Disclaimer:
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!)
AN: Thanks a lot to Jacen200015 and Teekoness for your reviews, and I did take your advice and put Ada-Rin in this chapter! Thanks!
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Del-Mon sighed heavily and angrily. They had hit another dead end.
He and a team of four other Jedi had found the small grouping of rooms they knew the Shadowraiths had been hiding out in, and knew they had no intention of coming back.
A few hallways from the place Del-Mon had lost the two Shadowraiths a pool of blood was found, and he knew it was Aro-Ken's.
Unfortunately, it left no trail to indicate which direction they had gone in, and Del-Mon knew they had lost the trail again.
Night had past completely since Del-Mon had chased after the Shadowraith, and dawn had broken. The room he had lost the two in had been investigated thoroughly, and Del-Mon had come to the conclusion that he had simply failed to notice them slip by in their shadow form.
Angrily he stormed from the room. They had found a few very small signs that most ordinary people wouldn't have noticed that had told them that the Shadowraiths had indeed been keeping Aro-Ken there.
Del-Mon strode down the corridor in long steps, so aggravated that he failed to notice someone approaching him until it they said, "You should get some sleep, Wesia."
He turned to face Mya-Rau. "I'm fine, Mya," he simply said.
"Where are you going?" she asked him.
"To look for Aro-Ken, of course. Where else would I be going?" Del-Mon replied.
"Del-Mon, you need to sleep at some point. It's been a full day since this search began. Just a few hours," Mya-Rau said.
Sighing again, Del-Mon said, "Fine, if it will make you happy."
Mya-Rau smiled. "Yes, it would."
"All right. I'll see you in a few hours," Del-Mon said.
Mya-Rau smiled again, then turned and left to join the other Jedi.
As Del-Mon walked towards the turbolift, he knew she was indeed right; he really did need some rest.
The instant the turbolift doors opened at his floor, two students nearly ran him down as they burst into the turbolift.
One of them instantly began to apologize. "Sorry, Master Wesia, we just needed to find the Masters!"
"Yeah, we found out what happened to Aro-Ken and we have something from him!"
Del-Mon quickly recognized the students as two of the ones who had attempted the exercise with the large metal block earlier that day. He instantly remembered their names, and he snapped to attention at the mention of Aro-Ken's name.
"Wolden, Ada-Rin, slow down! What did you find?" he asked.
"This holorecording, it was in Wolden's room," Ada-Rin said, holding out a small holoprojector.
Del-Mon took it from her and played it, listening to the Shadowraiths' demands.
"We have to get this to the other Masters," he said.
He jammed another turbolift button with his thumb and they went down once more, back to where Del-Mon had just been.
He went down the hallways again, Wolden and Ada-Rin slightly jogging to keep up. He easily found where the other Masters had been continuing to look over the abandoned hiding place.
"We have their demands," he said, instantly pressing the play button and showing them all.
After the short recording, Mace Windu asked, "What do you propose we do?"
"I don't know. They could easily kill Aro-Ken at any time," Del-Mon said.
"True, but that has not stopped you so far," said Mya-Rau.
"But now we know they are serious. You saw his condition in that recording, they will not hesitate to kill him after that beating," said Del-Mon.
He sensed the sorrow and anxiety grow about him. He lowered his head. "I think all we can do is give in to their demands, and see what happens."
Slowly, the Masters around him agreed.
He looked down at Ada-Rin at his side, and gently put a hand on her shoulder. He knew she had been very close to Aro-Ken.
"I'm very sorry," he said to her, sensing her grief.
Ada-Rin did not respond.
Del-Mon suddenly sensed someone behind him.
He spun around, expecting Mya-Rau or Mace Windu come to comfort him, but he found Ada-Rin Remla standing in the doorway instead.
Del-Mon had been in the old storage area for the past hour or two, hoping he could find one more clue that the other Masters had missed that would tell him where the Shadowraiths had moved to. He was currently pacing the room he'd lost them in.
It had been agreed that the Shadowraiths' demands would be met. An old ship was being refueled for them as Del-Mon paced about the empty room.
"Hello, Ada-Rin," Del-Mon said.
"Hello, Master Wesia," Ada-Rin dejectedly said.
"Can I help you?" he politely asked.
After a slight pause, Ada-Rin said, "I... I'm not sure. I'm so scared. What if they do kill Aro-Ken?"
"Don't worry, Ada-Rin. I'm sure he'll be fine. We'll find a way to get him back," Del-Mon said.
"What if he doesn't want to come back? What if they've converted him?" Ada-Rin asked.
