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Into the Dark Side
Chapter 6
Doc leaned against the wall outside the Palace's medical center. The older Jedi tried not to curse himself for not being present to help apprehend Fett. Zekk had managed to get a homing beacon on the hull of Slave IV, but even he realized that it would only be a matter of time before Fett realized he was being tracked and they would lose the trail.
He watched as Zekk exited Kirana Ti's room. The young Jedi inhaled deeply before saying, "I'm going after Fett."
Doc cocked an eyebrow before saying, "You're tense. You must remain calm."
Nodding, Zekk said, "I know. It's just hard." He looked to his friend and asked, "Want to tag along?"
"Someone has to keep you out of trouble," Doc said. "When do we leave?"
"Right now," Zekk said before walking away from Doc.
Doc shook his head before Kirana Ti exited the medical center, limping as she walked. "Zekk!" she exclaimed.
Her apprentice whirled around, gazing at her. "You should stay here until you recover," he told his master. "Doc and I can handle this."
"It's no trouble," Doc said. "I can look after things here."
Kirana Ti limped towards Zekk. "If you want to hurry, don't argue," she told him. "Something about this doesn't feel right."
Zekk sighed in acquiescence. "Just don't slow us down," he told her before they walked towards the turbolift.
Doc watched the two go, taking a hard look at the duo as a feeling of dread reared in the pit of his stomach.
A single ship exited the Hapan atmosphere, soaring into space. The Dragon Heart's computer still had a lock on the homing beacon attached to Slave IV. Zekk knew that Fett had gotten a head start on them and that every second counted. He pulled back the lever to his right, propelling the craft into hyperspace.
"You know, you really should get some rest," Kirana said from the co-pilot's chair. "We're going to need our strength if we have to face Fett again."
"I'll do it," Zekk told her as he leaned back into his seat. "You just need to take care of your leg first." He looked directly at his teacher and gave her a wry grin. "You seem to be picking up some of my reckless traits."
Kirana managed to laugh. "You should have known me as a warrior witch," she said with a twinkle in her eye. "You would not have been able to keep up with me then."
"Of course not," Zekk admitted. "I was only a little kid at the time."
Rolling her eyes, Kirana said, "Okay, that wasn't funny."
"Sure it was," Zekk said, not able to resist having a chuckle. "Now let's have a look at your leg."
Moments later, the duo were in the ship's sleeping quarters. Kirana was prone on her pallet, looking to Zekk as he moved a seat towards her so he could sit. "Most people don't have a talent for healing and fighting, Zekk," she said. "I've always marveled at that."
"I just remember what Master Cilghal told me when I was ten," said Zekk as he sat. "Before you learn how to fight, you must learn how to heal." He placed a hand on his master's forehead. "Close your eyes. Find your center of calm and relax."
Complying with Zekk's request, she shut her eyes. She could just as easily healed some of the damage in a Jedi trance, but a healer's job was more thorough. She slowly relaxed before feeling the Force flow through her body like a warm current, focusing on her leg wound.
Kirana had used bacta patches to assist with the healing process, but their affect was rarely felt. Zekk's healing power felt like a warm flame licking at her wound, mending flesh and repairing tissue damage. It felt like moments, but when she finally opened her eyes, she saw that Zekk was exhausted. Her leg also felt as good as new.
"How long?" she asked.
Zekk struggled to stand. "Two hours," he said, stabilizing himself on the back of his chair so he wouldn't fall.
Kirana moved so she could sit and stare directly at her apprentice. "You should get some rest," she said with concern.
"I don't think I could make it to my pallet," Zekk said. "I'm no master healer. That took a lot out of me."
Kirana Ti held out her right hand. "Take my hand," she said.
Zekk took his master's hand and let himself be guided onto her pallet. It was a tight fit since it was only made to be comfortable for one.
Kirana climbed out of the pallet and brushed a lock of hair out of Zekk's face. "Sweet dreams," she told him.
Zekk didn't hear anything after that as he fell into an exhausted sleep.
A man in blue robes approached a small farming hut on the planet Ennth. In his arms, he cradled a male infant in swaddling clothes. The child was sleeping, protected from the biting wind and rain.
The door to the hut opened and an older man with gray hair appeared at the entrance. "What are you doing out there in the rain!" he shouted. "Please, come inside!"
The cloaked man complied, entering the hut. The old man closed the door behind him and an old woman rushed to take the baby out of his arms. The blue shrouded man relieved the child to the woman's protection and removed his hood, revealing his bald dark skinned head.
"I thank you for your kindness," he said. "My ship was shot down not far from here and I needed shelter before I could do any repairs."
"Grant is taking pleasure in shooting at everyone that enters this sector," the old man said, referring to the local Imperial warlord.
