• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

“Since when does Dad care about the news? Besides, you’re the one the HoloNet should be calling a hero.”

“For what—enabling Centerpoint?”

“No, for not triggering it. That’s what’ll make Dad and Uncle Luke and anyone else who knows the full story proud of you.”

Anakin snorted a laugh and shook his head. “You still don’t get it.” He stared at his brother. “I could have fired Centerpoint without hitting the Hapans. I saw it all, Jacen—in my head. I would have known where to direct the repulsor beam, and precisely when to fire. I even knew that Glowpoint wasn’t going to annihilate everyone in Hollowtown.”

“Then why didn’t you fire? What stopped you?”

“You mean aside from your telling me not to?”

Jacen’s brows knitted in concern. “You were that sure of yourself?”

“Yeah, I was. And my actions would have been defensive. If someone is aiming a blaster at your ally, do you raise your lightsaber to prevent it, or do you do nothing because a Jedi isn’t supposed to take aggressive action? I mean, where’s the line, Jacen? We’re in a war for survival, and defense sometimes means having to eliminate the opposition.”

Jacen shook his head. “I don’t know where the line is, and I promised myself on Ithor that I’d stop trying to look for it. I just think there has to be some other way of responding—without having to raise a sword to deflect one raised against you.”

Anakin smirked. “Well, when you figure it out, I hope you’ll let me in on it.”

Jacen looked up at him. “Oh, I will, brother. You can count on that.”

As they had done on Karrde’s previous visit to Yavin 4, Luke and Talon followed the winding path to the Great Temple.

“All I managed to do was place the Jedi in a worse position with the New Republic Senate and military,” Karrde was saying. “That’s why I felt I had to apologize in person.”

“No one is expecting an apology,” Luke told him. “If actions were always judged by their consequence, we’d spend half our lives making amends. You came to us with a plan, and we went along with it. We’re partners in the outcome.”

Karrde looked skeptical. “Unfortunately, that kind of reasoning doesn’t go far with Borsk Fey’lya and his allies. As happened after Ithor, they need someone to blame for what happened at Fondor, and I’ve set the Jedi up as the perfect fall guys.”

Luke took a moment to respond. When he had first learned of the events at Fondor, he had felt betrayed—not by Karrde so much as by the Force. Almost as betrayed as he’d felt when Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda had conspired to keep secret the real identity of his father. But the sense of betrayal had passed through him in an instant. The Force hadn’t concealed anything from him; he had simply misunderstood that it was the Yuuzhan Vong rather than the Jedi who were employing deception, stealth, and misdirection. What continued to bother him, though, was the possibility that the mere presence of the Yuuzhan Vong was enough to mute the clarity of the Force.

“Success and failure are sometimes intertwined,” Luke said finally. “Inadvertently or not, the Hutts misled us. But it was their information that allowed Kyp and Ganner to rescue those held captive aboard the yammosk vessel.”

Karrde allowed a nod. “Everyone is too busy assigning blame to note the rescue of the captives or the destruction of the yammosk vessel. I’m only sorry that Kyp didn’t arrive in time to save Skidder.”

“Wurth made his choice on Gyndine.”

Luke left it at that, choosing not to add that Skidder’s sacrifice had widened the gulf between Kyp’s faction and some of the other Jedi. Where Skidder had sought to avenge the deaths of Miko Reglia and Daeshara’cor, Kyp and those who stood by him now had Skidder’s death to avenge.

“If the Hutts deliberately misled us, they were repaid in kind,” Karrde said bitterly. “Fondor was one of the most profitable markets for the Besadii, and they lost some of their finest ships and most enterprising smugglers during the battle. Now Borga has to prepare for war with only half the clans supporting her and the rest holding her responsible for the Yuuzhan Vong’s betrayal.