#so I have to assume that he either got the intel somewhere on tatooine

[ct-hardcase]

today's productivity is headcanoning that Obi-Wan knows, or at least recognizes, the Fourth Sister

[disneydreamlights]

Across the Stars: Chapter 4

AO3 | FFN

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Summary: Tensions between the Separatists and the Republic are climbing as the Senate debates whether there is need for an army. Anakin Skywalker, Senator of Tatooine, has recently returned to Coruscant to speak against its formation, resulting in an assassination attempt that forces him to reunite with long time friends Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and the newly knighted Padme Naberrie for his own protection. [Anidala]

(Or, an Attack of the Clones Roleswap AU)

A/N: Aka the Obi-Wan centric chapter where I take Obi-Wan’s clone quest and put it all into one chapter.

With Padmé and Anakin having left Coruscant for Tatooine a few hours prior, it was now time for Obi-Wan to get to work so he could help the Senator return to his job of stopping the war before it got too far out of hand. The temple archives had little information on the poison dart, and so he was forced to find information somewhere else. His first stop was a small diner in the middle of Coruscant, to visit an old friend. He stepped in, and bowed to the droid that was taking the information. "I'm here to see Dex."

"Someone to see ya, honey! Jedi, by the looks of him," The droid called in the back, and before long a besalisk emerged from the kitchen, a huge grin on his face.

"Obi-Wan!"

"Hello, Dex." Obi-Wan smiled. The visit may not have been a social visit, but it had been far too long since they'd last spoken anyways.

"Take a seat. I'll be right with ya." Dex indicated the booth by the door, and Obi-Wan sat down, accepting the droid's offer of jawa juice while he waited for his friend to re-emerge from the back of the diner.

It wasn't long before Dex finished his prep work and sat across from Obi-Wan. "Hey, old buddy! So, my friend, what can I do for ya?"

Obi-Wan pulled out the white dart, placing it in Dex's hand, watching as he looked at it with interest. "You can tell me what this is."

Thankfully, it didn't take long for recognition to form on Dex's face. "Well, whattaya know! I ain't seen one of these since I was prospectin' on Subterrel, beyond the outer rim." Beyond the Outer Rim? Just where had the bounty hunter after Anakin even come from?

"Can you tell me where it came from?" An answer of the system or planet would help greatly narrow down the search, perhaps he could find who was after Senator Skywalker long before the vote he was partaking in was decided.

"This baby belongs to them cloners. What you got here is a Kamino saberdart."

Obi-Wan frowned. Dex knew that so easily… "I wonder why it didn't show up in the analysis archives."

"It's these funny little cuts on the side that give it away. Those analysis droids only focus on symbols. Huh! I should think that you Jedi would have more respect for the difference between knowledge and wisdom." Dex let out a laugh, and for a moment Obi-Wan let himself get caught up in joking with an old friend.

"Well, if droids could think, there'd be none of us here, would there?" He frowned moments later, trying to figure that out. Kamino? Cloners? "Kamino. I'm not familiar with it. Is it in the Republic?"

"No, no. It's beyond the outer rim. I'd say about, uh, twelve parsecs outside the Rishi Maze. Should be easy to find, even for those droids in your archives." That's right, Dex had mentioned that Kamino was outside the Outer Rim earlier, hadn't he? Either way, the knowledge that it was in the Rishi Maze greatly helped him reduce the search radius he'd need to check.

"These Kaminoans keep to themselves."

Dex nodded. "They're cloners. Damn good ones too."

There was the mention of the word again. Was there really an entire group of people who could clone others easily. "Cloners. Are they friendly?"

"Oh, depends." The way Dex said that made Obi-Wan feel ill at ease.

"Depends on what, Dex?" he asked, the way Dex leaned back with a smile made him feel a bit more like it was a joke, at least.

"On how good your manners are, and how big your pocketbook is." Well given how Obi-Wan had no intention of purchasing any clones, that second wasn't a matter of concern, and the first...well, Obi-Wan was rather popular. He was sure he could win the Kaminoans over without issue.

"That was quite informative, Dex." Obi-Wan smiled, thanking his friend. "I believe you've helped me tremendously with my search." Given him a starting point, if nothing else.

Dex simply laughed. "Always a pleasure Obi-Wan. Whatever mystery you Jedi are working on, I hope you manage to solve it soon." So did Obi-Wan, he could only imagine what Anakin was putting his poor Padawan through alone, given the reputation he had.

-x-

Having a place to start was helpful, at least in Obi-Wan's mind, as he searched through the Jedi archives with new energy and attention. Before, he'd relied exclusively on the Droid's intel, but with Dex's direction. It wasn't long before he'd gone over all the information on Kamino that the Jedi had.

Mostly because, he realized with a frown, there was no info to be had. Which was a problem. How did Dex know about this system but not the Jedi? Evidently, he'd been radiating his displeasure enough for it to be sensed in the temple, because moments later the main Jedi archivist, Jocasta, arrived. "Are you having a problem, Master Kenobi?"

Well, if he couldn't find it, then perhaps she would be able to help him locate the hidden planet. "Yes, I'm looking for a planetary system called Kamino."

"Kamino?" The fact that it wasn't even recognizable to Jocasta, that she'd never even heard of it, was concerning. Did that mean that it didn't exist? But that still didn't make sense if Dex recognized it.

"It doesn't show up on the archive charts." Obi-Wan attempted to explain his problem, which in turn caused Jocasta to frown.

"It's not a system I'm familiar with. Are you sure you have the right coordinates?"

"According to my information, it should appear in this quadrant here... just south of the Rishi Maze." She stepped in afterwards, looking at the archives and starting to search for information. Something that never ceased to amaze Obi-Wan was just how well Jocasta knew them. He wouldn't be surprised if she was the only person who knew the entire system and how to work it best.

After a few moments of her search, she ceased, the frown growing deeper as her forehead creased, showing her displeasure. "I hate to say it, but it looks like the system you're searching for doesn't exist."

Didn't exist? But then how could Dex have been there? How could the dart have come from there? How could a bounty hunter be targeting Senator Skywalker from a place that simply didn't exist. It didn't make any sense. "Impossible. Perhaps the archives are incomplete." That had to be the explanation.

"If an item does not appear in our records, it does not exist." Jocasta left the computer to allow Obi-Wan to continue his research. "I apologize, Master Kenobi, there's nothing more I can do to help.

"Thank you for your time then, Master Nu." He bowed his head and stood up, leaving the archives behind. He needed help from somebody older and wiser, perhaps somebody on the council could fit the bill. Mace was currently in the Senate, attempting to help navigate things and stall the vote as a favor to Anakin, and at the current moment hardly anybody else on the council was even on Coruscant, the efforts to delay the war and find peace having spread the Order out to barebones.

