But Leia wasn't so easily convinced. "Nice try, Wynn, but you can tell Chief Daala we didn't fall for it."

Dorvan's brows came together. "Fall for what?"

"Her bluff." Leia leaned closer to the hololens, so that her face would be appearing to grow larger at the other end of the connection. "You're as honest as bureaucrats come, Wynn. You'd never betray Daala like this."

"And surely not for free." Han leaned down beside Leia, then flashed one of his smirky half smiles. "Like Leia said, nice try. You had me going there for a minute."

Dorvan's face reddened. "I am not not bluffing!" he said. "And I would bluffing!" he said. "And I would never never do this for money." do this for money."

"No?" Leia asked. "Then why would you do it?"

"For the good of the Alliance, obviously!" Dorvan spat back. "Or am I I the only one who thinks it would be a travesty for Chief Daala to drive the Jedi into disbanding?" the only one who thinks it would be a travesty for Chief Daala to drive the Jedi into disbanding?"

"Is that what she's trying to do?" Leia asked.

"It's certainly an outcome she's willing to accept, if necessary. But I do think she sincerely believes the Order should be brought under government control." Dorvan licked his thin lips, then added, "And frankly, considering recent events, I have to wonder if she might be right."

"Then why talk to us?" Han demanded.

"Because even if Daala is right about that much, she's wrong about everything else," Dorvan said. "She thinks the Sith are no more than Jedi in dark robes, and that the only way to keep them from returning is to keep the Jedi under the government's thumb."

"And you don't share that belief?" Leia asked.

"Would I be taking this kind of risk if I did?" Dorvan replied. "There are dark things out there in the galaxy, Princess Leia. I understand that. And I also understand that it's a terrible mistake to confuse those dark things with the Jedi Knights who are trying to protect us from them."

Leia considered this for a moment. "Let's say I believe you for now-Daala is going to send for the Mandalorians. What is it that you want me to do do with this information?" with this information?"

"Use it, Princess Leia." Dorvan's face grew smaller as he leaned away from his own holocam. "Pa.s.s it along and use it."

TEN MINUTES AFTER SIGNING OFF WITH D DORVAN, HAN AND L LEIA WERE in the apex of the Jedi Temple, stepping out of the turbolift into a white larmalstone foyer. To one side, a heavy blast door guarded the Situation Room, a state-of-the-art command center filled with tactical displays, HoloNet feeds, and enough comm stations to put the flags.h.i.+p of most GA fleets to shame. To the other side, a sealed security door protected the Grand Master's offices, which Kenth Hamner had only recently occupied. in the apex of the Jedi Temple, stepping out of the turbolift into a white larmalstone foyer. To one side, a heavy blast door guarded the Situation Room, a state-of-the-art command center filled with tactical displays, HoloNet feeds, and enough comm stations to put the flags.h.i.+p of most GA fleets to shame. To the other side, a sealed security door protected the Grand Master's offices, which Kenth Hamner had only recently occupied.

Rumor had it that Kenth had claimed the offices reluctantly-and only because it was too difficult to oversee the Order's affairs from his old Master's office on the floor below. But Han didn't buy that. Kenth's move was a pretty transparent attempt to a.s.sert his authority as Luke's replacement. And the attempt was bound to fail, because Luke couldn't couldn't be replaced. There was only one Luke Skywalker, and a Jedi Order without Luke at the helm just wasn't likely to stay an Order very long. be replaced. There was only one Luke Skywalker, and a Jedi Order without Luke at the helm just wasn't likely to stay an Order very long.

Directly opposite the turbolift stood the ornate double doors to the Council Chamber. Two apprentices were always a.s.signed to guard the entrance, but today they were being overseen by a tall, brown-haired Jedi Knight with a slender face and dark, piercing eyes. The mere presence of any Jedi Knight indicated the Masters didn't want to be disturbed; that the Jedi Knight was Jaden Korr told Han that someone-no doubt Kenth Hamner-didn't want to be disturbed by the Solos Solos in particular. in particular.

Han leaned close to Leia's ear and whispered, "We should've brought Allana."

"She'll be fine with Threepio and Artoo," Leia said. "Threepio's practically a nanny-droid himself, and we're not going to be more than a few minutes."

Han shook his head. "If they've been arguing this long, it might not be that easy to swing them our way."

"Han, we agreed," agreed," Leia said. "We didn't come here to discuss the arrest warrants." Leia said. "We didn't come here to discuss the arrest warrants."

"Yeah, I know," Han replied. "But as long as we're here anyway, we might as well bring it up."

Leia exhaled in exasperation, but Han had timed it just right: Before she could warn him against trying to undermine Kenth's authority, Jaden Korr stepped out to block their way.

