Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 06_ Jedi Under Siege - Kevin J. Anderson [1]
"Hey, should I send a message to Mom?"
Jacen asked, sitting down at one of the consoles.
"Not until we know more," Luke answered.
"Your dad and Chewier were going to contact her and explain everything once they were under way. Leia has her hands full mustering troops to station here as permanent protectors for the Jedi academy. At the moment, we've got to do everything we can to guard it ourselves.
"Meanwhile, Jacen, monitor all the communications bands. See if you can pick up any signals, especially ones that might be Imperial codes. Jaina, let's get those shield generators powered up and running."
"Already on it, Uncle Luke." Jaina grinned at him from the control station. "Shields are up and at full strength. Guess I should run a complete readiness check, though, just to make sure there are no gaps in our defenses." Jacen put on a headset and began scanning through the various comm frequencies.
No sooner had he begun than a loud crackle erupted from the earpiece, followed by a familiar voice.
"... requesting permission for landing and all that usual stuff. Here I come. Lightning Rod out."
"Hey, wait!" Jacen said into the voice pickup, on the verge of panic.
"You can't do
^ that-I mean, we have to drop our shields first. Give me a minute, Peckhum."
"Shields? V,7hat shields?" the old spacer's voice came back. "Me and the Lightning Rod been doing' the supply run to Yavin 4 for years now. Never had to worry about shields before."
"We'll meet you down at the landing pad and explain everything," Jacen said. 'Hang on a minute."
"Am I going to need a code to get in?"
Peckhum asked. "No one gave me any codes before I left Coruscant. Nobody told me about any shields."
Jacen looked up at Luke. "It's old Peckhum in the Lightning Rod," he said. 'Does he need a code to get in?"
Luke shook his head and motioned for Jaina to drop the shields. Jaina bent over the control console, her lower lip caught between her teeth.
After a minute she said, "There, that ought to do it. Shields lowered again."
For some reason, now that the shields were down Jacen felt a cold tingle of vulnerability run up the back of his neck. 'Okay, Peckhum," he said,
"you're clear to land. But make it quick, so we can power up again."
When the old spacer stepped out of his battered supply shuttle, he looked the same as every other time Jacen had seen him: pale skin, long lanky hair, grizzled cheeks, and rumpled flight suit.
"Come on, Peckhum," Jacen said. "I'll help you get the supplies inside.
We need to hurry, before the Imperials get here."
"Imperials?" The spacer scratched his head.
"Is that why yo&ve got energy shields up? Are we under attack?"
"It's okay," Jacen said, impatient to get the Lightning Rod unloaded.
"The shields are back up. You just can't see them."
The old spacer craned his neck to stare up into the misty white sky of the jungle moon.
"And the attack?"
"Well, we heard a rumor-a pretty solid one." He hesitated. "From Zekk.
He's the one who led the raid on the computer fabrication facility on Kashyyyk-and he warned Jaina that the Shadow Academy is on its way.
We'd better get inside."
Old Peckhum looked at Jacen in alarm.
The teenager Zekk had been like a son to him; they had lived together in the lower city levels on Coruscant... until Zekk had been kidnapped by the Shadow Academy.
As a familiar cold tingle crept up the back of Jacens neck, Peckhum whispered, "Too late." He pointed into the sky. "They're already here."
- ----------------
FROM THE HIGHEST observation turret on the Shadow Academy, Brakiss-Master of all the new Dark Jedi-looked down at the insignificant green speck of the jungle moon. The devastating assault was about to begin, and before long Yavin 4 and its Jedi academy would be crushed under the might of the Second Imperium.
As it should