Blood of Heroes, Part VII

[Sonnenburg]

“The woman has undergone some kind of pigmentation adjustments,” the chief investigator said to the Senate as the recording of the assassination was paused to show the person in question. “We’ve done an analysis and determined with 99.7% certainty this is Molly O’Brien of Section 31.”

“What is her background?” the Chancellor asked.

“Sabotage and murder,” the chief investigator replied. “She was found guilty and sentenced years ago, but she escaped. She was recaptured aboard a Bajoran station a few years ago, but before she was to be executed the station was destroyed and she was presumably rescued. Details are sketchy.”

“What about the others with them?”

“They wear markings that identify them as a group called the Mistryl, a remarkably well-organized revolutionary movement operating within our galaxy. However, this is an operation well outside their normal scope.”

“I see. And the man?”

The chief investigator cleared his throat. “The individual wears a mask for the majority of the fight. His combat technique is superhuman, indicating that this person has finely-honed Jedi skills.”

“Is it possible that this is someone mimicking a Jedi?” the Chancellor asked.

“While I am not an expert on Jedi combat, I would have to say no. The way he senses attacks before they happen, throw people with the use of his mind, and skillfully wields a Jedi weapon looks simply impossible for any human without preternatural skills.”

“Can you identify him?”

The chief investigator hesitated. “As I said, he wore a mask. However, there was a brief time when his mask was knocked away before he put it back on. The images, however, do not allow for as clear a view as with O’Brien. We have a 62% certainty that this is Sebastian Skywalker.”

“That sounds rather low.”

“It is. I have never used such a low identification in any criminal case. It leaves too much room for mistaken identity.”

“Thank you,” the Chancellor said. “I yield to Senator Alixus.” Alixus had petitioned to become involved in the interviews since Garak was from her sector. Grudgingly, this had been accepted.

“I have only one question,” Alixus said. “You say that 62% is too low, yet given that there are only five known Jedi in either galaxy, wouldn’t you say that this is proof enough, under the circumstances?”

“If we presumed the existence of only five Jedi,” the investigator said. “However,-“

“So that’s a yes?”

“A conditional yes.”

“Very well, no further questions. Thank you.”

The investigator was allowed off while the Chancellor prepared for the next testimony. It was difficult; Alixus seemed more on top of things than the rest of them did, knowing just what questions to ask. He was especially leery of this one. “Sebastian Skywalker has volunteered to speak before the Senate on this matter. He has affirmed that he will testify to the truth.”

Sebastian came out, trying not to look nervous. It wasn’t easy, but he kept his mind focused on the truth at the center of all the lies: that he was innocent. He told the story they’d constructed about his trip to Cardassian space. The Chancellor backed up his story with affidavits from Gul Tulvek, the captain of the ship that transported him, and so on. It all painted a clear picture that he wasn’t even in the same galaxy as the Emperor when this murder took place, and when he finished Sebastian finally felt confident they might pull this off.

Senator Alixus came up then, all smiles. It was as comforting as a rapidly approaching fin while you’re stranded in the water. She asked a few questions that probed at the edges of his alibi, then veered off in a strange direction. "Isn't it true, Mr. Skywalker, that six years ago you were kidnapped and brainwashed by Vong agents?"

"Yes," Sebastian answered, not sure where she was going with this.

"It's because of this time with them that many consider you an expert on Vong tactics, techniques... the way they think in general."

"It's given me some insight," Sebastian remarked. "I wouldn't say it makes me an expert."

"Still, you are one of the few who have ever escaped from the Vong," Alixus said. "And you managed to recover from their brainwashing relatively quickly."

"I was very lucky," Sebastian said. "And my age probably played into it as well. Made it easier to adjust to that experience."

"Yes, I've read the report," she said dismissively. "I also read the report of your escape from the Vong. Rather remarkable, even for your father and the alien who aided him. You'd think an entire Vong base could capture even a Jedi."

"The Vong's primary concern was with escaping Halva IV before the arrival of the Imperial fleet. Capturing three people was a relatively low priority compared to that."

