Chapter 9: The Stranger

Han had seen his son and helped tend to his wound as Kira worked to get the Amaya ready for the journey to Coruscant. He was visibly disturbed and shaken, and he remained silent for a long time. Kit and Kira had left Han to stand vigil over his son as they cut Chewie free of the Acronemsis's web. The mysterious stranger had remained unconscious, and they had moved him to a bay where he could continue sleeping. Han returned to the Falcon 15 minutes later, and Kira explained she was taking Ben straight to Coruscant.

"Thanks for getting us out of this, Kira," said Han. And then noting the stony glare from Kit, he added, "And you too, kid." Han hesitated, then as if deciding his gratitude was more important than his ego, he added, "I owe you one."

Kit's raised her eyebrows and said, "You can start by taking a shower." Han grinned sheepishly in response.

Kira hugged Han in farewell, adding, "See you at Coruscant?"

Han nodded, his grin shifting to a grimace. He replied, "Yeah, I guess we're gonna have to. Take care of my boy." Kira nodded, then left the Falcon. Han and Kit walked to the cockpit to watch the Amaya take off. Moments after the ship had risen into the fog, Chewie's anxious rumble drifted from the galley. Han and Kit turned toward the sound and hurried into the galley. The man who had helped Kit evade the Acronemsis was stirring.

Kit reached him first, and she wrinkled her nose at the waves of foul stench emanating from the man's filthy clothing. He stirred and stretched, then opened his eyes. As his consciousness swam in and out of focus, he looked around, then, startled, shifted to his elbows as if trying to determine how to escape.

"Easy, pal. That thing chasing you is dead," Han offered, gruffly, but reassuringly.

The man looked at Han, then at Kit, and then at Chewie. He scanned the ship to take his bearings, then his tense posture eased. His smell hit him as hard as it hit Kit, and he screwed up his face against the scent.

"Got some spare clothes?" Kit asked to Han.

"Yeah, I'll go grab. . ." Han began to say before the man blurted out.

"Are you Han Solo?" JX-3846 asked urgently.

Han turned back to JX-3846, then said suspiciously, "Depends who's asking."

The man took an appraising look at Han, then replied, "Ben Kenobi sent me."

***

The man dived into the box of rations, eating ravenously as he offered a halting explanation disrupted by frequent chewing and swallowing. He had changed into some of Han's clothes as the ship departed Xarthax. Han, Chewie, and Kit sat around the dejarik table listening to the story, occasionally asking questions.

"You talked to Ben Kenobi?" Han asked, perplexed.

"That's who he said he was. He told me you would know him," JX-3846 replied between mouthfuls of food.

"Well, yeah. I knew him," Han said, then added, "But he died 25 years ago."

The man stopped mid-bite, then pulled the ration bar away from his mouth as he said, "Yes. I could see through him. He had a blue aura around him. He said…" He concentrated for a moment, then continued, "He was dead from 'a certain point of view.'"

Chewbacca rumbled a mildly derisive Wookie phrase, and Han added, "Yeah, that sounds like the old man," but Han was not yet convinced. He added, "How do we know this isn't some trick?"

The man thought for a moment, chewing a ration bar, then offered, "He told me to ask you a question." He paused for a moment to recall what Ben had said, "He said, 'Who's the more foolish. . . "

Chewbacca rumbled, and Han became quite sober. His gaze drifted toward the old smuggling compartments, which had lain unused for years. Half to himself, he muttered, "The fool, or the fool who follows him."

The man nodded. He then concluded his story, saying, "Ben told me to find you. He seemed to know you were coming, and he said you would know what to do."

Han digested this last phrase, leaning back and staring into the distance. Kit turned to him, waiting for his response. Chewie softly muttered a question, to which Han replied, "Yeah, we're gonna have to." Han continued staring into the distance when a message notification pinged from the ship's computer. Han turned to the ship's console, calling out, "What's up."

The ship's robotic voice replied, "Message from Skywalker. He asks that you rendezvous with him on Yavin-4 at once."

Han looked at Chewie, and he knew that Chewie was thinking about the last time Ben Kenobi had been on this ship and to what it had led. Han then turned to JX-3846 and said, "Eat up. We're going to meet an old friend." Han stood up and started toward the cockpit with Chewie in tow. Before he reached the hallway leading to the cockpit, he turned to the man and said, "You got a name, kid?"

"JX-3846," JX-3846 responded with military precision. Han recognized the precision and the military-style handle, even if he had not been able to identify the military group JX-3846 claimed to be part of.

