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The Wookiee stepped forward, and Kyp aimed a psychic blast that sent the two-and-a-half-meter, ginger-furred Jedi staggering back.

He seized Jaina with the same dark energy and spun her to face him. “You’ve been holding out on me again. You’ve been sending up pilots, Hapan pilots, in ships that give off the Trickster’s signal. That’s first cousin to a suicide mission!”

“We need more time,” Jaina retorted. “We’re close to finding a way to lure the Vong into a trap. In the meanwhile, this little diversion is keeping them busy. They’re finding my ship all over this quadrant.”

Kyp shoved a hand through his hair. “There’s a line between dedication and fanaticism. I think you passed it a few kilometers back.”

“That’s rich, coming from you!” she scoffed. “The Vong are off chasing ghost ships, rather than focusing their energy on attacking Hapes. Fighter pilots know the risks, and they know they’re saving thousands of noncombatants.”

“Results are not enough,” he countered. “Not for you.”

She sent him a look of pure disbelief. “I heard what you didn’t say,” she marveled. “You said, ‘Not for you.’ What you thought was, Not for Darth Vader’s granddaughter.”

“You’re my responsibility now,” Kyp persisted.

Jaina laughed. “I wish Uncle Luke could hear this! Paralysis and inactivity, not the dark side, will overcome the Jedi. Haven’t you said that a hundred times?”

He blew out a long sigh. “When is another pilot due to go out?”

“She’s powering up now,” Jaina admitted.

The older Jedi spun toward the door. Jaina pulled her lightsaber.

Kyp stopped dead at the click and hum unique to the traditional Jedi weapon. He slowly turned to face her, hands raised in a placating gesture. “I don’t want to fight you.”

Her violet blade rose toward his throat. “You’d change your mind if the stakes were high enough.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You wouldn’t kill me even if you could!”

“The idea isn’t without a certain appeal, but it’s not what I had in mind. If I win, you fly the rest of this battle under my command. If you win, I’m yours. No more holding out, no more games. I’ll keep the channels open, act like a real apprentice.”

He considered her for a long moment. “Done.”

His lightsaber leapt from his belt, flipped in midair, and slapped down into his hand. The glowing blade hissed toward her. Jaina vaulted above the flamboyant attack and flipped over Kyp’s head. He rolled aside to avoid a possible slashing counter and came up in a crouch.

Jaina backed down the stairs, her weapon at high guard. He advanced, then darted forward with a quick feinting lunge.

She anticipated his move and leaned away from it, then quickly changed directions and lunged for him, sweeping her arm up into a rising parry that threw his lightsaber out wide. Her wrist twisted deftly to disengage the shining blades, and then she leapt straight up.

Kyp somersaulted down the stairs, turned, and came up with his lightsaber held high and ready. The younger Jedi dropped to the floor beside him and delivered two quick, testing jabs. He parried both. They drew apart and circled, taking each other’s measure, exchanging blows that became less tentative with each strike.

Jaina’s confident smile began to falter. “I’m not going to let you stop this next flight.”

She whirled away from Kyp’s high, slashing attack and caught his weapon in an overhead parry. A quick twist brought her around to face him. He disengaged and stepped back. “Who said I wanted to stop the mission? I want to fly it.”

Jaina blinked. “You do?”

“If the mission is that important, I’ll go myself.”

“Forget it. The Jedi are too few and too valuable to risk.”

“I know,” he agreed, “and that’s precisely why I need to go.”

She stepped back, still in guard position, and eyed him warily.

“Let’s just say I’m taking my responsibilities seriously. I don’t want my apprentice to make some of the same mistakes I made.”

Jaina’s lightsaber flashed forward, forcing him to parry. “What apprentice? You haven’t beaten me yet.”

“I will,” he said with a cocky smile. “And