CHAPTER SEVEN

Being on Myrkrr was like being born again.

It was a place of awakenings, where senses dull by lack of use were suddenly called upon to rise to the occasion once again. It was world devoid of colour, where everything was represented in shades of grey, without distinction or character. In truth, Mykrr was as far as the eye could see, a benign forest world, beautiful in its own rustic way and probably host to all manner of life, in particular the rather curious creature that had brought them here in the first instance. From the air, it was no wonder that Mykrr was seldom visited, despite its serene beauty. Far from the main space lanes, it had too much forest and little else of commercial value. A good place where one could forget or better yet to be forgotten.

For two of the Jedi who came to Mykrr, most likely for the first time in a millennium, it was a most disconcerting feeling. A true Jedi did not rely on his powers for that much could lead to the dark side even without its traveller being aware of it until it was too late. The Code advised against it strenuously. However, not even the Code could expect its Jedi to ignore the sensory perception that came with using the Force. That was a constant in all the Jedi almost from birth. It was not so much a power as it was state of mind, a perception that the world was more than it was and being able to see its changes before all others could. It was the first inkling that they were set apart from others, that somehow there was greater destiny in place for their future.

Chris and Ben were already suffering the overpowering effects of the yslamiri even before the Rogue landed on the planet but once it had touched ground, the two Jedi found it difficult to navigate at first. For Ben it was worse for he was a Jedi Master and easily the most powerful of the three Jedi incarnations that were visiting Mykrr. Ben used his Jedi senses to seek out any danger that might threaten young Luke Skywalker on Tatooine, that meant being able to hone his perception at a widest possible range. He had been doing so for years and now to have that all that disappear into nothingness, unbalanced the Jedi Master, despite his best efforts not to show it.

Chris was having similar difficulties but contented himself with the knowledge that it was temporary and like Ben, had considered this to be something of a learning experience. Sometimes, a Jedi needed to know what it was like not to have be gifted with the Force in order to have empathy with those who did not. The ships sensors indicated that there was a large concentration of yslamiri near their landing site which Chris was grateful for since it meant they would not need to remain on the planet for too long. Vin had the easiest time of it since he was still an apprentice and remembered what it was like when he had thought the Force to be nothing more than the special intuition.

It was fortunate that JD was with them for at least one of them was not at all effected by being on Mykrr although Chris could sense without any Jedi foresight that JD was somewhat bewildered by the notion of them needing him for anything. Chris could not blame the young man for thinking this way. After all, he was the youngest of the seven and even though he had become a man in his own right during the past few months in the Alliance, those who had guided and protected him, still had difficulty seeing him as any more than the wide eyed farm boy.

"JD," Chris turned to the young pilot after they had unloaded their equipment from the Rogue. "You have any idea how we might catch these things?"

"Me?" JD stared at the trio of faces before him in surprise. "You're asking me?"

"Yes," Chris nodded. "You mentioned that you used to trap vermin that threatened the crops on your mother's farm. I don't see how this could be any different."

"It isn't," JD blurted out quickly. "I just thought...." He held himself back and was glad that in this place, Chris could not read his thoughts.

"JD we trust you," Vin reiterated seeing his hesitation and wanting the young man to know that it was the truth. "I ain't tracked anything larger than a man in too long and I'm not trusting myself completely to get it right here. You're the best qualified among us at the moment."

"Okay," JD glanced at the faces before him and sat that it was the truth. They did trust him for this undertaking and that gave him a great measure of pride to know that they trusted him in something so crucial, particularly since they needed the yslamiri to deal with Vader. "I think only Vin should come with me if we're going to do this."

"Vin?" Chris looked at JD, wondering why Vin ought to be singled out.

JD swallowed thickly, hoping he did not insult the Jedi that he revered so much. However, if Chris wanted him to take charge of this task then it was necessary for JD to prove that Chris' faith in him was not unfounded by making the correct decisions, no matter how afraid he was of hurting Chris' feelings.

"To be honest, I think the two of you are too out of it to be of any real use. This place has thrown all your instincts into a mess. Vin's not as affected as you or Ben and I've seen these yslamiri, they're pretty skittish creatures. To catch them, we've got to be quick and I think you're too off balanced to manage that right now."

JD's words irked Chris a little but he was right. Although Chris and Ben could function well enough, neither could deny that they felt less than whole at present. That lack of certainty in their own abilities could compromise the capture of the yslamiri, especially when the extraction of creatures needed to be done quickly in order to meet Ezra's deadline for the attack on Coruscant. Chris would not allow pride to get in the way of what needed doing. If it required him and Ben standing down to let JD and Vin continue efficiently, then so be it. He would let nothing get in the way of Mary's retrieval. Not even himself.

"Maybe you and Ben ought to investigate those coordinates Buck gave you," Vin quickly spoke up, offering the two Jedi an alternate occupation to take up their time.

"That may not be a bad idea," Ben turned to Chris in agreement. The Jedi Council knew nothing of this world and considering the creatures that inhabited its forest, it was rather a surprising omission in their knowledge. There had never been a creature in existence that was capable of creating a null field that deflected the Force and that gave Ben concern. With the Jedi Council and its records destroyed by Palpatine's purge, the Jedi of the future would need to know about vulnerability they faced here on Mykrr. "W know almost nothing about this place. Perhaps we ought to investigate that marker your friend discovered."

"Alright then," Chris glanced at JD. "You and Vin go find these yslamiri while Ben and I track down this marker that Buck saw."

"We'll contact you when we have them." JD remarked as Chris gazed at Ben in a gesture to get going. Giving the two younger men salutary nods until they saw each other again, the two Jedi left the clearing where they had made their plans and set out in search of the marker Buck Wilmington had found when he had first visited the planet. According to Buck, the marker's age had it predating the Republic, most likely in the earliest days of the Jedi Order.

Despite their lack of prescience, Chris could not deny that Mykrr was a lovely place. It reminded Chris a great deal of Alderaan, except that it was not as cultivated or civilized. There was something raw and untouched about this forgotten world, a resplendent tranquillity that made the battles being fought elsewhere, seem rather inconsequential. Chris thought about Mary and how much she would love this place. The memory of her brought a sadness to his expression he did not notice because it was so perennial on his face ever since her surrender but was noticeable to those who saw it.

"Chris," Ben said gently seeing the pain in his old friend's eyes. "We will get her back."

"As much as I want that more than anything," Chris sighed, glad that there was one person that he could really open up to. Ben had known him when they were both apprentices although Ben had been a little older than he and had attained the level of Master first. Chris could have done so but he preferred to remain a knight, having no wish to serve on the Council. "I have to be realistic Ben. Getting her back isn't going to be easy. I'll die doing it but I have to be prepared to fail."

"You have to believe you can save her Chris," Ben's voice became soft. "If you don't think that, its pointless to even try."

"I know," Chris nodded slowly. "I lost Sarah and Adam because I was never there, I don't intend to fail Mary in the same way."

"We won't," Ben retorted firmly. He could count how many people he had been forced to give up, how many had been sacrificed for one thing or another. Ben was tired of seeing so many people he cared about die or be given up for the sake of a higher purpose. He did not wish Chris or his beloved Mary to be the latest in a long line of casualties in his life. "Your padwan is extremely promising," Ben added, in an effort to change the subject.

"Yeah he is," Chris agreed with Ben's assertion.

"Were his parents Jedi?" Ben asked because there was something he wanted to bring up since he had laid eyes upon Vin Tanner. There had been little time to discuss it with Chris with his arrival at Hoth but now the opportunity finally presented itself for him to satisfy his own curiosity on the subject of Chris' apprentice.

Chris gazed at Ben, wondering why the interest in Vin's parentage. "I know his mother was not but he has no recollection of his father, why?"

Ben sucked in his breath, wondering whether or not he should have brought up the subject with Chris. "Because he looks familiar."

"Familiar?" Chris stared at him. "How?"

"I'm not sure Chris, " Ben confessed. He had only a sense of familiarity. "I just have this feeling that I know his face from somewhere."

"He knows nothing about father," Chris replied. "I thought it was possible that he might have been a Jedi but no Jedi abandons a wife and child on Tatooine as slaves."

"You told me," Ben nodded, recalling what Chris had told him about his padwan learner. However, Ben could not shake the feeling that there was something about Vin Tanner that sparked a memory he could not quite put his finger on.

"Is it something I should tell him about?" Chris questioned, hating to think Ben might have some information about Vin's past that might end up hurting him.

"No," Ben shook his head. "There's nothing to tell him except that I have a feeling."

"Your feelings are usually right, whatever they are," Chris pointed out.

"Well this time I'm not certain enough to bring it up. Besides," Ben turned to Chris with a little smile. "Haven't you heard the term, let sleeping rancors lie?"

"I have," Chris responded, not liking anything held in limbo when it came to Vin. The young man was not only his padwan learner but also his friend. It was Vin who had started him on the road to healing even if their first encounter had been hardly the stuff on which great friendships were founded. However, caring about Vin had made him care about the others and prepared him for Mary. For that alone, Chris would die before allowing any harm to befall his younger friend.

"I'll let it go for now," Chris gazed at Ben, making the Master know that eventually, he would want elaboration on Ben's statement. For Vin's sake, he would find out. "But not forever."

***********

It was time to make the trip to Coruscant.

Sluis Van had been the rendezvous point for the numerous Alliance officers who had volunteered for the mission of saving Mary Travis. Ezra had made participation in the dangerous mission voluntary, so the Alliance Council would not think they were expending the lives of their personnel without their consent. As anticipated, the numbers had been plentiful, despite the Council's belief that no one would wish to risk their lives for one person on a hazardous assault on Coruscant. Fortunately, the faces that arrived to take command of the fleet he had assembled for the attack seemed to prove detractors to his plan wrong and the support he received from these new arrivals gave Ezra some measure of assurance that he was not leading them astray.

"There they are," Ezra said to himself even though he was with Josiah and Nathan as he peered out the window of the observation deck of the shipyard's maintenance section and stared at the assemblage of ships in the nearby space.

"That's quite a collection," Josiah pointed out. "I'm impressed how fast they were able to make those ships space worthy."

"Most of them are just old Josiah," Nathan responded. "They needed some maintenance work to the hull, the on board gravitation and life support. Almost all these ships had hyper drives installed, they just needed a little servicing."

"And we had enough volunteers to man a good number of them as well," Ezra added. "I would have liked a few more but available pilots and command officers are far and few."

"I hope Buck can scare up enough pilots to fill up our fighter ranks," Nathan sighed, unafraid of revealing how uncomfortable he was with Ezra's plan. However, Ezra had been absolutely correct when the commander of Jofa had addressed the Alliance Council and it was opinions such as Nathan's own that had to change if the Alliance had any chance of winning a war with the Empire. Siraj had shown everyone not just the Alliance how vulnerable they are. They fought using old practices that were time honoured in the days of the Republic but were wholly unacceptable for the war they were now fighting.

"He will," Ezra said confidently because a commander could afford to be nothing else. If he did not believe it then he could not expect those under his command to be the same. "Buck is if nothing else, persuasive. It will be interesting to see if his animal magnetism extend to the male of the species, as well as the female." A devilish smile crossed his face as he made that statement.

"I don't think I want that picture in my head," Nathan retorted frowning at Ezra.

"Neither do I." Josiah chuckled.

"I don't wish to be intruding on this scintillating conversation but we thought we could be of use to you commander," a new voice entered the conversation, originating from behind the trio.

All three men turned around at the same time and found themselves facing Claire Moseley and her husband Chano. Chano seemed a great deal better than Ezra had saw him last, which was on the medical ship Angel of Mercy prior to its departure to Jofa, where he had sustained severe injuries while serving on board the Purgatory in the battle above Siraj. Chano did not show any signs of his injury but they all knew that he could not have healed so quickly and was no doubt here on will alone. Ezra could tell that Claire was still rather concern about his welfare even though she masked it with the smile she displayed for their benefit.

"Chano, what are you doing here?" Nathan asked even though Ezra had a very good idea without hearing the executive officer of the Purgatory speak.

"I heard you need command officers for that fleet of yours," Chano glanced at the ships beyond the plexiglass.

"We do," Ezra nodded. "But are you in any condition? As I recall you were on indefinite sick leave."

Chano seemed to stand up straighter. The exec deliberated his answer briefly because he not about to lie to the man who was now his commanding officer but he did want to help. Chano had a great deal of respect for Ezra Standish ever since the man had taken charge of the Purgatory when Buck Wilmington had been forced to travel through the Maw. He was pleased to know that his faith in Ezra was not misplaced, particularly after how well Ezra had taken charge of the rebel base in the wake of Mary absence. The atmosphere had been one of dismay, shock and disillusionment until Ezra had stepped in and given them direction. He wondered whether or not Ezra was aware of how loyal a following he had gained since he had taken charge of them.

"I've been better," Chano said after a moment. "But I can command one of those ships and frankly you don't have the luxury of being selective."

"Chano," Josiah spoke up. "I know you want to help Mary but its going to be very rough out there."

"Forgive me for saying this senator but I was at Mary's side on board the Purgatory when Thrawn attacked," Chano stared at Josiah determinedly. "It doesn't get much rougher than that."

"Chano they're just worried about you," Claire replied gently.

"I know," Chano sighed and met Josiah's gaze again. "I'm sorry Senator."

"No apologies needed," Josiah said quickly, understanding all too well the exec's desire to help Mary. They all shared the same feelings. "I want her back just as badly as you."

Chano nodded gratefully and faced Ezra again. "Ezra, you need me. I know I'm not in the best shape but I don't need to be to run a skeleton crew on one of those ships. You're lacking command officers as it is."

Ezra could not disagree with that and turned his eye on Claire, his adjutant during his time as Commander of the Cordoba outpost and asked, "I take it you will be serving as Chano's exec?"

"Naturally," Claire answered confidently. "I have a habit of doing that for the commanders I serve." She raised her brow slightly at Ezra who chuckled softly at the suggestion.

"And I thank you for it." Ezra replied warmly, agreeing with her on that much for certain. He could not count on how many occasions Claire had ran interference for him, particularly after the arrival of Julia Pemberton when so much of his time on the Cordoba base was under the spy's direct surveillance. Without Claire, he doubted he would have had a moment's peace and while he knew that she was more than capable to serve at her husband's side, Ezra missed the not too distant past when she was his exec. However, having Nathan at his side on this mission was making up for that as well. When they were at the Academy, Nathan used to claim that Ezra would command a ship and Nathan would be his exec. At the time, Ezra would have been grateful if he even graduated, let alone gain a commission and did not take Nathan's claim too seriously. It was not until years later did Ezra realize how much Nathan believed in him and that hope.

"You are correct of course," Ezra sighed, unable to deny either of them their wish to join the attack fleet. Chano was just as devoted to Mary as they were and if he thought he was well enough to help, Ezra was not about to deny him the opportunity. "We do need as many command officers as we can get and your aid is welcome."

"Thank you," Chano replied, grateful at being allowed to participate even though Ezra knew he was hardly in the condition for it. "When do we leave?" He asked Ezra, all business now that he was apart of the attack force.

"As soon as we find out whether or not the primary team on Coruscant can lower the planetary grid." Josiah answered with a frown, reminded once again where his niece was at this time.

"When is that likely to be?" Claire inquired.

Ezra sighed deeply and looked at the chronometer on the wall before responding, "any time now."

***********

"How is it going?" Alex asked as Casey continued to upload her slicer program into the terminal.

"Not bad," the young woman said confidently, her eyes never straying away from the screen before her even though what was on it was incomprehensible to just about everyone in the room except her. Streams and streams of data journey across the screen, casting an eerie digital glow over Casey's face as her fingers worked in a flurry of movement. "The program is seeking out the software controlling the defence grid."

While Alex stared at the screen with Casey, attempting to discern what it was the girl was doing, Rayne and Tula kept a vigil at the windows, ensuring that no one approached their location without being their knowing about it first. Inez was waiting in a hovercraft a short distance away. If what they were doing was discovered, then Inez would be able to reach them before the authorities. The suite of rooms allowed panoramic views in several directions, giving them a clear line of sight to any danger that might come their way. Rayne had secured occupancy in the lavish hotel in order to exploit that feature in particular, not to mention the fact that the establishment boasted first class facilities in each of its rooms, including a terminal that allowed its user access over the entire communication and information band on Coruscant.

Naturally, systems that controlled the defence grid and planetary shield would be inaccessible to the everyday user but to someone like Casey who knew what she was doing, it was the surest way to test her belief that she could disable Coruscant's defences in order to make Ezra's plan work. Their accommodations were also close to the nearest spaceport and Rayne had secured transport for all of them off world at several different junctures, in case any of them had to split up when discovered. Every precaution that could be taken had been and now there was nothing left to do but to make the preliminary attempt.

Tula let out an inquisitive roar that Alex immediately interpreted. "Tula wants to know how long are we engaging in this test?"

"2.25 seconds," Casey answered, not pausing to look at them as she spoke. Her eyes were too focussed on what she was doing before the terminal. "Any longer then that and the failure will not be considered a systems glitch but an actual breach. If that happens, we'll have the entire planet in a full-scale alert. Trust me, we don't want that."

"I agree," Rayne remarked with a slight nod.

"That's a pretty narrow margin of time," Alex said with a hint of worry, especially since she had no idea what was going on the screen before her. It was not easy for her to rely completely on another person but Casey appeared to know what she was doing. In any case, they had no choice. Mary's safety depended on this girl being able to do what she promised. "Can you shut it off that quickly?"

"Don't have to," Casey retorted. "I've got the program set to run for 2.10 seconds before it self terminates. I only want to breach their defences, not disable it. At this moment, breaching it is what we have to be sure of before Ezra's fleet gets here."

"Will they be able to trace it back to us?" Rayne inquired once more.

"No," she answered. "The reason its taking as long as it is to get to in is because I've sent our transmission through several relay sections. It will take them a good deal of time to follow the signal back to its point of origin. By then, we should be out of here if we are discovered."

"I hope you're right," Alex sighed, hating to think so much hinged on what happened in this room within the next few minutes.

"Don't worry," Casey turned for the first time and met her eyes. "I know I am."

Alex wished she shared the young woman's confidence but she could not. She knew better than anyone else how formidable Coruscant's defences were and how lucky they would be if they should succeed in what they were attempting. She tried not to think about how this would effect the mission if they failed, what it would mean in regards to getting Mary back. The thought of losing Mary was something Alex could not even begin to contemplate. She had been willing to tear the Alliance apart to see the return of her friend. She could not even imagine a time when Mary was not in her life and everything they had been through together cemented their relationship into something that was more akin to family than friendship. When they had lost Stephen, they mourned him together. They shared each others outrage and joined the Alliance together, drawing strength from the choice they had made. Mary was family, the way no one had been since her mother and Stephen had died. Even her relationship with Orin Travis had been less than warm because she blamed him for so long for living while her mother had died. Even with Vin in her life now, Alex was uncertain how she would cope if she lost the best friend she ever had.

"I'm in!" Casey's excited voice tore through her consciousness and brought Alex back to the present.

"You're in?" Alex stared at Casey sharply. Behind her, Rayne and Tula were also gazing anxiously in the young woman's direction.

"Running the program now," Casey ignored her question and responded instead.

Alex looked at the screen that revealed the digitized version of Coruscant's defence systems. The green hue over the designated security systems revealed that everything was in perfect operational order. The planet was as secure as it was ever going to be. Air defence battery, urban gunnery turrets, not to mention the energy shield surrounding the planet that would scream alert to every Imperials in a thousand light years should anything attempt to breach it without the proper authorization. Alex sucked in her breath realizing that it was those formidable defences they would have to penetrate if they were going to rescue Mary. Somehow at this moment, it did not seem if that was possible.

Suddenly the screen began flashing in angry red colours. Alex's eyes widened as she saw those systems, which she thought completely invulnerable, began to lower all across Coruscant. Even though it was only a computerized depiction, the ramifications were clear, at this brief instant, Coruscant was completely defenceless. Unfortunately, she had little time to study the situation because no more than two seconds had passed and suddenly the defences re-established itself once more, the invasive program introduced by Casey had disabled itself now that it had proved it was capable of doing what they required.

"Did that just...." Alex started to ask but she never finished voicing the question.

"IT WORKED!" Casey exclaimed with excitement. "I KNEW IT!"

The screen began to normalize as Casey displayed an unabashed burst of euphoria. Even as Casey celebrated, her fingers were still at work, retreating out of the system and removing any traces of her ever being online in the first place.

"We did it?" Rayne asked uncertainly.

"I think so," Alex shrugged, glancing at Casey for confirmation.

"We did it!" Casey repeated herself. "It went through all the safe guards and shut down the defences for 2.5 seconds. It's meant to be impossible to get that far! I knew my program would do it! Next time, I can completely disable the defence grid indefinitely."

"Are you sure?" Alex stared at her.

"Yes," Casey nodded calming down significantly. She understood the importance of the question. "I am absolutely sure. I know what's at stake."

With that Alex nodded slowly and turned towards Rayne. "Contact Inez," Alex responded after a moment. "Tell her to get back here. We need to contact Ezra and tell him that the mission is a go."

It was time to begin. May the Force be with them.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The creatures in their cages peered at the humans staring through the bars of its confinement and sniffed their snub noses experimentally, attempting to discern whether or not they were predators. There were exactly for yslamiri in the cage and it was hard on first sight to imagine how such small and attractive animals could be such a singular curiosity to humans. Each wearing a russet pelt that seemed to shimmer as their body moved, they were animals that would have been taken as pets for some one child and their manner seemed pleasant enough to delight both adult and child upon viewing. Even now as JD studied them in their metal cage, he could not see anything dangerous about them. Yet he knew there were because he had witness their power first hand. He knew that these oddities were the only things that could render a Jedi completely powerless.

Vin did not appear to be as affected by the creatures since he had helped JD tracked them but the Jedi apprentice did not seem overly found of them and JD could only imagine this void that Vin must be feeling inside in such close proximity to the cause. The apprentice allowed JD to handle the creatures return to their ship but even JD could tell that he was feeling rather uncomfortable in their presence. JD could not imagine what it was like to be robbed of the senses. He supposed it must be like being robbed of one's sight or hearing. Even for a brief time, it had to be daunting. However, the Jedi were not all about their powers, Vin had explained as they returned to the ship.

"It can't be easy though," JD retorted as they saw the Rogue not too far away.

"I was someone long before I was a Jedi JD," Vin replied with a little smile. "I just got to get used to being without that edge for awhile. I actually think it might be a good idea."

"How so?" JD stared at him.

"Well," Vin sighed as he sought the words to explain. "A Jedi shouldn't be about the Force alone. He should use his powers when he has to not because he can."

"Your apprentice shows surprising maturity," Ben Kenobi remarked with a smile when he and Chris came part of the way to meet them.

Like Vin, Chris and Ben were uncomfortable about being so close to the yslamiri but Vin's perception was correct, a Jedi should not just be about wielding his powers. The Force was an ally not an instrument to used frequently. Relying on it too much was taking the easy way and too often that led to the dark side. True, neither of them felt entirely complete with the yslamiri in close proximity, however, they were becoming more accustomed to the loss of their second sight. However, Ben in particular, studied the specimens in the cage carefully, having never encountered the creatures before this.

