The first Serenno guards broke through the trees with their rifles raised.
Luminara Unduli turned away from the cliff. More soldiers followed behind the first pair, spreading through the wet grass until they stood between her and the forest. Their armor bore the silver crest of Serenno, its polished surface darkened by rain and mud from the pursuit.
"Lower your weapon," one of them ordered.
Luminara looked toward the empty sky above the valley. Both vessels had disappeared. The shattered data slate was gone, and nothing remained upon the cliff to support what she had witnessed.She deactivated her lightsaber.The green blade withdrew into its hilt."I will not resist."
The officer approached carefully. His attention remained fixed upon the weapon in her hand. "Place it on the ground."
Luminara lowered the lightsaber into the grass and stepped away from it. One of the guards retrieved the hilt while another moved behind her."You are under arrest for entering the private chambers of Count Ramil."
"I understand."
The officer looked past her toward the cliff. "Where is the other intruder?"
"He escaped."
"Who was he?"
"I do not know."
"You chased an unknown man through the Count's estate?"
"I sensed his presence before I entered the restricted wing. When I found him, he was accessing the Count's terminal."
The officer's expression hardened. "You expect us to believe you entered those chambers to stop him?"
"You saw him leave the study."
"We also saw you inside it with an ignited lightsaber."
Luminara offered no answer. The guards had every reason to question what they had witnessed. She had entered a restricted wing, used the Force to pass those stationed outside, and drawn a weapon within the Count's private study. The truth did not make her actions appear innocent.
The officer looked down at the lightsaber held by his subordinate. "You are a Jedi."
"Yes."
"Then the senator brought Jedi into the estate without informing Count Ramil."
"We accompanied Senator Amidala for her protection."
"And does protecting her require entering the Count's private chambers?"
"No."
The admission appeared to surprise him.
Luminara continued before he could respond. "I followed an intruder. He had already connected a data slate to the Count's terminal when I found him."
"Did he take anything?"
"He attempted to copy information."
"That wasn't my question."
"The copy did not leave Serenno."
The officer studied her. Luminara did not offer more. Nothing she said about the masked figure would help Padmé's mission. Until the Jedi Council understood what she had encountered, the return of the Sith could not be allowed to pass through Serenno's guards, servants, or ruling family.
The officer gestured toward the forest. "You can explain yourself at the estate."
Luminara allowed the guards to surround her.
As they began walking, she looked once more toward the clouds above the valley. She could no longer sense either of the figures who had escaped. The young man had concealed his presence again, while the darkness surrounding the masked Sith had vanished with his vessel.There had been no alliance between them. The destruction of the data slate had made that clear.What remained unclear was why a Sith had been willing to reveal himself to prevent Count Ramil's information from escaping.
Luminara followed the guards into the trees.By the time they reached the estate, the western dining hall had fallen quiet.
Padmé sat across from Count Ramil while servants cleared the remains of the evening meal. The Count had said little since ending their discussion, but his silence had not been hostile. He had agreed to speak with her again the following morning. It was less progress than Padmé had hoped for and more than she had expected after hearing him question whether the Republic had outlived its usefulness.
Lady Jenza had begun explaining which Serenno representatives might still support continued negotiations when the dining-hall doors opened.A guard officer entered.
He crossed the room quickly and stopped beside Ramil. Leaning down, he whispered into the Count's ear.Padmé could not hear the words.
She saw their effect.
Ramil's hand tightened around the stem of his glass. The guarded indifference he had maintained throughout dinner disappeared. He slowly placed the glass upon the table and looked across at Padmé.
"Is something wrong?" Jenza asked.
Ramil did not answer her. His attention remained on Padmé."How many Jedi did you bring into my home?"
The question struck without warning.Padmé looked toward Barriss. The young Padawan stood near the wall beneath her cloak, her face partially concealed by its hood."I brought two companions responsible for my protection," Padmé said.
"That was not what I asked."
