Dark Nest_ The Swarm War Part 6

"I'm sure they would have." Leia started toward the hatch again. "But I don't know if I can support Luke's decision to make himself Grand Master of the Jedi."

"Come on," Han said. "It's not like he had any other choice-and you know he'll do a good job."

"Of course," Leia said. "But what happens to the order when Luke is gone? That's a lot of power for one being to wield, and power corrupts. The next Grand Master might be more susceptible to its dark influence than Luke."

"Then you're worried about nothing," Han said. "You saw how the Masters were. Without Luke, the order won't last a year."

"I know," Leia said. "And that worries me, too."

They reached the main hatch, where Cakhmaim and Meewalh were waiting in their disguises. The Noghri were doing their best to waddle about and c.o.c.k their heads in the characteristic expressions of curious Ewoks, but somehow they still looked far too graceful. Han slipped the voice synthesizer into his mouth, then turned and spoke to the Noghri in a deep, booming tone.

"Try to be a little clumsy," he said. "Maybe drop some stuff and trip once or twice."

The pair looked at Han as though he had asked Ewoks to fly.

"Well, do what you can," Han said.

He lowered the boarding ramp and nearly gagged on the clammy, too-sweet air that rolled through the hatchway. The cacophony of ticking and thrumming was even louder than the last time he was here. A dozen waist-high Killiks with deep orange thoraxes and blue abdomens appeared at the bottom of the ramp and started to ascend without requesting permission.

Han stepped aside and-gritting his teeth at their lack of ship etiquette-waved the bugs aboard. They brushed past him and immediately began to spread out through the Swiff, running their feathery antennae over every available surface and clacking their mandibles in interest.

Han waved them toward the stern. "This way, my friends," he said, trying to give his best impression of a down-on-his-luck Arkanian technolord. "We have something truly special for you."

Three of the Killiks thrummed their chests and came over, but the rest continued to explore the ship. Han motioned Cakhmaim and Meewalh to keep an eye on the others, then smiled and led the way back to the main cargo hold. Knowing the insects would investigate every meter of the ship, he and Leia and the Noghri had taken pains to shoot any hint of their true ident.i.ty out the disposal tube, but he still had beads of nervous sweat trickling down his ribs. Given how things had gone in the Utegetu Nebula, it seemed unlikely that Lizil would react well to discovering who he and Leia really were.

When they reached the cargo hold, Han made a show of depressing the slap-pad that opened the hatch. "I present the Magcannon Max, the finest piece of magnetic coil artillery in the galaxy."

The three Killiks stepped through the hatch, then stopped inside and craned their necks back to stare up at the weapon's armored housing-all three stories of it. Han nodded to Leia, who went over to the base of the weapon and began a carefully rehea.r.s.ed sales pitch in the sultry-if completely artificial-voice of a Falleen.

"The economical Magcannon Max delivers a planetary defense-grade firepower in a self-contained package. With a fully shielded housing and an internal sensor suite, this naughty girl can find a bombarding Star Destroyer as easily as she can spill its guts."

Leia flashed a winsome Falleen smile, then turned to lead the way toward the weapon's giant, telescoping barrels. Instead of following, the Killiks turned to Han and began to thrum their thoraxes.

"They would like to know how they move a weapon of this size," C-3P0 translated. "Does it have its own propulsion system?"

Han addressed the bugs directly. "You don't move it. We transport and install wherever you need it-even in the war zone." Han gave them a regal Arkanian smile. "Our service package is superior."

All three bugs turned and left the hold.

Han frowned and started after them. "So you'll take it?"

The last Killik in line turned and fixed Han with its bulbous green eyes. "Rrrub uur." It shook its head emphatically. "Buubb rruuur uubbu, rbu ubb rur."

"Oh dear," C-3P0 said. "She says the Colony has no use for weapons emplacements. The Chiss are overrunning their worlds too fast."

The Killik started up the corridor again, chest rumbling.

