Vader's Fortress Read online

  "I thought he was talking about Obi-Wan's family, but maybe he meant

  you. Luke, we have to hurry. This is brand-new information, but if I found

  out about it, someone else could too. I'd like your permission to go to

  Vjun and look for Kenobi's lightsaber. You could come with me if you like."

  Luke thought for a moment and gave a small shake of his head.

  "I'm afraid I can't. The Chief of State-my sister Leia-has called me

  back for an urgent meeting on Coruscant."

  "If Mom needs you on Coruscant, then Tahiri and I would like to go

  with Tionne," Anakin said in a serious voice. "Please, Uncle Luke-it's

  important to me. I'm a member of the family, and I'd like to see this place

  where... where my grandfather lived."

  Luke glanced at Ikrit, who sat atop the curve of Artoo-Detoo's head.

  The furry Jedi Master nodded. The planet Vjun would probably be deserted,

  Luke decided, and he trusted Tionne and the Jedi Master Ikrit to take good

  care of Anakin and Tahiri. Between the two Jedi, although Tionne did not

  yet know about Master Ikrit's true identity-they could handle almost any

  emergency that came up. Ikrit had certainly been a reliable teacher and

  guide when the junior Jedi had gone to Dagobah.

  Luke knew that the two children could continue their training in the

  Force as easily on the trip as they could here on Yavin 4. Two children,

  two Jedi. The experience would be excellent for Anakin and Tahiri, Luke

  concluded.

  "Master Skywalker, I want to go wherever Anakin and Tahiri are going,"

  Uldir said. His voice cracked as he spoke. "I'll probably learn more with

  them than if I just stayed here anyway."

  Luke frowned and thought this over.

  "Please say yes, Master Skywalker. You know he'd manage to come along

  somehow," Tionne said with a twinkle in her eye, "and the cargo hold in the

  Lore Seeker is much too small to carry our supplies and a stowaway."

  Artoo gave one beep that meant yes in the simple code that the droid

  and Anakin had developed.

  Luke chuckled again. He knew of few better teachers than Tionne, and

  if she thought she could help this troubled teenager, perhaps it was best

  to let Uldir go along.

  "Very well," Luke said, coming to a decision. "But I'll have to

  arrange it with Uldir's parents first, and with Anakin's."

  The junior Jedi cheered.

  "If your parents say yes, then you can all go," Luke said. "But only

  on one condition."

  Tionne nodded.

  "Of course."

  "Sure," Tahiri said.

  "Anything," Anakin added.

  "What is it?" Uldir asked warily.

  "Even though you won't be gone very long, I want you to take Ikrit and

  Artoo along with you, just as a precaution."

  "Ikrit?" Tionne looked surprised.

  "Well, why not? I'm sure the children will enjoy having him along."

  Her face broke into a bright smile.

  "Oh, thank you, Master Skywalker," she said with obvious delight.

  "It's all settled then."

  Luke thought about Ikrit and all the lore and legends that the old

  Jedi Master knew.

  "I hope you all learn a lot from this trip," he said. "Especially you,

  Tionne. You may be pleasantly surprised." Luke closed the front panel on

  ArtooDetoo and wiped away the last traces of lubricant with a clean soft

  cloth.

  "There," he said. "Now Artoo-Detoo's all ready to go with you."

  Tahiri usually sat beside her silvery-haired teacher when they went on

  research trips together, but because Artoo-Detoo was actually a copilot he

  sat next to Tionne instead today. Tahiri didn't mind, though. She gave a

  happy sigh and wriggled her bare toes.

  It felt good just to be traveling with Tionne again. And, with Ikrit

  settled on Artoo-Detoo's domed head, and Anakin and Uldir by her side in

  Tionne's new ship, Tahiri felt that this was turning out to be a true

  adventure. Tionne seemed happy, too. She hummed as she entered their course

  into the navigation computer in front of her.

  "All right, Artoo," Tionne said, "we're ready to jump to hyperspace."

  "I always love this part," Tahiri whispered to Anakin and Uldir as the

  little droid switched on the hyperdrive.

  Uldir shrugged and said,

  "I've seen it a million times with my parents. I've flown a lot."

  But Anakin leaned over and whispered to Tahiri,

  "I know what you mean. It's beautiful."

  Tahiri sat back and watched the front viewports. In the blackness

  around them, swarms of sparkling stars stretched into glowing streaks as

  the Lore Seeker shot into hyperspace. Artoo-Detoo twittered and bleeped

  proudly.

  "Thank you, Artoo," Tionne said. "I could get used to having an

  experienced droid like you around."

  The barrel-shaped droid made an embarrassed - sounding noise.

  Tahiri giggled.

  "Maybe you'll have to train me instead, Tionne."

  The instructor turned and grinned back at her.

