The Unifying Force

by James Luceno

  Saba nodded. "This one haz rarely seen such devastation on an inhabited world."

  Far Outsiders was the Ferroan term for the Yuuzhan Vong, who had found and engaged Zonama Sekot some fifty years earlier, when first scouting the galaxy they planned to invade.

  "The Far Distance is melting," Jacen said. "The area where Obi-Wan and Anakin landed has broken away from the ice shelf and is adrift in the Northern Sea." He paused to consider his words. "I guess I should say Southern Sea, since Zonama Sekot is now upside down."

  Mara interrupted the conversation to pass out bowls of stew sweetened with rogir-boln fruit, which Jacen and Saba devoured ravenously.

  "Were you able to learn anything about Widowmaker?" Luke asked after Jacen had set his bowl down.

  Jacen shook his head sadly. "It's gone. It didn't make the jump to hyperspace with Zonama Sekot."

  The sudden silence was broken only by the crackling of the fire. Jade Shadow's escort since leaving the Remnant, the Imperial frigate had been commanded by Captain Arien Yage, whom the Jedi had come to regard as a close friend rather than a mere comrade in arms.

  "There's more bad news," Jacen said finally. "Some of the Fer-roans are holding us accountable for what happened."

  Mara compressed her lips in anger. "Luke warned Sekot that the Yuuzhan Vong might return."

  Luke shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I'm sure the Ferroans are thinking that if it took only three Yuuzhan Vong to reopen wounds fifty years old, nothing less than annihilation can come of Sekot's pledge to enlist in the war against them."

  "That iz precisely what the Ferroanz are thinking," Saba said, showing her sharp teeth.

  Jacen sighed. "Darak told me that, in the past, visitors could remain on Zonama Sekot for only sixty days, and that our time is up."

  Luke studied his hands and shook his head back and forth. "All those weeks of persuading Sekot and the Ferroans of the Tightness ot their participation—undone in an instant ..." He looked up at Jacen and Saba. "Has anyone seen Jabitha?"

  "Tslot since the day Zonama caught fire," Saba replied.

  loot's humanoid interface with its sentient residents, Jabitha was

  a's current Magister, the third in the planet's history. During

  brief appearance following the planet's emergence from hyper-

  Tabitha had said only that Sekot had desperate need of her else-

  and that she would return when she could. Present at the

  ranee, Luke and the other Jedi had quickly discerned that the

  'tha who spoke to them was merely a thought projection of Sekot.

  Tl it fact had been borne out later, when Jabitha's entranced body

  had been discovered in her dwelling place.

  "We'll just have to go back to the beginning," Mara said in a

  determined way.

  Luke looked at her. "We won't know until we speak to Sekot."

  In front of the hearth an apparition appeared, gradually manifesting as a tall, wide-eyed, dark-haired, and faintly blue-skinned woman, wearing a black robe decorated with green medallions that sparkled in the light of the fire.

  "Jabitha," Luke said, coming to his feet.

  "Of a sort," Mara said quietly as she joined him.

  "Sekot wishes to reassure you that Zonama will persevere," the thought-projected Jabitha said without preamble. "Since perseverance will necessitate significant alterations to Zonama's present orbit and spin, it would be best if everyone remained in the shelters for the time being."

  Luke drew in his breath, only to sense that his relief was premature.

  "I am also charged with advising you that Sekot needs time to reassess the possible consequences of returning Zonama to known space. As caretaker of the Living Force—as defined by the Potentium— the continued existence of Zonama Sekot is of utmost importance."

  Luke and Mara traded looks of disappointment. Founded in the

  -Palpatine Republic by would-be Jedi, the order known as the

  -entium professed belief in a Force that was not divisible into light dark. Birthed from Zonama by the founders, and under their

  - age as it evolved from egolessness to full self-awareness, Sekot °me to accept the tenets of the Potentium as fact.

  • hung his head momentarily. Back to the beginning, just as

  Mara had said—and perhaps worse. Sekot was turning away fro involvement in the war. Sekot preferred the sanctuary provided by gas giant like Mobus over open space and exposure to whatever harm might find the planet.

  "Sekot has some idea where we are," Jabitha was saying. "It's pOs sible that Zonama Sekot passed close to this star system during thc Crossings from known space."