Padmé understood.Luminara had been discovered.She kept her expression composed. "Master Luminara Unduli and her Padawan accompanied me at the request of the Jedi Order."
Jenza looked toward Barriss.The Padawan lowered her hood. The markings across her green skin became visible, as did the concern she could not completely conceal.
Ramil pushed his chair away from the table and stood. "You entered my home under the protection of my family. You accepted our hospitality while concealing Jedi among your attendants."
"They were not brought here to threaten you."
"No. They were brought here to search my private chambers."
Padmé felt the first movement of anger beneath her composure. Not toward Ramil.Toward the absent Jedi Master she had warned before dinner."What happened?" she asked.
"One of your Jedi manipulated the guards outside my private wing, entered my chambers, and accessed a secured terminal."
Padmé rose. "Did she take anything?"
"My guards are determining that now."
"Then let me speak with her."
"You are in no position to make requests."
"I am not asking you to excuse what she did. I am asking you to allow her to explain why she did it."
Ramil stared at her. "You expect me to believe you knew nothing about this?"
"I told Master Unduli not to interfere with these negotiations unless it became absolutely necessary."
"So you admit that you knew she intended to investigate me."
"I knew that she was concerned about our safety."
"Inside my private study?"
Padmé stopped herself from answering too quickly. She did not know why Luminara had entered the restricted wing. Defending an explanation she had not heard would only give Ramil more reason to believe she was lying."If she entered your chambers," Padmé said, "then something happened after she left us. Your guards should hear her account before deciding what that was."
"They already have an account. She claimed she followed an intruder."
"Was there another person?"
The officer beside Ramil spoke. "Four guards saw someone escape through the study window."
Jenza looked toward her brother. "Then she may be telling the truth."
Ramil turned toward her. "Another intruder does not explain why a Jedi deceived my guards to enter a restricted wing."
"No," Jenza said. "But it means we do not yet understand what happened."
"We understand enough."
Padmé moved around the table. "Let me speak with Master Unduli. If another person entered your chambers, she may be able to tell us what they wanted."
Ramil's anger sharpened. "You still believe this is your investigation."
"I believe someone entered your home and attempted to steal information from you. That should concern both of us."
"What concerns me is that the Republic sent a senator to ask for Serenno's trust while Jedi moved through my estate in secret."
"I did not authorize this."
"You concealed their identities."
"For my protection."
"That is what the Republic calls it now?"
Jenza stood. "Ramil."
He ignored her.
"Your Senate demands our wealth," he continued. "Your inspectors demand access to our ports. Now your Jedi enter our homes and decide which doors they are permitted to open."
Padmé held his gaze. "The Republic did not order Master Unduli into your chambers."
"And I should accept your word?"
"Yes."The answer came without hesitation.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Padmé knew the mission was slipping beyond her reach. Every argument she made sounded like another Republic official asking Serenno to trust an institution that had arrived already prepared to distrust it.
Ramil stepped away from the table."The only reason my guards have not taken you into custody is that you entered this estate as my sister's guest."
Jenza's expression tightened. "Padmé had nothing to do with what happened."
"Perhaps not. It no longer matters."
"It matters to me," Padmé said.
Ramil looked back at her. "Then remember that when you return to Coruscant."
Padmé felt Barriss watching from the wall. The Padawan wanted to ask about her master. Padmé could see it in the tension across her shoulders, but Barriss remained silent.
"Where does this leave our negotiations?" Padmé asked.
Ramil almost appeared surprised that she still needed to ask."There are no negotiations."
"We agreed to continue speaking tomorrow."
"That was before I learned how the Republic conducts diplomacy."
"Count Ramil—"
"You will leave Serenno tonight."
Jenza moved toward her brother. "You do not need to decide this now."
"I already have."
Ramil faced Padmé again. "I will offer you one final courtesy. Your ship will be permitted to depart, and the Jedi will be returned to you once my guards confirm that she has taken nothing from this estate."
