[Okay, a little message. It's the end of the school year for me and I have tests and everything, not to mention technical stuff with the yearbook and end-of-school video. No new chapters on anything for a while. Sorry]
Chapter Seven
As Narra walked, she began noticing different things about the forest. The trees were getting more bent, as if something heavy was constantly standing on it. There were imprints of machinations, possibly traps, scattered across the ground. And there were sounds. Of running feet, of quick and quiet breaths. Ike was ignoring them, or maybe he was just that stupid. But Narra was being driven crazy. Whoever was out there was able to hide from the Force, meaning Narra couldn't sense them. She was constantly watching the trees, but it wasn't enough. As soon as she turned her head, there was a pained grunt. When she looked back, Ike was gone. Narra had one moment to suck is a terrified breath before the ground began rumbling.
"Come child, you need not fear me." Namera called to Elana. For the last ten minutes as Namera and her personal guard had brought Elana to a large hall she had stopped thinking of the Clan Mother as 'Clan Mother' and more as Namera, as well as realizing that unlike Clan Mother's Elana was briefed about, Namera didn't wear exotic clothing. She wore the same common legless red outfit as all the other Witches, just with two cape-like tendrils hanging off her shoulders. And she was glad for it. Namera was a kind, great and gentle woman. Synthia, who was apparently now Elana's official guide, had explained that this was a meeting hall as well as the court of Namera. Hawke was to be brought here, as well as dinner. Elana couldn't think of anything she'd rather do tonight. Obeying Namera's words, Elana nervously skittered up to the Namera. Namera took Elana's face with both of her hands, and tilted it so that their eyes met. Once again, Elana felt a feeling of helplessness, yet there was meaning to it. Only this time, a strange amount of bliss was overtaking the helplessness.
"Sit everyone, please." Namera said. It sounded like an order, but so much gentler and kind than any of Hawke's. Elana wanted to move, but her body would not respond. She only moved when Synthia came behind her and held her waist, guiding her to a seat beside Namera.
"Bring in the male." Namera called to two Dathomiri with glowing bows. The two opened the large door at the other end of the hall, and another two women came in, these two holding long metal spears. They were using the spears to push someone forwards. Only when the figure raised his head angrily at one of the women did Elana's muddled mind realize it was Hawke, clad in only a pair of knee-length grey pants.
"You will all pay." Hawke seethed, his voice hollow and muddled.
"I think not." Namera smirked, her voice clear and sharp. She waved her hand and the two women guarding Hawke prodded him with their spears. Apparently the spears were akin to electrostaffs, as every time they made contact with Hawke's skin there was a loud pop of electricity. After several minutes of that the women had Hawke right up beside Namera, in between the Clan Mother and Elana.
"What to do with you, you annoying male." Namera cooed, wrapping a hand around Hawke's chin and forcing him to his knees. "What shall we do with him my dear?" She asked, glancing at Elana. Elana looked back, then at Hawke. Synthia must have thought she was scared of disappointing Namera, because she took Elana's hand and whispered into her ear.
"I recommend taking him as your pet. It proves that you are dominant over him and worthy to be at Namera's side." Synthia advised. Elana nodded, then stared down at Hawke, who was still glaring at Namera.
"I lay claim to him." Elana declared, much more confident than anything she had ever said before. "He is mine." As she said those words, Hawke turned around and gave her an incredulous look.
"General? What-" Hawke tried to ask her something, but one of the women with spears, who Elana recognized as Miral, kicked him in the head. It wasn't enough to even do any damage to Hawke, but it was enough to shut him up.
"Speak when spoken too, male." Miral spat. "My lady, if it pleases you I can take your male to your quarters and educate him." Miral growled, putting far too much emphasis on the word educate. It took Elana a moment to realize that Miral was talking to her, not Namera.
"Uh, yes. Please do." Elana stuttered, not quite sure what Miral would do. Giving Elana a wolfish smile, Miral took a metal collar from her belt and latched it on Hawke's neck. Grabbing it, she began leading him out of the hall, knocking him in the face when he attempted to overpower her.
"Now then, with that unpleasantness out of the way we can finally get to your initiation." Namera grinned.
"Initiation?" Elana asked. The Clan Mother nodded and waved to Synthia.
"Your initiation rites for joining our clan," Synthia whispered into Elana's ear. "If you succeed you become an acolyte of one of the Sisters, then a full fledged Sister."
"Yes. And I have no doubt that you will triumph." Namera put in, encouraging Elana. Elana without even thinking about being a Witch might mean, raised her head. She met Namera's eyes, and the feeling of bliss returned.
"I am ready." The second the words left her mouth, she was rushed through several corridors into a small ready room.
