Fate Of The Jedi_ Abyss Part 2

There was just enough anxiety in Luke's voice to make Ben glance into the mirrored section again. His father was frowning out at the two black holes, staring into the fiery cloud between them and looking just worried enough to twist Ben's stomach into a cold knot.

"Between them?" Ben could see what his father was thinking, and it didn't make him happy. In any system of two large bodies, there were five areas where the centrifugal and gravitational forces would neutralize each other and hold a smaller body-such as a satellite or asteroid-in perpetual equilibrium. Of those five locations, only one was directly them?" Ben could see what his father was thinking, and it didn't make him happy. In any system of two large bodies, there were five areas where the centrifugal and gravitational forces would neutralize each other and hold a smaller body-such as a satellite or asteroid-in perpetual equilibrium. Of those five locations, only one was directly between between the two bodies. "You mean Stable Zone One?" the two bodies. "You mean Stable Zone One?"

Luke nodded. "The Chasm of Perfect Darkness is an ancient Ashla parable referring to the twin perils of ego and ignorance," he explained. "The Tythonians spoke of it as a deep dark canyon flanked by high, ever-crumbling cliffs."

"So life is the chasm, darkness is falling all around," Ben said, taking an educated guess as to the parable's meaning, "and the only way to stay in the light is to go down the middle."

Luke smiled. "You've got a real feeling for mystic guidance." He lifted his hands away from the yoke. "You have the s.h.i.+p, son."

"Me? Now?" Ben considered pointing out that his father was by far the better pilot-but that wasn't the issue, of course. If Ben was going to face his fears, he needed to handle the flying himself. He swallowed hard, squared his shoulders, then confirmed, "I have the s.h.i.+p." Ben considered pointing out that his father was by far the better pilot-but that wasn't the issue, of course. If Ben was going to face his fears, he needed to handle the flying himself. He swallowed hard, squared his shoulders, then confirmed, "I have the s.h.i.+p."

Ben deactivated the mirror panel and accelerated toward the black holes. As the Shadow Shadow drew closer, their dark orbs rapidly began to swell and drift toward opposite sides of the c.o.c.kpit, until all that could be seen of them were tall slivers of darkness hanging along the rear edges of the canopy. Ahead lay a fiery confluence of superheated gas, swirling in from two different directions and so bright it hurt Ben's eyes even through the drew closer, their dark orbs rapidly began to swell and drift toward opposite sides of the c.o.c.kpit, until all that could be seen of them were tall slivers of darkness hanging along the rear edges of the canopy. Ahead lay a fiery confluence of superheated gas, swirling in from two different directions and so bright it hurt Ben's eyes even through the Shadow's Shadow's blast-tinting. blast-tinting.

He checked the primary display and found only bright static; the navigation sensors were awash in electromagnetic blast from compressing gas. The Shadow's Shadow's internal sensors were working just fine, however, and they showed the s.h.i.+p's hull temperature rising rapidly as they penetrated the cloud. It wouldn't take long for that to become dangerous, Ben knew. Soon the fierce heat inside the accretion disk would start fouling guidance systems and control relays. Eventually, it would compromise hull integrity. internal sensors were working just fine, however, and they showed the s.h.i.+p's hull temperature rising rapidly as they penetrated the cloud. It wouldn't take long for that to become dangerous, Ben knew. Soon the fierce heat inside the accretion disk would start fouling guidance systems and control relays. Eventually, it would compromise hull integrity.

"Dad, how about doing something with those sensor filters?" Ben asked. "My navigational readings are snow."

"Adjusting the filters won't change anything," Luke said calmly. "We're flying between a pair of black holes, remember?"

Ben exhaled in exasperation, then cursed under his breath and continued to stare out into the fiery ribbons ahead. At best, he could make out a confluence zone where the two accretion disks were brus.h.i.+ng against each other, and the painful brilliance made it difficult to tell even that much.

"How am I supposed to navigate?" Ben complained. "I can't see anything."

Luke remained silent.

