Beyond - Legends Empire of the Hand (Post NJO: Jaina Solo, Jag) Completed 9/26/05!

Chapter 30: Voltijan's Rage

Goresh Tenziesh's heart was thumping steadily in his chest as he and his three guards pounded through the maze of corridors beneath the Chiss base towards their makeshift exit. His fortune had changed so suddenly and drastically, that the Vagaari leader was running in a state of shock. What he'd thought would be a day of glorious victory for his struggling people had turned into a defeat so total, unusual, and blinding, that he was questioning everything he though he knew.

His only conclusion was that it had all been a trap. The Chiss had set them up, lured them to the isolated world and then brought in a massive war fleet to crush the Vagaari once and for all. The implication of course, was that his master might be involved as well.

From the moment Goresh had seen the Jedi light-weapons in the hanger, he'd been fixated on them, remembering the silver cylinder that hung from Rénin's belt. Was it possible that the general was a Jedi? He'd never seen him use the weapon, and until the human, Solo, had activated hers, he'd never laid eyes on one alight before.

When he was younger, Goresh had heard tales about the evil Jedi and their quest to destroy the Vagaari.

If General Rénin was a Jedi, was he in league with Solo and the Chiss? Had it been an elaborate trick to lure the Vagaari into a trap so the blue-skinned aliens could finish their extermination?

But why? Rénin and the Conquerors had already enslaved his people and killed thousands of Vagaari to gain control— why wouldn't he have just destroyed the Vagaari himself?

None of it made any sense.

The only thing Goresh knew for certain was that he had to escape— he had a feeling in his gut that his warriors had failed to kill the two Jedi in the hanger, and even if they had, he still knew the fortress would be swarming with the Chiss reinforcements that had arrived, and he wouldn't live long enough to find answers to any of his questions if he didn't get back to Krillaire quickly.

Reaching the hole he and his warriors had blown through the durasteel wall of the basement less than an hour ago, Goresh rushed out into the tunnel they'd made through the mountain.

One thing the Vagaari were quite skilled in was the use of explosives. They'd managed to make the natural caves inside the mountain Château Mitth'raw'nuruodo was built into the path for them to enter. The tunnel was a jagged maze, in some sections quite narrow and in others as wide as the hanger he'd just vacated, where the planet's natural weather had worn through the rock, making caves and tunnels of its own. There were so many offshoots from their tunnel that Goresh feared they might take the wrong path.

"Hurry, brothers!" He said, urging on his protectors and the wolvkil they'd taken with them, as they pushed their way deeper inside the tunnel towards their escape.





Jaina Solo didn't let any of the exhaustion or emotional trauma slow her run as she and Wrev left the hanger deep n the bowels of Château Mitth'raw'nuruodo in pursuit of the Vagaari commander, Goresh. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept— two days ago when the stormtroopers had drugged her perhaps?

But weighing most heavily on Jaina's modest frame was the knowledge that Jag Fel was dead, and that it was much her own doing. She'd lead him down here, insisted on fighting in the front lines to protect something she didn't even understand. Perhaps it was the mentality of the Yuuzhan Vong War that was still driving her on, forcing her to keep fighting until she was dead like so many others, and that's why she'd fought this battle that wasn't really hers.

Now the one she loved was dead and there was nothing she could do to change that.

Still, she was the Sword of the Jedi, and managed to push all the emotional cargo aside as she tracked the Vagaari that had become her prey. Goresh Tenziesh had admitted to knowledge of the alien scoutship in the hanger that Jag had claimed was part of some great galactic threat— he knew something about an enemey that led Thrawn to build his empire in the Unknown Regions... the enemy that had frightened Palpatine.

Now with Jag's fate out of her hands and the CEDF reinforcements having arrived to save the fortress, Jaina's mission was to stop Goresh. She couldn't let him escape when he had knowledge of something Jag had assured her was a great threat to them all. She loved Jag too much to let all that he'd worked and fought for slide away, when Goresh's knowledge might be enough to help them stop the mysterious threat.

But Goresh's head start may have been enough to ensure his escape. He'd left them with thirteen warriors and three wolvkils to combat, giving the Vagaari a healthy lead that she and Wrev were desperately attempting to close. Luckily, they could sense Goresh and his men in the Force, giving them the ability to track without much fear of losing them in the winding tunnels of Château Mitth'raw'nuruodo.

They finally came to the hole the Vagaari had blown through the basement walls more than four meters across.

"I have a feeling they went this way," Wrev said with a deadpan expression between panted breaths.

