Chapter 59

She closed her eyes and let the Force take her to that wonderful moment in her past, when Luke had given her the Jedi-pendant. She saw herself opening the small green box and once again she felt the amazement and wonder when she had lifted the pendant of its velvet cloth. The images vanished and now she saw herself with the Draga at the moment she had woken up. Mintob gave her the green box and once more she experienced the beauty of the little gem, although she couldn't recall its use. She saw how she went down with the Draga to the bottom of the cleft and through the Force she was aware the compassion the strange creatures had felt for her, an outsider, not one of their kind. They had made her feel welcome and protected. Suddenly she found herself on Endor at the clearing with the stone. She could clearly see and read the words on it; a tribute and a commemmoration to her foster-father.

'Poor Anakin,' she thought, 'You were a good man, but you weren't able to see through and cope with the machinations of Darth Sidious. He seduced you to the Dark Side of the Force. He played an evil game with you and your uncontrolled emotions and you lost everything and everyone who you loved and were dear to you. Everything could have been so different if Luke and Leia would have grown up with you and Padmé. Poor father, you weren't all evil. You were a puppet and the emperor pulled the strings.'

'I can not believe you can think of me this way. It feels like you forgive me everything I did to you. Do you really feel sorry for me, Liane?' A soft voice said.

Astounded Liane opened her eyes and looked at the apparition of a person dressed as a Jedi Knight. The apparition looked remorseful.

"You're Anakin Skywalker, aren't you?" She asked in wonder, "You were on Endor with Ben Kenobi, weren't you? I saw you, after I got my memories back. You both encouraged me to make use of the Jedi-pendant."

'Yes, I am Anakin Skywalker, Liane, Luke's father. I felt your compassion for me through the Force, as you were meditating on your past.' The apparition answered, 'You were thinking very compassionately of me.'

"I was thinking of what has happened to you, father. Luke has told me how you have renounced the Dark Side of the Force."

'And you still feel sorry for me, even if you know what evil I've spread in this galaxy. There isn't anyone who has a better understanding of the menace I presented than you, Liane. You've have witnessed the evil influence of the Dark Side on Morantan for more than a decade.'

"I know, father, but I've also witnessed the moments you seemed subdued and depressed about what you were doing or what was going on. Luke believed there was still good in you, and he was right, for I've always felt your care, your guidance and your protection, even if you masked those feelings with your demanding teachings."

'Liane ... ,' Anakin Skywalker silenced, as if he didn't know how to continue.

"Yes, father, what's bothering you?" She said kindly.

'Are you really forgiving me all my wrong teachings, for they were wrong and evil, my daughter. You know they are.'

"Sure, I forgive you, father. Luke has told me, how you've found me on Morantan after my mother had died. You took me with you, while I was still a toddler."

'Did my son also tell you I fought a lightsaber duel with your mother, before she suddenly vanished?' Anakin asked and Liane heard the tension in his voice.

"No, but Severini was a Jedi and the emperor had ordered you to wipe out the Jedi, didn't he? Luke told me about the downfall of the Jedi Order, and how some of them went into exile. Father, after you've met my mother, a Jedi Knight in exile, on Morantan, you had to follow the emperor's demands. I think, you had no other choice than to chalenge her."

'And you don't hate me for what I did? Liane, I hardly can't believe you.'

"Luke has taught me to accept what happened in my past. It can't undone. He also said I had to look upon my past with regret, not anger or hatred, and to forgive you your failures. There have been many moments when I blamed you for what you've done to me and to so many others, but Luke has always told me that he could forgive you, because before you died you renounced the Dark Side and became a Jedi Knight again. I certainly would have had another life and another youth, if I had grown up with my mother. Severini would have raise me at the Good Side of the Force and probably would have passed on the Force knowledge how to use the Force's healing powers."

'Liane, from the moment I saw you, you have become very dear to me. When I first saw that little giggling girl, who didn't seemed to be afraid of me, images of Padmé's pregnancy flashed through my mind. When I attacked her in a fit of rage with the power of the Dark Side, she was heavily pregnant. Our baby was almost due. In a whim I took you with me, and I decided you should be the daughter I had killed. When I found out that Luke was my son, I couldn't believe that to be true. I couldn't believe that I had a son living, and I blamed the emperor for having lied to me all those years. He told me I had killed Padmé.'

