CHAPTER 9

The Jedi Masters were about to leave the Council Chamber for the afternoon meal when suddenly a black cloaked figure dashed into the room.

"What is the meaning of this?" the crocodile demanded.

The cloaked figure ran to the Masters and bowed quickly. "Please give me a moment," he begged quickly. "There is something I must give you before you leave."

The Masters stared at the figure for a moment then sat back down.

"Be quick about it," the older echinda said impatiently, he really wanted lunch.

The figure reached into his cloak and groped for something. "I cannot stay long enough to tell you what you need to know so I put it on a holo projector that you can review later." He pulled something out of his cloak and handed it to Master Prower. "Here. I don't have anymore time."

Then, before any questions were asked, he turned around and rushed out of te room.

Master Prower stared after the fleeing figure then down at the object in his hand. "What is this?" his voice showing curiousity.

The crocodile took the object and examined it. "I'm not sure," he replied. "But whatever it is that guy sure was desperate to get rid of it."

"Do you think we should see what's on it?" the rabbit master questioned.

"We'll wait for the others to get here before we do anything like that," Prower replied, taking the object out of the crocodile's hands. "That way we can all take a look at it and draw our own conclusions."

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The speeder driver dashed to the lift as fast as his legs could carry him. Now that he'd finally rid himself of that information he felt less worried. He knew now that, whatever happened to him, the information had reached the right hands.

I just hope they act upon it.

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Later that night Shadow and Rouge decided to go to the address the cat girl had given them. They still didn't totally trust the feline but they decided to investigate anyway. Besides, if something happened, they had their weapons and would be ready to deal with it.

When they arrived at the address in a more low budget part of the , Rouge commented, looking around and the slum houses. "I just hope that whoever these people are they're not working for the Sith."

"I don't think it's a trap," Shadow told her, gripping her hand more firmly. "If it were I would be able to sense it and I can't sense anything."

The Force might be clouded here. "You might not," she said looking up and down the dark alley that was damp and smelly from the rain they'd had a few hours ago. "But I can't help having a bad feeling about this whole thing."

Shadow had to agree. Something just didn't seem right...

A sudden disturebance forced him to act quickly. "Look out!" he shouted, pulling Rouge to the pavement as something bright flashed by them.

The thing hit a wall a short distance away and exploded with a loud crash and with flying debrees.

Instantly Shadow's lightsaber was in his hand. The red crystal sword burst to life as another explosive came at the two Padawans. He moved into its path and used his lightsaber to tennis it back the way it had come, whoch was back into a hotel window. He heard a loud squeal and saw something purple duck down in the window high above. Shadow gritted his teeth and glared at the window. Someone was up there and they didn't seem to take too friendly to apprentisses in the area.

"Shadow, what is it?" Rouge asked as she got back up.

He faced her and put a finger to his lips as he nodded up at the window. She went silent as she caught his meening. Someone was watching them. Then, before she knew what he was doing, the back hedgehog jumped up toward the window and diappeared inside.

"Shadow," she said, staring up at the window.

She saw Shadow's blade, the only light in the room, moving around. Suddenly there was the sound of a scuffle and she heard someone cry out.

Horrible thoughts engulfed her mind and she flapped her wings and rose from the ground toward the window. Something bad had happened to Shadow. She just knew it. "Shadow!" she said flying toward that window.

Suddenly Shadow's face appeared in the window and he said to her calmly. "It's all right. I'm fine."

She hovered infront of him for a moment and asked. "What is going on? What was that?"

Shadow held someone up by the collar of their robe. She saw a grouchy face surrounded by a beak and purple features. A female bird.

"Who is that?" she asked, staring at the creature.

"Let go of me!" the bird shouted, wiggling out of Shadow's grip. She glared at Rouge. "I you really need to know who I am, bat girl, My name is Wave. Wave the Swallow."

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Somewhere else on that planet lay a dark castle like building hidden in the shadows of two mountains. Inside the castle machinary worked day and night creating droid after droid with every passing minute. There didn't seem to be any life in it at all.

Inside another part of the castle a black cloaked figure stood infront of a huge hologram of another. The hologram had glowing red eyes and spoke with the same fake metallic voice as the shadow after the speeder driver. The figure staring at the hologram had glowing green eyes and spoke with a similar metallic vocie.

"You better have good news," the green eyed shadow hissed at his counter part. "You know if you bring more bad news our Master will be angry."

"I have some bad news," the red eyed shadow said. "Irad got away again."

The one in the castle clenched his fists in ager. "You'd think by now you would have been able to remove Irad for good. You know his behaviour. It should be easy for you to predict his next move."

"How can I predict the movements of someone who can disappear so easily?" the hologram argued.

"It's simple."

"If it's so simple why don't you come here and try it?"

"I think I might. After I tell our Master what you've been doing he'll hand it right over to me."

"Good luck to you then if you get the job," the hologram growled. "You're welcome to it but I must warn you, he might be easy to find but he's extreamly hard to get rid of. I already tried multiple times."

The green eyed shadow snorted in mocking laughter. "It all depends on what kind if equiptment you use." a glowing rod of light burst to life in the dark room, revieling a red and sliver face. "You just gotta know exactly what to use."

A/N

More villains and more questions. I think this chapter was okay. Incase you might be wondering 'Irad" is the one driving the speeder but that might be his first or last name.