Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 05_ Darkest Knight - Kevin J. Anderson [2]
He knew he could talk to Jaina or Jacen anytime he wanted-but right now he didn't want to.
"All right," Jaina said, maintaining her deeply troubled expression, "but remember we're here for you, whenever you need us."
Lowie nodded, then stretched out one hairy arm to clasp Jaina's hand in his. The Wookiee's large grip engulfed her entire hand.
During the brief touch, she reached out with the Force, hoping to find a clue to Lowie's strange behavior, but all she sensed was warmth and friendship.
Jaina stood up and gestured to her brother.
"Come on, Jacen. Let's have a look at that crystal snake cage."
Lightsabers flared into the night, reflecting off the ancient stone walls of the Great Temple. Tenel Ka gripped the carved rancortooth handle of her new weapon as its brilliant turquoise beam pulsed through the activating crystal, a precious rainbow gem of Gallinore she had taken from her own royal tiara.
The warrior girl stood in the flagstoned courtyard at the side of the ziggurat temple, a newly refurbished training area the students had reclaimed from the ever-encroaching jungle. The hardworking Jedi candidates had cleaned and polished the carefully set stones for exercises just such as this.
Tenel Ka gazed across at the alien mother of-pearl eyes, elven features, and long quicksilver hair of her opponent-nonne, the Jedi trainer and historian who often assisted Master Skywalker. The Jedi woman used her lightsaber with precision, matching Tenel Ka's moves stroke for stroke.
During an earlier training accident, Tenel Ka's poorly constructed lightsaber had exploded, and her friend Jacen's lightsaber blade had severed her left arm. Now - Tenel Ka lived and fought with only one hand.
But she wielded her glowing energy blade with strength and confidence.
Although skilled biotechnicians had offered her the best prosthetic arm replacement in the Hapes Cluster, Tenel Ka had turned them down. She prided herself in being herself-relying on her own abilities, her own strength and prowess. She did not want the artificial assistance of a biomechanical limb. Instead, she chose to alter her means of achieving her goal. She was determined to be as strong and as capable as ever before.
And when Tenel Ka determined to do something, she usually accomplished it.
Bright lights on the cleared landing grid in front of the temple illuminated the jungle, attracting thousands of nocturnal insects and the flying predators that fed on them. In the flagstoned courtyard, though, only the flares and flashes of intersecting lightsaber blades disturbed the night, bathing the area in a dazzling multicolored glow.
Tionne countered the warrior girl's stroke.
"Very good, Tenel Ka," the teacher said. "You are learning to focus on precision rather than brute strength, to anticipate my moves and your own reactions using the Force."
Tenel Ka nodded, and her heavy red-gold braids danced around her head.
The beads she had woven into the braids jingled and clacked together. She fought harder, sensing the control and skill of this older Jedi, who had been training for more than ten years now.
Several other students had come out to watch the exercises. All of Master Skywalker's Jedi candidates had intensified their training efforts, now that the New Republic was sure of the growing threat posed by the Shadow Academy and the Second Imperium.
For more than a thousand generations, Jedi Knights had been the forces of light throughout the galaxy, and Luke Skywalker intended to continue the tradition.
Tionne swung her weapon with a calm, smooth gesture so unexpected that Tenel Ka barely reacted in time. She had sensed no intention of a counterattack from the silver haired scholar, and so Tionne had surprised her. Their blades locked and sizzled-and then 'Bonne pulled her lightsaber back.
"Halt," she said, and switched off her weapon, leaving the warrior girl to stand with her