Jedi Trial (31 page)

“It’s about forty meters from here to the main control room door,” Odie shouted.

“Move fast but keep a sharp lookout,” Anakin ordered over the tactical communications net. “Be sure of your targets before you shoot. No unnecessary fire.”

He sprinted down the long corridor, followed by the rest of his force. The side corridors flashed by, but all seemed empty just now. As ordered, the clone sergeant began deploying his troopers. A corridor leading off to the left of the structure lay ahead, and the doors to the main control room were just beyond that.

Anakin had his lightsaber out. He was a good three meters ahead of the fastest clone infantryman when a battle droid popped around a corner and fired its weapon. The bolt hit the trooper behind the Jedi. The trooper gasped and collapsed to the floor in a clatter. Anakin disposed of the droid with one swift sweep of his lightsaber, but other battle droids, six or eight of them, emerged and took up positions directly in front of the control-room doors and immediately began firing. Odie, the clone troopers, and the two guards hit the deck and the bolts lanced harmlessly over them, caroming off the walls and ceiling. None of them could
fire back because Anakin was in the way. To Odie, lying on the floor watching him, he seemed at the center of a cyclone of blue light as his lightsaber whirled and slashed at the droids whose blaster bolts, aimed directly at him at point-blank range, bounced off the high-energy blade and tore into the walls and ceiling. In seconds, the droids were smoking piles of junk. Anakin leapt over the mess, brought his lightsaber down in one swift motion, burst open the doors to the control room, and stepped inside. The whole fight had taken only seconds, and to those behind him watching it seemed he had merely strolled through the droids and pushed open the doors.

Odie and the others lay gasping and coughing on the floor behind him. The corridor was filled with the choking stench of vaporized droid metal and components. Anakin had already disappeared into the control room before she got to her knees and shouted, “Follow him!”

The droids in the main control room had been given strict orders to guard the prisoners, so when Anakin appeared suddenly among them, his lightsaber flashing, it took several fatal seconds for any of them to recognize him as a threat. One fired directly at him, but it was as if Anakin knew the droid’s intention even before it moved. With an almost casual sweep of his blade, he deflected the blaster bolt and cut the droid in two. Odie, coming through the ruined doors behind him, was horrified to see Anakin holding off six battle droids. Fortunately for her and the infantry troops who pounded in just behind, the droids’ attention was all focused on the Jedi. To Odie, his movements were so
fast that by comparison the droids’ defense was in slow motion. She knelt and fired at a droid in a far corner of the control room. The sergeant and his troopers took up shooting positions, but Anakin had so quickly dispatched the droids inside the control room that there were no opponents left for them to shoot at.

“Secure the hostages,” Anakin ordered. “Quickly! Quickly! A counterattack is on the way.”

Pors Tonith, who up to this point had fought a brilliant defensive action, had made one big mistake, and that was moving the hostages into the main control room. He had done it to make guarding them easier, and he had never planned on an attempt to free them. Now he issued a fateful order: “Kill them, kill them all!”

Anakin stood in the center of the control room surrounded by the steaming piles of debris that had been the hostages’ guards. To Reija Momen, who only moments before had been sitting dozing against a wall in the corner of the room surrounded by her companions, the Jedi’s arrival among them occurred in a burst of sound and fury so astonishing and unexpected that at first she couldn’t grasp what was happening. The ARC trooper came up to her, offered her a hand, and said something. She got to her feet. Other clone troopers were helping her companions up and ushering them through the ruined doors. But Reija moved toward the solitary figure standing in the center of the room. The kiss she placed on Anakin’s cheek came as a total surprise to him. In his mind he knew the droid
counterattack was almost on them, and he knew what direction it was coming from. He had been about to activate his lightsaber again when Reija kissed him.

Without even knowing who was standing beside him, Anakin automatically put his arm around her shoulders and drew her close. She said something and he smiled and looked down at her. What he saw in that brief instant was a profound flash of recognition. In this maelstrom of death and destruction, in this desperate situation with the enemy sweeping down on him and escape a perilous possibility at best, Anakin Skywalker experienced—peace. In that brief instant of the unexpected kiss a profound lassitude had come over him; he wished to lay his head on this woman’s shoulder and rest, just rest. Maybe sleep, leave this nasty place and not have to get up the next morning.