That left him with one option. He hoped Yoda wouldn't mind the interruption as he approached the creche, looking at the younglings as they learned the same lessons he had once been taught. There were several, most of them growing near the age where they could be considered to start becoming Padawans. He smiled, perhaps one of the faces here could end up under his tutelage, or the tutelage of Padmé should she so choose.

"Younglings! A visitor we have." It appeared he was unable to hide his presence for long, as the moment he entered the room, Yoda ceased his teaching and brought the attention of each of the kids to his presence. They greeted him in echo, each looking at him with wide eyes. The tales of him managing to kill a Sith had brought attention to him by these kids who thought of Sith as nothing more than nightmares and monsters in bedtime stories.

He waved to the younglings. "Hello. I'm sorry to disturb you, Master."

"What help can I be, Obi-Wan? Hmm?" Thankfully, the old master seemed unfazed, merely greeting Obi-Wan with a twinkle in his eye and a smile, which helped to alleviate some of the guilt he felt at interrupting the lesson.

"I'm looking for a planet described to me by an old friend." Obi-Wan explained, catching the look Yoda gave him as he attempted to continue his explanation. "I trust him, but the systems don't show on the archive maps."

"Lost a planet Master Obi-Wan has. How embarrassing." Yoda laughed, and so did many of the younglings watching him. Perhaps had Obi-Wan been less affected by the situation, he might have found it funny as well, if he was honest. Still, moments later, the laughter died down, and Yoda turned serious again. "Liam, the shades. Gather round the map reader. Clear your minds and find Obi-Wan's wayward planet we will." The room turned dark as one of the human Younglings, Obi-Wan assumed Liam, closed the window, reducing the light in the area.

Sensing that was his cue, Obi-Wan pulled out a holoprojector of the space around the area, what little information he had managed to find based on what Dex had said. "It ought to be here, but it isn't." He indicated a dark spot with nothing there. "Gravity is pulling all the stars in the area towards this spot."

Yoda looked over the map as though he was solving the puzzle as he looked at it. "Gravity's silhouette remains, but the star and all the planets, disappeared they have." He turned to the younglings, waiting for an answer. "How can this be? Hmm? A thought? Anyone?"

One of the initiates, a girl with dark hair and eyes raised her hand. "Because someone erased it from the archive memory." The answer was the most simple and obvious of the explanations, and yet...

"Truly wonderful the mind of a child is." Yoda smiled, proud of the girl. "The youngling is right. Go to the center of gravity's pull... and find your planet you will." Moments later, he stopped, as though realizing exactly what he had said. "The data must have been erased."

"But, Master Yoda, who could empty information from the archives? That's impossible, isn't it?" It didn't make sense. None of them would have had motive to remove Kamino from the archives entirely, it seemed that none of them had even heard of the system before. If that was the case, then why had it been removed?

Yoda remained silent for a moment before finally responding, "Dangerous and disturbing this puzzle is. Only a Jedi could have erased those files." Yoda had come up to the same conclusion he had, that the removal of the files was an inside job. "But who and why, harder to answer. Meditate on this I will."

"Thank you, Master Yoda." Obi-Wan bowed to the Grandmaster, grateful for his help, and turned to leave.

"Wait! Master Kenobi!" Before he could step out, another young girl, a Togruta, smiled at him. "Why do you need to find this planet anyways? I know if it was deleted it had to be important at some point, but that doesn't explain why you're looking for it now."

Obi-Wan hesitated. "What is your name?"

"Ahsoka Tano," she answered with no hesitation.

"Well, Ahsoka, I'll tell you what. Once I return from my mission, come look for me. I'll be happy to answer that question when somebody's life is no longer in jeopardy should people find out I'm searching."

Ahsoka's eyes shined. "I'll hold you to it."

-x-

It had taken a few days to make it outside of the Outer Rim to the dead space where Kamino lay. Obi-Wan had expected it to be empty. If he was honest, a part of him couldn't wrap his head around the fact that a Jedi had willingly erased an entire system from the archives, yet the evidence was right in front of him as he came across a storm covered planet. It was raining, but R4 was a good copilot and a reliable astromech, he could rely on the droid to get him down with ease, and it wasn't long before he was stepping out of his ship and onto the only building in what had appeared otherwise as a giant ocean.

He entered, expecting a cold welcome from what appeared to be a strange species of sentients. They were tall, taller than most other sentient species he had met though most of their height came from their necks, and a sickly shade of white, the same colors as the walls and floors they favored. They were harsh looking creatures, and a part of Obi-Wan couldn't help but worry for his safety as was noticed by one. "Master Jedi. The prime minister is expecting you."

What? "I'm expected?" That had been about as far from what Obi-Wan had been planning for when he set foot on the strange planet as this could get. His hand went to his lightsaber, just in case he needed to make a quick escape.

"Of course. He is anxious to meet you." The Kaminoan smiled at Obi-Wan, an expression that left him uncomfortable, as though it was an appearance for his sake over genuine happiness at the Jedi's arrival. "After all these years we were beginning to think you weren't coming. Now, please, this way." She led the way deeper into the facility, and Obi-Wan tried to take in as much as he could, keeping his eye out for the potential assassins or bounty hunters. "May I present Lama Su, prime minister of Kamino. And this is MasterJedi…" She indicated Obi-Wan, who bowed out of respect.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Lama Su nodded, showing acknowledgement of the introduction. "I trust you're going to enjoy your stay." He continued immediately, not giving Obi-Wan a chance to respond. "And now to business. You will be delighted to hear that we are on schedule. Two hundred thousand units are ready with a million more well on the way."

It took all of his energy to keep the surprise out of his voice. "That's good news." Two hundred thousand units of what? He remembered what Dex had told him of the Kaminoans. They couldn't mean…

"Please tell your Master Sifo-Dyas that his order will be met on time." Lama Su's voice pulled him out from his thoughts, reminding him he couldn't linger on what exactly this meant right now if he wanted to know more.

Speaking of, that was another surprise to hear. "I'm sorry. Master–"

"Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas is still a leading member of the Jedi Council, is he not?" If they were waiting on Sifo-Dyas, that explained a fair amount of just what was going on, and why they had waited so long.

"Master Sifo-Dyas was killed almost ten years ago."

Lama Su frowned, though he didn't seem all that bothered. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. But I'm sure he would have been proud of the army we've built for him."

"The army?" For the third time today, Obi-Wan was thrown off balance by information from the Kaminoans, and he'd only been there ten minutes.

