CHAPTER 8

THE MESSAGE

When Yoda was sure he and Obi-Wan were out of ear shot he stopped. The human stopped as well and leaned against a pillar waiting for the old Master to say something about why he'd wanted to speak with him.

Yoda leaned forward on his walking stick. He looked up at his friend. "Ready to hear it now?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan replied. "I've been ready for the past few minutes."

"All right."

"So what did this Angel form the Moons of Viago want you to tell me?"

"Important it was. Returning someone we know is."

"Someone we know?" Obi-Wan asked. "We bearly know anybody around here. Did she tell you who it was?"

Yoda shook his head. "Told me who, she did not."

"How about when?"

"No."

"Then how," Obi-Wan asked. "will we know when to get ready?"

"Find out we will."

"How?"

Yoda thought a moment then shrugged. "Wait we will. Soon we will figure out." was the only answer he had.

Esore's lightsaber came to life as she stepped out of the ship and onto the moss covered ground. She used the sword to cast light on the jungle but it wasn't enough to see very far with. She could only see a few feet in front of her.

"Guys!" she called into the ship. "Did we bring any glow rods?"

"I don't know," Jay called. "Let me look."

A few minutes later four more lightsabers burst to life. Even with that light it was hard to see very far into the jungle.

"We don't have any glow rods do we?" she asked.

Jay, who stood by her elbow, shook his head. "No, but maybe if we can start a fire we'll be able to see better."

"Good idea," Maya agreed. "But how are we going to do that?"

"Don't we have anything to start it with?" the blond Padawan inquired.

Nobody did.

"I think," Esore spoke up after a moment of awkward silence. "One of us should stay with the ship while the rest of us go out there and make sure there is no monsters or anything like that around that could eat us in our sleep."

"But which on of us is going to stay with the ship?" Rie asked.

"How about you?" Maya suggested, tossing her hair.

"Me?" the Twi'lek wasn't sure she liked that idea. "Why me?"

"Because, I said so," Maya retorted snootily.

Rie looked at the other three. "What about you guys?" she asked to be sure.

"Do you want to search the area with us?" Esore asked gently. "Are you sure you want to?"

Rie shook her head, her head tails swaying. "No."

"Then wait here, okay?" Jay said. "If anything happens to us take the ship back to Coruscant and inform Master Yoda that he just lost four Padawans."

The Twi'lek didn't like that idea either but she nodded. "Okay," she agreed, deactivating her lightsaber.

"Okay." Jay said. "Let's go."

The other four went off into the darkness. In a matter of seconds all the Twi'lek girl could see was the blue, green, purple, or white of their lightsabers.

"Be careful," she called to them.

She received no reply. The Force here was constantly swirling around her and being disturbed by something. Her lightsaber came back on and she held it close. Even with the weapon in her hand she felt no safer.

I hope they get back soon, she thought, looking around herself.

It wasn't long before the other four Padawan's returned. "Was anything out there?" Rie asked when she could see their faces.

Dorian shook his head. "Nope," he said, his voice full of disapointment. "Not even a cricket."

"Well, I'm glad," Maya said, flopping on the ground. "I don't feel like facing monsters tonight."

"Maya," Esore said, setting down a pile of wood she'd collected, on the ground. "You have a lightsaber. If you had run into a monster you could have defended yourself."

"I know, Esore," Maya said. "I'm just saying..."

"All right," Jay cut in. "There's no need to get into an arguement."

"You're right," Esore agreed, as she worked to start a fire. "There's no point in fighting about it."

"Fi-ne!" Maya muttered. "Whatever!"

"Shut up," Dorian orderd. "Esore can't start a fire with you yapping!"

Maya would have said more but the looks the others gave her stopped her. She shut her mouth and said nothing more.

A few seconds later a fire sparked to life. Esore leaned down and blew on the flames until they roared to full height. "Okay," she said getting up. "Let's get whatever gear we have in that ship out here so we can set up camp."

"Good idea," Rie agreed.

As quickly as they could the five Padawans ran in and out of the ship carrying blankets and a few other things out of the ship and set them on the ground. It didn't take long because they hadn't brought much. When they were done Maya flopped onto the mossy earth and sighed in relief. "Phew! That was a lot of work!" she said, wiping sweat off her forehead. "Remind me to never go camping again."

Dorian stepped out of the ship with the rest of the stuff just in time to hear her. "Why are you whining so much?" he demanded, as he set the stuff on the ground. "You didn't do much of anything!"

"I did too!" she argued.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Why do you guys always have to start something?" Jay asked.

"I'm not!" Dorian shot back. "Maya is just lazy! She hardly did anything! She took nothing out of the ship except a few small items."

"Speaking of which," Esore said pointing. "Look!"

"Huh?" the smart aleck turned around.

The group watched as the ship's ramp lifted off the ground and back inside. Then the ship started to rise into the air... without a pilot!

"Hey!" Dorian exclaimed. "What the-!"

WHOOOSH! The ship shot into the air and vanished into space.

"What was that?" Rie asked, staring into the sky.

"I think," Esore said thoughtfully. "Master Yoda programmed the ship to go back to Coruscant once all five of us actually got off of it."

"Why would he do a thing like that?" Maya asked.

"Maybe it was his way of making sure none of us chickened out," the purple haired girl said simply.

"Maybe," Jay agreed. "But who would? Other than Dorian and Maya we're all brave."

"Hey!" Dorian exclaimed.

"Don't start," Esore interrupted.

"Let's just all sit down," Rie suggest. "It's really no use getting into a fight. We're stuck here till we find a way to get off or they send another ship back to get us so we might as well get used to it."

"Rie is right," Esore said.

Dorian sat down.

For a few minutes the five just sat there staring at the fire. Finally after what seemed like an hour Jay said. "Well, since we can't really do anything until we find out what Master Yoda wanted us to do so we might as well get some sleep."

Maya nodded. "Good idea," she agreed, stretching and yawning.

The others readily agreed as well. They laid their blankets on the ground and lay down as they said their good nights.

Dorian fell asleep instantly and started snoring. Maya made a face and put in earplugs. She also dozed off in a few minutes.

As the others began to fall alseep Esore discovered she couldn't. As the last framents of their fire buned out she stared at the sky and just let her mind wander.

Back at Coruscant Obi-Wan Kenobi was also staring at the sky. He was going over the events of the day and didn't feel like doing anything else. The day had gone by without any problems but Obi-Wan had noticed Luke Skywalker was still acting weird.

He was becoming rude and questioned everything the older Jedi Masters said.

Obi-Wan feared Luke was becoming just like his Father, Anakin Skywalker.

I wonder what is wrong with him, the human Jedi Master thought. Why is he acting this way so much? He never acted like this before. Well not as often anyway...

As he thought about it an Answer came to him. He instantly pushed it away trying to argue with it but the Answer just came back.

It can't be true, but it must be... He looked over his shoulder and into the Temple, his hands begining to tremble. Is Luke going to the dark side?