AN: The survivors are my own creation, everything else belongs to Lucasfilm...
From Scratch
Chapter 29
Jacen met Tenel Ka's worried gaze as he stepped from the tent. "We have work to do," he told her grimly. "The sooner we leave here the better."
She looked at him questioningly and he shook his head fractionally, his eyes going to Vola and Flynn. "Find a place to make camp, preferably away from this tent. Get comfortable - Tenel Ka and I will find you when we're finished."
"Finished what?" Vola asked curiously. "Who's their leader?"
Jacen shook his head again, "Not here. Find some place to make camp. I'll explain everything once our part of the bargain is sealed."
Tenel Ka was suspiciously silent and he had a feeling she'd already guessed the identity of the Yuuzhan Vong leader and was simply waiting to get him alone to confirm her guess - and chew him out. No help for it, he figured silently.
"Where are you going?" Flynn asked curiously, "Are you sure we can't come along?"
"Do you have a death wish, Flynn?" Jacen asked archly. "If you do grab your blaster and keep up. If not, make camp with Vola and be ready to tend wounds. We may come back with some."
"Speak for yourself," Tenel Ka told him with the barest hint of a smile.
He grinned. "I see I have a challenge. Secure a campsite, Flynn, Vola, and keep watch. Our host isn't quite sure whose side he's on yet. I wouldn't trust his hospitality."
They nodded and Jacen looked at Tenel Ka. "Shall we my warrior wife?"
She motioned for him to lead the way and fell into step slightly behind him as their companions moved off to find a place to make camp. She waited for a few minutes to pass before she spoke. "Who was their leader?"
Jacen's face was grim. "The very Yuuzhan Vong you're thinking of." He assured her. "Nom Anor. It would seem that I have the wrong understanding of the situation. He says the shapers and Warriors are either trying to take control of the World Brain, or poison it. Something about their race having little left to live for."
"They are fools."
"They're beaten," he corrected, "and for a warrior, a race of warriors, that is something that is difficult to accept. Surely you, if no one else, can appreciate that."
She nodded once. "Warriors have pride," she agreed, "but there is a time when pride must be put aside for the greater good. These warriors are fools if they think to die by killing everyone is honorable. They are without honor to sacrifice millions to assuage their pride."
"I couldn't agree more," Jacen told her softly. "You don't have qualms about working with Nom Anor, do you?"
"I would much prefer to put my foot in his face," she told him honestly, "but he would simply enjoy that too much. Do we have a choice, Jacen?"
"There's always a choice," he told her honestly, "it's just not always a choice we like. We either work with him, if he keeps his word, which is highly unlikely. Or we work on our own without the backing of the people who will inherit this world when we're finished. Quite frankly I want them to work for themselves, but with the shapers still around..." he shook his head. "They hold everyone and everything in a tight fisted grasp now that the warriors are disorganized and desperate."
"It is the shapers we are after," she observed. "I do not know if that is wise, but I will follow your lead in this. You know this world and its customs. I do not. Yet, I must ask."
He waited silently, continuing on his way towards their destination.
"Are you certain this is for the best, Jacen? Are you absolutely sure that eliminating the shapers will be what the World Brain needs?"
He nodded. "As sure as I can be of anything, Tenel Ka. The World Brain has asked for myself, begged and finally demanded. I have to do something. If the shapers aren't stopped the world will crumble to nothing. There is more here than simply a world that's been reshaped or turned into something new. There are lost ones, former slaves, Shamed ones and a multitude of animals and plants that deserve life. Vergere once told me that I am a gardener and a gardener weeds his garden. I've neglected that responsibility for far too long."
She blinked. "I do not understand."
He smiled faintly. "Neither did I when she first said it. Look at the galaxy as a garden and tell me something. In a garden there are flowers and weeds, correct?"
She nodded. "Correct. The weeds must be removed for the flowers to flourish."
"So who're the weeds and who're the flowers, Tenel Ka?" his question was soft. "Can you choose? Can you make the choice of who deserves to live and who doesn't? What makes a weed a weed and a flower a flower? What makes them what they are that one deserves life and the other deserves death?"
She was silent for long moments as they continued their trek. "I see what you are saying." Her words were slow, almost hesitant. "I understand your meaning, but why is it your responsibility?"
"It's everyone's responsibility. Vergere molded me into something more than what I was, for a higher purpose. If that purpose was to beat back the Yuuzhan Vong, than is my task complete?" his gaze was direct, his eyes clear. "I don't think it is. There is much yet to be done here and it is my responsibility to see that this race of beings gets every chance to flourish like the flowers they are. The weeds," his voice was grim. "The weeds must be plucked."
