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“Is that a problem?” Leia asked. “Bazel has always been very good with her.”

“I don’t believe there’s anything to worry about,” Cilghal said. “It’s just that the only link we’ve been able to establish between patients is one of association.”

“What kind of association?” Han asked.

“Age and location,” Tekli supplied. “All four victims were among the students hidden in Shelter.”

Leia nodded. Shelter was the secret base where the Jedi had sequestered their young during the last part of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong. Located deep inside the Maw cluster of black holes and cobbled together from the remnants of an abandoned weapons lab, it had been a gloomy place to care for young Jedi—and now, it appeared, perhaps a dangerous one.

“Are you thinking environmental toxins?” Leia asked.

“We decontaminated the place pretty well,” Han added. “But I suppose we could have missed something—the Imperials were making some strange stuff there.”

Cilghal spread her hands. “It’s impossible to say. At the moment, all we have is a simple observation.” She lowered an admonishing eye toward her assistant. “The sample is too small to establish a statistical correlation.”

“True, but it’s the only firm link we have among all four,” Tekli countered. “And whether it’s causative or not, Bazel does associate closely with both Valin and Jysella.”

“Yeah, along with Yaqeel Saav’etu,” Han said. “I’ve heard Bazel call the four of them the Unit.”

Leia raised a brow. “Did this Unit include Seff or Natua?”

“Not that I ever heard,” Han said.

Tekli confirmed this with a shake of her golden-furred head.

“You see?” Cilghal asked. “There are plenty of facts and connections—but which are significant? Are any?”

“If anyone can sort it out, it’s you,” Leia said. “In the meantime, there’s nothing wrong with being careful.”

“Of course not,” Cilghal said. “So if you’d rather return to Amelia right away—”

“No, I don’t think that will be necessary,” Leia interrupted. “Artoo-Detoo is there, and he has standing orders to contact us if anything starts to look out of the ordinary. And we’re very eager to help you.”

“Yeah.” Han glanced toward the cell block. “Judging by the looks of those two up there, you need it more than ever.”

“Thank you.” Cilghal turned and waved them toward the cell block. “But actually, the reason I asked you here is that Seff has begun to improve.”

Han looked doubtful. “So he didn’t tear up his hands punching walls?”

“He did,” Cilghal admitted.

“But he has stopped,” Leia noted. “Is that the improvement?”

Cilghal nodded. “A few days after we isolated them from the Force, both Seff and Natua began to exhibit symptoms of violent psychological withdrawal. Seff’s present calmness suggests he may have entered a recovery phase.”

“Wait a minute.” Han cast an uneasy look toward Leia. “You’re saying they’re addicted to the Force?”

“Only that there’s some connection,” Cilghal said carefully.

“We’re wondering if the Force acts as some sort of carrier for the madness,” Tekli explained. “Or maybe a trigger.”

Cilghal fixed an admonishing eye on her assistant. “That’s all speculation at this stage, of course.” The other eye swung toward Leia—a Mon Calamari ability that Leia still found a bit unsettling. “So far, we haven’t been able to confirm either the withdrawal or the recovery.”

“And that’s why you need us?” Leia surmised.

Cilghal nodded. “We’d like to conduct a furtive encephaloscan to determine just how calm Seff truly is—”

“And you want us to distract him,” Han finished.

“Would you mind?” Cilghal asked. “We can’t establish a baseline stress pattern unless we keep his attention focused elsewhere. And you’re the best con artists in the Temple.”

“On Coruscant,” Han corrected, a bit too proudly. He hitched a thumb toward C-3PO. “But Goldenrod here isn’t going to be much help tricking anyone. Why’d you want him along?”

“Natua has been hissing as she works,” Tekli explained. “I’m beginning to think she’s talking to herself.”

“That