TES Episode 6: Honeymoon and Star Wars

by John the Enforcer

The sixth Episode of the Saga is a tie-in with the events of Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace...don't worry, Jar Jar-haters. He only makes one appearance and that's it.

(Parts with "" are parts where a character is speaking in an alien language)...

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...(an appropiate begininng, wouldn't you say?)

THE ENFORCER SAGA

Chapter Six: Honeymoon and Star Wars

by

John "the Enforcer" Fadeley

Turmoil has engulfed the Galactic Republic. The taxation of trade routes to the outlying star systems is in dispute.



Hoping to resolve the matter with a blockade of deadly battleships, the greedy Trade Federation has stopped all shipping to the small planet of Naboo.



Down on the planet's surface, two echidnas, recently married, are taking in the sights of the peaceful and beautiful world they have chosen for their honeymoon. Unfortunately, their blissful honeymoon is about to be violently cut short...

The Date: July 13th, 3237.

A small, biplane-like vessal snapped out of hyperspace. It was using several small engines on the rear of it for its hyperdrive and sublight propulsion, was a dark green in color, and bore the name "Gust 2".

It's pilot was a young, green vampire bat in a robe and hood, hiding his standard appearance. It's passenger was a yellow hedgehog who also wore the same robes and hood that the pilot wore. The other thing that they had in common was that they were Jedi.

"Dave, can I take these stupid robes off soon? They're making my wings itch!" Kenny complained.

"Soon, my young friend. Very soon." Dave, the hedgehog known better as the Gold Jedi, replied. He looked hard at the large, semi-circular ships ahead of them, surrounding the small and peaceful world of Naboo.

It was like a nightmare back home. Droids...thousands of them...descending from the sky...all of them heavily armed. Dave requested permission from Princess Sally to go to Naboo, where the Force told him that there was the source of the problem. The Freedom Fighters would hold their own against the battle droid armies, but it would take more than that to call off this invasion upon their world...

"Don't forget Chandral, Dave." Kenny told Dave telepathically through the Force.

"I haven't forgotten, my padawan. I won't let this senseless invading of either of our worlds continue." Dave said. Chandral was in the same state as Mobius...surrounded by Trade Federation battleships, their droid armies falling upon the serene world....

The Force alerted them. Another ship was coming.

Suddenly, a larger vessel soared out of hyperspace. Before either of the Mobian Jedi spoke, Kenny quickly put their ship into a dive to avoid collision.

"SUNDAY PILOTS!" Kenny shouted while shaking a fist at the other ship...until he realized, "Dave, that's a Republic Cruiser."

"Yes. And a couple of our Jedi bretheren are on board." Dave said, his eyes closed, seeing with the Force aiding him.

"Other Jedi?! WOW!" Kenny exclaimed. Dave was the only Jedi Kenny ever knew in his entire life. He then asked, "So...what're they doing here?"

"Why don't we find out? Head for the blockade." Dave commanded.

Kenny grinned as he added more thrust to the engines as he cheered, "Yes, sir!"

A communication came through, showing the face of Viceroy Nute Gunray. "Please identify yourselves!" he ordered.

Dave put his hand on his padawan learner's shoulder and said, "I'll handle this. We're the ambassadors for Mobius. With all due respect, Viceroy, we wish to board your vessel immediately."

"Yes, of course. As you know, our blockades around Naboo, Chandral, and Mobius are perfectly legal. We would be most honored to receive you, ambassadors." Nute Gunray said before the communication was terminated.

" 'Perfectly legal' my little green ass!!!" Kenny roared, "Dave, that Neimoidian jerk..."

"...is lying, I know. But their race is prone to lying, for such is an action of cowards. Just get us aboard the Saak'ak." Dave said.

Kenny, while grumbling a little, flew the Gust 2 into the massive hangar of the Trade Federation battleship, parking along side the larger Republic Cruiser.

As he and Dave got out, they saw the other Jedi knights being led to a large blast door by several droids. Kenny then turned to a battle droid that was standing to attention near them and said, "If you guys scratch the paint job, you're dead meat." The droid just stared back blankly.

A silvery protocal droid approached them, and said "I am TC-14, at your service. Please follow me."

As they were led down the hallways of the Saak'ak, the two Jedi noticed all the battle droids moving about. Kenny then asked, "Hey, TC! What's with all the feverish activity?"

"I'm sorry. I am only an interpreter. Such matters like what those dreadful battle droids are engaged in are not in my programming." TC-14 replied, looking over her shoulder to answer the young vampire bat.

They finally reached the conference room. Two, taller, robed figures stood there. "We are greatly honored by your prescence, ambassadors. Please make yourselves comfortable. My masters will be with you shortly." TC-14 said...after noticing Dave's lightsaber. The droid then left the room.

Dave grinned as the taller of the two Jedi, a bearded human stepped forward. "Master Qui-Gon Jinn." Dave acknowledged.

Qui-Gon Jinn extended his hand to shake Dave's and acknowledged, "Master Dave Hedgehog. It is good to see you again. A pity it must be under these circumstances. This is my padawan learner, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

The younger human stepped forward and shook hands with the Gold Jedi. "I heard you gave up your chair in the Jedi Council." Obi-Wan said.

"I didn't really abdicate the seat. I felt that Mobius was in dire need of my skills. Who's keeping the seat warm?" Dave questioned.

"Master Yarel Poof, the last time we were in the council chambers." Qui-Gon replied.

Dave smiled and said, "That old Quermian...such a good friend."

Kenny made an *AHEM!*-type sound and the Gold Jedi said, "My apologies. This is my apprentice, Kenny the Vampire Bat."

Kenny stepped forward and shook hands with Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Qui-Gon turned to Dave and asked, "How is he doing with his training?"

"Right now, he is at the extent of what I've been able to teach him about the Force and its ways. It will be up to the council whether he's ready to take the trials or not." Dave replied.

Obi-Wan questioned, "Master, how do you think the Viceroy will react to Chancellor Valorum's demands?"

"These Federation types are cowards. The negotiations will be short." Qui-Gon Jinn replied.

Meanwhile, on the main deck,...

"WHAT?! What did you say?" Nute Gunray asked to TC-14.

The droid calmly answered, "The ambassadors, all of them, are Jedi Knights. I saw their lightsabers."

Daulty Dofine, the captain of the Saak'ak, whimpered, "I knew it. They've come to force a trade settlement. Blind me, we're done for!"

The Viceroy, his nerves shaken but not to the point of panicking, said, "You distract them. I'll contact Lord Sidious."

"Are you brain dead?! I'm not going in there with four Jedi!" the captain screamed...before turning to TC-14 and said, "Send a droid."

TC-14 looked back, in a reaction of what could only be described as stunned horror, only to then go on her way...

Meanwhile, in Theed City on Naboo...

"Aaaaah...what a beautiful morning." Adonna-Lyn said as she stood upon the balcony of the inn. She was dressed in her Chandralite casual clothes.

The morning itself was beautiful. As the sun of the Naboo system rose over the rooftops of Theed City, it looked like something out of a fairytale. To the echidna princess, it was the first time she had been to a planet outside of her home system.

She suddenly heard an audible moan and turned around to see a large lump in the bed they were sleeping in, turning to avoid the sunlight. It was, of course, John the Echidna, the former bounty hunter known as the Enforcer...and her husband.

She light-heartedly giggled, and went over to where she could see her husband's face. She then held his nose shut, preventing any air from going in. With several fits, John quickly woke up, shouting, "Losing air...can't...breathe...must save...Adonna-Lyn!" He then noticed Adonna-Lyn's hand on his nose. "You really have to find a less dangerous way of waking me up." he said as he got out of bed.

"Well, then you should find a way to wake up in time to appreciate a morning sky." she said as she turned to find Heavy.

"C'mere, you." John said as he brought Adonna-Lyn close, having her sit on his knees. She laughed a little and so did John, and then they kissed. They kept at it for a while until they separated for moment and looked at each other lovingly.

"So, what do you have planned for today?" she asked.

"Oh, I was thinking along the lines of exploring the Gungan Frontier." John replied as he stood up alongside his bed.

"Gungan?" she asked.

"Yeah." John replied, "The Gungans are an amphibious race that also inhabit Naboo. They live in cities that are underwater and are grown from biological material. They have an advanced society, able to 'grow' their technology and weapons."

"Weapons?" Adonna-Lyn gasped worriedly, "What if they attack the Naboo?"

"Don't worry. They have established a long-standing peace with the Gungans, so the chances of them attacking are about as small...as the chances that we'll ever be separated again." John said as he brought his loving wife into an embrace.

"*AHEM*! If you two lovebirds are done living up to the specie name, I would like to alert you to the fact that communications to anyone outside of the Naboo system has just been severed." Heavy, John's robotic mechanic and co-pilot, stated.

Upon hearing Heavy's statement, John got on his communicator and tried to contact Dave. Surprisingly, he made contact. "Dave? Dave, come in." John said.

"Can it wait? We're a little busy at the moment." Dave said, the sounds of lightsabers and blasterfire in the background blaring.

"What's going on? Where are you?" John asked.

"We're aboard one of the Trade Federation vessals. They blew up our transports...they tried to gas us...and currently, we're fighting for our lives against three droidekas! John, it would be well advised to get Adonna-Lyn out of there. The Trade Federation...they're about to begin an invasion on Naboo! Get out of there while you stil...." Dave warned until the transmission was cut off.



Meanwhile, back on the Saak'ak...



"Damn! A perfectly good communicator gone to waste." Dave commented as he, Qui-Gon, Kenny and Obi-Wan ducked into a ventilation shaft, avoiding the on-coming destroyer droids and their laserfire. His communicator was hit by a blaster bolt from one of the rolling, killing droids.

"Just be thankful we made it out of there with our lives." Qui-Gon said to the Gold Jedi.

Kenny looked through a grate and saw something. "Hey, guys! Get a load of this!" he whispered as he pushed the grate open. In a large docking bay were thousands of battle droids, about to be loaded into massive MTTs, Mutiple Troop Transports.

Obi-Wan grimaced at the sight and said, "It's an invasion army."

Qui-Gon looked and said, "This is a rather odd play for the Trade Federation. We have to warn the Naboo. We'll stow away in those ships and meet each other down on the surface."

"You were right about one thing, Master." Obi-Wan joked, "The negotiations were short."



On a shuttle hovering in orbit of Naboo...

"Viceroy, we have a transmission coming in from the Mobadan system." a communications droid reported.

"Put it through." Nute Gunray said.

Rune immediately recognized his niece, Garan Haako. "Well, my niece, what have you to report to us?" he asked.

Garan grinned. Unlike other Neimoidians, she was aggressive, challenging the cowardly ways of her people. Some even suspected that she was learning the ways of the Dark Side of the Force, for the purposes of defeating anyone who would oppose her business purposes. "Mobius is currently under our occupation now, my uncle. Chandral, however, is a different matter. We've managed to round up their people and leaders, but their 'Supreme Ruler' is proving to be most stubborn to my ways of persuasion." she rasped to him.

Nute Gunray leaned forward and asked, "Any ideas on how we CAN persuade him to see our point of view?"

"There may be one idea. Using his daughter, the princess Adonna-Lyn as a hostage and forcing him into doing what we want will certainly help our endeavors. I forced her father to reveal her current location: Theed City on Naboo." she said.

Nute Gunray gasped. That female echidna...with that other echidna...that was her! He quickly contacted OOM-9, the commanding droid of the Trade Federation's battle droid army. The droid turned to face him and asked, "Yes, sir?"

"Captain, we found no trace of the Jedi on the Saak'ak. It's possible they've stowed away aboard one of your landing craft." Rune said.

"If they're down here, sir, we'll find them." OOM-9 replied.

"Use caution. These Jedi are not to be underestimated." Nute warned, "And if your forces happen upon a green skinned, Chandralite Echidna, she is to be captured, stunned and brought to us immediately."

Meanwhile, in the wilds of Chandral...

"I...have...to keep....going..." Neela said between her frantic breaths for air as she ran through the redwood forests of the region of Bokara.

According to what King Aaron related to her before she departed on the back of a kari, some of Chandral's wolf population were sighted within the wooded region. Their people lived far away from the rest of Chandral society, for they were in shame that one of their kind would form the infamous Order of Darkness, using magic to such dire ends. And now, they were the only people that could help her at the moment.

King Aaron's orders were very specific: "Find the wolves and convince them to have you reach Mobius and contact the Enforcer of the threat of the Trade Federation." he commanded of her. She was more than willing to take up such a daring and dangerous task. Shandray had to stay and ensure that King Aaron was well-protected from the tortures he no doubt would endure.

But now, her Kari was dead, slaughtered by the mechanical men who were aiding the Trade Federation in conquering her beloved homeworld, and she was running desparately for her life, away from the strange, flying machines that the battle droids were using as patrol vehicles.

Suddenly, her right foot became caught on something. She then felt herself being lauched into the air. Her thrashing about only resulted in getting herself entangled in bits of vine and twine. It was a net, and she was trapped in it! And to make matters worse, two STAP patrol vehicles pulled up underneath her.

One of the battle droids looked up towards her. "Assuming these emotionless heaps of metal even have eyes." she thought.

"There's that servant girl that escaped from the Supreme Royal Palace." one droid said to his partner, "How do you suppose she got up there? We haven't even had time to set traps."

"Who cares?" the other droid commanded, "Set your blaster for STUN. Garan Haako wants every citizen captured and put to work as slave labor."

"Roger roger!" the first battle droid acknowledged. Both of the droids then aimed their blasters at Neela. Not wanting to even see them fire, she closed her emerald-green eyes and awaited the inevitable, silently lamenting of how she had failed King Aaron.

All of a sudden, though, there was a loud crackling noise. She looked and saw both of the droids shaking about and dropping their blasters as bolts of electricity enveloped them. Standing not too far away from the droids was a wolf. A female wolf.

She had long, blonde-ish hair, grouped behind her head in a long braid. Her eyes were a dark brown, her fur was a light grey, and her tail ended in a silvery tip of hair. Her clothes were mostly robes and a set of black, Chandralite clothes.

She looked up at Neela, then gently lowered the net down. "You are Neela, Princess Adonna-Lyn's lady-in-waiting, are you not?" the female wolf asked.

"Yes, I am Neela...how did you...?" the squirrel servant girl began to ask.

The wolf smiled and said, "My father and I were expecting your arrival. You're a bit earlier than we expected. My name is Ranma Namine of the Trokolla clan. Please come with me."

Ranma Namine led Neela to the clan's village, made up of several huts up amongst the great redwoods around them. "No wonder sightings of them are so rare." Neela thought, "They live up here in the treetops."

"We live up here with good reason, daughter of Traiga the Jedi. We wish to remain separate from the rest of Chandral so that our powers will not be corrupted like the outcast who started the Order of Darkness so long ago." Ranma said, her head lowered in shame.

Neela, feeling Ranma's shame through the Force, said, "Ranma, no one blames either you or your people for what happened. Times have changed. We would be willing to accept your kind amongst us again."

"Thank you for your kind words, Neela, but until that time, we shall live separately from the rest of our world. Now, come. My father, the head of our clan, is awaiting us." Ranma said.

The Chief of the clan, a grand wolf named Farrekal, stood up from his chair in the Namine family hut. "Greetings, young Neela. I do apologize for your losses due to that traitor and his following. And we also apologize for your being captured within that net. We normally make the nets to deter people from coming towards us and atleast make it easy for the captured to escape. Right, Ranma?"

"Yes, father. I guess I'm still accustomed to making nets for capturing our food." Ranma said.

Farrekal turned to Neela and said, "We can help you to a limited extent, young Jedi. We shall teleport you to the homeland of this 'Great hero of Chandral', but from there on in, I'm sorry to say, you're on your own. I do have my resposibility to lead my people."

Neela bowed before the clan chief and said, "I understand. Thank you for your assistance during this dire time. I will make sure that such a deed will not go forgotten."

"Very well, Neela. Farewell, and good luck." Farrekal said as he began to chant the incatation for the teleport spell. Then he conjured a small, light green spark of energy and had it touch Neela's forehead. The spark enveloped the young servant girl and had her vanish from their midst.

"Father, something of what Neela said does make some sense. Time has passed since the destruction of the Order of Darkness. Our reunitement with the rest of our world surely must not be further delayed." Ranma said.

Farrekal said, "True, daughter, but when we aided the Lady Screech when she was injured, she turned my great-great-great-great-great grandfather to the side of evil and began the Order of Darkness. That is why we are so cautious with outsiders. But should this new threat come to us...then, maybe, I'll consider our reunitement with the rest of our people."

Mobius, the Floating Island, a few moments later...



Neela materialized upon the Floating Island. Unfortunately, from what she had seen, Mobius was no better off. Battle droids were everywhere, rounding up the planet's people. She then noticed two STAP patrol vehicles heading her way. But then she saw they were not directly after her, but a yellow snake.

Chrome Fingers Snake, being forced from his beloved Night Zone Casino, was slithering for his life while the tip of his tail held an energy blaster, constantly firing volleys at his mechanical pursuers. But as he turned around to check if they weren't following him, he crashed into something...rather, someone...soft....

As he ran into Neela, he slapped his coils around her by accident, pinning her arms to her sides. "What are you doing?! Get off of me!!!" she shouted at him.

They continued to roll down a hill, and right into a large tree. After they had crashed, Snake got his coils off of Neela and said, "My apologiesssssssss, my new-found friend, but I'm sssssssssslithering for my life! Thessssssse droidsssssss....they forcsssssssed me from my wonderful cassssssssino. They began herding my guessssstsssss like a bunch of Taurosssssss! I wassssss fortunate to essssscape myssssssself."

"You left those people to be captured?! You coward!" Neela snapped at him...just as a blaster bolt nearly hit her in the head.

"Get down!" Snake shouted pulled out his other two energy blasters and fired at a pair of formidable droids that were releasing many laser blasts from blaster cannons mounted on their "arms". Unfortunately, Snake's blasts merely dissolved against a field of energy surrounding the two droids. "Oh, sssssssure. They jussssst HAVE to have ssssssssshield generatorsssssssss!" the snake grumbled.

Neela looked at the canopy, noticed the location of the droids and said, "I have an idea, but for it to work, I'm going to need you to distract them."

"No problem, consssssssidering they're focussssssing on me exclusssssssively. To them, I guessssss you're not a threat." Snake said as he fired another volley at the droidekas.

"That's what you think, you cowardly worm." she thought as she climbed up a tree.

Snake continued to fire at them, until he heard the female squirrel's voice say, "Make it look like you're giving up." He looked around, wondering where she was. "Trust me." she said.

"Hoo-boy...here goessssss nothing." Snake said as he holstered his blasters and slithered towards the droidekas, his cybernetic hands in the air, "Okay, you metallic sssssscum-bucketssssssss. I admit defeat."

But before either droid calculated what hit them, Neela dropped down from the canopy above and sliced the droids in half using her De'kar stick. Snake just stood there, his mouth agape with surprise. Neela looked at him and asked, "What?"

"That wasssssss incredible! Where'd you learn to fight like THAT?!" he asked.

She sheathed the twin blades and said, "My father taught me...when he was still alive. So why are you here on this...floating island?"

"My friend, Neon Dragon, told me thissssssss issssss where I could take refuge if I needed to." Snake answered, "Sssssssaid sssssssomething about a bassssssse hidden underground...or ssssssssomething like that."

Neela closed her eyes for a moment to concentrate, then pointed in a direction to her left, saying, "This way. There's a possible entrance to this base you speak of."

"You ssssssssure? I sssssee nothing but a large tree." Snake said with a shrug.

"Trust me." she said again. She looked around for a trigger, found an oddly positioned twig, and tried to lift it. But when she did, a trap door opened under her and she dropped down. Snake, not wanting to be left behind, quickly slithered into the trap door.

Under the trap door was a long chute leading futher and further underground. Snake landed on top of Neela, who was sprawled out a bit on a large cushion, meant to ease the landing of those going down the chute.

Mighty was close by when Neela and Snake landed. He looked in the room where they where, got on a communicator and said, "Neon, your friend's here...and it would appear he's brought someone else with him."

Snake overheard what Mighty reported and asked, "Where the heck am I?"

"You're now in FICC...that is, Floating Island Central Command." Mighty said, "Now would you kindly get off the other person? It looks like you're crushing her."

"Oh. Right. Sssssssorry." Snake said as he slithered off of Neela.

Neela started to get up, then clutched her head, moaning, "Oh, my head..."

"Hey, are you al-*****!" Mighty began to ask as he went to help her up...until he and Neela's eyes met. The armadillo and squirrel didn't speak for even a minute.

"Um....hi. My name is Neela Persephone Squirrel. I'm from Chandral." she said, not looking away from the kind individual who helped her up.

"Chandral? As in the world John's wife comes from?" Mighty asked.

"The very same. I'm Princess Adonna-Lyn's lady-in-waiting." she answered. A warm feeling was swelling insider her...

"Well, I'm afraid you're gonna be waiting for quite while. The two lovebirds are still honeymooning on Naboo." Neon Dragon stated as entered the room.

"I have to warn them...Chandral is under siege...these strange mechanical men have taken control of our world." Neela reported.

"If you mean those battle droids, babe, join the club." Vector said, "We can hardly go outside without having a few of those droids on top of a Zoom Tube shaft."

Mighty quickly said, "Lay off the poor girl, Vector. She's obviously been through a lot of trouble."

"There's more. The person at the head of the invasion is after Adonna-Lyn. I have to tell John and Adonna-Lyn about this." Neela said.

Neon thought about it for a few seconds, then turned to a communication port and said, "Bomb, I need a transport fitted with Ditanium-alloy armor plating and the best shield generators we've got."

"Pingping, ping." Bomb replied.

Back on Naboo...

John was furiously packing their luggage and handing them to a nearby droid. "These bags go to Docking Bay 7, to the ship called Shadowhunter." he said.

"Understood. A pity you must be going so soon." the droid said as it left, carrying the luggage in its many arms.

John turned to Adonna-Lyn, who was sitting down on one of the beds. She looked up at John as he approached her and said, "Oh, John. I pray that our lives won't be forever like this, always being threatened wherever we go."

"I wish I could say that it wouldn't be like this, Adon, but I can't guarantee that." John said as he sat down next to her, "But what I can guarantee is that as long as I'm alive, I'll never, ever let you come to harm. As your husband and friend, I'll do everything in my power to protect you."

Suddenly, the sound of droid fighters soared over the hotel where they were. John held Adonna-Lyn close to him, muttering, "So, the invasion has begun."

In the swamps of Naboo...

Dave watched from atop a tree as a trio of MTT's bared down on Qui-Gon Jinn. Then, some orange-skinned, floppy-eared creature grabbed onto the Jedi Knight. Dave sensed the creature's fear, thinking it had found someone to protect him. He then watched as Qui-Gon Jinn and the creature tripped and fell under the MTT behind them. "Thank heavens most craft these days rely on repulsors." Dave thought as Qui-Gon and the orange bugger appeared on the other side of the advancing MTT.

He quickly ran to catch up with Qui-Gon Jinn. "Thank the Force you're alright, Master Qui-Gon."

"I would be much better if this creature didn't grab ahold of me. Now let's get back to our padawans." the old human said.

Apparently, the orange critter didn't want to be alone...or something, because he began to follow them. "Oyi, mooie mooie! I luv yous!" he said, referring to the human Jedi.

"Are you brainless?! You almost got us both killed!" Qui-Gon Jinn snapped at the orange creature.

The creature seemed offended by Qui-Gon's statement and replied, "I spake!"

"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent. Now get out of here!" Qui-Gon said, trying to shoo away the increasingly annoying creature.

The creature said, "No no, mesa stay. Mesa culled JarJar Binks. Mesa yous humbule servaunt."

"That won't be necessary." Qui-Gon stated.

"Oh boot it tis! Tis demunded byda guds. Tis a live debett." JarJar stated.

Suddenly, laserfire began to fill the immediate area. Two...no, three STAPs were closing in on Obi-Wan Kenobi. Dave and Qui-Gon almost ignited their lightsabers until one of the STAP pilots let out a loud, "YEEEEEEEEEHA!", blasting the two pursuing STAPs.

It was Kenny!

He nailed the two STAPS, then looked around on the vehicle and asked, "HEY! HOW DO YOU STOP THIS THING?!"

As the STAP flew towards the two Jedi, Dave quickly grabbed Kenny and got him off, just as the STAP crashed into a tree.

"Oh, right! It was the middle switch. Silly me!" Kenny laughed.

Dave, feeling his torso ache, said, "I wish you'd remember that sooner!"

"Oh, yous sav-ed my again!" JarJar said to Qui-Gon.

"What's this?" Obi-Wan asked.

"A local, a Gungan, if I'm not mistaken." the older Jedi said, "Let's go, before more of those droids show up."

Jar Jar gave a frightened look then gulped, "Mure? Mure, did you spake?!" He ran after the Jedi warriors, saying, "Ex-squeezee-me, but da moto safest place would be Otoh Gunga. Tis where my grew up. Tis a hidden city."

The Jedi Knights stopped. "A hidden city?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Uh huh!" JarJar said proudly.

Dave asked, "Can you take us there?"

What pride there was on Jar Jar's face quickly faded. "Uhhh...on second taut, no. Not willy, no no."

"No?!" Kenny complained, "Why not?"

"Tis embarrissing, boot um...My afraid my've been banished. Tis Nocombackie law. My forgoten der Bosses would do terrible tings to my. TERRIBLE tings to my if my goen back dare." JarJar said, very frightened.

"Do you hear that sound?" Qui-Gon Jinn asked. There was the crashing of trees and many low, pulsating hums.

JarJar acknowledged hearing them, to which Qui-Gon continued, "That's the sound of a THOUSAND TERRIBLE THINGS heading this way..."

"And if they find us," Obi-Wan continued, "They will crush us, grind us into many little pieces and then blast us into oblivion."

Upon hearing that little tidbit, JarJar said, "Ah....yousa point is well seen. Dis way! Hurry!"

Meanwhile, in Theed City...

John looked around the corner. Rounding up the citizens of Theed City were battle droids. Hundreds of them. Hovering nearby were several AAT battle tanks, their blaster cannons swiveling, waiting for one of the Naboo to try something suicidal.

"What's going on?" Adonna-Lyn whispered.

"Battle droids. Entire platoons of 'em." John whispered back, "It would only take one of them being destroyed to set off a firefight."

"Do you think we can go around them?" she asked.

"Maybe, but it will take time, which we don't have to get you to safety." John said,...before something triggered his ESP.

Adonna-Lyn asked, "The Jedi are here, aren't they?"

John smiled. Adonna-Lyn was the only echidna who was just as powerful as him, the only one who proved herself as his equal in combat. Her powers...needed work in the concentration and control departments, but she was his equal in every way. "Yeah, they're here. They're in the swamps." he answered.

