The Liberator/Part 22

Day 71 of the Liberation of Milagro – Later

Flames soared toward the night sky, warming the late autumn night, as the last remains of Feur-Thran Quayli burned to ash. Aldayr stood at his master's side, hood up, as witness to the final result of Kysl Ssron's evil. Many of their fellow Jedi ringed the pyre, including the Kaivalt twins, Renata, Baron Obveluus, See Klees, and most of those not currently guarding Ssron in his isolation cell. Mali had called down some of the Tapani Jedi to supplement the guard force, allegedly to prevent by a show of force any further escape attempts; Aldayr suspected it was really to ensure Gurgin Graed and Chey Noljuljek didn't do anything stupid in their grief. Republic soldiers and Marines formed honor guards on either side of the bier, leaving the last side open as the breeze carried the smoke away over Rogeum to symbolize the fallen Knight's spirit departing into the Force.

When the fire was roaring high and the flames had obscured the wasting figure in their midst, Mali bowed and turned away. Aldayr and the other Jedi followed him, but Raina came up to Mali's side.

"I know you have discussions ahead, Mali," she said, "and I understand, but I can't be party to them. The judiciary has to be impartial."

Mali nodded. "I know. Take Renata with you too; she shouldn't be part of this."

Raina opened her mouth like she wanted to question that, but Raven, who unbeknownst to Aldayr had been listening, came up and whispered in his sister's ear. The twins shared one of their inscrutable looks, but Raina nodded and fell out of the line, touching Renata on the shoulder and drawing her away.

No one else spoke until they reached Mali's office, where the Prime Minister of Milagro and most of her senior government officers were waiting; some of the Jedi stayed outside to guard the door, while others peeled away to return to their own work. Mali took the chair behind his desk, and Aldayr stood behind his master's shoulder while the other Jedi found seats around the room; Baron Obveluus took a chair among Rufos's advisors, while See Klees sat on a credenza by the door.

Mali laid his hands on the desk, sitting in thought for a long time. Zemma Rufos didn't interrupt his reflections, and when Aldayr saw some of her officials stir and sensed them bordering on speech, Rufos raised her hands to keep them quiet. Aldayr studied the beings in the room one-by-one, trying to guess their feelings in advance, until his master spoke.

"Lord Ssron's been re-incarcerated," he said. "He'll be under guard by Jedi until the tribunal renders its verdict."

Zemma Rufos did not move. "He murdered two maintenance workers in the prison. Milagroans.  Innocent beings, with no role in the Resistance or the military."

"We'll add them to his charges," Mali offered, but several of the onlookers shook their heads.

"You say he'll be under guard by Jedi, General Darakhan," said Merriss Bight, Rogeum's Chief of Police. "Wasn't he already? Didn't he kill a Jedi Knight to escape?"

"By using his Force powers on someone who wasn't a Jedi. He can't use mind tricks on Jedi or droids."

"The same mind tricks that goaded Eldrin dar Grosskis into suicide?" Nissi Enkolfo demanded. "He was one of the tribunal's most important witnesses, and now he's dead. What if some of our oppressors aren't convicted because we've lost that evidence?"

"And there's nothing to stop him doing that again," Zemma pointed out. "The fact that he can't engineer his own escape doesn't mean he can't wreak havoc."

Mali sat back in his chair, brushing his beard with his hand. "What do you want me to do?"

Some of the Milagroans hesitated, but Nissi Enkolfo did not. "Kill him. Now."

From his chair by the door, Raven called, "Doctor Enkolfo, you're talking about cold-blooded murder."

"He's a menace—a threat to every being on this planet," Nissi retorted. "And we know he's guilty of a thousand crimes—he tried to kill General Darakhan and his apprentice just a few hours ago!"

"And he should be tried for that," Raven insisted. "Extrajudicial killings are for Sith, not the Republic."

"Milagro hasn't joined the Republic yet," Chief Bight pointed out.

"All the more reason for you to exercise restraint," Mali said. "You're supposed to be building a new government based on justice, not revenge. Do you really want to start Milagro off by murdering an unarmed man in his cell?"

Some of the Milagroans looked at one another, but Zemma kept her eyes on Mali. "Milagro might be willing to surrender custody of Lord Ssron to the Republic, General."

Mali frowned. "We could transfer him off Milagro, if you'd like. We have prisons capable of holding Sith Lords."

