Shadow Academy

by Kevin J. Anderson

  but he wouldn't take it.

  "I won't play your games," Jaina insisted.

  "We do not play at the Shadow Academy ," Brakiss said. "But we do

  practice. Important training for a Jedi."

  "Fighting stupid holographic monsters? I won't do it anymore. I've done too

  much for you already. You may as well just take us home, because we'll never

  serve your Shadow Academy ."

  Brakiss spread his hands. "Ah, but you're getting so good with the

  lightsaber," he said, as if reasoning with a recalcitrant child. "Try it one

  more time. I'll give you a worthy opponent, someone a bit more challenging

  to fight."

  "Why should I?" Jaina said. "I don't owe you anything. I want to see my

  brother. I want to see Lowie."

  "You will see them soon enough."

  "I won't fight unless you promise I can see them."

  Brakiss sighed. "Very well. I promise to let you see each other again,

  during classes. But only" - he held up one finger - "if you agree not to

  cause more disturbances."

  Jaina pressed her mouth into a grim line. For now, this was the best she

  could hope to accomplish. "Agreed."

  Then Brakiss said, his tone disturbingly encouraging, "Think of it this way

  - the more training you undergo, the better chance you'll have if ever you

  fight against me. Consider it . . . training for your eventual escape,

  hmmm?"

  She found the calm smile maddening on his smooth, handsome face.

  "There will be another change in our session this morning. As you fight, you

  will be shrouded in a holographic disguise. It will not hinder your

  movements, but you may find it a bit distracting. You must learn to fight

  wearing this three-dimensional mask: for the good of the Empire, we may

  occasionally need to deploy our Dark Jedi in disguise."

  Jaina held the lightsaber in front of her. "All right, I'll fight this one

  training session - then you have to let me see my brother and Lowie."

  "That was our agreement," Brakiss answered. "I'll go arrange it now.

  Meanwhile, good luck." He slipped back out the doorway, and it sealed shut.

  Shadows wrap themselves around her - not enough to blind her, just a blur.

  She realized it must be the holographic costume. On the other side of the

  room an imaginary wooden door groaned open, and Jaina rolled her eyes. Just

  a corny illusion, as everything else had been. Jaina was not amused. Her

  only challenge was trying to figure out how the equipment on the station

  worked. Someday she would foil the Shadow Academy , bring its

  systems crashing down- For now, she would play along with Brakiss, and

  eventually she would find a way to turn the head teacher's schemes against

  him.

  Her new opponent stepped out of the barred dungeon doorway-a tall, looming

  figure wrapped completely in black. The black plasteel mask echoed and

  hissed as Darth Vader breathed through his respirator. Startled, she caught

  her breath, instinctively flicking on her lightsaber. Brakiss wasn't playing

  fair! This went beyond any of the other illusions he had sent against her

  before. Darth Vader had been killed before the twins were even born, but the

  Dark Lord of the Sith had been her grandfather; she knew all about him.

  Vader's lightsaber was a deep pulsing red, like fresh blood, glowing with

  light from within. Jaina felt both anger and dismay rise within her, and she

  stepped forward to confront him. Her holographic costume swirled around her,

  but she didn't let it distract her. Jaina hated the evil acts Darth Vader

  had performed during his alliance with the Emperor, but she also loved the

  idea of what her grandfather Anakin Skywalker could have been, the good man

  he had become in his last moments when he turned against the Emperor and

  ended his reign of terror.

  Whether it was her own fear or something deeper, Jaina sensed a great

  uneasiness in the training chamber, a pulsating dread that slowed her

  movements. Darth Vader took advantage of her shocked hesitation. He came

  toward her, scarlet lightsaber sizzling. His breathing echoed all around

  her. Vader slashed with the weapon, and Jaina countered with her own beam,

  producing a shower of sparks as the energy blades crossed and struck. They

  struck again and again. Thrusting. Parrying. Attacking. Defending.

  Jaina swung, trying to land a blow on Darth Vader's chest armor, but the

  Dark Lord brought his own beam up to crash against hers. She backed away as

  he attacked with greater strength, slashing, striking with his lightsaber.

  The shrieks of electrical discharge nearly deafened her. But as Jaina began

  to falter, she pretended Vader was Brakiss or Tamith Kai - the ones who had

  kidnapped her and brought all of them to this school of darkness - and was

  able to defend herself with renewed strength, this time pushing Vader back.

  They clashed, but Darth Vader seemed to draw strength from Jaina's fury.

  They fought on for a long time, neither gaining the upper hand. Jaina lost

  track of how many minutes or hours passed.

  They stood with lightsabers crossed and electric arcs flying around them,

  pressing against each other, straining with all their might. But Vader could

  not defeat her, and she could not defeat him. They were equally matched. She

  gritted her teeth and strained, her breathing heavy, her lungs burning cold.