"And if we refuse to leave?"
"Then you will no longer be treated as guests."
The warning settled across the room.
Padmé could challenge him. She could invoke her authority as a senator, demand contact with Coruscant, or insist that the Jedi Order would not tolerate one of its Masters being held by Serenno.Every option would make the damage worse.If guards attempted to arrest Barriss, the young Padawan might resist. If Luminara believed Padmé was in danger, she would not remain in custody. What had begun as an intrusion could become an armed confrontation between Serenno and the Jedi.
Padmé had come to keep another world inside the Republic.She would not risk giving Ramil the conflict he already seemed prepared to expect from it.She looked toward Lady Jenza. "I am sorry."
Jenza's anger softened, though her concern remained. "I know this was not what you intended."
"No."Padmé glanced toward Ramil. "But it happened during my mission. That responsibility is still mine."
Ramil said nothing.
Jenza stepped closer to Padmé. "I will accompany you to the landing platform."
Her brother did not object.
The journey through the estate was nothing like their arrival. Serenno guards led the way while others followed behind Padmé and Barriss. Servants moved aside as they passed. Some watched with open curiosity; others had already heard enough to look upon the Republic delegation with suspicion.
Padmé kept her attention forward.She could feel the failure of the mission moving with them.
Ramil would tell Serenno's representatives that the Republic had sent Jedi into his home. His allies would repeat the accusation throughout the surrounding systems. By the time Padmé returned to Coruscant, the truth would be buried beneath a dozen versions shaped by those who benefited from believing the worst.
She had warned Luminara.That thought returned with every step.
They reached the landing platform beneath a darkening sky. The Republic cruiser waited where it had landed only hours before, its crew already preparing for departure.
Luminara stood near the base of the boarding ramp surrounded by guards.Her traveling cloak had been removed and searched. Its contents rested upon a table beside her: a communicator, several credit chips, a small medical pouch, and nothing belonging to Serenno. One of the guards passed a scanner over her sleeves while another examined her boots.
Barriss started forward.
Padmé caught her arm."Wait."
The Padawan looked at her, then reluctantly stopped.
The guard completed the search and stepped away. "She carries no copied records or property belonging to the Count."
The officer holding Luminara's lightsaber approached. He returned the weapon without ceremony.
Luminara attached it to her belt.Her eyes found Barriss first, ensuring that her Padawan was unharmed. Then she looked toward Padmé.
Padmé did not speak.Not yet.
Jenza joined her beside the boarding ramp. For several moments, the two women watched one another without the formality that had marked their first meeting.
"I believe you," Jenza said quietly.
Padmé looked toward her.
"I do not believe you sent the Jedi into my brother's chambers."
"Thank you."
"But others will."
Padmé knew she was not speaking only about Ramil."I will explain what happened to the Senate."
"And what will the Senate do?"
"I don't know."The answer was more honest than reassuring.
Jenza looked back toward the estate. Its towers rose above the plateau, their windows glowing against the approaching night."My brother has always believed the Republic wants Serenno's wealth more than its loyalty," she said. "Tonight gave him something he can use to convince others."
"I won't allow this to become an excuse for division."
"You may not be able to stop it."
Padmé heard no satisfaction in her voice.
Jenza turned toward her. "If the Republic believes it must watch every world that questions it, more worlds will begin to believe they are already treated as enemies."
Padmé lowered her gaze briefly. "And if the Republic ignores what those worlds are doing?"
"Then it may discover their intentions too late."Neither answer offered comfort.
Padmé extended her hand. "I hope this does not end our conversations."
Jenza accepted it. "Neither do I."
It was not a promise that Serenno would remain loyal. It was only an assurance that one connection had survived the night. Padmé let the weight of that truth settle as she turned back toward the waiting ship.Padmé released her hand and boarded the cruiser.For now, that would have to be enough.
