CHAPTER TWENTY

Days passed, slow and tediously as the Jedi remained upon the planet to uncover information about what had been terrorizing the local villagers. The team of Masters and apprentices were close to the truth, but they didn't know how close. All of them busied themselves with their duties, taking in detailed observations. The Council wished of the quartet to send reports, and they abided their wishes. The messages they sent back to Courscant were light. There wasn't much of a disturbance around the small village in which the Jedi kept their bearings. Although the inhabitants were quite avid on telling their folk stories of a mysterious black shadow that would haunt the tiny villages at night. This is all the information the Jedi had to go on with their mission at hand. With no hope of solving the mysterious disturbances, Qui-Gon and Ianol received word from the council that they should prepare to leave. While the Masters packed their few belongings and straightened up the huts, Obi- Wan and Anja were stationed outside near a lovely, blazing campfire. The couple sat upon the lush grasses before it, wrapped in each other's arms, just enjoying their time together. "Oh Obi-Wan." She sighed with a light smile. "I was wrong about this whole mission." Anja yawned quietly as she snuggled in closer to Obi-Wan's broad chest. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and nuzzled his nose into her tresses, breathing in her sweet scent that always seemed to follow him around. The bright, intelligent, aqua eyes of Obi-Wan's opened sharply, narrowly gazing upon a large grove of trees just yards in front of them. Anja felt her lover stir against her back and she drowsily opened her eyes to gaze up and trace her eyes along his strong jaw-line. "Love.?" Anja's voice grew increasingly worried. "What is it?" Obi-Wan was quiet for a long moment, before gently easing Anja off of his lap. "Just wait here. I think there's something odd in the trees." He rose steadily while his hand was protectively placed upon the hilt of his lightsaber. Anja watched him curiously, with only slight worry, as Obi-Wan disappeared into the brush. With the help of a nearby branch, Anja unsteadily rose herself from her position upon the soft ground to stir the fire back to its intensity. Suddenly, the small hairs of the back of her neck rose on end. She stood still, but slowly drew her hand to the lightsaber upon the rock neck to her. A feeling of ice cold foreboding took over her body as her fingers graced the warm hilt of her weapon. Before her slender fingers could grasp it, blackness washed over her followed by a rough force that pushed her to the ground. Anja unsteadily rose to her feet, trying to catch her breath; the fall had knocked it out of her. She heard a windy cackle after she called her lightsaber to her hand and prepared herself in defense. The cold feeling vibrated throughout the entire campsite as she slowly turned, trying to keep her eyes on all corners of the unknown forest around her. Her sharp ears could hear the creature move about the brush, but it was never a complete sound. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes just for a moment and concentrated. She reached her mind out to Obi-Wan's, calling for his help. Anja's eyes flashed opened quickly and she took an abrupt twirl to her right, slashing at the black streak that stroked the corner of her eye. A high-pitched scream took her by surprise and she cowered slightly from the harsh sound, but quickly reverberated with her lightsaber into the direction in which the noise came from. There, she saw it: an odd creature that looked as if it was made of shadow itself. It transformed slowly, as if it was painful, from one unacknowledged form into another. Anja's eyes narrowed, sensing that it wished to make another attack upon her. Bracing herself, she lunged before it could second-guess her next move. She slashed violently into the vast darkness that made up the creature, and heard another blood-curdling scream. From that evidence she was sure that she had been inducing injuries. The mass seemed to bubble in frustration as Anja's sharp glare rested upon the misshaped form that was floating in front of her. She proceeded with a few slashes, but the shape seemed to move faster than the eye could detect. Through the Force, she could sense its anger and frustration and the intense hunger that lay beneath its cloak of blackness. Letting out a howl, it pounced towards its prey. Anja brought her lightsaber up to attack position once more and tried to fend off its inhuman ability for speed. Its crazed attacks pressed her back away from the fire. With the lack of light, the creature grew in size and power within the complete darkness of the forest's night. Anja felt it build up strength before her before disappearing from her senses. She looked around avidly, having her lightsaber light her line of vision. Suddenly there was a loud, sickening crack and a wildfire of pain shot up Anja's arm and she let out a yelp of agony. Her hand had been crippled by the creature, causing her to drop her lightsaber to the hard ground. Anja reached out with her left hand, urging the lightsaber back to her grasp, but she could not sense it. Trying to gather her wits, she took a deep breath and stood still, stretching out tendrils of the Force, hoping to reach the position in which the creature was around her. A sharp hit to her jaw took Anja by surprise. Her eyes fluttered open quickly, but she was perplexed because she could not sense the creature anywhere near her. Another painful hit struck her lower back, causing her to lurch forward and stumble. She knew this creature would be too much for a pregnant woman to handle. "Obi-Wan.!" She croaked out, trying to scream at the top of her lungs. "Help me!" Far off, in the forest, Obi-Wan sensed Anja's cry of anguish. His heart raced as his strong legs whisked him through the brush and trees, hoping to save Anja before she and the baby were injured. Sharp breaths were emitted from his lungs as he swung his lightsaber before him, clearing the way roughly. Through their bond, he sent an urgent cry to his Master, speaking of danger. Meanwhile, Anja was being brutally attacked from all angles. She did not know how many limbs this creature could produce, or how fast it could move. Signals of pain radiated throughout her entire body. She was sure she had numerous broken bones and harsh bruises. Her entire body throbbed with mind-numbing pain while she fumbled around in the darkness, trying to reach out for her lightsaber. Anja felt it. At the last moment she felt it right in front of her. She tried to brace herself for the blow, but she could have never expected the heart-wrenching hit that landed painfully into her pregnant belly. The force of the blow sent her flying into an ancient tree, throwing her head back and knocking her unconscious. "Anja!" Obi-Wan cried out, appearing from the brush right as the menacing shadow placed a horrific blow into his love. Gritting his teeth, he lashed out towards the creature, mercilessly attacking with his best fighting skills. The lightsaber was just a blur of color in the blackness that was the forest. Obi-Wan was too lost within the act at hand and never heard the horrific screams of the creature that cowered in his wake. Seeming wounded, the creature tore away from the endless brutality of Obi-Wan's weapon and scattered into the forest beyond. Shoulders hunched, Obi-Wan's breath was painful and heavy inside of his chest. His raw fingers pressed the power button upon the sheath of his lightsaber, turning it off. With sweat intermixing tears, he rushed over to Anja's side and gently pulled her weak form into his cradling arms.