What happened next would have consequences yet undreamed of; it was as if Anakin Skywalker were having an epiphany. In a microsecond he saw what was coming and knew where it would lead him, but he was powerless to interfere. He felt like a headstrong and disobedient child being forced to sit still and watch a puppet show. A battle droid stepped into the room from the far side and leveled its blaster at Anakin. Reija Momen stepped in front of him just as the droid fired. The bolt, fired at low power, hit her squarely in the chest and slammed her back into Anakin. She didn’t scream, didn’t cry out, but her mouth formed a tiny O, and her eyes looked up at him, pleading. He held her under the arms and looked into those eyes and watched the life force drain out of them. Memories of his mother’s death flooded him and he felt the rage rise.

The droid stood there, staring at Anakin. It was as if it were waiting politely until Reija Momen was gone before it fired again. The control room was silent for a long moment, broken only by a repeated
click, click, click
as the droid impotently pulled the trigger of its blaster. Anakin was saved by poor maintenance. In that instant he once again became an Avenger.

T
here are so many of them,” Lieutenant Commander Vitwroth said softly as he watched the enemy fleet slowly filling the
Mandian
’s screens. He turned to Captain Foth, who sat silently in his chair, fingers drumming softly on one arm, and said, “I’ve never seen so many ships in one place before.”

The main fleet around Praesitlyn had been warned of the approaching danger.
Now what?
everyone on board the
Mandian
wondered. Everyone but Captain Foth.

“Pretty impressive, isn’t it?” he commented.

“They were able to mask them until they got within range, sir,” Vitwroth said. “I wonder how they did that.”

“The same way they blocked communications earlier. They’ve got the money to pay for research and development,” Foth replied. “Now we’ll see how well they can fight.”

“Enemy ships are within range, Captain,” the gunnery officer announced. “We are ready to open fire, sir.”

“Belay that. Our job is to see and flee, and we are now going to flee. Helmsman, get us out of here.”

The smell of Reija’s hair still in his nostrils, Anakin reached deep into the Force. A sense of invincible power came over him, infusing him completely. Even during the desperate battle with the enemy tank droids and the attack on the hill he had not experienced the Force as fully as it now flowed into him. In that instant when he achieved total oneness with the Force he knew he could do anything, and it felt good. All thought of his mission, retreating to the transports, evacuating the hostages, giving the signal to Nejaa that would spell victory, evaporated. “Follow me!” he commanded the clone troopers.

Chaos reigned outside the building. Odie, assisted by Corporal Raders and Private Vick, ushered the hostages into Erk’s transport. She could see Erk in the cockpit giving the thumbs-up sign and smiling broadly. The Separatists, however, were now aware of their presence and, despite the continuing bombardment from the artillery, had sent the battle droid infantry against them. The clone troopers were engaging from their defensive perimeter.

Erk’s voice crackled in Odie’s headset. “Good work. Get on board and let’s get out of here.”

“We can’t. The commander’s still inside,” Odie shouted back.

“Come on. He can take care of himself,” Erk ordered. “Get on board and let’s get these people out of here.” As if to emphasize Erk’s words, a stray blaster
bolt skipped between Odie’s legs and caromed off into the side of the building.

“What’s the holdup?” Raders asked, running up to where Odie stood and looking up at Erk in his cockpit.

“The commander’s still inside. We can’t just leave him,” Odie said.

“Yes, we can,” Raders replied. “Come on, mount up. You’ve done your job.”

“No!” She shook Raders’s hand from her shoulder and stepped back, just avoiding a blaster bolt that sizzled past her nose. “I’m going back inside!”

“You’re crazy!” Raders cursed. “You’ll get us all killed standing out here.”

Vick ran up. “What’s going on here?” he gasped. “They’re closing in, our line is collapsing. We’ve got to get the hostages out of here!”

The trio was on the ground in the shadow of Erk’s transport. A clone infantryman ran up. “We can’t hold them any longer,” he said, his voice as calm as if he were standing on the firing range. “Our line is collapsing. What are your orders?” As he stood there a blaster bolt hit him squarely between the shoulders, propelling him forward as it burned completely through his body armor and exploded out through his chest.

