PARADISE LOST REDUX
Act I

Chapter I - Chapter XX

by Charles Sonnenburg (sonn@sfdebris.com)


CHAPTER I

	The wormhole.  A bridge across both time and space, one that
connected two halves of a united Empire that, through its remarkable
presence, was located on opposite sides of the known universe in the
past and the future.  As the tiny ship passed through its true beauty
was revealed in twisting forms and flowing colors that seemed to not
so much please the eye as caress it seductively.  The passage was far
too short, and the awakening on the other side equally irritating.
	"Vessel 1C-711," the bored voice of the controller said over
the communicator, "this is Wormhole Base.  Identify yourself and state
your purpose."
	"Elphin Ryool," he answered, using the name that matched his
documents.  Forged of course, but not terribly difficult these days as
the Empire continued to loosen its restrictions on travel throughout
its territory.  "I'm bringing exotic animals to the Alpha Quadrant."
	"You have permits for these organisms," the controller asked.
	"Yes," Elphin said, transmitting them.  His instruments showed
they were being scanned, but that wasn't unusual.  It certainly would
back up his story; exotic animals.  Very exotic.
	"Vessel 1C-711 you are clear to depart for the Alpha
Quadrant."  There was nothing more; a cargo ship was of little
interest to the Imperials, especially one this small.  Elphin reset
the coordinates and activated the hyperdrive with distaste.  No one
had said his job would be pleasant.
	Elphin walked back to one of his storage holds and brought out
an animal which, had the Imperials taken a close look at it, would
have piqued even their attention.  No environmental force or mutation
had been responsible for this creature's development.  It was the
result of design so advanced it put this vessel on the level of
bacteria.  He reached behind its ear and the creature's skin glowed to
present the transmitted image from his colleagues working on the
distant planet of Sernpidal.  He listened to the recorded message,
which only confirmed what was obvious to him from the picture.
	Over the tiny human cities, a moon loomed menacingly large in
the bright Sernpidal sky.

	The twin suns of Tatooine baked the landscape in the early
afternoon as Luke Skywalker stepped out the front of his home.  It
took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness,
but that didn't slow him down; he didn't need them anyway.
"Sebastian," he called, not bothering to look for the boy.  He took
his seat as the child came running out of the garage, his light brown
hair sticky with sweat from his work.  He jogged over, Luke noting how
long his strides had gotten.  Even at fifteen the boy was nearly a man
in stature, and Sebastian never turned down an opportunity to remind
his parents of this.
	"What'll it be today, father?" Sebastian said, wiping his brow
as he sat down.  He exuded the cocky confidence of his mother, which
pleased or infuriated Luke depending on the situation.
	"Terran chess," Luke said, taking the board from inside his
robe and letting it float in the air between them.  With a thought he
flicked the game on, and holographic pieces appeared in the shape of
ancient horsemen and soldiers, ready to do cross swords for control of
the tiny battlefield.  "You've been reading up on strategy, I hope."
	"Oh yes," Sebastian said with a grin, "yes I have."  Luke had
beaten the boy every game for the past three sessions.  It was a
matter of pride now for the young man to try and best his old man.
	"Good," Luke said, and with that the two closed their eyes and
relaxed.  Their shadows moved slowly along the ground as time passed,
each finding true peace within themselves, and yet within something
far greater.  "On three," Luke said quietly.  Sebastian nodded, his
eyes still closed.  "One..."
	"Two..." Sebastian said.
	"Three."  A white pawn advanced two squares and in response
his black counterpart moved in kind.  Another white pawn moved while a
knight leaped over his own soldiers to secure his position.  More
pawns advanced on both sides, the soldiers setting up quick supports
for each other as they approached their adversaries.  After mere
seconds, the bishops and rooks began advancing on the battlefield as
well, and tiny skirmishes broke out as soldiers battered away at each
other.  Sebastian, having lost both his bishops, sent out his queen
ten seconds into the match; Luke waited another three before doing the
same.  The tall woman strode forward and swung her scepter like a club
through the towering rook, shattering it.  A group of pawns led by a
knight encircled her, but she slipped away.  The knight leaped,
lancing an opposing bishop as a consolation prize.  In less than a
second he was surrounded and done in himself.  The game had now lasted
seventeen seconds.
	Sweat ran down Sebastian's face as he concentrated, his
father's face completely expressionless.  Not that Sebastian saw him,
of course; his attention was focused fully on the contest.  His pawn
slipped through an opening in the defenses and rushed for the back
row, a rook sliding into position to defend him.  With triumph he
stopped, threw off his helmet and grew to the towering height of a
queen.  She took one great leap across the board, battering aside the
staff of the bishop and killing him.  Before her next chance to attack
the board froze.  The black king stood stock still as a pawn's sword
was held to his throat.  A step back would put him in range of the
rook's crossbow, to his left the knight's lance, and his own pawns
blocked movement to the right.  He dropped his sword and fell to his
knees; the entire game had taken twenty-nine seconds.
	"What happened?" Luke asked as he opened his eyes.
	Sebastian took a few deep breaths.  "Too much offense," he
said.  "I should have been watching for traps for my king."
	"Not just that," Luke said.  "You saw an opportunity, and you
were so intent on seizing it you paid less attention to what I was
doing.  You can't fixate on the goal without losing your ability to
watch for threats."
	"Yes, father," Sebastian said dejectedly.  Before he could
discuss any further 4D-8, their droid, stepped out of the shelter.
	"Master Luke," the robot's feminine voice said, "there's a
communication for you from Chandrilla."
	"Aunt Leia?" Sebastian asked even as Luke got up.
	"We'll see," he replied.  "Keep practicing."  He followed the
droid inside and took a seat before the small holographic communicator
they had.  He activated the system, and a slight chill passed through
him as the wrinkled, weathered visage appeared before him.  "Your
highness," Luke said, keeping the emotion from his voice.
	"Jedi Skywalker," the Emperor replied, his voice void of any
emotion.  "We have something of great importance to discuss."

	The pieces on the chessboard moved almost as quickly as they
had during the game between Sebastian and his father, but this time it
was different.  Unlike his father, the computer was predictable, and
while it had been programmed with every chess strategy ever conceived,
it was still no match for him.  "Come on," Sebastian said aloud even
as he continued moving the pieces with his thoughts, "I don't have all
second."  The white king held up his hands as the bishop pointed his
staff at him, then dropped to his knees.  "Checkmate," Sebastian said
with contempt.  This game had taken only half as long as the one
against his father.  It was infuriating that he seemed such a master
against anyone but him, and perhaps that was the point, to keep him
humble.  But then again, his mother was the universe's greatest master
of knocking him down when he got a bit full of himself.
	"Bastian," a voice called, and the young Jedi turned towards
the source of the voice as he deactivated the chess board.  Even
without the Force he could sense Jorri's excitement as she practically
sprinted up to him.  "Guess what just arrived?"
	Sebastian himself was too anxious to make a typical smart
remark as he took the datapad from her hands.  The normally subdued
girl was near bursting as he took it, her frame shaking a little as
she pushed a lock of dark hair out of her face.  "Is it-"
	"Just read it!" she almost shouted.
	With a deep breath he activated the datapad.  "Jorrielle
Sunspring," he read aloud, "this is to inform you that your
application for the Imperial Academy has been accepted."  He couldn't
continue because she had latched onto him and begun jumping in
excitement.
	"I can't believe it!" she screamed as she bounced.  "I'm going
to be a pilot!  A real pilot!"
	"I never doubted you for a second," Sebastian said as he
squeezed her back.  "You're the best bush pilot in either galaxy."  He
glanced back at the letter, then loosened his grip a bit.  "They want
you there by the end of the week," he said, a bit blown over.  
	Sebastian's remark brought Jorri's celebration to a halt.  "I
know," she said finally.  "And traveling to Ralltiir from here..."
	"You'll probably have to leave in a couple of days," Sebastian
finished.  He passed the datapad back to her.  "Sorry," he finally
said.  "Didn't mean to drop a sandstorm on the celebration.  Really, I
can't tell you how thrilled I am for you.  You've got so much
potential that's going to waste out here."
	"I'm not the only one," she said, sliding the datapad into the
back of her belt.  "Come on, 'Bastian," she prodded for the hundredth
time.  "You know if anyone on this dustball was meant to be an ace
pilot, it's you."  He said nothing.  "With your family's connections
you could walk into the front office and get accepted without a second
word."
	He smirked at the thought.  Yeah, being the son of rebel hero
Luke Skywalker and the woman who had single-handedly destroyed the
Borg went a long way, and Aunt Leia being chief advisor for the
Emperor certainly didn't hurt.  And when it came to dealing with
non-Force users, no one else challenged him like Jorrielle could.  The
fun they had growing up here, despite living in the armpit of the
universe; it was so hard to accept that it was all going to come to an
end now.  Damn, it was so tempting, to just run away and forget about
everything.  But facts were facts:  no teacher could compare to his
mother, no one could show him more about flying than his uncle, and
there was no one else in the galaxy equipped to lead him in the ways
of the Force than his father.  And in the end, joining the Imperial
Navy just wasn't what he wanted to do with his life.  "I'll visit
whenever I can," he finally promised.
	"Yeah, you're always in the neighborhood of Ralltiir," she
replied a bit dejectedly.
	"Hey," Sebastian said, trying to perk her up, "with my
connections, I can get a shuttle out to Ralltiir any time I like."  He
grinned and she smiled back.
	"Mr. Skywalker," Jorri said, and Sebastian turned around to
see his father walking towards them.  Something heavy weighed on his
mind, but he was doing his best to hide it from the boy.
	"Morning Jorrielle," the elder Jedi said, coming to a halt
near them.  "How's the harvest going?"
	"Way to slow for mom," Jorri said with a laugh. 
	"Jorri's been accepted to the Academy," Sebastian said, not
taking his eyes of her.  She grinned with nervous pride.
	"Really," Luke said, "congratulations.  You know, when I was
your age they didn't allow many women into the Academy."
	"Yeah, and you had to walk through a sandwhirl to get to
school every day," Jorri said.
	Sebastian laughed.  "Hey, tell her about the time you were in
grammar school and had to kill a Tusken Raider with a tricorder who
wanted your lunch money."
	His father laughed graciously at the prods but there was a
somberness to him that he couldn't hide.  "Pack some things," he told
Sebastian.  "We're going to Chandrilla for a few days."
	The boy's smile vanished.  "Chandrilla?  When are we leaving?"
	"As soon as we're packed," Luke said, looking about.  "Where's
your mother?"
	"She took the speeder into town," Sebastian said, trying to
think quickly.
	"Mos Eisley?"
	"Mos Rosta, at least that's what she said," he answered.
"Father, I'd like to stay here while you go, if it's all the same."
	"Sorry, not this trip," Luke said, clearly distracted.  "We're
not short on supplies..."
	"She wanted to get some fresh air," Sebastian answered,
knowing what his father meant.
	"There's not much of that in Mos Rosta."
	"No, there isn't," Sebastian answered quickly.  "Father-"
	"No discussion," Luke said.
	"Mr. Skywalker," Jorri said a bit sheepishly, "I'm leaving for
the Academy very soon."
	Luke took a deep breath as he looked at two of them and then
back at the garage.  "I'm sorry, but I've been called before the
Emperor."  He stared at Sebastian.  "We both have."
	"Wait-wait," Sebastian said, "the Emperor wants to see me.
Emperor Palpatine."
	"Unless there's been an overthrow I haven't heard about, yes,
Emperor Palpatine."
	"That is so wizard," Jorri said to Sebastian, all thoughts of
her trip gone.  He caught her look; he'd seen it once or twice before.
It was when she realized that this scruffy boy she'd grown up with,
who'd become her best friend, was really part of a circle that no kid
on Tatooine could ever imagine being part of, and that through him,
sometimes she was brushing the highest authorities in the galaxy.
	"Oh, he always calls at the worst times," Sebastian said
dismissively.  Of course, he knew why they were going, he'd known for
as long as he could remember.  But, but now?  Was he ready for that?  
	"As soon as we have some free time," Luke said, "I'll bring
Sebastian out to the Academy.  I promise.  For now, I need you packed
up and ready to take off within the hour."
	"What about mom?"
	"We'll drop in at Mos Rosta and pick her up," he answered. "Or
bail her out of jail if we have to," he added with a sigh.

	Annika Hansen Skywalker, former Borg drone, former Starfleet
officer, former galactic savior, wanted a drink.  Not a drink the way
most of the patrons of this cantina thought of it, since she didn't
react particularly well to alcohol.  But she was dehydrating like
anyone was in the heat of Mos Rosta, and the inhabitants of the
cantina were as interesting a sight to her as anything else in this
town.  Loud, uncouth, belligerent, they were the antithesis of
everything Borg and Starfleet, which was what made the place so
endearing.  Not that it was always pleasant; she had gotten into four
bar fights in this cantina alone, but that hadn't happened in two
years.  
	However much he was her soulmate, Luke couldn't really
understand.  It wasn't the need for violence or excitement --she'd had
enough for several lifetimes-- she just needed places like this
sometimes to satisfy her wanderlust.  "Lemonade," she said simply as
she slid up to the bar.  
	Most of the beings took little notice of her, and with cause.
Not long after moving here there had been a little unpleasantness.
Luke had made it clear that, Jedi or no, the consequences would be
dire if anyone tried messing with her again, and word had spread.
Still, Tatooine drew all kinds passing through.  "[I thought you
didn't serve their kind here,]" a Talz said with contempt.  Borg
tended to attract attention; Annika always attracted attention.
	"You can think whatever you like," Annika replied in the Talz'
own language.  Her sub-vocal implant was still a useful device for
situation like this.  "Well, maybe YOU can't," she added, looking him
over like a specimen.
	The Talz got up.  "[We don't care for the Borg around here,]"
he growled, looming over her.
	"I didn't know you were elected group speaker," she replied.
"Nice coat," she added, indicating the Talz's fur, "I've got several
exactly like it in my closet."  She smiled.  "Exactly."
	Well, she thought distantly, two years was a long time without
any excitement.

	She slipped in as all eyes were fixed on the Talz and Seven,
unnoticed as she joined her male companion at his table.  Like her, he
wore a full length tan robe, his hood pulled forward to hide most of
his face from view.  "How long?" she asked in a low voice.
	"She just walked in," he replied, keeping his eyes on the
bartender, just as she was.  While the Talz occupied everyone else's
attention, they watched him drop the capsule into the drink.  He knew
better than to look up at the two of them as he did it.
	"I was wondering if she would ever leave that hole of theirs,"
the woman muttered.  They both stopped talking as the Talz pulled out
a hold-out blaster from somewhere.  Seven caught the limb as it came
around with her left hand, twisting it and driving two fingers into a
pressure point.  The hand reflexively opened and dropped the blaster.
She caught it with her foot, kicked it back up, and snatched it out of
the air with her other hand, then jammed it under the Talz' chin.  It
had taken just over a second.
	The Talz' breathing was heavy, fear reflected in its compound
eyes.  Seven just smiled at it, then pressed the barrel a little
harder into his chin.  "And Flotter the Water," she said with a slight
sing-song voice, "learned that day, there are some games he should not
play."  She squeezed and the Talz flinched, then they heard the power
pack slide out and hit the floor.  She pulled the blaster away and
held it out for him.  "Now run along, you uncouth lout, or I will have
to blow your brains out."
	The Talz waited several seconds, then snatched the blaster and
headed for the exit.  The bartender didn't bother asking him to pay,
he had been expecting it as much as they had.  "It might be safer to
kill him," the man remarked.
	"Agreed," the woman replied.  "But pay him first.  We don't
want to make enemies among these people.  We may need them again."
	"I understand," he said.  They watched as the bartender put
the drink in front of Seven while she played absentmindedly with the
powerpack.  The capsule had dissolved instantly and the powdered
substance settled near the bottom.  She never thought twice as she
sipped at the straw.
	"Wait a few minutes," the woman said to her companion, "then
leave through a different exit."  She got up and slipped out.  The man
watched out of the corner of his eye as she finished off the lemonade
and looked about the bar.  He keyed data randomly into the datapad in
front of him, just to look busy.  After a short while he noticed her
lull, then he got up.  As he stepped through the exit he heard her
collapse onto the floor.
	"Perfect," he said to himself.  "Absolutely perfect."

	Theoretically there was no difference between the streets of
Mos Rosta and their home, but as far as Sebastian was concerned,
theory could go suck a power socket.  The air hung, enveloping them in
unending heat and thick with dust.  The streets were especially
crowded, but the two Jedi somehow walked through them unimpeded, as if
people instinctively stepped out of their way as they passed by.
	"Excuse me," Luke said as he approached a pair of
stormtroopers, "I'm looking for someone.  Borg, female-"
	"Blond hair," the trooper answered, "nice implants?"
	"That's the one," Sebastian's father said, not allowing his
smile to reflect his contempt.  Yes, never heard that joke before...
how original!  "Did you see where she went?"
	"Watering hole up the road," he pointed, then resumed his
conversation.
	Sebastian doubled his pace to keep up with his father.  "They
don't make stormtroopers like they used to," he grumbled.
	"You'd think they could send a few less backwards ones out
here," Sebastian said in agreement.
	"They're from the Outer Rim," Luke answered.  "Weren't you
paying attention?"
	Sebastian looked at his father.  "What does that mat-"
	"A Jedi must always be alert," he interrupted.  "Every detail,
no matter how seemingly trivial, can be important.  You especially,
given your memory-"
	"Okay, you're right," Sebastian said, letting a little of his
adolescent rebelliousness take over, "I should pay more attention.
From-"  He stopped as his father did.  He was about to say something
when he noticed it too, the "disturbance in the Force" as it was
always described, like a change in the blowing of a wind.  He probed
inside the cantina in front of them, but sensed nothing unusual.
	"Wait outside," his father finally said.  Before he could
protest the elder had stepped through the front door.  Did he really
expect him to listen?  Sebastian waited a few seconds outside the
door, then slowly crept down the stairs after his father.  The inside
of the cantina was dark compared to the brightness outside, but he
could still see what was going on.  His mother's body was sprawled
across the floor surrounded by a representation of a dozen different
worlds the young Jedi had never seen.  They drew back as his father
slowly approached.  He could sense the elder's fear as he knelt down
by her side, an echo of the fear in Sebastian's own heart.  He
couldn't feel her, but whether it was because of her ability or
because she was... he couldn't allow the thought to continue.
	While his father looked at Annika carefully Sebastian could
hear the subdued laughter of the aliens and humans throughout the bar.
"What happened?" he finally heard his father ask.  
	"Restraining bolt," someone in the crowd said, a remark which
got roars of laughter.
	"I wouldn't mind locking her in a few restraining bolts
myself," added another anonymous face in the crowd.
	"Come on, do some Jedi magic!" came a cry, which prompted a
chorus of agreement and chuckles from the group.  
	"Jedi is all well and good," a nice voice said, "but I'll
settle for a medpak."
	"Or in this case, a hydrospanner."  
	The laughter was suddenly cut off by a piercing noise, a noise
that was perhaps the most recognizable in the universe, a noise
Sebastian had heard hundreds of times growing up.  The group fell
silent as their eyes focused on the newly-lit lightsaber blade.  The
only other sound was his father's breathing, heavy and even.  He still
knelt on the floor in front of Sebastian's mother, still faced away
from the crowd, but something about the pose was all the more
imposing.  "All right," he said in a voice that was low and shook just
a little, "which one of you dead men hurt my wife?"
	After a few seconds, those near the exits began slowly moving
out.  Sebastian's father started to turn his head towards them and it
became a mad dash.  Sebastian leaped out of the way before he was
trampled by the escaping mob.  Within seconds, the three of them were
the only ones left in the bar.  "I thought I told you to wait
outside," his father said, turning off the lightsaber.
	"You weren't going to hurt them," Sebastian said.  It wasn't a
question.  Despite his appearance, there was no hint of malice from
his elder, not even when he gave his threat.
	"No," father said, looking his mother over more carefully.  
	"You could have used the Force," Sebastian said.  "You could
have used it to persuade them to leave, rather than frightening them
away."
	"The Force is not a blunt instrument," his father said
reprovingly.  "And it is not to be used lightly.  There is no spice,
no glimmerstim more addictive in the universe than power, and love of
power is the path to the Dark Side."  
His father rested his hands on his mother's face as he took a deep
breath.  Slowly he felt a warmth spread from him into her, until she
was part of the ebb and flow of the Force once again.  She took a deep
breath and opened her eyes.  "Luke," she said hoarsely, running her
hand along the side of his face.
	His father smiled, but just a little.  "What are you doing
here, Annika?" he asked, his voice full of weariness.
	"Ah, what an interesting philosophical question," she replied.
She coughed, then looked puzzled.  "Hmph, must have been something I
drank."
	"Can you walk?" his father asked even as he pulled her to her
feet.  She stumbled about a bit, so he gave her his shoulder for
support.  
	"Sure, if you can stop the floor from moving."
	"You didn't get into another fight, did you," he asked as he
led her to the door.
	"I'm shocked you'd even think such an awful thing."

	Vessel 1C-711 docked at Imperial Station AQ-13-15.  The pilot
once again submitted to scans and bored questions before being sent on
his way.  He made a small purchase at a local shop to help maintain
his cover, then found his way to the only bar on the station.  
	The bartender didn't pay him much notice.  The Ferengi hadn't
changed in the slightest, despite the fact that he had been working
here since the station was known as Deep Space Thirteen.  Being a
hologram had that effect.  "What'll it be," Quark asked, sounding
nearly as bored as the customs agents.
	"Whisky synthehol," he ordered.  The drink was served; he
never touched it.  "I need to speak to someone," he said a few seconds
later.
	"I'm someone," Quark remarked, polishing a glass for no real
reason.
	"Someone in particular." 
	Quark leaned forward and whispered.  "Is this your first time
looking for information?"
	"No, I just don't enjoy wasting my time."
	"In any case, I can't help you," Quark said.  "I don't meet
many people I'm likely to remember."
	"This one you would remember," he replied.  "He's a
Cardassian.  Elim Garrak."
	"The terrorist?" Quark said with a laugh.  "The only way he'd
come on this station is if he swallowed a thermal detonator and wanted
to blow it up."
	"I understand.  But I have something he'll find very
interesting."
	"Really," Quark answered, not believing a word.  "Well if I
see him I'll be sure to pass that along."
	The man dropped a latinum strip on the bar.  "Good.  He can
contact me on this frequency."  Quark picked it up and eyed it as the
man slipped off, an Imperial credit besides the untouched glass.  
	"Jerk," he remarked as he put the glass in the disposal, then
read the strip again.  "What kind of name is Nom Anor anyway?"


CHAPTER II

	The bright, dominating blue of Tatooine's sky faded into the
endless darkness of space as Sebastian broke atmosphere.  Fast, but
not so fast as to effect fuel consumption Luke noted.  The boy was
doing well at learning how far he could push things without pushing
them too far, a trait that would serve him well in the future.  Luke's
smile faded at the thought; yes, he would need to know his own limits
during the trouble to come.
	"We're not in that big a hurry," Annika remarked as she leaned
against the wall of the cockpit.  "Ease up a bit."
	"Mom, this is nothing," Sebastian remarked as he kicked the
engine up to full throttle to put a safe distance between them and the
planet before the jump.
	"Unnecessary risks aren't 'nothing," she replied in the spirit
of motherhood everywhere.
	"Come on, I'm just breaking orbit and laying in a flight
path," Sebastian said.  "Uncle Han let Jaina fly the Falcon during
combat."
	"Your comparison is irrelevant," Annika said as she stepped
behind him.  "Jaina is older-" she flicked him on the back of the head
for emphasis "-than you."
	"Argument is futile," Sebastian deadpanned.  "Ow!" he added as
she repeated the gesture.
	"I don't know where you get this attitude from," she remarked
as Luke covered over his smirk.  No, now wasn't the time to worry over
the future, it was a time to enjoy the fleeting peace of the moment.
He watched the stars fade to hyperspace then got a drink from the
replicator.  As he turned back he saw Annika stumble a bit as she
reached the door; he also noticed she'd cut herself off from his
senses again.
	"Let me know if there's trouble," Luke said to Sebastian, then
followed her.  She took a seat at the table and leaned on it wearily.
"You feeling alright?"
	"Never better," she replied.
	"Ah," Luke said, setting the cup down.  He couldn't really
argue about her cloaking herself; it wasn't as if he had the right to
read her emotions whenever he wished.  That still didn't make it any
less suspicious.  "You've been taking your nutrient suspensions?"
	"Yes, daddy," she replied, as if to answer her earlier
question about Sebastian's attitude.
	"That's good," Luke said as he grabbed her shoulders from
behind and started rubbing, feeling her relax as he did.  "'Cause if
you didn't," he started scratching at her collarbones, "you'll have to
be punished."  Immediately she squealed in protest.  "This is going to
hurt me more than it's going to hurt you," he added in a deadly
serious tone.
	"You know this doesn't hurt!" she cried, laughing.
	"See, I wouldn't lie to you."
	"Oh, you're a mean one," Annika remarked as she managed to
worm free then vacate her chair.  "You enjoy giving out punishments a
little too much."
	"Well, the Dark Side still lingers within me," he said dryly.
"Nothing's wrong?"
	"Nothing's wrong," she insisted.  
	"Okay, if you say so.  I know you'd never lie to me, even if
you wanted to protect me from the truth.  You know how important
honesty means to me."
	Seven scowled a little.  "God, you're irritating sometimes."
	"What?"
	"I can come to terms with assimilating billions, but my
husband can guilt me with a single remark."  She shook her head. "Even
without the Force."
	"Hey, you know I'd never do that to you," he replied, taking
her into his arms.  "I'm just concerned about you."
	"Look," she said, "I'll admit I feel a little funny, but it's
nothing to worry about."
	"Funny how?  Funny sick?"
	"I don't get sick, you know that."
	"Which is exactly why I'm concerned."
	"Luke," she said with an exhausted laugh, "I don't know what
it is.  Look, I'm not exactly human, and I'm not exactly Borg, which
makes my physiology very unique."
	"Maybe we should see the Doctor."
	"You want to detour all the way from Chandrilla to Earth over
some lightheadedness?"  She squeezed him a little tighter.  "And I
thought I was being overly-protective of Sebastian."
	"You were being overly-protective," Luke remarked.  "But this
doesn't feel right, Annika."
	She sighed.  "Look.  I promise if I start feeling worse we'll
go see the Doctor, okay?"
	Luke wasn't too sure about that.  "Promise?"
	"If not," she grinned, "you can punish me some more."

	Lando dropped the datapad back on the table, trying to stifle
a yawn.  "I hope that wasn't your final assessment," B'Elanna Torres
remarked.  
	Lando rubbed his eyes; he was getting too old for these late
nights.  "No." he remarked as he pushed the datapad back towards her,
"but this is: it'll never fly."
	Harry Kim stuttered in disbelief.  "What are you talking
about?  The simulations run perfect.  This new fighter will match or
outclass anything Sienar tries to produce.  Better armor, shields,
torpedoes, and all without compromising speed and maneuverability."
	"Yes," Lando said, trying to decide whether coffee was a
mistake or not.  "But it'll cost twice as much to manufacture as the
TIE Interceptor."
	"But it's a superior fighter," B'Elanna insisted.
	"I know it is," Lando said.  "But the Empire is going to look
at the bottom line, and that line says 'Interceptors for half the
price.'  If we're going to have a chance at winning this contract we
need to bring the manufacturing costs down, which means that it's back
to the drawing board."
	B'Elanna grunted a Klingon curse.  "I can't believe this. This
is so stupid!"
	"It's called free enterprise," Lando said as he stretched.  "I
told you all this when I brought you on board."
	"Yeah, well maybe we made a mistake," Harry said as he got up.
	"Wait a minute," Lando said, "Harry."  Harry started for the
door.  "Harry, sit your butt down."  As he reached the promenade the
engineer drew to a halt, then came back to his chair, but there was no
mistaking his anger.  "Look, I brought you both on board because you
know how to cut corners.  You had to make due for five years in the
Delta Quadrant, so don't tell me you can't find ways to trim this
down."
	"Why should we, Lando," B'Elanna asked.  "It's a great ship.
Why can't we just build it, and to hell with the cost?"
	"Because the whole point of this company is to make money, and
we won't do that by ignoring costs."  He pointed at the datapad. "This
is not an impossible task.  Run some more simulations, see if you can
find ways to cut enough off this bird to make it competitive." 	The
two former Starfleet officers left without even trying to cover up
their frustration.  Lando yawned again as Quark came and cleared off
the table.  "I tooold youuuu..." the Ferengi sang under his breath.
	"They'll come around," Lando remarked.
	"They're Federation, and worse they're Starfleet.  Commerce is
beneath them."
	Lando shrugged.  "Then that motivates them all the more on the
other front.  Which reminds me, what did the check turn up on that Nom
Anor?"
	"Nothing," Quark said.  "The man just emerged from the aether
as far as the universe is concerned.  Doesn't look good to me."
	"Maybe," Lando said.
	"What maybe?" Quark demanded.  "He's obviously ISB; you
should've seen him."
	"That's just it.  If ISB was gonna plant somebody they
wouldn't do any half measures.  He'd have a full bio with tons of info
to back up his cover story.  All we've got on him is a name."
	"Listen to you.  Nobody this bad could've covered their tracks
this well."
	"I think we should let Garak decide."  Quark scoffed as he
took the empty glasses back to the bar.  "It's his neck in the noose
anyway."
	"Garak has a knack for putting other people's necks where his
own should be."
	"Yeah, well that may be, but if this rebellion has a chance we
need Garak and his connections."
	"What's the point anyway?" Quark asked as he came back to put
the chairs up.  "Yeah the Empire's pretty rotten, but it's good for
business.  And as businessmen, it's not our concern."
	"I used to say the same thing," Lando said, "'til they made it
my concern."  He got up and limped towards the door.  "Call Garak," he
said.  "He'll want to know."
	Quark sneered.  "Humans," he spat.  "No matter what the
galaxy, they're all the same."

	"Shuttle AA-104 you have entered Chandrilla space," the crisp
voice came over the comm.  "State your identity and purpose."
	"Sebastian Skywalker on board Shuttle Radiance," he responded.
"I'm carrying two passengers; we are here on official Imperial
business."  He smirked at the comm, wondering what was going through
the traffic controller's mind.
	"I have a scheduled arrival for a Luke Skywalker," came the
reply.  "Is this your passenger?"
	"Yes," Sebastian answered.  It was irritating, but Chandrilla
was the capital of the Empire now, and with the unfortunate luck the
previous two planets had they weren't taking any chances.
	"Your landing platform has been assigned."  Sebastian did a
double take; it was one of the central landing platforms in the city,
ones for the most important visiting dignitaries.  Usually they were
lucky to be able to land on the planet at all rather than one of the
docking stations in orbit.  He smiled and licked his lips as he
brought the ship in; this was going to be fun.
	"Radiance," came the Dock Master's voice, "you are clear for
landing."
	"Roger that."  Sebastian set the shuttle down without the
slightest jolt.  "I'd like a crew to check out vent four," he added.
"I think it's got some grit that's interfering with maneuvering."  He
cut the mike as he laughed, watching the maintenance crew scramble to
look over the ship.
	"Bastian," his mother said from the doorway, causing him to
whirl around.  "What are you doing?"  Her tone implied she knew
exactly what he was doing and didn't approve.
	The young man wouldn't even allow this to get in the way of
his good mood.  "We have GOT to do this more often."
	She rolled her eyes and gestured at the door, and the youth
jumped up and headed for the exit; his father was already waiting.
"There should be a skycar waiting to take us to Leia's," Luke
remarked.  "I don't know how long we'll be before the Emperor."
	"Take your time," Annika said as they left the ship and
crossed the docking bay.  "I haven't had a chance to come here in a
while, and Leia's probably stir crazy as well."
	"What've you got in mind?" Luke asked as they climbed in and
gave the driver directions.
	"Oh, drinking, gambling, fighting; you know, girl stuff."
	"The woman who brought down the Borg," Luke remarked with a
note of exhaustion.  Sebastian listened to the banter, but he knew it
was all just an act.  He could feel that despite their flaws, or maybe
even because of them, their feelings for each other hadn't waned the
slightest over their marriage.  They loved doing anything together,
even if it was trading insults.
	The car pulled to a halt and the three disembarked as Luke
told the driver to wait.  The Solo's had their own private platform;
another perk that came with Aunt Leia's position.  Uncle Han was
already at the door as they were walking up.  He gave Sebastian a warm
smile and shook his hand, but he couldn't miss the animosity towards
his father.  The two shook hands for appearance sake, then he gave his
mother a hug.  "I see you skipped out on the transporter this time,"
Han remarked to Annika.
	"We had a planetary landing site," Luke remarked.  "We're on
business."
	"Yeah, so you said."  There was no mistaking the coldness of
his tone.  "Jacen, Jaina, they're here."  The twins arrived, dressed
in their formal attire as Sebastian and his father were.  Annika got
more hugs -a treat she still enjoyed, having never really had family
since her assimilation- and the two gave Luke a much warmer welcome
than their father had.  They knew the reason for the enmity just as
Sebastian did, but they didn't let that get in the way.
	"Where's Anakin?" Annika asked.
	"Still moping in his room," Jaina said.  "Just like a kid."
Sebastian tried not to take umbrage at the remark, even though he was
only a little older than Anakin.
	"I'll go see if I can cheer him up," Annika said, stepping
past Han into the house.  Han followed without another word, and the
four returned to the skycar for their trip to the Imperial Palace.
Sebastian started feeling anxious, which was amplified by the fact
that he knew everyone in the car could feel it.
	"Don't worry," Jacen said after a little while.  "Just because
he's the unquestioned master of two galaxies doesn't mean you need to
be nervous or anything."  Sebastian made an obscene gesture with his
lightsaber, then tried to find peace to help him through all this.
Before he realized it they were already there.  The main tower
stretched at least a half mile overhead, its surfaces flowing together
in contrast to the sharp angles of the surrounding buildings.
Hesitantly he followed the others, not even noticing as they passed
through security and were admitted, under guard, to the entryway of
the man himself.  Dressed in full scarlet splendor, the two royal
guards stepped forward almost as one and opened the double doors to
the Emperor's throne room.  Summoning up all his courage, Sebastian
fell into step with the others and took his place before the center of
Imperial power.  The three were in a straight line before the Emperor
at full attention, his father a bit closer and off to the side; he was
there to speak on their behalf.
	"Jaina Solo," the Emperor intoned, "Jacen Solo, and Sebastian
Skywalker."  The Emperor seemed to look through them, which probably
wasn't far from the truth.  "I understand you have been growing in the
ways of the Force."  He continued to examine them from his elevated
throne.  "You have taught them the history of the Jedi," the Emperor
asked.
	"Yes, your highness," Luke replied.  "They know that the Jedi
served the galaxy in times past; that they were the servants of
justice since time long forgotten.  I and Leia Solo stand at your side
now as the last of the Jedi.  As you commanded, I have trained them in
the ways of the Force, to share with them all I know."
	The Emperor eyed each of them.  It took all of Sebastian's
willpower not to wilt before that gaze.  "How does it go?" he asked.
	"Their training is nearing completion," Luke said.
	"Good," the Emperor replied.  "Bring them here."  At Luke's
nod the three of them stepped forward and nodded with respect.  "The
time is soon approaching when you will be standing at my side as well,
to take your rightful place within the Empire."  There was no
mistaking the excitement from Jacen and Jaina at the words, and
Sebastian couldn't deny his own anxiety being replaced with pride.
He'd earned the right to stand here, earned it faster than either of
his cousins had, much faster than Anakin.  He was ready to be a Jedi.
	So why was it that whenever he looked to his father he felt
doubt?
	"Present your weapons," the Emperor ordered.  The three pulled
out their lightsabers and ignited them - Jaina's green, Jacen's
violet, and Sebastian's blue - holding them up for inspection. "Good,"
the Emperor said again, the word caring immense approval. "They have
only to face the trial."
	"Yes, your highness," Luke said.  At his gesture they
extinguished and clipped their lightsabers.
	"Then I have a task for them, and you as well."  The Emperor
seemed to relax slightly.  "There is a disturbance, a cancer in this
galaxy that is growing to demand my attention.  I want you and your
apprentices to investigate and report to me what you have learned."
	"Yes, your highness."  The fact that his father had no idea
what was being asked was unimportant; Sebastian knew he had no choice
but to accept.
	"There is an area of space that consumes all who enter," the
Emperor said.  "No ship ever leaves, none communicate.  I can only
guess as to what awaits you there, but if we are to prepare we must
have the facts.  Learn what is behind this mysterious problem, Jacen,
Jaina, Sebastian... and you will be given the rank of Jedi Knight." He
nodded to one of his aides who quickly stepped over and handed Luke a
datapad.  "Whatever you need, Jedi Skywalker, is at your disposal."
With a nod he dismissed them, and Luke led the way out.  The doors had
just closed when Jaina let loose with a cheer, Jacen joining in with
her.
	"This isn't over yet," Luke remarked sternly.  "You need to
take things seriously."
	"We do, we do," Jacen replied.  "We can't help that we're
excited about it."
	"Yeah," Jaina said, "we're just one trip away from being
full-fledged Jedi!  How can you fault us for being a little excited?"
	"I'm not, I'm warning you to avoid being a little careless so
you don't wind up a lot dead."
	"We've got the Force," Jacen said.  "And through it we've got
control of our fear."
	"There's a difference between being free of fear and being
reckless," Luke chastised.  "I'm warning you because I want to make
sure you three get to be Jedi Knights, to reach your goal.  But it's
not going to happen if you get killed out there."  He took a deep
breath as he continued looking over the datapad.  "Wait here," he said
finally, and continued down the hall alone.
	"Man, what a retro-fire," Jacen remarked after Luke had left.
	"Tell me about it," Jaina agreed.  "Needs to lighten up a bit,
right Bastian?"
	"What do you mean?"
	Jaina turned and looked at him with amused disbelief.  "Come
on.  Don't tell me you're not excited at becoming a Jedi Knight."
	"Of course I'm excited," Sebastian replied defensively.  "I've
been training for this all my life."
	"Exactly," Jacen said.  "Boy, sometimes your dad is way
overprotective."
	Sebastian thought of how his mother reacted to most of the
things he did, or tried to do, and compared it to his father's.  "Only
when it comes to the Force," he said.
	Jacen scoffed.  "You ask me, he's got his own fear to deal
with."
	"I know," Jaina said.  "What kind of teacher refuses to use
the Force unless he absolutely must?  I mean, I wonder if we could've
been ready years ago if he hadn't held us back like this."
	"Hey," Sebastian said, starting to feel the need to defend his
father, "what makes you so damn qualified to assess his skills? You're
not even a Jedi yet."
	"Face it, Bastian," Jacen said, "your dad should be a Jedi
Master by now, but he's still just a Jedi Knight.  It's because he's
afraid of the Force."  He put his hand on Sebastian's shoulder, and
despite his efforts spoke with condescension.  "It's nothing personal.
If we'd gone to the Dark side and back like he did, we'd probably be
afraid too."
	"He's not afraid," Sebastian growled.  Before any more could
be said they felt Luke's return.  The four returned to the skycar
without another word and soon were dropped off back at Leia and Han's
residence.  Neither of them seemed as enthusiastic as the twins over
the Emperor's orders.
	"This sounds dangerous," Leia remarked.  "Luke, are you sure
this is a good idea?"
	"It is dangerous," Luke said, "but if there's a threat to the
galaxy out there then the Emperor and the Senate need to know about
it."
	"I think you missed the point, Luke," Han said, seething
beneath the surface.  "Why should we send our children with you into
this pit?"
	"Daaad!" Jacen started to protest, but a quick glance from his
father was all that was needed to quiet the youth.
	"I promise I will look after them," Luke said.
	Han got up and walked over towards the doorway, looking out
over Chandrilla.  "Gee, that just put my mind right at ease."
	"What were you planning on doing?" Leia asked.  "The Emperor
offered you whatever you needed.  Perhaps a star destroyer-"
	"Hey, cool!" Jaina said.  "Maybe an Inferno!"
	"They've already lost several dreadnaughts in this area," Luke
said.  "From what little we do know, I think something small and fast
would be better than something that would attract attention to
itself."
	"I'd rather have something big and heavily armed," Jacen
remarked.
	"I'd rather be able to escape alive," Luke said.  Jacen gave
Sebastian a knowing look.  "You did remember that the purpose of our
trip is to gather information, not to fight a war."
	"But-" Jaina began.
	"Your uncle is right," Leia interrupted.  "What did you have
in mind, Luke?  Obviously your shuttle isn't going to be up to this."
	"I was thinking of a starskimmer," Luke replied.  "It's fast,
fairly well armed-"
	"And as maneuverable as an asteroid," Han remarked from near
the door.  "You're going to get blasted to bits if there's any
hostiles out there."
	"What would you suggest?" Luke asked diplomatically.
	Han turned, and now even Annika could see the belligerence.
"You know exactly what I suggest," he said.  "It's the reason you came
here, right?  You want the Falcon."
	"I hadn't thought-"
	"Spare me," Han sneered.  "You know that I'm not letting my
kids go out there with you without me and the Falcon along for
protection.  So whenever you're ready, let's get this damn thing over
with."
	"You don't have to do this," Luke said.
	Han scoffed.  "Yeah, right," and turned back towards the door.
	"I'm coming with you," Annika said.  Before his father could
even protest she continued.  "I have more experience investigating
anomalies than all of you put together.  If this isn't an attack,
you'll need my expertise."
	"All right," Luke conceded.  "Leia?"
	"Tempting," she replied, "but I actually have a full time job
here, and someone needs to stay with Anakin."
	"I'm coming too!" a voice declared from the shadows near the
top of the stairs.
	"Like hell you are," Han said.  Before another word was said
he continued.  "Up.  Now."
	As the young man stomped back to his room Leia turned back to
Luke.  "When are you leaving?"
	"Tomorrow, in the morning.  Get plenty of rest, and you'll all
need to read up on what we do know."  He turned to Jacen and Jaina.
"This isn't an adventure; this is serious work.  That's what being a
Jedi is all about."
	"Yes, Uncle Luke," they both said, but Sebastian could feel
their thoughts, and it revolved around one idea: he's afraid.

	From a nearby tower the woman watched the activity at the Solo
residence.  Her instruments were set at the highest scan she dared.
Every word was recorded, every detail stored away for later
consideration.  Finally, as the decision was reached, she pulled her
comm from within her cloak and spoke.  "Have the ship prepped," she
instructed.  "They're on the move again."


CHAPTER III

	The cave was an ugly, odorous, poorly lit pit that served as a
reminder what kind of people he was involving himself with.  It wasn't
the worst meeting place he'd had with any of the natives, but it
wasn't far from the top of the list.  As he waited he mulled that it
might be an ambush, but at this point fighting someone off would've
been a refreshing diversion from the monotony of the Alpha Quadrant.
	A shape appeared at the edge of one of the openings into the
main entrance to the cave.  "Mr. Anor," the Cardassian said, his voice
filled with a warmth uncharacteristic of his species.  "A pleasure to
make your acquaintance."  He refused to approach despite the words; as
the most wanted man in the galaxy, paranoia was a healthy thing.
	"Can I assume you are Elim Garak?" Nom Anor asked.  "I would
hope that after this much time I wouldn't be given a mere
intermediary."
	"Yes, sorry about that," Garak said with a good-natured laugh.
"But security is always an issue in my line of work."
	"I can imagine," Nom Anor replied.  "And from what my people
have observed, you are very good at that line of work.  Very, very
good."
	"I'll take that as being complimentary.  But I assume that's
not why you're here."
	"No.  We're looking for an ally, Mr. Garak."  As always, Nom
Anor got straight to the point.  "We've made several already, but we
need someone with your connections and... dedication."
	"I'm not sure I know what you mean?"
	"There's no need to pretend, Mr. Garak.  We both know how far
you're willing to go to restore a free, united Cardassia."
	Garak looked slightly offended.  "Sir, I'm afraid you've
misjudged me.  Rumors of terrorist acts performed by my people are
Imperial propaganda."
	"That's unfortunate," Nom Anor said.  "Because we need contact
with someone who's willing to go as far as 'Imperial propaganda'
claims, and then some.  Someone not squeamish when it comes to
bloodying the Imperial nose, even if it means crossing the lines of
what some call morality."
	"And what exactly do you have in mind?"
	"One thing at a time, Mr. Garak.  We need to know if you and
your people are capable of going as far as is needed for your cause."
	"'We?'" Garak answered.  "'Us,' 'my people.'  You've been
rather vague, Mr. Anor.  Who are you representing?"
	"Certain elements within the other galaxy; those who chaff
under the Imperial yoke, much as you do.  'My people' includes former
Black Sun members, disgruntled ISB, enemies of Talon Karrde; in short,
people with their own connections and access to underground technology
and information."
	"A rebellion?"
	"Nothing so romantic.  But we do face superior Imperial
forces, much as you do.  We want to introduce a little chaos to those
forces, to help grind the system down long enough to secure our
position.  At the same time, you will demonstrate to the jaded public
that Cardassian unity is not an issue to be ignored."
	"And what exactly is your plan?"
	"It's too soon to say.  We need to know if you are willing to
go as far as it takes.  Are you committed enough, Mr. Garak, to do
anything to achieve your dream?  No matter how great the cost?"
	"If I was," Garak replied, still refusing to be pinned down,
"what would be my role?"
	"The idea is simple: we provide you with the means, you carry
it out.  Get our equipment past security and into position, and that's
all.  You may take full credit if you wish; we're uninterested in
appearances."
	"The target," Garak prodded.  "What is the target?"
	Nom Anor weighed his options, then gave in.  They needed
Garak.  "Earth."
	"Can you be more specific?"
	"No," the Vong replied with a grin, "I can't."

