Part 32: Ben vs. Nom Anor
As Ben Skywalker dashed out of the citadel and pushed his way through the massive battle that raged at the front entrance, a Jedi Master, through the Force, called out to Ben in an increasingly distant voice and attempted to grab the boy with a fading hand.
Ben raised layer upon layer of shielding on his mind as the long-untouched bonds began to tug him back to the room where he left the first team of Jedi to strike at the fortress. However, even when he was protected to the point where he could not feel the Force, he could still feel himself wanting to return, not only for Sil but also for the Jedi Masters he left behind. The rogue Jedi shuddered to think about the identities of the ones he left to whatever their fate would be.
It's not rational. Sil's a Hapan princess and she'll call for help from giant fleets because like any other woman from that blasted world, she doesn't like to dirty her hands much. They're Jedi Masters and any one of them will do better in there than me. Still, I'm leaving m… Nah, that old recording I found in Artoo said attachment's forbidden and I'm sure we'll all get a huge reunion soon. Ben forced his urges out of his mind as he hiked through Vong life and decaying buildings in search of a vehicle.
Suddenly, Ben's ankle met an elastic vine as he made some halfhearted attempts to swat a few insects from his face. He raised his bleeding wrist before him as a shield and braced himself for pain from the bite wounds when the vine threw him backwards. The Jedi's body wove several 360-degree spins in midair as if it was made of noodles before he landed headfirst on a soft canopy barely able to support his weight.
A few branches and vines snapped, and Ben slammed into some sort of metal, indenting it in several places. As he brushed twigs, leaves, and other living matter off his face and out of his unruly, red hair, he could not believe his sight. Speeders of every size, shape and model were strewn like rags across the muddy floor.
Not caring much about models and speed capabilities, Ben merely examined the amount of fuel remaining in the nearest speeder and ran a few basic tests when he learned that the fuel mark was as high as it could possibly go. Ben needed to get somewhere and he needed to get there fast, for he had a feeling that he made a lethal mistake sometime after he touched Coruscant. Ben then grabbed the raw, metal edge of the door, ignoring the pain as a razor-sharp edge cut a gash across his hand, and swung his body out of the speeder for one final task.
Ben wiped the blood on his hands off on the floor before he removed one of his lightsabers and activated it. He then dropped to one knee and carved a note onto the floor, saying "I, Ben Skywalker, will return this speeder in prime condition. If I don't, you have my name."
The Jedi hopped back into the vehicle and pressed the button he thought was the speed control. Instead of the expected result, Ben was answered with a bathe of warm colors splashing all over the many surfaces of the hangar. He had an idea as to what he did, but he was rushed and thinking about trivial things was a waste of time for the moment.
-scene change-
"What is your news, servant?" Shimrra growled when one of his underlings reported to him.
"Dread Lord, this citadel has become infested with Skywalker filth. The Hapan princess, who is Skywalker in all but name, runs loose with her crèche-mate, Ben Skywalker, who destroyed our trophies."
"What is your point?" The large Yuuzhan Vong snapped, sending a chill down the spine of the servant with the crimson glare of his twin maa'it implants. "What is your proof?"
"Dread Lord, there are many Skywalkers loose in this holy building! My spider captured these images." Without waiting for the Supreme Overlord's response, the informant produced a villip from his robe, which first displayed a picture of Ben and Sil entering the audience chamber and then shifted to one of an old man in Jedi clothes.
Since there was little light in the room, Shimrra could only guess whether the white in the hair was graying hair, blonde hair, or icicles. The human's height and stature were unimpressive and his posture was pitiful, but the eyes managed to even haunt the Supreme Overlord.
"How does he live? I sent this man to the gods long ago!" Shimrra paled and roared, pounding his fist on an armrest as he did so.
"The freezing gel we used was a mutant. We believe Master Shaper Ch'Gan…"
"Do not name this fool! Understand?" Shimrra demanded.
"Y-yes, milord. I mean a late head of the holy caste bred the original freezing gel with our mutant, healing blorash jelly. I believe its bases originate with Master Shaper Nen Yim." The informant stammered as he prostrated himself against the nearest wall. "I estimate there are eight Jeedai defiling your home, three of whom are of the leading domain."
"Capture them all and prepare them for sacrifice!" Commanded the Supreme Overlord.
