Hey all. I know it has been quite some time since I updated, and I apologize for that. I have been so flippin busy lately that it's not even funny. But I promise I will update this story when I find the time, hopefully soon, and it will have an ending. :)
We'll be happy to see it, too, and understand Life Happens.
whats up with this? first ForceFight, now RP?? well, if you have to, take your time.
Hey take it easy. It was about a whole month before I posted the next chapter for Heart of the Guardian. Pottsie thought I killed it. LIFE does happen but yopu also have to take the creative bug when it bites.
all i got to say is i likes it ... very imaginative and surprising ... had to read it all before i posted lol ... anyway awesome stuff ... hope to see more soon ... got anytime on any of your hands make sure to check out my fic everybod ... not as good as renegades but its a start ...
p.s jeeze it surprised me when i read about vandar lol ...
JM12, i had the same probs here, thats qhy i agreed to give RP time. (not that he would have listned had i not given him any :D)
Well I began working on the next chapter this morning. :) Can't say if it will be done this week or next, but it should be by next at the very latest. I just though Yall might like to know that "It's alive!" :) :)
Well I began working on the next chapter this morning. :) Can't say if it will be done this week or next, but it should be by next at the very latest. I just though Yall might like to know that "It's alive!" :) :)
:clap2: Yay!
Alright I am giving myself a deadline. Tomorrow by 5:00 am PST the new chapter will be out. I have most of it written already. I hope that it is good and you all like it. It's been about a month since I last wrote anything so I feel kind of rusty. Well, tomorrow morning then. :)
Well guys and gals. Here it is. It is my largest chapter by far. 2,500 words. :) It is unedited, so please go easy on me if there are some miss spelled words and what not. I hope you all enjoy it. And I hope it is on par with the other chapters before it. Leave me your feedback and let me know. Thanks. :)
Chapter XXII
Jasra’s men took one last bow before their master, then turned and exited the alley and headed for their ship. Jasra in turn began walking towards the main street to exit the alleyway. But once again she froze as she walked by the spot where a cloaked Linduu was hiding in the shadows. She tarried for a moment, standing there with a look on her face that suggested she could sense a presence nearby. But after a few moments she shrugged it off and kept on walking.
(Once again that was too close.) Linduu thought to herself as she began walking back towards the warehouse where T-4 and the raider were. (If what Jasra was saying is true, then I need to follow her men and make sure they succeed in disabling the cloud.) Linduu skillfully weaved her way in and out of people’s paths as she remained cloaked on her way back. Upon seeing the warehouse she let out a sigh of relief. (Now to get inside and fire up the ship’s engines.) Upon entering the old broken down building Linduu found T-4 guarding the ship like an obedient Kath hound.
“Come here T-4 I have a mission for you.”
The tiny little robot rolled away from the ship and stopped at Linduu’s feet.
“I have to leave now, but I will be back.” Linduu paused for a moment in thought. “I need you to find the nearest access point to the Palace’s main frame. Once there I need you to find out all the information that you can on that big structure they are building in orbit. Do you understand?”
“Beep beep.” T-4 acknowledged in affirmation.
“Good.” Linduu said as she climbed into the raider’s cockpit. “I will see you soon then. We will meet back here.” Linduu hit the ignition button and the engines roared to life. She gently lifted the ship off of the ground and carefully exited the warehouse through the hole in the wall. Once out she cloaked the ship, pointed it upwards and soared into the atmosphere. Once she got back into space she cruised in tight circular patterns until she spotted Jasra’s destroyer leave orbit and head towards Dxun. She waited for a few seconds to put some distance between them and then turned her ship to follow. As they drew closer and closer towards the moon of Onderon a dark and ominous feeling crept over Linduu. (This is even worse than flying through the cloud. Control yourself Lin, you can’t let fear overcome your thoughts and emotions.)
Closer and closer the two ships moved towards Dxun. It seemed now as if they were flying directly into the teeth of the cloud’s source. Linduu kept her distance from Jasra’s ship, that last thing she wanted to do was notify the larger vessel in any way that it was being followed. The two ships descended and broke through the atmosphere only to be treated by a bevy of horrific visuals. The planet itself was lush with green forest everywhere. Waterfalls could be seen scattered about along with fields of wildflowers. But the moon’s beauty was far outdone by the devastation of wars long since past. Graveyards of ships as far as the eyes could see. Craters from bombs, paths of torn up earth from tactical ground vehicles. Skeletons everywhere lain out in the open. It was clear to Linduu that many battles had been fought here.
(How fitting that a cloud of darkness originates from this place of death.) Linduu thought to herself.
