Even Kyp laughed at this. He waved a hand. "As you wish, Master Skywalker. Rut I hope I won't make you regret this."
So do we all, Luke thought.
"Since you asked for news," Kyp went on, "I have information from Kashyyyk, from Lowbacca and the team of Wookiees who arc investigating Yuuzhan Vong biotechnology."
"Go ahead," Luke said, and was aware of Triebakk, on his right, leaning forward with great interest.
"They've been working with the dovin basals from the captured frigate Trickster," Kyp said. "They're now able to use our own interdiction technology to duplicate the effects of dovin basal space mines. Since the war began, the Vong have used their mines to yank our ships out of hyperspace and ambush them with fighter craft, and now it looks as if we'll be able to do the same to them."
"Wonderful!" C-3PO said, translating for Triebakk. "Well done!"
Sien Sow was pleased. "Splendid. That will fit in well with Admiral Ackbar's plan."
"Perhaps Admiral Sow should explain Ackbar's plan for those of us who haven't heard it," Cal said.
"Perhaps only the/impart," Dif Scaur cautioned. "The plan's. . . ultimate objective ... is perhaps beyond the scope of this meeting."
In other words, Luke thought, let's not tell too many people that Ackbar hopes to lure the Yuuzhan Vong into a trap. If only a few people knew, maybe the Vong could actually be surprised.
Luke had been watching Dif Scaur with care, through the Force as well as visually. He still wasn't certain how much he trusted Scaur. In this case, however, he sensed only a genuine concern for keeping Ackbar's ultimate goals secret.
Sow obliged Scaur by explaining Ackbar's plan to season the Republic's raw recruits through a series of skirmishes and small engagements rather than risking a large battle. "Admiral Kre'fey," he finished, "has requested as many Jedi pilots as possible. He hopes to merge many elements of his fleet into what he calls the 'Jedi meld,' so that all may maneuver together as one. He reports that he's had limited success with this tactic at Obroa-skai, but needs more Jedi to make it more effective."
"I've also received a message from Kre'fey requesting Jedi," Luke said. "I have no objection to sending any who wish to go. "
"I hope the council can see its way to helping Kre'fey," Cal said. "The military's reeling and needs all the help we can give.
They're on their heels with one defeat after another, they rightly blame the political leadership, and some are on the verge of mutiny. I'd really hate to have to give an order to Garm Bel Iblis right now—who knows what kind of answer I'd get? If the Defense Forces don't think we're going to stand behind them, I'd hate to think what might happen."
Kyp cleared his throat and half-heartedly raised a hand. "Yes?" Luke said.
"I'm sorry to have to say this after everything the president has just said, but we may have a potential problem with Admiral Kre'fey. He's a good commander, I guess. But the Bothan clans have—well, they've declared genocide against the Vong, and Kre'fey's taken it to heart. It's called ar'krai. I don't think I want the council to declare its support for mass murder, even the mass murder of Yuuzhan Vong."
Luke turned to Cal Omas. "Cal, have you heard of this?"
Cal shook his head. "If the Bothan government has made any such declaration, they certainly haven't informed me."
"Speak to Admiral Kre'fey," Kyp said. "He's a happy warrior these days—Fin sure he'd be glad to explain it to you."
Dif Scaur's pale, skeletal fingers fingered his jaw. Cold intelligence worked behind his deep-set eyes, and Luke sensed that he found this development highly intriguing. "Bothans are rather secretive," he said. "It's possible that they consider this a private decision."
"A private decision with galactic consequences," Cal said. He seemed unsettled and angry. "It's not the Bothans' decision, anyway, blast it."
"What do we do with Admiral Kre'fey's request?" Kenth Hamner asked.
"He already has Jedi serving under him," Tresina Lobi said. "Including Master Durron. What is his opinion?"
Kyp hesitated, then shrugged. "He's an effective commander—not a genius like Ackbar or a master of tactics like Wedge Antilles, but a problem solver and dedicated to victory. Ar'krai is a new policy. I don't know what he plans to do, but I know that I'm worried."
From the Gotal Senator Ta'laam Ranth, Luke sensed a wave of wry amusement. Gotals were thought unemotional and hyperlogical by those who could not detect the emotions radiating from the twin cones on their heads. Though Luke wasn't as good at reading Ta'laam as another Gotal would be, he nevertheless received an indication of the Senator's disposition through the Force.