	Annika finished brushing the tangles out of her hair in the
Falcon's tiny fresher, yawning despite herself.  Spend a few years
groundside and suddenly you forget how to sleep on board a ship, she
thought gloomily.  She tapped the brush on the edge of the sink.
Except that it's never happened before, she reminded herself.  She
looked closer in the mirror at her eyes, then opened her mouth to look
down her throat.  No sign of a cold, but there was no mistaking the
feeling of exhaustion; this wasn't normal.
	Luke sat at the game table alone.  His mood had been dark,
much more so than usual.  She knew why too, although Han had done his
best to try to be civil.  In the end, there was no hiding how you felt
from someone like Luke, unless you had the ability to, like Annika.
She'd been using it a lot lately to hide this problem from him; he had
enough to worry about.  But not now, he needed her now.  No she didn't
have the Force gift to read him, but after all this time she didn't
need it.  It was funny; she'd spent half her life devoid of emotions,
and now could interpret the subtlest of clues as if it were written
over his head.  She sat beside him, kissed him on the cheek and held
him close, then closed her eyes and thought about how much she still
cared about him, and how important he was to her even after all these
years... and she knew that he could sense all those feelings.  There
are ways of expressing them that go far beyond the mere words "I love
you."
	She lost her sense of time until she heard the sound of a
door.  "Sensors are picking something up," Jacen said from the cockpit
entrance.  Luke and Annika followed, entering just as the Falcon
dropped out of hyperspace.  Light glinted off spinning debris like
twinkling starlight, eerie against the backdrop of the real thing.  
	"Asteroids?" Luke asked.
	"No," Han replied.  They could sense his disbelief.  "Starship
debris field."  Jaina was working in the co-pilot seat while Sebastian
sat behind her, analyzing the field on a small viewer.
	Annika stepped closer to get a better view.  "What's our
distance?"
	"1500 kilometers."
	There was a crunching sound as she added pieces to the
cybernetic implant over her eye.  "It's our technology.  Based on the
rate of expansion I'd say this happened within the past week.  Jaina,
what's the total mass of the debris field?"
	"This is a cargo ship, not a science vessel," Han pointed out.
"We don't have those kinds of sensors on board."  He jumped as she
plunged her assimilation tubules into the wall.
	"You do now," Annika said.  Han opened his mouth to protest
but she was already speaking.  "Based on the distribution it looks
like- wait a second."  She stood transfixed.  "Sorry, Han, but your
ship has a very odd dialect.  I'd say we're looking at several hundred
vessels out there."
	Jacen whistled.  "Hell of a battle."
	"There was no battle," Sebastian said.  "Not like any I've
heard about."  He pointed to the screen as the group stared at him.
"No burn marks; no heat stress, no evidence of vaporization or
disintegration."
	"It only takes one shot to hit the power generator," Jacen
said.
	"No, you don't understand.  The ships didn't explode; they
were torn apart."  He shivered.  "Something bad happened here."
	"That's an understatement," Han grumbled.
	"But you can feel it, can't you?" Jaina said to Sebastian.
"The death."
	"This was a slaughter," Luke finally agreed.  "Hundreds of
thousands."  He looked over to Annika, who nodded with agreement.
	"It was a mass exodus.  From the remains it looks like this
was a hodgepodge of vessels; nothing planned out beyond immediate
necessity.  Luke, I'd say given what we've seen these people had
evacuated some disaster, and someone found and wiped them out."
	"Why?" Sebastian asked.
	"If you're right," Han said, "whoever did this might have been
responsible for driving them off their planet in the first place. They
could've wanted to finish the job or just keep themselves quiet."
	"But it could've been someone else," Jaina said.  "We can't
jump to conclusions."
	"People escape from one disaster only to run smack into an
unrelated second one?" Jacen said.  "Even dad's not that unlucky."
	"This entire area's become a dead zone," Han said, ignoring
the dig.  "I think whoever's responsible for that also drove these
people off their planet and killed them."
	"A lot of supposition," Annika said.  "But it fits the facts."
After a few seconds she withdrew her tubules.  "I suggest we set
course for Sernpidal."
	"Where?" Jaina asked.
	"It's the most populous planet in the area," Han said.  Annika
gave him a look of respect; apparently Han did know his way around the
galaxy as well as he had claimed.  "That's as good a place to start as
any," he said as he got the coordinates from the navicomputer.
"Somebody there might be able to get us some answers about what's been
going on out here."

	"I remind this body again," the senator from Eriadu continued,
"that the issue of holographic rights isn't going to go away, no
matter how much some may choose to ignore it.  We cannot consider the
expansion of freedom without extending that freedom to all, regardless
of physical make-up."  The small light activated, indicating the
senator's allotted time was up.  "Thank you."
	"Thank you, senator," the Chancellor said.  "If there is
nothing more on this issue I believe we can table it for now."  That,
Leia noted, was the polite way of telling the senator he'd wasted his
breath.  She did sympathize; she'd encountered more than one sentient
hologram, each deserving the same freedoms as anyone else.  At the
same time, artificial life in the form of droids had been an accepted
part of both the Republic and the Empire since times long forgotten.
The issue was not an easy one to resolve, especially when one
considered how much further this New Empire needed to go.  True it was
far less like its namesake than the Republic she'd served, but this
was truly an entirely different creature.  There was no common history
or tradition to unite them any more, but the combination of thousands
of independent governments into the one cohesive whole of the Empire.
They were united only by their inability to resist the Imperial war
machine, and that unity, however much Ben Sisko had sought it, would
not come without hard work and time.
	"The chair recognizes the senator from Malon," the Chancellor
continued.
	The humanoid rose to her feet and cleared her throat, a rather
lengthy and nauseating process.  "Good representatives of the Empire,"
she droned.  "The innocent people of the Malon have appointed me to
plead on their behalf.  The Hirogen continue to plunder our people,
and even kill them for sport.  We had been promised protection, but
where is that protection?  We had been promised results, but they are
nonexistent.  If this continues then my people will be wiped out!  I
must insist that the Empire provide us with the ships and weapons we
need to eliminate this enemy."
	"We have addressed this issue before," the Chancellor
interrupted.  "As a matter of policy, the Empire will not give weapons
or ships over to the local governments.  They remain under the central
command of the Empire."  
	Pandemonium broke out in response; the Malon weren't the only
ones to suffer from the Hirogen.  Leia stood up.  "Senator, if I may."
Within moments the chamber was silent.  Leia was no senator, not any
more, but in this room she was the voice of the Emperor.  "Members of
the senate, the Emperor took eight divisions off their assigned
patrols and relocated them to Malon and several surrounding systems.
They have engaged the Hirogen on numerous occasions and responded to
distress calls without hesitation.  Before the relocation the number
of Hirogen attacks on the Malon numbered over 150 in a six-month
period.  That figured has dwindled to thirteen over the past year."
	"You admit they have not been entirely successful," the Malon
senator said with accusation.
	"I'd consider a reduction of over ninety percent as a
success," Leia replied.  "It's regretful that any have to die
needlessly to the Hirogen, but we cannot be everywhere."
	"Your regret is of no comfort to the victims of these
animals," came the scornful response.  "By disarming us you leave us
with no means of stopping these assaults."  Despite Leia's remarks
there was a number of agreements with the sentiment.
	After the Senate adjourned Leia met with the Emperor to
discuss the issues of the day.  Her skin crawled as he chuckled
quietly during the playback of the senator's remarks.  "She actually
called it a disarming?"
	"An inaccurate, but not entirely incorrect assessment," Leia
said.  "We've refused to allow them the means to produce heavy, more
effective weaponry."
	"Because they would use it on us," the Emperor replied
plainly.  "Or on their neighbors.  The Malon's entire history revolves
around exploitation of one kind or another; now they are exploiting
the Hirogen.  Indeed, it wouldn't surprise me if they themselves were
responsible for some of the attacks."
	"But if they are legitimate attacks," Leia said, "it is our
concern."
	"Yes," the Emperor said, "within reason.  You know that there
comes a point when more ships will produce no noticeable result in
those sectors, and that we would face further trouble elsewhere.  The
Hirogen will eventually give in or run themselves to the edge of
extinction; we both know that."
	"Yes, your highness."  The words, spoken hundreds of thousands
of times over the years, still never came easy.  But her Jedi skills
provided her the reassurance she needed to say them, because there was
no trace of evil within the man who once was the living embodiment of
darkness.
	"Has Jedi Skywalker reported anything yet?"
	"No," Leia said, her attention being focused on the one thing
she'd been trying not to think about.  "Nothing substantive.  They
continue their regular transmission checks, but nothing to report
yet."
	"I'm not sure whether or not to be pleased by that," the
Emperor replied.  Leia didn't say a word, but she knew for certain how
she felt.  The sum of her entire family, save Anakin, was on that
ship, and the less excitement that happened to it, the better.

	The planet Sernpidal appeared outside the viewport as the
Falcon exited hyperspace.  During the approach Sebastian began
scanning the planet per his mother's instructions.  "I'm picking up an
emergency distress signal," Jacen said from the other chair.
"Automated... wait, it's not coming from here."
	"Where's it coming from?" Han asked quickly.  "A ship?"
	"No.  It's from a place called ExGal-4, whatever that is."
	"A research base," Annika said, not looking up from what she
was doing.  "Belkadan.  They're searching for extra-galactic life."
The fact that Annika was extra-galactic life provided all the irony
that statement needed.
	"Somebody's pet political project," Han guessed.  "Whatever
their problem is is going to have to wait.  Any word from Sernpidal?"
	"Negative," Jacen replied.  "I'm not picking up anything; not
even emergency channels."
	"Let's start with the largest city.  Which one would that be?"
	"Sernpidal City," Anakin answered.
	"Well, they're nothing if not creative," Han replied.  The
ship turned as Jaina punched up the atlas for the planet to located
their destination.  Sebastian watched his uncle look between the two
for a moment and scowled.  "Dammit," he said as he gave the display a
slap.  "They said the Falcon had the most up-to-date navigational data
there was."
	"What's wrong?" he heard his father say.
	"There's no city," Han said testily.  "Data's all fouled up."
	"I don't think so," Annika said quietly.  "I think the city
was there until recently."
	"Yeah, I know, there's a crater," Han said as he ran a sensor
search for signs of the city.  "But that's not it.  There's no sign of
weaponry, and you can't make a hole like that short of crashing a
monster asteroid into the planet."
	"Or a moon."
	"What do you mean, 'Or a moon?'  The moon's right over there."
	"Sernpidal has two moons."  Annika stood up and turned to Han.
"So where's the other one?"
	The weight of the question hung in the cockpit as Han brought
the Falcon into the atmosphere.  No one spoke as they settled just
outside the lip of the crater.  
	"Stay close," Han warned the three apprentices as he walked
cautiously down the ramp, his blaster out and ready.  "Don't wander
off."  He relaxed a little once everyone was out, but he still didn't
put the blaster away.  Sebastian kept close to him as his mother
walked about with her tricorder.  Normally it wouldn't have done much
good, but her mother had added so many enhancements over the years it
was almost like a portable science vessel.  He felt his uncle's
anxiety as they walked over to a road where Luke was standing, its
edge cracked and torn where it met the lip of the crater.  
	"Look familiar?" Han remarked, Sebastian noting his father's
own tension at the remark.
	"Yarval Outpost," Luke replied, looking over the edge into the
expanse.
	Han nodded and looked down as well.  "Yup.  At least that
worked out for the best," he said dryly.
	Luke didn't reply, instead he called over to Annika.  "Is it
possible this was a natural event?  Some kind of freak astronomical
occurrence?"
	"Not likely," she called.  "The moon didn't just come down, it
was pulled sideways as well.  The odds of that happening by sheer
coincidence are infinitesimal.  Unfortunately, the alternatives aren't
that great either."
	"I'd imagine not," Han replied.
	Annika closed her tricorder and came over.  "We have the means
to move a moon as small as this one; just wrap it in a warp field and
drag it with a tractor beam.  It could even be done with a small
fleet.  But the problem isn't the means, it's the motive."
	"Yup," Han said.  "If they had ships, they could've just
blasted the city from orbit.  And bringing the moon down would've
taken time, and we know the Sernpidal had ships they could've fought
with.  Why go to these lengths?"
	"There's no rational reason I can think of," Annika said.  
	"What about fear?" Sebastian finally asked.  "The ability to
drop a moon on someone would terrify a lot of people, probably more
than an orbital bombardment."
	"But there were no survivors," his father answered.  "Terror
weapons work only if the terror is spread.  They've gone far in
covering up their tracks."  
	"Any more survivors?" Han asked.
	"No," Luke and Annika said together.
	"You're sure?"  Their expressions said all that was needed.
"Let's go," he declared, storming back to the ship.
	"I'd like to get more readings-" Annika began.
	"This planet's dead," Han said, not even slowing down.  "The
people at ExGal might still be alive.  We're not wasting time for you
to collect soil samples."
	"What's with him?" Annika asked in a low voice as she reached
Luke and Sebastian.
	"Planetkillers," Jaina said.  "Father just gets funny around
them."  Without another word the five climbed the ramp and the Falcon
lifted off for orbit.

	Getting past the wormhole security had been much easier than
everyone had feared.  Sensors had been set up years ago to detect any
cloaked vessels that tried to pass between the galaxies without being
seen, and the routine scans helped minimize trans-galactic smuggling.
However, Garak did have one or two tricks that he kept for special
cases, one of which was the oversized cargo vessel equipped with a
special Imperial cloak.  Rather than hiding the ship, it managed to
instead hide the contents so well they could have a few fighter
squadrons inside and no one would notice.  That had been the key,
because transporting organisms was monitored, especially organisms of
this size.
	The Cardassian first officer completed his check of the hold.
>From all appearances the creatures had passed through the wormhole
without any negative effects, but it wasn't as if he was an
exobiologist.  In truth, no exobiologist had seen anything like it
before in either the Alpha Quadrant or the Empire.  He entered the
information into the log and returned to the bridge, wondering to
himself how those things were supposed to help bring about a new
Cardassia.


CHAPTER IV

	Jorielle Sunspring stood as straight as she could in her new
cadet uniform, trying to concentrate on what was going on without
slouching or relaxing.  It was going to take some getting used to. The
same was probably going through the minds of all the other cadets
standing in rows with her.  Today was the start of a lot of new
things, she thought with a mixture of fear and excitement.  The
feelings grew as the headmaster, Gen. Delric Taar, came out to meet
them.  She couldn't help but feel intimidated; aside of a graying at
the temples he looked the same as the man who commanded the Empire's
forces through Borg assaults, and eventually to the expansion of
Imperial power beyond its greatest limits.  And he still flew against
the top cadets every semester, probably just to remind them of that.
	Gen. Taar stopped in the center of the first row and looked
them over.  There wasn't even a glimmer of warmth in his expression.
"This," he said in a loud, clear voice, "is not a day care.  This is
not a summer camp.  This is not a pleasure dome.  This is the Air Wing
division of the Imperial Military Academy, and for the next three
years you will not mistake it for anything else."  He stopped, then
walked down the row slowly, looking over the cadets' faces.  Jorielle
tried to remain stone faced as he passed.  
	"You will learn to fly," he continued as he walked.  "You will
be educated in military techniques, tactics, and history.  You will
learn mechanics and the basic liberal arts.  But most of all you will
learn a new word:  discipline."  He stopped and stared at them.  "And
make no mistake, you will learn it well."  He walked back to the
center of the group.  "I see cadets like you come every semester, from
all parts of the galaxies.  You're good.  A little skill, a talent, a
style..."  From his mouth the words sounded like insults to Jorielle.
"You think it'll take you far.  Let me be clear that it has taken you
here, but that is as far as it will take you.  From this point on,
you're going to have to learn.  You're going to have to admit, despite
what your little egos might tell you, that there is a big difference
between a bush pilot and a fighter pilot.  The sooner you give up on
being the former, the sooner you can work to become the latter."
	The general continued on with more of the same, but despite
the speech she was near bursting with pride.  She'd escaped a dull
life on that miserable planet, and was beginning to take her place in
the galaxy.  She'd worked hard to get here, and wasn't afraid to work
harder now that she'd arrived.
	"How about that welcome," one of the other cadets remarked
later while they stood in line for dinner.  "Sure is a friendly guy,
isn't he?"
	"Tell me about it," Shorine, Jorielle's roommate, remarked.
"'Just let me remind you you're all unfit for pond scum!'"
	"He wasn't that harsh," Jorielle said.
	"I'm surprised he didn't turn the stormtroopers on us," the
cadet remarked.
	"Hmm," Jorielle said, looking him over.
	"What?"
	"I'm wondering if you're afraid you're not good enough."
	He snorted.  "'You can't be a bush pilot and be a fighter
pilot,'" he said in a mock tone.  "Two words:  Luke Skywalker.  Thank
you, move along."
	"I think there's a bit more to it than that," Jorielle said,
trying not to smirk.
	"I'm Shorine," came the inevitable introduction.  "This is
Jorri."
	He nodded.  "Brian."
	"Oh, you're a Terran."
	"Planet Earth and proud of it," he replied with a nod and a
grin.  "Now living in the past, if you get my meaning."
	"Well, Future Brian," Jorielle said, "if you want to live to
see tomorrow, I wouldn't go crossing Gen. Taar.  He doesn't look like
he takes kindly to dissent."
	"He doesn't look like he takes kindly to anything," Shorine
said.  
	The three continued discussing the headmaster, the academy,
and their experiences in flying throughout dinner.  It was nice to
make some new friends right away, but sometimes her thoughts drifted
to Sebastian.  She'd expected to hear something from him by now, to
hear all about what Chandrilla was like and what the Emperor had to
say.  Actually, she just wanted to hear from him.  She wished he'd
come; it wasn't right for him to stay on Tatooine.  He needed more
excitement than that.

	The Millennium Falcon gently settled into position on the
landing platform outside of ExGal-4.  No one guided them in, no one
responded to any communications.  Like everything else in this part of
space, it seemed the entire place was devoid of life.
	Han told them to stay on board while he and Luke checked out
the platform.  Jaina was the first to ignore his instructions,
followed closely by her brother.  Normally Sebastian would've expected
his mother to win that prize, but she was still waiting, looking over
some information on her datapad.  An experienced explorer, she'd taken
detailed files on this entire area of space, including the base here
on Belkadan.  But that wasn't what was slowing her down, he could
tell.  Something was wrong, something she didn't want him to know
about, which worried and angered him at the same time.  As soon as
this mission was over he'd be a Jedi; he didn't want to be treated
like a kid any more.  
	Not bothering to wait, he walked down the ramp onto the
platform.  The first glance revealed forest on all sides, broken only
by the compound and its looming antennae.  Unlike Sernpidal, this
place didn't feel dead, but there was something off.  He tried to get
a grip on it as he heard his mother follow him down the ramp.
	"No signs of attack," Han remarked.  "I expected to see the
place demolished."
	"It's quiet," Luke agreed, looking down at the clearing.  
	"Especially for a forest," Jacen observed.  He had spent some
time studying exobiology, common evolutionary patterns in particular.
"One this large should be teaming with organisms."
	Sebastian heard the sound of his mother's tricorder.  "Any
signs of survivors?" Han asked as they climbed down the stairs to the
forest floor.
	"Not yet," she said.  "Wait.  There's something very wrong
here," Annika remarked.  "These scans don't look anything like the way
Belkadan was described in the survey report."
	"Maybe they made a mistake," Jaina said.  Sebastian didn't
think so.  He'd been to countless alien worlds but this one... there
was something about it that didn't feel right.
	"No," Annika insisted.  "Jacen's right, there's almost no
fauna within range of my tricorder."  
	Jacen pointed to the trees nearby.  "Then why are there nests?
And humus in the soil?  If the animals left, or died, it happened
fairly recently."
	"Like Sernpidal," Han remarked.
	"There are some animals," Annika admitted.  "But not many. And
the atmosphere... that doesn't match the report either."  She turned
to Luke.  "Do you sense anything?"
	"The place feels odd," Luke admitted, "but nothing I can put
my finger on."
	"Anyone around," Han asked.  "Survivors; anybody."
	"I don't sense anyone," Luke said.
	"Some anomalous readings, but nothing humanoid," Annika
agreed.
	"Okay," Han said, "let's start here.  Luke and I will check
the garage, you four start in the main compound, but be careful."  The
two left towards the smaller building while Sebastian joined the rest
as they approached the front of the compound.  It didn't look unusual,
at least from the outside.  On his mother's instruction he overrode
the lock.
	The hiss confirmed the building had been sealed.  There were a
few sporadically lit spots, but for the most part the interior was
dark.  Aside of that and the accumulation of dust there was no real
sign that anything had gone wrong.  "Maybe they evacuated before the
planet started changing," Jaina offered.
	"Doubtful," Annika said.  She closed her tricorder and took a
few steps down an adjacent corridor, then knelt down.  Sebastian
stepped closer and saw what she was examining.  He had no real combat
experience but even he knew that only a serious wound would produce
that much blood.  She ran a finger over the dried remains.  "It's been
here for weeks," she remarked.  She pulled out her tricorder again and
started following the blood trail, the three Jedi running to catch up.
She stopped in front of the disposal chute and pulled out her
commlink.  "Luke, I've got some bad news.  It looks like the personnel
were murdered."
	"You're sure?" he asked.
	"We've found blood," she said.  "Their ship, is it sabotaged?"
	"There is no ship," Han said over the commlink.  "According to
the log it left over a month ago."  
	Annika breathed deeply through her nose, then looked back down
the corridor towards the blood.  "I doubt they would bother with the
log if they were escaping some attacker."
	"Probably not," Luke agreed.  "Any bodies?"
	"No, I'll let you know if we find any."  She put the commlink
away, then leaned against the wall.  "We've got one planet with a moon
smashed into it, and another that's been terraformed.  Both with no
witnesses left alive."  She continued to mull it over.
	"Should we see if there's any remains down there?" Sebastian
offered, pointing to the chute.
	"Later," she said finally.  "I want to access the main
computer first.  Maybe there'll be some clue as to what's been going
on."
	"I'll go with you," Jacen said.
	"Sebastian and I will check out the personnel quarters," Jaina
said.  "Maybe someone left a journal."
	"Be careful," Annika warned, as was the duty of every adult.
She passed over a datapad with a layout of the facility and left with
Jacen.  Jaina looked it over for a while before they continued back
towards the main corridor.
	Sebastian kept his hand on his lightsaber in case of trouble.
Yes, his parents had both said that no one was around, but youthful
fantasies said otherwise.  After the rather boring task of searching
the first two rooms his enthusiasm waned.  He began feeling
uncomfortable; not with the place, but what he was doing.  As he went
through the personal items of the former residents they became more
like people in his mind.  Not that they ever weren't, of course, but
it was in an abstract, statistical form.  Looking at their things made
the fact that they were probably dead that much worse.  It was no
longer the intellectual belief that murder was bad, but the voice in
his heart that said that these people shouldn't have had to die,
especially like this.
	He picked up a hairbrush.  He could feel the woman who used
it.  He could sense her hopes and concerns, her drive for discovery
tempered with a responsibility towards truth.  He focused on it... she
liked pecans.  She was a bit shy, but she liked talking with people
once she got comfortable around them.  She was attracted to one of the
other members of the expedition, but never had the courage to tell
him.  She-
	Jaina wrapped her hand around the brush and slowly took it
from his hand.  "Let's go," she said quietly.  For a moment he felt
afraid, finally truly aware of his situation.  He was on an alien
world, exploring the scene of mass murder in a hostile part of space.
But as Jaina started to leave he looked for courage.  He was facing
the trials, and part of that was overcoming his own fear.
	"It's nice to see dad talking with Uncle Luke more," Jaina
remarked as they continued looking through the next room.  "I was
afraid they might be at each other's throats after a while."
	"He's still pretty angry," Sebastian remarked.  He wasn't sure
if she was trying to take his mind off things, but he welcomed the
opportunity.  "I get the feeling the only reason he's been at dad's
side is to keep an eye on him."
	"More than likely," Jaina agreed.  "Kind of funny, isn't it,"
she remarked a few minutes later.  "Luke seems to be happy letting dad
take charge."
	Sebastian stopped, recognizing the implication.  "He's not
afraid," he said.
	"It just seems to me," Jaina continued as if they were
discussing the weather, "that he should be the one giving the orders.
It's his mission."
	"He doesn't need to be contradictory just to show he's in
charge," Sebastian said.  "If Uncle Han has the right idea, why
argue?"
	"It's not just that," Jaina said.  "He's pretty much let
everyone else decide what to do since this mission started.  He
doesn't want to be here, he doesn't want to do this, and he definitely
doesn't want to be in charge."
	"Maybe.  But that doesn't mean he's not up to it."
	"Maybe," Jaina admitted.  "If push came to shove, maybe he'd
be up to task.  But he sure seems to lack initiative, just like when
it came to our training.  Hello," she said before Sebastian could
respond.  He turned and saw her holding a specimen jar, peering at the
contents.  A closer inspection showed it held an insect, obviously
dead.
	"Where'd you find this," Sebastian asked.
	"Just on this nightstand," Jaina replied, still peering at the
bug.  "No others, if that's what you're wondering."
	"Why would they keep that by their bed?  Shouldn't it be in
the lab?"
	"Good question," Jaina said.  "Let's go find Jacen and your
mom.  Between the two of them they might be able to identify it."

	Annika could feel her hands starting to shake, and her stomach
was tightening up.  It seemed like every moment since the Falcon
landed her strength was draining, or that whatever was happening to
her was growing stronger.  This definitely wasn't normal, and as
reluctant as she was to admit it, she would need to get some medical
attention as soon as they left.  But first was the mission, her first
real scientific mission in a long time, and one she wasn't going to
miss out on.  She paused as she almost lost her balance.  Jacen drew
to a stop and turned to look at her oddly.  He couldn't sense her, but
he might be suspicious.  "Thought I heard something," she lied.  He
nodded, and then they continued to the main computer.
	"I'm going to need some time to sift through the data," Annika
said as she approached the scomp link.  She extended her left hand,
but nothing happened.  She tried not to turn, hoping he didn't notice
the obvious lack of assimilation tubules, then made a second attempt.
One tubule extended, flailed about, then slid back into her hand.  She
tried concentrating but it was difficult; whatever was going on was
affecting her interface with her cybernetics, which could be
dangerous.  If she lost control of her nanoprobes they might try
assimilating her, but there wasn't anything she could do about that at
the moment.  Taking a steadying breath she began tapping on her
tricorder.  It would be slower, but it could get the job done.
	"Jacen," Jaina called from the doorway several minutes later,
"come take a look at this."  While they discussed something Annika
continued looking over the records.  Still nothing of interest, but
the base had had a lot of time to gather information.  Finding
anything relevant could take a while.
	Annika barely noticed the movement out of the corner of her
eye, but she instinctively stepped back.  Despite the adrenaline
dutifully pumping through her veins in response to stress she still
felt weak and sluggish, in fact even more so as the creature stepped
into the light.  Its appearance quickened the breath even of someone
with the knowledge of thousands of species of every kind imaginable.
Its face was hideously deformed; not simply alien but visibly
mutilated into a horrible mask.  Its breathing was nasally, but with a
predatory edge to it.  It wore full body armor, and in one hand held a
snake.  Its every gesture and sound implied malice, and for the first
time in a long while Annika felt real fear.  She stepped back as it
looked her over, its scarred lips pulling back in a sign of contempt.
"Abomination," it sneered at her.
	Look who's talking.  The words formed in her mind, but they
never left her mouth.  She couldn't speak, couldn't move.  Despite
everything she had done, all that she'd learned, at this moment she
felt as small and weak as that little girl running from the drones.
She was too terrified to run, and too terrified to stay.  She jumped
and cringed as she heard lightsabers igniting, and turned and watched
Jacen, Jaina, and Sebastian step forward.  Each held their weapon
before them, slowly spreading out to surround the intruder.
	"Put your weapon down," Jaina warned.
	The creature looked between her and the others as the snake
slithered in its grip.
	"Now," Jacen said firmly, continuing to move to the right.
	It turned and growled at Sebastian, who stepped slowly to the
left, between it and his mother.
	"Don't point that at me," Sebastian said darkly, holding the
blade up in front of him, "you don't know where it's been."
	At the sight of her son facing the intruder Annika mustered
her courage.  She concentrated, trying to form a plasma discharger on
the back of her hand.  There was a snap, then a crinkle, and finally
an implant emerged from under her skin.  She focused, but instead of a
weapon the implant just broke into pieces, and a clear liquid oozed
out of the opening on her hand.  She steadied herself against the
computer; she was helpless.
	She saw the trio attack, but it was difficult to make things
out as her vision started to blur.  She tried to focus, but the room
seemed to be fading.  Then, just as it seemed she would fall
unconscious, she saw something that so shocked her reality came back
into focus for just a moment.  Jacen swung at an opening in the
intruder's defenses... and his blade bounced off the armor.  She had
armor like that, armor that had allowed her to hold her own against
Darth Whind long enough to finish the Sith off.  It was unique, based
on some samples given to her by her future son and stolen from an
alien warrior.
	But that son was here now; and an alien warrior possessed such
armor.  Then that meant that the time was now, that the invaders,
whatever they were, had finally arrived.  As exhaustion overcame her
her heart filled with dread; and her last conscious act was to weep
for the horror her son was now just beginning to face.

	"It looks like the condition is accelerating," she remarked,
looking over the sensor readings.  Their ship, now in orbit over
Belkadan, used a Milky Way-style cloak that allowed their instruments
to function with little interference.  It wasn't perfect, but it had
kept the crew of the Millennium Falcon in the dark while they followed
them across the galaxy.
	One of her aides came over and looked at the readings.  "No
doubt the atmosphere of the planet is contributing to its spread."  He
took a deep breath.  "We could move our plans forward -"
	"No," she said forcefully.  "I will not risk it, not after
this.  We won't have another opportunity to try again."
	"They have to look at this reasonably-" he continued.
	"You don't know her," she replied.  "Not the way I do.  We
must stick to the plan, or we will surely fail."


CHAPTER V

	Earth.  Largest non-gaseous planet in its solar system,
possessing one of the highest lunar to planetary mass ratios in the
galaxy.  Center of Imperial space for a hundred sectors.  At the
moment, it was being observed by one of the most dangerous men alive.
	Dingale, one of Garak's head of operations, watched as their
leader stared at that world through the window.  Why, he wasn't
certain, but he doubted it was out of sympathy.  Garak had ordered
over fifty separate attacks on the planet itself, two on its moon, and
over a hundred within the system itself.  Garak was here to see this
one off; the last one, according to him.
	"I want ten men at each site in case stormtroopers are sent
in," Garak said, still looking out the window.  "They need stay only
long enough to ensure the inevitable."  He didn't actually say it;
Garak never did say specifics unless he had to.  His defense really,
the same reason he never gave speeches or briefings.  He spoke
one-on-one, like now, to maintain deniability and distance.  The fact
that he was here, the most wanted man in the quadrant in orbit around
the central Imperial world for this part of space, showed how skilled
he was at using those talents.
	Garak had nothing against Earth, at least as far as Dingale
knew.  His attacks were what led to the inevitable division from the
former Federation group called Section 31.  They certainly wouldn't
approve of this, Dingale thought.  But it wasn't their fault that the
Imperials chose Earth to serve as their hub, although it shouldn't
have been a surprise.  The moment Darth Whind's forces pacified the
planet it became a center for Imperial operations, and there was just
one reason for that:  humans.  Despite the reforms the Emperor and his
puppet senate claimed this pro-human stance continued.  And the
"innocent" locals?  They quickly accepted the transition from
Federation to Empire; as long as it didn't impact their lives directly
it wasn't their concern.  No, they weren't targets for their actions,
but because of their complacency.
	"Are you sure ten will be enough?" Dingale asked.
	"They'll be dug in to resist infantry," Garak said.  "They
just need to stall.  If the Imperial's think they can overrun them
they'll stick with ground forces; otherwise a TIE Bomber or orbiting
warship will just destroy them and the creatures."  He left the window
and activated the holoprojector, showing a far more detailed image of
Earth.  "Rather than stationing along the equator, we're going to
stagger the positions.  These spots here should be obscure enough to
help avoid detection."
	"But are we certain these... things, will work?" Dingale
asked.
	"I'd say we'll find out soon enough," Garak replied.

	The alien's breathing began to grow louder and more
foreboding, but Sebastian was in control of his fear.  He felt the
same confidence and excitement from Jacen and Jaina as they prepared
for the inevitable attack.  It began as the snake in the alien's hand
hardened into a staff, swinging at Jaina.  She moved to slice through
it, but somehow the weapons simply locked together like crossed
lightsabers.  Jacen took a quick swing at its shoulder, but his blade
bounced off the armor in a similar matter.  There was no time to dwell
on it as the creature continued attacking, putting Jaina suddenly on
the defensive.  Jacen and Sebastian immediately moved in to support
her.
	Three Jedi -well, near Jedi- against one person should've been
a short fight, but amazingly the alien was holding his own.  Sebastian
found himself having to back off or stop pressing his attack to avoid
hitting Jacen or Jaina, and they were probably feeling just as
frustrated.  More than that, the alien wasn't there, at least as far
as his Force sense was telling him.  His reflexes were quick enough to
make up for this, but without his ability to predict the alien's
attacks he wasn't going to be able to finish it as quickly as the
holograms he'd practiced on.
	He detached slightly, trying to see a way through the alien's
defenses.  It was amazing really, taking an obvious disadvantage -his
being outnumbered- and using it to his advantage by keeping them in
each other's way.  If he left the fray Jacen and Jaina could
concentrate more on offense, but he knew what that would lead to.
They'd accused his father of being afraid when he was just doing what
was smart, and he knew they wouldn't hesitate to do the same to him.
He wasn't afraid, and he was up to beating this alien solo.  There was
no reason to back down during his first taste of real hand-to-hand
combat, even if it was the best tactical decision.
	Jacen let out a wet cough as the alien's staff connected with
his ribs, sending him stumbling.  Jaina circled around the attacker,
probably hoping to catch it off guard, but it was so quick they had an
even harder time avoiding each other's blows.  As Sebastian
sidestepped one of Jaina's assaults the alien brought the sharp end of
its staff around, tearing a gash across his thigh.  He was unprepared
for just how much it would hurt, and stumbled backwards to the floor.
It tried to spear him through the chest, but he rolled out of the way
in time, feeling his shirt tear as it nearly caught him again with its
next swipe.  It was all about defense now, and in his prone position
that wasn't easy.
	There were a series of loud blasts.  It took Sebastian a few
moments to realize that the attacks had stopped, the reason becoming
obvious once the creature slumped to the floor and revealed the
blackened shell that was its head.  Han stood at the door, his blaster
still leveled at the alien in case it wasn't enough.  "You three all
right?" he asked, still not taking his eyes off it.
	"Sebastian's hurt bad," Jaina said as she turned off her
lightsaber and came over, stepping hesitantly over the creature to get
to him.
	"I think I broke a rib," Jacen admitted weakly.  "I thought
there wasn't anyone here?"
	"So did I," Han said darkly, holstering his blaster.  He
looked his son's wound over, then pointed to Annika.  "What happened
to her?"
	"She must've passed out," Jaina said, putting pressure on
Sebastian's thigh.  He was trying to use some Jedi healing techniques,
but it was hard to concentrate with all the pain.
	Han stepped over and tried rousing her.  He lifted her eyelid.
"She doesn't look good," he said.  "Did he poison her or something?"
	"He didn't even get near her," Jacen said.
	"Han," came Luke's voice over the commlink.  "How's everyone?"
	"Sebastian and Jacen are injured," Han said.  "We'll need to
do some field dressings pronto.  Annika's another story."
	"What happened?"
	"Don't know; she's just unconscious."
	"Terrific."  His father's frustration was clear even to
Sebastian.  "Okay, we're leaving.  Meet me back at the Falcon."
	"We just got here," Han pointed out.
	"We've learned enough for now," Luke said.
	Han put away the commlink.  "Can you walk?" he asked
Sebastian.
	"I can try," the young Jedi said.  He got to his feet but his
legs were shaking.  He wouldn't make it without help.
	"Jaina, give him a hand," Han said as he slung Annika's arm
over his shoulder.  He reached under her knees and tried to lift, but
was surprised by the weight.
	"Let me," Jaina said.  Han looked at her oddly, but she closed
her eyes and reached towards her aunt.  Annika slowly lifted into the
air, then moved across the room towards the door.  Jaina moved to
follow, but stumbled into a table.  The group just looked on during
her brief loss of concentration.
	"You dropped her," Sebastian said, breaking the silence.  "I
can't believe you dropped her."
	"It was an accident," Jaina said defensively.
	"But you dropped her."  Sebastian's tone implied no excuse
would be acceptable.
	"Well, she hit her head last," Jacen offered.  "Hopefully not
too hard."
	"I didn't mean to," Jaina insisted.  "I just haven't had
enough practice."
	"Next time," Sebastian said through his teeth, "don't practice
on family members."
	"Enough," Han said.  "Jaina, help Sebastian."  Han tried
lifting Annika again, but it was no use.  He did his best to grab
under her arms and across her chest, dragging her through the door.
	"Try not to drop me," Sebastian said bitterly as Jaina took
his arm.
	"Kriff you," she mumbled.
	Slowly the little group worked its' way through the halls of
the abandoned compound.  Sebastian tried to think about something
besides his leg, but the only other things on his mind were his mother
and the fact that whatever attacked them was invisible to the Force.
There could be more, and they could be anywhere, and he'd never know
it until they chose to attack.  It was a small comfort that Jacen and
Jaina felt the same fear.  They'd thought that being Jedi would make
them some kind of super-warrior, but here was their first battle and
they were limping away after being rescued.  Not exactly what they'd
had in mind when they were given this mission.
	Luke was waiting at the bottom of the Falcon's ramp, his
lightsaber out and lit.  As they exited he looked around the clearing,
then extinguished it and clipped it to his belt while jumping down
from the platform.  "Jacen, Sebastian?" he asked quickly.
	"Nothing serious," Jacen croaked.
	"Nothing a dermal regenerator won't fix," Sebastian lied,
trying to show the same bravado as his cousin.  In truth it felt
pretty serious, but the Falcon had the equipment to treat it.  He
wasn't as sure about his mother.
	Luke grabbed Annika's legs and together he and Han carried her
up the ramp.  "Jaina," Han called as they carried her over to a cot,
"close the ramp and take us off as soon as everyone's on board."  
	Sebastian limped the rest of the way to a seat, Jacen doing
the same.  "What were they?" the older apprentice asked.  "I've never
seen one of them before."
	"Me neither," Han said below his breath, looking about for a
med pack.  They lurched as the Falcon's repulsors kicked in and the
ship lifted off.  "Jaina," he yelled.  "As soon as we're clear, set
course for Dantooine."
	"We can't go to Dantooine," Luke said, strapping Annika to the
cot.
	Han knelt in front of Sebastian and pulled the pack opened.
"These boys need to see a real doctor," he said.  "And I know your
wife isn't her usual cheerful self."
	"That's what I mean," Luke said.  "There's something wrong
with her.  She-"  He came up short as Han slowly turned to look at
him, then rose to his feet.
	"You knew there was something wrong with her?" he said, his
voice full of accusation.
	His father's guilt was so overwhelming Sebastian didn't need
the Force.  "Yes," he said, his voice sounding dry.
	Han took a step closer, radiating malice.  "Fifteen years and
you still haven't changed."  When there was no reply he turned and got
back to Sebastian's wound.
	"We need to go to Earth," Luke said.
	"Dantooine is the nearest system outside the zone," Han said.
"She needs medical attention now."
	"They won't know how to treat her," Luke said.  "She needs to
see an expert."
	"Even for the Falcon, it's two days to the wormhole," Han
said.  "Then another two days to Earth, and that's assuming they'll
even let her through.  She could be dead by then."
	"It's better than the alternative," Luke said.
	"The alternative is medical care now," Han said.  "But you're
too interested in your little mission to care about that-"
	Sebastian had never seen his father move like that.  Within a
second he was holding Han up by his shirt against the wall, breathing
through his teeth.  It lasted only a few seconds, but it was
absolutely terrifying for him; he'd never seen his father lose control
before.  Han's feet finally reached the floor; Luke was breathing
heavy.  "Earth," he repeated.
	Han looked him up and down; if there was any fear there
Sebastian couldn't see it.  "Okay," he said with quiet scorn. "Earth."
He kept eye contact, then turned and walked towards the cockpit.  Luke
watched, then left for the fresher.
	"What's on Earth?" Jacen asked as he rummaged through the med
pack.
	Sebastian didn't answer at first; he was still in shock.
Finally, "Help.  If anybody can help mom, it's him."

	A quiet night in the Belize Medical Research Hospital wasn't
common, and the Doctor had decided to make the most of it.  He'd given
himself a well-earned evening off, and with a stack of novels and a
database full of new opera music he was prepared to settle in for the
evening.  As a physician, he should've known better.
	"Incoming transmission, incoming transmission," the computer
said, its monotone voice in bitter contrast with the crescendo of
Borogletz' The Fall of Kings.  
	"Computer, pause," he said with disgust.  "Open transmission."
A hologram appeared of Dr. Barnet, one of his colleagues at the
clinic.  "I hope you're calling to confirm our tee time," he said, his
tone implying he knew better than to hope for that.
	"Sorry, Doctor," she replied, "but I'm concerned about these
readings from Mr. Hohm in Room 115.  It doesn't fit with your
projections."
	"Let me see," he said, getting out of his chair and stepping
over to the display on his desk.  The screen lit up with the data
recorded on Mr. Hohm's biosigns for the past twelve hours.  "This
isn't right," he said with more than professional reputation in mind.
"Even if there was a problem with his medication these readings don't
make sense."
	"What would you like me to do?" Dr. Barnet asked.
	He looked them over once more.  "This could be life
threatening," he decided aloud.  "I'll be over right away."
	"The transporters are undergoing maintenance, remember," Dr.
Barnet said.  The latest Cardassian chest thumping had caused the
planetary network to become unstable.  It had taken him an hour to fly
back from the hospital that afternoon, and he wasn't sure Mr. Hohm
could spare the time.
	"Computer," he said, "transfer EMH to the Belize Medical
Research Hospital."  Reality ceased for a moment, and then his home in
the Himalayas was replaced with the first floor nursing station.  
	"Doctor," the nurse said with a smile.  This was old hat to
her.
	"Cheryl," he said politely, then walked briskly to Mr. Hohm's
room.  Dr. Barnet was already there.  
	"I think I'm on to something," she said.  "You know his
elevated salorian levels?  Well I think there's a chemical reaction
between the medication and a different chemical in his system."
	"Impossible," the Doctor said as he looked the latest
information over.  "His medication and intake have been..."  Then he
noticed it; someone had injected him with another drug, and the
reaction didn't look good for Mr. Hohm.  "Have a team standing by in
case his body shuts down," the Doctor said, punching in a prescription
to hopefully counteract the war in his patients' body.  

	Dealing with Garak's couriers was a trying experience for Nom
Anor.  Unlike their leader they made no effort at charm, settling for
the typical Cardassian paranoia and contempt.  As essential as his
role was in the grand plan, he did often chafe in it.  But no matter
how cumbersome a position it might be, he carried it out with all the
skill Yun-Yammka had bestowed upon him.
	This Talon Karrde, however, was an interesting deviation from
the usual louts he'd had to deal with.  There had been the expected
run around to actually meet the man, but once that process was
complete he was pleasantly surprised.  Karrde was a smuggler, but he
didn't let that title dictate his behavior or his manners.  He was
polite and even, and didn't make the slightest effort to impress Nom
Anor with his success.  
	"My people tell me you are interested in some hard to acquire
goods," Karrde said, once the pleasantries were out of the way.  "You
emphasized to them that it would be quite a lucrative trade, but you
wouldn't provide any details.  Would you mind telling me what you're
looking for?"
	One thing in his favor, Nom Anor thought, Karrde got down to
business promptly.  "I'm here on behalf of the Malon.  Their people,
if you are not aware, are being continuously brutalized by the
unchecked forces of the Hirogen.  Their cries go unanswered by the
Imperial government.  They feel the time has come to take matters into
their own hands."
	Karrde, like the gambler he was, showed no reaction.  "How
does this involve me?"
	"The Malon need weapons, something strong enough to deter
further attacks.  And they need them quickly."
	"It was my understanding that the Empire had ships," Karrde
said.  "And that they'd done quite well."
	"Propaganda," Nom Anor said with a dismissive gesture.
	"My own sources tend to agree," Karrde replied in the same
even tone he'd been using.
	"Are you so concerned about rumors that you're unwilling to do
business with us?" Nom Anor said with a bit of irritation.
	"Not at all," Karrde said as if placating a child.  "But the
Malon should know that me giving them weapons does them little good."
	"Yes, they recognize the technical limitations.  Which means
they require the equipment and personnel to make these weapons
compatible with their own."
	"Which is more than just providing a bit of contraband,"
Karrde observed.  "You're asking me to directly involve myself in the
equipping of a local government for war against the wishes of the
Empire.  That's a very dangerous boundary to cross."
	"But equally lucrative," Nom Anor replied.  "Rest assured the
Malon are prepared to pay very generously for such a service."
	"Karrde seemed to be thinking it over; Nom Anor knew he was
just trying to justify it to himself.  Despite everything, no matter
how genteel or civilized he might try to act, Karrde was a smuggler
who answered to his pockets.  "What exactly do you want?" he finally
asked.
	"High yield energy weapons to outfit twenty small freighters,"
Nom Anor said.  "As well as power sources and equipment to adapt them
to the existing vessels' equipment.  And technicians to install
everything.  They're offering ten million if it can be done within two
weeks."
	"That's asking quite a lot," Karrde said.  "It will take time
to make this happen."
	"Ten million should be able to shorten that time up," Nom Anor
said dismissively.  He stood up and passed over a latinum strip.  "You
can contact me here when you're ready.  I'll provide you with the
coordinates of our fleet at that time."
	Karrde nodded as he took the slip but didn't rise.  "We'll be
certain to do that," he said as he activated the comm in his chair.
"Please escort Mr. Nemth back to his ship," he said, using another of
Nom Anor's cover names.  
	As soon as he left dock he removed his Ooglith Masquer,
grunting slightly from the pain.  He set course for the planet where a
ship under another alias was waiting, one he could safely use to cross
back to the Milky Way.  He just hoped this trip wasn't a waste of his
time.

	"Doctor, it's been two hours," Cheryl finally said.  "I can
contact you if he shows any more symptoms."
	The Doctor was still sitting in the chair watching Mr. Hohm
sleep.  "You didn't give him any hyposprays?" he asked for the third
time.
	"No," she said with the patience only nurses possessed.  "I
don't know what happened."
	"Then that means someone did this deliberately, and without
concern for Mr. Hohm's well-being."  He reached a decision.  "Have
security watch his room, just to be safe.  And definitely contact me
if there's any sign of degeneration."
	"Yes, Doctor," she said, then returned to her station.
	He let out an unnecessary sigh; why would anyone want to harm
him?  He was just a nerf herder, no one important enough to kill.
"Computer, transfer the EMH to my private residence."  The room
returned, Mrs. Borogletz still waiting patiently to continue the
piece.  He wasn't in the mood.  He tapped his fingers on the desk as
he tried to make sense of it.  What he needed was to stop thinking
about it for a while, perhaps a walk.  Making up his mind, he crossed
the room to the glass case, and suddenly he'd completely forgotten
about Mr. Hohm.  He looked around behind the table, then under it.  He
became frantic, asking the computer for assistance.  Its tone sounded
even colder than usual.
	"Cannot comply.  Mobile emitter is not on the premises."


CHAPTER VI

	Nom Anor was waiting.  Nom Anor was always waiting.  Waiting
for smugglers, waiting for politicians, waiting for engineers, waiting
for this war to begin, waiting for the time to shed his many faces and
glorify his own on the field of battle.  A hunter grew accustomed to
lying in wait; but Nom Anor was ever denied the pleasure of the kill.
It grated him, but there was no choice for him but to do his part.  If
he succeeded the charade would be over, and that's what he focused on
whenever his patience was strained.  
	Dealing with Ferengi was a particularly difficult strain.
	His long-range scans picked them apart long before they
arrived.  Their stealth technology was above par, but still backwards
as far as he was concerned.  Three crewmembers plus the two
"merchants," not to mention a bizarre collection of items.  Klingon
antiquities, Mandolarian relics, Dominion gadgets; junk mostly.  But
there was a bit of useful cargo here and there; some advanced weaponry
too.  Not bad for Ferengi, but that wasn't saying much.
	The image of the two sneering little monsters in question
appeared on his viewer.  They addressed him by the cover name he'd
given them, already buttering him up for the sale.  He didn't need
this, not after waiting nearly two hours.
	"You have the merchandise?" Nom Anor asked, hoping the Ferengi
would get the hint.  The last thing he wanted was to listen to them
try to pawn off some useless bauble on him.  
	"A most difficult prize, to say the least," the lead Ferengi
said.  "It took extensive planning and coordination to acquire it. And
expense."
	"Yes, I can understand how robbing an unarmed physician living
alone in isolation would be a challenge."  Unfortunately, these
Ferengi weren't sharp enough to recognize sarcasm when they heard it.
	"I'm glad you understand," the little troll replied gleefully.
"And that's why-"
	"I do not renegotiate," Nom Anor warned.  "You are already
getting paid far more than the effort was worth."
	"But not enough compared to the value of the item," the
Ferengi retorted.  "We are traders, not hired mercenaries.  You pay
for our merchandise, not our skills."
	Nom Anor knew enough about this galaxy to anticipate this. The
Ferengi traders, more than anyone, had accepted the Imperial conquest
as a boon.  More territory, more goods, and more customers; so what if
a little genocide got in the way?  They were raking in the credits
now, which was all that mattered to them.  "Fine," he replied,
resorting to his back-up plan.  "But I don't have the credits for any
more.  Would you accept cargo?"
	This had thrown the Ferengi off.  He waited impatiently as
they discussed amongst themselves, already knowing the question they'd
ask.  What...
	"...kind of cargo?" the troll asked.  Nom Anor tried to
control his contempt.  Perhaps between the five of them they could
assemble half a brain.
	"Functioning nanoprobes," he offered.
	"Impossible," the other Ferengi said hotly.  "The nanoprobes
stopped functioning when the Borg were destroyed.  Do you think we're
stupid?"
	I know you're stupid.  "Then that makes these," he pulled out
a specimen container, "all the more valuable a commodity."  He placed
it on the desk in front of him.  "Say, as valuable as a mobile
emitter?"
	The Ferengi's eyes were fixed on it.  Nom Anor knew their
scans would show them what they'd hoped.  Emblazoned on the side was a
logo known only to the most notorious traders:  the symbol for Section
31.  "The emitter is a true one-of-a-kind..." the Ferengi said slowly.
	"But, realistically, with a limited market."  Nom Anor slid
the container on the desk, taking slight pleasure in watching their
eyes follow it.  "Functioning nanoprobes... those are a commodity
you'll have no trouble moving."
	They couldn't argue; scientific and military groups would
climb over each other for a chance to dissect those Borg toys.
Finally, Nom Anor was holding the mobile emitter, allowing himself a
few moments to think on the potential of what he had.  Placing it
aside carefully in a blast-proof container, he opened a channel.  
	"Vurold," Nom Anor said as the other appeared on the primitive
projector.  "All is going ahead as planned."
	Vurold's contempt showed otherwise.  "So you say, human.  But
I will not be lulled with mere words.  I want-"
	"You want a sign," Nom Anor said.  "A sign of my good faith.
Not to worry.  I've placed a tracking signal on board a freighter, one
which is carrying, among other things, an advanced plastoid exo-suit.
Feel free to do what you like with the ship, crew and cargo; it is a
gift."
	Vurold looked over the data, a complete scan of the ship and
information on the tracking device.  "If you're lying-"
	"I wouldn't dare lie to you," Nom Anor said, proving there was
nothing he wouldn't lie about.  "All I ask is my homing device
returned.  It's a trophy of mine."
	Vurold glowered as he cut the transmission.  But he was
satisfied for now; Nom Anor knew him well enough to be certain of
that.  