Ben felt the hint of disapproval in his father's Force aura and experienced a flash of rebellion. He let out a cleansing breath, allowing the feeling to run its course and depart on a cus.h.i.+on of stale air, then saw how he had been blinded by his anxiety over the navigation difficulties.

"Oh ...right," Ben said, feeling more than a little foolish. "Trust the Force."

"No worries," Luke said, sounding amused. "The first time I tried something this crazy, I had to be reminded, too."

"Well, at least I I have an excuse." Ben took the navigation sensors offline so the static wouldn't interfere with his concentration. "It's hard to focus with your dad looking over your shoulder." have an excuse." Ben took the navigation sensors offline so the static wouldn't interfere with his concentration. "It's hard to focus with your dad looking over your shoulder."

Luke's crash webbing clicked open. "In that case, maybe I should get some-"

"Who are you kidding?" Ben shoved the yoke over, flipping the Shadow Shadow into a tight barrel roll. "You just want to bite your nails in private." into a tight barrel roll. "You just want to bite your nails in private."

"The thought hadn't crossed my mind," Luke said, dropping back into his seat. "Until now now, ungrateful offspring."

Ben laughed, then leveled out and checked the hull temperature. It was climbing even faster than he had feared. He closed his eyes and-hoping the gas was not so thick that friction would aggravate the problem-shoved the throttles forward.

It did not take long before Ben began to sense a calm place a little to port. He adjusted course and extended his Force awareness in that direction, then started to feel a strange, nebulous presence that reminded him of something he could not quite place-of something dark and diffuse, spread across a great distance.

Ben opened his eyes again. "Dad, do you feel-"

"Yes, like the Killiks," Luke said. "We might be dealing with a hive-mind."

A cold shudder was already racing down Ben's spine. His father had barely uttered the word Killiks Killiks before the memory of his stint as an unwilling Gorog Joiner came flooding back, and for the second time in less than an hour he found himself desperately wanting to withdraw from the Force. Gorog had been a dark side nest, secretly controlling the entire Killik civilization while it fed on captured Chiss, and Ben had fallen under its sway for a short time when he was only five. It had been the most terrifying and confusing time of his childhood, and had Jacen not recognized what was happening and helped Ben find his way back to the Force and his true family, he doubted very much that he would have been able to break free at all. before the memory of his stint as an unwilling Gorog Joiner came flooding back, and for the second time in less than an hour he found himself desperately wanting to withdraw from the Force. Gorog had been a dark side nest, secretly controlling the entire Killik civilization while it fed on captured Chiss, and Ben had fallen under its sway for a short time when he was only five. It had been the most terrifying and confusing time of his childhood, and had Jacen not recognized what was happening and helped Ben find his way back to the Force and his true family, he doubted very much that he would have been able to break free at all.

Thankfully, the presence ahead was not all that similar to Gorog's. There was certainly a darkness to it, and it was clearly composed of many different beings joined together across a vast distance-most of s.p.a.ce ahead, really. But the distribution seemed more mottled than a Killik hive-mind, as though dozens of distinct individuals were joined together in something vaguely similar to a battle-meld.

Ben was about to clarify his impressions for his father when a familiar presence began to slither up inside him. It was cold and condemning, like a friend betrayed, and he could feel how angry it was about the intrusion into its lair. The Force grew stormy and foreboding, and an electric p.r.i.c.kle of danger sense raced down Ben's spine. He could feel the darkness gathering against him, trying to push him away, and that only hardened his resolve to finally face the specter. He opened himself up, grabbed hold in the Force, and began to pull.

The presence jerked back, then tried to shrink away. It was too late. Ben already had a firm grasp, and he was determined to follow it back to its physical location. He checked the hull temperature and saw that it was hovering in the yellow danger zone. Then he focused his attention forward and saw-actually saw saw-a thumbnail-sized darkness tunneling through the swirling fires ahead. He pointed their nose toward the black oval, then shoved the throttles to the overload stops and watched the fiery ribbons of gas stream past the c.o.c.kpit.