"Please put this on and give me all your weapons." Synthia said soothingly, handing Elana a red outfit like the one all the Witches were wearing. Elana handed over her lightsaber and waited for Synthia to leave the room. When she didn't, Elana turned away from Synthia and quickly stripped, slipping the small red outfit on, cheeks burning and probably quite red.
"This will be a two part exercise. I will put you into a trance, and you must awaken yourself. When you do, you must fight your way through a dungeon, I know not which one. Good luck." Synthia whispered, before holding Elana's head in her hands. Synthia mumbled a few unintelligible words, and everything went black. When Elana awoke, she was in a misty jungle. She could hear footsteps, and slight giggles. Trying to see who was out there was fruitless, and Elana was suddenly overcome by an extreme feeling of shame and hopelessness.
"Why are you laughing?" She cried, curling up into a ball and leaning against a tree. Slowly, the people began coming out of the trees. The first was the Mandalorian from the interrogation.
"You are even weaker than most Jedi!" He leered at her. The next figure was Synthia, who kneeled down and held Elana's chin. Suddenly, Synthia slapped Elana and stood up.
"I don't know why I would ever think you could be a Sister." Synthia said in disgust. After her came a flurry of people Elana knew and loved, her master from the Jedi Temple, her best friend Jorge, Keiran, a Corellian pilot that used to work with her. They all laughed and mocked her, but Elana was not prepared or what was next. Namera simply glided over the ground to stop before her.
"No." Was all Namera said, and this crushed Elana more than she expected. Then a ray of light burst through the mist. The demons disguised as her friends shrieked and backed away from the light. Elana raised a hand to shade her eyes, and couldn't see what was in the light. Then someone took her arm gently and the light disappeared. Elana looked up, and Hawke was standing there, a genuine smile on his face. Elana braced herself for the expected insult from what was essentially her greatest friend, but it never came. Instead Elana could feel herself being pulled onto her feet.
"Remember General, it's just a dream." She heard Hawke whisper before she flung herself forwards and wrapped her arms around him.
"Hawke . . . I am so sorry." She cried into his shoulder. He patted her back softly, then let go.
"What say you teach them a lesson about what you really are?" Hawke asked, a big grin on his face. Elana looked down and saw her lightsaber in his hand, offered to her. Elana smiled back and took it, igniting the gloriously bright blue blade.
"Now then, what did you say to me?" Elana asked the demons. Before they even had a chance to answer Elana charged, raising the lightsaber. Then her eyes opened. She was lying on her back in a small stone room with a strange statue and one door, and no one was around her. Picking herself up, Elana went through the door and down the stairs it led to. The stairs simply led to another room completely like the other one.
"Wait a second," Elana murmured, examining the new room's statue. It was a stone woman in robes and holding a lightsaber in a guarding position. But this was different. In the first room the woman looked like she was charging at something, not guarding. Elana moved to the statue, and felt along the lightsaber. Suddenly, it clicked. Startled Elana jumped backwards as the statue lowered into the floor and the wall behind it slid away, revealing an arena.
"Now for the test of might!" Elana heard Namera shout. Elana strolled into the arena, attempting to look like a model of calm. It must have succeeded, as the Sisters in the stands cheered. Then came her opponent. It was the Mandalorian. And he had guns. Without a second thought, Elana charged. She managed to close half the distance between her and the Mandalorian before he began firing. Leaping high, Elana managed to avoid the blaster bolts, and she landed directly behind him. Grabbing the jetpack, Elana began tearing into it, hoping to pull the right wire. She did. The Mandalorian's jetpack fired, and the Mandalorian himself went careening straight upwards. He slammed right into the ceiling and plummeted to the ground, unconscious. However, just before he would have died Elana caught him through the Force. She set the Mandalorian gently on the ground, then strutted up to the body. She jostled the helmet off, but there was no one in the body.
"What?!" Elana exclaimed, before both the helmet and armour turned to dust and flew away.
"Congratulations!" Elana heard someone shout. Turning, she saw Synthia and Namera coming towards her. Elana turned and bow to Namera, but when she straightened Synthia wrapped herself around Elana and kissed her full on, holding Elana's head still. They stayed that way for nearly a minute, before Synthia released her and backed away. Elana was dumbfounded, but able to pay attention to Namera.
"Child, you have managed to pass all three tests, as well as keeping yourself enough out of the darkness. Listen all! I proclaim this new one an Acolyte, under the guidance of Sister Synthia!" Namera shouted, and the entire stadium roared. Everything became a blur, as Elana was rushed through all the happy Sisters. Synthia might have kissed her more, but they both ended up alone in front of a fancy door.
"This is your new quarters." Synthia explained. "Shall we?" Elana nodded, and opened the door. What she saw horrified her. Miral had a male up against a wall, holding his arms against the wall and her legs wrapped around his waist. They were kissing passionately. And that male . . . was Hawke.
