Star Wars_ Coruscant Nights III_ Patterns of Force - Michael Reaves [46]
“Walk away from the sculpture,” he told Kaj. “Move toward the wall.”
The boy did, and remained hidden from the Force.
“Incredible,” murmured Dejah. “I had no idea Ves’s light sculptures possessed this property.” Brow furrowed, she moved slowly around the display, stopping only when she stood next to Kaj opposite Jax. Then she peered at the Jedi through the moving pattern of lights.
“I can’t sense you,” she murmured, then glanced from Den to Rhinann. “Any of you.” The idea seemed to disturb her. Wrapping her arms about herself, she left the room without another word.
“What was that about?” Den asked.
“Perhaps,” said Rhinann, “one of us should inquire. She seemed … unhappy. I’ll go,” he added, before anyone else could respond, then moved after Dejah with an alacrity that was no less surprising than the gesture itself.
To his further amazement, Jax could swear that Den had also made a move in Dejah’s direction. He didn’t have time to give headspace to the Zeltron woman’s peculiar reaction to their discovery, however. The overall implications of it as far as their current predicament was concerned were too important.
Jax, I-Five, and Kaj all gathered around the undulating display of colorful light. A moment later Den joined them, and they all stood looking at the thing like a flock of art gallery patrons gawking at the newest exhibit.
“Any theories, I-Five?” Jax asked the droid. “Any idea how or why the light sculptures might cause this sort of damping effect?”
“The display itself uses a combination of electro- and bioluminescence, so I suppose there is a possibility that it could somehow warp the kinetic energies of biological entities. But I think it more likely that it’s the power source. The light sculpture creates a cohesion field capable of bending light to the desired shape by using a lightsaber crystal. Perhaps it bends more than light.”
Jax stared at the droid. “You’re saying the Force might not be blocked, but instead shunted somewhere else?”
“Possibly, but not necessarily. I would suggest, given the challenges inherent in training your Padawan, that you may wish to conduct some simple experiments. There are still at least half a dozen of these sculptures in Ves Volette’s studio. It would be interesting to know if they all create the same effect, and if they damp telekinetic and other psionic forces—or, as you suspect, shunt them off somewhere else.”
“What I’m wondering,” said Jax, “is what would happen if a Force-user was surrounded by them. Would they make an effective wall?”
“A redistribution enclosure?” suggested I-Five. “Something like an EM cage?”
“A what?” Den wanted to know.
“An electromagnetic cage is an enclosure lined with conducting metal designed to block various frequencies of radiation,” I-Five explained. “It’s extremely versatile and has been used for millennia. What Jax is postulating is essentially the same concept, applied to the Force.”
“Hard to believe that someone hasn’t stumbled across such a basic concept already,” Jax said.
“Not really. For centuries the only ones really interested in the Force were the Jedi, and their R and D was much more esoteric and theoretical than practical. Their emphasis was always on ways to augment the Force, rather than restrict it.” The droid looked closely at the light structure. “We’ll no doubt have to tweak the frequency for optimal results.”
Jax glanced toward the closed door to Dejah’s quarters. “Not without her permission. She loves those sculptures. They’re all she’s got left of Ves Volette.”
“Naturally, we would get her permission,” I-Five conceded. “But I can’t imagine she would withhold it. She has, after all, been an outspoken proponent of you pursuing a serious training regimen with Kajin.”
“You really think a shield of these things would work?” the boy asked, staring up into the play of light.
“There’s only