Jace laughed as he, Kael, and Lendis left the Archives.
"Oh come on Kael, you wouldn't last a minute in the lower levels, let alone be able to get through them without being cut into little pieces," he said, still laughing.
Kael gritted her teeth, annoyed that Jace thought she couldn't do it. She was just as strong as him.
"If you could do it, then so could I," she bragged confidently.
Now Lendis joined in as she laughed quietly. "Kael no one could last in the lower levels, the Masters maybe but not us Padawans. We'd get killed."
Kael looked up at Lendis, or Len as she had nicknamed him. He was Kiffar, tall like Jace but more muscular. A warrior like his kin he was strong and wise.
What he said was the truth. Those that ventured into the darker levels of Coruscant were rarely seen again, most presumed dead. Yet Kael knew she had a fighting chance.
"I can make it through the lower levels and I'll prove it, right now," said Kael, stopping and staring Jace in the eyes.
"Oh you think so?" Jace asked her. The skepticism was easily detected in his voice.
"Yes," Kael responded. There would be no backing down now.
Lendis stopped laughing. "Will you two cut it out? You both are always trying to outdo the other. Someone is going to get killed this time."
Jace laughed again. "Stop worrying Len. It's not going to happen. It's just a little fun."
"Yeah right," Lendis said sarcastically. "That's what you always say until we get caught."
Lendis took quick looks around the hallway. Masters and Knights walked up and down, paying little attention to the Padawans save for a smile or nod. Lendis was always worried about the consequences. Hours he had spent in the Jedi Archives researching his noble race, learning their customs and making them his own. Through everything that the trio got into, Lendis had a way of keeping a level head whenever Jace and Kael got carried away with their wild ideas.
Jace rolled his eyes and turned to walk to the Temple's main entrance.
"We've got time. Let's see if Kael's more than just a big nerf herder," said Jace, making the obvious challenge.
"Then why are we wasting time?" Kael asked and she picked up the pace.
Jace was slightly shocked but started to follow Kael out the door.
Lendis paused for a second then said, "This is not a good idea."
Kael rolled her eyes.
"Come on Len!" Jace called over his shoulder.
Lendis ran to catch up as the three Padawans make their way out of the Temple. Rarely ever did a Padawan leave without their Master. It wasn't a common occurance.
They stopped at a corner just before the main entrance with Jace at the front. All three Padawans let their minds extend through the Force. They had to keep from being noticed.
Only a few guards, regular security actually, maintained a watch. They would be easy enough to slip past with mind tricks. Most of the time they were needed only to keep the off-worlders and tourists from wandering the halls and creating a distraciton.
"I'll handle this," Jace told the other two.
He slid partly away fromt he safety of the corner into view of the guards if they were to look up. Jace closed his eyes and tilted his hands up slightly, still keeping his palms facing down.
Show off, Kael thought as she projected it through the Force.
Jace ignored it and focused on the guards. He found their minds easily in the Force. As if he had hands, Jace gently held their minds, holding them in a suspended state. To them it felt as if they were in a sleep-like state.
"I've got them," said Jace as he opened his eyes but kept his hands up.
It wasn't easy to hold onto a person's mind so they had to hurry. Luckily there were no visitors mingling about yet and no ther Jedi to sense what they were up to. This was not the time to be drawing attention.
Jace let the guards' minds go when they were completely out of sight and he took a deep breath.
Jace was getting more powerful. In no time he would probably be throwing it in Kael's face too. Kael shook her head and pulled the hood of her robe up as she walked outside.
No matter how many times she saw Coruscant in the day or night, it never ceased to amaze her.
Coruscant's sun shone down on her sector of the planet, illuminating all the buildings like shining jewels. It was beautiful. Even the traffic patterns were sometimes captivating. It appeared as if there was a line of traffic going every possible way. Luckily certain lines were placed above or below others to avoid numerous collisions. People even walked along the elevated catwalks. Kael wondered where they were going, if they had a purpose, and what their lives were like.
