by Troy Denning
“Of course.” Leia had to force herself not to frown. “Thank you.”
Tenel Ka gave Leia and Han an uneasy smile, then turned her attention to Luke and Mara as well. “Good-bye. May the Force be with you all.”
The Queen Mother spun and left the room so quickly that neither Leia nor anyone else had time to wish her the same.
Han frowned after her. “That was weird.”
“Something about the baby,” Leia said. “There’s a reason she won’t let anybody get a good look at it.”
“Maybe she’s embarrassed,” Han said.
“Han!” Leia and Mara exclaimed together.
“Look, she still won’t say anything about the father,” he said. “I’m just saying that maybe there’s a reason. Maybe she’s not proud of the guy.”
“You know, Han might be right,” Luke said. “Not that she’s embarrassed, but maybe there’s something she doesn’t want the galaxy to see. How would her nobles react if the heir to the Hapes throne was less than a perfect beauty?”
Leia’s heart sank. “Oh, no. That poor woman.”
“I’m glad you let Tenel Ka keep her lightsaber, Luke,” Mara agreed. “She may need it.”
They all stared out into the corridor after the Queen Mother, pondering the lonely circumstances of her life, wondering how they might be able to help, until another set of footsteps echoed down the passage. A moment later, Corran Horn appeared at the entrance to the library and bowed respectfully.
“Master Skywalker, would now be a good time to speak with you?” he asked.
“Of course.” Luke glanced meaningfully in Leia and Han’s direction, then returned to his mat behind the writing table and sat. “Come in.”
Leia took Han’s hand again and started past Corran. “Excuse us, Corran. We were just leaving.”
“Please don’t, at least not yet,” Corran said. “I’ve already said this to the rest of the order, and I’d like you to hear it, too.”
Leia glanced at Luke for permission, then nodded. “If you wish.”
Corran went to the center of the room and clasped his hands behind his back.
“Master Skywalker, first I would like to apologize for the part I’ve played in this crisis. I can see now that in complying with Chief Omas’s request that I become the order’s temporary leader, I was playing directly into his hands.”
“Yes, you were,” Luke said.
Corran swallowed, then fixed his gaze on the wall behind Luke’s head. “I assure you, it was never my intention to usurp anyone’s authority, but when it grew clear how bad Jedi relations had grown with Chief Omas and the Alliance, I felt something had to be done. I can see now how badly mistaken I was.”
“Mistakes are always easy to see in retrospect,” Luke said mildly.
Corran glanced down at Luke, clearly uncertain how he was taking the apology. “But I do carry the good of the order utmost in my heart.”
“Good,” Luke said.
“That’s why I think it might be best if I left.” Corran’s voice was choked with emotion. “My presence can only be a divisive element.”
“I see.” Luke braced his elbows on the writing table, then rested his chin on his steepled fingers. “Corran, isn’t this the second time you have offered to leave the order for its own good?”
Corran nodded. “It is. After the destruction of Ithor—”
“Don’t let there be a third,” Luke interrupted. “I won’t stop you next time.”
Corran frowned, clearly confused. “Stop me?”
“Corran, you may have been naïve for believing the Yuuzhan Vong would honor their word, but they destroyed Ithor, not you,” Luke said. “And the mistakes that led the Jedi into our current crisis are more mine than anyone else’s. So please stop trying to shoulder the entire galaxy’s guilt by yourself. To be honest, it makes you look a bit pompous.”
Corran looked as though someone had detonated a stun grenade in his face. “Pompous?”
Luke nodded. “I hope you don’t mind me telling you that in front of others, but you’re the one who invited them to stay.”
Corran glanced over at Leia and Han. “Of course not.”
“Good,” Luke said. “Then we’re all settled? You’re going to continue as a Jedi, and your loyalty to the order comes first?”
“Yes.” Corran nodded. “Of course.”
Luke smiled broadly. “I’m glad. We couldn’t afford to lose you, Corran. I don’t think you realize just how valuable you are to the order. The Jedi do have a duty to support the Galactic Alliance—far more than we have been—and nobody represents that viewpoint better than you do.”
