Chapter Five – Goodbye

Anakin was wide awake and on his feet the exact instant the door opened. Jendri walked into the holding cell, and smiled when she saw Anakin standing in front of the still sleeping Taro to protect him.

"Don't you dare come near him," Anakin warned and Jendri laughed. Anakin wished he had his light sabre with him, but then he noticed that Jendri wasn't carrying a weapon either. Anakin fumed at the idea that the Aravanian woman seemed to think he wasn't a threat to her.

"We have arrived on Aravane. I will take him to my brother the King, so that his fate may be decided," Jendri said, and this time her voice chilled Anakin to the bone.

He looked at Taro from the corner of his eyes and noticed that the Werin looked a lot healthier than he had when Anakin had first woken up on this blasted ship. But there was no sign of him opening his eyes, and Anakin realized that he couldn't escape and leave Taro.

"I don't think so," Anakin said and used the Force to slam Jendri into the wall. Instead of getting angry and fighting back however, Jendri simply laughed.

"My, what a hold that Werin must have on you. But don't worry, once he is dead you'll be freed from his spell," Jendri said and now her voice chilled Anakin's very heart.

He used the Force once again to lift Jendri and slam her against one of the other walls. She laughed more heartily this time, showing off her teeth like a shark ready to strike.

"My my my, such temper. I thought you Jedi were above anger and the likes? A fine Aravanian you would make, that much I can tell you," she said, and suddenly she stopped smiling. She got up and faced Anakin, and he knew that the time for games was over.

Jendri threw herself at him and started throwing punches and kicks. She was incredibly fast for someone that big and strong, but Anakin wasn't slow or weak himself. He dodged and blocked as many punches and kicks as he could while throwing some of his own.

It was soon clear however that Jendri had a lot more experience in this department, and after a time Anakin's attempts at dodging became fruitless. A ruthless two punch combination sent him flying into the wall himself this time.

"This was fun, we should do it again," Jendri smiled and turned to Taro. Anakin gathered all of his strength and threw himself at her, but she dodged him and he collided with the other wall. Jendri spared him a few moments, since her real victim was lying on the bed.

"Why are you so protective of the Werin's Rezai? First you come to his rescue, and now you dare face me to protect him. Does he mean this much to you?" Anakin was just about to answer when a familiar voice answered.

"Yes, I mean that much to him. Though I didn't know how much until today," Taro said, standing next to Jendri. The Aravanian started and backed away a little before regaining her composure.

"Your plan has failed, Jendri. I'm still alive, and I'm not going to let you and your bother use me as leverage to win this war."

"You'll have to get past me first. Do you think you can do that, Rezai?" She had spat the word rezai out with such contempt and hatred that Anakin realized that she no longer cared now for Taro's use. She wanted his blood.

"Anakin, leave this cell. Try to find our light sabres, we'll need them to get into Werin territory," Taro said and Anakin got up.

"No, I won't leave you alone. You're a Padawan, just like me. You can't order me around," Anakin answered, concerned for his beloved.

"Once we get to Coruscant, you can bring your case to the Council. Until then, I am the Rezai of the Werin and I'm telling you to leave!" Taro used the Force to open the doors to the holding cell. Before Anakin could react, an invisible force propelled him trough the open doors.

"Only one of us leaves this room alive," Taro said to Jendri as he used the Force to close the doors again.

Anakin stood in front of the room for five minutes, sensing the fight. It was intense, but it wasn't until both of them started using their empathy that Anakin realized that he could have never beaten Jendri, even if she hadn't been physically stronger and better at fighting than him.

Even when he wasn't in the room and none of it was aimed at him, the emotions threatened to suffocate him and he decided to do as Taro had asked. He crept through the ship, not wanting to come across an Aravanian who could use his or her empathy on him, but it wasn't until he reached the bridge that he realized that the ship was probably empty.

Jendri wouldn't have brought soldiers on a mission such as this, probably not wanting to risk her intentions leaking out to the Werin, so they couldn't warn Taro. It didn't take him long to find their light sabres, but when he turned around to go back to the holding cell he was face to face with an angry looking Aravanian.

Anakin didn't hesitate and ignited his light sabre, plunging it into the man's gut. The Aravanian slumped to the ground and Anakin made his way back to the holding cell quickly. He barely arrived when he felt one of the combatants unleash an empathic attack so powerful that it even shook the doors, and the battle stopped.

Anakin realized that one of the two had died, and he ignited his light sabre as the doors started opening. Taro stepped out of the holding cell, his face and arms bruised and blood running from his broken nose.

Anakin was so happy to see him alive that he took him into a great bear hug, forgetting that he was battered and bruised. But Taro didn't flinch or pull away, he simply stood there and let Anakin hug him.

When the King's royal guards saw them coming, they immediately rushed towards them. Their journey had taken its toll, and they let themselves be taken to the palace by the guards. Despite his weariness, Anakin was a little nervous.

They had hardly taken one step into the throne room however, when a familiar voice called out to them.

"Padawan, what have you gone and gotten yourself into?" Anakin looked up and saw Obi-Wan and Yoda standing at the foot of the throne, an impressive looking Werin sitting on it. His Master's elation at seeing him safe was clear when Obi-Wan hugged him and told him he had been worried, and Anakin smiled.

"You must tell me all that has happened, my son. We have two days until you and these honourable Jedi have to leave, and I want to put them to good use," the King said while hugging Taro gently.

"Actually, father, I fear that there is something else that must be done. I must return to the Temple of the Sky immediately to enter he second stage of my Werin training. I cannot return to Coruscant ere that is finished," Taro said and Anakin gasped. Taro wasn't going back to Coruscant with them?

"I do not understand, my son. But I will make the arrangements if Master Yoda approves," the King said and looked at Yoda.

The Jedi Master closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened his eyes he nodded.

"To Coruscant return when finished, Padawan. Leave now, we shall," he said before he started walking. Obi-Wan said goodbye to Taro and the King and walked away as well.

Anakin didn't understand what had just happened. He looked at Taro, but the Werin wouldn't look at him. Obi-Wan called for him, and he turned around and left.

T.B.C.

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in update, had a lot of stuff to do…