"The shapers." She observed. "I do not agree with your logic, but I understand your point. One way or another the shapers must not be allowed to regain their hold on this society."
He clasped her hand, squeezing her fingers tightly, briefly, before letting go. "I knew you would. Without the shapers and the warriors, these people have a chance at equality. So long as Nom Anor decides he doesn't want to be a monarch. I'll have to watch him closely. We're near the edge of the encampment - quickly now, while it's still dark. With luck, we'll be in and out before they notice us."
She slanted him a look. "Luck will have nothing to do with it."
He bit back a laugh and stepped outside of the camp's boundaries, heading for the semi-circle of Warriors and shapers that encompassed the Well of the World Brain. He strode forward at an even clip, Tenel Ka at his side, and felt the absolute trust she was placing in him. She didn't question his tactics, though he knew it wouldn't have been how she would have approached the encampment, yet the warriors knew no one was dumb or desperate enough to go near them at night. None save the Jedi, whose presence was lacking on Yuuzhan'tar. Or so they thought. Those thoughts would be what allowed Jacen and Tenel Ka to get close and that misconception would be their downfall.
There was little activity in the Yuuzhan Vong camp around the base of the World Brain. The shapers were nowhere to be seen, and Jacen didn't need a neon sign to know they'd gone to bed. There were dormitory barracks set up at several locations and he knew he'd have to check which one was for the shapers before forming a plan. Tenel Ka lay next to him beside one of the rocks from the collapsed entrance into the Well. Ganner's body was somewhere underneath those rocks and few Yuuzhan Vong respectfully stayed their distance. Jacen smiled. Ganner had finally found the respect he'd been looking for in life. He was certain that would have pleased the flashy Jedi to no end, but he couldn't dwell on that now.
The base camp was large, stretching out below them like a meandering river of semi-lit walkways and half-towers, it was a maze and would be difficult to navigate without help. Jacen frowned. It would be difficult to walk around unquestioned without ooglith masquers, but he supposed they'd simply have to be stealthy. Besides, he wasn't sure exactly how Tenel Ka would have reacted to that suggestion. The masquers weren't something everyone would willingly wear. For one thing, without the kind of pain tolerance most Yuuzhan Vong, and Jacen himself, had, they almost felt like you were removing a layer of your own skin when it came time to shed them. That pain could be crippling for someone not trained to handle it. And Tenel Ka, warrior though she was, hadn't been trained like him.
If he had anything to say about it, Tenel Ka would never endure what he'd been thought. For though it had made him stronger, the thought of her in that kind of pain... he shook his head fractionally, clearing it, as he continued to survey the encampment. The warriors were on full alert, ever watchful of the throng gathered not far away on the blackened field. In fact, overly watchful. Jacen frowned, narrowing his eyes carefully on the front line of warriors. They were evenly spaced around the perimeter, their backs to the Well and the barracks. Something seemed wrong with that, with their... the sound of something wailing all of a sudden had the hairs on the back of his neck rising.
There, in the shadows, was a dog-like creature that looked as if it'd been crossed with a monkey and a rat to make something completely new. Whatever it was, it was climbing the wall of a barracks, headed for the roof. So that's why they seemed unconcerned. There was only the one creature, but it was at least twice his size, if not more, and its head was lifted alertly. It sniffed the air, and Jacen knew immediately it wouldn't smell them. They were downwind.
His gaze traveled to each of the muddy pathways as he stretched out with his Vongsense. Using it as never before, he touched each individual briefly, using it as a scouting technique to count each of the Vong in the encampment. It took the better part of the next ten minutes, Tenel Ka waiting tensely at his side. When he finally opened his eyes, he turned his head to look at her. He'd felt something else, something that was almost dormant, nearby. Something that should have been destroyed when the rocks had fallen on Ganner.
Tenel Ka waited patiently, following him as he slid back through the rock pile towards where he'd felt the signature. She crouched nearby, keeping watch, as he carefully shifted the upper rocks of the pile. It was slow going and time they couldn't spare, but something was telling him that this might be the difference between success and failure. Digging as quick as he dared, Jacen soon found the pile getting to the point where he couldn't see the area in which he dug.
The pile was deep, so deep that ten men standing on each other's shoulders wouldn't have reached the bottom. He shook his head. He couldn't think of that; he had to find... There! Shifting his focus a little, he stopped moving the rocks completely and simply shifted them slightly to get to his goal. Finally, some tense thirty minutes later, a dull metallic object, covered in grime and dust, floated from the hole into his waiting hand.
Wiping the cylinder on his pants, he carefully checked the power cells. They were still full. He smiled faintly. His little brother had always been a careful one when building a lightsaber. Creeping away from the hole, he joined Tenel Ka. "I have an idea for a diversion. We'll have to be ready to move swiftly."