"The swamps...that's a little too far from Theed City. What are they doing there?" she asked.

"They're probabley looking for a safer way into the city." John suggested, "Okay. When I give the word, you're going to head for the Jedi. You'll be...safe with them."

"John...I don't want to be separated from you. You were out of my life once. I don't want you to be away from me again." she said.

"Adon, once you get with the Jedi, they'll lead you back to me. Right now, I can't afford to have you captured by those Trade Federation bastards." John said, "There's more to this than just an invasion. There's no telling what they'll do to you if you're captured."

She looked him in the eye and said, "No matter how much they'd torture me, it would be nothing compared to the pain of losing you, my love."

"Adon..." John said solemnly.

She looked at him sadly, saying, "Oh, John...".

Then, as if it were to be the last time they would be together, they embraced each other, kissing...

After parting, John suited up into his armor. He turned to her and said, "When I start yelling, that's your signal to run, as fast as you can. Home in on the Jedi."

John then ran towards the hoards of droids, shouting, "You chip-brained losers looking for someone? I'm the only one here!" With that, he fired several shots from the shoulder blaster cannons of his armor, taking out atleast 30 droids...just as the other droids started firing.

Adonna-Lyn heard the signal and began to run for the Gungan Frontier, where she sensed the Jedi were at the moment. She looked slightly to see John. The droids laser shots were bouncing off of his armored suit, some of which bounced back and hit several of the droids. She ran for the wall that led into the Gungan Frontier.

But when she got to the top of the wall, she gulped. It was a very, very, very, very long way down!

"HALT! You are under arrest by order of the Trade Federation!" a battle droid shouted at her.

"Set for stun." another battle droid said, "The Viceroy wants this one alive."

"I don't think so." she thought as she powered up a psychic blast and fired at the two droids. But when she launched it, the force of the blast leaving her hands sent her falling backwards.

As she fell, she quickly turned herself around so that she took up the Mobian echidna gliding position and began to glide away from Theed City on her dreadlocks. She looked back for a moment, hoping John was alright...

Back in Theed...

"Viceroy, this echidna surrendered to us after a long firefight. Although he denies it, we compute that he aided the Princess Adonna-Lyn in escaping the city. I've sent several squads to capture her." OOM-9 reported. John was brought before Nute Gunray and Rune Haako in magnetic cuffs. The two Neimoidians were leaving their landed shuttle when the former echidna bounty hunter was brought before them.

"Good work, commander. Search the swamps for her and bring her back to us." Nute Gunray ordered.

"Roger roger." the droid acknowledged.

"You were with the echidna princess from Chandral. Where is she?" Rune Haako asked of John, "If you tell us, we will pay whatever reward you want."

John coldly stared at Rune and replied, "Go to Hell, you coward. Even if I did know her current whereabouts, I'd never tell scum like you."

"Then you've made your choice, you pathetic fool. Lieutenant, kill him!" Rune snapped.

But then, Nute Gunray said, "No. Put him with his ship. There, he can do no more harm to us or our droids."

"What? But Viceroy..." Rune began to argue.

"You question my orders, Settlement's Officer Haako?!" Nute growled.

Rune gulped and said, "Lt., take this scum-sucker to his ship and watch him...closely."

"Roger roger." the droid said, shoving John away.

John grinned and thought, "Maybe there is something to these Jedi mind tricks."

In the Gungan Frontier...

"How much further is it?" Obi-Wan asked of their Gungan guide. The four Jedi had followed the goofy JarJar Binks to a lake.

"Wesa goen underwater now, okeyday?" JarJar said, pointing to the lake, "Boot my warning yous...Gungans no liken outsidas. So don't spect a werm welcome."

"Believe us, this hasn't been our day for warm welcomes." Kenny joked.

JarJar then did an astounding leap into the lake, as Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan quickly pulled out small breathing masks. Qui-Gon offered two spares to Dave and Kenny.

"No thanks, Master Qui-Gon. We Mobians are quite adept for being underwater." Dave said, politely turning down the offered spares.

JarJar popped his head out of the water, saying, "Yousa follow me now, okeyday?"

With that, the human Jedi knights dove underwater. But before Kenny headed into the water, something crashed into him. Something...rather, someone with green skin.

"Princess Adonna-Lyn?!" Dave gasped, "What are you doing here?"

As she got up, she replied, "Looking for you guys." She looked around and asked, "I sensed four Jedi Knights here. Where are the other three?"

"Two of them are on their way to the Gungan City, and you're standing on one of my wings!" Kenny shouted from under her.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Let me help you up." Adonna-Lyn apologized as she got off of Kenny and started to assist him in rising to his feet.

"I think you've done..." Kenny started to snap...until he came face-to-face with the echidna princess. He was absolutely stunned by her beauty...not referring to her face, that is. He then grinned and said, "You can help me up anytime, babe."

Adonna-Lyn turned to Kenny's Jedi teacher and, with an annoyed look, asked, "Would you care to translate what this little imp just said?"

"He said something rather inappropriate to say to a HIGH PRINCESS of Chandral, your Highness." Dave replied, giving Kenny a grave look.

"WHOA! John's blushing bride here is a princess?!" Kenny gasped. Adonna-Lyn nodded. He then pulled Dave aside for a moment and said, "She looks more like a harem girl to me."

"NOT...IN FRONT...OF THE PRINCESS!!!" Dave whispered harshly, "I've seen her in action, Kenny. She will not, I repeat, NOT tolerate that kind of behavior, my young padawan. So, watch what you say around her!"

"What are you two whispering?" the princess in question asked.

Dave turned around with Kenny and said, "I was just warning Kenny to behave around you, your Highness."

"Good. So, where are we going?" she asked.

Dave, as he and Kenny started to get into the lake, said, "We're following Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi to a Gungan city, so that we can then reach Theed City and warn the citizens of the invasion."

"You're a little too late for that." she said, "The droid armies of the Trade Federation have already flooded the city. John helped me to escape from the city, sensing that they were aiming not only to capture the Naboo Queen Amidala, but me as well. I'll explain later."

"Don't you need a breathing apparatus? We ARE going underwater, after all." Kenny offered.

She smiled and said, "No need. My kind can hold our breath underwater for long periods of time." With that, she took in a deep breath of air and dove underwater. The two Mobian Jedi looked at each other, shrugged, then also dove underwater.

When the two Jedi followed her, they were astounded. She had her dreadlocks curl up close to her head in an S-shape, then she had the dreadlocks straighten out immediately, shooting her through the water like a torpedo.

As they came to a slight underwater valley, they stopped and marveled the at the city of Otoh Gunga. It was a string of immense, bubble-like structures, with bright lights illuminating the area of dark, deep waters around it.

"It's so beautiful..." Dave heard the echidna princess think through the Force, "If only...." He saw the saddened expression on her face. But then, as if not to show such weakness in front of the Jedi, she swam ahead of them. Dave almost shouted out a warning, until he remembered that he and his padawan were still underwater.

As they got closer, they saw humanoid forms, more Gungans, pointing at them and making loud calls. Adonna-Lyn seemed to ignore them and swam straight to what looked like an entrance into the Gungan city. "I hope that princess of John's doesn't get into trouble." Dave thought as he and his padawan approached the portal and stepped through it.

But to his dismay, Adonna-Lyn had already gotten into trouble. Three Gungans, astride two-legged Kaadus and armed with electro-poles, had surrounded her. "Dissen great, Cap'n Tarpals!" one of the three Gungan guards said to their leader, who had an odd pair of fleshy growths coming from the top of his face like an odd mustache.

Another Gungan added, "Yeah. First, dat trubba'maka JaJa Binks showen his lous facen back here wit two outsidas, and now more outsidas!!! Wat is hissen doin?! Leadin' a tour groupen?!"

The first Gungan said, "Mesa tinks wesa should maken a beeg exampul of thesen outsidas. Mesa sayin wesa drown dem in da planet core!"

Captain Tarpals said, "Dat's for da Bosses to deciden."

Dave stepped forward, and while waving his hand in front of the three Gungan guards, said, "There's no need for that. Your bosses have already decreed that we are to take a transport to pass through the planet core. You shall let us through."

The Gungans looked at each other, then Captain Tarpals said, "Well, wesa gotten our ordas from da Bosses. Let em' t'roo."

Dave bowed and said, "Thank you for your cooperation. We shall leave in peace."

"You never cease to amaze me, Hedge-boy." Adonna-Lyn said.

Dave, with a confused look on his face, asked, "Hedge-boy?"

Back on Mobius...

"Are you sure this is the only one with a hyperdrive engine, Bomb?" Neon asked. Neon Dragon stood with the Chaotix, Chrome Fingers Snake and Neela in the Main Hangar of FICC, near one of the truck-shaped carrier craft.

"Ping ping ping, pingpingpingping, ping ping." Bomb replied.

Neela asked, "What did he say?"

"Aptiva, translation." Neon requested.

Aptiva, the supercomputer that managed security, life support, and the Enforcer Drones, replied, "There are five other cargo ships fitted with hyperdrive engines, but only three of them have capable defensive and offensive systems, Neon Dragon."

"It'll have to do." Neon said, "Good work, Bomb."

"Pingping, ping." Bomb replied proudly, soluting the Detrossian Dragon.

Earlier, they recieved a transmission from John about the Trade Federation's invasion upon Naboo. For Adonna-Lyn's protection, John felt, it would be good to have Neon and one or two of the Chaotix come with her.

"Well, I'm all set, Neon." Mighty said.

Neela said, "I'm coming, too. I owe Adonna-Lyn and her father my life for saving me when I was younger. I must serve the princess."

Vector joked, "You sure you want to go? It would be nice to have at least one pretty girl around here."

"What are you implying by that statement, croc?!" Neon shouted.

Chrome Fingers shook his head and said, "I'm coming with you, Neon. You need a sssssssharp sssssssshooter and I'm the bessssssst you've got here at the moment."

"HEY!!! I resent that statement, you robot-part-wearing worm!" Espio argued.

Suddenly, Snake pulled one of his energy blasters out and shot at Espio. But when Espio looked, a small bit of black...something fell to the ground from his horn and disintegrated. Snake blew away the smoke from his energy blaster and put it back in his holster, saying, "Sssssspidersssssss.....sssssssuch unssssssssightly creaturessssssssss."

"Alright, it's settled. Mighty, Snake and Neela are coming with me." Neon said.

"Right. And that means I'm in charge." Vector said.

"Wrong, croc." Neon snapped.

Vector said, "Uh, yeah, I am. Unless you forget, Neon, John said that when you're gone, I'm in charge."

"Vector, I would just as soon entrust leadership of FICC to a Devaronian rather than to a lazy pervert like you." Neon said, "I need someone who will fairly command leadership around here....Bomb, you're in charge." With that, she and the selected group with her boarded the carrier craft.

As the craft left, Vector just stood there in the Hangar, awestruck. "The bomb? She put the BOMB in charge?!" he gasped.

Back on Naboo...

One of the calm waterways of Naboo suddenly parted as a Gungan submarine surfaced. Kenny peeked his head out and said, "Not bad piloting, eh, Dave?"

"Not bad at all." Dave said, "There may be hope for you yet, my young Padawan."

"Thanks...I think." Kenny said, suspicious of his master's last statement.

"HALT! Stay where you are!" a battle droid ordered.

"Don't think so, microchips for brains." Kenny said as he tossed one of his lightsabers and cut the droid down. The young vampire bat then called upon the Force and had the green-glowing blade return to him.

They then crept out of the vehicle and through the city streets, following Adonna-Lyn to where she sensed John was. But as they got close to the hangar where the ShadowHunter was docked, a pair of battle droids obstructed their path.

They started going through their usual "You are under arrest" jazz. Adonna-Lyn, to the two Mobian Jedi, whispered, "I'll handle these two."

With blinding speed, she came at the droids, kicked their heads off, and forced what was left of them onto the ground with a telekinetic push.

Kenny's jaw was agape, seeing what Adonna-Lyn did. "Where the heck did you learn to fight like that?!" Kenny asked.

"From my father, mostly." she replied.

"Um...speaking of your father, your Highness, I'm sorry to report that both Mobius and Chandral have been invaded by the Trade Federation." Dave reported, "The Force has told me that they've captured King Aaron."

Adonna-Lyn gasped. Her father, next to John, was the only male she loved so dearly. She angrily said, "I swear, by the goddess Chandrala, that I will make these Trade Federation dogs pay dearly for this!"

"Well, that's all well and good, lady, but we've got to get off this planet." Kenny said.

"Right. This way." she said.

They finally reached the hangar where the ShadowHunter was docked. Surrounding John were several battle droids and a few droidekas. Dave and Kenny went in first, with Adonna-Lyn following them from behind. One of the droids took notice of Dave and shouted, "Halt!"

"These three (referring to Kenny, Adonna-Lyn and John) are my prisoners. I'm taking them to Coruscant." Dave said.

"WHERE are you taking them?" another droid asked.

"To Coruscant." Dave said, a little annoyed that he had to repeat what he said to a droid.

"Coruscant...that does not compute..." the droid said, "Wait...um...uh...YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!"

Dave quickly cut down the battle droid with his lightsaber.

"So much for handling this peacefully!" Adonna-Lyn said as she punched and kicked several droids out of her way.

"So what took you guys so long?" John asked as he suited up into his armor and destroyed all the droidekas in the area...just as the hangar began to fill up with hundreds of battle droids.

"Enough of the smart-mouth, John! Just get us out of here!" Kenny said.

Quickly, John, his wife and the two Mobian Jedi boarded the ShadowHunter. Heavy, while starting the ship up into take-off, said, "I see we've had some difficulty with the locals again, eh, John?"

"Yeah, whatever! Just fly us away from Naboo, you bucket of bolts!" John shouted.

"Destination?" Heavy asked as the ShadowHunter left the atmosphere of Naboo.

"Anywhere away from the Trade Federation would be nice!" Kenny snapped.

Heavy shook his head and chided, "No need to get snippy about it. I was just asking."

Suddenly, laser blasts began to rock the ship. "Oh, right. The blockade!" John mumbled, "Heavy, have the coordinates for hyperspace been made, yet?"

"Well, no one even bothered to give me a destination, so..." Heavy started to say until an alarm started blaring.

"What's wrong?" Adonna-Lyn asked.

John looked at a status screen and reported, "We've lost the front deflector shields! Heavy, ramming speed! We're gonna plow through that Trade Federation vessel in front of us!"

Kenny screamed, "Are you nuts?! That's suicide!"

"Not with this ship, wise guy." John replied.

The ShadowHunter then rammed through the Trade Federation vessel's main deck and plowed through the engines of the vessel before coming out the other side unscathed. John reclined in his chair while the others cheered as the vessel blew up!

"Heavy, damage report." John requested.

"Well, aside from three shield generators being damaged by laser fire, several of our weapon ports have been welded shut. That's some firepower those Trade Federation vessels have. Otherwise, all systems are nominal." Heavy reported.

With that in mind, John said, "Great. Looks like we're going to have to set down somewhere to make repairs."

"Most likely, sir, we should set down on some place where the Trade Federation cannot reach us. It would be in the best interests of safety for your wife." Heavy suggested.

Kenny grinned, "Drop your linen and start your grinnin'! I found the perfect spot for us to make repairs."

John took a look at the planet Kenny had found and shouted, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?! I can't take Adonna-Lyn to TATOOINE!"

Kenny then asked, "Why not?"

"Because Tatooine is within Hutt-controlled territory, that's WHY NOT!" John answered, "The Hutts are gangsters! If they were to find out about Adonna-Lyn..."

"It would be no better if we touched down in a system controlled by the Trade Federation, John. But the Hutts aren't looking for a wanted Chandralite princess, which gives us a slight advantage." Dave said, "But then again, the decision should go to your wife."

"I respect your decision, Jedi Master Dave. Heavy, set our course to Tatooine." Adonna-Lyn commanded.

"Well, if we are headed for Tatooine, my dear wife, maybe I should let you know a few things." John said.

Meanwhile, en route to Naboo...

Neela felt something. It was a quick, but warming feeling.

Mighty took notice and asked, "Are you alright?"

"It is Adonna-Lyn. She's safe." she replied.

Chrome Fingers looked over to her and asked, "How can you be ssssssso csssssssertain?"

"I felt her prescence. She is with John, Heavy, and two Jedi Knights...both are from of your world, my friends." Neela said.

"I'm not from Mobius." Neon muttered.

Neela, a curious look on her face, asked, "Pardon?"

Neon set the vehicle, which was going through hyperspace, on auto-pilot and explained, "There's no other being like me on MOBIUS. With that in mind, I researched my physical form on the Holonet and I finally found out what I was. I'm a Detrossian Dragon. I don't know how I wound up on some dung-heap planet like Mobius, but I knew the world I had been thrusted into...was not my home."

Mighty sighed, "That's...that's pretty deep, Neon."

"Assssssss deep assssssssss a puddle." Snake commented.

Neela sniffed a little, a single, jewel-like tear falling from her eye. Mighty then asked, "Neela...something happening?"

"Neon's an orphen...like me." she weeped, "My parents...my older sister...they're gone."

"What are you weeping about?!" Neon snapped, "Atleast YOU knew your family before whatever-it-was happened to them. I don't even know if I had a family that either cared for me or were so neglectful to abandon me on a world like Mobius!"

Mighty got up to face Neon, saying, "Lay off, Neon! You don't have to bite her head off! I mean, I not might have known either your or Neela's folks, but I think that's nothing to raise such a fuss over."

Then, a slight hum was heard, followed by a signal from John the Enforcer. "Neon, this is John the Enforcer. Please come in!", he called.

"This is Neon." she said.

"Neon, you and whoever's with you had better make a course correction. We're currently on our way to Tatooine, a world amongst the Outer Rim region and within Hutt-controled space, for Adonna-Lyn's safety. We're setting down to make repairs at a spaceport called Mos Espa. I'm calling you on this low-frequency transmission to prevent our enemies from establishing a connection trace. That is all." John said before disconnecting.

They all sat in silence. That is, until Neon said, "Well, we have our orders. Now plotting new course for Tatooine."

Snake, however, argued, "Whoa! Reality check here! Within Hutt-controlled ssssssssspace? For an accomplissssssshed exssssssss-bounty hunter, he cssssssssssertainly hassssssss more gutsssssss than witsssssssss."

"Oh, right. John's last employer was a Hutt!" Mighty said while slapping his head, "Man, John is either pretty clever or pretty crazy to go back to his last boss's planet-of-operations to hide a gorgeous princess from the Trade Federation."

"A princsssssessss?" Snake asked.

"Didn't you know?" Neela stated, "I stated that I am the lady-in-waiting to her Supreme Royal Highness, Princess Adonna-Lyn. And, as a matter of fact, John and her Highness are married."

"Small world, ain't it, coils?" Mighty said, gently nudging Snake...and sending him flying to the back of the craft, "Oops. Forgot about my strength. SORRY!"

In orbit above Naboo...

"Well, Viceroy...Has the treaty been signed?" the Trade Federation's mysterious benefactor, Darth Sidious, asked impatiently. He was human...for as much as what could be seen under that hood and robes he wore.

"The Queen has...disappeared." the Viceroy gulped. He knew he could hide nothing from the Force, which Darth Sidious was in tune with, so lying wasn't even an option. He continued, "One...Naboo Cruiser got past our blockade."

"I WANT THAT TREATY SIGNED, VICEROY!" the Sith Lord before them snarled. The treaty in question would legitemize the Trade Federation's occupation of Naboo, which would be ratified in the Republic Senate.

"But the ship has gone out of our range, my lord. It is impossible to find them." Nute Gunray whimpered.

"Not for a Sith." Darth Sidious grinned as a second hooded figure stood alongside him. It was a Zabrak, a humanoid with a crown of spikes adorning his otherwise bald head. The being had strange tatoo markings of red and black all over his head. His eyes evoked a fierce, burning hatred and rage, kept in check by his respect and loyalty to the Sith Lord beside him. "This is my apprentice, Darth Maul. He will find your missing ship." the Sith lord said as the holograms of him and his apprentice faded away.

"This is getting out of hand! Now there is two of them!" Nute Gunray said, his head shaking as much as a cornered animal.

Rune Haako commented, "We should not have made this bargain with the Sith. The Jedi will know of this. Then, nothing will stop them from killing us."

"Uncle!" Garan Haako shouted, a hologram of her appearing in the room.

"I stand corrected. THREE of them!" the Viceroy muttered.

She glared at Rune and growled, "Where is that echidna princess?! I need her for the Trade Federation's conquest of Chandral to be complete. WHERE IS SHE?!"

Rune explained, "Um...she is no longer on the planet. We think she may be aboard a ship that destroyed one of our vessals."

"UNCLE! I WANT THAT PRINCESS NOW!" Garan shouted angrily.

"Uh oh. Terrible two's." Nute Gunray whispered to his lieutenant, much to both of their amusment.

"I SENSED THAT!" the Neimoidian Sith Lady shouted. She calmed down, then grinned and said, "Fortunately, uncle, I have placed a large bounty on her head, 500 thousand Republic credits for her alive. No mercenary, smuggler, or bounty hunter's greed will be immune to it, not even an old aquaitance of yours, I believe."

Then, a pale-skinned, near-human being stepped next to Garan. She was wearing what looked like utilitarian clothing, but it was made up of closely woven shell spider silk, which was capable of resisting a vibroblade's thrust, as well as reflecting low-power particle beams and lasers. Amongst her arsenal included a pair of semi-automatic DL-44 blasters, a small disruptor pistol, MM9 wrist rockets, a set of stun cuffs, a stun baton, and many glop grenades. To other species, she looked quite attractive, despite the artillary she carried.

Rune Haako gasped. "Mahwi Lihnn?!" he muttered, "But according to the Coruscant Obituary files, she died about a year ago!"

Garan grinned yet another sickening grin and said, "Amazing what a lot of money, and a little help from the cloners on Kamino can do. Garan, out."

A thought came into Nute Gunray's mind. "Rune, where did she get the money to pay those cloners?" he asked of his lieutenant.

Rune took a look into the Trade Federation's coffers via a computer port. Nothing looked like it was disturbed...until he went into his account.

"I'M GOING TO KILL HER!" Rune roared.

Tatooine...

The ShadowHunter snapped out of hyperspace, right above the sun-scorched desert planet of Tatooine. Within the personal quarters of the Ditanium-Alloy covered ship, John was placing a hood and cloak over his beloved wife.

"Is this truly necessary?" she asked.

John looked her in the eye and said, "Where we're going, my dear Adonna-Lyn, it is very necessary. There are slavers on Tatooine keeping an eye out for any potential 'merchandise', and, of course, there are the Hutts. This planet is a wretched hive of scum and villainy. Fortunately, that's what's keeping the Trade Federation out. Besides, I have a contact on Tatooine that just might be able to help us reach our home."

"Home...we can't go home." Adonna-Lyn said, "We must plead to the Republic Senate for their aid. Once they learn of this transgression..."

"They'll what? Move in and force the Trade Federation to give up? No offense, Adon, but the Senate is essentially being controlled by greedy, self-serving bureaucrats. It's highly doubtful they'll act on our behalf." John advised.

"Attention! Thirty-five seconds until touchdown." the ShadowHunter's computer announced.

John turned to Adonna-Lyn and said, "Just watch yourself, my dear wife. This planet can be very rough."

"Don't worry about me so much. I'm ready for anything." she said, demonstrating with a couple of quick high kicks.

He then turned a communication port and commanded, "Heavy, land us on the outskirts of Mos Espa and activate the cloaking device. We don't want to attract attention."

"Yes sir." Heavy replied.

Upon landing, John sensed something as he opened the hatch to the airlock to the hot temperatures of the pit-hole that was Tatooine. "How odd...can this metal even block out the Force?" John wondered.

"Something the matter, sir?" Heavy asked.

"Nothing...nothing's wrong." John said, shaking his dreadlocked head, "Heavy, stay with the ship and make as much progress with the repairs as you can."

"As you wish, sir." Heavy acknowledged.

Dave and Kenny also became alerted to something. There was a disturbance in the Force...

"How strange...I've never felt anything like this before." Kenny said.

"This is a strange feeing for me as well, my young padawan. From the feel of it, it is a Force-sensitive whose talent in the Force is yet to be fully realized...but it's unlike anything I've ever felt before." Dave whispered as they followed Adonna-Lyn.

"Take care, all of you." Heavy said as the biological members of their small group left the ShadowHunter and made their way to the spaceport of Mos Espa.

As they entered the spaceport, they were immediately greeted with the sights, sounds and smells of the scum-filled streets of the bustling desert city. John led their way past the space pilots, slaves and their masters, and various aliens, droids, and humans.

"So who is this guy we're seeing, John?" Adonna-Lyn asked.

"He's a friend I saved from an assassin. He's a Bozarr, and that essentially means he's one of the best damned mechanics in the galaxy." John said, a tone of pride in his voice.

"Is he friendly?" Dave asked.

"Awe, sure." John said, "His kind are against violence, and they're so friendly..."

John's description was suddenly halted by the sound of blaster fire as they drew close to their destination, which was a large garage and repair shop. Running out of the shop was a dark-haired human kid with an armload of tools. Firing at the kid was a four-armed, frog-legged, frilled lizard-like alien with a pair of long eye-stalks atop his scaly head. He had a slight beard under his chin, made up of greying feathers.

"Gimme back m'tools, ya little varmint!" the alien angrily shouted after the kid, firing another volley of blaster fire.

"That's your friend?!" Adonna-Lyn asked skeptically.

"Whenever someone's not taking stuff from his shop." John said as he quickly caught the kid with his telekinetic power and lifted the would-be thief into the air. He shook his finger at the kid and took the stolen tools out of his hands, chiding "Didn't your mom ever tell you it's wrong to steal things?".

"They're for Anakin and his master, creep! Now put me down!" the kid shouted, kicking John in the face.

"You won't do that again." Kenny said as he waved a hand in front of the kid's face.

"I...won't do that again." the kid repeated, in a trance.

"You will not steal things from people ever again." Kenny said.

"I will...not steal things from people ever again." the kid repeated.

Kenny smiled and said, "Now run along and play."

"I'll...run along and play." the kid said, finally being let down onto the ground and running off.

"You should've let me kill the little thief." John snarled.

"That would've solved nothing...besides, he was just a kid." Kenny laughed.

"He was a HUMAN! I hate humans." John said.

"Now, John. From the way that kid sounded, his friend might have really needed those tools...and that friend must be a slave. The slave would probabley be beaten for not getting those tools." Adonna-Lyn said.

"Um...if you strangers are done yakkin' amongst yerselves, ya mind giving me m'tools back?" the Bozarr asked.

"Sure thing, Gor-dann-zac Ticazbe..." John said, handing the tools over to the Bozarr's four-fingered hands, "And I'd think you'd know that I'm no stranger."

