Lightsabers

by Kevin J. Anderson

  encouraged. "You're almost here-you can make it!"

  Even before they reached bottom, Jaina looked up to see Tenel Ka and her

  grandmother easing over the sill. The matriarch, unable to grasp the

  slender cord tightly enough in her old hands, steadied herself with an

  arm around Tenel Ka's waist. The young warrior girl had looped the rope

  once around her arm to allow herself more friction to control their

  descent.

  With a firm hold on the fibercord, she slowly leaned backward, letting

  the strand slip through her fingers as her feet pressed against the

  outer wall of the fortress. The dangerous climb may have been more

  difficult and awkward with her handicap, but Tenel Ka did not seem the

  least bit hesitant. Despite LIGHTSABERS

  ^ her usual reluctance to use the Force, she took advantage of it this

  time without reservation.

  "Come on, Tenel Ka!" Jacen called.

  Before the girl and her grandmother had gotten more than halfway down

  the rope, though, a loud crash sounded from above. Suddenly swarms of

  multilegged figures surged to the open window, squealing their triumph.

  Jaina heard Tenel Ka shout, "Hold on!" as she doubled her speed, sliding

  down the cord so quickly that Jaina was sure she would get a rope bum on

  her hand and arm.

  The Bartokks grabbed the fibercord and sawed at it with their serrated

  scythe arms.

  Tenel Ka slipped down faster, faster.

  Suddenly the strand parted. The insectoid assassins above gave a

  triumphant chitter.

  Lowbacca roared and with lightning-fast reflexes dropped the end of the

  severed rope, held out his arms, and caught the old matriarch as she

  plunged.

  Using the Force to control her own fall, Tenel Ka landed heavily on her

  feet, but without injury.

  "Good one, Tenel Ka," Jacen cried. "We made it!"

  "Not quite yet," Jaina said, pointing upward. The remaining black

  Bartokk assassins started to boil through the upper window, crawling

  headfirst down the vertical stone block.

  "We must hurry," Tenel Ka said, pointing toward the grotto. "To the

  wavespeeders."

  At the far edge of the reef, Jaina saw the sharp-edged assault boat from

  the Bartokk hive near the smoldering wreck of the shield-generator

  station. For a moment she contemplated taking that craft instead-but

  when she noticed the knobby, alien controls designed for simultaneous

  use by four claws, she couldn't be sure she or Lowie could pilot such a

  ship. Their best chance would be to grab one of the smaller

  wavespeeders.

  Ducking under the moss-edged rock of the entrance, they ran into the sea

  cave. A wavespeeder, tied to the dock closest the entrance, bobbed

  gently on the water of the grotto.

  "Everybody in," Jaina said. "Lowie and I can handle this. Let's just

  hope its top speed is better than what that assassin craft can manage."

  "And that Ambassador Yfra hasn't sabotaged it!"

  Jacen muttered.

  Lowbacca bellowed his agreement. Still dazed after her fall, the grim

  matriarch shook herself and climbed aboard as Jacen and Jaina hopped

  over the rail, followed by Tenel Ka.

  With a roar, the repulsorlift engines raised the wavespeeder up off the

  calm waters inside the sheltered cave. Before Tenel Ka had managed to

  seat herself, Jaina pulled the boat away from the dock, whipped it

  around, and accelerated through the cave entrance, churning the water

  into froth beneath them. The wavespeeder shot away from the darkened,

  overrun Reef Fortress.

  LIGHTSABERS

  ^ Lowbacca, sitting in the navigator's chair, turned his shaggy head to

  gaze back at the tall citadel with his dark-adapted Wookiee eyes. He

  growled, stretching out a hairy arm. Jaina risked a glance and saw the

  insectoid murderers swarming down the tower wall toward their assault

  craft.

  "Better get our head start while we can," Jaina said grimly. She pushed

  hard against the accelerators, although they were already traveling at

  maximum speed. The small boat sped out to where the sea grew choppier.

  Moments later an ear-splitting mechanical roar erupted behind them.

  Jacen shouted, and Jaina glanced back to see the Bartokk assault craft

  pull away from the reef, infested with black insect assassins.

  The assault craft's engine thundered like a Star Destroyer in pursuit.

  "They must have come in using stealth silencers on their engines," Jaina

  said.

  "They're at full power now, though-no need to keep quiet." She watched

  the tactical panel in front of her and swallowed a lump in her throat.

  Lowie growled. "Master Lowbacca estimates that they will overtake us

  within minutes," Em Teedee wailed. "What are we to do?"

  The ocean was lit only by the twin moons high overhead in the midnight

  sky. Jaina saw froth ahead as the water surged around a rocky obstacle

  jutting from the sea-the Dragon's Teeth. "We'll go there," she said,

  "and try to cause some trouble as they dodge around the rocks. We're

  smaller, more maneuverable."

