Chapter Sixteen: Off to save our Comrades
Tahiri stood at the campsite where she had left Jacen and Raynar. The embers of the fire still remained, but not much else was left of her companions. Looking up at Ganner hopefully she spoke "I wonder what happened to them? I don't think they would leave me"
Kneeling down, Gannar searched the ground for clues "There doesn't appear to have been a struggle here. It looks like the walked away. However, there are more than two sets of footprints here. It appears some Vong found them"
"Who would find them out here, this is the middle of nowhere." She looked around at the forest to her right and the plains to her left.
"The president has a safe complex not but 15 miles from here. A wandering force of his troops could have found them and taken them there."
"Well that is good. We were heading there anyways. Maybe all has been settled."
Ganner laughed "I wish it were that simple. I'm sure they met the president. I'm also sure that they are in a cell right now, and the president is planning their torturous death."
"Is he that evil? To kill dignitaries?"
"He is an opportunist. He took power of a dis-unified shamed caste. They had not been used to control over their own government, or making their own laws. He took power as he saw fit. He made the laws, and he killed anyone who disagreed with him. He will now use Jacen and Raynar to show his power to the Galactic alliance."
Tahiri stared wide-eyed at Ganner. "We'll were going to have to save them, huh?" she smirked
"First were going to have to find them." As they set off to find their comrades.
Tahiri crept up behind Ganner at the outpost he had found. Deeply secluded in the forest on a hill that could barely be seen twenty feet away, the president had picked a good spot to have his camp. The outpost could see for miles around, making it incredibly hard to sneak up on. Running from behind tree to another, Ganner and Tahiri made their way to atop the hill. Panting from lack of breath, Tahiri slumped by the large outer corner secluded by a small overhang. Ganner peered down at her. "I'm not used to climbing uphill anymore." She panted at him. Ganner simply rolled his eyes. "Yeah I know." She muttered
"Where do you think they're holding Jacen and Raynar?" she asked quietly
"If the president is as smart as I think, he has them in two separate cells. Can you feel the force around you?"
Tahiri nodded solemnly
"But you can't feel Jacen or Raynar either?"
Tahiri nodded once again. She blinked a little confusedly and then cocked her head. "Yslamari?"
This time it was Ganner who nodded. "Can you feel the void in the force?"
Tahiri shook her head "no"
"Then we're not near them, come on" he motioned for them to creep slowly outside the Tall building. "Lets hope the jail is on the ground floor and not on the 3rd floor" he said optimistically.
Raynar twiddled his thumbs absentmindedly. He was lost without the force to help him. He couldn't even get a hold of Jacen. Damn Yslamari, he thought I can't even get out of here. Why do I always get stuck in these situations? He moped about feeling sorry for himself. He stared at the yslamari sitting in the corner of his room.
His door swung open and Vong guards came rushing in again. Does this ever end; he thought to himself, how many times can I be drug from my cell in one week? He sighed and let them lead him out of his room to the Throne room once again.
For the third time in two weeks Jacen was in front of the president of Yuuzhan T'ar and no negotiations were taking place. What would mom think? He sighed to himself. Raynar was pulled in to stand behind him shortly after.
"Is this like déjà vu to you?" he whispered
"How many times can they bring us into this throne room?" Raynar answered
"As many times as they'd like it seems." Jacen replied. He scanned the room, three Vong were guarding the doorway, and another two were stationed by the president. All had amphistaffs and they were lightsaberless. Well I always did like a challenge Jacen thought to himself.
Outside the complex:
Tahiri stopped short, allowing Ganner to rush right into the back of her, sending both of them tumbling to the ground.
"What was that about?" he asked, rubbing his bruised knee
"I feel them. They're alive, but they must have moved them from where they were." She said confidently. Climbing back up on her feet she motioned to ganner "this way" and she started creeping back around.
The president didn't even get up from his chair to tell them what was going on for a change. "I will give you one last chance to tell me where the third member of your party is" he hissed to them
Jacen locked his teeth "I told you, she died in the woods." He lied
"We have found no sign of her body. I think you are lying." Jacen tried to hide his shock from the president. So maybe Tahiri is all right after all. Come on Tahiri we need you now, he thought
"I think this is all some trap to take Yuuzhan T'ar from its rightful rulers." The president continued. "It doesn't matter know, in a couple days we will have squashed the insignificant rebellion of shamed ones and we shall throw a massive party. You shall be our main attraction. The burning of the Jedi Witches!" he snarled at them "Does that scare you?" he asked assuredly
Jacen scanned the room once again; they had to get out of here.
"There going to kill them!" Tahiri shouted
"Shhhh, you don't want them to hear us, or we'll be burned alive too." Ganner whispered
"We have to get them out of there!"
Ganner scanned the room through the small window they had found. "We can't take them right now, look at the right back corner"
Peering in Tahiri saw what ganner meant, in the shadows of the room stood at least twenty Yuuzhan Vong guards armed to fight. "What do we do?"
"That's hardly his whole group, from the size of this compound he must have at least 400 shamed ones working for him. We're going to need reinforcements."
Tahiri nodded solemnly. "I think I know the way back to the ship, if the Vong haven't found it already"
"Good, we need to leave tonight."
Jacen looked at Raynar and nodded, even if they didn't have their lightsabers. They could easily take on six Vong in hand-to-hand combat. They had to get out of here and soon. The president motioned for the guards to take them back to their cells and Jacen and Raynar struck. Jacen's fist was quickly implanted into one of the guard's chins sending him in a howl of pain. Ducking under the on coming hit, Jacen stretched his leg out and knocked the guard of his feet. Raynar's first guard was already down, but the second one had hit the blond haired Jedi squarely in the stomach knocking the wind out of him. Jacen rushed jumping on the guards back and knocking him to the floor. Standing up quickly, all the blood rushed out of Jacen's face. Twenty Vong with amphistaff were poised to attack them. Where did these guys come from, he thought to himself. Throwing his hands up, he looked back at the chuckling president.
"Thought it was that easy did you? Take them away," he shouted
Raynar and Jacen soberly let the guards lead them away. A shiny object caught Jacen's attention. Looking up to see what it was, Jacen saw the blond strands of a familiar girl's hair in the window. Reaching out, he felt Tahiri's reassuring presence. Were going to get help, she told him. Jacen smirked, and leaned over to tell Raynar.