The Lost Ones

22

The hangar bay at the base of the Great Temple on Yavin 4 was quiet and cool, welcoming the travelers back to the Jedi academy. The ship sighed as it settled down on the smooth floor. Luke Skywalker emerged from the hatch and stood in the shadows as his students climbed out after him.

| In the days when the Great Temple had been a secret Rebel base on the jungle moon, the hangar bay had been a place of frantic activity, filled with X-wing fighters, noisy equipment, droids, fighter pilots, and miscellaneous weaponry. In recent years, however, this had been a peaceful place of Jedi contemplation.

Luke turned to watch the young Jedi Knights following him out of the Shadow Chaser, the sleek Imperial ship he and Tenel Ka had captured from the Shadow Academy while rescuing Jacen, Jaina, and Lowbacca. Luke’s thoughts were as troubled as the faces of his young students descending the exit ramp.

With the help of the Shadow Academy, a group of renegades calling themselves the Second Imperium was mounting a serious threat against the shaky peace that had been built over the past two decades by the New Republic. They could all sense it, and the battle was brewing, a great battle that would decide the fate of the galaxy.

The Shadow Academy had become more bold in searching for recruits with Jedi potential. In addition, it seemed to be welcoming trainees with no Jedi skills whatsoever—but why? And then there was the theft of hyperdrive cores and turbolaser batteries from the Adamant—components that could be used to build a powerful military fleet. Something big was going to happen—and soon….

Luke had picked the kids up from Coruscant, which had given him an opportunity to see his sister Leia and learn more about the newest Imperial threat to the New Republic. Since then, none of the young Jedi Knights had spoken much, each lost in private thoughts. Now they had arrived back on the jungle moon, where the other students were still training, bringing back the powerful force of Jedi Knights to help strengthen the New Republic. The new government was going to need its Force-trained defenders soon.

Bright sunlight streamed through the broad door of the hangar, bathing the entire bay in light and shadow. Clean shadows. Luke looked up at the sunlight glinting off the burnished quantum armor on the Shadow Chaser.

“The Shadow Chaser is still a beautiful ship.” Jaina’s voice cut into Luke Skywalker’s thoughts. “Look at those lines, the curves.”

“And at least it’s one powerful ship the Shadow Academy doesn’t have anymore,” Jacen added, coming to stand beside them.

Luke nodded. “But it also shows us what our enemies are capable of building. Think of what they can do with that large shipment of hyperdrive cores and turbolaser batteries they just stole.”

Lowie grunted agreement. “This is a fact,” Tenel Ka said.

Luke turned and strode through the open hangar bay doors, and the young Jedi Knights followed him out into the humid sunlight. Droplets of morning dew still sparkled on the Massassi trees and climbing ferns. The jungle air was filled with the scent of sweet growing things and the croaking, rustling, and twittering sounds of exuberant life.

Jacen’s forehead was creased, as if by the weight of his thoughts. He turned and glanced back into the dimness of the hangar bay, catching sight of the Shadow Chaser. He sighed, then finally said what was on his mind. “I still can’t believe that Zekk willingly chose to go to the dark side,” he said. “Uncle Luke, what are we going to do about him? What did we do wrong? He was our friend, and now he’s joined the enemy.”

Jaina spoke through gritted teeth. “It’s our fault for not showing him that he was just as important as anyone else. We didn’t even realize he had Jedi potential. It’s our fault,” she repeated.

Lowie started to snarl a reply, then quickly reached toward his belt and turned off Em Teedee before the little droid could offer a translation.

“It’s not so simple to tell who has Jedi potential and who doesn’t,” Luke said, sensing Jaina’s despair and self-reproach. “Especially if they don’t know it themselves. Even Darth Vader had no idea that your mother Leia had Jedi potential, though he spent quite a lot of time near her. You can’t blame yourself, Jaina.”

Tenel Ka spoke up, a distant look in her cool gray eyes. “Zekk made his own choice for his own reasons,” she said. “We all do.”

“But how could he betray us like that?” Jacen asked.

Jaina winced at the word. “He can’t betray us!” Her voice was hot with the strength of her emotions. “He won’t—he promised. And he’ll be back. I know it.”

“The pull of the dark side is strong,” Luke answered. “It’s possible to turn away from it, but the price is always high. It cost your grandfather his life….

“But there’s always hope—for Zekk, even for Brakiss. We have no way of knowing. One thing I do know, though.” Luke turned his face toward the sunlight and enjoyed the feeling of the free breeze ruffling his hair. “The forces of darkness are gearing up for a full-scale war.”

“Do we have to just wait for them to make the next move?” Jacen asked. “Can’t we try to prepare ourselves for the coming fight?”

Luke looked with pride at each of the young Jedi Knights. “Yes, we can. A great battle is coming,” he said, his voice tinged with both sadness and hope. “The Jedi Knights—all of us—have no choice but to prepare for it.”