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Paradise Lost, Part XXXVI

The room was dim, the glow from the holoprojector providing the only illumination. Leia watched it happen for what might have been the hundredth time, but repetition didn’t diminish its implication. She watched giant claws tear into the ship, tentacles the length of cities binding it for the kill. It was, literally, a nightmare given form.

The recordings of the attack, the ones that had been intended to demonstrate the wherewithal of the Imperial position, had gotten out. Even attempts to block transmission of the signal couldn’t prevent people from discussing what had happened. There was a word for the thing now, the name the Vong had ascribed to the thing. “Yun-Yammka,” also known as “the Slayer,” was the Vong god of war.

Victory was always a certainty for Leia. They had the resources of two galaxies to draw upon, skilled Jedi, and a united government. The only question was how much damage would they sustain; how many lives would be lost in repelling the invaders. The image of the Yun-Yammka tearing the Eclipse apart had awakened a fear that she had never entertained.

And Ben had known. That’s why he could give the order; he knew the Eclipse would never destroy its target. But that left the question of why, and Leia didn’t see any answers she liked. Was it to shake them out of their complacency? Was it to try and get the warring factions to put aside their differences in the face of this threat?

Was this Ben’s way of finally defeating the Empire? By leaving it helpless before its enemies?

These were disturbing thoughts for her, but perhaps the most disturbing of all: if that was his plan, should she try to stop him?

****************************

“You know, you can read through this while we’re on the Falcon,” Han pointed out.

Annika didn’t look up from the datapad. “If you’re bored, you could call up Lando on the commlink and tell him what you think of his mother.”

“That topic’s already been covered,” Han remarked. Truth was, this station was starting to get on his nerves. He’d grown used to stormtroopers on Chandrilla, but out here... “We have to get moving on this, especially after what happened with the Eclipse.”

“It was your idea to come out here,” Annika said. “Research before we got started.”

“Yes, and we have a lead, but it’s days ahead of us. The longer we stay here-“

“Han, there’s something up with Belkadan. The Vong didn’t go there on a whim.”

“Then let’s get in the ship and check it out,” Han said.

“Not yet,” she said. “Look, the approval for the project was by Senator Alixus, who represents systems less than a hundred lightyears away. If we need to go digging further into her motives, I want to be close to her old stomping grounds.”

“Annika, it’s a stretch.”

“No, it’s a hunch-“ She sat up straighter in her bed. “Han, this file requires high level clearance, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, it looks like somebody else accessed it.” Han stepped over and she pointed at a squiggle of random characters. “That kind of code corruption usually shows up when someone’s sliced and copied a file.”

“Who would want...” Han stopped. There was no need to even ask the question. “I’ll be right back.” Annika called after him, but Han had had enough of this. He didn’t so much as slow down as he turned into the bar, pushing past the protesting form of Quark as he headed for Lando’s office. It was locked. “He’s a little busy right now,” Quark said hurriedly. “Maybe try again later, or tomorrow, or maybe next week...” Han pulled an arc welder off the makeshift workbench the repair crews were using to undue B’ellana’s damage. “How ‘bout next month... and I’ll throw in some holosuite time.” Sparks flew as Han used the welder on the door; the lock disengaged. “You can try out our new Calrissian ‘Battle of the Death Star’ program.” Han handed him the arc welder, which Quark held like a dirty handkerchief. “Perhaps something more relaxing...”

Lando sat behind his desk with a datapad when Han stepped into his office. He would have stormed right up to him and snatched the pad away if it weren’t for five questionable people who apparently didn’t believe in the station’s “no weapons” policy. “Han,” Lando said in a very serious voice, “this doesn’t concern you. Get out.”

“What are you doing with the information?” Han said, doing his best to ignore the wave of menace slowly ambling towards him.

“I don’t have-“

“Don’t give me that!” Han stepped forward, but his right arm was grabbed by a hand that felt like it was made of quartz and powered by hydraulics. “If you didn’t intercept that transmission, then you know who did!”

“How you figure?”

“Because you’re a scoundrel like me, and we only get to be this age if we watch our backs every second. Anybody who could slice that transmission would be on your watch list, so if it wasn’t you, then tell me.”

“Anyone tell you you’ve gotten crotchety in your retirement?” Lando said.

“Damn right,” Han said. “Having aliens chop my kid’s hand off does it to me every time.”

Lando scoffed. “Is that what this is about? Are you taking this Vong thing personally?”

“Like Annika said,” Han said in a low voice, “he’s my son. It doesn’t get more personal.”

Lando tapped the datapad on the edge of the desk. “Her name’s Molly O’Brien; she’s in Section 31.” He nodded to the brute holding Han, who released him.

“Where can I find her?”

“The prison,” Lando said. “She was nabbed before she could escape the station, but you better hurry... she’s got a death warrant on her.”

****************************

Jorri dropped her flight suit into the laundry chute on her way down the hall. She gave only half a glance in the bedroom on her way past, then stopped and stepped back. She stepped in quietly, not sure what to say or do.

Sebastian was sitting cross-legged on the bed, his eyes tightly shut. All manner of electronic games hovered in the air around him: Terran chess, three-dimensional chess, Strategy, Katiskat, and Dejarik. He was playing against the computer, but the scary part was that, he was playing all of them at the same time. The pieces whirled around their various boards, providing a surreal symphony of beeps and clicks. “Give me a minute,” Sebastian said, not even looking at her. Within seconds each game began playing the victory tune; Sebastian opened his eyes and they dropped gently to the floor. “Just looking for something to do.” Jorri’s mouth was still hanging open. “You okay?” He got up, agitated. “Was there an attack? Are you hurt?”

“How could you...” she stammered.

Sebastian looked back as she pointed at the games, then gave a shrug. “The trick is to not think of them as several games, but of one game fought on many levels. They all operate under relatively similar principles, just different rules. After a while, it’s just like learning to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time.”

Jorri was still reeling a bit. Yes, she always knew that he could do this kind of thing, and she’d seen him play chess with his father once, but... “Doesn’t this strike you as a little...”

His eyebrows met. “I hope you’re not about to say what I think you’re going to say.”

“I’m just a little taken aback,” she said. “I don’t mean anything by it.”

Sebastian turned around and started picking up the boards. “Look, if it bothers you, I won’t do it any more.”

“It’s not that it bothers me. It’s just...” She floundered. “Okay, it bothers me. I’m just worried about you, Bastian. You don’t go out unless we’re together, you don’t answer communications; you’re not acting normal.”

“Comes from being abnormal,” Sebastian replied, stacking the games on a shelf. He came back and hugged her tightly. “It’s okay. I’m not going to turn Borg or anything. I just need time to think about things. Besides, you’re the only person I want to be with anyway.”

