Star Wars - [New Jedi Order Short] - The Apprentice (by Elaine Cunningham)

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*THE APPRENTICE*

Elaine Cunningham

STAR WARS GAMER 8

BONADAN BOOKS

*THE APPRENTICE*

Elaine Cunningham

JainaSolo adjusted the restraints on the copilot chair and leaned forward,

eagerfor her first glimpse ofGallinore . The smallHapan freighter glided

smoothlyout of hyperspace, and star lines compressed into brilliant points

oflight-- a beautiful sight, but one that could have marked nearly any

destination. Then the ship banked sharply to starboard, and a soft green

hazebloomed against the darkness of space.

Mist clung to the deeply forested planet, and the slanting rays of the

risingsun lent the humid atmosphere a luminous, verdant glow.Lowbacca let

outa low, poignant moan that mingled appreciation and longing.

'It does look a bit likeKashyyk ,''Jaina agreed, naming theWookiee's

homeworld.

She glanced back at her companions.Lowbacca had always been thin byWookiee

standards, but their recent captivity had left him positively gaunt, and his

ginger-huedfur was dull and patchy.Tenel Ka was thinner, too, and her dark

greenflight suit clung to her too-slender form. Her long reddish hair was

carefullyplaited in the many-braided fashion of aDathomiri warrior, but

withone difference: She'd swept her hair over to one side to hide the raw

patchleft when aYuuzhanVong inquisitor had yanked out one of her braids.

Jainaquickly averted her eyes from this reminder of their shared ordeal.

Her own scars were of a different sort.

Her gaze shifted to the man in the pilot seat.KypDurron could add about a

dozenyears to her eighteen. The long, careless waves of brown hair were

threadedwith silver, and faint lines collected at the corners of his green

eyes-- lines that suggested easy smiles and shared laughter.Kyp had the

sortof face that inspired camaraderie and confidence, and probably would

haveeven without the added charisma of his formidable Jedi powers. One

thingwas certain: People followedKyp .Jaina intended to figure out why.

The mists ofGallinore swirled up to receive their ship.Jaina shifted

impatientlyin her seat. Her fingers itched for the feel of the controls,

andshe briskly scrubbed one hand against the leg of her flight suit as if

thatcould erase the urge to take over.Kyp was a Jedi Master, however,

and-- more importantly-- a Master who'd askedJaina to be his apprentice.

ForJaina , sitting in the copilots' chair was one way of taking this notion

fora test flight.

Part of her wanted to reject his offer out of hand.KypDurron had been a

dubiousfigure before the war started, before he'd undertaken his rogue

crusadeagainst theYuuzhanVong invaders. His forays were highly

controversial, and his passionate advocacy of aggressive tactics brought

discordto every Jedi gathering, whether he attended or not.

But at some level,Jaina sensed that she andKyp were already flying on the

samevector. She couldn't argue against either his philosophy or his

methods. She just wasn't sure she wanted to hand over the controls.

Kyppeered at the unbroken expanse of green rushing up toward their ship.

'Thenavicomputer confirms our landing coordinates, but I don't see anything

downthere that looks like a city.''

TenelKa glanced up from thedatapad she'd been studying throughout most of

thetrip. 'Dimitoris difficult to see from above. The city is constructed

mostlyof green marble and all the streets are lined with tall trees. Even

thelanding docks are paved with multicolored stone, making them

indistinguishablefrom meadowland until you are almost upon them.''

'Makes you wonder what they've got to hide,''Kyp observed, slinging a

quick, pointed glance atJaina .

'Gallinoreis a lawful world, closely affiliated with the government of

Hapes,''Tenel Ka returned gravely. Her gaze shifted toJaina . 'I'm more

concernedabout our purposes than theirs. We are landing shortly. Shouldn't

youtell us why we've come?''

Jainaconceded with a nod. 'Let me see yourlightsaber .''

The warrior woman frowned in puzzlement, but she removed the weapon from her

beltand handed it over.

Jainaturned the unusuallightsaber over in her hand, running her thumb over

thestrange carvingsTenel Ka had meticulously etched into the yellowed

ivoryhandle. 'A rancor's tooth,'' she observed. With a flick of her thumb

sheunleashed a stream of brilliant, turquoise light-- a strangely

iridescenthue, one that, on close inspection, held dancing motes in every

colorof the visible spectrum. 'You used rainbow gems for the focusing

crystals, right?FromGallinore ?''

'Fact,''Tenel Ka confirmed.

'These `gems' are actually living creature, yet you were able to use them in

aJedilightsaber -- just as Anakin attuned theYuuzhanVong's lambent

crystalsto his. I've read that the rainbow gems, like many of the unique

lifeforms on this world, were bioengineered.''

Understanding dawned on the warrior woman's face. 'This similarity leads you

tohope the scientists ofGallinore can help you understandthe_Trickster _

,'' she concluded, naming the living ship thatJaina andZekk had stolen

fromaYuuzhanVongworldship .

'That's the plan.''Jaina switched off her friend's Jedi weapon and handed

itback.

They fell silent asKyp made voice contact with the dock officials. He

passedalong the authorization codes and deftly maneuvered the ship down

throughlayers of clouds. The three younger Jedi rose immediately, leaving

himto power down the controls.

The ramp unfolded, andJaina walked down and gazed around the docks with

interest. She could see why this place was nearly invisible from above.

A stiff breeze stirred the thick,landbound clouds that filled the open

docksand clung to the trees in the city beyond. Tall, swaying branches

movedin and out of sight like timid forest animals. The docking bays were

teamingwith pilots, mechanics, and dock officials, all clad in flight suits

fashionedfrom mottled shades of green. They, too, seemed to move in and out

ofthe mists in random patterns. Some odd optical quirk made their movements

appearnearly identical to that of the swaying foliage.

Even so, workers immediately converged on any newly landed ship, using stout

littlehover sleds to maneuver it into a docking bay covered by a tall,

camouflagedcanopy. It was hard to believe thatGallinore's sun could burn

offthe sheltering morning clouds before reaching its zenith.Jaina squinted

upat the brightest patch of fog, noting the sun's position with dismay.

She'd have to work fast.

'The customs building,''Tenel Ka said, nodding toward a low, green

structure. 'City officials will be expecting us there.'' She set her

shouldersback, in the manner of a warrior preparing to do battle, and set

offat a brisk pace.

A fleeting grin touchedJaina's lips as she imagined the 'diplomatic

meeting'' that would follow.Tenel Ka was a princess ofHapes , the dominate

worldin theHapes Cluster, but she was here as a warrior to exhort others

toprepare for the coming conflict. AtJaina's suggestion, all of the

visitingJedi exceptLowbacca were dressed in green flight suits identical

tothose worn by theGallinorians . She'd suggested this as a means of

honoringlocal custom, of creating an impression of unity.Tenel Ka had been

pleasedwith this notion, and she didn't ask ifJaina had had other reasons

forwanting to blend in.

Kypcame down the ramp and checked the hatch leading into the cargo hold.

TenelKa glanced over at the older Jedi. Although the expression on her face

didnot change or her pace alter, disapproval rolled off her in waves.

Jainastepped into theDathomiri warrior's path and faced her down. 'All

right, let's have it.''

TenelKa stopped and regardedJaina with a cool, gray-eyed stare. 'I

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*THEAPPRENTICE* ElaineCunningham STARWARSGAMER8 BONADANBOOKS *THEAPPRENTICE* ElaineCunningham JainaSoloadjustedtherestraintsont...

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Star Wars - [New Jedi Order Short] - The Apprentice (by Elaine Cunningham)

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