STAR WARS
JEDI PRINCE: SHADOWS OF OBI-WAN
The Adventure Continues...
It was an era of darkness, a time when the evil Empire ruled the galaxy. Fear and terror spread across every planet and moon as the Empire tried to crush all who resisted-but still the Rebel Alliance survived.
The headquarters of the Alliance Senate are located in a cluster of ancient temples hidden within the rain forest on the fourth moon of Yavin. It was the senate that now led the valiant fight to establish a new galactic government, and to restore freedom and justice to the galaxy. In pursuit of this quest, Mon Mothma, the Rebel Alliance leader, organized the Senate Planetary Intelligence Network, also known as SPIN.
SPIN conducts its perilous missions with the help of Luke Skywalker and his pair of droids known as See-Threepio (C-3P0) and Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2). Other members of SPIN include the beautiful Princess Leia Organa; Han Solo, the dashing pilot of the spaceship Millennium Falcon; Han's copilot Chewbacca, a hairy alien Wookiee; and Lando Calrissian, the former governor of Cloud City on the planet Bespin.
Lando now runs a space theme park known as Hologram Fun World. He had been forced to abandon his post as Governor of Cloud City after gambling away his position to Zorba the Hutt, a sluglike alien who is the father of the deceased gangster Jabba the Hutt.
Luke Skywalker and his twin sister Princess Leia follow the path of the Jedi. The Jedi Knights, an ancient society of brave and noble warriors, believed that victory comes not just from physical strength but from a mysterious power called the Force. The Force lies hidden deep within all things. It has two sides, one side that can be used for good, the other side a power of absolute evil.
Guided by the Force, and by the spirit of his first Jedi teacher, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker was led to the legendary Lost City of the Jedi. Deep underground on the fourth moon of Yavin, the Lost City proved to be the home of a twelve-year-old boy named Ken, said to be a Jedi Prince. Ken had no human friends and had never before left the Lost City to journey aboveground. He knew nothing of his origins-only that he had been brought to the Lost City by a Jedi Knight in a brown robe-and had been raised from early childhood by a loyal group of caretaker droids who had once served the ancient Jedi Knights. Ken has since left the underground city and joined Luke and the Rebel Alliance.
With the Empire's evil leaders, Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader, now destroyed, a new era has begun. A bitter feud developed between Kadann, the Supreme Prophet of the Dark Side, and Trioculus, a three-eyed tyrant who was formerly Supreme Slavelord of the spice mines of the planet Kessel.
An impostor, Trioculus falsely claimed to be Emperor Palpatine's son. With help from Kadann and the Imperial grand moffs, Trioculus was aided in his rise to power so they could all share the rule of the Empire. Trioculus eventually failed in his rule and Kadann wrested control of the Empire for himself, although the grand moffs remained loyal to Trioculus.
The evil Emperor Palpatine did have a three-eyed son-Triclops, whose existence was kept secret. For most of Triclops's life, he remained a prisoner of the Empire, locked away in Imperial insane asylums. Eventually he escaped from the Imperial Reprogramming Institute on the planet Duro and denounced his father's Empire. After being discovered by Luke Skywalker, Ken, and Han Solo, he took refuge with the Rebel Alliance.
While Trioculus and the grand moffs were feuding with Kadann, they also had a dispute with Zorba the Hutt. Trioculus eventually defeated Zorba by tossing the old Hutt into the Mouth of Sarlacc at the Great Pit of Carkoon on Tatooine, expecting to be rid of him at last. But still Zorba survived when the Sarlacc spit him out, unable to digest the slimy Hutt's sluglike body.
Having also captured Princess Leia, Trioculus tried to turn her to the Dark Side, wanting to marry her and make her the Queen of the Empire. However, his plans were thwarted by a clever Alliance plan and a new Rebel weapon-the Human Replica Droid, which was a lifelike droid built to resemble the Princess. It fired lasers from its eyes, striking Trioculus in the chest and killing him.
Safely rescued from the Imperial Moffship, Princess Leia and Han Solo intended to resume their wedding plans, but not by eloping at Hologram Fun World as they attempted before. Instead, it was to be a formal ceremony at the Alliance Senate. Everything should have proceeded according to plan - until Kadann and his Prophets of the Dark Side ruined the ceremony!
Now the young Ken, having just learned about his true heritage, sets out on a quest to defeat the evil that has corrupted his family. To do so, he must get in touch with the Force, and the shadowey figure of the legendary Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi...
Chapter 1
Sweet Revenge
With a cry of rage, the Dark Warrior lunged at the stormtroopers surrounding him. The fearsome figure, who went by the name of Azrakel, used a long metal staff as a weapon, with which he struck the white-clad soldiers as they approached him.
The warrior towered over the Imperial soldiers by far, was dressed in a red warrior robe that could not hide his muscular figure, and wore his flaming red hair braided into a pigtail. A dark breathing mask, slightly reminiscent of the dreaded face of the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader, covered the lower half of his face.
Now completely given over to his rage and fury, Azrakel struck with both ends of the heavy metal staff at the dozen heavily armored soldiers who slowly began to retreat as more and more of them ended up lying injured on the floor of the chamber.
The dark warrior detested their cowardice.
''Don't you dare try to escape now! Such cowardly rabble as you disgust me!"
With a furious yell, Azrakel lunged at three of the soldiers who had retreated to the far side of the chamber. He struck with his staff, a blow to the leg here, a thrust to the stomach there, and as his hatred for these wimps reached its peak, a smashing blow right into the face of one of the stormtroopers, destroying his helmet, as well as his face beneath it.
''Hah,'' the warrior shouted triumphantly.
''That's enough! Azrakel, drop your weapon, the men are finished!''
The dark warrior, sweaty but not displeased, realized that the voice spoke the truth. The dozen stormtroopers, the best the Glorious Empire had to offer in terms of soldiers, lay mostly motionless on the cold, slick ground.
The warrior turned to face the owner of the voice, a scrawny, foppish human with a greasy shock of black hair already showing gray and a brow as wrinkled as the canyons of the desert world of Tatooine.
Without showing the slightest fear, the admiral walked with a proud stride toward the Dark Warrior. Azrakel knew that his "ally" was displeased, if not angry. Even though he had only known him for a very short time, Azrakel was able to judge this by now, because whenever the Admiral became indignant, saliva ran out of the left side of his mouth. This explained his annoying habit of constantly running the back of his hand over his mouth, a movement that after a while was no longer noticeable, precisely because the admiral repeated it so often during the day.
The Admiral stopped directly in front of Azrakel and looked up at him slightly, yet the man did not seem pathetic at all compared to the Dark Warrior.
Afsheen Makati did have a certain charisma about him, which probably stemmed largely from the fact that most people simply assumed that a Grand Admiral of the Emperor should look imposing, and therefore convinced themselves that he did. In fact, for one of the legendary Twelve Grand Admirals, Makati did not stand out too much. He was a member of this group of brilliant tacticians and warriors, the absolute best of the best in the Galactic Empire, but how he came to hold this coveted position was something of a mystery, as Makati's career prior to his promotion did not reveal any special talents. He had basically been plain mediocre, and never stood out from the long line of Imperial soldiers.
The only quality that made Makati stand out among the men of the Empire was his insane vindictiveness, a trait he had in common with the Dark Warrior standing before him. ''It would be truly gratifying if you could stop wasting my soldiers on your training exercises, Azrakel!''
Now the admiral, whose face was red with anger, was already salivating from the left corner of his mouth. "We only have a few men available for this operation! It's bad enough I couldn't call in more units, but to watch you take out dozens of my best men for fun -!"
"These are supposed to be your best men, Admiral?! Those pathetic worms weren't even worthy of me using the Force against them! Let alone raise a real weapon against them!''
At these words, the Dark Warrior drew the metal cylinder hanging from his belt and activated the glowing red blade of the lightsaber.
''Your soldiers are a disgrace! They do not deserve to be called warriors! And they certainly don't deserve to have my glorious weapon taste their blood.''
With a slash, Azrakel struck the ground with the blade, leaving a hot scorch mark. Then he turned back to Makati, switched off the blade, and hung the lightsaber back on his belt.
