Hey. Sry this took soo long to get up… busy busy hellish kinda week. Thanx fer all the reviews! luv em!
And yes sabercrazy we will see more of the ehh… 'pain feeling'… hence the title of this book. "Bond Between"… lol.
N e wayz it's another one of those chapters where I wore my ehh… 'evil grin' the entire time I wrote this scene. Oh it was fun… haha… ok soo read on!
Witness
Dev watched in curiosity as Showdow clipped on the last part of his contraption.
The carver stepped back and smiled. "Done."
Dev
quirked an eyebrow at his crazed friend's smile. "Umm, Showdow." He looked up.
"It's a table." He finished flatly.
"You idiot. I know that." He sighed. "You'll see
what it's for."
The carver made his way over to the cabinet against the wall. He took out a key and unlocked it. As the carver reached out Dev craned his neck to see what he was getting from inside.
Showdow turned around an insane smile lit up his face. He looked at the object in his hands and ran a hand over the curves of the long silver saber.
"No… Showdow. Your not…" Dev mumbled as the realization of his friend's intent hit him.
Showdow laughed and looked up. "Get the girl."
Dev nodded unwillingly so as not to anger his friend and walked down the long hall to the girls lab. Opening the doors slowly he peered in before entering. The girl Showdow had just 'finished with' as he liked to call it was laying sprawled out unconscious. Her arms were stuck out at an odd angle as well as her knee and one of her shoulders.
That must have hurt. Dev grimaced at the site. He felt sorry flow through him. He realized that Showdow wanted revenge, but these were just kids. Even the boy who had turned eighteen was still too young for this kind of thing.
It just didn't seem right.
That carver has lost it for good this time.
He walked into the lab and went over to the older girls cell. Putting down the shields he walked in and hoisted her up roughly causing her to cry out.
"Sorry." He said quietly.
She looked up blindly at him with a puzzled look on her face. "Who are you?"
"You do not need to know that." He answered.
Dev walked out of the lab holding Zae-Non out in front of him by her arms.
*****
Zae-Non closed her eyes as Showdow's accomplice led her down a hall. She couldn't see where he was taking her, but she knew it was time for Showdow to 'start' on her.
This is it. Z thought to herself. He had me before and he almost killed me then. This is his chance. There is no way he will pass it up.
A wave of fear drenched the girl as the guy pushed her to go faster. Now she had to confide the fact that she would probably die in the next few minutes leaving Adi, her friends, family, the Temple… everything.
She would be leaving Siri behind, leaving her with that crazed blood carver. Leaving her to be found alone.
If Showdow wanted to kill her he would have already.
Adi and Sage would probably find one Padawan alive and the other dead.
Z thought of her other friends. Bant, Dawn, Garren, Reeft, Obi-Wan…
She would be leaving Obi-Wan behind. Her best friend at the Temple. The one, who had rescued her from Zefron, helped her with Mik's death and through so many other times. When Showdow had her once before, he saved her life.
But through these mixed thoughts Zae-Non smiled.
The Force… it was there.
All around her. It would be the one thing she wouldn't leave. This is what kept Z at peace, the fact that she knew she would become one with the light she had lived by her entire life.
Z embraced the Force in a blanket around her. The brightness of it shining around her though the darkness that enveloped her. It whirled around the girl giving her one thing she needed the most… hope.
Her bond with Sage was also there. Her Master's presence was the only thing she prayed for every minute.
Sage was there, but faint.
She must be sleeping. Z thought. She then realized this would be the last time she would probably be able to feel her Master.
She closed her eyes and went deep into their Bond, sending one last message to Sage.
I'm sorry Master. I'm sorry for the pain this will cause you, but it is not your fault. I know you are coming and I wish I could see you again. A tear traipsed down her cheek. I'm going to miss you more than anything. You've taught me everything I know. Thank you. Good-Bye Sage…
Holding back more tears Zae-Non dove into their bond further then pulled away.
She couldn't just give up like that.
Stretching out with the Force, Z placed a number of various items strewn about in the hallway they were slowly walking down.
