throne room. You should bring Yelara so she may be recognized as the new High Princess."

"We're on our way," Liam said. "We'll meet you in the throne room as soon as we can get there." He closed off the link and turned to Yelara. "It looks like that talk will have to wait. We need to get to the Palace."

Her cheer from moments ago had drained away, just as the blood was from her cheeks. Meer'esh had stopped beside them, and touched Yelara's shoulder in concern. "I didn't realize it would be so soon," she whispered nervously. Her hand covered Meer'esh's and clung to it for strength. "There's no turning back...is there, Liam?"

"Once you're in the throne room," Liam said. "Then there's no turning back. They're expecting us now, so you will have to decide now whether to go on, or step away."

"I can't just walk away," she reasoned, chuckling wryly. "All those people fighting out there are relying on me. I can't let them down." Smiling aside at Meer'esh, and finding new resolve in his unwavering gaze, Yelara nodded firmly. "We do this, and now. I won't disappoint the people of Tae'Karada." Her focus returned to Liam. "Take me there. I very well can't miss my own coronation, now can I?"

Liam bowed before her, then turned back the way they had come and led the way toward the entrance of the command post. He turned as they approached. "Stay close to me," he said. "There could still be fighting in the courtyard of the Palace." He fixed an appraising look on Meer'esh, then turned and started down the corridor.

As Yelara followed, Meer'esh remained steadfastly by her side and whispered, "I will be remaining with you, my lady of the raven hair."

Yelara smiled at him ardently and furtively slipped her hand into his; until they reached the tall Palace gates, that is where it remained.

Her entourage of New Republic soldiers had accumulated as she approached, all aware that they were no longer looking upon a mere woman, but royalty. Yelara remained expressionless, allowing a faint smile to touch her lips as she nodded in greeting to the onlookers flanking the procession - most were soldiers who had fought to claim the throne for her, and had done so for no reward other than to secure a peaceful future for Tae'Karada. Many showed signs of the battle that had raged - scorched armour, blood coagulating over wounds sustained, and some using their rifles as a crutch to ease the pain of injured limbs; others were either being hauled off the battlefield in hover-stretchers to receive medical attention, while the dead lay either where they had died, or were slowly being collected.

Passing by in a litter supported by two New Republic soldiers was a clone, whose helmet had gotten lost along the way. One flap of the sheet covering his body had blown over, revealing flaming red hair and that youthful face which was a mixture of both herself and Liam. Yelara gasped softly and quickly looked away. She was not yet prepared for the realities of war, especially when her son's twins comprised many of its victims.

So, it was among the dead that Yelara made her ascent on the grand, stone staircase leading to the palace's entrance - her new home. Liam was to her left, and Meer'esh to her right, while Va'Lesh and Yara brought up the rear. Now, she was trembling badly, and sincerely reconsidered what she had agreed to do. I am nowhere near ready to rule a planet, when I can't even get my life together....

With an expression that seemed much more cool than it had before leaving the command post, Liam turned to Yelara one last time. "We will proceed to the throne room," he said in an expressionless voice. "The Jedi will be waiting, as will representatives of the New Republic and Tae'Karada as witnesses. Once we are inside the throne room, you will proceed to the throne, turn to face your subjects below you, then you will take your seat upon the throne. Do you have any questions before we proceed?"

She chuckled weakly and asked him, "Will you be there by my side, Liam? Promise you won't leave me."

"I will be there," Liam said. His gaze flicked briefly to Meer'esh, then back to her. "I will not leave you, no matter the circumstances."

Her smile brightened and all trace of hesitation fled. Mouthing a thank-you, Yelara and her procession passed between the thick, ornate columns making up the lofty arcade which sheltered the path into her new home. Between each pillar stood a row of men and women in formal robes, with insignias over their hearts to indicate their rank in office. Many she recognized as the officials she had met with previously, but many others she did not know. Each bowed their heads humbly in reverence to their new leader, though having their eyes - made so inscrutable through years of playing the game of politics - on her was unsettling. These were individuals who would be advising her, she knew, and Yelara imagined, in time, she would find trust in them.

At the head of the small entourage, Liam led the way toward the throne. As they moved forward, the rest of the Jedi fell into step behind Yelara and others. Striding toward the ornate throne, they made an impressive sight. By the time the end of the long, purple carpet was reached, Theen Fida stood upon the dais waiting as the representative of the New Republic.

Before reaching the step up to the throne, Liam Zaneth stepped aside. As they reached the dais, the other Jedi did as well. Now, only the few steps up to the throne was all that stood between Yelara and her destiny; she made her first step towards fulfilling it by climbing the dais, towards the tall, Anx ambassador, Theen Fida, standing over her. Taking deep breaths in and out to settle her nerves, Yelara gazed up at him with resolve.

"For many years have I considered Tae'Karada home, as it is to many different sentients and Karadans of every walk of life," Theen announced as the crowd of politicians and freedom fighters quieted. "We have all bled and sacrificed through many trials and tribulations. Today begins a new era as oppression and tyranny has been thwarted by the combined will and heart of those who call this world home...freedom and hope has been restored. We have a new vigilance to bring Tae'Karada up and forward into a bright and prosperous future from the dark days of late. All across the galaxy, even to the deep Core our story will be told, and Tae'Karada will burn bright and distinguished in the night sky as an example to many. We have much to rejoice this day; the wicked false Empresses no longer hold here," he declared as he offered his long arm to Yelara who stood just below on the dais.

As she took his hand and stepped up, he gracefully stepped down and to the side as if he were presenting her to all those who bore witness. Her throat constricted nervously as she gazed out across the vast throne room, passing her eyes over all her subjects. Yelara experienced a pang of disgust in her arrogance at raising herself above those she had considered friends and compatriots. But if she was to succeed in her new position of authority, Yelara recognized she would be required to exert some dominance over those working for her. It would take much getting used to, she suspected, and set out to begin doing so by addressing all those watching her expectantly and quietly.

She caught Meer'esh's violet eyes fixed on her and drew support from them. Clearing her throat gently, and raising her head high, Yelara began. "I'm honoured to be standing before you today," she said, surprised by the room's acoustics that carried her voice to every corner. Momentarily taken aback, she paused, but was encouraged to continue with a subtle nod from Meer'esh. Yelara resumed. "I know many of you had no true choice in who you were to follow after the former Empresses' removal...but I hope that your willingness to fight so I could take the throne was a show of faith in my abilities. I promise I'll do what I can to bring Tae'Karada back to its former glory," she told them all sincerely. "I want more than anything to do that, to give my son a chance to live and grow on a world free of war and corruption.

"It would be foolish of me to demand your respect and loyalty...because I know the only way I could achieve that is by gaining it through actions rather than words." She smiled gently, and paused before adding softly, "I hope I can do just that very soon, and until then...I'm honoured to be before you - all heroes of this fight to liberate our planet. I can only endeavour to make you proud, and vow to never disappoint you if I'm able. That's all I can do...and I will certainly do my best to achieve that, if you'll allow me to."

Liam Zaneth exchanged a glance with Koran, then took a step forward. "The Jedi Order of Tae'Karada officially pledge ourselves as the guardians of peace for this planet and system, and offer services to your office, Your Majesty, as ambassadors, protectors, guides, and guardians."

With that, Liam and all of the Jedi dropped to a knee before Yelara, High Princess of Tae'Karada, as they pledged their loyalty and conviction to serve.

From behind the Jedi, a figure emerged dressed in a flowing gown of black and violet. She moved with stately grace and regal bearing, ascending the steps lightly to stand at Yelara's side. Her lekku were twined together at her back, decorated for the occasion in silks matching her gown. Oot Kovan turned to face the assembly.

"Since the beginning of Tarkin's bloody reign," she began, "the true government of this planet has been in turmoil. When our great rebellion cast Tarkin down once and for all, a new bloodline took the throne. The man who sat the throne proclaimed himself emperor of Tae'Karada, but his reign did not last. He did, however, leave behind a legacy. At the time of his death, by custom, his wife became the Empress, though her flame appeared to have been extinguished too soon. Her son, however, was determined to be the next of the bloodline, and would take the throne upon his eighteenth year. In his stead, Jedi Master Liam Zaneth stood as Regent. As Master Zaneth's duties to the Jedi Order, he appointed me as Regent of affairs domestic and foreign, to hold the throne until such time as his son was old enough.

"Fate, it seems, was not yet finished with Yelara Neerou, and she has returned to us in our hour of need. As Nieme and Dani have been cast out, the crown once again returns to the intended bloodline, the line approved by all royal ministers. As the light once again begins to shine on our beloved world, I give you your new High Princess." She turned and lifted the ornate tiara from the stand just behind her, held out for her by a young woman with golden hair. "I give you High Princess and Crown of Tae'Karada, the Light of the Dawn, Her Majesty, Yelara Neerou, the first of her line."

As Oot Kovan placed the tiara upon Yelara's head, wild cheers erupted from the crowd. Bewildered and uncertain of the procedure involved in coronation ceremonies, Yelara tipped her head at Oot mechanically, then did the same to those of her court. It was overwhelming, inspiring an urge in Yelara to hurry down the dais and away from this new responsibility she had accepted. More than ever, she wanted to hold her son close and find reassurance in his always loving smile, as well as envy in the simplicity of his life when hers had become more complicated than ever.

