Jedi Prince_ Prophets Of The Dark Side Part 5

"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 s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p 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 pa.s.sed. 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 s.p.a.ce 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 doc.u.ments 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 s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p, 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 t.i.tle 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.

Would their children be twins? Taking a quick breath, Leia wondered if she and Han could possibly handle twins. She struggled to glimpse the hazy vision more clearly, to see whether their children were to be boys or girls-or a boy and a girl? But her vision vanished before the answer came to her.

Leia nodded to herself, ready to accept whatever was to come her way. She then stared at the long red carpet that made a path between her and the altar.

Enjoying the scent of her bouquet of bright flowers, Leia glanced over at her brother Luke, and exchanged another smile. Then she turned her gaze toward Han, her husband-to-be.

He looked at her adoringly in return and smiled, as she prepared to take her first steps down the aisle.

Glossary

Arachnor A giant spiderlike creature that spins very sticky webs, found on the planet Arzid.

Avabush spice A truth serum from the spice mines of Kessel. Frequently served in tea or baked into biscuits, avabush spice may also bring on sleepiness.

Bnach Scorching, cracked world where Imperial prisoners work in rock quarries.

Cloud City A floating city above the planet Bespin that used to be a popular center of tourism, with its hotels and casinos. It is considered one of the galaxy's major trading posts, and the site of a Tibanna gas mining and exporting operation.

Dagobah Tech The school that Ken attends on the planet Dagobah, run by the Rebel Alliance. His cla.s.smates are the sons and daughters of the scientists who work at DRAPAC, the Alliance fortress on Mount Yoda.

Dee-Jay (DJ-88) A powerful caretaker droid and teacher in the Lost City of the Jedi. He is white, with eyes like rubies. His face is distinguished, with a metal beard. He is like a father to Ken, having raised him from the time the young Jedi was a small child.

Defeen A cunning, sharp-clawed Defel alien. Defeen has been promoted from interrogator first cla.s.s at the Imperial Reprogramming Inst.i.tute on the planet Duro to supreme interrogator for the Prophets of the Dark Side at s.p.a.ce Station Scardia.

Grand Moff Hissa The Imperial grand moff (high-ranking Imperial governor) whom Trioculus trusted the most.

He has spear-pointed teeth, and now rides in a hover-chair, having lost his arms and legs in a flood of liquid toxic waste on the planet Duro. His arms have been replaced with arms taken from an Imperial a.s.sa.s.sin droid.

HC-100 (Homework Correction Droid-100) His appearance resembles that of See-Threepio, though he is silver in color, with blue eyes and a round mouth. HC-100 was designed by the droid Dee-Jay for the purpose of correcting and grading Ken's homework.

High Prophet Jedgar A seven-foot-tall prophet whom Kadann, the Supreme Prophet of the Dark Side, most relies upon to help fulfill his prophecies and commands.

Hologram Fun World Located inside a glowing, transparent dome floating in the center of a blue cloud of helium gas in outer s.p.a.ce, Hologram Fun World is a theme park, where a "World of Dreams Come True" awaits every visitor. Lando Calrissian is now the Baron Administrator of the theme park.

Hoth The frozen world where the Alliance once fought the four-legged Imperial AT-AT snow walkers. The Rebel Alliance deserted its base there; the ice planet is now the site of an Imperial base and prison.

Human Replica Droid A lifelike droid designed in a secret Rebel Alliance lab at DRAPAC to look like a specific person. Its purpose is to act as a decoy and fool an enemy into thinking it's real. Human Replica Droids have eyes that can fire laser beams.

Imperial probe droid A floating, robotic spy device that the Empire launches and sends to various planets in order to collect information about the Rebel Alliance.

Jabba the Hutt A sluglike alien gangster and smuggler who owned a palace on Tatooine and consorted with alien bounty hunters. He was strangled to death by Princess Leia, choked by the chain that held her prisoner in his sail barge at the Great Pit of Carkoon.

Jawa A meter-high creature who travels the deserts of Tatooine collecting and selling sc.r.a.p. It has glowing orange eyes that peer out from under its hooded robe.

Jedi Library A great library in the Lost City of the Jedi. The Jedi Library has records that date back thousands of years. Most of its records are in files in the Jedi master computer. Others are on ancient ma.n.u.scripts and old, yellowed books. Gathered in this library is all the knowledge of all civilizations and the history of all planets and moons that have intelligent life-forms.

Kadann A black-bearded dwarf, Kadann is the Supreme Prophet of the Dark Side. He has now a.s.sumed the leaders.h.i.+p of the Empire.

