Fate Of The Jedi: Ascension Part 18

"That would be the first good news we've had in a while," Luke said.

Jaina nodded. "At least Gavar Khai isn't going to be a problem anymore."

"True." It was not the outcome Luke would have wished, but it was a threat that was now eliminated. He had been sensing some very intense emotions from both Ben and Vestara after the fight on Dromund Kaas, but had chosen not to interfere. He trusted his son not to do anything foolish, and who knew but that this tragic and brutal event might make Vestara take a hard look at her future.

And also-she deserved someone to be kind to her. Her father certainly never had been.

Still ... "Don't tell Ben or Vestara about this possible lead, either, not just yet," he said. "It might be a dead end. And even if it isn't, we have things to take care of on Coruscant first. There'll be time for this once we know more."

Jaina nodded. "They've got enough to deal with."

"Choices between dark and light," Luke mused. "Coming to grips with killing a parent. Knowing hopes might get raised only to be dashed."

"Hormones."

Luke shuddered. "And hormones," he agreed. "I take it back. They've got more than enough to deal with."

THIRD MOON OF VEXAR, CORPORATE SECTOR.

"NOW," HAN SAID, SMILING WITH FALSE CHEER AT THE THREE SQUIBS, "you are going to tell me what that was all about. And you are going to give me the information we agreed to pay for. And if I don't like any of what I hear, this is going to be your new home. Got it?"

It had been two hours and forty-three minutes since the attack at the cafe. Zekk and Taryn had made it to Zekk's s.h.i.+p and departed Roonadan with Allana and the Squibs aboard. Han and Leia had had a slightly more extensive adventure, their vessel being more recognizable, or perhaps simply more infamous, than Zekk's nondescript shuttle. Eventually, though, they had shaken pursuit long enough to make an escape and had rendezvoused on an out-of-the-way rocky moon orbiting a gas giant. The gas giant, obviously, could not support human life; the rocky moon, just barely.

All of them had disembarked onto the moon's surface. Currently Han, Leia, Zekk, and Taryn had subtly formed a circle around the three Squibs. Allana stood next to her grandmother, although she was frowning slightly.

"Is this any way to treat your partners?" Grees protested, gesticulating emphatically.

"Partners generally let someone know if they're going to come under fire," said Han.

"We didn't know! Honest!" Emala protested.

Han and Leia exchanged glances that communicated without words how much they believed that.

"Oh come on," said Grees. "You think we would have lingered for lunch if we'd known someone was after us?"

Han hesitated; they'd raised a good point. Squibs weren't stupid, though they sometimes appeared to other species to be cheerfully reckless; nor were they Hutt-like gluttons.

"All right. Let's say you didn't know you were going to be attacked," Leia said. "Do you know who was firing?"

"That's got nothing to do with our deal," said Emala earnestly. "That's something else entirely."

"That's half truthful," Leia said.

"You don't have to be a Jedi to know when someone's hiding something from you," Taryn put in, folding her arms and looking archly at the Squibs.

"But it helps," Zekk said.

"I seem to recall something in your first message along the lines of safety for your family guaranteed," Han said. "Someone was taking shots at my daughter. That is not keeping with your deal."

For the first time since the whole escapade began, the family of Squibs exchanged glances. "We didn't know there would be a fuzzling coming along," Sligh said. "And we did keep to the bargain. That comment was referring to the bounty on your heads. Which, by the way, was lifted when you agreed to meet us. Not that you've thanked us for it yet."

"Aren't you glad you don't have to worry about that anymore?" asked Emala brightly.

Han rolled his eyes. "I haven't worried about that for some time," he said. "What I worry about is what happened in that cafe happening again."

"You had something important to tell us," said a small voice. "I made sure you got to safety. Don't you think it's time you told us something? That seems like a fair next step to me and in keeping with the deal."

Girl takes after her mother-and her grandmother, Han thought. Natural-born diplomat.

"For a fuzzling, she's pretty sharp," Grees said.

"Yeah, especially for a human fuzzling," Sligh said.

"You gotta agree to take us with you and help us get to safety," Emala said. She, like the others, was no longer looking at any of the adults, but at Allana. "You promise that, we'll tell you what we know."