“Uh, thank you.” Corran remained in the center of the room looking confused.
After a moment, Luke said, “That’s all, Corran. Unless there’s something else—”
“Actually, there is,” Corran said. “I think the other Masters have all chosen to stay, as well. After I spoke with them, they asked me to tell you they would be waiting in the auditorium.”
“They did?” Luke raised his brow and tried to avoid showing the satisfaction that Leia sensed through their twin bond. “I guess I should go hear what they have to say.”
Leia stepped aside, then she and the others followed Luke into the auditorium. The room was even emptier than before, with Kyp, Saba, and the rest of the Masters gathered in a tight cluster near the front of the speaking dais, holding an animated conversation in barely civil tones. Tesar, Lowbacca, Tahiri, and Tekli were seated together a few rows back, trying not to be too obvious in their eavesdropping. Jacen sat on the opposite side of the aisle, appearing more interested in his conversation with Ben than in whatever the Masters were whispering about.
The rest of the order was gone—presumably sent away by the Masters so they could have a private conversation with Master Skywalker. The fact that Jacen, Tesar, and the others had been asked to stay suggested that the conversation was going to be about the Killiks. Apparently, Luke’s plan had at least made the Masters willing to talk again. Leia doubted they would agree on anything, but talking was a start.
When Han saw the gathering of Masters, he hopped off the dais and held his hand out toward Ben. “It looks like we’re going to be a little out of place at this meeting, partner. Why don’t we go back over to the Falcon and work on that warp vortex problem I was telling you about?”
Ben’s eyes lit up. He started to say good-bye to Jacen—until Kenth Hamner rose and spoke from among the Masters.
“Actually, Captain Solo, we’d like you to stay.”
Han cast a worried look in Leia’s direction, and she knew they were thinking the same thing: that Jaina and Zekk were going to be a big part of this conversation.
“Yeah, sure,” he said. “Whatever you want.”
Ben twisted his freckled face into a sour expression. “What about the Falcon’s vortex problem?”
“Don’t worry about that, kid,” Han said to him. “Vortex stabilizers don’t fix themselves. It’ll be there waiting when we’re ready.”
“Perhaps Ben’s Defender Droid could take him home.” Kenth glanced toward the speaking dais. “If that’s acceptable to the Masters Skywalker?”
“Of course,” Mara said. She looked toward the back of the hall. “Nanna?”
The big Defender Droid stepped out of the shadows, then extended her metallic hand and waited as Ben reluctantly shuffled up the aisle to join her.
Once the pair had left the hall, Kenth turned to Han. “Thank you for staying, Captain Solo. We know your affiliation is informal, but you’re an important part of the order, and your opinion has always carried a great deal of weight with the Masters.”
“Always glad to help,” Han said cautiously. “So what’s this about?”
“In a minute.” Kenth waved Han toward a seat. Clearly, the Masters had come to an agreement about one thing—they were going to meet Luke’s gambit with a united front. “First, we would like to ask how Master Skywalker sees family fitting into h
is new view of a Jedi’s commitment to the order.”
“I’m not saying we have to abandon our loved ones,” Luke said, stepping between Leia and the Masters. “But obviously, any Jedi is required to be away from his or her family for extended periods.”
When Luke remained between Leia and the Masters, she took the hint and stepped off the dais, then went to Han’s side. They both sat on the bench with Jacen.
As Luke and the Masters continued to clarify just what Luke meant by “placing the order first,” Han leaned close to Jacen’s ear.
“Tenel Ka left the order,” he whispered. “Thought you’d want to know.”
“I already did,” Jacen answered. “Uncle Luke didn’t leave her much choice, did he?”
“It only formalizes what we’ve all known for some time,” Leia said. Jacen and Tenel Ka had been close throughout their teenage years, and Leia did not want Jacen to allow Tenel Ka’s departure to influence his own decision. “Tenel Ka’s duties as the Queen Mother already prevent her from participating in the order in any meaningful way.”
