CHAPTER FIVE
“The Cabal is operating here?”
Valrisa spoke the words in a whisper though she might as well have belted them, judging by Toah Jarsan’s tense expression. He and Poe Dameron had just explained to her and the other Renegades who they were and what they were doing on Corellia, as well as what they had recently found out as of fifteen minutes ago.
“Not just here, but other worlds in the Core,” explained Poe. “Hosnian Prime and Sedratis are potential other candidates.”
That last one did not surprise Valrisa, knowing that her mother — who even called herself “the Dowager of Sedratis” — was one of the Cabal’s top crime lords. She did not say this to the others however and allowed Ace to take over the conversation.
“If the Cabal is here, they must be somewhere here in Coronet,” said the Bothan. “I don’t see why they wouldn’t want to be close to the planet’s heart.”
Poe nodded. “That’s what we’re thinking as well, though we don’t want to rule out the other cities as possibilities. There is one building here in particular that our boss is skeptical about. While we don’t know for sure… we think it might actually be a star yacht.”
“A star yacht?” Kyla Kishanti repeated, straightening in her seat.
“Even before we got confirmation that the Cabal was here, we had noticed the incongruity between it and its neighboring skyscrapers,” said Jessika Pava. “We knew something was up, we just didn’t know if it had anything to do with the Cabal.”
“How did you learn about the Cabal to begin with?” Typha asked carefully.
“We’ve had run-ins with them on Coruscant,” Poe replied. “We’ve since gathered enough info to gather that they are more than a minor threat and may be seeking to influence the direction of galactic affairs.”
“That sounds like them,” Valrisa sighed. “Trust me, they’re a lot bigger organization than you realize.”
“We’ve gathered as much,” Toah said, his expression grim. “Anyway, even before we got the confirmation, we’ve been looking for leads on the Cabal’s activities as well as how to get into the star yacht — or whatever that building may be. So far, we haven’t found anything substantial… unless you guys happen to know something?”
Valrisa could feel the others’ eyes on her. Already she was beginning to regret marking herself as the “local Cabal expert” to the other Renegades.
She let out a sigh as she looked down at the table they were sitting at. “I don’t know anything about Corellia,” she said quietly. “However, I do know of a Cabal leader operating here in the Core Worlds; on Sedratis, just along the Corellian Run.”
Poe leaned forward, his eyes wide with expectation. “You do?”
She nodded. “Her name is Sareth Valrisa, the self-titled Dowager of Sedratis. I’m….” She paused and hesitated. Underneath the table, Typha took her hand and squeezed it. “I’m her daughter, Sare Valrisa.”
She glanced back up. Toah’s face was unreadable, more contemplative than anything. Poe and Jessika seemed to be processing the information. Rey, Toah’s Jedi learner, was taking it all in, glancing at her teacher as if trying to figure out what he was thinking.
After a moment of silence, Poe shifted his attention to Kyla. “I get the impression that you guys don’t do things for free.”
“Finally, we have reached an understanding,” the Mirialan said dryly.
“Tell you what,” he said. “Help us get into the star yacht and bring a stop to the Cabal’s operations, and you will be rewarded very handsomely.”
Kyla raised an eyebrow. “How handsome?”
Poe grinned. “As handsome as me.”
“That’s not saying much.”
Jessika and Rey laughed as Poe frowned. Even Toah was smirking. Quickly masking his wounded pride, Poe readjusted himself in his seat.
“Well, by ‘handsomely,’ I do mean a lot.”
“How much?” Kyla asked.
“I can’t give you an exact number right now, but it would be in the range of… oh, about thirty thousand.”
Kyla was unfazed by the amount. “Is that the advance or the total?”
“Uh….” Poe winced, glancing at the others. “Were you… wanting an advance?”
“Considering who we’re dealing with, I’d like some degree of insurance, yeah.”
“Right, right, of course.” Poe took a deep breath. “Dank farrik, I’m gonna get dressed down for this, aren’t I? Okay, thirty thousand up front. Plus thirty more once the job is done.”
Jessika glanced at him. “Do we even have that kind of money?”
“We do,” Poe said, a bit too quickly. Valrisa couldn’t tell if he was bluffing or if he even knew how much money they had.
