"18"^^ . "16"^^ . "22"^^ . "20"^^ . . "10"^^ . "8"^^ . "14"^^ . . "12"^^ . "The setting sun illuminated the sand-colored buildings predominant in Socorran architecture in a golden bronze. The streets were choked with people, many of them festive and jubilant. The air reeked of cheap intoxicants and food while loud music mingled with the cacophony of a thousand simultaneous conversations. The capital city of Vakeyya was caught in the throes of a planetary holiday and even the somber specter of the Yuuzhan Vong War had been unable to dampen the mood of the inhabitants. In fact, the present galactic turmoil had seemed to only encourage a large percentage of the Socorrans to drown their concerns in a wide variety of stimulants or other licentious activities. Every cantina was inundated with patrons seeking whatever vices were available and probably a few that weren\u2019t."@en . "1"^^ . "6"^^ . . "4"^^ . "The setting sun illuminated the sand-colored buildings predominant in Socorran architecture in a golden bronze. The streets were choked with people, many of them festive and jubilant. The air reeked of cheap intoxicants and food while loud music mingled with the cacophony of a thousand simultaneous conversations. The capital city of Vakeyya was caught in the throes of a planetary holiday and even the somber specter of the Yuuzhan Vong War had been unable to dampen the mood of the inhabitants. In fact, the present galactic turmoil had seemed to only encourage a large percentage of the Socorrans to drown their concerns in a wide variety of stimulants or other licentious activities. Every cantina was inundated with patrons seeking whatever vices were available and probably a few that weren\u2019t. On the outskirts of the city, hapless laborers toiled in a dusty chromite mine. Trapped inside the confines of their occupation by relentless taskmasters, they could listen to the faint sounds of reverie from the city. While mining was guaranteed employment and wages were decent, the mine was far from a safe place and the backbreaking labor was divided into grueling ten hour shifts, much of it far beneath the surface in tunnels where workers strained to extract metal from the rock layers. Accidents were common and safety was not high on the mining bosses\u2019 priority list until it interfered with profitability. The mine itself was a giant sinkhole delved two hundred meters deep and a hundred meters around with numerous winding shafts linked to it. It was an ugly blight on the surface of Socorro, with outbuildings and large lifts for ferrying ore and workers rimming the edge of the sinkhole. The stark contrast between the festivity in the city streets and the abject gray misery evident in the mine even from a distance was not lost on Cassi. She and her companions had journeyed here on the advice of Mithunir, who had told her that his father had claimed a clue to Atlaradis was buried in the black sands. A search of galactic databases had revealed that Socorro was known for the black sand of its deserts and so now they were here, following Mithunir. \u201CI can\u2019t believe the mine operators force their workers to slave away like that, especially when they\u2019re out partying,\u201D Cassi said with a disapproving frown. \u201CLife earns little respect out here unless you have money,\u201D Milya remarked. \u201CSocorro is known for its lawlessness and reckless lifestyle.\u201D Cassi glanced over at her companion, who was playing the part she had assigned herself\u2014that of a private bodyguard. Her snug black jumpsuit and jacket were utilitarian and nondescript and she wore sunglasses with an attached earpiece comlink as well as a utility belt. Ostensibly, Milya was the protection hired by a wealthy businessman to protect his wife and two attendants as they went on some religious pilgrimage with her personal sage. Since the likelihood of getting Mithunir to change his appearance or mannerisms had seemed low, Milya had structured their disguises around him. Cassi, Jorge and Annita were playing their parts, dressed in the flowing attire of Core World nobility for Cassi and muted versions in similar fashion for Jorge and Annita. When Cassi had questioned the necessity for disguise, Milya had pointed out that offworlders attracted attention on worlds like this and there was always the possibility that Yuuzhan Vong sympathizers, pirates, or criminals were out looking for them. Cassi had begrudgingly agreed and gone along with the arrangements to avoid an argument, although Jorge and Annita had seemed to sympathize with Milya\u2019s desire to travel as incognito as possible. \u201CIt\u2019s sad and disgusting,\u201D Cassi said. \u201CBoth the mine and the city, just in different ways.\u201D \u201CIt is foreign to me as well,\u201D Mithunir put in. \u201CSuch a waste.\u201D \u201CWhen you live the life of a spacer, you enjoy what moments like this that you have and spend your creds freely,\u201D Jorge said. \u201CBecause you\u2019re rarely assured of many more of them.\u201D \u201CExcept for the poor people stuck in the mines,\u201D Cassi reminded them as they passed by the security fence that ran around the perimeter of the mine primarily to keep workers inside. Jorge nodded and they continued forward, pushing their way through the revelers that were clogging the streets. \u201CWe should be able to find a speeder rental place soon,\u201D Milya said. \u201CThat will let us get out of the city and look for this sign you said was here.\u201D The last phrase was directed at Mithunir, who merely gave a curt dip of his head to indicate acknowledgment. \u201CActually, I might have an idea on that,\u201D Jorge said, \u201Cbut it\u2019s a slim chance. Old folk story I remember from when I came here as a smuggler about something called the min min lights.\u201D \u201CWhat is that?\u201D Cassi asked. \u201CIt\u2019s a series of strange flashes of light that you see near the edges of the Doaba Badlands. They show up during dawn and dusk,\u201D Jorge explained. \u201CLegend has them that they come from spirits of the past.\u201D \u201CHow do we get to the source of the lights?