CHAPTER THREE
From a distance, Bastion appeared to be a simply desolate world, perhaps even more barren than Tatooine. But the crew of the Millennium Falcon knew better, and that somewhere on the planet were the remnants of the Dark Empire.
Surprisingly, it did not take long for them to find the Imperial's main outpost. The Falcon's comm-channel opened with slight static as the voice of an Imperial officer spoke through it.
"This is Imperial Headquarters. Please identify yourselves."
"This is Senator Leia Organa Solo of the New Galactic Republic," Leia said through the comm-channel. "We are here to negotiate a peace treaty with your leaders."
"Ah, yes," the officer responded. "We've been anticipating your arrival. Moff Onneir is meeting you in Capital Sector Five. Coordinates are being sent to your navigational computer."
After viewing the coordinates, Han and Chewbacca piloted the ship towards the designated location. As the Millennium Falcon made its slow descent to the ground, a dark-haired man, followed by at least ten stormtroopers, walked up to meet his guests.
The Falcon's boarding ramp lowered and Han, Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2 walked down to greet the Imperials. The man gave them a cold yet welcoming nod.
"Welcome to Bastion," he said. "I am Darius Onneir, Moff of the Braxant sector and leader of the Dark Empire...or rather what's left of it." He stared at Leia. "I take it you are the ambassador Chief SoBilles sent, correct?"
Leia nodded. "Yes, I am. Shall we begin the negotiations?"
"Indeed," Onneir replied. "Follow me to our headquarters." He added a glance towards Chewbacca. "But I think it would be best if the Wookiee stayed here."
Han stared coldly at the Moff. Slightly annoyed, Leia turned to Onneir. "Don't worry. Chewbacca is quite...tame. You have nothing to worry about."
Onneir scoffed. "If you insist." He began heading for the Imperial Headquarters, with Leia and the other close behind.
* * *
"I think that's everything," Jacen said to Toah, after putting the last of the ancient Jedi relics onto the shuttle. "Guess we didn't need help to load this stuff after all. A lot of the rest is useless now..."
Toah nodded in agreement. "Well, let's head on back to the Praxeum."
As they boarded the shuttle, Toah felt another strange current in the Force. He turned back to the Jedi library's ruins to see nothing. Jacen caught his gaze. "You don't think that ghost was right about the 'many evils' that haunt this place, do you?"
Toah shook his head. "I don't know. And I don't think I want to know. Let's head back to Yavin."
The two Jedi boarded the ship as it began to lift off the ground and headed back for the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser. Unbeknownst to anyone, a cloaked figure watched their departure. He reached into his cloak and took out a holoprojector, displaying the shimmering image of his master.
"My lord," the stranger said. "The Jedi have taken all of the artifacts. I doubt there is anything left."
"No matter," his master muttered. "Destroy whatever they left behind, and take anything valuable that they overlooked. Our moment has finally come..."
"And when the Jedi return?"
"By that time, Lord Scythe, the war will have begun."
* * *
Onneir's face was colder than the ice of Hoth when Leia told him of Jenssar SoBilles' demands.
"So," the Moff growled, "the Republic's Chief of State expects us to give up the Empire and join the Republic in exchange of peace?"
Leia nodded somewhat sadly. "Yes, that is all he wants."
Onneir scowled. "Well, forget it! After all that's happened, why should we join the Republic? Have we ever asked you the same?"
When Leia did not reply, having no answer for the man, Onneir shot to his feet. "We're done here. Leave Bastion. Now!"
At that moment, the sound of movement was heard. It certainly were not the stormtroopers, for they remained motionless and stoic as ever, and there certainly wasn't anyone else nearby...
"We're not alone..." Leia murmured.
Onneir sneered. "Another one of your tricks? A back-up plan SoBilles had in case we didn't sign the treaty?"
Again, Leia could not reply, for at that moment, at least six beings jumped out of their hiding places, each wielding a scarlet-bladed lightsaber. Leia immediately brandished here blue-colored lightsaber as Han and Chewbacca whipped out their weapons in like manner.
Onneir was simply in disbelief, looking back and forth between Leia and these attackers. "What in the blazes is going on here?!" he exclaimed. He turned to one of the lightsaber wielders, who was a tall, burly Zabrak.
"Who are you?!" the Imperial Moff demanded. "What is the meaning of this?!"
The Zabrak responded by seizing the Moff by the neck. Snarling, the Iridonian spoke. "Who I am and what I'm here for is not for you to know."
Despite being strangled, Onneir managed a scowl. "I am...one of...the Emperor's most loyal...governors. I served as...one of his advisers. I have every right...to know!"
The Zabrak smirked. "Care explaining why?"
"This is Imperial territory!" Onneir spat. "You have...no right to invade...this planet!"
"Says who?" the Zabrak asked. "Your Emperor is dead. Your Empire is dead."
The attacker tightened his grip on Onneir's neck, emitting gargling, choking sound from the Moff. "And so are you."
With the sound of a snap, Darius Onneir was dead. The Zabrak tossed his limp, lifeless body aside and turned his attention towards Leia and the others. Noticing that Leia held a lightsaber in her hands, the Zabrak chuckled.
"A single Jedi against three Sith Lords and three acolytes. What are the odds?"
"Never tell us the odds," Han growled as he fired a blaster bolt that hit one of the attackers-a Cerean-square in the chest. This prompted the Zabrak and his companions to attack. While the Iridonian and a Miraluka warrior crossed blades with Leia, Han and Chewbacca took on the other three.
Chewie easily took down one of the warriors, but did not notice a Gammorean acolyte sneaking up behind him and knocking him out cold with the butt of his lightsaber hilt. Meanwhile, Han rapidly fired his blaster at a Duros warrior, who simultaneously deflected the bolts, rather boringly. Eventually, the Duros disarmed Han and Force-pushed him away.
At the same time, the Zabrak and the Miraluka wore down Leia to the point of disarming her. The Zabrak lifted her up with the Force and threw her next to Han. Amongst the commotion, the stormtroopers attempted to make a hasty, cowardly retreat after they saw Onneir die at the Zabrak's hands, but the Gammorean ensured that they wouldn't be going anywhere.
The entire area was silent, save for the worried beeps of R2-D2, who, along with C-3PO, stood in a corner, helplessly witnessing the event that had just took place.
The Zabrak was now pacing back and forth. "So," he said to no one in particular. "We have a Republic senator and a general in our hands. The logical thing to do would be to kill them, just as Lord Vorath ordered us to do to all major leaders. But-"
"But what?" the Duros interrupted. "The Dark Lord told us to kill all major Republic figures, and even named Leia Organa Solo as one of them!"
"True," the Zabrak replied. "But, with Senator Organa, who is a very well-known politician, on our hands, we can use her to force the Republic to give us what we want."
The Duros narrowed his two, crimson eyes. "You're suggesting ransom."
"Indeed, Lord Mordus," the Zabrak said with a malicious grin. "We will send a message to Coruscant, inform the Republic that we have Senator Organa captive, and tell them our demands in order for them to get her back."
Lord Mordus scratched his long chin. "Interesting. Does the Dark Lord know of this plan, Lord Ravage?"
"No," the Zabrak replied, smiling again. "But he doesn't need to."
As the two Sith Lords conferred, Han turned to Leia and whispered towards her. "What do we do now? Can't you mind trick them into letting us go?"
Leia shook her head. "The Force would have no effect on them. I do have another idea, but it'll have to wait...and I'm not sure if it'll work."
"Hey, jumping into a garbage chute was a crazy idea, and it worked," Han said. "I'm sure whatever you have in mind isn't nearly as crazy..."
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