“I don’t think so,” a voice said to his right. Bell turned to see Vam Targes pushing his way through the crowd, a few of the visitors also checking their comms. “I heard you were back on board, Padawan. Do you know what the problem is?”

“Problem?”

“With communications. Every channel seems to be blocked. Internal comms within the ship seem to be fine, but we’ve lost contact with the administration building in the city.”

That wasn’t good. Clipping his comlink to his belt, Bell lowered the defenses he’d placed around his connection to the Force and almost staggered as a wave of dread swept over him.

“Padawan Zettifar?”

Bell swallowed, trying to steady his stomach that had suddenly lurched as if he were standing on a storm-tossed sailing ship rather than a moored star cruiser. “You said that internal comms are online?”

“Yes.”

“Then contact the other viewing platform. The chancellor’s son is there with the son of the local mayor. We need to make sure they’re safe.”

Targes’s mandibles quivered. “The chancellor’s son? Why wouldn’t he be safe?”

Bell didn’t answer. Instead he looked up to the sky, Ember not caring what the Lannik thought and barking as dots appeared on the horizon, dozens and dozens of dots that were approaching rapidly. Bell used the Force to blank out the noise around him so he could better focus on the new arrivals. They were ships, some large, some no bigger than a Vector, but all of them were filled with an unmistakable hatred, the same hatred he’d felt over Cyclor.

They were Nihil.

Bell spun around, sensing that they weren’t alone. Sure enough, more ships were rushing in from the east, dropping down into the air above the mountains on the far side of the lake.

“Get everyone off the platform,” Bell said, as calmly as he could muster.

“Are they …”

“Vam, please. You need to save the people. Too many people have already died.”

“Died?”

Other voices joined the rising babble.

“Did they say ‘died’?”

“Are those ships?”

“Is this another display?”

It was no display. Bell felt waves of emotion. The panic setting in for those who had noticed. The concern of his fellow Jedi, who had also realized the danger. The cries of too many souls high above the planet, cries suddenly cut short.

“Get everyone away, Vam,” Bell shouted, vaulting the rail and landing nimbly on the hull of the Innovator. “Get them to shore or down below. I don’t care which, just get them off the platform.”