Thanks to everyone for your encouragement and kind words! I wasn't even sure what turn that last chapter was going to take until I was writing it. This one is a quicky, but it ties things up and opens up new things. Whole story is coming quick to a resolution.

Chapter 11

the Other

"It's a trap," Anakin growled, his blue-white light sizzling through any errant arrows. "We sure as Corellian's seven Hells know it's a trap, and we are running right into it!"

They had only been running for a few minutes, deeper into the forest. Obi-Wan still held Eyuria, who would never have been able to keep up with their Jedi speed. That left Anakin to play rear guard and stop any pursuing arrow.

But he could sense them in front now, and closing in on the sides. This wasn't like with the wild bantha chase. He knew what they felt like now; even if they were trying to mask their presence as before with the phantom STAP, he could find them in the Force now.

"Yes, I can sense them, too," Obi-Wan agreed. "But why aren't we facing a frontal assault?"

"Maybe they are strictly cavalry," Anakin observed.

"Speaking of cavalry, do you still have your comlink?"

Anakin mentally slapped his head. "Of course, I forgot, I turned it off."

Obi-Wan risked a sideways, raised eyebrow of rebuke at him. Anakin nodded absentmindedly.

"I know, I know, but they were bothering me to return, and I wanted to find you."

He retrieved the comlink from his vest and re-established the signal.

"Commander Skywalker to Commander Cody, do you copy?"

The static crackled. Anakin frowned.

"Base, this is Commander Skywalker, over."

The static whirred and crackled some more, jumping up and down several octaves of warbling nonsense. Anakin shook his head.

"No good. I think someone might be jamming us."

"But who would be jamming us, the Xanatiins don't have--"

Eyuria gasped. "No, not them!"

"Anakin, get down!"

He reacted without thinking at the exact moment Obi-Wan dived down, covering Eyuria.

A millisecond later a laserbolt burned through the air and exploded a tree they had just passed.

The tree exploded ahead of them. The archers immediately put down their cocked bows and dove for cover. Tamolok held up his staff and the rest of his force took to cover as well. He tilted his head, his eyes closed, listening, smelling, seeing.

He could see the traitorous Eyuria and her two telan in the shrubbery. The one she had mated with pulled her up, and they took off in a direction perpendicular to where they had just been headed. The other one, the one who had killed his son, paused, glanced back over his shoulder, looking at Tamolok's group without seeing them, and followed the other.

And then the monster appeared. It knocked down trees ahead of it, its stone talons tearing up dirt and plants and life. It swiveled its head, black eyes searching before its long snout that spat fire tracked the direction the telan had just taken. It warbled something and two of the flying creatures appeared, humming loudly before dashing off in pursuit. It then followed, creaking worse than any forest in a windy onslaught.

Behind it, the other tribe appeared, bedecked as the traitors they were in the garb of the Other. They held those sticks that spat fire and marched obediently, side-by-side, with the monsters that tried to be alive but never would be, despite walking as they did.

"Traitors!" Tamolok opened his eyes, growling as he crouched down. His people could not match the power of the other tribe. As much as he wanted to feel Eyuria's bones break between his hands, he had to think of what was left of his people. Undoubtedly his forward group had already fallen to the Other. He could not let that happen to what remained of his tribe. No potential heir was worth the cost of his entire tribe.

Tamolok whipped his staff backwards, signaling retreat. Without question they silently left their hiding and slipped back into the forest.

Tamolok remained still, waiting for all to escape, to make sure they had not been noticed. The monsters and the others appeared intent on the telan and Eyuria. A grin tugged his lips. Perhaps he would not be able to kill his daughter, but he very much doubted he'd ever see her alive again.

Anakin followed right behind Eyuria, who managed to keep up with them very well. But he wasn't about to compliment her or anything. He catalogued it as just a reason to not leave her behind right then and there. Leaving her behind might actually improve his mood a little. He was getting very tired of being chased on this planet. If it weren't for her, he was certain he and his Obi-Wan would take a stand and face down the droids.

His Obi-Wan. The warmth and electricity of his master's lips flashed back into his mind. Yes, he really wanted this to be over with so that he could have those lips all to himself again. Along with other things. He'd make Obi-Wan realize just who the real Anakin Skywalker was, and what he was capable of. It was about time the learner became the teacher.

He instinctively growled at the back of Eyuria's head. He knew everything. Obi-Wan had shown him, shared with him the treatment he had endured at the hands of this creature. He was not as forgiving as Obi-Wan, and he didn't care so much the reason why. The crime had been committed, and Eyuria deserved judgment, not understanding.

Anakin, calm yourself, focus on the here and now...

Anakin blinked, startled by the calm voice in his head. Calm, refreshing, leaving him tingling for more physical encounters.

So now you can read my thoughts?

When they are as obvious as yours, my young friend. He even heard Obi's soft chuckle in his head. He felt hard with just that!

Master, the things you do to me...

"Look at it this way, Anakin, at least our mission here wasn't a complete waste," Obi-Wan threw back over his shoulder.

"Yes, the Separatists are definitely here. And, possibly, Dooku."

"Perhaps we should allow ourselves to be - whoa!"

Obi-Wan disappeared in front of him, dragging Eyuria along.

"Master!"

Unthinking, Anakin threw himself forward to try to catch him, and found himself tumbling head first down a rather steep embankment. Dirt knocked loose spun around with him as he crashed through light brush and plunged into a river of very cold water.

