Chapter three
Pain. It snaked across his shoulder in a festering gash. His breath came in short, rasping gasps. His lungs screamed for the air to come in. And yet, the pain continued to flourish. His temples pounded.
The Jedi felt the cold of the rock beneath him. It was his only relief to the horrible pain. The cool surface eased the aching of his body. He attempted to relax, calling the Force to his aid.
But it didn't help. The world spun once more. He almost slipped back into the darkness.
The shrill cry he heard was a jolt his brain. With a start he ignored the pain and sat up. Only then did he realize it came through the Force.
He recognized it as the strong presence that he had felt when he had first arrived on this savage planet. It screamed with pain and agony. The cry was so loud in his mind, that he almost screamed himself.
And then it was gone.
Obi-Wan Kenobi lay back down on the rock surface he had been on. The Jedi knew all to well that this was not where he had fallen the night before. In fact he sensed that this was far from it.
And then he heard the voices. So he kept his eyes closed.
"We should just kill him and get it over with. You saw how fast he moved last night. None of us have ever slaughtered a rakhmar that quickly without being killed first." The first voice was deep, and Obi-Wan knew immediately that he was a male.
"Be that as it may, Maarix, Jek will want to see him. If we could convert him to our ways, he may benefit our hunters greatly." The other was distinctly male as well, but he seemed younger. "He is wounded heavily, and I doubt he could escape."
Obi-Wan jerked as another flash of pain came over him. His hands were bound behind his back, and the insane itching of the gash was perturbing him.
Suddenly, a rough hand grasped him by his good shoulder.
"I saw that movement. I know you are awake." The deep voice hissed in Obi-Wan's ear.
Slowly, the Jedi opened his eyes to the bright morning sun. He eyed his surroundings.
They were in the middle of a clearing that was littered with stones. Each was a sandy brown, and an archway stood above the threesome.
Obi-Wan realized that they were in the middle of ancient Massasai ruins.
Next to him, crouching low to the ground was a man. He was large with bulky muscles that bulged out. His chest was bare. In fact, the only item of clothing he wore were a pair of torn black pants.
Around his neck hung a string of teeth ranging in size. His hair was starkly black, and hung in tangled locks around his face. His beard was just as scraggily. At his belt was a crude array of weapons varying from primitive bone knives to a cruel looking variation of an old vibro blade.
There, between a dagger and a lighting rod, was Obi-Wan's lightsaber. The Jedi winced and wondered if he could call it to himself. Even then, there was the question of what he would do with it.
"Frightened, warrior?" He sneered, his lips curling up.
"No." Obi-Wan forced the words out with a short breath. The next thing he knew was that there was a sheer pain that streaked across his cheek.
"No back talk, boy." The man stood to his feet, ignoring the pained expression on the Jedi's face.
"Don't do that. We don't know how bad his wounds are." The other male's voice came. Obi-Wan struggled to twist his face.
There, next to the burly man, stood another man that was no older than Obi-Wan. He was dressed similarly to the burly man, but he was thinner, and his hair was curly and blond.
"Since when did you start giving orders, Jud?" The burly man fingered his modified vibro blade thoughtfully.
"I am Jek's nephew. Someday, I'll be the chief, and you will continue to be the lowly scum that you are." Jud, the younger man, snarled.
Maarix, the older man, didn't just finger his vibro blade this time. He drew it from his belt, and, with a flash, but it up to Jud's neck.
"Say that one more time!" He taunted the younger man.
For a moment, Jud looked as if he would, but stopped when Obi-Wan attempted to shift so that he lie on his back.
"Actually, I would suggest that you listen him." Obi-Wan said in a matter-of-factly tone of voice. Maarix spun on his heel to frown at the Jedi.
"Stay out of this warrior. You only suggest such a thing to save your own neck."
"It's reasonable though. I came here on a mission to rescue some captives I believe you have." Obi-Wan winced in agony at the pain once more after he said this.
The two men exchanged alarmed looks.
"My uncle will not like this. The prisoners are being used for manual labor." Jud eyed Obi-Wan suspiciously. "Who are you, anyways? We know you're a Jedi from the stories of old."
Obi-Wan shook his head. There was no point in telling them who he was. He figured it was better that they remained ignorant of him. Obi-Wan relaxed against the rock surface.
His shoulder burned like fire.
Maarix again looked at Jud, and a silent agreement was made between them. Maarix strode over to Ob-Wan and looped his arms through Obi-Wan's, carrying the wounded Jedi on his back with little effort whatsoever.
Somewhere else in the jungle, a young woman lie amongst the leaves of the forest floor. She was asleep.
All the creatures that had attempted to investigate the helpless woman in the past two days were turned away by an unseen tremor in the Force that surrounded her. She was protected from the predators that stalked through the thick, wild jungle. But, there was one problem.
The ominous Force shielding could not protect her mind.
She was haunted in her sleep by images of horrible manifestations. In the end of every nightmare, she found herself staring into the face of her betrayer, the one she loved.
She would scream over and over in agony in her mind, but it would do nothing to erase the images of her lover.
Finally, sleep released her.
Jaina Solo awoke for the first time in two days, to find herself in a different world.
