Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 02_ Shadow Academy - Kevin J. Anderson [47]
"So"-Brakiss rubbed his hands together, a look of anticipation on his beautiful face-"you have your own weapons, and the Wookiee has the remotes. The three of you must work together to keep yourselves alive."
Jacen swallowed nervously. Jaina lifted her chin and scowled at the two teachers. Lowie bristled, clenching and unclenching his hairy hands.
"Let me point out," Tamith Kai said, her voice thick and powerful, "that these are not holograms. These are real threats, and if one strikes you, you will feel real pain."
"Just what kind of objects are these, anyway?" Jacen asked. "What're you going to throw at us?"
"There will be three levels to your test," Brakiss answered. "During the first stage we will throw hard balls at you. They may sting, but will cause no permanent damage. In the second round, as the test speeds up, we will throw rocks, which could break bones and cause serious injury."
Tamith Kai's deep red lips wore a broad smile, as if she were savoring some pleasant thought. "The third round will involve knives."
Jaina sucked in a shaky breath.
"Glad you have such faith in our abilities," Jacen grumbled.
"I will be greatly disappointed if you are both killed," Brakiss told them, his expression earnest.
"Hey, so will we," Jacen said.
"I think he'll get over it before we will," Jaina added in a low voice.
Jacen shifted his weight on his feet and covered a wince as he stepped down on the hard Corusca gem in his boot. He had kept it hidden there, not knowing what else to do with it-but right now the last thing he wanted was to feel the sharp gemstone under his heel and be distracted.
He wiggled his foot until the gem was tucked comfortably off to the side.
Brakiss snugged the blindfold over Jacen's eyes, and everything went black. "The Wookiee will do what he can to protect you."
Jacen gripped the hard stick in his hands and considered dealing the Dark Jedi teacher a good whack on the kneecaps, then claiming he had become disoriented by the blindfold and it was an accident. But he decided that such an act would only buy them trouble, and they needed their energy for other purposes.
"Good luck," Brakiss said, unseen, close to his ear.
Jacen didn't respond, and he heard Tamith Kai chuckle as they led Lowie out of the chamber. The Wookiee moaned, but Em Teedee's tinny voice snapped back, "Now, Lowbacca, complaining will do you very little good.
You must learn to be brave and dedicated, as I am."
Jacen, standing in blackness with nothing to hold on to but his stick, heard the doors hiss shut behind them. "You ready for this, Jaina?" he asked.
"What kind of question is that?" she said.
The room remained silent around them. He could hear himself breathe, his heart pounding in his ears. He sensed Jaina beside him, heard the rustle of her clothes as she moved.
"Might be better if we stand back-to-back," she suggested, "cover each other as much as we can."
They pressed themselves shoulder-to-shoulder and listened and waited.
Soon they heard a hum of machinery, a quiet, grinding sound, as one of the metal portholes slid open. Jacen reached out with the Force to see through the blindfold, to detect where the projectile would come from.
Then, with a sudden whump of compressed air, one of the objects shot at them like a cannonball. Using his senses, Jacen whirled, swinging the stick like a bat. He tried to smack the ball out of the way, but it struck him on the shoulder. It was hard, and it stung.
"Ow!" he yelped. Then a second ball shot out. He heard the sizzle of the remotes firing, but then Jaina also cried out behind him-not so much in pain as in startled embarrassment.
He tried to visualize where the next missile would come from. The noises came faster now. He heard another metal porthole hissing open, another hard ball shooting toward