Uh? Hello? Where is everyone? :( Did I bore you to death or something?
Anyway, this chapter is one of the reasons why the fic is PG-13. I've got a very violent character on my hands. I get chills sometimes when I read this, but I feel it is needed to show my 'seemingly perfect species' is not prefect at all.
Chapter Six
The Shadow Test
Why do I have to keep repeating this? thought Anakin as he aimed a kick toward Ladora's midsection. She blocked it but just barely. It was an indication, at least to Anakin, that he had learned a lot the past week. He threw his fist at Ladora's face but she prevented it from connecting. He kept going; hitting and kicking - and being blocked every time.
He knew the moves; every ancient Naboo, old Jedi, and a little Tyrigean, along with the stuff he had already known to combine them into a style unlike before. He aimed another kick only to meet air. He looked for Ladora and saw her back flipping to the back of the room. Anakin ran after her, unsure what she had planned, but not wanting mess up and start over again.
Snap-hiss!
Silver light filled that portion of the room as Ladora advanced with her saber. This had not happened before. What was going on? "Uh, Lado-" slash! The lightsaber came down at him and he jumped back. Well, if this was the game she wanted to play, he would play it.
He used the Force to bring a lightsaber from one of the weapon racks in the gym to his hand and blocked another blow. Attack – block – attack – block – attack – block - he matched every onset with a defense. He lost track of time as they clashed. He kept going, and then moved right as he sensed danger coming from behind him. The sound of other sabers clashing met Anakin's ears. He turned to see Ladora's silver blade crossed with the gold of Ken's lightsaber. Their lightswords disengaged and they started forward upon Anakin.
Great, now I have to deal with two of them, he thought as he settled in defense mode. As the confrontation continued, it became clear that, while Anakin could hold out, under their combined strength, the battle would not last much longer. He needed a plan.
As he started to think, a dim, much like a yashimgi, pulse in the Force appeared. Weeks ago, he would never had noticed it before, not even sensing it. But, now, after the days of training, he knew how to recognize it. Anakin jumped and flipped over Ladora and Ken's heads. When he landed, he turned. He saw Caiya join the others, brought his saber up to stance, and racked his brain for an idea.
He observed the sandbags they had used in place of Vong warriors on Ladora's right. He threw his saber in their direction. Ladora ducked, thinking it was aimed at her no doubt. The lightsaber cut the bags open. The sand poured out and Anakin brought his weapon back to him. The three smirked, thinking that they had won, but then Anakin used the Force to switch on the overhead fans.
The fans caused the sand to fly around, causing a small sandstorm and confusing Anakin's three opponents. He ran into it; looking for someone to challenge first. He found one and pushed Ken out. Failing to hide his shock, the Jedi Prince brought his saber up to start the attack. But Anakin began to hack away; forcing Ken in defense mode. Ken kept backing up until he tripped over a box that was behind him. Anakin grabbed Ken's lightsaber and went around the box to kick some more boxes on top of the Prince. He quickly turned and blocked Caiya's swinging blow.
They started, Anakin defending but moving Caiya back. She looked calm, but Anakin knew she had to be worried. They went over Tyrigean statutes and one was never let the enemy control your movements. He took out Ken's lightsaber and began his offensive; slashing away, using the sabers to hit the same place on the staff. It broke. He kicked her in the stomach and Force – pushed her back in the sandstorm.
He turned again to see Ladora coming at him like an angry gundark. Using both sabers, he blocked. They circled, neither wanting to move in defense. After turning twice, he faced the sandstorm. He broke away running and Ladora ran after him. He came to the wall, jumped and flipped over her. She ran into the wall and fell to the floor. Anakin pointed both sabers at her head and she smiled. "I guess your training's over."
He switched the sabers off. "Yeah, I guess so."
Ken walked up as Ladora got to her feet. Anakin gave him back his lightsaber. "Next time, let's survey the room and get rid of any boxes before we spar with Anakin again, because that hurt," he said.
"Sorry, Ken," apologized Anakin feeling a little bad that he had hurt his friends.
But Ken just waved it away. "Forget about it. I should've been watching anyway."
"That's for sure. I didn't except you to flip at the last moment," said Ladora as she turned off the fans.
Ken grinned. "And that's why you were watching him instead of the wa – whoa! Ow!"
Ladora walked toward the front of the gym, dusting her hands off, with a satisfied smirk on her face. "How's the wall, Ken?"
The voice that came was muffed from where Ken had been shoved into the wall, "Nice, but I think it needs cleaning."
