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“Four AM.”

“The Chief of State’s office opens at eight,” Luke said. “Go talk to Padnel and Dorvan. I would offer my own help, but with the anti-Jedi sentiment growing there, I think any interference on my end would do more harm than good.”

“I don’t want to talk,” Han said, “I want my wife back. I want to knock heads together.”

“But you won’t,” said Ben.

“Not yet, anyway.” Han had calmed down somewhat. “I’ll go in first thing.”

“Bring your daughter,” Vestara said. Everyone turned to look at her. She shrugged. “It will be harder to turn her down than you.”

“Besides,” said Allana, “if you go, I go. She’s my mommy. They’ll have to deal with me and you, Dad.”

“That … wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but that works, too,” said Vestara.

Han rested his forehead against Allana’s. “Okay, kiddo. Let’s try to get some more sleep, and then we’ll go in and, uh, persuade Dorvan and Ovin that a mistake has been made.”

“A really bad mistake,” said Allana, grinning. Han hugged her tight, nodded at Luke, and pressed the button.

Luke was silent for a while. Finally Ben said, “I can’t believe they did that. I had no idea they hated us so much.”

“If you mean the people of Coruscant, they don’t,” Luke said. “But someone in a position of power does. Patch us through to the HoloNet, Ben. Even at this hour someone will be reporting on this.”

Ben obliged. “Oh look, speaking of hating us …” he said. The station, BAMR, was a fairly new one, and very aggressive in its political leanings.

“Surprise, surprise,” said Vestara.

A handsome dark-skinned human male gazed intently into the holocam. “… able to obtain footage of the arrest of former Chief of State and current Jedi, Princess Leia Organa Solo, at her residence.” Behind him rolled a recording of Leia emerging from her home. There was no sign of Han or Allana, and Luke was glad. The last thing they needed was for Allana’s face to be all over the HoloNet, and for Han Solo to be yelling at some poor unfortunate being simply doing his job.

Leia looked tired, but regal and beautiful. She did not smile, but neither did she attempt to dodge the bright lights and cams shoved into her face. Luke ached for her.

“Solo had no comment as to the charges levied against her,” the anchor was saying. “BAMR did attempt to get an interview with Captain Han Solo, Jedi Solo’s husband, but we were refused.”

“I’ll just bet,” said Ben.

Another image appeared behind the anchor. It depicted a handsome older man, graying, with a firm, strong jaw and intelligent, sharp eyes. “Senator Kameron Suldar, leader of the Senate Subcommittee to Investigate Jedi Activity, will be holding a press conference four hours from now at—”

There came a soft gasp. Luke turned to see Vestara’s eyes wide.

“Ves? What is it?” Ben touched her shoulder gently.

“I—that Senator. I know him.”

“Huh?”

She turned to Ben. “His name’s not Kameron Suldar. It’s Workan. High Lord Workan. He’s—”

“A Sith of the Lost Tribe,” said Luke calmly.

They stared at him. “How—why—” stammered Vestara.

“I’ve been playing a rather delicate and high-risk game,” Luke said, “but it seems to be going in our favor. Why do you think I made such a big fuss over the Jedi departing? Think for a minute. We’ve searched several planets and we’ve yet to find the Sith. When you are hunting an animal and it keeps eluding you, what do you do?”

Vestara got it first. “You set out bait,” she said quietly.

Luke nodded at her. “Exactly. With the Jedi very publicly gone, Coruscant was wide open. Ripe for the picking.”

“Dad—you gave Coruscant to the Lost Tribe?”

“I laid a trap,” Luke said. “That’s quite a bit different. The Lost Tribe believes it has a destiny to rule the galaxy. What better way to take a huge step toward fulfilling that destiny than to infiltrate Coruscant?”

Ben had been shocked, but was recovering quickly. “Uh, Dad, you maybe forgot one little thing.”

“And that might be?”

“Sith have infiltrated Coruscant!”

“I’ve lured them all to one place. I know exactly what I’m doing, Ben. We’ll deal with Ship—and that should, I hope, mean dealing with Abeloth