Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 06_ Vortex - Denning Troy [61]
“Ben, no!” His father Force-shoved him back. “Take—”
The order vanished beneath a deafening crackle, and suddenly the blinding blue flicker of Force lightning filled the grotto. Ben pulled his blaster with his free hand and traced the dancing forks to their source on the far side of the pool, where Gavar Khai crouched on the stone floor spraying bolts at Luke.
Ben squeezed his blaster trigger half a dozen times and saw Khai slam into the cavern wall with smoke rising from his robes and armor. He sensed danger, turned to his side and saw Vestara flying at him, her blade weaving baskets of crimson light as she whirled it through an attack pattern.
Ben turned the blaster on her, then had to ignite his own blade to deflect the bolts she sent flying back toward his head. They met half a heartbeat later, the power of Vestara’s attack driving his guard down despite her injury and smaller size.
He dropped flat on his back, then aimed his blaster up behind her guard and squeezed off three quick bolts. She threw her chin back, and that was all the opening Ben needed to spring up and land a Force-enhanced elbow strike to her solar plexus.
Vestara went flying back … and slammed Taalon in the flank as he came leaping out of the water. The pair cartwheeled sideways, the High Lord filling the air with curses until they slammed into a wall. Taalon rose to his knees, then Ben saw a fist rise and fall, and Vestara groaned in pain.
Luke was on the pair instantly, his lightsaber droning and sparking as he pounded at Taalon’s defenses. Determined to finish the High Lord while they had the advantage, Ben rushed to join his father.
On the other side of the pool, Gavar Khai’s dark figure struggled up and limped toward the fight. For an instant, Ben wondered whether he had seen Taalon strike Vestara—and whether a father’s anger might be enough to turn a Sith against his Lord.
Then Khai’s parang floated from its sheath and came spinning across the pool toward Ben. He brought his lightsaber around to block … and only managed to slice the glass weapon in two. The hilt went tumbling away and shattered against a wall. But Khai still held the blade in his Force control, and it came swinging back toward Ben. He tried to twist away and felt the broken shard push between his ribs. His flank erupted in fiery pain, and his breath left him in an anguished gasp.
Knowing what was coming next, Ben whirled to face Khai—and found his lightsaber slicing through empty air as Khai leapt toward his father and Taalon. Ben dropped his blaster and extended his hand, intending to Force-slam Khai into the grotto wall. The Sith countered with a Force shove of his own, hurling Ben back toward the grotto entrance.
“Dad!” Ben’s voice was a raspy croak. “Behind … you!”
He should have known better than to worry. As Khai ignited his lightsaber, Luke was already ducking and reaching up to grab a passing ankle. With a quick, circular jerk, he brought Khai smashing down on Taalon and Vestara. Then he rolled his blade around, brought it down, and sent a Sith forearm sliding across the grotto floor. Whom it had belonged to, Ben could not tell.
In the next instant his father was riding a bolt of Force lightning into the grotto wall beside him. Ben ignited his lightsaber and shoved the blade into the crackling energy, disrupting the current and freeing his father.
“Dad, arrraagh—” The question came to an anguished end as the glass lodged in Ben’s side grated against his ribs. Being careful to grab it by the dull side, he reached over and jerked out the shard. “Dad, are you—”
“Go.” Ben felt his father’s hand on his shoulder, shoving him toward the exit. “Fast.”
Ben obeyed instantly, his chest filling with fire as he dashed for the exit. His father was only two steps behind him, but once they had cleared