Anakin sighed and followed Ladora. After all the time he had spent with them, he was used to Ladora's antics, but it bothered him. Caiya walked to the front and took the seat across from Ladora, who was working on her datapad. Anakin, seeing the Tyrigean's broken staff, took the seat between them and started to stammer, "Uh, Caiya, I – about that – uh, your staff –"
But the Tyrigean raised her hand. "Anakin Solo, you need not apologize. We were training and I am not harmed. As for my staff," she held up the two pieces, "I will regard it in honor. In my culture, Jedi are honored. Being defeated by you is a honor."
"But I thought your belief is that defeat is a dishonor."
Caiya nodded. "It is, however, the exception is Jedi. They are seen as an extension of Life. Therefore, it is an honor if you are defeated by them."
"Oh," said Anakin, but still felt a little guilty, "Okay."
He turned to see Ken take the seat next to Ladora. "My nose still hurts," said Ken.
Ladora did not look up from her datapad. "I can make it hurt more."
Ken responded in what Anakin hoped was a mock excitement tone, "Oh, will you? Hi, Rene!"
Everyone turned to see the young woman come up to them. "That was impressive," she said. "And all of it in a hour, too."
"A hour?" said Ladora and Ken together.
"A hour?" repeated Anakin, "That didn't feel like it."
Rene grinned, "Yeah, well, I timed it and got it on a holo. Nice crash, Ladora."
"I'm never going live that down," she said.
Rene shrugged, "You need to be mindful of your surroundings, but other than that, you should not have any problems with the Vong"
Something occurred to Anakin. Something he had not asked before now. "Hey, Ladora, I have a question." A nod. "Are we going to kill the Vong when we fight them?"
"No."
"Seriously?" he asked, relieved at that.
"Seriously. All those places on the sandbags that we've been practicing on are places that open up to the Vong's bloodstream. A paralysis drug that will be coated on our lightsabers will make its way through their veins, but it won't last long. I've got a carbon crystal substance that will paralyze/freeze them for good. Hopefully, other Vong will hear about their warriors not dying and become so angry that they'll come after us and leave other Jedi alone."
Anakin nodded. That was a lot better than killing them. He felt better.
"I say torture them and then death," began Caiya viciously. "My people had captured a barbarian when they invaded my home. For years, it was tortured because it and it's kind had violated many parts of the Code, but it always enjoyed our methods," she said looking confused at such a possibility, "Then we found a way that truly caused it pain. We dripped on drop of Sambar juice on it. Finally, it disliked pain. This went on for a long time, dropping Sambar on it, until it violated the last parts of the Code. To violate the entire Code is death."
Anakin sat there, horrified at her tale. Behind Caiya, Rene asked in a small voice, "What did the Tyrigeans do?"
"We started at the feet, cutting it into tiny pieces. Then we cut the arms in the same manner. I was ten at the time, the age to enter the warrior phase, and was given the pleasure of beheading the barbarian…with this very staff." She held up her broken weapon. "The rest of the body was cut in tiny pieces and scattered over the Pool of Life in the Great Tree."
"What happened to the head?" asked Ladora, sounding, for once, that she dreaded the answer.
"It is currently in my mother's Throne Room to remember our victory."
They sat in silence, aghast at Caiya's tale. Everyone turned to Ken who, after all, had been to Tygarea. "What? I never went in the Throne Room. I had no idea!" he said, disturbed. They turned back to Caiya, who was looking proud, unaware at how sickened she made her friends, and sat in silence again.
After awhile, a voice came from near the door. "All right, no more gruesome stories, Caiya," said Ladora's father.
The Tyrigean looked puzzled, "Gruesome? How is it gruesome?"
"We'll tell you the human standards of gruesome later, Caiya," said Ladora. Beside her, Ken nodded frantically.
Ladora's father got a chair and sat next to Anakin, "Anakin, could you tell me what you think of the Force?"
Anakin, realizing that he was asked a question, shook himself out of his horrific trance, "Uh, what? Oh, I just use the Force whenever I need it. Wh –" but he stopped as he felt everyone's eyes upon him. Everyone was staring at him like he had told Caiya's account.
"Come on." Someone grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the door. He turned to see who it was: Ladora. He looked back and everyone still had the same shocked look, all except Ladora's father who wore a small sly smile on his face.
Anakin felt his insides grow cold. He had spent a lot of time making sure he never enticed Ladora's anger, but somehow he had done it anyway.
Boring stuff coming, however, it is very relevant to the end of the fic. Hope you like it.
