Ch.4
The jungle was thicker, younger....
The vines were dense and the floor was no longer a thick pile of twigs. In fact, it was now a soft, wild grass covered in golden leaves.
Jaina Solo gasped in surprise. This was most certainly not the Yavin four forest she had fallen asleep in. It was so different...
And yet, it wasn't.
Jaina's hair was matted on her forehead with a light, morning dew. The chestnut locks were curled in the wetness and humidity, lying in waves around her shoulders.
She breathed in testily, inhaling with a struggled gasp. With the breath came the anguish in her heart. Suddenly, it didn't matter where she was anymore. Jaina wished that she hadn't woken up at all.
Her fist closed unintentionally around a cold, metal tube. It was her lightsaber. She had grabbed that, along with her utility belt as she had fled from her own wedding.
Jaina squeezed the handle; its ridges felt smooth against her hand. Her angry tears mixed with the dew.
Every time she had fallen into depression during the war, there had always been someone to lean on. Jacen had been her rock in the beginning, but he wasn't there for her when Anakin had died.
And so she had fled to Jag.
He had been her anchor amidst the storm and raging waves of emotion in her heart. She knew that she could always depend on him.
But Jag had failed her. He had caused the storm of anger and despair that now raved in her soul.
Jaina cried out in hopelessness. She wanted her mother, her father, her brother, or even her uncle and aunt. She felt like a small child again, always fleeing where she knew there was safety.
She reached out in the Force, grasping for the familiar comfort of her brother's presence. Surely she could draw comfort from their twin bond. But it wasn't there.
Jaina realized she couldn't feel any of them anymore. She couldn't feel Jacen, Leia, Luke, or Mara. It was like they were all gone...
She was alone. The connection she had felt with her brother and mother since the very beginning of her life was completely gone. It was only a memory, lost in the oblivion of time.
But there was another.
Jaina could feel another presence in the Force, strong and vibrant. This Force presence was filled with agony too, though it was more so physical than mental.
The Jedi woman screamed out through the Force.
She knew that this was not the Yavin four she had fallen asleep on. Something was terribly wrong.
Then, she heard the sound of footsteps.
Jaina leapt to her feet with a snarl. Whatever creature of the Massasai jungle this was, she would vent her anger out on it. The Jedi woman looked around, her torn dress ripping even more so as she widened her stance to meet her prey.
'Forget where I am.' She thought viciously. 'Something's going to die."
The darkness overwhelmed her. Jaina smiled. She welcomed it.
Obi-Wan moaned. His back now ached along with his torn shoulder. Maarix kept a steady stride, his shoulder blades grinding into the Jedi's stomach.
The threesome had been traveling for several hours, through miles of the jungle.
Finally, Jud motioned to stop. Maarix threw Obi-Wan down upon the forest floor. The Jedi closed his eyes and summoned the Force to dull his pain.
It lessened, but not completely.
"We will stop here for rest." Jud sat down by the fallen Jedi. Maarix shrugged and left the clearing.
"Where is he going?" Obi-Wan sat up, tenderly avoiding moving his shoulder too much.
"He goes to hunt, warrior. Maarix often does it for sport, even though Jek has forbid it." Jud eyed his fingers, not really knowing why he was telling the Jedi that.
"Who is this Jek?" Obi-Wan glanced at the young man.
Jud shook his head and turned away.
Obi-Wan silently went over what he had read about these people. According to the Jedi database, there were three different tribes that roamed the forests of Yavin four. Their origins came from pilots and smugglers of ships who crashed and were not able to find rescue.
One of the groups, known as the Gar'lyush, spoke a mix of Basic and Huttese. The others had formulated their own languages. The Gar'lyush were the most civilized, while the other two tribes, the Makil and the Warra, were fairly primitive.
In the short message the Council had received from Nalee, the scientist had mentioned that they had been taken by the Warra.
Obi-Wan wondered if he could befriend the Gar'lyush. If that was possible, it was likely he could get their help to rescue the research team.
Suddenly, he heard a war cry sound from not very far away. Jud leapt to his feet.
"That was the cry of a Warra warrior. Maarix is still out there." Jud drew an old blaster from his belt. He also drew a curved sword from a sheath he had tied to his back. "Come with me warrior. A fight is brewing."