She nodded once, saying nothing as she looked at the weapon in his hand. He offered it to her. "You'll need this more than me. It'll help you sense something of the Vong."
She gingerly took the weapon, examining the make before her gaze came up sharply. He nodded to the unspoken question in her eyes. Yes, the lightsaber had been Anakin's.
She placed it on the ground before removing her own. Carefully locking the blade off, she slid it into her belt at the small of her back and then hooked Anakin's to her belt at the front. She was comfortable with her own weapon, but the advantage she could gain with Anakin's wasn't something she could pass up. Jacen waited until she was ready before moving again. His movements were quick, but quiet, and they soon found themselves looking down at the first of the barracks. Jacen mouthed the words "Be ready." And she nodded.
Closing his eyes, Jacen concentrated on the piles of rock he'd created while digging for Anakin's blade. He felt them shift, heard them fall as they crashed into the hole. The guards around the perimeter looked up and the camp whirled into action.
The creature that'd been climbing the roofs of the barracks spun, snarling as it bounded to the ground and raced off into the darkness. Many of the warriors, more then half, were hot on its tail. Jacen suddenly found himself wishing for a grove of immature amphistaffs. They'd have been perfect for this diversion. Dropping down to the ground, he rolled, absorbing the impact with the Force and his body before getting to his feet. Tenel Ka landed next to him. He motioned for her to take the barracks on the left, holding up four fingers, indicating four individuals inside. She nodded, slipping into the shadows as he headed for the barracks on the right.
The shadows were deep in the camp and though the diversion had been loud, it wouldn't take them long to realize there wasn't anything there. The warriors and their strange guard would be returning quickly. Slipping into the barracks, Jacen reached out with his Vongsense. The shapers were tired, so much so that they were still sleeping. All save one. That one was disoriented, trying to find a light. His lightsaber snapped on inside the enclosed hut and the green light showed the shocked face of the shaper as Jacen took his head from his shoulders. Quickly, Jacen dispatched the rest of the five shapers; his lightsaber blows sure, strong, and mercifully free from all but momentary pain. No one would look for them until morning. And weeds were never missed.
A commotion outside brought his head around and he slipped to the door. One of the shapers in the next barracks to his right, beyond where Tenel Ka was, had come outside, demanding something loudly. Jacen waited for the warrior to respond. The shaper was obviously pleased with the response and returned to the barracks. They waited for the camp to calm down a little, the howling of the strange sentry still somewhat in the distance. They had one dormitory left and Jacen suddenly had a bad feeling about it. If one of the shapers was awake and concerned about the noise, what was to stop him from waking up the others? Tenel Ka joined him in the shadows of the barracks she'd completed, her face a grim mask. She didn't like this and he could feel her disapproval for killing an unarmed enemy in their sleep. He met her gaze, knowing he'd see displeasure for his tactics. She disappointed him, meeting his gaze with an emotionless gray wall.
He nodded to the last dormitory and she nodded once, holding Anakin's lightsaber in her hand, her thumb tracing the smooth casing, hovering over the activation button as they moved. There was no way to slip unnoticed into this one. Jacen looked at the guards, noting the one the shaper had spoken too watching the door with distain bordering on hatred. This then, housed the more powerful shapers. Guiding them to the back of the barracks, where it was almost flush against the Well, Jacen took a deep breath. Reaching out with his Vong sense, he pressed his deactivated lightsaber to the wall, searching for the sleeping shaper he knew would be on the other side. His luck didn't hold. The Vong who should have been sleeping was agitated, pacing the length of the room. Jacen knew he didn't have a chance of calming the agitated shaper, not without absolute concentration, something he couldn't give without putting Tenel Ka at risk.
She placed her hand on his shoulder, nodding towards the east. The warriors were coming back with their strange sentry; they had to act now or never. Taking a deep breath, Jacen held out his hand to her, motioning for her to hand him a lightsaber. She handed him hers, keeping Anakin's just in case. Bracing himself, Jacen pressed both to the wall and then, with a flick of each thumb, activated them, dragging them downwards in a semi-circle before slamming his shoulder into the wall. It gave and he deactivated both blades to avoid hurting himself as he rose to his feet.
The shaper who'd been pacing was gone and shouting could be heard outside the barracks. He didn't have long. Acting quickly, he was a blur of motion and death, racing through the large barracks and leaving death in his wake. Down the opposite side, Tenel Ka worked the same, using the Force to enhance her speed. The pounding of feet on stone could be heard as they arrived back at the rear wall and he dove through. Tenel Ka joined him a moment later, rolling to her feet and tucking the lightsaber back on her belt. And then they were gone, leaping to the craggy side of the Well of the World Brain with Force enhanced jumps.
