Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 05_ Darkest Knight - Kevin J. Anderson [38]
Now, though, Tenel Ka had only one hand, and she did not choose to drop her long steel rod to grab for her rope, or her lightsaber.
For a moment Zekk's face seemed to open.
His eyes grew round and uncertain. "Jacen," he said, "I-" Tenel Ka glared at the Nightsister and spoke in a low, threatening voice, "I have your name, Vonnda Ra. I saw you try to lure others from the Singing Mountain Clan on Dathomir. In your encampment at the Great Canyon you chose me as a trainee for the Shadow Academy, but instead we rescued my friends-and defeated you utterly. We'll defeat you again."
The muscular Nightsister held up her clawlike hands. "Not this time, Jedi brats!" she said. "I shall enjoy destroying you."
Jacen felt her dark power crackle through the air, and he held his lightsaber high in defense. Fire-blue lightning bolts danced at Vonnda Ra's fingertips, burning through her body and sizzling behind her eyes.
She flicked her wrists to hurl her dark lightning at them-but Zekk shouldered the Nightsister to one side. The bolts of evil force flared past them like shadowy flames and scorched the wall plates.
Vonnda Ra glared at Zekk, but he snapped, "They are mine to deal with! I am in command here."
With a thundering sound of booted feet, a contingent of Imperial fighters charged down the corridor. Jacen looked up in alarm. Reinforcements had arrived-far more than he could hope to fight with his lightsaber, even with the help of Lowbacca, Sirra, and Tenel Ka.
Stormtroopers must have landed on the upper platforms, Jacen surmised.
The Second Imperium apparently wanted something here at the fabrication facility. Judging from the alarms and explosions, the Imperials had already overrun most of the platforms.
Zekk stood waiting to battle the Jedi trainees, as if gathering up his courage and his anger, while the rebuffed Nightsister seethed with dark fury. The stormtroopers drew their weapons.
Jacen knew with sudden certainty tlzcxt, they could never win a face-to-face fight here.
Tenel Ka pushed herself one step forward, brandishing her metal rod. "We must turn back," she said, darting a look at him over her shoulder.
"Good idea," Jacen said, casting a glance behind him.
"You, girl, are a traitor to Dathoniir!"Vonnda Ra spat, just as Tenel Ka hurled the long pipe in her direction. The rod struck the Nightsister, knocking her sideways. Stormtroopers clattered toward them as Lowie and Sirra turned to charge back down the corridor.
"After them!" Zekk called, gesturing with one black-gloved hand.
The stormtroopers thundered in pursuit.
Vonnda Ra cast the pipe aside, Patches of it were bent and red-hot where fire from within her fingers had super-heated the metal.
Sirra yelled something to her brother as they sprinted down the corridor, with Jacen and Tenel Ka right behind them. "Access hatch?" Em Teedee translated. "Escape? Yes, that sounds like an excellent idea. By all means, let us escape."
At an intersection of corridors, Sirra stopped beside a clearly marked floor panel.
Reaching her long fingers down, she hooked the tiny ring-handles. With her powerful muscles, she hauled upward, pulling the heavy hatch free to reveal a trapdoor. She growled and gestured.
Without hesitation Lowie leaped into the hole, catching a strong vine that hung underneath. The tinny voice of the translating droid wailed,
"But this leads to the underlevels of the forest! Master Lowbacca, we can't go down here. It's far too dangerous" Lowie merely grumbled and continued his descent. Tenel Ka followed next, hopping lightly over the edge, wrapping her muscular legs around a vine. Grasping it with her hand, she lowered herself into the darkness.
Jacen turned around just in time to see Zekk and Vonnda Ra rushing toward them, flanked by stormtroopers. "Down into the underworld, huh?" Jacen said, glancing at Sirrakuk. "Looks like you'll get an early chance to complete that risky adventure of yours.
Sirra growled