"You're Chiss, aren't you?" Han asked, and JX-3846 recoiled slightly at the look of suspicion on Han's face. He could feel Kit tighten as well.

"I don't know what that is," JX-3846 responded.

"Chiss? Humanoid species with blue skin and red eyes from the Unknown Regions?" Han asked suspiciously.

"I didn't know we were called that," JX-3846 answered, and his genuine perplexity seemed to confuse the others.

"Then you don't know Thrawn?" Kit asked as confusion and suspicion played across her face.

"Who?" JX-3846 asked, frowning.

Kit and Han looked at each other, apparently both caught between confusion and suspicion. Kit's suspicion seemed to hang on, but Han, who did not seem terribly surprised at the man's ignorance, recovered quicker.

"Never mind," Han said. "Must be some kind of amnesia," he mumbled, absently stroking the stubble on his chin. Han sighed to himself before concluding, "Anyway, we don't call people by numbers on this ship." Chewie uttered a soft affirmation, and Han added, "Alright if I call you Jax?"

JX-3846 stared at Han, not believing that another person wanted to call him something other than his designation. Slowly, tentatively, he nodded, and then his face stretched into a slight smile. Han returned a lopsided grin, and he left the galley for the cockpit.

Jax turned to Kit, who was thoughtful, as if trying to fit Jax's story into a constellation of facts. "What's your name?" he asked.

Kit snapped out of her internal analysis and looked up. "Katraine Antilles," she said, but then added, "Most people just call me Kit."

Jax regarded her, taking in her appearance. She wore functional clothes and appeared to have little interest in decorum or make-up. Yet, there was something dignified and regal about her that shone through the "rough-around-the-edges" persona she projected. There was also a fierceness to the way she looked at him, and he got the impression of somebody holding back a billion questions and nearly as many emotions out of respect for his recent ordeal. He got the sense that it would not be long before those questions began, and the emotions resurfaced. The thought of having to answer to people about what he had done and what he had been a part of filled him with dread and shame.

In unison, they both said, "Thanks."

They both smiled at the synchronous response, and Jax felt a strange stirring. There had been women in the Order of Ren, some of whom had been in command or who worked in support capacities. His command had always forbidden Jax and his fellow soldiers from speaking with them, and so he could not recall ever having an exchange with a woman before. The experience thrilled him and terrified him. He had a tough time meeting her eyes, but when he did, he saw her fierce curiosity and a certain anger that her gratitude could not hide. He wanted to trust her, but his fear told him that it was not yet safe to do so.

She sensed his uncertainty, and in response said, "Better rest up. It's not every day you get to meet Luke Skywalker."

"Who?" Jax asked.

Kit froze in surprise. "You don't know who Luke Skywalker is?"

Jax shook his head, feeling embarrassed. She appraised him, eyes narrowing. She had never heard of the Order of Ren, which he described as a military group. He claimed to have been involved in an attack on Xarthax. And he had never heard of Luke Skywalker. The flight to Yavin was short, so there would not be time to pry, and she could not help but notice his apprehension and uncertainty. The flight to Coruscant was long, and maybe there she would get some answers.

***

The blue-green, cloud-swirled planet sat in the stillness of space – a rare jewel lost in a part of the galaxy untouched by Republics, Empires, and crime cartels. For billions of years, it circled its sun, the fourth planet in its system, undetected and unmolested despite being rich with life, a rarity in this bustling, used-up galaxy. The planet benefited from its system's location on the extreme end of the known galaxy near the swirling maelstroms and space storms demarcating the Unknown Regions, and it was only recently that sentient beings paid it any attention.

Above the planet, a sprawling battleship drifted in orbit. The white and blue paint scheme suggested something more noble and refined, hiding the dark intention nestled within. Veryx stood motionless on the observation deck from the crowning spire of the ship, waiting for the readouts on what happened on Xarthax, registering each miniscule disturbance in the Force. He had waited for much longer than he anticipated to receive word on the fate of the Acronemsis on Xarthax. The notion of the fugitive troubled him, and in his meditations, he saw ramifications spreading outward from the fugitive like spidering through broken glass. Through the Force, he knew something had occurred which no one – not even Ren – had anticipated. And through his years of conquest and destruction, Veryx had come to fear the unanticipated above all else.

Veryx felt the ripples in the Force as his commander, apprehension and uncertainty radiating from him, approached. Without turning to the subordinate, Veryx prompted, "Report, commander."

"My lord, our recon droid found the remains of the Acronemsis on the outskirts of Xarthax. The droid discovered evidence that a chase had occurred, followed by a lightsaber duel. The evidence suggests the involvement of the Jedi."

