Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 08_ Ascension - Christie Golden [41]
“And that makes you better?” Jaina asked. She leaned against the bulkhead, her arms crossed. She was regarding the girl with, if not open hostility, at least healthy dislike plain on her face.
“Yes,” Vestara said simply. She looked at Luke. “Surely you agree, Master Luke. Or do you think it’s better to deny beings the right to grow and achieve simply because of their birth?”
It was an argument Luke could not win. “Next you’ll ask me when I stopped beating my son. Neither is preferable, Vestara. There is no better or worse; there is only the dark side.” And if she were truly moving to the light side, he thought, but did not say, then she would understand that.
Vestara did not react, merely continued. “The Sith Empire thrived, until its discovery by …” She cocked her head, thinking, biting her lower lip in concentration and looking like an ordinary girl trying to recall her lessons. “Gav and Jori Daragon. That discovery led to the Great Hyperspace War, which I understand the Sith lost. It was during that time that the Omen crashed, and I’m afraid I don’t know very much after that.”
“Ship didn’t tell you?” Luke couldn’t read Ben, which was unusual for him. He didn’t seem overly skeptical, nor innocently inquiring. Ben was, Luke realized, in his gathering information mode. His time with the Galactic Alliance Guard had taught him the value of a methodical approach, one in which all evidence was considered. Ben was doing exactly that—asking questions, listening, and observing.
“Some,” Vestara said. “But there were many other things that Ship thought were more important. The Sith have a varied and complex history, and Ship wished us to live in the present, not the past. We spent more time learning about how things are currently in the galaxy.”
“Like learning about me and Dad,” Ben said, again speaking in a calm, impartial voice. Investigating.
“Yes,” she answered, unruffled. “You would have done the same, would you not?”
“I … suppose I would have.”
“All you really need to know about the Sith on Korriban is that we believe they haven’t been there for some time,” Luke said. “The place has become a burial ground. It’s more important for us to be aware of potential dangers we might encounter.”
“The burial-ground aspect is itself a great danger,” Vestara said quietly. “The area will be strong with the dark side. And … I am told that things can be created with the dark side of the Force.”
Luke nodded. “That’s true. The general catchall term is demon.”
“Works for me,” Ben said. Luke could tell now that he was making his voice even with an effort. Ben had had a close brush with such “demons” on Ziost two years earlier. No doubt he was recalling those long days and nights as he spoke.
“There are other, less spectral dangers as well, though,” Luke said. Both Ben and Vestara looked suitably solemn as Luke called up a hologram.
The creature resembled a rancor—if rancors had sharp spines bristling down their backs and large tusks. “This is a terentatek,” Luke said. “They can be found in several places around the galaxy, but they originated on Korriban. Some say they are products of Sith alchemy. Others think they were simply rancors twisted with dark-side energy. Regardless, they are aggressive and deadly. Those claws,” he said, indicating the enormous three-fingered hands, “and their tusks are poisonous. Since they like to live in caves and other places where dark-side energy is strong, and since that’s exactly where we’ll be going, we might run across some.”
He touched another button. This time, the beast that appeared looked like a canine. Sort of. Its eyes were red and glowing, and its paws had sharp claws. A whip-like tail lashed as they watched it.