Chapter 15
"We have launched," the first voice emerged roughly, bringing the other two of the small group into the connection with a mental snap.
"Everything is in motion?" asked Two in the thought equivalent of the whisper. A gentle wisp of emotion from One conveyed the intense impression of rolled eyes and a frown.
"The game is begun," One confirmed. "One more of the commanders is under our control, but the others are not fully leashed."
Three emitted pleasure like a glowlamp. "Within hours, there will be nothing in the universe that can stop us," it gloated. "Even the remnants that will resist will be helpless."
"Be cautious," One grated out, impatience bleeding clearly into his tone. "That human is more resistant and clever than you believe. If we are not careful, one slip could send us into ruin."
"I fail to see what impact he may have. Half-tr–"
"You are a fool!" burst out One, while Two's silent mirth echoed in their minds. "Have you learned nothing from the histories of Emperor Palpatine? Power is not an indication of victory."
"Not to mention wit," broke in Two, "or lack thereof," it added slyly. Three's rage would have flayed the other, but One's mental command, the analog of a heavy slap across the face, brought calm to the gathering again.
"I vow," One seethed, "that if either of you forgets the plan to pursue an agenda of sabotage against each other, I will be forced to torture you slowly before you die in great pain."
"Of course," came the muted replies.
A pause followed. "We are arriving in less than an hour," One said. "Are you all in position and confident of your assignments?"
"Yes, Great One," the two juniors replied in unison, with the equivalent of a bow occupying the forefront of their thoughts. One's warm and yet oppressive pressure cowed the two further.
"Excellent," One said. "To battle and victory!"
The shattered blue-white sky of hyperspace swirled in the viewports of the Skipray blastboat as the Rebel assault fleet hurtled towards the distant world of Coruscant. Wedge had never found the effect nauseating like some of the other pilots in his command, and in fact sometimes, it near put him to sleep. He felt drowsy enough as it was.
Plastics creaked as Luke settled himself in the chair beside him with a tired sigh, locking his arms behind his head. The Jedi seemed... content and at peace, unusual for him what with the situation so serious.
"So, this is it," Luke murmured, eyes closed.
"Well," Wedge said, turning back to look at the hyperspace vista outside. "Depends on what you mean by 'it' doesn't it?"
The young Jedi turned a quizzical eye on his friend. "Excuse me?" he asked, confused.
"What do you mean by 'it'?" Wedge pressed on. "Do you mean that this is the final battle, or the beginning of a turn of events, or is it just our last effort to try and keep the Empire from overwhelming the galaxy?" Or, his mind warned unconsciously, the final death of the long, hard-fought Rebellion.
"I don't know," Luke said, frowning again. "I don't know why I said that." His earlier calm had disappeared, replaced by a brooding curiosity. "Maybe..."
"Maybe what?" Wedge asked.
"Maybe it was a message from the Force," Luke finished somewhat quietly.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Wedge said. "Thrusters on neutral for a nanosecond there, big boy. A message? Since when does the Force send holograms?"
Luke flinched slightly, and Wedge was instantly sorry. The whole last few weeks had been hectic enough as it was, and it wouldn't be right to dump his anxieties out on Luke.
"Sorry, Luke," Wedge said softly. "I'm kinda on edge here; Thrawn does that to a person."
"I've had visions before," Luke said, seeming not to have heard, "but not actual messages or directions, necessarily. It's more like... like someone tugging at your wrist to lead you onto the proper pathway."
Wedge grew interested. "So where's it tugging us right now?" he asked.
Luke closed his eyes again. "I'm not sure," he said. "This whole campaign has been a blur from start to finish. I don't even know if I'm following the direction of the Force, let alone the fleet or the galaxy."
Wedge thought for a few seconds. "Luke, you've been saving the galaxy a long time. No one can handle that all the time. Maybe the Force is trying to tell you to, I don't know, let things work out on their own."
