by Troy Denning
Luke was on the pair instantly, his lightsaber droning and sparking as he pounded at Taalon’s defenses. Determined to finish the High Lord while they had the advantage, Ben rushed to join his father.
On the other side of the pool, Gavar Khai’s dark figure struggled up and limped toward the fight. For an instant, Ben wondered whether he had seen Taalon strike Vestara—and whether a father’s anger might be enough to turn a Sith against his Lord.
Then Khai’s parang floated from its sheath and came spinning across the pool toward Ben. He brought his lightsaber around to block … and only managed to slice the glass weapon in two. The hilt went tumbling away and shattered against a wall. But Khai still held the blade in his Force control, and it came swinging back toward Ben. He tried to twist away and felt the broken shard push between his ribs. His flank erupted in fiery pain, and his breath left him in an anguished gasp.
Knowing what was coming next, Ben whirled to face Khai—and found his lightsaber slicing through empty air as Khai leapt toward his father and Taalon. Ben dropped his blaster and extended his hand, intending to Force-slam Khai into the grotto wall. The Sith countered with a Force shove of his own, hurling Ben back toward the grotto entrance.
“Dad!” Ben’s voice was a raspy croak. “Behind … you!”
He should have known better than to worry. As Khai ignited his lightsaber, Luke was already ducking and reaching up to grab a passing ankle. With a quick, circular jerk, he brought Khai smashing down on Taalon and Vestara. Then he rolled his blade around, brought it down, and sent a Sith forearm sliding across the grotto floor. Whom it had belonged to, Ben could not tell.
In the next instant his father was riding a bolt of Force lightning into the grotto wall beside him. Ben ignited his lightsaber and shoved the blade into the crackling energy, disrupting the current and freeing his father.
“Dad, arrraagh—” The question came to an anguished end as the glass lodged in Ben’s side grated against his ribs. Being careful to grab it by the dull side, he reached over and jerked out the shard. “Dad, are you—”
“Go.” Ben felt his father’s hand on his shoulder, shoving him toward the exit. “Fast.”
Ben obeyed instantly, his chest filling with fire as he dashed for the exit. His father was only two steps behind him, but once they had cleared the mouth of the grotto, Luke stopped and reignited his lightsaber. Thinking the Sith were in hot pursuit, Ben turned to fight—and found his father hacking at one of the pillars beneath the entrance’s massive lintel.
“Dad, wait—”
“Go!” Luke hacked another chunk from the column. “Hurry.”
Ben made no move to obey. “But … Vestara’s in there.” The act of speaking filled his chest with fire, and he couldn’t get air, but he forced himself to continue. “Taalon was beating—”
“She’ll survive.” The column snapped with a bang like a sonic boom, and one end of the lintel dropped, filling the entrance with rubble and dust. Luke whirled, cleaving through the opposite column with a single stroke, then continued around and started toward Ben. “You, I’m not so sure about.”
Jaina would have liked to think the brittle calm of the Council Chamber had come in anticipation of the briefing she and Lando were about to give, but everything she saw told her otherwise. Eight of the ten current members were there in person, all watching the entrance so they would not be forced to look at one another. Kenth Hamner’s face was stony and indifferent, Kyle’s inscrutable, Kyp’s openly resentful. Corran Horn avoided a clenched jaw only through an obvious act of will, and Saba’s cheek scales were bristling. Cilghal’s eye pods were bulging, Barratk’l’s nostrils were flaring, and Octa Ramis’s hands had turned white from clutching her chair arms. Even the Solusars, participating via hologram from the Jedi academy on Ossus, looked ready to rap a few knuckles.
Clearly, Jaina’s TOP URGENT request to brief the Council had interrupted a heated exchange, and she had no doubt her report was only going to aggravate the Masters’ mood. On the bright side, it would at least remind them that there were dangers in the galaxy greater than Natasi Daala—dangers that the Jedi could meet only with a bold and united leadership. Once she and Lando finished their presentation, even Kenth Hamner would recognize that.
With Lando at her side, Jaina entered the Council circle and bowed. “Thank you for seeing us so quickly.”