''Save your talk of the Force and your warrior pride, and stay focused on our target!'' Makati turned away and motioned Azrakel to follow him.
"We will soon arrive in the Yavin system, and once there, you will immediately accompany me to the Fourth Moon. If this legendary Lost City of the Jedi is indeed there, which I assume based on your testimony and my own reports, he will certainly want to reach that place as well."
"Kadann!" The Dark Warrior spat out the name as if it were an obscene insult.
"Yes, the Supreme Prophet of the Dark Side," Makati confirmed with the same disgust in his voice as Azrakel.
"That wretched imp in his silly, glittering robe! At last I shall be able to settle accounts with him!" Makati rubbed his hands together in grim anticipation.
The admiral and the warrior had by now arrived on the bridge of the Star Destroyer Steadfast, and First Officer Vivant approached the two, keeping a respectful distance.
"Admiral, we will reach the Yavin system shortly. No doubt the rebels at their base will detect our arrival -"
"That is meaningless! As soon as we arrive in the system we will send a ship to the surface of Yavin 4. If the rebels send their own fighters to attack the Steadfast we will be able to shoot them down with ease. But I don't think they will try to cause us problems. They know as well as we do that such a fight is tantamount to suicide for their fighter-pliots."
The admiral dismissed Vivant with a wave, and turned back to Azrakel, who had paid no attention to the conversation, instead looking out into hyperspace.
The dark warrior turned away from the viewport and toward Makati.
"You never told me the whole story of what my former master did to you that you now loathe him so much."
Makati stood close to Azrakel and began to speak softly so the rest of the bridge crew would not overhear their conversation.
"It happened several years ago, before the Emperor's first Death Star was destroyed," the admiral began with a frown.
"I received an order to investigate some rumors of rebel activity on Thila. For this, the Steadfast received support from Kadann because the Emperor supported him and his Dark Side prophets. Everything seemed to be going smoothly at first, until -!"
Saliva dripped from the admiral's mouth again in mock anger at the shameful memory, which he absentmindedly wiped away.
"Yes, until that bearded wretch cursed by Xendor overheard Vivan, that bug-eyed imbecile, making fun of the Prophet's glittering robe with some other officers."
Azrakel leaned forward with interest, already anticipating what would come next. "Kadann held me responsible! Forced me to my knees with blue bolts of pure energy he could shoot from his fingers! Told me to get my men under control!"
Makati's face was flushed red with rage, and he managed to keep his voice lowered only with extreme difficulty. "I will never forget this humiliation! What that dwarf did to me in front of my own men! Yes, but now, Azrakel, I will finally get my revenge! My sweet, sweet revenge!"
The admiral clenched his fists in excitement, his face contorted into a crazed grin.
"My revenge, as well as theirs, Admiral." The warrior wrinkled his nose." The only reason that has made me ally myself with the Empire once again is the prospect of revenge against my old master. And I will greatly enjoy using the skills he once taught me against him now!"
The Admiral turned away from the window and walked along the bridge, Azrakel at his side.
"But remember - Kadann is our most urgent target. Now that we know where the Lost City of the Jedi is, thanks to you, we can probably wait for the Prophet to show up there as well. From what you told me, he can't resist that. So the Rebels and their base on Yavin 4 don't interest us, although we may be able to destroy them after we take on Kadann."
The Dark Warrior was anything but pleased by Makati's order. He beat his chest proudly, "I am a warrior, Makati! If there is a worthy opponent for me in that wretched jungle down there, I will face him whether you approve or not! Especially if it's that one Jedi Knight."
The admiral screwed up his face in annoyance. "From the reports I've received, I don't think there's just the Jedi Skywalker among the Rebels anymore. There is also said to be a Jedi Prince among them now, and the Prophet seems to have an interest in the young one."
"A prince, you say? A boy? How pathetic. There is nothing honorable in fighting an effeminate, weak child."
But now, as the Steadfast exited hyperspace with a jolt and arrived in the Yavin system, Azrakel thought he would strike down this so-called "Jedi Prince" without hesitation should he have the pleasure of encountering him down there on Yavin 4.
Chapter 2
Wedding Crasher
Ever since he had learned that he was the grandson of the evil Emperor Palpatine, the young Jedi Prince had been emotionally troubled. But now, on this festive occasion, the wedding of Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa at the Massassi Temple on Yavin 4, Ken felt genuine he stood with Luke Skywalker on the steps leading to the raised dais where the groom waited, a smile twitched across his face as he took in the scene.
He and Luke, dressed in their best uniforms, the highly polished droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, the hairy giant Chewbacca, and dozens of other members of SPIN - the Senate Planetary Intelligence Network - had gathered in the Great Hall where the Rebel Alliance had once celebrated the victory over the destruction of the dreaded Death Star. Here, Princess Leia had awarded medals to the two heroes of the battle, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, to loud cheers.
Now it was the princess herself who stood at the other end of the hall in an elaborate dress and with a bouquet of flowers in her hand, getting ready to take the first steps towards the altar with a slight smile on her lips.
Ken's joy was somewhat dampened, however, when he had to think again of his father, the mutant, three-eyed son of the late Emperor, Triclops. Although he loathed the Empire, Triclops was forced by an implant in his tooth to obey the orders of his evil masters. And recently, under orders from the Imperials, he had managed to escape from his cell on Yavin 4 and flee into the jungle.
Ken briefly touched his left pocket, which contained the short letter Triclops had written to him, Ken, before he was overcome by madness. In that letter, Triclops asked his son not to lose faith in him, no matter what might happen. And if he did, he should at least continue to put his faith firmly in the Force until the two of them would meet again one day.
Ken had not given up hope of seeing his father again. In fact, at that moment, as Princess Leia walked gracefully toward the altar, Ken felt Triclops' presence very clearly.
It was more than a mere feeling. It was almost as...
Ken's gaze jerked to the front gate of the Great Hall about two seconds before it was blown open with a loud boom.
Out of the smoke of the explosion, figures in white armor suddenly stormed the hall - Imperial Stormtroopers!
The sinister figures took position and opened fire with their blasters on the assembled guests.
The guests, taken completely by surprise by the sudden appearance of the enemy soldiers, stood rooted to the spot in shock until the stormtroopers' erratic fire finally made them take cover. Han Solo carried himself and Mon Mothma, who was to perform the marriage, to safety. Like everyone present, the famed Corellian had no weapon with him, so escape was the only option.
The astromech droid R2-D2 emitted a shrill scream as a gunshot slammed into the wall dangerously close to him. Meanwhile, the protocol droid C-3PO again bemoaned his fate as he frantically ran for cover waving his arms.
''Oh, no! We're doomed!''
Princess Leia nimbly got to her brother, Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, who in turn was already in the process of pulling Ken out of the stormtrooper's line of fire with her.
Within seconds, pure chaos had erupted in the Great Hall. Members of various species ran around screaming and looking for cover, some fell victim to the soldiers' shots, others barely managed to save themselves, but no one had the chance to return fire.
Fortunately, armed guards from other areas of the temple came running and returned the imperial fire. However, even the guards were forced to take cover to avoid being mowed down by the random continuous fire of the stormtroopers.
Luke, Leia and Ken had managed to get to safety behind an overturned table, and when Ken dared to take a look at the attackers, a cold horror ran through him.
Next to the white-clad imperial stormtroopers, who were firing randomly into the hall, was another figure, a man with white hair, and ragged clothing.
Triclops.
Who, like the soldiers, held a blaster in his hand and fired wildly, an expression on his face that could be hatred, disgust, or both.
No! thought Ken. It must be Kadann controlling my father! But isn't the Prophet still trapped in the depths beneath Yavin 4, in the Lost City of the Jedi?
Suddenly Ken stood up, and stepped out from his hiding place. Luke looked at the young Jedi prince in amazement.
''Ken, what are you doing -''
But Ken did not hear him. His gaze was fixed firmly on Triclops, who had apparently not noticed his son's presence until now.
''Father,'' Ken called out to him. The three-eyed son of the Emperor ceased firing and turned to the source of that exclamation, and an expression of pain flitted across his face. He dropped his blaster and rubbed his temples as if he had a particularly bad headache. For a moment it looked as if he was going to sink to his knees, wracked by pain, but then Triclops let out a bloodcurdling scream and ran out of the ruined gate through which he had entered. The handful of Stormtroopers in the hall then ceased fire and rushed after the madly shrieking son of the Emperor, but not before the mighty Wookiee Chewbacca managed to grab two of them and slam them into a wall with force.
