Jedi Under Siege Read online

  JEDI UNDER SIEGE

  by

  Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta

  Jaina had to believe the warning was a sign that Zekk still cared about

  her and her twin brother Jacen.

  She and her friends had been back on Yavin 4 for only a few minutes.

  None of them had gotten much sleep on the swift hyperspace flight back,

  but they all ran on adrenaline. Jaina felt as if she would explode if

  she could@t do something right away.

  So many preparations to make, so much to plan.

  Standing beside her near the entrance to the hangar bay, Jacen gave her

  a nudge.

  When she glanced at him, his brandy-brown eyes looked straight into

  hers. "Hey, it'll be oka "he said. 'Uncle Luke will know what to do.

  He's been through plenty of Imperial attacks."

  "Sure, that makes me feel a lot better," she answered, not believing it

  for a minute.

  As usual, Jacen resorted to one of his favorite weapons to get her mind

  off the battle that was sure to come. "Hey, want to hear a joke?"

  "Yes, Jacen," said Tenel Ka, striding up to join them. "I believe humor

  could be of some use now." The warrior girl from Dathomir glistened with

  perspiration from having spent the last ten minutes running "to stretch

  her

  ^ muscles" in an effort to work off her own tension.

  "Okay, Jacen. Fire away," Jaina said, pretending to brace herself for

  the worst.

  Tenel Ka pushed back her long, reddish gold braids with one arm. Her

  left arm had been severed in a terrible accident during lightsaber

  training, and she refused to accept a synthetic replacement. She nodded

  to Jacen. "You may proceed with the joke."

  "Okay, what time is it when an Imperial walker steps on your wrist

  chronometer?"

  Jacen raised his eyebrows, waiting. "Time to get a new chronometer!"

  After a heartbeat of dead silence, Tenel Ka nodded and said in a serious

  voice, "Thank you, Jacen. Your humor was quite . . . adequate."

  The warrior girl never cracked a smile, but Jaina thought she detected a

  twinkle in her friend's cool gray eyes. Jaina was still groaning in mock

  agony when Luke and the young Wookiee Lowbacca climbed out of the Shadow

  Chaser.

  Deciding there wasn't a moment to lose, Jaina hurried over to them.

  Apparently Uncle Luke must have felt the same way-when Jacen and Tenel

  Ka trotted up behind Jaina, the Jedi Master began to speak without

  preamble.

  "It'll take the Second Imperium some time to install the new computer

  components they stole for their fleet," Luke said. "We may have a few

  days yet, but I don't want to take any chances. Lowie-nonne and Raynar

  went out to the temple on the lake for a training exercise. I'd like you

  to take your T-23 and go bring them back here. We all need to work

  together."

  Lowie roared an acknowledgment and sprinted for the small skyhopper his

  uncle Chewbacca had given him. From the clip at Lowie's waist the

  miniaturized translating droid Em Teedee said, "Why certainly, sir. It

  would be Master Lowbacca's great pleasure to be of service. Consider it

  done." Reprimanding the little droid for its embellishments with an

  absent growl, the young Wookiee climbed into the small T-23 and closed

  the canopy.

  Luke turned to the warrior girl from Dathomir. "Tenel Ka, gather as many

  students as you can and give them a crash course in ground combat

  against terrorist attacks. I'm not sure what strategies the Shadow

  Academy will use, but I can't think

  ^ of anyone better to teach them about commando tactics than you."

  "Yeah, she was great against those Bartokk assassins on ]4apes," Jacen

  said.

  Tenel Ka surprised Jaina by blushing pink before she gave a curt nod and

  sped off on her assignment. "What about Jacen and me, Uncle Luke?"

  Jaina asked, bursting with impatience.

  What should we do? We want to help."

  "Now that the Millennium Falcon is gone, we need to get the new shield

  generators back up and running to protect us from an aerial attack. Come

  with me."

  The primary equipment for the Jedi academy's new defensive shield

  generators was located in the jungle across the river, but the shields

  were controlled from the Comm Center. Han Solo had recently brought the

  components m Coruscant as a stopgap measure while the New Republic

  scrambled to assemble a major defense against the impending Imperial

  attack.

  "Hey, should I send a message to Mom?"

  Jacen asked, sitting down at one of the consoles.

  "Not until we know more," Luke answered.

  "Your dad and Chewier were going to contact her and explain everything

  once they were under way. Leia has her hands full mustering troops to

  station here as permanent protectors for the Jedi academy. At the

  moment, we've got to do everything we can to guard it ourselves.

  "Meanwhile, Jacen, monitor all the communications bands. See if you can

  pick up any signals, especially ones that might be Imperial codes.

  Jaina, let's get those shield generators powered up and running."

