“Then who?”

“I brought some friends,” Vern told him. “The Padawans from the Star Hopper.”

“Master Yoda’s charges? Is he here, too?” That would be too much to hope for.

“Not that I know of. Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You’ve done the Force’s work today.” Stellan extended the frequency to encompass all Jedi and Republic officials.

“Valo security forces. Assembled Jedi. This is Stellan Gios, please respond. Repeat, this is Stellan—”

They didn’t wait. The voices came thick and fast. Jedi he knew were on the planet, others who must have arrived after the pomp of the opening ceremony.

“This is Cherff Maota. I hear you, Stellan.”

“Idrax Snat here, with Vice Chancellor Reza.”

“As is Jedi Bakari from the Bromlarch outpost.”

“Nooranbakarakana checking in.”

“Um. Padawan Ram Jomaram, here. Sir.”

“Buckets of Blood is ready for action!”

“As are Lula Talisola and Zeen Mrala. Master Buck, we didn’t know you were here!”

The names came thick and fast, from Jedi on the ground or in the sky, now all able to talk, it appeared, thanks to the work of Padawan Jomaram, who seemed to be from the local outpost. There were some worrying omissions. Elzar Mann was still nowhere to be heard, although Coordinator Ra-oon reported that she had gotten a number of senators to safety, including the troublesome Tia Toon and his Orzrelanso associate who had suffered a broken arm. Stellan was waiting for one name above all, the young man he had connected with before all this began. He couldn’t help but call him out.

“Padawan Zettifar? Do you read me?”

The sound of a charhound barking came over the comm seconds before Zettifar’s voice. “I’m here, Master Gios, and I have Kip and Jom, not to mention an ever-growing group of survivors we picked up on the way.”

Stellan thanked the Force, not just for Bell’s successful mission but that so many Jedi voices had survived the Nihil’s best efforts. But their job wasn’t done yet. Now they had to get everyone else to safety.

“Okay, listen up. Gather as many citizens as you can and take them to the Temple.”

“I thought it wasn’t completed?” Indeera Stokes asked from her Vector.

“Not completely, but it will be more defensible than any Republic building.”

The Jedi signaled their understanding, although Nib Assek had one last question.

“Master Gios, our drift was practicing united meditation, but Mikkel went down. Do you know …”

She would know the answer, of course. Having worked with the Ithorian for years, she would have felt him slip into the Force, but even the most experienced Jedi sometimes needed to hear the truth from someone else.

“He is at peace, Nib.”

There was a moment’s pause before she responded. “The Force is with him.”

“The Force is with us all. Stellan—”