Chapter 15

Predator

Padawan Elena Adarné sat miserably on the meadows of Dantooine, her face buried against her knees and arms as a chilling wind blew over her and rustled the branches of the willow tree behind her. The crescent moon was faint and somber, as if to further dampen her spirits after she had failed the first test of Knighthood, the Trial of Skill. Despite her best efforts and the countless hours of meditation and practice she had put in, she was quickly overcome – almost humiliated, even – by the relentless Djem So and Juyo assault of Master Vrook in the training dojo.

As if she had forgotten the Jedi Code entirely, Elena felt a rush of fear swamp over her. If she was overcome so easily and quickly by Master Vrook, how could she ever manage to hold her own against him in the future and pass the first and most rudimentary of the Trials?

She was a failure, and Elena knew it to be true. All of her friends – Revan, Alek and Meetra – had far outpaced her and had achieved the rank of Jedi Knight many months ago, and yet here she was, languishing behind them due to her lack of courage and competence. Her friends expressed their belief in her through their words, but somehow, deep down, Elena knew they were inwardly laughing at her.

"Hey," a voice came from behind her, causing her to quickly spin her head and look over her shoulder. Walking quietly down the slope of the hill towards her was her closest friend Revan.

By the Force, she was so emotionally wracked that she couldn't even sense or hear him approaching her from behind. Just how could she ever pass her Trials with such poor discipline?

"Oh…Hello, Revan," she said downheartedly, sinking her gaze once more.

"You look terrible," Revan frowned and sat down beside her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "How are you holding up?"

"I can't do this, Revan," she shook her head and lightly leaned against him. "No matter how hard I try to calm myself or practice my lightsaber techniques over and over again, I just can't get it right."

"You really expected to hold your own against Master Vrook using your Niiman style?" Revan chuckled, holding his arm around her. "You should have worked on honing your Soresu and Ataru in order to put him off balance. Vrook may be strong, but he grows slow as hell if you prolong combat against him."

Elena tensed a little and pinched Revan on the forearm, causing him to blink in pain. "Why didn't you tell me this before?!"

He shrugged and nicely pushed her fingers away from his limb. "Sorry. Thought you knew."

"It doesn't matter, anyway," Elena sighed and grasped at a tuft of grass which she threw into the wind in frustration. "I'll probably get whooped by Master Vrook again the second time, so what does it matter?"

"Hey, don't think like that," Revan insisted, grasping Elena's hand before she could move it to tear at another wad of grass. "I know you, Elena. You may doubt yourself now, but believe me when I say that you have an inner fortitude in you that I've sensed in few other Jedi. You'll pull through in the end. Trust me."

Looking into her best friend's eyes, Elena couldn't see or sense a sliver of dishonesty. Revan was always there to help and support her since shortly after her arrival at the academy in the days of their youth. While Meetra and Alek were also close friends of hers, they were nowhere near as supportive of her as Revan, who would spare any time he had whenever she needed his assistance.

Thinking back to those early years and considering the impact that Revan had on her life, Elena knew that her relationship with Revan had enabled them to somehow form a tight bond through the Force, perhaps even closer than that between a Master and a Padawan. While it gave her assurance and strength when she needed it most, at times it also made her feel weak and vulnerable, especially considering the wisdom and warnings of the Order when it came to the sensitive topic of emotions. She was aware that over time, their friendship had developed to the point where they held feelings for each other they knew could lead to their mutual downfall.

But still, despite the shrieking warnings of her head which desperately tried to stay firm and true to the doctrines of the Order, her heart grew weaker every day, the walls within crumbing one at a time.

And someday, it may very well be too late.

"You really believe that…don't you?" Elena smiled weakly and squeezed Revan's hand.

"Of course I do," Revan spoke with fierce belief. "The road may be difficult, but I want to help you overcome this. I want to help you get through not only the Trial of Skill, but especially the Trials of the Flesh and Spirit. Those two tests are absolute torture for anyone to complete, and I can't bear to risk having you face them unprepared, because I—" He suddenly stopped, his Jedi conscience calling out to him.

"Because…?" Elena whispered as she and Revan looked each other in the eyes.

