However, they were able to see the problem for themselves. “What now?” Orla said. “Is it some kind of…giant Drengir?”

“Uncertain,” Cohmac said as Reath kicked at one of the vines. “Undoubtedly the Drengir have created the vines; that’s all we know. The vines have already begun to entrap the Vessel. We must leave immediately.”

Orla fell into step at Cohmac’s side while they hurried back. “The good news is, the Drengir and the Nihil are keeping each other busy. If we can get away, I don’t think we have to worry about being pursued. How’s Dez?”

“All but delirious,” Cohmac said. His mind was only half on the present moment as he attempted to consider ways of damaging the vines.

Which was why he didn’t notice their party was missing someone until they were already boarding the Vessel.

Orla realized it at that same moment. “Wait—where’s Reath?”

Reath had swerved away from the others after only a few meters.

He’d watched Cohmac and Orla go, wanting to stay behind and make absolutely sure that events were unfolding the way they should. If anything went wrong with their plan, he and his friends would need to know right away. But even if everything went right, Reath had an important job to do.

This station couldn’t be left for the Nihil and the Drengir to fight over. It had given the Amaxines a tactical advantage, millennia before; it remained capable of enabling a great deal of harm. Maybe the Republic could claim it—but the Republic wasn’t coming to this area of the galaxy to conquer by sneak attack.

We would only be holding it to keep the Drengir or Nihil from taking control, Reath thought. Both groups will want it back. It’ll stir up needless conflict, cost lives, and for what?

If the station couldn’t be safely held, then it needed to be destroyed.

Not literally, at least not now: Reath wasn’t carrying anything like the kind of firepower necessary for that. The Vessel wasn’t, either. But he didn’t have to demolish the Amaxine station to end its strategic capability.

All he had to do was launch every single hyperspace pod, at once, empty, and preferably to locations in the middle of dead space.

No doubt, if he’d spoken of his plan, either Orla or Master Cohmac would’ve insisted on performing the task instead. Reath didn’t want anyone else taking a risk.

“Controls are going to be down low,” Reath muttered as he made his way into the central globe. “Not looking forward to going through that tunnel again.”

His second descent through the tunnel was as uneventful as the first, though his sense of suspense had gone from ratcheted up to almost unbearable. When he became a full Jedi, maybe he would be able to enter a meditative trance at such times. But he wasn’t there yet.