\u201D Cassi inquired. Jorge laughed. \u201CNobody\u2019s ever gotten there as far as I can tell,\u201D he told her. \u201CNobody knows. That desert can be pretty dangerous.\u201D \u201CWe need to get a speeder and find those lights if they might be a clue,\u201D Cassi said. \u201CWhat do you think?\u201D \u201CIt might be,\u201D Jorge answered skeptically. \u201CBut it might also be a natural phenomenon. Believe me, people have come up with all sorts of strange stories to explain them over the years.\u201D \u201CWe must not overlook this possibility though,\u201D Mithunir cautioned them. \u201CIt might be that this is just the thing we are looking for.\u201D \u201CFine, let\u2019s go,\u201D Milya urged them. \u201CI want to get away from this carousing mess of a city.\u201D Thisspias The door to the small unadorned chamber hissed open quietly. Ariada looked up from where she had been lying on the featureless bed that was the room\u2019s sole piece of furniture to see who had come to visit her. She had been kept here, in quarters unsettlingly reminiscent of a prison cell for two weeks now, attended solely by a servant whose job had been to treat her wounds, both new and old. For the second test, though not as painful, had also left marks on her body. Embedded on the back of her hands near the knuckles, at the nape of her neck, under her shoulder blades, and along her spine near the kidneys were slivers of Qixoni crystal, a rare and powerful mineral said to infuse and enhance dark side abilities. Ariada had accepted their implantation as a means to harness more Force power, confident she could control the crystals rather than them influence her\u2014after all, she possessed extensive influence and knowledge of her own physiology. However, the procedures had left her sore long after the wounds had closed and the scars had yet to fade completely away. In time, she suspected they would, but the dark red outline of the crystal remained barely evident underneath the newly-healed epidermis and always would, as long as she bore them. After a prolonged wait, the three Dark Jedi entered. The two humans, Krakadas, the cruel one who had subjected her to the electrocution, and Therior, the leader and most enigmatic of the three, filed in first, followed by Aspra Serpaddis, the Thispiassian mystic who had supervised her implantation. \u201CGreetings Ariada,\u201D Therior told her. Still in pain, weak, and impatient with lying here, Ariada was in no mood for small talk. \u201CSince you\u2019re the only one who hasn\u2019t tested me yet, I suspect you\u2019ve got something just wonderful in mind,\u201D Ariada replied. \u201CGet it over with.\u201D Rather than take offense at her words, Therior simply smirked. \u201CVery well,\u201D he said. \u201CYou must deliver proof, substantive proof that confirms the veracity of your claim about this refuge on Yanibar. You shall take us to Yanibar.\u201D Ariada shook her head. \u201CThat\u2019s the stupidest idea I\u2019ve ever heard,\u201D she said bluntly. Therior\u2019s features froze into an angered mask. One black-gloved hand whipped out to clamp itself around her neck, threatening to crush her trachea. \u201CThen I think that means you fail the test,\u201D he hissed at her. \u201CWhich means you\u2019re of no further use to us.\u201D Though she was struggling to breathe, Ariada remained defiant. \u201CIf I take you to Yanibar, you could all be killed along with me, and then where would we be?\u201D she said. \u201CI\u2019m not about to throw away so much potential because you want to sightsee.\u201D \u201CYour next words had better convince me that your insolence shouldn\u2019t have a lethal punishment,\u201D Therior told her evenly while he continued to squeeze. \u201CThere are many guardians on Yanibar, powerful Force-sensitives,\u201D she told them. \u201CThey are constantly sensing space around the system for Force-sensitives and they have plenty of technological sensors as well. It\u2019s impossible to get there undetected.\u201D Therior considered her words and released his grip slightly. \u201CThen you will tell us of this Yanibar refuge as best you can and then come up with some creative way to verify your story. And if I\u2019m not satisfied . . .\u201D \u201CYou\u2019ll kill me, I understand,\u201D Ariada told him, rubbing at her throat. Therior and his two companions glowered at her in reply. Slowly, she sat up, flexing her fingers and wincing at the soreness behind her knuckles the motion elicited. \u201CI accept,\u201D she said, offering her hand to Therior. The human took it in a crushing grip. \u201CGood,\u201D he said, a greedy glint in his eyes. \u201CDon\u2019t disappoint me, Ariada.\u201D Socorro The black sand of Socorro\u2019s Doaba Badlands formed a bleak landscape, stretching in every direction as the rented speeder tore across its barren expanse, leaving a murky cloud of black sand stretching out from its rear. Inside the enclosed compartment, Cassi, Jorge, Annita, Milya, and Mithunir stared out across the rough flats. In the distance, Socorro\u2019s sun kissed the horizon as it sank, scattering golden rays across the black sands to glint and dazzle on shiny particles, backlighting the mountains farther off. \u201CWhat are we looking for exactly?\u201D Annita asked, shading her eyes with one hand while looking in the direction of the sunset. \u201CMin min lights are a strange natural phenomenon in the Doaba Badlands,\u201D Jorge told her. \u201CNobody knows why they pop up or exactly where, but they look like sparks of light at the edge of the desert.\u201D \u201CAre you sure that\u2019s not just something from the sun\u2019s reflection on the crystalline grains of sand?\u201D she asked skeptically. \u201CPretty sure,\u201D Jorge told her, knowing that unlike himself, his wife hadn\u2019t had the benefit of witnessing the min min lights first hand. As the sun dipped lower into the horizon until less than half of the ochre orb was visible, the speeder made its way into the rocky, broken mesas of the badlands. The ground was as desolate as ever and the stone, likely a hardened sedimentary form of the black sands, was mingled with harder igneous formations. Jorge switched on the lights as he drove to help guide them and slowed their speed as night fell. \u201CAre you sure this is a good idea to be out here this late?