In any case, Kyla seemed to be convinced as she said, after a moment of contemplation, “It’s a deal, then. We all seem to have a bone to pick with the Cabal anyway, so we might as well team up against them.”
Poe let out a breath of relief. “Glad to hear it,” he said. “Now all we need is a plan.”
“Oh, that’s the easy part,” Kyla said with a grin. “The hard part is making sure it works.”
* * *
Traveling by landspeeder, the trip from the Resistance farm base to the rural city of Kor Vella had taken a decent four hours. Built on a mesa that oversaw the Vella plains, Kor Vella had a rustic charm that other cities like Coronet did not have. Rather than towering skyscrapers, Kor Vella’s town houses stood no more than three stories high, and even then most of the buildings were two or even one story high at the most. Bridges and ramps erected across the uneven landscape of the mesa made these buildings more accessible for the people who lived in the city, though it made riding in a landspeeder much more difficult. Wedge and his team of three were forced to park their landspeeder at the base of the mesa before taking the repulsorsled that took them up into the city above.
Wedge had been to Kor Vella before, and even after all these years it looked no different than the last time he had visited. The people of Kor Vella seemed to have gone to great lengths to make sure their rustic city stayed exactly that: rustic and plain, with none of the monotonous splendor that had seized Coronet and other Corellian cities. It was a frontier town that felt like it would be more at home in the Outer Rim rather than here in the Core Worlds.
Upon entering the city, Wedge, Trey, and Jesmin found their contact at the agreed upon meeting place, near a fountain in Kor Vella’s central plaza. Wearing a gray cloak that concealed their face, the contact said nothing as they led the trio to an apartment accessible only by a narrow alleyway. During the whole trip, Wedge kept his eye on the mysterious figure and a hand on his hidden hold-out blaster, waiting for the stranger to make one wrong move.
As soon as they were inside, the contact locked the door securely behind them before leading them to a small dining room table barely large enough for the four of them to sit at. Once they had all been seated, the contact pulled back their hood and Wedge’s breath caught in his throat.
The young man, no older than thirty-five, had black hair streaked with white. A large scar ran from his scalp down his forehead, stopping directly over his right eye. A thin dark beard was beginning to form over his face, making him look even more physically similar to his father, though his pale green eyes carried a warmth that was more reminiscent of his mother.
After taking a moment to recompose himself, Wedge managed to speak the name of his nephew. “Jagged?”
Jagged Fel nodded in acknowledgment. “Uncle Wedge,” he said curtly.
Wedge’s mouth opened and closed several times, desperate to form the words he wanted to say. If Wes had been here, he probably would have said he looked like a Naboo scalefish.
Finally, he managed to say, “What are you doing here? I thought you were living with your family in Chiss Space?”
“I was,” Jagged said grimly. “Technically, I’m not supposed to even be here. But I needed to get the word out somehow, since it seems like no one else will.”
“Are things going all right back home?” Wedge asked, all ready dreading the answer.
Jagged seemed to consider the question before answering. “We’re safe, if that’s what you’re asking… at least, for now.”
“For now?”
The young man sighed, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “There has been… movement out in the Unknown Regions. So far, the Chiss Ascendancy has been left undisturbed by said movement, but there’s no telling how long that’s going to last.” He paused for a moment before saying, “I take it you’ve heard about what’s happened to the Imperial Remnant?”
Wedge nodded. “I’ve heard there’s been a collapse of government, though the member sectors are still trying to hold together as a legitimate state. At the very least, I know that the Moffs are no longer in the picture.”
“They’re not,” Jagged said, “but someone else has taken their place. I don’t know the full details as of right now; only that the Imperial Remnant very much still exists. It’s simply evolved into something… different.”
Wedge frowned. “And they’re being active in the Unknown Regions?”
“That’s what Chiss scouts have been reporting. So far they haven’t done anything notable yet, at least not in the eyes of the Ruling Families. But when it comes to the Empire — or whatever it is now — I know that won’t last forever.”
That was something Wedge and his nephew could agree on. He waited to see if Jagged had anything more to say, but the younger man had fallen silent. He wanted to ask about his sister — about Syal — but he could not bring himself to. Besides, he knew answer he got would just be along the vague lines of “She’s doing fine” or “They’re getting by.” He simply had to accept the fact that such family matters would have to wait until this was all over… whenever that would be.