Again she smiled.
She pushed out with the Force and a pipe laying to her right flew across the hall almost hitting Dev on it's short venture before clanging to the ground and rolling to a stop.
Dev's grip around her wrist loosened just enough…
Whirling around Z grabbed Dev's two hands and held them tight in her left hand. Gripping them so he couldn't get away she reach out with her right hand and placed it to the side of his neck.
With a small squeeze Dev fell from her grip and with a loud smack hit the marble floor.
The Padawan let out a small gasp as she heard footsteps coming from a conjoining hall to her left. Showdow was coming. She raced down the long hall reaching out with the Force searching for a way out.
A door a little further to your left. Z told herself urging her injured body to carry her further.
With a shooting pain in her side Z sprinted faster down the hall and skidded to a halt in front of a door. She felt around for the handle and flung the door inwards.
She stumbled in and slammed the door behind her cringing at the echo that followed.
Breathing heavily from the short exertion the girl reached out with the Force feeling around the room. It was a lab much like hers, but no one was there…
A small pain striken groan proved her wrong.
"Hello?" Z asked in a whisper. "Is someone there?"
Silence answered.
Zae-Non turned to the door as the sound of footsteps could be heard.
Gaining…
Going past.
Z let out the breath she had been holding. "Good he doesn't know I'm in here."
The tired Padawan dropped to her knees as her legs failed to hold her weight anymore. She put her hands to her head and let out a long sigh.
Steadying her breathing she become aware that she heard another breathing pattern from across the lab…
"Hello…"
*****
"Zae-Non?" Obi-Wan asked taking his head off the cold tiling. "Z?" He asked again.
His vision was so blurry all the boy could make out was a clouded figure that looked somewhat like his friend.
A small gasp could be heard. "Obi… Obi-Wan?" Z asked obviously shocked to hear her friend's voice.
Obi-Wan felt a wave of relief sweep through him. "Am I glad to see you."
"I'm glad to see you too." She said softly. She looked away her head down. "Siri is here also. He's got all three of us."
He watched as Z looked at him, but there was something in her eyes. They were so blank. She stared at him blindly, unable to focus. He had seen that kind of stare before. In Tahl after she had lost her site.
"Zae-Non," He started. "Can you…"
"No." She moved her eyes towards the ground. "I can't see. Showdow hit me across the eyes with his electrojabber…" A tear went down her cheek.
Obi-Wan opened his mouth to respond, but the door behind Z flew open and Showdow stormed in; fury in his eyes.
Zae-Non
stood up, but swayed and staggered back to the floor.
"Clever girl," he snickered. "Very clever.
I see you found your other young friend." He gazed at Obi-Wan a brief moment before turning and looked
around the lab. "I had better accommodations for my little plan, but this place
will do just fine." With another glare at the boy he smirked. "Or better."
Obi-Wan fought against the pain wracking his body and lifted himself up slowly.
Once on his knees he calmed his staggered breath and gritted his teeth at the pain from his cuts, broken bones, burns, and various other injuries.
His head pounded from the concussion, but he willed himself to stay up and look out towards his friend.
Z was slowly backing up on the floor Showdow slowly walking after her. He reached down to his belt and unclipped a long silver cylinder from it.
"Stop!" Obi-Wan cried out as Showdow lifted his arm and hit Z the side of her head with the cylinder.
The girl crashed to the floor with a small cringe from the blow.
The carver clipped the cylinder onto his belt again and went over to the dazed girl. He roughly dragged her to the table he had tied Obi-Wan to so many other times. He tied her down with some difficulty and when he was sure she was firmly tied down he once again unclipped the cylinder from his belt.
Obi-Wan and Z let out simultaneous gasps as he hit a small silver button on the cylinder and the sound of a lightsaber was heard igniting. The purple glow lit the carver's face as he let out a low laugh.
Showdow examined the blade before he shot an evil glare to Obi-Wan and turned to Zae-Non. "You're very own saber Zae-Non. You've taken down things with it before, people. Ever wonder what it's like to get struck by one? It burns my girl. Burns like the hatred in a Sith's eyes."