"Milord, I am afraid I am unable to locate any of these infidels." The informant dropped to one knee and bent as low as he could in apology.
-scene change-
Ben recognized the source of his feeling as he recognized the large, domed structure the Force was guiding him toward. The feeling, no, urge, came from somewhere inside the thing, but he had not the slightest clue as to where because of the Yuuzhan Vong's nonexistence in the Force. As the Jedi took his speeder through the first layer of defenses, a branch he thought he ducked slit his dirty, tattered flight suit and his underclothes, leaving a shallow gash on the Jedi's arm and sending him slightly off course.
As Ben Skywalker began to feel totally lost, the hum of a lightsaber gave him all the directions he needed. The foliage was dense and the light became dimmer and dimmer as he decreased the altitude to bring the vehicle closer to the source of the noise.
A wild, six-legged predator, upon smelling Ben's blood, leapt for the Jedi but landed in the back seat. Using the Force to secure himself to the vehicle, Ben flipped the speeder upside down as he struggled to avoid the numerous, poisonous plants in the area and still fly toward his destination. Without looking back, Ben ducked into his seat as he pulled the speeder between two overgrown thorns to make certain that his 'passenger' got out.
"For a speeder, this thing sure is maneu… WHOA!" Ben struggled not to cuss as the speeder slammed into an invisible wall.
"It's about time you came and cleaned up this mess you made! What the kriff took you so long?" Yelled the familiar voice of Jysella Horn. "I've been shouting for you for hours! I wonder how we managed to communicate so clearly back then."
'Lights." Ben called for the lights on the speeder as he brought it under control and eventually reduced the flight to a mere hover. "What did I do?"
"You let that creep Nom Anor get away and now I have to clean him up!" Suddenly, Ben saw what he hit. A series of thick, organic fibers, all of which originated from Jysella's two hands, sealed off an area with a ten-meter diameter. Within the sealed space, the gangly, blonde Crest was sending inexpert attacks at a bald Yuuzhan Vong with Jysella's lightsaber.
More like trying not to hit Jysella. Ben thought but said nothing. A string of poisonous liquid shot out of the Yuuzhan Vong's right eye and threatened to kill one of the vines that discharged from Jysella's hands, but the elongated finger twitched just enough to avoid being hit, putting Ben in the path of the attack. Not only was Jysella disheveled and tattered, but she also looked far less human than Ben could imagine.
Ben ducked and shot several arrows from his firebow. Unfortunately for the Jedi, the Yuuzhan Vong had managed to avoid each shot and eventually drained all of the ammo that Ben hid up his sleeve. Kriff. The boy silently cursed. Ben turned to Jysella and said out loud. "What happened to you?"
"I'll tell you later. Sorry about that; I don't normally show my implants. What are you doing driving a police speeder?" Jysella demanded as she flipped to deliver a pair of kicks to Nom Anor's chest and chin, using her abnormal fingers as anchors. "Well, never mind that! Get some stuncuffs from that speeder and capture this damned son of a Hutt!"
"That's a police speeder? Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'd recognize one of those anywhere. Now squeeze yourself into these parameters and take down that lying scarhead!"
Nom Anor slid under the attacks, which landed harmlessly in air, and twisted his ankles slightly in order to trip Crest, who was already struggling to keep her balance and at the same time wear the crab armor she lifted onto the raft when the group escaped from the prison.
"Help!" Screamed the blonde as a stream of poison from the Yuuzhan Vong splashed against her borrowed crab armor, killing it. The weight, combined with the momentum of Crest's fall, sent her crashing into a branch of a toxic plant and the girl slumped into unconsciousness.
"Sorry, I got my hands full of these Yuuzhan Vong things!" Jysella managed to reply between Nom Anor's taunting, somewhat cowardly attacks.
As its wielder fell, Jysella's lightsaber blade slightly scorched some hard parts of Nom Anor's body before making several arcs in midair and finally deactivating upon hitting the living floor. Ben glanced at the rolling weapon and suddenly remembered his most recent vision.
"So, Jeedai, your friend is dead because you refuse to surrender. Is that what you would want our heretics and your order to hear?' Nom Anor meant to taunt Jysella, but his words truly hit Ben.
"I don't remember ever owning an order and I don't care what they'll think of me."