"Kre'fey may wish to eliminate the Vong," Ta'laam said. "I may wish to eliminate the Vong. Most of the people in this galaxy doubtless wish to eliminate the Vong. But may I remind the council that neither Kre'fey nor anyone else can do it. We are losing the war. The issue isn't whether we destroy the Yuuzhan Vong, the issue is whether they destroy us." His scarlet eyes glimmered in their deep sockets. "Moral conundrums make an entertaining mental exercise, but I suggest we keep this discussion within the realm of the possible."
"I agree," Scaur said. He had been watching Ta'laam narrowly, and Luke sensed that he was agreeing, not because he cared about the Senator's position, but for secret reasons of his own.
Luke wished he knew what these reasons were.
Releqy nodded her golden head in agreement with Scaur and Ta'laam. "Perhaps that is best," she said.
"Very well," Luke said. "The issue is whether we should send Jedi to Admiral Kre'fey."
Saba Sebatyne put an elegant, scaled hand onto the table. "I and my kindred are highly experienced in the kind of Force-melding that Admiral Kre'fey desirez for hiz Jedi. Perhaps I should point out something that otherz may not have realized. If Kre'fey succeedz in building this meld in his forcez, it will not be Kre'fey who commands his fleet, it will be ussss."
The last sibilant hiss floated down the table to Saba's startled audience. Triebakk, vastly amused, gave an untranslatable roar.
"The fleet will be conditioned to obey the orderz of the Jedi," Saba went on. "They will fight at our direction and under our leadership. Should Kre'fey attempt any sort of—shall we call them illegal actionz?—he will need both our permission and cooperation. It would be within our power to withhold them."
The others watched the Barabel for a long, silent moment. Then Luke said, "I think we should send Jedi."
Kyp raised a hand in halfhearted protest, then dropped it. "Very well. But they should be warned about the Bothans' declaring ar'krai."
"Agreed. And while training with this meld, they should consider what to do if the meld is ever misused."
"Master Skywalker," Cilghal said. "You have throughout the war warned us of the dangers of aggression. But now you send Jedi to war under a commander who will use them aggressively. Have you changed your mind?"
Cilghal had been watching him with those bulging eyes, Luke thought, and had sensed his mind within the Force. She was never less than acute. "I have changed my policy, yes," he answered.
At once he had Kyp Durron's full attention. "How?" Kyp asked.
"I'm willing to give my blessing to those Jedi who wish to act offensively against the Yuuzhan Vong, provided that they confine their objectives to military ones."
Kyp's eyes flashed. "You could have saved us both a lot of grief if you'd told us that a couple of years ago!" He waved his arms. "For years you've been warning me about aggression leading to the dark side! I didn't listen, and over and over and over again reality whacked me on the side of the head! Finally I decided you were right! I watched someone else go to the dark and it was worse than I could have imagined!" He pointed a finger at Luke. "You finally convinced me! I've been a good little Jedi for—for months now! I've been telling everyone who would listen that Master Skywalker's been right all along! And now you tell me that you've changed your mind'?'"
Now this was the Kyp that Luke knew.
"How dare you?" Kyp demanded. "How da-
re you?"
It was all Luke could do to keep from laughing out loud.
"At the beginning of the war I didn't have the same information that I have now," Luke said. "Perhaps you did, however."
"What information?" Kyp crossed his arms and glared at Luke with grudging patience.
"At the beginning I was deeply disturbed by the fact the Yuuzhan Vong couldn't be found in the Force. It seemed to me that they might be a mocker)' of the Force, a deliberate profanation of life, and that I would be destined to lead a dark crusade against them." He looked along the table, meeting every pair of eyes. "It would have been a dreadful thing," he said. "So many Jedi would have turned against the light in a war like that. I might not have been able to resist the darkness myself."
"What changed your mind?" Kyp's gaze was wary.
"New information." Luke looked up. "From Jacen Solo, and from Vergere. It's now possible to understand that the Yuuzhan Vong aren't some exception to the rules of creation. If we can't see them in the Force, it's our fault, not theirs. We can fight them without wanting to wipe them from existence. We can fight them without hate, and without darkness."
