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Chest filling with pride at his father’s endurance and foresight, Ben glanced over and asked, “We’re going to be doing this for a while, aren’t we?”

Luke smiled and nodded. “I’m afraid so, son.” He turned to Vestara. “Are you up to this? You could still take your chances with the friends-and-family plan.”

Vestara’s brow rose. “You’d let me remain with them?”

“Whatever your reasons, you saved Ben’s life in there,” Luke replied. “I think I can give you a break … just this once.”

Vestara considered the offer for nearly a dozen steps, then tipped her head and looked over at Luke. “Is this a test, Master Skywalker?”

Ben was asking himself the same question, because the last thing his father would want was Vestara repeating what she had overheard about the Jedi queen. Though, now that he thought about it, Abeloth hadn’t revealed anything Taalon hadn’t known already—she’d merely confirmed that a Jedi queen was destined to claim a throne the Sith coveted themselves.

“If I accept your offer of release,” Vestara continued, “how quickly will I find myself dead?”

Luke chuckled. “That’s not my style,” he said. “You’re free to stay behind, if you want to take your chances with the Sith. But if you come with us, it can’t be as a prisoner. We’re going to have enough trouble without worrying about you. So if you stay with us, it needs to be because you want to.”

Ben began to wonder if his father might have suffered a concussion during the fight. “Uh, Dad, you know it wasn’t us she was trying to save when she killed Taalon, right?” he asked. “She was just trying to keep Abeloth from making him her tentacle cleaner—then using him to take control of the Sith.”

“That’s not a bad thing, Ben.” As Luke spoke, he kept his gaze on Vestara. “And neither was sparing the galaxy another of Abeloth’s kind.”

As Luke spoke, the purple-eyed Keshiri started across the circle on an interception vector, with a dozen more Sith following close behind. Vestara watched them for a moment, then lowered her chin.

“Thank you for giving me a choice, Master Skywalker.” Her voice was so soft that Ben could barely hear it. “But killing so far above my station will make me a target for many years—if I survive the initial retaliations. I think I’m better off with you than with my own people.”

Ben’s heart began to dance a little bit—he didn’t trust Vestara, but he was beginning to think he might have a real chance of turning her to the light side.

“So you’re still coming with us?” he asked, grinning.

Vestara sighed in exasperation. “It doesn’t mean I have fallen for you, Ben Skywalker.” Giving him no chance to reply, she nodded at the approaching band. “And now, perhaps the time has come to make a run for the Shadow.”

Before Ben could remind her of his father’s injured leg, Luke said, “We’re fine. Running will start a fight, and a fight will cost us even more time.”

“You Jedi, are you all mad?” Vestara whispered.

Ben was about to side with her—until he noticed the speaker bud in the Keshiri’s ear. The Sith was speaking into a throat mike as he walked and casting uneasy glances toward the sky, and the Force was fairly sizzling with his panic.

“Master Skywalker, running is our only chance,” Vestara pressed. “We’re outnumbered—badly.”

“We’re not.” Ben glanced skyward. He didn’t see any sign of help yet, but he knew he wouldn’t—not until the moment it arrived. “Trust me on that.”

“Trust you?” Vestara retorted. “You are mad.”

Before Ben could explain, the band of Sith spread across their path. The purple-eyed leader stepped forward and glared down at Vestara. “I need to speak to High Lord Taalon. Where is he?”

Vestara shrugged. “I am sorry, Master Vhool, I don’t—”

“You’ll find Lord Taalon in the hall,” Luke interrupted, waving an arm toward the door behind them. “Along with Gavar Khai. We had quite a fight with Abeloth in there.”

The Keshiri’s eyes widened. “Is Lord Taalon well?”

“About as well as can be expected, considering,” Ben supplied. He gestured toward the Shadow. “It’s my dad and me who need the medbay. Do you mind?”