	"Well," Jacen said as he sat down next to Sebastian and Jaina
at the Falcon's gametable, "it's some kind of beetle.  I don't know
much more than that."  He rolled the specimen jar around on the table
a little, the beetle in question rolling with it.
	"That's it?" Sebastian said.  "No offense, but I could've told
you that when we left Belkadan."
	"There's not a whole lot of scientific information in dad's
records," Jacen replied.  "I went through the info your mom brought,
but I didn't find anything about this bug.  If she were awake she
might be able to help, but..."
	But she wasn't, Sebastian thought with a sick feeling.  She
was still unconscious, even after three days.  He'd never seen so much
as a sniffle from her in his entire life; he found it hard to believe
anything could leave her so helpless.
	Dad wasn't taken it real well either, Sebastian thought.  He
rarely left her slumbering side.  Probably for the best; Uncle Han had
been moody ever since take off.  The farther the two of them stayed
away from each other, the better.
	"I looked over the tricorder readings," Sebastian remarked,
hoping the new subject would take his mind off these latest worries.
"Mom was right; the planet didn't match the recorded information about
it, which means one of two things.  The original data could be wrong
and this is just the natural state of the planet."
	"Possible," Jaina said.  "One planet in millions isn't that
important if nobody really lives there."
	"But this planet was being surveyed specifically for this
project," Sebastian said.  "They'd have had a second scan to
supplement the first one taken on the planet's discovery.  If they
didn't agree someone should've noticed, and the odds of both being
wrong the same way is pretty unlikely."
	"Don't underestimate the power of sloppy research," Jacen
said.
	"Right, but there's something else that doesn't fit:  those
aliens.  Whatever they were, they weren't indigenous."  The memory of
the creatures brought a nervous silence.  
	"Maybe so," Jacen said finally.  "But what does that have to
do with anything?"
	"If the Empire wants to settle a planet that's inhospitable,
what do they do?"
	"Terraform," Jaina said.  "You think these aliens are
responsible for the change; that it was deliberate?"
	"I think it's a definite possibility," he said.
	"If that's the case, maybe they're responsible for more than
just that," Jacen said.  His thoughts ran the same as Sebastian's:
these aliens, Sernpidal, the dead zone, the destroyed fleet and the
transformation were all connected somehow.  Sebastian had to admit he
found the idea exciting.  If it was true he'd have the chance to be a
hero like his parents had been.  But on the other hand his mother had
drilled into him the importance of theory based on facts, not
supposition.  It was an easy connection to make between these warriors
and the destruction that was taking place, but so far there was no
real evidence except proximity.  He said as much.
	"There's plenty of evidence," Jacen retorted.  "We've never
seen anything like those aliens before:  complete ability to resist
the Force."
	"You're exaggerating," Sebastian said.  "We couldn't sense
them; that's not the same thing.  And mom can do the same trick, so
it's not as impressive as you want to make it out to be."
	"They were hostile," Jacen replied, a bit angry that the
younger Jedi would contradict him.  "They killed the researchers at
Ex-Gal 4."
	"They were hostile, but your conclusion is unfounded.  Maybe
they killed them, or maybe someone else did."
	"You saw how they acted," Jacen scoffed.
	"How did you feel when you saw the remains?" Sebastian asked.
He turned to Jaina.  "How did you feel seeing what we saw?"  He
resisted the feelings of dread that emerged when he thought back to
the personal items of the dead researchers.  
	"Sad," Jaina said.  "And angry.  It wasn't right what
happened."
	"No, it wasn't," Jacen said.  "And they're gonna answer for
what they did."
	"Exactly," Sebastian said.  "So if you found someone you
thought was responsible, do you think you might let your anger get the
better of you?  Attack them?"
	"No," Jacen said with a smug attitude, "I wouldn't."
	"But if you weren't a Jedi," Jaina said.  "Yeah, I can see it.
So you think they weren't responsible for that?"
	"I'm just pointing out that we don't know enough," Sebastian
said.  "Occam's Razor says the simplest answer that fits all the facts
is probably correct, but what facts do we have?  There's no more
evidence that says they killed them than says they didn't."
	"Bit of a coincidence, then, for them to be there," Jacen
said.  His tone implied that Sebastian was just trying to be
argumentative.
	"What do you mean?"
	"Well, they just happen to decide to terraform the planet
while all this is going on?  Bit of a stretch."
	"Think things through," Sebastian said.  "We've seen that
someone out there is destroying ships, fleets, even whole worlds.  It
could be these aliens.  On the other hand, maybe there was someone
else responsible for the destruction, and these aliens were merely the
victims.  After all, if their world had been destroyed like Sernpidal
had, maybe they were forced to migrate to Belkadan and terraform it
for their own survival."
	"That's a stretch," Jacen said.
	"You're constructing an entire scenario around these aliens
with no evidence besides a single attack, and we don't even know why
that happened.  You make a dangerous assumption like you are and it
could lead to serious consequences."  
	Jacen laughed at him.  "You act like you know what you're
talking about.  You haven't faced anything like this before.  All
you've got are your little theories, and while they may work great
back in the lab, you're out here facing it in the real world.  You
better get used to it."
	"'Scuse me, Mr. Man-of-the-Universe," Sebastian said.  "I
forgot what a galaxy-hopping marvel you are."
	"I've been out there," Jacen said with pride.  "I've fought-"
	"Dealing with a few spice pirates doesn't ready you for
interstellar politics," Sebastian said.  "Aunt Leia would be the first
to tell you that."
	"And dad would say to go with your gut," Jacen replied.  "And
my gut tells me these guys are responsible."
	"They might be," Sebastian said.  "But I want more than
sketchy reports from your gall bladder."
	Jacen got up, looking at him with pity and disbelief; it made
Sebastian's blood boil.  "Forgot you're a kid.  Maybe when you get
some experience you'll figure out what I'm trying to tell you."
	"Asshole," Sebastian grumbled as the older Jedi walked off.
	"Look, he's being a jerk," Jaina said, "but he's right.  We
have to be ready if they are the ones responsible."
	"But if they're not responsible," Sebastian said, "that could
lead to a war.  We can't jump to conclusions."
	"That's why we need to prepare," Jaina said.  "Doing nothing
could be dangerous too.  That's interstellar politics."
	She had a point.  "Okay, so we prepare.  We still need
evidence before we start anything."
	"Well, we're not going to find much of that in the Terran
System," Jaina said, getting up.  "And we're probably due to arrive
any time now.  Wanna tell Uncle Luke to come to the cockpit?"
	Sebastian nodded, heading to the small room where his mother
was still sleeping.  He could sense his father's concentration; Jedi
healing techniques.  How long had he been at it, and, more
importantly, was it doing any good?
	"Jaina said we should be reaching Earth soon," Sebastian said,
feeling lousy for the interruption but hoping the good news would help
perk his father up some.  "You want to come to the cockpit?"
	Luke took a deep breath.  "I need to be here, right now," he
finally said.  "Contact the Doctor, he's in central Asia.  Tell him
how she's doing, and I'm sure he'll take care of everything."
	Sebastian nodded and closed the door.  His father was always
right, he reminded himself.  Please, let him be right now.

	Lando Calrissian.  Smuggler, gambler, outlaw.  Over time he'd
honed all the skills necessary for those jobs to a second nature.  He
may be in legitimate business now, but one skill in particular was
still of use in this line of work: let them see what you want them to
see.  As he brought some investors on a tour of his establishment on
Deep Space 13 he did just that.  
	"One of the principles of Calrissian Enterprises," he said as
they descended from the holo-suites, "is that the whole is greater
than the sum of its parts.  By taking the best from as many places as
possible we create something that will outperform, outsell, or just
completely outdo our competition.  The crossroads that is Bajor,
leading as it had from the Alpha Quadrant to the Gamma Quadrant, has
made this place a home to thousands of species with millions of pieces
of technology and ideas."
	"It does tend to attract the riff-raff," one Twi'lek remarked.
	"The station's security is top of the line," Calrissian lied.
If it was he'd never be able to get away with a tenth of what he and
Quark pulled.  "And even if it weren't an occasional inconvenience is
worth it.  Take this for example," he plucked a small device from
behind the bar.  "We acquired it from a Balnovian trader.  It's the
initiator coil from a replicator he found on the fringe."
	"And what possible use is that?" a bloated Axanar said
dismissively.  "We have replication technology."
	Lando's smile didn't so much as flicker.  "B'Elanna Torres,"
he introduced, "one of my engineers."  The half-Klingon stepped
forward and smiled as friendly as Calrissian could get her.  "Would
you like to answer his question?"
	"Certainly," she remarked, taking the device.  "The coil uses
a system that differs from both Imperial and Alpha Quadrant
replicators.  We're using some of those differences to create a hybrid
replicator that specializes in construction materials.  When completed
it can generate the parts with only forty percent of the required
energy and no impurity."
	"Impressive," the Twi'lek admitted.  "But is the market strong
enough to support a product such as this?"
	"We'll be putting this to work in our own construction
facility," Lando said, continuing the tour.  Good job, B'Elanna, he
thought.  Short and non-technical.  "By reducing construction expenses
we'll be offering the fleet high-quality fighters at a price to match
Sienar; a ship that can fly rings around any TIE out there."
	"You are confident you will win this contract," the Ishi Tib
asked.
	"I'm confident we can bring the Empire an offer that will
knock them over," Lando said.  
	"But Sienar has been the Empire's golden child for decades,"
it was pointed out.  "Even during their collapse.  The Empire rewards
loyalty."
	"Yes, and it has for the past twenty years," Lando said.  "But
what has Sienar brought them lately?  Modifications to old designs,
designs based around technology that was dated when we didn't even
know there was a wormhole.  But you're correct; it will not be a
simple matter of bringing them a winning plan.  We need them to see
that Calrissian Enterprises is capable of meeting their demands.  Your
financial support, gentlemen, will give us that; and in return, an
investment into a billion credit deal."
	"There is much to be gained," the Axanar said.  "But the risk
seems high.  I'm particularly concerned about Cardassian terrorists
attacking the construction site."
	"I can assure you-" Lando stopped as Quark gave him a nudge.
He glanced, but just for a moment, in the direction the holographic
Ferengi indicated.  "I have the Cardassian situation well in hand.
Quark, why don't you show them our profit projections, so they can see
what exactly this 'risk' could bring them.  I'll be a moment,
gentlemen."  
	Lando didn't walk in the direction Quark had pointed; he knew
better than to draw any attention there at all.  By the time he
arrived at his office Lumett was already waiting for him.  "High
class," the Cardassian remarked as Lando came around the desk to take
his seat.  "I'm sure Garak will be happy to hear your business is
going well."
	"You and he should know better than this," Lando hissed. "This
is more than just blowing this deal.  If anyone starts putting us
together-"
	"Garak is concerned about your public appearance," Lumett
said.  "But this is vital.  I need to know if you have any assets on
Earth or Luna."
	"I don't discuss finances with the help," Lando said.
	"That's fine.  But let's just say that if you do, it'd be in
your best interest to look into relocating them.  Immediately."
	Lando's eyes narrowed.  "What the hell's going on?  You never
warned me before on any of your attacks, why now?"
	"I'm just relaying a message," Lumett said.
	"From Garak."
	"Garak's giving you some advice," Lumett got up.  "I suggest
you follow it."
	"What's going to happen?" Lando demanded, standing up.
	"There is an issue of time, Mr. Calrissian," Lumett said.  "I
don't think you should waste it trying to get answers from me that I
don't have."
	Lando took a moment to get his thoughts in order.  It was
something big; Garak wouldn't have warned him otherwise.  But what
could he have in mind?  Last time he checked, Garak didn't have his
own Eclipse.  But that was the point, wasn't it.  Garak kept him in
the dark.  
	It was time to turn the lights on.
	Lando keyed in to his communication system and set up his most
secure channel.  He needed an investigator, someone who could work
fast and was in the area; a tough call.  
	"Harry this is Lando," he said into the comm.  "I've got a job
for you."

	Annika was so still, he couldn't even notice her breathing. It
was so wrong.  No matter how Borg, no matter how human, no matter what
she had been, Annika was always a fighter.  Seeing her so helpless
like this... Luke could barely stand to be with her, but couldn't
consider leaving her side.
	Once he'd destroyed an entire fleet to save her, using nothing
but sheer will.  Now he was facing something that might achieve what
even the Borg were unable to do.
	Sebastian was at her side too.  One more weight on his mind.
The boy had a difficult enough future ahead of him; he didn't deserve
this heartache.  For all our sakes, Annika, he thought, you need to
beat this.
	The Doctor took Luke aside, his face devoid of his usual
optimism.  Luke could sense nothing of course, but he knew; he'd known
since they left Tatooine.  "How bad is it?" he asked, his voice
betraying his pessimism. 
	"I'm afraid the answer is somewhat relative, and to
unfortunately fall into the tired staple, I have good and bad news."
He glanced back at Annika's unconscious form for a moment.  "The
disease she's contracted has been appearing throughout the Empire for
over a year now.  All cases so far have been fatal."  He allowed Luke
a moment to come to terms with that harsh fact.  "I've never examined
a case personally, but I've read all the research on the subject and
did some experimental work for the Marcoolw Society.  Annika's case,
compared to the others', seems far more controlled.  I think there's a
chance we can save her," he looked directly into Luke's eyes, "and you
know that I'll do everything possible for her."
	Luke knew what he meant.  The Doctor had developed the
treatment to reverse the brain damage the Borg had caused during their
failed attempt to infect the collective, and he knew more about her
physiology than anyone.  Coming here was definitely the right choice,
at least for her.  "What about the rest of us?" he had to ask.  "We've
all been on board the same ship for over a week now-"
	"The condition is not spread by casual contact," the Doctor
interrupted.  "Three cases of direct blood transfusion and one case of
sexual transmission aside, the disease isn't contagious.  Even if you
two had been intimate since her initial infection, the chances of you
having contracted the disease are very low, and non-existent for the
others."
	Before Luke could learn more Jaina came running in.  She was
radiating confusion and fear, panting as she tried to get his
attention.  "Uncle Luke," she practically grabbed him, "you've got to
come see this."
	"What?" he asked, his annoyance at the interruption tempered
by experience; Jaina didn't get worked up easily.  
	"It's-" she floundered.  "Just- you've got to see it for
yourself."  
	Luke looked back at the Doctor.  "I'll keep an eye on Annika,"
he assured him, and Luke followed her.  By the time he reached the
ground floor he could feel a growing sense of dread, almost as if the
Dark side was slowly manifesting itself in this place.  But it wasn't
evil, at least not directly, that was responsible, it was the sum of
the emotions of the occupants all around him.  
	When he got outside he saw them all, every last one,
transfixed on the sky as if under a single spell.  He followed their
stare, then stepped over near Han, who was just as hypnotized as the
rest.  "What am I looking at?" he asked.  Han just pointed.  "The
moon?"  He looked at it, failing to grasp what was so interesting
about it.  But of course, Luke had never spent much time on Earth.
	"It's getting closer," Jacen said with a shake in his voice.
	"It's your imagination," Han said, but his voice had an edge
as well.  Regardless, it finally clicked for Luke.  Sernpidal.  This
time they were actually seeing it happen.
	Except now there were nine billion lives at stake.
	"How do we stop it?" he said aloud.
	Han breathed deeply through his nose as he faced another
planetkiller.  Here, on a world he'd called home once, but could never
again.  "You don't."


CHAPTER VII

	Since the late twenty-first century human beings have played
with the laws of physics.  They've distorted them, harnessed them, and
with almost snickering glee, used their wits to try and violate them
like young cadets breaking curfew.  They've gotten used to bending the
rules when it suited them.  Unfortunately for humanity, a lesson in
humility is quite literally falling into their laps.
	The moon's slow descent was a sickening reminder of their
hubris.  They could play with inertial mass, but in the end
conservation of matter would win the day, no matter what they might
try to do to the tumbling giant.  Blow it up, the pieces would fall.
Vaporize it, the gas will fall.  Do what you like, there was nothing
that would stop its descent.  And alongside mass came the inevitable
conservation of energy, which meant that all that pent up potential
energy was about to go somewhere, whether it was splitting open the
crust like an egg or heating up the atmosphere to climate-altering
levels.  
	Mother Nature's schoolmaster had arrived, and she was very,
very cross.
	Harry Kim had seen things that had amazed him, and had
terrified him.  Watching the plummeting orb was near the top of both
lists.  Lando's orders were forgotten as old instincts from his youth
spent in exploration took over.  It confirmed what his eyes were
telling him.  "Okay," he said to himself, hoping it would help him
focus.  "Let's do a scan."
	Harry didn't have a starship any more, and the shuttle he'd
been piloting wasn't up to the kind of readings he had in mind.
Fortunately, he'd spent a lot of the past fifteen years learning about
Imperial technology, including how to crack it.  Brutal work compared
to his old Starfleet days, but even the best security they had had
holes, and he doubted anyone would notice what he had in mind.  "R8,"
he said to his astromech, "We need to link up with Spacedock's
system."  The droid warbled in confusion.  "I mean Earth Platform 1,"
Harry said, frustrated with the break in concentration.  The old
Federation station still had its elaborate sensor system in place, and
at that moment no one was really concerned about anyone trying to
access its controls.
	"Bingo," he remarked as he found what he was looking for.  A
heavy gravity beam, much stronger than any he'd ever seen, was pulling
on the moon at that very moment.  He zoomed in on the source.  "What
the hell is that?"  He focused in some more; it was some kind of
alien, but nothing he'd ever seen before.  But around it, armed with
blaster rifles... "Cardassians," he spat, the last piece falling into
place.
	"Earth Platform 1," Harry called into the comm, "this is
Shuttle 177A."
	"Shuttle 177A," came the reply, "no incoming clearance is
being granted.  Please evacuate Earth space."
	"I'm not landing," he said.  "I see what's causing the problem
with the moon.  There's-"
	"Please leave Earth space immediately," the voice repeated,
then cut communications.
	"Dammit," Harry said, thinking frantically.  There had to be
someone he could talk too, before it was too late.  "Let's try to tap
into the military communication grid," he said to the astromech.
"Maybe we can find someone who'll listen."

	The view of the descending moon was no less horrifying to
those on Earth, and its menace all the more tangible.  Amongst a crowd
gathered outside a hospital in Asia, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Jacen,
Jaina, and Sebastian watched as the moon continued to grow bigger in
the night sky.  They'd seen the results of a similar attack made on
Sernpidal in the other galaxy, but that moon was tiny and the planet
sparsely populated.  If they couldn't find a solution billions would
die.
	"Can we get an Eclipse here?" Jaina asked, unable to take her
eyes off the looming shape.  "Evacuate the moon and blow it up?"
	"No time for an evacuation," Han remarked.  "There's millions
up there, and that moon's not going to wait much longer.  Besides,
there's only one Eclipse in this galaxy; it'll never make it in time."
	"There's gotta be a way," Sebastian remarked.  "Use a tractor
beam to buy some time maybe.  Get a fleet together."
	"It's too massive," Han said with a shake of his head.  "It's
simply too big to move."
	"Yes," Luke remarked, speaking for the first time since Han
had given his bitter assessment, "from a certain point of view."

	Harry's previous involvement with the Imperial military had
mostly consisted of exchanging weapons fire.  At the moment, things
hadn't changed much.
	"Interfering in Imperial communications is a serious offense-"
barked the officer over the comm.
	"I hope you get the chance to arrest me," Harry said, "because
it doesn't look like you're going to be enforcing any laws once that
moon hits."
	"I don't-"
	"Listen to me!" Harry yelled.  "There are aliens on this
planet controlled by Cardassians.  They're using focused gravity beams
to bring the moon down-"
	"We know!" the officer shouted back.  "We're trying to take
care of it!  So quit interrupting and let us do our job!"  Harry hit
the console as the connection was cut.  
	"R8," he started to say as he looked over the readings again
for inspiration.  "Let's... oh no."
	The displays that he'd set up on the main screen, the views of
the various alien placements on the planet, showed the same scene
being repeated across the world.  TIE Bombers descended on every
target, dropping heavy explosives that left nothing but smoldering
craters behind.  "No!" he shouted, then slunk back in his chair.
	R8 warbled at him curiously as he held his face in his hands.
He finally looked up at the translation.  "Yes, they stopped the
aliens," he said, his throat dry.  "But it's too late.  The moon's too
close; gravity, Earth's gravity, will finish the job now.  They bought
a little bit of time, but that's it."  He didn't even have the
strength to think.  "The scans showed the aliens manipulate gravity,"
he continued, not even thinking while he spoke.  "We could have tried
to use them to put the moon back.  But they just destroyed them... and
the Earth's going to go with them."

	The voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi echoed back to Luke from across
the decades, back from when he was the only Jedi in the universe.  His
words had seemed so foolish at the time, so full of superstition.
"Luke you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to," the
old man had said, "depend greatly on our own point of view."
	And what, in the end, was his view?  His was a view that came
with the Force, being part of it, the harmonic union of all life.  It
crossed the boundaries of space and time, filled the vacuum of space,
bound the entire galaxy together as a living, breathing thing.  Within
its embrace worlds traveled and stars blazed, and civilizations rose
and fell in less than an instant.  Cataclysmic events transpired as
bottomless energies and unimaginable masses worked together or fought
their mathematically-bound battles, reigning destruction or dazzling
with beauty.  Suns exploded and collapsed in a thousand variant
screams, or grew into a blazing inferno from swirling clouds.  Nature
in its most absolute primal state, when even the concept of life
itself was a radical departure from the norm.  And within all that an
insignificant planet was orbited by an even more insignificant moon.
So tiny; a mote of dust in a hurricane, a spore on the wind, a
particle of sediment in a tsunami.  In the view of the Force, it was
next to nothing.
	In short, size matters not.
	"What the hell are you doing?" Han asked with irritation as
Luke held his hand towards the passing orb.  His look of contempt
faded slightly as he saw the blood drain from the faces of his
children and nephew as they watched.  "What?"
	"This..." Jaina shook her head.  "This isn't possible."

	Harry was half-lying in his chair, eyes closed, the true
weight of the situation sinking in.  The Imperials had killed his
parents during their invasion of Earth, they had destroyed the
Federation he'd fought for and served.  And the world that he had
desperately tried to reach for five long years of exile was now about
to die because of them.
	R8 was whistling like crazy, and with irritation Harry finally
sat up and looked at the droid coldly.  "What?!" he demanded.  The
droid continued its infuriating chirping and Harry looked ahead, and
the color faded from his face.  He checked the instruments; the moon
was gaining altitude all right.  Slowly, but it was going up.  Had
they figured it out?  Spared a few of the aliens and were actually
pulling it off.  But, there were no gravity waves, nothing.  Somehow
the immutable laws of physics were being broken once again.  Harry
just stared at the moon, literally scratching his head in numb
confusion.  "Have I gone crazy?"

	"You're all crazy," Han remarked, but even he lacked
conviction.  "You can't just..."  He trailed off, unable to continue
in the face of clear evidence to the contrary.
	Throughout it all Luke remained silent, his attention fully
focused on the moon, every thought bent on putting it back where it
belonged.  The disbelief of those around him was of no consequence.
The power he had turned to the Dark side for in his youth was now far
exceeded through the wisdom of the years.  Not a weapon, not a tool,
but a path that led him not to wield power, but to allow it to use him
as an agent of light.  He understood now.  He wasn't doing it; it was
the Force, working through him.  He no more wielded this power than
the air wielded the lightning that passed through it.  
	But once the lightning passes through it, the air is never the
same.

	Sebastian's awe gave way to fear as he watched his father
struggling.  While Luke's emotions radiated only peace and serenity
the young man could see the physical strain; the flowing sweat, the
grimace, the trembling as if he truly were some ancient titan holding
the sky up.  His breathing had become short, hasty breaths.  Finally
his hand fell and Han had to stop him from collapsing.  Everyone was
wondering the same thing, but Han asked.  "Is it safe?"
	"I- I think so," Luke said.  "I just followed my instincts,
let the Force guide me."
	None of them could speak; what was there to say?  Sebastian
wanted to grab his father and comfort him in his weakness, but he was
terrified of him.  All that power at his command... what had it done
to the man?  Was that even his father any more?
	Had he surrendered to the darkness again?
	The people around, however, weren't bothered by the spiritual
concerns of the young man.  They swarmed around his father, embracing
one another and cheering the salvation he'd brought them.  They
chanted his name as Han and Jacen half-dragged him back into the
hospital, applauding him for doing the impossible.
	Sebastian stayed outside, his gaze returning to the moon.  His
mother was dying, his father wasn't the man he thought he'd been,
Jorri was gone, and he was a failure as a Jedi.  The cocky boy from
Tatooine stared at the moon of his mother's people, the confidence,
the self-assurance, the optimism, all gone.  

	Nom Anor was a controlled man, but at the moment maintaining
that control wasn't easy.  He'd handed Garak the means to cause
widespread disruption of the Alpha Quadrant, and the fool had managed
to screw even that simple task up.  At the moment, Nom Anor felt like
the most angry person in the galaxy.  That was before Lando Calrissian
came in.
	"Garak!" Lando shouted, any trace of the gambler's caution
gone in his mask of rage.  "What the hell did you do?!"
	"Welcome, Mr. Calrissian," Garak said, refusing to allow the
emotions in the room to upset his imposed order and control.  "I'm a
little busy at the moment-"
	"I don't care about your business with Anor!" he shouted back.
"What you tried to do-" he floundered in disbelief at the sheer scope
of it all, "-it-it's unthinkable!"
	"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking-"
	"Don't play that kriffing game, not with me!"  Lando pounded
his fist on the table for emphasis.  "You risked billions; innocent
people; children!  That's the kind of thing the Empire does!"
	"I can see you're upset," Garak said, winning the master of
understatement award for the fifth year running.  "Let me finish my
business with Mr. Anor and we'll speak at length about this.  I'm sure
we can work things out to everyone's satisfaction."
	Lando seethed but relented.  Nom Anor watched him go,
considering how this could impact future options.  He never would have
imagined that much passion in the man; a mistake he should never have
made.  He knew a great deal that what was seen on the surface wasn't
always the case.  But Calrissian would have to wait.  "What did
happen?" Nom Anor asked, once Lando was gone.
	"An element that I hadn't anticipated," Garak said.
	"My people gave you resources with the understanding you'd
look at all the elements."  Garak's attitude was wearing thin on him.
	"I'm afraid this particular one was quite impossible to
foresee." 
	Garak activated the Imperial holo-net and showed the news
transmissions.  All were focused on his failed attack on Earth and a
human with blondish hair.  He caught the name.  "Skywalker?" Nom Anor
asked.  "As in..."
	"The Jedi," Garak replied.  "Apparently out of retirement and
on the side of the Empire.  Not surprising considering his sister's
allegiance, but still... I can't see how he knew.  Unless your people
talked."
	"Unlikely," Nom Anor said, which was certainly the truth. "His
people" existed only as a series of lies and false records, and unless
a disgruntled one or zero had talked the problem had to be on Garak's
end.  "What did he do?"
	"No one knows for certain," Garak said, "but he's the hero of
the hour.  The Emperor himself is coming to Earth to personally offer
his thanks for Skywalker's untimely intervention.  Imperial support
will no doubt increase throughout the quadrant and security will be
tightened."  Garak rambled on, but Nom Anor was staring at the
hologram, which showed Skywalker apparently restoring the moon to its
orbit through sheer will.  He'd dismissed the stories about him as
spacer legends, but was there a truth at their center?  And if so,
what effect would it have on his own plans and the war effort.  He
needed answers.
	"I want him," Nom Anor said finally, interrupting Garak in
mid-thought.
	"Who?"
	"Skywalker.  I want him alive for interrogation."
	"I see.  And would you like me to whip you up a Death Star
while I'm at it?"  Nom Anor scoffed at him.  "That man is a Jedi. I've
looked into those eyes, I've seen what he's made of.  With all my
resources I could never catch him, and even if through some miracle I
did he'd tell you nothing."  He shook his head.  "I've seen in him a
passion hotter than any star and a coldness even a Gul could envy; and
I will tell you this:  I fear nothing, but I hope with all my heart
his gaze never passes over me again."
	Nom Anor waited for him to finish.  "I want you to bring him
to me," he repeated, slowly and with an emphasis on each word.  
	"If it were within my power," Garak said, "I'd give you the
whole planet.  But what you're asking me to do is impossible.  He's
too powerful.  Or do you need to watch him stop the moon from
descending again?"
	Nom Anor glowered, then watched as the hologram replayed.
Garak was infuriating, but he had a point.  Still... "Who's that with
him?" he asked.
	Garak looked more closely.  "Ah, Han Solo, the ever-loyal
sidekick.  These I believe are his children and the one with the light
hair is Skywalker's son."
	A son.  That offered some possibilities.  "And is he also
impossible to catch?" he asked Garak.  "Or can your forces manage to
overwhelm one child?"
	"I'm sure he's been trained by his father," Garak said.  "But
without the wisdom and experience he's no doubt weak.  I could
probably catch him, but why should I?  I barely escaped with my life
the last time I crossed Skywalker, I don't see why I should risk it
again."
	"My people are well-connected," Nom Anor said.  "We could do
many favors for your organization if you do this favor for me."
	"I don't see the benefit," Garak said.  "All you'll succeed in
doing is getting Skywalker upset, a mistake I wouldn't want to make."
	"I'm willing to take the chance."
	"No, you're willing to let me take the chance."  Garak sighed.
"But I will consider it.  Child or not, the boy is dangerous.  This
would take much planning and equipment.  Any favor would have to be
measured against that."
	"It will be, I assure you," Nom Anor said.  On his way back to
the ship he tried to think of the best way to salvage the situation.
The boy would be a good start, and Calrissian could possibly be used
against Garak; allow him to play the two off each other to help
further his own ends.  He sealed the hatch, and was about to begin the
launch sequence when he noticed the flashing indicator.  Ah, something
going right finally? he wondered as he pressed the play button on the
display.
	"We've acquired the weapons and engineers you wanted," Talon
Karrde's representative said.  "We'll meet you at the rendezvous
coordinates at 0800 in two days."
	He smiled a little.  Good news seemed more and more rare these
days, and he cherished what little he received.  Two days, he thought.
That would still allow him enough time to drop off the mobile emitter.
Satisfied with the news he finished the pre-flight check and soared
for space."

	"Bastian!" Jorrielle Sunspring said with shock as her hologram
finished resolving.  "I can't believe it!"
	"Hi, Jorri," he said, trying to sound better than he felt.  He
had to thank Aunt Leia; she'd pulled quite a few strings to get a
real-time cross-galactic link set up for him.  
	"We heard all about what happened.  Were you there?  When the
moon fell, I mean?"
	"Yeah, I was there," he said weakly.
	"Is it like what they said?" she continued, oblivious in her
excitement.  "Did your dad, I don't know, Jedi the moon back?"
	"Yes," Sebastian said.  "Just put it back as if he were
tidying up our place back home."  
	Even Jorri could see his attitude with that remark.  "Is
something wrong?"
	"Yeah," Sebastian said.  He filled her in on what was going on
with his mother.  "I really need to talk to somebody."
	"You know I'm always ready to listen," she said, taking a
seat.  "I've been waiting for you to stop by; tell me all about going
to see the Emperor, all the amazing stuff you get to do."
	Yeah, it had been a long time, he realized.  So much had
happened; changed.  "Not that great of a story, actually."  He filled
her in on the meeting with the Emperor, the mission, and their
eventual voyage to Earth.  He noticed a kind of awe in her eyes, and
her questions implied that she was so impressed with him.  It just
made things worse.
	"Thing is," he said finally, "I don't know what's what any
more.  I mean, if this is any indication, dad's been holding himself
back all these years.  He's always been going on about not using the
Force unless we have to, but now this.  Is there something he isn't
telling me?  What he did tonight... I could never imagine having that
kind of power, to be like a god.  What does that do to you; what did
it do to him?"
	"Sebastian, your dad's strong," Jorri said, "but he's also one
of the most gentle men I've ever met.  Whatever mistakes he's made in
the past, he's learned from them, and I think he's better because of
them."
	"Really," Sebastian said, scoffing a little.
	"Look, he told you to use your power only when you had to.  To
not focus on using the power, but the force behind that power.  He may
be stronger because he didn't bother trying to use the power, he tried
to understand the power."
	"But you see-"  He stopped.  He'd never told anyone, not even
Jorri, what his parentls had told him.  He didn't want to be a freak,
but - but he needed her to understand.  "Dad said... This is going to
sound crazy, but please listen.  Mom and dad said that I'm going to be
important.  Dad wouldn't say how, but he said that I was going to make
a big difference in the galaxies, that I had a responsibility."
	"All parents are like that," Jorri said.
	"No.  He's a Jedi; he's actually seen it.  He knows what's
going to happen, what's going to come.  And I've always been kind of
excited and nervous, you know.  A big adventure, a chance to be a hero
like he and mom were.  But Jorri... my father can move worlds!  I
can't even beat a single alien!  If dad gave in to the Dark side, if
even he wasn't strong enough, what about me?  Can I ever be strong
enough or smart enough to face this?  I-"  He caught her eyes, and her
look made him quiver.  He suddenly wished she wasn't a hologram, that
he could hold onto her, maybe even cry on her shoulder a little.  His
voice cracked.  "I'm really scared."
	She was quiet, and Sebastian was afraid he'd made a mistake.
She was such a good friend that he'd gotten used to sharing things
with her, but this might have been too much.  She probably saw him as
an egomaniac, or a frightened little boy.  He wanted to just close the
link before she said anything.  But finally... "I'm sorry," she said,
"I'm just kind of stunned."
	"I shouldn't have said that," he mumbled.
	"It's just that I thought you weren't capable of that," she
continued.  "You never seemed frightened or unsure of anything, even
when I was petrified.  I was always a little worried that it was the
Borg part of you showing through.  I, I know it's probably not right,
but it's almost refreshing to know you're just as human as I am, that
it was your courage that allowed you to overcome your obstacles."
	"And now," Sebastian said moodily, "it's gone."
	"You're just realizing that what you're facing is a lot bigger
than any mess we ever ran into on Tatooine.  I'm the same way; nearly
wet myself when Gen. Taar gave me a dressing down in front of the
student body.  But I get through because I know that I've got people I
can count on, like you.  And whatever your destiny is, you know I'll
always be your friend no matter what the danger."  Her hologram rose
and came as close as the projector would allow.  "You may have to face
the future, but that doesn't mean you have to face it alone."
	He smiled as best he could.  "Thanks, Jorri."  It was nice of
her to say, but it didn't change anything.  A few more words were
exchanged and he closed the connection, hoping the Doctor would have
better news about his mother.


CHAPTER VIII

	Lando Calrissian fumed in silence outside Garak's office.  He
ignored the stares of the Cardassian's henchmen, who were probably
hoping to settle him down before he finished his conversation with
Garak.  Well, he sure as hell didn't feel like settling down!  After
Nom Anor left he rose to his feet and followed the aide into Garak's
office.  He offered Lando a seat, but he refused it.  The aide slipped
out and it was just the two of them.  Lando was of half a mind to
throttle Garak right then and there but knew the terrorist could kill
him easily.
	"Now," Garak said pleasantly, "where were we?"
	"I was just about to tell you that it's over," Lando said.
	"What would that be?"
	"Our arrangement," Lando said.  "As of now my business and its
employees will have nothing to do with your organization."
	"Because of one little thing?"
	"Dammit, Garak," Lando shouted, "this is not a little thing!
There is a definite line in this and you crossed it!"
	"What line is that?" Garak asked.  "Where is it drawn that it
defines the boundaries of what we can and can't do in the name of our
cause?"
	Lando jammed a thumb into his chest.  "In here!  It sets the
limits of where I'll go, and mass murder is definitely a place I've no
interest in visiting."
	"I'm sorry your conscience is panging you," Garak said.  "But
these operations are my decision.  I don't answer to your conscience."
	"No, I do.  And that's why it's over Garak, 'cause by helping
you I would have helped kill those people."
	"Nonsense.  The responsibility for any field activities my
people do falls to me.  I do the dirty work so you can serve in your
current fashion."
	"It doesn't work that way.  My hands are just as bloodied as
yours."
	Garak got up and walked over to the terminal on the wall,
tapping in some instructions.  "That's why you're going to stay with
us."
	"I've made up my mind, Garak."
	"I've no doubt.  But how long will your business survive?"  He
turned back to face Lando.  "You have been granted special exception
from our raids and activities.  Do you expect me to ignore you for old
times sake if you leave?"  Lando opened his mouth.  "Your security is
sub-par, but that allows you to direct more funds towards production
and development.  If you try to resist us you'll be forced to waste
money and fall behind.  And your new fighter construction facility?
Have you failed to consider what kind of a target that would make for
my cause?  Your security demands will be so high that you won't have a
chance of competing with Sienar for that contract."
	Lando growled.  "Your threats-"
	"They're not threats," Garak interrupted.  "They are the
inevitable consequences of you carrying out your ridiculous notion
that cutting ties will make your world better."  He stepped right up
to Lando.  "The problem is that you're doing your thinking here," he
pointed to the spot on Lando's chest he had earlier indicated, "rather
than in your head where it should be.  Take a moment to look at the
larger picture, Calrissian.  You have been with us for too long, too
deeply, to back out now.  Your business will die, and without my good
favor you could even find yourself in an Imperial detention center."
Lando opened his mouth but Garak continued.  "You've provided aide and
comfort to me for over a decade.  Even if you cut a deal you'll go
down too."
	Lando could feel his fingers trembling in his rage, but he
tried not to let it show.  "Maybe I should do it anyway.  If it stops
you from trying again-"
	"Don't be absurd.  Even with your help they won't be able to
catch me, Calrissian.  I've been at this far too long, have so many
plans in motion, so many secrets.  I have anticipated any possible
betrayal.  Now end this pointless posturing, get back to your
business, and try to forget about it."
	Lando wanted to wrap his hands around that bloated neck, to
tell him where he can stick his egotistical plans and that he was out
for good.  But the truth was, he couldn't.  He had been in bed with
the terrorists for too long; there was no way out.  He could probably
deal his way out of charges if he gave them Garak, but the slimy
Cardassian would probably escape anyway.  He'd lose his business,
again, and he was getting too old to try to rebuild.  Without it he'd
have nothing; his assets seized by the Imperials, his reputation
destroyed across the Empire.  Damn you, Garak.
	He was just turning to leave when Garak spoke again.  "I need
a cargo ship," he announced as if the past five minutes never
happened.  "And I'll need an engineer, a good one, to make some
changes.  Torres would be a good choice."
	Lando breathed heavily through his nose.  "What kind of
changes?"
	Garak smiled as warmly as a man so cold-blooded could.  "I
need to build a very special cage," he said, "for a very special
adversary."

	Security around the Emperor's arrival was unparalleled.  He
flew to Earth on the flagship Eclipse, complete with a star destroyer
escort.  All traffic was halted for his arrival, and his shuttle was
flanked by two squadrons of TIEs.  On the ground, he was surrounded by
his red-robed bodyguards at all times, and scramblers were kept around
him to block any transporter that tried to beam in a bomb or steal
away the Emperor.  Even Garak knew better than to try anything.
	Sebastian had seen the Emperor speak before the Senate, but
never at a public event.  The plaza outside the Earth capital in
Sydney was overflowing with spectators who'd gathered for this rare
event.  Han told them that it was only the second time the Emperor had
ever come to Earth.  
	The speech he gave was predictable, even to a political novice
like Sebastian.  The Emperor spoke against terrorism and vowed to
double their efforts to ferret out those responsible for this near
disaster.  The crowd seemed pleased with the overall message and
Sebastian could sense a growing feeling of support ripple throughout
the masses.  It seemed kind of silly to him, but, mother had taught
him that leadership often meant being able to convince people of the
justness of your cause.  By showing this was important enough for him
to come here he was showing them that even in an empire of millions of
worlds they were still valued citizens.  The personal touch... he'd
keep that in mind.
	Volgo Teraine, one of the Emperor's entourage, came through
the crowd towards the quartet, his royal escort clearing a path.  He
was bald with dark goggles, but they seemed to compliment his
appearance, giving him a slightly foreboding air.  He nodded politely
to Han before addressing Jacen, Jaina, and Sebastian.  "The Emperor
wished me to share his gratitude for your service to the Empire.  He
is pleased to announce that, after conferring with Jedi Skywalker,
that you are fully recognized Jedi Knights, with all the
responsibility that honor brings."  Before that could even sink in he
continued.  "He wants to meet with the three of you, individually,
after the presentation."  He nodded again, and slipped away.
	"A personal meeting with the Emperor himself?" Jacen said in
disbelief.  
	"Dad," Jaina asked, "do you know what this is about."
	Han looked around at the rest of the crowd.  "No," he lied.
None of the three decided to push the issue.
	While they talked the Emperor took a moment to recognize Luke
for his last minute intervention in saving the world.  When the Jedi
rose and gave a small wave to the crowd the cheers were deafening.
Sebastian felt a gnawing in his gut at the memory of what had
happened, and his own fears.  Jacen and Jaina must have been thinking
the same thing.
	"How can he not be a master?" Jacen said.  "What he did...
that's the stuff you read about the legends doing."
	"He's unworthy," Han said.  The three turned to stare at him,
shocked at his brazen remark.  "The Emperor tried bestowing the title
on him years ago; he refused it.  Said if you'd ever done what he did
you could never truly be a master.
	"So he's really-"
	"It's just a title," Han said sharply.  "It doesn't matter. It
doesn't make what he did today any more noble."  He looked up at Luke
on the platform, a brief flicker of hate passing through him. "Or undo
what he did," he said in a low voice.
	Sebastian was about to say something when he noticed someone
slip onto the platform and whisper something into his father's ear. In
an instant the Jedi was gone, vanished into the huddled masses.

	Nom Anor had chosen Danule V for the exchange out of a long
list of potential systems.  It was outside Malon space, so no one
would associate activity there with the Malon.  There was an
interesting anomaly in its magnetic field that boosted jamming
signals, ensuring no one would be able to detect Malon ships waiting
for refitting.  It was outside normal Imperial patrol routes to ensure
they wouldn't be interrupted, but close enough to shipping lanes to
justify their presence if they were discovered.  Everything was
planned for the refitting of a Malon fleet.
	Except, of course, that there was no Malon fleet.  But that's
what you would have expected to see if you were one of the smugglers
delivering weapons on behalf of Talon Karrde.  Always let them see
what they want to see, Nom Anor believed, for as long as possible.
	Of course, Karrde's men were expecting a double-cross; they
expected one with every deal.  Thus, only one ship entered the system
with the weapons, the rest presumably waiting for the all-clear
signal.  He waited as the ship finally settled on its landing gear and
Karrde's representative emerged.  She was flanked by two bodyguards,
their weapons already in their hands.  
	He answered to the pseudonym he'd given them originally.
"Where are the rest of the weapons?" he asked, playing his part.  "And
the engineers I was promised?"
	"Just as soon as we know everything's on the up-and-up," she
replied.  
	"I've no intention of cheating you," he said, which was
technically true.  He set a box on the ground and stepped back.  She
carefully came forward and opened it, her eyes wide as she reached
inside and let the credit chips flow through her fingers.  "There is,
however," he said as she began sealing the case, "a minor change to
the plan."  Weapons shots rang out and the two bodyguards were on the
ground.  
	The negotiator decided to choose a new diplomatic tactic, so
she pulled her blaster out and fired at him.  Nom Anor's personal
shield -a distasteful but necessary tool in this case- would hold for
long enough.  "They're only stunned," he said as she continued firing
pointlessly.  "A precaution my friends felt necessary."
	Ten Hirogen hunters rushed out of their hiding places, weapons
trained on her and the ship.  The pilot must have recognized the
high-grade equipment and knew better than to try anything.
	"This isn't a re-negotiation," Nom Anor said, hoping he could
get her attention despite the presence of the looming warriors.  "Ten
million, cash, for weapons and engineers to install them.  The only
difference is that they will be used by the Hirogen rather than
against them.  Agreed?"
	The woman was trying to act fearless but he could see it for
what it was.  "Talon Karrde wouldn't approve of arming the Hirogens,"
she said.
	"Which is why I had to resort to some minor deception," he
said.  "But ask yourself this; would he rather you and your crew died
and the weapons taken without payment?  Or would he prefer you to
install the weapons, collect your payment in full, and go on your
way?"
	It was a bad situation for her, but Nom Anor knew what she'd
have to do.  If you can get yourself out alive, that's good; alive and
with the money, that was the best you could hope for.  He'd never be
able to negotiate with Karrde again, but he'd get what he needed.
	As the rest of the ships exited hyperspace Vurold stomped up
to Nom Anor.  "They agree to arm us?" he asked.
	"Yes," Nom Anor said.  "And you agree to our price?"
	Vurold glowered at him.  "There is no glory without a trophy,"
he rumbled.
	"These weapons will be your trophy," Nom Anor said, not really
caring about the Hirogen's primitive perspective.  "And perhaps you
will have the means to secure a trophy from the wreckage."
	"It is not a proper hunt," the Hirogen remarked distastefully.
"You must make compromises," Nom Anor said, "when the prey is
stronger."
	The distasteful snorting punctuated the silence that followed
his observation.  "Very well," Vurold finally remarked.
	"Good," Nom Anor remarked.  "I need to check my ship for
messages.  Try not to eat anyone while I'm gone."  He enjoyed the
contemptuous response from the Hirogen as he turned his back.  A
species he could relate a bit more to, but still too primitive.  Too
dependent on technology, and their culture too disorganized.  But they
would create chaos amongst the New Order, and that made these
Neanderthals his allies, as distasteful as that thought was.
	Perhaps he would battle them when the invasion reached this
galaxy, he considered.  It would be a wonderful challenge.

