Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order 11_ Dark Journey - Elaine Cunningham [114]
Barely conscious, she began to slide completely into the darkness. Again she fell back in time, into the terrifying duel at the Shadow Academy. Again she fought Darth Vader, but this time she could not prevail.
Her opponent stepped back and ripped off the black helmet, revealing Kyp Durron’s face. Light seemed to fill him as they continued to fight, pushing aside the remnants of his dark disguise and then tentatively reaching out to her.
Jaina felt the mingled joy and pain of Kyp’s long, slow redemption, the isolation of his long years of restitution. She felt his regret for selfishly endangering the one person who could become all that he himself would never achieve.
And with absolute certainty, she knew that Kyp was wrong—she was not the one. The path to a different understanding of the Force was not her journey to take.
Another truth came to her, and she could no longer deny the nature of the path she had taken. It seemed strange, ironic, that Kyp Durron would be the one to try to save her.
An answer came to her, along with the image of Kyp’s wry smile. Did you ever think that you might be the one who’s saving me? Come on back. We’ll figure this out together.
Slowly, she began to battle her way back toward the light. Kyp faded away, and her opponent took on Khalee Lah’s face and form. Jaina fought fiercely, but every blow she landed took a toll on her own body.
Gradually she became aware of an array of lights taking focus before her. An insistent voice droned through her comm, dragging her into awareness. The ship’s console blinked frantically as luminous creatures warned of massive system failure.
“Jaina, fall back. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”
The voice, and the power it held, jolted her back to consciousness. Jaina’s hands were still on the controls, still firing the weapons—her connection with the ship remained. After a startled moment, she realized that Kyp had been talking to her through the comm system Lowbacca had installed.
Or perhaps he had been speaking through her vision.
Jaina glanced at the warrior’s ship, which was circling around for another attack. The Trickster jolted as her opponent’s dovin basal got a lock on her ship.
An X-wing streaked between them, sending a steady barrage at the Yuuzhan Vong fighter—and heading directly into the gravitic pull.
Suddenly freed, Jaina swept around to back up her rescuer. But the X-wing had taken a hit. It spiraled off, a comet followed by a tail of burning fuel. The ship exploded in a sharp white flare.
She reached out and felt the familiar presence—Kyp had gone EV in time. She wheeled around, leaving her vengeance unfinished, her questions unanswered.
She set course for her Jedi Master, and the shared path before them.
EPILOGUE
The night skies over Hapes’s royal city still bled and strobed as Jaina set the Trickster down on the docks. She looked up, feeling no regret at being forced out of the battle before its conclusion.
This was not her fight, her path. Teneniel Djo’s legacy had arrived, and under the command of Jag Fel it was swiftly pushing back the Yuuzhan Vong. Jaina had seen that much as she maneuvered the wounded Jedi Master aboard her ship.
She saw Kyp safely off the ship and arranged for medical treatment. Then she turned to face what she had become.
Ta’a Chume was in the palace, under house arrest pending investigation into Teneniel Djo’s death. She rose quickly as Jaina entered the room, and her eyes swept the girl’s flight suit.
“The battle?”
“We’re winning.”
“You should be commanding it.”
Jaina shrugged. “Colonel Fel is doing just fine. Queen Mother Tenel Ka knows how to pick people.”
Ta’a Chume received this news in silence. “With my help, you could have been a great queen.”
Jaina sniffed and folded her arms. “I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”
“What about your vows of vengeance?”
“I’m not adding you to the list, if