The old woman returned and said, "Get to the kitchen. I will make you some tea. You must have gotten really cold out there."
The dark man smiled, his almost too perfect teeth showing. "If you do not mind," he told her.
Moments later, the three adults were in the kitchen. The old woman was boiling water at the cooking surface while the two men talked.
"I apologize for my lack of manners," the dark man said. "My name is Garen."
"Yura's my name," the old man said. He then pointed to the old woman and said, "That's my wife Layla."
"Is that your son?" Layla asked suspiciously as she prepared three cups of tea.
"No, he is not," Garen denied. "The infant was given to me for protection, but I won't last much longer."
Yura cocked a white eyebrow. "What's wrong with you?" he asked Garen.
"My power cell is nearly depleted," he revealed, earning a look of shock from husband and wife. "There is no technology in this galaxy that would allow me to recharge."
"You look too real to be a droid!" Layla gasped as she set a cup of tea in front of Garen.
"Droid?" Garen asked curiously. "Yes, that is what you call them in this galaxy. I am not one of these droids. I am an android."
"I heard of those back when I was working on Coruscant," Yura said before accepting a cup of tea from his wife. Layla sat beside him. "They were just experimental. Supposed to be smarter and more powerful than any droid. Then the damned Clone Wars broke out and droid research went to a halt."
"Where I am from, androids are very real," Garen explained. "The boy is no android."
"Is he human?" Layla asked.
"Affirmative," replied Garen. "He is a Biounit, a future psionic soldier of the Confederation. Most of his kind was lost in a temporal accident, but I managed to save him just in time to prevent him from being swallowed by the void. But I could not save my ship. That is how I arrived here."
"Is there any chance that you were pursued?" Yura asked before sipping his tea.
Garen shook his head, mimicking human actions. "Negative," he said. "The temporal wake closed behind me."
"We'll take the boy," Yura volunteered, earning a venomous glare from his wife.
"Honey, we're too old to raise children, especially in this place," she protested.
Yura looked to his wife. "Layla, we were never able to have kids," he told her. "This man needs our help. The boy needs our help."
Layla sighed. "If it is what is for the best," she said. She turned to Garen and asked, "What is the boy's name?"
"I have named him Zekk," Garen replied.
Zekk slowly opened his eyes, the dream still fresh in his mind. He slowly sat, realizing he was still in Kirana Ti's pallet. He stood, using a Jedi technique to loosen his muscles so he could walk towards the cabin. His master was studying a datapad at the table, reading the latest news.
"So you're finally awake," she said. "You were out for six hours."
"I had a dream," he told her as he took a seat. "I dreamed about my parents."
"You never talked much about them," Kirana said as she set the datapad on the table. She stared at her apprentice intently. "I know they died in the cataclysm."
"They weren't my real parents," Zekk said. "I was about five when I realized that I was adopted. The other kids made comments about how old my parents were. I even heard that my mother had an illness when she was thirteen, but due to her allergy to bacta, she was left barren because they couldn't treat her properly. She was sixty-seven when she died in the cataclysm."
Kirana placed her left hand on Zekk's shoulder to calm him.
"I was always different from the other kids," Zekk said, his face ashen. "Even as it was all happening, I pictured in my mind that I could prevent the ground from shaking. The tremors stopped temporarily, allowing a family to board an escape shuttle. I tried to go to my parents, but they weren't so lucky." He tried to hold back his tears at that point. "Just as I ran to my farm, they were running outside. They didn't get far."
A single tear rolled down Zekk's cheek. "The ground erupted beneath them and magma flew into the sky. I couldn't save them."
Kirana felt the horror of Zekk's revelation. But what astonished her is that he had such a powerful manifestation at such a young age. Untrained, it was marvelous, but almost eerie. "You were always alone, weren't you?" she asked.
"Yeah," Zekk said, his tears dried. "Until I came to Yavin 4, I was my own person. You've helped me realize my potential. I won't let what happened to my parents happen to anyone else."
Nodding, Kirana knew how dangerous Zekk's statement was. But at the same time, she could understand his grief. She too had been cut from her family when she chose the life of a Jedi. Wanting familial satisfaction was nothing short of normal.
"You're already very powerful, Zekk," Kirana finally said. "I've never met anyone as gifted as you. Well, almost never." She had to take it back. Kyp Durron was gifted, but used his gifts for evil rather than good. Then there was Brakiss. She had to fight the negative feelings that rose whenever she thought about the Dark Jedi.
"Master?" Zekk asked, noticing her turmoil through the bond he had with her.
"It's nothing," she lied. "We should be arriving at our destination soon."
The Dathomirian quickly stood, Zekk noticing her as a woman with problems for perhaps the first time in their relationship. He watched Kirana walk towards the cockpit, wondering what made her so sad.
