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But none of their comlinks was fully charged. The power source on Dyon’s might last another hour, or another three. It would not last all night.

Ben saw his father’s head tilt. Luke’s eyes came half open. “Something’s changing.”

“Is she moving?”

“No. Not yet.”

Halliava smiled broadly as Vestara emerged from behind a thornbush. The offworld girl was as silent as a floating leaf, visible only in tiny slivers of moonlight slanting through the forest canopy overhead. She was a fine student. She would become a fine Nightsister, a natural leader for the next generation.

Halliava embraced the girl. “You took some time getting here.”

Vestara’s face was no longer visible in the moonlight, but her voice carried a note of irritation. “Olianne had a couple of chores for me. It took some time to get done with them and then descend the hill.”

“It is nothing. I was hoping to be present for the landing of your Sith sisters.”

“Give me my gear. I’ll see what I can do.”

Halliava passed over the lightsaber and data tablet. Vestara activated the latter object, pressed a blinking icon, read the text message that the tablet displayed.

“What does it say?”

“Request for immediate contact and information. So they know exactly how much gear to bring down for the sisters.” Vestara keyed in a series of commands and held the tablet up beside her ear and mouth.

Halliava heard a voice buzzing from the device, a woman’s voice. Vestara answered, “Vestara Khai, confirmed … Same coordinates. Twenty-two Nightsisters and myself, eighteen rancors … Understood. Khai out.” She slid the tablet into her pouch, hung the lightsaber from her belt.

“You don’t wish me to carry your gear?”

Vestara shook her head. “You plan to destroy the Bright Sun Clan tonight, yes? Before they ever see another sunrise. We no longer need to hide who I am.”

Halliava struck off into the forest, moving along a game trail that could not be seen in the darkness but whose contours she had memorized during the day. For now it led in the approximate direction of the meadow where the Nightsisters would meet the Sith. She’d gone only a few dozen paces, though, when she felt something, a ripple of distant awareness. She stopped.

“What is it?”

“One of them is aware of me. One of the offworld men.”

“Let’s lead them in the direction of their deaths, then.”

Halliava nodded and resumed her movement.

It was different this time, though. The alien men had followed her before, and would eventually adjust themselves to her movements. But this time, whenever the game trail took a new direction or she and Vestara stopped briefly, their trackers adjusted themselves instantly to the change. It was as though she and Vestara were under the eyes of their enemies, when Halliava knew they could not be.

She explained this to Vestara.

The girl didn’t have to think about it long. “We’re carrying a tracking device. A second device, I mean. I was already carrying one to lead the Jedi around.”

“What’s a tracking device?”

“It’s as though we’re constantly shrieking at the top of our lungs, but only our pursuers can hear us. They’ve slipped something into our possessions. But let’s keep it for now. When we get near the meadow, we can put it on a bird or something and let them chase it for a while. By the time they figure out they’ve been misled and return to find us, we’ll have the Sith weapons and will be able to destroy them.”

“I like that.”

They continued on.

“Halliava, why is it so important that things remain as they always were?”

Halliava shrugged, though she knew Vestara could not see the motion. “It just is.”

“But that’s foolish. Change is inevitable.”

“I agree with you. And unlike some of us, many of us, I do not find men objectionable. I do not even insist that they be slaves. But for any group, there can be only so many rulers. If I am to rule, if the sisters I have chosen are to rule, there is no room for anyone else. And new ways mean more people gain the skills