Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order_ Dark Tide 01_ Onslaught - Michael A. Stackpole [98]
“This won’t even be close to a fair fight. Once we scrape fighter cover off the ground troops, we’ll be slaughtering them as fast as we can. Scatter shots from the lasers may only burn paint from a fighter, but they’ll broil a warrior in a second. It will not be pretty. What it is, though, is necessary.”
Gavin nodded toward a viewport that looked out over the refugee camp and the fires lit to stave off night. “It’s necessary because those people out there aren’t warriors. Many of them might have blasters, but if they ever have to fire them, it’s because we’ve failed. Safeguarding those people, adults and children alike, is more important than our survival. That doesn’t mean that you should be stupid out there, but courage will sometimes demand you be a little less than coldly rational and sensible.”
He snapped to attention and brought his hand up in a salute. “You know your duty. Get sim time, get sack time, and be ready. When they come, we have to stop them. Nothing more, nothing less will do.”
Jacen stood behind one of the dirt-and-fiberplast-debris breastworks thrown up around the camp. His watch had ended a couple of hours earlier. He’d gotten something to eat and tried to lie down to sleep, but remained wide awake. He returned to the line and sent another man off to tuck children into bed. If I’m going to be miserable, at least I can help others not be the same.
The events of the past week had confused Jacen terribly. His vision had been incredibly real, yet when he went to follow it, he’d run into disaster. The image of his uncle moving into the Yuuzhan Vong camp, wielding twin lightsabers, still played through his head. He’d known Luke Skywalker all his life, and had acknowledged him his Master, but until that point had never really seen Luke the way others had. Luke’s greatest triumphs had been accomplished well before Jacen had been born, so he always knew Luke was a legend, but never had a way to see why he had been a legend.
The display he had put on had impressed Jacen, as had his uncle’s weakness after the display. It seemed to age Luke terribly to have used the Force so directly. Once on the Courage, the autopilot had been set, and Luke retreated to meditate and recover from the ordeal, leaving Jacen to tend to the cut on his own face. The youth lifted a hand and touched the scab, which was the one tangible reminder of how close he had come to becoming a Yuuzhan Vong slave.
Without it, I might not believe what had happened.
“Don’t pick at the wound, Jacen. If it gets infected, you could end up with a nasty scar.”
The young Jedi Knight turned and gave Danni a smile, despite how the expression tugged at the scab. “A scar would make me more dashing, don’t you think?”
She cocked her head to the side and looked at him, then pursed her lips and shook her head. “You don’t need it. You’re perfectly handsome as it is—provided you get rid of the worry in your eyes.”
Jacen blinked. “Not worry, just confusion. And it shouldn’t be that evident, unless you’re reading me through the Force.”
“I have been practicing what Jaina has shown me, but I’ve mostly been focusing on light lifting and keeping my feelings to myself.” She hugged her arms around her middle. “In becoming attuned to the Force, I’m suddenly aware of how sloppy folks are with their emotions. Some people are just buckets of emotions, sloshing all over the place.”
Jacen reached out through the Force and could feel a tingle of fear over Danni. “You’re keeping things to yourself pretty well, though fear shouldn’t be one of them. Fear leads to hate—”
“I know, it’s a step on the path to the dark side.” She exhaled slowly, then moved up beside him on the rampart and stared out into the darkness. The firelight flashed gold from her hair. “They had me once, and I don’t want to be their prisoner again. I couldn’t stand it, I just couldn’t.”
“They don’t make a good