Luke looked across the table at Kyp. "If you knew this two years ago, I apologize for doubting you. But in the meantime I'm not sorry that I was cautious."
"I couldn't have known any of that," Kyp said. "You know I couldn't have known it."
"There was so much at stake. I didn't want anyone to turn to the dark side because I misread the situation."
"You . . ." Kyp accused, pointing. "You . . ." He banged his hand on the table in frustration and looked at the others. "Am I the only one here who simply wants to punch Master Skywalker in the nose?"
Again Luke concealed laughter, and he sensed that he wasn't the only one. Cal Omas looked from Luke to Kyp and grinned. "I won't throw any punches," he said, "but I'm willing to be entertained."
Kyp threw up his hands in frustration. "I think Skywalker does this for his own entertainment!"
"If you want the practical argument, Kyp," Luke said, "the Chief of State has now given us his full support and made a place for the Jedi in the government. It seems only polite to support the government that is supporting us."
"That's all very well," Kyp said. "But your warnings about aggression weren't without foundation. It's still possible for the darkness to take our people. I know. I've been there." He looked at Luke, pain in his eyes. "And very recently I've watched it happen to someone else."
Now you know what it's like, Luke thought. He had watched Kyp fall into darkness without being able to stop him. Now Kyp understood, when Jaina let the dark take her, what it was to feel that helplessness.
"The Jedi Code is made confusing by the fact that aggression is never defined," Luke said. "So I'm going to define it right now. Aggression is making an unprovoked attack, or taking something that doesn't belong to you, or aiding someone else in doing one of these things."
Kyp nodded thoughtfully. "That definition could have prevented a lot of misunderstanding between the two of us."
"It could have," Luke said. "I'm sorry for that."
"The dangers are still very real," Kyp said. "They'll become even more real when we start sending our people into combat."
Luke shook his head. "We have to trust them. They're Jedi. We trained them."
Let them fill go, he thought. Vergere had shown him what he knew: he needed to trust that his training and his example would bring the Jedi through this crisis. Let them all go.
"There iz no great danger with the meld," Saba said. The others were startled by her complete certainty. "All Jedi together, and of one mind? Should one fall into darknessss, others would draw her back to the light."
Luke hoped this was true. "We have to trust the Jedi and their training," he said. "We've given all the warnings we can. The meld is another tool we can try to use."
"What about the Great River?" Cilghal asked. She seemed in genuine distress. "We have painfully set up this conduit for refugees, agents, and information. Are we all to engage in warfare now, and let the Great River dry up at its source?"
"Of course not," Luke said. "Each Jedi must decide how he or she wishes to help defeat the Yuuzhan Vong. And unless there's some pressing need, I intend myself to continue my work with the Great River."
Cilghal seemed reassured. Luke turned to Cal. "Have you had enough speeches for today?"
"It's been enlightening." Cal looked around the table. "Somehow I expected that Jedi would have more certainty and less discussion."
"I always hope for that," Luke said. "I hardly ever get it."
Other members of the council made reports concerning the Great River or other projects. Dif Scaur made a brief presentation concerning what he understood of current Yuuzhan Vong goals, and Triebakk spoke about the Senate, which seemed alarmed with itself at its boldness in electing Gal as Chief of State, but was otherwise fairly quiet.
"Is that all, then?" Luke asked.
Tresina rolled up her snout to allow herself to speak without being muffled. "I'd like to ask about the Jedi apprentices just arrived, with a refugee convoy, here on Mon Calamari," she said. "They have no Masters or current duties. What arc we to do with them? Send them to—" She hesitated, on the verge of letting a secret slip. "—to join the other apprentices at the hidden academy?"
"Who are we talking about?" asked Cilghal.
"Zekk and Tahiti Veila."
"All were with my son Tesar on the strike at Myrkr," Saba said.
All watched Anakin die, Luke thought.
"They're being looked after by Alema Rar," Tresina said. "But Alema doesn't feel ready to take an apprentice, let alone two of them, so she's asked me to query the council."
Alema was right, Luke thought. Alema had lost her sister Jedi Knight horribly to a voxyn, and was very vulnerable even before the Myrkr strike, probably too vulnerable to spend her days looking after apprentices who had problems of their own.