"But the repeating blasters and thermal detonators in the secret weapons locker inside the wall behind the main engineering terminal will prove very useful," C-3P0 translated. "Lizil has left a dozen shine-b.a.l.l.s and fifty waxes of golden membrosia at the foot of the boarding ramp in exchange."

"That's all?" Han followed them to the ramp, where Cakhmaim and Meewalh were already bringing the shine-b.a.l.l.s and membrosia aboard-still looking far too graceful for Ewoks. "We didn't come all the way-"

Han's objection came to an abrupt end when he found himself unable to continue down the ramp after the bugs, held immobile by the Force.

Leia came and took him by the arm. "Lord Rysto, there's no use forcing the situation," she cooed in her Falleen voice. "If Lizil doesn't want the gun, we'll just have to find another way to sell it."

Leia's words began to calm Han immediately. He was allowing his frustration to affect his judgment-and that could be very dangerous indeed, given how deep they were inside enemy territory.

Han placed his hand over Leia's. "Thank you, Syrule you're right." He looked down toward the Mon Calamari Sailfish sitting below them in the middle of the hangar floor. "And I think I know just where to start looking."

FIVE.

With most of the Jedi order off chasing pirates or reconnoitering for Admiral Bwua'tu in the Utegetu Nebula, the Knights' Billet on the tenth floor of the Jedi Temple was next to deserted. The only Jedi Knights present were the trio Luke had ordered to meet him here-Tesar, Lowbacca, and Tahiri-and the air had a stale, uncirculated smell. Tesar and Lowbacca were waiting in the conversation salon near the snack galley. Tahiri was in the exercise pen at the far end of the suite, working on a lightsaber form with thirteen fist-sized remotes whirling around her. Judging by the smoke haze visible through the transparisteel walls, the remotes' sting-bolts were set high enough to inflict burns.

Luke leaned close to Cilghal, who stood next to him with an armload of sensor equipment. "Can we do this in the salon?"

"We can detect aural fluctuations anywhere," she said, nodding. "But you know that won't answer your real question."

"It'll help," Luke said. "If their minds are still joined, then it's more likely they have fallen under Raynar's control."

"And if we find their minds aren't joined?"

"Then I'll know that telling Madame Thul about the debate over Raynar was their own choice," Luke said. "And I'll take action."

Luke led the way toward the salon. He could feel how concerned Cilghal was by his angry reaction to the Jedi Knights' betrayal, but he felt amazingly certain of himself. The other Masters had left him no choice but to play the Grand Master fully-to run the order as he thought best and demand full obedience from everyone in it.

As Luke and Cilghal drew near, Tesar and Lowbacca rose from the snack table where they were sitting and watched the two Masters approach with an unblinking, insect-like stare. They were both wearing their formal robes, but not their equipment belts or lightsabers. Tahiri remained in the exercise pen, concentrating on her lightsaber form and paying no attention to the arrival of the two Masters.

Luke motioned Cilghal and her equipment to the adjacent table, then took a seat opposite the pair and motioned them to sit. He did not summon Tahiri from the exercise pen. Madame Thul had not actually named Tahiri as one of the Jedi who had warned her about the plans to target Raynar, so Luke was content to let the young woman continue exercising-for now.

He remained quiet, studying the two Jedi Knights across the table while Cilghal completed her preparations. Nothing in the Force suggested they were under the Colony's control, but that meant little. Unless Raynar happened to be exerting the Colony's Will at that very moment, Luke suspected there would be nothing for him to sense.

Lowbacca watched Cilghal prepare her equipment, his scientific mind seemingly more interested in her calibrations than in the reason he had been recalled to the Jedi Temple. Tesar, on the other hand, was so nervous that he began to hiss and smack his lips in an effort to keep from drooling.

Finally, Cilghal nodded that she was ready. Luke did not bother to explain the equipment. Like all Jedi who spent more than a few days among the Killiks, Lowbacca and Tesar had submitted to dozens of aural activity scans as part of Cilghal's research.

