Note: Yes, I know it took a while to update. Sorry! Anyhew, here's chapter 16. Hope you like!

Ch. 16 The Line

Obi-Wan reached for his lightsaber but found that it wasn't on his belt like it should have been. He had to jump back out of the way as the huge creature clawed at him again.It had no fur and it looked to be like a Rancore but it was different, a little larger at that with a tail as well.Obi-Wan looked frantically at his Master who was behind the creature.

Qui-Gon listened to what the Force told him and followed it's instructions on avoiding the spiked tail of the reptile like creature that kept swinging at him. Finally the space was there and he brought his saber down to it's flesh but before he knew it he was flying through the air backwards and he felt his saber being ripped from his grasp before he had even made contact with the creature's hide. Shaking his head slightly and sitting up half way Qui-Gon looked at Quire who shook his saber in his hand idly.

"Not so fast Jedi."

He chuckled.

"Master!"

Qui-Gon moved aside the huge claw that came pounding down on the place he had just been.Obi-Wan was the one who pulled him to his feet as the next attempt came towards him, the apprentice pointed up to where there was a ridge in the 'ceiling' that was really just cave walls. Qui-Gon got the picture and both sprang up to the safe point.

~~~~~~~NPV~~~~~~~~

Block left, right, duck, block.

Jesi stayed on the defensive side of the storm erupting infront of her.

"Truely, Mother, put some effort in to it." Reghan stated. Jesi noticed her accent was of her own.Kishir.

"You lived, didn't you?"

She asked watching her shoulders for the next attack as she was taught to.Yoda had never taught her the ways in the Force but had advised her on manual dueling.

"That morning never happened where I come from." Reghan replied swiping then spinning to the right to stab backwards.

"And where'd that be?"

Jesi asked after she had blocked and moved aside quickly. Reghan smiled pausing a moment.

"That'd be between the past and the present...in your very dreams. Don't you see?"

She twisted the blade again in her hand not making to move.

"Who you see before you is who your daughter would've become. After all, you are the one who taught me all of this."

"What's 'all of this'?"

Jesi asked though her thoughts really dwelled on who her daughter had become.

"This."

Reghan replied before beginning a series of attacks.

~~~~NPV~~~~~

"Get down!"

Qui-Gon shoved Obi-Wan aside just as they reached the 'safety' of the ridge. A flying mass had come hurling at them as soon as their feet hit the rock. With Obi-Wan on one side and Qui-Gon jumping to the other the mass hit nothing and both Jedi turned to see what it was in the light.

Qui-Gon saw just a black mist that was now circling. Though huge, it seemed to be nothing.

Obi-Wan saw something different.Some sort of bird, something of a hawk or an eagle. It wasn't actually a solid, more like a dark cloud forming a shape. But within that shape were faces, bodies, souls. And they cried out constantly as the eagle flew in circles. Feeling something touch his leg he looked down and let out a surprised yelp and pushed himself back.

He looked directly at a corpse!

But it was alive, and it looked at him with no eyes, just empty black holes. Looking beyond the corpse he saw others, they were all crawling towards him! He julted when a set of firm hands landed on his shoulders but when his master said,

"Come Obi-Wan, quickly."

And he was hauled up to his feet even though both Jedi were looking at the corpses as they staggarded away.

~~~~~~~NPV~~~~~~

Her opponent wasn't tiring at all. Reghan hardly showed signs of slowing down or tiring in anyway. She hated to do this....Blocking the last blow she was willing to take Jesi moved from the attacked to the attacker. She wouldn't hurt her, she swore to it, just tire her enough to tame her.

Jesi only relied on what she had been taught so many years ago with swipes, jabs, full force blows, strikes, and occasional hit or kick usage. Reghan was on one knee, after having a kick to the back of the other one causing her to momentarily collapse to kneel, she blocked a blow then shouted,

"Wait!" as loud as she could.

Jesi paused but was ready for whatever she had planned.

"Mother, honestly, I wasn't actually going to hurt you." Jesi eyed her as she stood.

"Yes, what daughter would do that....?" Quire said approaching. Jesi tightened her grip on the hilt of the blade glancing around for Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.

"Reghan, be a good girl and show your mother what you've been up to over the years. She her what she's missed."

Jesi looked to Reghan who smiled and pointed up to a ridge in the rock wall with the tip of her blade. Jesi followed the guidence and looked. The breath caught in her lungs watching as corpses crawled to the ledge of the rift and fell down it.Looking closer she stepped back.

She knew those people!

Pierce, Lynn,..Billy,.....Thomas. She knew them all as she looked at the eyeless, blue lipped, white skinned, bodies crawling. They had all been apart of the network during the mid years of the war on Kishir. The darkest years.

"Oh, and don't forget Daddy....didn't give his little girl her what she wanted when she asked for it."

Reghan said with a tone in her voice that enraged the elder woman as her eyes moved across the group she could see, and then settled upon the eyeless corpse of who was her husband.

"Remember, you said it often, I always got my way with Daddy...one way or another."

Jesi looked at her and all the rage came to the surface....her blade moved with grace and speed.

~~~~~~~NPV~~~~~~~

"Where's Jesi?"

Obi-Wan asked as the pair moved across a slim ridge in the cave wall, neither could see far enough down to the ground.And neither knew where exactly they were. Qui-Gon didn't look at him, the light had gotten too bright for his eyes to even glance at the apprentice.

"We're going to find out. Careful of the ledge Padawan."

Qui-Gon replied to the question.

"Master.." Obi-Wan said just above whisper. He had stopped moving as well.

Qui-Gon looked back at him with tightened eyes.

"What is it?"

"Didn't you feel it?" He asked in the same voice.

"Feel what?"

A piercing sound thundered through the cave walls and in Qui-Gon's eyes the mist came back, visible even in the darkness of the cave.

Obi-Wan clutched his chest suddenly.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Raider looked out the window as the chimes sounded in his office.

"Shift two..."

He murmured as the two moons met in the middle of the sky and died away blocking eachother from the sun. Now, it was nothing but darkness.

Tbc....

Sorry it took so long this week.....lost the edge for a portion this week....wonder why?! lol, just kidding. Comments welcome as always. I'll try and post up tomorrow, no promises though.

Til Then,

Elli