Ben could sense that Jysella wanted to correct Nom Anor a third time and say that Crest was alive, but they both knew that in that particular circumstance, the truth had better not be told. The sixteen-year-old Jedi's first impulse was to rush into the battle and chop the Yuuzhan Vong to pieces. Jysella's words stopped him in mid-step.
"Hey, Ben, get my lightsaber." Ben followed the path of the other Jedi's gaze and found a stud rolling along the floor. As it threatened to roll out of sight and into unimaginably dark gutters fraught with many unknown dangers, Ben called the woman's weapon to his hand and offered it to its owner.
Jysella's gaze, backed by communications carried through the Force, told Ben to stow the weapon away safely, so the younger Jedi retreated to the speeder and dropped the lightsaber. Immediately, the short but impressive Jysella thanked Ben and once again told him to retrieve some stuncuffs. Ben gladly obeyed and then squeezed himself between Jysella's fingers to join the battle to fix his mistake of leaving Nom Anor behind. Force, remind me to look up this name if I ever get off the planet.
Activating both of his half-length, neon blue blades, Ben charged at the Yuuzhan Vong and swung for the legs, but Nom Anor's reflexes were fast despite his age and blocked both attacks with an amphistaff before twisting them. In response, Ben slid the saber in his left hand along the amphistaff in an attempt to jab at Nom Anor's wrist, but the Yuuzhan Vong twisted the serpentine weapon, nearly sending the lightsaber flying from Ben's hand.
Ben made a chop for Nom Anor's midsection with his other weapon, but the Yuuzhan Vong parried and turned the defense into an attack, forcing the Jedi back to the defensive side. Using all of his strength, Ben forced the Yuuzhan Vong weapon and his weapon to meet at his eyelevel in order to have a perfect angle for an attack directed at the shoulder.
When the Jedi finally made his attack, the clever Yuuzhan Vong juggled the elongated, serpentine weapon in a circular motion, blocking the attack and locking both of Ben's weapons in a difficult and uncomfortable position.
"Is this what you want, Jeedai? Your master will know." Nom Anor attempted to use his silver tongue to freeze Ben, but he failed.
"You have a lot to learn about us Jedi. You see, the entire order wants you captured!" Ben grinned as he twisted the weapon in his right hand out of the lock and resumed his attack. Two could duel with words, even if Ben was not certain if he saw Nom Anor's name on the wanted list the last time he checked.
The top half of the amphistaff transformed into whip mode and wound itself around Ben's right wrist, stopping the attack and threatening to constrict the already scarce blood flow to the hand. As the Jedi felt his hand begin to go numb by degrees, he leaned back and slid his other weapon up the amphistaff in an attempt to kill the living weapon.
Suddenly, the anterior end of the amphistaff began to crawl up Ben's right arm and he realized that it meant to sink its venomous fangs into some major blood vessels near his armpit.
"Goodbye, little Skywalker." Nom Anor grinned maliciously as his eye thing dilated and spat out another stream of dark liquid. Ben ducked and then squeezed the amphistaff with his right hand to stop its motion. Using the weapon in his left hand, he attacked the coiling, serpentine weapon and, as if hissing in pain, the amphistaff slithered down the Jedi's arm. Not waiting for the snake to go away completely, Ben brought up his left foot in the most powerful kick he could deliver to Nom Anor without the help of the Force.
Nom Anor staggered backwards, but he came charging forward again and straightened his amphistaff for attack. Ben instinctively blocked and sent the strike back where it came from, but then realized his mistake and gasped. "NO!"
"Too late!" Nom Anor grinned as he used the momentum to drive the posterior end of the amphistaff into Jysella's stomach area. The woman, already strained from keeping up the barriers, staggered backwards to move with the amphistaff in order to reduce the amount of damage done, but her finger implants severely restricted her non-aerial movements.
As if Jysella had slammed into an invisible wall, she stopped, her head bounced forward like a ball tied to a spring, and she dropped to her knees as she coughed up some blood. Since she had no free hands with which to clutch her wound, the scarlet blood gushed freely into the hungry robeskin. The Jedi Knight opened herself to the Force a bit more than she already had, and the stab wound began to heal at a surprising rate until she felt a burning sensation all over her body. She blinked and saw that she was glowing, which prompted her to suddenly withdraw from the Force and let the pain flood her senses. Judging from the pain, Jysella knew that she was lucky to be alive and that the stab went as far as her stomach.
