|
|
They had made their way unnoticed to the city's edge. The fighting
was concentrated on the other side and the few patrols they'd
met bowed at the sight of Randu and turned away. Chale and Alee
had stayed out of sight in the shadows. Chale chaffed each time
they did so, but calmed at Alee's touch. His agitation lessened
as they neared their destination.
The city ended abruptly. Before them stretched a flat plain
that ended kilometers away in a wall of dark green. The sinking
sun set fire to the grasses, so they wavered gold and red in the
breeze.
"There," Chale pointed across the plains, "is
my ancestral home. The trees."
Alee crouched, tapping her teeth. She narrowed her eyes, assessing
the bare expanse before them. "Getting there could be tricky.
Best to wait until full dark."
"Yes," agreed Chale. "We can see much better
in the dark than humans. Keed doesn't have a moon to light the
way. Will we have to guide you?"
"No. The Force will be my eyes." Alee stood.
Randu led them to a low building where they took shelter.
Chale paced in the confined space. Alee sat cross-legged facing
the door. "Why is there so little protection, so few soldiers
along the perimeter?"
"We have a warning system built around the city,"
Chale explained as he sat beside her. "Infrared beams that
are undetectable by human senses. There are gates that can be
deactivated to allow passage through these invisible walls - if
you know where to look. Breaking the beams will bring a legion
of troops down on your head in minutes. And you don't even know
you've sounded the alarm."
"Ingenious," Alee responded.
"Not really. It's fairly simple, actually. A former Speaker's
mate came up with the idea."
"You mean, a female invented this system?" Alee's
voice took on a teasing note.
Chale was flustered. "Well, ah, yes. I suppose so. Females
are forever inventing little things to make their lives easier.
It is their way."
"I see," said Alee. "You'd rather do things
the hard way and have a guard every ten meters."
The Keed furrowed his brow. "You are purposely difficult
at times."
"So I've been told."
Randu passed them each a nutrient bar from his pack. They ate
in silence.
Alee wrapped the Force around her and let it hum through her
innermost being. A bubble of serenity blossomed and grew until
the peaceful lull swept over Alee.
A hand shook her shoulder. Alee blinked and looked up into
Chale's glowing eyes. Darkness surrounded them.
"I slept?" her voice was fuzzy. She shook her head
to clear the fog.
"You needed it," he replied.
"Did you rest?" she asked.
"I'm fine."
"Ah. It's only us weak females that need mundane things
like sleep."
"Of course." Chale's voice was filled with amusement.
"Weak, bloodless females."
"If you prick us, do we not bleed?*" Alee mused.
[*Author's note: Apologies to Wm. Shakespeare - he would've made
a great Jedi bard.]
"What?"
"Nothing. Some comment a Jedi once made."
"So the invincible Jedi are not so invincible?" Chale
prodded lightly.
Alee sighed. "Even Jedi cannot escape death. After all,"
she paused, "we are only ... human."
Chale harumphed. "Come on, human. Time to move."
Randu moved in close and whispered to Chale, "You should
not encourage such disrespectful comments, my lord."
Alee smiled as Chale replied, "Why not, Randu? I find
I enjoy it." He paused. "Of course, I'll not tolerate
such remarks from you, my friend - if it makes you feel better."
Randu nodded stiffly, "Yes, my lord." Alee felt his
eyes on her back.
She spoke up. "Do we need to gather soldiers to go with
us?"
"No," replied Chale. "Between guard duty and
leisure time, a full one-third of Keed males are in the trees
at any one time."
"They will be overjoyed to see you live, my lord,"
interjected Randu.
Chale snorted. "Right, my friend. Not to mention surprised.
Very surprised."
The trio moved out in silence. Alee stretched out her senses.
Nothing was near.
The cool night wind caressed Alee's brow and rustled through
the grass. The stars grew brighter as they moved away from the
city. She looked up. Which one is Coruscant's sun, I wonder?
Does anyone there care, or even know what is happening here?
Her sigh was carried away by the breeze.
A shimmering wall impinged upon her senses. She scanned the
plain with the Force and sensed closely set vertical beams spiking
15 meters into the sky. This would even detect low-flying aircraft
. She looked over her shoulder. They had come at least a kilometer.
