Star Wars - 215 - Jedi Prince 06 - Prophets of the Dark Side (7 page)

Kadann turned to his intelligence agent. "Is it possible to remove the data files?"

"Removing the data chips from the master computer would destroy the Jedi files and all the information they contain."

"Then lift the master computer itself and take it to the tubular transport," Kadann ordered. "With that computer relocated to Space Station Scardia, all of the secrets of the Jedi will then belong to me!"

Kadann’s stormtroopers prepared to transport the computer on a large, floating antigravity cart.

"Shut this city down," Kadann hissed. "Its final hour has come at last." The Imperials departed from the library and headed back toward the tubular transport, deactivating everything in sight, silencing every last droid and machine of the Lost City. With every street Kadann passed, the lights went out, and the cavern dimmed a little more. Suddenly Kadann was startled to see the Jedi Knight, Luke Skywalker, standing in the path, blocking their way. How was this possible, Kadann wondered, when Luke was Kadann’s prisoner on board the Scardia Voyager?

"Let the boy go, Kadann," Luke said, brandishing his lightsaber.

"Luke!" Ken screamed.

Kadann took a few steps backward as the blade swung toward him. The stormtroopers who were holding Ken stepped back too, as Ken struggled to loosen himself from their grasp.

"I said let the boy go!" Luke repeated. "Now!" Kadann was startled, not understanding how Luke could have possibly reached the Lost City. The tubular transport had remained at the bottom of the shaft ever since Kadann had arrived.

Just then Luke charged a group of stormtroopers, freeing Ken and taking the boy with him. As they ran, Ken spotted his stunned pet, Zeebo the mooka. Ken stopped just long enough to pick Zeebo up and carry him off. Laserfire from portable Imperial laser cannons streaked past Luke and Ken, as they swiftly slipped away toward the tubular transport.

"Master," Prophet Gornash called out to Kadann, "all that matters is the Jedi computer. Let’s forget the Rebels for now and take it to the tubular transport, and depart!" But as the computer was moved, one of the stormtroopers, firing his portable laser cannon after Ken and Luke, accidentally let loose with a blast that zoomed right toward Kadann. Kadann moved quickly out of the path of danger. The laserblast struck the master Jedi computer instead, imploding the data screen and melting the main controls.

"NOOOO!" Kadann shouted.

Meanwhile the stormtroopers continued to shut down the power in the Lost City, which became darker and darker.

Soon the only light remaining came from streaks of random laserfire, and the glow from inside the tubular transport as it began traveling toward the surface with Luke, Ken, and Zeebo safely inside.

CHAPTER 7

The Red Carpet

For a moment Luke and Ken were silent, and the only noise was the sound of the tubular transport rising at an incredibly fast speed. Then Ken spoke.

"Triclops is my father, Luke," Ken said in dismay. "I know it now."

"How do you know that?" Luke asked in a shocked but calm, steady voice.

"Kadann used the Jedi computer to show me my mother and father," Ken explained. "This means I’m also the grandson of Emperor Palpatine. Dee-Jay knew the secret all along, and he never told me!" The boy paused to choke down his tears. "So now you know the terrible truth. You now know where I come from-from evil."

"You’re forgetting that my father was Darth Vader," Luke replied, staring into Ken’s troubled eyes. "He too was devoted to evil. But the good in him survived deep within his heart, and at the very end of his life, it won out."

"All this time I thought . . . I hoped that my father would turn out to be Obi-Wan Kenobi," Ken said, glancing down. "But instead-this is the worst news I could have heard, Luke. I don’t deserve to be part of the Rebel Alliance."

"The fact that my father chose a path of evil is no reflection on me," Luke explained. "It doesn’t mean that I’m any less of a person, or any less of a man. Unlike my father, I proved myself strong enough to resist the lure of the Dark Side. And you’ve got to prove yourself strong enough to do the same too."

"And what if I’m not strong enough?" Ken asked.

"You will be," Luke replied. "Ken, no one is responsible for who their parents are. Or their grandparents. The choices they made in their lives are their own. But the choices we make are our own. We can’t blame ourselves for the evil that our parents and grandparents did-only for what we do. And so it’s up to each of us to make the right choices in life, to trust in the Force, and become the person that we know we should be." Ken could feel Zeebo’s little heart thumping as he held his four-eared pet in his arms. The speed of the tubular transport was awesome. Ken felt as if his stomach had been left far below, and he tingled from his ears to his toes.

