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“Jedi treachery!” Khai extended a hand and used a blast of Force energy to splash the image away, then turned to glare at Ben. “I should have killed you days aaah—”

Khai’s threat came to a startled end as he went sailing across the Pool. He slammed into the far wall of the grotto and remained there, pinned in place by the invisible hand of the Force.

“Days ago, Gavar, you might have had a chance to succeed,” Luke said, stepping to the pool. “Now that the odds are more even, you’d do well to avoid threatening my son.” He glanced over at Ben and flashed a quick smile, then added, “The next time, he just might take you seriously.”

Wondering if this was his father’s way of starting the fight that had to be coming, Ben pivoted around to guard their flank. But the other two Sith appeared less concerned with the developing situation than with the undulating surface of the pool. Taalon was kneeling at the edge of the water, scowling down at the broken reflection of what might have been a large white throne. Vestara was standing at the High Lord’s shoulder, apparently unaware of—or unconcerned by—her father’s predicament.

Taalon waved a hand over the pool, using the Force to still the shimmering waters, and Ben’s heart climbed into his throat. Sitting on the throne, wearing a simple aurodium crown, was a slender red-headed woman. She looked a lot like Tenel Ka, except that she had two arms and a small, button-ended nose that clearly came from the Solo line. Hanging from the belt of her gown was a long, curved lightsaber with a rancor claw in the hilt, and standing guard around her, with their weapons drawn and ignited, were a dozen Jedi Knights representing a dozen different species. One of those Jedi, the human, had the same square chin and wavy red hair that Ben had seen in his own reflection just a few minutes earlier.

Taalon turned to glare at Ben. “Who is she?”

Ben shrugged, trying to calm himself and still his Force aura before he answered. A dark fury came instantly to Taalon’s eyes, and Ben realized that the High Lord already knew that he intended to lie.

“Uh, Dad?”

A lightsaber snapped to life behind him, and Ben realized no further explanation was required. Knowing he would have only one chance to stop Taalon before Taalon stopped him, he jerked his own weapon off his belt. He stepped forward, rolling the hilt around for an overhand strike and angling left to force Vestara to pivot out of his attack path.

But Vestara did not react as expected to the sound of the igniting lightsaber. Her mouth simply gaped open, and her green eyes locked on the sizzling blade in disbelief and confusion. Ben brought his free hand around to trap her weapon arm against her flank and push her aside when she tried to counterattack.

No counterattack came. Vestara’s expression merely melted into disappointment, and her gaze slid away, filled with sorrow and surrender. A cold, sick weight filled Ben inside as he realized what she was thinking, that their flirtations had meant nothing to him and he had planned to kill her all along. Ben drew up short and, unable to reach past her to strike at Taalon, whirled around behind her.

A loud splash echoed through the cavern, and Ben knew he was too late. He came around with his lightsaber in both hands, at middle guard between him and Vestara. She had finally taken her own weapon in hand and stood prepared to defend herself, but she still appeared more puzzled than ready. A couple of meters to their side, Ben was vaguely aware of his own father diving toward the far side of the cavern, and the delicate clinkle of Gavar Khai’s shikkar shattering on the stone floor behind him.

Vestara tensed to spring, confused no longer. Ben sprang forward, swinging his lightsaber at her forward knee. She ignited her own blade and flipped it down to block; then a hardness came to her eyes and her parang began to rise from its sheath.

Ben was already snapping his hips around, launching a vicious roundhouse kick at her sore shoulder. “Out of my way!”

The blow caught her high on the arm, driving her injured shoulder