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“That’s very nice of you.”

“Yeah, well, she came through and I noticed her. She boarded the ship, but I never seen her come off.” He scratched at his unshaven throat. “Then, later, I saw her talking to a mate on a freighter. She did that thing with her hand that you did there, and the mate, he just turned away from her like she wasn’t even there. I looked away at that point, figuring I didn’t want her to see me and do me like she did him, you know. I heard those stories about losing your mind and everything.”

Luke’s eyes narrowed. “What was the name of the freighter?”

“Lucky Star II. Tramp freighter, makes stops all over the place. Half of them aren’t on the flight plan. I think they were making for Ord Mantell, but I don’t know.”

“Good, thank you.”

The man opened his hands. “Hey, I helped you. You gonna do something for me?”

Luke crossed his arms over his chest. “What would you have me do, Chalco?”

The man shrugged. “I dunno, maybe make all the security guys here forget what I do. You know, make them forget me?”

“If I did that, there would still be the surveillance holocams.” Luke openly appraised the man, noting that despite having thickened around the middle and being somewhat short, he was still a powerfully built man. “Let’s try this. I think I’m going to need someone to help me locate the Jedi. If you come with me and we succeed, I’ll speak to the authorities on your behalf.”

Chalco hesitated. “You’d do that?”

“Speak to them, yes.”

“No, trust me to come with you?” The man’s brown eyes narrowed. “You know what I am, that I make my living as I can, doing whatever.”

“And here’s a chance for you to make it doing something beneficial.” Luke nodded once. “So, yes, I’ll trust you. Meet me back here in an hour all packed and ready to go.”

Chalco thought for a second, then nodded. “I’ll be here.”

Mara came walking over as Chalco departed. She glanced at her husband. “Picking up strays?”

The Jedi Master gave her a sidelong glance. “Daeshara’cor’s mother was a dancer who traveled very extensively. As a youngster Daeshara’cor spent a lot of time in docking bays in spaceports. She knows her way around, and we’re going to need help catching her. If Han were himself, I’d ask him to help. As it is, we’ll have to trust this one.”

Mara nodded. “Daeshara’cor will be worrying about us tracking her and likely won’t see him coming. I understand. The office I checked with didn’t have anyone heading out that answered to her description.”

“They wouldn’t. Chalco noticed her hanging about. Chances are, she took a freighter that was destined for Ord Mantell, but might have made some stops along the way.”

“Then she could be anywhere.”

“I doubt it. My recollection of star charts isn’t flawless, but there’s one world out in that direction that will help Daeshara’cor.” Luke gave his wife a smile. “We’ve got to get a ship. We’re bound for Vortex.”

“Vortex?” Mara took Luke’s hand in her own. “There’s nothing there but the Cathedral of Winds. Daeshara’cor is going there to listen to music?”

“Nope.” Luke smiled and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek. “She’s going there to talk to someone who helps make the music.”

CHAPTER NINE

Shedao Shai spun on his heel before the harsh, hoarse scream had a chance to echo down the street. A ragged human slave, flesh coated with dust, beard patchy and unkempt, broke from the work detail and rushed at him. The slave’s eyes blazed past the nubbins of the coral growths on his cheeks, and he raised a piece of duracrete debris to smash the Yuuzhan Vong leader down.

Two younger warriors belatedly moved to intercept the assassin, but Shedao’s sharply barked warning held them back. Clad in vonduun crab armor, with his rank baton, the tsaisi, coiled about his right forearm, the Yuuzhan Vong leader had little fear of injury. He flowed forward, keeping his center of gravity low, then came up, catching the slave’s throat in his right hand. He lifted the man effortlessly, then battered the debris aside with his left hand.

The slave grabbed Shedao’s right wrist.