Secret Rendezvous

Secret rendezvous, she suddenly realized, were only fun when they stayed secret.

Much to Tahiri's dismay, this rendezvous had not stayed secret. She watched in utter shock and dismay as most of the Jedi that were near their age, plus a few non-Jedi that were close friends with Anakin's family emerged from hiding and screaming "Surprise!"

She just didn't know what to say.

Which of course meant that her mouth was running without her actually being in control of it. Though she would never tell Anakin that particular fact.

No, secret rendezvous were nowhere near as fun when they were no longer secret.

So, she looked around, trying to find the one person who knew what her plans regarding this rendezvous were. Finally, she saw her. The girl she had to punch for ruining her plans. Anakin's sister, Jaina.

Jaina was a few years older than her, and had the curves to prove it. Though she was a bit shorter than Tahiri, and perpetually covered in grease, she even now was the subject of glances and looks taking a bit more than a glance.

Tahiri was just glad that she wasn't competing with her over Anakin's attentions; bad enough that she was competing with both Rar twins as a set and Sannah.

She slipped her hand out of Anakin's and stomped her way through the crowd until she stood next to Jaina. Jaina for her part was ignoring Tahiri, focused much more on her conversation with Zekk as they discussed whether purple korsch or green korsch were the better tasting.

Tahiri couldn't stand korsch at all, so she had absolutely zero concern for their conversation. Instead of waiting for a break in it, she pushed Zekk out of the way, tossing him a malicious grin, and said, "I'm stealing Jaina for a bit."

Before either could protest, she grabbed the older girl by the arm and dragged her off into the corner just as somebody turned on some loud, thumping music.

"What's wrong," Jaina shouted into her ear.

For a moment, Tahiri wondered if she should tell Jaina in such a public place but she realized then that with the music as loud as the others had turned it on, she didn't have to worry about being overheard.

"You kriffing well know what's wrong," she finally screamed in response. "I told you my plans for tonight."

Jaina's eyes widened slightly, as her mouth formed a slight "O" shape. "I'm so sorry Tahiri, I had forgotten all about it when we planned for tonight, and I thought you knew we were planning the party when you grabbed Anakin and pulled him away and said that the two of you would be back later."

"No! I didn't! That was what we agreed I'd say so you'd get everyone out of the apartment."

Tahiri could feel the beginnings of a headache, as some part of her wondered why the kids that were raised on the Core worlds liked this thumping music. As Jaina answered her, she realized that she had actually spoken her internal musings.

Waving away that, she then asked, "Well, how am I going to get some alone time with him when all these people are here?"

Jaina shrugged her shoulders, as she replied, "I don't know."

"It's your fault so you have to tell me."

Jaina's lips twitched into a frown. "Why do you want that anyways?"

Tahiri thought that Jaina was just so slow sometimes. She knew that most of their mutual friends knew of her crush on Anakin, and she was fairly certain Jaina's twin brother knew.

Sighing, she screamed at Jaina, "Kriff, Jaina, you know I'm in love with Anakin."

She blinked as she suddenly realized two things.

The first was that the music had stopped about the same time as she had said the word "know." The second was that she could feel Anakin's Force presence blazing brilliantly as always, though this time he was right behind her.

Horror etched itself onto Jaina's face as Tahiri's started burning a bright red, visible even through her perpetual tan.

Slowly, she turned to face Anakin, looking up into his blue eyes, she swallowed. He had a slight blush on his cheeks, and his eyes twinkled with amusement. AMUSEMENT! Her eyes flickered around all of their friends, before settling onto Anakin once again.

He opened his mouth to say something. She just knew that it was something that she did not want to hear, so instead she just quickly shook her head, and pushing past him, darted away.

No, she thought to herself yet again. Secret rendezvous were definitely no fun when they weren't kept secret.

She ran from the room, heading deeper into the Solo's apartment.

She ran past four doors, and darted into the fifth. It was a bedroom, and she sat on the edge of the bed, and covered her face with her hands as tears began to flow.

So, it was there as she sat on the bed, her face covered with her hands, tears streaming down either cheek, that he found her.

He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, as he spoke her name, "Tahiri?"

She looked up at him, and blinked through the tears. His face had stilled, his ice-blue eyes actually warm for once, and she found that she just could not look away from him.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded her head slowly. "Y-yeah, I'm okay..."

He grinned, "Good. Uhm..."

She sighed as she watched him, wondering yet again what it was that always seemed to draw him to her. He was the son of the Chief of State, the nephew to THE Jedi Master. What in the Force would he ever see in her. She wasn't even that pretty; especially compared to others, like his sister or Alema.

"I don't know how to answer that," he said.

In horror she realized that once again, she had just spoken the thoughts as they ran through her head. She once again lowered her face into her hands, as she felt tears burning her eyes.

"But, I do have to say that I think you're the the most amazing girl I've ever met."

She blinked, and slowly lifted her head until she was able to see him. With the back of one hand, she scrubbed at her eyes, trying to wipe away the tears. She felt her mind, and her mouth, go perfectly still, as if everything about her could not believe what he was saying.

"Y-you... do?" She finally managed to stammer out.

Grinning slightly, he held out his hand towards her. "Yeah, I do."

She smiled, and slipped her slim hand into his, and allowed him to pull her into a standing position. Once there, he wrapped his arms around her, and leaned in close.

"For the record," he said, that grin still tugging at one side of his lips. "I'm in love with you too."

Jedi Adept: A Path In The Dark -- Ch. 18

Previous Post

---

A voice rolled out from the distance, echoing loudly against the dome. "Attention, this is the Galactic Alliance Guard. Pursuant to the War Crimes Act you are all under arrest for suspected treason."

"Kriff," Noelani muttered, her hands squeezing tightly against the railing.

Another shockwave rattled their building, and Noelani pushed inside running down the hall and jumping down the stairwell. She landed with a grunt and then rushed into the room they had set aside for training, and grabbed her combat suit.

Chase was a moment behind her, and yanked his from the hook where they were stored. Anger flared through Noelani as she noticed the empty hook which should have held Asyra'mata's uniform.

Fastening the suit closed, she glanced over at Chase. "So, what's the plan?"

He snorted as he began pulling on his boots. "I was hoping you'd have one."