"Wha...well, skin me alive and make me into a wallet! If it ain't my ol buddie, the Enforcer! How ya doin', ya ol pirate?! It's so good to see ya after all this time!" Gor-dann-zac replied.

"It's good to see you again, my old friend." John said, hugging his Bozarr friend.

"Well, what're we standing out here for? Come on in, alla'ya!" the Bozarr said, "You hooded fellas want anything?"

"Coffee will be fine." Dave said.

Kenny said, "Anything other than coffee?"

Gor-dann-zac, while stroking his feathery beard with one hand, replied, "Well, I got Juri Juice, Bantha Blaster, even Diet Pepsi, if ya like."

"Um...I'll take the Pepsi." Kenny said.

"Okey-dokey! Hey, B-Fee! We got people thirstin' here! Start brewin', sucka!" the old Bozarr shouted to a hovering droid. The droid had a few arms hanging below it's small, orb-shaped body, had a pair of blue-glowing photoreceptors, and a vocabulator that would glow green as it spoke.

"Comin' right up, mac!" the droid, named BFee-126, replied.

Gor-dann-zac almost asked what John was doing on Tatooine, until he noticed Adonna-Lyn looking around his repair shop. "Oh! Beggin' your pardon, ma'am. Gor-dann-zac Ticazbe, mechanic and spy, at yer service. Anything I can do for ya?" he asked.

"Nothing at the moment, and I'm with them...especially the blue one." she replied, shooting John a flirtatious smile.

Gor-dann-zac looked over at John, then back at the echidna princess, then burst out laughing, "Manoman! Never did I think I'd see the day ya'd get hitched, Enforcer! All this time, ya'd be saying how lonely ya are, and now this!" He then straightened himself up a bit and said, "Well, congratulations either way, Enforcer. She definitely looks like a keeper."

"Thanks." John said, "So, how's business?"

The old Bozarr sighed then said, "Wish things were better, actually. The Jawas keep hiring killers to come after me, the suns of Tatooine keep burning me up, and that little blue creep Watto keeps sending his slaves to rob me of tools and spare parts. Someday, I wanna set up shop on someplace like on Coruscant..."

"Well, we WERE going to head to Coruscant. Unfortunately, our ship needs some repairs so we had to touch down here on this dust ball. Do you think you can help us?" Adonna-Lyn asked.

The old Bozarr said, "Maybe I can,...but first, I gotta repair these Desert Skiffs for Fatman Jabba! He's in town for the big Boonta Eve Podrace that's comin' up in about 4 more days."

"Oh, bloody wonderful! What else can possibley screw up this honeymoon?!" John said, tossing a bit of scrap against a wall.

"John, what is wrong?" Adonna-Lyn asked, curious about her husband's behavior.

"Jabba was one'a John's employers and as far as Hutts go, he's the worst!" Gor-dann-zac said, "More often than not, when Jabba's ticked or in need of entertainment, he goes and kills one of his guards or slaves. I guess John's worried about what'll happen if you wind up as that Hutt's slave. It's my opinion that if a guy worries about his ma'am that much, it's an appropriate measure of how much he cares about her."

"Hey, you! Shop owner!" a pasty skinned, male Twi'lek shouted into the shop. It was Bib Fortuna, Jabba's majordomo.

Gor-dann-zac waddled forward, saying, "I told yer bossman Jabba that his Desert Skiffs will be up and running again as soon as he can keep that Toydarian bozo Watto from sending his slaves to rob my store."

Then, the Twi'lek pulled a blaster on the old Bozarr, snarling, "I don't care what it takes. My master wants these Skiffs back in full operation before the Boonta Classic. After all, my master would want to be well protected from his enemies when going between his palace and the different towns on this forsaken rock! So, you will fix them or else!"

"Hey, back off, worm-head!" Kenny shouted. The young vampire bat knew that slang would properly insult the Twi-lek. And he succeeded at that, for Fortuna then fired at Kenny.

Apparently, Bib didn't realize who or what he was dealing with.

The young Mobian Jedi padawan pulled out his lightsabers and bounced the blast back at Jabba's majordomo, completely obliteraring the blaster.

"You can tell your bloated boss the skiffs will be completely repaired tomorrow." Kenny said, waving his hand in front of the Twi-lek's face.

"Jabba's desert skiffs will be completely repaired tomorrow." the Hutt's lieutenant replied blankly as Kenny's Jedi Mind Trick took effect.

"You will be on your way to give some money to the poor and unfortunate." Kenny added, with a conniving grin.

Bib Fortuna left, repeating what Kenny mind-tricked him into saying.

"Well, that takes care of that." Kenny said.

"But...tomorrow?!" Gor-dann-zac gasped, "How will I get three of those things done by tomorrow?! It's impossible!"

"Then we'll help." John offered, "What needs fixing?"

"Ah, mostly the stabilizers, steering mechanisms, and weapons." Gor-dann-zac answered, "B-Fee, start brewin'. It's going to be a long day"

Late afternoon...



"Well, two down, one more to go." Gor-dann-zac said as he wiped sweat from his brow.

Adonna-Lyn stretched out her arms, legs and dreadlocks and said, "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I think I'm due for some rest."

"She didn't really do anything, Enforcer. Wha'does she need rest for?" Gor-dann-zac asked.

John then asked, "Can you keep this a secret, as a friend?"

"Cross m'hearts an' hope t'die, Enforcer." the old Bozarr replied, making the traditional hand movements to signify that he meant to keep it a secret.

"Alright. We're escaping the Trade Federation's clutches. Adonna-Lyn is the High Princess of Chandral, which is why those greedy bastards are after her, mostly to force her father into caving into their demands. She did a heck of a lot of fighting to keep herself from being captured, Gor-dann-zac" John explained.

"Hmm...that would tucker just about anyone out. Makes sense." the old Bozarr replied, "Can I let you in on what would make a nice gift for your wife?"

"I'm all ears, old friend." John said, glancing towards Adonna-Lyn for a moment, to make sure she wasn't looking.

"A really nice gift would be a necklace with ornaments carved from a Krayt Dragonpearl. It would not only be a very extravagent present, but a very lovely gift for such a lovely wife." Gor-dann-zac replied, "The best place I heard of to look for Krayt Dragons and the prize they hold within is in the Jundland Wastes, on the other side of Mos Eisley."

"Hmm...it would be a wonderful trinket for her...but I don't feel right leaving her here, especially with Jabba in town." John said.

The old Bozarr patted John on the back and said, "Don't ya worry, ol' pal. I'll be on full alert, and B-Fee's got some weapons stashed away within his metal hide. Besides, with them two Jedi fellers here, I don't think even creeps like Aldar Beedo would dare get in here, trying somthin' funny."

John smiled. Gor-dann-zac was a pretty good shot, droids were known to be dead-on accurate shooters, and Dave and Kenny..."Well, they'd better take good care of her, or I'll drop them into the first Sarlacc pit I come across." he thought.

"John, you needn't worry about Adonna-Lyn. We'll guard her with our lives as if she were the most important person in the galaxy." Kenny said.

"To me, she is." John said as he activated his armor, got it into Swoop Bike Mode, then took off.

Late that night...

Gor-dann-zac looked nervously about. Sweat, with only a slight odor of roses, fell down both sides of his face.

"Whatcha shakin' for, old lizard?" Kenny asked, "You look like a groom for a H'nemthe's wedding."

"It's just too quiet." he whispered.

Kenny asked, "So?"

"There's an old sayin' around the streets of Mos Espa." the old Bozarr explained, "It goes, 'When the sound ends, so does someone's life'."

Suddenly, an overripe fruit slammed into Kenny's face. A kid's laughter filled the street as a Rodian child pointed at the young Vampire Bat, shouting, "Stupid Jedi! His pathetic 'Force' didn't even see that one coming! Whatta loser!"

"Why, you little..." Kenny growled as he ignited one of his lightsabers and ran after the Rodian.

"Kenny, stop! Get back here!" Dave shouted as he ran after his padawan. Even as well tutored as Kenny was, the young bat was still at a stage in his life where he would be tempted by the Dark Side of the Force. He had to stop his padawan from killing the Rodian punk, or he would have a Dark Jedi on his hands.

Five minutes passed. Gor-dann-zac looked about. The two Jedi were supposed to be back by now...four dark shapes moved out of the darkness to his shop.

It was Bib Fortuna, along with two Gamorrean Guards and a grinning, horn-headed Devaronian in a dark coverall and covered from shoulders to foot in weaponry.

"Wha...Vilmarh Grahrk?!" Gor-dann-zac gasped, "B-B-But...the Enforcer put you away on Oovo 4! That's a max-security facility."

"Must be another Devaronian you're thinking of. Villie would never be caught dead in a stinkhole prison." Vilmarh Grahrk stated, casting a forboding grin, "Anyway, we want the pretty girl. Now."

"I...I...I wouldn't know anything about any pretty young things around here." the old Bozarr lied, carefully going for his blasters.

"Not so quick-quick, lizard man." the Devaronian smuggler/mercenary/bounty hunter said, blasting the old Bozarr right in the chest, sending him on his back.

"You idiot! You realize he's a friend of the Enforcer !!! If you killed him..." Bib Fortuna cursed.

"Relax. Villie had blaster on STUN when lizard man got shot. Lizard man lives, Enforcer not come after us and kill us. Plenty good plan, eh?" Vilmarh laughed.

"Next time, tell us when you're going to do that!" Bib Fortuna snarled, "Now, let's get the female and deliver her to Jabba."

"Hey! No touching d'gal on the first night, fellas." B-Fee stated to the on-coming scum, aiming several weapons at from beneath its orb-shaped body.

Vilmarh fired first. But the blast didn't even scratch the droid. The Devaronian looked at his blaster and realized, "Silly me. Villie had the blaster on STUN."

Another blast soared from behind the scum and hit B-Fee, scattering his circuitry and metal innards on the floor.

"Mine wassssssssn't." a hissing voice said from behind them. It was Aldar Beedo, the Glymphid assasin better known as "The Hitman".

Just then, Adonna-Lyn woke up. She looked at the group, and while pointing to each member, said, "Okay. The one with the head-tails I recognize from earlier today...the two pig boys are obviously goons...noodle face there, I've run into before...but as for you, Horn-Head, I don't know you from anywhere."

"Am being Villie. Vilmarh Grahrk, little girl." the Devaronian said with a sickening grin.

"Yeah...whatever." she said, rolling her purple eyes and getting up, "Look, you guys interrupted my rest, which makes me very cranky. So, if you don't want to have the upper half of your bodies blasted off, I highly suggest you leave now."

Aldar quickly brought up what looked like a bazooka and aimed it at the echidna princess. With a loud boom, a net was launched at Adonna-Lyn, pinning her to the floor.

"A net?" she asked dubiously while struggling to get out of it, "Is that the best you morons can...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" A severe electric current ran through the net, shocking her into unconciousness. Within seconds, her whole body went limp, unable to move.

"Well done, Hitman." Bib Fortuna said, "Your payment has been credited to your account."

The Glymphid bowed and said, "I live to ssssssserve your massssssster, asssssssss long asssssssss he'ssssssssss willing to pay me well. I'll sssssssssssstill be in town, racssssssssing in the Boonta Classsssssssic, if he hasssssssss more work for me."

"And what about Villie?" Vilmarh asked.

"You will be paid for the assistance of her capture and are invited to stay at Jabba's penthouse for the Boonta Eve festivities." Bib Fortuna replied.

The Devaronian grinned as the two Gamorreans picked up the net-wrapped princess and began to carry her out of the shop, saying, "Plenty good. The girl's dancing...big time yum-yum for Villie. Villie would certainly not want to miss that."

Meanwhile, out in the Jundland Wastes...

"I'll admit this much for you, ugly: you sure put up a mean fight." John said as he used his lightsaber to cut the young Krayt Dragon he killed open for the prize it held within.

But as he did, he quickly recoiled from the foul stench that flew out of the monster's insides. "Damn! And I thought this beastie smelled bad...on the outside!" John cursed.

He switched on the X-ray option on his glasses and looked carefully for the Dragonpearls. Upon finding the organ within the creature which held the very treasure he sought, he cut the organ open, and removed..."Only two?!" John snarled, "I went through all that trouble for just two damn pearls?!...Oh, well, atleast I can pay back Gor-dann-zac for his help with one of these."

The first Dragonpearl John brought out had swirling shades of green, like wind blowing through a grassy meadow. That would help to make a perfect present for Adonna-Lyn, he thought. The other one was a mix of blood red and fiery orange colors....

Someone was shooting at him!

He wheeled around to see several humanoid figures holding up long rifles and staff-like weapons with sharp blades at either end. Their loud, beastiel howls filled the air, echoing throughout the canyon walls. Tusken Raiders!!!

John pulled out his blaster and took the head off of one of the Tuskens with one shot. That quickly made the other Tuskens pissed, enough to blindly charge into the canyon, unaware what danger they had just placed themselves into.

John suited up into his armor, and used his dreadlocks to spear the bandage-faced beings and kill them instantly.

"Better get out of here before more of these guys show up." John thought as he got his armor into Swoop Bike Mode and left the Jundland Wastes behind him, carrying the fist-sized pearls with him.

Back at Mos Espa...



Kenny grabbed the Rodian by the neck and growled at him, asking him, "Do you have any idea who you just through that fruit at, pal?!"

"Yeah, some stupid kid with wings." the Rodian taunted.

"That's it, you little bug-faced freak! Say adios to your head!" Kenny growled as he brought the green glowing blade of his lightsaber close to the Rodian's throat.

"Kenny, put him down!" Dave said, arriving on the scene just in time.

"But...this little..." Kenny argued...before he finally put the Rodian down...hearing what sounded like the clinking of coins in one of the kid's pockets.

Dave grimly frowned and said, "He was paid to get us away from the repair shop. What is your name?"

"The name's Greedo, Jedi scum." the Rodian replied, adjusting his rancor-skin vest.

"Perchance, did a pale-skinned Twi'lek put you up to this?" Dave asked, "It's okay. You can tell us."

"No. It was a Devaronian, a big guy with big guns." Greedo replied.

Kenny, a bit suspicious, asked, "He didn't perchance refer to himself as 'Villie', did he?"

"Uh...yeah. Yeah, he did." Greedo replied.

"Alright. Did he say why he wanted you to distract us?" Dave asked.

"What is this, a private investigation?!" Greedo snarled, "Anyway, he said something about going with some other guys and recruiting some new talent for Jabba the Hutt. Can I go now?!"

"Oh, crap!!!" Kenny realized. That meant Adonna-Lyn's freedom (and life) was hanging by a thread. Dave also realizing the same thing, ran back. But by the time they came back, they were far too late...and John had already come back.

The blue echidna's cold, silvery-blue eyes surveyed the carnage that had been wraught in his abscence. John knew what had happened to Adonna-Lyn...and his hands began to tremble. Upon hearing the arrival of the two hedgehogs, he turned and asked, "Where were you Jedi?"

Kenny simply replied, "Going after some little creep who threw fruit after me. I was gonna kill the kid who did it, but Dave followed me and stopped me."

"How did they know?...How did they know about Adonna-Lyn?" John asked, almost in a mumble.

He then turned violently towards Gor-dann-zac, who was fixing up his droid, and asked, "You wouldn't happen to know how Jabba's goons knew she was here, WOULD YOU?!"

"Wha...no. You gotta believe me, Enforcer. I would never tell the Hutts about any pretty young things here, even if they paid me to tell them. And besides, I'd never betray ya. Never!" Gor-dann-zac replied, shaking like a leaf.

"Well...that's good enough for me." John said, backing down, "But that doesn't change the fact that now, my beloved wife's life is in grave danger...in the chains of Jabba the Hutt!"

A while later...

Dave came up to the ridiculously large penthouse of Jabba the Hutt, wrapped in dark cloaks. Two burly, Gamorrean guards came up to challenge Dave, waving their vibro-axes and spears towards him. Dave merely raised his hand and made the two pig-like brutes fall asleep. And when the door in to the penthouse refused to open, Dave made it open through his skill in the Force.

Down several wide hallways he went, until he heard the sounds of drunken laughter, and rather loud music. As he followed the sounds, he was then confronted by Bib Fortuna. The pasty-skinned Twi-lek grinned and asked, "Do you have an appointment with my master?"

Dave looked beyond the head-tailed fool and saw Adonna-Lyn. She was dressed in silken yellow harem pants (with slits on the sides to reveal her legs), a red strapless top, a blue veil over her fair and saddened face, and bronze wristlets with long, wing-like green veils attatched. Dave had heard that Adonna-Lyn used these articles of Chandral clothing to seduce the low-life scum of her homeworld into a false sense of security, only to then beat them senseless.

But now, her dancing girl disguise had a new addition: a metallic manacle with crude but strong chains leading up to the slimy hands of Jabba himself!

The Hutt continued to watch her dance, almost completely oblivious to the music. A small, single tear fell from Jabba's left eye. Dave almost gasped. A Hutt...CRYING?!

"Adonna-Lyn must be pretty skillful and beautiful if it's enough to make even a Hutt crimelord cry." Dave thought.

He turned back to the Twi'lek majordomo and said, "You will take me to Jabba now."

Caught within the trance of the Force, Bib Fortuna repeated, "I will take you to Jabba now."

As Dave was led in, Adonna-Lyn was brought towards Jabba's dais with one small yank of the chain. "You were magnificent, my dear. Your dancing pleases me." Jabba rumbled, wiping another tear from his eye.

"If my dancing pleases you so much, why don't you let me go?" she asked. Even though Adonna-Lyn didn't understand Huttese, she could read his thoughts to know what the large heap of scum before her was saying.

Jabba smirked and said, "And give up a treasure like you? Surely, you jest."

Adonna-Lyn then stated, "You're practically the richest crimelord in the galaxy. What more could you want?"

"Master? Bib Fortuna said.

Jabba growled and snarled, "A moment's peace, for one thing! What is it, Fortuna?!"

"A hedgehog is here to see you, my lord." Bib Fortuna said, gesturing to Dave.

"YOU INTERUPTED A MOMENT WITH THIS ENCHANTING VISION FOR SOME RODENT?!" Jabba roared, gripping his Twi'lek lieutenant by the throat and continuing to bellow at him in Huttese.

Dave went up to Adonna-Lyn, who was now sitting down in front of the annoyed Hutt, and asked, "Your Highness, are you alright?"

"I will be...once you get me out of here!!!" she whispered, "Where is John? Why did you come instead of him?"

"He feared that his prescence would anger Jabba into devouring you." Dave replied, "I'm going to try and talk Jabba into setting you free."

"Good luck. John told me that Hutts are immune to Jedi mind tricks." Adonna-Lyn said.

"Younger Hutts have yet to develop such an immunity, your Highness. Jabba's a bit young...for a Hutt. Maybe I can try to put one over on this Hutt crimelord." Dave offered.

"Dave, in case this fails, please tell John that no matter what happens to me, I shall always love him, with all of my hearts." Adonna-Lyn said, a tear falling from her eye...just as she was yanked back by the neck and had her body collide with the Hutt's bulk.

"Don't touch the merchandise, hedgehog." Jabba sneered.

"Jabba, you will turn custody of this slave girl here over to me. She is the wife of a...friend...of mine and he would like her back." Dave said, trying to wrap Jabba within the Force's influence.

Jabba merely laughed, "What do you think you are, a Jedi?! Hohohohohohohohohohoho! Jedi mind tricks have no effect on me!"

"But I'm willing to wager that this motley bunch are not immune to the effects of my power." Dave said, just as the low life scum around Jabba aimed blaster pistols and other deadly weapons at the Hutt. Even Bib Fortuna aimed a blaster at his master.

"Master...I can't control..." Bib Fortuna said, shaking nervously.

"Release them, Jedi, or I will kill this girl!" Jabba threatened, one of his slimy fingers over a deep green button, "There's enough voltage in that manacle around her neck to fry a Bantha in ten seconds!" Upon hearing that, Adonna-Lyn quickly gestured for Dave to release the goons from the power of the Force.

Dave, with a slight frown, did so. "Jabba, how about we make a deal?" Dave asked.

"What sort of deal?" Jabba rumbled, stroking Adonna-Lyn's head like a pet cat.

"The on-coming Boonta Eve Podrace...as my side of the deal, if my friend was to...oh, say...place higher than the crowd favorite..." Dave proposed.

Jabba erupted into laughter. "Place higher than Sebulba the Dug from the city of Pixeleto on Malastare?!" the Hutt gangster chuckled, "You amuse me, hedgehog. Sebulba has always come in first in the Boonta Classic!"

"I wasn't finished." Dave said, "If my friend manages to place higher than this Sebulba, you can keep whatever reward money he wins and he gets the girl back."

"And as for my side of the deal, should he fail to do so, I shall keep the girl and he shall join my entourage...as a slave." Jabba said with a sinister sneer.

"One condition on this deal: No tricks!" Dave insisted.

Jabba raised his hand and said, "You have the word of Jabba Desilijic Tiure. No tricks."

"'Your word'? Well, I guess that's the best I can expect of you, Hutt Kingpin of Tatooine. You had better be a man of your word, for your sake, Jabba. My friend will not be pleased if he finds that you would stoop to treachery." Dave said as he turned to leave.

Once Dave left completely, Jabba growled, "Who does that rodent think he's threatening?! I am Jabba Desilijic Tiure! If anything, I deal out threats! Not him!"

"Feh! Jedi...they think they're so tough just cuz they got their all-mighty Force backing them up." Vilmarh Grahrk, with a female Twi'lek slave in one arm and a goblet of Rodian ale in the other hand, laughed, "Don't be fooled, Jabba. Villie seen Jedi. They're nothing special."

"Master...why would a Jedi, if that really was one, be interested in the safety of this slave? Doesn't that concern you in the least?" Bib Fortuna posed.

"If you wisssssssh it, mighty Jabba, I will persssssssssonally deal with the Jedi and hisssssssss friend..." Aldar Beedo stated.

"No. I am a Hutt of my word, and I shall honor this deal...besides, no one enters the Boonta for the first time...and survives. HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! Jabba cackled, chilling Adonna-Lyn with each rumble of the Hutt's large belly.

The next morning....

"I HAVE TO WHAT?!" John shouted, his blue skin going pale from shock.

"The deal is that you must place higher than Sebulba the Dug in the Boonta Eve Podrace. If you win, you get your wife back. If not...well, enjoy a lifetime of servitude." Dave replied.

"THAT'S THE BEST DEAL YOU COULD NEGOTIATE?!" John yelled, "Nobody's ever beaten Sebulba! And I don't even have a podracer, let alone, the parts to make one. And the Boonta Classic is in about three more days. Do you have any idea how long it takes to build an efficient, speedy podracer?!"

"Well, Heavy and I could build a Podracer for ya before the day of the race." Gor-dann-zac proposed, "All we'll need is the parts."

"Yeah...parts..." John said, leaving the shop.

"Where's he going?" Kenny asked.

"Well, when John's like this, he'll probabley need a drink to help clear his mind from his worries." Heavy stated, "And I wouldn't worry about him getting inebriated. I once saw John take down ten bottles of Chalgrinian wine and he wasn't in the least bit tipsy."

"C'mon! Nobody's immune system is good enough to keep themselves from getting drunk." Kenny argued.

"Except..." Dave stated, "Chandralite echidnas, as I once heard, are immune to poisons, venoms and a wide variety of toxins."

"So what does this mean? That John's a Chandralite Echidna?!" Kenny asked.

"That is an extreme speculation, Master Kenny." Heavy said, "John has a tail, a trait more commonly found in MOBIAN echidnas. Those of the Chandral variety do not have tails."

"On top of that, he was able to command his Pokemon from great distances, as the very first Mewtwo did in an era long since gone by. And on top of that, he fights with the sheer ferocity of a Sith Lord, which means he is able to tap into the power of the Dark Side of the Force." Dave added grimly, "Even the Force cannot help me decipher what John is."

"Well, in any case, I think y'all should follow John. When he's this depressed, that could leave him open to attack. And towns here on Tatooine are practically hives for murderous scum throughout the universe." Gor-dann-zac advised.

"Alert!" Heavy erupted, "Incoming vessel! Specification...FICC Transport."

Dave turned to Kenny and said, "Kenny, go with Heavy and lead whoever is in that vessel here."



Near the landing sight...

Neon gently brought the transport ship down to the planet's surface. The landing was as light as a feather.

Chrome Fingers looked around after covering his round head. "We're in one piecsssssssse. Yesssssssssss! Life isssssss good" he shouted happily.

"Watch it, worm, or you'll be slithering home!" Neon snapped.

Mighty said, "I think you did a good job getting us here, Neon. Next to John, you're a darn good pilot."

"Trust me, Mighty; as I come from an airborne species, I'm accustomed to take-offs, landings, and everything between the two." she said as she took a pair of blaster rifles and strapped them onto her back.

"Pardon my asking, but are we going into battle?" Neela asked as she got out of the seating restraint.

Neon gave the squirrel a hard look and said, "Time you woke up from your little cushioned world, Neela. This is a very rough and dangerous galaxy, one where a fully armed blaster makes the all the difference between life and death."

"Neon, what's gotten into you?" Mighty asked, "Ever since our first hyperspace jump, you've practically been jumpin' down everyone's throats."

"Well, when the sound of explosions caused from a bunch of mindless automatons above me gets me up at two in the morning, what kind of mood do you expect me to be in?" she posed while putting on a belt that had several edged weapons on it.

"Hmm...good point." Mighty gulped.

Neela then said, "Well, I may not look like it, but I can take care of myself...a little."

Mighty put his hands on Neela's shoulders and said, "Well, whatever happens out there, I'll be with ya in case it gets to be too much for ya."

Suddenly, the large door at the back of the craft started to spark, as something was beginning to weld its way in. Once a rectangular hole was cut into the door, a small, hooded figure poked its head in, its little glowing eyes being the only part of the being that was showing.

"What is that thing?!" Neela whispered, a little fearful of the creature that spoke to about two dozen of its comrades in a hyper-sounding voice.

"Relax. It's just a Jawa. They're just scavengers, looking for droids or scrap metal to sell." Neon said.

Snake took aim, whispering, "Thissssssss ssssssship'ssssssss our only ticket back home. The little ssssssssstinkersssss aren't takin' it without a fight."

Then, the sound of a lightsaber swinging around was heard outside, as well as a deep, electronic voice shouted, "AWAY! AWAY, YOU LITTLE HOODED BUZZARDS!" The gathered Mobians, Chandralite, and Detrossian watched as the Jawas outside ran away, screaming from the on-coming "threat". But, from the looks of things, it was more of a scare tactic rather than brutal and vicious combat.

"Hey, that was Heavy's voice!" Mighty realized.

