Part 14 (1/2)

”I'm sure I don't,” Jag said, reaching for her hands. ”But we'll get through it, I promise. When your parents realize how important this secret was to the unification talks, they'll understand the impossible position I put you in.”

”Yeah, well don't expect them to forgive you for that.” that.” Jaina managed a weak smile, then pulled her hands free. ”But that's not what I meant. Do you recognize Jaina managed a weak smile, then pulled her hands free. ”But that's not what I meant. Do you recognize this?” this?”

She retrieved the parasite droid from the lab table and held it in front of him.

Jag's eyes went wide. ”I'm afraid I do.” He glanced at the parts scattered in front of Jaina. ”From inside the cleaning droid?”

Jaina nodded. ”Afraid so,” she said. ”Lecersen?”

”Probably. I'll know for sure once I access its memory.”

”How do you know I haven't done that already?” Jaina asked.

”Because it's still in one piece, and you still have all your fingers.”

Jag reached for the parasite droid, but Jaina quickly pulled it away.

”Not so fast,” she said. ”The Jedi need to get something something out of this mess.” out of this mess.”

Jag let out a long breath, then nodded. ”Okay,” he said. ”You can have it back when we've removed the self-destruct charge and copied its memory.”

”Deal.” Jaina stretched up to kiss him, then said, ”But I think there's one other thing you're going to need it for.” Jag frowned in bewilderment.

”Show it to Daala.” Jaina put the droid in his hand and folded his fingers around it. ”It might do us all all some good.” some good.”

s.h.i.+P WAS OUT THERE IN THE FERN-AND-FUNGUS JUNGLE. VESTARA could feel his dark presence somewhere across the crimson river, up on the shoulder of a fume-belching volcano that dominated the horizon ahead. He was pus.h.i.+ng at her in the Force almost physically, battering her with fear and alarm and anger in his efforts to make her turn back. He did not want her and the rest of her companions to remain here with him. s.h.i.+p had taught them everything they needed to restore the Sith Empire to the galaxy, and now he wanted them to abandon him to his fate and fulfill their own destiny. could feel his dark presence somewhere across the crimson river, up on the shoulder of a fume-belching volcano that dominated the horizon ahead. He was pus.h.i.+ng at her in the Force almost physically, battering her with fear and alarm and anger in his efforts to make her turn back. He did not want her and the rest of her companions to remain here with him. s.h.i.+p had taught them everything they needed to restore the Sith Empire to the galaxy, and now he wanted them to abandon him to his fate and fulfill their own destiny.

Vestara understood all this. But Grand Lord Vol had sent the Eternal Crusader Eternal Crusader and her crew to return s.h.i.+p to Kesh, and return s.h.i.+p they would. Vestara concentrated on s.h.i.+p's presence for a moment, then raised her hand and pointed to a dark outcropping of basalt, about a quarter of the way up the volcano. and her crew to return s.h.i.+p to Kesh, and return s.h.i.+p they would. Vestara concentrated on s.h.i.+p's presence for a moment, then raised her hand and pointed to a dark outcropping of basalt, about a quarter of the way up the volcano.

”s.h.i.+p is somewhere near there,” she said. ”I don't know where exactly, but he must have a view of us. He's pus.h.i.+ng very hard to turn me back.”

Lady Rhea studied the outcropping from the barren bank where the recovery party was standing, out in the full light of the blue sun. Normally they would have tried to shelter themselves by crouching beneath the fern-trees along the river, but they had learned the hard way that the foliage on this strange planet was to be feared more than the oppressive heat.

After a moment, Rhea nodded and brought a comlink to her mouth. ”Crusader ”Crusader. You have our position?”

”Affirmative.”

The reply came in the melodious voice of Baad Walusari, the Kes.h.i.+ri Saber she had left in command while she led the recovery party. In most navies, it would have been the executive officer who a.s.sumed control of the vessel while the commander was away. But a Sith who made such a foolish mistake was unlikely to find herself in command of anything anything when she tried to return to the vessel. Master Xal was right there with the search party, where Lady Rhea could keep an eye on him. when she tried to return to the vessel. Master Xal was right there with the search party, where Lady Rhea could keep an eye on him.