By this time she was pulling weapons from the cabinets and attaching them to her utility belt or stashing them in various pockets. "I say we get out of the dome, and then follow the Guard back to wherever they're going.

Chase glanced over his shoulder. "How sure are you if that's a good idea or not?"

Noelani turned and looked in the same direction he was watching, to see Jena, Prilla and Huff standing in the door way. Huff's muzzle quivered slightly, and she could see the abject terror in both Prilla's and Jena's eyes.

Noelani frowned for a moment. I don't need this distraction right now.

She felt Chase's attention return to her. "We can't leave them here, and we can't take them with us."

Noelani nodded her head. "Then you're going to stay with them and protect them."

"But you ne-"

"No!" she interrupted him with a slash of her hand. "I can get Asyra'mata out of whatever prison they're holding her in. I need you to watch these three. I need to know that they're safe."

"'Lani…"

She smiled at him wistfully, knowing what was going through his head. He hated the thought of letting her go out there; as much as she hated the thought of leaving him behind.

"I found you twice so far, I'm certain I can do it again," she finally said, a grin appeared on her lips; one that anyone who had ever met a Solo would have instantly recognized.

He stepped closer to her, and she swallowed hard. Suddenly, she was more nervous than she had ever been in her life.

He leaned down, and pressed his lips to hers. Dimly, she was aware of the handful of vibroblades clattering to the floor as she dropped them.

While this wasn't her first kiss, as that dubious honor belonged to Ben—who she now knew was her cousin—it was the first time that Chase had done so.

As suddenly as the kiss began it ended, and he stepped backwards away from her. She blinked her eyes, trying to once again regain control of her thoughts and her heart. Giving up, she glanced over at him. "Chase…"

He shook his head, and gestured towards the door. "Get going. I've got a few more preparations in order to get the kids ready."

"I…" She snapped her mouth shut, not certain what she had intended on saying.

"I love you, Noelani. Make sure you come back to me."

She smiled at him, feeling tears as they threatened to fall. Then she threw her arms around him, hugging him fiercely. "I love you too."

She dropped from him and went to the children grabbing them into a tight hug as well. "I want you all to be good for Chase, all right?"

"Okay, Mama," Prilla, the youngest replied.

She quickly kissed them each on the head once, checked to make sure she had her blaster and her lightsaber and then left the room at a jog.

She felt tears burning her eyes as she ran towards the main gate. Slowing down, she stopped and quickly worked through a breathing exercise. She couldn't go into that area distracted by thoughts of Chase and the children. She had to focus on the here and now—and trust Chase.

Once her emotions were under control again, she started moving forward.

She heard the sounds of battle first. The blasts of the blasters, the screams of the wounded and dying. Then she was close enough for the smells; charred flesh, discharged blasters, and the acidic tang of low-yield detonators.

She crept towards the edge of the next building and peered around. She saw Evir's soldiers as they slowly fell back away from the advancing Guard unit.

Then odd movements caught her eye. Someone was on the battlefield using a lightsaber.

She throat closed up, and she struggled to gain control of her pounding heart. A single thought slammed through her mind: the Jedi had found her, and were now killing all of her friends in order to take them away from her.

-------------------------------

Jacen smiled as he led his troops into the compound.

His intelligence network had been working for weeks trying to find the location of this group. They had been interfering with his plans concerning the Ferals, and he had finally decided that it was time to stop them.

So, not only was he happy over that, but he was also happy because for the first time since he had killed Mara, he was leading his Forces into battle.

From the front lines, just like his Grandfather had.

He couldn't help but smile as his blade slashed through the insurgents around him.

In fact, it was all he could do to not laugh as he fought on; slaughtering the enemy around him.

Suddenly, there was a surge in the Force. It was a spike of fear and horror which flooded his awareness. He paused, his blade humming loudly even over the sounds of the dying around him.

Stretching out with the Force, he found the source. She was young, trained, and terrified of… Jedi?

Jacen frowned, as he stepped towards the building she was hiding behind. "Come out, youngling. I'm not a Jedi, I won't hurt you."

He saw a moment of blond hair stick around the corner, and another surge of fear in the Force.

Her voice wavered for a moment, "I, I don't believe you."

Jacen grinned. She wasn't as trained as he thought. If she was, she would have known better than to start talking to him. He advanced.

"Why don't you believe me?"

"You're using a lightsaber. You've come to take me away."

He frowned, wondering what she was talking about. After a moment, he decided it didn't matter, she would either be useful to him, or she would die.

He took a number of steps away from the building, and then sprung forward so he could see her clearly.

Her scream echoed back at them, and he savored the fear that flooded the Force. For a moment, she reminded him of Tahiri, but he assumed it was just the fact that she had the same color hair as his potential apprentice.

A snap-hiss startled him out of his reverie, and he suddenly realized that she held a lightsaber, and had it pointed towards him.

He grinned again, wondering just how much fun this would be. As he raised his own saber into a mid-guard, he hoped that she had at least enough training to make this entertaining.

Then he darted forward, his blade thrusting forward. She side-stepped as he expected her to, just as he pushed out with the Force.

She flew through the air and slammed into the building across the street. Her body convulsed with the impact and the saber fell from her fingers.

He allowed her to drop, a frown coming to his face.

"That was easy and not fun at all," he muttered under his breath.

He closed the distance, until he was standing over her. He watched her for a moment, that annoying similarity once again at the edges of his awareness; though this time she reminded him of his Allana.

He shrugged the feeling away and raised his saber to deliver a killing blow, when the girl's hand flew up. He braced himself with the Force, expecting telekinesis.

So, he was caught off-guard when the handful of dirt flew into his eyes.

"Kriffing, Jedi," he heard her snarl, and suddenly, he felt a weight slam into his stomach.

The impact knocked him backwards, even as he struggled against the dirt in his eyes; fighting against the urge to rub them as he knew that could scratch the lenses.

Instead he took control of the autonomous functions of his body, and forced his tear ducts to begin operating.

As the dirt began to flow out of his eyes, he found himself grinning. Maybe this will be fun after all.

The girl's saber ignited again, and he brought his own blade around. With the Force guiding him, he inserted it perfectly into the spot necessary to deflect her blow.