The jungle was thicker, younger....
The vines were dense and the floor was no longer a thick pile of twigs. In fact, it was now a soft, wild grass covered in golden leaves.
Jaina Solo gasped in surprise. This was most certainly not the Yavin four forest she had fallen asleep in. It was so different...
And yet, it wasn't.
Jaina's hair was matted on her forehead with a light, morning dew. The chestnut locks were curled in the wetness and humidity, lying in waves around her shoulders.
She breathed in testily, inhaling with a struggled gasp. With the breath came the anguish in her heart. Suddenly, it didn't matter where she was anymore. Jaina wished that she hadn't woken up at all.
Her fist closed unintentionally around a cold, metal tube. It was her lightsaber. She had grabbed that, along with her utility belt as she had fled from her own wedding.
Jaina squeezed the handle; its ridges felt smooth against her hand. Her angry tears mixed with the dew.
Every time she had fallen into depression during the war, there had always been someone to lean on. Jacen had been her rock in the beginning, but he wasn't there for her when Anakin had died.
And so she had fled to Jag.
He had been her anchor amidst the storm and raging waves of emotion in her heart. She knew that she could always depend on him.
But Jag had failed her. He had caused the storm of anger and despair that now raved in her soul.
Jaina cried out in hopelessness. She wanted her mother, her father, her brother, or even her uncle and aunt. She felt like a small child again, always fleeing where she knew there was safety.
She reached out in the Force, grasping for the familiar comfort of her brother's presence. Surely she could draw comfort from their twin bond. But it wasn't there.
Jaina realized she couldn't feel any of them anymore. She couldn't feel Jacen, Leia, Luke, or Mara. It was like they were all gone...
She was alone. The connection she had felt with her brother and mother since the very beginning of her life was completely gone. It was only a memory, lost in the oblivion of time.
But there was another.
Jaina could feel another presence in the Force, strong and vibrant. This Force presence was filled with agony too, though it was more so physical than mental.
The Jedi woman screamed out through the Force.
She knew that this was not the Yavin four she had fallen asleep on. Something was terribly wrong.
Then, she heard the sound of footsteps.
Jaina leapt to her feet with a snarl. Whatever creature of the Massasai jungle this was, she would vent her anger out on it. The Jedi woman looked around, her torn dress ripping even more so as she widened her stance to meet her prey.
'Forget where I am.' She thought viciously. 'Something's going to die."
The darkness overwhelmed her. Jaina smiled. She welcomed it.
Obi-Wan moaned. His back now ached along with his torn shoulder. Maarix kept a steady stride, his shoulder blades grinding into the Jedi's stomach.
The threesome had been traveling for several hours, through miles of the jungle.
Finally, Jud motioned to stop. Maarix threw Obi-Wan down upon the forest floor. The Jedi closed his eyes and summoned the Force to dull his pain.
It lessened, but not completely.
"We will stop here for rest." Jud sat down by the fallen Jedi. Maarix shrugged and left the clearing.
"Where is he going?" Obi-Wan sat up, tenderly avoiding moving his shoulder too much.
"He goes to hunt, warrior. Maarix often does it for sport, even though Jek has forbid it." Jud eyed his fingers, not really knowing why he was telling the Jedi that.
"Who is this Jek?" Obi-Wan glanced at the young man.
Jud shook his head and turned away.
Obi-Wan silently went over what he had read about these people. According to the Jedi database, there were three different tribes that roamed the forests of Yavin four. Their origins came from pilots and smugglers of ships who crashed and were not able to find rescue.
One of the groups, known as the Gar'lyush, spoke a mix of Basic and Huttese. The others had formulated their own languages. The Gar'lyush were the most civilized, while the other two tribes, the Makil and the Warra, were fairly primitive.
In the short message the Council had received from Nalee, the scientist had mentioned that they had been taken by the Warra.
Obi-Wan wondered if he could befriend the Gar'lyush. If that was possible, it was likely he could get their help to rescue the research team.
Suddenly, he heard a war cry sound from not very far away. Jud leapt to his feet.
"That was the cry of a Warra warrior. Maarix is still out there." Jud drew an old blaster from his belt. He also drew a curved sword from a sheath he had tied to his back. "Come with me warrior. A fight is brewing."