Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 06_ Vortex - Denning Troy [62]
“Dad, wait—”
“Go!” Luke hacked another chunk from the column. “Hurry.”
Ben made no move to obey. “But … Vestara’s in there.” The act of speaking filled his chest with fire, and he couldn’t get air, but he forced himself to continue. “Taalon was beating—”
“She’ll survive.” The column snapped with a bang like a sonic boom, and one end of the lintel dropped, filling the entrance with rubble and dust. Luke whirled, cleaving through the opposite column with a single stroke, then continued around and started toward Ben. “You, I’m not so sure about.”
JAINA WOULD HAVE LIKED TO THINK THE BRITTLE CALM OF THE COUNCIL Chamber had come in anticipation of the briefing she and Lando were about to give, but everything she saw told her otherwise. Eight of the ten current members were there in person, all watching the entrance so they would not be forced to look at one another. Kenth Hamner’s face was stony and indifferent, Kyle’s inscrutable, Kyp’s openly resentful. Corran Horn avoided a clenched jaw only through an obvious act of will, and Saba’s cheek scales were bristling. Cilghal’s eye pods were bulging, Barratk’l’s nostrils were flaring, and Octa Ramis’s hands had turned white from clutching her chair arms. Even the Solusars, participating via hologram from the Jedi academy on Ossus, looked ready to rap a few knuckles.
Clearly, Jaina’s TOP URGENT request to brief the Council had interrupted a heated exchange, and she had no doubt her report was only going to aggravate the Masters’ mood. On the bright side, it would at least remind them that there were dangers in the galaxy greater than Natasi Daala—dangers that the Jedi could meet only with a bold and united leadership. Once she and Lando finished their presentation, even Kenth Hamner would recognize that.
With Lando at her side, Jaina entered the Council circle and bowed. “Thank you for seeing us so quickly.”
“Given the rumors of where you’ve been, I saw no reason to doubt the urgency of your request.” Hamner’s eyes and voice grew icy. “We’ll discuss your unauthorized actions after your briefing—immediately after.”
The lump that formed in Jaina’s throat was born of anger more than fear, but she swallowed her ire and inclined her head in what she hoped was a look of contrition. The important thing here was to get the Masters moving in the same direction, and she would not do that by antagonizing the temporary Grand Master of the Jedi Order.
That could come later.
“I look forward to the discussion, Grand Master,” Jaina said. “Regarding the briefing, however—before we start, it would be helpful to know what you’ve heard about my trip.”
It was Kyp who summarized the Council’s knowledge for her. “We’ve heard that you went to … evaluate Luke’s situation.” His gaze shifted toward Lando, who was standing at Jaina’s side looking dapper, worried, and exhausted. “Apparently, you ran into Lando and joined him aboard the Rockhound. After some excitement on Klatooine, the pair of you followed Luke, Ben, and a flotilla of pretty nasty allies into the Maw. We’re thinking you were trying to find out what’s been turning Shelter Jedi barvy and eliminate it. Is that about it?”
Jaina nodded. “It is.”
“We assssume you were successful,” Saba said. She flashed a broad, fang-filled grin. “Because the mad ones have recovered.”
Jaina’s heart did not soar—the news she was bringing was too grim for that—but it definitely rose. “I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear that.”
“And I am, too,” Lando said, sounding far from relieved. He reached into his pocket and extracted the datachip they had prepared on their journey back from the Maw. “Because you’re going to need every Jedi Knight you can find.”
“There was trouble with your allies?” Kyle asked.
“They double-crossed us, but we expected that,” Lando confirmed. “What we didn’t expect was this.”
Lando casually flipped the datachip