''Groawwwr!" the Wookiee exclaimed, arms raised to the ceiling.
After making sure the attackers were indeed gone, the distraught wedding guests emerged from their hiding places. The surviving guards secured the hall in case the Imperials returned.
Han rushed to the princess and made sure she was all right, while Luke approached Ken.
"I knew he would show up," Ken said, glancing at Luke. "I could sense his presence before he came through the gate." Luke nodded. "The Force connects all life, and someone capable of using the Force can sense the presence of those close to them more clearly than others." Ken saw Han and Leia moving around the hall, helping the injured. Any thoughts of their marriage were gone, the ceremony ruined by the sudden and senseless attack by the Imperials.
But wait!
Ken turned to Luke again.
"Where did those stormtroopers come from? We would have known if an Imperial ship had landed on Yavin 4! And what was the point of this senseless slaughter anyway, and this hasty escape? We were all unarmed, they could have destroyed us with ease!"
Luke's expression became serious. "That's what I noticed, too. And unfortunately, there is only one explanation I can think of where those soldiers came from and what the purpose of that attack was. Quick, we need to get to the hangar! Chewie!"
''Roooarrgh ur roo!''
Luke began to run and Ken had to strain to keep up with the Jedi Knight, but the proud Wookiee warrior ran with a strength and ferocity that amazed the young Jedi Prince.
Arriving at the hangar, the three found nothing conspicuous. And that was exactly the problem.
''This is where we had housed the Scardia Voyager, Kadann's ship. And now it's gone.''
Luke turned to Ken with a sad look on his face. ''Just like Triclops.''
Ken swallowed hard as he realized what Luke had also already realized. The stormtroopers who had interrupted the wedding ceremony had been Kadann's men. But since they had been imprisoned with the Prophet in the Lost City of the Jedi, this could only mean one thing.
Ken looked at Luke, trying unsuccessfully to keep his emotions out of his voice. "Kadann and his men are free. They were just trying to distract us with the attack while they took back their damaged ship. And my father is with them now - he was the one who freed Kadann from the Lost City!"
Chewbacca let out a quivering growl, and Luke put a hand on the boy's shoulder.
Ken couldn't return Luke's sympathetic look. Instead, he reached again to his pocket and felt for the letter his father had left him. He would not give it up. And he would see him again.
Chapter 3
New Enemies
''We have to save him.''
Luke looked at the young man sympathetically. He knew all too well what was going on inside Ken right now; after all, Luke himself had once experienced something similar. And now Luke came to a hard realization: he was afraid. Afraid of instructing Ken. Not afraid of Ken, oh no; Luke was afraid of giving the young Jedi Prince the wrong advice. Of disappointing him, and making mistakes.
All at once Luke realized that he had doubts about being a teacher. But he had to try. He owed it to the brave young man standing in front of him, who had already been through so much.
Luke put an arm on Ken's shoulder. ''We will, Ken. We will save your father.''
Chewbacca gave a sympathetic growl and put a hand on Ken's other shoulder. The three of them were still standing like that when C-3PO frantically approached them.
''Oh no, it's quite horrible! The sheer lunacy of it!''
''Take it easy, 3PO, the Imperials are all gone by now. They got what they wanted, and are probably on their way back to their base by now,'' Luke said in an attempt to calm the golden protocol droid.
''That's not what I'm worried about, Master Luke! It has just been reported that an Imperial Star Destroyer has arrived in the Yavin system! This can only mean that there will be a major attack! They will surely fire on the temple and we will be buried under the rubble! Oh no!'
C-3PO took a horrified step backward as the giant Chewbacca stepped past him and ran back to Han and the others. Then the droid hurried briskly after him.
''Luke, wait!" said Ken as the Jedi Knight tried to follow the Wookiee and the droid.''You have to promise me something. No matter what else happens now, I want you to train me in the use of the Force. I want to learn everything I can, should it help free my father.''
There it was. Luke's greatest hope, and his greatest fear. A true student.
Luke stood there silently for a moment, using the Force to clear his senses and relax, then looked directly at Ken.
''It would be my honor to train you in the use and understanding of the Force, Ken. But be warned! You want to learn its use to save your father. This is a noble cause, but it can also be dangerous. For if you want to acquire new powers in the Force to fight against Kadann and his followers, you are impressionable by the dark side of the Force.''
Ken swallowed. That was his greatest fear, too. He hated Kadann for everything the evil prophet had done to him, and to his father. But Ken did not want to fall prey to the Dark Side. Ever since he knew of his kinship to the late Emperor Palpatine, this fear had grown within him. Palpatine's shadow lay over Ken and his entire future.
Yet he knew he had to save Triclops. He was a helpless victim of the dark prophet. Kadann had to be stopped.
''I will not fail you. And the dark side will never take possession of me! I swear it!''
Luke knew this was easier said than done, but he nodded encouragingly to Ken. ''Alright, we'll start your training as soon as we solve this problem. So, come!''
Together they ran to the control room, where Han, Leia, and Chewbacca were joined by the two droids, Mon Mothma, and Admiral Ackbar.
''There you are at last, boy, we were getting nervous here.'' Han gave Luke a distraught look. Leia, who was standing next to him, still wearing her - now dirty - wedding dress, looked worried but composed.
Luke was desperate to comfort his sister and best friend - he knew they were both depressed about the interruption of their wedding. He was about to say something to that effect when Han beat him to it.
''Don't worry about the messed up wedding. I'm sure once we have time and peace again, the second attempt will go better.''
This earned him a tentative smile from Leia, who then turned to Luke.
''It's good that you're both here now. The Star Destroyer in orbit hasn't opened fire or dropped any troops yet, so we're hoping they'll contact us.''
Even as Leia spoke, a signal came in. Indeed! A transmission from the Star Destroyer had just come in.
The fish-eyed Admiral Ackbar signaled one of his men. ''Put it through!'' the Mon Calamari demanded in his gurgling deep voice, then turned his enormous head toward the holo-projector in the center of the table.
Slowly, the image of a human materialized. The man appeared middle-aged, had black hair with the first gray running through it, and stood loftily in front of the holo-camera. The most impressive thing about the man, however, was his shining white uniform with golden epaulettes, the uniform of a Grand Admiral of the Empire!
His cold eyes looked around the room and lingered on Luke and Leia for a few seconds before he began to speak.
''Rebels! This is Afsheen Makati, Grand Admiral of the Galactic Empire aboard the Star Destroyer Steadfast. I hereby request that you disable your defenses. My presence here has nothing to do with you, and should you cooperate, your lives will be spared.''
It was obvious that the admiral was lying about this.
''We are only interested in a single person who may be on Yavin 4 at this time. If you give shelter to this wanted person, you can be prepared for a heavy blow!''
Those present exchanged disturbed glances. As far as the Empire was concerned, all present here were war criminals, and thus any one of them could be the person this admiral wanted to capture.
Leia decided to speak up to find out more.
''Admiral, this is Leia Organa.''
''Ah yes, the dear princess.''
Makati could not have sounded more sarcastic. Leia ignored his tone and continued.
''If you are telling the truth and are only after one person, it doesn't have to come to a fight. Who exactly are you after?
''An enemy of the Empire! A deceitful, dishonorable gnome with a glittering robe! A follower of a ridiculous religion!''
Ken blinked in surprise. ''Kadann! It sounds like he's after Kadann!''
''How many more glittering religious dwarves are there in the galaxy?" asked Han.
Leia activated the com again.
''Admiral, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but the Supreme Prophet Kadann was able to escape our captivity only minutes before you showed up. He is probably already on the other side of the galaxy.''
''You're lying!'' For the first time during the transmission, the admiral's face clearly showed emotion - anger.
''I'm afraid we don't. You narrowly missed Kadann; he stole his commandeered ship from our hangar and fled with his followers. Back to their Scardia space station I'd wager.''