"From the moment you knew that Luke was your son, you felt a conflict inside, father. I have felt it, every time we talked about him. I didn't understand the contradictory feelings you had for Luke Skywalker. He was a Jedi Knight, and you always said that you regarded him as a threat to the empire, an enemy, but there was also pride, care, even love inside you. Father, your decision to adopt me as your daughter has saved my life, for you could easily have killed me too. You've taught me bad things, but also many good ones. You learned me to feel the Force in everything that surrounded me in the Morantan jungle and to listen to her will. You taught me to interfere with the Force's will, and we often argued about the dominance and power the Force could give. I didn't want that power, for I cared for what I felt around me; the plants, the birds, the insects, even the predators. They were all connected with each other and with me. Luke says that is the Living Force. It creates life, makes things grow; it surrounds and penetrates us. The galaxy needs the Living Force to prosper and protect life, father. Master Odan-Urr has told me that the Good Side always has to fight the Dark Side of the Force, for the Dark Side may never be the dominant power."

'That is not entirely true, my daughter, because that same Living Force also includes the Dark Side.'

"What do you mean, father?" Liane asked surprised.

'Liane, you have always cherished the good that can be done with the Force, and you still do that. That is the legacy of Severini. But across the Living Force that things grow and prosper, works the same Force that makes all lifeform decay at the end of their existence. Death is the end of every life and is inevitable.'

The Jedi creed says that there is no death, there is the Force. You became one with the Force, when you renounced the Dark Side, and so are all the other Jedi masters of old I've met through the use of the holocrons."

'Yes, the Jedi have learned to conquer death which enables them to live on in Force as Force spirits'Anakin commented gently.

"So they still can teach a new generation of Jedi who will serve the Living Force. Master Odan-Urr says that the galaxy benefits from the existence of the Jedi. The Sith Lords have brought chaos and destruction many times. The Jedi always have fought their dark intentions." Liane remarked.

Anakin nodded, but smile thoughtful

'Liane, what would happen if there only would be the Good Side of the Force?'

Pensively Liane thought about Anakin's question.

'Do you really think, that every lifeform in this galaxy would be happy, if everything would be always good.'

"Yes, I think they would be happy,"

Anakin shook his head.

'No, Liane, they wouldn't, for they wouldn't realize the happiness and the goodness that's surrounding and protecting them. Goodness, happiness and prosperity would become something they would take for granted, a common good, something they can always depend on. They wouldn't be able to cope with any misfortune, or disaster. Such a way of life would lead to decadence and laziness, for no one would believe that a disaster could happen.'

Liane's face got a thoughtful expression.

"Decadence and laziness can lead to disaster, father," She answered pensively.

'Most of times it leads to disaster, my daughter, and disasters are a source of dissatisfaction. Dissatisfied creatures will oppose those who are still doing well, but the dissatisfaction will spread...'

"... and that will give the Sith, with their knowledge of the Dark Side the opportunity, to rise again," Liane concluded.

'Precisely, my daughter. Do you see that a galaxy only lead through the Good Side of the Force will not necessarily be a peaceful and prosperous place to live. All lifeforms have to deal with misfortune, disasters, losses, catastrophes, otherwise they won't learn to appreciate the good things of the Living Force. Moments of disaster will prevent the leaders to become arrogant, supercilious, overconfident, greedy for power, and many more vices. Good and evil, Liane belong to everyone's life. The Good Side and the Dark Side are part of the same Force, that's the Unifying Force or Cosmic Force which binds everything in the galaxy together, good and bad. Those two sides of the Force must be an equilibrium, neither of one may dominate. In that respect, master Oden-Urr was right, but never think that only the Good Side will bring happiness and prosperity. The downfall of the Jedi was partly their own fault, because they refused to see what was really going on in the Old Republic. They thought they knew everything because they saw themselves as the ultimate guardians of peace and justice with their knowledge of the Force. That discontent and injustice were ruining the Republic from within never occured to them until it was too late, and Darth Sidious had taken control. The hypocrisy of senator Palpatine and his bootlickers and the hubris of the Jedi gave rise to Empire and its reign of darkness and evil. I took part of that evil reign, for I too misinterpreted Darth Sidious' evil intentions. My unlimited confidence in him became my undoing and sealed my fate.'