But this was one duty she could not shirk, for Leshie's blissful, tiny world would grow suddenly dark if Tae'Karada continued to be ruled by dictators and madmen. Her gift to him would be a world without grief, injustice, and desolation. As High Princess, Yelara would ensure that. And with resolve and purpose, she executed a far more emphatic show of acceptance of her newly acquired status by gracefully seating herself in the vacant throne awaiting her. She had decided her future with that single action, and Tae'Karada's as well, though for the planet she was optimistic about change and re-establishing harmony to the once tranquil world. For herself, all Yelara could hope for was to fulfill her role admirably without creating too many enemies in the process.

---

"Reflections and Discovery"
By: Rylaa Lyssander - PC
Lani Vissip - NPC+
Colonel Kurt von Shultz - NPC+

Location: Avalon VI
Date: Rheudis 4, 4ABY

***30 miles east of the dig site***

Colonel Kurt von Shultz, Imperial Army, made a slight adjustment to the uniform that hung on his slight frame. As he looked over himself in the floor length mirror he couldn't help but admire the way it seemed to fit him. The shoulder boards of the tunic did wonders to make him look bigger than he really was. He really did cut quite a dashing figure, all of his officers agreed.

Kurt frowned. They were all bootlickers of course, the sort that the army favored. Not his army though. Perhaps he should have one of them executed as an example to the rest. He wanted to show them they he trusted honesty, not brownnosing.

No, he decided while fixing his cap over his brown thinning hair. There were too few officers to go around as it was and he had no way of receiving reinforcements until the Indefinable got back from its mission to the core. Besides, while they were asskissers, they were still the best he had.

Kurt brushed some imaginary lint from his sleeve and straightened up his tunic again before deciding that he was presentable enough to be seen by his men. He lifted the flap to his large jungle tent and looked over the encampment.

Most of the camp itself consisted of the large tents that housed his hundred elite storm troopers. The other several thousand under his command were all back aboard his Star Destroyer. Off to one side was a tarmac made of hastily poured duracrete over soft earth that housed his minor motor pool. It mostly consisted of the speeder bikes his scouts used. Standing next to each other though, were the pair of ATSTs he had brought along. Kurt planned to use them on the republic scientists very soon.

A pair of scout troopers on their camouflaged speeder bikes roared past and into the jungle as Kurt stepped into the light of the new day. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Today was going to be a good day.

***Avalonian Mountains, near the Imperial Perimeter***

It was not a good day for storm trooper AV-1402. The long bladed vibro-knife slipped under his helmet, through his jaw, and bit deeply into his brain. He was dead before he could even realize what has happened to him. The knife withdrew swiftly and AV-1402's body slumped to the jungle floor.

Lani emerged from underneath her gilli blanket she had been using to conceal herself. The knife was wiped off on the blanket before it was resheathed. The body of the storm trooper was quickly concealed by her homemade blanket. There was no need to hide the body further, by nightfall the scavengers of the jungle would had picked it to bones.

There was a small twinge on her conscious as she walked away from the dead Imperial. She had sworn never to kill again after she had left the Rebel SpecFor. That oath had remained true until she had met Rylaa again while onboard the shipyards orbiting Tae'karada.

The Trandoshan bounty hunter onboard Drogen had been her first kill in a long time. It had shamed her that she felt satisfaction at the sound of his neck breaking and the look in his eyes as life slipped away. It had felt right to kill the storm trooper just now, though, and she felt no guilt. Something inside her was changing, she knew it. But whether or not the change was for the better had yet to be decided upon.

Something inside Rylaa was changing as well. Ever since his meeting with the arch-criminal Dargus Kandran he had become more, well...ruthless. He had gone from being a cheerful smuggler who disliked killing so much he carried around an oversized stunner to a powerful corporate CEO with lofty ambitions of rebuilding his lost empire. He did not seem to care any more about who he had to step on to achieve his goals.

The slaughter in the desert had proved that.

And yet, she knew that he cared for her, probably more than just as a friend though he might not know it. Lani knew that she cared for him too. Whenever she was around him, she felt comfortable and relaxed. It was as if somehow his presence was able to put her inner demons to rest. She may not have agreed what he did in the desert to the innocent men and women, but she still supported him in everything that he did.

Lani shook her head to clear her thoughts. What was wrong with her? All these thoughts and reflections about Rylaa were muddling her mind and making it hard for her to concentrate on her mission.

As her surroundings came more into focus, she realized that she had walked much further than she intended and was now standing at the edge of the jungle high up on the mountain slope. Down in a wide valley was the imperial camp, in view for all to see. They had made no attempts to hide themselves at all. She blinked at her luck. It was almost as if something had guided her here while her attention was elsewhere.

Yeah right, she thought sarcastically. Maybe it was the Force that guided me here! Heh, or maybe it was my dead grandmother. Either way, I better make the most of it.

She knelt down and pulled a pair of electrobinoculars out from her utility belt. Rylaa would want a detailed account of the imp camp and a disposition of the Empire forces. He could have a very tactical mind when he decided to use it.

Now there's a pompous little ass, she thought as she scanned the camp. A very thin, short man with the rank bars of a colonel was strutting around the camp like peacock in heat. While she watched, the colonel stopped to dress down a storm trooper for having a bit of a smudge on his armor.

Twit, she thought. But no matter, I'd better get this data to Rylaa.

Lani stood up and slipped the electrobinoculars back into her belt pouch. She took one last look in the direction where the storm trooper had met his end before dashing off through the jungle underbrush.

***Dig Site***

Rylaa was sitting inside his pre-fab shelter reading some of the reports the scientists had filed. They were still upset at the apparent death of their two colleagues and it was reflected in their writings.

The door swooshed open and a dirt covered Lani strode through. She was still wearing the form-fitting camouflage jumpsuit he had last seen her in three days ago. Rylaa took a moment to admire her curves through the thin fabric. As she moved he could see her cable-strong muscles ripple.

"I found them," she said, snapping his brain back into reality.

"Really?" he asked. "Outstanding! Where are they?"

"Not far from here," Lani replied, "about thirty kliks northeast of here. They're very close to that Grelkin village you pointed out to me the other day."

"I knew it!" Rylaa exclaimed and pounded a fist into his hand. "Those bastards must be controlling the natives somehow. But that doesn't matter, we attack in two days."

"Attack? Rylaa, the Empire forces greatly outnumber us. I saw enough tents for one or two hundred men. There are also two ATSTs out there."

"They may have the numbers, Lani, but we have the technology. They won't be able to stand up against my Firefoxes."

"These aren't backwater militia guards wearing storm trooper armor. These are battle hardened veterans. The real elite of the Empire. Just be glad there aren't any CompForce out there."

"I don't care," Rylaa said. "My battle armor will prove will prove victorious. We attack in two days, no exception. Oh and Lani?"

Lani had turned to leave but she looked over her shoulder and asked, "What?"

"The good Doctor Carlyle needs to leak some information to the Empire. Make sure it's all the wrong stuff. I want to catch them with their pants around their ankles."

Once again Lani sighed at the change that was overcoming both of them. Her first thought had been to kill the doctor outright, in order to prevent anything from leaking out at all. But Rylaa's plan was better. "I'll see to it." With that she turned and walked out the door, still covered in the dirt and grime of the jungle.

---

"Organized Revolt"
By: Ambassador Theen Fida
Captain Dresh Kano
Consular Amii'a Val'or
Master Laedra Vorrel
Master Liam Zaneth
Yelara Neerou
Padawan Cailin Fawkes

Location: Secret Location, Vendra
Date: Rheudis 4, 4 ABY

***

The room was crowded, probably too much so. They weren't able to use any of the official rooms for this, so it wasn't as large or high-tech as it would have been. Though, it was completely understandable. When planning to overthrow the current government, there wasn't really any room to be open in regards to the plans. Extreme care had been taken to make sure the plans would not be leaked. The meeting was taking place on the outskirts of Vendra, far from where Nieme and Dani held power. For the most part, the vacation province had been ignored.

Talara Sorenne listened carefully to all that was being said around her. The crowd was a mix of many different types of people, from Jedi to politicians. She knew that if there was a place for their plans to fail, it would be with the politicians. She stood between Master Liam Zaneth, and her own Jedi Master, Laedra Vorrel.

"The secret accessways we used before won't be available this time," Liam Zaneth was saying. "It appears that after the last attempt, those points have been blocked off. That will limit how we can move so many people in without arousing suspicion, but I am certain we can still make this operation a success."

"The guards just watch outward," Talara spoke up. "Maybe we can come in from above. There are enough spots around the palace that we could land safely. I don't think they would suspect an aerial drop."

Liam gave the Padawan an appraising nod, then looked around the room. "Is that a viable option?"

"It's been done before," Captain Dresh Kano said. "We have the ships in the area to make it work. Before we go in, I'd like to do a trial run past the palace, first. If that succeeds, we can go that way. If our ships are fired upon going through the area, then we'll have to find an alternate route."

"I agree," Liam said, then looked around the room.

"Sources have indicated that Nieme is in possession of an ATST walker," Laedra supplied. "Have we anything to successfully combat that and minimize casualties?"

"What if we were to have a unit commandeer the walker," Theen suggested. "I have seen it done quite well in training exercises. It could then be used to help secure our attack." Theen turned to the New Republic officer, "Captain?"

"It is possible," Dresh Kano said. "The only potential problem is if friend-or-foe indicators aren't updated, and then our people are firing on our own men. I do not believe that should be an issue, however. The benefit would be in denying the opposition of its capabilities, more than bolstering our own. We do have more than enough hardware to help secure the palace. As I understand it, a majority of the troops fighting for the two women are clones, and merely serving a master, so to speak. What are the acceptable levels of force to be used against the other side and securing the throne?"