"Ada-Rin, I don't know Aro-Ken like you do, but from what I've seen about him, he will not turn. He is strong-willed. I'm sure wherever Aro-Ken is he's fine," Del-Mon reassured her as the girl came closer to him.
Slowly she looked around the room. "This is where you lost them?" she asked.
Del-Mon nodded.
Curiously, she looked around some more. "I can sense them. I feel something cold, but not quite here. It's far, but I know they're still in the Temple," Ada-Rin said.
"Yes, I can sense them also," agreed Del-Mon.
Ada-Rin suddenly looked at a small section of the wall where it met the floor, and her eyes suddenly went wide. A slow smile crawled on to her face, and she began to laugh.
Del-Mon looked at her questioningly. "What is it? What could possibly be funny?"
"The answer. I know where they went. The answer is what's funny. Ha ha ha!" Ada-Rin laughed.
"Stop giggling and tell me!" cried Del-Mon.
"Oh my, oh my! It's been right in front of your eyes the whole time! How can you call yourself a Jedi?" she asked, her face alive with mirth.
"What? What is it?" asked Del-Mon, eager to know what he had overlooked.
"It all makes perfect sense, why they vanished from this room without a trace and why there's no blood trail leading away from where Aro-Ken once was," Ada-Rin said.
"Well, they could have just been in their shadowed form," commented Del-Mon.
"No, no, I'm sure they were. But there is a foolproof way that they could have moved around the Temple without anybody spotting the shadow of something moving. One way to be sure that they wouldn't be seen at all," said Ada-Rin.
"What is it!?" shouted Del-Mon, unable to take it anymore.
"It's simple. They're in the walls. They've been in the ventilation shafts. They could go wherever they want like that. No one looks in the ventilation shafts when they think something is after them," Ada-Rin said.
Del-Mon followed her gaze across the room, and saw that where the wall met the floor there was a grate covering a ventilation shaft. He thought back to when he had found the bit of blood, and remembered that there had been a ventilation shaft near the ground.
"Damn, she's right!" Del-Mon said to himself. "Sharp girl, the answer has been right in front of my nose!"
"We should report this!" Ada-Rin excitedly said.
"No, it will take too long. Their ship should be almost refueled by now. I have to find them myself," Del-Mon said, quickly moving over to the ventilation shaft.
Ada-Rin eagerly followed him. Del-Mon grabbed his lightsaber and cut away the grate, watching as it collapsed.
"Just where do you think you're going?" he asked Ada-Rin.
"With you," she replied.
"No you're not. It's too dangerous. You need to go tell the Masters," said Del-Mon.
"No, I'm coming with you whether you say yes or no. I don't want Aro-Ken to be killed and find out that I wasn't there to help," Ada-Rin firmly said.
Del-Mon saw there was no stopping her.
"All right, I'll go first," he said.
"Fine," Ada-Rin nodded.
Del-Mon ducked into the shaft, quickly crawling along a short distance to make room for Ada-Rin, who swiftly followed him.
Reaching out with the Force, he could again feel Aro-Ken's presence faintly, and headed in the right direction.
"How do you know where to go?" asked Ada-Rin from behind him.
"I have a connection with Aro-Ken, probably like the one you have with him," Del-Mon replied.
Ada-Rin said nothing. As Del-Mon began to feel the Force that flowed around Aro-Ken more, he also began to feel cold again.
"We're almost there," he said, starting to speak softer now that they were nearing the Shadowraiths.
Ada-Rin did not respond, but he knew she had heard him.
Del-Mon now began to glance through grates as they passed them. He saw no one, but still knew that the Shadowraiths were near.
He saw that they were nearing the generator room, which also house the heating and cooling units.
"Of course. Where better to hide? They have access to all the ventilation shafts from there," Del-Mon said to himself.
"We're almost there," he said to Ada-Rin, who said nothing.
"We may need to fight, so be ready," he cautioned.
He felt the air around him growing hotter, and yet colder at the same time. He knew that the generator room was very close.
Just ahead he saw dim orange light, and steam outside the grate. "There it is," Del-Mon said.
"Let's go," Ada-Rin said, clearly ready to avenge her friend.
Del-Mon leaned back on his elbows, and lashed out with his foot, knocking the grate out of the way.
Quickly he pulled himself through the opening, and found that the grate had been on the wall near the ceiling, which was very high.
Del-Mon flipped over in the air and landed harmlessly on his feet. Ada-Rin on the other hand jumped gracefully to the top of a large generator. She then wrapped her limbs around a thin pipe and slid down to the ground.
