Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order 21_ The Unifying Force - James Luceno [226]
“With all due respect, sir,” Kre’fey said evenly, “we can’t allow the Yuuzhan Vong to keep even a square kilometer of Coruscant. Even if we can’t reoccupy the planet for a hundred years, Coruscant is essential to the stability of the Alliance. No species will rest comfortably with the Yuuzhan Vong imprisoned at the center of our galaxy. Coruscant must be seen as a symbol that not only have we prevailed, but also that the threat has passed, and order has been restored.”
“I concur, Admiral,” Omas replied in the same even tone, “but we’re going to have to do something with the Yuuzhan Vong—something more than disarm them and send them back into the intergalactic void.”
“I suspect that they would sooner fight to the death than return there,” Kre’fey said. “In any event, we haven’t ships enough to escort them from the galaxy.”
“Some have suggested imprisoning them aboard their own ships,” Sovv said.
Kre’fey grimaced. “The warriors, perhaps. But do we also imprison every female, every child, every Shamed One? Wouldn’t we be sentencing them to a lingering death rather than an expedient one?”
Omas heaved a sigh. “Those I trust to safeguard our financial health may not warm to the idea of spending trillions of credits to imprison warriors who are beyond being rehabilitated.”
Kre’fey turned slightly to face Omas’s image. “Sir, will you consider establishing a war crimes commission?”
“Such a commission is under consideration, Admiral. But who would you have us bring to trial?”
“We could begin with Nas Choka.”
Sovv shook his head. “We’re going to need him if we hope to subjugate the warrior caste. Try Nas Choka, and you will have that fight to the death.”
“I agree with Admiral Sovv,” Omas said. “Shimrra is dead, as are Tsavong Lah, Nom Anor, most of the Peace Brigade … More to the point, how do we separate the ‘war criminals’ from the religious zealots? Should we attempt to root out those commanders responsible for attacking refugee ships, or perhaps those who were directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of millions of hostages at Coruscant? They’re all guilty—the entire species. We may as well start with their gods if we’re going to initiate criminal proceedings.”
Kre’fey allowed the silence to linger for some time, then said, “Sir, we still have Alpha Red.”
Omas nodded solemnly. “I respect your courage in being the first to broach the subject, Admiral. But Alpha Red is no longer an option. Use of the bioweapon isn’t a decision one person, three, or even a hundred can make. I promise, however, to discuss all other matters with the members of my Advisory Council.”
Kre’fey swallowed hard. “May some wisdom accrue from it.”
If jubilant celebrations were taking place on many worlds, stars were the only lights in Zonama Sekot’s night sky, and by day only the remote disk that was the Coruscant system’s primary.
“It’s getting colder,” Luke said, as he and Harrar followed Jacen through the boras. “Most of the energy Sekot dedicated to keeping the planet warm was diverted to the mountaintop defenses. Zonama can’t remain in this orbit for much longer—not without risk to the forests.”
“Perhaps that’s what Sekot wishes to discuss,” Harrar said. “Inserting Zonama into a more nourishing orbit.”
Jacen glanced over his shoulder at the priest. “We’ll know soon enough. The reflecting pool isn’t much farther.”
Jacen had mentioned the pool several times, though Luke had never been there and was eager to see it. The suggestion to assemble at the pool had been Sekot’s, relayed through Magister Jabitha, who had visited Luke in his and Mara’s cliffside dwelling.
Luke felt as if he had done little more than sleep since arriving on Zonama Sekot a week earlier in the Millennium Falcon. While Jacen had been successful at neutralizing most of the venom delivered by Shimrra’s amphistaff, Luke knew that he was not yet completely healed, and might never be. His body was gaining strength daily, and