	Nothing could have stood in his way.
	Luke ran through the hospital, the normally calm and
controlled Jedi visibly anxious.  He didn't even stop to acknowledge
-much less apology to- the people he ran into along the way.  He
grabbed the edge of the door and pulled himself to a halt as it slid
opened.  "My, we certainly are prompt," the Doctor remarked.  Luke
ignored him, a smile spreading across his face to match the one on his
wife's.
	"Hey, farmboy," Annika coughed.  "Miss me?"
	Now that his eyes confirmed the good news he fell more in to
his usual step.  "I was enjoying the peace and quiet for a change."
	The Doctor excused himself and Luke came over and sat by her
bedside.  She was conscious, and that was important; but he could feel
how weak she was, and how embarrassed that made her.  "Peace and
quiet," she remarked.  "Like you'd ever get that."  She coughed again.
"Heard you saved the world again."
	Luke half-shrugged.  "The first few times are the hard part;
after that it's a snap."  She tried to keep up her smile but he could
feel she was anxious.  "I didn't use the Dark side," he assured her.
"You know I'd never do that again."
	"Of course," she said, but he could sense her relief.  "This
could come in handy," she remarked.  "Next time it gets a bit too warm
you could maybe push the planet out a little further to cool things
down."
	"That is the most pointless abuse of power I've ever heard,"
Luke said with a shake of his head.
	"Thank you, the practicing has paid off."  She coughed again,
a little harder.
	"I hope I never have to try something like that again," he
finally said, glad to be able to finally talk about the event.  Sick
or not, she was his soulmate, and he could tell her anything.  
	"How did it feel?" she asked, rubbing his arm.
	"Good," he said.  "Like I had transcended, become something
greater than I ever could be... like the Force was alive and talking
to me.  It was hard to give it up, to surrender the power when it was
finished.  And if you and Sebastian hadn't been on my mind at that
moment, I might not have."
	"You did what you had to," she insisted.
	"I know," he said quietly.  "But like I said, not again.  I
don't like playing god."
	"I do," Annika said.  She tapped him on the shoulder.  "Tag,
you're God."
	"Nice to know that no matter how grim the situation, you can
do your best to ignore it," Luke said, his smile showing he was just
giving it back to her.
	She laughed a little, but he could feel a little bit of
despair.  "You're spot on on that, Luke."  Her smile finally faded.
"I'm sorry," she said eventually.  "I was pig-headed and selfish.  I
shouldn't have gone on the mission."
	"You were invaluable-" Luke began.
	"You knew," she interrupted.  "I didn't want to listen; didn't
want to admit that I wasn't up to snuff any more."  She tried not to
cough, but it forced itself out.  "The Doctor says I was out for
almost a week."  Her eyes filled with tears, something Luke hadn't
seen them do in a long time.  "I'm sorry, Luke.  I can be so stubborn
sometimes; I should have listened.  And-"  She started crying a
little, and Luke put his arms around her.  "I'm scared of dying," she
admitted.  "And if it happens it'll be my fault."
	"It's not your fault," Luke said.
	"You knew," she repeated.  "And I'm sorry, 'cause I know how
much I'll hurt you if I die, and that's even worse.  'Cause you were
always looking out for me; letting me take the risks knowing that
you'd bail me out.  I don't want you to hurt-"
	"You're not going to die," Luke said, squeezing her as tight
as he could.  "Because you're going to beat this.  I know it."  He
kissed her cheek.  "You're stubborn and pig-headed; that germ doesn't
have a chance."
	She laughed and wiped away at her eyes.  He could try soothing
her; reach into her mind and help her relax and forget her guilt.  He
decided against it; it wasn't his right to make that choice for her.
They both turned as the door opened and the Doctor returned.  "I'm
sorry to interrupt," he said, "but I know you'd want to hear the
results promptly."
	Luke moved his chair to better see the Doctor, then his and
Annika's hands found each other and squeezed tightly.  The Doctor
passed her a datapad.  "The reason you've survived as well as you
have," he said, "is that your nanotechnology eliminates infections.
It's the ultimate immune system."
	"Which is why I never get sick," Annika said.
	"Exactly.  But, I have some bad news.  This strain is
different.  It's actually attacking the nanoprobes, and I'm afraid
it's winning.  At the current rate..." his face was downcast as he
tried to say the words, "...unless we find a treatment, you have about
six months before your nanoprobes are exhausted.  And since you've
depended on them for immunity for so long, I don't think your body's
going to have much better luck."
	"Is there anything we can do?" Luke asked.  He could feel
every muscle in his body tighten as the Doctor had spoken, and he felt
almost as if he'd tear himself apart if the answer was "no."
Fortunately, it wasn't.
	"With regular injections of nanoprobes we can halt the spread
of the disease, but, I don't think we can actually stop it.  Not yet,
anyway.  Too many probes in your weakened condition, and you may lose
the ability to control them.  They would start attacking your cells
along with the disease, assimilating you.  We'll have to work towards
some kind of long-term treatment."
	"Whatever it takes," Annika said.  Luke could sense her trying
to be nonchalant, but he knew better.  "You'll need to draw some
nanoprobes from me to culture?"
	"No, I don't want to take the chance of getting a contaminated
specimen," the Doctor said.  "And you need every probe you have to
continue fighting.  Fortunately there's a rather easy alternative in
this case."
	"Sebastian," Luke said.  "He's speaking with the Emperor right
now.  I'll leave a message for him to come straight back here when
he's finished."
	"Good.  In the meantime, Annika, get some rest.  We're doing
everything we can.  I've even called in some old friends to help out
with this one."
	"Who?" she asked, curious.
	The Doctor smiled.  "Someone who was in the neighborhood."  He
pushed a button on the side of the bed and the door opened.
	"Harry?" Annika said in shock.
	"How's it goin', Seven," Harry asked as he came in.  "Doc
tells me you're not doing so well.  Thought maybe I could help out."
For once she was speechless; they hadn't seen any of her former
shipmates -except the Doctor- for nearly twenty years.  He turned to
Luke.  "So you're the someone," he said with a bit of a smirk.  "Don't
think Seven could have chosen better."  He shook Luke's hand.  "I saw
what you did from orbit," he said with a nod.  "And I can't thank you
enough.  I was hoping maybe I could pay you back a little."
	Luke released the grip and found Annika's hand again.  "If you
can help save her," he said, "you'll have paid me more than I've ever
given.  Thank you."
	"Quit talking about me like I'm not here," Annika said, giving
Luke a playful slap on the hip.  
	"I was wondering if you could make some improvements," Luke
went on, prompted by her behavior.  "A mute button would be nice."
	"Now you're just being mean!"
	"Maybe a rear end alignment," Luke continued.  "I think she's
off her warranty."
	"That's it!  You two out!  I don't want any witnesses."  With
a laugh the Doctor and Harry left, leaving Luke alone with the fuming
Borg.  "Rear end..." she mumbled.
	"If I said front end I know you'd hit me," Luke said, giving
her a kiss.  She grabbed onto him and held it longer than he'd
planned; somehow he didn't mind.

	The Emperor was alone when Sebastian entered.  The room he was
in was sparse and poorly lit, but what was most notable was the mood
of its occupant.  Most people left an impression in the Force, but his
emotions at that moment were across the spectrum and impossible to
ignore.  It was the empathic equivalent of a full scale orchestra;
full of shades and almost overwhelming.  His wrinkled face, however,
wore a simple smile for the Jedi Knight.  "Please, be seated," he
offered.  
	"It's an honor, your highness," Sebastian said, taking the
indicated chair.  
	"Believe me, when I say whole-heartedly," the Emperor replied,
"that the honor is mine."  The Emperor closed his eyes a moment and
the orchestra seemed to subdue, but it was still there.  "What I share
with you now," he said, "is for you only.  You must never discuss what
I tell you today with anyone, not even me.  It is to awaken you to the
past and prepare you for the future; but the secrets must remain
secrets."
	Sebastian nodded, afraid of what he was going to say but dying
inside to hear it.  "I will share this with no one," he confirmed.
	"Good," the Emperor sat back.  "You must first know that I am
not what you think.  I am not the Palpatine who rose to power in the
Old Republic, who formed the Empire and invaded this galaxy."
	Sebastian nodded.  "Yes, you were cloned."
	"No," he replied with a laugh, "that's not what I mean.  I
mean that I am not Palpatine, not really.  My name is actually Ben
Sisko, and once just a man like you."  He recounted for the wide-eyed
Jedi the story of how he vanquished the real Emperor and usurped
control of his body, all to bring about the beginnings of Unity.  "As
you can see, I've entrusted you with a grave secret."
	"Wh-"  Sebastian floundered in deep shock.  "Why are you
telling me this?"
	"Because the things that will happen will depend upon you.
Unity has begun, and it has prospered and grown.  Eventually we will
live in peace as equals, the old animosity forgotten.  But before it
is complete that strength must be challenged, and that challenge is
now beginning."  Sebastian waited as the old man seemed to gather
strength.  "When I was still Ben Sisko I was outside the bounds of
linear time.  The past and the future were, for me, as real as the
present is to you.  It made me aware of the dangers, and what prompted
me to action.  That is why I know of the dangers we face in the
future."
	"Father said the future is in motion," Sebastian said.
	"Yes," the elder whispered.  "And yet, I have seen it.  I have
shared a glimpse with Jaina and Jacen, as I shall with you.  And it is
a most eventful one.  Your parents have left you a legacy to live up
to, one which, through courage and strength, you will far exceed.  If
you remain true to yourself and follow what you know is right you will
lead our people into its common future.  You will take your rightful
place, a place that I hold for you now, unworthy though I am."
	Sebastian felt a little nervous again.  His father had always
told him he had a great destiny before him, but this... this was
something else.  He felt the fear start to grow in his heart again
and, despite all his Jedi training, couldn't purge it.
	"But do not be deceived," Sisko continued.  "The path before
you is not an easy one.  Decisions and obstacles will arise, and you
alone must bear their burden.  You have seen the start of it already."
	Sebastian nodded.  "The alien."
	"The first of many," Sisko agreed.  "Before long you will
curse the day you set foot on Belkadan."  His face seemed to recede
further into the darkness, and Sebastian could sense a subdued
despair.  Sisko stood and walked a short distance away, turning away
from him.  "I wish I could spare you this news, and this future.  If
it were within my power I would, but I am a servant of fate as much as
you are.  I must tell you, however great the burden... you must be
warned, so that you can prepare yourself.  I fear no one is strong
enough to endure what you will unprepared... I fear even preparation
may not be enough."  
	Sebastian waited, not realizing he was even holding his
breath.  He'd never imagined anything could leave the Emperor, whoever
he was, in the state he was now in, but it was impossible to ignore.
Such dread... he'd never have believed it.  When he spoke his words
were quiet and chilling.
	"They're going to take it all away from you, Sebastian."  He
turned back to face him.  "Everything."


CHAPTER IX

	They were playing katiskat.  Luke would never forget that
moment, not a single detail.  In the years to come he would recall the
way Annika's hair looked as she lay in the hospital bed, the pale
complexion of her skin contrasted by the cherry color of her lips. Her
smile, her little joke, the mild gloating as she captured four pieces
with one move.  The smell of disinfectant and mild perfume, the way
the sunlight was slowly moving down her body as the day approached its
end.  The sound of the door opening, the Doctor's nervous cough, his
expression, the way he tried to nonchalantly call Luke to the door.
It was etched in his mind as surely as if he'd taken a holo-recording.
	"I've some bad news," the Doctor said as the door closed.
"It's not about Annika," he added quickly.  "It's about Sebastian.
He's missing."
	No matter what the age, no matter how mature they become, it
was every parent's worst nightmare.  To a man who had lived many
nightmares, that said something.
	"After his meeting with the Emperor," the Doctor said, "Volgo
Teraine told him about his mother and the nanoprobes.  He said
Sebastian seemed distracted until he heard the news, then said he was
going straight to the transporter."  The Doctor's fast became even
more downcast.  "He never arrived at the transporter station."
	"Do we have any idea what happened?" Luke asked.
	"Well, authorities are looking into it," the Doctor said.
"Your recent service has no doubt made this their top priority.  In
the meantime..." he looked at the door to Annika's room.
	"He's her only child," Luke said, understanding what he meant.
"And he means more to her than her own life."  He shook his head. "But
she has the right to know."
	"Think carefully about this," the Doctor warned.  "Once you
tell her you can't undo it."
	"That's the idea," Luke said.  "I don't want to talk myself
out of it."
	Annika was still lying where she was, smile in place, once
again refusing to accept the limitations of her condition.  He could
sense her anxiousness; probably thought it was news about her
condition, Luke thought, but didn't want to look upset.  There was so
much weighing on her at that moment, it killed him to think of dumping
anything more on her.  He had spent a few minutes thinking of things
to say, but when he finally approached her he couldn't speak.  The
next thing he knew he was embracing her, trying not to cry.  Him, the
man who had saved billions with a wave of his hand, helpless against
the doom his wife and child faced.  As he held her he fought for
strength and resolve, winning out over despair this time.  "Whatever
it is," she whispered in his ear, "we can face it together."
	Luke slowly released her but held onto her hands.  She was
putting on her best fake smile for him.  He couldn't bear it any more.
He told her everything.  He could feel her anxiety give way to fear
and horror and grief.  He knew it wasn't because of what it implied
for her; she was the furthest thought from her mind.  She pulled him
close and grabbed him tighter than before, and this time they both
cried.  
	He couldn't remember how long they stayed like that, but he
remembered her expression as they finally looked at one another again.
"You didn't want to tell me, did you."  She couldn't look at him any
more.  "You were afraid that I'd get out of this bed and look for him,
illness be damned."  She coughed a little.  "You were right."
	"Please-" Luke began.
	"But you respected my wishes," she went on.  "You knew that I
would hate you if you kept this from me.  You knew I'd resent the idea
that I need to be protected from the truth for my own good."
	Luke opened his mouth but couldn't speak.  "Yes," he finally
croaked.
	She nodded, wiping her eyes again.  "You know me too well,"
she whispered.  She finally laid back in the bed, staring at the
ceiling.  "You want me to stay here, while God-knows-who is off with
my baby."
	"Yes," Luke admitted. 
	Annika closed her eyes and shook her head.  "It's not fair."
He held onto her hand, uncertain what to say.  "Luke," she finally
said, her voice returned to its normal volume, "you've never broken a
promise to me before."  She looked into his eyes, and the tears came
again.  "Promise you'll find my baby."
	He embraced her again.  "I swear it," he said.  "No matter
what it takes, I swear I'll find him."

	The galactic conquest obviously brought a great deal of grief
to the inhabitants.  There was the loss of life, the destruction of
personal and public property, the tearing down of ancient
institutions, and thousands of other disruptions.  But one thing that
Chakotay had to admit, the Empire had managed to bring peace to the
Demilitarized Zone, something no one had managed before.
	He was relaxing after spending the morning tending his field
when the call came through.  He'd expected it was another one for
Jane, his wife, who was still off on her walk.  As soon as the screen
lit up he knew he was wrong.
	"Harry?"  He couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice.  
	"Chakotay," the former crewmate replied.  "How's everything
going?"
	"Fine, fine," Chakotay said rather quickly, still catching up.
He hadn't spoken with any members of the Voyager crew in years.
"What's this about.  I mean," he added quickly, "I doubt this is just
a social call.  Not with what's been going on back on Earth."
	"Afraid not," Harry said.  "But it's not about that.  Did you
hear about Seven?"  
	"No."  Chakotay was a bit shocked at the news as Harry filled
him in.  "Dying?  I thought her body rejected disease automatically."
	"This one's a whopper.  Doc said everybody who catches it
dies, but Seven might be able to pull through."
	"Well, I'll do whatever I can."  For all the good it'll do,
Chakotay thought.  Medicine, this kind of medicine, was way outside
his experience.
	"Thanks.  I was wondering if you knew where Kathryn was.  She
did a lot of work with nanoprobes while we were on Voyager, and I'm
sure she'd do anything to help Seven."
	"You're right about that," Chakotay agreed.  "But I don't know
where she is.  Haven't heard from her for years now."
	"Yeah, she just seemed to vanish," Harry said.  "But nobody
has any clue what happened.  She didn't tell you anything?"
	"Not much."  He tried to remember.  It was a long time ago,
back before his marriage...  Ever since that moment on the bridge when
they watched the Federation fall, she had seemed different... cryptic.
Still, she had recruited Seven for some help with her project for a
while, so she'd likely help if she could for old times sake.
	"Any idea where she might have gone?" Harry asked once
Chakotay filled him in.
	"She didn't say.  Actually I think Seven did some work with
her; did you ask her?"
	"No.  I just couldn't bring myself to interrupt her; she
seemed to be doing well psychologically."
	"Well, I'm pretty sure Kathryn mentioned working with Seven.
I'd try her."
	"I'll do that," Harry said.
	"Anything else I can do to help?" Chakotay asked.
	"If so, I'll let you know," Harry promised.
	The connection terminated, but Chakotay was still standing in
front of it.  Old concerns started resurfacing, prodding at him.  He
had a life now; a farm and a loving wife, no one was trying to kill
him.  He'd help Seven, but, it wasn't his concern what was going on.
He'd done his part, he tried resisting.  They lost, he accepted it,
and with Jane at his side they'd moved on.
	So why was it so hard to sit back down?

	There were several things Harry had never expected to see in
his life.  The moon falling was one of them.  The surrender of the
Federation was another.  Watching Seven cry may not have been as
monumental, but it was certainly on the list.
	"Is this a bad time?" he asked, mentally kicking himself.  Of
course it's a bad time, stupid.  Harry Kim, master of the
understatement.
	"No," Seven said, wiping at her eyes.  "Come in, Harry."
	"I'll come back later," he said.
	"No!  I mean... I can really use the company right now."
	"You're sure?"
	"Christ, Harry, you need a kriffing invitation?"
	"Okay okay," he came over and sat down.  "It's still early,
but I really think you're going to pull through.  The data's all
positive believe me, there's nothing to worry about."
	She gave a little laugh.  It made Harry nervous; was she in
denial?  "I'm grateful, Harry," she said.  "It's just that right now
this disease is the furthest thing from my mind, except for making me
feel next to useless."  She filled him in on Sebastian's
disappearance.
	"Oh, Seven," he said.  "I'm really sorry."
	"Thanks."  She blew her nose.  "That's a name I haven't heard
in a while."
	"What's that?"
	"Seven," she said.  "It seems like it's been ages, almost like
a life I left behind.  It used to be such an anchor to what I was, to
an order that I was missing."  She laughed to herself.  "Now all I do
is create chaos for Luke."
	"So, Annika then?"
	"Whichever you prefer," she said.  "I'm not ashamed of what I
am.  Being Borg is what's keeping me alive."
	"Can't argue with that," Harry said.  "Speaking of old times,
Chakotay mentioned you might have worked with Kathryn?"  He gave a
brief description.
	Seven's face lighted up a little.  "Yes.  I remember what he's
talking about.  She had this idea for using hyperspace transporters
like they had on the Death Star.  We made some advances in its use.  I
thought it was a good way to make interstellar travel even easier, but
Kathryn started taking it into a different direction...  We stopped
working together some time ago.  Think I might still have some of my
prototypes but... I don't know what she ever did."
	"So you don't know where she is?"
	"Disappeared," Seven said.  "I always wondered if she'd tried
it out on herself and gone back in time; that was an application she
was particularly interested in.  Being able to undo our mistakes..."
She trailed off, growing more melancholy.  "Or give a warning."
	"They'll find him," Harry said.
	"I wish I could go," Seven said.  "I have a lot more
experience in investigation; I could do a great deal."
	"Like get yourself killed," Harry pointed out.  
	"Damn germs," Seven said sourly.  Harry could read her
expression; she wasn't used to be helpless, and here was the one thing
in the universe she most wanted to protect, and she was stuck here.
	"Look, why don't I help out?" Harry offered.  "Until we have
the nanoprobes I can't get any work done anyway, I might as well find
something useful to do."
	"Don't you have a real job?" Seven asked.  "I don't want you
to get fired."
	"Yeah, well, if Lando doesn't understand then I don't want to
work for him anyway."
	She smiled.  "Thanks Harry."  She took his hand.  A lifetime
ago that would've meant something different to him.  Now it was a sign
of appreciation to a friend.
	"He's as good as found," he assured her.

	Whatever problems Han had with Luke, the moment he heard about
Sebastian they were forgotten.  He checked on Jacen and Jaina,
confident they were safe from whatever had happened to his nephew.
With his own house in order he tackled the present problem.  "What
have the authorities learned?" he asked.
	"I spoke with the chief investigator in Sydney," Luke said.
"He said it looks like a classic transporter abduction."
	"They have the ship?" Han asked.
	"No," Luke said.  "They couldn't find any ships within range
at that time."
	"Makes sense," Han said.  "Who's going to try anything there
with the Emperor's escort in orbit.  But it doesn't explain how he
could have been transported out, unless there's a hidden ground
facility."
	Harry was at one of the terminals, checking out the reports
for any important details.  He stopped as Luke and Han continued
discussing the fleet.  "I think I know what happened," he said.
	"What?" Luke asked, coming over to the terminal with Han.
	"They used the planetary network to disguise the beam-out.
Instead of going straight through to Sebastian, they passed it through
the buffers in several key places to disguise the real source of the
transport."
	"How do you know about that?" Han asked.
	"It's a smuggling trick B'Elanna and I came up with," Harry
said.  "I hope that will stay confidential."
	"You could confess to blowing up Alderaan and I'd give you a
pardon," Han said.  "Can you trace it?"
	"Maybe."  Harry started scanning the transporter records.
"Uh-huh.  Yup, very sophisticated.  This wasn't some smuggler; they
knew all the tricks."  He gave one final tap and a ship appeared in
the small display, expanding to fill the main one.
	"A cargo ship," Luke said.  "Can you get the markings?"
	"Sure, but they're probably faked," Harry said.  He zoomed in
and took a closer look, then did a double-take.  "Oh no."
	"What?" Han asked.
	"I'm afraid I know who this ship belongs to," Harry said. "But
I'm not sure you're going to like it."

	Ben Sisko waited, aware for the first time in a long while of
who he really was.  The veil he wore out of necessity, the one that
ensured that no one would suspect he wasn't really the Emperor, was
only removed in the most extreme circumstances.  He had decided that
the Jedi's acceptance would be one, to let them know what they would
be fighting for.  He was happy that they still retained their optimism
about the future, even though they were now more aware of the paths
they would take and the trials they would face.  He'd known how strong
they would be.  But he still had one more job to perform, if only he
had the time.
	"I'm sorry, Ben," Leia said, "Luke's got so much going on with
Annika's illness and Sebastian's disappearance, I doubt he could find
it in him to drop everything and come here."
	"He'd refuse a summon from his emperor?" Ben said in jest.  "I
suppose I can understand.  Losing a wife and a child are the two worst
things a man can experience."  He took a deep breath.  "I wish he
would come.  I had so much to share with him."
	"Perhaps another time?" Leia suggested.
	"No," Ben said.  "Every time the veil is removed it's that
much harder to restore it.  I dare not; we must keep it in place
unless absolutely necessary."  He drummed his fingers on his makeshift
throne.  "I need you to tell him some things," he said finally.  
	"Of course, what is it?" Leia asked.
	"First, tell him this: 'When the time comes, when your son
needs you, you'll be there to save him.'"
	"I'll do that," Leia promised.  "Anything else?"
	"A warning.  Tell him, when his son tempts him he must resist,
or Unity will be undone."

	When Quark told him he had visitors, Lando expected trouble.
He expected the authorities or Garak's people to deal with him for
good.  He even expected a mob of people demanding he pay for the near
disaster he was an unwitting party to.  What he hadn't expected was
the trio that waited for him at the bar.
	"Well, well," he said with a grin, "there's a sight I haven't
seen in a while.  Welcome back to the Alpha Quad-"  He cut short as
Han stepped forward and held up a datapad.  
	Lando could sense a barely restrained rage as Han held it
closer, and it permeated his voice as he asked, "What's this?"
	"It's... a cargo ship," Lando said finally after looking at
the image.
	"One of yours, Lando," Harry said from over at the bar.  "The
markings are forged, but it's yours."
	"Could be," Lando admitted.  "Why, what's wrong."  He jerked
as Han grabbed his shirt and dragged him an inch from his face.
	"This ship kidnapped a close member of the family," Han said,
his voice shaking.  "Sebastian Skywalker."
	"Sebastian?"
	"Where is he?" Han demanded.
	"I don't-"  Lando was cut off as Han yanked and pressed him
against the bar.
	"It's your ship," Harry said again.  "You should know what it
was up to."
	"I have no idea what happened," Lando said, a remark that was
greeted with a punch to his abdomen.  "I don't know about any
kidnapping!"
	"Han," Luke said, "let him go."
	The Corellian turned and scowled at him.  "Don't be naive;
he's lying."  He turned back to Lando with hate burning in his eyes.
"You know something.  Talk!"
	"Let him go," Luke repeated, putting his hand on Han's
shoulder.  He tried to shrug it off, but Luke finally yanked, pulling
him away.  Their eyes locked, and Lando could feel the temperature
drop.
	"All right," Han said finally, "play it your way.  It's not as
if you actually have any feelings for Sebastian."
	Luke's gaze finally turned from Han to Lando, and he suddenly
felt like crawling behind the bar and hiding.  "Where is he?" Luke
asked in the coldest voice he'd ever heard.
	"I don't know," he repeated.  Han started to move towards him
but Luke held up his hand to stop him.
	"He's telling the truth," he said.  "But you do know
something.  I can practically smell your guilt."
	"I- Luke if I'd known what Garak was going to do-"
	"Garak?!" Harry shouted.  "After what he tried to do you
cooperated with him?"
	"I didn't want to," Lando insisted.  "But we're joined at the
hip now.  I tried to leave, but it's just impossible.  I'd have lost
everything otherwise."
	"So you helped him kidnap family," Han rumbled.  "Nice to know
where your priorities lie."
	"I had no-"  He stopped and closed his eyes.  He couldn't
believe this was happening.  "I had no choice."
	He looked up and saw the look of contempt in Han's eyes.  "So
you sold us out again."
	"Hey," Lando shouted, "don't you talk to me about selling out!
I didn't jump ship when the going got tough!  I didn't abandon the
rebellion and go live in a mansion on the Emperor's private paradise
planet.  I stuck with the cause.  YOU sold out!"
	"Enough!" Luke shouted, bringing the room to a complete
silence.  "Where is Garak?"
	"I don't know," Lando said.  "And even if I did, he'd never
see you.  I think he's afraid of you."
	Luke's cold blue eyes dug into him.  "He should be."
	"Garak wouldn't be able to help you," Quark said, speaking for
the first time.  "The ship's headed for the Delta Quadrant,
destination unknown."
	"How do you know that?" Harry asked.
	"You think I just tend the bar?" Quark asked with a shake of
his head.  "I help keep a handle on the day-to-day runnings of the
business.  The ship's following a series of transmission bursts to
deliver the boy to someone else.  No destination, just a bunch of
little trips until they make the exchange."
	"Where's the ship?" Luke asked.
	"They removed the homing beacon," Quark said.  "And they're
not responding to messages.  I haven't the faintest idea."
	"Who is he giving him to?"
	"Never said," Quark replied.  "He tell you?"
	"No," Lando said.  He wilted under Luke's gaze.  "Okay, but I
have a feeling I know who.  Garak's been dealing alot with a guy named
Nom Anor."
	"Who is he?" Han asked.
	"We don't know," Lando said.  "There's almost nothing about
him in the records."
	"And you did business with him?" Harry said in disbelief.
	"I introduced him to Garak, that's all."
	"That's the same thing," Harry said.  "I thought we could
trust your judgment.  Guess B'Elanna and I were wrong."
	Lando looked over to Harry.  "Who do you think modified the
ship?" he asked.  "Do you think Garak's rebels could set up a trap for
a Jedi?"
	"Don't try that with me," Harry warned.  "You know B'Elanna
would never do something like that."
	"She's done this kind of work for Garak for years," Lando
said.  "Don't you see, Harry?  How many people throughout the company
work for Garak?  Even you've done-"
	"I never hurt anyone," Harry said quickly.  "No killing, no
kidnapping.  And B'Elanna wouldn't either."
	"Things change Harry."  Lando slumped his shoulders.  "We all
change."

	At the best of times, B'Elanna Torres tolerated Cardassians.
It wasn't anything racial, just the legacy of the Maquis that found
letting go of hatred difficult.  Thanks to their Dominion friends,
they had killed almost everyone she cared for.  Almost everyone, she
thought, but not everyone.  
	Oh Tom.
	It was nearly twenty years now since he'd been killed,
murdered by the Empire to cover their tracks.  He wasn't even a person
to them, just an inconvenience that needed to be removed.  One more
victim of their insatiable drive for conquest and power.  Compared to
that, even Cardassians were pleasant company.  
	She'd done many things over the years since the conquest,
things she wasn't proud of.  But the Maquis had hardened her;
sometimes you had to do the wrong thing, the hard thing, for the
greater good.  A conscience was a luxury she couldn't afford.
	Despite this sentiment, even B'Elanna had a hard time
accepting what she was doing.  Sebastian wasn't a random face; he was
the son of her former shipmate, someone who had fought alongside her,
who had resisted the Empire.  He was still just a teenager... if Seven
knew what she'd done that Borg calm would be gone at Warp 9.  But
however dirty and reprehensible the job was, it had to be done.  Garak
said it needed to be done to cement relations with their ally, someone
who could maybe help turn the tide against the Empire.  Compared to
that, anyone's life was insignificant.
	She took another look at the readings.  They couldn't be too
careful with him, child or no.  She'd watched on the camera when they
caught him; a simple enough maneuver.  The room they beamed him into
was filled with a sleep agent, and she'd installed multiple stun rays
along the walls and ceilings.  There was no way he could escape, and
still... he'd managed to last four seconds before being hit by one of
the beams, but it was a very active four seconds.  He had leapt and
swung, twisting and bouncing off the walls, all while holding his
breath!  For a moment she'd actually worried that he might last long
enough to find a way out, but fortunately even he couldn't avoid every
hit.  Once the first had found its mark he was slowed down enough for
the rest to do their job.  And now, encased in a stasis field and
pumped full of drugs - a redundancy Torres had insisted upon - he lay
mercifully unconscious, oblivious of his fate.
	The final check complete, she nodded to the Cardassian
commander.  She was beamed down to the planet along with several
guards and the case holding Sebastian Skywalker.  A group of humans
were waiting.  Brief words were exchanged to confirm this wasn't a
trap.  "This is him?" the lead asked.
	"Yes," B'Elanna said.  "He's to be given to Nom Anor on behalf
of Elim Garak."
	"Nom Anor has been detained," the human replied.  "I am Kro
Thrasis.  We will take him, with thanks to Elim Garak."
	"Very well," B'Elanna said.  "I warn you not to release him
until you are prepared to deal with him.  He was not easy to catch."
	"Perhaps," Thrasis said.  "But we will take every precaution
to ensure his fate doesn't trace back to you."
	B'Elanna nodded, then activated the communicator.  As she was
transported away she hoped that the absence of Sebastian Skywalker
would ease her mind.  She wasn't optimistic.

	Kro Thrasis waited until the Cardassian ship was gone, then
removed his masquer.  The pain was delicious, a perfect appetizer for
the work to come.  "Bring the young one," he told the subordinate
Vong.  "The yammosk will be very interested in him."
	Inside the case, Sebastian Skywalker lay flooded with drugs
while energy beams interfered with his biological processes.  Still,
deep in the tiny part of his mind that was still aware, that tiny
splinter of consciousness, a fear grew as echoing words filled his
world endlessly.
	"They're going to take it all away from you."


CHAPTER X

	The creature bore a passing resemblance to a squid, in the
same way that a shark bore a passing resemblance to a goldfish.  It
towered above the gathered crowd of the Vong, and over Sebastian as
well.  Its long tentacles slithered in every direction along the icy
walls.  Its horrible face was growing, its bulbous eyes, gaping maw,
and terrifying tooth filling the young Jedi with fear.  They called it
the yammosk, the war coordinator.  The simpler word was the most
accurate, the one that stayed with everyone despite their years from
visions of childhood: monster.
	He was powerless in its grip.  His mind was battered with its
own, amplifying his fear until the terror saturated his body.  Its
mouth was open, jaw already working to consume him.  He couldn't look
away, and his body was paralyzed.  He saw the maw grow until blackness
overcame him, but not unconsciousness.  He could feel his head was in
its mouth, just about to bite it off like a grisly animal cracker.
Then he was pulled back out and turned around.  Feet first.  The idea
slipped into his mind from the yammosk; let him be alive for the
ordeal.  He didn't deserve a quick death.  He was unworthy.
	His legs slid into the mouth up to his knees.  Primal
instincts caused him to kick violently, but the mouth closed, the
great tooth pinning them in place.  It gave him a moment to
anticipate; just a little more pressure to scissor them off, and the
tasty treats would be its.  Then onward up the legs, then the arms,
one at a time, each succulent one enjoyed before moving on to the next
tasty part.  Only then, when he had been picked apart would it finish
the job, when it would finally just devour the rest.  A fine treat for
the war coordinator, filling Sebastian's only useful purpose in life.
There was no other fate he deserved.
	The next thing he knew he was flying through the air, then
landing on the packed ice floor and skidding to a halt.  He was alive
and whole, like the time before, and the time before that.  But
knowing that didn't make it any less terrifying.  The Vong continued
to chant at him as he lay, prone and crying.  "Unworthy!"
	Some of the Vong grabbed him and pulled him to his feet.  He
tried to shrug them off but couldn't find the strength.  They dragged
him forward, the crowd of jeering Vong parting before him, never
missing a chance to mock his weakness.  They stopped as the crowd
broke, and Sebastian's eye's widened in shock.  "Dad?"
	"What's happened to you?" Luke said with a shake of his head.
"How can you give in to fear like this?  You, a Jedi?"  He looked at
Sebastian with pity and disgust.  "How can you be so weak?"
	The words cut him deeper than any the Vong had said.  "Father,
please..."
	"Please what?" Luke demanded, stepping closer.  "Help you? Why
should I bother?"  His contempt was unmistakable.  "You were supposed
to be strong.  You shouldn't need my help."
	"I can't fight them!" he wailed.  The overwhelming emotions
from the Vong drove reason from his mind.  He couldn't see through any
of their illusions, as transparent as they might be.  The rejection
was so real to him, because it was something he'd always feared.
	"Oh please," Luke said with disgust.  "You're supposed to be a
Jedi!  Act like it!"
	"I don't want to be a Jedi," Sebastian sobbed.  "I just wanna
go home!"
	Luke scowled at him.  "They're right," his voice pierced
Sebastian's soul.  "You are unworthy."
	"Please, father!"
	"What kind of man are you?!" Luke bellowed at him.  "I fought
the Empire for years and I never allowed them to capture me.  I am a
Jedi; we are above such limitations.  But not you.  A weak, pitiful
child.  I'm ashamed you bear my name."
	The Vong released him and he fell to the floor.  Sebastian
didn't even have the strength to look up, instead lying there as the
Vong continued to jeer him, his father joining in.  "Unworthy!
Unworthy!"
	"Leave him alone."
	The voices stopped.  Sebastian looked up and the Vong were
gone.  His father still looked down on him with scorn, but he was
surprised to see his mother approach.  "Don't hurt him any more," she
pleaded to Luke.
	"He's unworthy," his father replied with contempt.
	"Maybe so," Annika said.  "But he's your son."
	Luke's scowl faded into a smile.  "I suppose you're right," he
said, offering a hand to Sebastian.  "You are still my son."
	"And we're a family again," Annika said, giving Sebastian a
kiss on the cheek and a strong hug.  "Nothing can stand in the way of
our happiness."
	"You're right," Luke said, putting his arm around Sebastian.
"Things will always be warm and joyful and safe when we're together."
	Annika smiled brightly in the warmth of the family's love.
Suddenly the smile vanished.  "Oh no," she whispered.
	"The disease," Luke said in horror.  "Oh my God!"
	"Mom?" Sebastian said in fear as she began to emaciate.
	She turned to Sebastian with terror.  "Help me!" she pleaded.
"Help me, please!"
	"How?" he asked quickly.
	"Don't waste time with questions," Luke chastised.  "Help
her!"
	"I don't know how!" he cried.
	"Please, Sebastian," she pleaded as she continued to whither
before his eyes.  "Help me."
	"Do something!" Luke screamed.
	Sebastian took her hand, hoping a solution would come to him.
He was horrified to watch the limb come off in his grip, then crumble
to powder.  Her screams filled his ears as she finally began
collapsing in on herself, falling to the floor in a pile of dust and
bone.
	"Now look what you've done!" Luke cried.  "You let her die!"
	Sebastian was kneeling over the ashes, crying as he felt all
the hope give way to despair.  "I couldn't..."  He stopped; there was
nothing he could say.
	"That's because you're weak!" Luke shouted at him.  "Weak and
pathetic.  And all we had, all our love and happiness, is gone BECAUSE
OF YOU!"  
	"I'm sorrrreeee...." he wailed.  "Oh, momma..."
	"She can't hear you any more," Luke said.  "You killed her!
Your feebleness let her die!"
	"I'm s-so sorry..."  Sebastian ran his hands through the pile
as if to embrace all he had left.
	"You should be!" Luke shouted.  "Because it's ALL YOUR FAULT!"
	"I'm sorry, father," Sebastian wailed.
	"Don't call me that," Luke scowled.  "You're no son of mine!"
	A strong wind came up and blew the dust away.  Sand came and
blasted at the bones, eroding them until they too had faded into
nothing.  When the wind stopped Sebastian was alone, abandoned,
helpless.
	Out of nowhere two Vong soldiers grabbed his arms and lifted
him off the ground.  He didn't have the strength to resist.  They
dragged him back into the ice chamber, the sound of the screaming
multitudes drowning out everything.  They tossed him forward into the
waiting grip of the looming yammosk.  "Failure," it echoed in his
mind.  "Unworthy failure."
	Sebastian's grief gave way to terror as it pulled him under
the water and towards its waiting mouth.  The jaw was already in
motion, ready to consume the tiny morsel.  Food was all he was good
for, that maybe someone else could gain strength from consuming him,
strength that he could never show.  He deserved this fate.  Any mercy
would be a waste upon someone so useless and impotent.  Better to put
him out of his misery than let him continue to live like the pathetic
creature he was.
	The landing on the ice was harder than the last time, the pain
as jolting as the realization that he was still alive.  The Vong
anthem continued.  "Unworthy!  Unworthy!"  The voices flowed together,
became more uniform and even.  Finally they reached a common,
chant-like quality, deep and resonant.  "Unworthy," the trillions of
voices said as one.
	Sebastian was pulled shakily to his feet.  He looked up,
expecting to see another of the Vong, but the face that was there was
far more horrifying than their mutilated visage.  "Agreed," said 7 of
9.  "It is unworthy of assimilation."
	"Mother-" he said in horror.
	7 of 9 punched him with the back of her fist.  "You will
remain silent, Zero."  He rubbed his jaw as she communicated with the
collective.  "Agreed," she said after some time.  "It is unfit for any
service to the collective.  Biological distinctiveness is
unremarkable.  Cannibalize it for parts; that is all it is good for."
	"Mother-" he began again, and received the same punishment.
Drones grabbed his limbs, and he couldn't resist.  He grew even more
confused as his father entered, standing next to 7 of 9.  "I'm sorry,"
Luke said to 7 of 9.  "It's my fault that he's so puny and helpless."
	"We will correct our error," 7 of 9 said.  "I've drawn up
schematics for our new son.  Rest assured that he will not be a
disappointment as this one was."
	"Yes," Luke said.  "I can't see how he could be as
disappointing as this one was."
	"Strip him for parts," 7 of 9 said.  
	"The sooner the better," Luke agreed.
	"I don't want any reminders of this," she looked at Sebastian
with contempt, "mistake."
	The Borg dragged him off.  As they continued their united
voice repeated the message: "Unworthy!"  They dropped him onto a
table, ripping off his clothes.  They began to make marks on his skin
where they would cut.  A piece here, a piece there, every part marked
and catalogued and assigned its place for use by some other, more
worthy drone.  There was a series of high-pitched squeals as the Borg
pulled out small hand-held saws to begin his dismemberment.  He
struggled but their grip was unyielding.  
	A small part of Sebastian's mind recognized what was going on.
It was all just a trick the Vong were playing, trying to tear down his
mental defenses and break his will.  The Borg would never dismember
him, any more than the yammosk would actually consume him.  It was a
ploy, one he had to resist.  
	That voice, however, was drowned out by the voice of the
yammosk as it dragged him towards its salivating mouth.  This time was
no trick.  This time it would eat him, and slowly too.  He couldn't
resist, it said.  He was too small and helpless.  A tentacle grabbed
his right arm and pulled it taut, then pushed the extended limb into
its waiting maw.  The great tooth came down and Sebastian screamed.
	This time he rolled to a stop on the ice.  His arm showed a
welt wear the tooth had pressed hard against his limb, but not
actually shearing it off this time.  This time, the voice of the
yammosk echoed.  The Vong continued to shout at him as he rubbed his
limb, sobbing.  "Why are you doing this to me?!" he screamed.  They
continued even louder.
	"How come you never told me you loved me?" Jorri asked.
Sebastian didn't answer; he just cradled his limb.  "All those times
out on the bluffs," she continued.  "You wanted to run your fingers
through my hair, but you never did.  To taste my lips with your own.
All the times I saw the way you looked at my body, hoping you would
act on your desires, and every time you disappointed me.  You didn't
even come away with me to the Academy."  She closed her eyes and shook
her head.  "What's wrong with you?  Why didn't you have the courage to
admit how you felt?"
	"I-"  He faltered.  She responded with scorn.
	"Yeah, no answer.  How long did I keep throwing myself at you?
Well, I'm not waiting forever.  There's plenty more men at the Academy
that are willing to give me what you were afraid to.  Real men, not
little boys like you.
	"You were afraid of me," she continued.  "Because of your
parents; you were afraid that caring about someone like that would be
dangerous."  Sebastian couldn't bring himself to look at her.  "You
gave me up because you were too gutless."
	"I didn't want to hurt you," Sebastian said.
	"You didn't want ME to hurt YOU!" she shouted.  "You couldn't
bear the thought of attaching yourself to someone you could lose, so
you just never bothered.  You didn't care that I wanted you; you were
only thinking of yourself!"  She struck him with her fists.  "You
don't deserve someone like me!  I need someone who can be strong for
me; you can't even be strong enough for yourself!"
	Jorri grabbed onto him and pushed him into the water.  He
kicked futilely as the tentacles of the yammosk surrounded him,
dragging him towards its maw.  All you ever do is disappoint, came the
thought.  They'll all be better off with you gone, without having to
support the vulnerable, cowardly little boy that you are.  You fill
their lives with grief, hurt them because of your own failings.  A
disappointment.  Unworthy.
	Sebastian landed solidly on the ice this time, wincing with
the pain.  The Vong were shouting at him still, but their faces
changed to ones he recognized.
	"You were supposed to be a Jedi," Luke said with a shake of
his head.  "What's wrong?  Why are you such a failure?"
	"I never should have had a child," Annika said.  "It hurts me
so to see what a disappointment you are.  Better you were never born."
	"You were supposed to lead our people," Ben said.  "How could
you let this happen?"
	"I thought you weren't afraid of anything," Jorri said.  "I
should have known better.  You're a coward."
	"We were wrong," Jaina said.  "He's the weak one.  He's the
one holding us back."
	"He's not good enough to be a Jedi," Jacen said.  "He's
afraid.  It makes him the feeble thing he is.  A real Jedi doesn't
feel fear."
	"Yes," Jaina said.  "Look at him trembling."
	"You were supposed to be strong!" Jorri said.
	"You were supposed to be a hero," Luke said.
	"You were supposed to be a good son," Annika said.
	"I must have been wrong," Ben said.  "It must have been
someone else."
	"Yes," Jaina said.  "Someone else."
	"Not him," Jacen agreed.  "Someone who wasn't weak."
	"Delicate," Jorri said.
	"Vulnerable," Annika said.
	"Fragile," Luke said.
	"Where did I go wrong?" Annika asked.
	"It's not your fault," Luke said.  "He was destined to fall
short.  He can't live up to what we've done."
	"Yes," Annika said.  "I suppose you're right."
	"I regret the day he was born," Luke said.  "Destroying our
perfect world."
	"All the love we tried to show him," Annika said.  "It was all
a waste."
	"I shouldn't have even bothered trying," Luke said.  "You
can't train someone as cowardly as him."
	"It sickens me to look at him," Annika said.  "How could we
have made such a mistake?"
	"I guess we just didn't want to admit that he was this
hopeless."  He shook his head.  "We should have known better."
	"I wish we could undo this error," Annika said.
	"Let's let him die," Luke said.  "It would be kinder than this
meaningless existence."
	"Yes.  We'll have another son, a strong one.  A champion he
could never have been."
	"But first we need to dispose of the refuse that he is."
Sebastian felt the tentacles wrap around his body again.  "Let him
serve at least some purpose in his death.  It's far more than he could
ever have done in life."
	"Please," Sebastian wailed as he was dragged towards the
water.  "Please help me!"
	"It's all my fault," Annika repeated, "because I never really
loved him."
	"Neither did I," Luke said.  "But how could you love someone
like that..."
	"Someone so selfish," Jorri said.
	"So lacking in ambition," Jaina said.
	"Incapable of succeeding at the simplest thing," Ben agreed.
	"Unworthy!" they screamed at him as he was pulled under the
water towards the mouth of the yammosk.  This time, this time it was
going to finish the job.  This time it would grind him to pieces.  He
deserved nothing less.

	The boy was strong, Kro Thrasis observed.  Three weeks and his
will still held on, even if only by its metaphorical fingertips.  He
pondered as they tossed the unconscious body of Sebastian Skywalker
into the makeshift cell.  Maybe tomorrow, he thought.  He can't
withstand them forever.



CHAPTER XI

	In her sickbed on Earth, Annika Hansen Skywalker lay in quiet
dread.  Her hope that Luke would find Sebastian was contrasted by the
fear of what the boy was going through.  They'd made many powerful
enemies over the years, and in her darker moments her mind conjured up
images of torment that threatened to drive her from her bed and seek
him out.  It was pointless of course; Luke was turning over every
stone he could, pulling in every old favor he had to find him.  At the
moment he was focused on finding Sebastian; if she left the hospital
it would only serve as a distraction from that goal.  That didn't make
it any easier to accept, but it kept her in bed.
	She put down the book she'd been reading as the nurse entered
to check her progress.  Oddly, she wore a mask used to prevent the
passing of infection.  "I thought I wasn't contagious," Annika
remarked as the nurse started downloading the bioscans into a datapad.
	"Just a precaution," the nurse replied.  She pulled out a
medical tricorder and began running it over Annika.
	"Is something wrong?" Annika asked after a few seconds.  This
was out of the ordinary; any change in routine the Doctor would have
mentioned.  
	"No," the nurse replied without looking at her.  "The Doctor
just wants to make sure the instruments are accurate."
	It didn't feel quite right.  "Where is the Doctor?" she asked.
	"On his rounds."
	"I'd like to speak to him."
	"Certainly, as soon as your scan's complete."
	Annika wanted to argue, but she was starting to feel
light-headed.  She grabbed the bedrail to maintain her balance.  "I
need to see him now," she said.
	"I'll page him as soon as I'm done, Seven," the nurse said
with reassurance.
	Her eyelids dipped as she felt her strength oozing.  Getting
tired, she thought.  Hope it's not... not too...
	Seven?
	"Who are you?" Annika asked, becoming a bit more alert.  The
nurse stopped her scan for a moment, then continued.  Annika grabbed
her hand and, despite the disease, forced her to drop the tricorder.
"Answer me!" she demanded.
	"Just relax," the nurse replied.  She fought as Annika grabbed
her mask and pulled it off.  
	Annika's eyes widened in disbelief, her grip weakening.
"Wh-what are you doing here?" she asked, her voice shaking.  The world
faded to blackness.