"Amazing," Ben muttered, feeling the effect of their unique capabilities more profoundly than the others. "I never thought anything could exist without midiclorions."

"Somehow this does," Chris responded, having seen encountered the creatures once before and was not as fascinated as the Jedi Master. "I've never seen anything like this."

"What about the marker?" Vin asked once Ben had concluded his curiosity about the yslamiri had receded long enough for them to continue their journey back to the Rogue.

"Nothing conclusive," Chris shrugged reporting what he and Ben had discovered about the marker that Buck had discovered during the pilot's visit to the planet. "It is written in pre-Republic text as Buck says but is not of a language that I've ever seen."

"Its true," Ben confirmed Chris' statement. "The language and the markers seems to predate the Jedi Code, nor does it make specific reference to the Jedi but rather the keepers of the Force."

"The Keepers of the Force?" JD stared at them.

"Yes," Ben nodded. "It's a very old reference to the Jedi. It was before the order came about as we know it and even before the code was written. A Jedi Master named Telemar was one of our best historians. He would be able to decipher this in a second."

"Can't we get this Telemar?" The young man blurted out, always eager to have mysteries solve.

Ben's expression dropped at that suggestion and so did Chris'. Even Vin seemed overcome with a bout of sadness but he was able to speak because he could tell what was in his companion's heart even if he did not speak it.

"He's dead JD," the apprentice said softly "He died with the others."

"I'm sorry," JD said apologetically feeling sorry for having brought up such a painful subject. Without even asking, he knew that Telemar was a casualty of the massacre that was driving the Jedi to extinct. No doubt it was the same carnage that had seen the loss of Chris' wife and son.

"We cannot change what is," Ben said with a sigh, saddened by the memories of Telemar, remembering the rotund Jedi who had loved his books as much as he loved to laugh. Ben missed him but he also refused to let his memory of the Jedi be spoiled because of tragedy. "Besides, we must remain focussed for what lies ahead."

"Right," Chris nodded and looked over his shoulder at Vin and JD. "We got word from Ezra. Casey's little hat trick worked. She breached Coruscant's defence grid."

"Hell," Vin let out a soft exclamation. It was no small feat the young woman had managed to accomplish. Breaching Coruscant's defence was almost a possibility, that Casey had managed it without being discovered was nothing less than genius and gave them real confirmation that Ezra's plan could be done. "I knew she was smart but I never really thought she'd pull it off."

"I knew she could," JD responded with a hint of pride. "She knows her stuff for a snotty aristocrat." He grinned a little in mischief but they all knew the depth of his real feelings.

"So they're alright?" Vin asked, just to reassure himself a little. Even though he trusted in her to take care of herself, he could not help feeling a little anxious about Alex being on Coruscant. He understood that it was necessary but like Chris and JD, he was not happy that the one that he loved was presently on the fortified center of Imperial power.

"Apparently so," Chris answered, able to guess Vin's concerns even if the yslamiri interrupted the link between them. "They lowered the defence grid without the authorities coming down on them. I think its safe to assume that Casey's plan to penetrate Coruscant's defences has worked. Ezra and the fleet he acquired from Sluis Van are leaving now. They’ll be rendezvousing with the rest of our forces at the Inner Rim before they proceed to Coruscant."

"What about us?" JD inquired.

"We'll be rendezvousing with them at the Inner Rim and figure out how to penetrate Coruscant from there," Chris informed as they entered the open ramp of the Rogue.

"We better come up with some plan of getting into Coruscant." Vin remarked.

"Ezra says we'll go in when he moved the fleet out, we can take advantage of the confusion. Our best bet is to meet up with the girls," Chris replied. "Alex knows the terrain, so does Rayne."

"What about Vader?" Vin asked softly. He could not deny that facing the dark lord still filled with some anxiety. Even JD tensed at hearing the name.

"Hopefully, the information we planted will have Vader off Coruscant for the duration," Ben retorted, even though he was somewhat sceptical that his former apprentice could be fooled. Even though he did not voice it, he fully expected to see Vader at some point during this mission. His only hope was that it was later rather sooner. "These creatures should keep the Emperor from sensing our presence. In any case, I doubt that he would be too inclined to face us without Vader at his side. The possibility that three Jedi might be able to best him is something Palpatine will not risk."

"I hope you are right," Vin sighed, none too optimistically. "If we're wrong, this could end up very badly."

No one said anything in response to that but it was unanimously agreed that it was an understatement to say the least.

**********

Within the hour of being informed by Alexandra Styles that Casey Wells had successfully lowered the planetary defences of Coruscant, the fleet that Ezra had acquired at Sluis Van was on its way out of the system. The flotilla of ships moved silently away from Sluis Van under the tightest veil of secrecy as it embarked upon its crucial mission. From the Hoth system, Buck Wilmington was carrying out a similar journey. The captain of the Rogue was leading a small convoy of fighters to act as support craft when the fleet arrived at Coruscant. On Coruscant itself, Alex’s team was also moving into position, setting up the mechanism for the lowering of defence grid once the fleet arrived and Ezra had just received word that the Jedi Chris Larabee, Ben Kenobi and Vin Tanner would be at their rendezvous point in the Inner Rim.

Ezra had selected the Inner Rim as their rendezvous point but was still anxious on whether he made the correct choice or not. The closer they approached the core worlds, the harder it became for a sizeable fleet to remain undetected for very long. Ezra’s largest fear at the moment was the possibility that someone might detect them before their arrival on Coruscant. So much of their plan relied upon the element of surprise and if they were discovered before they could reach their destination then it was a sure bet that this mission would die before it even had a chance to begin. He knew that his worries were natural but with the stakes so high and so many of his friends and loved ones involved, he was terrified of failure.

"How long until we arrive at the Rim?" Ezra asked as he sat in the command chair of the warship Vanguard, newly assigned to him for the duration. With the destruction of the Purgatory, the Jofan enclave of the Rebel Alliance was sorely under powered. By rights, this ought to be Mary’s ship. It still will be, he reminded himself, having no desire to take Mary’s place as commander. Hopefully, the mission ahead would make that hope become a reality.

"10 hours," Nathan answered, having taken his place at Ezra’s side as executive officer.

"What’s Chris’ status?" Ezra responded studying the data pad before him, which had the status reports of the other ships, contained for his perusal.

"He and the Rogue will arrive in the Rim in 11 hours." Nathan informed dutifully.

"Excellent," Ezra nodded with approval. "Alex and the girls are moving into position on Coruscant. They should be able to meet Chris and the extraction team when they land."

"Do we have any idea yet, how they will be penetrating the Domicile?" Nathan inquired.

"No," Ezra shook his head in response. "Alex says she and Rayne will work out the specifics of that little escapade and be prepared for Chris when he and the others arrive."

"It’s going to be tough getting them through Ezra," Nathan pointed out. "Even if the little surprise we’ve got coming at them works."

Somehow Ezra doubted that any Imperial commander they faced above the skies of Coruscant would be prepared for what he had intended. He himself had trouble believing that they had been forced into circumstances desperate enough to employ such methods but they had no choice. In war such as these, the word civilized was difficult to maintain with any semblance of integrity, not if they wished to win. The enemy outgunned them and outnumbered them and this was the only way to strike. He knew that he would either be hailed as a genius or a madman before the day was done and Ezra himself had difficulty trying to pinpoint which one he was.

"It will work," Ezra said confidently for the benefit of the crewman on the bridge with them. "We will catch them by surprise and you would be amazed how much of an advantage that could be."

Nathan was going to respond when the doors to the Vanguard’s bridge slid open and Josiah Sanchez made his appearance. Both men did not ask where he had been but they knew he had been conferring with the Alliance Council on the latest developments of the mission. Until Casey had managed to lower the defences at Coruscant, albeit briefly, the Alliance Council had been viewing the entire mission with trepidation. However, with her success, they had solid foundation upon which to endorse the plan that Ezra had staked all their lives.

"What is the word Josiah?" Nathan asked once the Republic Senator joined them.

"The Alliance Council wishes you the best Ezra," Josiah replied. "I think they are a good deal more confident of your plan now that they know for a fact that Coruscant’s defences can be lowered."

"You may thank your niece for that achievement," Ezra retorted.

"Ezra, when we get to Coruscant, I am going to be joining Chris." Josiah stated firmly.

Ezra stared at the senator for a moment while Nathan was much less restrained with his surprise. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Nathan...."Ezra spoke up, wanting to listen to Josiah’s reasons first before making any statements regard his sanity.

"Josiah, you’re a member of the Alliance Council. If you were to get captured down there, it would be even worse than losing Mary! You can’t be serious.

"My niece is down there," Josiah returned sharply. "I cannot sit by and let her face something so dangerous alone."

"She is not alone," Nathan pointed out and Ezra gave up any hope of mediating the matter calmly. "She is with highly capable operatives."

"They’re not invulnerable either Nathan," Josiah declared, wishing the younger man would understand his decision for he was certainly not changing his mined about it.

"Don’t you think I know that?" Nathan spat with a little more emotion than he intended. He was worried about Rayne, risking herself on Coruscant, undertaking a task that no amount of diplomatic immunity would save her should she be captured. He had already lost his wife Ana and though his relationship with Rayne was only fledgling, he could not deny that losing her would break his heart with almost as much intensity. However, despite his fears, Nathan was a believer in the cause and no matter what, he appreciated that sometimes the greater could had to come with the sacrifice of one person. As much as he loathed it, he could not make such decisions from the heart. The mission on Coruscant was risky enough and if Rayne and the others was lost, the logical thing to do would be to minimize that loss not increase it by having someone of Josiah’s stature there.

"Don’t you think I’m scared out of my mind that Rayne’s down there? I’m sure Vin and Ezra must feel the same about Alex and Inez."

"Do not drag me into this," Ezra said firmly, gesturing to keep him out of this argument.

"Some friend." Nathan gave him a look. "You’re the commanding officer, tell him he’s crazy!"

"I will not," Ezra returned and saw Nathan’s jaw drop open in astonishment.

"You agree with letting him go down there?" Nathan was almost stupefied.

"No I do not as a matter of record," Ezra sighed, wishing he was not placed in this situation. As dear as Nathan was to him as one of his oldest friends, Josiah was of equal importance to him. However, Ezra was not about to choose sides in this matter. "However, this is Josiah’s decision. Nathan, Rayne, Alex and Inez are all capable of taking care of themselves in any situation. They are accustomed to dealing in the shadows. Casey however is not. She’s almost a child. The only reason that she was allowed to participate in this mission is because no one else can duplicate what she is capable of. If I had my way on this matter, she would not have been allowed to set foot on Coruscant, but we did not have a choice. How can I tell Josiah not to care about the welfare of his niece when I myself is not entirely comfortable to her being there?"

"Thank you Ezra," Josiah gave the commander a look of gratitude for understanding his position so succinctly, even if he did not entirely agree with him. "I would shoot myself before I let them capture me Nathan," he glanced at the executive officer. "But she is the last member of my family that is left and her heart and her courage sometimes overwhelm her good sense. I promised my sister that I would care for her and protect her, I cannot sit out this fight while she is down there."

"Its insane." Nathan frowned, seeing Josiah’s point of view even if he was opposed to the senator going anywhere near Coruscant. "You’re going to get yourself killed."

"Mr Jackson," Ezra leaned forward and said quietly out of the hearing of the rest of the crew. "On this mission, that is a risk we are all facing. Whether it be here on the bridge of this ship or down on Coruscant, it hardly matters."

"Its not the same," Nathan grumbled and Ezra released an exasperated sigh.

"Alright," he shook his head with an expression of futility. "I had no wish to do this but since you insist on being absolutely stubborn, I am forced to relate the story of someone I once knew who for the sake of someone dear, placed his life in jeopardy because he felt it was a just sacrifice. Despite my best efforts to convince him otherwise, even though it would be incredible risk to life and limb, he was not to be deterred. How did he put it, ‘some risks have to be made’? "

"That’s not fair bringing that up," Nathan glared at Ezra.

"Probably not," Ezra grinned with a little twinkle of mischief in his eyes. "But you needed the reminder in order to feel some empathy with Josiah’s situation."

"Thank you," Josiah returned. "Nathan, please understand what I have to do."

Nathan sighed remembering how determined he had been about joining the rebellion after Ana’s death. It had been too late to save her but he supposed for Josiah and Casey, there was still time and he could not deny either of them that. Besides, as Ezra had so succinctly pointed out, he could not berate Josiah for something he had been willing to do himself.

"I do understand Josiah," Nathan sighed. "I just don’t want to see you get hurt."

"I can’t make you that promise," Josiah responded honestly. "I don’t think any of us can."

Unfortunately for them, Nathan knew that he was right. 

**********

Vader arrived at the Belkadan system and knew without doubt that Obi-Wan Kenobi was not there.

He would have left immediately if not for the fact that he could not be certain that Ben had ever been here. There was always the possibility that Ben might have attended Belkadan on some business that might give Vader a clue to the whereabouts of his son. Vader hoped that this might be the case for it was a long way to come empty handed. He had not been entirely happy about leaving Coruscant at this time, particularly with Mary in custody but the Emperor believed that this warranted his personal attention. Vader was in agreement with the Emperor on this point. It was impossible for them to send anyone else in the event that they actually found themselves face to face with Ben. No one else other than he could face the Jedi Master and survive.

The first thing Vader noted upon arriving on Belkadan was no discernible trace of Ben’s presence anywhere on the planet. This much did not surprise him because Ben would be careful not to remain in one place too long. Belkadan was not a populous world and there was enough of an Imperial presence here for someone to recognize him eventually. His former master was no fool and with the half the Empire searching for him and the other half on the hunting Jedi, Ben would not risk endangering himself or the child he was hiding. Vader wondered if his son would be travelling with Ben as he had once done. As his ship landed on Belkadan, Vader was preoccupied with thoughts about the son that he had sired with Padme Naberrie.

Would he travel with Ben as he himself had once done as a child? Would Ben be teaching his son to be a man and a Jedi at the same time? His stomach fisted in anger knowing that Ben would be there for all the things that was his by right. The Jedi Master would consider it his sacred duty, to protect the boy because of his mother. Ben and Padme. Just thinking about them together enraged him. However, Vader brushed that away, forcing himself into the belief that it had been someone else who had been betrayed, not Darth Vader. Anakin Skywalker was no more. He had died when he had fallen into a pit of molten lava. Even now, Vader woke up with nightmares of liquid iron crawling up his back, twisting his body into a wreck that could only survive encased in thick black armour.

Ben had taken the woman he loved and destroyed his body. Vader was damned if he was going to let Ben take his son too.

It did not take long for Vader to discover upon arriving at Belkadan that Ben Kenobi was not only there but had never set foot on the planet. The report that had brought him here was a complete mystery to those manning the Imperial outpost on Belkadan. It did not take long to learn that the report that had reached Coruscant, reporting that Ben Kenobi had been on the planet was in fact a clever forgery. For a moment, Vader could not understand why anyone would desire such a monumental death wish by incurring his wrath in this matter. Then it came to him. It was not about incurring his wrath.

It was about ensuring that he was not on Coruscant.

There was little time to waste. Vader had to return home now because something was coming at the home world and his senses told him it was linked to the vision he had about Ezra Standish and the skies of Coruscant.

CHAPTER NINE

It was hard not to be a little intimidated by the Domicile upon first sighting.

Erected on the top of a sheer cliff face, it offered a panoramic view of the Horan Sea. However, to allow one’s gaze to find the ground from this point was a perfect example of why it had been constructed where it was. The cliff upon which it was perched dropped chillingly into jagged rocks below, rocks that had been smoothed through years or erosion and dared anyone brave it with almost menacing pleasure. Strong currents swirled around the rocks that were not submerged and the general consensus was made that it was an impossible point of illegal exit from the notorious prison. Prior to its tenure as an Imperial prison, the Domicile had been known to native Coruscants as the home of an ancient warlord, in the days before the Republic had chosen Coruscant for the centre of its government. The warlord, long since forgotten lived only through the dismal structure he had constructed as the sea of his power. He called it the Domicile and though it seemed rather misleading to name it as such considering its vocation these days, the name remained and grew in notoriety as it became the centre of Imperial mastery over its enemies.

The area surrounding the Domicile was devoid of life. On a planet that was almost entirely urbanized, it was something of an achievement to find open spaces on Coruscant. It was not easy to conceal themselves in a stretch of flat terrain but there were more than enough abandoned structures at the edge of this plain to suffice. Since becoming a jail for maximum-security Imperial prisoners, the commercial interest in the location had died away and many of the buildings that remained were left abandoned, festering an unhealthy population of Coruscant’s displaced and homeless. Alex did not like the surroundings from which they would be forced to launch their assault on the Domicile once Chris and the others arrived but at this point, there was little choice given their needs.

The rebel operative gazed out the shattered pexiglassed windows and hoped night would fall sooner rather than later. It was still daylight beyond the structure and Alex felt exposed. She was accustomed to moving in the shadows. Indeed her entire line of work for the Rebellion depended on her being able to blend in and fade away. Being out in the open like this, with no secret identity to take cover behind, left the commander vulnerable and it was not a feeling she liked very much. They had arrived here at dusk the night before, unloading all the equipment they needed while hoping that their arrival had gone unnoticed.

As she looked over her shoulder, she saw the rest of companions preparing for the mission ahead. Tula and Inez were conducting a weapon’s check, ensuring that each blaster in their arsenal was in perfect working order. It would not do to learn that there was a malfunction when they finally made the insertion into the Domicile. The former Ground Pounder’s hands moved over the sleek surface of each weapon, almost as if she had intimate knowledge of its function. Her fingers were deft and Alex watched in no small measure of wonder at the speed in which it took Inez to go through the cache they had assembled for the mission.

The Wookie Tula maintained a vigil by the doorway. Armed with a traditional Kaysshyk crossbow, she appeared to be a statue carved in russet as she kept an eye and a nose out of for strangers. With her keen sense, Tula could detect someone approaching them from a good distance away. Throughout the night, her expertise had been invaluable as she kept away the other inhabitants of the abandoned structure with a well-placed roar when required. While Tula seemed almost frozen in position, by comparison, Casey was a flurry of activity. With just as much skill displayed by her older companions, Casey’s hands were moving deftly to set up the portable terminal she had brought with her to complete the minor matter of lowering Coruscant’s planetary grid. Once the program was initiated, Imperial programmers would be able to trace it straight back to them. Although nothing would keep their efforts a secret once breaching Coruscant’ defences was accomplished, it was wise to make it all the more difficult for the Empire to find them. The portable terminal would give them that small respite.

The young woman was working fast and furiously to install the components required masking their signal with numerous phantom sources. Eventually the Empire would trace the original back to its source but as Casey put it that would take time they could use. Considering what they were about to do, Alex was somewhat grateful for her caution. Although no one excepting Casey spoke about it, the rest of the team knew that it was highly likely that none of them might survive this mission. Breaching the Domicile and finding Mary was one thing, being able to successfully remove her from Coruscant was something else entirely. Even with Ezra’s plan to distract most of the planet’s attention while they were carrying out the extraction, the odds were still slim that they might actually make it.

"How long until the fleet arrives?" Inez inquired as she looked up from what she was doing.

"In three hours they’ll be entering Coruscant space." Alex announced, recounting the instructions Ezra had given her as well as a status report on how the situation stood.

"Three hours," Alex mused, peering out the window once more and examining the sky overhead. "It should be night by then. Good."

"Do you know how we’re entering the Domicile?" Rayne inquired.

"There’s only one way in." Alex responded, preparing for a great deal of debate on this point. "Garbage exhaust."

"Garbage exhaust?" Inez raised a brow. "You’re taking about the exhaust ports from the incinerators?"

"That’s the one." She replied.

"You’re joking." The Ground Pounder asked.

"Afraid not. It’s the only way in. The incinerator exhaust pauses for 45 seconds between cycles. We should be able to penetrate the port and make it to a safe area in that time."

"Should be able to?" Inez’s scepticism showed. "That’s not a lot of margin for error."

"I didn’t say this was going to be easy," Alex gave her a reminding look.

"Sure, sure," Inez grumbled, returning to the maintenance of the weapons. "Throw that back at my face."

"Think of it this way," Rayne smiled. "If we do not make it, it will be a quick death."

Inez rolled her eyes and said sweetly to the handmaiden. "I admire your ability to look at the bright side of things."

*********

The rebel fleet had emerged from hyperspace into what was called the Koornacht Cluster. Located at the very centre of the galaxy, the heavy radiation emanating from the collection of giants stars ensured that during their approach to Coruscant, they would remain largely unseen until they had penetrated the star system itself. It was imperative for the success of the mission that their presence remained a secret until the last possible moment. As the fleet began the inevitable push into Coruscant space, the rebels on board the Vanguard and the ships like it were busily preparing for the battle ahead.

Inside the War Room on board the Vanguard, the seven were assembled for the final time before their engagement with the Imperial forces at Coruscant. Also present was Ben Kenobi since he would be apart of the rescue team that would be landing on the planet itself. Despite the urgency of their situation, it felt good to be together again and for Ben, he was able to see and feel the warm camaraderie between the seven men who had been dubbed the Magnificent Seven by the rest of their rebel colleagues. Ben remembered when he was part of such a circle and felt another pang of sorrow to know that those friends were gone. However, he felt pleased for Chris to have found this family in the face of his grief and a cause in which a Jedi’s talents could maintain some semblance of their mandate.

"Timing is everything," Ezra declared. "We will move into engage the Imperial fleet the minute the defence grid is down. Chris, you, Vin, Ben and Josiah will be standing by in an Imperial shuttle we managed to procure some time ago. When the shooting starts, you are going to have to navigate through the battle to reach Coruscant."

"Why can’t we go sooner?" Josiah inquired.

"Every Imperial ship has its own codes," Buck explained. "If you try to fly into Coruscant without producing valid codes, they’ll shoot you out of the sky before you even can even think twice."

"We can’t attempt to land until after the grid goes down and they’re focussed on Ezra and our fleet," Chris responded.

"Alex has given us through with the coordinates of your landing site," Nathan announced and activated the holo-imager in the middle of the table. Within seconds the holographic image of their landing site was presented for all to see with the Domicile distinctly featured as it stood above everything else on the electronic landscape.

"Somehow I’m not surprised they made the Domicile a prison," Ben frowned. "I always thought it looked like a fortress of sorts."

"Well originally it was," Josiah pointed out. "In pre-Republic days. Palpatine’s taste in architecture is dark. He wants to project an image of ruthless might. A place like this serves his purposes quite well."

"So Alex and the girls are where?" Vin inquired.

"They’re at these abandoned structures here." Nathan displayed their rendezvous point with an electronic marker beam. "You should be able to land fairly close to them."

"Do we know where Mary is?" Chris asked quietly, trying not to show that he was focussed, not as emotionally involved as they knew he was.

Ever since they had returned from Myrkrr, the connection between him and Mary had been severed because of the yslamiri. With the yslamiri on board the Vanguard, that deep link still remained cut and Chris tried not to show his anxiety at not being able to feel Mary. He knew that she had managed to endure her tortures because of his presence. There was no telling what would have happened now that Mary found herself completely alone without even their mind link to give her comfort. Not knowing heightened his fears and enflamed his desire to reach Mary even more.

