"Michael Stackpole "I, Jedi"" - читать интересную книгу автора

УStreen is guarding him.Ф
Exar Kun laughed again. УYes, Streen. My Streen.Ф The Dark Lord's image began to shrink back into the obsidian of his temple. УI will finish him, then come again for you. Tremble in fear. Cower in anticipation.Ф
His presence faded from the Temple and I tried to straighten up. I .managed a half-staggered step, then went down on one knee. I guess I fell further or faster than I expected because I next found Mara kneeling next to me. УC'mon, Horn, wake up. What's this about Streen?Ф
I managed a weak smile. УBait. Kun's heading into a trap. A big trap.Ф
She weighed my words. УAny chance he can get out of it?Ф УShouldn't be able to. It really is over for him.Ф I coughed once and felt pain in my chest. УGonna have to help me out of here, because I can't make it on my own.Ф
УI think I can handle that.Ф She reached down, helped haul me to my feet, then dipped a shoulder and lifted me in a rescue-carry. УAlways glad to help a friend.Ф
The sun had set by the time we got back to my Headhunter and the other one that had brought Mara Jade on her second trip to Yavin 4. She lugged me back to shore and eased me to the ground without complaining about what a burden I'd been. She ran to her ship and got a first aid kit.
УSorry for the rough spots out there.Ф
УNo problem. Beats swimming.Ф I coughed lightly. УBesides, a Jedi does not know pain.Ф
УNeed to be more convincing when you say that.Ф Mara shook her head. УYour arm fracture is dislocated. I should set it-unless you want to do it yourself.Ф
I stared up at her. УSet my own arm'? Only an idiot would set his own broken arm.Ф
УSome would say only an idiot would go after a Dark Lord of the Sith by himself.Ф
УAh, that's big idiot, thank you.Ф I held my arm out toward her. УDo what has to be done-which is what I was doing out here myself.Ф
Mara crouched beside me and grasped my wrist and elbow. УHe worked you over pretty solidly. What little I saw wasn't very pleasant.Ф
The image of the boy's face surfaced in my mind again. УIf I never go through that again, I'll be happy.Ф I looked up at her. УThanks for intervening. If you hadn't have come in then . . .Ф
УYou'd have just broken your other hand.Ф She shrugged her shoulders, then summoned the Force, pulled on my wrist and twisted the bone into place before I even knew what was hap-pening. УThere.Ф
I slumped down on my back, determined not to scream.
УSithspawn! Don't ever go into medicine.Ф
УYou're welcome, Horn.Ф Mara tucked a strand of red-gold hair behind her right ear. УI found some stuff out about Mirax, which is why I came back here. Details are on a datacard you can review while you're recovering. Anyway, when I entered the atmosphere I could feel you and Kun tangling. The Force was boiling.Ф
УAnd you came anyway?Ф
УI owed you. We're even now.Ф
I leaned my head back and uttered as much of a laugh as I could muster. УIf that's how you repay debts, I'll catch remote bolts for you any day.Ф
УBut not today.Ф She reached out and took my left hand. УI'll slave your ship to mine and we'll go back to the Great Temple.Ф УRight, see if Luke is okay.Ф
Mara paused for a moment, then nodded. УHe is, and they know you're incoming wounded.Ф
I rolled myself forward and stood with her help. УThey suc-ceeded?Ф
УThey did. Exar Kun is no more.Ф Mara smiled unguardedly. УThe Jedi academy, it seems, has gotten rid of a Dark Lord, and produced itself a crop of Jedi.Ф
Exar Kun's attacks had messed me up more than I knew. My left leg and right arm were bro-ken, as well as my right hand. I'd cracked a half-dozen ribs and had bruises and lacerations on my liver and kidneys. My blood chemistry was all off and the Two-Onebee that looked me over thought I'd ejected from a crashing fighter and never had my parasail open.
In reality I wished I actually felt half that good.
Upon my return I got immediately dunked in the bacta tank that Tycho had shipped out with the medical team for Luke barely a week and a half earlier. I'd been in bacta tanks more than I cared to think about in my life, but this was the first time in one of the emergency ones. Most tanks are vertical tubes, but this one was a horizontal box. I got to lie there being very still because there was no place to go, and the treatment was broken up into six hour stints because the bacta had to be drained, filtered and replaced.