The door chimed and Jorri pulled herself away. “I’ll get rid of them,” she said with a quick peck before heading to the door. She was shocked to see the door open and a man standing inside the room. “Hey, you can’t just come barging into the barracks,” she said.

He seemed to barely notice her. “I need to speak with Sebastian Skywalker, immediately.”

“He’s out. Make an appointment.”

Jorri had withstood some of the harshest instructors in the galaxy at the academy, but somehow she wilted under his glare. “I’m afraid,” Volgo Terraine said, “that I must insist.”

****************************

“I’ve heard about her,” Annika remarked as she and Han left sickbay for the prison. “She escaped custody after she blew up a ship and dozens of people with it. Why would she be interested in this report?”

“Lando said she’s Section 31,” Han said. “It may be that she’s just interested in whatever that senator is up to, but if you want a lead, she’s practically got a blinking arrow over her head.”

They passed the stormtroopers that stood outside the prison and approached the administrator. He seemed to put more stock in their credentials than they’d had from anyone previously, which was a welcome change for Han. “Corporal,” he called, “please escort the visitors to cell 19A. I’m not sure what you hope to get out of her,” he said. “She’s done nothing but curse at anyone who goes in there, including her advocate.”

The stormtrooper led them down the cellblock to a waiting table. Molly O’Brien was pacing on the opposite side of a force field, looking like a small but very angry tiger. “Who the kriff are you?” she demanded.

“Profanity police,” Annika said in a tone that matched hers.

“Guess that’s why the Imps are gonna shoot me,” Molly said without a trace of humor. “Now bugger off.”

“We’re here about your slicing,” Han said, trying to steer this in the right direction.
“Yeah, you work for that slimeball Deniz, don’t you. Guess you get to have me once the Imps are finished.”

“You sliced into our file,” Annika said. “We just want to know why.”

Molly stopped dead in her tracks. “Bloody hell,” she said, “I thought that was for the administrator or something. Why would you be interested in what that bitch Alixus does?”

“Why would you?” Annika shot back.

“Let’s just say I don’t much care for her views,” Molly said. “Or her friends.”

“Who are they?”

“Kriffing ask her,” Molly said. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

Han and Annika looked at each other. “We think she’s somehow connected to the Vong,” he said finally. It’s not like they had anything to lose; if anyone was spying, they could just say that they were bluffing the kid into talking.”

“You’d be thinking right, then,” Molly said. “She’s messed up in this Vong business all right. Your file proves it.”

“How?”

"Several years ago we acquired Dr. Iva Sannet from an Imperial research facility. We also got a great deal of information on some of their humanoid experimentation techniques from their database. Let me tell you, I’m glad I didn’t wind up making any contributions to medical science, given what I heard."

"I'm waiting to hear what this has to do with the Vong," Annika said.

"Just listen. Senator Alixus was responsible for her advancement to head researcher several months before our arrival. I believed that Sannet and Alixus were using the facility to further their own agenda."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Han remarked. "Wanna connect the dots for us."

A brief look of anger passed her face. "My father," she said, a slight change in her tone punctuating it, "told me about Alixus back before he died. He and Captain Sisko ran into her a long time ago, before the Dominion War even. She's a fanatical anti-technology proponent who deliberately sabotaged her own ship to strand a settlement on a world so that she could create a society according to her own belief system. She called it paradise, but it was a totalitarian nightmare where her word was law, even if it meant tortured incarceration or death by incurable disease. She was convicted of murder and sentenced to the New Zealand Penal Colony."

Han nodded, finally understanding. "Order 181Alfa." Shortly after the securing of the Alpha Quadrant the Emperor issued the order that all political prisoners being held by local governments be released.

Molly fumed. "Right," she said with complete contempt. "My father told me what she did to those people, what she did to Sisko and almost did to him... and the bloody Imps let her go and wound up killing him." She glared at them. "And that's the Empire you want to protect?"

"You said she was convicted of murder," Annika said, ignoring the remark. "Why was she released?"

"Alixus' movement had many supporters. They researched the device that created the duonetic field that stranded her people on her world. When the order came down they hired the best legal minds in the Empire, arguing that the murder was a trumped up charge and that she was a political prisoner. She was set free, her record expunged," Molly grinned humorlessly, "and now has a seat in the senate itself."

Han was starting to put the pieces together. "So you're saying she and Sannet were working to further their anti-technology agenda."

"I know it," Molly said. "I have the records, and a confession. But we never figured out why; it was only because of your investigation that it finally became clear. The beetle that you recovered from Belkadan... it was created in an Imperial lab." Molly sat down on the edge of her bunk and fumed. "She had access to countless Vorta prisoners, so she could easily test and determine which had the psionic enhancements."

"Psionic enhancements?" Han asked.

"Some of the Vorta possessed telekinetic abilities," Annika said. "Starfleet never was able to determine why it was present in some but not in others."

"Sannet found out," Molly said. "She discovered that all Vorta have the capacity for it, but it remained undeveloped unless the Founders introduced certain chemicals into them at critical points during their growth. She analyzed their abilities and developed something astounding: an organism that could amplify natural psionic abilities."

"So that’s what the beetles do."

"Right," Molly said. "And I knew she was up to no good with it, but what was the point? Sannet wouldn't tell us, despite our... persuasion. But then we intercepted your communication with Chandrilla."

"Yeah, how'd you know about that?" Han asked.

"We may have broken away from Garak's organization, but we still have access to the relay junction tap that was installed. I set it up to inform me of anything having to do with Alixus. When you brought up the fact that she authorized ExGal-4 I had to know if the beetles were involved."

"Son of a bitch," Han said, getting out of his chair and pacing in anger.

"Bloody Imps are bad enough," Molly said, "but Alixus rang the dinner bell for the Vong. ExGal-4 was never really about searching for extra-galactic life, it was about providing information and resources to the arriving Vong forces. After all, who better reflects Alixus' philosophy towards technology than the Vong?"

"She's probably been working with Nom Anor for years," Annika agreed. "She probably never told the researchers on Belkadan-"

"She just sacrificed them for her cause," Han growled. "It wouldn't surprise me if she warned them about the Eclipse."

"But there's something I still haven't been able to figure out," Molly said. "Why give the beetles to the Vong?"

"The beetles are the key to Vong success," Annika said. "How else could they have so quickly overwhelmed the Imperial defenses? They were operating at an unbelievable level of coordination across impossible distances. By using the beetles to symbiotically enhance the Yammosk they could ensure..." A look of horror crossed her face. "Oh my God."

"What?" Han asked.