But suddenly the tubular transport started to vibrate furiously. Then it slowed to a dead stop halfway up the elevator shaft.

The power had failed. They were trapped.

At the Senate building on Yavin Four, before Triclops could be given the special chemical made from the macaab mushroom, something strange overcame him. Triclops sat down to write a letter, but when he was done, he suddenly changed from a passive and gentle person to an angry maniac with superhuman strength.

Triclops’s guards were in shock as he demonstrated an awesome power-a power they had never seen before. He tore their laser pistols from their hands, crushed the weapons, and picked the guards up and hurled them, smashing them against the laboratory wall. Then Triclops bent the bars of two security doors and forced his way through them. The tubular transport hadn’t moved another inch, and Luke, Ken, and Zeebo were still surrounded by darkness, unable to escape.

"Ksssshhhhhh," Zeebo whined timidly. "Kssssh?"

"Uh-oh," Ken said despondently. "Looks like we’re history.".

"Aren’t you forgetting something, Ken?" Luke asked, putting a hand on the young Jedi Prince’s shoulder.

"Like what?"

"The Force. With trust in the Force, we can do anything," Luke said. "Even move tons of solid steel. Once I watched Yoda use the Force to lift my spaceship out of the swamps of Dagobah-it floated, weightless, until he set it down. The Force is a Jedi’s strength, Ken. The Force is the power that flows through all things, the power behind the light of the stars-"

In the darkness, Luke began to banish all other thoughts from his mind, putting himself in total harmony with the Force, letting its power and energy flow through him. He breathed slowly, evenly, forgetting about the rising and falling of his chest, the inhales, the exhales. Only one thought remained in his mind-the wonder of the Force. Suddenly there was a brief jolt, and the transport rose several inches. A few seconds passed. Then came a slow, gliding movement upward, as the power of the Force helped the transport move several feet farther. There was about a mile left to go.

"Help me, Ken," Luke said. "Empty your mind . . . feel the Force." Ken tried to banish his fears and all other thoughts from his mind.

"Kshshshshshsh," Zeebo moaned, trembling in Ken’s arms. Ken knew that this tubular transport was like a deep underground coffin. If it never moved again, the transport would become their tomb-in a million years, some explorer might find this elevator shaft and discover their remains.

But Ken knew he had to stop thinking about that. He knew he had to have positive thoughts-thoughts of life, not death.

"Only the Force, Ken," Luke said. "Keep your whole mind, your entire being, focused on the Force."

Suddenly the tubular transport began to move. It ascended slowly at first, and then it accelerated, going faster and faster as it continued to rise inside the elevator shaft-powered only by the pure energy of the Force.

When the tubular transport finally arrived Topworld, its door slid open, and dazzling green light filtered through the leaves of the rain forest and reflected brightly in their eyes. As their eyes adjusted to the sunlight, Luke, Ken, and Zeebo slowly stepped outside the transport and into the rain forest.

It wasn’t long before Luke and Ken were reunited with the Rebel Alliance members of SPIN

who had laid seige to the Scardia Voyager. The reunion included Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca, as well as the droids, See-Threepio and Artoo-Detoo.

"Well, at last it seems that we’re all one big happy family once again," Threepio said cheerfully. "That is, if the word family isn’t reserved for only humans and can be expanded to include droids."

"Of course you’re part of our family, Threepio," Luke said with a smile. "And Wookiees are part of our family, too-right, Chewie?"

"Awwwooooooo!" Chewbacca howled happily.

"Kshshshshhhh," Zeebo purred, as if wanting mookas to be included as well. Although they were all greatly relieved, there was little time for celebration. One major problem remained which concerned them more than any other. Kadann was still down in the Lost City. But could they keep him down there? Perhaps-if the tubular transport was shut down permanently. Then Kadann would be cut off from his Prophets of the Dark Side who were still stationed back at the cube-shaped Space Station Scardia. Unable to come Topworld, Kadann would no longer be able to threaten the Alliance.

