Part 9 (1/2)

Ryontarr's gaze swung back to Luke. ”Not vanished vanished. I found them in a habitat near here,” he said. ”I disabled their abductors and rescued the heirs.”

”There's no record of their return to Nath Goordi,” Luke pointed out. ”And if they had had been returned, I doubt there would have been a war of succession.” been returned, I doubt there would have been a war of succession.”

An enigmatic smile came to Ryontarr's emaciated face. ”There are many kinds of rescue.”

A raspy pop pop sounded behind Luke, and Mode began to wail in pain. Luke looked back to see Ben straddling the patient's injured leg, still holding it by a bent knee and pulling as he worked to set the broken femur. Although Ben was clearly using the Force to hold the hips and upper body still, Mode's free leg was flailing about wildly as he tried to kick away his caregiver. sounded behind Luke, and Mode began to wail in pain. Luke looked back to see Ben straddling the patient's injured leg, still holding it by a bent knee and pulling as he worked to set the broken femur. Although Ben was clearly using the Force to hold the hips and upper body still, Mode's free leg was flailing about wildly as he tried to kick away his caregiver.

Luke reached out with the Force to immobilize the thras.h.i.+ng leg. He half expected Ryontarr or one of the other spectators to attack while his attention was diverted, but the group seemed content to wait and watch. Ben quickly finished setting the leg-at least as well as was possible under the circ.u.mstances-and Mode's wail faded to a moan.

After a moment, Mode gasped, ”Please ...stop. I was only trying ...trying to help you, Master Skywalker.”

Luke raised his brow. ”You recognize us, Qwallo?”

”Of course ... I know you,” Mode said. ”I'm seeing seeing you.” you.”

The emphasis on the word seeing seeing suggested that Mode meant something more by it, but Luke was more interested in what the Duros suggested that Mode meant something more by it, but Luke was more interested in what the Duros hadn't hadn't said. ”You don't think we're impostors?” said. ”You don't think we're impostors?”

Qwallo shook his head. ”Not possible,” he said. ”I know that now.”

”Then why did you fire on the Shadow?” Shadow?” Ben demanded. ”You Ben demanded. ”You are are the one who did that, aren't you?” the one who did that, aren't you?”

”Of course he is,” Ryontarr said, peering at Ben over Luke's shoulder. ”Don't you recognize him?”

”Yeah ...but how?” how?” Ben asked. ”I mean, he wasn't even wearing a vac suit. And how'd he get Ben asked. ”I mean, he wasn't even wearing a vac suit. And how'd he get here?” here?”

”You'll understand soon enough, young Jedi Knight,” Ryontarr said. He looked back to Luke. ”You'll understand everything everything, if you'll just leave poor Qwallo be. Whether you realize it or not, you're doing him nothing but harm.”

”He's lost a lot of blood,” Luke said. ”And we're not not going to leave him to die.” going to leave him to die.”

”No?” Ryontarr shook his head. ”I wish you would reconsider. You have no idea-”

The screech of a discharging blaster sounded somewhere above, and the smell of scorched flesh began to waft down through the tangle of floating bodies.

Ryontarr sighed, expelling a breath so stale it might have been in his lungs for a decade, then asked, ”Do you think you can stop us all from dying?”

Another blaster screeched, this time close enough that Luke glimpsed a brief flash as its bolt streaked from the weapon's barrel into the head of the person firing it. There was a brief grunt of pain, and the acrid odor of scorched flesh grew stronger.

”Uh, Dad.” Ben glanced over his shoulder, toward where the second blaster had discharged. ”Maybe we should hear Jedi Ryontarr out on this.”

”Don't call him a Jedi” Jedi” Luke exhaled through clenched teeth, then glared at the Gotal in disgust. ”I can't believe you were Luke exhaled through clenched teeth, then glared at the Gotal in disgust. ”I can't believe you were ever ever a Jedi.” a Jedi.”

Ryontarr shrugged. ”Once, I was also young and a slave to the beliefs of others.”

”But these deaths aren't Seek's Seek's doing,” said one of Ryontarr's companions, the emaciated Ortolan. His nasal voice was raspy and hard to understand, for his trunk was so weak from disuse that it could not uncoil, merely loosen. ”They're doing,” said one of Ryontarr's companions, the emaciated Ortolan. His nasal voice was raspy and hard to understand, for his trunk was so weak from disuse that it could not uncoil, merely loosen. ”They're yours.” yours.”