  "I probably will. After all, Master Sky - walker taught me a lot about

  flying."

  "My dad says Uncle Luke was a pretty hot fighter pilot before he

  became a Jedi," Anakin said.

  For a moment Uldir looked very interested, but then he snorted and

  said,

  "Any idiot can become a pilot-but being a Jedi is something special."

  Tionne swiveled her seat around to look at the three junior Jedi. Her

  wide mother-of-pearl eyes were serious.

  "What's really special," she said in a stern voice, "is finding the

  things that you're good at, things that you enjoy, and then practicing

  until you become the best that you can be."

  "Uh-oh. I think that's her way of telling us it's time for a lesson,"

  Tahiri said.

  The Jedi teacher smiled ruefully.

  "Yes, I suppose it is. We'll be in hyperspace for quite a while now.

  Artoo can let us know when we get closer to Vjun, so this would be a good

  time for me to do a bit of teaching. Let's see," she murmured. "What would

  be the best subject to teach about today?"

  "How about lightsabers?" Anakin asked hopefully.

  "Yeah, tell us about lightsabers," Uldir chimed in.

  "I'd like that," Tahiri said.

  "It is appropriate, isn't it?" Anakin asked. "Because of our quest."

  "All right then." Tionne chuckled. "Lightsabers it is." She cleared

  her throat and began to speak in the musical voice she used whenever she

  taught. "For thousands of years, Jedi have used energy swords called

  lightsabers as their special weapons. Anyone can pick up a lightsaber and

  turn it on, but only someone trained in the Force can really use it well.

  The energy blades are powerful enough to, slice through doors, helmets,

  people.... These weapons can be very dangerous to anyone who doesn't know

  how to use them.

  "And so," Tionne concluded, "a Jedi Master waits until a student is

  mature enough and has enough skills in the Force before beginning

  lightsaber training."

  "But how does a new Jedi student get a lightsaber in the first place?"

  Uldir asked.

  Tahiri was glad that Uldir was so interested in what Tionne had to

  say, even though she knew he wo
uld probably have to train for many years

  before he could ever expect to have a lightsaber.

  "Well, there are several ways that I know of," the instructor answered

  in her musical voice. "Most of the time a Jedi will spend weeks or even

  months choosing just the right parts for a lightsaber. For mine, I searched

  almost a year to find a spiral mist-horn to make the handle and the perfect

  crystal-pearl to use for the laser gem.

  "When a Jedi builds a lightsaber, unless it is lost or destroyed the

  Jedi keeps it until death. Sometimes, though, a master or a parent who is a

  Jedi makes a gift of a lightsaber. In some cases, although it is rare,"

  Tionne continued, an old lightsaber may be discovered or a new one may be

  captured."

  "Uncle Luke said that his first lightsaber once belonged to his father

  before he became Darth Vader," Anakin said.

  "That's right," Tionne said. "But after he lost his hand and his

  lightsaber at Cloud City, Luke was forced to build a new one."

  Uldir nodded thoughtfully.

  "So Master Skywalker inherited the first one and built his next one...

  . Do all Jedi carry lightsabers, then?"

  Tahiri was amazed that Uldir still found the subject so fascinating.

  Tionne's huge pearly eyes grew unfocused, as if she were trying to remember

  something.

  "In the past there were some Jedi who did not carry lightsabers-at

  least not all the time," she said. "There is a legend about a Jedi named

  Nomi Sunrider. She refused to touch a lightsaber for a long time after

  using one against her husband's murderers. She didn't fight with a

  lightsaber again until she had to save her daughter and her Jedi Master.

  But the lightsaber is more than just a weapon. It is a symbol of the Jedi.

  Nowadays I think that all Jedi, once they are fully trained, carry their

  lightsabers with-"

  "No. Not all Jedi." Ikrit, who had been completely silent up until

  now, spoke from where he sat on Artoo-Detoo's head.

  Tionne blinked in surprise. "Anakin, does your pet know what he just

  said?"

  Tahiri saw Anakin's face flush with embarrassment.

  "Um, he isn't, uh...," Anakin stammered. "That is to say, Ikrit isn't

  really my pet."

  Tionne's face registered surprise, and her eyes swung toward Tahiri

  this time.

  "He's yours?" she asked in a shocked voice.

  "Well, no," Tahiri said, "I-"

  "What I meant to say is that he's not a pet," Anakin broke in. "Ikrit

  is actually a..." Ikrit spoke.

  "I am a Jedi."

  Uldir snickered.

  "The furball speaks. I was wondering why he'd been so quiet. Hey, I

  thought Jedi were supposed to have some special way to sense other Jedi. If

  Ikrit's really this powerful Jedi Master, how come Tionne couldn't sense

  him?"

  Tionne gasped.

  "Jedi Master?"'

  The floppy-eared creature spread its paws and nodded, almost as if

  taking a bow.

