The Krytos Trap (45 page)

Borsk Fey’lya cut through the milling crowd and nodded his head toward Wedge. “I wanted to congratulate you, Commander, on a game well played.”

“I beg your pardon?”

The Bothan tapped claws against the barref of his lominale mug. “There was a report concerning Rogue Squadron’s intervention at Alderaan. I understand it has been classified as ‘Most Secret.’ ”

“Indeed it has.” Wedge suppressed his desire to smile. “It struck me that the information about the situation at Alderaan could have compromised our rylca operation. I suggested that classifying the report that highly would be a good thing.”

Borsk Fey’lya’s creamy fur rippled up the back of his head. “Good for you.”

“No, Councilor, good for
you
.” Wedge let his voice drop into a low growl. “You would have found the report less than satisfactory for your ends, which would have prompted you to try to destroy one of
my
people. I can assure you that would have caused problems.”

“If you want to play at politics, Antilles, I would welcome you onto
my
battlefield.”

“I don’t want to
play
at anything, thank you. I didn’t join the Rebellion to play.” Wedge opened a hand and pointed to the various members of the squadron. “My job is
to make certain my people do their jobs and stay alive. What I do isn’t about me or garnering power, it’s about people: my people and the people we defend by going after the Empire.”

“And doubtless you see politics as some dirty enterprise beneath your notice.”

Wedge arched an eyebrow at him. “And you can convince me otherwise?”

“You’re intelligent enough, Commander Antilles, to convince yourself I’m right. You already know
everything
is political. You know, for example, that what you have done for the Rebellion has granted you power—power you might well wish to use to advance your own plans and desires. You have things that will require support to accomplish, and building a coalition of support is political.”

Wedge’s brown eyes narrowed.
I had hoped to advance the Vratix case for joining the New Republic, and I thought hard’s taking of Thyferra would make that job just that much easier. Is Borsk Fey’lya trying to suggest that something so obviously right and necessary might flounder because I’m not going to play his game?

Anger began to build in Wedge, but before he could give it vent, he felt the weight of a hand on his right shoulder. His fury drained away as he turned from the Bothan and began to smile. “As stars live and die! I didn’t think you’d be here, Luke.”

The tow-headed Jedi Knight enfolded Wedge’s hand in a firm grip, then he pulled Wedge forward into a backslapping hug. “I wouldn’t have missed it for all the Tibanna gas on Bespin. I was a bit late because, quite frankly, the Jedi exhibits your man found in the Galactic Museum are, well, absorbing. I’ve been chasing all over trying to locate traces of other Jedi, then it turns out a repository of a lot of stuff is on the planet from which I’ve been basing my searches. While very little of it deals with training, there is a lot of material that lets me piece together some history.”

“Corran mentioned he’d found quite a haul. He said it was rather macabre.”

Luke Skywalker nodded solemnly as he stepped back from Wedge. “Once the Emperor isolated those rooms, they
became his own private playground. As the Jedi in there were hunted down, the Emperor defaced their monuments. There’s enough evil there to be palpable, but I think things can be set to rights again.”

Borsk Fey’lya came around on Wedge’s left side. “The Council is already discussing an appropriation to allow for the rehabilitation of those exhibits.” The Bothan extended his hand to Luke. “Councilor Borsk Fey’lya, at your service.”

At his own service
. Wedge caught a mischievous glint in Luke’s eyes, as if the Jedi Knight knew what he was thinking.

“It is an honor to meet you, Councilor. The efforts of your people in eliminating the second Death Star and in liberating Coruscant speak to the nobility in the Bothan spirit.”

“You are most kind, Jedi Skywalker.”

Wedge laughed. “That’s just because you’re not a womp rat scurrying down some canyon, Councilor.”

“No chance of his being mistaken for that, Wedge.”

“Ahem, thank you.” Fey’lya smoothed the fur at the back of his head. “Jedi Skywalker, you have made strides in reestablishing the Jedi?”

“Some, though I hope for more.” Luke shrugged almost imperceptibly. “Progress is seldom measured in great leaps except when viewed with hindsight.”

“It is much the same with nation-building.”

“So I can imagine.” Luke nodded, then turned and extended his hand to the male half of the couple walking up. “Tycho, good to see you again, and now out from under suspicion.”

Tycho shook his hand. “Thank you, Luke. I believe you know Winter?”

