Star Wars: Vergence III, Chapter Fifteen

 CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The Errant Venture

“I am getting way too old for this,” Booster Terrik growled to himself, sitting on the bridge of the Errant Venture as he watched X-wing fighters clash with TIE fighters in the skies of Naboo.

“Hey, you signed up for this,” said the holographic form of Talon Karrde standing beside him. “Besides, what were we going to do? Just ignore the call?”

“We could’ve,” Booster grunted. “We were in the middle of a mission.”

“But this takes priority, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I guess so. Still, if it hadn’t been for me knowing that my daughter and grandkids would never forgive me….”

“And your son-in-law,” Talon reminded him.

“As if I care what he thinks.”

“Well, he is a member of the Jedi Council and they’re the ones who sent out the call, so….”

“Yeah, yeah.” Booster waved a flippant hand. “Now keep quiet now, will ya? I’ve got a battle to coordinate.”

As Talon Karrde’s image fizzled out, a Togruta crew member turned his head from his station. “Boss! We’ve got an incomin’ call!”

“Not from the First Order, I hope,” Booster muttered.

“Nope. It’s from an approaching Corellian freighter, call sign Renegade.”

This got the old smuggler to sit up straighter in his seat. “Put ‘em through.”

The Togruta officer did so and within moments the image of a Mirialan woman appeared before Booster.

“Well, if it isn’t Kyla Kishanti,” Booster harrumphed, folding his large arms over his chest. “I didn’t think I’d see you again after you crossed me back on Socorro.”

Kyla responded with a mirthless smile. “Hey, Boost’. Nice seeing you, too. I would love to chat, but my crew and I have got somewhere to be. Do you think you can have some of your fighters escort us to that Super Star Destroyer?”

“What do you hope to achieve by doing that?”

“We’ve got a clearance code to one of the hangar bays. Once on board, we can try and rescue General Organa and her team.”

Booster shook his head. “That’s a suicide mission and you know it.”

“If we had some backup, it might reduce our chances of death, however minimal.”

Again, Booster shook his head. But at the same time, he knew that Leia Organa Solo and her team were in need of rescuing; it was why they had come here, after all. While he didn’t think Kyla’s plan was much of one, it was certainly better than his lack of one. He had simply brought the Errant Venture and her supplement of fighters to keep the Supremacy distracted long enough for the rest of the Resistance to arrive. If Kyla and her crew wanted to be part of that distraction, then more power to her.

Turning away from the Mirialan smuggler’s hologram, Booster radioed one of the squadrons that was out battling with the First Order’s forces. “Twin Suns Leader, this is Booster. I’ve got a YT-1930 transport that needs escorting to that Star Destroyer. Think you and your Jedi boys can handle that?”

“If we can’t, then we can’t handle anything,” replied the smooth voice of Kyp Durron. “All wings, form on me.”

As the X-wing fighters moved to provide cover for the Renegade, Kyla offered a more genuine smile to Booster. “Thanks, Boost. I owe you one.”

“You owe me several at this point,” the old smuggler growled. “Now get going.”

Kyla’s image winked out and Booster Terrik returned his attention to the battle that was unfolding before him.

*  *  *

“This is crazy this is crazy this is crazy we’re all gonna die we’re all gonna—”

“Shut up, Bedo!” Kyla snapped as she flew the Renegade into the Supremacy’s hangar bay, guns ablaze. 

While the clearance code had gotten them past the hangar bay’s outer defenses, it had not stopped the stormtroopers stationed within from opening fire on the Corellian freighter as soon as it was through the magnetic field. As Wiskin picked the soldiers off with the mounted turret, Kyla lowered the ramp to deposit Valrisa, Kadar, Vessin, Zarin, Typha, Remar, and Sharbrook. The five Renegades and their two new allies charged in with blasters ablaze; while Kyla was not all too keen with adding Remar and Sharbrook to their membership, she had to admit it was good to have a Wookiee on their side as Sharbrook barreled into the path of several stormtroopers and knocked them down while shooting down more with his bowcaster. 

Two X-wing fighters that had been tailing the Renegade on the way to the Supremacy followed in shortly thereafter, dispensing two Jedi Knights from its cockpits. Kyla did not know either of their names but she was nonetheless thankful for their help as they deflected blaster fire with their lightsabers and used the Force to help clear a path to the detention blocks for the Renegades that were on foot.

While Kyla and Wiskin continued to provide cover fire, Valrisa and her group made their way out of the hangar bay and towards the control center for the detention blocks. At this point, she was trusting the Force to guide her to wherever Leia and her team were being held, as she doubt there would be much time to search each and every level on the massive Star Destroyer. While Kadar and Vessin handled the stormtroopers that were standing guard at the control center, Valrisa charged towards the main station and shot down the two officers stationed there. Pushing their bodies aside, she used the clearance code that Boss Binks had given them to access the main computer and bring up the roster of prisoners and their designated cell. Thankfully, it did not take long for her to find the ones she was looking for.

“I’ve got them!” she called out to the others. “General Organa is on Level 32, Captain Solo and the others on Level 33.”

“Let’s not waste any time then,” said Zarin as he headed for one of the turbolifts. Kadar and Vessin followed him, leaving Valrisa, Typha, Remar, and Sharbrook to take the other lift. 

As the doors closed in front of her, Valrisa found herself silently praying to the Force that it would be with them all the way through… and that they would all get out of this in one piece.  

*  *  *

“How is he?” Leia asked.

“Still alive, but barely,” Luke replied, crouched over the body of Kane Skywalker. The three of them had been taken back to the cell Luke had been in originally, which was barely large enough for more than two people. Luke wasn’t sure why they hadn’t been separated, unless the Praetorian Guards simply hadn’t been given the order to or didn’t the point in doing so. Besides, the fact that they were all unarmed and their connection to the Force was partially deafened meant that they were powerless to even try and escape.

Sitting down on one of the bunks, Leia sighed as she rubbed a hand over her forehead. “My son is gone, isn’t he?” she murmured.

“No one’s ever really gone,” Luke answered softly.

“But he’s had so many chances to come back to us and he’s rejected every one of them. Even with Snoke dead, he’s now under Darth Vorath’s control. I don’t see how we’ll be able to bring him back.”

“We’ll find a way,” Luke reassured her. “We always do.”

Leia smiled sadly at her brother. “You sound so sure.”

“I guess being back from the dead gives a boost to one’s optimism.”

“I still don’t understand how you’re back. Not that I’m complaining, mind you.”

“Neither do I,” Luke admitted. “I have a suspicion though that whatever brought me back also brought back Darth Vorath. Perhaps it has to do with us dying around the same time….”

“If that is the case, then hopefully we can defeat Vorath without killing you as well.”

Luke nodded but said nothing further on the subject, returning his attention to the wounded Kane. “If I could get in touch with the Force, I could be able to put him into a healing trance….”

He trailed off as a loud explosion sounded off in the distance. He looked up to meet Leia’s eyes as the sound was quickly followed by another of its kind, then another.

“Is that coming from on board the ship or outside?” Luke wondered aloud.

“It sounds like…” Leia started to say as another explosion went off, louder than the ones preceding it. “It sounds like it’s coming from inside the ship.”

No sooner had she spoken these words that a red lightsaber blade suddenly pierced through the side of the door. It sliced downward, cutting through the door’s control lock and causing it to slide open. Standing there was a tan-skinned man in dark Jedi robes, the golden markings across his face distinguishing him as a member of the Kiffar people.

“Did somebody order a rescue?”

“Wait,” Luke said. “It’s Zarin Kal, right? Master Plun Kil’s apprentice?”

“I would love to catch up with you, Master Skywalker, but we need to get going.” Zarin nodded to the unconscious Kane. “Are you going to need help with that?”

“Yes, please,” Leia said and she helped Luke lift the clone of their father onto his feet and into Zarin’s steadying grasp. “We also need to rescue Han and the others—”

“Already on it,” Zarin said. A blaster shot came whizzing at his head from down the corridor and he deflected it with his lightsaber. “Come on. Let’s go before my buddies blow up the hangar bay.”

*  *  *

“It’s not like we don’t appreciate the rescue,” Toah Jarsan said. “But did you guys have a plan for getting out?”

Valrisa fired her blaster at the stormtroopers that were clustered at the end of the hallway. She and her team were pressed against one side of the corridor while the people they had rescued—Han Solo, Chewbacca, Toah Jarsan, Rey, and Finn—were pressed against the other. Remar had been able to locate the place where the First Order had been keeping the prisoners’ weapons, giving Han, Chewie, and Finn their blasters back and the two Jedi their lightsabers. Even so, they were now being overwhelmed by the stormtroopers and no matter how many they shot down, more simply appeared to take their place.

“This is bringing back bad memories,” Han Solo muttered as he shot down a stormtrooper with his blaster pistol.

Chewbacca growled something and the former smuggler glared at his partner.

“No, we are not going through the garbage chute. Once was bad enough—”

He was cut off by a blaster bolt searing past him and hitting the wall right by his shoulder. Pulling back, Han looked over to the Renegades with a grim expression.

“Got any bright ideas?”

“We’ve got two Jedi, don’t we?” Remar retorted. “Two Jedi and two Wookiees. I don’t see how they can’t just barrel through these guys.”

“I’m not sure that would be wise,” Toah muttered, deflecting a bolt with his lightsaber.

“It has to be better than this,” contested Rey. She looked over to Chewbacca and Sharbrook. “Can you two do something?”

The two Wookiees exchanged a glance and then an assenting roar. They then drew away from their hiding spots and, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, began to charge towards the stormtroopers, firing their bowcasters in unison.

“Let’s provide cover fire!” Remar shouted as he went after them, followed closely by the others as they fired their blasters. 

With no room to fall back, the stormtroopers could do nothing but allow themselves to be mowed down by their oncoming attackers. Once a path was cleared, the Renegades and their rescuees made their way to the turbolift and headed back down to the control center.

