Ch. 8 Shadows

         Ben reached out with the Force to make sure that no guards were around. He and Vix had broken into a docking facility at the nearest town. The facility happened to be controlled by friends of Hikta the Great. Satisfied that no one was around, Ben, who had already had Artoo scan the area to make sure there were no security cams or droids lurking around, walked out from behind the stack of crates, followed closely by Artoo. Vix was in disguise talking to the manager of the facility, pretending she was a representative of Hikta, so that she could perhaps get any information Ben couldn't get. The crates were unmarked but Ben suspected that these weren't the original crates. He looked around until he found a furnace full of the flaming remains of several crates. Yup, he thought, these must be the originals. And they aren't as untraceable as those ones that are being shipped out. This was true because these crates had alien writing on them.

        Ben was able to recognize a few symbols that remained on the burning crates. They were from the alphabet of the Ssi-ruuk. Ben shook his head. This just kept getting weirder and weirder. He got up and went to the area where the new, unmarked crates were being automatically loaded by a huge machine into the back of a ship. Now, Ben sensed guards around. He quickly ducked back behind an empty barrel and listened closely to the guards' conversation for any clues. He got one. "Yeah, as soon as this shipment leaves for Tatooine, I am gonna ask the manager for a raise," growled a gruff-looking Gran.

      Ben listened for any more clues. The rest of the conversation was just about the latest sports news. Ben crawled away again just as the Gran's Devaronian companion began ranting about how he hated the winner of the previous night's podrace. Ben met up with Artoo at the back of the warehouse. "Alright, Artoo. I got some good info. Now let's wait outside for Vix." The little blue and silver astromech droid followed him outside before twiddling cheerfully, knowing the value of stealth. A minute later, as the ship transporting the crates, which were full of Vong biotech, to Tatooine launched, an explosion rocked the administrative building adjacent to the facility. Ben smiled and shook his head as Vix ran out from the cloud of ash grinning from ear to ear. She sometimes couldn't resist damaging an enemy's operation when she had the chance.

***

      Jacen listened carefully to the report from Lowbacca. Threepio was standing beside the desk. Lowie, his apprentice Silacheen, and Saba had returned from the sewers of Imperial City with the news that their quarry had escaped. As he listened wearily to Lowbacca's account of the tactics the enemy had used to escape, his head began throbbing. Jacen shook his head and attempted to use the Force to end it. Now was not the time for a migraine. Suddenly, the pain intensified and clouded out his vision. Jacen yelled out as he was suddenly surrounded by an intensely bright white light.

    As Jacen stared in amazement, a silhouette appeared in the light, reaching out to him, crying for help. As Jacen watched, the figure morphed into that of an avian figure with a tall crest of feathers tufting up wildly from the top of her head. It was Vergere.

   "Vergere!" Jacen cried. "Is it really you?!" Finally, the silhouette resolved into a clear image of Jacen's old friend and mentor. It really was Vergere. Jacen gasped in astonishment. Vergere's spirit hadn't appeared to him in years. This was amazing, especially more than twenty years after her death. His Uncle Luke had always told him that the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi had appeared to him for the last time only nine years after his death. But then again, maybe Vergere was much more powerful than even the legendary Kenobi.

    "Greetings, Jacen Solo. I come to you to deliver an important message. Possibly the most important message you've needed in years." The spectral form of Vergere gazed steadfastly at Jacen, who nodded quickly, his mouth still gaping open. "I'm listening," he replied. Vergere said, "Jacen Solo, one of your loved ones is in terrible peril. Someone you've loved dearly. She needs your help. But only by opening yourself to the Force and remaining strong can you save her. Remember, young Solo, your Padawan is destined for much power. Teach him well." Jacen gasped again as Vergere began fading away. "Vergere, wait!" But the Fosh disappeared as the white light dissolved into the blurry image of a Wookiee leaning over him, baying something that translated to: Are you okay?! Jacen blinked and sat up. He was back in his office an Lowbacca was kneeling there trying to find out what had happened. Threepio stood nearby babbling frantically into a comm unit for a medical droid. Jacen sat stunned for a minute before replying, "Lowie, Threepio, I think I just had a vision."

***

       Ben sat up in his bed aboard the Jade Shadow. He finally remembered what was going on. Vix was piloting the ship to Tatooine, to see what was going on down on the desert world. But that was definitely not what had made him wake up from his nap. He had seen his parents.