"Jedi Solo," Korr said. His eyes slid toward Han. "Captain Solo. I'm sorry, but the Council has left strict instructions to prevent all interruptions."

"And I'll bet they mentioned us by name," Han said.

Korr smiled. "As a matter of fact, Captain Solo, yes, they did."

"And since we know that," Leia said, "you "you know that we wouldn't be here unless the matter was vitally important." know that we wouldn't be here unless the matter was vitally important."

"Nevertheless, I have my orders," Korr said. "And I was specifically reminded how persuasive you two can be."

"Yeah, but you're also a Jedi Knight," Han said, "and that means you're trained to follow your own initiative."

"Of course."

"Now is the time to do so, Jedi Korr," Leia said. "We've come into possession of some information the Masters need to hear-before they make their final decision about Barv and Yaqeel." they make their final decision about Barv and Yaqeel."

The resolve in Korr's face began to crack, but his piercing gaze remained fixed on Han-no doubt because he knew that it would be easier to read the truth of the a.s.sertion in Han's Force aura.

After a second, Korr sighed and looked away. "Okay, I'll take a message inside-and I shouldn't even do that much. Grand Master Hamner said-"

"Grand Master Hamner?" Han erupted. "Don't tell me the Hamner?" Han erupted. "Don't tell me the Masters Masters are actually calling him that now?" are actually calling him that now?"

"Since about two hours ago, when Master Katarn came out during a break," Korr said. "He said it was time for the Masters to set a proper example for the rest of the Order."

"I'll bet I know whose idea that that was," Leia said, letting the acid drip into her voice. "And he's being presumptuous." was," Leia said, letting the acid drip into her voice. "And he's being presumptuous."

Korr nodded, but said, "Did I mention it's just temporary? Apparently, the Council feels Master Hamner might command a little more authority from ...well, you you, if the Masters show their support."

"The Council Council feels that way?" Han shot Leia a worried glance. If Kenth could persuade the Masters to call him feels that way?" Han shot Leia a worried glance. If Kenth could persuade the Masters to call him Grand Grand anything, he probably had the votes to turn the sick Jedi over to Daala. "Or anything, he probably had the votes to turn the sick Jedi over to Daala. "Or Kenth Kenth does?" does?"

Korr shrugged uneasily. "Does it matter?" He looked to Leia. "You said you had some important information?"

Leia looked to Han, as though suggesting that he he relay the information, and Han knew that she had reached the same conclusion he had. The Solos really had to get inside that Chamber and set the Council straight. relay the information, and Han knew that she had reached the same conclusion he had. The Solos really had to get inside that Chamber and set the Council straight.

Han cast a meaningful glance at the two apprentices standing behind Korr, then nodded him toward one side of the foyer. Korr c.o.c.ked his brow, but followed. Han put an arm around the Jedi Knight's shoulder, then, being careful to keep him facing away from the door, leaned close.

"I can't tell you how, but we have this on good authority." Han kept his voice nearly inaudible, so that Korr would have to concentrate on him instead of what was happening behind him. "Chief Daala is getting ready to call in the Mandos."

Korr's eyes widened. "Mandalorians?" he gasped. "Supercommandos?" "Supercommandos?"

Han made a disparaging face. "Come on," he said. "Those guys can't even agree on a color for their armor. There isn't anything super super about them." about them."

That actually drew a smile from the usually staid Jedi. "Except maybe their ability to overheat Jedi jets." He shook his head in disbelief. "Is Daala trying trying to provoke us?" to provoke us?"

"I don't think so," Han said. "That old dame is just s.p.a.ce-crazy enough to think a few hundred tin suits might actually scare the Jedi."

Korr snorted his opinion of that possibility-then heard the soft click of a latch opening. He spun toward the Council Chamber just in time to see Leia pus.h.i.+ng a door open, while the two apprentices-a human male and a Mon Calamari female-stood behind her, protesting that they weren't supposed to let her through the doors. Korr's mouth fell open in surprise, closed in anger, then finally broadened into an embarra.s.sed grimace. He turned to Han, only half scowling.

"I knew knew she was going to do that." she was going to do that."

Han slapped him on the shoulder. "If you say so, Jaden."

"Well ... I would have let you in anyway." Korr started back toward the door. "The Council needs to hear about this."

"Yeah," Han said, accompanying him. "If nothing else, they can probably use a good laugh."

Korr did not even crack a smile. "What's so funny about killing Mandalorians, Captain Solo?"

Korr paused at the door to rea.s.sure the two apprentices that no one had expected them to physically restrain Leia Solo, then he and Han followed her into the Council Chamber proper. It was a bright, moderately sized room elegant in its simplicity, with a circle of high-backed chairs sitting in a transparisteel viewport bay designed to give visitors the subliminal impression that Masters were floating above the city. Every seat was equipped with a holocomm unit to allow the partic.i.p.ation of Masters who happened to be away from the Temple when a meeting was called, but today all of the Masters-except Luke himself, of course-were present in person.

