Chapter 27
Folly ran as fast as running through heavy drifts of snow allowed. He didn't look back over his shoulder to see if he was being followed, he could hear the rebels who were following crashing through the undergrowth behind him.
Gasping in great gulps of frigid air, he ran on, the comlink clenched tightly in one hand ready for use as soon as he was able to use it. Right now, he couldn't spare the breath or energy to carry on any sort of conversation.
He was running blindly, but knew he was heading in basically the right direction. It was still dark, but dawn was beginning to creep over the land in a low gray light, and Folly knew he hadn't much time to get away from these goons and contact Alex before it would be too late.
Snow had begun to fall heavier and Folly knew from experience that the weather was about to take a serious turn for the worse. He just wished it would hold off for a few more hours. He *had* to get back to Meri…he knew what they would do to her. What happened to his sister would happen to that young Jedi apprentice and maybe worse because she was a Jedi. Her innocence would be striped of her and then she would be killed, all in the name of the cause.
Folly took a great, deep draught of air and spurted ahead in speed. If he could just reach the hidden speeder…
He slowed as he came to the same place where Meri had fallen and slid quickly across the dangerous ice. As soon as he was back on solid footing, he surged ahead once again. Behind him, he heard the sound of one of the rebels losing his balance and falling, taking the same trip Meri had.
One down, one to go.
When almost to the speeder, Folly grasped his blaster in his other hand and ducked behind a tree.
Following closely, the second rebel was too busy trying to catch up with Folly to notice the footsteps stopped behind a thick, bushy evergreen.
As he ran by, Folly reached out and grabbed the rebel's arm, swinging him around and simultaneously slamming the butt of the blaster on the back of the rebel's head. He was out cold.
Folly ran the last few feet to the speeder, replacing his blaster with one hand, and bringing the comlink upward with the other. He didn't waste any time.
"Master Jedi," he panted into the comlink as he climbed aboard the speeder. "I think we have a problem."
***
Meri came to abruptly when her face was shoved into a bucket of icy water and she came up spluttering. Someone was holding her while wiping the dirt off her face with swift, hard strokes.
Her eyes slowly focused and she gazed upward and into the leering face of a rebel. If her skin hadn't already been white she would have paled further. She didn't know how long she'd been out of it, and the dark clouds and falling snow covered the sky, hiding the time of day.
"Hello little gal," he said mockingly.
"What I want to know," a voice started behind her, which was no friendlier. "Is why someone didn't notice her face."
It was because Meri hadn't only been masking her voice, but her appearance too, as much as she was able. She didn't tell them this, for the only thing worse than them knowing she was a girl, was the fact that she was a Jedi apprentice. She remembered what Alex had told her about the rebel's hating the Jedi.
The rebel crouching in her front of her grinned slowly. "Doesn't matter now, but she is a pretty thing," he said while running a hand through her thick hair. "Our little traitoress. Who exactly were you spying for?" he asked though it was obvious he didn't expect her to answer.
Meri wanted to pull away, but she could barely move and the pain in her back was excruciating.
Suddenly the rebel's hand encountered the braid behind her right ear and he fondled it curiously. "Tell me boys, why does this seem familiar?" His voice was laced with suspicious venom.
A voice answered from the back of the group and Meri's heart dropped at his words. "Jedi apprentices have braids behind their right ear, I've heard."
The face of the rebel before her hardened and his eyes glittered dangerously. "Ah," he said coldly in revelation. "I see now. The Jedi at the negotiations, he's your Master?"
Meri didn't answer, but stared blankly straight ahead as her body began to tremble and shake. She wasn't sure if it was shock or the fact she was practically sitting in the snow with hardly anything on to block the cold.
The rebel wrapped the braid around his hand and jerked cruelly. "Jedi are always sticking their nose in where it doesn't belong." He paused and stared at her with sheer hate. "He's a stupid Jedi if he sent you here."
Meri lifted her head and stared straight into the evil eyes before her. "He didn't send me. I came without him knowing."
