CHAPTER 11

CAPTURE

"Die easily, I will not!" Yoda shouted, backflipping over the bounty hunter's head. "Die first, you will!"

Ruden didn't move for a moment. He waited until Yoda had almost landed on top of him before he jumped out of the way.

The old Jedi's lightsaber pierced the floor. He pulled on it but found it was stuck.

A boot came down on his hand and pinned it to the floor. The impact was so great that at first he said and did nothing then he opened his mouth and let out an ear piercing scream.

"What was that?" Rie asked.

More shrieks.

"I think," Esore said calmly. "That is his family."

"HIS FAMILY!" Dorian turned. "Let's get out of here before we end up insect food!"

The others didn't argue. They all turned and ran.

Ruden raised his boot and reached down. His grabbed Yoda by his cloak and pulled him up to his level of sight. Their faces almost touched.

The old Master glared at him.

"I would kill you now," the bounty hunter said. "But I was given strick orders not to."

Yoda didn't reply.

Ruden raised his arm above his head. "But I cannot have you giving me trouble."

"So?" Yoda finally asked.

"I'll have to make sure you don't."

With one thrust Ruden threw his arm downward, hard. His smashed the Jedi into the floor.

Esore's heartbeat quickened as she ran. She knew she couldn't die to praying mantises but they were much bigger than her and therefore could run faster.

I have to live through this, she thought quickening her pace. I can't let Master Yoda down!

Her speed increased even more.

The others, though she couldn't see them well, did the same.

The Force in all of them helped them along but the forest seemed to go on forever.

Just when she thought the forest would never end Esore saw sunlight ahead. "We're almost out!" she screamed to her friends.

The others would have cheered but they were too busy running.

Before they were even out of the trees Jay saw something ahead of them and shouted. "GET DOWN!"

The five instantly dived to the ground. That same instant the forest broke out in lazer fire.

The impact left the old Master momentarily dazed on the floor. He sat up slowly, holding his pounding head.

Just as he began to regain his bearings the whole hall filled with smoke and he walked down the hall, totally disoriented.

Where am I? he thought, stumbling along. Where did he go? Yoda started coughing. Suffocating me he is!

Esore screamed right along with the praying mantises that were being pierced with the lazer fire. Oh no! she thought. We've run into Seperatists! They're going to kill those giant insects then us!

Then the fire ceased. A hand fell on her shoulder. She screamed even louder.

"Esore," Jay's voice broke through her screams. "It's all right. You can get up now."

She opened her eyes and stood. "What happened?" she asked.

"I think we got a little help."

"By who?"

Before he could reply a voice shouted. "Freeze!"

Ruden could see Yoda's silloette through the fog he'd created. The old Master stumbled along, falling over his own feet then getting back up again. It won't be long now, the bounty hunter thought. He won't be able to fight it forever. When he drops I'll be waiting.

Just then Yoda fell over once more. Ruden waited. The Jedi didn't get back up.

Perfect, the bounty hunter thought, stepping through the fog. Now he's mine.

Obi-Wan felt a disturbance in the Force. He just knew something was wrong. He stopped Murak Indoly in the hall. "Have you seen Master Yoda?" he asked.

The younger Master nodded. "I saw him heading toward the library about an hour ago."

Obi-Wan thanked him and ran down the hall. I hope he's there, he thought.

He hadn't even reached the library when he saw something that made him heart sink. Oh no! It can't be!

He came to a stop and knelt down to examine the object on the floor. A dark brown cloak.

Jedi Master Yoda's cloak.

But where's his lightsaber? And where is he?

"Master Yoda?" he asked, looking around. "Master Yoda!"

"Looking for someone?" a voice behind him demanded.

Obi-Wan turned around. He saw somebody standing in the shadows near one of the huge windows. "Who are you?" the Jedi asked.

"My name is Ruden Farlian," thefigure in the shadows said. "I'm a bounty hunter."

"Bounty hunter? What are you doing here?"

"I came here to collect somebody for my client."

"And who might that be?"

The bounty hunter stepped into the light. Obi-Wan noticed he held a small figure in brown in his red and silver armored arms. The Jedi's eyes got big. "MASTER YODA!" he exclaimed.

"Bingo," the man said.

Obi-Wan reached for his lightsaber. "Let Master Yoda go!" he commanded.

Ruden frowned. "I don't think so," he said.

"I'm warning you!"

"If you want him... Come get him."

Obi-Wan's lightsaber burst to life. He ran forward.

Ruden's jet pack burt to life as well. He turned toward the window and flew at it. Without even flinching the bounty hunter crashed through, shattering the frame and sending glass shard everywhere.

Esore, Jay, and the other three Padawans froze.

"Who are you?" the voice demanded.

"Esore, Jay Indigo, Maya Ixten, Dorian Flan, and Rie Secura (she's related to Aayla Secure somehow) of Coruscant," Esore called out. "We're Jedi Padawan's from the new jedi Temple."

"Jedi Temple?" the voice asked, his voice full of confusion. "I thought that place burned down over thirty years ago."

"It was rebuilt, sir," Jay called out.

"Really?"

"Reallly!"

A man stepped out of the dark canopy of the forest. He looked strangely familer. Like a Jango Fett clone trooper. "I should have known," he said smiling. "Only Jedi carry those deadly glow sticks around. I have to admit it. I never thought I'd get to see one of those again."

"Who are you?" Esore asked.

The mand walked toward her, his right hand extended. "Name names Syrus," he replied still smiling. "Syrus Fett."

Obi-Wan jumped out of the way to avoid the flying glass. He landed on the window ledge but was too late to do anything.

The bounty hunter and Master Yoda were gone.

"No!" he screamed. "MASTER YODA!"

Murak Indoly felt Maser Kenobi's scream in the Force and came running. "Obi-Wan," he said. "What happened?"

The older Jedi turned to look at the young Master. His eyes held the panic he felt.

"Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan gasped and clanched at his chest.

"Obi-Wan!" Murak yelled, running forward. I hope he's not having a heart attack!

He caught the old Jedi Master before he fell onto the broke glass.

"It's Master yoda!" Kenobi gasped.

"Master Yoda? What about him? What happened?"

"He's been kidnapped!"

A/N

HAHAHA! I just realized something. The Jedi always have problems with bounty hunters. I wonder what's up with that?

I also noticed how much of a flop this story is. I would stop writing it right now but I finished it on papar. So I'm going to just finish it up and forget about it. I only have six chapters to go anyway...