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rivaled the Elders’ Council when it came to minor points of law. But ultimatelyit was the Keeramak’s compassion that was its greatest point—as well as the Ssi-ruuk’s undoing.”
    “It chose you over them?” Leia asked.
    “The Keeramak was the one who led us to victory over our former masters. It conceived our revolt and consolidated the aftermath. Within a year, Lwhekk was ours and the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium a thing of the past. And now, five years on, the Keeramak still guides our destiny.”
    “Impressive,” Leia said. “Throwing off an oppressor is only the beginning of a long and difficult journey.”
    Jaina nodded, knowing that her mother spoke from experience.
    “In the wake of our liberation, we have continued research into entechment,” Lwothin said, through C-3PO. “We have found ways to nourish the stored minds reclaimed during our revolution. The life energy distilled from concentrated banks of algae and other primitive life-forms can prevent the decay common to previous soul-captures. It also goes a long way toward staving off the discomfort many feel when enteched. Now that we have diverted much of the life-draining work to your forms of technology and reduced the strain on the enteched soul, we have reversed many of the wrongs forced upon captives and slaves in the past.
    “The droid fighters you saw today are piloted by those enteched in the last days of the Imperium.” Lwothin’s triple eyelids blinked in a complicated manner. “Although we do continue to offer entechment as a form of military service, there are few who willingly sacrifice their physical lives. There’s no way back, of course. Such a decision is not lightly made.”
    “I’m sure it wouldn’t be,” Leia said as she faced General Panib.
    From the tone of her mother’s voice, coupled with the set of her shoulders and the way she sat in the chair before her, Jaina could tell she wasn’t entirely convinced byLwothin’s lengthy explanation—even though it did concur with the odd Force readings they’d had from the droid fighters.
    “General Panib, have you seen anything to contradict Lwothin’s statement that no one has been enteched against his or her will?”
    “None of us have been enteched, if that’s what you’re getting at,” the general said. “In fact, there have been no aggressive moves made against us whatsoever. Although …”
    “What?” Han prompted, leaning forward slightly in his chair.
    “Well, that’s something else we will need to talk about: why you’ve come at such a bad time. The P’w’eck arrived here two weeks ago, offering a treaty. Prime Minister Cundertol and the Senate deliberated for days before arriving at the decision to accept the offer. The Prime Minister’s announcement caused a few riots. It’s hard to explain to the general population that we haven’t sold them out.”
    “I can understand that,” Han muttered.
    “We thought the people were coming around,” Panib went on. “The defense advantages of joining with the P’w’eck are obvious, given the Yuuzhan Vong’s gradual drift this way. And we had a lot be grateful to them for, since they did get rid of the Ssi-ruuvi threat.” Panib fidgeted uneasily. “But there are complications—and conditions.”
    “Such as?” Leia asked.
    “Lwothin has mentioned religion; the P’w’eck are like the Ssi-ruuk in that they share some of the same traditions. In order to make them comfortable, there are details we have to attend to. Cundertol wanted this Keeramak of theirs to come to Bakura to sign the treaty in person, but he—it—wouldn’t come unless Bakura was consecrated. You see, it believes like the rest of the Ssi-ruuk that if it dies away from one of the sacred worlds, then its soul will be lost forever. And the fact is, assassination
isn’t
out of the question—especially given the volatile temperament of some of the public right now.” His glance to Lwothin was filled with apology. “We are neighbors; we