“It’s tough knowing you have to leave a man behind.” Leox shook his head as he took a thoughtful drag on his spice stick. (Orla would’ve objected to the bitter smoke if it hadn’t seemed so petty compared to their other concerns.) “But staying won’t change anything. Besides, I’d think you all would consider yourselves well shed of the place, since it’s tainted with the dark side—that’s what you call it, right?”

Orla nodded. “The thing is, we need to take the darkness with us when we leave, if we can.”

Leox and Geode shared a glance—or at least, Leox glanced at Geode. Orla still found Geode’s moods tricky to read. “Let me get this straight,” Leox said. “You have identified a source of primordial evil in the universe, so instead of heading to the farthest corner of the galaxy possible, you want to bring it on board.”

“If we can contain the darkness in a way that allows us to transport it, it’ll be completely safe. If not, we won’t be able get it on board to begin with.” Assuming that it’s not already, she thought but didn’t say. That was a risk none of them had any control over, and besides—the minute you suggested someone might be under an evil influence, they often began to behave like they were. The Vessel’s crew was better off not worrying about it.

Leox weighed that, then nodded. “Then work that dark magic.”

“It’s light magic.”

“Either way.”

Reath had done multiple research assignments on Force-influenced artifacts, which he really hadn’t expected to pay off so soon in his career as a Jedi. It just went to show you that research and footnotes and all the other bookish stuff some Padawans scoffed at were actually very important.

Master Cohmac, who as an archivist no doubt agreed with him, was the real expert in these matters. But he apparently wanted to see, yet again, how much responsibility the mission’s Padawan could handle. So Master Cohmac sat in the corner, as stoic as any of the idols, while Reath took over the explanations.

“The Jedi elders have identified three main kinds of Force artifacts,” he said to the assembled group in the comm area. “There are artifacts that contain certain memories or even personalities of past Force users. There are artifacts that enhance a Jedi’s ability to use the Force. And then there are artifacts that hinder or confound that ability—Force dampeners, you could call them.”

It was hard to tell if Master Cohmac was really listening; his expression was inscrutable. However, Orla Jareni was listening raptly, and Leox and Affie, watching from different doorways, were at least hearing him out.

Reath began, “These artifacts show up in legends more often than in real life—”