Darksaber

by Kevin J. Anderson

  Arm in arm, Luke and Callista followed Threepio along the corridor to the Falcon's glassed-in cockpit where Leia sat just behind Han, leaning over and watching as Chewbacca worked the controls.

  "Glad you could join us, kid," Han said. "Time to get back to work."

  Artoo warbled at the navigation console, and Han yanked back on the controls to slow them to sublight speed. "Welcome to Yavin 4,” Han said, gesturing with his hand. "The Jedi vacation resort."

  The Millennium Falcon shot out of hyperspace, broadcasting an announcement that Luke Skywalker had returned. They plunged toward the jewel-green moon around the orange gas planet ... and nearly rammed into the Super Star Destroyer Knight Hammer.

  "Whoa!" Han cried.

  Chewbacca roared and grabbed the controls, sending the Falcon whizzing up and around, past the kilometers-long Super Star Destroyer.

  "What the--," Han said. "It's not my fault!"

  The Knight Hammer continued to fire upon the jungle moon, but as soon as Han arrived, a few stray turbolaser blasts sliced across space toward them. "Chewie, take evasive!" Han said, but the Wookiee co-pilot was already one step ahead of him.

  "Han," Leia snapped, "stop transmitting your identification signals. You're drawing their attention."

  "Uh, right," Han said with a sheepish look, and slapped at the comm system, switching off the beacon.

  A transmission burst across their speakers, crackling at a high volume because of the power behind the Super Star Destroyer. "This is Admiral Daala, commander of the Knight Hammer. You will surrender immediately or be destroyed."

  Han groaned. Chewbacca roared. Artoo squealed a shrill note of alarm.

  "Admiral Daala! Oh, my!" Threepio said.

  Han toggled the communication system.

  "Daala, you are such a pain," he said, then snapped it off, dodging another burst of turbolaser bolts by flying in a figure eight past the Star Destroyer's targeting locks.

  "Han, stop showing off," Leia said.

  A cloud of TIE fighters spilled out of the fore hangar decks of the Super Star Destroyer, swirling toward the Falcon. "Shields up!" Han said, and Chewbacca grunted in acknowledgment. Han turned back to Luke. "Sheesh, you go away for a few days, and the whole place falls apart."

  Chewbacca roared.

  "Uh, Han," Leia said, pointing. "Han!"

  Two TIE fighters screamed toward them, their laser cannon shots ricocheting off the full-power shields in front of the Falcon. Han punched his own laser cannons, clipped one of the TIE fighters and sent it reeling out of control. The other screamed by without damage.

  "Can we transmit a signal to the New Republic ? Sound the alarm?" Leia shouted. "We've got to get the whole fleet here."

  Chewbacca flicked the comm system and groaned.

  Han looked over at the panels. "She's doing what? That takes a lot of power."

  Threepio said, "I believe Admiral Daala is successfully jamming all distress signals."

  "Terrific," Leia said.

  "Go to the gunwale," Han said.

  "I'll take it," Luke responded.

  "I'll get in the other one," Leia said.

  "You?" Luke asked.

  She shrugged. "I've been practicing." She ran.

  Luke climbed into the gunner's seat and shouted to Han. "Daala's got more ships than we can possibly handle. Don't stick around to fight them. Just get down to the moon." Luke fired the laser cannons, and from below Leia shot and hit another TIE fighter.

  "You sure we wouldn't be better off just hopping back into hyperspace?" Han said in a low voice.

  Callista stood behind him, gripping the back of Han's chair. "The Jedi academy is under attack," she said, knowing exactly the turmoil going through Luke's mind. "We have to help. We need to do whatever we can."

  "All right," Han said. "Chewie, full forward shields. Punch it. We're gonna make a straight line."

  The Millennium Falcon soared beneath the immense Knight Hammer. A flurry of TIE fighters blocked their way, flying in a tight formation as they shot a constant pattern of blasts. Han streaked toward them at full speed. Chewbacca roared in alarm.

  "Oh, but, sir--” Threepio cried.

  "I see 'em," Han said. "They'll move."

  The TIE fighters held their position, still firing. The Falcon's forward shields began to weaken, but Han plunged onward, right down their throats. Luke and Leia in their respective gunwales continued shooting, taking out TIE fighters.

  "Ummm, please get out of the way?" Han muttered.

