"I understand why you did it," Corran said when the two had finished
relating their story. "But you shouldn't have."
"Why?" Tahiri demanded. "Wouldn't you have done the same?"
Corran hesitated fractionally. "No. I felt Kelbis Nu, too, but so dimly
I couldn't figure out where he was. But even if I'd known, I have both of
you to think of. As you should
have been thinking of me. Anakin, you've always been impulsive-"
"This was my fault," Tahiri interrupted.
"Yes. Emphatically, yes. But Anakin set the example. Didn't either of
you learn anything on Yavin Four?"
"Yes," Tahiri said. "I learned that the Jedi can count on no one but
ourselves."
"Really? Your dad is no Jedi, Talon Karrde is no Jedi, nor were the
people under his command who died trying to rescue you."
"Well, no one was going to rescue Kelbis," Anakin pointed out.
"Including you."
"But we might have. We had to try."
Corran looked at them both tiredly.
"This isn't over," he said. "When we get back to the Errant Venture,
we're going to have this talk again, with Kam and Tionne and anyone else I
think of who might be able to get a word past this youthful, idiotic
self-confidence of yours. But for the moment-you say Kelbis said something
about Yag'Dhul?"
"His last word," Anakin said. "It took a lot out of him to say even
that. He really wanted me to know something. I think Yag'Dhul may be in
danger."
Corran's eyes narrowed, reflecting a sudden, plunging-stomach
suspicion. "Anakin, where is this jump taking us?"
"You said Coreward," Anakin replied innocently.
"Tell me we aren't going to pop out in the Yag'Dhul system."
"We aren't going to pop out in the Yag'Dhul system," Anakin told him.
"Good," Corran said, relieved.
"We're going to come out really near it, though," Anakin added.
"Why you-" Corran held back a series of specifically Corellian words he
that really wanted to use. But Tahiri was only fourteen. Would he make it
through Valin's and Jy-sella's teenage years without turning to the dark
side?
Probably not. "How close?" he said, trying to sound not quite as
irritated as he was.
"One jump. I thought you'd at least like to check it out."
"Anakin! Supplies! We were just supposed to get supplies, not mount a
search-and-rescue-recon mission!" He buried his face in his hands. "Now I
understand those pitying looks Solusar was giving me before we left."
Corran wished Mirax were here. She knew how to deal with this kind of
thing. "How long before realspace?"
"Another five minutes."
"Terrific. Now listen to me very carefully. I am the captain of this
vessel. From now on you don't even visit the 'fresher without my say-so,
either of you. You will follow my orders. That means, by the way, that you
do not imagine or guess at my orders, but actually wait until you hear
them."
"I was following orders," Anakin protested. "You said to jump
Coreward."
"Don't insult us both, Anakin. You're better than that."
"Yes, Captain."
"Good." Corran settled himself before the controls and awaited the
reversion to sublight speeds.
They reentered realspace with a pockmarked asteroid nearly filling
their field of vision. Corran swore and decelerated, cutting hard toward the
nearest horizon of the rock. A jagged crater edge loomed, and he knew they
weren't going to make the angle. Desperately he switched on the
repulsorlift.
The Lucre squealed a metallic protest as the field bounced them none
too gently away from the asteroid. Corran let out his breath and killed
their motion relative to the planetoid until he could get his bearings.
A good thing, too, because in the surrounding space he made out
hundreds of asteroids, densely packed. It would take a good deal of care to
fly out of it unscathed.
"You could have warned me about the asteroid field," Corran told
Anakin.
"I would have if there had been one," Anakin said in a strange voice.
"It wasn't on the charts?"
"It's still not," Anakin said. "Look at the sensor readings."
Corran did, and swore again as everything snapped into focus. Aside
from the cratered stone he'd nearly hit coming out of hyperspace, the rest
of the objects near enough to see had the organic but all-too-familiar lines
of ships grown from yorik coral.
"This is a Yuuzhan Vong fleet," Anakin said.
SEVENTEEN
"I've located the Errant Venture,' Luke said. "Not far from Clak'dor.
We'll be there in a day or so."
Mara nodded. "Good," she said shortly.
"How are you feeling?"
Mara shot him a dirty look. "Skywalker, why do you ask questions you
know the answer to? I feel overweight. My ankles feel as if I have stun
cuffs permanently fastened to them. I'm always nauseated. Nobody told me I
would get nauseated again. I thought that part was over early on,"
"So did I," Luke replied. He pressed his lips together. He sensed more
than mere irritation behind Mara's words. There was a kind of defensiveness
about her outburst. "Is there something you want to tell me?" he asked
gently.
"If I wanted to tell you, I would, wouldn't I?"
"Not if you thought it might upset me," Luke said.
"You've got me. I hate that shirt. In fact, I think you're a crummy
dresser, period."
"You bought me this shirt," Luke reminded her. "Mara, are you sick
again? Have you come out of remission?"