Liane was silent for a long time. The apparition of Anakin Skywalker watched his foster-daughter patiently, leaving her time to absorb his words. Finally Liane looked up, a vague smile appeared around her lips.

"Thank you, father, for these words. I've never looked at the Force from this point of view. Your words give me a lot to think about. I never have thought about the Force as a power that has to be in balance between good and evil. Thank you, for visiting me and telling me this. It's an important lesson you gave me. It certainly will help me to keep a good focus on my own intentions. I hope you will visit me again and teach me things I might overlook, or misinterpret. I have promised Luke I will be his padawan, because I want to become a Jedi Knight."

'It gives great joy to many Jedi on the other side of the Force that you have made the decision to become a Jedi Knight yourself. We all will help you to gain that goal. I will fulfil your wish to visit you again wholeheartedly, my daughter. I feel it as an honor to guide you to become a Jedi Knight.'

The apparition of Anakin Skywalker vanished. Liane blinked. She needed some time to comprehened the deeper meaning of her conversation with Anakin Skywalker. For a long time she sat motionless on the edge of her bed, recalling every word of her meeting with her foster-father Anakin Skywalker.

One of the communication technicians on Quoith looked at a flashing screen. For a moment an odd series of code seemed to lit up among the data. He stopped the scrolling and tried to retrieve the coding. Then he turned around, called Haym Nefloren and told him about it.

Haym stepped behind the technician's chair, looking over his shoulder.

"Stay alert, if it's repeated, try to stop the information flow immediately. Maybe you should give the tech droids access to screen the communication data and see if they can perform a replay."

The communication technician typed some codes, knowing that the tech droids would activate the monitoring of the information flow and retrieve the data he seemed to have missed. The confirmation on the screen reassured him. The droids had plugged in and were checking all the data of the last four hours. He switched on a second screen and linked it with his main screen. If the droids would find any unacknowledged messages he would get an immediate alarm and the main screen flow would stop at once. That would leave him time to interpret the message. He went on scanning the mainstream data flow. Most of the data was normal communication between permanent on Dalmaran and the few space ships in orbit around the planet.

"Asked those droids to skip any data older than six hours ago. Have them concentrated on the last possible messages." Haym remarked.

"Yes, sir. I'll give them the instruction right away. I'll warn you the moment I see it on my screen again, sir."

Several minutes passed, then all at once the main screen locked and the message data flashed in red. The communication officer secured the message and transmitted it to the Haym Nefloren's communication desk.

"It's a message via the special procon connection aimed at Coruscant, sir" The technician said aloud, "The message is encrypted using an imperial code. Should we pass it on to Coruscant?"

"Yes. Forward the message via procon to admiral Thai, officer. He certainly will know how to decrypt the message. Do we know the source of the message? "

"No sir, do you want to know where it came from?"

"If you are able to find the source of the message, inform me, but don't spend too much effort on it. It seems to be aimed at Coruscant. It's using the special procon connection which has been agreed between the New Republic and the Provisional Coruscant Council. That all sounds secure enough. Admiral Thai certainly will inform the Supreme Chancellor or master Tyloban if the message contains important information. In advance I will master Tyloban about it."

"Forwarded it to Coruscant, using the special procon connection," the technician said as he typed some code and pressed a button.

"Message forwarded, sir," He confirmed.

'Maybe we should look for the source of the message,' Haym Nefloren thought, before he turned to his other chores.

The submersible slid inaudible below the surface of the strait between Vor'izon and Na'ctaMagh'BA. Leia carefully watched the monitor, when suddenly she became alerted. Another submersible was following them. Quickly she increased the speed of the vehicle in an attempt to shake off the pursuer, but its speed increased too.

"Ian, we're pursued. We'd better get to the surface."

Ian slowed their velocity and emptied the water tanks. The small boat rose and several moments later it broke through the surface. Immediately Leia started to scan the surrounding, but the pursuer was clever enough to stay underwater.

"It isn't showing up, master." Ian remark, checking the other side of the boat.

