Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 01_ Heirs of the Force - Kevin J. Anderson [28]
"These should be pretty easy for Jacen to find," she said. "I have most of them right in my room."
Em Teedee spoke up. "Master Lowbacca wishes to know which systems you intend to concentrate on next."
Jaina's brow furrowed in judicious concentration. "We've already decided we won't be needing the weapons systems. I think the laser cannons work fine, but I don't intend to hook them up. I suppose the next step might be to work on the power systems. I haven't done much with them yet."
Jacen and Tenel Ka trotted up to join the discussion. "You will need the other solar panel," Tenel Ka said. "Up in the tree."
Jacen cocked an eyebrow at her, using Tenel Ka's own phrase. "This is a fact?" Tenel Ka did not smile, but nodded her approval.
Jacen folded his arms across his chest and looked pleased with himself.
"Does anyone remember the assignment Tionne gave us for today?"
"Cooperative lifting with one or more other students," Tenel Ka stated without hesitation.
Jaina clapped her hands and rubbed them together, scrambling out of the cramped cockpit. "Well, then, what are we waiting for?"
The process was much more difficult than they had anticipated, but in the end they managed it. Lowie and Tenel Ka climbed up into the tree to clear away the moss and branches that held the panel in place. Tenel Ka secured it with the thin fibercord from her belt, while Lowbacca added sturdy vines to help support the heavy slab. Jaina and Jacen watched from the lower branches of the tree, craning their necks to see.
"Everyone ready?" Jaina asked. "Okay-now concentrate," she said. She gave them a moment to observe the solar panel glittering in scattered light from the sky. They studied the piece of wreckage, grasping it with their thoughts.
"Now," Jaina said.
With that, four minds pushed upward, nudging. In a gentle, concerted motion they lifted the panel free of the branch where it had rested for decades. The large, flat rectangle wobbled in midair for a moment and then began to slowly descend. Tenel Ka kept her fibercord taut, easing the Force-lightened object down.
Together, they brought it to rest a few branches below where it had been.
Tenel Ka and Lowbacca untied the vines and the fibercord from the higher branch, climbed down, and retied the strands to the branch on which the panel now rested.
The process was not perfect. Mental coordination among the four friends proved difficult, and they each lost their grip more than once. But the vines and fibercord held, preventing a disaster.
By the time the exhausted companions brought the panel to the jungle floor and carried it to the crash site, all of them were panting and perspiring from the mental exertion.
Jaina sank down beside the TIE fighter with a weary groan. She flopped backward in the dirt and leaves, not caring for the moment that her hair would become as disheveled and full of twigs as her brother's usually was.
Lowie tossed them each a packet of food from the basket of supplies they brought with them every day. Jaina's packet landed on her stomach., and she rolled onto her side with a mock growl of indignation. As she faced a hole in the side of the broken TIE fighter, a sudden thought occurred to her.
"You know," she said, chin in hands. "I'd be willing to bet there's enough room in there to install a hyperdrive."
"You said that TIE fighters were short-range craft," Tenel Ka said.
Lowie responded with a contemplative sound as he thought this over. Jacen merely moaned at the mention of more work.
"They were designed to be short-range," Jaina said. "Never equipped with hyperdrives because the Emperor didn't want to sacrifice the maneuverability."
Jacen snorted. "Or maybe he didn't want any of his fighter pilots making a quick escape."
Jaina turned toward him and grinned. "I guess I never thought of it that way." Her face lit with enthusiasm as she looked at