Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy A Fan Novelization

Chapter Sixteen - The Throne Room

Jaden wiped some blood away from a cut on her hand as she crawled up through the narrow vent space, always moving higher through the cracks that the machine's overload had caused. It wasn't bad, just a scratch, but it stung and she considered healing it since their medpack was long gone with Kyle... But she left it alone, for some reason glad to feel pain that wasn't on the inside, and she strangely liked it, embraced it, let it fuel her to keep moving, to stay alive.

She finally pulled herself up into a space occupied by broken power conduits that'd burst during the overload, avoiding the hot steam, her sights set on a bright light above her, coming from what she hoped was a room inside the Castle proper. She paused for a moment to catch her breath, hoping the room would be empty, which she figured if there were people in the space above, there'd be quite a bit of frantic sounds from people about the literal hole in the floor.

"Jaden, are you okay?" Goosebumps covered her flesh and her whole body started to shake at the voice coming from her comlink. She fought against sobs of relief as she held the com up.

"Yeah, I'm fine Kyle," she choked out, a stray tear falling over her dirty cheek, causing a streak. "Where are you?"

"I'm not really sure. I'll have to catch up with you. Go on ahead without me, you'll be fine, I believe in you kid." All these familiar words of his that she felt only moments ago she'd never hear again washed her with relief and she silently vowed to never take them for granted again. She nearly signed off when she heard voices from above. Whatever room it was, people were entering it to investigate what had happened.

"What's going on, Jaden?" She realized she never released the talk button.

"Nothing I can't handle," she spoke quietly.

"Good, I ran into some trouble, but I'm almost to the top of the core. I'll see you soon."

Jaden shoved her com in her pocket. With new resolve and revitalized energy thanks to Kyle still being alive, she leapt the final few feet inside a large, open room into which stormtroopers were quickly filing.

There were too many, even for her alone, so she did the only thing she could think of to even the odds. She threw forth her empty hands and lightning spewed from them, tackling at least half of the force before her. They went down screaming and she released more crackling blue and violet bolts at the rest of them. Once they were all down, she took stock of the room, round with four doors around the perimeter. Only one appeared unlocked and it was the one from which the troopers had come in from. She took it, thankfully not running into anyone else on the other side as she passed down a hallway.

She slowed halfway down however, at the sense of something, the dark presence of a cultist. As she neared the end of the hall where it turned a corner into another room, she heard him speak to someone, another cultist by what she could sense.

"Are you new here?" A soft, almost hypnotic voice asked.

"Yes," replied his companion.

"You made a wise choice. The Master will soon return to lead us to glory."

Master? Is he talking about Ragnos? Jaden wondered.

She took another step forward and a metal tile in the floor squeaked. Sithspit.

"Ahh, a little mouse has come to play," said the first voice who took a few steps in her direction. "Come out little mouse."

"First of all. Don't. Call. Me. Mouse! Or any other pet name. Creep." Jaden leapt out from behind the corner, brandishing her lightsaber. The two cultists smiled, she could see it in their eyes since their mouths were covered. But it was a dark, evil humor she saw there, not joy.