''I don't believe you, Princess. I believe Kadann is still on Yavin 4, probably in your power. But well, I don't have time for pointless conversations. You have half a day to deliver Kadann to us, or we will raze your temple to the ground!''
Without waiting for a reply, the admiral ended the connection.
''Oh my, we are doomed!'' wailed C-3PO, but no one paid him any attention.
Han scratched his head. ''I don't understand this. Why would an Imperial admiral want to capture this prophet?''
''Judging from Makati's reaction, there seems to be bad blood between the two,'' Admiral Ackbar interjected. ''Be that as it may, we must do something to get rid of this Star Destroyer over our heads.''
While the adults were still mulling it over, Ken stepped forward with an idea.
''How about we lure this admiral away from here?''
''And how do you imagine that, Ken?" Luke wanted to know. He already had an idea what the young Jedi Prince would suggest, but he waited patiently to hear it from Ken himself.
''The Admiral believes Kadann is still here and our prisoner. How about we make it look like we want to take our "prisoner" away from here in a ship?''
C-3PO was the first to speak up. ''And the Admiral would then follow that ship. A good idea, Master Ken! But how are we going to convince him that Kadann is actually on board?''
Slowly, all eyes turned to the golden protocol droid.
He looked perplexed. ''Did I say something wrong?''
On the bridge of the Star Destroyer Steadfast, the Dark Warrior Azrakel paced restlessly. Admiral Makati stood motionless at the viewport, gazing down at the jungle moon of Yavins.
Finally, Azrakel stopped.
''Why did you give the rebels time? We should have just dropped troops immediately like you had saud earlier, and captured their base!''
Makati would not be ruffled. ''That's how you would proceed, Azrakel, but not me. I don't want to waste soldiers unnecessarily, as long as there's an easier option.''
Azrakel retreated grumbling. ''As if waiting is easier than fighting,'' he muttered.
Then something finally happened. First Officer Vivant reported that a ship had launched from Yavin 4.
''What do we have here?" asked Makati. He and Azrakel turned to the screen, which showed the rebel ship fleeing.
''Sir, we're receiving a message from the rebel freighter!''
''Put it through,'' the admiral ordered.
Suddenly, sardonic laughter filled the ship's bridge, and some of the officers flinched briefly. Then an unmistakable voice rang out, a voice Makati would have recognized anywhere.
My dear Admiral, you will have to make more of an effort to get hold of me. Maybe you will have more luck then, even if I doubt it. But now you must excuse me, I have more important things to do than to talk to the third-rate substitute of an admiral.''
All at once the connection was broken, and the rebel ship accelerated.
''Sir, the ship is about to enter hyperspace! Should the cannons open fire?'' Vivant turned to his admiral. He was busy wiping saliva from his chin while staring at the image of the freighter with his face flushed. Finally, he turned to his officer.
''No,'' Makati said grudgingly. ''I want that wretched gnome alive!''
And with a flash, the rebel ship disappeared into hyperspace.
''That's it, we're in hyperspace. They can't follow us now, but they'll no doubt try. At least we've hopefully lured them away from Yavin 4 now.''
Luke leaned back in the pilot's seat, relaxed. Ken sat in the seat next to him and beamed at him.
''It worked!
''I'd hold off on the celebrations, Master Ken!" let Kadann's voice be heard behind him. ''After all, we don't know for sure yet if your plan actually worked.''
Smiling, Ken turned to the protocol droid sitting behind him in the cockpit.
''Yes, but if it did work, it's all thanks to you, 3PO, and your talent for voice impersonation!''
Chapter 4
The Vision
Whooosh!
With a flash, the New Republic freighter Starhopper emerged from hyperspace and made its approach to the fog-shrouded swamp world of Dagobah.
The ship entered deeper into the planet's atmosphere, eventually reaching the towering Mount Yoda.
The massive mountain had once been known as Mount Dagger, but in honor of the late Jedi Master Yoda, in whose swamp the mountain was located, the New Republic renamed it.
At the top of Mount Yoda was DRAPAC - the Defense Research and Planetary Assistance Center. It was here that the replicant droid of Princess Leia was made, which saved her life - and saved her from marrying the terrible villain Trioculus.
Moreover, DRAPAC was the place where young Ken had to attend school. Even though he was an intelligent child, his education could not be neglected. Luke wished he could just take Ken to class and leave the boy safely on Dagobah, but he knew that was not possible.
Ken had wanted to take the opportunity to return to Dagobah to really begin his Jedi training.
During the flight here, he and Luke had talked about it at length.
''This is where you were once trained by Yoda himself! And this is also where you had a vision of the ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi! There is no better place to start learning!''
''Except for the school in DRAPAC, you mean. I think it's a shame how all these adventures keep you from learning, Ken. Actually, your classes here should have continued after Han and Leia's wedding.''
''Oh, I prefer to learn by experiencing.'' Ken's voice took on an almost pleading undertone that made it clear to Luke how serious the young prince was.
''Ever since I learned that I am related to the Emperor, it feels like his shadow is on me. I want to escape this feeling. I had always wished to be related to the legendary Obi-Wan Kenobi. If there is a chance that I too can talk to his spirit, as you yourself have already done, I want to take it. Maybe it can help me come clean with myself.''
Luke nodded encouragingly to Ken. He also hoped that Ben could help the young Jedi prince, because Luke was afraid of doing something wrong in this regard. But he had a good feeling about this.
''Okay, we're landing now. Tell you what, I'll stay here in DRAPAC while you try to reach Master Kenobi.''
Ken stared at Luke with wide eyes.
''You mean you want me to try to do it alone? You're not going to help me?''
Luke gave Ken a reassuring smile.
''Of course I'll help you, but I also have things to take care of here for the New Republic, and to let Han and Leia know that we've arrived safely. Besides, I figured you'd want to get started right away and not wait extra for me?''
''Yeah, sure!'' Excitedly, Ken looked out the cockpit window at the landscape.
''I'll give you the coordinates you need, and you can go ahead. Hopefully it won't take me too long.''
''Go ahead?'' Ken narrowed his eyes.
''Uhm, go ahead where exactly?''
Luke laughed softly.
''Aha, so you're not so omniscient after all! Don't you know from your lessons in the Lost City of the Jedi where I was trained?''
Now Ken seemed again like the excited boy he was.
''Of course! Master Yoda's hut! And that strange cave, under a tree...''
A slight shudder ran down Luke's spine. He didn't know if it was because of the memory of the vision he experienced in that cave, or the thought of sending Ken to that place.
''Right, that's where you're going to wait and start meditating, all right? I'll join you as soon as possible. But be careful of that cave, don't enter it without my permission.''
Ken was only half listening, way too excited to finally get to see Master Yoda's home!
'Yeah, all right Luke, you can count on me.''
A short while later, after an exhausting march through the swamp, through dirty water and past disgusting insects, Ken finally reached the place of his destiny. At least that's what he thought. Everything in a swamp looked pretty much the same. The heat and humidity was stifling, so he sat down on a nearby log lying in the middle of the ground.
Okay, Ken thought. Hopefully Master Kenobi will really appear to me, or this whole march would have been for nothing.
Ken tried to do what Master Skywalker had taught him - empty his mind, relax, and focus completely on the Force. Unfortunately, that proved especially difficult for a twelve-year-old boy. After only a few minutes, during which the only sound was the animals of the swamp screaming in the distance, Ken was walking restlessly around in circles, trying to bring order to his thoughts.
What could I do now? If I can't talk to Master Kenobi, how can I save my father? How should I manage to stop the pain inside me? What am I supposed to do?
Before he could completely lose himself in self-pity, Ken discovered that he had moved further away from his original seat. Suddenly, he was standing in front of an opening in all that greenery. He felt a coldness that gave him goose bumps. Suddenly, Ken realized that he could no longer hear any animal sounds. It was almost as if there was nothing but him and that strange opening under that big tree...
Part of Ken realized where he was, that this was the Dark Side cave where Luke had seen a nightmarish vision of Darth Vader. But the urge to enter this mysterious place pushed everything else out of Ken's mind.
He slowly took a step forward. Suddenly his field of vision blurred and absentmindedly he rubbed the sweat from his forehead. He contemplated his hand for a moment, filthy with mud. Had all that dirt gotten on his hand during the march here? When he turned his gaze forward again, Ken was so startled that he fell on his butt with a horrified gasp.