  At the last possible moment the TIE fighters scrambled aside in such a pell-mell frenzy that two crashed into each other while others spun out of control. The Falcon shot through the defensive formation and grazed the atmosphere of the jungle moon, diving toward the treetops.

  They cruised over the jungle. Billowing black smoke rose from scattered forest fires. Strips of the jungle were ripped up and incinerated where the powerful turbolasers had sliced down from orbit.

  Callista grabbed Luke's arm as he climbed out of the Falcon's gunwale, wearing a boyish grin. "It's been a long time since I've done that." But then his smile faded again. "The Jedi academy must be under attack. We have to get to them."

  "I know," Callista said. "I've already told Han."

  Han called, "Hey, I'm flying as fast as I can." Leia came up to join him. "Great shooting, Leia," he said.

  "Plenty of incentive when the Imperials are using us for target practice," she answered.

  Two TIE fighters soared over the treetops, firing at the Falcon from the sides.

  "These guys just don't give up, do they?" Han muttered. He launched one of his concussion missiles directly at one TIE fighter, which was obviously expecting a laser-cannon retaliation. The TIE fighter tried to veer away, but the sensor on the tip of the concussion missile homed in on the flat panel and detonated, sending Imperial wreckage tumbling out of the sky.

  The second TIE fighter zoomed upward out of range, apparently not wishing to continue the engagement. Below the Falcon, ground assault machinery moved about, mechanical scout walkers and bulky flying fortresses combing the jungle and heading toward the Great Temple .

  "We've got to see if the trainees are okay," Luke said.

  Han looked around. "Well, maybe we could get them all aboard the Falcon, take them to safety."

  Luke flashed Han a grim expression. "I don't think we'll be leaving Yavin 4,” he said.

  "But that's crazy, Luke!" Han said.

  "Look," Luke said, "if it's only a matter of survival, my Jedi trainees would probably do better split up and alone in the jungles than all aboard the Falcon. No insult to your piloting skills, Han, but if we evacuated the Jedi trainees on the Falcon, one lucky strike from Admiral Daala's Star Destroyer would take out nearly every Jedi Knight in the New Republic. I can't risk that. We'll fight here. You can take off. Go back and get help, or stay and fight in some of the ground battles. But the Jedi aren't leaving here."

  "Okay, okay," Han said. "Let's see what the situation is first."

  "Well, if you ask me, I believe I should prefer to attempt an escape," Threepio said.

  "Shut up, Threepio," Leia said.

  "Why is it that nobody ever listens to my opinion?" the golden droid said.

  Han set the Falcon down beside a landed Imperial shuttle in front of the Great Temple . A battered AT-ST walker lay ruined at the edge of the jungle. Forest fires raged nearby; even the great Massassi temple appeared changed, blackened from air strikes, but it seemed structurally intact.

  Luke hoped the Jedi trainees had either taken shelter inside the pyramid or had gone out to hide in the jungles.

  The Falcon's ramp extended, and Luke and Callista were the first to dash out, followed quickly by Han, Leia, and Chewie. Artoo rolled down the ramp, chittering agitated electronic sounds. Threepio hovered at the top. "Perhaps we should stay here, Artoo--to guard the ship," he said. But the little astromech droid gave him an electronic raspberry.

  Luke and Callista hurrie
d toward the temple. The heavy horizontal hangar door ground upward a fraction and a figure appeared as the thunder of battle continued around them. Kyp Durron plodded out into the sunlight, bearing in his arms the limp, blackened body of Dorsk 81. Callista winced, and Luke gasped.

  Kyp's voice was hoarse and strained as the other Jedi trainees flowed out behind him. "There were seventeen other Star Destroyers," he said. "We worked together, linked our abilities with the Force. Dorsk 81 guided us. He took the power upon himself. He got rid of the other Star Destroyers--but it cost us his life."

  With a clanking sound and a crashing of trees, another Imperial scout walker emerged into the clearing, its blaster cannons leveled at the gathered Jedi, but before it could fire a shot, a fiery bolt roared out from one of the Falcon's gunwales, blowing up the scout walker. Its trapezoidal metal head smoldered from a gaping crater where the pilot had sat.

  A moment later a flustered See-Threepio scrambled out onto the boarding ramp. "I did it! Oh dear, did you see that? I said I would guard the ship. Oh my, I shot an Imperial walker! I'm sure I had no intention--” Artoo squealed in triumph.