"I know what destroyed the Eclipse," Annika said. "The Yammosk. The psychic energy of the Yammosk, amplified to an untold level." She shook her head slowly. "Luke wasn't exaggerating. The Yammosk is more than just some war computer; it's the perfect coordinator of their forces and their ultimate weapon. And our own people are responsible for it."

“Wait,” Han said, “what do you mean?”

“The Yun-Yammka, it’s not some alien or entity; it’s a projection of psychic energy, like a force push on steroids.”

“Whatever that thing could do before,” Molly said, “it’s probably been enhanced by several orders of magnitude. Bloody stupid Alixus...”

“I’ll bet the Sernpidal fleet we found was a test run,” Annika added. “This is bad, Han. Unless the Yammosk is on Lazeria IV, this thing can operate over vast distances. Any fleet we sent could face annihilation.”

“But it can’t be everywhere,” Han pointed out. “And it can’t coordinate the Vong fleets while it’s in that form.”

“I’m not too sure about that. From what Sebastian told us, this thing is similar to a squid. It’s nervous system isn’t like a humanoid’s, with thinking centered in one specific location. That kind of construction is conducive to complex multi-tasking once the system becomes advanced enough for higher level thinking; probably why the Vong used such a species as their war coordinator in the first place.”

“So are you saying it might be able to make more of these?”

“I don’t know, but I would have to say it’s possible.”

“Terrific.”

“’Bout sums it up,” Molly said. “Hope you can do some good with it. I’ve got no love for the Imps, but that Alixus is a bloody monster. I only wish I could see her taken down myself.”

As they left the cellblock Han started thinking. By the time they were safely away from the prison he’d made up his mind. “We can’t let them kill that kid.”

“It’s not a question of letting, Han,” Annika said. “She’s a convicted terrorist, who’s killed dozens that we know of.”

“She’s part of the rebellion,” Han said. “You and I have both been there.”

It was obvious that Annika’s discomfort was more than just with her injuries. “It’s not the same galaxy it was then, Han.”

“You mean we’re not the same people,” Han shot back. “We’ve been ignoring what goes on here. They don’t want the Empire out here, Annika.”

“And do they speak for everyone?”

Han gave her a sideways glance. “When did you become a patriot?”

“I’m not a patriot, I’m a realist. The hours and better and there’s no heavy lifting.” She stopped. “This is a bad situation, Han. The Empire has screwed up royally out here, and there’s support for movements like Section 31 and even Garak because of it. But just imagine what would happen if the Empire pulled out of this area... this whole region would be packed with mini-wars because the only people with the weapons right now are the various rebel factions. You know what would happen to Romulus, Quo’nos, Earth, and any other former center of power in the quadrant. Millions, perhaps even more, would die. Beyond them, countless others would suffer during economic collapse, as trade would trickle to a halt because of safety concerns. Black markets would be the only way goods would be exchanged amidst such a conflict, which would put everyday goods beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest. Eventually on such planets there would either be mob rule that would make the post-World War III courts look like a Vulcan civics lesson, or a system where the elite enslaved the populace through their control of the planet’s replicators, transporters, ships...”

“So, what do you suggest? You want me to go back in there and tell that kid to take one on the chin for the good of the economy?”

“I’m suggesting that there may be a solution, but what they’re proposing isn’t it. Just look at my homeworld: the Roman Empire may have been corrupt, but when it fell it led to a thousand years of intellectual darkness.”

“Yeah, you’ve got your philosophy and your history, but where does it leave Molly O’Brien? A regrettable statistic?”

Annika breathed deep through her nose. “Yes,” she finally said.

Han stepped closer, and when he spoke his voice was barely above a whisper. “If Volgo Terraine had taken Sebastian instead of Garak, would you still just write him off?”

“And if Molly had killed Chewie, would you be so quick to get her out?” The air between the two burned with mutual anger. “You do whatever you have to do. I’ve gotta check out her story.”

“Knock yourself out,” he said with a sneer, then turned and stormed off. Unfortunately, the further he walked, the more he knew he didn’t have any idea of what exactly that would be. Leia was out of the question; he knew she wouldn’t risk escalating the anti-Terran sentiment by pardoning her. He could maybe contact Section 31 to help her out... if he had the faintest idea how to do that. Grudgingly, he had to admit that there was only one way to do it.

Quark looked up from behind the bar. “Ah... changed your mind about the holosuite.” Han ignored the remark as he stepped up to the bar. “What’ll be?”

“I’d like to speak with Mr. Calrissian,” Han said in a low voice. “At his convenience,” he added, although grudgingly.

“Absolutely, I’ll make an appointment for you when I can clear some time on his schedule.” Quark’s tone had just enough sincerity to avoid getting beaten to death, a trait that natural selection had made quite common among Ferengi.

“Please tell him that I need to speak with him,” Han repeated in the same tone. “I’m afraid it can’t wait long.”

Quark sighed, but put down the rag. “Just a moment.” He vanished. A minute later he returned and continued cleaning the glass. “He’ll be with you in a minute.”

Han turned around and leaned back against the bar, watching the passing stormtroopers the way he used to... back when they were on the other side. Or rather, when he was on the other side. Between being an Imperial cadet, a Rebel hero, and the Emperor’s aide’s husband, he was having a hard time keeping it all straight. Finally the door to Lando’s office opened and Han straightened up.

“Decided not to let yourself in?” Lando asked.

“Look,” Han said, still speaking in a low voice, “this is important-“

“Everything’s important when it comes to you. Now I’d like to think I’ve been civil with you given our old friendship, but you are disrupting my business, and it’s pretty damn obvious you’re not interested in patching things up. Stay out of my bar.”

“I’m sorry, okay. Look, this isn’t about me, or some nebulous cause or ideal. I need one favor, and I’m out of your hair for good.”

“You’ve used up your favors,” Lando said.

“That kid,” Han said, ignoring him, “just might be able to help us score a big one against the Vong. That shuts down Nom Anor, which shuts down Garak, which leaves you free and clear, just like you want.”

“Ask the Emperor for help,” Lando said, and turned around. Han grabbed his shoulder and turned him back.

“One call,” Han said, “and you can have her out. Do it, and I swear on my kids I’ll never come back.”

Lando gently took the hand off his shoulder. “I’m sorry.” He nodded to Quark, then walked back to his office. Han didn’t resist as the hologram escorted him to the entrance and sent him on his way.

Paradise Lost, Part XXXVII

Sebastian had arrived within seconds of Volgo Terraine's remark, standing at Jorri's side across from the bald-headed arrival. "Okay, you wanted to see me. What's so important?" Jorri couldn't help but notice Sebastian was wearing his lightsaber; she didn't know whether to be worried or thrilled about that.

"I'm afraid what we're about to discuss is not for Lt. Sunspring's ears."