\u201D Annita asked. \u201CDesert planets can be just as harsh at night as during the day\u2014particularly if the predators are nocturnal.\u201D \u201CThe Force will be with us, Annita Daowot,\u201D Mithunir told her smoothly. \u201CThat\u2019s Knrr,\u201D she corrected him mildly. \u201CAnd I\u2019m still not convinced we\u2019re going to find anything out here.\u201D \u201CThat is because you cannot sense the Force,\u201D Mithunir replied, inhaling deeply. \u201CI sense it, mingled with the sand. I feel its power rippling through the ground we traverse.\u201D Cassi frowned, closing her eyes in concentration. \u201CI think . . . I feel something too,\u201D she said. \u201CIt\u2019s subtle, but definitely a sensation in the Force.\u201D \u201CWhich way do you want me to go?\u201D Jorge asked. \u201CKeep going for now,\u201D Cassi told him. \u201CMilya, do you sense anything?\u201D \u201CA little,\u201D Milya said doubtfully. \u201CNot well enough to call it a clue or even something significant. I might not have even noticed it if you two hadn\u2019t mentioned it.\u201D \u201CI\u2019ve got something,\u201D Jorge called. \u201CMin min light, about eight degrees right of our current heading.\u201D Five sets of eyes immediately swept the rocky landscape in the direction he had indicated and soon saw what Jorge had drawn their attention to: there was a twinkling in the desert in the distance, like a star that had been embedded in the ground. There was no question about the source being luminescent\u2014the light was amidst a long shadow cast by a mesa and could not have been a reflection from the sun. \u201CTake us that way,\u201D Cassi told him. Jorge complied and they started approaching the source. However, as they drew within a kilometer of the flickering light, it vanished into nothingness. Jorge did his best to pilot the speeder near where they had seen it, guided by Milya, but no trace of the light remained. \u201CI think this is close enough,\u201D Cassi told him. \u201CStop here and we\u2019ll take a look.\u201D As the vehicle\u2019s repulsorlifts whined down, the five disembarked. Milya distributed hiking packs to Jorge, Cassi, and Annita while shouldering one herself. Mithunir had claimed to need no such assistance, so he went unencumbered. Fanning out to cover approximately ten meters between the five of them, they advanced with glowrods ready. The night was quiet and even with only a faint breeze, the temperature was dropping rapidly with the falling sun. The ground was mostly a rocky shelf, but here and there were little stretches of the familiar black sand. \u201CThis is weird,\u201D Jorge said as he moved over one of the sandy beds. \u201CThis sand feels a bit warmer\u2014and it\u2019s got a weird pattern to it.\u201D \u201CWait!\u201D Milya called to him, suddenly alert, but it was too late. The sand swirled and gave way under Jorge. He plunged into the suddenly porous sand and was submerged in a cloud of black sand almost instantly, with little trace left behind. \u201CJorge!\u201D Annita screamed, running forward. \u201CStand back,\u201D Milya ordered her curtly with a brusque wave of her hand. Closing her eyes and clenching her fists at her side, she summoned the Force to herself, summoning its power. She first tracked Jorge, sensing him several meters underground, falling fast. Concentrating, she wrapped him in a bubble of Force energy and tried to haul him back up. However, he had significant momentum already and arresting that was a heavy strain, let alone reversing it. Milya felt Cassi sense her actions and join her, adding her strength, and then Mithunir was helping as well. Together, the three managed to slowly, incrementally haul him back up. \u201CGet ready at the edge of the sand pit,\u201D Milya told Annita. \u201CWhatever you do, don\u2019t go into the sand.\u201D Annita waited for another agonizing thirty seconds at the edge of the pit, her gaze shifting between the sand and the three Force-users exerting all their power to save her husband. Finally, a hand shot up from the sand, extending upward desperately. Annita grabbed it and pulled with all her might, dragging Jorge out of the sand as the other three raced over to help. Jorge was completely covered in sand, coughing and gagging up the black sand as he gasped for air. As soon as he was clear of the sand pit, Annita knelt by his side, holding him up and clearing the sand from his face. \u201CI\u2019m . . . okay,\u201D he wheezed. \u201CI\u2019m sorry about that . . . happened so fast.\u201D \u201CDon\u2019t try to talk,\u201D Cassi advised him as he continued to spit up sand. She offered him a water bottle to wash off the worst of the grime and rinse out his mouth and eyes. \u201CThat\u2019s no ordinary sand pit,\u201D he said once he had recovered his breath and cleaned off his face. \u201CAs I fell through it, it got hotter.\u201D \u201CHotter?\u201D Cassi asked, surprised. \u201CShouldn\u2019t the sand be cooler in layers that don\u2019t receive exposure to the sunlight?\u201D \u201CYou would think so,\u201D Milya said. \u201CIf you\u2019ll allow me,\u201D Mithunir told them, walking up to the edge of the sand pit. He began chanting in a slow, sonorous language, arms raised outstretched to his sides all the while. Cassi and Annita continued to attend to a weakened Jorge while Milya looked on, keeping a careful eye on Mithunir. To her surprise, the ground began to rumble and shake. Immediately, the Jorge and the two other women rose to their feet, wary of further danger. Mithunir continued chanting, and then suddenly, the sand swirled again into a whirlpool, revealing a dark passage that disappeared into the murky depths. The slope, while too steep for walking, seemed descendible. Milya shone a glowrod down into the pit, straining to see how far it descended. \u201CIt\u2019s a straight drop for about twenty meters, then it seems to angle away into a cave or shaft of some kind. Seems navigable.