Barriss followed close behind. Luminara entered last.The ramp rose between them and Serenno.
Minutes later, the Republic vessel lifted from the estate. Its engines carried it above the plateau, then through the clouds until the green continents disappeared beneath them.
Padmé waited until Serenno's atmosphere had fallen behind before confronting Luminara.
The Jedi Master stood inside the forward observation chamber with Barriss beside her. She had replaced her cloak, and her lightsaber rested once more at her belt. Nothing about her composed posture revealed that she had spent the last hour in Serenno's custody.
Padmé entered and allowed the doors to close.
"I asked you not to interfere."
Luminara faced her. "You did."
The simple admission unsettled some of the anger Padmé had prepared to meet resistance. It did not remove it.
"Do you understand what you may have caused?"
"Yes."
"Count Ramil ended the negotiations. He ordered us off Serenno and threatened to arrest us if we remained."
Luminara listened without interrupting.
"He now has every reason he needs to argue that the Republic does not respect Serenno's sovereignty," Padmé continued. "Other systems will hear that I arrived asking for cooperation while Jedi searched his private rooms."
Barriss looked toward her master. "Master—"
Luminara raised one hand slightly. The Padawan fell silent.
Padmé began pacing before the viewport. Serenno remained visible behind them, smaller now as the cruiser moved toward its hyperspace route.
"This was my first independent mission. The Senate trusted me to keep Serenno from moving farther away from the Republic. I warned you that Ramil would use any interference against us."
"I remember."
"Then why?"
Luminara remained silent for a moment.
Padmé stopped pacing. "You could have come to me."
"There was no time."
"You did not know that."
"No," Luminara said. "I made a judgment."
"And now the negotiations are over."
"Yes."
Again, Luminara did not defend herself.
Padmé wanted an argument. It would have been easier to remain angry if Luminara insisted that the political consequences did not matter beside the concerns of the Jedi. Instead, the Master accepted each consequence without attempting to diminish it.
Some of the heat left Padmé's voice."Lady Jenza trusted me."
"I am sorry."
"So am I."
The chamber became quiet.Barriss remained near her master, uncertain whether she was permitted to speak. Padmé remembered how young the Padawan had appeared while studying the diplomatic report before they arrived. This had been one of her first important missions as well.It had ended with her master under arrest and their delegation expelled from the planet.
Padmé exhaled and looked through the viewport. Anger would not restore the negotiations. It would not explain what Luminara had done.She turned back.
"Did you at least learn something worth what this cost us?"
Luminara's attention briefly moved toward Barriss before returning to Padmé."I was not searching for Count Ramil's records."
"Then what were you doing?"
"I sensed a presence within the Force after leaving your chambers. Whoever created it was attempting to remain hidden."
Barriss looked at her master with renewed attention. This was the first she had heard of it.
"You followed it," Padmé said.
"Yes."
"Into the Count's private wing."
"The presence led me there."
Padmé folded her arms. "Who was it?"
"I do not know. He concealed his face beneath a hood and covering."
"He?"
"His voice was that of a young man."
"How young?"
"I cannot be certain."
Padmé thought of the figure the guards had reported seeing inside the study. Until now, the unknown intruder had been little more than a detail buried beneath Ramil's accusations.
"Was he a Jedi?" she asked.
"I don't know."
"You said he could use the Force."
"He could."
"How well?"
Luminara considered the question. "Well enough to hide his presence from me until I was already near him. Well enough to escape."
Barriss's concern shifted into curiosity. "How did he know to conceal himself from a Jedi?"
"He may not have known I was there," Luminara said. "He could have been hiding from anyone capable of sensing him."
"Did he attack you?" Padmé asked.
"When he discovered me, he pulled me from an upper gallery with the Force."
Barriss stared at her. "Were you hurt?"
"No."
Luminara looked toward her Padawan. "I resisted the fall."
Padmé heard what Luminara had not said. "Did he try to kill you?"
