Jedi Search

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Jedi Search Page 3

by Kevin J. Anderson


  and more important diplomatic activities with each passing month.

  Around the dais sat the members of the Alliance High Command, important

  figures in the Rebellion given roles in the new government: General Jan

  Dodonna, who had led the Battle of Yavin against the first Death Star;

  General Carlist Rieekan, former commander of Echo Base on the ice planet

  Hoth; General Crix Madine, an Imperial defector who had been invaluable in

  planning the destruction of the second Death Star; Admiral Ackbar, who had

  led the rebel fleet in the Battle of Endor; Senator Garm Bel Iblis, who had

  brought his Dreadnought ships against Grand Admiral Thrawn.

  Battlefield credentials did not necessarily imply that these brave leaders

  would be gifted politicians as well, but since the hold of the New Republic

  was still shaky, as the recent devastating civil war had shown, it made good

  sense to keep military commanders in positions of power.

  Finishing her speech, Mon Mothma raised her hands. For a moment it looked as

  if she were about to give a benediction. "I call for any new business. Does

  anyone wish to speak?"

  Luke's timing had been perfect. He stepped into the light at the entrance

  archway and drew back his hood. He spoke softly, but used his Jedi powers to

  project with sufficient strength that everyone in the entire amphitheater

  heard him.

  "I would address the assembly, Mon Mothma. If I may?"

  He walked down the steps with a gliding stride, quickly enough that the

  others would not lose patience, but with enough grace to imply his own

  strength of character. Appearances could deceive, Yoda had said, but

  sometimes appearances could be very important. As he descended the long

  ramp, Luke felt all eyes turn toward him. A hush fell over the assembly.

  Luke Skywalker, the lone remaining Jedi Master, almost never took part in

  governmental proceedings.

  "I have an important matter to address," he said. For a moment he was

  reminded of when he had walked alone into the dank corridors of Jabba the

  Hutt's palace--but this time there were no pig-like Gamorrean guards that he

  could manipulate with a twist of his fingers and a touch of the Force.

  Mon Mothma gave him a soft, mysterious smile and gestured for him to take a

  central position. "The words of a Jedi Knight are always welcome to the New

  Republic," she said.

  Luke tried not to look pleased. She had provided the perfect opening for

  him. "In the Old Republic," he said, "Jedi Knights were the protectors and

  guardians of all. For a thousand generations the Jedi used the powers of the

  Force to guide, defend, and provide support for the rightful government of

  worlds--before the dark days of the Empire came, and the Jedi Knights were

  killed."

  He let his words hang, then took another breath. "Now we have a New

  Republic. The Empire appears to be defeated. We have founded a new

  government based upon the old, but let us hope we learn from our mistakes.

  Before, an entire order of Jedi watched over the Republic, offering

  strength. Now I am the only Jedi Master who remains.

  "Without that order of protectors to provide a backbone of strength for the

  New Republic, can we survive? Will we be able to weather the storms and the

  difficulties of forging a new union? Until now we have suffered severe

  struggles--but in the future they will be seen as nothing more than birth

  pangs."

  Before the other senators could disagree with that, Luke continued. "Our

  people had a common foe in the Empire, and we must not let our defenses

  lapse just because we have internal problems. More to the point, what will

  happen when we begin squabbling among ourselves over petty matters? The old

  Jedi helped to mediate many types of disputes. What if there are no Jedi

  Knights to protect us in the difficult times ahead?"

  Luke moved under the diffracting rainbow colors from the crystal light

  overhead. He took his time to fix his gaze on all the senators present; he

  turned his attention to Leia last.

  Her eyes were wide but supportive. He had not discussed his idea with her

  beforehand.

  "My sister is undergoing Jedi training. She has a great deal of skill in the

  Force. Her three children are also likely candidates to be trained as young

  Jedi. In recent years I have come to know a woman named Mara Jade, who is

  now unifying the smugglers--the former smugglers," he amended, "into an

  organization that can support the needs of the New Republic. She also has a

  talent for the Force. I have encountered others in my travels." Another

  pause. The audience was listening so far. "But are these the only ones? We

  already know that the ability to use the Force is passed from generation to

  generation. Most of the Jedi were killed in the Emperor's purge--but could

  he possibly have eradicated all of the descendants of those Knights? I

  myself was unaware of the potential power within me until Obi-Wan Kenobi

  taught me how to use it. My sister Leia was similarly unaware.

  "How many people are abroad in this galaxy who have a comparable strength in

  the Force, who are potential members of a new order of Jedi Knights, but are

  unaware of who they are?"

