Chapter 15 Bloodbath


LUKE POV

A sickening grin spread over the black cherry Scavenger's face.

What the fuuu…

"IT BLEEDDSSS! OH DELICIOUSSS BLOOD! IT BLEEDSSS!" It crowed in delight, throwing its head back in mad laughter.

"It bleedss! It bleeddsss! It bleedddssss!" they others all crooned.

His hand that had been cut open earlier, his back was sliced, he had a stab wound in his shin, and his nose slowly dripped blood. And it all hurt like hell!

"Of course I'm bleeding, so what?!" he snapped irritatedly.

"Look likke Sittthhh you do! Act like a Sittthhh you do! Balllannccce the forrccce you mussst! One Jedi and one Sittthhhh there alllwwayyyssss mussst be, untiilll the forrccce ssshhall set meee freeeee!" the auburn, chestnut, and mahogany Scavengers giggled madly and howled into the night.

What in the world does that mean? His muddled mind pondered.

These guys are completely insane he concluded, his grip tightening even further on the vibro blade and lightsaber ignoring the shooting pain the action caused.

The black cherry Scavenger had fallen eerily silent while his comrades gibbered and tittered away among themselves.

Its glassy black eyes seemed to pierce into him.

This is so uncomfortable to say the least. Not to mention extremely awkward. He had to keep himself from fidgeting and squirming under the intense stare and just gazed back as passively as he could with his own light blue eyes.

Then it did something weird…

It sniffed him. Automatically he stilled, its snout mere centimeters from his sweaty and bleeding face exhaling warm breath onto his features, hissing ever so softly…

"Luke!" Zoë shouted.

Then the moment was broken and the Scavengers all turned abruptly to the new voice.

I can't believe I forgot again that she was here! He scolded internally, whirling around toward her as well.

"Lookkk, lookkk. Nicce little treatttssss. Allll our otthhhersss got awayyy. But drain herrr blood weee stilll could tooo eat." The auburn, chestnut, and mahogany Scavengers hissed as they stalked toward Zoë and her sister Dyla who huddled away. He sprinted in front of them once again, a limp in his gait. Lightsaber clenched tightly in one hand, vibro blade held in the other, ready to defend, holding both slightly outstretched from his body, crouching down slightly, feeling the cut on his back and shin burn, glaring daggers at the three.

"Moovvve!" "Moovvve it!" "Blocccckking usss from our tassstyyy litttle treeeat!" they shrieked harshly, outraged. He stood his ground slashing and stepping in front of any that tried to slip past.

The Scavengers just snarled angrily, yapping and barking impatiently but not charging at him.

Suspicious, very suspicious. Why aren't they attacking me?

But I need to get Zoë and her sister outta here.

"Zoë go!" he called over his shoulder, blue eyes never leaving the trio of whining Scavengers.

"But Luke…!"

The chestnut Scavenger started to sneak around him. He stabbed violently at it and it backed up, head cocked slightly to the side with glassy black eyes observing his every move.

"Just go!"

Once he heard her fading footsteps he started to back away himself toward the exit because no way am I going to stay one more minute in this place. He immediately stumbled into something, something breathing… and alive! He yelped in surprise and instantly surged forward. Wheeling around he spotted the thing he had bumped into had been the black cherry colored scavenger, a deadly penetrating look in its eyes. He felt confused for a moment.

How? He thought looking around. Then he glanced up. Realization dawned on him. Of course, the gratings in the air. That's how he must've gotten behind me.

"Stupid. Stupid ever so stupid and stubborn you are," it purred stalking forward.

He was forced to stagger back until he was in the middle of the room.

The Scavengers circled around him slowly, reminiscent to vultures, each leering and gibbering to each other.

Click

Click

Click

Click

Click

…Went their knife-edged white claws on the metal floor.

Is this how it's going to end? Am in going to get eaten alive by a bunch of big lizards he thought sarcastically, glancing warily around himself, weapons still at the ready.