“Given the rumors of where you’ve been, I saw no reason to doubt the urgency of your request.” Hamner’s eyes and voice grew icy. “We’ll discuss your unauthorized actions after your briefing—immediately after.”
The lump that formed in Jaina’s throat was born of anger more than fear, but she swallowed her ire and inclined her head in what she hoped was a look of contrition. The important thing here was to get the Masters moving in the same direction, and she would not do that by antagonizing the temporary Grand Master of the Jedi Order.
That could come later.
“I look forward to the discussion, Grand Master,” Jaina said. “Regarding the briefing, however—before we start, it would be helpful to know what you’ve heard about my trip.”
It was Kyp who summarized the Council’s knowledge for her. “We’ve heard that you went to … evaluate Luke’s situation.” His gaze shifted toward Lando, who was standing at Jaina’s side looking dapper, worried, and exhausted. “Apparently, you ran into Lando and joined him aboard the Rockhound. After some excitement on Klatooine, the pair of you followed Luke, Ben, and a flotilla of pretty nasty allies into the Maw. We’re thinking you were trying to find out what’s been turning Shelter Jedi barvy and eliminate it. Is that about it?”
Jaina nodded. “It is.”
“We assssume you were successful,” Saba said. She flashed a broad, fang-filled grin. “Because the mad ones have recovered.”
Jaina’s heart did not soar—the news she was bringing was too grim for that—but it definitely rose. “I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear that.”
“And I am, too,” Lando said, sounding far from relieved. He reached into his pocket and extracted the datachip they had prepared on their journey back from the Maw. “Because you’re going to need every Jedi Knight you can find.”
“There was trouble with your allies?” Kyle asked.
“They double-crossed us, but we expected that,” Lando confirmed. “What we didn’t expect was this.”
Lando casually flipped the datachip in the general direction of the Council circle. Kyle Katarn raised a hand, summoning the chip to his grasp, then slipped it into the reader-slot in the arm of his chair. A moment later the holograph of a Rebaxan MSE-6 droid appeared above the projection pad hidden in the center of the circle.
Jaina explained what they were seeing. “This is an impostor droid a pirate group used to impersonate Lando’s voice aboard the Rockhound. Its commands redirected us to an ambush point, disabled our comm and sensor systems, and crippled my StealthX.”
“We’ve already delivered it to Lowbacca for analysis,” Lando added. “He’s taking it apart now.”
“Thank you,” Hamner replied drily. “I’m sure those are the orders we would have given anyway.”
“We’re hoping Lowbacca can tell the Council something about the programming style.” Lando’s explanation was directed primarily to Kenth, and his tone was pointed. “It might help you locate the pirates’ home base.”
The image changed to a recording of the cockpit tactical feeds as Jaina went out to challenge the ambushers.
“As you can see,” Jaina continued. “They came at us in three BDY crew skiffs, launched from a Damorian S-eighteen light freighter.”
“I do see,” Hamner said. His voice assumed a disapproving tone. “You filed a TOP URGENT request in order to inform the Council that you were assaulted by … pirates?”
“That’s right.” Lando did not bother to hide his irritation. “Except these pirates also redirected us to Ashteri’s Cloud. And there’s only one way they could have known to choose those coordinates f
or an ambush.”
“You’re saying they knew you would be coming out of the Maw.” Kyp shifted forward in his seat, then clarified, “You’re saying they had to be Sith.”
“Yes,” Jaina said. “After the mouse droid sabotaged my StealthX, the only weapons I had left were shadow bombs. Every time I launched one, their gunners found me. They felt me using the Force.”
“So … Sith,” Barratk’l growled. “A double cross. Then Master Skywalker and Ben must be—”
“No,” Lando interrupted quickly. “They’re fine—at least they were when we left orbit.”
“We’re not sure of the details, because we never made planetfall,” Jaina added. “But after Abeloth’s death, Luke came to some kind of arrangement with the Sith to investigate her nature. Only three people from each side stayed behind, and everyone else was ordered to leave.”
“And you’re sure the Sith obeyed?” asked Octa Ramis.
