I figured I'd better put in a disclaimer before someone sues me, so here it
is!
Roses are red violets are blue.
Me no own so you no sue.
(I did not write this disclaimer myself, I read it on a Zelda fic but it summarizes everything. Whoever made up this disclaimer, please don't sue me!)
Thanks a lot to Jacen200015 and Teekoness for your nice reviews! You guys are awesome!
On with the fic!
CHAPTER EIGHT
Slowly, very slowly, Aro-Ken emerged into consciousness. His whole head, even his brain, seemed to be throbbing with pain.
He was lying on his stomach, his head resting on its side. Whatever he was lying on was cold.
He thought he opened his eyes, but saw no discernible difference in his surroundings. Aro-Ken blinked a few times, and slowly his vision came into focus.
He could see that he was in a room about four by two meters. It was old and made of metal. He was cold, not only physically but mentally as well.
Aro-Ken could not tell if he was in the Temple or not. He could not remember ever seeing a room like the one he was in.
Slowly, Aro-Ken's memory came back to him. He recalled the Shadowraiths' attack, and how he had been unconscious before he saw what happened to Del- Mon. The last thing he remembered was seeing the Master on the ground and obviously in the same amount of pain Aro-Ken had been in.
Where was Del-Mon anyway? Aro-Ken could see that he wasn't in the room with him, but had they also taken him captive, or had they let him go?
For some reason, Aro-Ken could sense something, vibrations in the Force that he had only felt before coming from people very close to him. Somehow he knew they were coming from Del-Mon. He was alive.
The vibrations were very faint. Aro-Ken didn't know if that meant Del-Mon was unconscious or just far away from him.
With the Force, he quickly scanned his body and assessed its current state. He had no injuries, other than the fact that it felt like a bantha was trapped in his skull and was trying to get out. He managed to dull the pain slightly with the Force, but couldn't do a great deal with his current abilities.
Allowing a moan to escape his lips, Aro-Ken pulled himself to his feet, putting a hand on the wall for support. He found that his coordination was off as he staggered to the side a bit, the world spinning around him a few times.
Aro-Ken firmly locked his knees, planted his feet, and kept his hand on the wall, waiting for the room to stand still once more.
Shaking his head a few times, he managed to make his vision come into focus. He looked around, using the Force to take in all his surroundings.
He could still feel the coldness in his mind apart from the pain, which did not make the experience any more enjoyable. He sensed some presences, about three, outside the room. The Force the flowed around them was dark, and he assumed they were the Shadowraiths.
Almost instantly, his hand flashed to his waist, and he found that his lightsaber was gone. He couldn't say he hadn't been expecting that.
Aro-Ken let go of the wall, and found he could keep his balance quite well now. He walked over to the other side of the room without much difficulty.
Putting his hands on the wall, Aro-Ken felt about and found what he assumed to be the door. As he expected once again, there were no controls on the inside, and no intercom system to be found.
Slowly he paced around the room, taking in every detail. There weren't many. The room was solid metal as he'd expected, with no openings and no cracks in the metal.
Suddenly, the door opened, and bright light from the outside corridor flooded in. Acting on impulse, Aro-Ken instantly spun around and lifted a hand to shield his eyes.
He squinted, and made out a tall black figure framed by the white light standing in the doorway. Anger and hate surged in the Force around him.
"He is awake, my Master," a voice came, low and rasping.
"Good, good," said a fainter voice from the hallway. It sounded identical to the one he'd heard when he'd been chased on his way to the landing pad.
As the figure stepped forward Aro-Ken's eyes became used to the light. It was indeed another Shadowraith.
"What do you want with me?" Aro-Ken asked, standing up straight.
The Shadowraith looked at him with its eyes, glowing red like embers in a fire. "We want you to join us," came the harsh voice.
"Never!" Aro-Ken immediately cried.
"Really? Why?" the Shadowraith asked.
Aro-Ken coldly stared at it, fighting to control his anger and fear. "I am on the Light Side, and I will stay there," he firmly stated.
"The Light Side betrayed you, boy. It has rejected you. Rejected you like we never will. Join the wraiths. Become a shadow," said the Shadowraith.
"No," he said again.
"You will," the Shadowraith said. Though Aro-Ken could not see its mouth, he almost knew that it was grinning evilly.
"No, I won't. I'll never join you!" Aro-Ken shouted at it. He could feel his anger rising, threatening to take over, and he was about ready to let it.
The Shadowraith came closer to him, and Aro-Ken allowed himself to back away from it. "You will… Or you will die," rasped the black figure.