When they arrived, they emerged to find that Zarin and the two Mandalorians had already returned with Luke and Leia, along with a man who wore armor resembling that of Darth Vader, supported by Zarin and Kadar. As Han handed Leia her blaster, he came over to Luke and slapped him on the shoulder.

“Glad to have you back with us, kid.”

Luke nodded in response, but was interrupted by Kadar before he could say anything. “Let’s get out of here alive before we commence any reunions.”

Without wasting any further time, they began to head back for the hangar bay, even as behind them the turbolifts opened to dispense more stormtroopers. Toah and Rey took up the rear, using their lightsabers to deflect any blaster bolts that came from their pursuers. When they made it back to the hangar bay, they found that the entire place had been lit on fire, with the bodies of stormtroopers littering the floor. The Renegade still hung there in place, swiveling its turret to take on any more opposition that came its way. Its ramp was already lowered and the large group of escapees hastily made their way over to the Corellian freighter. Luke, Toah, Rey, and Zarin used the Force to propel everyone onto the ship before jumping onto the ramp themselves. 

As soon as they were all on board, the ramp raised up and the Renegade shot out of the hangar bay. At the same time, the two Jedi that had accompanied them returned to their fighters and took off, closely following the Renegade as it returned to the fray of the battle between the Errant Venture and the Supremacy. As she stepped into the cockpit along with Leia, Han, and Toah, Valrisa saw that several Naboo starfighters had joined in on the fight, yellow N-1 starfighters flying alongside X-wings as they shot down TIE fighters.

“Did Queen Reneme have a change of heart?” Leia asked skeptically.

“More like a change of power,” Valrisa replied. “I can explain once we’re through this.”

“Well, there’s a surprise there,” said Han, nodding to the crimson Star Destroyer that was exchanging fire with the Supremacy. “I didn’t expect old Booster of all people to come to our rescue.”

Bringing a hand to the comm, Kyla Kishanti said, “Renegade to Errant Venture. We have rescued the Princess. Repeat: We have rescued the Princess.”

“That didn’t take long,” responded the gruff voice of Booster Terrik. “Are you sure it’s her and not some decoy?”

“I can assure you, Captain Terrik, that it is really me,” Leia spoke up. “And if you don’t believe me, then maybe you can put Mirax on and I will tell her about the comment you had made about my daughter and dancing girl outfits.”

There was silence at first before Booster’s voice came back through the comm, much more quieter this time. “Yeah, it’s you. Come on aboard then.”

As the Renegade began to make its way towards the Errant Venture, Valrisa looked out the viewport and saw that the Supremacy was starting to move. However, rather than moving to attack the red Star Destroyer, it instead appeared to be moving away from the Errant Venture, as if it was trying to leave.

“Are they… are they retreating?” Valrisa asked.

“The TIEs do seem to be letting up,” Bedo said from his station.

“You would think they would want to double their efforts, now that we’ve escaped,” Leia remarked.

“Unless they wanted us to,” Toah pointed out.

Kyla scoffed. “That’s ridiculous. Why would they have let us escaped?”

“I dunno, it was an awfully easy escape,” Han said. “I mean, I’ve had worse anyway.”

Valrisa glanced at Leia and saw that the Resistance general was staring pensively at the Supremacy as it slowly made its retreat, heading up into Naboo’s sky. She wasn’t sure if anyone else had heard it, but she could have sworn she heard the former Princess of Alderaan utter a single word under her breath.

“Ben.”

*  *  *

“The rebels have escaped with the prisoners, Executor. Shall we take pursuit?”

“No, Captain,” Kylo Ren coolly replied to Captain Yago’s holographic image. “Let them go. We are done here on Naboo.”

Yago narrowed his eyes. “But, Executor, the Supreme Leader had explicit orders that we were to remain here on Naboo for the foreseeable future.”

“His orders have changed,” Kylo Ren said sharply. “Set a course for the Mustafar system. Once there, I will arrange a meeting with the Supreme Council and brief them on the situation.”

“Surely we can crush the Resistance here before then, Executor? After all, they only have a derelict Imperial Star Destroyer and some starfighters; no match for us in any scenario.”

“Reinforcements are surely on their way. We will deal with them at a later day. That is my final word.”

Yago raised an eyebrow. “The Supreme Leader’s final word, surely.”

With a snarl, Kylo Ren slammed his fist on the throne’s armrest and the captain’s image dissipated, leaving the Executor of the First Order alone in the red-curtained throne room, save for the young boy standing beside him.

“Whatever happened to ‘crush them all?’” Darth Vorath asked wryly.

“Silence,” Kylo Ren growled.

“You let them escape, didn’t you?”

The Knight of Ren snapped his head to look at the boy, his dark eyes filled with fury. “I said silence!”

“If you hope to reach your true potential, you must sever all attachments to your previous life. Thus is the path of all Lords of the Sith.”

“Understand this,” Kylo Ren said quietly, leaning forward in his throne to glare at Vorath. “I will not be your pawn. I did not kill my master to trade him for a new one.”

“Why did you kill him, then?”

“Because I had finally realized that he had just been using me this whole time. That everything he had told me had been a lie. That everything I had done for most of my life had been done simply to please him, even though he rarely ever expressed his satisfaction. I killed him so that I could finally be Kylo Ren, Master of the Knights of Ren. Not Kylo Ren, servant of the Supreme Leader.”

Vorath frowned. “I still fail to see how that explains you sparing your family and letting them escape.”

“Perhaps it is time for me to keep secrets of my own, rather than be the one in the dark.”

Vorath was silent for a moment, continuing to stare at Kylo Ren skeptically. “Why Mustafar?” he finally asked.

“I left something behind there,” Kylo replied. “Something that is a part of my identity.”

“Still hiding behind a mask, I take it?”

Rather than lash out as Vorath was expecting, Kylo Ren instead simply gave a mirthless smile as he leaned back in his seat.

“Is it hiding when your mask shows the galaxy all they need to know?”

To this, Darth Vorath had nothing to say and the ancient Dark Lord of the Sith remained silent as the Supremacy made its way out of Naboo’s orbit before jumping into hyperspace.

Star Wars: Vergence III, Chapter Fourteen

 CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Naboo

This was all too easy in Valrisa’s honest opinion.

She and the other Renegades (plus Remar and Sharbrook) had been following Boss Binks through the halls of the palace for some time now, all without encountering a single Royal Guard or handmaiden. She knew they were there; she could sense them, as could Zarin. Yet somehow the Gungan elder had managed to evade them all in the route he was taking them through. It had to be the sheerest, purest form of dumb luck, although Valrisa knew some of her former teachers would tell her that there was no such thing as luck.

Whether it was luck or the will of the Force, they eventually reached their destination: the Queen’s throne room. However, as soon as they stepped in, they saw that the throne itself, as well as the surrounding seats, were completely vacant.

“Fierfek,” she heard Kadar swear. “She must have retired to her personal chambers.”

“Yeah, I’m not exactly in the mood for breaking into a lady’s bedroom,” said Bedo. “If you guys want to, more power to you, but….”

The Ortolan trailed off as Boss Binks kept on walking, making his way towards the empty throne. Upon reaching it, he pressed a control panel on one of the armrests which opened a compartment. He reached inside and grabbed something from it before returning to the Renegades. He then held out what appeared to be some sort of datacard to Valrisa.

“Take dis up to big bombad ship,” said Boss Binks. “Dis will make them let you in.”

“How… how did you know that was in there?” Valrisa asked.

The old Gungan merely smiled at her. “Dare isn’t much time. Yousa should be goen now.”

“This is too easy,” Remar muttered. “This has to be some sort of trick.”

“You are partially correct there, bounty hunter.”

Everyone turned to see another door to the throne room open, revealing Queen Reneme and a squad of Royal Guards. The maroon-garbed officers rushed in and drew their blasters, pointing them at the intruders, while Reneme gracefully made her way to her throne.

“I should have known you would try and circumvent this occupation,” the young monarch said. “Ever since you became Boss of Otoh Gunga, you’ve had a remarkable history of being supportive of not just the New Republic but especially Princess Leia. It shouldn’t have surprised me that you would go through such lengths to rescue her.”

While the Renegades raised their own weapons in defense, Boss Binks merely regarded the Queen with a calm, even expression. “Meesa owe it to her family for all the wrongs meesa have done. It was because of meesa that da Empire came to power in da first place.”

Queen Reneme scoffed. “Unfortunately for you, your actions here will not prevent the Empire’s restoration to power. The necessary steps have already been made. Both you and your Princess’ precious Resistance will be helpless to stop it.”

Slowly sitting down in her throne, Reneme cast her gaze to the lead officer, a dark-skinned woman. “Arrest them, Captain Wendik. Including Boss Binks.”

The captain frowned, neither lowering her weapon nor carrying out her orders. “Will that not stir controversy with the Gungan society, milady?”

“We have been at odds with them before,” Reneme said dismissively. “Now do as I say.”

Still Wendik did not move, nor did any of her fellow officers. Valrisa could see the apprehension on their faces; none of them looked as if they wanted to follow the Queen’s orders but they also did not seem keen on disobeying them, fearful of the repercussions they would incur.

When a moment passed by without any action being taken, all warmth vanished from the Queen’s expression and her gaze immediately went cold. “Did you not hear what I said?” she snapped. “I said arrest them!”

Captain Wendik swallowed hard. Although her eyes were still fixated on Valrisa and the others, her words were directed towards the Queen. “My father,” she said quietly. “He fought in the war against the Empire. He was a pilot, just like his father.”

Reneme glowered at her, baring her teeth. “Now is not the time for this. Arrest them!”

“He flew at Endor,” Wendik continued, undeterred. “Right alongside the likes of Wedge Antilles and Lando Calrissian. I hadn’t even been born yet when his fighter was blown up during a strafing run on the Executor. He died trying to take down a Super Star Destroyer… and now one is hovering over my very home.”

“Enough of this,” Reneme hissed. She directed her attention to another officer, a tan-skinned man. “Lieutenant, arrest them while I—”

Without warning, Captain Wendik spun on her heel and aimed her blaster at the Queen. The other officers, after a fleeting moment of confusion, quickly followed suit, surrounding Reneme.