The Jedi Knight nodded and offered Winter his hand. “My sister’s friend and confidant? We are well acquainted. It seems I speak with her more than I do Leia, especially with my sister off on her embassy to Hapes. How are you doing, Winter?”

“Much better, now that Tycho is free.” Winter slipped her hand from Luke’s and again held Tycho’s hand. “I understand you are spending most of your time in the Museum.”

“True. There is a wealth of material there.” Luke looked
over at Wedge. “I was hoping you’d introduce me to this Corran Horn.”

“Gladly.” Wedge looked around, caught Corran’s eye, and waved him over. Corran headed in their direction with Mirax on his arm and Qlaern Hirf following them like a shadow. “Luke Skywalker, it is an honor to present to you Lieutenant Corran Horn, Mirax Terrik, and Qlaern Hirf. This is Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight and founder of Rogue Squadron.”

Corran smiled and shook Luke’s hand. “I’m very pleased to meet you, sir. One of the first things Commander Antilles ever said to me was that I was ‘no Luke Skywalker.’ You set a very high standard for all of us to shoot for.”

“Not my intention, but I’m not averse to being used as a motivational tool.” Luke smiled, then shook Mirax’s hand. “What you and Qlaern Hirf have done to save lives here on Coruscant is worthy of much praise and even more thanks.”

Mirax shrugged. “I’m strictly transport, sir, Qlaern did the hard work.”

Luke shot a glance back at Wedge. “A Corellian smuggler without an attitude?”

Wedge shrugged. “She’s smarter than most.”

Mirax laughed. “No profit in bragging, only working.”

“Indeed.” The Jedi held a hand up and brushed it along the Vratix’s arm as Qlaern touched his face. “Our thanks to you for creating rylca.”

“Verachen is what we are. Our joy is in our success.”

“And your success will make many people very happy.” Luke withdrew his arm—forestalling introductions to the rest of the squadron as they crowded around—and, for a moment, his dark cloak closed around his body. When his hands again emerged from beneath the garment, he extended a slender silver cylinder toward Corran. “This belongs to you, I believe.”

“No, sir. I returned it to the Museum, and the Jedi Credit, too.” Corran tapped his breastbone. “I borrowed them when escaping from there and returned them when everything calmed down.”

“I know that, Lieutenant Horn.” Luke’s hand remained
halfway between them with the lightsaber held loosely in his grip. “What I mean is that this lightsaber belongs to you. They’re often passed down from one family member to another.”

Corran frowned. “I think you’re making a mistake here. That lightsaber belonged to a Jedi named Nejaa Halcyon. It should go to his family.”

“So it shall.” Luke advanced it toward him. “Nejaa Halcyon was your grandfather.”

What?
Luke’s remark, spoken in a low, calm voice, surprised Wedge as much as it seemed to surprise Corran. “Corran, you never said anything about your grandfather being a Jedi Knight.”

“He wasn’t. My grandfather was Rostek Horn. He worked for the Corellian Security Force. He wasn’t a Jedi. He once partnered with one—liaised with him so CorSec could work with the Jedi on things on Corellia—but that was it.” Corran unfastened his tunic at the neck and pulled out the medallion he wore. He unclasped the gold chain and gathered the Jedi medallion in his right hand. “The Jedi on this medallion may have been his friend, but he wasn’t my grandfather.”

Luke’s voice remained even. “Your father was Hal Horn?”

“Yes.”

“And his given name was Valin Horn.”

“Yes, but everyone called him Hal.” Corran blinked. “You don’t think that was a rhyme for part of his name, do you? You think that was short for Halcyon, right?”

“What I think, Corran, is that Nejaa Halcyon died in the Clone Wars, and his friend, Rostek Horn, was there to support Nejaa’s widow and son through the tragedy. Rostek married your grandmother and adopted your father.” Luke frowned momentarily. “When the Emperor began to hunt down the Jedi and kill them, Rostek Horn, given his position in CorSec, managed to change records so that Nejaa’s family was hidden from Imperial scrutiny. You and I are alike in that we come from families with a strong Jedi tradition, yet neither of us were aware of our heritage until later.”

