Read Star Wars - 215 - Jedi Prince 06 - Prophets of the Dark Side for Free Online Page B

forced to march all the way to the Imperial command speeder.
    "Oh my, oh no!" Threepio said, still watching from a safe distance away. "We need a plan, a plan at once! This situation has gotten quite out of hand for the likes of two droids and a Wookiee!"
    The Imperial command speeder blasted off, leaving the mushroom planet. The destination of the spaceship was a huge golden craft beyond Tiki-hava: the Scardia Voyager. Aboard the Scardia Voyager, Kadann sat in his upraised chair on the navigation deck. He peered out into the darkness of space, calmly observing the approach of the ’Imperial command speeder. High Prophet Jedgar and Prophet Gornash stood on either side of him. No sooner did the command speeder dock aboard the Scardia Voyager than two new prisoners were brought before Kadann in chains. As the Supreme Prophet realized who the prisoners were, he smiled with a dark glee of vengeance.
    "It would appear that your days of fighting for the Rebel Alliance have at last come to an end, Skywalker," Kadann proclaimed wickedly. He arose from his chair and approached the prisoners.
    Luke pulled at the Imperial wrist-cuffs, trying to use Jedi powers to unfasten them. But it was to no avail. He was still too stunned to concentrate and use the Force.
    "Is there a problem, Skywalker?" Kadann inquired. "Surely you didn’t think your foolhardy Rebel heroics would go on forever, did you? And you-" Kadann turned to Ken and noticed that he was shivering. "Is it too cold for you in the Scardia Voyager? Perhaps you’d care for a cup of hot tea."
    Kadann poured a cup of tea from the steaming kettle on the stand beside him. Beside the kettle was a tray of biscuits. "Here, this should warm you up." Though Luke was still groggy, he was awake enough to warn Ken not to drink the tea Kadann was offering him. "Don’t do it," Luke cautioned. "It might contain avabush, and-" But before Luke even finished his sentence, Ken swallowed several gulps of tea from the cup Kadann held up to his lips. Then he glanced at Commander Skywalker. "Sorry, Luke," Ken said. "I was freezing-I couldn’t help it. I’m much warmer now."
    "Commander Skywalker objects," Kadann said, "because he suspects that this is avabush tea, made from avabush spice, a truth serum of sorts. But surely you don’t think that I would do such a thing as give a boy truth serum, do you? I think your friend Luke Skywalker is jealous of the freedom I can offer you, young man," Kadann continued. "He knows that his Jedi powers are no match for the powers of the Dark Side."
    "Jedi powers are more than a match for any powers you can claim, Kadann," Luke retorted. Narrowing his gaze to a mere slit, Kadann spied the dome-shaped crystal birthstone that Ken wore around his neck on a silver chain. "Don’t you think it’s time we introduced ourselves?" Kadann said. "Tell me your name." Ken was determined to give a false name. But just as he was trying to think one up, he blurted out, "They call me Ken." And then his mouth dropped open; he was surprised at himself for not being able to follow his own plan.
    "And tell me, who are your parents, Ken?" Kadann demanded. "That is, if you even know." The Supreme Prophet gave an evil grin.
    "I never knew my parents," Ken replied. "And even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you their names."
    "So that’s your attitude, is it?" Kadann said sarcastically. "You still find it within you to resist-at least for the moment. But give it time, give it time ..." Kadann looked into Ken’s eyes with a hypnotic stare, knitting his dark eyebrows together.
    "Now I’ll ask you again. What do you know of your parents?"
    "I-I think maybe my name Ken comes from Kenobi," he replied. "I think I may be the son of Obi-Wan Kenobi, but I can’t prove it."
    Kadann cleared his throat. "So that’s what you think, is it? Quite a fantasy-that you might turn out to be a mysterious son of Obi-Wan Kenobi. You who grew up deep underground, raised by droids in the Lost City of the Jedi.