"I, uhh…," Revan began to confess, rubbing his temple with his free hand which he then ran over his scalp and lengthy dark hair. "I care for you, Elena. I was a loner my entire life until I met you. You're very dear to me, and I couldn't care less what the Council says on emotional attachments. I'll help you get through your trials, no matter how long it takes."

"You know we can't, Revan," Elena said glumly, knowing that Revan felt the same urges as her. "The Order forbids it."

Revan smirked. "You should know by now, given all our sessions with Master Kreia, that I don't think the same way as the Masters. My emotions give me strength; they don't weaken me or my resolve."

"But what about me? Do you honestly believe that I'm the same as you when it comes to embracing my emotions?"

"No," Revan flatly replied. "And that's why I'm going to help you learn as I did."

Captivated by Revan's gaze, Elena felt her heart quicken threefold. Without the need for a single word, Revan's eyes alone began to cause the firewall that was Elena's adherence to the Jedi Code to crumble and splinter, until finally there was nothing left holding her back. There was no point in continuing to restrain the emotions which had become enflamed within her for many months.

Then, unable to contain herself or her feelings any longer, Elena expressed her deepest gratitude to Revan, feeling blissful at the sensation of his arms around her as they finally cast off the shackles of the Jedi teachings and locked lips for the first time.

-o-

"What are you doing out here all by yourself?"

Her thoughts broken, Elena turned her head to see Bastila who looked down at her from her right, shielding her from the morning sun which was already shrouded with white clouds. The former Padawan had a curious expression on her face, the hands on her hips signifying that she felt concern for Elena due to the biting chill of the winter wind.

"Nothing much, just wanted some peace and quiet is all," Elena weakly smiled as she looked far out into the grassy plains which were white with morning frost. She patted the ground next to her, gesturing to Bastila to sit herself down by the very same willow tree under which she and Revan had professed their feelings for one another so many years ago.

"You're worried about him, aren't you?" Bastila said with slight concern in her voice, as they both knew exactly what Revan was about to face in his final trial. Just over an hour had passed since his briefing with the Council and his departure, and Revan's present uneasiness could be felt by his lover through the Force.

"Of course I am," Elena sighed. "His skills are formidable, but they're nowhere near what they used to be in the old days. Beating me in that sparring exercise is one thing; overcoming an enraged Cathar who's not only consumed by the dark side, but has the deadly ability to cloak herself using the Force is another. It's been weeks since Belaya stormed off from the academy to investigate it herself, and she's yet to return."

Bastila shook her head in disagreement. "That may be true, but during Revan first two trials, didn't you feel it? The raw power which emanated from him was simply extraordinary. And the emotions and convictions that he inwardly conveyed during his recital of the Jedi Code, it…it just felt so…right."

Elena gave her a mildly scolding gaze, as a subtle warning for her to control her emotions. "Remember what happened to him, Bastila. Remember the sheer corruption which we felt in him on that day we captured him."

Her old master's warning sinking into her mind, Bastila apologized. "Yes, I-I'm sorry. His old lingering philosophy is indeed a problem, and we should make sure it doesn't get out of hand in the future. But still, it's amazing, isn't it?"

Elena looked at her puzzlingly. "What is?"

"The fact that only the two of us could read his true thoughts while he told a white lie to the Masters during his recital of the Code. It might be an indicator as to the uniqueness of our bond with him."

"I don't know," Elena rubbed her forehead which began to go sore from conflicting thoughts. "The bond is useful, yes, but it could lead us to disaster if we're not careful. I don't want to lose my fiancé to the dark side a second time and be taken by it myself. To be honest with you, Bastila, a small part of me wanted to give in that day when he beckoned us to join him. I wasn't at all interested in the power which corroded him, but…just to be with him again…that appealed to me so much."

"You won't fall," Bastila firmly said, grasping Elena's cold hand and warming it with her own. "I promise I won't let you down. I won't deny that we'll have to make him come to terms with his true identity someday, but when we do, I will do my utmost to make sure that he doesn't stray."

Elena smiled warmly at Bastila, appreciative of her support. "You've always been there for me, haven't you?"