”Very good,” Lady Rhea commed. ”s.h.i.+p is hiding on that volcano to our west. Be ready with the tractor beam if it attempts to move.”

Walusari acknowledged the command, and Lady Rhea began to issue orders to the recovery party, a.s.signing search pairs and calling for a careful approach on a wide front. Vestara and Lady Rhea would make straight for the outcropping, of course, with everyone else fanning out to either side of them.

”s.h.i.+p is too smart to show itself where the Crusader Crusader can get a sensor lock,” Lady Rhea finished, walking in front of the long line of Sabers she had brought down for the recovery operation. ”So it will be someone in this party who finds it. If that happens to be you, report its location, then wait for me to arrive and take control of the situation personally. Is that clear?” can get a sensor lock,” Lady Rhea finished, walking in front of the long line of Sabers she had brought down for the recovery operation. ”So it will be someone in this party who finds it. If that happens to be you, report its location, then wait for me to arrive and take control of the situation personally. Is that clear?”

Most of the Sabers a.s.sured her it was, but a ginger-skinned woman named Axela Zin asked, ”What if s.h.i.+p attempts to flee?”

”Don't let it,” Lady Rhea replied. ”s.h.i.+p obeys any Sith with a strong will. You all have that, or you wouldn't be here. Simply order it to remain where it is, then wait until I arrive.”

Axela dropped her chin in submission. ”Thank you for your counsel, Lady Rhea. I'm most grateful.”

Rhea dismissed the gift with a flick of her hand. ”Think nothing of it, Saber Zin. I'm certain others were also in need of guidance.” She stopped at the opposite end of the line from where Vestara was standing, then turned and said, ”I'm sure I don't need to remind you to watch yourselves in this jungle. But if something does does get you, die quietly. Your family will be rewarded if you do-and punished if you don't.” get you, die quietly. Your family will be rewarded if you do-and punished if you don't.”

Lady Rhea was correct: the reminder wasn't necessary. Already, four members of the recovery party had been taken by the carnivorous plants that seemed to be more the rule than the exception on this strange world. But the exhortation to die quietly was received with the shudder that Vestara was certain Lady Rhea had intended, being as it was a none-too-subtle reminder that the reach of a Sith Lord extended even beyond a surbordinate's grave.

After giving the warning a moment to sink in, Lady Rhea signaled Master Xal and Ahri to wait, then waved the rest of the party across the river. Most of the Sabers elected to simply Force-jump to the far bank, and, as they landed, Vestara was sorry to see a trio of long-thorned boughs swing down from a tall, funnel-shaped tree to impale ginger-skinned Axela Zin. Already holding her lightsaber in hand, Zin quickly cut the boughs free of their woody stems, but more were already swinging down from other directions. Her search partner and another Saber quickly drew the gla.s.s parangs from their belt sheaths and hurled them into the melee. By the time the blades arrived, Zin was already swaddled in vines and being drawn up into the tree's crown. Vestara hoped the fact that she wasn't struggling also meant she was already dead.

”Not a whimper,” Xal noted, stepping over to join Lady Rhea. ”I believe her son is a Tyro.”

”Make a note, Vestara.”

Although Vestara had every confidence in her ability to remember even a long list of names correctly, her own survival was far from a.s.sured. So she dutifully removed a small leather writing case from her pocket, then p.r.i.c.ked her finger with a blood stylus and wrote Zin's name on a leaf of loub-paper.

”Her name is noted,” Vestara reported. ”Did you wish to add something about the son?”

Lady Rhea nodded. ”The boy shall find his Master when we return.”

As Vestara made the note, Xal smiled his approval.

”Very generous.” He looked across the river to where the rest of the Sith were already vanis.h.i.+ng into the jungle. ”You had some special counsel for me?”

”I did,” Lady Rhea said. ”Recovering s.h.i.+p is more important to Grand Lord Vol than who claims credit for it. If you or Ahri find it, he'll hear no other names.”