"I would be surprised if he did so. They are probably waiting for us to dive again and resume their pursuit, but I will teach them a lesson they won't forget. Listen, Ian."

Leia explained what she expected her padawan to do.

"Do you really think, it will work, master."

"I do, but our success depends on your Force skills. As we're diving again I want you to steer this vessel straight on at our pursuer. Keep our course, don't deviate from it. I'm going to use the Force to protect us from a head-on collision, but our pursuers will think you're on collision course and that will be the end of their pursuit. Carefully watch the monitor, Ian. You take over now and don't disturb me."

Ian took the helm and Leia concentrated in the co-pilots chair and brought herself into a deep Force concentration. Ian filled the water tanks again and slowly increased the speed. As the boat submerged he immediately saw the pursuing vessel. He increased the speed of their submersible to maximum and pretended he wanted to outrun the other one. The display on the monitor showed that their pursuer increased its speed too. Ian felt how his master reached out to the pursuer.

'Turn around and full speed, Ian' He heard his master say.

'Yes, master'

He pulled up the steering stick forcefully and got the submersible in a steep left u-turn, then he started the head-on collision run. For a moment the pursuing vessel didn't respond, but then she frantically began to evade the oncoming submersible. What ever her helm's man tried, however, the ship didn't respond and a collision seemed unavoidable.

Leia took the pursuing vessel in a tight Force grip. Slowly she turned it upside down, then it began to turn on its longitudinal axis faster and faster until the image on the monitor became blurred. Then all of a sudden Leia released her Force grip. The vessel continued to turn, but the momentum of the movement slowed down. Ian had already brought their vessel on course again, increasing their speed to maximum velocity. Within moments they disappeared out of sight of the still rotating pursuing vessel. Leia released herself from her Force stance.

"Excellent, young padawan. Now let's get to the entrance of the underground river, before they start their pursuit again."

Ian looked at his master with raised eyebrows and grinned.

"I assume, master, they probably are somewhat topsy-turvy from your treatment."

They both started to laugh. Ian kept the submersible at high speed and reduced its speed only after they had found the underwater entrance to the secret residence. The submersible reappeared above the surface, while Ian carefully watched the rear monitor.

"Nothing, master, we shook them off."

"Ian, come over here, quick. Are you sure we've entered the right underground river?" Leia asked with some tension in her voice.

"What's the matter, master?" Ian said and walked back to the small control room.

"Look. There's no jetty, no terrace, nothing," Leia said astounded and began to check the coordinates, but everything seemed alright.

Ian emptied the water tanks and after the submersible rose above the surface he walked over to the top hatch and opened it. He ignited his flashlight. The broad beam slid along the the wall, the ceiling and the water surface, but nothing reminded him of the welcoming entrance of the underground residence. He closed the hatch and look at his master.

"Nothing, master, but I sense something strangely familiar, although there's only a dark tunnel. Yes, there it is again. Master, I sense Liane's presence. She is here somewhere."

Leia looked at her young padawan. She knew the reason for his feelings and sighed relieved.

"I will see, if I can reached Wedge, Ian."

"You think master Antilles is here too," he asked pensively.

Leia tuned in on the Force.

'Wedge, Ian and I have entered the underground river, we're nearing the entrance of the residence.'

Almost immediately she got an answer.

'Keep the submersible outside the river mouth, Leia, stay away from the walls on the inside.'

Inside the residence Wedge turned to Liane and Yarmod who were caught in a fierce lightsaber duel. For a moment he watched.

'Liane, Yarmod. You'd better stop. We've got to welcome some visitors.'

Liane made a last somersault and landed right in front of him.

"Visitors, Wedge. We're not expecting anyone, are we? " She asked.

"As a Jedi you'd better focus yourself on the Force and use your Jedi skills, young lady, then you would know who's waiting for us." Wedge said.

"I'm no ..." She sputtered.

"Yes, you are, Liane. Stop denying your connection with the Force. You are a Jedi." Wedge said sternly.

Liane silenced and reached out to the Force to see who was waiting outside. Then her face brightened and she ran inside to the wall panel.

"Wedge, can I lower these blast doors. Ian is out there.... oh, and Leia is with him too."

