Star Wars - Good Hunting Read online

  Jedi Master Jaina Solo shivered as the cold humidity of the mist-shrouded forest bit through her flight suit. “I needed this,” she said to Tenel Ka Djo. “I’ve gotten too comfortable on Shedu Maad, I think.”

  “You’ve been too comfortable?” the Hapan Queen Mother snorted, also shivering slightly. “Try living in a palace. It’s hard not to get soft. I’m so glad you suggested this, Jaina.”

  Tenel Ka had brought her daughter Allana — who was also Jaina’s niece — to visit the Jedi temple on Shedu Maad. When Tenel Ka had lamented that it had been too long since she and Jaina had spent time together, Jaina promptly proposed that the three of them take a short trip — without the royal guards who typically accompanied Tenel Ka almost everywhere. Allana, sitting cuddled up with her pet nexu, Anji, suggested a camping trip where they could observe wildlife. Jaina thought of her late twin, Jacen; of how, as a boy, he’d had such a great love of animals. Allana was, in this respect at least, truly her father’s daughter.

  “Sounds wonderful. Where would you like to go, honey?” Jaina had asked fondly.

  The reply really shouldn’t have surprised her. “I want to go somewhere where I can teach Anji how to hunt.”

  Allana was, obviously, her mother’s daughter as well.

  They had decided on Luuhar, one of the many little-explored planets in the vast Hapes Cluster. With their love of beauty and nature, the Hapans had set aside Luuhar as a preserve where visitors could truly “get away from it all.” Allana declared it the perfect choice when she learned that, with it’s ancient forests, misty rains, and rushing rivers, Luuhar’s northern continent was similar to the nexu’s native habitat.

  As she and Anji descended the ramp onto the spongy soil of Luuhar, Allana piped up. “Don’t worry, Mother. Camping will keep us from gettin soft!”

  Even though they had planned camping all along, Jaina found herself battling a twinge of annoyance at the thought of sleeping out in this weather. Instantly she was disappointed at the petty thought. She was… well, annoyed at her annoyance. Anji was now peering toward the dimness of the forest’s edge. Her head lifted and bobbed slightly as she sniffed what was no doubt a potpourri of new scents.

  “Allana, are you sure you want to?” asked Tenel Ka. “Remember, predator species are active at night.”

  “We have more than enough weapons to protect ourselves,” Allana pointed out. “We can make sure someone is always keeping watch.”

  “Tell you what,” Jaina said, “There’s still plenty of daylight left before we have to set up camp. In the meantime, Anji is raring to go. So let’s see what’s out there.”

  Allana made a series of quick hand signals. Anji emitted a blood-curdling yowl of pleased approval and bounded off into the forest to lead the way. Allana followed, breaking into a jog to keep up.

  Anji had her bite restraint removed for the trip. Jaina had never seen the nexu open her mouth so wide before, and she was suddenly uneasily aware of just how many teeth the animal had… and how, when fully opened, those jaws could engulf Allana’s entire head.

  What am I thinking? Anji would never harm Allana! She adores that girl, and has fought to protect her before.

  Irritated again at her jumpiness, she shouldered her small backpack of day-hike rations and first aid items, wondering if this trip had been such a good idea after all.

  Anji ran eagerly, her claws scoring the mossy, humus-covered soil with deep gouges, her head up and four sharp eyes bright. Allana called her back when she wandered too far, and she, Tenel Ka, and Jaina kept up a comfortable yet brisk pace that took them deeper into the woods. The huge trees towered over them, their trunks as wide as Allana was tall. The day remained overcast, and the canopy of the forest seemed reluctant to permit even that feeble light through.

  Jaina found her hand dropping to the hilt of her lightsaber. Like Anji, she was highly attuned to her environment. More so than was reasonably warranted. As Tenel Ka had said, no predators on Luuhar stirred until dusk. The relative safety of the place was one of the main reasons Tenel Ka had selected it. There was, of course, always the threat of pirates in this system; the Hapes Cluster had been colonized by them, and the “tradition” hadn’t been entirely stamped out.