"That doesn't strike me as part of a Jedi's work, though," Luke said. "Jedi are supposed to be guardians of peace and justice, working for the benefit of all. We're not meddling power-seekers, but neither do we stand by and let innocent people get hurt in situations beyond our control."
This was a new train of thought for Luke, one Wedge hadn't heard before. Never had he seen the young Jedi so concerned about cause and effect, or his actions and whether they were precisely the right ones.
"What's got you spooked, Luke?" Wedge asked.
Luke glanced at him guiltily. "Is it that obvious?" he whispered, chagrined.
"Not really," Wedge told him. "It's just that you look kind of melancholy and withdrawn."
Luke sighed. "It's those In'ca Din'ca Jedi," he confided slowly. "They've been studying the Force and the Jedi way for much longer than I've been alive, but for all of that, they are not much clearer on doctrine. The sense I get is that they have lost some of the crucial keys to Jedi life in their isolation. They don't feel quite... right, to me."
"Is it sinister?" Wedge asked, pulse racing. If Luke thought they were bad news, why had he allowed them on board the Skipray.
Luke shook his head slowly, blond hair rippling. "I don't think so," he said. "It's more the kind of thing that you'd get from a half-feral human, one who's forgotten some of the ways of civilized people."
Semi-rabid, then. Wonderful. "Are they going to complicate things?"
"I don't think so," Luke repeated. "Actually, with their knowledge of Jedi techniques and lightsaber mastery, we should consider ourselves lucky to have them along. We need all the help we can get."
"Just so long as we get that signal out on time," Wedge said. He checked his instruments. "Better go back and tell the rest to strap in; we're dropping out of lightspeed in thirty minutes, and I want everyone briefed and ready by the time Thrawn starts throwing TIEs at us."
"You also possess Force skills," a deep voice burbled behind Corran Horn as the former CorSec investigator was readying the last of his commando gear for the mission ahead. His hand had half-yanked the old lightsaber that had belonged to his grandfather from his belt before he recognized one of the In'ca Din'ca Jedi that had boarded the mission at the last minute.
Calming his breathing and turning back to his hefty equipment pack in irritation, he said, "Yes," shortly and with as much acerbity as he could muster.
"Why have you not chosen to learn?" the Jedi rumbled, and Corran could feel the other's hazy presence in his meager Force sense as the In'ca Din'ca moved closer to Corran.
Securing the final strap of the large bag, Corran turned and sat on the edge of the long shelf that all of the team's gear had been stowed on in the modified rear of the Skipray blastboat, looking up at the tall alien.
"Never had the time or the reason, I guess," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. Those years spent looking for the Lusankya survivors until Thrawn came along still stood fresh in his mind.
"But surely you would consider it an honor to train in one of the oldest and most prestigious groups of history," the Jedi pressed on.
"Oh, I would consider it an honor," Corran said, crossing his arms. "At the time, I had other things to do. Once we've dealt with Thrawn, I think I might take up lessons with Luke."
"Skywalker?" the In'ca Din'ca asked. "He is a great Knight, but has no experience in the instruction of Jedi ways. I do not impugn him," he said quickly as Corran's eyes narrowed, "merely illustrate that you might find it easier to educate yourself with those who have more of the teachings available to them. We have not preserved all of the ancient Jedi arts, but we have done our best to reconstruct them as faithfully as possible. I suspect even Knight Skywalker would learn things from us."
"Why not just teach Luke and then let him teach me?" Corran challenged him.
The alien blinked. "Why take the bother?" he asked confusedly. "There is no need to instruct one to instruct others when two can be taught at once."
"Do you all give up this easily?" Corran asked vengefully, and as his feeble mental energies felt the shields surrounding the other's mind flicker, he stabbed with an untrained, but lightning fast, probe. He had only had a few lessons from Luke, mainly in the use of lightsabers and the concentration of his mind, but Corran had always been studious and eager to apply new knowledge. He'd drank in everything Luke had told him after the Bilbringi debacle.
