Lightsabers Page 6

  inferno.

  Brakiss smiled again. "You're ambitious as always, young Zekk." He

  placed a firm hand on his prize student's shoulder. "But do not be

  impatient.

  There is more you must learn, much more. You've been such a voracious

  leamer, surpassing my greatest expectations about how capable you are of

  using the power you were born with. You easily accomplish the exercises

  I set for you-but there comes a time when every Jedi trainee must be

  tested to the limit." Brakiss raised his eyebrows. "Tamith Kai continues

  to flaunt her greatest student, Vilas, who has been training here for

  more than a year. But you are learning so much faster. I believe you

  have reached that stage, Zekk."

  He reached into his silvery robes and grasped something there, but

  hesitated, meeting the darkhaired boy's steady gaze. "I know you are

  ready for this. Do not disappoint me."

  "What is it, Master Brakiss?" Zekk asked.

  LIGHTSABERS

  ^ From the folds of his robe Brakiss removed a dark, ornate cylinder.

  "The time has come for you to have your own lightsaber."

  Zekk took the ancient Jedi weapon and stared at it in wonder. Even

  deactivated, it felt powerful in his hand. He squeezed the grip and

  swung the handle back and forth, imagining a crackling energy blade. It

  felt good. Very good.

  "Normally," Brakiss said, "I would have suggested that you build your

  own weapon. But it takes time and intense concentration to assemble the

  components, understand the workings. And we have not the time. Through

  the dark side, many things are easier, more efficient. Take this

  lightsaber as my gift to you; wield it well in the service of the Second

  Imperium."

  "May I turn on the power?" Zekk whispered, still in awe.

  "Of course."

  Brakiss stood back as Zekk activated the lightsaher. A scarlet beam

  lanced outward, glowing like lava. "This is a masterful weapon," Brakiss

  said. "It has already been attuned for use by the dark side."

  Zekk swiveled his wrist left and right, listening to the hum of the

  powerful cutting edge.

  "In fact, this lightsaber is very similar to the one Darth Vader used,"

  Brakiss pointed out.

  Zekk struck out against the air. "When can I train with it?" he said.

  "How will I learn?"

  Brakiss led the young man out of the observation tower. "We have

  simulation rooms," he said. "A while ago, I spent some time training

  your friends Jacen and Jaina. Very disappointing. They did learn how to

  use lightsabers, but they resisted me each step of the way.

  "I expect you, on the other hand, to excel in every routine. You, Zekk,

  will quickly surpass anything your friends accomplished. And I know

  Master Skywalker and his fears-be is too nervous to train his precious

  younger students with their own lightsabers. He considers the energy

  blades too dangerous." Brakiss laughed. "His fears are misplaced.

  The most truly dangerous thing is a Dark Jedi wielding such a weapon."

  As Zekk accompanied his teacher down the corridor, he switched off the

  lightsaber and held its sturdy handle in his grip. He looked down at the

  legendary Jedi weapon and ran his finger over its case.

  The lightsaber felt warm, ready . . . begging to be used. The afterimage

  of the scarlet blade still blazed across his vision.

  Zekk tried to blink it away, but the bright line remained. At last he

  said, "Yes, I can see how such a weapon could be very dangerous indeed."

  ^ -----------------JACEN COULDN'T HELP brooding as he wandered aimlessly

  through the halls of the Jedi academy, keeping to the shadowy corridors

  that were least used by other students. Jaina walked beside him in

  stunned silence, as she had for the past two hours. She seemed to need

  her brother's company as much as he needed hers, though neither of them

  knew quite what to say.

  Jacen still couldn't understand why Uncle Luke hadn't allowed anyone

  else to stay with the unconscious Tenel Ka while the medical droid

  tended her.

  Neither had he allowed anyone to be present when he went to the Comm

  Center to contact Tenel Ka's family and inform them of the accident.

  Uncle Luke himself had scooped up Tenel Ka's limp form and rushed her

  back to the Great Temple.

  As the twins hurried behind, Jacen had sensed the Jedi Master drawing on

  the Force to help the injured young woman maintain her strength, as we I

  as to move faster and to keep from jarring her. At the same time, he had

  sent a continuous stream of

  ^

  soothing thoughts toward Tenel Ka's unconscious mind, thoughts of peace

  and healing.

  Jacen had known he should try to do the same, to help his friend in any

  way he could, but his thoughts were in such a turmoil that he was afraid

  his attempts would only make things worse. Perhaps that was why Master

  Skywalker hadn't let any of them stay with the warrior girl once they

  returned to the Great Temple. He had assured the friends that he would

  call instantly if Tenel Ka asked for them.