"No time for your stupid routine— we have to hurry," Jaina replied over her shoulder as she charged into the dark tunnel burrowed into the rock.

"What routine?"

Glowrods were switched on only a few steps inside the cave and the Jedi had to slow their run to negotiate the rocky terrain. The labyrinth of twisting dark paths gave Jaina pause— though she could feel which general direction Goresh was moving, she wasn't sure her senses were sharp enough to pick up the subtleties of the forked passages. She could only hope that every time she and Wrev came to a splintered road they made the right choice. As they moved deeper inside she began to find clues that steered them, most obvious were shattered rocks and black scorched walls, evidence of the Vagaari's explosives.

She could feel they were getting closer, gaining on their quarry.

"There!" Wrev said loudly when he made out a Vagaari’s leg at the edge of the beam of white light from their glowrods.

The Jedi ran faster, pushing on with the Force as their fuel, passing through a wide cave and traveling down a tunnel that dipped several feet down.

They could see all four of the fleeing Vagaari as they reached the bottom of their road, which gradually rose back up ahead of them.

It was then that Jaina Solo spotted two of the Vagaari affixing detonation packs to the cave walls and then saw one only feet from them out of the corner of her eye.

"Sith spawn!" She managed as she leapt to the side, grabbing Wrev and dragging him with her.

The blast was a deafening echo that spewed chunks of sharp rocks in all directions and something worse— water. One of the streams that ran through the mountain was in the blast radius and sent torrents of water gushing down, flooding the tunnel and threatening to drown them all.

"Come on!" Jaina yelled, recovering from the blast and pulling at Wrev's arm as they bound through the water that was already knee deep. Ahead of them, the two Vagaari who'd been setting up more detonation packs spun around brandishing blaster rifles while the other two continued up the rising tunnel towards a plateau some six meters higher than where the Jedi were, and presumably safe from the rising waters much longer. The snap-hiss sound of both blue lightsabers was drown out by the rush of liquid made black by the darkness as the Vagaari opened fire.

Deft movements intercepted the red beams of light and sent the blaster bolts harmlessly into the cave walls as the two Jedi continued their charge forward. Either the Vagaari in front of them had been extremely foolish or suicidal and sacrificing themselves, because both of them were far too close to the explosives they just laid when they went off in a bright white flash. The heavy rocks that were launched crushed flesh and bone easily, killing the two warriors instantly.

One of the blasts again sent waves of frothy water into the tunnel and Jaina feared that the blasts might bring the whole thing down on top of them. They made it to the pile of rocks that had buried the two Vagaari and leapt over it with somersaulting flips, any hope that the rocks would create a reasonable dam gone as the waters rose above and spilled over after them. The waters streamed in faster as Jaina’s ears were still ringing from the blasts, the two of them pushing up the slope of the tunnel towards the plateau Goresh and the other Vagaari had just reached.

Again, calling on the Force, their legs pumped faster and they reached the plateau not far behind the Vagaari commander. Jaina felt as though her lungs were burning, heart pounding in her ears as her clothes weremade heavy by being soaked once again.

The two beams of blue light lit the Jedi's way as they turned the corner to find it opened into a wider passage in which Goresh and his last goon had turned to face them, wolvkil at his side and a Vagaari lighting device clutched in his hand.

The commander barked an order in his native tongue that Jaina didn't need the Force to interpret, the last remaining warrior and wolvkil springing to attack she and Wrev. Jaina didn't have to think about it, so heavy was she in the flow of the Force that she could feel the channel, saw her opening, and let the energy guide her.

Cocking her lightsaber behind her back low on her left side, Jaina swung her right arm out sharply, throwing her lightsaber in a spiral toward her attacks. The blade soared, flashing and swiftly decapitating the warrior and then slicing through the wolvkil in a tight blue arc. The weapon flew back to her hand and Jaina's knees almost buckled from the effort and her growing exhaustion.

Goresh's surprise and fear were evident in his wide violet eyes and he turned to run, but quickly halted when the two Jedi leapt after him, realizing his escape was hopeless. As the Vagaari commander turned to face them with a glowrod and blaster in hand, Jaina and Wrev raised their glowing blue blades to guard only three meters from him.

"It's over, Goresh," Jaina said evenly. "There is no escape."

Tenziesh's mouths suddenly spread in a knowing grin as he rolled up the sleeve of his coat to reveal a forearm that looked lumpy and transparent with black and yellow movement inside. "Not for you, Solo."