Clearing his throat, Wedge moved to stand up. Jagged followed suit, as did Trey and Jesmin. Wedge then extended a hand across the table to Jagged, which his nephew shook after only a second of hesitation.
“It’s been good seeing you again, Jagged,” Wedge said quietly. “I wish you and your family safety.”
Jagged nodded curtly. “Likewise, uncle. I hope someday our paths will—”
The rest of his words were drowned out by the loud thrum of a sublight engine as what sounded like a starship flew low over the city of Kor Vella. Wedge could already hear the confused chatter of people out in the streets as Jagged rushed to the door and opened it, allowing him and the others to step outside.
The black dungeon ship flew over Kor Vella, flying low enough to blow dust and dirty in everyone’s eyes. After passing over the mesa, it made its way to the Vella plains and descended, landing not far from where Wedge and the Wraiths had parked their landspeeder.
Wedge glanced at Jagged and noticed that the younger man’s face had gone pale, almost as white as the streak in his hair. “What is it?”
“That’s an Osseriton prison ship,” Jagged muttered, his voice deathly quiet. “An Oubliette-class.”
“Can’t say I’m familiar with the name,” Wedge said.
“It’s another world in the Unknown Regions. The Chiss Defense Fleet have had encounters with them in the past.”
“What are they doing all the way here in the Core Worlds, then?” asked Jesmin.
Jagged did not answer her as he watched the mysterious ship fly towards the capital of Corellia. Turning to Wedge, he said, “We should probably lay low. At least until we find out who they are and why they’re here.”
Wedge nodded in agreement. It was what he would have done.
“Should we send a message to Fulcrum?” asked Trey.
Jagged shook his head. “Too risky. For all we know, they could be listening in, even on encrypted transmissions.”
“So we wait?” Jesmin asked.
“We wait.”
* * *
Light poured into the Night Buzzard as the Oubliette-class transport’s entry ramp lowered. Standing on the precipice, Kylo Ren stared out across the Vella plains, towards the mesa upon which the city of Kor Vella stood. Behind him, the other Knights of Ren shifted restlessly, waiting for their master to take the first step. Slowly, Kylo began to stride down the ramp, not stopping until both his boots had touched the ground, dirt crunching beneath his heels.
The other Knights moved to follow him but Kylo stopped him with a raise of his hand. “Stay with the ship,” he ordered, the command amplified by the modulator of his mask.
The Knights stopped but their irritation was evident through their body language. “Why did you bring us along if you intended on going alone?” growled the one known as Vicrul.
“I will require your service later,” Kylo replied. “For now, be patient.” He paused for a moment before turning slightly to look over his shoulder. “Karis.”
From the septet of Knights stepped forward a young woman with green skin and large wings. Like the other six, her face was concealed by a mask — one that had once belonged to an Imperial Inquisitor from the days of old. The other Knights stepped aside to let her pass as she walked down the ramp to join her master, though their distaste for her was no less evident from the way they watched her.
“Stay here and await further orders,” Kylo said as he and his apprentice departed from the ship, bound for the rural city.
* * *
The mayor of Kor Vella had heard the arrival of the ship even before his aides had alerted him. When they did, they had found him calmly pacing through his office as he admired his collection of antiques through the transparisteel glass cases he kept them in.
“Um, sir?” his Selonian chief of security had said to him, poking her furry head into the office. “An unidentified spacecraft just landed on the outskirts of the city.”
The mayor was unfazed. “Is it a black dungeon ship?” he asked casually, still staring at an antique sword behind the glass.
“Um, yes, sir.”
“That would be my guests then. When they arrive, lead them here to my office.”
The Selonian had not bothered to hide her confusion but nonetheless nodded. “As you wish, sir.”
Several minutes had passed since then and the mayor was soon sitting back at his desk, patiently awaiting his clients. Finally, he heard a chime at the door, followed by the Selonian’s voice.
“They’re here, sir.”
“Let them in.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth that the door opened and a tall figure clad in black stormed in. Over their shoulder, the mayor spotted a second figure with large green wings standing outside with the Selonian before the door closed, leaving the mayor alone with his mysterious visitor.
Rising from his seat, the mayor came around his desk and extended a hand, smiling cordially. “Kylo Ren, I presume?”
“The heirloom,” the masked man said, his voice coming out distorted. “Do you have it.”