The rebel smiled slowly, cruelly, and Meri realized she'd just given away what the rebel didn't know for certain. Using her braid, the rebel pulled her face closer to his. "No matter," he breathed with a malicious glint in his eye. "He's probably dead by now, anyway, and I can think of several jobs for you." His words were accompanied by a suggestive glance and Meri felt her skin crawl.
Looking up, she noticed that the expression on the rebel before her was mirrored in the faces of those who stood around. She felt sick.
"Hang on," a voice protested. "Shouldn't you talk to San`Tenela before using her like that?"
Meri silently thanked the voice, whoever it was. She almost blacked out when whoever had been holding her stood and picked her up roughly.
"Where are you taking her," one rebel demanded suspiciously.
"I'm just putting her inside while we discuss this," the man bit back. "That is unless you want her dying from cold before we have any fun." This was said with a cocked eyebrow and leering grin.
Meri almost groaned in pain as her slashed back was rubbed against the man holding her. The rebel stepped inside the small building, set her on the floor then quickly shut the door behind him.
Meri sat where she had been placed, teetering back and forth in weakness, but determined not to fall over. Closing her eyes, she pulled in the Force for energy and strength. Though the pain didn't lessen, Meri was at least able to breathe deeper.
Carefully she braced her hands against the ground to still her trembling and steady herself, as her head spun dizzily. The feeling of liquid running down her arm drew her eyes downward.
Meri was not surprised to see a deep crimson stream of blood traveling slowly down her arm and forming into a small pool around her hand.
The voices outside rose in argument and her heart began to beat faster in fear as she listened. Her face lost any color she had regained as she heard the words they spoke. They weren't arguing any more over whether or not they should wait.
They were arguing over who was to be first.
***
Alex tapped his fingers lightly on the large round table at which all the officials from both sides were seated. It wasn't an action of impatience, but more of anxiety. Something wasn't right.
For the hundredth time since they had gathered that morning, the tall knight's bright blue eyes scanned the room and the faces of its occupants.
From his position, Alex had clear vantage point of all faces and he watched them carefully. Nothing could go wrong at this moment while the document that would seal peace between the two stubborn factions was being signed.
Just as the last official signed his name with a flourish, Alex's comlink chirped loudly. A flicker of surprise went over the Jedi's face, but he stood quickly.
"Excuse me," he spoke quietly, his face calm as he moved away from the table. Only two people had his frequency and Meri hadn't brought her comlink with her for the reason that she hadn't planned on him knowing she was there. It had to be Folly.
"Yes," he answered tersely to hide his concern. He was very aware of the official's stares directed his way.
Yet as he listened to Folly speak, he forgot he was being watched and his face paled slightly. "She what?" he hissed in disbelief. "Nevermind," he said almost immediately, straining to keep his voice steady. "Just get here as quickly as possible." Without waiting for an answer, he replaced his comlink and moved for the nearest guard.
Speaking in low urgent tones, he explained the situation and then turned back to the officials, who were now standing and looking concerned.
"If you will all follow me, we need to evacuate the building." Before Alex could finish explaining, the robed officials broke out talking amongst themselves loudly.
"Sirs!" the knight spoke sharply. "There has been certain information that has come to my attention and you *must* leave the building. Now please," he said tightly, gesturing towards the door.
Still talking, the group moved in a large bunch towards the door. Before joining the group, an aide grabbed the precious documents signed just moments before. Alex pushed them through as quickly as he could, his heart racing in his chest. As bad as it may have seemed, he wasn't worried in the least for himself or even the pompous officials he was ushering out before him. His concern was for his errant apprentice. Folly hadn't explained very well, and he was quite confused as to what was going on with her.
As the group trailed outside ahead of him into the darkening skies, Alex glanced around to make sure that any other lives were out of harms way. The guard he had spoken to had done his job, and all other guards had gathered in a group a distance from the building.
