Star Wars: Lightforce

Chapter 44

Leia took a few seconds to process the Admiral's words, glancing at Luke. Space bombs? Heavy rockets? These weren't the usual weapons for tie-fighters. The impact of what the admiral was telling them showed on Luke's face too.

"Wait," he said to her. "I'm going to get more information." He ran back towards the Vohemar. One of the prisoners would have no choice but to give Luke whatever information was in his mind.

"Admiral, can our squadrons stop them before they get to us?" Leia enquired.

"They are on an intercept course but I'm afraid we may have left it too late. I think we underestimated them," the admiral admitted angrily. "We will do what we can from here but you need to prepare," he warned.

"I understand, Admiral."

Leia stood up, handing the pad back to Madine. She began to pace, biting her lower lip and looking at the floor. It was her usual thinking pose and the generals waited for her tactical response. She looked round at the Alliance soldiers and the prisoners. Even if she could get them all out on the ships they had, the inhabitants of Al-Adreen would not be so lucky and their safety had been the point of this whole mission. They had worked too hard today to fail at this point. She turned as Luke returned.

"It's as we originally thought. I questioned one of the officers. He says they intend to destroy Al-Adreen. They have newly modified weapons which means they don't have to use the star destroyer, they can fly right in and effectively wipe out the whole settlement."

Han spoke up from the floor.

"Lando was wondering why they only brought a small craft," he noted.

"It's insignificant and low key. No-one would suspect they could do so much damage." Leia almost admired the tactics. Luke started walking quickly in the direction of the town square.

"Where are you going?" Leia called after him.

"I'm going to do something about it," he answered, raising his hood as he walked. She knew this gesture well. Luke meant business. Jedi business, although what he could do about this completely baffled her. She tried to read his intentions but got nothing. She knelt next to Han. He looked pale from loss of blood. She should at least let the Vohemar take off with him. He looked enquiringly at her.

"I have no idea what he has in mind," she answered his silent question. "I can't read him at all. He's shutting me out."

#

Luke was concentrating; putting himself in the most secluded mental state he could in order to summon as much power as he could. He was going to need it. He had read a great deal about ancient Jedi techniques and the only hope for them all now was to try one. No, not try. Do. He walked into the middle of the square and stopped, folding his hands together under his robe sleeves and slowing his breathing to almost nothing, cutting out all sound around him. He reached out to feel the Force flowing within the vegetation, round the rocks and buildings, up from the ground. He could almost see its energy in his mind, like little streams and rivulets pulsing through everything. He breathed it in, pulling it towards him as if he were sucking life out of the surrounding area. He had been practising this ever since Yoda's teaching, seeing the Force flow through every living thing as Yoda had told him it did. Now he needed to use it, take it from where it was hiding and position it somewhere else.

He pictured the settlement of Al-Adreen, its white residential buildings, its colourful market streets and eating establishments and all its residents, and then tried to picture them under a shield, protecting them from harm. This last part was difficult to do. He knew a Force shield was possible but only the greatest Jedi had ever been able to do it and he was still learning.