\u201D Mithunir turned to face them, an elated expression on his face. \u201CMy people know many spells for influencing the elements,\u201D he told him. \u201CStone, sand, and dirt are things we can manipulate.\u201D \u201CAnd now I suppose you want us to go down there,\u201D Jorge commented, brushing sand off his arms. \u201CAw man, I got sand everywhere.\u201D \u201CThe last time we went down a passage like that, some pretty strange things happened,\u201D Cassi reminisced. \u201CIt was also dangerous,\u201D Milya reminded her. \u201CAnd Selu\u2019s not here this time to watch out for us.\u201D \u201CWe\u2019ll be careful,\u201D Cassi assured her. \u201CIn any rate, I am going down there,\u201D Mithunir told them. \u201CThe Force tells me that what I seek lies underneath this stone.\u201D \u201CTwo of us should stay behind to keep an eye on the speeder,\u201D Jorge suggested. \u201CAnd look out for trouble.\u201D \u201CAre you volunteering?\u201D Milya asked. \u201CWell, I\u2019m not a huge fan of the underground and that little dip in the sand was pretty exhausting,\u201D Jorge told her. \u201CSo yes, kind of.\u201D \u201CI\u2019ll stay with him,\u201D Annita added immediately. Milya pursed her lips and frowned. It was risky to leave both non-Force-sensitives on the surface\u2014they would not be able to sense approaching trouble or sense any harm happening to the subterranean explorers. On the other hand, she did not want to leave Mithunir unattended, as Milya was fairly sure she was the only one who could defeat him if he attempted a betrayal. Knowing that Cassi would insist on going with Mithunir, that forced her to accompany the underground excursion as well. So she nodded curtly. \u201CSounds good,\u201D she said. \u201CComlinks probably won\u2019t work if we go too far underground, so don\u2019t count on regular updates. If we\u2019re not back in a day, return to the Silent Surprise and go seek help.\u201D Annita started to argue, but Milya silenced her with a single look. \u201CIf we\u2019re in that much trouble that we can\u2019t get out ourselves, better to play it safe. If you come in after us or keep waiting, there\u2019s a chance something could happen to all of us. Getting help in the event of a serious mishap is the safest and smartest thing to do.\u201D \u201CYou\u2019re right,\u201D Annita admitted. \u201CJust be careful.\u201D \u201CWe will,\u201D Milya replied. \u201CAll right, let\u2019s go.\u201D Uncoiling a fibra-rope, she slung it down the passage. \u201CMithunir, this is your quest, so I suppose you should go first,\u201D she told him. \u201CI\u2019ll go next. Cassi, follow me closely.\u201D One by one, they disappeared into darkness, making their way down the rope. As night fell, it seemed to Jorge and Annita that the black sands had swallowed their friends up just as surely as the sand had threatened to consume Jorge moments ago. They returned to the speeder, leaving a portable lamp by the passage, knowing they could be in for a long and lonely wait. Yanibar \u201CWell, that should just about fix you up,\u201D Sarth said. Setting the hydrospanner back down on the workbench, he replaced the metal covering back onto J7\u2019s leg and secured it in place. \u201CHow does that feel?\u201D he asked the droid. J7 lowered the newly-repaired limb to the ground and tested his weight on it. \u201CIt seems fully functional, Master Sarth, though I\u2019ll need to either test it or simply walk on it, depending on your preferred method of evaluation.\u201D \u201CBe my guest either way,\u201D Sarth told him, gesturing at both the open area of his workshop and the tray of tools. \u201CMy diagnostics on your leg all checked out, but I don\u2019t blame you for wanting to check it yourself.\u201D The droid unlatched himself from the workstation and took a few experimental steps around the cluttered workshop, avoiding the pieces of equipment that were scattered across the floor. The droid ambled over to the one of the many computer terminals in the shop; this one was placed between two shelves heavily-laden with tools and spare parts. Retrieving a probe, he ran it down his leg, staring intently at the screen. \u201CAll systems appear to be fully repaired. I owe you gratitude, Master Sarth.\u201D Sarth waved him off. \u201CThink nothing of it. If anything, it\u2019s me who owes you. By all accounts, you were a big help to Cassi when she was offworld\u2014even fighting off a Yuuzhan Vong attack.\u201D \u201CIt was my duty and I am pleased that you find my performance satisfactory,\u201D J7 replied. \u201CMuch more than satisfactory,\u201D Sarth assured him. The droid inclined slightly in a bow. \u201CAgain, my thanks,\u201D he said, then stopped. \u201CMaster Sarth, what is my next task?\u201D \u201CPardon me?\u201D Sarth replied, confused. \u201CMy last assignment was to care for Mistress Cassi, but she is not here at the moment. What would you like me to do in lieu of that assignment?\u201D \u201CAh, about that,\u201D Sarth told him. Walking over to another desk littered with tools and datapads, he retrieved one from the top of the stack and handed it to J7. \u201CCassi and I discussed it and we think this is long overdue; Selu and Milya agreed as well. You\u2019ve belonged to our family since the day you were made and have rendered nothing less than exemplary service over the last thirty-plus years. Now we think it\u2019s high time you decided where to best put your programming and skills to use.\u201D The droid scanned the datapad he was handed. \u201CSir, if I understand you correctly, this is a certificate of manumission.\u201D Sarth leaned back against the workbench and nodded. \u201CThat\u2019s right. There\u2019s also two thousand credits in there as a little starting fund. That\u2019ll buy you passage offworld if you want it, or set you up with some money to start a business.\u201D \u201CI . . . am at a loss for words,\u201D the droid told him. \u201CThis is most unexpected.\u201D \u201CYou\u2019ve earned it, J7,\u201D Sarth said. \u201CYou\u2019ve been a good friend\u2014we should have done this years ago.\u201D \u201CSo this means I am free to do as I please?\u201D J7 asked. \u201CTo supervise my own maintenance and programming?