“Your Royal Highness,” Captain Wendik said coolly, “you are the one under arrest. By executing the members of the Royal Advisory Council, you have assumed absolute power over the planet of Naboo, a violation of Section Eleven, subsection Thirty-Eight of the Royal Constitution of Naboo.”

Reneme sneered at her. “The constitution has been rewritten before.”

“Yes, but only with the approval of the Advisory Council. Without them or their approval, you have no power.”

“I am the Queen of Naboo! I have unlimited power!”

“You only wish,” Wendik replied before pulling the trigger of her blaster. A blue stun bolt shot out and struck Reneme square in the chest, knocking her out cold. The other officers immediately moved in to apprehend her while Wendik turned around to face the Renegades, who were all staring with gobsmacked expressions (save for Boss Binks, who was unfazed by the turn of events).

“A word of advice,” Kadar muttered. “Maybe don’t elect teenagers to serve as your head of government.”

Wendik smiled thinly. “I’ll pass the word along. Now then, don’t you have a Princess to rescue?”

Valrisa opened her mouth to offer her thanks when her eyes happened to move to the window behind the Queen’s throne. Although it was difficult to see past the Super Star Destroyer looming over Theed, she was still able to detect a brightly colored ship slowly coming down from the sky, its crimson color scheme a sharp contrast from the dark hull of the Super Star Destroyer.

“Uh, guys?” she said. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but… Star Destroyers don’t usually come in red, do they?”

Everyone followed her gaze and gawked at the sight they were all beholding. Bedo was the one to break the silence by letting out a quiet squeal.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited and scared in my entire life.”

The Supremacy

“I hope you’ve got a plan for getting us out of here, kid, because I’m out of ideas.”

Han Solo leaned against the wall of the dark cell he and Toah Jarsan were in, looking down at the Jedi Knight. Toah was sitting cross-legged on the floor, his eyebrows knitted in concentration as he tried to use the Force or whatever it was Jedi did when they were in that cross-legged stance. Han had seen Luke do it plenty of times and, more often than not, they led to him pulling off some miraculous trick that helped them save the day.

Then again, Toah wasn’t Luke. He had been trained by Luke, Han knew that much, but ever since the kid had become a Jedi Knight he had always been difficult for Han to get a read on. Even more so after he had defeated Darth Vorath and gone off on his own. When Toah had returned to join the Resistance, after having been missing for sixteen years, he had come off as… lost. As if he wasn’t sure of his place in the galaxy.  

Han honestly couldn’t blame him for that. Especially since he himself had been faced with that dilemma more times than he would like to admit….

After an excruciating long time, Toah opened his eyes and sighed. “I can barely feel the Force. I think this cell has some sort of dampening effect.”

“Guess these guys came prepared to deal with Jedi,” Han muttered. “I just hope Leia and Chewie are okay. And the new kids as well.”

Toah nodded slowly, though his mind seemed to be elsewhere as his eyes fixated on the door. At first Han thought he was trying to will the door open with his mind until the Jedi spoke.

“Han, I have a confession to make.”

Han’s eyebrows shot up, caught off guard by the statement. “That sounds serious. What about?”

“Do you remember when we encountered your… when we encountered Danielle Kieran, back at Ord Mantell?”

Han shifted his feet awkwardly and looked away, avoiding eye contact with the Jedi. “How could I forget?”

“That wasn’t the first time I had met her.”

This got Han to look back at Toah, his eyebrows raised. “You know, I had a feeling you two knew each other,” he muttered. “Just based on your body language.”

Toah nodded solemnly. “I had first met her during my apprenticeship to Master Skywalker, a year before the clone Emperor emerged. We… we developed a close connection during that time, one I had never really formed with anyone before. When we met again a few years later, after I had been knighted….”

Han closed his eyes and sighed. “Stop. I already know where this is going.”

“You do?” Toah sounded genuinely surprised and Han could tell he was staring at him.

“I might not have that Force stuff you Jedi have, but deep down….” Han pinched the bridge of his nose. “That whole time on Ord Mantell, I knew something was off about the whole thing. Not just with you and Dani but with… her as well. And I just know that Leia knew about this the whole time, because when I told her about Dani….”

He paused to take a deep breath. Then, he opened his eyes and slowly looked back at Toah, who was still staring at him intently.

“Why?” he grunted. “Why are you bringing this up now, of all times?”

“Just in case we don’t make it out of this alive,” Toah replied. “I don’t think I would be able to rest easy holding onto that little secret.”

“I probably would have been fine,” Han muttered. He directed his attention back to the sealed door. “So, got any other bright ideas?”

Toah did not answer him, and when Han looked back, he saw a grim expression had fallen onto the Jedi’s face.

“What is it?”

“Vorath,” was all Toah uttered. And in Han’s opinion, it was the most sufficient answer he could have given.

*  *  *

“Is this truly the man you want to subject yourself to, Ben Solo?” Darth Vorath spoke from the mouth of Varon Sendor as he lunged at Snoke. The Supreme Leader scowled as he flicked a hand to banish the former Sith Lord away with the Force, only for Varon to land gracefully on his feet. “A mere pretender to the throne?”

“I am no pretender!” Snoke roared. “I am the rightful ruler of the First Order! My power is absolute!”

“If that is the case, then why did you wait until I was dead before assuming control?” Vorath asked through Lysira Naris, cutting down one of Snoke’s Praetorian Guards as they lunged at her with a pair of vibro-arbir blades. “Even then, you waited fourteen years before absorbing the Imperial Remnant into your Order.”

“I do not need to explain my actions to you.” Snoke unleashed another barrage of lightning at Lysira, which she deflected with her lightsaber. “You are nothing to me.”

“The feeling is mutual.” While Lysira withstood Snoke’s attack and Varon dealt with the remaining Praetorian Guards, Vorath’s third host body—that of their son Kalon—slowly paced around the chamber, ignoring the speechless gazes of Luke and Leia as he made his way over to the stoic Kylo Ren.

“I realize your master has poisoned your mind against the Sith,” Vorath said. “But do you not realize you have walked the path of one? Your story is nearly the same as that of your grandfather’s, just as I had designed. I wanted my own Vader, one unrestrained by the hindrances of a mechanical suit.

“Had I not perished, you would have long since surpassed me by now. My Sith Empire would have been yours! The galaxy in your grasps! All would bow in servitude to the true Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Caedus!”

Kylo Ren stared blankly as the boy spread his hands, grinning widely.

“You can bring an end to all of this now! Strike down your master in one swift blow and everything will be yours!”

“Ben,” Leia spoke up quietly from where she and Luke were standing, away from the turmoil unfolding between Snoke and the Dark Lord. “Don’t listen to him. You don’t belong here. You belong with us.”

“Oh, yes,” Vorath said mockingly. “You belong with the people who abandoned you—”

“We didn’t abandon you!” Leia cried to Kylo. “They took you from us! We thought you were dead!”

“Lies. The favorite tool of the Jedi, even when their lies create the very enemies they fear.” The boy whom Vorath controlled shook his head. “Perhaps I should tell you how I fell to darkness as a result of the Jedi Order’s ARGH!”

The ancient Dark Lord let out a cry of pain just as a Praetorian Guard slashed at Varon with a long vibro-voulge, delivering a long, deep cut across the son of Vorath’s chest. As Varon fell to his knees, Vorath’s control over him and Lysira momentarily broke. Disoriented by both this and her husband’s mortal wound, Lysira’s defense faltered and she was immediately overwhelmed by Snoke’s barrage of lightning. As her screams filled the chamber, the Praetorian Guard drove the blade of his vibro-voulge straight through Varon. Moments later, Lysira’s screams ceased and Snoke cast her body aside, letting her join that of her husband’s.

“And just like that,” Snoke said with a mocking grin, “two heirs to the legacy of Darth Vorath have been finished. All that remains of that legacy now….”

He pointed a bony finger at Vorath’s sole remaining vessel.

“…is you.”

Whether the fear in the boy’s eyes were his own or that of Vorath’s, no one present in the chamber could determine. Desperately, he turned to face Kylo Ren.

“This is your chance, Ben Solo! Take the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith or forever be a slave! You must choose!”

“Indeed,” Snoke said calmly. “Strike the boy down, Kylo Ren. Prove your allegiance to me.”

“He is but a pretender! All of his power is in fact mine! I built the empire that he now controls. I was the one who laid the foundations for the First Order!”

Snoke sneered. “Revising history will not save you. Finish him, my boy, and bring this farce to an end.”

Kylo Ren stared down at Kalon Sendor, his face still vacant of emotion. “I know what I have to do,” he said coldly.

“Ben,” Leia whispered as Luke wrapped an arm around her. “Don’t do this….”

Silently, Kylo Ren extended a hand and lifted the child up with the Force, suspending him in the space that separated the Knight of Ren and the Supreme Leader. Snoke watched him with cold blue eyes, a cruel smile twisting onto his face.

“Do it,” the Supreme Leader commanded.

Activating his lightsaber, Kylo Ren cast the boy aside and swung his blade at Snoke, cutting through the Supreme Leader’s golden robe and the rotting skin beneath. The bisected halves of Snoke dropped to the floor like dead weight.

Everything in the chamber went silent. The remaining Praetorian Guards stood there in shocked silence, unsure of how to react. Before any of them could make a move, Kalon Sendor got back onto his feet and raised his arms.

“The Supreme Leader is dead,” Darth Vorath declared. “Long live the Supreme Leader!”

The guards exchanged hidden glances with each other before dropping to their knees and bowing their heads in reverence to their new ruler. Kylo Ren paid them no heed as he directed his attention to Luke and Leia for the first time since he had arrived.

Speaking to the Praetorian Guards, the Knight of Ren said, “Take them to the detention center. I will deal with them later.”

“Ben, don’t do this,” Leia pleaded. “It’s not too late for you to come back.”

