Anakin said softly.
“What if we’re not strong enough?”
Tahiri asked with uneasy concern.
“I believe that we are,” Anakin replied. “If we ignore the workings of the dark side of the Force, then we allow evil to triumph. And if that happens, it won’t just mean the lives of the children trapped within the globe-it will cast a shadow of darkness on our own lives.”
Tahiri nodded.
“Evil can’t be ignored,” she agreed. “Regardless of the risks.”
“Then may the Force be with you,” Master Ikrit rasped.
With that, he scurried out the window, made his way down the pyramid-shaped wall of the Great Temple, and disappeared into the jungles of Yavin
4.
“I guess Master Ikrit won’t be coming with us,” Tahiri said.
“We’re on our own,” Anakin added softly. “Whatever happens, we’re on our own.”
Anakin turned back to the jungles and let the sweet scent fill him. He thought about his dream, and what it meant. It was the second time he had dreamed about the follower of Exar Kun. The second time he’d defeated Kun’s follower by using the Force to control his inner self and make the evil figure’s threats useless.
Anakin only hoped he’d be able to do the same in the Palace of the Woolamander. There was no doubt in his mind that the spirits of Kun’s evil followers would be there for real, attempting to stop them from breaking the curse and freeing the globe’s children, trying to turn Tahiri and him to the dark side.
And what about entering the globe? Anakin wondered. Had his dream been right? Was it a matter of enduring the pain of the powerful field until it lost its strength and let Anakin inside the sphere? Anakin turned to Tahiri to tell her about his dream, and to try to figure out how they were going to lead the Massassi children to freedom. They were in this together, and they would succeed together, or never leave the palace alive.
They knew the way. Hidden by darkness, Tahiri and Anakin raced through the jungles of Yavin 4. The first time they’d snuck out of the Great Temple to raft the river, they hadn’t known where they were going. This time, they were guided by their memories and their convictions. They felt the weight of the Palace of the Woolamander before it loomed above them, a crumbling site of darkness and buried evil. Neither spoke as they entered an opening that had once been a majestic portal, or when they saw the familiar Massassi symbols carved along the walls of the palace.
The time for talk or solving riddles was long past. The time for action was at hand. Anakin flashed his light beam toward a broken wall that hid the crumbling stairway they’d descended a month before. Several large woolamanders scurried out of the hole and into the darkness. Neither Anakin nor Tahiri jumped in surprise. There were bigger things to be afraid of.
“Ready?” Anakin asked Tahiri.
She moved forward and climbed through a hole in the crumbling wall. Anakin followed. Hand in hand, they began to descend the spiral stairway. The voices began.
“Go back,” they called as the Jedi candidates climbed down the stairs. “This is a dark place; you are not welcome here,” they rumbled.
“We’ve been here, and heard that before,” Tahiri shot into the darkness. “It didn’t work the first time, so just give it a rest.”
“Orphan child, you cannot break the curse,” a voice said from the darkness.
“Now that’s new,” Tahiri murmured under her breath. She and Anakin continued to descend.
“Orphan child, you are a sister of the darkness,” the voice hissed to Tahiri. “We are your family; your home is with us. Leave the boy. He is not one of us. He doesn’t care about you.”
Anakin recognized the voice from his dreams. He felt Tahiri’s anger growing.
“Tahiri, that’s what they want,” he whispered urgently. “They want you to strike out against them, to use the Force in aggression. Remember, a Jedi never acts from anger, hatred, or aggression.”
“Your mother, Cassa, was one of us. So was your father, Tryst,” the voice lied. “Join them and finally understand who you really are.”
“I am Tahiri Veila, daughter of Cassa and Tryst,” Tahiri began softly as she and Anakin continued to descend. “I’m Tahiri, chosen daughter of Sliven of the Tusken Raiders. My path is one of light. I am a Jedi candidate.”
Anakin felt Tahiri’s anger ebbing. Her hand, which had moments before clung tightly to his, relaxed.
“Boy,” a familiar voice called from the gloom. “You aren’t like your little friend. You are part of the history of the dark side. Your grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, served Emperor Palpatine well. The seed of evil is planted within you. It is your birthright-don’t fight it,” the voice insisted.