The water roared around him, buffeting him left and right, up and down, spinning sideways as it dragged him down stream. For the first minute he was discombobulated, still reeling from the dizzying descent down the riverbank. He managed to finally right himself well enough to keep his head largely above the raging water. The forest whizzed by - just how fast am I going? But besides the rapids and the forest there was nothing. No bearded head. No alien head. Just him.

"Obi-Wan!" he bellowed. The ice tore at his heart. No, not like this... He gulped, stretching out with the Force.

It twinged and he turned around in time to see Obi-Wan lying on the flat riverbank on the opposite side, Eyuria panting alongside him.

Obi-Wan reached out to him and Anakin felt the tug of the invisible rope. Immediately understanding, Anakin lent his strength. The water around him slowed and relaxed, releasing the young man from its icy clutches. Anakin floated above the water and semi-walked across it to settle down besides his Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan sighed and fell backwards, breathing hard. Anakin pulled himself up alongside and draped his weary, wet head on the older man's chest. The quick heartbeat of Obi-Wan simultaneously worried and thrilled him. But what was even more satisfying was when it slowed down, calming, the way it always is with him. No matter how riled up Anakin could get, nothing was more soothing than his master's presence.

"I thought I'd lost you," Anakin whispered. "I couldn't focus because..."

Obi-Wan brushed aside the wet blonde hair and kissed Anakin's cheek. Anakin turned, their noses brushing, their eyes locking. And when Obi-Wan smiled, Anakin shivered.

"Not yet, young one, you haven't been the death of me yet."

The rare playfulness in Obi-Wan's eyes made Anakin want to take him right there, to show him just how pleasant he could make death seem.

But they both heard the humming and looked across the river as the STAPs burst through. Eyuria screeched and ran for cover at the forest's edge.

"Oh, right, the STAPs," Anakin sighed. He turned to back to Obi-Wan, and marveled at the smile still playing on his master's face. "Do you think we can ask them to wait?"

"I don't think droids have been programmed to understand sex, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied, unhooking his lightsaber but making no move to push Anakin off.

"Well, these droids, probably not..."

Obi-Wan chuckled, his breath on Anakin's face, his body shaking beneath Anakin's. The pleasure was excruciating.

"We should make this fast," Anakin continued, retrieving his lightsaber. "I've got better things to do."

"I agree, shall we?"

With a quick peck on the lips, they leapt apart from each other, lightsabers snapped on, hissing expectantly as they settled into a fighting stance.

But the STAPs only hovered above the river. They did not fire. They just sat there.

Obi-Wan cocked an eyebrow. "What do they want, an invite?"

"Maybe they want a lesson in sex?"

Obi-Wan threw him an odd lock and Anakin shrugged. "First time for everything," he murmured.

The double snap-hiss crackled behind him, followed swiftly by a squeal from Eyuria.

The Jedi whirled.

"Obi-Wan, sso good to ssee you again," the new one purred, her whiskers curled in delight. Instead of skin she had a short brown fur, stripped white and orange, which grew into a longer mane around her feline face. Her eyes blazed orange, pupils in mere slits. When she licked her narrow, furry lips hungrily, Anakin caught the rows of razor teeth that matched the razor talons on her hands.

She stood as tall as Anakin, only far leaner, and Anakin didn't even want to be fooled into thinking that meant she was not as strong. Her stance was relaxed as she gripped Eyuria across the chest. Even with Eyuria struggling, nothing about this person's body made Anakin believe it was more than a mere nuisance to restrain her.

But more disconcerting than any sense of hidden power was that she was dressed in a Jedi's brown and white robes, but instead of holding a Jedi's weapon, her blades blazed red.

Obi-Wan tensed, and Anakin tried not to stare gaping between the two of them. And just how in Hoth did she know his master?

"Dree'la, what are you doing here?" Obi-Wan replied, as calm as ever.

"Ssame as you, I ssupect, enjoying the localss," Dree'la purred, her words slow, deliberate, low and menacing. Anakin tightened his grip. This bitch was actually enjoying all of this. He cast a quick glance at the STAPs, still hovering behind them. At least that was explained.

"So you're the Other I keep hearing about," Obi-Wan observed. "We were hoping it was your master, Count Dooku."

Dree'la laughed, if you can call it that. More like a snorting roar.

"Dooku'ss not my Masster, Obi-Wan, no one iss, not anymore." Her eyes narrowed on Obi-Wan. "The Council killed him, ssurely you remember."

Anakin had no idea what she was talking about, but the way Obi-Wan shoulder's straightened told him his master did know.

"That's not what happened, Dree'la. Master Greystil was ill, he took his own life honorably."

Again, the laugh. It was an annoying sound Anakin very much wanted to silence.

"Sso ssayss the Council, sstill hiding the truth, I ssee."

"The truth about what?" Anakin was quick to ask.

Dree'la didn't turn her gaze to him.

"The truth, Sskywalker, about thiss planet, about the Xanatiinss."

"The Jedi have no secrets to hid about this planet, Dree'la, unlike the Separatists and your friend Dooku!" Anakin shot back, annoyed that he wasn't being properly addressed.

That got her attention. Dree'la fixed her narrowed eyes on the young Jedi, lips curled into a growl.

"They have a very big ssecret to hide, Knight! They made the Xanatiinss!"