Then a blaster bolt rang out, and the girl yelped as pain flooded through the Force. He glanced over and saw that his personal squad had advanced when they noticed his fight. He fought against the urge to send lightning at them for interfering and instead turned back to the girl.

She writhed in the dirt, one hand clasped tightly against the shoulder, which had been discolored, and burned from the blaster.

As he stepped forward, a yell came up from behind him, and he turned that way as two dozen soldiers came running from around a building, their blasters blazing.

He snarled, and began deflecting the bolts. Then he swore as four droidekas rolled up and transformed into their deployed mode.

The voice of one of his squad rang over their personal comnet. "Where the kark did these guys dig up four working droidekas?"

Jacen merely shook his head, as he responded. "I don't know, but we need to fall back so that the heavy artillery can deal with them."

Four double-clicks sounded over the comnet, and he glanced at the ground, to discover that the girl had disappeared. Uttering another curse, he began falling back towards the entrance.

-------------------------------

Chase smiled down at the children as he bundled them into an ancient XJ-15 airspeeder. He didn't like the fact that it lacked anything by way of offensive weaponry or even defenses, but it was the only vehicle he could find which both held them all, and Evir's guards would let him have.

He just wondered how it had survived by the Galactic Civil War and the Vong War.

Shaking his head, he quickly strapped the children in and powered up the systems. A handful of green ready lights flickered into existence, and he pulled back on the stick, lifting the craft up off of its landing gear.

Then he was moving, flying towards the rear entrance of the compound; away from the Guard invasion force.

Away from Noelani.

---

Next Post

Jedi Adept: A Path In The Dark -- Ch. 17

Previous Post

---

Chase paced in front of Evir's desk. The older scientist calmly sat on the far side of it, watching him, while Noelani fumed in the chair that sat a few paces behind him.

After his third circuit, he stopped in front of Evir's desk. "We need to rescue Asyra'mata."

Evir shook his head. "I'm not going to approve that. The Guard is not something that we want to go up against; even for the two of you."

Noelani stood up and Chase could taste the electrical energy tingeing the air. He turned towards her, as she took a step forward. In amazement, he watched as her hair flickered and flowed, even though there was no air circulation going.

"I'm telling you this a single time," she snarled. "We're going after Asyra'mata, and you're going to give us the help we need."

Evir stood up behind his desk, and leaned forward. "You can go kriff yourself little girl. If you feel like getting yourself and your boyfriend killed over that little Twi'lek tramp that's your death. I'm not following you, nor am I letting you bring the Guard down on what I've built here."

Chase saw her hand heading towards her saber, and reached out and grabbed her shoulder. "That's enough 'Lani. Let's go, he obviously doesn't care about the folks under his protection and is willing to cut them free whenever they're no longer useful."

Evir laughed. "Right you are, young Chase. If someone or something endangers my operation here, I will happily throw it away."

Chase felt the muscles in Noelani's shoulder tense. He gave it a gentle squeeze, and her head snapped towards him. He fought against an instinctive urge to take a step back away from her. Anger colored her face red, and seemed to tinge her eyes even.

He blinked, and her eyes were once again that crystal clear, sky-blue that he admired so.

He tilted his head towards the door. "C'mon 'Lani. Let's go."

She nodded her head, and turned away from Evir. Chase reached down and grabbed her hand, and together they left the room.

Silence reigned over them while they waited for the turbolift. It finally arrived and they both boarded. As soon as the doors closed, Noelani grabbed his tunic and buried her face into his chest.

Startled, he raised his hands up for a moment, before lowering them around her shoulders. "Shh… it'll be all right, 'Lani."

She pushed out of his arms, anger flashing on her face. "How? We've got to get Asyra'mata back."

"Do we know where they took her?"

Noelani turned away from him, her head lowering. After a few moments, she shook her head. "No, I don't. But that won't stop me from finding her. I have the Force after all."

-------------------------------

Tahiri dropped into the seat behind her desk and stared at the datapads that she should be filling out. Bureaucratic annoyances that she despised. Sighing, she waved her hand in the direction of her terminal and it sprang to life. A few hand gestures and the cell of her prisoner was floating before her.

Not for the first time, Tahiri wondered why her daughter was not with the Jedi; and what she was doing with this Twi'lek tramp. Then she reminded herself that the Twi'lek was nothing but a child, even as tension raced down her body, her fists instinctively clenching as memories of the Rar sisters flashed through her mind.

With a flicker of the Force, she sent all the datapads flying from her desk, reveling in the clatter as they crashed to the floor.

A few moments later, Zora walked into her office, her helmet tucked under one hand. Tahiri watched the blue-eyed blonde for a moment. "Can I help you?"

Zora dropped into the seat in front of Tahiri's desk. "Want to talk to me about that Jedi we found in the under-city? And who is that Twi'lek?"

Hesitation flashed through her, as her lips pulled down slightly into a frown. She wanted to take Zora into her confidence, but she still did not trust Jacen, and had no doubt that anything she said to Zora would inevitably make its way back to him.

It would be just another weapon in his arsenal to use against her; to manipulate her.

Deciding, she leaned back in her seat. Better that no one here knows that Noelani is my daughter. "She was my apprentice before I left the Jedi."

"Ah… why did she leave the Jedi?"

Tahiri shook her head. "I'm not certain. I guess she was hurt worse by my leaving than I had expected her to be."

Zora nodded her head. "So, I've been wondering, why did you leave the Jedi?"

Of course we'd get back to this topic. It's something Jacen is dying to know. Tahiri smiled. "It's… complicated, and I don't feel like talking about."

Zora smiled at her, and stood up. "I understand, boss. I'm here if you want to talk."

I bet you would be here. I wonder what Jacen promised her for the information. Tahiri returned the smile, even though she didn't feel it. "Thanks, Zora. Now go on and get out of here. I've got an appointment with our fearless leader in a few minutes."

Zora saluted and then turned away and left the office. The door clicked shut behind her, and Tahiri watched it for a few moments. She leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. What are you doing down here 'Lani?

Sighing, she pulled the monitor for her console closer and watched the Twi'lek girl they had taken prisoner. Frowning, as she estimated the girl's age at a few years younger than Noelani, she suddenly pushed out of her seat and walked out into the corridor.