"Not at this time," Ezra answered, understanding fully what the Jedi was going through. "However, once you get into the building Casey should be able to link up to a terminal and obtain that information. We do know she is definitely in the Domicile, under heavy interrogation."

Chris flinched and those in the room, with or without Jedi sight could tell that the Jedi Knight was clinging to his restraint with the flimsiest of control. He said nothing about Ezra’s revelation and chose instead to focus on getting Mary out of her situation, rather than let himself become distracted by issues that would only lessen his good to her. Closing his eyes as the others continued to speak around him, Chris reached out to the Force and allowed its energies to nourish as well as help him regain some measure of calm. It was not as easy to do with the yslamiri on board but Chris managed it because one did not have to feel the Force to be apart of it.

"Our fighter complement will deploy as soon as we enter Coruscant space," Chris heard Ezra say once he returned his mind to discussion at hand. "Buck, you’re in charge out there. I do not want any of our pilots engaging the TIE fighters. Your primary concern will be to give our ships support."

"Whatever you say Ezra," Buck returned. "To tell you the truth, I’m not too eager to face ten to one odds."

"Ten to one odds?" JD exclaimed.

"Hell kid," Buck grinned slapping JD on the back. "You’ll handle that no problem."

JD did not look as confident as Buck but he was not about to voice his concerns when everyone present was risking their lives.

Suddenly, a console began flashing at the corner of the room, causing an expression of curiosity to travel throughout the room within seconds of its emergence. It was Nathan who went to it and activated the panel, allowing a stream of data to pass through the screen for his viewing. The second in command tensed immediately and glanced at his friends with a look of ominous concern.

"What is it?" Ezra asked first.

"Yeah Nathan," Buck replied, a little less boisterously than usual. "You look as sour as hell. What’s did that thing say?"

"Vader left Belkadan about the same time we left the Rim." Nathan replied, swallowing hard. "He took a long range fighter from the Avenger bound for Coruscant. He should be arriving by the time we face the fleet."

"Damn." Ezra whispered softly. "I hoped we would be able to keep him away from longer."

"It was highly unlikely the ruse would have worked anyway," Ben sighed, disappointed by the news but not entirely surprised. He only had to look at Chris and Vin to see that they had though the same way as well. "However, it is fortunate that by the time he arrives at Coruscant, our plans will be in motion. He will not be able to affect too much of its outcome."

"But he’ll go straight to the prison!" Nathan exclaimed. "Even if he can’t sense you, he’s smart enough to figure out that we might have a rescue operation in mind."

"Of that I have no doubt," Ben shrugged. "However, if that is the case then I must face him."

"Not alone." Chris retorted before Vin could say it.

"It may be my destiny to die today Chris, the Force doesn’t always seem clear to us." Ben returned his hard gaze.

"Neither does it expect us to walk blindly into disaster." Chris replied before sweeping his gaze across the room. "We continue with Ezra’s plan and land as expected. As for Vader, we’ll cross that bridge when necessary. There is no debate until that happens."

"Chris is correct," Ezra spoke up, adding his support to the Jedi’s statement. "We continue as planned. We owe it to Mary to see this through."

To that no one could disagree and to the other point that none of them could refute either, that they had come too far to stop now.

**********

Silent guardians, inanimate but nonetheless alive as far as mechanics permitted, kept watch on the area of space that acted as the perimeter zone of the star system that was home to Coruscant. The sensors buoys remained constant in their area of space, watching and examining all that was before them, taking note of it no matter how insignificant, processing it through terabytes of programming and then forwarding that information to its masters on Coruscant. Nothing ever escape its watchful eyes, not ships, comets or even the odd scrap of space debris tumbling aimlessly through the void. Somewhere in data storage facility on Coruscant was miles and miles of stored observations, relegated once the analysis of its content had been made. 

The appearance of the fleet was met with usual indifference by the machine sentinels and they responded by recording their observations and returning the data back to Coruscant, oblivious to its significance for to them it was all the same. The information relayed to Coruscant did so in a matter of second and in that matter of seconds, there was not a person at central command that was unaware of a large fleet moving towards the home world. For an instant before that, the discovery was met with disbelief? An attack force at Coruscant’s doorstep did not happen. It was laughable. However, the sensors did not lie and the images were not phantom ghosting or any kind of electronic phenomenon. It was real and it was coming. 

Less than thirty minutes following that the Emperor was appraised of the situation and the man’s reaction was less than impressed, particularly when the fleet entering Coruscant’s space was made up of a rag tag collection of ships that should have been decommissioned and scraps years ago. It did not take long for the Emperor and his commanders to pinpoint the enemy behind the fleet was none other than the Rebel Alliance and while they debated over the possibility of Coruscant under siege, neither could any of them decide what was the point of the exercise. The rebels had to know that their fleet was no match for the star destroyers that guarded Coruscant. An attack was almost suicidal. If it were a rescue attempt for Mary Travis, it would be just as laughable for they would have to take Coruscant for that to happen. And at the moment, the attack force was hardly capable of defending itself against the Star Destroyers that would be leaving Coruscant to greet them. 

Palpatine suspected that there was more to this than he knew but he could sense nothing that would give suspicion any more substance. However, if the rebels wanted to take on Coruscant, he did not see why they could not be accommodated. With the capture of one of their illustrious leaders, Palpatine chose not to waste the opportunity of finishing the Alliance once and for all. He just never expected the enemy to deliver themselves into his hands. However, heroes were driven by emotion and compassion, dangerous traits that often led them to making illogical decisions.  

Within the hour, the Imperial fleet of six star destroyers departed Coruscant with a heading that would see them intercepting the enemy in less than an hour. The morale on board was almost euphoric for it would be an easy battle for the enemy was not only outgunned but also ill equipped. Some even considered the mission to be routine lacking any real challenge because there was no doubt that the enemy was hardly a match for the Imperial war machine. Still a threat to Coruscant could not be taken lightly and there was a feeling that the rebels needed to be taught a lesson in humility as well as arrogance for daring to attack the galactic centre of the Empire. 

Yes, it was clear that an example should be made and it appeared as if the rebel alliance would be volunteering for that honour. 

************

 From the bridge of the Vanguard, Ezra Standish monitored the approach of the Imperial ships with calm deliberation even though the rest of his crew had a decidedly anxious look about them. Ezra could hardly blame their fear as he saw the attack signals of six Star Destroyers on fast approach. In less than thirty minutes, those ships would be staring down the throats of the Vanguard and the rest of the rebel fleet. The communications transmissions they had been monitoring indicated that more Imperial ships were being sent for and it would not take very long before they would be inundated with Star Destroyers. Ezra’s plan was balanced on a delicate time frame so he was mindful of those dangers.  

In the background, he could see Coruscant’s silhouette against the sun and felt a pang of sadness when he realized how much he missed the place. Until his assignment at Doldur and subsequently Cordoba, Coruscant had been Ezra’s main hunting grounds. He had a nice low level position, which offered little chance of advancement, where he had his evening free to visit the sabaac tables and take the locals and the tourists for all they were worth. It had been a simple enough life and he still missed it. As he saw himself on the bridge of a warship about to lead a battle against the Empire, Ezra wondered how the hell he had come to be in such a position. 

"How long until they intercept us?" Ezra asked. 

"Five minutes," Nathan said staring at the same ships on the view screen.  

"Good," Ezra nodded without turning his gaze away from the screen. Once they had crossed the path of the sensors stationed at the perimeter, the fleet had slid into maximum burn to ensure that they would be well in reach of Coruscant before the Imperial ships came upon them. This plan would not work if they were halted in their advance to reach the planet. Now Coruscant was in sight and so was the enemy. The extra five minutes that it would take for the Imperial ships would allow the rebel fleet to further narrow the gap.  

"It’s now or never," Ezra sighed. "Send the signal to Alex on the surface. Tell her to commence lowering the defence grid." 

"I’m already there," Nathan retorted and was already moving across the floor to the communications station. A slight nod at the direction of the com officer saw the transmission of the signal that Alex was no doubt waiting for with increasing anticipation.  

In the meantime, Ezra tapped a button on the control panel of his armrest and spoke into the small communication device attached. "Chris, are you and the others prepared?"

"As we’ll ever be." Chris returned shortly. 

"Standby for my signal to launch." Ezra nodded, pleased that so far things were in place and waiting for the word to begin. He flicked another switch on his console and spoke once more. "Mr. Wilmington, are you prepared to launch?" 

"All squadrons are ready to go." Buck Wilmington’s voice said clearly. "Me and the kid are itching to give those some payback for Siraj, right JD?" 

"We’ll give them hell, Ezra," JD returned just as ebulliently. 

Ezra and Nathan exchanged a little smile. "You just keep your butts out of trouble." The exec retorted.  

"We always do," Buck voice revealed the grin that was surely on his face. "You guys stay out of trouble too." 

"We will," Ezra answered before his voice took on a more serious tone. "All squadron leaders, initiate launch at my signal." 

A group of voices returned responses to the affirmative as the bridge crew waited in anticipation of the signal to begin the attack. Nathan kept his eyes on the communication officer’s terminal, waiting for the transmission that would arrive from Coruscant on a scrambled frequency. 

Without it, they had no mission. 

***********

 Casey’s fingers were moving so quickly that Alex could not longer see which keys she was pounding on the portable terminal. However, there was no need for that since the screen before them revealed what she was doing with far more efficiency. Digital images appeared before them, revealing the cyberspace representations of the system the young woman was plundering with remarkable speed. Words flashed in its deep emerald hue before dissipating into the darkness of the screen. In a flurry of seconds, Alex knew that Casey had sliced her way through the primary defence grid. Her worm program was burrowing past all the security lockouts and bringing its user to the place she needed to be. 

"I’m in." Casey announced.  

The others, who were hunched over her shoulders, watching her action, did so with a sense of fascination, even though none of them could hope to replicate what the young woman was attempting. They saw the Imperial network displayed before them, saw Casey select what she wanted the way she might have been programming a food synthesizer. It was hard to believe that she was navigating her way through one of the most fortified computer mainframes in the galaxy. Suddenly, a schematic of the entire defence grid appeared before them. Even though they did not understand the process that allowed her to penetrate the system, they recognized it for what it was. 

"By the Force." Rayne whispered. 

"Disable everything, the sensor grid, the deflector shield, the air batteries, take them all down now." Alex ordered.  

"Okay," Casey nodded and began introducing the computer virus that would wreak havoc across the entire system. "This ought to do it." 

"How long will it take effect?" Inez asked, her hand tightening around her gun because she was of the feeling that once the effects of Casey’s virus were felt they would be getting visitors.  

"I’m downloading now," Casey replied, punctuating her words with a push of a button. The green display before them soon flickered erratically as its diagnostics system began to recognize the existence of a failure. Suddenly, the digitized emerald display turned siren red and alerts began screaming at them through the screen. Without even being present, the women could picture the klaxons sounding at core command as they were besieged by multiple failures of their defence grid from all fronts.  

"What’s happening?" Inez inquired, having no patience at attempting to decipher what was on the screen. 

"They’re probably still reeling from the shock," Alex replied, understanding some of what was going on and being able to anticipate a great deal. "But I say they’ve worked out that they’re wide open for attack." 

"All systems are down." Casey informed dutifully in case there is any doubt. "The virus is throughout the system, expanding exponentially. The only way they can stop is to shut the entire thing down and attempt to keep if from infecting any other vital systems. So far its only the defence grid that’s been neutralize but the main frame that controls planetary security also controls, power and utilities. They’ll be forced to shut down or those system will also become infected." 

"Good," Alex retorted. "Now its game time."

***********

 "Confirmed," Nathan stared at Ezra a short time later. "Our sensor are reading multiple systems on Coruscant being disabled. It worked." 

"Never doubt young aristocrats with more bravery than sense," Ezra grinned a dimple smile. "Remind me to congratulate the young woman when this is all over." 

"You’ll have to get in line," Nathan chuckled and then sobered up because they were far from accomplishing all that was required these days. "What are your orders?" 

"Give our fighters to launch. Tell them to remain close to our fleet as we push forward. I do not wish to waste our resources with confronting TIE fighters in a battle we cannot possibly win. Our primary goal is the safe delivery of our packages, nothing more." 

"Will do," Nathan nodded and stepped away from him to do just that. 

Ezra activated the communicator on his armrest again. "Chris, the balloon has gone up. You have a launch." 

"We’re on our way." Chris answered promptly though a cackle of static. "May the Force be with you."

 Ezra sucked in his breath and gazed at the phalanx of ships approaching the Vanguard on the view screen and responded after a moment. "May it be with of all of us."

CHAPTER TEN

 The lowering of the planetary defence grid threw Coruscant into an utter state of panic particularly with the knowledge that in the space above, Imperial ships were about to engage an enemy fleet. It was the first time in too long that war had come to the skies of the galactic centre and understandably, the reaction upon realizing the danger prompted a slow response. The most common reaction was astonishment for it was often the case whenever the invulnerable was found not to be so. After becoming accustomed to a thing being so supreme, to learn that it was not the case send ripples of shock through the people of Coruscant, to say nothing of those who were responsible for maintaining that illusion of invulnerability. As ships became to grow in number above the planet and the powers that be racing to reinstate their protective veneer, it was relatively simple for one ship to enter the planet’s orbit unnoticed.

With commercial and private sector ships leaving the world in a mad hurry to avoid destruction, the systems in place to monitor the departure of ships from Coruscant, became quickly overloaded. It was not long before the weary custodians in charge of regulating this mass exodus were forced to call in reinforcements from other areas in response to the current crisis and during the resulting chaos, one ship slipped anonymously past the notice of all to enter Coruscant’s skies. This pilot at the helm of the craft was wise enough to disappear beneath the scanner range as soon as possible, until its presence if not noted yet, would remain undetected as it found a suitable landing site. Even so, even if they were noticed by anyone, they would have appeared to be nothing more than a short-range shuttle returning from the Imperial fleet for some mission of importance.

The only person who did notice the arrival of the shuttle had been expecting it ever since the rebel fleet had been sighted in Coruscant space. Alexandra Styles waited patiently at the landing site for the shuttle to appear in the skies above their hiding place. The communication bands all across the planet registered the failure of the planetary defences and citizens were issued warnings to stay indoors until the problem and the crisis had been averted. So far the cities remained quiet and Alex hoped it remained that way. Fortunately, with everything so chaotic at the moment, no one noticed the shuttle’s entry into Coruscant. Under normal circumstances, an unauthorized ship would already by swarming with TIE fighters, demanding it follow them to an Imperial landing zone to account for its flight plan.

The shuttle paused in the middle of the sky as it reached its landing coordinates. Powerful engines stilled and thruster control was activated as it gently lowered to the ground in a vertical landing. Landing struts extended outward as the ship made its descent amongst the skyline of abandoned buildings. The shuttle was a beautiful display of lights and motion as it took advantage of the natural cover to conceal itself. Landing on the courtyard space that was surrounded by the tall, forgotten structures, the shuttle was soon disengaging its systems as its occupants prepared to disembark. Alex found herself filled with a sense of anticipation and she knew that it had little do with the mission ahead and everything to do with seeing Vin Tanner. For a seasoned veteran like herself, not to mention a grown woman, she wondered what it was about the Jedi apprentice that captured her heart so and then supposed it was that they were both finding their way in this world and had somehow stumbled upon each other. It was so unexpected and yet so incredibly right that there was no alternative but to enjoy the ride together.

By now, the ramp had extended forward from the hatch and touched the ground. Alex stepped forward out of the shadows into the open. They did not have much time to waste. Twilight was an hour behind them and they had no clear time frame on how long Ezra could keep the Empire at bay. A strobe of light illuminated the area when the hatch slid open and she saw Chris Larabee emerging from the body of the craft. She was not surprised that he would be the first one out since he would be the most anxious to get their plan to liberate Mary from the Domicile underway.

Following Chris closely down the ramp was the cloaked figure of Ben Kenobi whose features could not be seen but stealthy manner made it impossible to mistake him for anyone else. Like Chris before him, the Jedi moved through the night like shadows in the dark, gliding silently forward. In comparison, Josiah seemed almost ungainly and awkward which gave Alex some measure of comfort because she did not feel completely assured of herself when around Chris Larabee. The Jedi as a whole unnerved her and through she cared deeply for Vin, what he was frightened her on some level, especially when one remembered how wrong it went for someone like Vader.

"Alex," Chris nodded slightly in her direction. "Its good to see you."

He meant it too. Chris knew how much Alex mattered to both Mary and Vin and though he had every confidence in her abilities, he worried about her being on Coruscant for such hazardous duty. Not just for her as a matter of fact but for each member of the team who had come to the planet and laid the groundwork for what they were about to do today. If Alex and her companions had failed in their undertaking, their mission would have died in the birthing.

"Likewise," Alex smiled at the genuine emotion in the usually guarded expression of the Jedi Knight. "We’re all prepped and ready. Our entry point will be hazardous but it’s the only unmonitored section of the Domicile. Mostly because it is believed the path we intend to take it is impassable."

"Is it?" Josiah asked, uncertain of where she was indicating.

"It is manageable," she said with some measure of hesitation. "But dangerous. Unfortunately, it is also the only way we have to enter the place and without it, we have no way of reaching Mary."

"It will do," Ben replied positively, sensing her anxiousness to help her friend.

"No one said this was going to be easy," Josiah remarked, smiling at Alex.

Alex glanced at the cages he and Chris were carrying and noted the creatures scurrying inside its confines. She could not imagine how such charming life forms had the ability to render a Jedi powerless but she had seen them do it and so she did not doubt their power, no matter how unlikely it seemed. "How long will you need to keep those? We can’t make it through the exhaust ports carrying those cages."

"We won’t have to," Chris answered while stealing a glance at the yslamiri in their cages. Their effects on the Jedi had not lessened one wit since coming into contact with them but at least Chris was managing to tolerate them enough to handle their presence. "We’ll keep them long enough to penetrate the prison. Vin seems to have a better tolerance for them than Ben or I so he can carry them."

"Thanks," Vin Tanner announced his presence to Alex upon emerging from the hatchway. "Make me do all the hard work."

Alex burst into a wide grin and the affection between the two was easy to see by the corresponding smile she engendered from the apprentice. The three men continued their departure from the ship as Alex and Vin met in a gentle kiss of greeting. Warm lips engaged each other briefly since nothing more passionate was possible and in truth not really required for either to know how much they felt at seeing each other again. Once they had parted, they turned their attention back to their friends, their previous display of emotion now rescinded to a simple look of warmth. Alex in particular was soon all business and despite the tender moment, it did not take her long to return to the persona of Commander Styles.

"We have to take advantage of the night," Alex explained as they returned to their hideout. "Casey is not sure how long it will take Central Command to repair the damage caused by her program so we have to be make sure that we have Mary before that happens."

"What about the shuttle?" Chris asked referring to the craft behind them.

"Leave it," Alex retorted with hesitation. "We won’t be able to use it to get off the planet. The way everyone is rushing to get off the planet, the ships we have would be better served for our escape. Rayne’s ship has diplomatic clearance, they won’t search it. When we have Mary we’ll split up into two teams, Rayne will take Mary and get off the planet. Casey can go with them and you too senator." Alex looked over her shoulder at Josiah.

"I should remain with you," Josiah reminded.

Alex paused a moment and Chris could tell that whatever she was to say was not something Josiah was not going to wish to hear and it required no insight in the Force to make that determination just the stern look in her eyes. It came from years of authority and those she was unaccustomed to wielding it as Mary did, Chris could tell that it did not frighten her to use it or to exert it.

"Josiah," Alex let out a deep breath. "I love the fact that you’ve come out here and placed your life on the line not only for Mary but also for Casey. You were always keeping not only on Mary but on me too and I love you for that. You are my family so please take this in the spirit that this is given. You may be a member of the Alliance Council but on this mission, you are a part of my team. I decide what is an acceptable risk and at this moment, you are almost as valuable to the Empire as Mary is and I will not have you risking your life any more than you have to. I understand that you want to help her and I will not deny you that but once we’re done, once we’ve freed Mary, you will take her and Casey and you leave or else you can march back to the shuttle now."

Chris and Ben glanced at each other and then at Vin who merely shrugged his shoulders in a clear indication that he was not involving himself in this and offered silent advice that they should do the same. In truth, Alex was right, this was her mission and she was not refusing Josiah the chance to participate, merely being cautious. Once Mary was rescued, their presence here would be exposed and it would be exceedingly risky for Josiah to remain at large. It was a good tactical decision for the Senator to take Mary and Casey off planet first. As Chris waited for Josiah to answer, he could see the understanding filter into Josiah’s eyes.

"You strike a tough bargain commander," Josiah sighed.

"Only because I care about you as much as I care about Mary." Alex returned. "Do we have a deal?"

"Of course we do," Josiah nodded. "I’ve been a negotiator long enough to know a good arrangement when I see it. Thank you for letting me help."

"As if I could stop you," Alex replied and came forward and hugged Josiah warmly. This was the man who had taken them on their first trip to the Republic Senate and allowed them to watch a hearing. Since Mary’s father was never around during her youth, it was Josiah who often filled the role of parent in her life and in some way, in Alex’s too. She was never as close to Orin as she should have been so in many ways, Josiah had been a surrogate to her as well.

Alex pulled away from him now that the issue was settled and the tough expression fell over her face again as she regarded the men before her. "General, we’ve had word that Vader is on his way back to Coruscant," she replied as she resumed walking.

"We’ve had that intelligence as well," Ben nodded as they started following her towards the darkened buildings. "Chances are good he’ll know that our attempt to engage the fleet is a ruse."

"Then he’ll come straight here," Alex declared, throwing a brief glimpse at him for confirmation.

"Yes," Ben answered, confirming her worst fears. "I will face him alone."

"No you won’t," she declared. "We stick with the plan to release Mary. I will not be the commander who lost General Kenobi on a mission. If it becomes unavoidable, then so be it but I want your promise that you will follow the parameters of the mission, not your personal agenda? Is that clear?"

Ben cracked a smile and gave Vin a look, "is she always like this?"

"This is her good day," Vin threw Alex a smile full of mischief.

"Makes you feel any better," Chris added, "she’s not as bad as Mary."

"That’s comforting." Ben returned his gaze to Alex. "I am at your disposal."

"Don’t you forget it," she retorted with a little smile and crooked brow. "Now let’s quit this jawing and get moving! Hell, I never thought a bunch of Jedi and one Republic senator could be so difficult to motivate."

"Don’t you just love her?" Vin grinned as Alex strode forward leaving them behind and the apprentice hurried his pace to catch up with her.

"They deserve each other," Josiah chuckled and received similar response of agreement on that point. from both Chris and Ben

************

Both fleets stared at each other as if they were the reflecting image in the looking glass. The Imperial fleet did not waste time surging towards the rebels in classic Imperial attack strategy. From the bridge of the Vanguard, Ezra had expected this. It was part of the reason why he had brought the rebel fleet into Coruscant’s space so quickly. He wanted the battlefield for their engagement to be the skies above the planet, it was there that it would have its greatest impact and would allow for the distraction that the ground force needed to rescue Mary Travis. As the space between the two opposing forces continued to dwindle, Ezra took a deep breath and knew that now was the time to launch the attack upon which so much depended. The Imperial had no doubt studied their ships and have determined the aged junkers he had acquired at Sluis Van to be wholly incapable of matching them in battle. Ezra hoped that misconception would follow the Imperial commanders for many nights after this day because he was about to show them just how deceiving looks could be.

