Star Wars.
Young Jedi Knights.
The Rise of the Shadow Academy.
Jedi Under Siege.
by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta
Jaina had to believe the warning was a sign that Zekk still cared about her and her twin brother Jacen.
She and her friends had been back on Yavin 4 for only a few minutes. None of them had gotten much sleep on the swift hypers.p.a.ce flight back, but they all ran on adrenaline. Jaina felt as if she would explode if she could"nt do something right away.
So many preparations to make, so much to plan.
Standing beside her near the entrance to the hangar bay, Jacen gave her a nudge.
When she glanced at him, his brandy-brown eyes looked straight into hers.
"Hey, it"ll be oka "he said. "Uncle Luke will know what to do. He"s been through plenty of Imperial attacks."
"Sure, that makes me feel a lot better," she answered, not believing it for a minute.
As usual, Jacen resorted to one of his favorite weapons to get her mind off the battle that was sure to come. "Hey, want to hear a joke?"
"Yes, Jacen," said Tenel Ka, striding up to join them. "I believe humor could be of some use now." The warrior girl from Dathomir glistened with perspiration from having spent the last ten minutes running "to stretch her muscles" in an effort to work off her own tension.
"Okay, Jacen. Fire away," Jaina said, pretending to brace herself for the worst.
Tenel Ka pushed back her long, reddish gold braids with one arm. Her left arm had been severed in a terrible accident during lightsaber training, and she refused to accept a synthetic replacement. She nodded to Jacen.
"You may proceed with the joke."
"Okay, what time is it when an Imperial walker steps on your wrist chronometer?"
Jacen raised his eyebrows, waiting. "Time to get a new chronometer!"
After a heartbeat of dead silence, Tenel Ka nodded and said in a serious voice, "Thank you, Jacen. Your humor was quite... adequate."
The warrior girl never cracked a smile, but Jaina thought she detected a twinkle in her friend"s cool gray eyes. Jaina was still groaning in mock agony when Luke and the young Wookiee Lowbacca climbed out of the Shadow Chaser.
Deciding there wasn"t a moment to lose, Jaina hurried over to them.
Apparently Uncle Luke must have felt the same way-when Jacen and Tenel Ka trotted up behind Jaina, the Jedi Master began to speak without preamble.
"It"ll take the Second Imperium some time to install the new computer components they stole for their fleet," Luke said. "We may have a few days yet, but I don"t want to take any chances. Lowie-nonne and Raynar went out to the temple on the lake for a training exercise. I"d like you to take your T-23 and go bring them back here. We all need to work together."
Lowie roared an acknowledgment and sprinted for the small skyhopper his uncle Chewbacca had given him. From the clip at Lowie"s waist the miniaturized translating droid Em Teedee said, "Why certainly, sir. It would be Master Lowbacca"s great pleasure to be of service. Consider it done." Reprimanding the little droid for its embellishments with an absent growl, the young Wookiee climbed into the small T-23 and closed the canopy.
Luke turned to the warrior girl from Dathomir. "Tenel Ka, gather as many students as you can and give them a crash course in ground combat against terrorist attacks. I"m not sure what strategies the Shadow Academy will use, but I can"t think of anyone better to teach them about commando tactics than you."
"Yeah, she was great against those Bartokk a.s.sa.s.sins on]4apes," Jacen said.
Tenel Ka surprised Jaina by blushing pink before she gave a curt nod and sped off on her a.s.signment. "What about Jacen and me, Uncle Luke?"
Jaina asked, bursting with impatience.
What should we do? We want to help."
"Now that the Millennium Falcon is gone, we need to get the new shield generators back up and running to protect us from an aerial attack. Come with me."
The primary equipment for the Jedi academy"s new defensive shield generators was located in the jungle across the river, but the shields were controlled from the Comm Center. Han Solo had recently brought the components m Coruscant as a stopgap measure while the New Republic scrambled to a.s.semble a major defense against the impending Imperial attack.
"Hey, should I send a message to Mom?"
Jacen asked, sitting down at one of the consoles.
"Not until we know more," Luke answered.
"Your dad and Chewier were going to contact her and explain everything once they were under way. Leia has her hands full mustering troops to station here as permanent protectors for the Jedi academy. At the moment, we"ve got to do everything we can to guard it ourselves.
"Meanwhile, Jacen, monitor all the communications bands. See if you can pick up any signals, especially ones that might be Imperial codes. Jaina, let"s get those shield generators powered up and running."
"Already on it, Uncle Luke." Jaina grinned at him from the control station. "Shields are up and at full strength. Guess I should run a complete readiness check, though, just to make sure there are no gaps in our defenses." Jacen put on a headset and began scanning through the various comm frequencies.