Jasra’s ship landed in a grassy field that rested in front of what appeared to be a underground complex set inside a small hill. Linduu spotted a patch of trees not far off and decided to land the raider in them for cover. This way she wouldn’t have to worry about keeping it cloaked, as that would put a strain on her force using abilities. Once on the ground she shut down the engines and exited the ship. For some unexplained reason she felt a nagging in the back of her mind to take Jor-el’s lightsaber with her. So she attached it to her belt opposite her own and closed the cockpit. She kept herself cloaked and moved closer to Jasra’s vessel, waiting for them to make the next move. The loading ramp lowered and the 10 men that Jasra had sent poured out of the ship. Linduu followed them up to a massive gate which seemed to lead underground. There were four Sith marauders stationed at the gate along with six destroyer class droids. As they approached one of the marauders held up a hand, signaling for Jasra’s men to stop.
“What business do you have here?” He asked them.
“We are here to see the keeper of the tomb.” The lead assassin replied.
“On who’s orders?” The marauder barked out.
“Lord Lantill herself has sent us here to speak with the keeper. It is of great importance.”
A devious smirk made its way onto the marauder’s face. “Lord who?” He asked as he drew out his red saber.
(Obviously they haven’t gotten the news about Jasra being promoted.) Linduu thought as she backed away from the group so as not to get caught in what appeared to be a fight brewing.
“We don’t have time for this.” The lead assassin said as he drew his own saber. “Kill them all men!”
Linduu flattened herself against the ground so as not to catch any blaster fire from the droids. All she had to do was remain cloaked and let the battle play itself out. And what a battle it was indeed! Blaster bolts flying everywhere, the crackle of lightsabers meeting and separating, droids exploding and screams of pain as human limbs were severed. It was a massive battle, but swift. When all was said and done all of the marauders and droids had been killed and destroyed. But four of Jasra’s men had fallen as well. Now only six remained. Linduu got up off the ground and followed the assassins as they opened the gate and proceeded inside. As she passed through the entrance she saw some words engraved into the rock ceiling above. It said “The tomb of Freedon Nad.” Linduu didn’t know why but that name sent shivers up and down her spine.
Farther and farther Linduu followed the assassins into the tomb complex. The deeper in she went, the more fearful she became.
(What a place of darkness. I don’t know if I will be able to focus in here if it gets much worse. Oh Jor-el, I wish you were here with me now.)
There were guards posted every 50 feet of so. Obviously Vandar didn’t want anyone getting near the source of his power. But the guards had no clue what had taken place at the entrance so they assumed that the group of assassins were cleared to be there. After 10 minutes of walking Linduu and the assassins finally arrived at a massive metal doorway that dwarfed the big gate at the tomb entrance. The lead assassin walked to the doorway and pounded on it with his fist.
“State your business.” A gruff voice said from the other side of the doorway.
“We are here to speak with the keeper on Lord Vandar’s orders.” The lead assassin replied. He surely wasn’t going to make the same mistake again of saying Jasra’s name rather than Vandar’s.
“Yeah yeah, gimme a sec.” The gruff voice said.
A moment later the massive doorway opened and Linduu quietly followed the assassins inside. The door shut behind them.
(I hope things go well in here. But I am going to have to figure out how to open that doorway. It’s obviously opened by some sort of mechanism.) Linduu thought to herself. But her thoughts were quickly interrupted as they entered into a huge round room. Her jaw dropped at what was before her. What appeared to be a massive power generator of some sort was resting right above Freedon Nad’s sarcophagus. A massive machine that stood 20 feet high and just as many wide. It was supported by four massive legs that weighed at least 2000 pounds each. The dark red cloud seemed to be emanating from the sarcophagus and into the machine. But it was small and weak. However it seemed to travel up through the generator and become magnified by a focusing lens at the top. It was magnified to 20 times it’s original size. Linduu followed the cloud up with here eyes to the top of the cavern. Where once again it was met by another lens that seemed to shoot it out of the complex and send it on its path towards Onderon. Standing in front of the machine was the keeper.
“What is your name?” The Lead assassin asked.
“I have no name. I am just the keeper.” He replied. “Why has Vandar sent you here?”
“Lord Vandar has sent us to learn about the secrets of the cloud from you. He wishes for us to more fully appreciate our Sith history. And he thought there would be no better way for us to start than to learn about the tomb from which this cloud emanates.”
(Is that the best lie you can come up with?) Linduu thought as she almost let out a chuckle. (I wouldn’t buy that in a million years.)
“Very well then, I shall tell you of how this cloud gets its power.” The keeper replied.
(Oh you have got to be kidding me. Surely you aren’t that stupid?)
