Mara’s heart sank. “So he’s going after Raynar alone?”
“Admiral Pellaeon is taking the fleet to Tenupe,” Jacen said. “Wraith and Rogue squadrons will be assigned specifically to support him, and he’ll have a company of Lando’s bugcruncher droids-but we both know they won’t be able to do much once the Force duel starts.”
“And Lomi Plo isn’t going to give up, either,” Mara said.
“Not likely,” Jacen said. “Unless that blaster shot you got off kills her first.”
Mara gave him a sour look. “What do you think the chance of that is?”
“About the same as you do,” Jacen confessed. “He’ll have to take both of them out. Lomi Plo and Raynar.”
Mara’s stomach began to ache with fear. “Jacen, we can’t let him do that alone.”
“I don’t think we have a choice in the matter,” Jacen said. “Have you tried to stand up yet?”
Out in the lobby, Luke dismissed the Masters and turned to enter Mara’s room, the faithful R2-D2 trailing close behind.
They had barely crossed the threshold before Mara demanded, “Are you crazy?”
Luke stopped and cast a sheepish look back toward the departing Masters before he returned her gaze. “You heard.”
“You’d better not have been thinking you’d keep that from me, farmboy.”
“Of course not.” Luke came to her bedside and took her hand, then gave Jacen a stern look. “But I had hoped to tell you myself.”
“Luke, the Colony isn’t going to win this war overnight,” Mara said. “Wait until Jacen and I can back you up. Raynar is inexperienced, but he’s powerful.”
Jacen nodded his agreement. “And Lomi Plo will be-“
“I can’t,” Luke said, cutting them off. He clasped a hand on Jacen’s shoulder. “I’ve been feeling something urgent from Leia. This war is coming to a head now.”
“Do you know how?” Jacen asked.
Luke shook his head. “All I can tell is that things didn’t go well at Tenupe. The Falcon never connected with Jaina. I think maybe the Chiss were already there attacking.”
Mara’s heart skipped a beat, but the corners of Jacen’s mouth rose in a near smile.
“Then we shouldn’t interfere,” Jacen said. “If Mom and Dad can recover Jaina and Zekk, staying out of the Chiss’s way might be the best thing for the galaxy.”
Luke frowned. “Jacen, you’re as bad as your father,” he said. “You think the answer to every insect problem is to start stomping.”
“Not every insect problem,” Jacen said. “Just this one. I thought I’d made that clear.”
“You have,” Luke said. “You also made it clear that you’d follow the order’s leadership in this matter.”
“It was only a suggestion,” Jacen retorted. “Can’t a Jedi Knight express himself around here anymore?”
Luke’s expression softened. “Of course,” he said. “But half a dozen times should be sufficient. I’m very aware of your opinion about the Killiks, and believe it or not, I have given it consideration.”
“Okay. Sorry to bring it up again.” Jacen looked more disappointed than apologetic-which suggested to Mara that he was sincere about following the order’s leadership, even if he disagreed with it. “But I still think you should wait until Aunt Mara and I can back you up. You won’t solve anything if Raynar kills you.”
“Or if Lomi Plo does,” Mara added. She had been growing more impressed with Jacen every day since Luke took sole leadership of the order, and she was even beginning to wonder if he might make a suitable second in command someday soon. “I don’t think you can take them both, Luke.”
“Then I’ll have to take them one at a time,” Luke said. “Because if I wait for you two to recover, Lomi Plo will have time to recover, too-and so will Gorog. Lomi is never going to be weaker than she is right now.”
Luke’s tone was as firm as Mara had ever heard it, and she could feel through their Force-bond that he would not be moved from his plan.
But Jacen, bless him, was determined to try. “And you’re still not ready to face her.”
Luke’s eyes flashed with resentment-or it might have been self-doubt. “I will be the judge of that, Jacen.”
“Of course.” Jacen spread his hands in a gesture of surrender, and Mara thought she saw something bright, like moonlight dancing on a river, flicker in the depths of his brown eyes. “You are the Grand Master.”
“Thank you, Jacen,” Luke said. He turned to Mara, and she felt the faintest tingle of Force energy washing over her body. “And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like a …”