Star Wars_ Legacy of the Force 07_ Fury - Aaron Allston [34]
Fifteen seconds.
Caedus gave Katarn and Hu’lya a little smile. “You could save yourselves a lot of pain by telling me now where Luke has set up the new Jedi headquarters. I swear, when you are in my hands, you will answer that question.”
The Bothan got her feet back under her and stood at the ready.
Katarn caught his returning lightsaber. “Meaning you will torture us to death. Are you listening to yourself, Jacen? Do you even know who you are anymore?”
“I do. It’s you who have no idea who I am.”
He felt Force energy growing within Mithric and Horn. He gestured, telekinetically yanking the Bothan forward, positioning her between him and them. He felt their Force exertion as it was suddenly cut off.
Katarn advanced, lightsaber at the ready. Caedus withdrew before him. With part of his awareness, he was keeping track of the four inbound vehicles, plotting their trajectories…
One of the GAG vehicles was circling ahead and to starboard of the descending shuttle. Its arc, intended to put it toward the bow of the shuttle so it could fire on the cockpit, would bring it near the combatants, just a few meters above them. The pilot’s maneuver was smooth, the vehicle clearly under control. Caedus could see the Jedi barely registering its presence, since it did not figure into the combat.
Caedus reached out a hand as if intending to hurl Katarn away from him. The Master raised his own hand, a deflecting gesture. But Caedus exerted himself against the oncoming GAG speeder, yanking it down and toward all of them.
A moment’s inattention or focus elsewhere. That’s all it ever took. By the time Katarn felt the speeder coming toward him—spinning, its stern a mere two meters from his back—it was already too late for him to send a command even to Force-augmented nerves and muscles. His face changed with the awareness of danger.
Then the speeder’s port quarter hit his back, hurling him forward to slam into Caedus. The speeder, continuing its out-of-control motion, slid through the location of the other Jedi, knocking Hu’lya to the permacrete, causing Horn and Mithric to leap to safety.
Katarn now stood so close to Caedus that every facial feature was visible, every scar and line in his weathered face, every hair on his brow, mustache, and beard.
Caedus felt a rush of satisfaction, enjoyment, as Katarn’s expression turned from one of surprise to pain. Katarn looked down to see Caedus’s lightsaber buried to its hilt in his chest.
A noise, something halfway between a groan and a death rattle, emerged from Katarn’s lips. Smiling, Caedus yanked his lightsaber free and let the stricken Jedi Master fall face-first on the pavement.
chapter eleven
Seha felt all breath leave her body, as though it had been her chest, not Katarn’s, that had been pierced. Jacen Solo’s exultation washed through the Force and over her like a wave at a beach, almost knocking her free from the rung she held.
No, no, no… The words rang in her head and were echoed by Mithric. The Falleen Jedi howled as he charged Solo, his anguish giving him speed and strength as he threw blow after blow at his enemy.
Things were at their most chaotic.
The words sprang up in her mind, incongruous, like golden flowers in a burned field—and her last task, the one Master Katarn had given her, was not accomplished.
She focused herself on the distant black patch. It was now only three meters from where Colonel Solo disinterestedly blocked Mithric’s attacks.
Valin Horn was charging toward the combat. Kolir was up, too, but limping badly as she headed toward their enemy. The shuttle was just meters above the plaza, settling precisely into place so that its belly hatch was positioned exactly above the access hole through which Kolir had emerged. Laserfire from the GAG speeders was raking the shuttle’s top armor to pieces.
Seha’s vision blurred with tears. She dashed them away and flicked a hand at the distant patch. As Colonel