DWF6

The hooting of the emergency claxons within the moon colony was definitely beginning to grate on Charsa’s nerves as she and Rela made their way through the flickering illumination of the twisting, turning corridors with the unconscious body of Vicetta Mermil supported between them. Kason staggered along behind them and she could sense the pain that coursed through him with every step he took. The power he had unleashed in the audience chamber had scoured the synapses of his mind raw and would undoubtedly take some time to heal before he felt like his old self again.

"You’re sure we’re going in the right direction," Charsa asked Rela for the third time, her voice coming in gasps due to the exertion of carrying Mermil’s unresponsive body, "I’d hate to get lost in this place."

"I…know…where…we’re…going," Rela panted back in exasperation, "I’m hoping the turbolift system hasn’t been damaged too badly, it would definitely be a help right now."

"If the last one was any indication," Charsa replied over the bobbing head of the Vicetta, "we’re in for a long walk."

They had found one turbolift access shortly after leaving the small council room that was obviously useless, it was nothing but a deep pit filled with sparking wires and falling debris, all controls were smashed beyond repair.

"There’s another one coming up soon," Rela almost snarled, "if this one turns out like the last, then I’ll agree with you."

As if on queue, another turbolift access panel presented itself, set into the right side of the corridor. Unlike the last one this one’s door was still intact, and when Rela touched the control plate, the door swooshed open with a hiss, and they could see an intact pod waiting there.

Both women sighed in relief and stepped into the pod with their unconscious burden still held between them, Kason stumbled in behind them clutching at the walls for support as his knees buckled beneath him.

The door to the turbolift closed with a soft hiss and Rela spoke aloud to the voice control system, "Hangar level, High priority." The metallic voice that answered her was garbled and accompanied by sparking static, but it almost sounded like, "acknowledged."

They felt the turbolift whir slowly…slowly to life, and suddenly the floor of the pod dropped sickeningly out from under them. After a nauseating ten meter drop, the sounds of emergency clamps engaging clanged through the small interior of the pod and they felt their descent slow…stop…and then the pod began to rise, hopefully on the way to where they wanted to be.

After several cuts in power and breathtaking drops, though none so bad as the first, the turbolift pod continued it’s climb and finally stopped, a chime sounded indicating that their destination had been reached.

Rela reached out with her right hand and keyed in a sequence on the control panel which caused the door to iris slowly open, the door groaning as if it’s abused mechanical parts were struggling to make any motion at all.

"Oh FORCE!", Charsa exclaimed as they took in the view of the all but destroyed hangar bay.

Huge monoliths of cracked granite stood where many of the ships had been when she and Kason had first arrived there. Twisted and crushed remains of ships could be seen beneath the giant boulders, while some of the spacecraft were untouched by falling debris. People swarmed all over the cavern, climbing over piles of stone and ruined craft, evidently looking for some way to escape the moon.

"Let’s just hope our ship is still in one piece," Charsa muttered to the others, "otherwise we’re going to have to fight our way onto one that is still spaceworthy, we still have to get to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, at whatever cost."

"We must hurry though," Rela added, "there may be others who are thinking the same thing, if your ship is intact, we may have to fight to keep it for ourselves, though I think we should help as many as we can to get off this stinking rock."

"Agreed," Charsa replied softly, then in a louder voice, "Kason, how are you holding up?"
"I think I’ll live master," came his faint reply, "as always…you lead, and I’ll follow."

XXXXXXXX

Lemur’s cry of a thousand-credit reward for his safety halted most of his (still living) guards in their headlong flight for personal safety. While the majority of them did not care a bit if their ruler lived or died, that was still a lot of money and would do much to improve the living conditions of their families.

As the guard contingent ran to protect Lemur, the ruler of Osiris continued to scream epithets and point at a single female that was running towards him over the smoking, blast pitted tarmac while swinging a glowing blue stick before her.

Not a few of the guards snickered to themselves behind their face shields, surely this young slip of a girl was no reason for their ruler to be frozen in abject terror. To stop Lemur’s inane squealing, one of the guards lowered his blaster and fired a single shot at the young woman. All of their mouths dropped open in surprise as the rushing girl brought her blazing blue stick down before her and not only intercepted the blaster bolt, but sent it hurtling back into their midst to impact directly on the chest of the one who had fired, sending his body flying backwards to lay lifelessly on the tarmac.