"I want things to go back to the way they were, before this bloody war started," Bastila sighed, thinking back to better days. "No battles, no need for my Battle Meditation, no horrific atrocities…Just the three of us living in peace in our apartment on Coruscant."

"Yes…I miss those days," Elena dreamily looked outward at the skies. She earnestly believed and convinced herself that maybe, just maybe, those dreams could still come true.

-o-

Disregarding the gust of wind which chilled him to the bone beneath his double-layered winter robe, Kael trudged on alone through the vast plains of Dantooine, watchful of any wild beasts which could come his way. While he welcomed the invigorating challenge that the final part of his trials brought him, he began to become begrudging towards the Masters for denying him the simple convenience of a speeder bike, instead forcing him to march on foot through the slightly muddy winter plains which had been dampened with morning dew. It most certainly did force him to understand 'there is no emotion; there is peace' from a practical perspective, but surely this big an inconvenience was too much?

Must have been Vrook's idea from the start, Kael rolled his eyes as he took another step, his boots causing an unpleasant squelch after squelch. Twisted bastard sure has a sick sense of humor.

Convinced that his trial would be as dangerous as his instincts told him, Kael opted to leave all of his companions behind, even the battle-hardened Canderous. While the Mandalorian was well and truly able to hold his own in the thick of combat, Kael wished to provide a true challenge to himself in order to test how far he had come as a Jedi. After all, just as he learned in his soldier days that real battle was nothing like simulations in training academies, he had no choice but to subject himself to a firsthand experience of true combat as a Jedi.

After he finally ascended the muddy hill, the crystal cave which his datapad pointed him to came in plain sight. Between him and the cave were lightly wooded plains, seemingly devoid of hazards but nevertheless not eroding his sense of caution.

Breathing out and allowing his legs a moment of rest to recover and focus himself, he stood on looking solely at the cave, wondering just what kind of dangers could be lurking within. Of course there was always the possibility that the cave could be swarming with kinrath and kath hounds as his studies of the planet inside the academy's library educated him about, but he had a hunch that there was something more. The Masters would not have given him such a vague explanation and told him he must discover and face the challenge himself if it was only a pack of wild animals. Something vicious and brutal was waiting for him within…but what?

His mind cleared up after a brief period of thought, he took another step, trying to ignore the irritating squelching which drenched his socks underneath his boots with putrid mud. But suddenly, he sensed with his ears and intuition the approach of a number of speeder bikes some distance behind him. He instantly spun around and dropped to the ground in prone position, wincing unpleasantly at the feeling of wet mud against his stomach. Well concealed by the moderately tall grass, he looked out to see three speeder bikes hurtling in his direction.

He took a deep breath, readying his lightsaber as he heard rumors of brigands preying on unwary travellers in the plains. But as the speeders came closer, he could make out the distinctive figure of a petrified Zaalbar who held on for dear life against Carth, the driver of one of the vehicles.

Relaxed and at ease, Kael determined that it was safe to reveal himself to his friends, standing up and waving his hand at them. They powered down and stopped their bikes in front of him, and Kael could see that all of his companions except for T3 and the two Jedi Knights came to his aid.

"The hell are you guys doing out here?" Kael grumbled as he approached them, looking squarely at Ice who stepped forth to greet him. "I told you all it was dangerous, didn't I?"

"You sure did," Ice chuckled, walking towards him alongside Mission who had ridden on the bike as a passenger behind her. "Hired these three speeders temporarily for 150 credits from the Rodian dealer. Big money, unless of course you stole it from Davik. This little venture of ours is dangerous as you've said, but you know what? We pretty much don't care."

Canderous, draped in a strange dark grey cloak, reinforced Ice. "A powerful Jedi hopeful or not, chances are you're going to need a hand with this little trial of yours. And besides, we're all going to need a little practice of our own getting adjusted to fighting alongside a Jedi, seeing as we're going to be fighting side by side in the future."

Kael raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Canderous's unexpected addition of attire. "What's with the cloak, Canderous?"

