Vision of the future

'Acknowledged,' Nalgol said, hearing his voice trembling with a frustrated and wholly impotent fury. It was unthinkable— unthinkable—that a fleet of three Imperial Star Destroyers should find themselves fighting for their survival against such a pitiful ragtag of aliens and alien-lovers. But that was exactly what they were doing. There were just too many of them to keep track of. Too many of them to fight.

And with all his pride in his ship and his crew and his Empire, Nalgol was realist enough to know when the fight had become hopeless.

'Signal to the Obliterator and Ironhand,' he ordered between clenched teeth. 'Pull back and withdraw. Repeat: pull back and withdraw.'

'Acknowledged, Captain,' the comm officer replied.

'What heading, sir?' the helmsman called.

'A short jump in any direction.' Nalgol glared out the viewport. 'And after that, set course directly for Bastion. Grand Admiral Thrawn needs to hear about this.' And he would indeed hear about it, Nalgol promised himself silently. Yes, indeed. He would hear all about it.

* * *

The waterfall exit was considerably less cozy than Luke had expected it to be, the hole possibly having been enlarged by the flood that had just forced its way through. There weren't any footholds right at the mouth, but in the dim starlight Mara spotted a likely ledge about five meters to the left. Using the Force, Luke lifted first Mara, then Artoo, across the gap. Then, a bit more tentatively, Mara brought him across to join them.

'Any idea what side of the fortress we're on?' she asked, looking around the darkened landscape. 'Or how much longer we've got until dawn?'

'No, to both questions,' Luke said, stretching out with the Force. There was no danger nearby that he could detect. 'Probably the far side; and probably not more than a couple more hours.'

'We'd better use the time to get under cover,' she suggested, peering up at the cliff above them.

'We don't want to be out in the open when Parck sends out his search parties.'

'I just hope he doesn't find the ship we borrowed,' Luke said. 'Aside from giving him back his quick access to Bastion, it would lose us our only way of getting out of here together.'

'Well, if he does, you and Artoo will just have to take your X-wing and go for help,' Mara said.

'You mean you and Artoo will go,' Luke said firmly. 'I mean that, Mara. No argument this time—'

Jedi Sky Walker?

Luke looked up. Fluttering to a landing on a boulder above them were a dozen dark shapes. And the tone and mind of one of them seemed very familiar. 'Yes,' he said. 'Is that you, Hunter Of Winds?'

It is I, the Qom Qae confirmed. My son, Child Of Winds, informed all nearby nestings of your deeds this night. We have been watching for your return.

'Thank you,' Luke said. 'We very much appreciate your efforts. Can you show us to a place of shelter nearby? We need to hide from those in the High Tower until we can make our way back to our ship.'

Hunter Of Winds ruffled his wings. No need for shelter, Jedi Sky Walker, he said. We will carry you to your flying machine, as my son and his companions did earlier this night. Luke frowned. After Hunter Of Winds's quick and cavalier dismissal of him and his mission when he and Artoo first landed, such magnanimity seemed suspiciously out of character. 'You're very kind,' he said carefully. 'May I ask why you're willing to take such risks for us?' Hunter Of Winds ruffled his wings. I have spoken to the Bargainer for this nesting of the Qom Jha, he said. Eater Of Fire Creepers has agreed to release you from your promise to help us against the Threateners, provided you leave our world at once.

Luke felt his face warming. 'In other words, our presence here has become a liability to you?' Child Of Winds has said the Threateners will not harm us if we do not bother them, Hunter Of Winds said gruffly. It is to that end that we wish you to leave.

'Nothing like being appreciated, is there?' Mara muttered.

'It's all right,' Luke said, touching her hand and her mind soothingly. Reminding her that, embarrassment and even veiled insult aside, this was in fact the result she herself had said she wanted. Parck and the Chiss would now be left alone, unharassed by the Qom Jha and Qom Qae, and free to focus their full energies on their work in the Unknown Regions.