"They’re moving to engage," Nathan stated as he stood by Ezra’s command chair and stared at the image on the viewer before them. In any other situation, the phalanx of Star Destroyers should have terrified them to the core but now that the bridge were aware of what their commander had planned, it seemed only as if the stage was finally set for the trap to be sprung.

"Standard Imperial procedures," Ezra smiled and Nathan nodded in agreement. "Engage with no quarter given when the odds are on their side, a very presumptuous stance to take."

"What are your orders?" Nathan asked even though he had a fair idea.

"Do we have communications with the rest of our fleet?" Ezra glanced at him.

"Yes, they’re standing by for your orders." Nathan answered automatically.

"My orders are simple," Ezra spoke clearly so that the commanders at the helm of the other ships could hear him. "Proceed at maximum burn. I want ramming speed."

*********

For a few seconds, the Imperial fleet were uncertain of the unusual tactic employed by the commander of their enemy armada but they did recognize that the ships previously considered ill matched to engage them were surging towards them, leaving heated trails of exhaust plasma behind them. The ships appeared barely able to reach light speed but that did not stop them accelerating forward with such power that the Imperial commanders considered halting their own rapid advance until they discerned what the enemy was doing. The rebel ships may have been numerous but its armament and its artillery were incapable of successfully defeating their Imperial foes and yet they were still speeding forward, preparing to engage as if they could win.

Despite the confusion and despite the conflicting signals, the Imperial fleet maintained its course ahead, remaining confident that it could handle whatever strategy the enemy was about to assail them with. Even though the evidence was mounting that the enemy fleet was forging ahead at ramming speed, the Imperial commanders could not bring themselves to believe that the rebels were launching an attack with only that as their main tactic. It was ludicrous.

Wasn’t it?

**********

"They’re not moving," Nathan shook his head in disbelief. "They’re still coming at us."

Ezra was not surprised. "They think we are bluffing." He stated confidently as the Destroyers loomed closer in the view screen. "They cannot possibly believe that we would attempt a full frontal assault with nothing more than ramming speed as a defence. At this moment, their commanders have assessed the risk and possibilities of what we could be doing. Until now, we have used similar combat tactics when we engage each other. They assume that most of our commanders are Academy trained as they are so they believe they are capable of out thinking us."

Nathan could see what Ezra was driving at. The commanders out there were judging the battle they were fighting with the rebels by the standard of those fought before this day. It was likely that they have studied previous attacks between Imperial and Alliance forces and have deduced that the obvious could not possibly be based on what they had seen before. It was part of the reason why Mary had been so successful when engaging the Imperial in aerial combat. She did not play by the rules they expected her to because she was once one of them. Mary, like Ezra, understood that how that expectation could be used as a weakness and then exploited.

"They pick the wrong man to gamble with," Nathan gave him a sidelong glance full of mischief. And it was the truth. That was all this entire battle was to Ezra on some level, an elaborate game of sabaac in which he had assembled his pieces and positioned them for the gamble of his life. If there was one person who knew how to play the odds, it was Ezra Standish. Nathan had watched him play the game all his life, on the table and in life. This entire affair over Coruscant, was just the latest in a life dedicated to testing the boundaries of chance and besting it.

"Well you know I never play with paltry stakes," Ezra offered his old friend a fond smile that only came through years of friendship. He could tell that Nathan was feeling very proud of him because he was justifying the man’s belief in him. Ezra often wondered what it was Nathan saw in him that inspired such unswerving faith in his abilities. Heaven knew he never saw such potential when he looked in the mirror. However, he did know how to gamble and bluffing was something he was capable of doing to a fine art. He just never thought he would be able to put it to such use in a situation like this.

"Helm, drop our speed and let the rest of the fleet pass us." Ezra instructed, issuing the next phase of his plan.

"Yes Sir," the helm officer at the head of the bridge answered promptly. The order did not surprise any of the officers serving on the bridge at the moment because they knew what their leader had in mind and it was a stroke of insane genius if not a little more ruthless than they had expected. Unfortunately, the past few years in the trenches had taught them well and they were all seasoned soldiers who knew that in war, no one could completely keep their hands free of blood.

The deceleration of the Vanguard’s engines could be heard in the medium of a slight hum in the bulkhead that lasted no more than a fraction of a second. When it was gone, they saw the other ships moving past them through the view screen and through the observation windows on the bridge. The old ships, long since past their prime continued onward, about to end their existence as ships of war in a final battle that would no doubt be remembered for decades to come if Ezra’s gamble succeeded. Ezra watched the old warships, the cruisers and the frigates leaving the Vanguard behind and felt a certain amount of sadness that he was going to responsible for their end. However, there had been no choice. He had made the gamble and now he was being called.

"Is the channel to the other ships open?" Ezra glanced at Nathan.

"Its open," Nathan nodded. "It’s now or never."

"It is now," Ezra said firmly. "I will not risk any more lives than necessary."

Nathan nodded in understanding and said nothing further, allowing Ezra to issue his final instructions to the fleet that had been briefly under his command but no more.

Ezra gazed at his friend, seeing Nathan’s confidence and silent urgings to continue before he spoke in a loud and authoritative voice. "All hands on board the fleet, set course for ramming speed and abandon ship. Repeat abandon ship. All life pods will rendezvous with the Vanguard. We are currently holding position. Once you have ejected from your ships, return to the Vanguard. Repeat, return to the Vanguard."

With that Ezra turned to Nathan, "patch me a channel to our fighter squadrons."

Nathan stepped up to his post and tapped a few buttons on the console before turning to Ezra. "You’re on."

"All fighter squadrons, you will break off support to your respective ships once the life pods have been launched. You are to provide escort and safe passage for all life pods returning to the Vanguard. Do not engage the Empire. Our warships will see to that task without any fighter assistance. Our primary concern is the safe return of all our people in the life pods."

"Heard you loud and clear Ezra," Buck Wilmington’s voice filtered through. "We’ll bring everyone home safe and sound."

"That goes for you too Buck," Nathan reminded. "Remember, maintain minimal safety distance. The deflector shields on that fighter of yours isn’t like the Rogue, its not going to like having to absorb the amount of power that’s about to fill this area of space in a few minutes."

"I’ll keep it mind," Buck responded. "Besides, I’m not about to get myself killed when things are about to get real interesting."

Interesting was an understatement, Ezra thought. He hoped the Imperial commanders found it just as inspiring.

**********

It was during the exodus of life pods that the Imperial commanders whom Ezra had up to this point confounded, began to realize that perhaps their reasoning had led them headlong into a disaster of gargantuan proportions. The fact that the rebels were abandoning their ships and the lead attack craft had suddenly dropped to the rear of the battlefield, gave the astonished Imperial commanders some idea of what was about to happen. As frantic signals began relaying across the Imperial fleet, most having to do with withdrawal, the disbelief at being asked to retreat from a lesser enemy was almost as debilitating as the fact that the gap between two fleets were too narrow to avoid the inevitable collision.

Collision would have done some damage to the heavily armoured Star Destroyers but not enough to secure Ezra the victory he wanted or provide the disabling consequences to the fleet that would leave Coruscant completely vulnerable. Ezra had wanted Coruscant to feel so completely defenceless and exposed that it would wreak utter chaos throughout the quadrant and unprecedented terror throughout the planet itself. He wanted to ensure that every person on Coruscant who had reason to fear the Alliance to stymie the resources of the authorities that would otherwise be focussed on the Domicile when the extraction team penetrate its confines to release Mary Travis.

Collision would not do that.

Warships armed with mass destruct anti-matter weapons could.

Each of the warships had been installed with an antimatter weapon that would ensure that when it collided with a Star Destroyer, not even its formidable armaments or its deflector shield would prevent it from being mortally crippled if not completely annihilated. The engineers who had installed the devices had been uncertain of what kind of scale they would be achieving since such a strategy had never been utilized in civilized warfare. The Alliance Council had called it ruthless, some even barbaric but as Ezra and his people retreated from the kill zone, he knew that he was also going to give them their most brilliant military victory to date.

The first warship, an old Corellian frigate that had seen better days ploughed into the side of the Imperial warship called the Fury. The Fury had banked hard, attempting to avoid the warship but had not the manoeuvrability to avoid the impact. The nose of the frigate slammed hard into the starboard section of the Imperial craft. The damage was significant with spidery webs of energy cackling over the length of the ship and amber flashes across the hull. Then the frigate exploded and when it did, it took with it half the ship. The Fury dipped at a 45-degree angle as large chunks of its hull broke away from the main body of the craft. Debris filled space briefly ignited like fireflies over the dark canvas. The rest of the Destroyer did not last long after than and the entire ship ruptured with a thunderous that would have deafen anyone if there had been air to carry its powerful roar.

The destruction of the Fury had a profound effect on the Imperial fleet that now faced with the awesome truth of the danger they faced, began retreating. However, it was too late. The warships, each programmed by remote to target one specific ship would not be denied in its efforts. The Destroyers either choosing to fight or to run found the delay was costly and those who lingered long enough to open fire on the closing fleet of warships, soon found themselves unable to escape the kamikaze enemy. Old ships, forgotten and written off as less than a match were now bringing terror to those who had been arrogant enough to discount them.

Another destroyer was hit and this time it took the brunt of the collision from a Hapes cruiser. The hull of the Hapes cruiser cracked open like an egg when it impacted on the stern of the destroyer Venture. It crumpled inwards before a bright blinding light filled the space both ships occupied, like an old star saying its final goodbye, filling the world full of light before disappearing, leaving flaming embers in its wake. Other ships met a similar fate, their metal hulls bursting with energy as the explosions tore through their armoured plated hides like paper. Those that were not entirely destroyed, suffered massive casualties and damage to their systems, some lost power entirely and drifted aimless until Coruscant’s gravity began pulling them to it, debris and all.

On the surface of Coruscant, terrified citizens watched the night sky flare with destruction and likened it to a rain of fire descending upon them.

Part Eleven

 When the skies over Coruscant came alive with the colour of destruction, Chris knew that it was time to proceed at last to recover Mary. From the planet itself, the violent battle in space looked more like a fire works display for a celebration, rather than a life and death struggle where hundreds were dying with each burst of light. For once Chris was thankful that the yslamiri was in such close proximity for he had no wish to feel the dying souls engaged in the battle, not when he needed his concentration for the task ahead. However by that same token, he could not feel Mary either and that concerned him. He had thought there could be nothing so terrible as feeling her die inside his mind but now he had been faced with something even worse, not being able to feel her at all.

Ezra had told them that they would know the signal to proceed when they saw it and when the sky came alive with colour, there was no mistaking what it for what it was; the opportunity they were waiting for to proceed. Unfortunately, there would be no way to mask their approach to the Domicile other than to travel forward in near pitch-black darkness, with the engines rigged for silent running. It was as much cover as they were going to receive and Chris hoped as they set out across the space between their hiding place and the prison that the attention of those within the structure would be focussed on the melee occurring in the skies above.

"How will we know if they’ve seen us?" Josiah inquired as the speeder they were in surged through the night towards the looming structure of the Domicile. As they approached, they could hear the sound of crushing waves against the rock as they neared the cliff face upon which the prison was erected.

"That’s easy," Vin drawled. "They won’t blast us to pieces."

"Way to instil confidence in the troops Vin," Chris gave the younger man a look.

"Unfortunately, he’s right." Alex answered as she piloted the speeder. "There are usually manned batteries on the top of that thing making sure no one does what we’re about to do. Fortunately, I don’t think anyone is going to be paying much attention to us." Her comment was punctuated by another brilliant flash in the sky. Flaming debris was falling to earth, captured by the gravitational field of the planet. The night sky appeared to be inundated with falling stars and though it appeared spectacular, those who knew the cause of it felt a chill of fear run through them seeing it rather than excitement or awe.

"Ezra’s plan seems to be working," Inez said grimly, proud of her lover but also sad that it required so much death for them to rescue Mary. Somehow Inez did not think that Mary would be happy of the lives it had cost for her to secure her freedom, even if they were Imperial lives. Unfortunately, it did not do to think in those terms, not whilst they were in their present situation.

"It was had the benefit of never being attempted before," Ben pointed out as he added his gaze to those who were watching the conflagration in the night sky. It was hard to tell the difference between the stars and the fiery glow that emanated from ships that were severely damaged and bleeding from open wounds. Some were entering the atmosphere, streaking through the skies like comets, trailing dust and fire behind them. Ben hoped by the time they were ready to impact, the intense heat of re-entry would burn away most of its bulk or else Coruscant’s night of terror was only just beginning.

"We needed a distraction," Josiah replied softly. "We got it. We better make the most of it while we can."

Tula gave a slight rumble of agreement with the senator. The Wookie and Josiah had spent much time in each other’s company when Tula had escorted Josiah home to Kashyyyk where he had approached the enslaved planet to join the Alliance. Although the Wookies were limited in what they could provide in hardware, they made up for their lack of resources by their heart. The Alliance felt privilege to have their participation because the race though peaceful in nature, could be passionate warriors when properly provoked and what had been done to Kashyyyk and its populace certainly qualified in engendering their utmost dislike for the Empire.

"Everyone quiet," Chris ordered as the speeder neared the prison.

Silence befell the group as they moved closer to the structure, their breaths held as they waited in anticipation to see if they were seen or not. If they were, their answer would be one shot burst from an ion cannon that would end not only the mission for them, but everything else that might ever be. Alex was tense as she inched the craft closer and closer to the nearest exhaust port, it’s fiery opening visible by each breath of flames that gushed forth at each cycle. The others soon shared her reaction as they saw the surge that exploded with such incendiary results.

Its radiant light beckoned to them, like a whisper or soft caress in a night filled with eternal cold. The speeder followed the siren song of amber light, oblivious to the anxiety of its passengers as its continued single minded on its course. Silence overcame them as they waited for response from the Imperial sentinels perched in their places of power, momentarily distracted by the terrible battle in the sky. They hoped this was the case because if they were wrong, if Ezra’s distraction did not work, then there would all die here and now, failing in their purpose without ever reaching Mary and that was something they could not afford.

The short journey across the plain had become something else in the darkness, some impossible test they had to complete before being allowed to embark on their true quest. For each and everyone of them, it was a test of faith and courage, of knowing that to fight for something, one was willing to die for it and in this moment, there was no greater expression of that belief. No one spoke as they speeder hummed tonelessly, its noise drowned out by sound of waves, assailing the jagged shore on the rocks below. Soon the sky disappeared before them and all there was left was the Domicile, dark and foreboding, sinister in its brick walls and stone foundations, daring them to best it on this night.

After it felt as if they had crossed the Maw and not a mere stretch of land between the outskirts of civilization and the Domicile, the heat of the ejecting exhaust pod warmed them inside the speeder. There was no fiery end by means of ion cannons or any other violence visited upon them. In fact, their presence did not appear noticed at all. Considering what was taking place in the skies above, they supposed it was understandable that they should broach the most heavily fortified prison on Coruscant without anyone being the wiser of it.

"Can they see us?" Casey asked quietly as the others climbed out of the speeder and unloaded their equipment in the dark, almost shadowy in their substance.

"No," Inez shook her head, staying close to the young woman because she could sense her anxiousness, not because she was frightened of what they would be facing but because she was terrified of letting them down. "We picked this particular exhaust port because it’s a blind spot, the sentries can’t see us."

"Oh," Casey swallowed, looking nervously at the walls of the tower. She could not see the batteries that Inez or Alex had referred to but she had no doubt that it was there.

The Domicile had looked sinister from a distance but up close it was even worse. The walls were a smooth black surface that was almost seamless. Casey could see nothing that might be a door or a window or any signs of life emanating from the structure. She would have almost thought it to be carved out of stone if not for the fact she knew that it was not and within its seemingly impenetrable walls was Mary Travis, awaiting them to rescue her from this terrible place. There was only one manner of entry through the smooth finished walls and that was the exhaust port that vented heat and plasma at regular intervals. There was no need for added security measures since the purpose of the openings provided all the protection it needed to keep intruders from attempting to use it as a means of entry.

Chris Larabee stared at the gust of plasma that escaped the ports and dissipated into the night air. Even though they were standing well out of its way, the intense heat warmed their skins in the expulsion. A pause followed the latest expulsion of heat and Chris took especial note of the time. Alex was correct, it was the only way in but there was no margin for error and as much as he liked to credit Alex and those with them who were not Jedi born, he could not. They would not be able to traverse the distance in time to escape the next blast of plasma. The Jedi knew it without having to say a word to each other.

"Its time to let the yslamiri go," Ben turned to Alex and announced.

"Now?" She stared at them. "I thought you wanted to keep them with you?"

"No," the Jedi Master and one time general shook his head in response. "Let them go Vin."

Vin understood Ben’s reasoning and did as he was told because he guessed what it was Ben intended, having seen the exhaust ports and calculating speed in which they would need to travel in order to escape the plasma ventilation in time. Without giving the request a second thought, he went to the cage that was still in the speeder and removed it from the back where it was situated. Lowering the cage to the ground, the yslamiri within scurried around frantically at the sudden movement, their noses twitching and sniffing the new air with trepidation. Despite their danger to him, Vin could not disliking the creatures and hoped they would fare well once he set them free. Lifting the cage door, he watched the creatures cautiously approach the new opening. It did not take them long to discover that it was a way out and the first of the yslamiri to pass through the passageway bolted forward, leaving the cage far behind it as it attempted to put as much distance between itself and its captors.

With its departure, the others followed suit, their dark ermine forms racing away from them until they disappeared into the darkness. Vin could no longer chart their progress once they were beyond the illumination of the exhaust ports but he definitely they were some distance away because suddenly he began feeling all kinds of sensations flood into his consciousness. It was as if he had been asleep and upon awakening was overcome by a deluge of sensory data. He staggered a bit at the onrush of feeling and felt the world spinning before his eyes until a strong hand wrapped itself around his arm and helped to steady him.

"Vin are you alright?" Alex asked, her voice laced with tension.

"Yeah," Vin nodded. "I’m fine." He said after a moment when the spinning had stopped. He looked at Chris and Ben behind him and saw that the two Jedi had felt the same disorientation and had overcome it as well the further away the yslamiri drew from them. Vin had a feeling that the yslamiri might find it just as disconcerting to be around the Jedi as they were of the small furry creatures.

"Okay," Chris sucked in his breath. "Me and Ben will enter the exhausts. We’ll disable it and make it safe for the rest of you."

"That’s not what we planned." Alex blurted out, never comfortable with anyone risking his or her life for her.

"I agree," Josiah retorted in complete agreement with the commander.

"Look I don’t have time to debate this with you," Chris said abruptly in the manner that only Chris Larabee was capable. "Ben and I stand a better chance of making it through than any of you. The Force gives us an edge that will get across. Once we get to the other side, we can find some way of disabling it. We have to think of what’s is best for the mission."

"He’s right," Vin added his voice to Chris’ in order to convince Alex whose frown was evident. "Except for one thing." He met his master’s gaze.

Chris looked up just in time for Vin to explain.

"I’m going," the young apprentice stated firmly with a firmness to his voice that made would tolerate no argument in the matter. "You’re still recovering from getting hurt. Of all of you, I’m the one with the best shot at this so I’m going. You know I’m right."

"I’m afraid I do," Chris frowned, wanting to protest but being unable to do so because it was the truth that Vin had just stated. It was no different than convincing Alex to let him and Ben go instead of the entire group. As much as he hated to admit it, Chris was forced to adhere to his own rhetoric that the mission required things progress this way and it was far more important that their personal desires.

"Are you sure about this?" Rayne asked, glancing apprehensively at the exhaust port which seemed even more ominous than before now that they were upon it.

"No," Vin shook his head. "Only one way to find out."

"That does not fill me with a lot of confidence," Alex met his eyes and tried to hide her fear at his doing this but it was no different than all of them undertaking the same task. Only this way, it had more of a chance of saving their lives then all of them making the attempt and failing.

"I’ll be okay," he offered her a smile of confidence.

"You’ve studied the layout right?" Inez asked as he and Ben moved towards the port.

"As much as we need to," Ben replied and gazed at Vin.

The two Jedi approached the port on either side of the wall under the anxious gazes of their companions. Chris felt his stomach knot seeing Vin taking his place even though the younger man was correct about his condition. Even though Chris was well enough to take part in this mission, he could not deny that he was less than completely healed from the injuries sustained in Siraj. He could sense Alex’s fear as well, mostly because she was unaccustomed to taking a back seat and allowing some else to place themselves at risk for her.

A blast of heat shot out of the ports, driving the others back a little even though the flames did not reach them, however the instant it retreated back into the port, Vin and Ben jumped into the dark passage and started running. Their movements were flawless as they moved through the darkened chamber still sizzling with heat and ash. Their Jedi training allowed them to cover the space in half the time it would have taken the others to manage the feat and as they followed the length of the steel shaft, they could feel time pressing against them. It felt like almost an eternity and Vin expected seeing a surge of fire coming to engulf them as they moved deeper into the tunnel.

They were almost to the end when they sighted the venting system that would pour streams of hot plasma into the passageway with them. Reaching for their light sabre in almost perfect synchronicity, the two Jedi brought down the blades on the control panels that tore through the metal plating and conduits as if they were slicing air. Sparks flew in all directions as they penetrated the outer casing and promptly cut the mechanism itself to pieces. The flue mechanism that kept the plasma from discharging collapsed into an uncomfortable blockage that would not doubt cause troubles throughout the rest of the system. Heaving in protest, Vin and Ben dropped to the grimy floor as the smoke and plasma discharged over their heads. Of course the intensity of it was nothing like what it had been when the exhaust port was fully functioning and what they had experienced was the last gasp of a strangled voice.

"I think that did it," Vin stood up gingerly, soot and dirt covering his dark clothes.

"I would say so," Ben agreed, glad they had crossed their first hurdle. There would be more to come before the day ended he was sure.

"Come on," Vin was already walking back, confirming that belief. "We’ve got to get the others."

***********

Distraction or not, once they had made their invasive entry through the exhaust ports, all station were alerted to their presence. The Jedi could feel the danger pressing in on their senses as the group hurried out of the sanitation and refuse sector of the prison in which they had entered after escaping the shaft of the exhaust ports. Across the facility, klaxons began screaming intruder alert. While his was never a good sign, it was assumed that the prison would be unlikely to gain any reinforcements beyond its walls since those resources would be required to quell the widespread panic that was no doubt sweeping across Coruscant in the wake of the battle above. Unfortunately this did not mean that a formidable force of Imperial troops would not assail them nonetheless.

"We have to get out of here," Chris declared as they reached a junction in a network of corridors that ran through that section of the prison. Much of the machinery in place was automated due to the nature of its function.

"According to the layout, there should be a terminal around here somewhere," Inez replied as she studied the schematic in her hand.

"I’m there!" Casey called out enthusiastically as she produced a portable terminal to interface the more permanent one she located on one of the walls.

"Plug in," Chris instructed. "You should be able to have access to the entire Imperial network."

"How many ways are there out of here?" Vin turned to Inez. Alex and the others had scattered in all directions, making certain that for the moment, the passages were clear of Imperial troops coming for them.