  And the Queen Mother and Chume’da — her heir — lived under the constant shadow of possible assassination attempts.

  But Jaina was realizing her earlier jumpiness hadn’t stemmed from a dislike of cold, rainy weather. This came from the Force. Something bad was afoot, though danger wasn’t imminent. Not yet.

  She decided to speak with Tenel Ka. If the other woman sensed the same thing, they’d have to turn their grand hunting adventure into something much duller, but safer. Allana would be disappointed, but she’d understand.

  Watching Anji revel in her freedom, however, Jaina wondered if the nexu would.

  They stopped for a rest and a bite to eat in a small clearing next to a stream. The water was icy, and again Jaina shivered. The cold and damp of the place clung to her like a clammy hand. She caught Tenel Ka’s eye. The Hapan queen rose from where she and Allana had been watching Anji stare at the fish darting through the water and came to sit next to Jaina.

  Jaina offered her a ration bar, leaning in and saying quietly, “There’s something not right here.”

  “I know,” Tenel Ka said, and sighed. “I feel it, too. Allana and Anji are having such a wonderful time. It’s been hard on her at the palace, after living such an active life with your parents for so long. I hate to cut this short, but…”

  “It’s not worth the risk,” Jaina finished, and with the words knew she was right.

  Tenel Ka nodded sadly. “Allana?” She reached out an arm to her daughter. “Come here, sweetheart. We have something to tell you.”

  Allana didn’t answer. Her attention was focused on Anji. Just as Allana started to reply, Anji stiffened and jumped into the stream. For a moment, Jaina thought the nexu was simply going after the fish, but Anji plunged through the stream with a purpose. So confusing was her behavior that Jaina didn’t realize what was going on until Allana shouted in a heartbroken voice, “Anji! Don’t run away!”

  Anji twitched in reaction to Allana’s voice, willfully disobeying the command. Jaina leaped to her feet, furious with herself for her slow reaction, and reached out in the Force to Anji to try and halt her flight. Too late. Anji was on the other side of the stream and up a tree in two bounds, leaping to the branches of a second tree several meters away.

  She moved like she was born to do this; which, of course, she had been. In the end, Anji was a wild animal, with no heritage of domesticity in her bloodline. Maybe it was inevitable that she would forsake Allana one day. But she had known nothing of wilderness in her own lifetime; she didn’t even know how to hunt for herself.

  Almost as one, the three set off after the escaped nexu, splashing through the frigid water with less grace than Anji had shown. They easily picked up her trail on the far bank. They would find her; it was just a question of how long the nexu would lead them on the chase.

  Deeper into the murky woods they went, following the trail of churned-up, leafy soil and the occasional patch of fur caught on rough tree bark. The nexu had a good lead on them, and night wasn’t far away. They had glowrods against the encroaching darkness, but Jaina worried about losing the trail. Her fears were confirmed a few short minutes later.

  “We must have missed something,” she said after going a few yards with no more signs. Tenel Ka and Allana had spread out a little, but they looked puzzled.

  “It just… ends,” Tenel Ka murmured, a frown creasing her forehead.

  “Aunt Jaina,” came Allana’s voice, “I can’t sense Anji in the Force anymore. I… there’s so
me blood here.”

  Jaina hastened to where Allana stood. Allana turned a small, somber face up to her aunt. “Is it… is it Anji’s?”

  Jaina, fearing the worse but hoping she was wrong, knelt to examine the disturbed earth. “It could be… but even if it is, there’s not enough for Anji to have been killed here,” she stated. “She might have killed a small animal, but where would she have taken it?”

  “Nexu are really good at climbing—”

  “—trees,” Jaina finished, and all three of them craned their necks to examine the treetops. At that moment, Jaina’s danger sense kicked into high gear. She activated her lightsaber, whirling just in time to return blaster fire back toward the man who’d fired it, burning a curiously small but lethal smoking hole in his chest. He crumpled.