//Obi-Wan//, Qui-Gon sent through their bond, //find a discarded blaster and circle around behind Kithera, we have to stop her and get your lightsaber back before this gets any nastier than it already is.//

Obi-Wan nodded once and dashed off through the murky clouds of smoke that still enshrouded the landing field until Qui-Gon lost sight of him, though they could still feel each other’s presence within the force.

Of the now eight guards that had heeded Lemur’s call, five surrounded the ruler of Osiris and the other three concentrated their attention on the rapidly approaching girl with the blue energy stick. Time after time, she used her mysterious blue weapon to block their blaster fire and send it directly back at them diminishing their number even more, though at least one bolt got past her defense and slammed into her lower left hip. The blast caused her to cry out and stagger for a moment, but she quickly regained her headlong rush at Lemur who was now crouched on the tarmac. The young woman was close enough now that the guards could see that there was nothing in her eyes but madness…suddenly, a thousand credits didn’t seem like all that much.

The frenzied mob at the gates of the city had slowed in their desperate, frantic rush for the protection offered within, and now all eyes were turned to the chaos that centered on the less than popular ruler of their city.

"It’s the Witch," Lemur wailed, huddled on the ground within the dubious protection of the, now four guards, "The Witch of Dzur Mountain, come to punish us all!"

The two guards facing away from the charging girl saw a large shadow appear within the drifting smoke that floated across the tarmac. Its long hair flailing in the wind of it’s passing, huge wings flared out to either side like a predatory avian swooping down to strike unsuspecting prey. Both guards dropped to one knee and lifted their blasters to their shoulders, sending a barrage of scarlet bolts at the figure that bore down upon them.

Emerald power suddenly flamed into incandescence before the running figure and sang through the air as it deflected the blaster fire harmlessly away into the jungle. One guard fainted from sheer terror, while the other looked from his blaster to the approaching nightmare and back again…measured the odds of his success…threw down his weapon and ran screaming for the protection of the jungle.

Qui-Gon slowed in his mad dash and came to a stop next to the huddled form of Lemur, who still stared in horror at the figure of Kithera who was but a meter away. The young woman brought her emerald blade up to strike at the unprotected monarch and began the downstroke that would complete her revenge. Her arms were jolted painfully as her blade met the resistance of a glowing green blade, mere inches from Lemurs head.

"Stop this now Kithera," Qui-Gon said harshly, his eyes glinting dangerously at her, "no good can come of this."

"I will have my revenge," Kithera hissed back at the Jedi Master, her voice had an odd overtone, as if that of an old man, "I have waited too long for this! Revenge will be mine!"

Not as incapacitated as he seemed, Lemur took those precious few seconds of hesitation and leapt away from the two combatants and ran as fast as he could towards the gates of his city, not realizing that the gates were choked with onlookers.

Kithera and Qui-Gon both made as if to follow, but stopped in their tracks as a hole the size of a man’s fist appeared in Lemur’s back as the remnants of a blaster shot exited his body and the ruler of Osiris collapsed lifelessly to the tarmac, a mere 30 meters from the gates of his city.

"Master," Obi-Wan panted as he jogged to a stop next to Qui-Gon, "who fired? Did you see anything?"

"I saw nothing padawan," Qui-Gon replied, "perhaps Kithera saw…"

Both Jedi looked in astonishment at the young woman who had collapsed to the ground between them, sobbing as if she were a broken-hearted child. "Revenge was to have been mine, with my own hands," she choked out between sobs of misery, "now grandfather will never truly be at rest."

Master and Padawan felt a spark of anger within the girl and Obi-Wan hastily used the force to bring the hilt of his lightsaber to his hand. For a moment, he marveled at the sense of security he felt at finally having the metal cylinder back in his possession.
"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said softly, "my commlink has been damaged, try to contact Charsa or Kason, I think we have the beginnings of an angry mob on our hands."

Truly, the terrified crowd at the city gates now seemed to be more angry than scared…mutterings of ‘outworlders’, and ‘aliens’ echoed from the crowd as many of them made their way towards the two Jedi.

"I get no response from Kason or Charsa, master," Obi-Wan replied after a few moments of twiddling with the controls of his communicator, "not even a response from the landing controllers on the moon. Just static."

The angry mob was now approaching the two Jedi and the sobbing girl between them, Qui-Gon had the definite impression of anger and hatred from the unorganized group.

