Fate of the Jedi: Backlash (45 page)

Finished, Vestara handed the sketch to her father and cleaned her hands at the sink. “I will do what I can, but I am a Sith, and their prisoner. What they have let me learn is only what they want me to know or the occasional accidental slip.”

Khai turned her around to face him, his hands on her shoulders. “I am willing to wager that the slips have not come from Master Luke Skywalker.”

There was something in the tone of his voice that made Vestara instantly alert. “No,” she said. “It is Ben who has told me the most.”

“You are attracted to the Skywalker boy.”

It was a statement, not a question, and Vestara’s stomach clenched. She wanted to deny it, but this was her father, who knew her better than anyone. Even without the use of the Force he would know if she lied to him about this.

“Yes, I am,” she said softly, not meeting his eyes. “He is appealing to me. I am sorry. I will do my best to—”

Khai tilted her chin up with a finger. “No, you will not.”

“I—” Vestara floundered. She had not felt this off guard since the first time she had killed, when she had been surprised at how hard it had been, how much blood there was, and how the sensation of the victim’s life slipping into the Force at such close range had unnerved her.

“This is something we can use,” Gavar Khai continued. “I certainly do not want you to fall in love with this Ben Skywalker. But if you do feel genuine affection or desire for him, do not be afraid to let him sense that. Especially if he can sense it in the Force, he’ll know it’s real, and that will take him off guard. He will begin to lower his own walls, tell you more, trust you more. You can use that.” His eyes brightened as a thought came to him. “You might even be able to turn him.”

“To the dark side?” A strange little jolt swept through Vestara at the thought. She recognized it as … hope. If Ben were to become Sith—then she wouldn’t have to worry about the growing feelings she was having for him. It wouldn’t matter. They would be on the same side—fighting together, killing together, advancing the Tribe agenda to rule the galaxy. Ben would, she was certain, become as powerful as his father one day. He might even become a Lord—or a High Lord. They—

Her father’s indulgent chuckle snapped her out of her reverie. “That would be my hope, as well. Ben Skywalker as a Sith would be a glorious achievement for our family, and you could enjoy him to the fullest. But if you fail to turn him, you must be prepared to be content with toying with him. At least until the time comes when he is no longer useful.”

Vestara nodded. “I understand, Father. You do not need to worry about me.”

He regarded her for a long moment. “I never had to lay a hand on you for punishment, child. You have always excelled. You are driven by
the dark side to achieve, to rise.” He placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them slightly in approval. “Vestara, you are a true Khai. I know you will not fail me in this.”

She sat a little straighter at the high praise, craving it, craving the power that lay, unspoken, behind his words. She had once dreamed of becoming a Lord, but now her ambition knew no bounds. Fate, or the dark side, had placed the Skywalkers in her path. In, perhaps, her hands—literally and figuratively. She would make certain she took full advantage of the opportunity.

For her family, for the Tribe, and for herself.

A
ARON
A
LLSTON
is the
New York Times
bestselling author of
Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Outcast;
the
Star Wars: Legacy of the Force
novels
Betrayal, Exile
, and
Fury;
the
Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Enemy Lines
adventures
Rebel Dream
and
Rebel Stand;
novels in the popular
Star Wars X-Wing
series; and the
Doc Sidhe
novels, which combine 1930s-style hero-pulps with Celtic myth. He is also a longtime game designer and in 2006 was inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design (
AAGAD
) Hall of Fame. He lives in Central Texas.

www.AaronAllston.com

Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Backlash
is a work of fiction.
Names, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Copyright © 2010 by Lucasfilm Ltd. & ® or ™ where indicated.
All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.

Excerpt from
Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Allies
copyright © 2010
by Lucasfilm Ltd. & ® or ™ where indicated.
All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.

Published in the United States by Del Rey,
an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

D
EL
R
EY
is a registered trademark and the Del Rey colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

This book contains an excerpt from
Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Allies
by Christie Golden.
This excerpt has been set for this edition only and may not reflect the final content of the forthcoming editon.

eISBN: 978-0-345-51953-5

www.starwars.com
www.fateofthejedi.com
www.delreybooks.com

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