  "Already on it, Uncle Luke." Jaina grinned at him from the control

  station. "Shields are up and at full strength. Guess I should run a

  complete readiness check, though, just to make sure there are no gaps in

  our defenses." Jacen put on a headset and began scanning through the

  various comm frequencies.

  No sooner had he begun than a loud crackle erupted from the earpiece,

  followed by a familiar voice.

  ". . . requesting permission for landing and all that usual stuff. Here

  I come. Lightning Rod out."

  "Hey, wait!" Jacen said into the voice pickup, on the verge of panic.

  "You can't do

  ^ that-I mean, we have to drop our shields first. Give me a minute,

  Peckhum."

  "Shields? V,7hat shields?" the old spacer's voice came back. "Me and

  the Lightning Rod been doing' the supply run to Yavin 4 for years now.

  Never had to worry about shields before."

  "We'll meet you down at the landing pad and explain everything," Jacen

  said. 'Hang on a minute." "Am I going to need a code to get in?"

  Peckhum asked. "No one gave me any codes before I left Coruscant. Nobody

  told me about any shields."

  Jacen looked up at Luke. "It's old Peckhum in the Lightning Rod," he

  said. 'Does he need a code to get in?"

  Luke shook his head and motioned for Jaina to drop the shields. Jaina

  bent over the control console, her lower lip caught between her teeth.

  After a minute she said, "There, that ought to do it. Shields lowered

  again."

  For some reason, now that the shields were down Jacen felt a cold tingle

  of vulnerability run up the back of his neck. 'Okay, Peckhum," he said,

  "you're clear to land. But make it quick, so we can power up again."

  When the old spacer stepped out of his battered supply shuttle, he<
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  looked the same as every other time Jacen had seen him: pale skin, long

  lanky hair, grizzled cheeks, and rumpled flight suit.

  "Come on, Peckhum," Jacen said. "I'll help you get the supplies inside.

  We need to hurry, before the Imperials get here."

  "Imperials?" The spacer scratched his head.

  "Is that why yo&ve got energy shields up? Are we under attack?"

  "It's okay," Jacen said, impatient to get the Lightning Rod unloaded.

  "The shields are back up. You just can't see them."

  The old spacer craned his neck to stare up into the misty white sky of

  the jungle moon.

  "And the attack?"

  "Well, we heard a rumor-a pretty solid one." He hesitated. "From Zekk.

  He's the one who led the raid on the computer fabrication facility on

  Kashyyyk-and he warned Jaina that the Shadow Academy is on its way.

  We'd better get inside."

  Old Peckhum looked at Jacen in alarm.

  The teenager Zekk had been like a son to him; they had lived together in

  the lower city levels on Coruscant . . . until Zekk

  ^ had been kidnapped by the Shadow Academy.

  As a familiar cold tingle crept up the back of Jacens neck, Peckhum

  whispered, "Too late." He pointed into the sky. "They're already here."

  ^ -----------------FROM THE HIGHEST observation turret on the Shadow

  Academy, Brakiss-Master of all the new Dark Jedi-looked down at the

  insignificant green speck of the jungle moon. The devastating assault

  was about to begin, and before long Yavin 4 and its Jedi academy would

  be crushed under the might of the Second Imperium.

  As it should be.

  Through the winding metal corridors of the station, stonntroopers manned

  their battle stations, newly trained TIE pilots conducted preflight

  checks on their ships, and the eager Dark Jedi students prepared for

  their first major victory.

  The ultimate battle would be a two-pronged assault led jointly by the

  most powerful of the new Nightsisters, Tamith Kai, and Brakiss's own

  prot6g6, dark-haired Zekk, whose enthusiasm to make something

  significant of his life had left him an easy target for conversion to

  the dark side.

  Brakiss closed his eyes and drew a deep breath of the recycled air that

  rushed through the ventilation shafts. His silvery robes swirled around

  him.

  Though he stood isolated here, he could sense the accelerating

  preparations affecting everyone in the spiked station; tensions mounted,

  as did hunger for battle. In the undercurrent of swirling thoughts, he

  clearly felt the troops' dedication to the Second Imperium's great

  leader, Emperor Palpatine. He also detected an undertone of anxiety over

  the coming attack, but this only made his lips curl upward. Fear would

  give an added edge to their fighting abilities, enough to make them

  cautious . . . but not enough to paralyze them.

  Brakiss longed to see Luke Skywalker defeated. Years ago, he had

  infiltrated the Jedi academy as a student to absorb the methods the New

  Republic taught, then bring them back to the remnants of the Empire. But

  Brakiss hadn't been able to fool the Jedi Master. Instead, Skywalker had

  tried to turn him away from his devotion, undermine his dedication to

  the Second Imperium. Skywalker had tried to "save"

  ^ him-he thought with a sneer-and Brakiss had fled.