	She pulled the hypospray away from Seven's neck.  Quickly she
removed the empty container and inserted another, discharging that
into the sleeping Borg as well.  She scooped up her tricorder and
slipped out.  A quick change of clothes thanks to a holoprojector and
she was as good as gone.
	"Did everything work out?" one of the cowled men asked as she
verified her identity at their makeshift operations center.
	"Yes," she said, retrieving her own cloak.  "But she's as
clever as she's always been."
	"She figured out what you were doing?" he asked with horror.
	"Worse, she figured out who I was."  Before he could react she
held up a hand.  "I gave her the hypospray; it should prevent her
short-term memories from passing into long-term storage.  She'll
remember nothing."
	"But if it doesn't work-" he began.
	"Then it doesn't work," she replied.  "Worrying about it will
not change its outcome."
	"I said it was a risk," he pointed out.
	"And you know we had to do it regardless," she fired back.
"The abduction wasn't anticipated, which means a change of plans.  If
we're discovered we'll change them again.  And again if need be, until
we have succeeded.  Now, no more on the subject, just your report."
	The man was silent for several seconds.  "Luke Skywalker has
struck out on his own to search for his son," he said finally.  "His
associates are working on tracking down any leads, but there has been
little.  Skywalker's been crossing the Delta Quadrant in an expanding
search pattern."
	"He's hoping to find the boy?" she asked.  "The probability of
success is almost nil.  And why the Delta Quadrant?"
	"We don't know," he replied.  "Perhaps he's desperate."
	"Well, after today's efforts he will be even more desperate."
She mulled it over.  "Have our agents located Sebastian Skywalker?"
	"Not yet, but they're close."
	"Good.  Make this our top priority.  That information could be
invaluable if our gambit fails."

	Innumerable species across millions of worlds made up the vast
Empire.  They varied in every conceivable way, from body structure to
elemental composition, from language to social interaction.  But one
of the most common threads amongst them all was a desire for a dark,
out of the way place to be served drinks.  The one on Katholia II was
no different than any Luke had seen throughout his life.  The
atmosphere was less smoky than some and no music played, but there was
the smell of restrained malice in the air.  It didn't matter; the only
fear in Luke's heart was for his wife and son.  Death himself wouldn't
have even raised his heartbeat; but it wasn't Death that stepped up to
the bar next to him.  It was something much less friendly.
	"Tantholian Lager," a rumbling voice announced from above.  A
thumb the size of a lightsaber gestured at Luke.  "He's buying."
	Luke turned and looked up to the face that loomed over two
meters above the floor.  The conversations came to a halt as the pair
stared unblinking at one another.  "You're a hard man to find," Luke
finally said, his eyes never moving.
	"I like it that way," Kalib said, scooping up the mug as if it
were a shotglass.  "The less people find me, the less I have to deal
with the stupid."  He downed the mug.  "You haven't lost your touch,"
he said as he pushed the mug back towards the bartender.  "Most people
can't get through my cloak."
	"I'm not most people," Luke remarked, taking a drink of his
own.
	Kalib gave a small laugh.  "Nope.  Touched seldom are."  He
took the refilled mug and pointed Luke to a booth.  "So the vision was
true," he remarked as they sat down.  "Only it was the woman, not
you."
	"Annika did it," Luke confirmed.  "From getting them in to
destroying the Borg, she did it all."
	"Good.  Always preferred women who get their hands dirty."  He
took it easier with his second glass.  "So what did you want?"
	"What you trade in," Luke said.  "Information."
	"You've gotta do better than that," Kalib said.  "Just because
I live forever doesn't mean I've got time to waste."
	"My son was kidnapped," Luke said.  "I need to find him."
	"That's a little too specific," Kalib said.  "I'm not omni-"
	"Yo, move it," came a voice.  Luke looked and saw a group of
five aliens; young, tough from the looks.  He could sense their
belligerence; they had serious problems with authority too.  If they
recognized him, it might mean trouble.
	Kalib gave them a look like they'd just spat in his drink.
"You interrupted me."  His tone implied it was a cardinal sin.
	"That's our booth, fat man," the leader of the gang remarked.
"Go waddle along someplace else."
	Kalib looked back to Luke.  "Fat?" he said as if he'd just
been called "shorty."  He returned his attention to the group. "You're
lucky he's here or I'd tear your arm off of and stick it up your ass."
	"Big talk."
	"Uh, no, he means it," Luke said.  "Kalib's not one to use
metaphors."
	"Shut up, old man."  Now it was Luke's turn to look at Kalib
in surprise.
	"Parents always said it'd make you go blind," Kalib said.
"Look twerps, shove off.  I've got business to take care of."
	"Maybe we should-" Luke said, trying to play the Jedi
peacemaker.  It was like trying to negotiate with an earthquake.
	"I'm not moving," Kalib said.  "I'm... comfortable.  Now, what
were we talking about?"  He stopped as a small blaster was pressed
against the side of his head.  "Didn't your mother tell you it's not
polite to interrupt the grown-ups?"
	"One last time," the leader said, "move it or we'll drag you
out."
	"Then again," Kalib said, "your mother didn't seem too
interested in manners when I was with her."
	The blaster fired.  Kalib wore the most annoyed frown Luke had
ever seen, a bare spot burned into his beard where the blaster had
struck.  "Not very nice," he remarked, reaching for one of his knives.
	"No," Luke said forcefully.  
	Kalib scowled, but after a few seconds relented.  Most of the
gang had already turned tail when the weapon did nothing more than
give him a bad haircut.  "Like I was saying," he continued, "I don't
specialize that way.  I can't help you."
	"But I think you might be able to point me in the right
direction," Luke said.
	"Maybe.  Depends.  Got anything-" he stopped in mid-sentence.
The gang leader had picked up a stool and struck Kalib over the head
with it, leaving a large dent in the durastele.  Kalib held up a
finger.  "'Scuse me," he rumbled, "I've got something in my eye."  An
arm the size of Luke's waist reached out, snatched the punk, and
tossed him across the bar into the wall.  "There, it's gone."
	"Elim Garak kidnapped him," Luke said, ignoring the display,
"but traded him off to someone else.  Who is he dealing with that'd
want to get to me?"
	Kalib shrugged.  "You're working for the Empire now," he
pointed out.  "Lots of people wouldn't mind a piece of your hide for
that alone."
	  "But this is different," Luke said.  "Garak had access to
the same weapon used to destroy Sernpidal.  I investigated that
system, and I know something odd's been going on in that part of
space.  I doubt this is a coincidence."
	"I don't know," Kalib said.  "Maybe they'd go after you, maybe
not.  Depends on how big of a threat you are."
	"So you know who they are."
	"I don't know if they're the ones who took your kid, but if
it's who you think, you're gonna wish I was wrong."
	"Who are they?" Luke asked.
	"Uh-uh, this is an information exchange, remember?  No
freebies."
	"What do you want?" Luke asked.
	"What have you got?"
	Luke stopped.  He couldn't betray Imperial secrets for
personal information, and Kalib would scoff at any technology he
offered.  "This is personal information I'm looking for," Luke said.
"How about personal information in exchange?"
	"I don't care about the details of your private life.  I'm a
broker, not a voyeur."
	"This secret," Luke said, "is so private I haven't told
anyone, but could prove useful.  Could even be used against me.  But
if it helps me find my boy I'll risk it."
	"Let's hear it," Kalib said.  "I'll give you what I think it's
worth."
	Luke wet his lips.  He thought of Sebastian, trapped and at
the mercies of some alien.  It gave him the motivation to say the
words.  "Since my... return," he said, referring to the conquest of
his dark side, "I've heard the whispered voice of the Dark side trying
to call me back.  I resisted.  Since the fall of Bastion I haven't
heard it since."
	"Fascinating," Kalib said with boredom.
	"I'm not finished.  Since I used the Force to stop Earth's
moon from falling I've heard it again.  Deep inside, like a rattling
of chains, trying to claw its way out again.  Even after all this time
I'm still not truly rid of the taint of my decision.  And..."  He
couldn't look up at him.  "If I lose either of them, him to their
hands, her to this disease, I doubt there's enough will in me left to
stop it."
	"My heart bleeds," Kalib said.  Luke looked up at him with
piercing eyes.  Kalib shrugged.  "But you took out the Borg, or helped
anyway.  I'll cut you a deal for that."  He cracked his neck.  "Ever
heard of the Yuuzhan Vong?"
	"No," Luke said.
	"Nasty piece of work, them.  Aliens from outside both our
galaxies, warriors like nothin' you've seen before.  Tough, strong,
quick, merciless, and without fear.  They've been scouting out the
galaxies for decades, prepping for a full-scale invasion."
	"When?" Luke asked.
	"Already started.  Claimed an area of space; they're already
terraforming the planets to suit their needs.  That's the way they
work, see?  They're ecology nuts of the highest sort; only
biotechnology, nothing else."
	"They're preparing to expand?"
	"They're preparing for total conquest.  Look, these guys
weren't ready for the political winds to shift like they did.  They
expected to be going against the New Republic first, then to mop up
everyone in the Milky Way.  Instead the Empire wins it all, and
because of their heavy duty military machine, the Vong don't have a
chance unless they take steps."
	"Like growing more weapons," Luke said, understanding.
	"More than that.  They've had scouts going around making
trouble for a while now.  They've been fostering dozens of tiny
rebellions all over the place to help wear down morale and spread out
the military.  But this new guy, he's gotten pretty ambitious." 
	"What's his name?"
	"Don't know, he uses too many aliases.  But he's gotten
involved in a lot of larger stuff.  I'm sure he gave the weapon to the
Cardassians, hoping that they could score a major hit against the
Empire.  If you got in the way of that plan, he might have been pretty
ticked at you."
	"Get revenge on me by... by killing Sebastian."
	"Not sure it's revenge," Kalib said.  "They could've just
killed him when they took him and left the body.  And they obviously
didn't contact you about a ransom or to goad you or nothin'.  More
likely, they want you to do precisely what you're doing:  look for
him."
	"Why?"
	"Maybe it's to lure you into a trap.  Maybe it's to keep you
busy so you can't interfere again.  But this guy, whoever he is, is
sharp.  He knows just how people think.  I'm betting that whatever
you're doing is what he wanted all along."
	"Well, even if it's true, I can't stop looking."
	"It's your choice," he said, getting up.  "But if I were you,
I'd get some help.  Someone he wouldn't think you'd turn to."
	"Someone like you?" Luke said.
	"I'm not a mercenary or an errand boy," he said.  "But I'll
help you with this: you're not the only one looking for the kid."
	"Who else is?"
	"Open your eyes, Jedi, you'll figure it out."  Kalib lumbered
out as Luke mulled everything over.  Kalib was different, but
trustworthy for the most part.  This information was probably genuine.
	Although, Luke thought, we'd probably be better off if it
wasn't.

	"The Borg," Gen. Taar said loudly, a bit of contempt showing
in his voice.  Images of walking drones and cubes appeared behind him
as he began the lecture.  "Tell me about them.  Mr. Paulson."
	Brian sat up a little straighter.  "The Borg are a cybernetic
race that existed in a hive-like collective.  They existed solely to
expand their biological and technological diversity with advanced
forms of both."
	"Yes," Taar said.  "A virtually infinite number of minds
devoted to a single purpose; the combined intelligence of all working
towards a common goal.  Technological advancement that dwarfed those
they encountered; weapons, speed, shields all superior.  What is the
current tactical threat of the Borg?  Ms. Sunspring."
	Jorri felt a little nervous.  Was it a trick question? "None,"
she said.  "They were destroyed."
	"Exactly," Taar said.  "Despite all their seeming advances the
Borg experiment was left on the ash heap of history.  A failure,
despite all their seeming advances."  The lights dimmed and a hologram
appeared above their heads.  "The first invasion of the Federation,"
he said as the Hologram played out the key battles.  "Assimilation of
a colony, confrontation with the Enterprise, and the infamous battle
at Wolf 359.  Every one a decisive Borg victory, and yet they failed.
Why?"
	Shorine raised her hand.  "Because of the intervention of
Captain Picard and-"
	"No," Taar said with irritation, "that is how.  I want to know
why they lost, not your ability to recite history."
	Shorine gave Jorri a look, and she shrugged back.  She raised
her hand.  "The Borg were attacked in a way they hadn't anticipated.
They'd expected weapons and ships, but not turning their own systems
against them."
	"You're on the right track," Taar said.  "They analyzed and
adapted, but what they failed to do was anticipate.  A common failing
of the Borg?  No.  So why did it happen here?"
	Andrews, one of the younger cadets, raised his hand.  "The
attack couldn't have been anticipated, given what the Borg knew."
	"So why did the Borg fail?" Taar asked.  "If that was the
case, Mr. Andrews, why did they fail?"
	Andrews hesitated.  He already gave the answer, Jorri thought.
What does he want.  "Because the circumstances were such that they..."
He floundered.  "It was bad luck, sir."
	"Lights," Taar said.  The holograms disappeared and the lights
returned to normal.  "Mr. Andrews," he said, taking a polished globe
off his desk, "I'm quite pleased."  He tossed the globe a few times.
"It would disgust me if you were anything more than a first semester
cadet giving me that pitiful excuse of an answer."  The globe bounced
off the back of his fist and hit the floor, exploding in a shower of
tiny shards.  "I would fear for your safety, Mr. Andrews, if you were
to ever return from a defeat and tell your commander you failed due to
'bad luck.'"  The class was silent as he returned to his place behind
his desk.  "Why did the Borg fail?"
	Jorri thought about it.  The question was, how could they have
known about Picard's attack?  How could they even have prepared, had
they known?  
	"Mr. Paulson," Taar said as Brian raised his hand.
	"Their systems weren't secure," he said.  "If they-"
	"No, that was incidental," Taar said sharply.  "Come now, the
answer is staring you in the face.  Someone show me a glimmer of
insight."  Jorri bit her lip and raised her hand.  "Ms. Sunspring," he
called.  "You have a better answer, I hope?"
	"The Borg failed because they overestimated their own
abilities."
	"Explain."
	She licked her lips.  "The Borg looked at the Federation and
all the possible attacks they could mount.  They realized that there
was no foreseeable way they could stop even a single cube.  So they
sent a single cube."
	"And why is that the reason for their defeat?" Taar asked.
	"The Borg refused to admit the possibility that the Federation
could attempt a move they couldn't anticipate.  Instead of sending in
a fleet of cubes they sent only one, in effect, having the entire
campaign rest on a single ship.  If they'd had more ships, they would
have been better able to adapt to any attempt to stop their attack."
	She waited on pins and needles as Taar merely stood there.
Finally he spoke.  "Expect the unexpected," he proclaimed.  "It is the
creed of any competent officer.  The Borg's failure was because they
refused to accept this creed.  Very good, Ms. Sunspring, your
intellect exceeds that of the Collective.  It certainly exceeds some
of your classmate's, anyway."
	Her heart raced a little.  Gen. Taar was a harsh instructor,
and while it had been another dig at his students, he had complimented
her; a rare thing.  It was a little thing, but getting noticed by him
could lead to opportunities later on in her more advanced classes. She
was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the man waiting for her
outside class until she ran into him.  "Excuse me," she said in
passing, then stopped.  "Mr. Solo?"
	"Hi, Jorrielle," he said, giving that winning grin of his.
"How's classes?"
	"Uh great, fine," she said quickly.  What was he doing here?
She'd met him a couple of times on Tatooine when the Solo's had come
to visit, but she was still a little starstruck.
	"Good," he said.  He waited a few seconds.  "We talk someplace
private?" he asked.
	Whatever it was, Jorri thought, it must be important.
"Shorine," she called, and her roommate ran over.  "Can you take notes
for me for Galactic History?  Oh, this is Mr. Solo."
	"THE Han Solo?" Shorine said, even more starstruck than Jorri.
"Holy..."  
	"Hiya Shorine," Han said.  "Nice meeting you, but you don't
want to miss your class."  Shorine nodded and finally took off.
	"What's this about?" Jorri asked as she led him over to the
dorm.
	"It's about Sebastian," Han said.  They drew to a stop.
	"Something's wrong," Jorri said.  "What's going on?"
	"Not here," Han said.
	"What's happened to Sebastian?" Jorri said, perhaps a little
too loud.
	Han bent down and whispered in her ear.  "If you care about
him, keep your mouth shut."  
	Grudgingly she took him back to her room.  "Now what's going
on?" she demanded.  "Sebastian hasn't answered any of my holo-messages
in weeks.  Is he mad-"
	"It's not about you," Han said.  "But if you care about him
you have to listen carefully.  Someone kidnapped him."
	Jorri felt all the strength leave her body, and her arms and
neck were covered with goosebumps.  Bastian?  She sat down on the edge
of her bed.
	"Around the time the Emperor visited Earth," Han continued.
"Listen, this is very serious stuff, and nobody knows about this
unless they have to.  If word got out," he hesitated.  "If word got
out they might kill him."
	She looked into his face when he said that.  "No," she said
with a slight shake to her head.  "They can't."
	"Listen," Han said, grabbing her shoulders.  "We are going to
find him.  Trust me on this.  The Emperor himself has made this a
priority.  Whoever did this is going to be very sorry when it's over;
but for now we have to keep this a secret.  Nobody can suspect
anything.  Do you understand?"
	"Yes," Jorri said, still having trouble accepting it.  She
took a deep breath.  "Why are you telling me?"
	"You kept sending holo-messages," Han send.  "Annika said you
should know; that you could be trusted."  He lifted her chin so she
was looking into his eyes.  "She doesn't give her trust easily," he
said.
	Her breathing was still shaky.  "I won't tell anyone," she
said.
	"Good," Han said.  "Look, if there's anything you need..."
	"Please, just find him," Jorri said.  "I... I miss him.  He's
the best friend I've ever had."
	"He says the same thing about you," Han said with a smile.
"Trust me, we'll find him."  He showed himself out, leaving Jorri to
reflect on what this meant.  Oh Bastian, she thought, why didn't you
come here with me?  We could've had some time before....
	No, she insisted, he's going to make.  He's too stubborn to
let himself get killed.



CHAPTER XII

	"How was your vacation, Mr. Vorchek?" the security guard asked
as he flashed his hand over the scanner, showing his identity.
	"I'm tired," Vorchek said.  He didn't make eye contact.
	The guard chuckled.  "I hear that."  A quick scan revealed
nothing out of the ordinary, just like it always did.  The guard
logged it in; it was Vorchek's first admittance since he left for
vacation two weeks ago.  The door opened and Vorchek was admitted into
the headquarters for Sienar Fleet Systems.
	Vorchek walked through the building, barely alert of what was
going on around him.  A colleague bumped into him at an intersection.
After a brief apology she asked how his vacation was.  "I'm tired," he
replied, then continued on his way, the woman laughing to herself.
That Vorchek; vice-president or not he was still a party animal.
	He found his way to the power control center down in the
bowels of the space station in orbit around Wakleemui.  It was still
early; the night crew that monitored the reactor was just preparing
for the change of shift when he arrived.  "Mr. Vorchek," the primary
engineer greeted as he walked up.  "How was your vacation?"
	"I'm tired," Vorchek said.  Before another word was said he
grabbed the man and pushed a laserwelder into his face; he never had
time to scream.  He pulled out the engineer's code cylinder and looked
for the other two, who perished just as quickly and silently.
	With his own authority and the authorization of the primary
engineer, taking control of the reactor was simple.  It had to be, his
brainwashed mind was too battered to handle anything more complex.  He
cranked up the reactor's fuel mixture, overriding the safeties and
lowering the protective shielding. 
	Security, or course, was alerted to the condition themselves.
Despite his best efforts they overwhelmed him and stopped the reactor
from exploding, but not before 60% of the station had received what
would prove to be a lethal dose of radiation.  The other's, like
Vorchek, also penetrated security at Sienar facilities, each meeting
with their own successes or failures.  All had carried out their
instructions though, as the yammosk had ordered them.

	Lando couldn't believe it as he watched the reports from
across the holo-net.  Everyone was talking about the disaster that
Sienar had suffered.  Three factories destroyed, tens of thousands
dead or dying.  It was catastrophic for the company.  Their stocks
dropped like a stone.  Before the hour was out it seemed clear the
company would be hard-pressed to recover from the loss of assets and
personnel.  They might have to close their doors forever.
	For Lando it was the best of all possible events.  There was
no chance Sienar would be able to win that contract, which meant he
was in.  Calrissian Enterprises would become a shooting star of
opportunity; he'd have to beat the investors off with a stick.  He
would be rich beyond his wildest imaginings.  
	"Garak," he whispered.  "What have you done?"  He turned off
the holo-projector, trying to resist the urge to vomit.  His road to
happiness was now paved with the skulls of innocent people.  They were
his competitors, but that didn't make them his enemy.  The Cardassian
probably thought he was doing him a favor.
	"What do we do now," Quark asked.
	Lando shook his head.  "I don't know.  We've got to think very
carefully about this."  He rubbed his temples, feeling a headache
coming on.  "But whatever we do," he said, "we owe Sienar's people for
this.  We can't just abandon them."
	"We're a corporation," Quark said, "not a charity."
	"We're responsible for this," Lando said.
	"You don't know that."
	"An act of terrorism takes out our competitor," Lando said.
"We are allied with terrorists.  Should be pretty obvious what
happened."
	"Garak doesn't operate in that part of space," Quark observed.
	"No, but we know who does."
	Quark nodded, getting the picture.  "Nom Anor."
	"I think we know what Sebastian Skywalker was traded for,"
Lando said miserably.  Lando always figured taking his business into
the big leagues would strain his conscience, but he'd never imagined
this.

	Belkadan was silent.  No animals called, no feet scampered
through the woods, no sound of burrowing paws.  With the exception of
the plants, this world was just as dead as it had been previously.
Unfortunately, that also included the Vong.
	"Sensors aren't getting any better readings than they had on
the Falcon," Harry said.  Luke didn't answer.  He hadn't been able to
sense the Vong the first time, but he was hoping maybe he would be
able to pick up... something.  Any sign of the invaders, any shred of
evidence.
	"Kriff," he muttered.  
	After talking to Kalib he had gone straight to Leia.  With the
support of the Imperial Navy they could do a complete search of the
dead zone and stop the invaders before they were ready to advance.
That they had a chance to find Sebastian was, admittedly, a
motivation.  For all the good it had done, anyway.  His heroism on
Earth had gotten him somewhere, but being far from the Alpha Quadrant
amongst the Imperial Senate had diminished his position substantially.
With the increase in attacks throughout the Empire they couldn't
afford to form the kind of fleet he was asking, not without evidence
of these invaders.  And it was a perfectly reasonable demand, which is
perhaps why it was so infuriating.
	And now the Vong were gone, no doubt driven off by their
discovery here.  Even the corpses of the ones he'd killed were gone.
Aside of the planetwide extinction there was no evidence to support
his theory, which meant another dead end.
	"What now?" Harry asked.
	Luke had been wondering the same thing.  "We could try some of
the other planets, but the dead zone is a pretty big place.  It could
take us months to find evidence.  I'm not sure if we've got that much
time."  The commlink buzzed and Luke pulled it out.  "Yeah, Han?"
	"Leia's got some news for you," Han said.  "Audio only,
through the secure network.  Want me to patch her through to where you
are?"
	"Yes."  There was no time to waste.  "Leia?"
	"Luke," Leia said, the transmission slightly garbled after the
encryption, "I've got a possible lead.  Someone left an anonymous
message that they had information about the Vong.  They offered to
help if they spoke directly with you."
	"Probably some crackpot," Harry remarked.  
	"They also sent us the coding for a genetic sequence," Leia
said.  "The Imperial Medical Board has confirmed it's over 99.999%
identical to the disease Annika possesses."
	Luke didn't know what that meant.  It could mean they were the
ones that were responsible, or that they were claiming the Vong were.
Regardless, even if it was a crackpot, he had no idea what to do next.
Besides, it may be Kalib again trying to get his attention.  "I'm on
my way," he said.
	"You sure that's a good idea?" Harry asked as they started
walking back towards the Falcon.  "We could lose a lot of time if it's
a ruse."
	"That disease isn't classified, but it's not common knowledge
either," Luke said.  "I'm betting that anyone who could get their
hands on it wouldn't be so desperate for attention that they'd cook
this up just to get to me."
	"I wish we'd taken two ships then," Harry said.  "If I had
some more time here maybe I could come up with some leads."
	"You could stay here and we'll have a ship sent.  Only take a
couple of days."
	"No chance," Harry said.  "With my luck the Vong will pop out
of the trees the moment you lift off."

	The room was a blur, the sounds garbled and indistinct.  It
took a little while for Annika to focus on the shape of the Doctor,
trying to talk to her, and even longer for her to understand what he
was saying.
	"Another coma?" she asked.
	"Six days," the Doctor said with a nod.
	"What brought that on?" she asked.  The more awake she became
the worse she felt.  Her lungs felt like they weighed thirty kilos,
she was unbearably hot, and her stomach was killing her.  There was a
pounding in her head that made thinking difficult.  On the whole, she
decided, being sick sucked.
	"You received a severe setback," the Doctor said, a little
moody.  "As near as I can tell, someone got in here and deactivated
fifteen percent of your nanoprobes."
	"That can't be good," Annika said, her mind not quite catching
up.
	"Your body was already losing the fight," the Doctor
explained.  "This setback has allowed the disease to progress even
more rapidly than I projected."  She heard a hypospray discharge.
"Your systems probably shut down to allow you to try and fight it."
	Annika started to feel her head clear a little.  Whatever the
Doctor had given her was suppressing the symptoms for the moment. "You
said someone did this to me," she remarked.  "But who would know how
to deactivate my nanoprobes?"
	"Obviously someone with advanced knowledge of how they
worked," the Doctor said.  "Someone who probably rivaled my own
knowledge, and I've had decades to study them.  Unfortunately, I can't
be more specific than that."
	She nodded, then she suddenly sat up.  "Sebastian!  Did Luke
find him?"
	"I'm afraid not," the Doctor said, crushing her hopes.  She
slid back down onto her pillow.  "He did want me to tell you he had
some strong leads and that he was confident he'd find him soon."
	Annika stretched and rubbed her burning eyes.  "What I don't
understand," she said, getting back to the topic of her health, "is
why someone would do this to me?  If they wanted me dead, why not just
kill me?"
	"I wish I knew," the Doctor said.  "It might give Earth
Security somewhere to start."  He hesitated.  "Annika," he said, "I
know you're under a lot of strain at the moment, but, I'm afraid I
have to be honest with you.  Without an influx of active nanoprobes, I
don't see you lasting more than a month."
	She nodded, expecting that.  "Then we may have no choice," she
said, "but to extract my probes and hope you can culture them in
time."
	"I already tried," the Doctor said.  "But the disease is
spreading so rapidly that I keep pulling contaminated samples.  If I
continue trying it will only weaken you further.  We're going to have
to hope Luke finds Sebastian in time for a transplant."
	"He will," she said confidently.  "He's the most resourceful
man I know.  Besides you, of course," she said with a smile.
	The Doctor smiled back, but even though he was artificial she
could see hurt in his eyes.  "I never told you this," he said after a
few seconds.  "It had always seemed rather silly, but, I... used
to..." he floundered a little, "...care.... very deeply for you.  If
you understand my meaning."
	Annika smiled.  "Are you saying you had a crush on me,
Doctor?"
	If the Doctor could blush his look implied he would.  "I told
you it'd seem silly-"
	"That is so sweet," she said, putting her hand on the side of
his face.  "I never knew."  She thought a moment.  "Although it would
explain why you had me undress so often for check-ups," she said with
a smirk.
	"I was always professional, I assure you," the Doctor said,
rather embarrassed by the revelation.
	"I'm just teasing," Annika said, but then got a little more
serious.  "It could never have worked, of course."
	"I know," the Doctor said, face downcast.  "I'm just a
hologram."
	"'Just' is a word I could never apply to you," Annika
insisted.  "You were my mentor, Doctor.  A relationship like that
could never work."
	The Doctor laughed a little.  "I never really thought of it in
those terms.  Of course, you're right."
	"Just because I can't care for you in that way doesn't mean I
care for you any less," Annika said.  "You have always been very
important to me."
	The Doctor seemed a little more relaxed at the remark. "Seeing
you with your husband and your child," he said, "it makes me so happy
for you.  You seem so joyful and complete; I'm so glad you took a
chance on humanity, even if it wasn't with me.  But you are still
special to me, the first person I ever fell in love with, even if from
a distance.  And..." he paused, "And I want you to know that you're
more than just my patient; you're my dearest friend.  I will fight
this disease with every means at my disposal, I promise you.  I won't
give up."
	"Thank you," she said.  Then she leaned up and kissed his
cheek.  
	"Well, enough about the past," the Doctor said.  "In the here
and now, why don't you eat something and get some more rest.  You'll
need to keep your strength up."
	She ordered some food from the replicator after the Doctor had
left, but it was difficulty getting anything down.  Before she had
just felt weak and uncomfortable, but now she was absolutely
miserable.  It brought her mind back to how things had gotten worse,
and the question that needed answering:  Who would've done this?

	She was waiting for Luke in Mothma Memorial Park, sitting at
one of the tables near the fountain.  She wore a long hooded cloak
that hid her expression, but he could still sense her.  She was
anxious.  He felt that anxiety rise a little as he approached.  He
slipped into the chair opposite her.  "I'm Luke Skywalker," he said.
"You tried to contact me."
	"Yes," she replied.  Even this close he could only make out
the lower part of her face.  It reflected the same mild nervousness he
felt from her.
	"You said you had something for me," Luke said, trying to get
a stronger feel for her.  There was something familiar about her,
something that was on the borders of conscious thought that made him
edgy.  He'd been feeling that way a lot more often lately.
	"Yes," the woman said, a hint of a smile on her lips.  "I have
the treatment for the condition your wife suffers from."
	"Really," Luke said, trying to convey disbelief but secretly
uncertain.  There was no cure for Annika's condition; he knew that,
but his heart insisted that he hear her out, to hold onto this hope
for at least a little while.  "And where exactly did you get it?"
	"From the same people who created it in the first place," she
replied, and this time her grin was obvious.  "The Yuuzhan Vong."
	"I see," Luke replied, still showing he wasn't convinced. "And
why should I believe you?"
	"Because you love your wife," she replied.  "Because I know
just how far you're willing to go to save her."
	Luke sighed a little.  "Whatever you might have heard," Luke
replied, "it wasn't true.  Just space legends; nothing more."
	"You're a poor liar, Mr. Skywalker."  Her smile was gone now,
and Luke could sense a growing pain from the woman, but above it all
was her genuine belief she was telling the truth.  "I know it's true.
I was there."
	Luke's expression changed at that.  She wasn't any species
Luke had met amongst the Alpha Quadrant powers.  Was she a colleague
of Kalib?  "Who are you?" he asked, his voice showing just how serious
he took this.
	"Perhaps this will remind you," she said, pulling her hood
back more and tapping a small electronic device on her wrist.  She
took a deep breath, and when she spoke Luke nearly jumped out of his
chair as a voice he heard only in his nightmares spoke once again.
	"We are the Borg.  You will be assimilated.  Your biological
and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own."  Her face
held an ironic smile; "Resistance is futile."
	Luke was panting for breath as he kept his emotions in a tight
grip.  There was no more collective, he reminded himself, just Borg
refugees that had descended on the galaxy years ago.  She reached up
and pulled her hood off, then removed her wig, and a chill passed
through Luke.  Yes, he'd seen her inside Annika's mind, back when they
had fought to bring her back, when she had changed.  The Borg Queen,
he thought in horror.  Somehow...
	"I'm pleased you remember," she said, but her expression was
anything but.  "So now you know, but I know what you are willing to do
for her, what you were willing to sacrifice.  No more lies now, Mr.
Skywalker; I know you far too well for that."
	"A lot can change in seventeen years," Luke replied, trying to
gain the upper hand.
	The Borg Queen scoffed.  "A very human response, but it rings
hollow.  In any event, we are here to discuss the Yuuzhan Vong."
	"You still claim they were the ones responsible for this
disease?"
	"Really, Mr. Skywalker, isn't it obvious?  The same ones that
are defeating you on the military and political front are the ones
defeating you on the biological one."  She smiled with the pleasure of
a spider watching a freshly-trapped fly.  "They overrun your worlds,
they transform them, consume them, so that they may serve their cause.
They use superior weapons, they analyze, they adapt.  They take your
people and turn them against you, as they did on Sienar.  Sound
familiar?"
	"Yes," Luke replied with a dryness in his throat, but one
quickly replaced with confidence.  "It sounds very much like another
overrated power I helped destroy."
	The Queen ignored the slight.  "And you have every confidence
that you will defeat them?"
	"We defeated you," Luke said, enjoying the remark perhaps a
bit too much, considering what that victory had cost him.
	"It was merely good fortune on your part."
	"Sorry, I don't believe in luck."
	She was silent.  "You're right," she said finally.  "I cannot
believe I have come to believe those words, but you are correct. There
really is no such thing as coincidence, is there."
	Luke eyed her uncertainly.  Whatever was going through her
mind had given her a remarkable confidence and comfort, and whatever
that was probably wasn't good news for him.
	"I've never been one to believe in a higher power, Mr.
Skywalker," the Queen went on.  "But I know the facts when I see them.
Seven-"
	"Annika," Luke corrected, perhaps a bit too forcefully.
	"Annika," she continued, "is Borg.  What you and she have done
goes against everything we know, against all possible logic."  She
looked into his eyes, and he understood.
	"Sebastian," he said, just above a whisper.
	"You and her, the two who overwhelmed the Collective, brought
chaos to order.  Your son...Mr. Skywalker, it can't be a coincidence."
	"Sebastian has a great destiny before him," Luke admitted.
	"Yes," she replied.  "Far greater than you've ever imagined."
She was visibly anxious.  "He will restore us.  He has the power to
rebuild the collective, to bring back the Borg."
	Luke stared at her, his face reflecting just how mad that
remark was.  
	"He has the power of a Jedi with the strength of the Borg,"
she continued.  "With that combined might he will be able to undo the
mistake Sev- Annika made."
	"Destroying the collective," Luke said forcefully, "was the
best thing she ever did.  She brought to an end the reign of a
malicious and evil collection of automatons.  I'm not sure which
offends me more; that you call that a mistake, or that you presume
Sebastian would help you."
	"He will," she said, "because you're going to tell him to."
	"I'd cut out my own tongue first," Luke said, getting up.
"Stay away from him.  Stay away from my family."
	"You're forgetting something, Mr. Skywalker," the Queen
continued.  "The cure.  I assure you it's real, and we will give it to
you-"
	"THERE IS NO CURE!" Luke shouted.
	The Queen waited in silence for him to calm down.  "We
assimilated Species 15101 six months before the destruction of the
Collective," she continued.  "The species you know as the Vong.  One
of their scouts was picked up during the routine assimilation of a
planet.  He had assisted in creating the disease that now spreads
throughout the galaxy.  It will come to the Milky Way soon enough; it
is a weapon of war, after all."
	"And you claim to have a cure?" Luke said with skepticism.
	"We adapt to all perceivable threats," she replied.  "Even
biological ones."
	Luke hesitated.  She wasn't lying, he knew that much.  But
there was something she wasn't telling him.  "What do you want for
it?" he asked.
	"I've already said.  I want you to tell Sebastian Skywalker to
help us rebuild the Collective."
	Luke leaned down onto the table, his look piercing.  "Maybe
you didn't hear me," he said.  "I will never allow Sebastian to help
the Borg.  I certainly won't encourage him."
	"Then your wife will die."
	A flicker of anger passed through Luke.  "Your thoughts may
have been one once," Luke said.  "But if you knew Annika even half as
well as I do you know she'd rather die than help the Borg, much less
use her own son to do it."
	"Why do you think I came to you?" the Queen replied.  "You can
approach the subject rationally."
	"I said no!" he was a bit too forceful.
	The Queen broke eye contact, nodding slightly.  "Then perhaps
I can offer you something else."
	"Nothing you have-" Luke began.
	"I know where the Vong have taken him."
	Luke ground to a halt.  Just when he thought there were no
more surprises the Queen pulled something else out of her sleeve.
"Where?" he asked.
	"I'm offering you the location and the cure," she said.  "You
know what I want in return."
	"I can't give you that," Luke said.  "Anything else."
	"This is all I want, Mr. Skywalker.  I've waited years for
this time, for the boy to grow into a man strong enough to take the
lead for the Borg.  It has been my only drive.  Nothing else you have
will satisfy me."  She stood up.  "And if you refuse then I'm afraid
our business is concluded."
	Luke grabbed her by the cloak as she tried to walk off.  "Tell
me where he is," he demanded.  She turned away.  In a flash his
lightsaber was humming in front of her face.  "Tell me or I'll kill
you," Luke warned.
	She didn't move but her eyes swiveled to look at him.  "You
don't bluff well," she remarked.  Her eyes widened as the pitch
changed and looked down at the stump where her hand used to be.
	"You're right," Luke said, panting through his teeth, "I
don't!"  She stumbled away as he approached, looming over her.  The
air around him seemed to darken with each step.  "Tell me where he
is," he said, "or I'll finish the job."  And deep within his mind came
the rattling of chains.


CHAPTER XIII

	There was a time before.  He knew that in a vague sort of way,
but became anxious whenever his mind tried to go there.  As far as he
was concerned his life had begun days ago.  Any previous experiences
were forgotten, replaced only with a drive to obey his masters.  But
still occasionally a memory of something would slip through, a snippet
of something he might have done or read.  No context, no
understanding, just brief flashes of something that he wasn't any
more.
	"'We're all mad here.  I'm mad.  You're mad.'"
	The amphistaff was manipulated with an amazing ease in
Sebastian's hands.  It obeyed his will, becoming hard or soft at his
commands, achieving brute force strength or the razor-edge depending
on the moment.  He brought it around with simple, elegant strokes that
were impossible for the Vong to stop.  His vonduun crab armor was
pierced by the force of the blow and Sebastian continued to apply
pressure, pushing it through to the Vong's heart.
	"'How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice."
	Sebastian tugged the staff out of the Vong's heart and stood
over the fallen corpse.  Kro Thrasis stepped to Sebastian's side, then
placed his hand on his shoulder in approval.  He held his head high
and let out a cry, a cry joined by the multitude of Vong who had
gathered.  A swirl of pride filled him as he looked at the body of the
vanquished.  He deserved his fate; he was unworthy.
	"'You must be mad,' said the Cat, 'or you wouldn't have come
here.'"

	Luke Skywalker was the ranking Jedi in the cosmos.  He had
more experience and wisdom in those areas than anyone alive.  But at
that moment, as he looked up into the night sky over Chandrilla with
his sister, he didn't seem any wiser than anyone else.
	"What are you going to do now?" she asked.
	Luke sighed.  "What's done is done," he said with defeat.
"Sebastian shouldn't pay for my mistakes.  I'm going to have to go and
rescue him."
	Leia nodded.  There really wasn't a choice, was there.  "I'll
speak with the Emperor," she said.  "Senate or not we'll gather a
fleet-"
	"No," Luke said.  "There isn't time."
	"You can't go there alone."
	"I have a better chance alone," he said.  "Anyone who joins in
is just a risk."
	"Luke," Leia said, trying to reason with him, "think this
through.  If you go there you'll tip off the Vong.  They'll be able to
escape, just like they did on Belkadan.  If you wait for the fleet-"
	"If I wait for the fleet," Luke said, "it may be too late. And
I can't take the chance of them going off half-cocked and just blowing
up the planet.  Once Sebastian is safe the Navy can do what they like
with it but until then-"
	"But until then you're going to look out for your own
interests," Leia said.  "You're going to put your feelings ahead of
the innocent people that may suffer if the Vong escape."
	"Look," Luke said hotly, "I didn't ask to be involved. There's
a reason I turned down the Senate and the Navy when they came
knocking, the same reason Annika did.  We've done our part, and we've
sacrificed so much already.  Now you're telling me I should risk
losing my son?"
	"You're already involved-" Leia began.
	"We didn't want any part of this!" Luke shouted.  "We just
wanted to stay on Tatooine, out of the way, but that wasn't good
enough!  You, the Vong, Garak, even the kriffing Borg, none of you
were content to keep us out of this!  Well I'm going to find my son,
and I'm going to save my wife, and that will be the end of it!  The
Empire can stand or fall on its own, I don't care, but for me it's
over!"
	Leia looked at him darkly.  "You are a Jedi," she said.  "And
with that comes a responsibility."
	"And my responsibility to Annika and Sebastian?  I'm supposed
to ignore that when it conflicts with the 'greater good?'  Would you?"
	"When push came to shove," Leia said, "I did.  Remember?  You
convinced me to do it, on Bastion.  And we nearly lost Jacen and Jaina
because of it.  But I made the choice, and now you've got to make a
choice."
	"I've made it," Luke said.
	"Fine," Leia said sharply.  "Look out for yourself and find a
place to hide.  But don't expect any sympathy from me."  Luke scoffed.
"You're supposed to be strong.  You're the most powerful Jedi alive-"
	"No matter how strong I may try to be I'm not all powerful.  I
am exhausted in body and spirit, and I can feel my soul balancing on
the precipice between light and darkness."  His anger had faded to a
pleading.  "Don't you see that I HAVE to do this?  What I did..."  He
filled with shame at the memory of the Borg Queen.  "I can't believe I
could ever do something like that.  And what scares me is, if this is
what fear does to me, what will come of the inevitable grief and hate
if I lose them?  Leia," he took her hands, "you're asking me to risk
my wife, my child, and my soul for this.  I can't do that.  I'm sorry,
but I'm not a Jedi Master, I'm just a guy who loves his family."
	Leia shook her head.  In the end, she thought, everyone has
their limits, no matter how strong they are.  The past month had
pushed Luke to his, that much was clear... and at least this time he
was fighting to avoid crossing the line.  She remembered how dangerous
he had been... if he was unleashed now, what kind of damage could he
do?  "Take a cloaked ship," she said.  "Contact me when you're clear
and maybe we can catch them in time."
	Less than an hour later she watched his ship lift off from the
platform.  The Emperor was already working on assembling a fleet to
attack the Vong stronghold; with luck they could deal them a critical
blow.  She just hoped Luke could pull it off.
	She didn't realize it at the time, but Leia wasn't the only
one watching Luke's ship take off.  Both were so distracted with the
severity of the moment that neither of them noticed as a ship broke
orbit and laid in a course behind him.

	Sebastian's room was a comfortable contrast to the scorching
heat outside.  Humidity and temperature kept low, much lower than she
might have preferred years ago, before Annika had given herself over
to her human side.  On the wall was a holo-poster, giving the illusion
that the figure was inside the wall looking through a window.  It was
Selnora, the popular harpist with the Imperial Symphony, scantily clad
behind her instrument blowing a kiss.  The sex symbol probably made
Jorrielle a little jealous, she thought with a laugh.  On the desk was
a bit of technology the boy had been rebuilding.  He loved machines;
he could do some amazing things with them.  Her smile disappeared as
she thought about it, and about him.
	"It's hard, isn't it," a familiar voice said.
	Annika whirled around, dumbfounded.  "Captain?"
	"I let myself in," Picard said.  "Hope you don't mind."
	"No, it's," she floundered.  "But... aren't you..."
	"Dead?" he said with a laugh.  "You didn't think I'd let a
little thing like that stop me from visiting my favorite science
officer, did you?"
	"Uh, no.  Of course not."
	He nodded, that winning grin amplifying his knowing look as he
came over.  "As I was saying, it's a hard thing.  Very hard to let him
go."
	"No," she said with resolution.  "I'm not giving up on him."
	"I wasn't implying otherwise," Picard said, fiddling with the
machine.
	Annika was wringing her hands, her confusion absent at the
thought of her son.  "He has to come back, don't you see?" she said,
more for herself.  "It's perfectly logical.  Sebastian visited me from
the future.  That future hasn't happened yet.  Ergo, he must live.
We'll find him and everything will be fine and he'll... he'll be all
right... he'll be-"  She didn't even notice she was crying until she
felt Picard embrace her gently, fatherly.
	"But you still worry," he said softly.  "In the face of all
your logic your motherly instincts are warning you to watch out for
your son.  But that's not what's really bothering you, is it?"
	"What do you mean?" she asked, wiping her eyes with a little
embarrassment.
	"You're finally realizing that this is going to be the way
things are from now on," Picard said.  "Empty house.  Your son running
all over the galaxy just like his parents did.  Getting himself into
all kinds of trouble."  He gave her a look of empathy.  "You're not
ready for that, are you."
	Annika bit her lip.  "I guess, I thought I'd have more time."
	"And you don't think he's ready."
	"He's only fifteen," she said, as if pleading the case before
the universe.  "He's got so much more to learn."
	"Yes, he does."
	"Kids his age don't fight to save the galaxy," she continued.
"They play and rebel and embarrass themselves in front of the opposite
sex."
	"Indeed."
	"Stop being so agreeable," she said with irritation.  "You
make me sound stupid."  Picard smirked and she laughed a little at her
behavior.  "He's not most children."
	"No.  But you wish he was.  You don't want him going through
what you went through, you want to protect him.  You want to keep him
in here," he gestured around the bedroom, "where you think he'll be
safe."
	"I want to protect him from the universe out there," she said.
	"No, you want to protect him from life."  He sat on the edge
of the desk.  "You've prepared him for the trip out there as much as
you possibly can."  He held up the machine.  "Or have you?"
	She looked away.  "I can't do that," she said.
	"You want to protect him from everything," he said.  "Even
from himself."  He shook his head.  "But you can't," he said softly.
"Sooner or later he's going to figure it out, just as you did."
	"What if he doesn't?" she asked.  "Nanoprobes are complex,
difficult to control.  What if he can't handle it?  I should give him
that power?  Look at what it's done to me?"  Her clothing, with a few
discrete exceptions, vanished.  She gestured at the protruding
implants across her skin.  "I depend upon them.  I need them or I'll
die.  Sebastian shouldn't-"
	"Sebastian should make the choice for himself," Picard said.
"His father gave him the power of the Jedi, and you've seen how he
uses it, how it has brought them closer together.  Why cut him off
from what you've given him?"
	Annika's clothes reappeared.  "What if he can't resist it?"
she asked, not looking at him.  "What if he gives himself over to the
machine?  It's so easy to do, captain.  To be free of all your pain
and worries and fears."
	"You were strong," Picard said.  "Do you believe he is any
less?"
	"No," she admitted.  "You think-"
	"What I think doesn't matter.  But ask yourself what is really
best for Sebastian.  You'll know."
	It came together in that moment.  The room, the way she felt,
Picard, all of it.  "I'm dreaming," Annika realized.  "I'm on Earth,
in the hospital.  And you're not..."
	"Real?" Picard said.  "Depends on what you mean.  But this
isn't the first time this has happened to you you know.  Not the first
time you've been this close to death."
	She remembered the old man vaguely.  It wasn't anything she
was really aware of, but sometimes, at the boundary between sleep and
wakefulness she could remember the words of Obi-Wan.  "But, he-"
	"He just gave you a little bit of guidance, and that's all I'm
here to do."  He shrugged.  "It doesn't matter.  But believe me, your
worries for the moment are over.  Luke is on his way, even as we
speak, to Helska IV.  He will find Sebastian," Picard said, putting a
reassuring hand on her shoulder, "I promise.  And if you help him,
Annika, he will become what you've always dreamed he could be."
	"Thank you, Jean-luc," she said, embracing him.  "I needed to
hear that."

