Jedi Under Siege
Page 3
chamber, Jaina was already there talking in a low voice with Luke and
Tenel Ka while the other students sat in frightened silence.
A look of relief washed over Luke's face when he saw that Lowie had
returned s-cessfully from his mission. Tionne stretched out her hand
toward Luke, and he gave it a brief squeeze.
'I'm glad you're safe," Luke said.
"What did Mom say?" Jacen asked his sister.
Jaina bit her lower lip, and Tenel Ka
^ answered for her. "The Shadow Academy is jamming our transmissions. We
were unable to send our distress signal."
Jacen felt the blood drain out of his face.
How long would it be, then, until reinforcements arrived, if they
couldn't even send a distress call?
Luke spoke in a loud voice, addressing the gathered Jedi students. "We
can't rely on outside help to save us. We must fight this battle
ourselves. I believe the Great Temple will be the initial target of
attack. Tenel Ka has already briefed you on ground tactics, so we're
going to move this battle to the jungle-where the territory will be new
for the Shadow Academy's troops, but familiar to us. We'll fight them
one-on-one.
"But we must evacuate the Jedi academy immediately."
-----------------FROM THE SHADOW Academy's crowded hangar bay, Zekk
watched the final preparations for the attack. The frenzy of bustling
troops, mixed with their brooding anger and lust for destruction,
galvanized him. He felt as if the lines of Force around him had been set
on fire.
The hub of the activity was an immense hovering battle platform that
dominated the hangar bay. Constructed specifically for this most
important assault on the Rebel Alliance, the movable tactical platform
bristled with weaponry. Stormtroopers crawled over its armored surface,
preparing to launch. Guided by the ominous Nightsister Tamith Kai, the
platform would be the staging point for the ground combat, Jedi versus
Jedi.
At the battle platform's helm she stood, eager for vengeance. Her long
black cape slithered around her with a hissing sound, like snakes coming
out to strike. Spines, ^
^ taken from the carapace of a murderous giant insect, protruded from
her shoulders.
Her black hair curled around her head like ebony wires, writhing and
crackling with dark powers, each strand seemingly alive and malevolent.
Tamith Kai's violet eyes burned as she ordered the stonntroopers to
board the battle platform, gathering her inner power. Her onyx-scaled
armor clung to her muscular, well-formed body. Her demeanor spoke of
power and confidence-and a yearning for destruction.
Zekk tended to his own duties. He himself had been a target of Tamith
Kai's suspicious thoughts. The Nightsister didn't trust him.
She felt that his commitment to the dark side wasn't strong enough, that
he was blinded by his former friendship with the Jedi twins, Jacen and
Jaina Solo.
Zekk had been trained as the prize student of Lord Brakiss, and had
defeated the Nightsister's own prot6g6 Vilas in a duel to the death. By
winning the duel, Zekk had gained the title of Darkest Knight. And
Tamith Kai-perhaps because she was simply a sore loser, or perhaps
because she sensed his flickering doubts-rarely let him out of her
sight.
^ But Brakiss had given him command of the Shadow Academy's new
Force-wielders who would be the vanguard of the battle to reclaim the
galaxy. He himself would lead the Dark Jedi strike force, dropping like
death from the skies to obliterate Master Skywalker's trainees.
Zekk drew a deep breath, smelled the metallic tang in the cold air. He
heard coolants pumping, engines powering up, the clatter of stormtrooper
armor, preparatory signals as systems were locked down. They were ready
to launch.
Zekk turned to his group of Force-talented warriors. He wore his
crimson-lined black cape and his leather armor; his lightsaber hung
clipped at his side, waiting to be used.
He had secured his long dark hair in a neat ponytail, and his
emerald-green eyes flashed at those gathered around him.
"Feel the Force move through you," he said to the other trainees. They
stood with their jaws set, their eyes alert, eager for battle. They had
been trained for this.
He gestured to the waiting platform, and the Dark Jedi moved with a
fluid motion as they entered the armored vessel. "We must strike the
Jedi academy now, before we lose our element of surprise."
m
^ The TIE pilot's helmet fit perfectly on his gray-haired head. Along
with the breathing mask, goggles, black flight suit, padded gloves, and
heavy boots, the uniform seemed to transport Qorl back to a different
time, a time when he had been much younger . . . a pilot for the first
Empire.
Years ago, he had flown with his wing of TIE fighters from the original
Death Star to attack the desperate fleet of Rebel X-wings.