  She gasped, but would not let up. Vader also did not stop.

  "Enough!" Brakiss's voice came over the intercom.

  The training room's holographic simulation faded, leaving her standing in

  the flat gray room, her lightsaber still crossed with her opponent's. Only

  now she could see who her adversary really was.

  Jacen.

  In the control room, looking down at the displayed images from the

  simulation chamber, Brakiss tapped his fingers together. With great

  pleasure, he watched the twins battle each other. Wearing his dark Imperial

  uniform, Qorl stood beside him, observing the activity. The monitor showed

  none of the holographic disguises, just the twins fighting, battling to the

  death-and not even knowing it! Their lightsabers crossed and locked, neither

  twin overpowering the other.

  Qorl remained silent for a long moment, fidgeting with restrained anxiety

  Finally he said, "Isn't this dangerous, Brakiss? With one slip, those

  children could kill each other. You would lose two of your best trainees at

  the Shadow Academy ."

  "I doubt I'll lose them , Brakiss said, dismissing the thought with a wave.

  "But if one kills the other, then we will know which is the stronger

  fighter. That is the one we must concentrate our training on."

  "But what a waste," Qorl said. "Why would you do this? What is the point?"

  Brakiss turned to the old TIE pilot, allowing just a trace of anger to show

  on his perfect face. "The point is to obtain and develop the strongest

  fighters for the Empire. The most talented Dark Jedi."

  "No matter what the cost?" Qorl said.

  "Cost is of no consequence," Brakiss replied. "These young twins are simply

  tools to be used as you are, as we all are."

  Qorl frowned and watched the continuing battle. "Are you saying the twins

  are expendable?"

 
"They are ingredients . . . components to be installed in a great machine.

  If they do not meet our stringent testing requirements, they are no good to

  us.

  "But perhaps you're right," Brakiss said, finally conceding. "They have both

  fought well and demonstrated their skills with the lightsaber. Now to make a

  real impact on them." He turned on the comm. "Enough!" he said, and disabled

  the holographic disguise generator.

  The twins cried out, then sprang apart, astonished to discover they'd been

  fighting each other.

  After a few moments Brakiss switched off the intercom, not wanting to listen

  to the children's outraged cries anymore. He shrugged and smiled at Qorl. "I

  did promise to let her see her brother. I don't know why she should be so

  upset."

  Qorl turned away and walked toward the exit, so Brakiss would not see the

  depth of his uncertainty. The harsh treatment of Jacen and Jaina disturbed

  him, affecting him against his wishes.

  "Their training is coming along quite nicely," Brakiss said as Qorl reached

  the door. "I am pleased with their progress. They will become great Dark

  Jedi in our service."

  Qorl made a noncommittal reply as he slipped out and closed the door behind

  him.

  * 17 *

  Tenel Ka and Luke rode astride a young rancor that had not yet been marked

  to show ownership by any particular clan.

  The night air was warm and still heavy with moisture from the unnatural

  storm Vonnda Ra and her student Vilas had called up. Dathomir's two moons

  floated in and out of wispy clouds, shedding a diffuse pearly light on their

  path. Tenel Ka sat in front of Luke on the whuffa-hide saddle, guiding the

  rancor steadily in the direction of the Great Canyon . She was a

  good rider, and she knew it. She had to admit that it felt good to

  demonstrate to Master Skywalker that she was an expert at something.

  A light breeze rustled the leaves of the low bushes around them, so that

  when Luke leaned forward to whisper in her ear, Tenel Ka hardly heard him at

  first. "I had to kill a rancor once," he said. "It was a shame-they're such

  fine creatures."

  "Even so," Tenel Ka answered, "they are dangerous to those who are not their

  friends."

  Luke was silent for a while. "I've fought many battles," he said at last,

  "and yes, I have had to kill. But I've learned from the light side of the

  Force that it's better to do everything in my power first to . . . turn a

  situation-"

  "But surely," Tenel Ka interrupted, "a Nightsister - or anyone else seduced

  by the dark side, would not hesitate to kill you."

  "Exactly!" Luke's soft exclamation took her by surprise. "Now you begin to

  understand," he said. "Those who use the light side do not believe the same

  things as those who use the dark side. But we can only demonstrate our

  differences by acting on our beliefs. Otherwise . . . we're not so different

  after all."

  "Ah. Aha," Tenel Ka said. "Just as I struggle to show that I am different

  from my grandmother on Hapes.'' Her voice trailed off. "Yes, I see now.''

  In spite of the darkness, their surefooted rancor picked its way steadily

  down the steep path that led to the floor of the Great Canyon .

  During their descent, they spotted a cluster of more than a dozen campfires,

  and knew that they had found the Nightsisters' encampment.