The cave was gone. All of Dagobah was gone. There was only Ken, and the man before him.
The figure sprang from the worst nightmare Ken had never dreamed.
The man was only average height. His skin pale, his hair flaming red. His eyes glowed yellow like the sun. He wore a black robe that reached to the ground.
The man's face was a young face, not attractive but not ugly either. But to Ken it was the most hideous thing he had ever seen. For even before the man's flesh rotted before his eyes, Ken knew who he was facing.
The hair was falling out of the figure. The fine, even teeth that sneered at Ken rotted and fell out. Ken watched in horror as they landed on the floor, and blood dripped from the man's still-smiling mouth.
Finally the transformation was over, and Ken looked into the true face of Emperor Palpatine.
His grandfather.
Still sneering, the blood from his mouth now dried on his chin, the Emperor stepped aside, revealing to Ken the sight of a broken figure kneeling in the dirt behind Palpatine, his face pressed to the ground.
Slowly, the figure raised its head, and Ken looked into the dirty face of his father, whose eyes stared at him from infinite sad depths.
Palpatine began to chuckle softly, and Ken watched in horror as the Emperor - his grandfather, as much as it pained him to call him that - slowly turned to face the helpless Triclops.
Suddenly, the Emperor's fingers exploded in blue fire as he raised his spider-like arms and fired a concentrated charge of lightning at Triclops - his own son! Ken tried to get back on his feet, but failed, falling back into the dirt, but he felt nothing, saw nothing but the painfully distorted face of his father, shrieking madly as Palpatine laughed louder and louder. Ken saw the blue fire etching Triclop's flesh from his face, saw the life disappear from his eyes, saw his long white hair burst into flames. Ken even imagined he could smell his father's burnt flesh, and he threw up helplessly on the dirty ground beside him, trying to avert his eyes, to calm his senses, but his father's cries of pain and his grandfather's gloating laughter just wouldn't leave him.
Finally he found the strength to stand up again, and without opening his eyes, Ken announced in a shaky voice: ''You are not real! You can't do anything to me! Get out of here!''
Without opening his eyes, Ken turned and ran away as fast as he could. He got a good twenty yards behind him before he tripped over a root sticking out of the ground and fell down.
Luke was right, I shouldn't have gone there, I'm not ready for all of this, I don't know what I'm doing...
Ken was lying in the dirt, his clothes covered in mud. He just wanted to get out of here, wanted to escape forever from the figure in the cave, but he knew there was no place in the galaxy where Palpatine's shadow wouldn't find him.
Ken didn't know how long he would lie there helpless. It could have been minutes, or even hours. When the voice began to speak to him, he was unable to lift his head, too afraid the illusion might disappear.
''My young friend. I am sorry for what you are going through right now.''
Could it really be? Was this really Master Kenobi's voice speaking to him? Ken could see little with his eyes lowered, but wasn't there a blue glow at the edge of his vision?
''You have already accomplished much, Ken. But much still lies ahead of you. Also great dangers. You must be ready to face them.''
Ken could not speak. Here he finally had what he always wanted, a chance to talk to one of his heroes, the legendary Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, but he couldn't get a word out, couldn't even look the Jedi Master in the eye.
Finally, he mustered all his strength, and got one word out.
''Please...''
Finally he managed to lift his gaze, but instead of the shimmering blue figure of Ben Kenobi, a new nightmare stood before him.
The creature was human, huge in size, and clad in red warrior garb. The red hair was braided into a pigtail, the lower half of its face hidden behind a breathing mask. The warrior looked down at the young Jedi prince in disgust.
''If there is one word I detest...'' Azrakel began as he grabbed the helpless Ken and held him at arm's length, ''...it's 'please'.''
Chapter 5
The hunt for the prophet
"It was just as you suspected, Makati. The rebels set us up and lured us away from their base."
Slowly, Ken opened his eyes. He felt incredibly exhausted, hungry, and disoriented. He wondered where he was? Who did that powerful, disturbing voice belong to?
Then someone else spoke, and that voice Ken recognized, from the embassy on Yavin 4. The Imperial Grand Admiral.
"I would love to go back to Yavin right now and order a bombardment, but we don't have time for that. And now, Azrakel, would you please be so kind as to explain to me why you brought me only this child from Dagobah?"
Ken pretended to still be unconscious. Whatever was discussed there might be important later. In case there was a later for him.
"You sent me to the planet alone in my Fighter because you knew I could use the Force to track my prey. Feel where someone is." That was the voice of the man the admiral had called Azrakel. Then Ken remembered the monster that had grabbed him after he had had a vision of Master Kenobi. It had to have been this Azrakel!
"I know that, after all, your talent in the Force is what allowed us to follow the rebel ship this far in the first place. Now, come on, tell me why you spared the boy's life."
"Simple, Admiral." Azrakel virtually spat out the word.
"That boy there I sensed in the Force, his presence was a true beacon. I figured someone like that might prove more useful alive than dead."
The admiral rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he approached Ken, who was lying on a bunk in a small gray prison cell.
"Possibly, but maybe not. First-"
Without warning, the Grand Admiral stood over the boy who still feigned unconsciousness and punched him in the stomach with force, causing Ken to slide off the bunk and fall to the cold floor.
"You think I missed your awakening, little prince? That's what you are, isn't it? The Jedi prince Kadann is after?"
Ken couldn't get a word out. Desperately, he tried to catch his breath as he knelt on the floor. Finally, he managed to speak.
"Please-"
That was all he could manage. Ken tried to use the techniques Luke had taught him to get himself back under control.
"Maybe it would be better to get rid of this prince right now. Azrakel, get this done." The admiral gave a wave to the warrior, and the latter's huge figure pulled his lightsaber from his belt, activated it, and held it in front of Ken's throat.
"At least do me the favor of fighting back, little worm!"
Ken, who continued to follow Luke's training and tried not to panic, thought about what could help him escape death now. Then he remembered Luke's words.
"The Force connects all life, and someone who is able to use the Force can sense the presence of those close to him more clearly than others."
And with that, an idea came to him.
As he knelt before Azrakel, feeling the heat of the latter's lightsaber blade on his skin, Ken put all his eggs in one basket.
"I heard what you said. That you could follow me to Dagobah because you sensed it in the Force. But youcouldn't sense Kadann, right?"
The dark warrior looked bored.
"I was hoping you'd come at me with your fists. I have no patience for cowards begging for their lives."
"Is it right? Can't you sense Kadann's whereabouts with the Force?"
Now the warrior was beginning to look annoyed, probably because Ken was rubbing his inability to find his old master in his face.
"No, I can't. It doesn't matter, anyway, I know that sooner or later he will return to his space station to hole up."
Ken's gaze turned briefly to the admiral, who followed the conversation with folded arms and a piercing stare.
"I can lead you to him. To where he is now. I am strong in the Force, you said so yourself. I'll find Kadann for you."
Makati stepped forward and in a calm voice ordered, "Enough Azrakel. Put your sword away."
The dark warrior complied, grumbling.
Admiral Makati eyed the boy before him suspiciously.
"Why should you succeed in what even Azrakel here cannot?"
Ken stood up, and looked the admiral straight in the eye. He didn't particularly like what he saw there. The man was clearly crazy, and greedy more than anything. He really wanted to get hold of Kadann at any cost, and Ken realized that this was his only chance to get out of this in one piece.
Does Luke even know I'm missing? Is he already looking for me?
Calmly and in a firm voice, Ken began to speak. "Admiral, I may not be a strong fighter, or particularly trained in the use of the Force like your aide, but I have an advantage he does not. I have a direct Force connection with Kadann's...team. "Ken was careful not to tell the Imperials about his connection to Triclops and the late Emperor.
Azrakel, who from Ken's description of him as the Admiral's "sidekick" looked like he was struggling to keep his hands under control, asked, "What kind of connection is that?! The kid's just trying to set us up!"
Makati silenced the warrior with a wave of his hand.
"Should you be telling the truth, young prince, and lead me directly to Kadann, perhaps I will be kind enough to reward you with your life. But I warn you: do not try to trick me. It would have dire consequences for you, and for your rebel friends."