"Whhaat are youuu?" the black cherry colored Scavenger hissed.

"Yessss. Yessssss. Whhhaat are youuu? Whhat creeeaaatuure are youuu born ffrom ttthhe sssttarssss? Not fffrrom here yoouuu aressss ," the mahogany, auburn, and chestnut Scavengers echoed in agreement.

Wait, does that mean they really know that I'm from the future. But how… he thought amidst the relentless pounding in his heador maybe they're just saying that to confuse me. He had this annoying persistent gut feeling that told him to run. The force was practically screaming at him to get away but he didn't understand why. Wait, Maybe I actually do understand. I'm in a room with a bunch of deadly vile creatures that have very sharp teeth and claws! I should be panicking! He quickly released these pent up emotions and troubles to the force and tried to calm down as best he could, though it didn't make much of a difference. His heart still thumped hurriedly in his chest and his breath came in shallow.

"Does it matter?" he voiced to their previous question, keeping his barrage of thoughts stuffed in the back of his mind.

"Yesss matterrrsss it doesss." "Matterrsss the worrlddd." "Yesss. Yyesss. Mattterrsss," they all warbled away, "The dark jedi. A sith! A sith! Broke into the temple to steal from the rooms of holocrons it did! Named Grelell. Yes! Yes! A Darth title he held."

A dark Jedi or Sith that broke into the Jedi temple not long ago, sounds familiar . . . ?

"Failed offf couurrrsssse. Failed! Failed! Failed!" they screamed piercingly.

Why can't they shut up already? He winced, wishing he could cover his ears. If they keep on screaming like wild banshees I'm going to go dea! But what they said next really caught his attention and then he understood why the force had warned him so.

"Fffail in tthisss endeavvor youu wiillll, asss wellll… sommehowww," they sniggered together. And then they pounced at him, howling and squealing in delight.

Blue eyes widened and adrenaline pulsated through his veins once more.

He immediately leapt up dropping Sidious's lightsaber and the vibro blade, which clattered to the floor, in favor of using both his hands to find a grip and hang on to the high chandelier above him for dear life. It swayed precariously back and forth. The Scavengers hopped and vaulted snapping at his feet. He quickly swung himself on top of the chandelier, gritting his teeth when jostling his injured leg, and avoiding the candles but knocking a few to the ground nether less.

Mahogany pounced up swinging onto the chandelier wildly and knocking candles down from their holds making them plummet to the metal ground.

"Pleassse, pleassse give mee myy precciiouusss meeat!" it begged with big wide eyes, swiping at him with its claws and snapping its jaws impatiently.

He launched himself onto the hard grating platform as its jaws snapped inches away from his foot.

His hands scraped the platform and made the stinging cuts painfully reopen on his palm.

The rest of the Scavengers launched themselves up and piled onto the chandelier screaming, "Comme bacckkk, come bacckkk, wee jusst want to pllayyy!"

Pushing himself off the ground he darted away. The pain from earlier already becoming dull throb.

They chased him around the gratings that made up the top half of the room wailing, "Comme bacckkk comme backk wee jussst wantt to playyy! Too rip aparrt youurrr boness! Drinnkkk youurrr bllood! And savve youur flesssh for anottthher dayyy!"

Chestnut sliced at his cloak tearing it to shreds in some places. He ducked under the incessantly snapping jaws and spun smashing his foot into its head and diving out of the way of Mahogany. His head banged the floor. Groaning, he struggled up and lurched away, the world spinning around him. He threw himself across one of the walkways. Three of the Scavengers, Black Cherry, Chestnut, and Mahogany, followed close behind. Then he was trapped as Auburn leapt in front of him.

Their claws clicked and clacked. Resounded and smacked against the metal.

He looked back. The others stalked even closer snickering and growling. In front auburn hissed, swiftly prowling coming closer as well.

There's no place to go. Think! Think Luke!