\u201D \u201CYes,\u201D Sarth replied. \u201CIf there\u2019s anything you want done that you don\u2019t feel capable of doing, you can hire me to implement it\u2014I promise very reasonable rates, though scheduling might be tricky with everything on my plate right now. Otherwise, you are a free droid with citizenship in the Yanibar refuge\u2014along with a slightly modified set of the rights that come with that status.\u201D \u201CAgain, I am not sure of the proper words for the occasion,\u201D J7 said. \u201COther than thank you, Master Sarth.\u201D The droid bowed again. \u201CYou\u2019re welcome,\u201D Sarth answered simply. \u201CAnd you can remove \u2018Master Sarth\u2019 from your proper-address protocol. It\u2019s just Sarth from now on.\u201D \u201CVery well then . . . Sarth,\u201D J7 said. \u201CMight I ask what you are doing next?\u201D \u201CFirst, I\u2019m going to clean off all the grime I\u2019ve accumulated from the workshop and then eat something,\u201D Sarth said. \u201CAnd then?\u201D \u201CI have a briefing to attend about an offworld mission that I\u2019ll be doing on a Yanibar Guard warship,\u201D Sarth told him. \u201CWhy? Do you need something?\u201D \u201CWell, sir,\u201D J7 explained. \u201CIt occurred to me that since you no longer have a personal assistance droid, you might have an opening for an assistant. If so, I was contemplating an application.\u201D Sarth grinned broadly and slapped J7 on the arm. \u201CThat I might,\u201D he said. \u201CGlad to have you along.\u201D Rishi The Hawk-bat\u2019s repulsorlifts whined as it set down on the makeshift landing pad next to the gray modular prefabricated building that had quickly been erected to serve as a field medcenter. The aged ship\u2019s ports hissed and puffed jets of gases out as it stabilized. Then, with a mechanical creak, the ramp lowered as its occupants debarked. Eight Elite Guardians filed out first, replete in battle armor and traditional weapons. Following behind them were Selu and Hasla, who strode quickly, forcing their honor guard to double-time to keep up. Selu was still wearing his bloodied and stained battle armor from his fight aboard the Vigilant Refuge, while Hasla was wearing her sweat-stained admiral\u2019s uniform, with safety vest still strapped tightly around her torso. Both were visibly troubled from the losses of the battle before and neither sought to mask the hurt that was written on their faces and scored on their hearts. \u201CStay at the door,\u201D Selu instructed the guards, who had been obliged to accompany them out of protocol, not because Selu and Hasla had any particular need of escort. They strode into the medcenter, where a YGA duty officer was busy directing traffic at the atrium. He saw the ranks on the new arrivals and quickly snapped to a salute. \u201CDo you have a VIP ward set up?\u201D Selu asked him. \u201CBegging your pardon, sir, but it\u2019s not much of a ward. We\u2019ve been swamped with casualties and setting up . . .\u201D \u201CNo worries, Captain,\u201D Selu said. \u201CI understand you\u2019re doing the best you can given the circumstances. If you\u2019ll just tell me where they are . . .\u201D The captain waved to the left. \u201CThird door on the left is where we have the Elites and the civilians rescued from the governor\u2019s palace,\u201D he answered. \u201CIt\u2019s not exactly pretty, though, sir.\u201D \u201CThank you,\u201D Selu told him, brushing past with Hasla in his wake to reach the indicated room as quickly as possible. However, before he could make it all the way down the hallway, the sound of an angry commotion back at the atrium halted him. Selu wheeled back to see the captain being yelled at by an irate-looking man in a patchwork uniform. Hasla was caught by surprise and turned, but Selu waved her ahead to their original destination. \u201CWhat do you mean, your facilities aren\u2019t available? Damn hell they aren\u2019t!\u201D bellowed the enraged newcomer. \u201CThe other medcenter is flooded with civilians and other casualties and you have the gall to tell me this one isn\u2019t available after what we did for you in orbit! You gotta lot of . . .\u201D \u201CWhat seems to be the problem?\u201D Selu inquired smoothly, coming to the rescue of the beleaguered captain. The man, his tirade interrupted, turned to glower viciously at Selu. \u201CDo you outrank him in whatever this outfit is called?\u201D he demanded. \u201CYes,\u201D Selu replied simply. \u201CNow, what\u2019s the problem?\u201D \u201CThe problem is that this man right here is refusing to admit my volunteers for treatment. I have a lot of hurt folks and the other medcenter you people set up for civilians and anybody else not wearing one of your fancy uniforms is flooded. I\u2019m not going to sit around and wait while my people suffer and die!\u201D \u201CPerfectly understandable,\u201D Selu said in the same even voice. \u201CColonel Klivian, I presume?\u201D \u201CThat\u2019s right,\u201D he said begrudgingly. \u201CHow\u2019d you know that?\u201D \u201CThat\u2019s not important right now,\u201D Selu told him, then turned to the captain. \u201CCaptain, how many empty treatment wards do you have right now?\u201D \u201CTwo, sir, but we\u2019re anticipating more YGA casualties from the city and our people are stretched thin as it is. We already have some other civvies in our VIP ward.\u201D \u201CCaptain, I\u2019m hereby designating Colonel Klivian and his personnel as Category Aurek-3 allied combatants. Assign both of the wards to their wounded and see to it that they receive the care they need. We\u2019ll have Colonel Klivian get you a list of the casualties so we can keep track of who\u2019s where.\u201D Selu turned to Hobbie. \u201CI\u2019m afraid our security protocols require that all non-Guard personnel in this facility must be confined to a particular area and guarded. Is that acceptable?\u201D \u201CAs long as they\u2019re properly taken care of, you can perform a sacred dance around them for all I care,\u201D Hobbie blustered in return. \u201CGood,\u201D Selu said. \u201CNow, if you\u2019ll come with me, your arrival here is most fortuitous.