Aro-Ken clenched his teeth and balled his hands into fists, but he did not let his anger get the best of him. Though his feelings were mixed with anger and fear, he did not want to give the Shadowraith any impression that he was weak by showing it fear.
"No… I won't," he furiously said.
"So be it," snapped the Shadowraith. It spun around, it's robes swirling around it, and stalked out the door again, closing jamming it once more.
Aro-Ken leaned against the wall once more and slid to the ground. Angrily, he thought over his situation.
He was stuck in a room and held captive by a few dark psychos who could also turn into shadows. He didn't even know where the little room of his was. Even if he did manage to escape, he had no idea where he could go.
After another hour of contemplating and pacing the room, he drifted into an uneasy sleep.
* * *
"He is indeed strong, my Master. And stubborn. He may not turn," said the Shadowraith outside the room.
"He will turn. I am sure of it. With him, we will soon rule the galaxy," the Master said.
"Are you sure?" asked the other Shadowraith.
"Yes. My Seer has prophesized it," the Master replied.
The Master looked to the Shadowraith at its side. It looked similar to all the other ones, except for the blood red band it wore around its middle and the black necklace with a silver skull on it.
"A boy will join us, and with him we shall rule the galaxy and destroy the Jedi. This may be the boy. If he is not he shall die, for my visions tell me we will need to kill one eventually. This is what I have seen," the Seer said. Its voice was harsh, just like the Master's and Apprentice's.
"Very well. Speak to him again later, my apprentice. Do what you will with him, just be sure it does not kill him," the Master said. It could sense a grin forming beneath the shadowy hood.
"Yes, my Master," the Apprentice said, bowing.
The Master turned and stalked down the corridor. The boy would turn, or he would die.
* * *
Del-Mon was in the large generator room that provided the Temple with all its power. He was on a narrow catwalk, one of many that crossed over the large turbine shafts.
The room was hot, and steam arose from the mechanics around him. His lightsaber was ignited, the radiant green glow that it cast on the catwalk tangled with a black light.
His opponent was indeed a Shadowraith. It stood about a foot taller than he was, and its black hands gripped its lightsaber. Del-Mon could feel the blackness in the Force around it.
Instantly it lunged at him, and Del-Mon jumped into the dance. They went back and forth along the catwalk, jumping, ducking, and attacking expertly.
For such size, and wearing such bulky robes, the Shadowraith was surprisingly graceful. As in his previous duel, both of their moves seemed to flow together smoothly. It was as though they were dancing, though the dance itself went by in a blur.
He suddenly found himself on his knees, his lightsaber deactivated and lying on the ground.
The Shadowraith stared coldly down at him as it prepared to drive its lightsaber into his throat. A voice to the side screamed, "NOOO!"
Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light, and Aro-Ken and Del-Mon both awoke from the same dream.
* * *
Del-Mon bolted into a sitting position instantly. He was breathing heavily, and he could feel sweat on his forehead.
He looked around, and discovered he was in the infirmary. He lay on a padded metal bed. Near him was a cart with various needles and medicine bottles on it.
In the bed next to him was a sleeping student with a broken arm. Next to her was Ton-San Windam, who appeared to be unconscious. His master, Cami Runa, sat next to him, gently holding his hand.
To his side, a voice suddenly spoke. "You leave the gym and within half and hour I find you unconscious again. Bad form, my friend."
Del-Mon recognized it as Mace Windu. "Where is Aro-Ken Rumos?" he instantly asked, turning to face the other Master.
"Aro-Ken? He's on his way to Taylon of course," Mace replied.
"No he isn't. He ran into me in the hallway, and he said there were some- Oh Gods, they have him!" cried Del-Mon.
"Who has him?" asked Mace, obviously lost.
"There are Shadowraiths in the Temple. They were after him, but he doesn't know why," Del-Mon rapidly explained, getting up off the table.
He did a quick scan of his body with the Force, and found the only injuries he had were a few bruises and one hell of a headache.
"Sith," Mace muttered. "Where were they?" he asked.
"Just a few corridors away from the Council Room," Del-Mon replied.
"How could they get in without us knowing?" Mace asked, puzzled.
"I don't know, but they did. There's a dead one in the garden, and at least three more still out there. We better go see the Council," said Del-Mon.
As they swiftly walked down the corridors a few minutes later, Mace clipped his comlink to his belt again.
"All right, the Council Members are on their way. Do you even know where these Shadowraiths are? How do you know they haven't killed the boy all ready?" he asked.
Del-Mon felt the connection he had with Aro-Ken, still spanning out in the Force. It was weak, but Del-Mon could still feel his presence. "No, he is alive, and I believe he is still on the Temple grounds somewhere," he said confidently.