"Yes, of course," she said with a smile that was anything but friendly. "Speaking of capture, you were the one who brought in the terrorist, Elim Garak, correct?"

"Yes."

"This is the same Elim Garak who was being sentenced at the trial where you allegedly murdered the Emperor, correct?"

"Yes."

"A strange coincidence," Alixus remarked, "that the person who performed the assassination chose to impersonate the same person who was responsible for Garak's capture."

"I'd imagine that's Mr. Garak's twisted sense of humor," Sebastian replied. "In my conversations with him, he did tend to take a quite skewed view of reality. I'm sure this made sense to him."

"So you have an insight into Elim Garak's psyche as well as the Vong?" Alixus asked innocently.

"In the sense that I have learned to understand my enemies, yes."

"It has been suggested by some that your capture by the Vong was instigated by Elim Garak's organization."

"That's my understanding."

"And that Elim Garak was the one to transfer you over to the Vong?"

"Again, that's my understanding."

"So there was a time when you were his prisoner, correct?"

"A time," Sebastian said. "But I was unconscious, so I couldn't really say."

"I see. You've been to the aforementioned Bajoran station on several occasions, yes?"

Senator Alixus seemed to be all over the map. "Yes," Sebastian admitted. "To visit my mother when she was sick."

"Yes, your mother spent some time on the station," Alixus said, consulting her notes. "During that time she had a discussion with the aforementioned Molly O'Brien... it appears the details of that conversation were lost with the destruction of the station..." She looked up from her notes and smiled at him again. "I'm sure it wasn't anything important," she added.

"I wasn't privy to their discussion," Sebastian said.

"I understand," she said with a nod of condescension while she returned to her notes. "And your uncle attempted to postpone her execution," she said. "The commanding officer states in this affidavit that he wished to allow Minister Solo to examine the possibility of a pardon... a pardon for a convicted terrorist who was to receive the death penalty."

"Senator," the Chancellor said, "this is an investigation into the murder of the Emperor; I ask that you remain on that topic."

"Apologies, Senator, but I'm afraid these facts, which might appear irrelevant, are part of a larger picture. Given the severity of this heinous act, I ask for a certain degree of latitude."

The Chancellor looked to Leia, but she did nothing. She couldn't interfere without making it look like she was covering up for Sebastian. The Chancellor turned back to Alixus. "Proceed, Senator, but let's not get caught up in any red herrings, please."

"Thank you, Chancellor. Agents of Elim Garak that have been captured have testified that the destruction of the Bajoran station fits the contingency plan outlined by Mr. Garak himself. This explosion occurred shortly before the so-called Battle of the Yun-Yammka, but after your capture of Mr. Garak."

"That would appear to be the timeframe," Sebastian remarked.

"What were your whereabouts at that time?"

"I was in my quarters, reflecting on the situation," Sebastian said.

"The entire time?"

"The Vong threatened the galaxy, my father had been murdered, and my mother was dying," Sebastian said tersely. "I wasn't feeling very social."

"I see. So the only person who could vouch for you would be your wife, yes?"

Sebastian shot her a look. "Yes, I suppose so."

Alixus nodded. "For the record, eye witnesses fleeing the destruction of the Bajoran station observed Molly O'Brien in the custody of a man. Now, there are discrepancies in the details, but they all agree on one thing: this man had the powers and weapons of a Jedi."

"Yes, because he's a Sith," Sebastian said.

"You claim that this person is the same boogeyman who murdered the Emperor?" Alixus asked.

"He's not a boogeyman. Obviously he's real."

"The person is real; what proof, Mr. Skywalker, is there that he is what you claim he is?"

"Anakin Solo said that he was the one-"

"Ah, another Solo," Alixus interrupted. "Another coincidence. They seem to be everywhere around your family."

Sebastian glared at her. "The Force guides my family, if that's what you mean."