Canderous sighed and pulled away the cloak, revealing his blazing red Mandalorian armor. The armor didn't lose a slight bit of its glorious appearance despite the many battles it had been through, shining like a brand new combat suit against the sunshine which pierced through a passing cloud.

"Would have been shot in the streets by a reckless motherfucker if I had been stupid enough to not wear this here cloak," he grumbled. "Figured it was the perfect time to give it a test run in combat today."

"If you insist," Kael shrugged, then looked worryingly at Mission. "Mission, are you sure about this? You've been out of action for a little over a month now. Could be deadly."

Mission sighed and defended herself. "I know you're worried about me, Kael, and I appreciate the fact that you care about me and my safety. But like Candy here said, we all need to practice our combat routine." Slightly unnerved by the disapproving glare the Mandalorian gave her due to his disliking of her newfound nickname for him, Mission continued. "I can't just stand behind Carth and Ice and hope that they're going to be there to protect me whenever I need it, because sooner or later my luck's gonna run out. This is something I need to do."

Seeing that Kael was still hesitant, Carth spoke on Mission's behalf. "Don't worry too much about it, Kael. She's a quick learner, and besides, Audrey and I are here for her."

Confused, Kael slightly narrowed his eyes out of bewilderment as he turned to Carth. "'Audrey'?"

The blonde woman rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips, looking stubbornly at Carth. "You just had to let it slip so early, didn't you?"

Carth merely winced. "Didn't know I was supposed to keep it a secret."

"Audrey? Your name's Audrey?" Mission inquired, lightly holding her guardian's forearm.

"Mph," she puffed, not liking the undivided attention paid to her one bit.

"Looks like you two kids are getting intimate, eh?" Canderous smirked suggestively at them. "The fact that the rest of us are only hearing this now implies that you've had a little alone time together."

"Bah, we can talk and you can gossip about this all you want later," Audrey grumbled as she forcefully started to walk rapidly back to her speeder bike. "Now shut your holes and get your asses back on a bike. We've got work to do, and I'm not intending on dying anytime soon because some jackasses can't keep focused on the task at hand."

"Yes, mommy," Mission mockingly said, earning herself a painful flick to the arm by Audrey before they hopped back onto their speeder bike. Zaalbar let out a whine, expressing his dislike for the vehicle which caused him to suffer from mild motion sickness before getting on the bike behind Carth who equally hoped that Zaalbar would be able to keep a strong stomach.

"Get your ass on the bike, Kael," Canderous muttered to him, taking the driver's seat. "You'll need those legs for running in action, not for wasting them away in miles of muddy terrain."

Kael gratefully heeded Canderous's advice and took up his offer, bemoaning the hellish ordeal of a death march the Council had originally set him up for. The engines roared up again, and the companions sped through the plains towards their destination which's interior was untouched by any and all light.

-o-

"The Jedi approaches," a human woman hissed to her companion within the darkness of the inner parts of the crystal cave. "You can feel him, yes?"

Seated on a cold rock, the Cathar grinned darkly as she ran her fingers through the thick fur of her favoured pet albino horned kath hound. Her eyes gleamed yellow amidst the shadows, one look at them being enough to strike fear in any man.

"Of course I do, Belaya," the feline chuckled, rising to her feet and leaving her pet with a disappointed scowl on its face. "I can sense his power from here. It is great, but unharnessed…unfocused. His heart is wild, just like a beast's. His discipline is weak. It should be easy to break him and any who accompany him."

Turning her face to her pet, she reached out to the beast through the Force and commanded it to rally its pack. The chief kath hound let out a low growl, and immediately the dozens of its kin which had gathered around their master while feasting on their kinrath victims quickly dispersed deeper into the cave, waiting to set a trap for their prey.

"I don't know who the bigger fool is – the Masters for sending that doomed bastard, or him for being so gullible," Belaya smirked as she walked by a crystal formation which briefly illuminated her face, revealing her brown hair and eyes and her pale and fair face. "But as always, our pets are in need of better meals."

"What, Mandalorian filth is not enough for them?" the Cathar hissed, her heart wishing to do nothing more than hunt down more of the animals who had slaughtered her own people years ago.