"There’s the main access way," Inez studied what was before her on the small data pad. "However, I would suggest that we take this maintenance tunnel that runs along this section along the sewerage disposal." She remarked, tracing her finger across the screen. "It won’t smell good but its wide enough for Tula to fit so we should be alright."

"Good idea," Ben agreed, looking over her shoulder. "They will be sealing off the main exits soon enough."

"And moving Mary." Chris added from where he was standing next to Casey.

"I’m in!" The young announced as the screen flashed the technical schematic of the entire facility. Her response drew the others to her immediately.

"Try and find Mary." Chris said immediately, his thoughts focused on nothing else at the moment. He could feel Mary inside him and he knew that she was close. She was still alive as far as he could tell but her lack of response to his presence in her mind was cause for grave concern. Previously their link had been something that sustained them both, a connection that allowed each other to endure despite whatever was happening to them in the real world. Now that connection was thready and weak. He could feel her exhaustion and the dwindling strength of her resolve. She was almost finished and he could feel her mind starting to cast off the bonds that had kept her alive and Chris was suddenly faced with the possibility that if he did not find her soon, there would be nothing left of her to rescue.

"She’s in maximum security," Casey announced a second later which was a surprise to no one.

"Well that makes sense," Vin replied. "What’s the point in moving her? She’s in the most secure place there is already. There’s no way in or out of there other than the main entry point and I doubt they’re going to make it easy for us."

"It would not be fun any other way Senor," Inez replied, winking at him with mischief. Vin was starting to note that the former Ground Pounder had an odd sense of humour that he could relate to and supposed one needed that to have been married to Buck Wilmington.

"We may have to find an alternate way in." Ben pointed out.

"Exactly how would we do that?" Vin looked at him sceptically, "there’s only way into a detention center, especially a maximum security one."

"We will find a way," Ben said enigmatically before turning to Casey. "What’s directly under maximum security?"

Casey turned back to the screen to access that information before she stared at them. "According to this, interrogation room."

"Interrogation room?" Chris retorted.

"Yes," the young woman nodded as if saying the word had left a bad taste in her mouth.

Chris turned back to the others and exchanged glances with all of them. The same thought undoubtedly crossed their minds before Vin spoke. "They would never expect it."

"That is for sure," Inez agreed.

Chris was about to respond when they heard footsteps running quickly down the hall. When Inez raised her gun, Ben quickly placed his hand on her shoulder, shaking his head slowly as an indication that whomever was coming towards them was no enemy. Sure enough, a few seconds later, Alex turned up the corner. "We better get moving," she ordered sharply. "There’s a whole bunch of storm troopers coming into this sector."

"We’ve got an alternate plan out of this place," Chris retorted. "Inez," he gestured at her to explain.

"We can get out of here through an access tunnel," she replied quickly as instructed. "Its big enough for Tula so the rest of us should make it out easily enough."

"Okay," Alex agreed with that plan. "We’ll go back up the way I came and get the others."

Once Casey terminated her interface with the Imperial terminal, the rebels quickly hurried down the corridor before regrouping with the rest of their number. The main exit out of the area seemed clear for the moment but the Jedi could sense the approach of danger even though they could not see it and decided that Inez and Vin’s idea for an alternate exit from the maintenance sector was sound. It took little more than a series of twists and turns before they arrived at the first access way that connected to the maintenance tunnel. Tula growled in protest, her keen senses being able to smell what was on the other side of the wall of the tunnel they would soon be travelling. Although the stench was rather powerful, it was fortunately tolerable, particularly when they forced themselves into the metal passageway within the walls.

"There must be some cosmic law that says I’m always having to get into these tunnels," Chris grumbled as he scrambled inside.

"What?" Vin asked as the apprentice climbed in after him. The smell immediately made Vin’s nose wrinkle and suddenly he wished he had picked some other way to move out of this section.

"Nothing," Chris shrugged. "Alternate existence creeping up on me."

Vin did not even bother to ask what that meant.

Ben chuckled at the banter of the two friends when suddenly, his entire body was suffused with an icy cold feeling that ran up his spine and pierced his heart. He stopped short, as he was about to climb in, drawing Josiah’s immediate concern.

"Ben?" Josiah called out.

The Jedi Master did not speak. Chris started to crane his neck to ask Ben if everything was all right when he felt the same sensation of cold trickle through him as well. Vin let out an audible gasp in reaction, having less control than either of them.

"What the hell is it?" Alex burst out, nothing the tension that surged through the air, so thick that it was making it hard for anyone to breathe. "What’s wrong?" She demanded.

Ben sucked in his breath and stared at her. "Its Vader," he said quietly.

"Vader?" Colour drained from Rayne’s face next to her.

"What about him?" Alex was almost afraid to ask but unfortunately, she had to even though she knew what the Jedi Master was going to say.

"He’s here," Ben met her eyes directly. "Vader is here."

CHAPTER ELEVEN

 Vader had arrived on Coruscant shortly after the defence grid had been disabled. While his first instinct had been to proceed to the Imperial residence, he sensed something that immediately altered that course and had his shuttle changing trajectory towards the Domicile instead. Coupled with a sense of the battle he was going to fight was the astonishment that such a thing could be. What was Obi-Wan thinking coming to Coruscant? The familiar tremor of the Force upon his senses told him it could only be the presence of his old master that could cause such unrest within him. He had searched so long for Obi Wan Kenobi, following every lead and attempting to exploit, meeting only disappointment, Vader could scarcely believe that he was finally a shuttle trip away from his nemesis.

As the shuttle flew through the heart of the Imperial city, to the dismal surroundings of the Domicile’s location, Vader could sense the fear that was running rife throughout the populace. Coruscant had always been invulnerable, not merely in a physical sense but also in the state of mind of everyone who lived here. The rebel attack had shaken that confidence to its very foundation and Vader knew that after this, the Emperor’s determination to wipe them out would be merciless. In the space above the planet, a fierce battle was taking place and judging by the deaths cries he could sense from up above, it was obvious that the Imperial forces were taking a beating.

Without doubt, he knew that Ezra Standish was leading this battle because he had seen his vision about the man unfold in full, lurid colour as Coruscant’s skies became radiant with fire. Debris from ruined Star Destroyers rained down on the planet like a meteor shower, causing wide spread destruction. Forces that would have been able to deal with what was happening at the Domicile were being diverted to handle the chaos that had ignited as a result of it. Even now, he had been unable to raise the Domicile as he was making his approach. However, considering the efforts to combat the complete failure of all planetary network, it was likely their self-contained system had severed all links to the outer network to keep from being affected by the same malaise.

Another explosion overhead caused the dark lord to pick up his rear scanner and he saw another ship making a fiery return to Coruscant. The high yield mass destructive devices that Ezra Standish had laced in his bogus fleet was doing an impressive job of cutting its way through the superior Imperial forces. Vader could not help but admire Ezra for the devising the strategy that saw the complete and utter defeat of the Imperial fleet in the skies above. Even now, the Avenger and other ships stationed in other systems were returning to Coruscant at maximum speed, hoping to keep engage the rebel fleet before more destruction was visited upon the home world. Unfortunately, he guessed that they would be too late home to capture the commander who had proven himself almost as much a danger to Imperial morale as the one he had obviously come to rescue.

Upon nearing the Domicile, Vader began to sense more than just one Jedi. He could sense three as a matter of fact. Ben Kenobi had not come to Coruscant alone; he had come with Vin Tanner and Chris Larabee. That did offer Vader some measure of pause because he was not entirely sure that he could deal with three Jedi on his own. No doubt the Jedi would not be alone even if they did compose a powerful triumvirate. An expedition to rescue Mary Travis would require expertise beyond the ability of the Jedi. The lowering of the planetary defence grid was case in point. When this was all over, there would be considerable study made of how an intruder was able to leave Coruscant wide open for attack. No doubt, the engineer who had made this possible would be much sought after.

He hoped Julia Pemberton had the situation on hand. As one of the Emperor’s hands, her power in the Domicile during this crisis situation was considerable. She was a direct representative of the Emperor and she would be able to supersede any order given in the place. He found her to be adequate as far as such tools are concern. Vader suspected that she was nowhere as strong as she thought she was and her secret desires for Ezra Standish made her vulnerable, not to mention exploitable. In the end, she might be far more useful in bringing Ezra to the Emperor than she could possibly imagine though not in the manner in which she might suspect.

The shuttle soared towards the landing pads situated on the high peaks of the Domicile, giving an even more fearsome view of the crashing waves in the rocks below. He had come alone, having more experience than most pilots he might have enlisted for the duty of piloting himself to the Domicile. With more deftness that should have been permissible through the thick armour he wore around himself, Vader brought the craft to a swift landing on the tarmac. The Domicile was still powered, indicating that it had not been effected by the debilitating failures that were plaguing the rest of Coruscant.

He could sense Ben even more clearly now and he could tell that the Jedi was aware of him as well. He wondered if he ought to wait and let Ben come to him but he knew that would not do. There could be no allowing the Jedi Master to escape, not even at the cost of Mary Travis because of the two, he knew who was most important to him and to the Emperor. The Emperor wanted his son almost as much as Vader himself though not for entirely the same reasons. Whether or not the Emperor knew this was something Vader did not allow himself to think about because to keep the thought in his mind was to allow Palpatine access to it and so he focussed himself on merely finding the child, not about what would happen when he did.

Before any of that could happen, he would face the only man who stood between him and his son and any one else who got in the way.

************

He was here.

There was no doubt about it as they clambered up the tunnel that led out of the sanitation section of the Domicile. Even as they moved swiftly through the dark and musty passage that reeked of waste matter and other unmentionables, the Jedi could feel the Sith Lord’s presence stinking their insides more prolifically than anything that the slime and refuse around them could manage. They moved quickly through the darkness despite this, knowing that time was their greatest enemy, even more so than the Imperial forces hunting them right this minute. The longer it took to reach Mary the more risk they faced at their rescue failing.

The journey through the maintenance shafts was strenuous with all their attention focussed on moving through it as quickly as possible. Inez provided instructions on which dark twist and turn to take and after awhile it seemed as if they had been crawling through the ductwork for an eternity. In the meantime, they could hear the faint sound of footsteps beyond the walls as Imperial troops went about the business of attempting to locate the intruders. So far their method of sneaking towards their destination had not been discovered but this could not last indefinitely for the Imperials had the access to the same information as Inez and they would learn soon enough how many possible ways out there in and out of the sanitation section.

If not Vader would lead them straight to the rebels.

"We need to split up," Ben declared as they read an intersection in the catacomb like ductwork in which they were travelling.

"Absolutely not," Alex answered from further down the passage. The sound carried and she was quite capable of hearing the suggestion even though Ben had not meant the others to hear it.

However on this point even Chris had to agree even though he knew that the Jedi sometimes had to walk alone. "Ben, she’s right," Chris retorted. "We’re safer if we stick together.’

"No we’re not and you know it," Ben returned swiftly. "Vader will know exactly where we are if we do not split up. I have to face him."

"Look," Alex quickly interjected, "we’re not talking about this okay? Its going to be hard enough reaching Mary without you Jedi going on some personal crusade."

"This is nothing to do with a crusade," the Jedi master responded, his calm voice a contrast to her excited tone. "This has to be done."

"Alex, Chris, " Vin added his voice to the mix. "Vader will find us unless we split up. You both know it."

"How can he find us?" Casey asked fearfully. "He doesn’t know we’re here!"

"He can find us the same way Ben knew he was here," Josiah explained, his voice heavy with grim understanding that Ben was right about his statement even though it pained him to admit it.

"I have to go face him," Ben repeated himself. "I have to go alone."

"Well that I won’t agree to," Vin quickly spoke up. "You go on your own and you’ll get yourself killed and we all know how important it is that you survive."

"Precisely General," Rayne spoke up. "A great deal depends on your survival."

Ben swallowed as he heard his counterpart’s statement. Rayne understood better than anyone the responsibility that was his to carry. She knew because she carried the same burden in her guardianship of Leia Organa, Luke’s twin sister, whose existence was the biggest secret in the galaxy. Vader knew that he had a son but he had no knowledge that the child he sought so desperately was one half of twins. Thus Leia was safe as long as she remained unknown to him.

"I am not forgetting my responsibilities," he said somewhat perturbed. "I know them better than you think. However if it is my destiny to face him and die, then that is how it should be."

"Then I’m going with you." Vin stated.

"Have you all lost your minds!" Alex burst out. "Vin, you can’t."

"I can and I will," he said firmly. They had paused in the junction and were discussing this face to face as much was possible in such cramped and confined quarters. "We have a better chance of beating him if we’re together."

"Vin I can’t let you do this," Chris stared at the apprentice in the dark confines of the duct.

"You have to let me do this Chris," Vin returned. "You have to let me because while Ben and I are dealing with Vader, you have to go get Mary."

"Vin this is crazy," Alex stammered. "He almost killed you once." Her heart was knotting in fear at the prospect that he might actually do this. She remembered how he had looked after his first encounter with the dark lord. She had almost lost him to Vader and now he was contemplating of doing it again?

"Alex I have to," Vin said meeting her gaze. "I can’t be a Jedi if I let my fear get the better of me. Now I always knew I’d have to face him again and this time I’m pretty lucky," he glanced at Ben. "I got someone with me."

"We cannot debate this too long," Inez pointed out, amidst all this talk. Her concerns were not with fear or facing up to personal demons. She was concerned about the mission and her single mindedness reminded them that there was precious time to waste.

"I’m going Chris," Vin said firmly looking at all those who had voice against it. "Inez has got the right idea, we don’t have time to argue this but Ben and I need to go now, before Vader gives them any more of a clue where we are."

Chris sucked in his breath and held the younger man’s eyes for awhile, not at all liking this but knowing Vin was being more sensible than he. If he still was not recovering from his injuries, if it was not necessary for one Jedi to remain with the rescue team, he would never have let the younger man do what he was about to. Unfortunately, circumstances did not allow for that desire. He loved Mary and he could not face Vader with his concentration focussed on her safety. It was a sure way of getting him and Ben killed, so it was going to have to be Vin.

"Alright," Chris conceded, hating the whole idea but realizing that there was no other choice. "You and Ben go deal with Vader. Ben," he shifted his eyes towards the Jedi Master. "I’m counting on you to look out for my apprentice and also for both of you to just keep him busy, not defeat him."

"You have my promise," Ben replied earnestly and Chris believed he would.

"Vin," Alex pushed her way forward and found herself next to him. "Please don’t do this." She was pleading with him and she knew it but the thought of him leaving to face Vader terrified her more than the fact that she was leading an assault again an impenetrable Imperial fortress.

"Alex this is what I am," Vin said softly, his hand on her cheek as he stared into her frightened eyes and tried to make her understand. "If I’m gonna be a Jedi, I have to face what scares us both or else I’m no good to anyone."

"Damn you," she whispered softly. "Damn you for doing this and damn me for letting you."

Vin smiled, knowing her heart even if it was afraid for him. "I love you." He replied meaningfully as his hand held her cheek.

"I love you too," she sighed. "Even if you are a dope and as usual your timing is impeccable. You’re the only man I know who would say this to woman when they’re in the middle of enemy territory about to get killed."

"Can you think of a better time?" He winked at her.

"Unfortunately no," Alex shook her head and their lips met in a soft kiss. "You watch your ass, you hear me?"

"I always do," he grinned.

Unfortunately, Alex did not believe him.

**********.

As soon as they came to an access point, Ben and Vin climbed out of the duct and allowed the rest to continue on the way. Even though Chris recognized that the departure of the two Jedi was necessary, he like Alex, had deep reservations about splitting up. Separated they were weaker, no matter what the reasoning. However, Ben was right about one point; Vader would find them easily if they did not go in opposite directions. Chris could not help being torn by his responsibilities as a Jedi and his love for Mary. While the Jedi Council had never outright banned its Jedi from marriage, there was no doubt that it was an unhealthy practice. Until he had lost Sarah, he had not understood why. Though his marriage was frowned up generally, Chris had loved her too much to care and supposed that was why he was never considered Council material. His loyalties were split and his love for his family compromised his judgement.

They emerged from the ductwork into an empty corridor. The interrogation section of the prison was not considered a high priority area, particularly when the bulk of the Imperial storm troopers were either converging upon their last known location in the sanitation area or guarding the detention block where Mary was surely held. Inez immediately began studying the data pad in her hand in order to ascertain where they would go next. The corridor was quiet but the section they were in was an area of high traffic and it would not take them long to be discovered.

"Where are we going?" Chris asked. He could feel Mary was really close but where she was exactly eluded him.

"Three doors down," Inez said quickly as she started hurrying down the corridor. With one hand secured around her gun, she did not look up as she allowed the information on the data pad guide them to where they needed to go. "According to Casey’s interface with the network, there should be a questioning room directly under Mary’s cell."

"I hope its empty," Josiah retorted as he and Chris led the charge. Alex was keeping Casey close to her while Rayne and Tula protected their rear.

"It won’t matter," Chris replied and punctuated that statement with the sudden ignition of his light sabre. The beam of energy extended upward elegantly, humming softly in time with Chris’ movements. "It will be emptied once we get there."

The door in question appeared exactly where Inez said it would be and Chris motioned the others to stand their ground as he and the former Republic senator took up flanking positions on either side of the door. Alex stepped forward once they had done that and pushed the button that activated the door panel. With a slid thud, the mechanism began to shift into place and the heavy metal doors began to pause. Chris gave Josiah a quick gesture to let him enter first, since he was more capable of evading enemy fire if there was danger in the room. Stepping out into the doorway, his sabre brandished and ready to fend off any attack, Chris discovered to his relief that the room was quite empty indeed.

Stepping inside quickly, he was soon followed by the others. The room was indeed empty but unlike a chamber of horrors which was one was inevitably conditioned to expect when confronted by a room such as this, it appeared very benign. Other than a collection of bright lamps overhead and a chair in the centre of the floor, there was nothing else to indicate what the room might have been employed for. There were none of the infamous torture devices that the Empire was meant to use on its prisoners, no cruel devices to maim or kill, just that one chair and yet Chris could tell that this place had caused much pain. He could feel it in the walls, like a thick fog that would allow nothing else to be seen. Chris could feel the dark side of the Force frozen against every surface of the room, allowing it evil to penetrate the flesh of those who entered.

This was a place of agony.

"Lock it," he heard Josiah telling Rayne who was the last one into the room.

Chris however was no longer paying attention to his companions because his gaze had shifted towards the ceiling. Through the mire of human misery he could feel radiating from his room, he could feel something else. Something as equally strong now that he was in close proximity and utterly compelling. He could feel Mary. She was directly above them. He could feel her heart pounding, could feel her despair and her agony, he could feel her mind starting to slip away, clinging to him now that she could sense him with the barest threads of endurance. However, he also knew something else. Something, which filled him so much fear, he would have clawed through the barrier between them with his bare hands if he had to.

"She’s dying." Chris mused.

Alex’s eyes widened and met his immediately. "What?"

"She’s dying," he repeated and then swept his gaze at all of them. "Stand back!" He called out.

They stepped away from him as he climbed onto of the chair and held the sabre against the ceiling. The energy beam did its works almost instantaneously, cutting through the metal and fibres overhead. The room began to fill with smoke, as the blade slid through the barrier, leaving an uneven trail of burnt metal behind it. The heat from the sabre melted the metal and conduits; trickles of liquid steel began dribbling to the floor with Chris managing something of a balancing act as he avoided being scalded.

"Get ready," Alex spoke out loud to no one in particular. "If they don’t know we’re here yet, they soon will."

Tula growled in response to that statement followed by Inez’s translation. "She says she’ll smell them coming."

Alex did not answer; instead she turned her attention back to Chris who was cutting himself a decent sized hole in the ceiling. The more he progressed, the more the section of metal he cut began to slant towards the floor, the more and more its unsupported weight pulled at it. Chris continued to slice through the ceiling and the floor of Mary’s enclosure. Beads of sweat had formed on his skin from the heat of the metal as the sabre liquefied the incised areas. "Stand back," he ordered again.

His warning came just as the metal gave way and came tumbling to the ground, dragging with it pieces of conduit, wiring and other building materials that was as ancient as the Domicile’s age. The sound shattered against the floor beneath it and spread debris across the room in all directions, not to mention a cloud of dust composed of stone and other fine particles. Once the dust had cleared so to speak, the rebels found themselves standing beneath a decent size opening to the room overhead. Deactivating his light sabre, Chris replaced the weapon on his belt and glanced at his companions long enough for them to ascertain what he was about to do next. Alex nodded, prompting him to get on with it. The sooner that anyone of them could reach Mary, the better.

Chris leapt upwards in a smooth deliberate launch, spinning in mid air as he passed through the fissure before landing on his feet within the room above. Upon landing, he reached for his light sabre and activated it, poised for attack if case of danger. It took less than a second to realize that there was no threat to him even though he was no not alone. Casey had been correct about where they needed to go in order to reach Mary and as his eyes scanned the room for the visual confirmation his Jedi senses already had, he shuddered inwardly at the dark walls and the clinical atmosphere of the place that had been Mary’s cell since she had returned to Coruscant.

He found Mary a millisecond later.

She was lying on her bunk, oblivious to his arrival. His heart was pounding as he approached her and saw the bruises on her face and body. He knew she had been tortured but seeing her bedraggled and broken inspired his utmost Fury and he crossed the floor to her without seeing anything but those terrible wounds upon her body. They had nursed her wounds, those who had inflicted it. No doubt assuming that a dermal regenerator would erase the bruises when it came time for her to have her day in their bogus court. As he found himself standing over her, he saw her swollen lips, the discoloration along her jaw and the dark purplish swirl around her eyes. She had been beaten to an inch of her life and the wounds he could not see, the ones beneath the skin, were slowly killing her. He knew the practice well enough even though it disgusted him to no end. To reduce a prisoner to this, to force the threat of a slow and agonizing death upon them in the hopes that fear of the dying would force the victim to beg for help and in capitulation to the torturer’s ability to give life, their spirit would be broken once and for all.

If it was not for their connection, Chris knew that Mary would have succumbed. She had put up a brave fight but she was not invulnerable and as he stared at his Mary, remembering her as the proud and determined woman who had awakened his heart from its mourning so many months ago, it ached beyond belief to see her in this way. Chris felt the Fury bubbling within him, demanding expression but he crushed into nothingness with ruthless efficiency. He could not let the dark side coil its dark tendrils around him when Mary needed him.

"Mary," Chris whispered softly in her ear as he lowered himself to her bunk in order to take her into his arms.

She did not answer but he could tell that she sensed his presence and was starting to surface from the dark place she was in.

"Mary, its Chris." He spoke again, feeling his heart grow heavier each time he saw the terrible bruises on her face. He could not understand why the Empire had suddenly changed its tactic of torturing her body instead of her mind.

Probably because her body was easier to break, he thought bitterly.

"Mary can you hear me?" He called again, lifting her gently from the bed feeling his insides clench when she whimpered in pain.

He paused a moment attempting to decide what was the best way out of this room. He did not like trying to get through the hole he had made in the floor, not when she was in this condition and going out the door was much too dangerous. He supposed he would have to settle for the former since it was the safer of the two options and he did not necessarily have to carry her to lower her down through the fissure. Chris was considering all this when suddenly he felt her shift in his arms.