"I don't pretend to understand your religion, Mr. Skywalker," Alixus said. "But it does seem rather convenient that it can explain away coincidences. For example, the fact that your father found the Vong base, when the fleets of the Empire and thousands of probe droids could not. That minutes after you claim to have destroyed the yammosk the planet was destroyed, leaving no evidence to support your claim. The fact that your mother spoke frequently to Dr. Bashir before he confessed his involvement in Elim Garak's organization, only to disappear a short while later before he could testify. It can all just be explained away as the influence of some divine power whose total followers can be counted on one hand."

"The existence of the Force can be easily demonstrated," Sebastian said.

"Psychokinetic powers aren't proof. You are claiming that the Force has the power to control the destinies of trillions of beings!"

"What more do you want?" Sebastian asked in frustration. "You've seen the fight on the recording. You saw how my father moved the moon. How the Emperor destroyed Bastion?!"

"The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power you give the Force."

"Whether you believe or not, it is the truth."

"Well, you'd think that if the Force were that powerful you could use it to track down this imaginary Sith, wouldn't you?"

"That has proven somewhat difficult."

"Perhaps because he doesn't exist?"

"He does; we saw him on the recording."

"No, that was you, Mr. Skywalker. You never went to Gul Tulvek; it's all a cover-up."

Sebastian didn't betray any emotion, but his gut tightened. He had a very bad feeling about this. "I did not murder the Emperor," he said without the slightest hint of uncertainty in his voice. "I am innocent, and the victim of a frame-up."

"You falsified the records," Alixus said. "You tampered with the witnesses. I have a recording here," she held up a datapad, "of my conversation with Gul Tulvek shortly after the murder. I specifically asked him if he'd spoken with anyone about Garak, and he was quite adamant that he hasn't spoken to anyone in the Empire for years. And yet, now suddenly he's reversed his opinion."

"He was keeping my presence a secret," Sebastian said, hoping his nervousness wasn't showing through.

"The captain also backs you up, but curiously, none of the rest of the crew of your ship recall your presence."

"I keep to myself."

"And what of your Klingon companion?"

Sebastian froze. He glanced over at Terraine and saw beneath the expressionless face the mental kicking. No one thought of an alibi for Gorren; he wasn't a suspect. "I don't know what he was doing," Sebastian replied.

"You two were seen exiting the same shuttle together," she said. "And yet, he wasn't part of this expedition. Where was he?"

"I don't know."

"Perhaps we should call him up here and ask him."

"If you like, though I don't see the relevance."

"He has connections to revolutionary Klingon forces, isn't that right?"

"Had, senator," Sebastian said. "He's allied with the Empire now."

"Really? He's worked with you; I have reports of dozens of times when you and he were sighted together under unusual circumstances. Curiously, none of them match up with any of the official assignments the Emperor gave you. In fact, you seem to have very few assignments compared to the other Jedi, and yet you seem to be everywhere."

"We all do our part, senator."

Alixus smiled again and shook her head. "Admit the truth, Mr. Skywalker. You were not on a mission to Cardassian space. You falsified the records to manufacture an alibi for yourself." She dropped a stack of datapads on the podium. "Do you really want me to go through every tedious bit of proof? Every eyewitness, every manifest, every sensor log that contradicts your fiction? Admit to the truth."

"Chancellor," Leia said as she rose, "I ask for a recess to confer with the accused."

"To get their lies straight?" Alixus asked the senate at large.

"Mr. Skywalker has the right to counsel," Leia pointed out.

"And you have a clear conflict of interest," Alixus said. "A barrister should be able to provide sound advice under the circumstances."

The Chancellor looked to Leia, then back at Alixus. He cleared his throat, but his voice still sounded dry. "Agreed. The accused will be allowed a brief recess with a senate-appointed barrister before proceeding."

There was a bit of senatorial chaos as Sebastian's counsel was allowed to join him. The recorders and such were turned off and no one allowed to hear what they discussed. He had the right to refuse to answer, but with the damning evidence it was suicidal. The recess concluded and he got up to issue a statement. "I realize what I'm about to say will imply evidence of a guilty conscience," he said. "The truth of the matter is, I have been involved in a private mission for the Emperor, off the record, to help cause uprisings in Vong space. I cannot provide details, as that would jeopardize their safety. Yes, the records were falsified, but it was done to ensure that I wouldn't have to endanger the lives of people who are fighting the Vong. I did not kill the Emperor, I was not on Chandrilla when the incident took place. I can offer no proof to support this, I ask that you believe me."