Tenel Ka landed first, rolling and skidding before regaining her feet. Her elbow was scratched, her clothing dirty and muddy, but she was unharmed. Jacen landed a moment later, hitting the side of the Well with a hard impact. He shook it off as if it didn't hurt and turned, igniting both blades as the strange sentry suddenly came over the lip and onto the long landing. On its back were eight Yuuzhan Vong, their expressions furious as they leapt to the ground.
Jacen whirled away, falling into the Force as the Vong surrounded him and the creature went for Tenel Ka.
She ducked under its forearms, rolling before coming up behind the Yuuzhan Vong furthest fro Jacen. It spun, but not fast enough, as She ducked under its swing and slammed her lightsaber into its middle, dropping it to the ground in two pieces. She whirled away just as one of the creature's hands slammed into the ground where she'd been standing, squishing the dead Vong and roaring in pain as the amphistaff bit it.
Tenel Ka moved in, swinging at its uninjured front hand, the appendage looking vaguely human-like, as if it could grasp something and carry it. She slashed quickly, scoring a direct hit across the 'wrist', but not severing it entirely. She whirled away, jumping upwards towards the wall and using it to rebound herself higher. Landing on the creature's back as it screamed in pain, she clamed her legs around it as tightly as she could. It bucked, spinning in a tight circle as it tried to dislodge her. Its head came back, but the muzzle wasn't long enough and the neck not flexible enough, for it to bite her. It scratched, its talons biting deeply into the skin of her left leg, but she didn't scream as she slammed the lightsaber into its skull, activating it as it hit.
The creature spun in another circle, its tail lashing out behind it and almost sweeping the ledge clean. Jacen and the single remaining Yuuzhan Vong were forced to dive away from each other or follow the other four. "Tenel Ka!" Jacen yelled, seeing the blood streaking her legs as she resolutely held on, slamming the blade of Anakin's lightsaber down into the skull of the beats yet again. It roared, bucking back, before slumping forward, its claws scraping the ground as it died, twitching in its death throes.
Jacen looked at the warrior who still faced him, lifting his lightsaber to a defensive position. "I am Jacen Solo," he told it evenly, "and you are dead."
The warrior growled something, lashing out with the amphistaff, only to recoil as the weapon turned on him, spitting its venom into his face, instead of Jacen's. He tried to let go of the amphistaff but the creature curled around the muscled forearm, squeezing tightly as it crawled higher, sinking its razor sharp teeth into the soft flesh of the warrior's neck.
Jacen deactivated his lightsaber as the amphistaff killed the warrior and ran to the dead creature and Tenel Ka, who hadn't moved from its back. "Tenel Ka?" he asked softly, reaching her side and pulling her against him.
Her eyes were open, but glazed with pain. "I am alright." She told him and though her voice didn't tremble, he could see she was far from all right. He had to get her out of here, get her to someplace safe where he could tend her wounds. Lifting her gently in his arms, he ignored her protest and took off along the ledges, not looking forward to another encounter with her as injured as she was. They reached the peaks and he finally slowed, looking back to check for pursuit. There wasn't any. Placing her gently on the ground, he carefully examined her wound.
Sometime during his run, she'd passed out and her blood had kept flowing, though not nearly as fast or as thick as before. Somehow she'd managed to control her heart to keep her blood loss minimal. He whispered a silent thank you that she'd been conscious enough to do so.
Placing his hands over the wound he sent himself outside his body and into hers, searching for toxins and poisons the Yuuzhan Vong bread into their creatures. He found one, a neurotoxin, that hadn't yet reached her heart thanks to her quick thinking. Very, very carefully, Jacen extracted the toxin from her blood stream, taking his time and making sure he checked every vein, ever artery, every muscle, before he stemmed the flow of blood. When he finally opened his eyes, the sky was beginning to lighten with the first signs of dawn. He'd spent long hours detoxifying Tenel Ka's system. Hours that had to have been painful, but she still hadn't woken.
Exhausted from his exertions he took two minutes to rest before picking her up in his arms again. They had to get back to camp tonight, before the sun came up, or they would be risking everything. Weary to the bone, he called on the Force for strength and then set off. He'd have them back to Vola and Flynn and then he'd take that much needed, much earned rest. Tomorrow there was going to be a showdown, but he couldn't deal with that now. Holding his wife close to his chest, Jacen set off down the rocky slopes back towards the encampment and didn't let himself think about how close he'd come to losing her. If he did, it would drive him to his knees with shock and anticipated grief. And that was something he didn't have time for.