Jaina's mind raced back to her aunt's story about the Vagaari on board Outbound Flight only a moment before Goresh tore the arm away from his body and a swarm of black-winged bugs flew out, immediately darting towards the Jedi. Mara had spoke of another Vagaari leader who had an artificial limb loaded with poisonous gas and she had no doubt that these insects were something as deadly. While Mara and Luke had been able to save themselves by smashing a transparisteel viewport on the stolen dreadnaughts and letting the gas be sucked into the vacuum— she had no such advantage.

It would be impossible to try and kill them with her lightsaber and not get stung— and perhaps if she wasn't so drained, Jaina might have tried to use the Force to pelt them away, but that would require concentration and strength she didn't have— Wrev certainly wasn't powerful enough to try it.

With a swarm of poisonous insects moving like a black cloud around them, eclipsing a smiling Goresh who took off the other direction towards freedom, Jaina could think of only one possibility for survival.

"Run!" She yelled, grabbing Wrev by the arm and running back towards the sloped tunnels towards them.

The buzz of the swarm, the chattering and flapping of hundreds of tiny wings sent a shiver down her spine as she and Wrev ran the four meters back and turned to the flooded tunnel, leaping headlong into the murky waters still rushing in. Her only hope was that the bugs couldn't swim— most flying insects couldn't.

They crashed into the cold water and Jaina thought she might go into shock, before becoming aware of another force— the current was pushing her back. Securing her lightsaber to her belt and freeing her glowrod, Jaina was able to see in the dark water as she and Wrev dove deeper, trying to push their way through and away from the swarm of insects she could see hovering over the surface. Drawing on the Force again they passed the blast point where the water was still pushing in, before they neared the other and the current charged, the undertow pulling them deep and Jaina began to worry about drowning for the first time. The two were tossed around like marionettes before they passed the second blast point and were shooting down the tunnel with the stream.

Jaina clawed her way to the surface, gasping for breath as Wrev broke the waves a second behind her, the tunnel walls passing by at frightening speeds as the waters propelled them.

"At least the bugs are gone," Wrev gasped.

"The bugs might have been better," she said as they neared a low wall.

They had a dive back under to keep from being crushed against it and swarm into a smaller portion of the tunnel lower, completely flooded with nowhere for them to grab any oxygen. It seemed to go on forever, the twisting path of water forcing them deeper, faster towards Château Mitth'raw'nuruodo's basement.

Finally the pressure began to lessen because of the changes in direction and Wrev and Jaina found themselves in a small cove with a two-foot pocket of air above. They broke the surface gasping, the cove slowly filling with more water.

"What are we going to do?" Wrev asked.

"I don't know," Jaina managed.

“We don’t have long here. The water's rising too fast— we'll drown."

"I guess we'll have to swim and hope to reach higher ground," Jaina replied as she felt the top of her head nearing the rocky ceiling.

Wrev looked at her, soaked, treading water in their shrinking space. "At least Threepio isn't here to tell us what our odds of survival are."

Jaina laughed sorrowfully. She looked at him seriously, dark eyes meeting in the shimmering light on the surface provided by their glowrods, a curtain of golden light moving over Wrev's features and gleaming eyes.

"In case we don't survive, I want you to know that this has been the worst week of my life and I hate you."

Wrev stared back with mock-affection. "I feel exactly the same way."

With that, their heads were pushed uncomfortably against the ceiling and they knew they were out of time. The two Jedi Knights dove down into the darkness one final time and tried to swim a path back to the Chiss fortress, arms burning with the effort, the strong current no longer at their backs.

Jaina began to get severely disoriented by the twists and turns as her oxygen-starved lungs started to scream for relief. Black spots formed in her vision and she began to believe that she would die, the only consolation being that she would soon be with Jag.

She blacked out completely before she felt two slim arms around her, pulling her out of the water. She looked up to see Evlyn's worried features looking down at her on a piece of high ground in front of the opening blown into Château Mitth'raw'nuruodo and turned to see Alema Rar similarly reeling Wrev out of the water and up onto dry rock, the man gasping and coughing.

A group of Chiss were nearby, including Kyrn, asking questions Jaina couldn't hear— she thought for a moment that she might be deaf.

They'd made it, but Goresh had escaped along with whatever knowledge he had of the alien scoutship— and Jag was dead.

The pain was the last thing Jaina felt before she passed out.

 

Very good.

This better be the final death.(Remebers what happened with Corran.)

