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Fey’lya returned her gaze. “You’re very young,” he said. “When you’ve accomplished a fraction of what I have for the people of this galaxy, come back and we’ll talk again.”

“It makes a certain amount of sense from his perspective,” Jacen said later, when Luke and Jaina had returned to the Jedi Master’s quarters. Luke had just finished relating the substance of his talk with the chief of state to Shada D’ukal, Tionne, Mara, and Jacen.

“I do not believe you said that,” Jaina snapped. “This is Anakin we’re talking about. It’s the praxeum!”

“You don’t have to remind me who my brother is,” Jacen said. “But that’s the point, don’t you see? We can hardly be impartial in this case.”

“Vape impartiality!” Jaina replied. “Fey’lya’s not impartial.”

“No, he’s not. But his concerns are different.”

“Yeah. He’s more concerned about the Vong than he is about his own citizens.”

“That’s not true,” Luke said gently. “To be honest, I never thought he would send ships to the Yavin system. I had to ask, though, and we did learn some things.”

“Right. Like Fey’lya sent the Vong there in the first place.”

“I doubt that very much,” Luke said. “I think things happened pretty much as he said. When the Yuuzhan Vong showed up they found Karrde fighting the Peace Brigade, and when they took occupation, Karrde turned on them. They then contacted the New Republic. And Fey’lya’s right—I should have seen this coming, long ago. The Yavin system has been at risk for months now. Only the concentrated effort of the Jedi there even allowed us to think it was safe.”

“That’s perfect, Luke,” Mara said. “Blame yourself.”

Luke lifted his eyebrows, surprised at the brittle anger in her tone. “I’m not trying to allocate blame, Mara.”

“Then spare us your apologies for Fey’lya and the senate. What are we going to do?”

“What Anakin did,” Jaina said. “Talon Karrde is out there right now, fighting a holding action for help that will never come. He’ll stay there until they pick all of his ships off, one by one. Won’t he, Shada?”

“Yes.”

Luke fixed her with his gaze. “I understand your concern, Jaina, but what good will one more X-wing do Karrde or Anakin?”

“More good than sitting here. And we can contact Mom and Dad, have them bring the Millennium Falcon.”

“First of all, Han and Leia are still out of contact. More important, you heard what Fey’lya said.”

“Oh, please let them try arresting us,” Mara grunted.

“You think I care even faintly what that scruffy Bothan said?” Jaina chimed in. “Uncle Luke, we can’t do nothing.”

Luke placed his hand on Mara’s arm. “Listen to me, all of you. I’m not worried about arrest as such, and I think you all know that. But things aren’t good for the Jedi now. If we have any friends left in high places, we can’t afford to alienate them. We’re already considered rogues. We can’t allow ourselves to be cast as enemies of the state.”

“If they’re stupid enough to think that, let ’em,” Jaina snarled. “They’re hopeless.”

“Right,” Jacen said sardonically. “That’s really what we need right now, Jaina—a civil war within the New Republic, as if the war with the Yuuzhan Vong isn’t already enough. Besides, Uncle Luke is right. I don’t think the weight we could add to the battle would help, not considering the situation as Shada outlined it.”

“What, then?” Shada asked. “Karrde can’t do it alone.”

“What if we added a Star Destroyer to the equation?” Luke said.

Shada looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded slightly. “If the Yuuzhan Vong don’t get more reinforcements—maybe.”

“Terrik,” Mara said.

“Terrik,” Luke agreed.

“I thought you said you couldn’t find him?” Jacen asked.

“No, but I have some ideas about where to look. All I need is someone to look for him.”

Jaina stared. Jacen nodded. “Yes,” he said.

“No, now wait a minute,” Jaina said. “You want us to chase halfway around the galaxy for a Star Destroyer we might never find—”

“Jaina,” Jacen interrupted. “Do you think Anakin is dead?”

She hesitated fractionally. “No. I know he