No sooner had he begun than a loud crackle erupted from the earpiece, followed by a familiar voice.
"... requesting permission for landing and all that usual stuff. Here I come. Lightning Rod out."
"Hey, wait!" Jacen said into the voice pickup, on the verge of panic.
"You can"t do ^ that-I mean, we have to drop our shields first. Give me a minute, Peckhum."
"Shields? V,7hat shields?" the old s.p.a.cer"s voice came back. "Me and the Lightning Rod been doing" the supply run to Yavin 4 for years now. Never had to worry about shields before."
"We"ll meet you down at the landing pad and explain everything," Jacen said. "Hang on a minute."
"Am I going to need a code to get in?"
Peckhum asked. "No one gave me any codes before I left Coruscant. n.o.body told me about any shields."
Jacen looked up at Luke. "It"s old Peckhum in the Lightning Rod," he said. "Does he need a code to get in?"
Luke shook his head and motioned for Jaina to drop the shields. Jaina bent over the control console, her lower lip caught between her teeth.
After a minute she said, "There, that ought to do it. Shields lowered again."
For some reason, now that the shields were down Jacen felt a cold tingle of vulnerability run up the back of his neck. "Okay, Peckhum," he said, "you"re clear to land. But make it quick, so we can power up again."
When the old s.p.a.cer stepped out of his battered supply shuttle, he looked the same as every other time Jacen had seen him: pale skin, long lanky hair, grizzled cheeks, and rumpled flight suit.
"Come on, Peckhum," Jacen said. "I"ll help you get the supplies inside.
We need to hurry, before the Imperials get here."
"Imperials?" The s.p.a.cer scratched his head.
"Is that why yo&ve got energy shields up? Are we under attack?"
"It"s okay," Jacen said, impatient to get the Lightning Rod unloaded.
"The shields are back up. You just can"t see them."
The old s.p.a.cer craned his neck to stare up into the misty white sky of the jungle moon.
"And the attack?"
"Well, we heard a rumor-a pretty solid one." He hesitated. "From Zekk.
He"s the one who led the raid on the computer fabrication facility on Kashyyyk-and he warned Jaina that the Shadow Academy is on its way.
We"d better get inside."
Old Peckhum looked at Jacen in alarm.
The teenager Zekk had been like a son to him; they had lived together in the lower city levels on Coruscant... until Zekk had been kidnapped by the Shadow Academy.
As a familiar cold tingle crept up the back of Jacens neck, Peckhum whispered, "Too late." He pointed into the sky. "They"re already here."
FROM THE HIGHEST observation turret on the Shadow Academy, Brakiss-Master of all the new Dark Jedi-looked down at the insignificant green speck of the jungle moon. The devastating a.s.sault was about to begin, and before long Yavin 4 and its Jedi academy would be crushed under the might of the Second Imperium.
As it should be.
Through the winding metal corridors of the station, stonntroopers manned their battle stations, newly trained TIE pilots conducted preflight checks on their ships, and the eager Dark Jedi students prepared for their first major victory.
The ultimate battle would be a two-p.r.o.nged a.s.sault led jointly by the most powerful of the new Nightsisters, Tamith Kai, and Brakiss"s own prot6g6, dark-haired Zekk, whose enthusiasm to make something significant of his life had left him an easy target for conversion to the dark side.
Brakiss closed his eyes and drew a deep breath of the recycled air that rushed through the ventilation shafts. His silvery robes swirled around him.
Though he stood isolated here, he could sense the accelerating preparations affecting everyone in the spiked station; tensions mounted, as did hunger for battle. In the undercurrent of swirling thoughts, he clearly felt the troops" dedication to the Second Imperium"s great leader, Emperor Palpatine. He also detected an undertone of anxiety over the coming attack, but this only made his lips curl upward. Fear would give an added edge to their fighting abilities, enough to make them cautious... but not enough to paralyze them.
Brakiss longed to see Luke Skywalker defeated. Years ago, he had infiltrated the Jedi academy as a student to absorb the methods the New Republic taught, then bring them back to the remnants of the Empire. But Brakiss hadn"t been able to fool the Jedi Master. Instead, Skywalker had tried to turn him away from his devotion, undermine his dedication to the Second Imperium. Skywalker had tried to "save" him-he thought with a sneer-and Brakiss had fled.
But because of his willingness to dabble in the dark side, Brakiss had by then learned enough to form his own Dark Jedi training center.
Now it would be a marvelous showdown.