A few minutes later, she was standing in front of the cell where the young girl was being held. Tahiri hesitated for a moment, and then stepped into the room.

The Twi'lek was lying on the bed—a thin sheet of bare metal jutting out from the far wall; one arm cradled the other, and Tahiri noted the dark, purple of a contusion on the side of her head. She stood there for a minute, and then stepped into the room, allowing the door to close behind her.

"What's your name," Tahiri asked.

The girl continued to ignore her for a few minutes, and Tahiri reached out with the Force, slipping tendrils of herself into the girls' mind, and quickly finding her pain centers. Without a flicker of a thought, pain flooded the girl's mind. A psychic backwash slashed back towards Tahiri and she found herself grinning.

A whisper slid across her awareness; a whisper fed to her through the Force. Mom, why?
Startled, she allowed the Force to flicker away from her control, and instead reached out towards her daughter, only to find nothing.

Sighing, she turned back to the Twi'lek. "So, what's your name?"

The Twi'lek was panting, and finally, she responded. "Asyra'mata. My name's Asyra'mata."

"Good," Tahiri replied, sending warm feelings down through the force into the girl. "You're in a lot of trouble, youngling. That was a restricted section we found you in earlier."

The girl snorted, and laid her head back onto the bed. "It seems most of the Undercity is restricted since the Guard showed up."

Tahiri shook her head slightly. "That still doesn't answer my question."

"Oh? Ask me if I'm really concerned about that—because I know I'm not." The girl's eyes flicked towards Tahiri for a moment. "Are you going to choke me again with that mystical mumbo-jumbo power of yours? Or is it going to be the pain again?"

Tahiri felt her hands clench tightly, and was slightly shocked to discover she had to fight back the sudden desire to yank the girl off of the bed. Instead she spun on her heel and left the cell; followed by the laughter of the Twi'lek.

-------------------------------

Noelani collapsed onto the floor of her room; folding her legs up tight against her chest. Anger, frustration and fear flowed through her; even as the tears slipped from her eyes.

"Why," she whispered, begging the Force to give her an answer. She wanted to know why she was suffering this way; why her family suffered this way.

Why, every time she found some measure of happiness, someone or something came and ripped it away from her.

Pain slashed through her, searing her mind. She bolted upright, and then standing quickly crossed over to the window. Even though the building they were in was underground, she faced the west, and could feel Asyra'mata's pain.

It was a burning agony that wavered in the Force, and with a jolt of horror Noelani realized that it was being caused by the Force.

She screwed a fist against her eyes, and she pushed at the edges of the bond between her and Tahiri. For the first time in what felt to her like forever, Noelani sent a message across their bond: Mom, why? Why are you hurting my friend?

Halfway through the mental sending, an overpowering Force presence slammed itself against her mind. She screamed, and found herself on the floor, her head clasped in her hands, and the coppery taste of blood filling her mouth.

The door burst open, and Chase ran into the room. "Noelani? What's wrong?"

She glanced up at him, and shook her head; instantly regretting it as spikes of pain ran through her skull.

He knelt down beside her and helped her to a sitting position. Gripping the railing of the balcony, she pulled herself upright, and once again glanced towards the west. A cough racked her body, and she leaned over from the sheer force. Opening her eyes, she saw a bright splash of red blood on the floor.

Wiping her mouth, she straightened, and glanced over at Chase who was staring at her with worry shining in his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but she quickly cut him off.

"I'm fine. The Force will fix me up good as new in no time. But now we've got to go rescue Asyra'mata. She's being tortured."

She stepped away from the railing, the world wavering around her for a moment. Clenching her jaw, she took another step, as Chase stepped in front of her.

"What aren't you telling me?"

She stared at him for a moment, and then sighed. "She's being tortured, by someone using the Force. Whoever it is, is calling me. They want me to go to them."

Chase frowned. "Then, wouldn't it be a bad decision to do so?"

Before she could respond, a shock wave rolled over them, shaking the building, and sending a fine mist of dust rolling out from the dome's ceiling.

"What was that," Chase asked.

Noelani looked off towards the main gate, a plume of smoke becoming visible in the distance.

"I'm not certain, but it doesn't look like its good news…"

---

Next Post

Jedi Adept: A Path In The Dark -- Ch. 16

Previous Post

---

Chase followed behind Noelani, occasionally stealing glances at Asyra'mata. It comforted him somehow that the young Twi'lek was as confused by Noelani's actions as he was.

He thought back to what he had seen: a Guard unit slaughtering the Ferals; ruthlessly and without provocation or mercy. He personally, did not see anything wrong with it; after all that's why they had been in this sector of the Under City.

Yet, Noelani had reacted badly. Her hands had clenched the railing until she shattered the plasteel that it had been made from.

Sighing, he tried again. "Noelani?"

She stopped suddenly, and he stumbled to keep from running into her.

She spoke without turning to face him. "You think I'm something of an oddball don't you? You think this was about the Ferals?"

He glanced over at Asyra'mata for a moment. She shrugged her shoulders, letting him know that he was on his own. "No, 'Lani, I don't think that at all. I was just wondering what you were thinking."

"That was Mom."

"What?" Asyra'mata cut into their conversation.

Noelani glanced over her shoulder at the Twi'lek for a moment, and Chase saw tears streaking down her face. Instinctively he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him in a hug.

Her body shook slightly as she fought against the tears. "That was Mom who was leading those Guardsmen."

"How do you know?" he asked.

She barked a short, brittle laugh. "I'm a Jedi remember? I'd feel my Mom in the Force anywhere. Yet she felt odd, as if she was hiding something; something that she was ashamed that she had done."

"What could it be?"

She lowered her head to her chest. "I don't know. All I know is that her Force presence felt dark… dirty somehow."

Noelani's body tensed suddenly in his arms, and he frowned down at her. She pushed away from him, her lightsaber igniting in the gloom of the undercity. "We're under attack."

Blue stun bolts ripped out from the dark and struck Asyra'mata.

The girl yelped in pain as she dropped to the ground. Chase's blaster rifle was up against his shoulders within seconds. The bits and pieces of yammosk that were in his brain were feeding him details about where the stun bolts had come from.

Looking down the barrel of his rifle, he centered the finder on the spot, and squeezed the trigger. A bright red bolt of energy was spat from the end of the rifle. A feminine cry of pain came out from the darkness.