"Those 'filth' are running out, and running out quickly," Belaya laughed and accompanied her friend deeper into the cave. "Soon they will need more victims to satiate their hunger. Perhaps an attack on the Sandrals or Matales is in order?"

"Their families have done me no wrong, and so I will not touch them. My anger and hatred lies solely with the Council."

Her rage boiling inside of her at the very mention of the Council, Belaya gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "If only I could kill every last one of them with my bare hands around their necks for forsaking you."

"Patience, my dear. Patience," the Cathar insisted as they disappeared into the pitch-black darkness. "All good things come with time…"

-o-

The speeder bikes came to halt just outside the crystal cave, and the companions remained on their vehicles, taking a good long look at the inner sections of the cave which grew dimmer and dimmer as the path inside extended onward. The sight of kinrath bones, as well as the tattered fragments of Mandalorian armor sent a chill up Mission's spine, while Canderous looked with disappointment at the remains of his kind who had fallen in battle against mere wild beasts.

Dismounting the bike and treading lightly towards the cave, Kael felt uneasy. The place was evidently brimming with the dark side of the Force, and it took every fibre of his being to focus and prevent himself from being corrupted by its influence. He quickly came to understand that Force sensitivity, a gift as it was which enabled him to fully harness his potential, also doubled as a curse when it came to resisting temptation which his non-Force sensitive friends didn't have a problem with.

Mission walked towards Kael and laid a hand on his right shoulder after noticing him acting as if he was in a daze. "Kael, are you alright? You're trembling."

"It's…it's nothing, Mission," Kael insisted, grasping her hand with assurance with his left hand, and Mission soon laid her hand back against her side. "This place is brimming with the Force, is all. Never felt anything like this place before."

"Force or no Force, we should be careful," Audrey said, loading her modified silenced blaster pistol with extra rounds and readying her vibroblade. "This place may be crawling with beasts, judging from these carcasses. Maybe something even worse."

Carth stepped forward and gestured with his blaster pistol at Kael, telling him to take the lead. "You first, Kael. It's your trial, after all."

Doing his best to ignore the increasingly rapid beating of his heart, Kael swallowed nervously and stepped forth into the cave, lightsaber at the ready. Fear seemed to overtake him with every step he took, and beads of sweat began to form above his brow. Instinctively, he stepped just in front of Mission, who was flanked on either side by Carth and Audrey who kept their scoped blaster pistols aimed forward.

Suddenly, against his own will, Kael's mind flashed with searing pain, showing him brief and intermittent visions of two mysterious figures, one draped in black robes and the other in red, walking together into the cave just as he was doing now with his friends. His head ached at the piercing high pitch sound which wracked his ears, and his body jerked and twitched eerily. His friends noticed his erratic behaviour, but naturally dismissed it as being a side effect of his affinity with the Force, and instead concentrated on not letting their guard slip.

Sharing the sentiment of Zaalbar who let out a concerned growl next to her, Mission spoke to Kael. "Kael, I don't like this. Maybe we should…we should just turn back."

"This is the final part of his trials, Mission. He has to do this, otherwise he won't become a Jedi," Carth reminded her. "Frightening or not, we have to push onward."

"You said it yourself, kiddo," Audrey nudged her. "We need to practice our combat routine, don't we?"

Unable to point her blaster pistol straight, Mission reached sideways with her free left hand and took comfort in Audrey's assuring grasp as she whimpered. "Audrey, I'm scared…"

Cautious so as to avoid the possibility of alerting any beasts which may be lurking deeper into the cave, Audrey spoke to her. "We both lived for so long in the Lower City of Taris, and ventured countless times into the sewers. Just what are you afraid of?"

"Yeah, but…this is new, isn't it? There's no knowing what might happen…"

"Mission," Audrey squeezed her hand, "I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm going to protect you, even if it costs me my life. There's nothing you need to be afraid of."

Irritated by their bickering, Canderous grunted in a hushed voice as he readied his repeating blaster rifle. "Keep your voices down. There's no knowing what's lurking inside and able to hear us approach."