"Then we'd better lower the blast doors and welcome our visitors," Wedge laughed, but he wondered why Liane clearly had felt Ian's presence first.

Ian was keeping the submersible just outside of the river mouth, still watching the rear monitor, when part of the opposite wall started to divide diagonally. The terrace and the jetty started to rise above the surface of the water. Leia who was looking at the front screen called him over and pointed at the screen.

"It had been completely sealed off, and undetectable. This is really an excellent hide-out," She expressed her admiration, "If Mon Mothma ever has to find a solid protection than she is absolutely safe here. Well, Ian, we can fix the mooring and leave the vessel, there's our welcoming committee."

Ian positioned the submersible along the jetty. The engine of the submersible stopped. The magnetic mooring locked. Leia opened the hatch and jumped on jetty. Liane rushed over, followed by Wedge Antilles and his padawan.

"You're really protected now, Liane," Leia said and kissed her.

Ian jumped out, carefully closing the hatch, before he walked over to Liane.

"Hello, Liane, so good to see you again," He said grabbing her hands in his for a moment.

For a moment they looked at each other, then reluctantly Ian pulled her to him.

"I owe you my recovery, Liane," He whispered in her ear.

Liane looked up at him; she saw his grayish-blue eyes and in a flash she saw the same grayish-blue eyes in another face, the face of a wizened, weather-beaten old Jedi Knight.

"It's good to see you've fully recovered, Ian. Shall we get inside?"

She turned to Leia, who was greeting Wedge and Yarmod.

"I ... we didn't expect you and Ian, Leia, but I will ask Threepio to serve some drinks and have your guest rooms prepared."

"Don't give yourself that much trouble, Liane. I'm not staying, in fact I want to leave as soon as possible with Wedge. Ian will stay with you with Yarmod. I'll tell you all about this in a moment, but I'll gladly accept your offer to have some refreshments."

Liane looked at her in wonder.

Once seated on the terrace Leia looked around with overjoyed look.

"It's good to be here again, Liane. It's really a pity I can't stay longer. Wedge, you know you will accompany me back to Irithim, don't you?"

"Luke told me, Leia. The presence of the imperial star destroyer Basilisæa in the Palomintar System is a violation of the truce with the former empire. Any idea what she is doing there?"

Leia shook her head.

"None of us knows, but Mon Mothma wants to send a number of space ships of the joint fleet of the New Republic to the Palomintar System to ensure admiral Vestor will not violate the agreement we've made with the Coruscant leaders. She sees his presence as a provocation indeed, that's why she wants you to come back with me. Han and general Madine are already busy with some strategic preparations, but Mon Mothma wants you to be part of the operation with your men of Gold Squadron."

All the time Liane had listened to Leia's words, but she had refrained herself of any comment.

Leia continued.

"Ian, you know what the Supreme Chancellor expects of you and Yarmod. You will stay here with him and Liane. You will take over the mission of master Antilles. It isn't a real difficult mission as you might have know from our former visit. Liane, after Wedge and I have left, you must seal off the entrance again. It's a perfect disguise."

Liane nodded numbly. Ian looked at her. He felt that the situation was overwhelming her. He desperately looked for some words to cheer her up.

"It won't be for a long time, Liane. As soon as the fleet has reached the Palomintar System, I sure the Basilisæa will leave. Master Antilles can come back to take up his mission."

Liane looked at the view of the lake and the garden. She seemed in thoughts. It looked as if she hadn't noticed what the others were talking about. In her mind a strange vision arose that she saw Luke lying on a strange looking piece of furniture. His eyes were closed and his face was gray, he doesn't seem to breath. She also heard a cackling laugh, a laugh she had heard before. Months ago she had seen the same images during, what Luke had called a nightmare at the Millennium Falcon. She had heard that laugh another time here, while she had that vision again, in the forest cave. In that vision she had recognized the laugh and knew its owner. It was the laugh of Darth Golluth, the former imperial officer Trevor Matrik. The image of Luke laying outstretched grew in her mind and she heard the voice of Trevor Matrik, who told her that her friend had died. Was Luke really dead? No, she clearly felt he was not; for through the Force she felt his heartbeat and noticed his slow breathing: Luke was alive. Trevor's shouldn't upset her.