The older Jedi activated his lightsaber, looking around. Ada-Rin did the same.
"I don't sense Aro-Ken here. They must be on their way to the landing pad," Del-Mon said.
"Let's go," Ada-Rin said.
They made their way along the various catwalks and walkways above large turbine shafts and melting pits, both of them beginning to sweat a bit from the heat.
Del-Mon was not concentrating on his surroundings like he should have been. He knew how close they were to Aro-Ken, and he was getting restless.
Suddenly Ada-Rin froze, turning to Del-Mon. Curiously he looked back at her. "What is it, Ada-Rin?"
She said nothing, but mouthed a single word. "Shadowraith."
Abruptly, Del-Mon brought his focus back to reality, and discovered that he also felt cold. They were just a few meters from the door, but Del-Mon knew that they would not reach it.
He looked around quickly without moving his head, trying not to let the Shadowraith know that they were aware of its presence, as he was sure it was following them.
"Come on, let's go," Del-Mon said, motioning for her to follow.
Ada-Rin quickly caught up, her hand now very close to the lightsaber hilt on her belt.
They were both on their guards now, ready for anything.
Del-Mon heard something behind him, just a slight rustle of a cloak over the roar of machinery. He instantly spun around on his heel, activating his lightsaber in the same smooth movement. Ada-Rin did the same, the bright purple glow of her lightsaber mixing with his green one.
His eyes flicked about, and Del-Mon spotted a shadow of a pipe shift just slightly and then freeze.
"There!" Del-Mon cried just as the shadow sprang up from the ground, instantly taking the tall robed form of a Shadowraith.
Before they had time to do much else, the Shadowraith had its lightsaber ignited and had charged at Ada-Rin. She jumped aside, and landed inches from the edge of the catwalk, which had no railing around it.
Del-Mon stepped in, slashing at the Shadowraith's turned back, but it spun around quickly and blocked his attack, lashing out at him the instant their weapons clashed.
Del-Mon noticed it was the same Shadowraith he had been chasing earlier. He noticed the thin crimson sash around its waist.
The Jedi quickly attacked again, and he and the Shadowraith seemed to take turns driving each other back in the deadly dance.
Ada-Rin tried to attack too, but was not as skilled as either of them.
"Ada-Rin, get out of here!" Del-Mon called to her as he ducked back, the Shadowraith's blade hitting air where his chest had been a moment ago.
"What?" she asked, confused as she slashed at their dark opponent's turned back.
"Find Aro-Ken! The ship will be ready to lift off by now!" Del-Mon cried. With a quick shout of rage, he extended his lightsaber and charged at the Shadowraith as it turned to block Ada-Rin's attack.
Quickly it spun back around and brought its lightsaber down, their weapons clashing with an electric grinding sound.
Del-Mon saw that Ada-Rin was still uncertainly looking at the door beyond her, her feet rooted to the spot.
The Jedi pushed his lightsaber aside, moving the Shadowraiths and jumping. He twisted around in the air, going as high as he could and landing behind his enemy.
Quickly he blocked the next attack, then released his weapon with one hand and gently pushed Ada-Rin. "Go! Go now, you have to find Aro-Ken!"
Ada-Rin staggered and stood up again. "But he'll kill you!"
"I'll be fine! They'll get away if you don't stop them, now go!" Del-Mon said.
He swung his saber, clashing it with the Shadowraith's so hard his hands shook.
Del-Mon glanced behind him, and saw that they were just a few steps away from the door.
Quickly he stepped back and planted his hand on Ada-Rin's shoulder. He could tell she was torn between helping him and helping her friend.
"You are Aro-Ken's last hope. If I don't make it... Tell him I'm sorry," he said, looking into her eyes briefly before he parried another attack.
"Now go," he said.
Before she could object, Del-Mon pushed her through the doorway. He spun around on one foot and smashed the door controls with his heel, making them smoke and spark. The door slammed shut before Ada-Rin had a chance to react. He knew she wouldn't be able to get back in.
He was on his own now, with no one to help him.
* * *
I admit it, that wasn't the best chapter ever, but hey, it's better than nothing, right? Remember, being an author, I live for feedback! Say anything, I don't care! And I'll put your name in the next chapter if you do! Who could ask for anything more?
Also, I know for a fact you won't get an update for at least another week unless my grandparents have Internet access at their house and I find the time to write a full chapter, but I wouldn't count on anything.
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 recommend my fics to them. 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!)
