It didn’t answer the question about Fett, but Jaina felt she’d pushed it as far as she could go. Living in fear and se-crecy bred a certain paranoia. “So would you do it for Sintas Vel?”
“Healing’s hard work, “Venku said. “Look what it’s done to him.”
“Fett would pay, and if he wouldn’t, I would.” Gotab nodded as if she’d confirmed something. “Well, your brother killed her daughter. It’s the least you can do.” Was there anyone here who didn’t know every sordid detail of her family’s troubles? “But I don’t want your credits or Fett’s. I’ll do it because I can. It’s wrong to refuse just because the poor woman used to be married to Fett.” It was a breakthrough. “She’s at Beviin’s farm.” “They’re not going to think we’re Kiffar anymore, are they?” said Gotab.
“No. But nobody’s persecuting Jedi these days. It’s not like the Purge.”
Venku hadn’t drunk much of his ale, and Gotab hadn’t even touched his. Venku stood up, making it clear the meeting was over. “That would explain why the Jedi Council has fled from Coruscant, “he said. “Because it’s totally okay to be a Jedi now.”
They didn’t miss much, even if they did live in the wilds-and wilds here must have been seriously isolated.
“You’re not a Jedi, though, “Jaina said. “You were never trained.”
“No, and I’m all for keeping Jedi away from government-and Sith, of course. But I’ll still always be a Force-sensitive however hard I try not to be, and that won’t always sit well with folks if they know about it. They think you mess with their minds.”
Jaina wanted to press a credit chip into Gotab’s hand, because he needed to eat as much as anyone, but she didn’t know how he’d react. She went back to the farm and spent the rest of the daylight hours overhauling Beviin’s harvester droid and composing endless messages to Jag in her head, but when she got to the point of committing anything to the datapad, it all seemed like too much to tell him. In the end, she avoided comming him, or her parents, and just sent a message to all of them saying everything was fine, and that she’d be in touch soon, and that flying a Bes’ithik was a lot a fun. They’d all seen Jacen’s confession. Fine and fun didn’t come into it. She felt guilty for expressing such trivial sentiments. Sometimes, though, life needed the illusion that ordinary pleasures still existed and could be found again even after the depths of misery.
That evening, while she was eating dinner with Beviin’s family and making Shalk and Briila giggle by moving their plates with a Force-push, she felt Gotab and Venku approaching the farmhouse.
“Beviin, “she said, trying not to say it in front of the kids, “It’s Gotab. He’s the one who’s going to be doing the healing. He’s a Jedi. He used to be, anyway. Don’t punish him, please. He’s been one of you for nearly sixty years.”
Beviin and Medrit looked at each other, and it was obvious that Fett’s fixer, as Gotab called Beviin, was clearly rattled that a secret of that magnitude had eluded him. He chewed thoughtfully, gaze fixed on the pot of caf on the table.
“We won’t even tell Fett it’s him, if he’s that scared, “he said at last. “Well, fancy that. A jetii throwing his lot in with us. Puts Venku in an interesting context, though.”
Much as Jaina liked Beviin, she didn’t think he needed to know that Venku was the son of a Jedi. If Venku wanted anyone to know…. he could tell them himself. She’d already gone far enough.
She smiled as best she could. “Gotab’s a healer, remember. Maybe Venku owes him an old debt of honor.”
It was probably true. It was true enough for her not to feel guilty about saying it. Beviin got up to let Gotab in, and Medrit gave Jaina a knowing look. Dinua and Jintar distracted the kids.
“We’d always heard rumors, “Medrit said. “Never thought it was Gotab, though.”
Jaina wished she’d thought ahead a little more and moved Sintas to the Oyu’baat for the healing session. “I’m sure he’s paid his debt to society…”
“He didn’t have a choice to be a Jedi, did he?”
“No, but he chose to be one of you.”
“Then the matter’s closed, “Medrit said. Shalk stared at him in the way that only a voraciously curious child could when he thought the grown-ups were talking secrets. “And that makes Jaing Skirata one of his clan. Which is even more interesting.”
Gotab edged into the room with Venku looming over him like a bodyguard, and the two children stared at him.