"Ben, hurry! I can't keep up these walls much longer!" Jysella managed weakly between sputters of blood as she struggled to stay conscious and not to slump.
"Why you backhanded…" Ben growled as he opened himself to the Force and used his anger to prepare the most brutal assault he could.
"You will harm me over your friend's dead body." Nom Anor grinned a fanged grin as he grabbed Crest's unconscious form and used her as a shield. Ben stopped dead in his tracks and pushed his anger down. The Yuuzhan Vong continued. "What will you do, Jeedai?"
"Nothing." Ben lowered his gaze, as if in submission. His once spiky hair, now drenched in sweat, hung atop his head like a wet mop that was made of rags and his tattered, smelly flight suit hung loosely on his blood-soaked body, giving Nom Anor the impression of a defeated Jedi. Then, as he unexpectedly leaped into the air and somersaulted over a branch in a surprise assault, the boy added. "Much."
The young Jedi gave a fleeting grin as he kicked against the branch by the 'ceiling' for momentum. Then, as if in slow motion, he retracted into a fetal position to avoid the assortment of toxins that awaited him on the Yuuzhan Vong flora and uncurled his body to deliver two powerful kicks to Nom Anor, one to the base of the neck and the other to the waistline.
Nom Anor lost his balance and dropped his prisoner before falling to his knees. Ben, who already landed, made a lightning-fast swipe for the former Yu'Shaa's legs, but the Yuuzhan Vong rolled out of the way and the weapon merely sliced off half of Nom Anor's right foot.
"Damn! Sorry, but my hands are really killing me right now!" Jysella's entire body shook as her finger implants all recoiled, leaving every escape open.
"Please don't kill me! Aren't your people all about mercy? Show me some!" Nom Anor begged as he tried to scramble but failed due to his lack of familiarity with his lack of two, complete feet.
"I'm showing as much as I can." Ben struggled not to reveal that he wanted to keep the former executor alive and bring the Yuuzhan Vong to Alliance officials. He then removed two pairs of stuncuffs from his flight suit.
"My Jeedai, what if I told you the fate of your most precious world lies in my hand?" Nom Anor asked as Ben worked to bind and cuff him. The Jedi stopped dead in the progress and the former executor took his opportunity to run.
"I don't believe it." Jysella snickered, but her actions betrayed her true feelings.
"Me neither." Ben agreed. When both Jedi looked down, they realized that Nom Anor had escaped.
"After him! I'm sorry I can't go; I'll only slow you down. Tell someone to get this World Brain to turn these evil scarheads out of here." Jysella instructed.
"But I can't leave you and Crest here!" Ben protested.
"Then leave this speeder with us; I'll find you and take it to you later. If you see something in the Force besides yourself, me, this speeder, and that blondie, it's my speeder, which I'll let you borrow."
"You really want me to leave you? You both look like you're dying."
"Heh. We'll be fine; if I know anything about police speeders, I know I can find at least a few bacta bandages in there." Jysella gave a weak grin. "Now go! Stopping Nom Anor means saving billions. Staying here means saving nobody. If you feel something in the Force that isn't me, blondie, or this speeder, it's my personal speeder."
"There he is! He didn't get very far and he's not going to 'til I'm dead!" Ben nodded and took off after Nom Anor, for he was not about to allow the same criminal to escape his grasp twice, especially now that he knew how dangerous that particular Yuuzhan Vong was.
"This is Flames. Crest and a Jedi Knight named Jysella Horn are in the Well of the World Brain and they both need medical attention as soon as possible. And I mean as soon as you possibly can because we wouldn't be here without either of these two." As he passed the speeder, Ben removed a comm. unit and called for help on all available channels, hoping that someone would hear him and bring a medic down.
"Force be with you!" Jysella moaned.
"And you two!" Ben replied, glancing at the limp Crest as to indicate what he meant by two. He added silently. Just not one with you.
As Ben disappeared after the limping Nom Anor, Jysella gave in to her wounded body's desires. Her eyelids dropped and she once again saw the paradisiacal world called the Nether World and her ears picked up its sad, melodious music instead of silence. On the second visit, it seemed, the Nether World welcomed Jysella and guided her to the people in the sky.
Next: Looks like I should check in on Jacen, though I can't resist writing more of Ben and Nom Anor