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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 2647120" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 12: First TestIt took a long hour and a half to return to the main Academy Temple, and when Cira and Cowan returned they found the place in chaos. Of course, chaos to that place wasn’t anywhere near chaos anywhere else in the galaxy. However, seeing students and a few Masters quickly moving from here to there across the grounds with an obvious sense of worry and near panic on their minds was definitely close enough to count as chaos. At least a few were in groups, going through motions that looked to Cira like a very rushed kind of combat training with some of the younger students.    They plowed through a crowd and into the docking bay, silently agreeing to hunt down someone that would actually tell them what was going on. Easier said that done, of course. But after only a few paces into the hangar, in which they noticed the distinct shape of a YT-1300 transport that hadn’t been there earlier, the familiar and strong voice of Master Kenth Hamner called out.    “Cira! Cowan!” the two of them spun to see the tall Jedi Master jogging over to them from behind one of the small transport ships that usually ran supplies to the Academy.    “Master!” Cira let out a sigh of relief, “What is going on here?!”    Master Hamner came to a stop a few paces from the two apprentices, not even giving a glance around to the people moving everywhere around them and said in a void that could almost have been tired, “The Solo twins have just gotten back and they haven’t brought us any good news.”    “I don’t like the sound of that,” Cowan mumbled under his breath.The Jedi Master didn’t seem to take notice, “The Shadow Academy is preparing an attack on us here on Yavin IV. They could be here within the hour.”    The two humans went silent. Yes, they knew about the Shadow Academy. It was hard not to. A small, hyperspace capable training academy run by some former student of Master Skywalker’s who was now completely bent on reviving the Empire in all its former ‘glory’, whatever that was. Even Cira couldn’t grasp that. But the point was, it was well known that they were preparing some kind of attack, but never known when...and it had only been a few months since the discovery of the Shadow Academy. Everyone had expected more time before an attack.    And despite all this, Cowan surprised himself by asking, “Where are Gant and Esah?”    “They went out to do a quick survey to the south,” Master Hamner responded quickly, “They ran into what was probably a scout for the Shadow Academy earlier.”    Cira and Cowan exchanged a careful look. Then, Cira decided it was her turn and said carefully, “There’s something up in the northern hills, too.”    The Jedi Master didn’t actually say anything, but his look said everything she needed to know. Quickly, she did her best to describe the small place, knowing full well that the entrance they had found was very likely not the main one at all. There was simply too much in that large cavern to necessitate everyone crawling in like that. Once she had finished, Master Hamner was still silent in a way that worried the two young Jedi. After a moment, though, he motioned for them to follow and led them into one of the small control rooms for the hangar that looked to be halfway through a conversion into a defensive position.    He reached over into a pile of various equipment and then, after retrieving something, extended two objects to the both of them. Neither needed a second to think what the cylindrical shapes were. Lightsabers. Both apprentices looked up in a mild form of shock, but Master Hamner simply extended them more, “You’ve trained with practice blades, you can use these.”    There was a pause where both of them carefully took the weapons, running their hands over the cold metal and trying to not look as amazed as they were. When they said nothing, the Jedi Master went on, “Yes, I know this is sooner than you expected, but we don’t have a choice anymore. You both know basic combat techniques and what to do in case of this kind of attack. But right now, you do not need to focus on that. Clear your minds, focus, and head to the south. Find Gant and Esah and bring them back here as quickly as you can. We can’t have students spread out through the jungles at a time like this, no matter how important what they’re doing could be.”    It was a natural reaction for the both of them to simply nod. But after a short second, Cowan stopped himself and asked, “What about what we found?”    “It will be dealt with,” Master Hamner’s response was short as he started to lead them back out into the hangar, “Get back here as quickly as you can. I don’t how long we have until the attack, but I promise you that we aren’t going to escape it. The New Republic doesn’t have a fleet within two days hyperspace trip from here, so we are on our own.”    They sighed together and nodded. It was Cira, this time, who said quietly, “Yes, Master.”    “Clear your minds,” Master Hamner intoned again, “Trust your feelings and do not worry. We will make it through this.”    Again, they nodded. It was easier said than done, but the Jedi Masters had always told them that the Force would test them one day. If this wasn’t that day, they had no idea when it would be. By the time the two humans had left Master Hamner behind and reached the jungle’s edge, they were running. Running as fast as they could and forgetting and previous difficulties between each other. This was more important than that. They could argue later.    And then, high above them, there was an explosion. Instinctively, their eyes shot up, looking up through the thick canopy above to see the soft blue sky...which had just shimmered green. The colour of the energy shield around the main section of the Academy. And there was a plume of flame. Another. Another explosion. And another.    Blurs of movement could be seen far above, and it wasn’t another second before the distinct shriek of TIE fighters reached their ears.    “By the Force...” Cowan whispered, his eyes turned back down to see Cira’s white face. Gaping with shock and surprise, they stared at each other for a long moment, hoping it was just a bad dream. Praying to anything that was in control of the galaxy that it wasn’t real. But it was. They could feel it. And that meant their friends were out there in the jungle, alone, and cut off from the rest of the Jedi.    Without another word, they ran south.</blockquote>

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