Star Wars: Fate Of The Jedi: Omen Part 16

"I think Natua Wan cracked up," Han said. "Called your mother out. She's gone to find and stop her."

Jaina nodded. "That's what I figured, too. Just what we need-another crazy Jedi. You know Tyrr is going to make the most of this."

Allana whimpered and tightened her grip. "We can't catch a break," Han muttered. "It'll be fun, she said. Educational, she said. A day out. Right."

"This way," Jaina said. Not slowing her pace, Jaina turned so her shoulder slammed the door open. They spilled out into more chaos.

"What the-"

The central area, which an hour earlier had been filled with calm patrons, bored sales representatives, and lines to get into the two halls, was now pandemonium. Four rontos were rearing in terror, their ma.s.sive legs coming down on anyone or anything unfortunate enough not to get out the way. A nerf bull bellowed, lowering its head to charge. It had already impaled one victim, judging by the blood glistening on its horns. Other herd animals were milling about-banthas, tauntauns, dewbacks-all terrified, all loose.

"Stang!" Jaina yelped. "She opened the corrals!"

Han swore. "The corrals surround the main building."

Jaina nodded, her eyes darting back and forth. "Too dangerous for you to try to go outside now. Stay here and wait for me."

"Like chubba I-"

"Dad! You have to keep Amelia safe! I'll go fight my way through, grab a speeder or a speeder bike or something, and come back for you. That display-climb on top of it. Most of the herd animals can't climb, and the only ones tall enough to get to you would be the rontos, and they're trying to get out, not attack."

Han glanced where his daughter pointed. It was the large display of representational animals they'd seen when they first entered, located in the middle of the hall. His strength wasn't quite what it used to be, but he thought he could get on top of the life-sized model of the bantha. Allana would have to hang on tight, though.

"Okay," he said. "But if you're not back in here in fifteen minutes with a way out for us, I'll ground you. I don't care how old you are."

Jaina couldn't help but snort with amus.e.m.e.nt. This was one of the things she loved best about her father. No matter how dire the moment, he could make her laugh-and when she laughed, her mind cleared.

"Bet I'll be back in ten," she said, then turned and charged for the crazed nerf bull, lightsaber lit.

LEIA SKIDDED TO A HALT IN FRONT OF THE CONTROL ROOM. THE DOOR was wide open, and she felt a pang at the sight of the two bodies inside. Natua had been here but was nowhere to be seen. Leia dropped to her knees beside one of the guards and felt for a pulse. Faint, but there. She checked the other-he was alive, too.

"Leia!"

Leia was on her feet. "Natua! This isn't what you think it is! You know it isn't! Let me help you. You are a Jedi, you don't want all these deaths on your hands!" She glanced around quickly at the console, thumbed a switch, and said, "This is the control room for the Dangerous Animal Hall. Get a medical team to the control room now! We have injured!"

"Injured? Who is this?" came a suspicious voice.

"Just get here." Leia did not have time for further conversation. She needed to find and stop Natua before she injured-or killed-any more.

The voice came from just around the corner. Natua was taunting her. "Oh, of course it isn't. You're Leia Organa, Jedi Knight, Princess and former Senator, loving mother." Scorn, anger, and a dreadful sense of betrayal laced the words.

Leia moved carefully toward the sound of the voice. Natua was most a.s.suredly not in her right mind. Further conversation was not going to convince her, not if the way Seff, Valin, and Jysella had behaved was any indication. The best thing to do would be to incapacitate the Falleen as quickly and painlessly as possible.

She extended her senses but could not pick up on Natua's presence in the Force. Could Natua, too, hide herself from detection in the Force? If so, it was becoming altogether too common an ability and far too annoying for Leia.

"You're not an imposter who's stolen the real Leia away." The voice dripped sarcasm. "And Amelia? A child? How could you do it?"

The voice was coming from right around the corner. Leia turned the corner and, lightsaber lit, sprang-on nothing.

JAINA REALIZED SHE WAS GOING TO BE LATE IN PICKING UP HER FATHER and niece. She was going to be late because she was a Jedi, and people were in trouble, and she could stop it, and so she would.

