Chapter 9
The shuttle set down in the VIP berth at the Jedron spaceport. Lowbacca, M-TD, Nayanll Ohm, Jyo, and Salah stood waiting as the shuttle's engines shut down, and personnel secured the ship.
The ship's port side door opened, and Luke Skywalker, Tahiri Veila, and Ben Skywalker stepped out. Each wore the traditional brown robes of a Jedi. Even Tahiri, who was known for always having bare feet, had a pair of boots on. That meant something was up.
"Master Skywalkers! How good to see both of you again!" M-TD greeted.
Luke nodded to the droid and directed his question towards Lowbacca. "How are your wounds healing?"
Lowbacca gently rubbed the bandages that encased his entire midriff. The Wookie growled softly.
Luke smiled and said. "Glad to hear it."
Salah could not contain herself any longer. "Master Skywalker! What is this all about? Why did you bring us all together?"
Luke's expression saddened slightly. "Let's head to Tahiri's quarters. We will discuss matters there."
Din Holnt was more concerned about Zeek than the A-Wing that was taking off from the spaceport. He landed the borrowed shuttle and rushed over to the Naboo Cruiser that had been given to Zeek and him for their mission.
He found Zeek leaning against one of the landing struts, unconscious; his lightsaber severed at his side. As Din tried to evaluate exactly what was wrong with Zeek, he heard a sound and realized that the A-Wing had turned around and was coming back toward the spaceport.
It stopped just outside the town (or what was left of it), its nose pointing at them. Din saw it, but there was no way he would be able to react fast enough to avoid it. A hatch had opened on each side of the A-Wing, and from each a missile was launched.
The twin rockets sailed right of the Naboo Cruiser and struck the old freighter that Din had flown here. The missiles hit almost simultaneously, shining brightly as they exploded, engulfing the ship in a ball of flame.
Din looked at the A-Wing, surprised that he was still alive. But even as he thought this, the small fighter's nose turned to the left slightly and paused, as if saying: "I don't want to kill you, I just want to destroy your means of transportation."
Din got the message but did not move. He wondered how far he could push this guy. Will he give up and leave? Will he stay there and wait if I don't move? Will he blow us up if I don't?
As these questions ran through his mind, however, the A-Wing suddenly turned its focus away from them and began to fire its lasers into the distance. Soon after, a Jedi Starfighter streaked past, and the A-Wing followed.
Cordell laughed out loud as he stuck to the Jedi Starfighter's tail, firing away with his lasers. Denz came back! I haven't lost him after all! He laughed again as he launched two missiles at the fleeing craft. As soon as he launched them, however, a strange feeling came over him. When he looked, he saw the missiles hanging almost motionless in mid air. The Jedi Starfighter was nowhere in sight. Then he realized it. He used the time-slowing capabilities of the Jedi Starfighter! A glance at his radar screen told him that Denz was now behind him, but there was nothing he could do. His ship rocked with the hit dealt by the Jedi Starfighter's laser canons. Then time started moving normally again. The two missiles Cordell had launched spiraled away and exploded into the wasteland ground below, and he himself did the same.
The Jedi Starfighter then proceeded to exit the planet's atmosphere and shoot into hyperspace.
Din carried Zeek inside the Naboo Cruiser after watching the A-Wing plummet to the ground and seeing smoke begin to rise from the spot. He secured Zeek in one of the medical bays and fired up the engines. I have to make it back to Sand Grain City and get Zeek medical care. Then I better contact Tahiri and let her know what's going on.
Luke and the others sat around a large table in Tahiri's quarters. In the center of the table sat a holoprojector. Luke pressed a button on the control panel in front of his seat. The holoprojector flashed to life, and the lights went off. An image of Cordell appeared above the projector, its light casting an eerie glow over the entire room.
"This is why we're here." Luke began. "Many years ago, on one of my visits to the Maw Installation, I met this young Jedi for the first time. Even then I sensed something about this boy that was different from the other students there. Out of mere curiosity, I probed his mind. What I found … troubled me deeply."
Luke paused and pressed another button on the control panel. Denz's image appeared next to Cordell's.
Luke continued. "This young boy of eight or so years was harboring a great deal of anger and resentment toward his older cousin, Denz."
A chair scraped loudly as someone stood. Everyone turned and saw Jyo shaking violently with a faraway look in the eye illuminated by the hologram. Before anyone could inquire, however, he fell to his knees, clutching his head and screamed at the top of his lungs.
