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Into the Dark Side
Chapter 5
Luke Skywalker was baffled. The Jedi Master placed his right hand on his chin as he observed a few military personnel collecting the remains of the car that had been transporting the Jedi trainees. He tried to get a sense of what happened in the Force, easily being able to tell that the Dark Side was definitely at play. It had been a signature he had felt at places like the Koornacht Cluster and Corellia. Each time he tried to pursue leads, the trail always became a dead end.
But something about the attack was different. As a crane lifted the burned hulk of the hovercar, Luke noticed that there were very few onlookers, as if the Dark Side signature radiating from that car was so powerful that it repelled the weak minded. It was cold, like the remains of Darth Vader's armor. Even though Anakin Skywalker had been redeemed, he had told his students that the shell of the Sith Lord's armor still had a strong presence in the Dark Side. It had been a major reason why Luke had decided to burn the remains of Darth Vader.
Chewbacca, at Luke's side, moaned. Luke could sense the Wookiee's torment. Chewie had sworn to protect the family of Han Solo, but was not there when they needed him the most.
"We'll get them back, Chewie," Luke told him before approaching Wedge Antilles.
"They hit this pretty good, Luke" Wedge gravely told his old friend. "Eyewitnesses said that some guy came down on a rocket pack to collect the passengers."
Luke looked to the general and questioned, "I don't suppose we were lucky enough to catch them on a security camera, were we?"
Shaking his head, Wedge said, "If only."
"I've called Corran Horn from Yavin 4," Luke stated. "Hopefully he'll be able to help out this investigation, given his background with CorSec."
Wedge nodded as the crane inserted the burnt wreckage onto a hover truck meant to haul it to the Coruscant Security Office. "It will be good to see an old friend," Wedge said. "I'm sure Iella will be glad to have him over."
"How is your wife?" Luke asked, trying to turn Wedge's attention away from despair.
"Busy as always, but she hasn't left me yet," Wedge said, trying to force a chuckle out of himself. He only laughed lightly and bitterly. His mind wasn't on Iella.
"Don't worry," Luke said, trying to sooth his friend's uneasiness. "We'll get to the bottom of this." He placed a hand on Wedge's shoulder before walking back towards Chewbacca.
In a secret location, a ringed space station orbited an old red dwarf star. Surrounded by a massive ring, the jagged spires of the Shadow Academy rose. Normally, it remained cloaked, but a powerful black cruiser approached, having hailed the Shadow Academy to disengage its cloaking device, revealing the hidden fortress of the Dark Side.
The sleek black cruiser entered one of the many hangar bays in the space station. Waiting in the hangar as the ship docked was Brakiss. His hands were clasped behind his back and a genuine smile appeared on his face as Tamith Kai and Korderan walked down the boarding ramp of the black cruiser with Jacen Solo, Jaina Solo and Lowbacca following them. The Nightsister was using the Force to bind their hands to keep them from escaping.
"The grandchildren of Darth Vader," Brakiss said, earning a dirty look from the Solo twins. "And a Force sensitive Wookiee?"
"We're not Vader's grandchildren!" Jaina spat viciously. "Anakin Skywalker turned away from the Dark Side!"
Brakiss smirked. "Well, you're certainly an angry one," the Dark Jedi commented. "But that's okay. To be angry is to be human."
"A Jedi is above anger," Jacen said before quoting the Jedi Code. "There is no passion; there is serenity."
Lowie roared an agreement. Em Teedee, still attached to the Wookiee's utility belt, translated, "Master Lowbacca completely agrees with Master Jacen."
Tamith Kai and Korderan stepped away from the captive Jedi, allowing Brakiss to see them.
"If a Jedi were above anger, there would be no followers of the Dark Side," Brakiss said, proposing a paradox.
"But you can't be a Jedi if you give into the Dark Side," objected Jaina.
"Jaina, your definition of a Jedi is biased," Brakiss said. "A Jedi is someone who is sensitive to the Force and is capable of exercising that sensitivity to his or her fullest potential. Since the students of Master Skywalker see fit to monopolize that title for themselves, Dark Jedi is used as a matter of convenience. We don't want to confuse anyone."
"I don't see how you could confuse anyone," Jacen said coldly.
"Wait, where are my manners?" Brakiss said. "I am Brakiss, headmaster of the Shadow Academy."
The eyes of the Solo twins widened to the size of saucers. "Brakiss!" they shouted in unison. Lowbacca growled angrily and lunged at the traitor.
Tamith Kai turned towards the Wookiee and used the Force to render him unconscious. He quickly fell to the floor.
"Lowie!" Jaina yelled.
"Master Lowbacca, please wake up!" Em Teedee pleaded. "I'm your faithful servant."