Speak of the Devil, Heavy poked his head in and called, "Neon, is that you in there? Who is with you?"

"Mighty, Chrome Fingers Snake, and this Chandralite girl." Neon called back.

"Chandralite...oh. I see." Heavy replied upon seeing Neela.

Kenny shoved Heavy aside (no mean feat) and said, "A Chandralite girl?! Where?! Lemme see!"

"Who is that?" Neela asked Mighty.

Mighty shook his head and replied, "That's Kenny the Vampire Bat, Dave the Gold Jedi's little stooge."

"STOOGE?! I'll have you know that I'm a Jedi Knight-in-training, you armored idiot...who...is...THAT?!" Kenny started to protest. That is, until he laid eyes upon Neela.

"My name is Neela." she replied, "I am Adonna-Lyn's lady-in-waiting and one of her closest friends."

Kenny practically zoomed up to her and said, "How about you and I get to know each other a little better and then we can become close friends."

"Um...well...I..." Neela stammered, unsure of how to respond to Kenny's advances.

Neon pushed Kenny back and said, "Ease off your hormone rush, wise guy! Where's John?"

"Well, Neon, he's...Heavy began to explain.

Kenny blurted out, "He's in the local hooch parlor, drowning his sorrows because he lost Adonna-Lyn into slavery and into the slimy hands of Jabba the Hutt."

Upon hearing that, Neela gave out a slight gasp of shock, then fainted. Mighty quicky caught her.

"Very smooth, young bat." Heavy said, slapping his forehead.

"Thanks." Kenny said with a grin.

"THAT WASN'T A COMPLIMENT, YOU BLOOD-SUCKING, BLUNDERING BUFOON!" Heavy shouted, "Gads, don't you know sarcasm when you hear it?!"

At a cantina in Mos Espa called The Poodoo Lounge...



John downed the large mug of the drink known as Bantha Blaster, whiped the remainder of the drink from his mouth, and asked for another re-fill. It was his sixth helping, but it did nothing to calm his mind from what had just occurred and what Dave proposed as a solution. Even with the help of his Bozarr friend and Heavy, it still didn't change the fact that his wife, the one who turned his life completely around from the loneliness and pain he had felt before their meeting each other, was still enslaved by his former employer.

"C'mon, buddy. I think you've had enough." the tubby Quarren stated, the tentacle-like growths under his mouth quirvering only a slight bit. The Squid-head knew who he was talking to, and the thought gave him the shakes.

"I said 'serve me another drink'...CURSE YOUR MOLLUSK-LIKE HEAD!" John roared, pounding the bar, putting his head down and shedding a few tears.

"Hmm...sounds like you could use a friend right about now." a female voice suggested. It was a human. A blonde human female...in a suit of cybernetic armor. John knew who she was.

"Samus Aran." John muttered, "I was wondering when you were going to catch up to me. Who hired you and how much are they paying you to put me out of my misery?"

"I'm not here on that kind of business, Enforcer. Not this time." she said, letting out some amused breaths.

"Look, if it's about that time we took down that Ortolan pirate, then let me make my point even clearer to you...I WORK BETTER ALONE!" John hissed as the infamous Space Hunter sat down next to where he was.

"And I'm not here for that either. I'm here to watch the Boonta Classic. I don't often get a chance to enjoy sporting events with my usual...schedule." she replied after ordering some vinta, "And I'm also here to let you know about an interesting bounty."

"What is it?" John asked.

Samus took one quick sip and replied, "A Trade Federation bigwig has placed a bounty on some princess from Chandral. From the sounds of it, it's quite a big one and they want this girl alive."

John received his drink, then questioned, "How big is this reward, and who's been contacted for this bounty?"

"The reward's 500 thousand Republic credits, and as far as I know from Bounty Hunter Guildmaster Cradossk, the only hunters I know of are Mahwi Lihnn, Vilmarh Grahrk,..." she started to list.

"And yourself?" John suspected aloud, "You're still a bounty hunter, Samus. Not even you would be immune from the temptation of going after such a profitable reward."

"Nah. Going after runaway royals just isn't my style. And what's keeping you from going after this princess? You may be retired...or so I've heard, but not even you would keep away from such a considerable reward. And from last I heard, she was here, on Tatooine." Samus stated, eyeing her former partner suspiciously.

"She has been enslaved by Jabba the Hutt, and if anything, I'm going to get her back...because...she's my wife." John said, crushing his cup in his hands.

"Hmm...small universe, isn't it?" Samus said, "Anyway, the last hunter I heard about that is in on this hunt is....Jango Fett."

John's face paled. Several patrons heard what Samus had said and began to run out of the bar.

"J-j-j-jango Fett?!" John whispered fearfully, "Are you sure?"

"I saw his ship, 'Jaster's Legacy', land before I came in here." she replied.

Dave entered the bar. He noticed Samus Aran with John.

"Well, gotta run, Enforcer. Just don't forget." she said as she left.

Dave was awestruck. He went up to John and said, "John...was that...?"

"Mmm-hmm." John said with a nod, "Samus Aran."

"What was she doing here? What did she mean when she said, ' don't forget'?" Dave asked.

John got up from the barstool and replied, "She was warning me about bounty hunters after Adonna-Lyn...and by what she said, she was referring to the last thing she said to me before we broke up our former partnership."

Dave asked, "That being?"

"No one is ever alone...as long as you have your friends, no matter how far away." John answered.



Meanwhile, aboard "The Inferno", Vilmarh Grahrk's ship...

"Hoo-boy. What a party. Jabba sure knows how to party." Vilmarh said as he woke up from his bunk.

"Attention, Master Grahrk." NT-600, the astronavigation and general assistance droid Vilmarh had hardwired into his ship, announced, "While you were in a drunken stupor and resting in your bunk, I just received a message from a Garan Haako of the Trade Federation."

"As in a Neimoidian?! What greedy-guts bug-face want from Villie?" Vilmarh asked, a slight growl growing in his throat. If anything, he hated dealing with Neimoidians. Whenever he was hired by one and completed what he was hired for, they always stiffed him when it came to his payment....and he didn't like the oily taste of them either.

"Possibley, it is work you might be interested in. Shall I display the message?" NT asked.

"Whatever. Villie can have your logic circuits looked at anytime." the Devaronian smuggler muttered as he got up.

Appearing on the screen was Garan Haako. Like all Neimoidians, she was dressed in overflowing, ridiculously overbearing, ornamental robes. The vile-looking grin on her face sent a slight chill down Vilmarh's spine.

"Vilmarh Grahrk...I understand that amongst your...questionable occupations, mercenary and bounty hunter happen to be amongst them. About a day or two ago, a Chandralite Echidna princess was seen fleeing Naboo to the Outer Rim Territories." the Neimoidian explained, "Her capture holds... ah, significant importance to the Trade Federation; such importance, that I'm offering a 500 thousand credit reward for her capture. I want her alive, which means she is to be unharmed. End transmission."

Vilmarh reflected heavily on the offer. On one hand, he needed some quick cash, enough to bet and win more money from other high-stakes gamblers who were betting on the outcome of the Boonta Classic coming up in three more days. On the other...

NT quickly interrupted his thoughts, asking, "Vilmarh, that girl who you helped Jabba's bunch capture...she was wearing a crown most familiar with Chandral royalty. Could she be the one this Neimoidian wants?"

"Hmm...perhaps yes." Vilmarh mused, "But the girl, no matter how much yum-yum quality she is...she's in Jabba's hands now, and Villie isn't stupid enough to cross a Hutt, let alone take something or someone that belongs to him."

"What if you were to bargin with Jabba, cut him in on the reward that the Trade Federation is offering?" NT suggested, "You'd still get a considerable amount of money."

Vilmarh grinned and said, "Now, you're thinking the way Villie wants you to think! Villie take idea to the Hutt and whatever happens...happens."

Back at Gor-dann-zac's shop...

"Her Highness...enslaved?!" Neela gasped, "What would her father say?!"

"He'd probabley be wondering who wassssssssn't watching after her when it happened." Snake said while polishing one of his energy blasters.

Dave said, "I went after Kenny when some Rodian kid threw fruit in his face and insulted him. I was trying to keep him from killing the kid, which is against the code of the Jedi."

Neon turned to John and asked, "Where were you then? With all due respect, she was YOUR wife and YOUR responsibility."

"I was in the Jundland Wastes, acquiring a couple of Krayt Dragonpearls, one of which I was going to carve into a necklace for Adonna-Lyn." John replied, "And that was on a suggestion from my Bozarr friend."

"A sssssssssuggesssssstion... or a diverssssssion tactic?" Chrome Fingers Snake asked while practicing his aiming skills, "The Jundland Wastessssssssss are a very long way from here, even on the fassssssstesssssssst of vehiclesssssssss. Long enough to keep John ssssssssseparated from hisssssssssss wife."

"I already told you guys I had no hand in her kidnapping! I was trying to protect her from Bib Fortuna and the guys Jabba hired." Gor-dann-zac objected while looking over his shoulder.

John then got a signal from Heavy, who was continuing repairs on the ShadowHunter. "Sir, the ShadowHunter has detected a ship coming in. It is a J-type Nubian Cruiser."

"Alright, Heavy. Let 'em land but send out a couple of my remote probes. I want them watched in case they try anything funny. John out." John stated.

Dave stretched out his awareness through the Force and sensed, "John, it is just several Naboo security guards, Queen Amidala and her handmaidens, and Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi...oh, and that screwy Gungan we ran into. Leave them be."

John hissed at the thought of it. He hated humans with a vengence. To him, the only thing humans were good for was target practice.

"Say, Enforcer, how about we make some modifications to that there armor of yers?" Gor-dann-zac proposed, "You already can change it into a Swoop Bike. How's about we make it transform into a Podracer?"

John looked at his Bozarr friend and said, "Gor-dann-zac, that is absolutely brilliant! C'mon, you guys! Let's get to work!"

Heavy said, "If you need me, sir, I'll be here at the ShadowHunter, finalizing the repairs with B-Fee."

Midday, at Jabba's penthouse...

" 'Allo, big and honorable Jabba!" Vilmarh Grahrk said as he entered the audience chamber. Adonna-Lyn was still chained, still sitting in front of the Hutt's bulk.

"What is it this time, horned smuggler?" Jabba rumbled, a bit bored.

"Villie just received word that little slave girlie there is wanted by the Trade Federation." Vilmarh explained, "Big-time reward offered if she's brought to them."

"And this interests me how?" Jabba hissed.

Vilmarh grinned that same sickening grin, and while looking at Adonna-Lyn, said, "Reward is 500 thousand credits. Villie thinks maybe having you recieve seventy-five percent of reward, as long as Villie acts as a go-between. What great and glorious Hutt say, eh?"

Jabba snarled and simply said, "No deal."

"Uh, sorry?" Vilmarh asked.

"This girl is mine, and I will not give her up, not even for a hundred billion credits! There will be no bargain!" Jabba roared, "Markus Jerriko, show this Devaronian pest to the door."

"As you wish, master." a tall, but rotund humanoid said, coming over to Vilmarh Grahrk. Markus Jerriko's other features that made him nowhere near human was his slicked-back olive-green hair, up-turned nose that almost made him look like he was given a Gamorrean nose job, slightly large cheeks, and eyes that were mostly black except for a coin-sized ring of grey.

Adonna-Lyn's skin began to shiver as the being (while still heading over to the Devaronian smuggler) cast her a slight look, like a Taekwraith before its attack on helpless prey. She knew what Jerriko was, but couldn't believe it. Heading right over to Vilmarh was an Anzati!

Originally, she thought they were only a myth, something her father used to get her to settle down and go to bed. "Go to bed soon, Adonna-Lyn, or the Anzati will get you." he would say. But right in front of her was an honest-to-Chandrala Anzati!

John told her of how he once had to deal with a bounty hunt on a man who was committing acts of murder without leaving a trace on his victims. And when he had come face-to-face with the murderer, the Anzati held him within his race's reputed power, almost leaving him defenseless enough for the Anzati to unfurl a pair of proboscies from their cheeks and attempt to...oh, she didn't even dare to imagine what would happen after that.

Fortunately (especially for her, since this took place before he met her), John escaped death by stabbing back at the Anzati telepathically, forcing the vile being into a cowering stance, to which then John ripped the Anzati in half with his armor's enhanced strength.

But Adonna-Lyn also heard of how one Anzati came to Chandral and went through ten echidna monarchs before her great-grandfather (mother's side) destroyed the demonic alien.

Either way, she was trapped in a place where danger came from both her "master" and his many diversified underlings.

Gor-dann-zac's shop, late afternoon...

John got into the cockpit of his Podracer, which was, to say the least, the most...interesting and terrifying racing machine anyone had seen before.

Since it was made up of John's armor, it added a considerabley frightening air to it. The arms and legs made up the engines (with the fingers and toes at the front of the engines, acting as steering and braking mechanisms), two dreadlocks made up the connection cables to the engines, the torso made up the cockpit of the racer, and the other dreadlocks made up the controls, display panels, and seating restrains. The helmet still served its purpose of hiding John's face.

Now, it all came down to if the engines would run or not.

John turned on several switches. A crimson red beam appeared between the two power couplings, holding the two engines apart, yet together. The engines gave out several coughs before they flared to life.

John grinned. This might just work!

But that grin faded as he received felt something inside his head. It wasn't painful, but it was enough to make John go pale. It was a telepathic message from Adonna-Lyn, presented in the form of mental images...and their meaning made John shiver.

Gor-dann-zac noticed and quickly made the others in the shop alerted to what was happening to John. Neon, who was the closest, watched as John slipped and began to fall out of the Podracer. She dove and caught John. His eyes were changing colors, from a complete glowing blue to a complete glowing purple.

She turned to Neela and asked, "What's going on?"

"It would appear that John and her Highness are communicating with each other through Mind-Speak. I once witnessed it happening between Adonna-Lyn and her father." the squirrel servant girl answered.

As John came out of the telepathic trance, he was beginning to cry. Neon helped him up and asked, "John, why are you crying?"

John looked at Neon, his silvery-blue eyes looking like rain on the open sea, and replied, "I...just can't do it, Neon."

Neon was taken aback and exclaimed, "WHAT?!"

John went on, "The minute Jabba sees me at the starting line, he's going to kill Adonna-Lyn. Even more so, there's an Anzati amongst Jabba's foul crew. That, and...of all the Podraces I've been through, the Boonta Classic is the only one I've never won. I just can't win...and I'll never see Adonna-Lyn's face ever again."

Neon brought John to face her and said, "John, listen to me. Of all the people I've run into, you are the most amazing and capable beings I've met. You make the impossible...well, not so impossible. You've never let anything get in the way, no matter how large, how deep, or how difficult. I've got this feeling, John, that you are going to be reunited with Adonna-Lyn again and you two will be alive when you do."

"You think so?" John asked, brightening up a bit.

The female Detrossian smiled and said, "I know so."

Kenny ran up to the two and said, "If you guys are done with the sob-fest, I wanna show you two my Podracer. It's gonna knock those other losers at the race dead!"

When they got a look at it, they were...a little dumbfounded.

"Kenny, where are the connector cables?" John asked.

The Podracer's cockpit was connected to the two, massive, split-X-like engines. It looked like a blimp with two balloons above it, the cockpit hanging like a glass gondola with the controls in the celing.

"It's a brand new Podracer design! Those other racers will turn green with envy when they see how fast this puppy can go." Kenny chuckled.

"Kenny, we're not doing this for any amount of money or thrill. A Jedi does not crave such things. We're purely in this to ensure that John wins Jabba's bet and wins Adonna-Lyn out of the Hutt's clutches." Dave said sternly.

"And that's why you're building your racer, right?" Kenny asked, that same, sly-fanged smile on his face.

"Quick question, Jedi boy." Gor-dan-zac asked, "How do you expect to fly a podracer...with just one engine?"

Dave's podracer had but one massive engine, many sharp spikes lining it from the in-take to the output. Two large spikes made up a pair of stabilizer "wings" near the front of the engine.

"You'll see when the race starts." Dave said with a smile, "Well, all that we need to do is register our racers and rest up for the Boonta Classic."

Coruscant, early morning...

The capital world of the Galactic Republic, the planet was just one large city. And amongst its many building-connecting walkways, two dark figures were conspiring.

"Tatooine is sparsley populated, Master. If the trace was correct, I will find them quickly." Darth Maul related to his teacher, his trainer...his master, Darth Sidious.

Darth Sidious ordered, "Move against the Jedi first. You will then have no difficulty taking the queen back to Naboo, where she will sign the treaty for the Trade Federation."

"At last, we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi." Darth Maul hissed triumphantly, "At last, we will have REVENGE!"

"You have been well trained, my young apprentice. Those fools will be no match for you." Darth Sidious said with wicked pride, "It is far too late for them to stop us now. Everything is going as planned. The Republic will soon be in my control."

"What about this female echidna?" Darth Maul asked, simply out of curiousity...and the fact that he would love to cut down anyone else who would threaten his master's plans.

"She is of no real concern to my designs...but if she sees you...you know what must be done."

"Yes, my Master." Darth Maul said with a slight bow of respect. He departed for his Sith Infiltrator...and vengence for the Jedi's attack to destroy the Sith so long ago.

Darth Sidious heard something behind him. He turned and saw a pair of red-glowing eyes glaring back at him. "How long have you been standing there?" he asked.

"Long enough to observe and be awed." a female voice replied, "Hard to believe that the Sith has returned...right under the nose of the Republic and the triple-damned Jedi."

"You harbor hatred towards the Jedi?" Sidious asked, not wavering in the least.

"They assisted the father of the female echidna your apprentice mentioned...in killing..." the female replied, her voice trailing off.

"Hmm...Well, if you have a reason to hate the Jedi, I should certainly consider you an ally." Sidious said with a cruel smile.



Tatooine, the night before Boonta Eve...

Dave made several final checks on his Podracer...when he felt it. It was a tremor in the Force. It was a dark tremor. Never before had Dave felt so cold, not even since he accompanied Master Yoda to Dathomir to retrieve records of the Jedi from the Dark-Side witch-like Nightsisters.

Kenny and John sensed it immediately. Neela collapsed to the ground, curling up into a slight ball and shivering constantly. When Mighty went to help her up, he noticed that her pupils were shrunken to mere dots.

"Dark...so dark..." she whimpered.

"Dave, what's going on?!" Mighty asked.

"It is a disturbance in the Force. Something's coming..." Dave muttered.

Darth Maul landed his Sith Infiltrator beyond the outskirts of Mos Espa.

Yes, he knew the Jedi had sensed that he was there...not that it would matter to him. Soon the Jedi would be wiped out from all knowledge, and the Sith would rise to claim the galaxy from them.

Now, to find them without actually going into the town. He pressed several buttons on a control band on his wrist. Three Dark Eye Probe Droids emerged from the Infiltrator and flew towards Mos Espa.

He grinned. Soon. Very soon. The Jedi will become extinct, and the Sith shall rise again...

The Podrace garage, before the race...

Gor-dan-zac's trio of Podracers were busy having last-minute checks made. Neon personally supervised the final bits of maintenance on Kenny, Dave, and John's Podracers and watched out. Such races were sure to have cheaters willing to kill the competition to win, and that often meant sabotauge.

The aliens around Neela were certainly unfamiliar and frightening. But the Podracer pilots were, to her, the most strange and disreputable-looking bunch she had ever seen (excluding her Mobian allies and Detrossian friend, of course). One that seemed to stand out of all of them was Sebulba.

The Dug was bizarre creature with the face of a horse, and the body of weird ape, with the arms functioning as the legs and vice-versa. He was dressed in an outfit suited for his species, with a pilot's cap nearby.

Massaging the Dug was a pair of blue-skinned Twi'lek slave girls. Neon knew that Twi'lek girls were often flaunted as a sign of prestiege, but to her, it was just disgusting seeing these girls fawning over that little scrap of hideous flesh.

A Trandoshan walked up to Neon. She had heard about these horrid reptilian beings on the Holonet. Trandoshans were known for their hunting practices on the neighboring world of Kashyyyk, the homeplanet of the fearsome but peaceful Wookies.

"Hey there, pretty one. How would you like to ssssspend ssssssome time with me, rather than thessssse fur-bearing sssssscum?" the Trandoshan said, his Basic sounding like someone trying to gargle while being strangled at the same time, with the occasional hissing overtone. The lizard-like being flicked out his tongue, which was about the length of a human arm.

"Spare me." Neon thought, rolling her eyes. She then said, "Take a hike, loser."

"You ssssspurn me?!" the Trandoshan growled, "I'll have you know that I am the most handssssssome member of my clan."

"Really?" Neon snorted, "I'd hate to see what the rest of the clan looks like."

"C'mon!" the Trandoshan said while catching Neon in a bear hug, "You don't know what you're misssssssing!"

"Oh, I never miss...not at this range." Neon said...while kicking the reptile between the legs. Almost to add insult to injury, she launched a fireball the size of her fist at the Trandoshan's back side.

"Men." she snorted as she returned to the rest of her group, which appeared to be in a huddle.

"Neon, glad you could join us." John said as he had her join the group.

She shrugged and said, "I was being insulted, so I burned the guy...figuratively AND literally."

"Right. Now, what I'll need Mighty, Neela, Snake, Gor-dan-zac, and you to do is keep your eyes on Adonna-Lyn and Jabba. Believe me, a being Jabba's size is hard to miss, but he is a slippery character, nonetheless. So if he tries anything funny, call me on these communicators." John said as he passed out devices that were cunningly disguised as wristwatches.

"Now, head into the arena and be careful." John advised.

Neon and the other helpers headed for the many seats of the arena. Neela, however, hung back a bit, looking at the trio that would be taking on this deadly race, went back to them and said, "Guys?"

Dave looked over to her warmly before having his Podracer, as well as John and Kenny's, towed out to the Starting Grid by banthas and asked, "Yes, Neela? What is it?"

"Good luck...and may the Force be with you." she said before turning and leaving to join the others.

Kenny looked at Neela in a dreamy daze. John took notice and asked, "You like her, don't you?"

"No duh!" Kenny said, "She is a really cute babe...and she has Force waves drifting about her like the silky clothes she wears. I'm telling you, John, I think I'm in love."

"Well, don't get too enraptured, little Jedi." John remarked, "Unless you haven't noticed, Neela already has an eligible suitor...Mighty."

"MIGHTY?! That muscle-brained dimwit?!" Kenny snapped.

John shook his head and answered, "Mighty might not be as bright as I am, but he has a good heart and he is very honorable. I personally think he and Neela were meant to be...besides, she's too old for you, half-pint."

"OOOOOOOOOH! The age issue again!!!" Kenny yelled. Several pilots looked his way, wondering what his problem was. He looked at them grimly and said, "What're you looking at? Show's over."

"Actually, my young Padawan, the show's about to begin." Dave replied as the led the banthas towing their Podracers onto the Starting Grid...

"Welcome, welcome!" a two-headed, four-armed Troigg announcer spoke in Huttese, "We have perfect weather today for the Boonta Classic, the most hazardous of all Podraces. Isn't that right, Beed?"

"That is absolutley right, Fode." the other head answered in Basic, "And we have a big turnout here from all corners of the Outer Rim Territories. I can see the contestants making their way out onto the Starting Grid."

"Yes, there they are!" Fode said.

Beed continued to announce, "I see Ben Quadinaros from the Tund system!" The alien they were referring to seemed like he was all face and very little else in the way of a humanoid body. He waved excitedly to the crowd. John knew that the Toong had previously raced in the Pouffra Circuits, courses for beginners and amatuer Podracers.

"And Gasgano in his new Ord Pedrovia, parked alongside Teemto Pagalies." Fode continued. Gasgano waved his four hands about and took a bow before the audience. Teemto, a tusked, kangaroo-like Veknoid, released serveal sounds of graditude as he waved his appreciation for the crowd's cheers. John knew Gasgano always came in second in races, so the Xexto wouldn't be a problem. Teemto was new to John...and a new face in the races would pose a problem.

"Two time winner Boles Roor.." Beed announced. Boles Roor stood up his diminuative legs and screamed out a "YEEEEEEEEEEAH!" to the crowd. True, the bulldog-faced Sneevil won the Boonta Classic for two times...but the glimmerik singer's success at the Boonta had dropped since Sebulba appeared.

"On the front line is the reigning champion of the Boonta Classic and the crowd favorite, Sebulba of Pixelito!" Fode announced, to which would result in a loud roar of applause from the audience! John knew that, despite how Sebulba was blowing kisses to the crowd and making himself look like a big show-off, the Dug would be his most dangerous opponent.

"And alongside pole position, it's the podracing jock from Hok, Mawhonic!" Beed announced, to which a tubby, three-eyed Gran bowed before the crowd. Another newcomer.

"Let's all give a hearty hello to Clegg Holdfast with his Voltech KT9 Wasp." the Troigg said, to which a Nosaurian on the Starting grid peformed a respectful bow as if to a king, and pulled at the flaps of his mouth like a pompous aristocrat. John knew Clegg was all show and that the Nosaurian was an "inside" journalist for Podracing Quarterly...and remembered that Clegg gave him a bad review.

"Lookie there, it's Elan Mak, always a threat on the course." Beed pointed out to an amphibious Fluggrian, who was busy tightening some bolts on his pod before he turned and meekly waved at the crowd. Another newcomer...John thought.

"And back again, it's the mighty Dud Bolt with his awesome racing machine, the Vulptereen 327!" Beed announced. Now Dud Bolt, John knew. The pudgy Vulptereen was secretly Sebulba's bodyguard in and out of Podraces.

"A newcomer, moving up from the Minor Rim Leagues." Beed continued, "It's first time, big-time, Mars Guo!" The scrappy looking Phuii did a somewhat wavering salute. John grinned. The little braggart was a bit drunk. Mars probabley would crash during the first lap, getting his massive podracing engines out of his way.

"This little guy doesn't know the meaning of the word 'fear'...it's Ratts Tyerell!" Beed announced. The Aleena alien he was referring to let out a strange and long squawk. John noticed panels on Tyerell's Vokoff-Strood Titan...panels that would no doubt conceal illegal weaponry.

"He's not pretty but he's not shy...it's Ark 'Bumpy' Roose!" the two headed announcer spoke, to which an ugly looking Nuknog gave a hearty thumbs up...facing away from the crowds. John shook his head, knowing that the blockheaded Roose was a hopeless dimwit and an even more pathetic excuse for a podracer.

"Hoping for a big win today is Ody Mandrell, with his record-setting Pit Droid team." Beed continued. John knew, from a rather frightening run-in during one of the Malastare circuits, that the gawky Er'Kit was a racer with a death wish...towards any other racer, that is.

