Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 08_ Ascension - Christie Golden [157]
“I have been to Korriban and Dromund Kaas,” she said. Her voice was calm, but Luke could feel her disappointment, her—shame?—at being thought so weak and untrustworthy. “I did not falter there, did I?”
“No,” Luke agreed readily. “You didn’t. And that’s why I’m giving you a chance at all to become a Jedi. But this isn’t a fair test of your will—not right now. It would be like asking a newly recovering spice addict to go to a party where the stuff was everywhere.”
“I will have to do so eventually, if I am to become a Jedi. I cannot—I will not—hide away simply to avoid challenges.”
“You’re not. You’ve already faced two very strong tests. You knew that even Master Kyle Katarn fell to the dark side on Dromund Kaas. It’s because I do believe you have a chance that I don’t want you anywhere near that place. I don’t want to set you up to fail. Trust me, the last thing I want right now is to have to cut you down in front of my son—or have Ben forced to make that choice.”
Vestara turned to look at Ben. He didn’t flinch from her brown gaze. They all knew he would indeed do so if it came to it.
“You can’t run before you can walk,” Luke said. He made sure there was no censure in his voice or expression or, indeed, even in his Force presence. “And I would be a poor teacher if I asked that of you. I agreed to train you in the ways of the Jedi. If you still wish me to do so, then consider this your first order from your Master.”
She bit her lower lip, then she nodded. “I do not like it, but—I understand. If I was willing to obey Lady Rhea when she was my Master, who cared nothing for me other than how she could use me, I will certainly obey you.”
Ben’s pride in Vestara was like a small sun. She still stood at attention, but Luke saw her lips curve in the slightest of smiles.
“Obedience is seldom fun, but it is necessary,” he said. “Knowing that you, Ben, and Natua will be away from this … maelstrom of energy … eases my mind. Thank you for understanding, Vestara. We’ll comm you if anything happens. And keep us posted if you find anything that will help us.”
“Of course, sir.” She nodded at him. Luke gave Ben a final concerned, affectionate glance, then started off with his Jedi.
Toward a city more full of concentrated dark-side energy, of hate, and anger, and fear, and violence, than anything Luke Skywalker had known before.
“I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU TWO, BUT I FOR ONE AM QUITE CURIOUS TO see what is down there,” Natua said. “After studying the Sith so intensely to help Master Luke, it is exciting to perhaps be the ones to stumble onto something.”
“I don’t remember you as being such a scholarly sort,” Ben said. He set his shoulders, clearly trying to shake off the unpleasant conversation with his father, and the three of them turned and marched toward the cave opening.
“I’m not,” Natua said. “At least, I didn’t think I was. History seemed very dry to me. But having to do this research in order to help with something that was going on right now—that made me feel that I could do something.” She looked over at both of them. “As you can imagine, I don’t harbor a lot of warm and fuzzy feelings toward Abeloth.”
Vestara thought of the first time she had penetrated Abeloth’s illusions, of the hideous thing that had been the reality; of the sickness of Sarasu Taalon and the unhinging of her father’s mind.
“Neither do I,” she said. “Neither do I.”
Worn surprisingly smooth by the flow of lava millennia past, the caves had a geometric beauty to them that seemed more than random. The glow rods provided light, but also cast strangely shaped shadows, illuminating