"Unacceptable," Rufos said. "He's committed crimes against Milagro and its people; if he disappears into some nameless Republic dungeon, his victims here will never have closure."

"Well then, what do you expect us to do?"

"Could you secure him in one of your ships until the verdicts?" asked Tago Tafen.

Mali shook his head. "If we're worried about him using the Force through the walls to twist people's minds, that's not going to get any better aboard a ship. Worse, maybe; if he breaks out there he could escape completely, or destroy the ship."

"Master," Aldayr breathed, quiet enough that only Mali could hear. When Mali looked up at him and nodded, Aldayr raised his voice to say, "If we can't keep Lord Ssron secure anywhere here, then it seems like we only have two options: either we release him, or we kill him. And we can't release him."

Mali grimaced, but there was no reprimand; perhaps he had known it all along. Turning back to the group, he said, "How do you propose to justify this? He hasn't been convicted of anything on Milagro."

Baron Obveluus stroked his forked beard, cleared his throat so everyone knew he was about to speak, paused a moment, and said, "General, I agree that it's without the judicial, to say nothing of the moral, authority of Milagro to summarily execute Lord Ssron without trial, despite the audacity of his crimes. But it seems to me that the Republic may be able to act where Milagro can not."

"I'm here as a military commander on behalf of the Republic, but Ssron's not in the Republic military, and Milagro's not a Republic world yet," Mali reminded him. "The Senate hasn't given me authority to set up separate courts here."

"That may not be strictly true, General," the baron countered. "I've reviewed the commissioning document the Senate Armed Forces Committee approved for the Milagro campaign, and the specific nature of your authority as commanding officer of this force—"

"Believe it or not, Baron, I read it too," Mali said; Aldayr heard the testiness creeping into his master's voice. "Nothing about creating courts."

"No," the baron agreed, "but it makes reference to the Military Emergencies Act of 1931, which allows a Republic commander additional authorities in the case of atypical emergencies."

Mali sighed. "Has anybody besides Baron Obveluus read this law?"

"I have," Raven admitted. Standing, he brushed his cape back over his shoulders as everyone in the room turned to look at him. "A Republic commander of an occupying force can declare martial law and suspend the judicial process."

"We're not occupying Milagro!"

"Not in fact, perhaps," Baron Obveluus said, "but if we merely call our presence here an occupation in name, it would allow you to activate the authorities conveyed by the Military Emergencies Act."

Mali shook his head. "This all sounds like a lot of legalistic dancing to get me to execute a man without a trial. I'm a Jedi Knight, not a lawyer."

"Besides," See Klees said, speaking at last, "martial law? How can we possibly justify that?  The city's secure, isn't it Chief Bight?"

"Well…yes," the woman admitted.

"It wouldn't need to be long," Zemma Rufos said, quieter now than she had been. "It could be declared for the duration of the present emergency. And the emergency is our inability to keep Kysl Ssron secure without endangering more lives."

Aldayr could sense the force of the idea working its way through the room. Mali squeezed the arms of his chair. "Prime Minister, are you prepared to have the Republic presence here called an occupation?"

"The Republic is providing social services to outlying provinces," she pointed out. "Planetary security and law enforcement, to say nothing of the fleet in orbit. Distributing medicine, regulating imports, even providing security for our tribunals.  If that isn't an occupation, General, it's not far off.  And if it gets this issue behind us…"

"The elections are coming up," Nissi added. "Milagro can't move on if we're still under the shadow of the Sith."

"And as long as he's alive, Ssron will always be a danger," Chief Bight said.

Mali sat back, rubbing his temples with his palms. After a moment, Zemma said, "General Darakhan, as Acting Prime Minister of Milagro, I report that we are unable to securely hold Lord Kysl Ssron for the duration of the Milagro Tribunals, and I declare his presence here to be a public emergency. On behalf of Milagro, I formally ask you to declare martial law and resolve the situation as you see fit."

Mali winced, then looked at Baron Obveluus. "Your Honor?"

"I advise you to accept the Prime Minister's request, General, and to render such justice to Lord Ssron as you deem just," the baron said. "There is neither emotion nor passion, General, but I am confident that, even exercising this authority, you will employ your powers as befits a Jedi Knight, a guardian and guarantor of justice."

"Raven?"