Luke visited me a couple of times, and I read Mara's data-card while not doing a bacta-soak, but I was pretty well out of it in the beginning. As I started to come around, Kyp Durron was returned to Yavin after Han Solo had gotten him so Luke Skywalker could judge him for his crimes. I was back in the tank when that took place and by the time I got back out, Luke, Kyp and Cilghal had departed Yavin to destroy the Sun Crusher and heal Mon Mothma of a mysterious malady. Tionne did her best to keep me company after that, and fill me in on details of the academy life, but I wasn't really fit to be around.
The physical damage Exar Kun had done to me had healed on schedule-had I had access to and used Jedi healing tech-niques I might have been fitter faster, but that really didn't matter. The battering my mind had taken shook me badly. I knew Kun had only plucked my fears from my mind and dis-played them for me in all their ugly glory, but I still had to deal with the fact that they were my fears, generated by me and mine alone to conquer.
After Master Skywalker returned with Kyp from destroying the Sun Crusher, and after Kyp had healed up from his injuries, I asked to speak to Luke alone. We met in the simple room where he lived. He looked a bit weary, but buoyant nonethe-less. УWhat is it, Keiran?Ф
I leaned against the doorjamb with my right shoulder, taking pressure off my left leg. УI can't stay here any longer.Ф
Looking up from the bed where he sat, Luke stared through me for a moment. УNot you, too.Ф
I wasn't certain what he meant by that remark. I suspected it might have had something to do with Mara Jade and her quick departure after delivering me back to the Great Temple. Tionne had said that Mara looked in on Luke while he slept, but left without speaking to him. Luke had clearly assumed that she had come to Yavin when she heard he had fallen ill, and his discovering that was not the case seemed to cause him some discomfort.
УI can't stay because there are things here that just are not working.Ф I glanced down and added in a smaller voice. УFor me, they're not working.Ф
УThings have not been perfect by any means, but that's no reason for you to leave.Ф Luke frowned at me. УThere could be adjustments. We can fix things.Ф
I shook my head. УI don't think you can.Ф
УGive me an example.Ф
I stepped into the room and found both of my hands balled into fists. УIt's a lot of things. Just the way you run this place. If it weren't for the bugs, the monsters and the Dark Lords of the Sith, this place would be a holiday resort. I've had more chal-lenges learning how to eat Twi'lek food.Ф
Luke's jaw dropped open. УHow can you say that?Ф
I tapped my breastbone with my right hand. УI've been through a training academy, remember? I recall having my life radically altered. A training camp breaks you down and re-builds you into the person the organization wants you to be.Ф
The Jedi Master's face darkened. УI don't want to be turning out Jedi clones.Ф
УYou're missing the point. Training academies don't turn out clones. They don't erase the personality of the people they're dealing with, they merely make sure that individual is prepared to handle all of the challenges their new job will thrust at them.Ф I spread my arms wide. УWhile we did manage to deal with Exar Kun, we could have done things more efficiently and more effectively had we been a team before that, not becoming one because of it.Ф
Luke closed his eyes for a second, then nodded. УI under-stand what you are telling me. There certainly is room for change. I can look at the CorSec Academy and see if there are things we need to adapt. You can help me do that.Ф
УYou can get New Republic Armed Forces drill instructors to do that sort of stuff.Ф I hesitated for a moment, then glanced down at the floor. УThe fact is, I can't remain here with Kyp.Ф УHe's changed, Keiran, changed a lot.Ф
УI don't doubt it. Murdering billions will do that to a fellow.Ф My eyes narrowed as I looked up. УI know the New Republic turned him over to you for judgment and he passed some sort of test...Ф
УYes. I took him to Exar Kun's temple .... У
УYou what?Ф My mouth hung open. УYou took him back to that Sith stronghold?Ф
Luke nodded calmly. УIn that domain of evil he was able to come to grips with his dark side. He has been able to lay his past behind him.Ф