"Chris." Her eyes fluttered open and tried to focus on him.

"I’m here," he said quickly, feeling a swell of relief to the depths of his soul to hear his name spoken on her swollen lips.

"I thought I was dreaming," she whispered, tears glistening in her eyes as she looked at him. "I thought I dreamt you inside my head."

"I’m here Mary," Chris smiled, his voice choking with emotion. All he wanted to do at this moment was hold her and never let her go. She was in so much pain and it cut through him like a knife that he could not take any of it away.

"I’m sorry Chris," she whimpered, more tears running down her cheeks. "I’m sorry I hurt you. I thought I was doing right, I thought I was saving you. I know I was wrong. I was terrified of losing you I never imagined that you could feel the same way about me."

"Mary, you did what you had to," Chris reassured her as he neared the hole in the floor. "I know you never meant to hurt me but right now, you need to rest. We’re getting out of here."

Mary was still too wrapped in pain and delirium to really register what he was saying. It was enough that she could feel his arms around her. "I love you Chris," she muttered. "I love you so much. I thought if you were dead, I’d die too. I couldn’t let them hurt you...."

"I’ve got her!" Chris shouted to the others below.

There was no answer for a few seconds and Chris felt something that he had not noticed before because he had been so focussed on retrieving Mary.

"That’s good Jedi," Julia Pemberton’s face appeared through the fissure before staring up at him and responding. "Because I have them.".

CHAPTER TWELVE

Somehow Chris was not surprised when he heard Julia’s voice coming from the room below. So far reaching Mary had been too easy and it was inevitable that they would face the Imperial eventually. What did surprise him was what he sensed from his adversary below. He had not detected her presence. Although she was not capable of creating a null field around herself like the yslamiri, she was able to guard her thoughts and her emotions so that a Jedi would not sense her unless he was seeking her out specifically. Only those who were trained in the Jedi arts had that kind of skill and while he could sense that she had some measure of skill, the Force was not strong in her and thus she could not possibly be a Jedi.

For a second after she had spoken, he debated what to do and knew that if he did not show himself, those below were condemned to die. Undoubtedly the woman below was not alone for she could not have overcome Alex and the others without a sizeable contingent of storm troopers. Even as he thought that, he could feel their life force emanating through the floor and roughly estimated how many of them he had to face when he lowered himself. He could also sense his friends, their emotions ran hot and were easy to detect. He sensed mostly anger from Alex at being caught when they were so close to their goal. Her emotions radiated from inside her like a beacon and Chris decided he could use that rage to extricate themselves from their current predicament.

"We are waiting Jedi." Julia Pemberton’s voice demanded again. "Do not make this any worse for your friends then it already is."

Chris did not answer and chose instead to lower Mary to the floor. He was not taking her into battle, not for anything. Fortunately, she had slipped back into her unconscious state and was oblivious to their situation. Upon setting her down, Chris focused on Alex, using her strong emotions to ride straight into her mind. Her deep connection with Vin allowed Chris the access to her mind and as he imposed himself upon her thoughts, he gave her a swift order and hoped that she had received it. Particularly when he made his confrontation with Julia Pemberton. Resting his hand on his light sabre, Chris took a step to the fissure and spoke out.

"I’m coming down." He announced assuming they would step back to allow him room to land.

"Very sensible," Julia answered and he agreed with Ezra’s description that the woman was easy to detest.

Stepping to the edge, he looked down to see the space beneath him clear. Chris sucked in his breath and concentrated hard, sending Alex that silent warning as he jumped.

***********

"EVERYONE GET DOWN!" Alex shouted as she dropped to the floor of the interrogation room.

No sooner than she had cried out, the rest of the rebels did the same, confusing the Imperial storm troopers whose guns were aimed at them as they lowered themselves to the floor. The distraction was all Chris needed to do to land on the floor and activate his light sabre unimpeded. The instant the blue beam of light extended forward, all guns took aim at him and Julia was shouting at them to shoot. Alex who was standing next to the woman gazed up and saw her about to shoot when she kicked out her foot and connected with Julia’s knee. The Imperial agent let out a small cry as she fell down and Alex rolled on to her hands and knees, scrambling forward to intercept her before Julia could train the gun on her.

The rapid discharge of weapons fire from the Imperial troops was met with the lightning fast reflexes of the Jedi Knight, who deflected the bolts of energy with ease. Thanks to the chaos he was causing, the other members of his group were taking advantage of the distraction and were retrieving their weapons. Josiah was taking aim and firing, giving Chris some respite from the barrage of fire that was coming at him. He downed the storm trooper nearest to him and another that was reloading a power pack into his exhausted weapon. The storm trooper was struck sideways and he flew in that direction towards another that had been firing at Chris.

With the opening he was given, Chris used one hand to deflect the bolts of energy off his light sabre while waving the other at the storm troopers in his flank, sending them flying through the air before making an unceremonious meeting with the nearby wall. Bones crunched as they impacted, their guns falling from their hands, as they were rendered unconscious or too injured to pose much of a threat. As he did so, he saw the more troops approaching the open door of the interrogation room and he leapt into the air as another bolt of energy came flying at him that was not possible to be deflected by his light sabre. He spun in mid air before landing safely out of its reach.

Tula stood up abruptly during the shooting, her enormous bulk immediately drawing the attention of the storm trooper closest to her. The trooper turn around to fire but was instead swept aside easily with a massive arm that threw him to the floor with a good deal of force. Inez who was nearby lunged for his gun and rolled onto her knees, just in time to deliver a blast of energy. He slumped to the floor face down without further protest. In the meantime, the Wookie had reached her crossbow and the thunderous roar filled the air a fraction of a second before the discharge from the barrel of the gun. With her fire added to Josiah’s, she forced back the Imperial storm troopers converging at the door to the room.

Rayne did not move from where she was. She remained in place with one arm slung over Casey, ensuring the young woman did not get into any difficulty during all the shooting. She trusted her companions to fend off the attackers at present even though she had retrieved her gun and was keeping it tight in her grasp. When she saw one of the storm troopers at the door aiming for Josiah, she dispatched it easily but for most part, kept her presence close to Casey who was no doubt terrified with the violence and was ill equipped to defend herself in it. Rayne saw Josiah glancing anxiously in their direction, offering her an expression of gratitude for protecting his niece.

Alex saw Julia’s face fill with rage as she landed on the floor after Alex’s well-placed kick had sent her there. She tried to aim as she struggle to sit up but Alex was too quick for her and threw out her fist before Julia had a change to pull target her. The gun flew from the Imperial agent’s hand, skittering across the steel floor although the noise was drowned in the cacophony of blaster fire exploding around their ears. Without giving her time to react to the loss of her weapon, Alex swung again and sent Julia back to the floor. However, the Imperial was by no means incapacitated by the blow and struck out her foot in reflex, connecting with Alex’s shoulder. The rebel operative recovered enough to see another strike coming at her and caught Julia’s foot swiftly and bringing down her elbow on the crook of her knee. Julia uttered a cry of pain as Alex scrambled on top of her and threw another fist into her face, this time knocking her out cold.

"Bitch." Alex swore under her breath and looked up to see the rest of the storm troopers in the room lying about in a similar or worse state than their leader, Julia Pemberton.

"Everyone okay?" She asked quickly as she saw Inez and Tula taking position by the door in preparation for the arrival of more troops.

"We’re fine," Rayne replied as she finally got to her feet and helped Casey up as well. The young woman looked still as fearful but relieved.

"Casey?" Josiah immediately came to his niece. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I’m okay Uncle Josiah," she responded putting on a brave face for him.

"Good girl." Josiah smiled, trying to hide his pride at how well she was managing to hold up in the face of her fear.

"Where’s Mary?" Alex stared at Chris.

"Up there," he replied quickly, his own gaze staring up at the fissure from which he had come. He did not relish leaving Mary alone for too long, especially now that the entire prison was aware of where they were. He could feel the tremors in the Force, the ones that told him danger was near and it was coming for all of them. He hoped Vin and Ben were all right sensed that they were. It gave him some measure of comfort but not much. "I had to leave her."

"Well you need to go back up and get her," Alex ordered. "They’re going to bring down the entire prison on us now. We have to leave before any more troops get here."

"Chris! Alex!" Inez called out. "Too late, there’s a whole bunch of them coming our way!" Upon saying that, the ground pounder and the Wookie retreated back into the room.

"Seal the doors!" Josiah ordered.

"That’s not going to hold them for long," Alex pointed out. "We’re trapped." She said grimly, trying to hide the apprehension in her voice as she made that statement.

"No we’re not," Chris shook his head, refusing to believe that for one second. "We’re going up there." He glanced upwards at the ceiling.

"That will lead us into the detention block. Breaking out of there is going to be hell!" She pointed out.

"Not entirely," Josiah came forward, understanding what Chris was alluding to. "Those troops think that we’re in here and we can keep them out of this room at least for a little while, they’ll probably waste time trying to get in here, while we’re making our way out of the detention block."

Alex sucked in her breath because it was a dangerous gamble but she supposed that anything was better than waiting for those storm troopers to flood the room and kill them all. Looking over her shoulder, she wasted no time in taking the next course of action once their escape was decided upon. "Inez seal the door!"

Inez nodded without question and immediately aimed her blaster at the door controls and fired upon it. The energy bolt struck the metal surface, causing sparks and flames to spit forth in all directions upon the destruction of its intricate circuitry. The heat of the small explosion ensured that when the smoke had cleared the wiring and components would be fused into a mess of melted steel and fibres. Unless those outside were prepared to cut through the door, which Inez was certain they would eventually, there was no other way they could enter the room.

"You first," Alex looked at Chris. "You get up there and make sure Mary is safe. We’ll be close behind you."

Chris met the woman’s eyes and for a few seconds, acknowledged mutual respect for each other’s ability. Chris could see why Vin loved Alex so much and why Mary considered her such an invaluable friend. He nodded at her slightly and remarked. "Don’t be long, Alex."

"Like I said," she replied with a little smile as Chris leapt upwards into the fissure between the floors. "We’re right behind you."

*********

Vin viewed Ben’s ability to navigate through the catacombs of the Domicile with no small measure of awe. He had thought that he knew all there was to about a stealthy approach but in comparison to Ben, he was a novice. The Jedi Master used more than stealth to move about unseen. He used the Force as well and his employment of it to evade the notice of Imperial troops who were searching for them was nothing less than masterly. By inducing little suggestions of shadows and noises whenever they came upon any Imperial, the Jedi Master sent them running in a completely opposite direction from where they ought to without having the slightest inclination that they were being manipulated.

Vin had seen Chris use the Force in this manner but not to this degree and he marvelled at what a Jedi Master what capable of doing. Despite the burden of his responsibilities to the Skywalker twins, Ben was remarkably in control and at peace. He wondered if it was because the man had attained the level of Master that allowed him such serenity or was it simply the fact that once one knew the outcome of one’s future, there was little point worrying about it. Ben seemed extremely at peace considering all the things that he had to worry about. So much of the future depended on him and Vin wondered what it was like to live with so much responsibility on one’s shoulder. He was sure he could not manage it.

"He’s close," Ben remarked as they turned a corner that seemed to be taking them up instead of down the prison levels. However, as much as Vin might like to think that it was the Force that was giving them the ability to move through the place unseen, Vin knew it had a great deal to do with the commotion that the others were creating in their efforts to rescue Mary Travis.

"I can feel him," Vin answered and shuddered inwardly at the sensation of cold that had settled over him like a fog. Vin disliked being anywhere in the presence of the dark lord, especially after how tragically their last encounter had ended. However, he knew that he would not allow Ben to face Vader alone and he was no longer feared the Sith Lord as he did once before. While he would always be wary of Vader, Vin would never let his fear for the man defeat him.

"He’s waiting for us." Ben stated without doubt.

"Why?" Vin asked. "Why would he just wait for us to come face him? Wouldn’t it be easier to have a dozen storm troopers come get us first?"

"No," Ben shook his head slightly as they reached the end of the corridor and found themselves at a set of lift doors. A flash of light on the dull control panel indicated that it would soon reach them. "This is a matter for the Jedi."

"Vader’s hardly a Jedi anymore." Vin pointed out.

"Are you always so filled with questions?" The bearded man looked at him.

"Yeah," Vin retorted. "It’s one of my more charming qualities. Didn’t Chris tell you?" He grinned.

"No," Ben chuckled. "It must have slipped his mind."

There was a moment of silence before Vin asked. "What was he like before? When there was still a Jedi Council?"

Ben’s gaze drifted away for a moment as he sought the memory and the words to answer the Jedi’s’ question. "Happy." He said after a second’s thought. "He was happy. He didn’t care that he would never be a member of the Council because of Sarah. I think it was his content with what he had that made him such a fine warrior. He loved her and that was all that mattered to him. When they took her and his son from him, I thought we would lose him, not to death but to the dark side. We convinced ourselves that it was not wise to have a family but we all envied him and those who defied the Council to take wives."

"I wonder if my father felt the same way," Vin mused.

"Your father?" Ben looked at him.

"I never knew my father but Chris seems to think he was a Jedi." Vin explained. "Maybe he was ashamed of me and ma. That’s why he never came to take us from Tatooine."

"No Jedi would ever do that," Ben stated firmly and with such total conviction that Vin had no choice but to believe him. "If you father was one of us he would have died before allowing such a thing."

Even as Ben said those words, he could not help as if he knew Vin Tanner from somewhere. The memory was vague and distant. He had some recollection of a face that did not appear too dissimilar from Vin’s but the circumstances eluded him and he knew that it was important that he remembered. He supposed it would come to him soon enough. For the present, there was more important things to deal with and as the lift started to open, Ben knew that one of those things were upon them.

"STEP BACK!" Ben ordered just as the red glow of a light sabre blade came at them came through the opening doors of the lift.

Vin staggered back as Vader emerged when the lift doors had fully parted. The apprentice was at a loss to act as he saw the object of so many of his nightmares appear before him once again. The dark lord was as terrifying as ever in his black armour, flowing cloak and the mask that almost seemed skull like. His light sabre was ignited and ready for attack, just as it had been when Vin had confronted him on Ithor. For a fraction of a second, there was no sound in the corridor except the heavy rasp of his breathing. The three Jedi faced each other slowly and deliberately.

"The Force is with you Vin Tanner. You appear better than you did after our first encounter."

Vin flinched at the sarcasm in his voice but was not about to let the dark lord score any points in a verbal joust. "I bounce back well."

"Not as well as Governor Richmond’s wife." Vader hissed malevolently.

Vin’s anger bubbled to the surface and Ben could sense its intensity about to spill forth in a rash act by the younger man. "No greetings for your old master, Darth?" Ben could not bring himself to call Vader, Anakin. The creature before him was so removed from the friend he had known for so many years that it was difficult to associate anything that was Anakin Skywalker to this monstrosity. Inwardly, his heart wept at seeing Vader.

Oh Anakin, how I failed you.

"I have not forgotten you Obi-Wan," Vader turned his helmeted head towards the Jedi Master, almost as if Vin no longer existed now that Ben had captured his attention. "I had thought you were to busy hiding to become involved in the activities of the Rebel Alliance."

"I choose my battles carefully," Ben responded, unhooking his light sabre from his belt. Vin had already done so and his blade gleamed in readiness for combat. Ben attributed it to youthful impatience and anxiousness for this to begin so it could end quickly. "However, I have no wish to live under your master’s yoke."

"You have been hiding!" Vader snapped. "You have been hiding with my son! Where is he?" Vader demanded, opening the battle with a wide swing of his blade, which he intended to bring down on the Jedi Master’s skull.

Vin reacted almost instinctively and blocked the blow, pushing it back hard so that Vader stumbled a bit in the retreat and Ben was given to time to ignite his own weapon. The Sith Lord turned sharply to the younger man, determined to rid himself of the nuisance once and for all and launched a vicious attack at Vin, placing a great deal of his strength into a savage offensive that saw him swinging his blade at Vin with all his might. Vin countered the moves, concentrating hard as Ben stepped in to help him because Vader’s strength was considerable. The Jedi Master blocked Vader’s swing at Vin when he saw the young man needing to recoup a little. Ben smashed his blade into Vader’s, forcing the dark Jedi away from Vin.

Vin took a deep breath and looked up to see Ben swinging his blade with expert strikes that showed very much the difference between Master and Apprentice, even if the apprentice was Darth Vader. Vin was not about to let Ben deal with Vader himself though. Despite Ben’s skill, Vader was stronger in the Force and though that might make the two combatants evenly matched, Vin was not about to risk Ben’s life finding out who would be standing when it was over. Taking advantage of any opening that Ben provided while battling Vader, Vin, swung at the dark lord, driving him down the corridor in a relentless series of strikes, until he could sense Vader concentrating singularly on defence rather than being able to take the offensive as he had done earlier.

The battle was fierce with both of them going after Vader with a vengeance. Vin knew the goal was not to kill the Sith Lord but rather to keep his attention away from the rescue of Mary Travis. Storm troopers entering the corridor were soon confronted with the savage confrontation between the three Jedi. Upon seeing them, Vin withdrew his blade from the battle and allowed Ben to continue his onslaught upon Vader as he turned to deal with the storm troopers who were preparing to fire. Vin could see that they were debating at what to do, to shoot and risk being short by incidental fire or to sit by and do nothing, possibly allowing the Emperor’s favourite to be cut down by his enemies. Vin was not about to wait for the outcome of their ruminations and hurried forward, brandishing his light sabre, hoping that they might withdraw.

They did not.

Opening fire, Vin immediately acted on instinct, hoping he could rise to the occasion and defend himself as he had seen Chris do on so many occasions. He leapt into the air as he approached them, confusing their eyes with a flurry of movement as he spun in mid and landed directly in front of them. As the first one of their number pulled the trigger on him, Vin immediately deflected the bolt of energy, sending it harmlessly into the wall where it hissed and bit into the melted. The others did the same and Vin found himself able to keep pace with their shots, even to the point where they had left him enough of an opening to dispatch them permanently. It took some doing coordinating the use of the Force with his ability to wield the light sabre and to send a telekinetic pulse at his enemies but Vin managed it,

Two storm troopers went sent sprawling down the corridor, their bodies sliding against the smooth floor until coming to rest at the foot of the wall. It was hard pressed to say who was more astonished but Vin could not allow himself to remain distracted and swung his blade once more at an oncoming bolt of energy, sending it elsewhere. He did not know how long he kept it up; forcing them back the way they came until the only course left to them was a hasty retreat. He knew that they would be back. He could sense the emotions that were running through them as they left and knew they would return with reinforcements.

For a few seconds after they had gone, Vin stood there some what shaken by the fact that he had not only mastered as much as he had in order to fight them but also because he had achieved a oneness with the Force that he had never felt before. Through all the months of learning and communing with that elusive energy field, tapping only briefly what was only the first step into a larger world, he had never thought he would be feel as close to it as he did now. It would almost felt euphoric if he did not know that his friends were in a life and death struggle to survive. On that note, Vin turned around and saw Vader and Ben disappearing at the other end of the corridor.

Vin broke into a run; his light sabre still activated as he followed the low hum as their weapons swung, followed by the clashing of energy when their blades met. He could feel Vader’s rage and Ben’s sorrow. It radiated off them like a beacon and Vin knew that whether or not they knew it, neither was going to retreat until one of them was dead. Perhaps Ben had intended to keep busy while Chris rescued Mary but that was no longer the case, they were fighting for keeps. Vin did not know how he intended to pull them back from the edge but he was going to try. In the last few minutes, he understood things clearly and he had come to a place Chris had told he would know instantly when the time was right and in coming to this revelation, he knew what he had to do.

He had to stop them because he could and because he was a Jedi.

**********

They could hear the Imperial troops attempting to breach the doors in the room below them and knew that their time was dwindling. No doubt their escape from the detention block would be no easier but at least they would not be overwhelmed by Imperial troops in what would more or less be a kill zone when all those weapons were aimed at them in such a confined space. Chris immediately went to Mary to ensure for his peace of mind that she was still alright. The rebel leader was still very much unconscious and Chris could feel her life ebbing away from the injuries he could not see but knew to be there nonetheless.

"By the Force!" Alex whispered when she saw her friend lying on the floor, covered in a multitude of bruises. She left the equally unconscious Julia Pemberton whom she had taken as a hostage and clambered to her friend’s side. "What happened to her?" She demanded without meeting Chris’ gaze.

Chris did not give her an answer and she did ask for one because she knew what would have caused this. Her jaw clenched in anger and Chris could tell that she was just as furious as he about Mary’s brutal treatment. "Bastards." She whispered softly. "Those bastards."

"We have to keep moving," Josiah spoke up, reminding them of their situation. "Casey’s got an idea and I think we ought to let her try it." He glanced at Casey and nodded at the young woman to speak.

Chris and Alex regarded her automatically and saw Casey swallow thickly before responding. "I want to download the worm program into the Domicile’s network."

"Can you do that?" Chris asked her.

"I don’t see why not." Casey replied. "The only reason the prison isn’t effected like the rest of the defence grid is because it’s a self contained system but if I can get to a terminal like before. I should be able to download it into this system as well."

"What will that do?" Rayne inquired, knowing very little about slicer programs such as the type that Casey was employing with so much expertise.

"Quite a lot," Alex answered. "It will open cells and disrupt their internal sensors and turn of all security grids. It could create just enough chaos for us to get out of here."

"We’re not going out the way we came," Chris declared. "With Vader here, there’s going to be more troops arriving. The Emperor will know if he’s in trouble. We have to make our way to the landing pad."

Alex looked at him. "Why?"

"Because," Chris said firmly as he secured his hold around Mary, "Vader had to come here in order to intercept us and I’m pretty damn sure, the ship he came in is also here."

"We’re going to steal his ship?" Inez stared at him.

"Do you think there would be any body who would dare to stop his shuttle from leaving Coruscant?" Josiah pointed out.

"He’s got a point," Inez retorted. "What about her?" They glanced at Julia Pemberton who was still lying on the floor, oblivious to their discussion.

"We take her with us," Alex said firmly, absolute on that point. "We’re going to need a hostage to get through those troops and she’ll do just nicely."

"For the moment," Chris stared at the titian haired Imperial officer and sucked in his breath. "But we get rid of her as soon as we can. There’s something about her that disturbs me and I don’t want her with us. I can feel how strong the dark side in within her and its nothing we want to deal today. Tomorrow perhaps, but not today."

"As soon as we’re done using her," Alex conceded because she knew that anything that gave a Jedi concern should never be disregarded. However, Alex shared Chris’ feeling that their acquaintanceship with Julia Pemberton was just beginning.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

 She had been lost you see.

Wandering through a thick fog unable to see anything through the swirls of grey. She did not know how long she had walked, perhaps forever, perhaps for only an instant. She did not know for certain because time had no meaning for her in this place. She had simply walked, searching for something she did not know what, visited by faces that sometimes frightened her before she was forced to run away in fear. There was sense of self but it was faint and so in being unable to remember who she was, she had remained lost in the fog. She had almost given up hope of ever finding her way out if and there was more beyond what she could, she was certain of it. It just seemed so far away.

