With one hand on Zekk’s shoulder, Peckhum said, “This old ship’s seen some hard use, boy—of course, so have you—but you’d never know it to look at ’er now. Like a brand-new transport, with a dozen years of service left in her.”
Zekk felt a warm tingle of pride at what he and his friends had accomplished. “It’s like the Lightning Rod has a new life,” he agreed.
“Yep,” old Peckhum said, looking with great seriousness at the young man beside him. He cleared his throat, as if he had to force the words past some internal blockage. “That’s … why I want you to have her. Take her for your own, Zekk—the Lightning Rod is my gift to you.”
Jaina gasped. Lowie gave a curious rumble, and Em Teedee added, “Oh, my!”
Zekk blinked before shaking his head, not certain he’d heard right. “I couldn’t. I—I … How would you make your living?
“Well,” Peckhum said slowly, “truth is, Chief of State Organa Solo has been after me to modernize a bit. Wants me to use some newfangled cargo ship the New Republic has. They got it for me a year or more ago, because I’ve been doing so much work for the Jedi academy. But you know me and new things, so I’ve been resisting the offer. Guess it’s got some kind of improved guidance system, a code encryption whatchamacallit, and a bigger cargo hold. Gotta have more space now that there’ll be more supplies to bring back and forth to Yavin 4, you know—what with all the new guardian systems and added troops stationed in orbit.”
“But you’ve had the Lightning Rod ever since I’ve known you, Peckhum,” Zekk said.
A fond smile crossed the old man’s grizzled face. “Yep, I’d had ’er a few years even before you stowed away aboard her. You were a bold scamp, all right, stowin’ away from ship to ship after that disaster wiped out your family and your colony on Ennth.”
Zekk remembered. “They wanted me to live in their refugee stations before finding me some sort of foster home.”
“Yep,” Peckhum said. “And instead you found yourself a home with me.”
Zekk’s throat tightened. “You’ve done a lot for me over the years, Peckhum. I can’t take your ship, too.”
“To tell the truth, the Lightning Rod’s more of a junk heap than anything—a menace to the galaxy, really. You’d be doin’ me a favor to take ’er off my hands for me. That’s the only way I’ll ever get around to using that new ship. We’ve all got to move up to bigger and better things, boy. Don’t be so resistant to change.”
Despite his bold words, Zekk could see that old Peckhum was choked up at the thought of parting with the Lightning Rod. It was as if it were a part of him. Oh, well, Zekk thought, at least this way he’d have a piece of his friend wherever he went. A piece of home.
“All right,” he said. “I accept. But only if you’re sure.”
“I’m sure … I’ll miss you,” Peckhum said in a low voice. Then with a bit of bluster he added, “But I won’t miss this old garbage scow, not for a minute.” He kicked the boarding ramp. The toe of his boot clanged on the metal.
The emotion of the moment nearly overwhelmed Zekk, but he pasted a crooked smile on his face. “I can always tell when you’re lying, Peckhum,” he said.
Peckhum’s face broke into a broad grin. “I never could fool you, boy. You and the Lightning Rod are two of the best friends I ever had. Take good care of each other.”
Lowie woofed softly a few times. “Master Lowbacca wishes you safe travels,” Em Teedee translated.
“Live well,” Tenel Ka said. “And fight only the battles worth fighting.”
“We’ll miss you, Zekk,” Jacen said. “Don’t forget to come back and visit us.”
“You’ll always have us as friends,” Jaina said, but her voice came out in a whisper, hoarse with restrained emotion.
“I’ll miss you all,” Zekk said.
7
As the storm system came through, a stiff breeze tore across the stubbly grass and weeds of the Great Temple’s landing field. The construction scaffolding jiggled, making the balance precarious for the crew of New Republic construction workers shoring up rebuilt sections of wall.
Now that the Lightning Rod had departed, the young Jedi Knights turned their efforts toward fixing Lowbacca’s T-23 skyhopper, which had been damaged by the Second Imperium’s battle platform. While Jaina worked above, Lowie squatted beside the small craft, examining a rip in the engine compartment.
The wind suddenly gusted around the partially open cockpit, tearing free a sheet of transparisteel Jaina was attempting to fasten into the front windows. Her mind had been wandering—as usual of late, to thoughts of Zekk—when she lost her grip, and she could do nothing to grab the transparisteel in time.
Lowie howled in pain and surprise as the sheet thunked him on the head. “Oh, my,” Em Teedee said. “I’m certainly glad that didn’t strike me! My circuits could have been irreparably damaged.”
Jaina leaned over the T-23’s canopy, startled and abashed. “Sorry, Lowie.”
The young Wookiee rubbed the bump forming beneath the dark streak of fur on his head and gave a rumble of understanding. “Master Lowbacca assures me he has sustained no permanent injury,” Em Teedee said.
Jacen, who was cleaning the carbon scoring off one of the skyhopper’s attitude fins, popped up, grinning. “Bet you were thinking about Zekk again—weren’t you, Jaina? I can’t imagine anything else that could distract you from your favorite kind of work.”
Tenel Ka jumped down next to Lowie, landing with her feet spread, perfectly balanced. “I apologize. The error was mine, friend Lowbacca,” she said. The warrior girl picked up the transparisteel patch and hefted it back to the top of the skyhopper. “Jaina requested my assistance, but I was not watching when that gust struck.”
“Hey, don’t tell me you were thinking about Zekk, too,” Jacen teased.
Tenel Ka shook her head emphatically; her thick red-gold braids lashed and swirled in the wind. “No, not at the moment. However, I received a message from Hapes yesterday. I am anticipating … something from my parents and my grandmother.”
“What’re you waiting for?” Jaina asked. Lowie added his own questioning growl. Jaina leaned down and tossed the lanky Wookiee a tube of metal cement.
“Hey, I’ll bet she’s waiting for me to tell her a joke,” Jacen said. “Isn’t that right, Tenel Ka?”
“This is a fact,” Tenel Ka answered with a perfectly straight face. “But in addition to your joke, I have been waiting for a … delivery.”
“What is it?” Jaina asked.
“Don’t tell me,” Jacen said. “Uncle Luke has asked for some rancors from Dathomir to help with the rebuilding project. That’d be great, wouldn’t it? I always wanted to see one up close.” Then he paused, as if considering whether he really meant it. “Well …”
“I believe,” Tenel Ka said, nodding toward a pair of ships that had just appeared on the jungle horizon, “this is the delivery I have been expecting.”
Lowie and Jaina scrambled to get a better look. A strong wind caught at the Wookiee’s ginger fur, making it flutter in tufts like dozens of tiny pennants. The two ships were approaching carefully because of the unpredictable gusts and crosswinds.
Jaina studied the design of the craft approaching them. “They look vaguely Hapan, but not a design I’m familiar with.”
Jacen groaned. “This isn’t one of those diplomatic visits, is it? No offense, Tenel Ka, but if you’re expecting one of your grandmother’s associates, I think I’d prefer to clean the kitchens for a while. I hope Ambassador Yfra isn’t out of prison already!”