The temptation to test the Keed response time was strong. She
pushed it aside.
Chale knelt, searching for something. After a moment he uncovered
a control panel beneath the turf. He punched in a code and replaced
the grass.
"Hurry," he whispered. "I've put in the auto-reset
code. We only have one minute."
Alee sensed the break in the curtain of infrared light and
slipped through. The two Keed followed. They headed west without
looking back.
"I sincerely hope," Chale said after a few minutes,
"that our foes have no Jedi assisting them. Our defences
will mean little if they do."
Alee shrugged. "I have not perceived any disturbances
in the Force that might indicate another Jedi. But that means
nothing with the distances involved."
"Your words bring no comfort, Jedi," Chale let irritation
sneak into his words.
"I will not lie to make you feel better, my lord."
Alee paused. "But I was the only one the Council sent - that
I know of, anyway." She changed the subject. "How much
farther?"
"Sixteen kilometers."
"Why did you build the city so far out onto the plain?"
she asked.
"We did not want space traffic interfering with the forest.
It is a very delicate ecosystem. We would protect our livelihood,
and our culture, from outside interference."
"So the city does not represent your culture? Interesting,"
Alee mulled over the thought.
"Aspects of our culture are depicted in architectural
forms, statuary. But, no. The city is merely a point of contact
for outlanders," Chale stated.
"Hence the all-male population," Alee said.
"We will show no weakness to those we bargain with."
"How a society treats its old, its young, its ... females,
its foreigners, is a measure of compassion and justice, not weakness."
Chale's voice hardened. "Our compassion allowed the plains
to nourish a beast that now threatens to devour the whole planet."
"The colonists?" Chale huffed assent. Alee continued,
"I think something else fed this beast. A misguided leader,
an outlander, even. How long since they first settled on the plains?"
Chale was quiet a moment. "Almost 200 standard years."
"So why the sudden desire to take over?" Alee spoke
her thoughts aloud.
"I know not, Jedi. We must find out." The statement
invited no comment. Alee offered none.
The trio again moved in silence. The stars faded to pinpricks
then disappeared behind clouds.
The darkness was complete. Though she sensed Chale and Randu
slightly ahead and less than a meter on either side of her, she
could not see them. The terrain became rougher. Alee narrowed
her focus, concentrating on the ground that sprouted more and
more obstacles. Rocks. Low thorny plants. The odd scurrying animal.
She did not notice that they had entered a gulch.
Roaring filled her ears. Lights appeared along both ridges
of the ravine and swooped down toward them. The Keeds' dark-sensitive
eyes were blinded. They tried to block out the painful light with
their arms. They waved their blasters, firing aimlessly.
"Hutt pus," muttered Alee. "We were tracked.
Why wasn't I paying attention?"
The speeder bikes began circling them, closing in with each
pass. Alee drew her lightsaber, keeping it dark.
"We're trapped," called Chale. His arm was down.
He blinked repeatedly and tried to aim at the swiftly moving targets.
"Never look at the trap or you will be caught," returned
Alee. "Only seek the way of escape."
"Keep your foolish advice to yourself," ground out
Randu. He fired at a bike and missed.
Why don't they return fire? Could they know whom they chase?
Capture must be their goal.
Alee narrowed her eyes. She let the Force flood her senses.
With a battle cry she launched herself at the circling predators.
She somersaulted through the air, lighting her blade as she spun.
A bike swerved out of the path of the spinning blue blur and crashed
into a rock. The rider flew off, hitting the ground with a thud.
Alee twisted and landed, slicing off the stabilizer of a second
bike. It spiralled away into the darkness. The explosion lit the
night. Blaster fire zeroed in on her. She dove and rolled, springing
to her feet.
Alee leapt at the nearest bike. She grabbed hold of the driver
to break her momentum, then pushed him off. The machine wobbled
as she snatched the handlebars. She veered towards the two Keed
and stopped. She jumped off and deflected a spray of red darts.
"Get on!" she shouted. "Get to the trees!"
"What about you?" yelled Chale.