"I would think that we would want to minimize an all out conflict," Amii'a piped in, a little unsettled with all the planning, yet she knew the Empresses could not stay and she had high hopes in the new monarchy - in the form of Yelara Neerou. "When push comes to shove, those two will not hold back though..." she said in thought.

"They are just clones," Theen said casually. "Bred for battle and serving two maniacal despots! I understand that their loyalties lie with those who sit upon the throne, and that is just the problem we face. If their allegiances are so easily swayed, then I would think it in our best interests to proceed with extreme prejudice."

"True enough," the corpulent Twi'lek representative from Yandrosa huffed as he licked his fingers of some slimy and smelly treat he gorged himself upon. "They are no more than living breathing battle droids, but...an important asset...to, the uh..." he continued as he finished licking his pudgy blue fingers. "Security of the new government, yes!"

Liam Zaneth's gaze fell on Theen Fida and nearly seemed to lower the temperature in the room several degrees. "Does life mean so little to you, Ambassador," he asked. "These so-called clones are just as much people as you or I. Currently, two of the clones are training to be Jedi at the Temple. Several others serve as members of our security force. Their lives began in a laboratory, their genetic make-up duplicates of the donors from whom their DNA came. But this life that you so casually cast off thinks, feels, and dreams just as you do. Because they have been programmed to fight for the throne does not make them less than you or I." He turned to Amii'a. "The ends do not justify the means. Do you honestly believe that we should stoop to their level of warfare because they would use it against us? You would make us no better than Palpatine or Tarkin, or Nieme and Dani. If that is the course this body wishes to follow, the Jedi will take no part in it. If this body believes that the ends justify the means, as guardians of peace, the Jedi must stand against that."

"Excuse our frankness, Master Jedi," Theen replied with some agitation. "These clones will not think twice about destroying us, and all those who oppose Dani and Nieme. I am sure we are all open to suggestions, and of course we would respect and take into account the various beliefs within this room. I share a similar ethic, of course, but we clearly live in different worlds."

"The ends rarely justify the means," Amii'a said. "But what would you suggest when faced against such skilled ruthlessness? We need to get in quick and hard, lest this whole operation will explode across the planet into civil war, putting more lives in danger, Master Jedi. This isn't just a question about ends and means, but about the lives of the citizens of this world and those of who would not think twice to destroy us and all on this world on the order of a pair of failed padawans, who had also trained at your temple," she sniped.

"Ladies and gentleman, please!" another delegate stepped in. "I am sure, though we each harbor different and similar views, none of us desire to take such actions that would make us no better than the villainy we fight against," she said. "I agree, though, with the Jedi in that this new government cannot be founded on such disregard for life. But I also agree with Ambassador Theen and Consular Val'or, in that we should take into account the security and future of this world as it outweighs those of Empresses' clone forces. What can we do in respect to both views? While we argue and debate as such, nothing changes!"

"What of these two that train with you at the Temple, Jedi?" an Aqualish delegate asked. "Is there any way for them to help persuade a loyalty shift with those of their brethren within Arcadia? After all, they would be loyal to Miss Neerou when she is secure on the throne. Our people have an old saying, blood is thicker than water."

"It is possible they may be able to shift the focus of the loyalty for those at the Palace," Liam said. "If we are willing to test that, I am certain the Padawans will be willing to speak with some of the clones if they can get close enough to do so. That would, of course, need to happen prior to an attack. It's a difficult task to negotiate during active hostilities."

"Some of them do carry my child's genetic code," Yelara added gently. "I can, perhaps, help. They don't know me...but maybe the presence of their mother will resonate within them, or at the least awaken some spark of emotion."

"It would have to be tried soon," Theen said. "We have an opportunity to strike, we cannot wait long. The New Republic Embassy has several special commando units at the ready, under the charge of Captain Kano. But should things go awry, the New Republic will disavow any involvement, due to the unfortunate turn of events from the last attack."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Amii'a asked with a hint of anger in her tone.

"There have been several such incidents of involvement that have resulted in severe political backlash," Theen replied. "Officially I am not to have any such involvement with the removal of Dani and Nieme, not after what happened last time. The New Republic does not recognize the Empresses, but they will only recognize Miss Neerou after she is on the throne."

"But the New Republic is willing to help us in this endeavour," Laedra pointed out, glancing towards Dresh. "Your superiors, Ambassador Fida, can't possibly condone what Nieme and Dani are doing, can they? And if so, and your hands are tied, ours are not, rest assured. The Jedi Order is an independent body, and we will make our own decisions in this matter."

"Of course they do not," he said. "I just merely wish to make it understood the official policy my embassy has, I have always been a friend to Tae'Karada, and to the Jedi. Though we do live and operate in somewhat different worlds, I think we both have the same duties to these people. I am more than willing to help, but should this fail as our previous and unfortunate attempt did...there is little else I may be able to do to help Tae'Karada. I am stretching my rather long neck out here, and though I cannot be faulted for what transpired the last time, I do feel an obligation to rectify that mistake and to continue to help and serve the interests of Tae'Karada."

Amii'a was inwardly shocked at the New Republic's stance on these matters, and the way Theen so casually treated the future. She had done much work with him during the Rebellion and during Tae'Karada's fight against Tarkin...not to mention all the alliances and programs they had worked on together for the prospering of Tae'Karada's future. And now upon their most critical day, he seemed rather aloof and indifferent to all that was transpiring.

Perhaps she is right, Amii'a thought to herself as she looked back on some of Theen's most recent meetings and dealings with some of Tae'Karada's more influential political and business leaders.

"The Jedi will follow the lead of the Tae'Karada forces," Liam said. "We will have as many as we are able to provide ready for the attack."

"While officially it is a Tae'Karada operation," Dresh Kano said, "I will be commanding the forces. I'll be happy to have the Jedi available during the attack. However, if you have any advice on how your skills will best be used, I am open to any advice the Council you may give."

Liam bowed.

"The current plan is going to be to go in this evening at midnight," Dresh announced. "Are there any objections to moving so soon?"

"What about the people of Arcadia?" Yelara spoke up. "What if the fighting gets out of hand and spreads into the city? Are we going to be able to protect those innocents?"

"The embassy could have security detachments outside of the palace to help protect the population should this happen," Amii'a said with a look of won't we?!, that flashed across to the Anx Ambassador.

"We could. The safety of the people of course is important, as it is they whom we serve," Theen replied. "However, with plans to attack this midnight, such movement may draw unwanted attention. Unless they are placed at the timing of our strike. I believe that with our sudden attack, and with strategic force, we can very well achieve our objectives with minimal collateral damage."

"A surprise attack, provided there are no spies within our midst leaking all this information back to the Palace," Dresh Kano said, though making a point of not directing a look at any of the various groups' representatives, "our chances of success will be greater, and collateral damage will be diminished." He turned his attention to Yelara. "If you are still willing to approach the clones guarding the front gates, I will have a squad assigned to stay with you. Perhaps Master Zaneth's Padawans accompanying you may be effective as well."

"I'm willing to try," Yelara agreed. "I wish to have Master Zaneth at my side when I do." She smiled faintly at Liam.

Captain Kano glanced to the Jedi Master who nodded. "Very well," he said. "Your actions may gain us admittance into the palace through the front door. I do not believe we will be able to bring any in that way, not without rousing suspicion. Air drops will probably be the best secondary method of deployment. I am recommending a smaller initial strike force, with reserves standing in readiness should they be required."

Dresh Kano swept his gaze around the room and settled back on the Jedi. "I will not be in the thick of the battle. I will be set up in a command post on the outskirts of the city. As much as I hate sitting out of the action, it will give me the best tactical view of the situation, and allow me to better distribute troops. Each unit going in will be a mix of Jedi, New Republic and Tae'Morad troops and other Tae'Karada militia. I will go over detailed battle plans with the unit commanders after this meeting. We will need to be ready to move at 23h30. Are there any questions?"

Each looked to one another, but when it was clear no one had any doubts or reservations, they all regarded Dresh once again. "I imagine," Laedra spoke up, "the only thing left to say is...May the Force be with us in this."

Dresh gave her a nod and a smile. "Very good," he said. "Then I'll see all of you tonight before we go in. Rest, meditate, whatever you need to do beforehand because tonight will be a big night, and in the morning let us hope all of Tae'Karada will thank us. May the Force be with us." With that, he turned and started toward the door.

From where she'd stood for the entire meeting, in a corner, as far from the Jedi as she could place herself, Cailin Fawkes watched. Adam was at her side, and they were ready for whatever needed to happen. She just hoped that they would be helpful enough when the time came. There was a part of her that hoped they found and gave Nieme true justice, but another part of herself feared for the woman. There were moments of true tenderness mixed in with the torment, and despite all that she despised Nieme, she couldn't help feeling slight pity for the woman. Very slight, and she doubted that would save Nieme if she happened across her within the palace.

Liam Zaneth gave a nod to Laedra and Talara, then moved over to stand near Yelara. They would have the rest of the day together, with Yara and Va'Lesh, to prepare themselves for what would happen tonight, and the changes they would face tomorrow. There was no doubt this would be one of those moments that would change the course of history for a planet or people.

---

"Establishing Routines"
By: Chun Li - pilot and PI

Location: Arcadia
Date: Rheudis 4, 4 ABY

***

Li entered the cantina Coalb had told her about. It was time to get to work, and since it was damn cold outside, she had a good reason to be here. She took a place at the bar, from where she could see the corner booth near the Twi'lek dancers, where Zarrak sat most of the time. He wasn't here for the moment, but that didn't matter. In fact, it was better, as she could now study the bar without distractions.