Raven Kaivalt took his time responding, but ultimately nodded. "It seems there's no other way."

"See?"

The Gran Jedi shook her head. "I'm a warrior, Mali, not a governor. I wouldn't do this…but that's why I'm glad I'm not you."

Mali looked at the Milagroans. "You all support this?"

"We do," said Nissi.

"Yes, General," Chief Bight added.

Tago Tafen puckered his Rodian snout. "I'm concerned about the long-term implications, I admit…but if we don't deal with Ssron, we may not have a long-term to worry about. Yes…yes, I support this, as long as it ends once Ssron is dealt with."

At last Mali turned his chair. "Aldayr?"

There was a great deal Aldayr could've said, but he tried to remember that he was a Padawan in the midst of a much more senior group. "It's not my place to weigh in, Master."

"I value your opinion."

Did he, Aldayr wondered, or was he hoping someone could rescue him? Aldayr winced inside, hating to pile onto his master, but Mali had asked for his opinion, and he never wanted to be lied to. Well, he asked; on his own head be it. "Master, how many lightsabers do you have on your belt?"

Mali sighed and took Feur-Thran Quayli's lightsaber off his belt. Aldayr took the proffered weapon, looking at it and feeling the echoes of conflict around the weapon; the dark side had stained it somehow. He laid it on the desk in full view of the room and said, "No more dead Jedi."

Mali stared at the lightsaber in silence for a moment, then bowed his head. "Baron Obveluus, prepare whatever I need to sign. Raven, See Klees, take some soldiers, go to the prison, and bring Lord Ssron here."

The two Jedi bowed and departed, leaving silence in their wake. Baron Obveluus took out his datapad and drew up a number of forms, but even he said nothing; Aldayr took the datapad to Mali, who glanced over it before signing several forms. He hesitated on the last, and Aldayr looked over his shoulder. It was headed:


 * S ENTENCE OF D EATH

Mali set the datapad down without signing, leaving the stylus beside it as he picked up Quayli's lightsaber. He studied it as if reading something written on the hilt, turning it this way and that. He was still looking at it when his comlink beeped and he took it up with his free hand.

"Darakhan." He listened, then sighed. "Bring him in."

The seated beings rose, and Baron Obveluus brushed the chairs to the walls with a sweep of his hand, clearing the floor between the door and the desk. Mali alone remained seated, and Aldayr stood at his side, taking his lightsaber hilt into his hands.

The door opened, and fully armored Republic shock troops brought in Ssron. The Cha'a Sith Lord was shackled at the wrists and ankles with stun cuffs, which were chained to his belt, and he wore a heavy collar; the soldiers had magnetic poles attached to the collar, and they guided Ssron in from four points. Raven, See Klees, and the Human Jedi Knight Gurgin Graed stood guard over the Sith, Graed's face rigid with controlled fury.

They brought Ssron to a stop in the middle of the room, and he turned his face to hiss at Zemma. "Prime Minister. How lovely to see you."

She responded only with a cold stare, and Mali said, "No more games, Lord Ssron."

"But I so enjoy playing them, Jedi," the Sith cackled.

"You murdered Eldrin dar Grosskis—compelled him to commit suicide."

"What a shameful accusation," Ssron snarled. "As if the fool didn't have plenty of reasons to end himself."

"You're responsible for the murder of the Jedi Knight Feur-Thran Quayli."

"The Jedi was shot in the back! I don't use blasters; weak weapons.  That guard did it; shocking behavior, really.  Someone's hiring decisions should be reviewed, but I can hardly be blamed for taking advantage of the disorder caused by her death."

Tago Tafen laid a hand on Nissi Enkolfo's shoulder to restrain her; the fury in her eyes bled into the Force so voluminously that Ssron and every Jedi in the room looked at her. Mali recovered first and recaptured the room's attention by adding, "You struck down two defenseless, innocent maintenance workers while attempting to escape."

Ssron paused, then flicked his tongue out and hissed a laugh. "I did. And I enjoyed it, too.  Such squeals, such pitiful resistance." He looked at Zemma. "I expect you'll add them to my tribunal, Prime Minister. Another year or so and perhaps we can start the appeals process."

Aldayr sensed Zemma's anger, but Mali raised a hand. "We won't come to that. Your presence is untenable, Lord Ssron—every being on Milagro is in danger while you live."

