Part 12 (1/2)

Jaina felt fortunate-and a bit guilty that she had emerged from the battles almost completely unscathed. She had a few cuts and bruises from where stones had hit her after the explosion, but that was all.

Jaina ran an appraising eye over her friend Lowbacca. His shoulder was back in position again, his arm supported by a wide cloth strap, his broken ribs wrapped. The Wookiee normally wore only his webbed belt made of syren plant fibers, so the sling and the thick white bandaging around his midriff seemed oddly out of place.

She heard a warble and bleep behind her, and turned to find Artoo and her uncle Luke coming across the landing field to join them.

The Jedi Master's face held a look of serenity and determination, but his eyes showed a glint of humor.

”I think I looked even worse than that,” Luke said without preamble, ”after my encounter with the Wampa ice creature on Hoth.”

”Yes, but @wier's looking a lot better this morning,” Jaina agreed.

Luke chuckled. ”Actually, I was referring to the Great Temple itself.”

Jaina turned to study the ancient Ma.s.sa.s.si pyramid. The topmost level had collapsed where the detonators had exploded, and part of the sides had slumped downward. The broken, jagged walls of the grand audience chamber could have been mistaken for crenellations atop the battlements of some ancient fortress.

”At first I thought we might have to move the academy to some other temple, ” Luke said, ”but now... I'm not sure we need to.

”You mean we could rebuild it?” Jacen asked with a groan. ”Great-more practice exercises, lifting rocks, balancing beams - - .”

Artoo-Detoo twittered and beeped, as if excited at the idea. Lowie rumbled thoughtfully, then growled in pain, holding his aching ribs.

”Yes,” Luke said. ”In one way or another we've all been hurt through our encounters with the dark side. I think rebuilding the Great Temple might be a part of healing each of our wounds.”

”Like Zekk,” Jaina murmured, feeling her heart contract painfully. ”He needs a lot of healing.”

”That reminds me, Uncle Luke,” Jacen said, ”what will you do with the Dark Jedi trainees we captured?”

”Tionne and I are working with them.

We'll do our best to turn them back to the light side, but if it's not possible...” He spread his hands. ”I'll have to discuss that with Leia, and-”

”Oh, Master Lowbacca, look!” Em Teedee interrupted from his clip at Lowie's waist.

Jaina noticed that the tiny droid's speaker grille had been straightened and meticulously polished.

”Hey, they're back,” Jacen cried.

Lando's shuttle, with Lowie's battered T-23 in tow, arrowed toward a corner of the landing field well away from the blaster scarred hulk of the Lightning Rod.

Uttering a joyous howl, Lowie gave Em Teedee a grateful pat.

”Well, what are we waiting for?” Jaina asked as the shuttle and the T-23 touched down.

Jaina, Jacen, and Lowie hurried forward.

By the time they reached it, the shuttle's landing ramp had extended, and Lando Calrissian strode down it with Tenel Kaon his arm. Lando's cape swirled behind him and he flashed his most charming grin.

”Your friend here is quite a tough young lady,” he said approvingly.

”This is a fact,” she said, without the slightest trace of humor.

”I could have told you that,” Jacen said.

”Did you find it?”

Tenel Ka nodded, a satisfied look on her face. She pulled her arm free, plucked something from her belt, and held it out to show Jacen. It was the rancor-tooth lightsaber that she had lost during her clash with Tamith Kai on the battle platform. ”It was not as difficult to locate as I had feared,” she said. ”Perhaps because I knew the rancor whose tooth this was, I was able to sense its location.”

Tenel Ka no longer appeared feverish, and Jaina was amused to note that the warrior girl had braided her red-gold hair carefully around her face so that her bandage looked like a primitive warband across her forehead.