Chapter 14 Big glassy black Eyes


LUKE POV

The smell of blood polluted the air.

There was an ember orange light at the end of the tunnel.

Except I don't think its heaven.

More unearthly howls pierced the air and echoed down the tunnel. The sound originated from where the light was.

Definitely not heaven.

The dingy passage had gotten smaller and smaller as he and Zoë went. He gripped her hand and gave it a tight squeeze.

They finally reached more steep stairs. Climbing up they crawled into a vast room and hid behind a big rusted pipe lying on its side. The smell of blood was so terribly strong that it made him want to throw up then and there. Shivering slightly, together they peeked over the pipe.

The hollow space of the room was the shape of how the building looked like on the outside. Pipes were erupting from the ground and out of the walls connecting to a generator and other technical machines that looked absolutely worthless and probably having not been used for ages. The only lighting came from torches hanging on the walls, gas lamps, and a big chandelier hanging in the middle of the ceiling lined with candles.

In a cage in the corner there was a bunch of whimpering children, of all species ranging from age 4 to age 12 at the most. Surprisingly there weren't that many there, only about 13 kids in total.

At least they're still alive he thought. Feeling a bit relieved.

But that was when he looked up. Eyes widening considerably he immediately wished he hadn't. He couldn't even stop the terrible shaking of his hands.

So that's where the stench of blood came from.

There was a big glass container filled to the brim with blood, suspended in the air, held up by tough wires. Two tubes connected into the glass container and led to two big juicers. Like the stuff you put carrots or fruit into and it gives you juice. Right now it was like the stuff out of nightmares where you put children into and it gives you blood fluid. These juicers were sitting on a grating that was melded into the wall. Grating stairs led up to the platform the juicers were held onto. More platforms and walkways were also suspended around the area by wires or melded into the walls surrounding the outer area of the room. Underneath the glass container and the juicers/ blenders was a pile of junk. Some were explosives, others were boxes stacked upon boxes and containers. Most of the cylindrical containers were just fuel and oil. On those specific containers were labels saying WARNING FLAMMABLE on it. Others he didn't know but were filled with something.

He heard Zoë whimper beside him. She was staring intently in the corner where the children were, especially at a red zabrak girl with black hair who wore a dark blue ankle length dress that was torn in places and covered with dirty splotches along with brown shoes.

"Luke," she whined urgently pulling at his sleeve, "That's Dyla. Let's go," but she paused for a bit, staring at the cage that held the children then said something that chilled him to the bone, "… but I was pretty sure there used to be more children in there." Her voice rang uncomfortably loud.

Well, I can't possibly imagine where they went he thought feeling sick and glanced once more at the glass container with blood. Oh the ignorance of youth.

Zoë was about to step out in the open when shrieks ripped the air. He immediately pulled her back against his chest and together they huddled down as a door on the far wall leading to an adjoining room slammed open.

Click

Click

Click

Click

Click

Claws scratched the floor. Footsteps followed after.

Voices rang out. A familiar male voice said, "We got the children you wanted; now it's time to p-p-pay up."

It's that ninja guy from earlier.

"You let one get awwwayyyy." "Yesssss, yesssss, you let one get awwwwaaayyyyy." "Awwaayyy, awwaayyy." "You let it gettt awwwayyyyyys…" The multiple voices hissed.

"w-well, uh…," even the man stuttered in fear. Of what it was he didn't know.

"It was just one child. It doesn't matter if Andrew caught it or not," another voice, this one female, interrupted her counterpart.

Oh, so Andrew was the name of that pathetic ninja failure from earlier he thought scrunching up his nose.

"Yes, I agree. What does one child matter," someone else asked, this voice was masculine and clearly belonged to a male.

"Y-yes l-l-listen to Sheila and Michael. T-they're r-right you know," Andrew stuttered.

"It was supposssed to beee perrrfecttttt!" "Yessss, perfeccccttttt." "We onlyyyy do thisss everyyy centurrryyyy you knowwwww." "It was suppposssed to beee perrrfeccctttt." A deadly tone entered the voices as they hissed menacingly.

"Well, what do you expect us to do? Just get on with your ritual," the Michael person placated.

"Hmmm, compensssattte youuu mussssst!" "Yeesssss, comppenssssattte!" "Commpennnssssssate!" "Commpennnnssssate!" The creature's hisses increased in volume with each word.

"Fine, what'll you have us do," the female voice, belonging to this person names Sheila inquired.

"Jussst sssttayyyyy…" "Yesssss, jusssst sssstayyyy." "Sssstttayyyyyy and guuuarrrrd youuu mussssst." "Thennn givvve youuuuu tthe moneeeey yooouuuu wissssh for, wee willllllll," they hissed in union.

"Fine," the Michael person agreed. Then their footsteps faded as the trio, who he presumed were more bounty hunters, walked to the end of the room to wait until the ritual, whatever it was about, was over.

It was then that he glanced over the pipe slowly along with Zoë, who already knew what they were facing with.