Mara studied her fingernails. "Cilghal's keeping tabs on that," she
said, still with that underlying air of defiance.
"And?"
Mara's face pinched tight. "The disease isn't present in our child."
"Is it active in you again?" Luke demanded.
Mara watched the starfield for several long minutes. "Maybe," she
admitted. "Maybe."
As predicted, they found the Errant Venture about one standard day
later. The Star Destroyer opened a berth for them, and he navigated the Jade
Shadow in without incident.
A small crowd awaited Luke, Mara, and Cilghal. Booster Terrik, captain
and owner of the Errant Venture, stood in front, a great gundark of a human
with an impressive, well-tended beard and curling mustachios. Just behind
him and to the side were three more humans, two in Jedi robes. Luke
recognized Kam Solusar by his sure stance, haunted features, and receding
blond hair. His wife, Tionne, was as unmistakable; her hair was a silver
river cascading down her shoulders. The third human was another woman, clad
in a dun jumpsuit, her black-glass hair cut in a bob: Mirax Terrik Horn,
Booster's daughter and sometimes business partner. She was married to Corran
Horn, who was conspicuous by his absence.
Behind them were some thirty-odd youngsters of at least seven species.
This was what remained of the academy on Yavin 4, the praxeum that had
trained almost a hundred Jedi. Now Yavin 4 was occupied by the Yuuzhan Vong,
the temple that had housed his students destroyed. With half the galaxy
&nb
sp; hunting for Jedi gifts to present to the Yuuzhan Vong warmaster, the only
safe place for the moment was no place. For months, Booster had been jumping
randomly about the galaxy to keep the students hidden.
Two others were missing as well, Luke noticed. Anakin Solo and Tahiri
Veila. Knowing Anakin, that was a bad sign. Luke made a mental note to ask
after him as soon as the pleasantries were over.
"Look there," Booster growled, as Luke and Mara descended the landing
ramp. "There's the man who made the once mighty and terribly feared Booster
Terrik into a glorified baby-sitter. I ought to space you right now, Jedi."
"I can't tell you how grateful I am," Luke said. Though he knew Booster
meant well, he didn't have the energy or inclination for banter at the
moment.
"You ought to be. Jedi brats." He mussed the hair of a young boy with
brown hair, then the girl next to him. "With some notable exceptions, of
course," he amended.
"You're funny, Grandpa," the boy said. Then he turned his brown eyes
toward the Jade Shadow and Luke and Mara. "Hello, Masters."
"Hello, Valin," Luke replied. "I hope you've been staying out of
trouble and concentrating on your lessons."
"I have, Master Skywalker. I promise."
"And the rest of you?" Luke directed his gaze over the assembled
students.
In return he got a chorus of assents and barely bridled enthusiasm.
"Well, that's good, then. Kam, Tionne, Mirax. Good to see you."
There was a round of clasping and hugs, and then a moment of awkward
silence.
"I guess we need to talk," Luke said at last. "I need to fill you all
in on a few things."
"That's all very well," Mirax said, "but Mara looks tired."
"I'm okay," Mara disagreed.
Mirax shook her head. "I've had two kids. I know that look. Let me take
you someplace where you can freshen up, and let the rest of them have their
conference. Luke doesn't need you for that, does he?"
"I guess not." She shot Luke a look, and he knew what it meant. My
health concerns are private. You will not speak of them.
He nodded to let her know he understood.
Out loud, what he said was, "If you're tired, go with Mirax. If I leave
something out, you can fill them in later."
Mara smiled wanly. "Put on a little weight and everyone treats you like
an invalid."
"You'll see how long that lasts after the big event," Mirax said. "When
Baby Skywalker has a little accident, everyone will magically think you're
plenty strong and capable."
"Boy. And I thought this was the best part." "Yep," Mirax said. "That's
exactly what I'm telling you. Come along now. I've got a comfy couch with
your name on it."
"I'll come with you, too, if you don't mind," Cilghal said, "Of
course," Mirax replied. "The more the merrier."
They sat around Booster's circular conference table, absorbing the
news.
"Do you really think you would have been arrested?" Kam asked, folding
the fingers of both hands together into one very large fist.
"I honestly don't know," Luke replied. "Hamner thinks the whole thing
was a ploy engineered to get me away from Coruscant. He may be right. Borsk
Fey'lya has never been one of our strongest supporters, but I can't see him
thinking that arresting me would solve any of his problems. In fact, I think
we narrowly escaped an insurrection because he ordered my arrest."
"Last I heard," Booster said, "the senate was divided over the Jedi
question. Maybe it's tipped, and Fey'lya was just being the politician he
is."
"Maybe," Luke agreed. "In a way, it doesn't matter. What does matter is
what we do now."
"And that is?"
