Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order 21_ The Unifying Force - James Luceno [149]
Mon Mothma’s tactical officer sent a star chart of the Coruscant system to the holoprojector. Wedge saw that Coruscant and the outer worlds of Muscave and Stentat were all on the same side of the sun, within sixty degrees of one another. Calculating the time required for the hyperspace jump to Muscave, Wedge’s battle group would be arriving just as Shimrra’s Citadel and the sacred precinct were heading into daybreak.
“Admiral, is Zonama Sekot still orbiting between Muscave and Stentat?”
“To the best of our knowledge,” Kre’fey said. “But that planet is the Jedi’s problem, not ours.”
Even before the transmission from Ralroost faded, Wedge spun on his heel to Lieutenant Cel. “Inform Generals Celchu and Farlander that we will be repositioning in one standard hour. Then find me a secure frequency to Errant Venture, and patch it through to my comlink.”
Replacing his command cap with a headset, Wedge paced away from the bridge duty stations while the link to Booster Terrik’s Star Destroyer was being established.
“Insider One, your transmission is secure,” a voice said through Wedge’s earphones. “Lando here, Wedge.”
Wedge adjusted the fit of the headset. “Lando, in just under a standard hour I’ll be repositioning my group to Muscave.”
“Good news. That means Zonama Sekot will be inside your lines.”
“Not as good as it sounds. Alliance command has written the planet off as the Jedi’s concern.”
“You think it’ll go to hyperspace?”
“I don’t know, Lando. But some of us should be there in case anyone needs to be evacuated.”
“You can count on us, Insider One. I’ll also pass the word to Tenel Ka.”
“May the Force be with you, Lando.”
“It had better be.”
Mired at Contruum for longer than they had anticipated, Luke and Mara had missed the seed-partners ceremony, but everyone who had participated was still talking about it long after Jade Shadow returned to Zonama Sekot.
Kyp, Corran, and Saba spoke in wonderment of having been led across a symbolic bridge and through a lamina-surfaced tunnel into concealed courtyards, filled with Ferroan celebrants wearing brightly colored costumes. Having adhered to a special diet, the Jedi candidates had worn sashed robes and necklaces strung with bloodred, gourdlike fruits. Following a series of litanies chanted by Magister Jabitha and the Ferroans, each of the candidates had had to offer a gift, and introduce him- or herself to Sekot, in a way that reminded Kyp of the ceremony that had taken place at Ithor, four years earlier. Finally, the seed-partners—emerged from their shells as pale oblate bulbs, with eyespots and tiny grasper-equipped legs—had been separated from their bond partners and conveyed to the cybernetic organisms that would summon lightning and give shape to the living ships produced from the seeds. Bred by Zonama Sekot’s original magisters, the cyborgs were known as the Jentari.
After listening to a dozen separate accounts of the ceremony from as many Jedi, Luke almost felt as if he had attended it personally, and he was eager to see the living ships. Sekot had had extensive conversations with Danni, and now Cilghal, about dovin basals; and Lowbacca and others were trying to figure a way to use comlinks for ship-to-ship communication.
With so much information to catch up on, Luke had decided to wait for the proper moment to report on the briefings at Contruum. He chose to do that in the Skywalkers’ cliff dwelling, even though few Jedi were present. Assembled were Jacen, Jaina, Kyp, Corran, Saba, Tahiri, Danni, Han, Leia, Magister Jabitha, Harrar, C-3PO, and R2-D2.
Jacen was the first one to comment on Luke’s lengthy summary.
“Did you explain to Admiral Kre’fey what the World Brain will do if Coruscant’s attacked?”
“Half of the command staff