"And how might you know that?" inquired Mace.
"I seem to have made a connection with the boy for whatever reason," Del- Mon replied.
"Well, well, well. Rethinking our decision now, are we?" Mace asked.
Del-Mon did not answer him.
"I'll give you some time to consider it then, shall I?" asked Mace.
"Mace, stop it," Del-Mon said in a warning tone of voice. He was in no mood to have such a conversation.
They arrived inside the round Council Room and found that the Members had all ready assembled in their seats.
Mace and Del-Mon walked right to the center of the room and bowed.
Del-Mon spoke first. "Members of the Council, I come to you in grave circumstances. There are Shadowraiths in the Temple, at least three of them, and another dead in the garden. They have abducted one of our students, Aro-Ken Rumos."
He could sense the shock of some of the members around him, but they all kept their faces calm.
"What actions do you suggest we take?" asked Ki-Adi-Mundi.
"My first suggestion would be to lock the Temple gates," Del-Mon said.
"Lock the gates? That would almost definitely make the students panic," said Jax Dondora.
"It is our best bet to be sure they do not leave. Seal the gates and do not let anybody in or out. Be sure to take shifts and be sure no stray shadows get out, and make sure the entrances to the landing pads are guarded too," Del-Mon said.
Master Yoda spoke for all the other Council Members. "Very well, Master Del- Mon. Granted your request shall be. Organized some search parties should be," he said.
Del-Mon said, "Yes, Master Yoda. I request permission to head one of them. I will not rest until Aro-Ken is found."
"Necessary that will not be, but a welcome request it is. Head one party you shall, Master Del-Mon," Yoda said.
"Thank you, Master," Del-Mon said, bowing.
"I would like to head another," volunteered Mace Windu.
"Very well," said Jax Dondora.
Within a few minutes, two more groups were organized, and the search had begun. Del-Mon made a silent vow that he would find Aro-Ken no matter what.
* * *
Well, what did you think? Feedback would be nice! I'm open to everything! I really don't care what you say! And I've decided to go along with other authors' ideas of including my reviewers' names in the next chapter! Could it get any better than that?
One more thing. If you liked this story, I recommend reading my other fics. Also, not to sound selfish or anything, but if you have friends who read Star Wars, I would really appreciate it if you would suggest they read my fics. Being an author, I naturally want people to read my stuff. Thanks! :- )
Roses are red violets are blue.
Me no own so you no sue.
(I did not write this disclaimer myself, I read it on a Zelda fic but it summarizes everything. Whoever made up this disclaimer, please don't sue me!)
Thanks a lot to Jacen200015 and Teekoness for your nice reviews! You guys are awesome!
On with the fic!
CHAPTER EIGHT
Slowly, very slowly, Aro-Ken emerged into consciousness. His whole head, even his brain, seemed to be throbbing with pain.
He was lying on his stomach, his head resting on its side. Whatever he was lying on was cold.
He thought he opened his eyes, but saw no discernible difference in his surroundings. Aro-Ken blinked a few times, and slowly his vision came into focus.
He could see that he was in a room about four by two meters. It was old and made of metal. He was cold, not only physically but mentally as well.
Aro-Ken could not tell if he was in the Temple or not. He could not remember ever seeing a room like the one he was in.
Slowly, Aro-Ken's memory came back to him. He recalled the Shadowraiths' attack, and how he had been unconscious before he saw what happened to Del- Mon. The last thing he remembered was seeing the Master on the ground and obviously in the same amount of pain Aro-Ken had been in.
Where was Del-Mon anyway? Aro-Ken could see that he wasn't in the room with him, but had they also taken him captive, or had they let him go?
For some reason, Aro-Ken could sense something, vibrations in the Force that he had only felt before coming from people very close to him. Somehow he knew they were coming from Del-Mon. He was alive.
The vibrations were very faint. Aro-Ken didn't know if that meant Del-Mon was unconscious or just far away from him.
With the Force, he quickly scanned his body and assessed its current state. He had no injuries, other than the fact that it felt like a bantha was trapped in his skull and was trying to get out. He managed to dull the pain slightly with the Force, but couldn't do a great deal with his current abilities.
Allowing a moan to escape his lips, Aro-Ken pulled himself to his feet, putting a hand on the wall for support. He found that his coordination was off as he staggered to the side a bit, the world spinning around him a few times.
Aro-Ken firmly locked his knees, planted his feet, and kept his hand on the wall, waiting for the room to stand still once more.
Shaking his head a few times, he managed to make his vision come into focus. He looked around, using the Force to take in all his surroundings.
