"Michael Stackpole "I, Jedi"" - читать интересную книгу автора
The safe area I had began to shrink, and my chest became tight as it compressed my ribs. I looked Kyp straight in the eyes and tried to shoot into his brain the image of the mask of hate he wore, but the world around me went black before I could tell if I'd had any success at all.
I awakened probably less than a minute after that, judging by how much of the grain gruel had been consumed in my ab-sence. I hung in the doorway to the dining room, my ribs a bit sore. Streen got up from his place and helped me to a chair while Tionne poured me a glass of water.
I drank it, wishing it was full of Corellian whiskey.
Luke's blue eyes became slits. УWhat happened to you?Ф УKyp didn't like the menu.Ф I winced as a twinge ran through my ribs. УWe had a discussion in the hallway. You didn't feel anything?Ф
Heads all around the table shook and I felt cold dread begin to congeal in my stomach. If Exar Kun could mask the attack on me in such a way that Luke could not feel it barely fifteen meters away, then he could have slain Gantoris and could still wreak more havoc here with impunity. We were up against something more powerful than I'd ever cared to imagine ex-isting.
I stood. УMaster Skywalker, I would have a word with you, alone.Ф
The other apprentices started to get up, but Luke waved them back down into their seats. УWe will be but a moment. The kitchen?Ф
I nodded and followed him. Once alone in the kitchen, Luke turned on me. УYou should not have attempted to interfere with Kyp.Ф
I blinked with surprise. УI wasn't trying to interfere. He was upset. I just asked what was happening.Ф
УBut you did something to provoke an attack, didn't you?Ф I rubbed a hand along my jaw and leaned back against the conservator. УIt's an old interrogation technique. I drew a con-clusion from what I saw earlier this evening and tried it out. I told him Exar Kun had gotten his butt kicked by the Jedi, and that Kun was wrong. I got a reaction, a very strong one.Ф
УKyp is strong in the Force.Ф Luke folded his arms over his chest. УHe has a certain sympathy for Exar Kun. The reaction was not to be unexpected.Ф
УI could buy into that, but I felt another presence. Not strongly, but it was there and it helped Kyp's next attack pack a wallop.Ф
УAnd you think that was Exar Kun?Ф
I thought for a moment before answering. УEither it is Exar Kun or someone calling himself Exar Kun because Kyp reacted to that name. Could be it's someone just trying to wrap himself up in Kun's legend, just the way he presented himself to you as your father. Regardless, he's powerful. Kind of what I would bxpect from a Dark Lord of the Sith.Ф
Luke shook his head. УYou're making a mistake jumping to the conclusion that we're dealing with Exar Kun. We don't know what happened to him in the end.Ф
'Look, I've been with Tionne as she's pulled as much infor-mation as we can from the Holocron about Kun. He was run-ning the culture here and a massive Jedi strike wiped it out. Certain conclusions seem logical from there.Ф I shrugged. УI think planning for the worst case scenario can't hurt.Ф
УThere might be gatekeepers in the Holocron that have data about Exar Kun that neither you nor Tionne can access. I will have to conduct my own investigation in that area.Ф
I caught a note of hesitancy in his voice. УYou're not thinking that just because you were able to redeem the last Dark Lord of the Sith that Exar Kun might have had a change of heart, are you?Ф
Luke's face became impassive. УThat can't be ruled out.Ф УWait a minute, you can't be serious.Ф I watched him care-fully. УLook, if Exar Kun was never redeemed, if no other Dark Lord of the Sith ever saw the error of his ways and came back to the light side, that means nothing concerning your father. You're letting yourself think that if you'd been good enough, if you'd done everything right, your father could have, would have survived. You're thinking that you didn't work hard enough to redeem him because, if you had, he'd still be here. And you're thinking that if another Dark Lord had been redeemed, then you could compare what you did to what happened to him and learn if you really did do all you could do.Ф
УNo, no way.Ф Luke shook his head adamantly. УYou have it all wrong.Ф
УCould be, Master Skywalker, but . . .Ф I swallowed hard. УLook, I know exactly how this game is played because I did the same thing when my father died. Neither one of us can be certain that we did all we could to save them, but all the second guessing in the galaxy won't give us a second chance at saving them. The only thing we can do is accept responsibility and live with the consequences.Ф
Luke's expression remained impassive, but even that told a story. Just for a moment I got to see him as the human being he was. Raised by relatives on Tatooine, always wondering about his parents, never learning how to properly deal with a mother or father. He had to constantly wonder why his life wasn't Уnor-mal,Ф not realizing that eve~yo~e asks themselves that question. And then, when he discovered who his father was, it turned out that his father was the trusted henchman of the galaxy's most hated individual. His father had not only killed people, but he had been the betrayer of the most noble tradition in the galaxy. He determined he would save his father and did, just in time to lose him forever.