  "I doubt they'll give up because of a navigation hazard," Jacen said.

  "No," Jaina replied, "but we can hope they crash."

  The pointed rocks thrust out of the water like jagged spires. Waves

  crashed against their faces, running like saliva drooling from a krayt

  dragon's mouth, and rippled around the submerged reefs at the base of

  the Teeth. The Bartokk assault craft screamed after them.

  "Watch the waves-and count," Tenel Ka said, pointing as a plume of white

  water jetted up between the two sharp rocks. Five seconds later another

  plume spurted up just as high. "Timing could be our advantage."

  Jaina nodded. "I see what you mean. Lowie, I'll need your help on the

  controls." They slowed just enough to let the assault craft approach

  them as they headed toward the narrow gap between the treacherous rock

  spires.

  "It's going to be close, Jaina," Jacen said.

  "Don't I know it," she agreed. "Okay, punch it, Lowie."

  The Wookiee hit the accelerators full force just as the Bartokk assault

  craft nearly rammed them from behind. The insect assassins waved their

  clacking LIGHTSABERS

  ^ arms. One fired a deck-mounted cannon, and the blaster bolt struck the

  waves, creating a geyser of steam just beside their wavespeeder.

  "Whoa," Jaina said as Lowie yowled. "Didn't expect that."

  Unconsciously ducking her head as they streaked between the black rocks,

  she canted the wavespeeder to fit through the narrow gap. The hiss of

  their passage boomed and echoed, and a fine cold spray splashed them

  all.

  The assault craft charged in behind them. Jaina didn't think the

  assassins could possibly fit through the narrow opening, but the ship

  slid into the gap with only a few centimeters of play on either side.

  The ocean rolled just as the assault craft spat from the narrow cleft

  between the rocks. A jet of water rocketed through the gap, shooting out

  a high-powered plume that catapulted the Bartokk assault craft into the

  air and spun it end-over-end.

  Three assassins toppled overboard and
vanished into the churning seas

  before the assault craft righted itself and crashed back onto the water.

  The Bartokk pilot wrestled with the controls as Jaina streaked onward at

  top speed, stretching the gap between them.

  Before long, though, the assault craft was hot on their tail again.

  Sitting in back, Ta'a Chume recovered enough to reach inside her plush

  robes and withdraw a tiny holdout blaster. "For what it's worth," the

  matriarch said, "I'll use this-but it's designed for only two shots."

  "What good is a blaster that only has two shots?"

  Jacen asked.

  "The first shot is for an attacker," Tenel Ka's grandmother answered.

  "The second shot . . .

  well, sometimes it is preferable not to be taken alive."

  Jaina gulped and continued to guide the wavespeeder away from the reef.

  Waves crashed against the front of their craft, but she couldn't gain

  any more height from their repulsorlifts. Fortunately, the Bartokk

  assault craft had sustained some damage in its passage through the

  Dragon's Teeth, and now the pilot of the impaired vessel had no choice

  but to hang back.

  Pushing the wavespeeder to its redlines, Jaina maintained their lead-but

  just barely. Another hour went by as they sped over the dark wavetops

  under the pale light of the moons. The assault craft edged closer and

  closer.

  "Is there any way to get back to civilization, get some help?" Jacen

  asked.

  "Our fortress is extremely isolated-theoretically for our protection-and

  this wavespeeder travels much too slowly," the old matriarch said. "It

  would take us many hours to get back. I fear the Bartokks will have

  taken care of us before then."

  LIGHTSABERS

  ^

  "Not if I can help it," Jaina said, gritting her teet as she diverted

  them toward a pale patch of water ahead, a wasteland covered with a

  rough, flattened texture and exuding a spoiled fishy smell. She realized

  full well where they were going. The coordinates had been familiar, and

  now she hoped to use her knowledge to their advantage.

  Lowbacca, guessing her intention, let out a questioning whine.

  "I know what I'm doing, Lowie," Jaina said.

  Jacen must have smelled the same thing. He leaned toward his sister in

  alarm. "You're not actually going into that seaweed field, are you?"

  Jaina shrugged. "They'd be crazy to follow us, wouldn't they?"

  "The Bartokk assassin hive will follow us to the ends of the planet,"

  Tenel Ka said. "They have no concern for their own danger."

  "Good," Jaina said, "then maybe they'll get Sloppy."

  Suddenly the sound of the engines grew muted as they streaked over the

  writhing forest of carnivorous seaweed. Just below the hull of their

  wavespeeder, the weed thrashed in agitation. Clusters of red eye-flowers

  rose up, keeping a vigilant watch for new prey even in deepest night.

  The seaweed flickered and snapped, as if it remembered its near miss

  with the group of young Jedi only days before.

  "I sure hope this thing is still hungry," Jacen said.