Ken refused to be intimidated by the Imperial. He now knew how obsessed Makati was with finding Kadann. He would therefore not kill Ken until he had the prophet in his power. It was only the aftermath that Ken worried about. He could only hope that Luke and the others would try to find him.
"Admiral Makati," Ken said with a slight bow. "It would be my pleasure to help you find the Prophet." And where Kadann was, Triclops was not far behind.
I'm coming, father. Hang in there.
I'm coming Ken, hang in there, Luke Skywalker thought.
Restless, he turned again to the shimmering blue holograms of Han and Leia, which hovered in the air before him.
"As I said, I didn't realize the Imperials were following us until I was already in DRAPAC and had already dispatched Ken. Apparently, an Imperial starfighter managed to land, and kidnap Ken. The star destroyer in orbit has since left; it was clearly the Grand Admiral's ship, the Steadfast."
"It's terrible!" C-3PO nervously wandered around the comm center while expressing his concern.
Han ignored the droid and turned to Luke.
"Is there any way we can follow the Steadfast?"
"I've already thought about that. I had taught Ken some techniques in using the Force during the flight here. If he is well, he could try to contact me through the Force. He's not able to give me such precise data, but at least he could give me a rough idea of his whereabouts."
"Boy, the galaxy is really pretty big, I'd want more than just a 'rough idea'." Han sighed.
"But fine, just hold the fort, Leia and I will come to you in the Falcon."
After the image of Han and Leia disappeared, Luke sat cross-legged on the floor of the comm center and closed his eyes.
"Master Luke, are you not well? Oh, it's all this excitement, isn't it?"
"No, 3PO, I'm just trying to meditate. Please forgive me, but I have to concentrate to do that."
"Oh, I understand, sir."
Taking the hint, the droid left the room, leaving Luke alone. The latter sat silently for the next few minutes until he felt ready. Then, through the Force, he sent out a single call to the far reaches of the galaxy, hoping that his young friend would hear it. That he would then know that he would find him.
Ken, I'm on my way.
"Here. I think."
Ken pointed his finger at the holographic representation of the galaxy projected in front of him.
"So you think this is where Kadann is? But you don't know?"
The Grand Admiral stood behind the boy with his arms folded behind his back and scowling, eyeing him disparagingly.
Ken swallowed and reached out into the Force again. He wished he had received more training, but even with his little developed skills, he was sure of this.
"I sense the presence of ... Kadann in the Force. Somewhere in that area."
Again, he pointed to a spot located in the Mid Rim of the Galaxy.
Azrakel the Warrior, who was leaning against a wall in the background, snorted disdainfully as Admiral Makati stepped closer to the the holographic map.
"So there. The Besh Gorgon system. Looks like our Surpreme Prophet made a stop on the Wheel."
Ken had read a little about the Wheel while still living in the Lost City of the Jedi under Yavin 4's jungle with his droid teacher Deejay. The Wheel was a gigantic space station, run and inhabited by the crooks and gamblers of the galaxy. It was a lawless place, which also did not submit to the Empire, and therefore offered a safe haven. I wonder if Kadann knew he was being followed. Maybe he was trying to get a new ship there to be harder to follow?
The admiral rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"I suppose there is some chance in this. Very well, little prince, we will look into it. Azrakel will take you back to your cell in the meantime. Go."
With a wave, Azrakel came closer and grabbed Ken by the arm. He offered no resistance and let the dark warrior lead him back to his small prison cell without comment.
"Let's see if you are really as smart as you pretend to be." With these words, the warrior locked the door.
After Azrakel left, Ken sat down cross-legged on the floor and tried to relax.
I wish I could have said more to Master Kenobi's ghost, he thought. Maybe then he would have given me some advice, something that could help me now.
Then Ken suddenly felt something and opened his eyes. Someone was touching him in the Force, trying to talk to him. The presence felt familiar, and he realized it was Luke.
He would come to free him after all!
Ken couldn't understand any words, if Luke was even sending any at all, but he felt the message coming to him. Luke would come.
Now that the connection was open, Ken felt ready to try it himself. He knew that his limited abilities would not be enough to send Luke exact coordinates or anything. That's why Ken hoped Luke would understand this simple picture.
Ken imagined a huge metal wheel hanging in the middle of the stars. The Wheel, Luke. The Wheel. Wheel.
Chapter 6
Wheel of Fortune
In the middle of the blackness of space, Ken, who was looking out of the viewport on the bridge of the Star Destroyer Steadfast, saw the Wheel for the first time, and the full dimensions of the station took his breath away.
The space station, as its name implies, resembled a giant wheel, with its central axis consisting of the station's main hull. This axis was a huge cylinder, and at its center were two main spokes leading to the circular promenade and the city on the inner rim. At the top of the main axis was the Executive Tower, where the wheel's administrator worked. Currently, a droid named Master-Com was supposedly holding that position.
The Wheel was the go-to place for gamblers and crooks of all kinds, and accordingly the arrival of an Imperial Star Destroyer would make them nervous. Admiral Makati was giving final instructions.
"Arzakel, you and a unit of my best stormtroopers will conduct the search. Young Ken will lead you directly to Kadann. At least he better do so."
At these words, the admiral gave Ken a look that made it clear what the boy would have to contend with should he fail to lead the Imperials to Kadann.
"The Prophet will be somewhere on the station. Who knows what he's doing here. Maybe change his mode of transportation to throw off pursuers. Maybe he just wants to try his luck at the tables. But today is not his lucky day, it's mine."
With these words he withdrew, leaving the Dark Warrior in command. The latter led Ken and a unit of soldiers in highly polished white armor to a shuttle in which they would dock at the station.
As they approached one of the wheel's docking ports, the unmistakable mechanical voice of a droid spoke up over the com.
"Attention, Imperial shuttle. We are forced to advise you that the Wheel is an independent facility. In case you have forgotten this, we strongly advise you to turn back."
Azrakel was not slow to reply.
"Wheel, this is Azrakel, emissary of Grand Admiral Makati."
Ken, who was sitting on a bench wedged between the soldiers, could hear the warrior reluctantly pronounce the word "emissary." The two were working together at the moment, but Ken realized that it was probably really only their common enemy that made them allies.
"Who's talking, anyway? Because I don't want to waste my time with a worthless mechanical lackey. Put me through to the administrator of this station."
"You're already talking to him. I'm Master-Com."
Azrakel grimaced in disgust. How in all Corellian hells could a worthless droid be the administrator of a space station, much less a station like this?
"We are on the lookout for an enemy of the Empire, which could also pose a threat to your station. A unit of stormtroopers and I will search the facility until we find our man."
Azrakel made a confused face as a sound came from the com that strongly resembled a sigh. The warrior, who thought of droids as simple tools, didn't understand what was going on. But Ken, who had grown up under the watchful eye of the droids in the Lost City of the Jedi, knew that droids had very human feelings, too, and could express them.
"Forgive me, I cannot honor that request. A tragedy occurred once before, which I would rather not repeat."
"Should you refuse to cooperate, I cannot guarantee anything."
Azrakel looked like he was ready to slash at the intercom with his lightsaber. The fact that he was arguing with a droid here was driving him downright insane!
"Let us land immediately and conduct our search, or I will order the Star Destroyer to raze your station to the ground!"
Ken knew it wasn't a good idea, but he rolled his eyes at this moronic wording. A half-minute of silence followed until Master-Com spoke up again.
"You have permission to land and find your dangerous fugitive. However, should you do anything detrimental to the station, I will be forced to take action against you. Master-Com, out."
"Stupid tin bucket."
Azrakel brought a fist down on the console, then turned to the soldiers behind him.
"We're going in. You guys know the drill. And you!"
Azrakel jabbed his index finger against Ken's chest. The young prince tried not to let the pain show.
"You better lead us straight to the Prophet. Thanks to that piece of junk running this place, I've already lost most of my patience for today."
While C-3PO hurried straight inside the Millennium Falcon to talk to R2-D2 about Master Ken's recent kidnapping, Luke remained with Han at the boarding ramp.
"Wheel? What wheel?"
"Well, the Wheel, Han. You should know which wheel I mean. After all, it wasn't too long ago when we were there ourselves."