They leapt at his position with a snarl and collided into each other as, thinking fast, he jumped, fell, and tumbled form the walkway colliding with a pipe, sure to leave bruises, and rolled into the middle of the room. With trembling hands he heaved himself up. He stepped around the candles littering the ground and picked up Sidious's lightsaber, igniting it. He looked around for Scavengers.

Ever since the candles had fallen the room had gotten significantly darker. The upper space was black as pitch where the gratings were. He heard them walking, the clicking of their claws, but couldn't see them, although he could slightly feel their location through the force.

"Oh youu fooolllissh litttlle creeaaturre!" they screeched, "Jusst like Grelell youuu arre but ittt isss Sssidiiouuss youuu musssttt beeat."

Sidious?!

"Wee neeed too tassstte! Neeed too eaattt! Neeed to devvouurrr! Mutilllate! Kiillll! Ssshrrred up! Sssucchh a tassstyyy trreeat!"

"Wait!" he interrupted, "what do you know about Sidious anyways?!"

"Worrrkked forr himm wee did…" "…Onnccce upon a tiimmme lonng aggo." "Buttt nottt annyyymorrre weee do!" "Tiimmmes havve ccchhannged, worrrk forrr onnllyyyy ouurrrsssellvvesss weee do."

"Why?"

Then everything was quiet. The voices stopped. The clicking sound of their footsteps stopped. Their very breathing stopped.

The only thing he heard was his own heartbeat pounding in his ears and his own lungs heaving with the rush of the chase. A drop of sweat rolled down his cheek.

Click

Clack

Click

Clack

Click

Click

Click

Clack

In front of him, born from darkness, the black cherry Scavenger appeared, voice quiet whispered, "Cauughhht a forccce anommallyyy tthhey havve. Sssidiiouusss annd Doookku tthhey did. Unnhappyyy wwitth tthhhisss weee werrre. Ssso leffft weee did. Ttthe LiMmerrgge buiilllldinnng in tthhe Worrrkkksss on Corrusssccanttt. Liiieees a mmosst powwerrrfulll forrccce annommalllyyy tthhat ssshhouullld beee ssset fffrreeee."

Force anomaly?

"Well I'm trying to stop Sidious and this Dooku person…"whoever he is, but he must work with Sidious or something. "…shouldn't you let me go since you want to stop them too, don't you," he asked earnestly.

"Yessss, yesssss weee did," the three voices warbled from the shadows, "But lettt youuu go. Noo. Nooo weee can't dooo that."

"Why?!"

"Becaussse, our hungerr nearrllyyy isssn't ssated yet!" they screeched and threw themselves at him.

"aaaahhhgghh!" he screamed out as a claw grazed his back, tearing roughly at his skin, and cutting even deeper into the already existent gash from the vibro blade. He jerked away as intense hot pain rippled up his spine. He force leapt away from them all and scampered toward the secret exit that was not so secret any more, intent on escaping for good.

Then suddenly he was jerked backwards as searing pain shot up his whole leg this time. Teeth sunk into his flesh with a vice-like grip causing him to gasp sharply. Falling to the ground he grappled and grabbed for a place to hold onto. Fear burst in his chest. His hands scraped the ground uselessly as he was dragged back aggressively by the giggling creature. Using his lightsaber he slashed at the Scavenger tugging him backwards by the leg. It skimmed and burned the top of the mahogany head.

It wailed, throwing its head back in agony.

Another one, this one the auburn Scavenger, pounced right on top of him, claws extended and teeth bared in a snarl. Before it could fully reach him, he cast up his hand, using the force; he flung the creature up up and away to some part of the room.

Then glass shattered and a wave of liquid crashed down upon them all.

It truly was a real bloodbath.


(Fanfir Note: updating is going to get kinda slow. I'm going to be busy now that my Christmas days off are over but I'll try to update at least once every week or more if I find the time. HAPPY NEW YEARS... 2016!... hehehehehehhe… XD… )