The keeper began. “This is the sarcophagus of Freedon Nad. He was a most revered leader. He was one of the most powerful Sith lord’s in history. In fact he was so powerful and in touch with the dark side that once he died and was buried here, the essence of his power still remained. Back a little over 1,000 years ago when Revan was our leader, a few young Sith apprentices discovered this tomb. They noticed this very same red cloud seeping through a crack in the sarcophagus. They could feel the power of the dark side within it and studied for two years. After that short time they had finally discovered that they could tap into the cloud’s power and use it for themselves. But it only worked if they were here, surrounded by it. The Jedi known as Breia of Echana came to this place and somehow defeated the three Sith masters about 13 years later. This place lay dormant for a few years after that until Lord Vandar was drawn here by the clouds power. He had such wisdom and knowledge that it didn’t take long for him to think of a way to use the cloud’s energy. I believe that the cloud’s power is what has kept him alive all these years. Eventually he formatted a plan to build this amazing machine. It takes the cloud and magnifies it 20 times over. Then it sends it to Onderon, covering the whole planet. Thus making Onderon Vandar’s permanent home.”
“I see.” The lead assassin said. “Is there anyway for the cloud to ever be destroyed?”
(Surely you aren’t that stupid as well? But please, by all means. Tell us how to destroy this thing.) Linduu thought to herself.
“It is said that the only way for the cloud to be destroyed is for a force, object or energy of purity and righteousness to be placed inside the sarcophagus. But the only thing I know of that fits that description is a rare kind of midichlorian crystal. And Vandar had all of those destroyed a long time ago.”
The lead assassin whipped out his lightsaber. “Thanks for the history lesson pops, but I think we will just destroy the machine instead.”
“What are you doi…. No…. destroying the machine is impossible. It is protected by a shie…..” The Keeper frantically shouted out as his head was severed from his body by a red saber.
(There’s no way I am going to let these buffoons dictate what happens here) Linduu thought as she uncloaked herself and ignited her pink staff-saber. She turned around and used the force to push the doorman into the heavy metal doors, killing him instantly upon impact. She then turned back around to see all six assassins staring at her in disbelief and wondering how she had gotten in here.
“Alright boys, it’s time to play.” She said as she leaped high into the air, staff-saber twirling in every which direction. She landed right in the middle of all six men and instantly went on the offensive…………………….
************************************************** **************
T-4 had rolled himself into the city near the palace. He was just a droid after all, so he didn’t attract much attention. He stopped near a wall that had a computer screen on it that was displaying Lord Vandar’s daily orders to the slaves. He plugged into the port interface that was right below the screen and started looking for information on the huge station they were constructing in orbit. Little did he know that Jasra was not far away, watching him with suspicious eyes.
(Where have I seen that droid before?) Jasra pondered. (I know I have seen it before, but where. Wait a second, yes, that’s right. I saw him on Korriban. Odd that it found its way here so quickly. And tapping into the city’s computer system unsupervised no less.)
T-4 found the information he was looking for and disconnected from the terminal. He began his trip back to the warehouse were he was suppose to meet with Linduu. Once again he was not privy to the fact that Jasra was following him at a distance.
************************************************** **************
Linduu had made short work of Jasra’s assassins.
“Obviously they just aren’t being trained like they use to.” Linduu said as she chuckled to relieve the emotion of the battle she had just went through. But just as she had spoken she noticed one of the assassins about twenty feet away from her trying to get back to his feet. She quickly drew Jor-el’s saber-staff from her belt, ignited only one side of it and sent it flying through the air and into the assassin’s spine. He dropped immediately and the saber disengaged and fell to the ground beside him. She now turned to look at the machine and sarcophagus.
(Now how in the world am I going to shut this thing down.)
No sooner had she finished her thought when she felt a warmth, a peace, coming from behind her. She turned and saw Jor-el’s saber on the ground. But it was glowing a bright blinding white, from the inside of the saber hilt it seemed.
“Linduu, come closer.” A voice from the saber’s direction beckoned her.
Your darkest Chapter yet. Good, but a bit later than you said. You said it would be done at 5:00am. Oh well. When will you post the next Chapter?
Very dark indeed Renegade. It seems like there is alot of intense emotions going on here. Very good. I didn't notice any spelling errors and the like. If I am wrong, blame it on my eyes. My left is sore. :D
I loved the 'surely you aren't that stupid' comments. :)
T-4's in trouble....
Nice job. I look forward to the next installment.
"Pottsie wrote: Your darkest Chapter yet. Good, but a bit later than you said. You said it would be done at 5:00am. Oh well. When will you post the next Chapter?"
I said 5 AM PST. I had it out at 3:21 AM PST. It was early not late :) The next chapter should be sometime next week. I don't want to leave you haning for a month again. :)
Jedimaster12 wrote: "Very dark indeed Renegade. It seems like there is alot of intense emotions going on here. Very good. I didn't notice any spelling errors and the like. If I am wrong, blame it on my eyes. My left is sore."
Glad you liked it. And I am glad there weren't a ton of noticable miss spells.
