CHAPTER THREE
To tell the honest truth, Serra Solo had not been anywhere beyond Coruscant since she turned sixteen and got a job at Peet's Repair Shop.
Two years on the same blasted planet. To some, of course, that seemed like a couple of days, but to a teenager with a deep drive for adventure- like her- it seemed like an eternity. This "delivery" was like a breath of fresh air for her.
Sitting in the co-pilot seat besides her father, while Rikk-Deri sat behind Anakin, Serra watched the tunnel of hyperspace pass before the Millennium Falcon.
"Do you know what Susevfi is like?" she asked her father.
"Not first-hand," Anakin said. "My uncle, Luke Skywalker, traveled there to speak with the Jensaarai. He later described it as being made of plains and savannas, but nothing further than that. I'm sure if there was something that could be a potential threat, he would've said so."
"Unless he didn't because he didn't know," Rikk-Deri said. When Anakin and Serra both looked at him, the Rutanian shrugged. "Just a possibility."
Anakin turned to his daughter and smirked. "Your friend seems to look on the bad side of things."
A couple of hours later, the Millennium Falcon came out of hyperspace and entered the Suarbi system, approaching one of the seventh planet's thirteen moons. In short order, the Corellian freighter moved through Susevfi's skyline and approached its capital city of Yumfla, which doubled as a seaport. As the Falcon began to land in one of Yumfla's spaceport hangars, Serra caught sight of a tall, furry alien dressed in wealthy-looking clothes with a curved beak on its face.
"Dad, isn't that a Caamasi?" Serra asked. "I thought they were endangered."
"They are," Anakin said. "Susevfi is home to a community of the Caamasi Remnant, originally established on Kerilt."
"Why did they relocate?" Rikk-Deri asked.
Anakin mused over this before saying, "I'm not sure, really. Anyway, shall we go?"
The three of them got out of their seats and soon disembarked from the ship. Taking notice of their arrival, the Caamasi turned to greet them.
"Welcome to Susevfi," the beaked alien said. "I am Nithal Q'Arts, member of the Caamasi Remnant. I take it that you are here to see Jacen Solo?"
"Yes," Anakin said, eying the alien skeptically. "How did you know?"
Nithal Q'Arts glanced around before saying, in a hushed tone, "I am a member of the Jensaarai. You must leave Susevfi immediately."
Anakin raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"You're walking into a trap," the Caamasi hissed. "Jacen Solo is no longer here. Please, you must-"
"Good day, off-worlders."
Nithal squawked as he turned around to face the newcomer; a tall, dark-haired man in clothes not unlike the Caamasi's. Accompanying him was a surly-looking Iktotchi, who regarded Anakin's group and Nithal with slight disdain.
Walking up to Anakin, the man offered his hand. "Sal Tyrius, governor of Susevfi, at your service."
Hesitating only briefly, Anakin shook the offered hand. "Anakin Solo of the Jedi Order. I was sent a message from my brother, saying that he was here on Susevfi."
Sal Tyrius grinned. "Yes, I do believe so. Please, if you would follow me-"
"Don't!" Nithal stepped between the two men. "He's lying! You're walking into a trap! Please-"
"Sharik," Tyrius muttered to the Iktotchi, "keep that snout of his shut."
"All of you stop," Anakin snapped. "What's going on? Is my brother here or not?"
Nithal and Tyrius exchanged glares before the latter finally spoke. "To tell the truth... he isn't, though he was indeed here on Susevfi a few days ago. I can only assume that he wished to lead you here without having to meet you."
Anakin bit his lip. Why would Jacen not want to speak with someone he hadn't seen in twenty years?
Turning to Nithal, he said, "So what is this about a trap?"
The Caamasi and Tyrius exchanged glances again and, to his surprise, their previous tension faded.
"Our leader, the Saarai-kaar, has been acting... unusual as of late," Tyrius said. "More often than not, she has these lapses of strange visions, in which she mentions darkness consuming all and... the Sith returning."
"That would be unlikely," Anakin said. "Almost all of Darth Vorath's forces are either dead or redeemed, the tombs of the Dark Lords on Korriban and other worlds have been plundered, and the Staff of Valtheran is... presumably destroyed."
Tyrius arched an eyebrow. "Presumably?"
Serra looked up at her father. "What's the Staff of Valtheran?"
Anakin sighed. "I'll explain later. If you don't mind, Governor Tyrius, I would like to speak with the Saarai-kaar."
Tyrius nodded and beckoned for Anakin and his party to follow. As they followed him, Nithal, and Sharik, Serra again looked to her father, who had a pensive look on his face.
"What's wrong, Dad?" she asked.
"Nothing," he murmured, though she knew it was a lie. "I simply... sense something odd. Something too familiar for my liking."
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