"You're lying, Trevor. He isn't dead," She whispered half aloud in a low Force trance, "You're lying to me, because you can't feel the Force. You're no Sith lord, you have no knowledge of the Dark Side, and you're no longer fooling me with your so called Force knowledge."

"Liane, what are you talking about?" Leia said concerned.

Liane came out her Force trance and looked around. She shook her head.

"I saw future images. There's much trouble on Palomintar Four. Darth Golluth hasn't stopped his search for me. Wedge doesn't come back to complete his mission here, for I'm leaving this place."

She didn't tell the others what she had seen, but Leia and Wedge were watching her closely. Liane sensed their concern. She turned to the two Jedi.

"Thank you, Wedge, for staying with me and teaching me some important Jedi skills. I'll will do fine with Ian and Yarmod as my companions. With the blast doors closed, this hide-out is impenetrable. There is no other entrance. I'm safe here. Leia, are you sure you don't want to get some rest and get back to Irithim tomorrow. I would love to talk to you for awhile. Threepio, will you please serve some other drinks."

She jumped to her feet and went looking for the golden droid. He wasn't in the living, but suddenly she let out a cry.

"Oh no, who closed the blast doors?"

Threepio came out of the library followed by a loud gibbering Artoo. The little barrel shaped droid seemed outraged and expressed his anger with a stream of binary words.

"You will see, Artoo, that mistress Liane will be glad I have been so alert. After they have entered, they all completely have forgotten to seal off the entrance. So I was right to push that button."

Liane gasped. The others had come up to the living too.

"Threepio, what have you done?" Liane exclaimed, "Why did you close the blast door? Oh, no. Leia, the submersible. Quick, Wedge, press that red button. Hurry, hurry."

The blast doors had come down and they all hurried outside. Leia and Ian looked devastated at the empty moorings. The submersible lay upside down in the stream. Ian rushed over to the water edge.

"When the jetty vanished the moorings automatically unlocked and capsized the vessel."

"The air-tight hatch has kept it afloat," Wedge commented.

"Artoo said, I shouldn't activate the doors, mistress Liane, but master Antilles has been telling you the doors should always stay closed."

Liane nodded.

"That's right, Threepio. I don't blame you, but I would have appreciated it, if you would have asked me first."

Artoo let out a long flow of angry binary stream.

"Artoo, stop it, will you," Liane said with a annoyed sigh, "Even droids can make misinterpret orders. Stop blaming your counterpart for what he did. I should have told him to leave the entrance open. None of you has seen what happened to the terrace and the jetty outside the entrance and I never told you. Leia, it seems that there will be some delay. Threepio, see to it, that the guest rooms for the princess and her padawan are prepared. Now, we'd better discuss how we can upturn the submersible and get it up and running again. That last part isn't all too difficult, the air-tight hatch probably has kept the water out of the interior. The tech droids can help to check for other damage. Turning the boat is a slightly different matter. It's top has completely vanished under water."

Once again she looked at the overturned boat, when suddenly she seemed to remember something. She looked up at Leia and Wedge.

"Leia, did Luke tell you about his sunken space craft on Dagobah and how master Yoda used the Force to get it out of the swamp and put it on dry land. Isn't this situation more or less similar. Maybe you, or Wedge can use the Force to reverse the submersible and get it out of the water. You have even seen that swamp on Dagobah, haven't you?"

Wedge looked at Leia.

"We did, Liane," He said hesitatingly, "but I wonder if we are as strong with the Force as master Yoda. Let's leave the situation as it is and tomorrow we might give it a try, don't we, Leia."

Liane looked at Wedge Antilles in wonder.

"Give it a try? You seemed to have forgotten an important lesson, master Wedge Antilles. Luke has told me, that a Jedi never tries, he does or he doesn't. To try is never an option. It's allowing you to be failing."

Flabbergasted Wedge Antilles looked at Liane who looked at him with a teasing look and laughed. Leia started to laugh too, but Liane's remark seemed to upset Ian and Yarmod. However Wedge started to laugh too.

"I would certainly have reprimanded you, if you would have been my padawan learner, young lady, for this is not a way to address a Jedi Master," He retorted.

Now Liane laughed even louder.