He could still feel the coldness in his mind apart from the pain, which did not make the experience any more enjoyable. He sensed some presences, about three, outside the room. The Force the flowed around them was dark, and he assumed they were the Shadowraiths.
Almost instantly, his hand flashed to his waist, and he found that his lightsaber was gone. He couldn't say he hadn't been expecting that.
Aro-Ken let go of the wall, and found he could keep his balance quite well now. He walked over to the other side of the room without much difficulty.
Putting his hands on the wall, Aro-Ken felt about and found what he assumed to be the door. As he expected once again, there were no controls on the inside, and no intercom system to be found.
Slowly he paced around the room, taking in every detail. There weren't many. The room was solid metal as he'd expected, with no openings and no cracks in the metal.
Suddenly, the door opened, and bright light from the outside corridor flooded in. Acting on impulse, Aro-Ken instantly spun around and lifted a hand to shield his eyes.
He squinted, and made out a tall black figure framed by the white light standing in the doorway. Anger and hate surged in the Force around him.
"He is awake, my Master," a voice came, low and rasping.
"Good, good," said a fainter voice from the hallway. It sounded identical to the one he'd heard when he'd been chased on his way to the landing pad.
As the figure stepped forward Aro-Ken's eyes became used to the light. It was indeed another Shadowraith.
"What do you want with me?" Aro-Ken asked, standing up straight.
The Shadowraith looked at him with its eyes, glowing red like embers in a fire. "We want you to join us," came the harsh voice.
"Never!" Aro-Ken immediately cried.
"Really? Why?" the Shadowraith asked.
Aro-Ken coldly stared at it, fighting to control his anger and fear. "I am on the Light Side, and I will stay there," he firmly stated.
"The Light Side betrayed you, boy. It has rejected you. Rejected you like we never will. Join the wraiths. Become a shadow," said the Shadowraith.
"No," he said again.
"You will," the Shadowraith said. Though Aro-Ken could not see its mouth, he almost knew that it was grinning evilly.
"No, I won't. I'll never join you!" Aro-Ken shouted at it. He could feel his anger rising, threatening to take over, and he was about ready to let it.
The Shadowraith came closer to him, and Aro-Ken allowed himself to back away from it. "You will… Or you will die," rasped the black figure.
Aro-Ken clenched his teeth and balled his hands into fists, but he did not let his anger get the best of him. Though his feelings were mixed with anger and fear, he did not want to give the Shadowraith any impression that he was weak by showing it fear.
"No… I won't," he furiously said.
"So be it," snapped the Shadowraith. It spun around, it's robes swirling around it, and stalked out the door again, closing jamming it once more.
Aro-Ken leaned against the wall once more and slid to the ground. Angrily, he thought over his situation.
He was stuck in a room and held captive by a few dark psychos who could also turn into shadows. He didn't even know where the little room of his was. Even if he did manage to escape, he had no idea where he could go.
After another hour of contemplating and pacing the room, he drifted into an uneasy sleep.
* * *
"He is indeed strong, my Master. And stubborn. He may not turn," said the Shadowraith outside the room.
"He will turn. I am sure of it. With him, we will soon rule the galaxy," the Master said.
"Are you sure?" asked the other Shadowraith.
"Yes. My Seer has prophesized it," the Master replied.
The Master looked to the Shadowraith at its side. It looked similar to all the other ones, except for the blood red band it wore around its middle and the black necklace with a silver skull on it.
"A boy will join us, and with him we shall rule the galaxy and destroy the Jedi. This may be the boy. If he is not he shall die, for my visions tell me we will need to kill one eventually. This is what I have seen," the Seer said. Its voice was harsh, just like the Master's and Apprentice's.
"Very well. Speak to him again later, my apprentice. Do what you will with him, just be sure it does not kill him," the Master said. It could sense a grin forming beneath the shadowy hood.
"Yes, my Master," the Apprentice said, bowing.
The Master turned and stalked down the corridor. The boy would turn, or he would die.
* * *
Del-Mon was in the large generator room that provided the Temple with all its power. He was on a narrow catwalk, one of many that crossed over the large turbine shafts.
The room was hot, and steam arose from the mechanics around him. His lightsaber was ignited, the radiant green glow that it cast on the catwalk tangled with a black light.
His opponent was indeed a Shadowraith. It stood about a foot taller than he was, and its black hands gripped its lightsaber. Del-Mon could feel the blackness in the Force around it.
Instantly it lunged at him, and Del-Mon jumped into the dance. They went back and forth along the catwalk, jumping, ducking, and attacking expertly.
For such size, and wearing such bulky robes, the Shadowraith was surprisingly graceful. As in his previous duel, both of their moves seemed to flow together smoothly. It was as though they were dancing, though the dance itself went by in a blur.