AN: Thanks a lot to Jacen200015 and Teekoness for your reviews, and I did take your advice and put Ada-Rin in this chapter! Thanks!
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Del-Mon sighed heavily and angrily. They had hit another dead end.
He and a team of four other Jedi had found the small grouping of rooms they knew the Shadowraiths had been hiding out in, and knew they had no intention of coming back.
A few hallways from the place Del-Mon had lost the two Shadowraiths a pool of blood was found, and he knew it was Aro-Ken's.
Unfortunately, it left no trail to indicate which direction they had gone in, and Del-Mon knew they had lost the trail again.
Night had past completely since Del-Mon had chased after the Shadowraith, and dawn had broken. The room he had lost the two in had been investigated thoroughly, and Del-Mon had come to the conclusion that he had simply failed to notice them slip by in their shadow form.
Angrily he stormed from the room. They had found a few very small signs that most ordinary people wouldn't have noticed that had told them that the Shadowraiths had indeed been keeping Aro-Ken there.
Del-Mon strode down the corridor in long steps, so aggravated that he failed to notice someone approaching him until it they said, "You should get some sleep, Wesia."
He turned to face Mya-Rau. "I'm fine, Mya," he simply said.
"Where are you going?" she asked him.
"To look for Aro-Ken, of course. Where else would I be going?" Del-Mon replied.
"Del-Mon, you need to sleep at some point. It's been a full day since this search began. Just a few hours," Mya-Rau said.
Sighing again, Del-Mon said, "Fine, if it will make you happy."
Mya-Rau smiled. "Yes, it would."
"All right. I'll see you in a few hours," Del-Mon said.
Mya-Rau smiled again, then turned and left to join the other Jedi.
As Del-Mon walked towards the turbolift, he knew she was indeed right; he really did need some rest.
The instant the turbolift doors opened at his floor, two students nearly ran him down as they burst into the turbolift.
One of them instantly began to apologize. "Sorry, Master Wesia, we just needed to find the Masters!"
"Yeah, we found out what happened to Aro-Ken and we have something from him!"
Del-Mon quickly recognized the students as two of the ones who had attempted the exercise with the large metal block earlier that day. He instantly remembered their names, and he snapped to attention at the mention of Aro-Ken's name.
"Wolden, Ada-Rin, slow down! What did you find?" he asked.
"This holorecording, it was in Wolden's room," Ada-Rin said, holding out a small holoprojector.
Del-Mon took it from her and played it, listening to the Shadowraiths' demands.
"We have to get this to the other Masters," he said.
He jammed another turbolift button with his thumb and they went down once more, back to where Del-Mon had just been.
He went down the hallways again, Wolden and Ada-Rin slightly jogging to keep up. He easily found where the other Masters had been continuing to look over the abandoned hiding place.
"We have their demands," he said, instantly pressing the play button and showing them all.
After the short recording, Mace Windu asked, "What do you propose we do?"
"I don't know. They could easily kill Aro-Ken at any time," Del-Mon said.
"True, but that has not stopped you so far," said Mya-Rau.
"But now we know they are serious. You saw his condition in that recording, they will not hesitate to kill him after that beating," said Del-Mon.
He sensed the sorrow and anxiety grow about him. He lowered his head. "I think all we can do is give in to their demands, and see what happens."
Slowly, the Masters around him agreed.
He looked down at Ada-Rin at his side, and gently put a hand on her shoulder. He knew she had been very close to Aro-Ken.
"I'm very sorry," he said to her, sensing her grief.
Ada-Rin did not respond.
Del-Mon suddenly sensed someone behind him.
He spun around, expecting Mya-Rau or Mace Windu come to comfort him, but he found Ada-Rin Remla standing in the doorway instead.
Del-Mon had been in the old storage area for the past hour or two, hoping he could find one more clue that the other Masters had missed that would tell him where the Shadowraiths had moved to. He was currently pacing the room he'd lost them in.
It had been agreed that the Shadowraiths' demands would be met. An old ship was being refueled for them as Del-Mon paced about the empty room.
"Hello, Ada-Rin," Del-Mon said.
"Hello, Master Wesia," Ada-Rin dejectedly said.
"Can I help you?" he politely asked.
After a slight pause, Ada-Rin said, "I... I'm not sure. I'm so scared. What if they do kill Aro-Ken?"
"Don't worry, Ada-Rin. I'm sure he'll be fine. We'll find a way to get him back," Del-Mon said.
"What if he doesn't want to come back? What if they've converted him?" Ada-Rin asked.