And by the look of it, they were all hopping mad. Saba Sebatyne was sitting motionless in her chair, her slit-pupiled gaze sliding from one Master to another while her forked tongue flicked between her lips. Cilghal was perched on the edge of her seat, her Mon Calamari skin flushed crimson with rage. Kenth Hamner and Kyle Katarn were glaring at each other across the circle, while Kyp Durron was on his feet, actually pounding his fist in the air, his graying hair trimmed short and neat, but his rumpled brown robe still looking like something he had slept in.

And Corran Horn ...Corran was the scariest of all, just sitting slumped in his chair, glaring at the floor as though trying to focus all the Force energy he could draw into that one spot. Han could only imagine how the current debate must be playing to him, sitting in a room with a dozen of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy, listening to them arguing not not about how they were going to get his two sick kids out of carbonite, but about whether they should turn two more young Jedi Knights over to the same people who had frozen valin and Jysella. about how they were going to get his two sick kids out of carbonite, but about whether they should turn two more young Jedi Knights over to the same people who had frozen valin and Jysella.

In Corran's place, Han wouldn't have been anywhere near a council chamber. He would have been holed up in a warehouse somewhere, planning how he was going to break into the GAS blockhouse where his kids were being held and get them back. But Corran had always been a law-and-order kind of guy. Even now, when the government that he had always served so loyally had turned against his own children, here he was, still trying to work within the law to set matters right. It wasn't something Han could have done, not even something he could truly understand, but he did did admire it. Corran was a man of principle, and he stuck to those principles even when they became a dagger in his own gut. admire it. Corran was a man of principle, and he stuck to those principles even when they became a dagger in his own gut.

When Leia reached the edge of the seating alcove, she stopped and folded her hands in front of her, waiting in silence for someone in the circle to acknowledge her. Han and Korr did the same thing. Interrupting a Jedi Master in the middle of an argument with another Jedi Master was a good way to end up with a Force-clamped mouth. It might look like the Council hadn't noticed them, but Han had been to enough of these things to know that every Master in the room had realized the Solos were coming even before Leia had brushed past the apprentices.

To Han's dismay, however, the Masters were no longer arguing about whether to honor the arrest warrants. They were arguing about something he would have thought was a given: whether to intercede on Tahiri's behalf.

"... we demand her release," Kyp was saying. "Tahiri was vital to winning the battle at Shedu Maad. If she hadn't come back to us, we'd have lost our entire hangar complex."

"I'm not sure that excuses some of the things she did during the war," Kenth said. His voice and manner were restrained, but Han didn't need the Force to know by the way he kept his stare fixed on Kyle Katarn that something bad must have pa.s.sed between them shortly before. "She a.s.sa.s.sinated a.s.sa.s.sinated Gilad Pellaeon." Gilad Pellaeon."

"A lot of people killed a lot of people," Kyle replied. His voice was just as restrained, but his stare did not leave Kenth's. "What about Cha Niathal? She played an equal part in Jacen's coup, and I don't see any charges being filed against her her. Daala is only going after Tahiri to make a statement-a statement directed at us."

"I agree with Master Katarn," Cilghal said. "Chief Daala is taking the resignations of Melari and Reeqo as a bolt across her bow."

"How so?" asked Kyp.

"The only thing more frightening to Chief Daala than an independent Jedi Order is no Order at all," Cilghal explained. "So she reads the resignations as a warning: if she continues to push, the Jedi will disband and spread across galaxy as independent agents. Then it will be impossible for anyone anyone to control us." to control us."

Kyp smiled. "Not a bad idea, when you think about it."

"It's a very very bad idea," Kenth grumbled, finally looking away from Kyle. "How do you think we would accomplish anything?" bad idea," Kenth grumbled, finally looking away from Kyle. "How do you think we would accomplish anything?"

"And we still have the dozens of Jedi Knights who were hidden at Shelter as young ones," Cilghal pointed out. "If we disband-"

"Hold on," Kyp said, waving both palms. "Joke "Joke, okay?"

Cilghal's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, but she simply inclined her head. "Of course, forgive me." She turned to the other Masters. "Perhaps if we sent Leia to explain-"

"No. We explain nothing nothing to Daala." It was Corran who said this, though his gaze remained fixed on the floor. "That would imply the Order to Daala." It was Corran who said this, though his gaze remained fixed on the floor. "That would imply the Order answers answers to her-and the day that happens, you're going to have a lot more than apprentices resigning." to her-and the day that happens, you're going to have a lot more than apprentices resigning."