  Luke motioned across the room to R2-D2, who was standing

  o

  silently against the wall. "Tell Sekot that Artoo can help compute the location—as soon as we can see the stars."

  The astromech droid tootled in reinforcement.

  "I will tell Sekot," Jabitha said, dematerializing.

  Mara sat down next to Luke. "That was Jabitha's voice, but I think we just heard directly from Sekot."

  "It's possible."

  The five Jedi had yet to emerge from reflection when someone hurried out of the storm into the dwelling's anteroom.

  "Danni," Luke said, even as he was turning toward her.

  Danni Quee's blond hair hung loosely around her face, but her green eyes shone with excitement.

  "Tekli and Tahiri ..." she said in a rush.

  Mara shot to her feet. "What's happened?"

  Danni motioned behind her, as if to something just outside the entrance. "They're with him now, the Yuuzhan Vong Priest— Harrar." She blinked and stared at Mara and the others. "He's alive.'"

  • iving in to what had become a routine of self-loathing, Malik Carr thought back to his arrival at Obroa-skai in the carl- days of the invasion. There he had met with Commander Tla, the priest Harrar, tactician Raff, and Nom Anor. Ever faithful to Yun-Harla, the Trickster goddess, Harrar and Nom Anor had hatched a plot to surrender a female member of deception sect to the New Republic government as a means of infiltrating the Jedi, and assassinating as many of them as possible. Carr had had grave misgivings about the plan, but had given his blessing nevertheless, in part because of something Eminence Harrar had said to him.

  The success of our plan will result in your being escalated, to the rank of Supreme Commander, with a space vessel of your own to wield against ir newfound enemy. From this, too, I will be permitted to sit at the riaht hand of Supreme Overlord Shimrra, on re-created Tuuzhan'tar . . . That was before Elan had been killed and Harrar had been recalled Outer Rim, and what was to have been a surprise attack on the Iemv shipyards at Fondor had ended in failure—another of Nom lor's plots, but for which Nas Choka and Malik Carr had been forced shoulder the blame. And yet since then, Nas Choka had been esca-3 Warmaster, Harrar to high priest, and Nom Anor—against all Q the better judgment of many—to prefect of Yuuzhan'tar.

  83

  As for Malik Carr?

  A custodian of enemy captives, stripped of his rank, a mere na senger in a vessel commanded by a warrior to whom he was onc superior!

  "I want one thing understood, Malik Carr," Commander Bh Path was lecturing him from the high seat of the war vessel Sacred Pyre. "The prisoners are our first priority. Supreme Overlord Shirnrr holds them in even greater regard than any of the relics and idols our convoy bears to Yuuzhan'tar."

  Standing stiffly in the murky green light of the command chamber Carr managed to remain abject and straight-faced, despite the fact that only days earlier more than fifty of the prisoners in his charge had suffocated in Selvaris's immolation pit.

  Carr snapped his fists to his shoulders in salute. "I understand Commander. The prisoners first and foremost."

  The convoy was made up of thirteen ships, most of them property of the Peace Brigade, but under the escort of five Yuuzhan Vong war vessels, the largest of them carrying two broods of coralskippers api
ece. A circumstance that would have been unthinkable at the start of the war, the convoy was not accompanied by a yammosk. Worse, Path's vessel was tethered to a Brigader ship by an oqa membrane, to facilitate the transfer of prisoners collected from Selvaris to Sacred Pyre. Some of the captives transported from internment camps distant from Selvaris would remain aboard Peace Brigade ships until the convoy reached Yuuzhan'tar.

  "Commander," Carr said as he prepared to take his leave, "are you satisfied that the Peace Brigaders have a similar grasp of the priorities? Having met with some of them, I would suggest that their only allegiance is to the spice they smuggle from Ylesia and dose themselves with."

  Path grunted. He was exceedingly tall and corded with muscle, but was seldom granted the fealty such size would have guaranteed another.

  "In times like these, we are forced to ally with scoundrels and villains," he said in a tired voice. "And by Supreme Overlord Shimrra's decree do our vessels fraternize. But this won't long be so. Another

  na! assurance.

