He raised his head and met Elegos’ bejeweled stare. “You Caamasi had a saying: If the wind no longer calls to you, it is time to see if you have forgotten your name. The problem I have, my friend, is that I heard the dark side calling to me. Without your help, without your guidance, I’m not sure how I can deal with that.”
Jacen Solo studied Corran Horn as the elder Jedi sat gathered into a tight ball in a chair. Bacta had healed the physical wound the Corellian had suffered, but a certain amount of psychic agony still poured from him. As far as Jacen could see, Corran had done everything right, hadn’t been out of control or acting like a rogue Jedi, and yet that was how he was being portrayed in the news reports about Ithor.
Ganner paced impatiently. “I just can’t believe it. Corran puts his own life on the line, nearly dies to save Ithor, and has been transformed into ‘yet another world-killing Jedi.’ Vader to Kyp to Corran. I’m surprised they didn’t build a link to Caamas in there.”
Luke pressed his hands together. “People are giving in to their fear. They’re not thinking clearly at all. We need calm.”
“Calm isn’t all we need, Master. You will need something more.” Corran blinked slowly and looked up. “You have to disassociate the Jedi from me.”
Ganner’s surprise pulsed out. “Abandon you?”
Corran nodded slowly. “Borsk Fey’lya has already managed to point out a number of things. I was not an officer in the New Republic Armed Forces when on my rogue mission to Ithor. He’s noted my presence there was counter to Ithorian custom and law. He has made me complicit in desecrating Ithor because I invited Shedao Shai to meet me there.”
Ganner frowned. “I’ve seen one report that suggests you should have known that a fallen Yuuzhan Vong leader is always immolated, so that by killing Shedao Shai there, you guaranteed the death of the world.”
Mara snorted disgustedly. “That little bit of Vong cultural lore, that’s from that supposed holojournal of Elegos A’Kla? The one he was supposed to have recorded while with the Vong, even though they would have smashed every bit of technology he took with him?”
The Jedi Master held a hand up. “We know that is a fraud. Someone did it and is publishing it to make money.”
Jacen snarled. “And is making a bunch of it, too. That thing is selling wildly. It’s because people are afraid.”
“And morbidly curious.” Ganner shook his head. “There is no doubt about it, the death of Ithor is a serious shock. Dubrillion, Belkadan, even Sernpidal—hardly anyone recognized those worlds. Ithor, on the other hand, is as well known as Coruscant.”
Corran sighed. “And now is a sister world to Alderaan.”
“Which takes us back to Uncle Luke’s first point. People are giving in to their fear. We can’t do that. If we abandon you, Corran, that’s what the Jedi will be doing.”
The Corellian Jedi managed a weak smile. “Thank you, Jacen, but it’s not really a question of giving in to the fear of others, it’s a question of being overwhelmed by it. Master, you must repudiate me. Borsk Fey’lya is looking to avert a disaster. He can do it only by laying the blame on someone else. Right now he’s playing off memories of Carida and Alderaan. He’s dropping the blame on the Jedi. You have to let it land on me.”
Luke shook his head adamantly. “The Jedi are not going to abandon you to political maneuvering.”
“Luke.” Mara leaned toward her husband from her chair and rested a hand on his shoulder. “I love you dearly, but this is a fight we can’t win.”
“Yes, we can, Mara.”
“Okay, perhaps we can, but the effort we expend in doing it is going to detract from our ability to help people.” She sighed. “If we’re waging public opinion wars when we should be fighting the Yuuzhan Vong, we will lose horribly. Right now Borsk Fey’lya has given us a way out of this mess, and that’s to let Corran shoulder the blame for the loss of Ithor. All it will take is for you to issue a statement saying Corran’s actions were undertaken without your consultation or consent.”
Luke’s face closed up. “That’s not true.”
Corran sighed. “From a certain point of view it is. You had reservations all along about the duel. You had concerns over what fighting the duel would do to me. In fact, you noted many times that the Jedi are not warriors.”