“Oh, but it already is,” cackled Darth Vorath. “It is too late for all of you.”

As the Praetorian Guards moved to apprehend Luke and Leia, Kylo Ren moved to the Supreme Leader’s vacant throne and pressed a control panel on one of the armrests to access the comm.

“Captain Yago, this is Kylo Ren. The Supreme Leader has been gravely wounded and has put me in temporary command as Executor of the First Order. I want you to relocate the Supremacy to the Mustafar system and—”

“Ah, a slight problem with that, Executor,” Captain Yago replied. “Resistance forces have just dropped out of hyperspace in Naboo’s orbit and are descending upon us now. How would you like us to handle them?”

Kylo Ren was silent for a moment, his eyes briefly glazing over as he stared at nothing in particular. He quickly recomposed himself and spoke with chilling resolve.

“Crush them. Crush them all.”

Star Wars: Vergence III, Chapter Thirteen

 CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Naboo

Remar Almor was starting to wonder if he had been forgotten about.

He was still sitting in the interrogation room, locked in with no way out. It had been hours since the Naboo Royal Guard had questioned him over his assassination attempt on Lady Valera Teramo. He had told them everything he knew, seeing no reason to keep quiet for the sake of the Malvis Cabal. They had done nothing for him and he owed nothing to them. All he wanted was to get out of this life and retire; he shouldn’t have even accepted this job in the first place.

Besides, the Cabal wouldn’t dare send another operative to Naboo to eliminate him, would they? Not if it meant breaking into Theed Palace. No one in their right mind would have been crazy enough to pull off such a stunt.

He heard footsteps just outside of the room. He rolled his eyes to himself; it was about time they finally remembered his existence. Hopefully they would come in, tell him that all charges were dropped, and let him and Sharbrook on their way. Then he would never have to think about the blasted Cabal ever again.

The footsteps stopped just outside the door. A long moment of silence followed before the door finally opened. However, it was not a Naboo Guard that stepped in; rather, it was a young, blond-haired woman wearing an elegant black dress. Instantly, Remar felt his blood run cold.

“Oh, fierfek,” he swore.

“Well,” said Lady Valera Teramo. “If it isn’t my would-be murderer. I trust the Naboo have been treating you well.”

Remar stood up from his seat, holding his hands up. “Look, lady, I never wanted this job. I knew it was a bad idea as soon as I accepted it. But, see, Drakmos was offering me and my partner a lot of creds and I didn’t think it would—”

“Oh, save it,” Valera said icily. “I did not come here to listen to your pathetic excuses.”

Remar blinked, swallowing hard. “Then… why did you come here…?”

“To figure out who hired you.” Valera smiled thinly. “But it sounds like you’ve already told me. Drakmos, you say? Is he not a leading member of the Malvis Cabal?”

“Hell if I know. I couldn’t care less about the Cabal. Look, if we could just forgive and forget, Sharbrook and I will be on our way and you’ll never have to worry about us again.”

Valera tapped her chin, looking as if she wasn’t even listening to Remar. “Interesting. Perhaps my sister was telling the truth after all.”

“Yeah, okay, great. Can I just go now?”

Valera sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry, but your fate was sealed the moment you accepted Drakmos’s offer.”

“No, please! I—I can make it up to you! I can… I can kill Drakmos for you! You don’t even need to pay me, I’ll do it for free!”

The Serennian woman let out a harsh, cold laugh. “Desperate, are we? You know, if I was in a better mood, I probably would take you up on that offer. As it stands, however….”

She reached into the folds of her dress and pulled out a small holdout pistol. She aimed it at Remar’s head and offered him a mirthless smile.

“I’m in need of some catharsis.”

As Remar opened his mouth to utter one last futile plea, Lady Teramo wrapped her finger around the trigger. Then, something struck her in the back of the head and she collapsed onto the floor, unmoving. Standing over her was a white-armored man holding a large blaster rifle. He lifted his gaze up from the unconscious woman to look at Remar.

“Oh,” he muttered. “It’s you.”

Remar blinked, finding the man’s voice to be awfully familiar. “Do I… do I know you?”

“Regrettably.” The armored man stepped into the room and he was followed in by five others: an Ortolan, a dark-haired woman, a blue-skinned Pantoran, and a dark-haired man in equally dark clothing. The last member of the party was an elderly Gungan in faded brown robes.

“What’s going on?” Remar asked.

“The Queen’s gone nuts and invited the First Order to Naboo,” said the Ortolan. “The entire city is on lockdown.”

“How were you able to get in then?”

“You can thank Boss Binks here for that.” The Ortolan gestured at the Gungan and the elder bowed his head in acknowledgment. “Now we just need to find the Queen and….”

The Ortolan trailed off before looking over to the others with a confused look.

“What exactly is the plan once we find the Queen?”

“Hopefully use her to get onto the Super Star Destroyer,” said the dark-haired woman.

“Super Star Destroyer?” Remar echoed. “Why?”

“So we can rescue Princess Leia.”

Remar opened his mouth to question them further but was silenced by the white-armored man with a raise of his hand.

“No more questions. We’ve got to get a move on. Now, you can either stay out of our way or you can help us with our mission. Choice is yours.”

Remar frowned to himself, weighing his options. If there was a Super Star Destroyer in the neighborhood, then he doubted he would have much luck in getting off Naboo.

“All right, I’ll help,” he said. “I just need to free my partner Sharbrook and get our hands on our gear.”

“We can help with that,” said the dark-haired man. “We’ll just need to keep evading the guards and not stir up any trouble.”

“Let’s not waste any more time then.” With those words, the armored man strode out of the room and the others followed him, with Remar trailing close behind. It was only then, as they were rushing through the palace halls, that he finally put a name to the armored man’s familiar voice.

And only then did he realize the mess he had gotten himself into.

The Supremacy

“How does it feel to be home, traitor?”

Finn did not humor his escort with a response as the white-clad stormtroopers led him and Rey through a corridor. After the shuttle carrying the captive Princess Leia and her team had docked in the Supremacy’s hangar bay, they had all been split up once the red-armored stormtroopers had handed them off to their white-armored counterparts; Toah Jarsan and Captain Solo had been taken to one cell block, Chewbacca to one all his own, and Leia had been escorted away by the red-armored stormtroopers and their commander. This left Finn and Rey to be taken a separate cell block, although Finn could not help but wonder if a special punishment awaited him due to his status as a rogue stormtrooper.

What didn’t help was the fact that the trooper escorting him was someone he knew all too well. FN-0926—or simply 926—had been his fellow cadet in Batch Eight back when they were in induct camp. While Finn would never say they had been good friends, there had nonetheless been a sense of camaraderie between all of the cadets in that batch, even though their instructors had frowned upon and even outright discouraged it. 

“Gotta admit, I never really knew what to make of you,” FN-0926 went on, speaking in a low Outer Rim drawl. “The instructors always liked you; pretty sure they even had you pegged as officer material. Can’t say I ever saw it… but I definitely never had you written down as a traitor.”

He brought Finn and Rey to a stop before one of the prison cells and punched in an access code. The door slid open and he pushed Rey in but kept Finn nearby, turning him around so he could look the ex-stormtrooper in the eye.

“We were your brothers, Eight-Seven,” FN-0926 said in a low tone. “We were family. And you turned your back on all of us for this pathetic Resistance. I don’t know what your motives are or what your end goal is… but you sicken me. Straight down to my very core.”

He then put his hand on Finn’s chest and gave him a rough shove before moving his hand back to the control panel.

“Batch Eight, heigh-ho, you son of a murglak.”

The door slid shut and Finn and Rey were left in near darkness. A single red light above them provided the only illumination, tinting everything in a scarlet glow. Finn sighed heavily as he moved over to one of the two bunks and sat down, hanging his head low. Rey continued to stand, eying him carefully.

“Why did you desert from the First Order?” she asked.

He looked up at her, keeping his expression blank. “I’ve told you. It was because of that massacre back on Jakku.”

“Is that the only reason? Because it sounds to me that you were pretty close to your fellow stormtroopers.”

“I was. We were like brothers. I never knew my parents, so they were the closest I had to a family.”

“Then why would you leave that all behind?”

“Because I couldn’t stand for what they did on Jakku,” Finn said curtly. “You weren’t there, but it would have sickened you to the core. It would have sickened anyone with a conscience. Up until that point, I had seen my fair share of brutality on the part of the First Order, but I had been able to justify it in my head for being in favor of the greater good. But killing those innocent people on Jakku… that crossed the line.”

He paused for a moment before narrowing his eyes at Rey.

“I have to admit, I wouldn’t expect a Jedi of all people to excuse something so horrible as that massacre—”

“I’m not excusing it,” Rey protested. “I’m just….” She huffed, looking as if she was trying to select the right words. “I never knew my parents either,” she then said in a quiet tone. “And unlike you, I didn’t have anyone to call family. The Jedi and the Resistance are the first people to come even close to that and… I just can’t imagine ever turning against them. For any reason.”

Finn allowed his expression to soften at this. “Believe me, it pains me to fight against my brothers,” he said quietly. “I take no joy in shooting them down. When I… when I killed Nines back on Lothal, it….”

He choked on his words and forced himself to look away from Rey, focusing his attention on the durasteel floor.

“We never really got along and I don’t think he liked me much, but….”

He couldn’t get the rest of the words out and simply sat there with his head hanging low. He felt Rey sit beside him and wrap an arm around his shoulder, pulling him close.

Time no longer had any meaning as the two of them sat together in the darkened silence.

*  *  *

“Rise and shine, Skywalker.”

Luke Skywalker awoke from his meditative state as light flooded into his cell. It had been difficult for him to meditate due to the Force-dampening effects of the cell, but he had done what he could to the best of his abilities. Once his eyes had adjusted to the light, he saw the assassin known as Ochi standing there in the doorway, hands planted firmly on his hips.

“Today’s the big day,” Ochi said, his tone as mocking as ever. “The Supreme Leader wants to see you in his throne room.”