Sebastian put his arm around Jorri and pulled her closer. "Then you probably shouldn't tell me, since I'll only repeat everything we discuss to her after you leave."

"You have an assignment for the Emperor."

"I'll be sure to put out the nice tablecloth then."

"Mr. Skywalker," said Terraine with infinite patience, "you haven't forgotten that as a Jedi, you owe your loyalty to the Emperor. I believe there was quite a nice ceremony involved-"

"Fine, what is the assignment."

"The girl-" Terraine began.

"Stays," Sebastian said firmly. "My oath to her is a lot more important."

Volgo Terraine remained stone-faced behind his dark goggles. "You are aware, lieutenant, of the consequences of disclosing classified information."

"Yes." Jorri didn't really need to be here, but she could tell that Bastian wanted her to be. She'd ask him about it once the vulture-like man was gone... preferably on another planet.

Terraine sat down; Jorri and Sebastian did likewise across from him. "Your assignment is to infiltrate a Cardassian stronghold and retrieve Elim Garak."

Sebastian cleared his throat and glanced at Jorri for a moment. "You don't beat around the bush."

"No, I do not. We've obtained Mr. Garak's current location from one of his contacts. He doesn't stay in one place for very long, so time is of the essence. We need you to extract Mr. Garak, alive, within the next forty hours."

Sebastian's grip had grown almost painful, but Jorri didn't want to say anything. Instead she patted him on the back in the hopes of soothing his nerves. "Does Julian Bashir have any advice?" Sebastian asked.

"You will be given a cloaked vessel," Terraine said, ignoring the question. "I understand you can operate one without sensors; that will make infiltration easier. There's a dampening field in place to prevent surprise transports, so you'll have to enter on foot. How you decide to do that is up to you, but we must have Garak alive."

"Why me?" Sebastian asked. "You could drop a battalion down there with weapons on stun."

"The Emperor believes such an act would be too dangerous. He believes that subtlety is what is required. As such, he wishes you to do this."

Sebastian continued to mull it over. "I need an hour to consider," he said finally.

"Very well," Terraine said, dropping a card onto the table. "You can reach me here," he said, then showed himself out.

Sebastian relaxed a little as the door closed, but just barely. "This stinks."

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to," Jorri pointed out.

"That's not what I mean. How does he know where Garak is?

"He said they’ve got an informant."

"Bashir," Sebastian said. He had a lot more time to stay up on current events than Jorri did. "I heard he disappeared shortly after turning evidence to the attorney general. Assumption was that Garak had him eliminated as an example."

"So, Bashir gave up Garak's location," Jorri said. "Except..."

"Except what?"

"Well, Bashir's arrest was common knowledge; Garak would have moved on to a location that wasn't compromised."

He kissed her forehead. "Smart women are so sexy," he said. "I guess boys really do look for women that remind them of their mothers."

"Thanks, Oedipus," she said with a smile, "but that doesn't answer the question. How do they know where Garak is?"

"That's what stinks," Bastian replied. "I'm thinking ISB, and if that's the case, I'm not sure getting involved is such a good idea."

"But there isn't an ISB any more."

"Not officially. That's what's got him so worked up about you being here."

Jorri shifted her position. "It's nice you want to keep me involved," she said, "but I wouldn't have been offended if you asked me to leave."

"No. One thing I decided before I came to you on Tatooine was that I wasn't going to live my life divided like that. I'm not going to have a part of my life that you can't know about."

"You don't want to be alone in it, you mean."

Bastian looked almost shocked. "Did I say you were a smart woman? I seriously underestimated you."

"A mistake you won't live to make twice," she said as she wrapped her arms around him, seeking out a much, much more comfortable position.

****************************

Col. Renal's eyes narrowed and his voice took on a tone of menace. "A stay?"

Han didn't back down. "Just to allow enough time for me to contact Chandrilla. I believe Miss O'Brien might be eligible for an Imperial pardon."

The commander looked at him like he had just told the world's worst joke. "A pardon... for a known traitor and murderer. Is the word 'idiot' stamped on my forehead, Mr. Solo?"

"No," Han thought. "Why state the obvious."

"The matter was carefully reviewed and an appropriate decision rendered, and a correct one I might add. She escaped incarceration last time and is a high-ranking member of a known terrorist group. I've had to increase security station-wide since her arrest. Even if I was inclined to believe you, I can't maintain this for days; we're a remote outpost that's barely up to spec."

"This girl could be a key to victory against the Vong," Han lied. Well, theoretically she could, in some scenario Han couldn't begin to imagine. He'd tried it with Molly's advocate, for all the good it had done there. Without anything to demonstrate a need for an injunction, there was nothing anyone could do. This backwater tyrant was Molly's last hope, and it was going every bit as well as Han had imagined.

"You're wasting my time," Col. Renal replied with visible impatience. "Sentence will be carried out per the letter of law; it's one of the few things you rebel peaceniks haven't watered down," he added.

"Thanks for your time," Han said, with just enough sarcasm not to be obvious.

As he reached the door the commander said one last thing. "By the way, tell Calrissian this is cheap. If I'm not going to listen to him, I'm sure as hell not going to listen to you."

****************************

Annika tapped her metallic fingertips on the desk with boredom as she waited for the signal to be processed. It was a minor miracle, really: communicating across the galaxy through a wormhole and back across a second galaxy in virtually real time. That amazing fact did nothing to make her any less restless as countless bits of advanced machinery worked together to violate the laws of physics solely to allow her to have a conversation. Sufficiently advanced technology may be indistinguishable from magic, but people will still complain if it takes too long to pull a rabbit out of a hat.

A technician finally appeared on the display, the familiar face of Naomi Wildman behind him. “Annika,” she said as the technician moved out of the way, “it’s been too long.”

“It has.” They exchanged a few brief remarks. “Have you been monitoring my beacons?”

“The signal was lost nine hours ago,” she replied, “but Harry’s confident we can use the data we have to narrow down the number of systems.”

“Harry knows what he’s doing,” Annika said. “I was wondering if I could have some time to speak with him?” A quick transfer, and the familiar grinning face was looking back at her. “Nice to see that massive interstellar war has done nothing to damper your good mood,” she remarked with a smile.

“Hey, you spend a few years looking for something, it takes a lot to dampen your mood when you find it.”

“How close are you?”

Harry shrugged. “Hundred fifty systems, give or take. I know it sounds like a lot, but a week ago I was looking at several hundred thousand, so this is a nice break for us.”

“Good. The sooner this whole mess is done, the better.” She leaned a bit closer and lowered her voice. “Are you alone?”

Harry immediately did the same. “Yes. What is it?”