He sounded like he was reciting lines, and Ssron gave his serpentine chuckle. "You flatter me, General Darakhan. What ever will you do with such a threat?"

Mali closed his eyes, and Aldayr sensed him in a moment of altus sopor. Ssron cocked his head. "Did you just bring me here to watch you meditate, General? Surely you could've sent a holofeed to my cell…no need to endanger these good beings with my presence…"

Mali opened his eyes.

"By the authority vested in me by the Galactic Senate of the Republic, and on request of the Prime Minister of Milagro, I declare the city of Rogeum to be under the martial law of the Republic Army. And as commander of the Republic forces occupying Milagro, I hold you guilty of murder." He took a deep breath, but never took his eyes off Ssron as he said, "Lord Kysl Ssron, I condemn you to death, and I sentence you to be executed at dawn."

Ssron flicked his tongue through his sharp teeth, and the only sound was his hissing breath. Then he chuckled and bowed his head. "As you command, General. I'll see you in the morning."

He put up no fight as the guards led him away, but Aldayr saw his master trading uneasy looks with See Klees and Raven. Aldayr himself had to conceal a tight, grim smile; he reminded himself not to take pleasure in another being's death, but at least in the midst of all the bureaucracy consuming their lives, there could be some justice. It felt like a long time since that had been their role here. No one spoke until the doors closed.

"Aldayr," Mali said, "call down to the barracks and put together a firing squad."

"What if he uses the Force to make them miss?" Nissi asked.

Mali raised his eyes to the ceiling. "You have some notion, Minister Enkolfo?"

When she didn't speak at once, Chief Bight offered, "Couldn't you just…behead him? It's quick, clean…"

"I'm a Jedi Knight, not an executioner," Mali said with sudden ferocity, so much that Chief Bight recoiled with wide eyes. Mali tented his hands over his nose. "I'd like some time alone, please. I'll settle Ssron's execution before dawn.  Good evening to you all."

Baron Obveluus leaned forward. "General Darakhan, if I may—"

"You may not." Obveluus looked affronted, but Mali's voice was durasteel. "Good evening."

Chief Bight led the exodus, with Zemma Rufos bringing up the rear. She stopped at the door, studying Mali a moment before giving him a nod, but left without a word. Aldayr started around the desk, but Mali said, "Not you."

Aldayr took the seat Nissi Enkolfo had vacated across the desk instead. "I'll execute him, if you want."

"No."

"It's not emotional for me," he pledged; he was fairly confident that was true. "And like Chief Bight said, it'll be quick and clean."

Mali leaned forward onto his desk, and he looked more tired than Aldayr had ever seen him; they were less than eleven years apart, but Mali looked twice that.

"It's not a matter of your emotional state," he began. "Or mine. There are some things that are just…wrong.  Things no Jedi should do."

"Master, he's a Sith Lord. We've both killed dark siders before."

"In combat, yes—to defend ourselves or others. Whatever he may have done, Kysl Ssron is an unarmed man."

"He was unarmed nine hours ago! Look what he did then!"

Mali shook his head, frowning. "I don't know how to say it, I guess, but there's just a difference between killing in the heat of battle and coldly executing someone. And I feel like that difference is important for us."

"How is that any different from sentencing him to death?" Aldayr countered. "He's already dying because of you, what difference does it make if you swing the blade too?"

Mali flinched as if he had been struck, and Aldayr felt his gut twist. "I'm sorry, Master, I—"

"Don't be," Mali said. "I've trained you to be honest, and…you're not wrong, Aldayr. I don't know if that was right, and I guess I'm not sure executing Ssron would be wrong.  If it saves more lives…"

He grimaced, drawing out his beacon transceiver. He plugged it into the imagecaster and sent the signal, but it gave him nothing but static, and he shook his head. "Damn. I really could've used Tirien's advice on this.  You haven't heard anything from Narasi, have you?"

"Nothing," Aldayr said, trying to conceal his own frustration and worry. He would have loved to share his experiences with her; of the Jedi with Padawans who remained on Milagro, most were spread around the world, and though Renata was usually nearby, Aldayr thought of her as a child. He definitely did not think of Narasi that way…

He remembered the chapped, bloody feeling of her lips on his on Coruscant. What would it be like kissing her when they were both in the peak of health? What would it be like seeing her as he had on Vjun, without all the horror attached…?