“At least I’ll have a chance to stretch my legs,” Luke replied, getting up onto his feet and stretching.

“Yeah, yeah, keep your remarks to yourself,” Ochi grunted. He then turned on his heel and began walking away, not waiting for Luke to catch up although the Jedi Master quickly fell in line behind him.

The assassin led him through the corridors of the Supremacy, passing by several stormtroopers and officers. The uniforms the officers wore were Imperial in design though with more of a sharp edge to them, which was enough to make Luke wonder if they even were Imperial. The overall design aesthetic of the Supremacy was certainly close enough to that of an Imperial Star Destroyer, with white lights glowing from dark walls. He tried reaching out with the Force, to see if he could sense anything or anyone, but his senses were still as muddled out here as they had been inside his cell.

It was only when they reached the turbolift to the Supreme Leader’s chambers did Luke finally feel it: the cold sensation that he had associated with the dark side ever since he had first encountered it back on Dagobah, all those years ago. He had felt it again when he had faced the Emperor, and then Darth Vorath. He knew that Vorath was also likely somewhere on the ship, though whether he would be awaiting him with Snoke he was not sure. He also sensed something else, separate from the dark side; something warm and familiar, yet it also filled his heart with dread for the connotations its presence here, in this place, meant.

The turbolift came to a stop, the doors opened, and Luke immediately saw the source of this familiar sensation.

“Leia!”

His sister stood there, hands bound by stun cuffs, with two red-armored guards surrounding her. She turned her head at the sound of his voice, her eyes going wide as they met his.

“Luke!”

Laughter filled the wide, red-curtained chamber that was Supreme Leader Snoke’s throne room. The ruler himself, dressed in his golden robes, sat comfortably in his throne, regarding them all with a mocking grin.

“And so, after sixteen long years, brother and sister are united once more.” Snoke splayed his withered hands. “A family reunion long in the making. Oh, but what family reunion isn’t complete with the father himself?”

The Supreme Leader gestured with his hands and Luke looked over to see Kane Skywalker, still clad in his white replica of Darth Vader’s armor, standing there with two more guards flanking him. The clone of Anakin Skywalker was missing his mask and helmet, looking weak and tired.

“I know it’s not quite the same,” Snoke went on. “But I did the best I could with what I had.”

“What is the meaning of this?” demanded Leia. “What do you want with us?”

“The same thing any Force-user set to rule the galaxy would want,” Snoke said. “The power of the Skywalkers at his disposal.”

“You may have turned my son, but you will not turn us,” Leia said firmly.

Luke glanced at her. “You know?”

“He’s been kind enough to tell me,” Leia replied, glaring at Snoke.

The Supreme Leader chuckled. “I will admit, Ben Solo’s descent had been a pleasant surprise for me. After all, if Lord Sidious had failed to turn Luke Skywalker, how could someone like me turn his nephew? But, alas, I proved myself wrong. Sometimes I surprise even myself.”

“There is still good in him,” Leia protested. “I have felt it.”

“The boy has been conflicted as of late, I will admit. But I have already sent him on a trial to amend that. In fact….” A cruel smile crept onto Snoke’s scarred face. “I believe he has already returned.”

The doors to the turbolift opened again and Luke and Leia turned to see a dark-haired man storm in. Having abandoned his mask, Kylo Ren’s dark eyes were cold and resolute, betraying no emotion. Not once did he spare a glance at his mother or his uncle, instead keeping his gaze focused on the Supreme Leader.

“Ah, the mighty Kylo Ren!” Snoke declared, rising from his seat and raising his arms. “Son of darkness! Heir apparent of Darth Vader! Where once there was conflict, I now sense resolve! I trust your journey to Mustafar was fruitful, my apprentice?”

“It was,” Kylo Ren said simply, his voice cool and even. He walked past Luke and Leia and came up to stand beside his master, regarding them all with an emotionless expression.

“Then I release you from my teaching. You are an apprentice no more. I hereby name you Executor of the First Order; the blade through which I shall execute my will once I have taken control of the galaxy.”

Snoke returned his attention to Luke and Leia, lowering his arms to point his bony fingers at the Skywalker twins.

“Now then,” he rumbled. “Watch as I bend the entire Skywalker dynasty to my will!”

Before either of them had a chance to act, a storm of lightning erupted from Snoke’s finger tips and struck Luke and Leia, pulling them into a world of pain….

Tython

Light-years away, on the Jedi ancestral world of Tython, Jacen Solo collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest.

“Jacen!” He heard Master Kyle Katarn call his name, though the older Jedi’s voice was faint through the agony Jacen was sensing. “What’s wrong?”

“Mom,” Jacen murmured. “She’s in danger. As is Uncle Luke.”

“Do you know where they are?” The second voice belonged to Master Kam Solusar, who was now helping Jacen onto his feet.

Jacen struggled to pierce through the fog of pain and pinpoint the source of the disturbance. “Naboo,” he eventually managed to get out. “They’re on Naboo.”

“Then we have no time to waste,” said Master Katarn. “I’ll mobilize a Jedi strike team to head to Naboo.”

“We should also radio the Resistance,” suggested Master Saba Sebatyne. “Leia is their leader, after all.”

As the Jedi Council moved to carry out their missions, Jacen tried to find it within himself to dissuade them, to warn them of the dangers that awaited them all. But he knew there was no point, because it was already too late.

The vision he had experienced in the Unknown Regions was already replaying itself in his mind, accompanied by the cold, raspy voice repeating a single word:

“Mine.”

*  *  *

“Mom!”

Jaina Solo nearly fell to the floor, gripping her lightsaber tight in her hands. Sweat dripped down from her forehead, soaking her undershirt.

“Jaina?” Her sparring partner, Zekk, regarded her with concern. “Is everything all right?”

“No,” Jaina whispered. “My mother… she’s in danger.”

But before she could elaborate even further, a cold, raspy voice began to ring in her ear, drowning out Zekk’s questioning as he laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Mine,” was all the voice said, repeating endlessly.  

*  *  *

Anakin Solo shot up in bed, crying out in alarm. Beside him, his wife stirred and opened her eyes, sitting up upon sensing his panic.

“Anakin, what’s wrong?” Tahiri Veila asked, touching his arm.

He was unable to answer her; his words immediately caught in his throat as he felt a shiver run down his spine, accompanied by a dark voice that echoed endlessly in his mind.

“Mine.”

The Supremacy

“It is useless to resist!” Snoke bellowed over the sound of his own Force lightning. “Submit yourselves to the dark side! It is the only way you can survive! The only way you can save the galaxy!”

“No!” Kane Skywalker cried out as he pushed out with his arms. The two Praetorian Guards that had been surrounding him were instantly banished away by the Force and the clone of Vader charged to intercept the umbrage of lightning. It immediately began to crackle through his suit, shorting the circuitry within.

“You fool!” Snoke growled. “Do not throw away your life as recklessly as your progenitor! There is no stopping my power! Your sacrifice will be in vain!”

“Luke, Leia! Get out of here!” Kane yelled through the pain of the lightning. “Save yourselves while you still can!”

“No!” Leia cried. “I’m not leaving without my son! Not this time!”

“Your son is gone!” Snoke snarled. “He is mine now! You will all be mine!”

The Supreme Leader increased his barrage and Kane Skywalker released a deafening bellow of agony. Unable to withstand the assault any longer, the clone of Vader collapsed to the floor, his body unmoving as wisps of smoke exuded from it. Only then did the lightning finally cease, Snoke stepping away to regather his strength.

“Unfortunately for you, Kane Skywalker, you are the most disposable of your clan,” Snoke said venomously. “I have no particular use for a clone; you are but a weaker shell of a more powerful man.”

“At least you have come to that realization sooner than I did.”

Snoke’s eyes snapped to the turbolift doors, from which three figures were emerging. In the lead was the young child Kalon Sendor, the current vessel of Darth Vorath’s spirit, while behind him were his parents, Varon Sendor and Lysira Naris. All three of them wore vacant expressions, their eyes tinted gold. Ochi moved to intercept them only to be flung away with a simple gesture from Kalon’s hands.

“I apologize for the intrusion,” Darth Vorath spoke through Kalon’s mouth. “But the disturbance in the Force you caused was too great for me to ignore.”

Snoke’s deformed face twisted into a sneer. “The last thing I need is for you to serve as spectator, Vorath. Do not delude yourself into thinking you have any sort of power here.”

“Don’t I?” This time, Vorath’s voice came from Varon, the ancient Sith’s own offspring. “Unless I am mistaken, I am the only one in this room who is a Dark Lord of the Sith. Surely that means something even in this day and age.”

“It doesn’t,” Snoke spat. “Not with someone as powerful as myself in the picture.”

“Then perhaps I should amend that.” Vorath’s voice now came from Lysira’s mouth as she and her husband each drew and ignited a red lightsaber. “Let this be a day long remembered, where the fate of the galaxy is decided by two beings battling for supremacy.”

With these words, Vorath gestured with the hands of his grandson and both Varon and Lysira moved in to attack. With a silent glare, Snoke raised his hands at them and unleashed another burst of lightning….

Star Wars: Vergence III, Chapter Twelve

 CHAPTER TWELVE

When Kylo Ren had arrived at Naboo, the last thing he had expected to see was the Supreme Leader’s flagship, the Supremacy, hovering over the city of Theed like some vast, predatory bird.

Even moreso, he had not expected the immediate feeling of dread that entered his heart when he saw it.

He knew that his mother was down there; he could feel it. As was his father. If they hadn’t been already, they were most likely being taken to the Supremacy at this very moment, where his uncle and his grandfather’s clone already were.

This was his master’s plan, wasn’t it? To have every living member of the Skywalker bloodline in his grasp. Once he was done here on Naboo, he would move on to find Leia’s other children—Kylo’s siblings. After that… Kylo didn’t want to even begin to imagine what Snoke’s plans for them were. Turning him to the dark side had been one thing, but he found it hard to imagine his mother or his uncle being so easily swayed. The same went for his siblings as well; after all, they had not been abducted at an early age and brainwashed to believe that their family had abandoned him. Not like he had been.

