Shadow Academy

22

Jacen and Jaina crowded together, pushing closer to the transmission area in the Jedi academy’s Comm Center as the image of Han and Leia came into focus. The twins cried out their greetings.

Han Solo laughed in delight. “Looks like I didn’t have to come after you kids in the Falcon after all!”

“And I didn’t have to mobilize the whole New Republic to rescue you.” Leia beamed. “We got Luke’s report yesterday. The scouts I had out searching for you kids are already looking for the Shadow Academy.” In the background, Chewbacca roared a message in the Wookiee language to Lowie, who responded in kind.

In the Comm Center, Luke Skywalker stood next to Artoo-Detoo, letting the excited young Jedi Knights talk. Jacen’s words tumbled out in a rush. “Lando Calrissian says something like this can never happen again. He’s already working with his assistant Lobot to come up with refinements to GemDiver Station’s security. I think he’s even going to use Corusca gems somehow.”

Luke spoke up. “Yes, but I doubt the Shadow Academy will come here again to look for new trainees. We know what Brakiss is up to now—I suspect he’ll go somewhere else for potential new Dark Jedi.”

“But we brought the Shadow Academy’s best ship back with us,” Jaina said. “And you should see the design. State-of-the-art. Not like any of the models in the manuals, Dad!”

Luke put a hand on her shoulder. “We need to offer it to the New Republic, Jaina. It isn’t ours—”

Han interrupted. “Hey, Luke, you need us to send some mechanics over to check out the ship, try to figure out its design?”

Luke shrugged. “Go right ahead if you want, but I’ve got a skilled mechanic and an electronics specialist right here on Yavin 4, ready to start on the project right away—Jaina and Lowie.”

Leia flashed a bright, warm smile. “All right, Luke. We’ll send our engineers to study it, but you keep the ship there. Use it when you need to. You earned it rescuing Jacen, Jaina, and Lowie. Besides, you’re an important part of the New Republic. We’ll all feel better knowing you’ve got a safe, fast ship when you go running off across the galaxy—and don’t tell me you’ve forgotten how to fly a fast ship!”

Luke gave an embarrassed chuckle. “No, I haven’t forgotten—but I could still use the practice.”

Jaina and Lowbacca sat in her quarters, tinkering with the holographic projector, making a coarse schematic of their new ship, the Shadow Chaser. The schematic was not as accurate as the one they had made of Lowie’s T-23 skyhopper, but they would refine it as they learned more about the Imperial ship.

Lowie roared as the hologram lost its focus.

“Master Lowbacca says that he most fervently hopes a comet will crash into the vacation home of the designer of this subsystem,” said Em Teedee from the clip on Lowie’s belt.

Lowie growled down at the miniature translator droid. Em Teedee had been completely purged of his corrupted Imperial programming, and the irritating little droid was now back to his normal self.

“Well, how am I supposed to know that you don’t wish me to translate Wookiee epithets?” the little droid said defensively. “Although you must admit, I certainly captured the feeling well. Why, think of all the idioms I have to parse during a single—”

Lowie switched Em Teedee off with a satisfied grunt.

Tenel Ka entered the Comm Center, feeling well rested. No nightmares had plagued her since her return to Yavin 4. She wondered what would happen now that a new order of Nightsisters had appeared on Dathomir, joining forces with the Empire, but at least they did not haunt her dreams.

Tenel Ka made contact with the Hapan Royal Household; she spoke to her parents, assured them that she was unharmed, and passed along greetings from the Singing Mountain Clan. Then, steeling herself for a set of imperious orders, she asked to speak with her grandmother, the Royal Matriarch.

When her grandmother’s face appeared on the screen behind its customary half veil, her eyes carried a smile and something else Tenel Ka wasn’t sure she could read—surprise?

“Thank you for remembering to call. My sources tell me I should be very proud of you,” the Matriarch said, with what seemed to be genuine pleasure. “I’m sorry that my ambassador wasn’t able to visit you. Now, I’m afraid the meeting will be delayed indefinitely. I was forced to send Yfra on an urgent errand to the Duros system.”

Tenel Ka’s mouth opened, but she could not think of a response.

“But you’ll forgive a concerned grandmother if she tries to find a way to look out for her granddaughter from a distance, won’t you? One or two unobtrusive guards in a nearby system, perhaps? I think that might be the best thing for both of us.”

