Chapter 3
Zeek was too nervous to eat anything. He just sat there while Kam stuffed his face, and Din ate some fruit.
"Don't you want anything, young Solo?" Din asked.
"Yeah … crunch munch … aren't you hungry?" Kam said between bites.
Zeek shook his head.
Din stood from the table. "Well, let's have you take that test of mine so you can eat again."
Zeek rose as well and followed Din out of the cafeteria.
As they left, Todan walked in and saw Kam. He walked over and sat down across from him. "Do you mind if I…?"
Kam nodded his head and said with his mouth full, "Mo might ahmead."
"Groovy!" Todan said as he dug in.
Din and Zeek entered the recreation center near the Jomes and got a few stares. Din informed the Students present that he was a Jedi Knight, and that he would appreciate it if they would all please move over to one side of the room. No one questioned him as they went to sit with their backs up against one of the walls.
Din turned to Zeek and said, "Let's start by seeing how high you can jump. I expect you to hold nothing back."
Zeek nodded, determined. He set himself, focused, and propelled himself into a Force enhanced jump. Zeek launched himself almost twenty feet in the air, and then he slowed his descent with the Force.
Din smiled. "Next, your physical strength." He pointed to a hanging sandbag.
Zeek assumed a sideways stance in front of the bag with his right hand back. He focused on giving his right hand strength, and then punched the bag with all his might. The chain it hung by, snapped as the bag flew backward into the far wall. It slammed into the wall with a loud crash; then slid down and settled against the wall.
Din eyed the indent the bag had made in the wall and said, "You need to work on getting your strength up quicker."
Zeek only nodded.
"Finally, a test to see how agile you are when it comes to moving things with the Force." He pointed to a pile of weights stacked in a corner.
The weights rose from the floor and began to fly through the air barely missing Zeek, Din and the other Students. Zeek yawned as if to say that moving a bunch of heavy weights was no big thing.
As Zeek replaced the weights, Din stated, "I'm not even going to ask how much weight is the max you can lift."
"So do I pass?"
Din nodded. "I am really looking forward to having you with me during my next mission … uh, I mean, our next mission."
Zeek smiled proudly as Din and his new apprentice left the recreation center. The other Students, as they went back to training, mumbled amongst themselves about what they had just seen.
Cordell slumped in his seat. The images played over and over in his head. Jyo had shown Cordell, through his memories, what had happened on Myrkyr. Cordell had seen everything through Jyo's eyes, right up until he himself had kicked Jyo unconscious.
"I … I … I am so sorry, Jyo."
Jyo sighed. "You know I forgive you, Cordell; but in reality, it may not have been completely your fault. Salah believes that someone might have controlled you somehow."
Cordell just sat and shook his head in disgust.
Jyo sighed. Remembering the whole ordeal in such detail had taken it out of him. "I think that's enough for today." He said to Cordell.
Jyo's brother just nodded sullenly as he followed Jyo out of the room. Jyo wanted to do some reading to relax so he turned into one of the turbolifts.
Cordell went in the other direction toward his room. Jyo noticed the Bothan, Nayanll Ohm, fall in behind Cordell and watched him closely. Jyo reminded himself that Master Luke had personally asked her to keep an eye on Cordell for a while. The turbolift door swished shut, and Jyo shot up toward the library.
Cordell ignored Nayanll for the most part and went into his room. Nayanll seated herself outside of Cordell's room and made herself as aware as possible so as to detect anything wrong before it happened. As usual, however, she soon found herself distracted by the boy sitting across the hallway tinkering with the same door he had been tinkering on for weeks now.
Meanwhile, Cordell had collapsed on his bed. In his head, he went over the events that had taken place on Myrkyr. Slowly, a smile crept onto his face; then he chuckled, and remembering that Nayanll was right outside, reverted to silent laughter. All across Jedron, Students, Teachers, Masters, and Padawans felt it -- a disturbance in the Force. Something had shifted.