Jae Onasi wrote: "I loved the 'surely you aren't that stupid' comments."
Yeah I cracked myself up with those as I was writing them. To be honest they were Jae inspired from the AOJB story you have been writing. :)
Great chapter! I'm looking forward to the upcoming epic battle between Linduu and the baddies (because I know it's coming!) And I didn't seen any glaring errors either. Keep up the good work!! :)
great work, RP, and thanks for commenting on my work. and its payback time:
get us a duel between Vandar and Jasra or i kick your butt :xp:.choo on dat
cant wait for the next chapter... may i just say somethin to linduu? KICK HIS ASS SEA BASS!
Here it is yall. It's not very long. But I wanted to get another chapter out there so as not to leave everyone hanging for another month. :) Sadly there are only about one to three chapters left. :( Hope you all enjoy. Let me hear your feedback. :)
Chapter XXIII
Linduu placing her hand in front of her face to shield her eyes, walked over and picked up the lightsaber.
“Good.” The voice said. “Now remove the focusing crystal and place it inside the sarcophagus.”
“I don’t understand.” Linduu replied. “Who, or what am I talking with?”
“It is us, the Midichlorians.” They replied. “Remember the crystals you and Jor-el took from the cave for your sabers are also the same crystals from which we are able to communicate.”
“Right, I knew that.” Linduu replied with a sheepish grin on her face. “So why do you want me to put the crystal inside the sarcophagus?”
“Because we will be able to neutralize the dark energy that is feeding the generator. Once that is done you will have a chance to defeat Vandar.”
“Dark energy?” Linduu asked with a puzzled look on her face. “I thought that even the dark jedi drew their power from you. At least that’s what you told us back on your planet.”
“Yes it’s true.” They replied. “All force users draw their power from us. But we are not unlike any other sentient beings. Even we have those among us who are bad. And that is what has transpired here in this place. There are a few evil ones here who have malice and destruction at heart. There are very few of them though. On the whole we far outnumber the bad. We will be able to put a stop to them without much trouble.” The Mididchlorians pause for a moment. “Do you understand?”
“Yes I understand.” Linduu said as she walked over to the sarcophagus and slid it open. Carefully she removed the crystal from the lightsaber and placed it inside. As soon as she slid the cover shut the entire complex began to shake violently. Linduu ran over to a pillar and braced herself against it. Rocks began falling from the ceiling above and cracks began forming on the ground beneath Linduu’s feet. After a few moments the dark red cloud disappeared.
“There the evil ones in this place are now dead. Or translated for the sith the energy that Freedon Nad left behind has now been destroyed.” The Midichlorians said. “Now it is your turn Linduu. It is time to defeat Vandar and his followers. But before you go allow us to bestow upon you, how shall we say, a blessing, a gift of sorts. Through all that has happened to you, your heart has remained pure. Now it is time for you to realize your true potential.”
A bright white ball of light rose out of the sarcophagus and floated in front of Linduu.
“What is this?” Linduu asked.
“Reach out with your hand and touch it.”
Linduu slowly reached out with her hand, and stopped just before she touched it.
“Will this hurt?” She asked.
“No, quite to the contrary, you will feel more powerful than you ever have before. This will give you the strength to accomplish your goals.”
Linduu reached her hand forward and touched the blinding white light. As soon as her finger touched it she was enveloped by it. Her mind was quickly transformed so that her maximum potential for using the Force was attained. After a few seconds the light disappeared and the transformation was complete.
“There, it is done.” The Midichlorians said. “There wasn’t much more we could do as you were almost already at your full potential. But you will find that some of your skills have been increased in power. Now go, bring balance back to the universe. You are everyone’s last chance.”
“There’s just one more thing.” Linduu stated. “Could you open that for me?” She asked as she pointed towards the massive door that exited the cavern.
“Of course, allow us.”
A beam of light shot out of the sarcophagus and hit the door. Immediately they swung open as if a ten foot tall giant had run right through them.
“Thank you.” Linduu said as she ran out of the cavern. She immediately cloaked herself and found that it didn’t draw as much on her energy as it did before just as the Midichlorians had told her. She passed through the hallways without being seen or encountering any trouble. Most of the guards were knocked out from the earthquake that transpired when the dark cloud was destroyed. And those that were still conscious were scrambling about in fear trying to figure out what had just hit them.
Linduu reached the tunnel exit and headed straight for her ship. On her way back she realized that Jasra’s cruiser was gone.
(She must have called it back once the cloud was destroyed) Linduu thought. (I’ve got to hurry back and meet with T-4 before too much chaos ensues on the planet. No doubt Jasra is going to act quickly.)
She reached the raider and fired up the engines. Linduu cloaked the ship as it blasted off and rocketed up into the sky towards Onderon. As Linduu drew closer and closer to the planet she had to pull off some amazing flying as the entire Sith fleet seemed to be flying about in disarray.
