“Arrest us?” Mara asked Hamner as the droid set his drink down. Her voice was radium at absolute zero, and Luke shivered. It was the voice of the woman who had once tried to kill him and very nearly succeeded.
“What’s the charge?” Luke asked.
“Fey’lya has evidence that you were behind the unsanctioned military action at Yavin Four a few months ago,” Hamner said. “That opens you to a variety of charges, I’m afraid, especially since as chief of state he expressly forbade you to engage in any such activity.”
“What evidence?” Luke asked.
“The Yuuzhan Vong released a prisoner taken on Yavin Four,” Hamner said. “Fey’lya’s calling it a ‘hopeful sign of goodwill.’ The prisoner testified that Jedi were involved with and in fact led an unprovoked attack against the Yuuzhan Vong in a neutral system. He claims to have been a part of that force, which he asserts was led by Talon Karrde. He further maintains that Karrde had frequent communication with you, and that he witnessed those communications.”
Mara’s eyes had narrowed to slits. “It’s a lie. None of Karrde’s people would talk. It must be one of the Yuuzhan Vong’s Peace Brigade collaborators, coached in what to say.”
“But it is true, at the bottom of it all?” Hamner said.
Luke nodded tersely. “Yes. After the Yuuzhan Vong warmaster offered to stop with the worlds he had already conquered so long as all of the Jedi were turned over to him, I realized the students at the Jedi academy were in danger. I asked Talon Karrde to evacuate them. When he arrived, the Peace Brigade was already there, trying to capture the students and turn them over to the Yuuzhan Vong as a peace offering. Karrde wouldn’t let them do that. I pleaded with Fey’lya to send New Republic military. He wouldn’t. So, yes, I sanctioned his effort and sent what help I could. What do you think I should have done?”
Hamner’s long face nodded thoughtfully. “I don’t blame you. I only wish you had contacted me.”
“You weren’t around at the time. I talked to Wedge, but it was out of his hands.”
“But their witness is a liar,” Mara interjected. “We can prove that.”
“And become liars ourselves?” Luke replied. “He’s lying about who he is and what he saw, maybe, but most of his accusations are true, if a bit distorted.”
Hamner knotted his fingers together. “There’s more, anyway. Internal security went back over the records of star-ship comings and goings in that period. Of course, they already knew Anakin Solo had faked a clearance, but they also discovered you had had a visit from Shada D’ukal, one of Karrde’s top people. The transponder ID she used to land on Coruscant was a forgery. Finally, it’s clear Jacen and Jaina Solo also left for parts unknown, also circumventing planetary security—in your ship, Mara.”
“Again, Kenth, what would you have done?” Mara asked accusingly. “We couldn’t leave our students to the Yuuzhan Vong just because the New Republic was too cowardly to act.”
“And again, Mara, I’m not arguing with you. I’m just telling you what they have.”
“I knew this was going to come out eventually,” Luke murmured. “I had thought it might be overlooked.”
“The days when Fey’lya might have overlooked Jedi activities are long gone,” Kenth said. “It’s hard enough for him to hold back the tide of representatives who demand he acquiesce to Tsavong Lah’s conditions.”
“You aren’t saying Fey’lya is on our side,” Mara said incredulously.
“Mara, whatever else you might think of him, Fey’lya isn’t ready to throw all of the Jedi to the rancors. That’s part of the reason he’s taking this tack—damage control. By appearing to act against Luke, he can maintain a moderate position regarding more extreme anti-Jedi sentiment.”
Luke nodded as if to himself, then directed his gaze at Hamner. “What’s your opinion here?”
“Luke, I don’t think you’ll be brought to trial, or any such thing. The arrest will be a house arrest. You’ll be expected to make a general statement to the Jedi to stop any unsanctioned activity. Other than that, you won’t suffer any hardship.”
“The Jedi are being hunted all over the galaxy. I’m expected to tell them not to fight back?”
“I’m telling you how it is.”
Luke locked his hands behind his back. “Kenth, I’m sorry,” he said. “I can’t do that. I’ll try to keep my people out the way of the military, but other than that—well, the Jedi have a mission older than the New Republic.”
Something snapped into place in Luke’s mind as he said that, solidified a thought as only a spoken word can. He suddenly realized that he meant what he had said with all of his heart and being. What had kept him from admitting it earlier? When had he confused the Jedi ethic with government at large? Why had he been apologizing for so long? Because he feared estrangement from the republic he had helped to build? But they were the ones doing the pushing, not him. Not the Jedi—not even Kyp and the other renegades. Luke might disagree with them in philosophical particulars, but not in the broad strokes—the Jedi were supposed to be helping people, working to bring justice and balance.
“That’s why I wanted you to know in time to do something about it if you want to,” Hamner replied. He paused, as if considering his next words very carefully. “I don’t think Fey’lya imagines you will stand for it, either.”
“You mean he thinks we’ll run and further implicate ourselves.”
“Not exactly. He wants to be able to say you’re out of his reach and no longer his responsibility. To ‘pick you out of his fur,’ as the Bothans say.”
“Oh,” Mara said. “He wants us out there, all right, in case he needs us one day, but until then he’s perfectly willing to turn his back on us.”
“Something like that,” Hamner replied. “No move has yet been made to impound your ships.”
“He wants me in exile,” Luke concluded.
“Yes.”
Luke sighed. “I was afraid this time would come. I had hoped it wouldn’t. But here we are.”
“Yes, here we are,” Mara snarled. “Fey’lya had better pray I don’t—” Her impassioned diatribe halted in its birth, and a look of profound fear moved across her face. Luke had never seen anything like it on her features before. It was more terrible than he could ever imagine at that moment.
“Ah!” Mara said, in a tiny voice.
“Mara?”
“Something’s wrong,” she said weakly, her face draining of color. “Something is really wrong.” She wrapped her arms around her belly and clenched her eyes shut.
Luke sprang from his seat. “Get an MD droid, now,” he yelled toward the droid.
In the Force, he felt Mara slipping away.
“Hold on, love,” he said. “Please hold on.”