Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 05_ Darkest Knight - Kevin J. Anderson [50]
Adjusting her grip on the vine-draped trunk of the wroshyr tree, Jaina bent over and cast the pale, pink light of the swirling phosfleas into the leaves below. As she had suspected, the light did not penetrate far enough for her to locate her friend. "Chewie, I'm here," Jama yelled, using the Force to amphf y her call. "Can you move? Can you climb back up here?She heard a far-off rustling and crackling of branches, then a loud yelp. Chewbacca groaned in dismay and then roared something about a fractured leg.
His words doused Jaina's sense of relief like an icy torrent of rain on a candle flame.
A wave of weakness spun behind her eyes.
Jaina clung to the tree, pressing her face against its rough bark.
Kashyyyk's jungle was dangerous enough for a healthy human with a full-grown Wookiee guide, but Jaina had no idea how to get herself out of the jungle-much less herself and an injured friend whom she'd undoubtedly have to carry. And then how could she help her brother and the others?
Meanwhile, she realized, Chewbacca's injury might even draw predators hoping for an easy kill....
The thought snapped Jaina out of her momentary weakness. She had to think; she had to help Chewie. She was in training to be a Jedi Knight-and this problem certainly couldn't be impossible to solve, she told herself First things first. She had to get down to Chewbacca right away.
She felt ashamed that she had wasted precious seconds with her panic.
"Chewie," she yelled again, 'keep calling to me until I find you."
She would have to move quickly. She felt around for a sturdy vine, yanking one after another until she found a rough strand that would hold her weight. Pressing the toes of her boots against the tree trunk, Jaina lowered herself hand over hand, maneuvering around the splintered stumps of branches broken by the Wookiee's fall. "I'm coming," she said, as much to reassure herself as to comfort Chewie.
By the time she located the injured Wookiee, her feet ached, her palms burned, and every muscle in her body shook with weariness. She unstrapped the phosflea lamp from her waist and held it close to Chewbacca's body to get a better look at him. The fuzzy light swirled as she moved.
A quick examination of his injuries told Jaina that the news was grim.
The minor scrapes, bruises, and cuts could be dealt with easily enough, but one leg was broken. Chewbacca would never be able to walk out of here.
Jaina knew she was not equal to the task of transporting a wounded Wookiee hundreds of meters up to the forest canopy, even if she used the Force. She had barely made it this far herself.
Besides that, her brother and the others still needed her help. Jaina didn't know what she could do for them.
She thought the problem over while she used a few of the meager emergency supplies from their packs to clean Chewie's wounds.
He groaned and did his best to help her.
Clearly, Jaina had no choice but to abandon her search for the others.
Jacen, Tenel Ka, and the two young Wookiees were still fleeing from the Imperials. Jaina was no tracker, and she had little chance of finding them down here.
But she and her twin brother had always shared an uncommonly close mental bond, just like the one their mother Leia shared with her twin Luke.
Perhaps if she sent out a cry for help, Jacen might be able to find her.
Concentrating all of her mental effort, Jaina sent out a cry-"Help me!"-that rang through her mind like a mallet striking a cymbal.
Opening her eyes, Jaina checked the fracture in Chewbacca's leg again.
The bone fragments had not torn through the skin, but the injury was still serious. Jaina raised her phosflea light high and looked about for any sturdy material she could use as a splint.
The pinkish glow fell on a pair of black boots. A familiar voice said,
'Did you call for help?"
Jaina started and nearly fell off the branch.
Growling, Chewbacca bared his fangs, though he could make no move to attack.
"Zekk-what are you doing here?" Trying to check her astonishment, Jaina stood and held