Jacen smiled and placed his hand on Leia’s knee. “Mom, I’m not going to disappear again. I’ve already decided to stay.”
Leia was so relieved that she suspected even Han could feel it, but she kept a straight face and said, “If that’s what you think is best for you, dear.”
Jacen laughed and rolled his eyes. “Mother, your feelings betray you.”
“I suppose so.” Leia grew more serious, then asked, “What has Tenel Ka told you about her daughter?”
“Allana?” Jacen’s presence suddenly seemed to disappear from the Force, and his tone grew guarded. “What about her?”
“We mean, what is Tenel Ka hiding?” Han demanded. “Mention the kid, and she closes up like a rabclab in ice water.”
“What makes you think Tenel Ka would tell me anything?” Jacen asked.
“She obviously has,” Leia said. “Or you wouldn’t be trying to dodge our questions.”
Jacen stared at the floor. Leia had the sense that he wanted to tell them, but was struggling with whether he had the right. Finally, he met Leia’s gaze.
“If Tenel Ka finds it necessary to keep her daughter out of the hololight, I think we should trust that she has good reason.”
Han looked past Jacen to Leia and nodded. “Luke was right.”
Jacen’s eyes widened. “About what?”
“About Allana,” Leia said. “If she were, uh, afflicted in some way, Tenel Ka would need to keep the child hidden. The Hapans’ obsession with beauty goes beyond the neurotic. I can’t imagine what they might do if the heir to their throne was blemished.”
The alarm in Jacen’s expression began to fade. “Don’t bother asking for details. I don’t know them.”
Leia could tell by the way Jacen avoided her eyes that he was lying, but she decided to let it go. He clearly felt that they were already asking him to betray a confidence, and pressing him any harder would only make him less forthcoming.
“We know all that we need to,” Leia said. “I only hope Tenel Ka realizes we’re here to help.”
“Mom, Tenel Ka has more money than Lando, and dozens of Jedi friends,” Jacen said. “I’m pretty sure she knows she can get all the help she needs.”
“Hey, we’re just worried about her,” Han said. “Poor kid—whatever’s wrong, I’ll bet the problem came from the father.”
Jacen frowned and was silent for a moment, then said, “I’m sure you’re right, Dad. And if this is your way of asking if I know who the father is, it’s not going to work.”
Han pretended to be hurt. “You think I’d snoop?”
“I know you would,” Jacen said. “That’s the Zeltron Lead you just tried. You taught it to me when I was ten.”
Han shrugged. “And I didn’t think you were listening.”
Leia’s attention was drawn to the gathering of Masters by a sudden lull in their conversation. She looked up to find Luke seated on the edge of the dais, motioning everyone forward. As they all approached, she sensed a certain hopefulness in her brother’s presence.
“The Masters have agreed that the order’s first responsibility during any crisis is to respond in a coherent and united fashion,” he said. “Now the question is, what are we going to do about the Killiks?”
“That’s why we asked all of you to stay,” Tresina Lobi said, turning to Leia and the others. “You know more about the Killiks than any of us, so your insights will guide our decision.”
Luke nodded his agreement. “I’d like to ask Jacen to share his vision with the rest of us.”
“Vision?” Corran asked.
“It’s why I organized the attack on Supply Depot Thrago,” Jacen explained, going to stand between the Masters and the dais. “I saw the Chiss launch a massive surprise attack against the Killiks.”
Kenth frowned. “Surely, you didn’t think that you could prevent—”
“Let him finish,” Luke said, raising his hand to silence the Master. “Jacen’s plan was desperate, but not unreasonable given the circumstances at the time—especially our own disarray.”
Jacen continued, “What really frightened me about the vision was that the Chiss failed to destroy the Colony. Instead, I saw the Killiks mount a counterattack, and the war spread to the Galactic Alliance.”
“Let me see if I understand this,” Corran said, frowning in confusion. “You saw the war spreading to the Galactic Alliance, so you attacked the Chiss to keep that from happening? That sounds crazy, Jacen.”