From Scratch
Chapter 29
Jacen met Tenel Ka's worried gaze as he stepped from the tent. "We have work to do," he told her grimly. "The sooner we leave here the better."
She looked at him questioningly and he shook his head fractionally, his eyes going to Vola and Flynn. "Find a place to make camp, preferably away from this tent. Get comfortable - Tenel Ka and I will find you when we're finished."
"Finished what?" Vola asked curiously. "Who's their leader?"
Jacen shook his head again, "Not here. Find some place to make camp. I'll explain everything once our part of the bargain is sealed."
Tenel Ka was suspiciously silent and he had a feeling she'd already guessed the identity of the Yuuzhan Vong leader and was simply waiting to get him alone to confirm her guess - and chew him out. No help for it, he figured silently.
"Where are you going?" Flynn asked curiously, "Are you sure we can't come along?"
"Do you have a death wish, Flynn?" Jacen asked archly. "If you do grab your blaster and keep up. If not, make camp with Vola and be ready to tend wounds. We may come back with some."
"Speak for yourself," Tenel Ka told him with the barest hint of a smile.
He grinned. "I see I have a challenge. Secure a campsite, Flynn, Vola, and keep watch. Our host isn't quite sure whose side he's on yet. I wouldn't trust his hospitality."
They nodded and Jacen looked at Tenel Ka. "Shall we my warrior wife?"
She motioned for him to lead the way and fell into step slightly behind him as their companions moved off to find a place to make camp. She waited for a few minutes to pass before she spoke. "Who was their leader?"
Jacen's face was grim. "The very Yuuzhan Vong you're thinking of." He assured her. "Nom Anor. It would seem that I have the wrong understanding of the situation. He says the shapers and Warriors are either trying to take control of the World Brain, or poison it. Something about their race having little left to live for."
"They are fools."
"They're beaten," he corrected, "and for a warrior, a race of warriors, that is something that is difficult to accept. Surely you, if no one else, can appreciate that."
She nodded once. "Warriors have pride," she agreed, "but there is a time when pride must be put aside for the greater good. These warriors are fools if they think to die by killing everyone is honorable. They are without honor to sacrifice millions to assuage their pride."
"I couldn't agree more," Jacen told her softly. "You don't have qualms about working with Nom Anor, do you?"
"I would much prefer to put my foot in his face," she told him honestly, "but he would simply enjoy that too much. Do we have a choice, Jacen?"
"There's always a choice," he told her honestly, "it's just not always a choice we like. We either work with him, if he keeps his word, which is highly unlikely. Or we work on our own without the backing of the people who will inherit this world when we're finished. Quite frankly I want them to work for themselves, but with the shapers still around..." he shook his head. "They hold everyone and everything in a tight fisted grasp now that the warriors are disorganized and desperate."
"It is the shapers we are after," she observed. "I do not know if that is wise, but I will follow your lead in this. You know this world and its customs. I do not. Yet, I must ask."
He waited silently, continuing on his way towards their destination.
"Are you certain this is for the best, Jacen? Are you absolutely sure that eliminating the shapers will be what the World Brain needs?"
He nodded. "As sure as I can be of anything, Tenel Ka. The World Brain has asked for myself, begged and finally demanded. I have to do something. If the shapers aren't stopped the world will crumble to nothing. There is more here than simply a world that's been reshaped or turned into something new. There are lost ones, former slaves, Shamed ones and a multitude of animals and plants that deserve life. Vergere once told me that I am a gardener and a gardener weeds his garden. I've neglected that responsibility for far too long."
She blinked. "I do not understand."
He smiled faintly. "Neither did I when she first said it. Look at the galaxy as a garden and tell me something. In a garden there are flowers and weeds, correct?"
She nodded. "Correct. The weeds must be removed for the flowers to flourish."
"So who're the weeds and who're the flowers, Tenel Ka?" his question was soft. "Can you choose? Can you make the choice of who deserves to live and who doesn't? What makes a weed a weed and a flower a flower? What makes them what they are that one deserves life and the other deserves death?"
She was silent for long moments as they continued their trek. "I see what you are saying." Her words were slow, almost hesitant. "I understand your meaning, but why is it your responsibility?"
"It's everyone's responsibility. Vergere molded me into something more than what I was, for a higher purpose. If that purpose was to beat back the Yuuzhan Vong, than is my task complete?" his gaze was direct, his eyes clear. "I don't think it is. There is much yet to be done here and it is my responsibility to see that this race of beings gets every chance to flourish like the flowers they are. The weeds," his voice was grim. "The weeds must be plucked."
