I look the two over and then nod. "Then you two are going to need a bit of extra training. Lord Organa, we'll send them and Korre to your castle soon as they're whipped into shape." I turn to face the Lord of House Organa directly. "I would also ask, if you can, that you would speak with House Panteer about preparing for an attack. While we're confident it will be some time, we'd rather Alderaan not get caught unaware a second time."

I smile warily. "I am sure the queen would meet with you in a heartbeat. I'll send her a message and request an audience as soon as possible."



I cross my arms. "And what should I do? I don't think a rancor would be very useful in finding the Tempest Eye."

"You, HJ, are going to be in charge of shutting down or re purposing the Foundry. Whether or not you take Huntress is up to you, but those droids, be they the Sith Hunter model or not, need to be stopped. Perhaps Ava could lend you a squadron to aid?"

"I'll see if she has time during her attack on Coruscant do answer my calls." I smirk. "And if not, I think I can handle this alone. I've fought those droids before. Stealth would probably serve us better in this situation." I think a moment. "Hey, dad. Maybe you could led me Hank. He might be useful backup, and a sophisticated droid like him might be useful in hacking into the Foundry's main control. We could shut down the production line from there, or maybe even turn the droids to our side!"

"Hank is mine, thank you, but I'm sure he'd appreciate a break from guard duty. He is, at the end of the day, an assassination model." I pause and then continue. "Make sure you can isolate a couple of the guards, and...just tell him to set the rifle to stun. They might have useful intel and if they prove to be blindly loyal to Sucal, let him do what he does best. I fear that not killing someone does something to his programming."

“Oh, sorry Grandpa. And I’ll make sure to take good care of him. He won’t get a scratch... that I can’t easily buff out on the ride home.”



“Are you taking your pet with you? I offered to take care of Korre, but uhh... I don’t know if my stable is big enough for a rancor. Besides, I don’t think my men are properly equipped to take care of it.” I give a light chuckle, but it is obvious I am being partly serious.



“I’ll bring her along too. I don’t know if she’ll fit through the stations corridors, but she can at least guard the ship. And having a rampaging rancor onboard might serve as a nice distraction for Hank and I to slip into the control room.”



Laughs. “Now aren’t you glad I brought you along on that escort mission? That eccentric beast collector would be proud of you.” I look at Zar’kun. “So, any other business to discuss? I kinda lost track. There is a lot going on.”



Even though the question was not directed at me, I feel the need to bring someone up that has been on my mind. “What do we do about Xan Naberrie?”



“The senator from Naboo? What does she have to do with all of this?” I remembered Xanthippe Naberrie from back when I served in the senate. We never really saw eye to eye, but Alderaan has maintained good relations with Naboo for many years. Therefore, I considered her an important colleague and, if Sucal’s plans had ensnared her world as well, a potential ally.

I frown and sigh. "I did not leave the former Sith Witch in any condition to be a risk to anyone, Jude. She'll remain under the care of the caretaker droids and I'll assign a group of specialized guard droids to watch her if you're that concerned." I hoped it would answer any immediate questions, but I still address Armond directly. "As for her involvement, Darth Trayus decided to play on her lust for power and the Chancellorship and used her. More explanation for that is...difficult to give."

“Oh, I see. So... not an ally then. I’ll admit, I have always suspected there was something odd about her, but I simply chalked it up to narcissism. But I she was in league with Sucal...” I sit back, but when my eyes widen as something Zar’kun said finally hits me. “Wait, did you say she was a Sith Witch? Her too!? How may Sith have invaded the Republic?”



“Quite a few, I’m afraid, but Naberrie and my father are the two most prominent at the moment.” I consider telling him that I too am a Sith, but I decided to keep that to myself. Best not to scare him. I doubt her would grasp the concept of a good Sith.

"It's important to note, however, that Miss Naberrie genuinely wants to help the Republic. Jorg Sucal played on that and turned her into a Sith Witch Lite version of who she was during the war. The only true threat to anyone is Darth Trayus."

“Yeah, so let’s not go jumping at shadows just yet. Focus on the guy who wants to kill the Force, and we’ll deal with the little lords squabbling for power later.”



