Hmm… not many ppl realized I'm back… lol w/e. Thanx fer the review though! This book is actually almost a lil over half way done… already! I guess that means I better get going on the sequal huh? Hmm yep…

Chains, Blasters, and 13 Swoops

Showdow leaned up against the wall.

Why did that boy always have to bring up Mik? The carver asked him self.

It was as though he knows it hurts me.

A small beep rang out as his comlink went off. Sighing the alien reluctantly unclipped it from his belt. "What."

Dev was on the other end and sounded winded. Showdow could hear things being moved in the back round.  "They are coming now!  Garn saw them coming out of a cave not too far away from the entrance.  We are trying to get everyone together and-" Dev spoke rapidly before getting cut off by Showdow.

"Dev!" Showdow yelled into his comlink to get the hurried man to stop. "Slow down! You are going to hyperventilate on me or something."

"Sorry it's just that-"

"I get it. They are here!" The carver hissed. "Look get your butts out there and stop them from finding that entrance!" Taking a breath he tried to calm his anger, but to no avil. But ehey anger management was for Jedi right?

Turning his attention back to Dev, he stated firmly. "And if they get in here it's your tail that will be paying the debt"

He cut of the communication abruptly in the middle of Dev's reply. 

"Of course this has to come up now?"

He marched off down the hall. "Those damned Master are too persistent for my liking."

He stopped by the door to the girl's lab and questioned if he should go in. After all he may need to make a quick get away.  Deciding not he went into the storage room and unlocked the gray cabinet.  Taking out the three sabers left in there he unclipped the one on his belt and replaced it with another one.

"She won't get this one back for a while."  Showdow whispered. "After all it is only the second one."

Walking out into the hall he could hear a low rumble through the rocks the hid his lab. The swoops of Dev's group were heading out towards the Masters.

"I just hope they get them. And get them good."

*****

In the early morning sun the four Jedi Masters immerged from in small cave they had spent the long cold night in.  Stretching their muscles they walked around looking for signs of any other people or where Showdow could be hiding their Padawans in the desert.

Not paying any attention to where he was walking Qui-Gon was surprise when he hit a metallic container. Walking to where it had stopped rolling he knelt down to inspect it.  The sand around the small canister began to blacken as a thick substance spilled out from a crack in the side. The greasy liquid poured slowly down towards the Jedi and the sharp smell of oil drifted through the air.

It's fuel. Someone was here.

 He jogged over to where his friends were standing. He saw that they were staring at something up on a ledge on the cliff. 

Following Adi's gaze something caught the sun and glinted into Qui-Gon's eyes. "What is that?"

With a shrug Mace stepped forward and silently made his way up the cliff face to the ledge that the item sat on.

Looking away from Mace, Adi turned and stared past Qui-Gon. "What did you find before?"

"There's a fuel can with fresh fuel in it." He said walking back over to it.

Adi pushed passed him and knelt down next to it.

Qui-Gon stared down the cliff face his heart sinking.  Fresh fuel for a speeder. What if Showdow had moved their Padawans?  What if their search would end right then because the blood carver had vanished with out a trace?

"What if we are too late?" Qui-Gon said his doubt eating up his faith.

Adi stood up. "We are not." She said sternly.

A tug on the Force made the two Masters look up towards Mace who was standing up and glaring towards the horizon line.

"Look out!" Came a simple warning from the senior council member.

Adi and Sage joined Qui-Gon on either side of him and the four Jedi simultaneously put their hands to their sabers and a low rumble could be heard from the distance.

"What the…"

The three sabers on the ground lit up in unison as thirteen swoops appeared at the horizon line gradually getting closer. Each rider perched on a swoop had various weapons ranging from chains and blasters to vibroblades and vibroshives. 

The three Jedi on the ground scattered out in different directions as Mace up on the cliff hung back in the Shadows.

Two swoops seeing the lightsabers in hand turn sharply and headed off in the opposite direction back to where they had come from. 

Blaster fire began to pound down on the Jedi and the apparent leader of the group headed straight for Adi. His coal black eyes were fixed on her yellow saber as it whirled around in an arc deflecting fire away form her.  The Master shot her hand out and suddenly the swoop veered off course towards the cliff.  The driver tumbled on the ground as he jumped off before his vehicle crashed into the rocks.

Graceful for a man his size Qui-Gon leapt around deflecting the blaster fire that pelted his form what seemed like every direction. Two stray bullets he had deflected hit the control panel of one swoop and sent it to the ground and it's driver through the air into the cliff face.

Seeing his companion on the ground another driver sped towards Qui-Gon his glare fixed on the awaiting Jedi. 

Pulling out a vibroshiv the driver raised his arm to take a strike, but all he got was air. 

The Master leapt up and gracefully flipped over the swoop.  Flying over the top he stuck down with his saber destroying the swoop in a clean strike.

Landing Qui-Gon whirled around just in time to see Sage caught off guard by a swoop from behind.  The driver threw out a chain and wrapped it neatly around her neck.  He steered sharply upwards, jerking Sage up with him.  Her lightsaber fell to the sand as she sailed through the air helplessly behind the swoop.

One hand between the chain and her neck, one keeping her from blowing erratically behind the swoop Sage struggled to get the air she needed. 