  Luke looked at them again. "In my brief search I have already discovered

  that there are indeed some descendants of former Jedi. I have come here to

  ask"--he turned to gesture toward Mon Mothma, swept his hand across the

  people gathered there in the chamber--"for two things.''

  "First, that the New Republic officially sanction my search for those with a

  hidden talent for the Force, to seek them out and try to bring them to our

  service. For this I will need some help."

  Admiral Ackbar interrupted, blinking his huge fish eyes and turning his

  head. "But if you yourself did not know your power when you were young, how

  will these other people know? How will you find them, Jedi Skywalker?"

  Luke folded his hands in front of him. "Several ways. First, with the help

  of two dedicated droids who will spend their days searching through the

  Imperial City databases, we may find likely candidates, people who have

  experienced miraculous strokes of luck, whose lives seem filled with

  incredible coincidences. We could look for people who seem unusually

  charismatic or those whom legend credits with working miracles. These could

  all be unconscious manifestations of a skill with the Force."

  Luke held up another finger. "As well, the droids could search the database

  for forgotten descendants of known Jedi Knights from the Old Republic days.

  We should turn up a few leads."

  "And what will you yourself be doing?" Mon Mothma asked, shifting in her

  robes.

  "I've already found several candidates I wish to investigate. All I ask

  right now is that you agree this is something we should pursue, that the

  search for Jedi be conducted by others and not just myself."

  Mon Mothma sat up straighter in her central seat. "I think we can agree to

  that without further discussion." She looked around to the other senators,

  seeing them nod agreement. "Tell us your second request."

  Luke stood taller. This was most importa
nt to him. He saw Leia stiffen. "If

  sufficient candidates are found who have potential for using the Force, I

  wish to be allowed--with the New Republic's blessing--to establish in some

  appropriate place an intensive training center, a Jedi academy, if you will.

  Under my direction we can help these students discover their abilities, to

  focus and strengthen their power. Ultimately, this academy would provide a

  core group that could allow us to restore the Jedi Knights as protectors of

  the New Republic." He drew in a deep breath and waited.

  Senator Bel Iblis raised himself slowly to his feet. "A comment, if I may?

  I'm sorry, Luke, but I have to raise the question--we've already seen the

  terrible damage a Jedi can cause if he allows himself to be swayed by the

  dark side. We just recently fought against Joruus C'baoth, and of course

  Darth Vader nearly caused the death of us all. If a teacher as great as

  Obi-Wan Kenobi could fail and let his student fall to evil, how can we take

  the risk of training an entire new order of Jedi Knights? How many will turn

  to the dark side? How many new enemies will we make for ourselves?"

  Luke nodded somberly. The question had been working at the back of his own

  mind, and he had pondered it deeply. "I can only say that we have seen these

  terrible examples, and we must learn from them. I myself have touched the

  dark side and come through stronger and more wary of its powers than ever

  before. I agree there is a risk, but I cannot believe the New Republic will

  be safer without a new force of Jedi."

  A murmur rippled through the chamber. Bel Iblis stood a moment longer, as if

  he meant to say something else, but instead he sat down, looking satisfied.

  Admiral Ackbar got to his feet and applauded with his flipper-like hands. "I

  agree that the Jedi's request is in the best interests of the New Republic,"

  he said.

  Jan Dodonna also stood. After narrowly surviving the Battle of Yavin,

  Dodonna had treated Luke with complete trust. "I agree as well!"

  Soon all the senators were standing. Luke saw a broad grin on Leia's face as

  she too stood. He felt the rainbows around him from the crystal ceiling,

  seemingly full of power, and he felt warm inside.

  Mon Mothma sat, nodding gravely. She was the last to stand up, and she

  raised her hand for silence. "I give you my hopes for the rebirth of the

  Jedi Knights. We will offer whatever help we can. May the Force be with

  you."

  Before Luke could turn, applause from the audience rolled like a storm

  through the chamber.

  Leia's quarters were among the most spacious and accommodating in the

  Emperor's abandoned palace--and the room echoed with emptiness. Leia Organa

  Solo, formerly a princess, currently the New Republic's Minister of

  State--felt tired and worn as she returned to her rooms at the end of a long

  day. The high point had been Luke's triumphant address before the assembly,

  but that was merely one detail in a day filled with problems. Confusing

  contradictions in multilingual treaties that even Threepio couldn't fathom,

  alien cultural restrictions that made diplomacy nearly impossible--it made

  her head spin!

