Outside the jedi temple, coruscant

His name was Belok Rhal. he was not very tall, with close-cropped blond hair and pale blue eyes. His nose looked like it had been broken several times, a long scar ran the length of his left cheek, and he moved with a fluid grace.

He had been appointed to command the Mandalorian forces laying siege to the Temple, and Daala had largely given him free rein to do as he saw fit. "I want the Chev Jedi Sothais Saar, and the human Turi Altamik," she said. "If the Jedi surrender them, your mission is complete. If they don't—" She had shrugged. "It's time to make them understand what they're really up against."

A slow smile had spread across Rhal's face, and he had nodded. "Understood."

He'd not made any attempts to respond to efforts at contact from Jedi for several hours. The silence would unnerve them. Now, though, it was time to get some movement out of the situation. He was clad in beskar armor, brightly painted in hues of reds and yellows. The armor had seen combat—a great deal of combat. Possibly, it would see more during this mission.

He removed his helmet, so that the watching Jedi could see his face. Enemies, he had learned, found his face more unnerving than an impersonal helmet.

Rhal gestured for the amplifier, and spoke. His voice would carry to the Temple and beyond.

"My name is Belok Rhal. You will remember it. I am here on the orders of the Galactic Alliance to retrieve two Jedi—Sothais Saar and Turi Altamik," he said, his voice deep and rough. "You have been ordered to relinquish them to the care of the Galactic Alliance, and you have refused. All legal methods have been exhausted. Your Chief of State Daala has asked me to ensure that you turn them over. And you will."

He paused to let this sink in. "If you do not comply with this request, which is binding by all laws you claim to adhere to, there will be consequences. If you trust nothing else, trust my word on that. I will accept nothing less than seeing Turi Altamik and Sothais Saar coming out of the Temple. You have thirty-six hours to comply."

The voice was cold, almost dead, and Hamner felt his danger sense prickling. All around him, he sensed that the other Masters shared his unease.

Saba Sebatyne grunted. "This one is not Daala's pet," she said. "This Belok Rhal meanz what he says."

"I believe he does," said Hamner. He turned back to the Master. "Master Katarn, report."

"The news isn't good. As we all knew, the vehicles and weaponry he has assembled could deal a terrible amount of damage to the Temple," said Kyle Katarn, "What's worse is, we've sent apprentices to all the exits of the Temple, even the ones we've thought hidden, and there's a Mando presence at everyone of them."

"That is impossible," said Saba. "There are many secret passagewayz."

"It's not impossible if someone talked," Kyp said.

"Perhaps Reeqo and Melari," mused Hamner. The two apprentices had quit some time ago, frightened by the thought of being the target of Daala's wrath. It was not outside the realm of possibility that they had been taken in and told everything they knew. Too, technology properly targeted could reveal hollowed areas beneath the ground and where tunnels so revealed might lead.

"Then we find other exits," Octa Ramis said calmly, arms folded across her chest. "The Temple has been destroyed and rebuilt more than once. It's possible, even likely, that something's been overlooked, or forgotten, or has caved in. Kenth, the apprentices are under a lot of strain right now. They're worried and are looking for something to do to keep busy and to feel like they're helping. I suggest that each of us and every available Knight should take a few of them and start searching for any way out. Seha and I will coordinate this. She's used to finding her way around underground."

"That's a fine idea, Master Ramis," Hamner said.

"We must find some way to get out soon—or at least to get supplies in," said Cilghal. "We are dangerously low on sedatives strong enough to keep the ill Jedi restrained. And of course, we cannot use the Force in any way to aid them." Hamner nodded at her to indicate he understood.

"I think there will be some way to get what we need. Once we are resupplied, we have the advantage—we could sit and wait this, and Daala, out for a very long time indeed."

But Kyle Katarn was shaking his head. "Theoretically, yes, we would have enough supplies to do so. There are other, more pressing reasons not to wait. But I'm concerned about the effect such a large gathering of Mandos will have on the populace. It's one thing when they're targeting us and engaged in active fighting. These are beings of action. If there's any civilian protests, things could get very ugly very quickly. The longer this goes on, the more likely that will happen. Innocent people could get harmed while we sit here quietly playing the waiting game."