He had been shot down in combat, spiralling down to crash-land in the
wilds of Yavin 4. When he had looked behind him, to his absolute horror
and disbelief Qorl had watched the invincible Death Star blow up,
leaving him stranded on the miserable little moon.
After recovering from his injuries, Qorl had lived like a hermit for
over twenty years until four young Jedi trainees had stumbled upon him .
. . setting in motion the events that had returned him to the Second
Imperium.
And now, Qorl found himself boarding another TIE fighter, launching from
another battle station-once more ready to defeat the Rebels. This time,
though, he was
^ sure it would end differently. This time the Empire would make no
mistakes.
Qorl stood in front of his wing of twelve TIE fighters. Crowded into the
side of the launching bay, the small fighters would take off as soon as
the battle platform descended.
He turned to his troops, all of them unproven fighters, taken from the
ranks of the most ambitious new stormtrooper trainees.
The new pilots had never seen combat. They had only practiced,
performing simulation after simulation-but he knew they were itching for
a real fight. The pilots stood beside their ships, clothed in identical
black flight suits and helmets.
One new pilot fidgeted with obvious eagerness, glancing toward his TIE
fighter, studying the laser cannon turrets, anxious to be off. He
finally stepped forward. The fighter removed his helmet and held it
against his chest. Even before seeing the young man's wide face, though,
Qorl knew it was the broad-shouldered Norys, former leader of the Lost
Ones gang.
"Excuse me, sir-I have a suggestion," Norys said. "In light of my
superior performance during the simulations, since I scored better than
any of these others, I think I should be the one to lead this wing."
^ Qorl quelled his anger. "I . . . understand your reasons, Norys. You
have done excellent work in your cross-training as a TIE pilot and
stormtrooper. You are eager to learn and, Presumably, to serve the
&nb
sp; Second Imperium.
But I must turn down your request this time."
'On what basis?" Sensing the challenge in the young man's voice, Qorl
kept his answer firm and direct.
"On the basis that Brakiss chose me to command this mission. If you
prefer not to follow orders, however . . ." He shrugged, leaving the
implication hanging in the air between them.
The boy was rude and so often insubordinate that if he hadn't shown such
a true aptitude for weaponry and fighting skills, Qorl would certainly
have left him behind.
Too much was at stake in this mission to allow an overeager young man to
botch things UPNorys flushed. "I think you are afraid, Qorl. You're old
and haven't flown a mission in years. You're leading the wing so you can
hold us back to cover your own failures."
"That will be all," Qorl said in a voice that, although quiet, was so
commanding that the air cracked with tension. "I give you the choice:say
the word and III ground you from this mission, or hold your tongue and
fight for your Emperor." At the moment Qorl didn't care what the surly
young man chose.
He would gladly take a smaller fighting wing if it was the only way to
ensure that all his pilots were well disciplined.
Fuming, Norys struggled to keep silent and rammed the black helmet back
onto his head.
Qorl spoke, more to divert attention from the outburst than for any
other reason. "We have successfully jammed all signals from the Jedi
academy. They are unable to call for reinforcements. Since no
battleships are in orbit, the foolish Jedi Knights must have assumed
that their own powers and their puny energy shield would be enough to
thwart us.
"According to our monitoring systems, our first Imperial commando raid
has already succeeded in removing their shields. The Jedi academy lies
open and vulnerable to our attack.
"When Tamith Kai launches her battle platform to guide the military
strike, Lord Zekk will take his Dark Jedi trainees and combat the Jedi
Knights directly. Our wing will fly harassment strikes from the air.
Although we are meant to cause consider42 able damage, our mission is
to support, not to serve as the front line of attack. Is that
understood?"
The pilots murmured their understanding. Qorl couldn't tell if Norys's
voice had joined them.
"Very well. To your ships," he said.
His pilots scrambled into their cockpits, and Qorl settled in behind the
pilot's controls of the lead TIE fighter. He drew a deep breath through
the filtering mask, smelling the delicious and familiar chemical taint
of the air from his tanks.
He smiled. It felt so good to be able to fly once again.
From the helm of the tactical battle platform Tamith Kai shouted, 'Let
us be off. We shall return victorious before this day is done!"
The great hangar bay doors opened, revealing the blackness of space
shared with the emerald moon, behind which loomed the boiling orange
cauldron of the gas giant Yavin. The moon looked insignificant against
the panorama of the universe-but it was the Shadow Academy's target,
destined to become the site of a furious battle and an Imperial victory.