  "Not only that," Tahiri added helpfully, "he was a student of Master

  Yoda's; just like Master Skywalker was."

  Tionne's mouth hung open. Tahiri thought that if it hadn't been for

  the smile of wonder that pulled at the corners of her mouth, Tionne might

  have looked quite silly.

  "But... I-," Tionne said. "I'm sorry I treated you like a pet, but why

  did you keep yourself a secret for so long?"

  "Mmmm. Because my mission is a small one, a modest one. I do not want

  the attention or the honors that are due to a Jedi Master."

  "Well, if you earned it, why not?" Uldir asked.

  "Because there was a time five hundred years or more ago when I had

  great power. I thought myself too important. When I became so proud that I

  nearly killed a friend with my lightsaber over a petty disagreement, Yoda

  risked his life to stop me."

  Uldir snorted.

  "If you were such hot stuff with a lightsaber, where is it then? Did

  your Master Yoda take it away and send you to bed without eating?"

  Tahiri was starting to get annoyed with Uldir. His last comment may

  have been meant as a joke, but it sounded rude to her. Ikrit did not seem

  to notice the sarcasm, though.

  "On the day I nearly misused it, I buried my lightsaber. Although I

  spent many more years in training before I became a Jedi Master, still I

  have never used a lightsaber since that day."

  "Well, you were in hibernation for about four hundred years," Tahiri

  pointed out.

  "True," the white-furred Jedi Master admitted. "That probably saved my

  life when the Emperor and Darth Vader were hunting down and killing all of

  the Jedi. It was my mission to free the spirits of the Massassi children

  from the golden globe that saved me then," Ikrit said.

  Tionne, who loved Jedi stories, looked at him curiously.

  "You said you had a smaller mission now, Master Ikrit. What is it?"

  "The boy has great power, even greater than my own," Ikrit said,

  nodding toward Anakin. Then the furry creature waved a paw toward Tahiri.

  "The Force of the girl combined with the boy's is a fearful power indeed.

  For now, I wish only to train them and watch over them."

  Uldir rolled his eyes.

  "But I guess I'm not important enough for you to worry about?"

  "Mmmm." Ikrit thought for a moment before speaking. "Yes. You are

  important enough. I will watch over you as well."

  Maybe it was just because Uldir finally felt included, Tahiri thought,

  but she was glad to see him smile at this.

  "Thanks, furball," Uldir said, giving the creature a playful salute.

  Tionne looked hopefully at the Jedi Master.

  "Master Ikrit, you you must know that I collect stories and legends of

  the ancient Jedi. If you wouldn't mind-if you have any time to spare from

  watching over these three-would you share some of your stories with me?"

  Ikrit nodded, and his floppy ears swung back and forth.

  "You are a fine teacher and a good listener. It would be my pleasure."

  Artoo-Detoo tweedled and bleeped from the copilot's station.

  Tionne turned to look at the control panel for a moment.

  "It looks like it will be several more hours before we reach Vjun,"

  she said. "Why don't we all try to get some sleep."

  Tahiri leaned over and whispered to Anakin, "Just think... in only a

  few hours you'll see Darth Vader's fortress."

  "Wow! Doesn't look very welcoming, does it?"

  Looking at the small, dark planet of Vjun, Anakin found himself

  agreeing with Uldir's comment.

  "Maybe that was the idea," Tahiri said. "Kinda sends a shiver up my

  back just looking at it."

  Anakin nodded absently. He wondered if the entire planet was really as

  eerie as it looked, or if they just felt uncomfortable because they knew

  Darth Vader himself had built a stronghold here.

  Uldir shook his head.

  "It seems strange to me. I thought that Darth Vader was a really

  powerful Jedi and a Dark Lord of the Sith. Why would he want to come to

  such a tiny planet?"

  "Size matters not," Ikrit reminded him.

  "Well, for a `tiny' world, it looks like there are some pretty good-

  sized storms down there," Tionne said. "Ch
eck your crash webbing, everyone.

  We're going in for a landing. Ready, Artoo?"

  Artoo-Detoo beeped once for yes. Tionne nosed the Lore Seeker down

  into the atmosphere.

  "Are you sure you know where this fortress place is?" Uldir asked.

  High winds began to buffet the Lore Seeker as it descended, and Tionne

  took a moment to stabilize the craft before answering.

  "Master Skywalker gave me coordinates for what he says is the safest

  landing area near Bast Castle."

  The Lore Seeker shuddered and jolted, but Tionne held their course

  steady. Anakin felt his stomach lurch. Landings in his father's ship, the

  Millennium Falcon, were usually much smoother than this. He glanced at his

  companions. Uldir's face had turned as pale as Ikrit's fur, and beads of

  sweat stood out on his upper lip. Tahiri's eyes were shut, and her hands