"I'll distract this bunch. Join you later. Go!"
The Force enhanced her speed as she ran after the bike carrying
Chale and Randu. It sped down the ravine floor. She stopped and
pivoted, placing her self in the way of their pursuers. Two bikes
rushed her, spitting fire. She sliced one driver off his machine.
The other bike swerved and knocked her to her knees. She felt
her ankle crack. A third speeder bike bore down on her. Alee struggled
to her feet and started to side-step. The machine caught her in
the ribs and tossed her into the air. A familiar face flashed
past. Rave? Two bikes roared past, pursing the Keed. Hope
I gave them enough time. I hope Rave thinks he did me in. He sure
gave it his best shot.
Alee clipped her darkened lightsaber to her belt and tried
to stand. Her ankle buckled. She drew on the Force to push aside
the pulsating pain. Have to move. Her earlier blood loss
rushed back in a wave of light-headedness. She couldn't focus
enough to deal with her ribs. Each breath sent daggers shooting
through her side. Each step jarred the ribs until it seemed they
would break off. Might be better if they did.
Alee struggled up the side of the ravine and headed across
the open plain. The darkness held her in its bosom. She hoped
it would last. She hoped she would. Her focal point became the
next step. And the next. Time and distance passed in microns.
Alee's concentration was shattered by voices. She crumpled
and stared up at the sky. How long has it been growing light?
Searchers quietly called their progress to each other. They
were drawing nearer. Hope voices travel a long ways out here.
Rolling onto her side pulled a groan from deep in her core.
A small outcropping of boulders lay three meters to her left.
Some shelter is better than none. Alee hauled herself along
the ground, arms and shoulders aching. Exhaustion took its toll.
She grabbed weakly onto the Force and pushed aside dizziness.
Each pull forward caused her stomach to flip and nausea to grow.
Her ribs shrieked. The sound pulsed through her bones. She clenched
her teeth to keep the screams inside.
The rocks were almost in reach when the injured ankle shed
its protective numbness. Tingling gave way to quivering ripples
of pain which gave way to throbbing waves of agony. The swells
crashed over her midsection. Alee grabbed the nearest rock and
held on as her stomach pitched and roiled. She gagged over and
over, bringing up nothing but a dribble of acid that ran down
her chin. She wiped it with her sleeve and fell back against a
boulder. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on keeping her
heaving breaths silent.
Voices again. Louder. The sun broke over the horizon.
Panic nibbled at the edges of her mind. Alee inhaled deeply, drawing
in oxygen and the Force with her remaining strength. She unclipped
her lightsaber and kept it hidden. She sensed someone drawing
near and squashed the need to open her eyes.
A nudge on her leg. Then harder. A voice called from above
her, "Hey Rave! Over here. But I think she's dead."
A grunt. Alee's eyes flew open and met the surprised gaze of
the man. An angry laser hole flowered red on his chest and he
toppled over, the air woofing out of him as he bounced off a rock
and onto the dirt.
Shouts. Another man took cover beside Alee and fired over the
top of the boulders. A rock chip cut into her cheek as an answering
laser bolt zinged past. Alee took a steadying breath and flicked
her lightsaber on. The soldier swung at the hiss and tried to
bring his blaster to bear. Her horizontal slash severed his arm
and cut deep into his chest. He fell across her legs. She bent
to push him away and a red bolt hit the rock where she'd just
been. Pure reflex put the lightsaber between her and the next
shot. The soldier firing at her fell with a cry as a blaster found
its target.
More shouts. Growing fainter. Alee struggled to stay alert.
The lightsaber sizzled out as it slipped from her grasp. A dark
face appeared above her. It faded, then slowly came into focus.
Chale? No sound came out. She tried to lick her parched
lips. Someone poured water over her mouth. A few drops trickled
down her throat. Her voice cracked. "Chale?"
"Yes, Alee. It's me." The face smiled.
"'Bout time you found me." She gasped as her ribs
scraped together. "Sorry I didn't make the trees."
"You're less than 100 meters away. Nine kilometers in
your shape is no small feat."
Alee tried to answer. Her eyes rolled into her head as blackness swept her into the void.
