Star Wars - Lost Tribe of the Sith 04 - Savior

the Maw to teach her a lesson.”
    Ben glanced at his father. “That, however,
is
a very Sith thing to say.”
    Luke nodded. To Taalon, he said, “It may be that we do not need to teach her a lesson, as it were. We may simply need to find out why she is doing this.”
    “And ask her nicely to please stop?” Ben thought Han Solo could learn a thing or two from this Sith about infusing one’s voice with sarcasm.
    “You just asked me nicely to help you out. Clearly you’re capable of good manners,” Luke replied, unruffled. “If it accomplishes the goal with fewer or perhaps no casualties, how is that not the best solution?”
    There was silence. “It is possible she may not be amenable to … polite conversation. What then, Master Skywalker?”
    “I will do whatever is necessary to free the ill Jedi from her control,” Luke said. “I assure you of that.” His voice was not harsh, but there was a tone in it Ben recognized. The deed was almost as good as done when Luke Skywalker spoke like that.
    “You agree, then?” Taalon asked.
    Luke didn’t answer at once. Ben knew what he was struggling with. And he was surprised that it was even a struggle for the Grand Master. Luke was a Jedi. These were Sith. There couldn’t possibly be an alliance. Everyone would constantly be watching one another’s backs.
    But then again … He glanced at Vestara. She came from an entire culture of Sith. They couldn’t be backstabbing one another constantly—they’d have become extinct long ago. Somehow this flavor of Sith had learned how to cooperate. Vestara had proved it was possible. She had worked with Ben and his father before, on Dathomir, and that cooperation had saved Luke Skywalker’s life.
    “We do have a common goal,” Luke said at last. “Itwould be better to work toward it together rather than getting in each other’s way. But don’t think that I will not be expecting treachery at every turn. There are fewer enmities more ancient than that of Sith and Jedi.”
    A sigh. “This thing we both fight might be older than that,” Taalon said. “Well, I did not expect this to be a particularly comradely union. Very well. You deliver Vestara Khai. Together, in an alliance not seen since this galaxy was new, Sith and Jedi will confront and defeat their mutual foe—one way or the other. And after that … well, let us see where we stand then, shall we?”
    “Vestara stays here.”
    The Sith girl froze. There was a long silence.
    “I cannot permit that.”
    “Then we have no alliance.” Another long silence.
    “She has information we require. She comes with us, or there is no deal.”
    “Information about how to reach and confront our mutual foe?” Luke said, turning Taalon’s own flowery words back on him. “That, I do not object to permitting her to share. That
was
the information you were talking about, wasn’t it?”
    “She will come to no harm while entrusted in your … care,” said Taalon. “None. Or we will attack and destroy you down to your marrow and obliterate your very cells.”
    “Provided you keep your bargain, she’s perfectly safe. Jedi aren’t in the habit of torturing children.”
    Vestara frowned at being referred to as a child. Ben started to smile a little, despite the situation, then realized that she was the same age as he was. He shot his dad a disappointed glance.
    “Then I believe we have an agreement,” Taalon said.
    “Not just yet. We need to decide who is going to be in charge of this alliance first.”
    “I would suggest we command as a pair, you and I,” Taalon said. “No Sith will take orders solely from a Jedi. And I am sure you would bridle at being told what to do by a Sith High Lord.”
    “I would indeed. And
I
would suggest we begin this joint command by sharing information. You first.”
    “Ah, but Master Skywalker, you have
our
source of information right there with you. Start with her. We will be prepared to depart within a half hour.”
    “So will we. I’ll be in touch.
Jade Shadow
out.”
    “Dad,” Ben said the second the communication was terminated. “You just agreed to help the
Sith.”
    Luke shook his head. “No, son. I agreed to let the Sith help
us.”
    Ben regarded him, incredulity mixed with curiosity. “You trust them to keep their word?”
    “I trust them to do what is best for them. And as long as what is best for them is best for us, then we’ll be fine.”
    “And when it’s not?”
    “Like Taalon said … we’ll see