Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order_ Dark Tide 02_ Ruin - Michael A. Stackpole [17]
“And yet Kam’s counterargument lacked any evidentiary support at all. He argued that a complete lack of evidence to the contrary of my evidence was somehow evidence that my point was invalid.” She balled her hands into fists. “That is wrong and you are wrong. If we persist in this course, we will find the Yuuzhan Vong right here, on Coruscant. I know it. I can feel it.”
“You may be right, Daeshara’cor. I hope you are not.” Luke’s expression hardened. “But if we follow your course, if we become warriors and go totally on the offensive, the Yuuzhan Vong being here would be the least of our worries.”
Her eyes narrowed. “They would never make it.”
“No, but in their place would be something worse.” Luke’s voice sank into a harsh whisper. “In their place we would have a hundred Darth Vaders, and that should fill all of you with more fear than anything we face now.”
CHAPTER SIX
Jacen Solo sat alone in the Ralroost’s meditation cabin. Located in the aft of the Bothan Attack Cruiser, the room featured a transparisteel arch that provided a clear view of the light tunnel of hyperspace. Jacen had seen such lights all his life, so they were no longer remarkable to him; yet, even so, he found it hard to concentrate and focus his thoughts.
The week just past had been a very full one, but it was not the packing and farewells, the briefing and training that weighed on him. All of those things he had done long before—though he did admit to himself that to be heading off into such grave danger made a big difference in what he said to his mother and father and even his little brother.
“Thought I’d find you here.”
Jacen turned and gave Jaina a smile. “Join me?”
“Sure.” She appeared only as a silhouette in the cabin doorway. When it closed, returning the room to contemplative darkness, she floated forward like a ghost and seated herself next to him. “Emperor’s black bones, Jacen, you really can use some time meditating, can’t you? I don’t think I’ve ever felt you this agitated.”
“Nor, apparently, ever found me this much out of control of my emotional broadcasting.”
Jaina laughed, and Jacen luxuriated in the familiar sound. “We’re twins, Jacen. We had a head start on reading each other before we got to know anyone else. Still, you do seem to be leaking here a bit. What’s wrong?”
“I’m not sure. I mean, I guess the enormity of what we’re doing has finally hit me.” He looked at his sister. “Mom and Dad had the Empire to fight, and that was very big and powerful. Well, the Yuuzhan Vong are our Empire, and at first scan, they’re more powerful than what Mom and Dad faced.”
Jaina nodded. “Before, the Force has always tipped the scales in our favor. Here, we just have to be ourselves and do the best we can. Of course, I’ve got great examples to follow in doing that.”
“Colonel Darklighter?”
“Yes, him, the rest of the Rogues, General Antilles, Colonel Celchu. None of them have the Force, but they’re ace pilots. I mean, I have a hard time imagining life without the Force, and these guys are doing great things without relying on it.”
Jacen laughed lightly. “Not having the Force has to be like being color-blind, but it doesn’t affect them.” He held his hands out and curled them down into fists. “And that’s what’s getting to me, Jaina. We have all these people here willing to put their lives on the line, trusting in their leaders, the traditions that govern them, their own sense of right and wrong, their guts. It’s a whole army doing that, going off to defend people on worlds that orbit stars that they can’t see from their own homeworlds. As Jedi, that’s what we do, but . . .”
His sister glanced down and picked at her fingernails. “It can be overwhelming if you look at it on that grand a scale, I guess.”
“How can you not?”
She glanced over at him. “You look at the situation, you take responsibility for the things you can handle, and you trust others to shoulder their burden.