Shards of Alderaan Page 2

  mind, and he was almost overwhelmed by the exuberance.

  Work, work, work, work!

  The ronto wanted to be useful, wanted to show its strength and its

  willingness to help out. It liked to haul objects for its masters. But

  it had been confused by complicated tasks and too many strangers giving

  too many instructions all at once.

  "It's okay," Jacen said. "We'll give you some good work to do, and

  we'll be happy to have your help."

  The ronto flared its head crest, and Jacen decided he could take the

  creature back to the Great Temple now-but it was a long walk. Silently

  asking its permission, he climbed up onto the beast's back. Why not

  ride in style?

  The ronto seemed utterly delighted to be put into service for such a

  task, and pranced proudly back through the jungle toward the Great

  Temple.

  ----------------A COLD BLACKNESS surrounded Zekk, like the impenetrable

  depths of a forest in which he had lost his way. Like deep space,

  endless and dark. . . .

  Though immersed in frigid shadows, his body burned with fever. He

  didn't know where he was. Drenched with perspiration, Zekk longed for a

  cool breeze, or at least the comfort of darkness.

  But the darkness held no real comfort, no peace. He knew that now. He

  had been so easily fooled.

  A red beam, bright as a laser, stabbed his eyes, illuminating a dream

  jungle around him. No path led through the tangle of undergrowth. No

  way out. . . . With detached curiosity, Zekk noticed that the bright

  red glow sprang from a hilt clutched in his own hand. Had he been

  holding a lightsaber all alonle Perhaps he could use his scarlet blade

  to carve a way out of this nightmare.

  Moving numbly, Zekk stepped forward, raising the weapon that burned as

  brightly as his fever. Cool drafts of hope sang through his veins like

  the hum of his pulsating lightsaber.

  But before Zekk could slice through the foliage in front of him, a

  slender tree transformed itself into an ominous figure-a woman with

  violet eyes and a spine-shouldered cape. Tangled vines became flowing

  hair as black as the garment she wore, and Tamith Kai's wine-dark lips

  twisted in a sneer.

  "Poor young fool," she said. The Nightsister's deep, rich voice mocked

  him. "Did you really think you could leave us, abandon our teachings?

  It was your own choice to come to the dark side in the first place."

  Zekk threw his shoulders back. He would not fear Tamith Kai. She could

  be defeated.

  She had been defeated. The Nightsister had been killed in the attack on

  the Jedi academy when her battle platform had crashed m flames into the

  wide river near the Massassi temples.

  "It was my choice, yes. But now I choose to go," Zekk said, stepping

  forward to make a path.

  The Nightsister's laugh was harsh. "Fool!

  Your choices are much more limited than you believe."

  She had no hold over him, Zekk reminded himself. He had not liked or

  admired her in Ille, and now that the Nightsister was dead, how could

  she hold him back? He swung the bright blade in a wide arc toward the

  trees.

  Tanuth Kals image blurred like a faulty hologram and dissolved.

  Asearing wave of darkness washed across Zekk's vision. After it swept

  past, a new and more terrifying image stood before Zekk: Brakiss, the

  Master of the Shadow Academy.

  His mentor.

  Stern eyes gazed out from a serene, sculpture-perfect face in its frame

  of pale hair. Silvery robes rippled as Brakiss spread his arms. "How

  can you leave now, Zekk?

  After all I've taught you? You are my darkest knight." A subtly

  powerful tone colored the evil Jedi Master's words, a tone of

  disappointment . . . of betrayal.

  Zekk took a step backward. Feverish heat flared inside him, threatening

  to consume him. Rivers of perspiration ran down his forehead, his neck.

  Zekk shook his head, sending a rain of hot droplets flying out from his

  long, dark hair. 'I'm sorry, Master Brakiss, but you were wrong. The

  dark side couldn't save you, or the Second Imperium-or me."

  "Don't throw it all away, Zekk. Consider how much you still could learn

  from the dark side,' Brakiss said, his voice compelling, urgent.

  The scorching heat inside Zekk became so intense that waves radiated

  from him, shimmering in the air and blurring Brakiss's face. "No," Zekk

  whispered, feeling the furnace blast of his own breath. In the

  distance, a trickling sound tortured him with the promise of cooling

  relief. if only the rain could get through the dense tangle of branches

  to refresh him.

  "If you truly think I am wrong, Zekk, then strike me down," Brakiss

  said. His voice was cool, silky. "Isn't that what the light side would

  want you to do . . . to prove your loyalty, your commitment?"

  Zekk wavered. Could it be true? Was that his only way out?

  No, that way led to the dark side. There must be another way.

  Suddenly, locking his lightsaber in the ON position, Zekk hurled the

  scarlet blade upward with all the strength in his feverish body.