She ordered a lomin-ale, and continued looking around. It wasn't the best bar she had ever been in, not by far, but it wasn't the worst either. It was in the lower half, but the upper lower half. The music wasn't too loud, and the dancers actually looked nice. Maybe she could try to get closer to the Dug that way, but posing as a dancer. She knew she had the agility for it.

"You new here?" the bartender asked when she asked for a refill.

"Yeah, I came over from New Plouton," she said, "I worked in the headquarters of a big bank, and I was transferred to the local branch here in Arcadia." That was also the message she wanted to convey with her clothing, stylish, but not flashy, they were the typical clothing of an employee in the financial sector, like she had seen so many on the street.

"It is very different, isn't it," the bartender asked, "being at headquarters or in a local branch office."

"It is indeed," Li answered, "but the change is nice. And if you ever want to get to higher management, the more different experiences you have, the better."

"That's probably true," the bartender replied, before dashing of to another customer.

Li stayed in the bar for another two hours, but Zarrak never showed up. Not that it was that bad, as it would be better to be established as a customer before he came in, in case Zarrak asked. She would try to come here about four times a week, as coming every day would look suspicious for a banker. They had to work anyway. And she needed time as well to get some record searches done on Zarrak, like what ship he owns, if any, and stuff like that.

After about two to three hours, she left, heading back to the small apartment she had rented.

---

"Call of the Huntress"
By: Kaylee Soras

with Sa'Taka Gal'traq
Taka Mun'daq
and Raek Kan'viq

Location: In space
Date: Rheudis 4, 4ABY

***

The hulking form nearly brushed the ceiling with the top of its head as it spun in place trying to acquire its target. Its eyes searched the room in an array of spectrums, until it finally located its target. A smaller form, much smaller than itself, but, as the bodies of the rest of its unit were a testament, quite deadly. As the lone survivor of the unit left behind to deal with the huntress, it could not fail. It was bred for death, and would not stop until the huntress or itself was no more.

With speed that defied its bulk, it charged. The huntress, from her hiding spot, was ready. Drawing her archaic weapon, she fired. A silver fletched shaft sprouted from chest, abdomen, and left thigh before it was upon her. Taloned fist struck for the huntress' throat. Claws scraped metal and wood, rending the frame of the shelving the huntress had chosen for her hiding spot. Pain in its spine. Without looking, it knew another arrow would have appeared there as well. It spun, but she'd already backed away, firing her primitive weapon in retreat.

The edges of its limbs were cold, numbed. The huntress fired again, and its vision on the left side of its face dimmed. Trying to move forward to carry out its mission proved the truth of the damage done by her weapon. Primitive it may be, but there was no denying its effective deadliness. Knee crashed against ferrocrete floor as its strength began to ebb. Darkness rimmed what remained of its vision. Too late, too slow.

"In the end," it rasped, "you will lose. Your small victory today. It is nothing."

With the final, shuddering breath, life fled the alien form. Its mission was a failure.

***

Kaylee looked down at the soldier as the last of its strength was gone. She recognized death, and the threat against her life had passed. She toed at it with her boot to satisfy that it was truly dead. A foolish act, but one she could not give up. As her mentor had told her, one day she would lose a foot that way.

Today was not that day.

She turned back to the airlock leading back to the bay where her ship was waiting. Keeping bow in hand, and loosening the blade at her waist, she started back. Gal'traq would be long gone with the rest of his force, but she'd heard enough to know the general destination. With that many troops, it had to be an invasion.

The sight that greeted her as she entered the bay killed whatever victorious feelings she may have had at surviving the fight. What remained of her ship was scattered around the bay. She considered herself fortunate that she had chosen not to leave all of her gear in the craft.

Of course, with her ship destroyed, she had no means to get off the transport. Perhaps killing off the strike unit wasn't as much a victory as she'd thought. If she couldn't follow them, she couldn't warn the people ahead of them of the danger drawing near.

Tae'Remok, that's what Gal'traq had said. Now she just had to find a way to get there.

When they had discovered who she was, what she was, they had wasted no time. She couldn't fault the Enemy for their cunning. With another transport so close, they'd taken control of the ship, signaled for help, killed the crew of the other ship, and fled with the other ship, leaving her stranded here with a single unit to take care of her.

A unit hadn't been enough to kill her, but they had served their purpose in keeping her occupied until the rest could be safely away. Kaylee knew that if she ventured to the bridge, it would look very similar to her ship. She was trapped in a drifting hulk with no means to follow the Enemy.

"Well played, you bastard," she muttered as she checked a nearby status display.

As expected, all of the escape pods had been jettisoned. She was truly trapped.

With a sigh, she started back to the cabin where she'd been staying to clean up and change. It wasn't the first time she'd been trapped, and, if she had anything to say about it, it wouldn't be the last.

***

"The Huntress is no longer a concern. We are in hyperspace, and will soon make systemfall in Tae'Remok. Our forces there are ready. Not even a Huntress will be able to stop us now." The speaker, Taka Mun'daq, military adviser with a long career of brilliance in battle, could sound confident under any circumstance. Now was no exception.

"She is certainly dead by now," Kan'viq announced. As the political advisor, Raek Kan'viq had little experience with military matters, and preferred to stay out of the fighting. He had always made claim to fighting his battles through means other than force. Most knew that to be fallacy and that he could be as brutal as any when the need arose. As political adviser, his rank of raek was honorary, but few would doubt his ability, especially within the political arena.

Gal'traq knew that both of his advisors were ambitious and clamouring for greater rank. As the Supreme Commander of the invasion force, he knew the strengths and limitations of everyone under his command, and would fully use each and every one. He knew that Mun'daq and Kan'viq were the best he could hope for on this mission, but he knew very well not to turn his back on Kan'viq lest he find a chata blade there.

Now Gal'traq laughed softly, a truly unpleasant sound. "I would not count on that," he said. "After all, we did only leave one unit for her to deal with. She is trapped on a ship so badly damaged that not even one of the famed Huntresses of Kitari could make it work again. No, I believe that is the last we shall see of her. As soon as we took the ship, you blocked all transmissions off the ship, yes?"

Kan'viq bowed. "Yes, all transmissions were blocked," he said.

"Then perhaps she shall perish, alone in the tomb in which we left her," Gal'traq answered with an equally gruesome smile. "It was unfortunate we were required to kill all aboard and relocate to this new vessel. However, now that we are the masters of this craft, we will be able to move openly, rather than hiding our soldiers and our purpose."

Mun'daq handed a datapad to Kan'viq. "Our other ships are closing in on the system," he said. "Once all are present, we will have a force of sufficient size. Reserves will be ready a day out from the system." He smiled a devious smile. "They will not see this coming."

Again Gal'traq chuckled lowly and brought up the information on the Tae'Remok system. With their agents in place, they would not fail. The system would crumble from within, and then they would crush it from without.

---

"Seizing Destinies, Part 1"
By: Captain Dresh Kano
Administrator Shrezade Anoran
Master Liam Zaneth
Padawan Yara Zaneth
Padawan Va'Lesh Zaneth
Yelara Neerou
Padawan Talara Sorenne
Master Laedra Vorrel
Master Koran Darr
Padawan Cole Slaton
Padawan Vaya Bek
Dani
Nieme Yaresh

Location: Palace of Arcadia, Arcadia
Date: Rheudis 4, 4 ABY

***

"I'll contact you as soon as the fighting is done," Dresh Kano said to the worried face staring back out at him from the comm viewer. "I've got to go, Reza. I love you, and I promise to make it through this. I'll be back with you tonight."

"We'll see about that," she whispered fondly in return, with an undeniable hoarseness to her voice. Before her emotions could betray her, Reza severed the connection.

Dresh Kano snapped off the comm and turned away. The operation wasn't a difficult one, but in his mind those could be the worst. They'd planned things fairly tightly, and had backups for many contingencies. Still, the chance that things would go off the wire were big enough to concern him. He had good people around him, probably some of the best in the sector. If he could rely on anyone else to hold things together, it would be them.

He moved from the comm unit to the other room of the small house they were using as a command post. He nodded to the four waiting in the room, ready to do their part in reclaiming the planet for the people of Tae'Karada. The plan was both complex and simple. Simple in that they would only need to talk to those guarding the doors. Complex in that those same people, soldiers really, guarding the door may not do as expected. The plan relied on the cloned army at Nieme and Dani's disposal swinging their loyalty to the true leader of the planet, rather than the usurpers who had stolen the throne. It was a big risk, but that was why the two Padawans were present. As clones themselves, they might be able to help sway feelings in Yelara's direction. Jedi Master Liam Zaneth would be present in case all else failed.

"Are you certain about this," he asked of Yelara Neerou, future High Princess of the planet. "We can continue with the rest of our plan without endangering your lives in this manner."

"This is a crucial time," Yelara replied with great poise, despite the fear welling within. "If I can't be brave in the face of danger and help secure this planet for the Karadans once again, what message will that send the people? It certainly won't gain their respect, Captain."

Dresh nodded. "Master Zaneth and the Padawans will be with you the entire time," he said. "I also have a squad standing by and ready to move in should things go bad."

"Good," Liam said. "If anything does happen, we should be able to hold the trouble off until we can pull back." He looked at Yelara and gave her a brief smile. "Ready to head out?"

She took but a moment to straighten out her black, thigh-length leather tunic and matching black skirt, revealing through its front slit in legs encased in burgundy tights. A silver choker of webbed design encircled her throat, and from it dangled a stunning wine-coloured gem that was cradled gently by the valley of her bosom left exposed in the open square neckline of her tunic. It had been deemed appropriate for the occasion to outfit her in an ensemble fit for a High Princess, and Yelara donned it well. But for as steady as she outwardly appeared, Yelara's chest was heaving with anxiety. "Let's do this. The sooner we do, the fewer people may die today."

