A/N: Thanks so much to everyone for reviews. Here's the next chapter! As always, I don't own anything but Keli (and Arrah, who will be introduced later on in this chapter).
-THE BLURB-
Thoughts
"Dialogue"
'Dark Jak Telepathic Dialogue'
Emphasized word
Emphasized word
The Rejected
Chapter Four
Torn glanced up at the dark entity in front of him. He turned away and cursed under his breath once more, only to see Samos hurrying down the stairs to the main control room.
"Torn? What is going on? I was just watering the plants when-"
Torn whispered two words that made the room go silent. "They're back."
Dark nodded, approving Torn's statement. Samos gaped with his mouth open; for once in his sagely life, he didn't know what to do. Torn shook his head, righting himself. After returning to his normal erect position, he addressed Dark with a grave tone.
"He's after you and your brother."
Dark's eyes narrowed. 'Then I am after him.'
"Are you sure you're up to that?" questioned Torn. "It's probably suicide, but I know where to reach him."
Dark sneered maliciously. 'Just give the location and a transport and I'll take care of the rest.'
Torn laughed. "You're just like Jak used to be," he commented.
Samos pushed a few buttons and the radio transmission replayed. He typed in a few words and waited. A map, with a blinking red dot, showed up on the hologram projector. He pressed another button, and a small microchip popped out of the machine.
"Here, use this to find the ship," instructed Samos. Dark took the chip and activated it. The map instantly appeared.
"Sig, you there? This is Torn."
Sig's head popped up on the hologram projector and he began to speak. "Yeah, what is it, cherry?"
"I need a transport from Spargus for a mission for my, ah, 'agent' here to some remote coordinates in the Wasteland."
"Right on it, cherry. Let's see, hmm, what kind of a Dune Buggy does your 'agent' want? Does Dark want a guide?"
Dark jumped at the mention of his name.
"Do you?"
'A fast one. A guide would be helpful, too.'
Sig nodded, apparently having heard Dark's thought. "Ok, most of my Wastelanders are away… I've got a rookie who knows the Wasteland like the back of her palm. Used to be a Marauder, she did. Got her priorities straightened out and joined us again. Her name's Arrah."
'... Her?'
"Take it or leave it, Dark."
'Fine, taken.'
Dark glanced over at the bold Wastelander next to him; she was tall and slender, with extra-long ears, auburn hair, and hazel eyes. Sig patted the Wastelander on the back and told her to get rolling.
"Alright you cherries, go to wherever you're going. Heh, Torn's 'agent'. Riiiiiiiiiiight…" Sig mumbled.
Dark rolled his eyes, and hopped into the Dune Hopper in the passenger seat. Arrah, the Wastelander, revved the engine and sped off almost instantly.
"Now, where are we going?" Arrah shouted over the roaring vehicle.
'Follow the map,' instructed Dark. He noticed Arrah shiver. Probably from him talking to her in her mind. Most who met Dark the first time were frightened of how he communicated. It was okay though; he was used to it.
Arrah glanced at the map and continued on in the buggy. It took nearly an hour before Dark and Arrah reached the blinking red dot on the map.
Arrah got out of the buggy and surveyed the land around her. "I don't see anything," she commented.
'That is because you cannot see it.'
What the heck? Arrah thought. This creature was weird.
Dark sighed in exasperation. 'Come here.'
Arrah gave Dark a suspicious look, but followed his instruction. She gasped when she saw it. There, just a shade darker than the rest of the desert sand, was a giant landed ship.
"That's what you were looking for, then?"
'Yes. Don't speak to me, just think and I will hear.'
What? Arrah wondered. She could understand that the creature would want to remain silent, but why in the world would he hear her thoughts?
'Telepathy,' Dark answered. Arrah jumped.
You can hear my THOUGHTS?
'Only those that are directed as conversation or apply directly to me.'
Oh.
The duo approached the gargantuan ship at a slow rate. It was far past dusk when they came to it.
Wow, big, mused Arrah. She could hear Dark snort. Shut UP! Just 'cause you can read people's minds doesn't mean that you're allowed to invade them!
'Sorry.'
Arrah pointed to a small door. Dark pried it open with ease, and they snuck in.
