Disclaimer: Im afraid I don't own Star Wars or anything related to such, though the kitty is my own creation. Lawls. Please review! I'd really like to know your thoughts so far.~Alina-of-Roses

Chapter 4: Escape

"Well... that was easier than expected." Kailani said dusting her hands off before reaching over and flinging off the dead Sith laying over Moonfire. Kayen fell with a soft thud, body splayed out in a very unnatural position. Kailani's tiny hand patted Moonfire's cheek lightly, wincing as she noticed the depressed syringe sticking out from the soft white of her neck.

"Shit." Kailani pulled the needle from her, stuffing it into a belt compartment as well. "Probably going to need that later" she muttered resting her hand on the dark haired girls forehead. Moonfire was burning up and unconscious. Glancing back at the other two that had been with the girl, Kailani frowned. They were still knocked out too. Fuck.

The dull roar of animal and alien moans suddenly became louder and more savage. Turning about Kailani frowned yelling "Will you shut the hell up?! Shut up!" she yelled. The monsters and beasts slamming themselves into the bars of their cages, screaming louder, angrier. "Dammit..." Kailani said as she left Moonfire's side, reaching a hand into her belt, pulling from it a glass bottle.

Kneeling over Ryuu she started to pour some of the water onto his face, smacking his face lightly to help bring him to. "Come on, wake up. Wake up." Kailani muttered as sky blue eyes opened and blinked at her. "'Bout fuckin' time you woke up." the blonde smiled, her eyes darting back and forth from the Jedi to the monsters slamming themselves about their cages.

Jumping up, Ryuu saber flashed on, pointing it at Kailani, making her jump back, her arms up defensively, water bottle still clutched in hand. "Hey man, chill. We're cool, we're cool. I saved your lives." She said tilting her head towards Kayen's dead body. "I was a little late though, your girlfriend's been injected with some kinda poison I think, so we have to move fast."

Ryuu still holding his saber out at Kailani turned towards the limp Moonfire, still bound and laying out over the cold metal work table of Kayen's. Her face was red with heat, and she seemed to be shivering in her bindings.

"We don't have much time." Kailani repeated. "So I suggest you just trust me, wake up your friend, and help me grab your girlfriend. If we move quickly, we might be able to help her." She took another step back away from the glowing green light, returning to Moonfire's side and releasing her from the metal wraps about the girl with a flick of her wrist.

Ryuu busied himself with waking up Drake, when suddenly a huge crashed filled the room, amongst the chattering and screeching of the monsters caged all about them. A particularly large hybrid began had slammed into the bars of his cage so hard he had knocked over the cage onto its side, the bars bending with the sheer force of his repeated slams. Long claws, ten on each limb scratched at the bars, sparks flying between the claws and metal. A great maned cat, fangs dripping a harsh poison all its own as its growled and roared, shaking the room with its high pitched shrieks. Armor-like scales covered the cat in big sections, tufts of orangey red hair sticking out wildly between the scales of the heavily muscled creature.

"Shit." Was all Kailani muttered as she tossed Moonfire over her shoulder, breaking out into a run as Ryuu finished waking up Drake. "Run!" She yelled as she ran past Ryuu and Drake, the cat breaking through it bars with a snarl, lunging towards the little group.

The men, not even taking a moment to absorb the situation took off into a run after the mercenary, quickly catching up to her at the cat followed quickly behind, their feet thudding loudly as they raced up next to her.

"What the hell is that thing?" Drake asked, turning back to see it pouncing after them, running in powerful strides.

"One of Kayen's creations, be careful! Its scales and armor is actually Cortosis plates!" Kailani responded as the cat jumped up and over them, landing with a snarl face to face with them "Ah! Shit! Shit! Shit!" she said, both her arms full carrying Moonfire.

Jumping forward Ryuu extended an arm, Force pushing the cat hard back away from them, grabbing Kailani by the shoulder and pulling her back into a run, Drake helping then grabbing the cat with the Force himself and flinging it hard into the ground, hoping to injure it. Stagger some the beast got back up, shaking its furry head before roaring loudly, jumping back after its targets.

Running faster, they raced through the Sith Academy, the door growing larger and larger as they moved faster, the Ebon Hawk not too far from the entrance. Safety. Behind them the sith beast growled louder, sparks flying as its claws scratched at the metal floors, edging ever closer, snapping it jaws up at them, almost grabbing Drake.

Turning quickly Ryuu extended both arms towards the beast yelling "Go on! Get to the ship! I'll hold it off!"

"No need to tell me twice!" Kailani called back as she kept running, heading out the wide doors, into the cold of Korriban, freezing her sweat to her skin suddenly.

"Are you sure, kid?" Drake called, hesitant to leave Ryuu with the beast alone.

"Just get out of here, Drake. I'll get back to you guys."He gave him a quick smile as Drake ran off, Ryuu face to face with the snarling beast as in pounced, claws outstretched to rip the Jedi to shreds. Extending both hands, Ryuu closed his eyes, feeling his way through the Force, lifting the creature up into the air, spinning about rapidly as though caught in a whirlwind.

The ship now in view Kailani winced as she heard the echoes of the beasts roar from the academy behind her. If they boy wanted to sacrifice himself, that was his business, she doubted his girlfriend would be very happy about it. Damn this girl was heavier than she looked, Kailani thought looked down at the padawan in her arms. She was shivering and shaking, feverish. Not really a good sign.

Force speeding his way in front of the blonde mercenary was Drake, bounding towards the ship and opening the hatch quickly allowing her to run up into the Ebon Hawk, just as Ryuu came running out from the abandoned academy himself.