Ken A twelve-year-old Jedi Prince who was raised by droids in the Lost City of the Jedi after being brought to the underground city as a small child by a Jedi Knight in a brown robe.

He knows many Imperial secrets, which he learned from studying the files of the master Jedi computer in the Jedi Library where he went to school. Long an admirer of Luke Skywalker, he has departed the Lost City, joined the Alliance, and is now a student at Dagobah Tech on Mount Yoda on the planet Dagobah.

Kendalina A Jedi Princess who was forced to serve as a nurse in an Imperial insane asylum deep in the spice mines of Kessel.

Lost City of the Jedi An ancient, technologically advanced city built long ago by Jedi Knights. The city is located deep underground on the fourth moon of Yavin, where Ken, the Jedi Prince, was raised by droids.

Mon Mothma A distinguished-looking leader, she has long been in charge of the Rebel Alliance.

Mount Yoda A mountain on the planet Dagobah, named in honor of the late Jedi Master, Yoda. This is the site where the Rebel Alliance built DRAPAC, their new Defense Research and Planetary a.s.sistance Center.

Mouth of Sarlacc The mouth of a giant, omnivorous, mult.i.tentacled beast at the bottom of the Great Pit of Carkoon on Tatooine, beyond the Dune Sea. Anyone who falls to the bottom of the pit will be swallowed by the Sarlacc and slowly digested over a period of one thousand years.

Omniprobe Omniprobes are devices that can go after probe droids, targeting them for destruction. As a homework a.s.signment in the Lost City of the Jedi, Ken designed a blueprint for an advanced Jedi Omniprobe, with considerable help from his droid-teacher, Dee-Jay.

Prophet Gornash One of Kadann's prophets, he coordinates spy activities in s.p.a.ce Station Scardia.

Prophets of the Dark Side A sort of Imperial Bureau of Investigation run by black-bearded prophets who work within a network of spies. The prophets have much power within the Empire. To retain their control, they make sure their prophecies come true-even if it takes bribery or murder.

Sandcrawler A large transport vehicle used by the jawas.

Scardia Voyager The gold-colored s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p of the Prophets of the Dark Side.

s.p.a.ce Station Scardia A cube-shaped s.p.a.ce station where the Prophets of the Dark Side live.

SPIN.

An acronym for the Senate Planetary Intelligence Network, a Rebel Alliance troubleshooting organization. All the major Star Wars Alliance heroes are members of SPIN, which has offices both on Yavin Four and at DRAPAC on Mount Yoda on the planet Dagobah.

Tatooine A desert planet with twin suns, Tatooine is Luke Skywalker's home planet.

Tentacle-bush A low-lying bush with octopuslike tentacles found on the mushroom planet, Arzid. Usually the tentacles s.n.a.t.c.h rodents for its food.

Topworld An expression that refers to the surface of the fourth moon of Yavin. When the droids of the Lost City of the Jedi talk about going Topworld, they mean taking the tubular transport to the surface.

Triclops The true mutant, three-eyed son of the late Emperor Palpatine. Triclops has spent most of his life in Imperial insane asylums, but is now under observation by the Alliance at DRAPAC. He has two eyes on the front of his head and one on the back. He has scars on his temples from shock treatments, and his hair is white and jagged, sticking out in all directions.

Trioculus A three-eyed mutant who was the Supreme Slavelord of Kessel, and who later became Emperor.

Trioculus was a liar and impostor who claimed to be the son of Emperor Palpatine. In his rise to power as Emperor, he was supported by the grand moffs, who helped him find the glove of Darth Vader, an everlasting symbol of evil.

Tubular transport A transport device similar to an elevator that travels up and down a shaft through miles of rock. The tubular transport enables one to travel Topworld from the underground Lost City of the Jedi.

Yoda The Jedi Master Yoda was a small creature who lived on the bog planet Dagobah. For eight hundred years before pa.s.sing away he taught Jedi Knights, including Obi-Wan Ken.o.bi and Luke Skywalker, in the ways of the Force.

Zeebo Ken's four-eared alien pet mooka, he has both fur and feathers.

Zorba the Hutt The father of Jabba the Hutt. A sluglike creature with a long braided white beard, Zorba was a prisoner on the planet Kip for over twenty years. He returned to Tatooine to discover that his son was killed by Princess Leia. He later became Governor of Cloud City by beating Lando Calrissian in a rigged card game of sabacc in the Holiday Towers Hotel and Casino.