Security was now coming into the main hall and firing on the loose creatures. Jaina winced as the hall was filled with the sounds of blaster-fire and animals in pain on top of the screaming of the terrified patrons. It was grimly necessary; there were far too many animals running free, and the lives of sentient beings were at stake. But there were some that she could help.

Jaina closed her eyes for an instant, calming and centering herself. This was a challenge for her at the best of times, and now it was almost impossible, but she managed it. Opening her eyes, she stretched out each hand toward the nearest frightened beasts. One was a dewback, agitated at the press of people. The other was a kybuck, leaping about frantically.

It's all right. You don't need to be afraid. No one will hurt you. Come back to the safety of the corral. Follow me.

The dewback bellowed, but after a few moments trundled toward Jaina. The kybuck came even more swiftly, and Jaina patted its soft flank. When the dewback lowered its head to her, Jaina smiled at it and stroked it as well. She leapt onto its back and reached out again, and again, until there was a small cl.u.s.ter of animals pressed close to her.

Jaina planted suggestions in the milling throng right in front of her. Some were stronger-willed than others, but they were all looking for direction and guidance, and in the end they parted for her and her little parade. Jaina burned to go faster, but that would agitate the animals, and it was more important that they stay calm than that they get to the pen two minutes faster. After what seemed an eternity, they came to one of the corrals. Its elaborate security system had been shorted out, but there was still a basic gate with a bar that fell down into place, and that would suffice. Jaina herded the beasts through, gave them one final thought of You're calm, go ahead and sleep, and turned around.

Right into a familiar and disliked face.

"You!" Jaina shrieked, pointing at Javis Tyrr. The sleemo was filming her! She marched up to him, placed her hand over the cam droid's lens, and pushed her face into his.

"Jaina Solo, can you verify that Jedi Natua Wan has succ.u.mbed to the same mental illness that-"

Jaina reached out with her other hand and gripped his shirt. "You saw her? Where?"

Faced with the prospect of imminent bodily harm, the calm, professional journalistic demeanor bled away. "Just a minute ago. She was opening up all the corrals. I have it all recorded."

"Where did she go?"

He pointed to the side of the exhibition hall. The corrals went all the way around. Natua, it would seem, was bent on opening them all.

Jaina shoved Tyrr away, simultaneously sending a pulse to short out the hovering cam droid and reaching for her comlink. "Mom, Natua was just out here about a minute ago. She's heading around the north side of the exhibition hall."

"That explains something," Leia said in a dry voice. "Looks like I've been chasing shadows. I'm on my way."

"How about an exclusive interview since my information proved useful?" Tyrr said.

"How about I don't punch you in the nose?" Jaina retorted. She was already turned around and running toward the exhibition hall, comming Radd as she went.

She found the Falleen at the bordok pen. Jaina didn't slow her speed, didn't cry out as she charged, merely dived toward the other Jedi. Natua, however, sensed her approach, and right as Jaina leapt toward her she opened the pen and the maddened animals stampeded out. Unable to move aside in time, Jaina simply Force-leapt upward, ran lightly across the backs of the creatures, and sprang toward Natua.

The other Jedi had her lightsaber up and the two blades clashed, sizzling. Jaina gritted her teeth and hissed over the noise, "I don't want to hurt you!"

"But I want to hurt you. The real Jaina will thank me." Natua broke the lock and pushed. Jaina fell back a pace and dropped into a defense position.

Stang, she really didn't want to hurt Natua. The other Jedi was troubled, and needed to be taken care of. She was- "Oh, now the gloves come off," Jaina hissed angrily, realizing that Natua was trying to influence her with pheromones.

"Nice trick, Natua," came Leia's voice. "You led me on a merry chase there for a little bit. Jacen was able to throw his voice like that, too. Don't suppose you'd care to tell me how you did it?"

Jaina didn't take her eyes off Natua, but said, "About time you got here."

"Sorry," Leia said. "Natua did a pretty good job of misdirecting me."

"Surrender," Radd said, hurrying up. "You're outnumbered three to one, Natua. You know we are only concerned about your-"

Natua lunged at Jaina, snarling. Both Solos brought their blades down on hers in perfect tandem, as if they'd rehea.r.s.ed it. The sheer physical pressure of two crossed blades on her single one forced Natua's blade toward the ground and she stumbled, caught off-balance. It was then that Radd sprang on her. There was no grace, no finesse, no skilled usage of the Force in his attack. He simply jumped on her from behind and rammed his hard skull into hers.

