Vision of the future

whatever that was worth. 'And I'm deeply sorry about having to do this. But I've had some experience with Jedi, and the only way I can think of to keep you a proper prisoner for a few days is to force you to go into a healing trance.' He looked over at Brosh—

'Wait a minute,' Mara said. Stall, stall, stall. 'You said you wanted to make a deal with me, right? Well, I can tell you flat out that shooting me will definitely not get any such negotiations off on the right foot. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it might put me off working for you entirely.'

'It won't,' Fel assured her darkly. 'Not when you know the full extent of the threats facing us.'

'Maybe it will, and maybe it won't,' Mara countered. 'And don't forget Karrde, either. If you really want information, he's the one you're going to have to deal with. And Karrde does not take kindly to anyone who takes potshots at his people. I've seen him take whole organizations apart for that sort of crime. In fact, there was one particular Hutt group—'

'Yes, I'm sure,' Parck interrupted, frowning. 'Really, Mara, you're making far more out of this than you need to. Charric burns are certainly serious, but that's hardly even a consideration for someone with the Jedi skills of pain suppression and healing. And General Fel is right: we do need to keep you quiet for a while.'

'Yes, I understand that,' Mara said. 'And it's a brilliant idea—really it is. There's just one small problem: I don't know how to do either the pain suppression or healing tricks.'

'Come now,' Parck said reproachfully, gesturing toward the black-edged hole in her jumpsuit.

'Your shoulder indicates otherwise.'

'Skywalker put me into the trance,' Mara said, consciously relaxing her muscles in anticipation.

'And he's not here. I could die of shock, or bleed to death—'

'You'll do neither,' Fel assured her. 'I know both the power and limitations of Chiss weaponry. Think of it as an added incentive for Skywalker to surrender to us.' He caught Brosh's eye and nodded. The Chiss nodded back and lifted his weapon—

And from it came a brilliant green flash.

CHAPTER

28

Without warning, right in the middle of a step, Mara vanished. Mara? Luke thought desperately toward her, stretching out to the Force. Mara!

But there was no response. Somehow, they must have gotten past her danger sense and combat skills and had launched a sudden and overwhelming attack.

And she was unconscious. Or dead.

'No,' he whispered aloud, his pulse pounding in his ears. Once again, a person he'd cared for...

'No!' he bit out between clenched teeth, the agony in his heart swirling into something dark and deadly as the pain turned into a growing fury. Deal out casual death, would they? If death was what they wanted, he would show them just what death looked like. In his mind's eye he saw himself striding down the spiral slideway, throwing the aliens aside like sand dolls, their bodies slamming against the unyielding black stone and dropping crumpled to the floor. His lightsaber would flash through their ranks, cutting through weapons and bodies and leaving more death in its wake—

His lightsaber.

He looked down at the lightsaber in his hand. Not the weapon he himself had made in the oppressive heat of the Tatooine desert, but the one his father had made so many years before. The weapon he had given to Mara...

He took a deep breath, letting go of the rage and hatred, a cold shiver running through him as he realized the magnitude of what he had almost done. Once again, he had come to the very brink of giving in to the dark side. Had nearly surrendered to hatred and the lust for revenge, and the overwhelming desire to use his power for his own selfish ends.

If you honor what they fight for... Master Yoda's words echoed hauntingly through his mind.

'All right,' he murmured aloud. No, he would not avenge whatever had happened to Mara, at least not for vengeance's sake. But he would seek out the truth of her fate.