"Not anymore," Brakiss said. "While I don't condemn anger, I suggest you learn respect first." The headmaster turned to Korderan and ordered, "Confiscate the droid and reprogram it. It is in the service of the Second Imperium now."
"Second Imperium?" Jaina asked.
"But we're at peace with the Empire," said Jacen.
Korderan knelt by the Wookiee and pried Em Teedee from Lowbacca's utility belt. When the droid began to protest, he quickly deactivated it before leaving the docking bay.
"You're at peace with a rogue warlord," Brakiss said. "The Emperor will deal with him soon enough. But for the time being, you are to be guests here at the Shadow Academy. You can resist if you want, but I assure you that your stay will not be pleasant. You must report to the general assembly at 0800 hours." He turned to the Nightsister and commanded, "Escort them to their quarters. I will have a medical team take the Wookiee to his room."
Brakiss stared directly at Jacen as Tamith Kai led the twins towards the turbolift. Jacen glanced at Brakiss before quickly looking the other way.
An Imperial officer in a black uniform approached Brakiss. "Lord Brakiss," he said after stopping and saluting.
Attention drawn away from the Solo twins, "Yes, Ensign?"
"The Emperor has demanded that you contact him immediately," the Ensign reported.
"Thank you," Brakiss told the officer. "Have a medical team escort the Wookiee to the quarters I have prepared for him."
"Sir!" the officer barked before walking away.
Moments later, Brakiss was in the private communications chamber. He knelt before a holoprojector and asked, "What is thy bidding, my master?"
A blue-white holographic image of Darth Fenrir's cloaked head appeared above the holoprojector. "There is a great disturbance in the Force," the Sith Lord said.
"I have felt it too, master," Brakiss said. "There is something about Vader's grandchildren."
"Vader," Fenrir said, almost disgusted to refer to the traitor. "His grandchildren are strong in the Force."
"Indeed," said Brakiss. He looked up at Lord Fenrir. "I shall complete their training."
"Can it be done?" Fenrir asked, seemingly knowing the outcome.
"I have foreseen it," Brakiss admitted proudly.
Fenrir cackled, amused by his pupil's boldness. "Oh have you now?" he asked, his face features contorting into a parody of a smirk. "You never had the gift of foresight before."
"I trust it, Master," Brakiss said.
"I hope you do," Fenrir threatened. "I would hate to have to punish you for your pride again."
Brakiss winced, but kept his reactions hidden from the Force. He was just one of the many puppets that the Sith Lord was employing in his stage show. He lowered his head. "If you see things moving differently…" he began to say, but was interrupted by Fenrir.
"Do not let your confidence waver, Lord Brakiss," Fenrir said. "But do fear my wrath if you should fail."
"Yes, my Master," Brakiss said just before Fenrir cut the transmission. He shuddered visibly. He hated being a lapdog, but saw no way to end his humiliation.
"I hate these situations," Zekk whined as a group of tailors were attending to his needs for a suit. He was with Doc in yet another wing of the Crystal Palace, standing in place so he could be measured and properly dressed.
Doc just stared at the ceiling and said, "Well, what do you suggest we do as an alternative?"
"Go bar hopping," Zekk said as a tailor finished measuring him. "We could gather tons of information that way."
"Your logic is sound, but we can't be rude," Doc said. "Besides, we don't know where to look."
"Everyone's a critic," Zekk said as he relaxed. When the tailors were finished with Doc, he said, "Now I'm glad Master Solo insisted on those etiquette lessons at the Academy. I'd hate to have a crash course right now."
"I'm more worried about the attempt on the princess's life," Doc said as he walked towards the room's exit. Zekk soon followed, trying to keep in step with the older man.
"With all the attempts on the Queen Mother's life, why would she invite her daughter back home?" Zekk thought aloud, his brain slowly shifting into detective mode.
"My thoughts exactly," Doc said. "It just doesn't make sense."
As the two entered the halls of the palace, they continued talking.
"Whatever the reason, we're going to have to protect her as well," Zekk proposed.
"She won't like it very much," Doc said. "Tenel is very proud."
After rounding a corner, Zekk said, "She won't refuse an order from a superior."
Doc stopped at Zekk's quarters. "I'll talk to Kirana," he said as the two stopped walking. "Take some time to observe the holonet. Do a bit of research and see what you can find. Prince Isolder should have gotten us code clearance to the some of the intelligence files on the Sons of Liberty."
"Will do," Zekk said before inputting the code on the keypad beside his door, unlocking it and allowing it to split and slide open. "I'll let you know what's going on."
Zekk entered his quarters and the door shut behind him. The room was spacious and luxurious. His boots sank into the green carpet beneath them as he walked over to the wooden desk. He noticed that the holoprojector was blinking red and he pressed a button by it to play the message.
A hologram of Leia Organa Solo appeared above the holoprojector. "Kirana Ti, Doc, Zekk," she said. "Whoever receives this message, I send urgent news. Jacen, Jaina and Lowbacca have been kidnapped."
