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“How?” Tionne asked. “We have no weapons.”

Cilghal assessed the furious battle. “Perhaps Jacen doesn’t need our help.”

Jaina snatched her hand free from Cilghal’s grip and scrambled down the promenade even as the others hesitated for a fraction of a second. Cilghal ran after her.

The last of the reptiles shrieked through double throats, infuriated by the attack of its companion. It dived down in an unstoppable plunge. Jacen stepped back to meet it, holding the lightsaber poised at his shoulder, waiting for the right moment.

Coolly, as the creature came in with dripping fangs and outstretched claws, Jacen swung in a clean arc with grace and skill, perfectly in command of his reflexes. The glowing blade struck and severed both throats in one sizzling flash. The carcass of the creature, reflexively convulsing its wings, crashed into Jacen and drove him to the floor.

Artoo rolled forward to help, bleeping.

“He is all right,” Jaina called, finally reaching the raised platform. “Jacen!”

“Jaina!” Cilghal shouted, catching up with her.

The tip of the lightsaber appeared, smoking and blazing through the carcass as Jacen cut his way free of the stiff wings. Cilghal assisted him.

In surprise Jaina looked up to see the first fallen creature lurch back up, clinging to life with its remaining head, still desperate to kill Luke. With one stump of its severed neck still oozing dark blood, it clutched the edge of the stone table and hauled itself up, snapping its scorpion tail in convulsive twitches and preparing to sting. Its wings flapped, helping it balance on the table where it could rip apart Luke’s body.

In one last moment of defiance, pushed on by the evil spirit controlling it, the wounded creature struck toward Luke’s unprotected throat.

But Jaina arrived first. The little girl jumped up and grabbed its wings, yanking backward with all her weight. Writhing and snapping, the creature tried to bite down on the hands holding its leathery wings.

A mere second behind Jaina, Cilghal wrapped her powerful Calamarian hands around the creature’s long serpentine throat even as Jaina continued to yank backward at its wings. Cilghal let out a high grunt as she wrung its neck, crushing a succession of vertebrae as if they were dry twigs.

The thing slumped down across the table, finally dead.

Jaina panted and slid into a squat. Jacen climbed to his feet and looked around as if confused. He blinked his eyes sleepily, then, with a deft movement of one small finger, deactivated the lightsaber. The humming sound of the blade vanished into the sudden silence of the chamber.

The turbolift opened, and the remaining Jedi trainees rushed out, drawing up short as they saw the carnage.

Tionne reached the raised platform. Her silvery hair flowed behind her like a comet’s tail. She bent over Luke’s body and, with an expression of disgust, gripped the still-oozing reptilian carcass of the last slain creature and flung it away from the Jedi Master.

Cilghal rushed to Jacen just as he calmly replaced the lightsaber beside Luke’s motionless form. She grabbed him, hugged him, and then stared in awe at the little boy. Only moments ago this not-quite-three-year-old child had fought like a legendary lightsaber duelist.

Dorsk 81 and the other Jedi trainees came forward. “He fought as well as a Master!” Dorsk 81 said. “It reminded me of the duel between Gantoris and Master Skywalker.”

“Uncle Luke was with me,” Jacen said. “He showed me. He’s here.”

Cilghal blinked her large round eyes.

“What do you mean?” Tionne asked.

“Can you see him now?” Dorsk 81 said.

“Yes, he’s right there,” Jaina pointed to thin air. “He says he’s proud of us.” She giggled. Jacen giggled too, but he looked exhausted, covered with dark ichor. He slumped down on Cilghal’s lap.

The Jedi trainees looked at each other, then gazed at the open air above Luke’s prone body. Artoo whistled in confusion.

“What else does he say?” Cilghal said.

Jacen and Jaina both sat still for a moment, as if listening. “Exar Kun. He’s making the trouble,