The image of her grandmother leaned forward to turn off the communication link, but just as the connection broke the Matriarch whispered, “Besides, I have a feeling you weren’t terribly disappointed to miss Ambassador Yfra.”

“This,” Tenel Ka muttered, “is a fact.” And she realized it was the first time in years that she had agreed with her grandmother.

Jacen stood atop the Great Temple on Yavin 4, waiting for Master Skywalker. In the aftermath of the mornings rainstorm, reflected orange light from the giant planet pierced the gray clouds overhead and gilded their edges with a warm glow. The light breeze ruffled his hair and spattered him with an occasional raindrop.

As much as he dreaded the reprimand Uncle Luke was almost certain to deliver, Jacen was glad to be back on the jungle moon. In the day since their return from the Shadow Academy, the Jedi Master had already spoken privately with Jaina and with Lowie. Though he had no idea what Luke had said to either of them, both had been quiet and reserved afterward.

And now it was his turn.

Jacen sensed Master Skywalker’s presence even without seeing him as Luke came to stand quietly next to him. For a long time, neither said a word, as if by mutual agreement. Gradually Jacen relaxed. He was ready for anything the Jedi Master had to say to him.

Almost anything.

“Take this,” Luke said, pressing a metallic cylinder into Jacen’s hands. “Show me what you learned.”

Surprised, Jacen looked down at Luke’s lightsaber. The weapon was solid and heavy, its handle warm as his own skin. He hefted it, studied it, ran a finger along the ridges of its grip up to the ignition stud. His eyes closed. In his mind, he could hear the hum of the lightsaber, feel its pulsing rhythm as the weapon sliced through the air….

Jacen opened his eyes and squared his shoulders. “This is what I learned,” he said, handing the lightsaber back to the Jedi Master without igniting it. “You were right: I’m not ready. The weapon of the Jedi is not to be taken up lightly.”

“Even so, you learned to use it. Didn’t Brakiss teach you?”

Jacen nodded. “I’m physically capable. I know how to fight an opponent with it—but I’m not sure I’m ready mentally. Maybe I’m not mature enough emotionally.”

“You didn’t enjoy the fighting as much as you had thought you would?” Luke raised his eyebrows.

“Yes. No. Well, yes—I learned some things…. I’m just not sure they were the right things. A lightsaber isn’t just some impressive tool to dazzle and amaze your friends. It’s such a big responsibility. One mistake could get an innocent person killed.”

Luke nodded, his blue eyes twinkling with understanding. “It sometimes feels like too great a responsibility, even to me. But the Force guides us as we fight. Not simply how to defeat our enemies—but also to know when not to defeat them.”

Their eyes locked. “Even if what our enemies teach or do is evil?” Jacen said.

Luke Skywalker’s gaze did not waver. “No one is completely evil. Or completely good.” He flashed a rueful smile. “At least nobody I’ve ever met.”

“But Brakiss—” Jacen began.

“Brakiss passes the teachings of the dark side on to his students. You heard him teach. But a teacher is not always right. And because you thought for yourself, you knew not to believe him.” Master Skywalker nodded approvingly.

Jacen thought this over. “Brakiss let me do what I wanted to do more than anything else: practice with a lightsaber. But I couldn’t trust him. He was hoping to turn me to the dark side, to use me for the Empire. I do trust you, though. You were right about the lightsaber, and I’ll wait until you think I’m ready.”

Luke looked up toward the clouds, which were breaking up, letting more and more light through. “With the Shadow Academy out there, and the young Dark Jedi that Brakiss is training, I’m afraid that time will come all too soon.”

When the Empire died, they were born—a new hope for the New Republic. The young twins of Han Solo and Princess Leia are now fourteen, and enrolled at Luke Skywalker’s Jedi academy on Yavin 4. Together with friends both old and new, the future heroes of an already legendary saga begin their training.

The Dark Jedi Brakiss—the student Luke Skywalker expelled from his academy—has learned much since he left. Enough to master the dark side of the Force. And enough to establish his own school for training Jedi—the Shadow Academy.

But now Brakiss has been given an even greater task. Not only must he create a sinister legion of Dark Jedi to serve the Empire, he must undertake a challenge not even Darth Vader and the Emperor could meet: Kidnap the heirs of the Skywalker bloodline, and turn them to the dark side of the Force…