Dresh took a step back and gave them a nod. "I'll be in the control room monitoring the situation," he said. "May the Force be with you."

"With all of us," Liam echoed. He turned to Yelara, glancing briefly in his Padawans' direction. "Let's head out. It'll take us about ten minutes walking to get there."

"Of course, Master," Va'Lesh answered and started toward the door, Yara at his side, as they led the way.

"Liam," Yelara called gently, hurrying to catch up with him as the others filed out. Upon reaching him when he turned back, Yelara mentioned, "Meer'esh...he wants to be here, with me, to support me during all that might happen today. He won't interfere, I promise."

"I don't know if there's time, Yelara," Liam said. "We have to go to the Palace now. And, if he were to come with us, I don't know if we could spare the attention to make sure he isn't injured during any of the fighting."

She chuckled gently. "You wouldn't have to protect him - in fact, he would prefer you didn't. He'd be here to help defend me."

"You've already got three defenders, Yelara," Liam said. "This operation has been planned, and it didn't include him. Adding an unknown element into a situation like this increases the chances that something can go wrong. It really would be better if he wasn't involved, especially not without Captain Kano's consent."

"You mean without your consent," she riposted. "You've never liked him, Liam, and I don't know why. But I would feel better if he was here."

"Even if Captain Kano is alright with him joining us, I wouldn't approve," Liam said. "But I wouldn't insist that he leave if the mission commander accepted his presence. There's something about him, Yelara, something at the edges of my perception. When he's around...there's something there that isn't right. I don't trust him, Yelara."

Yelara stiffened visibly. "Well I do, Liam. I...I care for him deeply," she declared, then looked away, afraid Liam would take offense to her admission. Sighing, she whispered, "Whether you trust him or not, he will be living at the palace with us. I won't leave him behind."

"I can accept that, Yelara," Liam said. "I already have. It's the suddenly adding him to the attack on the palace that I object to. I'm fine with him living at the Palace, I would prefer he was not suddenly added as part of your bodyguard."

"Master Zaneth," Yara summoned from the doorway. She glanced impassively between the two before focusing on Liam. "The others are waiting. Are you remaining here, Master?"

"No," Liam answered. "We're right behind you. We were discussing a change Yelara wished to make in the plan." He turned to Yelara again. "Ready?"

She frowned, conveying to Liam her displeasure at excluding Meer'esh. "We're ready," Yelara affirmed tightly and angrily swept past Liam out of the room. Yara cocked an eyebrow at her master and father. "There is not trouble, is there, Master?"

"There is," Liam answered. "Yelara is not happy that I find it in the mission's best interest to not let a friend of hers accompany us. I hadn't even had a chance to get to the severe breach in security if she's actually discussed the operation with him. And, with that in mind, we will want to double our attentiveness. If she did talk to him about the plans, we could be walking into a trap." He sighed and shook his head. "I hope her trust in Meer'esh is not misplaced, and that the bad feelings I've got have nothing to do with the Force."

"You are not convinced of your own feelings, Master?" Yara queried. "This man should be apprehended if he poses a threat to our operation. I am sure Ms. Neerou will understand."

"I don't believe there's enough time for that," Liam said. "While I agree with you, the clock is ticking and the more time we delay, the less our chances of success become. Unless--" He glanced at Yara and smiled. "Come on, we need to catch up with Yelara."

Yara stayed back, curiously watching her Master stride from the room. Although perplexed by Liam's sudden change of heart, Yara blindly and devotedly followed her Master, no matter what he had in mind.

***

Together, the small group walked briskly down the walkway toward the palace. Va'Lesh Zaneth walked ahead beside Yelara Neerou. Slightly behind them, but catching up was Liam and Yara Zaneth.

Finally, Liam managed to get close enough to speak without shouting. "Yelara," he said. "I just wanted to apologize for what I said. It is wrong of me to be judgmental of Meer'esh without knowing him. I don't know if there is time for him to catch up to us...but I am willing to give him the chance he deserves."

She smiled over her shoulder at Liam, somewhat skeptically. "You mean that? Liam, he really is a good man. I don't think I could get through all this without him."

"I mean it," Liam said with a smile. While he was not yet certain whether Meer'esh was a good man as Yelara claimed, keeping the man close would allow him to know for certain...or at least to confirm the nagging feeling he had when Meer'esh was around. "He may not be able to catch up to us before we get to the palace."

"It doesn't matter," Yelara replied happily, "I'll still know he's near. That's all I need."

Liam nodded, and put her reliance on Meer'esh out of his mind. There was little more he could do about it, and he had to put the attention she'd been giving him recently out of his mind. There was a part of him that had thought that perhaps they were drawing closer, but he doubted she'd ever let him as close as she kept Meer'esh. He had to accept the reality, but he would not stop caring for her, and he would not stop protecting her. "Come on, we don't have much farther to go."

With renewed confidence in their task now, Yelara kept pace with Liam and his two Padawans, striding regally with head aloft as she fell easily into the role thrust upon her. Though, the throne would only be hers if they succeeded in overthrowing Nieme, and deep down Yelara truly wouldn't mind if they didn't.

***

The staging area for the attack on the palace had been erected beneath a camouflage screen to keep the preparations secret. Two transports with Republic stealth technology were undergoing the final stages of getting them ready to drop the troops involved in the attack into the palace grounds. Once they received word from Jedi Master Liam Zaneth, they would take to the skies.

On a bench at one end of the staging area, Talara Sorenne opened her eyes from a meditative trance. The meditations did help calm her nerves at the thought of dropping out of a transport flying over the top of the palace. It was a scary thought for certain, but she was confident in her ability to reach the ground safely. She'd been through the simulators twice, and scored high marks on each.

She looked up as Master Laedra Vorrel approached, and gave her a smile. "My dropchute is ready, Master," she said. "And, I think I'm ready now too. I had not thought I would be leaping from a transport like I was some sort of bird, but meditating helped. Strangely, I'm looking forward to the experience."

"As am I," Laedra admitted and seated herself next to Talara. "This will be a very therapeutic endeavour - helping to overthrow Nieme and Dani. It is one very important step in redeeming yourself, Talara."

Talara nodded. "Thank you for letting me accompany you, Master," she said. "I won't let you down, I promise. I know who I am now, and which path I must follow. It's not through darkness, not any longer."

"And not ever again," Laedra prompted with a significant smile.

"Definitely not," Talara said with a return smile for her Master.

Tala was about to say more, but the approach of Kael Selrid stopped her. He glanced between the two of them. "We've got the signal," he said. "Master Zaneth's team is about to make their move. We're to load up the transports and stand ready."

Laedra rose, saying, "Then let's. This day will be a great trial for you both, and I know you will do the Order proud."

"Thank you, Master Vorrel," Kael said with a bow. He gave Talara a smile, and moved back to get his own dropchute aboard the transport.

As Laedra and Talara approached the open hatch where they could climb into the waiting transport, others were doing the same. Koran Darr was assisting Cole Slaton with his gear while Vaya Bek helped Cole in getting his chute repacked for the drop. Koran nodded to Laedra, offering a brief smile before turning his attention back to his Padawan.

"Relax, Cole," Vaya said with a warm smile. The young man could hide and control some emotions quite well, but his body language was another story, especially for a Lorrdian like Vaya. "Else I push your sorry ass out before we are finished," she joked.

Cole smiled, nodding his thanks to Bek once she'd repacked his chute. He had followed the instructions, but obviously had missed something she'd seen. As he checked his gear again, once his Master had become satisfied he was ready, Cole couldn't help but think back to only a few hours ago. The long hot steaming shower. So hot steam emptied out through the gaps in the doorframe. Despite having an odd calm about him it still took him ten minutes to tie each of his combat boots.

The boots were deep black. Combat books that a normal soldier would wear; he only wore them because they were comfy. His favourite pair.

The young Corellian's hands dropped from his lightsabers that hung by clips along both sides. It was strange how quickly the mind changes. While growing up he never even considered using a lightsaber, pistols or blasters were all that concerned him. Now, he couldn't imagine a time he didn't have one.

Once inside, it was apparent the transport wasn't built for comfort. Benches lined the walls with grav harnesses to hold the occupants in place. Talara found a spot and started getting situated as Koran and the others climbed in to get themselves in place.

Koran paused next to Laedra as he was finding his own spot. "If we ever have to raid a capital or anything of the sort, we should consult with Captain Kano. He definitely knows what he's doing, and he's got the resources to back up his plans. If we had him in place the last time we went in, I believe we would have taken the palace. Not that it matters now, but with him guiding this, I've got a good feeling...for once."

"I defer to your judgement, Jedi Master," Laedra stated with playful humility and furtively brushed the back of Koran's hand with her own. "I'll see you down there, Koran. I promise to watch your back if you watch mine."

"Consider your back watched then, Jedi Master," Koran said, a hint of a smile sparkling in his eyes. "May the Force be with you, Laedra."

"You too," she whispered and quickly departed to find her seat before her composure was shaken.

***

Dani held Nieme in her arms, Nieme's tears wet against her chest. Each morning since her return, it had been like this. Once the dreams took her, once the demons appeared, she forgot the solace of Dani's presence. It was nearly an hour after waking before Nieme was halfway functional again, and even that was marginal. Whatever Dani's absence had done to her had taken a severe toll on her lover. Her sanity was indeed fractured.