Zekk's eyes widened.
"Master Skywalker has told us to remain calm," Leia said, but Zekk could note the strain in her voice as she struggled to maintain her inner calm. "Your priority remains the same. You must aid the Hapans in discovering the identity of the one who is trying assassinate her."
The hologram of Leia flickered and disappeared, leaving Zekk in a state of shock. He quickly retreated into deep thought and sat at the desk just as the red light by the holoprojector blinked again. He depressed the button to accept the message. A hologram of Prince Isolder appeared.
"Zekk?" he asked. "You were the only one I could reach."
"Found out anything, sir?" Zekk asked.
"The informant hasn't talked, but his assets have been seized," Isolder said. "We discovered she had received a large transaction of funds two standard days ago. We traced a sum of money through some dummy corporations and linked them to a shipping company on Ashgard."
"Ashgard," Zekk said, trying to recall his knowledge of worlds in the Hapes Cluster. "I've never heard of it."
"It is an out of the way world outside our borders," Isolder said.
"Do you want us to investigate?" Zekk asked.
"Please do," Isolder said. "I have more work to do, so I will see you at the dinner."
Zekk closed the transmission. "Well, our job just got more interesting," he said.
Though the black suit that had been specifically tailored for Zekk fit perfectly, it could not have felt stiffer to him. He had always hated formalities and a royal feast was no exception. He sat at the long dining table, observing the incredible amount of dishes that were prepared, suddenly remembering that he was hungry. His attention was drawn to a pretty blonde servant that filled his glass with wine. He made brief eye contact with her just as at the head of the table, the Queen Mother spoke, drawing his attention to the Queen.
"It is my greatest pleasure to hold this feast in honor of a brave warrior and a good friend," Teneniel said. "I cannot stress the value of my comradeship with Kirana Ti enough. By taking up the path of the Jedi, she has honored both her people and myself."
Zekk noted the curious omission of Teneniel Djo's Dathomirian heritage, but listened as the speech continued.
"Our Jedi guests will see to it that the threats to the stability of Hapes are exposed," the Queen said. "As I have placed my trust in her, so should you."
Zekk could feel the tension in the dining room. The dignitaries wore stone faces and fake smiles. Apparently, they could see no reason to trust the Jedi or the Force sensitive Queen. He stole a glance across the table at Doc. The older Jedi maintained a calm visage as he listened to the Queen.
"Now, let us not worry about great speeches," the Queen said before raising her wine glass. "Let us eat."
Servants filled plates in proper portions as the guests talked politics, ate and drank. Zekk looked at Kirana Ti, his wise Jedi Master eating her food slowly. Master and apprentice made eye contact, but only briefly. As he took a sip of wine, Zekk noticed that Tenal Ka was sad. He was not accustomed to seeing her in such formal attire, the soft turquoise of her gown seeming alluring and cold.
The Princess made eye contact with Zekk. The two warriors didn't need to use the Force to tell each other about their boredom. But appearances had to be kept, so they feasted.
Tenel Ka stared out at the Crescent City from the balcony of her quarters in the palace. The light of the two moons illuminated the sky and the lights of the city appeared beautiful from afar. It wasn't like Coruscant where one seemed to miss the city for the buildings. Everything had its place on Hapes and its elegance.
As far as the princess was concerned, she could do without Hapan elegance. Tenel had been entranced by the life of a warrior at a young age. Training to be a Jedi was in her blood and her birthright. Just because her mother did not reach her full potential did not mean that she could not.
"I am a warrior," she said before glancing at the gown she had been forced to wear. The lizard hides she had donned felt more real to her than anything else.
Suddenly, Tenel felt a premonition, a rumbling in the Force. Something told her she had to move quickly. She dove into her room just as a loud explosion rocked the balcony, sending stone crumbling towards the surface and creating a shockwave that threw the princess into her quarters.
Tenel Ka slammed against her bed and fell face first onto the carpeted floor beneath her feet. It did work to absorb some of the blow, but not all of it. Not only did pain radiate through her body, her ears rang due to the close proximity of the explosion.
Groaning as she pried her head from the floor, she felt the blood trickling from a wound on her forehead. Fragments of stone were lodged in her hair. But she still could barely hear anything.
The roar of a jetpack filled the room as a man in Mandalorian armor landed in Tenel's quarters. "I should have known a Jedi trainee wouldn't have been taken so easily," he said. He drew a blaster pistol from his hip holster. "I don't make two mistakes in a row." He aimed his blaster at Tenel just as the door to her quarters flew open violently due to a push from the Force.
Kirana Ti and Zekk rushed into the princess's room, lightsabers activated. "Boba Fett," the Dathomirian Jedi said. "You're under arrest."