  Since then, the twins had roamed up and down stairways and dim passages,

  both of them alone with their private thoughts. When Lowie joined them

  without a word, neither asked where he had been. After all, he often

  went out to the tall trees alone, to sit and think about his home on

  Kashyyyk, his parents, his younger sister. . . . Now he was ready to be

  with friends again. But Jacen was not surprised to note, when he glanced

  down at Em Teedee, that the little droid had been shut off.

  They were all disturbed by what had happened-no one more so than Jacen.

  He replayed the scene over and over in his mind as they walked: the

  sizzling, popping sound of the lightsabers as they clashed, the look of

  challenge in Tenel Ka's eyes, the glowing green of his own energy blade

  passing through hers. . . . He squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to

  block the rest from his mind, but that was a mistake. The scene was too

  vivid in his memory. His eyes flew open again.

  LIGHTSABERS

  ^

  "I can't wait any longer," he choked. "I have to see Tenel Ka to make

  sure she's all right-and to apologize to her."

  "We'll go with you," Jaina said. Lowie purred his agreement.

  When the three Jedi trainees reached the room where their friend had

  been treated, they saw Luke Skywalker emerging, Artoo-Detoo at his side.

  "How's Tenel Ka?" Jacen asked immediately. "Is she awake? Can we see

  her?"

  Luke Skywalker hesitated, and Jacen could see the concern written on his

  face. "She's still recovering from the . . . shock," he said. "She is

  awake now, but she's not quite ready to see you yet."

  "But a time like this is when she needs her friends most," Jaina said.

  Artoo-Detoo swiveled the top of his domed head back and forth once and

  buzzed an emphatic negative.

  "But I have to see her," Jacen objected. "I need to do something for

  her-tell her jokes, hold her hand. . . . Blaster bolts! She only has

  one hand now, and I'm the one who's responsible."

  Artoo gave a low mournful whistle, and Luke loo
ked at his nephew in

  sympathy. "I know this is hard for you," he said, "but it's even harder

  for Tenel Ka. I remember the thoughts that went through my head when I

  lost my own hand on Cloud City, fighting with Darth Vader. I had just

  learned that he was my father. It felt as if I had lost a part of

  myself, a part of who I was . . . and then I lost my hand, too."

  "But hands can be fixed," Jaina pointed out.

  "They can be reattached and healed in bacta tanks."

  Luke shook his head. "My hand was gone. There was nothing to reattach."

  "But your synthetic hand works just as well as your old one did," Jacen

  said.

  "Perhaps," Luke said, flexing his lifelike prosthetic and running the

  artificial thumb along his fingertips, "but it was a difficult decision

  to make.

  I remember thinking that maybe I had just taken another step toward

  becoming more like my father, like Darth Vader-partly alive, but partly

  a machine. Tenel Ka will have to face the same decision herself. When

  her lightsaber exploded, it destroyed any chance we had of reattaching

  that arm."

  "Uncle Luke, I need to see her," Jacen pleaded. "I have to apologize."

  Luke squeezed his shoulder. "I promise to call you the moment she's

  ready to talk. Try to get some rest now."

  Jacen slept fitfully, tossing and turning as images of a wounded Tenel

  Ka haunted his dreams.

  "We are opponentv, " he heard her say.

  "No. I'm yourfriend, " Jacen tried to answer, but his voice was trapped

  in his throat; he could make LIGHTSABERS

  ^

  no sound. He felt again the sickening jolt as her lightsaber dissolved

  beneath his and the sizzling green energy blade sliced through her arm.

  The smell of singed flesh clawed at his nostrils.

  The sound of her exploding rancor-tooth weapon crashed against his

  eardrums, and his vision filled with the image of Tenel Ka's cool gray

  eyes, clouded with accusation.

  "We are opponents. . . ." Jacen felt something push at his mind, and he

  woke drenched in sweat, his single light blanket damp and tangled around

  his legs. He wasn't quite certain what had awakened him, but he knew it

  was somehow urgent. It's Tenel Ka. She needs us. The thought came

  unbidden to his mind. Through his open window, from the direction of the

  jungle he heard the faint ululating howl of a Wookiee.

  Jumping from his sleeping pallet, he hurriedly fastened the front of the

  rumpled orange flight suit he had never quite bothered to take off when

  he'd lain on his bed. The distant howl came again, and Jacen could sense

  that Lowie, meditating at the top of a high Massassi tree, must be

  trying to tell him something. Without bothering to put on a pair of

  boots, he bolted out of his room and called at his sister's doorway.

  "Jaina, wake up. Something's wrong." He raced on Crown the hallway, not

  waiting for her reply.

  But something-perhaps Lowie's call-had already wakened his sister,

  because he hadn't even turned the corner before he heard Jaina running

  down the hall after him. He didn't slow, though.

