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Karrde considered it. “You know I’d do anything to help Mara. I’ll track down Vergere. I’ll wring more tears out of her if I have to.”

Luke smiled. “I appreciate that, Talon. I’ll tell Mara you said so, though I suspect she already knows.”

They resumed their walk to the Great Temple. Off to one side of the path a dozen young Jedi, varying in age from four to twelve, were watching Tionne and Kam Solusar demonstrate a Force technique. Luke paused to observe one of the older children, Tahiri, attempt to mimic one of Kam’s manipulations.

“Yavin 4 has remained undetected, but with the Yuuzhan Vong as close as Obroa-skai, we may be forced to remove everyone to safer surroundings.”

“I’m surprised they haven’t targeted Yavin already.”

Luke turned to him. “We’re projecting an illusion. Something I learned from the Fallanassi.”

Talon’s eyes narrowed in revelation. “So that’s why you insisted on guiding me into the Yavin system.”

“Your eyes would have contradicted what your ship’s instruments were telling you.”

Talon put his tongue in his cheek and laughed. “If I’d had a line on that technique, I wouldn’t have had to base out of Myrkr, where the trees had a way of tricking scanners.” He grinned broadly. “But of course you remember that …”

“Yes,” Luke said flatly. “And even then, Grand Admiral Thrawn found you out. As Jedi commitment to the conflict increases, there won’t be enough of us here to maintain the illusion. The children will have to be sent elsewhere.”

Talon glanced at the kids. “Let me know if you ever need help with that.”

“I will.”

They hadn’t gone another ten paces when Karrde asked, “Is it true a Jedi died on Gyndine?”

“You’re referring to Wurth Skidder,” Luke said. “But we don’t know for certain that he’s dead. Leia was there to the end. She insists that Wurth deliberately remained behind.”

“To allow himself to be captured?”

“Perhaps to go undercover on Gyndine.”

Karrde shook his head. “I don’t know Skidder, but I’ve heard rumors. Is he the person for the job?”

“He’s skillful.”

“Skill’s good, but is he lucky?”

Luke didn’t answer the question. “Just now, like so many of us who have lost friends and family, he’s driven by vengeance. He was close friends with both Miko Reglia and Daeshara’cor.”

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with being motivated by vengeance if it gets you results.”

Luke’s expression said otherwise.

“Wrong?”

“Let’s just say that we don’t see the world in precisely the same way.”

They continued walking. Over the cascading sounds of the river that flowed past the Great Temple came voices raised in impassioned debate or argument.

“Sounds like there’s some division in the ranks,” Talon remarked as they neared the temple’s common room.

“That would be Jacen and Anakin.”

“Complementing one another, no doubt.”

Jaina, with arms outstretched, was positioned between her brothers when Luke and Karrde entered the dimly lighted space. A handful of other Jedi, including Kyp Durron, Ganner Rhysode, Streen, Lowbacca, Kenth Hamner, and Cilghal, looked on. Sensing Luke, R2-D2 began to bounce from foot to foot, chirring and warbling.

“They were just … discussing Anakin’s invitation to visit Centerpoint Station,” Jaina explained.

Luke glanced from Jacen to Anakin and back again. “Finish the discussion.”

Jacen scowled at his younger brother. “I’ll say it once more, then I’m done with it: Centerpoint is this”—he grasped the hilt of the lightsaber that hung from his belt—“on a gargantuan scale. Assuming the station can even be made operational, it should be used only for defense.”

Anakin exhaled wearily. “And I’ll say this one last time: I completely agree.”

“Then keep away from Corellia,” Jacen said. “Don’t have anything to do with enabling Centerpoint or any of the hyperspace repulsors. You were a kid the first time—we all were. You didn’t know any better.”

Anakin snorted. “You’re leaving out that my ignorant actions ended up foiling the Triad’s plans to detonate another star and annihilate every ship the Bakurans sent against them.”

“That was defensive! Your tinkering with the repulsor on