"Yeah, yeah, how could I forget that little side trip? But what would Ken want there? Or the Imperials who took him?"
Luke began walking up the ramp; it was time to leave. In the crew compartment, 3PO talked excitedly to himself, while R2-D2 occasionally responded with a series of beeps.
In the cockpit, Princess Leia and the mighty Wookiee Chewbacca were already in their seats, waiting for him and Han.
"I don't know for sure, but Ken contacted me in the Force. Whatever the reason, he's either on his way to the Wheel, or already there."
Han dropped into the pilot's seat with a sigh.
"I'm hoping it doesn't end in a riot like the last time we were there - but I'm not counting on it."
"If you're right about your directions, youngster, Kadann is somewhere here on this level. Maybe at the Crimson Casino?"
Ken strained to keep pace with the Dark Warrior, who paced the halls and corridors of the Wheel in flowing robes. The Wheel's visitors, all clearly recognizable either as crooks or as extremely wealthy, wordlessly recoiled from the huge figure with breathing mask and lightsaber hilt on his belt.
Had Azrakel's figure not been fearsome enough, the stormtroopers marching behind him would certainly have been enough to intimidate the visitors.
Ken stood out among the group, and no doubt the gamblers and fortune seekers who gave them glances asked what a child was doing with these Imperials. Possibly they thought Ken was an Imperial.
Like his grandfather.
Ken tried to concentrate on his task. Thoughts of the sinister Emperor Palpatine did not help now. If he managed to track down Triclops and Kadann here, he had to find a way to get away from Azrakel, and take his father with him when he escaped. Triclops was still under Kadann's control, due to the implant in his tooth, but there was already a solution for that on Yavin 4, or at DRAPAC. He just had to get out of here alive.
At last they approached the Crimson Casino, decorated in red as the name suggested, and Azrakel stopped without entering. Ken sensed the distinct presence of Triclops in that room.
Ken was sure that Azrakel could now feel Kadann's presence as well. Then the warrior signaled the soldiers.
"You guys go in there first. I don't want to startle Kadann directly. Tell me what you see, and then we want to capture the prophet alive, with as little trouble as possible."
The stormtroopers nodded and ran into the casino, while Ken was held back by Azrakel.
"Not so fast, you prince," the latter said mockingly.
"We'll both wait here for now."
Ken leaned forward to get a better look. Everywhere, beings sat at tables or in front of holoscreens, gambling for money - and presumably sometimes their lives. Ken didn't enjoy that sort of thing. His droid teacher Deejay had taught him that gambling was playing with fire.
All around the large room, the green-and-yellow armor-clad figures of Wheel security stood around, keeping a strict eye on the stormtroopers moving slowly through the crowd. Master-Com had probably increased the number of guards after Azrakel landed.
Finally Ken's gaze found what he had been looking for! A huge figure in a glittering black robe was just moving away from the bar with two mugs of Gargle Blaster , where a sad-looking Duro was pouring the drinks.
Jedgar, Kadann's right-hand man. He was returning to an occupied table, where a Rodian - a green-skinned humanoid with huge black eyes, scaly skin, and proboscis for a mouth - was engaged in a conversation with a small figure in glittering robes. Kadann.
Ken remembered what he had read in the Jedi Library, and later been told by Luke Skywalker. How Luke and Master Kenobi had been in a cantina on Tatooine looking for a pilot to take them to their destination, Alderaan.
Kadann and his men were obviously doing the same thing; they were indeed looking for a new ship, and the Wheel was the first chance they had to find willing spacemen.
Ken looked around frantically in an attempt to find his father with Kadann, but the crowd was too thick, and Azrakel still held him tightly.
Ken needed a plan, and he needed it fast. He thought feverishly, and finally had an idea. It wasn't good, but it was better than nothing.
"So, there he is, the prophet. It's strange."
"What's strange?" asked Azrakel. His voice sounded bored, but his gaze was intensely focused on Kadann, who still didn't seem to have taken note of their presence.
Ken was getting ready inside. Now it was all or nothing. Oh man, hopefully this would work out.
"Well, it's strange that you're so afraid of him."
Now Azrakel averted his eyes. Ken tried to withstand it.
"Why else did youally yourselve with the Admiral? You must be so afraid of facing this dwarf that you needed an entire squad of stormtroopers. Kadann must be strong enough to give you a real beating."
That had hit home. Azrakel, his normally gray face changing to red, snapped his eyes open and let go of Ken's arm to raise his own for a juicy punch. But in the second it took him to do so, Ken grabbed the warrior's sword and ripped it from his belt, whereupon he jumped back and began running for his life.
Azrakel, who had been too distracted by his rage, stood frozen for a second, then let out a scream that made all heads turn in his direction, and rushed after Ken.
Ken, still holding the warrior's deactivated weapon, ran toward Kadann's table, but he had obviously caught on that something was wrong. He and his small group of prophets - most recognizable by the giant Jedgar that towered over even some Wookiees - fled as quickly as possible to the nearest exit. Ken briefly thought he saw the figure of his father being dragged along by Prophet Gornash. Triclops was now wrapped in a dirty hooded cloak that the prophets must have found somewhere on the station. Ken was about to shout something at him, but Azrakel got ahead of him.
"Don't let them get away, you fools! Open fire!"
The soldiers scattered around the casino obeyed the order, and began firing shots in Kadann's direction. This ensured that the Wheel security now opened fire on the stormtroopers.
Ken stood there, still taking all this in, when he realized two things: The prophets had already fled the casino by now.
And an incredibly angry Azrakel was about to pounce on the young Jedi Prince who had stolen his lightsaber!
Chapter 7
The light in the dark
With a leap, Ken threw himself to the side to avoid the gigantic Dark Warrior, who hit the ground and immediately turned back in Ken's direction.
Ken was already running as fast as he could towards the exit through which the prophets had disappeared only a few seconds ago. Trying to shake off Azrakel behind him, Ken ran between the screaming gamblers who had been startled by the firefight between security and stormtroopers.
One half of the gamblers, the smartly dressed ones, were either hiding behind their tables or trying to avoid the ricochets and get to the nearest exit from the Crimson Casino. The more seedy-looking players, however, promptly drew their own weapons and opened fire on the enemy soldiers, the wheel's security, and other players. Obviously, some of them tried to exploit this incident to their advantage.
Ken, who seemed to have lost Azrakel in the chaos, was now sandwiched between dozens of panicked guests. He could barely make out who was bumping into him - human, Rodian, Bith, Duro - and he began to wonder what would be worse: being grabbed by the Dark Warrior, or being crushed by the crowd.
Shocked, Ken saw a human with red hair right next to him get hit by one of the confused blaster shots and collapse dead.
There must be something I can do to stop this! This mess is all my fault!
Then his eyes fell on the seemingly infinitely distant exit through which Kadann - and his father - had disappeared.
But if I try to help people here, Kadann and Triclops might escape for sure. What am I going to do?
While taking refuge under one of the gaming tables, Ken received an answer to his question. But it was neither he nor the Force that whispered the next words to him.
'You already know what you want to do. And the means to achieve it is already in your hand.'
Master Kenobi.
Ken looked down at his right hand, which still held Azrakel's lightsaber tightly. It felt wrong in his hand. Tainted. Evil. This was the weapon of a monster. A weapon used merely to kill.
'But in the right hands, the hands of a Jedi Knight, it is no mere weapon. It is also a symbol. And it can save lives, just as it can take them.'
Ken swallowed, and gripped the sword's hilt tightly with both hands. Then he rose from his hiding place, and stepped into the middle of the chaos around him.
He looked around and spotted Azrakel on the other side of the casino, where he was madly punching a bunch of hapless gamblers and security guards, flinging them with the help of the Force.
Ken tried to concentrate. He knew he had a lot to learn, but he could do this, he just had to do it!
With his arms outstretched, still gripping the hilt with both hands, Ken activated the lightsaber. With a bzzzzz, the red blade of pure energy appeared, able to cut through anything in its path.
But the blade could not only cut through, it could also block.
Ken saw the few remaining stormtroopers open fire on a group of helpless people moving toward the rear exit. Ken walked quickly between them, knowing that he didn't know enough about how to use a lightsaber, and probably wouldn't survive this.