"I do not believe so."
"Then what did he want?"
"He had connected a data slate to Count Ramil's terminal. He was copying financial records, cargo manifests, and private communications."
Padmé's expression changed. "Did you see any of it?"
"Only fragments. The transfer was incomplete."
"But he believed there was something inside Ramil's records worth stealing."
"Yes."
"Did he escape with it?"
"The copy did not survive."
Padmé watched her carefully. "What happened?"
"It was destroyed during the confrontation."
The answer was true. It was also incomplete.Padmé could hear the boundary Luminara had placed around it, but she did not yet know what question would cross it."How did he escape Serenno?"
"A Delta-7 starfighter rose from beneath the cliff. It had been modified, and most of its original markings had faded. An astromech accompanied him."
Barriss looked toward her master. "A Jedi starfighter?"
"A vessel designed for the Jedi," Luminara corrected. "That does not tell us who currently possesses it."
Padmé's fingers moved unconsciously toward the bracelet around her wrist.
A young man who could use the Force.
The thought came and passed before it could become a conclusion. Thousands of boys and men had been trained by the Jedi Order. Some had left. Others had disappeared across decades of missions. She had not seen Khan since Naboo, and nothing Luminara described gave her reason to connect him to a hooded intruder stealing information from a nobleman's estate.
Padmé lowered her hand.
"Why wouldn't he identify himself?"
"I do not know."
Padmé looked back toward Serenno. The planet had become a distant sphere surrounded by stars.Count Ramil had accused the Republic of spying on him. Somewhere beyond the cruiser, an unidentified Force-user had escaped with none of the information he had risked entering the estate to find.Whatever had happened in those chambers had destroyed Padmé's mission without giving her enough knowledge to understand why.
"What happens now?" Barriss asked.
Padmé answered before Luminara could."I return to the Senate and explain why Serenno has ended negotiations."Her voice no longer carried the heat it had when she entered the chamber. Only disappointment remained.
Luminara looked toward the stars ahead of them. "And I will report what happened to the Jedi Council."
Padmé watched her for another moment. She could still sense that some part of the account remained untold, but pressing Luminara would not restore what had been lost. "Next time you make a judgment like this," Padmé said, "remember that the rest of us have to live with what follows."
Luminara inclined her head. "I will."
Padmé left the observation chamber.
Barriss waited until the doors closed before looking toward her master. "Is that everything that happened?"
Luminara watched Serenno recede behind them."No."
Barriss waited, but Luminara said nothing more.The Padawan understood that whatever remained would not be shared aboard the cruiser. Outside the viewport, Serenno disappeared into the distance.The image of the masked figure remained clear within Luminara's thoughts: the fitted armor, the elegant precision of his movements, and the red blade returning to his hand.The Sith were active once more.
___________________________________________________
Coruscant filled the windows of the Jedi Council chamber.
Traffic passed between the distant towers in unbroken streams. From this height, the capital appeared unchanged. The same vessels crossed the same crowded skies while sunlight moved across buildings that seemed to stretch beyond the horizon, but inside the chamber, several chairs stood empty.
Grand Master Plo Koon had left the Temple. So had Masters Coleman Trebor and Eeth Koth. They were among the many Jedi now traveling throughout the galaxy, mediating disputes, assisting unstable systems, and investigating concerns brought before the Order by the Republic. Nine members of the High Council remained on Coruscant.
A broad-shouldered man with a calm but severe expression occupied the seat directly across from the chamber entrance. Mace Windu rested his hands against the arms of his chair as he watched the lone Jedi standing before the Council. Beside him sat a pale Iktotchi Master whose curved horns framed his head. Saesee Tiin remained completely still, his dark eyes fixed upon Luminara.
The long-bodied Thisspiasian Master Oppo Rancisis occupied another seat, while Adi Gallia and Depa Billaba sat opposite him. Yarael Poof held his narrow hands together beneath the long curve of his neck. Even Piell watched from his chair with his single visible eye narrowed in concentration. Ki-Adi-Mundi sat near one of the empty places.