Luke reached out and took Corran’s right hand in his left. He pressed the lightsaber into it and closed Corran’s fingers around the shaft. “You may want to consider finding this lightsaber a coincidence or luck, but there’s no such thing. I’ll have you know that of the other two-dozen lightsabers in those rooms, only three worked without recharging, and this one had lain in a case far longer than any of the others.”

“You mean my grandfather wasn’t my grandfather?”

“Oh, he was very much your grandfather. He accepted the responsibility for directing you and your father into the sort of life that would honor Nejaa Halcyon and insulate you from the dark side of the Force. It was a difficult and courageous thing for him to do, and clearly he did it well.” Luke smiled. “In fact, he did it very well. So well, in fact, I have an offer to make you. For thirty generations the Jedi Knights safeguarded the galaxy, and the Emperor was only able to succeed in our absence. I am dedicating my life to reestablishing the Jedi Knights. I want you to join me. Come with me. Train and learn with me. Become a Jedi Knight.”

Wedge felt something hollow open up inside his gut in the wake of the hushed gasps of the rest of the squadron. He instantly recognized the void—
I’m jealous!
That surprised him for a moment, then he realized how the emotion had been born. Luke had always been a special friend, but as he had grown into his heritage as a Jedi Knight, distance had formed between them. They still got along well and had a great time in each other’s company, but Wedge’s inability to understand what it was to be a Jedi also forced them apart.
Now someone who does not know him as well as I do, someone he barely knows at all, is being offered the chance to learn about a side of Luke I can never know
.

Corran lifted the lightsaber up in front of his face. “You want me to become a Jedi Knight?”

“Yes. Together we can make certain no more Emperors can rise up to enslave a galaxy. Everything you were raised to do within CorSec you will be able to do in the whole of the New Republic. The Empire is but one manifestation of the
Force’s dark side and we will stand as a buffer between it and good people everywhere.”

Mirax hugged Corran’s left arm. “A Jedi Knight. This is quite an honor.”

Corran shook his head. “No.”

Wedge nodded at him. “Oh, it
is
quite an honor, Corran, one I envy you.”

“You’re not hearing what I’m saying.” Corran’s head came up. “I realize it’s an honor to be asked to train and become a Jedi Knight. Believe me I do, but my answer is no.”

Borsk Fey’lya’s jaw dropped open. “No?”

“No.” Corran frowned. “I have things I have to do. Erisi and Iceheart have crimes to pay for.”

Luke’s cloak closed around him and his face became impassive. “Beware revenge, Corran. Such black emotions open the way to the dark side of the Force.”

“This isn’t about revenge.” Corran shook his head and pain washed over his face. “It’s about obligations I have to people. People who helped me, other prisoners were on the
Lusankya
when it blasted out of here. I promised them I’d come back for them. Well, we know where they are: Thyferra. It’s time we go get them.”

Wedge nodded. “We clearly cannot leave Ysanne Isard and Fliry Vorru in charge of the galaxy’s bacta supply. We’re producing rylca now and might be able to produce some bacta later, but that’ll never be enough. We’re going to have to go after Iceheart, and I’d prefer it to be sooner rather than later.”

Borsk Fey’lya’s fur rippled. “But, in fact, Commander Antilles, your quest will never take place.”

“What?”

The Bothan clasped his hands together at his waist. “The Provisional Council will never sanction an operation against Thyferra. We have your orders to join the
Mon Remonda
and head out after Warlord Zsinj.”

“Those orders were issued before Iceheart escaped with Erisi and Fliry Vorru. It was before she took Thyferra. We can’t be expected to follow those orders.” Wedge stared disbelieving at the Bothan Councilor. “That’s not right.”

“Oh, it is quite right, Commander. Remember, the people of Thyferra overthrew their own government and installed Ysanne Isard as their leader. This makes the revolution there nothing more than a case of internal political maneuvering.”

A cold chill ran down Wedge’s spine. “And the Provisional Council cannot allow itself or its agents to interfere in the internal politics of a world, because that would frighten off potential member states from joining the New Republic.”

“It might even convince some others to leave and break the New Republic apart.” Borsk Fey’lya glanced at Corran Horn. “You might as well accept the Jedi’s offer because your unit can do nothing on Thyferra. Rogue Squadron has other duties now.”

Corran arched an eyebrow at the Bothan. “Okay, I quit.”

The fur on the back of Fey’lya’s neck rose like a rocket. “You cannot. Antilles, talk sense into him.”