The mayor retracted his hand, trying not to let the smile fall from his round face from the rejection. “Yes, of course. I would not have had the Curator send someone for no reason.”
“The Curator?” Kylo Ren questioned.
The mayor frowned, taken aback by the dark warrior’s confusion. “Ah, perhaps you know him by a different name. I only know him by his title—”
Kylo Ren growled with impatience. “The heirloom.”
“Yes, yes, of course.” The mayor hobbled over to one of the glass cases and opened it. Reaching inside, he brought out a cube-shaped device. After blowing dust off the device, he turned to present it to Kylo Ren only for it to fly out of his hands and into the masked warrior’s. Without a word, Kylo Ren turned to leave.
“W-wait!” the mayor sputtered. “Don’t you… don’t you want to make sure it is legitimate?”
Kylo Ren stopped and looked over his shoulder at the mayor. “Would you have any reason to give me something that was fake?” he asked darkly.
The mayor swallowed. “Of course not,” he said hastily. “I just… thought it would be nice to establish some trust between us.”
“I have no need for your trust. It is of no value to me.”
“For the Curator’s sake, then. If only to ensure that you are delivering the correct item to him.”
For the longest time, Kylo Ren did not speak nor did he move. He was like a dark statue, watching the mayor’s every movement. In the tense silence, the mayor could practically hear his heart pound against his chest with every beat.
Finally, the dark warrior turned around to face the mayor fully. “How would I be able to verify its legitimacy?”
Letting out the breath he didn’t realize he had been holding, the mayor said, “You need only activate it. There should be a button on the—”
Before he had even finished speaking, Kylo Ren found the necessary switch and the cube split open, revealing a small holoprojector. The ghostly blue image of a nondescript figure materialized as a mechanical voice spoke out.
“This record may only be viewed by a member of the House of Solo bloodline. Please provide a blood sample.”
The tense silence made an unwelcome return. The mayor tried to break it by chuckling uneasily. “I, ah, had not realized such safeguards were in place. Still, I’m sure this is more than enough proof for you to—”
A blade of red sprung out from Kylo Ren’s hand. The mayor could only scream as the masked warrior raised the blade and brought it down.
* * *
“Mayor!”
Hearing the dying screams on the other side, the Selonian guard moved for the door but Karis beat her to it. A quick slash from her lightsaber blade brought down the musteline alien. The human secretary, seated nearby, moved to alert the rest of the security detail only to suffer the same fate. Satisfied that no further resistance would come for the next few minutes, the winged woman sheathed her blade and waited.
A moment passed before the door opened and Kylo Ren stepped out, carrying a cube-shaped object in his hand. He didn’t even acknowledge the dead human and Selonian as he passed Karis.
“Comm Vicrul and the others,” her master said. “Tell them to prepare the ship for take off.”
Karis did as she was told, never once questioning the fresh blood glistening on the back of his glove.
* * *
Wedge, Jagged, Jesmin, and Trey had watched from afar as the two dark figures strode into Kor Vella and made their way towards the city’s townhouse. Trey had suggested they follow them in but both Wedge and Jagged had agreed that it would have been too dangerous. Instead, they merely lay low and waited.
Several minutes passed before the two dark figures emerged from the building, with one of them carrying a cube-shaped object in his hand. The other appeared to be a woman, with large green wings protruding from her back. Wedge was not familiar with any species that had such features and, judging from Jagged’s expression, neither was his nephew.
They continued to watch the two mysterious figures as they exited the town, leaving behind a trail of frightened citizens in their wake. Wedge and the other got to a safe enough distance from the precipice of the mesa to watch the two warrior return to their black ship, which was already preparing to take off.
“I think we should probably alert Fulcrum now,” said Jesmin.
Wedge found himself agreeing and fished for his comlink. Glancing at the others, he said, “Keep an eye on them. Let’s hope they don’t do anything funny.”
While he hailed Iella, the mysterious black ship lifted up from the ground. For a pressing moment, it just hovered in place, not moving in any direction. Then, a forward-facing turret spun around and fired on the spot where they had parked their landspeeder, blasting it into oblivion. It then took off and blasted off towards the horizon, in the direction of Coronet City.
As the others gawked at the smoldering crater where their landspeeder once was, Trey muttered, “That’s wasn’t very funny.”
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