Natua crumpled, unconscious, to the ground. Jaina and Leia blinked at Radd. He shrugged, a little embarra.s.sed.

"Hey," Jaina said. "It did the trick." She wiped a hand across her forehead and sniffed. "Whew. Is that me? I need a sanisteam."

She glanced up to see a familiar figure striding toward her. "Looks like I missed all the fun-again," Han said. Allana was walking at his side, her hand held tightly in his. She looked pale and frightened still, but was clearly recovering.

Leia looked sorrowfully at the unconscious Falleen and sighed. "This keeps getting harder to witness," she said. "Valin, Seff, Jysella, and now Natua. All so young to have something like this happen."

"Guess they don't make Jedi like they used to," said Han.

"Dad, I'm right here."

ABOARD THE JADE SHADOW.

THE DAYS Pa.s.sED, AND LUKE AND BEN LEARNED.

They learned primarily from Tadar'Ro, whom they grew increasingly to like. Even though he was Aing-Tii, and therefore would in part always be incomprehensible to them, he was clearly comfortable in his dealings with the two Jedi and seemed to like them after a fashion. He answered their questions as best he could, which sometimes was very well indeed and sometimes hardly at all. He was clearly trying.

"You are the third and fourth humans I have met," Tadar'Ro said one day as they sat in what was clearly the Aing-Tii's favorite spot. It seemed as rocky and barren as any other place, but the stones had been worn down by time. They held the warmth of the sun when it was cool and moved into shade from the taller standing stones when the day grew warmer. Ben even caught glimpses of small animals now and then. There was a calmness, a serenity about the place that both he and Luke could sense.

Luke even commented on it one afternoon. Tadar'Ro radiated pleasure and warmth into the Force as he responded.

"This is a teaching site," he said. "Many of the young gather here to learn. So, too, did Jacen Solo and Jorj Car'das." Always the Aing-Tii used the full names of those he referred to.

"A ... school, then?" Ben asked.

"Yes, that will do. A school. For centuries have open and willing minds been taught in this place. We find joy in learning and in sharing knowledge. The energy of so many minds, so much learning and enlightenment-that is what you feel here."

Ben nodded slowly.

"You taught Jacen here," Luke said. "How good a student was he?"

"He was only the second human I had ever met, and the first Jedi," Tadar'Ro replied. "He seemed very eager for knowledge, but it was ... not as joyful to him as to others. Is this a human trait?"

Luke and Ben exchanged glances. "Not universally. Everyone is a unique individual. How long ago was Jacen here?"

"There was a newness, an expectancy about him," Tadar'Ro said in typical cryptic Aing-Tii fashion. By now, though, Luke and Ben were starting to be able to "translate."

"He was just starting on the five-year journey," Luke said to Ben, who nodded.

"You said he seemed eager for knowledge, but it wasn't a joyful experience," Ben continued. "Can you elaborate?"

Tadar'Ro sat back on his haunches, his tongues flickering in and out, but no words came forth. Clearly thinking and speaking were sometimes one and the same for the Aing-Tii. Ben stifled an inappropriate laugh as he realized that sometimes, thinking and speaking were one for members of his family, as well.

"It was a task, rather than a delight. As if-it was something to be accomplished, so one would not need to worry about it anymore. Something to get, to have."

"That sounds like Jacen," Ben said quietly. "So even then his feet were set on this path. At least somewhat."

"Path?"

Luke sighed and turned to Tadar'Ro. "Your people use the Force, but it is my understanding that you don't believe in a light or dark side."

They had learned this from Jorj Car'das's journals. At the beginning, Car'das had seemed to be very much like them: He had not been at all certain of what to make of the Aing-Tii initially.

"I didn't really understand what it was Yoda had done for me until I frittered the gift away," the small image of Car'das had said. "I wasn't, and am not, and probably never will be, a Force-sensitive individual. And frankly, before I came here, I really didn't care that much about it. But the Aing-Tii do-and yet they barely use it. Never have I seen a people so fascinated with something they respect enough not to use like a common household implement."