He felt a quick tingle of surprise as his mental jab hit home, and then he only caught a few vague impressions before a steel wall of resistance flung him from the In'ca Din'ca Jedi's mind.
Unfortunately, the telekinetic side effect of the blast also smashed him against the wall, and he blacked out.
"Reversion in thirty minutes, Corran," Luke called through the open doorway of the rear portion of the blastboat as he hurried on to assure himself of the rest of the team's readiness.
No answer.
The young Jedi skidded to a stop, and stretched out with his Force skills as he strode back towards the room. There was indeed a human presence there, but one that was not answering.
"Corran?" Luke asked, this time peering around the doorjamb to look inside the storage section carefully, every sense on alert for trouble. "Corran!" his questions changed to shocked exclamation as he saw the other man lying against the far wall, his gear scattered beneath his feet.
He ran over, running a hand over Corran's head to feel for injuries. He didn't seem to be hurt too badly, only a bump on the head and a few bruised ribs, but being knocked unconscious was bad even without serious bodily harm done.
"Corran!" he called, lightly brushing the other's mind with his Force touch, and Corran began to stir, groaning as he struggled to sit up.
"Sithspit," the pilot hissed through clenched teeth as he ran a hand through his mussed brown hair. "That was one heck of a fall." He winced as his fingers prodded a particularly sore spot.
"You feel okay?" Luke asked. "What happened?"
Corran winced again. "Not so loud, friend," he implored, and then his expression changed to puzzlement. "I think I fell checking my gear. Stupid really; I should know better than to fall."
Luke laughed slightly. "Everyone makes mistakes," he said. "Are you all right? We have reversion in less than thirty minutes, and we'll be going in hot."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be okay," Corran said, easing himself into a crouch and then standing. "Let's just get this over with so I can enjoy whatever time I can with Mirax."
"You got it," Luke said, slapping his friend on the shoulder and striding quickly out of the storage area.
Corran frowned, shook his head, and then began picking up his gear, puzzled at the strange vagueness of his memory of the fall.
"We have launched," the first voice emerged roughly, bringing the other two of the small group into the connection with a mental snap.
"Everything is in motion?" asked Two in the thought equivalent of the whisper. A gentle wisp of emotion from One conveyed the intense impression of rolled eyes and a frown.
"The game is begun," One confirmed. "One more of the commanders is under our control, but the others are not fully leashed."
Three emitted pleasure like a glowlamp. "Within hours, there will be nothing in the universe that can stop us," it gloated. "Even the remnants that will resist will be helpless."
"Be cautious," One grated out, impatience bleeding clearly into his tone. "That human is more resistant and clever than you believe. If we are not careful, one slip could send us into ruin."
"I fail to see what impact he may have. Half-tr–"
"You are a fool!" burst out One, while Two's silent mirth echoed in their minds. "Have you learned nothing from the histories of Emperor Palpatine? Power is not an indication of victory."
"Not to mention wit," broke in Two, "or lack thereof," it added slyly. Three's rage would have flayed the other, but One's mental command, the analog of a heavy slap across the face, brought calm to the gathering again.
"I vow," One seethed, "that if either of you forgets the plan to pursue an agenda of sabotage against each other, I will be forced to torture you slowly before you die in great pain."
"Of course," came the muted replies.
A pause followed. "We are arriving in less than an hour," One said. "Are you all in position and confident of your assignments?"
"Yes, Great One," the two juniors replied in unison, with the equivalent of a bow occupying the forefront of their thoughts. One's warm and yet oppressive pressure cowed the two further.
"Excellent," One said. "To battle and victory!"
The shattered blue-white sky of hyperspace swirled in the viewports of the Skipray blastboat as the Rebel assault fleet hurtled towards the distant world of Coruscant. Wedge had never found the effect nauseating like some of the other pilots in his command, and in fact sometimes, it near put him to sleep. He felt drowsy enough as it was.