Kylo ran a gloved hand over his face (it felt strange to no longer feel his mask over it). He wasn’t sure where he was going to land his TIE silencer. If he landed it in the Supremacy’s hangar, he would be expected to head straight to the Supreme Leader’s throne room and then… what? Had he passed his master’s test on Mustafar? Was this part of the test? He had always found Snoke’s instructions to be murky at best. But after his experiences on Mustafar, he was now more in the dark than ever before.

Perhaps that meant something. Perhaps it meant that he wasn’t destined to fulfill the purpose that Snoke had intended for him. But if that was the case, then what was his destiny? What even was he anymore?

Without even thinking about it, he entreated the Force for an answer. Not the dark side, but the Force in its purest form. It was, as far as he recalled, the first time he had ever sought the touch of the light, having put his faith in the dark for so long.

He felt his mind touch that of another’s and it did not take him long to figure out whose it was. Their voice spoke in his mind with such clarity, it was as if they were right there in the cockpit with him.

Ben.

And just like that, with a sense of resolve he had never felt before, Kylo Ren piloted his ship towards the Supremacy and headed straight for the hangar bay. 

*  *  *

The streets of Theed had been cleared to make way for Queen Reneme and her procession. Although Leia and her party did not wear any sort of restraints at the Queen’s insistence, they might as well have been with Captain Fallos and his men surrounding them with blasters in hand. Toah wondered if this was meant to be a walk of shame of some sorts, or if the Queen was leading them somewhere. 

His question was soon answered when he spotted a large black shuttle with long wings descend from the Super Star Destroyer above, flanked by a pair of TIE fighters. The shuttle’s wings folded up as it slowly touched down in an open part of the plaza and a ramp lowered from beneath the cockpit. A squad of stormtroopers—clad in eye-catching red armor rather than the traditional white—came marching down the ramp, led by one with a cape draped over their shoulder. The squad came to a stop before the Queen and her procession, not offering her any form of salute or courtesy. If it bothered the young monarch, Reneme did not display it on her serene face.

“Welcome to Naboo,” she said in greeting. “I must admit, I was expecting the Supreme Leader himself to arrive in person.”

“The Supreme Leader has other matters to attend to,” the lead stormtrooper said curtly, a gruff, masculine voice emitting from their helmet’s vocalizer. He tilted his head to regard Toah, Leia, and the other prisoners-in-all-but-name. “Are these the ones to be taken to him?”

“If that is the Supreme Leader’s wish,” Reneme said, bowing her head.

With a sharp gesture from his hand, the lead stormtrooper directed his men to apprehend the six Resistance members. Each accosting stormtrooper drew a pair of stun-cuffs and forced them onto their hands. While Toah, Leia, Finn, Han, and Rey complied (if with a hint of reluctance from the latter two), Chewbacca was quick to issue a growl as the red trooper approached him. A sharp reprimand from Han compelled the Wookiee to allow the stormtrooper to place the restraints over his large hairy wrists.

Within moments, the six of them had been ushered onto the shuttle, and just as quickly it was taking off and returning to the Star Dreadnought whence it had came. None of them hardly spoke a word to each other or to the stormtroopers, knowing that doing so would earn them nothing but scorn. Once the shuttle had landed in the Super Star Destroyer’s hangar bay, Toah felt a cold shiver run down his spine yet again, one which was shared by Rey and Leia if their grim expressions were anything to go by.

Whoever this Supreme Leader was, Toah knew that they were getting close to him. And that, whoever he was, he was strong in the dark side; stronger than anyone Toah had ever encountered before. Not since facing Darth Vorath had he ever been in the proximity of such darkness.

And as soon as he had thought the Sith Lord’s name, Toah realized that Vorath was here as well.

Whether the others realized it or not, they had entered the heart of the darkness that they had been facing for the last two years… and he was not certain that they were going to come out of it alive.

*  *  *

Captain Fallos watched as the First Order shuttle departed as quickly as it had arrived, returning to the belly of the massive Star Destroyer that loomed over the city of Theed. For the past several minutes, his stomach felt as if it had been tied into knots, and it was only getting worse the longer he allowed the events of the last several minutes to sink in.

He looked over to Queen Reneme, who was observing the Star Destroyer with the most peaceful expression he had ever seen anyone regard such a terrifying vessel. Deciding to take a risk, he cleared his throat and spoke. “Your Highness, I must admit that I am… very confused about all of this. Confused and concerned. Did you know that these… these people were going to show up?” He hesitated to use the word “Imperials,” unsure if it was the proper terminology for these mysterious dark forces.

“Of course,” Reneme replied. “I invited them here. As soon as I learned that Princess Leia was going to be here on Naboo, I contacted the Supreme Leader as soon as I could.”

“But… why? How long have you been in contact with this ‘Supreme Leader?’”

“Not too long. I knew that he wanted the Princess of Alderaan for a specific purpose, so I decided to appease him with a gift. After all, we want Naboo to be in the First Order’s good graces when they eventually come to power.”

Fallos found himself staring at his Queen with his jaw hanging open, unable to even comprehend the words she was speaking. “But… but the Alliance is in power,” he stammered, his voice coming out as a croak.

“Not for very long, Captain. If you’ve been paying attention to the news, you will know that it is only a matter of time before a transfer of power is made. A transfer that has been a long time coming.”

Fallos shook his head. “No,” he murmured. “No, this isn’t right. This… this is the Empire all over again!”

Reneme looked at him, giving him that insultingly sweet smile of hers. “My dear captain,” she said, her voice as soft as silk. “That is the entire point.”

Fallos opened his mouth to issue another protest but never got the chance. He caught a gleam of silver as the Queen drew her holdout pistol out of her sleeve and pointed it at his chest. The last thing he saw was a flash of green light before darkness consumed him.

*  *  *

“We need a plan.”

“Right,” Bedo said dryly, slumping in his seat at the Renegade’s holo-table. “Because we are so good at those.”

“I’m serious,” Valrisa said sharply. “Princess Leia and her party have been captured. We can’t just leave them on that Star Destroyer!”

“We can’t leave at all,” said Kyla Kishanti, emerging from the cockpit along with Ace. “The Queen has shut down all the airspaces. We’re stranded here.”

Bedo threw up his hands. “Fantastic. If anyone tells me they had their money on ‘the Queen of Naboo is actually evil’ in their sabacc pot, I’m gonna tell them they’re lying.”

“I will admit, there is something off about all of this,” said Zarin Kal. The Kiffar Dark Jedi was leaning against one of the control stations, rubbing the stubble on his chin. “I sense a great darkness coming from that Super Star Destroyer. It would be suicide for any of us to try and break in to rescue the Princess and her company.”

Valrisa looked at him. “What do you suggest we do then?”

“Well, if the Queen is involved, then we naturally look there. Which means we break into Theed Palace.”

“Val was literally just there,” said Typha. “Do you think she could get back in?”

“I doubt it,” Zarin answered grimly. “If the airspaces are closed, then the palace is sure to be on lockdown as well, if not the entire city.”

“Wait,” said Vessin Ordo. “If we’re stuck here, then Valrisa’s sister—that Teramo lady—must be as well. Maybe she can get us back into the palace.”

“I doubt it,” Valrisa muttered. “She pretty much threatened to kill me the next time she saw me. And I don’t exactly have her frequency number.”

At this, Bedo cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “I… might have something like that,” the Ortolan said quietly.

Everyone stared at him incredulously. “You have Lady Teramo’s frequency number?” Valrisa asked.

“No! Gods, no. But I do have a frequency number.” Bedo reached into his pocket and brought out a comlink. “When we were at the wedding, I, ah, asked Boss Binks if I could stay in touch with him and he, uh….”

“He gave you his frequency?” Wiskin asked, not bothering to hide his incredulity.

“Look, I’m a fan, okay? He’s one of my biggest idols!”

“That explains a lot,” Kadar muttered.

Kyla ran a hand through her hair. “All right, call him then. See if he can get us into the palace.”

With a quick nod, Bedo activated the comlink and put in the frequency code. After a brief moment, an old yet energetic voice picked up.

“Yesa?”

“Boss Binks? Hey, it’s me, Bedo. Remember me? The Ortolan you met at Senator Naberrie’s wedding?”

“Oh, yesa! Meesa remember palo Bedo berry well! How are yousa doing?”

“Uh, with all due respect, Boss Binks, I would love to chat but, uh, my friends and I need an urgent favor from you, if you don’t mind.”

Boss Binks said nothing in response; Bedo could only take this to mean that the Gungan leader was listening.

Nervously, the Ortolan said, “Uh, Boss Binks, are you still at Theed Palace?”

“Yesa, meesa still at palace. Why yousa ask?”

“We need to get into the palace because, uh, a friend of mine forgot something there. Since everything is on lockdown, do you think you could convince the Queen to let us in?”

There was a bout of silence from the other end of the comlink. The other Renegades looked on, wearing expressions that varied from apprehension to a still-lingering sense of disbelief.

Just as they thought they weren’t going to get a response, Boss Binks’ voice crackled through once more. “Meesa can do that for yousa, yesa.”

Bedo’s eyes widened. “Really? I mean, uh, thank you, Boss Binks. You have no idea—”

“However,” the elder Gungan interjected. “Only a few of yousa may enter. It might be muy-muy suspeect if all of yousa came in.”

“So how many of us should come?”

“Three or four, five at most.”

Bedo sighed. “All right. That makes sense, I guess. Thank you again, Boss Binks. You have no idea how much—”

“Pleasa. Tank meesa when you are safe.”

With that, the Gungan leader ended the call on his end. Bedo let out his breath as he leaned back in his seat.

“I can’t believe that actually worked,” the Ortolan said.

“It hasn’t worked yet,” growled Wiskin. “We still need to actually get into the palace and do what we need to do without dying or getting captured in the process.”

“Right,” said Ace. “So which of us are going? Other than Valrisa, I mean.”