He suddenly found himself on his knees, his lightsaber deactivated and lying on the ground.
The Shadowraith stared coldly down at him as it prepared to drive its lightsaber into his throat. A voice to the side screamed, "NOOO!"
Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light, and Aro-Ken and Del-Mon both awoke from the same dream.
* * *
Del-Mon bolted into a sitting position instantly. He was breathing heavily, and he could feel sweat on his forehead.
He looked around, and discovered he was in the infirmary. He lay on a padded metal bed. Near him was a cart with various needles and medicine bottles on it.
In the bed next to him was a sleeping student with a broken arm. Next to her was Ton-San Windam, who appeared to be unconscious. His master, Cami Runa, sat next to him, gently holding his hand.
To his side, a voice suddenly spoke. "You leave the gym and within half and hour I find you unconscious again. Bad form, my friend."
Del-Mon recognized it as Mace Windu. "Where is Aro-Ken Rumos?" he instantly asked, turning to face the other Master.
"Aro-Ken? He's on his way to Taylon of course," Mace replied.
"No he isn't. He ran into me in the hallway, and he said there were some- Oh Gods, they have him!" cried Del-Mon.
"Who has him?" asked Mace, obviously lost.
"There are Shadowraiths in the Temple. They were after him, but he doesn't know why," Del-Mon rapidly explained, getting up off the table.
He did a quick scan of his body with the Force, and found the only injuries he had were a few bruises and one hell of a headache.
"Sith," Mace muttered. "Where were they?" he asked.
"Just a few corridors away from the Council Room," Del-Mon replied.
"How could they get in without us knowing?" Mace asked, puzzled.
"I don't know, but they did. There's a dead one in the garden, and at least three more still out there. We better go see the Council," said Del-Mon.
As they swiftly walked down the corridors a few minutes later, Mace clipped his comlink to his belt again.
"All right, the Council Members are on their way. Do you even know where these Shadowraiths are? How do you know they haven't killed the boy all ready?" he asked.
Del-Mon felt the connection he had with Aro-Ken, still spanning out in the Force. It was weak, but Del-Mon could still feel his presence. "No, he is alive, and I believe he is still on the Temple grounds somewhere," he said confidently.
"And how might you know that?" inquired Mace.
"I seem to have made a connection with the boy for whatever reason," Del- Mon replied.
"Well, well, well. Rethinking our decision now, are we?" Mace asked.
Del-Mon did not answer him.
"I'll give you some time to consider it then, shall I?" asked Mace.
"Mace, stop it," Del-Mon said in a warning tone of voice. He was in no mood to have such a conversation.
They arrived inside the round Council Room and found that the Members had all ready assembled in their seats.
Mace and Del-Mon walked right to the center of the room and bowed.
Del-Mon spoke first. "Members of the Council, I come to you in grave circumstances. There are Shadowraiths in the Temple, at least three of them, and another dead in the garden. They have abducted one of our students, Aro-Ken Rumos."
He could sense the shock of some of the members around him, but they all kept their faces calm.
"What actions do you suggest we take?" asked Ki-Adi-Mundi.
"My first suggestion would be to lock the Temple gates," Del-Mon said.
"Lock the gates? That would almost definitely make the students panic," said Jax Dondora.
"It is our best bet to be sure they do not leave. Seal the gates and do not let anybody in or out. Be sure to take shifts and be sure no stray shadows get out, and make sure the entrances to the landing pads are guarded too," Del-Mon said.
Master Yoda spoke for all the other Council Members. "Very well, Master Del- Mon. Granted your request shall be. Organized some search parties should be," he said.
Del-Mon said, "Yes, Master Yoda. I request permission to head one of them. I will not rest until Aro-Ken is found."
"Necessary that will not be, but a welcome request it is. Head one party you shall, Master Del-Mon," Yoda said.
"Thank you, Master," Del-Mon said, bowing.
"I would like to head another," volunteered Mace Windu.
"Very well," said Jax Dondora.
Within a few minutes, two more groups were organized, and the search had begun. Del-Mon made a silent vow that he would find Aro-Ken no matter what.
* * *
Well, what did you think? Feedback would be nice! I'm open to everything! I really don't care what you say! And I've decided to go along with other authors' ideas of including my reviewers' names in the next chapter! Could it get any better than that?
One more thing. If you liked this story, I recommend reading my other fics. Also, not to sound selfish or anything, but if you have friends who read Star Wars, I would really appreciate it if you would suggest they read my fics. Being an author, I naturally want people to read my stuff. Thanks! :- )