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By Root 1869 0

agent on occupied Coruscant, and, for the better part of the past year, visitor on the living world of Zonama Sekot. On her arrival, the planetary consciousness had used her in a counterfeit kidnapping plot, and only weeks earlier had used her as a resource for information about yammosks and dovin basals. And yet even after all she had been through, Danni had no true understanding of what she was really doing on Zonama Sekot, or why Sekot had specifically asked that she remain onworld, rather than accompany the Skywalkers and Solos to Coruscant.

Perhaps Sekot merely wanted a would-be Jedi to bear witness to the end of the world. For what with the Sekotan fighters spiraling back down to the canyon-rim landing platform from which they had launched, and Zonama about to be poisoned by a vessel infected with Alpha Red, no other course seemed possible.

It was while stationed at Mon Calamari that she had first heard rumors of the Yuuzhan Vong–specific bioweapon. She had mentioned the rumors to Jacen and, for months following Vergere’s theft of the prototype batch, had held herself partly responsible for much of what had happened. Ultimately she had learned that Vergere had actually overheard Luke and Mara discussing Alpha Red in private, and had acted on the knowledge. And now, all these months later, the Chiss-manufactured poison had found her again—though the end-of-the-war scenario for which it had been created had taken an ironic and tragic shift …

With most of the Ferroans secluded in the shelters, an eerie silence prevailed. To Danni, Zonama felt more adrift than when it had been lost in the Unknown Regions, and an autumnal spell had fallen over the tampasi.

A few Sekotan fighters were already grounded. Corran, Kyp, Alema, and Zekk were waiting on the canyon-rim landing platform when the airship finally touched down. Everyone retreated to the shelter of the giant boras as plasma fire and windborne cinders rained down.

“Were you able to locate Sekot?” Kyp was first to ask.

“Sekot is everywhere,” Jabitha told him. Her dismay was evident, but her tone was sincere. “Sekot is merely silent.”

“Silence is one thing,” Corran said, “but ignoring a threat is another.” He gestured overhead. “Somewhere out there is a vessel that could end up killing this planet. Maybe not as quickly as Ithor died, but just as thoroughly.”

The Magister compressed her lips. “I’m certain Sekot is aware of the threat.”

Alema blew out her breath in exasperation. “We could try to reach Jade Shadow,” she said, mostly to Kyp. “It’s better suited to preventing the Alpha Red craft from going to ground.”

“We can’t simply blow the vessel to pieces,” Cilghal said. “Not without risking sowing the atmosphere with poison. We have to trust that Sekot has reasons for taking the actions it did.”

Kyp glanced at everyone in puzzlement. “Why go to the trouble of creating ships if the aim all along was to surrender?”

“That wasn’t the aim,” Danni said. “None of us knew about the poisoned ship, so how could Sekot have known? As for why Sekot brought your fighters down, I have an idea—even though I hope I’m wrong.”

“Say it anyway,” Kyp said.

Danni glanced around. “I think Sekot’s goal is to allow the poison to reach the surface so that Zonama can contain it—to keep Alpha Red from being spread to the rest of the galaxy.”

Corran shook his head slowly. “I can’t see Sekot martyring itself. Besides, what’s to prevent any of us from spreading the toxin offworld by accident? Unless Sekot plans to keep us grounded, permanently.”

“It’s highly improbable that Alpha Red can be spread by human contagion,” Cilghal said. “Early tests of the bioweapon support that. Kyp, Han, and Leia were already exposed at Caluula, and ruled out as potential carriers.”

Corran’s eyes darted about. “What about Mon Calamarians, Cilghal? What about Chadra-Fans or Twi’leks—or Ferroans, for that matter?” He shook his head again. “I don’t think Sekot would risk it.”

“If Sekot had kept the fighters airborne, we could have at least held the Yuuzhan Vong back until everyone was evacuated,” Zekk said.