A heavy silence fell over the circle as the Masters considered his words. Then Saba Sebatyne hissed, "Ma.s.sster Horn is correct. The Jedi Order is no thedyklae herd. We are shartuukz."

Kyp turned to her in obvious confusion. "Uh, sure," he said. "What's a shartuuk?"

"A guard beast," Saba explained. "It protectz the lair from zo'oxi and tarnoggz."

"Oh, that that explains it." Kyp rolled his eyes, then asked, "And zo'oxi and tarnoggs are what, exactly?" explains it." Kyp rolled his eyes, then asked, "And zo'oxi and tarnoggs are what, exactly?"

"Alwayz hungry." Saba leaned forward and jabbed a talon toward the viewport, where the silver cylinder of the Galactic Justice Center was just visible on the far side of Fellows.h.i.+p Plaza. "Like any tyrant."

Kyp nodded. "Ah-of course." He turned back to Cilghal. "We can't explain to Daala. We're the shartuuks, and she's she's the zo'oxi." the zo'oxi."

"Tarnogg," Saba corrected. "Zo'oxi are skin parasitez. The shartuuk eatz them off."

"I don't know," Kyp said. "Zo'oxi sounds like a pretty good description of most of the politicians I've-"

"In any case," Cilghal interrupted, "we're the shartuuks, and shartuuks don't explain. Where does that leave us with Tahiri?"

"Well, she's not a Jedi anymore," Kenth said. "And that means we can't demand anything on her behalf."

"Not that Daala would listen if we tried," Kyle replied. "But we can can and and should should support her. I insist on that much." support her. I insist on that much."

"As does this one," Saba agreed. "The Order will send Nawara ven to represent her."

"And plant the idea in a few media heads that there's a disparity of treatment between her and Cha Niathal," Kyle said. "Maybe even provide some background on Niathal and Daala's partners.h.i.+p after the Battle of Fondor."

"Good," Corran said. "That should put some pressure on Daala to give Tahiri an easy out."

When no one objected, Kenth let out a long sigh. "Agreed."

For the first time since the Solos had entered the room, Corran raised his gaze-and turned it on Jaden Korr.

"Now, Jedi Korr, perhaps you'd be good enough to tell us why you ignored orders and allowed the Solos to interrupt us?"

Korr's face reddened, but he met Corran's gaze and said, "I'm sorry, Master Horn. I didn't have a choice."

"Of course not." It was Korr's former Master, Kyle Katarn, who said this. He turned to Kenth and said, "I not." It was Korr's former Master, Kyle Katarn, who said this. He turned to Kenth and said, "I told told you we should have done this somewhere else, you we should have done this somewhere else, Grand Grand Master Hamner." Master Hamner."

There was just enough sarcasm in Kyle's voice to make Kenth clench his teeth visibly. "Next time, we will," he said. "But since they're here now, perhaps you you would you care inform them of our decision regarding the arrest warrant." would you care inform them of our decision regarding the arrest warrant."

Han's heart jumped into his throat. "What?" "What?" He started forward without thinking-until Leia caught him by the arm and physically held him back. "You've already decided?" He started forward without thinking-until Leia caught him by the arm and physically held him back. "You've already decided?"

"Afraid so," Kyp said. He started across the circle toward Han. "And it was a tough one-"

"But you haven't done it yet, right?" Han asked, growing desperate. If Kyle Katarn was addressing Kenth as Grand Grand Master even in the privacy of the Council Chamber, then Bazel and Yaqeel were as good as hanging on Daala's wall. "There's something you Master even in the privacy of the Council Chamber, then Bazel and Yaqeel were as good as hanging on Daala's wall. "There's something you really really need to know first." need to know first."

"I doubt that very much," Kenth said. He took a deep breath, then rose and started across the circle. "Han, Leia, I know how much you care about all of our troubled Jedi Knights, and I think I even understand why. But Luke isn't here at the moment, so you need to respect the chain of command now. Your behavior is starting to be disruptive, and it's not not going to change any of our decisions." going to change any of our decisions."

"This might," Leia said. There was so much suppressed anger in her voice that when she released Han and started to step forward, he grabbed might," Leia said. There was so much suppressed anger in her voice that when she released Han and started to step forward, he grabbed her her arm. "We just learned that Daala is hiring a company of Mandalorians." arm. "We just learned that Daala is hiring a company of Mandalorians."

Kenth stopped three steps short. "When?"

"Don't know that yet," Han said. Angry as he was at Kenth, he had to admire the man's discipline and focus. He didn't waste time doubting them, and he didn't ask stupid questions like For us? For us? He just got down to the important details. "She's still getting the money together. But she's serious about it." He just got down to the important details. "She's still getting the money together. But she's serious about it."