"We must ensure our own safety, too, and that of Amelia," said Leia. "If we take you with us, we're going keep an eye on you until we're sure it's safe for all of us. Agreed?"

The Squibs leaned in to one another, whispering in Squibbal. Emala poked her head up and regarded Allana with large, soft, doe-like eyes for an instant before rejoining the blue huddle. Finally they seemed to reach an agreement and stepped back.

"You got a deal," Grees said.

"Finally," muttered Han.

"You know where Daala is?" pressed Leia.

"We know where she's heading. She's not quite there yet, or she might be, we don't know," Sligh said. "She's heading for the Meridian Sector. Pedducis Chorios, specifically."

"Why there?" asked Zekk. "I thought for sure she'd be heading for Imperial s.p.a.ce."

"She wanted to go back to familiar ground," Emala said. "She's got a history with that place."

"Yes, she most certainly does," Leia said. She looked meaningfully at Han. "That was where she went when she found Liegeus again. I think she was there until his murder."

"There's a Moff there she's got it in for," Grees said. "Except he's got a bantha-sized head and thinks she wants to ally with him instead. Name of Tol Getelles. We were doing some, um ... research on him for the Imperial Remnant."

"Also half true," said Zekk. "By some mathematical reckoning that might add up to a single entire truth."

"Not by mine," said Han. "Keep going."

"I'm not lying!" Grees protested, scowling and showing teeth that were startlingly sharp and white for a Squib his age. "That's how we were able to intercept the communication. From there, we were able to back-trace it and tap into some other messages. She talked to several people. We have them recorded, verbatim."

"We'll want to listen to those, but give us the short version first," Han said. Leia stepped away for a moment, clicking her comlink and speaking softly.

"Moff Vansyn and Moff Getelles," said Emala promptly.

"What about them?"

"You said you wanted the short-" began Sligh, but as Han took a step toward him, he put up his small hands. "Okay, okay, hold your dewbacks. She contacted Moff Vansyn first. There's apparently some other Moff she doesn't like-"

"She doesn't seem to like very many of them," Emala said.

"-named Lecersen," said Grees, picking up where Sligh left off. The transition was handled with ease and familiarity. "Seems Vansyn used to be friends with Lecersen, but he's been feeling ignored recently. Daala promised Vansyn that if he supported her claim to become Head of State of the Empire, eliminating first Jag and then Getelles, she'd see to it that he would get Moff Getelles's territories."

"A tempting offer," Leia said, returning to the group. "I just contacted As.h.i.+k." As.h.i.+k was Jag's devoted Chiss a.s.sistant. Han nodded. If anyone could shed some light on the Squibs' claim, it would be him. "Their story checks out. In a very convoluted manner, they actually were working for Jag."

"See? And to think you doubted us," said Sligh.

"I still do. Keep going," said Han.

"Isn't that enough?" asked Sligh in an injured tone. "What more do you want from us? We've told you where she's going, who she's working with, and who she's setting up."

"How many recordings do you have?"

"More than enough," Grees said quickly as Emala opened her mouth to answer. "We've told you everything we said we would. Now you need to take us to safety."

Han held up an index finger. "One moment," he said. He patted Allana on the head and motioned to Leia. The two of them stepped aside and spoke quietly.

"What do you think?" Leia asked.

"I think we ought to leave them here with some supplies and take off before whoever came after them comes after us and Allana," Han said.

"You wouldn't."

Han scowled. "I miss being the bad guy."

"Softie."

"Those oversized pack rats will see just how soft I am if any of those guys gets near our granddaughter again."

"That reminds me," Leia said, glancing back over to the Squibs. Taryn and Zekk still stood nearby, but Allana had gone right up and was talking to them. She was, Leia noted with a pang familiar from three decades earlier, already taller than Emala. How quickly they grow ...

Again something flitted across her mind, but she dismissed it. "When I was talking to As.h.i.+k, I described the uniforms to him and he was able to ID them for me. Guess who our attackers work for?"

"... Moff Getelles."

"You get a prize."

"That's the same guy the Squibs were spying on. What the heck did they do to get him so ticked off at them? Some gloriously complicated scheme no doubt."