As the echoes of horror from Kai Latra's madhouse infiltrated more pleasant remembrances, Aldayr admitted to himself that he was worried, too. It had been months since Narasi and her master went to Darkknell; what could they possibly be doing there?

Mali cocked his head and smiled faintly. "They'll be all right. Tirien's a much more powerful Jedi than me, and Narasi's got a few tricks up her sleeves too."

Aldayr told himself as much in his head. Narasi had said they might need to lay low, and Tirien had told Mali the same thing. "Well, what about Master Cazars? She's a Guardian, she'd get it."

Mali's sigh was half a groan. "No. I can't get through a conversation without her asking for my ships back, and it's getting closer to an order every time.  I don't want her to remember me until she has to."

"Master Bnodd? Or Master Narfulk, he's a Guardian.  Or what about your master?"

"Ainar?" Mali weighed it. "It's not a bad idea, I guess…"

They fell into silence; after a full minute, Aldayr asked, "So…are you gonna call, or…?"

Mali sighed. "You said it yourself, Aldayr—I already gave the order. I'm not going to rescind it, so…no.  No.  This isn't personal, I don't hate Ssron, I'm not killing him for personal gain or my own satisfaction…and I need to own this decision.  If I'm going to hand down the sentence, I should be willing to swing the blade.  I'll do it.  I'll kill him."

Aldayr waited for Mali's face to smooth over into the calm confidence of a decision made and a plan to be executed. When it didn't happen, he shifted in his seat, frowning. "This is usually when you get that clear-eyed, 'Let's do it' look, Master…"

It took a moment more for Mali to raise his eyes.

"You know," he said, "for a long time, my guiding light wasn't what some ancient philosopher said about morality, or what some holocron taught about Jedi ethics. I had the Code, of course, but what really kept me grounded was whether I could look Ainar in the eyes, tell him what I was going to do or what I'd done, and still be proud of it."

It seemed like a good approach, Aldayr thought; he'd had a similar one. Mali smiled sadly, and Aldayr thought his master had read his mind until he said, "But for a long time now, it's been whether I could look you in the eyes and tell you with a straight face, This is what a Jedi should be. And I've never felt I couldn't do that until tonight."

Thunderstruck, Aldayr sat back in his chair, searching for the right words. Things had been off since Taanab, and even though they had both put in the effort since the last time they were on Milagro, their relationship had never returned to what it had once been—the brave Knight, pillar of the Guardian class, and his eager Padawan soaking up knowledge and striving to be that Knight too. Maybe that was how it would always have been; Aldayr wasn't a boy anymore, and understanding that an idol was no more than a man was part of maturing. But now that he thought about it, for all the arguments they'd had about tactics and conduct, there had never been a time Aldayr had thought Mali would steer him wrong on how to be a Jedi. And that hadn't changed tonight.

"You're doing the right thing, Master," Aldayr assured him. "It's not about revenge for Quayli or the maintenance people, it's about protecting Milagro so there aren't any more Quaylis or maintenance people. And…"

"And what?"

"Tell you the truth, Master…I get the sense that if you don't do this the right way, the Milagroans will find a wrong way to do it. Am I off base about that?"

Mali leaned back in his chair, gazing at the ceiling. "No, you're not. Whether Zemma would go that far…I don't know.  I like to think not.  But these people…it's the prison all over again, Aldayr.  They're good people at heart, but they've been brutalized by monsters inflicting monstrous wrongs.  Under those conditions, people make moral compromises…"

He trailed off, and Aldayr knew him well enough to know how that sentence ended in his head. "That's not what you're doing."

Mali rocked forward again in his chair. "I'm going to meditate on this. Not a quick altus sopor, I mean deep meditation.  There's still a few hours before dawn."

Aldayr thought about it. "Mind if I stay and meditate with you?"

After a moment, a half-smile ghosted across Mali's face. "Sure. I'd appreciate that."

They knelt side-by-side on the floor in the space the baron had cleared, dropping into the flow of the Force. Like his master, Aldayr did best with the Living Force, the here and now and the next ten seconds, the Force that kept a Jedi safe in battle and carried his blade true to the enemy. The big picture, the grand destiny of the universe and all that, he was happy to leave to the High Council, or Jedi Knights like Slejux or Tirien. It wasn't that he couldn't think beyond his nose; he enjoyed studying strategy with Mali, plotting out their campaign against Aresh five steps in advance. But when it came to ethics, Aldayr usually trusted his gut; the Force seldom led him astray. And when he was really stuck, and had time to mull it over instead of having to choose on the spot…

When he was really stuck, Aldayr had to admit, he would ask Mali. And now Mali was stuck, and Aldayr wasn't sure how to help.