Her last breathe about to leave her, the teal eyed Master gathered the Force around and shot a hand out weakly. The driver flew from the swoop leaving Sage to freefall down to the sand and rocks below.

She slowed her fall with the Force, but still painfully hit the ground her head smashing into a rock.

Qui-Gon rushed over to his friend and deflected the blaster fire that was now aimed at her.  He bent down still trying to parry the fire away.

"Sage?" He asked putting a hand onto the still Master's shoulder. "Come on Sage. I know you are there."

Not getting an answer Qui-Gon gathered the Force around them both and slowly brought it around Sage. Pulling away she shook her slightly.

 "Sage you all right?" He asked seeing her eyes open slowly.

She blinked her eyes in a response trying to clear her head. "I… I think so." She stood up slowly with a grimace and summoned her lightsaber from the dirt a little way away.  "Go. I'm fine." She waved him off. She wavered in spot before spinning around and deflecting more fire being plummeted at her.

The two turned as a massive explosion could be heard and the four swoops lined up against the cliff side went up in flames.  Sage had Force pushed the driver of an attacking swoop off into a boulder next to their swoops causing the chain reaction.

"Save some of their swoops!" Adi yelled going after one speeder that zoomed by her head dangerously close.

Sage rolled her bright teal eyes. "Now you tell me!"

Pushing another driver off his swoop Qui-Gon jumped on it as it rushed by. He landed it safely a little ways from the fight.

After claiming two more swoops the Jedi turned to the three remaining assailants.  Adi stepped forward and tossed her lightsaber and the closest swoop racing towards them. Using the Force she maneuvered the weapon and cut it's bottom up neatly causing the speeder and the swoop to hit the sand. She called her saber back and turned back to the two remaining guys with menacing eyes.

A look of panic passed over their features before they turned sharply and sped off into the distance.

Qui-Gon looked over to Adi and nodded. "I thought you said save the swoops?"

She shrugged. "We can share."

Unconsciously Qui-Gon spun around and deflected two laser fires that rang out from behind them.  Startled by the sudden action Sage and Adi turned around and the three faced the leader that Adi had knocked off his swoop in the beginning of the fight.  He approached a blaster in each hand.

Tightening his fingers on the triggers he kept his gaze on the Jedi.  He was taken by surprised when suddenly a figure jumped down behind him and knocked him to the ground causing a blaster bolt to stray harmlessly out into the desert.

"He was in my way." Looking down at the unconscious form in front of him Mace gave a shrug before turning to his companions. "We have got to get back to town and get landspeeder. If we find your Padawans there is no way we can possible get them back."

Qui-Gon's heart dropped as he looked out to the cliff.

His Padawan was there…

The graying Master looked over as a hand lightly touched his shoulder.

"We will be back for them." Adi said. "I promise, by tonight."

He smiled gently towards his friend, but stared passed her. "Sage?"

The Jedi looked up from where she was leaning up against a boulder. Her teal eyes glimmered in the noon sun. "Just give me a minute." She said cringing as if her voice was too loud.

Adi went over to the hurt Master and helped her over to where Mace and Qui-Gon stood. "Sage you may have a concussion."

Sage tried to pull away, but swayed. "Just give me a minute." She repeated.

Sighing Qui-Gon looked down at the unconscious assailant on the ground. He recognized him as one of the men he had followed in town. "What should we do with him?"

"Take him." Mace said simply. "He could be of some help."

"But we only have three swoops." Adi pointed out.

"Then he will go with me then and two of you can share."

Adi looked at Sage worry in her voice. "I will go with Sage. I really do not want her more hurt than she is right now."

After getting Mace situated with the still unconscious man, Qui-Gon leapt on his swoop and took off after Adi and Sage. The three swoops headed back towards the small town hoping that their time was not drawing to and end.

*****

A pained cry escaped Obi-wan as he hit the cool marble floor.  Dragging the boy back to his cell Showdow snorted at the trail of blood left on the floor. "That's a pretty big mess Kenobi. I would make you clean it, but it looks to me as though you can barely keep your eyes open.  Too bad." 

Obi-Wan stared at the red trail he had made through blurred vision. He did not bother to answer the carver who walked over the control panel.

The Padawan had been concentrating so hard on keeping his mental shields up and tight he didn't even know what Showdow had done to him. All he knew was that it hurt…

To the point of a scream.

As the walls closed around him Obi-Wan dropped his shields.

Qui-Gon couldn't feel that… he thought with a sigh.

That was the only reason he had shields. Draining the only energy he had. He could not let his Master feel anymore of his pain… hatred at the  carver.

Not again.

He had felt Qui-Gon's desperation, shame, guilt through their bond before, but what had his Master felt?

He did not want to know.

Obi-Wan looked down at himself.  His top had been taken off leaving only his trousers and exposing numerous lacerations, bruises, and burns.

Cringing at the nine or more broken ribs shifting the boy slowly curled up into the fetal position. It was so cold…

All he wanted to do was to fall asleep… 

Away from all the pain and insanity…

And not wake up.

Letting the little energy he had left go Obi-Wan sagged down into the hard floor and slipped into a deep sleep unconsciously tightening his shields…

Well theres that… cliffie… just for u! I'll be posting pretty regularly now sooo… yea. Till Later~

Peace Out