"Only six years old but looking good for his age is Wan Sandage!" Beed continued. The Devlikk stood up and waved to the crowd, with a confident and toothy grin. But what John sensed was quite different. Devlikks only live to be ten years old, so John could tell that Wan was a bit nervous. The Devlikk was desparate for a big win, for that would make him quite popular with the ladies back home. For a really big win, Sandage needed to weed out the competition.

"He's a racer who always hits his mark, whether it be on the race course or off, it's Aldar 'the Hitman' Beedo!" Beed announced. John's blood froze. Although Beedo was no where close to matching John's bounty hunter skills, the Glymphid assasin was certainly one to be avoided.

"And now our late entries: Neva Kee, Ebe Endocott, The Enforcer, the Gold Jedi, Kenny the Vampire bat, and young Anakin Skywalker, a local boy." Beed finished.

"Let's hope he has better luck than last time. Heheheheheh..." Fode commented with an amused chuckle.

"Now that's not nice." Beed commented, "Ah, I can see the flaggers moving out onto the track."

John watched as a parade of flag-barers marched in front of those racers close to the starting line. One peculiar member of the parade was what appeared to a protocol droid stripped of its outer covering.

Final checks were being made. Sebulba was seen moving on his arms and loosening a part of Anakin's Podracer. John paid no heed.

Dave and Kenny readied themselves.

Fode abruptly called out, "And now, his honor, our glorious host has entered the arena- Jabba the Hutt!". Then he and Beed joined in a loud cry that heralded the appearance of the grotesque crimelord.

Jabba waved to those who cheered for him. "Welcome, all who have come to Tatooine for this glorious race. Let the Challenge BEGIN!" Jabba proclaimed. He looked down and gasped. There, down on the Starting Grid, glaring right back up in his general direction was the ENFORCER!!!

Adonna-Lyn, who was brought in roughly by a hard tug on her chains by the Hutt before his small speech, heard Jabba's gasp. She looked down, trying to find her beloved husband amongst this motley crew of racers and amuck-runners. She found him, suited up partially in his armor and otherwise in a leathery-looking coverall.

"Oh, John...dear, beloved John. Do be careful." she telepathically communed with her husband.

"I will be...for you." John replied telepathically as he revved up the engines of his podracer.

Wan Sandage gasped upon the mentioning of the Enforcer. The Devlikk had come across the echidna bounty hunter in previous races. He turned to Aldar Beedo and said, "Ace assassin, I will add an extra bonus if you..."

"Sssssave it, Sssssssandage!" the Hitman hissed, "Thissssss one'ssssss perssssssonal...very perssssssssonal!"

The lights above the starting line flared to life, displaying the countdown to the race's beginning.

John was tense as it was. Even if Dave and Kenny were going to act as back-up, there was no guarantee that he would entirely be safe. The Boonta Classic was, after all, the most hazardous of all races. It would take someone of high Jedi skill to sucessfully navigate through the many wild twists and turns of Tatooine's course.

Soon, the roar of the engines began to fill the arena, almost hurting Adonna-Lyn's earholes, as she was not accustomed to such loud noise.

Jabba was getting nervous. Even if a Hutt's wrath was dangerous, he felt that after the race, the Enforcer would come after the Chandralite slave girl near him...and kill him! And that was a thought the Hutt did not relish in the least.

Jabba then grabbed a frog-like gorg, bit off its head and spit the head out at a nearby gong!

The race had begun!

John and the two Mobian Jedi were already a good distance from the starting line after the signal went off. Now, a myriad of podracing aliens stood between him and Sebulba. John grinned. With the exceptions of Aldar Beedo (knowing that the Glymphid would no doubt be armed), Ratts Tyerell, and the Dug himself, he had one of the few racers...that was armed!

Dave sensed something surging up close behind him. It was Anakin Skywalker. Despite the fact that the human boy had some problems with his racer, he was catching up quickly...and Dave felt something from this young boy...

Kenny was enjoying the whole race, not even paying attention when Ratts pulled up alongside him and began firing blaster bolts at his engines. When Kenny heard the blaster bolts, he quickly dropped back...to where he saw Anakin speeding past Wan Sandage and Aldar Beedo. Much like his Jedi teacher, he felt the prescence of the Force with the human. "The Force is strong with this one..." Kenny thought.

The open flats proved to be no problem for the Podracers, but this would be as easy as it was going to be.

Neon stood with the other five, each watching their own object of interest.

The Detrossian and Bozarr were watching their own holopads, which displayed John, Dave and Kenny's position in the race.

Neela was keeping both her eyes and her control of the Force focused on Adonna-Lyn. It galled her to think that her royal foster sister was lowered to such a lowly position as a slave to a Hutt. True, Adonna-Lyn was strong enough to break a Hutt's nearly non-existent neck, but with so many armed guards, killing the Hutt and getting away with it would be impossible.

Mighty kept a careful eye-out for any possible creeps who would dare to hurt either his friends here in the arena or out on the course, using some of John's own miniscule spy robots.

Chrome Fingers, on the other hand, was on the look-out for any possibley rich gamblers. He loved to gamble, and knew many tricks to con others out of their cash. He checked through many of the possible Podracers...obviously excluding Ben Quadinaros' pod, which failed to even take off from the Starting Grid. Many of the Pods looked fast and had potential...but he then chose the Pod he would bet on...and win a considerable amount of moolah. "Now, to find the right sssssssucker..." he thought.

He then noticed a burly Devaronian who was watching the race with a holopad. He then slithered over to the horn-headed humanoid and said, "Hey, buddy. Care to make a wild wager?"

"Villie interested. What little...fella suggesting?" the Devaronian said with a wicked-looking grin.

Snake ignored it and said, "I'll bet 3000 creditssssssss that Ssssssssssebulba the Dug won't win the racssssssssssse."

The Devaronian let out a loud roar of mocking laughter. What kind of stupid wager was that?! "Ho-kay, hissing boy! Vilmarh Grahrk will take your bet and bet an extra 2000 that Sebulba will win."

Snake grinned. This Devaronian was going to wind up as a sore loser by the end of the race.

Neon looked around for Snake and saw the little bugger...betting with Vilmarh Grahrk. She rolled her eyes. Him and his gambling streaks...

Gor-dan-zac quickly alerted Neon to an event on the race course. It seemed that Sebulba took out Mawhonic, the big Gran's pod being smashed into a rock formation by the bullying Dug. One chunk nearly took off John's head!

Ede Crater Valley...

"That was too close." John thought after he swerved to dodge the chunk of Mawhonic's pod.

Neva Kee closed in quick for the lead, only to be cut off by Sebulba's bodyguard. The Vulptereen Dud Bolt continued to ram the Xamster's unusual Podracer until he went into a crater and his pod erupted along with the engines on both sides. Dud Bolt grinned and let out a low frequency chuckle as he lagged back, ready to pound the next suckers into their graves.

John kept his own watchful eyes out. With quite a few enemies that he had made in Podracing, he knew that being careless was a pathway to a quick death.

As they entered the area of the race known as Butte City, he thought he caught sight of a pale-skinned humanoid in a bright orange-ish-red coverall atop a high tower. Upon closer magification, he gasped. It was the Jedi killer known as Aurra Sing!

John had heard how she dropped out of the Jedi order and became a bounty hunter and assassin, occasionally taking jobs when Jedi were the targets, taking their lightsabers as grim trophies...and he had his run-ins with her to know that she was not someone to meet in a dark alley...

"No. Don't worry about her now, John. You have a race to win...and a bride to take back from a Hutt." he thought to himself as he and the other racers entered Faittern Flats.

He looked about, trying to see Dave or Kenny. When he didn't see either of them, he became worried. Even though the Force would've given them an extra advantage in turning and quick reflexes, they never podraced before, and it was highly possible that...

A blaster bolt hit John's left engine. It didn't do any damage, thankfully, but he knew the blast was trying to hit the driver himself. He looked and saw Aldar Beedo off to his left, a blaster in his suction-cup fingered hand. "Die, damn you! DIEEEEEE!" Aldar shouted at him.

Another blaster bolt hit John's other engine. It was Wan Sandage, and he, too, had a blaster in his hands. "Kill him, Beedo! Destroy him!" the Devlikk called over to the Glymphid.

"Don't you think I'm trying to do ssssssssssso, you moron?!?!" Aldar shouted back at his current employer.

"I don't have time for this!" John impatiently hissed as he hit the boosters on his racer and shot ahead of his would-be assassins.

"Where are those other two, the ones who were with him?" Wan asked over a communicator.

"Right here." a voice said next to him. He looked and watched as a weird-looking Podracer pulled up alongside his and pulled out a blade of green-glowing light. It was Kenny!

The vampire bat cut apart Wan's blaster, causing him to drop the rest in surprise. Kenny pulled ahead a little and cut apart one of the connector cables, severing the left engine from the rest of Wan's racing machine. The other engine collided with a passing sandcrawler, whipping the cockpit ahead and into the sandy dunes of the Dune Sea.

Aldar Beedo aimed with his blaster. "I won't missssss thissss little pessssst!" he said as he got ready to pull the trigger.

Suddenly, a podracer with one engine pulled alongside the assassin's. Dave aimed his open palm at the Glymphid, Force-Pulling his blaster out of his hand. The hedgehog Jedi Master gave the assassin a hard look as he crushed the blaster in his hand and raced ahead of him.

"Thissssssss isssssss why I LOATHE Jedi..." Aldar hissed.



Back at the arena...

Jabba furiously grabbed Bib Fortuna by the neck. "You weak-minded fool! You didn't tell me THE ENFORCER was the one who was interested in that girl!" Jabba hissed at his lieutenant.

"I didn't think that..." the snivelling Twi'lek whimpered.

In a fury, Jabba threw Bib against a wall, yelling, "No, you didn't think! Now, make yourself useful for once and tell Markus to ready my Sail Barge. Once the winner crosses the Finish Line, I want get as far away from here as possible."

As the Twi'lek stormed off, he shot Adonna-Lyn a harsh look and snarled, "I hope you realize this is all your fault!"

"Hey, it wasn't MY idea for you to kidnap and enslave me, you worm-headed dip-stick." she said indignantly...to which resulted in a hard slap across the face.

"I promise you that you will suffer for the indignity that you've put me through!" Bib Fortuna growled as he went off to do as his master ordered him to.

"And this is for that slap you gave me, you beast!" she thought as she telekinetically pushed Bib Fortuna's feet out from under him and had him slam down on the sandstone floor on his back.

He glared angrily at Adonna-Lyn as Jabba and Gardulla, a "business" rival of her soon-to-be ex-master, laughed at the Twi'lek's misfortune. "You'll pay dearly for that, slave. Mark my words..." he muttered in his native tongue.

When Bib Fortuna reached the hangar where Jabba's Sail Barge was, he stopped in stunned horror. Markus stood there, clasping a human thug by the head, a pair of cruel probiscii unfurled from the Anzati's cheeks and shoved up the unfortunate human's nose. After a short while, he released the human and turned to Fortuna, his probiscii withdrawing into his cheek pockets. He did not attack. The human corpse merely dropped to the ground, lifeless and without sign of what killed him.

"So...you ARE an Anzati." Bib Fortuna gasped.

"And what of it?" Markus replied, speaking Fortuna's native tongue quite fluently.

The wheels in Fortuna's head began turning. Maybe he could turn this around. "I heard that your kind feed on the brain matter of others..." he began.

"Please. Such an ungainly way of putting what my kind call it. We prefer the term...'soup'." Markus corrected.

"Right...soup." Bib Fortuna said, "How would you like to sample a CHANDRALITE'S soup?"

Markus grinned, breaking his otherwise stone-like gaze. "Go on..." the Anzati asked.

Start of the second lap...

John grimaced as he checked his position. Of the remaining 14 racers, he was placing back as far as 10th.

Ody Mandrell had to pull into the pits for some maintenance...only to have a Pit Droid get sucked into one of the engines and put the Er'Kit out of the race. For John, it was a bit of temporary relief, knowing that loose canon was out of his way.

As the racers proceeded into the crater filled valley, John watched as Clegg Holdfast was being bullied by Sebulba...and char-broiled as the Dug activated a flame-jet on one of his engines, causing the Nosaurian to crash into the mountain wall that practically came up in front of him.

John gulped. This race was becoming more dangerous by the second.

Dave was busy keeping an eye on young Anakin, who was in the process of being given a hard time by Gasgano. The Xexto was hogging the road and certainly didn't look like he was going to relinquish his rank in the race...especially to some dumb human kid.

Then, as they went over a slight drop, Anakin pulled ahead and flew over Gasgano!

"Amazing." Dave thought, "For those kind of reflexes, that boy must be strong with the Force..."

Getting his attention back on the race, he suddenly heard what sounded like a Swoop Bike behind him. He checked his monitor and saw...AURRA SING!

She smiled as she pulled out her modified projectile sniper rifle and took aim. "Another one of those stinking Jedi hypocrites...and another trophy for my collection." she thought.

However, she was so preoccupied with killing another Jedi warrior, that she failed to sense that someone was right behind her.

"Wait a minute. This is too easy..." she wondered, "And if that is Dave the Hedgehog, otherwise known as the Gold Jedi, he should have sensed me coming..."

Her malevolent thoughts were interupted by blaster fire! She turned around to see the Enforcer's Podracer...just as an explosion from the back of her Swoop sent her spinning out of control and crashing into the ground.

"That's impossible!" she mentally cursed as her skin bled from numerous cuts and scrapes, "How can some lowly Podracer block out my senses like that?! HOOOOOOOOOOOOOW?!"

John smirked as he flew over the muderer, messing up her lone topknot braid as he did.

"Thanks, John." Dave said as John temporarily pulled up along side him to do a high-five.

Back at the Arena...

Neela breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Even though she had never heard a thing about Aurra Sing, she sensed that the bizarre humanoid was nothing but trouble.

Neon grinned as John began to move up in the ranks. Near the end of the second lap, the former echidna bounty hunter had moved up to third, tying with Kenny and Dave. In first place was Sebulba, followed closely in a tight second by Anakin.

Mighty noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He saw Jabba turning and talking to his Twi'lek lieutenant. From the look on both of their faces, and their casting of conspiratorial glances at Adonna-Lyn, the armadillo knew it was nothing good.

"Guys, the Hutt and his scrub's discussing something." Mighty mentioned quickly, "And quite frankly, I don't like either the looks they're giving Adonna-Lyn or where they're going with their conversation. I'll try to bring one of John's little spy eyes in to hear what their up to."

With that, the armadillo brought a minuscule spy droid over to Jabba's audience box. As he directed the droid closer to the conversation, he looked up at everyone and asked, "Um...does...anyone understand Huttese?"

Neon gave a sharp look to the armadillo and remarked, "Mighty, am I starting to look like a HUTT to you?!"

Neela shrugged and replied, "I only know English and some bits of Chandralite that my father taught me."

Snake merely flicked out his fork tongue and said, "Got me."

Gor-dan-zac said, "I only know Basic, a little smidgen of Droid-speak, a lot of Geonosian, my own native tongue...but that's it."

Suddenly, the old Bozarr's eyestalks straightened out, then curved down close to his head, quivering in fear. "What is it?" Neon asked.

"I just caught a word thatcha don't need to be a Hutt to understand...Sarlacc!" Gor-dan-zac muttered fearfully.

Now, any being worth their salt knew what a Sarlacc was, atleast as far as any educated xenobiologist knew: a big, gaping mouth lined with teeth and tentacles leading into an abyss where victims would be digested over a thousand years.

John and the two Jedi were entering the section of the Boonta Classic known as Arch Canyon when they came upon the acrid smell of smoke. A long trail of it was coming from in front of them...where Sebulba was.

Kenny smiled. This could possibley mean the Dug was having engine problems...easy victory.

John, however, knew better. He watched as Sebulba veered to one side and went around the real source of the smoke: Anakin Skywalker's Podracer. Ignoring the young human boy's predicament, he simply slipped past Anakin's pod. "One less human to worry about." John thought.

Dave was awed as Anakin actually managed repairs on his Podracer...while still trying to race. He could feel the determination in the young human. The Force was truly strong with this boy. Dave almost felt like cheering as Anakin managed to get his Podracer's left engine back online and went back to racing against Sebulba.

Speaking of the cheating little bastard, John was having a hard time dealing with the Dug. When ever he got close to tail-gating the Dug's pod, he quickly swerved to one side, so that he could avoid getting a tool tossed into his engines and suffering Mars Guo's fate. And when he tried to pass Sebulba on either side of his racing machine, the Dug would activate one of the flame jets. Either way, John heard the Dug's mocking laughter, and that did nothing to calm the rage that was burning within John.

Then, the blue echidna heard what sounded like roar of engines behind him. He checked a rear view camera port on his Podracer and watched as Anakin's pod was closing in on Sebulba. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me..." John complained.

Sebulba was also surprised, sputtering angrily, "NO! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!"

John, obsessed with seeing his beloved Adonna-Lyn out of Jabba's hands, blocked Anakin's path, muttering, "There's no way I'm going to let some stinkin' human make a fool of me!"

As they reached Hutt Flats, the last stretch of flat rocky desert and large rock crags, a sandstorm kicked up, forcing John out of the way and away from Anakin...and that also let him go off course!!!

Adonna-Lyn watched what was happening in stunned horror. When she heard the sound of an explosion, she gasped. She observed as Sebulba's pod crashed, the result of Anakin getting caught on the Dug's connection cables and severing them from his cheating rival. This brought some relief for the captive Chandralite princess...but then there was the matter of her beloved husband.

A moment later, she watched as Anakin pulled into the arena, greeted with a winner's welcome. John's podracer was nowhere to be seen. She couldn't even sense where he was. "Oh no. Don't let this be happening." she thought, "Please, John. Please..."

A hard yank at the manacle around her neck meant that Jabba wasn't sticking around to see if John was alive or not. And obviously, the Hutt crimelord wasn't stupid enough to hang around when a Jedi was also after the girl.

Neela was thinking the same thing. She vehemently hoped John was alive, for Adonna-Lyn's sake.

"Okay, devil man. Pay up!" Chrome Fingers Snake commanded.

"What?" Vilmarh Grahrk asked, a slight hiss added to that question.

"Sssssebulba lossssssst the racsssssse, moron, and you losssssst the bet. I believe I am owed 5000 creditsssssss." Snake laughed.

Villie was not entirely willing to give up that much money. He pulled two blasters on Snake. Snake insisted, pulling out his own three energy blasters. Vilmarh Grahrk finally decided he was out-gunned and out-done. He handed over a large roll of genuine Republic Credits and stormed out of the arena.

Snake flicked his tongue out. "Ah, the ssssssweet ssssssmell of creditssss at midday." he hissed with happy glee.

"Snake...my employer is probabley dead and all you can think of is money!" Neon shouted.

"Someone mention me?" a voice asked behind Neon and the group. They turned to see John, Dave and Kenny.

"John! Oh, thank Chandrala, you're alive!" Neela cried happily.

John smiled, running his hand through Neela's dark red hair, and said, "It'll take more than a Jedi generated sandstorm to get rid of me. Right, Dave?"

"I had nothing to do with it and neither did Kenny." Dave calmly protested, "It was Qui-Gon Jinn, obviously in the best interests of that slave boy Anakin Skywalker."

"Slave...that's right! John, Adonna-Lyn's life is still in peril." Mighty said, "We were listening in on a conversation between your former boss and his weasily assitant, and we caught the word 'Sarlacc' in their conversation."

John growled and commanded, "Armor, Swoop Bike Mode, NOW!"

"Where are you going?" Neon asked.

"After Adonna-Lyn, that's where." John retorted, "She still has that tracking device I gave her when we first met. I should be able to track her. As for the rest of you, rendezvous back at the ShadowHunter. We'll be leaving this dustball...after I get my wife back!"

Mighty then asked, "John, why would Jabba kill Adonna-Lyn, especially if her dancing pleased him?"

"At this point, Mighty, Jabba's living up to an old Toydarian philosophy- 'If we can't have it, then no one will!' " John answered.

Later, near a Sarlacc pit...

Markus Jerriko stood with a 10-being-contingent of Jabba's murderous henchmen and the enslaved princess, who was still wearing her dancing clothes. "I want the girl's death recorded. From the moment you bring her up to the pit to the moment I see the last bit of her flesh vanish into the Sarlacc's mouth." Markus recalled Jabba's orders in his mind as he was left with a holo-recorder, "It will be a pity to lose such a treasure...but it's a small price to pay for my life."

The Anzati glanced at the rest of Jabba's men, who were busy trying to restrain the echidna princess with extra chains and manacles around her wrists, ankles, and neck. She was certainly not going into the Sarlacc pit without a fight.

Markus could just feel his probiscii quivering with excitement in his cheek pouches, dying to sample the Chandralite girl's soup... "Patience. Patience! It is only a matter of time." he thought to himself.

Eventually, Adonna-Lyn's struggles became less furious, with her strength ebbing away. She was brought over to the pit, the holo-recorder focused on her.

She looked down into the Sarlacc pit, trying to estimate her chances and possibility to escape this fate. From where she stood, it was a steep slope of sand down into a circular pit of flesh, teeth, and tentacles. Deep within the pit, a loud snapping was heard, along with what sounded like an alien pig squealing. Up came a large, beak-like structure. All in all, this was not a well situation.

"Any last words before we carry out your execution?" Markus asked.

"Yes, I have some final words. Jabba said you guys can try to throw me into that desert-dwelling monstrosity. He didn't say I'd let you succeed." Adonna-Lyn replied, eyeing the goons and Anzati with a smug, confident look in her eyes.

She then reached and ripped apart the manacles around her wrists! She then gripped the chains that two goons were stupidly hanging on to and snapped the chains like a whip, launching them into the pit. The last she heard of them was their frantic screams and the hungry grunts of the Sarlacc.

She then turned to face the ones foolishly holding the chains leading up to her ankles. They looked at each other, then let go, starting to run. She tore the manacles around her ankles, and looped the chains around the necks of the two escaping goons. "Let's see how you creeps like being yanked around by the neck!" she said as she pulled and launched those losers into the pit.

"Alright...who's next?" she challenged, brushing some of her hair out of her face.

The remaining six guards and Markus pulled their blasters on the echidna princess. "Me and my big mouth..." she mentally cursed.

Suddenly, the sound of an approaching vehicle was heard. One of the goons, a Rodian, looked through a pair of macrobinoculars...and screamed in utter horror. The other guards, hearing what the Rodian was shouting, dropped their weapons, hopped on the Desert Skiff they were left with, and took off in the direction of Jabba's palace.

Suddenly, the desert skiff exploded, taking out the guards.

Markus just stood there in shock.

"Oops, did I forget to mention that we added a little something to those skiffs Jabba wanted that poor old Bozarr to fix?" Adonna-Lyn remarked, mocking the Anzati.

Big mistake.

Markus turned on her, firmly holding the chain leading up to the manacle around the princess' neck, and gave it one hard yank. It brought Adonna-Lyn right over to him in an instant.

For that moment, she couldn't move so much as a muscle. Even her nine prehensile dreadlocks felt limp and lifeless. The Anazti then grabbed part of her face in an "Anzati's Embrace", his probiscii emerging from his cheek pockets. Never had the echidna princess been so terrified and helpless in her lifetime...

A blaster bolt hit the Anzati in the elbow, breaking his numbing mind control over Adonna-Lyn.

"Now's my chance." she thought as she began to punch the Anzati mercilessly, saving one mighty punch to send him into the Sarlacc pit behind him. But as she delivered the punch, she failed to notice that Markus grabbed one bit of the cursed chain and held on tight as he went down.

When Adonna-Lyn heard chains rattling and watched as Markus was still holding onto the chain leading to her, she then gulped, "Oh...not good."

As John arrived, he watched as Adonna-Lyn went head-first into the pit. "NO!" he shouted as he switched his armor into SUIT MODE and ran over to the pit. As he got to the edge, he watched as Markus was seized by one of the tentacles of the Sarlacc and pulled over to its beak-like mouth. Adonna-Lyn was below John, struggling to keep herself from going any further into he pit.

"Even if I'm going to be digested over a thousand years, I'll atleast sample your soup before I'm erased from existence within the Sarlacc's belly." Markus laughed psychotically as he held onto the chain, bringing Adonna-Lyn with him.

"Not if you're dead before then, devil!" John snarled as he fired a blast at the Anzati'd head and killed the vampire-like alien...even as the Sarlacc closed its beak-like mouth around him.

"What took you so long, dear husband?" Adonna-Lyn asked.

John joked, "Ran into a Bantha traffic jam. One of the hairy beasts jack-knifed...but seriously, I was trying to locate the tracking device you had on your crown."

Realizing that, she took off her crown and looked, saying, "I can't believe I forgot this was still here."...just as a tentacle surged around her body and pulled her towards the Sarlacc's waiting mouth.

"Adon! NO!!!" John shouted as he quickly activated the jet engines of his armor and flew down into the pit.

More tentacles began to wrap around Adonna-Lyn, for the purpose of restraining her. She fought fiercely to keep the long, muscular appendeges from pulling her down, but there were too many for her to fight off. Almost in no time at all, she was near the ominous, snapping beak!

John activated his lightsaber and lopped off the tentacles the furthest from Adonna-Lyn, severing the Sarlacc's control over them and making those wrapping around the echidna princess fall limp.

With that, she quickly shook off and unwrapped the limp arms of the beast and threw them into the creature's shrieking maw. "Eat that!" she remarked.

John flew over to her and hovered over her, lifting her off the ground. "Are you alright?" John asked.

"John, I was enslaved by a Hutt, forced to dance in front of a bunch of low-life scum, nearly had my brain matter sucked out by an Anzati, and was momentarily at death's door, or rather, its mouth." she said, "Does that sound like I'm alright to you?!"

John hugged his dear wife close to him, saying, "Atleast you're still alive, Adon. That's gotta count for something."

Suddenly, a weird sound was heard. It sounded like wet meat being dragged across a floor, with a sound like a tree being pulled down. The two echidnas looked, to see that the Sarlacc's tentacles had grown back!

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me." John muttered as the tentacles practically soared at him and his wife. Putting his wife's safety ahead of his own, he threw Adonna-Lyn out of the pit...just the first few tentacles began to wrap around him and pulled him towards the Sarlacc's maw.

Adonna-Lyn recovered from her husband's toss, then ran back to see John slicing at the Sarlacc's tentacles. Not wanting John to be pulled down into the oblivion that was awaiting him, she summoned all of her mental strength, aimed her hands at the Sarlacc, opened the palms of her hands and directed a large powerful beam of psychic energy at the monstrosity...stunning it effectively.

John finally flew over to Adonna-Lyn, exhausted from his fight for life. As he neared his wife, his heart nearly stopped. Pointing a blaster pistol at the young echidna monarch's back was JANGO FETT!

"Well, well, well." Jango Fett said, "Looks like I claim yet another bounty from you, Enforcer."

"Let her go, Fett!" John ordered, pulling his own blasters on the Mandalorian armor-clad warrior.