Mali couldn't seem to find much tranquility in the Force either, and Aldayr pictured the energy between them as a sine wave, oscillating with their turmoil. He tried to direct his thoughts toward Ssron to envision a clear path forward, but that proved a mistake; focusing hard enough, he thought he could feel the Sith Lord's mind across the city and its mocking response, frozen with the chill of the dark side. Shivering, Aldayr withdrew his thoughts until he was almost fully aware, then tried again. No matter how he came at it, though, the future was murky, and he saw only the clash of lightsaber blades and heard only the thunder of cannon fire.

They both started when the door opened, and the soldier coming through recoiled in turn. "Sorry, gentlemen."

"It's fine, corporal," Mali said. "What is it?"

"My NCO just wanted me to tell you…it's half an hour to dawn, sir. They want to know what to do."

Mali closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths. Aldayr sensed him doing a last purification exercise and hurried to try one himself. After a moment Mali nodded, opened his eyes, and said, "Clear a space in the prison yard and have Jedi Kaivalt and Klees get Lord Ssron ready to move. We'll…I'll do it there."

"Yes sir."

They rose, and Aldayr took Quayli's lightsaber off the desk. He offered it to Mali, but Mali shook his head. "It's not personal."

"I just didn't know if you'd want your lightsaber to be…"

He trailed off, wondering how to end that sentence. An executioner's sword? A murder weapon?  There was no good place to go, and he saw that Mali knew it too. Mali's jaw tightened, but he cleared his expression with some effort and said, "It needs to be done, and what needs to be done should be done without hesitation."

Mali's Marine bodyguards were waiting to form an escort; Aldayr sensed their surprise when Mali stepped into their midst without a joke or complaint, but no one spoke. As they started down the long hall toward the turbolift, movement caught Aldayr's eyes, and he saw the Cather Jedi Knight Haleya detach herself from the wall where she had been half-hidden by a tapestry. The Marines tensed, but Mali tapped the NCO's shoulder pauldron.

"Go on ahead and signal the lift," he ordered. When they were alone, he said, "What is it, Haleya?"

"Mali, ve need to speak about the Pastor. Trajan and I have followed some of his group's activities during the occupation—"

Whether that word touched a nerve or Mali had been more tense than he had shown, Aldayr wasn't sure, but Mali said shortly, "I don't have time for this right now, Haleya."

"It's important!" Haleya insisted.

Mali returned her stern expression with interest. "Yesterday Lord Ssron murdered four people, including two civilians and a Jedi. Last night I sentenced him to death.  Now I'm on my way to the prison to behead him.  Is it more important than that?"

Haleya's mouth had fallen open; it took her a moment to shut it. "…no."

"Good. I trust your judgment, Haleya; if there's something that needs to be done, do it." He looked at Aldayr. "Let's go."

They left her there without another word, and Aldayr caught a hint of the Jedi Shadow's annoyance and confusion in the Force. Their eyes met for one second, and Aldayr sensed those emotions amplified; his eyes tightened as he turned away. But he could not spare it any more mental energy, and he followed Mali into the turbolift.

No one spoke on their speeder convoy's ride to the prison complex; Mali's Marine bodyguards filled the empty seats, dressed in battle armor in case Ssron had any more tricks up his sleeves. It had warmed enough overnight for a drizzle of rain to spatter the speeder, and the whipp whipp whipp of water drops echoed inside all the way across Rogeum. The gates of the prison rumbled open to admit them, and sooner than Aldayr had expected they were in the courtyard. A pair of soldiers were bolting steel rings to the ground—to hold Ssron's chains? Mali looked at them and swallowed.

Mali and Aldayr raised their hoods to the rain, though its cold stung Aldayr's exposed left hand. Across the way, Prime Minister Rufos and her senior advisors were gathered; Raina Kaivalt was missing, as was Renata, but Baron Obveluus was there, holding an umbrella in his off hand. A few members of Milagro's news media stood among the politicians, and Aldayr frowned.

"What are they doing here?"

