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The Hidden One stared at Ben. His expression was unhappy, but Luke suspected he actually felt some measure of grim satisfaction. “You win.” The Hidden One's tone was flat, almost emotionless. “Your father may continue his tedious complaints so long as he has breath within his body. But he's still wrong about what we're doing here. About the life within us.”

“No, Master.” That was Chara, his voice pained. “He may be right.”

The Hidden One turned to glare at him. “Not you, too.”

Chara struggled to rise. Abandoning her futile attempt to keep him still, Ithia helped him to his feet. “Master,” he said, “I am this boy's superior in fighting skill. I am strong in the Force. But he won. He won through the will to win. Through conviction, through strength of purpose. I lost because I lack these things.”

“Perhaps you do.” The Hidden One sounded scornful. “But it is because you have listened to him.” He gestured at Luke. “He has confused you, diverted you from your purpose. Once he is gone, you will return to the correct path.”

Luke stepped forward to stand beside his son. “Gone? So we can leave?”

The Hidden One shook his head. “No one leaves. I have made that clear already. No, you are not going to leave. But very soon, things will return to normal.” He took a deep breath, assuming a regretful expression as he looked among his people. “I'm sorry. But the Skywalkers are clearly too dangerous to live among us, and they know too much to be free.”

Luke returned Ben's lightsaber to the boy. “So you're going to kill us.”

Burra, the ancient Kel Dor, shook his head vehemently. “That is not our way, Master.”

“I will not do it,” Ithia said. Others echoed her sentiment.

The Hidden One glared down at Luke. “Do you see what you've done? Until your arrival, they were satisfied. Obedience to our goal, our destiny, was our first concern. Now you've made them, made them—”

“Alive?” Luke kept his tone quizzical.

The Hidden One glared at him for a moment, then turned his attention to the Kel Dors. “Of course we will not murder them. That is not our way.” As a sigh of relief circulated among his followers, he added, “I have informed those above that the Skywalkers died in a collapse of the cave they were excavating. Above, they now know not to send down any more oxygen-nitrogen canisters. We will not kill the Skywalkers … but in the matter of a day or two, once their remaining canisters have been depleted, the atmosphere of Dorin will.”

ANOTHER MURMUR ROSE. BURRA CALLED OUT, “MASTER, NO”.

But the Hidden One brushed his hands together as if ridding himself of imaginary dirt. “It is done. No rebellion on this matter will be tolerated. Or effective. I had the comm encryption codes advanced. Should one of you be foolish enough to try to send unauthorized messages to those above, your words will not be understood.” He looked at Luke and Ben. “Now, finally, like us, you must resign yourself to death.”

Ithia stepped forward. Her voice was soft, a plea. “Master, please. Reverse your decision. And I wish you would consider something that has been troubling me for years now, something that I have tried to bring up with you many times, something you have never been willing to hear.”

“Which is what?”

“Our purpose here.” She paused for a moment as if trying to gather the right words. “Our lives here only have meaning if the worst occurs—if the Baran Do are wiped out above and must be restored. If that never happens, our lives here are wasted.”

“Which is why we choose to be dead before we descend to this place.” The Hidden One sounded annoyed. There was no sign on his face that Ithia's words had meant anything to him.

“Master …” A look of great sadness crossed Ithia's face. “You're wrong. You're wrong in what you're doing to the Skywalkers. And I think it's time for you to understand, and admit, that this experiment is a failure.”

“This is no experiment.” The Hidden One was suddenly on his feet, his voice raised in a shrill shout, his anger so potent that all present except Luke and Ben took a step backward. “It is our way, and it will continue