  "How about we give it some plant food?"

  "As long as it's not us," Jaina responded.

  The Bartokk assassins paid no heed to how the sea had changed, intent

  only on closing the gap between them and their prey.

  The matriarch stood at the rear of the wavespeeder, holding her small

  blaster. "Two shots," she said, pointing her weapon at the approaching

  boat.

  "Target their repulsorpods," Jaina shouted. "That's the only weak spot

  on a big assault craft like that."

  The wavespeeder jostled, but the matriarch took careful aim and fired a

  high-powered blaster bolt.

  The streak of energy skimmed the bottom of the pursuing assault craft,

  leaving the repulsorpod undamaged. The shot reflected off the B artokks'

  metal hull and sizzled into the churning seaweed creature.

  "No damage," the matriarch said. "One chance left."

  "Your shot was not wasted," Tenel Ka said.

  "Observe the plant."

  The seaweed now seemed fully awake and angry.

  Its spined tentacles thrashed in the air and slapped at the craft

  roaring over its fronds.

  The Bartokk assassins approached the wavespeeder, apparently unconcerned

  that one of their intended victims had just used a blaster. The Bartokk

  craft fired a return shot with one of its laser cannons, but Jaina,

  sensing the impending bolt through the Force, rocked the wavespeeder to

  the left. The blast struck the seaweed again, eliciting a LIGHTSABERS

  ^ hissing, low-frequency roar from the plant monster.

  Ta'a Chume stood again, raised her tiny blaster, and aimed a second and

  last time.

  "May the Force be with you," Tenel Ka murmured.

  The matriarch took her final shot. This time the energy bolt struck one

  of the Bartokk repulsorpods squarely. Though the tiny weapon was not

  powerful enough to cause great damage, it was enough to throw the

  pursuing assault craft into a spin.

  The stem of the assassins' boat rose up and, as the Bartokk insects

  scrambled for control, the bow plunged, grazing the ravenous seaweed.

  Before the pilot could regain stability, a dozen spiked tentacles

  whipped up to wrap themselves around the rails, snatching at the hull,

  the repulsorpods, the lasercannon emplacements. The insect assassins

  chittered, more in anger than fear, because the hive mind couldn't

  comprehend its impending death.

  Within moments, however, Bartokk assassin legs were flailing as spiked

  weed tentacles plucked the insects from their stations at the side of

  the boat and dragged them thrashing beneath the foaming waves.

  Soon the seaweed had engulfed the entire sharpedged craft, dragging it

  under the roiling water.

  Pincer-ended tentacles clamped down on hard chitinous shells, and Jaina

  heard muffled crunching sounds as the seaweed monster snapped

  exoskeletons apart to reach the tender parts inside. She stared at the

  water in horrified fascination.

  "I think maybe this is our cue to leave," Jacen pointed out, giving his

  sister a nudge. Lowie roared his agreement.

  Bloodred eye-flowers blinked hungrily up at them.

  "Okay, what are we waiting for?"

  Lowie revved the engines and then accelerated as Jaina guided the

  wavespeeder back out of the deadly tangle of seaweed.

  Ta'a Chume made her way to the front of the wavespeeder. "I can pilot us

  to safety from here," she said. Jaina gladly relinquished the controls

  as the former queen headed the craft toward the mainland.

  "An excellent shot, Grandmother," Tenel Ka said.

  The matriarch nodded and looked with renewed admiration at her

  granddaughter. "So much for diplomacy."

  Some five hours later, the entire bedraggled crew finally hauled

  themselves into the Fountain Palace.

  Ta'a Chume was outraged to find that Ambassador Yfra had already assumed

  control. Declaring martial law, the ambassador had announced that there

  would be several hours of mourning over the untimely death of the dear,

  departed matriarch.

  Tenel Ka marched beside her grandmother into the ce
ntral throne room

  amidst gasps of horror, delight, and surprise from the guards. The most

  LIGHTSABERS

  ^ appalled expression, however, showed on the hardened face of

  Ambassador Yfra herself.

  "Ta'a Chume!" she cried, standing up and trying unsuccessfully to hide

  the brief storm of anger that clouded her eyes. "You're-you're alive,.

  But how-?"

  "Your plot failed, Yfra. Guards, arrest this traitor!"

  "On what charge?" Ambassador Yfra said in a reasonable tone, her

  confidence not yet shaken.

  "Plotting to kill the entire royal household. I am only happy that Tenel

  Ka's parents were absent, for I'm sure they would have been at risk as

  well."

  "Why, Ta'a Chume-I've never shown anything but loyalty to you." Yfra's

  voice was full of sweetness and offended innocence, though Tenel Ka

  could sense that she was lying. "How can you make such an accusation?"

  "Because you took control. Ho w could you possibly have known we were in

  danger if you hadn't set up the plot yourself?"