Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 02_ Omen - Christie Golden [7]
Compassion combined with a grim determination to prevent the frightened young woman from harming anyone lent the Mon Calamari speed. One way or another, they would stop her. After all, this was the Jedi Temple, and Jysella, although quite a capable Jedi Knight, was hardly unstoppable, even if fueled by insane fear.
Where could she possibly go?
JEDI TEMPLE, CORUSCANT
WHERE COULD SHE GO?
Jysella was trapped, trapped like an animal, and she had to get out, she had to. Oh Valin, Valin, I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you, I’m so sorry I—
She couldn’t take the turbolift. It was too slow, and besides, they, the doppelgängers, would shut down the power to it and trap her inside. She’d have to get down to the main floor another way, and she knew exactly how.
The turbolift shaft was located in the center area where the hallways of the Archives came together. Four ramps led over an open space from the halls to the turbolift. There were carved stone banisters at waist height, more for decoration than function. Any Jedi walking over these ramps could glance down and see the corresponding hallways of the floor below.
Jysella did not hesitate for an instant. Clutching her activated lightsaber in one hand, she reached out with the other, placed it on the cool marble of the banister, and vaulted diagonally to the other walkway on the floor below. Using the Force to control the leap, she landed easily. She had just turned her head and was about to jump to the next level when she heard Not-Cilghal’s voice.
“Jysella, wait! What you think is not true! No one has stolen us away. We—”
Terror flooded Jysella so that her sweaty hand almost lost its grip. She sprang for the next level, haphazardly and inaccurately, and slammed her knee hard against the marble banister as she clung to it from the side.
She felt the presence of the Jedi rushing toward her, and her head whipped up. She knew this Jedi—or rather, knew who she was supposed to be. The doppelgänger looked exactly like the Falleen female Natua Wan, right down to Natua’s preference for blue beads woven into her long black hair. Her lightsaber was activated and she was shouting something at Jysella. Some nonsense about how she didn’t want to hurt her, that something wasn’t right with Jysella’s thinking but that they wanted to help her. And this doppelgänger’s skin was changing color, just like a real Falleen’s would when she was exuding pheromones in order to trap Jysella—
“Right,” she muttered. Jysella couldn’t release either the railing or her lightsaber, but Not-Natua had to be stopped before the pheromones took effect. Her eyes lit on a bust that sat on a small table at the end of this hallway. With a quick snap of her head, Jysella threw the carved stone bust of a long-dead Jedi at the being who was impersonating a living one. It slammed hard into Natua’s double and she fell.
Jysella didn’t want to see if the false Falleen got up. Grimly she dropped down, landing easily on the balls of her feet.
Jysella was on the main floor now. Escape, and safety, temporary though it might be, was just a few moments away. She turned and saw the exit from this wing. It opened onto the huge main hallway. Beyond that, the Promenade, and freedom. Jysella gulped and started running.
She swore under her breath as another Jedi emerged from one of the side stacks. This one looked like a Brubb, but she didn’t recognize him. They were everywhere, these false ones. So desperate was her need to get out that she didn’t even slow. With a snarl, she made a gesture as if she were running her fingers horizontally along one of the shelves. Hundreds of datatapes sprang forward as if thrown from where, a heartbeat before, they had been safely ensconced. They showered down on the Jedi Knight, momentarily distracting him as he tried to deflect them. Brubb were strong, and no doubt this doppelgänger had that quality as well. Little that Jysella could throw at him would harm him, but all she needed was to buy a couple of moments—
Coming at the Brubb at a dead