Read Online Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens Lost Stars by Claudia Gray, Phil Noto - Free Book Online Page B

demanded that they slide through narrow passages between buildings that would’ve been a tight fit for one speeder bike, much less two. Together they tilted so that their
bikes balanced against the left building (how had they both known it should be the left?), swooshing past one fellow cadet who had temporarily pulled ahead, and thendived toward the glowing yellow
circle that marked their goal.
    Together Ciena and Thane took the third hoop, down almost on the ground, wove through a web of walkway arches to the fourth hoop, dashed through the trenches of a spiral skyscraper to reach the
fifth. Each goal seemed more impossible than the last, and yet the flying only became easier, because she and Thane
had this.
    She realized only two people who had spent years learning to fly together could ever coordinate so smoothly. The way she responded to Thane’s piloting—the way he responded to
hers—it didn’t require thought. It was instinct, a part of them both. Those countless days soaring through the valleys of Jelucan had taught them to understand each other without
words.
    The bonds they’d formed duringthose years weren’t the kind that faded away.
    When they dipped through the tenth hoop at the top of the academy itself, she and Thane immediately banked and accelerated straight down the wall of the building. Ciena glanced over her shoulder
and saw the blinking lights of other cadets’ bikes swirling toward the bay like clouds of fireflies. They were close—but not close enough. Thane andCiena plunged back into the docking
bay first, a full forty seconds ahead of their closest competitor.
    Landing the conjoined bikes turned out to be the toughest part. As they wobbled to the ground, other speeder bikes starting to swoosh in behind and beside them, they heard Ved Foslo shout,
“That’s a disqualification!”
    “It is not!” Ciena shot back, removing her helmet and pushing hergoggles up on her forehead. “There weren’t any rules about what would happen if two bikes locked
together!”
    “Flying in that condition would have been more difficult, rather than easier,” pointed out Jude, still in her full flight gear. She had been even closer behind them than Ved.
“Therefore it seems unfair to penalize them.”
    Ved’s deep golden complexion was now flushed with anger.“We’re supposed to be learning how to properly fly a speeder bike. That’s not exactly correct procedure, is
it?”
    “Situations like that can happen in battle. Shouldn’t we know how to deal with them?” Ciena felt almost sick. She hadn’t broken a rule—or hadn’t meant to, at
any rate—and here was Ved Foslo questioning her honor. Was he accusing her of doing this on purpose? Of cheating?
    A small crowd had gathered by then, and the cadets parted to allow the instructor to walk closer. He said only, “That was—novel.”
    Thane leaned against his bike as if he were completely at ease. “I just want to point out, you never said only one person could win. You said the fifty points went to ‘the
first’ to finish. We finished first together.”
    “Finding loopholes in instructions fromsuperior officers? That’s a bad habit, Kyrell.” Slowly, the commander shook his head as if in exasperation. “But far be it from me
to penalize flying of that quality. You shared the challenge, so you’ll split the prize. Twenty-five points each to Ree and Kyrell.”
    Ved Foslo threw his helmet down in disgust, but most of the cadets cheered. Thane took Ciena’s hand and held it high. She laughedfrom pure exhilaration.
    First in the class. I made it all the way to the Royal Academy of Coruscant and I’m actually first in my class!
Twenty-five points was enough for that. But Ciena caught herself
then, realizing she was probably tied with Thane for the honor.
    She found she didn’t mind sharing. Not with him.
    Thane let their hands fall—but he didn’t let go right away.
    Cienadidn’t let go, either.

N OTHING CHANGED UNTIL the