"The shapers." She observed. "I do not agree with your logic, but I understand your point. One way or another the shapers must not be allowed to regain their hold on this society."
He clasped her hand, squeezing her fingers tightly, briefly, before letting go. "I knew you would. Without the shapers and the warriors, these people have a chance at equality. So long as Nom Anor decides he doesn't want to be a monarch. I'll have to watch him closely. We're near the edge of the encampment - quickly now, while it's still dark. With luck, we'll be in and out before they notice us."
She slanted him a look. "Luck will have nothing to do with it."
He bit back a laugh and stepped outside of the camp's boundaries, heading for the semi-circle of Warriors and shapers that encompassed the Well of the World Brain. He strode forward at an even clip, Tenel Ka at his side, and felt the absolute trust she was placing in him. She didn't question his tactics, though he knew it wouldn't have been how she would have approached the encampment, yet the warriors knew no one was dumb or desperate enough to go near them at night. None save the Jedi, whose presence was lacking on Yuuzhan'tar. Or so they thought. Those thoughts would be what allowed Jacen and Tenel Ka to get close and that misconception would be their downfall.
There was little activity in the Yuuzhan Vong camp around the base of the World Brain. The shapers were nowhere to be seen, and Jacen didn't need a neon sign to know they'd gone to bed. There were dormitory barracks set up at several locations and he knew he'd have to check which one was for the shapers before forming a plan. Tenel Ka lay next to him beside one of the rocks from the collapsed entrance into the Well. Ganner's body was somewhere underneath those rocks and few Yuuzhan Vong respectfully stayed their distance. Jacen smiled. Ganner had finally found the respect he'd been looking for in life. He was certain that would have pleased the flashy Jedi to no end, but he couldn't dwell on that now.
The base camp was large, stretching out below them like a meandering river of semi-lit walkways and half-towers, it was a maze and would be difficult to navigate without help. Jacen frowned. It would be difficult to walk around unquestioned without ooglith masquers, but he supposed they'd simply have to be stealthy. Besides, he wasn't sure exactly how Tenel Ka would have reacted to that suggestion. The masquers weren't something everyone would willingly wear. For one thing, without the kind of pain tolerance most Yuuzhan Vong, and Jacen himself, had, they almost felt like you were removing a layer of your own skin when it came time to shed them. That pain could be crippling for someone not trained to handle it. And Tenel Ka, warrior though she was, hadn't been trained like him.
If he had anything to say about it, Tenel Ka would never endure what he'd been thought. For though it had made him stronger, the thought of her in that kind of pain... he shook his head fractionally, clearing it, as he continued to survey the encampment. The warriors were on full alert, ever watchful of the throng gathered not far away on the blackened field. In fact, overly watchful. Jacen frowned, narrowing his eyes carefully on the front line of warriors. They were evenly spaced around the perimeter, their backs to the Well and the barracks. Something seemed wrong with that, with their... the sound of something wailing all of a sudden had the hairs on the back of his neck rising.
There, in the shadows, was a dog-like creature that looked as if it'd been crossed with a monkey and a rat to make something completely new. Whatever it was, it was climbing the wall of a barracks, headed for the roof. So that's why they seemed unconcerned. There was only the one creature, but it was at least twice his size, if not more, and its head was lifted alertly. It sniffed the air, and Jacen knew immediately it wouldn't smell them. They were downwind.
His gaze traveled to each of the muddy pathways as he stretched out with his Vongsense. Using it as never before, he touched each individual briefly, using it as a scouting technique to count each of the Vong in the encampment. It took the better part of the next ten minutes, Tenel Ka waiting tensely at his side. When he finally opened his eyes, he turned his head to look at her. He'd felt something else, something that was almost dormant, nearby. Something that should have been destroyed when the rocks had fallen on Ganner.
Tenel Ka waited patiently, following him as he slid back through the rock pile towards where he'd felt the signature. She crouched nearby, keeping watch, as he carefully shifted the upper rocks of the pile. It was slow going and time they couldn't spare, but something was telling him that this might be the difference between success and failure. Digging as quick as he dared, Jacen soon found the pile getting to the point where he couldn't see the area in which he dug.
The pile was deep, so deep that ten men standing on each other's shoulders wouldn't have reached the bottom. He shook his head. He couldn't think of that; he had to find... There! Shifting his focus a little, he stopped moving the rocks completely and simply shifted them slightly to get to his goal. Finally, some tense thirty minutes later, a dull metallic object, covered in grime and dust, floated from the hole into his waiting hand.
Wiping the cylinder on his pants, he carefully checked the power cells. They were still full. He smiled faintly. His little brother had always been a careful one when building a lightsaber. Creeping away from the hole, he joined Tenel Ka. "I have an idea for a diversion. We'll have to be ready to move swiftly."
