Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 06_ Vortex - Denning Troy [34]
“Jedi Saar,” he said, “please tell me why your hands are raised.”
Saar furrowed his heavy brow, then shrugged and pointed his chin toward the line of Mandalorians spread across Fellowship Plaza. “Because I don’t want to get blasted?”
Tharn nodded. “That seems reasonable.” He turned to Turi. “Jedi Altamik, can you explain why those Mandalorians might want to blast you and Jedi Saar?”
Turi’s upper lip curled into an edgy half smile. “Sure—Sothais and I have been a bit barvy lately.” She shifted her gaze away, looking past Tharn down toward Daala, then added, “But we’re better now, Chief Daala … honest we are.”
The faint rustle of laughter from beyond the Mandalorian lines told Han all he needed to know about who was winning the public relations battle in Fellowship Plaza. The Jedi had Daala on the defensive—and she knew it. To Han’s surprise, she acknowledged Turi’s jibe with a sour smile and a dip of the head.
“I’m glad you think so, Jedi Altamik,” she said. “But if it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer to hear that from Dr. Tharn.”
“I understand,” Turi replied. She looked back to the Bith. “To tell the truth, I’d kind of like to hear him say it, too.”
Another murmur of laughter broke out from the media encampment, this one louder than the first. Tharn waited for it to pass, then nodded.
“Just a few more questions, Jedi Altamik.” He turned back to Saar. “Jedi Saar, do you trust me?”
Saar thought for a moment, then shook his head. “To tell the truth, Doctor, not all that much.”
This reply drew no laughter, but Tharn took it in stride. “In your position, I don’t think I would trust someone hired by Chief Daala, either,” he said. “But please rest assured that whatever I do here, it’s for your own benefit.”
Saar regarded him warily. “If you say so.”
“I do. And please lower your hands. Nobody here is going to blast you without a direct order from Chief Daala.” Tharn continued to look at Saar, but addressed himself to Daala. “That’s correct, is it not, Chief Daala?”
“If that’s what you want, yes,” Daala replied.
“It is.” Tharn waited until Saar had lowered his hands, then turned back to Turi. “You, too, Jedi Altamik.”
Turi lowered her hands. “Thanks, Doc.”
“Your gratitude is not really necessary, Jedi Altamik,” he said. “But your trust is. Will you trust me?”
Turi’s green eyes grew thoughtful, her gaze turning inward as she reached out to examine his Force aura. After a moment, she nodded. “Okay.”
“Excellent.”
Tharn turned back to Saar, bringing a knee up between the Jedi’s legs so swiftly that the Chev was doubled over and groaning before Han quite realized what he was seeing. A hush of astonishment spread across the plaza, followed an instant later by the clatter of hundreds of blaster rifles being raised to armored shoulders. Tharn’s hand shot up, signaling for the troops to hold their fire, then he drew his knee back to strike Saar again.
In the next second, Tharn was high in the air, hanging aloft two meters beyond Turi’s outstretched hand. “Doc!” she cried. “Why in the blazes did you do that?”
“I was conducting a field test,” Tharn explained. He seemed surprisingly at ease for someone who had just assaulted a Jedi. He craned his neck around to look back down at Daala. “And since I still seem to be alive, Captain Solo is clearly correct. These Jedi have obviously been cured.”
Daala was too astonished to be angry. “You must be joking.”
“I assure you, I am not.” Tharn turned back to Turi, then said, “Would you please put me down, young lady? You’ve already proven that you are in control of yourself.”
A stunned Turi slowly lowered Tharn back to the landing. “You’re as barvy as we were, Doc,” she said. “You could have gotten us all killed.”
“Only if one of you had lost control, and I could see from the moment you left the Temple that wasn’t going to happen.” Tharn gestured toward Saar’s still-groaning figure. “That was just to prove it to Chief Daala.