Darkest Knight Read online

  do some scouting for her. Says I need to keep busy or I'll get old too

  fast. And ever since he started this Jedi academy, your uncle's made it

  a practice to spend some time away from Yavin 4, just to make sure his

  skills stay at their peak performance. Still, we figured it might be a

  good'idea to keep a low profile, though, so 'You disguised yourself and

  the Millennium Falcon," Jacen finished for him. Jaina continued to stare

  at all the lumpy, patchwork modifications to the light freighter.

  "And Luke, too." Han Solo nodded behind them to where their uncle, clad

  in a rumpled brown flight suit, emerged from the base of the temple.

  "Hey, Han, did you bring the last components for those new shield

  generators?" Luke called. He brushed a greasy hand down the front of his

  stained outfit. He looked very much like a down-and-out pilot who had

  deserted his post.

  "You bet, Luke," Han said. 'Leia's worried about your Jedi academy with

  the Second Imperium on the loose, so we've got to install those new

  shield generators and get them running with enough power to stop an

  attack."

  'I still think my Jedi Knights would do a good enough job defending

  themselves if it came to that," Luke said, smiling at the trainees

  standing around the temple. "The Shadow Academy would be foolish to

  underestimate us."

  Han shrugged. "Doesn't matter what you say, Luke-indulge me, or Leia

  will never sleep a wink."

  Laughing, Luke called for Jedi students to unload the heavy components

  from the Falcon's storage bay. "I'll have some of my students install

  the systems while you and I are away."

  The disguised Jedi Master strode over to the pair of Wookiees, who stood

  in earnest conversation. He seemed to be bidding Chewbacca farewell.

  Jaina thought she heard Luke say something about the time being near,

  but before she could ask about it, her brother spoke up.

  "But what about Chewie?" Jacen asked.

  "Isn't he going to be your copilot this time?"

  Their father looked a bit uncomfortable.

  "I manage without him somehow. Back home on Kashyyyk, he and Lowie have

  kind of a family emergency, you might say."

  'Emergency'?" Jaina said. 'Is anyone hurt?"

  "Naw, nothing that simple. You've never met Lowie's sister Sirra, have

  you?" Han lifted his chin to point in the direction of his Wookiee

  copilot, who was deep in conversation with Lowbacca. "Anyway, give the

  two of 7em a chance to talk first. Afterwards I have a feeling Lowie'll

  tell you all about it. Meanwhile, I've brought messages from -your mom

  and Anakin-and I've got a couple of surprises for you on the Falcon."

  "@-oh," Jaina said. "More surprises on the Falcon?" Han chuckled and put

  an arm around each of the twins' shoulders. 'Yeah, presents for you

  two."

  "Hey, that reminds me," Jacen said, 'I've got a new joke. Wanna hear

  it?" Before either of them could talk him out of it, he forged ahead.

  "What do Jawas have that no other creature in the galaxy has? Give up?"

  He raised his eyebrows. "Baby Jawas!"

  Even their father had difficulty feigning amusement. Jaina studied her

  brother in silence for a moment, then turned to Han, getting back to the

  subject at hand. "So, what were you saying about those gifts you brought

  us?"

  "Well, I brought a mate for Jacen's stump lizard, along with some of

  those starflower blossoms they like to eat so much, and a refurbished

  micromotivator that still needs some tinkering. 'Course, you two'll have

  to fight over who gets which gift," he added, ruffling the twins'hair as

  they walked up the boarding ramp together.

  Jaina snorted indelicately. "That shouldn't take long."

  In her quarters, Tenel Ka sat fascinated by the tiny holographic image

  of dark-haired Anakin Skywalker holding a cluster of brightly colored

  twine. She couldn't figure out why the twins' little brother would have

  sent her a message. She had only met the boy once, on Coruscant not long

  ago.

  'I know how independent you are, Tenel Ka, so I hope you don't mind my

  doing this," Anakin's recorded voice said. "But when Jacen and Jaina

  told me how hard it is for you to braid your hair since the accident, I

  took it as a problem to solve. You may have figured out a bunch of this

  stuff for yourself already"Anakin's holographic face smiled faintly

  "but even if you have, it was still a challenging puzzle, and I enjoyed

  it."

  The Solo twins, who had delivered the holographic message to Tenel Ka

  after a long visit with their father, sat nearby on the floor of her

  chambers. Jaina rolled her eyes and chuckled. "That's my little

  brother."

  "This is a fact," Tenel Ka said, shifting her concentration back to the

  glowing hologram.

  The boy's image held the multicolored twine in one hand and threaded the

  fingers of the other hand through it, neatly separating the colors into

  individual clumps. Tenel Ya unconsciously lifted her hand to her head

  and threaded her fingers through some unbraided strands of her red-gold

  hair.

