A long, dark cave, which was in actuality a series of tunnels and dead ends like a maze. From out of it's deep dark corners nothing moved. Nothing seemed to be coming. Nothing was suppose to be in there but a nameless thing that the planet's locals would dare mention. A monster so evil it couldn't be stopped by anyone. That's why we had to go. We were the only one's who could stop in probably the entire galaxy. Yoda, Windu, and many others could try, but we were the only ones who were up to the task in order to save this planet from a nameless evil the Separatists had awoken and set loose on the planet.
Why does everything have to be us? We always have to get the most dangerous assignments. Was it fate? Was it because it was a test we had to pass? Or were we just very, very unlucky? I don't know why, but this takes the cake of our most dangerous assignments. As a Jedi Padawan of the Republic, I must protect all, even when I could lose my life in the process, which would suck.
Of all the planets, why would it have to be my home planet? Was it because of me that my whole race and people had to suffer? Favoritism indeed shows no regrets in these matters. Only my integrity has been kept so far. Being in a dark, old, ancient coal mine is not where I want to be at at the moment. If it were up to me, I would be at the Temple, basking under the nice, Coruscanti sun, breathing in the life that was mine and dear. But no, I have to send it in a damp, smelly hole in the ground.
Everyone else felt bad about doing it too, especially Rex. He had enough experiences with the dark and the unnatural, including Cody. None of us, when we got news us something terrorizing a Fire Nation village, thought that it was something as terrifying as this. We all assumed it was pranksters, or something from the spirit world that I could handle. When we looked through the maze of tunnels and passages, we were dead wrong. No one had experienced such a terror as we did. This was beyond even us, and I was afraid we weren't going to make it out alive.
The wind in the tunnels was blowing, giving the tunnels an eerie calm and the sound of thousands of voices howling throughout it. Coils and webs that looked like silk waved in the breeze. It was as if an ancient force had been living here for sometime, but it's purpose was unknown. Only one group could tell.
A person ran down one tunnel, his legs running as fast as they could carry him through the tunnels without tripping or sliding on the slippery floor. He was being pursued as if by something frightful, evident in his face and his speed. He turned a corner and continued running at his pace, not daring to turn to see what was pursuing him, or to slow down along the tunnels wet passages.
His breaths were the only thing that could be heard at the moment, besides the wind that echoed through the passages. He tripped over a rock, but bended a gust of air in front of him that allowed him to not fall on the ground and he continued his run from death. By the look on his face, one could tell that whatever was following him wasn't too far off.
He ran into an intersection in the cave, where he ran smack into a person in white and blue armor. He knocked both of them down, sending them sprawling onto the floor. The man in the armor immediately took out his twin pair of blaster pistols and pointed them at the other.
"Rex, it's me," he said.
"What happened?" said Rex, helping the teenager up.
"It got Waxer. It took him right in front of me," said the teen.
"Did it kill him?" said Rex.
"No, it just got him and went away after it stung him," said the teen.
"Where is it now?" said Rex. The teen pointed down the tunnel he just came through.
"I don't see it anymore kid. Let's link back up to the others," said Rex. He and the teen raced down a different tunnel that jutted out going east. They continued running, the teen ever giving stolen glances behind him to see if the thing was still following them.
"What happened when you and Waxer saw it?" said Rex.
"Me and him were going down that tunnel Obi-Wan sent us through. We came to some kind of altar looking thing with a sculpture of the creature in it. When we turned to go back, the thing came from above and took out it's stinger and stung Waxer. Then it grabbed him by it's two feelers, or whatever they are, and dragged him away. I didn't know what to do. That thing was huge, and it seemed bent with a malice of some sorts. I ran as soon as I heard it coming back towards me," said the teen.
"This is bad. We can't split up anymore. We need to travel as a group," said Rex.
"Rex, I'm sorry I lost him," said the teen.
"It's okay kid. You did what you needed to do," said Rex. He and the teen kept running through the endless maze of the tunnels, never once slowing down for anything. As they ran the teen looked one last time behind him.
"Rex, I see it," he yelled.
"Come on kid, double time," said Rex. He and the teen kept up the speed, this time sprinting down the tunnel. They came up to another intersection where another group of beings were located. They dived into the room and the teen closed the way they came in with a rock slide that sealed it shut.
"What happened?" said a man with orange-brown hair and beard. The others around him was a young man with blond-brown hair and piercing blue eyes. Two other men with white armor and yellow markings were also present, along with a teenage female with red-orange skin, montrals, and lekku, her padawan braid around one of them.
"Where's Waxer?" said one of the men in the white and yellow armor.
"It got him," said the teenage boy. One of the men took off his helmet and put his hands to his face, deeply saddened by the loss of his friend.
"Taran, how did it happen?" said the orange-haired man. The teen, who's name was Taran, told them the whole story.
"So he's not dead?" said the adult with blue eyes.
"No, I think he's stunned," said Taran.
"Where's the creature at now?" said the teenage Togruta.
"Behind us," said Rex, pointing to the tunnel now blocked with rocks and debris. He and Taran sat down on the wall next to everyone else, huddled together. The female sat next to Taran, her head on his shoulder.
"You okay?" she asked him. Taran didn't answer until a minute later.
"I'm a coward," said Taran.
"Taran, you're not a coward," she said.
"Soka, if I hadn't run away when Waxer was taken I could have been able to save him," he said.
"Taran, there was nothing you could have done," said Ahsoka.
"Yes there was. I let my old fear get the better of me and now Waxer could be dead because of me," said Taran, his eyes closing. Ahsoka, turned his head towards her, her eys searching for his. He slowly, but reluctantly, opened them.
"You will do what must be done soon," she said. At that moment the rocks to the tunnel shook, as of a great force was trying to knock them away. Everyone got their weapons and readied themselves. The thing that was coming for them kept colliding into the rocks in a vain attempt to have them. Four lightsabers activated and three blasters were drawn, cocked and ready. Whatever it was that was trying to break through the rocks gave up and left, the sound of may legs scuttling away. Everyone relaxed a bit, but still stayed on there guard.
"It's going to come back, isn't it Obi-Wan?" said Anakin.
"It is, but the question is, where?" said Obi-Wan.
"Sir, I'm getting some movement," said Cody.
"Where?" said Obi-Wan.
"It's almost here," said Cody. Everyone got into a defensive circle at the center of the room. Looking outwards they readied themselves for the fight to come.
"Where is it now Cody?" said Obi-Wan.
"It's nearly here," said Cody. The group stood tense, waiting for the creature to come back. The sound of many legs could be heard as they waited. Sometimes they sounded far off. Others times they sounded so close they thought it would appear right around the corner of the many tunnels.
"In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1," said Cody. Everyone got into an attack stance, but nothing came out. Nothing jumped out at them, or tried to run towards them. It was all too quiet. Not a thing was moving or stirring in the room, save the steady breathing from the group.
"Where is it?" said Anakin.
"According to the reader, it's here," said Cody. They all looked around, not daring to move out of the circle.
"Has that thing been fixed up?" said Rex.
"I'm sure of it. I programmed it and everything yesterday," said Cody.
"Than where is it?" said Ahsoka.
"I don't know," said Cody. Taran was looking steadily when he felt something wet drop onto his shoulder. He brushed one of his fingers on the wet patch and held it close to his face. The sticky texture and feel made it saliva, but it was green. His hand trembled at what he thought was the source of the saliva. He slowly, and fearfully, turned his head upward. What he saw made his body tremble. The creature gave no time in letting him sound an alarm and pounced down upon them....