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