The ribbons grew brighter and more deeply colored as the s.h.i.+p penetrated the accretion disk, and soon the gas grew so dense that the Shadow Shadow began to buck and shudder in its turbulence. Ben held on tight to the yoke ... began to buck and shudder in its turbulence. Ben held on tight to the yoke ... and and to the dark presence he was clasping in the Force. to the dark presence he was clasping in the Force.

His father's voice sounded behind him. "Uh, Ben?"

"It's okay, Dad," Ben said. "I've got an approach lane."

"A what?" what?" Luke sounded genuinely surprised. "I hope you realize the hull temperature is almost into the red." Luke sounded genuinely surprised. "I hope you realize the hull temperature is almost into the red."

"Dad!" Ben snapped. "Will you please let me concentrate?" Ben snapped. "Will you please let me concentrate?"

Luke fell silent for a moment, then exhaled loudly. "Ben, the gas here is too dense for these velocities. We're practically flying through an atmo-"

"Your idea," Ben interrupted. The black oval swelled to the size of a fist. "Trust me!" idea," Ben interrupted. The black oval swelled to the size of a fist. "Trust me!"

"Ben, trust me trust me doesn't work for Jedi the way it does for your uncle Han. We don't have his luck." doesn't work for Jedi the way it does for your uncle Han. We don't have his luck."

"Maybe that would change if we trusted it more often," Ben retorted.

The black oval continued to expand until it was the size of a hatch. Ben fought the turbulence and somehow kept the Shadow's Shadow's nose pointed toward it, then the s.h.i.+p was inside the darkness, flying smooth and surrounded by a dim cone of orange radiance. Startled by the abrupt transition and struggling to adjust to the sudden change of light, Ben feared for an instant that the dark presence had led him off-course-perhaps even out of the accretion disks altogether. nose pointed toward it, then the s.h.i.+p was inside the darkness, flying smooth and surrounded by a dim cone of orange radiance. Startled by the abrupt transition and struggling to adjust to the sudden change of light, Ben feared for an instant that the dark presence had led him off-course-perhaps even out of the accretion disks altogether.

Then the cone of orange began to simultaneously compress and fade, becoming a dark tunnel, and a far worse possibility occurred to him.

"Say, Dad, would we know if we were flying down a black hole?"

"Probably not," Luke said. "The time-s.p.a.ce distortion would make the journey last forever, at least relative to Coruscant-standard time. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," Ben said, deciding not to alarm his father any more than necessary. If he had had flown them past an event horizon, it was too late to do anything about it now. "Just curious." flown them past an event horizon, it was too late to do anything about it now. "Just curious."

Luke laughed, then said, "Relax, Ben. We're not flying down a black hole-but will you please please slow down? If you keep this up, you really slow down? If you keep this up, you really are are going to melt the hull." going to melt the hull."

Ben glanced at his display and frowned. The hull temperature had climbed into the critical zone, which made no sense at all. The surrounding darkness and the lack of turbulence meant they were no longer being blasted by heat from the accretion disk. The hull ought to be cooling rapidly, and if it wasn't ...

Ben jerked the throttles back and was pitched against his crash webbing as friction instantly began to slow the Shadow Shadow. The area surrounding them wasn't dark because it was empty empty-it was dark because it was filled with cold matter. They had entered Stable Zone One, where gas, dust, and who-knew-what-else was floating in limbo between the two black holes. Worried that they weren't decelerating fast enough, he used the maneuvering thrusters to slow the s.h.i.+p down even further ... then realized that during the excitement, he had lost contact with the dark presence he had been using as a reluctant guide.

"Blast," Ben said. He expanded his Force awareness again, but felt only the same meld-like presence he had sensed earlier-and it was too diffuse to be much of a navigation beacon. "We're back to flying blind. I can't feel anything useful now."

"That's not really a problem," Luke pointed out. "There's only one place in here where anything can have a permanent habitat."

Ben nodded. "Right."

Stable Zone One wasn't actually very stable. Even the slightest perturbation would start a ma.s.s on a long, slow fall into one of the adjacent gravity wells. Therefore, anything permanently permanently located inside the zone could only be at the precise center, because that was the only place where the forces were in absolute equilibrium. located inside the zone could only be at the precise center, because that was the only place where the forces were in absolute equilibrium.