  Beside her, Tenel Ka uttered a war cry in Dathomiri and drew her own lightsaber, its hilt fashioned from a rancor’s tooth. Teal and violet blades moved in a blur, sending streaks of white blaster fire back to target their owners. The cool night air was suddenly filled with the unmistakable hum of lightsabers and the cries of wounded and dying beings. Out of the corner of her eye, Jaina saw Allana drop, making herself a smaller target, and begin firing with her own blaster.

  Jaina pressed the attack, pausing to hurl one of the three remaining men into the trunk of a nearby tree before leaping and somersaulting in mid-air, striking another full in the chest with her feet. Tenel Ka was more than at home here, fighting to defend herself and her daughter on a world that so resembled that of her mother.

  As quickly as it had begun, it was over. Four shapes lay on the ground. They looked to be human males, and they wore camouflaged clothing that enabled them to blend in with the browns and greens of the forest. Jaina frowned. The weapon still clutched in the severed hands of the man she had slain was a sporting rifle, a recent model. The blast was powerful, but narrow, so it wouldn’t unduly mar a game animal’s pelt. These weren’t assassins. They were hunters.

  “This one’s still alive,” Tenel Ka called. Her green eyes blazed as she knelt over the fallen foe. “Why did you attack me and the Chume’da?” she demanded, even as she began to tend to his injuries.

  His eyes widened. “Majesty… no idea… forgive me…”

  Jaina took in his wounds. Tenel Ka’s efforts would be in vain. “Who are you?”

  He was struggling for words. “Came… just to hunt. Big game, you know?”

  “I’m sure you know that’s illegal on Luuhar,” Jaina said. “You’re poaching. Did you think we’d turn you in? Is that why you attacked us?”

  His gaze was confused. “I… he told us to.” He grew increasingly agitated and struggled to sit up. “Our guide set the ambush… I’m not a murderer! I don’t know why…”

  “I believe him,” Tenel Ka said quietly, and so did Jaina.

  “Do not fear. Your queen and your Chume’da are unharmed. We forgive you. Rest, now.” She lifted her hand and made a gesture. His contorted features eased, and he smiled.

  His chest rose and fell in a deep sigh, and did not rise again.

  Jaina checked the other two. The one she’d Force-hurled had collided too hard with the tree trunk; the one she’d kicked was unconscious.

  “We have to get him back to the ship,” Jaina said, and Tenel Ka nodded. Allana looked from her aunt to her mother.

  “We’re leaving, aren’t we?” Allana said softly.

  Tenel Ka stroked her daughter’s hair sadly. “I’m afraid so, sweetheart.”

  “But — but Anji doesn’t know how to hunt!”

  “It looked like she might have caught herself something to eat, back where you—” Tenel Ka stopped abruptly.

  “Where I stopped being able to sense her in the Force,” Allana said, her voice thick. The dim light caught the glitter of tears in her eyes, but she blinked them back and straightened her small shoulders. “It’s okay. As long as she’s able to take care of herself, she should have the right to be free, if she wants to. All beings should.”

  “We can come back to check on her,” Jaina said, “after we take care of this fellow. Just to make sure she’s all right. Let’s get going.”

  Allana brightened, just a little. Jaina levitated the unconscious poacher while Tenel Ka calculated their whereabouts. Though they’d wandered a lot, there was a particularly dense swatch of woods nearby. Something about the thicket unnerved Jaina, but according to Tenel’s calculations, if they took this shortcut they would emerge closer to the ship than Jaina had thought. They set off as quickly as they could.

  As they wound their way through the thicket, the trees seemed even larger, more ancient, and they pressed in so tightly their branches intertwined. Jaina felt as though the temperature had suddenly plunged. Stang, she was mad. Filled with righteous fury. Poachers were the lowest of the low. She wasn’t big on hunting in the first place, but to do so illegally… and in such a cowardly way… and to drag her niece, her friend, and Anji into this—

  “Stop!” came Allana’s voice. Jaina halted, peering at the churned-up forest floor she had missed and Allana hadn’t. The area was muddy, and the moist, cool air carried the scent of blood. Tenel Ka knelt and plucked a small, crimson-stained scrap of fabric from the ground.