(The cloud’s sudden disappearance must have them spooked.)
She looked for a clear path through the mess of ships as the raider continued its blaring pace towards Onderon’s surface. She caught sight of a larger warship that was plowing it’s way through the carnage and brought the raider up underneath it’s hull and paralleled her course accordingly. Linduu was just about through the fray when she sensed danger through the force. Looking about frantically she noticed another smaller cruiser coming from below her raider and the warship. It was on a dead collision course for them. Linduu didn’t have time to think and only reacted. She pulled hard left on the controls and sent the raider soaring into a series of barrel rolls. She got away from the warship just as the cruiser’s nose barreled straight into it from underneath. The cruiser began crumpling up into the warship like a pop can being smashed with explosion after explosion. Likewise the Warship’s hull and bridge burst into flames as pieces of both went flying off into space. Linduu put a little more distance between them as both the larger vessels exploded into a million bits with chunks of flaming metal shooting out in every direction hitting other ships.
(Whew that was a close call.) Linduu though as she wiped the sweat that had formed on her forehead away.
With just a bit more fancy piloting and nerves of steel Linduu had cleared the chaos of the fleet and was now descending into the atmosphere towards the warehouse where she was supposed to meet T-4. She caught sight of the building and gently nudged the ship through the hole in the east wall. She sat the ship down and shut off the engines. Linduu climbed out of the cockpit and as soon as her feet hit the ground the hairs on the back of her neck stood straight up.
She turned around and ignited her lightsaber simultaneously. Across the room she saw a red saber ignited. Its light revealed a helpless T-4 and casted an ominous glow on a cloaked figure . But it was so dark that Linduu couldn’t make out who it was. She prepared herself for the fight to come and began slowly walking towards T-4 and the figure.
“Who’s there?” She asked.
“Your end.” A female voice replied.
At that moment another ship collision in orbit lit up the night sky. The explosion provided enough light for Linduu to recognize Jasra’s face.
“So our moment in time has finally come.” Linduu said as she raised her pink saberstaff.
“No.” Jasra stated. “My moment has finally come.” As if on cue, dark storm clouds began rolling in. Lighting began to flash and thunder rolled its way across the sky. And when the lighting wasn’t flashing more ships were colliding in the heavens above, providing an almost constant source of light in the dark cloudy night.
“I will not let my husband’s death have been in vain.” Linduu cried out as she went on the offensive, charging straight for Jasra.
jasra vs linduu!!! yaaay! :D
good work, RP. i like the "not in vain" line. and that "loss of the cloud must have spooked them." how come they werent spooked by it before :D
hope to see more.
Great short Chapter. I thought the Midichlorians would trick Linduu, but they didn't. I sad there are only three Chapters left. I think you should do a sequel. Maybe it should star Jor-el and Linduu's kid.
Aw, man, now I have to wait for the resolution of the cliffhanger! :D
Go, Linduu.
I like how you build up the drama.
Yes doesn't he? Another good chapter. The suspense is building and I am on the edge of my seat waiting...waiting...waiting...
Hey all. There were a few miss spells and a few times when I used a word two or three times in like three sentences in a row to describe stuff. I was tired when I wrote this chapter. :( I fixed those and added a few more descriptive words. :) I will give the first person who can point out the new words +50 cool points.
this must be finished this is too good to be unfinished
It will be finished Connor. I promise. I have just been so flipping busy lately that it's not even funny. Don't worry, I will finish it soon. It only has one or two chapters left in it. Albeit long ones.
Thanks for the encouragment to get it done though. :)
Don't worry. I'm waiting. I am just too lazy to keep updating my fic. I finished book 2 and am writing book 3 but I haven't finished posting book 2. Like I said, I am too lazy. Well that and my muse has been putting me in overdrive.
Still I look forward to the next chapter. Keeping my eye out for it until Sun Jun 26. Then I disappear off the face of the earth for a month.
Ok, RP, I took a long break from my fic but finally posted. Are you ready to post the next chapter to yours? :)
what? you made a deal with each other? :p
but yeah, RP, we're all anxious to see the next chapter.
what? you made a deal with each other? :p
but yeah, RP, we're all anxious to see the next chapter.
LOL! No, no deal was made, although now that I re-read my post I can see how you thought that, RC. Sorry, was just trying to prompt RP to post again as he ribbed me once about the long breaks between my chapters in my fic. Granted, with work and other committments I know it's hard to keep it up, and when you've been 'away' from the story for a while it's even harder to pick up where you left off.
But, maybe now his thread is back on the main page, RenegadePuma will try, eh?