"STOP!!" a female voice trumpeted from the heights of the city’s battlements, "now is not the time for anger or hatred! Let us not follow in Lemur’s footsteps! I hereby convene the Council, let us know the actions that have led us to this! We will bring these strangers safely within our city so we may hear their story." She carefully hid the recently fired blaster in the folds of her gown.

The hostile crowd stopped its approach, some muttering amongst themselves heatedly, but it seemed as if the majority wanted to comply.

//That was the woman in blue that we sensed earlier,// Obi-Wan sent to his master, //I wonder what she has in mind.//

//Only time will tell, padawan,// Qui Gon sent back, //in the meantime, keep trying to contact Charsa or Kason. I have a bad feeling about what’s happening to them.//

XXXXXXXX

Charsa and Rela, still holding the unconscious Mermil between them continued their arduous trek across the landing cavern with an equally exhausted and bedraggled Kason following in their wake.

Their journey was slowed significantly by the jumbled piles of collapsed granite ceiling that loomed around them on the floor of the cavern. They had to follow a wandering circuitous route to work their way around the towering piles of stone, and when no other path presented itself, they had to climb the obstructing mounds and claw their way slowly down the opposite sides; an effort made even more difficult by having to lug Mermil’s still form along with them, trying to avoid injury to him as well as themselves.

They were by no means alone in their plight. The cavern seemingly swarmed with pilots and warriors, barely seen in the dim, flickering light and sparking surveillance equipment, who climbed and descended the jagged piles of stone in search of their own way out of the moons environs. Occasionally, they would all look up as a starcraft whooshed by overhead on it’s way to the open portal, to pass through the shield generated field that kept the atmosphere intact in the huge cavern, and into space.

Charsa and Rela stopped in front of yet another unavoidable obstacle and surveyed its surface carefully to mark the most efficient way to climb over. Kason stood behind them silently, gaze directed at the floor as he swayed back and forth on unsteady, exhausted legs.

"I’ll go first this time," Charsa sighed to Rela, "let me get about halfway up and you push Mermil up the side to me, then you climb to the top and I’ll pass him to you." <Too bad Kason’s so out of it,> she thought to herself, <an extra set of hands sure would be a help with this. But that blast took everything out of him, he can barely pull himself along, much less drag a full grown man along with him.> She shrugged her shoulders, both in resignment as well as to loosen them up for the climb ahead.

She pulled on the force to guide her hands and booted feet to the most supportive of the cracks and protuberances in the stress crazed granite to assist her in her climb. About halfway up, she firmly gripped the edge of an exceptionally large crack in the rock and motioned with her right hand for Rela to push the Vicetta upwards until Charsa could get a good supporting grip around his torso, just under his arms.

As soon as she was sure that Charsa had a secure grip on Mermil, Rela made her way up the rock face and inched past Charsa’s precarious hold then proceeded to the top of the stone monolith. When she finally pulled herself to the top, she perched there for a brief moment panting heavily. After somewhat regaining her breath she flopped belly down on the cold, gritty surface and extended her arm down the side, nearly reaching the top of Charsa’s silver maned head. "Ok," she wheezed to the Jedi Master, "pass him on up."

After several minutes of grunting and straining, Charsa had lifted Mermil’s form up high enough for Rela to get a good grip on the ruler’s tunic and haul him to the top of the heap of stone, her small form belying the brute strength that she exhibited.

Despite the seriousness of their current situation, Charsa had to muffle a laugh more than once at some of the vile curses that Rela muttered under her breath as she struggled to pull Mermil’s weight to where she crouched. With her hands free again, Charsa quickly made her way to the top and took a moment to catch her breath and peered over the side to make sure that Kason was starting his own climb. Seeing only the top of her padawan’s grimy, sweat soaked head already moving up towards her, she nodded in satisfaction and turned to Rela, who was no less grimy and sweat stained than Kason and herself, "Ok, now for the easy part," she said with an ironic half smile.

The journey down the side of the rock face was accomplished in roughly half the time they had spent making the ascent on the other side, Charsa and Rela stood side by side supporting Mermil between them, waiting for Kason to join them.

"Master!" she heard from above and looked up to see Kason’s face peering down at her from the top of the rubble enclosed monolith. His sharp incisors gleamed whitely in the half-light of the cavern and his green feline eyes, though weary, twinkled with newfound energy. "Master," he repeated quickly, his right hand stabbing out and pointing into the gloomy distance, "I can see it, our ship! Not even fifty yards in that direction!"