“The beetles on Belkadan; Luke mentioned that he’d found similar ones on Grabun II.”

Harry couldn’t help but let out a disbelieving laugh. “That’s right. Man, how do you remember all this stuff?”

“It’s in the genius-cyborg job description,” Annika remarked. “Were they the same, or did we just assume they were the same?”

“Some of them were the same,” Harry said. “They all looked pretty similar at first, but some were definitely the same species as the ones recovered on Ex-Gal.”

“Where did you find them?”

“Um, give me a second.” Harry frowned as he pulled out a datapad and started flipping through files. “Let’s see... an incubation/stasis chamber. Yeah, that was the weird part; it was Imperial technology. We assume that they co-opted it when they invaded.”

“Not like,” Annika said. “What happened to them?”

“I kept a couple for samples and handed the rest over to the senate, along with the rest of the excess Vong material.”

“I’m sending you a file containing a genetic code. Could you compare it to your samples?”

“Sure. I should have one of them on file already; should save time for comparison.” Annika waited as Harry ran through the comparison program. “Yup, almost dead on. Very similar stuff.”

“But not identical?”

“Well, no, but pretty close. Just a few variations normal within a single species, but their definitely closely related. Is this from Jacen’s sample?”

“No.” Annika had come across it during a detailed look at Dr. Sannet’s research files. It had been a rather disturbing look into the practices of the Empire, something that made her start to wonder if Han hadn’t been right, at least about the girl. But there was no doubting it any more: the beetles had been manufactured by the Empire and handed over to the Vong at some point, probably at Belkadan. “Harry, tell Naomi to be extra cautious. I have a feeling if you get too close to the Vong base that Yun-Yammka is going to show up.”

“I’ll pass it along.” Annika said goodbye and closed the connection, reflecting on this new information. The facts did support her theory, but there was more to it than that. First, the Vong had some at Grabbun II, which was well outside the dead zone and wasn’t near any of Harry’s suspected systems. This meant that either the Vong had a second use for the bugs as a weapon, or the Yammosk was being moved to that location.

A look of horror crossed her face. Or, even worse, the Yammosk was reproducing, and the bugs were for its offspring. She didn’t want to think about it, but the prospect of two such monsters in the galaxy was impossible to ignore. If that was the case, had Luke stopped them in time, or had he only changed the location? Whatever the case, there was work that had to be done, and it wasn’t going to get done here. Han would be pleased, she thought as she left sickbay to look for him.

****************************

Han slowly lowered his drink as he saw Lando approaching. Well, there was no more putting this off. Chin up, back straight, pride swallowed, he got up and intercepted Lando before he got even halfway through the bar. "I don't have time right now," Lando rebuffed.

"I'm sorry," Han said. Lando kept walking. "I mean it," he said slightly louder, "I'm sorry."

Lando finally stopped, then turned back to face him. "For what?"

"You know," Han floundered, "for being a jerk." He stepped closer so he could lower his voice. "I spoke to Col. Renal; he mentioned you had spoken to him about the kid. Thanks for trying."

"Sure," he started to head back, but Han held his shoulder. "I'm a busy man."

"I know; I just need to clear this up." Han sighed a little. "Look, I... I've got a lot of regrets, probably more than most people have got. But the big one is that I turned my back on Luke, and I never got a chance to make it right. I don't want to make that mistake again. I've got too few friends left these days."

Lando wasn't looking at him, but he nodded a little. "My life would probably be easier if I just hated you," he pointed out. Then he turned around and held out his hand; Han shook it. "But it would probably be more boring."

"Thanks." He gave Lando a quick embrace for old time sake; he froze. "Why are you wearing body armor?"

"Can't be too careful these days," Lando said.

Han shook his head. "Try that on somebody else, pal. You're not wearing any kind of casual defense there."

Lando's tone was very serious. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

Han leaned close, his voice barely a whisper. "You're up to something. This, and those mercs you had in your office... I won't stop you, but just tell me."

Lando seemed hesitant, then led him back to his office, where he sealed the door. "This room is secure," he said absentmindedly. "Look, Han, this doesn't concern you."

"I thought you were just in information," Han said. "You're too public to be pulling operations for Garak."

"This isn't about Garak," Lando said, sitting on the edge of the desk. "It's personal."

Han sat down. "Kira?"

"Not exactly." He seemed to think it over, but surrendered to the inevitable. "Years back, when I was just expanding, I was trying to set up some trades within the DMZ, and I put Kira in charge. She brought in Miles O'Brien because he'd spent a bit of time with her fighting the Maquis, and so they knew the ins and outs."

"You mean how best to smuggle," Han said with the voice of experience.

Lando gave a flicker of a grin. "Like I said, trade. Anyway, they were on the planet when the ISB attacked.

"I wasn't there to see it myself," he went on, "but I wish I had been. The ISB bombarded the area with some nerve toxin; brutal stuff. They had designed it for extreme circumstances; I'm told even stormtrooper armor won't help. Miles and Kira had sealed themselves inside their ship, but the ISB was destroying anything that tried to leave the planet.

"Maybe they should have stayed; hoped that the ISB would maybe let them go. But Miles said he knew the type, that if they went into an ISB holding cell they'd never come out alive. He told Kira their only hope was to make a break for it."

"But you said the ISB was shooting everyone down?" Han said.

"Fortunately I was planning on using this ship for a lot of... trading. We'd picked up a cloak for a Romulan Warbird and had started our installation."

"A Romulan cloak?"

"We couldn't get an Imperial cloak, and we figured for what we were planning, it would get the job done. Problem was, we needed to mask the engines, which looks kind of conspicous, so when hadn't finished the job.

"Miles never thought twice about it. He put on an environmental suit and beamed out with the parts to finish the job. But like I said, that stuff can get through even plastoid armor eventually..."

"But he got the job done."

Lando nodded distantly. "Kira could hear the sound of Miles screaming in agony as the stuff started leaking through. She wanted to transport him back, but he told her not to, that unless he finished the job they'd both die. He kept getting worse, could barely operate his tools after a while. As he was finishing he told her that his suit was full of the stuff, that she'd have to leave him behind." Lando grinned a little. "You'd have to know Kira to know why that was funny. She beamed him on board and tried to help, but by then he was convulsing. Kira told me that there was only two things he kept saying. One was for her to get the damn ship out of there." He looked at Han again. "The other was to take care of Molly."

Han wasn't sure what to say at that point. Lando started absentmindedly knocking on his desk. "Exposure to the risidue on Miles led to the neurological breakdown that she finally died of," Lando said. "But Miles bought her twelve years at least. Julian, Kira, and I swore that we weren't going to let the Imperials get away with it, and we swore that, no matter what, we'd watch out for Molly." Lando stretched and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's been something of a full time job."

