Star Wars_ I, Jedi - Michael A. Stackpole [65]
Kam frowned. “Bad example. Everyone knows the Caamasi were committed pacifists.”
“I know, Kam, but someone could rationalize them as evil and go after them.” I opened my hands. “Face it, someone did go after them and nearly wiped out the whole lot of them. I even heard there was a big Caamasi refugee group on Alderaan when it was destroyed. If someone could have seen the Caamasi as a threat, they could have seen anyone as a threat. A child. Anyone.”
Brakiss furrowed his brows. “I hear what you are saying and I want to believe you. Part of me says, though, that you can’t argue an absolute case that no good can come from wielding dark-side powers. There has to be a time when that could happen.”
“That’s theory, Brakiss, but we’ve got to deal with the practical realities of manipulating the Force.” I shook my head. “I don’t want to entertain the idea that I could remain uncorrupted by dealing with evil for what I see as a good purpose. That’s setting the first foot on a very steep and slippery slope. Maybe, with the help of Master Skywalker, it would be possible to get back to the top, but someone will pay a fearful price during my descent, and I don’t want to inflict that on anyone. Neither should you.”
SIXTEEN
A quick blast from the transport’s landing jets lifted debris on a searing wind that made some of the other apprentices duck back or raise their hands to shield their faces. I pulled the heat in and immediately used that energy to impose a tiny Force shield before me. It split the wind and saved me the annoyance of having to blink grit from my eyes and spit dirt from my mouth.
The boxy transport touched down as gently as a feather, but I expected no less from the pilot at the helm. As it settled on its landing struts and the passenger compartment gangway slowly lowered, the apprentices moved in behind Master Skywalker. Kam directed all of them but me to the opening cargo hatch. I walked over by Luke and smiled as Wedge descended from the ship’s interior.
Luke waved a greeting at Wedge and the blue-skinned woman following in his wake. The bright-eyed young man coming third down the gangway won a smile from Luke. “Welcome, Kyp Durron.”
The wiry youth returned Luke’s smile. “I’m ready, Master Skywalker. Teach me the Jedi ways.”
“It will be my pleasure.” Luke waved him toward the line of folks hauling supplies from the transport’s cargo hold. “We will start by unloading the ship. Keiran, if you will see to General Antilles’ and Qwi Xux’s comfort.”
“As you wish, Master.” I smiled at Wedge and waved him toward the Great Temple. “You will find our accommodations are a bit less primitive than they were when last you dropped off supplies. This way, please.”
Wedge nodded solemnly. “It appears you have made much progress.”
Qwi Xux fell into step with Wedge. “Wedge, could you tell me, please, when we will meet this friend of yours that you were anxious to see again?”
Wedge looked about to see we were out of earshot of the others, then his smile broadened warmly. “You have, Doctor Xux. Qwi Xux, meet Corran Horn.”
The alien woman frowned. “But Master Skywalker called him Keiran.”
Wedge nodded. “He is here under an alias for a variety of reasons. Corran, this is Qwi Xux.”
I turned in mid-stride and bowed my head to her. The friendly tone in Wedge’s voice when he introduced her made me wonder if I shouldn’t offer her my hand, but I felt reluctant to do so. As brilliant as she was beautiful, she had been a key researcher in the Maw installation—the Imperial think-tank that had created the Death Stars, the World Devastators that had ravaged Mon Calamari and the starfighter-sized, invincible Sun Crusher that Kyp Durron had just sunk into the depths of Yavin for safe-keeping. What little gossip we got out here suggested that she had been an unwilling dupe of the Imperials, someone only interested in pure research. That might well have been true, but I had to wonder how someone