"Ada-Rin, I don't know Aro-Ken like you do, but from what I've seen about him, he will not turn. He is strong-willed. I'm sure wherever Aro-Ken is he's fine," Del-Mon reassured her as the girl came closer to him.
Slowly she looked around the room. "This is where you lost them?" she asked.
Del-Mon nodded.
Curiously, she looked around some more. "I can sense them. I feel something cold, but not quite here. It's far, but I know they're still in the Temple," Ada-Rin said.
"Yes, I can sense them also," agreed Del-Mon.
Ada-Rin suddenly looked at a small section of the wall where it met the floor, and her eyes suddenly went wide. A slow smile crawled on to her face, and she began to laugh.
Del-Mon looked at her questioningly. "What is it? What could possibly be funny?"
"The answer. I know where they went. The answer is what's funny. Ha ha ha!" Ada-Rin laughed.
"Stop giggling and tell me!" cried Del-Mon.
"Oh my, oh my! It's been right in front of your eyes the whole time! How can you call yourself a Jedi?" she asked, her face alive with mirth.
"What? What is it?" asked Del-Mon, eager to know what he had overlooked.
"It all makes perfect sense, why they vanished from this room without a trace and why there's no blood trail leading away from where Aro-Ken once was," Ada-Rin said.
"Well, they could have just been in their shadowed form," commented Del-Mon.
"No, no, I'm sure they were. But there is a foolproof way that they could have moved around the Temple without anybody spotting the shadow of something moving. One way to be sure that they wouldn't be seen at all," said Ada-Rin.
"What is it!?" shouted Del-Mon, unable to take it anymore.
"It's simple. They're in the walls. They've been in the ventilation shafts. They could go wherever they want like that. No one looks in the ventilation shafts when they think something is after them," Ada-Rin said.
Del-Mon followed her gaze across the room, and saw that where the wall met the floor there was a grate covering a ventilation shaft. He thought back to when he had found the bit of blood, and remembered that there had been a ventilation shaft near the ground.
"Damn, she's right!" Del-Mon said to himself. "Sharp girl, the answer has been right in front of my nose!"
"We should report this!" Ada-Rin excitedly said.
"No, it will take too long. Their ship should be almost refueled by now. I have to find them myself," Del-Mon said, quickly moving over to the ventilation shaft.
Ada-Rin eagerly followed him. Del-Mon grabbed his lightsaber and cut away the grate, watching as it collapsed.
"Just where do you think you're going?" he asked Ada-Rin.
"With you," she replied.
"No you're not. It's too dangerous. You need to go tell the Masters," said Del-Mon.
"No, I'm coming with you whether you say yes or no. I don't want Aro-Ken to be killed and find out that I wasn't there to help," Ada-Rin firmly said.
Del-Mon saw there was no stopping her.
"All right, I'll go first," he said.
"Fine," Ada-Rin nodded.
Del-Mon ducked into the shaft, quickly crawling along a short distance to make room for Ada-Rin, who swiftly followed him.
Reaching out with the Force, he could again feel Aro-Ken's presence faintly, and headed in the right direction.
"How do you know where to go?" asked Ada-Rin from behind him.
"I have a connection with Aro-Ken, probably like the one you have with him," Del-Mon replied.
Ada-Rin said nothing. As Del-Mon began to feel the Force that flowed around Aro-Ken more, he also began to feel cold again.
"We're almost there," he said, starting to speak softer now that they were nearing the Shadowraiths.
Ada-Rin did not respond, but he knew she had heard him.
Del-Mon now began to glance through grates as they passed them. He saw no one, but still knew that the Shadowraiths were near.
He saw that they were nearing the generator room, which also house the heating and cooling units.
"Of course. Where better to hide? They have access to all the ventilation shafts from there," Del-Mon said to himself.
"We're almost there," he said to Ada-Rin, who said nothing.
"We may need to fight, so be ready," he cautioned.
He felt the air around him growing hotter, and yet colder at the same time. He knew that the generator room was very close.
Just ahead he saw dim orange light, and steam outside the grate. "There it is," Del-Mon said.
"Let's go," Ada-Rin said, clearly ready to avenge her friend.
Del-Mon leaned back on his elbows, and lashed out with his foot, knocking the grate out of the way.
Quickly he pulled himself through the opening, and found that the grate had been on the wall near the ceiling, which was very high.
Del-Mon flipped over in the air and landed harmlessly on his feet. Ada-Rin on the other hand jumped gracefully to the top of a large generator. She then wrapped her limbs around a thin pipe and slid down to the ground.