"Nieme," she whispered, "it is alright. You are safe. I am here." She'd heard from Kael not more than an hour ago, informing her of the New Republic's intent to reclaim the palace. He had given her no details other than to inform her that an attack was looming. She would have to decide what to do soon. "Nieme, I'm here."

"But the fire was so close," she whispered hoarsely. "Didn't you feel it, Dani?" Clutching Dani's arms, Nieme pulled herself up and turned her wild gaze upon Dani's. "It's coming for us.... The blaze is coming and we'll be sundered. Can't you see!?"

"There is a fire coming, Nieme," Dani answered softly. "We should leave, Nieme. I think our time as empresses is done, and now we can just be ourselves. No more fighting, no more struggling. We can go away and be free."

A pathetic, bitter laugh sputtered from Nieme's trembling lips. "They'll follow me, Dani, wherever I go. Never free. Never free...."

"I'll fight them off," was Dani's answer as she held her lover more closely.

"There are too many!" she shrieked in agony while her large, panicked eyes swivelled around and around, following the movements of her unseen tormenters. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she wept silently. "Dani...we'll be consumed, both of us...but it isn't by the darkness; it's the blood, Dani" --her voice was a strangled whisper-- "all the thick, suffocating blood...." Nieme gasped and both hands flew to her throat, fingernails clawing at the invisible vice constricting her airway. "So...much," she croaked. "Drowning...drowning!"

"I'm sorry, my love," Dani whispered. She reached up, brushing the side of Nieme's face with her hand. As she did, she used the Force to propel her lover into darkness. As the Force-induced sleep claimed Nieme, her breathing became more regular, and she was given at least a small bit of respite from the demons that continued to torment her.

Dani looked up and around at the Palace around her. She would have to do this on her own. Nieme's torment was too far gone for her to expect help there. She would save them however she could. She would find a way to make Nieme well again if it took the remainder of her life.

She lifted Nieme into her arms as two of the clones fell into step beside her, and she moved off in search of her Dug companion. Perhaps he would be able to help her get away. She would likely have to pay him for the assistance, but she still had some resources available for a payment...at least for a short time longer.

***

"Brother? Sister? Do you not recall us?" Yara stared at the dark reflection of herself in her sister's helmet visor, wondering if there was truly life behind the duraplast, and if it would respond to the presence of a genetic twin. Neither of the clones moved, steadfastly guarding their post without wavering. Yara looked aside to her brother.

"It has been a long time since we have seen you," Va'Lesh said after giving Yara a nod. He focused his gaze on the reflective surface of the clone soldier's faceplate. They had discussed using the Force to press their will upon the guards, but decided against it out of the chance that the clones would not be receptive to suggestions. "There is much we must discuss." Again, the clones watched without moving. As neither Yara nor Va'Lesh posed a threat, no action was required.

"We are your brother and sister," Yara continued, gesturing to herself and Va'Lesh. "I was once called One Twenty-Three, and Va'Lesh Forty-Seven. What are your designations? Perhaps I have eaten with you previously on Master Kandran's ship."

There was no response, and Yelara was prepared to step forward to aid them when the female clone finally spoke up in a rigid monotone matching Yara's speaking voice. "I am designated 159." She cocked her head to the left, mirroring the tilt of Yara's head, and studied her brown cape and robes. "Why is it you are not in your uniform, 123?"

"But I am," Yara responded. "I am no longer a soldier, 159. I am a Jedi now."

"And you, 47?" the male clone soldier asked of Va'Lesh.

"I am a Jedi as well," Va'Lesh answered. "Yara and I serve as one of Master Liam Zaneth's students. He is the progenitor biological entity from whom a part of our genetic code was created. Yelara Neerou is the other. They are our mother and father. Master Jae Dyn Brael and Master Dargus Kandran are the progenitors of the females, aside from the pleasure models. They wish for us to be free, to express our free-will and learn as any other human being does. They desire their offspring, no matter how they originated, to be free."

"That is illogical," the Yara clone stated flatly. "We are soldiers, we are bound by duty. One so bound cannot be free. You are both deserters and traitors."

Yara frowned. "We are not, Sister. We have simply chosen a path that diverges from what Master Kandran had forced upon us. Do you not wish for purpose instead of simply performing a function you yourself had no hand in choosing? Does your armour not stifle you, my Sister and Brother?"

"They're right, Yara, Va'lesh," Yelara put in gently to the soldiers. "Dargus Kandran used you for his own means and then threw you away. You are soldiers because that is what he required of you, but you're capable of far more. Doesn't all this make you crave for something different and better?"

"Is it not true," Va'Lesh asked, "that some amongst you have been used for the purpose of providing pleasure. Is that not a divergence from the designated role of soldier? That does indicate the capacity to behave in manners that go beyond your original programming. As we have grown into something more than what we were, so can you. You are in a position now to choose to be more than just a soldier, Sister and Brother."

"You have the choice now," Liam Zaneth said from beside Yelara, "to assist in creating a legitimate government, approved by the people and the New Republic, one not run by tyranny."

"The New Republic is not our master," the Yara clone informed Liam dispassionately. "We are not traitors." The soldier in black raised her blaster rifle at the ready. "You, however, are. We must apprehend you, 123 and 47."

"Please, we cannot allow that," Yara told her double, "and in order to prevent it, we may have to harm you, Sister. That would be wrong."

The Va'Lesh clone raised his blaster as well. "The possibility of harm is an ever-present danger in our lives. It is one we have accepted, and are willing to give our lives for our Master."

Yelara stepped forward abruptly, the clones reflexively shifting their aim towards her. Yara and Va'Lesh physically blocked her to provide protection. "You can't possibly want that!" she appealed to them. "Your Masters don't care for you - you're puppets to them. Why allow yourselves to be manipulated that way?"

The Yara clone replied evenly, "We were bred for it, that is all."

Va'Lesh turned to Yara. "I do not believe we will be able to convince them," he said. "And they are now impeding our objective and delaying our mission." In the blink of an eye, his lightsaber flashed to life and sliced cleanly through the male clone's weapon. He paid no mind to the female, knowing Yara would be right behind him.

The shot squeezed off by their sister was deflected as Yara's blade ignited in its path, though despite Yara's speed, Yelara was still hastily whisked away by Liam. Even though the clone's weapon was ripped free of her gloved hand by the Force, both 159 and 63 rushed forward to engage Yara and Va'Lesh in unarmed combat. Shielded from the fight by Liam's body, and unable to see its progress, Yelara pleaded with him to end it. "Someone's going to die, Liam! One of those clones is Leshie. Don't let this happen!"

"It'll be alright," Liam said, doing his best to keep Yel from rushing into the middle of the scuffle.

With the Force on his side, Va'Lesh was faster than his clone. The fist that would have broken his nose passed through empty air, and his own Force-enhanced punch caught his doppleganger in the ribs. There was a crunch as the force of the blow cracked the armour. Behind the helmet, the clone grunted in pain. Staggered as he was, it gave Va'Lesh the chance to use the Force again, this time to slam the clone into the wall where he collapsed to the ground.

"You mustn't persist, Sister," Yara warned her double as the two clashed again with saber and force pike the clone had produced from her thigh strap. The armour-clad woman swung for Yara's hands, attempting to knock her lightsaber free, but the Padawan sprang safely away from the pike's reach. Her sister pursued. "You must stop. We are siblings, 159."

"I will not be associated with a traitor," the clone stated firmly. She pressed forward, and with great agility aimed a roundhouse at Yara's head. But she failed to connect, for Yara spun out of her path and jammed her foot into the base of her clone's spine. The woman grunted in pain as she crashed to the ground, her stunned nerves making both legs useless.

Yara walked over to her disabled clone, frowning in disappointment. "I am sorry, Sister," she murmured as she dropped to one knee next to 159. "Perhaps someday, you will be capable of overcoming your programming." Then, Yara pressed a hand to the location of her clone's forehead beneath the helmet and thrust her into unconsciousness with a gentle Force suggestion.

Yelara sighed and calmed now that everyone was out of harm's way. "That didn't work," she commented. "What now?"

"We bind them," Liam said. "And we report to Captain Kano that it doesn't appear the clones defending the palace will step aside. They have accepted Nieme and Dani as their master, and refuse to listen to any other. On the positive side, when you claim the throne, you should have no trouble gaining their loyalty." He gave her a tight smile. "At that point, with your permission, I would like to see about breaking them out of their linear programming."

"You don't need my permission for that," Yelara retorted. "I'd rather if we didn't have to harm any of them."

Va'Lesh checked on his double. Satisfied that the injuries sustained were minor, he moved the young man beside the other and he and Yara set to binding their wrists and ankles. "It saddens me that they were so resistant," he said to Yara. "It makes the remainder of what we do here more difficult for me. I do not wish to harm our brothers and sisters."

"But we may have to," Yara reminded him gently. "We must not kill them unless it is absolutely necessary. It would pain me to do otherwise."

"Me as well," Va'Lesh agreed. He turned to Liam and Yelara. "Both clones have been secured, Master. Neither has sustained more than minimal injuries. The clones are too strongly devoted to their perceived master. We do not believe their loyalties can be swayed for the purpose of securing the palace. Our mission here is not a success."

Liam sighed and nodded. "I will contact Captain Kano, and have him send his troops in...with their weapons on stun settings." He cast a glance at Yelara, hoping that the last would assuage some of her worries.

"And what do we do in the meantime?" Yelara asked.

"Wait for word that the path is clear and that you may ascend the throne, Your Majesty," Liam said.