When he stopped, Jyo doubled over gasping for air. Salah helped him to his feet and sent waves of calm through him. Jyo breathed his thanks as she lowered him into his seat then returned to hers.
No one spoke. They all waited for Jyo to fully regain his composure. Jyo cleared his throat. "It's Cordell."
"Is he…?" Tahiri started to ask.
"No." Jyo shook his head. "I can still sense him. But he did just experience a tremendous amount of pain."
Jyo exhaled heavily, and looked at Salah knowingly. He had not told anyone about the communication from Denz and his contacting Zeek. He hoped Salah took his silence to mean that it was best not to bring it up.
Before Luke could continue, however, an alarm went off in Tahiri's room. It came from the personal holophone that was connected directly to the Naboo Cruiser Din and Zeek were using.
The room's lights came back on, and everyone waited as Tahiri went to answer it. The distressed face of Din Holnt appeared and spoke to Tahiri in a muted tone. The call ended and Tahiri returned to the table and said, "To make a long story short: Cordell is crashed on Duro, Zeek is greatly injured and could really use a healer, and Denz was there."
"Was?" Salah asked.
"Din said he disappeared into hyperspace. He couldn't track him."
Luke slammed his palms flat down on the table and stood. "Well, that cuts what I had to say to ribbons. All that's left to do is give everyone their assignments." He pointed to Jyo and Salah. "Go get Tay Norat'k, the young Twi'lek healer, for me."
The two Jedi Students rose and hurried from the room only to return a moment later with Tay, who had been out in the hallway, just about to enter her room. Luke quickly explained the situation to her and asked for her services.
Tay merely nodded nervously. To be called on by the great Luke Skywalker was no little thing.
"Jyo, Salah, Ben, Nayanll, Tay, and myself will go to Duro immediately, using the new hyperspace jump method developed by Krison Glynt. He will plot our course for us, and Kam, who will be arriving at the Jedron spaceport shortly, will pilot us to Duro in the Twilight Trekker."
Luke counted off the remaining people present. "Tahiri will remain here to continue the other students' combat training, M-TD will take over their academic courses for now, and Lowbacca will get some rest.
"Our mission will be to merely subdue and retrieve Cordell. If it comes to the point where we have no other option, we may need to eliminate him. Understand?" He directed the question at everyone but looked directly at Jyo.
When no one objected, Luke nodded. "Good." And with that, he shut down the holoprojector. Everyone else stood and made their way out of Tahiri's room. They filed out into the hallway and drew many stares from other students as they passed through the lounge.
As they made the short walk from the Jome to the spaceport, Luke felt waves of different emotions from almost everyone. Jyo was worried about having to face his brother; Salah was determined to protect Jyo at all costs; Nayanll anticipated her confrontation with Cordell; Tay was just plain nervous; and Tahiri was frustrated at being left behind.
When they reached the Twilight Trekker's hangar, the group found the vessel already there. Kam and Krison were there, as well as someone Luke did not recognize. It was a boy that looked to be about Jyo's age, with shoulder length brown hair that fell over his green eyes. And besides the traditional Jedi garb, the boy also wore a small peace pendant necklace.
"And who might you be?" Luke asked the stranger.
The boy did not smile when he replied. "Name's Trey Jint. I was a friend of Todan Ems, which makes me as involved in this whole thing as any of you!"
Salah stepped forward. "I've never seen you before."
"Maybe it's 'cause I ain't in the advanced class like you are, Red."
"Then what makes you think you could be any help to us at all?" Salah demanded.
Trey grinned at this. "Just because I wasn't chosen for the advanced class, don't mean I have no skills. Believe me, what I can do will surprise you."
"You mean besides talk like an ignoramus?" Salah jeered.
"Just my cover, Red. Just my cover."
Everyone turned to Luke for the call. The Jedi Master stared hard at Trey Jint for a long moment before deciding to let him come after all. "I'd like to notify your family…"
Trey interrupted. "No worries, Master Skywalker. My parents are both dead, and I'm an only child. I make my own decisions."
Luke sighed. "Very well. Lucky for you, I don't have time to look into all of this. But I sense you are telling me the truth." He pointed to the Twilight Trekker. "Okay. Everyone on board."
"Funky!" Trey replied.
Jyo nodded to himself. Definitely a friend of Todan.
Krison Glynt remained outside with Tahiri, Lowbacca, and M-TD, having already set the coordinates for the hyperspace jump. The four of them waved as the Twilight Trekker lifted and took off.
"May the Force be with you." Tahiri whispered.