Chapter Fourteen

"Get up, hands on your head," a gruff man demanded, and the Jedi complied. Jaina glanced around as she stood, trying to remember where she'd left her lightsaber. "No funny business," the man, who Jaina took to be the group's leader, ordered. "Cuff 'em, Bryce."

A slightly larger, darkly clothed man stepped towards Ganner with a pair of handcuffs. Ganner quickly spun around, knocking the much bigger man to the ground, as he reached out to call for his lightsaber. Someone grabbed Jaina from behind and cuffed her quickly. Ganner's saber flew towards him from the foot of his sleeping bag, but before it reached him, three more men had surrounded him and kicked him to the ground. Jaina cried out and was silenced by a large, rough hand across the face and Ganner took the abuse and was cuffed as well.

"So...I guess you are who they're looking for," a leader, who was dressed in an old officer's uniform that looked like it was from the time of the Empire and wore a bushy brown beard, said after Ganner had been restrained and Jaina's cheek had stopped stinging.

Ganner straightened up slightly and stared at the man. "We are who who is looking for?" he questioned.

"Wouldn't you like to know," the man replied, approaching Jaina. He ran his hand along her forehead and Jaina could feel the anger burning within Ganner. "Never realized they could be so pretty."

Jaina glared at the man, the look in her eyes hot enough to boil lead. "What are you talking about?" she said coolly.

"Why, I would think that you would know that, being a Jedi and all," he responded slyly. "Maybe you aren't as smart as they say you are."

Jaina opened her mouth to speak again but was cut off by Ganner. "Her? She's not a Jedi!" he scoffed. Jaina's eyes grew wide and she reached out to Ganner through the force. 'What are you doing?' she questioned.

'Play along,' he thought back. 'Please.'

Jaina nodded silently as the leader looked at her harshly. "Not a Jedi? Then what is she doing with you?" he asked, turning back to Ganner.

"She's my prisoner," Ganner replied, "And I would appreciate it if you kept her in good condition. She's worth a lot to me."

It was all Jaina could do to keep her jaw from dropping. What was he saying? She had absolutely no idea where this would get them.

"Your prisoner, eh?" the leader asked. "I thought Jedi were too 'good' to take prisoners."

"You thought wrong," Ganner snapped back. "So, if you please..."

The large man laughed loudly. "Sure there, Jedi. We'll take good care of your prize. It's yourself you should be worrying about."

"I'm not worried," he returned confidently.

The man leaned in close to Ganner's face, his hot breath hitting it, his eyes locked on Ganner's. "You should be."

* * * * *

They dragged Ganner, and surprisingly helped Jaina, to a large hovercraft and secured the two to seats next to each other.

"If you try anything, Jedi, you will be sorry. Once the Peace Brigade gets a hold of you..."

Jaina's heart leapt at what the man had just said and she didn't hear much else. The Peace Brigade? They had dissolved at the end of the war against the Vong! Did these men seriously think that they could get anything for a Jedi anymore?

Ganner was having the same thoughts. "Peace Brigade?" he scoffed. "There is no more Peace Brigade."

"Oh, you'd be surprised, Jedi," the leader said as the speeder begin to travel hastily through the forest, winding and whipping around trees and shrubs. "Just because the war is over, that doesn't mean that people out there don't hate your kind." Jaina noticed the way he spit out the phrase 'your kind.' She had never realized that people still felt this way. After all, the Jedi had won the war...

"They were waiting for you on Najeme III," the man continued, "but you got out of their trap. Good flying, I hear. So you found your way here. Trust me, buddy, don't know how you pulled it off. But I have my contacts, and they said you landed all right. So, I figure, why not make a buck or two?"

"So you're not in the Peace Brigade?" Jaina questioned.

"Nope. But why do you want to know?"

"She used to be one of them," Ganner chimed in. "Was thinking she could get it started up again...didn't realize that they were still out here I suppose. But I got to her first."

"This true?" the man asked. Jaina nodded, although she wasn't sure why. "Well then, you're no harm to us. I'm sure you want to see the damn Jedi who's held you hostage taken care of! Bryce, un-cuff the little lady."

Jaina's wrists were suddenly freed, and she felt the relief rush over Ganner like that of a protective father. 'So this was what you had in mind the whole time?' she questioned him silently. He sent her back an affirmative, and then, 'now it's your job to get me out of here.'