Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 06_ Vortex - Denning Troy [79]
Deciding the Sith would now grow cautious and approach more slowly, Luke retreated a couple of meters down the bank, then bounded to Vestara’s side. Her face was battered, a trio of lightning burns showed through a hole in her robes, and the odor of charred cloth filled the air around her. She certainly appeared to be someone in dire need of Jedi protection.
Luke wasn’t fooled, of course … but he did feel sorry for her. He pulled her to her feet and started across the beach toward the Emiax, where Ben had grown so frustrated that he had stuffed the lock slicer back into his equipment belt and was now examining the hatch seam with his lightsaber in hand.
“Abeloth stole the Shadow,” Luke explained, dragging the still-shaky Vestara along by an elbow. “So you’re going to help us borrow the Emiax.”
“I … I’m not sure I can,” Vestara said. “High Lord Taalon is the only one who knows—”
The thunderous crackle of a thermal detonator sounded from atop the sandy bank. They glanced back in time to see a ten-meter sphere of jungle vanishing in a crackling ball of white. Once the dazzle had faded from Luke’s eyes—revealing only a glassy, rimless crater where an instant before there had been towering tree ferns and club mosses—he looked back to Vestara.
“What do you think?” he asked. “Did that trap get Taalon and your father?”
Vestara raised her chin. “Would it have gotten you?”
“Not even close.” Luke smiled and started across the beach again, this time dragging her along at a run. “Which leaves you with a choice—help us with the Emiax, or stay behind and explain to High Lord Taalon why you failed at your assignment.”
“Assignment?” Vestara echoed. Like any good spy, she was playing innocent until the last. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I saw your reaction when you realized the Shadow was gone.” Luke reached down and plucked the lightsaber off her belt. “And if it’s going to come to another fight, I’d be a fool to let it start with uneven odds.”
Always a quick thinker, Vestara needed only two steps to make up her mind. She turned toward the Emiax, where Ben had ignited his lightsaber and was just preparing to plunge the blade into the hatch seam.
“Put that lightsaber away, you nerf-brain!” She pulled free of Luke and sprang across the last ten paces to the shuttle. “All you need is the Force.”
“It has an internal latch?” Ben asked, brow rising. “Like the Shadow?”
Vestara rolled her eyes. “Nothing that complicated, Ben.” She shifted her gaze to the control panel, and the hatch seal broke with a soft hiss. “You just needed to disengage the cabin lockouts.”
As the boarding ramp dropped into place, Ben’s face reddened. “That was next on my list.”
“Sure it was.”
Vestara grabbed Ben’s hand and started up the ramp with him. In the same instant a prickle of danger sense raced down Luke’s spine, and he turned to see Taalon and Khai standing in the crater left by the thermal detonator. He opened fire immediately, forcing them to drop for cover, and retreated toward the boarding ramp.
Luke had not even reached the bottom when he felt himself being lifted with the Force and carried aboard the Emiax.
“You Jedi,” Vestara said. Luke dropped to the deck at her feet, then watched as the ramp-toggle rocked into the RAISED position. “Don’t you use the Force for anything?”
WITH THE SLAVE REVOLTS ON KLATOOINE AND BLAUDU SEXTUS NOW claiming as much attention as the Pellaeon murder trial, the crowd in the Ninth Hall of Justice spectator area had gone from standing-room-only to barely packed. Tahiri couldn’t say whether that was a good development for her or bad, but she did know that it had brightened her counselor’s mood. In contrast with his careworn appearance of the past few days, this morning his eyes were bright and his fur glistening. As he strode to the defense table,