"We could remove the control mechanism of the tubular transport," Princess Leia suggested.

"That would prevent Kadann from ever escaping."

"Don’t forget, Princess, there are steam vents from the Lost City that reach the surface at many different locations on this moon," Luke replied. "Since I was able to reach the Lost City by sliding down a steam vent, Kadann could perhaps find some way to rise up to the surface through one of them. Besides, Prophets Gornash, Jedgar, and other Imperials are still down there with him. They could help him. There are also documents in the Jedi Library he’ll be able to study and learn from. If he ever returns, he’ll surely be an even stronger enemy."

"At least he’s trapped for the moment," Leia said. "Our best hope for now is to shut down the tubular transport up here at the top of the shaft." Upon hearing Leia’s words, Ken felt a pang of sadness. He would never see Dee-Jay or return home again, he realized. His past was behind him, and he could never go back. He was now completely on his own.

As he watched Luke and Leia remove the control mechanism of the tubular transport, Ken wondered whether Triclops knew that he was his son.

When Ken returned to the Alliance Senate building, he quickly discovered that he wouldn’t be able to confront his father after all. Ken wanted to talk with Triclops, to tell him he knew the truth. But Triclops was gone. The last anyone had seen of him was when he escaped into the rain forest, his third eye staring out the back of his head at the SPIN troops who tried in vain to go after the prisoner and capture him.

But Ken’s father had left something behind-a personal letter with Ken’s name on the envelope. Ken’s hands trembled as he opened the letter to read it. Dear Ken,

I’ve missed you ever since you were taken from me and sent to live with the droids in the Lost City of the Jedi. I’ve known since the day you and Luke rescued me back on Duro that you are my son. I knew by the birth crystal you wore.

I know what a shock it must have been for you to realize that your grandfather was Emperor Palpatine. And the things I must do in the days ahead will surely shock you just as much. All I can say is, do not believe all the terrible things you zvill hear about me. Trust in me. And if the day comes when you can no longer have faith in me, then trust in the Force, as your Jedi mother Kendalina did. Perhaps then you will discover that there is goodness in my heart.

Until we meet again,

Your loving father,

Triclops

Ken kept the contents of the letter a secret. He told Luke he would share it with him someday, but he wasn’t ready yet to show it to anyone. It was a personal message meant just for him-his last link with his father, who had gone off mysteriously, perhaps never to be seen again.

But Ken refused to give up hope that his father might one day be found. Without a spaceship, Triclops would have no way to depart from the fourth moon of Yavin. Ken asked Luke if SPIN could organize a search party, to try to track his father deep into the jungle.

"I’m sure Mon Mothma will agree to that," Luke said. "But there are hundreds of caves and thickets here in the rain forest where Triclops could hide and never be detected for years and years. In the meantime, there are other things we must worry about, Ken," Luke continued, "such as getting ready for Leia and Han’s big day!" Before Ken knew it, that eagerly awaited day had arrived. It was a very special day for Luke too, for he would be giving his sister’s hand in marriage to his good friend, Han Solo.

To Luke, the wedding day seemed very much like the festive day of celebration they once had after the explosion of the first Imperial Death Star. The location was the same, and all the guests seemed filled with joy as they stood on both sides of the red wedding carpet on the path that led to the Senate entrance. Dignitaries who had arrived from many planets throughout the galaxy were waiting excitedly for the formal ceremony to be commenced by Mon Mothma.

Standing at the far end of the red carpet, Princess Leia, who was holding her wedding bouquet, looked over at Luke and smiled at him. She then glanced around and saw Ken and all her other friends. Chewbacca was on hand to serve as Han’s Best Man. And See-Threepio and Artoo-Detoo were there to share the title of Best Droid, both of them showing off their gleaming polish.

In the moments before it would be time for her to walk up the carpet and say "I do," Leia calmly put herself in tune with the Force. And for an instant she thought she had a vision of the future.

It was a glimpse of a time to come-a time when Leia would live with Han peacefully and safely in his sky house, floating in the air near Cloud City. It was also a time after their children had already been born.

Leia saw Han sitting with their children-there were two of them, one on each knee-as Han told the kids stories about his adventures flying the Millennium Falcon in the days of the great battles against the evil Empire.