Yelara's smile appeared unsteady, her doubts creeping up once again. "I should go find Meer'esh," she whispered to herself, then gazed up at Liam. "Will you accompany me?"

"Of course," Liam said. He turned to his Padawans. "I am going to accompany Yelara. Remain here, subdue anyone who happens to come by. Hold this position until I return. If greater forces arrive than you can safely handle, contact me on my comlink immediately."

"Of course, Master," Yara and Va'Lesh answered in unison, accompanying the words with a bow.

Satisfied, Liam turned back to Yelara. With a nod, she started back towards safety, hopefully where Meer'esh would be. For a fleeting moment Yelara wished the attack would fail, that the throne would not be hers, but she had made her decision and would accept her fate. Having Meer'esh by her side, she knew, would make the transition all the more easy.

---

"Seizing Destinies, Part 2"
By: Captain Dresh Kano
Regent Oot Kova
Ambassador Theen Fida
Consular Amii'a Val'or
Padawan Talara Sorenne
Jedi Knight Kael Selrid
Master Laedra Vorrel
Master Koran Darr
Padawan Cole Slaton
Padawan Vaya Bek

Location: Palace of Arcadia, Arcadia
Date: Rheudis 4, 4 ABY

***

Captain Dresh Kano snapped the comlink closed and turned to the small group assembled in the room.

"Jedi Master Liam Zaneth informs me that the cloned soldiers will not sway their allegiance. He requests that weapons be set for stun, but has given the signal for the transports to move in. This is our last chance to pull back if that is anyone's desire, otherwise we move ahead and claim the palace and the planet. Are there any objections to proceeding."

Oot Kovan smiled briefly to herself but shook her head. The fight would not be an easy one, but the change was necessary. They had to move forward and save the planet and people.

"Most unfortunate," Theen said, though his tone didn't exactly match the sentiment. He still didn't share the view of the Jedi in regards to the clones. He wasn't necessarily outright opposed to the concept and considerations of their being people, but all things considered he valued the lives of normal folk, above those of the likes of clones who were bred and controlled by the likes of Dani and Nieme.

As most politicians, he was used to making such decisions, even those that would come across as casual disregard. He truly believed that like the Jedi, he had a higher calling and responsibility to the public, to life and prosperity. But unlike the Jedi he viewed the greater good of many to that of the few. Different sides of the same credit, he was known to say.

"Well then," Amii'a said and she mentally prepared herself. "We must move forward then. Will stun be of much effect against their armor?" she asked. "I mean, this is going to be difficult enough. We did try to sway them, now it is us against them for the future and safety of everyone on this world."

"There is only one way to tell whether it will be effective against the armour they wear," Oot Kovan said, turning her gaze on Amii'a. "I would imagine that if the tactic is inviable, the Jedi and soldiers attacking the palace will be able to adapt. If we do not even attempt to spare the lives of those within the palace, we will never know if we could have taken the palace back without turning it into a bloody coup. Most of those who have been making the decisions in this matter seem to do very well at selectively remembering the details that will support their hawkish arguments.

"Before Nieme and Dani stole the throne, the clones were loyal to myself and Liam Zaneth. Before us, they were loyal to Dargus Kandran. If you connect the dots, I am certain you will come to the realization that the clones offer their loyalty to the one in power. Before the palace, it was there creator. Their objective was the palace, and that became the criteria for loyalty. When Dargus Kandran was defeated, Liam Zaneth gained their loyalty. When the palace was taken, the clones followed that same line. If we can take the palace with as many clones as possible still alive, we will have them on our side as well."

She raked her gaze to Theen Fida. "Once in power, their programming will need to be adjusted so they cannot be so easily swayed again, but with the help of the New Republic and the Jedi, I am certain that can be arranged." She moved to look out the window toward where the fighting would soon be taking place. "Those out fighting for this planet are more than just pieces on a game board, including the soldiers cloned from the child of the woman you're hoping to put on the throne. I hope you keep that close in mind before you order about people's deaths. I do not believe you want to see this entire thing, the entire future of this planet, spin out of your control."

Amii'a tried to control her look of shock at the obvious exchange directed towards her political mentor, Theen. She thought and hoped that she had hidden it well enough - she ought to have in all her experience. She knew Oot and Liam were right, she didn't want a bloodbath any more than they.

Amii'a noticed the return gaze from Theen. As an Anx, and a non-human, he was quite apt at hiding his outward feelings from those he had exchanges with...but the one thing that would and did betray him, was the crest that shifted colors with an Anx's emotions.

He was clearly quite pissed. But he didn't carry forward the conversation. Politics, like dejarik, was a game of strategy. Pieces were played, sacrificed and feinted. Timing was essential, and the time for such verbal melee was not now. They had a world to save.

Theen graciously saved face with a universal gesture of, you win.

"As I said before I wholly support restraint of all out bloodshed," he said. "I am certain our task forces are capable, and hopefully as you say their allegiances can soon be shifted with changing of power."

Theen left to join those who were among the secret command base, as the attack was soon to begin.

Oot Kovan turned to Captain Kano and gave him a nod.

"I'll inform the strike teams to proceed to the drop zone," he said. He turned from her and returned to his command station to relay orders that would send the Jedi and soldiers into the palace, the final strike that would return control of the planet to the proper people.

***

As word came from the command post, the transports took to the air, leaving the calm stability of Vendra behind. They had no time to enjoy any of the tranquility of the premium vacation spot on Tae'Karada, though even if they had, Talara Sorenne was uncertain if she would have taken the opportunity. Perhaps if the time was dedicated to relaxation, she would. But, she still had road ahead of her to cover before she could allow herself the luxury of idling.

The flutterbies in her stomach had stopped their jittering, replaced by a calm serenity. She closed her eyes as the transport rumbled through the atmosphere, meditating in the time left before she would have to leap from the transport to float to the palace below.

Across from Talara, Kael Selrid was already deep within his own meditation. His focus was on the retaking of the palace, though in the back of his mind Raeila waited. She would always be there with him, and through the Force he could sense her presence many kilometers away. But, he had learned to shift his focus, mentally, so that he could perform as he must as a Jedi, but still love her and be the husband she deserved when they were together. What he did today would make the planet safer, would allow for them to live in peace, without the fear of Nieme's ravings.

Cole gazed out through the small glass window; looking down he could see the rolling, crashing waves of the ocean. As the time passed, his finger lightly tapped the side of the bench. He wished there was something to distract him, a vessel cutting through the waves the way the transport was cutting through the air, but no such luck. Memories of his last encounter with the soon to be defeated Empresses came back to him. Foolishly he'd gone to try and rescue Zari but instead had put himself in danger and was almost killed. He'd learned a lot since then. The mission to the Hjarii homeworld had taught him more, he was a better Padawan and would be a better Jedi because of it.

He had to force himself to look away. Closing his eyes he began to meditate. Worrying about something you couldn't prevent or control was pointless. Still, it didn't stop him from worrying, though the meditation helped.

Vaya stared out across the dark expanse of ocean that shot past. She took a calming breath and closed her eyes, opened herself to the Force. She felt its calming effect as she focused on what was at hand, as she had been trained. She felt the presence of her fellow Padawans and the Jedi, and it helped her to focus, having that shared comradery through the Force and for such a noble cause.

Just days before they had been on a wayward world where she helped to bring hope, justice and a prosperous future. It was the first time Vaya truly felt like being a Jedi, and here she was again about to be thrown into the mix for the future of yet another world.

She could feel the darkness like an arachnid waiting for its prey to become stuck and helpless...a sensation that tickled the back of her consciousness, seductive and teasingly as the Palace of Arcadia loomed closer. She had been in several tricky situations since she began her life and service to the Force, and she would only have been doing herself injustice if she didn't accept the fact that she really felt concerned for what was to transpire...but she was training to be a Jedi, and she had a very good mentor in Laedra.

She knew she would be alright as long as she didn't allow her feelings to control her. Besides, she and her friends had been up against the Clones before, and the Force was with her. A toothy grin of bravado and trepidation broke through her calm face as the time neared for her to jump out of a perfectly good craft into whatever destiny had in store.

"Last one to the ground is Bantha poodoo!" she hissed between ground teeth.

Cole allowed a grin to seep through while he meditated; his master would not be pleased. "You're on..." he whispered to her. "And consider yourself Bantha slime..." he added teasingly.

Koran glanced at the two Padawans. "Rushing things today, including trying to reach the ground, will likely see you dead," he said with a pointed look. "I don't think any of us would like that. Stay focused, and do not rush in blindly." Before he could say more, red lights running down the center of the transport suddenly illuminated. "It's time." He moved to the side door of the transport as it was being slid open. He waited for the Padawans to get there before giving them a nod. "Stay focused, and may the Force be with you."

As the door stood open, the palace could be seen sprawling before them. The waiting was indeed the hard part, but as green lights replaced the red, the wait was over.

With anther nod to those behind him, Koran jumped from the transport.

With a hard swallow, Talara moved in behind Koran, and just before jumping out herself, felt a calm descend over her. Then, as she'd been taught earlier in the day, jumped out into the clear sky and down toward the Palace.

Cole had nodded at his master. It was just like him to make more of the joke than there was, seemed to be the way of mentors to pick faults with those under them. Allowing the Force to calm him he rose with the red lights and following his master, he stepped towards the now opened door. The rush of air was deafening as he closed in on the door. Talara was next vanishing from his sight, seemingly a heartbeat after Koran.

Taking a deep breath, like the breath before a plunge, Cole dived out like he'd been shown and taught, which seemed only moments ago.