"Yes. A clone army, and I must say, one of the finest we've ever created." There was pride in his voice. Pride at the clones, and at the army he had made, yet Obi-Wan was bothered. An army of people specifically crafted for war showing up now of all times. It seemed almost...too perfect. He thought back to Senator Skywalker's concerns about the bill that would be coming up soon. Could it all be connected?

"Tell me, Prime Minister, when my master first contacted you about the army, did he say who it was for?" There was only one way for Obi-Wan to confirm his theory, at least.

"Of course he did. This army is for the Republic." Obi-Wan felt his blood run cold at the answer. "But you must be anxious to inspect the units for yourself."

He put on a fake smile. "That's why I'm here."

"Then in that case, let us begin the tour." Lama Su placed his hands on a scanner, and within moments they were allowed inside the clone facility. It was, in its own way, a feat of ingenuity, and an impressive sight to see. On either side of them as they walked, hundreds of individual clones, most with a Mandalorian esque white armor on though some with their helmets off, wandered the floors of the facility. Some were practicing using blasters, others were simply conversing, and others studying in a classroom. It was...a lot to take in, to say the least.

The Kaminoan, who had left him with Lama Su, had briefly left, but returned moments later with one of the many clones, though this one slightly different due to his blond hair. "Sir."

"Jedi Master Kenobi, might I introduce you to CT-7567." She indicated the clone, who was standing rigidly at attention waiting for orders. It was...uncomfortable.

"At ease." Obi-Wan watched as the clone relaxed moments later, and stuck out his hand, which the clone looked at warily. "Don't worry, my friend, I have no intentions of harming you with it, just introductions."

"Of course." The clone grabbed his hand to shake it, but was still clearly ill at ease in all of this. "As you've already been told I'm CT-7567. I was a part of the first batch, sir."

Obi-Wan frowned slightly. "Yes, so I can assume. Tell me, do you have a name besides these designation numbers?"

"Rex, sir." If he was going to end up working with these clones at some point, Obi-Wan was definitely going to make sure that the numbers first introduction was long gone. That was one thing he'd work on.

"Very well, Rex." He smiled, and Rex further relaxed, as though sensing that Obi-Wan meant him no harm. Deciding he could use this as a moment to ask questions without seeming clueless as to what was happening, Obi-Wan decided to take advantage of it. "Rex, can you tell me why you and the other clones were created?"

"My brothers and I were created to serve the Republic if there was ever a need." They were on the Republic's side, though the answer told Obi-Wan little. "I'm assuming there's a need for us now?" He almost seemed...eager, as though he was dying to get out and see the world outside the cloning facilities. His desire to explore almost reminded Obi-Wan of a young initiate who had stolen away on the ship of another Jedi to prove that she could handle the outside world. If this army was ever needed, he'd have to do his best to ensure that Padmé was the one who got a chance to work with Rex. The two would work well together.

"Not quite, a war hasn't broken out–" yet "-but there may be one on the horizon. Perhaps you and your brothers will be out in the real world sooner than you think." He purposefully used the term brothers. The clone's terms for how they define themselves were more important than anything else.

"Understood." Rex nodded, before the Kaminoan left to return him to the rest of the clones, leaving Obi-Wan once more alone with Lama Su.

"Very impressive."

"I'd hoped you would be pleased." Lama Su certainly seemed happy with the fact that Obi-Wan was impressed, at least. "Clones can think creatively. You will find that they are immensely superior to droids. We take great pride in our combat education and training programs. It's important to prepare them as quickly as possible, so they'll be prepared for any situation they might encounter."

Obi-Wan frowned at the sound of that. Something about the way Lama Su mentioned speed. "You mentioned that they need to be prepared as quickly as possible. Is there a reason for that?"

"Of course. The clones are genetically modified to age at an accelerated rate for quick production and results. If they weren't, a mature clone would take a lifetime to grow. Now we can do it in half the time."

He could understand why, disturbing implications into what that meant for the clones aside. "I see."

"They are totally obedient, taking any order without question." Lama Su continued on as though nothing out of the ordinary had been said, Obi-Wan felt his skin crawl. That wasn't like an army. That was like a slave. "We modified their genetic structure to make them less independent than the original host."

Had he not been looking for somebody clearly not Kaminoan, he might have focused on that detail in particular, but right now, his mission for Anakin took precedence. He could worry about the clones later. "And who was the original host?"

"A bounty hunter called Jango Fett."

"And where is this bounty hunter now?" This might be the lead Obi-Wan was looking for, and if not, it might have enough info to allow for him to ascertain whether or not at least there was something more disturbing at the center of this mystery.

"Oh, we keep him here." That made his life significantly easier. "Apart from his pay, which is considerable, Fett demanded only one thing: an unaltered clone for himself. Curious, isn't it?"

"Unaltered?"

Lama Su nodded, confirming that Obi-Wan had heard correct. "Pure genetic replication. No tampering with the structure to make it more docile and no growth acceleration." So the clone with him wouldn't be an older man, but a younger boy.

"I should very much like to meet this Jango Fett." He supposed it didn't matter.

"I will talk to Tuan We about introducing you when she returns." Lama Su turned back to the facility, looking over the clones. "For now, I will continue our tour."

-x-

Not longer after, the Kaminoan, Tuan We, returned from taking Rex back to his fellow and Obi-Wan was following her through pristine white halls. Despite that no clones would be here aside from the single, unaltered one that Tuan We mentioned, the facility had not felt anymore welcome in what were clearly its living areas. She stopped at a door and knocked, and a young boy opened the door. "Boba, is your father here?"

"Yep." Boba gave a short answer, and a glare at Obi-Wan.

"May we see him?"

"Sure." After a moment more of uncomfortable staring, Boba stepped out of the way of the door to let Obi-Wan in. "Dad, Taun We's here."

Tuan We entered and smiled at the bounty hunter, although Obi-Wan doubted she cared one way or the other about how he was doing. "Jango, welcome back. Was your trip productive?"

"Fairly." A Mandalorian man stood off to the side of the room, clearly the bounty hunter template for the clones. Obi-Wan however frowned. If Jango had recently left the world, then it was possible that…

"This is Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. He's come to check on our progress." Tuan We's introduction forced Obi-Wan to move on from his train of thought for now, and he put on an attempt at a pleasant grin, likely only succeeding due to his ability to keep a facade in the most trying of circumstances.

"Your clones are very impressive. You must be very proud."

"I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe." Jango's answer was evasive, a bad sign if Obi-Wan had ever seen one.

He decided to press him for more answers. "Ever made your way as far into the interior as Coruscant?"

"Once or twice."

"Recently?"

"Possibly."