"Ssron is an enemy of the people," Mali answered flatly. "Milagro has a right to know of his death. But go tell them no interviews, no recordings, no pictures.  They can see his execution so they know it happened, but it's not a spectacle to entertain them."

Aldayr crossed the courtyard to relay the order; some of the reporters started to argue, but the Prime Minister came to his aid and they fell into sullen silence. By the time he returned to Mali, Raven Kaivalt had appeared.

"—bringing him down now," the Tapani Jedi was saying. He still wore only his cape, and though he had closed it over his shoulders, the rain soaked his hair and ran down his cheeks. He gestured to the soldiers laboring in the courtyard. "I had them do this. I didn't know what you had in mind…"

Mali nodded. "It's fine, we'll make it work. Just be ready if he tries anything."

"Of course." Raven said nothing more for a moment, though he wore a look of great unease; finally he said, "Listen, Mali…I know this wasn't what you wanted to see happen. I have reservations too, but…I supported it.  I voted in favor of this.  If you want…"

He took a deep breath and firmed his jaw. "If you want, I'll do it. I'll execute Ssron for you."

Mali looked at him for a moment, then smiled and clapped Raven on the shoulder. "You're a good man, Raven. A man of honor—noble in a way that has nothing to do with your family.  But we're under martial law, remember?  There's no democracy in martial law, no voting, just one being in charge who gives orders, and right now that being is me.  I gave the order, I passed the sentence, and I'll carry it out.  Keep your honor intact, friend."

Raven looked both wistful and relieved, but he bowed and turned without another word, and after a few minutes he returned with Kysl Ssron and his ten-being escort. Ssron had been stripped to the waist, and his orange scales sparkled as the raindrops fell on them. The Cha'a raised his snout to the drizzle, extending his tongue to catch a few drops before the soldiers towed him forward. They led him to the makeshift block in the center of the courtyard, then paused, obviously unsure what to do next.

As Mali started forward, Aldayr felt impelled to say, "Mali!"

His master stopped, and Aldayr added, "I hope you know I am proud of you."

Mali stared a moment, then managed a smile before turning to Ssron. As he advanced with Aldayr at his side, the Cha'a Sith turned to the Milagroan observers. "Mark my words well, little worms! Your day of reckoning is coming.  Lady Gasald will repay a thousandfold the deaths of her faithful!  My grave will be watered with an ocean of Milagroan blood!"

Aldayr sensed fear across the way. Mali drew his lightsaber hilt from beneath his robe, and Ssron smiled at him.

"Indeed? I didn't think you had it in you, Jedi.  You impress me; we might make a Sith of you yet."

Mali's face showed no emotion. "Will you kneel, Lord Ssron, or do you need to be forced to your knees?"

The Cha'a flicked his tongue out, but dropped quiescently; Mali nodded to the soldiers, and they detached the control rods from Ssron's collar. Mali waved a hand and the collar unsnapped, clanking to the courtyard's durasteel floor.

"Aaaaah," Ssron sighed, stretching his neck one way, then the other. "Thank you for that, Jedi. Try not to miss, won't you?"

And he bent forward on his hands and knees, exposing his neck for the blow. For a moment Mali hesitated, then he ignited his blade; the snap-hiss hissed on and on as the rain sizzled on plasma. Mali lined up the cut over the back of Ssron's neck.

From Mali's other side, Raven whispered, "Last words."

Aldayr sensed his master's embarrassment as he brought his blade back up to Jedi ready. Holding it there, he raised his voice to call out, "Lord Kysl Ssron, you're condemned to die. Do you have any last words?"

The Cha'a arched his neck up to speak, and the same trick of the Force carried his voice for all to hear. "Such is the Republic's justice—swift, merciless, unconcerned with laws, and at the edge of a lightsaber! The Force shall free me, Darakhan.  My death is just the beginning."

Aldayr looked down at the small reptilian figure, submitting so docilely to his fate, yet filled with the smug satisfaction of a Sith Lord sated on evil. Loathing filled him, and he wished his master would carry out the sentence and be done with it.

Mali got his footing and said, "We're better off beginning any story that doesn't have you in it."

He raised his lightsaber overhead, and it gleamed blue against the bleary gray clouds veiling the dawn. Mali took a deep breath, and Aldayr held his; then the blow fell, and there was no sound but the hiss of the lightsaber blade in the rain.