[Junior Jedi Knights] - 02(21)

And what about Sannah?

Anakin hoped that Uncle Luke would allow the girl to study at the academy. The young Melodie was sensitive to the Force. He had felt the strength in her, and so had Tahiri.

“Do you think Master Luke will be angry at us for bringing her?” Tahiri asked with a nervous nod toward Sannah.

“I’m not sure,” Anakin replied. He, too, felt his stomach tying itself in knots.

They made a brief stop to deliver Peckhum’s supplies to another cargo ship that circled Yavin, waiting for the Lightning Rod. Then, the pilot headed their shuttle back to Yavin 4. It was all Anakin could do to make himself stand up and move toward the door when the ship had landed. A jolt of terror ran through him. If Sannah told Uncle Luke about the carvings he and Tahiri had risked their lives to find in the lower tunnel of Sistra, his uncle would want to know why. And there was no way he could lie to Luke Skywalker. Anakin would be forced to tell him about the messages the Massassi had left, and the golden globe in the Palace of the Woolamander.

If that happened, the prophesy that the Jedi Master Ikrit had foretold would occur: the globe would shatter into a thousand pieces of crystal and the children trapped within its glittering sands would be lost.

“Sannah,” Anakin called urgently. The Melodie walked back to him and Tahiri. “I need to ask you a favor.”

“Anything,” Sannah instantly replied.

Anakin steadied his voice.

“Sannah, I need you to promise not to mention the strange carvings in the rocks of Sistra to Luke Skywalker,” Anakin said. “Please don’t tell him that Tahiri and I risked our lives to read the carvings in the lower tunnel. If you do, countless beings will be in grave danger.”

“I would never want to get you into any trouble,” Sannah said softly. “I promise.”

“Thank you, Sannah,” Anakin said with relief. “Now please wait inside the shuttle until we tell Uncle Luke that we brought you.” Anakin didn’t want to spring Sannah on his uncle without an explanation.

Sannah nodded and shrank back from the shuttle door as it hissed open. As he watched the door open, Luke Skywalker was not pleased. He was dismayed to see his nephew and Tahiri emerge bruised and battered. Both students were covered with streaks of purple dirt, and their orange academy jumpsuits were torn. In addition, thick strands of what looked like spider webbing hung from the leg of Anakin’s jumpsuit, and blue-green algae was dried to the tops of Tahiri’s bare feet.

“Hi, Uncle Luke,” Anakin said with a little smile.

“Welcome home,” Luke Skywalker said in a voice ringing with concern. “You are both a mess. What happened to you on Yavin 8?”

“We ran into some pretty nasty creatures,” Tahiri said with a nervous grin. “But Lyric’s changing was a success.”

“I want both of you to see the medical droid about your wounds,” Luke Skywalker solemnly instructed as he wrapped his arms around Anakin’s and Tahiri’s shoulders and drew them away from the shuttle. “We’ll discuss your adventures after I’m sure you’re all right. And I may have a word with Peckhum.”

“Er, Uncle Luke, there’s something we need to talk about before we go to see the medical droid,” Anakin said nervously.

Luke Skywalker turned to face his nephew.

“Can’t it wait?” he inquired.

“Well, it’s not exactly an it,” Anakin began. “It’s a she. Her name is Sannah. She’s a Melodie we met on Yavin 8…. I think she’s sensitive to the Force,” Anakin continued weakly, embarrassed to even suggest to his uncle that he thought he could recognize strength in the Force when he was only a Jedi candidate.

“Tell me about her,” Luke Skywalker said.

“She fought a raith,” Tahiri began. “That’s a giant black, hairy rodent with jagged teeth. She did it using the Force-I know she did because I felt it. She wants to study at the academy so she can learn to protect the Melodie children from the predators on her moon,” Tahiri went on without taking a breath.

“There’s so many of them - avrils, raiths, and reels, and enormous red-bristled spiders named purellas which, believe me, are vicious.” Then Tahiri, too, faltered before Luke’s silence and the calm of his pale blue eyes.

“She’s in the shuttle,” she finally murmured.

Sannah appeared in the doorway of the shiny craft, then slowly came down the ramp. The rustling of her light green tunic was the only sound that broke the silence of Luke Skywalker’s stare. She approached the Jedi Master, her large yellow eyes never leaving his face.

“Welcome to the Jedi academy, Sannah,” Luke said when the young Melodie reached him. “We have a lot to discuss. Anakin, Tahiri, please go see the medic. I’ll take care of your friend,” Luke instructed.