I look at Armond. “You hosted Salazar Greshh at your castle, didn’t you? That was why Sucal had you bombed. I remember because I was there.” I pause a moment. That was my last memory before being taken into Oroboro. “If you are so worried about the Sith, why did you ally yourself with him?”



“Because...” Signs. “Because he came to me in good faith. He showed full respect to Alderaan’s customs and traditions, and he asked me to help him make peace with the Jedi. Something about him made me willing to believe his goals were honest, so I agreed to hold the summit. But, of course, things did not go as planned.”

"And something tells me they won't here either. We need some kind of fall back for when this inevitably gets messed up." I look at everyone. "As we learned in the War, no plan survives contact with the enemy."

“Hopefully the Mandlorians can keep the bulk of the Republic fleet distracted until this is all over.”



“And if they cannot, then Alderaan will be ready to defend itself. They will not catch us by surprise again. I’m sure once you explain everything to the Queen, she will make the necessary defensive preparations.”

"She holds you in high regard, Lord Organa, so I trust your support will carry weight."

I smile. “I’ll get in touch with her as soon as we are finished here.”



“And I should get the Redshifter refueled and restocked. It’s going to be a long trip into the Maw. I’d hate to be caught there without enough fuel to get home.”



“Or worse, no snacks.” Looks at Zar’kun. “Any closing business before we break up for the day?”

I shake my head. "I think we've covered it. We can worry about the Genesis Engine and the Garden when this mess is all cleaned up. Best of luck everyone and remember, the Force is with you, always."

Several members of the group echo Zar’kun’s sentiment before heading their desperate ways. Koraline goes to work on the ship, Luci goes to meditate (it’s been a long day), Armond and his guards say their farewells before leaving to contact with Queen, HJ goes to check on Huntress, and Jude slips off to be alone somewhere. Iwan stands, but does not leave the conference room. He looks introspective for a moment before also leaving.

Outside, Korre has wheeled Xanthippe’s chair into the courtyard. “Here we are! Some fresh air will do you good, mi’lady.” She smiles at Xan, but Xan doesn’t react. She is awake, but is either unable or unwilling to respond.

Finding Iwan hadn't been hard, as he wasn't as familiar with the base's layout as I was and shortly after, we had gone out to the courtyard where Xan and Korre were sitting. Retrieving one of my sabers, I activate it, the black blade humming in the quiet around us. "Alike your younger brother, I know you need a basic understanding of lightsaber combat and forms before you can truly begin to fight. So, we're going to start simple. Hopefully Jerus won't take long getting Jude. For now, mimick my movements."



Meanwhile, I had gone to find Jude, checking in his room first. Finding the door locked, I knocked. "Jude, come on. Time to get your training underway."

When I hear the knocking, I quickly deactivate my holo recorder and press ‘send message’. To be safe, I was tapped into an Organa transmission tower, and tagged it as “Miss you, love! 😘”. Knowing how paranoid the Sith Hunters were, they would probably peace all messaging going in and out. I didn’t need them questioning every private communication I sent.

A minute later, I unlock my door and follow Jerus.



Outside, I am following along with Zar’kun, trying my best to match his stance and form. My acid green lightsaber hums in front of me as I move through each step.

While my dad and Iwan continue working on the the basic movements and forms, with Iwan learning quickly thanks to Dad pointing out his mistakes and helping him correct them, Jude and I square off on another nearby patch of dirt. I had traded my full Beskar'gam for a more lightly armored set of Jedi like robes, twin lightsaber hilts hanging from my belt. "So, first, what forms are you proficient in? And verbal instruction without practice doesn't count."

"I am most skilled in Ataru, though I have studied the basics of all seven forms. Form IV is the one I have applied most often in combat, though." I spread my feet, entering the opening stance of Ataru.



I hold my blade in a Shii-Cho ready stance; One foot in front of the other, lightsber held straight out in front of me. It was the first form, and therefore the most simple. It reminded me of the basic electro baton training I'd received from the security droids on Myrkr, and therefore felt the most natural to me.

On the far side of the courtyard, Korré and Xan were watching us. I flash the girl a slight smile, then immediately look away again as I remember he hates my face. Damn you, Hexxus.