  „ r fought to keep from betraying the anger that consumed him

  haps two, and we will be sufficiently reprovisioned with war-, vessels to dispense with the need for Peace Brigaders or ould-be allies. Warmaster Nas Choka has given me his per-- \

  „ r o

  the one who had welcomed Nas Choka to the war, and had • >d an escalation ceremony to take place aboard the vessel in his rand. He wondered if Nas Choka would so much as deign to . on him now — especially should the warmaster learn of the escape a Selvaris prisoner. The mere possibility of that made the present signment all the more important, for any untoward incident would surely doom Carr to further demotion.

  But no, he told himself. He would sooner drape a tkun around his neck than suffer additional shame.

  He shook off his concern. Even though still visible through a transparency in the command chamber, Selvaris was behind him. Soon the convoy would accrue adequate acceleration for the transition to darkspace, and the next stop would be Yuuzhan'tar.

  Saluting Path a final time, Carr began to back out of the chamber. He had just reached the membrane hatch when Path's communications subaltern swung away from the villip choir he supervised. "Commander, enemy vessels detected! On the approach." Path rose halfway out of his chair. "What?" "Warships and starfighter squadrons," the subaltern elaborated. Carr turned to the transparency. A score of ships were streaming Jut from behind Selvaris's small moon. In advance of the convoy, others had emerged from what the enemy called hyperspace. He could almost hear the war cries of the starfighter pilots. "An ambush!" Path said in confused disbelief. A stout Peace Brigader burst into the command chamber. "We e told this route was secure! How did the Alliance learn of our plans?"

  Fath gaped at the human. "This— this can't be!"

  Tu

  man snorted in scorn and pointed out the transparency. look, Commander. Unless you do something fast, we're as space dust!"

  d

  Path shot to his feet and hurried to the chamber's tactical niche 1 where a host of hovering blaze bugs were arranging themselves into ' battle display. Lacking a yammosk to chaperone them, the best the could manage was a representation of the disposition of the vessel and warships, without providing information on weapons capacity o attack vectors. Carr, meanwhile, took a moment to steady himself, f0 he knew exactly what had happened.

  The escaped prisoner, the mathematical equation spewed by the captive, what he guessed had been code . . .

  "Commander Path," he said without thinking, "charge the villips to spread word of our plight. Deploy dovin basals to protect our vessels. Order the Peace Brigade ships into defensive formation while we launch coralskippers."

  Path's subaltern looked to his commander for authorization.

  Path swallowed hard. "Yes, yes, do as he says—quickly."

  The human narrowed his eyes in favor. "Thank the gods someone is doing the thinking around here."

  Carr glared at him. "It's a rescue operation. Stop your muttering and see to it that the rest of my prisoners are transferred to Sacred Pyre. Once the oqa membrane is retracted, order your people to go to weapons."

  Still grinning, the Peace Brigader tapped his forehead with the edge of his extended fingers. "On my way—Commander.'"

  Carr reveled in the sound of the honorific, but only for a moment; then he turned back to Path. "Are you confident you can tackle this?"

  Path lowered his gaze in uncertainty. "I am here by dint of accident, Supreme Commander. You fe/ow^here."

  Carr approached him in fury. "Blu Path! The honorific belongs to you unless you do something foolish to forfeit it!"

  Path raised his eyes and nodded.

  "Command the prisoner ships to go to darkspace immediately," Carr said. "We can't afford to have them remain in the arena and engage."

  Path's eyes opened wide. "Flee in dishonor?"

  Carr took hold of Path's command cloak. "Priorities, Commander. Supreme Overlord Shimrra will honor you more for safeguarding his

  than for your enthusiasm to do battle." He let go of the cloak. e teaches one to distinguish between wisdom and eagerness." lk t xperien^-t-

  " f th swung to his subalterns and conveyed the order. "jov launch the coralskippers," Carr instructed. The subalterns didn't bother to wait for authorization. , th's proudly scarred face was ashen. "But without a yammosk— "arr cut him off with a wave of his hand. "If the pilots under the mition hoods of the coralskippers don't know how to engage the •mv bv now, they will never know! And they'll pay for their igno-ice with dishonorable death." He motioned Path to the villip choir. "Tell them so. Stir their hearts. Inflame them!"

  Path swallowed and nodded. "I will. But where will you be?" Carr tipped his head to one side. "Did you not command me to take charge of the prisoners?"