The bounty hunter laughed before drawing his second blaster pistol. Fett slowly backed away and began firing, red blaster bolts soaring towards the Jedi in rapid succession.
Both Jedi quickly deflected the shots; blue and violet laser swords moving gracefully in tune with the Force. The Jedi duo approached Boba Fett, doing their best not to let any blast hit the princess.
Fett activated his jet pack and soared out of the window, continuing to fire his blasters.
Kirana Ti, while deflecting bolts, looked to her apprentice and said, "Watch the princess." Not taking time to notice Zekk's nod, she leapt out of the window after Fett. Using a Force aided leap, she managed to land a kick on Fett's chest before he could fire at her.
Zekk knelt beside the princess just as security guards were entering her quarters. One of them, a dark skinned female, seemed to be in charge. The apprentice looked to her and said, "It was Boba Fett. Kirana is going after him, but she's going to need my help. Where's the nearest speeder?"
"On the next level," she told him. "Take whatever you need."
Zekk nodded before closing down his lightsaber and rushing out of the room.
Meanwhile, Jedi and bounty hunter plummeted towards the surface of Hapes. Fett managed to regain his bearings long enough to fire at Kirana once again. With unparalleled speed, her violent energy blade slashed through the air, deflecting blaster bolts as the Dathomirian angled her body so she could catch Fett while still fighting on the defensive.
Zekk reached an open balcony in the palace where a group of speeders were being kept. He rushed towards the nearest one, a sleek crimson machine. He quickly activated the engine and lifted from the balcony to fly after Kirana and Fett.
Boba Fett laughed as he watched Kirana Ti fall towards him. "See you in hell," he told her before refiring his jet pack. The hot jets came quickly, propelling him away from the Jedi.
Grinning, Kirana Ti leveled her descent and reached out with the Force, hooking an invisible line around Boba Fett's leg. The bounty hunter lurched at the unexpected tow line, descending for a brief time before his jetpack compensated and allowed him to fly.
"You fool!" he screamed. "You'll get us both killed." He turned and aimed his blaster pistols at her, forcing her to break her concentration in the Force so she could deflect the shots. One red bolt caught him in the right shoulder, causing him to yelp as she fell towards the surface, only to land in Zekk's speeder.
"This isn't like you," Zekk jested as he steered the speeder in Fett's direction.
Kirana Ti deactivated her lightsaber and reoriented her body so she could sit. Knowing Zekk's tenacity for reckless flying, she quickly strapped herself in for a bumpy ride. "You still have much to learn about me, my apprentice," she said. "Keep after Fett."
Boba Fett landed near a hidden landing spot outside the Crescent City. The bounty hunter smiled, knowing that he had trapped them.
Kirana Ti and Zekk felt the Force cease to exist as they flew into Fett's area. "What happened!" Zekk howled.
"He must have ysalamiri," Kirana said. "The Force will be no use to us here."
"Even so, we have to go after him," Zekk said as he tried to rely on his natural piloting skills to avoid blaster bolts shot by Fett.
The bounty hunter ducked inside Slave IV, which was already prepped for takeoff. Zekk landed the speeder and leapt onto the ground, drawing his lightsaber from his belt. Though he couldn't rely on the Force to guide the weapon, the blue energy blade was still lethal. He thumbed the activation stud and held his weapon at ready, noting that it felt like a lead weight.
Blaster cannons roared from Slave IV, prompting Zekk to dive for cover. His lightsaber flew out of his hand, deactivating as it flew into the air. Kirana Ti leapt from the speeder just in a nick of time. Shots impacted the vehicle and it exploded, leaving Zekk clueless as to his master's fate.
Slave IV lifted from the ground and turned to its vertical flying position as it flew away from the surface. Thinking quickly, Zekk stood and fished a homing beacon from his pouch. Relying on his physical strength alone, the Jedi hurled it at the hull. His aim true, the beacon connected just in time. Slave IV was out of his range after a minute and the Force came flooding back to him. He sighed with relief as he felt his bond with his master was still intact.
Kirana groaned as she tried to stand, but the groan soon turned into a growl as she felt something in her leg. A hot pipe from the speeder had become lodged in her left thigh.
Zekk rushed around the burning wreckage and knelt next to Kirana. "We need to get that removed," he said.
"Did you get a homing beacon on his hull?" the Dathomirian quizzed.
Zekk nodded before calling his lightsaber back to his right hand. After clipping his weapon to his belt, he told her, "Let's get you back." He scooped her into his arms and lifted her off the ground as he stood. He could sense the pain in her body as he accidentally moved her right leg the wrong way, but the apprentice concentrated on sending soothing sensations through the Force, using his healing abilities to inhibit his master's pain.
Sighing, Zekk began his long trek back to the palace, hoping that a crew from the castle would arrive shortly.