Ben brought the navigation sensors back up. This time, the screen showed nothing but a small fan of light at the bottom, rapidly fading to darkness as the signals were obscured by cold gas and dust. He activated the Shadow's Shadow's forward flood lamps and continued onward. The beams tunneled ahead for perhaps a kilometer before vanis.h.i.+ng into the black fog of dust and gas. Ben decelerated even further, then adjusted headings until all external forces affecting the forward flood lamps and continued onward. The beams tunneled ahead for perhaps a kilometer before vanis.h.i.+ng into the black fog of dust and gas. Ben decelerated even further, then adjusted headings until all external forces affecting the Shadow's Shadow's travel vector were exactly zero, and set a waypoint. Theoretically, at least, they were now on course for the heart of the stable zone. travel vector were exactly zero, and set a waypoint. Theoretically, at least, they were now on course for the heart of the stable zone.

When Ben s.h.i.+fted his attention forward again, he saw a blue fleck of debris floating in the light beam ahead. He instantly fired the maneuvering thrusters to decelerate more, but in s.p.a.ce, even a relative creep was a velocity of hundreds of kilometers an hour, and they covered half the distance to the object before the Shadow Shadow responded. responded.

Instead of the stony boulder or ice ball that Ben had expected, the object turned out to be a young Duros. Ben could tell that he was a Duros because he wasn't wearing a pressure helmet, and his blue, noseless face and big red eyes were clearly visible above the collar of a standard Jedi-issue flight suit. Hanging on his shoulder was what, at that distance, appeared to be a portable missile launcher.

"Dad?" Ben asked. "Are you seeing this?"

"Duros, no helmet?"

"Right."

Luke nodded. "Then yes, I-"

The Duros was silhouetted by a white flash, and the silver halo of an oncoming missile began to swell in front of the Shadow's Shadow's c.o.c.kpit. Ben shoved the yoke forward and hit the thrusters, but even a Jedi's reflexes weren't that quick. A metallic bang echoed through the hull, and damage alarms began to shriek and blink. In almost the same instant, the Duros and the missile launcher floated past mere meters above the c.o.c.kpit, and the m.u.f.fled thud of an impact sounded from far back in the stern. c.o.c.kpit. Ben shoved the yoke forward and hit the thrusters, but even a Jedi's reflexes weren't that quick. A metallic bang echoed through the hull, and damage alarms began to shriek and blink. In almost the same instant, the Duros and the missile launcher floated past mere meters above the c.o.c.kpit, and the m.u.f.fled thud of an impact sounded from far back in the stern.

"Definitely no hallucination," Luke commented.

"Dad, that looked like-"

"Qwallo Mode, I know," Luke replied. Mode was a young Jedi Knight who had disappeared on a standard courier run about a year earlier. When an exhaustive search had failed to find any trace of him, the Masters had finally concluded that he had perished. "He's a long way from the Tapani sector."

"a.s.suming that was was Qwallo." Ben extended his Force awareness behind them, but did not sense any hint of the Jedi's presence. "Should I make another sweep to see if we can recover him?" Qwallo." Ben extended his Force awareness behind them, but did not sense any hint of the Jedi's presence. "Should I make another sweep to see if we can recover him?"

Luke thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Even if he's still alive, let's not give him another shot at the Shadow Shadow. Before we start taking those kinds of chances, we need to figure out what's going on here."

"Yeah," Ben agreed. "Like how come he didn't need a helmet."

"And how he got here in the first place-and why he's shooting at us." Luke clicked out of his crash webbing, then added, "I'll handle the damage. If you see anyone else floating around with a missile launcher and no pressure suit, don't ask questions, just-"

"Open fire." Ben deployed the blaster cannons, then checked the damage display and saw that they were bleeding both air and hyper-drive coolant. To make matters worse, the yoke was sticking, and that could mean a lot of things-none of them good. "Got it. We've taken enough damage."