Then suddenly there was a second lightsaber shining.

Their attackers stepped into the light, and Chase realized it was the Guardsmen from earlier. One of them spoke. "You are all under arrest."

Noelani's body was hunched over slightly. "For what?"

"Pursuant to Galactic Alliance Code 75124.4Aurek, you are trespassing. The Guard has annexed this entire section as part of our training compound."

Chase barked a laugh. "Jeez, 'Lani. Why is it that whenever I'm with you, someone is trying to arrest me?"

He could almost sense the amusement from her.

Then the Guardsmen with the lightsaber took her helmet off, and Chase felt his stomach flip. He knew that Noelani had said her mother was in that squad, yet he hadn't really believed it. He had thought that Tahiri's Master was too good for that; that she was better than joining the Guard.

Tahiri stepped forward, her blade held low. "Come on, Noelani. Don't do this. Come home with me."

Noelani shook her head. "You ran away from me. You left ME." She gestured towards Chase an Asyra'mata. "I found myself a home."

Tahiri sighed and then nodded her head. A blaster bolt erupted from one of the Guard's blasters. Noelani's blade shifted and batted the bolt back.

Then Tahiri was there. Her blade slashing in; the attacks aimed at her daughter were fast and furious. Chase stared in shock for a moment, and then ducked down behind a desk. Lifting up slightly, he sighted along the gun and pulled the trigger. The bolt caught one of the soldiers in the shoulder and she spun around and dropped to the ground.

The attack seemed to wake up the remaining two Gaurdsmen, and they began pouring blaster bolts into his desk. He cursed and hunkered down. A moment later, he lifted his head up, and saw that one of the soldiers was pulling Asyra'mata away from them.

"No!" He screamed at her, and fired three times in that direction, haphazard shots. The soldier hunkered down slightly and continued pulling Asyra'mata away. Then the other soldier threw something at him.

He glanced down, and felt his eyes widen in shock. Sitting at his feet was a small-yield explosive device. "Kriff!" he muttered as he jumped away from the grenade.

From the corner of his eye he saw Tahiri kick Noelani in the stomach, knocking her down through a hole. Chase raised his blaster and fired off a quick shot, amazed as it struck Tahiri in the thigh.

Noelani's mom dropped to the ground, clutching her leg, and Chase glanced over at the doorway that Asyra'mata had been taken through. He frowned for a moment and then dropped through the hole, chasing after Noelani.

-------------------------------
Noelani felt Tahiri's kick to the stomach. The wind rushed out from her in a whoosh, and suddenly she was falling.

She slammed into something hard and unyielding and heard her saber skitter off into the darkness. Her chest burned, and she suddenly remembered that she had to breathe.

Her first gulp of air, burned and she rolled over coughing, as tears sprang to her eyes. They were tears that had nothing to do with the pain in her back and stomach, and everything to do with the fight that she had just had.

She struggled to up until she was on her hands and knees and then lifted her head, looking up at the hole in the ceiling through which she had fell. A shadow crossed over it and a moment later, someone landed with a thud on the ground next to her.

Reaching out with the Force, she latched on to her saber and pulled it to her hand. Once she felt the metal hilt hit her palm she activated it to find Chase getting to his feet.

He blinked in the sudden light, and glanced up. Giving a quick shake of his head, he grabbed her hand and started pulling her towards a door. "Come on, we've got to run."

Noelani was startled, and stumbled after him, as she looked up at the hole. "But what about Asyra'mata?"

"She was captured."

Shock reverberated through her, as she stumbled to a stop. "Captured?"

"Yeah," Chase replied, pulling her arm again. "We've got to move."

Then a wave of concussive pressure slammed into them, flattening them both to the ground.

Noelani lifted her head, and found herself once more wrapped in Chase's arms. Hearing returned with a sharp ringing in her ears, and she shook her head in an attempt to clear it.

After a minute or two, Chase stood and glanced over where the hole had been. Noelani looked that way, and discovered that it had been enlarged and the floor beneath it was filled with smoking rubble.

Noelani stepped forward, and began to pull the Force to her, intending to jump up through the hole.

"Wait," Chase called out to her.

She paused, and glanced over at him. "What?"

"What are you planning on doing?"

She felt her face twisting into a scowl. "I'm going to go after Asyra'mata."

He shook his head. "They're probably already gone, but we know who they were and where they're probably at. Let's go talk to Evir." She frowned at him, and he stepped forward, holding his hands out towards her. "Please, 'Lani."

Sighing, she lowered her head, grief slammed into her, and she dropped to her knees, her hands covering her face as the first of the tears formed in her eyes. "I don't want to leave her…"

Chase dropped down beside her and wrapped her in his arms. "We're not going to. I promise; we'll get her back."

She lifted her face from her hands and looked into his eyes. Slowly, she nodded.

He smiled and she felt her heart jump in her chest. "Good, now let's go make some plans on how we're going to get Asyra'mata back."

-------------------------------
Asyra'mata felt herself being dragged down a hallway. A black bag was over her head, hiding her surroundings from her. She strained her ears, trying to hear anything that could help her escape.

Then the movement stopped, and she felt herself being lifted up and then tossed. She curled up, trying her best to protect her head from the inevitable fall.

Then she slammed hard into the floor. She coughed, and the bitter-chalk taste of blood filled her mouth.

A moment later, she felt the wrist restraints being released, and with a profound sense of joy, she yanked the bag from her head.

Blinking in the bright glare of the lights, she looked around, and found the door. Standing there was one of the Guard soldiers who had attacked them. She was not much taller than Asyra'mata herself was, and had long bright blonde hair—and she looked exactly like Noelani.

The deep pain of betrayal slashed at her.

"Noelani?"

An odd emotion flickered across the soldier's face. "No. But hopefully we both will be seeing my daughter soon enough."

Asyra'mata spat a mouthful of blood at the soldier.

It landed on her thigh; a bright red in direct contrast of the black body armor. The soldier looked down at it for a moment, and a look of anger and hate formed on the blonde's face. Asyra'mata felt something picking her up, and as her feet left the ground, she found it hard to breathe.

A gurgle escaped her lips and the sound seemed to snap the woman out of her reverie. Asyra'mata dropped to the ground, coughing once again as she tried to gulp down air.

