The haggling didn’t last too long; Orla’s suggested price was fair, and the droid clearly had a sales quota to meet. Within the hour, Orla had put her thumbprint to every document and obtained all the passcodes for her new ship.

“The Lightseeker,” she said. “I’m calling her the Lightseeker.”

“Duly registered,” replied the sales droid. “Shall I report that she travels with a crew complement of one?”

“Yes—unless I can convince my navigator friend to join me?”

Geode stood nearby, his silence his only reply. He’d been willing to look over ships with her, but Orla already knew his loyalty was to Leox, Affie, and the Vessel.

Besides, this was a path she needed to walk alone.

“Maybe next time,” she said, patting Geode on the side, already dreaming of the voyages to come.

Once she was alone on the bridge of her ship (her ship!), she sent a message to Cohmac. When his face appeared on the screen, Orla scooted over so he could see more of the Lightseeker than of her. “What do you think?”

“Beautiful.” Cohmac’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I am truly happy for you, Orla. The Force has called you, and you have answered.”

“I’ve been fighting my instincts my entire career,” Orla admitted. “Forcing myself to follow a path that wasn’t mine. I want to serve the Order, and the galaxy, but I can’t do that if I’m living a lie.”

She thought again of that long-ago day when they’d rescued one hostage but lost another, all because she’d put what was “right and proper” ahead of what the Force told her. Orla wouldn’t make that mistake again.

Cohmac nodded. “I envy you the surety of your convictions, Orla.”

The anger he’d felt after Dez’s supposed death—the echoes of the death of his master and of the hostage, so long before—had taken a toll on Cohmac, a deeper one than Orla had realized. She said, “Are you all right? Do you need to do some wayseeking of your own?”

“No. I need the Order now, more than ever. But I need something else, too. A new direction—a focus. That, only time can provide.”

Orla wasn’t positive that the Order was what Cohmac required. But she couldn’t give him those answers. That would be up to the Force.

“May the Force be with you, old friend.” She raised one hand as he did, a mutual salute of farewell.

Reath entered the Jedi Temple’s meditation center with some trepidation. It was impolite to disturb others’ trances. However, by chance, Master Cohmac was in the room alone, sitting in midair.

That couldn’t be easy. No doubt this was a profoundly deep meditation. Reath wondered whether he should tiptoe out again and was on the verge of doing so before Master Cohmac said, without opening his eyes, “What is it, Reath?”