Alex had just turned around to head for the group standing farther away when the blast occurred, sending a shock wave flaring outwards that knocked him dazedly from his feet.
Chaos erupted as Alex pulled himself to his hands and knees, and glanced behind him. The building they had all just exited was consumed in tall, jumping flames of fire and dark black smoke billowed up into the sky.
Alex stood carefully, his head still ringing from the blast as he studied the scene. Slowly a thought crept into his mind that he could not deny the truth of. She had saved his life after all.
But how had she known?
The sound of a speeder filled his ears and he turned to see Folly racing up at neck break speed. A frown furrowed his brow as he watched the speeder buck to a stop and then Folly practically fall when getting off.
Before Folly had even come to a stop in front of him, the knight was demanding, "What's going on?"
His piercing blue eyes pinned Folly to the spot as the man bumbled his way through the story. He didn't notice the almost fearful glances Folly sent his way as he told the Jedi the story.
When Folly had finished, he took a step back from the Jedi as he glanced at the taller man's face.
"Let me get this correct," Alex said quietly, his face a mask of stone. "You *let* my apprentice attempt this charade willingly?" He glared at Folly a muscle twitching in his jaw. "No, wait," he said before Folly could answer. "You helped her?" His tone was lethal.
"I really don't think we have time to discuss this now," Folly squeaked.
Alex's ice blue eyes flickered, but already he was moving towards the guards, leaving Folly staring after him.
Striding up to the captain of the guard, Alex explained that he knew where and who had set the bomb and asked if his men would be willing to come and help him arrest the group.
"If you can get any other volunteer's to come as well, that would be prudent."
The captain agreed and quickly gathered his men.
Alex walked quickly back over to Folly. "Tell them where to go," he said shortly. "Then you are going to show me where she is."
As Alex watched Folly do as he had instructed him, the knight wasn't as calm as he appeared. Inside his heart was racing and a tight knot had coiled in his middle. He was furious and scared out of his wits at the same time. Repeatedly he tried to assure himself she would be alright.
She had to be.
Folly ran as fast as running through heavy drifts of snow allowed. He didn't look back over his shoulder to see if he was being followed, he could hear the rebels who were following crashing through the undergrowth behind him.
Gasping in great gulps of frigid air, he ran on, the comlink clenched tightly in one hand ready for use as soon as he was able to use it. Right now, he couldn't spare the breath or energy to carry on any sort of conversation.
He was running blindly, but knew he was heading in basically the right direction. It was still dark, but dawn was beginning to creep over the land in a low gray light, and Folly knew he hadn't much time to get away from these goons and contact Alex before it would be too late.
Snow had begun to fall heavier and Folly knew from experience that the weather was about to take a serious turn for the worse. He just wished it would hold off for a few more hours. He *had* to get back to Meri…he knew what they would do to her. What happened to his sister would happen to that young Jedi apprentice and maybe worse because she was a Jedi. Her innocence would be striped of her and then she would be killed, all in the name of the cause.
Folly took a great, deep draught of air and spurted ahead in speed. If he could just reach the hidden speeder…
He slowed as he came to the same place where Meri had fallen and slid quickly across the dangerous ice. As soon as he was back on solid footing, he surged ahead once again. Behind him, he heard the sound of one of the rebels losing his balance and falling, taking the same trip Meri had.
One down, one to go.
When almost to the speeder, Folly grasped his blaster in his other hand and ducked behind a tree.
Following closely, the second rebel was too busy trying to catch up with Folly to notice the footsteps stopped behind a thick, bushy evergreen.
As he ran by, Folly reached out and grabbed the rebel's arm, swinging him around and simultaneously slamming the butt of the blaster on the back of the rebel's head. He was out cold.
Folly ran the last few feet to the speeder, replacing his blaster with one hand, and bringing the comlink upward with the other. He didn't waste any time.
"Master Jedi," he panted into the comlink as he climbed aboard the speeder. "I think we have a problem."