The blonde spun on her heel and left, the door closing with an echoing finality behind her.

She crawled into the corner, and curled around her legs. Intently, she stared at the door; waiting for her chance to escape.

---

Next Post

Jedi Adept: A Path In The Dark -- Ch. 15

Previous Post

---

Evir stood over them, his cold eyes flicking between Noelani, Chase and Asyra'mata. "I need you three to go to area 4 and clear out as many of the Ferals as you can find."

Neolani frowned at the request. "We're not trying to capture them now?"

Evir shook his head. "No. The group in Area 4 has mutated slightly; and for whatever reason they've become even more aggressive and virulent."

Noelani glanced over at Chase who merely shrugged his shoulders. Focusing back on Evir, she replied, "Okay, we can do that."

Evir smiled broadly. "Wonderful. See Gorn, he'll provide you with maps and a transport."

Evir turned away from them, leaving their house. Noelani watched the closed door for a minute, and then shook her head. She allowed her gaze to flick between Chase and Asyra'mata. "Well, we have a job to do. Let's get ready."

The two nodded and headed upstairs. Noelani looked towards the door for a moment. Something was bothering her, a niggling sense of wrongness in the Force. She frowned as she tried to focus on it.

Finally, the wrongness left, and she shook her head, sighing. Then she went upstairs and got into her own jumpsuit. It was as much battle armor as jumpsuit. After what happened with Gorn she had insisted that everyone on her team have them.

A knock on the door drew her attention and Asyra'mata stuck her head in. "You ready, Mom?"

Noelani frowned at the younger Twi'lek. "Just because I put up with that from Prilla and Jena doesn't mean that I'll put up with it from you."

"I understand," Asyra'mata replied even as she grinned maliciously. "Of course, I do have to know… should I call Chase 'papa?'"

Noelani felt a blush burn against her cheeks. "I… I don't know what you're talking about."

Asyra'mata laughed, as she turned and left the room. "Sure you don't, Mom."

Noelani frowned at the door as it closed; part of her terrified that Asyra'mata might be right. Movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention and she shifted that way—to find herself staring at her own reflection in a mirror.

For a moment, she could have sworn it was Tahiri watching her out of the black body armor. Her eyes seemed to flicker between green and blue, and Noelani got lost in them. A shiver raced down her spine, even as Noelani thought, I wonder what mom's doing right now.

A few minutes later, the door opened again, and Chase stepped into the room. He too wore the black body armor, and she felt a blush flash to her cheeks as he stood just inside of her doorway.

"Hey, you ready to go? Me and Asyra'mata have been waiting for you downstairs."

Noelani blinked and glanced at the chrono by her bedside. She frowned as she realized that she had been up here changing for nearly forty minutes. "What happened to the time?"

Chase chuckled. "Not sure, you seemed pretty out of it when I stepped into the room. Is everything all right?"

Noelani shook her head again, and walked towards the door. "Question for another day I guess. We need to go take care of those ferals now."

Chase smiled at her. "Sounds good to me."

He held his hand out towards her, and she grasped it as she headed downstairs.

A few hours later, Chase set their speeder down at the outskirts of their assigned area. Noelani jumped out of the speeder, and stretched out with the Force, trying to find any ferals in the region.

"Anything?" said Asyra'mata.

Noelani shook her head. "No. I can't feel any in the Force."

Chase chuckled. "Then I guess we'll have to do this the old fashioned way."

Noelani sighed as she reached back into the speeder and pulled out her blaster rifle. "That's gonna take so long though."

Chase laughed. "Of course it is. Now, let's head North-west first."

Asyra'mata spoke up, "Why that way?"

Chase looked over at Asyra'mata, and replied, "Well, it looks cleaner that way."

Noelani smiled and wrapped the strap of the rifle over her shoulder. She then reached back into the speeder and pulled out a helmet. According to Evir, it was Stormtrooper surplus armor from the Galactic Civil War that he had purchased and then painted back. Yet, as she pulled the helmet down, she wondered once again just who Evir really was. It wasn't often, but occasionally she'd get a bad feeling from him.

"'Lani?"

She blinked and then shifted her head so she could see Chase through the helmet's visor—only to find that he had his helmet on as well. A pang of disappointment sliced through her.

"Something wrong?"

"No… I was just thinking."

She watched his helmet for a moment.

"Gotcha," he replied and then gestured towards the North-west.

She sighed and then started walking in the direction he pointed. Her eyes scanned the dimly lit alleyways and streets, picking out landmarks the way Tahiri had taught her a lifetime ago.

Asyra'mata walked on her left with Chase on her right. She knew that both of them were scanning their surroundings the same way she was. She could feel their focus in the Force, and her helmet had small view screens on it which showed her what they were looking at.

After an hour's march, Noelani called for a break. She pulled off her helmet, her hair sticking to her forehead. She glanced at the other two, and shook her head. "I don't think there's anything in this area."

Chase looked around, a frown on his face. "I don't know… I, I kind of feel like we're being stalked."

Asyra'mata shrugged her shoulders. "If you want to stay, I'll stay, if you want to go, I'll go. You're leading us Noelani; it's your decision. But I do find it odd that there are no sounds here. Almost like all the creatures have fled the area."

Noelani nodded her head, and was about to tell them that they should pack it up, when the Force wailed in warning.

She spun around, and pulled her saber in one smooth movement, the blade's snap-hiss shattering the peaceful silence which reigned over the abandoned undercity.

A chunk of rock flew from an upper window and shattered near them, showering them with shards of ferrocrete. A moan from behind them alerted them to the presence of ferals, and Noelani turned that way to find a dozen of the creatures ambling towards them.

"Kriff," Chase muttered under his breath. "We were suckered into a trap."

Asyra'mata snorted in sarcastic amusement. "You don't think?"

Noelani sighed as she rushed forward. "Less talk; more freeing these poor souls from their pain."

Then she was in the midst of them. Brilliant red bolts of energy flew over her shoulders striking the ferals, as she sliced them down with her lightsaber. Yet she felt safe—she knew that neither Chase nor Asyra'mata would shoot her.