Okay, so your new chapters and newfound dedication have inspired me Jasra. I have started working on chapter XXIV. Unless something very important arises, you can all expect it to be posted by this weekend. As Jasra said, once you have been away from the story for awhile it is hard to pick it right back up again. So I am going to work on it a little bit everyday and hopefully it turns out ok. So, this weekend it should be out. :)
Okay, so your new chapters and newfound dedication have inspired me Jasra. I have started working on chapter XXIV. Unless something very important arises, you can all expect it to be posted by this weekend. As Jasra said, once you have been away from the story for awhile it is hard to pick it right back up again. So I am going to work on it a little bit everyday and hopefully it turns out ok. So, this weekend it should be out. :)
Finally :lol:, I've been waiting for the conclusion of this Fic. I'm looking foward to it.
Yay! :redbounc: I'm really looking forward to more of your story and especially... reading your next battle scene! :lsduel: You always do such a great job with them! Think you could give me some pointers??
i have one thing to say....YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey guys and gals, thought you might like a little sneak peak at the next chapter. A taste to wet your appetites if you will. Bwaa ha ha ha ha!
*Renegade lets out a maniacal laugh*
"No.." Linduu sobbed. "This can't be happening, this isn't right."
"Any last words Jedi?." Jasra said with a victorious look on her face.
Ooooh! You posted a 'teaser'! I'm really looking forward to reading your next installment now! So, when does it appear? Friday? Saturday? Or are you just going to keep all of us hanging on the edge of our seats? :P
RP, you're just evil for doing that to us. :D
While RC isn't here, I'll take his job of threatening RP with HK.
"Statement: You have until the end of the week."
:lol:
Lol, thanks for the laugh Pottsie.
Alright everyone here it is. I have been away from the story for awhile, so if is sucks sorry. I tried to put the emotions into it that I was feeling when writing it. Hopefully it is good. Also Microsoft word went down on me. I had to write this in wordpad which has no spell checker or grammar checker. So go easy on me in those areas to. My Next chapter after this one might get written this weekend. I have some time so we shall see. Enjoy.
Chapter XXIV
Linduu immediately took the offensive with a flurry of moves. It was all Jasra could do to backpedal and block Linduu's attempts as she was caught off-guard by her aggressive nature. Thrust after thrust, slash after slash, with each movement Linduu's emotions grew more and more out of control. The fight went on and on as the sabers clashed and crackled in the night air. Jasra blocked and countered until she felt as if her arms were about to fall off when finally she saw an opening. She blocked Linduu's attempted slash at her legs locking the sabers together. She then slid her saber up Linduu's all the way to the hilt with blinding speed. Sparks spewed out of Linduu's saber as Jasra severed its lower half.
"There that's better." Jasra said with a smirk on her face. "Now the odds are definitely against you."
Now it was Jasra's turn as she instantly went on the offensive. Caught off guard by the prospect of having only one blade to work with Linduu was now the one backpedaling, barely able to keep up with Jasra's movements.
( Oh Linduu you gizka brain! You exhausted yourself with your initial attack.) Linduu thought to her self as the sabers hummed between them. (I'm in real trouble now.... getting tired.... Any help would be greatly appreciated Jor-el.) Still, as before, there was no answer from her love.
No sooner had she finished her thoughts when her right heel caught a piece of debris on the ground and threw her off balance. Linduu crashed to the ground, back first with a thud. The impact sent her saber flying away, leaving her helpless and at Jasra's mercy.
"Finally, I have my moment of glory." Jasra sneered as she stood over Linduu with the business end of her saber pointed at her throat. She let out a laugh so evil that the very ground seemed to shake beneath them. "It is I, Jasra Lantill who shall destroy the last of the Jedi and rid the galaxy of them forever!!"
"No.." Linduu sobbed. "This can't be happening, this isn't right."
"Any last words Jedi?." Jasra said with a victorious look on her face.
At that moment Jor-el's force ghost appeared right in front of Jasra, his eyes full of fury locked in a gaze with her own.
"This... this is impossible!" Jasra said as she pointed her saber at Jor-el and began to slowly back away. "You're dead! I killed you myself."