Setting down Moonfire gently to the floor, she turned back, watching Ryuu as he raced towards the ship, the enormous cat jumping from the Academy itself, following close behind with another roar. Enhanced by the Force as well, Ryuu ran up into the ship, the hatch already starting to close and dived in, the ship lifting up into the atmosphere as the beast jumped up, in an attempt to catch them.

"Haha! Nice job, Red!" Kailani said holding a hand up for a high-five as they lifted off. Smiling brightly with a laugh at Ryuu. He frowned in response, walking over to Moonfire as she lay feverish, ignoring the mercenary.

"Fine, I save your ass and all, whatever. Don't show Kailani any love." Kailani muttered as she reached into her belt pulling a flask and taking a long swig. Drake perking up beckoned her over for a few sips himself. Sighing happily.

"Moonfire?" Ryuu said softly as he knelt before the girl, brushing the hair from her eyes. She was looking worse now, tossing and turning some, as though trapped in a horrible nightmare. And behind closed eyes, she fought something far darker than the poison suspected...

* * * *

Pain, everything hurt. Something was wrong. Her whole body was burning, on fire. Nerves screaming for release from the hell she was trapped in. Moonfire's mind was frantic, jumping back and forth between the utter darkness she seemed so trapped in to the pain in her to the cold, numb of her entire body. The cold numbness, that existed so impossibly with the burning agony.

Senses were flaring, something was terribly wrong. She couldn't think straight, but something else was there. Something was trying to consume her. Eat her. What? What? She couldn't get her thoughts straight Just a sense, a sense that there was something else. Something making the darkness, building up in her. Drunk, drunk with anguish. Feeding on the pain. She wanted to scream to let it all out, to calm the turmoil.

Paralyzed. Frozen and burning all at once. Consuming her. What was going on? Was she dying? Will this ever end? Can't think, can't concentrate. All there is dizzying pain. Death. Please death. Release her from her prison of darkness and torment.

A glimmer. A gentle glimmer of light, coming closer. The thing, the thing eating her pain, feeding and hurting her more, cowers from the light. Reaching out, Moonfire tried to grab the light, embrace it. Thank you, thank you. She could move a little again. Barely. The heat dying down. The ice melting. Maybe this was death. The thing sinking away, hiding. Death was nice... A voice. A soft, kind, gentle voice... Was this the Force calling out to her?...

"Moonfire... Come on back Moonfire."

* * * *

"Moonfire... Come on back Moonfire." Ryuu said, his hands holding her face gently between his hands, using the Force to heal her. At least he hoped. His face was lined with worry as he looked down at her, focusing all his energy on her, staring down at her pale face. Slowly, weakly her eyes opened, blinking up and looking into his eyes.

"Ryuu?" She was shivering still, though he had wrapped his cloak over her like a blanket, the fever had lessened but still threw off her whole sense of temperature. All her muscled ached, but all in all, she just felt like she had a particularly nasty cold.

"Hey there, kid. You're looking better..." he said, his hand touching her cheek affectionately, smiling as it turned red under his hand with her blush.

"What... What happened?" Moonfire croaked out, only then noticing her head was laying in his lap gently, her blush becoming more pronounced.

"You got injected with some kinda poison according to Kailani here." Drake piped in from the pilots chair as they neared Coruscant, the city planet coming into view.

"Yeah, Kayen's a freak. He injected you with on of his creepy potions. Sorry, I couldn't kill him in time before he got ya." she said with an easy shrug, staring at the controls.

"You... You killed the Sith guy?" Moonfire asked weakly confused, turning her head to face Kailani. "Wasn't he your boss?" Watching as Kailani shrugged a little.

"He was paying me shit, it was my last pay day anyway. He was no use to me as a boss anymore, and I was getting' kinda freak out. Figured the galaxy was better off without him. As much fun kickin Jedi ass is, killing him was so... satisfying." she said with a light chuckle, drawing a shake of his head from Ryuu and a chuckle and a smile fro Drake. "You're just lucky your boyfriend there saved you with his freaky deaky Force shit."

"Hes... not my boyfriend!" Moonfire said alarmed, whatever made her think such a thing? "We're Jedi... we don't have... umm... love interests." she said trying to pretend she hadn't almost shouted out her answer.

"Thats pretty suck ass. No sexy time? I kinda pity you Jedi guys." Kailani said taking another swig from her flask. "Well, whatever. Point is, Red there. He brought you back from the brink. You were gone there for a bit." The blonde said nonchalantly.

Turning back to look up at Ryuu Moonfire smiled at him gently. "Thank you Master Ryuu... You were right, maybe I'm not ready to leave the Temple." she said softly, closing her eyes. Exhaustion falling over her, struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Don't worry about it Moonfire, we're going to be back in Coruscant soon. You did good." he patted her head gently, tucking her hair behind her pale ear softly.

* * * *

"You actually allowed her to leave the ship, when you knew she had no business to be there in the first place? Ryuu, I have to ask what were you thinking?" Master asked, concerned and a little disappointed.

"Blaze, she snuck on board. What makes you think she wouldn't have just followed us off the ship? And at least with us I could keep an eye on her." Ryuu said, wondering about Moonfire, still concerned for her even now. It bothered him, nagging at the back of his head when he was away from the young woman.

Master Blaze frowned, pacing more. "You're just lucky she didn't get hurt worse than she did. Honestly, what Moonfire did was irresponsible, disobedient, and once the rest of the Temple hears about this, her chance of finding a Master is going to become far slimmer than it already is." Scratching at his whiskers more, Blaze frowned deeper, his wrinkly face crumpling more.

"Well, Master Blaze. I..." Ryuu started, hesitating for merely a moment. "I would like to take Miss Esense as my padawan."