The newest member of the Council occupied the chair once held by Master Yaddle. His dark skin had begun to show the lines of age, and his graying hair had been cut close to his head. Soon Bayts carried none of the discomfort of someone newly elevated to such a position. He listened with the same patience that had guided him through decades of negotiations beyond the Core Worlds.
Luminara stood alone at the center of the chamber. Barriss had not accompanied her. What happened on Serenno concerned the highest members of the Order, and Luminara had chosen not to place that knowledge upon her Padawan until the Council decided how to proceed.
Mace looked toward her. "Tell us what happened after you entered Count Ramil's private chambers."
Luminara inclined her head. "I followed a presence I sensed within the Force. Whoever created it was attempting to remain hidden."
"From you?" Adi Gallia asked.
"I cannot be certain. I only became aware of him after he moved deeper into the estate."
"Him?" Yarael asked.
"The figure concealed his face, but his voice belonged to a young man."
Luminara looked around the chamber. "When I found him, he was accessing a terminal inside Count Ramil's study. A data slate had been connected to it. He appeared to be copying financial records, cargo manifests, and private communications."
"Did you see what those records contained?" Mace asked.
"Only fragments."
"Enough to determine what he wanted?"
"No."
Oppo Rancisis shifted within his chair. "Did you attempt to question him?"
"I did. He refused to identify himself."
"And attacked you," Ki-Adi said.
"He pulled me from an upper gallery after discovering me. I resisted the fall and drew my lightsaber."
"Did he draw one of his own?" Depa asked.
"No."
That answer drew a brief silence. Saesee Tiin spoke for the first time. "But he used the Force."
"With considerable ability," Luminara said. "He concealed his presence, pulled me from the gallery, and resisted another Force-user attempting to take the data slate from him."
Mace's attention sharpened. "Another Force-user?"
"Yes."
The chamber became still. Luminara had reached the part of her report she had concealed from everyone aboard the diplomatic cruiser. "A second vessel arrived near the estate. Its passenger confronted us at the cliff beyond the grounds." She remembered the figure emerging from the trees. Dark armor fitted across his body beneath a black cloak. Every movement had carried the confidence of someone who saw no need to hurry. "He was tall," Luminara continued. "His face was covered by a smooth mask. His armor was dark but carefully constructed, with silver lines across the chest and collar. He carried himself with the bearing of a nobleman."
"What weapon did he possess?" Mace asked.
"A red lightsaber."
No one moved. For four years, the Sith had remained hidden. The Order had searched for the one who killed Yoda on Naboo, but no reliable sighting had followed. Investigations had uncovered abandoned sanctuaries, intermediaries, and traces of influence left behind long after the Sith had departed.
Never the Sith themselves. Until Serenno.
"You are certain?" Ki-Adi asked.
"I fought him." Luminara met his gaze. "He also used lightning through the Force."
The doubt left Ki-Adi's expression.
Mace leaned forward slightly. "Did he say anything?"
"No."
"What was his purpose?"
"The data slate."
Luminara continued before the Council could interrupt.
"The masked Sith attempted to pull it from the young man. The young man resisted him. When neither could take possession of it, the Sith destroyed it with lightning."
Yarael considered her account. "Then the two were not allies."
"I saw no indication that they were."
"Could their conflict have been staged?" Oppo asked.
"It is possible," Luminara said. "I do not believe it was."
"Why?"
"The young man was angered by the loss of the information. The Sith had also revealed himself to destroy it. If their intention had only been to deceive me, there were simpler ways to do so."
"What happened after the slate was destroyed?" Adi asked.
"I attempted to stop the Sith. We exchanged several strikes before he withdrew. He escaped aboard the vessel waiting below the cliff."
"And the young man?" Mace asked.