Pan smiled when he felt Cordell's hidden power bubble to the surface of his being. All it had taken was for him to remember what he had been able to do on Myrkyr. Pan had thought his efforts wasted when Cordell did not remember the events that had taken place. But thanks to his brother, Jyo, Cordell now had an avid picture of his capabilities. Cordell would not need Pan to push him over the edge next time. All of Cordell's power and hostility that he had bottled up for so long was now at his fingertips. Ready to be used any way he wanted to. Cordell had undoubtedly begun down the Dark Path.
Now only one component remains, Pan told himself. But he would be patient. Eventually the two pieces would come together. Then the question would be answered.
For now, though, he would shield Cordell from suspicion. In fact, by morning, no one remembered feeling the disturbance the previous night.
Several days later, Din Holnt and Zeek Solo met Tahiri and Lowbacca at the spaceport. "Are you ready to see the craft you will be using on you mission?" Tahiri asked unnecessarily.
Both the Jedi Knight and Apprentice nodded with enthusiasm.
Tahiri led them to a nearby hangar, where a long, sleek craft with an almost reflective surface, had been berthed. Although almost three times the length of an X-wing, it was clear that this ship was made for speed and maneuverability.
Lowbacca roared.
"Yes, Lowie." Tahiri responded. "It is beautiful. You and that Krison Glynt kid did a magnificent job; and pretty much from scratch too."
"What is it?" Zeek asked, his mouth hanging open a tad.
"This," Tahiri said gesturing, "is the first remake of a Naboo Cruiser. Although not heavily armed, its speed, agility and shield power can't be beat. And I know it may seem big, but only one person is needed to pilot it."
Lowbacca barked at her.
"Thanks to Lowie that is. He simplified the controls so that only one person, instead of three, would be necessary to pilot the Cruiser."
Lowbacca moaned as he tapped Tahiri on the shoulder, as if reminding her of something.
"Oh, yes! Master Skywalker holophoned me earlier to tell me to tell you that he wishes he could have been here to see you off. But right now he's on Coruscant with Jacen, Jaina, Tenal-Ka, Kyp, and Ben, trying to get those dumb diplomats to decide on a logical course of action for restoring the planet." Tahiri paused to take a breath. "So, with that said, I wish you both 'Good luck' on your mission. And may the Force be with you."
Neither Din nor Zeek moved for a moment, then as his master began to lope toward the ship, Zeek fell in behind and to the right of him.
Inside the Naboo Cruiser was just as amazing as the outside. A quick inventory revealed at least five private quarters, a cafeterium, and a hold large enough to carry a small fighter. Although now it was filled with supplies and other things Din and Zeek might need on their journey.
When the duo made it to the cockpit, Din was surprised to find the pilot's chair had been custom made to fit his physique. As he settled into it and Zeek into the standard co-pilot chair, Din asked Zeek, in his low rumbling voice, if he was ready.
Zeek took a deep breath and smiled as he turned to face Din. "You betcha! Let's fly!"
Later that day, Tahiri locked herself in her quarters and spoke privately with Luke Skywalker over the holophone.
"And what was the mission directive you gave Din Holnt and Zeek Solo again?" Luke was asking.
"To seek out and dispose of the vorts popping up on various planets." Tahiri replied.
"You have supplied them with a list of planets and geographical locations on these worlds where…?"
Tahiri nodded. "As per your orders. But could you explain to me again why you had me deceive them, so they thought they were hunting vorts?"
Luke sighed. "Our information is limited, unfortunately. All the recounts by our eyewitnesses are generally the same. Just as they were about to engage a vort they had discovered, they hesitated. And these are highly trained Jedi Knights! Anyway, they all remember seeing a cloaked being appear as if from nowhere, for they had not sensed it. The being would approach the vort outright, and the next thing anyone ever remembers is seeing the vort lying in a smoldering heap or in pieces, and the hooded being disappeared."
"But Master Skywalker, why send only a Knight and an Apprentice out to apprehend, or at least reveal the identity of this mysterious vort-slayer? I mean, he's obviously no pushover."
The holographic image of Luke changed as he must have sat down and began to shake his head. "Call it a hunch or a feeling. For now, send any new information you receive from Holnt and Solo directly to me. If they run across this mysterious character and ask your permission to investigate, give it to them. Also, if they assume they can keep it from you, allow them to think so, as they will probably track down the stranger on their own."
"I just hope you're right about those two."