"Right now, Han, Leia, Jacen, and a number of other allies are out
there creating a network to help Jedi or whoever else needs to escape from
danger zones-to get us in and out of Yuuzhan Vong and Vong-sympathetic space
as safely as possible. I have no doubt that in time, that network will be in
place. But when that day comes, we need a terminus-a planet that only we
know about, that only we can find. We can't just keep hopping around the
galaxy-we have to have a home base to plan and act from. If Han and Leia are
creating a great river, we need a sea for it to flow into."
"Well, that sounds good to me," Terrik said. "I certainly don't want
all of you robe-wearing freeloaders on my ship. You have someplace in mind?"
"Frankly, no. I was hoping for some suggestions."
"The Maw installation," Kam said.
"We're already using that," Luke said, "but the Maw is pretty well
known. Almost impossible to navigate in, but well known. Any number of
collaborators could at least
point the Yuuzhan Vong there, and we still don't know the limits of
their technology. We're risking a base there, a safe house, but I won't
place the future hope of the Jedi in that exposed a position."
"If there were another cluster of black holes like the Maw . . . ,"
Tionne began.
"Well, there is," Booster said. "Or at least a place like it. Worse,
actually."
"Where?"
"Think. What makes the Maw such a nightmare? All those mass shadows,
butted up against each other. Gravity bending space and time so much that
almost no hyperspace route is a safe one. There's another place like that."
Kam nodded. "The Deep Core," he said. "Terrik, you're crazy."
"You're the one who suggested the Maw," Booster
pointed out.
"Yes, but we know how to get in and out of the Maw."
"Right. Somebody crazy."
"Kyp found it, too," Luke said. "Using the Force. If Kyp could do it at
the Maw, we can do it in the Core. It just won't be easy."
"A world of our own," Tionne lilted. "A Jedi world, safe for the
children. It's a worthy goal." "Worth a song or two, wouldn't you say?"
Booster
asked.
Tionne, well known for her ballads, nodded and enigmatically smiled.
Not so enigmatic to Kam. His eyes went very wide. "Us?" he said.
His wife continued smiling. "The students will have Luke, at least
until Mara gives birth, and I suspect for a bit after. And they will have
Corran when he returns. We have been too long sedentary, Kam. You have. This
will be good
for us."
Booster bellowed laughter. "I suspect we've found your madman,
Solusar."
Kam set his shoulders uncomfortably. "Yes, perhaps you have," he
acknowledged.
"Speaking of Corran," Luke said, after smaller versions of Booster's
laughter had wandered around the table, "where is he? I didn't see Anakin
either."
"Boy was getting deck fever," Booster said. "He went with Corran for
supplies."
"They took Tahiti with them?"
"I don't know about that," Booster said.
"He did," Kam said.
Booster's eyes narrowed in anger. "Without asking my permission? Who's
captain here, anyway? When that Cor-Sec whelp my daughter married gets back,
I'm going to teach him who is, that's for sure."
"
I'm sure Corran knew what he was doing," Luke said.
"Oh, I wouldn't go that far," Kam averred. "He took Anakin and Tahiri,
together? No, I doubt he has any idea whatsoever what he's doing."
EIGHTEEN
The Lucre was a Codru-Ji sword dancer gone mad, gyring, whirling across
a stage of plasma bursts and coral-skippers flying as thick as swarming
insects.
"Twenty kilometers down, another thousand to go before clearing the
fleet," Corran said coldly.
Anakin didn't answer as the Lucre dropped into a sudden, hard-out
sprint, a bid to close that impossible gap.
It wasn't going to happen. Coralskippers contracted around the ship in
a sphere, and the shields flared with the effort of absorbing the energy of
the constant plasma bombardment. All too soon, the shields failed, and the
next round of hits were to the drive.
"So long," Corran said. Then the Lucre was an expanding fury of
superheated helium and metal fragments.
"Wow," Tahiri breathed. Her voice sounded tinny in the helmet of
Anakin's vac suit. "That didn't take long."
"No," Anakin said. It had only been minutes since they set the ship off
on its preprogrammed suicide course and launched themselves from the hatch
under cover of a barrage of laser and missile fire. In the five minutes it
had taken them to reach the asteroid's surface, the Lucre'?, brief solo
career had begun and ended.
"No gawking," Corran said. "There's a fissure over there. Let's move
toward that. They might get the bright idea to search here at any moment."
Tahiri took a step in the desired direction and was suddenly floating
away from the surface. She yelped, flailing her arms.
Corran caught her foot, and her momentum pulled him
off his feet. Anakin grabbed them both with the Force and brought them
back to the asteroid's surface.
"Don't walk," Corran advised, "The gravity here is negligible, just
enough to give your inner ear a sense of up and down. Don't let it fool
you-the escape velocity of this rock is about five kilometers an hour, if
that. Pull yourselves along." He maneuvered himself so his body was parallel
to the surface and began doing just that, grasping at the uneven stone.
Tahiri and Anakin followed his example, as silly as it felt. Anakin glanced
often at the space around them, but none of the Yuuzhan Vong ships seemed to
be moving in their direction.