"Well, Jaina's out there, and neither she nor her family are the sort to sit around killing time. She'd left to go get some kind of help. Any word from her?" asked Kyp.

Hamner grimaced. He wasn't sure whether to count it a blessing that none of the Solo clan had been present during the onset of the siege. Jaina was resourceful and intelligent, and Katarn raised a good point about civilians, but this was still a balancing act. Daala had the upper hand—again.

"We'll use codes to get word out about what we need," he said, deciding to ignore Kyp and Katarn for the moment and focus on Cilghal's request. "If we can find some way out of the Temple, even one too small for a Jedi or an apprentice to pass through, we can get supplies in and—"

"Sir?" It was Kani, Hamner's assistant. Her pretty face registered dismay. "Security reports the Mandos have just begun utilizing jamming equipment. Communication within the Temple is unaffected, but as for external communications—well, it's carefully designed so it all goes one way. Daala or this Rhal fellow can contact us, but we can't contact them. We're totally dependent upon his choices, and we won't be able to get any signals out for supplies or anything else."

There was a loud, angry oath from Corran Horn. "Hamner, this will stop! We're trapped in here with no way out, no way to speak to anyone on the outside, looking at possible harm to civilians, and with a threat to our families hangs over our heads. We've got three Jedi who are convinced we're evil imposters, and are rapidly running out of the means to take proper care of them. If you would stop trying to appease Daala we—"

"Appease her?" Kenth Hamner was a man slow to anger, but Corran's words bit deep. "I'm not trying to appease anyone, I'm trying to find a solution! All I need to do to end this threat, Horn, is to let Saar and Altamik go. She doesn't even know about Bann. Two Jedis, on a gurney, and we can all go home—"

He stopped in mid-sentence. Corran's eyes were hard and angry. Horn would not get to be with his family, even if he could leave now. He would go home only to his wife, as strained and heartsick and angry as he. His children were not here, in Jedi safekeeping, tended by beings who cared for them. They were stuck in carbonite, hung on a wall, and treated like decorations.

"I'm sorry, Corran," Hamner said, and he was. "But we've come to this point because we've continued to refuse Daala, and that's hardly appeasement. I'm open to any and all suggestions."

"She sent Belok Rhal to handle the situation. And she's deliberately refusing to talk to us. Maybe we should talk to him instead, while we keep pursuing the other options," suggested Octa Ramis.

"We can't," said Hamner, struggling for patience. "Didn't you hear Kani's report? All outgoing communications are blocked."

Octa smiled a little. "There's a lower tech solution, Kenth. Just send someone to walk out the front steps to discuss terms. We could at least get the deadline extended while we tried to come up with another plan."

"Somehow I don't think that gentleman out there is much of a talker," grumbled Kyp.

"Nor do I," said Kyle Katarn, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "I hate to say this, but at the moment, until we can find a way out of here, Daala really does have the upper hand. She's got many of the Masters right where she wants us. Temple communications are effectively paralyzed; all known exits are watched. Unless we are suddenly sprung by a coordinated effort from offworld—not impossible, but not likely, and it certainly wouldn't be in a timely manner—we might be here awhile. Getting this very brief deadline of thirty-six hours extended is currently the only thing I can think of. We need more time, and the chrono is counting down every minute we delay."

Hamner sighed. "I think you're right. It's worth a try, at any rate. I'll go out and see if I can—"

"No," said several voices at once.

"I'm the acting Grand Master. I'm the one Rhal will want to speak with."

"Right," said Kyp, "and he'll snatch you up so fast it'll make a lightsaber strike look slow."

Kenth's brows drew together. "Daala would not dare."

"We don't know anything anymore about what Daala would and would not stoop to," said Katarn. "She's threatened our families, and sent in this Mando with apparent carte blanche—and we certainly don't know anything about him. I would not tempt either of them with you as the prize."

Slowly, Hamner nodded. "I do not like asking another to take the risk," he said. "But you raise a valid point. Who else would be willing to go?"

Several mouths opened, but someone unexpected spoke first.

"I will," said Kani.

"What?" said many voices at once, and Hamner said firmly, "Absolutely not."