“Corran, I was your second in that fight.”
“You chose to support me despite my errors because the opportunity offered through the duel was one that protected many.”
A sense of resignation rolled off Luke Skywalker and surprised Jacen. “Uncle Luke, are you going to agree to this?”
The Jedi Master looked up. “I can’t fault their logic.”
“I can! They’re saying that lies told by Borsk Fey’lya and others are enough to destroy the reputation of a Jedi Knight. For the sake of making our lives a little easier, you’re going to pitch Corran aside. It isn’t right. I won’t stand for it.”
“Yes, you will, Jacen.” Corran nodded wearily. “This is what has to be done.”
“You’re letting the ends justify the means.” Jacen blinked his eyes in amazement. “Can’t you see that? To save us some pain, you become as evil as Darth Vader or Thrawn.”
“Jacen, if you look at the short-term ends, that’s how you can read it. I get hammered, but at least the Jedi won’t. That means you are still free to do the jobs that need to be done. If I didn’t do this, I’d deserve the reputation for being evil.”
Corran sighed heavily and unfolded himself from within the chair. With elbows planted on knees, he held his head in his hands. “I’m not totally innocent here. Far from it. Some of the things Master Skywalker feared, some of the things you feared, Jacen, about vengeance and the dark side, they were true. I’m going to need time to sort them out. My being disowned, well, we get some good out of it. For the Jedi. For me.”
Concern washed over Luke’s face and flooded his voice. “Corran, whatever you need …”
“I know, Master, thank you. I think, I hope, it’s just time.”
Ganner scratched at the scar on the left side of his face. “What will you do if you leave the Jedi?”
Corran shifted his shoulders uneasily. “Well, Coruscant isn’t home anymore. I have exchanged messages with Mirax. We’ll return to Corellia. I can do things there. My grandfather still has enough pull with politicians that I can have asylum. Maybe Corellia can be motivated to do some positive things concerning the refugees created by the Vong. Worse comes to worst and I hook up with Booster to use the Errant Venture to help out.”
He looked at Luke. “You know, despite problems I may be having, I’ll be there if you need help. It’s just, right now, I think this is the best thing I can do for the Jedi all the way around.”
“I think you’re right, Corran.” Luke reached up and patted Mara’s hand. “You’re making a tough decision much easier.”
Jacen just shook his head. He couldn’t believe it. The Jedi had done exactly what they were supposed to do at Ithor. They had helped whisk refugees away, evacuating the entire planet. They opposed the Yuuzhan Vong, putting themselves at risk to discourage the invaders. They’d suffered casualties and fatalities and had even won a duel that should have guaranteed the safety of the world. Their efforts had prevented countless deaths, and yet enemy treachery and political manipulation resulted in a Jedi being blamed for a disaster he had done all he could to prevent.
And my uncle is accepting that this is what must happen. Jacen had long known that the heroic mold in which Luke and Corran had cast themselves as Jedi was not to his liking. It seemed a poor fit, and that fit worsened as the Jedi bowed to political considerations. If we serve life and the Force, how can we let politics turn one of us, all of us away from that duty? We can’t! There has to be another way.
He sighed. I have to find that other way.
“Jacen.”
The young Jedi straightened. “Yes, Corran?”
“You’re idealistic, and that’s good. I know this doesn’t sit we
ll with you. I can see that in your eyes. Yours, too, Ganner. I appreciate that, but I need the both of you to do something for me. Something I can’t do.”
Ganner nodded. “Name it.”
Corran looked at the both of them, and when his green-eyed gaze met Jacen’s eyes, the younger Jedi felt a jolt. “Some Jedi, like Kyp and Wurth, will take my leaving as a good sign. They’ll consider the sort of discussion we’ve had here just a display of weakness. When I leave, they’ll think they’ve won some sort of victory. No persuasion on your part will change their minds. It will just lower you in their estimation. It will make their plays for power that much more effective.”