***
Meri came to abruptly when her face was shoved into a bucket of icy water and she came up spluttering. Someone was holding her while wiping the dirt off her face with swift, hard strokes.
Her eyes slowly focused and she gazed upward and into the leering face of a rebel. If her skin hadn't already been white she would have paled further. She didn't know how long she'd been out of it, and the dark clouds and falling snow covered the sky, hiding the time of day.
"Hello little gal," he said mockingly.
"What I want to know," a voice started behind her, which was no friendlier. "Is why someone didn't notice her face."
It was because Meri hadn't only been masking her voice, but her appearance too, as much as she was able. She didn't tell them this, for the only thing worse than them knowing she was a girl, was the fact that she was a Jedi apprentice. She remembered what Alex had told her about the rebel's hating the Jedi.
The rebel crouching in her front of her grinned slowly. "Doesn't matter now, but she is a pretty thing," he said while running a hand through her thick hair. "Our little traitoress. Who exactly were you spying for?" he asked though it was obvious he didn't expect her to answer.
Meri wanted to pull away, but she could barely move and the pain in her back was excruciating.
Suddenly the rebel's hand encountered the braid behind her right ear and he fondled it curiously. "Tell me boys, why does this seem familiar?" His voice was laced with suspicious venom.
A voice answered from the back of the group and Meri's heart dropped at his words. "Jedi apprentices have braids behind their right ear, I've heard."
The face of the rebel before her hardened and his eyes glittered dangerously. "Ah," he said coldly in revelation. "I see now. The Jedi at the negotiations, he's your Master?"
Meri didn't answer, but stared blankly straight ahead as her body began to tremble and shake. She wasn't sure if it was shock or the fact she was practically sitting in the snow with hardly anything on to block the cold.
The rebel wrapped the braid around his hand and jerked cruelly. "Jedi are always sticking their nose in where it doesn't belong." He paused and stared at her with sheer hate. "He's a stupid Jedi if he sent you here."
Meri lifted her head and stared straight into the evil eyes before her. "He didn't send me. I came without him knowing."
The rebel smiled slowly, cruelly, and Meri realized she'd just given away what the rebel didn't know for certain. Using her braid, the rebel pulled her face closer to his. "No matter," he breathed with a malicious glint in his eye. "He's probably dead by now, anyway, and I can think of several jobs for you." His words were accompanied by a suggestive glance and Meri felt her skin crawl.
Looking up, she noticed that the expression on the rebel before her was mirrored in the faces of those who stood around. She felt sick.
"Hang on," a voice protested. "Shouldn't you talk to San`Tenela before using her like that?"
Meri silently thanked the voice, whoever it was. She almost blacked out when whoever had been holding her stood and picked her up roughly.
"Where are you taking her," one rebel demanded suspiciously.
"I'm just putting her inside while we discuss this," the man bit back. "That is unless you want her dying from cold before we have any fun." This was said with a cocked eyebrow and leering grin.
Meri almost groaned in pain as her slashed back was rubbed against the man holding her. The rebel stepped inside the small building, set her on the floor then quickly shut the door behind him.
Meri sat where she had been placed, teetering back and forth in weakness, but determined not to fall over. Closing her eyes, she pulled in the Force for energy and strength. Though the pain didn't lessen, Meri was at least able to breathe deeper.
Carefully she braced her hands against the ground to still her trembling and steady herself, as her head spun dizzily. The feeling of liquid running down her arm drew her eyes downward.
Meri was not surprised to see a deep crimson stream of blood traveling slowly down her arm and forming into a small pool around her hand.
The voices outside rose in argument and her heart began to beat faster in fear as she listened. Her face lost any color she had regained as she heard the words they spoke. They weren't arguing any more over whether or not they should wait.
They were arguing over who was to be first.
***
Alex tapped his fingers lightly on the large round table at which all the officials from both sides were seated. It wasn't an action of impatience, but more of anxiety. Something wasn't right.
For the hundredth time since they had gathered that morning, the tall knight's bright blue eyes scanned the room and the faces of its occupants.