The forboding helmet of Jango Fett leaned to one side as he mockingly said, "And surrender another bounty to you? Maybe your years in supposed retirement has slowed your thought processes."

"Look, Fett, if anything, your beef is with me. I've cost you plenty of bounty hunts in the past. Then again, some piddling, second-rate, pocket-picking, scum-sucking, triple-damned, scruffy-looking nerf herder like you could never compare to my skills." John taunted, hoping Fett would lose his temper and take his focus off of Adonna-Lyn to clobber him.

Jango was a little smarter than that. "Now, I've been called worse things than that in my career, but when you go and call me a nerf herder, you've just severed the thin line that is my patience." he snarled, shoving Adonna-Lyn aside. But as the echidna princess tried to atleast run away from the possible battle, Jango Fett fired out a capture cable that wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her sides and pulling her legs together.

John removed his helmet, an old gesture for Jango to do the same...for devastating fight to the finish. Jango did the same, revealing himself to be a young man with short black hair, and a few battle scars on his face.

Adonna-Lyn tried to sit up as best as she could, to see the outcome of the fight. She knew John to be an excellent fighter and certainly more than a match for this upstart...but she had heard how the Mandalorian warriors were amongst the fiercest in the galaxy, their fabled armor reknowned for unrivaled killing power.

The two bounty hunters circled, watching carefully for the other to make the first move. John had his "meetings" with Jango Fett to know him as a deadly adversary and a cunning warrior.

Jango Fett made the first move, soaring into the air with his jet pack and firing at John with two blaster pistols. John rolled out of the way and fired with the laser canons in his wrists. Jango skillfully dodged and landed...landing a hard stomp on John's noggin in the process.

John clutched his head in pain...just as Jango slammed his fist into the echidna bounty hunter's face. John fought back with his fist claws, managing to put another scar on Jango Fett's hardened, human face.

From there on in, their fight became a blind frenzy of aggression and hatred. John and Jango were practically locked in mortal combat, growling and roaring at each other in their fury.

Then, Jango extracted the wrist-mounted blades of his armor and slashed the front of John's neck. The desert sand was starting to stain and reek of the blue echidna's green blood. As John doubled over, Jango kicked him in the chest, trying to make him fall into the Sarlacc pit nearby. The Sarlacc awoke to the smell of a blood-soaked victim.

Fett continued his kicking until John was at the rim of the pit. "Well, I'd almost like to acknowledge that you've been a worthy opponent and say it's been nice knowing you...but then I'd be lying."

Just then, a light-blue beam of energy caught Jango off guard and pulled him away from John. The beam was coming out of the arm-mounted energy canon of Samus Aran's armor. "First rule of worthy fighting, Fett: You don't kick a guy when he's down!" Samus shouted, her voice electronically altered. She then proceeded to pull Jango Fett towards her and punched him with her other hand, knocking the Mandalorian armored bounty hunter out.

"Who are you?" Adonna-Lyn asked as she finally managed to cut apart the tether that held her captive with her fist-claws.

"Let's just say I'm another old friend of your husband there." Samus said as she scooped up Jango Fett and lugged him over her armored shoulder.

"Oh...John!" she quickly remembered aloud. She ran over to John, healed up his wounds and bruises, and made him come face-to-face with her, asking, "John, are you alright? Please say something."

"Good to see...you're safe, beautiful." John said, a bit weak from his battle with Fett, passing out afterwards.

"Well, I'm off to turn Fett over to some guy on Coruscant that's after him." Samus said as she turned to Adonna-Lyn, "If your hubby comes to, tell him that this is second time he owes me." With that, the infamous space hunter left.

Adonna-Lyn heard the sound of an approaching landspeeder, and observed as Dave, Kenny and Gor-dan-zac pulled over near them. "You two okay? How's John?" the Bozarr Mechanic asked.

"He is out cold right now." Adonna-Lyn answered, "Otherwise, he's fine."

Back at the ShadowHunter, during that very night...

Adonna-Lyn had just finished putting her casual clothes back on when John came to. When he did, he saw her in the process of getting her clothes on, then turned away, trying to respect her need for privacy.

The echidna princess giggled and said, "It's alright, John. I'm fully dressed NOW."

"Adon, you know that...that..." John stammered.

She put one finger over his mouth and said, "I know. You're just trying to be a gentleman. Well, believe me, you're a better gentleman then Jabba and his hoard of slobs! I swear, someday, that Hutt will be strangled by the chains of a slave girl. Mark my words!"

"Adon...when I saw what had happened while I was gone, I feared the worst...I thought I lost you for good." John said, holding his wife close to him.

Hearing his last statement, she said, "That reminds me! Where were you when those sand-maggots kidnapped me?!"

"Well, I went into the Jundland Wastes...to acquire...this for you." John said as he brought out the necklace he carved out of the swirling-green dragonpearl he got, "I wanted to give it to you as a surprise honeymoon gift."

"And for that you left me to be ensl..." she began to protest...until her purple eyes fell upon the necklace, "Oh, John. It's so lovely!"

"Go ahead, put it on." John said as he gave it to her.

She took the necklace, made her dreadlocks hug close to her head, and slid the necklace around her neck. She looked at her reflection and said, "John...it's such a beautiful gift."

"I know this hasn't been a good time for you, but...I thought this would make up for what's been going on as of late." John said.

She looked into his eyes and said, "John, the only thing that would help to make up for what's been going on as of late is for both of our worlds to be liberated...or have you forgotten?"

John smiled as he brought her into an embrace and said, "I have not forgotten. We'll try to resolve things your way, through the Republic Senate. If that doesn't work, then you can count on me to help you liberate our victimized worlds."

But as they were about to kiss, Neon entered John's quarters, announcing, "Pardon my intrusion, John, but final repairs have been made. We'll be heading for wherever we're headed next tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Neon." John said, a bit exasperated, "Will that be all?"

"Pretty much." the Detrossian said as she took the hint.



On her way up to the cockpit of the ShadowHunter, she came across Snake counting the credits he won from Vilmarh Grahrk. "Happy with your ill-gotten winnings, Snake?" Neon asked.

"Very much sssssssso. I ssssssssshould bet on a crowd favorite lossssssssing more often." he said, his tongue flicking wildly with his excitement.

Dave, who overheard the conversation advised, "Be careful. Whenever you gamble, my slithery friend, sooner or later, you will lose."

Snake just let out a slight hiss in contempt to the Gold Jedi's last statement.

Neela went over to Dave after handing Heavy some tools and asked, "Master Dave...if it is not too much of a bother, is it possible that you could get around to continuing where my father left off so long ago?"

Dave looked at Neela. The Force was so strong with her...and it would be such a crushing blow to her if he said "no", but then, he was bound by the ways and rules of the Jedi Order..."We shall see if the Jedi Council on Coruscant will grant Kenny the right to take on the trials that will make him a Jedi Knight. If so, I will try and take you under my wing as my new Padawan learner." Dave reassured.

"Thank you, Master Dave. If I am made your Padawan, I will not fail you." she said, bowing to him slightly.

The next morning...

"Alright, everyone, listen up!" John commanded over the comm-system of his ship, "We are now departing for Coruscant, the Core World and home of the Galactic Republic. Even though we will be marginally safer there than here on Tatooine, we'll be within reach of the Trade Federation. So, I'm advising everyone to be on full alert."

With that said and done, John turned his command chair over to Heavy and said, "Heavy, take us up."

"Yes, sir...Um, sir? There seems to be some kind of Swoop Bike of unknown design heading for the Naboo vessal." Heavy told John.

"On visual scanners." John commanded. The Swoop Heavy spoke of was a crescent-shaped craft, its rider shrouded in dark robes.

"Scans reveal that the occupant is an Iridonian Zabrak. Curious...what are one of these beings doing on Tatooine?" Heavy asked.

John frowned and answered, "I don't know and I don't like it. Follow him."

"Yes, sir." Heavy replied.

As the ShadowHunter, still cloaked, pursued the mysterious figure, the wheels in John's head turned furiously. What would a Zabrak be doing on Tatooine...suddenly, something occured to him.

"Heavy, bring up a scan of the Zabrak." John ordered.

As the Mechanix drone did so, John magnified on something that was hanging from the Zabrak's belt. His heart almost went into cardiac arrest. It was a double-bladed lightsaber!!!

"A lightsaber of the twin-blade variety, sir? But that's a common weapon of the Sith...and they've been extinct for more than a millenium...give or take a few centuries." Heavy commented, "What does this mean?"

"It means that one of those Dark Side-wielding bastards has come out of hiding from the shadow of non-existence." Adonna-Lyn commented, "Heavy, ready the main canons. We enough have to worry about with the Trade Federation and our enemies. The last thing we need is a Sith."



The next few minutes went by like a violent wind. Darth Maul struck at Qui-Gon Jinn, hoping to get at Queen Amidala. Under the Jedi Master's orders, the Naboo cruiser began to take off, but it hung low, hoping to save Qui-Gon from being killed by the mysterious attacker. The human Jedi leaped up to the airlock of the cruiser...but the Sith followed him.

It was just at that moment that the ShadowHunter fired it's main canons, forcing Darth Maul to fall and land on the harsh Tatooine soil. There, Maul deactivated his lightsaber, shamed by the sight of both ships taking off into the hot sky.

Mighty ran up to the cockpit of the ShadowHunter, asking, "What's with all the shooting?"

John turned to Mighty and said, "Mighty, my friend, I think we might have a problem."

"That being, boss?" Mighty asked.

John, after much deliberation, finally spat it out, "We were blasting at a Sith."

"The Sith?!" Mighty gasped, shaking about, "But...I thought they were all...you know, dead."

"You wanna go back and tell the Sith Lord down there that?" Neon sarcastically said.

"Heavy, set our course for Coruscant." John commanded.

Back on Mobius...

"Halt! You are under arrest by order of the Tr-***!" a Battle droid started to say, before being blasted to scrap by the security systems of FICC.

"Let's see...that's the 589th droid that's tried to break in here and arrest us. Where do those Trade Federation types get these guys?" Vector asked the other remaining Chaotix.

"You got me, Vector. I really wish I knew." Charmy replied, shrugging...just as another battle droid got shot down.

"Make that droid #590." Espio grumbled.

Suddenly, Bomb noticed something on the remains of the 590th droid to be destroyed and pointed it out to the other three.

Vector looked and said, "It looks like writing...but it's...practically Chandralite to me."

"Their language is called Chandralese, you moron, not Chandralite!" Espio corrected harshly.

"Well, how in Hell was I supposed to know, horn head!" Vector snarled, his jaws just inches from Espio's face.

"C'mon guys! Stop your fighting!" Charmy said, "Aptiva, can you translate the writing on that droid?"

The supercomputer that helped run FICC scanned the writing and announced, "The markings match that of the inhabitants of Geonosis, and the writing translates into 'Made on Geonosis', Charmy."

Espio rubbed his chin, saying, "Yeah, I thought I recognized the physical form of those battle droids from somewhere...from pictures on the Holonet."

"But...why would those bug-faced Geonosians wanna supply the Trade Federation with these things?" Vector asked.

Charmy then suggested, "Well, maybe it's because the Geonosian branch of the Techno Union, of which the Trade Federation is allied with, made up these droids to act as a strong military force."

"Yeah...but these invasions...it just don't make no sense!" Vector said, shaking his head in confusion, "Why would some big wealthy corporation go and cause this kind of trouble, knowing the Republic would lay the authorative smack down on their asses?"

"What has the Republic done to stop them so far?" Espio snapped, "Because of all the Senate's petty bickering and mud-slinging, that's why they're not doing anything about these invasions."

Just then, they heard what sounded like a metal wheel rolling down the hallway that the battle droids were using to get into the base.

"What the hell is that?" Vector asked.

A large metal ball rolled into the hallway, folding out into...

"A Destroyer Droid!" Vector screamed in panic, "We're Rancor bait!"

In orbit of Coruscant...

The ShadowHunter snapped out of hyperspace just a little ahead of the Naboo Cruiser. John brought his ship closer to the city-planet's tall skyscrapers.

Kenny eagerly peered out of the window ports, shouting, "WOW! THIS is Coruscant?"

"Yep." John said as he guided his ship down to a landing platform, "This entire planet is just one big city."

Neela simply frowned. "This planet...it all seems so...lifeless. No plant life, no animal life." she said.

"Oh, there's fauna here, Neela...either remnants from what Coruscant was before it became this huge city or pets that got loose." Dave told her.

As the ShadowHunter landed, John growled as several humans and Republic Elite Guards approached the Naboo Cruiser. Adonna-Lyn looked towards her husband and asked, "What's wrong? Who are those people?"

John turned to her and said, "The ones in blue are just guards, the one between them is Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, and that one there is the Naboo system's representative Senator Palpatine."

"Do you trust him?" Adonna-Lyn asked.

"About as far as I can throw a Hutt without my armor or my powers." John muttered.

There seemed to be some greeting going on between the senators and representatives. Dave and Kenny went out to greet Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-wan Kenobi.

Neela was held back a bit before she left the confines of the ShadowHunter. Even though Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were Jedi Knights, they were humans, and the thought of their species reminded her of what had happened so long ago, to the beings that killed her sister, the last member of her loving family...

"Neela, you can come with us if you want." Dave offered, "We're heading to the Jedi Temple."

Neela looked towards Adonna-Lyn for a moment. Adonna-Lyn looked back and said, "Go ahead, Neela. I'll be alright."

Mighty glanced for a moment at John, then, after a gesture from his blue echidna friend, he went to join Neela.

Gor-dan-zac looked about in awe. "Coruscant...I never thought I'd live to see such a beautiful place." A single, oily tear fell from his eye.

"Here." John said as he handed a credit chip to his friend, "There's 90,000 Republic credits on this chip. You can use it to help you set up shop here."

"Oh...but I can't accept this." the old Bozarr said, "It just wouldn't be proper."

"Take it, Gor-dan-zac, and this." John said as he also placed the other Krayt DraGonpearl into his friend's hands, "You've been a big help, and with these, I want you to be happy and prosperous."

The old Bozarr smiled and said, "Wow. Enforcer, I don't know what to say except...thank you."

With that, both echidna and Bozarr hugged each other.

"Take care of yourself, old friend." John said as he and his friend parted.

With BeeFee following him, Gor-dan-zac looked back at John and said, "You, too, ol' buddy."

At the Jedi Temple...

Dave entered the Coucil Chambers. Thirteen seats were there in a circle. Twelve of the highest ranking Jedi knights and masters were entering the chambers. He reflected back on the many times he had been there, as a Padawan, then as a Jedi Knight, and finally, as he was made the youngest Jedi Master ever to grace the chambers with a Force-user's prescence.

"Jedi Master Dave. So good to see you again." Master Mace Windu, a bald human and senior member of the Jedi Council, said, greeting the Gold Jedi.

"And it is good to see you again, Master Windu." Dave said as he bowed before Mace Windu.

"Master Dave. A long time since I've seen you, my former padawan. Looking well, you are." a familiar voice said, followed by the sound of a wooden stick tapping on the floor.

Dave turned to see the one who trained him in the ways of the Force, the ways of the Jedi, the one who bestowed upon him the Golden Blade Lightsaber..."Master Yoda. Long time, no see, my teacher." he said while bowing to the diminuative Jedi Master.

Despite his old and decrept appearance, Master Yoda was the wisest and most powerful of all the Jedi. Dave knew his old teacher to be quite the fighter with a lightsaber, but the 800-year-old Jedi Master kept himself to the peaceful ways of the Jedi Knights, using violence only as a last resort.

"A pity we must meet in such dark times, it is." Yoda said as he hobbled over to his chair, "News of a Sith, Master Qui-Gon reports."

"Yes, master." Dave replied grimly, "I saw the Sith as we were taking off from Tatooine...a long story...but whoever this dark warrior was, he was good...good enough to make the old rascal sweat."

"Hmmm...terrible news, this is. Sense the prescense of this Sith...even I did not." Yoda admitted.

"That cannot be, Master Yoda. Of all of the Jedi here, you are the most powerful. Surely, you could have sensed it." Dave gasped.

"The shroud of the Dark Side...growing stronger, it is." Yoda told his former padawan as the Gold Jedi took his place bewteen Ki-Adi-Mundi and Saesee Tiin, "To sense the prescence of the Dark Side, is to become one with it. Consumed by its temptations. We must not look too deeply into the Dark Side for the answers we seek."

"Yes, my master." Dave said.

Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawab learner entered the council chambers. He explained everything he had uncovered to the Council. When he finished, the Cerean Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi, while stroking his moustache, commented, "The Sith? But they've been extinct for more than a millenium."

"I do not believe that they could have returned without us knowing." Mace Windu stated.

"Ah. Hard to see, the Dark Side is." Master Yoda said, "But, his target...the Naboo Queen, it was."

"Naturally." Oppo Rancis, the great Jedi strategist stated, "Wipe out the strong, and you shall obtain the weak with little difficulty. A classic strategy for so dark a cult."

"It is possible this Sith will appear again to strike at his target" Plo Koon surmised, his voice coming through an electronic breather.

"It would be wise if you stayed to protect Queen Amidala, Master Qui-Gon." Dave stated, "Perhaps, this Sith was only interested in hunting down Jedi, as I sensed the amount of rage and hatred in him as he fought you."

"May the Force be with you." Yoda bid to the two Jedi in the center of the council circle. Only Obi-Wan began to leave. Yoda then asked, "Master Qui-Gon, more to say, have you?"

"With your permission, my Master. I have encountered a vergence in the Force." the old Jedi replied.

Yoda's ears perked up a bit as he asked, "A vergence, you say?

Master Windu, a bit dubious, asked, "Located around a person?"

"A boy...his cells have the highest concentration of midi-chlorians I have seen in a life form." Qui-Gon explained, "It is possible he was conceived by the midi-chlorians."

The other council members looked to one another, whispering notions.

Mace Windu spoke up, "You refer to the prophesy of the one who will bring balance to the Force...you believe it's this boy?"

"I don't presume..." Qui-Gon calmly stated.

Dave said, "But you do presume, Master Qui-Gon."

Yoda agreed, "Revealed, your opinion is."

Not wanting to waste another minute arguing with the Council, Qui-Gon said, "I request the boy be tested."

Yoda scoffed, "Trained as a Jedi, you request for him, hmmm?"

"Finding him was the will of the Force. I have no doubt of that." Qui-Gon said.

Dave glanced over to Ki-Adi-Mundi, who in turn glanced down at Yoda, who then glanced over at Mace Windu, who slightly threw up his hands and said, "Very well. Bring him before us, then."

Yoda finished, "Tested, he will be."

As Qui-Gon bowed and left the Coucil Chambers, and the members of the council began to leave, Dave went over to Master Yoda. "Master Yoda...I have found a likely candidate for my possible next padawan learner."

"Hmmm...the Chandralite girl Neela, is it?" Yoda asked.

"Yes, Master." Dave said as he walked with his teacher.

"Hmmm....much anger and sadness, I sense in her." Yoda said, "How is it possible that she is a candidate for being your next padawan, hmm?"

Dave explained, "The Force is strong with her. Her father was a Jedi Knight, and I suspect that he had just begun to teach her in our ways before he was brutally taken from her."

"The Code of Knighthood, you know, Master Dave. You can only train one." Yoda stated.

"I know, Master. But I told her that once Kenny reached the extent of what I could teach him, I'd continue her training." Dave said, "And...I just can't bring myself to say I can't train her. Kenny is at the extent of what I learned from you. He can learn no more from me."

Yoda then said, "Have Kenny and this girl brought before me and I shall decide whether he shall take the trials or not."

"Thank you, Master." Dave said, bowing before Yoda.

On a balcony of the Jedi Temple...

Neela looked out upon the skyline and airborne traffic of Coruscant, holding her elbows as she felt a cold chill in the air. Mighty went up to join her, bringing her a Jedi robe. "One of these Jedi fellows wanted me to give you this." he offered.

"Thank you, Mighty." Neela replied sadly.

"Is something wrong? I mean, I thought you'd be excited to see a world other than your own." Mighty suggested.

She turned to him while leaning on the railing and said, "Coruscant is beautiful in its own way...but it all seems so cold...it's nothing like Chandral. My world is so lush and full of life. Mighty, Chandral is my home. How can I bare to think of any place being better than Chandral?"

"Well, every world has its own distinct beauty, a quality that makes it special." Mighty offered, putting his hand on Neela's, "It all depends on what your heart tells ya. Beauty is where you find it...like when I first met you."

The Chandralite servant girl sniffed a bit, then smiled at Mighty, saying, "Thank you, Mighty."

"Awe, you're welcome..." Mighty said...just as he saw a dark shape bounding towards them, "WHOA! Neela, LOOK OUT!"

He quickly pushed Neela out of the way, just as a large furry mass slammed him down to the ground. Landing on top of him was a large furry creature about as big as an adult gorilla...well, actually, the only fur that was on the creature was on its long arms and around its vulture-like neck. It's lower half consisted of a long patch of grey skin, three-toed bird-like feet and bulky-looking abdomen. But this odd primate was certainly a carnivore, as it tried to gouge Mighty with the claws on its hands and bite him with its only five, sharp teeth. The creature releasing loud screams and grunts as it attacked Mighty, its beady yellow eyes hungrily glaring down on the Mobian Armadillo.

Mighty was able to hold off the creature's hook-like claws with his own strength, but it was hard to concentrate on both the claws and the teeth of the beast upon him.

Neela grabbed at the creature from behind, trying to pull it off of Mighty, only to have it shove her away and into the railing. She clenched her teeth as she felt her back ache from the impact.

Then, she heard Mighty let out a cry of pain. The creature, whatever it was...it bit Mighty on the shoulder! Mighty slammed the top of his armored head into the beast's head, causing it to rear back. But as Mighty clutched the wound, he left himself open to the beast's claws.

"Get away from him, you monster!" Neela angrily shouted as she ran the creature through with one of her De'kar stick's blades. She might have lost her family...but she would not lose a new friend. As she withdrew the blade, she then kicked the creature over the side of the railing, sending it tumbling downward into the lower, darker levels of the city planet.

Mighty panted in pain from his wound, and looked up at Neela. "Are you alright, Neela?" he asked.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, my friend." she said as she put her hand over Mighty's wound, "What was that thing?"

"If my memory serves me correctly, I think it was a Veermok, an ape-like critter from Naboo's swamps. It was probabley brought here as a baby to be a pet or a zoo animal, and then it escaped." Mighty said.

"Why anyone would want such a horrible monstrosity like that for a pet is certainly beyond me." she said as she called upon the Force to heal Mighty's wound.

"Thanks, Neela." Mighty said while trying to get up on his feet, "You really saved my hide there."

"Think nothing of it, my friend." she replied while trying to help him up, "Now, take it eas..OH!"

Mighty slipped a bit, causing Neela to quickly loop her arms around his torso to catch him. As she and Mighty got up from his stumble, they brought themselves closer than they thought they would, meeting each other eye-to-eye. For that very moment, they were speechless...

"*AHEM*! If you two are done enjoying each other's view, Master Yoda wishes to see me and you, Neela." Kenny stated, leaning on one side of the doorway leading out to the balcony.

"Yes...I'm coming." she replied.

She looked back at Mighty, who gave her the thumbs up and said, "Good luck, Neela."

Neela blushed so profusely that it showed, even with her veil over her face.

Meanwhile, at a hotel suite...

John was looking out a trasparasteel window, gazing at the continuous flow of air-taxies and other craft in the mid-air traffic.

It had been quite a while since John has seen the massive skyline of Coruscant, remembering that the last time he had been here was when he transported Bib Fortuna and that one Twi'lek slave girl to Jabba the Hutt. Truth be known, he disiked the sight of Coruscant. Despite what he had said to Neela about animal life here, this planet was truly lifeless and cold, nothing like his underground home on the Floating Island.

Adonna-Lyn donned her fire-red, diplomatic clothing after she dried herself from the shower. John really had to admire her, how she had grown from the ill-tempered royal she was when they first met into the mature diplomatic monarch he saw before him.

"How long before the session in the Senate starts?" she asked.

John checked his chronometer and answered, "About forty-five minutes. Now, Adon, you do realize that the Senate will not immediately act on our behalf without going through the standard procedures and voting..."

"Right, John." she replied, placing her ornamental crown on her head, "I'll try my hardest not to lose my cool in there."

"And Adon?" John said, "There has been talk about someone planning to move for a vote of no confidence in Supreme Chancellor Valorum. Apparently, he is mired in baseless accusations of corruption and it might be possible that there will be an election for a new Supreme Chancellor, which will screw up the Senate's chances of acting on our behalf."

"Do you really think it will come to that?" she asked.

"Well, our only other option on this world is to submit a plea to the Courts...which will take even longer and will not resolve the problem any faster." John said, "And of coure, there's the option of us taking the fight to the Trade Federation officer posted in the Mobadan system. Either way, I'll be with you to the end on whatever decision we take."

She nodded, a slight smile on her fair face, and said, "Alright. Let's go."

As John opened the door for them to leave and head for the Senate building, he was shot right in the stomach! He fell back a few feet and collapsed to the floor.

"JOHN!!!" she screamed as she ran to John's side. He was alive, but unconcious. She then realized that he was only stunned.

She angrily looked towards the doorway and saw a pale skinned humanoid standing there, blowing the smoke from the barrel of her rifle. "So much for him." she heard the humanoid think, "And now, to earn my bounty."

With a scream of rage, she flew at the humanoid, her fist-claws extended. But when the claws hit their mark, she was dismayed to find that they weren't even ripping through the bounty huntress's normal looking clothing.

"What the harak'tha?" she wondered aloud...just before she got back-handed by the bounty hunter, known as Mahwi Lihn.

"For a Chandralite, I would have expected better from you...oh, well." Mahwi Lihnn said while shrugging and tossing what looked like a grenade at the echidna princess. The bouny hunter then pulled out what looked like a small detonation device and pressed the small triangular button on its side.

The grenade let out a slimy boom as a mass of dark green goop fell over the echidna princess, surrounding her and encasing her. Mahwi Lihnn smiled a bit as she pressed another button on the pin she removed from the glop grenade she lobbed at Adonna-Lyn. The mass then shaped itself into a gel-like bubble that came up to Lihnn's thigh, with the handle of the grenade still on the glop...and the echidna princess sealed away inside, fighting to escape.

Mahwi sniffed contemptuously, "Not the most difficult bounty I've ever collected...but easy is good." She then gripped the handle and began to haul the Chandralite girl with her to a rented Xel-tech 451 Skycarrier, which was waiting outside of the smashed window down the hall.

John came to just as the female bounty hunter turned down the hallway, seeing Adonna-Lyn's right foot kicking at her gel-like cage. "ADON!" John shouted. He ran after the captor and her captive, just to see Mahwi Lihnn dump Adonna-Lyn into the back of the vehicle and "drive away".