Within moments, all of the ferals were dead, and she stood in the center of the gore. Frowning for a moment, she knelt down beside one of the corpses, and broke off a chunk of the coral in order to get a better look at the face.

It was a child, a few years younger than she herself was, around Asyra'mata's age; and it was a child she recognized. It was Threll.

Noelani looked up and over at Asyra'mata. She could feel the young Twi'lek's shock and grief in the Force; a palatable feeling that resonated with Noelani.

"I'm sorry Asyra'mata."

She shook her head quickly, her lekku twinning around themselves. "He made his choices."

Noelani nodded and glanced past her to where Chase was scanning the buildings around them. "That doesn't mean that we can't grieve."

"When the mission's over."

She stood up and walked over to Asyra'mata, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're not older than me?"

Asyra'mata chuckled. It was weak, and filled with pain; but it was a chuckle.

-------------------------------
Tahiri gripped her saber tighter in her hand, squeezing the shaft of metal as hard as she could. She didn't like being down here. It felt oppressive and dead; feelings which affected both her Tusken upbringing and the implanted memories of being born in a Yuuzhan Vong Crèche.

She glanced over at Zora for a moment, and then raised her hand and gestured forward sharply. Zora raised her rifle and slowly moved forward.

As the rest of her squad advanced, Tahiri took a moment to look around. This deep in the bowels of the city-planet brought back other memories. Memories of the war and the two missions where she infiltrated the deep undercity of Coruscant, when it was the Yuuzhan Vong homeworld.

A quick click rang out on her comlink, and Tahiri lifted her head and advanced with more purpose. A few minutes later she found Zora and the other girls standing on a railing overlooking a lobby.

Beneath them, huddled together in the darkness, was nearly a hundred of the Ferals.

Tahiri stood in shock for a moment. She hadn't expected to actually find a group of the creatures. After blinking for a few minutes, she glanced around, and made a circle motion. She watched as her squad spread out around the railings.

Then there she heard the distinct clicks and whirls of their weapons powering up.

The first discharge was loud and echoed for a moment before the rest of the girls poured terawatts of energy into the unsuspecting Ferals.

Tahiri watched, and a chill raced down her spine as she picked up a new sound. It was an inhuman wail of pain and terror; one that reached deep into her mind and seemed to plant itself there.

Then silenced descended upon the chamber--interrupted for a moment by the ticks of cooling weapons.

Tahiri walked forward, and gripped the railing to look down and see the death she had just ordered on unsuspecting, living creatures.

She glanced down and instantly had to bit her tongue at the scene beneath her. She closed her eyes and quickly said a prayer to Yun-Shuno on the hope that the Ferals would be taken care of in the after life.

Then the stench of burnt and charred flesh and coral reached her nose and she had to fight back the urge to vomit. She clutched her hand over her mouth and took a step back away from the railing.

Noise on the upper level drew her attention and she lifted her gaze. In the shadows she could make out three figures, what appeared to be a male and female human and a female Twi'lek.

As she stared at them, the female human stepped forward and into a beam of the dim lighting.

Tahiri's heart jumped in her chest. Standing up there was her little girl; her Noelani.

Emotions flickered across the girl's face: disgust, sadness, pity and disappointment.

Then just as suddenly as she appeared, she was gone again.

---

Next Post

Jedi Adept: A Path in the Dark Ch. 14

Previous Post

---

Tahiri stood in the observation blister above the operating theater. Zora stood a few steps behind her, as Tahiri had assigned the young private as her assistant. Yet Zora was not the focus of her attention. What she was focused on was the doctors operating on the feral beneath them.

She frowned as she felt the feral's pain radiating through both the Force and her nascent ability to sense the Yuuzhan Vong's shaped lifeforms. She blinked, disturbed slightly by the distorted echo that the feeling caused in her soul.

Glancing quickly at Zora, she said, "What exactly are they doing today?"

In the glass reflection, she saw the young girl pull out a datapad and quickly began to read. A pang of guilt and sadness washed over her quickly; once more this young girl reminded her of her own daughter. For a moment, she wondered where Noelani was; what she was doing, if she was being a good apprentice to Tionne.

Zora's reply drew her from her ruminations. "They're testing the feral's innate telepathic ability. From my understanding the docs want to know how much the collective feels when a single feral is under intense stimulus."

Tahiri frowned at that; it reminded her of a similar experiment that the Jedi had carried out on a Killik just a few short years ago; specifically, experiments that were performed on a Killik of the nest that she had begun to form a joining with.

She glanced over at Zora. "So, that means there's another feral in the same colony somewhere under observation?"

Zora nodded her head. "Yes, it's a few sectors away, but we have a Guard research unit monitoring them for reactions."

Tahiri turned away from the window. "And we have a mission today?"

Zora pressed a few commands into her datapad. "Yeah. We're to go out and patrol sector A and destroy any ferals that we come across."

Tahiri glanced at the younger girl. "Destroy? Not capture or restrain in some way?"

"Nope. The orders say we're to kill them."

Tahiri sighed, and then walked out of the observation chamber. A second later Zora followed her, the girl's heavy boots falling loudly on the linoleum tile. Tahiri glanced down at her own bare feet and sighed.

Then shaking her head she walked towards the area of the building where her squad's quarters were. Zora went into one room, while she entered her own and quickly donned the Guard uniform. Straightening up, she stepped lightly into the heavy combat boots, getting used to their weight as she strapped her utility belt back around her waist.

Anakin's saber hung at her hip, a comforting weight. She caressed the hilt with the Force and felt the tiny bit of Anakin that was at the heart of the weapon's living crystal.

Then she confidently strode out into the hallway. A few minutes later Zora and the rest of her squad appeared; hidden and anonymous in the full body armor of the Guard. Tahiri frowned for a moment, some part of her instinctively not liking the uniform, despite the fact that having grown up a Tusken, covering every inch of skin was almost second nature.

She shook her head, and slipped her own helmet over her head. Data swarmed across the interior of her visor, and Zora's voice sounded close and intimate from the helmet's speakers. "You all right, boss?"

Tahiri nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

The squad turned and headed towards the lift at the end of the hall.

Within a half hour they were patrolling the undercity. The black armor they wore glinted coldly in the dim light. Yet from within the confines of the helmet, Tahiri was able to see clearly—almost as if it were the middle of the day. The squad moved with precise steps. Zora walked on her right, Lys and Sera, the other two members of her squad, were on her left and in front of her respectively.