"You're going to try to bust her out, aren't you," Han said.

Lando shrugged. "Kira's gone, Bashir's in custody; who else is gonna do it?"

"So you and a couple of mercenaries are going to break into the prison? Lando, that's crazy."

"I know what I'm doing."

"They've stepped up security," Han said. "They're expecting something like this."

Lando smirked. "Not like this."

Han looked at him sideways. "What are you up to?"

"Let's just say that it will get Molly out, cover my tracks, and avoid getting any innocent people killed."

"Maybe I can help."

"No. You've got your job to do, I've got mine. You've been here too long for your own good anyway."

"Alright," Han said, getting up. "I'll trust you, for old times sake. Just don't go getting yourself killed."

"Same to you," Lando said, shaking his hand one last time and showing him out. He sealed the door again, and the smile vanished from his face. "Sorry, buddy," he said under his voice. He turned and exited through the back entrance, apologizing to his guest.

"It was probably unavoidable," Ben Skywalker said. "I know how stubborn he can be."

"Are you sure you won't need any help?"

Skywalker chuckled while he continued re-assembling one of his Sith weapons. "I was taking out platoons when being a stormtrooper meant something. Just do your job Calrissian; I'll get your little girl out." Lando turned and started to leave. "Just make sure you take care of your part of the bargain, Calrissian."

"The meeting's already been arranged," he said. "Once the girl has been delivered to me I'll give the go ahead."

"No," Skywalker said, "I will retrieve her unharmed, but she will not be delivered to you. I've decided to put her to other uses."

Lando fumed. "We agreed-"

"I'm altering the deal," Skywalker said. He snapped the last piece of the weapon into place and glanced up at Lando with a smile like a shark. "Pray I don't alter it any further."

Paradise Lost, Part XXXVIII

Night had fallen on Bortal IV, an uninhabited M-class planet that had only slightly more colonization appeal than an asteroid. The lone settlement was a Cardassian base, one of hundreds that dotted the Alpha Quadrant that served as a base of operations for sabotage or piracy, depending on what circumstances demanded.

A maintenance crew sat around a table playing sabacc just off the landing pad. The game had just started becoming interesting as a ship de-cloaked overhead. Before the crew even moved the lower turret had begun firing on one of the ships. They scrambled for the alarm while the guns continued their merciless assault on the helpless ships. Within mere moments, all five were on fire or reduced to scrap.

Sebastian tugged the controls up and brought the ship around. He'd spent hours examining the schematics of the base on the trip here, looking for weaknesses in their security that he could exploit. He found none. Garak, true to his reputation, had been very careful; with a complete array of surveillance devices connected into an optical recognition system, nothing short of major surgery could have avoided triggering the alarm no matter how careful he was.

Of course that didn't make it impossible. Once subtlety ceases to be an option it's amazing how many choices you have, Sebastian reflected as he brought the turret around and blasted the primary communication array. He glided over the base as he took out the back-ups just as the defense turrets began firing. He let his instincts guide him as he finished the back-up arrays and anti-personnel emplacements, then switched on the cloak. He set the ship down gently a kilometer away from the compound. He pulled the helmet of his combat suit on as he ran down the ramp and sprinted across the open country to the base, vaulting up and catching the top of the wall surrounding the burning landing pad. Sebastian pulled himself on top of the ledge and spirited along it, jumping and catching the roof of the building itself.

He ran along the roof, stabbing his saber through weak spots and dropping gas grenades into the ventilation system. The scrubbers would clean it out, but not before he had knocked out enough to even the odds a bit. He cut a much larger hole and dropped in a grenade, waited a few second, then followed it.

He dropped into a corridor full of yellow gas and the sound of Cardassians trying desperately not to breathe the anesthetic. Some had already put on their masks however, but a few Force-guided stun shots from his mini-phaser took care of them. He Force pushed the rest out of the way and bolted past.

Sebastian turned the corner towards the command center and almost lost his head to a heavy blaster cannon. He ducked back around the edge, thinking frantically. For all he knew, that was Garak over there, so he had to play this safe. He switched his lightsaber over to a single blade and gripped it tight in both hands for maximum control. He grit his teeth and charged around the corner, his blade snatching the blasts out of the air as he built up speed, jumped, and planted his foot in the gunner's chest. He hit the wall a little harder than planned, but fortunately it was just one of the soldiers. Sebastian knocked his head into the wall a second time for good measure, then plunged his saber through the doorlock.

He hadn't even entered the room before blaster fire started. He switched his second blade on and leapt into the room. A close shot singed his suit, but he brought his blade around and reflected the soldier's next shot back at her. He knocked the remaining two over, yanked one of their blasters into his hand, and...

And stopped.

Time was the critical factor. He had the base cut off for now, but they could have gotten off a distress signal before he took out the towers. He needed to grab Garak before any reinforcements could arrive. Putting these two down with their own blaster would save him time... would be the quicker, easier path. Defending himself was one thing, but killing a helpless soldier when there were other options was something else. He dropped the blaster and pulled his mini-phaser out again, giving them both a quick jolt before turning to the control system. As expected, it was in lockdown, so he started slicing in. A Cardassian squad came halfway through the process, but it was a rather brief interruption. With a sigh of relief he shut down the disruptor field and activated the remote transporter.

Safe inside his ship, Sebastian pulled the bulky helmet off as he sat down at the controls. Garak's age and Obsidian Order implants made him easy to distinguish from the rest of his forces. As the transporter engaged he turned around, phaser at the ready. Before Garak could react Sebastian stunned him, slapped on a pair of binders, and turned back to the controls. He activated the cloak, yanked on the stick, and sent the ship skyward.

****************************

The heated arguments taking place among the admirals and generals died down as Leia and the Emperor entered the room. As he took his seat Leia could practically feel the weight on his shoulders. If this was all to make the Empire crumble before the Vong, he was doing his best to keep that fact hidden. "I sense there is some disagreement on how we should proceed."

Admiral Sullice was the first to speak up. "Your highness, this weapon the Vong have used against us is an element we had not projected in any previous scenario. The information we provided prior to the attack-"

"No one is looking to assign blame, Admiral," the Emperor replied. "I am more concerned with how we deal with it."

"If I may, your highness," Admiral Sullice continued. "My real concern is that our prior projections on the exchange were based on incomplete data. With this new element, we have nothing to support any belief that an attack will succeed."

"While I agree with the admiral's desire for caution," Admiral Huyil said, "the fact is that the Eclipse attack has backfired on us. We have appeared weak in the face of our enemy, and the internal rebellions will only increase as a result."

"We cannot allow political concerns to dictate a military situation," General Chalb said firmly.

