[Legacy Of The Force] - 08(76)

“Relocation, “Ben said. He’d never planned and executed anything like that before: with the ancillary staff, there were nearly a thousand beings and droids to move, plus equipment. He’d make sure he learned fast. “We’re not running from anyone.”

“I’m glad you’re not daunted by the task.”

“It’s common sense, Dad.”

“You’ve got plenty.” Luke patted his shoulders with both hands. “And you’re a moral compass. If some of us don’t come back, I want someone around who’ll keep ask-ing hard questions and saying, ‘Should we do that? Is that right? and who won’t quit unless he gets answers.”

Ben hadn’t seen himself in that light. He was the methodical one, the problem solver, the one who unpicked an issue, looked at the components, and tried to rebuild it better. Logistics-he knew he could do that. But moral certainty-Jacen probably had his, too.

I got this far on how Mom and Dad raised me. I’ll deal with that as it comes.

He focused on his task, and not the fact that the maintenance crews were running up the StealthX drive.

“Now, Dad? Right now?”

“I waited until you came back. It’s okay. The rest of the flight should be at Fondor by now.”

“What are you planning, Dad?”

“The usual. Help Jacen see the error of his ways.”

Okay, if he wanted to play cryptic, Ben could handle that. A tech jogged up to Luke and handed him his helmet, which somehow made it all much more imminent and final. “And…. Jacen’s enlisted the support of the Imperial Remnant, “Luke finished.

“Admiral Pellaeon? Wow. I’m not sure if that’s good news or bad.”

“Yes, I hope everyone’s moral compass is working…”

Ben found himself doing what the GAG troops did be-fore an operation kicked off. He locked down the inevitable dread and let his mouth take over, laying a veneer of grim jokes over the anxiety to keep it from being seen. “Don’t get killed, Dad. You know what it did to Fett. I don’t want to end up like him.”

“Filthy rich?”

“No, polishing my dad’s old ship and hassling Uncle Han.”

“It’s okay. Jaina can get you a good deal on property in Keldabe.”

“I mean it, Dad.”

“So do I. Now go, and stop worrying, or I swear I’ll come back as a Force ghost and bug you while you’re on a date.”

Ben winced inside. “Love you, Dad.”

“You too, Ben.”

Ben followed orders and didn’t look back, but it hurt. Having Jag’s grim face to focus on was a big help; the two of them walked on a collision course across the compound and ended up almost nose-to-nose.

“You’re grounded, too, then, “Ben said. “Never mind.”

Jag looked a little frayed. “I love being rear party. I live to stand around waiting for the comm to buzz. Have you heard from Jaina? Because I haven’t.”

“No. But it’s only been a week or so.” Ben had been too tied up to think too much about Jaina. He added that to his list of things to feel bad about. “She got there okay, didn’t she?”

“I got a pre-composed ‘arrived safely’ alert, yes.”

“Jag, if she’d had problems-Aunt Leia would feel it.”

“Maybe Fett’s sold her off to the highest bidder.”

“She can look after herself.”

“What if she…”

“We’d know. We’d feel it.”

Jag parted his lips as if he was going to expand on it, but stopped. “Okay. I’ll rely on you to tell me if you feel anything.”

Sometimes, even with his closest friends, even though he worked so closely with guys like Shevu, Ben forgot he had senses that Jag didn’t. At times like this, that must have frustrated Jag. “I’m going to draw up an evacuation plan.”

“How come you suddenly got older than me, Ben?”

“Never underestimate the calming power of a list.” It was a Shevu-ism. Shevu was full of commonsense one-liners that were easy to digest and apply. “Can you get all the senior personnel together for me? I’ve got something I have to do now, but we ought to make a start on scoping the size of the airlift and putting deadlines and names on tasks.”

Jag just looked at him. Then he broke into a big, surprised grin: “Ben, you’re middle-aged! Captain Sensible! Overnight!”

“I still reserve the right to revert to being a goofy kid and not tidy my room when the pressure’s off.”

Jag seemed to forget his black mood about Jaina’s absence for a while. “I’ll get your meeting set up, my lord…”