"He escaped separately."
"How?"
"A Delta-7 starfighter."
Several Masters exchanged glances.
"One of ours?" Even Piell asked.
"I cannot say," Luminara answered. "The vessel had been heavily modified. Dark plating covered parts of its hull, and several repairs did not match its original construction. What appeared to be Jedi markings had faded with age and travel."
"An astromech?" Mace asked.
"Yes."
"Could you identify it?"
"No."
Ki-Adi folded his hands. "Then we have an unidentified Force-user operating from a Jedi vessel, breaking into the home of Serenno's ruler, and refusing to identify himself when confronted by a member of this Order."
"He was also attempting to uncover something a Sith wanted destroyed," Adi said.
"That does not make him an ally."
"No," Adi agreed. "But it suggests that he is not serving the Sith."
Depa looked toward Luminara. "Did he have an opportunity to harm you?"
"Several."
"And did he?"
"No."
"He still escaped rather than answer for his actions," Ki-Adi said. "Whatever his intentions, we cannot allow an unknown Force-user with Jedi equipment to operate without scrutiny."
Mace remained quiet. The Sith concerned him more immediately. The Order had spent four years searching for the one responsible for Yoda's death. If that Sith still followed the ancient structure Yoda described, then the masked warrior seen on Serenno had an obvious place beside him.
"The apprentice who fought on Naboo is dead," Mace said. "The Sith Lord who escaped may have chosen another."
"Four years is sufficient time to elevate someone already trained in secret," Saesee Tiin said.
Oppo's tail shifted across the floor. "Or this apprentice existed before the other died."
Ki-Adi looked toward him. "The Sith do not share power willingly."
"They deceive," Oppo replied. "We should not assume they obey every rule we have preserved about them."
"Whatever the timing," Adi said, "the Sith Lord from Naboo is unlikely to have remained alone."
Mace looked toward Luminara. "Did this Sith's ability suggest an inexperienced apprentice?"
"No. His control was exceptional."
"And his method?"
"Precise. He did not fight with anger alone. Every movement served a purpose." The description unsettled Luminara even now. Something in the masked man's style had felt familiar, but the impression had never become clear enough to name.
"He had opportunities to continue the fight," she added. "He chose to leave once the information was destroyed."
"Then that information mattered," Yarael said.
Oppo turned toward Mace. "We should investigate Serenno immediately."
Soon Bayts spoke before Mace could answer. "How?"
Oppo looked toward him. "Count Ramil's accounts, communications, and trade routes should be examined. A Sith protected information taken from his terminal."
"A Sith destroyed it," Soon Bayts said. "That does not mean the Count knew why."
"It establishes a connection."
"It establishes that information within Ramil's possession threatened someone. We do not know whether that information belonged to him, whether he understood its importance, or whether another party used his networks without his knowledge."
Oppo's expression remained severe. "And you would have us ignore it?"
"No. I would have us understand what another investigation would cause." Soon Bayts looked around the chamber. "Serenno has already ended negotiations with the Republic because a Jedi entered the Count's chambers. If the Order now begins searching his world, Ramil will claim that Senator Amidala's mission was an excuse for an investigation from the beginning."
"He may claim that regardless," Ki-Adi said.
"Then we should avoid proving his argument for him."
"The Sith have revealed themselves after four years," Oppo replied. "Political discomfort cannot be allowed to prevent action."
"Nor should fear of the Sith cause us to create another enemy before we know one exists."
The disagreement settled over the Council.
Mace understood both positions. The Sith's appearance on Serenno could not be dismissed, but the Order no longer possessed the freedom to investigate every suspicion without consequence. The Jedi were already spread across the Republic, helping systems whose disputes had begun to move beyond negotiation. Every intervention was now examined by worlds deciding whether the Order still served peace or merely enforced Coruscant's authority. "We will not begin a formal investigation of Serenno without further evidence," Mace said.