"This isn't about politics. Open revolt draws more ships away from the front lines. The only way to counter such rebellion is with a show of strength."

"And if that should backfire on us as well, general?" Admiral Sullice asked.

"Then, frankly, begging your pardon, your highness, this war would have been lost regardless. All we would do is delay the inevitable, as it is clear the Vong are not going to stop with the mere foothold they have now."

"I disagree with your conclusions," Admiral Sullice said. "It's far safer risking revolution then plunging the fleet into battle against an unknown element which might just wipe us out with a single stroke."

"If I may interject, excellency," said Volgo Terraine. The discussions stopped. "Based upon the movements of Vong forces recorded by our probes and the work of our agents, I believe the Vong have already made the decision for us."

"You mean they are going to attack."

"The build-up of forces along their front-lines suggests it," Terraine said. "My agents project that they have grown over one thousand coralships to help swell their forces. An attack is imminent."

"All the more reason to attack," said Admiral Huyil, "while we still have the advantage."

"All the more reason not to," said Admiral Sullice. "If they attack we can engage them in open space rather than attempting to take out their planetary entrenchments."

"The Vong no doubt have the same idea of our capabilities as we did of theirs," Admiral Huyil said hotly. "They would not launch an attack unless they felt they could overwhelm us. If we strike before their ranks swell-"

"-we will have nothing left to resist their reinforcements," General Chalb interrupted.

"Your highness," Leia said over the increasing din, "I believe I have information relevant to this discussion."

"Silence," the Emperor said to the assembled holograms. "What have you learned?"

Leia explained what Han and Annika had learned about the Yum-Yammka, how it was a projection of the yammosk, and how it might be able to project that beast anywhere the fleet may be engaged.

"How certain are you of these facts?" the Emperor asked.

"Seventy percent," Leia said, quoting Annika's figure. "The creature that destroyed the Eclipse was some form of projected psychic energy or Lifeforce; the yammosk is the only creature the Vong possess capable of that."

"That we know of," someone pointed out.

"Yes, hence the thirty percent remainder. However, the circumstances of the attacks, the known nature of the yammosk, and the strategic application of this weapon all point to it. If we are right, then the Yun-Yammka would be capable of moving virtually instantaneously throughout their space. This, plus the threat of the war coordinator, means that the only real path to victory is through the death of the yammosk."

"Which we have been working towards for years without success," Admiral Huyil said. "This is not a solution."

Admiral Kormain spoke up. "Captain Wildman and her crew have devoted those years to this search. I think we should hear her opinion before you dismiss this plan out of hand, admiral"

Naomi rose. "We have the system narrowed down to one of twenty-two. At this point we could launch probes directly into those systems and determine which system and planet the Vong are operating from. Of course, the Vong would almost certainly know this."

"And would either relocate or perhaps even launch a pre-emptive assault," Admiral Sullice said. "But perhaps we could have the Twilight standing by for confirmation, and destroy them before they get the chance."

"And repeat the Eclipse catastrophe?" Admiral Huyil asked. "This is our last working Eclipse, admiral; we cannot risk it on this errand."

"I agree," said General Chalb. "If this can move throughout their space instantaneously, then it could arrive and defend the world against our forces. Nothing short of a fleet would be safe, and we're going to need every ship at the front lines to stop those coral ships, war coordinator or no."

Leia could sense that Naomi was thinking intensely about something. "Do you have something to add?" she asked.

The captain jerked to attention again. "No... I just wish to... point out that the Vong has taken no action against our star destroyer despite our proximity. Since the primary target is the yammosk-"

"It's not a question of what, captain," General Chalb said sharply, "it's a question of destroying the target before that thing destroys you."

"Sir, my suggestion is a surgical strike with TIE Bombers, with stormtroopers being deployed to ensure-"

"No disrespect to your command," Admiral Sullice interrupted, "but experience shows that the Vong have our stormtroopers outmatched. The only case of victory without overwhelming numbers was the late Jedi Skywalker, and we all saw that even he could not hold out against them forever."

Leia's face betrayed no emotion, although her brother's death was a little too fresh for this kind of casual discussion. It also reminded her that the threat posed by Luke’s real killer wasn't diminished despite the current threat. But flushing out a Sith without winding up dead was a daunting prospect that would have to wait.

"There is another possibility," Volgo Terraine offered. "The Jedi have had success infiltrating Vong worlds."

"Remote scouting is a far cry from surgical elimination of a priority target," General Chalb said.

"Besides," Admiral Huyil added, "the Vong are using those energy grids now. Even a cloaked ship can't avoid detection."

Admiral Kormain spoke up. "But if we used a fleet of bombers, as Captain Wildman suggested, one small ship could probably evade detection long enough to set down on the planet's surface and engage a low-grade cloak, enough to buy a few hours. Would that be enough time?"

The arguments started again, but the Emperor spoke up. "I think the issues are clear; you will receive my decision within the hour." With that, all the holograms disappeared, save one. "I was hoping there would be another way," the Emperor said to Terraine in a weary voice.

"As did I, your excellency."

Leia couldn't remain silent. "What are you suggesting?"

"Only two people have ever escaped a Vong base," Terraine said. "And only one is still alive."

****************************

Sebastian had strapped Garak into the co-pilot chair after they had escaped into hyperspace. It would take several hours to deliver him to Volgo Terraine; the first was the easiest. Then Garak woke up.

“Quite commendable work, Mr. Skywalker,” Garak had remarked upon regaining consciousness. “I must admit that I doubted you had it in you... I thought a fight like that would be beneath a Jedi like you.”

Sebastian didn’t take his eyes off the instruments. “And I would have thought you wouldn’t underestimate your enemies.”

“Well, give me a little credit for making you work to catch me,” Garak said. He looked Sebastian up and down. “You wear black well. Must have inherited that from your grandfather.”

“Are you trying to get a rise out of me, Garak?”

“Not trying exactly... more just something to occupy the time.”

“I could give you another shot with a phaser,” Sebastian said.

“On someone of my age so soon after I’ve recovered?” Garak made a sound of disapproval. “Wouldn’t do to bring me in dead, would it? The ISB wouldn’t approve.”

“You’re being brought in alive,” Sebastian said, “to stand trial for what you’ve done. And you can skip the part about your crimes versus the crimes of the Empire,” he added as Garak was about to speak. “I’m not interested.”

“I suppose you’re not the most sympathetic ear,” Garak conceded, “since you were the victim of one of my so-called ‘crimes.’”

“You can stop trying,” Sebastian said. “You’re not going to get to me.”

“Mm, perhaps you can tell me that ‘argument is irrelevant?’” Garak chuckled to himself. “Who could have imagined that Borg traits would be hereditary?”

