Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 11_ The Emperor's Plague - Kevin J. Anderson [52]
BACK ON THE jungle moon, Lowie sat comfortably ensconced at the top of a Massassi tree, staring patiently into the starry night sky and thinking about the final transmission burst Raaba had sent from the Rising Star.
There had been no voice message, no hologram - only a cryptic line of code in old-fashioned clicks and bursts of static that she knew he would understand.
The words, conveyed in Basic, had been simple: "If I survive, I'll find you."
Lowie leaned back and watched a shooting star streak across the sky. And waited. Raynar's hand shook slightly and he sought out Master Skywalker's eyes. Even now he was unsure of himself, was not certain he dared... was not certain he was worthy.
The Jedi Master's eyes were kind and serious. He nodded.
"Go ahead, Raynar." Fumbling slightly because his hands were slick with sweat, Raynar moved his thumb into position and pressed the switch. With a whoosh-hum, an energy blade the color of polished pewter sprang from the hilt of his newly constructed lightsaber.
"The workmanship is excellent," Master Skywalker observed. "And I've seen how well you do with the stun-sticks. Would you like me to ask Tenet Ka to practice with you?"
Raynar blanched.
"Now?"
The Jedi Master chuckled.
"Maybe I'd better have you practice with Jacen for a while first. But not yet. Right now, I've got a surprise for you. We have a new permanent student here at the Jedi academy. I thought maybe you could show her around for a while."
With that, he stepped back and opened the door to his chambers.
"Lusa!" Raynar exclaimed as the centaur girl appeared in the doorway. "I thought you wanted to work for the Cooperative Council."
Lusa tossed back her long cinnamon mane and gave an eloquent shrug of her bare shoulders.
"I might someday, but I have a lot to learn first. I've asked Master Skywalker to teach me more about my powers with the Force."
Raynar found himself with nothing to say. His mouth hung open.
"I think you can put your lightsaber away for now,"
Master Skywalker said. "There'll be plenty of time for that later."
Raynar snapped out of his surprise-induced immobility and turned off his lightsaber.
"I..." Raynar blinked at Lusa and tried to collect his thoughts.
"Would you like to go for a walk?" the centaur girl asked. "I know of a very pretty waterfall."
On a small planet without a name, far out in a barely charted sector of the Outer Rim, Raaba built a burial cairn for Nolaa Tarkona. She worked alone-she was the only being on this entire world-to find large rocks on the crumbling ridge where she had made their base camp. Using her strong Wookiee fingers, she pried up stones and piled them higher where she had buried the Twi' lek leader. Nolaa Tarkona had died of the plague the day before. Raaba had flown here, navigating by instinct rather than any star chart, and she had set down her star skimmer near a cluster of habitable caves on this silent planet.
Nolaa had grown rapidly worse, day by day, as the slow-acting disease ravaged her body, destroyed her immune systems. She had thrashed and raved, insisting that Raaba take her back to Coruscant so that she could receive medical treatment in the capital of the New Republic. But Raaba had refused. She could not risk bringing the sick Twi' lek woman anyplace where she might infect others, where she might spread the evil plague developed by twisted Imperial scientists. The disease had proved fatal to Twi'leks, and might well be able to cross many species boundaries.
Raaba could not take that chance. And so she had tended her leader all by herself. The chocolate-furred Wookiee had suffered ill effects of her own: a fever, pounding headaches, muscle cramps. Some of her fur had fallen out in patches. Raaba had been sure she would follow Nolaa Tarkona