Following suit, Vaya gathered herself and jumped out into the abyss. The air was rushing and thunderous about her, but she kept focused as best a Padawan of her skill was able.

Just as Laedra stepped out in the black nothingness of a cloudy night, a pang of warning reverberated through the Force and to each of the Jedi. With the wind screaming past her ears, it was difficult to detect, but Laedra could perceive the rumble of something large approaching below; in the darkness, the hundreds of black-armoured specks moving into position around the palace courtyard was nearly unseen to the eye, but the Force saw everything, and consequently, so did the Jedi. "Koran!" Laedra shouted into her wrist comm. "Do you sense it too?!"

"I sense it," Koran shouted back, the wind nearly taking the sound away before it reached the comlink. "Somehow they were ready for us. We'll have to move quickly once on the ground."

Cole heard both masters through the earpiece, though lodged within his ear the roar of the wind still made hearing difficult. There wasn't anything he could do until landing so he concentrated on the drop sticking as close to his master, and the other Padawans, as he could while not getting in anyone's way.

As their dropchutes engaged nearly simultaneously, the Jedi's descent slowed. The wind became nothing more but a whistling in their ears, and allowed the ominous pounding arising from below to resonate clearly through the air. Then, it appeared - a Walker dwarfing the soldiers arrayed in the courtyard and nearly tall enough to brush the feet of the falling Jedi. Behind the first came another, and in the distance, a third could be seen emerging. Laedra Vorrel looked aside to Koran, both sharing the same sense of dread. "I do hope Captain Kano's firepower is enough."

The feelings from Koran and Laedra were quick to flush upon Vaya. She had always been rather acute to emotions, probably an effect that was in relation to her natural ability at reading the body language and voice patterns in most sentient beings. Her early anxiety was realized as she too saw the martialing forces below; black clad troopers added dread to her mind from the confrontation they had had at the Temple, and then the ominous Imperial Walker that lumbered just behind.

Vaya swallowed hard and tried to just calm herself, falling back on her training. She knew this was no time to lose it, it would get her killed, and others as well.

"Okay, I change my mind," she said under her breath more to herself than anyone. "I'll be poodoo, I don't care."

As they all descended closer and closer to the ground it was quite clear that their little insurrection was known. Darts of laser energy began to crisscross in the night sky as the clones fired upon the Jedi, New Republic and Karadan troopers still descending from the sky.

Twenty meters from where Talara watched the incoming barrage of laser fire, a Karadan soldier took a bolt to the chest. He let out an anguished cry, and then was silent as his limp body continued toward the ground below. She opened herself to the Force as she shifted a slight amount of her focus to guiding herself toward the ground. Koran Darr was ahead of her, and she tried to guide her progress in his direction. Above and around her, the Karadan and Republic troops opened fire down into the crowds below. Farther above, the transports came back for another pass as they cut loose into the courtyard with their far more powerful weapons. Each blast flung cloned soldiers about the area like rag dolls. Some did not stand back up.

The night air sizzled with blaster fire. Vaya could very well imagine what the unknowing civilians were thinking, waking to the day with a battle at their doorsteps. The ground came closer and closer, and with it she could feel the heat of passing laser blasts. She mentally prepared herself for the touchdown; to drop, release, spring back up and ignite her lightsaber. But such things did not always go as desired.

Just before hitting the ground, a good story above the earth, a bolt hit one of her chute straps. Vaya found herself twisted violently around as the ground rushed up to her in a maddening vertigo. She quickly grabbed her saber and ignited it, slashed herself free from the constricting cords and thumped hard to the ground.

The chute covered her body as she fought to regain her breath and senses. Come on, Vay, it wasn't that bad, she thought to herself as she twirled her violet blade to free herself of the cloaking chute. Like a veil removed from her eyes, the battle unfolded before her. Koran and Laedra were dead head, with Talara and Cole right behind them. All around Karadan troops and New Republic forces were fanning out to combat the Palace forces and the foreboding walkers.

The New Republic craft poured more energy into the enemy lines, but several of those crafts soon succumbed to the raw fire power of the walkers. Vaya watched as one such craft spun out of control after having been targeted; she watched as it spiraled down to the earth and crashed in a terrific ball of fire and smoke behind enemy lines.

Narrowly missing several shots to her direction, Vaya picked up the pace to join her fellow Jedi.

Cole struck the ground harder than he intended and rolled along the ground, two bolts exploded, striking the ground behind the rolling Padawan, the end of his robe catching the last bolt, singeing the edge. His lightsaber flashed into life, illuminating his young face before cutting through the air in front of him in small effortless arcs.

Just before hitting the courtyard, Koran Darr released his dropcute and used the Force to guide him the rest of the way to the ground. Before his feet touched down, his lightsaber was out and he was off moving amongst the soldiers, disarming those he could with his weapon. Talara took a deep, calming breath and released herself from her dropchute as well. Her lightsaber snapped to life just before her feet touched the courtyard. She moved forward fluidly, lightsaber flashing to deflect the incoming attacks, protecting those still descending as best she could.

By her side was Laedra, assisting her Padawan in countering the blistering attack from their clone opponents. Their objective was to assist the New Republic in subduing the Palace's defensive forces, but with three heavy-assault Walkers flanking them, the Jedi were only running the risk of being caught in a cross-fire. "Talara," Laedra shouted to her Padawan, "I will be back!" Then, she rushed to Koran's side to confer, while fending off blaster bolts originating from all directions. "We must alter the plans, Koran. We must gain access to the palace and secure it while Dresh and his men take care of those Walkers."

The time it took Koran to consider Laedra's suggestion was a fraction of a second. "I agree," he said with a nod. "Gather the others and meet me by the front doors to the Palace. Under the circumstances, I believe that's our best way in. They've probably got contingencies for any of the alternate routes."

Laedra nodded and dashed off to collect the padawans, while Koran contacted Captain Kano to relay their intentions.

Koran pulled out his comlink and flipped it to the secure command frequency. "Koran Darr to Captain Kano."

A moment later, Kano answered. "Yes, Master Darr. Go ahead."

"It appears the soldiers at the palace were waiting for us. We're altering our plan slightly. While your forces deal with the courtyard, the Jedi will enter and secure the Palace."

There was a moment of silence before Kano answered. "Go ahead, Master Darr. Keep me apprised of your progress. Kano out."

With that, Koran started toward the door.

Vaya mustered all her speed and senses as she dashed ahead with Koran, Laedra, Talara and Cole. A unit of clones in their matte black armor split from a defensive line to meet the Jedi. Like one, they fired upon them. Vaya skidded in the ground, barely catching herself, but also avoiding a laser bolt that could have made contact. She used the momentum of the slip to roll off her shoulder and bounce back up, swinging her blade to deflect any shots. Gods knew she had had enough practice at that of late.

Cole was right beside Vaya, that is until she did her usual acrobatics, which had always impressed the young man. The light blue, almost white, blade deflected bolts that came searing towards him. Jumping to the side he spun in a tight ball landing beside a clone soldier, his sword-of-light sliced through the blaster and, reaching forward, Cole grabbed the clone's arm, throwing the soldier into the air.

The clone flipped around in the air and, with limbs flailing, he slammed into four of his companions. A bolt lashed out from one clone passing harmlessly through the air to vanish in the night.

"Take heed, Padawan," Laedra warned as she flung back a clone with a powerful burst of the Force, "that will only work once with these soldiers. They are human, not mindless automatons, and will adapt. Efficiency is preferable to elegance in such cases as this."

Cole nodded his understanding, though didn't voice it, too busy concentrating on staying alive. More troops were approaching; he could sense their movements, their rifles rising to fire. Only one of the blaster bolts, out of the several that struck the Corellian's weapon, ricocheting off, caught a clone, catching him in the shoulder, spinning him around. As he lay motionless on the ground, Cole reached out with the Force and felt life. The clone was still alive, but unconscious.

Koran's blade snapped in front of the wayward bolt sent astray by his Padawan and sent it harmlessly into the ground. While the clones seemed emotionless, they did seem less than pleased by Cole's actions toward them, and were beginning to concentrate their fire. More bolts were beginning to slip through his Padawan's defenses. The Jedi Master was about to leap to the youth's defense when Kael appeared instead.

Kael Selrid's saber technique was one of the most finely tuned at the Temple. The speed with which his blade moved was almost too fast for the eye to follow, but it managed to be where it needed to be. A second lightsaber hilt appeared in his other hand and snapped to life, becoming a second defensive shield against the incoming barrage.

"Get to the door to the Palace with Master Darr, Cole," he said. "Our goal is to go inside and take the Palace, not to stay here in the courtyard showing off. Move." Thankfully, Cole did.

Talara was already moving toward the door, staying near to Laedra. Kael noted that her skill with the lightsaber was much improved of late as well. Since her imprisonment, the girl had seemed more focused and dedicated to the Order. While she was young, she'd been training to become a Jedi for most of her life. It was definitely showing now.

Vaya continued to make for the door, defending herself and her comrades as best she could, leaving the real fight with the clones to the soldiers that had accompanied them. She wondered if it had been like this the first time the Jedi had attempted an attack on the Palace, but did not dwell. As she took a defensive stance upon the door she saw the battle behind her. It seemed like such a long way from where they landed, and all about the grounds laid the bodies of felled clones and those who had come to fight for freedom. It unsettled her somewhat; the mix of death in the air, the sense of foreboding from within the Palace, and the mix of emotions that swirled in the Force. She took a second to collect herself, stealing a calming breath to regain focus. Somehow she knew that this had all been the easy part... for the Jedi at least.

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