Still holding Qwallo by the shoulders, Luke continued to glare at Ryontarr. ”I'm not the one ordering them to blast themselves.”

”You a.s.sume I am in charge because of what I once was.” Ryontarr spread his arms, as though inviting Luke to examine him in the Force. ”But you you are the one who is acting without understanding.” are the one who is acting without understanding.”

”You see, it is nothing to die beyond shadows.” This time, it was the yellow-haired woman who spoke. Her voice was warm and patient, as though she were a mother correcting a child. ”But to live trapped in a body, that is ... anguish.” anguish.”

”Wait a minute.” Ben was still floating in front of Mode, holding the injured leg. ”You're saying people are killing themselves because they don't want us to interrupt their meditations?” meditations?”

”Mind Walking is not meditation, but yes,” said the yellow-haired man. His voice was close enough to the woman's to suggest they were siblings. ”Life is only a dream, our bodies mere phantasms of a long and restless sleep. When you keep us bound to our bodies, you interfere with our awakening.”

”It's not our intent to interfere with your ...awakening,” Luke said. He wasn't sure he understood-or believed believed-everything Ryontarr and the others were telling him. But at least Qwallo's wish to be left alone was starting to make sense. ”There's no reason for anyone else to blast themselves.”

”Then you'll leave Qwallo to return beyond shadows?” asked Ryontarr. ”If his body dies with him in it, his return will be very difficult.”

Luke looked down at Mode. The last thing he wanted was to leave the Duros to die, but Mode had already made it clear that he did not want their help. Besides, Ryontarr was right about one thing-unless he wanted the place filled with dead bodies, Luke had no choice except to agree.

”If that's what Qwallo wishes, then yes.” Luke turned toward Mode. ”We'll let you return beyond shadows. But first, I would like to ask you something.”

Mode nodded. ”...Hurry.”

”What happened when you disappeared?” Luke asked. ”Why didn't you complete your mission?”

”I became ...” Mode shook his head sadly. ”Confused.” ”Confused.”

Luke and Ben exchanged glances, and then Luke asked, ”You believed you were surrounded by impostors, didn't you?”

Mode's eyes grew wide. ”How did you know?”

”It's been happening to some other Jedi Knights,” Luke said.

”Then you have come to ...the right place,” Mode said. ”All will grow clear here.”

”I'm glad to hear that, Qwallo.” Luke hazarded a glance around, half expecting Ryontarr to try to hush the Duros before he revealed some mysterious secret. When the Gotal and his companions seemed content to let the conversation continue, Luke asked, ”And you no longer think we're impostors?”

Mode shook his head. ”No, I know better now.”

”How?” Ben asked, not bothering to hide his excitement. If they could figure out what had cured Mode, then they might have something helpful to tell Cilghal when they left the Maw. ”What happened?” Ben asked, not bothering to hide his excitement. If they could figure out what had cured Mode, then they might have something helpful to tell Cilghal when they left the Maw. ”What happened?”

Mode curled himself into the weightless equivalent of a seated position, so that he was facing Ben. ”I went beyond shadows, and I saw the truth. You can't be impostors ...because you're not real.” He took Ben's hands. ”Only the Force is real ...and it's beautiful, Ben. So, so beautiful.”

To his credit, Ben managed to avoid jerking his hands away in horror. But his jaw dropped and his brows arched, and even a half-dead Duros could read the dismay in his eyes.

Mode pulled his hands free of Ben's, and his tone grew harsh. ”You'll see, Ben,” he said. ”Now that you're here, you will have have to see.” to see.”

Mode reached out in the Force and tried to pull himself away, but Luke was still holding his shoulders.

”One more question,” Luke said, refusing to release the still-pulling Duros. ”Why did you fire on us?”

Mode frowned over his shoulder at Luke. ”I told you ...to help you.”

”With a missile?” missile?” Ben demanded. ”Some help.” Ben demanded. ”Some help.”

”It is,” Ryontarr insisted. He floated down and gently began to pry Luke's hands off Mode's shoulders. ”We know how many attachments you have to the physical world, Master Skywalker. Qwallo was just trying to cut them, so they can't pull you back.”

Luke looked down at Mode in astonishment. ”You were trying to maroon us?”