"I only repeated Jedi knowledge master Luke has taught me, master Antilles," She chuckled and grabbed Wedge's arm, "You or Leia will certainly succeed tomorrow to lift the submersible. How would you otherwise get back to Irithim."

"How do you think Yarmod and I got to this place, Liane? Leia and I can use that backdoor and get back to Irithim with the Astræga," Wedge replied, but Leia shook her head.

"We can't, Wedge. Mon Mothma needs the submersible on some oncoming meetings to Vor'izon with the Dalmaranian leaders about the expansion of the De'olon space port. Vor'izon can only be reached using this special submersible. So it's out of the question that we leave the vessel here. Liane is right, in that respect, that we - as Jedi Knights - have the possibility to get the vessel in upward position again. We have to support each other, you, me, but maybe our padawans can help us too, even Liane might help. Well, my dear, you asked me if I wanted to stay and take some rest. I heartily will accept your hospitality, probably for more than one day. We have to make the best of this situation."

On board the Basilisæa admiral Vestor stood in communication section of his ship.

"Have we already gotten a message from the comsystem on the planet?" He asked with some tension in his voice, "I want to know if lieutenant Whain has finished his work and is allowed to return to his post on board."

"No, sir, we haven't." The duty officer answered.

"Can we send a message?"

"Sir, Major Whain once told me that the comsystem on Palomintar Four isn't accessible from this star destroyer anymore. The last message we received was garbled and order you to bring major Whain with you to help Darth Golluth with the problems of the comsystem."

Admiral Vestor frowned.

"Still give it a try, officer. The ship must get in contact with major Whain."

"Yes, sir. I will ask for an update on the situation as you said, if the Palomintar system responds."

The admiral went back to his private quarters and called for his second-in-command.

"I have ordered to continue to send message to the comsystem on Palomintar Four to get in touch with our communications expert down on the planet. We will wait for an answer before we continue our search for those Skywalker-twins, colonel Theth."

"It would save us a lot of effort if we could get a good lead about their whereabouts, sir," The older commander said, "It's useless to keep crossing the galaxy from one end to the other without knowing where to look for them."

"I heartily agree with you. It vexed me that we couldn't put a tracker beam on the Millennium Falcon. I still wonder why Han Solo and his ship showed up near the Palomintar System" Vestor mused, looking at the commander of the Basilisæa, "He probably would have been able to tells us more about senator Organa and Luke Skywalker, his friends."

"I heard word, that captain Solo has resumed his former smuggler's job. It seems that he resigned and has left the New Republic."

"But why did he play that hide-and-seek game with us, commander. If he's smuggling again, then there is hardly a reason for his odd behavior. No, there must be more behind all this. Did he appear again after his last jump to lightspeed?"

"No, sir. The Millennium Falcon didn't reappear in the system."

"I have the order to keep any ship out of this system, no matter its origin or destination. Problem is, we can't set up blockade around Palomintar Four. Darth Golluth would kill me if I jam his outgoing communication with his spies on Dalmaran. Well, we'd better tell our com technicians stay alert. I have ordered the communication section to send a message down the Palomintar com system to ask about our lieutenant Whain. He has to back on board before we start our search for the Jedi-twins."

"I will inform you, if we have received an answer, sir."

Colonel Theth left the admiral's quarters and went to the command bridge. Looking out over the vastness of space he still brooded over the strange behavior of the Millennium Falcon.

'What's going on Palomintar Four," He thought, 'Vestor isn't telling anything about his last meeting with former admiral Matrik, who seems to be calling himself Darth Golluth now. What is this guy up to? Another war with the New Republic, or with the leaders on Coruscant. Why has our best communication technician been left down on Palomintar Four? Vestor returned alone after his last encounter on the planet. We have sent quite a huge number of our spare parts, especially all our storage of communication parts. Perhaps major Whain has to make improvements on the com system that former admiral is using. Vestor seems very tense since when came back from that trip to Endor.'

The colonel who was a veteran in the imperial space fleet, like admiral Vestor, looked very thoughtful to the screens into outer space. He was sure that he had noticed differences in his admiral's behavior and he had become worried. Vestor was a great commander, but since he had met admiral Matrik his behavior had become tense and strange.