^ Tamith Kai commanded the battle platform to rise up on its
repulsorlifts and head out of the Shadow Academy. The military vessel
appeared to be a large, flattened sailbarge with rounded corners, two
levels high, with an upper command deck that would open to the air once
they reached the atmosphere. Armed stormtroopers and ground assault
forces filled the first level, while Zekk and his Dark Jedi took their
positions in the bottom bay near the drop doors.
The battle platform descended through space toward the thin fingernail
of atmosphere around the green moon. As the minutes passed, Zekk paced
back and forth.
He looked out the viewports and saw the ring station high overhead,
dwindling as the battle platform increased speed toward Yavin 4.
"Packs ready?" he asked, adjusting the equipment strapped across his
chest and back. His black cape hung over it, its scarlet inner lining
flashing as he moved. His squad of Dark Jedi checked their weapons,
scores of identical hghtsabers manufactured aboard the Shadow Academy.
The team members adjusted their repulsorpacks on their shoulders. One by
one they declared their readiness.
^ The blackness of space was streaked with white haze as the battle
platform plunged headfirst into the atmosphere. Zekk felt a buffeting
vibration as the winds clawed the armored plates.
The hull heated up, and Zekk could sense the ionized scream of the
shockwave through the air, but Tamith Kai piloted the battle platform
expertly, without hesitation, directly toward their target.
The Nightsister's deep, hard voice came over the comm. "We're
approaching target altitude. Zekk, prepare your Dark Jedi for departure.
The air-drop doors will open in one standard minute."
Zekk clapped his gloved hands, ordering the Dark Jedi to stand in ranks.
"The repulsorpacks will carry you," he said, "but use your Force
abilities to guide your descent.
We must strike directly. These are our sworn enemies, Luke Skywalker's
Jedi Knights. The future of the galaxy hinges on our victory today."
Zekk fixed his penetrating gaze on each one of the trainees, trying to
impart a fraction of his determination to them. They were valiant
warriors, vowing to succeed in their quest.
But Zekk had not yet dealt with his own
^ inner turmoil. He knew in his heart that Tamith Kai's doubts about his
loyalty had a legitimate foundation-he did feel a longing friendship
toward his dear friend Jaina Solo and her brother Jacen.
Deep in the forests of Kashyyyk he had warned Jaina to stay away from
the Jedi academy. He did not want her to be part of this battle today.
He did not want her to become a victim.
But he knew with equal certainty that the Jaina Solo he knew and cared
for would never stay away to save herself and leave her friends to die.
He dreaded the thought that she might be down there ready to fight
against him.
Zekk was grateful to have his thoughts interrupted as the floor thumped
and the drop-bay doors creaked open. A line of brighter air like a thin,
toothless smile appeared at their feet and then yawned wide. The jungle
treetops were visible below, punctuated by the protruding stone towers
of ancient Massassi temples.
"All right, my Dark Jedi," Zekk shouted into the bowling wind. 'the hour
is ours.
Depart!" Leading the charge" he dove into the sky, switched on his
repulsorpack, and
^ tumbled toward the unprotected Jedi academy.
Behind him the other Dark Jedi dropped from the battle platform one by
one, falling like deadly birds of prey.
In flight Zekk ignited his lightsaber, holding it out like a glowing
beacon. He glanced up to see the other assault troops similarly
extending their blazing weapons, capes fluttering behind them.
Dark Jedi rained down from the sky.
^ ---------
--------THE SHRIEK OF twin ion engines ripped apart the
relative quiet of the grand audience chamber. Tenel Ka's reflexes took
over even before she recognized the source of the sound, and she found
herself running in a crouch toward the closest window slit, with Jaina,
Jacen, and Lowbacca right beside her.
Through the slit in the stone wall, Tenel Ka saw TIE fighters on a
strafing run-coming straight toward the Jedi academy!
"Master Skywalker, we are under attack," Tenel Ka shouted.
Luke Skywalker raised his voice to be heard throughout the chamber.
"Everyone, stay in the jungles until the battle is over.
Fight with all your skills and abilities. Remember your training . . .
and may the Force be with you."
A series of hollow-sounding explosions punctuated his command. A loud
crack! echoed through the chamber as a proton bomb
^
^ struck the lowermost levels and dug a crater in the jungle soil
outside the pyramid.
From where she stood, Tenel Ka observed the other Jedi trainees and
judged that their reactions to Master Skywalker's orders were
commendable. Several students gasped in surprise, and Tenel Ka could
sense conflicting emotions-nervous anticipation, homesickness, trust in
the Force, dread at the possibility of having to kill. But she caught no