"I'm sure you know why I ordered you to meet me here," Luke said.

Lowbacca nodded and groaned, saying that it probably had something to do with what they had told Aryn Thul.

"We can explain," Tesar added.

"I doubt it." Luke's tone was sharp. "But please try."

"We had no choice," Tesar said.

Lowbacca growled his agreement, rea.s.serting the argument that destroying the Colony would be immoral.

"And so would a.s.sazzinating a friend," Tesar added. "Raynar was our hunt-mate. Killing him would be wrong."

"Maybe," Luke said. "But that decision isn't yours to make."

Lowbacca countered with a long, stubborn rumble.

"Jedi Knights do serve the Force," Luke answered. "But now they serve it through the Jedi order. We've seen what happens when everyone goes in their own direction. We paralyze ourselves, and our enemies flourish."

Lowbacca rowled the opinion that being paralyzed was better than following a yuugrr out on its limb.

Luke frowned. Yuugrrs were dim-witted predators famous for stealing Wookiee children out of their beds, then trying to shake their pursuit by going out on a thin limb. More often than not, the limb broke, plunging the yuugrr, the child, and sometimes the pursuers into the depths of the Kashyyyk forest.

"If you're calling me a yuugrr, I'm not sure I follow your a.n.a.logy." It was a struggle for Luke to keep an even tone; he felt so betrayed by the pair that it required an act of will to remain interested in their reasons. "What's it supposed to mean?"

"Not that you are a yuugrr," Tahiri said, joining them. Sweat was still pouring down her face, and there were several holes where the remotes had burned through her jumpsuit and raised burn blisters. "You're following one-and you're taking the whole order with you. We had to do something."

"We?" Luke asked. He resisted the urge to send Tesar to fetch some bacta salve from the first-aid kit. This was no time to appear nurturing, and besides, Tahiri's mind still had enough Yuuzhan Vong in it that she probably enjoyed the pain. "Madame Thul didn't mention your name."

"Only because these two didn't tell me what they were doing." Tahiri shot Lowbacca and Tesar a dirty look. "Otherwise, I would have been right there with them."

Luke did not bother to hide his disappointment. "I appreciate your honesty, but I still don't understand."

"It's not complicated." Tahiri took a seat between Lowbacca and Tesar, rubbing her forearms against theirs in the Killik manner. "You listen to Jacen as though he were a senior Master, and his advice can't be trusted. He has his own agenda."

"Jacen isn't the one who broke confidentiality," Luke retorted. "And he doesn't know what I've decided about Raynar, either."

"But you do lizten to Jacen," Tesar rasped. "You cannot deny that."

Lowbacca grunted his agreement, adding that both Luke and Mara gave more weight to Jacen's opinion than to anyone else's. They seemed to think, Lowbacca continued, that taking a five-year furlough made him a better Jedi Knight than the Jedi who had been serving the order and the Alliance all along.

"Jacen's experience is unique," Luke said. "We all know that."

Even to him this sounded more like an excuse than a reason. The truth was that he valued his nephew's opinion because of what Jacen had learned about other Force-using traditions-but also because Jacen was the only person whom Ben would trust to be his guide to the Force. And that certainly did make Jacen a favorite in the Skywalker family-they were parents, after all.

Luke glanced over at Cilghal, reaching out to her in the Force with a single question in mind. She raised a webbed hand and gave it an ambiguous flutter that Luke interpreted to suggest a moderate correlation in the aural activity of the three Jedi Knights-enough to suggest there was still a link, but certainly not the complete fusion typical of Joiners.

Luke returned his gaze to Tahiri and the others. "But I value your opinions just as highly. If Jacen has a different agenda, what is it?"

All three Jedi Knights let out nervous throat-clicks. Then Tahiri said, "We haven't been able to figure that out."