Plastics creaked as Luke settled himself in the chair beside him with a tired sigh, locking his arms behind his head. The Jedi seemed... content and at peace, unusual for him what with the situation so serious.
"So, this is it," Luke murmured, eyes closed.
"Well," Wedge said, turning back to look at the hyperspace vista outside. "Depends on what you mean by 'it' doesn't it?"
The young Jedi turned a quizzical eye on his friend. "Excuse me?" he asked, confused.
"What do you mean by 'it'?" Wedge pressed on. "Do you mean that this is the final battle, or the beginning of a turn of events, or is it just our last effort to try and keep the Empire from overwhelming the galaxy?" Or, his mind warned unconsciously, the final death of the long, hard-fought Rebellion.
"I don't know," Luke said, frowning again. "I don't know why I said that." His earlier calm had disappeared, replaced by a brooding curiosity. "Maybe..."
"Maybe what?" Wedge asked.
"Maybe it was a message from the Force," Luke finished somewhat quietly.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Wedge said. "Thrusters on neutral for a nanosecond there, big boy. A message? Since when does the Force send holograms?"
Luke flinched slightly, and Wedge was instantly sorry. The whole last few weeks had been hectic enough as it was, and it wouldn't be right to dump his anxieties out on Luke.
"Sorry, Luke," Wedge said softly. "I'm kinda on edge here; Thrawn does that to a person."
"I've had visions before," Luke said, seeming not to have heard, "but not actual messages or directions, necessarily. It's more like... like someone tugging at your wrist to lead you onto the proper pathway."
Wedge grew interested. "So where's it tugging us right now?" he asked.
Luke closed his eyes again. "I'm not sure," he said. "This whole campaign has been a blur from start to finish. I don't even know if I'm following the direction of the Force, let alone the fleet or the galaxy."
Wedge thought for a few seconds. "Luke, you've been saving the galaxy a long time. No one can handle that all the time. Maybe the Force is trying to tell you to, I don't know, let things work out on their own."
"That doesn't strike me as part of a Jedi's work, though," Luke said. "Jedi are supposed to be guardians of peace and justice, working for the benefit of all. We're not meddling power-seekers, but neither do we stand by and let innocent people get hurt in situations beyond our control."
This was a new train of thought for Luke, one Wedge hadn't heard before. Never had he seen the young Jedi so concerned about cause and effect, or his actions and whether they were precisely the right ones.
"What's got you spooked, Luke?" Wedge asked.
Luke glanced at him guiltily. "Is it that obvious?" he whispered, chagrined.
"Not really," Wedge told him. "It's just that you look kind of melancholy and withdrawn."
Luke sighed. "It's those In'ca Din'ca Jedi," he confided slowly. "They've been studying the Force and the Jedi way for much longer than I've been alive, but for all of that, they are not much clearer on doctrine. The sense I get is that they have lost some of the crucial keys to Jedi life in their isolation. They don't feel quite... right, to me."
"Is it sinister?" Wedge asked, pulse racing. If Luke thought they were bad news, why had he allowed them on board the Skipray.
Luke shook his head slowly, blond hair rippling. "I don't think so," he said. "It's more the kind of thing that you'd get from a half-feral human, one who's forgotten some of the ways of civilized people."
Semi-rabid, then. Wonderful. "Are they going to complicate things?"
"I don't think so," Luke repeated. "Actually, with their knowledge of Jedi techniques and lightsaber mastery, we should consider ourselves lucky to have them along. We need all the help we can get."
"Just so long as we get that signal out on time," Wedge said. He checked his instruments. "Better go back and tell the rest to strap in; we're dropping out of lightspeed in thirty minutes, and I want everyone briefed and ready by the time Thrawn starts throwing TIEs at us."
"You also possess Force skills," a deep voice burbled behind Corran Horn as the former CorSec investigator was readying the last of his commando gear for the mission ahead. His hand had half-yanked the old lightsaber that had belonged to his grandfather from his belt before he recognized one of the In'ca Din'ca Jedi that had boarded the mission at the last minute.