Xal's brow rose. ”Most thoughtful,” he said. ”And yet Ahri and I are only two among many. It is just as likely that someone else will find s.h.i.+p ...especially since you have given them such a significant lead over us.”

”And if they do, your name will be mentioned alongside my own,” Lady Rhea promised. ”I want nothing nothing to interfere with recovering s.h.i.+p. Is that clear?” to interfere with recovering s.h.i.+p. Is that clear?”

Xal dipped his slender head in a gesture of acceptance. ”In that case, may I suggest we proceed? If we fall too far behind, there will be a gap in the search line.”

Lady Rhea studied him for a moment, no doubt wondering-as Vestara was-how long it would take Xal to decide that there was more to be gained by betraying the agreement than honoring it. Finally, she dismissed him with a wave.

Vestara returned her writing packet to her robe, then watched as Xal and Ahri crossed the river, dancing across the surface and using the Force to keep their feet from sinking. They had to pa.s.s near an island covered in dozens of green lizards, but the creatures seemed completely uninterested in them. They merely continued to lie with their wings spread, basking in the harsh light of the blue giant sun, and barely raised their long necks as Xal and Ahri raced past. But the island was surrounded by dozens of strandy yellow water plants that, despite the river's current, all seemed to be growing toward the lizards. As Ahri and Xal approached, several of these strands swam across their path, then suddenly struck like snakes, coming at them from all sides.

Ahri and Xal ignited their lightsabers and twirled into a spinning flurry of slas.h.i.+ng and splas.h.i.+ng that left them hidden behind a rising veil of steam. A couple of withered and smoking stalks came tumbling out of the cloud, and soon the pair were dancing onto the far sh.o.r.e. They scrambled up the bank in a series of short leaps, using the Force to push aside-and sometimes even uproot-every bush in their path, then clambered over the rim of a red sandstone outcropping and vanished into the jungle beyond.

Lady Rhea pointed at the outcropping. ”You see where they came out of the river?”

Vestara nodded. ”Yes.”

”Good. Draw your weapons.” Lady Rhea unhooked her own lightsaber and pulled the parang from its belt sheath, then said, ”That's where we'll go. Once we're across, we'll traverse to our own corridor and go find s.h.i.+p.”

It was so cla.s.sically Sith that Vestara could almost have predicted it: force a subordinate to take the initial risk, then come in behind and claim the kill. Vestara stepped to the edge of the bank where Lady Rhea would have a good view of her as she drew her weapons, then unhooked her lightsaber and unsheathed her parang. An instant later she felt a nudge in the Force and knew she had permission to proceed.

Vestara opened herself to the Force and felt it rush into her, so dark and cold it was almost overwhelming. She had never before been to a place so strong in the Force, where it actually raised tiny b.u.mps on her skin and made her spine crawl with excitement. None of them had, and she could tell by the precision with which even Lady Rhea drew on the Force here that they were all just a bit frightened of its strength. Of course, that did not stop anyone from actually using using it. No true Sith would ever allow fear to stand between her and power. it. No true Sith would ever allow fear to stand between her and power.

Vestara sprang into the air, using the Force to boost herself higher and pull herself to the outcropping Lady Rhea had indicated. Back on Kesh, or on any other planet with near-standard gravity, she would have been able to Force-leap only about halfway across the crimson river. But on this strange world, she crossed the distance easily and came down lightly, ready to defend herself both with her weapons and with the Force.

When no branches swung down toward her head and no vines lashed out to snare her ankles, Vestara raised the hand holding her lightsaber and signaled that it was safe. Lady Rhea arrived on the outcropping an instant later, and together they traversed downstream along the riverbank. After fifty paces, they reached their search corridor and turned into the jungle, Vestara taking the lead and traveling about five paces ahead. Although her danger sense was far less adept than that of her Master, there was no question of Lady Rhea a.s.suming the hazardous point position. An apprentice was first and foremost her Master's servant, and that meant taking the initial brunt of any attack that came their way.