The older Jedi activated his lightsaber, looking around. Ada-Rin did the same.
"I don't sense Aro-Ken here. They must be on their way to the landing pad," Del-Mon said.
"Let's go," Ada-Rin said.
They made their way along the various catwalks and walkways above large turbine shafts and melting pits, both of them beginning to sweat a bit from the heat.
Del-Mon was not concentrating on his surroundings like he should have been. He knew how close they were to Aro-Ken, and he was getting restless.
Suddenly Ada-Rin froze, turning to Del-Mon. Curiously he looked back at her. "What is it, Ada-Rin?"
She said nothing, but mouthed a single word. "Shadowraith."
Abruptly, Del-Mon brought his focus back to reality, and discovered that he also felt cold. They were just a few meters from the door, but Del-Mon knew that they would not reach it.
He looked around quickly without moving his head, trying not to let the Shadowraith know that they were aware of its presence, as he was sure it was following them.
"Come on, let's go," Del-Mon said, motioning for her to follow.
Ada-Rin quickly caught up, her hand now very close to the lightsaber hilt on her belt.
They were both on their guards now, ready for anything.
Del-Mon heard something behind him, just a slight rustle of a cloak over the roar of machinery. He instantly spun around on his heel, activating his lightsaber in the same smooth movement. Ada-Rin did the same, the bright purple glow of her lightsaber mixing with his green one.
His eyes flicked about, and Del-Mon spotted a shadow of a pipe shift just slightly and then freeze.
"There!" Del-Mon cried just as the shadow sprang up from the ground, instantly taking the tall robed form of a Shadowraith.
Before they had time to do much else, the Shadowraith had its lightsaber ignited and had charged at Ada-Rin. She jumped aside, and landed inches from the edge of the catwalk, which had no railing around it.
Del-Mon stepped in, slashing at the Shadowraith's turned back, but it spun around quickly and blocked his attack, lashing out at him the instant their weapons clashed.
Del-Mon noticed it was the same Shadowraith he had been chasing earlier. He noticed the thin crimson sash around its waist.
The Jedi quickly attacked again, and he and the Shadowraith seemed to take turns driving each other back in the deadly dance.
Ada-Rin tried to attack too, but was not as skilled as either of them.
"Ada-Rin, get out of here!" Del-Mon called to her as he ducked back, the Shadowraith's blade hitting air where his chest had been a moment ago.
"What?" she asked, confused as she slashed at their dark opponent's turned back.
"Find Aro-Ken! The ship will be ready to lift off by now!" Del-Mon cried. With a quick shout of rage, he extended his lightsaber and charged at the Shadowraith as it turned to block Ada-Rin's attack.
Quickly it spun back around and brought its lightsaber down, their weapons clashing with an electric grinding sound.
Del-Mon saw that Ada-Rin was still uncertainly looking at the door beyond her, her feet rooted to the spot.
The Jedi pushed his lightsaber aside, moving the Shadowraiths and jumping. He twisted around in the air, going as high as he could and landing behind his enemy.
Quickly he blocked the next attack, then released his weapon with one hand and gently pushed Ada-Rin. "Go! Go now, you have to find Aro-Ken!"
Ada-Rin staggered and stood up again. "But he'll kill you!"
"I'll be fine! They'll get away if you don't stop them, now go!" Del-Mon said.
He swung his saber, clashing it with the Shadowraith's so hard his hands shook.
Del-Mon glanced behind him, and saw that they were just a few steps away from the door.
Quickly he stepped back and planted his hand on Ada-Rin's shoulder. He could tell she was torn between helping him and helping her friend.
"You are Aro-Ken's last hope. If I don't make it... Tell him I'm sorry," he said, looking into her eyes briefly before he parried another attack.
"Now go," he said.
Before she could object, Del-Mon pushed her through the doorway. He spun around on one foot and smashed the door controls with his heel, making them smoke and spark. The door slammed shut before Ada-Rin had a chance to react. He knew she wouldn't be able to get back in.
He was on his own now, with no one to help him.
* * *
I admit it, that wasn't the best chapter ever, but hey, it's better than nothing, right? Remember, being an author, I live for feedback! Say anything, I don't care! And I'll put your name in the next chapter if you do! Who could ask for anything more?
Also, I know for a fact you won't get an update for at least another week unless my grandparents have Internet access at their house and I find the time to write a full chapter, but I wouldn't count on anything.
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 recommend my fics to them. Being an author, I naturally want people to read my stuff.
Thanks! :-)