Doc crossed his arms over his chest as he listened to Tenel Ka. He had agreed to meet her in her quarters, but what he was hearing exactly what he expected to hear.
"So you see, they're going to need our help," Tenel said, trying not to be so formal in her speech.
"Your mother won't let you leave the palace," Doc said. "Now, if you want me to continue training you, that's another matter entirely."
"Can't we do both?" the teenage princess pleaded.
Doc considered for a moment. If Luke or Leia asked, the princess could leave the palace. He wasn't sure if he was ready to ask for permission just yet. "No," he said. "Now, what of your lessons?"
"I could always use more help in that area," Tenel admitted. "My encounter with Boba Fett taught me that my strength training isn't enough."
Doc smirked. "You've learned an important lesson," he told her. "Never be too proud of yourself. Now, tell me how far you have come in your training."
Jaina Solo knew one thing. She couldn't stand the Shadow Academy. Everything was too rigid, even the auditorium seating arrangement. She had been separated from her brother and Lowbacca because she had been told it was for protection from possible treason against the Second Imperium.
Brakiss stood in front of everyone, saying, "We have three new trainees. We are graced by Darth Vader's grandchildren."
Jaina twitched the mention of being one of Vader's descendants. But she said nothing.
"It remains to be seen whether or not they will be able to handle the training of the true Jedi," Brakiss told the assembly. "I have already introduce you to the rudimentary aspects of the Force and let you go on paths of self discovery. But now it is time for another lesson in the Force."
"As you know, the Force is an energy field. It surrounds us and holds everything together. Its power is beyond the comprehension of most people, even the means to realize its true potential," Brakiss continued as he paced in front of the assembly, looking at each of his students. "The proper way to channel the Force is through your emotions. You must feel something in order to take it and that is the way with the Force."
"That's a lie!" Jaina exclaimed. "You can access the Force without your emotions if you open yourself and remain calm."
Brakiss chuckled. "I did not say it was the only way, Solo," he said to her. "I said it was the proper way." Before she could launch a retort, he continued to lecture. "It is true that the Force can be found through calm and allowing it to flow through you. But doing so makes you a servant of the Force and a slave to its actions. No, you must control the Force. This is where the ways of the light are wrong."
Jaina looked down, noticing that Jacen was listening intently. But appearances weren't everything. He was just as uneasy as his sister.
"By walking through the darkness, we are in the shadow of the light," Brakiss said. "By seeking power, we cannot allow ourselves to stay away from the shadows. This is why I have called this institution the Shadow Academy."
Shifting in her seat, Jaina sent out a silent call in the Force for help. They would need it.
Jacen Solo was busy. Brakiss had seen that he was ready, unlike his Uncle Luke. At his worktable, various parts were scattered: components for his lightsaber. Though his sister was clearly more adept at tools, the Force was Jacen's ally. He could do this.
Using a laser cutting tool, Jacen began to work on the thirty centimeter long black cylinder that would house the components of his weapon. The construction of a lightsaber was a Jedi tradition stretching back for centuries. It was a weapon meant to be used for the rest of the owner's life. Some had even gone as far into turning their weapons into works of art. Jacen wanted nothing like that. He wanted to keep it simple.
After cutting notches and grooves into the cylinder, Jacen inspected his other parts: wires, diodes, a superconductor, a power cell, a focusing lens and knobs and buttons. He took the power cell and slid it into the cylinder, snapping it into place. He worked with the mess of wires, forging them into a sensible network. He worked gracefully, using the Force to guide him so he made no mistakes. His weapon had to be perfect.
Jacen reached for a leather pouch on his desk and dumped its contents onto the table. A single red crystal fell, clattering on the desk. Tionne had told him that searching for the appropriate crystal was just as an important a ritual as building a lightsaber. Jedi of the Old Republic had gone on quests specifically to find the right gem. But Jacen had no time for this exercise.
Inhaling deeply, Jacen called on the Force to relieve his tension. His family would be disappointed by his actions, but he needed a weapon in order to escape from the Shadow Academy. Even more importantly, he needed to be calm to make sure he didn't put it together improperly. After a few moments, he resumed work.
He screwed and snapped components into place, making sure every connection was perfect. Jacen looked at his progress and quickly took everything apart to make sure it was done correctly. When satisfied, Jacen reassembled the components and lifted the completed lightsaber from his desk. He stared at the simple, yet elegant weapon, knowing he had made no mistakes.
Jacen thumbed the activation stud. With a snap-hiss, a scarlet energy blade sprang to life. A smile crept onto his face as he gave the lightsaber a few practice swings, feeling the power of its deadly hum and tasting the smell of ozone. Everything seemed to be working perfectly, so he deactivated the weapon.