Just as they had done in the sewers of Taris, the group advanced slowly and cautiously, their ears alert and their bodies ready to spring into action at the slightest hint of hostilities. The main trail of the cave turned rightward, depriving them of what little sunlight remained to guide their path. Reluctantly, Kael activated his blue lightsaber and used its light to guide the others in the pitch-black darkness. The light patter of muddied earth could be heard with every step they took, and made Mission regret wearing her new lavender combat boots too soon.

"At least it doesn't stink like the Taris sewers, huh?" Kael found the will to chuckle after his intermittent visions finally stopped bothering him.

"Please. You wish it was the sewers," Audrey rolled her eyes. "I could tell you were having the time of your life while you were crawling right behind me through that sewage pipe leading to the Vulkar base's kitchen."

Deciding it was best to keep his voice down, Kael simply let out a chuckle as he saw the long corridor come to an end in front of him. A small stream of water could be seen flowing in from the left, hinting at another opening which soon became more clearly visible as they progressed through the tunnel.

And then, after they had finally turned and walked through the opening, silence.

Before them lay a wondrous sight that none of them had ever had the privilege to lay eye on in any other corner of the galaxy. Countless crystal formation dotted the wide expansive chamber all around them, protruding from the ground, walls and natural pillars of rock. The sheer beauty of the place rendered the party paralyzed in awe, and they couldn't help but subconsciously let down their guard, including Kael who deactivated his lightsaber and marvelled at the sight in front of him.

"It's…so beautiful," Carth murmured almost inaudibly.

"Audrey?" Mission tugged her arm. "Should we consider umm…you know…taking a few to sell?"

Humored by the child's suggestion, Audrey smiled and flicked her on the shoulder. "Don't you think the Council knows about just how many crystals are in this place? We'd be in serious trouble if we pulled anything off."

"Enough with the googly eyes and drooping jaws already," Canderous grunted and knocked Kael on the shoulder before walking forward. "We've got work to do, and you've got a trial to complete. The Council wouldn't have sent you here to draw flies with your mouth. Get moving."

"O-of course," Kael acknowledged and came back to his senses. "We should go deeper, shouldn't we? Come on," he said, pointing his lightsaber at another opening he saw far away on the opposite end of the chamber.

With every step he took through the massed collection of rare crystals, Kael did his best to keep his mind focused and avoid being taken in by his surreal surroundings like Mission did behind him. He knew that this was part of his test set up by the Masters, and yet, he felt that there was something truly dangerous lurking deeper, waiting for him to present itself. And Kael knew that when that happened, it would be Mission who would be in the greatest jeopardy.

She shouldn't have come here, Kael thought, biting his lower lip as he led the way. As much as she can take care of herself, she's too young…tender.

But of course, this conflict of emotions was just the kind of test the Council wished him to undertake in order to truly see whether he was capable of acting rationally as any Jedi should. Kael was a loner his entire life ever since his days as an orphan, and a friend was something he would cherish dearly whenever he had the opportunity to make and keep one. All of the people he called his friends who served alongside him in the war were now either dead, captive or on different assignments, and so he never had the chance to form any close or meaningful bonds. But his new friends were something else entirely. More than friends; in fact, more like…family.

A month could reasonably be said to be too short a time for such a relationship to develop between any group of companions, but it didn't matter to Kael. He was heartened to have seen the cheer restored in Mission and Zaalbar after the destruction of their Taris, with much help on the part of Carth and Audrey. He was also probably the only one in their group to truly appreciate Canderous's company, and listened attentively and with enthusiasm to the Mandalorian veteran's stories of his glory days as a true warrior prior to his people's defeat at the hands of Revan. And above all, he felt most appreciative of the company of Elena and Bastila, the two Jedi with whom he felt a strange yet pleasant connection, most likely from their common bond through the Force.

It felt strange. Although Kael knew in his heart that his efforts were devoted to the cause of helping the Jedi Order and the Republic stop the marauding forces of Darth Malak, he felt that deep down, he was more driven by his desire to protect his friends, especially Bastila and Elena. Love was forbidden and vehemently opposed by the Masters of the Order, and yet to him it felt so right. It drove his actions in a way that an ordinary Jedi never could comprehend, and gave him the strength to carry on when all hope was seemingly lost. Despite the pounding of his heart and the fear flowing through his blood, Kael walked on resolutely, determined to do his best to become a powerful Jedi so that he could protect Elena.