  As Leia looked around her quarters, a frown etched her face. "Illumination

  up two points," she said, and the room grew brighter, driving some of the

  quiet shadows farther away. Han and Chewbacca were gone, ostensibly to

  reestablish contact with the planet Kessel, although she believed it was

  more of a vacation for him, a way to relive the "good old days" of

  gallivanting across the galaxy. Sometimes she wondered if Han ever regretted

  marrying someone so different from himself, settling down with diplomatic

  entanglements on Coruscant. He tolerated endless receptions during which he

  had to dress nicely in clothes that obviously made him uncomfortable. In

  conversations he had to speak with a measured tact that was completely

  foreign to him.

  But Han was off having fun at the moment, leaving her stuck in Imperial

  City. The New Republic's Chief of State, Mon Mothma, gave Leia more and more

  assignments, letting the fate of planets hang on how well she accomplished

  her tasks. So far Leia had performed well, but the seven years since the

  Battle of Endor had been filled with many setbacks: the war against the

  alien Ssi-ruuk Imperium, the resurgence of Grand Admiral Thrawn and his bid

  to reassemble the Empire, not to mention the resurrected Emperor and his

  gigantic World Devastator machines. Though they seemed to be enjoying a time

  of relative peace at last, the constant warfare had left the New Republic on

  shaky ground.

  In a way it had been easier when they had the Empire to fight against, to

  unify all the factions of the Alliance. But now the enemy was not so clearly

  defined. Now Leia and the others had to re-forge links between all the

  planets that had once been crushed under the Imperial boot. Some of those

  worlds, though, had suffered so much that now they wanted to be left alone,

  given time to lick their wounds and heal. Many wanted no part of a

  galaxy-wide federation of planets. They wanted their independence. But

  independent worlds could be picked off one by one if other powerful forces

  ever allied themselves against them.

  Leia walked into her bedchamber and stripped off the diplomatic clothing she

  had worn all day. This morning it had been crisp and bright, but the fabric

  lost its vigor after too much time under the rainbow lights of the grand

  audience chamber.

  Within the next week or so, Leia would have to arrange meetings with

  ambassadors from six different worlds in an effort to convince them to join

  the New Republic. Four seemed amenable, but two insisted on complete

  neutrality until their planets' specific issues were addressed.

  Her most difficult task would be two weeks hence, when the Caridan

  ambassador would arrive. Carida was deep in territory still held by vestiges

  of the Empire, home of one of the primary Imperial military training bases.

  Even though Emperor Palpatine was dead and Grand Admiral Thrawn overthrown,

  Carida refused to face reality. It had been a major victory that the

  ambassador agreed to come to Coruscant at all--and Leia would have to

  entertain him, no doubt smiling pleasantly the entire time.

  Leia turned on the controls of the sonic bath and set it for a gentle

  massage. She eased herself into the chamber, letting out a long sigh,

  wanting just to blank out the troubles from her head.

  Around her, fresh-cut flowers from the Skydome Botanical Gardens brightened

  the room with their faint perfume. Mounted on the wall were nostalgic scenes

  from the planet Alderaan, pictures of the planet where she had grown up, the

  planet Grand Moff Tarkin had destroyed to demonstrate the power of his Death

  Star: the peaceful, sweeping grasslands that whispered in the wind, the

  soaring kite creatures that ferried people from one smooth tower city to

  another, the industry and deep settlements built into the walls of wide

  cracks plunging into Alderaan's crust ... her home city rising from the

  center of a lake.

  Han had procured those pic
tures for her just last year; he wouldn't say

  where he had found them. For months the images wrenched her heart every time

  she looked at them. She thought of her foster father, Senator Bail Organa,

  and her childhood as a princess, never suspecting her true heritage.

  Now Leia looked on those pictures with bittersweet fondness, as an

  indication of Han's love for her. He had, after all, once won a whole planet

  in a card game and had given it to her for the other survivors of Alderaan.

  He did love her.

  Even though he wasn't here now.

  After only a few minutes the sonic bath unknotted her muscles, revitalizing

  and refreshing her. Leia dressed again, this time in something more

  comfortable. In the mirror she looked at herself. Leia no longer spent the

  meticulous time with her hair that she had when she was a princess on

  Alderaan.

  Since then she had borne three children, the twins, who were now two years

  old, and recently a third baby. She was able to see them only a few times a

  year, and she missed them terribly.

  Because of the potential power carried by the grandchildren of Anakin

  Skywalker, the twins and the baby boy had been taken to a carefully guarded

  planet, Anoth. All other knowledge of the planet had been blocked from her

  mind, to prevent anyone from prying it out of her thoughts. During their

  first two years, Luke said, Jedi children were most vulnerable. Any contact

  with the dark side could warp their minds and abilities for life.

  She activated the small holodais that projected recent images of her

  children. The two-year-old twins, Jacen and Jaina, played inside a colorful

  sculptured playground artifact. In another image Leia's personal servant

 

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