The tiny communications area had become the place for the Jedi to confer and plan. Orla wished they’d chosen differently—maybe someplace without a low, arched ceiling, someplace she could actually have stood upright. But the Vessel offered few options, and at least this way she, Cohmac, and Reath had to huddle together, which she found comforting. Long-limbed Dez stood in the doorway, which if not comforting was probably more comfortable for him.

“We know the following,” she said, counting off points on her long fingers. “Darkness resides within this station. It has a very different ‘feel’ from the kind normally sensed from plants deep in the dark side. This means we cannot determine its source.”

Cohmac nodded. His gaze looked into the middle distance, someplace known but unseen. “We’ve all sensed that these warnings are emanating from the idols. From their appearance, they are almost certainly not original to the station. Therefore the idols were placed here later for some significant reason. Orla theorizes that they represented conquered peoples, which if true adds another factor for us to consider. Sealing some defeated darkness within these idols—and setting some kind of psychic warning upon that seal—that could explain it. Of course, this is only a possibility.”

Orla shrugged. “Let’s call it a working hypothesis.”

Reath leaned forward, wordlessly asking for permission to speak, which was given. “The Force emanates from life. Not from inanimate objects. There are legends of powerful Force artifacts created by the ancient Sith. But the Sith wouldn’t have imprisoned darkness, surely. They’d have set it free.”

“You assume,” Cohmac replied, “that because every such artifact we know of has its origin in the Jedi or the Sith, that only Jedi or Sith could create one. We cannot make such assumptions. Others have possessed that power in the Force.”

Orla considered the possibilities. “So what do we do? Continue to ignore their warnings? Because those warnings are intense.”

“Ignoring them would be dangerous,” Cohmac agreed, steepling his fingers together. “If the idols contain and warn against darkness, then that darkness must be examined. Imprisoned even more thoroughly.”

“They’re already pretty isolated out here,” said Dez from the place in the doorway where he stood. “On a station nobody much travels to, in an obscure corner of space.”

“Not necessarily,” Cohmac replied. “Affie has indicated that some traders currently use it from time to time. It wouldn’t be surprising if this station were soon reclaimed by even more travelers. All the more reason to act.”

“I can’t see any harm to the station in removing the idols,” Orla said. “There’s nothing else here but some plants and some gardener droids. So let’s test the hypothesis,” she said.

“How?” Dez asked.

“One of two ways,” Orla said. “Either we try to move and isolate the statues, or we destroy them.”

“But we can’t destroy them. They’re ancient artifacts!” Reath protested. “They’re history!”