  By the time they reached the canyon floor, both Luke and Tenel Ka were sore

  and aching and weary. The air was cool, with a light mist hovering close to

  the ground, and they were both glad of the warm cloaks that Augwynne had

  pressed on them during their rushed preparations for departure. She had

  given them each a change of clothes appropriate to their cover story, along

  with a bag of provisions. Then she had hugged Tenel Ka fiercely. "Daughter

  of my daughter's daughter," she said, "go in safety. The thoughts of the

  Singing Mountain Clan are with you." She turned to Luke. "And may the Force

  be with you."

  Augwynne had released Tenel Ka and spoke again to her. "I am proud of what

  you do for your friends. You are a true warrior woman of our clan. Always

  remember our most sacred rule from the Book of Laws: 'Never concede to

  evil."'

  Now, as they drew closer to that evil, Tenel Ka shivered and pulled her

  cloak more tightly about her. She wondered if they would find Lowbacca,

  Jacen, and Jaina at the camp of the Nightsisters, or if that would only be

  an intermediate step in their search. Could the Nightsisters be training

  them in the dark ways of the Force? Tenel Ka let her eyes drift shut and

  cast about with her mind, but she sensed no trace of her three friends.

  As if understanding the direction of her thoughts, Luke leaned forward

  again. "If we don't find them here, the Force will guide us. We are close .

  . . I feel it."

  An ululating cry rang out from the canyon rocks above them. Tenel Ka started

  in surprise. "A scout sounding the alarm," she said, irritated with herself

  for having been caught off guard.

  "Good," Luke replied. "Then they know we're here."

  Tenel Ka hesitated at first, uncertain of whether it was safe to continue,

  and then urged the young rancor forward. She looked up at the sky, which had

  lightened from black to predawn grayness, reminding her again of how much

  time had passed since her friends had been captured. Rounding the next bend

  in the trail, the rancor came to an abrupt stop. Tenel Ka looked at the path

  ahead of her and saw that their way was blocked by three full-grown rancors,

  each bearing a rider, dressed much as Vonnda Ra and Vilas had been earlier

  that evening. The pressure of Luke's hand at her waist was a warning, but

  she already knew. Even in the dimness she could see that each of the riders

  held an Imperial blaster aimed directly at them.

  Tenel Ka had been raised to take command, and though she rarely exercised

  that power, it did come naturally. She sat up straighter in the saddle and

  held one arm high. "Sisters and brothers of the Great Canyon Clan," she

  said, "we have heard your message as far away as the Misty Falls Clan and

  have traveled here to join you. We are not without skill in the Force, and

  we wish to learn your ways, to use all of the Force and to become strong!''

  Leaving the rancors at the well-provisioned stockade, Tenel Ka and Luke

  followed the guards toward the center of camp. She was surprised to see two

  Imperial AT-ST scout walkers clanking like mechanical birds around the

  perimeter on guard duty, near the penned rancors. Passing between boldly

  colored tents made of water-repellent lizard hides, Tenel Ka noted roughly

  ten women and at least as many men going about their early-morning business

  in eerie silence, as if the warm ground mists swirling up to their knees

  muffled all sound. She saw no children at all in the encampment, heard no

  babies cries, no sounds of young ones playing. In fact, she saw very few in

  the Great Canyon Clan who were even as young as she was.

  Though she had known what to expect, it amazed Tenel Ka that men came and

  went here as freely as the women, apparently slaves to no one. She wondered<
br />
  if it really was possible on Dathomir that these men and women now thought

  of each other as equals.

  At the center of camp, they came at last to an enormous patchwork pavilion

  that floated on the mist like a barbaric island made of furs and lizard

  hides sewn together. It was held up at the center and the corners by spears,

  three meters long and as thick around as Tenel Ka's wrists.

  One of the Nightsisters raised a tent flap and motioned them inside. They

  entered, but the Sister did not follow. The flap dropped shut behind them,

  sealing out the wraithlike mists and the morning light. Waiting for her eyes

  to adjust, Tenel Ka tried to sense her friends; she still found no trace,

  but the light touch of Master Skywalker's hand on her arm reassured her.

  At the center of the tent a tiny pinpoint of light suddenly flared into a

  bright flame, and Tenel Ka saw that it came from an oil lamp fashioned out

  of the inverted skull of a mountain lizard. Beside the lamp, on a wide

  platform covered with furs and cushions made from the hides of a variety of

  wild beasts, an imposing woman reclined in a massive chair made from a

  stuffed rancor head. The woman beckoned them forward into the flickering

  circle of light.

  Without so much as a greeting, Vonnda Ra asked, "What is your business

  here?"

  Tenel Ka, who had recognized the dark-haired woman instantly, said, "I have

  come to join the Nightsisters, and I have brought my slave with me."

  "What have you to offer us?" Vonnda Ra looked mildly interested, but not