But that didn't change his determination. He had finally heard Master Kenobi's voice, his advice. If he had succeeded in that, he would succeed in this aswell.
Ken stood protectively in front of the frightened guests, who by now were completely blocking the exit, and drew the soldiers' attention to himself.
Only four of the stormtroopers who had entered the wheel with Ken and Azrakel were left; the rest lay scattered throughout the shattered Crimson Casino, pinned down by enemy fire.
The Imperials apparently did not see Ken as a serious threat, as two of them turned away again to support their superior Azrakel, who was still under fire from the Wheel's security forces, holding out only with the help of the Force.
The remaining two soldiers continued to fire, and Ken was guided by the Force. While dodging the fire himself, he tried to anticipate where the next shots would land so he could block them with the lightsaber blade.
Ken only just managed to avoid being hit himself, and behind him some of the guests collapsed under the fire. But sometimes Ken actually managed to block some of the shots with the blade, which ricocheted and then hit the floor, ceiling or walls.
But it just wasn't enough. Ken was already exhausted, and he knew he couldn't hold out much longer.
Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a familiar mechanical voice rang out, so loud that even the helmeted Imperial stormtroopers tried to cover their ears.
"Enough!"
Suddenly all the lights went out, and the Crimson Casino was in complete darkness, except for the red glow of the lightsaber in Ken's hands. All fire had ceased.
"I warned you, Imperial. Should you cause trouble aboard, you would receive your just punishment."
From the utter darkness came Azrakel's angry screech, which sounded as if the warrior were trying to speak as loudly as Master-Com, the Wheel's droid administrator.
"Miserable piece of junk! What are you going to do against me and my me? I'll have this cursed station reduced to rubble by the Steadfast! Do you hear me?! Does your artificial brain understand what I'm telling you?!"
"Oh, indeed I do."
Master-Com actually sounded amused.
"To answer your question about how exactly I'm going to get you and your remaining men out of this facility, the answer has just arrived at the Crimson Casino. Fortunately, my old acquaintances arrived while you were causing a disturbance here."
With those words, Master-Com fell silent, and with a hiss - bzzzzz- a green lightsaber blade activated in the middle of the room, which was now the only thing illuminating the darkness besides the red blade in Ken's hands.
"Jedi!" screeched Azrakel.
"Finish him!"
The four Imperial soldiers opened fire again on the green glow of the blade, and as he watched, Ken realized how much he still had to learn.
Luke Skywalker moved light-footedly through the complete darkness, only the glow of his blade showing where he was. And his blade didn't stay still, he drew it up, down, to the side, blocking every single shot the stormtroopers fired at him as he moved closer and closer to the firing Imperials, as if he could see exactly where they were standing despite the darkness.
Of course he could, Ken thought. Who needs to see with their eyes when they can see with the Force?
The crowd behind Ken, which had fallen silent after Master-Com's appearance, began to grow restless again, pushing through the exit once more in the darkness.
Ken saw that Luke had the situation under control. Two of the Imperials had by now been taken out by their own shots, which Luke had sent back to them.
With that, Ken turned to the frightened patrons of the casino.
"Listen up! Hey, listen up!"
Ken yelled as loudly as he could to drown out the crowd, and once he had their attention, he moved toward them, lightsaber raised well above his head. He stopped in the middle of the exit, which led into a corridor that was also completely dark.
"The Imperials are busy. Run quickly, but quietly and orderly, out of here. I'll keep watch behind you."
The crowd then rushed past Ken, keeping enough distance to avoid accidentally coming into contact with his lightsaber, which he still held raised above his head.
Slowly the hall began to empty, and Ken heard more than saw the last of Luke's stormtroopers being hurled against the wall with the help of the Force, whereupon he lay motionless on the floor.
All at once, the lights came back on. Ken quickly realized that he and Luke were the only ones in the room still standing on their feet. And that filled Ken with horror, because this could only mean one thing.
"Azrakel!"
Ken ran toward Luke, deactivating the lightsaber as he did so. Luke did the same and sank to his knees to grab the excited Ken by the shoulders.
"Is everything all right? We got here as fast as we could."
Ken looked around the room frantically, hoping to see the Dark Warrior lying motionless on the floor somewhere.
"Thank you for coming, Luke. But we must be careful, Azrakel is no longer here! He must have fled in the darkness!"
"Who is this Azrakel, Ken?" Luke stood up again, gesturing for Ken to come with him. The two then left the casino behind and walked through the now deserted corridors of the station, finally reaching the hangar where the Millennium Falcon was housed.
Han Solo just came down the ramp and toward the two.
"Luke, you know how I hate doing nothing while you put up a fight against an army of Imperials."
"That was just four stormtroopers, not an army, but I'm also glad everything is still okay with you. You didn't see Kadann, did you?"
"No prophets in miles radius. And since we have an Imperial Star Destroyer out in space, I don't think we can afford to look for it now."
At that, Han cast an apologetic glance at Ken.
"Sorry, kid, but our chances aren't too good right now."
Ken was about to ask when the Corellian had become interested in chances, but instead he just nodded.
"You're right, Han. We should leave as soon as we can. I just hope the admiral leaves the Wheel in peace. Azrakel must be back aboard the Steadfast by now, reporting in. Makati will not be pleased to have lost Kadann."
"So who is this Azrakel?" asked Han, glancing at the lightsaber Ken had clipped to his belt.
"And where did you get a - oh, forget it, we'll have time for that later. Come on now, all aboard!"
Once everyone was in their seats, the droids in the lounge, Luke, Han, Leia, Chewbacca and Ken in the cockpit, they lifted off, slowly leaving the Wheel behind. In return, the Imperial Star Destroyer was still in the vicinity.
Han Solo looked at the Steadfast tensely, already a dozen possibilities playing through his head, how the Falcon could get out of this intact.
These thoughts quickly proved to be superfluous, as the Steadfast made no move to open fire on the Falcon.
"Why aren't they attacking us?" asked Leia, addressing no one in particular.
"I don't know, but I'm not complaining. Let's get the hell out of here! Chewie!"
The Wookiee let out an approving roar, and the Millennium Falcon accelerated away from the Wheel, and the Steadfast, before disappearing into hyperspace.
"I'm sorry we weren't able to capture Kadann," Luke said.
"And of course, I'm very sorry about Triclops, too. But I promise you, we will continue the search."
"Don't worry, kid," Han Solo intervened.
"We'll get to that damn dwarf yet. That guy ruined our wedding plans. I'd love to get my hands on him for that, too."
"Thanks, guys. Thanks a lot."
That was all Ken could say. He was glad to have friends like this.
And he knew with the help of his friends, and the start of his training in the Force, he would make it. He would find his father and save him.
"Luke, when I had been on my own in the Wheel, I finally heard Master Kenobi. He helped me not lose my nerve there, and to act like a Jedi."
And for the first time since learning of his true parentage, Ken no longer felt his grandfather's shadow upon him in that moment - in that moment, he truly felt like a Jedi.
"Escaped!"
Grand Admiral Makati spat that word, along with a pile of saliva, in Azrakel's face.
"I hope you had good reason for countermanding the fire order on the Millennium Falcon. Today, not only did the cursed Prophet escape us, but also the Jedi Knight Skywalker and Princess Leia! And thanks to you, I lost an entire unit of soldiers! You do know that we have limited resources for this hunt!"
Azrakel had to summon his last bit of patience to keep from hurling the admiral through the viewport and straight into space with a Force blast.
"Enough!"
The Dark Warrior pushed Makati off of him, and even without using the Force to do it, it nearly knocked the Admiral off his feet.
"The Millennium Falcon was not allowed to be destroyed because that damned Jedi Prince was on board! And he still has my lightsaber! And I'll tell you this, Makati: our search for Kadann can wait! Now he may go into hiding somewhere, now that he knows someone is hunting him. But we know sooner or later he will hole up in his Space Station Scardia."
The admiral straightened up proudly again, scowling at Azrakel.
"We will now focus on catching this Jedi Prince who stole my lightsaber! I underestimated that boy. But I will not make that mistake again! Our joint revenge on the Prophet can wait. First, I want my revenge on this Ken!"
Continued in Legacy of Doom