"After you've lied to us already?" Alixus asked.

"As I said, it was a necessity."

"A necessity," she said with a slight nod. "And yet you still claim that this Sith is the one responsible?"

"Yes."

"Whose existence you cannot prove?"

"He's right there, on the recording!"

"Circular reasoning, Mr. Skywalker. I see a man who looks like you."

"That's not me!"

Alixus held up her finger with a bit of bemusement. "So, then, your theory is that a person, one who is trained in the ways of the Force to a phenomenal level, has managed to disguise himself as you for the purposes of this assassination, and conveniently times it to occur when you can't provide yourself with an alibi. Is that it?"

He turned to the barrister, who nodded. "Yes," he said. "As unbelievable as it may sound, it's the truth."

"I have a theory of my own," Alixus said. "Tell me what you think. Your father knew Garak for a long time, back during the War of the Alpha Quadrant. He and your mother were morally opposed to the rise of the Empire upon Palpatine's return, choosing self-exile rather than involvement in government affairs. After being forced to become involved by the Emperor, Luke Skywalker met with the Vong during their early reconaissance in the galaxy. He then arranged with Garak that bit of showmanship on Earth to paint himself as a hero while in reality he secretly was negotiating an alliance between Garak and the Vong. Your 'capture' was an event orchestrated to help coordinate your efforts with the Vong, and your 'escape' just as artificial. You have been aligned with Garak and the Vong since the beginning."

"That's not true!"

"When your mother couldn't convince Bashir to keep quiet, you silenced him when he tried to turn himself in. Garak had you 'capture' him to keep up appearances; how else could you have succeeded at what the forces of the Empire could not? You then destroyed the Bajoran station to try and eliminate as much evidence as possible, freeing Molly O'Brien so you could continue to train her in secret. Garak's trial was a deliberately staged event so you could assassinate the Emperor in public to waylay suspicion, since if you'd done it in private it would have been obvious who was responsible. Your attack on the yammosk is a lie, conveniently covered up by the planet's destruction. Your allignment with the Klingon, Gorren, is to solidify your contact with revolutionary forces, and all of this is part of your goal to topple the Empire that you and your entire family pretend to serve yet secretly loathe."

"We have done nothing but serve to preserve the Empire!" Sebastian said with barely restrained fury. "You have been working with the Vong!"

Alixus shook her head at him with pity. "You can throw your baseless accusations at me, Mr. Skywalker, but the truth is out there now for everyone to judge. You have put the Empire in the hands of people who have been working with the enemies of order. I have no doubt your life will be spared from your just execution, but I can only hope that some who have heard what's been revealed today will rise up and resist the efforts to hand our galaxies over to terrorists, invaders, and traitors."

There were shouts, but they were few. The terrifying sound wasn’t that racquet, it was the silence of contemplation. Most would see through it, a stack of lies built on mis-coloring circumstantial evidence. But most wasn’t going to be good enough. Sebastian sunk into his seat. A confession would practically have been better; now was room for whispers of conspiracy. Alixus had inserted a crowbar in the cracks of unity, and heaved.

[darthdavid]

This story is great i'm glad your gonna do regular updates now.

[phongn]

Poor, poor Sebastian...

[LordShaithis]

I last left off when Annika was bashed up by that shapeshifter thing in Lando's bar, back in Paradise Lost. I spent a couple hours tonight getting up to date. Excellent stuff as always, Chuck.

[Crazedwraith]

Wow. Poor 'Bastion. Oh Well it'll turn out all rite in the end...

[LordShaithis]

Hey, this is the author who had the balls to blow up Coruscant as well as kill off both Chewbacca and Luke Fucking Skywalker. You don't know what's going to be okay. hehe

[phongn]

Chuck once made a "hit list" of everyone he knocked off, which included a host of major characters from all sides

[LordShaithis]

Chuck is the man. His stuff goes beyond fanfic and almost becomes an alternate EU.