Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 06_ Vortex - Denning Troy [14]
Ben rose and placed a hand on his lightsaber, then said, “Vestara, I don’t hate my enemies—but you’re not going to play me twice. What did you sense?”
Vestara studied him for a moment, no doubt weighing how serious he was, then finally said, “Relax. I was going to tell you. I just need a promise—”
“No promises. I don’t keep secrets from my father.” Ben spoke with more heat than necessary, for the one time he had made the mistake of doing exactly that, his mother had died—and her killer had become Darth Caedus. “Especially not Sith secrets.”
“I’m not asking you to. But you can’t let High Lord Taalon—or my father—know that I told you. Either one would kill me for letting slip my own middle name. For this …” Vestara let the sentence trail off, then shrugged. “Well, you know what would happen. My people don’t take betrayal lightly.”
Ben knew that much was true. But Vestara’s eyes remained hard and dark, and he also knew that she was still trying to manipulate him—trying to play on his sympathy and his sense of responsibility. Perhaps that was the only way of relating to her peers that she understood, to lie to them and exploit them. He started to wonder just how much of what she had become was a product of her environment … and whether she might be open to a different kind of life.
Ben nodded. “Don’t worry. Taalon won’t hear a thing.”
“From you or your father?”
“Jedi honor their promises,” Ben confirmed, “in word and spirit.”
“You’d better.” Vestara turned back toward the viewport and fell silent for moment, then finally said, “Okay. Ship is returning.”
Ben let his hand slip away from his lightsaber and remained standing. It was the last thing he had expected Vestara to say, but it made sense … and it was also just alarming enough to make a good lie. He studied her a moment, looking for signs that she was trying to play him again, and didn’t find any.
In a neutral voice, he said, “You told me that Ship isn’t under Sith control.”
Vestara looked back to him, her lips pursed in admonishment. “When I told you that, Abeloth was still alive,” she said. “And I don’t know that Ship is under our control now—only that he’s coming.”
“To do what?” Ben pressed. He could think of two possibilities, and neither was good for the Skywalkers. “To avenge Abeloth?”
“Or to share what he knows about her with Lord Taalon,” Vestara replied. “Ship didn’t tell me—but either way, you and your father are in trouble. Maybe you should think about coming over to the dark side. I’m sure the Circle of Lords would be happy to find a place for someone like you.”
“Thanks, but … I’d rather die.”
Vestara shrugged. “Have it your way.” She tilted her head up at him, and her brown eyes suddenly looked both huge and deep. “But I’ll miss you … a little bit, at least.”
“Nice to know,” Ben said, half grinning. “But you’re getting ahead of yourself, don’t you think?”
Vestara shook her head. “Afraid not,” she said. “Ship is coming, and he’s very angry.”
Ben met her gaze. Beginning to think he and his father really might be in trouble, he asked, “He didn’t tell you anything else?”
Vestara looked him straight in the eye. “Nothing.”
“I can check that, you know.”
Vestara flourished her hand at him. “Be my guest.”
Half convinced she was just using Ship to distract him from some other development, Ben reached out in the Force again. To his dismay, he felt an ancient presence approaching the planet.
Ben? The voice came to Ben inside his head, as full of portent and menace as he remembered. Why are you not dead?
Ben suppressed a shudder. Just good, I guess.
You have grown arrogant. Ship seemed more amused than irritated. That is a valuable quality in a ruler.
I’m no ruler, just a Jedi Knight, Ben replied. And I’ll be your destroyer, if you come near this planet.
If