"Then you must know Master Sifo-Dyas." Obi-Wan watched as Jango stiffened slightly, it was for but a moment, and something somebody who wasn't trained as a Jedi would be unlikely to catch, but the change in body language was all Obi-Wan needed to know that Jango was hiding something.

Jango said something to Boba in another language, possibly two seeing as he recognized some of it as Mando'a from his time guarding the Duchess from harm. "Master who?" he asked.

"Sifo-Dyas. Is he not the Jedi who hired you for this job?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Never heard of him," Jango said.

"Really?"

"I was recruited by a man called Tyranus on one of the moons of Bogden." The answer to Obi-Wan's question could not have possibly been worse, if he was honest. There were no Jedi he'd even heard of named Tyranus.

"Curious." And leading to so many more questions. If Sifo-Dyas commissioned the army, then why hadn't he found Jango for this.

"Do you like your army?" Jango took back control of the conversation, making it relatively clear that this line of questioning was over, or at least it was for now.

"I look forward to seeing them in action." Obi-Wan bowed, making it clear that he was ending the conversation as well. Besides, he'd gotten the information he'd needed, or at least a new lead to explore. "They'll do their job well. I'll guarantee that. Thank you for your time, Jango."

"Always a pleasure to meet a Jedi." From Jango's remarks, it was clear to Obi-Wan that he was being dismissed. So he left. Besides, he was sure he'd need to contact the council on these matters. It was urgent that they be kept in the loop of what was going on.

-x-

As soon as he left the facility and the Kaminoans behind, Obi-Wan pulled up his comm unit, and within moments, a holographic version of Yoda and Master Windu appeared in front of him. "I have successfully made contact with the prime minister of Kamino." He reported, not wanting to waste any time. "They are using a bounty hunter named Jango Fett to create a clone army. I have a strong feeling that this bounty hunter is the assassin we are looking for."

Mace frowned, and Obi-Wan couldn't blame him. The whole situation reeked of suspicious circumstances. "Do you think these cloners are involved in the plot to assassinate Senator Skywalker?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. As far as he could tell, the clones were unrelated. Or he wanted to believe they were, at least. Rex had left a good impression on him, after all. "No, Master. There appears to be no connection between them."

"Do not assume anything, Obi-Wan. Clear your mind must be if you are to discover the real villains behind this plot." Yoda was right, even if Rex and as a result, his brothers, seemed like they were good. He had to try to look at this objectively. Anything involved with Kamino was suspicious.

"Yes, Master." For now though, Obi-Wan decided not to linger. "They say Master Sifo-Dyas placed an order for a clone army at the request of the senate almost ten years ago. I was under the impression he was killed before that. Did the council ever authorize the creation of a clone army?"

There was a look of surprise on both Mace's and Yoda's faces, as though they had not expected this. Their reaction was enough that no answer would be necessary, but Mace still gave him one anyways. "No. Whoever placed that order did not have the authorization of the Jedi Council."

"Bring him here. Question him we will." It made the most sense. Jango was the most suspicious figure here. Perhaps he could shed some light on the mysterious events.

"Yes, Master. I will report back when I have him." Obi-Wan hung up for now, and looked to the corner of the building to see Jango preparing to escape.

That was going to make his job a lot harder.

-x-

Obi-Wan had planted a tracker on the Fetts' ship, and fortunately for him, it seemed to have paid off as he piloted himself down towards the desert planet of Geonosis. He landed the ship down on a plateau, and entered one of the caves. He needed to avoid being seen if he wanted to gather as much information as he could. He extended his senses using the Force, careful of any other beings he ran into as he went deeper in.

Slowly, his footsteps started getting louder, despite attempts to silence them, and he looked down to see that the floor had become metal. Geonosis wasn't known for an industrial sector, and he felt ill at ease. As he continued down the hallway, everything felt more and more wrong, the stalactites replaced by metal columns, and the cave walls smoothed down. At the sight of a window, Obi-Wan looked down to see thousands of droids being manufactured. Battle droids, similar to those they had faced on Naboo a little over ten years ago.

He continued down the hallway, only to freeze as he heard voices.

"We must persuade the Commerce Guild and Corporate Alliance to sign the treaty."

"What about the senator from Tatooine." Obi-Wan froze at that statement. These people...they were the ones who hired the assassins to go after Anakin. "Is he dead yet? I'm not signing your treaty until I have his head on my desk. Every policy he pitches for the 'good' of his people is making it harder and harder for us to make a profit."

He thought back to the bills Anakin had been working on recently. He hadn't been following the young Senator closely (that had been Padmé who'd kept tabs on what he was doing in the political sphere) but it was clear that within the year he had been working in the Senate, he'd managed to find quite a few enemies.

"I am a man of my word, viceroy." Obi-Wan frowned. Viceroy. There were dozens of viceroys in the galaxy, but only one who was invested in profit to the point that what Anakin was doing was likely a detriment. He heard more voices further down, likely the Commerce Guild and Corporate Alliance signing an agreement to join this cause, but Obi-Wan didn't have time to listen in.

The Viceroy of the Trade Federation, Nute Gunray, was the one behind the assassination attempts.

He had to tell the council.

[Next Part]

[keldae]

Drastic Measures (Chapter Twenty-One)

Night fell over Coronet City, covering the wounds left from the Cold War that hadn’t healed in the three years since the Imperial bombardment. Right now, some of those old wounds served a helpful purpose — Jonas Balkar crouched in such a scar, a crater created by any one of countless bombs, holding his breath until the Skytrooper patrol passed without seeing him. The Corellians, always a thorn in the side of the Empire, had been enough of a nuisance to Zakuul that Eternal Empire forces now roamed the streets, enforcing a harsh curfew until the Star Fortress was completed. The imposing monolith would then take over surveillance and security of the planet.

Once the coast was clear, Jonas crept across the street and through the plaza littered with old industrial structures, making his way to a rusty grate built into the wall. He tapped a code against the durasteel, and a minute later, the grate opened enough for him to slip inside. The Selonian who’d let him in gestured down the corridor with her paw. “You’re almost late. The meeting is starting.”

“Sorry, got stuck in traffic,” Jonas muttered as he slipped around the other rebel. “Thanks.” He hurried off down the old tunnel, stumbling more than once on old rubble and cursing under his breath.

He finally made it to the large underground chamber, somewhere below Axial Park. “Sorry I’m late,” he apologized to the rest of the resistance cell leaders as he all but flopped onto an overturned barrel. “Skytroopers are changing their patrol routes.”

“Yeah, we noticed.” Cole Cantarus frowned under the dim, flickering lights. “My CorSec forces are scrambling to figure out the new routes. Lost two guys yesterday.”

