The Fallen Star (Star Wars: The High Republic)

by Claudia Gray

Nan clung to the nearest metal strut, staring at the sight of Chancey Yarrow dead on the floor—both halves of her—and the murderous Jedi Knight who stood over the corpse. Surely Nan would be the next to fall, and she intended to give the Jedi some hell before she went. But the Jedi just kept staring down at Chancey like an idiot. Like he hadn’t meant to do what he had unquestionably just done. “Why?” Nan said. “You’re Nihil,” replied the dark-haired Jedi. His voice sounded hollow. Did he even believe his own words? “You did this to Starlight.” “Us? We’d left the Nihil months before you even captured us.” “Then how—how could—” “The Nihil sent a saboteur team, three completely different people—who, by the way, we took out of commission.” Nan gestured at Werrera’s body lying on the floor. “We were prisoners here, remember? We didn’t find out about this in advance any more than you did!” This was all true, more or less. Nan hoped the Jedi wouldn’t hear all the things she’d carefully left out. He couldn’t stop staring at Chancey as he said, “You—you killed the Nihil who bombed this station? Why?” “Because we were trying to save the station and our skins with it! Not to mention yours!” The Jedi turned toward the controls that Chancey had been working on only moments before. “Right. The positional thrusters—it looks like she—like she’d already managed to repair the—” A red light began flashing as a metallic, synthesized voice intoned, “Station below thruster operating level. Repe...