	Attempting a landing with a full cloak wasn't easy, but it was
the best way to avoid detection.  Luke followed his instincts, guiding
the ship without instruments to what felt like a stable part of the
planet; not that there was much of that.  Helska IV was essentially an
ice ball, bringing up his less than fond memories of his time in the
Hoth wilderness.  But at the moment, he wasn't looking after his own
welfare.  
	Luke had his lightsaber out as he descended the ramp to the
icy ground, alert for any possible attack.  He knew there could be a
hundred Vong around his ship and he'd never know it, but for the
moment his thoughts were on the one thing he could feel above all
else: his son.  Weak, yes, indecipherable, yes, but alive, which gave
him hope and in turn strength.  His fear was controlled now, his mind
focused on peace, serenity, calm.  
	Of course, that didn't mean he wasn't going to kill any Vong
that fought to stop him.
	It took an hour operating on automatic pilot for Luke to chop
his way through the ice to a tunnel.  Once through he could hear the
activity of the Vong, their shouts echoing throughout the entire
subterranean complex.  Cautiously he began searching through the
caverns, following the distant image of his son.

	Ma'Shraid was one of the few female commanders among the
Vong's first wave, and the one given the responsibility of protecting
the war coordinator.  It was therefore not a surprise when she was the
first informed about the intruder.  The surprise was the presence of
the intruder himself.
	"Have all warriors placed on alert," she informed her
subordinate.  "We must not allow whoever this is to harm the yammosk."
A telepathic message came to her from the mentioned being.  "I concur.
Take the intruder alive if possible."  A group of eight warriors was
sent; excessive for most quarry.  
	Most quarry aren't a Jedi.

	Luke ignited his lightsaber as the first shadows appeared.
They were distant at the moment, giving him a little time to plan.  "I
don't want to fight," he warned as the last Vong entered the small
cavern where he was.  "I just want my son and I'll leave, peacefully."
They might have understood the words, but it was clear the meaning was
lost on them as they raised their weapons and approached.
	It was similar to the battle Annika had fought against Darth
Whind.  Without the ability to anticipate the attacks and with some
resistance to lightsaber strikes Annika managed to level the playing
field.  Except Luke was in the role of the losing side, and that had
been a one-on-one match-up.  The only advantage he had over the Sith
was experience; he hoped that would cut it.
	There was no more time to play it safe; the Vong refused to
back down.  With his own life -and therefore Sebastian and Annika's-
on the line, there was no choice but to defend himself with deadly
force.  Maybe he couldn't sense them, but they were still physical
beings, which he demonstrated by knocking them over with a Force push.
Having faced the previous attackers on Belkadan he knew where he could
and couldn't penetrate, so before they got up he drove his lightsaber
through the armor's seam and sheared off a leg.  He followed it up by
removing the weapon arm of a Vong that had gotten back on his feet
quickly.  He repeated the gesture and struck again with the Force, but
even though they were knocked down they weren't surprised, each
twisting away from his attacks before they too would be removed from
the fight.  It was only delaying things now, and if more troops came
he would only be worse off, so he backed off.
	The Vong quickly pressed the attack, so Luke somersaulted
backwards to gain some distance.  The nearest Vong pulled back his
staff as it transformed into a snake, snapping it at him like a deadly
whip.  This had caught him off-guard on Belkadan, but not here.  He
twisted and, using the Force for strength, grabbed the whip behind its
serpentine head and yanked, pulling the Vong forward enough to impale
his skull on Luke's outstretched saber.  He spun clockwise as he
released the whip and grabbed his lightsaber with both hands, putting
all his speed and strength into the swing.  Armor or no it tore
straight through the next Vong's chest, finishing it off before it
could even strike.  Luke brought his lightsaber up to parry the next
strike, then jumped back as the opposite end of the staff nearly took
his own leg off.  He'd cut their force in half in less than a minute,
but that only meant that the remaining four would be aware of what he
was capable of.  He was still at the disadvantage.
	A Vong spun his staff and lunged, but Luke jumped straight up,
slicing at some of the giant icicles near the roof of the cavern.  The
Vong evaded the following debris, but it was a distraction that Luke
needed to decapitate two Vong on his landing.  He pressed for a third,
but it was too much.  He felt his ribs give as the staff connected
with his back and sent him flying on his face.  He rolled over and
swung as the Vong approached, cutting him off at the knees.  He
stabbed it as he got to his feet, ready to finish the attack.
	The last Vong was now playing things differently.  Without the
numbers advantage it would rely on tactics, just like the one on
Belkadan.  It was waiting for Luke to make the first move, which Luke
had to make or risk facing reinforcements.  He barely ducked in time
as the Vong swung over his head, the Vong twisting to avoid his own
counterstrike.  He brought his blade up as the Vong's staff came down,
the two crashing together.  Its brute strength left Luke struggling
for leverage until he finally had to twist away to avoid being struck,
leaping back to avoid the counterswing.  Luke advanced and brought his
blade to the left, blocking the strike.  He spun and drove his elbow
into the Vong's face, dazing it slightly.  He pushed with the Force,
knocking it off balance, then plunging the saber point-first through
its chest.  He pulled it out and watched the Vong fall, panting and
wiping away the sweat despite the cold.  No time to wait around, he
thought as he deactivated his saber and continued running through the
tunnels.

	Ma'Shraid watched the events in disbelief.  One warrior
against so many, triumphing with such ease...  Behind her Kro Thrasis
observed the events, offering his own interpretation.  "It's him," he
said once the battle was finished.  "He's found the child."
	"You know him?" she asked, watching the warrior continue
straight towards them.
	"Nom Anor reported he was an extremely powerful and deadly
adversary," Thrasis said.  "He may even be able to kill the yammosk."
	"He will never be allowed-"
	"Listen," he said, risking death for interrupting a superior.
"He is no doubt fixated on the boy," he said.  Sebastian stood nearby,
an amphistaff gripped loosely in his hands.  He was a gifted warrior
and powerful tool; but the war coordinator was essential.  "Send him
in with reinforcements.  Even if he dies he won't lead this Skywalker
to the yammosk."
	"That would be dangerous," Ma'Shraid said, echoing the
yammosk's thoughts.  "He could turn against us."
	"All the more dangerous if he leads Skywalker here," Thrasis
observed.  In the end, even the yammosk concurred with the assessment.

	Luke wiped the sweat from his face as he heard the sound of
the Vong approaching.  He didn't need this; his injury from the first
battle was already slowing him down.  He looked around for a place to
hide, finally noticing a small indentation up one of the walls.  He
leaped and caught the edge, pulling himself up despite severe protests
from his battered ribcage.  
	Luke pressed back into the hollow, hoping he was distant
enough not to be noticed as he watched the Vong swarm into the cavern.
He needed to save his strength; he'd need it once he found...
	"Sebastian?" he said, perhaps a bit too loudly.  The Vong
turned at the sound of his voice, Luke cursing himself for the slip.
No sense hiding now, he thought.

	Sebastian turned with the rest of the warriors, ready to kill
whoever would dare to intrude the sanctuary of the Vong.  The sight of
the intruder, however, made him uneasy.  He raised his weapon as the
figure dropped down from his hiding place, but despite himself
Sebastian could feel fear gnawing at him.  It amplified as the
intruder repeated his name, each time causing Sebastian to
involuntarily step away.
	"Sebastian," Luke said.
	"Sebastian!" his father screamed.  "Luke at what you've
done!!!  It's all ruined and it's all your fault!  You destroyed our
happiness because you were weak!  A pitiful and useless child.  And I
will have nothing to do with you!"  There was steel in his father's
eyes.  "I - HATE - you.  If it weren't for you our lives would be
perfect!  You should never have been born!"
	"Sebastian, it's me," Luke said.  Sebastian dropped his staff,
his hands were trembling so.  "Sebastian?"
	He had to kill him.  But how could he?  He was too weak; he
had said as much.  And he was right; the fire of resolve had been
replaced with sheer terror.  He was unworthy; unworthy of being a Vong
warrior.  He froze in place as the true warriors attacked.

	The fear was so strong, Luke had been caught off guard.  He
somersaulted back just in time to avoid being impaled on a Vong staff.
He didn't have time to fight; Sebastian needed his help immediately.
The Vong pressed in towards him as he turned and ran towards the wall.
He jumped, pushing off the wall and spinning, tossing his lightsaber
as he did.  The blade whirled under his control as he sailed through
the air, slicing into the icy ceiling.  Luke deactivated it as it fell
just before he hit the ground, then turned, closed his eyes and
gritted his teeth.  The ceiling collapsed along the fissure he'd made,
creating a tall mound of ice that served as a barrier between him and
the Vong.  It wouldn't last long, but it was all he needed as he ran
towards Sebastian.  Something was wrong with the young Jedi, but if
Luke could establish a mindmeld, maybe he could correct it in time for
them to escape.  Sebastian started to back away, his fear growing, but
Luke sprinted and nearly tackled him.
	Luke grabbed him tightly.  Even at his age he was much
stronger than Luke, but he just needed a moment.  He reached up and
placed his hand on the side of his son's head, his eyes shut tight in
concentration.  "My mind to your mind," he said through gritted teeth.
"My thoughts, to yo-"
	His eyes snapped opened and his face bore a look of sheer
horror.  In that brief moment the sum total of the past month came
flooding into him.  Day after endless day of psychological torture and
brainwashing by the Vong, stripping away the strong young man into
this husk that now stumbled before his father.  His father... now Luke
understood, and a flame of hatred passed through him like none he'd
ever felt.  They used his image to do this to him; put words into his
mouth to destroy Sebastian.  They used his love against his only son.
A Vong made the mistake of climbing the embankment at that moment, and
Luke impaled him on an icicle with a gesture.  The voice screamed in
his mind.
	Yes!  Destroy them!  Destroy every last one!  Make them pay
for their hubris!  Feel how your hate makes you strong!  Use the power
to annihilate them!  Avenge your son!  
	Luke was breathing heavy through his teeth, sounding almost
like a bull.  His face was a mask of murderous rage.  The Vong were
over the embankment now; he couldn't feel them but he could see them.
That was all he needed.  He reached out his hand towards the nearest
one, and it rose off the ground.  With a satisfying sneer he closed
his fist, and the Vong was crushed in the air.  He let out a short,
satisfied chuckle at the display, then turned towards the rest.
	The Vong didn't feel fear.  War was their life, and their
death if need be.  They had prepared for that day all their lives,
ready to cast their life aside when the moment demanded it.  No, they
felt no fear.  But the sight of one of their warriors vanquished in
this manner, well, it made them pause.  Given the Vong, that said
something.
	Yes!  Embrace the power!  You are a god!  You are the master
of life and death now; you will remove all who stand in the way of
your vision!  You can do anything!
	"Anything," Luke whispered.
	You can destroy them!
	"Destroy them."
	They'll all be sorry.
	"You'll all be sorry."
	It takes hate to destroy evil.
	"Evil."
	Let hate be your ally.
	"Hate."
	Let hate be your strength.
	"Hate."
	Now make them pay for their crimes!
	Luke ignited his lightsaber and started walking towards the
advancing mob.  The pain of his injuries was gone.  No more holding
back, no more being careful.  The Vong had to be exterminated; nothing
less would satisfy him.
	"I'll be good."
	Luke froze.  What was that?
	"I promise I'll be good."
	Luke turned around.  Sebastian was on the ground, the boy's
eyes fixed on his father.  He finally noticed the overwhelming horror
radiating from his son as he looked up.  "Please, I'll be good," he
sobbed.  Luke took a step towards him, but he scampered away, almost
desperate to stay out of reach.  "No!  Don't please!  I'll- I'll be
good..."
	"Sebastian," he said, then stopped.  He heard the voice that
left his mouth, and he recognized whose it was.  No, he couldn't let
it happen again.
	Look at what they did to your son!
	Luke shut his eyes tight.
	Look at him!  Your flesh!  Your blood!  Turned against you by
their hand.
	His breathing became quick and irregular.  He fought it, tried
to resist the hate that had already consumed him.
	Are you going to turn your back on his suffering?!  Are you
going to let them get away with this?!  What kind of father are you?!
What kind of man are you?!  Do you care so much about yourself you'd
turn a blind eye to your only child?!!!  
	His body was trembling the struggle had become so great.  The
intensity of the raw emotions that battled within him distorted the
Force around him, causing lightning to crackle and the ice to melt. An
arc passed through a Vong that got too close, knocking him across the
cavern.  He felt Sebastian's terror grow at the sight of his father,
which only made the battle more heated.
	What reason to have power but to save your family?!!
	Luke collapsed onto the ice, his lightsaber slipping from his
hand.  He was still in control; barely.  But he was exhausted; and the
dark side of his nature refused to relent.  It had been chained long
enough, it was within reach of full release again if it could just
push him far enough.
	They're coming!
	"Leh - let them," Luke mumbled into the snow.
	They'll kill you!  You have the power to stop them!
	"I won't do it," Luke slurred.
	And they won't stop with you.  They'll kill him too.  Will you
stand by and allow that?  Let them kill your only son when you could
prevent it?
	Luke looked over at the advancing Vong army.  He could
probably get to his feet if he tried, but in his state he couldn't
hold off one, much less that many.  Fear started to grip his heart,
and the dark side seized on it.
	You have no choice!  Get on your feet and destroy them!
There's no other way!  Who else will save him, if not you?
	Fortunately, the Force had an answer for that.
	The remaining ice ceiling collapsed as a figure dropped
through the hole Luke had made, hitting the ground with enough energy
to shake the walls.  He uncurled from his landing and stretched up to
his full height, pulling a knife out with each hand.
	"Any time you're ready," Kalib said to the Vong.



CHAPTER XIV

	"Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate
your destiny."  The operable word, Luke knew, was "forever."  Here it
was, over fifteen years since he'd given himself over to darkness, and
even now it still held him in its grasp.  The struggle wasn't over,
and it wouldn't be over until the day he died.  From the looks of the
Vong soldiers approaching his helpless form, that day could be today.
Fortunately, Luke had the most unexpected ally at his side.
	"You just going to stand there?" Kalib asked the Vong.  "I'm
getting old here."  Not exactly true, Luke knew.  Kalib was around
when the Borg were just learning what assimilation was.  Ageless, and
dangerous from what he'd seen, but fortunately on the side of angels
this time.  He was tough, strong... "I realize I've got the advantage,
what with you outnumbering me and all, but you want to get on with
it?"  ...and had a serious attitude problem.
	Actually there was a method to his madness.  Kalib wasn't
armed with much more than his knives, but they packed quite a punch.
But with an enemy as evasive as the Vong were he needed to be close to
make sure he hit.  The Vong, of course, weren't stupid, but they did
have one weakness: warrior's pride.  His goading eventually prodded
them to action.
	Luke had to hand it to Kalib, he played it cool.  Even as the
Vong charged he held himself at the ready, not making the mistake of
attacking too soon.  They were only meters away when Kalib tossed his
daggers.  Each one drove through a Vong's skull up to the hilt.  The
special blades split open into a series of razors and discharged a
strong plasma burst; there was little left of their heads as the
lifeless bodies fell over.
	With their enemy temporarily unarmed the Vong continued the
charge.  Kalib, digging his feet into the ice, braced himself as they
were about to strike.  He took the nearest Vong and swept it aside
while he pulled a knife out, skipping the throw and driving it through
the crab armor of the one behind it.  He grabbed the now dead soldier
by the collar of his armor and used him as a makeshift club.  They
dodged the swings while he pulled out another knife.  The Vong,
however, were ready and this time he only snagged a stalagmite.  He
tossed the Vong cadaver at them, already reaching for his knives, but
not fast enough to avoid the swing of the soldier he'd pushed aside at
the start of the battle.  There was a loud crack as the staff struck
his spine and then a grunt of pain that resonated in the ice chamber.
The Vong didn't stop swinging, keeping Kalib too distracted to throw
accurately.  Luke pulled himself up to a kneeling position to ready
himself for the inevitable.  He called the saber to himself; unlike
his previous displays of power, this one took all his strength.  He
still wouldn't be much good to Kalib, he realized as he got woozily to
his feet, but he could watch Sebastian.  The young Jedi hadn't moved
for quite a while, but he was visibly trembling, and Luke could feel
his fear and confusion.  He was in even worse shape if the Vong
attacked, so Luke stood nearby for when it happened.
	Kalib, however, had other plans.  He jumped straight up about
four meters and, as he reached the apex, tossed his knives.  Two more
Vong went down and he drove his foot into a third that thought he
would be vulnerable during his landing.  The Vong was off balance and
Kalib finished him by knocking him down and driving his heel into his
neck with a sickening crack.  Even as he did Kalib howled in pain; the
two remaining Vong had stabbed him in the back with their razor-tipped
spears.  Luke was surprised, but considering they were hard enough to
stop lightsabers it wasn't hard to believe they could penetrate even
his skin.
	Kalib, however, wasn't done.  He turned around, his face a
mask of rage.  His fist lashed out blindly, sending a Vong flying
across the ice.  The other got two more blows in, before Kalib grabbed
his weapon hand.  The popping of the bones was amplified by the icy
walls.  "You are about to be hit by a large blunt object," Kalib said,
inches from the Vong's scarred face.  His fist connected with the
broken nose with devastating force.  "'Cause nothin's more blunt than
me."  
	The last Vong was back on his feet, and Kalib had his dagger
out.  This time, however, the warrior pulled out what looked like a
handful of beetles and tossed them.  They struck Kalib in the face,
and promptly exploded.  Kalib dropped the knife and fell to his knees,
holding his face.  "My eyes!" he bellowed.  "Oh kriff you've blinded
me!"
	The Vong pulled his staff out again and charged towards the
wailing form.  Luke didn't need the Force to sense his
self-satisfaction.  Luke himself was feeling stronger now, but he
didn't have a chance of reaching Kalib in time.  The Vong pulled the
weapon up with both hands and plunged it towards Kalib's skull.
	Kalib's hand reached out and grabbed the staff before it
connected, a wicked grin on his face.  "Heh heh heh, sucker," he said
as he grabbed the Vong and pummeled him several times.  It dropped
lifeless to the floor as Kalib straightened up and brushed himself off
for show.  "And that is how we do that," he said to no one in
particular.
	Luke walked over to where Kalib stood enjoying himself a
little too much.  Luke had killed almost as many Vong already, but he
hadn't enjoyed it.  Kalib, on the other had, seemed pretty happy about
the whole affair.  Still, if it wasn't for him they'd probably be
dead.  "Thanks," Luke said.
	"Gratitude," Kalib said, still looking over his conquest. "Not
something you see much of today."  He walked over and started pulling
his knives out of the corpses.
	"At the risk of sounding ungrateful," Luke said, "why are you
here?"
	Kalib seemed to tighten up a little at the question.  "Took
your information and put it to good use," he said finally, then half
shrugged.  "Look, I ain't a merc, but I'm not in the charity business
either.  Lot of people would be worse off if you went psycho, your
family especially, and I saw how you cracked up back there on
Chandrilla.  Nice bit, by the way, hacking up the Borg Queen like
that."  Luke turned away at the mention of the incident.  "Anyway,
figure if I stepped in, you'd owe me one, and a favor from you can be
pretty valuable in these galaxies."  He pulled out the last blade and
slid it into its sheath.  "So I'm offering you a little friendly
assistance getting out of here with your kid and your brain intact.
You interested or not?"
	"What could I do for you?" Luke asked, wondering where this
was going.
	"Don't know," Kalib said.  "But having you as an ace up my
sleeve is worth getting my hands a little dirty."
	Luke nodded; he didn't have much choice, and at the moment
he'd join up with Thrawn if it meant getting his son to safety.  "Can
we get out that way?" he asked, indicating the hole in the ceiling.
	"Sure," Kalib said.  "But it's gonna be dangerous; not all
that stable with all the damage it took.  It might be faster taking
the tunnels back the way you came."
	"And face more Vong?" Luke asked.  "I'd rather take my chances
with the ice."
	"Okay," Kalib said.  He took out a small grappling gun, aimed
for the edge of the hole, and fired.  The spear drove into the ice,
followed by a cracking sound.  "Uh-oh," Kalib said as he watched the
fissures spread.  "Um... better run."
	Luke, who had been trying to coax Sebastian to his feet, tried
to reach out with the Force to stop it.  It was no good, and he
finally turned and followed Kalib through the tunnel, listening to
Sebastian kick and scream as the alien carried him over his
shoulder.The floor shook as huge blocks of ice tumbled down, causing
them to stumble about on the semi-slick surface.  As the collapse
continued Luke knew that if there were any Vong who hadn't known about
them before, the echoing debris would ensure that was corrected.  They
drew to a halt as the crashes came to an end.  
	"Okay," Kalib said as he panted a little, "Plan B."
	Sebastian was kicking at Kalib as he was set down.  "See," he
remarked, "gratitude."  He pulled out an instrument and held it to
Sebastian's neck before Luke could react.  He fought to remain in
control as his son collapsed onto the cold ice.
	"What was that?" he demanded.
	"Tranquilizer," Kalib said as he put it away.  "Kid's too far
gone to be anything more than a hindrance at the moment."
	"I could've tried another mindmeld," Luke said with a hint of
anger in his voice.  "You had no right-"
	"I'm not going to stand here and wait for the Vong to find
us," Kalib said.  "We get out of here as quickly as possible while
they're still confused.  Do your touchy-feely crap later when we're
not at risk of dying."
	"I thought you couldn't die," Luke said sarcastically.
	"I don't want to be proved wrong," Kalib said, swinging the
boy over his shoulder.  Together, their grudging alliance intact, the
two continued through the icy catacombs.

	Ma'Shraid 's anger was obvious as she watched the three escape
the chamber before she lost the signal.  "Who is that?" she demanded
of Kro Thrasis.
	"I don't know," he admitted, equally puzzled by the alien's
sudden appearance.  A most unfortunate turn of events, but a welcome
opportunity.  These Jedi, whatever they were, relied on some kind of
black magic to fight, a perversion that turned his stomach.  But this
one... he would be a true challenge.  "I'll take a group myself," he
said.  "They won't be allowed to escape."
	"No," Ma'Shraid said.  "We can't afford the time.  If they
know we're here, they may have told others.  We must abandon this
world."
	Kro Thrasis found it all but impossible to remain silent after
such a command.  Not only did she not want to battle their enemies,
she wanted to retreat in dishonor!  Perhaps it was feminine weakness,
he thought.  "We can face anyone who may defy us," he said, as far as
he could go in questioning her while still maintaining acceptable
protocol.  
	"The yammosk feels the threat is still too great.  The Empire
possesses weapons that can destroy this planet no matter how valiantly
we fight.  We cannot take that risk, not until we're ready."  She must
have noticed his frustration.  "I chafe at the thought as well," she
remarked, "but it isn't our place to question the war coordinator."
	"But there is still the threat these intruders pose," Thrasis
said.  "They may decide to turn back or disrupt our evacuation.  We
should pursue them to ensure they leave."
	There was silence.  "The yammosk agrees to your plan," she
said finally.  "Take a force and drive them out.  Once they've reached
the surface, do what you like, but don't allow them to return."
Thrasis nodded and left to gather his forces.  Perhaps he could regain
some honor lost at Sebastian's failure.

	Luke wasn't so foolish as to wander into the Vong stronghold
without a way to escape.  He had brought along a locator that would
show him where he was in relationship to the ship, and he even had the
foresight to ensure it operated in three dimensions.  He knew exactly
which direction the ship lay, and how far they had to go to reach it.
	"Why are you staring at that wall of ice?" Kalib asked,
Sebastian still dangling from his shoulder.
	Luke sighed as he clipped the locator to his belt.  "Wishing I
had brought a very large laser torch."
	"Lost?"
	"Yes."
	"Kriff."
	"My thoughts exactly."
	"Well, we can't be that far underground..."
	"Yes, we can."
	"Kriff."
	"You're reading my mind."
	"You really owe me for this."
	"Get us out and I'll be happy to pay it back."
	"Thanks for the help."
	"Any time."
	Before this conversation could reach the pinnacle of
interspecies exchange, the caves echoed with sounds that could only
mean one thing.  "This way," Luke said, pointing to a cave.
	"Why there?"
	"I think this is the way."
	"I thought you were lost."
	"I'm a Jedi."
	"A lost Jedi."
	"It can't be any worse."
	Eight seconds later the three of them had finished sliding
down the icy path and were in the process of picking themselves back
up when the Vong began following them.
	"When you came in, didn't you have a plan for getting out?"
Kalib demanded as he scooped up Sebastian.
	"Never been good at that," Luke admitted.  There were at least
twenty Vong, and he was still regaining his strength.  "I recommend we
run."
	"It's worked great so far," Kalib remarked as they took off
down the next cave.

	Kro Thrasis continued watching events with his own forces.
Good, they were finally managing to work their way towards the
surface; he was afraid they'd never leave.  He turned to his primary
aide.  "Gather the rest of our warriors for pursuit.  And launch the
coralships."

	Luke felt Kalib grab the back of his cloak and hoist him the
rest of the way out of the hole.  The sky was plain but after hours
trapped in the icy caverns it was a beautiful sight.  White stretched
from horizon to horizon as Kalib lay Sebastian down on the packed
snow.  Both men checked their instruments to find their ships.  "Just
over that ridge," Kalib said as he slapped the device closed.  "I'll
give you a lift back to your ship, then you're on your own."  He
loomed over Luke as he held up his finger.  "Don't forget this," he
rumbled.  "I get reaaal ornery when people do that."
	"I won't," Luke said, picking up Sebastian.  "But this isn't
over until we're safely away."
	"Got that..." Kalib looked at the sky, "...right..."  Luke
followed the gaze and noticed the moving shapes before the whiteness.
They started to grow too rapidly for Luke, and he ran as best he
could, pulling Sebastian along with him.  There was the sound of fire
as Luke tried to pick up the pace, but the weapons of the Vong
fighters overshot them and landed on the other side of the ridge.
	"They're going for your ship," Luke said, trying to pull
Sebastian up the hill.
	"Let 'em," Kalib said.  "My shield'll stop anything they might
fire."
	Despite its appearance against the background the slope was
extremely steep.  After a dozen meters Kalib plucked Sebastian from
Luke's arms to speed up the process, climbing as quickly with one hand
as Luke was with two.  It still took several minutes to scale the icy
peak, but it was forgotten as soon as Luke clearly saw Kalib's ship,
and just what the Vong had done.  He heard the sound of Sebastian
being dropped into the snow as Kalib, for the first time Luke had
seen, looked shocked.  "What the..."
	The ship was covered with moving, insect-like beings who were
wasting no time in their assault on the ship.  Corpses lay about from
those that had fallen to Kalib's automated ground defenses, but it was
obvious that any weaponry had been torn to shreds along with the rest
of the ship.  
	"Hey!" Kalib shouted, the word echoing off the surrounding ice
walls, ensuring that if anyone didn't know they were there, they did
now.  Luke watched the insects freeze, and he could feel their
attention being diverted away from their original target.   He shook
his head as he pulled out his lightsaber, wondering if his ally was
more trouble than he was worth.  Kalib, however, wasn't thinking about
anything like that.  For the first time Luke felt the alien's anger;
not annoyance and impatience, but a growing rage.  He squeezed his
oversized hands into tight fists, making a sound like all the rivets
on a ship popping at once.  He strode towards them even as they
swarmed off the remains of his ship, his steps even, inevitable.  Luke
moved to follow, knowing that he needed to stop them before they
reached his helpless son.
	They reached Kalib before Luke, and that was the moment that
started to make him uneasy.  As the first creature lunged for him Luke
realized just how big these things were as it dwarfed the alien.  Its
forearms reached out for him, but Kalib leaped forward and swung with
both arms.  Luke could hear the enormous crack as the head was crushed
between the two fists.  He grabbed the corpse and heaved it at the
horde for all the good it did.  The insects leaped and dodged around
it easily, continuing their charge.
	Luke pushed and spun through the air to cover the distance
faster.  One of the creatures noticed him and leaped to intercept him.
He spun faster and lit his lightsaber, severing the creature's head
and left shoulder.  He landed and held out his blade, stabbing the
next through the chest even as it lunged for him.  He quickly
deactivated the blade as the lifeless body fell on him, pushing him
into the snow.  He tucked his feet and heaved, rolling the corpse off
him.  He arced his back and was back on his feet in time to sidestep
the next one, swinging as he did to sever its right arms and legs.  He
could sense its suffering but didn't have time to put it out of its
misery as the assault continued.  Fortunately he could sense them,
unlike their masters, and that meant he had a much better chance of
coming out of this alive.  He jumped and somersaulted as an insect
dived at him, his blade chewing into its back as he did so.  He landed
as its limbs kicked wildly, a nightmarish scream bellowing from its
multi-jointed mouth.  Luke cut it off by decapitating it, then spun
with enough time to sever the jaw of the one following it.  He
continued the spin and brought the blade upward, cutting through the
head and part of the back before the creature plowed a trench into the
snow from its momentum.
	Kalib, however, was sticking to more traditional methods of
attack.  A creature knocked him on his back and reached down to devour
him in his prone position.  Kalib grabbed the head on both sides and
twisted, the sharp crack showing his less graceful but nevertheless
effective method was getting the job done.  He drove his feet into the
face of the next one to charge, knocking the insect backwards several
meters and buying him the second he needed to get back to his feet.
The creature bellowed at him, its voice like a high-tensioned cable
starting to fray.  Kalib swung as it charged again, his fist cracking
through its exoskeleton and into its skull.  He pulled the limb back
through the hole, apparently oblivious to the slime that now coated
his right arm from the elbow down.  "What are you doing?" he demanded
of Luke as he struck an insect with the back of his fist to deflect
its attack.
	"This was your idea," Luke called, Force-pushing two insects
enough to cause them to collide.  His blade made quick work of them
both.  "You tell me."
	"Your ship's the only way off this iceball!" Kalib shouted
catching an insect's neck and, adding his strength to its momentum,
plunging its head through the snow into the aforementioned iceball.
"Get your boy over there before the Vong destroy that one too!"
	"I'm not leaving you," Luke said as he narrowly avoided being
disemboweled.
	"You're damn right you're not!" Kalib said.  "So get the ship
so we can get out of here!"
	Luke backed off, slicing off the claw that reached for him,
then reversing to remove the other.  He plunged the blade up its mouth
into its brain as it tried to bite him, then turned and ran as fast as
he could.  He could hear them following him but didn't look back; that
would only slow him down.  He followed his instincts, dropping
facedown into the snow just in time to avoid the insect that leapt
over him.  He rolled over and swung his blade, closing his eyes as a
putrid-smelling liquid poured out onto his face from the wound.  He
turned off the blade, forced his way out from under the corpse and ran
towards Sebastian.  Without slowing down, adrenaline and the Force
strengthening him, he scooped up his son and jumped over the ridge,
sliding down the slope to where they started.  Two insects jumped as
well, but missed the slope and tumbled through the air, their limbs
breaking as they hit the icy bottom.  Luke ignored them as he
continued running, hoping Kalib was wrong.
	The next ridge was far more gentle, and no more insects
pursued as Luke raced up as quickly as he could.  However, he was
still weakened from the battle, and he wasn't as young as he used to
be.  After a kilometer he had to stop for a moment to regain his
strength.  He pulled out his electrobinocular and scanned the horizon,
catching the image of his ship amongst the frozen sea.  At least
another three kilometers, he thought wearily as he pulled Sebastian
back onto his shoulder and moved as quickly as he dared.  By the time
he reached the ship every muscle in his body ached and his lungs felt
like he'd tried breathing acid.  
Luke set Sebastian down as gently as he could, then reached up to
release the access ramp.  There was no warning as he was tossed
forward by a small explosion.  He twisted back and saw the source, his
heart sinking.  Vong warriors - at least forty of them, Luke realized.
Even at his best he didn't have much of a chance against those odds.
The one nearest him, the one who had tossed the exploding bugs, was
grinning at him.  "Get up," he said, his voice distorted by a
translator.  "Die on your feet."
	"If there's one thing I hate, it's a coward," Kalib's voice
bellowed.  The Vong turned to see him on the other side of the army
opposite from Luke.  He was bleeding, but that didn't stop his
grinning.  "These odds against Old Man River there aren't very
sporting for a race of warriors.  Thought you'd know better."  He
pulled out one of his knives.  "Now me, I can take you all down.
Probably.  Well maybe.  If I were armed with a Jedi weapon maybe." The
Vong closest to him started to approach cautiously, still keeping
their attention on Luke.  "Ahem.  I said if I were armed with a Jedi
weapon," Kalib said a little louder.
	Luke wasn't sure what Kalib's plan could be.  Sebastian's
lightsaber was gone, which meant that if Luke gave his up they'd be
defenseless.  What could he be planning?  He looked at the lightsaber,
struggling to make up his mind.  "Yes, that's right," Kalib said with
a note of exasperation.  "Now, if I had that," he said, emphasizing
the word "I," "then things would be better.  Get it?"
	Luke shook his head but pulled back his arm.  In the end, it
wouldn't make any difference if he was armed or not.  He tossed it
high over the crowd, guiding it with the Force to land in Kalib's
outstretched hand.  "Thank you," he said with exhaustion.  "I was
wondering how long it'd take to get through that thick skull of yours.
Now, it's time for an ode to a Terran aquatic bird.  I hope you know
which one I'm thinking of at the moment."  Kalib held the lightsaber
in one hand, the dagger in the other, inching closer to the advancing
Vong forces.  "Kriff," he said to himself, "this is really gonna
hurt."  Luke watched his motions, and suddenly it clicked.  He turned
and dived towards Sebastian, Kalib chuckling as he did.  "That's the
one," Kalib said as he reversed his grip on the dagger, "duck!"
	The dagger's tip drove through the housing of Luke's
lightsaber.  Instantly the knife split in Kalib's hands and discharged
its plasma energy straight into the power cell of Luke's lightsaber.
The energy burst shorted out all the normal safeguards to prevent the
sudden release of all that energy, should the lightsaber be damaged.
Luke could feel the heat from the explosion as he shielded Sebastian's
unconscious body.  It wasn't terribly powerful, but immediately he
realized what Kalib's true intent was as he heard the sound of the
cracking ice.  He rolled onto his back and used the Force to push the
Vong closest to him towards the rest of the army.  Mere seconds later
the ice gave, sending them tumbling deep into the chambers below
ground.  A few remained outside the boundary, but with a few
Force-prods by Luke they were gone as well.  Exhausted, he approached
as carefully as he could, peering into the darkness.  Not bad Kalib,
he thought.  But now what?  Kalib was trapped down there somewhere,
but Luke had no idea how to even begin to look for him.  He was
unarmed, exhausted, and worse he had a casualty with him.  He owed
Kalib everything for what he'd done, but getting captured or killed
wasn't going to save him.  Still, it took several minutes for him to
even leave the hole, hoping that maybe somehow the cranky alien would
have planned some way out of this situation.  In the end, there was
nothing left he could do himself.
	Luke activated the cloak as the ship lifted off.  The Vong
either couldn't see him or weren't interested, and within minutes he
was far off from the planet.  He decloaked long enough to activate the
comm.  "Leia," he said, "I've got Sebastian.  Send in the fleet."
	"Is he all right?" she asked.
	"I'm not sure," he said.  Now that they were out of danger he
didn't have anything to preoccupy his mind.  It was hard not to get
angry when he thought about what Sebastian had been through.  "Tell
the fleet to look for an alien named Kalib.  He saved our lives Leia;
if they can help him get off that planet I'll be grateful."
	"I'll tell them," she assured him.  "Anything else?"
	Luke briefly explained about the insect creatures and what
little he'd learned about the Vong from their battle.  "They're
dangerous," he said finally.  "Maybe even more dangerous than the
Borg.  If we've any hope of survival, we need to stop them while
they're still weak and unprepared."
	"The Emperor's sending in forty star destroyers, including an
Executor-II class.  There shouldn't be any problem."
	Luke nodded, then cut the channel, re-activated the cloak, and
entered hyperspace.  Finally, finally he could rest a little easier.
It wasn't over, but finally there was real hope that things were going
to get better.  He secured Sebastian in one of the small quarters,
then tended to his own wounds.  As he finished wiping the grit from
his face he stared at his reflection, wishing he could change things.
"You're alive," he insisted to himself.  "And I'm not going to forget
what you did for me.  We'll find you, Kalib."


CHAPTER XV

	Harry Kim was waiting for them at the rendezvous point on
Dantooine.  They had barely needed to slow down their trip back to the
wormhole to pick him up thanks to the transporter.  Leia had thought
of everything, Luke thought as Harry came up to the cockpit.  "How's
he doing?" Harry asked.
	"He's alive," Luke said, grateful for that fact.  "But I'm not
sure how much damage the Vong have done to him."  He kept his anger in
check.  "He's sedated.  You can extract some nanoprobes if you need
to."
	"The sooner the better," Harry said.  "I'll need to make some
modifications based on the research the Doctor and I performed; they
could take time."
	"It's still several days to Earth," Luke commented.  "Take as
much as you need."  
	Harry nodded but his mood remained dark.  "The Vong evacuated
the planet before the fleet could arrive," he said, answering the
question that had been nagging Luke since they'd begun.  "They're
looking, but so far there's no trace of them."
	Luke didn't look at him.  "Did they find Kalib?"
	"No."
	As Harry left Luke reflected.  He should've been happy.  He
had his son back, his wife now had a fighting chance... Somehow, he
thought that would make everything better.  It didn't.  Was it his
guilt over Kalib?  About the Vong escaping?  Was it that he'd allowed
himself to go that far into darkness again?  Probably all that and
more.  But one thing he couldn't deny was a sense of guilt about what
he'd said to Leia back on Chandrilla.
	When you really thought about it, he said to himself, it was
pretty funny.  All his life he wanted to get off Tatooine, to go
anywhere but there and find adventure and excitement.  And then,
having found it, all he wanted was to have a life there with as little
excitement and adventure as possible.  He'd chalked it up to wisdom at
the time.  When he was a child he didn't understand that adventure and
excitement would mean watching the people you care about hurt and die,
about the guilt that comes from failure, about how truly lonely it was
out there in the universe.  With Annika he finally had the chance to
stop being alone, and it had seemed the right decision at the time to
retire.
	Luke hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep until Harry's
jostling in the cockpit roused him.  All this had taken a lot out of
him, he realized as he lingered on the edge of consciousness.
Unfortunately, his conscience wasn't making it easy for him.  "I
always wanted to be a hero," he said quietly.
	"Nice to get what you want," Harry said as he propped a tray
on the panel, eating as he entered some data into the computer.
	Luke rubbed his eyes, his head aching from exhaustion.
"Starfleet wasn't what you expected, was it?" Luke asked.  "Not what
you wanted it to be."
	Harry stopped but didn't look up.  "I was stranded
seventy-five thousand lightyears from my home on my first mission,"
Harry said.  "That was never in my dreams."  He went back to entering
data for a moment, then stopped.  "I wanted to lead," he said with a
slight tone of frustration.  "I wanted the chance to make the big
decisions, to know that I was part of what would expand human
knowledge and make the galaxy better.  Instead, because of that, I
remained an ensign my entire career."  He shook his head.  "No,
Starfleet wasn't what I expected at all."
	Luke nodded.  "Try being a hero."
	Harry seemed to mull it over for a second, then got back to
eating and working.  Luke tried to sleep but couldn't.  "You know what
the worst part about being a hero is?" he said finally.  Harry looked
back over to him, still eating.  "People hold you to a standard you
can never live up to."
	"How so?"
	"If you're a hero, you're placed under a microscope.  Every
choice you make in the heat of a moment is second-guessed by people
who have the luxury of time and hindsight.  People expect selflessness
from you at all times.  Your every choice is questioned.  And if you
hurt, suck it up!"  He rubbed his eyes, cursing his headache.  "And
that's why there are no heroes any more," he continued.
	Harry was tapping his fork on the side of his tray, creating a
dull thud in Luke's head.  "I never thought I'd hear that from you,"
he said after a while.
	"I know," Luke said.  "And anyone who heard it would see it as
weak self-pity.  They would judge, because it's easy to judge when you
can't change things.  When you can sit back in your own part of the
universe and solve all the problems just by talking about them.
Imagine, Harry, if you had the power to make all the decisions.  If
the issues of local armament, holographic rights, Imperial security,
Cardassian treatment, all of it was in your hands.  I bet that you've
already thought about it and know what you think is the right answer.
But, and think carefully before you answer, if you actually had that
power, would you do what you always thought needs to be done?"
	Harry set down his tray and nodded his head slightly as he
thought.  "It would be pretty arrogant of me," he said finally, "to
believe that, if I had the power, I should use it to impose my beliefs
on the galaxies."
	"Exactly," Luke said.  "But half the Empire looks to you and
demands to know why you won't get involved.  The other half condemns
you for your involvement.  Half expect you to be a god, the other half
is in the god-toppling business.  And all you want, all you ever
wanted, is just to maybe make things a little less bad.  There are few
things worse than fighting evil and winning, because people expect you
to stop all the evils after that."  He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"It's easy to destroy a despot and his armies.  But how do you destroy
poverty?  Greed?  Hate?  How can you ask one person to fight a battle
like that?"
	"If that's how you feel," Harry said, "then why do it at all?"
	Luke smiled with weariness.  "Why do you think Annika and I
retired to Tatooine?"  Surrendering to the situation, Luke replicated
some coffee.  "And the worst part of being a hero is, no matter how
self-pitying you get," he said with a smile, "you can't be anything
else.  Every time something you could have prevented happens, you grow
more conflicted over your choices.  I can just imagine the weight on
the shoulders of the Jedi Council in the days of the Old Republic,
when they were all that stood between peace and chaos.  We were never
meant to be heroes, just mediators of the peace."
	"So what happened?" Harry asked.
	Luke shrugged.  "A brash young man with his mind fixated on
adventure and excitement became the last Jedi.  All power and no
wisdom, he made bad choice after bad choice, but somehow things worked
out."
	"So you regret your choices?" Harry asked.  "Do you regret
saving Earth?"
	"No," Luke said, "that's not what I meant.  I mean that I fear
what I've done for Sebastian, the galaxies I've left for him, who will
expect him to be the hero now.  Because you see, Harry, that question
I asked you before is going to be placed at Bastian's feet.  He's
going to have to make those hard decisions, and he's going to have to
live with the consequences.  For the rest of his life people will
question his choices, and his motives, and they won't understand. Some
people can't believe that a hero can just be a person who..." he
trailed off.
	"A person who just wants to be a person, and not a hero,"
Harry said.  
	Luke nodded, rubbing at his eye with the back of his hand. "He
doesn't deserve this.  He's giving up his childhood to become the
champion of the galaxy.  They'll hate him for doing it, and they'll
hate him if he refuses it.  And if he says he's had enough because he
loses no matter what, they'll say he's self-absorbed.  They'll never
see that he's doing it because he can't not do it."
	Harry put the empty tray back onto the disposal as Luke
finished his coffee.  The ache had slid down behind his right eye, and
he rubbed the temple as he tried to ease the pain.  
	"Sometimes," Harry finally said, "a hero is just somebody
who's too tired and too scared to wait for rescue.  They're not
demigods and they're not champions, they're just somebody who decides
they can't give up without a fight."
	"What are you saying?" Luke asked after reflecting on it.
	"Don't be what others insist that you are," Harry said simply.
"Be what you think you should be.  Take it from someone who's tried to
impress a lot of people over the years, it's a waste of time."  He
leaned forward.  "Just because you're a hero doesn't mean you have to
have all the answers."

	"Ms. Sunspring," Gen. Taar said, his voice showing the typical
sympathy he held for cadets; in other words, none.  That was all the
prompting she required.  Jorielle took her datapad and walked
double-time to the front of the room, doing her best not to show how
nervous she was at the moment.  She took her place and activated the
projector to illustrate the finer points of her report.  She called up
her notes and took a breath.
	Jorielle was the first to give this kind of report for the
class.  Throughout the semester she'd noticed that Gen. Taar tended to
do this to cadets who were getting a bit too overconfident.  Being
first often made them the target of his harsher remarks, since they
hadn't the experience to know exactly what he was expecting.  She'd
never forget when he actually interrupted Zef Dooglis during his
introduction to berate him for beginning with "My report is about..."
Now it seemed to be her turn, but she wasn't going to let him
embarrass her without a fight.  She had spoken with upper classmen
about what Gen. Taar expected of the tactical examination she was
presenting.  She read some of the writings the general himself had
penned to learn how he thought.  Her every waking moment was devoted
to proving that she was too smart to be had.  She told herself it was
because she wanted to gain Taar's respect, since he could do great
things for her career if he took an interest.  The truth, though, was
that she didn't want to think about Sebastian.  
	"The Tactical Techniques of Gh'lyn Ty'urn, War Prefect of the
Bivcyon."  She projected her voice, enunciating enough to be clear
without sounding too clipped.  She looked at the audience, reminding
herself to be confident in her manners.  "Ty'urn's most notable
achievement was the victory over the Moluvs at the battle of Horsch,
and in that victory he demonstrated clear understanding of battle
principles that still endure.  With only ten small waships he managed
to destroy the Moluvs foremost battlecruiser."  Behind her a
re-creation of the destruction was playing to emphasize the importance
of that accomplishment.
	Gen. Taar was unreadable, which Jorri took as a good thing.
She'd deliberately chosen Ty'urn because he had so effectively
humiliated the Moluvs.  Taar had devoted an entire chapter of his book
on military tactics to the techniques of the Moluvs.  He had
challenged her by placing her first; she was now offering a
counter-challenge, although only the two of them knew it.
	"Ty'urn was trained as a youth in the Moluv military academy.
No one thought anything of it, since his family had been loyal to the
Moluv's for generations.  However, Ty'urn was seduced by one of his
own people who rekindled the love for his heritage.  His betrayal of
the Moluv would prove devastating."  Again, one point Taar had
emphasized was the wisdom of the Moluv in allowing loyal members of
conquered species to serve as officers in the military, which brought
many distinguished and brilliant leaders into their command.  Jorri
agreed with him, of course, but couldn't pass up the opportunity to
remind him of this obvious and deadly exception to his ideal.  "The
obvious result of this was that he had an understanding of Moluv
tactics that could be used against them.  But that was only part of
the problem.  The true threat Ty'urn posed was revealed in the battle
itself."