She nodded once, saying nothing as she looked at the weapon in his hand. He offered it to her. "You'll need this more than me. It'll help you sense something of the Vong."
She gingerly took the weapon, examining the make before her gaze came up sharply. He nodded to the unspoken question in her eyes. Yes, the lightsaber had been Anakin's.
She placed it on the ground before removing her own. Carefully locking the blade off, she slid it into her belt at the small of her back and then hooked Anakin's to her belt at the front. She was comfortable with her own weapon, but the advantage she could gain with Anakin's wasn't something she could pass up. Jacen waited until she was ready before moving again. His movements were quick, but quiet, and they soon found themselves looking down at the first of the barracks. Jacen mouthed the words "Be ready." And she nodded.
Closing his eyes, Jacen concentrated on the piles of rock he'd created while digging for Anakin's blade. He felt them shift, heard them fall as they crashed into the hole. The guards around the perimeter looked up and the camp whirled into action.
The creature that'd been climbing the roofs of the barracks spun, snarling as it bounded to the ground and raced off into the darkness. Many of the warriors, more then half, were hot on its tail. Jacen suddenly found himself wishing for a grove of immature amphistaffs. They'd have been perfect for this diversion. Dropping down to the ground, he rolled, absorbing the impact with the Force and his body before getting to his feet. Tenel Ka landed next to him. He motioned for her to take the barracks on the left, holding up four fingers, indicating four individuals inside. She nodded, slipping into the shadows as he headed for the barracks on the right.
The shadows were deep in the camp and though the diversion had been loud, it wouldn't take them long to realize there wasn't anything there. The warriors and their strange guard would be returning quickly. Slipping into the barracks, Jacen reached out with his Vongsense. The shapers were tired, so much so that they were still sleeping. All save one. That one was disoriented, trying to find a light. His lightsaber snapped on inside the enclosed hut and the green light showed the shocked face of the shaper as Jacen took his head from his shoulders. Quickly, Jacen dispatched the rest of the five shapers; his lightsaber blows sure, strong, and mercifully free from all but momentary pain. No one would look for them until morning. And weeds were never missed.
A commotion outside brought his head around and he slipped to the door. One of the shapers in the next barracks to his right, beyond where Tenel Ka was, had come outside, demanding something loudly. Jacen waited for the warrior to respond. The shaper was obviously pleased with the response and returned to the barracks. They waited for the camp to calm down a little, the howling of the strange sentry still somewhat in the distance. They had one dormitory left and Jacen suddenly had a bad feeling about it. If one of the shapers was awake and concerned about the noise, what was to stop him from waking up the others? Tenel Ka joined him in the shadows of the barracks she'd completed, her face a grim mask. She didn't like this and he could feel her disapproval for killing an unarmed enemy in their sleep. He met her gaze, knowing he'd see displeasure for his tactics. She disappointed him, meeting his gaze with an emotionless gray wall.
He nodded to the last dormitory and she nodded once, holding Anakin's lightsaber in her hand, her thumb tracing the smooth casing, hovering over the activation button as they moved. There was no way to slip unnoticed into this one. Jacen looked at the guards, noting the one the shaper had spoken too watching the door with distain bordering on hatred. This then, housed the more powerful shapers. Guiding them to the back of the barracks, where it was almost flush against the Well, Jacen took a deep breath. Reaching out with his Vong sense, he pressed his deactivated lightsaber to the wall, searching for the sleeping shaper he knew would be on the other side. His luck didn't hold. The Vong who should have been sleeping was agitated, pacing the length of the room. Jacen knew he didn't have a chance of calming the agitated shaper, not without absolute concentration, something he couldn't give without putting Tenel Ka at risk.
She placed her hand on his shoulder, nodding towards the east. The warriors were coming back with their strange sentry; they had to act now or never. Taking a deep breath, Jacen held out his hand to her, motioning for her to hand him a lightsaber. She handed him hers, keeping Anakin's just in case. Bracing himself, Jacen pressed both to the wall and then, with a flick of each thumb, activated them, dragging them downwards in a semi-circle before slamming his shoulder into the wall. It gave and he deactivated both blades to avoid hurting himself as he rose to his feet.
The shaper who'd been pacing was gone and shouting could be heard outside the barracks. He didn't have long. Acting quickly, he was a blur of motion and death, racing through the large barracks and leaving death in his wake. Down the opposite side, Tenel Ka worked the same, using the Force to enhance her speed. The pounding of feet on stone could be heard as they arrived back at the rear wall and he dove through. Tenel Ka joined him a moment later, rolling to her feet and tucking the lightsaber back on her belt. And then they were gone, leaping to the craggy side of the Well of the World Brain with Force enhanced jumps.