Just as Kael reached out with the Force Jace snapped her attention away.
"Let's go space brain," said Jace, impatient as ever.
Kael narrowed her eyes and wished he would trip on his robe.
As they made their way down to the lower levels Kael started to notice the differences. Homes and personal dwellings became more scarce and there were few people around. Both Jace and Lendis had become more alert, taking in their surroundings. This was not the safest place to be. They continued to descent even lower, wondering who would be the first to back down.
Kael the the Force flow through her as she searched for any immediate threats. A few beings of a species unknown to Kael hung around but it was hard to determine if they were a threat. There was nothing else Kael could find but it didn't mean there wasn't something lurking.
Then something passed over her connection with the Force. It was like a brief shadow or glimmer of something. It moved too quickly for Kael to tell what exactly it was. Stories of rejected or troubled Padawans that were banished to the lower levels had floated around the Temple for years. Each Padawan had heard a share of stories though they were too afraid to ever ask the Masters. Now Kael was silently wondering if any of those stories were true. She let her mind stretch out with the Force and found that it had left a vague imprint, a blurry mark. Whatever it was it made Kael nervous. Pushing the feeling away she cleared her mind and became more aware of her surroundings.
Garbage was littered everywhere and there were few signs she could actually understand. No plants lived anywhere. Sunlight reached the lower levels, Kael realized it was getting darker the farther the Padawans descended. The only light came from the few small clubs or shops that people owned, though most were either dark or boarded up. Each light created a sickly glow to the dim scene.
It felt as if she had eyes watching her every move. Stopping, Kael turned around to find the source.
Outside of a trashy cantina Kael saw a group of men close together. There were about five or six of them and each took their turn looking in her direction, no doubt at Kael. Their thoughts were dark, that much was obvious without even reaching through the Force. She shuddered and pulled the thick robe closer as she ran to catch up with Jace and Lendis. They too, were reaching out, trying to sense danger with the Force.
Something screeched loudly, making Kael's heart beat faster. It was as if the creature was in pain. Large mutant creatures had been rumored to be living in the Coruscant underworld, making it easy for Kael to resist looking for where the cry came from. Every few feet or so something scuttled around in the garbage, making Kael's pulse race even faster.
More stories had filtered into the Temple that entire neighborhoods had been put on lockdown because of the violence and rising crime rate. It had been whispered that zombie-like humans even roamed through the lower levels, occasionally getting bold and taking children from their beds at night. A chill ran through Kael. For so many years she had thought them just fodder, but now that she had seen was it was like, Kael wasn't so sure now.
They continued walking until they reached a small clearing in the mess. By now they were about half a kilometer down from the Jedi Temple. It was so cold. Sunlight never reached this place and broken and dying artificial lights did little to brighten the place. There had been no establishments for a while and they saw no people. That didn't mean there weren't predators still out there.
"This looks like a good place to stop," said Jace as he looked around.
"What's the matter Jace?" Kael asked. "Scared to go any further?"
The truth was she was glad they had stopped. There was uneasy rest within the Force.
Jace turned around to look at Kael and then shook his head.
"You wish," he said then turned back.
The clearing they were at was an extension of buildings that connected the two. Jace walked to the side of it. Kael and Lendis followed. They gazed down even farther and saw only darkness, save for the few lights barely glowing in the far distance. It was almost too quiet, Kael heard no sounds emitting from Coruscant's "surface."
"That is a lot of empty space," said Lendis, his voice echoing off the walls.
Kael nodded in silent agreement. There was a good chance it may not have been the best idea.
Kael shook the thought from her head. If she turned back now Jace and Lendis wouldn't let it go for months.
Silence enveloped them as the three Padawans took in the alien world around them.
"Let's get this over with. There is something not right down here," Lendis said, finally breaking the silence.
"Fine with me," said Kael.