"How does it look? Any damage?" Charsa called back to him, her moisture-starved throat causing her voice to crack. <I sound like an old macaw bird>

The young Jedi peered into the half lighted distance studying their ship. For a moment Rela was jealous of Kason’s ability to see in the subdued illumination, but then decided that he could also probably see some pretty unpleasant things in the wrecked landing cavern. "Not that I can see from here, master," Kason called down after a few moments, "just some scratches, and a couple of minor dents here and there."

From not too far away they could all hear another craft’s engines sputter to life and begin to roar with power as it readied for liftoff.

"Well get down here, and lets get off of this stinking mudball," Charsa called back, her voice cracking again, though this time with renewed vigor.

Without another word, Kason obediently turned and let his legs dangle over the edge of the granite form, his booted feet seeking purchase on the gritty surface.

There was a whoosh as a ship nearby activated it’s repulsorlifts, left the ground and began it’s way to the cavern’s huge exit, Rela and Charsa could see the dim shadow of the ship moving above them and to the left.

The sudden banshee shriek of a damaged, overworked engine split the air almost on top of them and Charsa watched as if in slow motion as a large part of the ship split off and impacted with the cavern floor not five meters away from where she and Rela were standing. She felt her skin tingle in horror as the broken chunk of metal did not stop when it impacted, but continued through the stress fractured granite into a cavern underneath.
She could feel the surface of the landing bay floor shudder beneath her as the Force trilled a warning in her mind.

Acting almost on instinct, Charsa wrapped her arms around both Rela and Mermil, she ran for a few short steps and jumped calling on the force to aid her exhausted muscles in getting her charges to safety. //Kason,// she cried through their bond, //jump! Follow me!//

Even before her feet touched the ground, Charsa could see Kason’s slim, compact form somersaulting through the air high above her and her ‘passengers’.

Charsa landed heavily and felt a tendon in her right ankle pop as if in protest to the abuse she had subjected it to this day. She could feel through the soles of her boots that this ground was no more stable than the ground she had just vacated. Again she pulled the force to her and used it to, almost violently, push Rela and the still unconscious Mermil even further away from the rapidly growing chasm behind them. She noted with some satisfaction that Rela and Mermil landed on a part of the cavern floor that the Force told her was solid, although they had landed in a heap and Rela was spitting curses like a Hutt.

The rock beneath her growled as if in warning and Charsa could feel it beginning to give way under her. She looked around and saw Kason running toward her. //No Padawan!// she sent desperately through their link, //stay back…help the others! I can make it on my own!// She started to run, then realized that her injured ankle disagreed with her statement.

Charsa hobbled forward painfully, and noted that her Padawan had totally ignored her command and was still running towards her. //Go back Kason!// she sent again, //I can take care of myself!// The only response she received from her Padawan was that his emerald eyes shone even brighter with purpose as he got even closer.

Charsa stumbled and fell to her knees, the granite beneath her cracked menacingly and she felt bits of it begin to fall away into whatever cavern lurked below. She looked up again at her charging Padawan and as the instinct for survival took hold of her, she held out her right hand. She saw Kason make a running dive, his chest and torso slamming into the hard granite surface that had been so reliable not so long ago and sliding the last few paces towards her.

Just as the rock beneath her crumbled to bits Charsa felt Kason’s hand smack firmly into hers, holding on to her in an almost painful grip. "I’ve got you Master," the teenager gasped, "hold tight."

Sweat and grime had accumulated on both of them during their escape, both had myriad tiny cuts in their hands from climbing over and around the unyielding granite obstacles.

Their hands were slick with the combination of sweat, blood and granite dust, both could feel their grip on the other slipping, but neither would acknowledge it. Kason’s arms moved like lightening, when his left hand would slip from Charsa’s, his right would immediately take it’s place…and then left…and then right, over and over again in agonizing silence.

Charsa looked up at her struggling Padawan, seeing their red tinged hands grip over and over again. She closed her eyes for the briefest of moments. "Padawan," she whispered, "for a long time we have had our bond through the force. Now…we also have the bond of blood…and for that I thank you…you who I would call my son."

Charsa’s hands again slipped out of his grasp and Kason’s other arm darted down to catch her yet again…but she wasn’t there.