Part 8 (1/2)

That's when the next set of tremors. .h.i.t. Large chunks of rock fell, a helmet shattered, and a trooper fell. He was dead before he hit the ground. Jaru moaned and continued to kick his legs.

”Grab his ankles,” Yun ordered, ”and get ready to pull.”

If Imperial troops had been taught to understand anything, it was blind obedience. The officer gave a quick series of orders, and men leaped to obey and took Jaru by the ankles.

Once the stormtroopers were in position, Yun closed his eyes, called upon the Force, and ”saw” the slab rise into the air. It was a truly desperate measure, since he had never moved anything even a quarter of that size during his apprentices.h.i.+p or in the years since.

But he couldn't leave Jaru lying there, couldn't leave him to die, couldn't... Beads of perspiration dotted the Jedi's forehead, fingernails bit into the palms of his hands, and his lips formed a grimace. Light flared beyond his eyelids, energy crackled, and something moved. The stormtroopers cheered. Yun opened his eyes, caught a glimpse of the slab floating a meter off the ground, and suddenly lost his concentration.

The rock hit the floor with an enormous thump, cracked down the center, and split into pieces. Yun, certain that Jaru had been killed, felt a horrible sense of despair. That's when the officer slapped him on the back, Jaru materialized between a couple of troopers, and the whole thing was over. They loaded Jaru onto a makes.h.i.+ft stretcher and carried him toward the surface.

The rest of the work party followed. The tremors were gore, now, and it was then, while he followed the officer up some well-worn steps, that Yun realized what he'd done.

”Yes,” Rahn confirmed. ”When the chips were down, you forgot about the dark side - yet the power you needed was there. Think about it.”

Yun did think about it. Long into the night. There were dreams, but none focused on death, and a smile found his lips.

The administrative deck was only a few levels above the surface. That made it easier for the ground troops to come and go. The office was rather Spartan and likely to remain that way. Unpacked boxes were stacked against an unfinished wall, an unfinished cable run dangled through an access panel, and the air smelled of sealer. Sariss regarded Yun across the top of her somewhat cluttered desk. He looked the same but felt different, although the nature of the change escaped her. She had heard about the rock-raising incident, everyone had, and read the officer's report. Even Yun admitted that the whole thing had been an anomaly, a near miracle that he wouldn't be able to replicate. The episode still pointed to an extremely strong talent, however, one that might prove superior to her own one day, a possibility that had never crossed her mind before.

Perhaps that was it - perhaps Yun had gained additional confidence and was starting to show it. A not-altogether-pleasant possibility within a highly compet.i.tive meritocracy. Sariss summoned a smile and forced it onto her lips.

”You've done well... even Jerec agrees.”

Yun looked pleased.

”Thank you.”

Sariss chuckled.

”Better wait till you hear what I'm about to say - you could change your mind.”

Yun raised an eyebrow.

”A new a.s.signment? Something worse than herding screamers around? It hardly seems possible.”

”Oh, but it is,” Sariss a.s.sured him cheerfully. ”It seems that a patrol,” she glanced at her data pad, ”Zulu, Able, Mary 341 to be exact, is forty-two hours overdue.”

”Comm contact?”

”None.”

”Aerial search?”

”Four aircraft, low alt.i.tude, standard pattern. No luck.”

”Probe droids?”

”Dispatched... but nothing so far.”

Yun was silent for a moment.

”Why me?”

Sariss shrugged.

”Why not? The sun will do you good. Besides, this requires some brains. An entire patrol disappeared without a trace. Why? Jerec wants to know.”

”What about the screamers?”

”I'll put Boc on it.”

Yun smiled.

”Count me in.”

Sariss grinned.

”I thought you'd like that.”

Yun could have requested a skimmer, crawler, or even an a.s.sault shuttle but had opted for an AT-ST and an AT-AT instead. Partly because the machines made excellent platforms from which to observe the surrounding countryside, partly because they had enough firepower to level anything he was likely to encounter, and partly because he liked the lumbering machines. Not just the way they looked, like slab-sided monsters, but the sense of power they conveyed. He rode in the two-man, seven-meter-tall Scout - while the larger and more heavily loaded machine brought up the rear.

The AT-ST's pilot was a second lieutenant by the name of Momo. He preferred ”Mad Dog Momo” but had been unable to plant the nickname among the troops. Perhaps because of his choirboy face, a rather engaging grin, and the fact that he had never fired a shot in anger.

Momo brought the walker up out of the ravine and onto the hard-packed plain. He looked at the control panel and over to the Jedi.

”This is it, sir - the eastern boundary of their patrol area.”

Yun nodded.

”Take a break, lieutenant. I'm going up top.”

”Sir! Yes, sir!”

A servo whined, the top hatch folded open, and Yun climbed the bulkhead-mounted rungs.

It was hot outside, especially after the air-conditioned interior, and he squinted into the light. The Jedi emerged just in time to see the AT-AT lurch to a stop and pause a respectful distance away. The monster's head swiveled as its pilot used the chin-mounted sensors to probe the surrounding rocks. Yun removed the electrobinoculars from the pouch on his belt, turned his back to the transport, and looked toward the north. He didn't see any tracks, nor was he likely to, since the patrol had been mounted on a skimmer plus two speeder bikes.

He lowered his gla.s.ses. So what to do? The authorized patrol area had been searched from the air - and now on the ground. If the vehicles - or the remains of the vehicles - were visible, someone would have seen them by now. So what about the areas outside of Lieutenant Aagon's authorized patrol area? Where would they have gone, and why?

Yun had a theory about that - a theory based on his tour of the missing men's quarters.

Every single one of Aagon's troopers had trophies hanging over their bunks. Sphere-shaped organisms with large, light-gathering eyes and delicate-looking tentacles. No one seemed to know where the trophies came from or how the stormtroopers happened to acquire them, but Yun could guess. It was boring out on patrol, and Aagon, a resourceful type by all accounts, had discovered a way to liven things up. In doing so, he had routinely left the area he was a.s.signed to patrol and gone where?

South into the badlands? West toward the tower and his superior officers? East toward the saw-toothed mountain range? No, none seemed very likely, not given the nice smooth hardpan that stretched to the north and natives who were rumored to roam it.

His decision made, Yun returned the electrobinoculars to their pouch, descended the ladder, and issued a new set of orders. The walkers turned toward the north, increased their rate of speed, and continued the hunt.

Kyle marveled at how pretty Jan was. Her eyes were closed, so that the long, dark lashes came close to touching her cheeks, one of which was smudged with dirt. One hand rested on her blaster, the other lay palm up, seemingly defenseless. He knew better, of course - and was careful not to touch her.

”Hey, Jan - time to wake up.”