"I thought you wanted to be down here," Jace said in a sarcastic tone.
"Oh yes, it's a joy," Kael responded in the same tone.
Jace looked around the nearby area, his mind turning with ideas and possibilities. After a few minutes he smiled and said, "Okay I've got a plan."
Despite his smile and acting like he didn't mind being down here, Kael could see past it all. Jace wanted to get out of this place as quickly as the other two.
Jace pointed down three levels at a set of flickering lights.
"You see those lights way down there?" Jace asked.
Kael rolled her eyes. "Obviously."
Again Jace ignored it. "Well you have to get down on those levels, fix the lights on that side, jump across the gap between the building supports and do the same thing on the other side. Doesn't sound too hard right hero?"
"Not at all," said Kael.
"Then what's keeping you?" Jace asked. "Go for it."
Kael narrowed her eyes at Jace and then ran at the railing. It appeared to be an insane thing to do but just as she reached the railing she jumped into the air and vaulted over the side.
Jace and Lendis rushed to the railing to watch Kael fall.
It was just a trick. Kael had been practicing her acrobatics with the aid of the Force for some time now and was glad to use them.
She called on the Force and felt it answer her immediately. It flowed through her and used it to soften her landing on the next level down.
Kael turned around to face the clearing again. She backed up a few steps then went running toward the edge. As she jumped off the level it looked as if she was diving. Her momentum carried through the air towards the next level. She pulled her arms and legs close to her body and curled her body in tightly, causing her to spin slowly.
Her landing was a bit harder this time. Kael fell into a roll and then froze on her hands and knees, letting the Force flow through everything nearby. When she found it was clear, Kael stood and began to walk to the light flickering on the wall.
It was too quiet. There was no sound. Kael walked faster. She just wanted to get this done.
Kael reached the light and extended her had toward it. Tightening her fist it looked as if she was grasping at nothing. Instead she was channeling the Force and reinforcing the circuits to the light, mending them almost instantly.
Now the light ceased flickering and instead glowed brighter, illuminating the area.
She repeated the same process to the next light nearby. The darkness crept back a little further now.
"Not bad," said Lendis, the same time Jace said, "Show off."
After quickly making her way to the other side Kael repeated the process, helping the lights to burn even brighter.
Then just as she leaped back into the air Kael suddenly felt something like a rope tighten around her and a shock run through her body and she was jerked back to the ground.
Her head hit the walkway, hard and Kael's vision went in and out for a few seconds.
The painful shock continued to run through Kael's body, making her cry out in pain and her movements became sporadic.
"Well what do we have here?" Said a dark voice. "Is this a Jedi? Strayed from her Temple?"
Heavy steps walked close to where Kael lay on the ground. She looked up and was unable to determine the species that loomed above her.
Movement was impossible. Looking down she saw that a tight, energized cord. Each time she tried to move the cord sent another wave of electricity through her.
"Don't try it," said the male.
Jace strained to see where Kael was.
"It shouldn't take this long," said Lendis.
"She's just making it more dramatic," Jace lied, trying to convince himself.
Kael struggled to hold on. Then it clicked in her memory who the creature was.
He had been one of those in the group outside the cantina. Suddenly others seemed to melt from the thick walls as she heard more sets of footsteps walk closer. There was no way to tell how many stood around her.
Kael reached out to the Force and found that she could barely grip it.
"Don't worry," said the creature, "we know exactly what to do with you."
Jace stretched out with the Force to search for Kael. He immediately sensed danger and then saw the men gathered around Kael. They were going to hurt her, or worse.
"No!" Jace shouted.
He leapt over the railing and ripped out a power cord from the side of a building, using it as a rope to swing down.
Jace landed hard on his shoulder and was forced to go into a roll. He had barely made the level and felt the pain spike from his arm to the rest of his body.
Lendis landed more carefully next to him.