Jor-el remained silent as he continued walking towards her. Jasra became so fixed on Jor-el that she was almost hypnotized by his presence. Her saber lowered and her sense of the surrounding area faded into darkness. All she could do was stare into Jor-el's eyes, it was as if some magic was holding her gaze with his. She took a few more steps back when all of a sudden Jor-el disappeared and the image of his ghost was replaced by Linduu's fist flying straight at her nose. *whap!* Linduu's punch connected solidly and sent Jasra tumbling backwards. As she tried to regain her balance T-4 rolled up right behind her, tripping her as the back of her knees hit his metal chassis. This time it was Jasra's saber that flew out of her hands, and Linduu wasted no time. She pounced on Jasra like a cat, fist swinging wildly. A right hand to the face and a left to Jasra's gut. Jasra countered with a kick to the upper chest that sent Linduu flying off of her. Both women used the force to get up off the ground swiftly and were standing toe to toe once again. Linduu tried to take another swing with her fist, but her arm was stopped mid motion as Jasra placed a Force choke on her. Linduu tried to break the hold but Jasra's power was strong, and her rage even stronger. Linduu was slipping away, slowly suffocating. Just as she was about to black out Linduu reached out into the force with all the willpower she could muster. Jasra was caught off guard by Linduu's sudden burst of power. She felt a disturbance behind her and whirled about only to see T-4 airborne flying right for her head! *Clank!* T-4 slammed into Jasra with blinding speed and then dropped to the ground. Jasra slumped to her knees and fell face first into the dirt, temporarily knocked unconscious.
"Beep beep whooo!!!!" T-4 began spouting wildly. "Beep beep, whoo, wwaaaaa, bop bop beep!"
Linduu dropped to one knee gasping for air. "Sorry T-4 you were the only heavy object I could feel through the force, I had no choice but to pull you towards me."
"Beep beep!" T-4 exclaimed.
Linduu stood to her feet and used the force to call her saber to her hand. "Look, I'll make it up to you ok. If we make it through all of this then I promise that you will receive the best oil bath credits can buy."
"Beep droot." T-4 replied in a calmer tone.
Linduu approached Jasra's motionless body without caution. All she could think about was killing her to gain revenge for Jor-el's death. As she reached Jasra the rage inside of her grew even stronger. Her lightsaber beam turned into a deep dark shade of red. Thoughts of what Jasra and the Sith had taken from her life began to run through her mind. She raised her saber above her head, the tip of the beam pointed down at Jasra.
"Now I shall avenge my husbands death!"
Linduu thrust her saber down for the killing blow. But with unnatural speed Jasra rolled out of the way, called her own saber to her and simultaneously ignited it and slashed for Linduu's neck. Linduu barely ducked in time, Jasra's saber whizzing by an inch from the top of her head.
"You can't kill me you fool!" Jasra hissed as she swiped for Linduu's leg.
Linduu blocked the attempt and countered with a thrust followed by a flurry of upward arcing slashes. Jasra blocked each with cunning skill and countered with powerful attacks of her own driven by the black rage within her heart. The battle yet again raged on for what seemed like an eternity till finally Linduu had exhausted herself.
"You are tired, I can feel it." Jasra sneered between clenched teeth. "You can not defeat me, I am too powerful."
As she finished her rant Jasra extended her free hand causing a massive force push that sent Linduu flying into the raider. The cracking sound of her head slamming into the ship resonated throughout the entire warehouse. Everything became blurry as Jasra approached. She couldn't move anything, and the back of her head ached like nothing she had ever felt before. The last image Linduu saw before everything faded to black was Jasra taking the saber from her hand and raising both of them above her head to deal the killing blow. Linduu faded away, knowing that she had failed her husband, her child, and the entire universe.
*************************************
"Linduu my love, you mustn’t give up." Linduu heard Jor-el's voice resonating in her head. "You have come so far, you are so close."
(I don't have the strength, I can't move, I can't even open my eyes.)
"The universe is depending on you. I am depending on you. Our child, our child is depending on you. There is a purpose for his life. You can't let the Sith take it."
(She is too strong. Even if I could defeat her, how then would I even come close to stopping Vandar?)
"She is not stronger than you."
(How then is it that she is about to win?)
"Linduu, my love, my sweet. You let your emotions get the best of you. You were feeding off of your rage and hatred towards Jasra. You wanted to take revenge on her for killing me. You can not beat her at her own game. You are strong in the light, and that is where you must draw your power from. Focus on peace, serenity and life."
(But I am so angry with her for taking you from me. I miss you terribly Jor-el. I can't live life without you.)
"Let go of the past my love. I know you are hurting. I know that you miss me, I miss you too. But I have passed from your world, nothing you can do will change that. Let go of your hatred for her. Focus on the task at hand."
(I will try what you ask.)
"I know you will Lin." Jor-el said and then paused. "And know this. That I will always be with you in your heart. I will always love you. And that is something that no one can ever take from you."
(I will always love you to Jor-el.)
"Now AWAKEN!"
***************************************
Linduu's eyes shot open in time to see the two sabers coming down at her. Not more than a few seconds had passed while she was unconscious. She simply thought of a force wave and Jasra and the raider were sent flying away from Linduu. Jasra flew across the warehouse and hit the ground, skidding to a stop that peeled most of the skin from her right arm and face. The raider flew in the opposite direction and slammed into the wall, sending sparks flying everywhere.