  Bare feet slapping against the cold flagstones, he rushed out the

  nearest exit and down one of the Great Temple's external stairways,

  taking the torchlit steps three at a time. He felt the nudge against his

  mind again and headed in the direction it had come from:the landing pad.

  Ashe rounded the corner of the temple, with Jainahard on his heels, he

  was surprised to see Lowie coming toward them from the jungle, where

  eerie night mists blanketed the ground with translucent white. On the

  landing field, though, Jacen saw something that surprised him even more.

  A small, sleek shuttle, about half the size of the Millennium Falcon,

  lifted off the grassy stubble of the landing pad, blasting away wisps of

  ground fog.

  And there, bathed in the blue glow from the landing lights, his hair

  whipping wildly in the breeze, stood Luke Skywalker.

  The Jedi Master was facing the shuttle, one arm raised as if in

  farewell, as the three young Jedi Knights raced up to him. Jacen and

  Jaina spoke at the same moment.

  "Who was that?"

  "What's going on?"

  The tall, gangly Wookiee added a questioning bark of his own.

  LIGHTSABERS

  ^ Luke Skywalker lowered his eyes to look at his Jedi students.

  "It was Tenel Ka, wasn't it?" Jacen persisted, without really needing to

  hear the answer. In the dimness, his gaze locked with his uncle's, and

  the Jedi Master nodded.

  "Her family insisted on coming immediately to pick her up. She should be

  in good hands nowdon't worry."

  Jacen felt as if a bantha had just stepped on his chest. He struggled

  for enough breath to speak. He felt betrayed. "She's gone! You said

  you'd call us when Tenel Ka was ready to see us."

  Luke Skywalker cleared his throat. "She wasn't ready."

  Lowie gave a despairing groan.

  "But we didn't even get a chance to say goodbye," Jaina said.

  Her uncle sighed. "I know. But she's with family now. They'll take care

  of her."

  Jacen saw his sister shake her head in confusion.

  "But how can that be true?" Her question made no sense to him, and he

  looked at her, waiting for her to explain. "What I mean is," she went

  on, "why would Tenel Ka's family from Dathomir come for her in that

  shuttle?"

  Jacen shrugged, feeling as if she expected him to understand. He didn't.

  "What's so strange about it?"

  he asked finally.

  "Mat was an Exprevs-class ambassadorial shuttle," she said. "And it had

  the markings of the Royal House of Hapes."

  ------------------Three pairs of questioning eyes turned toward Luke

  Skywalker.

  THE PASSENGERS'QUARTERS aboard the Hapan royal shuttle Thunder Wraith

  were spacious and equipped with every convenience a space traveler could

  desire. The elegant appointments of the cabin fell just short of

  ostentation; the chief adornment on each wall consisted of an ornate

  gilt frame surrounding a massive viewscreen.

  Tenel Ka took no notice of the spectacular view, however. She had seen

  hyperspace before. She had no desire to see anything. Or anyone.

  Or to feel anything. Numb. That was what she felt. Mind, emotions . . .

  even her arm. All numb.

  The thought crossed her mind briefly that perhaps she ought to eat

  something. She'd had no food since before . . . since before.

  No, she decided. No food. She could not work up enthusiasm for eating,

  or anything else, for that matter.

  Her reddish-gold braids hung in tangled disarray around her face. Though

  the medical droid had done a serviceable job of washing her body and

  disinfecting the wound before cauterizing it, the droid had no

  programming on what to do with hair. It had kindly offered to shave

  Tenel Ka's head for her, but she had declined. One of the twins might

  have been willing to help her comb through the mess and rebraid it. But

  she'd been too proud to let her friends see her in her current

  condition, afraid of the disgust she might see on their faces-or worse

  yet, pit
y.

  At least that was one good thing about having been spirited away from

  Yavin 4 in the middle of the night, Tenel Ka thought: she didn't have to

  see anyone, and so would be spared both sympathy and derision.

  As if to dispel Tenel Ka's only comforting thought, Ambassador Yfra

  chose that moment to appear. Her grandmother's aging henchwoman, for all

  her kindly smiles and refined features, was still cut from the same

  cloth as the former queenpower-hungry and more than willing to do

  whatever it took to add to her personal power. Not long ago, Yfra had

  tried to visit Yavin 4, but when her friends were kidnapped by the

  Shadow Academy, Tenel Ka had gone with Master Skywalker to rescue them.

  Tenel Ka had not been disappointed to miss the ambassador, who had

  canceled the visit. She had never trusted the woman and disliked her

  instinctively.

  "Are you feeling any better, my dear?" the LIGHTSABERS

  ^ ambassador said with nauseating insincerity. "Would you like to talk?"

  "No," Tenel Ka said stubbornly. "Thank you."

  Then curiosity began to tickle her numbed brain, and she asked, "Why

  were you the one chosen to bring me home?"