Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 02_ Shadow Academy - Kevin J. Anderson [29]
Brakiss's calm cruelty against Jaina launched Lowbacca into an unbridled rage. Unable to control himself, he leaped from his cramped seat, knocking over the blond student. He howled at the top of his lungs and bared long Wookiee fangs. Ginger-colored fur stuck out in all directions as he yanked up the bench he had been sitting on and raised it over his head.
Alerted by the disturbance, the guards charged into the room, their stun pistols drawn, looking for the source of the chaos-and the enraged Wookiee was not difficult to find.
Lowie threw the bench at the incoming storm-troopers. His blow knocked the first cluster of guards backward into each other, tumbling them down like children's blocks. Five more storm-troopers tripped over their fallen companions but still managed to wade into the room.
The other Shadow Academy trainees added to the uproar, trying to shout Lowie down. The Wookiee just roared back at them. From the podium, Brakiss urged everyone to be calm, but no one listened.
Another door whisked open, and a new contingent of stormtroopers rushed in from the far side of the room.
Jacen dashed to his unconscious sister's side and cradled her head and shoulders in his lap. With relief, he sensed that she was not seriously injured from the Force blast. She groaned and blinked her brandy-brown eyes, trying to fight her way back to consciousness.
"Jaina," he called. "Jaina, snap out of it!"
"All right ... I am," she said, struggling to sit up. Then she seemed suddenly to notice the brawl that Lowie had started on her behalf.
The second set of stormtroopers drew their stun pistols as Lowie yanked a bench out from under another Shadow Academy student, sending her to the floor. The student squealed in outrage. Lowie ignored her and raised the bench to throw at the incoming stormtroopers.
They pointed their stun pistols and fired-but the beam caught the front of the bench, doing no damage. Lowie tossed it, and the troopers scrambled out of the way as the bench crashed against the side wall.
Lowbacca ducked to pick up something else to throw-and just as he did, the first set of stormtroopers on the other side of the room, finally climbing back to their feet, fired their stun pistols.
Glowing blue arcs shot over Lowie's back, missing him and striking full against three of the second set of troopers on the other side, stunning them. They sprawled senseless on the floor in a clattering tumble of white plasteel armor.
"Cease this disturbance!" Brakiss shouted. His normally smooth features had lost their serene composure.
One of the stormtroopers in the first group took two steps forward and aimed his stun pistol directly at Lowie s back as the Wookiee stood up, presenting an easy target.
Jacen watched and-in the moment before the stormtrooper could fire-used his greatest strength with the Force to grasp the trooper's blaster and wrench it halfway around, twisting it in the white-gloved hand so that when the guard squeezed the firing button, the barrel was pointed toward his own chest. The stun beam splashed out, knocking the trooper to the ground, unconscious.
"Lowie, I'm all right," Jaina called, picking herself up and climbing to her feet. "Look, I'm all right!"
More stormtroopers rushed in from both sides of the room, weapons drawn.
"Lowie, calm down," Jacen said.
Lowbacca looked from side to side, fingers spread, arms ready to tear something apart, until he saw he was clearly outnumbered.
Brakiss stood with his fingers outstretched. A shimmering power curled between them, ready to be unleashed.
"We don't want to damage you," Brakiss said, filled with savage intensity, "but you must learn discipline." The master of the Shadow Academy looked to the stormtroopers. "Return them to their quarters, and keep them separated! We have great work to do here and cannot be distracted by unchanneled displays of temper."
Then Brakiss adjusted his handsome features until