John knew those type of vehicles were quick, and that there was no way in hell he could catch up in either his armor's jetpack or Swoop Bike modes. He would have to "arrange" for some kind of transportation and hope he could catch up with Lihnn and his wife before the bounty hunter got off-planet.

He saw his chance and leaped into a fast-moving vehicle, an air taxi. The human driver looked back, saw his unwanted passenger and shouted, "HEY! Get outta here! Whadya think you're doing?!"

John looked up at the human driver, who was going for a blaster pistol and telekinetically pushed it out of his hands. The driver put his vehicle into a hovering position, then leaped to strangle John.

"Get your stinkin' hands off me, you damn, dirty human!" John snarled as he back-handed the human out of the vehicle and sent him tumbling down...into a garbage scow "cargo".

As John commandeered the taxi, he activated Interface and considered who he would contact for some assistance. The Jedi Temple was too far from his position and too far away from being any help at the moment. Neon and Snake, according to what he noticed on Interface's tracker, were the closest ones at the moment...

At a pet shop...

"Are you sssssssssure your bossssssss won't mind?" Snake asked as he and his Detrossian friend were looking about the shop, "John doesssssssn't ssssssstrike me assssssss one who would tolerate a pet within hissssssss basssssssse."

"Hey, John pays me oodles of money for my services as a bodyguard. I should atleast spend some of my hard-earned cash on something that should welcome me upon my return from a hard day's work." Neon stated.

As they looked throughout the store, Snake came across a small glass case, full of small, baseball-sized animals with eight skinny legs directly underneath their furry bodies. They had large blue eyes, pointy ear tufts on top of their "heads" and a slightly wide mouth. The sign on the case said, "Voorpaks-native to Naboo."

"Hey, Neon. How about thessssssse cute little guysssss?" Snake said while sticking one of his fingers in to tickle one of the creatures, "Gootchy gootchy goo!"

One of the creatures puffed out its fur, let out a hiss, then bit Snake's finger with a mouth full of needle-sharp teeth!!!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!" Snake screamed, shaking his hand violently, "GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!!!!"

Neon, looking a bit humiliated, said, "Snake...your arms..."

Snake stopped, looked, then sheepishly laughed, "Oh, right. Cssssssssybernetic armssssss. Sssssssssilly me." He then put the creature back into the case.

Neon shook her head and muttered, "I swear, I can't take you anywhere."

They finally came to a green and blue-dotted egg about as big Snake's head...and Snake could tell from a look in Neon's eyes that the egg had caught her attention. She let out an interested "Hmm...", which attracted the attention of the shop's owner, a pudgy, blue-skinned, elephant-like Ortolan.

"I can tell by that hum that you are interested in this particular creature...assuming the ones who gave me this particular selling item didn't give me a rock." the Ortolan said, "I have been unable to tell what is in the egg myself, and I've resisted the urge to make an omlette out of it. So, shall we talk business?"

"Depends. How much is it?" Neon asked.

"It is quite a rare and unusual item...so, I'm asking 2000 Republic credits for it." the Ortolan replied, blinking his beady little black eyes.

"TWO THOUSSSSSSSAND?!" Snake shouted, "For an egg that might harbor a potentially dangerousssssss creature?"

"D-d-d-d-dangerous?" the Ortolan asked, a bit shakingly.

"Yesssssss, potentially dangeroussssssss. I mean, what you don't know will hurt you. Thissssssss creature might eat your profitssssssss. So why don't you ssssssssell it to ussssssss for, sssssssay, 50 credits, and we'll take this vicious brute off your hands, hmm?" Snake suggested, winking at Neon with a businessman's cunning.

"Well, now that you mention it, I guess I could bring the price down for you." the shop owner said while fidgeting with his fingers.

"Good man." Snake said as he brought out his own electronic credit carrier and ran it through the scanner the Ortolan had with him.

Neon then took the egg into her possession and put it carefully into a bag she had with her. A slight pulsing hum came from Neon's wrist-mounted communicator. She activated the holographic display and said, "Neon here."

"Neon, Adonna-Lyn has been captured by a bounty hunter. I'm currently in pursuit, but I doubt I'll reach her in enough time before she is taken off-planet. Interface has you located just a few miles ahead of her. Intercept the bounty hunter's vehicle, which looks like this." John stated as he displayed the vehicle to them, "John out."

Snake shook his head and said, "Are you beginning to sssssssensssssse a pattern in their relatssssssionssssssssship?"

"Enough of the wise cracks, Snake. We have to stop this bounty hunter." Neon said, carefully adjusting her bag to protect the egg, "After all, I gotta earn my pay somehow."

Snake spotted a resting vehicle and pulled out his energy blasters, shouting, "OUT OF THE CRAFT! NOW!"

"Snake...there's no driver there." Neon stated, covering her eyes in disgust.

"Oh...alright." Snake said as he slithered into the cockpit of the vehicle. Neon took flight and landed right in the driver's seat.

"HEY! I wanna drive!" Snake complained.

Neon turned to him and said, "Snake, I can pilot this thing, but I'm gonna need your sharp shooting skills to take that bounty hunter down."

"What the...get out of there!" the vehicle's owner, a Duros member of the Republic's security forces, shouted at them.

"Official Senate business!" Neon said, "We'll bring it back."

"We will?" Snake asked.

Neon took the vehicle up and into the air. She smiled as she felt the speed of the vehicle.

Just then, Snake caught sight of their target. "There it isssssss."

"Alright. Now, watch your fire, Snake." Neon warned, "If we hit Adonna-Lyn or cause the bounty hunter to crash and kill Adon in the process, you-know-who will get pretty ticked off."

"Roger that." Snake said, taking careful aim with his energy blaster.

Then, the bounty hunter took the craft into the busier traffic lanes, hoping to lose her pursuers amidst the mass of moving vehicles.

Snake cursed in two languages. "I can't get a clear sssssssshot without hitting an innocssssent bysssssstander." he hissed.

Neon then noticed a slight break in the traffic. "Snake, I have an idea. When I say so, fire at the bounty hunter's repulsors." Neon commanded.

Snake took a close look then grinned, "Oh, I gotcha."

With that, Neon and Snake took up their position, awaited for the bounty hunter's vehicle to enter the break..."NOW!" Neon shouted.

With several loud noises, Snake fired at the repulsors. The craft began to slowly fall down, lower and lower to a bridge. It grinded on the duracrete to a stop, but launched Adonna-Lyn, still within the gel-bubble, out of the back seat and onto the duracrete bridge.

Mahwi Lihnn cursed being caught off guard so easily, then decided she could just take the royal brat, commadeer another vehicle, get back to her ship and get her reward. But before she even laid one finger on the handle of glop grenade-generated cage, a blast severed her hand from the rest of her body.

"Nice shooting, Snake!" Neon congradulated as she brought the vehicle down...just as John arrived at the scene. And from the looks of it, John was severely pissed off.

First, he used his lightsaber to cut open the gel-bubble and release his fair wife. Then, he turned to Mahwi Lihnn, telekinetically stripped her of her weaponry, and gripped the near-human by the neck, growling, "Who hired you?!"

"If I tell you, they'll kill me." she hissed.

"And what makes you think I won't?" John snapped.

Lihnn groaned a bit, then said, "Alright! It was Garan Haako, niece of Trade Federation Settlements Officer Rune Haako. She wants the princess there just so she can force her royal father to cave in to the Trade Federation's demands."

John then dropped Mahwi Lihnn. She looked up after gasping for air, then asked, "So...are you letting me live?"

The blue echidna pulled out his lightsaber, activated one of the twin blades, and lopped off her head, snarling, "No."

He turned back to Adonna-Lyn and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I was still able to breath, despite what I was in." she said as he got to her feet.

"Of course. Glop grenades atleast allow air into the gel bubble they create, keeping a bounty alive." John said, "I'm glad you're alright."

He then turned to Neon and Snake and said, "Thanks, guys. I almost would've lost Adonna-Lyn if you hadn't stalled this bounty hunter long enough for me to catch up with her.

"Just doing my job." Neon said.

Snake said, "Ssssssspeak for yoursssssssself. Consssssssidering the trouble we went through, methinkssssss we desssssserve to be paid and paid well."

"Done." John said, "I shall have the payment credited to your accounts. Right now, I have to get Adonna-Lyn to the Senate before the session is over."

But when they arrived, it was far too late. The Senate had already moved for the vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum, the movement spearheaded by Queen Amidala of the Naboo. The candidates for the new Supreme Chancellor, as they learned, were Bail Antilles of Alderaan, Ainlee Teem of Malastare, and Senator Palpatine of the Naboo System.

Back at the hotel, Adonna-Lyn cried. It was their one chance of stopping the Trade Federation's oppression upon the Mobadan System without violence or bloodshed...and it was ruined by some bounty hunter. "Some diplomat I am!" Adonna-Lyn snapped while tossing her ornamental crown against a wall, "Can't even make it to the Senate Chambers!"

"Adon, it wasn't your fault." John said, sitting down next to his wife.

"John, what am I going to do?" she said, "My father's safety is in the hands of some psychopath that could kill him without a second thought. My father would be ashamed of how I tried to handle this through peaceful diplomacy."

"If I were your father, I'd be proud of you. Atleast, you tried to give peace a chance." Neon said, trying to console the echidna princess.

"Easy for you to say." Adonna-Lyn stated, "My father tried to teach me well in the ways of diplomacy...oh, why doesn't some bounty hunter just come along and just make this moment worse than it already is?!"

John's eyes perked up. Neon knew that look. Her boss had an idea...

At the Jedi Temple...

After Master Yoda dismissed Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Anakin, and the other members of the Jedi Coucil had left, the short green Jedi Master turned to Dave and said, "Master Dave. News I must relate to you, there is."

"Yes, Master?" the Gold Jedi asked.

"Kenny is as you said. Strong with the Force and well-trained, he is." Yoda stated happily, "Face the trials, he shall."

"Thank you, Master." Dave said, bowing before his old teacher and friend.

Yoda frowned slightly and said, "The girl...strong too, she is. However, much anger have I sensed in her. Unable to become a Jedi, she might be."

Dave was grief-stricken. He just couldn't bare to break such news to Neela.

"Hmmm....still feel that she can be further trained, do you?" Yoda asked.

Dave said, "Master, deep down, she has a good heart that the Dark Side cannot corrupt. She was raised by her father, a Jedi Knight himself..."

He stopped, realizing he was just babbling on, then said, "With all due respect, Master Yoda, I could possibley turn her away from the path to the Dark Side. When I sensed the Force in Kenny, he too had the sort of anger I sensed in Neela, but I turned him in time to the Light Side of the Force. I could do so with Neela, if it would be the will of the Council."

Yoda closed his eyes for a moment while saying, "Master Dave, quite rare when a person turns away from the Dark Side, it is. Even rarer when it is with help from those trained in the ways of the Jedi."

"Master, when I was taken from Mobius to begin my Jedi training, there was anger in me, a hatred towards the one who did what he did to my homeworld and my friends." Dave said while tugging his gloves off to reveal his roboticized hands, "But you turned me from the path that would have led to the Dark Side. If you could do it, I could possibley do the same with Neela..."

"Hmm..." Yoda pondered, calling upon the will of the Force..."Agree, the council does. But for now, go with her friends, she must. This will be a test of if she can truly be trained in the ways of the Jedi. May the Force be with you, my former student."

Dave bowed again, "As you wish, Master Yoda. And may the Force be with you, my teacher and friend."

Neela was with Mighty, who had just bandaged up the Veermok's bite mark on his shoulder. When she had come back to her newfound friend, she was a bit quiet. Finally, Mighty broke the silence between them and asked, "So, how'd it go?"

"It was strange." she said, "When I was with Master Yoda, there just seemed to be a peace that just flowed from him. It was so strong...and it felt nice. That's why I couldn't talk for a while. I was just so filled with the peace from Dave's teacher that..." She stopped abruptly. Her eyes closed as she began to concentrate. When they opened, she gasped in horror and nearly fell to the ground.

"Neela!!!" Mighty shouted as he ran to catch her, "Are you alright? What happened?"

"It's King Aaron...and John's other friends...they're in terrible pain! I've felt it." she replied, tears cascading from her emerald green eyes.

"You mean Vector...Espio....Charmy.......who's harming them?!" he said, his voice filled with a growing anger. He regarded his fellow Chaotix and others like a family...and for some creep to be harming them....

"I see...the mechanical men you call Battle Droids...they're prodding at our friends with long sticks that give off small bolts of lightning...and their leader...I do not know her name...but she is evil. Pure evil...and she must be stopped." she said, through several exhaustive breaths.

"Well, if it means as much to you as it means to me, I'll help you liberate your friends and mine." Mighty said, kissing Neela's hand.

Neela smiled and said, "Oh, Mighty...you're so sweet. Thank you."

Just then, the ShadowHunter appeared near the balcony. Neela looked over to it and said, "So...John has a plan to help free his Majesty and his own friends."

"C'mon, you guys! Time's a wastin'!" John shouted over to them.

Dave came to the balcony where Neela and Mighty were...just to see the ShadowHunter lift head into the reaches of space. "Hmm...well, good luck, guys. May the Force be with you." he thought as if he were calling to them.

Aboard the Mobadan System posted TF vessel, "The Krakaa'ana"...

"You Mobians are giving me a considerabley hard time." Garan snarled as she wiped Vector's spit from her warty face, "Now, give up and surrender your futile gesture to help hide your friends."

"Surrender? Hah!" Vector laughed, "I don't know the meaning of that word."

"Really. He doesn't." Espio muttered, embarassed by Vector's bravado.

Charmy glared at Garan and said, "Our boss would die to protect us...or kill anyone that tried to harm us. You'll be paying for this transgression much sooner than you think."

Garan grinned and said, "I highly doubt that. Take them away."

"Commander Haako, we have an incoming ship of unknown design. Recommended you come to the bridge." a communication officer advised over the ship's comm system.

Garan fumed a bit and said, "I'm on my way."

As Vector and the others were put into the brig of the ship, he came face to face with a female black cat who was standing with a sitting blue echidna in royal robes.

"Hello!" Vector said, a sneaky grin spreading on his face. He walked up to the female and said, "Hi, I'm Vector. What's your name, sweet thang?"

"My name is Shandray." the black cat said in her native tongue.

"Say wha?" Vector asked.

"My name is Shandray." she repeated in plain English.

Charmy said, "Hey, you're a Chandralite."

"What of it?" she hissed.

"Well, it's just that we've never met anyother Chandralites except for John's wife." Charmy replied.

"Adonna-Lyn?!" King Aaron asked, "Is she safe? Is she alright?"

Espio replied, "We don't know for certain. But if she's with John, she should be relatively safe."

"Thank Chandrala." King Aaron sighed.

"I wouldn't know about that, Sire. After all, he was a bounty hunter. With the kind of reward placed on your daughter's head...well, as they say about his kind of scum, greed is the creed." Shandray said.

"Wait a momento! If you're a Chandralite, why don't you use those cool powers to break out of this joint?" Vector asked.

Shandray let out an angry shriek and pinned Vector to the wall before he even knew what him. "Mind how you speak to his Majesty, peasent!" she snarled.

Vector growled, his jaws dangerously close to biting Shandray's head. "Your hand. Move it or lose it." Vector threatened.

"Shandray, let him down." King Aaron said, "I would use my powers, but the one in charge of this ship said she'd turn the weapons of this craft on my people if I tried to escape. I would never forgive myself if my people died from my actions."



At the bridge...



"Report." Garan commanded as she arrived.

"The ship has been waiting for you to hail it." the communication officer reported, "It's possibley a bounty hunter's ship."

"Well, hail it, you idiot!" she snapped as the comm reached the ship, "This is Garan Haako, Mobadan System Outpost Officer. Identify yourself."

Appearing on the screen was the Enforcer. "This is the Enforcer, commander and pilot of the ShadowHunter. I believe I have someone you want." With that, the armored echidna stepped off to one side, revealing Adonna-Lyn and Neela, mangentic binders pinning their arms to their sides. Neela held her head down in shame, while Adonna-Lyn angrily glared at the armored bounty hunter.

"Why, yes...that is her." Garan said, "Please come on board so that we might possibley discuss your payment..."

"Not so fast." the Enforcer snapped, "First, I want those metallic toadies you have out and away from the docking bay where I'm parking my ship. My metallic co-pilot can't stand being around robots 'inferior' to him. Second, no security sensors. They make me...irritable...and you know about my reputation, don't you?"

"Yes...of course...I shall conscend to your demands." Garan said, a bit suspicious, "Now please, come. I might have other bits of work for you to do."

"I'm sure my associates would be more than happy to hear about that. We're coming in." the Enforcer said, waving to a yellow diamond back with brown diamond markings down his back and a lizard-like being with large, bat-like wings in dark clothing and shades. Both of the "associates" were armed to the teeth.

As the Enforcer terminated the transmission, he deactivated his helmet. "Alright, guys. Operation 'Death from Within' is goin' good. Now, remember the plan." John said, "Neon, you and Snake escort Adonna-Lyn and Neela to the brig. Heavy, you and Mighty plant around explosives at the main generator. Adon, you and Neela keep up the act until you're in the brig. This is our best chance of nipping these Trade Federation bastards in the bud. Remember, once the explosives are planted, we only have 20 minutes before they go off, so we have to make this rescue go quickly and by the numbers. Good luck...we're all going to need it."

Meanwhile aboard the Naboo Cruiser above Naboo...

Dave and Kenny gazing out a window as Qui-Gon and his Padawan discussed what they were to do about the Trade Federation's occupation of Naboo. Master Yoda had ordered them to join Qui-Gon and the others, in order to help stop this Sith warrior in case he showed up again.

Just then, Kenny noticed a ship departing from the Saak'ak. He couldn't make out the shape of the craft, but he could atleast see that it was dark-red in color...and feel a strong prescence of evil on board.

Dave sensed it, too. He turned and asked, "So, who do you think it is, my young Knight-to-be?"

"Well, I'm not sure, but I have sensed it before...back when we were fighting the Robotnik Mark 2 and Perfect Chaos. Blue Fang?"

"Exactly." Dave said, "And she's got a couple more flunkies fighting for her, my friend."

"I don't get it." Kenny said, "Why's Blue Fang and her crew with the Trade Federation?"

Dave said, "Chances are, they think Adonna-Lyn and John are with us and are planning to ambush us when we reach Theed City. We must be cautious. She is certainly not one to be underestimated. There's no telling what kind of tricks she has up her seductive sleeves...

Back in the Mobadan System...

"There you go...one Chandralite princess and her handmaiden." The Enforcer stated to Garan Haako as Neon and Snake pushed Adonna-Lyn and Neela in the direction of the brig.

"Excellent...excellent. I thought atleast Jango Fett or Mahwi Lihnn would have done the job well...but I never expected you to nail them." Garan chuckled.

"Well, it wasn't easy. She and her friend put up one hell of a fight. So, I want the bounty I'm owed tripled, so I can give my associates a fair share of the bounty." The Enforcer snarled.

"WHAT?! That's an...alright. Come with me to my office and we will discuss your payment." she said, trying to restrain the anger that she felt at the moment

"Oh, and my associates will lead the prisoners to your brig. We'll leave just as soon as I receive my payment of 15 hundred thousand credits." the Enforcer insisted.

Once the docking bay was clear, Mighty and Heavy got out, heaving a box full of explosives with them. As they got closer to the generator, Heavy noticed a nearby conduit. "Hmm, this conduit seems to connect to the battle ship's defenses and security systems." he muttered....as he then cut the conduit apart with a laser saw, "Oops. Clumsy me."

"Heh. Good one, Heav-ster." Mighty said.

Heavy shrugged and said, "I try."



Down in the brig, Neon and Snake shoved the echidna princess and Neela into the cell. Two Battle Droids stood to attention nearby.

"Adon?!" King Aaron said, "Are you...?"

"Yes, father, I'm fine." Adonna-Lyn said while hugging her father, "Listen, the Enforcer...he captured me just so..."

Shandray hissed, "I knew it...that bounty hunting husband of yours sold us out!"

"HEY!" Vector snapped, "That's my buddy you're talkin about!"

"Everyone just calm down!" Adonna-Lyn ordered, "John hasn't sold us out..."

"That'd be a switch..." Espio muttered.

"What?!" Adonna-Lyn asked harshly.

Uh...nothing." the chaemeleon replied sheepishly.

Neela turned to Neon and whispered, "When will we escaping?"

"As soon we get the signal from John...and as soon as these two droids get lost!" Neon answered.

One of the droids raised his blaster, ordering, "You there! What are you whispereing?"

To keep their cover, Neon pounded at the bars, forcing Neela away. "Stop your whining, little girl!" Neon snapped.

Neela sensed through the Force that Neon was still keeping up the act...but quickly realized her mistake. If this Garan Haako was in league with the Sith as John learned from a contact on Coruscant, surely the Neimoidian would have sensed what she had done.

Just then, the sharp smell of metal melting was heard. Everyone in the cell looked and saw Neon melting the cell's lock with a fireball in her hand...



Garan pressed several buttons on a datapad and handed the device to the Enforcer, saying, "There you are, Enforcer. 1,500,000 Republic credits have been transferred to your account."

The Enforcer looked at the device, then said, "Good. Well, I've gotta get going. Places to go, things to do, people to hunt. I'll just call my buddies let em' know we got the money."

The Enforcer then got on one of his own communication devices and said, "Neon, Snake! I've got the money. We're ALL leaving."

"ALL leaving?" Garan snarled.

"Yeah...I say that whenever my buddies and I are ready to go. Nice doing business with you." the Enforcer said.

"And nice knowing you, sucker." the Neimoidian heard John think through the Force.

But as the Enforcer turned to leave, Garan seized him within a Force-hold, making him clutch his throat. But his other hand quickly crushed the datapad. The Enforcer turned to Garan, saying, "You're out of luck, you cowardly insect. The money now stays in my account, making the Trade Federation 1 1/2 million credits poorer."

With that, Garan used the Force to push the armored echidna against the wall...and rip the red jewel out of the chestplate. The armor was now rendered powerless.

"Armor...deactivate..." John said while gasping for air, as the life support systems also recquired the Chaos Emerald's infinite power. With what little power John supplied to the suit with his synaptic energy, the suit came off of John.

"So,...now we see the true form of the Enforcer." Garan said with a cruel smirk, "What a shame your bounty hunting career ends here." With that, she opened the palms of her hands and began to fire bolts of Force Lightning at John's exposed form. John screamed as the bolts coarsed over his body, causing him the worst pain he had ever felt.

"You pathetic piece of intergalactic scum! Even for all the fear you instill into others and all your skill, your might is nothing compared to the power of the Dark Side of the Force!" Garan laughed wickedly.

John angrily glared at the Neimoidian and, with his eyes taking on a cat-like appearance and glowing red, roared, "YOU KNOW NOTHING OF THE DARK SIDE, WHELP!"

With that, John got up and redirected the barrage of Force Lightning back at its sender, having Garan fly backwards into her seat behind her desk. She was stunned, whimpering, "This...this is impossible!"

John telekinetically pulled the red Chaos Emerald back into his hands and reactivated his armor. The armored bounty hunter picked up the desk and threw it down on the Neimoidian, crushing the insect-like humanoid like the bug she was. "Ah...the smell of death and destruction...how I've missed it..." the Enforcer said.

"John! John, come in! John!" Neon called over the communicator.

Shaking his head, John regained his senses and said, "John here."

"We're pinned down here. There are five Droidekas here..." Neon said...until a laser bolt hit the communicator.

"NEON!" John screamed. Knowing they would be cutting their escape time close, John busted through a wall and headed for Neon's current position...

The Droidekas kept up their fire, obviously not taking prisoners. Neon and the others were up against the walls to avoid the laser fire. Vector looked over to Neon and said, "This is some rescue plan. Whose idea was this, the squirrel's?"

"HEY!" Adon shouted, "Leave Neela alone. This was John's plan...he probabley didn't count on those things getting in the way."

Just then, something crashed through the wall behind the Destroyer droids. Almost all togeher, the strange killing machines turned around, making noises as if to shout, "What the hell?!"

As dust from the destroyed wall cleared, the Enforcer came at the droids and ripped them apart, seeing as their shield were meant only to deflect energy...not everything else.

John looked at his friends and ordered, "Last flight for 'the hell outta here' gettin' now!"

As they ran ahead, John and Neon stood at the back of them, covering their sixes as they made their way back to the ShadowHunter. Snake stayed ahead to help pave the way. Neon looked and saw many droidekas and Battle droids running after them. She turned to John and shouted over the laser fire, "John, are you carrying any explosives?"

"What am I, an amateur?!" John shouted back.

"Do you think you can help our escape by cutting them off from us?" Neon said, shooting a glance at a support beam coming up in front of them.

John realizing what Neon meant, grinned and said, "Gotcha."

Once they were past the support beam, John planted a pair of motion-sensitive mines at the support beam. Once the droids approached that area of the corridor, the mines went off and caused the walls and celings to collapse, blocking off the corridor.

Once they reached the docking bay, they saw Heavy and Mighty heading back into the ShadowHunter like bats out of Hell. John called to them, "Guys, are the explosives planted?"

Mighty verbally acknowledged, "Yeah, but..."

Adon asked, "But what?"

Heavy replied, "When we heard the laserfire, we set the timers for three minutes, assuming all of you were on your way here."

"That should give us enought to get out of here. Heavy, get us a good distance away from this battle ship!" John called over to them.

"Yes, sir!" Heavy replied.

The ShadowHunter rose off the floor of the docking bay and began to hastily depart, carefully manuevering through the closing bay doors. They were just a good distance away from the Krakaa'ana's main airlock when the first of the explosions went off. After that, it was just a long chain reaction that resulted in the battleship being blown to bits.

As everyone on the ShadowHunter cheered, the Trade Federation's droids on both Mobius and Chandral became still, not moving in the least. For King Aaron, it was a welcome sight as his fellow Chandralites just shoved the droids down to the ground.

"Guess those guys are nothing but push-overs now, huh? Heh heh." Vector chuckled.

As the ShadowHunter landed in the courtyard of the Supreme Royal Palace, Neela doubled over, shouting in horror. Adonna-Lyn turned to her foster sister and asked, "Neela, what's wrong?"

"Adon...Dave and Kenny...they're being attacked by Blue Fang...they're dying!" she cried.

John contacted Dave through the Force...and found that he had not even encountered Blue Fang at all. "My best guess, then, is that she is possibley foretelling a future." John suggested, "It's a Jedi trait, seeing events before they happen."

"John, we have to help those two Jedi. Dave might have an advantage against Blue Fang and her cronies, but Kenny has never faced them before, and if that young Jedi is killed, Dave will be left to face those villains on his own." Heavy advised.