\u201D \u201CNot until my people are off the ships and into the medcenter,\u201D Hobbie insisted. \u201COf course,\u201D Selu said patiently, turning and walking with Hobbie back out to the landing field where several non-YGF ships had landed. Several volunteers were clustered around the ships, waiting expectantly for their commander. Selu turned to the honor guard standing outside the medcenter. \u201CMake yourselves useful and help get the wounded inside,\u201D Selu told them. \u201CThen stand guard at their wards until you\u2019re called for or relieved.\u201D He set actions to words, walking over to one of the freighters with Klivian. \u201CThis one,\u201D Hobbie said, indicating one of the many stretchers inside the cramped cargo bay. There had to be at least thirty casualties inside the freighter, many of them burned hideously. Moans of pain were evident throughout the transport\u2019s hold and temporary bandages were evident in abundance. The woman lying on it had some kind of oxygen mask over her face, which was a pale blue instead of the normal skin tones. Her boots and pants legs had been covered with makeshift bandages stained with blood. Selu quickly headed to the foot the stretcher and picked it up, leaving Hobbie to hoist the head, where he could talk to the injured woman. \u201CHang with me, Anja, we\u2019re going to get you help,\u201D he said. Anja gave no response other than to continue gasping for breath. Selu and Hobbie made their way from the freighter into the medcenter with their burden, passing off the stretcher to a pair of medics and then heading back out to the ships. \u201CThat\u2019s all of them!\u201D one of Hobbie\u2019s men told him as they reached the atrium, though. \u201CSir, if I could have a moment,\u201D a voice called to Selu out of the commotion of the medcenter. It was the captain in charge of directing the flow of patients. \u201CWhat is it, Captain?\u201D Selu asked. \u201CWe don\u2019t have enough qualified medical personnel here to see all the wounded, sir. Our surgeons are overtaxed as it is and we don\u2019t have enough droids unpacked to close the gap.\u201D \u201CHow about the volunteers?\u201D Selu asked. \u201CI seem to recall Open Hands sent us a fair-sized group of medical professionals.\u201D \u201CHalf of them are at the other medcenter. The other half weren\u2019t cleared to deal with YG casualties and there\u2019s only so much space at the other one, so they\u2019re helping set up supply caches.\u201D \u201CConsider them cleared to treat any and all wounded in any medcenter on this planet,\u201D Selu told him bluntly. \u201CThis isn\u2019t a peacetime exercise, Captain, so you\u2019ll find that there\u2019s very little to be gained by strict adherence to protocol. Get them in here, stat.\u201D \u201CYes, sir!\u201D the captain stammered, reaching for his comlink. Selu finally turned back to Hobbie. \u201CNow, Colonel, your people are being taken care of,\u201D Selu told him. \u201CIf you\u2019ll please follow me, we have some things to discuss.\u201D \u201CYou know, from the way that captain was talking, you must outrank him by a good bit,\u201D Hobbie told Selu as he allowed himself to be escorted to the VIP ward. Selu gave him an arch look. \u201CAfter you,\u201D he said, ushering him inside past the guard at the door. As expected, there was a fairly large group of people inside the ward. Ryion, Zeyn, Qedai, Morgedh, Kyle Katarn, Jan Ors, the governor and his defense chief, the viceroy and his daughter, and then two Chalactan military officers were all present with Hasla inside the cramped ward. Selu noted that Ryion, Zeyn, Qedai, Morgedh, and Kyle bore evidence of hasty medical treatment. Qedai was seated, with a large boot cast wrapped around one leg. Ryion\u2019s shirt was off, exposing the bandages swathing his torso, while Morgedh was similarly adorned. Zeyn and Kyle sported bacta patches for minor cuts and burns as well. \u201CSorry for the delay,\u201D Selu told them. \u201CFor those of you who don\u2019t know me, I\u2019m Selu Kraest. I\u2019m the leader of the force you probably know as the Guard. This is my chief of naval operations, Hasla . . .\u201D \u201CNo . . .\u201D Hobbie interrupted suddenly, noticing Hasla for the first time. His voice was haunted, the look on his face befitting a man seeing a ghost. \u201CI know that face,\u201D he bit out with considerable effort. \u201CSeirla?\u201D Hasla started as he said the name, then winced. \u201CYou once knew me by that name, yes,\u201D she said. \u201CI thought . . . we all thought you died years ago?\u201D Hobbie said in disbelief. \u201CSo Wedge didn\u2019t tell you,\u201D she realized aloud. \u201CHe\u2019s known for years\u2014but he\u2019s also known that my allegiance is to the Guard. That\u2019s probably why he didn\u2019t tell you.\u201D \u201CYou mean . . . you weren\u2019t . . .\u201D Hobbie struggled to get the words out, his surprise and shock turning to anger as his hands balled into fists at his side. \u201CColonel Klivian, we can discuss history later,\u201D Selu told him. \u201CThis isn\u2019t the time or the place.\u201D \u201COh, I think it is the time and place,\u201D Hobbie started. \u201CI think Hasla here has some serious explaining to do.\u201D Quick as a snake, Selu whirled on Hobbie. Selu\u2019s eyes blazed as he leaned in close enough that their faces were only a dozen centimeters apart. \u201CColonel, I want you to listen very carefully because I\u2019m going to say this once,\u201D Selu said. \u201CYou are on my base, as a guest of my people, and on my time. I have been very patient and accommodating towards you and your volunteers thus far. I have ensured that they are receiving the same medical treatment my own people receive. I have even put up with your demands thus far. But I will not let you throw a fit\u2014or a fist\u2014at one of my most trusted officers over something that happened twenty years ago on my direct orders. We do not have time to waste on settling ancient grudges. As far as you and Hasla are concerned you will call it even or I will have you escorted from my base. Do I make myself abundantly clear?