  The blade spun as it sailed higher and higher, slicing through leaves

  and branches on its way. The image of Brakiss disappeared in the shower

  of leaves, bark, and twigs that fluttered down around Zekk.

  Still the lightsaber spun higher, all the way up until it pierced the

  canopy of the dark jungle. The outside rain came pouring down. Zekk

  had just enough time to feel the patter of cool droplets on his burning

  skin before a tumblin branch struck his head and a corona of brightness

  burst behind his emerald-green eyes. . . .

  Zekk woke to the sound of trickling water. Was it still the dream rain?

  He could feel the dampness of cool moisture against his skin, and a

  shaft of bright sunlight lay across his face. He opened his eyes-and

  found himself in a strange room with thick, ancient-looking stone walls.

  The sunlight poured through a deep window slit in one wall. But where

  was the trickling sound coming from?

  "Water," he said in a hoarse croak.

  "Hey, you're awake," a familiar-sounding voice exclaimed. The grinning

  face of Jacen Solo appeared beside Zekk. "Did you ask for water? I've

  got some right here." He pressed a cup to Zekk's lips, and Zekk

  swallowed gratefully.

  "Jaina put in the wall-fountain while you were unconscious," Jacen

  explained "This room didn't have running water, and she thought you

  might need it."

  "Unconscious?" Zekk tried to push himself up to a sitting position.

  "How long?" "Whoa there," Jacen said, propping a cushion behind Zekk and

  pushing the young man back onto it. "Better not rush things, or you

  might have another relapse." Zekk found his head swimming and subsided

  onto the cushion. "Another relapse?

  Jacen, where have I been?"

  "You gave us all a pretty big scare, you know," Jacen said. 'We thought

  you were just fine after a day or two in the bacta tank on GemDiver

  Station, but when we got back here to Yavin 4, you collapsed.

  You've been in a coma for days now. Uncle Luke says there are some
/>
  injuries a bacta tank just can't heal." Jacen's brows drew together over

  his brandy-brown eyes, and he ran a hand through his tousled curls.

  "Blaster bolts, for a while there we weren't sure you were going to make

  it."

  The words brought an image flashing through Zekk's mind from the Shadow

  Academy's final battle with the Jedi acadthe Lightning Rod trailing

  smoke and flames. 'Peckhum?" he asked.

  emy: "Right over there." Jacen pointed to a corner of the room, where

  the old spacer sat dozing in a chair, grizzled chin propped on one fist.

  "Hasn't left your side since the day you collapsed. Want me to wake him

  up?"

  Zekk shook his head, a motion that made his temples throb. It was

  enough to know that his old friend was still alive and well.

  "Let him sleep,' he rasped, then took another drink of cool, delicious

  water.

  "I think you're really going to like it here at the Jedi academy, Zekk,"

  Jacen said.

  "Uncle Luke says you can stay and train.

  with us, if you want to. We've all taken turns tending you: Jaina,

  Lowie-even Tenel Ka.

  Of course, she's not quite sure she trusts you yet, but I think shell

  come around. I've been bringing my stump lizard along with me when I

  watch you. He and his mate found their way back to me after the

  explosion-I think they hid down in the hangar bay-so they must have good

  luck. Hey, I can't wait to tell everybody that you're awake and feeling

  better. Dyou think you could eat if I brought you some food?"

  Zekk nodded uncertainly.

  "Great, I'll go get you something," Jacen said. "And that reminds me of

  a joke. I'll tell it to you when I get back. Can you watch my stump

  lizard for me for a few minutes while I'm gone? Everything's going to

  be just fine now, Zekk. You'll see."

  With that Jacen dashed out the door, leaving Zekk to stare after him

  wondering.

  But he wasn't at all convinced that everything would be 'Just fine."

  Ever again.

  ----------------A SOFT RAIN fell outside the Jedi academy, so gentle

  that Tenel Ka hardly noticed it. Clothed only in her lizard hide

  outfit, she had long ago trained her body to endure variations in her

  envirorunent, refusing to let anything distract her from important

  matters. Focused on restoring the damaged practice courtyard beside the

  Great Temple, the warrior girl moved swiftly about her tasks.

  Even without her left arm, Tenel Ka never assumed she should do less

  work than the others. The need to pull her own weight was too much a

  part of her personality for her to consider anything else.

  Tenel Ka acknowledged that her pride had been a major cause of the

  lightsaber accident, and she had come to view the loss of her arm as a

  test of her mettle, a challenge to her persistence.

  Tenel Ka had been an excellent gymnast, swimmer, and climber when she'd

  had both hands, and now she refused to let her missing limb stop her

  from doing the things she enjoyed. That meant she had to find

  alternative approaches and solutions.

