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"Jedi Knights don't hide in a crisis," Jaina said. Lowie growled and reached for his lightsaber, ready to push forward, but Jaina held him back. "On the other hand, looks like an entire military force down there.

We're heavily outgunned. Wouldn't do any good to jump into that mess without a plan. We'd be captured or killed in seconds."

Lowie groaned his acquiescence.

"You show admirable restraint, Mistress Jaina," Em Teedee said.

They looked down and watched helplessly. Within minutes, the mercenary soldiers had subdued all resistance with as little bloodshed as possible.

"Put the element of surprise to good use, didn't they? A complete takeover." Jaina narrowed her eyes and glared down at the turncoat guards and Second Administrator Kymn, knowing that this treachery must have been planned for some time. She also recalled the members of the Wing Guard on Cloud City, who had turned traitor and sold out to Black Sun. Something was definitely going on at the fringes of the New Republic-something big.

Kymn ran to the intercom on the wall, pressed the transmit button, and shouted, "Signal Alpha! Signal Alpha!" Then he went back to take his position, proudly holding his blaster pistol.

"I do believe that must be some sort of code," Em Teedee said.

Lowie grumbled for the little droid to be quiet so as not to give away their position.

Second Administrator Kymn, wearing a superior smile now, spoke quickly to the Chief Administrator. "Our allies are in place at every important station on Kessel. We have just finished taking over all the control points. I hope our people were able to assert themselves without too many deaths. The important thing is that they're well armed and prepared to do what's necessary. Don't doubt it."

Fresh soldiers continued to file out of the large cargo ship.

"It's an entire occupation force," Jaina whispered.

The invaders brought out heavy equipment, weapons, and supplies.

Forming rows, the mercenary troops looked on attentively as a tall shadow moved inside the cargo hold. Jaina gasped with recognition as the towering man stepped into the light. Sickly pale skin contrasted with close-cropped moss-green hair. A thin metallic visor sported a dark red cyber-eye that glinted, shifting constantly from one side to the other.

"Lord Czethros!" Administrator Kymn said. "Welcome to the spice mines of Kessel. Our takeover is complete. This facility is now yours. " Czethros strode down, square-shouldered and proud, as if there had never been any question of ownership in his mind. "Excellent job," he said. "Kessel will become my new base of operations. From here we will coordinate our lightning strikes-multiple covert attacks just like this one, only on a much larger scale. I'm glad our plan here operated so efficiently. A good sign."

He smiled, and his mercenaries beamed at the praise. Jaina knew that Czethros was not a man to give compliments easily.

"In a similar manner, all of our infiltrators in key positions in important systems will be able to strike as soon as we transmit the signal for our coordinated takeovers. The attacks will be simultaneous.

Within days we will bring the New Republic to its knees.

Black Sun will prevail! " He raised a fist in the air, and the other mercenaries shouted in unison, "Black Sun!"

"Dear me! Whatever are we going to do?" Em Teedee said as Jaina and Lowie backed deeper into the shadows of the tunnel.

"Well, there's one good thing about all of this so far," Jaina said, her face grim and determined. "We're Jedi Knights-and Czethros doesn't know that we're here."

Piloted by Cilghal, the waveskimmer roared across the choppy seas toward the polar oceans of Mon Calamari. The sky was steely gray, the water cold. Mountainous icebergs floated in the distance like broken white teeth jutting up from the surface of the waves. The air felt so frigid that it seemed it might break if they tore through it too quickly.

"There, those sparkling colors," Jacen said, pointing. "Is that Crystal