“Zakuul’s got the entire galaxy in a blasted chokehold,” grumbled a female voice. Risha Drayen brushed a lock of dark hair out of her eyes that had escaped the messy bun at the back of her head. “And there’s still no word about Master Taerich or Agent Shan.”

“Not quite true,” Cole corrected. “Got an update from the storm system. They’ve been found, and they’re on Dantooine. Master Shan brought them in today.”

“That’s a relief,” Jonas said with a sigh. “Because the last solid intel the SIS had placed them with either Darth Imperius or Cipher Nine on Dromund Kaas. Apparently Master Taerich’s related to Imperius -- who knew?”

“… To be fair,” spoke another voice, breaking the stunned silence that had followed Jonas’ report, “Xaja has never been one for sane, reasonable plans.” The Corellian Barsen’thor, Jakar Forseti, leaned forward. The lights cast the scars on his face into stark shadows and just glinted off the hilt of the saberstaff he carried under his jacket. “And she was friendly with Imperius during the Revanite crisis. If they are related, I suppose insanity must run in the family.”

“Theron’s never been fond of logical plans either,” Jonas muttered, thinking back on his friend who had always preferred climbing through windows to walking through perfectly fine doors. “He and Master Taerich are completely meant for each other.”

“How romantic,” Risha deadpanned. “Any comm chatter about where they are now?”

“None,” spoke up the last conspirator. Bey’wan Aygo crossed his arms over his chest and stroked the fur extending from his chin. “If the Republic got so much as a whisper as to where they are, you know Saresh would be going after them -- whispers they won’t be getting from us.” He glanced at Jonas, got an agreeing nod, and continued speaking. “Fortunately for them, most of the chatter has concerned the contract put out for Imperius and Cipher Nine.”

“As if we didn’t have enough with just Zakuul and the Republic involved.” Jonas sighed and looked up at the roof of the cavern. “Wonderful. Thunder hasn’t issued any new orders?”

“Stay on alert; keep pissing off the Zaks; and if Dantooine is compromised, we haul ass to get people out of there alive.” Cole shrugged. “The usual.”

“I thought Thunder was supposed to be keeping the Imps from getting involved in all this,” Bey’wan muttered. “Guess they ran out of influence when Imperius and Nine jumped in anyway. Of course, if Imperius is Master Xaja’s brother, I don’t blame him for getting involved.”

“It wouldn’t be the greatest surprise revelation I’ve heard during this entire war and rebellion,” Jakar muttered. “The Green Jedi have heard nothing regarding Xaja or Theron, or the hunt for Imperius and Nine.”

“That’s because the Green Jedi have their heads so far up their asses, it’s a miracle they can hear anything,” Risha retorted.

Jakar’s eyes narrowed dangerously, but before he could say anything, Bey’wan quickly interrupted. “Does anyone know what the status of the Republic’s manhunt for them is?”

“My contact in the SIS says Saresh is ready to tear planets apart, looking for them,” Jonas answered. “Especially after Supreme Commander Malcom resigned his post and walked out. Our reporting suggests he’s on Alderaan, possibly working with the storm system. And the rumor is that he’s Theron’s biological father.”

“… That does make things complicated,” Jakar said flatly. “Any news from the other cells?”

“Tatooine managed a decent hit against Zakuul,” Cole reported, “according to Captain Korin. He took down one of the Star Fortress towers, and is planning to infiltrate the Fortress skeleton itself to find a weakness. He might be getting Imperius to help, since he just arrived to the cell after escaping Dromund Kaas. Zakuul hasn’t retaliated yet, which is surprising.”

“Probably because Arcann’s hyper-focused on finding Master Taerich and Agent Shan,” Risha said. “One rebel strike probably isn’t more than a blip on his radar.”

“Hopefully he gets distracted by the Empire’s involvement in all of this and doesn’t find them under their current rock,” Jonas muttered. “They’re not stupid -- they have to know they can’t stay in one place. With any luck, they’ll be long gone from the Enclave by the time the Zaks think to look there.” He knew the odds weren’t high, but for his friend, and for the Jedi that Jakar claimed as one of his own friends, he desperately wanted to hold onto that hope.

“That’s a long shot at best,” Jakar said quietly. He offered a taut smile, but his eyes were shaded with worry.

After spending the better part of a standard month running across the galaxy and hiding from unfriendly eyes, even if she had been with her family or Theron the entire time, Xaja finally started to feel like the galaxy was stabilizing under her feet as she immersed herself in the hidden Jedi Enclave. Never minding that this was a rough network of chambers hidden in abandoned kinrath tunnels, with none of the trappings of the Tython Temple, or the constant sense of readiness among the rebel Jedi hidden here — simply the atmosphere of being among other members of the Order was a soothing balm to Xaja’s stressed spirit, especially after the corrupting darkness of Dromund Kaas. As she walked through the tunnels with Kira, quietly catching up with each other, she almost felt at home.

If one discounted the lack of personal possessions, or the constant patrols and monitoring of comms relays, or the paranoid suspicion of most of the other Jedi.

“You found Doc on Rishi?” Kira asked as the two Jedi paced through an old chamber, their voices and bootsteps echoing softly off the walls. “We all got split up during the war, never found out what happened to him. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m glad he’s okay.”

“Or he was last time I checked,” Xaja nodded, sidestepping to avoid a collision with a dark-haired half-Miraluka woman she vaguely remembered from Tython. “The last I’ve heard, there was still a notice out for his capture, so I’m assuming he’s still fine.” She tilted her head to study Kira — at close range now, she could see the constant tension in her former Padawan’s face, even in the caves’ dim light, and the dark bags under her eyes. “He didn’t know what happened to any of you though. What happened?”

“A lot of it’s a blur,” Kira admitted. “For the first months, it was just fighting and trying to stay alive. I went back to Tython, wound up helping some of the Padawans there go into hiding before Zakuul found the Temple. After the Republic surrendered, I started hearing rumours of a resistance network building across the entire galaxy — Empire, Republic, Hutt Space, you name it. Myself and the rest of the Jedi who still wanted to fight came out here. It kinda started out as a halfway house for injured Jedi running from the Zaks, but then we started picking up more and more able-bodied Force users, even a couple of Sith. Thunder established contact with us early on, and Master Satele’s been checking in on us.”

“I’m glad you’re okay and survived all of that.” Xaja squeezed Kira’s arm and got a smile from the younger Jedi. “Have you heard anything about the others?”

“Nothing about Scourge. He just kinda dropped off the face of the galaxy not long after the invasion. And like I said, I lost track of Doc early on. But Rusk joined the resistance too, after the siege ended.”

Xaja blinked. “He did?”

