Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 06_ Jedi Under Siege - Kevin J. Anderson [32]
"If we do our job well," Ackbar said, 'there won't be much of a fight left. "
After docking, Jaina climbed out of the stolen TIE fighter, perspiring heavily and glad to be free of the Imperial ship. She no longer felt a great desire to fly one of the craft. Her first experience had been exciting, but not necessarily one she wanted to repeat.
Greeting some of the New Republic soldiers, Jaina quickly ran her fingers through her long, straight brown hair and then rushed to a turbohft. When she arrived on the bridge, she stood beside Admiral Ackbar and watched the fleet attack the ominous spiked station.
New Republic warships pummeled the Dark Jedi training center in orbit over
Yavin 4. The Shadow Academy's powerful shields remained up, but the constant bombardment took its toll.
Lando Calrissian's ships swooped closer, adding their weapons fire. Under the combined onslaught, the Shadow Academy would surely be destroyed before long, Jaina thought.
Ackbar sent out a transmission. "Shadow Academy, prepare to surrender and be boarded."
Jaina didn't have time to relax, though.
The Shadow Academy did not bother to answer, and one of the tactical officers suddenly shouted, "Admiral Ackbar, we're detecting a surge in hyperspace, off to starboard. It appears that an entire-" As Jaina watched the viewscreen, a group of terrifying Imperial ships appeared, Star Destroyers that looked as if they had been hastily assembled and modified. Hasty or not, their weaponry was new and lethal.
"@ere did that fleet come from?" Lando squawked over the comm channel.
Ship after Imperial ship arrived, an entire, fully armed fighting force that owed allegiance to the Second Imperium. Before even orienting themselves, the Imperial ships opened fire on the New Republic fleet.
"Shields up!" Admiral Ackbar ordered. He turned to Jaina, his round, fishy eyes swiveling in alarm. "It appears that we may experience some difficulty after all," he said.
LUKE SKYWALKER ARRIVED across the river at the Massassi ruin known as the Temple of the Blue Leaf Cluster, a tower of crumbling stone blocks. He came alone, hoping to negotiate but ready to fight.
This was the site Brakiss had chosen for their meeting, their confrontation... their duel, if it came to that.
Luke listened to the jungle noises: the chatter of creatures in the underbrush, birds in the vines overhead-and explosions from Imperial fighters in the sky. He hated to be here by himself when he could be beside his students, fighting with them to defeat the forces of the dark side.
But Luke had a greater calling, a more important one-to stop the leader of these Dark Jedi, a man who had once been Luke's own student.
Branches parted in a thicket beside the carvedpillars of stone. A man stepped out, moving as if he were made of flowing quicksilver,a confident liquid shadow. His perfectly formed, sculpture-handsome face smiled. "So, Luke Skywalker, once my Jedi Master-you have come to surrender to me, I hope? To bow to my superior abilities?"
Luke did not return the smile. "I came to speak with you, as you requested. "
"I'm afraid speaking won't be enough," Brakiss said. "You see my Shadow Academy overhead? The battle fleet of the Second Imperium has just arrived. You have no hope of victory, despite your meager reinforcements.
Join us now and stop all this bloodshed. I know the power you could wield, Skywalker, if you ever let yourself touch the powers you have neglected to learn."
Luke shook his head. "Save it, Brakiss.
Your words and your dark-side temptations have no effect on me," he said.
"You were once my student. You saw the light side, saw its capabilities for good-and yet you ran from it like a coward.