CHAPTER TEN
Much to Face's surprise- and again, mild concern- Moff Lecersen was actually willing to be put under arrest. After informing his guests that the party was over, he peacefully accompanied the Wraiths back to the Liberator, where he was placed in a holding cell.
As the Liberator left Orinda and headed back for Coruscant, Face brought Captain Wallen Nix with him to Lecersen's cell, in the hopes of addressing a pressing concern unrelated to the conspiracy he was suspected of.
"Where is Zilaash Kuh?"
Lecersen looked up at the two men. "I beg your pardon."
"An agent of mine by that name ceased responding shortly before we apprehended you," Face said. "Where is she?"
The Moff seemed hesitant to reply. "Ah, yes. I do not know the name, but I do recall encountering an Anzat woman."
"What did you do with her?" Wallen asked.
"I had an accomplice of mine remove her and her partner from my quarters. They should be back on Coruscant, safe and sound."
Face's brow furrowed. "Partner?"
* * *
Upon landing his ship at a docking bay on Coruscant, Mal Banvor rose from his pilot seat and turned to the unmoving bodies of Kadar and Jesmin Tainer.
"You can drop the unconscious ploy," the Skakoan said. "It's one of the oldest tricks in the book."
Jesmin raised her head to look at Banvor. "Why have you brought us to Coruscant? You told Xalren that you were taking us to Metalorn."
"Xalren is rather gullible," Banvor said. "I knew that right off the bat when he believed my claim of being Mal Banvor. I guess all Skakoans look the same to him."
Kadar craned his head. "You mean, you're not...?"
The Skakoan shook his head. "Hrym Mawarr is the name. Bounty hunter and Galactic Alliance Security personnel." He nodded at Jesmin. "You know me, Zilaash."
"Yes, I believe we've met once or twice," Jesmin murmured. "So, mind telling us what's going on?"
"Later," Mawarr said. "Director Girdun is waiting for you."
* * *
Straightening his uniform and combing his dark hair, Director Heol Girdun of GA Intelligence sat across from Jesmin and Kadar, while Hrym Mawarr loomed behind him.
"Loran just doesn't know when to give up, does he?" Girdun said to no one in particular. "His first mistake was bringing back Wraith Squadron right under my nose."
Jesmin gave him a scathing look. "How did you find out?"
"I figured it," Girdun replied, smiling mirthlessly. "When I needed Loran for a case, I couldn't get into contact with him, nor Captain Nix. When I found out that the Liberator had also departed around the same time, it all came together.
"So consider you and your friends under arrest for ticking me off."
"And how did Mawarr find us?" Jesmin asked.
Girdun's cruel grin broadened. "I also figured our your objective; that you were after Moff Drikl Lecersen. And I knew that he was on Orinda. It's all good old fashioned deductive reasoning, my dear."
"But what was Mawarr doing with Xalren and Lecersen, pretending to be Mal Banvor?" Kadar asked.
"Working as a double agent within Black Sun," Girdun replied. "I knew that the Prince of Falleen would be one of Lecersen's guests, and that 'Banvor' would be a contact of both of them. Mawarr just happened to be at the right place at the right time."
Jesmin glared at him. "Let me guess. You're in on Lecersen's plot, aren't you?"
Girdun snorted. "A wonderful mind you have there, Zilaash Kuh. Or should I saw, Jesmin Tainer?"
Jesmin felt the hair on the back of her neck bristle but she did not move. She glanced at Kadar, but the ex-Mandalorian did not seem to be concerned with this revelation.
"What are you going to do with us?" the white-armored bounty hunter asked Girdun.
"Since you know too much now, I will have to have you detained for the time being." Girdun raised a datapad to his face and scratched his chin. "Maybe I could jump through some hoops to frame your for a crime and have the death sentence placed on your heads."
Jesmin snapped up from her seat. "What? You can't do that!"
"I can and I will, my dear."
She glared at him. "That's something only the Empire would do. The Alliance would never allow something like that."
Girdun grinned like a savage beast. "The Alliance won't be around for much longer, Tainer, nor will the Imperial Remnant. A new dawn is upon us."
He turned to Mawarr and nodded. "Take them away."
* * *
Once the Liberator had came out of lightspeed and into the Coruscant system, the Wraiths, Wallen, Taaku, and the captive Lecersen boarded a shuttle and took it to complete the trip to the capital.
Upon entering Coruscant's atmosphere, they were instantly hailed by air security. "Unidentified Lambda-class shuttle, provide us with your name and ID code immediately."
Leaning forward in the pilot seat, Trey Courser said, "Shuttle Cabirium, code THX-1233-1414, requesting permission to land."
Silence for a moment. Then came the reply: "Permission denied, shuttle Carbirium. You are not in our records. Please depart Coruscant immediately."
Trey turned to Face, eyebrows raised. "I thought Captain Sacul said it was."
Frowning in suspicion, Face responded to the security person. "We are dispatching from Alliance cruiser Liberator, commanded by Captain Jorg Sacul. If you want, we can go back and get him on the line for you."
Silence again. The officer then said, "That won't be necessary. You are clear to land."
"Thank you," Face said exasperatedly. The words had barely left his mouth when an explosion sounded above them. Grimacing, Trey provided the other with a view from above on a viewscreen.
In Coruscant's sky, the Liberator was in flames.
As Face cursed under his breath, a new voice spoke through the Cabirium's speaker, one he recognized and now hated with every fiber of his being.
"General Garik Loran," Heol Girdun said. "You are under arrest for committing treason against the Galactic Alliance. Please come peacefully and maybe you won't share the same fate as your fellow co-conspirator."
EPILOGUE
Green eyes stared anxiously at the clouded sky, which the Corellian ship had disappeared through.
"He will come back."
The bald woman turned and headed back into the facility- their home. Alpha, Runner, and the others had already gone back inside while she had stayed out in the cold.
"Don't worry, Mother," she whispered. "We shall get him back. He will remember."
I have no doubt about that, Seer, was the reply.
Stopping before the entrance to their home, the clone known as Seer turned back around, staring hopefully at the sky again.
"We shall find you, Mother. We shall find you, and bring him back, and then we can be a family again. I swear it."
I have faith in you, Seer, Mother said. I always have and always will.
Seer smiled and headed back inside.
-Ten years ago-
Orde Kaburn groggily awoke to find a face staring down at him. The visage he recognized, but something about it- something in the eyes- indicated that it had changed significantly.
"Kadar?" Orde slowly sat up, seeing Tessa laying beside him, sleeping. "Where are we? What happened?"
"You're on Mandalore," Kadar replied. Even his voice sounded different- quieter, gruffer. "I found you and Tessa in Banvor's lab and rescued you."
"What about Corda?"
Kadar did not speak.
Orde's eyes widened. "Oh, Kadar... I am so sorry."
"Don't be. There was nothing you could do." Kadar straightened up. "I'm leaving. The Mandalorians. For good."
"What?" Orde said incredulously. "Why?"
"I have lost everything I had to do with them; my son, my wife...."
"What about your daughter? She's still with Goran and Medrit, waiting for you- her father."
Kadar shook his head. "I am no longer the father she is hoping to see again. That man died on Metalorn with her mother. If she were to see me now, she might recognize the face... but never the heart."
He laid a hand on Orde's shoulder. "Look after her, will you? You and Tessa. Give her the family she needs. Give her my love."
Orde opened his mouth to protest but decided against it, grimly realizing that this was for the best. "All right. You have my word."
"Vor entye," Kadar said in thanks before donning his helmet. Then, with a nod of farewell, the White Rider turned and walked away, towards the setting sun.
TO BE CONTINUED
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