He glanced at Luke. “You have to support Master Skywalker. If the Jedi aren’t together in opposing the Vong, Ithor will be just one more tragedy in what’s going to be a very long list.”
“I’ll do it.” Ganner smiled. “Thanks for providing me an example to follow.”
“Don’t follow it too closely, Ganner. Be yourself. Set an example for others.”
Corran shifted his gaze to Jacen. “What about you?”
Jacen started to open his mouth, then closed it. Thoughts and emotions ran rampant through him. He wanted to agree, but it meant committing himself to a direction he wasn’t certain was for him. A direction that will take me away from where I need to be. Yet, despite his ambivalence, he nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
“I’m sure that will be more than enough.” Corran straightened up, momentarily shaking off his weariness. “I’m sorry to abandon you. My ability to help … There are things I have to do. I just hope you are able to handle the Vong. If there ever comes a time when folks look forward to the return of the man who killed Ithor, well, we know that means the invasion is completely out of hand and things are truly beyond saving.”
To Star Wars Fans
Your knowledge and dedication makes
writing these books a challenge.
Your passion for the universe makes
writing them indescribably rewarding.
Until we meet again …
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book could not have been completed without the efforts of a legion of people. The author wishes to thank the following people without whose effort this book would not exist:
Sue Rostoni, Lucy Autry Wilson, and Allan Kausch of Lucas Licensing Ltd.
Shelly Shapiro of Del Rey.
Ricia Mainhardt, my agent.
R. A. Salvatore, Kathy Tyers, Jim Luceno—Nice handoff, Bob; here’s the baton for you, Jim.
Peet Janes, Timothy Zahn, Tish Pahl, and Jennifer Roberson.
And always, Liz Danforth, who tolerates my vanishing into the galaxy far, far away for months at a time.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael A. Stackpole is an award-winning author, editor, game and computer game designer. As always, he spends his spare time playing indoor soccer and now has a new hobby, podcasting. Mike will publish A New World, the sequel to Cartomancy, this July, and is currently at work on ideas for a half-dozen other novels.
To learn more about Mike’s podcasting, please visit www.tsfpn.com (the website of The SciFi Podcast Network).
BOOKS BY MICHAEL A. STACKPOLE
THE WARRIOR TRILOGY
Warrior: En Garde
Warrior: Riposte
Warrior: Coupé
THE BLOOD OF KERENSKY TRILOGY
Lethal Heritage
Blood Legacy
Lost Destiny
Natural Selection
Assumption of Risk
Bred for War
Malicious Intent
Grave Covenant
Prince of Havoc
Ghost War
THE FIDDLEBACK TRILOGY
A Gathering Evil
Evil Ascendant
Evil Triumphant
Eyes of Silver*
Dementia
Wolf and Raven
Once a Hero*
Talion: Revenant*
STAR WARS® X-WING SERIES
Rogue Squadron*
Wedge’s Gamble*
The Krytos Trap*
The Bacta War*
Isard’s Revenge*
Star Wars®: I, Jedi*
STAR WARS®: THE NEW JEDI ORDER SERIES
Dark Tide I: Onslaught*
Dark Tide II: Ruin*
THE DRAGONCROWN WAR CYCLE
The Dark Glory War*
Fortress Draconis*
When Dragons Rage*
The Grand Crusade*
THE AGE OF DISCOVERY
A Secret Atlas*
Cartomancy*
The New World*
* published by Del Rey and Spectra
STAR WARS—LEGENDS
What is a legend? According to the Random House Dictionary, a legend is “a nonhistorical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical.” Merriam-Webster defines it as “a story from the past that is believed by many people but cannot be proved to be true.” And Wikipedia says, “Legends are tales that, because of the tie to a historical event or location, are believable, though not necessarily believed.” Because of this inherent believability, legends tend to live on in a culture, told and retold even though they are generally regarded as fiction.
Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a legend was born: The story of Luke Skywalker and his fellow heroes, Princess Leia and Han Solo. Three blockbuster movies introduced these characters and their stories to millions of people who embraced these tales and began to build upon them, as is done with myths everywhere. And thus novels, short stories, and comic books were published, expanding the Star Wars universe introduced in the original trilogy and later enhanced by the prequel movies and the animated TV series The Clone Wars. The enormous body of work that grew around the films and The Clone Wars came to be known as The Expanded Universe.
Now, as new movies, television shows, and books move into the realm of the official canon, The Expanded Universe must take its place firmly in the realm of legends. But, like all great legends, the fact that we can’t prove the veracity of every detail doesn’t make the stories any less entertaining or worthy of being read. These legends remain true to the spirit of Star Wars and in that way are another avenue through which we can get to know and understand our beloved heroes in that galaxy far, far away.
—Del Rey Books, May 2014
Turn the page or jump to the timeline of Star Wars Legends novels to learn more.
ONE
If the system’s primary was distressed by the events that had transpired on and about the fourth closest of its brood, it betrayed nothing to the naked eye. Saturating local space with golden radiance, the star was as unperturbed now as it was before the battle had begun. Only the conquered world had suffered, its punished surface revealed in the steady crawl of sunlight. Regions that had once been green, blue, or white appeared ash-gray or reddish-brown. Below banks of panicked clouds, smoke chimneyed from immolated cities and billowed from tracts of firestormed evergreen forests. Steam roiled from the superheated beds of glacier-fed lakes and shallow seas.
Deep within the planet’s shroud of cinder and debris moved the warship most responsible for the devastation. The vessel was a massive ovoid of yorik coral, its scabrous black surface relieved in places by bands of smoother stuff, lustrous as volcanic glass. In the pits that dimpled the coarse stretches hid projectile launchers and plasma weapons. Other, more craterlike depressions housed the laser-gobbling dovin basals that both drove the vessel and shielded it from harm. From fore and aft extended bloodred and cobalt arms, to which asteroidlike fighters clung like barnacles. Smaller craft buzzed around it, some effecting repairs to battle-damaged areas, others keen on recharging depleted weapons systems, a few delivering plunder from the planet’s scorched crust.
Farther removed from the battle floated a smaller vessel, black, as well, but faceted and polished smooth as a gemstone. Light pulsed through the ship at intervals, exciting one facet, then anothe
r, as if data were being conveyed from sector to sector.
From a roost in the underside of its angular snout, a gaunt figure, cross-legged on cushions, scanned the flotsam and jetsam a quirk of a gravitational drift had borne close to his ship: pieces of New Republic capital ships and starfighters, space-suited bodies in eerie repose, un-detonated projectiles, the holed fuselage of a noncombat craft whose legend identified it as the Penga Rift.
In the near distance hung the blackened skeleton of a defense platform. Off to one side a ruined cruiser rolled end over end in a decaying orbit, surrendering its contents to vacuum like a burst pod scattering fine seeds. Elsewhere a fleeing transport, snagged by the spike of a bloated capture vessel, was being tugged inexorably toward the bowels of the giant warship.
The seated figure beheld these sights without cheer or regret. Necessity had engineered the destruction. What had been done needed to be done.
An acolyte stood in the rear of the command roost, relaying updates as they were received by a slender, living device fastened to his right inner forearm by six insectile legs.
“Victory is ours, Eminence. Our air and ground forces have overwhelmed the principal population centers and a war coordinator has installed itself in the mantle.” The acolyte glanced at the receiving villip on his arm, whose soft bioluminescent glow added appreciably to the roost’s scant light. “Commander Tla’s battle tactician is of the opinion that the astrogation charts and historical data stored here will prove valuable to our campaign.”
The priest, Harrar, glanced at the warship. “Has the tactician made his feelings known to Commander Tla?”
The acolyte’s hesitancy was answer enough, but Harrar suffered the verbal reply anyway.
“Our arrival does not please the commander, Eminence. He does not dismiss out of hand the need for sacrifice, but he asserts that the campaign has been successful thus far without the need for religious overseers. He fears that our presence will only confound his task.”