Beside him, the air shimmered. Brakiss opened his calm, beatific eyes and sensed an ominous static surrounding the projection of the Emperor. The mysterious great leader of the Second Imperium hovered in front of him in holographic form, a cowled head as tall as Brakiss"s entire body, a towering image with glittering yellow eyes and a wrinkled face pinched by shadows.
"I grow eager for my domination again, Brakiss," the Emperor said.
"And I am eager to give it to you, my master," Brakiss answered, bowing his head.
Accompanied by four of his powerful red Imperial guards, the Emperor himself had recently taken up residence on the Shadow Academy, arriving in a special armored shuttle. While the fearsome, scarlet-clad guards kept all prying eyes away, the Emperor remained sealed in an opaque isolation chamber. Palpatine had never spoken directly to his loyal Shadow Academy subjects, nor had he even conversed face-to-face with Brakiss. The Emperor had appeared only in holographic transmissions.
"We are ready to launch our strike, my Emperor," Brakiss said. He glanced up at the forbidding image. "My Dark Jedi guarantee you victory."
"Good-because I have no wish to wait further," the Emperor"s image said.
"The remainder of my newly constructed fleet has not yet arrived, though they shall be here within hours. My Imperial warships are presently being refitted with the computer systems stolen from Kashyyyk. My guards report that many vessels are ready to fight, and the rest will be finished shortly."
Brakiss bowed again, clasping his hands in front of him. "I understand, my lord. But let us withhold the military strike force for our next major a.s.sault on the more heavily guarded worlds of the Rebel Alliance. On Yavin 4, we have only a few weakling dogooder Jedi to deal with. They should cause no problem for my Force-trained soldiers."
Inside his shadowy cowl, the Emperor looked skeptical. "Do not let your overconfidence betray you."
Brakiss continued speaking with greater pa.s.sion. He let his feelings come to the fore, is hoping to convince his great leader. "With this important strike on the Jedi academy, the Second Imperium becomes more than just an undisciplined band of pirates raiding equipment. We mean to retake the galaxy, my lord. This battle must be a battle of philosophies, of willpower. This is the Imperial way against the Rebel way-and so it should be my trainees against Skywalker"s, Jedi versus Jedi. A shadow play, if you will, of darkness against light. We still intend to hara.s.s them with TIE fighter strikes from the air, but the main conflict will be direct and personal-as it must be!
We can crush their very hearts, not merely breach their defenses."
Brakiss smiled, looking up to meet the glowing yellow eyes of the Emperor. "And when we defeat them utterly with the powers of the dark side, the remainder of the Rebels will scatter and hide, trembling at their own nightmares, as we recapture what is rightfully ours."
The Emperor"s holographic face did something frighteningly unusual. The withered, puckered lips curled in a satisfied smile.
"Very well. It shall be as you request, Brakiss-Jedi against Jedi. You may begin your a.s.sault when ready."
THE SHADOW ACADEMY dropped its cloaking device, dissolving its shield of invisibility. As the spiked station appeared over Yavin 4, two specially equipped TIE fighters dropped out of its launching bay. Silently moving in tandem, they plunged into the misty atmosphere.
The fighters had been coated with a stealth hull plating to blur their sensor signatures, and the output from their high-powered twin ion engines had been damped. Their mission was to strike in secret, not to provide a show of force.
Commander Orvak swooped into the lead, while the second TIE fighter, flown by his subordinate Dareb, flanked him. Together, they shot around the small moon and skimmed lower into the atmosphere, spiraling entirely around the equator back to the coordinates of the ancient temple ruins where Skywalker had established his Jedi academy.
Orvak flew with the controls gripped in his black-gloved hands. He felt the quiet thrumming of the Imperial fighter"s engines as if he were riding an untamed beast of burden. He piloted with careful concentration, dancing on the air currents, buffeted by thermal updrafts from the jungle below.
"Keep steady," he muttered to himself. This conunando run would require the utmost precision and piloting skill. Along with a new batch of TIE fighter trainees chosen from the ranks of young stormtroopers, Orvak had completed the simulations over and over again enroute to the Yavin system.
But this was the real thing. Now the Emperor was depending on him.
Ma.s.sa.s.si trees formed a chaotic carpet of green below. Gnarled branches thrust above the thick canopy like monster claws. Orvak glided in low, watching the wake of his pa.s.sage disturb treetop creatures who fled from the blast of his hot exhaust.
His companion Dareb spoke over a tight line-of-sight beamed channel. The other pilot"s words were encrypted and descrambled by a special coding system in Orvak"s c.o.c.kpit. "Long-range sensors are picking up the protective energy field, " Dareb said. "The shield generators are right where our covert information said they would be."