Its starting to remind me of "Monty Python"

 

Wait Wait Wait! When exactly did we find out Jag was dead?! The last post he was just CLOSE to death, now he?s dead?! NNNNNOOOOOOO!!!!!!! YOU CAN'T LET HIM DIE! NOT JAG!

Any way that was GREAT! Can't wait for more--kt

 

*whimper* Jag is not dead!!!!


*cough*
Anyway- great description of everything in this one. Jaina's desperation to get Goresh was well done, and the fight itself, with the arm and the bugs, was well done too.

Poor heroes....
-Zetta

 

Jag can NOT die You can't let him die.

Great chappie though!

 

...and Jag was dead.

until I see the rest.

oldj

 

*Cuts Jags head off and sticks thermal detonator down his throat.*

Now he's dead.

 

YOU DIDN'T!!! Great post though!
--Wynssa

 

I hope that Goresh hasn't gotten away. Jaina is in one bad place now. What have you got in store for her?

 

Oh man the bad guy got away

I think Jaina is starting to go nuts... All she is doing is thinking that Jag is dead Some faith there woman!!!

Oh yeah and lot's of action is always a big plus with me

 

* puts thermal detonator in Yodas-evil-twin ass *

Now Jump!!!

 

Now that's funny.

Oh, and nice update YK. Please leave Jag dead

 

The bad guy got away, Jaina passed out and Jag's supposedly dead (Now Wrev can have Jaina all to himself ) this post had alot in it.

Can't wait for the next post

 

From the moment Goresh had seen the Jedi light-weapons in the hanger, he'd been fixated on them, remembering the silver cylinder that hung from Rénin's belt. Was it possible that the general was a Jedi?

Ah. No wonder Goresh was freaked out by their lightsabers.

She loved Jag too much to let all that he'd worked and fought for slide away, when Goresh's knowledge might be enough to help them stop the mysterious threat.

Now that she can finally admit to herself how much she loved Jag now that she thinks he?s dead, I wonder if she?ll let herself feel that way when she finds out he survived.

The blast was a deafening echo that spewed chunks of sharp rocks in all directions and something worse? water. One of the streams that ran through the mountain was in the blast radius and sent torrents of water gushing down, flooding the tunnel and threatening to drown them all.

You know, as much of a genius as Thrawn was, you?d think he would have been a bit more careful about waterproofing his basements.

Jaina's mind raced back to her aunt's story about the Vagaari on board Outbound Flight only a moment before Goresh tore the arm away from his body and a swarm of black-winged bugs flew out, immediately darting towards the Jedi.

[Han] Bugs. Why did it have to be bugs? [/Han]

Jaina laughed sorrowfully. She looked at him seriously, dark eyes meeting in the shimmering light on the surface provided by their glowrods, a curtain of golden light moving over Wrev's features and gleaming eyes.

"In case we don't survive, I want you to know that this has been the worst week of my life and I hate you."

Wrev stared back with mock-affection. "I feel exactly the same way."

Aww. That was just perfect.

Wow. Another great action-packed post!



Chimpo! Bad sithly monkey!
* checks to make sure no one is watching, then high-fives Chimpo * Good one!

 

They'd made it, but Goresh had escaped along with whatever knowledge he had of the alien scoutship? and Jag was dead.

WHAT No not my favorite Fel boy! Not him! NO!!!!!!! *runs after YK with fangs bared and lightsaber ignited*

 

Satiating.

 

Action packed post! I find it interesting that Jaina seems to be replaying many of the tasks that Mara & Luke have gone through. Is this intentional? Is it supposed to tell me something?





















Jag is not dead .... at least not until there is "undenile-able" proof!

 

evil-twin: Very good.

Thanks.

This better be the final death.(Remebers what happened with Corran.)



Its starting to remind me of "Monty Python"






crackjacks: Wait Wait Wait! When exactly did we find out Jag was dead?! The last post he was just CLOSE to death, now he?s dead?! NNNNNOOOOOOO!!!!!!! YOU CAN'T LET HIM DIE! NOT JAG!

Well, it was from Jaina's POV. Find out for certain in the last post.

Any way that was GREAT! Can't wait for more--kt

Next week it will be all finished up. Thanks for reading




zetta: *whimper* Jag is not dead!!!!


Says you

*cough*
Anyway- great description of everything in this one. Jaina's desperation to get Goresh was well done, and the fight itself, with the arm and the bugs, was well done too.

The bugs in the arm is from Survivor's Quest. Glad you liked it all

Poor heroes....

yeah, maybe it will have a semi-happy ending



goddess45: Jag can NOT die You can't let him die.

