Star Wars_ The Jedi Academy Trilogy 01_ Jedi Search - Kevin J. Anderson [45]
On the far side of the lava lake, the gathered people of Eol Sha watched in silence, unmoving.
The fireworm glared down at Luke with its viper’s head. It opened a vast metallic mouth and spewed congealing lava at the wall. Armored intakes continued to suck air, raising coils of the behemoth’s body to the surface. Luke held up his lightsaber, but it seemed pitifully small to fight a lava dragon.
With an ultrasonic bellow the fireworm dove beneath the magma again, splashing molten rock into the air. Luke danced from stepping stone to stepping stone, trying to avoid the deadly firefall. Globs of lava set his Jedi cloak on fire, but Luke managed to yank it over his shoulders and toss it into the bubbling pool, where it burst into bright flames.
He held his lightsaber in front of him. His eyes widened. He reached out with his Jedi senses, trying to second-guess the creature. His every nerve was tuned, ready to respond, but he saw only the restless surface of the lava.
“Where are you?” he whispered.
The fireworm’s head exploded out of the lava on the other side, rearing up to strike. It plunged down, opening its huge mouth to reveal fangs like stalactites. Luke whirled, bringing up his lightsaber and dancing back to the previous stepping stone.
As the fireworm struck, Luke slashed with his humming green blade. But when the lightsaber smashed against the mirrored armor plates, the glowing green edge refracted into a thousand components, splitting and ricocheting around the chamber. Sparks showered all around him. The energy blade that could supposedly slice through anything broke only one small silicon armor plate.
On the other side of the chamber, the people of Eol Sha ducked to escape the flying shards of green power. Splintered rock fell into the magma lake. Luke knew he could not use the lightsaber against the monster again.
The fireworm yowled in surprise more than pain, then dove for refuge under the lava. Luke crouched, desperately trying to figure out what he should do next. He turned, ready to run to the other side where the people waited for him.
The fireworm would return any minute. He didn’t know how much time he would have.
Suddenly, the creature launched itself out of the lava, roaring and hissing and making sounds too horrible for Luke to describe. He turned, lightsaber in hand and ready to die in battle—but now the monster had no interest in him at all.
Gouts of acrid smoke poured from the chink in the silicon armor, where lava ate its way into the fireworm’s body core. The creature writhed and tossed, spewing lava into the air. Molten rock devoured the fireworm’s internal organs like acid, killing it from the inside out. Burning within, the fireworm thrashed in agony, spraying lava as flames and foul smoke boiled out of the tiny breach in its armor. When the fiery rock burned through to the fireworm’s inflated air bladders, the creature exploded.
Splatters of hardening lava rained down. Luke managed to deflect most of the burning chunks with the Force, but some scorched his back and shoulder. The fireworm’s death throes churned waves in the molten rock, then gradually subsided.
Luke raised his eyes, blinking in disbelief. The people of Eol Sha still waited for him.
Most of the stepping stones had been washed away in the turmoil. Nothing but impassable lava remained between him and Gantoris. He could not finish his journey. Giddy with terror and a backwash of possibilities from the Force, Luke stared at the impassable river of flames between him and his goal.
He thought of the potential for his proposed academy, for the return of the Jedi Knights. The New Republic needed him. He had to complete his promise. He would