  Path straightened to his full height. "I did." Carr placed his hands atop Path's broad shoulders. "Command tests our will. Hold fast to your faith in Yun-Yammka. Rise above the storm. But should the battle back you into a corner, you know where

  to find me."

  Path snapped his fists to the opposite shoulders, following it with a gesture of us-hrok—a sign of gratitude and loyalty. "Belek tiu, Supreme Commander!"

  Weapons were already flaring in space—the enemy's laser cannons and proton torpedo launchers. Carr spun on his heel and rushed from the command chamber. This day would see him exonerated or dead.

  Twin Suns Squadron of battle-seasoned X-wings emerged from

  hiding with wingtip lasers charged and stabilizers locked in attack

  ition. The convoy of pod-shaped Peace Brigade freighters and

  ieir escort of war vessels was strung out in a long line that trailed past

  Ivaris's moon almost to the planet itself. A few of the freighters

  a retrofitted turbolasers and other ranged weapons, but most

  e Patched together and defenseless. Three of the Yuuzhan Vong

  s were 120-meter-long spearheads of reddish black coral, pitted

  lovm basal launchers and plasma-spitting weapons emplace-

  s- ^he pair of larger vessels were oval-shaped carrier analogs,

  equally well armed, and sporting clusters of coralskippers affixed lita shellfish to their bone-white hulls.

  Ensconced in Twin Suns One, Jaina Solo flew point for the thre squadrons under her command. Gloved hands gripped on th X-wing's control stick, she chinned her helmet comm. "All flights form up on your leaders and keep your battle channels open for instructions. Scimitar Leader, do you copy?"

  "Copy, Twin One," Colonel Ijix Harona said.

  "Yellow Taanab Leader, do you copy?"

  Wes Janson commed back. "Loud and clear, Twin One."

  The X-wing's sensors painted blue and yellow bezels on the cockpit displays. "Scimitar Leader, your squadron has the number one carrier. Taanab Leader, those forward gunships are yours. Twin Suns will take the carrier umbilicaled to the Brigade freighter. The rest of the convoy vessels are desig
nated to Dozen, Blackmoon, and Vanguard fighter squadrons."

  Named by Luke Skywalker for his double-starred homeworld of Tatooine, Twin Suns was made up of T-65A2s and XJ3 X-wings. Ijix Harona's Scimitars were wedge-shaped A-wings; Blackmoon was E-wings; and the Taanab Aces—a volunteer squadron—were yellow snubfighters adorned with black stripes. The Dozen had originally been formed by Kyp Durron; the Vanguard, by Jagged Pel and his Chiss comrades.

  The flanks of Jaina's white fighter still bore faint traces of running voxyn—Jedi-hunting beasts bioengineered by the Yuuzhan Vong— that had been added years earlier. Off to her right flew starfighters and armed transports that had decanted from hyperspace only moments earlier. She switched over to the command net. "You there, Kyp, Colonel Eel, Captain Saz?"

  "Affirmative, Colonel," Saz said from Blackmoon One.

  "Perched on your right shoulder," Kyp Durron replied. The nova suns on the fuselage of his X-wing were as faded as Twin Sun One's voxyn. Good to see you, he sent through the Force.

  Acknowledging the extrasensory greeting, Jaina felt Kyp join the Force-meld she shared with Lowbacca and Alema Rar. The Wookiee and the Twi'lek were piloting Twin Suns Five and Nine, respectively-

  Id was powerful, though nothing like the twin bond Jaina d with Jacen, even across the stars. ^'Where's Jag—Colonel Eel?" she asked. "I thought the Chiss

  .ere going to participate."

  -Vanguard was held back at Mon Calamari," Kyp said. "Some-bia is brewing." He sends his love, the Jedi Master added.

  Tl • sending caught Jaina by surprise, and her face took on iden color. Kyp's remark couldn't have been better timed.

  "Twin Suns, Scimitar, and the Yellow Aces are tasked," she told he recent arrivals firmly. "Don't feel shy about asking for help if the gunships put up a fight, Blackmoon Leader."

  Saz laughed. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Colonel."

  From its socket behind the X-wing's canopy, Jaina's R2-B3 unit, Cappie, relayed an urgent message to the cockpit. She studied the translation display screen and chinned her comm again. "All pilots, sensors are showing intensifying hyperdrive emissions in the Peace Brigade freighters."