	The Imperator-class Star Destroyer Defiance had broken away
from its group twenty-seven hours previously.  The price for the
previous month's peace was the now unexpected and brutal assault of
the Hirogen throughout the sector.  Attack after attack, seemingly at
random, staying only long enough to create havoc before vanishing into
hyperspace.  The frequency and number of attacks had forced the fleet
to split up to deal with them.  It was obvious this was deliberate,
but they had no choice but to continue even though they found the
behavior suspicious.  Orders from the Minister of the Navy insisted
that they respond to every distress call no matter what the situation;
the political fallout would be devastating otherwise.  It was, again,
a reminder that politics and military forces don't mix well.
	"The Thrawn Military Doctrine is not to just overcome
obstacles, but to turn them into opportunities.  Ty'urn understood
that."
	The Defiance emerged from hyperspace in the Ekkle System, one
of the larger Malon settlements in this part of space.  There was a
good chance they could catch them in time, given how close they had
been when the signal was received.  They were right.
	"Ty'urn had millions of followers willing to fight and die for
his cause.  Their disadvantage was a serious lack of training,
moderate experience with advanced technology, and no real
understanding of space combat."
	Even with rotating shifts the crew was tired, and the
commanding officers bordered on exhaustion.  Fortunately the sight of
dozens of Hirogen ships did the work of eight hours sleep and a pot of
black coffee on them, even as their instruments detected an
interdictor field emanating from the planet.  Their plan to come out
of hyperspace near the planet had left them well inside its range.
	"Ty'urn appealed to the one thing he knew could turn them into
an effective fighting force.  The Bivcyon had a millennia-long
tradition in the hunt."
	The crew of the Defiance realized soon enough that it was a
trap.
	"Ty'urn devised strategies that his people could carry out
easily, strategies of the hunt."
	The surprise of the Defiance crew at the sight of the Hirogen
fleet was met with even more surprise when the first shots were fired.
The Hirogen weapons shouldn't have even penetrated their shields, but
it was soon obvious that these weren't Hirogen weapons; they were
Imperial.  
	The captain immediately began coordinating their defenses
while his executive officer was charged with getting them out of the
range of the Interdictor.  It was difficult as the Hirogen fleet broke
off into three groups, continually cutting off any attempt to
withdraw.
	"'It is as much the mind as the limbs that snare the prey,'
Ty'urn told them.  'It is as much the heart as the spear.  Without
those you fail, but with them there is no prey you cannot fell.
Likewise, there is no enemy you cannot destroy if you hunt with mind
and heart.'"
	The Defiance wasn't helpless, of course.  While the Hirogen
ships were too small for the Heavy Turbolasers, a few well-placed
shots by the rest of their weapons were able to swat them out of the
sky.  But despite this they were still unable to escape the field. The
Defiance attempted to maneuver into position to attack the field
generator itself, but the Hirogen again herded them away from their
target.
	"This is not to say his plans were so simple.  Rather, he was
using them as a starting point for their understanding.  He re-taught
them how to hunt so that, when they faced their enemy, each understood
their place in the hunt."
	The TIEs launched within moments of the attack, but like the
rest of the crew, the pilots had been on standby throughout the
crisis.  Smaller Hirogen vessels now joined the fray, taking advantage
of the slight weakness the Imperials had from their fatigue.  Without
shields around the fighters the Hirogen's own weapons were enough to
deal with the TIEs, and that left the Defiance to fend for itself.
	"The Moluv battlecruiser, despite having superior strength and
defenses, fell before Ty'urn.  That Ty'urn lost most of his force
wasn't important."
	The sustained bombardment was too much.  The shields buckled
and finally gave long enough for a Hirogen ship to attack the reactor
dome.  Its breach signaled the end of the battle, the first victory of
the Hirogen over the Empire in a decade.
	"The real purpose of the attack was never what it had seemed.
Ty'urn's hope was to shatter the Moluv's view that they were
unstoppable.  By doing that, the people began to question whether this
was a war they could win.  When facing a superior foe, the only way he
knew to beat them was to convince a complacent citizenry that they
shouldn't risk a war."

	"I noticed you didn't mention that the Bivcyon were
re-conquered a generation later by the Moluvs."  Gen. Taar said to
Jorielle after the rest of the class had been dismissed.
	"It was incidental," Jorri said, using the general's pet
phrase.  "Ty'urn's successor restructured the military so that it was
no longer capable of defending against the Mulov."
	"But if he was a truly gifted military leader he would have
chosen a successor who would have more sense."
	"Yes, but that was outside the scope of my report, sir." Jorri
knew that Taar had previously chided cadets who had strayed too far
from the topic.  "The same reason that I did not include his failing
to capitalize on Mulov weaknesses in mineral-rich border systems."
	"So you concede he was not a brilliant leader?"
	"I concede that his skill as a tactician and commander did not
aide his deficiencies in other areas.  Nor do those failings diminish
his skills."
	And then General Taar did something she'd never seen him do
before; he smiled.  "Walk with me," he said, gesturing towards the
door.
	"I have Galactic History-"
	"I've already cleared it with Col. Mulns," he said, leading
her out the door.  "How much do you know about Thrawn?  You mentioned
him in your report."
	"I know that he was responsible for reconstructing the Empire
during the Borg event.  He seized the opportunity, but was later
killed by Republic spies before his work was complete."
	They left the building and walked along the endurance path, a
safe enough move since portions of it were closed for renovation and
would ensure they wouldn't be knocked over by practicing cadets.  "I
served under Thrawn for years," he said finally.  "Now he... he was a
master.  Were he still alive I've no doubt that Cardassian terrorists
would be non-existent, and that the Vong would have no chance against
us."
	"You believe in the Vong, then?" Jorri asked.  Most were
dismissive of the rumors that they were swarming for a total invasion.
Jorri knew that Luke Skywalker had claimed they existed, and that was
good enough for her.
	"Yes," he said.  "Thrawn warned me about them once.  Called
them by name.  Never said how he knew, but I have my suspicions...."
Jorri remained silent as he lost himself in thought.  "The devotion of
those beneath him was unmatched.  We would have flown into a star on
his command, such was the loyalty of his crew.  The fact he was an
alien didn't matter."  He stopped, looking up at something Jorri
couldn't see.  "I killed him."
	Jorri said nothing but she knew her face mirrored her
thoughts.  
	"He betrayed us," Taar said.  "I will not say how, but it was
the worst kind of betrayal.  And I never thought twice about what I
had to do."
	Taar began walking again and Jorri raced to fall back into
step with him.  She couldn't think of anything to say, wasn't even
sure if he was telling the truth.
	"Despite the history of the Imperial Navy I believe you will
go far, Ms. Sunspring.  I've felt this for some time, but I've wanted
to see that you had the discipline to maintain it.  Keep it; it's
what's going to take you to great heights.  But don't make Thrawn's
mistake.  Once you believe your own infallibility, that is when you
will invite death upon yourself."
	"Yes, sir," she said, at least knowing what to say in response
to that.  The fact that a few months ago she was trying to grow crops
in a desert and now was discussing high command left her a bit
overwhelmed.
	"Sebastian Skywalker has been found and returned to Earth," he
said as if he were continuing the next point of his lesson.
	"He's all right?" Jorri said, all restraint lost.
	"No," Taar said.  "He's conscious but non-responsive.  You may
take a week to visit with him, considering your past history with him.
The therapist thinks an old friend may do the boy some good."
	Jorri understood now what the point of this was.  "Am I being
asked to choose between my friend and my career, sir?"
	"Quite a thing to ask of a first-semester cadet," Taar said.
"No, in fact this is quite out of the ordinary.  But the Chancelor of
the Academy was contacted by the Emperor himself over this matter.  I
assured them both that you were quite capable of maintaining your
studies despite the interruption.  I hope you won't prove me wrong."
	"No, sir," she said, a bit shocked.  Being friends with
Sebastian had already opened her up to people she'd never imagined a
Tatooine girl could ever meet, but now the Emperor himself?  It almost
frightened her.  It did make her concerned.  "Permission to speak
freely, sir?"
	"Granted," Taar said, still looking straight ahead.
	"I don't wish to receive special treatment because of who I am
friends with."
	"You don't wish to go?"
	"I do," she said quickly.  "I mean, I don't want special
assignments or privileges because of that.  I want to earn my own way,
sir.  I want to know that I succeeded or failed because of me, not
because someone was giving me a leg-up.  Sir," she added.
	"That," he said, "is exactly why I felt you should receive
this special accommodation.  You're going to have days on the shuttle,
and I've no doubt you'll put them to good use for your studies instead
of lounging in the rec area.  You're getting this time because you've
earned it."
	From someone who had shown such clear contempt for the cadets
on their arrival, that meant a great deal to Jorri.  She also
understood why he'd brought it all up; he wanted to give her something
else to think about along the way besides Bastian.  "I won't
disappoint you, sir."
	"If that's true, you'd be the first," he said, but there was a
hint of a smile on his lips.

	The last piece locked into place.  Luke felt nothing as he
held it in front of him and activated the switch, lighting the night
with the humming green blade.  It had been a final test of his skills
as a Jedi, and a symbol of his office.  But now, on Earth, it was a
weapon, one that he would not hesitate to wield against anyone who
threatened his family again.  The Vong were in hiding, but they
weren't gone.  Garak continued his petty attacks as well, taking
advantage of the Hirogen mess.  It was a dangerous universe no matter
where you were.
	Luke had been here before.  There was a darkness on the
horizon, as menacing as the old Empire had ever been.  There wasn't
going to be any place to hide from it.  He'd foreseen some of it, and
he knew just how terrible this war would become.  Others had a sense
of it too, he'd noticed.  They were preparing for the coming conflict
like the unstoppable force that it was, the force of destiny that said
that Unity must be challenged.  But Luke was alone in the universe in
one respect, that he knew what the greatest threat would be.  The
destruction of Palpatine was not the end of the Dark side.  It would
rise up once again, no matter how much he wished he could deny it. The
Vong, the catalyst for its return, had arrived.  It was only a matter
of time before its shadow threatened them all once again.  No, there
was nowhere to hide from it; no one could escape it.  The only hope
was that someone, somewhere, would stop it; that someone would rescue
them.
	Luke turned off the lightsaber, looking up at the cold,
uncaring stars with a gaze that was every bit as frigid, and when he
spoke his voice offered no room for dissent.  "I'm not going to stand
here and wait."


CHAPTER XVI

	"Puff the Magic Dragon lived by the sea, and frolicked in the
autumn mist in a land called Honalee."  Annika's voice was very low as
she sang, rocking Sebastian back and forth with the rhythm.  It was
almost exactly the way she would sing him to sleep every night when he
was just a baby.  "And little Jackie Paper, loved that rascal Puff,
and brought him strings and sealing wax, and other fancy stuff."
	Luke was grateful that they had a friend like the Doctor.
Sebastian was given a room just a few doors down from Annika so that
she could see him whenever it was permissible.  Their mutual presence
would help each other heal; Luke knew it.  The room, thanks to the
holo-emitters located throughout the facility, had been modified to
look like his room back on Tatooine and hopefully make him more
comfortable.  The only difference was the lump of clay the therapist
had provided, and Sebastian often went over and dug his hands into it,
manipulating it without the slightest sign of thought.  The mass just
changed shape in his grip, never evolving towards anything remotely
recognizable.  Luke understood why.  Many nights during those brief
moments when he was neither sleeping nor tortured, the child had laid
in his icy cell, alone and terrified.  He had taken to scratching at
the ice during those times, trying to vent his frustration and maybe
through it, push off madness another day.
	It was a testimony to his strength that he had lasted as long
as he did.  None of the suicide attackers the Vong had brainwashed
were in custody even half as long as Sebastian had been.  His
surrender wasn't because he was weak, it was because he was - Jedi or
not, Borg or not - human.
	"Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff's gigantic tail,"
Annika was singing.  "Noble kings and princes, would bow when e'er
they came.  Pirate ships would lower their flags when Puff roared out
his name."
	Before she could get any further the Doctor arrived.  He
obviously didn't want to intrude but had to.  "It's time for your
treatment," he said to Annika.  She nodded but said nothing.  "I'll
also need to harvest more nanoprobes from Sebastian," he said to Luke.
"Do you need any help?" Luke asked, fool question though it was.  Now
that he'd finished his desperate search he found it hard to return to
just sitting and wondering, and now with twice as many people to worry
about.  He was also anxious being stuck here, not able to spend any
time learning what his enemies might be plotting.  This whole business
with Garak and the Vong had his paranoia working overtime.
	"Just your presence may be reassurance enough," the Doctor
said.  He pulled out his instrument.  "Annika..."
	"I want to be with him," she said.  "I want him to know
everything's all right."  She held Sebastian a little tighter as she
said the words.  The Doctor nodded and reached out towards Sebastian's
arm.

	Sebastian began to tremble in fear as the Doctor approached.
"This won't hurt," he said, but his wicked grin said otherwise.  He
held up a horrible looking tool that whined as its blades whirled.  He
approached his arm.
	"We're not interested in pain," his father said with contempt.
"Just salvage the useful parts."
	"Yes," 7 of 9 said as she restrained him in her unyielding
grip.  "Get it over with so we can abandon this mistake."
	"His pain will be nothing compared to the suffering we've had
to endure by his presence."  There was no sign of anything in his
father's look but contempt.  "If he hadn't been such a miserable
failure, maybe we could have loved him.  Now, I can barely find it in
myself to pity him."
	"You feel far more towards him than I ever did," 7 of 9 said.
"At best I tolerated his weakness.  Now the only answer is obvious."
	"Don't worry," the Doctor said, his grin never changing.  "The
new son I build you will be a far cry better than this one."
	"I can't imagine him being worse," Luke said.
	"You're going to feel a sting," the Doctor said as he lowered
the screaming instrument to his arm.  "That will be the blades tearing
into your flesh and slicing through the bone.  Try not to move, I want
to make a clean cut."

	Luke jumped as Sebastian screamed.  In a flurry of movement
the boy tossed Annika and the Doctor aside like dolls, jumping to his
feet.  Luke moved between him and the door, afraid he would try to run
off.  Sebastian's face was filled with terror as he looked at his
father, backing off until he was up against the opposite wall.  He
slid down it and pushed himself into a small niche by his dresser,
shaking with fear.  
	Annika was on her feet, shaken but more worried than hurt.  As
she approached Luke could feel Sebastian's fear grow.  He grabbed her
arm to restrain her, but she tried to tug out of his grip.  "Let me
go!" she demanded.
	"You can't help him that way," Luke said.  If it wasn't for
the disease he'd never be able to hold her back.
	She turned back towards him with malice in her eyes.  "This is
your fault!" she screamed.  "If you'd let me come we would have found
him in time!"  Luke didn't let go.  "This is-" she stepped forward and
grabbed him around the chest, burying her face into him.  He could
feel her shoulders shaking from the tears; he held her tenderly.  He'd
had a few days to come to grips with Sebastian's condition.  Annika
had only learned of it that morning.
	"I'm sorry," she finally choked.  "I didn't mean it."
	"He'll get better," Luke said with as much reassurance as he
could manage.  "Just give it time."  He screwed his eyes shut as
Sebastian screamed again, then fell silent as the Doctor sedated him.
"Just give it time," he whispered.

	"Chakotay?" Jane said quietly, startling him a little.  "What
are you doing?"
	Chakotay closed the display and turned, a smile forced on his
face.  "Nothing as important as talking to you," he said.
	"Uh huh," she said, her tone showing she wasn't going to be
conned.  "What are you doing?"
	"Nothing," Chakotay said.  His will weakened as she put her
hands on her hips.  "I'm just helping out a friend," he said finally.
	"Who?"
	He hesitated, but he knew she'd keep at him.  Jane was too
smart for him sometimes.  "Kathryn."
	"Your old captain?" she said with confusion.  "I thought she
was missing."
	"That's the point," he said.  "She is, but I think I've found
her."
	"How?"
	"I'm sure this planet-"
	"How?" she asked again, not letting Chakotay evade the
question.
	"I helped B'ellana install a chip in one of the main holo-net
hubs years back," he admitted.  "It's to monitor communications that
could aid the rebellion."
	"You told me you left that all behind," she said.
	"I did, but I still have access to the chip.  I had it monitor
the traffic for anything containing Kathryn's voice.  I'd just about
given up on it when she finally communicated through the network.  It
was short, but I tracked it back to the planet I think she's at."
	"So you illegally pried into the holo-system to help you find
out where your old captain is," Jane said, not sounding terribly
pleased.  "I hope you've got a good explanation."
	"I know how this must look," he said.  "But I know Kathryn.
She's been blaming herself for the Empire's arrival for twenty years,
and after talking with Harry and Seven, I'm starting to think she's in
danger of destroying herself, or someone else."  He could see she was
conflicted.  "I've dealt with her when she's like this before," he
said finally.  "If anyone can help-"
	"Chakotay," she said, perhaps a little forcefully, "you
promised me it was over.  I don't want to get involved, and if you go
there I know she's going to drag you right back into things again."
	"I won't let that happen," he insisted.
	"You can't help yourself," she said.  "You care too much. It's
a wonderful quality and I love you for it, but it's also a terrible
weakness."
	"I swear I'll just talk to her," he said.  "I won't get
involved no matter what, but I have to try to help her.  Please."
	Jane took a deep breath through her nose, then hugged him
tight.  "I've got a bad feeling about this," she warned quietly.
	"I'll be careful," he replied.  Secretly, he had his own
worries.  Kathryn's voice sounded so dead, so devoid of any emotion at
all that he had run multiple scans to confirm it was her.  
	Two things nagged at him:  why was she talking with Garak, and
why did he call her Oracle?

	Luke Skywalker.  Jedi Knight, galactic savior, known
throughout all of civilized space.  There was something unnerving
about someone that important waiting for you to arrive.  "Hello,
Jorielle," he said with the same smile and warmth she recalled from
her childhood.  "I'm glad you could come."
	"Me too," she said, taking a moment to adjust her eyes.  This
part of Earth was a little brighter than what she'd become accustomed
to back on Ralltiir.  "Is Mrs. Skywalker here too?"
	"Yes, but she's sedated at the moment," Luke said, leading her
into the front of the hospital.  "She won't be conscious for another
thirty-six hours; part of her treatment."
	"So they think they have a cure now?" she asked.  She'd heard
about the condition Annika Skywalker had contracted, and about the
mortality rate.
	"They have what may be a cure for her?" Luke said.  "I have a
good feeling about it.  And with Sebastian here now, she has something
else to fight for."
	"I'm glad," she said.  "How's Bastian doing?"
	The silence told her more than anything he could have said.
"Not well," he admitted finally.  "I don't want you to be alarmed, but
he's going to need time to recovery from what the Vong did to him."
	"They hurt him?" she asked, afraid of what it meant.
	"Not torture," Luke said, which somehow did make things a
little better.  Her imagination, when she had allowed herself on a few
brief moments to worry, had visualized the worst kinds of abuses they
might inflict on him.  "But they tried to brainwash him.  I... Let me
be honest," he said, coming to a halt in the hallway.  "There's a very
good chance he won't even recognize you, and if he does, there's a
chance you may terrify him.  You've come a long way, but, if you need
time to come to grips with that before seeing him..."  He left the
implication hanging there.
	"I understand," she said, letting her Academy training give
her a confidence she sorely needed at the moment.  "But I don't think
I could do anything until I had a chance to see him."
	Luke nodded and continued the trip through the hospital.
"Here's a commlink," he said as he passed it over.  "If there's a
problem, just activate it and I'll come immediately."
	"That won't be necessary-"
	"Jorielle," he said sternly, "it's not a suggestion."  She
said nothing, slipping it into her pocket.  "Ready?"
	"Sure," she said, trying to sound nonchalant.  It was
ridiculous, of course; she was an open book to a Jedi, but she had to
keep up appearances.
	The door slid opened and Luke led the way.  Sebastian was
sitting up on the edge of his bed, molding clay with his hands.
"Sebastian?" Luke said, trying to get his attention.  He didn't look
up.  "Sebastian, Jorielle's here.  She came all the way from the
Academy just to see you.  I thought you two might like a chance to
talk."
	He didn't stir.  The whole thing was unsettling.  He looked
just like he did when he was fixated on some machine back on Tatooine.
If she didn't know it, she wouldn't have guessed anything was wrong
with him at all.  But he wasn't responding, wasn't doing anything but
concentrating on his project.  Luke met her eyes for a moment as he
turned, a signal that she should let him know if there was a problem.
She looked back to Sebastian as he slipped past and out the door.
	"Hi, Bastion," Jorri said as she slipped into the chair
opposite from where he sat.  His attention was on the piece of clay he
was shaping, but she didn't let that stop her.  "How are you?"  She
waited.  "I'm fine," she said finally, not certain what to do.  "I...
I got a little time off from the academy to visit.  Gen. Taar took me
aside personally, said I had potential.  I know it doesn't sound like
much, but if you knew him..."
	He didn't seem to be aware of anything she was saying, but she
wasn't going to give up that easily.  "I really wish you were there.
It's hard work, but we have a lot of fun when we find the time."  She
faltered.  "Well, that's not exactly true.  When I heard what had
happened to you... Sebastian, I was really scared.  I was afraid I'd
never see you again."  His fingers continued to make deep impressions
in the clay's surface.  "But it's okay now," she continued.  "You're
alive and you're safe, and that's all that matters.  And you're going
to get better, and things'll be just like they were before.  Your mom
will be fine, and your dad and Mr. Solo and a bunch of heroes are
going to fly in and destroy these Vong and save the day.  That's the
way it works." 
	Sebastian didn't look up as she nervously got to her feet.  "I
know you can hear me," she said, stepping closer very carefully.
"You're still in there Bastian, waiting for someone to help you find
the way out again.  Well, I'm here."  She was right next to him, but
he still wasn't looking at her.  "I need you," she said.  "I know you
know what I feel; I can't hide anything from you.  I love you and you
know that.  Feel how much I want you back.  And I know that no matter
what the Vong did to you, it can't be stronger than what I know you
feel towards me."  She took one of his hands and held it between her
own, but he continued working the clay with the other one.  He didn't
speak or look at her, showed no interest.
	Slowly, trying to resist the fear, she closed her eyes and
kissed him.  She'd been wanting to do it for forever.  She opened her
mind to him, let him feel how much she wanted this, wanted him, wanted
him to want her, wanted to share forever with him, wanted him to know
that he was loved and had something to come back to.  He had to come
back.  As the Romans said, love conquers all.
	Unfortunately, as she slowly withdrew and looked into his
hollow eyes, she saw that he had already been conquered by fear.
	"Bastian?"  He didn't react.  "Bastian?"  The hand fell limp
as she released it.  The right stopped its pointless work, sliding off
the clay and joining the left.  He looked down at them, and then he
spoke to himself, his voice just on the edge of hearing.  
	"Be strong, or they'll take it all away.... take it all
away..."
	"Sebastian?"
	He crawled away and curled up on his bed.  "Unworthy," he
said.  "Unworthy of it all..."
	"I love you," she repeated.  "Do you hear me?  I love you."
	"Unworthy of love," he said, not changing his rhythm in the
slightest.  "Not strong enough... not brave enough... he wouldn't give
in.... he never would have been caught... he is worthy..."
	"Please, Sebastian-" she tried to embrace him.  She was
shocked when he whirled and gripped her, squeezing her arms in each
hand with his Borg-enhanced strength.  His lifeless eyes had now been
filled with terror, and despite the agony of his grip she found the
terror contagious.  "They're going to take it all away," he said, his
voice having a slight crack to it.  "They're going to take Jorri
away."
	"Sebastian, I'm here," she said frantically.  "Listen to me-"
	"I hate you, Ben," he said suddenly.  "I hate what you've done
to me... what you've turned me into..."
	"Ben?" she asked quickly.  "Who's Ben, Sebastian?  Does he
have the answer?"
	"Ben... why do I have to lie to her... linear time...
linear... but I'm not a god like you...I'm not anything..."
	"Sebastian, who's Ben?"
	"Gorren, you don't know how much I miss her..."
	Jorri looked into his face.  "Are you talking about me?
Bastian, I'm right in front of you."
	"Borg drone... Vong warrior... Jedi Knight... ISB Agent...
Alliance Prefect... E-ee-me-........ it's all slipping away..."
	Jorri had no choice.  She pulled the commlink out of her
pocket and pushed the button.  He continued rambling as she waited for
help.
	"I am Kital.  I am he who is left behind.  I am unworthy.  I
am..."  His grip loosened and he covered his face, weeping.  "Please
don't die Morgan...  Please... I don't want to live without... it's
not fair... I love you more than anyone... please don't die... we'll
be so happy together... there so much I had planned for us..."
	"Who's Morgan?" Jorri wondered with worry.  "Sebastian...
Sebastian it's me, it's Jorri.  I love you."
	"Jorri..."
	"Yes, it's me!  I love you!"
	"I could love you," Sebastian said distantly.  "But you'd be
living in another woman's shadow."
	Luke and the Doctor came rushing in as Sebastian withdrew from
her.  She stepped back as they prepared to subdue him, but he was
already withdrawn.  "Something happened," the Doctor remarked simply
as he quickly checked the neural scans while Luke approached, "but
I've no idea what."
	"It's the Force," Luke said.  "He lost control, became
entangled in past and future..."
	"What do you mean?" the Doctor asked, the two oblivious to
Jorri's tears as she watched them start strapping Sebastian down onto
the bed.
	"He was overwhelmed by images of his past and his future,"
Luke said.  "But the disturbance has passed, I think."
	Jorri found it hard to take her eyes off as she worked her way
to the door and slipped into the hall.  She ran aimlessly, somehow
hoping that she could leave this behind.  He was supposed to be fine;
she was his true love, and she'd shown him her own love.  That was
supposed to make it all right.
	Except it wasn't her that he had been crying for.  It was
Morgan that he wept for, whoever she would be.  Morgan he wanted to
spend his life with, Morgan he wanted to love more than anyone.  She
finally stopped, exhausted more in spirit than in body, not even
trying to hold back her grief.  Of course it was someone else; they
had their whole lives ahead of them.  This schoolgirl crush was going
to die out once they grew up; she should have known.  How could she
have been so naive?
	Jorri ignored the nurse who was asking how she was and found
her way to a terminal.  Within minutes she had arranged passage back
to the Academy.  Face it, she told herself, you know where your future
lies.  It's time to get back to it and stop acting like a child.
	"I just hope Morgan makes you happy," she said finally as she
transported away.

	Sebastian laid back on the bed, the reinforced restraints
holding him in place while he twitched and mumbled to himself.
"...stupid... so stupid... I had you... I had you..."  He jerked as
much as he was allowed.  "...I don't want to lose...  ...it was...
...no!"
	Jorri sat on the bench, face in her hands, so that no one
would see her.  "It could only be you," Sebastian muttered.  "...only
you..."
	"Shuttle AJ-127 is now boarding for departure," the computer
announced.  Jorri got to her feet.
	"...only you Jorri..."
	Jorri wiped her eyes.  No more crying; she was going to become
an officer, act like it!  She picked up her bags and walked towards
the entrance.
	"...I love you too, Jorri... ...come away with me..."
	Jorri stowed her gear and took a seat by the window.  Earth
was a lovely planet, it would be nice to see it again from the air.
	"...I'll never leave you again... I love you, Jorri..."
	"Last call for AJ-127," the computer announced.  Jorri looked
out the window.
	"...don't go away, Jorri..."
	The shuttle lifted off the platform and turned slowly, landing
gear sliding in as its atmospheric wings adjusted.  Jorri watched the
world below her, and while it was beautiful, there wasn't even a hint
of a smile on her face.
	"...I love you... please don't go away..."


CHAPTER XVII

	Chakotay had been to some inhospitable planets before, but as
he made his final approach to Tynil 6, he couldn't think of many that
were worse.  He was worried that he might have tracked the signal back
to a dead end, some relay set up to avoid tracing back to where the
real Janeway was.  He couldn't explain why, but the thought of that
was more frustrating than he would have imagined.  He loved his wife
dearly and wouldn't give her up for anything, but why was it that this
seemed so damn important to him?
	Fortunately a few moments later the scans revealed that it
wasn't a trick.  A cavern located near the equator was home to an
assortment of technical equipment and one lifesign.  He had no records
of her biosigns, but he was certain that had to be Janeway down there.
With a few touches of the panel the ship changed course and entered
the frigid atmosphere.  He set down two hundred meters from the
entrance, then activated the cloak.  If anyone found him, it would
only be if they had been looking for him in the first place.
	He set the coordinates for the transporter and beamed himself
into the entrance to the cavern.  Once inside he pulled out a
tricorder and mapped out the path to Janeway's lab.  There were no
other life readings but he kept one hand on his blaster just to be
safe.  Deep down, his only fear was the person he'd find when he
arrived in the lab.  He hoped it would still be his old friend.

	"And so he grabs my shoulder and yanks me back around," Luke
said, gesturing a little with excitement as he talked.  "And then he
gets right in my face and starts really hassling me.  'I don't like
you either!  You just watch yourself, we're wanted men.  I have the
death sentence on twelve systems!'  And I'm thinking, it's probably
because of your bad breath you old boozehound, but I'm trying to
defuse the situation, so I say 'I'll be careful.'  Well the guy whirls
me around and says 'You'll be dead!'  And then... and then I grabbed
him and threw him across the bar and kicked his ass.  Then I kicked
his friend's ass too.  Han and Chewie were just amazed and Ben gave me
that look like he just knew I was going to be a Jedi."  Luke paused,
but there was no response.  "I guess you had to be there."
	Sebastian hadn't looked up from the clay the entire time,
hadn't shown even the slightest interest in anything Luke had to say.
Luke cleared his throat and leaned forward.  "That's the version I
tell your mother, anyway," he confided.  "Truth was I spent most of
the fight on the floor.  I remember watching Ben, though, and being
just amazed at what he could do.  The problem, though, was that I
forgot what he'd done before that.  He was trying hard not to get into
the fight, even offering to buy these two jerks a drink, when he very
easily could've taken on the whole bar.  But that's the thing about
being a Jedi, you've got to keep it in check.  No matter how much
someone bothers you, no matter how much you wanna just knock them down
to show them how small they are, that's the time when you've gotta get
even more in control of yourself."
	Sebastian still wasn't listening.  The alarm on Luke's
chronometer beeped and he checked the time to confirm it wasn't a
malfunction.  "I've gotta go for a little while," he said as he got
up.  "We'll talk more later."
	He jogged down the hall to the nurse's station.  Nurse T'Chik
was already getting up to let him know the transmission was coming
through.  He thanked her as he took the seat behind the panel and Leia
appeared on the display.  "Well?" he asked, feeling a little on edge.
	"The fleet has run a full sweep of ninety sectors," Leia said.
"Nobody has found any trace of the Vong."
	"What about Kalib?" Luke asked.
	"Nothing."  Leia was uneasy as she seemed to look for the
words.  "Luke, the Senate doesn't believe you.  In the end, no matter
how much I and the Emperor believe the Vong were there, they just
don't accept it.  There's no evidence, and they're upset that the
fleet is off in that part of space when the Cardassians and the
Hirogen pose a real, tangible threat."
	"Leia, they're there," Luke said slowly but with emphasis.
"They may be hiding for now, but not forever.  If we don't stop them
now, while they're still weak, they'll destroy us."
	"I know that, Luke," she replied, and he could sense a tiny
amount of frustration in that voice.  "But the drawback to the reforms
is that the Emperor no longer has absolute power.  If he pushes this
without support of the Senate we risk undoing the progress of the past
fifteen years."
	"The Vong will set the clock back a lot farther than that,"
Luke said.
	"Luke, it's a difficult tightrope we're on, and walking it is
not as simple as you think.  The power the Emperor gave the Senate is
all that is keeping thousands of systems from open revolt.  It's not a
problem we can just ignore despite the Vong threat.  Without evidence,
the Emperor's going to have to withdraw the fleet and move forces into
the Milky Way."
	"Maybe I should bring Sebastian back to Chandrilla," Luke said
bitterly.  "Let them take a good look at what the Vong can do."
	"Luke, I'm doing what I can, and this isn't over.  But for
right now our hands are tied.  Nom Anor's going to get what he wants
if we push this any further; do you want that?"
	"No," Luke admitted, but he refused to hide his frustration
about it.  He knew more than anyone how dangerous these Vong were, and
every day was another day they grew stronger.  "Keep me informed."
	"I will," Leia promised.  "How's Annika?"
	"Healing.  I'd bring her over but she's still unconscious.
These sessions are really exhausting her, but she's making progress
towards a recovery."
	Leia nodded, her face reflecting her concern.  "Sebastian?"
	Luke found it hard to answer.  "All we can do is wait," he
said finally.
	"May the Force be with him," Leia said, "and with you."
	"Thanks."  He cut the transmission and stared at the empty
screen for a few seconds as he pondered the situation.  Finally he got
up and returned to Sebastian's room.  The boy was still digging his
fingers deep into his clay while his father took a seat.  Luke
interlaced his fingers for a while, trying not to think about his wife
and son's conditions, about the threat to the galaxies, about the man
he'd abandoned to their greatest enemy.  Finally he looked up and
smiled at Sebastian.  "Did I ever tell you about the time Han got lost
on Hoth and I had to rescue him?  Funny story..."

	"You shouldn't have come, Chakotay."
	Chakotay froze.  He thought he'd been quiet, and she wasn't
even looking at him.  His sensors had shown no sign of any detection
system out on the planet's surface either.  Uncertain, he dropped all
pretenses and hoped she'd tip her hand.  "I had to," he said.  "I've
been worried about you, Kathryn."
	"No," she said, still not looking at him, "you haven't."
	"Kathryn-"
	"Please don't speak to me," she said.  "Hearing that voice -
it pains me more than I'd like to admit."  Janeway turned around,
pushing a strand of her long white hair out of her face as she looked
at Chakotay, her eyes filled with pity.  "If only I'd have known in
time," she whispered.
	"Known what?" Chakotay asked.  "If this is about your
research-"
	"Even so, you could have spared yourself."  Her eyes glazed
slightly.  "You and Jane would have had a child, a boy.  You wouldn't
have known him long, but you would have had a chance.  He would be
named Corey, and he was going to be a gifted surgeon whose compassion
would bring healing of body and soul throughout the sector.  But you
had to come.  You had no choice."
	"Are you working with Garak?" 
	"I needed resources to continue my work," Janeway said without
apology.  "Garak was the only one who could provide them that wasn't
involved with the Empire in some way.  In some ways... it was a
mistake."
	"It's not too late," Chakotay said.  "You can escape him.
Garak's powerful here, but if you go-"
	"It's not Garak," she interrupted.  "Don't you see, Chakotay?
I've done it.  I've broken through the barrier now.  I've taken the
power of the Jedi to its ultimate conclusion, opening up the future
and the past."  She didn't seem to blink as she continued to look at
him, into him.  "What might have been, what should have been, it's all
clear to me now, and it has confirmed the one thing I feared the most:
I am responsible for bringing the Empire here."
	"You don't know that."
	"I do," she said bitterly.  "I know it as the most undeniable
fact in the universe.  If not for my involvement, the Empire would
never have discovered the wormhole.  And... and we would have made it
home anyway!"  She laughed slightly at that.  "Just two years more and
we would have made it home, without dragging along the blight that
consumed all we had wanted to return to.  But no matter how hard I
try, my every effort is thwarted to restore that past."
	"Kathryn," he said as reassuringly as possible, "why don't you
come with me for right now.  Take a break and look at all this with
fresh eyes."  And a sane mind, he added silently.  Things were worse
than he thought.  Janeway was given to fits of depression and regret,
but never had it driven her this far.  He blamed himself, really.  He
had been her conscience, and by leaving her he'd abandoned her to her
own sense of failure.
	"It's too late," she said.  She raised her voice.  "Garak.
Keep your lackey in check."
	There was no time for Chakotay to hide as the two Cardassians
strode into the main chamber that housed Janeway's lab.  Garak had the
most well known face short of the Emperor, so Chakotay knew that it
was one of his subordinates who drew a disruptor.  Garak raised his
hand, holding back the fire for the moment.  Chakotay was armed, but
he didn't dare go for his blaster.  The point became moot as Janeway
pulled it from his holster.  "Disarm him, Garak," she said.
	"He does not answer to you," the Cardassian began without
bothering to hide his contempt.
	"There's no need for that," Garak said, taking the disruptor.
"The Oracle is as trustworthy as you are."
	"Kathryn-" Chakotay began under his breath.
	"Your fate was sealed the moment you landed," she said.  
	"After all we've been through-"
	And for the first time since his arrival Janeway let her
emotions unleash.  "I told you to stop speaking to me!  You and I have
been through nothing together, and your words do nothing but remind me
of what I lost!  No!" she shouted at Garak as he raised the disruptor
towards him.  "You'll regret pulling that trigger, Garak."
	"I find that hard to imagine," Garak said, holding his aim.
Chakotay braced himself.  He doubted in his prime he could've dodged
the shot, but he had to try.  For Jane, he had to try.  Fortunately,
Garak holstered the weapon.  "I hope your judgment is not being guided
by emotion."
	"No," Janeway said, looking at Chakotay with contempt, "not
remotely."
	"You know why I've come?" Garak asked.
	"Yes.  Skywalker.  It wasn't wise to draw his attention."
	"I don't recall anyone asking your assessment, human," the
other Cardassian said.
	"Lumett," Garak said, "I'm getting tired of your
interruptions."  The subordinate glowered but said nothing.  "What
will become of him?" he asked Janeway.  "Is he a threat?"
	Janeway took a deep breath through her nose, then she pulled a
hypospray off the desk and placed it to her neck.  She grunted
slightly as it discharged, her breath quickening.
	"Oracle," Garak said again, slightly louder, "Tell me about
Luke Skywalker's future."
	"I cannot see whether he will turn his hand against you,
Garak," Oracle said in an even deeper, scratchier voice than usual.
"But you have upset the balance within him.  You may have released
something far more terrible than you have imagined.  If his hand turns
to darkness, you will find no mercy in that man, only an unequalled
cruelty."
	"But there's no certainty that will happen," Garak said,
taking the news rather well in Chakotay's estimation.
	"One thing is assured," Oracle said.  "The Dark side is not
beaten.  It must return, it must challenge again.  The fallen Vader
will not be the last Sith to bear the name Skywalker."
	"Explain."
	"As always, the way things are and the ways things were are
not the way that they should be.  Father against son was the way fate
had planned, two hands raised in anger against one another, the son
destroying him.  But Luke Skywalker never crossed swords with his
father in hatred."
	"What does that matter?" Lumett said, but Garak waved him into
silence.
	"That conflict will be crossed to the next generation," she
continued.  "Sabers will clash in hatred as father and son vie for
control as it should have been twenty years passed.  The time is soon
coming when the two will stand on opposite sides of the Force, pulled
together by destiny again and again until the contest is over and only
one stands."
	"Who?" Garak asked.
	"I cannot see, but I do know that no matter who wins the Vong
will be the true champions.  The chaos they wrought will threaten the
Empire."  
	"Then the Vong will prevail?"
	"As things were meant the Vong would swarm through their
galaxy, the might of the Republic and the strength of the Jedi unable
to halt it.  The Empire is not so weak, and the Jedi do not divide it
yet.  But the coming confrontation will lead to disorder."
	"That's what Nom Anor has wanted," Garak said to Lumett.
"We're part of his plan; causing trouble to distract the Empire so the
Vong can destroy them."
	"He's been using us," Lumett said with disgust.
	"That surprises you?  Of course he was.  But if he destroys
the Empire, we've won."
	"Do not presume," Oracle continued.  "You've been a part of
his plans since before the fall of the Federation.  His network of
spies is far more vast than you can imagine.  He has his claws dug
into every major and minor faction in the galaxies.  When the time
comes, there will be few secrets kept from him."
	"Who are they?" Garak asked.  "Can you give me names, or a way
of finding out how to purge them from ourselves?"
	"Let me show you," Oracle said.  "Chakotay, step over near
Lumett," she said.  Chakotay considered a moment, then did as he was
told.  There was no sense waiting for Garak to point his disruptor at
him.  "Garak, come to me."  Bemused, the Cardassian obeyed.  The four
now stood opposite one another.
	"What is the point of this?" Lumett said with impatience.
	"I'm exposing you," Oracle said, "as the traitor you are."
	"Oracle-" Garak began.
	"You know Chakotay was my most trusted advisor and friend,"
she said over him.  "I would have died for him if I had to."  Before
anyone could say anything more she pulled out the blaster.  Chakotay
tried to move, but he felt the plasma bite into the flesh of his left
side, burning and charring even as he stumbled.  There was a second
blast, but it missed as he hit the floor.  Then he saw Lumett stagger
and knew that it wasn't a miss as he gasped for breath.  He looked
into her face wondering why, but it bore only hate.
	"Are you insane?" Garak asked as he took the blaster away from
her yielding grip.  If he'd had the strength, Chakotay would've
laughed at the question.
	"They should be dead," Oracle answered.  "Body shot at point
blank, but they are dying."  Chakotay's struggles for breath
illustrated that clearly enough.  Even with medical aid, he was still
a dead man.  I'm sorry Jane, he thought.  If there was a way...
	But there was.  Suddenly, he knew there was.  And as he looked
at Lumett, he knew that he knew as well.  They reached out their
hands, human and Cardassian, and gripped them tightly.  He felt his
strength returning despite the pain, despite the fact that he wasn't
breathing any more, despite the fact that, had he known it, his heart
had stopped.  His flesh bonded with Lumett's, the two being pulled
together and fusing.  Chakotay felt his bones and muscles, his organs
and nerves and veins, all of him unraveling and intermixing with the
other.  It was surprisingly painless, even as they started reknitting
together, their bodies now combined in an impossible way.  
	Then he was suddenly aware of a whole host of experiences he'd
never had but somehow remembered.  It took him a moment to acclimate
them into his memory, the sum total of all that was Lumett now part of
him.  When he looked to Garak he suddenly recalled a bond of loyalty
that matched his own towards Janeway.  Recalled, but not felt, not any
longer.  His purpose was clear now that the deception was over.  He
needed to return to the Vong, and he couldn't allow anyone to stand in
his way.
	Garak was uncharacteristically aghast but the Oracle hadn't
shown the slightest bit of surprise or horror at what at happened. Her
expression hadn't changed from the moment she pulled the trigger.
"Kill it, Garak," she said evenly.  Chakotay-Lumett dived at them, but
he felt the disruptor and the blaster tear into his chest.  He still
pushed on as they continued firing until finally, despite his
overwhelming will to survive, death overcame him again.  This time,
there was no escape.

	Garak was breathing heavy as he looked at the twisted form
that half contained one of his advisors.  "A changeling?" he asked
finally once he was certain it wasn't getting up again.
	"No," Oracle said.  "A bio-reconnaissance organism, designed
by Nom Anor and sent throughout the Empire.  It destroys and replaces
its target, becoming a replacement so accurate that it doesn't even
realize it's not the original.  No one, not a telepath, not even a
Jedi can tell who is and isn't what they appear to be."
	"You're telling me that there might be more of them in my
organization, and I have no way of finding out?"
	"I'm telling you that they are so well placed," the Oracle
said, "you might very well be one yourself."  Garak showed no
reaction, but he was very good at that.  "But I don't believe you are.
In any case, there's nothing you can do about it if you were.  When
the time comes Nom Anor will cause all the spies to return to him, and
when that happens whoever they might have been will no longer exist.
Indeed, they're already dead.  That wasn't Chakotay, just an
impersonation so accurate it wasn't until the end that it realized it
wasn't who it believed it had been."
	"How did you know?" Garak asked.
	"I am the Oracle," she replied, as if that fact said
everything.  "I knew that the Chakotay replicant would begin
investigating me once he learned of my research.  But he never
understood that it was only because he was carrying out his mission;
his 'concern' about me was just a justification to himself of why he
had to come.  It's the same reason that Lumett offered to escort you
to me.  But it was destiny that they would arrive together and allow
me to prove to you that you are being spied upon in a way you'd never
imagined."
	"What would you suggest I do with this information?" Garak
asked, still not taking his eyes off the twisted form.
	"Use it as a reminder when you think of trusting Nom Anor. But
now I must devote myself to my own work, in the hopes that the real
Chakotay may be spared this fate."  Garak said nothing as he slipped
back out of the room, leaving Janeway alone with the remains.


CHAPTER XVIII

	Garak sat alone in the cockpit of his ship, mulling over the
situation.  He had lived a life that revolved around the simple belief
that no one was to be trusted.  Now that belief had been proven true,
and taken to an extreme he'd never imagined.  His deep-rooted paranoia
had, in the end, not been paranoid enough.
	Was he Elim Garak?  That question had plagued him for the
better part of an hour.  He believed he was, but he was unable to
reach it through any rational means, and that left doubt.  And
doubting himself was a weakness, and weaknesses led to failure.
Therefore, he had to prove who he was to himself if he was to succeed,
not to mention have the means to ferret out the moles in his
organization.
	A few taps of the controls and the remains of the
Chakotay-Lumett creature was beamed into a stasis field in the small
medical bay of the ship.  The body was a starting point, but he knew
that was a difficult place to be starting from.  He lacked the medical
knowledge needed to discover its secrets, and who could he turn to for
the answers?  Anyone he went to could be a spy, and based on what the
Oracle said, they would subconsciously be working to further Nom
Anor's ends.  And so it came back to that same question: who do you
turn to when every living thing could be your enemy?  But fortunately,
logic provided the simple answer to that question as he activated the
launch sequence and set his course.