"We don't do that," Ben had said as they watched over dinner one night.

"No," Luke had replied. "That denotes a lack of respect, I think."

"Most of my understanding about the Force, which is admittedly limited, points to it having only two aspects-light and dark," Car'das had said. "The Jedi work with the light side of the Force, and the Sith and Dark Jedi with, obviously, the dark. That's nice and simple and clear, and maybe we humans like our philosophies that way. But the Aing-Tii have a much more complicated view of it. They view it as-"

The image of Jorj Car'das had paused and his hands moved, as if he could physically grasp the words he wanted. "As having variations. Gradations. Like light, when put through a prism. Kind of-a rainbow."

Ben thought of this image as Tadar'Ro nodded. "It is true. We do use the Force. It is sacred. It is of Those Who Dwell Beyond the Veil. Such a thing is much more complex than light or dark, wrong or right. Jacen Solo seemed to understand this."

Luke and Ben exchanged glances. Ben knew that look; they'd talk about this more when they were alone.

Tadar'Ro continued, "We do use the Force to power our vessels, so that we may move beyond this world and search for any objects that might have belonged to Those Who Dwell Beyond the Veil. We will send you on such pilgrimages, as well. You will be able to aid us greatly."

"Of course," said Luke carefully. "We will be happy to do so while we are here. You shared with Jacen your understanding of the Force-of this rainbow aspect as Car'das called it. What else did you teach him?"

"Jacen Solo was very strong in the Force, which is why we agreed to instruct him. We believe that he had been sent to us to learn, just as Jorj Car'das was, just as you were. We taught him that one does not need to be Force-sensitive to use the Force. We taught him the understanding of how our vessels move instantly from place to place-how even as simple a thing as a rock or a tool can be moved so."

He extended a clawed hand and pointed at a small stone. There was a clap of displaced air, and suddenly the rock was at Luke's feet. Both Ben and Luke started.

"Perception is all, if it is powerful enough," Tadar'Ro said. "I saw the rock here, and not there, and here it is. It is difficult to convince the mind that it is so, but once you have mastered and understood that-it is supremely simple."

This, Ben thought to himself, was totally astral. He bent and picked up the rock. It was just that, a rock; not smoking, not unnaturally warm or cool, just a rock that had been there a minute ago but was now here, resting in his palm.

"Jacen Solo was able to learn this quickly," Tadar'Ro continued. "I will teach this to the both of you. Hopefully your minds will grasp it as quickly as Jacen Solo did."

"And flow-walking?" Ben said. "How did he take to that?"

"Easily as well," Tadar'Ro replied. "It is tied in with how we view the Force, and how ..." The Aing-Tii ducked his head in an odd gesture. Consternation emanated from him. "How until the coming of this Prophet, we viewed destiny and fate. We believe the Force guides us, and we do not try to direct it in any particular manner. It is the same with flow-walking. One must surrender one's emotions to the Force; center oneself in its flow." He turned his head and fixed Ben with one great, liquid black eye. "Perhaps you will be like your cousin, and learn it very quickly."

"Perhaps," Ben said, uncomfortable with the notion that he might be like Jacen in any way. And still ... he couldn't suppress a twinge of excitement at being able to go back into the past, or into the future-even an uncertain, not-really-sure-it's-going-to-happen future. Out of the corner of his eye, as if his father could read his thoughts, Ben saw Luke frown.

THEY LISTENED TO MORE OF CAR'DAS'S HOLOGRAPHIC RECORDING OVER dinner that night.

"They use the Force to power their vessels somehow-to make those crazy jumps that seem as much luck as anything else," the little hologram continued. "And they discuss it endlessly. At least Tadar'Ro seems to want to discuss it with me."

And Tadar'Ro wanted to discuss it with Luke and Ben, and presumably Jacen as well. It was odd. They were the most secretive people imaginable-even hostile about it-yet once they had accepted one into their ranks, as it were, they wanted to share everything.

"The Force as a rainbow," Ben said. "I gotta say, it's a nice image."

"It is," Luke agreed. "I don't like to think of myself as closed-minded, Ben, or intolerant. And I am fully prepared to admit that viewing the Force this way seems to work for the Aing-Tii."