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“You expect to be tortured?”

His eyes glittered in the light. “Some cultures would not hesitate to use torture. Think about what we are doing, Madhi. We could topple governments, destroy cultures, ruin worlds, according to what some beings believe.”

“Do you believe that?”

“Yes,” he said firmly, surprising her. “It will have to be the result of finally and completely stamping out the institution. The change will be drastic, more so in some places than in others. Understand, though, that it is not the chaos we are after. It is the order after that which we seek—the just order that must come once all beings are able to breathe free. If that order can come calmly and peacefully, then all the better. But it must come. You know that yourself, or else you would not be moved to cover these stories as passionately as you do.”

He was right, she realized. She was proud of that, but at the same time knew she needed to maintain proper journalistic impartiality. She steered the conversation back toward its organization.

“So for instance, if you were captured, how many could you betray?”

“Only four,” he said. He smiled, again showing white teeth. “But I would not talk.”

“I believe that,” Madhi said, and she did. “So you use aviation terms: flight path, pilot, cargo, and so on.”

“We do. It is safer if we are accidentally overheard. Nine hundred and ninety-nine times, if you are in a spaceport and hear those terms, they are not Freedom Flight members uttering them.”

“But that thousandth time they might be.”

He nodded.

“What do you think of the situation on Klatooine? Was that instigated by the Flight?”

Blink started to answer, gave her a slightly crafty tilt of the head, and said, “Off the record.”

Madhi immediately clicked off the recording device. “For my ears only,” she said.

“And charming ones they are,” the Bothan replied. Madhi chuckled. “For your ears only, then—no. We do have pilots and other Flight crew stationed there, of course. But the violation of the Fountain—such a thing is reprehensible to us. We respect the enslaved cultures we are struggling so hard to liberate, and endeavor not to do anything that would offend them. Later, perhaps, we will reveal this about the Flight, but for the moment, let beings wonder. Let the Flight scare those who stand to lose much through the abolishment of slavery.”

“But the results?”

“The violence is regrettable, but under the unfortunate circumstances it is understandable. The Hutts, the Klatooinians, and the Niktos will have to reach some kind of accord—or not—on their own. Our Flight crews are already departing Klatooine to put their efforts elsewhere where they are needed.”

“And where might that be?”

Blink chuckled. “Here’s a question for you,” he said, “and then I must depart. Where are you heading next?”

“I’m not sure I should be telling you,” she replied cagily.

“I would assume Klatooine. But that’s not where the story is. If I were you, I would be heading for Blaudu Sextus.”

Madhi looked at him, confused. “I’ve never heard of it.”

“Look it up.” He stepped back, merging with the shadows of the jutting rock formation. “I think you’ll be very glad you did.”

ABOARD THE JADE SHADOW

“I’VE … GOT A STRANGE FEELING,” BEN SAID AS THEY MOVED SLOWLY through the Maw. He frowned slightly.

“What is it?” Luke asked.

“As if … as if I’ve been here before!”

“If I weren’t such a tolerant parent I’d box your ears,” Luke said. Ben grinned.

“I’ll do it,” Vestara offered.

“You would,” Ben said. Vestara smiled with mocking sweetness that melted into a genuine smile.

The banter was weak, but Luke did not discourage it. Communication had been spotty since they entered the Maw, and everyone, including himself, was on edge. To call this alliance “uneasy” was an understatement, and he did not like being incommunicado with nearly a dozen Sith frigates and the Rockhound.

Information had been exchanged. Everyone had the same star charts of the area; everyone had the course plotted and explained. The Rockhound hovered over all of them like some extraordinarily ugly mother