"Or something as simple as getting caught," Leia said. "Every covert operative runs that risk, Han. You should know that."

"Then why are they acting so mysterious?" Han wanted to know. "Something's going on they're not telling us about."

"I agree they're hiding something, but ... they're Squibs. Think about their culture. It's quite likely that they're always hiding something," Leia pointed out. "They've delivered on their end of the bargain. We need to do the same. Not just because it's the right thing to do, but because they put their lives at risk in order to get this information to us. Knowing where Daala is and what her plans are is going to help both the GA and Jag."

Han sighed. "I suppose you're right. Do I have to like it?"

"No."

"Good."

ABOARD THE JADE SHADOW, EN ROUTE TO CORUSCANT.

Luke supposed he should have been prepared for this. He wasn't.

"A Jedi," he repeated, dumbfounded. The two teenagers exchanged glances, then Vestara nodded.

"You've got to know I don't believe you," Luke said.

"Dad-"

Vestara laid a gentle hand on Ben's arm as he spoke. The gesture looked ... comfortable. Luke didn't like it.

"Master Skywalker, I would be surprised if I received any other reaction from you," she said. "There was a time when such a statement would indeed be a lie-a trick, a trap. But ... you have exposed me to thoughts and ideals that I had never seen before. And if I had run across them before I met you, they would have been presented as vices. But I know how I feel about them. I ... like them. It feels good to help someone, just because they need it. It feels good to-to be cared for"-she looked shyly at Ben-"and know there's no hidden motive. Even as a child, I never had that."

"So, a few months of exposure to a new way of thinking has completely contradicted everything else you knew since the time you were born." Luke tried hard not to sound sarcastic, but he thought he wasn't doing a good job.

"It's more complicated than that," Vestara continued. "I saw what the beliefs of my people really are. I saw a lot of them in Abeloth. And I saw who-what sort of man my father really was." Her voice broke at this last and she cleared her throat. "I don't expect you to believe me right away. But I hope that with time I will be able to prove myself to you. All I'm asking for is that chance."

Luke leaned back in his chair, arms clasped behind his head, and regarded her intently. "All right. Drop your guard. I know you're extremely strong in the Force, and I know that you've had walls around you probably since you could crawl. Drop them."

She looked uncomfortable, but not surprised. Ben reached for her hand and pressed it briefly.

"It's just Dad," he said.

"Just the Jedi Grand Master," she replied wryly.

"If you're sincere, then you should have nothing to hide," Luke said.

"If-if I do, then you'll believe me?"

"It would be a good start, yes."

She nodded and took a deep breath. He saw her visibly relax her jaw and shoulders. Then Vestara met Luke's eyes and nodded.

He could have been harsh, rough. But that wasn't the Jedi way. He reached for her in the Force gently, in an exploratory fas.h.i.+on, as one might reach a hand out to a timid animal. There was ugliness there; there would have to be, given her history. But there was nothing ugly and dark that was new. Instead, to his surprise, Luke found a small, timid gleam of hope and a desire for and fear of joy. He sent rea.s.surance to her, and that small spot suddenly expanded, and did not contract to its former weak strength. He focused on what it meant to be a Jedi: to protect those who were victimized and could not defend themselves. To trust, to love, to be willing to give of oneself. To fight and risk one's life for those ideals.

And the little place in Vestara's Force aura drank it all in. As gently as he had approached her, he disconnected.

"Well?" Ben asked impatiently.

"When we return, I will undertake your training myself, if you wish," Luke said. At the expression of delight on both young faces he cautioned, "But you've got a long way to go."

"You're nervous," Ben said. He and Vestara sat together on the edge of her bed. Ben had his arm around her, and she leaned on his shoulder. Her hair was soft against his cheek, and he breathed in the scent of it with closed eyes. He was glad Vestara couldn't see him right now, as he knew he had the most idiotic smile on his face. He was okay with that.

"No, I'm not," Vestara said, far too quickly.

He squeezed her arm. "Yeah, you are. I would be, too. You're about to meet a whole bunch of people who not long ago were your sworn enemies and say, Hi there, I used to be Sith but not anymore. It's okay because I'm dating the most amazing, best-looking, smartest Jedi in the-ow!"