Chapter 14

"This is boring," Coram whined in a whisper to Annika.

She rolled her eyes. "Stop complaining, you idiot. We will see so much action in the next few hours it will make your head spin. Now shut up and listen to Master Arriette. In case you haven't noticed, she has spent the last ten minutes lecturing us."

Coram snapped up when he heard this. He had been dangerously close to falling asleep. Arriette turned around and snapped, "Coram, I know you have not been listening to me. I also know better than to talk to Annika when my Master is trying to teach something important."

"I'm sor-" started Coram when Annika interrupted. "Master Merian, it was my fault. I was confused over something and asked Coram for clarification."

Arriette smiled. "No harm done, Annika. That was very considerate of you to protect Coram, but I know he was the one talking." Annika gaped at Arriette.

Arriette continued with a sigh. "Since it is fruitless to try to continue to teach you, go out and get some fresh air. It will do us all some good." With a final look around the room, Arriette grabbed her cloak and strode out.

"Nice going, you oaf. We need to cooperate with her if we want anything to get done." Said Annika as she got up and straightened the cushions on the sofa they were sitting at. "Come on, let's go outside. I'm tired of being cramped in here with you."

Coram nodded and followed her outside. The Underground Fortress opened to a large meadow surrounded by a dense forest. "All right," said Coram. "We're outside. Now what?" He noticed a slight twinkle in Annika's eye. "What?" he said, heaving a sigh.

"Well, you said you were bored earlier…"

"So?"

"Well…I was thinking… Do you want to duel?"

Coram gawked at Annika like she was positively insane. "After what I saw with the seekers earlier, I would have to say absolutely not. You'd rip me to shreds in less than a minute."

"Oh come on, you can't be that bad. Fine, I'll tell you what. If you can think of something better to do, I'd be willing to listen."

Coram shifted uncomfortably. "I don't have a better idea."

"Okay, then. Shall we use single or double blades?"

"Stay with single. Let's not get too fancy here."

She grinned. Something in her smile made Coram's blood boil. There was no way he would let a ten-year-old show him up. He was not going to let her win. "Shall we begin?" he asked icily.

They bowed to each other out of respect and perhaps a hint of resentment, and ignited their lightsabers.

"Where are we going?" Called Arryn as she and Elantra followed Anaria.

"I have not a clue," Elantra called back. Anaria stopped suddenly in front of them. Elantra and Arryn jogged to her.

"Arryn, you can hate me forever for being such an insensitive friend, but I just realized something. I wanted to see the countryside from the top of one of those Kaha trees up ahead. But I just remembered that you wouldn't want to because of you fear of heights."

Arryn nodded. "I think I'd rather stay here, on solid ground. And I don't hate you, Anaria. It was sensitive of you to think of me now. Thank you."

Anaria and Elantra clambered up the massive trees within a matter of minutes.

"What's it like up there?" shouted Arryn. Elantra replied something unintelligible and climbed down.

He brushed the leaves and twigs from his tunic. "I'm not usually afraid of heights, but by the stars, those things are towering! I'm not going back up there."

Anaria shouted down to them. "I can see farther than Bondori from here. Where is Elantra?"

Arryn shouted up to her, "He's down here with me. What else can you see?"

There was a brief pause and the rustling of branches before she replied.

"Wait a second…"

"What?" Arryn and Elantra shouted in unison.

"I see something about a kilometer North." Arryn and Elantra heard a gasp. "I …I think it might be lightsabers!"

"Maybe it is the Jedi team! Maybe they heard we were here and are trying to signal us! Come on you guys, lets go see them!" Cried Arryn as she took off running toward the place where Anaria spotted the lightsaber flashes.

Anaria scrambled down from the tree. "Arryn, wait! It could be the Sith! It could be a trap!" But Arryn was too far ahead to hear her.

"Hah! Score one for Coram," he said as he tapped Annika with his low-power saber. "You appeared so talented when I saw you practicing. But now, in real combat, we see that I am the Master," he taunted.

She snorted as she blocked his blow. "You're not the Master of anything at all, buzzard brain. I'm going easy on you."

He lowered his saber. "I didn't ask you to take pity on me. Give me your best shot and we will truly see who is greater."

Annika flashed him a cocky smile. "Al lright, you asked for it." She came at him in a quick, aggressive attack. He blocked blow after blow. Annika was good, but he had several more years of experience than she had. He used that piece of knowledge to his advantage. He felt the anger rising in him as he pictured her beating him and used it to fuel his motivation. Annika struggled to maintain her composure as she parried attack after attack. She had not counted on his agility; but then again, she had some surprises left in her, as well. Coram watched as she executed a perfect 360-degree turn and kicked his lightsaber from his hand, but before she could react, he used the Force to grab it in midair before it hit the ground.

"Nice try," he muttered under his breath.

"Thanks!" came her cheerful reply.

She evaded his strikes and felt victory would be soon at hand. Then Coram did what she hadn't expected him to do. He copied her move, ran up the side of a Kaha tree, flipped backward and landed his lightsaber at the nape of her neck. It was over and Coram had won.

Annika was in a state of shock. "You…you beat me."

Coram saw a deep sadness in her eyes and rethought the pert comment he was about to make. "I'm sorry, Annika. It just happened." He genuinely felt bad for the girl. It was apparent that she wasn't used to being beaten. Then he noticed a strange look on her face.

"Annika? Are you okay?"

She nodded, but continued to look distantly behind Coram. Coram was hit by a wave of nausea. He fell to his knees in pain. "Annika-" he moaned. She knelt down beside him. "Are you okay, Coram? It's a tremor in the Dark Side. The Jedi are near."

Coram jumped up, trying desperately to forget his nausea. "Should we get Arriette?"

Annika shook her head. "We have no time! We'll have to take care of them ourselves."

Coram agreed. "We should hide, and surprise them. Master Tiana and Arriette want them alive, right? So, I say we stun them." Annika nodded hastily. "Come on, we have to leave the open space. Head toward the wooded area."

They crouched beneath some ferns and waited. Coram turned to Annika and noticed that she was extremely pale.
"Are you afraid?" asked Coram.

Arriette nodded. "I've never faced a Jedi before." It was then that Coram knew that Annika was really just a little girl behind her tough and bossy façade, and somehow, he took comfort in that fact.