“Maybe I’ll take my chances with the phaser.”

“Now now, mustn’t disappoint the fans,” Garak chastised. “You don’t want to rob the Imperial citizenry of closure do you?” Garak watched the passing stars. “Some thought Nero faked his death. Same with Hitler, and Bin Laden, and Khan. You see, when there’s a devil, it’s very hard to imagine that he could just perish, that he was just as mortal as everyone else. You bring me in dead, and you’ll turn me into something even worse than a martyr, you’ll turn me into a legend of evil.”

“You wish.”

“Very well; then kill me. Right now.” Garak started raising his voice. “Come on! I handed you over to the Vong! You were easy prey, easy! I could do it again if I set my mind to it.”

For the next hour Sebastian kept a strip of bonding tape across Garak’s mouth. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop him from trying to talk. Eventually, Sebastian removed it; anything was better than that infuriating grunting.

“So, how long have you been an agent for Volgo Terraine and his genocidal ISB?” Garak asked eventually.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sebastian said. "There is no ISB."

Garak's zealous laugh turned his stomach. "Yes, that's quite true. The ISB no longer exists, and as such, is more powerful than ever." He leaned forward, his smile never waning. "You know, Dr. Bashir introduced me to several pieces of human literature over the years, and frankly most of it was rather unimpressive compared to Cardassian standards, but one work did impress me. Oh yes, it was a magnificient glimpse into the human psyche." He leaned almost up to Sebastian's ear. "Catch-22."

"I'm familiar with it," Sebastian said, concentrating on his flying.

"So you know what a Catch-22 is?"

"Of course," Sebastian said with irritation. "It's when the only solution is prevented by the problem that needs to be solved."

"Oh, it's considerably more than that," Garak said. "It's the inherent power of paradox. Like the ISB that you don't work for because it doesn't exist, the one organization in the galaxy with unfettered power because it has been given no power at all. And if you would have actually read the book you would understand precisely why the ISB needed to destroy the de-militirized zone."

"Really," Sebastian said, wishing Garak would shut up.

"Yes. The ISB was the symbol of the Empire's unfettered might turned against its citizenry. How long would such a thing be tolerated in the open society the Emperor was striving for? No, the only way to survive was self-destruction; Catch-22. And that's where the power is; unobserved, unchecked, denied by all but feared by the same."

"Ridiculous."

"Is it? Don't you remember the power of Catch-22? It was that it was the ultimate rule because it was never written down. People simply believed in it, and in believing, gave it the power. The power of paradox, the same power that has intertwined you and I more than either of us would care to admit."

"Look," Sebastian said, at his wit's end, "I'm not interested in what you think. You're a self-serving opportunist who lies as easily as I change my socks."

"Well the truth is often a last resort for someone who's wanting in creativity," Garak admitted. "But in this case I'm afraid truth is far more interesting than any fiction I could create. Consider, for a moment, Kro Thrassis, and his involvement in all of this." He seemed to enjoy Sebastian's recognition of the name. "Do you think the Vong have time travel technology? If so, why haven't they used it?"

"I... don't know," Sebastian admitted. The problem had been bothering him for a long time, and he'd never come up with a reasonable explanation.

"Well, let me assure you that they don't," Garak said, "or they wouldn't have come to me seeking it."

Sebastian scoffed. "You have time travel technology?"

"One of my more covert operations," Garak said. "When your father invaded the Vong base looking for you, he became the foremost threat to Nom Anor. So Kro Thrassis had to capture you to eliminate him as a threat. So, I sent him back in time to capture you, and for that you should be very grateful."

"And why is that?" Sebastian asked, not believing a word of it.

"Because by going back in time Kro Thrassis provided the armor your mother needed to win her battle against Darth Whind." Garak's grin widened as Sebastian gaped at him. "The Oracle has been a most invaluable investment in terms of information. But look at the larger picture for a moment: by attempting to capture you Kro Thrassis provided the means for your mother's survival, which means you would now be born to draw your father into the Vong base and become identified as a threat, ensuring that you would need to be captured by any means, even if it meant traveling back in time."

"Even if you were telling the truth," Sebastian said, "it's a paradox. Big deal. You're going on like you invented the whole thing."

"Ah, but you don't see the beauty of this," Garak went on, "a loop within a loop. Because I provided the Vong with the time travel technology, I am an essential part of your existence. And that's why you failed to kill me when you provided my whereabouts to the Republic; you can't destroy me without preventing your entire existence; and if you prevent your own existence, how can you destroy me?"

"Great, it's two paradoxes," Sebastian continued. "Write a paper on it while you're breaking ore at a penal colony."

"But don't you see, Mr. Skywalker, just how it has all come around? The information you provided in an effort to destroy me was the tool the ISB used to drive itself underground, and you bolstered my own support to create the kind of organization necessary to create a resistance force with the connections to kidnap you and hand you over to the Vong, which not only was what drove you to want to turn me over to the ISB, but also what required your father to raid the Vong base... which is what started the entire mess in the first place. And now we sit at the end result: an ISB with the clandestine power to give the enemy of the Vong the righteous tools he needs to destroy the renegade whose power was forged by the ISB's move to become clandestine."

"Do you have a point to your long-winded meanderings?" he snapped.

"Indeed I do," Garak said with an oozing voice and a smile Sebastian wanted to slap off his face. "Because years from now when you look back on this moment where the moebius strip closed in on itself, I want you to remember that you had a choice. You could have dropped me off on a planet and forgotten all about me, or even drawn that saber and killed me as I sat helplessly beside you. You'll remember that I warned you not to bring me in, that I told you that you were about to set an even more dire set of circumstances in motion then the Catch-22 that has brought us right here. This seemingly unimportant moment that you dismissed as a bluff you will curse until the day you die, because it was the missed opportunity. And because the future you will be a product of that fate, you will be forever unable to undo it. You have one chance, this moment here, to prevent it all just by letting me go... but you won't. You don't believe me. You think I'm lying to trick you into letting me go, even though you can sense no deception on my part. That, I imagine, will be the worst part of all: to know that I was telling you the truth all along, but still not accepting it. And perhaps that's the greatest paradox of them all: that a man so bereft of emotion can harbor so much hatred he will destroy himself."

"Your 'Oracle' tell you all this too?" Sebastian finally asked derisively.

"She does have a rather astute vision of the future," Garak said.

"Not likely," Sebastian replied. "If there's one thing my father impressed upon me, it's that the future is in motion."

"Yes," Garak said, leaning back in his chair with satisfaction, "and I suggest you get out of its way."

Formating=
3 Chapters in a row=

Wahoo! Action, mind games, bitter rivalries, what more could a fanfic reader want!