"But it had zomething to do with the attack on Supply Depot Thrago," Tesar said.

Lowbacca added a long growl noting that Jaina had refused to fly with her brother since the attack. She was convinced Jacen had deliberately been trying to provoke the Chiss.

"I'm sure he was," Luke said. "The way he explained it to me, that was the only way to prevent the Chiss from launching the surprise attack he saw in his vision."

Lowbacca and Tesar shot uncomfortable glances at each other, but Tahiri kept her unblinking eyes fixed on Luke.

"We think Jacen may be lying about his vision."

Luke's brow shot up. "I didn't sense any lies when he told me about it."

"Were you trying to?"

"Jacen is very good at hiding his emotionz," Tesar added.

Lowbacca nodded and grunted that half the time, even Jaina could not feel him in the Force anymore.

"Then you've caught him lying?" Luke demanded. "These are very serious charges."

"We haven't actually caught him," Tahiri said.

Lowbacca oorrwwalled a clarification, explaining that the facts just did not add up.

"The Chisz were still stocking the depot with fuel when we attacked," Tesar added.

"And there were half a dozen frigates mothballed there," Tahiti finished. "They hadn't even fired the main reactors."

"Your point being?" Luke was growing impatient with their innuendo. It was the favorite weapon of the character a.s.sa.s.sin, and he expected better of Jedi. "Had Jacen told you the Chiss surprise attack was imminent?"

Tesar and Lowbacca glanced at each other, then Tahiri shook her head. "No, Jacen never said that."

"But when the Chisz did attack, their a.s.sault was improvised," Tesar said. "They did not have enough forward support."

Lowbacca nodded emphatically, adding that the secret weapon they had deployed against the Iesei had obviously been rushed through development. Otherwise, the bomb would not have failed to detonate on its initial use.

"The failed bomb-and everything else you've told me-tends to support Jacen's vision, not cast doubt on it," Luke said. He had found the trio's report about the failed bomb as worrying as it was incomplete. Given the Chiss willingness to deploy Alpha Red during the last war-and to run the risk of wiping out the entire galaxy along with the Yuuzhan Vong-he viewed the mysterious bomb in a very ominous light. "Clearly, the Chiss have been making war preparations. Forcing their hand may have been the only way to salvage the situation."

"You're saying Jacen did the right thing?" Tahiri gasped. "Even if the Chisz were not ready to attack?"

Luke nodded. "Sometimes it's better to hit first-especially if you see the other guy reaching for a thermal detonator."

He stared into the unblinking eyes of each Jedi Knight for several moments, wondering where he could have gone so wrong in their instruction. Perhaps he had been too hesitant to impose his own values on such a diverse group of students, or perhaps he had failed to present them with enough moot dilemmas to develop a proper moral center. All he knew for certain was that he had failed them somewhere, that he had not prepared them to face the soul-corrupting ruthlessness of the war against the Yuuzhan Vong, or instilled in them the strength to withstand the power of Raynar Thul's Will.

After a few moments of silence, Luke stood and stared down at the three Jedi. "You are not going to blame Jacen for your actions. Even if he had lied about his vision-and I don't believe he did-what you did was inexcusable. In going to Madame Thul with this, you betrayed me, you betrayed the other Masters, and you betrayed the Jedi order."

The three Jedi Knights were not disconcerted in the slightest. Tahiri and Tesar met Luke's gaze with an unblinking glare that was somewhere between anger and disbelief, and Lowbacca let out a very Killik-like chest rumble that suggested he was more angry than remorseful.

"You are a fool to place your faith in Jacen!" Tesar rasped. "He is nothing but a shenbit in a snake'z skin. You trust him with your hatchling-"

Lowbacca snarled a warning to the Barabel, telling him that he was only going to make Luke angrier by mentioning that.

"Mentioning what?" Luke demanded.

"Nothing," Tahiri said. "We didn't see it for ourselves, so we don't even know if it's true."