Jace couldn't feel the pain anymore. It was blocked out by the rage that had suddenly consumed him. The minds of the men around Kael were dark and twisted. There was no way he would let any of them touch her.
Jace got up quickly and ignited his lightsaber. Its light illuminated the small area in a bright green color. He vaguely heard the snap hiss of Lendis' lightsaber do the same as it came to life.
There were five of them. Jace saw three aliens and two humans with them. All were dressed in dirty torn clothes but still bigger than Jace.
"Get away from her!" Jace shouted.
"Leave now little Jedi," said one of the men with a dark smile.
Kael was losing her battle to hold consciousness. She felt Jace in the Force and turned to face him. His expression was blank but the anger underneath was having a hard time being restrained.
Jace caught Lendis' eyes and they nodded to each other.
At the same moment the two Padawans pushed out their hands, sending the two men farthest away back against the thick walls, knocking them out cold.
One of the aliens pulled out a blaster and shot it off a few times. Both Jace and Lendis deflected the bolts with ease back at him.
The second one lunged at Jace. His lightsaber cut through it as if he were nothing.
Only the third alien was left. Jace could feel him trembling, afraid of what would happen next. The blaster shook in his hand.
He dropped it suddenly and took off running, disappearing around a corner instead of ending up like his partners.
Jace disengaged his lightsaber and ran to Kael, dropping down to his knees at her side. Without thinking he grabbed for the cables and screamed out in pain as his skin made contact.
"They've got power running through them idiot!" Lendis shouted as he sat down on Kael's other side. "They will burn through you like fire if you're not careful."
"What do you mean?" Jace asked.
"These wires," Lendis explained, "have a current running through them. It's used to trap and paralyze the victim. They set its power on high and used it on Kael. There's a good chance she had no idea what was coming."
Her body jumped every few seconds, the shock continuing through Kael as she lay unconscious. Pain sparked from her, echoing in the Force around Kael.
"I'm going to try and slip it off. Just don't move," said Lendis.
Jace sat still, allowing Lendis to work. He felt him reach out with the Force, calling on it to pull the powerful wires away from Kael.
They crackled as they slid off of Kael, like they did not want to let go.
Once they were free of her Lendis flung them over the side to fall down even farther to the underworld, no longer a threat to any of them.
"Kael?" Kael can you hear me?" Jace said loudly, trying to wake her up.
He gently lifted her into his arms, picking her up and carrying Kael as if she were a small child.
Slowly Lendis stood slowly next to him, the use of the Force drained him. He took a few deep breaths to regain his bearings.
"Lendis, we can't make it back to the upper levels like this. Go back to the Temple and get a lifter. It's a faster way to get her back on surface level," said Jace.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Lendis asked, the concern evident in his voice.
"I'm not leaving her so you have to go," Jace told him.
Lendis nodded and took off at a sprint. Wit/h the help of the Force he would reach the Temple in minutes.
Jace remained silent as he listened to Kael's shallow breathing. He sensed her falling in and out of consciousness, fighting to stay awake.
Kael blinked open her eyes and looked up at Jace. He could only smile back.
"I hurt," said Kael with a pained smile.
Jace laughed and Kael wrapped her arms lazily around his neck pulling herself close.
"I'm sorry Kael. I shouldn't have made you do this," said Jace. Kael was groggy and it looked as if Jace's apology fell on deaf ears.
"Am I going to die?" Kael asked with little seriousness.
"No, I won't let it happen," said Jace, still carrying her.
Kael was quiet for a few minutes, either taking in his answer or fighting through a clouded mind.
"Jace?" she said finally.
"Yeah Kael?" Jace answered.
"Thanks for coming for me," Kael answered in a sleepy voice.
Jace just laughed then heard a small transport descend to his level. It was one of the transports the Jedi used.
Jace's smile dropped. This wasn't going to end well.
The ramp lowered, revealing two Jedi Knights and one Master. All held calm but sterm looks on their faces.
No, not well at all.