\u201D \u201CYes,\u201D Hobbie ground out through gritted teeth. \u201CGood,\u201D Selu replied. \u201CNow, stand there quietly until I\u2019m ready for you. I\u2019ve lost some dear friends today and I\u2019m not in the mood to be interrupted again.\u201D The rest of the room watched him in stunned silence, in shock from his outburst. Hobbie was seething, but dared not provoke another response from Selu, who had decidedly asserted his authority. \u201CAs I was saying, this is my chief of naval operations, Hasla Cyrreso. The reasons why our ships and operatives first arrived at this world are both convoluted and irrelevant. The reason why our larger relief force has arrived is quite simple\u2014we\u2019re here to stop the Yuuzhan Vong. If you trust nothing else I say, believe that.\u201D Selu turned to the governor. \u201CGovernor, ordinarily, I believe that our presence and landing here would constitute a breach of your planetary sovereignty and possibly an act of war against the New Republic. However, I also believe it\u2019s in our best interests to work together\u2014without us, you can\u2019t possibly hope to survive against the Yuuzhan Vong force currently insystem.\u201D \u201CI understand what you\u2019re getting at,\u201D the governor replied wearily. \u201COnce I can speak with the rest of my staff, I\u2019ll draw up an agreement that legitimizes your presence here\u2014we can settle the details later.\u201D \u201CExcellent, and thank you,\u201D Selu said. \u201CNow you know why we\u2019re here, but do you know what brought the Yuuzhan Vong to Rishi?\u201D \u201CWe think they\u2019re after the Chalactan refugees we sprang from Chalacta,\u201D Hobbie offered. \u201COur intelligence sources and agents agree,\u201D Selu said, turning to the viceroy and Shara. \u201CI\u2019m very sorry to tell you this, but you and your people are likely being targeted for genocide. It\u2019s a pattern we\u2019ve seen the Yuuzhan Vong perpetrate on other worlds. Resistance is inevitably crushed and the entire populace suffers enslavement or extermination.\u201D All four Chalactans paled at Selu\u2019s weighty words. \u201CI take it you aren\u2019t just going to sit around and wait for that to happen?\u201D Hobbie asked. \u201CNo, we\u2019re not,\u201D Selu said. \u201CWe have some surprises for the Yuuzhan Vong that we don\u2019t think they\u2019re prepared for, and this is an opportunity to deal them a significant defeat that we may not see repeated.\u201D Hobbie snorted. \u201CPardon my skepticism, but the last few military engagements that the galaxy has had with the Yuuzhan Vong haven\u2019t generally ended in \u2018significant defeat\u2019 for them,\u201D Hobbie said. \u201CWhat makes you so special?\u201D \u201CIt\u2019s fairly evident that the Yuuzhan Vong have been spying out the galaxy for years, given how quickly they\u2019ve advanced and exploited the weaknesses of the New Republic,\u201D Selu told him. \u201CWe\u2019ve seen nothing to indicate they even knew we existed. In fact, I\u2019m willing to bet you didn\u2019t know we existed, Colonel. That, among many other things, makes us special.\u201D \u201CGentlemen, please, the condescension is unnecessary and wasteful,\u201D the viceroy interrupted. \u201CYou are both competent warriors, so I ask you to show you the respect that two warriors should share for each other\u2019s abilities.\u201D \u201CA good suggestion, viceroy,\u201D Hasla broke in. \u201CI know tensions are high right now, but the Yuuzhan Vong are a very real threat, and even with the forces that the Guard has committed to Rishi, they will not be defeated easily. We all need to work together if we\u2019re going to walk away from this one.\u201D \u201CWhat do you have in mind?\u201D Jan asked from the corner where she\u2019d been sitting beside Kyle Katarn. \u201CTo start with, a clear command setup,\u201D Selu said, calming down substantially. \u201CI\u2019m not asking to place my people over yours, but we need to be unified and cohesive. That won\u2019t happen if we\u2019re leading by committee.\u201D \u201CSo you want to be calling the shots?\u201D Hobbie asked. \u201CGiven that I\u2019ve brought the biggest force and key information for guiding strategic decisions, yes,\u201D Selu admitted. \u201CI don\u2019t expect you to just take orders, but under the circumstances, I think it\u2019s for the best if the Guard governs the direction of the defense on Rishi\u2014with input from the appropriate parties of course.\u201D \u201CI don\u2019t know much about you, but I know that your forces are the biggest thing between us and the Vong right now,\u201D the governor said. \u201CConsider us at your disposal.\u201D At a nudge from the viceroy, General Undukjavi nodded as well. \u201CThere\u2019s only a few hundred of the Chalactan defense force left, but we\u2019ll do our part\u2014and under your direction, if it comes to that.\u201D \u201CColonel Klivian?\u201D Selu asked softly. \u201CI know we got off on the wrong foot and I apologize, but the assistance of you and your volunteers would be invaluable. Can we count on you?\u201D Hobbie glared at Selu. \u201CYou know, after what you just pulled and what I suspect you pulled twenty years ago, I can\u2019t say that I think too highly of you. I definitely don\u2019t like you. In fact, you\u2019re probably the biggest pool of Hutt slime I\u2019ve met in a while who wasn\u2019t Vong or Peace Brigade.\u201D \u201CPray continue,\u201D Selu said, seemingly oblivious to the derision and anticipating the unspoken \u2018but.\u2019 \u201CBut you took care of my people and right now, it looks like you and your Guard, whatever it is, are the only chance of not being quickly ending up on a sacrificial altar. How does that saying go? We hang together or we all hang separately?\u201D \u201CAn apt epithet,\u201D Selu agreed in the same placid voice. \u201CIn any case, we\u2019ll work with you, at least until you do something completely insane,\u201D Hobbie told him. \u201CBut I\u2019m not asking how high on the way up if you say jump.\u201D \u201CThat should more than suffice,\u201D Selu assured him. \u201CAnd now that you\u2019re onboard, there is something very valuable that you can do for us immediately.