  Callista turned to Kyp. "We have no time to grieve now," she said.

  "He was a Jedi," Kyp said. "A Jedi Knight."

  "You all are," Luke said. "Come on-- we've got to defend the academy."

  In the jungle they heard more explosions, crashing noises, humming machinery as ground assault vehicles converged on their main target. Han gestured to Leia and Chewbacca. "Come on, back to the Falcon. We'll break out our weapons."

  Luke and Callista moved toward the Jedi trainees, ready to join the fray.

  CHAPTER 51

  "We can spread out and strike the Imperials,” Luke said to the Jedi trainees gathered in front of the Great Temple .

  The mechanized assault troops crashed forward through the jungle, firing at imagined targets. Artoo-Detoo trundled toward the open door of the Great Temple , vanishing into the shelter of the hangar bay's heavy shadows.

  "They'll be here in a moment," Luke said. "If we Jedi can spread out in the jungle, we can hit them with surprise attacks."

  Tionne was concerned. "They're much bigger than we are," she said, "with a lot more firepower."

  "Yes," Kirana Ti said with a stern expression, "but we can hide better than they can."

  "And," Kam Solusar added, "we're Jedi Knights. They're just Imperials."

  Luke smiled at their confidence. "Callista," he said, "maybe you should go with Han and Leia on the Falcon where you'll be safer."

  She shook her head vigorously, the short malt blond hair waving in the humid air. "Not on your life. I'm staying here with you."

  He smiled gently at her. "All right, I'll protect you with my Jedi powers. Just stay close."

  She scowled, suddenly reminded of her inability to use the Force, but her face flushed with a fiery determination. Callista had her lightsaber, and Luke switched on his own green-yellow energy blade. Kirana Ti held Gantoris's old weapon with the harsh amethyst-white glow. Kyp drew his weapon.

  Some of the newer Jedi trainees took hold of the few blasters Kyp had retrieved from the stolen Imperial shuttle. Luke held his lightsaber high. "Jedi Knights," he called, "may the Force be with you!" The trainees split up and disappeared into the jungle thickets.

  As damp vines and tangled undergrowth wrapped around her, Kirana Ti stuck close to Streen. They made an odd pair, but the addled Bespin hermit was her good friend. Kirana Ti was strong and muscular, tall, a warrior even without the Force. Streen, on the other hand, was self-absorbed and distracted, wanting primarily to be left alone. Kirana Ti accepted him as he was. She knew he held great power within him when confidence let him tap into his full potential. Together, they formed a solid team.

  Imperial siege machines crashed toward them, another troop of gawky scout walkers clomping through the underbrush. They blasted trees out of their way, knocked down heavy branches, and ripped up vines that tangled around their cumbersome, jointed legs.

  "They're not trying very hard to be quiet,” Kirana Ti said. "Bad tactics. Shows overconfidence."

  "What's their plan?" Streen said, twisting from side to side. "What's our plan? Does anyone have a plan? We should plan."

  She took cover in the shadow of a thicket and yanked him after her, squinting toward the approaching AT-ST'S. Sweat beaded on her brow, and she brushed it away. Kirana Ti gripped the smooth handle of her lightsaber. "The Imperials didn't expect much resistance from a handful of trainees, so they're not organized. It's just a mad scramble with plenty of weapons and no plan."

  "No plan," Streen agreed, nodding vigorously.

  A pair of AT-ST walkers stomped into the clearing. Before she could stop him, Streen popped to his feet and chattered, "I'll take care of these!" He rushed out to stand in plain sight of the two square-headed scout machines.

  "Streen!" she yelled. Both walkers swiveled their boxy heads and trained weapons on the old hermit, but Streen raised his fists in the air and let out a loud yell as he swept his arms forward, using the Force to propel a battering ram of wind.

  Kirana Ti was amazed at the speed with which he focused his mind on the Force, channeled his thoughts into exactly what he wanted to do, and then unleashed his powers. Or perhaps Streen didn't concentrate at all ... and therein lay his unusual strength.

  The two scout transports toppled backward as if they had been slapped by a giant hand, tumbled end over end until they slammed into the bole of an ancient Massassi tree, flattened by the Force. Streen rubbed his hands together. "There," he said, then flashed a lopsided grin at Kirana Ti.

