As soon as the Marat entered orbit, we received a message from Commander Rinoun instructing us to report to headquarters immediately.
Well, if we must, we must. At least we'll find out the news—and clarify our mission.
"Captain Ragnos!"
"Yes, General?"
"Will the new recruits be able to handle loading the remaining containers?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Excellent. We're heading to headquarters. Ahsoka, are you with us?"
"Yes, Master—how could I miss this?"
Proceeding to the hangar, we boarded one of the shuttles, which carried us straight to headquarters. The shuttle that had brought Rinoun and his deputy had already landed nearby. Together, we headed for the entrance to the building.
***
The sector command and the newly arrived Jedi had gathered in the main tactical room.
"Here they are," said one of the officers. Skywalker and the others turned their heads toward the entrance. Several beings entered the room—three in naval uniforms, two humans and a Zabrak, and the rest were Jedi. More precisely, a Jedi Knight and a Padawan.
The first was a young man in rather unusual attire for a Jedi: blue armor, barely concealed by the folds of a standard Jedi cloak. His companion was a young Togruta, perhaps thirteen or fourteen years old.
The newcomers approached; the officers saluted, and the Jedi offered restraine nod.
Moff Terbon, the sector commander, demanded a report on the squadron's actions. Rinoun and the Jedi exchanged glances before the commander began.
"Reporting, sir. As soon as we arrived in Togoria's orbit, we discovered Commander Ditmar's squadron engaged with superior enemy forces."
Rinoun's deputy inserted an infocrystal into the slot on the interactive table, projecting the battle plan before those assembled.
"I made the decision to attack the enemy and break through to extract the remaining ships, then retreat. However, the Separatists received heavy reinforcements. Most of the Southeast Squadron was destroyed, and the surviving ships were severely damaged."
"General Vikt, do you have anything to add?" Terbonn turned toward the Jedi.
"Yes." Vikt coughed into his fist before continuing.
"The commander's actions were the only correct choice. The situation was so chaotic that our chances of victory were slim. In addition, the CIS squadron was commanded by a very competent naval officer—presumably a new tactical droid. Several factors point to that."
The Jedi signaled to the captain, who replaced the infocrystal with another.
An image of a new CIS warship shimmered into view.
"This ship served as the flagship. Judging by its structure, it's clearly based on some Mon Calamari technology—its layout and certain design details confirm it. However, it's possible the Separatists stole the designs. Either way, we're facing a new warship capable of standing on equal footing with the Acclamator-class military assault ship."
The officers exchanged uneasy glances—the news was worse than "bad."
Adi Gallia leaned forward.
"Do we have any information about its weapon systems?"
"I've outlined some approximate specifications," Vikt admitted. "I may be off on a few points—we didn't exactly have time for a detailed study." He shrugged lightly.
The staff officers began to ask clarifying questions.
***
After the lengthy meeting, the Jedi Knight and his Padawan approached Kenobi.
Skywalker stood beside his Master, casting interested glances at the Jedi. Something about him felt familiar.
"Greetings, Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi," the Jedi said with a respectful nod.
"Oh, I can't say that I know you, Knight Vikt," Obi-Wan replied, arching a brow. "Although you seem to know my name."
"Who doesn't know Kenobi?" Vikt spread his arms with a grin. "As you've gathered, I'm Mikore Vikt, Jedi Knight."
Obi-Wan grunted softly before gesturing to his companion.
"If you haven't met, allow me to introduce my Padawan, Anakin Skywalker."
"I remember you," Skywalker said, his expression brightening. He finally recalled where he'd seen the man. "You were on Geonosis—in the arena. How's your wound?"
"It's fine. I'll live," Vikt replied, then nodded toward his companion.
"This is Ahsoka Tano, my Padawan."
"Greetings, Knight Kenobi. Skywalker." The young Togruta bowed formally.
Skywalker gave the Togruta a hard, scrutinizing look. She returned the favor. Out of the corner of his eye, Anakin noticed Kenobi and Vikt exchanging knowing smiles.
"Tell us what happened," Obi-Wan prompted.
"That bantha-brained Ditmar—some kind of poodoo—charged ahead of everyone and ran into a nasty surprise from the Separatists. Their squadron outnumbered his completely. We arrived half an hour later, and all we could do was pull what was left of the ships out of the fire. By then, CIS reinforcements had arrived. I'm afraid there's nothing more we can do—the planet is under Separatist control."
Skywalker chuckled, taking stock of the Jedi's choice of words.
"That's unfortunate," Kenobi said quietly, giving his Padawan a warning glance.
"What's the news from the outside world? What's happening on Coruscant—what's the Council doing these days?" Vikt asked eagerly.
"Actually, quite a lot," Obi-Wan replied. "The CIS shipyards on Foerost have been blockaded, though it seems impossible to capture or destroy them for now. The battle for Atraken has dragged on for three weeks. Master Echuu Shen-Jon defeated Sev'rance Tann—one of Count Dooku's dark acolytes—during the Battle of Krant. She was the one who led those daring early attacks at the start of the war, managing to destroy one of the energy nodes that left dozens of Core Worlds, including Coruscant, without power for days. However, after that duel, Master Shen-Jon decided to leave the Order.
"Unfortunately, the Republic's losses remain heavy—Kalarba, Molavar, Firkyar, Kabal, and dozens of other worlds have fallen."
"Well," Vikt sighed, "the situation is… not very good."
"Indeed," Kenobi agreed. "That's why the Council sent us to this sector."
"Will you be staying with us long?"
"Actually, we're in a hurry—in a few hours we're leaving for Ren Var," Skywalker said, attempting to keep the conversation going.
"Actually, Anakin," Kenobi interjected wearily, "that's classified information."
He closed his eyes with a doomedly sigh.
Ahsoka smiled faintly.
"Oh, sorry, Master," Skywalker replied with mock contrition. "I must've… overlooked that."
Obi-Wan's comlink beeped softly; he turned aside to answer.
Skywalker looked at Vikt and spread his hands.
"The Master is overly concerned with secrecy."
"He knows best," Vikt said diplomatically. "Everything secret eventually becomes known… doesn't it, Skywalker?"
Anakin flinched slightly at the remark, studying the Jedi's face. Vikt's expression was serious—yet the faint glint at the corners of his eyes hinted at… laughter?
"Come on, Anakin—the ships are ready," Obi-Wan called over his shoulder. "It was good meeting you, Knight Vikt."
Skywalker followed his Master toward the exit. On his way out, he turned once more.
Mikore Vikt was leaning over a tactical map, deep in discussion with one of the officers.
What the… Hutt? Anakin frowned. What did he mean by that?