Calming his breathing and turning back to his hefty equipment pack in irritation, he said, "Yes," shortly and with as much acerbity as he could muster.
"Why have you not chosen to learn?" the Jedi rumbled, and Corran could feel the other's hazy presence in his meager Force sense as the In'ca Din'ca moved closer to Corran.
Securing the final strap of the large bag, Corran turned and sat on the edge of the long shelf that all of the team's gear had been stowed on in the modified rear of the Skipray blastboat, looking up at the tall alien.
"Never had the time or the reason, I guess," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. Those years spent looking for the Lusankya survivors until Thrawn came along still stood fresh in his mind.
"But surely you would consider it an honor to train in one of the oldest and most prestigious groups of history," the Jedi pressed on.
"Oh, I would consider it an honor," Corran said, crossing his arms. "At the time, I had other things to do. Once we've dealt with Thrawn, I think I might take up lessons with Luke."
"Skywalker?" the In'ca Din'ca asked. "He is a great Knight, but has no experience in the instruction of Jedi ways. I do not impugn him," he said quickly as Corran's eyes narrowed, "merely illustrate that you might find it easier to educate yourself with those who have more of the teachings available to them. We have not preserved all of the ancient Jedi arts, but we have done our best to reconstruct them as faithfully as possible. I suspect even Knight Skywalker would learn things from us."
"Why not just teach Luke and then let him teach me?" Corran challenged him.
The alien blinked. "Why take the bother?" he asked confusedly. "There is no need to instruct one to instruct others when two can be taught at once."
"Do you all give up this easily?" Corran asked vengefully, and as his feeble mental energies felt the shields surrounding the other's mind flicker, he stabbed with an untrained, but lightning fast, probe. He had only had a few lessons from Luke, mainly in the use of lightsabers and the concentration of his mind, but Corran had always been studious and eager to apply new knowledge. He'd drank in everything Luke had told him after the Bilbringi debacle.
He felt a quick tingle of surprise as his mental jab hit home, and then he only caught a few vague impressions before a steel wall of resistance flung him from the In'ca Din'ca Jedi's mind.
Unfortunately, the telekinetic side effect of the blast also smashed him against the wall, and he blacked out.
"Reversion in thirty minutes, Corran," Luke called through the open doorway of the rear portion of the blastboat as he hurried on to assure himself of the rest of the team's readiness.
No answer.
The young Jedi skidded to a stop, and stretched out with his Force skills as he strode back towards the room. There was indeed a human presence there, but one that was not answering.
"Corran?" Luke asked, this time peering around the doorjamb to look inside the storage section carefully, every sense on alert for trouble. "Corran!" his questions changed to shocked exclamation as he saw the other man lying against the far wall, his gear scattered beneath his feet.
He ran over, running a hand over Corran's head to feel for injuries. He didn't seem to be hurt too badly, only a bump on the head and a few bruised ribs, but being knocked unconscious was bad even without serious bodily harm done.
"Corran!" he called, lightly brushing the other's mind with his Force touch, and Corran began to stir, groaning as he struggled to sit up.
"Sithspit," the pilot hissed through clenched teeth as he ran a hand through his mussed brown hair. "That was one heck of a fall." He winced as his fingers prodded a particularly sore spot.
"You feel okay?" Luke asked. "What happened?"
Corran winced again. "Not so loud, friend," he implored, and then his expression changed to puzzlement. "I think I fell checking my gear. Stupid really; I should know better than to fall."
Luke laughed slightly. "Everyone makes mistakes," he said. "Are you all right? We have reversion in less than thirty minutes, and we'll be going in hot."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be okay," Corran said, easing himself into a crouch and then standing. "Let's just get this over with so I can enjoy whatever time I can with Mirax."
"You got it," Luke said, slapping his friend on the shoulder and striding quickly out of the storage area.
Corran frowned, shook his head, and then began picking up his gear, puzzled at the strange vagueness of his memory of the fall.