Ben switched his threat array to the primary display. At the top of the screen, the gray form of a ma.s.s shadow was clarifying out of the darkness. A yellow number-bar was adding tons to the ma.s.s estimate faster than the eye could follow, but he was alarmed to see that it was already into the high five digits and climbing toward six. There was no indication yet of the object's overall shape or energy output, but the tonnage alone suggested something at least at least as large as an a.s.sault carrier. as large as an a.s.sault carrier.

Unsure whether it was better to slow down to prevent a collision or accelerate to avoid being an easy target, Ben started to weave and bob. There was just a vague hint of danger tickling the base of his skull, but that only meant nothing had set its sights on the Shadow Shadow yet. yet.

On the third bob downward, the yoke jammed forward and wouldn't come back. Ben cursed and tried to muscle it, but he was fighting the hydraulic system, and if he fought it too hard, he would break a control cable. He hit the emergency pressure release, dumping the control system's entire reservoir into s.p.a.ce, and then checked his threat array again.

The ma.s.s ahead was no longer a shadow. A silvery, elongated oval had taken shape in the middle of the display, the number-bar in its core now climbing past seven million tons. The oval was slowly drifting toward the bottom of the screen and shedding alphanumeric designators, indicating the presence of a debris field and and the danger of an impending collision with the object itself. Ben hit the maneuvering thrusters the danger of an impending collision with the object itself. Ben hit the maneuvering thrusters hard hard, and the Shadow Shadow decelerated. decelerated.

He heard a toolbox clang into the main cabin's rear bulkhead, and his father's alarmed voice came over the intercom speaker. "What did you hit?"

"Nothing yet." Ben pulled back on the yoke, using his own strength to force the vector plates down. "The control yoke's power a.s.sist is gone, and we've reached a debris field."

"What sort of debris?" his father demanded. "Ice? Rock? Iron-nickel?"

Ben thumbed the SELECT SELECT bubble active and slid it over to one of the designators: bubble active and slid it over to one of the designators: OBJECT B8. OBJECT B8. An instant later a density a.n.a.lysis offered a 71 percent probability that O An instant later a density a.n.a.lysis offered a 71 percent probability that OBJECT B8 was a medium transport of unknown make and model. was a medium transport of unknown make and model.

But Ben did not immediately relay the information to his father. As the Shadow's Shadow's nose returned to its original plane, an enormous, gray-white dome was slowly coming into view. Dropping down from above and upside down relative to the s.h.i.+p, the dome hung at the base of a large, spinning cylinder ringed by a dozen small, attached tubes. Floating between the cylinder and the nose returned to its original plane, an enormous, gray-white dome was slowly coming into view. Dropping down from above and upside down relative to the s.h.i.+p, the dome hung at the base of a large, spinning cylinder ringed by a dozen small, attached tubes. Floating between the cylinder and the Shadow Shadow were nearly twenty dark flecks with the smooth lines and sharp corners suggestive of s.p.a.cecraft, all drifting aimlessly and as cold as asteroids. were nearly twenty dark flecks with the smooth lines and sharp corners suggestive of s.p.a.cecraft, all drifting aimlessly and as cold as asteroids.

"Ben, you're worrying me," his father admonished. "How bad is it?"

"Uh, I don't really know yet." As Ben spoke, the Shadow's Shadow's lamp beams continued to slide up the spinning cylinder, to where it joined a gray metal sphere that looked to be about the size of one of Bespin's smaller floating cities. "But maybe you should come back to the flight deck as soon as things are secure back there." lamp beams continued to slide up the spinning cylinder, to where it joined a gray metal sphere that looked to be about the size of one of Bespin's smaller floating cities. "But maybe you should come back to the flight deck as soon as things are secure back there."

"Yeah," Luke said. "I was just thinking the same thing."