They spotted the bounty hunters leaning against the far wall. One was a woman wearing a black jacket, a utility belt equipped with a variety of vibro blades and knives, she wore black tights, and black boots. Her hair was dark brown and reached mid back and her eyes were a blazing green. He assumed she was Sheila. Beside her was one of the two men in the group. He had a more muscular build than his counter parts and wore a dark green tight short sleeve shirt, black pants, a belt, hanging off the belt was a stun gun, and strapped onto his back was a vibro sword. His face and any visible skin were littered with various scars. He had short black hair and brown eyes. He must have been Michael. The next person, who looked all too familiar and was slumping against the wall with wide dark blue eyes, comparable at the moment to a chicken for being such a wussy, was that pathetic guy from earlier dressed in his wanna be ninja costume, looking as stupid as ever.

But the real thing that drew their attention was the Scavengers.

They certainly aren't humanoid.

There were four of them in total. To say the least the creatures looked like velociraptors. But their bottom jaws were a bit big and disproportionate compared to their top jaws. Small razor teeth jutted from their gaping mauls. Their feet were bigger and the claws larger. The arms had more articulate movement just like a human arm and their hands were adorned with needlelike razor claws. They had feathers all down their spines and down their tails as well as on their elbows and heads. Their big black lifeless eyes were dead looking from so far away. Each scavenger had leathery skin and small tufts of furs on their underbellies, tails, ankles, wrists, and some even on the neck. One was the color of mahogany, another was chestnut brown, the next was auburn colored, and the last was the color of black cherries.

Looks like a bunch of big lizards.

The four Scavengers started slowly stalking toward the cage that held the children, together hissing a little creepy tune all the way:

"Blood we makkke

Blood we makkkke

Blood of chillldrennn we musssstttt drinkkkkk

Harvesssst the blooddd

Harvesssst the blooddddd

Gein he gwenleichhhh

Harvesssttt the bloodddd

Blood reddd

Blooddd as ssstttaaaarrrr

Hyperion, Hydrolica

Ssstarrrr in the sssskyyyyy

Harvvvesssst the ssstarrrssss

Sooo tangyyy

Sooo tastyyy

What a wonderfulllll trrrreeeaaatttt

The bloood of my littlllle brokkkkennnn childddrrrrennn

Dripppsssss downnn to my feeeeetttt

Sssplit their organssss

Cut offf their headsssss

Drain theirrrr bodiessss

Offf that tangyyy tassstingggg bloooddd redddd leadddd

Gein he gwenleichhhh

Harvesssst the bloooddd

Harvesssst the bloodddd

Harvvvvessssst the stttarsssss

Drink uppp

Drink uppp nowww

Tassstyyy treeaattt for youuuu and meeeeee

Heeeheeeheeeehaaaahaaaheeeheeeheeheeeheheheheeeeee…"

Their voices made his skin tingle unpleasantly, his heart pound, made fear fill his being and goose bumps appear on his arms.

"Dyla!" Zoë screamed standing up. While he was still processing what the Scavengers had said, one had picked up Zoë's sister.

And then Zoë had to shout.

She just had to shout did she?!

Oh, sithspit…

Then it was quiet.

No one moved.

"Oops," Zoë whispered. He stood in a flash and pushed Zoë behind him.

The Scavengers black beady eyes bore into him and Zoë. The bounty hunters just stared. The man from earlier eyes widened in recognition. The Scavengers then dropped Zoë's sister roughly on the ground and threw her back in the cage. They stalked toward them.

"Zoë," he whispered, "go get you sister and the children out."

One hand reached into the folds of his cloak and tightly grasped Sidious's lightsaber.

"But…," she said.

"Go!"

He force jumped over the pipe as Zoë ran toward the cage, putting himself in between the Scavengers and children he withdrew Sidious's lightsaber, already igniting the crimson blade, holding it slightly outstretched from his body.

"A forccce ussser!" the black cherry colored Scavenger hissed. The bounty hunters had long drawn their weapons. Except the guy from earlier who was cowardly hiding behind his counterparts.

"A forrccce ussser!" "Itttt's a forrccceee ussserr!" "Forrrccce ussser!" the others hissed in agreement. Then they started making these weird barking noises to each other.

"Bountyyy hunttersss gettttt himmmm!" "Alivvve!" "Yesss alivvve!" "Mmm-hmmm, alivvveeee!"

Hearing that, the bounty hunters rushed at him while the Scavengers stepped back and watched with their big glassy black eyes.

Sheila, the only female in the group, leapt into the air and shot a wire out of the machinations attached to her forearm. It wrapped around his free hand cutting into his skin. Before he could sever it Michael had drawn his stun gun and fired at him.

He bent over backwards pulling Sheila with his momentum. The rays streaked past his nose, barely touching his face.

Quickly regaining his stance he deflected the rest of the shots but stumbled when the wire was yanked. Wrist stinging, his face abruptly kissed the ground, courtesy of Andrew who delivered a harsh kick to the back of his skull.

Payback for earlier, hmmm. He remembered.

His face throbbed. Blood poured from his nose. With a grunt of effort he twisted swinging the light saber up wildly. Andrew sprung out of the way, whimpering fearfully.

"Coward!" he yelled.