“We’re sure they left when we did,” Jaina replied. “And it wouldn’t be easy to return. The planet was tough to reach.”
“The Sith lost a frigate going in,” Lando added. His voice assumed a note of pride. “And they would have lost another if the Rockhound hadn’t been there to pull it to safety. They could probably make it back on their own, but they wouldn’t be eager.”
“And I think I would have felt it if something had happened to Uncle Luke or Ben,” Jaina added. Noticing Hamner’s mouth starting to sag at the corners again, she turned to Kyle Katarn. “Will you advance to the next image, please?”
Kyle pressed a control on his chair arm, and a holographic map of the known galaxy appeared over the projection pad. Scattered along the hyperspace lanes were nearly four hundred bright red squares. Near one edge, in the Corporate Sector, was a large cluster of twenty-seven red triangles.
“This map is derived from the one Jaden Korr has been assembling during his piracy investigations,” Jaina explained. “We spent most of the trip back filtering out attacks that don’t fit the same profile as the one against the Rockhound.”
“Basically, we were looking for two things,” Lando explained. “A recent port call, followed by the total disappearance of the vessel—no survivors, no wreckage, no flotsam or bodies.”
Jaina stepped forward and pointed to the twenty-seven red triangles in the Corporate Sector. “These triangles represent a fleet of old Chase-Master frigates that disappeared on their way to a decommissioning yard,” she explained. “We know that they were taken by the Lost Tribe, because High Lord Taalon had a squadron of twelve with him.”
The Force shuddered with the alarm of every Master in the Chamber.
“And the circles?” Cilghal asked. “They represent assaults you merely believe to be Sith in origin?”
Jaina nodded. “That’s correct,” she said. “There’s no way to be certain, at least until we locate the Lost Tribe’s home base, but they fit the same profile.”
The chamber fell silent as the Masters contemplated what they were seeing. After a moment, Corran Horn rose and stepped over to the holograph, running his gaze along each of the major hyperspace lanes. All eyes were on him, watching in silence as he paused at each of the circle symbols, studying the description of the missing ship and the cargo it had been carrying. Finally, a look of horror came over him, and he turned to face his fellow Masters.
“There are Sith everywhere,” Corran announced. “And they’re building a war fleet!”
At one end of the meeting room stood a well-stocked bar and snack center, and at the other a round borlestone conference table surrounded by a variety of chairs and stools chosen to accommodate the galaxy’s most common body types. The lighting was indirect and soft enough to encourage relaxed conversation; even the transparisteel viewing wall, looking across Fellowship Plaza toward the pyramidal grandeur of the Jedi Temple, was tinted amber to create an atmosphere of warmth and well-being. The style was not what Leia would consider typically “Sullustan”—but, according to Lando, Luewet Wuul was no typical Sullustan.
Leia took a seat at the table and motioned for Lando and her other two companions to do the same. “We may as well make ourselves comfortable,” she said. “For a Senator, ‘just a few minutes late’ usually means an hour.”
“You’ll find Luew an exception to that rule,” Lando said, heading for the bar. “He prides himself on courtesy—and on his Maldovean Burtalle. Anyone else?”
Jaina stopped just inside the entrance. “Uh, Lando, we can’t afford to offend this guy.” She began to walk along the wall, pretending to examine the artwork and craftsmanship while she searched for hidden eavesdropping devices. “And I don’t recall the receptionist inviting us to help ourselves.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Lando placed five glasses on the bar counter. “And don’t worry about Luew. He’s already on our side.”
“You’d better be right about that,” Han said, going toward the bar. “Because if this gets out, Daala will hang us with it.”
“No, she won’t,” Leia said. “Because we’re not going to mention that part to Luew.”
Han frowned. “Which part?”
“The part about Jedi working with the Sith,” Lando said. He produced an ice bucket and used a pair of tongs to drop a sapphire cube into each glass. “And Leia’s right. Luew doesn’t need to know about that part—and he wouldn’t want to.”
Leia grimaced, then cast a meaningful glance toward Jaina, who was just finishing her sweep. “I hope he still doesn’t.”