Jacen nodded. “It’s convoluted, I know. But I felt we had to change the dynamic. Obviously, the Chiss are still attacking—”
“And the Galactic Alliance is still being dragged into the war.” Kenth’s tone was sharp. “Not only are we fighting in the Utegetu Nebula now we have the Chiss mobilizing against us because they think we gave the Ackbar to the Killiks. I don’t see that your attack accomplished anything except to hasten the war—and make everything vastly more complicated.”
“It convinced the Chiss they couldn’t win with a quick strike,” Han said, coming to Jacen’s defense. “At least now there’s some chance you can bring this mess under control before it erupts into a galaxywide bug stomp.”
“Han is right,” Corran said. “Besides, debating our past mistakes—whether or not they were mistakes—won’t solve this problem. We need to talk about how we’re going to stop this war before it gets out of control.”
The Masters nodded their agreement, but fell silent and stared at the floor, clearly reluctant to launch into the same argument that had been threatening to tear the order apart for several months. After a few seconds, Corran, Kyp, and even Saba began to cast expectant glances toward Luke, clearly hoping he would take the lead. He remained silent, determined to force the Masters to work through the problem themselves and develop their own consensus.
Finally, Jacen spoke up. “I know how to stop the war.”
Everybody’s brow—including Leia’s—went up.
“Why am I not surprised?” Kyp asked. He ran a hand through his unruly hair, pausing to scratch his scalp. “Okay, let’s hear it. You seem to be the only one with any ideas.”
Jacen stepped over next to Luke, placing himself squarely in front of the Masters. His determination hung heavy and hard in the Force. He was going to stop the war. Too much would be lost if he did not.
“We kill Raynar Thul.”
“What?”
This was cried by several Jedi at once, among them Tesar Sebatyne and the other young Jedi Knights who had accompanied Jacen on the raid against Supply Depot Thrago. Even Leia found herself wondering if she had heard Jacen correctly.
“Did you see that in your vision, too?” Corran asked. He turned to the other Masters, shaking his head in disapproval. “We talked about this before.”
Luke frowned. “We did?”
“When you and Han were captured on Woteba,” Mara informed him. “It was our backup plan.”
“
And now it should be our primary plan,” Jacen said calmly. “It’s the only way to prevent the war.”
“Go on,” Luke said.
“Most insect species have an immense mortality rate,” Jacen explained. “One egg out of a thousand might produce a larva that survives to become an imago and produce young of its own. When Raynar became a Joiner—”
“But killing Raynar would destroy the Colony!” Tesar rasped.
“I believe that’s the point,” Kenth said. “They have declared war on two other galactic civilizations.”
Lowbacca roared an objection, protesting that the Dark Nest was causing all the trouble.
“Jacen has obviously given this a lot of thought,” Luke said, raising his hands for quiet. “Why don’t we hear him out?”
“Because hearing Jacen out is dangerous,” Tahiri said, glaring at Jacen. “He says one thing and means another.”
Coming from Tahiri, whom the Solos had considered practically their own daughter since Anakin’s death, the comment was especially stinging. Leia would have admonished her for her rudeness, had Luke not done so first.
“That’s enough!” Luke scowled first at Tahiri, then at Tesar and Lowbacca. “This debate is among the Masters, and when we ask for your opinion, you’re going to give it in a civilized fashion. Is that clear?”
Tesar’s scales stood on end and Lowbacca’s fur ruffled, but they joined Tahiri in nodding. “Yes, Master.”
“Thank you.” Luke looked back to Jacen. “You were saying?”
“When Raynar became a Joiner, the Killiks began to value the lives of individual nest-members,” Jacen continued. “Their population exploded, they began to strip their own worlds bare, and that’s when the Colony was born and began to infringe on Chiss space.”
“But will killing Raynar change that now?” Saba asked from the front bench. “The Killikz have already changed. This one does not see how removing Raynar will change them back.”
“Because the change is a learned behavior.” Jacen was obviously ready with his answer. “Raynar is the only element of their personality that innately values individual life.”
“So we remove Raynar, and they unlearn the behavior?” Kenth asked.