Until she heard his voice again and suddenly the fog began to clear. There was still some way for her to go yet but she could feel the edge of its boundaries now when previously it had seemed vast, like an ocean she was drowning within. He called to her like a beacon in the dark and she followed his voice, full of calm reassurance that he would keep her safe no matter what. As she walked towards him, she followed his voice on faith alone, assailed by memories as she wandered along the path he had created for her. The memories were painful and pleasant in their texture. Some of it was hard to take in and others filled her soul with vibrant colour.

She had been drifting through the fog, searching for her way out of it until his voice gave her direction and she started running towards something instead of simply being lost in what was around her. For the first time in too long, she started feeling the blood flow through her veins in surge of sensation, not the dull, lethargic pace it had been taking. She felt alive because she could feel the pain that had been relegated to the background since her arrival in this stygian place. It was not until she started finding her way out that she remembered why she had retreated here to escape it.

She had come here because of the mind probe. It had been tearing away at her mind, weakening her body in order to assault her with images she could not cope with. The drugs had suffused her system until she could not fight anymore. She had persevered for as long as she could but then a new jailer had come who was less subtle than the last and infinitely more brutal. The beatings had come when drugs and hallucinations already weakened her. She knew that unless something drastic was done, she would give them all they wished to know and the possibility that she might betray all that meant anything to her forced her into this oblivion where she had remained until she heard his voice.

Now she was running towards it and as the dark swirled away from her, she began to hear other things. Voices of friends who were not speaking to her but to each other. There was tension in their voices, as if they were afraid and there were other sounds as well, loud and shattering to the ear. She heard them shouting, heard noise exploding around her until she flinched each time one sounded close to her. Her head was starting to spin the louder the noise became and the fog began to swirl in on her, pulling her down a vortex of sight and sound.....

**********

"Watch out!" Someone shouted and brought Mary forcefully back to the reality.

She opened her eyes and squinted for a moment to adjust to the influx of light pouring into her eyes. Her head throbbed and her body filled with the ache of injury. For a few seconds, Mary was disorientated from the sensory overload and it was difficult to get her bearings but one thing soon became clear, she was not on her feet and was being carried. Looking up, she saw a familiar face above her own and suddenly a memory surfaced in her mind she had thought was a dream but knew now to be a reality.

"Chris." Mary whispered, daring not to believe that it was true, that he was here.

He dropped his gaze enough to let her know that he was aware that she had spoken but his attention was needed elsewhere.

It was at this point that Mary appraised the situation before her and saw that her friends were around her, running down a corridor as they were being pursued by a group of storm troopers firing into them. With her arms wrapped around his neck, Mary craned her neck and saw Alex and Josiah laying down covering fire as Tula kept her massive arm wrapped around Julia Pemberton. The Imperial agent was forced to remain a hostage while Inez kept a close eye in case she attempted to break free. She saw Rayne ushering Casey forward, making sure the young girl was safe as bolts of energy chased down the corridor despite their efforts to keep ahead of them. The lights overhead were flickering on and off at erratic pulses of time, irritating her eyes with their glare.

"Chris," Mary spoke after a moment, assessing the situation.

"Its okay Mary," Chris said quickly. "We’re getting you out of here."

That was not likely unless with his being burdened with her weight in his arms, she thought. Mary was in great pain but she understood that they needed an edge to get away from those pursuing storm troopers and he was the only one she knew who could provide it. "Chris," Mary spoke up again, a little more forcefully.

"What?" He asked, starting to get impatient with her persistence.

"Put me down." She asked.

He stared at her almost as if she had demanded some preposterous request. "You can barely stand." He retorted.

"I’ll be fine," she grunted in pain and noted that he had made no move to do as she had asked. "Get someone else to help me. You’re the only one who can keep those troopers from getting to us, you know that."

Chris sucked in his breath and cursed silently because she was right. How was it that she could be so damned logical at times? Even when she was battered and bruised, appearing as if she might slip out of this world any second and quite possibly could for the injuries she had sustained. They had left the detention bay with storm troopers dogging their every step, even with Julia Pemberton as hostage. That had only given them pause but not much else. In the meantime, the Imperial officer took every opportunity to impede their progress. Chris was starting to wonder whether it was not a wiser choice to simply leave her behind.

"Josiah!" Chris called out.

Josiah immediately paused in the firing of his weapon and gave Inez a quick glimpse to express his desire for her to take his place in laying down a barrage of fire between them and the Imperial storm troopers following so closely. Inez did not have to be told twice and was soon firing into the thickest part of the group of armour clad sentries. Josiah kept his head down as he hurried down the corridor, joining Chris and Mary in a matter of seconds. Around them, stray bolts impacted along the walls, creating fiery imprints where plasma met steel. They were not far from the landing bay but the journey there was nonetheless fraught with danger.

Casey had done what she had promised. She had managed to disrupt the Domicile’s mainframe, so far protected from the chaos she had caused elsewhere on Coruscant because of its isolation, by introducing the same virus that had disabled the rest of the planet. Now security systems were failing everywhere and because of the widespread disruption cause by the failure of the defence grid and the battle taking place over the skies of Coruscant, the Domicile’s keepers could not count on assistance from the rest of Imperial forces stationed on the home world.

"Josiah I need you to take Mary," Chris instructed when Josiah reached him.

"I just need an arm to keep me up," Mary said swiftly, not about to admit in any shape of form that she was as weakened as she was.

"I think we can manage more than just that," Josiah rumbled with a smile, pleased to see that she had returned to them and that some semblance of her usual self. The senator slung his weapon over his shoulder and took Mary from Chris’ arms. "What are you going to do?" He looked at Chris in question as he took Mary from the Jedi.

"He’s going to get us out of here," Mary whispered, feeling stabs of pain in her body. She was more grateful than she cared to admit that Josiah was carrying her because despite her claims to the contrary, Mary felt as if she had been broken in half.

"What the lady said," Chris said coolly and walked past them, igniting his light sabre in the process.

The Jedi strode boldly forward, caring little that there were bolts of energy flying towards and past him. He could only see one thing at the moment and that was the enemy before them who had to be vanquished for them to escape. As far as Chris was concerned, he had spent just enough time on Coruscant as he could bear. This was no longer the place he knew, the one where he had first come to be trained as a Jedi. The place where he had taken a wife much to the disapproval of the Jedi Council and where she would eventually die with her son and the child he tried so hard not to think about, the one slumbering in the womb when death had taken its mother. Whatever wonder Coruscant had once held for the galaxy, it was now gone.

Coruscant was now the Emperor’s dark heart.

He raised his blade to bear and saw the hesitation in the efforts of those who had been prepared to shoot down his companions but were somewhat uneasy at facing a Jedi. He could feel their fear. It exuded from them like a festering wound. Chris was not surprised when they ceased to fire, their curiosity had over ridden their fear momentarily and they were trying to decide what he was going to do? Was it a Jedi trick that they should beware of was the Jedi asking for clemency? Chris wondered if they knew how wrong they were but he was not about to make that a fatal lesson. He was a Jedi. He would not kill indiscriminately, just for defence.

"You know what I am," Chris spoke out firmly. "I don’t wish to harm anyone of you but if I must, I will see to it that my friends and I escape this place safely. Leave now and this goes no further. You know I can walk out of here, the question is how many of you will die in a futile effort to stop me."

He felt their emotions torn and knew that they were perfectly aware that he could do what he threatened. The room was perfectly silent even though there were klaxons screaming alerts all over the place. Yet no one seemed to notice as everyone waited with abated breath at the outcome of this exchange. Chris could feel their desire to let this go, to deal with the other threats that were running rife through the rest of the facility. Weapons that were pointed firmly at him and his companions suddenly did not seem so absolute in their purpose and began to waver. It appeared as if they might have seen the wisdom of his words....

"YOU ARE IMPERIAL OFFICERS! YOU WILL CARRY OUT YOUR DUTY OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES! SHOOT HIM!"

Julia Pemberton’s voice ripped through the air and ended any chance of the momentary standoff to end without further loss of life. Her command shifted the balance immediately and weapons were raised and this time there was no hesitation.

"You bitch!" Alex swore and promptly slammed the butt of her gun into the lieutenant’s face. Julia went down uttering a soft cry of pain that seemed eclipsed by the crunch of bone when her skull met steel. She slumped unconsciously in Tula’s arms, knocked cold by the force of Alex’s strike. "I should have just shot you!"

Tula growled her agreement and added a further comment, which Alex heartily agreed with. "Leave her," Alex said sharply. "Let them deal with her."

Tula nodded and released her hold of the Imperial agent. Julia slid to the floor without protest, making a fair thud on the steel deck when she landed. She remained oblivious to it all; Alex’s initial blow ensuring that she would trouble them no further.

However, the damage was done as firing broke out again and the course of action that Chris had not wished to take now lay before him and gave him little choice but to react. Running forward, he somersaulted into the air, over the reach of the blasts coming in his direction. His light sabre was already swinging into action, preparing to defend him as he landed before the storm troopers, almost face to face. Swing out ferociously, the energy beam emitted its low drone as it moved through air first before slicing through the steel of the guns attempting to shoot at him, ending their threat with the clanging sound of metal landing against the deck.

Not giving them any time to deal with their surprise, Chris raised his hand and captured their attention. It was easy enough to do. They were frightened and their minds were open. It was easy to ride the strong emotions that were emanating from them so readily straight into their psyche to work his will. He had not lied about not wishing to kill them. A Jedi did not kill unless he was defending himself and even then, he should think a way to avoid that circumstance. He concentrated hard and planted a simple enough suggestion in their minds, one that would end this without bloodshed and allowed he and his companions to gain the time they needed to make their way to the landing pad on the roof of the Domicile.

Leave.

Their minds clouded over as Chris sent that word straight into their minds.

Leave us now. Turn around and walk away. Forget that we ever here.

Chris was concentrating so hard on making the storm troopers give up without a fright, he did not notice the others holding their breaths behind him with anticipation at whether or not he would succeed. After an eternity of seconds had hurtled by, their weapons lowered and the group of soldiers turned around and began walking away It was not easy to wrestle momentary control over so many minds without permanent damage and Chris could feel the strength ebbing from him. He did not realize until they had walked away and disappeared down the corridor that he was panting hard. He should not have attempted something so ambitious and could not deny feeling drained. Much of his energies were already portioned out to the rapid healing that was allowing him to take part in this rescue mission. He was straining his endurance by attempting something like this.

"Chris," he felt Alex’s hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

He turned around and saw her face full of concern. Alex’s expression mirrored that of the others waiting for him to respond. Mary was staring at him weakly from Josiah’s arms, trying valiantly to stay conscious but he could feel her strength being sapped away even more rapidly than his. She needed a medical droid before her condition became any worse. Not that he was in any better shape himself. He had been forcing the issue with his own Jedi abilities, allowing it to strengthen him despite injuries that were comparable to hers.

"Yeah," he nodded slowly. "I’m fine."

"You bought us some time," Josiah called out. "Let’s not waste it."

"We won’t," Alex responded and kept her eye on Chris. This was Vin’s best friend and she would protect the Jedi as Vin protected him. They had gotten this far on his determination alone and now Alex intended to ensure that she took them the rest of the way. "Come on." She took his arm and led him away from where he was. "Its time to go home."

Chris could not disagree with her on that point.

*********

He had done this once before.

The circumstances were so familiar that Ben Kenobi felt astonished that he had not seen if before now. It was unthinkable that he should forget. It was one of the most pivotal moments of his life and it changed him forever, marked him like a branding iron left scars in flesh. Upon this realization, he felt a sliver of ice move up his spine with such ferocity he was rather surprised that no one else sensed it. He supposed that they had other things on their minds at the time. His mind and his body were no longer working together as he identified the place he had come to be and wondered how he could forget when the circumstances were so similar. By the Force he hoped it was not that similar.

A master and an apprentice doing battle with a Sith Lord.

Ben and Vin had reached some kind of synchronicity as they continued to do battle with Darth Vader. Their sabre fight had someone moved upwards, with no others interfering after the storm troopers had seen what had been done to those who had tried to interfere in Jedi combat. As soon as Vin delivered his strike, Ben was there to see another take its place. One after another, they raged against the dark lord who was finding it harder and harder to fend off the well coordinated attack. They had moved to the landing bay, where only sky remained above them and the concourse of their final battle suddenly appeared all around them.

The journey here had been intentional for they had some idea of what Chris was intending and that the only way to make a swift departure from Coruscant at this point would be to commandeer the shuttle they could see resting on the landing pad not far away from them. Very soon, reinforcements would be arriving to answer the distress call that Coruscant was beckoning throughout the quadrant because of the rebel attack. Ezra Standish and what was left of his fleet had that much time to leave the system before the victory they achieved this day ended in ashes. Vader was putting up a valiant fight though and Ben felt his heart ache at a vision of promise gone so terribly wrong. He swung hard at Vader’s sabre driving the Sith Lord back as Vin prepared to follow suit.

Vader had barely a second to recover from the strike just delivered. He retreated across the roof of the structure, conscious of the waves roaring from the depths below and wondered absurdly if the air tasted of salt. His agility was lost when he had donned on this armour and that lack of mobility was never as missed than at this moment. He was being driven to the edge and there was little he could do to stop it. Ben would never have been able to take him alone but the young man with him, Tanner whom Vader had almost sent to his death once had improved greatly since their last encounter. The fear that Vader had sense so prolifically was nowhere to be found in the young apprentice. He had learnt control and in learning that valuable lesson had taken a step towards becoming a Jedi.

It was with a sense of irony that Vader realized that he probably had more to do with that anyone else.

"Obi-Wan!" Vader hissed as they neared the edge of the room. He could see the waves now, see them crushing against the rocks and then receding.

Vader’s plea brought a slight pause to the battle and both Jedi lowered their blades, if not deactivating them. Ben sucked in his breath and glared at the helmeted creature that was one his best friend, who had loved the one woman he had loved, whose children he was now bound to guard until the end of his days. "What is Darth?"

"You used to call me Anakin," Vader spoke, his heavy metallic voice even more laboured than usual. "Remember?"

"There was an Anakin once," Ben said dispassionately. "But you murdered him."

"I murdered no one, I am Anakin." Vader repeated himself.

"He’s stalling." Vin declared.

"We were friends once Obi-Wan," Vader continued, ignoring Vin. "I was your padwan learner. I was at your side as a boy. I became a man before you. We were like brothers."

Ben remembered those times and his heart ached with the cuts of a thousand knives when that memory surfaced to haunt him. "We were brothers," Ben swallowed. "Qui Gonn promised your mother that he’d take care of you and when he was dying, he made me promise. He thought you were the future, something word dying for. I believed him and I trained you and made you my friend because of it but what you did when you went to Palpatine was not simply turning to the dark side. You made me party to the annihilation of Jedi Order and I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THAT!"

Ben rushed forward and swung his blade once more, the pent up fury and despair from watching someone he had cared so much about become something so vile and unthinkable frothed to the surface and he struck with savagery. For an instant Vin was overcome with that anger and felt it coursing through his soul. He saw Vader unable to combat such a tidal wave of anger and dark fury and Ben, finally expressing the guilt he had carried inside him for so long, was absolutely relentless in his vicious attack. The Jedi was barely thinking, merely acting until Vader was almost at the edge of the roof. The dark lord was already exhausted from battling the two Jedi. Now he had to cope with an attack fuelled by the side of the Force he was accustomed to seeing only in himself.

A part of Vin wanted to see Ben kill Darth Vader. He wanted Ben to strike down the Sith Lord that had killed Charlotte and had almost killed him but he could not. He could not watch it happen and he certainly could not allow Ben to do it. The Jedi Master was too important to lose to the dark side of the Force and were he to continue on his present course, that was precisely what would happen . Ben had a destiny of his own to fulfil and too much to many cared about him to see him reach that end, Vin included. Ben hurried forward as Vader tethered on the edge of the roof, clinging to a stone palisade that would not hold his weight if he kept leaning against it any further. Vader did not beg as he saw Ben raising the blade and preparing to bring it down upon him in a final stroke that would decide all their destinies.

"Ben don’t," Vin spoke up. "Don’t kill him."

Ben threw a sidelong glance at his younger companion with astonishment. "Don’t kill him? After every thing he has done?" The Jedi was almost incredulous with shock.

"Yes," Vin nodded and repeated. "Don’t kill him like this. You’ve been angry and burdened with guilt for a long time because of what he did but you’re still a Jedi. If you kill him, if you strike him down when he can’t strike back, then you’ll become him."

Ben closed his eyes, feeling the anguish spreading through him at the understanding that the younger man was right. Were Ben to do this thing, he would destroy himself as surely as Anakin had destroyed himself when he became Palpatine’s dark servant. Yet knowing that this was the wrong path did not make it any easier to turn away from it. Because of Vader’s actions, Ben had become partly responsible for destroying the Jedi Knights and driving them all into extinction. If he had heeded Master Yoda’s words about not training the boy, if he had not felt obligated to Qui Gonn to make Anakin a Jedi, so many things would have been different. Padme might still be alive.

His heart had broken so many times before because of that alone.

But Vin was right. To strike Vader down now would only bring about his total ruination and there was still important work left to do yet. Luke and perhaps even Leia would need his guidance one day. Someone had to show Luke his destiny, it had to be Ben What mistakes he had made with Vader, he would not make with Luke. He would see Luke delivered to Yoda who would teach him far better than Ben had ever taught Anakin and perhaps, the Jedi might survive after all.

"BEN! Watch out!" Vin suddenly shouted.

Ben’s eyes flew open just in time to see Vader preparing to strike a mortal blow. In his ruminations, the dark lord had managed to recoup his strength to launch a renewed assault but Ben was too swift for him. Ben brought his sabre down and blocked the strike, unaware that next to him Vin was doing the same. Both their blades met Vader’s with a resounding clash of energy and removed what equilibrium the Sith Lord was still maintaining at the edge. Vader toppled backwards from the force of two simultaneous strikes and was soon plunging downwards, his black cloak billowing behind him in his descent.

"Anakin!" Ben called out in a strangled whisper as he saw his former student and friend plunging the second time into certain death. The first time Anakin had emerged from the molten pit of lava as Darth Vader. Would he survive this time? Ben watched until he disappeared into the darkness of the night before he turned away, unable to see Vader meet his end.

"Ben! Vin!" A new voice shattered the stillness of the moment.

Both Jedi stood up straight and saw Chris and Alex leading the others from the lift that had brought them to this level. The skies above Coruscant were starting to clear, indicating that there was no more ships streaking through the atmosphere towards a fiery death. Chris seemed to know what was happening before reaching them while Alex simply ran into Vin’s arms in a show of happiness to see that they were both safe. Their lips met in a warm but passionate exchange that lasted no more than a second before they parted to face the others.

"Ben," Chris asked meeting his old friend’s gaze. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Ben nodded after a moment, casting a glance over his shoulder and seeing nothing in the darkness. Yet he had not felt Vader die and was sure that the dark lord would surface even from what seemed like certain death. "I’m will live."

"We have to go," Alex prompted. The others were already making their way across the roof towards Vader’s shuttle. "Chris has managed to get us this far but I don’t think we should waste any more time then necessary."

"I’m all for that," Vin retorted starting towards the shuttle with Alex, causing Ben and Chris to do the same. "Let’s get the hell out of this place."

"Yes," Ben Kenobi whispered softly, feeling the weight of despair settling into his shoulders with a permanence that he would never be free of. "We’re done here."

The others with him seemed to agree but Ben knew something else, something that he had felt since arriving on Coruscant to which he had told no one. There did not seem any point in it really. Its importance was only to him.

After this day, he would never see Coruscant again.

EPILOGUE

Mary woke up knowing that Chris was near.

She could feel him warming her soul with his presence. For the first time in too long, her mind was truly hers alone. Clarity filtered into every dark corner saturated by drugs and forced the personal demons that had taunted her because of the mind probe back into the recesses where they could do no harm. She always accepted that a person was a sum of their experiences, good or bad and to remove one would be to impair the whole. She lolled her head against the soft pillow and let out a little sigh of pleasure at the relaxation that it offered her. Despite its comforting pull, she had wanted to wake up. It felt as if she had been away for away and the need to return to the land of the living was overwhelming.

She pushed herself upright on her hands on the comfortably warm bed she had been inhabiting for who knows how long and noted that the pain she had been enduring had receded to a dull throb that remained thankfully at a tolerable distance from her mind. She looked around the room and knew immediately that she was within the confines of a rebel medical center. It held the usual indications one associated with a place of healing such as the overpowering silence and the hard, sterile scent of disinfectant. Upon swallowing, she discovered that her throat was dry and she was thirsty. Offhandedly, she wondered how long she had been here and supposed she would be told soon enough.

Stretching out her hand, she rested it on Chris’ own. He was seated on a chair against the wall next to her bed. His head was tilted back slightly as he dozed, his hand lying on the mattress as if he had been holding hers for the duration of her time in bed. Her fingertips brushed the fine hairs on his skin, testing the sensation of him against hers as she journeyed to a knuckle, swirling around it before moving down the tapering finger. She sucked in her breath at the warmth and life exuding from him,, convincing her that she was not dreaming, that the disjointed images of her friends in the form of a rescue was not conceived by the mind probe in some effort to confuse her and extract information.

The tears came without her being aware of it.

It escaped her in a loud sob that shuddered through her entire soul. It came from the innermost depths of her because that was where she had been forced to hide during the entire length of her capture. The tears ran down her cheeks as she wept silently, seeing him alive and well, a party to a plan that had seen not just him but all her friends mount a rescue operation that by all rights should have been impossible but was not because she was here. She wondered how they had managed it and reminded herself to ask them later but for now, she was overwhelmed by what they had all risked by coming after her.

"Mary," Chris opened his eyes at the sound of her tears.

"Chris," she sucked in her tears and composed herself quickly, drying her eyes because she did not want him to see her cry.

"You’re crying." He stated.

"Yes," she nodded because it was pointless to lie to him. Chris could see straight through her. "I was."

"You shouldn’t be," he pointed out gently "You’re safe."

"I know," she swallowed, trying to articulate her thoughts through a torrent of emotions. "You came for me, all of you."

"I love you," Chris answered as if that alone should explain everything and it did. "The others do in their way too, no less than me. You would have done the same for any of us."

It was true. She would and had on numerous occasions before. She had proved it by her actions, by her belief that there was quite enough death in the galaxy without becoming held to the notion that people were expendable. "How did you do it?" She asked. "How did you manage to get into Coruscant?"

"It was Ezra," Chris explained and that was the truth of it. Before Ezra had taken control of the situation, each of them had parts of a plan that would not work alone. Ezra had brought those different elements together into a cohesive plan of attack. "Thrawn came after him to so he and Inez had no choice but to run. They arrived at Siraj just before the Purgatory was destroyed. He managed to hold everything together when you were gone." Chris suddenly felt a wave of admiration for the former Imperial commander and reminded himself to tell the man the next time he saw Ezra.

"Thank the Force," Mary sighed, having a good deal of confidence in Ezra. He was the only she trusted with command of her people. Now it appeared that confidence was completely warranted. "So he put the plan together to rescue me?"

"Something like that," Chris nodded. "I’ll tell you the details later. All you need to know is that he’s taking care of things while you rest."

"That’s good to know," Mary absorbed that information and could not deny that she was not up to anything remotely close to being in charge at this moment.