John nodded his head. Not wanting the Chaotix to get hurt, he turned to Vector, Espio, Mighty, Charmy, Neon, and Snake and said, "Guys, we're going to be departing for Naboo. Dave and Kenny will be needing our help. Blue Fang and her group are there, so in the best interests of your safety, if any of you wish to return to Mobius, you're free to do so."

"Ssssssssoundssssss fine to me. I've gotten more on thisssssss trip than I've bargained for." Snake said with his cybernetic arms crossed.

Vector looked at Charmy and Mighty and said, "Well, we could just go back home. Someone's gotta clean up the mess those droids left behind."

Espio said, "Better than going off and getting killed by Blue Fang and her group. Count me out of that!"

Charmy looked at John and said, "Well, I don't know how useful I'd be against that psychopathic vixen. I think I'd be better off back home."

Mighty looked at Neela and declared, "Where Neela goes, I go, too."

Neon glanced over to John and said, "Hell, I gotta earn my pay. So count me in."

Neela said, "Count me in as well. Blue Fang has a lot to answer for."

Adonna-Lyn smiled at John and said, "Well, you don't think I'm going to let you go and hog all the fun. You know you'll need my help."

John said, "Okay. Vector, once we're in orbit of Chandral, take one of the ShadowHunter's escape pods and land down on Mobius."

"Sure thing, bro...and thanks for coming for us." Vector said.

"Hey, what are friends for?" John replied, shaking his friend's hand.

Back on Naboo...

Morning dawned on the Theed Palace. Strolling down a hall was Nute Gunray, Rune Haako, OOM-9, Darth Maul, Blue Fang and her creepy crew of Lady Screech, Prince Jirrard, Sleet and Dingo. At the moment, the Viceroy was conferring with Darth Sidious via holographic transmitter.

"The queen is more foolish than I thought." Darth Sidious commented.

Nute Gunray announced, "We are sending all available troops to meet this army of hers assembling near the swamp. It appears to be made up of stupid primitives. We do not expect much resistence."

OOM-9 stated, "Just as a precaution, I've ordered an increase of security at all Naboo dentention camps.

Blue Fang grinned and said, "If the Enforcer and his friends interfere, we'll be ready to face him." She was suited up in a dark-blue ninja-style outfit with several translucent strips on the shoulders, arms, chest, hips, thighs, and shins. This was the traditional outfit of the Order of Darkness's assassins.

The Dark Lord of the Sith before them grinned and said, "This all might work to our advantage."

"I...have your approval to proceed, then, my lord?" Nute asked.

"Proceed." Darth Sidious replied, "Wipe them out....all of them."



Late Morning...

As the ShadowHunter lowered itself down into the streets of Theed, cloaked, John and the others dashed out. The Blue Echidna turned back to Heavy and said, "Heavy, I'll need you and Neon to reach these detention camps and free as many people as you can. We'll try to deal with Blue Fang and her despicable crew here."

"Acknowledged, sir. Good luck." Heavy said.

With an eerie silence, the ShadowHunter left Theed City.

John and his friends carefully snuck around the city streets, heading directly for Theed Palace, where John sensed Blue Fang was.

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion heard in the plaza in front of the Theed Palace. It was then followed by the sounds of laserfire and the electric hums of lightsabers. The Battle for Naboo had begun!

"Sounds like the party just started." John joked, "Okay. Adon, you and Neela...hey, where is Neela?"



Within Theed Palace, the two Neimoidians were panicking. Nute screamed, "I thought the battle was going to take place far from here...this is too close!"

Rune shouted, "What is going on?!"

"I think that is as plain as your slime-covered faces." Jirrard stated, "The Enforcer and his helpers are here...as well as Adonna-Lyn..."

"Does he ever stop?" Lady Screech whispered in Chandralese.

Blue Fang whispered back, "Only when he's dead."

The vile vixen turned to her henchmen and said, "Well, let's get down there. The Enforcer is expecting us. It would be a shame to disappoint him."

Darth Maul, without a word said, followed Blue Fang and her followers.

"Get to your ships!" Queen Amidala shouted to the Naboo pilots and security officers as they stormed the hangar the N-1 Naboo Starfighters. Anakin Skywalker ran to hide in the cockpit of one of the N-1s.

Dave and Kenny guarded the Naboo and the other two Jedi from behind, closing the door into the bay. The Naboo Queen and her men blasted away at the last of the Battle droids. With many of the Naboo pilots away to destroy the Droid Control ship in orbit of the planet, Queen Amidala turned to Qui-Gon and said, "My guess is that the Viceroy is in the throne room."

The old Jedi Knight replied, "I agree."

Anakin stood up from the cockpit of the yellow Starfighter and said, "Hey! Wait for me."

Qui-Gon quickly instructed, "No, Anakin, you stay there. Stay right where you are."

"But, I..." Anakin slightly protested, wanting to help Queen Amidala.

"Stay in that cockpit." Qui-Gon sharply finished.

But as they began to leave, the doors opened, revealing a figure in dark robes. He opened his fire-red eyes and glared at the people in front of him.

"Hey, Dave...guess who's here." Kenny said.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stepped forward, the older Jedi saying, "We'll handle this."

As the fight between the two human Jedi and the Sith lord began, several Destroyer droids rolled into the hangar and fired a volley of devastating shots at Queen Amidala and her troops. Dave also took notice of a black smoke appearing in the middle of the hangar. He and his young padawan activated their lightsabers.

The smoke took the form of Blue Fang and her followers as they appeared in the hangar. "Well, this is certainly a surprise." Blue Fang chortled, "I was originally expecting the Enforcer...and low, here are a couple of Jedi rats instead. Oh, well...winners can't be choosers."

"If you think you and your goon squad can dispose of us so easily, you're gravely mistaken." Dave stated.

"Yeah. Don't you know that good always triumphs over evil, maniacal, sadistic losers like you?" Kenny said, "You're fighting a battle you know darn well that you're going to lose and run away from."

"We'll see about that, you little idiot." Lady Screeh said before unleashing an ear-splitting shriek, forcing Kenny to his knees, trying to block out the horrible noise from his sensitive ears. Dave just tried his hardest to plug his ears and keep his guard up.

"Pathetic Jedi." Blue Fang laughed as she kicked Kenny upside the face and sent him flying a good distance and into a wall. Jirrard used a strong telekinetic push and slammed Dave into a pillar between two ports for the N-1s. Jirrard grinned as he used his power to crush Dave against the pillar.

"Give it up, you weak fools." Jirrard laughed, "Your power is nothing compared to ours."

Just then, a Naboo Starfighter flared to life, firing laser bolts at the Droidekas and nearly hitting Sleet and Dingo.

"HEY! Watch where you're shooting, you dumb kid!" Dingo shouted, "Who does that bloke think he is?!"

"A kid?! Since when do they let kids fly those kind of ships?" Sleet said. He then took aim with his blaster rifle, preparing to destroy the N-1 as it was taking off.

"Oh no, you don't." Dave thought as he called upon the Force.

Suddenly, Sleet's blaster flew from his hand and hit Jirrard in the head, effectively breaking the echidna prince's control of his power. "You damn idiot! What do you think you're doing?!" Jirrard yelled at the Luperian wolf.

"Hey, it wasn't me, you stuck-up, dreadlock-headed imp!" Sleet argued.

Screech pulled out her bat-wing shaped scimitar and said, "Come my Dark Sister, let's finish these fools and be done with it."

"I couldn't agree more." Blue Fang said, removing a pair of wicked-looking swords from their sheathes on her back.

As Queen Amidala and her group left the hangar, going off to capture the Viceroy (as part of the Naboo Queen's plan) Blue Fang let them go. "They can go straight to Harak'tha, for all I care." she thought, "My main concern is right here, facing off to these damn Jedi Knights and ridding the galaxy of their prescence."

But as she drew close to stab Kenny and kill him, a slipper-covered foot slammed into her face and sent the enchantress crashing into her Dark Sister. When Blue Fang recovered, she saw Neela standing there, her De'kar stick's blades "drawn" and ready for a violent fight.

"Umm...have we met?' Blue Fang said, getting back up on her feet.

Neela glared at Blue Fang and said, "We've met, but under different circumstances. A long time ago, you sent an Arachna into my hometown and had it kill everyone I held near and dear, including my parents. In the name of my father Traiga, one of the last Chandralite Jedi, I, Neela Persephone Squirrel, shall bring justice for those you've slaughtered."

"Oh...now I remember. You used to serve me while I was in power over Chandral...and you helped the Enforcer and that bitch princess in defeating me." Blue Fang hissed, "For that, I shall see that you suffer."

With that, the vixen launched a burst of destructive black magic at the young servant girl. Neela defiently brandished the blades and deflected the burst right back at Blue Fang. The vixen dodged, and the blast went and hit Dingo.

Blue Fang, not to be outdone, cast a spell in which a trail of dark green crystals sprung out of the ground and encased Neela within it.

"You're not so tough..." Blue Fang snickered...until Neela actually broke out of the crystalized cage, her De'kar stick's blades glowing blue.

"Don't count me out just yet, you witch!" Neela stated, twirling the blades above her head for a moment then thrusting one blade into the ground, sending a rupture in the floor soaring at Blue Fang...causing a bit of the floor to surge upward in pillar and hitting Blue Fang in the jaw.

"So...you do have some fight in you...A pity your father didn't put up as much of a fight before I severed his head from the rest of his body." Blue Fang said, licking the blood from her lip.

Upon hearing such cold, unforgiving cruelty, Neela felt her blood begin to boil. But then, she heard Dave speaking to her through the Force, saying, "Neela, don't give in to vengence, anger or hatred. These are paths to the Dark Side of the Force."

Before Neela could act again, she felt her De'kar stick in the process of being ripped from her hands by Jirrard's telekinesis. She held on so tight that Jirrard's next effort caused her to fall face down. But then, her grip failed her and she lost her De'kar stick.

"Say goodbye, Jedi." Blue Fang said as she conjured up what looked like a head-sized, rubbery orb.

Neela clearly didn't like the look Blue Fang was giving her and what she had in store for her with that object in her hand, so she quickly began to run. But Blue Fang lauched the orb at Neela, which hit her outstretched right foot. With Neela's next step, she tripped up.

Neela screamed a bit as she fell down. She looked down and watched as the orb began grew bigger and bigger. She wasn't being devoured, she thought with slight relief, as she didn't feel any pain. She tried to kick it off with her free foot. Instead of the intended effect, it became absorbed into the strange orb. She pushed at the growing orb with her hands, but they succumbed to the same fate as her other foot. As it completely enveloped her, she then realized what was occuring: Blue Fang had cast the Bubble Prison spell that she had cast upon Adonna-Lyn some time ago. She began to kick and push at the sides of the bubble prison, only to have her hands and feet pushed back into the interior of the bubble-like structure. She even tried to call upon the Force and make it puncture a hole in the bubble prison so that she might escape...but nothing happened.

"Impressive, is it not?" Blue Fang verbally teased at the struggling servant girl, "You can't escape using physical force, and the bubble cancels out your powers...plus, while it's in my line of sight, the bubble can be controlled by whoever cast the spell."

With that, Blue Fang clenched her fist, causing the bubble to slowly shrink. Neela knew that if it became tight enough, it would both crush and suffocate her. She called out for help.

"Oh, please! Who do you think's going to help you? The only thing that can break the spell is a weapon associated with the Force...and those two Jedi buffoons are too preoccupied at the moment to help you." Blue Fang said as Jirrard and Screech fought with Dave and Kenny, "Let's face it, little girl; you're doomed!"

"Says you, you blue-furred bimbo!" a voice shouted...just as a large red ball bashed into Blue Fang. It then uncurled itself to reveal its true identity.

"Mighty!" she cried happily.

When he turned to see Neela trapped in the bubble prison that was 5 feet off the ground, he let out a surprised gasp and said, "Whoa...now, that's different."

"Mighty, hurry! This bubble prison is going to crush the life out of me! Help me!" she called out to him.

"Uh, sure...how?" he asked, scratching his head.

"Get my De'kar stick." she said, "Only a Force-associated weapon can break this prison. It's over there, near Jirrard."

"Got it!" he said as he curled up into a ball again and speedily rolled over to Neela's weapon...bowling over Jirrard in the process, "Outta my way, dirtbag!"

He uncurled himself and grabbed the twin-bladed weapon...just as a scaly foot kicked him. When he looked, he saw a dark blue, two legged reptile with blood-red eyes, gripping the weapon in the other foot. "Not so fast, muscles!" it said in a seductive woman's voice.

"You gotta be kidding me." Mighty said as the two-legged reptile changed back into Blue Fang's foxy form.

"Let's see you save her without this!" Blue Fang cackled as she launched out of the hangar.

"NOOOOOO!" Mighty shouted as he ran after it...but the weapon fell out and tumbled down into the valley below.

Mighty pounded the ground repeatedly, cursing himself...just as the weapon floated up right in front of his face. "Wha...?" he said.

"Well, don't just stand there, ol' buddie." he heard John's voice say, "Neela needs you. I'll watch your back." Then, as it turned out, John appeared at the mouth of the hangar, disengaging his armor's personal cloaking device.

"Well, well...if it isn't the echidna we've all come here to see." Blue Fang said, "I was wondering when you were going to show up.

John grinned and said, "You may regret what you just said, Blue Fang, because I've got a few surprises waiting for you."

Meanwhile, Jirrard smacked Dave in the face with the handle of his scimitar. "You wouldn't believe how much I've wanted to do that." Jirrard said as he readied the point of his blade to stab the Gold Jedi.

"Yoo-hoo." he heard a female voice call behind him while tapping him on the shoulder. When he looked, it was Adonna-Lyn!

"Oh-ho! Got sick of your husband, eh?" Jirrard asked.

"No. He just wanted me to give you this." the echidna princess said as she puched him where the sun don't shine, "I believe his message to follow that was, ' That's for coming between me and my loved one'."

"Rotten little wench! I'll teach you some respect!" Jirrard growled.

"Yeah, whatever." Adonna-Lyn stated, delivering a hard kick that sent the foul echidna prince flying into a pillar.

Kenny and Screech flew about in the air, each trying to tackle the other and knock the other down to the ground. Screech snarled, "Why don't you just be a good little boy and DIE?!"

"You first!" Kenny said, trying to slice at Screech with his lightsabers.

Mighty reached the bubble prison...just to see that is only about 3 inches away from crushing Neela within its rubbery confines. "Hang on, Neela! I'll get you out of there!" He noticed the wall behind her then got a really good idea.

He stepped back a bit and brought out one of the blades. He then thought, "Neela, if the Force can help you read my thoughts, then spread your legs out quickly!"

As Neela did so, she watched as Mighty ran under the bubble prison, slicing at the bottom. Then, with the blade still making contact with the bubble prison, he ran up the wall, did a jump off the wall, and performed a flip back onto his feet. The bubble prison split in half, de-materialized, had Neela fall out.

He quickly turned around and caught Neela in his arms, her legs over his right arm and her back on his left. "You okay?" he asked.

Neela smiled at her newfound friend and said, "Yes. You saved my life, Mighty. You're my hero." With that, she lifted her veil and kissed Mighty right on the lips.

"Man....I could sure get used to this 'hero' thing." he thought happily.

As their lips parted, Mighty handed Neela her weapon, saying, "I believe this is yours."

She kissed his cheek. "What was that for?" he asked.

"Mighty, this De'kar stick is all I have left to remind me about my family. Thank you for recovering it." she said.

"Well...anything for a lady." he said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Now, let's go deal with those rogues." she said, bringing out the other blade of her weapon.

Mighty smiled and said, "I'm starting to like this girl more by the minute."

As they joined in the battle, they found themselves confronting Sleet and Dingo. "Going somewhere, love birds?" Sleet said, aiming a blaster at Neela.

"Yeah, through you losers, if necessary." Mighty stated.

"We'll see about that. Dingo, sic' em!" Sleet ordered.

Dingo looked at Sleet and asked, "Who, me?"

"No, the muscle-brained moron behind you...YEAH, YOU!" Sleet said while hitting his sidekick in the head.

"You know, if it weren't for the fact that he's helping Blue Fang, I'd almost feel sorry for Dingo." Mighty whispered to Neela.

"We can't waste out time on these cads. My foster-sister needs us...as does her husband." she whispered back, "You can deal with the grey one. I'll deal with his partner."

"Sounds like a plan. Let's go!" he said.

"Huh?!" Sleet said, quickly turning his attention back to the two before him.

Mighty rolled up into a spin-dash and came at Sleet in a hurry. The Luperian wolf fired again and again, but only either hit Mighty's armored back or the floor around the rapidly approaching armadillo, who then bowled over Sleet.

Neela, on the other hand, pole-vaulted over Mighty's curled up form with her De'kar stick and slammed both feet into Dingo's face, causing the Luperian hyena to fall backwards, unconcious.

As Mighty came out of his ball-like form, he looked at Neela, who kicked Dingo in the belly. She looked back at him. They smiled and high-fived each other, shouting, "YES!"

Blue Fang and John traded slashes with each other. She snarled. John was quite tough, even as skilled as she was with the two Ditanium swords she was wielding. John was proving to be quite a deadly opponent with his twin-bladed lightsaber.

Deep down, she was grinning. She sensed something within her blue-skinned opponent...it was an intense feeling of darkness...of evil..."Hmm...interesting...very interesting...Maybe...just maybe..." she thought to herself as she continued her attack on John.

"Tell me something, most dire of all my enemies." she said, "How did it feel when I made you attack your friends? Guess you must really hate me for that, huh?"

John growled, "More than anything, witch!"

"Once you're out of my way, bounty hunter, I'll kill your friends, the Freedom Fighters of Mobius...and especially Adonna-Lyn. I will truly savor killing her." she said, causing a gash to appear on John's right arm.

John released a loud roar in response to Blue Fang's taunts and attacked with even greater ferocity.

"That's right, bounty hunter!" she taunted even further, "Only your hatred can destroy me and you know it!"

"John, don't!" Dave said through the Force, "Don't let her tempt you. You have already strayed far down the path to the Dark Side. For everyone's sake, don't kill her in hatred!"

John, overcome with the hatred he felt, directed a hard Force-push at Dave that sent him crashing into a wall, shouting, "Stay out of this, Jedi! This is between me and the bitch!"

When Adonna-Lyn saw what happened, she shouted over to John, "John, what have you done?!"

Almost as if her words were a guide leading away from the Dark Side, John came out of his hatred and said, "Adon...?"

With that, Blue Fang hit John in the back of his head with both handles of her swords and snarled, "You weak-willed fool!"

Adonna-Lyn, angered to see John beaten down in such a cruel way, directed a spike of psychic energy and aimed it at Blue Fang. The blast hit the vile enchantress in her mid-section, causing her dark-green blood to spill out.

"Dark Sister!" Screech screamed. She kicked Kenny out of the way, releasing loud shrieks to make her opponents fall to the ground. She gathered up her Dark Sister, her pupil...her last friend....

"I'm fine...but I can't continue fighting like this..." Blue Fang whispered in her native tongue, "We must retreat..."

"As you wish, my Dark Sister." Screech replied. She looked hard at Adonna-Lyn and said, "This may be the end of our battle, but it is not the end of the war, daughter of our leader's killer."

With that, Sleet and Dingo's ship came in on remote control. Sleet got up, hauling Dingo on board as the ship fired at their enemies, forcing them to run to cover. As Blue Fang, Screech and Jirrard ran for their ship, the echidna prince shouted, "You may have won this round, Enforcer, but you can't protect Adonna-Lyn forever! Sooner or later, she will be mine!"

"Will you just get in here, you idiot?!" Sleet shouted at Jirrard as his hand roughly brought him into the Crimson Howl. The ship did an about face and departed for the reaches of space.

"Sir? Sir, come in! All detention camps have been destroyed and their prisoners freed." Heavy called over John's communicator, "However, we have detected Sleet and Dingo's ship, the Crimson Howl, departing. Shall I pursue and destroy?"

"Nah, let 'em go. Let those cowards nurse their wounds." John stated as he held the back of his head and released a slight grunt of pain.

"John...are you alright?" Adonna-Lyn asked.

"Nothing a couple of pounds of aspirin won't cure." John replied.

Kenny helped his teacher get up out of the wall, asking, "Dave...are you okay?"

Almost as if nothing had happened, Dave replied, "Never better, my padawan learner. The Force held back the pain I was feeling."

Neela then asked, "Guys...aren't we forgetting someone?"

Suddenly, coming out of the nearby generator pit like a foul echo was Obi-Wan's voice, screaming, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Dave felt it immediately. His old friend, Qui-Gon Jinn, was dying. The Sith warrior had run him through...

"Shouldn't we help whoever's facing that Dark Side monster?" Neela asked.

"No. This is something Obi-Wan must do on his own." Dave replied.

The last few moments went by so quickly for Darth Maul, even he would've hardly believed it. For a moment, he had the old fool's apprentice at death's door, doomed to fall into the bottomless darkness below him. Suddenly, the padawan leaped out of the pit, Force-pulled his master's lightsaber into his hands and cut him in half!

But as his severed corpse fell down into the darkness, he grinned. He served his master in the purpose he had trained so long and hard for...he killed a Jedi Master...Oh, it was humiliating how he was defeated by a mere padawan...but he would take his master's secrets to with him in death. The Republic...the Jedi...they would all fall by his master's hand........

Dave could hardly believe that Anakin Skywalker, a boy of no more than 9 years old, blew up the Saak'ak from within its Battle Droid infested interiors. The boy certainly was skilled as Qui-Gon had sensed.

Yoda was, at the moment, speaking with Obi-Wan. During a slight moment, there was an arguement about Anakin...it finally ended with Yoda granting Obi-Wan permission to train the boy.

As the aged Jedi Master hobbled out of the room, he turned to Dave and said, "Mark my words, Master Dave. The death of all Jedi, that boy will be...if trained properly, he is not."

"I shall mark your words, my Master." Dave said while bowing to his teacher.

"Now...the blue echidna known as John...very powerful, he is." Master Yoda stated, "A great darkness, however, he holds within him."

"Yes, Master." Dave said, "If the time comes when the darkness consumes him, I shall be there to confront him...as much as I would not want to raise my blade against him."

"Hmm....beware, Master Dave." Yoda warned.

"Hatred has never guided my blade, Master." Dave stated, "I will not strike unless all else has failed."

Yoda's gaze fell upon Adonna-Lyn as she and John went to the site where Qui-Gon would be given a ceremonial pyre. "Hmm...the Chandralite princess...a light to guide him through the darkness of his heart, she is." Yoda said, "Watch over her, Master Dave. The only thing standing between John and his complete fall to the Dark Side, she is."

Later that night...

Dave carefully lowered the torch that would light the funeral pyre. He began a speech of Qui-Gon Jinn's accomplishments and commitment to the Jedi Order. "Farewell, Master Qui-Gon Jinn. May your spirit become one with the living Force." Dave concluded.

As those gathered shed their tears, he overheard Yoda and Mace Windu speaking to each other. "There is no doubt." Mace whispered, "The mysterious warrior was a Sith."

"Hmm...Always two, there are. No more, no less. A master and an apprentice." Yoda stated.

Mace, with a seriously concerned look on his face, asked, "But which one was destroyed, the master or the apprentice?"

That deeply puzzled Dave...and scared him a little. Out there, somewhere in the many reaches of the galaxy was a Sith Lord, possibley fashioning another cruel sword to stab and kill the Jedi Order....

Back in the Mobadan System...

Blue Fang grinned. Her wound had healed back, thanks to her Dark Sister's magic...but that was besides the point. She had sensed the vile darkness that lied within her greatest enemy...a darkness she would manipulate.

"Only Adonna-Lyn stands in the way of her hubby succumbing to his true potential." she thought, "But take her out of the picture...and he will become the perfect pawn..."

A week later on Naboo...

Neon cradled the egg she had purchased on Coruscant. For now, she could only imagine what was waiting to hatch out of its protective shell. Whatever it was, she would certainly enjoy raising the little stinker.

She smiled even further. John had paid her and Snake a sweet 500 thousand Republic credits each for their services. Back on Mobius, she knew, those credits would be worth a lot.

Adonna-Lyn stood with her husband, a concerned look on her face. "John, during our last battle, something happened with you. Until just recently, I've never seen you attack an ally. What happened?" she asked.

"I wish I knew, my dear Adonna-Lyn." John said, "For a moment, I didn't have control of my actions. It was if another prescence took over. I just can't explain it."

"Well, it had better not happen again." Adonna-Lyn said, "After all, you know darn well that I, like any other echidna on Chandral, hold Jedi in deep respect."

John smiled and replied, "For you, Adonna-Lyn, I will make this solemn vow: I swear that the Jedi will not be harmed by my hands."

Adonna-Lyn smiled, hugged her husband and said, "That's the husband I married."

"For now, I shall bide my time." a harsh, feral voice hissed within the dark confines of John's mind, "But when the time comes, the Jedi will die...and even this female won't stand in my way...."

THE END?......................

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COPYRIGHTS....

John the Echidna, the Enforcer, The ShadowHunter, Adonna-Lyn, Neela, Chandral, Gor-dan-zac, and other peoples, places, and things are copyright of John Fadeley (moi ^.^)

Dave the Hedgehog and Kenny the Vampire Bat are copyright of Dave Fadeley

Neon Dragon and Chrome Fingers Snake are copyright of Emma Goodman

Mobius and its characters are copyright of Sega, Sonic Team, and Archie Comics

Samus Aran is copyright of Nintendo and Mario Team

Star Wars and its places, peoples, events, and things are copyright of Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox

All characters from the Star Wars books (ie, Vilmarh Grahrk, Mahwi Lihnn, etc.) are copyright to their authors.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND SPECIAL THANKS

To Emma Goodman: Thank you once again for the use of your outrageous and wonderful characters, and for your inspiring and awesome artwork. You totally rule, my friend.

To Dave: Thank you once again, bro, for the usage of the Gold Jedi and his padawan. I wish you good luck as you continue through college in pursuit of your dreams.

To Hana Lupton: Thank you very much for helping to inspire this work through your pictures and your words. May your future be bright.

To the movie, video game, and book companies: I thank you greatly. Your works have been a shining inspiration for this work.

To George Lucas: Yeah, I know you won't be able to read this with your busy schedule, but I would like to thank you for creating the wonderous and spectacular saga that has inspired so many to expand on your work, including myself. I'll be looking forward to Episode 3. ^___________________^ (Hutt-sized grin)

To the Almighty: As before, I thank you above all, God, for without you, nothing is possible. Thank you for breathing life into the family and wonderful friends I know, as well as brining life to me.

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Something has gone hideously wrong within Floating Island Central Command....and where is John?.......Find out in The Enforcer Saga Chapter 7: What Dark Webs We Weave.....