XI

Mara and Lando supported each other up the curved, carved stairs as Luke eased himself up, gingerly to a cross-legged position. It surprised him how Mara realized she wanted comfort from the completely unexpected attack--it surprised her too, and Luke removed himself from her vein of emotion though his own was worse. Now he could sense the flight of Exar Kun--long-dead (Alive! Alive and detached though not collapsing down on me) Sith Master (Lord; they called themselves not only organized but overarching the common people.) of days when Yavin IV's temples had been made out of only rock. He climbed to a refuge in a starship...yes, he left trails through the atmosphere.

Luke's resolve surged. He had fallen and would rise again--would make himself rise again--

Quickly he told Lando, "Wait here. I'm turning pirate." Perhaps Mara Jade caught more subtleties of plan; Luke pondered as he jogged down the steps, out the apartment and onto the landing dock in the sunlight and full whipping wind .

It was for justice that he now ran, for good-against-evil that was his true career.

Hero by career--passed through his mind and he had no time for those ramifications. For justice he moved now without doubt.

But justice cannot regain me Tionne's Jedi Academy.

He arced his X-Wing up in a sharp climb that brought his stabilizers into red, but the Force told him closer, infinitely more accurate parameters. He roared out in time to see a cargo ship, something rather Pulsar Skate shaped, drift away toward hyperspace speed.

Luke dialed full power to his engines and leapt upon the cargo ship like a sand panther on a pocket hare. Signaling came out from it as he buzzed the narrow bay and he infused the Force casually into his reply;

"Unidentified X-Wing, this is Difree, explain yourself please!"

"You are in danger, Difree. Let me aboard."

Mumbled, "Let him aboard."

In the X-Wing clipped, the guns inches from the larger ship's dusky russet sides. Luke leapt out when the energy lock completed its shift from red to green, cast about, shouted.

"What are you following, unMaster Jedi?"

"You, Exar Kun!" Some atmosphere instability as a door opened into the ship's living quarters flung Luke's hair against his face.

"UnMaster Jedi."

Audibly, literally, the taunt echoed in Luke's mind and fogged his thoughts. He shoved up barriers erected by years of peace layered over years of heartache. Kun seemed a force of nature to him, an epoch; and humans had gotten very good at denying time.

A rib of metal peeled from his own ship's side and raced toward him. Luke caught it in his robotic hand, and only some edge poked into the synthskin. A floor panel tore up, revealing no secret hiding place but plenty of wires; Luke flung it back, gently, to its former place.

Exar Kun's disincarnate voice said, "I do not need to test your Force skill." Luke had heard or sensed arrogance from enemies before. "You know why I call you unMaster! Where are your pupils?"

Luke attempted to put confidence in the thought-words, "Under the care of another."

The presence of Exar Kun disappeared.

Luke thought, No.

In that moment, he had lead the spirit to seek not a Master, but a conclave.

Coruscant.

Tionne.

And Leia.