Jaina and Jag decided it would be safe to leave many hours later. The Vong had left. Jaina imagined to search for survivors. She and Jag made their way back the Vong's compound. Jaina could sense Jacen there. She had to get him out. She was not going to lose him again.
Jaina and Jag found their way around the guards to a hiding place near the pit. Jaina gasped as she saw Jacen being drug out by four warriors.
Jag squeezed her hand. He whispered, "We'll get him out."
Jaina nodded and waited. She was going to save him no matter
what.
---
Jacen was drug out of his cell hours later. He was
going to be executed, he knew. He walked with the guards to the
execution pit. They stopped close to the edge. Jacen was shoved to
his knees.
Jaina!
He could feel his sister nearby. She was watching him. She wanted to save him. He couldn't let her. Jacen licked his lips, formulating a plan. As a warrior brought down his ampistaff, Jacen twisted out the way. He swept his feet under two of the warriors, knocking them down. He was then involved in physical combat with the other two. Jacen ducked at the first went to hit him with the staff. Jacen ducked and rolled out of reach. He managed to knock on of the warriors into the pit. This left three. Jacen reached out with the Force and called an ampistaff that was in the pit to him. He reached out to it, connecting with it. He swung at the approaching warriors. He filled himself with the Force and managed to defeat the other warriors. He wondered why no more had come, but then he saw Jaina and Jag had joined the fray.
"Jaina! No!"
Jacen shouted. A warning came from the Force and he ran. Three Vong
were pursuing them. He decided to try to take as many away from Jaina
as he could and raced into the woods.
----
Jaina ran after the
warrior at top speed. She would not let him catch Jacen. She could
hear Jag close behind her, trying to stop her.
Jaina felt a sharp pain in her side and let out a scream. She fell down in the foliage, clutching her side as the world went black.
"JAINA!" Jag screamed as he saw her fall. Fury rose in him and he killed the Vong that was after him. He reached Jaina and dropped to his knees,
"Oh Jaina, speak to me!"
A women sank down next to Jag, "Quick, we have to close the wound. Do you have anything to stop the poison?"
Jag nodded and took out a small syringe. He filled it with the antidote and pushed into Jaina's arm. He knew the risks. The doctors had warned them that the mixture could kill the baby, but if he didn't give it to her, they would both die.
Jag watched as the strange woman tended to Jaina's wounds. When she finished, she laid Jaina back down and stuck out her hand, "Hello, my name is Eryne. I'm one of the Wraiths who wasn't captured."
"Jag Fel," he responded, "thank you."
Eryne waved her hand dismissively, "We have to get her to a medical facility. I assume you have a transport?"
"Clawcraft and X-Wing," he said.
"Its going to be a tight fit. I don't know how long she'll stay unconscious, but if she went into one of those Jedi things, that would help her a lot, I imagine. One of us have to take her back. I'm guess you want to," she stated.
"No, you need to."
"Me? Why me?"
"Because I have to finish what Jaina began. Please, just get her out of here," Jag begged. He wrote down the co-ordinates of where their fighters were on a slip of flimsplast, "Please, go."
Eryne nodded and took it. She stood up and lifted Jaina, "I can carry her, don't worry."
Jag nodded, "I'm going to follow to give you cover. "
Eryne nodded and they began their trek. Jag kept
an eye out for any Vong. He had to get Jaina to safety; everything
depended on it.
---
The task force came out of hyperspace
late in the night. Coral skippers appeared right away. Kyp began to
attack, with the Falcon right behind. Luke got on the comm and
announced, "Tahiri, follow the Shadow down to the planet. Kyp and
Falcon, you cover. We'll meet you down there."
"Acknowledged," Tahiri stated. She was in a borrowed X-Wing. She and the Shadow began their descent with Kyp and the Falcon running cover. They made it down to the planet in one piece. They set down next to each other, the forest providing them cover.
Tahiri, Luke, and Mara exited their ships. Tahiri
looked around. The planet had not been completely transformed yet,
but it was well on its way. Tahiri's time with the Yuuzhang Vong
had taught her much about them. She had managed to merge herself and
the personality Riina that the shapers had tried to make her. Tahiri
was, in all reality, two beings in one body.
Tahiri motioned for
Luke and Mara to keep quiet as she listened. She could hear running
in the distance and shouting. She whispered the translation to Luke
and Mara, "Catch the jeedai scum! He will pay for his crimes!"
"Jacen," Luke murmured.
Mara nodded in agreement, "What's the plan?"
Tahiri answered first, "I think there are five after him. We need him. He probably knows where to find the Wraiths."
"Jaina is nearby," Mara whispered.
Tahiri, Luke, and Mara ducked behind a fallen log. Mara gasped when she saw a woman carrying Jaina. Jag appeared a few steps behind. He pointed to the left and they continued walking.
"Jag!" Luke called. Jag froze and whirled around, charric out, "Who's there?"
Luke stepped out, followed by Tahiri and Mara, "What happened?"
"Jaina's been hit by an ampistaff. This is one of the Wraiths. We have to get Jaina to a med center and fast."
"Take the Shadow," Mara stated, "she'll get you there. Contact the Falcon on your way out. Luke can take Jaina's fighter back. Tahiri and I will just go in the Falcon."
