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Young Jedi Knights

Book 10

The Fall of the Diversity Alliance

Jedi Bounty

by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta

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To our friend and faithful reader Deb Ray

acknowledgments

Writing each volume of the Young Jedi Knights requires the help of many different people--Sue Rostoni, Allan Kausch, and Lucy Wilson at Lucasfilm Licensing; Ginjer Buchanan and Jessica Faust at Boulevard Books; Dave Dorman, cover artist extraordinaire; Vonda Mcintyre (who created the character Lusa); Mike Stackpole for his help with Evir Derricote and the plague, as well as the Twi'leks; A. C. Crispin for her help with Aryn Dro and Bornan Thul; Lillie E. Mitchell, Catherine Ulatowski, and Angela Kato at Word-Fire, Inc.; and Jonathan Cowan, our primary test-reader.

JACEN SOLO ADDED another branch to the small campfire. He inhaled the jungle scents that mingled with the spicy smell of burning wood. Yavin was alive and wild and mysterious around them.

His twin sister Jaina stared pensively into the flames, while Tenel Ka, dressed in her usual lizard-hide armor and boots, paced in restless circles around the small clearing. Raynar fidgeted beside Jacen, pick'rag up twigs and tossing them into the embers. His moon-round face had a fretful, haunted look, as if he wasn't at all enjoying their night out camping in the jungle.

Jacen leaned back and lay down with his hands behind his head.

Oblivious to the bits of forest debris that distributed themselves through his curly brown hair, he looked up into the star-filled sky and reached out with the Force.

He tried to sense small creatures hiding in the jungle around them, but tonight his usual ability eluded him. He sighed. Unfortunately, his Jedi senses picked up mostly his sister's worry, Raynar's anxiety, and Tenel Ka's frustration.

"It's just not the same without Lowie here," Jaina said.

"I should certainly say not," Em Teedee, the miniaturized translating droid, agreed. The little droid hovered with the newfound freedom of the microrepulsorjets he'd had installed on Mechis III. He followed just behind Tenel Ka as she made each restless circuit of the clearing.

Jacen gave up trying to sense small animals.

"It's been weeks since Lowie left. He hasn't even tried to contact us."

He sat up and looked at his sister. "Hey, you don't suppose Lowie decided to join the Diversity Alliance, do you?"

"I hope not. They're the ones who put out a bounty on my father, after allf Raynar answered before Jaina could speak. He clenched one hand around a fistful of twigs until they snapped. "I'll bet there isn't a bounty hunter in the whole sector who's not trying to track down the infamous Bor-nan Thul and collect the reward Nolaa Tarkona offered." A hint of bitterness infused his words.

Jaina bit her lower lip. Reflections of the flames danced in her brandybrown eyes. "Zekk's out there with all those bounty hunters--but at least he's on our side. He's taking a pretty big risk, too. If the Diversity Alliance finds out he worked for your father and helped your uncle Tyko, Zekk could be in trouble."

Jacen thought about their dark-haired friend.

Zekk had been trained by the Shadow Academy to use the dark side of the Force but had turned away from it. Deciding to start a new life, he'd chosen to become a bounty hunter. With his piercing emerald eyes, excellent fighting skills, and knowledge of the Force, Zekk would be a formidable opponent to anyone who crossed him.

"Don't worry about Zekk, Jaina. I have a feeling he can take care of himself. I'm more worried that Lowie might be pressured to stay on Ryloth and work for the Diversity Alliance. You heard what they did to Lusa."

Jaina scowled. "Lowie'd never join a political group that despises humans. He's our friend."

Jacen tried to imagine the lanky Wookiee hating anyone simply because he'd been ordered to. The idea seemed ridiculous. "No, I can't believe he'd go along with that. But why hasn't he at least tried to send us a message?"

"Perhaps he has," Tenel Ka