  Her friends understood this; Lowbacca, the twins, and sometimes even

  their little brother Anakin worked at finding novel ways to help her

  overcome various obstacles.

  Strangely, these small victories had become a source of secret enjoyment

  for her.

  Whenever a situation arose that normally required the use of two arms,

  Tenel Ka challenged herself to find another way to accomplish the

  task-such as resetting some of these flagstones in the practice

  courtyard.

  Clearing the debris from the explosion had been a fairly simple matter.

  Other Jedi students had helped, using the Force to remove broken rubble

  and chunks of vinecovered stone. One group had used the enthusiastic

  ronto to haul heavy fallen blocks away from the opening of the hangar

  bay.

  Putting the pieces back together, however, proved to be much more

  complex.

  Tenel Ka caught a flash of color out of the corner of her eye and noted

  Raynar striding up. The young man set to work near her, his spiky blond

  hair damp and his robes drooping in the misty rains. The usually

  haughty teen was trying to maneuver a flagstone into place with his foot

  to avoid getting more mud on his purple, orange, red, and yellow

  clothes.

  Tenel Ka had noticed that ever since the Shadow Academy's attack, Raynar

  had found reasons to stay near the four young Jedi Knights. Though his

  bearing remained proud, the young man worked hard and @gly.

  Tenel Ka pounded her flagstone firmly into place and filled in the

  surrounding cracks with packed dirt and mud. Then she helped Raynar

  rotate his stone so that it fit better beside hers. The two of them

  remained quiet, intent on their tasks.

  Jaina and Lowbacca continued rebuildthe adjacent courtyard wall. "You

  mg know, I think repairs on your T-23 are coming along pretty well,

  Lowie," Jaina said. 'Maybe we can tinker with it again this afternoon

  after I finish my shift watching Zekk."

  Lowbacca barked his agreement. "An excellent idea, Mistress Jaina," Em

  Teedee chimed in. 'With my new set of diagnostic subroutines, we ought

  to have that skyhopper fully operational again in very little time."

  "This is a fact,' Tenel Ka said, standing up. 'I will be happy to

  assist you. Your brother will no doubt offer to provide entertainment."

  'I don't know . . . I think one of us still needs to stay with Zekk,'

  Jaina said doubtfully, "even if he's still unconscious."

  "Then again, maybe not," Jacen's voice came from the opposite side of

  the wall.

  Tenel Ka turned to see the young Jedi appear, stepping over a low pile

  of rubble in the broken wall and flashing a wide grin.

  "Hey, good news-Zekles out of his coma.

  Everything's going to be just fine now."

  "Well, what are we waiting for?" Jaina asked, brushing herself off. Her

  cheeks, damp from the mist, flushed pink with excitement. "Come on.

  Let's go see him." 'Whoa!" Jacen said, holding up his hands.

  'I just got him some soup. Old Peckhum fed it to him, and after they

  talked for a few minutes Zekk fell asleep again. I think we'd better

  let hiirn rest for a while."

  'Okay," Jaina agreed, looking disappointed though greatly relieved now

  that her friend seemed to be out of danger.

  From his place on the second level outside the broken pyramid, Master

  Skywalker called for his students to assemble so that he could speak

  with them. The Jedi trainees gathered and watched their teacher with

  great interest. A hush as light as the falling mist fell over the

  group.

  "It's an unusual experience for us to meet out in the open like this,

  but new experiences, even painful ones, can be good," Master Skywalker

  said. "They help us grow.

  We must learn the lessons each experience offers us, and then move

  forward."

  Tenel Ka nodded, thinking of all the ways she had had to adapt after her

  accident.

  "The galaxy does not stay the same. It changes from day to day, and we

  must change and grow to meet ne
w challenges." Master Skywalker

  continued. 'As Jedi, we must never allow ourselves to become stagnant

  or self-satisfied. We must be ever vigilant, aware of what is happening

  around us, and ready to adapt to changing circumstances." He glided down

  the temple steps and walked among the students, stopping near Lowbacca

  and Jaina.

  "We are surrounded by examples of adaptation and change. Take

  Lowbacca's translating droid, for instance. Em Teedee's primary purpose

  has been to translate Wookiee speech into Basic. But now that some of

  you can understand part of Lowie's words, that skill is no longer so

  essential.

  Em Teedee requested additional programI to help him adapt to the new

  situation, vm and so Jaina and @wie have been enrichin

  Em Teedee's subroutines, and even adding

  new language skills." The little droid's optical sensors glowed with

  pleasure at being singled out.

  'All of us need to do the same thing," the Jedi Master continued.

  Suddenly he paused and cocked his head, as if listening.

  Jaina whirled to look at the landing field in front of the Great Temple.

  'Dad?" she whispered, her face filled with an expression of surprise and