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If someone had tossed a thermal detonator into the room, it could not have gotten a stronger reaction than those few words. Saba Sebatyne lashed out with her tail so hard she cracked one of the chairs.

“She goes too far! Threatening our families!” cried Saba.

“What kind of threat? Wait, quiet, what kind of threat?” Katarn, calm as usual, trying to get more information and less emotion.

“This is complete and utter bantha poodoo!” Jaina was furious and wanted badly to follow Saba’s example and break something. Nearly everyone else was shouting, even some of the quieter Masters such as Octa Ramis and Katarn. Strangely enough, Jaina noticed that Corran Horn stayed silent, though a vein throbbed at his temple. Jaina immediately felt a hot surge of shame. His family had already been taken by Daala, and they were nowhere near getting them back.

Hamner called for silence, finally using the Force to amplify his voice into a bellow that sliced through the uproar.

“Quiet!”

He followed it with an extremely powerful Force suggestion for some which, though everyone assembled could resist, nonetheless had an effect. Calm started to replace the anger in most of those present, though the worry was still there, quivering in the air.

Our families, Jaina thought. Her mind went back to the restaurant, and little Allana’s terrified shrieks. It was all getting very ugly very fast.

“The threat was deliberately vague,” said Hamner. “It could even be empty.” It was clear he didn’t believe his own words. Nor did Jaina, nor, she suspected, did any Jedi in the room. Daala wasn’t known for bluffing. And Jaina’s danger sense was tingling, like unfriendly fingers tickling the back of her neck.

“We must launch!” growled Saba. “We should have done so before we were trapped. Now, we must launch before Daala does something to cripple the Order even more.”

“She’s right,” Jaina said. The words escaped her lips without even realizing it.

“Come on, Jaina, think,” Kyp said, too annoyed to curb his tongue. “We’ve had this conversation before. The second we launch, we’ll be heard and shot down like game birds.”

“Not if we’ve got help,” Jaina said. Hamner shot her an angry glance.

“Not again, Jaina. No more Darkmeld, or any other scheme you’ve come up with. We don’t need the bad public response right now. It’s a delicate juncture and I will not have you jeopardizing it.”

“I wasn’t going to—”

“I don’t care!”

Jaina’s mouth slowly closed. For the next few minutes, she listened to the uproar. Everyone was shouting, no one was listening, and no one was going to do anything.

Except Jaina.

Quietly, unobtrusively, she made her way to the door. She waited for a long moment, then slipped out.

There was someone she thought just might help.

“SIR, I TRIED TO STOP HER—” ASHIK SAID AS A SMALL WHIRLWIND burst into Jagged Fel’s office.

“As soon stop time as Jaina,” Jag muttered under his breath.

“It’s important,” Jaina said. She turned to Ashik. “Can you leave us alone for a few moments? I need to talk to Jag in private.”

Ashik looked at Jag, who nodded. Frowning slightly, the Chiss closed the door.

“So what’s so important that you had to practically hit Ashik in the nose?” he asked, leaning back in his chair and regarding her.

“I need your help.”

“With what this time?”

Jaina winced a little at his tone of voice. “I know … it seems like recently the only time I come to see you is when I need something. I’m sorry, but this time—Jag, this is huge.”

He sighed, and relaxed, extending his right hand to her. She took it in her left, moving forward to perch on a corner of his desk, and his eyes lingered for a moment on the bright stone on the fourth finger. The sight took away some of the irritation. Jaina was Jaina, and had always been, and thank stars would always be, Jaina. And he loved her, despite, and because of, that.

“All right. What’s going on.”

She licked her lips. “Vault time.”

“… okay.”

“I can’t tell you everything. Not yet. But …” She took a deep breath. “Luke’s run into something really, really