“Yeah. We get updates fairly regularly.” Kira grinned. “Your brother comes by sometimes, and your dad’s dropped in once or twice, both times for supply or intel drops. Korin let Guss and Corso stay here -- Guss so he could train with the Force again, and Corso because, well… we needed a token non-Jedi or non-Forcie person to interact with the rest of the planet for us.”

Reanden hadn’t mentioned travelling to the other resistance cells or seeing Kira, although Xaja supposed that her father had had a few too many things on his mind to tell her about this. “When was Korin last here?”

“About two months ago, give or take?” Kira’s shoulders raised in a shrug. “He’s also resistance, running between all the cells and assorted drop points.” She paused. “He won’t admit it, but I strongly suspect he stole Tee-Seven off of Coruscant.”

“That asshole,” Xaja muttered. “He better not be corrupting my droid.” Kira snickered in agreement, and for a few minutes there was only the sounds of their footsteps.

Kira finally spoke again, her voice soft and subdued. “We watched that ship disintegrate. Korin did, too, while he was guarding us and following us back to Coruscant. How the hells did you survive it?”

“I don’t know.” Xaja shook her head, frowning. “I was unconscious when the Zaks somehow captured Marr and myself. I woke up en route to Zakuul.” She felt a tired smile tug at her lips. “Long story short, Marr and I got hauled up in front of Vitiate wearing a new meatsuit—”

“What?!” Kira’s face drained pale, even in the dim light. “But how the—? He— Revan— Ziost—!”

“I don’t know either. But Marr and I… we could tell it was him. Nobody else in the galaxy feels that evil.” Xaja scowled. “He killed Marr when he refused to kneel, then after I mouthed off at him and called him a microscopically-endowed gizka-blowing coward—” Kira laughed at that. “— then he told Arcann to kill me. Arcann freed me instead and attacked his father, and when I had the chance… I took it.”

“Good,” Kira growled. “That bastard can die a thousand times over for what he did to us, and the rest of the galaxy. Still doesn’t explain how you were dead for over two years though.”

“Oh, that? The Force-damned son of a bitch told the guards that I was an assassin sent to kill his father and had me thrown in carbonite,” Xaja answered, with a flippancy she didn’t feel. She felt sick to her stomach again, remembering the terror of the minutes between being thrown back by the wave of the Force tearing out of Vitiate’s latest body and being dragged into the carbonite chamber, screaming and fighting every step of the way, to no avail…

The bond warmed as Theron nudged her, sensing her fear. Xaja made herself take a breath to calm herself before pushing a small burst of reassurance at him. Okay. Memories. She immediately felt his worry and a cold anger under the surface, and nudged at him again. Okay now. You saved me. The worry shifted into relief and love as Theron finally relaxed, satisfied that she was all right for the moment.

“And Agent Superhero saved the day by somehow finding you in the Spire.” Kira shook her head. “Would love to know how he knew where you were. Everyone was convinced you were dead.” Xaja felt a burst of sadness from her Padawan in the Force. “Korin and I… after we got back to Coruscant, we went and told him what had happened, figured he deserved to know directly instead of through reports. He…” Kira sighed. “Theron didn’t take it well. You know that face people make when they want to scream or cry, but they just can’t, and everything just kinda shuts down? He just… crumpled.”

Oh, that hurt, she thought, to know how badly Theron had taken her loss. For a second, an image flashed in Xaja’s mind of Theron falling to his knees in his small Coruscant apartment, the spy facade on his face shattering to show anguish as he crumpled in on himself, unable to cope with the pain. Xaja closed her eyes against the burning sensation she could feel, and reached back along their bond with the strongest wave of love and comfort that she could muster. She could feel Theron losing his breath at the overwhelming sensation before he pushed back at her with a burst of love for her. That nearly did make the tears come — she had to blink away the moisture in her eyes.

“Huh, that was weird.” Kira had her head tilted at Xaja, quirking an eyebrow at her former mentor as she nudged at the Force around them. “I knew you two were a thing before… y’know… but did you have a bond like that before?”

“No, this is a recent development.” Xaja looked around the corridor, making sure they were alone, before lowering her voice. “I accidentally formed a bond with him on Rishi, right before we found out I was dying of complications from the carbonite poisoning.” She gestured for Kira to remain quiet when the taller woman’s eyes flashed wide in horror, then continued. “My other brother managed to get me medical treatment on Dromund Kaas, but it affected my Force connection. My dad took us to Voss, and the healers did a ritual on us that strengthened the  bond, making it deeper and permanent.”

“For what, emotional connection?” Kira frowned in confusion.

“No, but it’s a side bonus.” Xaja raked her hands through her hair. “What I tell you does not leave this corridor.” At Kira’s nod, she continued. “The bond’s main purpose was twofold: Half of it was restoring my Force connection, and half of it…” She sighed, feeling sick again despite Theron’s reassuring presence in her mind. His wasn’t the only presence she could feel. “… I picked up a mind parasite on Zakuul… one you’re familiar with. The bond keeps him suppressed so he can’t possess me.”

She watched as Kira’s expressions and Force-signature shifted from confused to horrified to furious to steely determination, all within the space of a few seconds. “Good. Let me know if you need any more help with dealing with that brain fucker.” The younger Jedi reached up and squeezed the other’s arms. “You didn’t abandon me when you knew what was in my head, Master. I’m not ditching you now. We’ll deal with this bastard, one way or another.”

The Killik tunnels that connected Organa Castle to the hidden resistance base in the Juran Mountains still made Jace shudder every time he walked through them. No matter that he had been assured by their diplomat Joiner, a former Imperial named Vector Hyllus, that the Killiks were allies and meant no harm, it was still unnerving to walk through the insectoid lairs, stepping around the large, violet eggs, trying to not breathe in the scents. And that was before taking into account the unnatural black eyes and clicking noises of the human Joiners who had become part of the nest. Jace wasn’t too proud to say he was having disturbing dreams about the Joiners.

But the important thing was that if they creeped him out, they terrified the Zakuulans. There were four Zakuulan Joiners, wandering around in the rags of what used to be their uniforms. The rest of the Eternal Empire’s forces seemed to have given up, for fear of being brainwashed themselves.

Jace walked into a substantial cavern, deep under the mountains. Once, this had been an extension of the Killik hive — now it was part of the resistance network that spread through a significant chunk of the planet, extending as far as Rist territory. The warring houses of Alderaan could unify against a common enemy, it seemed. They weren’t the only ones — numerous clusters of mingled Imperials and Republic personnel filled the cave. Jace blinked when he saw a Hutt on one platform, emphatically gesturing to a monitor in front of him as he tried to explain something to a Republic scientist with a longsuffering expression on his face, then shook his head and kept walking. Apparently the Hutts had their own grudges against Zakuul.

