At the trading post in the Ring of Kafrene, Ismail and Quinn waited outside the shadowport surgical office of Doctor Cornelius Evazan, who amputated the burned legs of Kaala Taalavar.  While she waited, and to drown out the Dark Side Marauder's screams of pain, Ismail reviewed the holographic recording of Ismail1, telling the stories of all the Ismail clones.  Ismail2, originally commissioned by Boba Fett, joined Rahm Kota's militia, which was incorporated into the Rebel Alliance at Kota's death.  Ismail1 speculated that Ismail2 died at the Battle of Scariff because she "lost her in the Force."  Ismail3, the somehow "defective" clone that was slated for disintegration at the cloning facility, escaped to Coruscant where she married a Falleen, became revered by the Mirialans as the messianic "Etherean" and "ascended" into the force on the Mirialan colony world dubbed "Paradise" by her disciples.  Ismail1 characterized the fourth clone as Fett's second commission, but had no record of her and could not feel her in Force.  Ismail1's recording ended tragically, as some pursuer, presumably the Empire, found the fleet of Varonat-in-Exile and boarded the flagship from which Ismail1 had taken up residence.  Ismail's holographic viewing was interrupted by a holo-transmission from her intel agent, Tamtel Skreej, whom Ismail had sent to Tatooine to look for Fett.  Skreej showed her a battered Ody Mandrell, the washed-up Er’kit podracer, beaten badly, with black eyes and broken teeth.  Skreej commanded the Er'kit to tell Ismail who had done this to her, to which he answered, "Fett."  Skreej offerred to infiltrate Jabba’s Palace to help Ismail get inside once she got to Tatooine.  They planned a rendezvous at the Desert Knights Cantina in Mos Eisley to set up their plan.

 

At the appointed time and place, which happened to be the Boonta holiday weekend on Tatooine, Ismail found no sign of Tamtel Skreej at the Desert Knights Cantina.  While she and Quinn waited there, the band, Mag'ris D'Nel and Ephemeris, played "The Ballad of Anakin Skywalker," in secret celebration of the slaveboy-turned-Jedi's escape from bondage.  After the performance, Mag'ris D'Nel revealed he was to perform at Jabba's Palace for his next gig, which Ismail noted in case Skreej failed to keep the rendezvous.  Meanwhile, patrons gathered around Quinn, who offered to participate in a podrace at the old Grand Arena on that anniversary weekend if Ulda, the arena manager, agreed to host the spectacle.  She did, and Quinn found an aging Sebulba and Ody Mandrell and convinced them to race as Ulda recruited the retired Ben Quadinaros and Dud Bolt into the race, along with some current podracers.  Sebulba, who now owned a vehicle repair shop with his son Hekala and grandson Pugwis, agreed to build pods for any contestants who didn't own their own in order to showcase his shop's product.

 

While Quinn and the other racers assembled their pods, Ismail traveled to a place outside of Mos Epsa where she had sensed a vergence in the Force located around that place.  There, she found an alter made of stacked, flat stones, with a gourd on top.  As she reached for the gourd, a shot rang out and a projectile ricocheted off the alter, nearly striking her.  She spotted a Tusken Raider atop a rock formation aiming a projectile rifle at her.  She pulled the sandperson to the ground using the Force, and he prostrated himself before her, worshiping her as a deity.  He led her back to his camp, where he staved off the other members of the tribe who tried to attack her.  He led her into a hut where he meditated before her and their minds melded in the Force.  Reading his primitive thoughts, Ismail discovered he was "Lonely Bantha," son of "Laughing Bantha" and the last of the Tusken Shamans.  He made clear to her that he had no intention of letting her leave, and intended to enlist her assistance in restoring a line of "spirit-attuned" shamans to the tribe.  When he declared this intention publicly to the tribe, gaderffii-wielding warriors approached Ismail bearing a primitive rack-like construct to which they appeared intent on tethering her!