  Moving with deliberate precision, Anakin slid his hands down the

  brightly colored strands, twining them together with the fingers of one

  hand as he went. "See, it can be done, if you approach the task from a

  different perspective." The sequence cycled through again in slow motion

  while Anakin said, "I tried adding decorations several ways, but it

  worked best for me if I put the bead or feather in my mouth first. That

  way I didn't have to let go of the braid to pick it up."

  "Ah." Tenel Ka nodded her approval of the logic. "Aha." Experimentally,

  her fingers began to twine a few strands of hair, following the

  single-handed technique Anakin had concocted.

  The hologram shifted to a different scene, Anakin standing beside a fall

  of long glossy brown hair, caught up in a dozen Dathomiran warrior

  braids decorated with feathers and beads. The view pulled back, and

  Anakin gestured to his handiwork, looking both pleased and a bit

  embarrassed. "As you can see, Mom let me practice on her." The tiny

  holographic image of Chief of State Leia Organa Solo turned with a warm

  smile and then spun in a graceful pirouette to give a better view of the

  braids.

  As the holorecording ended, Tenel Ka nodded seriously, considering the

  new technique.

  With practice, she thought she could manage it herself.

  A loud questioning growl sounded from the doorway of Tenel Ka's

  quarters. She looked up to see Lowbacca standing at the arched entrance.

  "Enter, friend," Tenel Ka said, indicating a spot on the floor beside

  her. "Sit with us if you wish."

  "Lowie, is everything all right?" Jaina asked with a look of concern.

  The lanky ginger-furred Wookiee ambled over and sat between Tenel Ka and

  Jaina on the floor. For a long time none of the companions spoke. Then

  Lowbacca reached toward his belt and flicked a small switch on Em

  Teedee's back. "Ali, thank you, Master Lowbacca," Em Teedee said. "That

  was indeed a refreshing shutdown cycle, although considerably longer

  tha
n I had anticipated. Oh, look-we have company."

  Lowbacca interrupted the little droid with a rumble and a short bark.

  '@y, most assuredly, Master Lowbacca. I'd be delighted to provide a

  translation. That is my primary function, you know. I am fluent in over

  six forms of communication." Preoccupied, Lowbacca didn't even scold the

  translating droid. Slowly, haltingly at first, the Wookiee began to

  speak, and Em Teedee translated. "Master Lowbacca knows that his recent

  . . . distress has been apparent to all of you, causing you no small

  measure of concern-a concern shared by myself, I might add."

  Jaina put a hand on Lowbacca's shoulder.

  "Well, you did have us worried. We wanted you to be able to talk to us."

  'We're your friends," Jacen added.

  Tenel Ka merely nodded and waited for Lowbacca to continue.

  He squared his shoulders and went on with his explanation. "In recent

  months a family matter has arisen that has caused Master Lowbacca no end

  of worry over his sister Sirrakuk's safety.

  'As you may recall, young Wookiees occasionally take it upon themselves

  to perform a feat of great danger and difficulty, either alone or

  accompanied by friends. This gains them much respect, especially at a

  time when they are choosing their life path.

  "Master Lowbacca decided to prove himself with such an act of bravery,

  since he knew that it would be difficult for many Wookiees to accept his

  decision to train at the Jedi academy rather than follow a more

  traditional calling. He was so proud of his intellectual skills that he

  chose to rely only on his wits; he descended to the deep forest levels

  on Kashyyyk without telling a single friend.

  Alone, he harvested these fibers from the dangerous syren plant. Though

  Master Lowbacca emerged unharmed with the trophy he had sought, he now

  admits that his solo expedition was foolhardy and ill-advised. And he

  fears that Sirrakuk is considerably more impulsive, more impetuous than

  he."

  Here Lowbacca paused to finger the glossy fiber of his webbed belt. Its

  intricate braiding reminded Tenel Ka of Anakin's message to her, his

  technique of one-handed braiding.

  Jaina gave Lowie a measuring look. 'Ali, so now you're afraid that your

  sister might try to go it alone just because you did?" Lowbacca looked

  down at the floor and gave a series of low rumbles and growls.

  Resting both elbows on his furry knees, he held his head in his hands as

  he spoke.

  "I'm afraid the situation is rather more serious than that, and Lowbacca

  believes that the responsibility is largely his," Em Teedee said. "You

  see, since childhood Sirra's best friend was Raabakyysh-or Raaba, as

  Master Lowbacca's family referred to herintelligent, strong-willed,

  beautiful, and adventurous. In fact, Master Lowbacca had always felt

  that . . . Well, go on," the little droid prompted. "You thought that

  what? You can't simply stop in the middle of a sentence."

  Lowie gave a low groan and began to speak again. The dark streak of fur

  over his eyebrow fluffed up, slowing his agitation.

  "Approximately one month ago, Raaba prepared to show her own skills in

  the face of danger, since she wanted to join a difficult and exclusive

  pilots'school, hoping one day to become the captain of her own ship.

  Sirra and Raaba had agreed to accompany one another-but the night before

  they had planned to go, Raaba impulsively decided to go alone.