Veryx remained motionless and silent for a moment before responding. "And the fugitive?"

"No sign. Our data suggests he escaped. The Republic officer at the outpost reported an encounter with Republic Officer Kit Antilles. She was reported to have left Coruscant with Han Solo," the commander continued. Veryx could feel the tension tightening within the man in fear of retribution.

"And the Jedi? Skywalker?" Veryx asked, turning his head slightly to the right, his interest now piqued.

"The droid believes not." The commander offered, reviewing evidence from a data pad. "Some of the scoring marks from the lightsaber battle indicate multiple slash patterns, including parallel slashes, suggesting a Jedi armed with two lightsabers."

Veryx nodded acknowledgement, then dismissed the commander. The Jedi. The word alone stirred anger inside Veryx. The Jedi of old had been a festering sore on the Force, upsetting balance and propping up a decadent, corrupt system. The new Jedi, though choosing not to associate with the newer, weaker iteration of the government only a fool could consider a democracy, had proved to be little better. The assortment of ascetics mostly kept to themselves on Yavin-4, training and rebuilding from the order's earlier decimation. Skywalker, the loathsome son of his impetuous father, went here and there, leaving his order in the hands of inferior beings, searching for a secret he would never find.

But the fugitive had escaped, in the hands of Han Solo, no less. At this moment, he might be in route to Coruscant to speak with Organa. The mission directive had been to leave no discernible evidence, and that directive had failed. Veryx wondered how long it would be before he had to face the consequences.

As if in response to Veryx's musing, a new ripple passed through the Force, and the ripple swelled into a wave that crashed over Veryx. Veryx felt pressure in his temples and a crippling pain and weakness seep through his body. He stumbled into a guard rail rimming the observation window, and he drew harsh and shallow breaths against the sudden agony. A splitting, searing pain slashed through his head, and Veryx felt certain it would rip his skull in two.

The voice that spoke came neither from outside of Veryx nor from inside, as if the voice were part of the fabric of the Force. When the voice spoke, pain throbbed and lanced throughout Veryx's limbs. "Veryx?" the voice asked, threateningly.

"My lord," Veryx spoke, quivering.

"I have spoken with the Nemsis," the deep, echoing voice boomed, dripping with menace. "Do you know what they've told me?"

"No, my lord," Veryx responded, struggling to keep to his feet.

"They told me that the two Jedi killed the Acronemsis, and the fugitive escaped with Han Solo," and then a heavy pause, "and the fugitive. . . he wields the Force."

Even in his anguish, this news caught Veryx by surprise, "How is that possible?

"I am uncertain," the voice admitted, and Veryx heard a note of anger in the voice toward that uncertainty. "I have suspicions."

A silence descended, and Veryx interpreted it as an invitation to explain. He began with the good news, hoping it would soften the blow. "We obtained the information you sought. We have analyzed it and found everything you hoped for."

"Yes. I have viewed it. I am most pleased," the voice responded, and this time Veryx could hear that there really was satisfaction there. "And yet. . . "

Veryx fell to his knees in agony as a new wave of pain, far more intense than the first wave, collapsed his legs and overtook his nervous system. The agony grew, reaching a pitch where Veryx feared he might cry out before his crew. Then, suddenly, the pain was gone. Veryx gasped and panted, his mask struggling to provide sufficient oxygen.

"Had you taken matters into your own hands as you were trained to do," the voice continued, icy with rage, "You would have faced and killed the girl. Han Solo would be dead. The fugitive would be dead. Ben Solo would be mine." There was a long pause, and the voice added, "Things would have remained simple."

Veryx waited for the next wave of pain as his body trembled, but the voice only spoke, "I have new orders for you."

"As you wish, my lord," Veryx replied, his voice weak and muffled by the electronic filter in his mask.

Suddenly, the pain lifted, leaving Veryx with relief muted by weakness. "Share what we've learned with our friend on Coruscant. He will ensure that the revelation has the greatest impact." The voice lingered on the last two words, saying them with obvious relish.

"At once, my lord," Veryx acknowledged as a new question arose. "And the fugitive?"

"He will be received on Coruscant, where nothing will happen to him. He will be seen by a doctor who will aid our cause," the voice explained.

"Yes, my lord." Veryx answered.

"Should he leave Coruscant, allow him to go to his destination, and find him there. Kill him. Do it yourself."

"Acknowledged," Veryx said, relieved that he would survive this failure.

"Our victory begins." Said Ren, another note of pleasure in his voice, but then he added, "If Solo and the fugitive come, the boy will follow. Bring him to me. Kill the rest."