Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 01_ Heirs of the Force - Kevin J. Anderson [55]
Before leaving, they scrounged at the crash site and at Qorl's old encampment for whatever they could possibly find useful, then stuffed it in their packs. Their Jedi training had taught them to be resourceful.
Remembering how they had used the Force to help them scale the Great Temple with Tenel Ka, the twins found a Massassi tree with plenty of densely interwoven branches and hanging vines. They stared upward, then at each other, before beginning the long, sweaty climb. Jacen and Jaina were scratched up and aching and smeared with forest debris by the time they made it to the top-but to their surprise, they felt invigorated by their accomplishment.
Up in the canopy in a thick nest of tangled branches, they tried to light a leafy fire to send a beacon of smoke into the sky. Jacen collected leaves and twigs and piled them onto a curved piece of plasteel left over from their repairs on the TIE fighter.
Jaina had brought Tenel Ka's flash heater, but the charge was low. When the finger-sized unit sputtered and flashed, sending out a few last sparks, she took the back panel off and used her multitool to tinker with the circuits. By pumping up the power output, she produced one last flash that set the pile of fresh branches on fire.
The lush green leaves burned slowly, and the fire would not gain enough heat to become a bright blaze. But, as they had hoped, a satisfying gray-blue smoke curled upward, a clear signal for anyone who was looking.
Even so, they couldn't be certain that anyone would know where to look.
Unless Low-bacca or Tenel Ka had managed to get back to the academy, no one would have any idea where to begin a search.
"Guess it might be a good idea next time if we let someone know where we're going and what we're doing, huh?" Jaina said, staring up at the discouragingly empty blueness.
"Probably," Jacen agreed, settling himself beside her on the branches.
Sweat ran down his face as he rested his chin on his grimy hands. "Want to hear another joke?"
"No," Jaina answered firmly. She wiped her damp forehead with the sleeve of her now-ragged jumpsuit, and continued scanning the skies. She shifted beside him, feeling the breeze and listening to the whisper of millions of leaves.
Jacen fed more leaves to the fire.
Suddenly, Jaina sat up straight. "Look!" she said, pointing up. A white starpoint grew brighter, glittering silver. Ripples of sound from a sonic boom echoed like thunder across the sky of Yavin 4. "It's a ship."
Jacen closed his liquid-brown eyes and smiled. Then the twins blinked and looked at each other. "The Falcon," they said in unison.
"Can Dad sense us?" Jacen asked.
"I don't think so," Jaina said. "At least not with the Force. But wait..." She closed her eyes again, reaching out with what she knew of Jedi powers. "Lowie's with him!"
"And Tenel Ka, too," Jacen said. "They're all right!"
Jaina laughed with relief. "Did you expect any less from a young Jedi Knight?"
The Falcon must have spotted their smoke, and now headed toward them.
High in the branches, the twins stood and waved. As it approached, the blaster-scarred light freighter seemed the most beautiful machine they had ever seen.
The big ship hovered over them with a gust of its repulsorlifts. Branches blew away beneath them, but Jacen and Jaina held their positions, reaching upward as the bottom access hatch of the Falcon popped open.
Chewbacca's hairy arm dangled down, grabbing Jacen's hands and pulling him up into the ship as if he were a piece of lightweight luggage. A moment later, Lowie's ginger-furred arms reached out to help Jaina up.
Han scrambled from the cockpit, rushing to scoop up both of his children in a big hug. "You're alive-you're not hurt!" he said, looking them over with anxious relief. "Sorry I'm late."
"It's all right," Jacen answered. "We knew you'd come."
Tenel Ka and Lowie