She lay back on her pillow, staring at the ceiling before she remembered all the things she thought she would never have the chance to say to him when she was trapped like an animal in the Domicile.

"I’m sorry." She said quietly.

Chris stared at her a moment before he answered, "you don’t have anything to be sorry about."

"Yes I do," she met his eyes. "I thought I was doing the right thing by giving myself to Thrawn. I made that choice without consulting you about it. I was wrong. I almost killed you and endangered everyone because of what I did. If you insist on absolving me of everything that is your prerogative but I cannot forgive myself for that."

"Alright," he let out a breath. "You did an extremely stupid thing. You endangered everyone by your actions but you’ve also gone through hell the last week and I think that more than makes up for what’s happened. Besides, you’re human and like the rest of us even the Jedi, you are allowed mistakes. Mary I can’t tell you whether or not you should forgive yourself. All I can tell you is that I love you and like the rest of the Alliance, I am so grateful that you’re back with us safe and sound that I don’t care how you came to be captured, only that you’re home now."

Mary blinked away fresh tears at his words and clenched her small hand around his own and met his eyes through a glistening film of moisture. "I love you Chris," she responded.

Chris leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips, "I love you Mary. I never thought I could love anyone again but I love you and I’ll never leave you."

She stared into his face and knew that it was the truth. She carried him inside her and no matter what destiny might lay before them their souls were linked forever. It was a very comforting feeling.

************

Vader lived.

He lay in his private chambers, attended by physicians sworn to secrecy who knew that the penalty for making known what took place in Vader’s domain would mean nothing less than an agonizing death. They worked quietly, speaking only when necessary, urgency in all their actions, not to mention fear as they attempted to prolong the life of the Emperor’s favourite. There was no question of failing this task because if Vader were to die then they would join him in the afterlife. The Emperor would see to that. Palpatine had charged them to heal his apprentice because they were known to be the best in the Empire. However, being known as such was no comfort to them at this moment, with such a consequence hanging over them in the event of failure.

Vader lay back trying to ignore the touch on his tender skin, feeling helpless and exposed. His armour had been peeled off him and he felt like a de-shelled crustacean. Unfortunately, there had been no choice in the matter. The armour and the cybernetics that kept him alive were damaged in the fall. By all right, he should have been killed. If he had not reached out with the Force and allowed it to cushion his descent when he reached the water below, he would have died instantly. Unfortunately, there was only so much that he was able to do with the Force and so little time in which to do it . While he prevented himself from being killed, he could not keep himself from injury and though the armour absorbed much, it could not absorb all of it.

The impact had cause severed internal bleeding throughout his body, with broken bones and the cybernetics within the armour had been completely destroyed. If he had not entered the Jedi healing state, he would have died after he had clawed his way to the shore. However, even the healing state was not capable of healing the kind of injuries that he had sustained especially without the aid of the mechanics in his armour. They had found him and returned him to his fortress where physicians worked feverishly to replace the armour that maintained the organic process his body was no longer capable of doing itself. He was subjected to the indignity of exposing his true self, the disfigured shell his body had become after falling into molten lava.

For the second time, Ben Kenobi had almost killed him and did not.

Vader seethed inwardly as they healed his injuries and rebuilt the armour that would encase his body completely. In retrospect, he should have anticipated Ben’s anger. After all, it was because of Qui Gonn that Ben had trained him to become a Jedi and had inadvertently set the wheels in motion for the destruction of the Jedi. He had never experienced the full wrath of Jedi Master before and wondered how the battle would have ended if Vin Tanner had not complicated things with his presence. What would have been the outcome if the two had been allowed to continue their combat without interference, with only each other’s hate to whet the mettle of their combat? Vader was certain it would not end with his being in this bed.

All this effort and he was still no closer to finding his son.

That most of all left a bitter taste in his mouth. It did not matter he supposed because someday Vader would find him or perhaps he would find Vader. There was bond between them whether or not Ben wished to acknowledge it. It had been written in blood no matter how hard Ben tried to the boy from Vader. Someday, his son would find him. It was inevitable.

It was his destiny.

************

"I am most displeased with you." Although he was speaking quietly, his voice seemed to boom through the recesses of his private sanctum.

Julia tried not to show her fear but it was impossible not to in his presence. However, it was not simply fear that made her so conscious of him but also the knowledge that she had failed in her duty to guard Mary Travis. Since the rescue of Mary Travis, the Imperial propaganda machine had been strangely silent. Sometimes the best way to downplay a situation was not to say anything about it and the rebel offensive over Coruscant certainty came under that category. There was no way to explain away what had happened to Coruscant during the battle, that their defences were penetrated completely and that the enemy had employed savaged tactics in the retrieval of its most decorated officer. The Emperor himself had summoned her here to make account for herself, particularly when it was discovered who was leading the attack fleet.

"I am sorry Master," Julia said contritely, her eyes fixed on the floor because she was not worthy to look at him and when his disposition was such, not entirely wise either. "I failed you. I allowed her to escape."

"You have embarrassed this office," Palpatine said mercilessly, wanting her to squirm. If he could make Vader tremble then by the Force he would make this foolish woman do the same. "The Emperor does not allow anything to transpire that is not of his consent. What do you think does to that belief when Coruscant is set aflame?"

"I did not know that they were planning....." Julia started to speak.

"SILENCE!" Palpatine roared, cutting her off sharply. "You were responsible for the surveillance of one Ezra Standish. You allowed him to escape and lead an invasion against Coruscant. Did it ever occur to you that had he chose to, he could have taken Coruscant?"

Julia raised his eyes briefly. "That’s impossible."

"Is it?" Palpatine asked as he raised himself from his throne and walked down the space of steps that lay between them. "Had he the resources to occupy Coruscant, he might have done so. It certainly within the realm of possibility when he has managed to disable half the fleet required to guard home world and destroyed the rest!"

Palpatine was stating to show the effects the dark side of the Force could have on a human body. His eyes were sunken and hollow, the blue irises were stained with flecks of yellow. His face seemed leathery as if he had been in the sun for too long. His appearance surprised her a little but she held her composure as he came to her, his dark cloak flowing behind him before his hands reached out and grabbed her chin hard.

"Your reports indicated that Standish was nothing more than a dilettante with ability to command. Hardly the description of the man that brought my fleet to its knees!"

"I didn’t know!" Julia stammered. "He revealed nothing that indicated any tactical ability!"

"Then you did not look hard enough." Palpatine dug his fingers into her skin, until Julia could feel blood being drawn. "Perhaps your feelings on this matter are conflicted." He hissed.

"I don’t know what you mean," she lied and knew that it was foolish to do so.

"I think you do," Palpatine’s eyes narrowed and released his grip. Julia stumbled back, panting hard because this man had the power to end her life where she stood by his own hand or by those he commanded.

Palpatine seemed to relax then, tucking his hands behind his back before he spoke once more. "If you want this man, I will give him to you."

Julia stared. "Give him to me?"

"Yes," Palpatine nodded, a malevolent smile stretched across his face as he answered. "I will allow you to keep him as your very own pet, sufficiently neutered of course but possessing of all the vital necessities you will require. I will do this if you catch him for me."

"What about Mary Travis?" Julia Ventured to ask.

"Travis is not your concern," Palpatine’s voice became hard as he was reminded of his other loss this week. "I have summoned Thrawn back from the Rim, he is more capable of netting that fish than you. All I require of you is to bring me Standish. The faith in the Empire cannot remain so long as the man who managed to weaken Coruscant is captured."

"I understand," Julia nodded.

"No you do not," he retorted and his voice lowered a pitch until it made her uncomfortable just hearing it. "If you fail me, I will have your consciousness transferred to a computer just before I deliver you the most prolonged and agonizing death imaginable. And then after, I have that consciousness restored to a new body, I will find some other way to end your life that is just as excruciating. I will do this for the next hundred years if you fail me again. Do we understand each other?"

Julia found herself shaking because he meant it. She knew he had all sorts of life sustaining devices in his possession, she had seen them for herself and so she was not foolish enough to disbelieve him.

"I swear to you Master," she finally spoke. "I will find him. If it takes forever, I will find him."

"You will find him," Palpatine said in turn. "Or you will find out just how long forever can be."

************

The celebration began even before the Vanguard returned to Jofan space.

Rebel cells across the galaxy were heralding the attack on Coruscant and the rescue of Mary Travis as one of their most spectacular victories. Indeed, the statement though somewhat grandiose, was not altogether in correct. When Mary had been captured, the blow to Alliance morale had been significant. Losing their best and brightest had made those left behind question whether or not death would be the outcome for their fight for freedom. However, Mary’s rescue from the impregnable Imperial stronghold had changed all that. Coruscant that had seemed virtually untouchable was now in flames; with a large portion of the fleet that had been assigned to guard it was also destroyed or severely damaged.

Ezra Standish was being hailed as an Alliance hero.

Following the return of Vader’s shuttle on board the Vanguard with its precious cargo of Jedi, operatives and one injured rebel leader, Ezra’s mind was too occupied with the task of leaving Coruscant space to be aware of his rising status. Issuing the order to retreat to all rebel ships in the vicinity, Ezra saw no need to remain once the rescue team had completed their mission. In truth, there was very little danger in remaining for a time because Coruscant’s defences were severely impaired but Ezra was not about to take that chance. Only a foolish man developed delusions of grandeur in a situation like this and he was by no means foolish. In any case, the decision to make a hasty retreat proved to be a wise choice since they were notified that the Avenger was on its way back to Coruscant and would arrive in a matter of hours. Ezra had no wish to face the superstar destroyer, nor was he confident that any rebel would survive the encounter if they did.

His primary concern in this whole Venture had been the rescue of Mary Travis and as far as he was concerned, that they had managed it without significant loss of life was all the thanks he needed. He tried not to think about the people who had died on Coruscant when debris from the destroyed ships had become a deadly shower from the sky. He knew he could not. He had chosen a course of action and knew the consequences from the onset. He would live with the guilt of those lives forever. There was no escaping that no matter how much he tried to rationalize what he had done. All he could do was live with what had happened and he would.

Only after the Vanguard had leapt into hyperspace, did Ezra deign to leave the bridge and see to his friends. Nathan had already gone because it did not require both of them to be on the bridge when the Vanguard made its departure from Coruscant. As it was, Ezra was contented to wait a little while to see his friends, at least since learning that Inez was safe and sound. With that knowledge secure in his mind, he could afford to be a little patient. He was glad that they had managed to retrieve Mary and wondered how Imperial propaganda was going to explain her rescue not to mention masking the seemingly ineffectiveness of the Rebel Alliance now that Coruscant itself had been breached so prolifically. He wondered how the Empire would regard him after this and hoped that Maude had gone to ground as she promised. Ezra made a mental note to contact her when he could to give her a little reminder.

It felt strange having people looked at him and seeing him as commander of this vessel when Mary was now returned to them. He had always considered his role as temporary keeper just that; temporary. Now Mary was back and they were still looked at him as if he was in charge and in possession of all their answers. Ezra entered the medical center, expecting things to be different because here more than anywhere else, rebel personnel would know that Mary was back. However, if he had anticipated such a thing, it certainly did not happen. Even as he made his way to the medical center, rebel personnel requiring his opinion and orders on a varying number of issues approached him. He wondered how much longer this would last now that Mary was back.

"Ezra!" Buck Wilmington called out from behind him.

The big man hastened his space so that he could catch up with Ezra. Ezra paused and waited for the big man whom he had not seen since the battle over Coruscant. Even though he had been informed that Buck and JD had made it safely back to the Vanguard when the order for retreat had been given, Ezra was nonetheless pleased to see for himself that Buck was safe and sound. The star pilot was grinning broadly like everyone else on board the ship. Ezra would not be surprised if people started celebrating their victory even before they reached Jofa. While he was grateful for the outcome of the battle, he was not in the celebrating mood. It was enough that this Venture had not cost him the lives of his friends.

"Buck," Ezra noted his presence with a little smile. "Do I take your happy demeanour to mean that there is already a celebration taking place on board?"

"Of course not," Buck looked at him puzzled as they both started walking again. "I just talked to Louisa back on Jofa. She’s on her feet and raring to get back to work. Seems there’s a lot of morale to work with thanks to your little hat trick." He patted Ezra on the back.

"I’m glad to hear that," Ezra said sincerely. Louisa Perkins, Buck’s latest paramour had been injured during the battle of Siraj and had spent the last week recuperating. Buck had spent most of his time at her side until the mission to Coruscant. "We should be home in a matter of hours."

"Yeah I’m itching to see the party they’re gonna be throwing us." Buck said enthusiastically.

"Oh wonderful," Ezra retorted.

"Come on Ezra," Buck slapped him on the back. "Get into the spirit of things, you deserve to be treated like a hero, hell knows we wouldn’t be here without you."

"I would not put it quite that way," Ezra shrugged uncomfortably. Playing hero was a role he liked less than playing commander.

"Oh give it up Buck," Inez smiled as she emerged from one of the consultation rooms. During the rescue mission she had pulled a muscle from all that running and climbing and required a little dose of treatment to put her arm back in working order. "You’ll never convince him to lighten up."

"I would make the effort for you," Ezra remarked as he felt Inez kiss him lightly on the lips.

"Hey ex-husband here?" Buck grumbled.

"Very ex-husband," Inez reminded sarcastically.

"What do you see in him?" Buck retorted, more comfortable with seeing Ezra and Inez together than he let on. In truth, he knew that he would always love Inez but he was not in love with her and it was not right that he expect Inez not to go on with her life.

"Well," Inez smiled warmly at Ezra as his arm slid around her waist. "I just love these hero types."

"Not you too," Ezra rolled his eyes. "I was merely doing what was required to help."

"Sorry Ezra," Buck shook his head, refusing to ignore Ezra’s contribution to the task of rescuing Mary. "You’re not going to convince me otherwise."

Any further protestation that Ezra could make came to an abrupt end as they entered Mary’s room. Judging by the voices emanating inside the room, it appeared as if they were not the only visitors to the commander’s room.

"Please!" A rather irate med tech was beseeching the occupants of the room with desperation. "Commander Travis is not ready for visitors! I must ask you to leave!" Upon seeing Ezra entering the room, the rather desperate Chandra-Fan physician hurried over to the commander of the Vanguard, his large ears twitching with anxiety. "Commander Standish! Commander Travis is not really in any condition to accept so many visitors! As her physician I demand that you order these people out!"

"Doctor Krey please calm down," Ezra glanced reproachfully at his friends as he attempted to deal with the agitated Chandra-Fan. "I assure you that all will be taken care of. If you just leave it to me, I promise you Commander Travis will get the rest you need."

"But...." the small rodent like doctor stared at Ezra in scepticism.

"I will take care of it." Ezra declared firmly, with just enough authority in his voice to let the doctor know that it was time to withdraw.

Muttering in what was presumably Chandra-Fan, the doctor left the room quickly, shaking his head at the same time.

"Now how come he wouldn’t do that for me?" Mary asked weakly from her bed.

"Because technically," Ezra turned to her with a little smile. "While you are still in a state of disability, the medical officer outranks you."

"Show off," Mary frowned a little before she gave Ezra a grateful look. "I hear you’ve been taking care of my command Ezra."

"He’s been doing a great job too," Nathan spoke up. "I sure as hell didn’t think he was up to it."

Ezra gave his old friend a wounded look. "Thanks for you confidence."

"Oh he does not mean it," Rayne rolled her eyes and swatted Nathan on the shoulder. "Nathan Jackson you should not be making light of such an important subject."

"Isn’t it time for you to go back to Alderaan?" Nathan gave her a look to which she responded with a warm smile that easily conveyed that he did not wish her to go anywhere just yet.

"Those two aside," Mary turned away from Nathan and Rayne with a look on her face that was very much one of resignation and faced Ezra once more. "Thank you for everything you’ve done."

"I will be ready to turn command over to you at your earliest convenience," Ezra said hopefully.

"Sorry Ez," Vin cut in before Mary could respond. "You got the duty still. The Doc said Mary’s gonna be out of it for a few days."

"I supposed I could be compelled to retain command for a few more days," Ezra sighed and his disappointment was not entirely fake.

"Perhaps a little more than that," Mary added.

"A little more?" Ezra stared at her.

"I think I would like to get some rest and take some time off. I understand that my son is on Jofa?" Mary asked.

"Yes," Josiah responded. "We brought Orin and Billy to Jofa as soon as we could."

"I think under the circumstances," Alex who was seated next to Vin added, "I might take some time off, maybe help you guys set up the new base in Jofa. I could use a little R and R."

"Like the old days huh?" Mary winked at her best friend.

"Something like that." Alex grinned, squeezing Vin’s hand as she replied.

"I gotta catch up with Louisa," Buck announced to the others. "She’s about as sick as you are Mary. Maybe you can recuperate together." He winked at her, knowing that despite being sick, the comment was going to get a rise out of Mary.

"Please," Mary groaned. "I want to get better."

"You know you two are like children," Josiah pointed out. "Ezra, I pity you."

"Pity me?" Ezra looked at the senator.

"Yes," Josiah smiled widely and continued, "because now that you and Mary will be working closely together, you too can enjoy the fireworks that is Louisa and Mary in the same room."

"Oh joy." Ezra returned dourly. "Incidentally JD," he turned to the young man who was taking a moment with Casey in the corner of the room. "Those new X wings have arrived. I understand you were to take command of this new ‘Rogue’ squadron was it?" He glanced at Nathan for confirmation.

"Really?" JD exclaimed enthusiastically, pulling himself away from the clearly intimate conversation he was having with Casey. No doubt the young lovers were accounting to each other with the last day’s events. "I get to be a full lieutenant?"

"I don’t see why not," Mary shrugged. "You worked hard enough for it."

"I can’t believe it," Buck sighed. "One minute he was this green eared kid about to get done over by a slick Rodian and now he’s a rebel squadron leader."

"Your baby’s grown up," Inez patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. "You’ll get over it dad."

"Hey Mary," Casey came up to the side of the bed. "Ezra’s allowed me to rewire the whole communications network at the new base."

"I was attempting to spare Nathan’s sanity." Ezra confessed.

"Yeah," Vin chuckled. "It was either that or Nathan was going to make me use one of those Jedi mind tricks on her to make her leave him alone."

"Oh please, no more of that." Mary said sternly. "The last time you did something close to that, my inventory officer thought he was a cosmetic salesman. The poor man kept trying to convince everyone to test hygiene products he thought was cologne."

"He got better!" Vin insisted. "Beside Chris fixed him up in no time."

"And told you never to try any more mind tricks until you were a little more responsible." Josiah reminded.

"Hah!" Alex snorted. "That will be the day."

Ezra joined the laughter of his friends, feeling a great deal happier than he had been in a long time. In exchange for this new family, he could tolerate running things. For a while anyway.

Suddenly Ezra noticed one member of their party was missing. "Where is Chris?" Ezra asked.

At that question, Vin’s amused manner sobered considerably before he answered. "He’s with Ben."

*********

"Are you alright?" Chris Larabee asked Ben Kenobi once he entered the room assigned to the Jedi Master when Ben had asked for some place to rest.

Ben had been staring out the window of his quarters, trying to discern some kind of pattern in the swirl energies beyond the plexiglass. He had been there for some time now, trying to come to grips with his behaviour on Coruscant and wondering if he had lost himself to the dark side of the Force because of it. He had wanted to kill Vader. If Vin had not been there, he might have done it. For a few seconds, he had thought of nothing but vengeance for all the wrongs that Vader had committed since he abandoned the name of Anakin Skywalker. Ben had considered how easy it would be to strike down Vader, to end his disease before it spread any further throughout the galaxy but Vin was right, it was not worth losing himself to do so. The road to hell was paved with good intentions and so many had been lost already because of that presumption.

"Yes," Ben turned to Chris when his old friend took a seat next to him. "I will be in time."

"Vin told me what happened," Chris revealed. "You don’t have to feel ashamed."

"How can you say that?" Ben stared at him in astonishment. "I almost killed him. I almost struck him down in cold blood!"

"But you didn’t." Chris pointed out before Ben blamed himself too much.

"If it was not for Vin, I would have." Ben retorted, unwilling to absolve himself just yet. "He deserved it. For everything he did to Padme and to the Jedi and to me, he deserved to die."

"I don’t dispute that but you did lower your weapon and that makes a good deal of difference." Chris sucked in his breath and sought the words to say that would make Ben believe he had done no wrong. "Ben, there are very few of us left and after what we’ve lived through and what we’ve seen, we’ve learnt that we can never be complacent about anything again. We existed for millennia and perhaps we grew arrogant enough to believe that the Order was untouchable. It was our folly and perhaps it was inevitable that someone like Anakin would be the instrument of our destruction. You trained him because you sensed potential in him. There is no wrong in that."

Ben stood up abruptly and started pacing. "I should not have disobeyed the Council! He should never have been trained!"

Chris dropped his gaze and collected his thoughts to counteract that argument. "You sensed potential in him. He was the Vergence. His coming was foretold by prophecy, he would bring balance to the Force. You thought you were doing the right thing and there is never any harm in that. Not even Yoda anticipated what Anakin would do even though he feared him. If Yoda had do you think the Council would have allowed you to continue as Anakin’s master?"

"No," Ben could not fault Chris logic but that did not change his guilt. "He was like my family Chris," Ben met his eyes. "He was a child when he came to me and he was more than just my padwan. I saw him grow from a boy into a man and you cannot know what agony it is to see someone you love and cherish become a monster."

"No," Chris shook his head. "I don’t know what that feels like but I do know about pain. I also know that you are my friend and that you feel too much sorrow to ever fall to the dark side. If you must make absolution for perceived sins then you should do it by guarding Luke, by making certain that he grows to be a man that is untouched by Vader or the Emperor’s darkness. You have to do it for yourself and you have to do it for Padme and the twins."

"You are right of course," Ben conceded. He had seen his destiny and it lay with Anakin’s son. He had to be strong to guide Luke in the difficult path that lay ahead for him. It would be difficult enough without Ben complicating matters by being absent when Luke needed him. "I have to prepare the boy for what lies ahead. I have to deliver him to Yoda. His destiny lies with Vader, not my own."

"Yes it does and one other thing," Chris looked at him and wished him to understand this because for a long time, Chris had trouble wrapping his mind around the same thing as well, particularly after Saran and Adam had died. "You are not alone Ben. You will be alone. If you ever need us, you’ll only need to call. My friends and I, all seven of us will be at your side no matter what the circumstances. Only Vin and I know about Luke and Leia but the others would die to protect them both just as we would."

"I noticed that," Ben smiled. "They’re good men, your friends."

"They are," Chris agreed without hesitation. "And they’re yours too. So come join us, I think we’re missing out on a little party."

"Well we did breach the impregnable." Ben pointed out, his spirits lifting a little after his conversation with Chris. "There is some reason for celebration."

"And there will be hell to pay when the dust settles but right now," Chris grinned. "Let’s enjoy the moment while it lasts."

"You know you’re much more relaxed these days," Ben pointed out as they started towards the door. "I can’t imagine why Vin calls you grim and broody."

Chris shot him a look. "Grim and broody?"

"Yeah but on your more pleasant days," Ben teased.

Chris turned away muttering, "this from the man who took a month to put a light sabre together....."

THE END

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