Stellan opened his mouth, but this time Kriss got there first.

“I am certainly planning to attend, Senator. However, if the Drengir menace is to be contained …”

The mention of the latest crisis to set root in the frontier only heightened the tension in the room. Rhil had seen the reports—most of them still classified. Entire worlds were being overrun by the things. There were numerous theories on how they spread, from barely conceivable (“They’ve lain dormant beneath the surface of every planet for millennia”) to the frankly terrifying (“Their spores grow inside the bodies of unwitting victims”). Either way, there seemed to be no end in sight, although recent accounts suggested that the Jedi had found a way to stem the tide; accounts the Phindian senator was obviously now beginning to doubt.

“You assured the Senate that the Drengir were being dealt with, Chancellor,” Vaadu said, his voice laced with concern.

“And they are,” Soh told him. “By Marshal Kriss and the brave Jedi of Starlight.”

“Among others,” Noor muttered darkly.

On the screen, Kriss’s expression darkened. “Senator? Is there something that you wish to say?”

“Only that I wondered if the reports are true.”

“And what reports are those?”

“That the Jedi of Starlight Beacon have formed an alliance with the Hutt Cartel.”

Rhil tried her best to hide her surprise. There had been rumors of a union with the Hutts, known across the galaxy as warlords at best and gangsters at worst, but she hadn’t been able to get confirmation.

Avar Kriss’s expression didn’t waver. “We are working with certain factions of the Hutt Council, yes.”

“And you think that’s wise?”

“We think it prudent considering the threat posed by the Drengir.”

“A threat that at this point has not reached Valo,” Soh interjected quickly.

“Nor do we expect it to, especially with the leverage afforded to us by our … new allies,” Kriss added.

Noor was anything but mollified. “The Hutts cannot be trusted.”

“In this, we believe they can be,” Kriss insisted. “They have as much to lose as the Republic if the Drengir aren’t uprooted. Plus, once the current crisis is contained, I believe that we could petition for a new treaty with Nal Hutta …”

“With criminals and racketeers, you mean!”

“With powerful neighbors whom I truly believe could be influenced to put their considerable resources to good use. This could be a new beginning for the territories around Hutt space, a new era of peace between our peoples.”

“Which is the aim of all our efforts,” Soh reminded them all, taking control of the conversation once again. “But I feel we are allowing ourselves to be distracted from the matter at hand. This meeting concerns the Republic Fair, a fair that is far from the other troubles we have discussed, troubles that are being dealt with.”

“I still believe—” Senator Noor began, although the chancellor was quick to avoid a rehashing of his previous points.