[Dark Nest] - 3(20)

“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 assassin, 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 assault 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.”