“I’m going, of course,” said Typha, wrapping an arm around Valrisa. “She’s not going anywhere dangerous without me.”

“I’ll volunteer,” said Zarin Kal. “I sense a darkness behind this whole conspiracy. Might need a lightsaber-wielder for that.”

“I’ll go as well,” said Kadar. The others waited for him to provide further elaboration but the former Mandalorian did not offer any.

“All right then,” said Kyla. “There’s our four. The rest of us will stay here and standby in case you need rescuing.”

“You don’t have any confidence in us?” Zarin asked, part-jokingly.

Kyla eyed him evenly for a moment. “More like I have yet to see one of our missions go off without a hitch.”

“Well, there’s a first time for everything,” said Valrisa. “Come on; let’s go.”

*  *  *

Darius Naberrie awoke to the sharp sensation of pain. His shoulder felt as if a hundred needles were being punctured through his skin. However, when he looked at the medical droid attending to him, it was prodding him anywhere but where his wound was. 

When the Senator of Naboo tried to move, the droid snapped its head to him and spoke in a calm yet authoritative tone. “Please do not move, Senator Naberrie.”

Darius gritted his teeth as he mustered the strength to utter a sound other than an agonized scream. “Did the doctors run out of bacta or something?”

“I needed to remove the bacta gauze in order to proceed with the operation. Bacta chemicals tend to interfere with proper readings of bloodstreams.”

“What is that supposed to—” Darius yelped in pain as the droid prickled his hand with its needles. He saw his own blood go up into a small tube attached to one of its many appendages.

The droid’s photoreceptors flashed for a brief moment. “Interesting,” it said quietly. “Senator, do you know the identity of your paternal unit?”

Darius took a moment to recompose himself before speaking. “He was never part of the picture. He left as soon as he knew my mother was pregnant.”

“Allow me to repeat the question: Do you know the identity of your paternal unit?”

“No,” Darius growled. “No, I do not.”

The droid said nothing further on the subject, continuing to stand there while Darius lay in pain. Finally, the droid said, “Unfortunately, the M-count in your blood is insufficient. Despite our hopes, you are not the one we seek.”

“What is that even supposed to mean?”

“Not to worry, however. There is another viable subject here on this very planet. I should attend to them as soon as possible.”

With that, the multi-armed droid turned on its servos and walked out of the medical bay, leaving Darius to lie there in pain without any bacta being applied to his shoulder wound. It was not long before the senator of Naboo found himself slipping back into unconsciousness.

Star Wars: Vergence III, Chapter Eleven

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Naboo

“Senator Naberrie is in a stabilized condition,” Captain Daine Fallos reported, standing before the Queen of Naboo and her advisory council in the throne room of Theed Palace. “The perpetrator of the attack has been apprehended and is currently in our custody. My men are interrogating them as we speak.”

“Have you at least identified them?” asked the Governor of Theed, an older bearded man named Thane Minnau.

“We’ve identified the human male as a bounty hunter named Remar Almor and his Wookiee accomplice as Sharbrook. We suspect that they were hired to assassinate the Senator, though we have not yet confirmed that nor have we identified whoever hired them.”

“Perhaps they are the same ones responsible for the Chief of State’s assassination,” suggested the Minister of Internal Affairs, a middle-aged woman. “I’ve heard musings of Senator Naberrie being a viable candidate for the position.”

“If that is the case, we should alert the Galactic Alliance of this incident as soon as possible,” said another advisor.

“They have already been notified, I believe,” said Queen Reneme. “Princess Leia was with me when the Senator was shot. I have no doubt that she has already sent a message to the Alliance.”

Glances were exchanged between some of the advisors. Governor Minnau cleared his throat as he straightened in his seat.

“Your Highness, I believe there have been rumors that the Princess of Alderaan and the Alliance are… no longer on speaking terms.”

“Oh? And why would that be?”

“Are you aware of the Sith insurgency that occurred a year ago?”

“Governor, you should know that I care little for the affairs that occur beyond our own. So long as it does not directly impact Naboo, then it is none of my concern.”

Governor Minnau gave a tiny sigh. “Fair enough, I suppose. In any case, I feel that we should send a message to the Alliance regardless, if only for the sake of formality.”

“A sound idea,” Queen Reneme replied. “I will leave that business to you, governor.”

Captain Fallos took the finality in the queen’s tone as his cue. “Will that be all, Your Highness?”

“Yes, captain. You are dismissed.”

Fallos gave a sharp bow before taking his leave from the throne room. As he stepped out into the outer corridor, he saw one of his lieutenants approaching him, a serious expression etched out on her dark-toned face.

“Captain,” Vara Wendik said. “We’ve just finished interrogating one of the suspects. The human, Remar.”

Fallos raised an eyebrow. “Already? That didn’t take long.”

“He was surprisingly talkative, though his Wookiee friend didn’t take kindly to him answering our questions. He says they were hired by the Malvis Cabal to assassinate Lady Teramo.”

Fallos blinked, taken aback by this information. “They weren’t after Senator Naberrie?”

“Apparently not. He claims that he somehow missed his shot and somehow hit the senator instead.”

“Well, in any case, he’s going to do time for that alone. Did he say why the Cabal wanted Lady Teramo dead?”

“Something about a ‘Charge Matrica,’ whatever that is. I’m not familiar with the term.”

“Neither am I,” Fallos muttered. “I will report this to the Queen. In the meantime, we should tighten security around Lady Teramo, in case the Cabal sends someone else to finish the job.”

“You think he’s telling the truth, then?” asked Wendik.

“At this point, we can’t take any chances,” Fallos said. “After everything that’s happened the past few months, Gods know we can’t afford them right now….”

*  *  *

“You’re disappointed in me, aren’t you?”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Toah Jarsan muttered as he paced through the grounds of Theed Palace. Rey walked beside him, looking simultaneously abashed and frustrated over her recent actions. The active fountains and colorful flora that populated the grounds were no doubt intended to provoke a peaceful mood in those who walked through it, yet the two Jedi felt anything but.

“Did you really need to slice off the Wookiee’s arm?” Toah asked after a moment of silence.

“He was going to maim those two officers!” Rey replied. “If I didn’t do something, he would have ripped them apart.”

“I don’t doubt that. But you could have done something that didn’t involve a lightsaber.”

“I didn’t have much time to think and my lightsaber was the only thing I could think of.”

Toah sighed. “And therein lies the problem. A Jedi must use their lightsaber only when the situation calls for it; as the last means of defense. Using it should never be at the forefront of your mind.”

“What about when fighting Sith?” Rey asked pointedly. “Or anyone using a lightsaber against you?”

“That wasn’t the case here,” Toah said sternly. “You were fighting bounty hunters, not Sith.”

Rey huffed in frustration, folding her arms over her chest. “I would like to see what you would have done had you been in my situation.”

Toah opened his mouth to reprimand his apprentice’s attitude but thought against it. There was no need to escalate the conversation. Besides, he had already made his point; there was not much he could do if Rey could not see or understand it. Then again, was that a poor reflection on her as a student… or him as a teacher?

Perhaps I’m not suited for this role, he thought to himself. Perhaps Rey would be better off with a different teacher; a better teacher than me.

He knew he could not dwell on these thoughts for long, at least not until after they were done here on Naboo. He could already imagine Jacen and the Jedi Masters on Tython insisting that he persist; that Rey would soon learn and become a great Jedi Knight. While that last part may prove to be true, he was not sure if it would be under his tutelage that it came to be.

The two Jedi carried on silence, circling their way back to the palace. Toah had hoped that the walk would have cleared both of their minds, but it had clearly done anything but. As they made their way up the steps, Toah spotted a bipedal droid with multiple appendages appear from around the corner. Upon noticing the two Jedi, it immediately stopped in its tracks before turning around and hastily walking away.

“That was strange,” Rey murmured.

“Indeed,” Toah agreed. “I haven’t seen many droids here on Naboo, outside of the odd astromech, and that one wasn’t of a model I’m familiar with.”

“Do you think we should go after it?”

Toah considered for a moment before shaking his head. “No. It’s probably nothing; besides, we don’t want to attract suspicion by snooping around. Everyone’s most likely on edge right now after the assassination attempt.”

“But I’ve already apprehended the assassin,” Rey said. “There’s nothing else for them to worry about.”

“Don’t be so sure,” Toah said pointedly. “For all we know, that bounty hunter could have brought other friends… or perhaps his employer will send someone else in his stead.”

Rey frowned as she looked in the direction the droid had went. “Do you think that droid could have anything to do with it?”

Toah considered the prospect for a moment. “If it’s in the palace, then it probably has security clearance. We should probably ask Captain Fallos about it, at the very least.”

“I still think we should follow it,” Rey muttered.

“There’s no need to. Let us find Captain Fallos and speak with him instead.”

Toah watched his apprentice’s face as her internal struggle played out through her expressions. Finally, she bowed her head in acquiescence and followed him through the palace.

*  *  *

“I would like to speak with Lady Teramo.”

The middle-aged woman eyed Sare Valrisa with narrowed eyes, her long nose pointed downward like a bird of prey. Were it not for her dark hair and the large mole on her cheek, Valrisa would have had the woman pegged as her own mother, somehow brought back from the dead.

“And just who would you be?” the older woman asked with a haughty tone.

“My name is Sare Valrisa, daughter of Sareth Valrisa. Lady Teramo and I share a mother; I’m her half-sister.”

“Yes, I know how those things work!” the woman snapped. “I have plenty of sisters of my own to remind me, thank you very much!”

Valrisa sighed and tried to get a peek over the woman’s shoulder. The older lady was blocking her entry into the room that Valera Teramo was utilizing as her private room/office. It surprised Valrisa that the Serennian woman was not with her injured husband in the infirmary, though she knew that it shouldn’t; this marriage of theirs was clearly not one of love, at least not on Teramo’s part.

“Look, I have something urgent to tell her,” Valrisa then said. “Her life is in danger.”