'Jakkey-boy, where are yooooooooouuuuuu?'
What? You mean- I didn't know that you were- YOU'RE DARK JAK!
'Took long enough to notice, didn't it?'
Arrah growled at him. No one had told her anything about this mission! Suddenly she noticed something breathing down her neck.
STOP IT!
'Turn around.'
Arrah turned around in anger, which turned to fear when she saw what was there. A giant, midnight blue bipedal creature, with long arms and a small snout. Its purple eyes were flecked with red, and vicious black claws jutted from its feet and hands, or were they paws?
The creature roared and swiped at Arrah. She ducked and pulled out her gun. Arrah fired, and lodged a bullet in the creature's head. It roared in pain and collapsed on the floor beside her.
'Dearly sorry my dear guide, but I must advise you to RUN!'
Arrah spotted Dark snake past more odd, exotic creatures, and she sprinted after him. The creatures followed the two unfortunate elves, and there was chaos aboard the ship. Footsteps pounded behind them, and they took a right, another right, took a left… Arrah couldn't keep track of where they went as they raced throughout the massive labyrinth.
Arrah bumped into Dark, who had stopped abruptly. She caught a glimpse of his face; his eyes were narrowed and fangs were bared. Dark eco cackled around him and he let out a shout of anger.
Arrah whimpered and backed away from Dark, then cried out when she heard footsteps coming behind. However, they were lighter than the creatures' footsteps… Odd.
Dark blasted the wall in front of him with strike after strike of Dark eco. The eco didn't even leave a dent. He panted in exhaustion, and rammed his shoulder into the wall. Nothing happened. He heard the footsteps, and now Arrah could hear them too… Jak was headed right this way, and he had trapped them inside his ship. Dark punched the wall with his claws as he realized what he and Arrah were: captives.
He turned around and looked into the hard blue eyes of the great warrior Mar. Ashelin was behind him; she had her pistol pointed at Arrah's head.
"Welcome," commented Jak with a smirk. Dark snarled at him, though he knew he couldn't do anything.
What is going on? Why is the Governor holding a gun to my head? Dark heard Arrah yell telepathically.
'They're evil. They're bad. They've "crossed over to the dark side." How else would you like me to phrase it for you? We're hostages, Arrah.'
No, we can't be… I'm going to run for it on five, you coming?
'No- that's not smart...'
Fine, let Jak destroy you.
'FINE!'
Okay, ready? One, two, FIVE! RUUUUUUUNNNNNNNN!
Arrah bolted past Ashelin. Dark punched Jak in the face and shot a bit of Dark Eco at Ashelin, which knocked her out cold. Dark heard footsteps in front of him, and he was sure they were Arrah's. She'd be fine.
Without a second thought, Dark ran as fast as humanely possible out of the ship. Not stopping, he ran through the Wasteland through the night until he reached the front gate of Spargus. It opened, and Dark collapsed in the Dune buggy port. Before he blacked out, he sent Torn a message:
'I'm here, but I don't know where Arrah is.'
"Nice to see you alive, cherry," commented a deep voice. Dark groaned. "Where's Arrah?"
Dark's eyes shot open and he looked around wildly. He noticed the Dune Hopper wasn't there. 'OH DAMN!'
Arrah was still a hostage at Jak's ship.
Keira bumped into Sig as she sifted through yet another bookshelf of Precursor lore with the help of Light. Sig was dragging a traumatized Dark around with him. She needed to find any information that could be helpful in any way concerning the rescue of Arrah. Torn had radioed her over her communicator not an hour ago, claiming to have been radioed by Sig about the whereabouts of Arrah, and had contacted Dark, who didn't know where Arrah was. Torn had drawn a conclusion, and now he need Keira and Light to help him.
"Um… Sig, what are you doing?" questioned Keira. Dark had been banished; now he was allowed in the city again?
"Found this chili peppa exhausted and lying in the dune buggy port. He went off on a mission with one of the Wastelanders, named Arrah, but when I asked him where Arrah was, he wouldn't say anything. Poor bloke."
"Um, Sig? Arrah's been taken hostage."
"WHAT?"
A/N: Please review!