He made his way to another platform, feeling the conversation fade to a hush at his presence. “You wanted to speak to me?” he rumbled, looking at the resistance personnel before him.

“We did.” Vector offered Jace a shallow bow, then turned back to the computer behind him. “We have received intelligence from the storm system, Commander. Agent Shan and Master Taerich have been located.”

Jace’s heart jumped into his throat. “Where?”

“Dantooine.” Doctor Kimble turned to Jace, looking visibly relieved for the first time since he had arrived on Darth Imperius’ ship, having fled Dromund Kaas in a hurry. “The Grand Master found them and brought them to the resistance cell there.”

Satele found them? Jace felt a knot in his back loosen with that good news. “That’s good to hear.” He suddenly paused. “Weren’t they with Cipher Nine before? Is he in the cell too?”

“No.” The only woman on the platform, a Corellian Jedi named Mairen Bel Iblis, barely glanced up from the computer she was working on. “I received a notification from my station chief on Nar Shaddaa. He’s picked up Cipher Nine, who says he doesn’t know where Master Shan took Master Taerich and Agent Shan.” Judging from how the redhaired Jedi-turned-spy pursed her lips, Jace guessed she didn’t fully buy Cipher Nine’s story — not that he could blame her. Imperial spies were devious and talented liars, and Cipher Nine, being one of the oldest agents in the field, was something of a legend for how damned good he was at his job. It was a pity that he couldn’t be persuaded to defect. “Apparently he left them on Voss and went to cause a distraction.”

“Voss?” Jace crossed his arms over his broad chest in thought. “Why would they go to Voss?”

He was answered with a chorus of silent shrugs. “It’s difficult to say,” Doctor Lokin said, stroking his beard. Looking much like a kind grandfather, he should have felt trustworthy — but Jace couldn’t forget that he was retired Imperial Intelligence, and one of Cipher Nine’s comrades. Assets who lived to be that old were dangerous. “Master Taerich was ill from the side effects of carbonite poisoning, one of which was all but losing her access to the Force. She may have gone to Voss for healing when our medical treatment didn’t restore her connection.”

“Or they may have wished to stay out of sight of the rest of the galaxy,” Vector suggested. “Voss is neutral territory still, and expansive enough that they could have tried to hide.”

“Two humans on Voss would stick out like Hutts in the Senate,” Doctor Kimble muttered. “I’m with Lokin on this one. Xa— Master Taerich probably went for healing. But what was Master Shan doing there?”

Jace shrugged. He’d known Satele the longest, and he couldn’t identify what would have led her to the alien planet. The Zakuulan Knight, Senya Tirall, had said Satele planned on going there, but she hadn’t known why. “Takes a Jedi to understand a Jedi,” he grunted, offering a rueful smile in apology when Mairen cut her eyes at him. “Senya Tirall knew Master Shan’s destination, but not the reason. Perhaps Master Shan was in contact with Cipher Nine?” That thought made him feel sick… but Cipher Nine wouldn’t have been the first Imperial Satele had worked with. Jace wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse.

Lokin and Vector looked at each other before shrugging. “It’s possible,” Lokin finally said. “Agent Taerich never shared all of his contacts with us, and always likes to have a card or three up his sleeve. I believe he’s worked with Jedi before as well — why, I didn’t see fit to ask. In this instance though, he probably would have put feelers out for a Jedi where his daughter was concerned.”

“Hmmm.” The idea of the infamous Cipher Nine as a caring father to a Jedi, worried about her continued safety, seemed incongruous to his reputation as a ruthless Imperial saboteur and assassin. Grimacing, Jace dismissed the possibility from his thoughts for the time being. “Perhaps Master Taerich or Master Shan can give us answers directly.” He turned to march off the platform with a purposeful stride. “Send word for my ship to be prepped. I’m heading to Dantooine to get some answers.” It wasn’t enough to hear through the storm system that Theron was alive and safe for the moment — he needed to see his son, dammit, and probably tear him a new one for scaring him with that blasted suicide note.

So consumed by concern for his own son, he didn’t notice Master Bel Iblis’ brow creasing in a frown as she watched him walk away. She sighed, then grimaced before turning back to her console and the data that awaited her.

It wasn’t a difficult task to find information on Xaja Taerich; Lord Kallig, also known as Darth Imperius; or Reanden Taerich, the mysterious agent previously known only as Cipher Nine after the Cold War. All three members of the family seemed to have made large ripples wherever they went, with Master Taerich having made the largest metaphorical splash. Kovach was impressed — he had seen the Jedi in action and knew she was damned good at her job, but hadn’t realized that she had been a certifiable badass since she was only a Jedi Padawan, taking down a powerful Dark Jedi on Tython, who had defeated even her Master.

Of course, trying to nail down the story of their origins was difficult.

So far, he had found Reanden Taerich’s academy records from his early recruitment into the Imperial Military, noting he had almost immediately been snatched up by Imperial Intelligence. Top marks, top aptitude scores, a reputation for ruthlessness and clever improvisation in the field, and a small flag for his apparent hatred of Force-users. Kovach supposed he couldn’t blame the older agent — he would hate Force-users too if he’d had the Wrath for a brother. But his records had been wiped clean shortly thereafter, with only the odd mention of a classified mission for a few years before it appeared he dropped off the map entirely for five years. He resurfaced on Hutta only a few years ago, under orders from Keeper to ensure Nem’ro allied with the Empire. There was no mention of a wife or lover, nor of any children, in the Imperial archives.

If Imperius is his son, then he should have been flagged as Force-sensitive at birth and registered with the Korriban Academy, Kovach mused. Taerich must have gone back and erased the data to keep his children hidden. On a whim, he still ran a search for Sorand Taerich, and got nothing. Xaja Taerich’s only results were of an Imperial prisoner record, and a hit notice for her head after she assassinated the Emperor.

He frowned as he accessed Korriban’s records, looking for the recruit who would become Darth Imperius. But of course, the boy had been brought to the Academy as a fifteen-year-old slave, and had said almost nothing about his origins. Even the name he had used (when not being addressed as ‘slave’ by Harkun) had only been “Rand.” The Sith Lord who had plucked the human out of the slave pens hadn’t known where he had come from — she had just informed the traders holding him that he would be going with her, and killed the first one to object.

But the Sith said that the boy claimed the slavers had killed his father in front of him. It was why he had embraced the Dark Side to kill in revenge. Kovach frowned — was Cipher Nine actually Imperius’ father? Or had the teenager been mistaken?

