[Junior Jedi Knights] - 01(18)

“We must be hundreds of meters down,” Tahiri said. “Why would someone build such a big staircase and then block it with a stone wall?” she asked out loud. “Somebody must have wanted to keep wherever we’re going a big secret,” Tahiri answered herself breathlessly. A moment later she stubbed her toe. “Ouch, I wish we had a glowrod,” she grumbled.

“We won’t need one in a few minutes,” Anakin replied.

“How do you know that?” Tahiri asked.

“I just have a feeling,” Anakin said slowly. The two tightened their grip on each other’s hand. The stairway circled ten more times. But just as Anakin had said, light began to appear. But the light was not like the light from Artoo. It was a dusting of glittering gold that appeared in spots on the stairway and the stone walls. The gold glowed in the dark.

Tahiri touched one of the spots and her finger began to tingle. Moments later they heard the voices.

“Go back,” came the rumbling moans. “Go back or fear for your lives,” the voices called.

Anakin could almost hear his own heart pounding.

“We are the followers of the ancient Sith teachings. We are sworn to protect this place from intruders. Go back or die!”

Tahiri stopped, her hand clenching his tightly. “Did you hear that?” she whispered.

“Yeah,” Anakin said shakily.

“Maybe we should get out of here,” Tahiri suggested.

Anakin wanted nothing more than to agree. He desperately wanted to race up the stairs and back into the light. He was terrified that he was being drawn to the dark side of the Force, that something was trying to turn him toward evil. But Anakin couldn’t turn back. He knew in his heart that there was a reason that he and Tahiri were here. He also knew they might never get another chance to find out that reason, that it would be impossible if they were kicked out of the academy and returned to their home planets.

“Tahiri, you go back if you want,” Anakin whispered. “I have to go forward. I don’t know why, but I know that the voice I heard in my head was not something evil calling me.”

“This is a dark place. You are not welcome here. Only those that serve the dark side of the Force can stay,” the evil followers of the Sith teachings rumbled.

Tahiri began to shake. She hated being afraid almost as much as she hated being told what to do. Anakin squeezed her hand tightly, and Tahiri stopped shaking.

“Anakin, I won’t go back. We’re a team,” Tahiri said in a tiny voice. “Anyway, if those voices could really hurt us, they’d be doing just that. Right, Anakin?” she asked.

Anakin didn’t answer. The two friends moved forward. The evil voices began whispering their threats.

“Go back… go back… or strike at us to kill us.”

“Quit it!” Tahiri finally screamed. She’d had enough of the voices. “We don’t want to listen to you anymore!” she shouted into the darkness. “And we won’t use the Force for evil. We believe in using the Force for peace, knowledge, and defense, not to attack. So just be quiet.”

The voices stopped.

“And Anakin,” Tahiri said in exasperation as she turned to face her friend. “Stop thinking that you are the only one that beings who serve the dark side of the Force are interested in. I’m hearing those voices too. Just because your grandfather was Darth Vader doesn’t mean you are going to serve the dark side of the Force. You aren’t your grandfather. You are your own person, and you can make your own choices.”

Anakin was speechless. He thought he had kept his feelings private; he hadn’t known that Tahiri understood about his grandfather. But he did know that some of what Tahiri had just said was true. He wasn’t Anakin Skywalker. He was Anakin Solo, the son of Han and Leia. Still, he couldn’t help wondering if there was something evil planted within him. Something that would make him use his powers to serve the dark side of the Force. After all, he was directly related to Darth Vader.

“I don’t know if yelling at those voices was a good thing or a bad thing,” Anakin finally said.

“At least whatever it was has shut up,” Tahiri grumbled.

Anakin grabbed his friend’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. They circled down again, and suddenly Anakin and Tahiri found themselves on the last step of the stairway. They had finally reached the bottom. Before them was a small stone room that glowed with golden light. There were patches of golden glitter everywhere. They seemed to be seeping from the wall at the far end of the room. Anakin moved to the wall and gently touched the stones with his fingers, which soon began to tingle.