\u201D \u201CWhat\u2019s that?\u201D Hobbie asked suspiciously. \u201CI understand that Wedge Antilles has recently retaken Borleias from the Yuuzhan Vong,\u201D Selu said. \u201CI\u2019d like you to arrange a meeting with him to see if we can\u2019t work out some kind of data-sharing agreement. I\u2019m sure there are things about the Yuuzhan Vong that the New Republic knows that we don\u2019t and vice versa.\u201D \u201CYou know that\u2019s a lot to ask given that I\u2019m not even in the military,\u201D Hobbie pointed out. \u201CIt is,\u201D Selu admitted. \u201CBut I also know that Wedge Antilles would never leave his friends hanging and I know that you\u2019re one of his very good friends.\u201D \u201CYou know far too much about me and Wedge than is healthy,\u201D Hobbie said, squinting dubiously at Selu. \u201CI\u2019ll see what I can do, but I\u2019ll need two things. I need a secure holocomm transmitter that didn\u2019t come from you and I want Hasla over there to settle some unanswered questions when I have that chat with Wedge.\u201D Selu looked over at Hasla, who nodded curtly. \u201CDeal,\u201D he said. \u201CAnd as for your transmitter . . .\u201D He looked over at Jan Ors. \u201CFar be it from me to presume, but I\u2019d be willing to guess that Agent Ors has the equipment you need on her vessel. She might be willing to assist you.\u201D \u201CI can hook you up,\u201D she told Hobbie, then looked back at Selu. \u201CYou\u2019ve been awfully quiet about what you want me and Kyle to do in this scheme of yours. Out with it.\u201D \u201CTo be honest, it\u2019s one thing to recruit volunteers and planetary defense forces,\u201D Selu said. \u201CIt\u2019s quite another to assume command over an NRI agent and a Jedi.\u201D \u201CSpare me the formality,\u201D Kyle broke in. \u201CI\u2019ve already fought and bled by your people once without being asked to. You can count on us.\u201D \u201CI\u2019ll need someone who can liaison with our intelligence staff and the New Republic, assuming Colonel Klivian can get through to Antilles,\u201D Selu said. \u201CAnd as for you, Jedi Katarn, Colonel Klivian\u2019s volunteers don\u2019t have any Force-sensitives among them. The Guard has . . . well, some for sure, and we often employ Force-based coordination and tactics. If you could assist them however you see best, I believe it would augment them significantly.\u201D \u201CI can do that,\u201D Kyle said. \u201CJust remember, I charge extra for babysitting.\u201D \u201CThen it\u2019s settled,\u201D Selu said. \u201CNow, if you\u2019ll excuse me, I\u2019d like a few minutes with my people.\u201D \u201CWe\u2019ll wait outside,\u201D the viceroy said. He and the rest of the occupants save the Yanibar Guard personnel exited the ward. Selu quickly knelt by Ryion\u2019s bed and embraced him about the shoulders so as not to aggravate his chest wound. \u201CI\u2019m so glad to see you again, son,\u201D he said. \u201CYour mother and I have been very worried about you.\u201D \u201CGood to see you again, too, Dad,\u201D Ryion answered brokenly. \u201CBut . . .\u201D \u201CI know,\u201D Selu said simply. \u201CI know.\u201D He released Ryion and walked over to where Qedai was sitting, her face tear-streaked from relentless crying. Selu knelt in front of her and took her hand in his. \u201CQedai, I am so sorry about your mother,\u201D Selu told her. \u201CShe was very dear to me as well. All of Yanibar will mourn her loss.\u201D Qedai bobbed her head in a vague imitation of a nod, then threw herself forward to cry on Selu\u2019s shoulders. Selu held her as she sobbed. \u201CI\u2019m truly sorry,\u201D he said several minutes later, knowing that the Twi\u2019lek\u2019s tears were outward expressions of the pain racing through both of them. Slowly, she straightened up and brushed away the tears. \u201CYou must be strong,\u201D Selu told her. \u201CThat is what Daara would have wanted. That is what your team needs now.\u201D She nodded and Selu stood to address Ryion, Morgedh, and Zeyn as well. \u201CAll of you have done very well. Under less trying circumstances, I\u2019d send you back to Yanibar for medals and recuperation. We don\u2019t have that luxury now. If you don\u2019t feel you can still participate in the defense of Rishi, let me know privately, but I sense that all of you have pivotal parts to play in this battle. We will need every Elite Guardian who is able to help.\u201D \u201CThis was my idea. I\u2019ll see it through to the end,\u201D Ryion told him resolutely. \u201CThank you,\u201D Selu told him. \u201CYou know my mind,\u201D Morgedh answered simply. \u201CAnd I know I can count on you,\u201D Selu said. \u201CZeyn? Qedai?\u201D \u201CRight now, I don\u2019t think I could fight a pittin,\u201D Zeyn told him. \u201CWe\u2019re all pretty torn up right now. But as beaten up and hurting as we are, I don\u2019t think we could just turn our back on people who need us, on people who died so we could hold the line. We\u2019re all in, as soon as we\u2019re in fighting shape again.\u201D \u201CI appreciate that,\u201D Selu said. \u201CAnd whether you know it or not, the entire Yanibar Guard does as well. Get some rest\u2014we\u2019ve got a lot of work ahead of us.\u201D \u201CWhat about you?\u201D Ryion asked. \u201CI am tired,\u201D Selu said. \u201CBut I have plenty to do as well. There are many wounded here who are maimed and injured because of my orders\u2014the least I can do is visit them and give them what solace I can. But first, I\u2019m going to say goodbye to an old friend.\u201D With that, Selu\u2019s shoulders slumped. All the weariness and care that he\u2019d hidden from Hobbie and the other foreigners suddenly asserted itself on his features. The transition made him look older than his sixty-seven years and he tottered unsteadily for a minute. Hasla steadied him as Selu struggled to compose himself. \u201CAll right,\u201D he said. \u201CI\u2019m fine. I can do this now.\u201D With that, he and Hasla departed to pay their final respects to a devoted Zeison Sha, loving mother, and close friend of more than thirty years."@en . "27"^^ . "25"^^ . "Force Exile V: Warrior/Part 9"@en .