“They’re only two people,” Master Adampo pointed out.

“They’re on the Amaxine station,” Reath said. “In other words, the place where the idols were put to contain the dark side. To me that suggests there’s something interesting about the station—something about its history we haven’t learned yet. Potentially something powerful. If so, I don’t think we should leave it for the Nihil to find.”

Rosason tilted her head. “All valid points. But they are also hypothetical points. I do not know that at this time of crisis, we can afford to send Jedi away to investigate a mere hypothesis.”

The frustration was burning within Reath. “So you want to just let them go?”

Master Rosason put her hand on his shoulder so gently that he was reminded of Master Jora. As he swallowed hard, she said, “If you had learned their identities while still on the Amaxine station, yes, you would’ve been right to take them into custody if possible. But at this point it would mean sending people we need through hazardous hyperspace lanes to a dangerous station, only in the hopes that Nan wasn’t lying to you and their ship has not yet departed. It’s too much risk for too little reward.”

Maybe that made sense. All Reath knew was that he couldn’t accept it. “May I put in a formal request to travel back on my own?”

“You may,” Master Adampo said, “but it’ll probably be denied.”

Master Rosason added, “You have lost your master, and your friend. You need new purpose, constructive action you can take, and you need it quickly.”

“This isn’t about me and my feelings,” he insisted, then questioned it. “It isn’t only about that, anyway.”

“If it were that simple, we’d let you go,” said Master Adampo. “But it is a complicated time, and a complex situation.”

He spoke so kindly. They all did. It just made Reath more determined to put in that formal request. And if he was denied…

He might have to find out just how far he was willing to deviate from the Council’s orders.

Leox relaxed in the Vessel’s mess, wreathed in honeyed smoke and feeling pretty fine. The Guild had been fair about their delay and had even kicked in a little hazard pay. That was thin on the ground in the Byne Guild; he suspected he had Affie to thank. At any rate he was not a man to spurn largesse purely because of its rarity. The next day he might stroll into one of those fancy Coruscant shops, get himself a new pair of boots—Geode might desire a good polishing—

This pleasant train of thought was interrupted by a small voice. “Leox?”