Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order 21_ The Unifying Force - James Luceno [51]
Each of the priest’s hands was missing two digits, but their absence had nothing to do with the injuries he had sustained on Zonama Sekot. Thick as a mane, his glossy black hair draped over his tattoo-covered shoulders. Tahiri Veila, whose own forehead bore traces of Yuuzhan Vong markings, was conversing with him quietly in Yuuzhan Vong.
Danni had assured Luke that Harrar was unarmed.
Tahiri was about to introduce Luke and the others when Harrar cut her off with a motion of his hand.
“I will speak to them in your tongue.” His drooping eyes darted briefly to Tahiri. “Though I may look to you for clarification from time to time.” His gaze returned to the Jedi, settling on each in turn.
Luke regarded the priest for a long moment, then said, “I am Luke Skywalker. This is my wife, Mara.”
Harrar’s eyes lit up in obvious recognition of the names. “The Master of the Jeedai. And the one who fell victim to coomb spores,” he added, referring to Mara, who had been cured of the disease only with the birth of her son, Ben.
Luke continued. “You’ve already met Tahiri and Corran, and, by now, Tekli and Danni.” He gestured to his right. “That leaves only Saba, Jacen, and Maydh—whose world you obviously came to destroy.”
“Jacen Solo,” Harrar said, in what might almost have been taken for awe. “I have observed you from afar, young Jeedai, figuratively and literally.”
Luke tucked his hands into the sleeves of his cloak and sat down opposite Harrar on a short-legged stool. “You seem to know more about us than we know about you. Perhaps you’re willing to correct that.”
“Perhaps.”
The rest of the Jedi and Maydh sat down in a loose semicircle.
“You told Corran and Tahiri that you, Nen Yim, and the Prophet were seeking answers from Zonama Sekot—nothing more.”
Harrar nodded. “We kept to ourselves that each of us had a separate agenda.” He paused briefly. “Nen Yim was a shaper—at one time apprenticed to Mezhan Kwaad, who attempted to remake Tahiri into one of us on the world you know as Yavin Four. Shimrra had tasked Nen Yim to analyze an organic ship that was grown here, on Zonama Sekot. In doing so, she made a remarkable discovery that appears in many ways to link this world with the Yuuzhan Vong. She came here seeking verification of her theories.
“As for Yu’shaa, the Prophet, well, his alleged reason for accompanying us was to determine if Zonama Sekot could be of some use to the heretical movement he helped organize among the Shamed Ones on Yuuzhan’tar.”
“And your reason?” Mara asked.
“Of less noble principle,” Harrar said. “I suspected that shaper Nen Yim was also a heretic—though of a different order. I suspected further that Shimrra was aware of her unorthodox practices, which meant that he, too, was a heretic. Finally, I was interested in unmasking Yu’shaa, and in determining whether or not he was genuine in his beliefs.”
“The Prophet killed Nen Yim and left you for dead,” Luke said. “Was that because you and Nen Yim succeeded in unmasking him?”
“No. His purpose was to make certain that we didn’t survive to share in the glory of destroying Zonama Sekot.” Harrar looked at Luke. “As it happens, you know him.”
Luke waited.
“He is none other than Nom Anor.”
It was nothing Luke hadn’t already heard from Corran and Tahiri, but he had wanted to hear it from the priest.
“We know that,” Mara said, breaking the silence. “But something isn’t right. Nom Anor may have come here masquerading as the Prophet. But I can’t accept that Nom Anor is the one who has been influencing the Shamed Ones to place their faith in the Jedi.”
“I confess to being astonished, as well,” Harrar said. “But you must understand, because of what happened at Ebaq Nine, Nom Anor had little option but to place himself as far as possible from Shimrra’s reach—which is not an easy thing to do. In Yuuzhan’tar’s underground places, Nom Anor probably fell in with the heretics, and gradually saw some advantage to becoming their