As the lamp beams continued to reveal more of the station-at least that's what Ben a.s.sumed a.s.sumed he was looking at-he began to grow even more confused and worried. With a second, dome-capped cylinder rising out of the sphere directly opposite the first, the thing reminded him of a station he had helped infiltrate during the recent civil war. It didn't seem possible that two such structures could exist in the galaxy by mere coincidence, or that he would have happened on this one by mere chance even if the two he was looking at-he began to grow even more confused and worried. With a second, dome-capped cylinder rising out of the sphere directly opposite the first, the thing reminded him of a station he had helped infiltrate during the recent civil war. It didn't seem possible that two such structures could exist in the galaxy by mere coincidence, or that he would have happened on this one by mere chance even if the two were were related. He had the uneasy feeling that the Force was at play here-or, to be more precise, that the Force was putting related. He had the uneasy feeling that the Force was at play here-or, to be more precise, that the Force was putting him him in play. in play.

Now that they were actually in visual range of their target, Ben brought the full suite of sensors back online and began to investigate. To both his relief and puzzlement, all of the contacts appeared to be derelict vessels. They ranged widely in size, from small s.p.a.ce yachts like the Shadow Shadow to an antiquated Tibanna tanker with a capacity in excess of a hundred million liters. Ben did a quick mental calculation of the total tonnage of the abandoned s.h.i.+ps and shuddered. If these were captured spoils, there were some very impressive pirates hiding around here somewhere. to an antiquated Tibanna tanker with a capacity in excess of a hundred million liters. Ben did a quick mental calculation of the total tonnage of the abandoned s.h.i.+ps and shuddered. If these were captured spoils, there were some very impressive pirates hiding around here somewhere.

Starting to envision sensor masks and ambushes, Ben slid the Shadow Shadow into the cover of an old TGM Marauder. The s.h.i.+p looked as deserted as its sensor profile suggested, tumbling slowly with cold engines, open air locks, and no energy emanations whatsoever. But there was no apparent combat damage, or anything else, to suggest it had been taken by pirates. into the cover of an old TGM Marauder. The s.h.i.+p looked as deserted as its sensor profile suggested, tumbling slowly with cold engines, open air locks, and no energy emanations whatsoever. But there was no apparent combat damage, or anything else, to suggest it had been taken by pirates.

Ben turned the sensors on the station itself and found it marginally less derelict. Its power core was active, but barely. A few warm areas suggested that at least some of its atmospheric seals remained intact. Approaching closer, he could see that three of the dark tubes attached to the upper cylinder had come loose at one end and were in danger of being launched away by centrifugal force. Whoever lived here-if anyone did-they were not much on maintenance.

The clack-clack clack-clack of boots-in-a-hurry echoed through the open hatchway at the rear of the flight deck, then suddenly stopped. Ben activated the canopy's mirror panel and found his father standing behind the copilot's chair, jaw hanging slack as he stared at the slowly spinning station ahead. of boots-in-a-hurry echoed through the open hatchway at the rear of the flight deck, then suddenly stopped. Ben activated the canopy's mirror panel and found his father standing behind the copilot's chair, jaw hanging slack as he stared at the slowly spinning station ahead.

"Remind you of anything?" Ben asked.

Luke's gaze remained fixed on the s.p.a.ce station. "What do you you think?" he asked. "It could be a miniature centerpoint Station." think?" he asked. "It could be a miniature centerpoint Station."

Centerpoint had been an ancient s.p.a.ce station located in the stable zone between the Corellian worlds of Talus and Tralus. Its origins remained cloaked in mystery, but the station had once been the most powerful weapon in the galaxy, capable of destroying entire star systems from hundreds of light-years away. One of the few positive things to come of the recent civil war, in Ben's opinion, had been the facility's destruction. He was far from happy to discover another version hidden here, deep inside the Maw.

"I was afraid you'd say that," Ben said with a sigh. "What do we do now? Lob a baradium missile at it?"

Luke's voice grew disapproving. "Do we have have a baradium missile?" a baradium missile?"

Ben dropped his gaze. "Sorry. Uncle Han said it was always smart to keep one-"

"Your uncle isn't a Jedi," Luke interrupted. "I wish you'd remember that."

"Sure," Ben said. "But maybe this one time we should think about the way he would handle this. If this place was built by the same beings that designed centerpoint Station, the smartest thing we can do is get rid of it."