  A third scout walker clomped out of the jungle, and Kirana Ti reacted swiftly this time, igniting her lightsaber and leaping toward the two-legged armored transport. She slashed sideways with the glowing purple-white blade and severed a mechanical leg at its knee. The scout walker toppled sideways and Kirana Ti jumped out of the way.

  The pilot fired his laser cannons as the machine fell, but the bolts went wide, incinerating heavy branches from the trees. Hidden animals crouching in the underbrush burst into flight, squawking and shrieking as they scrambled through the forest debris.

  Kirana Ti lopped open the armored hatch of the scout walker. The Imperial soldier inside scrambled to free himself from the crash netting, reaching for his blaster pistol--but Kirana Ti skewered him with the blazing lightsaber. He gave a short cry, and then a crackling hole in his chest prevented him from uttering another sound.

  Kirana Ti climbed to the top of the smoldering hulk of the AT-ST like a warrior who had just vanquished a monster. Streen stood looking at the two vehicles he had crushed. Kirana Ti shouted to him. "Three down!" she said.

  "Are there many more left?" he asked, sounding concerned.

  "Plenty," she said.

  Still wearing his perpetual frown, Kam Solusar met the Juggernaut alone. It was an ancient, cumbersome ground assault vehicle, obsolete throughout most of the Empire, though many old hulks could still be found in the Outer Rim Territories . Solusar remembered these massive "rolling slabs" that had been used to strike fear in Imperial opponents because of their mammoth size, though certainly not their efficiency or flexibility.

  The Juggernaut was a huge tank bristling with three heavy-laser cannons, a pair of concussion-grenade launchers, and one medium-blaster cannon. Its five sets of wheels moved on independent axles, allowing it to roll through difficult terrain. The front and back ends each held a cockpit for pilots to drive the clumsy vehicle in either direction, since it was nearly impossible to turn the monstrosity around.

  A lookout tower rose in a narrow unprotected stem above the front cockpit where the lowest-ranking stormtrooper had the unenviable assignment of spotting targets--whichile becoming the most obvious target himself. Because the Juggernaut was one of the least sophisticated heavy assault vehicles the Empire had designed, Kam Solusar assumed that its crew was not the best Admiral Daala's fleet had to offer.

  Alone, he had no obvious weapons:
he had not yet built a new lightsaber, in part out of reluctance to wield such power again; he had done plenty of damage before he had temporarily given up his Jedi heritage. But he considered it a greater irony if he could convince the Imperials to destroy themselves using their own weapons. He couldn't imagine a more delightful outcome.

  Reaching out with the Force, the hard-bitten warrior sensed the crew of eight through the thick durasteel armor. He found no powerful or charismatic officer inside, just a group of weak-minded fools ... exactly as he had expected.

  Kam Solusar didn't even bother showing himself. He remained hidden behind an ancient tree as he closed his eyes and concentrated. This would need to be quick.

  He used the Force to wrench the barrels of the Juggernaut's heavy laser cannons, punching the guns around to point down at the body of the vehicle itself. Welds shivered and metal strained as he ground the barrels into firing positions they had never been designed to use.

  Then he sent out a spike of thought, an urgent message to the weakest mind he found, a simple Imperial gunner who had no idea where he was or why he was fighting.

  Shoot the enemy! Kam Solusar commanded. Reflexively, the gunner followed the order. He fired both heavy laser cannons at full power. The Imperial Juggernaut exploded under its own fire.

  Kam Solusar ducked, but the trunk of the Massassi tree shielded him from the flying shrapnel. He shook his head in disgust. "Stupid idiots," he thought, then slipped off to seek another target.

  The horizontal hangar door beneath the Great Temple stood wide open , a gaping vulnerability into the pyramid stronghold of the Jedi academy.

  A single AT-ST clanked forward past the abandoned Imperial shuttle Dorsk 81 had landed on the jungle moon. The scout walker fired several times, blackening parts of the temple rock. Then, unchallenged, it strode across the landing grid toward the open and waiting hangar.

  The walker hesitated outside, then brilliant white spotlights stabbed into the cavernous darkness of the hangar bay. Nothing moved in the empty hangar, only shadows thick and motionless. A few lizard-rodents scurried to avoid the light.