"Yes, my lord," Doriana said. "Captain Pakmillu has two separate navigational checks planned for the first eight hundred light-years beyond Republic space. I have the coordinates of both."

"Be sure you take the first one," Sidious warned. "It may be that C'baoth in his impatience will order the second to be canceled."

"That is indeed my plan, my lord," Doriana confirmed. "One final matter. I have Pakmillu's final passenger listing, and three more Jedi have been added."

"One of them being Lorana Jinzler, no doubt," Sidious said. "C'baoth had earlier informed the Senate she would be accompanying him." The drooping corners of his mouth turned briefly upward in a sardonic smile. "Though I don't believe he had mentioned it to the woman herself."

"Yes, she's one of them," Doriana confirmed. "The others are Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker."

Sidious's smile vanished. "Skywalker?" he hissed. "Who authorized this?"

"I don't know, my lord," Doriana said, feeling his heart starting to thud in his chest. The last time he'd seen Sidious like this, someone had died. Violently. "It must have been C'baoth-"

"He cannot go on that ship," Sidious cut in sharply. "He must remain here. You will see to it."

"Understood, my lord," Doriana said quickly. "Don't worry, I'll get him off "

He reached for the cutoff switch, his mind whirling as he tried to sort through the options. Outbound Flight's first scheduled stop was at Lonnaw system. If he headed there immediately

But he couldn't, not with Vicelord Kav aboard. Too much risk that someone would see the Neimoidian and make a connection they couldn't afford. He would first have to drop Kav with the attack force, then go after Outbound Flight. That meant the Lonnaw connection wouldn't work, which meant he would have to try for their next stop, Argai, all the way over in Haldeen sector. If he missed them there

"Wait."

Doriana paused, his hand hovering over the control. Sidious's lips had tightened, and Doriana had the sense that the Sith Lord was running through the same logic chain he himself had just been working out.

And apparently had come to the same conclusion. "No, you continue with the plan," he said, his voice calm again. "Iwill remove Skywalker from Outbound Flight."

"Yes, my lord," Doriana said, wilting a little with relief. He didn't have the foggiest idea how Sidious was going to pull that one off, especially with C'baoth and five other Jedi Masters on hand to oppose him. But that was the Sith Lord's problem. Doriana was off the hook, and that was the important thing. "I'll contact you again when the mission has been accomplished."

"Do that, Doriana," Sidious said. His eyes, as always, were hidden by his hood; just the same, Doriana could almost see them burning a hole through the long light-years separating the two men before the image flickered and vanished.

For a few seconds Doriana remained where he was, taking deep breaths as he worked out the tension still quivering through his body. Once again, the game had nearly proved fatal. Once again, he had made it through unscathed.

One of these times, perhaps, he wouldn't.

But that future was a long way away. Right now he had a fleet to find, and an ambush to prepare.

And eighteen Jedi to kill.

Shutting down the holoprojector, he went back to the pilot's chair and plugged Kav's data card into the reader slot. Time to find out exactly where they were going.

The pylon turbolift car door opened into yet another spacious lobby area. "Okay," Anakin said, leaning out for a look. "And this one is"-he threw a not quite surreptitious look at the marking on the side-"Dreadnaught-Four?"

"Correct," C'baoth said, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder and pressing him forward out of the car. "We're now at the farthest side of Outbound Flight from the command ship, Dreadnaught- One."

"Rather like Tatooine in that respect," Obi-Wan added drily.

"Right," Anakin said. "Only cooler and less sandy."

"'Tatooine?" C'baoth asked.

"A small planet where Anakin grew up," Obi-Wan explained. "The locals like to say that it's the farthest point from the center of the universe, like Dreadnaught-Four's the farthest from Dreadnaught-One's command areas."

C'baoth nodded. "Ah."

Dreadnaught-Four's architecture and equipment, Obi-Wan noted, were identical to those of the other ships they'd visited on C'baoth's tour. Not really surprising, considering how the expedition had been put together. Also as in the other Dreadnaughts, the people passing through the corridors around them all seemed to be moving with a brisk, business-like step, their expressions cheerful, confident, and determined.

Small wonder. Against steep odds their grand adventure had finally begun, and the warm glow of that accomplishment was still with them.

"Jedi Master Justyn Ma'Ning is in charge of this particular Dreadnaught," C'baoth said as they headed aft. "I believe you spoke with him at the First Night dinner."

"Yes, we chatted for a few minutes," Obi-Wan said. "I thought Commander Omano was in charge of Dreadnaught-Four."

"I meant that Master Ma'Ning oversees Jedi operations and activities," C'baoth said. "He should be back in Conference Room Five with his two Jedi Knights and a select group of families. Let's go see how they're doing."

"What were these families selected for?" Obi-Wan asked.

"The highest honor possible," C'baoth said. "Over the next few days, one of each family's children will be starting Jedi training."

Obi-Wan stared at him. "Jeditraining?"

"Indeed," C'baoth confirmed. "You see, along with their basic technical skills, prospective colonists were also screened for the presence of Force-sensitive children. Those families with the most promise were given preferential status, though of course we kept that a secret up until now. We have eleven candidates in all, including the three here in Dreadnaught-Four."

"How old are these children?" Obi-Wan asked.

"They range in age from four to ten," C'baoth said. He cocked an eyebrow at Anakin. "Which is, I believe, the same age Master Skywalker was when you took him as your Padawan."

"It is," Obi-Wan confirmed, feeling his lip twist. For centuries standard Temple policy had been to accept only infants into Jedi training, and C'baoth knew it. Unfortunately, Anakin was a glaring exception to that rule, an exception C'baoth clearly intended to use as his justification for this. "What about their parents?"