"And maybe we will-after we unjam our vector plates and replenish our hydraulics." Luke slipped into the copilot's seat behind Ben. "In the meantime, try to avoid hitting anything. I'll see if I can find a safe place to dock this bird." we unjam our vector plates and replenish our hydraulics." Luke slipped into the copilot's seat behind Ben. "In the meantime, try to avoid hitting anything. I'll see if I can find a safe place to dock this bird."

AS HANGAR BAYS WENT, THIS ONE LOOKED LIKE A DECADES-OLD DISASTER zone. The main doors were jammed about halfway open, leaving the entire facility exposed to the dark vacuum of s.p.a.ce. The decks were slowly revolving around the zone. The main doors were jammed about halfway open, leaving the entire facility exposed to the dark vacuum of s.p.a.ce. The decks were slowly revolving around the Shadow Shadow as the station rotated on its axis, and they were crammed with starcraft from a dozen different eras and cla.s.ses, all facing the open exit for a quick departure. Hand tools lay scattered across hull tops, tank dollies were propped against landing struts, charging carts rested beneath retracted access panels. A film of pale dust covered everything, so thick on the older craft that it was sometimes difficult to determine the hull color. None of the vessels showed attack damage, but all those tools suggested they had needed some manner of repair, and many crews had not even bothered to raise the boarding ramp before abandoning their work. as the station rotated on its axis, and they were crammed with starcraft from a dozen different eras and cla.s.ses, all facing the open exit for a quick departure. Hand tools lay scattered across hull tops, tank dollies were propped against landing struts, charging carts rested beneath retracted access panels. A film of pale dust covered everything, so thick on the older craft that it was sometimes difficult to determine the hull color. None of the vessels showed attack damage, but all those tools suggested they had needed some manner of repair, and many crews had not even bothered to raise the boarding ramp before abandoning their work.

As his son struggled to accommodate the station's rate of rotation, Luke extended his Force awareness toward the middle of the facility. On the journey in, he had sensed a concentration of life energy in the central sphere, a hazy cloud too large and diluted to be a single being, with no discernible focuses to suggest individual presences. It was still there, an area of heaviness and warmth in the faint fog of Force energy that permeated this part of the Maw. Luke could tell by the way it began to writhe up inside him that it had not only been monitoring their arrival, it had been awaiting awaiting them. them.

Ben swung the Shadow Shadow around to face the hangar exit, then put down-somewhat heavily-between an old TheedSpeed Galaxy Runner and a swoop-sized needle s.h.i.+p with a hatch about the size of a human hand. They completed the shutdown routine quickly, clicked out of their crash webbing, and went aft. Instead of following Luke to the suit locker, however, Ben stopped at the engineering station and began to call up system reports. around to face the hangar exit, then put down-somewhat heavily-between an old TheedSpeed Galaxy Runner and a swoop-sized needle s.h.i.+p with a hatch about the size of a human hand. They completed the shutdown routine quickly, clicked out of their crash webbing, and went aft. Instead of following Luke to the suit locker, however, Ben stopped at the engineering station and began to call up system reports.

"Let's leave repairs for later," Luke said. He pulled a light, combat-rated vac suit from the locker and tossed it to Ben, then took another for himself. "I want to have a look around first."

Ben caught the suit with no outward sign of anxiety, but the sudden ripple in his Force aura was hard to miss. He was afraid of the strange presence monitoring them from the station center, and Luke wished he understood why. The snaky feel of its Force touch certainly suggested the "tentacle" that had touched his son at Shelter. But what, exactly, had the thing done done that continued to haunt Ben more than a decade later? that continued to haunt Ben more than a decade later?

"Ben, it'll be okay." Luke opened his vac suit and began to push his feet into the legs. "If you're remembering something else about your time at Shelter, it would be better to share-"

"Dad, I'm not trying to avoid anything out there," Ben said. "But we've already been attacked once, and the Shadow Shadow took some bad hits. It's just sound tactics to get things ready in case we need to leave in a hurry." took some bad hits. It's just sound tactics to get things ready in case we need to leave in a hurry."