They didn’t wear uniforms, exactly, though there was a sameness to their garb: dark, padded, covered in strips or panels of safety material that would be impervious to water, maybe to fire, as well. Their telltale helmets and breathmasks hung around their necks or from utility belts, which suggested a gas attack wasn’t imminent. As far as Reath could read their expressions, they seemed neither exultant nor discouraged. That suggested his fellow Jedi remained alive…but the Nihil still felt they could accomplish their goals.

“Cloud,” said this Nihil group’s leader, a Trandoshan male, “we have a way to prove ourselves to the Tempest Runner.”

Grins and a few cheers answered this. They seem to use weather imagery, storm imagery, Reath reasoned.

“This station gives us the power to reach any place in the galaxy within moments,” said the leader. “Only our people, not our ships—but our people can make the way ready for the attacks to come. Take down shields, create distractions, send homing beacons…anything and everything we need to become the dominant power in this part of the galaxy.”

“No!” shouted someone in the back. “In the entire galaxy!”

This won more cheers, and the leader smiled. “We thought we would not be able to make up for failure to enter the action. But when we reveal this station—and reveal that by taking it, we have humiliated the Jedi?—we’ll be in his favor. The best raids, the best position within the Tempest…all of it will be ours.”

The Drengir believe they can use this station to wreak havoc across the galaxy, Reath thought. The Nihil believe they can, too.

Which means if anybody’s going to hold this station, it has to be the Republic—

But maybe nobody should hold it at all.

Almost at the moment Cohmac would’ve given up all hope of finding a clear path, a glint of illumination revealed just enough space clear of debris for him to bring Dez through to the docking ring.

Dez tried to make it through on his own, but his movements were still slow, uncoordinated. Cohmac had to help him every centimeter of the way, practically dragging him at the end. What had the Drengir done to him? What toxic effects did their poisons have? Was Dez recovering—or was a slower-acting substance working its way through his system, tearing him down?

“Here we are, see?” Cohmac adjusted Dez so he could look ahead, into the entrance of the Vessel. “Back where we belong.”

“The Drengir…”

“No, no,” Cohmac said, hoping Dez could truly understand. “They are gone now. They can hurt you no longer.”

As he hustled them toward the Vessel’s airlock, a large shadow in the distance—darker than the other shadows—caught Cohmac’s eye for only an instant. In the next, he could see nothing there. But it had looked like…It couldn’t have been…

Cohmac muttered, “Geode?”