Jaina Solo loathed the lightsaber she had been given by Brakiss. A Jedi was supposed to construct her own lightsaber, not be given a weapon. It felt cheap and wrong to her to even accept the device. But she knew she would need it if she was going to survive the training ritual.
She had been led into a holo chamber, so Jaina knew it would be some sort of illusion. But even holograms could kill if the safeties had been disabled. She knew she would have to rely heavily on her limited Jedi training to survive. Jaina refused to give into the Dark Side, which was what Brakiss wanted.
Suddenly, a door she didn't knew existed hissed as it opened. Steam rose and a man in a black cloak emerged. Jaina was immediately frightened. The man had red and black designs etched into his face and a crown of short, hooked horns on his head. He unclipped a lightsaber from his belt and activated a deep scarlet beam.
Jaina acted swiftly, igniting her ruby red energy blade. She waited as the horned warrior charged at her, swinging his weapon violently at her head. Gritting her teeth, she parried the blow, but was astonished by the intensity of his offensive and could feel anger pouring from him in waves.
Taking a step back, Jaina maintained the defensive, trying to find an opening in her opponent's attack pattern. It appeared as if he was relying heavily on martial arts training to enhance his sword fighting style, something Jaina had neglected to study on Yavin 4. She blocked another blow and responded with her riposte, forcing him on the defensive.
Jacen Solo was having a test of his own, locked in a life and death struggle with whom he believed was Emperor Palpatine, albeit a younger version of the man. It had the youthful face of one of his clones. Jacen sensed the cool resolve in his opponent, but he was determined to end this fight so he could plot his escape.
A blow from his opponent's red beam drove Jacen back. He raised his sword to defend, ending Palpatine's hopes of an actual offensive. Jacen ducked under his blade and rolled on the ground, careful not to cut himself with his lightsaber. He used a push from the Force to make Palpatine lose his footing. When he saw that the desired effect occurred, Jacen used the Force to propel himself into the air, raising his blade so he could cleave his enemy in two.
But as he expected, Palpatine was quick to recover. Jacen's blade slammed against Palpatine's. The clone smiled wryly and Jacen thought that he recognized the look for a millisecond. It was all Palpatine needed to push his weight forward and drive Jacen back.
The clone resumed his offensive, hacking and slashing at Jacen's sides and legs. Jacen was forced to defend, his recently constructed lightsaber holding up to the stress of the job as he focused on defending himself, waiting for an opening.
Jaina had worked up a good sweat from the exercise. She was becoming drenched as she fought for her life. The horned warrior was good, moving gracefully as he defended himself. Jaina attacked his undefended left, but his scarlet beam was there, just as it always was. She was slowly becoming frustrated, wondering what sort of training she was being subjected. Fighting to the death infuriated her. It was a waste.
The power of Jaina's blows increased with her growing anger. The two combatants were like a whirling of red lights in the dimly lit room. She dove for the floor, slashing at the warrior's legs. He leapt, avoiding the deadly strike.
The horned man responded by slashing downward with his saber, but Jaina was up quickly, blocking his weapon. She could see the fury in his yellow eyes, but also a twinge of something else.
"Don't you ever die?" he asked, his voice surprisingly familiar.
"Jacen?" Jaina asked hesitantly.
The horned warrior pulled away from his opponent and said, "It can't be. Jaina?"
Reality came quickly. She could see through the illusion and noticed that she had been fighting her brother the whole time. "Jacen!" she exclaimed.
The door to the holochamber slid, opening them to the rest of the space station. Brakiss entered, clearly disgusted with the outcome.
"Jacen, I said you were ready to build your own lightsaber for a reason," Brakiss said. "Now I'm beginning to wonder if I was wrong to trust you."
Jaina could not contain her shock. She was unable to speak as she glanced at Jacen.
"I am sorry, Master Brakiss," Jacen said. "She is still too devoted to the light. I can't waste my own sister's life when I know she is capable of so much more."
Brakiss nodded knowingly. "Very well," he told Jacen. "Though your actions are commendable, I must force you to miss your evening meal. I will give you a moment to speak with your sister. After that, she must come with me. I will be waiting outside."
After Brakiss departed, Jaina closed her energy blade. "Jacen, what are you doing?" she asked.
"Jaina, someone has to get us out of here," Jacen told her. "I have to earn his trust if I'm going to help us escape." He then deactivated his lightsaber and clipped it to his belt. "This would go so much easier if you just cooperated with me."
"But I felt you tap into the Dark Side," Jaina warned.
"You did too," said Jacen, immediately making his sister feel guilty. "We'll be fine. You'll see."
Jaina nodded sadly and exited the holo chamber, leaving Jacen to train.