Linduu stood to her feet and called both of the sabers from Jasra's hands to her own. Linduu's eyes glowed white hot as she centered her thoughts more and more on the light side of the force. She began walking towards where Jasra was laying with the intent of ending this fight and killing her. But when she got about halfway there she felt something.
(What's this? A spark of good in Jasra? A glimmer of hope for redemption perhaps?)
Jasra jumped to her feet. "You'll never win Jedi!" She screamed as she shot out force lightning from her hands at Linduu.
Linduu simply raised her saber and deflected the bolts into the ground. She then disengaged both sabers and dropped them.
"What's your story Jasra?" Linduu asked. "What made you fall to the dark side?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Jasra said seething with anger. "The power! The unlimited power!" And once again her hands shot out lighting at Linduu.
Linduu raised her hands this time, absorbing the bolts and making them disappear.
"If the dark side is so powerful, then why is it that you haven't killed me yet? No, no there is something more, I can feel it. Perhaps you turned on the Jedi out of anger?" Linduu asked.
"Your feeble attempts to sway me will have no effect Jedi." Jasra sneered as she continued to spew forth lightning from her fingertips.
Linduu all the while kept neutralizing it when the bolts reached her. "Perhaps you lost someone you loved? Perhaps you had no one to turn to so you blamed it on the Jedi?"
"My personal life is none of your concern!" Jasra shouted out. "Now die! Just die!"
Linduu could sense Jasra's frustration growing. Because of this Jasra's guard was lowered and Linduu took the opportunity to dig into her mind.
(Ah yes, there it is. You poor woman. I pity you now that I know the truth.)
"Your sister's death was not your fault." Linduu stated in a caring tone.
Jasra's ceased her attacks immediately as she was taken aback by the statement. Linduu noticed her facial features soften and continued.
"Even had you been there. There's no guarantee that you could have saved her."
"What would you know about it Jedi! Nothing!" Jasra said as the hatred returned to her demeanor.
"I can help you Jasra, I can help heal your wound and take the pain away. This fight doesn't have to end with one of us dying." Linduu said as she stopped walking and stood about 10 feet from Jasra.
"I don't want your help Jedi! All I want is to kill you where you stand." Jasra said as she raised her hands to attack Linduu again with more lightning.
"Then I'm sorry." Linduu replied.
Before Jasra could begin her attack Linduu lifted her hands, the two lightsabers behind her lifted off the ground, ignited, and flew past her ears right for Jasra. They found their mark, one in Jasra's head, and one in her heart. The Sith took one last gasp of air and then fell to the ground dead. Linduu walked over, pulled the sabers out of Jasra's dead body and disengaged them. She knelt down beside her and placed a hand on her cheek.
"I'm so sorry you had to die with such pain still bound inside you." Linduu said as tears of sadness began to fall from her eyes. "I forgive you for killing my husband. I forgive you for taking away from me what you did. May you find more peace in the next world than you had here."
Linduu began to weep openly. Those were the hardest words she had ever had to say. But none the less she knew she needed to say them. After a few moments she stood to her feet and walked over to T-4.
"So my little friend." She said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "What did you find in the city's mainframe computer?"
Good Chapter. I hope Jasra would return to the light, so she could help Linduu against Vandar. Why did Linduu only care about Jor-el, when she said:
"Now I shall avenge my husbands death!"
Anyway it was good. I'm looking foward to the final showdown.
I'm not sure I understand your question Pottsie. Could you elaborate?
I'm not sure I understand your question Pottsie. Could you elaborate?
I'll try and explain it a bit clearer.
Why did Linduu only think about Jor-el when she avenged his death against Jasra. What about John Onasi? He was killed too by Jasra, so why wasn't he avenged too?
I hope that's a bit clearer. I'm looking foward to the final showdown as mentioned before in my previous Post.
Well first off thank you. I am glad you liked the chapter.
Secondly When Linduu said she was going to avenge her husband's death, it was because that was the freshest thing in her mind. Sure there were other things that the Sith took from her, but of all of them that was the most important, and was causing her the most pain. I don't think she really wanted to take the time to run down the entire list before she attacked ;) Does that help answer your question?
Does that help answer your question?
Yes thank you.
That was a really, REALLY, good chapter. Lots of suspense at the end with the will-she-wont-she turn away from the Dark Side. Well done! And I just had to laugh at the 'whap!' in the nose. Classic!
AND...over 3000 views for you, too! Woo hoo! Par-tay!
:guitar2 :violin: :band1 :elephant: :cheers: :monkey4:
@Pottsie--it's natural to think of someone who's your husband and the father of your child before you think of anything else.
@RP--nice battle. I liked the emotional struggle that Jasra went through before making her decision. Throwing T4 was funny. :)
Edit--fixed T4's name. :)
excellent, i was hoping to blow off some steam after all that hiking and this did the job perfectly. very good :thumbsup: