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“About her? Other than to warn you again to stay away from her? No.” She shook her head, her hair swirling about her. “But since you’ve come back, I guess you’re not going to listen to me.” She softened the words with a gentle smile of resignation.

“No. I have to do this. Too much is at stake. I had thought this would be the most logical place to look for her.”

“Not if she doesn’t want to be found.”

He nodded. “All right. Back to the old-fashioned way of tracking down an enemy.”

“Sending in the Emperor’s Hand?”

Luke actually laughed. “I do wish you were with me,” he said, not caring that the Sith heard the love in his voice. Let them. Love was a powerful thing. It had built and shattered empires, shaped the history of billions, and of two. He was glad of how deeply he had loved, and did love.

“But then again, you have been,” he amended. “It’s meant so much to me. To see you in the dreams—to almost be able to roll over and touch you right before I wake up.”

“Luke,” Mara said gently.

He didn’t want her to stop him, to tell him she needed to go, not before he had said what was in his heart. “And even when I am awake, I feel you with me. You even talk to me.”

“Luke.” He fell silent, regarding her. She searched his eyes for a moment, then the specter of Mara Jade Skywalker said quietly, “Whoever you were with on the Jade Shadow … it wasn’t me.”

SHOCK EXPLODED THROUGH LUKE AND HE LITERALLY STUMBLED backward a step.

“W-what?”

He thought of the female presence aboard the Jade Shadow, slipping into his dreams and even those moments of borderline wakefulness. A body curved into, an arm draped over him … He had been so convinced it was Mara. It was her ship, she had been his wife. Why wouldn’t it be Mara?

“What is it, Skywalker?” It was Gavar Khai, and his voice was concerned. No doubt he was thinking anything powerful enough to distress Luke was something they all needed to worry about. And maybe it was.

“It wasn’t me,” Mara repeated.

Who else could it—

And he knew. Horror and repugnance buffeted Luke. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. Luke forced back the shock and nausea. It would serve nothing now.

“No, it wasn’t,” he managed finally, his voice raw. “I should have known. I’m sorry.”

Her brilliant green eyes were kind. She was beyond annoyance or jealousy. “You couldn’t have. She is ancient, and powerful, and dangerous. Very dangerous. But you’re onto her now. She is never what she appears. Remember that. And next time you feel a ghostly presence lying beside you—” She smiled, even as she began to drift downward, her face becoming a smaller oval in the dark water, her hair a fiery nimbus, “—make sure it’s me.”

Luke laughed, a sound that was almost a sob, and nodded.

“Skywalker, if you have anything to share with us that could help us, please do.” It was Taalon’s voice, cold and irritated.

Luke took a deep breath. “We need to return. Now.”

Ben stifled a yawn. Sitting beside his father’s body was every bit as boring as it had been back on Sinkhole Station—more so as there wasn’t the fear of the unknown to keep him alert. Luke knew what he was doing, his body was safe, and Ben could still sense nothing of Abeloth.

“Why do you think she’s hiding from us?” he asked Vestara.

“I wish I could say I think she was afraid,” Vestara said. “But I think she’s just playing with us.”

“Do—do you think we can beat her?”

“I am Sith, Ben. I’m supposed to think Sith can beat anything in the known universe.”

Her voice was serious, but when he glanced over at her she was smiling. It faded a moment later as she continued. “But she’s ancient, and very powerful. The only way is if we can trick her, somehow.”

“Trick? Dad wants to go up and start a conversation with her. I’m afraid I have to say I’m with Taalon on that. I don’t think that will do much except get us killed.”

“Yet you are prepared to back his attempt to do so.”

“So are the Sith.” He paused, peered at her. “Aren’t they?”

Vestara’s gaze slid away. “We’ll do whatever