He rolled to the side as another round was fired in his previous position. Then collided with Sheila who was about to plunge a vibro dagger in his face. He parried holding her at bay while still lying on the ground and jabbed her in the face with his foot then twisting violently and cutting the cord around his wrist. His head pounded at the abrupt movement.

Stealing her dagger while she stumbled he whirled and flung it at Andrew, embedding it in his gut.

He gave a sudden strangled cry as he felt his back catch fire, being cleaved open by Sheila who had whipped out another blade. This one now decorated with his fresh blood. The force blared a warning! He ducked painfully just in time to avoid a stun shot.

Sheila rammed her foot in his ribs.

"guuahhh!"He gasped out.

Despite the pain radiating from his face and back and now stomach, he nimbly rolled away from the two to gain distance, taking a fighting stance. Feet apart, left foot forward, and light saber held sideways across his vision, panting heavily.

Michael and Sheila charged. Sheila raced toward him as he deflected and circumvented stun gun shots. She threw knives. He eluded all but one. It embedded itself in his shin. Howling he yanked it out and threw it back at her. She dodged. Then ploughed him in the face and sent him skidding. Blood from his nose splattered the floor and dripped into his mouth. The iron tang made him grimace. He barely avoided another stun gun shot. When Sheila was almost upon him he ricocheted one of the rays back at her with the red blade. It hit dead on and her body collapsed.

Swiping an extra blade from her belt he lunged away as more shots fired after him, his back burned. Panting hard he scrambled behind a pipe. Then, gathering his strength and wincing, forced jumped onto some metal gratings hanging in the air. He landed with a thudding echo. Pain tore up his leg and he clutched it tightly, gritting his teeth. Forcing himself to move he ran. Shots trailed him all the way but he was obviously too agile. Bounding across the room on the suspended grating platforms he flung his body down and with a cry of pain and anger, charged at Michael still deflecting and avoiding fire.

Since he was in close quarters his opponent, Michael threw the gun away…

Which in my opinion was a very stupid decision.

…and withdrew a vibro sword. Their blades clashed. Michael was stronger and was pushing him down. His leg throbbed, his back radiated agonizing pain, his face ached and adrenaline pulsated in his veins. Narrowing his eyes he withstood the assault. Using his vibro blade he slashed at his attacker, who he forced to hastily step back, causing the sweeping motion of his blade to miss its target by mere inches.

Using both lightsaber and vibro blade to his advantage he sliced expertly and twirled making his opponent retreat. His vibro blade got eventually caught. It was twisted by his opponent's blade mid swing and sent flying due to the overwhelming strength of his adversary. He was forced into a deadlock, lungs heaving, brow sweating, heart pounding. I feel like I'm gonna hurl.

Pulling out of the deadlock he aimed for the legs with his saber but his opponent parried with vengeance, tossing his lightsaber hand away and then attempted to strike him in the stomach now that he was open, but he spun and kicked his good leg up, catching the vibro sword at its hilt, and shoved hard making it shred deep into his attacker's own shoulder. He gave a wane smile. Serves him right.

His opponent bellowed out in pain like a boar and thrust at his neck in retaliation. He blocked and met blow for blow. Michael kicked at his stomach. He backed up. It missed. Then he did a cartwheel to where his vibro blade lay.

Picking it up he threw it like a javelin at Michael who batted it away and charged at him, cleaving wildly, almost blindly even. He caught Michael's sword hand just inches from his face, using the force to strengthen his screaming muscles and fortify his inflamed back. His light saber drove hard into the abdomen. Blood sprayed, caused by the blood red sith blade. Michael fell forward with a wail of agony.

Panting, hands trembling, he called the fallen vibro blade to his hand with the force.

Dammit, I feel like I could just kneel over right now. Maybe take a nice long nap.

His mind was starting to feel kinda fuzzy and that usually isn't a good thing.

Licking his chapped lips he tasted blood, most likely the blood slowly leaking out of his nose. His back stung badly as did his leg and the pain was just getting worse as the adrenaline faded. White hot pain shot from those area's with every heartbeat.

I wonder if I'm going to get a concussion later he wondered faintly.

"Luke!" a cry brought him back to reality. He spotted Zoë and her sister Dyla near the exit they had snuck in earlier from. All the children in the cage were gone. They probably were able to flee in the commotion. That's good. But why's Zoë still here?

"Watch out! Behind you!" she wailed, tears glistened on her cheeks.

He heard a growl and whipped around so fast it made his head spin and came face to face with the black cherry colored scavenger he saw earlier.

Big glassy black eyes stared.


(Fanfir Note: take into account that Luke doesn't have any long term official Jedi training or anything and by the time he has to fight these people he's shit tired. Physically and emotionally. So I think he totally owned those pathetic bounty hunters. You ought to give him some credit you know.)


(Hydra Note: don't get offended if I used you name cause Andrew, Michael, and Sheila are kind of common names in some places. I just picked them randomly. : 0 ) Bye Byes…


(Fanfir Note: If you don't know what a black cherry looks like then look it up. It's not a red cherry, it's a black cherry. That's the color that particular Scavenger is... : 0 )