	"''The Men of Gondor are valiant, and they will never submit;
but they may be beaten down,'" Luke read aloud.  "Valour needs first
strength, and then a weapon. Let the Ring be your weapon, if it has
such power as you say. Take it and go forth to victory!'"
	Sebastian showed no interest in what Luke was saying, but he
didn't let that stop him.  The therapist had said Luke's presence
would be a great help in his recovery, but Luke had run out of things
to say in his one-sided conversations with the boy.  Luke had already
finished Hard Times with the boy, so he asked for the thickest book
they could find.  Hopefully that would help gain Sebastian's interest
after a while.  
	"'Alas, no,' said Elrond. 'We cannot use the Ruling Ring. That
we now know too well. It belongs to Sauron and was made by him alone,
and is altogether evil. Its strength, Boromir, is too great for anyone
to wield at will, save only those who have already a great power of
their own. But for them it holds an even deadlier peril. The very
desire of it corrupts the heart. Consider Saruman.'"  Luke paused. "Do
you think it's sow-ru-man or sah-ru-man?"  Sebastian said nothing.
"'If any of the Wise should with this Ring overthrow the Lord of
Mordor, using his own arts, he would then set himself on Sauron's
throne, and yet another Dark Lord would appear.'"
	Before Luke could continue the commlink chimed.  "Yes?" he
said into it with a hint of irritation.
	"Mr. Skywalker," said the droid the Doctor had assigned to him
during their stay, "Earth Governor Hill has asked if you would
reconsider joining them this evening for the charity banquet."  The
droid no doubt had learned Luke's mannerisms well.  "I told him you
were busy with personal affairs but he was quite insistent that I
relay the message to you regardless, with a reminder of how much your
presence could boost support-"
	"The answer is still no," Luke said.  "Please convey my
sincerest regrets to Governor Hill that..." he trailed off.  "Find a
way to say 'Kriff, no' in a polite way, UP0."
	"Of course."  
	Luke put the commlink back and returned to the book.  "Boromir
looked at them doubtfully, but he bowed his head. `So be it,' he said.
`Then in Gondor we must trust to such weapons as we have. And at the
least, while the Wise ones guard this Ring, we will fight on.'"  The
commlink beeped again.  "Yes?"
	"Mr. Skywalker," UP0 said, "Admiral Durnov just left a message
for you."
	"P0," Luke said sternly, "I said I didn't want to be
disturbed."
	"But you did say to contact you about anything involving the
Vong.  Did you wish me to disregard that command under these circum-"
	"What about the Vong?" Luke said.
	"The message is encoded for you alone," the droid said.  "I
can transfer access to a terminal if you wish to view it."
	Luke mulled it over, then looked at Sebastian.  "I won't be
gone long," he promised the boy as he set the book down on the table.
Sebastian continued molding his clay.  He left the room and went to
the nearest station on that floor.  He entered his authorization code
to access the message, for all the good that it did.  It was already
encrypted, he thought as he looked over the gibberish on his screen,
why would they use another code.  "P0," he said into his comm, ask the
admiral if the message was doubly-encoded or if it was just garbled."
He waited a few seconds for the response.
	"I cannot reach the admiral or his ship?" P0 said.  "Would you
like me to leave him a message?"
	Luke's brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what was going
on.  "Find out if there's something wrong with the grid," he said as
he got up and started to return to his room.  "Maybe something went
wrong during the transmission and we can't contact them now."  P0
acknowledged and Luke slid the commlink back into place as he opened
the door to Sebastian's room.  He froze in the doorway.  "Who the hell
are you?" he asked.
	The startled little man jumped as Luke spoke.  He seemed to
look for an exit but, unfortunately for him, Luke was blocking the
only one.  "I asked you a question," Luke demanded as he took a step
closer, the alien stumbling as it tried to get away from him.  Luke
tried to focus his attention on him while at the same time checking
Sebastian.  When Luke touched him the boy slipped away in fear,
whimpering as he curled up on the bed away from his father.  Luke
closed his eyes and tried not to think about how much it still hurt to
watch that, but then he felt the alien break for the door.  He turned
and with an outstretched arm pointed towards him, lifted the figure
off his feet and then flat against the wall.  He remained there as
Luke got up and approached, his lightsaber unlit in his hand.  If the
Vong had sent an assassin or agent, he thought, it was the worst
mistake they could possibly have made.  "Who are you?" he asked again,
his tone low and menacing.
	"Nobody!" the little man squealed.  "I'm..." he trailed off as
Luke pulled the device from his hand.  
	"A holo-imager?" Luke said uncertainly.  Suddenly he realized
what was going on.  "You sent that transmission," he said.  "Just to-"
he couldn't say the words; just the thought was causing his darker
side to rumble within.
	"The p-populace has a right to know," the little man said.
"Unless a state of emergence exists, freedom of the press shall not be
infringed..."  Luke's look showed that he wasn't interested in freedom
of anything at that moment.  It would have been more satisfying to
crush the imager with the Force, to vent his anger.  Instead he
stabbed it with his lightsaber, destroying the memory crystal inside
and any stolen pictures of his son.  "I will not see you again," Luke
said.  He allowed the alien to fall to the floor; he didn't even
bother scooping up his camera.
	"Where were we?" Luke said in as cheerful a voice as he could
despite Sebastian's behavior.  The one thing he couldn't do was try to
coax him out of it; experience had taught him it only made matters
worse.  "Here we are.  'Mayhap the Sword-that-was-Broken may still
stem the tide - if the hand that wields it has inherited not an
heirloom only, but the sinews of the Kings of Men.'"
	"Excuse me," came a voice, causing Luke to drop his head in
frustration.  "Do you have a moment?"  It took Luke a second to
realize it was the Doctor.
	"Yes, yes, sorry," Luke said, getting up to greet him.  The
Doctor had been keeping Luke regularly updated on Annika's condition
despite his heavy schedule.  Luke really did appreciate the effort.
	"You and I have been hailed," the Doctor said, his tone
implying he found it rather absurd.
	"I think I know by who," Luke said.  "It's just a trick."  He
explained briefly what had happened.
	"I'm sorry," the Doctor said.  "I'll have a security detail
stationed outside his room, and Annika's as well.  We should have
thought of that sooner."
	"It's all right," Luke said, calmer now that the moment had
passed.
	"Ms. Brent," the Doctor said into his communicator, "I think
this is a false alarm."
	"I'm afraid not, Doctor," she said.  "At least, I really don't
think so."
	"Who is it?"
	"It would be better if I didn't say over a comm channel,
Doctor," she said.  "But I think you'll want to take this."
	"It won't hurt to check," the Doctor said.  Luke agreed as
long as they waited for the security officers to arrive.  On the way
down the Doctor began briefing Luke on the progress of Annika's
treatment.
	"The therapy is working, but I must admit it's taking its
toll.  The increased nanoprobe dosage shows a marked increase in her
immune response, but Annika was having difficulty..."  The Doctor
seemed to search for the right words.
	"Resisting assimilation," Luke said.
	"In a matter of speaking," the Doctor said.  "I've been giving
her injections of steroids and hormones to try and offset that.  It's
been successful, but she's not quite as cheerful as she usually is."
	"Is she in pain?" Luke asked.
	"No.  She's just not as in control of her emotions as she
normally is.  If she seems belligerent or depressed, it's just the
medication."  Luke nodded but said nothing.  "After her treatment this
afternoon she should be well enough for you to spend some time with
her.  Despite how she might act she misses you, and Sebastian."
	Me too, Luke thought.
	"Doctor," the nurse said as she got out from behind the
station, "I'm sorry to disturb you, but when he asked for you and Mr.
Skywalker I figured you'd want to take this."
	"Who is it?" he asked, but there was no need as the voice of
the caller beckoned them.  Luke's whole body tensed as he came around
the station with the Doctor who urged the nurse to depart.
	"Garak," Luke rumbled as he saw the image of the Cardassian on
the monitor.
	"Jedi Skywalker," Garak said in greeting, his voice devoid of
his usual grating charm.  He must have known it would only infuriate
Luke all the more.  "I'm sure you have a lot of things you'd like to
say and - more to the point - do to me, but I'm afraid it must wait,
as there is something infinitely more important at stake here than you
think."
	"You're a liar, Garak," Luke said, his voice still a rumble as
he tried to maintain control of his anger.  "There's no reason for me
to listen to a word you say."
	"You lose nothing by listening," Garak pointed out.  Luke said
nothing while the Doctor prompted him to get on with it.  "I've
recently learned that Nom Anor, the man who forced me to kidnap
Sebastian Skywalker and who nearly destroyed Earth, has even greater
treachery up his sleeve."  The two listened as Garak explained about
the incident with Chakotay and Lumett, minus any details about the
Oracle of course.  They grasped the implication, but weren't convinced
given the source.
	"If what you said is true," Luke said, "then you can't trust
anyone.  Why tell us?"
	"The Doctor," Garak said, "is the one person in the galaxy I
know can't have been duplicated by his very nature.  Given your
extensive medical background," he said to the Doctor, "I'm sure you
can find some way of understanding how these spies work and how we can
unmask them."
	"If you're telling the truth," the Doctor said with a tone
implied he found the idea laughable.
	"As for you, Jedi Skywalker, I've decided that you are highly
unlikely to be infected.  You were actually Nom Anor's intended
target, and there would be no need to kidnap you if you were already
one of his servants.  Regardless, I knew you'd sense my arrival and
had little choice but to explain my reasons for coming."
	"You're not giving me any reason not to capture you the second
you set foot on Earth," Luke said.  Luke stumbled on the word
"capture," but it came out nevertheless.
	"Ah, but there is one," Garak said.  "The body will be rigged
with explosives, enough to destroy it if I don't send a code to
disable them, which will only be sent if I leave Earth a free man."
	"I've no interest in your paranoid delusions, Garak," Luke
said.  "You can jettison the corpse right now for all I care."
	"You seem to have missed the obvious, Jedi.  By your own
admission, your escape from the Vong was far easier than it should
have been.  Is it because Nom Anor wanted you to?"  Luke understood
the implication immediately.  Sebastian had been in Vong custody for
weeks; was there any way to know if he was truly his son?  His
lifeforce felt the same, but if he was a precise duplication...
clone's had identical lifeforces too.  His anger burned at the Vong
for what they'd done, and at Garak for taking away the hope he'd had
that he'd get his son back.  On anything else Luke would have
dismissed Garak's remarks as lies, but that was the one thing Luke had
to have no doubts about.  Unfortunately, there was no way for him to
know the truth of what Garak was saying unless the Doctor examined the
body.
	"If this is a trick," Luke said finally, "make no mistake that
I will find you no matter where you hide.  Dark side be damned, I'll
find you Garak."

	The Kolyets were a unique phenomenon throughout the Delta
Quadrant.  The worlds that comprised the broken remnants of the Empire
twenty years previously had been from three groups: pre-collapse
territory that could not overthrow them, those who had not achieved
superluminal travel and fell to their forces, and those who sought
their protection from the Borg.  The Kolyets, however, were a
non-spacefaring race that joined the Empire voluntarily at the request
of Grand Admiral Thrawn himself.  Their skill was that they were,
whether through culture or genetics, exacting cataloguers of every
aspect of the universe they could measure.  Their world was almost
utopian, the Kolyets having mastered replicator technology and
conquering disease and natural catastrophe millennia ago.  They were
in some ways similar to the Federation with one glooming discrepancy:
they never left their planet.  It wasn't because they were backwards,
it was because they saw no need.  Their world was idyllic and they saw
no reason to leave it for something that wasn't.  An energy shield
protected them from hostiles, even the Borg, and siege tactics were
impossible against a planet that had imposed its own quarantine.  No
government could threaten them into submission, appeal to their desire
for defense, bribe them with technology or appeal to greed.  Thrawn,
however, had broken the world and persuaded them to submit to his
Empire with the one and only item that could convince the Kolyets to
throw open the gates and allow themselves to surrender:  the contents
of the Great Imperial Library.  For them the combined knowledge of an
entire galaxy was too great a temptation to pass up.  The only thing
it cost the Kolyets was their isolation: any citizen of the Empire had
the right to approved portions of the overwhelming Kolyet Library.
Through it Thrawn not only helped preserve information he knew would
be lost when the authorities began systematically destroying their
records, but he now possessed every scrap of information needed to
topple any system in the entire galaxy.  It was shrewdness like that
that Nom Anor could respect.
	"Launch window approaching," came the voice of the transport
coordinator as it passed instantaneously to every ship inside and
outside the planetary shield.  The shield was opened every eight hours
for precisely five minutes.  Long-range scans constantly watched for
any hostile forces that might try to take advantage of their brief
lapses in security.  It wasn't that the Kolyet were paranoid, it just
took a lot longer than twenty years to reverse a millennia of
isolationist tendencies.  "Three...two...one... shield is open. Please
follow your assigned flight path."  Nom Anor ignored the instructions;
he had docked his ship at one of the orbital platforms outside the
shield to avoid any unnecessary scans of its interior.  It wasn't the
most ideal of circumstances; almost everyone else was using
transporters to reach the station in moments, while he was taking a
shuttle that would take several minutes to reach the same distance.
Someone who was curious could break into his ship and stumble across
some of his secrets, but better that than face the insidious energy
machine of these humans.  Vong feelings towards matter transport made
die-hard Imperials look like experienced transporter jockeys.  
	There was no sign of entry as Nom Anor checked over his
systems.  One of his own "exotic animals" had a different urgency.
Communication across the wormhole was impossible, but Anor had
previously made arrangements to signal him if a communication was
required.  He was only five hours from the wormhole, so it wouldn't
put him substantially behind schedule, but he was annoyed nonetheless.
Ever since the evacuation of the ice planet they had been contacting
him constantly.  However the breach of security had been made, it had
succeeded in doing far more than tipping their hand to the Empire, he
thought as he left the station and entered hyperspace.
	Once clear of the wormhole Nom Anor took out his Villip and
waited for it to contact its opposite back on the Vong command center.
He recognized their images once contact was made: Prefect Da'Gara, the
commander of the first wave, and He'Lader, the tactical coordinator.
At least he was being interrupted by someone in charge.  Nom Anor gave
the appropriate signs of respect to his superiors, they showed little
interest in sharing that respect for him, despite his labors.  It was
an affront, considering that he was the executor of this attack, but
his work in adapting to the altered galaxy had diminished his
appearance in their eyes.
	"Have you learned how the Jedi was able to find us?" He'Lader
demanded once the formalities were out of the way.  "We tire of your
delays."
	"I have nothing concrete," he said, "only speculation."
	"I'm sure," He'Lader said with contempt.  "If we wanted you to
guess we wouldn't have wasted precious time!"
	"Enough," Prefect Da'Gara said.  "What have you learned?"
	"I've just completed a study about this power the humans call
'The Force.'  Apparently the Jedi is a master of this power-"
	"The Force is heresy," He'Lader interrupted.  "Do not use
their blasphemy to try and cover up your failings."
	"Whatever name you give this black magic," Nom Anor continued,
"the fact is that the Jedi clearly has some unknown power at his
command.  We've witnessed it often enough that any who would deny it
is a fool."  He continued before He'Lader could protest.  "I think
it's likely, given what I've learned, that the Jedi tracked his son to
the planet using a link through their magic."
	"So the boy you brought us led to our discovery," Prefect
Da'Gara said.
	"Yes," Nom Anor admitted. 
	"You accept blame for this failure?"
	"I accept responsibility for his learning of our base," Nom
Anor said.  "I do not take responsibility for his being allowed to
land undetected and to infiltrate our central command, or for his
escape with the boy."  They made a sound that showed their
disapproval.  "Regardless, I have done my best to contain the
situation.  The forces I've put in motion have drawn attention away
from us.  We are considered a fiction despite the word of the Jedi,
which means that the pursuit should continue to dwindle.  I also have
further forces in motion that will draw the full attention of the
Empire.  This should give us additional time to develop our forces and
await the arrival of reinforcements."
	"That wasn't part of the plan," Prefect Da'Gara said.  
	"Neither was there being an Empire here when we arrived," Nom
Anor said.  "But we must accept that before we continue."
	"I've read your report," He'Lader said.  "I believe you are
being overly cautious.
	"The facts, coordinator, speak for themselves.  This Empire
has the combined resources of two galaxies at its disposal, as well as
a highly effective war machine.  They have in their service three
Eclipse-class star destroyers, which means they can destroy unshielded
worlds singly and shielded ones as a group.  They have detailed plans
for battlestations with the power to penetrate any shield known to
exist.  They have matter transport technology and a redundant
trans-galactic communications system. They have chronoton torpedoes
that can bypass virtually any energy shield.  In short, they are an
order of magnitude more powerful than we had anticipated.  To attack
now would be an error of unimaginable proportions."
	"Your pretty words veil your fear," He'Lader said.
	"Your bravado veils your foolishness," he retorted.  "There is
no dishonor in strategizing, but there is dishonor in being defeated
through the failings of our leadership.  If you launch an attack
before we have secured our allies and have eroded the support of the
Empire you will be trying to topple the enemy at his greatest
strength.  If you launch this attack for glory's sake then fine, but
do not pretend for an instant that any thinking is involved in this
affair."
	"Enough," Prefect Da'Gara said.  "We will move when the
yammosk has deemed the time right, regardless of the arguments of
either one of you.  In the meantime, continue your work, Nom Anor.  I
expect a better success than you had with the boy."
	The connection was broken, and Nom Anor fumed silently.  Let
them do what they like, he thought.  If they're slaughtered, then
perhaps the next wave will take him more seriously.  He set course
back towards the wormhole, his anger still smoldering.  He was the one
who had adapted.  He was the one who had witnessed first hand the
collapse of the Republic and the return of the Empire, and every step
of the way he had plotted how to turn every detail to his advantage.
Despite the worst possible scenario his plan had met with only a few
obstacles, but they saw only failure.  It was the kind of
single-mindedness that led to defeats in the past, but recognizing
that took wisdom that was clearly lacking.  
	The wormhole opened before him.  Fortunately, he had
considered every detail... even betrayal by his own people.

	The Doctor gave the final injection as Annika lay in her bed.
"Try not to get up for the next two hours," he said with his usual
compassion.  Annika didn't even reply.  It wasn't like her, Luke knew.
Not one flip remark, joke, or insult, not even so much as a smile.  He
could feel the reason; grief, confusion, and overwhelming them all,
hate.  Hate for those responsible for all of this.  Luke wished she
could cloak herself, because it was hard to resist the feeling growing
in himself without her encouragement.
	"How about some katiskat?" Luke offered after the Doctor left.
	"How the hell can you think about games now?" Annika demanded.
	"No on the katiskat," Luke replied.
	"Luke," she said sternly, "your son is in that room-"
	"I know."
	"-lost and confused-"
	"I know."
	"-and he needs our help-"
	"I know."
	"Then how the hell can you just stand there?" she shouted.
"Don't you love him?"
	"Hey!" he shouted back, all the long hours dealing with his
wife and son catching up with him.  "I get enough of that stuff from
Han, I don't need you on my back too!"
	"Maybe you need to hear it!" she said.  "Maybe it'll wake you
up!"
	"I love my son!" Luke cried.
	"You've got a funny way of showing it!"
	Luke seethed.  "How dare you judge me," he said with a cold,
quivering voice.  "I was always there when he needed me."
	Annika's eyes were daggers.  "Not this time," she said coldly.
Luke was so taken aback by the remark he almost didn't hear it.
	Kill her.
	"You think being a teacher makes you a parent?" she continued.
"That it makes up for the coldness?"
	She's not the woman you love any more.  
	Luke closed his eyes and put his hand to his head.  "Shut up,"
he said quietly.
	"Excuse me?" Annika said hotly.  He could feel her anger grow
at the remark.
	She's becoming Borg now.  The Doctor said as much.  All the
nanoprobes... the real Annika is gone.  Kill this imposter.
	"I don't care what those people out there may think of you,"
Annika declared, "I've seen the kind of man you really are, Luke
Skywalker!  So don't think your Jedi reputation is going to give you
any leverage with me!"
	She's exploiting your devotion to her memory.  Look at the
truth, see the way things are.  Look at all you've suffered for
something they call love, and realize that it's not worth the price.
It's just a chink in your armor that your enemies exploit time and
time again.
	"Does the truth hurt?" Annika demanded as Luke continued to
squeeze his eyes shut, rubbing his temple.  "Good!  Maybe then
you'll..."  She drew to a halt as his eyes opened.
	Remove them and you'll remove the weakness.  No more pain, no
more tears, not ever.  Put them out of your misery.
	"Luke," Annika said just above a whisper.  She recognized the
look in her husband's eyes; she'd seen it before years earlier.  She
laid helpless as he pulled the lightsaber from his belt, jumping as
the blade ignited.  "Oh my God," she said as he raised it towards her,
"how could I have forgotten?"


CHAPTER XIX

	A voice from out of his past, from a life he doesn't want to
remember but cannot forget.  The darkest, dirtiest part of his soul...
the part of him that wants nothing but unlimited power.  It drove him
to unspeakable acts once.  Now it has forced him to raise his weapon
against his sick wife, the woman he would do anything for; next to his
son, the most important part of his life.  His life... not the Dark
side's.  For it, she's always been an obstacle.  It's looked forward
to this chance to kill her for decades.
	She's afraid.  She should be.  She knows that you don't really
need her, that you won't let her hold you back any more.  
	"Please," Annika said, her eyes tearing up as he approached.
"I'm sorry."  She backed away as much as she could, but she was
obviously still too weak to resist.  "I was wrong!  You love
Sebastian, I know you do!"  She jumped as the blade came towards her.
"Please," she pleaded, cowering in her sickbed.
	See?  She's afraid of you.  She knows what you're going to do.
Finish her.
	The blade quivered at her throat.  Her eyes were wide as she
glanced between it and him.  She continued to plead with him.  The
voice prodded him on to do it.  One flick of the wrist was all that
separated life and death.  
	He stopped.  He stopped because he knew the voice was lying.
There was fear there, true, but it was overshadowed by grief and
guilt.  Annika wasn't thinking about herself, that much he knew.
	"You can kill me," she said, confirming what he felt.  "But
please, Luke, don't give in.  Sebastian needs at least one of us. Kill
me but don't make him lose you too.  Show the love I know you feel for
our son."
	No!  Love is a weakness!  Anger is strength!  Without them
holding you back you will be all powerful!
	The lightsaber deactivated as it slipped from Luke's hand.  It
was all too much.  His emotions were out of control now, the Dark side
ready to exploit any weakness, no matter how small.  And in that
moment he understood why his father had to leave, why he disappeared
without even taking the time to say goodbye.  He had loved his
children so much he couldn't bear the thought of raising a hand
against them, even if it meant a lifetime without them.  He knew what
he needed to do, and now, so did Luke.  "I'm sorry I've been weak," he
said to Annika, not even looking at her.
	"You've been so strong for us," she said as she grabbed hold
of him and pulled him close.  Before he knew it she was kissing him,
tugging at his shirt.  She pulled away only for a moment.  "I love
you," she said, her emotions unveiled for him to see.  "Let me show
you how much I mean it."  She pulled him back to her and kissed him
again, and despite her exhaustion she lived up to her word.

	"Molly O'Brien," the words echoed throughout the massive
chamber.  At the mention of her name the human rose to her feet,
resolute despite everything.  She was, as always, in control of
herself.  Her father had been a passionate man, but he had taught her
to be meticulous.  Most of the time that had been enough; this was the
exception that had rendered the rule moot.
	"On the first count," the voice said again, "the murder of
Stanul Rays, how does the jury find?"
	"Guilty," the juror said.
	"On the second count, the murder of J'ohr Grytl, how does the
jury find?"
	"Guilty."
	"On the third count, the murder of Horul Nimba, how does the
jury find?"
	"Guilty."
	And thus it continued, until no less than ninety people that
Molly had never met, had never even heard of, had been mentioned by
name, each with the same pronouncement.  And although she admitted she
was guilty, she bore no guilt.  They had chosen to take their chances
by transporting mutagenic weapons for the ISB, Molly reasoned, and the
destruction of those weapons would save millions of lives.  That
didn't matter to them; none of it did.  The court refused to recognize
the existence of the supposedly dissolved ISB, much less what their
cargo was.  The verdict was never in doubt for the revolutionary.
	"Ms. O'Brien," the judge said, leaning down over her from the
terrace, "you strike me as a cold, uncaring person.  You have shown
not one glimmer of remorse for killing ninety innocent people in a
clearly premeditated act of sabotage.  The implication that you may
have been involved in even worse matters may not have been a fact for
the jury, but clearly demonstrates to me that you are a heartless
individual with no sign of decency.  You are filled with the worst of
all of us, a fanatic who believes your cause justifies any act, no
matter how horrific.  I see no sign that you could ever be
rehabilitated to the point of re-entering society as a contributing
citizen of the Empire.  This, and bearing in mind the depravity of
your act, I sentence you to the stiffest penalty allowed by the
statute.  Molly O'Brien, you are remanded to the Imperial Department
of Health, to serve as a medical test subject until the end of your
natural life."
	Molly heard the screams of her mother, Keiko, as the judge
dismissed the jury.  Medical research, she thought distantly, even
worse than death.  The only form of legalized torture that endured
within the Empire.  Perhaps that was the ISB's plan, she thought as
the stormtroopers attached a binding collar around her neck.  Maybe
they thought they could get her to give up her associates in exchange
for a reduced sentence.  The stormtroopers pushed her towards the door
as Keiko pounded on the glass partition that separated her from the
proceedings.  Molly didn't look; she didn't want to remember her
mother like that, begging for her only daughter's life.  "I'm sorry,"
she said in the quietest whisper as they led her out of the room to
the prison ship.  She had a day, maybe two, but after that, her life
was effectively over.  Her pain and relief would be at the whim of
people who were at best unfeeling and at worst sadistic.  It didn't
matter; the Empire wasn't going to be killing civilians with
bioweapons like they did in the demilitarized zone, like they did to
her father.
	"Molly!!!" her mother screamed as the door sealed her off from
the courtroom, leaving Keiko alone in every sense of the word.

	The sky above Paris was bright and blue, the sun high in the
sky and promising it would be a gorgeous day in the city that once had
been the capital of the most powerful government in the quadrant.
There were no leaders in the city of Paris any more, save one.  Leia
Organa, chief advisor to the Emperor himself, now stood beside her
husband and three children in that city.  Two of them had been born
here, she reflected, but it had never really been their home.  The
apartment in which they'd lived was destroyed during the siege of
Earth by the Empire.  Leia had ensured the area was not rebuilt, one
of the only times she ever used her power for personal reasons.  
	Leia remained with the children as her husband stepped forward
and placed a small branch from a Kashyyyk tree at the base of the
monument.  "Hey, furball," Han said quietly to the polished marble
image of his co-pilot.  "It's been a long time.  Things have been
gettin' kind of crazy lately.  There's a new group in town that wants
to try and take over the galaxy, and we're trying to stop 'em, just
like old times."  He took a deep breath as he ran his hands over the
stone.  "Kinda funny," he went on, "me workin' to try and protect the
Empire now.  Who would've thought it, huh?  I mean, the Rebellion,
that was crazy enough, but the Empire?  Heh, guess things change,
huh?"  He closed his eyes for a long time, still touching the stone.
"I can never thank you enough for what you did for me," he said. "When
my family needed you the most, you were there.  You always called it a
life debt, but you really showed it was what you'd been willing to
give for me.  I'll never forget it, Chewie.  Never."  He took a deep
breath, then returned to his family.  "Let's go," he said in a low
voice, not looking at anyone.
	"Do you think we should stop and see Aunt Annika, since we're
in the neighborhood?" Anakin asked.
	Leia looked towards his husband as he continued walking
towards the Falcon.  "I don't think this would be a good time," she
said.  "We've got tickets to the Polar Arboretum, and I don't want
them to go to waste.  Besides, as much as they might be glad to see
us, I'm sure they've got enough on their minds already."

	Luke ran as fast as he could, trying to keep from losing his
balance on the smooth, icy surface.  He didn't know if the Vong were
closing in on him, but he didn't dare stop to find out.  "There's a
way out," he repeated to himself.  "I got in, I can get out."  He
looked at three ice caves, each identical to every other cave he'd
seen.  He tried to sense the correct path, but he just couldn't see
it.  Finally, desperate, he picked the center one and ran through it,
ducking and twisting through the tunnel until it widened into another
cavern, as nondescript as anything else in the Vong base.  His heart
was racing, and despite the cold sweat ran down his body as fear
overwhelmed him.  He was trapped, helpless, buried alive.  "It's only
a matter of time," came a whisper in the wind.
	Luke turned and ran to the right, slipping and falling through
the opening down a slope into still another cavern, darker and colder
than ever.  He lay sprawled on the floor, weak and exhausted.  This
wasn't the way out, he was only digging himself in deeper.  "There was
a way in," he finally said, as he pulled himself up into a sitting
position.  "There has to be a way out."  He wrapped his arms around
himself, chilled to the bone.
	"Does there?" came a voice out of the darkness.
	Luke pushed himself back until he hit the wall, trying to
sense who was speaking to him but unable to sense anything but his own
terror.  "Who are you?" he demanded.
	"Or maybe," it said, ignoring the question, "you don't want to
find the way out."
	"Who are you?!" Luke screamed.  Before he could say anything
he felt something hit him.  He was dazed as he was struck again and
again until he could hardly think.  Powerful hands seized him, and he
couldn't find the strength to resist them.  
	"I am the primeval," the voice said.  "The instinct, the
survivor.  Appetite.  Libido.  Passion.  Craven thoughts."  
	A spark grew into a flame, and from the flame a roaring fire
whose flickering light offered some view of the interior of the cave.
Sitting on the opposite side of it was a wampa.  "I am the ancient
part of you that you deny," it said.  "I am the part that offered you
everything you truly wanted."
	Luke tried to run, but finally realized that he was dangling
from the ceiling as he had been on Hoth.  He tugged at his feet to no
avail, but the wampa didn't seem to notice.
	"We could have been something great," the wampa continued.
"They trembled at the name of Darth Vader, but they would have known
true fear at the mention of our own name.  We would have possessed a
power without boundaries if you had accepted me.  But you were
pitiful, following the creeds of old, dead men.  That's why you'll
never be as strong as I.  Despite what you may think, I'm the core of
what you are.  You are just a polished version, tidied up to try and
pass in their imperfect universe.  That's why the cracks are appearing
in your resolve.  You know the real path we need to take."
	"Never!" Luke shouted at him, still tugging on his bonds.  "It
was a moment of weakness, nothing more!  You're over!  I won't turn to
you again, no matter how desperate I become!"
	The wampa rose to its feet.  "You've already shown me that's
not true," it said.  "You've finally let me see the daylight.
Sebastian, Annika, they're your weakness.  You can't handle the
passions, the intensity of emotion that's part of what you signed on
for when you turned her into your sex toy, then filled her belly with
that pile of jelly you call a son."  It stopped right in front of him,
its white-furred face even with his own.  "It's going to happen,
sooner or later.  You're going to turn to me, just like you did when
the Borg came knocking.  And I'm going to enjoy it, taking your life
apart.  You won't stop me from killing her this time, or the brat.
It's all a matter of time, Wormie.  All a matter of time."  And its
lips curled back to reveal a maw filled with huge teeth and it lunged
at him.

	Annika didn't stir as Luke finished getting dressed.  Despite
what she said, he didn't need her to do that to know she loved him; he
knew that would never change.  In truth, it just gave him all the more
reason to protect her.  He strapped his lightsaber back to his belt,
then leaned over and kissed her one last time before leaving.
	Sebastian was awake, still shaping his clay like he always
was.  He didn't show any awareness of Luke's arrival.  At least he
wasn't afraid, Luke thought.  "Sebastian?" he said quietly to avoid
startling him.  Nothing.  He took a seat across from the boy.  "I need
to talk with you."
	Finding the words was hard, he realized.  Maybe he shouldn't
have come.  No, he thought, I need to do this.  "I've got to tell you
something important.  I'm going away for a while.  I don't know when
I'll be coming back."  His hands were shaking a little.  "I don't want
to go," he added, "but I have to.  But I want you to know that it's
not your fault; it's mine."
	Sebastian seemed oblivious to him, continuing to work his
clay.  "I know what the Vong did to you, and it's hard not to hate
them for that.  But that hate is destroying me, and I'm terrified that
I'll take you and your mother with me.  So until I can find control
again over that side of myself, I need to stay as far away from you
all as possible."  He closed his eyes and shook his head.  "I can
protect you from anything," he said quietly, "but not myself.  But
before I go there's something I need to tell you.  I'm so proud of
you.  Despite the fear and the pain you never turned to the Dark side
for the answer, you never gave in to temptation the way I did, and the
way your grandfather did.  You found the strength to endure rather
than take the quick and easy path, and I envy you your strength.  With
that will and the Force as your ally, I know you will become
everything they've foretold... you will be the person the galaxies
will need to survive."
	Luke wanted to reach out and embrace his son, wanted to do it
more than anything, but he was afraid of what it might do.  He didn't
want to leave him like that, so he resisted the urge.  "You'll always
be my little boy," Luke said, trying to keep his voice even.  "But in
my eyes, Bastian, you are already a man.  And, I look forward to
meeting that man when I'm ready to return to you.  Until then, be
strong as you've already proven you are.  Don't make the mistake I
did, because the Dark side will haunt you 'til the end of your days."
He got to his feet, his heart pounding as if he'd just run ten
kilometers.  "Goodbye Sebastian."  He turned away and walked to the
door.
	"A dragon lives forever, but not so little boys."  Luke
whipped around.  Sebastian's expression hadn't changed in the
slightest.  "Painted wings and giant strings make way for other toys,"
he sang quietly.  "One gray night it happened, Jackie Paper came no
more.  And Puff that Mighty Dragon, he ceased his fearless roar."
	Luke got down on his knees; Sebastian was still working the
clay diligently, his eyes fixed on it.  Hesitantly Luke put his hand
on the boy's arm, but he didn't seem to notice.  "His head was bent in
sorrow, green scales fell like rain.  Puff no longer went to play
along the cherry lane."  His hands slipped off the clay and hung limp
as he closed his eyes.  "Without his lifelong friend," he continued,
"Puff could not be brave."  Tears slipped from the boy's eyes.  "So
Puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave."
	The young Jedi didn't say anything else, didn't even move.
"Sebastian?" Luke asked, afraid of what it meant.  "Sebastian?"
	"I'm sorry, daddy," Sebastian eventually replied.  "I won't be
bad any more.  Please don't go away."
	He recognized his father.  For the first time he showed a true
awareness of the people around him, and he wasn't afraid.  Luke
wrapped his arms around him, and felt the boy returned the gesture,
however weakly.  "It's going to be okay," Luke promised.
	"Do you still love me," Sebastian asked, "even though I'm so
bad?"
	"More than anything," Luke choked.
	Sebastian's embrace grew a little stronger.  "I love you too,
daddy."


CHAPTER XX

	"How do you feel about the Vong?"
	"Ha!  How am I supposed to feel?  Angry?  Hateful?  Afraid?
What kind of question is that?"
	"Just a question.  Does it make you uncomfortable?"
	"It's nonsense.  How would you feel if someone tried to
brainwash you, to turn you against everyone you ever cared about?"
	"I don't know.  Why don't you tell me?"
	"They're monsters!  Okay?  Does that spell it out for you?!
The Vong are evil!"
	"So you hate them."
	"I'm a Jedi.  I don't hate."
	"Of course.  So what do you feel?"
	"..."
	"Were you afraid of them?"
	"Fear is the path to the Dark side.  No, I didn't fear them
and I didn't hate them."
	"But they're monsters."
	"Yes!  Is that so hard to understand?!  Let's talk about
something else for a while."
	"All right.  What did you mean when you said 'Be strong, or
they'll take it all away.'?"
	"It was something to wrap my mind around; something to remind
me that I needed to resist."
	"What were you afraid they'd take away?"
	"..."
	"Sebastian, you really need to talk abou-"
	"Everyone, okay?"
	"What do you mean?"
	"The Vong wanted to take away everyone and everything I had.
They wanted to make me Kital."
	"Kital.  You mentioned him to Jorielle.  Who is Kital?"
	"It's not important."
	"It seems to be for you."
	"Look, can we just forget about it?"
	"That's the problem.  I don't think we can forget about it."
	"..."
	"Who is Kital, Sebastian?"
	"A myth."
	"Tell me about the myth."
	"Okay.  Once upon a time on a minor planet on the border of
civilized space, there lived a man named Kital.  Kital had dreams of
glory and power, dreams he shared with his friend, Shorv.  Shorv was
faithful and loyal to his friend, and did everything he could to aid
his friend in his advancement, however cruel it might be.  Shorv
became a skilled killer for his friend's sake, but only because it
succeeded in bringing the man closer and closer to his dreams.
	"Then one day, Kital found Shorv to be an obstacle himself. To
appease a high official, Kital betrayed Shorv to his death.  The final
moments of hate were so powerful that Shorv refused to abandon this
world for the next.  Thus he enacted a cruel vengeance on Kital. He
did not kill him, did not cause the slightest harm to him.  But he did
kill.  Kital's family and friends, his associates, his allies, anyone
and everyone who had anything to do with the betrayer was killed,
until Kital found himself alone.  And that was how he spent his days,
never being allowed by Shorv to find aid from anyone, never being
allowed another soul to talk to.  And when he died, no one remained to
mourn him.  He was the last, the one who had lost everything and
everyone he had."
	"I've never heard that legend before."
	"Mother told me that story once.  I never really cared for
it."
	"Then why did you bring it up?"
	"Because I know that's what's happening.  I'm just like him...
it's unavoidable."
	"What is?"
	"They're going to take it all away.  Everything."

	Harry Kim tried his best not to get upset.  He'd been in this
position more times than he could count over the years, and he knew
better than to fight the uphill battle that was before him.  Time had
helped him grow more mellow.  Obviously it hadn't had the same effect
on B'Elanna.
	"You finished?" he asked during a break in her colorful
monologue.
	"Not remotely," she shot back hotly.  "I can understand you
quitting Calrissian Enterprises.  I think it's stupid, but I can
understand it.  But going over to the other side, to actually help the
Empire?!  Are you nuts or just gullible?"
	"Well, isn't this just a picture," Harry said, unable to keep
silent any more.  "The Maquis terrorist judging me.  What, do I have
to start bombing schools before you let me make my own decisions?"
	"You're turning your back on us, and on the Federation."
	"There is no Federation," Harry said with exasperation.  "And
we are certainly not living up to its ideals.  So your appeals to my
duty are pointless, B'Elanna."
	"Well, it's nice you decided to wait before going straight
over to the other side.  I'm glad you didn't start waving an Imperial
flag on the bridge the moment the Federation surrendered."
	Harry fumed despite himself.  "Nothing's changed," he said
finally.  "When we first met I was interested in doing what was right,
and you were interested only in striking out against anything you
disagreed with.  And here we are, right back where we started, Maquis.
It's just a lucky thing Tom isn't here-" his sentence broke off as
B'Elanna grabbed his throat with one hand, still amazingly strong.
	"Don't you mention his name to me again," she said through her
teeth.  She released him with a small shove, then turned and stormed
out.  Quark, who had watched the whole thing, never stopped polishing
the glasses.
	"She'll get over it," he said, not even looking up at Harry.
	"Sure," Harry said with a dry voice, trying not to cough.
	Quark set down the glass and started mixing a drink.  He
handed it to Harry, who sat down on the stool and sipped it.  "You
sure you want to do this?" Quark asked, returning to his glasses.
	"I've had time to think it over," Harry said.  He sighed a
little as he reflected.  "He chose me," he said finally.  "Probably
the most famous hero in the Empire and he chose me.  How can you say
no to that?"
	"He wants you as a sidekick?" Quark asked.
	"He wants my technical skills to help him find the Vong,"
Harry said.  "He knew I used to work for Garak through Lando, but he
still said he trusts me."
	"You sound a little star-struck."
	"It's not that," Harry said.  He noticed he'd been fiddling
with his drink and took another swallow self-consciously.  "He said,
'I'm working for the Empire now.  The same Imperial Navy I fought for
years are going to be my ally in all of this.  It's not an easy thing
for me to do, but things have changed, Harry.  I wouldn't do this if I
didn't believe that the Empire we now live under has purged itself of
its evil heart.  I know it's not an easy choice for you, but you could
be a great help for me on my journey.'"
	"Nice speech," Quark mused.  "You buy it?  You think the
Empire's changed, even after the Hirogen, the DMZ, the 'elimination'
of the ISB that only gave them plausible deniability for illegal
spying?  You going to take his word on all of this?"
	Harry knocked on the bar a few times absentmindedly.  "I used
to hate him," he said finally.  "Not specifically him, but whoever he
was that had wrecked any chance I might have had with Seven.  I
figured he was just some Rebel hotshot that was going to take
advantage of her and break her heart."  He took another drink.  "I was
wrong.  I should've trusted Seven's judgment, 'cause she's too sharp a
lady to be taken in like I thought.  I guess what I'm saying is, if
this guy - the man who saved my world - if he really thinks this is a
different Empire, that it's not the same evil system that rolled over
us all those years ago, I'll trust his judgment too."

	"The cultural oppression of the Klingons is intolerable," the
senator said.  "The embargo of our worlds is an insult that seeks to
separate us from our glorious past and force us to accept the Imperial
culture in its stead.  This kind of cultural genocide is despicable,
and I hope the Senate will see fit to remove these ridiculous
sanctions over my people."
	Leia recorded her thoughts as the speech continued, wanting to
address the issue with the Emperor later.  The Klingons were even more
outraged than the Malons, and Leia had to admit it was justified.  The
Hirogen were getting out of hand, and the destruction of a defenseless
Klingon outpost had suddenly turned up the heat in the galaxy.
Alexander of the House of Mogh was normally very supportive of
peaceful initiatives, but even he couldn't ignore the dishonor of
falling before an enemy while unarmed.  That was the drawback of the
restriction on local armaments and the strict sanctions that
prohibited all large-scale weapons from being traded to the Klingons.
If a free-thinker like Alexander was this upset, what were the
hard-liners thinking?
	"Thank you, senator, for your words," the Chancellor said.
"While the issue of local armament remains a challenge, I do have word
from the Emperor himself that he will act in response to the current
Hirogen situation.  The fleet that has been searching for the rumored
Vong is being disbanded and re-assigned to deal with the Hirogens
permanently.  I know this is an answer many of you do not wish to
hear, but I must remind you of how dangerous it would be to allow the
different local governments to possess large-scale weapons."  The
response to it indicated a very strong difference of opinions over
that assessment, which signaled for Leia that it was time to leave.
	Luke was already waiting for her by the time she got back to
the Imperial Palace.  He was wearing his black cloak with the hood as
he often did before the trouble with the Vong, but his mood was much
darker than it had been during those times.  Nevertheless his greeting
was warm as they embraced.  "You're sure you want to do this?" she
asked.
	"Want has nothing to do with it," Luke said.  "Besides, I'm
not going to stand around and wait for the Vong to come to me again.
It's about time that I put them on the defensive."
	"The Emperor has assigned a star destroyer to serve as your
personal vessel for however long you need it.  We've already got probe
droids out there, but there's a lot of places to hide in a galaxy this
size."
	"It won't matter," Luke said, and his voice had an edge.
"They're as good as found."
	"Just remember the Emperor's warning," Leia said.  "Don't let
your guilt over Sebastian draw you to the Dark side."
	"It already has.  But maybe stopping them will help draw me
back."
	"Our desires can be our undoing," Leia said. 
	"I won't turn down that path again," Luke promised.  "No
matter how desperate, that won't be my answer."  Leia could sense the
conflict within him, even when he was calm.  It was dangerous to send
him out there, but she couldn't stop him any more than she could when
he chased the Vong the first time.  At least he'd have help this time
around.

	"Molly O'Brien," came a crisp female voice from behind her.
Molly said nothing, resisting the urge to shiver as the doctor walked
past and created a slight breeze.  The lab was easily fifteen
centigrade, but that hadn't mattered when they stripped her and placed
her on the metallic examination table.  "Subject 14109C.  Initial
scans show no signs of any pathogens.  No evidence of allergies.  Any
surgeries?"
	"I have an artificial shoulder," Molly said evenly.  "I
damaged the joint breaking a droid's neck."
	"Oo, how seedy," the doctor said mockingly, brushing a strand
of blond hair out of her face as she looked Molly over like a
specimen.  "No genetic evidence towards hereditary defects.  Mother is
still alive; father is listed as deceased.  What was the cause of
death?"
	As she turned Molly noticed her pin on her jacket.  It was in
aurekbesh, but that didn't matter to her.  Fluency in the Imperial
alphabet was a way of life now for anyone who left their own planet.
"My father died of a bio-engineered poison released by the ISB during
the culling of the Demilitarized Zone." 
	"So, not of natural causes," the doctor said, looking over a
checklist.  "Based on this principle information, Subject 14109C seems
an ideal candidate for the hormonal regenerative process being
conducted by Dr. Triab.  Information to be forwarded to him for final
approval.  End recording."  A tone sounded.  She walked by Molly,
casually running her hand along her bare torso and up her chest as she
did so.  Molly ignored the violation, as her fingers lingered. Finally
the doctor deposited the datapad in the head of the table and stepped
out.
	After the doctor left the restraints released.  Molly quickly
dressed herself so that by the time the stormtroopers arrived she was
mostly decent.  They quickly slipped binders on her wrists and, with
one at each arm, escorted her back to her cell.  The binders were
slipped off and she was pushed inside, then the door sealed shut
behind her.  Molly sat on the edge of the bed and waited.  There was
nothing else she could do at this point.
	She knew some of the questions were a test, but she'd answered
them all honestly.  What they didn't know was that the artificial
shoulder -which she did get during the scuffle- had been modified
prior to her capture.  Any scans would obviously reveal the presence
of metals, plastics, and ceramics, but what it wouldn't reveal was an
inactive powercell or a specially designed molecular "clock."  The
compound inside slowly broke down according to precise chemical laws,
until it no longer bridged the circuit.  It tripped a nano-switch that
activated the cell and sent out a subspace signal.  It would be
detected quickly by the base security, but Molly had a few minutes
before they tracked her down.  
	The station shuddered and alarms began sounding.  The
Rebellion had stolen six chronoton torpedoes; she hoped the one that
had just hit had destroyed the shield emitter.  In answer to her
thoughts a blaster rifle transported onto the table next to her.  She
grabbed it, pulled the strap over her shoulder, and waited.  As
expected, two stormtroopers came to search the room for the
unauthorized transmitter; they never saw the shots coming.  Molly
stepped over the white-clad corpses and peered around the corner;
thankfully it was clear.  A quick dash to the end of the hall, and she
locked the door.  It would be bypassed, but it would buy her time. She
pulled a commlink from one of the stormtroopers, changing the
frequency to conform with her shoulder transmitter.  "Odysseus to
Agamemnon," she said.  "Horse is ready; we're looking for a Dr. Iva
Sannet.  Sierra Alfa November November Echo Tango."  She used the
stormtrooper's code cylinder to gain low level access to the computer
system.
	"Copy Odysseus," came the static-filled reply.  "Physical
description?"
	"Human female, approximately 1.5 meters tall, blond hair, blue
eyes...."  Molly trailed off as the doctor's full bioscan appeared on
the terminal.  "I'm transmitting her data to you now."
	"We've got it," came the voice of Agamemnon.  "Stand by."  The
station rocked as another explosion struck.  "We've got her."  Seconds
later a code cylinder appeared on the table next to Molly, who
snatched it up and jammed it into the port.  "Transmitting," she said
as she began accessing the data on humanoid experimentation.  There
was no time to look at it as she went from point to point, trying to
grab as much info as she could before the security systems locked down
the computer from everyone.
	There was a bang from the door.  Molly quickly abandoned her
search and accessed the door controls.  She cursed; Dr. Sannet may
have been important, but she didn't have the authorization to stop
security from getting through.  "Agamemnon," she said, "the Trojans
are getting too close."
	"Understood Odysseus," came the reply.  "Stand by."  The room
faded as she was beamed onto the Rebel ship.  She could feel the
sudden acceleration as the ship quickly banked and vanished into
hyperspace.  
	"You okay?" the transporter chief asked as Molly stepped out
of the recess.  She nodded but said nothing as she left, marching
quickly through the halls towards the brig.  Captain Paul Jellico fell
into step with her.  "Glad to see you're still in one piece," he
remarked.
	"Almost wasn't," she said.  "I was slated to be dismembered."
	Jellico shook his head but neither slowed their gait.  "You
took a hell of a risk."
	"Don't go soft on me, Paul," she said.  "Your grandfather
would've been the first to support this mission."
	"That doesn't change anything," he said strongly.  
	"Whatever.  We got farther than we ever managed before.  She's
the overseer for all their work.  With her and the data we stole we
should be able to get a leg-up on the Imperials, maybe even find
something to use against them."
	"I'm not knocking your results," he said.  "I'm just glad it
turned out okay."  They turned into the brig.  Dr. Sannet, in an
ironic twist from the morning, was now stripped and strapped down to
the table.  She didn't struggle, in fact she seemed oddly calm about
the entire situation.  
	"You have no idea what you've done," she said, surprisingly
without any tone of fear or anger.  "The Imperial government won't
stand for this.  When they're finished with you you'll wish they'd
just vaporized your ship."
	"Spare us," Molly said.  "You know the Empire's not going to
find you... not while you're alive anyway.  You're important, but not
that important."
	"We'll see," Sannet said confidently.
	"There's no sense in posturing," Jellico said as he rifled
casually through a small metal tray on a stand next to the table.  "My
people are going to get information from you.  I suggest you lose the
attitude and accept the situation, doctor.  It'll be easier on all of
us if you do."
	"Do you really think I'm going to tell you anything?" she said
with a laugh.
	Jellico pulled a scalpel out of the tray and held it to the
light.  "Yes," he said with obvious distaste, "I do."

	Captain Naomi Wildman took a moment to survey the bridge of
her new command.  The Imperator-II Class Star Destroyer had been in
service for longer than she had been, but that couldn't dull her
excitement in the least.  After three years being bounced around in
command of minor support vehicles, to be in control of the ship that
symbolized the Empire was a sign that she'd made it.  Her skills had
finally allowed her to overcome the circumstances of her birth - as a
woman and as a former Federation citizen - and take her place in
command.
	"Captain," the voice intruded on her moment, but the sight of
the admiral's uniform made her tense.  He crossed the room, the hint
of a smile on his face.  She'd served under Admiral Kormain years
before when he was the captain of the Conquest II, and he'd helped her
career more than once over the years because of her performance.
"Ready for your orders?"
	"Yes, sir," she said, unable to hide her own smile as he
passed a datapad over to her.  She activated it and began looking it
over as the admiral spoke.
	"The Emperor has officially called off the search for the
Vong," Kormain said, "but that doesn't mean it's over.  You've got
expertise in exploration and search and destroy; you're going to need
a little of both."
	"If the Emperor's called this off, then why are we pursuing
it?"
	"A person of some influence requested the Emperor provide him
and his aide with a ship to help him in his own personal search for
the Vong.  No one will miss one single star destroyer that has only
just been returned to active service."
	"I understand," Naomi said, even though she didn't.  This
wasn't the Imperial Taxi Service.  "Who is it that has this kind of
influence?"
	"I can't say for security reasons," he replied.  "But it's
important that you understand that this is his mission, and he has
final say.  Not exactly the way you wanted to cut your teeth on a star
destroyer, but there it is."
	Naomi's guts were telling her that her good fortune may not
have been as good as it looked.  "I'm not sure I like the thought of a
civilian giving orders-"
	"He's only in charge of the overall mission," Kormain said.
"And he's ex-military himself.  Sort of," he added.
	Naomi couldn't help herself.  "Who is it?" she practically
demanded.
	Kormain thought it over.  "He is only to be referred to as The
Emperor's Hand."



[End Act I]