As they moved through the area, Tahiri noticed something: there was no one around. On a planet with the population which Coruscant boasted, she found it amazing that there was literally no one there.

She reached out with the Force, hunting for someone and felt only a slight tingle a short distance away. Frowning, she stopped walking and closed her eyes, and then she stretched her Force powers further.

It felt odd to her. Not right. It felt like an abomination; something almost aware, yet almost a Yuuzhan Vong biot. Underneath everything though, there was a strong set of desires; animalistic urgings to eat and mate.

Zora's voice whispered in her ear, "Boss?"

Tahiri's eyes snapped open, and she shifted her head to find Zora's helmet looking towards her.

Then she lifted her head and looked to the west, where she could feel them. Raising her arm, she pointed. "We need to go that way. There are some ferals over there."

After a moment's hesitation, Lys spoke. "Yes sir."

The other three began jogging in the direction Tahiri pointed, and after taking a deep breath, Tahiri began chasing after them.

-------------------------------

Noelani stood on the balcony right off her bedroom. She lifted her face, and watched the dome ceiling for a moment. Sighing, she wished she could see the stars. She missed them, and all that they represented.

Finally, she lowered her face and turned back to look into her bedroom. Curled up on the bed was Huff. The young Bothan had not taken to sleeping in his own bed, and would routinely find his way into either her room or Asyra'mata's.

"Hey Noelani."

She turned back to the balcony and saw that Chase was standing on his, watching her. She found herself blushing, as she walked to the railing closest to him.

"Hey yourself."

"Do… do you want to talk for a while?"

Noelani grinned and quickly nodded her head. She looked into her bedroom for a moment, wondering if Huff would wake up if she opened the door. Deciding it wasn't worth the chance, she took a few steps backwards and then pulled the Force to her, as she jumped.

She landed on his balcony, and he wrapped his arms around her, steadying her.

Smiling, for what seemed to her like the first time in ages, she wrapped her own arms around him, and leaned her head against his chest.

Surprise raced through her. She felt safe and comfortable in his arms; almost like she belonged there.

It scared her.

The feeling created a deep, cold knot of abject terror that raced up and down her spine. She blinked and wondered about it; quickly realizing that she was afraid that Luke Skywalker would appear and take him away.

Her fear was that she would lose him to the Jedi.

The same way that she had lost every thing else in her life that she had considered important.

He ran his hand over her hair, and she sighed. A moment later tears sprang to her eyes, and a shudder raced through her body.

"Shhh," Chase whispered into the top of her head. "It's not your fault. There was no way you could have known they'd change how they attack."

"I know… but it's not just that. I've been having bad dreams… nightmares really."

"What is it?"

"Remember the day we first came here. How I told Asyra'mata about my mom and the Jedi? How you thought it wasn't everything?"

Chase frowned and slowly nodded his head.

"Well, the person who took my Mom away was Luke Skywalker. He mind-rubbed her so that she wouldn't remember me being born or even her being pregnant." Noelani felt a shudder race down her spine. "In my nightmares, I feel him coming after me, and yanking those that I love away from me, stripping them out of my life; one person at a time."

She pulled away from Chase, stepping closer to the railing, and leaned out over it, once more lifting her eyes to the ceiling, and wishing for the stars.

After a few moments, Chase put his hands on her shoulders. "You don't have to worry about it. I'm here and the Jedi can't keep me away."

Noelani turned back to face him, tears burning her eyes and blurring her vision. She nodded her head slowly. "I know… and that scares me too."

-------------------------------

The Festering Wound dropped through the atmosphere of the Jeedai homeworld. She could feel the light side of the Force permeating the entire environment. It sickened her.

Yet the Dark Side of the Force drew her here. It wanted her here on this world. As her ship settled to the ground, she closed her eyes, and focused on the swirling energies which became the future. Everything told her to simply wait; that what she was searching for would come to her.

She left the ship, the living implants which were the sign of her rank before learning of the Force writhed in almost ecstasy at the taste of this new world.

Ulya Tu just walked forward, following a whirl of the Force. Suddenly she realized that she was no longer alone. She watched as a young infidel, a Bothan if her memory served her, was standing in a doorway of one of the buildings.

The Bothan hissed at her. "What are you doing here, Vong?"

Ulya Tu's mouth twitched in amusement. "I'm waiting." She polled the Force, trying to determine if this creature was the one she was here to find. No, she's not the one. After a moment, she continued speaking. "What are you doing here youngling?"

The Bothan's eyes narrowed. "I… I'm just here."

"Then we have nothing to fear from one another, do we?"

"This world belongs to the Jedi. You shouldn't be here."

Ulya Tu laughed slightly. "I see no Jeedai here. Only a scared little girl, hiding from the galaxy that she believes treated her wrong."

The Bothan bared her fangs. "I'm not scared."

Ulya Tu walked closer to her. "Oh, but I think you are. I can taste the fear rolling off of you. You burn with it in the Force even."

Ulya could feel the shock rolling off the young girl. A shock which quickly shifted to anger.

"What do you know of the Force?"

Ulya Tu smiled. "More than you ever dreamed possible, youngling."

Ulya Tu closed her eyes, and stretched out with the Force; once more hunting for that call, that awareness. She felt it, a dim, far off wavering in the Force. It was a call that told her two things. The first was that she must wait here for her apprentice to come to her.

Second that she needed this young Jeedai trainee.

Ulya Tu opened her eyes, and reached into a pouch attached to her armor at the waist. She pulled out a wad of blorash jelly and threw it at the young Bothan. The jelly struck the girl and bound her in place.

Fear and anger rolled off her, a wailing in the Force. Ulya Tu grinned and closed the distance between them. Then she placed a finger against the girl's forehead and pulled the Force to her.

With a flash of bright lightning, Ulya Tu scrambled the girl's neural synapses. She knew enough about infidel biology to know that the girl would survive, though she'd be comatose for the next few weeks.

Still grinning, she turned around and made her way back to the Festering Wound. Her apprentice would come to her, and somehow, in some way, this young Bothan would help her bind her apprentice to her, and to the Dark Side of the Force.

---

Next Post