He shook his head and opened up another screen, slicing into Republic archives. No mention of Reanden Taerich or Sorand Taerich here either, but Xaja Taerich had plenty of results. He sighed as he scrolled through HoloNet report after report about the legendary Jedi Knight who had killed Darth Angral, convinced Lord Scourge to defect; led the Jedi forces on Corellia; assassinated the Emperor; killed Grand Moff Kilran; fought and won against Revan himself… had personally put Kovach in an armlock and driven her knee into his back until he had confessed to Theron Shan who he was truly working for. He’d never forgiven her for that. His back still ached where she had knelt on him, driving all one hundred pounds of her body weight into his kidneys and growling angry threats into his ear.

He shook his head and skimmed past the public reports of the Jedi’s heroism. No birth certificate — perhaps she hadn’t been born as a Republic citizen. Her identicard had no homeworld listed, nor parents or living kin. He frowned, then sliced into the Jedi Archives, grateful that Saresh had made the Order keep their records open to the Republic. Here, he found the legal document of custody transferal, signed by her mother when she was handed over to the Jedi Order. Why didn’t her father sign the form as well? Did he not know about his daughter being handed over? But at least now there was a name for the mother — Airna Taerich, with no evidence of a maiden name, and a classified name for her husband.

An idea suddenly struck Kovach’s mind, and he grinned as he accessed the SIS’s archives again with his own credentials. Theron Shan’s files had been made accessible when he was identified as a person of interest in Master Taerich’s escape from Zakuul. He wasn’t too interested in looking for the rogue agent’s own backstory — he wanted what Theron had compiled on Taerich before recruiting her for the Korriban attack. Despite his half-baked execution plans, Theron had always been meticulous in his research for big operations like that.

He was briefly surprised to note that Captain Korin, the privateer who had joined the op as well, had no files under Theron’s stack of research. Perhaps Theron had wiped that data? But he left Master Taerich’s up — she was legally dead, after all, and there was no reason to hide her identity. He shrugged and turned his attention to the Jedi’s file, silently thanking Theron for doing his work for him.

Training records… service records… Oh, a Sacking survivor. Kovach almost felt pity for the Jedi at that. Trained by Yvaine Allende and Orgus Din, both deceased… Oh, that’s interesting. The Green Jedi of Corellia claimed that she was the child of one of their own and therefore Corellian, despite a reported birth world of Lavisar. Airna Taerich, were you a Corellian Jedi? Then why was your child given to Coruscant?

He accessed Corellian citizenship records and grinned. Jackpot. Airna Drallig had been a Corellian Jedi, and had been about the right age to be Xaja Taerich and Sorand Taerich’s mother. But she had reportedly left Corellia less than a year before her daughter’s birth, seduced by an Imperial spy, and had died in Imperial space a decade ago. At least now we have the mother identified — and she’s no longer a concern. He leaned back in his seat, rubbing his hand over his chin. Well, my little red haired Jedi, how were you and Imperius connected before Ziost?

He cross-referenced the data on Taerich and Imperius, and nodded when he saw they had wound up working together on Manaan, and then on Rakata Prime, and again on Rishi and Yavin IV. He raised an eyebrow when he saw they had been a part of the respective attacks on Korriban and Tython, and in the reclamation battles. And Cipher Nine was working with them… did you know they were your children, Agent?

Captain Korin had been a part of that entire gong show as well. As far as Kovach was concerned, the snarky, flirtatious smuggler was a person of interest. He ran a search through the SIS databases again, and raised an eyebrow. None of Theron’s research was there… but Korin’s name came up frequently in other records. He had earned both the respect and the hatred of several crime groups, it seemed, including the infamous Rogun the Butcher. On a whim, Kovach accessed the compiled data from Rogun’s slicers and felt his jaw drop. Rogun had managed to access the most information on Korin while hunting the spacer down… including a homeworld of Lavisar, a mention of a deceased mother and missing brother, and two listed surnames. The spacer frequently used Korin Drallig to get around, but there was a mention within the archives of Korin Taerich.

You can’t be… it’s too much of a coincidence. Kovach looked back into Lavisarian records, accessing files from before the small planet had been overtaken by the Empire. No official marriage certificates, but there was a census record of one Reanden Taerich and Airna Taerich, and three birth certificates — one for a daughter who was reported deceased months later in a speeder accident, and two for sons, reported missing after their mother’s death at the hands of raiders. Xaja Taerich, Korin Taerich, Sorand Taerich. This entire family is ridiculous.

Kovach immediately compiled the necessary data and made two copies of the files. One was sent to Darth Vowrawn, as per the Sith Lord’s directions — the other was encrypted and sent to Saresh. She would want to know this information.

The Eternal Fleet ship lurked just outside of Dantooine’s immediate orbit. Yes, this was where Satele Shan’s ship had gone — they had arrived just in time to see the Defender fly into the atmosphere. “Why would the former Grand Master of the Jedi Order go to a planet that her Order abandoned earlier in the war?” The Knight-Captain paced through the bridge, frowning in thought.

“After leaving the same planet where Cipher Nine is reputed to have taken the assassin and the terrorist.” The blue holo figure of one of the Overwatch overseers crossed his arms. “Interesting that a Jedi Master and an Imperial spy should be in league.”

“What updates are there from the other ship?”

“The Phantom was tracked to Nar Shaddaa, but I suspect your other ship lost it and became confused with another vessel. The ship that our people on the surface apprehended was the Duchess, a private civilian ship owned by a gambler, and not the Shadow. The ship was still searched, but it had come in from Corellia, and there were no signs of any passengers — merely the captain, her first mate, and a droid they seem to have modelled after our own, SCORPIO.” The overseer started pacing over the holotransmitter. “And when our agents investigated the Shrine of Healing on Voss, they found evidence that Shan and Taerich had been there, but had departed swiftly.”

“Could Cipher Nine have changed his ship’s identity?” The Knight-Captain frowned as she mulled over the options.

“Unlikely. Such a task would be nearly impossible, especially that quickly. And he was nowhere to be seen on the ship, even after performing a bioscan.” The overseer stopped pacing for a moment. “We will continue to look for the Shadow and Cipher Nine, but that is not your concern. If Master Shan is returning to a planet that the Jedi have historically had a claim to, perhaps the Order did not abandon their enclaves as initially reported.”

“You think the Order still has a presence on Dantooine?”

“I would place money on it. And if Master Shan is fleeing there, perhaps she is attempting to hide the assassin there, at least. Taerich was also a member of the Order and would try to hide among her own people.”

The Knight-Captain nodded, thoughts of glory for being the one to capture one of the terrible Outlanders flitting through her mind. “What are your orders?”

“Search the planet until you find whatever hole the Jedi are hiding in, look for Taerich and Shan, and then burn it to the ground. Take Master Shan alive — we will have answers from her.”