Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 11_ The Emperor's Plague - Kevin J. Anderson [6]
"No, Jaina," Zekk told her in a gentle but firm voice. "Raynar's one of two people in the galaxy that Boman Thul is likely to trust. I need him with me, but I'm not risking anyone else."
Jaina tried to hide her hurt by turning toward the navigational console and double-checking Em Teedee's connections.
"Run the usual diagnostics, Em Teedee," she said. "And don't forget the special ones I asked for."
"Certainly, Mistress Jaina," the little droid replied. "But do you believe it's absolutely necessary to-"
"Just do it, Em Teedee," Jaina broke in with an edge of impatient urgency. Then she turned back to Zekk. "I understand exactly how dangerous this situation is. Whether you find Raynar's father or not, you're probably on the Diversity Alliance's most-wanted list by now. And you're definitely considered fair game for bounty hunters, since you turned against them and helped Bornan Thul escape before."
A pair of Wookiee voices bellowed from the cargo bay, and Jaina yelled back,
"I think Tenel Ka and Jacen have the sealant patches. They're outside working on the hull."
Zekk placed his hands on Jaina's shoulders, shook her gently.
"There's a chance Raynar and I won't make it back. He has to go, and so do I-but I won't put you in that kind of danger."
Jaina looked past him out the cockpit viewports, pretending an interest in the Sorosuub ion skimmer that had just cruised into the docking bay.
What gave Zekk the right to decide whether or not she could put herself in danger? Her hands clenched and unclenched a few times.
"If that plague gets loose, none of us will be safe anyway," she pointed out, still trying to make him see reason. "There's a lot at - stake, and everyone's taking risks. Lusa and Sirra and Uncle Luke are all going on the inspection team headed for Ryloth. They'll all be in danger. So will you. You'd stand a much better chance of coming out of this alive if I came along, you know."
A long silence stretched between them.
"I don't know if you can understand this," Zekk said at last. He pulled her closer to him-a move that surprised Jaina. His voice was tight with emotion. "I made some choices back when I joined the Shadow Academy-the wrong choices. I was willing to put the whole New Republic at risk just to prove to myself that I was as good as you and your family. All I managed to prove to myself was how wrong I was.
"I came close to killing you once, because Brakiss had convinced me-or I had convinced myself-that you thought I was unworthy. Now the New Republic is in jeopardy again, and I'm one of the few people who can do something about it." He gave a mirthless laugh. "Funny thing is, this time I don't feel like I have anything to prove. I just need to know that you're safe, that your family's safe, that old Peckhum's safe. I want to make sure that humans, Wookiees, and all other species are safe from anyone who rules by murder and hate... or because they have something to prove." Zekk pulled back, and his emerald eyes bored into Jaina's. "I'm going to try to save Raynar's father. But if I can't, I'll do whatever I can to keep the galaxy safe-whether it means blowing up his ship, or my ship... or everything."
Jaina sensed the fierce determination in Zekk. Her eyes filled with tears, and she tried to blink them away. Yes, she understood. She understood only too well, and she knew there would be no changing Zekk's mind. She unclenched her fists, slid her arms around his back, and squeezed him tightly.
Jacen's upside-down face appeared in one of the side viewports. He dangled from the roof of the Lightning Rod, making faces at his sister, and pointing to where Raynar and Lusa stood in front of the ship, also sharing a goodbye embrace. Jacen's upside-down eyebrows raised and lowered comically.
"Well then," Jaina said, somewhere between a laugh and a choke, "what are we waiting for? We have a ship to get