  Came… just to hunt… the dying poacher had gasped. Our guide set the ambush… I’m not a murderer! I don’t know why…

  Oh, now Jaina knew why. And she knew why she had been feeling so uncharacteristically out-of-sorts the entire trip — and maybe even why Anji had turned feral.

  “The poachers’ guide was a Force user,” Tenel Ka said, figuring it out almost as quickly as Jaina.

  “The poachers thought they were doing all the work, meeting a sporting challenge, and in reality, the Sleemo was using the Force to coerce animals to come to them for slaughter. There was no real hunting involved at all!”

  She and Tenel Ka drew their lightsabers, and Jaina extended her senses in the Force. “It’s not just him. He’s using this place.” This part of the forest was crawling with dark-side energy, pressing in on them hungrily.

  “It intensifies his abilities,” Tenel Ka said. “That’s why he takes hunters here.”

  “Let’s get the poacher to the ship, and then we’ll try to find this kriffing scum. We defend only. Do not initiate the attack.” Jaina was fine with anger and fear, in the right places. They could be very useful. But she was not about to let this man use them against her. It took a great effort, but she opened herself to a feeling of serenity and devotion to her duty from the Force. Centered now, she began to search for their enemy.

  Now that she knew what to look for, the nebulous anxiety she’d been only vaguely aware of earlier formed into a specific cold, slithery chunk of arrogance and greed… and apprehension. Jaina focused her mind on her resolve and the certainty of his capture, and was rewarded with a sudden frisson of fear.

  The dark side energy enveloping them still dulled her clarity. She could sense him now, but couldn’t tell if he was nearby or far away. The answer came abruptly — Jaina felt an intangible pressure on her chest and went flying. Immediately, she regained control and turned the fall into a tumble, landing smoothly on her feet. Tenel Ka had engaged him, and her blade’s aqua glow sizzled against the white bolts of blaster fire, illuminating the battle. Calmer now that she knew what was going on, Tenel Ka was attempting to disarm the Force-user rather than kill him.

  While Tenel Ka distracted him, Jaina reached out in the Force, attempting to snatch the blaster out of his hand. She did, but just barely, and her own hand wavered as if someone had attempted to shove it aside. She caught a glimpse of his face — so young to have such an expression of cruelty on it.

  He was injured and outnumbered, and had realized by this point that there would be no victory against either Tenel Ka or Jaina — certainly not both. He had nothing to lose.

  He leaped over them and ran for Allana.

  A heart-stopping screech rent the night air and a nightmare of teeth, claws, and barbed quil
ls descended from the tree branches. For a second that lasted an eternity, the man’s scream matched that of the beast, then all was abruptly silent.

  Anji lifted her head, licking her bloody jaws. Her four eyes sought Allana.

  “Anji!” Allana rushed toward the nexu. Jaina’s heart leapt into her mouth as Anji sprang, knocking the Chume’da off her feet.

  Allana went down… giggling.

  Anji’s massive jaws were parted in a happy grin as she butted her head against Allana’s. Jaina let the relief wash through her, and she felt almost physically warmed by Tenel Ka’s pleasure, which had bathed her through the Force. Anji had been summoned and controlled by an unusually powerful will. But instead of turning against her mistress, or even staying out of the fight, the nexu had fought to defend and protect Allana.

  She shouldn’t have been able to. Jaina knew it.

  But Anji hadn’t known that. Her simple love had been stronger than the dark side’s will. She hadn’t abandoned Allana, and, Jaina now realized, she never would.

  “Good girl, Anji,” she murmured, sending love in the Force to the nexu. “Very, very good girl.”

  EXPANDED UNIVERSE

  Star Wars: Crucible by Troy Denning is published on July 9, 2013

  More of Joe Corroney’s amazing art can be seen at www.joecorroney.com

  From Star Wars Insider 142 (07-2013)

  11.6.18.15.14.5-1

 

 

  Christie Golden, Star Wars - Good Hunting

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