Before Vernestra could ask J-6 to elaborate, there was a shout outside the shuttle. She hurried out, lightsaber drawn, to see Lyssa, Yacek, Imri, Honesty, and Sha’nai all rushing toward the ship. Behind them was a herd of some kind of wild animal. Hundreds of them ran across the clearing, a cloud of dust rising up on all sides. They looked a bit like banthas, only skinnier and with a short blue coat, and the herd was bearing down on the ship.

“Get inside!” Yacek yelled. Vernestra rushed toward him, passing Lyssa as the archivist dashed into the ship. Vernestra would have done the same, but if that herd rammed into the Wishful Thinking, the ship would be severely damaged. She had to redirect the animals.

Vernestra holstered her lightsaber and planted her boots in the dirt. And waited. Honesty sprinted past, followed by Sha’nai and Yacek, and Imri came in last, huffing and puffing. He didn’t halt or even slow his stride, just gave Vernestra a nod of understanding as he climbed aboard the ship.

Vernestra heard the whine of the engines starting, satisfaction surging through her. Smart Padawan. The sooner he could get the ship in the air, the better the chance that the approaching beasts wouldn’t get to damage it.

But Vernestra had other issues. She had to move a frightened herd of beasts, and it was going to take all her ability to do it.

Vernestra reached for the Force, pulling it into and around her. Her goal was to redirect the herd, but she also had to be able to protect her body. The hooves and horns of the animals would make short work of soft Mirialan flesh, and Vernestra did not want to chance getting injured. She still had to find Avon, and she couldn’t do that if she was hurt. Or worse, dead.

Once Vernestra was ready, she used the Force to reach for the lead animals of the herd. She gently pushed them to the right, urging them around her and the Wishful Thinking. It was harder than it looked. Vernestra wasn’t building a wall; the Force didn’t do such things. It was all motion and potential, and the way Vernestra influenced that was by gently pushing each of the beasts to the right one at a time. It was a bit like navigating a crowd, only Vernestra was pushing them around her. It was difficult work, and very quickly she realized that the herd was bigger than she’d thought. She was going to get tired from using the Force to nudge the animals to the side long before the massive herd had passed.


Star Wars The High Republic Mission to Disaster Chapter 13