"They're all warriors, then," Kenth Hamner said. "Veterans. They'll all be needed." He turned to Luke. "Perhaps we should promote them to Jedi Knight? Then they can decide for themselves where they'll be most useful."
Luke hesitated, then spoke. "Tahiri is very young, not even sixteen. And she was a ... special friend ... to Anakin. I don't know if she's gotten over his death." He shook his head. "Knighting her and sending her against the Yuuzhan Vong might be sending her straight to the dark side."
"Send them to Kashyyyk," Saba said. "Send them to Tesar, and to the meld. Send Alema Rar az well. The Force-meld will save them from the dark side." Her yellow eyes flicked over the group. "Just az melding with the Barabelz saved me, when Tesar's hatch-matez Krasov and Bela were lost."
Saba's sincerity was convincing. Luke nodded. "Very well."
"There are other apprentices who were with Anakin's strike force," Kenth reminded. "Jaina, Jacen, and Lowbacca, and of course Cilghal's apprentice Tekli. Shouldn't we promote them as well?"
Luke felt embarrassment that he hadn't realized this himself. "Of course."
"Don't forget Tenel Ka," Kyp added.
Gal's eyes lit up. "They'll be the first Jedi Knights of the new order," he said. "Shouldn't you do something special when you knight them? A ceremony, or—?"
"The Jedi have never engaged much in ceremony," Kyp said. "Jedi do. Jedi don't playact."
Luke laughed. "Do you want to make a speech so badly, Cal? There's never been any ceremony in the past."
Cal flushed a little, but said, "Why not have one? They're heroes, and people should know it. Bring them all here and I'll pin medals on them and talk until their ears turn blue."
"Tesar and Lowbacca are on Kashyyyk," Tresina reminded.
"They're in the military, aren't they?" Cal said. "Jaina's squadron? Reassign the squadron to Mon Calamari."
"Sir." Sien Sow spoke tactfully. "Admiral Kre'fey will hardly appreciate losing three Jedi just when he's asked us to send more."
"Then tell him he'll get more!" Cal said.
"Tell him that he'll send us apprentices, but he'll get Jedi Knights in return!"
"Tenel Ka has already been promoted," Releqy pointed out. "To Queen Mother, in fact. I don't know if we can persuade the Hapans to let her go just because we want to hold a ceremony."
Cal's enthusiasm was undimmed. "Why should the Hapans object if we want to honor their queen? Besides, I'm sure she'll want to be present when her friends are knighted."
Luke found himself grinning at Cal's zeal. Perhaps a ceremony was in order, just to show everyone—the Jedi not least of all—that things had changed. That the Jedi now had a place in the galaxy, and were in the forefront of the struggle against the Yuuzhan Vong.
Champions again of the New Republic, and of the billions of lives for which it fought.
". . . the brilliant leadership of Anakin Solo." Cal's voice, unusually formal and ringing and solemn, filled the darkened auditorium. "As we honor these young warriors, let us never forget the others who shared their mission but never returned. Ulaha Kore. Eryl Besa. Jovan Drark. Raynar Thul. Bela and Krasov Hara. Gan-ner Rhysode, who returned from Myrkr only to die later, in defense of a comrade ..."
As each name was called, an image of each Jedi was projected above the stage, floating as a kind of ghostly presence. In the orchestra pit before the stage, drums thudded out slowly, like a heart beating its last.
". . . and their leader, Anakin Solo."
Anakin's image appeared. Luke, standing at stage right with the rest of the High Council, looked up at the grinning, boyish face and felt a lump rising in his throat.
It had been Cal who had planned the whole knighting ceremony. Luke had objected to its theatrics but had been overruled. "Most people will never see a Jedi Knight in their whole lives," Cal had said. "I want them to see Jedi Knights now, and I want them to see the Jedi Knights doing something meaningful."
Cal had been right. The slow invocation of the dead was affective and moving.
Cal turned toward Luke. "Master Skywalker will now take the podium."
Cal left the podium and rejoined the High Council at stage right, his feet falling into the solemn rhythm of the drums. Luke, dressed simply in his Jedi robes, marched in the opposite direction and passed Cal along the way. Myrkr's dead floated overhead like stars in a lost constellation.
STAR WARS - THE NEW JEDI ORDER - Destiny's Way Page 28