“That’s it, we’re leaving,” Vick shouted.

The deflective armor on Erk’s transport had so far saved it from any serious damage. His power system was up and ready. He shook his head sadly and raised the ramp. “Good hunting,” he whispered, his voice cracking. His transport slowly began to move forward. “I guess it wasn’t meant for us to spend our lives together.” In that instant one of the enemy’s heavy guns
ranged on Anakin’s ship, and it exploded in a brilliant cascade of flame. The concussion buffeted the three on the ground and knocked out the walls on the nearby building, but they were unhurt and Erk’s ship was away undamaged.

The three looked at one another.

“Thanks, trooper, you’ve just effectively killed us all,” Vick said bitterly.

The clone troopers’ fire had ceased, and from where they lay on the ground the three could clearly see enemy battle droids moving toward them. Odie leveled her hand blaster at the nearest droid.

“Not yet.” Raders laid a restraining hand on her shoulder. “Let’s make a run for the building. Maybe the commander and his clones are still alive in there. Maybe we can get out somehow before they blow this place.”

“Oh, we’re dead, dead, dead!” Vick groaned.

“Stop whining!” Raders snapped. “What do you think they pay us for? On my command, run like mad for that hole in the wall over there. Ready?
Go!
”

Nejaa Halcyon sat as if transfixed. He knew the disturbance in the Force he was experiencing was a result of Anakin’s tapping into it. He knew Anakin was still alive. But there was something troubling—

“General, urgent report from fleet.” A staff officer stood at Halcyon’s elbow. He hadn’t even been aware of the man’s approach.

Slayke, who was standing nearby, smiled. He realized the Jedi Master had been absorbed in a reverie, and it amused him that even Jedi sometimes let their
minds wander. Yet he also knew that Halcyon’s reverie concerned Anakin, and that the Master was worried about him. Despite their former differences, Slayke had come to respect, even like, Halcyon.

Halcyon sat bolt upright when he read the message just handed to him. “Listen up!” He gestured at the officers around him and beckoned at Slayke to come closer. “This campaign is shifting into a new level. A large enemy fleet is approaching.”

Slayke betrayed not even a twinge of emotion. “It’s the relief fleet. Nejaa, we’re now between a rock and a very hard place.”

“Yes, we are.” Halcyon stroked his chin. What was happening on the mesa? He turned back to the staff officer. “Have the fleet prepare for battle. Captain Slayke, I will join the fleet. You take over here and—”

“General, the hostages are free,” a communications officer reported. “The shuttle commander has just reported in.” Several officers applauded and broke into smiles.

“Pipe him in so we can all hear his report,” Halcyon ordered. “Anakin? Is that you?”

“Nossir, Lieutenant H’Arman here. Commander Skywalker is still in the communications center and his shuttle has been destroyed. I have the hostages aboard and am bringing them in.”

“Good work, Lieutenant. Land at the resupply point and wait there for further orders.”

“Well, isn’t this just great,” Slayke said. “You can’t fight that fleet and leave this enemy force behind here, Nejaa. I’m sorry, but you have to give the order to destroy the mesa before our ships are fully engaged.”

Halcyon turned to Slayke. “No. Not yet. Let’s wait a little.”

“Whatever you say, sir,” Slayke answered, but it was evident he thought Halcyon had just made a fatally wrong decision.

“Just a little while. A few more minutes won’t hurt either way.”

“Nejaa, I know how you feel about Anakin.” Slayke laid a hand on Halcyon’s shoulder. “He’s a fine young commander. But the success of this entire expedition depends on your decision now. We have to be able to turn our full attention to this new threat. You have to give the order.”

“Yes. But not just now.”

Anakin moved with the swiftness and brilliance of a burning sun. Droids rushed against him, their weapons firing indiscriminately. His lightsaber flashing in a blinding symphony of light and destruction, he parried the bolts effortlessly, sending some ripping through the walls and roof, others back into the very droids that had fired them.

He wasn’t defending now, he was attacking, attacking with such fury and destruction that nothing could stop him. And he knew where he was going—he was headed for the enemy command post.