Stop, he shook his head, inwardly berating himself and urging his mind to focus. Stop thinking of her…You can't afford to at this time.

They entered the adjoining tunnel that Kael had pointed them out to, Mission having to be reluctantly dragged away by Audrey as she desired to take at least one crystal away with her. Darkness surrounding them once again, Kael activated his lightsaber while his friends readied their own weapons, both blaster and vibroblade. The air seemed to suddenly go thin, and soon Kael found himself breathing deeply, as if some force beyond his understanding was attempting to deprive him of life itself. To his left, he could hear the dripping of water upon rock, and he fought the urge to approach it, instead opting to continue onward as his intuition through the Force told him to.

"Steady on with the lightsaber, Kael! I can't see shit!" Mission hissed softly at him from behind.

"Kael, I don't like this," Audrey voiced her anxiety. "This cave, it's too…quiet. There were kinrath bodies outside this place when we arrived, and there should have been at least one wild beast to confront us by now. It's…strange."

"I know what you mean, Audrey," Kael replied. "All we can do is keep our guard up. But if things get too dark and dangerous, I want you guys to get out of here. After all, this is my trial."

"You know we can't just up and go on you like that, Kael," Carth said. "We're in this together, whether you like it or not. And remember, I don't fully trust that Council of yours. This 'trial' of yours is either a sick joke or a death sentence, if you ask me to think with my gut instincts."

"Mission! Keep up!" Audrey rebuked the child who had fallen slightly behind as she dreamily looked back at the bright formation of crystals which they were compelled to leave behind.

"Sorry," Mission shrugged and turned around to follow Kael again. "Just a shame to leave so early. Promise me we'll come back and collect a few after this is done?"

"Alright, alright. Just keep by my side from now on, okay?" Audrey muttered, and Mission obeyed with a silent nod as she quickly moved to rejoin the others. But suddenly, feeling her toes trip over a hard object she couldn't see before her, Mission stumbled for a moment before managing to keep her balance and avoid falling over embarrassingly onto her stomach. She looked with frustration over her shoulder and glared at the solid rock which was barely visible due to the light emanating from Kael's lightsaber.

Then, however, her heart froze with panic, and so did that of Kael who stopped dead in his tracks and stared with petrified eyes behind him at the young girl who quickly stepped backwards towards him.

Dozens of gleaming yellow orbs filled with hate and hunger stared viciously at them from all directions, forming a terrible sight to behold in the darkness. Hot saliva dripped from the mouths of the predators, creating the very sound that Kael had earlier mistaken for water on rock. The animals slowly closed in for the kill, growling with glee at the prey that had been lured to them by their master.

A/N: I was initially going to go further with this chapter and end it after the group's fight with Juhani and Belaya, but decided to cut it off here for suspense. It would have easily ballooned if I did, as the dialogue with Juhani and Belaya would have taken up a wad of space by itself.

My exams have all finished now, so hopefully I can get back to pumping out crazily rapid updates like I did in May. But we'll see how it goes, since I also have to work on "Heart of a Padawan" and my Walking Dead fic, because people are waiting on those as well. I'm also growing increasingly tempted to start on my newest fic in which Bastila is taken captive by Revan and Clara (my OC from HoaP), but I shouldn't, because I'll probably never finish any of my three Star Wars fics if I did that.

I'm having a dilemma about just how to fill in the massive plothole that is not addressed in the game, and that is how the Sith so stupidly failed to identify the Ebon Hawk as being the party's ship due to Calo Nord's experience with it during his time under Davik's service. They could have so easily kept tabs on it when the party went to Manaan or Korriban, and yet they didn't. I might have to address that and other plotholes when I take the party to Nar Shadaa as I plan to before they visit Korriban for the final Star Map.

As always, please leave your reviews. Seeing lots of them really fires me up and makes me want to keep on writing and updating rapidly, and that's what made me upload the previous three chapters in an insanely quick way before exam period crept up on me.