[Dark Nest] - 1(41)

“Jaina and the others are well.” Raynar addressed himself to Han. “But they were Raynar Thul’s friends. We are unsure how they feel about us.”

“You haven’t answered the question,” Luke observed.

“The Colony has need of them,” Raynar replied. “Only Jedi can prevent a war with the Chiss.”

Han started to complete the threat he had made earlier, but Leia quickly rose and drew him to the edge of the dais.

“The Chiss have told us that there is a border conflict,” Luke said. “But not why.”

Raynar’s scar-stiffened face showed twitches of suspicion. “We do not know why. The system we have entered is over a light-year from the nearest Chiss base, and we have established nests only on food sources. Their explorers are alone on all the ore planets. We have even offered to work in their mines, in exchange for food and supplies.”

“Let me guess,” Han said from the edge of the dais. “The Chiss aren’t interested?”

“Worse. They have poisoned our food worlds.” He tilted his disfigured head and made a clicking sound deep in his throat-a sound that was echoed by the tapping mandibles of the attendant insects below. “Our nests our starving, and we do not understand why.”

Luke found Raynar’s confusion odd. “You’re only a light-year from their border. You don’t think they might be worried about your intentions? Or want to claim the system for their own?”

“The Colony is not stopping them,” Raynar said. “They are free to take what they need.”

“As long as you’re free to take what you need?” Leia asked.

“We do not need the same things,” Raynar answered. “There is no reason to fight.”

“No reason you can see,” Mara said. Luke sensed that she was as mystified as he was by Raynar’s blindness to Chiss territorial concerns. “Maybe we should go take a look at what’s happening there. Where is this system?”

Raynar’s unblinking gaze shifted to Mara. “You wish to go there?”

“You said you needed help,” Luke reminded him. “Perhaps we can resolve the situation.”

“We know what we said.”

Raynar’s eyes grew very dark around the edges, and suddenly Luke could see nothing else. The murky presence began to reach into his mind, trying to push its way inside his thoughts to read his intentions. Luke was astonished by its power and had to reach deeply into the Force to bolster his own strength. Though the probe was hardly subtle or refined, it felt as though it were being driven by a thousand Raynars, and he feared for a moment that in his surprise he would be overwhelmed by its sheer might.

Then he felt Mara pouring her own strength into him, and Saba and even Leia. Together they pushed the dusky hand back. Luke found himself looking once again into the blue, lidless eyes of their host, and he finally began to comprehend just how difficult it was going to be to reach Raynar Thul.

“What are you waiting for?” Han demanded, apparently not noticing his companions’ sweaty brows and trembling hands. “Tell us where the system is… unless you’re afraid of what we’ll find.”

“We have nothing to fear from you, Captain Solo. Jaina and the others are free to leave anytime they wish.” Raynar floated to his feet, then tipped his head to Luke and the other Jedi. “As are you, Master Skywalker. We will assign a guide to escort you back to the Lizil nest.”

“We won’t be going back to the Lizil nest. Not yet.” Luke met Raynar’s eyes, this time ready to meet a probe with a Force wall of his own. “We came to investigate what Jaina and the others are doing.”

“You’re welcome to stay on Yoggoy as long as you like,” Raynar said. “But we’re sorry. You can’t see our Jedi.”

“Your Jedi?” Han snarled. “When the Core goes dark!”

Leia motioned Han back, then stepped toward Raynar, her chin raised in challenge. “Why not? Because we’ll discover you haven’t been entirely honest? Because the Chiss are more in the right than you’re telling us?”

“No.” Raynar’s mouth straightened, perhaps in an attempt at a smile. “Because we know how good you are, Princess Leia - and because you serve necessity instead of virtue.”

“Just hold on,” Han objected.”Leia has been out of politics for a long time. This is just us.”

“Really?” Raynar turned to Luke. “What do the Jedi seek?”

“Peace,” Luke answered instantly.

“Peace in the Galactic Alliance,” Raynar amended. “We know where the new Jedi Temple has been built.”