From his position, Alex had clear vantage point of all faces and he watched them carefully. Nothing could go wrong at this moment while the document that would seal peace between the two stubborn factions was being signed.
Just as the last official signed his name with a flourish, Alex's comlink chirped loudly. A flicker of surprise went over the Jedi's face, but he stood quickly.
"Excuse me," he spoke quietly, his face calm as he moved away from the table. Only two people had his frequency and Meri hadn't brought her comlink with her for the reason that she hadn't planned on him knowing she was there. It had to be Folly.
"Yes," he answered tersely to hide his concern. He was very aware of the official's stares directed his way.
Yet as he listened to Folly speak, he forgot he was being watched and his face paled slightly. "She what?" he hissed in disbelief. "Nevermind," he said almost immediately, straining to keep his voice steady. "Just get here as quickly as possible." Without waiting for an answer, he replaced his comlink and moved for the nearest guard.
Speaking in low urgent tones, he explained the situation and then turned back to the officials, who were now standing and looking concerned.
"If you will all follow me, we need to evacuate the building." Before Alex could finish explaining, the robed officials broke out talking amongst themselves loudly.
"Sirs!" the knight spoke sharply. "There has been certain information that has come to my attention and you *must* leave the building. Now please," he said tightly, gesturing towards the door.
Still talking, the group moved in a large bunch towards the door. Before joining the group, an aide grabbed the precious documents signed just moments before. Alex pushed them through as quickly as he could, his heart racing in his chest. As bad as it may have seemed, he wasn't worried in the least for himself or even the pompous officials he was ushering out before him. His concern was for his errant apprentice. Folly hadn't explained very well, and he was quite confused as to what was going on with her.
As the group trailed outside ahead of him into the darkening skies, Alex glanced around to make sure that any other lives were out of harms way. The guard he had spoken to had done his job, and all other guards had gathered in a group a distance from the building.
Alex had just turned around to head for the group standing farther away when the blast occurred, sending a shock wave flaring outwards that knocked him dazedly from his feet.
Chaos erupted as Alex pulled himself to his hands and knees, and glanced behind him. The building they had all just exited was consumed in tall, jumping flames of fire and dark black smoke billowed up into the sky.
Alex stood carefully, his head still ringing from the blast as he studied the scene. Slowly a thought crept into his mind that he could not deny the truth of. She had saved his life after all.
But how had she known?
The sound of a speeder filled his ears and he turned to see Folly racing up at neck break speed. A frown furrowed his brow as he watched the speeder buck to a stop and then Folly practically fall when getting off.
Before Folly had even come to a stop in front of him, the knight was demanding, "What's going on?"
His piercing blue eyes pinned Folly to the spot as the man bumbled his way through the story. He didn't notice the almost fearful glances Folly sent his way as he told the Jedi the story.
When Folly had finished, he took a step back from the Jedi as he glanced at the taller man's face.
"Let me get this correct," Alex said quietly, his face a mask of stone. "You *let* my apprentice attempt this charade willingly?" He glared at Folly a muscle twitching in his jaw. "No, wait," he said before Folly could answer. "You helped her?" His tone was lethal.
"I really don't think we have time to discuss this now," Folly squeaked.
Alex's ice blue eyes flickered, but already he was moving towards the guards, leaving Folly staring after him.
Striding up to the captain of the guard, Alex explained that he knew where and who had set the bomb and asked if his men would be willing to come and help him arrest the group.
"If you can get any other volunteer's to come as well, that would be prudent."
The captain agreed and quickly gathered his men.
Alex walked quickly back over to Folly. "Tell them where to go," he said shortly. "Then you are going to show me where she is."
As Alex watched Folly do as he had instructed him, the knight wasn't as calm as he appeared. Inside his heart was racing and a tight knot had coiled in his middle. He was furious and scared out of his wits at the same time. Repeatedly he tried to assure himself she would be alright.
She had to be.