"Zae-Non!" Obi-Wan shouted at his friend she let out a pain cry.
The carver moved the saber down the girls arm slowly. He seemed to be breathing in her sobs as though they were as precious as water to a human.
Hatred flooded through Obi-Wan. If he could just get up and get to the stupid blood carver he'd hurt him.
Just as Shadow had hurt so many others.
A tear fell down Obi-Wan's cheek as he watch his friend. Showdow was sliding the saber down her other arm, slower than the other time. Z gritted her teeth at the pain trying not to yell out.
The smell of burning flesh filled the lab as Showdow went on with his work slowly and bluntly. Zae-Non's screams echoed as the lightsaber burnt her skin away and in her cuts burnt her muscles and tissues deep down.
Obi-Wan couldn't help but call out his friends name once again as Showdow moved the purple beam down Zae-Non's side making sure every inch was burnt.
Then the legs. The carver paused ever few inches sizzling almost to the muscle.
In pain Z yelled out and arched her back before going suddenly limp.
"You kids always pass out before the best part." Showdow said deactivating the saber and clipping it to his belt. He roughly unclipped Z and let her slam to the floor. Turning to the door he sighed. "Now to wake up my pathetic friend so he can drag her back to where she belongs."
*****
Enveloped in a sea of darkness Sage looked around for a way to the light. She reached out the Force only to get stale air.
The smell of something burnt flowed around her making her gag. She coughed and gasped for air as her breath caught in her throat.
Pain and fear swirled around the Master making the dark even more piercing.
Pain shot through her arms, down her back, her stomach, and finally down her sides. Sage collapsed to the black ground beneath her in the white hot pain. Her vision became burry and she desperately tried to find calm.
But through all this a small whisper could be heard…
I'm sorry Master. I'm sorry for the pain this will cause you, but it is not your fault. I know you are coming and I wish I could see you again. I'm going to miss you more than anything. You've taught me everything I know. Thank you. Good-Bye Sage…
Sage woke up with a gasp and sat up on her cot. She tried to calm her heavy breathing and rapid heart beat.
"Sage?" Came a groggy voice from across the room. Adi sat up on her cot. "Are you OK?" she asked concern echoing in he voice.
Sage didn't respond. She just stared out in front of her.
"Sage?" The council member got off her sleep cot and walked over to her friend. She knelt down beside Sage's cot and looked into her eyes. "Sage what is wrong." She demanded.
The shaken Master looked to Adi with terror in her eyes. She barely spoke above a whisper. "It's Zae-Non. I think… I think Showdow just…" She trailed off and looked away. "Z just sent me a message through our bond. She… she was saying…"
"What is it?"
"I can't…"
"What is it?" Adi said through gritted teeth.
"Good-Bye…" She whispered a tear slipping down her pale face.
Adi stare at her friend blankly for a minute before hoisting herself onto the cot. "You two aren't going to have say good-bye for a long time yet. Just as you promised me we'd get Siri back we will get Zae-Non as well. Z is not going to give up like that. She's a fighter and you know that."
Sage nodded. "She wouldn't give in. But she spoke with such calm and serenity. She was ready to die… I could tell."
"She is not going to die Sage." Adi said sternly standing up. "Come on, it's been long enough and we did get some rest. It's time we get going."
Sage nodded, but didn't get up. "Adi I can't…"
Her friend went to the door and froze her hand on the handle. "We can't be scared."
"I'm not scared." Sage said standing up. She looked at her partner and let out a staggered breath. "I'm terrified. For the first time in my life I'm beyond being scared. I can't loose Zae-Non again Adi."
"I realize that. And you won't."
Sage nodded. "Lets go."
Alrite alrite lame ending yes, but be happy I was thinking of expanding it to my normal cliffhanger. Sooo besides that umm not so wonderful ending… shannah ill shut up now… what ya think?? Review please =) Till Later~
Peace Out