Oppo started to respond.
Mace continued. "We will review the information already available to the Order and the Republic. Quietly. If Count Ramil's trade or financial records reveal cause for further action, we will decide how to proceed."
Soon Bayts inclined his head.
Oppo did not appear satisfied, but he accepted the decision.
Ki-Adi looked toward the center of the chamber. "That still leaves the unknown Force-user."
"He is our only living connection to whatever was taken from the Count's terminal," Adi said.
"If he knows what the Sith wanted destroyed," Depa added, "then finding him may tell us why the Sith appeared on Serenno."
"He refused to cooperate once," Ki-Adi said. "We should not expect him to do so willingly a second time."
"What are you proposing?" Yarael asked.
"That he be found and detained."
Adi's expression tightened. "Before we have established that he committed any crime under Republic law?"
"He entered a restricted residence, manipulated or bypassed its guards, accessed private records, and attacked a Jedi Master."
"He escaped from her," Depa said. "That is not the same as attempting to kill her."
"It is enough to warrant questioning."
Mace raised one hand before the disagreement could continue. "Finding him comes first. We will decide how to approach him once we know who he is."
The Council became quiet.
Mace turned his attention back to Luminara. "You encountered both of them. What do you believe we should do?"
Luminara considered her answer. "The masked Sith gave us nothing to follow. His vessel disappeared before I could identify it, and he left no evidence upon the cliff. Count Ramil may possess answers, but moving against Serenno now would worsen the damage already done."
She paused. "The young man is different. He was searching for something. He knew where to look, and the Sith considered what he found dangerous enough to reveal himself."
"You believe he understands what is happening?" Saesee asked.
"I believe he knows something we do not."
"Do you consider him dangerous?" Ki-Adi asked.
"Yes." The answer surprised no one. Luminara continued. "But I do not believe he is our enemy."
Ki-Adi leaned back slightly. "You base that upon his refusal to kill you?"
"I base it upon his actions. He avoided harming me when doing so would have made his escape easier. He also opposed the Sith."
"That does not tell us what he serves."
"No," Luminara said. "That is why we must find him."
Mace looked around the chamber. This was the one point upon which every member appeared to agree. "We will begin searching for the Delta-7 and its pilot," he said. "No public notice will be issued. Until we understand his connection to Serenno and the Sith, this investigation remains within the Order."
The Masters inclined their heads.
Luminara bowed. "Yes, Master."
"You have given us much to consider," Mace said. "Thank you, Master Unduli. You may leave."
Luminara bowed once more before turning toward the doors. They opened, and she left the chamber.
The doors closed behind her. For several moments, no one spoke. Mace looked toward the empty chair belonging to Plo Koon. A young man trained in the Force. A modified Delta-7 carrying faded Jedi markings. An astromech. A refusal to identify himself, even to another Jedi.
It was not proof. Four years had passed, and many starfighters had entered service throughout the Order. Vessels had been lost, damaged, reassigned, and sold for salvage. There were also more young men trained in the Force than the Council could easily count.
Even so, one name had entered Mace's thoughts. A boy who had left the Temple aboard Plo Koon's Delta-7 and promised that he would return. A boy who would no longer be a boy.
Ki-Adi watched him from across the chamber. "You appear troubled."
Mace lifted his gaze.
"Do you have an idea who the pilot may be?" Ki-Adi asked.
Mace considered the question. If he spoke Khan's name, speculation would become suspicion. The Council would begin shaping its search around someone none of them had seen in years. If Mace was wrong, that assumption might blind them to the truth. If he was right, Khan had chosen not to reveal himself for a reason. "Nothing more than an unsupported possibility," Mace said.
Ki-Adi waited, but Mace offered nothing else.
"For now, we focus upon what we know," Mace continued. "A Sith has returned, and an unknown Force-user may possess the only surviving knowledge of why." He looked around the diminished Council. "We find him. Then we discover what is happening."