[Dark Nest] - 3(36)

“Well, don’t be too hard on yourself,” he said. “With a Squib death mark on our heads and the Killiks determined to send us back to the Alliance, we didn’t have much chance of reaching Tenupe anyway.”

“Not this time,” Leia agreed. “But we’ll be back.”

“Yeah, there’s always next time.” Han allowed himself a moment to curse the universe, then nodded toward Tito and the Verpine. “What about them?”

“We can’t take them back as prisoners,” she said. “Especially not Tito. He’s not all that psychopathic for a homeless Flakax, but that will change now that his buddy is dead. We just can’t take the chance.”

“Then I guess there’s only one thing to do,” Han said, starting back toward the insect.

Leia caught him by the arm. “Han, you’re not going to-“

“Yeah, I am.” Han disengaged his arm. “I’m going to send him back to the Squibs.”





NINE


With an artificial waterfall purling in the corner and a school of goldies swimming laps in the catch pond, the conversation area of Luke’s outer office was designed to encourage a peaceful, relaxed exchange. The lighting was soft and warm, the floor was sunken to separate it from the rest of the office, and the padded benches were arranged at an oblique angle so that any negative energy arising from a discussion would not fly directly at the conversers.

All of this was, unfortunately, wasted on the current situation. Jacen had chosen to remain standing, feet spread and arms crossed in front of him, facing off against Luke and Mara both. Sensing that Jacen knew exactly why he had been summoned, Luke wasted no time coming to the point.

“Jacen, your fellow Jedi Knights had some very disturbing things to say about the raid on the Chiss supply depot.”

Jacen nodded, his expression unreadable. “I imagine.”

“They claim that it was very clear the Chiss weren’t preparing for a surprise attack,” Luke pressed. “They believe you started

the

war unnecessarily.”

“They’re wrong.”

When Jacen did not elaborate, Mara asked, “Okay-what do you know that they don’t?”

“Just what I saw in my vision,” Jacen said. “I couldn’t let the Chiss attack on their own terms. I had to force their hand.”

Luke could not sense a lie in his nephew’s words-in fact, he could not sense anything at all because Jacen had closed himself off from the Force. He was trying to hide something.

“Jacen, I’ve never liked being lied to,” Luke said, acting on instinct. “And I absolutely refuse to tolerate it now. Tell me the truth or leave the order.”

Jacen recoiled visibly, then seemed to realize he had betrayed himself and began to study Luke in slack-jawed surprise.

“Don’t think about it,” Mara ordered. “Just do it.”

Jacen’s shoulders slumped, and his gaze shifted to the pool at the base of the waterfall. “It doesn’t change what had to be done, but I did have to alter one detail of my vision to persuade Jaina and the others to help me.”

Luke had a sinking feeling inside, more disappointment than anger. “Which detail?”

Jacen hesitated, then said, “In my vision, I didn’t see who attacked first. I just saw the war spreading, until it had consumed the entire galaxy.”

“So you thought you would just go ahead and get things started?” Mara asked, incredulous. “What were you thinking?”

“That the war was already started!” Jacen retorted. “The Colony had been attacking us-the Jedi and the Alliance-for months. All I did was wake everyone up to the fact.”

Given what he and Han had discovered on their trip to Woteba, Luke could hardly argue the point. In addition to the fleet of nest ships the Colony had been constructing inside the Utegetu Nebula, it was now clear that the Killiks had caused many of the problems plaguing the Galactic Alliance, by harboring pirates, providing a market for the Tibanna tappers, and aiding the smugglers of black membrosia.

But that was hardly an excuse for provoking the Chiss into an attack.

“Jacen, what you did was wrong,” Luke said. “And I suspect you know it, or you wouldn’t have needed to trick your sister and the others into helping you.”

“What else was I supposed to do?” Jacen demanded, turning on Luke with heat in his eyes. “You were trapped on Woteba, Mom and Mara were stuck in the Murgo Choke, and Masters Durron and Horn had the entire Jedi order locked in a contest of wills.”

The reply hurt because it was so true-and because the breakdown had been Luke’s failure.