I walked over and rested my hands on his shoulders. УYou did all you could do. You know that. Here, with this academy, you are helping erase the legacy your father left behind. What you are doing is good and vital, but you can't let your need for reassurance blind you to what's going on here, right now. Kyp is out of control and under the influence of someone that is steeped in the dark side. You have to talk to him and straighten him out.Ф
I felt a wave of peace flow down over Luke. УYou've now reasoned your way to a conclusion I made before your confron-tation with him. Kyp is still in a state of turmoil. I think he would see intervention right now as a confrontation, don't you?Ф
I shook my head. УI'm sorry for interfering, Master Skywalker. I'll gladly leave him alone. With his ally he's out of my weight class anyway.Ф I smiled carefully. УI don't pick fights where I know I'll get pounded.Ф
Luke returned my smile. УUnless there is a good reason.Ф
УRight, and I can't think of one that will be good enough to deal with Kyp any time soon.Ф
In retrospect, there were billions of reasons to confront Kyp and risk getting my head handed to me. Luke was the Jedi Master and he asked me to step away, so I did because I agreed xxith his plans. Even now I wish I'd tried to do something, but all tile scenarios I worked out in my head turned out just as bloody as the real thing did.
Short of murdering Kyp, I could have changed nothing.
And by murdering him, I would have irrevocably changed myself for the worst.
I returned to a meal that we completed in relative silence. What comments were offered were light, often of pleasant remembrances of childhood days. I noticed that Master Skx~valker and Mara Jade remained quiet during those ex-changes, as did Brakiss and I. The food itself was actually pretty good. though no one seemed to notice. And no matter how small the portions, no one seemed to finish what they had taken.
After cleaning up I retreated to my room, and heard Mara eventually go to hers. I was having trouble getting to sleep and ahnost strolled over to talk with her, but the way she'd politely shut me out earlier gave me a clue that I would just be courting rejection. I clearly didn't need that, so I remained in my room, mentally reviewing and rehearsing the various moves I'd learned in using the lightsaber.
At some point the shrill bleating of an R2 unit penetrated my meditations. It took me a second to realize it wasn't Whistler. I grabbed my lightsaber and went running out of the Great Tem-ple. trailing two silhouettes that had to be Master Skywalker and Mara Jade. As I came out into the cool night air, I saw Mara Jade's Z-95 Headhunter streaking away into the starry sky.
УHe stole my ship!Ф Anger poured off Mara Jade in waves.
УWe've got to go after him.Ф
Luke shook his head. УWe cannot.Ф
УWhat do you mean?Ф
I cleared my voice. УWe don't have any ships here.Ф
Mara's jaw dropped. УNo ships. No X-wings? You two with-~)ut X-wings?Ф
УThis is a school for Jedi, not pilots.Ф Luke's face closed up as the other apprentices began to filter out of the Great Tem-ple. '~Kyp is gone. I don't know if he will be back or not. I hope so.Ф
УMe, too.Ф Mara slowly ground a fist in the palm of her opposite hand. УSteal my ship, will he?Ф
Luke fixed her with a hard stare. УMara, please, calm your-self. You're not helping the situation. I've got to deal with my apprentices and explain this to them. After I see to them . . .Ф
The anger pulsating out from Mara lessened, but I had the feeling she'd just shielded its output. УGo, Luke. I understand.Ф
Master Skywalker walked back toward the Great Temple and never gave me a glance. I watched him go, but felt no inclina-tion to follow. I didn't know what he was going to tell everyone else, but I was fairly certain I already knew more than he would share with them. Being there and questioning his motives and thinking would have been as disruptive as Mara's anger, so I remained behind.
She glared at me. УYou can go, too.Ф
I shook my head. УKind of a chilly night. Basking in the heat of your anger seems like a good choice.Ф УAnd if I don't want you here?Ф
УEasy now, Mara. Your ship was stolen, that's all.Ф I kept a light tone in my voice. УIt's not like the sun went supernova.Ф УIt might as well have.Ф
I frowned. УAm I missing something? That was just a Z-95 Headhunter, right?Ф
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