“She already has sufficient protection,” the older woman retorted. “She doesn’t need a girl like you.”

Frowning, Valrisa once more tried to peer over her obstruction’s shoulder and at last spotted a blond head emerging from around a corner.

“Lady Teramo!” she called out. “I need to talk to you!”

“Silence!” the woman nearly screeched. “I should have you removed from the premises or—”

“Settle down, auntie.” Lady Valera Teramo suddenly appeared behind the older woman, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Let her in. I would like to speak with her.”

The older lady gave Valera an incredulous look. “Whatever for? Look at her! She’s just a filthy commoner—”

“Auntie, go check on Lady Borgin, will you? She’s probably still acting hysterical over this whole thing.”

With a harrumph, the older woman stepped out of the doorway and stormed down the hall. Lady Teramo then gestured for Valrisa to enter her office and the younger woman did so, the door closing behind her as soon as she had stepped through.

Stepping over to her desk, Lady Teramo wasted no time in starting the conversation. “So, have you come to kill me?”

“No,” Valrisa said firmly. “I don’t want any part in this… Matrica Charge or whatever it’s called.”

“Sure you don’t,” Lady Teramo scoffed. “I’m well aware that attack on Senator Naberrie was meant for me.”

“I had nothing to do with that!” Valrisa protested. “That bounty hunter was probably hired by one of your other siblings… or maybe someone who actually wants Senator Naberrie dead.”

“The timing is uncanny though, wouldn’t you agree? As soon as you show up to ‘speak with me,’ an assassin nearly kills me and my new husband. Does that not seem… suspicious to you?”

“It does, as a matter of fact. But I swear to you that I had nothing to do with it.”

Lady Teramo shrugged. “Even so, the Charge Matrica dictates that I cannot acquire my mother’s assets until you and the others are dead. If I were you, I would get as far away from here as possible if you wish to enjoy life for as long as you can.”

A dark cloud fell over Valrisa’s face. “Is that a threat?”

“I prefer to see it as a warning. But take it however you like.”

Valrisa began to slowly step back towards the door, never taking her gaze off her half-sister. “I should have realized it was a mistake to even bother,” she muttered to herself.

“To be quite frank with you, I’m surprised you even came in the first place.” Lady Teramo eyed her warily. “What exactly did you want out of this conversation?”

“The identities and locations of my other siblings.”

“Ah.” A cold smile crossed the Serennian woman’s face. “Want to try your luck at getting rid of them, I take it?”

Valrisa opened her mouth to object but decided against it; she knew that nothing she said would alter her sister’s perceptions.

“I already know about Baron Tagge,” she said instead. “I… saw him die on Terminus.”

“Yes, I’m sure it’s all over the HoloNet by now,” Lady Teramo replied. “You would be really pressing your luck with Senator Valrisa, especially with him in the running for Chief of State. Same with Varla Praji.”

“Are they both on Coruscant?”

“They rarely venture out of the Core Worlds, from my understanding. Same with the twins from House Mecetti, all cozied up in the Tapani sector.”

“And the twins’ names?”

“They are not public knowledge, as far as I know. Their father bore the surname of Tritum, if that helps.”

Valrisa slowly nodded, filing this information away in her mind. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “That’s all I needed to know.”

“Of course.” Lady Teramo smiled thinly. “It would save me a lot of work if you got rid of them for me. Then I will just have you to worry about.”

“Right.” Valrisa finally made it to the door and palmed the control panel, never breaking eye contact with her sister as the door slid open. “I take it we’ll see each other again soon.”

“Oh, I’m counting on it, dear sister.”

Valrisa did not turn her back on Lady Teramo as she stepped through the doorway. Once the door slid shut between them, she turned around and quickly made her way down the hall.

*  *  *

“I still think we should leave.”

“We can’t leave yet, Han,” Leia said to her husband. The two of them, along with Chewbacca and Finn, were gathered in the office that Queen Reneme had granted her at Theed Palace, allowing her to correspond with the Queen and her Advisory Council while they tried to recuperate from the attempt on Senator Naberrie’s life. “Not until we learn who hired the bounty hunter to kill Darius.”

“It seems pretty obvious to me,” Han replied, crossing his arms. “You said Naberrie is part of the Populist faction in the Senate, right?”

“I said that Naboo was,” Leia corrected him. “At least, it was when I was a senator, long before Darius entered the picture. From my understanding, Darius is more of a moderate than strictly part of either the Populists or the Centrists.”

“Still, that might matter to some of those Centrists. If Naboo is Populist, then so is its senator, making him a target for anyone who sees him as a rival to any Centrist running for Chief of State.”

Chewbacca rumbled softly and Leia allowed herself a small smile. “I didn’t realize you had such a good grasp on politics,” she said.

Han shrugged nonchalantly. “When you’re married to a politician for forty years, you pick up a thing or two.”

“So, you think someone from the Alliance is behind this?” asked Finn.

“It’s a possibility that we can’t rule out,” said Leia. “In any case, we should wait to hear from the Queen’s Security Force before making any assumptions.”

As if on cue, the communication unit at Leia’s desk started to beep. Answering it, she said, “Yes?”

“Princess Organa Solo, this is Captain Fallos. I have just informed the Queen on what we’ve learned from the would-be assassin that we apprehended. He was hired by the Malvis Cabal… and his intended target was not the senator, but his wife.”

Leia’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Lady Teramo?”

“Correct. We have not yet deduced why the Cabal wanted Teramo dead, but….”

When Captain Fallos trailed off, Leia spoke up again. “Captain? What is it? Are you still there?”

It was another moment before Fallos finally responded. “My apologies, Princess, but… Queen Reneme has requested your presence in her throne room. She also wants you to bring your companions as well.”

“Did she say why?”

“She did not.”

Leia frowned as she exchanged a skeptical glance with Han. She then said, “Thank you, Captain. We will be there soon.”

As soon as she had signed off, Han said, “I don’t need to be a Jedi to tell you that something doesn’t feel right about this.”

“I don’t sense any danger at the moment,” Leia said.

“Right. At the moment. But that can always change.”

“It always does,” Leia said wryly. “Come on. Let’s not keep the Queen waiting.”

*  *  *

“What did the droid look like, again?”

“It was bipedal and had multiple appendages,” Toah Jarsan said, walking alongside Captain Fallos as they made their way to the throne room. Rey trailed close behind them, warily checking each hallway they passed. “It looked like some sort of medical droid, though it wasn’t a model I recognized.”

Captain Fallos had a grim expression on his face; not a reassuring sign in Toah’s eyes. “I will have to check with my staff, but I’m pretty sure that droid isn’t authorized to be wandering around the palace, or anywhere for that matter, outside of the infirmary.”

“Is there still a stigma against droids, even after all these years since the Clone Wars?” Toah asked.

“Old habits are hard to break, Master Jedi. Especially when you’re practically born with them.”

“Should we go looking for that droid then?” asked Rey.

“I’ll dispatch some officers to track it down,” Fallos replied. “Besides, the Queen wants to see you in the throne room.”

The three of them eventually reached the throne room, where Queen Reneme and her advisors were still gathered. Joining them were Princess Leia, Han Solo, Finn, and Chewbacca, who had all been summoned along with Toah and Rey. As the two Jedi moved to join the rest of the party, Queen Reneme rose from her throne, clasping her hands in front of her elaborate violet dress.

“Thank you all for answering my summons,” she began. “I have since been informed by Captain Fallos that the attempt on Senator Naberrie’s life was in fact intended for Lady Valera Teramo of Serenno, with the culprits behind it being Ord Talavos.”

“We are aware,” said Leia. “Why have you summoned us here, then, Your Highness?”

“Because I believe it is no longer safe for you to be here, Princess Organa. If the Cabal is here on Naboo, then you are surely one of its targets.”

“So we leave then,” said Han Solo. “You could have just opened with that. Sooner we’re off this planet, the better.”

“Oh, no.” Reneme smiled softly as she shook her head. “There is no need for you to leave. I have already gotten you all of the protection you will need from the Cabal.”

Leia frowned in confusion, a look that was shared by Toah and the others, as well as even some of the Queen’s advisors.

“Milady,” said the Governor of Theed, “what are you alluding to?”

Before the Queen even spoke, Toah suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine. He glanced at Leia and Rey and saw that they had sensed the same thing he had. His eyes then drifted towards the window, which gave him a view of the clear blue sky over Theed.

“As I understand it,” Reneme said, “several sectors out on the Outer Rim have fallen under the protection of a new force that has arisen to defend us from the chaos that the Cabal indulges itself in.”

Suddenly, a dark shape appeared in the sky, growing bigger by the minute until it nearly eclipsed the sun, casting the city of Theed in near-total darkness. The cold sensation that Toah had felt only grew worse.

“Your Highness!” one of the ministers exclaimed. “What is the meaning of this?! What have you done?!”

The young Queen of Naboo simply smiled in return. “This is what needs to be done, my friends. This is how order must be brought to the galaxy.”

She reached down and pressed a switch on her throne’s armrest. A compartment slid open and she drew from it a chrome-coated holdout blaster. She squeezed off a series of green bolts, all of which directly hit her advisors square in the chest. As they all slumped over or out of their seats, Toah and Rey immediately activated their lightsabers while Leia and the others drew their blasters, pointing them at the Queen. Captain Fallos and the security guards stationed in the room drew blasters of their own though seemed conflicted over whom to point them at.

“I would advise you all to lay down your arms,” Reneme said, smiling sweetly as she pointed her blaster at Leia. “After all, I don’t think assassinating a planetary leader would look good on your record.”

Leia glared at her for a long moment, her stance unfaltering. Then, slowly, she lowered her weapon and let it drop to the floor. Han and the others gave her incredulous looks but a single glance from her convinced them to do the same. While Captain Fallos and his officers confiscated their weapons, Leia fixed a cold stare on the Queen of Naboo.

“You will regret this.”

Reneme beamed at her. “I don’t think I will. In fact, I think history will remember me fondly for this… as it will all those who support the First Order.”