"Are you sure?" Jag asked.
"Yes, go. She's not going to last if you don't go," Mara stated.
Jag nodded, "She's going. I vouch for her. I need to finish what we started."
Mara nodded. She hit a remote to open the Shadow, "Go on…and be careful!"
Eryne nodded. Jag kissed Jaina's forehead, then looked at Eryne, "Take care of her."
"I will," she promised and disappeared into the Shadow. A few minutes later, she took off.
"Okay," Jag said after a moment, "I know where we need to go."
"Jacen is that way," Tahiri pointed, "let's go."
Jag nodded, "Six went after him. Jaina killed one of them. I took down the one that got her. However, I think we should split up."
"Han, Leia, and Kyp will be down here soon," Tahiri added.
Jag nodded, "I know where the compound is. I can take you to it."
"They are on their way," Luke stated. A few minutes later, Han, Leia, Kyp, and Aeria appeared. Jag brought them up to speed. Han and Leia looked afraid for their daughter, but knew Jag had done what he could. They decided that Han, Leia, and Kyp would go after Jacen, and everyone else to the compound. Aeria didn't know much about fighting the Vong. Kyp wanted her to stay with the ships, but Jag pointed out they needed all the help they could get.
They
each went their separate ways, wasting no time for goodbyes. They had
to hurry. Lives depended on their speed.
----
Jacen ran deeper
into the woods. He could barely sense Jaina any longer. He didn't
know what had happened to her, but he had to close her off. He had to
keep her away from the Vong.
Jacen suddenly felt the presence of his parents and Kyp nearby. Han immediately started blasting at the Vong. Kyp threw Jacen a lightsaber and the two of them began to fight. Leia also had her lightsaber with her. Kyp and Jacen managed to take down two Vong. Two were on Leia, though. Jacen hurried over to help his mother. They took it down.
There was one left. Han had managed to get into a brawl with him. Han currently was trying to use street tactics on the Vong. Kyp griped his lightsaber tightly. He didn't know whether to help Han or not. Han and the Vong rolled around for awhile. He finally shouted, "KILL HIM, DAMMIT!"
That's all Kyp needed. He doved into the fight with his saber and Han rolled away. Kyp kicked the Vong in his breastplate, knocking the wind out of him. Kyp then killed him quickly.
"Took you long enough," Han grumbled.
"It looked like you were having fun," Kyp joked.
"Yeah, yeah," Han waved his hand dismissively, then asked Jacen, "You alright, kid?"
"Yeah, dad," he said, "we have to free the Wraiths."
"Lead the way. Mara, Luke, Tahiri, Aeria, and Jag already started."
"Where is Jaina?"
"She was injured. Jag found one of the Wraiths, or she found him, I'm not sure and she took Jaina in the Shadow. They made it out," Leia told him worriedly.
Jacen nodded and didn't ask anymore. They probably didn't know. He wanted to open his bond, but he knew he shouldn't.
"Let's go."
----
Jaina was lying on a medbunk in the Shadow. Eryne nervously piloted the ship away from the planet. She could see coralskippers headed in their direction. Eryne knew she had to get out here quick and take Jaina to a medical facility. She wasn't going to last long.
Eryne had at first been a very apprehensive about flying Mara Jade Skywalker's ship, but when the 'skips came, she banished the thought. Making sure she and Jaina survived was the important thing. After she took care of Jaina, Eryne was going to get ahold of Wedge and tell him exactly what was going on.
"Shavit!" she barked when a shot hit the ship, "That's going to leave a mark!"
More coralskippers appeared. Eryne knew to fight would be a bad idea. She didn't have time. Eryne quickly sent the Shadow through a serious of spins and twists and she tried to escape. She managed to calculate the jump to hyperspace quickly and jumped the instance it was possible.
Eryne jumped up and hurried to
check on Jaina. She knew better than to let something happen to the
young woman. She reached the bunk. Jaina was still unconscious. Eryne
ran the scanner over her, but nothing had changed. All she could do
now was wait.
----
Jag targeted a Vong and shot him. The Vong
fell over, dead. Aeria glanced at Jag. His jaw was clenched and his
eyes were hard with determination. It was apparent that he wanted to
get this done with as fast as possible.
Aeria crouched next to him, "Where now?"
"Go right," he answered sharply, "Tahiri, anything?"
The blond turned, "Nothing out of sorts."
The group quietly crept onward. Aeria knew the least about the Vong. She had stuck near Jag. He seemed to know what he was doing. Plus, this way she could keep an eye on him.
Luke and Mara appeared. They had been checking out some damage.
"Anything?" Jag asked.
"No," Luke shook his head.
Jag nodded, "Okay, good. The plan is to circle the compound from the back. Tahiri says another religios ceremony is about to take place."
"What about the sacrifices?" Luke added.
"I don't know," Jag admitted, "I don't see how to get them out without blowing the whole plan."
"He has a point," Mara stated, "I don't like it either, Luke, but what else can we do?"
Luke sighed, "We can't just let them die."
Aeria could see anger well up in Jag's eyes. She decided she better step in, "Tahiri, how long till they start?"
Tahiri glanced at them, "An hour or so."
"Then we better hurry."