[AN: JOY! I finally finished ch.3. It took me a century, but it's finally done. REVIEW PLEASE! No flames! (sorry folks, no retarded comments to insert here)]
Pain. It snaked across his shoulder in a festering gash. His breath came in short, rasping gasps. His lungs screamed for the air to come in. And yet, the pain continued to flourish. His temples pounded.
The Jedi felt the cold of the rock beneath him. It was his only relief to the horrible pain. The cool surface eased the aching of his body. He attempted to relax, calling the Force to his aid.
But it didn't help. The world spun once more. He almost slipped back into the darkness.
The shrill cry he heard was a jolt his brain. With a start he ignored the pain and sat up. Only then did he realize it came through the Force.
He recognized it as the strong presence that he had felt when he had first arrived on this savage planet. It screamed with pain and agony. The cry was so loud in his mind, that he almost screamed himself.
And then it was gone.
Obi-Wan Kenobi lay back down on the rock surface he had been on. The Jedi knew all to well that this was not where he had fallen the night before. In fact he sensed that this was far from it.
And then he heard the voices. So he kept his eyes closed.
"We should just kill him and get it over with. You saw how fast he moved last night. None of us have ever slaughtered a rakhmar that quickly without being killed first." The first voice was deep, and Obi-Wan knew immediately that he was a male.
"Be that as it may, Maarix, Jek will want to see him. If we could convert him to our ways, he may benefit our hunters greatly." The other was distinctly male as well, but he seemed younger. "He is wounded heavily, and I doubt he could escape."
Obi-Wan jerked as another flash of pain came over him. His hands were bound behind his back, and the insane itching of the gash was perturbing him.
Suddenly, a rough hand grasped him by his good shoulder.
"I saw that movement. I know you are awake." The deep voice hissed in Obi-Wan's ear.
Slowly, the Jedi opened his eyes to the bright morning sun. He eyed his surroundings.
They were in the middle of a clearing that was littered with stones. Each was a sandy brown, and an archway stood above the threesome.
Obi-Wan realized that they were in the middle of ancient Massasai ruins.
Next to him, crouching low to the ground was a man. He was large with bulky muscles that bulged out. His chest was bare. In fact, the only item of clothing he wore were a pair of torn black pants.
Around his neck hung a string of teeth ranging in size. His hair was starkly black, and hung in tangled locks around his face. His beard was just as scraggily. At his belt was a crude array of weapons varying from primitive bone knives to a cruel looking variation of an old vibro blade.
There, between a dagger and a lighting rod, was Obi-Wan's lightsaber. The Jedi winced and wondered if he could call it to himself. Even then, there was the question of what he would do with it.
"Frightened, warrior?" He sneered, his lips curling up.
"No." Obi-Wan forced the words out with a short breath. The next thing he knew was that there was a sheer pain that streaked across his cheek.
"No back talk, boy." The man stood to his feet, ignoring the pained expression on the Jedi's face.
"Don't do that. We don't know how bad his wounds are." The other male's voice came. Obi-Wan struggled to twist his face.
There, next to the burly man, stood another man that was no older than Obi-Wan. He was dressed similarly to the burly man, but he was thinner, and his hair was curly and blond.
"Since when did you start giving orders, Jud?" The burly man fingered his modified vibro blade thoughtfully.
"I am Jek's nephew. Someday, I'll be the chief, and you will continue to be the lowly scum that you are." Jud, the younger man, snarled.
Maarix, the older man, didn't just finger his vibro blade this time. He drew it from his belt, and, with a flash, but it up to Jud's neck.
"Say that one more time!" He taunted the younger man.
For a moment, Jud looked as if he would, but stopped when Obi-Wan attempted to shift so that he lie on his back.
"Actually, I would suggest that you listen him." Obi-Wan said in a matter-of-factly tone of voice. Maarix spun on his heel to frown at the Jedi.
"Stay out of this warrior. You only suggest such a thing to save your own neck."
"It's reasonable though. I came here on a mission to rescue some captives I believe you have." Obi-Wan winced in agony at the pain once more after he said this.
The two men exchanged alarmed looks.
"My uncle will not like this. The prisoners are being used for manual labor." Jud eyed Obi-Wan suspiciously. "Who are you, anyways? We know you're a Jedi from the stories of old."
Obi-Wan shook his head. There was no point in telling them who he was. He figured it was better that they remained ignorant of him. Obi-Wan relaxed against the rock surface.
His shoulder burned like fire.
Maarix again looked at Jud, and a silent agreement was made between them. Maarix strode over to Ob-Wan and looped his arms through Obi-Wan's, carrying the wounded Jedi on his back with little effort whatsoever.
Somewhere else in the jungle, a young woman lie amongst the leaves of the forest floor. She was asleep.
All the creatures that had attempted to investigate the helpless woman in the past two days were turned away by an unseen tremor in the Force that surrounded her. She was protected from the predators that stalked through the thick, wild jungle. But, there was one problem.
The ominous Force shielding could not protect her mind.
She was haunted in her sleep by images of horrible manifestations. In the end of every nightmare, she found herself staring into the face of her betrayer, the one she loved.
She would scream over and over in agony in her mind, but it would do nothing to erase the images of her lover.
Finally, sleep released her.
Jaina Solo awoke for the first time in two days, to find herself in a different world.
[AN: JOY! I finally finished ch.3. It took me a century, but it's finally done. REVIEW PLEASE! No flames! (sorry folks, no retarded comments to insert here)]