  But because of his willingness to dabble in the dark side, Brakiss had

  by then learned enough to form his own Dark Jedi training center.

  Now it would be a marvelous showdown.

  Beside him, the air shimmered. Brakiss opened his calm, beatific eyes

  and sensed an ominous static surrounding the projection of the Emperor.

  The mysterious great leader of the Second Imperium hovered in front of

  him in holographic form, a cowled head as tall as Brakiss's entire body,

  a towering image with glittering yellow eyes and a wrinkled face pinched

  by shadows.

  "I grow eager for my domination again, Brakiss," the Emperor said.

  "And I am eager to give it to you, my master," Brakiss answered, bowing

  his head.

  Accompanied by four of his powerful red Imperial guards, the Emperor

  himself had recently taken up residence on the Shadow Academy, arriving

  in a special armored shuttle. While the fearsome, scarlet-clad guards

  kept all prying eyes away, the Emperor remained sealed in an opaque

  isolation chamber. Palpatine had never spoken directly to his loyal

  Shadow Academy subjects, nor

  ^ had he even conversed face-to-face with Brakiss. The Emperor had

  appeared only in holographic transmissions.

  "We are ready to launch our strike, my Emperor," Brakiss said. He

  glanced up at the forbidding image. "My Dark Jedi guarantee you

  victory."

  "Good-because I have no wish to wait further," the Emperor's image said.

  "The remainder of my newly constructed fleet has not yet arrived, though

  they shall be here within hours. My Imperial warships are presently

  being refitted with the computer systems stolen from Kashyyyk. My guards

  report that many vessels are ready to fight, and the rest will be

  finished shortly."

  Brakiss bowed again, clasping his hands in front of him. "I understand,

  my lord. But let us withhold the military strike force for our next

  major assault on the more heavily guarded worlds of the Rebel Alliance.

  On Yavin 4, we have only a few weakling dogooder Jedi to deal with. They

  should cause no problem for my Force-trained soldiers."

  Inside his shadowy cowl, the Emperor looked skeptical. 'Do not let your

  overconfidence betray you."

  Brakiss continued speaking with greater passion. He let his feelings

  come to the fore, is hoping to convince his great leader. "With this

  important strike on the Jedi academy, the Second Imperium becomes more

  than just an undisciplined band of pirates raiding equipment. We mean to

  retake the galaxy, my lord. This battle must be a battle of

  philosophies, of willpower. This is the Imperial way against the Rebel

  way-and so it should be my trainees against Skywalker's, Jedi versus

  Jedi. A shadow play, if you will, of darkness against light. We still

  intend to harass them with TIE fighter strikes from the air, but the

  main conflict will be direct and personal-as it must be!

  We can crush their very hearts, not merely breach their defenses."

  Brakiss smiled, looking up to meet the glowing yellow eyes of the

  Emperor. "And when we defeat them utterly with the powers of the dark

  side, the remainder of the Rebels will scatter and hide, trembling at

  their own nightmares, as we recapture what is rightfully ours."

  The Emperor's holographic face did something frighteningly unusual. The

  withered, puckered lips curled in a satisfied smile.

  "Very well. It shall be as you request, Brakiss-Jedi against Jedi. You

  may begin your assault when ready."

  ^ -----------------THE SHADOW ACADEMY dropped its cloaking device,

  dissolving its shield of invisibility. As the spiked station appeared

  over Yavin 4, two specially equipped TIE fighters dropped out of its

  launching bay. Silently moving in tandem, they plunged into the misty

  atm
osphere.

  The fighters had been coated with a stealth hull plating to blur their

  sensor signatures, and the output from their high-powered twin ion

  engines had been damped. Their mission was to strike in secret, not to

  provide a show of force.

  Commander Orvak swooped into the lead, while the second TIE fighter,

  flown by his subordinate Dareb, flanked him. Together, they shot around

  the small moon and skimmed lower into the atmosphere, spiraling entirely

  around the equator back to the coordinates of the ancient temple ruins

  where Skywalker had established his Jedi academy.

  ^ 7

  ^ Orvak flew with the controls gripped in his black-gloved hands. He

  felt the quiet thrumming of the Imperial fighter's engines as if he were

  riding an untamed beast of burden. He piloted with careful

  concentration, dancing on the air currents, buffeted by thermal updrafts

  from the jungle below.

  "Keep steady," he muttered to himself. This conunando run would require

  the utmost precision and piloting skill. Along with a new batch of TIE

  fighter trainees chosen from the ranks of young stormtroopers, Orvak had

  completed the simulations over and over again enroute to the Yavin

  system.

  But this was the real thing. Now the Emperor was depending on him.