  'In secret, she descended to the lower jungles at night, leaving behind

  nothing but a brief message to explain to Sirra what she had done and

  why. According to her note, Raaba had hoped that by duplicating

  Lowbacca's feat of bravery she might impress him enough that he would

  someday consider her a worthy mate for a Jedi-when they were old enough.

  However . . ."

  Lowbacca paused and heaved a deep sigh before continuing. "However-oh

  dear!-I'm afraid Raaba never returned from her ordeal," Em Teedee

  continued. "When her family searched for her they found only her

  bloodstained toolpack. Nothing more. Raaba was gone."

  'Oh, Lowie." Jaina leaned her head against the Wookiee's shoulder.

  Tenel Ka looked at her friend, sensing his pain. "Ali. This is why you

  feel responsible." Lowie spoke again, this time in strangled tones.

  'Since Raaba's . . . loss, Sirra has become increasingly reckless, as if

  she hardly cares whether she lives or dies. Sirra has refused all offers

  from other friends to accompany her on her rite of passage, insisting

  that Raaba was the only one she trusted enough to take along. A while

  ago, in desperation, Master Lowbacca sent Sirra a message asking if she

  would accept him as a suitable substitute. Chewbacca has Just brought

  word of her answer." Em Teedee paused for a moment. "Oh, thank

  goodness-she's accepted!"

  'Hey, that's great," Jacen said in a relieved voice.

  "Oh, indeed," Em Teedee chirped.

  Lowbacca didn't respond immediately. He seemed to be intently studying a

  chip in the flagstoned floor.

  "Something's still bothering you, Lowie," Jaina said.

  Tenel Ka glanced down at the stump of her severed left arm, then gave

  Lowie an understanding look. 'You fear to face your loss. The loss of

  Raaba."

  "That's it, isn't it?" Jaina said. 'It's going to hurt to go back to

  Kashyyyk, because your friend Raaba won't be there. And you feel

  responsible that she died trying to copy something you did."

  After Lowie's response, Em Teedee said, "Master Lowbacca is also

  concerned that his grief over the loss of Raabakyysh will render him

  less capable of supporting his sister at this critical time. He realizes

  that it may not be feasible, but he was hoping to impose on one of you

  to accompany him to his homeworld."

  Tenel Ka answered immediately. "You came when I needed you, after my

  accident. I can do no less, my friend." She reached out her hand to

  touch Lowbacca's.

  "Hey, I'll come too," Jacen said, placing his hand over both of theirs.

  "We're stronger together. All of us."

  Jaina placed her hand over the others. "I guess we all go then," she

  said. "Stronger together."

  Lowbacca hung back, standing near the disguised Millennium Falcon while

  the Solo twins said goodbye to their father.

  Han Solo gave his kids a lopsided grin.

  'Yeah, I kinda had a hunch that all of you were gonna volunteer to go

  with Lowbacca," he said. "As soon as Chewie told me the situation, I

  cleared it with your mom. Should be a good opportunity for you kids to

  brush up on Wookiee language comprehension, too."

  Just then Luke Skywalker, wearing his tattered jumpsuit, emerged from

  the hangar bay with Chewbacca. Lowie could smell the grease stains and

  solvents on the old fabric.

  "Everything ready?" Master Skywalker asked.

  "Ready as it'll ever be," Han Solo replied with another grin. "You and

  Chewie finished prepping the Shadow Chaser?"

  Luke turned to Chewbacca, who had come up beside him, and said, The

  Chaser's a good ship; don't let anything happen to her." The big Wookiee

  shrugged and gave a bark of agree
ment.

  Han Solo thumped Chewie on the back.

  "Take care of yourself. I'm trusting you with my kids, you know. Keep

  'em all in one piece, okay? We'll see you in a couple of weeks."

  With that, Han gave the twins one last hug and went aboard the

  Millennium Falcon.

  Before walking up the ramp, Master Skywalker looked around at the young

  Jedi Knights with calm confidence. "Don't forget that yoifre stronger

  together," he said. "May the Force be with you." When the departing

  Falcon was just a speck in the distance, its bank of sublight engines

  glowing white, Lowbacca heaved a sigh and growled questioningly at

  Jaina.

  She chuckled. "Right. What are we waiting for?" -----------------THE

  SLEEK SILADOW CILASER, with its Imperial design and oily-looking quantum

  armor, glistened in the early-morning sun as Chewbacca piloted it slowly

  out of the sheltered hangar bay beneath the Great Temple.

  jacen stood next to his sister and Tenel Ka, watching the vessel move

  under silent power. Considering Lowie's recent distress, Jacen was glad

  his uncle Luke had let them take the Shadow Chaser-just the kind of

  fast, stealthy ship needed for an urgent mission. He was proud that

  Lowie wanted them along, that he and his sister and Tenel Ka could be of

  some help to their Wookiee friend.

  Lowie stood at the far end of the clearing, motioning with his shaggy