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Ben found the instructions a relief. They moved forward, the ground beneath them giving way to carved, inlaid flagstones as they entered the courtyard proper. As on Korriban, these were etched with disconcerting images: eyes, five-fingered hands, claws. They had been created with ritual and infused with dark-side energy, and Ben felt as though he were stepping on ice with bare feet.

Luke and Jaina wandered off to the left exterior side of the temple, each taking a different corner. Ben and Vestara found themselves on the right. Vestara went a little ahead to examine some ancient braziers, and Ben lowered his gaze to the sinister flagstones. He was not looking at their art; he was looking for footprints, fresh mud, or stones that jutted upward as if they had been stepped on recently.

“These braziers haven’t seen fire in a long time.” Vestara’s voice came to Ben over his comlink, even though she was only a couple of meters away. Ben realized that since they had drawn near the temple, they had spoken in quiet tones. Of course, part of his brain reasoned; if Abeloth or any Sith were lurking nearby, none of the Jedi—nor, apparently, Vestara—would want to announce their presences by shouting. But he knew there was another reason.

The dark side was here.

“Yeah, I’m not seeing any signs here that anything has been recently disturbed. No markings other than our own.”

A few more minutes passed. Ben felt irritation and frustration begin to chase away his alert apprehension. He clicked his comlink again, this time speaking to his father.

“Nothing here, Dad.”

“Nor here,” came Luke’s reply. Ben caught Vestara’s eye and nodded, and they walked back toward the center of the courtyard. Jaina and Luke, Jaina looking like she’d like to punch something and Luke looking disappointed, met them.

“I don’t like this,” Luke said without preamble. “More than half a dozen places searched and no one’s found anything. Nothing at all.”

“Well,” Ben offered, finding himself in the unusual position of wanting to reassure his dad, “the galaxy is a fairly large place.”

“Of course,” Luke said, “but we should still be finding something. If nothing else, I’m surprised Abeloth hasn’t … taunted us in some way. She needs an audience. This absolute inability to find anything at all, about either her and Ship or the Lost Tribe—” He shook his head. “It’s not adding up. She’s not hiding from us because she’s afraid. She’s hiding because she’s planning something. Combine that with the same inexplicable disappearance of the Lost Tribe—I’m willing to bet that they’re working together. They’re planning something. And when Abeloth and the Lost Tribe drop out of sight to plan something—it’s going to be very big, and very bad.”

Everyone, even Vestara, looked unhappy at his words. Ben sighed. “Well, I don’t think we’re going to find them here.”

“I think,” came a rich, deep voice, “you already have.”

THERE WERE TEN OF THEM, SITH SABERS ALL, MOVING DOWN THE STEPS of the temple. Their lit lightsabers bathed their smirking faces in a sinister red glow. At their head was a man whom Luke had hoped never to see again.

Gavar Khai.

Ben whirled on Vestara, activating his own lightsaber in the same movement. He didn’t know how she had done it, but somehow she must have gotten word to her father. He should never—

Her own lightsaber was lit, as were Luke’s and Jaina’s. But Gavar Khai’s beautiful and treacherous daughter wasn’t facing Ben, or even Luke. She was facing her father, her eyes wide and face pale with shock and … fear?

And Gavar Khai’s gaze, his eyes narrowed and angry, was on her.

“You’re so predictable,” Luke said. “You should try varying treachery with actual trustworthiness on your future infiltration missions.”

Luke’s eyes were on the Sith. He hadn’t seen Vestara’s reaction, perhaps hadn’t even felt it.

“Dad—” Ben began.

“I didn’t,” said Vestara. Now Luke apparently did sense her terror, for he spared her a quick glance, still poised