Star Wars: The Jedi Chronicles:Enter The Shadows (Books 1-4)

Chapter 2 Secrets

Shain walks into the main hall outside of the Council Chamber. To his surprise, the other four are waiting for him.

Shain: (trying to look natural) You guys didn’t have to wait for me.

Eve: We wanted to know what Yoda wanted.

The group begins walking towards the Temple hangar bay.

Shain: (not sure of what to say and a little distracted) Oh... ok.

Willie: (curiously) So... what did Yoda want?

Shain: (nervous) Oh, yeah, right. He, um, wanted to give me this crystal and lightsaber. (holds them up)

Katy: (suspicious) You ok? You look a little shaken up.

Shain: (shrugging and sounds a little distracted) I’m fine.

Cody: (looking at the crystal) So, what does this one do?

Shain: Yoda said it’s a light crystal and it repels evil.

Willie: It repels evil? What, like the master sword in Zelda? (laughs)

Shain:  Yeah, I guess, he… (shaking his head) Never mind.

Katy: (suspicious) He what?

Shain: Nothing, every thing's fine. (under his breath) I hope.

Eve: Um, no. You’re staring off into space like you just saw a bloody ghost, and you’re pale!

Katy: And that’s not even what I’m hearing from your thoughts! I can’t make out what’s going on in there since you came out from the council room. You’ve been weirding out for a while.

Willie and Cody laugh.

Cody: No one can figure out what his brain is doing.

Willie: Or yours, for that matter.

Eve: Oh, please, guys; like you have room to talk.

Shain: Stay out of my head, Katy!

Everyone looks around at each other.

Willie: (seriously) Shain, what’s on that planet?

Shain: (shrugging) You tell me.

Everyone looks confused.  The other four Jedi stop walking and exchange worried glances. Shain tries to ignore them and keeps walking.

Cody: Does anyone else sense what I sense or is it just me?

Willie: (extremely worried and a little scared) He’s scared out of his mind! Every thought I’m catching from him is cold, dark.

Katy: Come on; we’ll get it out of him eventually.

The four walk briskly to their rooms to pack. Silence reigns over the group. Nathan Hall, Michael Robins, Aria Rymeris, Elena Forish, Katy's padawan Daviel Jones, Cody’s twi’lek padawan Bree, Shain's padawan Cassandra, and Eve's padawan Jacklinea come into the room after they do.

Elena: Hey, Shain, where are you guys going this time?

Shain: Can’t say.

Shain throws his bag over his shoulder and walks out without saying anything more, leaving Elena and everyone else standing in the room confused.

Aria: Was that a third crystal and a fourth lightsaber I saw him carrying?

Michael: Who does he think he is - General Grievous?

Nathan H.: Ha. Like you have room to talk. (looking at the kevlar vest that has sabers strapped to it)

Katy’s Padawan looks up at Michael from the droid he is fixing.

Daviel Jones: Please, Mike; you got more lightsabers then Grievous does. How many are you up to now... ten?

Michael: (pauses for a moment, counting the lightsabers across his chest and around his belt) Twelve... But one I built myself...

Cassandra, Daviel, Bree, and Jacklinea start getting ready to go with their Masters.

Katy: Hold it right there. You guys are sitting this one out.

Daviel: Man.... (sits back down and continues fixing the R unit droid.)

Cassandra Frail: Phew... I’m glad I don’t have to go on another mission.

Nathan Hall: So, do you guys know anything about his new lightsaber?

Willie: Just that it looks freaking awesome!

Aria: (gives the you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me look) You mean you didn’t ask about the lightsaber? And don’t say “freaking” - there are plenty of words in the English language you can use for emphasis besides almost-swear words.

Willie laughs.

Cody: (ignoring the lecture) We were too busy asking about the crystal and what else Yoda said to him.

Aria puts her hand over her face and shakes her head.

Eve: Come on guys; we should catch up with Shain.

Scene change: The Jedi Temple starship hanger. The five young Jedi Knights are getting ready to board their starfighters and take off to the Glade system. They are carrying their packs and supplies.

Eve: Everybody ready?

Shain: (depressed and almost demonic) No. I don’t think any Jedi would ever be ready for this... not Yoda, not Windu, not even Zyber Lang.

Willie: (surprised) Whoa, what’s going on here? Why do you make it sound like we’re going to die?

Shain: (seriously, sadly) I don’t know what’ll happen. I just know we’ve got to stop the Dark Force that lives there.

Katy: (sharply) Force? You mean it’s a group of Sith, you’re so hyped up about?

Ignoring his friends, Shain gets into his star fighter and takes off.

Willie: (half-joking) If he’s scared of something, shouldn’t the rest of us be hiding under our beds crying for our moms?

Cody: (not laughing) Probably.

Eve: (shivering and disgusted with the boys’ humour) I can’t believe you guys. Let’s just get this mission over with. Shain is really starting to freak me out... I’ve never seen him so worked up in my twelve years of knowing him.

Katy: Same here.