What can I do to save him? I'm only one man

Great chappie though!

Thanks



oldj: until I see the rest.

Denial?

Thanks for reading, oldj




evil-twin: *Cuts Jags head off and sticks thermal detonator down his throat.*
Now he's dead.



He probably learned that from those violent video games!




Wyn: YOU DIDN'T!!!

I sooo did

...

Read more of your diary that is

Great post though!

Thank you




FORCEBlLADE: I hope that Goresh hasn't gotten away.

He has. We'll see him in the last chapter and in the next fic as well, playing his part...

Jaina is in one bad place now. What have you got in store for her?

More adventures Thanks for reading




Chimpo: Oh man the bad guy got away

Yeah, that doesn't happen everyday

I think Jaina is starting to go nuts... All she is doing is thinking that Jag is dead Some faith there woman!!!

Maybe she knows who's writing this?

Oh yeah and lot's of action is always a big plus with me

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading




Chimpo: * puts thermal detonator in Yodas-evil-twin *** *
Now Jump!!! [/i]

You crazy kids!



Spike: Oh, and nice update YK. Please leave Jag dead

So noted And thanks




melissa: The bad guy got away, Jaina passed out and Jag's supposedly dead (Now Wrev can have Jaina all to himself )



That is the best response

this post had alot in it. Can't wait for the next post

Will be up next week. And then it will be all done Thanks for reading!





Jags_Scoundrel: Ah. No wonder Goresh was freaked out by their lightsabers.

Yup

Now that she can finally admit to herself how much she loved Jag now that she thinks he?s dead, I wonder if she?ll let herself feel that way when she finds out he survived.

You're right, if he survives it would be a way of bringing them together

You know, as much of a genius as Thrawn was, you?d think he would have been a bit more careful about waterproofing his basements.

That is so true!

And the flooding of the cave is obviously supposed to mirror Mara and Luke's experience on Nirauan.

[Han] Bugs. Why did it have to be bugs? [/Han]



Aww. That was just perfect.

Not exactly Luke proposing, but I'm glad you liked it [face_tongue

Wow. Another great action-packed post!

Thanks, and thanks for reading





Sil: WHAT No not my favorite Fel boy! Not him! NO!!!!!!! *runs after YK with fangs bared and lightsaber ignited*

Gah! *runs, yelling ba

 

So when's the sequel?

 

If General Rénin was a Jedi, was he in league with Solo and the Chiss? Had it been an elaborate trick to lure the Vagaari into a trap so the blue-skinned aliens could finish their extermination?
Ooo, the plot thickens. I do hope you have sequel for this.

Jaina Solo didn't let any of the exhaustion or emotional trauma slow her run as she and Wrev left the hanger deep n the bowels of Château Mitth'raw'nuruodo in pursuit of the Vagaari commander, Goresh. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept? two days ago when the stormtroopers had drugged her perhaps?
Not good, I've only done two days when I haven't slept and I didn't have a whole lot of fun.

"It's over, Goresh," Jaina said evenly. "There is no escape."

Tenziesh's mouths suddenly spread in a knowing grin as he rolled up the sleeve of his coat to reveal a forearm that looked lumpy and transparent with black and yellow movement inside. "Not for you, Solo."
Ak! Not good.

"In case we don't survive, I want you to know that this has been the worst week of my life and I hate you."

Wrev stared back with mock-affection. "I feel exactly the same way."


They'd made it, but Goresh had escaped along with whatever knowledge he had of the alien scoutship? and Jag was dead.

The pain was the last thing Jaina felt before she passed out.
Oh my giddy aunt...this is seriuosly NOT GOOD!!!!

Awesome post! Loved Wrev and Jaina's growning affection for each other, but Jag better live....or I don't know what I'll do to you...

Next FRIKKIN' POST!!!!

~Eruanne

 

It sad that this fic will soon be finished.

And I think that the Chiss should look for help when designing basements.

 

No kidding!

 

YK: *grins* Great update...

Hmm... I get echoes of Luke and Mara in VotF, and Jaina's insistance that Jaina is dead between SbS and DW...

Both of which may, of course, be shameless misdirection, or pure coincidence... either way - good work!!

- The Imperial Ewok

 

oldj: until I see the rest.

Denial?

Of course. De-nile.


Oh, and Chimpo: * puts thermal detonator in Yodas-evil-twin ass *

Now Jump!!!


ROFLOL!!!! Good one!!

oldj

 

You know what'd be even better than Jag being dead? Jaina disgracing his memory by falling in love with Wrev.