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This is your situation.

"There are several hundred droid starfighters over your position.

Anything that takes off from the spaceport will be shot down without warning. Anything airborne throughout the capital district, in fact.

Meanwhile-oh, by the way, have I complimented you on your maneuver at the Lorshan Pass? Brilliant, Master Windu. Truly a work of art. You must be quite the dejarik player." His pale eyes sparkled gleefully. "I have been known to indulge in the game myself. Perhaps-should our discussion today end profitably for us both-we might have a match some time."

"Isn't that what we've been doing?" Without a sideways glance or change of expression, Mace sent a pulse in the Force down the connection he had forged with Nick Rostu. The young Korun's eyes widened, then narrowed; his face went blank, and he turned away to speak softly to a nearby trooper.

"In a way, Master Windu. In a way. So. Where was I? Yes: Meanwhile, back at the Pass... I have fifteen thousand regulars on the ground. And while your clever bit of droid-baffling cost me almost fifty gunships, I have some left. Several, in fact. Of which twenty or so are already at the Lorshan Pass, and have already made a bloody mess of your landers and your defensive perimeter. I'm told your surviving troopers still hold the mouth of the tunnel, but of course they won't for long. I imagine their next move will be to mine the tunnel, and collapse it like you did the others. Which works for me; I have sappers clearing the other tunnels already. We'll be inside within the hour. Which is exactly how long you have to save your people."

"An hour."

"Ah, no: you misunderstand. I am plagued by unreliable subordinates; perhaps you can sympathize. My troops are not so disciplined as yours.

They are young men, after all, and their blood is up. It may take them an hour to get inside. It may take them ten minutes. Once they enter those caves, I should be very much surprised if any Korun leaves that place alive."

"Geptun-"

"Colonel Geptun."

"-there are over two thousand civilians in there. The old, and the very young. Would you have your men slaughter children?"

"There is only one way to stop them," Geptun said regretfully. "I must give them the order to stand down before they breach those caves."

"And for that, you want our surrender."

Yes.

"There are," Mace said slowly, "civilians in here, as well."

"Of course there are." Geptun's smile broadened. "Civilians that you, Mace Windu, would give your life to protect. I cannot be bluffed. Not by you."

Mace lowered his head.

"Don't take it too hard, General. In dejarik, part of true mastery is recognizing when a game is lost." Geptun cleared his throat delicately.

"You have, sad to say, only one move left: to resign."

"Give us a a little time." Defeat had leaked into Mace's voice. "We-we'll have to talk it over-"

"Ah, time. Of course. Take as long as you like. It's not actually up to me, is it? My sappers are quite, shall we say, gifted? They could break through at any moment. It would be-mmmm, ironic-if your surrender were to come too late to save all those innocent lives..."

"Yes." Mace's voice was subdued. "I'll call back on the same frequency."

"I look forward to it. It's been a pleasure playing against you, Master Windu. Geptun out."

The image on the huge wallscreen faded. Silence shrouded the room.

Depa tottered to her feet. "Mace..." Her voice trickled off into a whimper of pain; she lowered her head and clenched her jaw, pulling herself together by sheer willpower. "Mace, we can't let the militia kill those people. Your people-"

"My people," said Mace Windu, "are Jedi."

He lifted his head, and he didn't look beaten at all. "Nick."

Nick Rostu looked up from the console where he was huddled with a pair of troopers, and his eyes sparkled. "Got him. The Ministry of Justice.

Pegged him with his own bloody satellites!"

Depa looked stunned; Kar Vastor's face birthed a predatory grin.

Mace nodded. "Depa. Time to fight.