Tenel Ka landed first, rolling and skidding before regaining her feet. Her elbow was scratched, her clothing dirty and muddy, but she was unharmed. Jacen landed a moment later, hitting the side of the Well with a hard impact. He shook it off as if it didn't hurt and turned, igniting both blades as the strange sentry suddenly came over the lip and onto the long landing. On its back were eight Yuuzhan Vong, their expressions furious as they leapt to the ground.
Jacen whirled away, falling into the Force as the Vong surrounded him and the creature went for Tenel Ka.
She ducked under its forearms, rolling before coming up behind the Yuuzhan Vong furthest fro Jacen. It spun, but not fast enough, as She ducked under its swing and slammed her lightsaber into its middle, dropping it to the ground in two pieces. She whirled away just as one of the creature's hands slammed into the ground where she'd been standing, squishing the dead Vong and roaring in pain as the amphistaff bit it.
Tenel Ka moved in, swinging at its uninjured front hand, the appendage looking vaguely human-like, as if it could grasp something and carry it. She slashed quickly, scoring a direct hit across the 'wrist', but not severing it entirely. She whirled away, jumping upwards towards the wall and using it to rebound herself higher. Landing on the creature's back as it screamed in pain, she clamed her legs around it as tightly as she could. It bucked, spinning in a tight circle as it tried to dislodge her. Its head came back, but the muzzle wasn't long enough and the neck not flexible enough, for it to bite her. It scratched, its talons biting deeply into the skin of her left leg, but she didn't scream as she slammed the lightsaber into its skull, activating it as it hit.
The creature spun in another circle, its tail lashing out behind it and almost sweeping the ledge clean. Jacen and the single remaining Yuuzhan Vong were forced to dive away from each other or follow the other four. "Tenel Ka!" Jacen yelled, seeing the blood streaking her legs as she resolutely held on, slamming the blade of Anakin's lightsaber down into the skull of the beats yet again. It roared, bucking back, before slumping forward, its claws scraping the ground as it died, twitching in its death throes.
Jacen looked at the warrior who still faced him, lifting his lightsaber to a defensive position. "I am Jacen Solo," he told it evenly, "and you are dead."
The warrior growled something, lashing out with the amphistaff, only to recoil as the weapon turned on him, spitting its venom into his face, instead of Jacen's. He tried to let go of the amphistaff but the creature curled around the muscled forearm, squeezing tightly as it crawled higher, sinking its razor sharp teeth into the soft flesh of the warrior's neck.
Jacen deactivated his lightsaber as the amphistaff killed the warrior and ran to the dead creature and Tenel Ka, who hadn't moved from its back. "Tenel Ka?" he asked softly, reaching her side and pulling her against him.
Her eyes were open, but glazed with pain. "I am alright." She told him and though her voice didn't tremble, he could see she was far from all right. He had to get her out of here, get her to someplace safe where he could tend her wounds. Lifting her gently in his arms, he ignored her protest and took off along the ledges, not looking forward to another encounter with her as injured as she was. They reached the peaks and he finally slowed, looking back to check for pursuit. There wasn't any. Placing her gently on the ground, he carefully examined her wound.
Sometime during his run, she'd passed out and her blood had kept flowing, though not nearly as fast or as thick as before. Somehow she'd managed to control her heart to keep her blood loss minimal. He whispered a silent thank you that she'd been conscious enough to do so.
Placing his hands over the wound he sent himself outside his body and into hers, searching for toxins and poisons the Yuuzhan Vong bread into their creatures. He found one, a neurotoxin, that hadn't yet reached her heart thanks to her quick thinking. Very, very carefully, Jacen extracted the toxin from her blood stream, taking his time and making sure he checked every vein, ever artery, every muscle, before he stemmed the flow of blood. When he finally opened his eyes, the sky was beginning to lighten with the first signs of dawn. He'd spent long hours detoxifying Tenel Ka's system. Hours that had to have been painful, but she still hadn't woken.
Exhausted from his exertions he took two minutes to rest before picking her up in his arms again. They had to get back to camp tonight, before the sun came up, or they would be risking everything. Weary to the bone, he called on the Force for strength and then set off. He'd have them back to Vola and Flynn and then he'd take that much needed, much earned rest. Tomorrow there was going to be a showdown, but he couldn't deal with that now. Holding his wife close to his chest, Jacen set off down the rocky slopes back towards the encampment and didn't let himself think about how close he'd come to losing her. If he did, it would drive him to his knees with shock and anticipated grief. And that was something he didn't have time for.