Lando flashed a confident smile. “No worries. The way Luew talks, he’s the last one who’d allow eavesdroppers.” He selected an amber jug off the bar shelf, then shot Jaina a wink. “Besides, why do you think he’s leaving us alone in here? He expects you to sweep for listening devices. He wants you to know you can talk freely.”
“Considerate guy,” Jaina said, turning back toward the table. “Or one with really good techs. I can’t find anything.”
Leia extended her own Force awareness throughout the room and, experiencing no hint of uneasiness, nodded. “Okay,” she said. “So why don’t you have a seat and tell us how it went with Grand Master Hamner?”
Jaina rolled her eyes, then plucked at her flight suit. “He dismissed the Masters three hours ago, and I’m still in the same thing I was wearing when we left the Rockhound.” She shook her head in dismay, then looked up with an expression of equal parts dismay and frustration. “He spent the entire time accusing me of sabotaging his attempts to reconcile with Daala.”
“Reconcile?” Han echoed, returning to the table with a handful of coasters. “With Daala? How’d you keep from laughing in his face?”
“It’s too scary to laugh, Dad,” Jaina said. “Honestly, I think the pressure is getting to him. Master, er, Grand Master Hamner really seems to believe he can cut a deal with her.”
“He has to try,” Leia said. “We can’t fight Sith if we’re busy fighting Daala.”
“Yeah, well, trying to cut a deal with Daala is a waste of time,” Han said. He began to fling coasters like sabacc chips, tossing one in front of each seating area. “The only way to deal with Daala is to deal her out.”
Leia frowned. “Han, what do you mean by that?”
“You know what I mean,” Han said, taking a chair. “And don’t give me any poodoo about it being premature. Daala tried to take us out, and Amelia was there. She’s lucky I haven’t gone after her already.”
“Someone tried to take us out,” Leia corrected. Han was referring to a dinner a few weeks earlier, when their visit to the Pangalactus Restaurant had been interrupted by an assassination attempt. Leia found the incident more sad than angering, as the dinner had been their last with Jagged Fel before Jaina broke off the couple’s engagement. “We don’t know that Daala sent them. We can’t even be sure we were the targets.”
“You want to give me odds she didn’t, and we weren’t?” Han countered. “She set us up with that whole we can negotiate act.”
“Okay, s
o let’s say Daala did set us up,” Leia said. Han had never had much patience for verifying the obvious, so unless she wanted the meeting to start with a rant about Daala’s Imperial treachery, she needed to nudge him into a more constructive area of thinking. “What are you going to do about it? Launch another coup?”
Han winced at this reminder of their son Jacen’s disastrous takeover of the Galactic Alliance government, and he answered in a calmer voice. “I wasn’t thinking of us, exactly.”
“I hope you’re not thinking of the Jedi, either,” Leia said. “Because the Senate—and the public—would only take that as proof that Daala is right to fear us.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Lando said, joining them with a tray of drinks. “Kenth is right about one thing—the Jedi have as many friends in the Senate as Daala does, and you can put a lot of pressure on her by letting them know what’s going on.”
“I’d say that has about a ten percent chance of working,” Jaina said. “What do we do when it backfires and she starts arresting Senators?”
Lando flashed one of his brilliant smiles. “That, my dear, is when the Jedi step in to save the Alliance.” He placed a tumbler full of burtalle in front of Jaina. “You just need to be patient—and find a way to bring Kenth around before the Sith make their move.”
“You think we have that much time?” Leia asked.
Lando set a tumbler in front of her, then nodded. “With Abeloth dead, yes, I think so,” he said. “If she were still alive, the Jedi wouldn’t have a chance. But as matters stand, her attack on the Shelter students may have been a lucky break for the Jedi.”
“How do you figure that?” Han scoffed. “By giving Daala a bunch of barvy Jedi Knights she could use as an excuse to go after Luke and the Order?”
It was Jaina who replied. “By forcing the Sith to reveal themselves before they were ready. If Ben and Luke hadn’t been exiled, they would never have gone to Sinkhole Station—and we wouldn’t have known about the Lost Tribe.”