Fate of the Jedi 02: Omen by Christie Golden

Author:Christie Golden
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Solo, Science Fiction, Space Opera, Star Wars Fiction, Princess (Fictitious Character), Fiction, Space Warfare, Skywalker, Fantasy, Adventure, General, Han (Fictitious Character), Luke (Fictitious Character), Leia
ISBN: 9780345509130
Publisher: Random House Digital, Inc.
Published: 2009-06-23T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

"So," Ben said, with exaggerated nonchalance. "We're going to go see the Aing-Tii."

"Yes ... we are." Luke's voice held a question.

"We're going because Jysella Horn flow-walked, and you suspect that Caedus might have used flow-walking to kick off the whole Jedi-going-crazy thing in the first place."

"Right again. Perhaps you'll tell me my name next, or who my sister is?"

Luke's voice held no irritation, just mild amusement. He was trying to figure out what Ben was getting at. Ben continued.

"So ... I'm thinking that the best way to understand something is to learn about it."

"Ah. Now I see where you're going with this."

"Well, you wanted to master the hassat-durr, even when the Baran Do Sages were leery of teaching you," Ben offered. "Even when they thought it might turn you into another Caedus."

"True enough."

Ben waited, but Luke offered nothing further. He waited longer, patiently, but still no more words came. So he tried again.

"It's not a dark side ability per se," Ben said. "Not exclusively. It isn't inherently a harmful thing, like Force lightning or Force grip. I mean-you can't even really change anything substantial, from what I understand. And Jedi already are able to look into the future a little bit-that's why our reflexes are so sharp and fast."

"We use the Force to do that."

"And don't you use the Force to flow-walk?"

"True, but ... Ben, it's not what you are imagining it to be like."

"You don't know what I'm imagining."

"I bet I've got a good idea, because believe it or not, I was once sixteen, and I know what I would think it was like," Luke said, a smile softening what was starting to develop into an argument.

"But you were a very young sixteen," Ben said with a slight touch of arrogance.

"Also true," Luke admitted readily, chuckling softly. "Even so, some things are universal. I don't think I want you learning flow-walking, Ben." He held up a hand as Ben opened his mouth to protest. "No, wait, hear me out. It's not because I don't think you are strong enough to use it wisely, but because-" He stopped suddenly.

Ben inhaled swiftly, his green eyes flying wide open.

They were everywhere.

Dozens-no, hundreds of them. They emerged from every nook and cranny on the suddenly ominously dark vessel, squeezing up from hairline cracks, flooding out from under chairs and consoles. Their legs were waving frantically, and they moved with astonishing speed up the chair, across his boots, up the legs of his pants-

"I see them, too," Luke said. His voice was completely calm. "Nothing but hallucinations, Ben. Remember what we talked about."

Ben did remember, but it was difficult to focus on remembering that these were simple mind tricks when he could feel the vaping things crawling up his legs and arms. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, falling back on logic when his mind kept feeling those myriad tiny little legs scurrying across his skin.

For one thing, such a profusion of arachnids would have been noticed immediately during the preflight check.

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