[Dark Nest] - 1(157)

Then another unhappy thought occurred to them. Welk.

If UnuThul dies…

The possibility was almost too terrible to consider. If UnuThul died, Welk-or Lomi Plo, if she had survived-might become the new Prime Unu. They did not know what that would mean for the Colony, but it would certainly be bad for the rest of the galaxy. The Dark Jedi would use the Killiks for their own ends, perhaps even to draw the entire galaxy into a single collective mind.

Need to protect UnuThul, Zekk concluded.

Better warn him.

Jaina and Zekk were relieved. It was what they had wanted anyway. Maybe they had even convinced themselves it was the best thing when it was not, but their mind was made up. They reached out to UnuThul in the Force, urging him to open himself to their combat-meld.

Unu’s will pressed down on them. Suddenly, rescuing Lowbacca seemed more important than stopping the Colony’s attack. If Jaina and Zekk did not rescue their friend quickly, he would perish along with his captors when the Great Swarm destroyed the Chiss fleet.

Jaina and Zekk pushed back, but-being out of touch with the Taat mind-they had no way to explain the Chiss trap. All they could do was pour their alarm into the Force and urge UnuThul to join the combat-meld.

Unu’s will grew heavier, and they began to believe it was not so important to reach UnuThul after all.

Afraid we ‘re trying to trick them again, Zekk surmised.

Only the knowledge that Unu was wrong gave them the strength to resist, to continue reaching into the Force.

Finally, someone reached back-but it was Jaina’s mother, not UnuThul. Jaina and Zekk stretched out toward her, inviting her into their battle-meld, and the situation grew a little clearer. Leia and the others were under attack. An image of dozens of blue-black Killik soldiers appeared inside their mind, swarming up a dark tunnel, pouring electrobolt fire toward them.

Jaina and Zekk were alarmed, but Leia did not seem frightened or worried. Why should she be? She and Han had been trapped in worse situations a hundred times.

Now Jaina and Zekk were really worried-and confused. They did not know of any blue-black Killiks in the Qoribu system-nor of any nests with such gloomy walls.

Kr, Leia explained. Secret nest.

A nest could not be secret. Unu would know about it.

Welk? Leia reminded them. Saba?

Now Jaina and Zekk understood. Every time they had tried

to investigate the assault on Saba, the Taat-and later UnuThul - had turned them aside. The Barabel had mistakenly attacked a Joiner, it was claimed, or she had fought a Chiss assassin.

Perhaps UnuThul had been attempting to hide the secret nest all along. Or maybe he just did not want to believe it existed.

Either way, the situation was worse than Jaina and Zekk had realized. They wanted to go to Kr to help Leia and the others, but if UnuThul died, the Dark Jedi would be close by, waiting to take over.

Leia seemed to understand. She was already withdrawing from the meld, urging them to be careful, assuring them that Luke and the other Masters had things well in hand on Kr.

When she was gone, Jaina and Zekk still felt no hint of UnuThul.

Have to do this the hard way, Jaina said.

Go back and make contact with Taat, Zekk agreed. Then the Colony will know what we ‘re thinking.

Jaina and Zekk hesitated. Unu’s will was a bantha sitting on their shoulders, pushing them toward Lobacca, toward the heart of the Chiss fleet.

Lome can wait a few more minutes, Jaina said. We’ll come back for him.

Lowie would understand, Zekk agreed. Lowie is a Jedi.

Jaina and Zekk rolled into simultaneous wingovers and reversed direr ion, pointing their noses back toward the Great Swarm. Unu’s weight sank to their stick hands.

Only one problem with this plan, Zekk observed.

Jaina could feel Zekk fighting, as she was, to keep his controls dead center.

Not really. Jaina released her stick. “Sneaky, take us in.”

The astromech took control of the StealthX, then chirped a question.

“To Unu’s squadron.” As Jaina spoke, Zekk was giving the same orders to his own astromech. The Taat were flying escort for UnuThul’s flag frigate, so all the two Jedi needed to do to was rejoin the swarm, and the Taat mind would know everything they did. “And that command is non-“

“There is no need to desert our friend.” UnuThul’s gravelly voice reverberated over their comm speakers, but when Jaina and Zekk checked their reception meters, they discovered that their transceivers were not receiving a signal. “We will listen to your plea, but Unu will never let you stay. You have betrayed the Colony’s trust-“

“It’s not about us.” Jaina was not quite certain what form of reply UnuThul could hear, so she simply spoke the words aloud. “We need to warn you.”

“You’re flying into a trap,” Zekk added.