"It makes sense, sir. If any of the Masters or even someone in full Jedi robes goes out, they might suspect a trap or an attack of some sort. I'm obviously not a full Jedi Knight yet. I'm not much of a threat, but I do have your ear, and so I'm a good person to negotiate with."

The Masters regarded one another. "K.P…. I mean…Kani has a point," said Kyp.

"K.P.?" Kani looked at him curiously. He waved it aside, looking a little uncomfortable and not meeting her gaze as he continued talking. "We, the Masters, are all well known by sight. Even the Jedi here are mostly Knights. I hate sending an apprentice in, but she might get further with them than any of us."

Hamner glanced at Kani worriedly. "They might arrest you, Kani. You know that."

She shrugged her slender shoulders. "So what? I haven't done anything. I don't know anything. Well, not very much. I wouldn't be of much use, and after all, Master Hamner…this is the Galactic Alliance we're talking about. Even Tahiri Veila is getting decent treatment and a fair trial."

Hamner considered. She could do what he, or indeed any of the Masters, could not. This Mando would want Hamner—with Kani, he could reach Hamner. But he couldn't do much else with her. She knew nothing about the buildup of StealthXs, nothing about the Sith, and very little about Sothais and Turi. But she'd spent enough time with Hamner to know how he would reply to various terms and conditions. Kani was a bright young woman and could think on her feet. All in all, she was uniquely useful.

"Very well," he said. "Go unarmed, with your hands in plain sight. Don't give them any reason to open fire on you."

She paled a little as the realization that this was actually going to happen sank in, but nodded. "Let's do this, then."

Ten minutes later, wearing only apprentice robes and carrying only a comlink, Kani Asari stood ready to go. The rest of the Masters—and a fairly large crowd of other Jedi trapped in the Temple—were assembled in the formal entrance hall. No one trusted the Mandos not to have snipers, and so everyone was careful to stay well away from the entrance.

Kani looked nervous, her eyes wide, her breathing quick. Hamner placed a steadying hand on her shoulder.

"You don't have to do this, Kani. I'm not making it an order."

She looked up at him. "I know, sir. I want to."

"You know what to tell them."

She grinned. "I do. I speak on behalf of Master Kenth Hamner, who is interested in opening negotiations for the peaceful resolution of this situation. Blah blah blah and lead them in a circle until you all figure out what to do next."

"Don't let them rattle you," Katarn said. "They're Mandos, they enjoy causing fear."

"I won't, Master Katarn." She smoothed her robes, brushed a hand over her blond hair, then looked back at Master Hamner. "Hopefully, you'll hear from Daala soon," she said, patting the comlink tucked in the sleeve of her robe.

"Hopefully, you'll be back in time for dinner," Hamner said. He squeezed her shoulder and gave her a gentle push.

Kani stepped forward briskly. As soon as she reached the top of the stairs, she held her hands aloft, then turned around slowly, to show she carried no weapons. There were security monitors in various places in the entrance, and the Masters moved, as one, to regard them.

Hamner realized he had been holding his breath, and now let it out slowly. He had been afraid they'd fire on the girl without seeing that she had come unarmed.

Kani moved down the stairs. A figure detached itself from the ring of Mandalorians and their siege vehicles. It was Belok Rhal, striding briskly up the stairs despite the armor toward Kani.

"That's a good sign," murmured Hamner. "If Rhal himself is going to meet her, then he recognizes her as a formal emissary of the Temple."

Others did not look so certain. Rhal halted halfway and eyed Kani up and down.

"You are not Sothais Saar," he said. He had a mic of some sort attached to his armor, and his voice carried loudly.

"No, sir," said Kani. Her voice was picked up by the same mic. Hamner was proud of her; her voice didn't shake at all.

"Nor are you Turi Altamik, though you resemble her."

"I am Jedi Apprentice Kani Asari, assistant to Master Kenth Hamner. He has instructed me to come negotiate with you concerning this situation."

"Negotiate?"

"That is correct, sir."

The Mando regarded her for a long moment. Then, before anyone realized what he was planning, he had drawn a handheld blaster from his belt, pointed it at Kani from a distance of a third of a meter, and fired.

Kani Asari dropped without a cry, dead before she hit the stairs.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE